Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Chapter 124: Chapter 124 Spending Money to Become Stronger

Because most of the books had been tampered with or destroyed, the All Things Library had no choice but to mobilize a massive amount of human and material resources to recollect, organize, and categorize information, and to compile new books.

The All Things Library itself was not profitable before.

Its operation relied mainly on social donations and the wages earned by library members who worked outside.

After the war ended, many chambers of commerce or families, pressured by their own nations, shifted their focus to national reconstruction, with no spare funds to support the neutral library.

That was the library’s most destitute time.

Countless library members scrimped and saved, went here and there, but the library’s recovery was always just the tip of the iceberg. More financial and material resources were needed for the library’s restoration; otherwise, it was an indefinitely long wait.

Gradually, members couldn’t withstand it any longer and voluntarily left the library to fend for themselves.

It wasn’t just one person but a group of people.

The senior staff also knew it was time for reform, and in order to ensure the library’s survival, they racked their brains and spared no effort.

Finally, an idea emerged.

The knowledge in the library itself was a vast treasure trove that had provided nearly free benefits to all aspects of society until then, which had led to the All Things Library’s downfall. If they could put a clear price on this knowledge, the library’s plight would no longer exist.

This practice of monopolizing knowledge met with opposition from many senior executives who believed it violated the original principles of the library’s establishment. They argued that as soon as society returned to prosperity, the library would prosper again. Until then, the plan was to continue operating under the old rules.

Sadly, time gave those naive seniors a loud slap in the face, leaving them completely upended, without even their underpants to spare.

What made the library’s senior staff even angrier was that those who had previously looked down on the library and caused much damage to the books had the gall to shamelessly return to the library to consult materials.

Due to a shortage of staff, a senior library member personally attended to that person.

But that individual thought the senior member was just a minion, acting arrogantly and ungratefully in front of him.

Bound by the person’s status and the library’s terms, the senior member could do nothing but write furiously, pouring everything he had experienced into a novel.

That very novel sparked a fuse, and a vigorous reform began.

The All Things Library sprang into action, categorizing all knowledge by levels, and charging for access based on these levels.

It was during that reform that most of the current library systems were established.

Of course, while the reform solved some problems, it also continuously brought new ones. Many issues still trouble the library’s senior staff to this day.

To address these problems, new reforms are constantly underway.

Listening to Shu Jing tell the story, Yang Yu finished the Ba Fei in front of him, ”So you’re saying that this place has become what it is as a result of numerous reforms?”

Shu Jing shook her head, ”It has become like this because they rode the torrents of the era. As knowledge gradually became monopolized, to gain access to it, this place turned into a frequent haunt for countless nobles and chambers of commerce.

If someone shouted about how good their product was near the library, certainly it would pique the curiosity of numerous wealthy households.

As long as the product was decent, a small opportunity could be enough for someone’s meteoric rise.”

”So countless merchants flocked to the area around the Library in hopes of this chance, and so the Library just went with the flow and fostered this business district?”

Shu Jing confirmed Yang Yu’s conclusion with a nod, ”There are definitely more complex factors involved, but generally speaking, that’s the case.

As long as the sponsorship is sufficient, the Library would allow all sorts of shops to open around it. Later on, the Library even brazenly started fencing off land to sell to the highest bidder.

Of course, the Library knew how to ensure a steady flow of income: the land was leased for a set period, and each year they would take a cut of the profits from those doing business, to maintain the Library’s operations.”

Damn, that’s some seriously magical realism.

The All Things Library could be called the epitome of a salted fish turning over.

It actually managed, without external help, to reinvent its influence, transforming from a bus that everyone could use into a unique spaceship that the whole world grovels to.

However, using this method to keep the Library continuing to this day, Yang Yu didn’t know whether to call it stubbornness or tragedy.

After learning about the history of the All Things Library, Yang Yu had a thorough understanding of the Library’s true nature.

Free? There’s no way it’s free, not in this lifetime.

They can’t do business well, only able to sustain themselves by pulling in sponsorships and collecting tuition fees, sitting back and collecting money like ascending to heaven, being relied upon felt much better than being looked down upon!

The Library is filled with talents, each individual speaks so pleasantly, I absolutely adore this place!

On closer sniff, one can even detect the stench of capital on the Library.

Knowledge had price tags clearly marked, and something told Yang Yu that to obtain the knowledge he needed would most certainly be astronomically expensive.

”What’s this exam you mentioned about? Is it like, if you pass the Library’s exam, you can become a member of the Library and read its knowledge at will?”

”You could say that, but it’s also not entirely that way,” Shu Jing said. ”Firstly, passing the exam does indeed make you a member of the Library. But there are two types of memberships within the Library: the regular Members and the Advanced Members, often known as Star-level Members. The range of knowledge accessible differs greatly between the two; even among Advanced Members, different star levels grant access to different ranges of knowledge.”

”So what does it take to become a Star-level Member, it’s not just about paying money to get stronger, is it?”

”The conditions and requirements to become a Star-level Member are complex. If you’re not genuinely committed to being part of the Library, it’s better not to delve too deeply. But one thing I can tell you is that if you pay enough money, you indeed have the potential to become an Advanced Member of the Library.”

As she spoke, Shu Jing lowered her eyes,

”Regular members of the Library aren’t completely barred from accessing the higher-level books; every so often, regular members are given the opportunity to view advanced knowledge that only Advanced Members are permitted to browse.”

Extracting information from Shu Jing’s words, Yang Yu continued to inquire, ”That being said, why did you go take the Library’s exam?”

Shu Jing showed a bitter smile that didn’t quite suit her age, ”That, you might understand as me fighting for the right to continue living near the Library.

Library members are humans too, capable of loving, marrying, and having children. Out of humanitarianism, children born from these members are educated by the Library, becoming ’book second generations.’ Upon reaching adulthood, they are given five opportunities to take the exam.

If they fail all five times, they are exiled to live in the city districts of the Library...

But there’s a limit to this as well, if neither he nor any of his descendants gain entry to the Library within a hundred years, they are completely expelled.

Unfortunately, I am one of those descendants.”