Draw One Piece...?
The idea briefly flickered through Chen Hao's mind—but that was all. He quickly dismissed it.
Titles like One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach had dominated the industry in his previous life, their legendary status built over more than a decade. Touching those now would be asking for trouble. It wasn't the right time.
Still, in his heart, he was certain—his first manga should be a shōnen (hot-blooded) series.
Of course, part of him was tempted to try something darker. He remembered the eerie scenes from the anime Another, the suspense and dread that clung to every moment. It had a unique charm. But no—that genre wouldn't help him break through quickly.
If he wanted traction, if he wanted to make a splash and gain recognition like Marvel and DC had with their superhero-centric stories, then a high-energy, action-packed shōnen manga was the best path forward.
It had been a week since his rebirth, and though he had the advantage of the Memory Library, he had still been unsure of his direction. Now, that fog was clearing.
No Chinese mangaka had ever made it onto the Global Mangaka Popularity Ranking.
That needed to change—and he wanted to be the one to do it.
Superheroes… they were timeless. Whether flying, teleporting, or wielding impossible strength, they symbolized freedom, power, and hope. People might know they were fictional, but deep inside, many still dreamed of being one.
Even Superman, who debuted decades ago, still remained relevant, especially with the surge of superhero movies. That popularity only continued to soar.
Chen Hao opened his desk drawer and pulled out the rough character sketch he'd drawn the night before. Sitting down, he refined the lines with a few more strokes—until the image took full form.
A bald man.
With a cape fluttering behind him.
Looking at his creation, Chen Hao grinned.
This was it.
Saitama.
The man who defeats any enemy with a single punch.
A hero who fights simply "for fun."
That's right—his first manga would be One-Punch Man.
He picked up his pen and scribbled next to the drawing:
"There's nothing in this world that can't be solved with one punch. If there is… use two."
With the main character finished, he moved on to draw Genos, and other characters from the series one by one. Then came the rough storyboards.
Thanks to the Memory Library, the entire manga—plot, characters, panel layout—was perfectly engraved in his mind. Every detail came alive as soon as his pencil touched the page. He could draw faster than most professional mangaka.
By dawn, Chen Hao let out a deep breath, stretched his arms, and looked at the night's work spread across his desk.
The first chapter was complete.
Of course, everything had been drawn in pencil—he didn't have G-pens, tech pens, or proper inking tools at home. It was too late now to buy any; most bookstores would be closed. He'd have to pick up supplies after school the next day.
But his path was clear.
He was going all in.
The next day, right after morning classes, Chen Hao rushed to a bookstore near school and purchased all the tools he'd need—G-pens, ink, screentones, rulers. Everything.
As he stepped out of the store, he caught sight of a familiar figure—Lin Ran.
A quiet, pretty girl from his class.
She noticed him too. Her lips parted slightly, as if to say hello… but no words came out. In the end, she just turned away.
Chen Hao didn't mind.
After all, Lin Ran was one of the top students—bright, well-behaved, and popular. Meanwhile, he was already labeled by the teachers as someone "beyond saving." Top students didn't usually mingle with people like him.
Returning home, he immediately locked himself in his room and began redrawing the chapter from scratch—this time using proper tools.
He started with the protagonist. Characters were usually inked with G-pens, and now, finally, he could do it right.
Each panel came alive under his hand, line by line, detail by detail.
During lunch break, he finished several pages. Then after dinner, when his parents left for their usual walk, Chen Hao jumped right back into drawing.
Shen Lan, his mother, knocked on the door multiple times throughout the evening. She assumed her son was wasting time on the computer again.
But when she peeked inside and saw him hunched over an open notebook, solving math problems, she was moved.
In her eyes, her son was finally turning a new leaf.
Moved to tears, she whispered quietly to herself, "He's finally serious about the college entrance exam…"
Of course, once she left and closed the door behind her, Chen Hao tossed the exercise book onto the bed and went straight back to his drawing board.
He worked deep into the night.
By the time the final panel was inked, the first chapter of One-Punch Man was officially born.
Looking at the completed manuscript, Chen Hao leaned back and sighed in relief.
"Finally… it's done."
Normally, it would be near impossible to finish a full chapter in one night. But with his Memory Library, things were different—far more efficient.
But finishing the manuscript was only the beginning.
Now came the real challenge—getting published.
It was still 2006. Most manga culture was imported from overseas—Japan, Marvel, DC. They were everywhere, already shaping the imaginations of young fans.
Domestically, however, the manga industry was still crawling.
To most adults, "manga" was no different from "cartoons." Just kiddie stuff.
Sure, some artists worked as illustrators for magazines, but the industry was nowhere near the boom that would come in future years. There was no internet platform where independent manga could go viral. Publishing was the only viable route.
And unfortunately, publishers were far more willing to take a chance on youth literature—romance, slice-of-life, drama. The "safe" stuff.
Still, Chen Hao didn't care. He gathered up the pages, cleaned up his desk, and walked over to open the window.
It was already five in the morning.
The sky was painted with faint streaks of dawn. The breeze was cool and quiet.
Down below, he could see the streetlights flickering, and the distant sound of a street sweeper brushing the roads filled the air.
Despite having pulled an all-nighter, Chen Hao felt energized—invigorated.
He had taken the first step.
Now it was time to find a publisher who would believe in this story.
If he could just get it out into the world, just one published chapter—it would be the start of something big.
A chance to fight his way into the Global Mangaka Popularity Ranking.
And sure, it might take years, dozens of works, and countless failures to reach that level.
But without taking that first step—he'd never know.