CUHK Lives and Legends

5 minutes. The writer got her A4-size, 1-cm-thick, elaborately decorated storybook of her own. The writer and the protagonist of the story share the same name. Each letter in the name stands for a magical device that guides the protagonist to learn of the different virtues such as appreciation of nature, caring for the old, etc. Alan told the writer that the story so generated was uniquely hers. ‘Even if someone has the same name, she would get an entirely different story.’ The new venture has revolutionized the traditional publishing industry. ‘Traditional book publishing involves writers, printers, publishers, distributors and retailers. I am all in one—my story, my printing, my publishing and distributing. I don’t need to have a warehouse for the backlist. It used to be the agent paid the supplier; now I pay the agent.’ Revolution in business model means leaving his comfort zone again. ‘I have to deal with the writers, artists, painters, illustrators. I did not have any manufacturing or branding experience before. Never had to use agents. And for the first time I am planning to publicly list my company. All these began with zero.’ Alan’s dream is to bring a positive value system to the young with the personalized stories. ‘I make them the protagonists of the stories. They read from the stories someone with the same name and resembling them doing good deeds. They would project them back onto themselves and feel that those virtues in the books are part of their own nature. Isn’t this education at its most powerful?’ Alan sets himself no boundary and traverses research, business, literary creation and publishing. He does not see work as it is but rather regards it as a way of living a fulfilled life. He himself is a shining example to the young. c c Cutting stickers with laser beam c c Printing, binding, and packaging completed within five minutes c c High-speed digital printer