He worked for most of the main Chinese Indonesian newspapers in Java during that time and published original novels and translations prolifically.

[3] In 1923 he started writing for Perniagaan, a conservative Malay-language Chinese newspaper from the capital Batavia, as well as Lay Po from Bandung, both papers run by Tio Ie Soei.

[1][2] In 1925 he moved to Semarang in Central Java to work for Warna Warta, another Malay-language Chinese paper, as well as the literary magazine Kemadjoean (progress).

[3] However, he didn't stay long in Semarang and relocated to Surabaya in East Java to write for Soeara Poebliek (public voice).

[3] He also wrote his first play during this time, Boeat saja atawa orang banjak (for me or the crowd), which was published in Djawa Tengah Review.

[1][3] Throughout the 1930s he continued to write novels, often morality tales or dramatized crime stories; number of these were published in the literary magazine Tjerita Roman.