Chapter 110: A Person Who Accomplishes Great Things!

“So that’s Zhang Chu! This year’s top scorer in the national college entrance examination.”

“He’s quite polite, too. I heard his book, Sherlock Holmes the Detective, sold extremely well.”

“Of course. Otherwise, how could he have qualified to attend our summit? Speaking of which, this year’s newcomers are rather disappointing. He’s the only one who made the shortlist.”

“I heard Nanhai Publishing plans to promote him heavily. I saw outside that he’s holding a launch event for his new book, Psychological Crime, tomorrow. I’ve been writing for years, and I’ve never had a first release on such a major platform.”

“You have to hand it to him. If you want fame, you’d better seize it early!”

“Who’s that person in the back? He’s making such a spectacle of himself. Doesn’t he know how to choose the right occasion before burping and farting?”

Writers were people too, and they whispered and gossiped among themselves. In any case, the summit had not yet begun, and every so often their gazes drifted toward Zhang Chu. The young man seated in the tenth row had clearly become the focus of the writers’ attention in this area.

The Suspense Literature Summit had an expansive definition of suspense, encompassing science fiction, horror, crime, detective fiction, and other broad suspense genres. Authors of traditionally published books and online novels had gathered under one roof, all waiting for the summit to begin.

After exchanging a glance with Qin Mu, Zhang Chu found a seat. He felt he ought to stay as far away as possible from that man, who seemed to have been possessed by a jinx, lest he get caught in the fallout.

Using the Unlucky Notebook on Qin Mu was such a valuable opportunity, yet Zhang Chu did not feel that it had been wasted. People who constantly went looking for trouble deserved to be taught a proper lesson.

Watching Qin Mu make a fool of himself left Zhang Chu feeling wonderfully clear-headed. The burping and farting were only the beginning, though. Who knew what else might happen?

“Hey, I’ve read your Psychological Crime. It was fantastic. How does it end? How does Fang Mu deal with that man?”

Without warning, the bespectacled young man in his twenties seated to Zhang Chu’s left suddenly struck up a conversation. He looked nothing like a writer—instead, he truly resembled an ordinary reader.

When faced with spoilers, one must boldly say no!

“You’ll find out tomorrow. By the way, do you need to buy a copy of Psychological Crime?”

“Don’t call me ‘brother.’ My name is Xu Dong.” The writer asked curiously, “Can I get a copy today? I have to go back to the university tomorrow to teach, so I probably won’t have time to come over.”

Once the man gave his name, Zhang Chu immediately connected him with his work. Xu Dong was also a contracted author with Nanhai Publishing. He had a baby face, but was in fact a professor at Yanjing Public Security University, specializing in criminal psychology, criminal investigation, and forensic medicine.

The greatest characteristic of Xu Dong’s books was their realism. Sometimes, they were so realistic that publishers required him to revise them before publication. In recent years, readers had eagerly followed such works as Portrait, Beast in Human Skin, and The Hunt Amid the Sea of People.

Zhang Chu spread his hands and said helplessly, “I don’t have a copy with me either. If you want one, you’ll have to ask the publisher.”

“That’s perfect. I’ll message Old Gu right away. He’ll have to find a way to spare me a copy.” Xu Dong beamed. On the surface, he looked nothing like someone versed in criminal psychology; he seemed more like a big, foolish fellow.

After sending the message, Xu Dong took the initiative to continue. “Your Psychological Crime: City of Light is a classic crime-psychology verification novel, isn’t it? There are so many analytical records about criminal psychology that I almost thought the author was one of my colleagues or students. Your prose is very delicate, and you haven’t rushed after quick success. Actually, Fang Mu’s story could still be expanded backward. His past should be the sequel, right?”

“Yes.” Zhang Chu was somewhat afraid of dealing with people like this. He worried that the secret of his rebirth might be analyzed and profiled, so his replies were as brief as possible.

“It’s very well written. I’m looking forward to your future work. What a pity you went to Yanjing University.”

Xu Dong clearly knew that Zhang Chu could never have chosen their public security university. No top scorer would make such a decision.

As they spoke, the organizers of the Suspense Literature Summit appeared onstage one after another. The truly prominent figures sat on the platform and exchanged views, while people like Zhang Chu, Xu Dong, and Qin Mu could only be considered supporting players.

Zhang Chu was not actually a writer, so he was completely lost in thought. He could not understand such topics as how the internet had brought grassroots culture from behind the scenes to the forefront, how writers needed to pay greater attention to market forces, and how they should produce work that resonated with ordinary people.

The novels he selected through the system were never the sort that appealed only to a lofty few. They were the kind that enjoyed widespread acclaim.

Xu Dong simply took out his phone and became absorbed in something on the screen. Meanwhile, the burping behind them had stopped, only to be replaced by a scream.

At some point, a bee had flown into the venue and stung Qin Mu directly on the upper eyelid of his left eye. His eye immediately swelled enormously, and he began screaming at the top of his lungs.

“I’m blind! I’m blind! Help me!”

Tears and mucus streamed down his face. The proceedings were instantly disrupted. Covering his left eye with one hand, Qin Mu hurriedly rose and staggered toward the front, trying to leave.

Everyone at the venue turned to look. Many had no idea what had happened. The two people beside Qin Mu quickly stood up and shouted, “Is there an ambulance here? We need a doctor!”

Major events always had doctors, firefighters, and police officers standing by. Staff members rushed to Qin Mu’s side, while others went to fetch a doctor. The entire venue descended into chaos.

Zhang Chu’s eyes widened. The Unlucky Notebook seemed far too powerful. A bee had actually flown into the hall, and with so many people present, it had singled out Qin Mu and stung him. His eye really did look terribly swollen.

“Could he actually have gone blind?” Zhang Chu worried. He had only wanted to teach Qin Mu a lesson; he had never intended to leave him disabled.

Xu Dong, however, remained calm. He had probably seen all kinds of storms. “Don’t worry. As long as it didn’t sting the eyeball itself, he should be fine. It’s only his eyelid that’s swollen. Once the swelling goes down, he’ll be all right.”

Qin Mu had completely lost control by now and could no longer care about his image. His eye burned with pain, and the swelling had blocked his vision entirely. Convinced that he had gone blind, he wept, shouted, and screamed, leaving everyone nearby too frightened to approach.

Fortunately, the doctors carrying a stretcher arrived soon. Qin Mu was surrounded and escorted out of the venue, and the summit finally quieted down somewhat.

Many people worried that something similar might happen to them. They kept glancing upward unconsciously, afraid that another bee might suddenly attack. Anxiety spread through the crowd.

Zhang Chu, on the other hand, had always trusted his own luck. He was examining the system’s collection of miraculous items. The Unlucky Notebook still had one final slot remaining, and he wondered who would be left with the misfortune.

When he heard a tremendous wave of applause from outside, he immediately began clapping as well, belatedly and without the slightest idea what was happening.

Xu Dong turned to look at Zhang Chu with an expression of great complexity. In a tone tinged with astonishment, he said, “Young man, who would have thought you were actually the sort of person destined to accomplish great things?”

The remark left Zhang Chu utterly baffled. Could Xu Dong somehow have discovered that he had used the Unlucky Notebook?