Chapter 89: Every Laugh, Every Rebuke, Becomes Literature!

The bustling Jiangcheng Book Tower loomed just ahead, and Zhang Chu, a rookie novelist favored by neither grandmothers nor uncles, sat in a cafe outside it and called the staff member in charge.

Although the signing event had been decided in a hurry, its publicity had not been neglected. From where Zhang Chu sat, he could already see the red banners and the posters hanging all around.

The New Bookstore really knew how to handle promotion with order and polish. After all, far bigger names had come here for signings before, and a writer like Zhang Chu, who had gained some local renown, was still taken quite seriously.

“Hello? Is this Zhang Chu? I’m at the main entrance of the book tower now. You should be able to see a person in a beige dress—that’s me.”

Zhang Chu craned his neck to look, then hurriedly picked up his coffee and walked toward the entrance. “I see you now. Please wait a moment.”

The walk from the coffee shop to the bookstore was no more than twenty meters. When Zhang Chu approached at a brisk pace, the gentle and charming young woman took the initiative to extend her hand and introduce herself. “Hello, Zhang Chu. I’m Zhou Wanying, the person in charge of today’s signing event. It will begin in less than ten minutes.”

Zhang Chu’s signing for Sherlock Holmes was being held in a small hall on the first floor, and there was no scene of overwhelming crowds. In the past, when some especially popular authors held signings, the entire building would be packed with fans, and the organizers would even have to use a numbered, timed entry system.

“About how many people are there now?”

Zhou Wanying smiled and said, “By eye, probably more than two hundred. Readers are still coming in, and some fans have even made posters for you and cartoon versions of Holmes’s head.”

That number could not compare with bestselling authors who drew in thousands or even tens of thousands, but Zhang Chu was already more than satisfied.

It would not be embarrassing, and it would spare his wrists a little, while also serving as a small encouragement.

In the future, he even hoped the entire book city would grind to a halt because of his arrival. That was no extravagant wish. All along, he had possessed the Savior System, yet he still had not brought its full power into play.

Inside the guest waiting room, Zhang Chu looked around curiously. In his previous life, he had never had the chance to come into contact with things like this; now it all felt novel and fresh.

Zhou Wanying briefly explained, “Your signing slot today is from ten to eleven. If there are no readers afterward, we’ll end early.”

“And if there are too many readers?” Zhang Chu asked almost unconsciously. He still hoped his first signing could end perfectly, without leaving any regrets.

“If there are too many, we can extend it a bit, but not past noon. Please prepare yourself a little. I’ll go onstage first to introduce you, and once you hear your name, you can come up. We’ve prepared several pens and five hundred books, which should be enough.”

“All right, go ahead and get busy.”

After seeing Zhou Wanying off, Zhang Chu took out his phone and prepared to switch it to silent. He did not want a call to interrupt him later; that would be far too unprofessional.

...

At ten o’clock sharp, Beijing time, under the eager anticipation of several hundred readers in Hall Two, Zhou Wanying stepped onto the stage with a microphone in hand.

“Good morning, everyone. First, please allow me, on behalf of the Jiangcheng Book Tower, to welcome all of you, and to welcome you to today’s signing event for the new work of Jiangcheng’s own gifted young author, Zhang Chu—Sherlock Holmes.”

Elegant in both bearing and presence, Zhou Wanying was no less polished than a professional host. What was more, most of the people present were from Jiangcheng, and they applauded earnestly.

“Zhang Chu’s book has already won many honors, so I won’t list them one by one. But there are a few other identities that must be mentioned. As everyone knows, he is this year’s top scorer in the Jiangdong Province college entrance examination, and the champion of the winner’s round on the television program One Against the Wall. The current sales of Sherlock Holmes have already surpassed two hundred thousand copies! Let us welcome Zhang Chu to the stage.”

A small hall had its advantages too. With not too many people present, the applause was thunderous, and when Zhang Chu stepped out, there was even a kind of overwhelming impact to it.

Standing on the stage, Zhang Chu carefully scanned the audience below and suddenly discovered many familiar faces: his father and mother, his friends, several neighbors, and some high school classmates. They had all actually come to join the fun.

Chu Lan simply took out her phone and kept snapping pictures, click after click. She wanted to preserve this moment.

“Thank you all for taking the time to come to the signing. I hope next time we can move over to the next hall.”

Zhou Wanying glanced at the staff over there and said, “Then let us officially begin the signing. Does anyone have a question?”

Zhang Chu’s buddies immediately raised their hands in unison, along with a few people he did not recognize, who looked like readers.

“I’d like to ask you, Young Zhang, how do you balance study and entertainment?”

Zhang Chu, who had once been a fake top student but a true slacker, thought for a moment and answered, “If you study, study properly. If you play, play to your heart’s content.”

Those were words once spoken by Li Dazhao, and Zhang Chu’s borrowing them here was perfectly apt.

The people present had not expected such a concise sentence to become more and more convincing the more they thought about it. It seemed to sum up the principles of learning: do things wholeheartedly, and focus on doing the thing at hand well.

“Nicely said. Plainness is what makes the most sense.”

“This has to be a perfect score!”

“When did Zhang Chu become capable of saying something so philosophical?”

“Every time Zhang Chu does this, he refreshes my understanding. Is this really the same guy who used to team up with us and play games?”

Both those who knew Zhang Chu and those who did not began whispering among themselves. The sentence truly was inspiring, and many of the parents in the room quietly kept it in mind.

Then another reader who had been called on said, “I’m here under the request of countless netizens to support Zhang Chu. I hope you can continue writing Sherlock Holmes in the future. I’d really love to see Holmes and Watson solving cases in modern society. Will there be more after this?”

“Definitely. I just won’t be writing it for the time being. Their story isn’t over yet, and all kinds of journeys are waiting for them.”

Zhang Chu gave a firm answer. Sherlock Holmes was a treasure house waiting to be dug into, and since he had already written it, he would not give it up lightly.

“Actually, I’m not a fan of your books. I prefer the jokes you post on Weibo. I wonder if you’ve ever thought about combining those jokes into a book. I’m sure a book like that would be a real eye-opener—thought-provoking and hilarious at the same time.”

The reader looked at Zhang Chu with hope. Zhang Chu’s jokes were far more brilliant than those of ordinary joke-makers; those bitter little pep talks were almost refreshing to drink down.

At that moment, Zhang Chu fell into thought. A book like that would certainly count as a black mark in a writer’s career. Who would casually publish a collection of jokes like that? Still, it was indeed a very good direction.

He began considering how to connect humor with literature. If he succeeded, it would surely consolidate his current online popularity.

After thinking for half a minute, Zhang Chu replied, “Huang Tingjian once said that laughter, anger, and scolding can all become文章. I’ll think it over seriously in a few days and make some preparations. Maybe I can give it a try.”

“Really? That would be wonderful. I’ll definitely support it!”

***************

Your messages have all been seen. As a lone bachelor, I feel deeply aggrieved, so accept the curse of a lone bachelor.

Anyone who reads books without voting or tipping—may you remain single for life!