314: Chapter 314 Facing the Trendy Booth

September 13th, Saturday.

7:00 AM.

The autumn wind in Shanghai carried a hint of chill, but the plaza in front of Century Book City was already ablaze with excitement.

Lin Que sat in the back of the taxi, looking out the window, his eyebrows instinctively twitching upward.

The car couldn't even enter the service road on the perimeter of the plaza.

Traffic police had already set up cordons two intersections away, directing vehicles to take detours.

"Young man, we can't go any further." The driver stepped on the brakes, frowning at the dense crowd ahead.

"Is the bookstore giving away gold bars today? I've been driving a taxi for ten years, and this is the first time I've seen such a scene."

"Giving away books." Lin Que paid the fare and pushed the door open to get out.

As soon as his feet hit the sidewalk, a wave of noise rushed toward him.

The long line in the plaza had already circled three times, with the end of the queue reaching the traffic light in the next block.

It wasn't even 8:00 AM yet, more than an hour before the bookstore opened.

Lin Que adjusted his backpack and walked forward along the edge of the line.

The further he walked, the stronger the sense of absurdity in his heart became.

The composition of the crowd was incredibly diverse.

There were college students in black-rimmed glasses, white-collar workers in suits, and even middle-aged women carrying grocery baskets.

A few middle-aged men in dusty work clothes in the middle of the line were particularly conspicuous.

They clutched crumpled canvas bags, standing next to several college students with backpacks who were quietly discussing the plot of the book with them.

People of different classes and ages stood together because of the same book, creating a wonderful sense of fusion.

Many passersby were holding up their phones and taking photos of them.

Standing a few meters away, Lin Que stared at a banner that read "Tribute to the Soil," and his eyelids twitched.

He knew ordinary world was popular, and he knew his Jian Shen persona had strong appeal.

But online data was one thing; seeing such a scene of near-religious fervor offline was quite another.

One could only say it was incredibly hardcore.

These readers had forcibly turned a commercial book signing into a cultural pilgrimage that spanned eras.

"Student Lin! Over here!"

A deliberately lowered voice came from behind and to the side.

Lin Que turned his head and saw Xiao Liu, a young officer from the Writers Association, standing at the entrance of a fire lane, waving frantically at him.

Lin Que walked over quickly.

"My god, it's absolutely crazy out there."

Xiao Liu pulled Lin Que into the alley and casually pulled the iron gate shut.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and his chest was heaving.

"I got here at 6:30 AM, and there were already people at the main entrance. It's like these people camped out in the plaza with tents last night!"

Lin Que followed Xiao Liu deeper into the alley, his tone relaxed:

"It certainly is lively."

Xiao Liu glanced at Lin Que, and seeing no hint of nervousness on his face, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up:

"Student Lin, you really are composed.

This whole spectacle outside is all for New Tide's ordinary world.

When the doors open at ten, and these people rush in, I'm afraid our nine tables won't even have a place to stand."

"We'll just follow the procedure." Lin Que didn't take the bait and casually changed the subject, "Where is Director Hu?"

"Director Hu is inside keeping an eye on things." Xiao Liu quickened his pace.

"We'll take the staff passage and go straight to the backstage on the first floor."

After passing through a long corridor and pushing open a heavy fire door, the scene in the first-floor lobby came into view.

The lobby was brightly lit.

The New Tide booth, which was still being set up yesterday, was now completely finished.

Dozens of displays were stacked with physical books with earthy yellow covers, giving off a sense of weight under the spotlights.

Meanwhile, in the right corner, the Writers Association's nine signing tables, covered in dark red velvet, looked even more meager against the luxurious spectacle opposite them.

Hu Yizhao was standing in front of that row of tables, gesturing and giving instructions to several staff members.

Today, he wore an extremely formal black suit, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine.

However, his face was set tight.

Seeing Lin Que approach, the tension in Hu Yizhao's facial muscles relaxed slightly.

"Lin Que, you're here." Hu Yizhao stepped forward and looked him up and down.

Today, Lin Que wore a simple white T-shirt with a light gray casual jacket over it, looking clean and sharp.

"Good morning, Director Hu."

"You saw the situation outside, didn't you?" Hu Yizhao lowered his voice and pointed to the dense crowd outside the closed glass doors.

"I saw it. There are a lot of people."

Hu Yizhao sighed and reached out to pat Lin Que on the shoulder:

"Don't feel pressured. Today's situation is special, and we in the Writers Association are mentally prepared.

As long as the books are displayed and the procedure is followed, the mission will be considered a success."

Lin Que nodded with a smile: "Understood."

"Alright, Xiao Liu, take Student Lin to the VIP lounge nearby for a while."

Hu Yizhao lifted his wrist to check his watch, his expression suddenly becoming extremely solemn, even carrying a hint of awe.

He straightened his tie and said to Lin Que in a low voice:

"A big shot from the city is about to arrive. I have to go meet them."

A big shot?

Lin Que's mind raced.

For the Director of the Publicity Office of the Shanghai Writers Association to be this nervous, the rank must be more than just an ordinary leader.

"Alright, Director Hu, please go ahead."

Lin Que didn't ask any more questions and turned to follow Xiao Liu toward the VIP lounge at the end of the corridor.

Pushing open the wooden door with the "VIP" sign, eight pairs of eyes immediately turned toward him in the otherwise quiet room.

The lounge was quite large, with several sets of leather sofas.

Eight boys and girls of similar age were sitting inside, some looking at their phones, others talking in low voices.

With Lin Que's appearance, the air in the room seemed to freeze for a second.

"Lin Que!?"

A boy with a buzz cut was the first to stand up.

He wore a crisp school uniform with the logo of a certain key high school in Shanghai on the chest.

"That's me."

Lin Que closed the door behind him and greeted them with a smile.

This admission was like throwing a giant rock into calm water.

The atmosphere in the lounge was instantly ignited.

The remaining seven people also stood up and gathered around.

"Lin Que, we finally meet again!"

The buzz-cut boy walked quickly to Lin Que, scanned him with a sharp gaze, and extended his hand:

"Zhang Hao, from the High School Attached to Hangzhou Normal University."

He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Buddy, your the metamorphosis was amazing. My homeroom teacher used it to torture us in class for a whole week.

But today... the opponent is that monster, Jian Shen.

Champion Lin, our collective reputation today depends entirely on you to uphold."

The boy with black-rimmed glasses also came over and adjusted his glasses:

"Jiang Yu, from Jinling Experimental Middle School.

To be honest, I was quite unconvinced before, thinking you won the championship mostly due to luck.

But after reading your the metamorphosis, I have absolutely nothing left to say.

Today, we're all in the same boat. No matter how big the waves are on the other side, with you leading the way, we'll feel more confident."

As soon as Jiang Yu's candid words fell, several boys in the lounge who were still acting a bit aloof...

...also nodded silently, instinctively avoiding Lin Que's gaze.

Who among those sitting here wasn't a literary genius from their respective provinces or cities?

They were all very proud at heart.

But in the face of fan jin passes the imperial examination and the metamorphosis, their little pride had long been shattered to pieces.

When the gap is large enough, even jealousy becomes a luxury, leaving only pure admiration.

Lin Que casually pulled out a chair and sat down, handing a bottle of mineral water from the table to the boy next to him, and replied with a smile:

"What monster? We all use a pen and a piece of paper. Can the words we write actually eat people?"

These words lightly defused the tense atmosphere.

Several of the previously restrained boys took the opportunity to pull up chairs and gather around.

"Lin Que, did you see the scene outside?"

Zhang Hao lowered his voice and pointed toward the door.

"The people at New Tide are simply not human.

I just peeked out the window, and man, those readers are like crazy.

I'm afraid we're going to be nothing more than background noise today."

At the mention of this topic, the atmosphere in the lounge immediately became a bit gloomy.

They were all the cream of the crop; no one wanted to face the embarrassment of being ignored at their first-ever book signing.

"So what if we're the background?"

Lin Que picked up a paper cup, took a sip of warm water, and looked at the giant poster of "himself" outside the window.

"We still have to show the other side just how tough our bones are, even as background characters."

Liu Yu adjusted his glasses and smiled bitterly:

"You're certainly open-minded. But then again, Teacher Jian Shen really is too strong. It's no shame to lose to him."

Just then, a clear female voice came from the periphery of the group.

"Winning or losing isn't just about the moment; words have long-lasting vitality."

Lin Que turned to look.

The speaker was a girl.

She had been sitting on a single sofa in the corner, not gathering around immediately like the others.

A girl with ear-length short hair closed the book in her hand and stood up.

She wore no jewelry, her deep blue school uniform was washed clean, and there was a calmness in her eyes that surpassed her age.

She walked up to Lin Que and extended her right hand:

"Tang He, from the Fudan Affiliated High School. Fifth place in Fu Zhi Yao Competition."

Lin Que looked at the hand suspended in mid-air; the fingers were long and slender.

There was a thin layer of calluses on the knuckles, marks left by long-term writing.

He reached out and lightly shook her fingertips, a brief touch.

"Hello, Tang He."

Tang He didn't look away; through her black-rimmed glasses, she studied Lin Que earnestly.

"I've carefully studied your works from the preliminary and Semifinals rounds, and even your previous competitions in Su Province."

Tang He's voice was steady, and her articulation was extremely clear.

"There's a sense of cold detachment in your writing that I like very much."

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