Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 155 Are you still planning to stick to your original idea?
Several hours later, Zhai Da finally understood what Lou En meant.

This is seriously a physically demanding job.
Sit up straight, chat and write at the same time, and wear a friendly smile on your face.

My wrists ache, my back aches, my waist aches, and my pants feel like they're stuck to my butt.

Every time Zhai Da thinks about how these are supporters who have invested real money, he tells himself to persevere a little longer.

But every time he thought about how his royalties were only three yuan per book, he felt he could go to the toilet again.
Finally, after a full five hours, and with darkness falling outside, Zhai Da finished his book signing. He had served over 300 fans and signed nearly a thousand names and messages of blessing.
I used up six ballpoint pens.
Zhai Da felt a nerve pain on the side of his palm from repeated rubbing.
But he still couldn't leave; there was still a fan meeting and discussion session to attend.

There were about forty or fifty book fans who stayed behind and were gathered in a corner of the bookstore. Several rows of chairs were set up, and in front of them were two sofa chairs reserved for Zhai Da and the beautiful host.

Lu Wei and Yu Xiaoli, who arrived late as planned, also sat down below.

Yu Xiaoli looked at Zhai Da with pride in her eyes.

She raised her child alone, and ultimately reaped the most important fruit of her life.
However, Zhai Da's visibly dejected state of mind made her feel a little sorry for him.

Zhai Da pulled out a "nerd's glasses cloth" from his pocket and wiped the temples of his glasses without lenses. This action left the host bewildered.

Only after receiving the fatigue resistance buff was I able to muster some mental strength.

The fan Q&A session went relatively smoothly. Most of the time, the host provided the script, and the main questions were pre-determined, such as how to balance studies and writing, and why this particular topic was chosen.

The book signing event was only considered complete after about ten fans asked questions.

I checked my watch; it had been almost seven hours.
Zhai Da smiled wryly and said to Lou En, "Editor-in-Chief Lou, this is way ahead of schedule."

Lou En shrugged: "Plans never keep up with changes. We had a book signing event that was supposed to last four hours but ended up taking ten. The old author went straight to the hospital after get off work."

Holy crap, are writers these days really this obsessed?

"Your current fan base is still small, especially the seasoned fans who are willing to make an in-person visit. If you wait a few years, you'll need to book an entire auditorium to accommodate them."

Zhai Da stretched and said, "Hey~ let's go, let's go eat. I'm starving. Let's go try the duck from Nanjing. I feel like I could just hug it and gnaw on it."

However, this suggestion did not win Lou En's approval, and even Yu Xiaoli, who was standing to the side, hesitated to speak.

"what happened?"

Lu Wei stepped forward and held up her old Nokia phone for Zhai Da to see.

The time is "9:10".

Zhai Da: "What do you mean?"

"Medical check-up tomorrow morning. No food or water after 9:00 AM."

Zhai Da:
impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Even if I die outside today, I'll eat a Nanjing duck before I die!!
------

In the end, Zhai Da did get to eat, but it wasn't the grand meal he had imagined; he simply ate a bowl of clear soup noodles.

Yu Xiaoli said that compared to the impact of eating after 9 pm on the physical examination results, it seems that being so hungry that one sees stars has a greater impact.

Zhai Da felt incredibly miserable.
Back at the hotel, Zhai Da immediately admitted defeat and went to sleep to avoid being hungry and unable to sleep in the middle of the night. He was indeed tired today, and the night passed without a word until dawn.

What he didn't know was that his efforts throughout the day had paid off. Because he was dressed smartly and smartly, the black shirt and glasses created a strong sense of "high intelligence and aloofness". In addition, he was good-looking, and soon someone posted the photos online.

"Let me show you, the author I follow is a handsome guy who was the top scorer in the college entrance exam!"

"He's really good~ I thought he'd be a bookworm."

“My mom doesn’t let me read extracurricular books, but when I said they were written by the top scorer in the college entrance exam, she immediately bought them for me.”

"So handsome! He doesn't seem as flamboyant as some celebrities, but he feels more real!"

After losing weight, Zhai Da's looks might not be considered outstanding in the entertainment industry, but he is quite competitive in the literary circle. Coincidentally, the trend of idol worship has ushered in a new wave of awakening in recent years, and he has indeed attracted some female fans.

To put it bluntly, Han Han and Guo Jinming have both benefited from their good looks, since the audience for physical novels is primarily young women.

You try having them wear Guo Degang's face?

Sales will be cut by at least half!
The next morning, Zhai Da, starving, couldn't even enjoy a five-star hotel breakfast before heading to the hospital.

All three underwent comprehensive physical examinations. These days, physical examinations are not so centralized and integrated. For example, they were all arranged on the same floor, and we had to run up and down the stairs with our forms. It didn't end until almost noon, which was much longer than expected.

He waited in line for an hour for a CT scan.

After having a quick meal at the hospital entrance at noon, they rushed off to today's book signing location. Yu Xiaoli and Lu Wei, having already joined in the fun yesterday, didn't need to go today.

Today's book signing was held in a different location: the first floor of a large public library. The upper floors are for reading, while the first floor is more for relaxation and exhibitions, so it won't disturb those who love to study.

Phoenix Media has strong connections, and Zhai Da is very fortunate to have found such a reliable publishing group for his debut work.

However, this also means there will be more people today.

Looking at the long line of about three hundred people outside, Zhai Da felt a chill run down his spine.
No, several of them look familiar. Didn't they come here yesterday?

Want to watch it a second time?
As he walked forward in the line, he was surprised to find that some people recognized him. Several young girls waved and greeted him with delight, and Zhai Da responded politely.

Oh well, I'll just bear with it, they're all regulars.
But one person in the team, Zhai Da, just couldn't hold back anymore.

"Grandma, are you here for a book signing too?"

Carrying a shopping basket, the elderly woman in her seventies or eighties was taken aback: "What book signing? Isn't it just about getting eggs?"

"egg?"

"Not eggs? Is it millet?" A few seconds later, the old lady left the line, cursing and complaining that she had waited in line for so long for nothing.

The signing event was held on the side of the hall this time, with the same host as yesterday and a similar process. Zhai Da took a deep breath and sat on his "golden throne".

Because he knew he would have a hard time getting up next.

The process remained unchanged: the visitor would greet them with a smile, write their signature and blessings, slip in a bookmark, and then hand it back with another smile.

Once, again, a thousand times.

Until the sun sets and disappears from sight.

My hands, back, and neck are sore.

Zhai Da, who was sitting, was a bit bouncy.

The book signing event didn't end until just before the library closed at 6 p.m., and Zhai Da checked his watch almost every minute.

Finally, at 18:00 PM, with the staff's approval, Zhai Da put down his pen and was completely free.

Just as I was about to get up, I heard someone in front of me say, "Sorry, the book signing event is over, you can't go in."

Zhai Da looked up, slightly dazed, then smiled helplessly and said, "Excuse me, this is my teacher. Please let him in."

As he spoke, he stood up and went to greet them.

"Professor Shen Rui, what are you doing in Nanjing?"

Zhai Da was pleasantly surprised to see an unexpected person appear in an unexpected place.

Teacher Shen Rui smiled broadly: "The school sent me on a business trip to the Examination Yuan. I was planning to come over this afternoon, but it took a long time there. Luckily, you didn't leave."

"You're also aware of book signings?"

"Didn't you announce it on your blog? I just wanted to join in the fun."

Zhai Da shook Teacher Shen Rui's hand: "That's perfect, let's have a meal together later. I haven't had any Nanjing duck since I came all this way."

Teacher Shen Rui waved his hand: "No, no, I have an 8 o'clock train ticket. I have something to do in Lian City tomorrow. It has something to do with you. Maofang Middle School has made a name for itself this time. Some key high schools that used to look down on us are going to hold a joint teaching and research meeting."

Zhai Da thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll take you to the station."

Teacher Shen Rui didn't refuse, but took out a copy of "The Long Road of Lü": "Since you're here, please sign one for me before you leave."

Zhai Da took it with a grin: "You saw it too? What did you think?"

"It feels really bad."

Zhai Da:
------

On the way to the train station, inside the van, Zhai Da and teacher Shen Rui sat side by side.

Looking out the window at the bustling night scene, watching the skyscrapers rushing past as if they were nothing special, Teacher Shen Rui suddenly asked, "Is this your first time in Nanjing? What are your impressions of this big city?"

It seems there's a concern that the young man from the small county town might be intimidated by the big city.

Zhai Da didn't know what to say: "It's quite prosperous, but that's about it."

Teacher Shen Rui smiled and said, "I remember that summer after I finished my college entrance exam, I chose to travel to Beijing to attend university during the last month of the semester."

"You know, I did well on the exam back then and was admitted to my dream university, 'R University.' I was young and arrogant, thinking that there was so much to be done in this vast world. With the tuition and living expenses that my family scraped together, I left the small county town full of ambition."

Teacher Shen Rui hadn't told his story from back then yet, and Zhai Da was very curious about it, listening attentively.

"Traveling north, I first passed through Jinan, Qingdao, Tianjin, and finally arrived in northern Beijing. The further I went, the more insecure I felt, the weaker my spirit became, and the more insignificant I felt. I realized I was no longer the pride of my small county town; I was just a poor student from a small town who only knew how to do math problems."

Zhai Da pursed his lips and nodded; he had experienced that feeling before.

In his previous life, he wasn't a proud and arrogant high-achieving student; he was just a college graduate, yet he was still suppressed by the urban jungle.

Teacher Shen Rui spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if he were telling someone else's story, as if the boy whose spirit had been shattered was not himself:
"Later I realized that when I left the county town, I carried with me the spirit of youth, but I didn't carry with me something of utmost importance, something that the outside world truly values. Money, at least that's what I thought at the time."

“I didn’t value it, but because the outside world valued it and I didn’t, I would examine myself and deny myself over and over again. I was afraid of being looked down upon wherever I went. The atmosphere back then was different from now; it was more savage and unrestrained.”

“But Xiao Zhai, you are different. Before you left the town, you had already obtained the most important thing in terms of social significance. I believe you are very wealthy now. For example, this seems to be selling very well. I had to go three times to buy it in Dongyang County.”

As he spoke, Teacher Shen Rui waved the book "The Long Road of Lü" in his hand.

"But I suspect the benefits of utopia will far outweigh those of this book."

Zhai Da nodded after a moment: "Yes, the profits from Utopia will be several times the royalties from this book by the end."

Teacher Shen Rui shook his head: "The numbers aren't important; it's just pure curiosity about how much money I made."

Are you still planning to stick to your original idea? Won't you be reluctant to give it up?

"Are you still willing to give so much money to those poor students who know nothing and whose market price is 800 yuan a month?"

　Have you all started planning your trip home, or are you lucky enough to avoid the hassle and be able to spend the New Year peacefully in your place?

　　Regardless of your plans, please take precautions and stay safe, as the flu is severe recently.

　　May everyone return home safely and stay home peacefully.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)