I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 53

So, after signing the contract, I inexplicably became a staff member for the Yae-Do and Honeydew Light Novel booths on the second floor of the convention center.

These two booths weren’t completely adjacent, they were separated by more than a hundred meters. As the noon approached, the second floor of the convention center was bustling with people. Sitting in the Yae-Do booth, I couldn’t see what was happening on the other side at the Honeydew booth.

It was said that their booth was managed by Editor Tuzi and their chief editor, while our booth was overseen by me and Ai Luodi. Ai Luodi, a teenage girl with twin-tails, retained her casual “Lazy” appearance. Her normally very lively eyes were only half-open, and she lay on a recliner, swiping and tapping her phone’s screen. It appeared she was busy replying to messages in the author group.

Seeing her actions, I instinctively took out my own phone and opened Ai Luodi’s author group:

?Yay! Yae-Do is alive again! Where’s Ai Luodi? Hurry up and attend to the customers! I want a 30-day chat ban!?

?Is it real? Can my book update again??

?Merged with Honeydew? No, don’t do that! It’s all about anime and manga over there!?

“…”

I scrolled down twice, and Ai Luodi’s formidable response was glaring at me from the phone screen:

?So, you guys just chat away here instead of writing? Are you proud of being useless? Look at the best-selling authors in the group, they don’t care if it’s Monday or Friday when they eat KFC. When you draw a wife, you still count every detail and empty the store.?

?The website is launching Yae-Do tomorrow, and starting the day after, we’ll be counting attendance. If you want to write a book, start storing chapters. If your hands aren’t enough, get your underlings to pitch in and write too!?

?What’s wrong with anime and manga? Huh? You look down on the number “two”? You stay up at 1 AM watching adult content, but still have to use ‘alternate routes’, don’t you??

“…”

Wow.

Seeing this, I immediately discreetly put my phone away.

Ai Luodi… her online and offline personas are like two completely different people.

In reality, Ai Luodi is like an obedient child, even when holding a phone and responding to readers in the group, she remains calm, showing no emotional fluctuations.

But online ‘Ai Luodi’ is truly a complete and utter sharp-tongued lady. At least before meeting her, I couldn’t have imagined that my editor would have such a persona.

Comparatively, my new editor, “Tuzi,” seems more fitting for the mature and assertive type, but she’s gentle both online and offline.

All that being said, I initially thought helping with the booth at the convention would be a very tiring task, but it seems like it’s surprisingly easy?

Sitting in the chair inside the booth, I watched the crowd in front and quietly pondered in my heart.

On our side, the Yae-Do booth at the convention has gone all out in the “moe otaku” direction. There are several large posters of busty anime girls hanging overhead, and near the seats for customers, there’s a large display of “Miss Shina,” our Yae-Do mascot. In addition to novels, we’re also selling various merchandise, such as fans featuring the Miss Shina character, Miss Shina-themed keyboards, mice, pillows, and more. However, half an hour has passed, and aside from a few couples and girls who have noticed me inside the booth and exclaimed, “So cute,” there hasn’t been a single person coming over to inquire about our products.

So, rounding up, I’m making a thousand yuan for just sitting here all day?

Great!

Feeling delighted, I picked up a light novel from the stack nearby and opened it:

Title: “Um, Please Don’t Touch Me, Okay?”

Tags: Romance, Slice of Life, Yuri.

It exudes a strong Japanese style, and the writing seems quite good.

The Yae-Do booth #67 at the convention is laid out much like those small street-side book stalls. There’s a counter about a meter wide separating customers from the staff inside. Books and merchandise are everywhere, and there are posters promoting our website, events, and writing contests pasted on the counter. It seems they’re more interested in attracting authors and readers with this convention rather than selling the products. Selling books is not their primary concern.

As my colleague, the editor Ai Luodi, and I, two young girls, sit inside, it doesn’t feel crowded at all. The air is filled with the pleasant smell of books and the new plastic smell of the merchandise, creating a joyful atmosphere.

“Cutie, would you like some bubble tea?”

We both sat in silence for a moment, and Ai Luodi, who was beside me, stretched with a yawn. She handed me the Rem pillow and said, “I’ll go get a cup.”

I felt a bit embarrassed and replied, “Ah… I don’t need one, really.”

“It’s on the company, no need to save them money,” Ai Luodi reassured me. She seemed a bit drowsy. “If you’re worried about gaining weight, you can have juice.”

To be honest, juice is not necessarily a healthy choice. It often contains a lot of sugar, and fruits have their fair share of dietary fiber.

“In that case, I’ll have a milk tea,” I conceded. I thought it best not to decline the kind offer of my “colleague” at this time. “Regular sweetness, please.”

“Got it.”

Ai Luodi opened the nearby small door and bent over slightly as she went out.

“Hello…?”

Ai Luodi had been gone for only a short while when two somewhat overweight guys approached, seemingly out of nowhere. Instead of sitting on the chairs provided for customers, they both stood there, and the guy on the left said to me, “Little girl, I’d like to buy a book.”

“Buy a book? Of course,” I responded. “What kind of books do you gentlemen like?”

“Um…”

As soon as I finished speaking, the guy who had been talking seemed to shudder all over. He took out his phone and tapped on the screen, saying, “Sorry, can you repeat what you just said?”

“Huh?” I was somewhat confused by their behavior, but considering my current role as a “temporary worker,” I decided to reiterate, “What kind of books do you gentlemen like?”

Due to my habit of “checking the rankings,” I was somewhat knowledgeable about the popular novels on the Yae-Do Novel website. As long as the questions weren’t too technical, I could probably provide answers. Besides, the owner of the Yae-Do, Mr. Lu Xinjian, didn’t seem to have any strict sales targets for me during my “working hours.”

“Thank you,” the guy said, tapping on his phone again, possibly recording my previous words. He then contentedly put away his phone and pointed at the book in my hand, saying, “I want that one.”

“Huh?” I was a bit puzzled. “This book… it’s a yuri novel, you know?”

“That’s fine, I want that one.”

“Okay,” I looked around. “How about I get you a new one and wrap it up for you?”

“No need, I want that one.”

The guy refused very decisively, saying, “How much?”

I checked the last page of the book and then handed it over to the guy, saying, “It’s 19.8 yuan.”

“Do I need to scan the QR code here?” The guy’s phone made a “ding” sound, and someone behind him received a notification for a 19.8 yuan payment through Alipay.

“Thank you.”

With a satisfied smile, he took the book, and the two guys happily left. Before they left, I overheard them discussing something about “loli editor’s recommended novels” and “making money.”

Loli editor?

Feeling puzzled, I instinctively took out my phone and opened the Yae-Do editor group.

There didn’t seem to be anything unusual here. I switched to the Honeydew’s Tuzi Editor group…

?Comic Expo Photo Return .jpg?

?Comic Expo Photo Return .jpg?

?This editor from Honeydew is so adorable, like a super cute little loli. I’m in love!?

?Hey, didn’t we agree not to share the editor’s photos from the expo in the group??

?I didn’t take these photos, they were shared from another group. Do you not know? This little loli is now famous among authors. I don’t know if she’s the editor or the editor’s daughter.?

?Is it real? From the Comic Expo in God’s Shore City? Which editor is it??

?Well, many of my author groups are circulating these, and even reader groups are sharing them. She’s really too cute!?

“…”

After reading the group messages, I felt a bit overwhelmed.

It seems like I understand the purpose of that wily boss at Yae-Do paying me 1000 yuan to “guard” this booth for a day.

……