I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 56
Just as Editor and Jiang Wei mentioned, the attendance at the afternoon comic convention was more than double that of the morning. Furthermore, perhaps because there were idols or song and dance performers coming today, the grand stage in the middle of the convention was activated. The large speakers overhead continuously played various anime music, like the opening themes from “A Certain Scientific Railgun” season one, season two, and Railgun T. I remember them playing in a loop at least three times.
There were also more Lolita dresses, sailor uniforms, and traditional Chinese dresses worn by cosplayers around. The entire atmosphere of the venue was completely energized, with a lively scene of singing and dancing.
“Who is performing today?”
“It seems to be that person from the website ‘DreamCat’ with millions of fans. She’s like the grand finale of this comic convention.”
“Is there a signing event? I’ll see if I can get her autograph.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on the stage in front, making it convenient for me to slack off while working. I tiptoed and sat on a higher chair behind the counter, typing on my phone. When customers approached, I introduced them to buy books or check out the merchandise, and I also provided information about the website’s related activities and the history of the Yae-Do Novel Network.
As an author, the one thing I didn’t lack was the ability to make up stories. Plus, I had been writing books on the Yae-Do Novel Network for several years, so I knew a bit about the people here and their affairs. When I introduced things, I mixed truth and fiction, but no one really cared to scrutinize the authenticity of my words.
For example, in my novels, the main character is a “Loli,” but this could only be considered a “highlight” of the story. It’s impossible for anyone to believe that the author with such a creepy name as “Uncle Loves Loli” in reality is a girl.
The leisurely work continued until around three in the afternoon. I didn’t see “Uncle Ben,” the male author in the group who had mocked people with a female profile picture and insisted on taking “close-up photos of this divine Lolita” in person. Instead, it was Jiang Wei, Pipi, and Jituto who found the Yae-Do booth.
“Nuo’er!”
From quite a distance, Jiang Wei waved his hand towards us amidst the surrounding noise. “Over here, over here!”
I smiled at them and waved in response.
“Today, you’ve really become an internet sensation.”
As they approached, Jiang Wei laughed heartily. “When I first saw you, I knew that such a lovely girl would become famous one day. You’re truly perfect, right, Brother Yunjin?”
“Uh…”
‘Jituto’ or Su Yunjin just gave a faint smile and casually picked up a book from a nearby shelf and handed it to Pipi. “Here’s your book.”
“Still not sold out yet?”
Pipi, looking a bit surprised, received the novel with the cover that read “Author: Divine Pet Pipi” and flipped through a few pages. “I thought this whole thing was sketchy from the beginning when the editor mentioned it. Luckily, I didn’t have to cover the printing costs.”
Publishing is a good thing, isn’t it?
I gave Pipi a discreet glare.
– Are you showing off, you rascal? It must be that way!
I’ve been writing books for so many years, and I have to coax my editor for ages just to get a featured spot. You, on the other hand, can have your novel published and still find fault with it.
Although I was quite irritated by their “getting something good and acting coy” behavior, I maintained a smile on my face. “Would you like to buy a few copies to help boost my sales?”
“I don’t believe you get a commission from selling these. I know what Yae-Do is like.”
Pipi chuckled and moved aside for a moment. After searching for a while, he found a novel with the author’s name “Jituto ” and handed it to Su Yunjin. “Want to buy one?”
This time, even the usually composed Su Yunjin couldn’t hold back. “I’ll buy my own book… I have plenty of money, you know?”
“That’s not about having plenty of money. Everyone knows you’re from a wealthy family.”
Jiang Wei laughed heartily. “Look at Nuo’er, she has to hustle every day to make a living, while the rest of us are just having fun every day. Aren’t you being a little ungrateful?”
“Oh, right.”
With that, as if he remembered something, Jiang Wei placed his backpack on the counter, unzipped it, and took out a neatly packaged box of white chocolate shark-shaped snacks. “Here.”
“Well, I won’t be shy then.”
I immediately pulled the large box over. “The next time we play games, and if we all end up seriously injured, I’ll be the first to blame you.”
“What?!”
Jiang Wei looked disdainful. “You’re always the first to fall in our gaming sessions, and you expect us to protect you. Giving us a shield would be a good start!”
“What’s going on?”
Ai Luodi, who had been snacking and playing with her phone nearby, heard the commotion. She stood up from her recliner and came over to my side. “Are these weird uncles bothering you?”
“No, not at all.”
I quickly introduced them. “They are all previous authors from Yae-Do, and we…we met at an offline gathering yesterday.”
“Authors from Yae-Do?”
Ai Luodi seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked at the three people outside the counter. “Tell me your pen names.”
“I’m Marisa’s Iron Butt, and this is Divine Pet Pipi and Jituto.”
Jiang Wei sized up Ai Luodi for a moment. “You’re an editor?”
“I’m Ai Luodi.”
Ai Luodi yawned. “So it’s you guys. Old faces.”
“Really? You’re Ai Luodi the editor?”
Pipi and Jiang Wei were astonished. “You’re…so young?”
Ai Luodi lazily replied, “Thank you for the compliment.”
“Is that for real?”
Jiang Wei had a constipated Husky look on his face. “Aren’t you supposed to be… a mature woman, like an older sister or something?”
Ai Luodi tilted her head, puzzled. “Am I not mature enough?”
Even though it was just a simple and innocent question, Ai Luodi used an ordinary girl’s tone and had a soft, cute voice. For some reason, when she said that, I noticed that Pipi, Jiang Wei, and Su Yunjin all had a slight shiver in their bodies.
A few seconds later, Pipi discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead. “That’s enough, that’s enough.”
“You’re Divine Pet Pipi?”
Ai Luodi turned to Pipi. “Can your daughter walk now?”
“My daughter…”
Pipi chuckled. “Of course, she can walk, but she often walks and then falls like a drunk person and starts crying.”
“Are you the one whose pen name is Marisa?”
Ai Luodi turned to Jiang Wei. “With a budget of two thousand yuan, how much of a computer can I get from you?”
A twitch appeared at the corner of Jiang Wei’s mouth. “With two thousand yuan, you can get a computer worth two thousand yuan.”
“Okay, then. Next time my computer breaks, I’ll come to you.”
Ai Luodi turned to Su Yunjin.
“I write fanfiction.”
Feeling the pressure from Ai Luodi, Su Yunjin involuntarily took a step back. “My editor is Hael.”
“No worries, I’m good at poaching authors from other editors.”
Ai Luodi took a bag of spicy fish snacks from her pocket, devoured the entire thing in one bite, and mumbled with a full mouth, “Are you planning to keep writing on Yae-Do, or are you just here to collect your pay and run?”
“I’ll keep writing.”
Su Yunjin was the first to respond. “By the way, what’s the plan for the novels that won’t be continued? How will the website handle them?”
“For those that don’t make money, we’ll leave them be. If it’s a book that’s become incredibly popular and the author explicitly states they won’t continue, we’ll consider finding another writer with similar skills to continue it.”
Ai Luodi, after finishing her fish snacks, gestured towards a few small chairs inside the shop. “Since you all know each other… do you want to come inside and sit for a while?”
“No need, boss.”
Pipi quickly waved his hand. “We have an evening train, so we’ll just chat with Nuo’er for a bit and then leave.”
“Is that so… Well, okay.”
Ai Luodi returned to her reclining position in the chair at the back. “Remember to save your drafts when you get home in the evening. Don’t forget to update the website when it opens.”
Indeed, my editor remained the same little devil.
I discreetly glanced at the twin-tailed girl in the back.
Despite her appearance as a cute and soft-spoken girl, her sharp-tongued nature hadn’t changed. It just wasn’t as evident in real life.
“By the way, Nuo’er, do you need money? Have you considered working part-time at a Cafe?”
As Ai Luodi settled down, Pipi came over with a flyer and job recruitment notice that read “Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe.” “A new maid cafe has opened in Nanxi District recently. They are recruiting maids, and the major shareholder behind it is the Tongmeng Video Network. It’s said to be the only seaside cat maid cafe in the country, and it might grow very large in the future. I think you should give it a try.”
After speaking, Pipi gestured with his eyes towards Jituto and Su Yunjin beside him. “Big Brother Jituto vouches that no one will mess with you.”
Su Yunjin remained silent, seeming to give his approval.
A cat maid cafe? Am I really suited for that? A middle-aged man dressing up in a cute little dress, knee-high stockings, and garter belts… Are you kidding me?
“Why is it called ‘Shangjing Cat Maid Cafe’?”
I took the flyer. “Isn’t it in Nanxi District?”
“Oh, the owner of the coffee shop was a big fan of a game called ‘Rainbow Island’ when he was a child. There’s a city in the game called Shangjing, and the music on that map is really nice, so he named the cafe after it.”
Pipi gestured toward several promotional images on the flyer. “I think it’s a good idea for you to work at the cafe during the day if you’re not currently employed, and then you can come back and write your novels in the evenings.”
“Excuse me.”
Just as we were talking, a male voice came from behind Pipi. A young man with glasses and slightly greasy hair, on the heavier side, squeezed his way into the shop. “Are you all here to take photos of this little Loli too?”
“Take photos of a little Loli?”
Jiang Wei furrowed his brow, then probably to save my face, he explained, “No, we’re here to read books. This is a bookstore, isn’t it?”
“Oh, haha, so you’re readers. What a coincidence! I’m an author. My book was just signed with the website a few days ago. It’s 130,000 words long, and it could have been published, but… ”
The young man took out his phone and started snapping pictures, saying, “If you’re interested, you can check out my book on Honeydew. My author ID is Uncle Ben. Don’t judge me by my appearance. I just graduated from school, and I’ve already earned my first bucket of gold in life.”
The young man proudly told Pipi and Jiang Wei, “This month, I’ve made almost 200 yuan from donations and monthly votes for my book. Pretty impressive, right?”