Chapter 74: Hot Sales in Taipei

Taipei.

Early morning.

15-year-old A-Shu pedaled his bicycle, speeding along the road to school; to ride faster, he would occasionally lift his bottom off the seat, standing up to pedal with all his might.

It was a morning of only a light breeze, but because the bicycle was moving fast enough, his hair flew backward, and his white shirt snapped loudly in the wind.

As he passed a bookstore, he suddenly braked, propped his feet on the ground, turned his head, and shouted into the shop: "Boss! Has the new book of *I Wish to Become an Immortal* arrived yet?"

The boss’s reply came from inside: "No!"

A-Shu’s previously spirited expression instantly turned disappointed.

He pedaled his bicycle listlessly, continuing on his way to school.

That evening.

A-Shu pedaled his bicycle past the front of this bookstore again, still moving at high speed, yet as he passed, he braked again, propped his feet on the ground, turned his head, and shouted into the shop: "Boss! Has the new book of *I Wish to Become an Immortal* arrived?"

The boss’s reply came again: "No!!"

"Damn!"

A-Shu cursed, held up his middle finger toward the bookstore, and then, looking utterly dejected, pedaled home with no energy.

The next day, the third day...

It was like this every day.

Every morning when he passed the front of this bookstore, he would brake, turn his head, and shout into the shop to ask, "Has the new book of *I Wish to Become an Immortal* arrived?"

When he passed by after school in the evening, he would ask again.

Twice a day, far more often than many men perform their marital duties.

Thus, about a week passed.

This morning, A-Shu pedaled his bicycle again, arriving at the bookstore entrance like a gust of wind, braked once more, propped his feet on the ground, and with a blank expression, turned his head and shouted at the shop: "Boss! Has the new book of *I Wish to Become an Immortal* arrived yet?"

The bookstore boss’s voice came: "It’s here! It just arrived last night..."

"Damn!"

A-Shu habitually cursed, held up a middle finger toward the shop door, and hung his head, pedaling his bicycle in preparation to head to school.

But just two meters after riding off, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, a look of surprise appearing on his face, and he abruptly turned his head to look at the bookstore entrance.

"It, it’s here? Boss, did you just say it’s here?"

He shouted excitedly.

The boss walked to the shop entrance holding a bowl of noodles, limping, and scolded him irritably: "Not 'damn' anymore? Not flipping the middle finger anymore? You little brat! The book wasn't here, you 'damn', you flip the middle finger; the book is here, and you still 'damn'? Still flip the middle finger? Are you bullying me because I’m lame?"

A-Shu was already full of excitement; he hurriedly jumped off his bicycle, let it fall to the side of the road, and rushed into the shop in a panic.

Where would he have the heart to bicker with the boss?

He only hurriedly said a few times: "Sorry, sorry..."

A moment later, holding two brand-new copies of *I Wish to Become an Immortal*, he arrived at the checkout counter.

Looking at these two copies of *I Wish to Become an Immortal* with covers different from before, he readily took out his pocket money and handed it to the boss.

Volume Nine, Volume Ten.

These were the words marked on the covers of the two new books.

It was not actually labeled as such just because Cao Sheng had defined Volume Ten as the first volume of *I Wish to Become an Immortal 2*.

That evening.

When A-Shu rode his bicycle past this bookstore again, he saw a long line at the entrance, all young people in their teens.

He faintly heard those in line discussing something excitedly.

Words like "*I Wish to Become an Immortal*", "Volume Nine", and "Volume Ten" reached his ears.

A-Shu chuckled, not feeling surprised.

Because in these past few months, he had seen such scenes many times; every month when the new *I Wish to Become an Immortal* books hit the shelves, there would be quite a few people lining up in front of the nearby bookstores.

He had lined up like this before, too.

But twice, because he was at the back of the line, the new *I Wish to Become an Immortal* books sold out before it was his turn.

It had made him incredibly depressed.

That was why he had been coming here every morning and evening recently to ask if the new *I Wish to Become an Immortal* books had arrived.

Doing this was quite troublesome.

But today, seeing so many people in line while he had already bought the newly released Volume Nine and Volume Ten that morning, he felt wonderful inside and couldn't help but hum a little tune.

His bottom left the seat again, and he stood up to pedal hard, rushing home like a flash of lightning.

He couldn't wait to get home quickly and start reading Volume Ten.

During the day at school, he had finished Volume Nine, and had only read a tiny bit of Volume Ten.

That same evening, Ke Jingteng, born in 1978, walked onto the street in a depressed mood, preparing to find a place to fill his stomach and, incidentally, take a walk to clear his mind.

He had been in a bad mood lately.

He studied management science in university and had recently wanted to take the postgraduate entrance exam for sociology; because he didn't know how to write a sociology thesis, he utilized his writing specialty to write a novel with sociological concepts as his thesis.

And then...

His postgraduate exam failed.

Perhaps later, when his reputation as Giddens was famous, he could use his own novel as a thesis and might actually pass the exam, but it wasn't possible now.

So, he had been very depressed lately.

He seemed a bit decadent.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked lazily down the street, his gaze scanning aimlessly, when suddenly, he noticed quite a few students lining up in front of a bookstore, and the line was quite long.

Lining up in front of a bookstore?

He was very surprised; living in this place of Wanwan, he had seen people lining up in front of video stores many times, but he had truly never seen the phenomenon of people lining up in front of a bookstore.

Was there some bestseller released recently?

Because he loved writing, his curiosity was piqued; he subconsciously walked closer to the line and, squeezing out a smile, asked a teenager who was waiting in line, "Hey, handsome! What book are you all lining up to buy?"

Several teenagers in line looked over.

Some laughed, and some answered first: "*I Wish to Become an Immortal*! *I Wish to Become an Immortal* by Zhongyuan Yidianhui has been released, and you don't even know? You aren't a fan, are you?"

Another teenager spoke up: "Go to the back if you want to line up! If you aren't lining up, get lost!"

Ke Jingteng was a bit bewildered.

"Zhongyuan Yidianhui? *I Wish to Become an Immortal*? Is this book that good?"

He asked further.

A young girl in a red dress in the line gave him a roll of the eyes and said irritably: "Duh! If it wasn't good, would so many of us be lining up here? Uncle! You get lost! It's so hot, you're blocking my breeze!"

Ke Jingteng walked away a few steps, stunned.

Stunned, he looked at the thirty or forty boys and girls in the line for a while, then hesitantly walked to the end of the line and joined it.

He wanted to see just how good this *I Wish to Become an Immortal* was, and why it could be liked by so many students.

As someone who loved writing, he couldn't stand the idea of such a bestseller existing without him having read it.

After he returned to his residence with two copies of *I Wish to Become an Immortal*, he was surprised to find that he had bought Volume Nine and Volume Ten of *I Wish to Become an Immortal*.

There were eight volumes before this?

I haven't read them! How does this work?

Forget it! My stomach is full, and going to the bookstore again would just make me hungry; I'd better save my energy! I'll just see how this Volume Nine is written; if it's good, I'll go buy the first volume tomorrow, and if it's not good, then so be it.

Harboring this mindset, he took Volume Nine of *I Wish to Become an Immortal*, lay down on the living room sofa, and read on with patience.

At first, it made him frown.

Because he hadn't read the previous eight volumes and had started directly from Volume Nine, he found it difficult to understand the plot in the book, and difficult to identify with the protagonist's identity.

But...

Not long after, his furrowed brows smoothed out.

The look of surprise in his eyes grew increasingly intense.