Chapter 508

"Our editorial department usually has to wait until the evening, or even the next morning, to get a relatively complete summary of the previous day's sales data."

"So at this point in time..."

"There is still some time before they close at night, so we can't directly see today's real-time sales from the system."

Uda Ayaka nodded in agreement on the side, her voice soft and beautiful:

"That's right, Teacher Xia."

"If we editors had to run to every bookstore every day to ask about sales, the workload would be too huge; it's simply not realistic~"

Xin Xin Yuanxiangzhi also helped to add:

"And, Senior Gao and I knew you were coming today, so we specifically suppressed the urge to go to the bookstore to 'investigate'."

"We didn't even dare to call the familiar clerks in advance to ask, for fear of 'spoilers'."

"We just thought we'd wait for you to come, and we'd go together."

"At that time, we can also introduce you to some bookstore display rules and sales tricks on the spot."

After listening, Xia Xia Xia Mujun nodded knowingly.

"I see."

"Thank you all."

His thanks made the three editors feel warm in their hearts.

Soon.

The vehicle stopped in front of a large bookstore with modern decoration.

Shimizu Bookstore.

Gao Gao Qiaochun introduced:

"This is one of the large bookstores that works very closely with our Midnight Publishing House, and it has many branches in Tokyo."

"This is the main store, with the largest flow of people and the most complete range of books."

Uda Ayaka took the lead in pushing open the car door, stepping down in exquisite high heels, her voice pleasant:

"This store has an independent 'Suspense Mystery Novel Section' for our Midnight Publishing House, which has a very good reputation. Many mystery fans will come here specifically to hunt for books."

"Let's go directly to the section to have a look."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun responded and followed the others into the bookstore.

The bookstore was brightly lit.

Bookshelves stood in rows, and there were many customers.

The four of them passed through the literature, social science, and other areas, and went straight to the "Suspense Mystery Section" located in the middle and back of the bookstore.

Gao Gao Qiaochun, Xin Xin Yuanxiangzhi, and even Uda Ayaka were excited and expectant at this moment.

They imagined that they would soon see "The Devotion of Suspect X," which condensed Teacher Xia's hard work and carried their expectations, in a prominent position belonging to Midnight Publishing House.

Perhaps they could even see readers standing in front of the bookshelf browsing, or holding the book and walking toward the checkout counter...

That would be the best affirmation of their work.

However.

When their gazes swept eagerly over the book display area here—

The specific book shadow they had imagined did not appear.

The smiles on their faces froze instantly.

They scanned carefully and back and forth several more times.

They even uncertainly looked at the areas of other publishing houses nearby, and then looked at the "New Book Express" display stand at the entrance.

Nothing.

It was nowhere.

Let alone the rows of "The Devotion of Suspect X".

Even the "trial reading copies" that are usually placed at the very front of the bookshelf for readers to take and read at will when each new book is released...

There wasn't even one!

The position where "The Devotion of Suspect X" should have been placed was now filled with gaps by a few not-so-new books by other authors.

In the entire section, there was no trace of this new book that was officially released today!

It was as if it had never appeared here.

Witnessing this completely unexpected scene, the three editors were all dumbfounded.

They looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun also furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze scanning back and forth on the empty bookshelf.

Where is my book?

Uda Ayaka was the first to react from the shock.

A worst-case scenario poured over her heart like ice water.

She turned her head sharply and looked at Gao Gao Qiaochun, whose face had already begun to turn pale.

Her beautiful eyes were instantly filled with unbelievable sharp scrutiny.

Her voice involuntarily rose a bit, carrying questioning and a hint of imperceptible... perhaps "the opportunity has come" complex emotion:

"Editor Gao—!"

She deliberately asked clearly and word by word in front of Xia Xia Xia Mujun:

"You wouldn't... have made a mistake when arranging the sales channels, would you?"

"For example... missed this Shimizu Bookstore main store?!"

"This is one of the most important and high-traffic cooperative bookstores near our publishing house!"

"You wouldn't... have really forgotten to stock Teacher Xia's book here, would you?!"

"Otherwise, how could there not even be a single trial copy?!"

Her questioning was like a knife, stabbing directly into the place Gao Gao Qiaochun was most worried about.

Gao Gao Qiaochun shook his head violently and crazily, almost like a conditioned reflex.

His voice trembled a bit because of urgency and excitement, but his tone was unusually firm, even carrying a determination like burning the bridges:

"No! Absolutely impossible!!"

He widened his eyes, looked at Uda Ayaka, and then turned urgently to Xia Xia Xia Mujun, as if he wanted to swear to the whole world.

"I checked many times! Very many times!!"

"The list of every cooperative bookstore, the quantity of shipments, the time of shelving... I checked repeatedly!"

"Especially this Shimizu Bookstore main store! How could I forget?!"

"Teacher Xia's book absolutely, absolutely has been sent here! And it absolutely should have been shelved!!"

Uda Ayaka's suspicion, however, was not completely dispelled.

The impression Gao Gao Qiaochun left on her in the editorial department in the past—that senior image who was a bit of a good-natured person, a bit out of step, always had no performance, and was even scolded by readers—surfaced again at this moment.

She narrowed those beautiful eyes, and the distrust in her eyes was obvious.

She even deliberately did not immediately comfort or believe him.

Some thoughts in her heart were turning rapidly.

If... if it was really Gao Gao Qiaochun's mistake that caused Teacher Xia's new book to "disappear" here...

The blow to him would be huge.

By then, would I have a more sufficient reason to apply to the editor-in-chief to transfer Teacher Xia to my charge?

After all, following an editor who can even make mistakes in stocking is too much of a delay for one's future...

This thought made her heart warm, and the look in her eyes when looking at Xia Xia Xia Mujun's side profile added a few more rays of determination.

Xin Xin Yuanxiangzhi stood to the side, his brows locked tightly.

He was also a participant in the work of shelving this novel.

Those scenes of staying up late with Senior Gao to check the list and repeatedly confirm the details played back clearly.

He also firmly believed that such a low-level omission could not have occurred in the process.

At this moment.

A flash of inspiration struck Xin Xin Yuanxiangzhi's mind!

A more astonishing possibility that he had ignored split the fog like lightning!

He widened his eyes sharply and gasped!

Ignoring everything else, he rushed to a young female clerk not far away who was organizing the bookshelf and looked very busy.