Book Signing Event (Part 1)

Time turned to noon.

As it was the weekend, the commercial pedestrian street in the city center was quickly filled with people on holiday, becoming lively and crowded.

For the local residents who had lived in Old Sigel City for a long time, they were already accustomed to the congestion in such bustling areas. What was uncomfortable were the tourists from smaller cities.

"Why are there so many people?"

"If you didn't know better, you'd think Abstinence Day started early."

A young man wearing a baseball cap couldn't help but complain as he was squeezed by the sea of people.

Abstinence Day was a global religious festival commemorating the birth of a deity. After praying at Eldridge Cathedral in the early morning or dawn, people would come out to celebrate and have fun. The month-long holiday would excite every city. This period was often the liveliest time of the year in this world.

But even on Abstinence Day, the young man had never been squeezed like this. As far as he could see, it was all heads and backs, making it difficult to find his way. To put it hyperbolically, he felt that even if he stood still, the crowd would push him forward.

Not everyone liked crowds.

"If it weren't for the dog author's book signing, I wouldn't bother coming," the young man muttered.

He noticed police officers stationed every few meters on the street but didn't pay much attention to it.

With so many people in the pedestrian area, it was only right to deploy more police to maintain order.

He followed the signs and GG markers, struggling to weave through the crowd, until he finally arrived at the mall hosting the book signing. It was then that he realized something was a bit off...

So many police officers.

And they were armed.

It was as if there were robbers holding hostages in the mall.

While maintaining order was important, wasn't the police presence a bit excessive?

Many onlookers around were also discussing it.

"What's happening here?"

"Is there a case?"

"Probably not. If there was a case, would they let us get this close to watch?"

"I heard a writer is holding a book signing here today... See, the poster is right there."

A very conspicuous spot – the mall entrance.

This kind of promotional space, which passersby could see with a glance, wasn't something just anyone could get. In the past, it was usually for celebrity endorsements of major brands. This kind of personal GG was a first.

The poster was a classic design of the book cover + the author himself, showing clearly what book it was, which author, and what he looked like.

"The Moon and the Knight? I think I've heard of it somewhere..."

"That book is really good," a girl said.

The person next to her asked, "Have you read it? What's it about?"

The girl replied, "No, but he's so handsome! If a guy is this good-looking, can his stories be bad?"

Everyone: "?"

The girl ignored their disdainful looks and gazed at Sean's poster with sparkling eyes. "From now on, I'm his fan. I wonder if he likes bubble tea..."

The others continued their serious discussion. "I still don't think it's necessary. It's just a book signing. No matter how famous he is, there's no need for so many police, right? This is almost like the mayor's election speech from a couple of months ago."

"Besides, he's so young. Even I, a bookworm who's been reading for ten years, haven't heard of him. Where did he get his fame?"

"Maybe he has powerful connections?"

The young man caught two keywords – "young" and "handsome." A bad premonition immediately arose in his heart. He pushed through the crowd even harder and finally saw the poster displayed at the mall entrance.

"Damn, isn't this Sean?!"

The young man was Charles.

He widened his eyes, thinking that the dog author's words couldn't be trusted. He even lied to his true fan. If this wasn't Sean from the Void Arts Space, then who was it?

"This is bad, this is bad," Charles grumbled about Sean's dishonesty while quickly taking out his phone. He clicked on Sean's avatar in the group chat to send a private message, but there was no reply. He then @mentioned Sean in the group.

"@PureUniversityStudent, don't come to the book signing!"

Charles knew very well that these police officers... no, all the police in West拉克尔 State, and those witch hunters were in cahoots. He had personally witnessed a small-town woman accused of being an evil witch. Her appeal was rejected, and instead, people from the city police department came, took the woman to the wilderness, tied her to a cross, and burned her alive.

These hypocritical bastards were far more brutal and vicious than ordinary people imagined.

Charles sent three more messages to warn Sean, but they were quickly pushed off the screen by other readers' posts.

"@Everyone, brothers, our dog author has made it big!"

"Look at this?"

Someone posted a photo of the scene in the group chat, immediately causing a flood of replies.

"OMG, why are there so many police?"

"Are they all here to protect the dog author?"

"Did he get into trouble, or did someone cause trouble in the mall?"

"Did he get caught for writing something he shouldn't have?"

"No, no, no, absolutely not," another reader chimed in. "I was there, and I can tell you responsibly, there was no police incident. These Police Officers were just there to maintain order."

"What do you mean, 'face'?"

"This is what 'face' is!"

"Even the City Hall doesn't have as much influence as our dog author!"

It was clear that Charles wasn't the only fan attending Sean's book signing.

Many readers who were too far away or couldn't make it, seeing such a large turnout, regretted it. They frantically messaged those present: "Buy me a copy!"

"I want one too!"

"I want three, tell the dog author to sign a few more!"

Sean hadn't replied at all. Charles was helpless. He couldn't just enter the Void Arts Space on the spot to find Sean, and Sean might not even be there. Watching the group chat flood with messages from bewildered fellow readers who were madly gossiping, he could only pray in his heart for Sean, hoping Sean would get hit by a truck on the way and not have to attend the signing.

But it seemed heaven hadn't heard his plea.

Sean still came.

Not only did he come, but he was dressed incredibly sharp.

Dressed in a suit, with outstanding charisma, his hair neatly styled, he was no less dashing than any movie star.

The moment he appeared, many women let out cheers, including some who hadn't even figured out what was going on.

"So handsome! No wonder his movies are so good!"

"? He's a writer, you idiot."

"What? He writes books too? He's that talented? Isn't that better than those illiterate celebrities? I'm a fan now!"

"..."

The signing hadn't officially started yet, but judging by the enthusiasm of the crowd, it was already a massive success.

Humans are visual creatures. Most of the time, they're only interested in learning more about things that initially appeal to their aesthetic sense. Capital knows how to build hype, and who knows how many of these cheering people were plants hired by the publisher.

It was predictable that after today, Sean's works and his personal fame would significantly increase.

While new fans were full of enthusiasm, some old fans were already thinking of running away.

Charles was one of them.

He watched Sean greet everyone with a smile, calm and composed, and roared in his heart: "You still have the time to interact with everyone when your life is on the line?"

"Why the hell aren't you looking at your phone!"

Charles was dying of anxiety.

"Damn it, you old liar!"

He didn't just cheat him out of money to buy books, but also cheated him out of his feelings.

If he had known this Sean was that Sean, he would have stopped Sean from attending the book signing.

It was too late for regrets.

Seeing the large crowd following Sean into the mall, Charles desperately wanted to turn around and leave, pretending he didn't know Sean and had never read his books. He hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he gritted his teeth, cursed under his breath, and followed them in.