Chapter 44: Sold Out

Li Ziming, an unemployed youth, was a primary target of the Xinhua Bookstore’s scrutiny because he treated the shop like his own personal library.

Whenever he got his hands on a book, he would either stand or squat right there to read it, often for hours at a time. He was particularly fond of "freeloading" on the picture-story books (lianhuanhua); whenever a new batch arrived, he would finish reading them right inside the shop. The staff had often grumbled that his "working hours" at the bookstore were longer than their own.

With his sharp eyes, he immediately spotted the new book with the colorful cover. Upon opening it, the contents blew his mind. He had read countless picture-story books and seen every artistic style imaginable, but he had never encountered a style like this. It was vastly different from the traditional format, where the plot was always described in text below or to the side of the illustrations.

This current book left him feeling genuinely stirred, and it was a rare martial arts theme, at that. He felt an intense sense of immersion; when he saw the prominent onomatopoeic words, he nearly shouted them out loud.

Just as he was completely lost in the story of "Wind and Cloud," a comrade behind him who also wanted to read it grew impatient. Someone said with great annoyance, "If you aren't going to buy it, don't just stand there. Move aside!"

Seeing a clerk approaching, Li Ziming tried to take the copy of "Wind and Cloud" to a corner to continue reading. But no sooner had he moved than the clerk came over to lecture him: "You’re not buying the book, so why are you holding it? Put it back."

The clerk made him return the comic to the shelf. Li Ziming was naturally unwilling—he had just reached page ten, the most exciting part—but he dared not cross the staff, or he would be barred from the shop next time. He had to wait for the crowd to thin out before he could continue, but he never expected that this "Wind and Cloud" comic would sell so well. A young student, seemingly in middle school, saw the book and bought it on the spot.

There had been twenty copies on display, and in less than half an hour, they were all sold out. Looking at the empty space where "Wind and Cloud" had been, Li Ziming felt a pang of misery. It only cost thirty-five cents. Yet, as an unemployed youth at the very bottom of the social ladder, he couldn't even afford what that middle schooler could. But people are not trees; they can move. He figured he would try a less crowded Xinhua Bookstore, where they might still have copies left.

...

After walking for two kilometers, he reached another bookstore. When he arrived at the new arrivals shelf, the very last copy of "Wind and Cloud" was in the hands of a beautiful young woman. To Li Ziming’s frustration, she kept picking it up and putting it down, looking hesitant, as if she were wrestling with herself.

Li Ziming was speechless. If you don't want to buy it, let me read it! You shouldn't just hog the toilet without doing anything just because you're pretty.

Not long ago, when everyone was crowding around the new arrivals shelf, Li Wenwen had also taken notice. She had initially thought it was just another new book and intended to buy one to take home, but she discovered it was a book with a flashy cover, resembling a picture-story book.

She had seen such books on the black market; it seemed they called them "comics." In the past, she wouldn't have bothered with such things. Unlike Haitang, who preferred reading text, she wasn't particularly fond of picture-story books. But lately, Haitang had been deeply depressed. Her budding romance had been ruthlessly nipped in the bud by the other party. Every day after work, she would hide in her room and refuse to come out. Her father had even come to her house to inquire about it, clearly wishing he could drag that fellow, Zheng Fei, over and give him a good thrashing.

Li Wenwen thought that since Haitang would be going abroad next spring, she would buy this book as a gift; it looked quite interesting, and Haitang would likely enjoy it. Although she hadn't liked such books before, after flipping through a few pages, she found it surprisingly readable. The story was actually quite engaging.

However, what she didn't expect was that when she turned to the back cover to see who the author was, she froze.

------
Original Author: Zheng Fei
Artist: Zheng Fei
Art Assistant: Xu Sansui
Publisher: Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House, Xianjin Publishing House
------

What is this? So, the reason Zheng Fei said he was busy lately was that he was busy publishing this comic book!

Truth be told, Li Wenwen did not really support Haitang’s interest in Zheng Fei. After all, the gap between their families was simply too vast. Haitang's father was that... even her own father was often scolded by him. Her grandfather was that... her maternal grandfather was also often scolded.

Even among the children of high-ranking officials, she was second to none, and there were countless people who wanted to pursue her. But unlike Haitang, Li Wenwen was a rational person. Romance is only sweet for a moment; ultimately, life comes down to oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. Her own parents were a typical case in point: if the gap between two families is too large, one side will inevitably end up feeling wronged.

Some time ago, when Zheng Fei politely declined Haitang, Li Wenwen was genuinely shocked, because he had turned down a chance to "leap over the dragon's gate." Working at No. 14 The Bund and being able to skip work at will—even a fool could guess that Haitang’s background was far from simple. She had thought Zheng Fei refused out of inferiority, but looking at things now, she might have overanalyzed it. Li Wenwen frowned. When one reads too many books, the human heart becomes complex, and one often makes the wrong judgment. Perhaps Zheng Fei hadn't thought about it that much at all.

Looking at the "Wind and Cloud" in her hand, Li Wenwen, who had grown up reading books, knew for certain that this one would be a massive hit. And Zheng Fei was about to become famous.

Very famous.

She picked up the book and put it down several times, unsure if she should give it to Haitang. Eventually, after much deliberation, she decided that regardless of whether it would influence Haitang’s decision, she would give it to her. It was better to tell her the truth about him. At the very least, before she went abroad, she should know that the person she first fell for was truly exceptional.

...

Watching that beautiful young woman buy the last copy of "Wind and Cloud," Li Ziming felt his spirits sink to an all-time low. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Wenwen glared at him fiercely and shouted to the clerk, "Comrade, I want to report this! Someone here is insulting a customer for no reason."

Li Ziming shook his head, thinking this woman was making a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, he doubted the staff at a Xinhua Bookstore would care about such things.

However, he miscalculated. This woman actually summoned the store manager, and a group of people surrounded him and began to "greet" him. From that day on, he was blacklisted by this store and could no longer freeload on books there.

"Damn it!"

...

That same night, someone stayed up all night finishing the first volume of "Wind and Cloud," only to end up with insomnia. Lying in bed, tossing and turning, they couldn't sleep a wink. Their mind was filled with thoughts of how the story would develop and whether Nie Renwang would survive after being dragged away by the Fire Kirin.

Unable to sleep, they sat at their desk and wrote a letter urging the author to continue, sending it to the Xianjin Publishing House to be forwarded.

[Respected Teacher Zheng Fei:
Hello.
I am a reader of your comic "Wind and Cloud." While reading your work, I was deeply captivated by the plot and finished the first volume in one sitting...
Right now, it feels as if countless ants are crawling over my body. The thought of having to wait so long to see the rest of the story makes me feel as if a giant hole has been gouged into my heart. I feel like I will suffer from insomnia every night from here on out.
I know the story hasn't ended and the excitement continues. As your loyal reader, I have a small request: could you please publish the second volume as soon as possible? Also, could you reply to this letter and tell me your home address? I am willing to be your little follower, grinding ink and brewing tea for you...]