Chapter 109: Book Signing in Guangzhou!

July arrived.

The entire nation was gripped by a rare heatwave not seen in nearly a decade.

On the streets, fashionable young women seemed eager to wear even less, and wherever crowds gathered, a sea of fair, long legs stretched as far as the eye could see.

At Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou, as soon as Jiang Lun stepped off the plane, he was met by the sweltering heat of the subtropics.

This kind of heat was unlike the dry heat he was used to in the capital; the air was thick and sticky, and barely two steps in, sweat drenched his back.

This trip would last ten days straight, covering seven cities.

Faced with such a grueling schedule, Jiang Lun had not brought Chen Yingying along. He had sent her home to rest and escape the heat for a few days, promising to return to the capital once school resumed.

After a midday break, at one in the afternoon, Jiang Lun appeared at the North Plaza of Xicheng Duhui.

A small stage had been set up, with a three-meter-high backdrop bearing Jiang Lun’s portrait, the album title, and the cover of “Ghost Blows Out the Light.”

The event was jointly organized by EasyListen Music, Five-Star Music Network, Kaijuan Publishing House, and Master Wang’s Herbal Tea. Even before it officially began, many fans had already gathered, and despite the oppressive heat, the atmosphere was electric.

Sitting in the car, Jiang Lun noticed fans in the front row holding up a banner that read “Jiang Lun Fan Support Club, Guangzhou Branch.” Surprised, he asked, “Since when do I have a fan club?”

“It's been around for a while, but it never really took off until the company stepped in to organize and maintain it. Now, on EasyListen Music, there’s a community dedicated just to you—a fan support base!”

“Oh!” Jiang Lun nodded. In the proposal he had previously handed to Fu Chunli, he had mentioned building celebrity communities on EasyListen Music, inviting stars to engage closely with their fans.

This was part of the grand vision he had for EasyListen’s future. Music—whether you called it entertainment, art, or commerce—was simply this kind of thing.

When it came to music, the cultural differences between his people and others worldwide were stark.

In a word, his nation possessed the scarcest and poorest musical genes.

Yet, despite this paucity, they had the world’s most abundant idol worship gene—an extraordinary capacity to idolize others to an extreme degree, and naturally a strong desire to be idolized in return. The essence of this culture boiled down to one thing: either I’m kneeling before you, or you’re kneeling before me.

Put simply, the Chinese music market was essentially an idol worship market.

Once you found that path and played the idol card well, money was never a worry.

No matter which major music chart you looked at, idols dominated the rankings. Fans of reality show contestants and fresh-faced young stars promoted songs in ways no one could have imagined, and the audience’s devotion to the artist far outstripped their admiration for the music itself.

Jiang Lun’s fanbase wasn’t the largest among all stars, but it was one of the most rapidly rising this year.

Originally, his management company had not focused on actively cultivating the fan club, following the usual industry approach of letting things develop naturally. They believed that as long as the star’s popularity remained high, fans would naturally gather.

But that approach was outdated. With the company’s guidance, fans could observe every move their idol made more clearly.

More importantly, fans welcomed this, as it allowed them to access exclusive information about the star’s daily life and schedule—details previously only available through news reports.

Of course, this had its pros and cons. The downside was the risk of manipulation by ill-intentioned parties. To mitigate this, the management had assigned eight employees to the fan club’s core group of fifteen, rotating their online identities regularly to prevent insider betrayal.

The fans gathered at today’s signing event had been summoned through this fan club.

Though still in its early stages, judging by the turnout, this strategy was clearly the right one.

The promotion was a buy-one-get-one deal: spend thirty yuan on an album and receive a copy of “Ghost Blows Out the Light” for free.

At first glance, this seemed like a loss-making bargain, but the album was a simple edition with just one long plastic case, and the book was a paperback. The combined costs were low enough that the company still made a profit overall.

But for fans, the real value lay in the autographs.

Once the event began, the line stretched into a long queue. Thanks to experience from the previous signing, this time Jiang Lun found it much easier.

“Alan, how’s your hand? Last time I heard you collapsed at the traditional medicine clinic right after signing—I felt so sorry I almost cried!”

“Alan, take your time signing, no rush!”

“Brother Lun, I love your book so much, and that song ‘Nunchucks’! Because of you, I even bought a pair of nunchucks to practice at home! Watch, I’ll perform for you!”

“Alan, how many days will you be in Guangzhou this time?”

“Brother Lun, can I give you a hug?”

“I made radish cake myself, please try some!”

“…”

The fans’ enthusiasm made the scorching weather feel somewhat bearable.

Aside from brief breaks to use the restroom, Jiang Lun signed for six hours straight. Though fewer than two thousand albums were signed, it was more than enough.

At eight in the evening, the crowd lingered because Jiang Lun was about to perform on stage.

This was the main reason many had stayed, especially students on summer break who had spent the whole afternoon here instead of going elsewhere.

Though Jiang Lun was given an hour’s rest, he didn’t retreat to the car. Instead, he mingled closely with the fans just offstage.

He shook hands with some, hugged others, chatted briefly here and there, and shared a few jokes.

This endeared him to many fans, who felt Jiang Lun was refreshingly down-to-earth—like a genuine boy next door.

In truth, this was just his nature. He wasn’t one to put on airs. He never forgot his humble beginnings—starting from a small town and singing in bars. Though blessed with extraordinary otherworldly creations to boost his career, he remained grounded and retained that grassroots charm.

Or, you might say, he had a bit of the underdog spirit.

He sang a few songs, but spent most of the time interacting with fans.

Many fans were talented singers themselves. A young man even came onstage to mimic Jiang Lun’s “The Only One,” and two girls performed while twirling nunchucks, full of flair.

After the event ended, Jiang Lun was still full of energy.

However, tomorrow held an even more important engagement, so after dinner at the hotel, he went straight to his room to rest.

He planned to take a shower first, but as soon as he sank into the bathtub, drowsiness overcame him. Hastily finishing up, he climbed into bed, ready to recharge for the days ahead.