Chapter 91 Promotion

Chapter 91 Promotion

Yaxin Bookstore had great confidence in Mr. Ping'an's new book. Originally, the manager of Qingsong Bookstore planned to closely monitor the opposite side and, as soon as there were signs of a new release, quickly announce the news of Mr. Ping'an's new book.

People who spend money extravagantly are few and far between; most would still be very careful when buying such leisure books. Once Mr. Ping'an's new book snatched these customers away, the opposite side’s new book would only accumulate and sell slowly.

Today, a group of troublemakers came over, and they should have been in a panic—how could they release a new book now!

Seeing more and more people entering Qingsong Bookstore, the manager hastily posted an announcement.

To his relief, a crowd quickly gathered around the notice.

"Wow, Mr. Ping'an's new book is also on sale today."

"《Ghost Maid》—looks good!"

"Hmm, I only brought enough money for one book. Should I buy the second part of 《Painted Skin》 or 《Ghost Maid》?"

"There's no question about it. It has to be Mr. Ping'an's 《Ghost Maid》. His books never disappoint."

"But I really want to know what happens next in 《Painted Skin》."

Thus, some people headed towards Qingsong Bookstore, while more went to Yaxin Bookstore.

Seeing this, the manager breathed a sigh of relief.

Hmph, even if they caught us off guard, no amount of tricks can shake Mr. Ping'an's status.

"Boss, the opposite bookstore is taking our customers," Liu Zhou reported to Xin You in a low voice.

"It doesn't matter. Find someone unfamiliar to buy a copy of Mr. Ping'an's new book for me to see."

Xin You's calm demeanor reassured the young assistant, who hurriedly found someone to buy the book.

The street where Qingsong Bookstore and Yaxin Bookstore were located suddenly became bustling with activity. Watching the constant flow of customers at Qingsong Bookstore, King Qing gave up on the idea of interacting with Xin You.

He couldn't even explain why he came here after leaving the palace; perhaps it was just the novelty of finding someone who looked like the emperor.

King Qing casually instructed a guard to buy a new book from the opposite bookstore and then left for the palace in a low-key manner.

Soon, Xin You obtained Mr. Ping'an's new book, 《Ghost Maid》. Although the title was straightforward, it did have a certain appeal to those who enjoyed strange tales.

With the intention of knowing her enemy, Xin You carefully read the book and ended up with a look of mixed feelings.

She had overestimated the other party; the book had only its title going for it.

That day, those who eagerly bought 《Ghost Maid》 finished reading it, their initial excitement turning into disappointment, regret, and frustration.

"What a waste of time!" Shen Ning, the former owner of Qingsong Bookstore, tossed 《Ghost Maid》 onto the table and picked up the second part of 《Painted Skin》 again. "I might as well reread 《Painted Skin》."

What a waste that he thought to buy both.

The next day, Duan Yunlang returned to the Imperial Academy, excited. "Meng Fei, have you read the second part of 《Painted Skin》?"

Meng Fei shook his head in confusion. "The second part of 《Painted Skin》 is out?"

"It was released yesterday, and I've already finished it. It's fantastic, completely unexpected!"

Some classmates who had also finished reading joined in the discussion.

Since it was a holiday yesterday, most students didn't know about the release of the second part of 《Painted Skin》, and soon more joined the conversation.

"Tell us what happened next." Meng Fei put his hand on Duan Yunlang's shoulder.

"No way, no way. If you want to know, go buy it yourself." Duan Yunlang firmly refused.

Meng Fei chuckled. "Everyone knows Qingsong Bookstore is run by your sister."

At that moment, a voice chimed in: "Hey, did you all read 《Painted Skin》? I bought Mr. Ping'an's new book, 《Ghost Maid》."

"I also bought 《Ghost Maid》."

"Me too."

For some reason, those who admitted to buying 《Ghost Maid》 spoke in hushed tones.

Meng Fei, who loved reading stories, immediately asked, "What's 《Ghost Maid》 about?"

The person replied with a dazed expression: "After reading it, I felt like I had read 《Butterfly Fairy》 again."

Another person was more direct: "Boring, uninteresting, tasteless! What a waste of my money!"

"Is it really that bad? I was thinking of buying 《Ghost Maid》 first, since it's Mr. Ping'an's book."

"That's great, then I'll go straight for 《Painted Skin》. Can you give me a hint about how it is—"

Duan Yunlang jumped up: "No spoilers, no spoilers. If you want to read it, go buy it. My cousin runs the bookstore, and she needs support, guys."

Amidst the laughter of his classmates, the teacher walked in with a stern face: "What's all the noise?"

The boys quickly quieted down and held up their books.

When lunchtime arrived, a large group of students rushed out of the Imperial Academy and headed straight for Qingsong Bookstore.

Often, comparison is the killer. If 《Ghost Maid》 had been released at a different time from 《Painted Skin》, it might have sold well despite its mediocre story, relying on Mr. Ping'an's reputation. But the two books were released on the same day, and the more people compared them, the more they felt that 《Ghost Maid》 was a lackluster attempt to make money.

As the contrasting reviews of the two books spread, a long queue formed outside Qingsong Bookstore, while Yaxin Bookstore became deserted.

The manager of Qingsong Bookstore was so worried that he lost a lot of hair, flipping through the second part of 《Painted Skin》 repeatedly, finally coming up with an idea.

The market for storybooks isn't just for educated men; it also includes young ladies waiting to be married and women passing the time. These women often receive information later than men, so they might buy books a few days behind.

Compared to the tender and affectionate *Ghost Maid*, *Painted Skin* is much scarier. By emphasizing this point in our promotion, we can deter those women from buying it.

Soon, rumors about how terrifying the second part of *Painted Skin* spread widely. As a result, many timid women hesitated to purchase it.

Upon hearing these rumors, Master Hu sensed something was amiss. After some investigation, he discovered that the rival bookstore was behind it.

"Yaxin Bookstore always resorts to these underhanded tactics!" the old master complained angrily in front of Xin You.

Although Xin You had other motives for running the bookstore, who would refuse money? Moreover, such malicious competition shouldn't be tolerated.

"Master, don't worry. Since they've spread these rumors to deter female customers, we can promote the advantages of *Painted Skin*."

"What do you mean—?" Master Hu asked sincerely.

"For example, the beautiful woman Wang Sheng adores is actually a demon wearing a human skin. When discovered, she eats Wang Sheng's heart."

Master Hu looked bewildered. "That's exactly what the rumors say about the second part of *Painted Skin* being too scary."

Xin You smiled gently. "We can change the angle of our promotion. While it's true that Wang Sheng's heart is eaten by the demon, which is terrifying, it also shows that lust leads to no good end. Keeping a mistress also leads to no good end. In the end, one must rely on a loyal wife to save them. Even if timid female customers can't bear to read it themselves, they can still buy it for their fathers, brothers, and husbands to read."

Master Hu: !