The poetry collection 巡回 (Touring) had editions in French, English, Japanese, and Chinese. It'd even been nominated for both the Goncourt and Booker Prizes, but it never won. Even though critics and professors in Europe and America hailed it as "the Homeric epic of postmodern poetry" and "the Oriental Divine Comedy," and even though it'd sold over a million copies worldwide in just over a year, it was still a failed ascension.
"Hard to handle. So what, in the end I can only release Herbert's collection?" Chu Zhi already had five or six poetry collections published, translated into more than a dozen languages, and sold overseas. His literary path was impressive, but he still needed to put in more work if he wanted to reach the rank of a true poetry master.
Zbigniew Herbert, a Polish poet, was someone few people knew. You couldn't find much about him online either, but in Europe, his reputation was god-tier. He was one of the most outstanding neoclassical poets. His fictional character, Mr. Cogito, had significance in Europe that was comparable to the influence of Lu Xun's Ah Q in China.
"If I can finish this one, the Booker and Goncourt should be within reach." Chu Zhi added the new poetry collection to his daily schedule. He'd been planning this since the first year he crossed into this parallel world. Now it'd been almost six years. As expected, literary awards weren't easy to win. Even with quality works, you needed time for influence to build.
"Nap for a bit. I've got things this afternoon." The Emperor Beast adjusted the airplane seat back.
In a blink, the plane landed at Jiangbei Airport in Wudu.
"No words, why isn't anyone taking the order?" Li Sixi frowned at the rideshare app on his phone.
"Let me try." Zhao Shu also pulled out his phone.
"No one's accepting orders, how's you trying gonna help? You think your app's got more face?" Li Sixi scoffed.
The next second, Zhao Shu cheered. "Someone took it!"
"??" Li Sixi's head filled with question marks.
But Zhao Shu didn't get to celebrate long before a call came in from an unfamiliar Wudu number. It was the driver.
"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll cancel, thanks." He hung up quickly.
"What happened?" Li Sixi asked right away.
"The driver asked me to cancel. He won't go to Shanqu Wanda Plaza…"
Li Sixi cut him off, "Why not? If he refuses passengers, we can file a complaint with the platform."
"Let me finish. He said Shanqu Wanda's been jammed since noon. His friend's been stuck on Shimen Bridge for forty minutes, Jia Hua Bridge is also blocked. He said if we're in a rush, it's better to take the light rail."
"Wudu's traffic is this bad? It's not even rush hour. Worse than the traffic capital." Li Sixi complained, but he had no choice. Zhao Shu canceled the order, and they pulled up the navigation to check the light rail route.
"The train station's obviously on the first floor."
"Not necessarily. Don't forget where we are. It could be ground floor, basement, or even the second floor. Better ask the information desk."
They were in Terminal 3. From their conversation, it was clear they were here for the signing event.
They boarded the light rail toward their destination.
"It's a pity Brother Guan's still in Seoul. Otherwise, we could've had a proper get-together," Zhao Shu said wistfully.
"He can't leave. There's too much going on with the Mutual Aid Association," Li Sixi replied.
"True. Because of Brother Guan and Jiu-yé, exchange students at Korean entertainment companies had it much easier. My roommate's Korean, he got bullied by his seniors, but I never went through that," Zhao Shu said. He was signed with Tianyu under Mango TV and had been sent to SM Entertainment.
Li Sixi nodded. "Exactly. Any trainee in Japan or Korea owes Jiu-yé. And Brother Guan's been giving up huge chunks of time every week to help. That's a big deal too."
The names felt both familiar and strange. Guan He and Li Sixi were once trainees who got bullied in South Korea and emailed Chu Zhi for help. He'd used that chance to found the Japan-Korea Mutual Aid Association.
Their exchange stints had long since ended. Li Sixi had been back in China for two years, but his career was rough. So rough that he didn't even need a mask at the airport—nobody recognized him. Like the saying went, being a flop was the best camouflage.
Luckily, his family was wealthy. Even if he failed as a star, he wouldn't starve. Guan He, on the other hand, made a surprising choice. He joined JYP and debuted as part of a boy group. Now he was doing well, serving as the main dancer of XYX.
"We won't be late, right?"
"No way. The signing's at three. It's only eleven now. Just hold steady, don't panic."
The light rail didn't jam. After an hour and a half, they reached the closest station to Shanqu Jingwei Avenue.
To get an autograph, they'd skipped lunch. When they arrived a little after one, they thought they were early. But…
What greeted them was surreal. Forget getting near the plaza. Police and security had cordoned off areas even five hundred meters away to maintain order.
"Jiu-yé! Ahhhh, Jiu-yé's first offline signing!"
"Don't push! The people up front are getting crushed!"
"Didn't the official site say the signing was capped at two thousand albums? This is way more than two thousand people."
"Two thousand? The whole plaza and mall are packed. Rough estimate, seven or eight thousand at least."
"Everyone's crazy. Wouldn't it be better to stay home, scroll short videos, and eat KFC? It's Thursday, for crying out loud."
"With this many people, can we even get autographs?"
Fans chatted everywhere. Zhao Shu got nervous. He'd taken leave from Seoul just for this, and now his face scrunched up in worry.
"Hold it together. If we have to, we'll pay for a spot." Li Sixi quickly thought of using money.
"Let's queue first." Zhao Shu said, noticing more Little Fruits joining the line.
"Jiu-yé's popularity is insane. It's not that I can't see the end of the line—it's that I can't even see the plaza," Li Sixi muttered. The snaking line curled like a giant colorful ribbon.
"Wonder if the new album's got Chinese-style songs. Feels like I haven't had enough," he said. No one knew yet what the tracks would be like. They wouldn't release online until two days later.
Zhao Shu's stomach grumbled, but he didn't regret skipping lunch. Being thirty minutes later would've pushed them back dozens of spots.
After sixty long minutes, at 2:30, countless fans were queued up behind them. Good news spread: brother Jiu decided to start the signing thirty minutes early because there were way more fans than expected.
That thoughtful move lit up fans' faces with smiles.
[Please line up in order, we're disciplined Little Fruits.]
[Keep the line orderly. If it gets chaotic, the signing might be canceled.]
Volunteers in orange vests waved signs and even helped fans throw away trash or run errands. It was all thanks to Mama-fan Wang Yuan's organization.
The signing began smoothly.
But at Chongqing's train stations and airport, more Little Fruits were still on their way to Shanqu. Traffic and order pressure was building.
Why so many? Just like fans at the scene said, this was Chu Zhi's first offline signing. Plus, Besieged on All Sides was his first official physical album. For Little Fruits, it meant everything.
"Feels like a concert. The traffic cops just called. From Shixiao Road to Gaomiao Village it's all fans. Even Xifang and Dongfang are blocked. Majia Rock interchange's jammed, Hutou Rock interchange too," Officer Xiao Wei said, dumbfounded.
"Luckily this route isn't a major hub," Lao Huang sighed in relief. "But how's he gonna finish signing for over ten thousand people?"
"Finish? Unless he gives up his hand," Captain Wang snorted. "Even if he only writes five characters per fan, five thousand people means twenty-five thousand characters. Any more and his hand won't hold up."
There was no way fans would settle for just five characters. At least half the line wouldn't get autographs. Xiao Wei could already feel the headache when it came time to dismiss the crowd.
Captain Wang muttered to himself. Forget about getting an autograph for his kid at home, it was hard enough just to explain to the higher-ups why the star even showed up. Support had already been called in. They'd need at least a few dozen more officers, which meant the total would barely reach one hundred and fifty.
If it weren't for the Little Fruits lining up in such good order, the crowd would've doubled at least. And that wasn't even an exaggeration. Everyone on Earth should know this: when pop king Michael held concerts, it took three thousand officers to keep order.
An hour later, past four in the afternoon, heavy clouds piled across the sky. Finally, it was Zhao Shu and Li Sixi's turn. Zhao Shu bought three copies of Besieged on All Sides, while Li Sixi bought five. But the signing rule was clear: no matter how many you bought, you only got one autograph. Both of them knew this, so the extra purchases were just… for support.
"Brother Jiu, I've been listening to your songs since I was a kid," Zhao Shu said, trembling with excitement. All the leg pain and impatience from standing in line for over two hours vanished the instant he saw his idol.
"Thanks for letting my music be part of your growing up," Chu Zhi said, shaking his hand. He asked softly, "What should I write?"
"I'm Zhao Shu. Zhao from Zhao Zilong, Shu from math. I'm working hard to chase my dream, so I hope Brother Jiu can give me a little encouragement."
[Only after enduring hellish trials can you gain the strength to create heaven. Only fingers that have bled can play the world's greatest melody. Zhao Shu, your efforts will become the steps that carry you to success. —Chu Zhi]
The Emperor Beast casually quoted Stray Birds. These personalized messages were called special autographs.
The first two hundred got special autographs, everyone after that just got signatures. That had been decided long ago.
Specials took about a minute each, three per minute. Normal signatures were much faster, nine to ten per minute.
Zhao Shu hugged his special album like it was priceless treasure. Getting into the first two hundred was all thanks to Li Sixi's money power.
Just as he was about to leave, Li Sixi blurted out, "Brother Jiu, thank you so much. You're not only my idol, you even helped me back then. If it weren't for you, I might've been crippled." He was so overwhelmed he could barely talk straight.
"I don't care what you write, as long as it's your autograph I'll be happy."
Truth be told, the Emperor Beast had a great memory, but only if he'd met someone in person. Back then, he'd helped Guan He and Li Sixi, but they'd never actually met. So he honestly had no idea who Li Sixi was.
"How about [I wish Li Sixi lifelong health, and may you let go of the burdens of the past]?" Chu Zhi asked.
"Yes, yes, that's perfect. That's me, I'm Li Sixi," he answered quickly.
With smooth strokes, Chu Zhi signed. He didn't use ordinary markers, but custom pens that wrote in orange. The ink lasted longer too. That detail was Wang Yuan's idea.
It was one thing to think of it, another thing for a celebrity to actually spend the effort to have pens custom-made in a factory.
"Hahaha, I made a killing," Li Sixi laughed, slinging an arm over his friend as they headed out. There were too many people around to block the way.
Following his gaze, Zhao Shu saw their idol signing for a Little Fruit.
"Brother Jiu, I really really really really love you! I finally made it. I even took leave from school to fly here from Lion City. I was so scared I wouldn't make it," the girl said, almost crying from excitement.
Chu Zhi asked her a couple of questions about her studies. That was normal. All the Little Fruits knew their idol hated fans sacrificing school for stardom.
"What're you staring at so hard?" Li Sixi asked.
"Look at Brother Jiu's hand," Zhao Shu replied.
His hand? Looking closer, Li Sixi saw it, too. Chu Zhi's left hand was trembling slightly.
On average, each autograph had about forty words. After a few hundred fans, that was nearly ten thousand characters. Anyone punished with copying lines at school knew this feeling: your fingers go stiff, your wrist starts to ache.
Li Sixi looked back at the long line. So many people still waiting.
What now? He had no idea what to do.
After the two hundred special autographs were finished, the line sped up. In two hours, over a thousand people passed through. By around six, the signing had gone past two thousand. By schedule, Chu Zhi could've left. But fans had come from all over the country, lining up for hours, some for half a day, and still hadn't gotten a signature. The Emperor Beast couldn't bring himself to walk away.
The signing went on.
After four or five straight hours, Chu Zhi could feel it. His soft tissue was strained, his wrist swollen and red.
"System bro, give me pain insensitivity mode."
[Got it.]
With the silent exchange done, he felt no pain and kept signing.
No doubt about it, his intentions were for the fans, but his actions were pure fan-abuse.
"Xiao Jiu, stop already. It's seven, it's dark, your hand's swollen. Enough," Wang Yuan pleaded. Even the staff member beside her, handing over the albums, had been swapped out.
"There're still so many Little Fruits. I'll sign a few more," he said.
Wang Yuan sighed and got him a hot towel. He signed while pressing his wrist with the heat pack.
"Xiao Jiu's arm is swollen, he's signed almost three thousand already."
"Does that mean the event's ending? No, please don't!"
"Not sure, let's see."
"The limit was two thousand, right? He's way past that."
The fans in line started buzzing, some worried about Chu Zhi's health, others terrified that after waiting so long they wouldn't get an album signed.
Another hour passed. The swelling got worse. Hot towels weren't helping anymore.
"Xiao Jiu, it's been five and a half hours, you've signed for over three thousand Little Fruits. That's enough. Don't push yourself," Wang Yuan said again, her mom-fan heart breaking.
"Just two more. This is my first offline signing event. Two more won't hurt. Don't worry, Sister Wang, I'm fine," Chu Zhi said. The system was monitoring him, making sure there wouldn't be any permanent damage. He wasn't stupid.
Many Little Fruits filmed the scene.
By ten at night, he'd signed over four thousand albums. The line had thinned.
Partly because fans were distressed. He'd been signing with an injured wrist for hours. Partly because many had given up—hungry, tired, unable to wait anymore. Leaving meant losing their spot, and no one wanted to requeue.
The first signing event went from two-thirty in the afternoon to one-thirty in the morning. Eleven hours straight. Nearly seven thousand fans signed, more than fifteen thousand albums sold.
Chu Zhi's wrist, locked in the same position, was so swollen it looked frightening.
The pain-insensitivity mode meant he wasn't hurting, and there'd be no lasting damage. But to those watching, it looked terrifying. Wang Yuan and many fans cried.
Photos spread online, and the fandom exploded. But let's put that aside for now and look at what came after.
"Sister Wang, could you buy something nice for the officers? They've been working overtime keeping order," Chu Zhi said. No need for the security company staff, since Aiguo Company will pay their overtime. But for the police, we should do something."
"I've already handled it," Wang Yuan said. "On behalf of the company, each officer will get a 200 yuan Walmart gift card."
Private individuals couldn't donate directly to the police unless it was a disaster or a fallen officer. But companies could donate supplies—like vehicles, or in this case, gift cards. She'd already discussed it with Niu Jiangxue, and Aiguo Company had donated training equipment plus over a hundred Walmart cards.
"Two hundred's just right. As expected of you, Sister Wang," Chu Zhi nodded.
Gift cards were basically cash with no restrictions. It was better than handing over money directly.
"Now, let's get you to the hospital. Xiao Jiu, you need to worry about yourself too," Wang Yuan said.
"I'm really fine. I'll rest with some heat packs when I get home."
She didn't answer. Just stared at him. Half a minute later, Chu Zhi gave in. "Fine, let's go check."
Dragged to the hospital, he finally let the doctor examine him. Only after hearing the diagnosis and seeing Chu Zhi treated did Wang Yuan finally relax.