In the midst of He Mingxuan's observation...
Several male students, dressed casually, walked into the bookstore together. As they entered, they inquired, "Boss, do you have the books of the super rookies?"
"Welcome," the owner replied with a smile. "Of course, the super rookie awards of this term have just arrived. They're on the first shelf to the right. All five books are there."
"Great."
The five immediately headed to the five books of the super rookie. One among them was particularly eager, saying, "I'll check out this 'Demon King of Another World.' It's this year's number one super rookie!"
"I'll go for the second-place book."
"Then I'll look at the third-place one."
Deliberately, the boys chose different books, a sort of unspoken cooperation. This way, everyone could recommend interesting works to each other.
Only the last student remained silent.
With a backpack on his back and glasses perched on his nose, he appeared to have the epitome of a studious appearance. He found a place in the bookstore and sat, waiting for his companions, who were preparing to buy books.
"Hua Zi."
A companion persuaded him, "Don't spend all your time studying. The teachers always say we should balance work and rest. Grab a novel to read."
"You guys go ahead."
Hua Zi waved his hand. "I'm not interested in novels."
"It seems like you've never read a novel before."
Other companions also joined in, "How would you know if you don't like it if you don't give it a try?"
"Fine."
Hua Zi didn't want to seem too aloof, so he casually picked up 'The Prince of Tennis' and sat down in the seat to He Mingxuan's right, engrossed in reading.
Ten minutes later.
The boy reading 'Demon King of Another World' set the book down, frowning. "This novel feels rather ordinary. The protagonist, despite being a demon king, lacks any domineering presence and remains unable to change his useless nature from before his time travel."
"My book is alright."
The speaker was reading the second-place super rookie novel titled 'I've Become the Summoned Beast of a Princess.' "But I don't like the protagonist's personality; he seems to revolve around women all the time."
"This term's super rookie is disappointing."
One by one, the companions put down their books, arriving at a common conclusion. They all looked very disappointed. "Hua Zi, let's go."
Hua Zi remained silent.
The companions called out again, "Hua Zi, let's go."
Still, Hua Zi said nothing.
The companions found it peculiar and turned to look at Hua Zi, only to be astonished to find him completely engrossed in 'Tennis Prince.' Their calls had gone unheard amidst his deep concentration.
For a moment, they all chuckled.
One of them remarked, "Hua Zi is truly a newbie, just like I was when I first started reading novels. Any random book could capture my interest. Now, having read so much, I've become increasingly selective."
"Just a moment ago, he claimed no interest in novels."
"Hua Zi seems to be reading one of this term's super rookie books, but it's the last-placed one, focusing on the niche theme of tennis competition, which is quite unfriendly to readers like us who don't understand tennis."
"Ah?"
Hearing the discussion about himself, Hua Zi suddenly snapped out of his reverie, reluctant to part with the novel. "I still want to read a bit more. This book is really, really good!"
"Why don't you just buy it and read it at home?"
Someone people jestingly suggested, and then everyone chuckled, saying with camaraderie, "Just kidding, no rush. How about we also see how Hua Zi, this academic genius, likes this."
"Alright."
Several people put down their books and casually picked up "The Prince of Tennis" to read. After all, they had time to spare, even though this book's subject matter really wasn't their cup of tea.
"Mmm!"
Hua Zi's eyes lit up, eagerly continuing to read "The Prince of Tennis"; he felt like he had opened the door to a new world!
About half an hour passed.
One of the boys suddenly remarked, "Wow, Hua Zi, this novel you're reading is actually quite good, completely different from what I imagined!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
This statement instantly resonated with the other boys: "I was just thinking, even though I know nothing about tennis, it's surprisingly captivating. Ryoma, the protagonist, is really cool!"
"I like Echizen."
"Ryoma is actually left-handed!"
"That part with the snake shot was so intense!"
The boys whispered to each other, but their voices were too loud, drawing angry glares from the people around them. "Could you keep it down?"
"Sorry."
The boys quickly hushed and then, somewhat sheepishly, each grabbed a copy of "The Prince of Tennis" and left the bookstore.
...
This time, He Mingxuan witnessed firsthand the entire process of a few boys going from disinterest to ultimately purchasing "The Prince of Tennis."
It didn't start off as anything significant.
But when that group of students fervently discussed and each purchased a copy of "The Prince of Tennis" before leaving, his eyes widened!
"Is it really that good?"
He Mingxuan couldn't help but also pick up a copy of "The Prince of Tennis." He now had countless questions in his mind, and perhaps the book might hold the answers.
Still in the corner of the bookstore.
Sunlight streamed onto the pages.
After just one glance, an hour passed, and He Mingxuan hadn't even realized it. For that full hour of continuous reading, his posture remained nearly frozen, save for instinctive page-turning, hardly moving a muscle.
"Achoo!"
Someone sneezed in the bookstore.
He Mingxuan was startled, as if from a dream, realizing that his backside was numb. But at that moment, his eyes were sparkling, and his whole body was trembling slightly: "So, sports novels can be written like this!"
All his doubts suddenly vanished.
It was as if he'd just realized something profound.
In He Mingxuan's initial imagination, "Tennis Prince," this niche sports novel, should have felt obscure and lacking relatability for readers unfamiliar with tennis. However, upon delving into it, he realized just how off base he was!
He truly didn't understand tennis.
But this was a novel that didn't demand an understanding of tennis to fall in love with!
The storyline, pace, character development, all of it, aligned remarkably with the tastes of enthusiasts of youth fantasy novels. Even the sprinkled tennis insights within the story didn't seem tedious but rather instilled a sense of inexplicable achievement in broadening one's knowledge.
"A topspin!"
"A smash!"
"An outside serve!"
When these splendid tennis maneuvers appeared in the book, accompanied by immersive textual descriptions, He Mingxuan, a middle-aged man, found himself surprisingly ignited with fervor.
The members of the Seishun Tennis Club leaped vividly off the pages, so distinct that they seemed right before his eyes.
He even found himself cheering for Seishun's victories, worrying about their dilemmas, and eagerly anticipating the story's progress.
"Oh my goodness!"
All uncertainties were effortlessly resolved. Why did everyone choose to buy this novel after reading it?
Because this novel is downright captivating!
He Mingxuan stared fixedly at the author's name, Chu Kuang, behind the novel, his mind reeling, "This book will unquestionably lead the development of Qin Prefecture's sports novels."
Chu Kuang is too formidable!
He admitted defeat from his own heart.
Everyone underestimated Chu Kuang, including the Silver Blue Library, merely ranking "Tennis Prince" as the fifth in the Super Rookie Award, all under the guise of a novel genre enriching the market?
Wake up!
What's having a treasure but being unaware of it? Are you telling me that a novel of this caliber is being used to 'enrich the market genres' for you, Silver Blue Library?
Everyone, just wait!
Soon, this market will prove who the real super rookie of this year is!