Chapter 1282: Being Recognized
Han Sen brought Ji Yanran, Bao’er, and Zero with him on the s.p.a.cecraft to visit Otto Planet. Otto Planet was one big holiday resort, and a single ticket was all it took for a visitor to enjoy the plethora of services available there.
Chasing respite, you could eat and play to your heart’s content. After being given access to the planet, everything there was free. Aside from the caveat that you couldn’t take anything home with you, as that would be theft.
Since only the most high-cla.s.s citizens could typically afford a vacation planet, tickets were very expensive. Those who went there were the sorts with fat wallets and thick purses.
And for certain additional services, people were expected to open said currency holders to experience them.
Han Sen’s ticket was all-inclusive, however. He would be able to enjoy every single service available at his own pleasure and disclosure. Nothing was off-limits for his visit.
That being said, he wasn’t interested in making use of any of the special services. He was happy enough with what the ordinary tickets provided.
Right now, Bao’er was playing with an animal that looked like an over-sized, brightly-capped mushroom. This, like the rest of Planet Otto’s wildlife, was a tame creature. The animals that roamed the planet were mostly docile, friendly, and highly intelligent. Mushroom-like creatures were also the dominant species, able to be seen more than any other animal. They were plush, cuddly, and lacking limbs. Whether that was their reason for not being hostile was up for debate.
Han Sen and Ji Yanran were in the sea, enjoying the water and suns.h.i.+ne.
Zero, was spread out on the beach, gorging on a slightly-concerning swathe of foods and drinks.
Han Sen suddenly recalled that he hadn’t yet uploaded the second volume of Overbearing President Love Luv Looove!
Not wanting to disappoint his friend, no matter how eccentric he may have been, Han Sen decided to depart the sea and return to the beach to sort out what he had promised Xie Qing King.
He separated the chapters and set them up for automatic release at a certain time each and every day.
“Excuse me?” As Han Sen was sorting it out, a woman spoke to him in a hushed, almost-trembling tone.
Han Sen looked up and saw two girls standing nearby. They looked to be about eighteen years old, and the way they stood was almost as if they were unsure if they might be provoking a wild animal.
“May I help you, ladies?” Han Sen asked the two.
As he did, he thought to himself, “It sucks to be famous. Not even sungla.s.ses can hide my hot looks. Perhaps I should get a pair for my abs, too. And in regards to having so many fans, I should really work on my signature.”
“Are you Xie Qing King?” The girls had a jittery stance, and the pitch of their voices was erratic.
“Xie Qing King? No!” Han Sen vehemently denied it.
“Well, we happened to see you uploading the second volume just now… but don’t worry! We won’t tell anyone you’re him. Oh, gos.h.!.+ We are your biggest fans. And the wait for a new volume has been SO painful!” The initial nervousness of the girls had been washed away by a sudden burst of excitement, and they now spoke to Han Sen with a near-rabid look in their eyes.
Han Sen tried telling them he wasn’t Xie Qing King, but nothing he said made them believe it. They just thought he was being humble, and not fond of the limelight.
“Bossman, your secret is ours. We pledge this to you. We won’t whisper this to another soul. You can count on it!” the girls said, and then they left, giggling violently to themselves.
Han Sen quickly opened Skynet and hurried over to the website he had released Xie Qing King’s comic on.
“Keep going, Bossman! Don’t let it end here. I’m really loving your comic. If you ever need a baby-maker, I’m your gal! PM me.”
“A lady with long legs and big b.o.o.bs is seeking your love.”
“Mister President, feel free to arrange a hookup so you can fondle my b.o.o.bs to your heart’s content.”
“Mister President, I’ve just hit eighteen. I suppose now I can leave you my number for some raunchy fun…”
“You are my G.o.d. Capital G. You saved my soul.”
“Mister President, when is the next release? Please update the comic with a new volume. I’m dying to find out what happens next.”
“Still no new update? I’m jonesing for my next fix here.”
…
The comic was far more popular than Han Sen could have antic.i.p.ated.
Across the entire Webcomic community, the comic had surged from the lowly positions of unknown authors without an established fandom to the lofty position of number two on the Power Rankings chart.
It was quite the surprise, considering updates were so infrequent. It had been half a month since the last update, so its continued charting was something that was almost unheard of. The Power Rankings were a fickle thing, too.
If the updates came at a steady pace, it’d undoubtedly reach first place on the chart.
“I’m a super aristocrat. How can Xie Qing King write some ridiculous comic and achieve such widespread fame and acclaim?” Han Sen felt as if he had been short-changed.
“Pah! Quite the charmer, huh? What did you do this time to end up merrily chatting with two young girls while your wife was left to swim alone?” Han Sen turned around to see Ji Yanran, with a fire blazing in her eyes.
Few things terrified Han Sen. He could stand up to Emperor-cla.s.s spirits without fear, but before his wife’s scorn, his knees were jelly and his resolve was wet salt.
“No, you misunderstand! You’ve misunderstood the misunderstanding. They were talking with who they believed to be Xie Qing King!”
After that, Han Sen did his best to explain who Xie Qing King was. And then he proceeded to tell her about the comic. Ji Yanran had encountered spirits before, but she had never forged a friends.h.i.+p with one, as Han Sen did with many.
“I thought spirits were all heinous, murdering, hall-dwelling, boss-battle-type fiends?” Ji Yanran said, with a confused look.
“Many of them are, but Xie Qing King is special, that’s for sure,” Han Sen said.
Han Sen then turned to look at Bao’er, who seemed to have grown a following of her own. She was more popular than the much-adored wildlife of the resort, judging from the crowd that had gathered.
Han Sen then saw the group approach, with a short-haired girl carrying Bao’er in her arms.
“I am a professional warframe operator of the Alliance. My name is Xia Yuxin; are you Bao’er’s father?” The girl was polite in her introduction and subsequent questioning.
“Yes. Has she been misbehaving again?” Han Sen asked, standing up.
“No, she’s a delightful thing. But she did mention her father was a remarkable warframe operator, and even went so far as to strike up a bet on your behalf. If you win, we’ll deliver a s.h.i.+pload of candy to her from my home planet. If you lose, we are provided the opportunity to spend a few days in Bao’er’s company,” Xie Yuxin explained succinctly, not wanting a misunderstanding.
Han Sen looked at Bao’er, who was staring back at him with pleading eyes. She clearly wanted Han Sen to take the woman up on the bet. But it was clear to Han Sen that all she wanted was the candy that was up for grabs.
“Okay, let’s have a match.” Han Sen smiled.