?Chapter 96: Episode 96 Happy Halloween1 Chapter 96: Episode 96 Happy Halloween1 “Cosplay costume party?” Ruan Ying pondered for a moment after hearing the suggestion, “Can you elaborate?”

    Ruan Ying was completely unfamiliar with cosplay and didn’t quite grasp Zhou Xueyin’s intention.

    “Well… simply put, on that day, everyone attending must dress up as characters from animations, movies, or comics. It’s best if the costumes are related to the Halloween theme,” Zhou Xueyin explained to Ruan Ying.

    “Oh! I get it; it’s like me, although I’m a man, I also dress up in women’s clothing normally, right?” He caught on quite quickly, immediately using himself as an example.

    “That’s roughly the idea … of course, it’d be even better if the venue could be decorated with some Halloween elements,” Zhou Xueyin suggested.

    “That’s for sure! Spider webs, spiders, pumpkin lights, candle holders, I’ve prepared them all.” Although Ruan Ying hadn’t decided on a theme for the event, he had made sure to prepare props to set the mood in advance.

    “Just a suggestion, try to avoid open flames; just use little light bulbs for those pumpkin lamps. It’s safer…” Zhou Xueyin reminded.

    “Don’t worry about that, we’ve got it all under control,” Ruan Ying assured her with a relaxed smile, “Now, let me tell you about my requirements.”

    Ruan Ying’s bar typically opened at 7 pm and would stay open until 4 am the next day.

    But for special holidays like Halloween, the hours would be shortened to midnight to ensure the safety of the attendees.

    The bar could accommodate at most around 100 people, so controlling the number of attendees was something Zhou Xueyin had to figure out.

    And of course, minors definitely couldn’t take part in the event at a place like a bar. Although it was regrettable, rules were rules—underage individuals absolutely couldn’t participate.

    “How about this? Reserve tickets online and register with an ID card. On that day, attendees must also present their ID card for identity confirmation,” Zhou Xueyin felt that Ruan Ying’s requirements were very achievable.

    “We’ve always been strict with ID checks at our bar! But controlling the number of people online is indeed a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that?” Ruan Ying smacked his own head, “Internet people really are amazing!”

    “You flatter me, flatter me… Sister, please give me 15 minutes, and I’ll organize everything we’ve just discussed!” Zhou Xueyin typed earnestly on her laptop.

    Wei Jingzhu had never seen Zhou Xueyin work with such seriousness before. She usually came across as carefree and cheerful.

    It was completely unexpected that she would be like a different person when working—serious, meticulous, and very patient. He found himself staring without realizing it.

    “That…” When Zhou Xueyin looked up, her eyes met Wei Jingzhu’s, and for some reason, her heart seemed to skip a beat and then began pounding vigorously, making her momentarily forget what she wanted to ask.

    “Hmm? What’s up?” Ruan Ying, busy with touch-ups, didn’t notice the odd atmosphere between the two.

    “Oh right! When setting up the event, make sure to leave evacuation passages. Given the small space and the large crowd, it could get dangerous without caution,” Zhou Xueyin snapped back to reality, continuing with her advice.

    “But… only admitting 100 people feels like a bit of a loss, what if some leave before the end?” Ruan Ying was worried about potential loss in sales.

    “How about issuing tickets for before and after 9:30 pm? Depending on their preference, they can come either before 9:30 or after, or stay all night in your bar?” Zhou Xueyin had a sudden inspiration.

    “Brilliant, brilliant! With reservation tickets, visitors can pay at the bar on the day to get their entry passes! Then, set one price for half-night and another for all-night—it’s perfect!” Ruan Ying said excitedly.

    “Right! And we might have walk-ins who didn’t reserve but want to join the event, just play it by ear with them, probably won’t be too many, right?” Zhou Xueyin wasn’t very familiar with bars and didn’t know much about Sanlitun area.

    “Hey, that’s uncertain, but we can sell simple cosplay costumes at the door! Those who want to join the costume event can just wear what we sell!” Ruan Ying thought of another money-making scheme.

    “That’s a possibility, just don’t be called a profiteer! Haha,” Zhou Xueyin laughed openly, “How about this? For those without reservations who want to join, offer them an entry ticket when they buy a cosplay costume?”

    “I like it! I agree!” Wei Jingzhu chimed in.

    “Not a bad idea; after all, they’ve paid, so they’re unlikely to cause trouble, and it guarantees the quality of attendees. Pretty good!” Ruan Ying nodded approvingly.

    During their conversation, Zhou Xueyin had finished the event plan and handed it over to Ruan Ying to review.

    “Great! It’s perfect; I couldn’t love it more!” Ruan Ying was ecstatic—it was exactly the kind of Halloween event he had envisioned!

    Everyone wearing fancy costumes at his bar sounded incredibly fun.

    If there was a chance, taking everyone on a parade down the bar street would make him the biggest star of the night.

    With the plan set and the venue secured, the only thing left was people!

    Zhou Xueyin had Yao Shanshan create an advertisement banner as well as a promotional roll-up banner related to the event theme, to be placed at the entrance of Ruan Ying’s bar to attract customers.

    Online, Kang Siyin created a registration form for forum members planning to attend the event.

    Once the event was announced, it received a lot of positive feedback.

    Everyone really liked the non-profit-oriented cosplay event, feeling it would be more enjoyable than staged performances; this bar Halloween seemed like it would be a blast to attend.

    Concerned about potential chaos on the day of the event, Zhou Xueyin had Ruan Ying prepare three changing rooms: one for men, one for women, and one for unspecified gender.

    This third category was mainly reserved for cross-dressers like Ding Wuping and Ruan Ying. Though cosplayers were accustomed to such arrangements, the forum had regular office workers too, and for their “mental and physical health,” a third changing room was established.

    Although the event was highly praised, there were still people with ulterior motives twisting Zhou Xueyin’s intentions and posting about them on other forums.

    They criticized them for promoting an event at a gay bar under the guise of a female-oriented forum, accusing them of “rotten rice” and making unscrupulous money.

    “Yinyin, are you really not going to refute them? These people are getting nastier by the day,” Sun Miao was a frequent forum reader, often coming across such comments.

    “Let them say what they want. We’re not really dealing in “rotten rice,” are we? Once this storm passes, they’ll quiet down…” Having been through several online incidents before, Zhou Xueyin had become indifferent to the rants of keyboard warriors. Sёar?h the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    “I’m just worried their words might have an impact on the event…” Sun Miao said with concern, especially since she was rather eager to join in the fun herself.

    “Don’t worry, before the end of work today, someone will talk back at them!”