Chapter 167: Are you an idiot?

While Sugihara Aisa was reading, book reviewer Yashiro Toshihiro was also holding a copy of *April Youth*, flipping through Akiwara Yuto's work.

After finishing all the content of the first part, Yashiro Toshihiro also fell into deep thought.

Before this, when he saw the name *The Invisible Guest*, he thought this work was a Biange school work.

But after reading it all, he realized he was wrong; this book should be a Honkaku school work.

But what surprised him even more was that this work was actually restoring the crime scene through flashbacks and conversations.

This is very different from other Honkaku school works where detectives directly participate in solving the case.

He picked up the coffee at hand, took a sip, then took out paper and pen, and began to paint and write.

While reading, he wrote all the clues on the paper.

According to the plot, the crime scene is a hotel room with doors and windows completely locked, and it has been re-investigated by the police.

So it can be proven that this locked room should be in a completely closed state, and there are no secret passages or mechanisms to get in.

Then the question comes, how did the murderer knock Sugou Nobuyuki unconscious and kill the victim in this sealed room?

After this, how did the murderer avoid the eyes of the eyewitness and escape from this room?

Yashiro Toshihiro looked at the clues written on the paper, thought for half a day, and couldn't figure it out, so he couldn't help but sigh.

Alas, Master Akiwara, you are too good at keeping people in suspense!?

He tore off this piece of paper and began to write with a new piece of paper.

Although he hadn't finished the serialization, he couldn't determine how the subsequent plot of this story would go.

But he believed that Akiwara Yuto's series of works before had already proven his strength, so he thought this story wouldn't be bad either.

Besides this, the name Akiwara Yuto was still a hot topic of public attention some time ago, so he thought quite a few readers would still be relatively concerned.

So this time, he prepared to write a book review of one-quarter of a layout to simply promote this.

However, what title should he choose?

Yashiro Toshihiro thought for half a day and wrote the title *I am not the murderer—Akiwara Yuto's new work is out* on the paper.

After writing the title, he organized the outline in his mind, bent down, and began to write furiously...

Chiyoda Ward, Mantanshe Society Headquarters, *Tokyo Literature* Editorial Department.

The newly appointed editor-in-chief, Songdao Kazuhiro, sat on the leather sofa. He looked around at the furnishings in the office, feeling a bit complicated in his heart.

He was a bit proud, but also a bit unbelievable.

Half a year ago, he was still the deputy editor-in-chief of *New*, running around for how to obtain publicity resources, and racking his brains for how to go further.

But he didn't expect that in these six months, his life encounter had undergone earth-shaking changes.

After Kikuchi Tai was transferred, he was first promoted by Kihara Daigo to be the editor-in-chief of *New*, but because of the sharp decline in the sales of *New*, he could only apply for a departmental transfer.

Just when he was communicating with his superiors about the transfer affairs, a "public opinion war" broke out between the Mantanshe Society and Akiwara Yuto.

After this, Kihara Daigo and Takei Kohei were "sent away." And another deputy editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Literature* was also punished accordingly because he didn't make a good report.

Under various considerations, the superior sent a transfer order, requiring him to work at *Tokyo Literature* and cooperate with the Public Relations Bureau to do a good job in the market promotion of *Tokyo Literature*.

After this, he became the new editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Literature*.

Just as Songdao Kazuhiro was feeling emotional about his life encounter, a knock on the door suddenly came.

Immediately after, the door opened, and a female white-collar worker in professional attire walked in, holding a book in her hand.

"Editor-in-Chief Songdao, this is the latest issue of *April Youth*. Please take a look."

Songdao Kazuhiro nodded and took the book handed over by the other party, but felt a bit dismissive in his heart.

In the competition of literary journals among the four major publishing houses, the sales performance of *April Youth* is the worst.

However, he also knew the specific reason. After all, the Textbook Publishing House has been wanting to transform into other more profitable businesses in recent years, and there is a certain controversy over whether to spend great efforts to operate literary journals.

This also made the publicity layout of *April Youth* the least in recent book reviews and newspaper publicity.

Before this, even if *April Youth* did this, there wouldn't be too much of a problem.

After all, as long as there are excellent works, there will still be a group of "loyal" readers who will buy this magazine.

But the problem lies in this aspect. Their signature writer Nakata Keito actually jumped ship to *Tokyo Literature* because he wanted to challenge Akiwara Yuto, which caused a large group of originally loyal readers to leave.

Speaking of which, this matter should also thank Akiwara Yuto.

Think carefully, if it weren't for the other party, how could he become the new editor-in-chief of *Tokyo Literature*!

He thought while lowering his head to look at the cover of *April Youth*, but at the moment of seeing the cover, Songdao Kazuhiro was surprised.

On this cover, the line "*The Invisible Guest*, by Akiwara Yuto" was written.

Suddenly, Songdao Kazuhiro's expression became serious.

What's going on? How did Akiwara Yuto pop out again? Didn't he just publish a single volume? How come there is no hiatus?

Also, how did he get mixed up with *April Youth* again? Does he want to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with the Textbook Publishing House in the future?

Songdao Kazuhiro felt more and more wrong the more he thought about it, and he frowned tightly.

Although according to common sense, the improvement effect of a writer on a magazine needs long-term accumulation.

But Songdao Kazuhiro had worked at *New* after all, and he had watched Akiwara Yuto break through 200,000 copies from less than 30,000 copies through serialization.

In his view, this person Akiwara Yuto cannot be viewed with common sense.

With such a precedent, how could he be at ease?

On the other side, the female white-collar worker, seeing her new editor-in-chief looking restless, asked in a tentative tone.

"Editor-in-Chief, I have read the first issue of the other party's serialization. I personally think there is nothing particularly wonderful. So should we arrange to publish some articles saying that the other party's talent has fallen?"

In her view, if she was too worried about this work, it would be better to splash some dirty water.

After all, the public, especially, likes to watch topics about talent falling.

But to her surprise, this Editor-in-Chief Songdao put down the book and looked at her with the look of looking at an "idiot."

Immediately after, Songdao Kazuhiro said in a very loud voice.

"Editor Heben, are you an idiot?"

"Do you know how much money the Mantanshe Society spent to appease Akiwara Yuto? And how much public relations expenses were spent?"

"Not to mention the 300 million yen paid to the other party for reconciliation, just the public relations expenses were an additional expenditure of nearly 1 billion yen or more. These do not include the losses suffered by other businesses of the publishing house!"

"With your salary, even if you work for another 500 years, you won't earn this money!"

He scolded his subordinate while feeling that she was not living up to expectations.

He felt that the other party's brain was simply filled with bubbles.

The current Akiwara Yuto is no longer the newcomer who was not yet fully fledged when he started. The other party has two "backers" behind him: the Mystery Writers Association and the Burakumin political group.

In other words, the other party is simply a "hedgehog"!

Although small in volume, whoever touches it will be pricked.

The Mantanshe Society has finally pulled out the "thorn" that was pricked, why bother to provoke the other party again!

The female white-collar worker was stunned after hearing this reprimand.

She was a bit "panicked" for a moment and didn't know how to answer.

After a while, she reacted and immediately bowed and apologized deeply.

"Sorry! It was my negligence, please forgive me!"

Because the Mantanshe Society adjusted personnel for literary journals, she was transferred to *Tokyo Literature* recently and didn't know much about some taboos in this area.

She didn't expect that such a simple suggestion of hers would be scolded by her superior like this.

Songdao Kazuhiro ignored his subordinate and was thinking about countermeasures.

It seems he has to go to the newly appointed headquarters and ask for more publicity budgets and layouts.

He picked up the book again, looked at the line "Akiwara Yuto" on *April Youth*, and said to himself.

"Master Akiwara, this time, let us have a fair and square showdown!" ===== CHAPTER 168 =====