Chapter 222: I Don't Plan to Reconcile

Among the many countries influenced by Confucian culture, Japan appears particularly alternative.

For example, influenced by Confucian culture, many people believe that Japan's national character is "loyalty, filial piety, and shame"—"loyalty" is loyalty to the Emperor, "filial piety" is filial piety to parents, and "shame" is not causing trouble for society.

But on the other hand, Japan has always believed in Bushido culture, emphasizing survival of the fittest, which makes the public have an innate disdain and indifference toward the weak.

This also led to the "abandoning the elderly" culture, carrying the elderly to the mountains to abandon them.

Under such circumstances, "filial piety" in loyalty, filial piety, and shame is mentioned less and less in various Japanese books, while "loyalty" and "shame" have become the mainstream of society.

Despite this, in mass literary works and film and television works, many plots still depict children's filial piety to their parents and care for the elderly.

If a public figure is found to be unfilial to their parents, it will attract strong criticism from the outside world.

The situation now is exactly like this. After Akiwara Yuto pointed out Oonuki Masakazu's "killing intent" toward his parents at the press conference, many media reported this topic one after another and used some very eye-catching headlines.

Immediately after, some book reviewers also found the work *The Duet of Death* and compared it with Oonuki Masakazu's own experience.

But the more they compared, the more it could prove that Oonuki Masakazu substituted his own thoughts into the work.

After all, the protagonist's experience and interpersonal relationships in the book had too many similarities with Oonuki Masakazu himself.

After these interpretations were further published, Oonuki Masakazu himself was confirmed as a writer who wanted to "kill his parents"!

For a time, social public opinion was completely shocked!

Some people who didn't care about the ghostwriting topic were also attracted to watch the relevant reports. And reporters from various newspapers and periodicals surrounded Oonuki Masakazu's home tightly.

But what disappointed these reporters was that Oonuki Masakazu himself was not at home.

According to the neighbors, his parents had returned to their hometown in the countryside, and he himself hadn't returned this week...

However, Akiwara Yuto didn't care about him; after all, in his view, an author who could write such an article might have huge problems in his heart.

And the other party had responded to Wada Shin's point of view in some interviews in the newspaper before, believing that the award was manipulated.

So for Oonuki Masakazu, Akiwara Yuto didn't have any sympathy.

The stance between the two was originally opposite; sympathizing with the enemy was undoubtedly looking for trouble for himself.

4:00 PM, Detective Writers Association, reception room.

Akiwara Yuto and Kawai Shinta sat face to face on the sofa, talking about this series of events.

"Akiwara, I didn't expect you to solve this problem in such a way."

Kawai Shinta sighed and then poured a cup of roasted tea and handed it to Akiwara Yuto.

Akiwara Yuto took the teacup, blew on it, and said, "I didn't do much; it was mainly *April Youth* that helped me quite a bit."

Kawai Shinta showed a sudden realization expression and then said, "Was that anonymous letter to *Weekly Bunshun* sent by *April Youth*?"

Akiwara Yuto shook his head, "Editor-in-Chief Dacheng Lixiang didn't admit this point."

From beginning to end, Dacheng Lixiang only called him a few times, and then helped him hold a press conference.

Kawai Shinta thought to himself that he deserved to be one of the four major publishers, Keijokan; the intelligence capability was indeed very strong.

He sighed in admiration for a while and then said, "But the interpretation of the article *The Duet of Death* must have been thought of by yourself."

Akiwara Yuto didn't deny this point, but he still said: "After the ghostwriting scandal was exposed, as long as you pay a little attention to Oonuki Masakazu's experience, you can see it."

He added, "Even if it wasn't me, sooner or later other book reviewers or writers would have seen it."

Kawai Shinta thought for a while and discovered that Akiwara Yuto's words indeed made sense.

After all, works are often a portrayal of the author himself. Many book reviewers, when interpreting works, often refer to the author's own experience.

After the cause and effect of the ghostwriting and the discord with his parents were exposed, sooner or later, book reviewers would put forward the same point of view.

After a while, Kawai Shinta sighed, "Sorry, we didn't help much this time."

He knew clearly in his heart that the reason Akiwara Yuto was targeted by the faction represented by Wada Shin was still to give himself and Miyagawa and others a warning.

Akiwara Yuto waved his hand. Before joining the Detective Writers Association, he had already been told that he might encounter these problems, so he couldn't blame Kawai Shinta.

In fact, after being criticized by public opinion, Kawai Shinta and others still put in quite a bit of effort and found some writers to stand up for him.

Kawai Shinta picked up the tea and took a sip, then said with a smile, "That guy Wada Shin is probably overwhelmed now."

Akiwara Yuto also laughed after hearing this.

In order to frame him, Wada Shin had been vigorously promoting Oonuki Masakazu's talent and published an announcement in the newspaper that he would accept the other party as a disciple.

But after Oonuki Masakazu was exposed for negative scandals, these remarks of his instead became lifting a stone only to drop it on his own feet.

Not only that, some people, upon learning that he refused to accept Oonuki Masakazu as a disciple, were full of disdain in their hearts—thinking he was a person who went back on his word.

This also made Wada Shin become miserable in terms of public opinion now.

"Akiwara, do you have any other plans for your next step?" Kawai Shinta continued to ask.

"No other plans; I plan to wait and see."

Although Akiwara Yuto said so, he was actually continuing to contact public relations companies in secret, helping him publish negative news about Wada Shin in newspapers and on the internet.

After all, if you don't take the opportunity to beat a drowning dog now, when will you wait?

Kawai Shinta didn't say much, just took out an envelope and placed it on the desktop, "Akiwara, this was entrusted by someone to be passed to you."

Akiwara Yuto lowered his head suspiciously, then picked up the envelope and asked, "This is?"

"Just a request from an old friend," Kawai Shinta said hesitantly, "Although he is a friend, he is also a guest."

"Guest?"

Akiwara Yuto thought of Seto Tamae who helped him reconcile with Mantan Society before, and then realized the intention of this letter, which was probably to let him reconcile with Wada Shin.

He thought for a while, put down the envelope, and shook his head.

"Chairman Kawai, sorry, I don't plan to reconcile."

Reconciling with Mantan Society before was because, first, there was Seto Tamae's favor, and he had to accept the other party's favor; second, Mantan Society was large in scale after all, and there was no benefit in entanglement.

But the situation between him and Wada Shin was completely different.

Since the other party targeted him like this, he wouldn't "forgive" the other party either.

"Akiwara, don't you plan to see what the conditions are?" Kawai Shinta asked.

"Besides money, it's probably just some dirty interest exchange."

Akiwara Yuto said indifferently.

Kawai Shinta raised his eyebrows and pursued, "What if this interest exchange is the Uemura Award?"

Akiwara Yuto was stunned and then said, "Uemura Award?"

The Uemura Award in this world is equivalent to the Naoki Prize in the previous life and is the highest award for all writers in the Japanese literary world. It is held twice a year, in the first half and the second half.

Akiwara Yuto was moved for a moment, but immediately realized a problem.

"Chairman Kawai, can the faction behind Wada Shin control the selection of the Uemura Award? And using the Uemura Award to reconcile, the cost is too high, right?"

He still knew his own weight. Even if he reconciled with Wada Shin, what he could do was just say a few words in the media to make the other party's situation better; it wasn't worth doing this.

For various factions, winning the Uemura Award is undoubtedly the top priority.

Kawai Shinta shook his head and explained.

"Akiwara, although many people don't agree with Wada Shin's approach, he is the representative of the radical faction after all. The damage to his reputation also hinders the radical faction's desire to further promote Honkaku school works."

"And among the judges of the Uemura Award in the past, the number of radical judges accounted for at least one-third."

He paused and added, "And this time, my old friend's meaning is just to let you be shortlisted for the Uemura Award."

Akiwara Yuto finished listening to this explanation and immediately understood. If it was just being shortlisted, it was still acceptable to the other party.

He frowned and thought for half a day, but finally gave up the other party's proposal and said, "Chairman Kawai, help me tell your friend that I refuse his proposal."

"Are you really not considering it?" Kawai Shinta tried to ask.

"A dispute of philosophy, there is no room for concession."

Akiwara Yuto said in a firm voice.

The other party's proposal was just to be shortlisted, but whether he could really get this award was unlikely. After all, he hadn't debuted for long, and he had offended some judges.

Besides that, he was still young and could have a larger reader base; he didn't believe he couldn't win this award!

Kawai Shinta heard Akiwara Yuto's decision, and the meaning of appreciation in his eyes grew heavier.

If it was just being shortlisted for the Uemura Award, he wasn't without a way... ===== CHAPTER 223 =====