[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-242":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Literary Master of Tokyo",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2355091,4607,"Chapter 242: A Cross-Era Work","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-242",242,"\u003Cp>On May 13th, Akiwara Yuto brought the completed \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders\" to the Mystery Writers Association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Kawai Shinta's office, he handed the manuscript he was holding to the other man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chairman Kawai, this is the work I have finished. I would appreciate your corrections.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kawai Shinta took the manuscript and subconsciously glanced at Akiwara Yuto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt that Akiwara Yuto had written this manuscript a bit too hastily; after all, he had just released another work, and now he had immediately gone on to create this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, because Akiwara Yuto had a precedent, he didn't say much, merely harboring doubts as he lowered his head to read it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he read on, he became completely immersed, and was thoroughly shocked by the trick design within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the vice-chairman of the Mystery Writers Association, he was himself a representative of the moderate orthodox school and knew the orthodox works on the market by heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often, after reading halfway through many mystery novels, he could roughly guess the culprit and the method of solving the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with this book, he had read half of it and still didn't know who the murderer was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because compared to ordinary orthodox works, the plot and tricks of this \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders\" were simply too complex and vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary orthodox works often set the crime scene as a specific \"locked room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those works, the tricks and the suspects all revolve around this locked room—for example, what clues are in the locked room, who had the possibility of entering and committing the crime, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders\" placed the stage across the entire Japanese archipelago and set up a series of exceptionally complex interpersonal relationships and clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that these two points greatly increased the difficulty for anyone reading this book to solve the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the method of disguising five corpses as six people was something that had never been seen in orthodox trick design!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Kawai Shinta sighed, \"Akiwara, you must have thought about this work for a long time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply did not believe that a work capable of shocking him like this could be thought up by the other party in a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto hesitated for a moment and could only \"tell the truth\": \"Yes, I spent about half a year conceiving it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn't say it like that, he figured he would be looked at like a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kawai Shinta believed this answer from Akiwara Yuto, but he still praised it from the bottom of his heart; if he were to think of such a work himself, he probably wouldn't be able to come up with it even if he spent a few more years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed for a while, then added: \"Akiwara, do you intend to serialize this work in the 'Chiji Shimbun'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto replied: \"I don't think this is suitable for publication in a newspaper; I plan to release it directly as a standalone book.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment and asked: \"However, if I do this, won't I be unable to achieve my original goal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The channel through which a work is published is secondary; the most important thing is to get those radical orthodox writers to face him squarely and change some people's viewpoints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This way, he would undoubtedly face fewer obstacles in winning awards in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to a channel with such wide coverage as a newspaper, a standalone book is a bit too weak; perhaps it would take quite a while to be noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kawai Shinta put down the manuscript in his hand and smiled, \"That is of no concern.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto's work gave him great confidence, so he intended to convene a meeting to discuss orthodox mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the vice-chairman of the Mystery Writers Association, he still had that much authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made the decision, Kawai Shinta immediately instructed his assistant to begin preparations for this meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through constant phone invitations, a group of orthodox writers, or writers interested in orthodox works, soon accepted the invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One week later, the large conference room of the Mystery Writers Association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Tian Zhijiu pushed open the door and walked into the venue, subconsciously looking around, and found that quite a few people had already arrived in this conference room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the watch on his wrist and found that it was still early, so he found a seat and sat down to wait for this seminar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seminars or research meetings of the Mystery Writers Association often conduct analysis and research on specific mystery tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides that, some writers would share their writing experiences and present some excellent works for appreciation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a representative of the New Orthodox school and a supporter of the radical orthodox faction, Gao Tian Zhijiu had always accepted invitations to such seminars that focused only on orthodox works and creative concepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what puzzled him was that the convener of this meeting was actually Kawai Shinta.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must know that although Kawai Shinta was also an orthodox writer, he opposed treating orthodox works as the orthodoxy of mystery literature, instead advocating for the competitive development of different genres.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For such a person to actually convene a seminar focused only on the orthodox school, what exactly had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was frowning and thinking when someone suddenly sat down next to him. He looked up and found his senior, who was also a supporter of the orthodox school, He Tian Xin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Gao Tian, long time no see.\" He Tian Xin, wearing a men's kimono, said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Tian Zhijiu responded briefly, then carefully observed He Tian Xin and found a trace of haggardness on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Tian Zhijiu was not surprised by this haggardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the series of storms surrounding the Modern Mystery Literature Award, this Teacher He Tian had not been doing well since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the storm at the time, he had claimed in the newspaper that he would take Da Guan Zheng He as his disciple, but as soon as the ghostwriting scandal was exposed, he immediately retracted the invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when it was revealed that Da Guan Zheng He had attempted to assassinate Akiwara Yuto, many critics brought this matter up, believing that He Tian Xin's \"going back on his word\" was one of the triggers that worsened Da Guan Zheng He's mental illness and led to the assassination attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher He Tian, why did you come this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Tian Zhijiu thought for a moment and asked this question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, there was a very obvious conflict between He Tian Xin and Kawai Shinta, so there was no need to attend this meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Tian Xin smoothed the wrinkles on his kimono, scanned the surroundings, and said in a very indifferent tone: \"I'm just here to see what Kawai Shinta is actually trying to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disputes between factions were becoming increasingly intense in the current mystery literature world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Kawai Shinta, as a moderate, was holding this seminar focused only on orthodox works, which was very likely to be misunderstood by writers of other genres.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So He Tian Xin's purpose in coming this time was to see what intentions Kawai Shinta had for doing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During their chat, the conference room gradually filled up with more than half the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Tian Xin discovered that his thorn in the side, Akiwara Yuto, had also arrived at the scene and was sitting in a corner seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snorted with disdain but said nothing; this \"junior\" was currently in the limelight, and there was no need for him to go and cause trouble for the other party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With 10 minutes left, Kawai Shinta also arrived at the conference room and sat in the main seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he sat down, the people who had been talking also fell silent one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kawai Shinta looked around at everyone in the room, then announced the start of the seminar and gave a round of polite remarks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he finished speaking, He Tian Xin interrupted quite rudely: \"Vice-Chairman Kawai, let's skip the pleasantries; what is the theme of this orthodox seminar?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words also carried the intent of making things difficult; if Kawai Shinta couldn't give a clear explanation, he would inevitably lose prestige in the eyes of some people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kawai Shinta smiled and replied: \"Teacher He Tian, no need to be impatient; I am just about to explain the situation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then raised his voice: \"The purpose of this seminar is because I have discovered a cross-era masterpiece, and I hope all the teachers can appreciate it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I personally believe that this work can push the development of the orthodox school forward by another 10 years!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Kawai Shinta's \"evaluation,\" everyone in the audience was in an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, words like \"cross-era\" and \"10 years\" were very exaggerated claims!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to imagine hearing such words from Kawai Shinta, who was the vice-chairman of the association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although most people were full of doubt, it was undeniable that because of this sentence, everyone in the room became curious about this work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of work could it be to actually receive such high praise from the veteran writer Kawai Shinta!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Kawai Shinta finished his speech, his assistant began to distribute the bound sample manuscripts to everyone in the room; Gao Tian Zhijiu and He Tian Xin, as attendees, also received a copy each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Tian Zhijiu picked up the sample manuscript in his hand and examined it carefully, finding that apart from the name \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,\" there was basically no other information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was even more puzzled in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This book only had a sample manuscript; it seems it hasn't been published yet? Then how did Kawai Shinta get it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why wasn't the writer's name put on it? Could there be some taboo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of curiosity, he opened the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And He Tian Xin, who was sitting next to him, had already opened the book and started reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see what kind of work it was that could make Kawai Shinta brag with such a big mouth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was just a mediocre work, he would inevitably have to mock it thoroughly at this meeting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding this thought, he tried to pick faults in this work, but as he read on, he became completely obsessed……\u003C\u002Fp>",1744,"2026-06-21T03:58:02.196Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","f69ba0bb0ff61fbbef614232b8354e0d1be801432c4358f60f02dd091954ca80","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-243","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-241",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]