[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-246":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},2355095,4607,"Chapter 246: A New Hope","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-246",246,"\u003Cp>\"Sugihara, this is a new batch of works. Please find a few prominent spots for them on the display table.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the stack of books the store manager had pushed over on a cart, Sugihara Aisa wore a look of surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her impression, the manager rarely concerned himself with this aspect of the work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally speaking, all books needed to be selected by her, the person in charge of the literature section, before they could be placed on display tables or shelved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her puzzled expression, the manager laughed instead. He tore open the paper wrapping on the book bundle, pulled one out, and handed it to Sugihara Aisa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sugihara Aisa took the book with suspicion and began to look it over carefully, but as she read, a look of sudden realization appeared on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title of this book was \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,\" and on its cover, the author's name, \"Akiwara Yuto,\" was written.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but the book's obi strip also read: \"Recommended by the Mystery Writers of Japan: This is a great work capable of changing the future of mystery!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing this eye-catching phrase, Sugihara Aisa immediately realized that this book would definitely be a bestseller!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the promotional copy on some book obis often used exaggerated language, those blurbs rarely convinced readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this promotional blurb for Akiwara Yuto had the official \"endorsement\" of the Mystery Writers of Japan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that his book had received the unanimous approval of the mystery literature world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager smiled and said, \"After reading that, you shouldn't have any more doubts, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Sugihara Aisa nodded, he turned and left to busy himself with other work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sugihara Aisa knelt halfway and began to tear open the kraft paper on the bundle one by one, picking up the books inside and placing them in the best spots on the display table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, she also inserted flags labeled \"Store Recommendation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing all this, nearly two hours had passed. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and fixed her gaze once more on the already displayed \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly was written in this book that it could be crowned with the words \"great work\"? And even be recognized by the Mystery Writers of Japan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it could actually change the future of mystery? Even as a recommendation, this statement was far too exaggerated!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying this doubt, her interest in the book grew even stronger, and she couldn't wait to open it and read it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, because she had been scolded previously for \"slacking off\" to read instead of greeting customers, she suppressed her urge. She just glanced frequently at the standing clock in the corner of the shop, feeling increasingly restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was there still such a long time until she got off work!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Sugihara Aisa was restless, the book reviewer Wakayama Miura was feeling uncertain and suspicious because of this book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an industry insider, she had a deeper understanding of the phrase \"a great work capable of changing the future of mystery!\" and knew the weight of those words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that the Mystery Writers of Japan had already reached a consensus on this work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could this be? One had to know that not long ago, Wada Shin and others from the radical Honkaku faction had been criticizing Akiwara Yuto in every way! Along with him, his works had also been nitpicked by a group of book reviewers who supported the Honkaku faction!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wakayama Miura thought for a long time without reaching a conclusion, so she decided to read the book properly herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She brewed a cup of coffee, sat on the sofa, opened the first page of \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,\" and began to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had originally started the book with a heart full of doubt and confusion, but as she read, she found herself forgetting her initial thoughts and completely entering the mystery game of finding the \"murderer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bizarre and unpredictable alchemy murder method, the body disposal sites scattered across the entire Japanese archipelago, the vast and complex interpersonal relationships, and the chain of murder events made her feel something different from other mysteries!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this stimulation, she stared at the book and spent a full three and a half hours finishing the entire thing, even forgetting to eat lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after finishing the book and understanding the dismemberment trick, she no longer knew how to evaluate this work!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the history of mystery, no one had ever written such a trick!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, emotions like \"shock,\" \"awe,\" and \"admiration\" surged within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, she couldn't help but get excited, then took out paper and pen and began to write furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a book reviewer, she had to write a review related to this book as soon as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she waited until her peers had all published similar articles before following up, it would be too late!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When writing the conclusion, she pondered for a long time and then wrote down a line: \"This work represents the future!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the internet at this moment, the first batch of netizens who had finished the book were also posting related threads one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the largest mystery literature forum in Japan, a netizen claiming to be a veteran mystery fan posted, asserting that this work by Akiwara Yuto was undoubtedly standing at the pinnacle of New Honkaku mystery works!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides that, he also roughly explained the trick design in the plot, which was using five bodies to disguise them as six people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many netizens who hadn't read the book and were confused initially wanted to mock the original poster, but they ended up being surprised by the trick design in the post and began discussing its feasibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These intense discussions further attracted a large number of \"onlookers,\" making them curious about this work that boldly claimed it would \"change the future of mystery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the constant discussions, another netizen wrote a review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regarding whether it will change the future of mystery, many people have expressed doubts, but my opinion is the same as the Mystery Writers of Japan: this work represents a development direction for the future of mystery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Past Honkaku tricks were often limited to locked rooms or fixed venues, and the methods, due to more and more writers creating them, have lost their novelty, making people increasingly lose interest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looking at recent years, although the Honkaku faction is still mainstream in terms of awards, one can faintly see a decline. In contrast, the Social faction is constantly innovating and gaining recognition from more and more people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this trend continues, the Honkaku and Social factions will transform in the future, and perhaps a 'winter' for the Honkaku faction might even occur.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the unique method in this work by Akiwara Yuto has brought a glimmer of new hope to the Honkaku, or New Honkaku, faction!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To say it will change the future of mystery is not an understatement at all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Akiwara Yuto saw this post in front of his computer, he was very surprised, because some of the things mentioned inside were things only industry insiders could clearly understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he didn't think too much about it; after all, it was normal for a few industry insiders to browse forums, so he just browsed a few more posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading them, he found that without exception, they were all words of praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike his previous works, he now had the backing of the Mystery Writers of Japan, so the number of opposing posts was pitifully small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if someone opposed it, they were usually the kind of netizens who hadn't read the book and couldn't explain why, and they would even be \"besieged\" by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of one post, he even found an online poll—Do you think \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders\" is a great work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of voters was over 400, which wasn't many, but one had to know the book had only been released for one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among these people, basically 75% had chosen the \"Yes\" option, which made Akiwara Yuto feel very gratified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This proved that bringing out this work was a correct decision!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he intended to keep reading, Satake Maki walked over and handed him a document, \"Akiwara, this is yesterday's first-day sales. Take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto put down the mouse, took the document, and looked at it carefully, discovering that the first-day sales had actually reached over 30,000 copies!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no small number. He remembered that when he self-published \"The Devotion of Suspect X,\" the first-day sales were only 1,200 copies! The gap between the two could be considered worlds apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he thought about it carefully and realized that now could not be compared to back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he self-published \"The Devotion of Suspect X,\" he was just a newcomer with few channels or connections, and could only rely on the trial reading event at Ankyu Bookstore to help move some stock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, with the release of this \"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,\" not only was his fame far beyond what it was back then, but he also had the help of the Mystery Writers of Japan, Kejiaoguan, and Fuji TV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the sales were naturally far superior to back then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at it this way, it would only take less than a week to need a reprint!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'm really curious, by the time this week ends, what level will the sales reach!?\u003C\u002Fp>",1597,"2026-06-21T03:58:02.196Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","20d1f1af8dd5e99d32b2fc5bf14e24e4776c26265dd001a010066abaa461ef98","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-247","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-245",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]