[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-87":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},2354936,4607,"Chapter 87: Shocking","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>\"Dad, my allowance for this month should be increased, right?\" Akiwara Haruna, wearing her school uniform and sitting cross-legged on the tatami, complained, \"You have to know that I was the one who helped you land this business with Mr. Akiwara.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Akiwara Yuto were here, he would recognize this woman as the clerk he met on the first floor of the Akiwara Bookstore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Akutsu Goichi sat at another desk with a stack of manuscripts in front of him. He was reading them carefully while dealing with his daughter's complaints: \"That Mr. Akiwara came to us on his own.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, but he must have entrusted the business to us because this publishing house has a pretty female employee,\" Akiwara Haruna pouted in defiance and complained, \"Anyway, just give me a little more allowance; 3,000 yen is enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akutsu Goichi pretended not to hear. It wasn't that he was stingy; he was mainly worried about his daughter picking up bad habits—if he gave her an extra 3,000 yen, who knew if she would use it to dye her hair or do other things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as he had discovered, Haruna had recently become increasingly fond of reading magazines about Shibuya gyaru.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up, waved his hand, and ignoring his daughter's complaints, left the living room and returned to his study. He brewed a cup of tea, sat at his desk, and placed the manuscript on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the contract he had with Akiwara Yuto, this batch of manuscripts had to be proofread as soon as possible, and sample books had to be provided within two and a half weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, although Akutsu Goichi's attitude was good, he actually looked down from the bottom of his heart on self-publishing authors like Akiwara Yuto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the president of a publishing house—even though the whole company only had five employees—he had always firmly believed that he could publish works that would truly sell well and become bestsellers across all of Japan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he had once held very high standards for the quality of the books he published: works that were too kitschy, he wouldn't publish; works that were too difficult to understand, he wouldn't publish; works with poor writing, he wouldn't publish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this business philosophy, the Akiwara Bookstore Zhushihuishe he operated had indeed published two books with sales exceeding 100,000 copies, earning a certain reputation in the industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But good times didn't last. With the arrival of the economic crisis, the wallets of Japanese families tightened. Under these circumstances, many people began to favor television programs rather than going to bookstores to buy books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, one was free, and the other required payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the tide goes out do you know who is swimming naked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the economic recession became more and more apparent, book sales in the Japanese publishing industry began to plummet, dealing a heavy blow to all small and medium-sized publishing houses. His publishing house was naturally no exception—the two bestsellers that had once sold over 100,000 copies had recently seen their monthly sales fall to a pitiful level, not to mention the other books published.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forced by necessity, Akutsu Goichi had no choice but to implement a half-salary work system, meaning working half the time each week for half the pay. After all, only in this way could he barely maintain his balance sheet and avoid layoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides that, he also started the self-publishing business he had previously looked down upon, beginning to compete for business with his peers. Relying on his rigorous work attitude, he actually received praise from many people and was introduced to many new customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything seemed to be moving in a better direction, but deep in his heart, there was still a thick sense of unwillingness. Was he destined to only publish these trashy books for the rest of his life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his eyes, the vast majority of these self-published books were trash he wouldn't have even glanced at before. And those self-publishing clients were either university professors seeking fame, financial scammers lacking titles, or company presidents pretending to be cultured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people published books just for the title of \"author.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akutsu Goichi recalled Akiwara Yuto, who had come to entrust him with the business this time, and had a different feeling. Although he didn't feel the other party had the temperament of someone who needed that kind of title, the other party was, after all, seeking a self-publishing channel, so perhaps he was just making assumptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed, then lowered his head, preparing to read the manuscript on the table seriously—he didn't believe from the bottom of his heart that someone who needed to self-publish could write any excellent manuscript.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were truly well-written, wouldn't they have been signed by a major publishing house long ago and offered high terms?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he read on, he was surprised by the content of the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Those who have read the original work can skip the following)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story takes place with a math teacher named Ishigami Tetsuya. Because his mathematical research hit a bottleneck, he felt extremely painful and decided to leave this world. But just as he was about to hang himself, the doorbell rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened the door and found his newly moved-in neighbors outside—a mother and daughter named Hanaoka Yasuko and Hanaoka Misato.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother and daughter introduced themselves enthusiastically and handed over a small gift. In that instant, Ishigami felt a ray of sunshine shoot into his dim life, and he had the strength to live on again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Ishigami would often go to the breakfast shop where Hanaoka Yasuko worked to buy a breakfast, just for the sake of catching a glimpse of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This day, Hanaoka Yasuko was cooking at home when the doorbell suddenly rang. Thinking it was her daughter returning, she opened the door directly. But after opening it, she realized the person ringing the bell was her ex-husband, Togashi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Togashi was an idler who not only didn't have a proper job but also frequently committed domestic violence against the mother and daughter. For the sake of her daughter Misato, Hanaoka Yasuko resolutely chose to divorce. But unexpectedly, even after the divorce, Togashi still wouldn't let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Togashi walked into the house brazenly and stated bluntly that he had come for money. Worried about the impact on her daughter, Yasuko helplessly gave him a sum of money and demanded he leave as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Togashi took the money and laughed cunningly. He even teased Misato, who had returned home behind him, saying he would sell her to work at a nightclub. Then he said to Yasuko, \"Don't ever think about escaping my control, you mother and daughter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Togashi turned to leave, Misato, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed a crystal ball and smashed it against him. After being attacked, Togashi fell to the ground but stood up again. He was furious and began to kick and punch Misato.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her daughter being beaten, Yasuko immediately stepped forward to intervene but was knocked to the ground by Togashi. Seeing that Togashi had no intention of stopping, Yasuko, in a moment of desperation, grabbed an electrical cord and strangled Togashi's neck. Her daughter Misato also seized the opportunity to grab him as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their combined efforts, Togashi was strangled to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the wall's soundproofing was poor, all of this was heard clearly by Ishigami, who lived next door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brilliant Ishigami immediately understood the cause and effect. He stood up, walked to the door of the mother and daughter's room, rang the bell, and said from outside, \"Do you need help?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the doorbell, Hanaoka Yasuko was panicked for a moment. After instructing her daughter to drag the body into the room, she walked to the door, opened a crack, and said to Ishigami, \"I just killed a cockroach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ishigami looked at her and replied, \"I can help you cover up the crime.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing the matter was exposed, Hanaoka Yasuko had no choice but to let Ishigami into the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, a naked male corpse was found at the seaside. The face was completely destroyed, the hands and feet were charred, and the teeth had been treated, making it impossible to identify his true identity. However, there were fingerprints that could be extracted from the bicycle next to the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, the police had received a report the day before that a tenant at a nearby hotel had been missing for a day. The missing tenant was Togashi. By comparing the DNA of the remaining hair in the hotel room, the police confirmed that the unidentified male corpse at the seaside was Togashi himself, and the time of death was December 2nd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming the identity of the deceased, Hanaoka Yasuko, as the ex-wife, undoubtedly became a suspect. The police arrived at Yasuko's home immediately to inquire about the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the police's surprise, Hanaoka Yasuko claimed that she and her daughter went to see a movie on the night of December 2nd. In addition to her daughter's classmates being able to testify, they also kept the movie theater ticket stubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant the lead was broken. The police had no choice but to seek help from the genius physicist Yukawa Manabu. In addition to being a physicist, Yukawa Manabu often helped the police solve some very challenging cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing what the police described, Yukawa Manabu decided to accept the case, partly because it was very challenging, and partly because the suspect's neighbor, Ishigami, was his college friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the evening, Yukawa Manabu came to visit Ishigami to catch up. The two hadn't seen each other for decades, so they had a \"pleasant conversation\" for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While catching up, Yukawa Manabu probed indirectly. During the conversation, Yukawa Manabu fell asleep at the table. After he fell asleep, Ishigami on the other side also realized something was wrong, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Yukawa Manabu was filled with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed his plan needed to be adjusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the gathering ended, Yukawa Manabu told his police contact that he believed Hanaoka Yasuko was the killer and that Ishigami had helped her cover up the truth, but this was only a deduction, and evidence was currently lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this deduction of his left the police contact stunned and unable to accept it for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Hanaoka Yasuko was having a meal with a middle-aged man. This man was named Kudo Kunimaki, a regular customer at the hotel \"Marian\" where Yasuko used to work, and he wanted to pursue her after learning she was divorced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ishigami was very unhappy after discovering all this. He secretly took photos while the two were dating and even warned Kudo Kunimaki to stay away from Yasuko.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Hanaoka Yasuko feel extremely uneasy, and she began to doubt Ishigami's motives. Could it be that because Ishigami helped her cover up the murder, he wanted to control everything about her? Wouldn't that be the same nature as her ex-husband?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Hanaoka Yasuko received a call from Ishigami. Ishigami told her he had left two letters for her and said this was their last conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hanaoka Yasuko fell into confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning, the police station received a report. Ishigami voluntarily confessed that he had killed Yasuko's ex-husband, Togashi. After killing him that night, Ishigami dragged him to the river, destroyed his face, and removed his fingerprints, aiming to hide the victim's identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ishigami was not good at socializing and had always been a loner. He had no alibi for that day, and the electrical cord used in the crime, as well as installed wiretaps, were found in his home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through this evidence, it was very clear to the police that he was a madman who had a fanatical secret crush on Hanaoka Yasuko, so the murder was also justified. In addition, Hanaoka Yasuko had a threatening letter from Ishigami, which completely confirmed Ishigami's motive for murder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was another letter that Ishigami had asked Yasuko to destroy immediately after reading. The letter said to let Yasuko live a good life with Kudo Kunimaki in the future and thanked Yasuko for the warmth she had brought him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content of this letter left Yasuko puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Yukawa Manabu already knew the whole answer: everything Hanaoka Yasuko told the police was the truth; there had never been a single lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ishigami's layout was to use the truth of one timeline to cover up the truth of another: the corpse at the seaside was not Togashi at all, but someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On December 1st, after Ishigami discovered that the Hanaoka mother and daughter had killed Togashi, he decided to help them cover up the truth. His way of covering up the truth was to find a homeless man with a build very similar to Togashi's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On December 2nd, Ishigami paid to hire this homeless man, letting him wear Togashi's clothes to check into the hotel and leave evidence such as hair and fingerprints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the evening, Ishigami had the homeless man ride a stolen bicycle to the seaside with him, then personally strangled the homeless man, smashed his face, burned his fingers and toes, and deliberately left fingerprints on the bicycle and clothing that hadn't been burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These clues allowed the police to quickly confirm that the deceased was Togashi and made the police struggle with whether Yasuko's alibi was valid. As for Togashi's real body, Ishigami had disposed of it afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ishigami's goal was to protect this mother and daughter at all costs. To him, their ability to live a happy life was his own salvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, everything was under his control, but the appearance of Yukawa Manabu made him realize that this design would inevitably be seen through, so he decided to sacrifice himself and protect the mother and daughter by becoming enemies with Hanaoka Yasuko and leaving a threatening letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This layout was originally seamless, but Ishigami overlooked one point: no one can live happily while carrying the weight of another person's sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Ishigami was about to be taken away by the police, Hanaoka Yasuko rushed out. Yukawa Manabu had already told her everything, letting her know that this ordinary man who was just a neighbor had actually made such a great sacrifice for her and her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hanaoka Yasuko knelt in front of Ishigami in pain, while telling the police, \"I am also guilty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Ishigami froze. This meant that everything he had done had gone down the drain, and the light he had protected at all costs was extinguished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knelt on the ground, roaring and crying with all his might, as if he wanted to vomit out his very soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading to the end, Akutsu Goichi was plunged into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the manuscript in his hand, speechless for a long time—a work like this could potentially sell hundreds of thousands of copies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were still running his publishing house as he used to, he would probably kneel in front of the author and beg him to publish it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned for a while before realizing he had been completely immersed in the plot, even forgetting to proofread the typos in the manuscript.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the same time, he was also confused: why did this Mr. Akiwara—no, Teacher Akiwara—want to self-publish?\u003C\u002Fp>",2592,"2026-06-21T03:58:01.347Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","6cd83c0ff666d2059836bafdb999d1ed9a48c4fb9be7f9528733e6eb96712226","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-88","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-86",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]