Chapter 211

Uda Ayaka smiled happily:

"Fine, then it's settled."

"Come with me, let's go explain it to Natsume-kun together."

Although Gao Qiaochun felt this maneuver was a bit awkward, the thought of Uda Ayaka promising to transfer an "author with real talent" to him might just improve his performance a little.

This month... perhaps he wouldn't have to be at the bottom again?

If his wife and daughter at home knew, they would probably be a bit happier too.

Thinking this, a faint sense of joy welled up in his heart.

The two walked back to Natsume Chikage.

Uda Ayaka wore a sweet and appropriate smile on her face.

"Natsume-kun, Editor Gao has some urgent matters to attend to."

"I will be your editor from now on, would that be alright?"

Gao Qiaochun stood to the side, chiming in somewhat awkwardly:

"Yes... that is the case."

Natsume Chikage was silent for a moment, then calmly shook his head.

"No, since I made an appointment with Editor Gao, I don't want to change it arbitrarily."

"If you truly have urgent matters to attend to, Editor Gao, I can wait here."

A flash of astonishment crossed Uda Ayaka's face.

"He... he might be busy for a long time."

"Are you... really sure you want to wait?"

Natsume Chikage nodded, his tone unwavering.

"Yes."

Hearing this, Gao Qiaochun's expression was clearly stunned.

It was obviously the first time he had been chosen so clearly and firmly, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

Natsume Chikage then asked:

"However, could you tell me roughly how long I need to wait?"

Uda Ayaka immediately signaled Gao Qiaochun with her eyes, urging him to quickly find a decent excuse.

Gao Qiaochun already had a weak presence, and now, being watched by both Uda Ayaka and Natsume Chikage, he was even more flustered.

Yet, for some reason, Natsume Chikage's presence was far stronger than Uda Ayaka's.

Even though Uda Ayaka was considered a capable and beautiful editor, she was completely eclipsed by the boy before them.

Perhaps that was the reason.

The weak-willed Gao Qiaochun instinctively leaned toward Natsume Chikage.

He scratched his somewhat sparse hair and laughed it off:

"I... I suddenly remembered, that matter doesn't seem... that urgent after all..."

"And, after all, Natsume-kun, you made the appointment with me first... making you wait all this time, it just feels... not quite right."

Uda Ayaka clicked her tongue in her heart.

This Gao Qiaochun, his stance was far too wavering!

He had clearly agreed just a moment ago, and now he was changing his mind after being spoken to by this boy?!

What a useless man!

However, she did not give up entirely.

She first flashed an impeccable smile at Gao Qiaochun.

"Oh, so it wasn't an urgent matter after all. It seems I was overthinking it, no help needed then."

She then turned to Natsume Chikage, her smile becoming even brighter.

"However, meeting is fate."

"And, different editors have different perspectives and focuses when looking at a work."

"If you have any questions about writing in the future, Natsume-kun, feel free to contact me. My schedule is quite flexible, and I would be happy to answer them for you."

As she spoke, she handed over a business card with a simple design.

Natsume Chikage thought for a moment, did not refuse, and politely accepted it.

"Alright, thank you."

"Then I shall take my leave, goodbye."

Uda Ayaka took her leave with a beaming smile, though the moment she turned to walk away, she shot a quick glare at Gao Qiaochun.

Gao Qiaochun could only offer a sheepish smile, and only after watching her leave did he let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

"Then... Natsume-kun, please follow me."

Natsume Chikage nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your trouble."

The two arrived at the meeting room.

Just like before, there were already several groups of editors and authors whispering or reviewing manuscripts.

Gao Qiaochun found an empty seat and gestured for Natsume Chikage to sit opposite him.

"Natsume-kun, what is the genre of the work you brought this time?"

"Suspense mystery."

"Oh, that is very suitable for our publishing house. Our main focus is suspense mystery. I assume you knew that when you came to submit, right?"

"Yes."

"That's good. Please let me see the manuscript."

"Alright."

Natsume Chikage handed over the thick kraft paper envelope.

Gao Qiaochun took it with both hands, opened the envelope, took out the manuscript, and first glanced at the book title printed on the front page, reading it aloud in a low voice.

"The Devotion of Suspect X...?"

He felt the title was somewhat special, even a bit strange.

But upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain hidden mysteries, piquing his curiosity.

He just didn't know how the content would be.

Although he thought this, Gao Qiaochun was already starting to worry in his heart.

High school student submissions... the level is usually very limited.

Their life experience and knowledge base are just there.

And many high school students write novels on a whim, without understanding the basic elements and creative rules of suspense mystery novels.

In the mystery novel world, the so-called "Ten Commandments of Mystery" have been passed down since ancient times.

1. The culprit must appear early in the story, but the reader must not be allowed to see directly into their mind.

2. Supernatural powers or strange phenomena are forbidden in the story.

3. There can be at most one secret room or secret passage.

4. No fictional poisons or devices requiring complex scientific explanations can be used.

5. No stereotypes of specific races or groups can be used to design tricks.

6. The detective cannot rely on coincidence or unexplained intuition to solve the case.

7. The detective themselves cannot be the culprit.