Chapter 842

In this applause, there was a corner that was dead silent.

Yoshida Tomohito.

He seemed to have turned into a clay sculpture, sitting stiffly in his chair.

Those eyes that were originally flashing with sinister anticipation now only had a void of unbelievable shock.

No... impossible...

Absolutely impossible!

Breaking the record?

Headquarters personally opening up channels?

Fifty thousand copies for the second printing?!

This... this is not just an ordinary bestseller... this is simply taking off directly.

This huge "super performance" that could change an editor's career...

This "super hit" that made headquarters look at it and come down personally...

Originally, there was a glimmer of opportunity that could be shared by almost everyone present!

If... if he hadn't tried his best to dissuade, and even mocked other colleagues not to get involved out of selfishness...

If... if he had just glanced at the manuscript casually at that time... then he would definitely have been able to intercept Natsume Chikage, and his "The Devotion of Suspect X".

After all, it wasn't the first time he had snatched it from Takahashi Jun.

Yoshida Tomohito gritted his teeth, his gaze like a poisoned knife, looking at Takahashi Jun, who was still in a trance opposite him.

It's all him!

It's all this lucky piece of trash!!

He must have done it on purpose!

He knew early on that this book would explode, so he would use that humble posture to beg everyone to review the manuscript!

He calculated that no one would help him, calculated that everyone would refuse, calculated that he would look down on him and dislike him!

So he did so much just to swallow this performance alone!

Despicable!

Shameless!!

Yoshida Tomohito was endlessly angry, frantically shifting the blame, trying to comfort his soul.

And just then, he clearly felt the cold, piercing gazes cast from all directions in the conference room.

Those gazes came from his former "allies," from those colleagues who had been successfully dissuaded by him, thereby missing this great performance.

In those gazes, there was no longer the past contempt or agreement, only naked hatred, anger, and mockery as if looking at a fool.

Yoshida Tomohito's heart shrank violently, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone again.

An unprecedented worry, like falling into an ice cellar, seized him.

He seemed to have already seen what kind of isolated and difficult situation he would face in this office starting tomorrow...

The second half of the meeting ended hastily in a subtle and complex atmosphere.

Other editors left one after another, their gazes toward Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji were complex and hard to describe, while when they passed Yoshida Tomohito, only cold indifference remained.

After everyone dispersed, only Miyagi Kazuu, Takahashi Jun, and Niigaki Shoji remained in the conference room.

Miyagi Kazuu carefully explained the arrangements for a series of follow-up work such as the reprinting, channel docking, and promotional cooperation of "The Devotion of Suspect X".

After handling the matters of the hit book, Miyagi Kazuu changed the subject, his body leaned forward slightly, and he asked in a low voice:

"By the way, I heard... Natsume-sensei came to the publisher personally this afternoon?"

"And brought a new work?"

"I suppose... it's another mystery masterpiece?"

"What is the theme? Honkaku? Social school? Or..."

Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji looked at each other, and at the same time, an extremely strange expression, mixed with regret, exclamation, and a hint of being unable to laugh or cry, appeared on their faces.

Takahashi Jun rubbed his hands and spoke with some difficulty:

"Group leader... well, the new work Natsume-sensei brought this time, it... it is not a mystery novel."

Niigaki Shoji added in a low voice on the side, his tone awkward:

"It is... pure literature."

The smile on Miyagi Kazuu's face froze instantly.

He blinked, as if doubting he had heard wrong.

"Huh?"

He leaned back, and his brows slowly furrowed.

"Wait, what did you say?"

"Not a mystery novel? It is... pure literature?"

His tone was full of surprise.

"Our 'Late Night Publisher'... is a sub-brand that only does suspense and mystery types."

"This... we can't accept it."

Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji looked at each other helplessly again, nodding with a bitter smile at the same time.

"Yes, group leader, we were also... very surprised at the time."

Miyagi Kazuu heard this, couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his eyebrows, and secretly clicked his tongue in his heart.

He was originally full of expectations, thinking that he could take advantage of the east wind of "The Devotion of Suspect X" to immediately take another city and get Natsume Chikage's second mystery masterpiece.

Who would have thought that this genius new author would be so "unconventional" and jump directly to another completely different track—or pure literature, which is known for its extremely high difficulty and threshold.

However, surprise was surprise, but he wasn't completely unable to understand.

Pure literature, for many creators, is that "holy mountain" symbolizing the highest hall of literary art.

What it pursues is not immediate commercial return, but the refinement of language, the depth of thought, the exploration of human nature, and the possibility of leaving a mark in literary history.

Once successful, the reputation and status obtained by the author are incomparable to any type of bestseller author.

That is the glory that truly belongs to a "writer."

It's just... this road is too difficult.

"If it's pure literature... we really can't operate it here."

Miyagi Kazuu pondered.

"But it's not a big problem; at that time, in the name of our editorial department, we can directly recommend it to the literary editorial department at the New English Publisher headquarters, which is the same. There is still a recommendation fee."

He looked at the two and asked the most critical question:

"Setting aside the type... have you read it?"

"How is the content?"

Hearing this question, Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji were energized almost at the same time.

The regret and bitter smile when talking about being unable to accept it just now faded away, replaced by a kind of near-pious shocking expression after being deeply touched.

Takahashi Jun's Adam's apple rolled, and he tried hard to organize his language, trying to describe the feeling when reading:

"Group leader, although... although I haven't finished reading it, but..."

His eyes became exceptionally bright, and his tone was decisive.

"I can be sure that the literary value and the height that Natsume-sensei's new book 'Snow Country' can reach will definitely not be lower than 'The Devotion of Suspect X'! Even... maybe higher!"

Niigaki Shoji nodded vigorously in agreement, his voice tight because of excitement:

"That's right!"

"Although it is pure literature and is two worlds from the mystery we are familiar with, but... just the opening, I have a feeling of being completely sucked in!"

He gestured with his hands, trying to convey that artistic conception.

"That texture of words, that creation of atmosphere, that... cold and beautiful sense of nothingness... too advanced! Too shocking!"

"Most of the so-called literary works on the market, compared with it, simply... simply are not on the same level!"

Listening to the two of you saying one thing and me saying another, although the words were a bit excited and even exaggerated, the shocking and admiration from the heart were not fake.

The indifferent, official expression on Miyagi Kazuu's face slowly disappeared.

Replaced by a complex expression mixed with surprise, curiosity, and skepticism.

These two subordinates, after all, are not editors specializing in pure literature, and their appreciation vision may be limited.

But to be able to make them, who have read countless manuscripts in the field of mystery novels and have just experienced the baptism of a hit success, praise a "cross-border" pure literature new work so out of character... ===== CHAPTER 843 =====