MC Bookstore Chapter 182: The Impossible Crime Masterpiece "Object X from Outer Space"
Chapter 182: The Impossible Crime Masterpiece "Object X from Outer Space"
Chapter 182: The Impossible Crime Masterpiece "Object X from Outer Space"
A red BMW M1 arrived at the Chomei no Yu (Long Life Hot Spring) in Asakusa, Taito Ward.
Watching the taillights of Jiang Liumei's car gradually disappear into the darkness.
It was only then that Maijo Kyosuke belatedly realized that he seemed to have forgotten something important!
Roses —
Damn it! I was so engrossed in watching Alien that I completely forgot about what Cheng Yi reminded me of—I forgot to give Jiang Liu Meili the roses!
Maijo Kyosuke raised his hand, looked at the brand-new watch on his wrist, and couldn't help but sigh twice.
Next time, next time I must give Jiang Liumei a generous gift in return!
Maijo Kyosuke rubbed his hands together, walked up the steps to the longevity bath, gave a brief greeting to Grandma Myojin Kusako sitting at the counter, and then went straight up to the third floor, returning to VIP Suite No. 8.
After washing up, Maijo Kyosuke lay on his bed in the bedroom, thinking about his plans for the next ten days. The plot of "Object from Space X" had already taken shape in his mind while watching "Alien".
So, we can finish "Object X from the Universe" in two days, tomorrow and the day after.
I will be able to start writing "The City That Never Sleeps" in as little as two days!
Based on the materials I collected in Kabukicho over the past four days, and the deep impression I had of "Sleepless Town," a "masterpiece of hard-boiled mystery," I decided to write this book.
Maijo Kyosuke is confident that he will be able to finish writing "The City That Never Sleeps" before the 20th!
Thinking of all this, Maijo Kyosuke immediately pulled the covers over himself and drifted off to sleep. After all, only with sufficient sleep could he prepare himself for the next six days.
1980, April 2.
It was destined to be a sleepless night for Japanese mystery critics.
Because with the conclusion of the meeting of the "Japan Mystery Critics Association".
Following in the footsteps of "orthodox mystery magician" Tsumabu Awasaka, a new "topic king" has emerged in the mystery commentary world!
He is none other than Kyosuke Maijo, the youngest and fastest writer in Japanese history to achieve a million-copy total sales, affectionately known by readers as the "genius of the bizarre," by Kiyoshi Kasai as the "King of Misleading," and by Kazutaro Nakajima as "the person who influenced the future of Japanese mystery literature"!
Because of the emergence of "King of Controversy" Kyosuke Maijo.
Finally, after many years of silence, the Japan Mystery Critics Association was able to witness a wonderful debate on mystery!
During this discussion on mystery and deduction, both Kazutaro Nakajima and Kyosuke Maijo received high praise.
Or perhaps it's the bold questioning of Haruhiko Oyabu by mystery critic Manji Gonda.
Or perhaps it was Kasai Kiyoshi who did it all by himself.
She angrily confronted Haruhiko Oyabu, the "master of hard-boiled mystery," and Misa Yamamura, the "queen of trickery."
These are all top-tier scenes rarely seen in the world of mystery fiction!
The most important moment of this meeting was when Kazutaro Nakajima, a master of mystery commentary, lavishly praised Kyosuke Maijo's works and future prospects!
"A person who will influence the future of Japanese mystery literature!"
"A standard-bearer of the new era!"
These two sentences alone were enough to feed the mystery critics sitting in the audience for a month!
So, an hour after the Japan Mystery Critics Association concluded.
The renowned mystery critic and journalist, Kyoji Ishikawa, published his first report on Kyosuke Maijo in the Asahi Shimbun: "Kyosuke Maijo! A new generation of mystery genius, praised by master Kazutaro Nakajima as 'a person who will influence the Japanese mystery literature world'!"
In his report, Kyoji Ishikawa presented a very objective and detailed account of the events that occurred within the Japan Mystery Critics Association.
This quickly fired the first shot in the news about Maijo Kyosuke!
Subsequently, Aoki Amehiko of the Mainichi Shimbun and Uekusa Jinichi of the Yomiuri Shimbun also published their views on Maijo Kyosuke in their respective newspapers.
As for why these three were the first to issue the report?
The reason for this is that these three people are the news editors of the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun, respectively!
Because these three individuals controlled the distribution channels of the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun respectively, and were also mystery commentators, they were collectively known as the "Three Great Mystery Critics"!
Although his status is not as high as that of Gonda Manji, he has absolute control over news channels, so he can be considered a renowned master in the mystery commentary world!
After the three master critics finished presenting their arguments...
Other mystery critics began to publish numerous analyses and reports on Kyosuke Maijo!
In an instant, all over Tokyo, whether it was a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual publication, and whether it was a top-tier newspaper or a third-rate one, almost every newspaper's front page was reporting the same thing!
"Kyosuke Maijo was praised by the renowned mystery writer Kazutaro Nakajima as a new hope for Japanese mystery literature!"
"Kyosuke Maijo has been designated by the mystery commentator Kazutaro Nakajima as the 'standard-bearer of the new era'!"
This massive publicity campaign is clearly far more sensational than when Kyosuke Maijo participated in the "Edogawa Ranpo Dragon Award" and challenged all Japanese mystery writers!
At that time, Maijo Kyosuke was just a "newbie in mystery."
Even if he were to challenge all mystery writers in Japan, only writers of his caliber would accept the challenge.
Because writers at other levels have their own jobs to do, winning against Maijo Kyosuke would bring them no benefit, while losing would only cause their reputation to plummet.
But this time, it was very different from the last time!
The reason is obvious: it's all because of that hot potato title, "the standard-bearer of the new era"!
In the Japanese mystery fiction world, the title of "standard-bearer of the new era" is considered as important as winning the Naoki Prize and being selected as the top of the annual Bunshun BEST100 list!
It is also the title that best embodies the honor of a mystery writer!
After all, to be able to win the title of "standard-bearer of the new era" means that one must at least be on par with Seiichi Morimura and Kyotaro Nishimura!
So when the newspaper reported that Maijo Kyosuke had been chosen as a potential "standard-bearer of the new era,"
Almost everyone at Kodansha, including Genjiro Noma, who knew Kyosuke Maijo, was somewhat worried.
The most worried are the editors, Hideomi Uyama and Miri Eri, who are both from the Maishiro Kyosuke team.
Both of them were happy that Maijo Kyosuke had been named "the standard-bearer of the new era" by Nakajima Kazutaro.
However, being given the title of being able to obtain such a title also means being envied and resented by tens of thousands of Japanese mystery writers!
After all, the two most popular industries in Japan are manga artists and mystery novelists.
Tens of thousands of people want to be called the "standard-bearer of the new era"!
Why should it be you, Maijo Kyosuke?
Thus, starting from the afternoon of February 14, 1980, as the newspapers reported on it, Kyosuke Maijo was handpicked by Kazutaro Nakajima as the "standard-bearer of the new era".
At the same time, a large number of objections and denunciations against Maijo Kyosuke emerged!
"Having debuted for only a month, she's already been designated by Kazutaro Nakajima as the 'standard-bearer of the new era'? I absolutely refuse to believe there's no shady dealings involved!"
"Nakajima Kazutaro hasn't stepped forward to take charge for the past five years, and now he's suddenly involved in such a huge incident. It's definitely because he's short on funds, taken money from Kodansha, and is promoting Maijo Kyosuke!"
"Japan has so many mystery writers. At the top are Akimitsu Takagi and Tetsuya Namikawa, at the middle are Shizuko Natsuki, Haruhiko Oyabu, and Takashi Atoda, and at the bottom are Jiro Akagawa and Tsumabuchi Awasaka."
"With so many candidates, how can you believe that Kyosuke Maijo will become the 'standard-bearer of the new era'?"
"Is that old man, Kazutaro Nakajima, getting senile?"
The overwhelming opposition and condemnation of Kyosuke Maijo in the newspapers stemmed from a combination of jealousy and envy, but more importantly, it came from supporters of other writers.
Because in the 50s and 60s, Takagi Akimitsu and Namikawa Tetsuya were squeezed out by Matsumoto Seichō.
Back in the 70s and 80s, Shizuko Natsuki, Haruhiko Oyabu, and Takashi Atoda were squeezed out by Seiichi Morimura.
Or the new generation of Jiro Akagawa and Tsumabu Awasaka are important candidates for "standard-bearers of the new era"!
Among these people, it's hard not to suspect that Kazutaro Nakajima received money to praise Kyosuke Maishiro, who was not qualified in terms of either fame or level.
As the instigators of this incident, mystery critics Manji Gonda and Kiyoshi Kasai naturally wouldn't hold back in the face of the overwhelming smear campaign and condemnation in the newspapers.
They immediately began to refute the opposing voices in the newspapers one by one!
This debate is tantamount to the authors, critics, and readers who support Kyosuke Maijo taking on all authors, critics, and readers who support other writers.
Therefore, this debate over who will be the "standard-bearer of the new era" is being called the "Great Debate of Wucheng!"
这一场「舞城大争辩」，从1980年2月14日深夜开始，一直持续到了1980年2月18日清晨六点。
Because this day is Monday.
It was also the day the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine was released!
Faced with this situation, it's not just about defending Maishiro Kyosuke.
Even those who opposed Maishiro Kyosuke, and those who stood by and watched, stopped arguing about their respective positions.
They flocked to the bookstore and began snapping up the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle!
Only by watching Kyosuke Maijo's latest work can one participate in the "Maisho Great Debate" and fiercely criticize Kyosuke Maijo's fans!
During the four days of the "Maijo Grand Debate," Kodansha President Genjiro Noma and Sales Manager Yasunori Mikoshiba observed the movements of the authors, critics, and readers almost day and night.
As it was confirmed that Maijo Kyosuke's popularity had reached its peak.
Taking advantage of the popularity of the "Maijo Grand Debate", Noma Genjiro made a bold move.
They then increased the number of copies of Top Hat magazine from 900,000 to 1 million!
This move not only shocked Jiang Liumeili, the editor-in-chief of the magazine department, but also left Yu Shan Hideomi, the editor-in-chief of the publishing department, speechless!
Because within Kodansha, Kyosuke Maijo is not only the youngest and fastest genius author in history to achieve a million-copy total sales, but also...
He also elevated "Top Hat," a short-story mystery magazine that had only been published for a month, to unprecedented heights!
It has surpassed one million copies issued in a single issue!
It's worth noting that even Bungei Shunju's flagship short story mystery magazine, LL Yomimono, only has a circulation of around one million!
Although it is still far from the staggering five million copies sold by Kobunsha's "Novel Gem".
However, Top Hat magazine still managed to become the second best-selling short mystery novel in Japan, alongside Bungei Shunju's LL Yomimon!
As the status of Top Hat magazine rose, its circulation exceeded one million.
Hideomi Uyama, the publishing editor who discovered Kyosuke Maijo, and Miri Eri, the magazine editor who made Kyosuke Maijo famous in Tokyo.
They have all become well-known editors in the industry!
March 18, 1980, 6:00 AM.
Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo.
Twenty-four-year-old Shota Fukasaku, carrying a backpack, rushed out of his house.
Downstairs, Shota Fukasaku hopped on his beloved motorcycle and headed towards his destination: Sanseido Bookstore, the closest bookstore to his home.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Sanseido Bookstore, Shota Fukasaku found the bookstore already packed with people.
Without a doubt, these people were here for the same reason as him: to buy the latest issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
Magazine!
However, Shota Fukasaku's motivation for buying Top Hat magazine was different from that of many others.
Because I am not a fan of Kyosuke Maijo.
On the contrary, I am someone who participated in the "Maijo Great Debate" and stood on the side of Haruhiko Oyabu!
I came to buy the magazine just so I could better argue with Maijo Kyosuke's fans!
Shota Fukasaku approached the bookstore entrance.
A woman's leather shoe unexpectedly squeezed out of the crowd and rolled in front of Shota Fukasaku.
Shota Fukasaku stared at the unclaimed shoe for a full two minutes.
When I came to my senses, I finally understood why Maijo Kyosuke had so many enthusiastic fans!
I had indeed heard that the magazine "Top Hat," which published short mystery stories by Maishiro Kyosuke, was not easy to get my hands on.
But I never expected it to be this difficult to get one!
However, for Haruhiko Oyabu-sensei!
This time, we're going all out!
Shota Fukasaku took a deep breath.
Then, like a bullet, it pierced into the crowd!
After half an hour.
Shota Fukasaku walked out of Sanseido Bookstore, sweating profusely, clutching the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine he had snatched.
Shota Fukasaku smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, put the "Top Hat" magazine into his bag, and rode his motorcycle home.
Shota Fukasaku returned home with the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
The father, Kinji Fukasaku, sat on the sofa in the living room, studying the script for his next film, "Urata March".
Sanae Fukasaku, the mother, was leisurely drinking tea and reading the newspaper on the side.
Although Shota Fukasaku has always admired his father, who is a director, he has recently developed a different opinion.
Because in my heart, hard-boiled films are my favorite.
Shota Fukasaku's lifelong dream has been to become a director and make a film like his father's "War Without Honor and Humanity"!
But my father has completely changed. Since he adapted Seiichi Morimura's "Proof of Humanity" three years ago and won the highest-grossing film of 1977, he has abandoned his original style and started making films that lean towards "social mystery" and "romance"!
This change is something that Shota Fukasaku absolutely cannot accept!
Shota Fukasaku sighed, sat down at the other end of the living room sofa, and took out the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
Because it was too crowded at the Sanseido Bookstore, Shota Fukasaku hadn't had a chance to take a closer look at the cover of the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
When the cover of the sixth issue of Top Hat magazine was presented to Shota Fukasaku, he was so shocked that he gasped.
Because the cover of the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine featured three people wearing black top hats.
Saying it was people might not be accurate; to be precise, it was three corpses.
The first body had marks on its face from being gripped by something resembling a starfish, and scale-like ligature marks on its neck.
The second body had a huge hole torn in its abdomen.
The third body was a corpse being burned.
In short, the three corpses died in different ways, and there was a sliced meteorite next to them, as well as alien-like footprints and the shadow of a monster on the floor!
Upon seeing the bizarre cover that resembled a CLT film, Shota Fukasaku immediately became interested.
Following the catalog search, I found a short mystery novel by Maijo Kyosuke titled "Object X from Space".
Entering the story—
Dear readers, are you familiar with a movie called "Alien"?
This is a film that was released in Japan in July 1979.
The English name of the movie is "Alien".
It means "an unusual person" or "a foreigner," and can also be used to refer to "aliens" or "visitors from outer space."
I was honored to watch the re-release of this movie with a beautiful lady on February 14th this year.
This reminds me of something from the past.
To help everyone understand the story, and to provide a perfect reading experience for readers who haven't seen the movie.
Let me give you a brief explanation of the story of Alien.
In the future, humanity has the technological capability for space travel. A spaceship on a mission, while investigating an unknown planet, discovers a crashed spaceship.
The human crew found many soil-colored, oval-shaped eggs among them.
Just as one of the crew members approached to observe the oval-shaped egg...
Suddenly, the front of the egg split into four lobes, from which flew a creature that looked like a human hand or a horseshoe crab!
The liquid from the monster melted the human crew member's helmet, stuck to his face, and parasitized his body, growing larger and larger until it burst out of his chest.
And it was this terrifying monster that attacked everyone on the spaceship!
In short, Alien is a film set in a spaceship and that blends elements of science fiction, gothic, horror, and the bizarre.
But you probably can't imagine, right?
A similar event occurred in the real world.
An incredible event that could only happen in a fictional universe has actually occurred in reality!
When Shota Fukasaku saw Kyosuke Maijo's opening remarks in "Object X from Space," a strange expression appeared on his face. He muttered, "What does this mean? The real world? An 'alien' has appeared??"
"How is this possible?"
"Has this Maijo Kyosuke gone mad?"
Shota Fukasaku's mutterings attracted the attention of Kinji Fukasaku, who was sitting at the other end of the sofa: "Shota, what are you saying?"
"What? Foreigners have appeared in the real world?"
Seeing the questioning look in his father's eyes, Shota Fukasaku explained, "Dad, it's not 'foreigners'! It's 'Alien'! You know, that sci-fi blockbuster that cost 11 million dollars to make!"
"Dad, haven't you seen it?"
Fukasaku Kinji paused for a moment, then nodded: "I've seen it, so what?"
Shota Fukasaku pointed to the cover of the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine: "Dad, do you see this cover?"
"It looks like this on the cover."
"Can you believe it? In the real world, something resembling an alien committing crimes has actually happened?"
Upon hearing Shota Fukasaku's words, Kinji Fukasaku adjusted his glasses and looked at the cover of the sixth issue of "Top Hat" magazine.
"Oh, so it's Mr. Maijo Kyosuke."
Kinji Fukasaku smiled with great interest: "I heard that this teacher named Kyosuke Maijo is quite famous in the mystery genre lately."
"Within a month, he wrote two full-length mystery novels and five short mystery stories, and every single one of them was incredibly captivating!"
"I have more than a dozen very famous director friends who all speak highly of Mr. Kyosuke Maijo's works."
"Especially that one called 'The Summer of the Ubume'? Is that the name? Right?"
"These dozen or so well-known directors are all watching and waiting."
"They are waiting for the reprint of 'Summer of the Ubume,' and they are waiting for the time when 'Summer of the Ubume' can reach a single volume sales of over one million."
"They are about to buy the film and television adaptation rights to 'Summer of the Ubume' and adapt it into a movie."
"Unfortunately, I've been busy preparing for my new movie lately and haven't had any time to watch it."
After finishing his sentence, Kinji Fukasaku added, "Shota, if this story is good, let me know."
"I also want to see what kind of level a mystery writer is who can be chosen by more than ten directors."
Shota Fukasaku never imagined that Kyosuke Maijo's work would become so popular that it was being coveted by more than a dozen renowned directors.
This further fueled Shota Fukasaku's curiosity!
Shota Fukasaku nodded slightly to his father, then opened "Object X from Space" again and entered the story:
>