I am a literary giant in Japan

Chapter 290: Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood, writing books and making money are both necessary

Kato spoke very highly of Kitagawa Hide on Monday.

This was something that neither Takeuchi Osamu nor Kimura Keiko, who accompanied them, had expected.

If "History of Japanese Literature" is published, it will definitely be a literary work recorded in Japanese history, and it may even become one of the must-read teaching materials for all Japanese students in the future.

For a reference book that mainly introduces and discusses the history of the development of Japanese literature, the first chapter mentions not the great writers such as Izumi Shikibu, Murasaki Shikibu, and Akutagawa Ma who have had a significant influence on Japanese literature, but the rising star Kitagawa Hide. This shows how much Kato Shuichi admires Kitagawa Hide after the interview!
Just based on this sentence "Teacher Kitagawa, I think you are truly the best in the world.", it is enough to make Kitagawa Hide's historical position in the Japanese literary world further improved!
After all, the person who said this was the "number one" in the literary criticism world, Kato Shuichi!

After gaining an in-depth and detailed understanding of Kitagawa Hide's true inner thoughts, Kato Shuuichi stood up and said goodbye. Although he still had a stern face, everyone knew that he had returned with a full load this time.

Takeuchi Osamu and Kimura Keiko had a brief chat with their two beloved female disciples, and asked about their recent situation and the marriage of Kitagawa Hide and the other, and then they quickly said goodbye and left with the reluctant Jabami Rei.

Kitagawa Hide didn't take Kato Shuichi's surprise interview seriously. It sounded like the "History of Japanese Literature" was a rigorous reference book that would take many years to write, and no one knew when it would be completed.

As for the discussion about "The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland", it is just a small spoiler of the follow-up and creativity of some books, and will not have any substantial impact on the sales war between Kawade Shobo and Shinchosha.

After the latest issue of "Wenyi" was published on April 4, Kitagawa Hide finished writing the last twenty chapters of "The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland" in one go during this period of time.

At this time, the only long novel he had left was "Remembrance of Things Past".

Taking advantage of this wave of marriage events and the 97 Asian financial crisis, Kitagawa Hide wanted to expand his business empire while calmly considering a new book, striving to make money, win awards, and take care of his family all at the same time!

Not long ago, when Combesco and Oudmaison talked to him on the phone about "Remembrance of Things Past", they hinted to him that "The Dancing Girl of Izu" would most likely not win this year's Nobel Prize in Literature.

This was also within Kitagawa Hide's expectations.

The Western literary world has always been disdainful of the Eastern literary world. The number of writers from Japan, South Korea and China who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature can be counted on one hand. If you say that under such actual circumstances, they have no prejudice against Japanese literature, no one will believe it!

Oddsson also revealed some of the Swedish Academy's award-giving tendencies, both explicitly and implicitly.

In short, if an oriental writer wants to win an award, he or she must meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. For novels with one’s own country as the background, it is best if the main purpose is to expose the dark side of all walks of life in the country and satirize the country, with the main theme of vilifying oneself and elevating and glorifying the West.

Of course, in the field of literature, this is called self-critical realistic themes.

2. For novels with themes set in other countries, it is best to strike a balance between praising and criticizing, and the writer himself should have sufficient knowledge reserves and correct political stance.

3. With pure literary quality as the core, create a completely new literary genre and writing technique. It is best to use literary genres at the top of the contempt chain, such as poetry and prose, and avoid using novel genres that are popular with the public.

4. Focus on the literary markets of traditional Western powers such as Britain and the United States, and let readers in these countries regard it as a classic. It would be best if it could win some sufficiently powerful awards to increase one's bargaining chips.

Of course, one should avoid winning major awards like the Goncourt Prize, which conflicts with the Nobel Prize in Literature, so as not to be targeted by the Swedish Academy.

Kitagawa Hide himself is not so obsessed with the Nobel Prize.

If I have to say, it is like a necessary piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Without it, you always feel like something is missing, but it does not mean that you are not perfect without it.

Only occasionally when I return to "Peter Cat" and see the honor display cabinet, I always hope that these things can fill it up to support the calligraphy and painting on it that reads "The Best in the World".

Naturally, the matter of business expansion had to be handled by his most trusted professional manager, Masato Senhara.

Speaking of Senhara Masato, Kitagawa Hide suddenly remembered that he had made an appointment with him for dinner in the evening. He looked at the time and felt that it was about time, so he took Yumeko back to the room to rest, then immediately changed into a suit, ran to the underground garage and drove to the famous Kabukicho Ichibangai in Shinjuku District.

It's not that Kitagawa Hide likes to discuss business in such a place, but now this place has been completely occupied by the Sumiyoshi-kai. At the command of Shigeo Nishiguchi, even the prosecutors from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office would not be able to come and eavesdrop easily, so the confidentiality is extremely high.

By the way, Kitagawa Hide recently bought several luxury cars, spending a total of over 5000 million yen, including the 97 version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur he is driving now.

This Silver Thor is a limited edition with an extended wheelbase, with an import price of 1800 million yen. Even on the streets of Tokyo in 97 when cars were already quite common, it was a luxurious, low-key, top-of-the-line luxury car with a 100% turning head rate!
When it comes to enjoying life, Kitagawa Hide has never treated himself or those around him badly.

They can buy luxury houses and cars whenever they want, and their homes are filled with all kinds of luxury goods. Their main point is to spend money when necessary. Don't be like those sour old pedants who want things but dare not have them, and act like whores and pretend to be saints!

The Kabukicho Ichibangai he was going to this time is located at the east exit of Shinjuku, Tokyo. It is located between the Seibu Shinjuku Line station, Shinjuku Ward Office and Hanazono Shrine. It is home to countless cinemas, bars, entertainment shops, nightclubs, love hotels, etc. It is known as the "Sleepless Street" (眠らない街) and is also known as "Japan's No. 1 Pleasure Street."

Masato Senhara, who arrived at Ichibangai earlier, was still wearing a bank clerk's uniform and carrying a briefcase, feeling complicated and nervous.

Since graduating, working, and getting married, Masato Senhara has been a model office worker and husband. He works diligently in the bank, is conscientious and responsible at home, goes out early and comes back late, and has no bad habits.

It was the first time for him, now in his thirties, to step into the glamorous Kabukicho.

When he was outside, he was shocked by the prosperity and luxury here. Along the way, he met three groups of sly-looking gangsters who wanted him to try pachinko, seven groups of heavily made-up bartenders, and twelve groups of JKs who were willing to do "daddy work".
In short, this place is extremely chaotic and it is very easy to break the bottom line of ordinary people.

The place that Mr. Kitagawa made an appointment to meet was a restaurant called Rokukakai. He originally thought that it would be difficult to find a restaurant in this ghost place full of brothels.

However, when he arrived here, he was shocked to find that the whole street was hung with portraits of Mr. Kitagawa, and advertisements for "The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland" were everywhere.

Even the female COSERS sitting at the windows and posing coquettishly were holding banners that read "Please vote for Mr. Kitagawa, please~".

The restaurant named "Rokukakai" is even more eye-catching. After all, a large full-length photo of Mr. Kitagawa is hung directly at the door of the store, making it hard not to see it!

"This"

If he had not just walked in from the main gate of Kabukicho, Senhara Masato would have almost suspected that he had walked into the wrong place!

Could it be that Mr. Beichuan's influence can penetrate into this gray industry area?
Or does Mr. Kitagawa, who is much richer than the public imagines, also have industries in such places?

"Excuse me, are you Masato Senhara, the section chief of the Industrial Central Bank?" A rough voice suddenly sounded in his ears.

Senhara Masato looked up and saw that the person who was speaking was a burly man in a black suit with a shaved head.

"Oh, yes, it's me. May I ask for your advice?" Chihara Masato was sweating profusely.

Could it be that I had run into the legendary underworld blocking my way?

After receiving the reply, the big man immediately bowed respectfully to him at a 90-degree angle, and then made a gesture of invitation: "Section Chief Senhara, please come this way! Teacher Kitagawa has been waiting for a long time."

"Oh, okay, okay." Masato Senhara tightened the briefcase under his arm and immediately followed quickly.

I remember Kitagawa Hidetsu always mentioned on the phone that he wanted to do business overseas, and now there is something wrong with the Kabukicho Ichibangai industry.
Masato Senhara became increasingly nervous and worried.

Has Mr. Kitagawa really fallen into the abyss of illegality?

With a heavy heart, he moved forward much more slowly.

Kitagawa Hide, who was arguing with Nishiguchi Shigeo in the box at this time, had no idea that Senhara Masato had such a deep misunderstanding of him.

Shigeo Nishiguchi was holding a new copy of Literature and Art in his hand, reciting aloud the classic lines from The End of the World and Hard-boiled Wonderland: "There is a kind of sadness in the world that cannot be shed in tears. This kind of sadness cannot be explained to others, and even if it is explained, others will not understand it.

It will never change, like snowflakes on a windless night, quietly settling in the heart!
This sentence is so beautiful! It is so beautiful!

Every time I read it, I remember the scene when I shot and killed my best brother!
At that time, my heart was filled with sadness that I couldn't explain to anyone.

The other gangsters couldn't understand the sadness in my heart! They just thought I was ungrateful and killed the brother who had followed me loyally for more than ten years!
What they don’t know is that I’m the one who was actually betrayed! I”

"Cough cough cough" Kitagawa Xiu, like several girls serving wine, tried hard to hold back his laughter and almost spit out the sake in his mouth.

If the great Murakami knew that his masterpiece would one day be distorted and understood like this by the yakuza boss, he would probably come from another world and beat up Shigeo Nishiguchi!

Shigeo Nishiguchi spoke with great emotion and seemed to be truly moved by Kitagawa Hide's novel.

He also stockpiled all of Kitagawa Hide's novels at home, and everything related to his idol was collected in the storage room.

Even his daughter, who was studying at the Keio University Girls' High School, was required by him to read and recite Kitagawa's novels every day!
This will improve her literary accomplishment!

This Sumiyoshi-kai boss is really outrageous, but he also really likes him and can be called the number one Kitagawa fan in the underground world.

Masato Senhara, who had just walked into the box, was stunned again.

I always find this scene weird.

The man opposite Mr. Kitagawa is obviously a gangster. The intricate tattoos on his body are very scary. From the eyes of the hostesses next to him, one can feel that he is a guy who should never be provoked.

But what was even more frightening was that this underworld boss was holding a book called "Literature and Art" in his hand, and was reciting and reading it in an exaggerated manner, like a Noh performer.

"Senhara, you're finally here!" Kitagawa Hide really couldn't hold on any longer.

After communicating too much with people like Shigeo Nishiguchi, Kitagawa Hide felt that his brain would be polluted and assimilated. He needed to talk to normal people to ease the tension.

"Hello, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Shigeo Nishiguchi, the president of the Sumiyoshi-kai." Shigeo Nishiguchi put on his suit to cover his tattoos, respectfully put away the magazine, and greeted Masato Senhara very formally.

He personally admires social elites like Masato Senhara.

The famous lawyer Hiroshi Yamaguchi and the great critic Tetsutaro Mori, whom he met when he helped handle the Drunken Rose Saint case, are also elites he admires.

The three of them had a few drinks. Shigeo Nishiguchi knew that Mr. Kitagawa didn't want him to get involved in what was going to happen next, so he tactfully hugged the hostess and left the table with an excuse.

After a conversation, Masato Senhara also felt relieved.

Mr. Kitagawa did not join any Yakuza organization, but he came to him specifically to discuss the company's expansion and investment business.

Kitagawa Hide had no idea about the specific circumstances of the 97 Asian financial crisis.

He only knew that the Thai baht exchange rate fell sharply first. After the collapse of the Thai baht, the Philippine peso, Indonesian rupiah and Malaysian ringgit also collapsed one after another within three or four months, causing a wail in the financial foreign exchange market.

The Thai baht is a tough currency to deal with.

First, he didn't know the exact time of the event, nor did he know how long Soros and his team had been preparing.

Second, if large amounts of capital rush in rashly, even if they are retail investors, it will easily arouse the vigilance of other capital giants, and they may be chopped off as part of a pig-killing scheme.

He has at least 50 billion yen in liquid funds, not more, not less, but enough to fill the gaps between the big guys' teeth.

Therefore, he is more inclined to take advantage of the peso, ringgit and other currencies after the big crash.

After these appetizers, the main course came with the subsequent Korean financial crisis.

The Korean won exchange rate hit an all-time low, and Japan was subsequently affected. A large number of banks and securities companies went bankrupt one after another. The economy, which had just started to improve, was completely ruined, and all Asian countries suffered.

This is a more actionable business opportunity.

"If the Thai baht abandons the fixed exchange rate system, will it depreciate by more than 15%?" When Masato Senhara heard these speculations, he felt that they were even more unbelievable than a fairy tale.

Is it possible that Mr. Kitagawa is under so much pressure from writing a new book recently that he is having hallucinations?
However, he wanted to start an Internet business and learn about financial investment, which did take some time.

Don't use your hobby to challenge my job!

"Similarly, I've read a lot of books and news related to finance, and I think it might be like this." Kitagawa Hide said it in a subtle and simple way. Anyway, in the eyes of Senhara Masato, he was probably just a layman who talked without hesitation.

But a layman is just a layman, he has money!
I'll use my own money to build it, your bank can't just refuse to give it to me, right?

"Have you read books and watched the news?" Senhara Masato had a thousand words in his mind, but in the end he thought of the incident with the Internet company and did not convince Kitagawa Hide. Now it seems that the result is not bad.

Maybe Mr. Kitagawa is really lucky?

However good it is, the devaluation of the Thai baht is too bad.
He sighed, skipped the persuasion phase, and seriously considered helping Kitagawa Hide set up a new financial investment company.

Anyway, Teacher Beichuan pays the money and he does the work.

It's impossible to build all the 50 billion yen. After losing a few hundred million yen, Mr. Kitagawa will probably stop.

If you use your hobby to challenge other people's jobs, you will definitely suffer losses.

"Then I'll leave this matter to you and the Industrial Central Bank."

After saying this, Kitagawa Hide took out a densely packed document and handed it to him with a smile.

"By the way, Qianyuan, please help me with this 'proposal plan', as well as the subsequent wedding plan and honeymoon plan."

Kitagawa Hide is a person who likes to arrange things in an orderly manner. After deciding to marry Yumeko, he made detailed plans for the proposal, wedding, honeymoon, etc. Unfortunately, there are not many knowledgeable people around him. Now that he has caught the married man Masato Senhara, he immediately asked for his opinion.

Masato Senhara took a closer look at these plans and became more and more impressed by Mr. Kitagawa's meticulousness.

In addition to writing, his life is also arranged so carefully and he does things so seriously!
No wonder he succeeds!
"Everything else is good. Just a honeymoon. Instead of limiting yourself to a certain country or city, why don't you consider traveling around the world?"

Senhara Masato said while holding the honeymoon plan,

"The United States, Colombia, Norway. You can take turns going to these places. Go to Hawaii in the summer, go to Colombia in the winter, etc. Anyway, Mr. Kitagawa has plenty of time, right?"

"A round-the-world honeymoon trip? What a good idea!" Kitagawa Hide was stunned for a moment, then he smiled happily, realizing that his thinking was still limited.

I can take this opportunity to visit other countries and learn more about the overseas literary market!
(End of this chapter)