Living in the bubble economy of Tokyo, I became a literary giant through lotteries.

"The core themes of postwar literature—anti-war, religion, and social class—have all been explored to their fullest extent by older generation writers such as Kobo Abe and Shusaku Endo."

"Subsequent works are merely self-repetitions of old themes and conceptual deconstruction, lacking any new spiritual core or breakthrough in worldview."

He paused.

"Traditional literature is now only being carried on by a few teachers like Kenzaburo Oe."

Tadao Sakamoto didn't speak, he just listened quietly.

"And then there's this era," Kurokawa Akuta said with a wry smile. "It's too noisy. It's hard for readers to calm down and appreciate traditional literature, and most writers are unwilling to delve into literature; they're only thinking about how to make money."

"I'm not saying making money is bad. It's just... too mercenary."

Seeing the undisguised disappointment on Kurokawa Akuta's face, Sakamoto Tadao smiled with relief.

"You're right." His voice was soft, as if he were talking to himself. "Traditional literature has indeed reached its twilight."

"No one knows whether after the sunset comes endless night or a new dawn."

He then changed the subject.

"A couple of days ago, someone from Nintendo came to me, wanting to buy the rights to Sword Art Online."

Kurokawa Akuta was taken aback, and quickly asked, "Should I contact Sekiya-sensei?"

"No need." Tadao Sakamoto picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. "Because I declined."

"ah?!"

"Don't get agitated," Tadao Sakamoto said, raising his hand to calm her down. "Let me finish."

"It's not just Nintendo." He looked at Kurokawa Akuta's wide eyes and continued, "Our arch-rival Kadokawa Shoten also sent someone to sound me out, asking if I could sell Sword Art Online to them."

"ah?!!"

Kurokawa Akutagawa really couldn't sit still this time.

"It's an inevitable trend," Tadao Sakamoto sighed, gazing out the window. "They've all seen it; future novels will become increasingly youthful, lighthearted, and relatable to the masses."

He curled his lips into a sneer. "They think I'm old and can't see the future, but they're wrong. I see it very clearly."

Tadao Sakamoto turned his head to look at Akutagawa Kurokawa, his tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Editor Kurokawa."

"exist."

"Pass down the word: the first print run of Sword Art Online will be doubled."

"Contact Shueisha. I want to see a full-color page in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump before the release of Sword Art Online."

"Let's use the cover illustration drawn by Guan Gu Feng himself. I have an old friend who has seen Guan Gu Feng's cover illustrations and said that he has the level of a professional cartoonist."

Kurokawa Akuta's pupils contracted sharply. "Editor-in-chief, isn't this treatment... a bit too much? Sekiya-sensei is, after all, a newcomer..."

"Is it high?" Tadao Sakamoto shook his head and smiled wryly. "Do you know what kind of contract that madman Haruki Kadokawa offered to poach Kaze Sekiya?"

"A top-tier contract, 15% royalties, an initial print run of 100,000 copies, and top-level marketing and distribution resources."

Kurokawa Akuta was utterly bewildered. "This is already the treatment of a famous author. What gives Sekiya-sensei the right?"

Tadao Sakamoto leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"Just because he won the 'First Fantasy Novel Award'."

"What Kadokawa Shoten wanted was the hype of this 'first edition'. They wanted to find a sufficiently significant pioneering work for their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko series."

"Moreover, for them, as long as they poach Guan Gufeng, even if he only writes this one book, the publicity effect will be greater than spending several times the cost of GG."

Tadao Sakamoto picked up the outline of "The Twelve Kingdoms" on the table and shook it. "Besides, Kaze Sekiya isn't the kind of writer who becomes famous after one book and then runs out of ideas."

"His next book will only be better."

"If this book has sufficient literary merit, it can not only inject vitality into the stagnant literary scene, but also change the half-dead situation of fantasy novels dominated by Western settings."

"So," Sakamoto Tadao looked at the upright Kurokawa Akuta and revealed a sly smile, "I would appreciate it if Editor Kurokawa would put in a lot of effort to keep Sekiya Kaze in our Shinchosha."

"I...I'll try my best." Kurokawa Akuta wasn't sure, but he agreed anyway.

As Kurokawa Akuta emerged from the editor-in-chief's office, he let out a long sigh.

He hadn't known Guan Gufeng for very long, but he knew that this young man wasn't the kind of person who could be easily bought off.

Whether or not they can retain him depends on Shinchosha's sincerity.

He glanced down at his watch; it was already noon.

Since things have come to this, let's have dinner first, and then we'll arrange to meet with Guan Gufeng tomorrow to talk.

……

The following afternoon.

It was the same coffee shop where the contract was signed, with two cups of cream soda on the table.

"So... am I really that popular?" Guan Gufeng looked at Kurokawa Akuta's serious face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Okay. I'm still happy to help me promote GG." He took a sip of cream soda, the sweetness melting on his tongue.

"However, as for matters with other publishing houses, I have no plans to go to Kadokawa for the time being."

He deliberately emphasized the word "temporarily," which Kurokawa Akuta noticed, but he didn't say anything.

"Also," Guan Gufeng put down his cup, "I'd like to trouble you to contact Nintendo for me."

Seriously, he was told that someone from Nintendo would come to him to discuss copyright, and he waited for ages, only to be directly rejected by Shinchosha.

What kind of nonsense is this? Don't you even consider the author's thoughts?

Kurokawa Akuta nodded. He knew that Sakamoto's unauthorized actions had already displeased Sekiya Kaze.

"In that case, I'll head back now." Guan Gufeng stood up. "I'll handle the subsequent negotiations with Nintendo's copyright holders myself."

"Thank you, Editor Kurokawa."

After saying that, he turned and left the coffee shop.

Kurokawa Akuta sat on the red sofa, watching the young man's back, and shook his head with a wry smile.

Although Guan Gu Feng seemed to be chatting with him politely, in reality, Editor-in-Chief Sakamoto's behavior had already planted a thorn in his heart.

Back at the apartment, Guan Gufeng took a bottle of Wilkinson sugar-free soda from the refrigerator.

He unscrewed the cap, and bubbles hissed upwards. He took a sip, and the pungent sensation of carbonation exploded in his throat.

Unlike most writers who smoke while writing, he prefers carbonated drinks, the stimulating sensation of which helps him clear his mind.

He sat at his desk, placed the soda water aside, and looked out at the twilight.

He was indeed angry about Shinchosha's unilateral decision to reject Nintendo, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He was just a newcomer to the industry and didn't have much standing to negotiate terms.

Based on his memories from his previous life, he naturally knew that Kadokawa Shoten was already paving the way for light novels, with names like Fujimi Fantasia Bunko and Dengeki Bunko ringing in his ears.

Of course he wanted to go to Kadokawa to write those famous light novels, believing that Kadokawa would bring him wealth that he could never spend in several lifetimes.

But if he's only in it for the money, he doesn't need to work so hard writing. With initial capital, he can easily make a fortune by judging future financial trends.

In that case, the world would only have one more unknown, hidden billionaire.

Now that I've been reborn, going down in history might be too much of an exaggeration, but at the very least, I should achieve both fame and fortune.

That's why he chose to stay with Shincho-sha.

Shinchosha's literary foundation, built up over many years, is unmatched by Kadokawa. Its reputation for "pure literature" can help it walk the path to becoming a "literary giant."

Meanwhile, a plan slowly took shape in his mind.

"Ring ring ring".

The ringing of the apartment phone interrupted his thoughts. He put down his pen, walked over, and picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Guan Gufeng."

A gentle and capable male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello Mr. Sekiya, this is Yuta Ogawa from Nintendo. Would it be convenient to schedule a time? I'd like to discuss the copyright of Sword Art Online with you in person."