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

"As long as it tastes good!" Kadokawa Haruki was in a great mood. He personally picked up the sake bottle and poured himself and Sekiya Kaze each a cup of expensive Dassai sake.

"Come on, let's drink! Guan Gu-kun, did you sign the second volume of Sword Art Online today?"

"Yes."

"Oh?" Kadokawa Haruki put down his wine glass and looked at him with interest.

"Why not also bring us that more literary work, 'The Twelve Kingdoms'? Are you afraid I can't afford a higher price?"

"Because the style of Sword Art Online is more in line with Fujimi Fantasia Bunko." Sekiya Kaze looked at him.

"The audience for traditional literature is inevitably shrinking. Instead of competing with literary magazines like Bungei Shunju and Shinchosha for the remaining market share, we should look to the broader future. Young people are the main consumers of the future, and their preferences will define the cultural direction of the next era."

"The manga industry is firmly controlled by Shueisha and Kodansha. The novels that will be bestsellers in the future will be younger, more relaxed, and more in tune with the hearts of the new generation of readers."

Guan Gufeng's insightful words left Kadokawa Haruki silent for a long time.

He hadn't expected that this young man not only wrote works that shook the literary world, but also possessed such a keen business sense.

"Sekiya-kun."

"Um?"

"Are you interested in making movies?"

"what?"

This sudden, abrupt problem left Guan Gufeng completely bewildered.

"You must have heard of my 'Kadokawa Business Law,' right?" Haruki Kadokawa leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

"I know." Guan Gufeng put down his chopsticks. "Publish a book, make a movie based on the book, and then bombard the entire media with negative reviews."

"If the movie becomes a hit, it will boost the popularity of the original book, and if the book becomes a hit, it will in turn support the movie, creating a two-way cycle and maximizing profits."

"That's right! Exactly!" Haruki Kadokawa slapped his thigh. "So, the first thing that came to my mind was your 'The Twelve Kingdoms.' The film and television adaptation rights for this book should still be in your hands, right?"

"It's in my hands, but you might be disappointed. The plot of this book is like this..."

Ten minutes later.

"Therefore, current technology cannot produce special effects like those of the Qilin. At present, the only way to present the effects of the book through film and television is through animation."

"Sigh, I was a bit too hasty," Kadokawa Haruki sighed. "Unfortunately, Kadokawa doesn't currently have anime production business."

"However," Kadokawa Haruki raised his glass, "if Sekiya-kun has any good ideas later, please contact me so we can continue our collaboration."

"certainly."

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the distance between the two men shortened a bit due to their conversation.

Haruki Kadokawa put down his chopsticks, looked Sekiya Kaze up and down, and suddenly asked, "Sekiya-kun, where do you live now?"

"An apartment in Shinjuku, the environment is alright."

"That won't do." Haruki Kadokawa frowned. "You're a famous author now; you can't just stay in an ordinary apartment with no security."

"Moreover, ever since you became famous on TV last night, it's been inconvenient for you to go out without a hat and mask."

As he spoke, without waiting for Guan Gufeng's response, he shouted towards the door, and the door to the private room was immediately opened. A burly man in a black suit entered and bowed respectfully to Kadokawa Haruki.

Kadokawa Haruki pointed at him and said to Sekiya Kaze, "This is Kitamura No. From today onwards, he will be on standby downstairs at any time, serving as your personal driver and security guard."

"Also, I have a luxury apartment in Roppongi. You can just move there. The environment and the neighborhood are both safe and peaceful."

"Don't rush to refuse. These will all be included as additional terms in our new contract. They, along with the 15% royalty, represent Kadokawa Shoten's investment in you as a 'cornerstone author'."

He leaned back slightly, looked at Guan Gufeng with his insightful eyes, and slowly spoke.

"Guan Gu, there's no such thing as a free lunch. This is all pressure for you. If your future works don't bring enough profit to the bookstore, I will take back these benefits at any time."

Guan Gufeng knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. This relationship, free from any emotional burden and based solely on an equal exchange of value, made him feel incredibly relaxed and at ease.

So he stopped refusing and met Kadokawa Haruki's gaze with composure.

"Well then, Mr. Kadokawa, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

After leaving the izakaya, Guan Gufeng got into a high-end van.

He leaned back in the wide, soft leather seat, soothing jazz music playing from the high-end stereo, and casually took a bottle of chilled soda water from the car's wine cabinet, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

Damn, it's so great to be rich.

In the driver's seat, Kitamura gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his back straight.

"Uncle Kitamura," Guan Gufeng's voice broke the silence in the car, "Please go back to my apartment first, I need to pack my luggage."

"Yes, Mr. Guan Gu."

Back in the small apartment where he had lived for just over a month, Guan Gufeng stood in the entrance hall, not going in immediately, a subtle feeling of emotion passing through his heart.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he called the rental agency.

Less than ten minutes later, the middle-aged real estate agent appeared at the door, panting.

He not only brought all the necessary documents, but also an assistant, whose attitude was almost humble.

"Mr. Guan Gu! It's such an honor! I never expected it to be you!" The agent rubbed his hands together and kept bowing.

"Don't worry, I'll expedite all the procedures, and your deposit will be fully refunded. There won't be any problems!"

Under Kitamura's silent gaze, the check-out process, which would normally require a lot of talking and time, became unusually smooth.

The intermediaries practically rushed to push all the documents in front of them, reviewing and stamping them as quickly as possible, afraid of delaying Guan Gufeng by even a second.

The entire process was completed in less than an hour.

"Mr. Guan Gu, this is your deposit, please keep it safe." The agent handed over an envelope with both hands, his face full of smiles.

He hesitated for a moment, then carefully took out a copy of "Sword Art Online" from his briefcase. The pages were slightly torn, indicating that it had been read many times.

"I'm so sorry to bother you... but could you please sign your name for me?"

"Of course, thank you for your support."

The agent thanked him so excitedly that he was almost incoherent. After signing the document, he subconsciously looked up and quickly glanced at Kitamura No standing to the side with a requesting look.

With Kitamura's approval, the agent shrank back and quickly left.

Guan Gu Feng was oblivious to all this; he was on the phone with Sato at that moment.

"Brother Sato, could you please go to the bookstore and tell my sister to get her luggage ready? I'll probably come to pick her up in about two hours."

On the other end of the phone, Sato was silent for a moment, then let out a rough laugh: "Good lad! You're finally here! I'm on my way!"

After hanging up, Guan Gufeng dialed another number.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. It was Sachiko Kamachi's slightly tired but trying to sound energetic voice on the other end: "Hello, Sekiya-kun?"

"It's me." Hearing her voice, Guan Gufeng felt even better. "I just wanted to let you know that I've moved."

"Okay, I'm moving to Roppongi. I'll text you the new address and phone number later."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Sachiko Kamachi's gentle laughter: "Impressive, Sekiya-kun, you've even moved to Roppongi."

"Okay, I just got home after practice. After I rest for a while, I'll definitely go to your new house to 'bother' you."

The two chatted briefly for a few more minutes before hanging up.

With everything arranged, he locked the door of the small apartment, left the key in the mailbox by the door, and said that his luggage would be delivered to his new home before he left.

"Uncle Kitamura, could you please take me to Ginza first? I need to go to Toraya to buy some things."

"Okay, Mr. Guan Gu."