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

As the hype surrounding Sword Art Online faded, public attention finally shifted from the social phenomenon itself to the person who created it.

People then discovered that the new author who had caused such a stir in the literary world had only published one book.

This situation was noticed by the media, who were worried that Guan Gufeng would disappear after his great victory on television and lack material for hype.

Weekly tabloids began to open columns and publish commentary articles in a worried tone.

These articles deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that Hiroshi Kume had mentioned Kaze Sekiya's new book, "The Twelve Kingdoms," to the entire Japanese audience before the program ended.

Will the glory of Sword Art Online become an insurmountable peak in Guan Gu's life?

"Did he reach his peak right from his debut? Has the Rookie King already hit a creative plateau?"

"Bestselling authors who lack a foundation in traditional literature are ultimately just a flash in the pan."

The headlines were increasingly sensational, and the content, as always, was taken out of context.

They don't care about the truth, they only care about the buzz, because sales volume is king.

As the topic was deliberately and continuously heated up, media outlets of all sizes entered the fray in an attempt to get a piece of the pie.

Suddenly, the question of whether Guan Gu Shenqi had run out of ideas became the most popular topic of discussion in late March, a traditionally slow season for publishing.

However, amidst the apparent uproar, some media professionals noticed an unusual phenomenon.

As two leading figures in the gossip magazine industry, these two old rivals are always exchanging barbs from afar.

This time, both Weekly Bunshun and Weekly Shincho have remained silent, as if by prior agreement.

Shincho-sha, Boardroom.

The atmosphere was heavy. Several directors in suits sat upright around the long conference table, their expressions somewhat unnatural.

"Have you all gone crazy from eating so much sashimi?!"

A strong, aged voice broke the silence.

Saito Juichi, an elderly man in his seventies yet still vigorous, stood at the head of the conference table, his hands on the surface, angrily rebuking the several directors opposite him who were bowing their heads and remaining silent.

He was the founder, managing director and editorial coordinator of "Shukan Shincho", and was known as the "Emperor of Shincho-sha".

He slammed the newly printed sample of the weekly magazine onto the table.

The papers were scattered, revealing sensational headlines—articles that followed the trend of questioning Guan Gufeng's "lack of talent."

"It's because of your shortsightedness and your duplicity that you chose to leave Shinchosha!" Saito Juju was furious.

"He took 'The Twelve Kingdoms' to Bungei Shunju! We handed it over without a second thought! It's the biggest strategic blunder Shinchosha has made in recent years!"

"But...Executive Director Saito," a director argued, forcing a smile, "Sekiya Kaze is no longer one of our authors. If we don't take this opportunity to suppress him, and he gains a foothold in Bungei Shunju..."

Saito Juichi suddenly slammed a thick stack of photocopies that he had been keeping by his side in front of him, scattering the papers everywhere.

"This is a partial copy of 'The Twelve Kingdoms' that remains in the publishing house," Saito Juichi said coldly.

"If only one of you would use your brains, which are busy fighting amongst yourselves, to spend even a little time looking at a single page."

"None of you would have the foolish idea of ​​having 'Weekly Shincho' join those third-rate tabloids in attacking Guan Gufeng for 'running out of ideas'."

"Whatever you want to fight about is none of my business. Even if Guan Gufeng leaves the Shincho Society, this old man with one foot in the grave won't bother with your petty squabbles."

"But remember this: don't cause trouble on my turf."

……

Time flew by amidst the clamor of public opinion, and soon it was the end of March.

To express its apology and respect for Sekiya Kaze, Bungei Shunju, as a leading publisher, used its resources during this period to have major chain bookstores reserve the best locations in their stores to display the two volumes of "The Twelve Kingdoms".

Following Guan Gufeng's suggestion, they clearly divided the exclusive exhibition area into two parts, piling up two small mountains.

One piece is the opening work, "Shadow of the Moon, Sea of ​​Shadows," with a cover featuring only the title and a pure dark blue color.

The silver lettering sits silently in the center, like a secret hidden beneath the sea.

The other one is "The Wind of Ten Thousand Miles, the Sky of Dawn," which also has a minimalist solid color cover, but the color has been changed to a bright warm yellow.

The contrast between warm and cool colors creates a strong visual impact, making the place immediately noticeable to customers upon entering.

The two books may seem ordinary, but once you open the first page, you'll see beautiful hand-drawn illustrations by Guan Gufeng.

This is the contrast he deliberately created, using the simplest cover to encapsulate the most dazzling world inside.

At the same time, Wenyi Chunqiu delivered a batch of goods to Guangu Bookstore at Guangu Feng's request.

Guangu Bookstore, Taitung District.

A small truck stopped in front of the store, and Sato, who had been waiting, immediately led a few of his men to greet it, carefully carrying bundles of new books into the store.

The bookstore's interior has been completely renovated, with brand-new wooden bookshelves emitting a faint woody fragrance, and the floors polished to a shine.

Guan Guyu personally placed "Shadow of the Moon" and "Ten Thousand Miles of Wind" on the central display stand in the store, her eyes filled with a proud smile.

This best spot belongs only to her younger brother.

The next day, at nine o'clock in the morning.

As the campus bookstore opened, the first customers to enter were college students who were browsing around before class.

In an era where entertainment options are scarce, magazines are the best tool for people to pass the time.

The recent escalation of the debate over whether Guan Gufeng has run out of creative ideas is naturally the most discussed topic among them.

"If you ask me, those tabloids are just worrying for nothing," a boy said to his companion as they walked toward the familiar magazine section.

"Matsumoto, didn't you watch the show that night? Kume Hiroshi mentioned it himself at the end, that Sekiya-sensei has a new book."

"That's true..." the boy named Matsumoto said hesitantly, "but nobody can say for sure what the new book is all about."

"Of course I don't believe that Mr. Guan Gu has lost his creative spark, but he should at least publish a statement in his column..."

As they chatted, they habitually headed towards their usual magazine section, only to find it completely blocked by two brightly colored mountains of books.

"Wow, that's quite extravagant, taking up two booths by yourself. Which author is launching a new book...?"

Matsumoto curiously walked around it, and as soon as his gaze fell on the extremely simple design of the cover, his voice suddenly rose:

"Guangu is amazing!!"

With a gasp, the customers who came in afterward were also drawn over.

"A brand new fantasy adventure story... and that's it?" Matsumoto chuckled as he looked at the short promotional text.

"Hey, another recommendation that doesn't rely on fancy words, just lets the content speak for itself. That's unique!"

As he spoke, he reached out and picked up the dark blue book, "The Shadow of the Moon, the Sea of ​​Shadows." It felt heavy in his hand, and the hardcover cover had an excellent tactile feel.

He turned to the first page and was immediately drawn to the illustrations.

"My God..." he couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Guan Gu-sensei really should go into drawing comics."

"An author who takes his work this seriously would probably not become a scoundrel when it comes to serializing his work."

He continued flipping through the book, and several customers around him, seeing this, also picked up a book and started reading.

"Pitch black."

She stood there in terror.

"A high-pitched, clear sound came from somewhere—the sound of water droplets hitting the surface of water. There was a faint echo in the darkness, making it seem as if she were in a completely dark cave, but she knew that was not the case."

……

"Yoko woke up with a start."

"She felt sweat trickling down her temples and her eyes were incredibly sore, so she blinked frantically before finally taking a deep breath."

"It was a dream..."

Matsumoto's brows furrowed slightly in confusion at first, then relaxed, and he thought to himself, "This angle is brilliant," before continuing to read.

From Yoko's red hair, I saw Yoko falling asleep in class and being called to the teacher's office, and...

"...I've found you."

He then reluctantly pulled himself out of the book, rubbed his slightly sore back, and spoke with a smile.

"I told you so," he said, smiling as he looked up, wanting to share his shock with his companion, "I told you not to worry about Professor Guan Gu, look what he's written..."

The sound stopped abruptly.

His companions had long since vanished without a trace, and he subconsciously looked down at his watch.

"It's 9:30!" Matsumoto yelled in despair. "Damn it! What happened to brotherhood?! He didn't even wake me up because he was going to be late for class, he just ran off on his own!"

He turned and rushed towards the store entrance, but after a few steps, he suddenly braked and ran back at an even faster speed.

He grabbed a copy of "The Wind's Thousand Miles, the Dawn's Sky" with its warm yellow cover, still unopened, and slammed it, along with the copy of "The Shadow of the Moon" in his hand, onto the cashier's counter.

"Trouble! These two books! Quickly!"

The last time Sword Art Online was released, he overslept and when he arrived at the bookstore, he couldn't find a single copy, let alone a special edition.

Teacher Guan Gu didn't do much promotion this time, and the store has enough stock for now, but who can guarantee it when the crowds come in at noon and in the afternoon?

This is a golden opportunity; why not seize it?

As the first people to buy the book spread word of mouth to the surrounding areas, the craze began to spread rapidly.

During the lunch break, the number of people coming to buy books increased significantly. Many office workers also took advantage of their lunch break to rush to the bookstore, and without saying a word, they picked up two books and went to pay.

But the real climax happened after 3:30 p.m.

As the school bell rang to signal the end of the school term, the scene in the bookstore changed dramatically.

Groups of girls in uniforms, in twos and threes, chattering as they entered the bookstore.

The topic they were discussing was also Guan Gu Feng, but unlike the boys who focused on literary aspects and setting, these girls' focus was clearly more pure.

"Hey, did you watch that special program last night? They replayed clips of Mr. Guan Gu on the show! He looked so handsome in a suit!"

"Of course I watched it! That's exactly the feeling! He's so talented, yet there's a hint of melancholy in his eyes. He's even more captivating than Johnny's idols!"

"So, when exactly is Mr. Guan Gu going to release a new book? If he doesn't release a new book, can he at least appear on a TV show?"

"I knew it, you just wanted to see Mr. Guan Gu's face."

"So what!"

Amidst their laughter and playful banter, they habitually headed towards the area where fashion magazines were usually displayed, where they found the beauty information they cared about and the latest news about their male idols.

But today, that familiar place has been completely replaced by two completely different mountains of books.

"Huh? What's this... a new book?" A girl curiously leaned over, and as soon as her eyes fell on the author's name on the cover, she immediately let out a scream.

"Wow! It's Guan Gu's new book!"

"Really?! Guan Gu-sensei has published a book!"

"Wow! Open it up! Inside are illustrations drawn by Mr. Guan Gu himself! The art style is absolutely gorgeous!"

Initially, when they opened the book, most of them were doing so out of a desire to support their favorite person.

But when their gaze truly fell upon the words, they were involuntarily drawn to the red-haired girl, Yoko.

"How strange... I feel like I'm looking at myself."

"Me too! Me too! The feeling of Yoko being isolated at school is so realistically portrayed..."

"How can Mr. Guan Gu write about girls' thoughts so well!"

Such scenes are frequently seen in major bookstores.

This time, in addition to attracting a large number of adult readers and existing fantasy enthusiasts with its captivating fantasy world and literary prowess, it also...

The Twelve Kingdoms, with its narrative perspective centered on a young girl, unexpectedly yet logically captivated a large number of female readers who were not previously fans of fantasy literature.

When those girls who were obsessed with idol magazines started discussing Yoko's growth and struggles with tears in their eyes.

When those housewives who previously only cared about daily necessities also picked up that warm yellow book in the bookstore and lingered there, reluctant to put it down.

As more and more people begin to spontaneously discuss the plot and philosophy of the book in schools, break rooms, and communities.

Everyone understood one fact.

Those clamors about "running out of ideas" are nothing but sensationalism.

Guan Gufeng's second book has become a huge hit once again.