Crossover Anime: The Heroine is in Trouble? I Take Advantage of the Situation

The manuscripts were distributed.

Then, a long silence enveloped the entire review meeting room.

The judges, who were originally prepared to find fault, now looked increasingly surprised.

hiss!

Gasps of astonishment rose and fell.

soon.

The critic who wore gold-rimmed glasses was the first to put down his manuscript.

He silently took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the fine beads of cold sweat that had appeared on his forehead without him noticing.

Following that, the others also finished reading.

The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Has everyone finished reading?" The female editor broke the silence first, her voice a little hoarse. "Let's share our thoughts."

The critic with the gold-rimmed glasses took a deep breath, his expression complex.

"I take back what I said earlier," he said with a tone of deep emotion. "This work absolutely deserves an S-class rating!"

He looked at everyone and gave a serious evaluation:

"The writing is so skillful, the plot so ingenious, and the ideas so profound... it's like a masterpiece meticulously crafted by a renowned mystery writer!"

"Compared to this work, other submissions are like fireflies compared to the bright moon."

"There's absolutely no comparison!"

His words were agreed upon by everyone.

"That's right! This manuscript is so well-made! Absolutely perfect!!"

"It's impeccable in both commercial and literary aspects! I can't even think of any suggestions for improvement!"

One senior judge even asserted, "This work is definitely a contender for the prize!"

The final voting result was a foregone conclusion.

"After School" was once again unanimously approved and sent directly to the final review list!

……

……

The Edogawa Rampo Prize accepts submissions of non-public manuscripts.

Moreover, the entire review process is kept confidential.

However, any award is inevitably intertwined with commercial interests.

Therefore, in order to maintain the topic's popularity, the Ranpo Award organizing committee will occasionally release some vague selection information to the outside world.

The day after the review results were released.

A message was released and reached the public eye through columns of several partner media outlets.

"Breaking news! A mysterious dark horse has emerged in this year's Edogawa Ranpo Award! With a perfect performance, it has made it into the final round!"

This unnamed message was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

It instantly stirred up a huge wave!

Not only the literary world, but the entire Japanese society was captivated.

"Holy crap, there's a dark horse?"

"It's been so many years!"

"And they made it to the final appeal with such force, are they really that powerful?"

"The mystery novel world is going to be exciting this year!"

"Haha, as a mystery novel enthusiast, I can't wait for the awards to be announced!"

……

……

But for some people, this news is not a good sign.

"A mysterious dark horse?!"

Tetsuya Nishio's face darkened as he looked at the overwhelming news coverage online.

As the undisputed top seed in this tournament, this so-called "dark horse" is definitely not him!

The judging panel for the Rampo Award doesn't make things up out of thin air.

The information released is all based on reason and evidence.

This means that he has encountered an unexpected and formidable opponent in this year's selection!

A strong sense of unease instantly welled up in Tetsuya Nishio's heart.

He put in a lot of effort and resources to win this Ranpo Award, and even incurred many favors.

We can't afford to lose to this dark horse that suddenly appeared!

Tetsuya Nishio paced back and forth in the room, lost in thought for a long time, before making two phone calls.

One of them was called to his editor at Chuncheon Publishing, "Onizuka".

Another call was to his university mentor, now a highly respected figure in literary criticism, "Professor Watanabe."

Half an hour later, in a private room of a high-end tea house.

Tetsuya Nishio, editor Onizuka, and Professor Watanabe sat facing each other, the atmosphere solemn.

"Editor Onizuka, what's the background of that dark horse? Do you have any news?" Tetsuya Nishio asked solemnly.

The editor, known as "Onizuka," is a middle-aged man with a sharp, wiry face.

He shook his head, his expression equally serious: "The judging panel is keeping a tight rein on this. All we know is that it's a high-quality manuscript, seemingly written by a newcomer, and it wasn't submitted through the usual channels."

"Hmph, a newcomer?"

Professor Watanabe took a sip of tea and let out a cold snort. "It's nothing more than a trick by some people to make things mysterious."

Professor Watanabe and Tetsuya Nishio have long been allies in their interests.

Over the years, he used his fame to mentor Tetsuya Nishio, and Nishio, in turn, supported his mentor, making his professorship even more valuable.

Their status and influence in the education and literary circles have also increased year by year.

Needless to say, Onizuka was Nishio's editor.

Tetsuya Nishio's award will enhance his reputation, achievements, and resume as an editor, making his future bright and promising.

"Professor Watanabe is right, but we can't just sit here and wait to die!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Onizuka's editor's eyes.

He also agreed with Professor Watanabe's statement that the Rampo Prize does some fancy things every year in order to expand its influence and public awareness.

There are certainly dark horses, and that work must be excellent.

But Onizuka felt that it was more of a publicity stunt.

A powerful newcomer suddenly appears? Are you kidding me?!

The growth of any author is traceable.

It's impossible for a person to appear out of thin air.

Reality is not a game!

Despite his displeasure with the Ranpo Award hype, Onizuka calmly stated, "Regardless of whether that dark horse is real or fake, we must sway public opinion to our side before the final trial!"

Professor Watanabe nodded and said in a deep voice, "That's right. The selection of literary prizes is not just about the quality of the works. Judges are also human and are influenced by public opinion. We must put enough pressure on them so that they will consider the weight of 'public opinion' when making their decisions!"

"Please!!" Tetsuya Nishio, having received the support of the two, bowed deeply in excitement.

the next day.

A war of public opinion has begun.

Editor Onizuka and Professor Watanabe frequently appeared on various television talk shows and attended literary salons to support Tetsuya Nishio.

……

prime time at night.

In a television interview program.

Host: "Professor Watanabe, as a leading figure in the literary world, how would you evaluate your esteemed student, Professor Nishio?"

Professor Watanabe (with a serious expression): "Nishio is an author with keen insight. Even in his university days, he explored the problems of social structure in his works and deeply depicted the dilemmas of human nature! After these years of reflection, I believe that he has a deeper understanding of reality and society, and his works are more likely to touch the soul!"

Host (turning to Onizuka): "Editor Onizuka, you are known for your strictness. To receive your approval, Nishio-sensei's submission must have something special, right?"

Editor Onizuka (nodding): "In my twenty years in the industry, I have never seen a young person like Mr. Nishio who combines the rigor of an academic with the talent of a commercial writer. His works are works of art and bestsellers! I believe that the judges will make the fairest and most professional choice."

Suddenly, public opinion began to shift in favor of "supporting the orthodox academic school and being wary of unidentified dark horses."

……

……

In Seiji Fujiwara's apartment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha scrolled through her phone screen, her delicate brows furrowing as she looked at the overwhelmingly negative comments online.

"He seems to be in trouble," Shi Yu thought to herself.

She couldn't help but look up at the man who was lying on the sofa, leisurely playing games.

"Hey, Seiji," Shiyu said hesitantly, "Have you seen the news...?"

"I saw it," Seiji Fujiwara replied without turning his head, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Then you..." Shi Yu asked, somewhat puzzled, "aren't you worried? The other party seems to have a powerful background, and public opinion is very unfavorable to you."

Seiji Fujiwara turned his head, looked at Shiwa's worried eyes, and smiled calmly.

“He has his off-court tactics, and I naturally have mine.”

"You have one too?" Shi Yu was taken aback.

In her view, Seiji Fujiwara has not taken any action these days and has been staying at home the whole time.

They seemed completely unconcerned about the escalating public opinion.

Seiji Fujiwara didn't explain; he simply picked up his phone again and started watching videos.

……

……

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Shinazugawa Group, in the top-floor boardroom.

The atmosphere, however, was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside; it was relaxed.

"Heh, old man Watanabe and Onizuka of the Chunchuan Society are really in a hurry this time." A director looked at the news on his tablet and chuckled.

Ryuji Aida stood before the conference table and respectfully reported, "Yes, Director. According to our information, 'After School' has received overwhelming praise during the review stage and has become the biggest dark horse of this year's competition. Tetsuya Nishio is getting restless."

"That's exactly what's wrong with them not sitting still." The group chairman, sitting at the head of the table, spoke slowly: "Do they think they can control public opinion and manipulate the selection process with just a few professors and editors?"

He looked at Ryuji Aida: "Pass the word down, our plan will be launched ahead of schedule."

"Yes!"

A series of private "friendly exchanges" and "warm hospitality" quietly began.

The senior management of the Shinazugawa Group met with the five final judges of this year's competition multiple times through various channels.

There was no pressure, nor was there excessive praise for the quality of "After School".

He casually revealed two pieces of information to the five judges.

First, the author of "After School," which they hailed as a "masterpiece," is Seiji Fujiwara, the light novel king who now enjoys an astonishing appeal among young readers—"Lord Ekawa."

Second, the "A Certain Magical Index" series, with only two volumes released, achieved sales so terrifying that they made all publishers envious.