Tokyo Mystery Writers

Chapter 89 The Prophet of the Detective World

Although Eri and Gonda Manji had a heated argument during the Edogawa Ranpo Ryusho selection process, they never had a bad impression of Gonda Manji.

It is obvious that Gonda Manji is a commentator who has no selfish motives and genuinely wants to contribute to the development of Japanese mystery fiction. He helped Izawa Motohiko only to preserve the foundation of Japanese historical mystery fiction.

But the purer a person is, the more they have an unusual obsession with things like famous manuscripts, autographed copies, and bookplates!

Judging from the almost "glowing" eyes of Maijo Kyosuke, it's clear that Maijo Kyosuke is the same kind of person!

Seeing that Gonda Manji was holding the safe containing the manuscript of "Mr. Ultraman's Hands" with great affection, Jiang Liu Meili was naturally worried that Gonda Manji would have a dispute with Maijo Kyosuke because of the manuscript.

Thinking of all this, Jiang Liumei hurriedly handed the manuscript of "A Bellflower" to Tatara Katsunori and said:

"Mr. Tatara, this is Mr. Maishiro's manuscript of 'A Bellflower.' You promised that if we agreed to your three conditions, you would give us the manuscript of 'Mr. Ultraman's Hands'!"

"You won't go back on your word, right?"

After Jiang Liumei finished speaking, she glanced at Quan Tianwanji cautiously, clearly showing that she was very wary of him.

Although Tatara Yoshino could see that Gonda Manji cherished the manuscript and knew that Gonda Manji had helped his father, the antiquarian bookstore relied on integrity and reputation, and his words were as good as water spilled.

When Jiang Liu Meili brought over the manuscript of "A Bellflower", Mai Shiro Jingjie also signed his name in "Top Hat" magazine and "The Astrological Murder Magic".

Tatara Yoshikatsu sighed and said apologetically to Gonda Manji, who was holding the safe:

"Mr. Manji Gonda, I'm sorry, this manuscript has already been sold."

After finishing speaking, Tataka Yoshikatsu reached out and grabbed the safe from Gonda Manji's hand.

Although Manji Gonda was reluctant to let go, he was still not as strong as Katsutoshi Tatara, who spent all day carrying books.

The safe was taken and immediately handed over to Jiang Liumei.

Looking at his empty hands, it would be a lie to say he wasn't sad, after all, it was the number one masterpiece of the golden age!

But as an elder, he couldn't possibly compete with a junior. Thinking of this, Quan Tian Wanzhi could only jokingly rub his hands together and complain to Jiang Liu Meili:

"Miss Jiang Liu, all you care about is your teacher, Wu Cheng. That manuscript is truly rare. Can't you even bear to let me take a look?"

"No matter what, I, Gonda Manji, am a well-known figure. Do you think I would steal your things?"

Upon hearing Quan Tian Wanzhi's words, Jiang Liu Meili hugged the manuscript of "Mr. Ultraman's Hands" to her chest, her eyes full of resistance, just like a kitten guarding its food, not letting Quan Tian Wanzhi get any closer!

Seeing this, Gonda Manji knew that he probably wouldn't have the chance to see the manuscript again, so he could only say to Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri:

"Forget it, forget it. Every time I see it, I'll feel even more regret."

"Now that you've settled your concerns, hurry up and go talk to that fat guy Noma about the contract."

"I haven't been to Jimbocho in a long time. Since I have some free time today, I'll stay here and see if I can find any treasures."

After successfully obtaining the manuscript, Jiang Liu Meili and Mai Shiro Jingjie did not linger any longer. They bid farewell to Tatara Katsunori and Gonda Manji, and happily left Tatara Used Bookstore with the manuscript of "Mr. Ultraman's Hands".

Watching Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Ryumi leave.

While browsing through old books on the bookshelf, Gonda Manji casually asked Tatara Katsunori:

"Mr. Tatara, the price you just offered for that manuscript, 'Mr. Ottomore's Hands,' is fifty million yen."

"But in the end, all you got in return was a manuscript of Mr. Wu Cheng's 'A Bellflower,' and autographed copies of all his subsequent works. Don't you think that's a bad deal?"

"You know, although Mr. Maishiro is now very famous, everyone in Tokyo knows his name as soon as it is mentioned."

"But these are all just empty titles. Once the hype dies down, he will return to his original identity. In the end, he is just a slightly famous new writer."

"What made Mr. Tatara believe that Mr. Maijo's manuscript and the later autographed copy were worth fifty million yen?"

Tatara Yoshikatsu, upon hearing Gonda Manji's words, did not answer directly but instead asked:

"Mr. Gonda, do you think Ms. Maishiro is just a flash in the pan, or a leading figure who can usher in a new era for Japanese mystery literature?"

Manji Gonda pulled a copy of Kotaro Kiki's debut work, "Retinal Pulse," from the bookshelf. Seeing Kiki's autograph on it, a smile spread across his face.

"Mr. Tatara, if I said that Mr. Maijo Kyosuke is not a flash in the pan, nor a standard-bearer leading the Japanese mystery literature world into a new era, but rather a leader who will change the Japanese mystery literature world, would you think I'm joking?"

Yoshikatsu Tatara shook his head solemnly, looking at the manuscript of "A Bellflower" in his hand with a look of reverence on his face:

"Mr. Quantian, when I was young, I also submitted articles to the magazine 'New Youth'. I know how difficult it is to write an excellent mystery novel. And to create a personal style that the public likes is even more difficult."

"But Mr. Wu Cheng did it! He not only created two styles that are loved by the public, but also achieved a very high level of execution in both!"

"A Bellflower" is cruel, insane, and tragically beautiful! "The Astrological Murders" is grand, imaginative, and bizarre!"

Tatara took out a sealed plastic bag with a desiccant from under the counter and put the manuscript of "A Bellflower" inside:

"Mr. Quanda, I don't know whether I made a profit or a loss this time."

"But after reading these two works by Mr. Maicheng, I only had one thought in my mind: this guy must be a genius!"

"To put it somewhat dramatically, I personally believe that Ms. Maishiro will eventually dominate the Japanese mystery literature scene; it's just a matter of time!"

Gonda Manji flipped through the book "Retinal Pulse" in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, I placed the book "Retinal Pulsations," personally signed by Kōtarō Muki, on the counter:

"This book is in good condition; I'll take it."

"I need to correct something you just said, Mr. Tatara."

Whether Kyosuke Maijo can dominate the Japanese literary world remains to be seen, but "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" has already become a veritable "phenomenal work".

"I can't guarantee that you can elevate the status of 'Tatara Bookstore' in Jimbocho with Mr. Maishiro's help, but I can assure you that you have a good eye."

"You'll soon receive a signed collector's edition of 'The Astrological Murder Mystery'!"

Although Gonda Manji didn't say it outright, it made Tatara Katsuno's face light up with a happy expression.

Because Gonda Manji, the "prophet of the mystery world," has already hinted very clearly that his judgment was correct. As long as he befriends Maijo Kyosuke, he will definitely be able to obtain a value of more than 50 million yen!