Tokyo Tycoon, Start as a Writer

Chapter 111 Sales and reputation reversed, no one can stop Mishima from becoming a god

In the editor-in-chief's office, after listening to Kobayashi Midori's advice, Editor-in-Chief Matsushita's tired eyes were full of helplessness.

Even if Professor Kiyono had said that she would create a new award to replace the Akutagawa Prize, most people would have regarded it as a joke, let alone her, a young editor who had just been promoted to a full-time position... The idea is certainly good, but the ecology of the Japanese literary world has been stable for decades. How can it be changed easily?

Seeing that her boss had no support in her eyes, Kobayashi Midori hastily added, "Editor-in-Chief Matsushita, now that things have happened, there is no possibility of easing the tension between Mishima and the Akutagawa Prize. At this point, if we don't fully support Mishima, it will disappoint the other contracted writers!"

"That's true, but establishing a new award..." Editor-in-Chief Matsushita frowned.

The current situation is indeed not optimistic. The idea of ​​Shincho's top management is to deal with this matter coldly. They must not let Mishima feel wronged, nor should they let Shincho and Bungeishunju become enemies from then on...If a new award is established, it will undoubtedly tear the relationship with Bungeishunju.

The idea of ​​editor-in-chief Matsushita and Shincho's top management was to take a step back and not engage in a bloody battle with Bungeishunju.

But Kobayashi Midori had no intention of giving in.

Her proposal was really too risky.

If the new award fails to be established and new-style writers fail to win the Akutagawa Prize one after another, it will be a huge blow to the reputation of the entire publishing house. New writers will see that you have no chance of winning the award and will either not vote for you or not renew your contract when it expires.

A wrong move can lead to unacceptable consequences.

The consequence of failure would be that not only a small editor, but even the editor-in-chief Matsushita himself would have to pack up and leave.

"Editor-in-chief, everything depends on human effort, right?" Kobayashi Midori stared at her boss. "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we shouldn't give up. Besides, we are the oldest publishing house in Japan after all. Are we really not going to seek change after being controlled by Bungeishunju for so many years because of an award? Editor-in-chief, we should have our own Akutagawa Prize!"

Because of the excitement, the editor's pretty face quickly turned red. She clenched her fists tightly, looked at her hesitant boss, and shouted loudly: "We can't be controlled by others like this anymore. We must act decisively and not retreat if there is hope! The industry has long been dissatisfied with the Akutagawa Prize. The industry needs a new award that can check and balance the Akutagawa Prize."

She was very emotional, and Editor-in-Chief Matsushita gradually clenched his fists.

This is indeed true. The Akutagawa Prize is the only one among the second-tier pure literature awards. Since there is no one that can compete with it, how it is evaluated depends entirely on the ideas and intentions of Bungeishunju. The other major publishing houses have long been dissatisfied with this.

If a colleague launches a new literary award at this time, and if it is successful, it will provide the industry with one more choice.

If that fails, it can also force the Akutagawa Prize to become more fair.

Whether it succeeds or not, the consequences will be positive for the industry.

Looking at the young editor's determined and impulsive eyes, Editor-in-Chief Panasonic was a little dazed.

When did I become timid in doing things, lose my passion for work, and only think about how not to offend others when dealing with interpersonal relationships, completely smoothing out my edges?

Now that the writer signed by his company has been treated unfairly, the first thing he thinks about is not how to help him get back on his feet, but to keep the peace and use compromise to get the other party to not pursue the matter...

Kobayashi Midori's words made Editor-in-Chief Matsushita feel ashamed.

"Editor-in-Chief Matsushita, I'm counting on you!" Kobayashi Midori looked at him with burning eyes, then suddenly bent down and bowed, "Please don't let our authors down. Please allow me to ask you to take me to see the president, and together we can convince him to create a new award to compete with Bungeishunju!"

When saying this, the young editor felt very nervous and uneasy.

But I never thought of giving in.

The Japanese workplace places great emphasis on the relationship between superiors and subordinates. If her behavior of crossing the line is investigated, she may be transferred to some remote place tomorrow until retirement.

If it weren't for Mishima, she would never have the courage to do something like forcing the emperor to abdicate.

"I, I understand..."

Seeing his resolute subordinate, Editor-in-Chief Matsushita felt a long-lost passion in his heart. He stood up and bowed to her as well: "Xiao Lin, I will go with you to see the president. I am willing to bet my career..."

"Dong Dong~"

At the entrance, a secretary knocked on the unlocked door and looked at the two people inside: "Editor-in-Chief Matsushita, please go to the top floor conference room for a meeting. Editor Kobayashi, you should come too. Please hurry up, the second lady of the group has arrived."

The two people, who were in a state of emotional excitement, were stunned at the same time.

With deep doubts, they walked into the top-floor conference room, and both of them were a little scared.

It seemed like all the senior executives of Shinchosha were there, and the conference room that could accommodate more than 30 people was completely full.

The one sitting at the top is the second daughter of the Tokugawa family.

She was wearing a light brown suit with a slightly tight skirt.

The collar of the top is trimmed with embroidered lace and it looks very beautiful when paired with a light yellow shirt.

Her demeanor and appearance seem a little cold, but her outfit neutralizes her cold temperament. Her overall image is elegant and generous, revealing the charm and gentleness of a woman.

"so beautiful……"

Kobayashi Midori praised subconsciously, then she saw Matsueda Kiyoaki from the corner of her eye and immediately ran over: "Why are you here too?"

"Please sit down here. Today's meeting is very important." Kiyoaki Matsueda pulled out the chair next to him and asked her to sit down.

"Mmmmm~"

Kobayashi Midori nodded solemnly.

After everyone was seated, they looked up at Tokugawa Rinko.

This second young lady took over the family's entertainment industry before she even graduated from college. Her completely blank resume made many people suspicious of her, and all kinds of small thoughts surged in their minds secretly.

The Tokugawa family has never attached much importance to the entertainment sector. Apart from new trends, other businesses can be almost ignored.

Letting the second young lady take over the entertainment sector personally, will it mean that she will be exiled to the frontier and neglected from then on, or will she be allowed to expand the territory and eventually take over the power of the family with her merits?

Everyone stared with wide eyes to see what she would do.

Facing the gazes of more than 30 people, Tokugawa Rinko said calmly and indifferently: "I can tell you very clearly that I am here to expand my territory. Therefore, in this matter of Mishima, I will not make any compromise with Bungeishunju and the Ishihara family, because I want to fight them!"

As soon as these words came out, a whisper broke out from below.

Tokugawa Rinko didn't say anything, letting them discuss. When the voices gradually died down, she raised her hand and bent down to signal everyone to be quiet: "After confirming my purpose, I hope everyone can cooperate with my work. The first thing I have to do is to plan to launch a new literary award tomorrow, and the selection mechanism will be comparable to the Akutagawa Prize!"

It was quiet down there.

Kobayashi Midori looked at her, her beautiful eyes shining brightly.

"We will run the new literary award in a more professional and fair manner. At the same time, in order to inspire all young writers who are oppressed by the powerful, this literary award will be named after Mishima, encouraging all young writers to have the courage to resist all outdated rules and unfair oppression!"

The senior executives present had different looks in their eyes.

There are worries, excitement, and fighting spirit...

Shinchosha is the most influential publishing house in Japan, and the writers who have signed contracts with it occupy half of the Japanese literary world.

Over the years, the lack of a literary award that can compete with the Akutagawa Prize has always been a pain point in Shincho's heart... In the past, in order for its own authors to successfully win the Akutagawa Prize, Shincho suffered a lot of losses in secret.

Now, they finally get their own Mishima Award.

From now on, when selecting the Akutagawa Prize every year, I won’t have to smile at idiots like Bungeishunju…

Because of this sentence, many senior executives have already recognized the Second Miss.

But some people are still very worried.

It's still the same reason. After all, the Ishihara Group is the largest entertainment group in Japan. They bought the film and television copyrights of many works in Shincho Bunko. If they get angry at Shincho because of this and stop cooperating in the future, what will happen to Shincho's contracted writers?
Those famous writers will not renew their contracts when they expire because they are unable to sell the copyright.

In response to this question, Tokugawa Rinko gave an answer that reassured everyone.

The Tokugawa family will set up a new film and television production company to develop the entertainment business with all their efforts. Sufficient funds have been prepared in advance, and the Tokugawa family will buy what the Ishihara family does not buy.

As long as the second young lady is here, the fashionable sky will not fall!
These words undoubtedly gave a shot of confidence to all the senior management of Xinchao.

After the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, all the staff of Xinchao were mobilized and a vigorous counterattack began.

That afternoon, Shinchosha held a press conference and announced plans for a series of film and television development of its works. The film and television company that would be co-developing the works was the newly established Star Pictures Co., Ltd., which is backed by the Tokugawa family. It also announced that it would launch a new literary award next year.

The new literary award, named the Mishima Literary Award, aims to encourage emerging writers to have the courage to resist powerful oppression and to create boldly.

As soon as the news came out, the situation in the literary world immediately entered a white-hot stage.

Shincho's resolute defense of its own authors was widely praised by the public, and it also earned Mishima, who was treated unfairly, some sympathy from passers-by.

The other three of the five major publishing houses also made statements expressing their expectations for the Mishima Award.

It would be a great thing for them to prevent the Akutagawa Prize from dominating the market alone.

It’s not that they haven’t thought about launching a new award themselves, but unfortunately their own size and prestige cannot compare with Bungeishunju, which has the support of the entire right-wing camp. Even if they have the idea, they can only give up... In other words, Xinchao has enough reputation.

On the other hand, with the full support of the New Trend, book reviewers burst into long reviews of "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion".

In an instant, all major book review websites were flooded with posts about "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion."

[Why do I call "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" a masterpiece? 】

[There is a Golden Pavilion in everyone’s heart]

[Only by burning down the Golden Pavilion can we awaken the power of rebirth]

[Gorgeous, violent, evil, lustful, but beautiful like a dream]

[Weird and beautiful, like black and red flowers blooming from a rotting corpse]

[The Golden Pavilion that we long for but cannot obtain, it torments us but we cannot escape from it]

[I think Mishima’s goal should be the Nobel Prize. A writer as talented as him only appears once every two or three hundred years.]

The reviews were all positive, and they were not stingy with their praise at all. It was almost as if they had searched their stomachs to give all the beautiful words to "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion".

Mishima and "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" were already extremely famous.

His speech at the Akutagawa Prize reception yesterday made him famous again, but his fame has not yet been converted into sales.

Today, with the support of Shinchosha and the rave reviews from all over the internet, this terrifying popularity has finally been converted into sales.

Readers who had been waiting and watching now had a clue about what was going on and flocked to bookstores.

When I got to the bookstore, I was shocked by the long queue. Most of those people were just passers-by who came here to smell the food. I wanted to see if this arrogant guy really had the skills.

"Please give me a copy of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion."

"Did you buy it?"

"What a beautiful packaging, it can be used as a gift..."

"What is this book about? I heard that Mishima is a healing writer, and this book is about the redemption of youth. Is it about a sweet love story?"

"Sweet? Oh, I guarantee you will want to go to his house and thank him after you finish reading this..."

Major bookstores across the country are crowded with people, and the sound of discussions and exchanges is endless.

This literary melee started on the 5th, lasted for three days, and gradually cooled down on the 8th.

No one expected that on the 11th, the popularity of "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" would soar, even more so than on the 5th.

The clerks were busy putting one copy of "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" after another on the shelves. If they were not careful, the new books would be sold out.

Seeing that stocks were about to run out and looking at the endless lines outside the stores, the managers of major bookstores have confirmed one thing - "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is going to replicate the miracle of "Shiosai".

■

The sun sets and the lights gradually light up.

Kiyoaki Matsueda had just finished talking with Rinko Tokugawa about the follow-up plans at Shincho today. "Ah, the night view of Tokyo is so beautiful..." Midori Kobayashi leaned on the overhead corridor and looked out.

Shinchosha's headquarters is in Shinjuku, and from the upper floors you can overlook the brightly lit streets of Shinjuku.

The glass buildings one after another are still brightly lit.

The orange street lights are connected into a long dragon, and the vehicles form a river of light flowing slowly in the river of the night, as if they are the blood of this city.

"I have an incredible feeling. Humans are such great creatures..." Kobayashi Midori murmured to herself.

Kiyoaki Matsueda understood how she felt.

At night, looking down at the city from a high place and seeing the endless lights, this miraculous sight is truly moving.

"Let's go have a drink." Tokugawa Rinko walked out of the office carrying her handbag.

Kobayashi Midori smiled at her, then took a step sideways and stood next to Matsueda Kiyoaki, as if she was protecting food.

At night, the streets of Shinjuku were bustling with people. The three of them entered a small pub which had private seats and a long S-shaped bar.

Guests sit on both sides, separated by pillars and wine bottle racks in the middle, so they do not interfere with each other and are relatively hidden.

Kiyoaki Matsueda and the two girls entered a private room.

This place is very close to the Shinchosha headquarters, and many writers gather here on weekdays.

In the private room behind the bottle rack, several writers were discussing the core idea of ​​The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

Their speeches were full of admiration for Mishima. In the past, people always criticized him for being obsessed with love affairs, his works not being serious enough, and his thoughts not being profound enough. Now, they have been slapped in the face.

"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion", which can be regarded as an immortal masterpiece in the history of Japanese literature, smashed Kuroko's face.

"Please enjoy your meal." The waiter brought the meal over.

"I'm starting~"

The three of them greeted each other.

"After the press conference, sales of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion skyrocketed, with more than 2 copies sold in just one afternoon," Tokugawa Rinko said to Kiyoaki Matsueda as she beat raw eggs into a bowl.

"The price will continue to rise. Once the word spreads among students, that will be the real sales peak." Kiyoaki Matsueda opened the lid of the Sukiyaki pot, and the aroma filled his nose.

"You have been full of confidence from the very beginning." Kobayashi Midori said with emotion.

Matsueda Kiyoaki smiled and said, "I just have confidence in Mishima."

The book "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" has sold more than 360 million copies in Japan alone, and has been translated into 13 languages ​​and sold all over the world.

Because of it, Yukio Mishima became famous all over the world, was praised as the "Japanese Hemingway", and became the most popular Japanese author in Europe and the United States.

A work that depicts oriental aesthetics to the extreme can arouse heated discussions and praise in the West. Based on this point alone, the achievement of "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is enough to overshadow any Japanese novel except "The Tale of Genji".

How could a work that has gained acclaim in foreign countries with different skin colors and cultures not be a hot seller in its own country?

After dinner, the three of them came out to the door of the tavern.

While waiting for the driver to drive over, Tokugawa Rinko looked at Kobayashi Midori.

The editor was wearing a plaid dress with a white corsage and a winter jacket. She looked rather plain, like a female college student who had just come to Tokyo from the countryside.

She may seem inconspicuous from a distance, but if you look closely you will find that she is quite beautiful.

She has regular facial features, fair skin, a small nose and mouth, and white teeth when she smiles.

Is she really Kiyoaki’s lover? I don’t think so. Kiyoaki probably hasn’t been in a relationship yet... Tokugawa Rinko thought about this question and secretly glanced at Matsueda Kiyoaki.

The second young lady of the Zong family, who always gave people the impression of a "cold beauty", had her cheeks flushed after drinking a little wine, like a sign of a melting iceberg.

Not long after, the driver arrived in the car.

Tokugawa Rinko sent Kobayashi Midori home first. Matsueda Kiyaki didn't drink and wanted to take a walk alone.

The streets of Shinjuku were bustling at night. He simply walked through the crowd, recalling the past six months.

From having nothing at the beginning, facing the confusion and loneliness of a foreign country, to now having his own career, friends, and many outstanding girls who have a crush on him.

He himself also completed the transformation from a boy to a man, and had a noble and cold mistress, from whom he experienced the wonderful taste of the dual combination of love and desire...

Just when everything was getting better and he was full of hope for the future, the Ishihara family suddenly appeared.

The targeting by the chaebols made him understand one thing deeply - unless he planned to endure it all his life or directly surrender to the capitalists and work like a dog, he had to consider longer-term plans.

The money earned from writing books and the fame are not enough in front of the real rich people.

"Whoo~"

Looking at the Tokyo Tower in front of him, which was dyed orange by the lights, Kiyoaki Matsueda exhaled a breath of white air.

Is being a literary giant the limit?
No, being a literary giant is just the beginning. His goal now is to become someone who can make rules.

Ishihara Group, you think you are an entertainment giant, right? If you mess with me, you will hit a wall. From now on, I will target you and beat you... Looking at the shining light of Tokyo Tower, Kiyoaki Matsueda showed a not-so-elegant smile on his face.

He had been talking with Tokugawa Rinko all day today, and had come up with a grand blueprint to attack the Ishihara family across the board in the entertainment field.

TV series, animated films, music...

The lights are gorgeous and the wind is getting stronger.

The street lights shone brightly on the road. Tokugawa Rinko opened all the windows of the car and let the wind blow on her face. Her mind was full of the names of the projects that Kiyoaki Matsueda had told her today.

What about Hanzawa Naoki, Unnatural Death, Spirited Away, Your Name, Kenshi Yonezu...

She had a strong premonition.

A brand new entertainment giant is about to set sail in the hands of these two people.

■

Starting from December 12th, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" became the most hotly discussed topic on the Internet.

This book was once a slow-selling book, with only 8 copies sold in three days from the 10th to the 1th. However, it saw a crazy price increase after the 11th. The popularity accumulated before was finally converted into sales. Nearly 11 copies were sold in five days from the 15th to the 20th.

In the first three days of release, 10 copies were sold.

Only 1 copies were sold in the three days.

In the next five days, 20 copies were sold.

In other words, the cumulative sales from the 5th to the 15th exceeded 30 copies.

In contrast, "The Sun and the Tower", which was the most popular when it was released, showed signs of decline in the following days.

In the first three days of its release, "The Tower and the Sun" sold as many as 15 copies. In the eyes of outsiders, it surpassed Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" in terms of sales and reputation.

During that period, Bungeishunju's overt propaganda was overwhelming, and there were also many small actions in secret.

When the bookstore is busiest, there would often be people walking in and shouting, "Ah, this year's Akutagawa Prize has been confirmed, and it's "The Sun and the Tower"," or "Mishima, who is a sucker for both mothers and daughters, is such a loser, I'll never buy his books."

Bungeishunju and the Ishihara Group spent a huge amount of money to make Seiji Ishihara famous.

But no matter how much it is hyped, the number of readers is limited. The general public is not interested in paper books. No matter how much you hype them up and advertise them every three steps, they will not buy them.

No matter how good something is, I won't spend a penny to buy it if I don't like it.

The vigorous publicity of "The Sun and the Tower" attracted the attention of most literature lovers, and they all paid real money to support it.

But after that, literary readers are still the same group of people, and the passers-by attracted by buying advertisements cannot be converted into sales.

It started off with a bang, then went from high to low.

Even with more ads, it still hasn’t become popular…

It was put on the shelves on the 5th and sold 15 in the first three days. However, as of the 15th, it had not yet exceeded 20.

In just five days, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" sold more than 10 copies.

The film's reputation on the Internet also declined, with the plot being criticized as "just for the sake of being fun", "brainless", "even science fiction novels wouldn't dare to be filmed like this", and "if the Akutagawa Prize were awarded to this, it would be really terrible".

The situation has taken a polarized turn, and the fairness of the Akutagawa Prize has been questioned unprecedentedly.

Under such circumstances, the news that Shinchosha launched the "Mishima Award" attracted widespread attention. It is foreseeable that when it officially begins the selection next year, it will cause immeasurable losses to Bungeishunju Publishing House.

In Minato-ku, in the backyard of the Ishihara family.

A cherry tree stood alone in the wind, the rockery in the pond was decorated with beautiful pine trees, and the small waterfall in the southeast of the courtyard was frozen - it started snowing in Tokyo.

Under the Japanese-style eaves, there was a small low table where Shintaro Ishihara and Takaki Ikezawa sat opposite each other and drank tea.

Seiji Ishihara knelt on the side, serving tea and water.

At present, Mishima and "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" have achieved a double comeback in reputation and sales, which has made the Akutagawa Prize seem like a joke. Coupled with the confirmation of the "Mishima Prize", they have to deal with this matter with the most cautious approach.

"It's only been a few days, how come 30 copies have been sold..." Takaki Ikezawa frowned.

At the Akutagawa Prize reception, he mocked Mishima for winning the Naoki Prize instead. Now that Mishima is becoming more popular and has a better reputation, the more uncomfortable he feels.

"Public opinion now has reached the point where it is no longer possible to belittle him," Ishihara Shintaro sighed.

Although I don't want to admit it, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" really slapped many people in the face. It's impossible to criticize Mishima...

"In the coming period of time, I estimate that I will be backfired and become a laughing stock in the literary world." Takaki Ikezawa sighed.

A person lives for his reputation, especially for an old man of his stature and prestige. If something like this happened to him, it could be said that his reputation has been ruined...

Shintaro Ishihara felt helpless as he drank his tea.

The current situation is that they have to repeatedly belittle Mishima in order to ensure the fairness and authority of the Akutagawa Prize.

However, Mishima was no longer someone they could attack.

Ishihara Seiji, who was pouring tea on the side, raised his head and offered the new tea to his grandfather: "Grandpa, what's next?"

"According to the current trend, it's difficult, but we can still protect you if we insist." Ishihara Shintaro took the tea bowl with a serious expression, "Of course, I hope you are mentally prepared. If the sales of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion continue to soar, then we will have to consider succumbing to him in order to maintain the value of the Akutagawa Prize."

The Akutagawa Prize is the most important bargaining chip in the hands of the right-wing camp.

If it was just for a momentary impulse and completely lost its reputation, allowing the Mishima Award to rise, the loss would be so great that even Shintaro Ishihara would not want to see it.

Ishihara Seiji gritted his teeth, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes: "In my opinion, his sales from this wave of popularity have reached their peak. If there is no greater popularity in the future, then before the Akutagawa Prize is announced on January 35st, the maximum sales will be ."

"If it's only 35, the prize is still yours." Shintaro Ishihara nodded.

"I can rest assured that……"

There was finally a smile on Seiji Ishihara's face.

However, what he didn't expect was that a bigger explosion happened the next day.

　I haven't finished writing this paragraph yet after writing 1 words. I'll divide it into two chapters. I'll stay up all night to finish the other chapter. It may take me three or four o'clock to finish it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)