Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 347: The Executive's Cream Cake 4
Whether enjoying a fresh Guinness against the beautiful backdrop of the Halfpenny Bridge or thinking of dancing to the typical music.

Gravity Bar on the banks of the River Liffey is the best choice.

This is the birthplace of Guinness beer and the best place to overlook Dublin.

“It’s made like a work of art.”

When Ryuukawa Toru heard about the bar, he had the impression that it was a very messy place, at most a private club like "Inaba".

But I didn't expect it.

Gravity Bar, located on the seventh floor of the old brewery at St James' Gate, is a factory that once produced 250 million pints of stout every day and has been converted into an open amusement facility.

Inside the arc-shaped building, there is a patio in the center that runs from top to bottom. The space is transparent and bright, like a giant beer glass.

Following the clearly marked lines, lively and interactive exhibitions come into view, and the top floor is the famous Guinness stout bar.

Designed as a 360-degree ring, the exterior walls are all made of transparent glass. Under the glittering starry sky, the tipsy feeling of Dublin flows before people's eyes.

The poems of Yeats, the novels of Joyce, the plays of Beckett, the songs of U2, Westlife and Enya.

Everything seems to be visible before my eyes.

"The judges of the Frank Novel Award will also be here today. Remember to go up and make your presence known."

Takeda Maki didn't care about Ryukawa Toru's sigh. The smell of fresh malt beer was flowing in the air. She brought Ryukawa Toru here today for more important things.

The boy was wearing a well-fitting suit and cufflinks on his wrists that were given to him by Takeda Shinki.

Today is a very important occasion, and Takeda Maki is really afraid that Ryukawa Toru will come wearing that trendy artistic short-sleeved shirt.

"Is this possible?"

Longchuan Che was a little dazed holding the big-bellied beer cup. To him, getting familiar with people was like taking the back door.

The selection of literary works is sometimes not as serious and rigid as people think. There are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers. If there are some preconceived good impressions, it will be very helpful for the subsequent selection.

"The host of today's salon is Professor Jane Joyce of Trinity College, who is also one of the main judges of the Frank Novel Award."

"Jane Joyce?"

Longchuan Che took a sip of dark beer. The name sounded familiar to him.

"He wrote The Shroud, Ghost, and Athena, and is considered a core writer in Europe."

Ryukawa Tetsu had not read these works, but the name Joyce reminded him of another Irish writer.

"What is the relationship between James Joyce, the author of Dubliners, and her?"

James Joyce, a famous Irish writer, once wrote "Ulysses", the pioneering work of stream-of-consciousness novels. "Dubliners", written in his early years, is also known as a model of modern short stories.

"Her grandfather?"

Takeda Shinki said uncertainly.

Dublin is home to the Four Great Literary Men, among whom Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and Beckett, four influential Irish writers, are all related to Trinity College.

“It’s really amazing.”

Long Chuan Che smacked his lips. Ireland may be a small country, but it is a country of literature and art.

The host of any literary salon may be related to the founder of postmodern literature, and who knows how many famous authors will emerge from the Frank Short Story Award.

"The person most likely to win this time is recognized as the Irish author John Banville."

As if she had guessed what Ryukawa Toru was thinking, Takeda Maki pointed at a middle-aged man sitting at the edge of the bar.

This bar salon was strange.

Most of the contestants chatted and drank in groups of three or five, while a small number of them, like Longchuan Che, sat quietly at the table waiting for the salon to begin.

"We just got here and no one wants to talk to us. He has reached the point where he doesn't need to socialize anymore."

The locations of Takeda Shinki and Ryukawa Toru were remote and quiet, which were arranged by the organizers, but John Banville obviously chose them himself.

Longchuan Che looked at the middle-aged writer sitting there, occasionally nodding to the people who came over to say hello, and after a brief chat, he no longer paid any attention to the other person.

"I want that, too."

Longchuan Che thinks that an author should be like that, sitting there cold and aloof, instead of thinking about getting in through the back door to the judges.

"You do not want."

Takeda Shinki took a sip of the wine in Ryukawa Tetsu's glass and decisively rejected Ryukawa Tetsu's bad face. "Joyce will chat with the contestants one by one when the salon starts. Remember to have a drink with them then."

Not only should he not be as arrogant and bad as John Banville, he also had to bring the Eastern drinking culture to Dublin.

When Takeda Shinki went to the bathroom, Ryukawa Toru sighed deeply.

"Have you managed to contact the person you asked me to contact?"

Leaving Ryukawa Toru alone in the social scene, Takeda Maki walked to the outside of the bar to make a phone call.

The vast silver light sprinkled above the skylight. Gravity Bar was indeed like a work of art as Ryukawa Tetsu said.

The brewery, which looked like a giant beer glass, was filled with silvery liquor, and a French woman's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Maeve Binchy, editor-in-chief of the Irish Times, Colm the literary critic, except for Joyce from Trinity College, do you want to drag all the judges of the Frank Novel Prize in front of your boyfriend?"

Anne Elno's tone was helpless and annoyed. Ryukawa Toru thought that Takeda Shinki brought him to meet Jane Joyce, but what he didn't know was that the woman was secretly contacting other judges of the Frank Novel Award.

There were three main reviewers and seven deputy reviewers. Without Longchuan Che knowing it, all the connections in Ireland were connected by women.

"Just talk, why are you speaking so loudly?"

Her friend's voice sounded a little annoyed, and Takeda Shinki frowned in displeasure.

She was a woman who wanted to do things to perfection, but Anne Erno seemed to disagree.

"What do you think?"

Anne Erno's voice was still loud and clear coming from the receiver.

"Payed money to get on the longlist, and now you're trying to meet the chief judge in private!"

The French woman warned Takeda Shinki in a tone that asked, "Do you know what you are doing?"

"You're violating the rules, you know that? You'll be dead if you're found out. Why can't you trust your boyfriend a little more?"

Whether in the East or the West, the selection of literary awards is a fair matter.

Takeda Maki's secret moves may be helpful for the Frank Novel Award, but she will be doomed if they are discovered later.

"So be careful and cautious."

Takeda Maki took a sip of the beer, but the mellow taste couldn't dispel her depressed mood.

She also wanted to believe in Ryukawa Toru's own literary ability, just as Anne Erno said.

"You can't win a prize just because you have the ability, right?"

Takeda Maki's words left Anne Erno speechless. The literary award that emphasizes fairness and justice actually has a certain literary bias.

Eastern literature is deeply influenced by Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and other philosophical thoughts, and emphasizes moral education, harmony and the improvement of inner spirit.

Western literature is based on ancient Greek and Roman culture, emphasizing individualism, rationalism, and humanism. For example, works such as "Oedipus Rex" and "Hamlet" focus on the portrayal of characters' psychology and the exploration of their fate.

Literary prejudice sometimes leads to personal prejudice, and it has become a consensus that Orientals cannot write good Western literary works.

"Got it. I'll give you Maeve Binchy and Colm's contact information in the next two days."

After a long silence, Anne Erno said reluctantly.

She knew that her friend's behavior was wrong, but what she said was true.

There are very few Orientals who can win major Western literary awards, so Takeda Maki's words turned out to be correct.

"Thank you."

Anne Elno's promise softened Takeda Shinki's tone, and after chatting with the other party for a while, the woman slowly hung up the phone.

If possible, she didn't want to help Longchuan Che in this way, but her boyfriend had now reached a point where he had no way out.

There’s an annoying old monk who almost has a monopoly in the country, and the publication of new books abroad is not going smoothly.

The woman returned to the bar with a slight feeling of annoyance, and suddenly froze as she was looking for her seat.

It’s not accurate to say that she was stunned; the woman’s expression looked a little strange.

She wondered why her boyfriend was surrounded by people just after she went out for a while.

She wondered why her boyfriend started hanging out with other people just after she went out for a while.

(End of this chapter)