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

The next day.

Early in the morning, major newspapers published program schedules for the evening's "News Station," with headlines that were more elaborate than the last.

What are these titles like "Who is the cancer of the literary world?", "A century-long showdown between new and old writers", and "The war to defend literature begins tonight"?

There are also some short stories that directly quote "Guan Gu Mystery" and mock him in a sarcastic way.

Guan Gufeng's phone rang non-stop from the moment he woke up in the morning.

The first call came from Sachiko Kamachi, whose voice was filled with undisguised worry.

"Guan Gu-kun, are you nervous?"

"fine."

"You're lying," she said, "but I believe you. Keep going."

"Um."

The second call came from Sato, but it was Guan Guyu's voice on the other end, filled with worry.

"Xiao Feng, are you alright? What they said in the newspaper..."

"Sis, I'm fine..." Guan Gufeng patiently comforted her, "I'll come back to see you after the show ends."

"Okay. No matter what, I support you."

The third contact was Nintendo's public relations department.

"Mr. Guan Gu, we have prepared the manuscript. We are just waiting for your triumphant return."

"it is good."

Evening, Asahi TV.

With some time to spare before the live broadcast, he was arranged to wait in the rest area of ​​the corridor, where staff members hurried back and forth in front of him.

Some people had thick scripts tucked under their arms, some were holding walkie-talkies and shouting something, and a few middle-aged men in suits were standing in the corner smoking.

Hair gel, cigarettes, and coffee—these are the main themes of television.

Guan Gu Feng sat on a plastic chair, holding a can of cola, looking completely out of place.

After finishing the last sip, he stood up to look for a trash can. In a corner at the end of the corridor, he saw two people.

One male and one female.

The man was wearing a flashy suit jacket, his hair was slicked back, and he looked impatient.

The woman had her head down, her long hair covering half her face, but Guan Gufeng recognized her at a glance; that face was just too classic.

Akina Nakamori.

The Asian superstar's face was streaked with tears.

"Didn't you say that woman was just a colleague?" Her voice trembled with tears. "Why is the photo in the newspaper showing you going into her house at night and leaving during the day?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Kondo Masahiko waved his hand impatiently and turned to leave. "That's all I have to say to you."

"How could you say such a thing!" Akina Nakamori grabbed his arm, tears welling in her eyes. "You promised me..."

"I regret it, is that not allowed?" Kondo Masahiko forcefully shook off her hand, lowered his voice, and said in a threatening tone.

"Quickly arrange for my assistant to transfer another 30 million yen to my account. I need it for racing. You don't want anyone to know..."

"But you've already asked for so much... I really don't have any money left..."

"How dare you defy me?" Kondo Masahiko's voice rose slightly as he raised his hand to slap her across the face. "No money? You're kidding me!"

"Snapped!"

A soda can hit the back of his hand precisely with a dull thud.

Kondo Masahiko's hand veered slightly and missed.

"Who?!"

He turned around in surprise and anger, looking around.

That sudden movement startled him. If the paparazzi caught him hitting someone in the hallway, his boss would have to deal with it again, and afterwards...

Thinking about this, he felt a dull ache in his buttocks.

His gaze fell on Guan Gufeng. He didn't recognize him. Guan Gufeng looked to be in his early twenties, like a recent college graduate. He must be a nobody.

Kondo Masahiko strode over, grabbed Sekiya Kaze by the collar, and tried to pin him against the wall.

However, he was only 1.73 meters tall, while Guan Gufeng was nearly 1.9 meters tall, so his movements looked somewhat comical.

"Which agency are you from?" Kondo Masahiko asked menacingly, standing on tiptoe. "I'm telling you, forget everything you just saw, or else..."

His peripheral vision swept over the ID tag that Guan Gufeng was wearing on his chest, which had four characters printed on it.

Guan Gu is magical.

Kondo Masahiko's threatening words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them no matter what he tried.

These days, this name has been on the headlines of major media outlets almost every day; it's truly a household name.

"A genius new writer", "Winner of a fantasy award", "Center of controversy in the literary world".

In Japanese social hierarchy, writers are often addressed as "sensei" and belong to the intellectual class, along with politicians, lawyers, and doctors, enjoying a very high social status.

For example, the disabled writer who had no limbs cheated on his wife with fifty women during his fifteen-year marriage, yet was forgiven by the public. His wife even said, "Forgive him, it's my fault." This illustrates the point.

Compared to literary writers, bestselling authors have a slightly lower status, but they are still far from being as influential as idols like Masahiko Kondo.

Kondo Masahiko's expression changed several times. He quickly released his grip, smoothed out the wrinkles on his collar, took a step back, and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.

"Mr. Guan Gu! I'm so sorry!"

He raised his head, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

"I was confused for a moment, please forgive me..."

Guan Gufeng looked at the person in front of him, who was arrogant at first but then obsequious, and thought about it made him laugh.

"roll."

Kondo Masahiko's smile froze on his face.

"Mr. Guan Gu, I..."

"I said get lost, are you deaf?" Guan Gufeng's tone was icy. "Or are the people at Johnny's incapable of understanding human language?"

Kondo Masahiko's face was flushed and pale, but he didn't dare to utter a single word in rebuttal.

"I'm sorry... I've bothered you... Please don't tell anyone..."

"roll."

"Okay, okay!"

Kondo Masahiko bowed countless times, then turned and quickly fled the scene.

After running a few steps, he turned around, glared at Nakamori Akina, and transferred all his resentment at being humiliated onto her.

The corridor fell silent.

Once again, only one man and one woman remained.

Akina Nakamori turned her face to the side and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

Guan Gu Feng stood there, suddenly feeling a little lost. He had just been filled with passion, prioritizing loyalty and chivalry in his life.

But what happens after the hero saves the damsel in distress?

This touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.

He searched all his pockets and only managed to pull out half a crumpled tissue, which he handed over somewhat awkwardly.

Nakamori Akina looked at the half-eaten tissue, then at Guan Gufeng's handsome face, which had an expression that seemed to say, "Did I do something wrong?" and suddenly couldn't help herself.

"puff."

She chuckled softly, then quickly regained her composure, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes were still red, and her voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Thank you... Mr. Guan Gu."

"You're welcome."

After that, the two fell silent again, the atmosphere awkward, unsure of what to say.

After a moment, Akina Nakamori spoke softly: "Mr. Sekiya, I actually really like Asuna, the character you created."

"Be strong, confident, and brave enough to face the future. I'd rather be defeated by monsters than lose to this world."

She paused, her gaze lowered, "Sometimes I think... I wish I could be like her."

"Actually, being strong doesn't mean you have to keep holding on," Guan Gufeng said. "Everyone has times when they feel wronged and want to cry."

"The book also says, 'In this world, no one can hide their tears. When you want to cry, no one can stop yourself.'"

"The difference is that some people can get back on their feet after crying, while others give up completely."

"So," Guan Gufeng looked into her eyes, his gaze encouraging, "just be yourself."

"Do whatever you want; there's no need to be bound by worldly and corrupt frameworks."

He glanced down at his watch.

"Sorry, I'm about to go on a show. We can talk another time."

After saying that, he turned and left.

He's said enough, even though we're not close. As for whether Akina Nakamori can climb out of this mess, that's up to her, and she can only rely on herself.

Akina Nakamori stood there, watching his retreating figure.

"To be yourself...?"

She muttered to herself, the half-eaten tissue still clutched in her hand.

The waiting area in the studio.

The staff scurried back and forth like ants, carrying out the final tasks before the broadcast.

Kume Hiroshi sat on the sofa, holding the script in his hand, but didn't read a single word.

He, who usually had a scrutinizing gaze, was more curious today.

Surprisingly, there are writers whose looks rival those of idols handpicked by talent agencies, and...

He looked at Guan Gu Feng beside him, who had just changed his name tag from "Guan Gu Magic" to "Guan Gu Mystery".

"Mr. Guan Gu, are you sure you want to do it this way?" Kume Hiroshi's tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He only recently learned that "Guan Gu Mystery" was Guan Gu Feng's pseudonym.

When Guan Gufeng told him the whole plan, the top host, who was known for his unconventional approach and for leaving his guests speechless, had a bright idea.

That's the look in someone's eyes when they meet someone like themselves.

"Of course." Guan Gufeng smiled. "Mr. Kume, don't you want to create a ratings miracle for TV Asahi tonight?"

Kume Hiroshi stared at him for a long time, then smiled.

"certainly."

He lowered his head again, turned to the last page of the script, and closed it.

"Teacher Guan Gu."

"Um?"

"Get ready." Kume Hiroshi stood up and straightened his tie. "After tonight, all of Japan will remember your name."