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

The studio lights were blindingly white, and Toru Sakamoto was already seated in the guest section.

He deliberately refrained from drinking alcohol for today's debate and is currently resting with his eyes closed.

With his hands folded on his knees and his back ramrod straight, he tried to project the image of a "highly respected senior figure in the literary world."

"Good evening, Sakamoto-sensei. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join our program." Kume Hiroshi greeted us with a professional smile and a slight bow.

"Hello, Sakamoto-sensei, I am Guan Gu Shenmi." Guan Gu Feng extended his hand.

Sakamoto Tetsu raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at him, and then glanced at Kume Hiroshi.

Then, he closed his eyes.

The hand was outstretched in the air, but no one shook it.

The air in the studio instantly turned several degrees colder. This arrogance, which showed absolutely no respect for others, made the staff behind the camera break out in a cold sweat.

Kume Hiroshi's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

Guan Gufeng didn't say anything and calmly withdrew his hand.

"Countdown!"

"3, 2, 1, start the live stream."

The red light is on.

On the large screen in the control room, the viewership ratings curve soared like a rocket being ignited.

Almost everywhere in Japan with a screen, this debate between the old and new literary figures is being broadcast.

"Good evening, I'm Hiroshi Kume." His voice was steady and strong. "As you can see, we won't be talking about political scandals or fiscal policy today."

He picked up the Sword Art Online book on the table; the cover gleamed under the light.

"Let's talk about this novel that 'easily draws you into a fictional world'."

"For this purpose, we invited literary critic Toru Sakamoto and Mr. 'Guan Gu Mystery' who recently rose to fame for his short story 'King, Politics, Philosophy'."

Kume Hiroshi's professionalism allowed him to pronounce the name "Guan Gu Mystery" without his lips moving an inch.

No, no, I can't laugh yet, I have to hold it in.

He took a deep breath and pointed to the empty chair next to him.

"Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Guan Gu himself has chosen not to come."

He paused for a moment, then turned to Toru Sakamoto.

"So, Mr. Sakamoto, you criticized Sword Art Online as a 'low-grade novel' in Weekly Bunshun. What was your basis for that criticism?"

"Based on what?" Sakamoto Tetsu sneered, pointing his finger at the book "Sword Art Online" on the table. "The fact that a despicable person like him dares not keep his appointment is enough to prove that this book is worthless."

His voice grew louder and louder, as if he were about to vent all the resentment he had been holding in.

"The entire piece is written in colloquial language, with absolutely no literary merit. A true writer carefully considers every word and phrase, and can spend an entire day without eating or drinking in pursuit of a suitable metaphor."

"And his writing? It's as bland as water, as shallow as a child's essay..."

He vented his anger unilaterally in front of the camera, and the ratings curve began to decline on the big screen in the control room.

Hiroshi Kume saw it.

He didn't interrupt Sakamoto Tetsu, patiently waiting for him to finish venting.

When Sakamoto Toru stopped, panting from his emotional outburst, Kume Hiroshi slowly spoke, his voice carrying a perfectly timed hint of manipulation.

"So, Mr. Sakamoto, in your opinion, what should true literature be like?"

When the word "real literature" was mentioned, Toru Sakamoto's eyes lit up, and he looked at the mysterious Guan Gu sitting next to him.

To be honest, he both admired and envied the young man's short story.

That solid literary foundation, exquisite language rhythm, and profound philosophical thinking are things he couldn't have written.

But Guan Gu mysteriously appeared on the show and didn't say a word, giving all the spotlight to him.

This young man knows the rules.

"True literature should be like the book 'King, Politics, and Philosophy' by this mysterious teacher Guan Gu next to me."

Sakamoto Toru's voice became impassioned, and his face even flushed.

"His understanding of word choice and sentence structure is profound, and the beauty of 'mono no aware' is expressed in his writing with sharp precision."

"It also contains philosophical reflections and direct questioning of social realities..."

He was practically reciting sentences from that short story:

"Man is not born a slave. Even when oppressed, he will never yield; even when trapped in suffering, he will never despair. When faced with injustice, he will fearlessly correct it, never bowing down or flattering the powerful."

"This is what the Heisei literary scene should be like!"

His gaze fell on the empty chair, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Such words are probably something that cowardly villain who dares not show his face could never write in his entire life."

Kume Hiroshi turned to Sekiya Kaze, "Mr. Sekiya, what is your opinion of Sekiya's 'Sword Art Online'?"

"If you really want to say something?" Guan Gufeng looked up and asked with a smile.

I think I'm a genius.

Sakamoto Tetsu frowned, not understanding.

Kume Hiroshi pressed on at the opportune moment, asking, "What do you mean?"

Guan Gufeng stood up, walked to the empty chair, and sat down.

Then, he took off the name tag that read "Guan Gu Mystery" from his chest and placed it on the table.

"That's right." He looked at the camera. "I am Guan Gu Shenqi, the author of Sword Art Online."

There was a moment of silence in the studio.

"As for Guan Gu's mystery," he said, glancing at the dazed Sakamoto Toru, "it's just an alias of mine."

"The 'true literature' that Sakamoto-sensei mentioned is actually a plot from my upcoming book, The Twelve Kingdoms."

Quiet.

Absolute silence.

Sakamoto Toru's fingers began to tremble.

"No...it's impossible..." His voice was hoarse. "You...you..."

"What's impossible?"

Guan Gufeng remained calm. "If Sakamoto-sensei wants to see more 'mono no aware' or more obscure passages, I have a few short stories here, also taken from my new book. Would you like to take a look?"

Before Sakamoto Tetsu could answer, Sekiya Kaze continued, "Never mind, I regret it."

"After all," Guan Gufeng said sincerely, "you're not advocating literature, you're just trying to maintain your pathetic status and dignity."

Sakamoto Toru's face began to turn pale.

"Speaking of which," Guan Gufeng tilted his head, feigning a strained recollection, "I suddenly remembered Sakamoto-sensei's last major work from four years ago. What was it called again?"

He paused.

"Sorry, I forgot."

"Books that don't sell are indeed hard to remember."

Sakamoto Toru's hands were trembling, and his lips were trembling too.

"Sakamoto-sensei hasn't released any new works in so many years... Where has he made his fortune?"

Sakamoto Tetsu slumped in his chair, his face deathly pale. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but only a series of wheezing sounds came out of his throat.

Guan Gu Feng looked at him like that, pursed his lips, and suddenly felt that it was boring.

He was just yelling and cursing so loudly, but he's already back to his old ways before he's even really started.

"In fact," Guan Gufeng's voice softened, "the one who has buried the literary world is none other than yourself."

"How about this, after the show ends, I'll create a new account called 'Guan Gu Miracle' and post another short story like the one you like."

"You can watch it at home at your leisure. You don't need to go out or appear on TV."

"Watch quietly."

Sakamoto Toru's eyes slowly moved, looking at the surrounding cameras; the red indicator lights, like eyes, were watching him.

He realized that every word he had said and every expression he had made had been seen by millions of people across Japan.

His remaining literary reputation will vanish after tonight.

"you!"

Sakamoto Toru suddenly stood up.

"Well……"

His eyes rolled upwards, his body leaned back, and he fainted from anger.