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

Nighttime, Taitung District, Guangu Bookstore.

Unlike the large bookstores in Ginza and Jimbocho that are still bustling with people late at night.

This bookstore, nestled in a corner of an old shopping street, is currently enveloped in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Most of the people coming and going on this street are familiar faces, and the neighbors help each other with their businesses; there are very few passersby.

However, today, the doors of Guangu Bookstore have been almost constantly closed since morning.

The renovations that took place some time ago had already aroused the curiosity of the neighbors, including those old customers who had left disappointed because of Matsumoto Yuko's inflated prices.

Upon hearing that Sachiko's eldest daughter was taking over the shop again, everyone came to support her, hoping to "go see Xiaoyu."

The word-of-mouth recommendations from the old neighbors also attracted many passersby.

They were stunned as soon as they entered.

The cramped, dimly lit old bookstore in my memory, filled with the smell of mildew, has now been completely transformed.

The lights illuminated the brand-new wooden bookshelf, and the air was filled with a faint scent of wood and ink.

The most eye-catching feature is the book tower in the center of the store, made up of two colors stacked together.

"Guan Gu Shenqi? Isn't that the young writer they've been talking about in the newspapers lately? Do you have his books here too?"

"Xiaoyu, give me this blue one, and this yellow one!" A gray-haired aunt carefully counted out coins from her wallet.

As he handed it over, he squeezed Guan Guyu's hand tightly, saying, "Your mother would be so happy if she could see this."

Despite saying they were just looking at the books for free, none of the regular customers left empty-handed, and some even bought multiple copies.

They supported this girl, whom they had watched grow up, in the simplest and most genuine way.

Guan Guyu stood behind the cashier, carefully wrapping each book in kraft paper and handing them back to the customer with both hands.

The smile on her face never faded from the moment she opened the door.

The staff of Wenyi Chunqiu's sales department also wore smiles.

However, their smiles carried a twisted sense of pain mixed with pleasure.

"Huh? What? You say you're the purchasing manager at Kinokuniya? Trying to get close to me won't work!" A young employee held the receiver between his shoulder and hand, writing on the order form with a hoarse voice.

"We only have a limited stock, and giving you a few hundred copies is already more than enough! First come, first served, don't give me any talk about long-term cooperation!"

He had just hung up the phone when another phone rang again, as if on cue. His colleague grabbed it and, after listening for only a few words, began to wail in pain.

"It's not that we don't want to give you Sansei-do books, the first print run is only 100,000 copies, and you're asking for 100,000 copies? I know you're a chain bookstore, but you can't ask for this much!"

The female employee in the corner, responsible for liaising with special channels, was almost in tears: "Animate? I know! I know you sell comics!"

"But you have to wait for the major bookstores to finish stocking up... What? Your store is blocked by customers? Well... then it's not your turn! Line up, line up!"

The entire sales department was filled with the sounds of ringing bells and shouting, and the air was thick with the smell of caffeine and adrenaline.

Just then, a powerful, ecstatic voice broke through all the noise. Shigeru Ishida stood at the door of his office, raising his hands high.

"Hey guys, let's go! Anyone upstairs at the BBQ place, sign up here tonight, drinks on me, on me!"

"good!!!"

"Long live Mr. Guan Gu!!!"

Looking at the bustling scene, Shigeru Ishida smiled so broadly his lips almost reached the sky.

The better Guan Gu's books sold, the higher his performance as the editor in charge of liaison work became, and he felt like he was going crazy with joy.

……

So, what is Mr. Guan Gu, who sparked our second book-buying frenzy, doing right now?

Roppongi, top floor of an apartment building.

In the open kitchen, Guan Gufeng wore a plain apron, held an iron pot, and with a flick of his wrist, the ingredients in the pot danced in the rising flames, and the aroma of the sauce brought by the intense heat instantly spread.

Behind him, at the dining table, sat three "family members" waiting for the meal to begin.

Xiaohua and Xiaobai squatted side by side on their special dining chairs, while next to them, Puchi Sachiko rested her chin on her hand, her gaze gently following the busy figure in the kitchen.

She had come out of the firm a few hours earlier, thinking that since they hadn't seen each other in a long time, she wanted to ask Guan Gufeng out for a meal and show him the firm's contracts.

When she heard him say on the phone, "Xiaohua's girlfriend is at home, do you want to come and see her?" she couldn't wait to run over.

She had a great time playing with the two cats after arriving, but only now has she suddenly realized something.

She was at his house, waiting for the dinner he had prepared himself.

This... should be considered... that...

Her face flushed slightly as she was lost in thought when she suddenly felt two pairs of eyes on her side. Turning her head, she met the round eyes of Xiaohua and Xiaobai.

Kamai Sachiko: "..."

For some reason, she sensed a mockery in the eyes of the two cats, and her face turned even redder. She quickly turned her head to examine the cat tree in the corner.

"Meow?"

A moment later, Guan Gufeng came out of the kitchen carrying dishes, and the aroma rescued Puchi Sachiko from her embarrassment.

Boiled prawns with red shells and white flesh, tempting golden sweet and sour pork, glossy red and oily Mapo tofu, and a big bowl of steaming seaweed and egg drop soup.

Guan Gufeng put down his chopsticks and introduced, "I reduced the numbing and spicy flavors of the Mapo Tofu, adjusting it to your preferred taste. Try it."

Looking at the delicious-looking and fragrant food on the table in front of her, Sachiko Kamachi felt a warmth that almost overflowed in her heart.

She clasped her hands together and said crisply: "いただきます!"

She picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork coated in sauce first, and with one bite, the crispy crust and the sweet and sour sauce blended perfectly in her mouth, so delicious that she squinted her eyes.

"So delicious!"

She mumbled a praise, then scooped up another spoonful of Mapo Tofu.

The tofu was smooth and tender, the minced meat was savory and fragrant, and the numbing and spicy flavors stimulated her taste buds just right—it was a level of flavor that she could completely accept and found very appetizing.

"Guan Gu-kun, you're amazing!"

Guan Gu Feng smiled but didn't say anything. He peeled shrimp on the side, peeled two first, and fed them to Xiao Hua and Xiao Bai, who were already waiting impatiently.

The two little ones grabbed a shrimp, jumped off their chairs, and ran to the side to enjoy it.

His gaze then fell on Sachiko Kamachi, who was engrossed in eating.

He hesitated for a moment, holding a freshly peeled shrimp between his fingers, dangling it in mid-air, and his face flushed slightly.

In the end, even though he remained unfazed by Kadokawa Haruki in the business world, Sekiya Kaze still couldn't muster the courage to feed the shrimp directly to him.