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

The inner room.

It was the same familiar space; the kotatsu was still in the same spot, but the tablecloth had been replaced with a new one.

He placed his bag on the table and sat down on the cushion next to the low table. There was still half a pot of warm water in the kettle on the table, so he poured himself a glass of water.

Then he took out a comic book. On this page, the main character was flying in the air. He turned the page.

This scene and angle are the same as the one he drew in the demonstration drawings for the group of artists at Studio Ghibli.

They did, however, put what they learned into practice.

The sounds from outside drifted in indistinctly; it was Guan Guyu's voice.

"Is this newly bought?"

Sato's powerful voice.

"This rain came really suddenly."

The younger brother's report.

"Teacher Guan Gu is waiting for you in the inner room."

A moment later, the door to the inner room was pushed open, and Guan Guyu stood in the doorway.

She was a little wet from the rain, and behind her, Sato was placing several shopping bags on the floor of the outer room.

Guan Gufeng looked up and met her eyes. "Sister, you're back."

"Hmm." She walked in, sat down next to him, picked up the teacup in front of him, and took a sip.

"I see you're carrying several bags of things, what did you buy this time?"

"I brought them some snacks." Guan Gufeng pointed to the tote bag on the table. "I also bought you some clothes. I saw a few spring styles that I think would look great on you."

"The bookstore's business has been booming lately." Guan Guyu didn't say anything, picked up a dorayaki, and said, "The foot traffic on this street used to be okay, but it seems like someone has been promoting it recently."

"It's probably because a customer sent some recommendations. Anyway, the number of people coming to buy books has increased several times recently. We're so busy that we're almost overwhelmed. We're taking a day off since we're out of stock these two days."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I didn't expect you to come back."

I wanted to give you a surprise.

Guan Guyu finished the remaining dorayaki, wiped her fingers with a tissue, and suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, did you see a female customer when you came in? She said she was coming to pick up her books today."

"I saw it. She sat there for half an hour, and then she left."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yes, she introduced herself."

Guan Guyu nodded, picked up her teacup and took another sip. Her expression didn't change much; the curve of her lips remained.

"sister."

"Um?"

"Are you and her close?" Guan Gufeng considered his words carefully. "I don't think I've ever heard you mention her before."

"We got along pretty well in college. She sat in the row behind me, and every time the teacher handed out the curls, she would ask me to check her grades. During lunch break, we would go to the rooftop together to eat lunch."

"Later she went to university, and I helped out at the bookstore. A while ago she suddenly came to the store and said that a classmate recommended it, and she didn't expect that it was opened by me."

When the topic turned to university, Guan Guyu's tone became somewhat subdued.

"We chatted for a while, and it felt like things were still the same as before."

Guan Gufeng didn't speak. He watched her place the teacup on the table, her hands remaining on the teacup.

Where does she go to school?

"It seems to be Keio University." Guan Guyu thought for a moment, "She asked me when we were in high school if we wanted to take the Keio entrance exam together."

"She said she could get me a letter of recommendation, but I said the tuition for private schools was too high, and I'd rather take the standardized test. You know what happened next."

The inner room remained quiet for a long time.

Guan Gu Feng looked into his sister's eyes but couldn't read anything.

"sister."

"Um?"

"Do you want to go to school there?"

Guan Guyu was stunned for a moment.

"Eh? I also have to run a bookstore now, and..."

Her voice gradually lowered under Guan Gufeng's gaze; Guan Guyu had seen him look at her like that before.

That day, when he left home and said to her at the door, "Wait for me to come back," he had the same look in his eyes.

"think."

"I understand." Guan Gufeng nodded. "Sis, wait a moment, I'm going out to make a phone call."

Guan Gufeng took the mobile phone and walked to the sunshade outside the bookstore.

Kitamura Nosashi was standing there smoking. When he saw him come out, he put out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Are you alright?"

Guan Gu Feng waved his hand and dialed Kadokawa Haruki's number.

At that moment, Haruki Kadokawa was playing golf when he heard the phone ringing at his waist, so he put down his golf club.

Seeing that it was Guan Gufeng's number, he raised an eyebrow, answered the call, and spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Mr. Guan Gu, it's rare to see you call me first. What's up? Your next book is going to be published by Kadokawa?"

"No, that's not it." Guan Gufeng leaned against the outer wall of the bookstore. "I don't have any ideas for the new book yet. I've come to consult you about something."

"Oh?"

"President Kadokawa, are you familiar with Keio University?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone; Haruki Kadokawa was arranging and combining all the known information.

He wasn't able to become the president of Kadokawa Shoten because of his flashy white suit.

"Keio? Professor Sekiya wants to experience university life?" His tone was sarcastic. "As far as I know, the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo has extended an invitation to you for a visiting professorship. You could be sitting at home with people delivering offer letters to your door."

"It wasn't me, it was my older sister," Guan Gufeng said. "When I go to university, I don't have time to write."

He didn't continue; some things don't need to be said.

"I understand, I see." Haruki Kadokawa's tone became steady. "It's been a while since the start of the semester, but it won't affect your enrollment."

"Gakushuin University might be a bit troublesome, but Keio and Waseda are fine. Which one would your sister like to go to?"

Keio Gijuku.

"No problem." Haruki Kadokawa chuckled. "Perfect timing, Principal Shimada of Keio High School still owes me a favor."

"Don't worry about the recommendation letters and interviews. As for the school's short essays, your sister can prepare them. It's just a formality, so as long as you don't submit a blank paper, there won't be any problems."

Guan Gufeng didn't expect things to go so smoothly, not because he doubted Kadokawa Haruki's abilities as a financial tycoon.

When something comes too easily, it can feel unreal.

"Thank you, President Kadokawa."

"What's the big deal?" Kadokawa Haruki's tone became casual again. "Sekiya-sensei helped me last time, I remember what happened with Nakamori Akina."

"The price was so low that I felt embarrassed. If she hadn't come to me on her own initiative, I would have thought someone was paying out of pocket. If you have any ideas for a new book, feel free to contact me. I won't bother you with your writing."

The phone hangs up.

Haruki Kadokawa placed the mobile phone on the seat of the golf cart, picked up the golf club, and then put it down again.

The grass was a vibrant green today, moistened by the post-rain mist, and he looked at the distant green, feeling even better than before.

Guan Gufeng is no longer the rookie writer who walked into the Kadokawa Building with a stack of manuscript papers.

He has become a cultural icon among young people, stirring up the literary world, sparking nationwide social discussion, and even prompting the old men in Congress to re-examine juvenile laws within a month and a half.

His name appeared in the social section of newspapers just as often as in the culture section.

Kadokawa Shoten lacks a true foundation in the literary field.

It is not the Shincho Society, and it does not have the reputation of a century-old pure literature.

It's not a literary anthology; it lacks the power to shake the literary world's discourse.

What Haruki Kadokawa can offer is very simple: money.

But money can't buy a nomination vote for a literary prize, nor can it buy the respect and approval of those in the literary circle.

Money can't even buy an author worth working with long-term, because someone who truly aspires to be a literary giant won't consider their publisher as their first choice.

The more outstanding Guan Gu Feng became, the less he could sleep. All he had in his hand was a publishing contract for "Sword Art Online".

This young man has no obligation to write any new books for Kadokawa, and he himself owes them a small favor.

It's different now.

The call lasted less than four minutes before Guan Gufeng offered to help him.

A novel opens up a completely new path to literature, and two books prompt a professor from the University of Tokyo to co-author an editorial. This kind of person doesn't easily owe favors.

All Guan Gufeng wanted was a spot at a private university, Keio, not a place like Gakushuin, which was full of royalty and former noble families.

Why not achieve great things with minimal expenditure?

Haruki Kadokawa then dialed the phone number of the president of Keio High School.

"Hey, Shimada. Did you like the Yamazaki sherry bucket I gave you before? I still have some left, I'll bring some over later..."