My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Everyone watched nervously as the most skilled man in the black suit swiftly administered salbutamol to the person.

About a minute later, the young man took a deep breath, signaling to the man in the black suit not to use too much force, as it was getting in his way, and then murmured to Zhao Wen, "I hope you will remember me... I am Konoe Kazuma."

This shouldn't be said to me, my friend. It should be said to Watanabe...

"Forever." Zhao Wen replied, echoing Watanabe's line.

It's obvious that Kazuma Konoe was one of the recipients of the early leaked copy of "Norwegian Wood," otherwise he wouldn't have written that line in Chinese on his support sign.

When he heard Zhao Wen say "forever," Konoe Kazuma smiled. You can't imagine how infectious a man's smile to another man could be. Even Zhao Wen was infected. He waved gently to the asthma patient, then turned and pulled Deng Ge into the Black Duke.

My brother Deng got out of the car to protect his little brother because he was startled when he saw those people in black suits appear.

The events that had just occurred left the more than two thousand people at the scene in silence for almost two minutes. It wasn't until Zhao Wen got into the car that they snapped out of their daze and roared away once more.

"Mr. Snail's writing is not only gentle, but he also possesses the deepest kindness in his heart! (Japanese omitted...)"

"Did I miss something? Why are you all crying?"

"Gentle and refined like jade, a peerless gentleman—is there such a saying in Mr. Snail's Chinese culture?"

The book fans weren't going to leave anytime soon, so the reporters, protecting their tools, shouted, "Hurry up! You clear the way! Where did your energy go last night? Charge!"

"Seriously, did you get a picture of that person's face? Was it that guy from the Konoe family?"

"Got it! Stop arguing, go!" Without a moment's delay, the man protected the camera while rapidly scribbling details in his notebook. He even wrote the headline: "Famous Novelist Gently Rescues Fainting Fan, Fan Suspected..."

As the Duke's car sped along, Brother Deng looked at his younger brother beside him and sighed, "Awen, I've seen too many arrogant guys, but my good brother, you are incredibly talented, yet so sincere!"

In the front passenger seat, Mr. Rattan excitedly opened his cigarette box and handed it over. He was worried that Zhao Wen and the others might not have brought any lighters, so he also placed his own Qibao Dunhill cigarettes on the box.

"Mr. Wicker Chair, you're too kind. Didn't you already give me one? You're giving me another!" Zhao Wen lit the lighter for Brother Deng first, then lit his own, and casually handed the lighter to Wu Deng. "I already have one. Mr. Wicker Chair, you can't refuse such kindness, so please accept this one, Brother Deng!"

Thirty years later, the counterfeit products from Yiwu will be able to completely surpass these originals in terms of craftsmanship. Therefore, for the Chinese, these luxury goods are meaningless. His taking the lighter from the little Japanese man is just a habit ingrained in his genes.

Wu Deng also has a Dunhill, but it's the regular version, which almost every tourist visiting Japan can buy. This one, however, is a limited-edition collaboration seppuku (Japanese rolled glutinous rice cake). This... this is too much to ask for...

Mr. Rattan Chair's smile didn't waver, but he was truly bitter inside. Wasn't it a bit much for you Chinese to go so far as to snatch a lighter?

Despite his inner turmoil, he understood that the news, once published in the expedited evening edition, would undoubtedly generate unimaginable buzz for tomorrow's meet-and-greet and book signing!

Zhao Wen is very familiar with the artistic explosion in Japan in the 1980s. Throughout the 1980s, almost every Japanese person was an artist. When the original version of "Norwegian Wood" was published in 1987, the streets were packed with people, and physical bookstores had long queues overnight. It sold 454 million copies in one year, and it was a hardcover edition!

Haruki Murakami, the author of "Norwegian Wood," has his photo featured on the main posters in all the large chain bookstores across Japan, and there is an exquisite counter dedicated solely to his books. Kodansha frequently books out the Imperial Hotel and the New Takanawa Prince Hotel to host parties centered around him!

Therefore, Konoe Kazuma's sudden illness today is not a coincidence. In this era, idols are like gods in the clouds, and the opportunity to meet them in person is extremely rare. Without online short video live streaming, fans can only guess based on black and white photos in magazines and radio recordings. They don't even have the chance to see their idols from afar.

For overseas genius writers like myself and international folk singers like the "Queen of Pop," ordinary people might never get to see them up close in their lifetime. In the hearts of fans, idols are flawless, and there's even a filter that says "idols don't need to poop."

When you actually see the real person up close one day, the huge stimulation will cause your adrenaline to surge, leading to hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis. Isn't it normal to faint on the spot?

It's nothing like decades later, when fans are completely desensitized to their "idols," and even when the grandmaster is practically fainting on stage, the fans below remain unmoved...

...

Kazuma Konoe comes from the Konoe Five Regents, the highest-ranking family in Japan. His father and aunt grew up together, developing a deep and passionate love. To maintain the purity of the noble bloodline, they married...

This incestuous relationship caused a huge uproar in the upper echelons of Japanese society. All the nobles in Tokyo united to continuously suppress the Konoe family. The endless rumors and framing finally broke Konoe Kazuma's parents, who eventually went overseas and disappeared without a trace.

Kazuma Konoe became the sole legal heir of the Konoe family, which also included his grandfather, great-grandfather, and another aunt...

He was physically weak, but intelligent and sensitive. His social anxiety made him even more naive, and he would only let down his guard in front of his two childhood friends.

On the morning he finished reading "Norwegian Wood" overnight, it was drizzling in Tokyo. He sat by the window, looking at the pine trees in the courtyard, and tears fell without warning.

Mr. Tengyi spent the whole night reading the manuscript, while Konoe Kazuma kept crying.

What kind of person is this Mr. Snail? Does he know how much this book will cleanse the soul of a bereaved person?

Moreover, Mr. Snail, I will no longer see loneliness as shameful, because you have taught me how to make peace with it!

When the Black Duke convoy arrived at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, it drove directly to the hotel entrance through a pre-arranged passage. As usual, Zhao Wen paused for a few minutes in front of reporters and fans before entering the hotel's main lobby.

Outside the hotel, the number of fans gathered far exceeded that at the airport, reminiscent of the grand spectacle that occurred when Sidney Sheldon visited Japan in 85.

The Special Correspondent of the Formosa News Agency stationed in Japan, upon returning to the office, immediately began preparing the telegrams to be sent.

• Key dialogue: The boy holding up a sign with the lyrics from "Norwegian Wood," and Mr. Snail's response...

•Character details: The teenager has a medical episode, he has bodyguards...

•Emotional scenes: Book fans in tears, media scrambling for camera positions...

Two hours later, Taipei published a copy of "City Magazine" and distributed it on the streets. It contained a blurry black-and-white photo of Zhao Wen.

Title: Two Thousand Readers Surround Mr. Snail at the Airport!

Text: A special dispatch from Tokyo, March 3rd: Chinese writer Zhao Wen (pen name Mr. Snail) arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport today, where over two thousand Japanese readers were present to greet him… Zhao Wen's trip to Japan has become the focus of the entire Japanese literary world…