RBCT Chapter 149 A Showdown of Unconventional Detective Novels
Chapter 149 A Showdown of Unconventional Detective Novels
Chapter 149 A Showdown of Unconventional Detective Novels
January 1, 1980, early morning.
Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Jimbocho.
The Tatara Used Bookstore in the Jimbocho used book district is currently brightly lit and bustling with activity.
One hundred cannon shots were fired in unison into the sky.
The centennial celebration of "Tato Ryo Bookstore" has officially begun!
Wearing a suit, Maijo Kyosuke linked arms with Eri Mimi, who was wearing a white dress, as they walked into the "Tatara Used Bookstore".
As soon as I pushed open the door of "Tatara Used Bookstore".
Maijo Kyosuke noticed that the bookstore was no longer as crowded and messy as it had been half a month ago; instead, it was unusually clean, and the space suddenly felt much more spacious.
Seeing this scene, it's easy to guess that Tadakatsu had specially inventoried the old books in the bookstore to make room for the distinguished guests in preparation for this "centennial celebration".
However, seeing this display of wealth, Maijo Kyosuke finally understood why Tatara Katsuyuki, an old bookstore owner, could so easily give him the manuscript of "Mr. Ultraman's Hands," worth fifty million yen.
Not counting the maze-like "sea of books" behind "Tatara Used Bookstore", this front hall alone, which was temporarily inventoried, is nearly 100 square meters in size!
Even disregarding the numerous autographed copies and manuscripts by renowned authors in the bookstore, the mere fact that Tatara Katsunori owns a house in Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is enough to prove his immense wealth!
When Tatara Katsumi saw Maijo Kyosuke and Eri walk in, an undisguised smile of joy appeared on his face, and he hurriedly went to greet them.
"Mr. Mai, Ms. Jiang, you've arrived!"
"You two are very distinguished guests today! Please come in!"
Today, Tatara Katsumi changed his usual kimono attire and wore a rather sophisticated suit, giving him the air of a bookstore tycoon.
But in terms of presence, he was outshone by the robust old man with a full head of white hair, dressed in a men's kimono, standing beside him.
In comparison, Yoshikatsu Tataka suddenly went from a bookstore tycoon to a housekeeper in a wealthy household, losing some of his former prestige.
When Tatara Katsumi saw Maishiro Kyosuke looking at the old man beside him, he naturally understood what Maishiro Kyosuke meant and immediately introduced, "Mr. Maishiro, Ms. Eru, this is my father, Tatara En'o, the fourth-generation owner of 'Tatara Used Bookstore'."
"Father, this is Mr. Maijo Kyosuke, the one you admire so much, the genius author who wrote 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders' and just published 'The Summer of the Ubume' yesterday!"
"The beautiful lady next to Teacher Wucheng is none other than Ms. Jiang Liumei, the editor-in-chief of the magazine 'Top Hat'."
O
As soon as Tatara Katsuyuki finished introducing Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Miri, Tatara En'o's eyes lit up with joy. He nodded to Eri Miri in greeting, then grasped Maishiro Kyosuke's hand: "Mashiro-sensei, welcome to our Tatara Used Bookstore's centennial celebration! It's truly an honor for a small used bookstore like ours to have a bestselling author like you attend!"
Tatara En'o paused for a moment halfway through his sentence, then continued with a smile, "What I just said might have sounded like polite talk, but to be honest, I'm also a big fan of Maishiro-sensei's books!"
"I've seen all of your works!"
"I have read all of them, including the short mystery stories published in Miss Jiang Liu's 'Top Hat' magazine, such as 'A Bellflower,' 'The Convergence,' and 'The Mystery of the Death Row Inmate,' as well as the full-length novel 'The Astrological Murder Magic.'"
"As for 'The Summer of the Ubume'..."
Tatara En'o looked a little embarrassed: "I already snapped up a copy of 'The Summer of the Ubume' at the bookstore yesterday, but I'm an old man after all, and my reading speed can't compare to that of young people."
"In addition, Mr. Maicheng's book is a bit thick, so even after spending the whole day yesterday, I still haven't had time to finish reading it."
Seeing Tatara En'o's enthusiasm towards him, and knowing that he had come specifically to attend the centennial celebration, Maijo Kyosuke naturally couldn't refuse the old shop owner's request.
He then led Jiang Liu Meili and Tatara Enxiong to a spot and started chatting.
It was only during this conversation that I realized that Tatara En'o wasn't just being polite by pretending to be a fan of Maijo Kyosuke's books to get closer to me.
Because Tatara En'o had prepared tea for Maijo Kyosuke and Eru Miri, he actually brought out issues one through three of the "Top Hat" magazine.
He also took out a "new book judgment" edition of "The Astrological Murder Magic" and "Summer of the Ubume" and placed them in front of Maijo Kyosuke and Eri Miri.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go get some pastries for Teacher Wucheng and Miss Jiang Liu."
Maishiro Kyosuke saw Tatara Enou go to get the pastries.
He reached out and began flipping through the magazines and books on the table.
He soon discovered that the numbers of these "Top Hat" magazines and books were all very early in the book, clearly not the ones he had given to Katsunori Tatara.
Furthermore, at four-fifths of the way down the page of "Summer of the Ubume," there is an exquisite bookmark made of leaves.
"I apologize for keeping you both waiting."
Tatara En'o was indeed an old man, looking worried that Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Miri wouldn't have enough to eat.
A large plate of fresh fruit and pastries was brought over and placed on the table.
Before Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Ryumi could react, each of them found themselves holding a pear larger than an adult's fist.
Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Miri exchanged a glance, not wanting to put the pears back. They could only nibble on the pears while chatting with Tatara En'o: "Sir, you really like my books. These books have very early numbers, they don't look like they were given to Mr. Tatara by me. So you bought them yourself?"
Tatara En'o gave a strange smile upon hearing Maishiro Kyosuke's words, and then rolled up the sleeves of his kimono, revealing his arms.
As Tatara En's arm was revealed, both Maijo Kyosuke and Eryu Miri showed expressions of surprise.
Because Tatara En's exposed arm had more than a dozen scars, some bright red and some purplish, as if he had been beaten!
Upon seeing this, Jiang Liumei covered her mouth and whispered, "Mr. Duoduo Liang, what happened to you? Why do you have so many injuries on your arms?"
"I heard Mr. Tatara mention that you've always lived in the countryside. Were you bullied there?"
Upon hearing Jiang Liu Meili's words, Tatara En'o showed a hint of surprise on his face, but quickly shook his head and said with a smile, "Miss Jiang Liu, you're overthinking it. I wasn't hit. I'm perfectly healthy."
"These are all marks of honor, proof that I am still alive!"
Upon hearing Tatara En'o's words, Maishiro Kyosuke exchanged a glance with Eri Ryu, who was beside him, and then both looked at Tatara En'o with surprised eyes.
Tatara Ken'o's words were really puzzling.
Seeing that the two were looking at him, Tatara En'o didn't hide anything. He first pointed to the books on the table, then to the wound on his arm, and said, "You will definitely find it hard to understand my behavior. To me, it is a kind of enjoyment, but to you, it may be a kind of quirk."
"Not just you guys, even my son thinks I'm weird."
"To put it simply, when I was young, I often competed with some colleagues to buy ancient books, and in the early years, we would often fight over rare manuscripts."
"So under these circumstances, I developed a love for buying books, even if I could buy them without having to fight for them."
"But I still want to rush to the bookstore at the peak to grab some bargains!"
"That feeling is like a happiness etched into your bones, especially when there are limited edition or autographed pieces. If you can manage to snag one, you feel that no matter how much hard work and sweat you put in, it's all worth it!"
Jiang Liumei chewed on the juicy pear in her mouth, and asked with some confusion, "So—sir, these injuries on your arms, were they from fighting with others to buy books?"
Tatara En'o nodded seriously and said with a smile, "That's right. Although it feels a bit strange, I usually call these scars marks of honor!"
'
Maishiro Kyosuke was not surprised to hear Tatara En'o's words.
Because I heard what Tatara Kensuke said.
Maijo Kyosuke seemed to be thinking of his past life.
I'm usually incredibly lazy, but whenever it's a holiday, I always want to go on a trip.
Even though every time I go to a tourist attraction, it's always packed with people, and I can't see any good scenery, I still don't learn my lesson on the next holiday.
Perhaps Tatara Kensuo also had this mentality, thinking that buying books was exciting, which is why he went to buy books?
"So—sir, you've read all my books except for 'The Summer of the Ubume'."
"Could you tell me which piece you like the most, and why you like it?"
Tatara En'o pondered Maijo Kyosuke's words for a moment, then said, "If I had to pick my favorite, based on my taste, it would naturally be 'The Mystery of the Death Row Inmate'!"
"Because 'The Mystery of the Death Row Inmate' is a truly Japanese logic-based mystery that surpasses Western mystery works!"
"Whether it's the double-logic elimination method used, the astonishing entry point, or the shocking Greek tragedy-style murder motive at the end, it's undoubtedly one of the strongest logic-driven mystery short stories I've ever seen!"
"Professor Maishiro, I can say without exaggeration that with just this one story, 'The Mystery of the Death Row Inmate,' you are almost certain to be remembered in the annals of Japanese mystery fiction!"
After speaking, Tatara En'o pondered for a moment, then placed his hand on the cover of "The Summer of the Ubume": "As for longer works, I personally prefer 'The Summer of the Ubume' —"
Upon hearing Tatara En'o's words, Jiang Liu Meili's face showed a curious expression: "Sir? You haven't finished reading 'The Summer of the Ubume' yet, have you? Why do you like 'The Summer of the Ubume' even more?"
"Do you think there's something wrong with 'The Astrological Murder Mystery'?"
Tatara En'o shook his head, a robust smile appearing on his face that belied his age: "Mr. Maishiro, Ms. Eri, please don't misunderstand. 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders' is excellent; for me, it's practically the pinnacle of 'trick mystery novels.'"
"But—compared to 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,' I prefer the eerie atmosphere that 'The Summer of the Ubume' brings me. You know, in our time, no one disliked Seishi Yokomizo."
"Although I still don't know what strange scene Enokizu Reijiro saw through that door, the terrifying atmosphere of that scene really reminded me of the terrifying atmosphere in 'The Honjin Murders'."
"So, based on this alone, 'The Summer of the Ubume' is much more important to me than 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders'."
"At the same time, I can also understand why Seishi Yokomizo wrote a review for 'The Summer of the Ubume'."
Maishiro Kyosuke, Eri Ryumi, and Tatara En'o were chatting idly inside the "Tatara Used Bookstore".
Tatara Katsumi, on the other hand, continuously received the guests who came and went.
Most of these people were owners of other secondhand bookstores, with a few regular customers who came specifically to hear about him, as well as Japanese mystery writers who came to ask for autographs after hearing that Maijo Kyosuke had come here.
Perhaps it was the grandeur of the previous hundred-gun salute, or perhaps it was the arrival of Maijo Kyosuke that alerted some Japanese mystery writers.
So, when the celebration was about to begin at noon, nearly a hundred guests were already seated under the stage set up outside the door.
As the time drew closer to the set noon,...
Manji Gonda, along with his wife and Kiyoshi Kasai, presented a congratulatory gift on behalf of the Japanese mystery critics' community.
The Mikoshiba family presented a congratulatory gift on behalf of Kodansha.
Kenzaki Mitsuki arrived in a luxury car with a giant money tree, demonstrating her immense wealth!
What was most unexpected was that Toru Miyoshi, the then chairman of the Mystery Writers of Japan Association, also came to the scene on behalf of the association.
He was accompanied by Chen Shunchen, the "master of historical mystery," and Takao Tsuchiya, the "master of classic mystery."
In comparison, the arrival of the Uyama Hideomi family seemed less impressive.
But Yoshimasa Tataka is not the type to treat people differently based on their status. He also knows that the large number of people coming to his used bookstore is largely due to the help of Kyosuke Maijo and the "New Orthodox Mystery Club"!
Therefore, all visitors, regardless of their status or ability, are treated equally and taken care of in every way, ensuring that no one has the slightest complaint.
Amidst this lively atmosphere...
As the clock struck twelve!
The centennial celebration of "Tatara Used Bookstore" has officially begun!
After Katsunori Tatara and his father, Kengo Tatara, finished their speeches on stage.
Soon, in order of social status, they invited Toru Miyoshi, representing the Japan Mystery Writers Association, Manji Gonda, representing the Japan Mystery Criticism Society, and Yasunori Mikoshiba, representing Kodansha, to speak in turn.
The speeches that everyone read on stage were clearly prepared in advance.
It's nothing more than wishing "Tatara Old Bookstore" to last longer and longer.
The message included wishes for "Tatara Old Bookstore" to continue for another hundred years.
This made Maijo Kyosuke feel that the ceremony was rather dull.
No matter what, this is supposed to be the centennial celebration of a mystery and antiquities bookstore. If it's done in such a rigid way, where is the atmosphere that a mystery and antiquities bookstore should have?
With all this in mind, Kyosuke Maijo decided to give Tatara Used Bookstore a memorable event for its centennial celebration.
This will not only increase the visibility of "Tatara Used Bookstore", but also help Tatara win a victory.
It also allows you to show off your skills in front of these people, increasing your popularity and exposure.
After all, with the arrival of people like Miyoshi Toru, Gonda Manji, Chen Shunchen, Tsuchiya Takao, Maijo Kyosuke, and Kasai Kiyoshi.
Unbeknownst to many, countless reporters had gathered in the audience, recording this rare moment.
Soon, after the other representatives had finished their tedious speeches, it was finally Maijo Kyosuke's turn to speak.
Maijo Kyosuke took the microphone from Tatara Katsunori and stood casually on the stage, saying, "Everyone has said those words of blessing many times before, so there's nothing new about it if I repeat them now."
"I'm here today for the centennial celebration of Tatara Used Bookstore for two reasons. One is that I have a very good relationship with the owner of Tatara Used Bookstore, and I even obtained a very rare manuscript by a famous author from there."
"Another reason is that I recently created a new private mystery club."
"I call this private mystery club the New Orthodox Mystery Club," and the owner of "Tatara Old Bookstore," Mr. Katsunori Tatara, is one of the members of the "New Orthodox Mystery Club."
""
"Therefore, as the founder of the 'New Orthodox Mystery Club,' I naturally have to support my members and not let this centennial celebration end so blandly."
"So, I've come up with a fun way to play, and I'd like everyone to participate!"
As soon as Maijo Kyosuke spoke, a commotion arose from the audience.
Because people are obviously tired of template-based speeches and want to hear something original.
Maijo Kyosuke put his index finger to his lips to signal everyone to be quiet, then smiled and said, "I would like to invite everyone here to play a game."
"I've recently reread many of Edogawa Ranpo's works, and I'm particularly interested in 'unconventional mystery' stories."
"So, is anyone interested in writing a crossover mystery novel with me? Let's have a contest!"
As soon as Maijo Kyosuke uttered his suggestion, a cheer erupted from the audience.
Seeing the crowd cheering so enthusiastically.
Maijo Kyosuke nodded in satisfaction, then glanced down at his watch, a smile appearing on his face: "The deadline for the manuscript—let's set it for six hours later, before dinner starts, how about that?"