Tokyo Mystery Writers

The wife drew back the curtains.

The room was bathed in a shimmering white light under the blue sky and white clouds. The time was 7:00 AM on January 6, 1980 (Showa 55).

Today marks the end of Kodansha's holiday.

Uyama Hideomi was woken up by his wife and brought to the living room to have breakfast with his family.

The eldest daughter is in high school, and the youngest son hasn't even learned to walk yet.

However, Hideomi Uyama, who is about to enter middle age, does not feel any midlife crisis.

Because I have a very respectable job, and I am willing to dedicate my life to it.

After breakfast, I changed my youngest son's diaper and hugged my wife.

Uyama Hideomi picked up his briefcase and walked out the door.

Today's mission is of paramount importance to Hideomi Uyama.

Because he had made a promise to Maijo Kyosuke in the coffee shop.

"The Tokyo Zodiac Murder Mystery" must be nominated for the Edogawa Ranpo Award!

This is a promise between men, and also reflects Hideomi Uyama's dedication to mystery novels!

Prior to this, Hideomi Uyama had already informed Naoki Akimoto, the editor-in-chief of the Third Publishing Department of Kodansha's Literature and Art Publishing House.

In order to gain the attention of editor-in-chief Naoki Akimoto, he claimed that he had struck gold and obtained a masterpiece!

After all, Hideomi Uyama was the deputy editor-in-chief, although his scope of power was not as great as that of the editor-in-chief.

But his taste is excellent.

The editor-in-chief, Naoki Akimoto, is also a person who is very passionate about mystery novels.

Although his tastes differ greatly from those of Hideomi Uyama, he is a staunch supporter of the social realism movement.

But when he heard Hideomi Uyama say that he was coming with a "masterpiece" and that the book might usher in a new era, he was naturally very excited!

He immediately made a phone call, demanding that all nine editors responsible for the Edogawa Ranpo Award selection come to the meeting room.

Let's discuss Hideomi Uyama's "masterpiece"!

But no one expected that the magic of astrology as a means of murder seemed destined to strike the literary world from the very beginning!

An unprecedented battle of editorial stances is about to erupt!

Hideomi Uyama drove his Jaguar to the Kodansha building in Otowa-cho, Bunkyo Ward.

Carrying his briefcase, he entered the conference room of the Third Publishing Department of the Literature and Art Museum, located on the fifth floor.

At this moment, Naoki Akimoto, the editor-in-chief and superior of Hideomi Uyama, was already waiting in the meeting room.

What puzzled Hideomi Uyama was that opposite the editor-in-chief, Naoki Akimoto, sat a strange young woman wearing an expensive white shirt and a ponytail, chatting happily with the editor-in-chief.

The sunlight streaming through the window fell on the girl, making her look as radiant and beautiful as a pure white rose bathed in sunlight!

Although Hideomi Uyama understood that the metaphor was terrible, the girl was indeed like a flower, so beautiful that you could almost smell her fragrance.

With large almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, and fair skin, she looks like a movie star.

Every smile and frown radiates elegance.

What's most deadly about her is her pair of almond-shaped eyes, as clear and bright as a lake. They seem to possess a captivating charm that can see right through people's souls and make them feel that no secret can be hidden from her eyes!

When editor-in-chief Naoki Akimoto saw Hideomi Uyama looking at the girl with curiosity, he naturally understood what she meant and immediately stood up to introduce her to Hideomi Uyama:

"Uyama, this is Ms. Eri Miri, the newly hired founder of our Kodansha magazine."

"As you know, most of the main publications of Kodansha serialize long mystery novels, which puts us at a disadvantage in the market for short mystery novels."

"Kōbunsha owns the copyright to 'Novel Gems' which it bought in 1968, Takarajimasha owns 'Novel Mystery', and Bungei Shunju owns 'ALL Reading Material'."

"Under these circumstances, the president and Ms. Chika naturally felt that we should also have our own short mystery magazine, so they invited Ms. Jiang Liu to help us launch it."

"After all, Ms. Jiang Liu was previously the main person in charge of the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine at Hayakawa Publishing."

"With her around, she'll definitely be able to help Kodansha create the best short mystery magazine!"

Hearing Akimoto Naoki's praise, Jiang Liu Meili smiled modestly:

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, you flatter me. I only served as editor-in-chief of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine for a period of time."

"It's not as bad as you say."

"Now that I've come to Kodansha, I still have a lot to learn from you."

Naoki Akimoto clearly held Jiang Liu Meili in high esteem, and upon hearing her humbly remark, he immediately waved his hand and said:

"Ms. Jiang Liu, there's no need to be modest. Although I am the editor-in-chief of the third publishing department of Kodansha's Bungeikan, I am also a reader of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine."

"It has nurtured many excellent short mystery writers; I should learn from you."

Jiang Liu Meili merely smiled slightly upon hearing Akimoto Naoki's praise:

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, I really didn't realize how amazing I had done."

"Maybe it's just because I'm lucky and have luck that others don't have."

After Jiang Liumei finished speaking, she turned her gaze to Yu Shan Hideomi's briefcase:

"Whether a mystery magazine is good or bad depends most on the stories and authors, not on who the editor-in-chief is."

"Mr. Yushan, could you also let me see that masterpiece?"

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Uyama Hideomi was amazed by Jiang Liu's beautiful appearance and conversation, and never expected that there would be such a young magazine editor.

For a moment, I even forgot the most important thing!

Thinking of this, Hideomi Uyama immediately took out the manuscript of the astrological murder magic from his briefcase and handed it to Naoki Akimoto:

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, this is the work written by the teacher I met by chance! It's called 'The Astrological Murder Magic'!"

"I, Hideomi Uyama, dare to swear on my life that this book, *The Astrological Murder Mystery*, will undoubtedly leave a significant mark on the world of mystery novels!"

"If we submit this work to the Edogawa Rampo Award, it will surely showcase a unique charm to the judges!"

Naoki Akimoto looked at Hideomi Uyama with some skepticism, took the manuscript from Uyama's hand, and began to read it.

Hideomi Uyama stood beside Naoki Akimoto. Every time Naoki Akimoto finished reading a page, he would put the manuscript away and make ten copies so that the other editors could review them.

Jiang Liu Meili sat to the side, appreciating the "masterpiece" that Yu Shan Hideomi had described from the copied manuscript.

At first, Jiang Liu Meili was somewhat worried that Yu Shan Ri Chen was exaggerating.

After all, he was once the editor-in-chief of a magazine, and there were countless books in his magazine that he claimed to be "masterpieces of the ages".

But gradually, Jiang Liumei became restless.

He started by sitting to the side, casually flipping through the manuscript.

They stood by the photocopier, eagerly anticipating what would happen next!

Because the deputy editor-in-chief, Hideomi Uyama, did not praise this book, "The Astrological Murder Magic," at all!

No amount of praise is too much to give to "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders"!