Tokyo Mystery Writers

Looking at Jiang Liu Meili's angry eyes, Mai Shiro Kyosuke naturally understood the reason behind it!

He immediately looked at Matsuura Kenji below the stage and said with a cold smile:

"Relying on women? Living off a woman?"

"Mr. Matsuura Jun, how could you, as the editor in charge at Kobunsha, utter such malicious remarks?"

"Is it because you rejected my manuscript back then, and now that you see me winning an award, you can't stand to see me doing well, and you harbor resentment towards me?"

"Or... are you being instructed by someone to deliberately smear me in order to achieve some other purpose?"

Maishiro Kyosuke turned to look at Eri Ryu behind him and continued speaking to the audience:

"Mr. Matsuura Kuni, I remember you are an editor at Kobunsha, and also the editor in charge of the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award."

"I heard Ms. Jiang Liu mention that the author who competed with my 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders' for the Edogawa Ranpo Ryu Prize was named Izawa Motohiko, and his book was called 'Sarumu Gensei'."

"Could it be that 'The Mystery of Sarumaru' was nominated for both the Edogawa Ranpo Award and the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award?"

"So you came to my awards ceremony because you also want to promote Motohiko Izawa's 'Sarumagi Gensaku', hoping to boost sales of 'Sarumagi Gensaku' by smearing me?"

"Otherwise, I really can't understand why you would want to smear me!"

Maishiro Kyosuke's words made Matsuura Kuni look embarrassed. The group of reporters obviously sensed the hot topic and immediately surrounded Matsuura Kuni with their equipment!

Seeing the reporter rush over, Maijo Kyosuke smiled and continued to question:

"Mr. Matsuura Jun, it's one thing for you to smear me because of our personal grudges."

"But there were five other judges present when the Dragon Award was being selected."

"You're saying I won the Dragon Award by sponging off a woman? You're saying my work doesn't deserve it?"

"So, are you implying something? Are you subtly criticizing the other five judges for being blind?"

Matsuura Kun's face turned pale and purple as Maishiro Kyosuke pressed him for answers, but he couldn't utter a single word!

Because no matter how he explained it, he had already incurred the wrath of the other five judges!

Thinking about all this, Matsuura Kuniya realized that his attempt to smear Maishiro Kyosuke had completely failed, and he immediately grabbed his briefcase and prepared to leave.

Matsuura Kuni made things difficult for Maishiro Kyosuke and Eri Miri. If Maishiro Kyosuke hadn't been able to turn things around, he might have been ruined by the "sex scandal" created by Matsuura Kuni!

Seeing Matsuura Kuni carrying his briefcase about to leave, Maijo Kyosuke naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to beat him up, and once again questioned Matsuura Kuni:

"Mr. Matsuura Kuni, do you remember what you said to me in the coffee shop?"

Matsuura Kuni was running towards the gate when he heard Maishiro Kyosuke's words. He suddenly stopped and turned around, staring in horror at Maishiro Kyosuke, who was smiling at him from the podium.

Because Matsuura Kuni already knew what kind of tricks Maishiro Kyosuke was up to!

"Mr. Matsuura Kuni, I remember you telling me back then that classic mystery is dead!"

"In this era, writing traditional mystery novels only leads to death!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Matsuura Jun, could you repeat what you said to me back then?"

"Right in front of masters like Takao Tsuchiya and Tetsuya Namikawa!"

"I'll say it again: classic mystery is dead!"

As soon as Maishiro Kyosuke finished speaking, Matsuura Kuni felt nearly a hundred gazes flying towards him like swords!

Seeing that Maishiro Kyosuke was driving himself to the brink of despair, Matsuura Kuni could only glare venomously at Maishiro Kyosuke on the stage before roughly pushing aside the group of reporters around him and fleeing out of the hall!

After all, if I stay here any longer, I might get beaten to death by a bunch of writers who stick to classic mystery!

Maijo Kyosuke was very happy to see Matsuura Kun fleeing in disarray.

He turned his head and winked at Jiang Liumei behind him, then looked at the crowd below the stage again:

"Sorry, a fly has ruined my book promotion."

"Please forget the unpleasantness from earlier and let's get back to our previous topic."

Jingsuke Maishiro, microphone in hand, tossed the Sherlock Holmes trophy to Meiri Eri behind him, casually sat down on the edge of the podium, and smiled as he addressed the audience:

"When I said before that I was going to write a work that you had never seen, never heard of, and could never write, I believe that everyone here must have thought I was an extremely arrogant person, right?"

"Unfortunately, I am a very humble person and not arrogant at all."

"Because the word 'arrogance' itself means extreme conceit and looking down on others."

"But I'm not that kind of person. On the contrary, I have great respect for everyone here, whether you write classic mystery, unconventional mystery, social realism, or hard-boiled fantasy. As long as you're a senior, I have the utmost respect!"

"After all, Japanese reasoning cannot be carried out by one person alone."

"Even Edogawa-sensei, Yokomizo-sensei, and Matsumoto-sensei on stage, they can only represent an era, but they cannot represent the entirety of mystery fiction!"

"In fact, Japanese reasoning was created by all of us!"

"Therefore, I have the utmost respect for each and every one of you here!"

"But respect doesn't equate to status, nor does it guarantee power!"

"Everyone here is a prominent figure in the industry, so they naturally understand that a writer isn't called a writer simply because of respect!"

"A writer is called a writer because they can produce engaging books based on their talent!"

"And I, Maijo Kyosuke, am someone who has that ability!"

"Even if Mr. Seicho Matsumoto were standing right behind me, I would still dare to say this!"

Maishiro Kyosuke slowly stood up from the ground, removed his top hat, and looked at the nearly two thousand people below the stage, saying each word clearly:

"If you all think that I, Maijo Kyosuke, am just bluffing and trying to please everyone, and don't believe that I can write a book that none of you here have written or read?"

"Then you all better listen up!"

"I, Kyosuke Maijo, hereby issue a challenge to all the writers present!"

"I will not only write a mystery novel that you have never seen before, and that you will never be able to write!"

"At the same time, I also need to spend a week writing another short mystery story that you can only look up to!" (This is a title or slogan, and doesn't need a direct translation.)

"If anyone here disagrees, feel free to submit an article to *Top Hat* magazine and compete with me!"

"The second issue of *Top Hat* magazine will include a public poll!"

"Announced in the third issue of Top Hat magazine!"

"If the vote shows that I lost to any of you, not only will I retire from the mystery writing world, but I will also gather everyone here and publicly apologize to you all!"

After finishing his speech, Maishiro Kyosuke turned off his microphone, respectfully shook hands with Matsumoto Seicho to express his gratitude, and then left the podium with Jiang Liu Meili and Uyama Hideomi.

Matsumoto Seicho watched the three figures disappear into the distance, his already somewhat cloudy eyes revealing a strange expression.

"Could you be the one to lead the Japanese mystery literature scene to its next peak?"

As Matsumoto Kiyoshi gazed at Maijo Kyosuke's retreating figure, he suddenly merged the images of Edogawa Ranpo and Maijo Kyosuke into one, imprinting it in his memory.