Chapter 17 "Hear the Wind Sing" is published
Chapter 17 "Hear the Wind Sing" is published
"Are you going to give a speech to express your gratitude for the award?" Kitagawa Hideyuki's handsome face looked exceptionally calm under the yellow light on top of the cart. He did not have any of the excitement that a new writer who had made his debut by leaps and bounds would have.
"General, here, this fried squid is mine!"
After listening to Saito Reina's long chatter, An Jing just asked a simple question and then focused his attention on the plate of fried squid in the general's hand.
"Oh, sorry, sir. This was ordered by the person over there first. I'll make yours right away! Please wait a moment! I'm so sorry!"
The barbecue stall boss in a white coat bowed and apologized to Kitagawa Hide, then hurried to a small low table on the other side.
This type of barbecue stall-like cart was strictly banned during the bubble era on the grounds that it affected the cityscape.
After all, the Japanese at that time were extremely arrogant and wanted to let the gentlemen in the United States know that they didn’t usually like to eat steak and caviar, but liked this kind of roadside food stalls. How cheap!
But after the bubble burst, unemployment soared, and various neighborhood associations, town associations, and yakuza organizations in grassroots communities strongly demanded the restoration of these mobile stalls. Before long, the streets of Tokyo were filled with these vendors at night.
A small cart, filled with hygienic ingredients, equipped with an integrated gas tank and stove, is parked on the roadside. A "noren" or a sign lantern is hung to indicate that the business is open, and the business can be officially started.
Anyone can do this kind of business, and it is indeed a good way for people to make extra money during economic downturns.
Beichuan Xiu said "Oh" and looked a little annoyed. He had been eyeing this barbecue stall called "Beihaiting" for a long time.
Every time he passed by here after get off work, he could always smell the aroma of fried squid, but he was short of money and dared not taste it.
Now I can finally have a meal at "public expense", but because it was so popular, I waited for an hour and still couldn't eat!
Seeing Kitagawa Hidein feeling very disappointed because the fried squid was not his, Saito Rena, who was drinking beer nearby, was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Is this the expression a Group Portrait Newcomer Award winner should have? !
Please think about it again!
This is your first time writing a novel, and you have become the new king who has easily won the title right after your debut!
You can eat as much fried squid as you want in the future!
After she complained four times in her heart, she suddenly felt her body become much lighter and then she smiled.
In fact, this doesn't seem to be a bad thing. She has seen many writers who act like big shots as soon as they become famous, and even make excessive demands on female editors.
Compared to that kind of person, Kitagawa Hide, who is just greedy for fried squid, is obviously much cuter.
"Anyway, congratulations, Kitagawa-sensei! Just as you said, you really snatched the Rookie of the Year title from Otomu-san."
Saito Reina raised the large glass and swirled the remaining beer inside, revealing two sweet dimples on her face.
"Cheers!"
"Oh okay, cheers!" Kitagawa Hide didn't like drinking beer very much, but seeing Saito Rena drink it in one gulp, he had to finish it in one gulp as well.
He burped and then asked, "By the way, Mr. Saito, will the new issue of Gunzo be released on the 15th of this month?"
"Yes, then your work will be published." This is also the second thing that Saito Rena came to see Kitagawa Hide for this time.
The first thing, of course, was to congratulate him on the award and ask for a copy of his acceptance speech.
The second thing was to inform him of the various problems that might occur after the novel was published.
Among all these complicated issues, the one that bothered her the most was whether "Hear the Wind Sing" could boost the sales of this issue of "Group Portrait".
If sales cannot match the same period in previous years, or even fail miserably, then the rising star of Kitagawa Hide will suddenly go out, and everything for her will return to the starting point.
She expressed her concerns, but Kitagawa Hide didn't seem to care.
"That means if I'm fast, I can get the newcomer bonus next month?" Kitagawa Hide took a bite of the grilled chicken skewer, and his calm expression finally showed a little fluctuation. Compared with the sales volume that he couldn't control and the future that he couldn't see at all, he cared more about what he could touch right in front of him.
So his focus has always been on the prize money?!
Saito Reina looked at him, not knowing how to answer for a moment, so she nodded woodenly: "In theory, it is true."
"That's good." Kitagawa Hide breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
On April 4, he has to pay off a debt of 20 yen. He only has less than 32 yen now, so he will have to shamelessly borrow some money from Yumeko's piggy bank for emergency use.
But as long as I can get the bonus next month, I will have a lot more money on hand.
The feeling of being short of money is really terrible!
Thinking about the 1 million yen mortgage left by his parents, he suddenly felt that the fried squid in his mouth didn't taste good anymore.
No, I have to start writing the new book quickly!
4 month 15 day.
The much anticipated April 1995 issue of "Group Portrait" was placed on the most conspicuous peripheral sales counters in major bookstores as scheduled.
8:05 in the morning.
Another wave of passengers arrived at the Tokyo subway station next to Maruzen Marunouchi Bookstore.
The car doors opened, and countless passengers rushed to the bookstore door like crazy, just to buy the latest issue of "Group Portrait" as soon as possible.
It’s not that they are all die-hard readers of “Qun Xiang”, but the actions taken by the editorial department of “Qun Xiang” are too shocking.
On April 4, the editorial department announced the shortlist for this year’s Group Portrait Newcomer Award, and on the list was a blank slate writer whom no one knew!
Afterwards, "Qun Xiang" was not only criticized by the industry, but also mocked by bigwigs, saying that "Qun Xiang" saw that it could not compete with its rivals such as "Xinchao", so it started to use commercial operations, which was truly vulgar.
Even the current mainstay writer of Gunzo, the winner of the 1989 Gunzo Newcomer Award and the 1994 best-selling novelist of the year, Hikaru Oshima, wrote an article to satirize the editorial department.
“There’s no point in winning an award that even blank-page writers who have never published anything can be nominated for.”
These are his exact words.
Under such overwhelming public pressure, the editorial department of "Qun Xiang" suddenly issued a statement saying that it would conduct the review in advance.
Then four days later, it was announced that the winning work of this year's Newcomer Award was the controversial "Hear the Wind Sing".
This is just great!
The literary and publishing circles were shocked!
You should know that in order to increase the popularity of this newcomer award, Kodansha headquarters allocated a lot of money to the editorial department of "Gunzo", allowing them to invite seven literary giants to serve as special judges.
Could it be that these people have also been bribed?
Readers and industry insiders all thought that the editorial department of "Qun Xiang" was crazy.
The selection process for the Group Portrait Newcomer Award is open to the public, with every step recorded in detail, and at the end each judge will write a thousand-word review of the winning works.
They want to see what magic there is in the new artists and new works that "Group Portrait" is willing to destroy its reputation to promote!
Mixed in the crowd, Jaburi Rei was still wearing a mask, a denim vest and ultra-short shorts. Her two long legs helped her a lot, and she quickly squeezed into the crowded bookstore.
"Hello, please give me the April issue of 'Gunzou'!" Jabami Rei waved to the clerk in the crowd.
"Sorry! All the stock in the store is sold out! Please come back this afternoon!"
The busy clerk responded loudly, and was soon drowned out by the even more turbulent crowd.
(End of this chapter)