Keigo Higashino’s “The Devotion of Suspect X” is only 130,000 words long.
Compared to web novels of later generations, the word count is pitifully small.
That night, Li Zetian stayed up late to write the outline.
For the following time, Li Zetian stayed at home writing the novel.
During this period, PolyGram Record Company called to ask if Li Zetian had written other songs.
After the previous plagiarism incident, PolyGram Record Company thoroughly investigated Li Zetian’s background.
Learning that Li Zetian had been admitted to the Harvard University Conservatory of Music, they couldn’t help but attach more importance to Li Zetian.
Such a musical talent definitely hadn’t written just this one song “A Man Should Stand Strong”; he must have written other songs!
Li Zetian refused.
The last time was a special circumstance, so the conditions PolyGram Record Company offered were very generous.
Coming to buy songs this time, however, would be according to the standards of ordinary newcomers, and the price wouldn’t be higher than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars.
And the songs Li Zetian could completely remember in his mind were basically all familiar and extremely famous songs.
Almost every song could be regarded as a singer’s signature song and had immense commercial value!
Twenty days passed, and Li Zetian completed the first draft of “The Devotion of Suspect X”.
After another three days of revision, the text became more refined and concise.
“Mhm…
Almost done.
I can show it to Dad now!”
Li Zetian bound a stack of manuscripts into a book, placed it on the desk, then lay on the bed and fell sound asleep.
He had been exhausted these days!
In the evening, when Li Chengzhi returned home, Li Zetian couldn’t wait to bring the finished “The Devotion of Suspect X” to him.
Looking at the thick stack of manuscripts, Li Chengzhi couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“This is the novel you wrote?” He looked at Li Zetian and asked.
“Yes, a mystery novel!” Li Zetian raised his eyebrows and said rather proudly.
Although his writing style was vastly different from Keigo Higashino’s, and the content had undergone drastic adaptations, considering the work itself, Li Zetian felt that it was equally an extremely outstanding mystery novel!
“Dad, as a professional editor, take a look at the novel I wrote and see how it is.
Give me some guidance!”
Li Chengzhi nodded and smiled: “Sure!
After I finish reading it, I’ll give you some guidance and see if there are any places that need modification!
Your old dad has been in this industry for more than ten years, and my level is still very formidable!”
“Hehe, that’s for sure!” Li Zetian complimented, and subsequently returned to his room to take a little nap.
Li Chengzhi then opened the book and started reading.
However, after just a few pages, as a senior editor, he was already completely captivated by the story’s thrilling twists and turns.
It could be said that he was deeply engrossed and unable to extricate himself, and couldn’t help but finish reading it all in one breath!
At this very moment, Li Chengzhi was completely dumbfounded!!!
Sitting next to him, Xiao Zhixuan was cracking sunflower seeds.
She nudged his shoulder and asked: “Is the novel our son wrote any good?”
“It’s good!!
No, no, no, I should say it’s incomparably good!
I dare say, once this book comes out, our son can stand shoulder to shoulder with world-renowned mystery novelists like Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen!!!”
“Real or fake?
Our son actually has this kind of writing talent?!”
“If you don’t believe it, you can read it yourself!” Li Chengzhi handed the manuscript to Xiao Zhixuan.
Xiao Zhixuan took the book, looked at the title, and said: “‘The Devotion of Suspect X’, does the female protagonist in the book devote her body?”
Hearing this, a black line appeared on Li Chengzhi’s forehead!
“Read it yourself, I’m going to find our son to talk!”
Saying that, Li Chengzhi stood up from the sofa and went straight to Li Zetian’s room.
The room door wasn’t closed; it was half open.
Li Chengzhi pushed the door open and walked in.
Hearing the footsteps, Li Zetian woke up.
“Dad, finished reading the book?”
Li Zetian turned over and sat on the bed.
“Mhm!”
“Are there any places that need modification?”
“I think it’s written exceedingly well, almost flawless, and needs no modification!” Li Chengzhi paused and asked, “Did you hear about what happened to me at the newspaper, so you wrote this book?”
“Yes!” Li Zetian nodded, “You were originally responsible for the mystery novel column, but just because another person in the newspaper was familiar with several mystery novel writers, the newspaper’s higher-ups ignored your efforts and hard work.
It simply makes one feel incomparably infuriated!!!”
Li Zetian paused for a moment and continued: “What’s so great about knowing a few mystery novel writers?!
It doesn’t matter even if my dad doesn’t know a single mystery novel writer, as long as he knows me, that’s enough!!!
I am stronger than all of them combined!!!”
“Dad, tomorrow you take the manuscript of ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ to the newspaper and see what kind of expression those people will have!
Bullying my dad is equivalent to bullying me!!!”
Li Chengzhi shook his head and said: “I don’t plan to take it there.
Such a good work will definitely sell globally.
How can we let this newspaper have it?!”
For Li Zetian, his future goal was to be the richest man in the world.
The value of a book actually wasn’t much.
As long as he could vent anger for his father, anything was fine.
But on second thought, venting anger was only temporary, yet it would benefit this newspaper.
His father himself wasn’t happy working in this newspaper and was always being marginalized; this incident was just one of them.
“Dad, do you want to start a newspaper or magazine of your own?” Li Zetian asked.
Li Chengzhi nodded and said: “I do have this idea.
Since your writing talent is so outstanding, I plan to start a fiction magazine.
First, build up a reputation with this ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’, then make some money, and then invite some cutting-edge writers to join us!!!”
“How much money is needed to start a magazine?” Li Zetian asked.
He didn’t know much about this industry.
Li Chengzhi thought for a moment and said: “First, there must be a registered capital of more than 300,000 Hong Kong dollars.
However, this condition isn’t the hardest.
As a mouthpiece, a magazine generally won’t be easily allowed to be run by the civilian sector.
Most magazines are run by government agencies.
Some people apply for a publication number for years and still can’t get it approved!” Li Chengzhi shook his head and sighed, “Not to mention we simply don’t have 300,000 Hong Kong dollars.
Even if we did, we don’t know any powerful friends in Hong Kong, so we simply cannot establish our own magazine!”
Hearing this, Li Zetian couldn’t help but frown.
Suddenly, he felt that his power was still too weak, and facing reality, he felt very helpless!
“Dad, since that’s the case, then let’s start the magazine in the future!”
“Mhm, that’s the only way for now!
Alright, you rest.
I’m going out.”
…
The next day, Li Zetian started packing his things.
He would be heading to Harvard University in the United States to study in a few days.
When dusk fell, Li Chengzhi returned home more than an hour early.
Usually, he returned at 6 o’clock.
As soon as he entered the door, he walked up to Li Zetian with an excited face.
“Son, I have a piece of good news to tell you!” He excitedly told Li Zetian, who was sitting on the sofa watching the TV news.
Li Zetian smiled calmly and asked: “What good news?”
“We found your granduncle and have been in contact with him over the phone!”
“Granduncle?
You mean that wealthy granduncle in Taiwan?!”
“That’s right, exactly him!!!”
“Mhm…
having a wealthy relative is quite nice.” Li Zetian nodded, but in reality, he didn’t value this much.
So what if the relative was a wealthy family?
What did it have to do with him?
In the future, his own family would be the biggest wealthy family in the world!!!
At this time, Li Chengzhi continued: “I introduced the situation of our family of three to him, and also briefly mentioned ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ that you wrote.
Your granduncle said, let us go to Taiwan to seek refuge with him, and he will introduce us to better jobs!
He also said that a magazine under his name has been losing money for years, and he was just thinking of changing the editor-in-chief.
If I go to Taiwan, he plans to let me be the editor-in-chief and manage this magazine.
If I do well, I can even get shares!”
“Alright, then let’s go!”
Li Zetian said.
He could tell that facing such a big temptation, his father was moved.
Moreover, when he went to the United States in the future, he wouldn’t be able to split himself to take care of them.
Perhaps going to Taiwan was a good choice.
(END CHAPTER)