Chapter 112: Renowned Across the Globe

Beden’s words, carried by The New York Times, spread across the globe. The name Zhang Chu and his work, The Detective Sherlock, had become, much like Sarajevo in World War I, a spark igniting a larger controversy.

The American public clearly admired Sherlock Holmes, yet they had little understanding of the events behind the character. Now that the matter was exposed, people were shocked to realize that fans and writers could not freely use anything related to Holmes without paying fees.

But the copyrights had clearly expired. If that was the case, why was the estate foundation still demanding payment?

Television stations, radio broadcasts, online news, and social media were all abuzz with this story. The focus, of course, was not on Zhang Chu, a foreigner, but on whether the Sherlock Holmes image should be liberated and whether the estate foundation had the right to collect royalties.

The United States had long been the center of global news, and after major media outlets here reported on the story, it quickly spread to other countries and regions.

Especially in Holmes’s homeland—Britain—where the copyrights had long since expired. The UK’s copyright protection lasted only seventy years; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930, so by 2000, the complete Sherlock Holmes works were free to publish.

Yet, across the Atlantic, in America, there were still fans and writers shamelessly milked by the estate foundation!

The British adored both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. Though they disapproved of some distorted adaptations of Holmes, many of the works remained quite outstanding.

This year, the film The Great Detective Sherlock grossed forty million dollars in the small expanse of Britain, despite poor reviews—such was the British passion for Holmes.

BBC, The Daily Mirror, The Sun, and The Times all paid considerable attention to the case, wondering where the lawsuit would lead.

As for China, the media exclaimed in surprise: how did a Chinese writer become involved in such a case?

Who exactly was this Zhang reported on by foreign media? Which Sherlock did he write about?

They all suspected it was Zhang Chu but hesitated to believe it. This young man had actually emailed top American lawyers, and, like a fairy tale, all those lawyers had agreed.

Such emails usually would be discarded and permanently deleted.

What were others doing at eighteen? And what had he been doing at eighteen?

The matter quickly escalated. By the time Zhang Chu learned of the outcome from Xu Dong, the news had spread worldwide. His name and work were now known to countless people.

Major Chinese media outlets—Toutiao, Sohu News, UC News, The Paper, and Xinhua News Agency—republished the story, amplifying its reach.

Even Onion News on Weibo, known for satirical and unreliable reports, published the news. If even Onion News was stunned, it was clear Zhang Chu had pulled off something remarkable!

On Twitter’s trending list, the topic soared to first place, surpassing discussions about the latest albums of popular American singers—though it was soon overtaken by newer topics.

On Weibo’s hot search list, the Sherlock Holmes copyright issue dominated first place by a wide margin. The second spot was no stranger either: the topic “Zhang Chu’s Detective Sherlock” attracted significant attention.

A Chinese author suing in America was already a headline-grabber; add to that that he was a fan-fiction writer taking on the estate foundation, and the drama drew even more interest.

Moreover, with the prior entanglement between the venerable Hua Ye and Bei Fei, many were waiting to see if Zhang Chu’s fan fiction would infringe on copyrights. Instead, he silently filed a lawsuit in the United States!

Those who mocked and awaited his downfall were dumbfounded. Weren’t the book banned and the writer destined to lose money? How did he suddenly become a champion of justice, refusing to fight in China but going to America and hiring top-tier lawyers?

This was a far cry from the tragic ending everyone had predicted.

“He’s incredible, this guy is amazing!”

“First time seeing a fan-fiction author sue the estate, and with such momentum. Can’t wait to see what happens next.”

“Today is a dark day for original literature!”

“Never dared to dream of this. Zhang Chu, how did you pull it off?”

“I’m in awe!”

“Zhang Chu is so powerful. Why can publishers freely publish novels but fans can’t write freely? It’s just bullying the weak.”

“The world is surreal—just like the American president governing through Twitter, unimaginable.”

...

Once news of Zhang Chu’s lawsuit against the foundation broke, every media outlet wanted to find him. Only those involved truly understood what had transpired.

Local media in Jiangcheng descended upon Hanlin Pavilion Bookstore, hoping to corner Zhang Chu at home.

But after the reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, arrived, they were told he had already left for Yanjing to attend the Suspense Literature Summit!

Frustrated, the journalists quickly phoned their headquarters, hoping to secure an interview with Zhang Chu at the summit itself.

The “Book Fragrance China” grand book exhibition was bustling with media, but the Suspense Literature Summit, as a smaller component, had drawn little attention.

After all, this literary form was not mainstream, and no major celebrities had appeared—only publishers, film companies, writers, and a handful of reporters taking photos.

Upon receiving instructions from their news agencies, the reporters scattered, eager to find Zhang Chu.

“This kid really knows how to stir things up. Has anyone seen him?”

Zhou Long, wearing his press badge, hurriedly asked. The website’s leadership had just called, emphasizing that Zhang Chu must be interviewed today.

Tencent News had several people on site, but Zhou Long was the only one at the suspense summit, thinking proximity would give him an edge. Yet, scanning the crowd, he had no idea who Zhang Chu was.

The other reporters were equally baffled. They knew the name but not the face, so they began asking around.

“Does anyone know Zhang Chu?”

“Where did he go?”

“Is Zhang Chu here?”

Zhang Chu had little contact with the attendees. While the reporters searched through the summit, he quietly left with Xu Dong and editor Gu Xinxue through the entrance.

Though many journalists waited just outside, Zhang Chu’s unfamiliar face went unnoticed as he passed by, while the reporters craned their necks in vain.

“My dear boy, when did you get yourself into this mess?”

Gu Xinxue had long known Zhang Chu was a young man full of ideas, but never imagined he would cause such a stir. He was at a loss for words.