Chapter 120: Literary Works Are Crafted by Nature

The constant roar of the crowd flowed into Zhang Chu’s ears; it was a far cry from the atmosphere at his book signing for *Sherlock* at the Jiangcheng Book Plaza.

Back then, he already knew the book’s sales were strong, and with the added prestige of being a local author, few in the media would give him a hard time. Plus, he had the support of relatives, friends, classmates, and neighbors filling the venue.

Here at the International Exhibition Center in Yanjing, however, there were precious few people who could truly be called his fans. After all, when *Psychological Crime* was serialized online, only a few thousand people had paid to subscribe. Once those few thousand were scattered across the entire country, how many could possibly be here in Yanjing? Even if there were a few dozen, they certainly wouldn't all show up at the launch event.

With so many reporters present, wouldn't it be incredibly awkward if no ordinary passersby bought the book? The embarrassment would probably reach international proportions.

"Don't worry," someone reassured him. "There's already a long line of curious visitors outside. Since they’re willing to spend their time waiting in line, they’ll definitely be willing to spend their money."

*Psychological Crime* had not yet been officially released nationwide, but major bookstores had confirmed they would stock it that afternoon, and the giants of the e-book industry had synchronized their release times as well. Since this was a launch event, readers could enjoy the perk of getting a head start, allowing them to purchase the book directly on-site—though they wouldn't be able to get Zhang Chu’s signature.

It was strange, really: television dramas of this genre often had high ratings, and the films had strong word-of-mouth, yet the novels themselves rarely captured a wide audience. No one could predict how many copies *Psychological Crime* would sell, but after internal evaluations at the publishing house, everyone was stunned by the ending. The plot was full of twists and turns, and it came with built-in buzz. The Nanhai Publishing Company had already made preparations for a reprint to avoid the risk of selling out.

In some regions, the initial shipment wasn't large, but sales were fierce, making stock-outs common; the root cause was simply that the initial print run was too small. One hundred thousand copies was the standard for a seasoned author. Many newcomers saw print runs of only 30,000 or 50,000 copies, as publishing houses were cautious, fearing that excess inventory would just rot in the warehouse.

...

"Hello everyone, thank you for taking time out of your weekend to attend the launch of my new book, *Psychological Crime*. I know that working on a weekend is never pleasant, so let’s try to keep things simple. Let’s get through the formalities quickly so you can all go home and rest, how about that?"

Zhang Chu stood on the small stage, joking with the reporters. He shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, I’m the same. I don’t even know what kind of job I like. The only thing I can say for sure is that none of us actually like working."

The reporters chuckled, appreciative of his candor. If it weren't for the need to put food on the table, who would actually like to work?

"When you’re tired of working, just think about how expensive hotpot is; when you’re suffering through overtime, think about the lamb and tripe. Just bear with me for another half-hour, let’s keep it brief."

Everyone at the venue couldn't help but laugh. This kid was supposed to be a suspense and mystery writer, so why was he so eloquent, like a stand-up comedian? He could easily handle a roast show! The curious visitors hadn't expected the young man on stage to be the author, let alone one with such wit, which only made them more intrigued by *Psychological Crime*. Could this be a comedic suspense novel?

The host stood to the side, unsure of what to do. He was supposed to be the one livening up the atmosphere; if his job was being stolen, what was he supposed to do?

"Overtime is something no one wants. Teacher Zhang is very humorous. For the sake of hotpot, I suppose we have to endure it. Speaking of which, *Psychological Crime* is your second work, Teacher Zhang. Do you have any secrets to your creative process?"

Facing the question, Zhang Chu smiled. "No secret. It’s as if these things just appear in my mind, and I just have to type them out."

The host swallowed a curse, forced a smile, and chimed in, "'Great writing is a gift from heaven, captured by a deft hand.' Teacher Zhang is like the old poet Lu You; us ordinary folks can't grasp that kind of state."

"Yes, that's true. Most people certainly can't."

The visitors were roaring with laughter. When someone pays you a compliment, shouldn't you be humble? Why did he look like he genuinely believed it?

The reporters who knew Zhang Chu’s personality also smiled. This guy always knew how to bring laughter to a room.

The host felt his heart grow heavy and his breath hitch. He had to suppress the urge to throw his microphone and walk off stage. He abruptly changed the subject: "What kind of story is *Psychological Crime* actually about? Could you give us a brief explanation, Teacher Zhang?"

When it came to discussing the book’s content, Zhang Chu became much more serious. "It’s actually just a story about a police officer named Fang Mu catching a high-IQ, psychopathic killer."

Everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for more. Why had he put the microphone down? What happened next? Was that it? Was it really that brief?

"Uh, Teacher Zhang, could you elaborate on how Officer Fang Mu catches the killer? And how exactly does this killer use his high IQ to commit crimes?"

"For the specifics, please read the novel. I won't spoil it for you now; I’d hate for you to complain about it later."

There had originally been a segment where Zhang Chu would read a passage from *Psychological Crime*, but it ended up being canceled—it would have looked too silly, after all, it wasn't a poetry reading.

Once the formalities were over, it was finally time for the interview session. Zhang Chu stepped off the stage into the media area. Before him stood a forest of microphones bearing the logos of CCTV, Jiangdong TV, Sudong TV, Xiangnan TV, as well as Phoenix New Media, Tencent Video, iQIYI, and Sina.

Cameras and recorders swarmed him. The truth behind the globally famous case was finally about to be revealed, and the reporters were visibly excited.

Zhang Chu carefully pushed aside a microphone that had gotten too close. "I know everyone is very concerned about that incident in the United States. Actually, it has been reported on enough. *Sherlock* was a piece of fan fiction written to meet the submission requirements for the *Sherlock Holmes* movie contest. After it was published in *Age of Mystery* magazine, Nanhai Publishing Company noticed it and invited me to write follow-up content for publication. By the way, I’d like to take this opportunity to urge Warner Bros.: your movie has already left theaters, so when will my prize money be sent?"

Demanding payment in front of so many reporters made Zhang Chu feel like a migrant worker who couldn't get his wages before the New Year—it was truly miserable!

"Then why did you think to sue that estate foundation?" a reporter asked, unable to stand his digression, trying to get things back on track.

Zhang Chu spread his hands. "At first, I didn't even know that foundation existed. After all, under the laws of many countries, the character of Sherlock Holmes and his stories are in the public domain. But after my book was published, the publishing company received a legal notice demanding I pay a $5,000 usage fee. But this is China—why should American law have any authority here?"

"Besides, after a little research, I found that this isn't even legal. Given their behavior on Twitter, I did some searching to see if others had similar experiences. It turns out quite a few fans were complaining about the foundation’s overreach, so I thought I’d give it a try."