Chapter 18 The Reasoning of Time

After the college entrance exam ended, Zhang Chu, who had taken the test twice, did not indulge in wild celebrations like everyone else. Instead, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to writing "Detective Sherlock." Supported by a wealth of reputation points, he finally completed this short story on June 10th, just a little time left before the deadline.

"I thought you wouldn't make it in time. Hurry up and let me see the rest of the plot!" Zhang Bowen was not shy at all. He had been eyeing Zhang Chu's novel for a long while. The story featured a taxi driver using poison for murder, and Sherlock Holmes, together with his new tenant and assistant John Watson, embarked on an investigation.

After murdering Jennifer Wilson, the culprit abandoned her suitcase along the street. Anyone who picked up that pink suitcase was bound to attract attention. Sherlock gradually narrowed down the suspect list using just this pink suitcase, hence the short story's title: "A Study in Pink."

Of course, the case was adapted from "A Study in Scarlet," which is widely recognized as the first case undertaken by Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. "From horse-drawn carriage to taxi, and the victim's identity has changed too. There must be hidden clues here. There's no way that taxi driver could carry out such a murder alone—someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes. Are you planning to expand this short story into a full-length novel?"

As a reader, Zhang Bowen was not only qualified but outstanding. Zhang Chu nodded; he indeed entertained such ambitions. Since he had already written one story, he might as well continue and gradually finish the rest, eventually forming a complete novel.

"Dad, what do you think?" "If this story doesn't make it to the next round, then those judges must be blind!" Zhang Bowen declared firmly, though he felt a trace of melancholy. The student has surpassed the master—his son's first attempt at a novel was already much better than his own work. While he felt gratified, he also gained a clearer understanding of his own writing talent.

Hearing his father's words, Zhang Chu finally relaxed a little.

The success of this adaptation was a matter of opinion, and Zhang Chu left the decision to the magazine editors. He attached the document to an email and sent it to "Chronicles of Mystery" magazine.

...

"Chronicles of Mystery" is a local magazine dedicated to original Chinese detective fiction. Founded in 2006, it initially published a series of books in partnership with Pearl Publishing House. Later, due to positive market response, it began collaborating with the "Chronicles" magazine press and officially became a monthly publication.

Hailed as the top domestic magazine for detective fiction, it mainly publishes original mystery and detective stories. Most of its readers are high school and college students, white-collar workers, and intellectuals.

This time, in an unprecedented move, it partnered with Warner Bros.—the top Hollywood giant and publisher of "The Great Detective Holmes"—to host the China district event for the Holmes fan-fiction contest, greatly boosting the magazine's influence among the general public.

In Beijing, on the 31st floor of the Huaten Beitang Business Tower, editors at "Chronicles of Mystery" were already busy selecting the works for next month's issue.

"We're about halfway through the month. Do any of you have outstanding manuscripts on hand?" Chen Haodong asked. As editor-in-chief of "Chronicles of Mystery," he bore a heavy burden, always worrying about a lack of manuscripts and declining subscriptions, which could lead to suspension or closure.

Unlike publishing houses, which at least enjoy some government support, a magazine office that fails to thrive can only shut its doors for good.

A young man with thick glasses stood up and shook his head. "Mr. Chen, we've received quite a few manuscripts lately, but most are just filler, and some are outright plagiarized."

When "Chronicles of Mystery" was founded, print media was already in decline. To this day, the editorial department is a small team. Most of the veterans have left, and the young editors now on staff are full of passion but powerless to change the situation.

Chen Haodong couldn't help but sigh. He rubbed his temples, feeling a bit troubled. Although the recent Holmes fan-fiction contest had boosted magazine sales, the prosperity masked a shortage of quality manuscripts.

Excellent mystery writers are rare to begin with, and for some reason, lately it's been even harder to find stories of high quality.

"Let's hope this Holmes contest can hold out a while longer. Maybe a good story will turn up," Chen Haodong muttered, his head aching as he checked his email and phone. "Guess I'll have to swallow my pride and reach out to past contributors to see if they have anything new."

Writers with some fame rarely submit through email—that's for newcomers. Established authors are commissioned in advance, negotiating price, content, and word count.

Just then, a short-haired girl knocked on Chen Haodong's office door, holding a USB drive. "Mr. Chen, may I interrupt you for a moment?"

"Come in, Xiao Liu. What is it?" Despite her cute, innocent appearance, Liu Qiao had a strong heart. Passionate about detective and suspense fiction, she had joined "Chronicles of Mystery" straight out of the Chinese department and had been there for five years with little change in her appearance.

"Mr. Chen, I've been in charge of collecting Holmes fan-fiction submissions lately. I just received a new one this morning that I think is quite impressive. I believe it could be the main feature for the next issue."

Chen Haodong was a little surprised; he knew Liu Qiao wouldn't exaggerate lightly, so the story must truly be exceptional.

"You didn't even give such high praise to the current top-ranked 'Holmes's Will.' You must really like this one?"

Liu Qiao nodded. "I think that story lacks innovation. This new one is set in modern times—Sherlock Holmes as a detective in contemporary society. It has both novelty and appeal."

Chen Haodong took the USB drive, inserted it into his computer, and found the document Liu Qiao mentioned. "This one, 'Detective Sherlock'?"

"That's right. The author seems rather ambitious, perhaps planning to expand it into a full-length novel."

"Then I should read it carefully. Wait here a moment while I take a look."