Chapter 39: Wonderful!

Ma Lekang strode out of the crowded subway station, swiping his card as he went. This damned weather had people drenched in sweat from early morning.

In a bustling international metropolis like Yanjing, during the rush hour, taking the subway was probably still the only way not to be late.

He glanced at his watch; it was about ten past eight. Heading straight to the office now seemed a bit early.

"Right, that news I saw yesterday—it said the top scorer in the college entrance exam wrote a Sherlock Holmes fanfiction. I should ask about it."

Ma Lekang wasn’t a fan of mystery or detective novels; he just happened to enjoy reading the complete works of Sherlock Holmes and cared little for the rest. He’d even reserved two tickets for Friday night’s showing of “The Great Detective Holmes,” planning to watch it with his girlfriend after work.

In Ma Lekang’s mind, anything written by a national top scorer should be quite remarkable; he was more than willing to pay for such a story. He had noticed this Sherlock Holmes fanfiction contest before, but in his impression, fanfiction was synonymous with shoddy work.

That probably stemmed from his girlfriend’s influence—most of the fan novels she liked were of the boys’ love genre, which put him off completely.

If it weren’t for Zhang Chu, the top scorer, and his added influence, Ma Lekang wouldn’t have considered buying this kind of book at all.

The little bookstore at the subway entrance was packed; many people rushed to buy newspapers or magazines the moment they exited.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to read on the subway, but it was so crowded that people could barely squeeze in, let alone find space to read.

“Boss, do you have that Sherlock Holmes fanfiction? The one written by the national top scorer, like in the news?” Ma Lekang squeezed in front of the cigarette counter and asked the kiosk owner. He’d suddenly forgotten the magazine’s name and could only describe it roughly.

But the owner immediately understood. “You mean ‘Chronicles of Reasoning,’ right? Honestly, what’s with these top scorers nowadays? Instead of reading their books, they’re off writing novels.”

As he spoke, he fetched the latest issue of “Chronicles of Reasoning” from a nearby rack and handed it to Ma Lekang.

“You’re in luck, young man, this is my last copy. Strange day—usually I can’t sell more than a few in a whole month, but today all three sold out just like that!”

“Chronicles of Reasoning” usually had a circulation of only a hundred thousand per issue, nothing compared to other magazines with millions of copies; nationwide, it might not even outsell “The Reader” in Yanjing alone.

Ma Lekang took out his wallet, paid, and asked, “Boss, have you read this story? What do you think of it?”

“I haven’t had the time! The magazines arrived around five in the morning; on quieter days I might flip through them, but it’s not my kind of thing. But with so many people coming to buy it, it must be good.”

Despite the boss’s words, there had only been three copies of “Chronicles of Reasoning” at the kiosk.

Magazine in hand, bag slung over his shoulder, Ma Lekang headed toward his company.

...

At his desk by eight-twenty, Ma Lekang had nearly been squashed like a biscuit in the elevator. Since work didn’t officially start until eight forty-five, he spread out his newly purchased magazine, ready to read.

The cover featured Jeremy Brett, who played Sherlock in “The Great Detective Holmes”—a clear tie-in between the film and the magazine.

“That’s a decent look. I wonder how the movie will turn out.”

Ma Lekang didn’t dwell on it—he’d see the film on Friday anyway. For now, the novel was more intriguing.

He flipped to “Detective Sherlock,” immersing himself completely.

A die-hard Holmes fan, Ma Lekang was intimately familiar with the original stories and immediately recognized this as an adaptation of “A Study in Scarlet.”

From Watson meeting Holmes to their first case together, the sequence of events resonated wonderfully with the original. Even though there were some changes, the characters and the unfolding logic remained strikingly faithful to Conan Doyle’s work.

That subtle sense of déjà vu, coupled with well-timed novelty, was enough to make a veteran reader of the Holmes canon like Ma Lekang applaud in delight.

In fact, the story by Zhang Chu could hardly be called “A Study in Scarlet” anymore, but Ma Lekang recognized it because Zhang Chu had preserved the two most crucial elements from the original: the victim’s “RACHE” message and the two nearly identical pills, one poisonous and one harmless—both ingeniously reinterpreted.

In the original, “RACHE” had two explanations: the German word for revenge and the name Rachel. Conan Doyle chose the revenge route, dismissing Rachel as an error.

But in Zhang Chu’s version, the name “Rachel” becomes the solution—a woman’s name cleverly interpreted as the password to the victim’s mobile email account.

“So that’s possible! Zhang Chu really nailed it here!”

Ma Lekang’s eyes shone. With Holmes transported to the modern era, he naturally used technology, and making “Rachel” the login password was a masterstroke.

It practically made up for the original’s shortcomings—a different path, but equally brilliant!

This puzzle was the keystone of Zhang Chu’s piece, with the plot flowing naturally and handled with great skill.

“This is the art of deduction!” Ma Lekang marveled. He’d read stories where the authors barely understood deduction, making the plots painfully contrived.

But Zhang Chu’s story adhered strictly to the method of deduction, best expressing the twists and turns of a detective narrative and showcasing its logic.

Furthermore, the murder’s two pills had changed from semi-transparent gray spheres to capsules mottled with strange spots.

The cabbie with an aneurysm, who in the original was a vengeful angel, was now recast as a serial killer hoping to leave a little money for his child, with the mastermind revealed as Holmes’s nemesis—Moriarty!

The same elements, all-new meaning—not only did they not alienate seasoned readers, they instead drew out their admiration.

At the same time, readers unfamiliar with the original could fully experience the thrill and excitement of Holmes’s world!

“No wonder he’s the national top scorer—the character details, the story structure, all so well done. The writing isn’t outstanding, but it doesn’t drag things down either. Clearly, this story isn’t finished yet!”

Watson—round-faced, steadfast, and endearing, a born assistant; Sherlock Holmes—tall, lean, with a cold demeanor, approachable yet dogmatic and sharp.

Ma Lekang could picture them immediately in his mind—now that was a partnership that would spark and collide!

He suddenly felt a surge of anticipation, hoping Zhang Chu would adapt more of the original stories with the same deft touch.

************

Just noticed another leader among our supporters. Many thanks to “Dreaming for You,” “Cherry Blossoms under the Pagoda,” “Xiao Tian,” “I Am Jade Law,” “Lord Wei Ling,” “IYCDDL,” and 33 others for your generous tips.

During the launch of a new book, as always, I call for collections and recommendation votes. Both are crucial~