Chapter 10: The Devotion of Suspect X - The Storm

In the days that followed, whenever Geng Geng was alone with Li Jie, her cheeks would flush faintly, and a subtle joy lingered in her heart. Occasionally, a smile would break across her face, as if a child had secretly tasted candy. Recently, Li Jie had been busy with the book’s publication during his spare time and had barely noticed Geng Geng’s unusual expressions.

The novel "The Devotion of Suspect X" was now officially on sale. When Li Jie received the review copies sent by Sprout Publishing, he felt a surge of excitement. Although he had drawn on memories from the main world, he had not simply copied the original plot. After all, the story’s background in the original version was quite different from that of China, and he had poured great effort into completing this work, which felt like his own child. Now that it was published, he recalled having written several novels in the main world before, but none had received much attention.

Opening the package, Li Jie noticed a bookmark wrapped around the book. Bold, enlarged letters caught his eye: “The Strongest Newcomer! Bringing You a Feast of Logic!” The cover was in shades of gray, with white lettering printed on it. Beneath the title, smaller text read: “This is the purest love I can imagine, the finest deception.”

In the days following the book’s release, a storm began to brew around "The Devotion of Suspect X."

“Hello everyone. We’re here at a bookstore in Harbin, and without a doubt, today’s scene marks the busiest moment this store has seen all year,” said the host, dressed in a black uniform and holding a microphone. The badge on his chest identified him as Xiao Xiao, a field reporter for Harbin Satellite TV’s evening news. The camera swept across the long queue of people.

“This morning, our station received reports from the public that a huge crowd had gathered at Xinhua Bookstore because of a single book. What kind of charm does this book hold to draw so many people willing to queue patiently and endure hardship?”

“Let’s follow our reporter to find out more.”

“Excuse me, sir, why did you come so early to line up at the bookstore?” the reporter asked.

The interviewee was a young man in his twenties. Facing the camera, he appeared a bit nervous, speech hesitant and awkward. “Well, I saw online that Tomorrow DaDa’s serialization of ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ was about to be published, so I got up early today. But I still ended up late.”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Xiao Xiao said, then approached a girl in a high school uniform for an interview. “Why did you come to queue so early?”

“I followed every installment of ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ on Sprout. I used to complain about why it wasn’t published in print. I even took screenshots of every chapter from Tomorrow DaDa’s issues and bound them into a booklet. Now it’s finally out. Luckily, school is on holiday today, so I came to buy several copies to collect. The love story is so tragic and beautiful, and the plot is gripping. It’s the best novel I’ve read in years.”

Unlike the shy young man, this girl was lively and confident. Xiao Xiao then interviewed several other customers at random, discovering that without exception, everyone was there to buy Tomorrow’s work, "The Devotion of Suspect X."

Scenes like this were unfolding in major cities across the country, spreading like wildfire.

Not only offline, but online the novel was also receiving explosive praise. To see how popular "The Devotion of Suspect X" had become, one only needed to visit various forums or message boards, where advertisements for the novel appeared everywhere, and countless users passionately recommended it. Numerous threads dissected its plot.

Hai Jiao Forum, the most visited online community at the time, was usually abuzz with discussions on current affairs, but recently it had been completely dominated by "The Devotion of Suspect X." One thread was especially popular, amassing over 100,000 replies.

“After finishing 'The Devotion of Suspect X,' the original poster cried—seeking comfort from fellow forum members.”

Reply 1: Lanzhou Pancake, no explanation needed.

Reply 2: You’re an idiot. I’m not here to snatch the first reply or just pass by. I’m silently striving for points!

Reply 3: I cried too, hugs to the original poster.

Reply 4: Sacrificing one’s own life just to preserve the hope that is like a ray of sunshine for one’s existence. Why become a hopeless person? Why not protect oneself? There must be something more precious than oneself in life!

Reply 5: I once liked someone. Though we never got together, those moments of affection were the bravest things I’ve ever done—so humble that on weekends I traveled to another city just to secretly catch a glimpse of him at his school. So I understand Ishigami’s love. I never imagined he would sacrifice his entire life, even his own life, for love. I don’t think I could do that. After finishing the novel, I couldn’t stop crying. It’s truly heartbreaking.

…

Reply 180: He shouldered all the blame for the one he loved, just so she could be happy, while she knew nothing and only cared about her own small happiness. Thankfully, the author allowed her a conscience.

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Reply 185: To love someone so deeply as to sacrifice one’s entire life so that the beloved may live happily. Yet such love is unbearable for anyone. The loved one needs salvation, which shatters all protection along the way...

Countless discussions like these flooded the internet. Since Li Jie wasn’t interested in ancient-era online culture, he rarely went online and was unaware of the heated debates. Meanwhile, the novel’s acclaim wasn’t limited to the internet; traditional media also gave "The Devotion of Suspect X" high praise.

…

“The story unfolds with immense suspense, a continuous thrilling puzzle-solving process, and a tightly woven structure that commands admiration.” — Morning Daily

“From the first page, you know who the culprit is and the truth behind the case—a fully transparent novel. So why does it attract millions of readers to obsessively speculate about another ‘truth’?” — Yanjing Evening News

“At the end of logic lies not an ideal realm of reason and order, but a love dedicated with one’s life.” — Qiantang Daily

“We hereby formally apologize!!! Regarding our previous defamation of the renowned author Tomorrow, we deeply regret it!” — Southern Weekend

…

Whether it was the flurry of reports in traditional media or the fervent discussions online, none of it greatly impacted Li Jie’s daily life. However, he was pleased to see such recognition, as it affirmed that his hard work and dedication had not been in vain.

Earlier, Liang Yuan, editor-in-chief of Sprout Magazine, had called to congratulate Li Jie on topping the bestseller list. His voice was full of excitement. Before ending the call, he casually inquired about the concept for Li Jie’s next book. Li Jie told him he would take a break first, but he did share some ideas and revealed the title: "The Troubleshooting Shop," which would be his next project.

With the first year of high school coming to an end, Li Jie planned to relax. He wasn’t a machine; even machines needed lubrication from time to time, especially since his body was still young. Having somewhat neglected Geng Geng because of the novel’s publication, he resolved to spend more time with her. Thus, he gave himself a long vacation—half a year to take it easy.