A biochemical weapon called K55 is stolen from a Japanese university's medical department, a ski resort in danger and a mysterious blackmail attempt. All these elements come together in Jifeng Huixuanqu (high wind rondo), the Chinese translation of Japanese writer Higashino Keigo's new book which was released in both physical and digital form this week.

During a press conference held last Thursday, Zhang Jin, deputy editor-in-chief of the book's Chinese publisher Modern Press Co Ltd, mentioned that the sales of Higashino Keigo's books have slightly decreased in recent years, making the publication of his works more risky for publishers as copyright costs continue to rise. 

The book sold over 1 million copies in Japan during its first week of release in November of last year and was also well received in South Korea when it was released there two months ago. The simplified Chinese version is the second foreign language edition at this time.

Keigo has become the "king" of mystery novels by winning three of the biggest awards in the Japanese literature world: the Edogawa Rampo Award in 1985 for After School, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel in 1999 for Secret and the Naoki Prize for The Devotion of Suspect X in 2006. 

So far, dozens of his books have been adapted into films or TV series in Japan and South Korea. Zhang said that before the Chinese version was published, several film production companies approached the publisher, expressing their intention to adapt the book.