The atmosphere dropped to freezing point.
Suddenly, Doyle smiled,
"It seems like you two are still literary critics. Mr. Lu, have you ever thought about submitting articles to newspapers and magazines?"
The strange yin and yang energy came when I landed.
Lu Shizheng was worried that he had no place to make money. Although he knew that the other party might dig holes, he had real skills and said without fear: "My writing is not bad."
When Natsume Soseki heard this, he opened his mouth, but finally held back and remained silent.
Smith's face became serious, and he said to Doyle with a hint of warning: "What, you want Mr. Lu to contribute to "Seaside Magazine"? With a famous writer like you, there will definitely be no problem in recommending it, but..."
The old professor’s caring heart was beyond words.
He was worried that Lu Shi was not good enough and that this young man would be ruined for the rest of his life.
Of course, I am also afraid that Doyle's reputation will be affected.
Doyle waved his hand.
"I think we should ask Charles."
Smith suddenly realized,
Charles Prestwich Scott was the editor of the Manchester Guardian, and the Manchester Guardian had a book review section, which was just right for someone who was good at literary criticism.
It's a pity that Smith is a humble gentleman and a true British gentleman. He is good at something but not good at making a career. He did not consider the risks of Lu Shi.
You know, Sherlock Holmes is very popular. In "The Final Case" published in December 1893, Doyle had Holmes and his mortal enemy Professor Moriarty buried in the Reichenbach Falls. After that, many people wore black sleeves. There were many tributes to commemorate the detective, and some people even called Doyle a beast.
Is this a novel character that Lu Shi can evaluate?
Doyle is getting into trouble here.
Lu Shi pondered: "I want to write it myself."
The other three people looked confused.
Smith was the first to react and asked, "What are you writing about? A novel?"
Lu Shi nodded,
"Detective story."
Doyle couldn't help but narrowed his eyes and said: "Young people nowadays are really brave. Well, I'll introduce you to Charles and let your book pass through his eyes. How about tomorrow?"
Natsume Soseki was stunned,
"tomorrow?"
Doyle didn't even look at him, but continued to face Lu Shi,
"Isn't it possible that Mr. Lu hasn't started writing yet?"
Lu Shi replied: "Of course I already have a manuscript saved. Thank you to Dr. Doyle for the introduction."
Doyle's eyes became a little colder, and then he nodded to Smith.
They got up and left the table,
Doyle turned around and left, while Smith smiled at the two Japanese youths before chasing his friends with his cane.
Watching their figures disappear from the door, Natsume Soseki breathed a long sigh of relief, looked at Lu Shi, and asked: "You...have you really finished writing and depositing the manuscript? This is English writing, does it require proofreading alone? A little time, right?”
Lu Shi shook his head and replied: "Of course I didn't write it."
Natsume Soseki was stunned.
"Ah?! Didn't write it!?"
Lu Shi waved his hand and said comfortingly: "Why are you shouting so loudly? Don't worry, just go back and write casually. There will be no problem if you come up with 20,000 to 30,000 words."
You can write 20,000 to 30,000 words in a day, do you think you are a printing press?
Natsume Soseki tried not to roll his eyes and chose to change the topic: "Why do I feel that you and Dr. Doyle are a bit... it seems... maybe... maybe... probably... are you not getting along well?"
Lu Shi wanted to laugh a little when he heard this, thinking that this old man was really an afterthought.
He nodded and said, "You don't have to hesitate. He and I just don't get along well, otherwise he wouldn't have introduced me to the editor of the Manchester Guardian."
Natsume Soseki looked confused, not sure what the connection was.
Lu Shi explained: "I brought back a copy of the Manchester Guardian yesterday. Have you read it? What's the headline on the front page?"
Natsume Soseki has a reading habit. Even if he is not interested in writing, he will glance at it.
As he recalled it, he said: "It seems to be about a politician named Churchill who criticized the government's policies in the Anglo-Boer War and firmly opposed the military expansion plan. Is there any problem?"
Lu Shi smiled,
"Since you have come to London, you should know more or less about politics. Although Churchill was a Conservative, his views were incompatible with the Conservative Party. This is why he was on the front page of the Manchester Guardian."
Natsume Soseki felt that his mind could not turn around, and his eyes were filled with confusion.
Lu Shi sighed: "Don't you understand? The political leanings of the Manchester Guardian are leaning towards the Liberal Party, and Doyle... hum..."
What follows is self-explanatory.
Natsume Soseki pondered,
"I understand what you mean. Because Dr. Doyle tends to be conservative, he probably has a bad relationship with the Manchester Guardian. However, he is too famous and the editor of the Manchester Guardian cannot refuse directly, so he still met with him. As soon as I see you, I won’t submit the manuscript to you in the end, so I’ll take it as my responsibility.”
As he spoke, he couldn't help showing a look of disgust, and asked a little strangely: "How do you know Dr. Doyle's political leanings?"
This is a bit hard to explain.
As Britain's Boer War in South Africa was condemned by the world, Doyle wrote a pamphlet entitled "The War in South Africa: Origins and Conduct" to defend the British.
This book has been translated into many languages and has had a great influence.
This incident certainly reflected Doyle's conservative tendencies, but it had not happened in 1900, and Lu Shi could not explain it clearly.
He changed the topic: "On the surface, Doyle supports his junior, who is still an overseas student from Japan, but in reality he has done nothing. This may be a gentleman's rejection."
Natsume Soseki sneered,
"No, it's not like he didn't do anything. He at least disgusted the Manchester Guardian."
Lu Shi was stunned for a while, then suddenly laughed,
He slapped the other person on the shoulder,
"I didn't expect you to have a sense of humor."
Natsume Soseki said: "What did you just say...ah, by the way, 'gentleman's rejection', gentleman? I think it's just fart!"
The last sentence is in Japanese,
His tone was vicious, as if he wanted to vent all the resentment accumulated in his chest.
He was very short. Walking on the streets of London, surrounded by tall and straight white people, he would inevitably feel ashamed and inferior. In addition, he had no money in his pocket and lived in poverty. This emotion accumulated more and more.
Moreover, the lower your self-esteem, the easier it is to be discriminated against.
No wonder he said in the preface to "On Literature": "The two years I lived in London were particularly unpleasant. Among the English gentlemen, I was like a curly poodle living with wolves. What a miserable life it was. miserable."
Lu Shi said, "I think your teacher is very nice and a true gentleman."
Natsume Soseki came to his senses and said: "It's a pity that people like Mr. Smith are a minority in London. The vast majority of them are gentlemen on the surface, but in fact they dress like beasts."
He shook his head to get rid of the negative emotions and asked: "So, do you still want to go back and write those 20,000 to 30,000 words?"
Lu Shi said: "Write! Why not write?!"
Natsume Soseki said in astonishment: "You know it's impossible to publish the manuscript, but you still write it? And I read that the Manchester Guardian doesn't have space for novels. The editor can justifiably reject you."
Lu Shi chuckled and said,
"The opportunity is right in front of you, why not try?"
Seeing his confident look, Natsume Soseki suddenly felt that Doyle's "gentlemanly behavior" this time might cause him big trouble.
