British writer

Time flies, September has passed.

Thursday, October 3, 1901.

Lu Shi got up early,

"Ha~"

He yawned and climbed out of bed.

Natsume Soseki also just got up and said:

"I opened the window."

The window was open, and the patter of rain could be heard outside.

Even though it’s already October, the weather in London is still mild, with occasional rainfall, so you need to prepare rain gear at all times when traveling, as well as keep yourself warm from the wind.

Lu Shi looked out the window,

The rain curtain is like silk, fine and continuous, washing away the dust in the air.

However, it seems that the rain will not last long, because the puddles on the street are gradually illuminated by the sun, reflecting the surrounding buildings.

Lu Shi couldn't help but stretch.

"Go out for a walk later."

Natsume Soseki asked: "Why are you suddenly in the mood for a walk? Don't you always dislike the mud after the rain?"

Lu Shi smiled,

"Today is Thursday, and the serialization of "I Am Cat" is coming to an end."

He wanted to go to the streets to see everyone's reaction.

Natsume Soseki asked again: "After 'I Am Cat', are you going to release the second part of 'The Lord of the Rings'?"

Lu Shi nodded,

There seemed to be no other choice.

The second part is called "The Two Towers". The "Two Towers" refer to the fortresses of Barad-dur and Orthanc Tower respectively. Both are occupied by evil forces. They form an alliance and decide to completely eliminate mankind from Middle-earth.

The story has two aspects,

On the one hand, it talks about the victory of the coalition forces against the powerful orcs and orcs;

On one side, it's about Frodo and Sam traveling to Mordor.

Natsume Soseki joked: "Those fantasy novel fans are going crazy waiting for this book. This book will definitely sell better than "I am a Cat". There is another important point..."

He winked subtly,

"Popular character, Gandalf."

In the first "The Fellowship of the Ring", Gandalf resolutely duels with the Balrog and falls into the abyss with the Balrog.

In "The Two Towers", he will be resurrected and returned, and even upgraded to a white-robed wizard.

Unlike the "Return" of the Sherlock Holmes series, this resurrection was not influenced by the readers, but was decided by Mr. Tolkien when he was making the outline.

This is not difficult to see from the publication time,

"The Fellowship of the Ring," July 29, 1954;

"The Two Towers", November 11, 1954;

"The Return of the King," October 20, 1955.

Considering that Tolkien wrote books very slowly and had a habit of procrastinating manuscripts, it was impossible for him to revise the content based on reader feedback during such a short interval.

Let lazy cancer patients revise the manuscript?

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

But Lu Shi was different.

His trilogy was serialized in newspapers, and there was also "I Am Cat" between "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers". It was inevitable that he would be criticized by readers for writing Gandalf to death. The newspaper warehouse was watching I'm going to be flooded with all kinds of abusive letters.

Natsume Soseki sighed and said: "Fortunately you went to the United States before, otherwise, you may be assassinated by fanatical readers."

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"Didn't Mr. Cooper sort this out already?"

Natsume Soseki couldn't help but laugh,

"Is being forced to reveal spoilers considered a solution?"

When Lu Shi was on business in the United States, readers often blocked the door of the newspaper office.

Cooper and Scott had no choice but to reveal in "The Mirror" that Gandalf would be resurrected in the second film.

The reasons they gave were high-sounding:

——

Gandalf's resurrection could add a fantasy element to the story.

As a wizard, Gandalf has extraordinary strength and wisdom. His resurrection not only embodies this fantasy element, but also injects more mystery and imagination into the story.

Moreover, Gandalf's resurrection can better demonstrate the themes and ideas of "The Lord of the Rings".

Courage, friendship, sacrifice and honor.

Gandalf's resurrection adds more depth and substance to these themes.

…

——

These words sound outrageous.

Readers will only believe that their pressure has had an effect.

Lu Shi didn't care.

Because Natsume Soseki had read "The Two Towers" before, he knew that Gandalf's resurrection was indeed planned, but he felt a little resentful and said: "It's really..."

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"We have discussed before that after a work is completed, it may no longer belong to the author himself, and readers are also participants in the creation. So, there is no need to talk about this."

Natsume Soseki reluctantly said so,

The popularity of "I Am Cat" has given him a profound understanding of this.

Lu Shi looked out the window,

The rain stopped and the surrounding scenery became bright and fresh.

The number of pedestrians gradually increased, and the sound of horse hooves and the splash of water complemented each other.

Lu Shi ate a few pieces of bread, put on his coat,

"Come on, let's go out for a walk."

The two of them took me and went out.

After the rain, the streets of London looked dirty,

Riku Toki and Natsume Soseki walked in front, and we followed behind, jumping lightly and avoiding small puddles on the ground.

It pays great attention to the neatness of its hair.

Gradually, a bunch of older girls and younger wives followed behind.

They followed us like stars, whispering,

"This cat is so smart and knows how to hide in puddles on the ground."

"Don't you know the identity of that cat? It's me!"

"Huh? The protagonist in "I Am Cat"? I didn't expect it to be so cute~ I want to hug it~"

…

Lu Shi: ￣□￣｜｜

Natsume Soseki: ￣□￣｜｜

The two of them turned around with black lines on their heads.

I saw a teenage girl wanting to touch my hair.

Unexpectedly, I suddenly turned into a fluid and slipped away from the little girl's hand, with an extremely cold expression on my face.

This guy has really become a big star.

It's a pity that Phyllis, the "agent", is not here, otherwise I would have taken me to "sign" them with my paw.

Lu Shi didn't care about those female fans and stopped a newsboy.

"Son, bring me a copy of the Mirror."

As he spoke, he passed out three pennies.

The newsboy reluctantly pushed the money back and said, "Sir, we have sold out of the Mirror."

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"Is this sold out?"

Taking into account the serialization of the last chapter of "I Am Cat", "Mirror" planned to print more copies and release an excess of 200,000 copies in the London area.

Besides, it was raining just now and there were not many pedestrians on the road. How could it be sold out?

The newsboy said: "Sir, if someone buys ten or twenty copies at once, there's nothing I can do about it. It's impossible not to do business, right?"

Lu Shi understood it as soon as he heard it.

Those who buy newspapers in large quantities must be thinking about collecting or increasing their value.

He and Natsume Soseki looked at each other,

"Come on, let's take a walk to Fleet Street."

They hold my hand,

Behind him were a bunch of female fans.

…

Da da da--

The crisp sound of horse hooves entered the carriage.

Wodehouse and Churchill were sitting across from each other, rushing towards Breyard Road.

Churchill held his cigar and took a deep breath.

"Huh~"

Show a satisfied expression.

In Wodehouse's hand was a copy of that day's "Mirror", with the novel page open, which contained the content of the last chapter of "I Am Cat".

He watched with great concentration,

a long time,

"well……"

He sighed, feeling completely lost.

Churchill smiled and asked the other party: "What? Have you finished reading?"

Wodehouse nodded,

"Whenever I finish reading a good book, it feels like I have completed a journey. Moreover, this book "I Am Cat"... humph... is also a cross-border trip. I didn't expect Japan to be like this."

Churchill said: "The main thing is to write it from the first-person point of view of the cat."

Because he is a cat, he is naturally curious about the most daily activities of human beings, and he also has a whimsical understanding.

Wodehouse asked curiously: "Which character is your favorite?"

Churchill: "..."

He remained silent, not knowing how to answer.

Wodehouse was surprised;

"What? What's the problem?"

Churchill sighed in his heart,

Perhaps because he became a politician, he found that when he studied, he was no longer as simple as before. He no longer had the emotion of "just for fun", but instead had the utilitarian purpose of "what can I learn?"

As a result, there is no genuine answer to the question "Who is your favorite character?"

"Tsk..."

Wodehouse was speechless.

"Are you so demanding in reading? You can't even read "I Am a Cat"?"

Churchill shook his head and changed the subject: "I just have a point... having said that, this book has a very intuitive description of the complex emotions and social behaviors of the Japanese."

Wodehouse was speechless for a while and couldn't help but complain: "You always like to rise to the level of the whole group. How many people are there in the book? Kushami, Miting, Dongfeng, Duxian... When it comes to your mouth, they become the whole of Japan. People."

Churchill pouted,

"There are always commonalities. Have you forgotten "The Nature of Japanese Civilization"?"

"Ah this..."

Speaking of this, Wodehouse really couldn't refute it.

"The Nature of Japanese Civilization" is highly recognized by academic and political circles.

Both the conclusions and research methods in the book are unique.

The corner of Churchill's mouth raised a sinister arc,

"And that book really affected some people's judgment."

Wodehouse understood;

"you are right……"

Before he finished speaking, the coachman's cursing voice suddenly came from the front.

The speed of the carriage suddenly slowed down.

Churchill failed to sit still, leaned forward, and accidentally burned a burnt hole in Wodehouse's "Mirror" with his cigar.

He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, and opened the curtains of the car.

"what happened!?"

The driver quickly explained: "Sir, the road ahead is blocked."

Churchill raised his breath and tightened his abdomen, trying to make himself slimmer, and then leaned his upper body out of the car window.

I saw a human ball piled up by a woman not far away. It seemed to be surrounding something, squirming forward at a speed of 0.5 kilometers per hour.

When it comes to people and balls, it’s two people and one cat——

Lu Shi, Natsume Soseki, and I.

"Tsk..."

Churchill was speechless.

Good news: Lu Shi has been found;

Bad news: Lu Shi was surrounded by a group of fanatical women.

He cleared his throat, raised his voice and shouted, "Professor Lu!"

Lu Shi in the crowd raised his head, his eyes suddenly lit up, he quickly broke through the siege of a group of women, hugged me, and rushed into the carriage with Natsume Soseki.

The driver quickly urged the horse to move forward.

With great difficulty, the carriage and the women distanced themselves.

There were cries from behind,

"Will we see you again? My dear, you should be happy when we see you again, okay?"

"We, you have to be happy, you have to be happy."

"My generation! How can I live without you!"

…

In the carriage, the four men looked at each other.

"..."

"..."

"..."

It was quiet and the atmosphere was strange.

Lu Shi touched his nose awkwardly,

If I had known this, I wouldn't have brought my friends out, at least until the popularity of "I Am Cat" has passed.

Let us look at four men,

"Meow?"

Although this meow is meaningless, it can break the silence.

Churchill touched our heads,

"Is this the prototype of "I Am Cat"? It's really... um..."

Halfway through the words, I jumped on his big belly and jumped happily.

Churchill wore a black formal suit, with a carefully tailored collar slightly opened at a small angle, showing off the exquisite details of his tie and shirt.

As a result, there are now four more cat paw prints.

Churchill couldn't laugh or cry,

"This guy……"

He rubbed my cheek and made me make a "snoring~ snoring~" sound.

Lu Shi expressed his gratitude: "Sir, Mr. Churchill, thank you for your help in resolving the siege."

Wodehouse shook his head;

"It's not just a rescue. We are here to find you."

Lu Shi also expected it.

"What's up?"

Wodehouse raised a corner of his mouth and said, "First of all, as a source of the Mirror in the Palace of Westminster, I want to tell you, the editor-in-chief of the Mirror, a piece of news."

As he spoke, he took a deep breath,

"The Boer War will be over soon."

Lu Shi:? ? ?

According to history, the end of the Anglo-Boer War was marked by the "Vereeniging Treaty" signed on May 31, 1902.

The British claimed control of all Boer territory.

But the current time point...

"Isn't the battle not over yet?"

Lu Shi was a little confused.

Churchill finally said: "Yes, the war is not over yet, especially in the Transvaal and Orange. The Boer guerrillas launched many sneak attacks and succeeded repeatedly, capturing large amounts of arms, supplies and artillery. The most terrible thing is, They advanced all the way to the Atlantic coast and the outskirts of Cape Town, forcing the British to declare martial law in the Cape region."

Lu Shi pondered,

"What you can't get on the battlefield, you can't even get at the negotiation table. Is Great Britain preparing to 'lose its power and humiliate the country'?"

Churchill and Wodehouse looked at each other for a moment;

Suddenly, Churchill laughed,

"Okay! Okay, okay! What a 'what you can't get on the battlefield, you can't get at the negotiation table'! Professor Lu, you are indeed a great scholar, and can even be said to be the 'greatest scholar in the early 20th century. '."

This hat is really big.

Lu Shi shook his head,

"Mr. Churchill, don't forget where I come from."

Churchill was stunned, then sighed: "Sorry."

Lu Shi said "hmm\

,""Every intelligent Chinese should understand that a weak country has no diplomacy. If the strength is equal, diplomacy is strength; if strength is unequal, strength is diplomacy."

In fact, this statement is still a bit ahead of its time.

It was not until the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 that Gu Weijun could not change the outcome no matter how hard he fought, and it became a consensus that weak countries have no diplomacy.

Churchill said: "'Weak countries have no diplomacy', Professor Lu is a bit extreme."

Unexpectedly, there was no need for Lu Shi to refute.

Natsume Soseki on the side said: "Of course a weak country has the right to diplomacy, but can a weak country achieve the goals that its country needs to achieve through diplomatic activities?"

Churchill picked up the cigar and took a slow drag.

"Huh~"

Take a long breath,

Then, his whole demeanor changed.

"You're right. In diplomacy, you always put your gun on the table first, and then say to the other party, 'Come on, we can talk.'"

Lu Shi chuckled,

"So, Great Britain was defeated by the Boers?"

Churchill spread his hands and said: "It's not a defeat, it's just that the war made me feel uncomfortable. After all, Britain's delivery capabilities are limited, and Boer is too far away and the supply line is too long. It is very difficult for Prime Minister Balfour to support it. Moreover, we are facing guerrilla warfare. I obviously lacked the experience to deal with it at that time, and I was very distressed by them."

He lowered his voice,

"Of course, there is another main reason, and that is the impact the war had on international relations. British colonial rule in Africa has been questioned by many."

Lu Shi knew these things because history is the same.

The only thing he was curious about was the opportunity for Great Britain to abandon Boer and what accelerated the historical process.

Lu Shi asked: "Now that the British still control the entire Boer territory, why did Prime Minister Balfour suddenly make up his mind?"

Wodehouse laughed;

"Why else? Of course it's because of you!"

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"I!?"

Wodehouse explained: "After reading your "Irrelevant 1587", Prime Minister Balfour feels that Britain cannot develop in the direction of party struggle in the Ming Dynasty, and the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party should reach an agreement on the Boer issue. Also After reading the book "The Nature of Japanese Civilization", he believed that investment in Africa should be reduced and that Japan should...ahem..."

Before he finished speaking, Wodehouse glanced at Natsume Soseki.

Lu Shi understood,

Balfour actually worried about being stabbed in the back by Japan because he read his book.

Is Britain afraid of being stabbed in the back?

This joke is so ridiculous.