A healing writer? No, it's a depressing writer!

Chapter 300: Marching into the UK! World Mystery Literature Competition! Call for Elite Writers! A Contest of IQ and Logic

Mensa is the name of the world's top IQ club. It was founded in Oxford, England in 1946 by lawyer Roland Beryl and scientist Lance Waring.

Although the name is relatively niche, readers who have learned about Sudoku games and are keen on challenging logical reasoning should be familiar with the name of this club, because this club has always been publicized to the outside world -

We only recruit high-quality scholars with the highest IQ in the world.

Although Jiang Hai is usually quite conceited, he still believes deep down that he is not a "high-quality human male", so when he received the invitation to join the Mensa Club.

The first reaction was surprise:

"Have I also become a high-quality human male?"

The second reaction was followed by doubt:

"Why would you invite me, a writer, to join a club that is famous for its IQ and reasoning logic?"

Seeing Jiang Hai's puzzled look, Chen Hanying gave him an answer:

"The members of the Mensa Club are mainly those born in the 70s and 80s. Some of them are top figures in various fields, and some are ordinary people like you and me. As for the criteria for recruiting members, in addition to the IQ test requirement of 148, they will also periodically recruit outstanding writers from various countries to compile the 'Mensa series of published books'."

At this point, Chen Hanying paused deliberately:
"Trivia: In addition to being a high IQ club, Mensa is also one of the world's best-selling book publishers."

"Mensa is extremely authoritative in the field of IQ testing. The Mensa series of books are not only popular in Europe and the United States, but are also listed as an important reference standard for selecting talents by many government agencies and multinational companies around the world."

There is nothing wrong with what you said.

It does sound strange.

but
What does this have to do with me???
As if seeing through the doubt in Jiang Hai's eyes, Chen Hanying continued to explain under his doubtful gaze:

"This time, the British Mensa Club and the British Writers Association jointly held a logical reasoning competition. The British Writers Association is open to the world—"

“A call for elite writers has been issued!”

“I will stay at Castle Howard in the UK for a month and create a complex and brain-burning reasoning logic work based on [mystery] and [suspense]”

It is different from the China-France cultural exchange group's visit to France in the form of a [country].

This time, the British Writers' Association went straight to the individual level.

Regardless of identity.

Don't look at fame.

Regardless of status.

Whether you can participate in the competition or not depends on only one thing——

That's talent!
As long as you have intelligence, imagination, and creativity, and are reviewed and tested by the Mensa Club and the British Writers Association, you will receive an invitation to join the team of this World Literary Reasoning Competition.
"At present, according to the information I have received, there are only two writers in the Chinese writers' delegation who have received invitation letters." Chen Hanying looked at Jiang Hai and slowly told him the news she had heard, "One of them is you."

"The other one is Mr. Liu Zhenyun"

There is no doubt that this is a carnival of detective literature and a feast of world literature.

The most elite group of writers from all over the world gathered together to compose an unprecedented feast of detective literature.

Chen Hanying is still telling Jiang Hai about the World Mystery Literature Exchange Competition.
Level, how luxurious is it?

How high-end is the grade?

Jiang Hai's words were like a bucket of cold water poured directly over her:
"I dont go."

Chen Hanying couldn't believe her ears:

"You, what did you say?"

"I said." Jiang Hai deliberately raised his voice, "I'm not going!"

"Do you know how rare this opportunity is?" Chen Hanying looked straight into Jiang Hai's eyes as if she couldn't believe it. "How many writers want to go but can't? How many writers want to go but can't?"

Want to be recognized by both the Mensa Club and the British Writers Association, two authoritative official organizations -

This difficulty is quite high!
The huge delegation of Chinese writers is composed of top domestic writers.
Only two writers, Jiang Hai and Liu Zhenyun, received the call for elite writers!
Looking at other countries in Asia, such as India and South Korea.
That means no writer has received any invitation from the World Mystery Association!
Not one!

However, Jiang Hai received such a precious opportunity.
He chose to give up?

"Why should I do something that has no benefit?" Jiang Hai returned to his room and began to pack his luggage silently. "I am exhausted now. After attending an event in France, I have to go to the UK without stopping?"

“English is hard to understand, but it’s cheap to learn.”

“Foreign food is not tasty, and I still have to...”

Jiang Hai hadn't finished speaking yet.

Chen Hanying's words directly changed his mind:
"This World Literature Reasoning Competition, jointly organized by the British Writers' Association and the Mensa Club, has rewards. If you can win this competition, you can get antique artifacts donated by the David Foundation in London—"

"Liao tri-colored Arhat statue."

The Liao tri-colored Arhat statues are antique cultural relics from the Tang Dynasty in my country. They have a history of more than a thousand years. There are only ten of them left in the world. Similar to the bronze statues of the twelve zodiac animals in the Old Summer Palace, these ten Liao tri-colored Arhat statues have been scattered around the world due to historical reasons.
Among them, nine Arhat statues are collected in public museums in Canada, the United States, Russia, France and Japan. As for the last remaining Arhat statue cultural relic, it is collected and included in the Percival David Foundation in London, England.

Logically speaking, cultural relics of this nature, which can be called "national treasures", are not allowed to be bought and sold in public.

However, this only applies to domestic laws!

Under international law, any cultural relics collected by private buyers and foundations can be auctioned or donated at will.

Despite the fact that the Chinese Embassy has repeatedly protested and asked the British side to:

"We cannot use our country's cultural relics as rewards for the competition!"

"This is a blasphemy to our country's cultural relics!"

However, the British side directly stated:
"The Percival David Foundation in London is a private exhibition hall. This collection is private property, not state property. Private property is sacred and inviolable. How citizens deal with their private property, whether it is auctioned or donated, is a matter of course—"

“We have no right to interfere”

The British side's operation was very tricky. This time, the donation reward for the Liao tri-color arhat statue was donated to the British Writers Association through a private foundation. This means that this was a private individual behavior and had nothing to do with the official.

Even if you protest, the UK has its own laws:
"Private property is sacred and inviolable!"

Your Chinese laws stipulate that national treasures such as bronze ware may not be auctioned, transferred or sold. There is certainly nothing wrong with this regulation.

But
What do your Chinese laws have to do with my UK?
Are you using your country's laws to restrict the citizens of our country?

This requirement applies no matter which country it is in.
Absolutely not allowed.

"Like this."

When I learned that the Liao tri-color Arhat statue from the Tang Dynasty would be given as the champion reward at this world literary reasoning competition exchange meeting.

Jiang Hai lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought for a long time.

"Go or not?"

“That’s a problem.”

To be honest, Jiang Hai's understanding of detective literature is not very deep.

There were only two mystery writers he was familiar with:

One of them is Arthur Conan Doyle from the United Kingdom, who is also known as the father of world detective novels. The "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" he left behind is still regarded as a classic in the world literary world even today. It is a world-class IP that is no less than the "Harry Potter" series.

The other is Keigo Higashino from Japan. Objectively speaking, Keigo Higashino cannot be compared with Arthur Conan Doyle. Whether in terms of talent or achievements in literary history, he is far behind Arthur Conan Doyle.
However, because they are both from Asia and have participated in Sino-French cultural exchange activities, Jiang Hai has met Keigo Higashino, a mystery novelist famous for his detective and suspense novels, several times and is quite familiar with him.

"If I don't go, I will have to watch our cultural relics and national treasures drift overseas." Jiang Hai took a puff of cigarette and began to think about it. "If the final winner is a writer from another country, it's fine. But if the final winner is a Japanese writer, I'm afraid it will be really bad."

"Is it a bit unacceptable?" You can't say "Literature has no borders". If literature really has no borders, it would not just be China that has not had any writer win the Nobel Prize in Literature so far.

As long as you are a writer.

As long as you write the text.

Then, your words will inevitably represent your thoughts and your nationality.
Frankly speaking, Jiang Hai felt exhausted during this trip to France. He had to go in and out of public places every day and maintain the image of a gentleman in front of the media and cameras.

This is a huge challenge for Jiang Hai. To put it another way -

This is simply torture!
However, if the World Mystery Association asks me to join, and I am the only Chinese writer to participate in this mystery contest.
Maybe that's something to think about?

He pondered over it again and again, as if he had made a decision.

Finally, Jiang Hai nodded towards Chen Hanying:
"I go."

Britain and France both belong to Europe, so they can be classified as neighboring countries. After all, the two countries are only 300 kilometers apart.

However, even though it was only 300 kilometers away, since it was reimbursed by the government——

Jiang Hai resolutely chose to travel by plane.

That afternoon.

London Airport, UK.

After packing his luggage from the Palace of Versailles, Jiang Hai headed straight for the airport without any hesitation.

It only took an hour to get from France to England.

Even so, there is a certain threshold for participating in the World Literary Mystery Competition this time. One needs to receive dual invitations from the Mensa Club and the British Writers Association to come to London and go to Castle Howard in the UK.

but
Who says I can’t come to the UK without an invitation?

Even without an invitation, can I join in the fun at my own expense at such a grand literary festival?
After finishing the trip to France, two-thirds of the Chinese writers still chose to follow the delegation to London, England.

Just got off the plane.

Jiang Hai just arrived at Heathrow Airport and walked out of the VIP channel.

In the airport's reception hall, I saw a huge poster of Arthur Conan Doyle hanging on the wall. It contained his biography and his most famous detective novel, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which is also one of the most renowned detective novels in the history of world literature.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh in the 19th century. He became one of the most important writers in the history of detective fiction because of his creation of the successful detective character, Sherlock Holmes.

It is precisely because of Arthur Conan Doyle's contribution to world literature that even today, a hundred years later, the British literary world and even the world literary world will remember the name of this great writer forever.

For a layman who is not familiar with the writer, you would ask him who is Arthur Conan Doyle?

He might look puzzled:

"What Arthur? MacArthur?"

"Conan? Edogawa Conan?"

"I've heard of both names, but when you put them together, I'm a little confused."

Even though you may not be familiar with the name of the writer Arthur Conan Doyle, you should mention his works:

"And do you know Sherlock Holmes?"

Readers from Europe, Asia, or South America should all have an expression of sudden enlightenment:

"Holmes?"

“I’m very familiar with it, okay?”

"How come the famous Sherlock Holmes is actually the work of this writer???"

Good works can still be remembered forever even after a hundred years.

Even though Arthur Conan Doyle has been dead for nearly a hundred years, to this day, the world literary organizations still give him the reputation of "the father of detective novels."

Perhaps, it is to prepare for this event.

On the way out of the airport.

Jiang Hai and his group saw many figures, posters, and even sculptures of characters from the book "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"——

From Sherlock Holmes to John H. Watson.

From Violet Shariford to Irene Adler.

These characters in the book "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" can be seen in real life.
Jiang Hai was busy admiring the scene around him.

A tall European man wearing a British beret and looking like a gentleman suddenly appeared in front of him:

"Hello, Mr. Jiang Hai."

"I am from the Mensa Club, and I am also a member of the organizing committee sent by the British Writers Association to pick you up."

To be honest, Jiang Hai rarely uses the word "handsome" to describe a person, especially a man.

Even so, people of the same sex often hold repulsive attitudes and often dislike each other.

However, Jiang Hai had to admit——

The man in front of me is really handsome.

He has a kind of European mature male charm.
"We need to wait a little longer, about three minutes." The man in the European beret explained to Jiang Hai in broken English, "I need to pick up a few more people. There are a few writers who are also going to Howard Castle. They will be there with you."

It was Jiang Hai’s first time in London, so he was not in a hurry.

He just stood there quietly, waiting for the "writer" the man was talking about to arrive.

He stood there for about two minutes with his luggage in his hands.

Inside the airport corridor.

Two yellow-skinned, Asian-looking writers slowly appeared in front of everyone, surrounded by a group of arcade fans.

"Hello"

Among them, there was one person who looked quite familiar to Jiang Hai.

He recognized at a glance that this person was Keigo Higashino, who had just appeared at a China-France cultural exchange event.

As for the other man, he was a little fat and had a slight bald spot.

Jiang Hai didn't recognize him.

“Who is this person?”

Just when Jiang Hai was confused.

Beside him, Chen Hanying, who had been silent, shouted out a name in surprise:
"Oh my god, Aoyama Gosho."

"Who is Qingshan Gangchang?" Jiang Haihei looked puzzled.

"You don't even know Aoyama Gosho?" Chen Hanying first glanced at Jiang Hai in surprise, then quickly shifted her gaze to the slightly bald man in front of her, "You must have heard of Detective Conan, right?"

“That was my childhood.”

(End of this chapter)