I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 623 76 Parry Street (6,000 words)
The streets were clean and tidy, and very quiet.

On both sides are row villas with red exterior walls, exuding an air of elegance.

It looks a bit old, yet it has a strange sense of vicissitude and historical depth.

It immediately gives people a sense of luxury.

That's the essence of 'Old Money'!

Liu Jin drove his car onto the street.

Under Eva's direction, things are fine on the side of the road.

The red exterior walls, half of which are submerged under rose vines, stand out more from the houses on either side.

"How about it?"

Eva smiled proudly.

Liu Jin glanced at her and nodded.

"Good taste!"

"Then get off the bus!"

As she spoke, she pushed Liu Jin out of the car.

Picking Eva the raccoon up from the back seat, Eva whistled, and the two of them immediately got out of the car.

However, they did not rush to run away, but instead squatted on either side of Eva, looking around warily, appearing dutiful.

Eva couldn't help but giggle.

"Julie, Adrian, this is our home, let's go!"

She stepped onto the steps, and the two big guys immediately followed, leaving Liu Jin, who had just struggled to lift his luggage out of the trunk, aside.

"Wait for me!"

Liu Jin couldn't help but shout.

The door of the townhouse next door opened, and a middle-aged white man walked out.

He saw Eva and quickly greeted her with a smile, "Good evening, Miss Green."

"Good evening, Mr. Antonio!"

"just came back?"

"Yes, I picked up a friend from the airport."

The middle-aged man's gaze then shifted from Eva to Liu Jin, who was carrying two large suitcases and struggling up the steps.

He was startled.

He immediately frowned slightly.

But perhaps because Eva was there, the old white man maintained a very gentlemanly demeanor and nodded to Liu Jin.

Liu Jin glanced at him, carried two large suitcases to the door, and put them down.

Then he reached out and put his arm around Eva's waist, and kissed her.

"Eva, open the door quickly."

Eva was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized what was happening.

She glanced furtively at the old white man, then couldn't help but giggle. She put the raccoon cat into Liu Jin's arms, took out her key, and opened the door.

Good night, Mr. Antonio.

She pushed open the door and walked in, pulling a suitcase along.

Liu Jin glared at the old white man, pulled another suitcase, whistled at the two big men, and followed Eva into the room.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Jin slammed the door shut.

……

Mr. Antonio's face turned a little pale.

They were both cunning foxes; how could he not see that Liu Jin was taunting him?

but……

He had originally planned to go out, but after this incident, his enthusiasm vanished instantly, so he turned around and went back.

“Catherine, I just saw Eva Green come back with a man.”

As soon as Antonio entered, he spoke to the middle-aged woman who was wearing a halter-neck jumpsuit with a coat over it.

Catherine is his wife.

I'm putting on my shoes in the entryway, getting ready to go out for a pleasant weekend evening.

She was taken aback, then said, "Who is it? What does it look like? I knew long ago that that little bitch wasn't a decent person."

"He's an Asian, a very rude Asian."

"Haha, she's a celebrity, and she's dating an Asian woman..."

Catherine stopped talking abruptly at this point.

"how old?"

"It was a bit dark, I couldn't see clearly."

Antonio asked, puzzled, "Why are you asking this?"

"Don't you read the newspaper? That bitch Eva got to where she is today entirely thanks to the support of an Asian writer."

I reckon that the Asian man you saw was Amos.

"Amos?"

“Last year, he was shot by Little Life, which resulted in a riot in Los Angeles.”

"what?"

Antonio seemed to suddenly remember something.

He blurted out, "That chingchong?"

“Antonio, watch your language. You just used racist language against a billionaire.”

Don't blame me for not warning you, that guy is no pushover.

He's not just a wealthy man; he also wields enormous influence in America. Furthermore, he's a very tough guy. If he finds out you said something like that, he won't let it go easily. Don't regret it later.

"Just a Chinese person. This is America, this is New York!"

Antonio gave a disdainful look.

However, his words still unconsciously revealed a sense of timidity.

"Alright, I'll be late if I don't leave now... Tomorrow's the weekend, let's visit that writer again."

"Visiting a Chinese person?"

Catherine glanced at the old white man, a look of disgust flashing in her eyes.

She pushed Antonio aside and opened the door.

"Catherine, are you going to see Nicky and the others again?"

"Otherwise what? Nicky and I agreed that being late is a very impolite thing to do."

With that, she walked out of the house, then drove away.

Antonio watched her leave with some displeasure, his eyes darting around, then closed the door and ran upstairs.

……

Upon entering the foyer, you'll find a large hall of approximately 100 square meters.

It's quite convenient to use for hosting parties or similar events.

There is a spiral staircase in the lobby that leads directly upstairs.

"Seriously? We have to climb the stairs?"

"Hehe, I know you're lazy, there's an elevator."

As she spoke, Eva walked to the side and opened the elevator door.

"The second floor has a living room, dining room, and lounge, while the third floor has four bedrooms that can be used as guest rooms."

The fourth floor has the master bedroom and the second bedroom, but I've already converted the second bedroom into a study where you can read.

She led Liu Jin upstairs, giving introductions as they went.

"The master bedroom connects directly to the terrace, which is 150 square meters. There is a swimming pool over there and a rooftop garden over here."

You follow me! "

She was like a happy lark, taking Liu Jin's hand and walking to the side of the pool.

The pool water was a deep blue, shimmering with light.

There is a huge sunshade here that blocks the view of the surroundings.

She led Liu Jin up a three-tiered flight of stairs, above which was a semi-circular garden terrace.

Eva pointed into the distance and laughed, "That's the Hudson River over there. The view from here is very expansive."

Liu Jin walked onto the small terrace and looked in the direction Eva was pointing. He saw the Hudson River looking particularly beautiful in the night.

"750 million, that's really not expensive!"

"Right, right? I've inquired, and the cheapest townhouses around here are around nine to ten million. This house is a bit small, but in terms of both view and location, it's the best house on this street."

"How can it be so cheap?"

The original owner of this house was a Frenchman.

Working on Wall Street... Well, this place isn't too far from Wall Street.

And it's very convenient to get to Columbia College from here, it's only about a 20-minute drive, and they can even drop me off at school...hehe, our school is also very close to Columbia, except it's much bigger than Columbia's."

"Then I can take you to school every day."

"Mmmmmmm!"

Eva's face was full of anticipation.

"You still haven't told me why it's so cheap."

"That Frenchman is about to go bankrupt. If he doesn't sell this house soon, all his other properties will be frozen."

I found him after I heard about it.

He originally asked for 8.5 million... but I told him that if he couldn't close the deal within a week, the bank would definitely freeze his accounts and assets, and he wouldn't be able to keep the house either. He still had a 2 million loan on that house... plus, we're both French, so after we discussed it, he agreed.”

"So try to avoid taking out loans, they're all scams."

"Whee!"

Eva just smiled and didn't seem to care much.

The entire Western world follows the American theory of advance consumption.

It seems only Germany is not an exception.

At least for now, Germany is still pursuing classical economics.

Therefore, whenever a debt crisis or economic crisis occurs in Europe, Germany is affected, but the impact is the smallest compared to other countries.

At this moment, the two big guys also ran upstairs.

Eva the Tanuki lay sprawled on Adrian, still looking languid.

This will be their new home!
……

The two did not go out that night.

First, they had a fierce friendly match.

After all, it had been a long time since they last met, and their reunion in New York was like dry wood meeting a raging fire.

Eva was very excited and dragged Liu Jin from the master bedroom to the terrace, and then from the terrace to the pool. Finally, with a high-pitched scream, the battle came to an end.

I'm too lazy to go out for dinner.

So I called a restaurant in Chinatown and ordered takeout.

Afterwards, they sat on the floor in the master bedroom, snuggling together, watching TV and chatting about random things.

From work to study to life.

Eva was only wrapped in a bath towel and rested her head on Liu Jin's lap.

"I always felt that Mrs. Catherine next door was not a decent person; I often saw her coming home late at night."

That Antonio too...

It seems like they're each doing their own thing.

"What does he do? That Antonio."

"It seems he works on Wall Street and is quite wealthy."

They have three children, but they don't come back very often... Oh, and I once saw Catherine kissing a young man in a car.

"That Antonio is quite pitiful."

"Really? Haha, I think so too!"

Just then, the host's voice came from the television: "Jeffrey, I heard that Mr. Bollinger of Columbia University invited Amos to study at Columbia? Is that true?"

"I've heard about it too, it seems there is such a thing."

Liu Jin heard someone mention his name, so he curiously looked at the television.

This is a cultural interview program, somewhat similar to a talk show. The guest invited is named Jeffrey Eugenides.

In addition, there are several other scholars, who may also be writers.

Eugenides?
This name sounds somewhat familiar!

“Jeffrey, that’s your old rival.”

I heard that the Pulitzer Prize for Literature was awarded to you and your book *Neutral*, is that correct?

One writer said with a smile.

Clearly, his words struck a nerve with Mr. Jeffrey.

His face immediately darkened, and he snorted, "There's nothing I can do; who can blame him for being so good at flattery?"

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"At the time, his film 'Life Is Beautiful' was a favorite of Mr. Blumenthal, and it is said that one of the characters in it was based on Mr. Blumenthal..."

"So you mean that Amos won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature because of Mr. Blumenthal?"

"I didn't say that."

Jeffrey hesitated for a moment and didn't continue.

"But I think my book, 'Neutral,' is excellent."

"..."

Eva snuggled into Liu Jin's arms and asked curiously, "Who is this person?"

At this moment, Liu Jin also remembered who this Mr. Jeffrey Eugenides was.

"The author of 'Neutral'!"

Liu Jin explained with a smile.

"When I won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 03, he was one of my strongest contenders."

In fact, in the original timeline, the Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction in 2003 was none other than Mr. Jeffrey from the television series.

"So, what story does 'neutral' tell?"

"It seems to be a story about gender, transgender? It's been a while, I don't remember it very clearly."

"whispering sound--"

Eva showed a look of disgust.

To be honest, she wasn't very interested in this kind of book; it was nowhere near as good as Amos's *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* or *Les Misérables*.

"So, you think Amos's victory back then was dishonorable?"

"I didn't say that!"

Three years have passed, but Jeffrey still harbors resentment.

But he dared not offend the Pulitzer Prize judges, much less Blumenthal.

A few simple lines about crickets are fine.

If that's an exaggeration, he's just a writer, not someone you can afford to offend Blumenthal.

Perhaps Blumenthal wouldn't bother with him too much, given the sheer number of his underlings! From the 1970s, when he became America's Minister of Finance, he remained a stalwart figure in America's political and economic circles.

Blumenthal has been out of politics for twenty years!
But no one dared to underestimate his power.

He is the father of the current president, George W. Bush, and the neighbor of the former president, George H.W. Bush.

The guests at his home are either Warren Buffett or the heads of those large financial families... If he really angers them, he'll be in deep trouble.

Therefore, he dared not overindulge in crickets.

But deep down, he was still very resentful, so he transferred that resentment onto Liu Jin.

"I don't deny that Amos is an excellent author."

But I don't think his novel *The Old Man and the Sea* would have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His story is empty and tedious, filled with all sorts of pointless lamentations; it neither reveals the essence of society nor offers any interpretation of human nature.

Personally, I think people have overrated him.

Of his many works, apart from *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*, which is somewhat watchable, the rest are all reeking of money.

"I don't think so. I think his works are quite good, including Life Is Beautiful."

"It's just not bad."

"I heard he published a new book a few months ago, Les Misérables. Has anyone read it?"

There were six people in the studio, excluding the host and Jeffrey.

Five of them shook their heads, indicating they hadn't seen it.

"I've seen it!"

One female guest said, "All I want to say is that it is a breathtaking masterpiece. After reading it, I was simply awestruck."

The female guest's name is Elizabeth Gilbert.

She wore an elegant coat and looked quite sophisticated.

This is quite different from Jeffrey's somewhat unkempt appearance.

Born in 1969, she was a senior reporter for The New York Times.

Her masterpiece, "The Last American," was shortlisted for the America National Book Award in 2002 and was among the finalists.

This year, she published an autobiography called "Food Pray Love," which has sold nearly ten million copies.

Julia Roberts will adapt this work into a film in the future, and it will be a huge success...

Liu Jin couldn't help laughing!
He knew Elizabeth, and they were both writers at Random House.

Last year, even when Liu Jin and Random House were at their most strained, Elizabeth still spoke out in the newspapers about Liu Jin's shooting incident.

"She is very pretty?"

Eva, nestled in Liu Jin's arms, suddenly asked.

Liu Jin was taken aback, then burst into laughter and gave her a big kiss.

"What are you thinking? She's a friend of mine... You know I don't know many female writers in America, one is Toni Morrison, one is Nicole Krauss, and another is Elizabeth, a brilliant female writer."

"You forgot, she spoke up for me last year when I was shot!"

"She's really beautiful!"

"No matter how pretty you are, you're not as pretty as me."

"What about Sophie Marceau and me?"

"Forehead……"

Eva couldn't help but giggle in his arms.

"Maybe!"

Jeffrey also seemed unwilling to provoke Elizabeth.

But he was still unconvinced, so he said, "Les Misérables may be excellent, but I'm very sorry, I haven't read it."

That's normal; America's book market is a single-language book market.

In other words, works in other languages ​​are only valued by Americans when they are translated into English.

Non-English version...

It's not that nobody watches it, but it's definitely not mainstream.

"Les Misérables is ultimately a French story, and has nothing to do with America."

Personally, I believe that since we live on America's land, we should still create stories about America...

Moreover, America has countless excellent works and writers.

I think we've focused too much on a French novel written by a Chinese author.

“But Jeffrey, I remember your book ‘Neutral’ wasn’t exactly an America story either.”

"you……"

"Jeffrey, one failure has made you so narrow-minded."

A writer should be able to embrace the world; right now, you remind me of a resentful woman, a resentful woman who never gets what she wants.

The speaker is Nicholas Sparks, a mid-career writer born in 1965.

His representative work is "Rotan Island Love".

His works were greatly influenced by French literature and mainly focused on romantic love themes.

Sales figures weren't that impressive.

However, most of them have sold over a million copies, and many have been adapted into films.

"Nicholas, what do you mean?"

First Elizabeth criticized him, and now Nicholas criticizes him...

Jeffrey is a bit overwhelmed!

He suddenly stood up, his face full of anger.

The host quickly stood up to stop it...

This is the most popular form of entertainment among Americans, or Westerners.

Reality shows... they need real action, no script, to be loved by the audience.

That's why many Western reality shows are basically late-night programs. Why? Because they're genuinely exciting!
This is why shows like Running Man and Go Fighting! are only popular in Asia.

This kind of variety show is rare in Western countries.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Nicholas was also stubborn and not afraid of Jeffrey's threats at all.

"Nicholas, you should say less."

Jeffrey's words were somewhat inappropriate, but there was one point he made that I think makes a lot of sense.

As brilliant as Amos is, he is still a Chinese man. He may be able to grasp the essence of European culture, but he doesn't understand America. I believe that America's readers are interested in his work out of curiosity.

This time, the person who spoke was Jackie Collins, a female writer who is nearly seventy years old.

But she looks like she's in her forties or fifties, still quite charming.

She is the sister of famous Hollywood actress Joan Collins, and is British.

A writer, and also an actor.

Her representative works include "Fatal Attraction" and "Hollywood Divorce".

With global sales exceeding 4 million copies, his works are not only influential among authors but also wield considerable power in Hollywood.

"Does being an author of 'America' automatically guarantee a good story about America?"

"I think it will at least be better than what a Chinese person would write..."

Jeffrey also realized that he had just lost his composure.

So he sat down and said, “I apologize for what I just said, but I insist that only Americans can write American stories with such flavor.”

Moreover, what I meant was that America also has many very great writers.

Mark Twain, Fitzgerald, Jerome David Salinger, Hawthorne… Why should we delve into the works of a Chinese author?

“Jeffrey, what you said was a bit racist.”

Elizabeth couldn't help but say, "Amos is Chinese, that's true, but that's not an excuse for you to provoke him."

"I'm not being racist, it was just a joke."

Jeffrey's expression changed slightly.

But then, in a nonchalant tone, he said, "I prefer Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to Les Misérables."

……

"This person is so annoying."

Eva snuggled her entire body into Liu Jin's arms.

The bath towel had disappeared sometime ago; she clung to Liu Jin's body, her voluptuous figure teasing him...

"Yeah, what an annoying guy!"

"Then let's not look at him, okay? I haven't seen you for so long, I need to check if you and Monica are really alright... Hmph, I don't believe that you and her were at sea for five days and five nights and nothing happened."

"Woman, you are playing with fire!"

"Yes, yes, what are your plans?"

"I'm going to punish you!"

Liu Jin laughed loudly and stood up.

The rejuvenating and rejuvenation exercises have been ongoing for the past few months.

Old Zhong's tiger bone wine is nourishing, and he drinks a small cup every day.

My body is already in peak condition, even better than it was on the yacht.

Using only his waist strength, he managed to stand up while holding Eva, then turned around, hugged Eva, and slammed her hard onto the bed!

……

(End of this chapter)