I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 178 The outstretched hand and invitation to Britain

Strictly speaking, although Mikhail could eat and sleep well, he was indeed always working hard to learn and work.

After all, he didn't have any particularly time-consuming bad habits, and he also had to adapt a lot of things in his head to fit the current era in a logical way, so Mikhail's workload was enormous.

In this situation, Mikhail often wandered between the homes of acquaintances and those he didn't know very well, either borrowing books that were not commonly found on the market or even banned books, or listening to people talk about their experiences in different places and their opinions on these things.

In the past, Mikhail read the most books about the old French collection and banned books. He often talked about this topic when discussing it with others. Over time, this has gradually become a consensus in the cultural circles of St. Petersburg.

First, the young Mikhail's French is remarkably fluent; he can communicate with native French speakers without any difficulty and even crack some distinctly French jokes. Secondly, this young man is truly a genius when it comes to learning. Regarding his academic achievements alone, a rather amusing anecdote that circulated in St. Petersburg's cultural circles recently went like this:
One day, Mikhail came to the home of a nobleman to borrow books. Because there were many people and it was very noisy, not many people noticed that the young man had taken a book to the tea break area. Even though some people were smoking, drinking and playing cards, the young man simply poured himself a cup of tea and then focused on reading the book that he couldn't easily take with him.

After finishing his tea and the tea break in front of him disappeared, he turned to the last page of the book in his hand.
Next, someone couldn't help but ask Mikhail, "Let me test you," and Mikhail answered fluently and effortlessly.

When Mikhail heard this rumor, all he could think was that it was quite a funny story that could be included in a textbook, except that the tea break part should be removed. After all, textbooks shouldn't tell children that Edison was actually a bastard and that Balzac was a big eater.

However, at the same time, because Mikhail read quite a lot of books about France, including both official and banned books, some people began to secretly speculate about the true intentions of this rising literary star. After all, what kind of place was France? A land rife with the plague of revolution! Could it be that he had contracted the infectious disease of revolution?

Before these people could even begin to connect the dots, upon hearing the news from Paris, they were initially shocked, but quickly became overjoyed, saying that the misunderstanding had been cleared up and that this was exactly what it meant to learn from others' strengths to control the law!
Similarly, due to numerous reports received recently, informants in the Third Bureau have begun to pay attention to this low-profile newcomer to the literary world. Because this Mikhail is so cunning, it's almost impossible to find any flaws. As a result, many people are preparing to present his "eager concern for banned books from France" as evidence. However, news from the Seine suggests that this evidence might actually be seen as proof of his patriotism!

For a time, the investigation in the Third Hall did indeed come to a standstill. After all, based on the current information, Mikhail appeared in the Parisian literary scene entirely as a Russian. And because of his success, Parisians seemed to have a slightly higher opinion of Russian literature. Furthermore, the content of his novel did not seem to contain any dangerous elements. Even if it did, it mostly consisted of making fun of the British and did not involve Russia.

This is a bit tricky.
It is worth mentioning that although the Third Bureau played an important role in the reign of Nicholas I, the Third Bureau was never very large. When it was established in 1826, it had only sixteen officials, and the total number of officials remained fixed at twenty-eight until 1845.

Of course, in order to truly realize the many functions of the Third Bureau, the Third Bureau had already established a team of about 5,000 informants at its inception. These secret agents were distributed throughout the country and were widely present in the Imperial Guard, the army, theaters, balls and even brothels, to the point that people at the time complained, "They're even in my soup!"

As for the cultural sphere, there certainly are some, but it's really hard to figure out exactly who they are.

While the outside world was still digesting and reflecting on this news, Mikhail, who was in the spotlight, has been taking a period of reflection recently.

Of course, a very important reason was that Turgenev brought Mikhail a large number of books, materials, and letters from Parisian readers. Some of these things were to increase Mikhail's knowledge, while others were closely related to Mikhail's next plans.

Among them, one gentleman's autobiography had a profound influence on the literature of this period and the era that followed; his name was Francos Jürgen Widok.

To summarize his life story simply, although this guy was a genuine old Parisian white bannerman and his family owned a bakery, making him quite wealthy, he unexpectedly turned into a filial son at the age of thirteen and stole his own bakery.

His father was furious when he discovered this and sent his son to prison to scare him into turning over a new leaf. However, Vidocq unlocked the Paris version of the enlightenment achievement in prison, and after his release, he stole a large sum of money from his family and began his tumultuous life.

After spending many years as a criminal, he sought to clear his name and began working for the government, starting a life of fighting crime. The French Ministry of Security, which he founded and led, was the first modern investigative agency. After he was forced out of office due to political struggles, he became the world's first private detective and established a detective agency.

If it were 1845 today, his detective agency would still be in operation, and he would be providing cross-border case advice to the British police.

At the same time, he himself and his autobiography were closely connected with literature. For example, Balzac not only carefully studied Vidocq's memoirs, but also invited him to dinner to learn about various prisons, criminal networks and other details. He also created the character Vautrin in "Old Goriot" based on Vidocq.

Furthermore, the characters Jean Valjean and Javert in Victor Hugo's *Les Misérables* were inspired by him, and some scenes in Alexandre Dumas' *The Count of Monte Cristo* were directly based on Vidocq's early experiences.

As for his more widely known influence, Vidocq is recognized as the father of the modern detective. His autobiography was first published in 1828 and caused a sensation due to his legendary experience as a criminal turned detective and his methods of solving crimes. It was then quickly translated into English and became a bestseller in London, which directly gave rise to works such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," which is considered the father of detective fiction.

After that, he also had a profound influence on the works of Wilkie Collins, a pioneer of British detective fiction. Even the most memorable detective character in British literary history still shows the shadow of Widock in him.

In conclusion, it is clear what Mikhail will write next, as well as why he can write it and whether there is a market for it.

So come out, Sherlock Holmes.

It must be said that these days, writing popular novels is often the most feasible way to quickly gain fame in other countries. However, it's also important to note that the Sherlock Holmes stories take place in a significantly different era, requiring considerable adaptation, and only the early cases can be adapted. But that's alright; by the time Sherlock Holmes becomes popular in Britain, it will likely be 1848 or even later. Who knows where Mikhail will be by then?
If Mikhail is still alive at that time, there will definitely be room for maneuver. After all, the core of detective novels often depends on the brilliance of the case and the reasoning methods. In this case, it wouldn't be too difficult for Mikhail to come up with some techniques like the "locked room mystery," "cooperative murder," and "narrative trick."

Furthermore, detective novels can be closely connected to social reality, which means there is even more content to write about.

In short, Mikhail is devising his new plan, while France will certainly continue its efforts; having finally made progress, it is unlikely to give up easily.

However, before sending the new novel, Mikhail had to write several replies based on the letters Turgenev had given him, the contents of which were quite varied.

Among them, Alexandre Dumas was particularly eccentric, saying something like: "Young man, come to Paris, I'll treat you to food and drinks, and take you to the best places in Paris, to make you feel comfortable and comfortable."

Mikhail: “.”

Do you think this is nonsense?

Their lives are already fraught with hardship; who knows, they might have to venture into harsh environments, and if they get sick on top of that, what would happen?

Mikhail, of course, replied seriously to the letter from Alexandre Dumas, who was likely to die of syphilis. After all, it's always good to be able to eat and drink for free.

As for Professor Balzac, he was naturally still emphasizing his big business. At the same time, he was also asking Mikhail if he was interested in antiques, so that he could visit him when he came to Paris.

Mikhail was certainly aware of Balzac's collecting obsession in his later years. Once, after Balzac bought a set of antique porcelain tableware for nine people, he proudly declared: "I bought it for only three hundred francs, while Dumas spent four thousand for a similar set. It is worth at least six thousand."

But in the end, Balzac had to admit that what he thought was Chinese porcelain turned out to be a Dutch imitation: "It has no more Chinese flavor than I do."

So when faced with such a letter, Mikhail could only exchange pleasantries with his teacher Balzac, and then inadvertently reveal his identity as the magazine's owner, saying that there was no need to do any other business for the time being, as the magazine's profits were already sufficient.

In addition, there were letters from some French scientists. It was clear that some of them were indeed very interested in what was described in the book and Mikhail's so-called "science fiction," and even came to ask Mikhail some questions about it.

This guy was pretty hardcore; I don't know if he believed some rumors, but anyway, he wrote a whole bunch of mathematical formulas in his letter and asked Mikhail for advice, and even said something like:
"I've heard from others that you are the most brilliant mathematician in Russia, so I wonder if you could spare some time to enlighten me."

Mikhail: “???”

Where did this anecdote come from? It's so outlandish!

It can only be said that he truly didn't understand mathematics. Even if Mikhail had some random formulas in his head, he had no idea what they meant. One of the more classic and well-known formulas is E=mc², which is said to explain why the atomic bomb was so powerful.

To be fair, while he may remember, Mikhail doesn't really know anything about it.
In short, when faced with such a letter, Mikhail quickly clarified in his reply that there was no way to hide anything in this field, and at most, he could only show his face as a financial backer.

Although he didn't understand it, Mikhail's respect for science was genuine. Therefore, in order to convey his thoughts on this matter and to briefly describe the definition of science fiction, Mikhail was writing a "Letter to Scientists" to be published in a French newspaper.

If there are further benefits, Mikhail will proceed with his plan to establish a private award to encourage and reward outstanding scientists and inventors. If his literary reputation continues to grow, the reputation of this scientific award will likely not be too bad either.

Finally, there were letters from readers in Paris. It must be said that, perhaps due to Turgenev's selection process, these readers were quite enthusiastic in their letters, expressing their admiration and respect for Mikhail. Many female readers even directly expressed their love in their letters.

Although Mikhail knew that some of what he said was definitely not true, or that he had his own plans or other reasons, in any case, as he read on, a slight smile finally appeared on his usually tense face.
cough cough.

Mikhail, how could you do this!
After reflecting on his actions, Mikhail quickly began writing "A Letter to Parisian Readers," which he planned to publish in French newspapers. After all, what good was simply having his name known? Mikhail needed to tell the French his name, his current location, and his future plans.
In short, it's about building up one's reputation. These days, writers, besides their works, mainly expand and exert their influence among the people through direct dialogue. Of course, in Russia, this kind of cultivation is not very effective. If you cultivate too much, you'll become a target, and if anything happens, the Tsar's iron fist will be the first to strike such a person.

However, even though Mikhail didn't really have any designs on this in Russia, his reputation in St. Petersburg's cultural circles did indeed rise higher and higher thanks to the efforts of his friends.

While Mikhail was focused on his work at home, a familiar guest soon arrived again. This time, upon meeting, the guest eagerly showed Mikhail the long barrel of his gun.
(End of this chapter)