I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 216 A World-Changing Medical Philosophy and Private Events
Whether or not I have made a contribution to humanity, as we approach this great goal, at least I can say that I have done what I could.

— Louis Pasteur

Regarding whether Mikhail was injured during the curtain call after the premiere, Mikhail can only say that although the audience was a bit enthusiastic, they were still somewhat rational and did not launch a real attack on him.

However, when Mikhail saw the burning gazes of some people through the fluttering petals, his heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily wiped away non-existent cold sweat.

Without a doubt, Paris these days has some truly crazy fans. Like the example of Liszt mentioned earlier, his fanatics would even drink the water left in the bathtub of the hotel he stayed in.

To this, Mikhail can only say, please, please don't do this!
But regardless of what Mikhail thought, the way several noblewomen looked at him did indeed change almost completely.

Before this, their attention to this young man was mainly based on his appearance, talent, and a certain competitive spirit. However, while watching this performance, they couldn't help but immerse themselves in the heroine's experiences and emotional ups and downs. Amidst a mix of emotions and self-pity, some of them genuinely felt that this young man had entered the depths of their souls.
So much so that when the premiere officially ended and Mikhail had to exchange pleasantries with others in social situations, some of the ladies looked at him with deep affection and couldn't help but say, "You really understand me."

Mikhail: “.”

How could I possibly understand?
Just as Mikhail was thinking this, the rather attractive noblewoman added, "When is the next performance of your play? I'd like to buy all the tickets and distribute them! Such a wonderful play should be seen by more people!"
Mikhail: “?”

I think I understand you a little now.
It's worth mentioning that while most new playwrights only receive a one-time payment for their scripts, a new playwright like Mikhail, who finances his own work, builds his own network, promotes his work, and achieves excellent results, can earn a share of the ticket revenue that would shock all playwrights in Paris.

Even so, Étienne, the manager of the Montmartre Theatre, still had the urge to give Mikhail more money. After watching the entire premiere and hearing the audience's reaction, Étienne was quite clear about one thing: the Montmartre Theatre was truly about to make a name for itself!
Even if they didn't receive as much money from Mikhail's play, the audience traffic it brought was more than enough for the Montmartre Theatre to make a fortune elsewhere. At the same time, improving the theatre's reputation was equally important.

For Mikhail, the success of this play will undoubtedly bring him a large sum of money. As for how to spend it, Mikhail is still thinking about it, but he must spend it as soon as possible, otherwise, when the situation becomes turbulent, the money in Mikhail's hands may become worthless.

Returning to the events following the premiere, it's clear that different audience members had different feelings. While some ladies were wallowing in self-pity and even confiding in Mikhail, some professional theater critics were already heading home, eager to write down their excited and thrilling thoughts in an article.

Some of the colleagues who originally came just to watch the spectacle were speechless for a long time after watching it. When some of them finally came to their senses, they hurriedly began to analyze the structure and layout of the play, and to analyze whether there was any possibility of learning from or replicating it.

In short, if you can't beat them, join them!

As for the many audience members, although they gradually returned home after the show, their thoughts remained on this novel, moving, and sorrowful play, prompting them to reflect on many things.

But most importantly, once they ran into their friends and neighbors, even without being asked, they couldn't help but share: "I can't believe it, we saw a fantastic performance tonight! And it was written by a new playwright, who's even a foreigner! You all have to go see it next time it's performed."

As some of the effects began to appear, Mikhail, having dealt with most of his guests, found a suitable opportunity to leave the theater. Just as Mikhail was about to calm himself down with a snack, as usual, he suddenly heard a hesitant voice behind him:

"Mr. Mikhail?"

How could I possibly run into someone I know on such a secluded path?
Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Mikhail hesitated for a moment before turning around. When he saw a young face in the dim light, he froze, staring intently at the person.

Faced with such gazes, Louis Pasteur, who was initially delighted by the chance encounter, became somewhat flustered.

Although he was technically a few years older than Mikhail and had achieved considerable academic success, who was the other man? A young man who was gradually conquering the cultural scene in Paris!

Even though they were in different fields, Pasteur undoubtedly understood just how remarkable this was. So why did such a cross-border genius look at him with such solemnity?

He was academically successful, but the École Normale Supérieure in Paris was full of students like him.
Just as Pasteur was feeling flattered, Mikhail stepped forward and introduced himself, then eagerly asked the young man's name: "What is your name?"

Louis Pasteur.

It really is! I was wondering why he looked so familiar, although there is definitely a big difference between his photos from when he was young and those from when he was middle-aged.
After confirming the details, Mikhail immediately shook hands with the other party, somewhat excitedly.

There's no way around it; even in the constellation of brilliant scientists, Louis Pasteur is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling stars.

He laid the foundations for industrial and medical microbiology and pioneered microbial physiology. Simultaneously, he achieved breakthroughs in combating rabies, fowl cholera, anthrax, and silkworm diseases. Based on his work, the British physician Joseph Lister solved the problem of wound infections, saving thousands of lives.
In short, he discovered countless living people; in a sense, the number is at least in the tens of millions.

As for this guy's scientific spirit and character, they are top-notch. Making friends with such a person was already within Mikhail's plans, but he didn't expect to run into him today.

Faced with Mikhail's enthusiasm, the young Pasteur felt somewhat flattered, but Mikhail's easygoing manner also gave him a sense of security. Therefore, after chatting for a while, Pasteur couldn't help but ask Mikhail a question that had long puzzled him:
"Dear Mr. Mikhail, in the latest chapter of your novel 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,' you wrote that when Captain Nemo was injured and needed surgery, he had to sterilize the surgical instruments beforehand. What does this mean?"

Driven by a strange intuition, the young Pasteur always felt that there was a force in this that could rewrite the history of science. It was precisely because he could often feel this in the novels of this gentleman that Pasteur, who was so engrossed in his research, would set aside some time every day to read novels in the newspapers.

Upon hearing this question, Mikhail couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, someone did manage to spot this. Undoubtedly, this was an original plot created by Mikhail, and the core concept of this plot is a medical principle known to everyone in later generations: disinfection.

But what about Europe during this period?

It is no exaggeration to say that the surgical mortality rate was over 80%. Meanwhile, according to statistics, between 1771 and 1777, the Paris Infant Hospital delivered 31951 newborns, of whom 25467 died before the age of one.

The situation was even worse in the nurseries in Dublin, Ireland, where only 45 out of 10272 newborns survived.

Such alarming data is often due to one reason: bacterial infection.

Of course, although Mikhail understood the general principles, it was still too much to ask him to demonstrate them in practice and show them to others. All he had was a serialized novel that would be read by many, many people. Since so many people were reading it, some things would inevitably attract the attention of some people.

At this moment, facing Pasteur's inquisitive gaze, Mikhail wanted to explain in detail, but unfortunately, he didn't have complete information in his mind, and it was indeed unlikely that he could verify it through experiments.

so.
"When I was writing the scene about the injury, I always felt that there was something in the air that would adhere to the medical equipment, so that during the treatment process, some medical equipment would actually worsen the wound. That's when I came up with the idea of ​​disinfection."

He's just a lousy novelist who makes a living off his imagination. Why does he need a foundation? He can just build a skyscraper!
Pasteur: "?"

It's that simple?
Although he had a slight doubt at first, Pasteur quickly accepted it; after all, he was a genius! It was perfectly normal for him to have all sorts of amazing ideas!

Pasteur then continued with great interest: "What an amazing conjecture! You must have gotten your inspiration from some scientific knowledge in the past, right? I can tell from your novel that you have a very good scientific background."

I have taken your conjecture to heart. Once I've finished with my current tasks, I plan to conduct some experiments based on it. Would you agree?

"of course."

Mikhail nodded without hesitation.

Professional tasks should be left to professionals!
Meanwhile, Mikhail continued with a smile, "To be honest, I actually plan to establish a scientific research institute. Of course, I'm an outsider, but I really want to provide a suitable research environment for gentlemen and ladies who are dedicated to scientific pursuits."

A writer running a scientific research institute? Would that institute even be profitable?
So it's just pure support and interest?
"There is no nobler act than this."

Pasteur, surprised but also admiring, nodded and said, "I await your good news."

After discussing the plot of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," Pasteur quickly and enthusiastically shared his thoughts on Mikhail's plays: "I haven't been to a theater in a long time, and it is a great honor to see such a play as soon as I enter today."

And so, the two of them ended up talking about a lot of things. In the end, feeling that they got along really well, they exchanged addresses and then waved goodbye at an intersection.

Not long after they parted ways, the young Pasteur belatedly realized something: I actually befriended that genius who was about to become famous throughout Paris?! And we even exchanged addresses!

While the young Pasteur was somewhat excited, Mikhail was walking on a street with dim lighting. Although the light was dim, it was enough for Mikhail to see the road ahead. Mikhail was also in a good mood, and he walked quickly, as if he could easily leave his shadow behind.

He is walking on a completely new path.

When this ordinary yet great night came to a complete end, the next morning arrived quickly, and Mikhail, who was ready to get some rest, had no intention of getting out of bed.

While he continued to sleep soundly, Fernando, the manager of the Comédie-Française, waited anxiously for today's newspaper.

His main purpose was definitely to see how well their new play was received. As for the reviews of Mikhail's new play, those were things he would only read when he was looking for entertainment. After all, as mentioned before, Fernando had invited some of the most notorious stubborn people in the literary world to the premiere of Mikhail's new play.

Normally, this young man should have been thoroughly criticized by now.

Just as Fernando was thinking this, the new newspaper was finally delivered to him. As an upper-class person, Fernando read the most orthodox and old-fashioned newspapers. Of course, such newspapers also meant that they were more professional, at least in the area of ​​literary criticism.

After receiving the newspaper, Fernando naturally looked for reviews of their theater's new play first, but before he could find any, he first came across an article by a critic known for his harshness and scathing remarks.

When Fernando discovered that the man had paid for the trip to the Montmartre theater himself, he looked at the article's title with great interest:
A stunning new drama! Many recent dramas should learn from it.

Fernando: "?"

Is this the result I got after paying?
(End of this chapter)