I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 239 The Ghost of Baker Street and Its Journey to America (6k views, bonus chapter for monthly votes, please vote!)

Generally speaking, in this era of relatively slow information dissemination, due to various factors in reality, many readers will not see the serialized content of a new work immediately. For more discerning people, they are more willing to make a decision after reading the reviews in the newspaper and listening to the evaluations of other readers.

Jasper was planning to exploit this time gap, hoping to ruin the reputation of "A Study in Scarlet" before it became popular, and he was clearly not alone in this idea.

Therefore, almost the day after the publication of *A Study in Scarlet*, Jasper and others, with their influence, quickly published criticisms like this in the rather authoritative *Literary Gazette*:
Quick Review of "A Study in Scarlet":
This newspaper recently noticed a new novel being serialized in a magazine, *A Study in Scarlet*, whose opening is deeply unsettling. The author creates a "consulting detective" named "Sherlock Holmes," a man who is irreverent, lacks compassion, and even has the horrifying habit of whipping corpses. This is far from the model of the English gentleman we are so proud of; he is more like a mentally unstable freak.

What's even more disappointing is the narrator, Dr. Watson. His perspective is mediocre and trivial, simply recounting the "detective's" various rude and bizarre behaviors in a monotonous and tedious way.

Given its unpleasant protagonist and hollow core, readers are advised not to waste any more time on this work.

At the same time, similar articles also began to appear in other influential literary magazines and newspapers:
Brief News: A New Serialized Series with a Dire Prospect:
If we're talking about recent disappointing literary works, then Mikhail's *A Study in Scarlet* is the one to mention. Aside from introducing us to one of history's most annoying roommates—Sherlock Holmes—the opening chapters offer little else of note.

This self-proclaimed "expert" behaves in a truly ridiculous manner: he spends his days doing nothing, proclaiming a theory called "deductive reasoning," but in practice, he is limited to making arbitrary, offensive, and unverifiable guesses about the life experiences of a complete stranger. This is less wisdom and more a kind of ill-mannered arrogance.

With such hollow characters and a meager plot, it's hard to have any expectations for its subsequent "research." It's more like a self-indulgent, absurd drama played out in the dull living room of Baker Street.

Just as Jasper was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief after reading the reviews in magazines and newspapers, another report that took up a large portion of the paper made his heart leap into his throat:
A mysterious "detective" appears in the thick fog! Is the ghost of Baker Street wandering all over London?
Yesterday, the streets of London were filled with a strange coincidence—or rather, a meticulously planned spectacle. A new novel, *A Study in Scarlet*, began serialization in *Fiction Monthly*, featuring a protagonist described as an eccentric and intellectually superior "consulting detective," Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

However, an even more astonishing event occurred on the streets on the day of publication. A gentleman strikingly similar to the one described in the book appeared in several locations in London amidst the dense fog.
The most intriguing speculation is: Could this "Sherlock Holmes" be a ghost that stepped out of the pages of a book and into reality?
Some citizens tried to approach and ask, but the gentleman only responded with an enigmatic smile and quoted a rather perplexing statement (according to onlookers): "You see, but you don't observe. Our eyes are our prison, and what we see is the prison wall." Then, as if blending into the fog, he disappeared into the crowds of London.

Occasionally he would stop and actually be able to determine a person's profession and even personality with just a few glances.
This newspaper has located several eyewitnesses; the following are their statements.

Jasper, after reading these reports: "?"

real or fake? !
It's definitely a Russian marketing tactic! But how could the Russians even know how to do this? Could they possibly come up with such a clever idea?!

Just as Jasper was feeling a bit dizzy, he saw another eyewitness account in the report:

"I've seen him! I saw him over a month ago! He was in the newspaper then, and he really does have the same incredible abilities as the man in the book! I..."

Jasper: "???"

Could it be that he had already foreseen the current predicament and devised a solution shortly after arriving in England?

As a seasoned publisher, Jasper was acutely aware of the repercussions of such a true story. Therefore, he felt as if a large Russian hand had already enveloped him, slowly forcing him into the thick Thames.
And there are certainly quite a few people who use such reporting as a means to sell books, especially among the gentlemen of London's clubs who consider themselves wise and intelligent; many of them scoff at this report.
"No one really believes this report, right? This gentleman from Russia is certainly clever, but he can't fool me. A gentleman with good reason would never believe this."

However, the statement, "Our eyes are our prison, and the walls of that prison are where our gaze falls," is quite accurate.

"Not bad, it seems this novel's sales will increase significantly. However, the first two chapters aren't convincing enough for me. How could this 'deductive method' have such a magical effect? ​​It's alright as a novel, but it's too exaggerated for real life. Have you read it?"

"I've read it, and it's really well-written. It seems to be a completely new type of novel that I've never seen before. You can tell he put a lot of effort into understanding London. If I didn't see the author's name, I would really think he was a native Londoner."

But if even we can't do this kind of 'deductive reasoning,' how could anyone else?

"Mr. Austin, have you read it? Aren't you always the one who loves to critique these novels? Let's hear your insightful opinions!"

When these words were spoken, many members of the club looked at the man named Austin. Even in a club full of talented people, this man was quite eloquent and often made witty remarks.

For some reason, Mr. Austin was unusually silent today. Only when many people looked at him did he, with a strange expression, finally say, "I think I ran into this Mr. Holmes on the street yesterday."

"Oh?"

Many people present chuckled upon hearing this, and then someone joked, "So, did you expose this swindler and make him slink away? He can fool many people, but he'll never be able to fool a gentleman like you."

As the club began to fill with a cheerful atmosphere, Mr. Austin remained silent, merely staring at everyone present with a strange expression. As he watched, the atmosphere in the club suddenly became oppressive.
The club members: "?"

Could it be that.
Just then, Mr. Austin, with a strange expression, slowly spoke:

"It's incredible, but he did guess some things correctly."

The club members: "."

After a moment of silence, one of the gentlemen seemed to be startled awake and asked, "Gentlemen, does any of you have this literary magazine? Could I borrow it to take a look?"

His question immediately enlivened the room, with many people who hadn't read the novel yet eagerly asking about it.

After the atmosphere quieted down a bit, a gentleman holding a certain position in the club spoke up at the opportune moment: "Gentlemen, Mr. Dickens recommended this writer to our club a few days ago. I was originally considering having one of our members..."

Is it appropriate for the Russians to come in? Now, may everyone express their opinions?

"I agree."

Mr. Austin, whose eyes lit up, was the first to raise his hand.

After exchanging glances for a moment, the other members also raised their hands:

"Then let us witness it with our own eyes!"

"How about we invite this gentleman over today? I'd really like to discuss this novel with him."

At the same time, some people expressed their opposition:
"But does he really have enough understanding of British politics and culture? Perhaps he can't really connect with us."

"Let alone politics and culture, I worry that he doesn't even understand how to play our British card."

"Perhaps we should teach him the basics of the card table first. There's no better way to get him into the game quickly than that."

But in the end, the club agreed to Mikhail's joining and was even eager to meet him.

While these gentlemen questioned the authenticity of the "deductive method" in the novel and felt that such reports were hype, many other readers found both the stories in the novel and the reports in the newspaper to be a very novel reading experience.

Compared to other novels on the market, this novel is exceptionally different in both its perspective and approach. The ghost reported in the newspapers not only didn't frighten them, but actually piqued the interest of many who wanted to meet this ghost, simply because:

“I ran into him yesterday too! This gentleman really saw through my predicament and even gave me a few pennies to wish me a nice day!”

"Really? Does he make any demands when he gives alms? Like that wicked gentleman in Oliver in 'Oliver Twist' who demanded that poor Oliver follow the carriage closely, only then would he give alms?"

"No! He even shook my hand!"

“I ran into him a while ago. Although his clothes were very strange, he undoubtedly had a kind heart!” “Would he really whip a corpse? That kind of behavior is still too terrible.”

"Didn't you read the novel? That was preparation for solving the case! So what's next? The preview made one thing right: incompetent London police! Even a Russian gentleman could see that!"

Out of curiosity about the newspaper reports or even the story itself, the articles criticizing "A Study in Scarlet" in the newspapers didn't really have much effect. After all, the price of "Fiction Weekly" was quite affordable, and many readers were willing to buy a copy to satisfy their curiosity.

Besides these London readers, at this very moment, American publishers Smith and John were also eagerly reading the contents of Fiction Ten Days and the latest London newspapers.

During this period, the journey from the United States to Britain was a rather long and tiring one, but even so, it did not stop American publishers from rushing to London to "strike it rich," after all, it was a good business that required no expenses other than the cost of the journey!
As the two were looking at each other, suddenly, the publisher Smith couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then said to his companion in broken London English, "John, look here! That Dickens said that we Americans are a rogue nation that spits everywhere, but what about England?"
A gentleman from Russia said they are a rogue nation rife with piracy and slander! It seems we Americans are much better than Britain!

"Yes, we must invite him to visit the United States if we have the chance. He will definitely appreciate everything about the United States."

After replying with that, publisher John continued excitedly, "However, it seems that what we should do most right now is to bring Mr. Mikhail's talent to America! Americans will definitely love his work, whether it's his Christmas books or this quirky novel that's currently being serialized."

"good idea!"

Smith responded happily, "He would be very happy if he knew that his work could be seen by Americans!"

As publishers dedicated to "gold mining," Smith and John have always been demanding in selecting works, and most works are not worth their time. However, there is no doubt that Mr. Mikhail is a gold mine they have just discovered!
So much so that after looking at these works for a while longer, they hurriedly started discussing returning home.

Of course, since they brought Mr. Mikhail's works to the United States for free, the royalties generated by Mr. Mikhail's works...
This is God's grace and will!

Just as these two cheerful Americans began figuring out how to return home, Mikhail, at the center of all the commotion and the origin of all the turmoil, sat in a slightly dazed chair listening to publisher Sanders' flattery:
“Mr. Mikhail, you are a complete genius! What surprised me most is that you started your plan so early! This must be your backup plan to deal with those despicable publishers.”

I should have realized it when I saw your outfit!

Mikhail, listening to all of this, remained silent.

Actually, at first I just wanted to experience cosplay.
After all, how many people could resist the temptation to cosplay as Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian era?
But in any case, the result was good, and the reason Mikhail traveled to so many places in London yesterday was partly because he realized that it seemed to have a publicity effect.

Thinking of this, Mikhail gave a faint smile and nodded slightly at the excited Sanders.

Seeing Mikhail's posture, Sanders was even more certain of his guess.

After learning some inside information, he was still troubled by some things. After all, with his strength, he was obviously not enough to interfere with the strength of well-known publications such as "Literary Gazette". He was also helpless in the face of those criticisms and could only try his best. So what about now?
All we need to do is follow what Mikhail is doing and give it a little push!

He didn't need to exert much effort at all!

After excitedly expressing his admiration, Sanders couldn't help but ask:
"Mr. Mikhail, will you continue to stroll through London like this?"

"No, not yet."

Upon hearing this, Mikhail immediately shook his head in refusal.

After all, who knows how far he walked yesterday? Although he's in good shape now, he can't keep up with this for several days in a row.

Furthermore, Mikhail's stroll through London yesterday was not entirely smooth. Besides encountering some difficult people, a gentleman, upon seeing Mikhail, grabbed him without hesitation and said, "Hand over the rest of this story! Otherwise, you won't be leaving here today!"

Mikhail: “???”

Who among the family members understands?
After all that maneuvering, how could he possibly get solo-killed in the UK?
Fortunately, Mikhail managed to persuade the other party to release his grip with a few words, and then disappeared into the thick fog while the other party was off guard. Even so, the anxious man still chased after Mikhail in the fog for quite a while.

Mikhail, who was being hunted down: "."

No, is that right?

In my opinion, there are other candidates for the London Ghost Stories.
In short, Mikhail won't dare to continue strolling around in this outfit anytime soon, lest he run into a more radical reader and cause trouble.

Seeing that Mikhail had refused, Sanders felt a little disappointed, but he nodded repeatedly in agreement.

After saying that, Sanders added, "Although your novel has only been serialized for one issue, advertisers have already approached me about advertising, and I expect even more people will come knocking on my door soon. If you want to promote a new fashion trend, just let me know in advance, and I'll definitely reserve the biggest and best space for you!"

"It will probably be a while longer, then I'll have to trouble you."

After saying that, Mikhail asked curiously, "What kind of advertisements are they?"

"Most of the books were literary, but there were also things like Rotterdam corn, thumb cyst solvent, Simpson's new gallbladder medicine, and the beloved Lorenz brand macafat oil."

Thank you for letting me know.

Having satisfied his curiosity, Mikhail prepared to put on his hat and cane and head to his residence. If it weren't for wanting to learn some information, he probably would have just stayed home and slept all day.

However, before leaving, Mikhail thought of something and looked at Sanders, saying, "There's also the matter of buying a house in London. I'll trouble you to take care of it."

"No need to be polite to me."

Sanders replied enthusiastically, “Please feel free to come to me if you need anything in London. As for the house, I’ll have someone screen them out and then invite you to see the remaining ones. By the way, Mr. Mikhail, are you planning to settle in London? That would be wonderful!”

Let's work together for a long time and occupy a prominent position in the London literary scene!

Just as Sanders was feeling excited and his future seemed bright, Mikhail's eyes were suddenly filled with a dazzling array of scenes and faces, until finally settling on a small, cramped room on the top floor.

"will not."

Coming to his senses, Mikhail slowly put on his coat and hat, then picked up his cane, and with a smile, left with the words, "I came here to return in a better way," before stepping back into London.

Only Sanders remained where he was, then sighed with a hint of melancholy and confusion. What was so good about a place like Russia? With this gentleman's talent, he could have established himself anywhere, right?
Mikhail, now back on the streets of London, was pondering various matters.

Strictly speaking, by 1848, revolutions were taking place all over Europe, with only Russia and Britain maintaining stability. Leaving Russia aside for now, in Britain, the Irish were very likely to revolt, but ironically, the Irish were already too weak to fight before the uprising even began.
In this situation, settling one's mother and sister in the UK would obviously be a good option.

And so, Mikhail pondered many questions, and before he knew it, he had returned to his residence. After staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, Mikhail turned over and soon drifted off to sleep.

With things as they were, Mikhail decided to take a nap first.
After that, all sorts of things and news continued to unfold, and because Britain and France were so close, major events in London usually reached Paris very quickly.

And those who are most concerned about these news are naturally...
(End of this chapter)