Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 294 The Rules of a Master Detective! (Bonus Chapter for 14,000 Votes)

Readers of Good Words soon discovered that there was a hidden secret behind the last page of today's Study in Scarlet.

Turning it over, there was a piece of writing titled "The Rules of a Famous Detective - Part 1," along with many pictures.

Upon closer inspection, there was also small print below the title: "Identification of Cigar Ash".

Readers were thrilled—they had already found it incredible that Sherlock Holmes could tell which brand of cigar ash belonged to at a glance, and now they could actually uncover the secret?
Above the main text are several lines of handwritten introduction, with a classic profile of Sherlock Holmes at the very front, complete with a deerstalker hat, long pipe, and cloak.

The introduction's tone mimics Sherlock Holmes's slightly arrogant, professional manner:
The first rule of the great detective: "Every step you take leaves a trace!"

Every corner a criminal has stood in, every object he has touched, and everything he has left behind... will leave behind a witness to expose his silence.

A competent detective must possess keen observation skills, capable of discerning even the smallest details. The subtle things in everyday life often hold the key to solving mysteries.

For example, the ash from a visitor's cigar can reveal his economic situation, habits, tastes, and even recent whereabouts.

To ignore them is to ignore the truth itself.

Next came two full pages of an extremely detailed guide to cigar ash, complete with exquisite hand-drawn illustrations—the level of detail was astonishing.

[Cuba, "Havana": The ash is silvery-white, dense, and layered; it burns slowly, producing a rich and full-bodied aroma, thus the ash also has a distinctive sweet fragrance...]

The next illustration shows the typical greyish-white cylindrical shape of this cigar.

In a modern club in London, a gentleman who was smoking a Havana cigar immediately picked up the ashtray on the table to check it.
After a long while, he finally put it down in resignation: "Damn it, it's exactly the same as in the picture! His stuff wasn't made up after all?"

The gentleman immediately began to read the description of the next type of cigar—

[Brazil, "Bahia": The ash is dark in color, almost gray, with a loose texture that easily crumbles; the aroma is pungent and strong...]

The accompanying illustrations are also quite exquisite, fully demonstrating the loose nature of this soot.

This gentleman doesn't usually smoke this kind of cigar, but he knew who was smoking it, so he got up and looked around the hall, finally spotting his target.

He walked over quickly and had just begun to speak when he said, "Marshall, you see..."

Mr. Marshall simply picked up the ashtray on his table and handed it to him: "It's exactly the same!"

There was also a book of "Good Words" in front of him.

Following the pocket watch and the palm of his hand, London's elite have once again unleashed a "mystery storm"—only this time, the object of their interest has changed to cigars.

In fact, after "A Study in Scarlet" first revealed the "secret of cigar ash", some people verified it on a small scale.

But most people just find the Indian 'Trich' brand cigars, smoke them, look at the ash, and stop when they find that it matches the description in the novel.

Everyone assumed that this was probably the cigar that the author, Lionel, usually smoked, and he used it while writing the novel, which is a common practice for writers.

As for the idea that someone could truly be like Sherlock Holmes in the novels, knowing the aroma and ash of almost every cigar brand, that's pure fantasy!

Even seasoned cigar aficionados probably don't have this addiction.

Now, only one sentence echoes in everyone's mind: "This madman..."

This "Rules of the Master Detective" not only describes the color, texture, burning characteristics, and smell of each type of cigar ash...

It even specifies the approximate price range and common consumer groups!
The text is concise and accurate, and the illustrations are clear and intuitive; it's practically a miniature cigar encyclopedia.

Exclamations of praise surged forth like a tidal wave from public libraries, reading rooms, clubs, studies, cafes…

"My God, these cigarette ashes... there's so much to them!"

"Look, this is 'Trich' cigar ash! It's amazing!"

"This 'rule of rules' is fantastic!"

"Are they going to teach us to read footprints and identify soil types later?" "That's exactly what I want! This kind of knowledge is what a real 'detective' should possess, far more valuable than fighting and killing!"

Readers were almost instantly captivated by this "rule of conduct for a master detective".

It wasn't just the elite and near-elite readers who could afford cigars; even ordinary readers who usually only smoked regular tobacco were completely engrossed in the book.

"I never knew there were so many intricacies involved in cigars!"

"My God, a single Havana cocktail costs 10 shillings!"

"The cigarette ash that rich people smoke is different from that of poor people!"

"Is there anything that 'Sherlock Holmes' doesn't know?"

"Probably only your wife's waistline is big enough..."

This book, "The Rules of a Master Detective," not only teaches "knowledge"—though it is almost useless—but also provides a glimpse into the lives of the upper class.

It is not just an appendix, but more like an invitation, inviting readers into the world of knowledge and logic that originally belonged only to Sherlock Holmes.

What they glimpsed was not only the scientific basis behind "deductive reasoning," but also an overly rigorous creative attitude.

This "Rules of the Detective" greatly enhances the authority and exclusivity of the official serialization, and also proves that pirates who only fabricate gunfights and erotic plots can never reach the level of the original author.

This move not only successfully solidified Sherlock Holmes' readership but also truly cemented the detective's image with "wisdom," "knowledge," and "professionalism."

From this installment onward, no one dared to say anything like, "Sherlock Holmes is just a fictional detective who could never exist in reality."

Because Lionel has clearly pointed out a path to becoming a "famous detective".

Now, looking back at that quote in the introduction—"Everything that goes by leaves a trace!"—it's like a prophet enlightening his foolish followers!

The objects in "deduction games" are no longer limited to palms, pocket watches, rings, clothes, hats, etc., but have expanded to every corner of daily life.

Everyone wants to be a "master detective"! And the key lies within "Words of Wisdom"!
Readers, still wanting more after finishing "The Rules of a Detective - Part 1", are already imagining what surprises "The Rules of a Detective - Part 2" will bring them.

But this only exacerbated the "Sherlock Holmes syndrome" among British readers—

I was originally just looking forward to "A Study in Scarlet", but now I also have to add "The Rules of the Great Detective" to the list!
Readers in London were devastated, no longer shouting "NO!!!" but "F***!!!!"

At the end of "The Rules of the Detective," readers were surprised to find that the author's name listed was not only "Lionel Sorel" and "Conan Doyle"...

Furthermore, a note was added after Conan Doyle's name: "The above information was all collected and compiled by Mr. Conan Doyle."

"Conan Doyle? That's the assistant!"

------

In his apartment at 21B Baker Street, Conan Doyle held the newly published "Good Words," looking at the "rules" bearing his name, his face showing excitement and disbelief.

He looked at Lionel, who was sitting across from him leisurely sipping his coffee: "Lionel, this..."

Lionel smiled. “Make the most of it, Arthur. Readers like this; it makes them feel like they’re involved in the reasoning.”

Moreover, this would make them realize that real detective work is far more complex than simply firing a gun.

And this is the work you did; your name should be remembered by more people.

Conan Doyle nodded vigorously, almost bursting into tears.

He finally realized that the path he had chosen was far more meaningful than running a small clinic and living a life of obscurity.

Lionel downed his coffee in one gulp and asked him a question: "Are you familiar with dogs?"

(That concludes today's 4 chapters. Let me catch my breath. However, there's a bonus chapter at midnight for those who vote with monthly tickets, so can that be counted as 5 chapters?)
(End of this chapter)