Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 319 This is all my money!

Despite his body screaming for rest, Lionel struggled to get out of bed the next morning due to the tight schedule.

Outside the window, the sky over St. Petersburg remained overcast, with the snow reflecting the faint light of day.

He had a simple breakfast at the hotel restaurant, where Ivanov’s secretary was already waiting for him in the hotel lobby, and brought him a carriage and a local guide.

Ivanov stated that during his time in St. Petersburg, the carriage and guide were at Lionel's disposal.

Lionel didn't stand on ceremony and gave the guide, Sergei, the address of the Yablochkov factory: "Please take me here."

Yablochkov's factory is located on the outskirts of the city, and the factory buildings are quite rudimentary.

In the factory office, Lionel met the famous inventor.

He was not yet forty years old, but his face was thin and his eyes were full of fatigue.

Pavel Yablochkov's French wasn't quite "pure," carrying a Russian accent: "Mr. Sorel, welcome."

To be honest, I was quite surprised to receive your telegram. Why would you be interested in my 'electric candle'?

Lionel replied sincerely, “It’s not just interest, Mr. Yablochkov.”

I urgently need your professional help to realize an artistic concept.

He reiterated the script conception for "Thunderstorm" and the lighting effects required: "...I need short, intense, repeatable flashes of light to simulate lightning."

The brightness must be enough to instantly overwhelm other light sources on stage, allowing the audience to see the terror on the actors' faces.

At the same time, I also need some relatively soft lighting to create the suffocating atmosphere before a thunderstorm...

In short, I wanted to create layers of light and shadow in different areas of the stage.

Yablochkov listened intently, his expression growing increasingly subtle: "Dramatic lighting... a very interesting application."

He paused for a moment before continuing, “You know, my ‘candle’ was originally designed for public lighting.”

It's stable and bright, but as you can see, controlling its precise on/off state, especially the rapid blinking, isn't easy.

Lionel pressed further: "Can't this be achieved through control circuitry? For example, by quickly switching the current on and off?"

Yablochkov nodded: "Theoretically, it's possible. But a strong current surge would greatly shorten the lifespan of the carbon rod and could also damage the regulator."

Furthermore, repeated rapid starts will degrade the stability of the light arc, making flickering and noise more noticeable.

He paused, looking at Lionel: "So, what you need is not standard lighting products, but custom-made special models, and a matching controller as well."

Lionel affirmed, "That's precisely why I came to visit. The Comédie-Française is willing to pay extra for such a custom."

I believe that if it can be successfully applied on a stage like a comedy theater, it will greatly promote your invention and showcase its potential in the arts to the whole of Europe.

A glint flashed in Yablochkov's eyes.

He was a star at the Paris exhibition, but his commercial promotion was not going well, and the pressure from his competitors was increasing.

He knew that Americans and British had made cheaper light bulbs, and that if his product didn't expand its market, it would likely be phased out.

If we can tap into the high-end market of theatrical performances, it would undoubtedly be a new way out—after all, there are more than 3000 theaters of all sizes in Europe.

Yablochkov finally smiled: "You've convinced me, Mr. Sorel. Yes, I can order a batch of 'electric candles' for you."

I will adjust the carbon rod formula and electromagnetic structure to optimize its performance. While I cannot guarantee it will be perfect, it should achieve the dramatic effect you require.

I can also design a manual, fast-acting circuit breaker, which can be operated remotely by a specialist based on instructions.

The two then had a more in-depth discussion about the technical details.

Lionel presented his demands based on his forward-thinking ideas, while Yablochkov assessed the feasibility from the perspective of practical engineering.

The two sides had a very pleasant conversation and tentatively agreed on the customized specifications, quantity, and delivery time. As Lionel left the Yablochkov factory, a great weight was lifted from his shoulders.

The most critical issue of technology suppliers appears to have been resolved.

The remaining tasks were the theater renovation in Paris and the design of Tesla's control system.

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With things going smoothly, Lionel felt much more relaxed. The carriage took him back to the hotel, winding through the streets of St. Petersburg.

The snow-covered city had a unique charm, but he was eager to return home and end this cold journey as soon as possible to get back to Paris and get back to work.

As he passed by a bustling commercial street, a bookstore sign caught his eye – “Paris Bookstore”.

The French sign of this bookstore stands out prominently in the Russian-speaking environment.

Lionel suddenly saw something and immediately rang the bell in the car: "Stop."

This wasn't because he suddenly became interested in seeing which French authors' works were popular in Russia.

Instead, he noticed a poster on the bookstore window featuring a silhouette of a man in profile: a deerstalker hat, a cloak, and a long pipe.

The tagline on the poster is also in French:

[The collected volumes of "A Study in Scarlet: The Mysterious Case of London" are released today!]

Lionel was stunned. The English version of "A Study in Scarlet" had just finished its serialization last month, and the French version was scheduled to run until the end of this month.

So the standalone edition hasn't even been released yet. Where did this "Paris Bookstore" get a standalone edition? And what the heck is "The Mysterious Case of London"?

After putting on his leather hat, Lionel hurriedly got off the carriage and went into the bookstore.

The "Paris Bookstore" is warm and quiet, with rows of bookshelves, mainly in French, with the occasional Russian book.

The works of French literary giants such as Hugo, Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola occupy prominent positions.

However, when he reached a bookshelf, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

In the most prominent position on the bookshelf, several rows of novels with uniform bindings and sensational titles were displayed:
A Study in Scarlet: The Mysterious Case of London, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Selected Thrillers of Lionel Sorel...

Without exception, the author's name was "Lionel Sorel".

Lionel's breath hitched.

He reached out and pulled out a copy of "A Study in Scarlet: The Mysterious Case of the London Murders," and quickly began to read it.

The content is indeed the version he serialized in the magazine "Good Words". Even though the printing quality is good and the paper is good, it is obviously an unauthorized pirated copy!

He picked up the so-called "Detective Stories" again, which contained not only "A Study in Scarlet" but also some detective stories pieced together from who-knows-where.

The anthology "Selected Thriller Stories" is even more outrageous, haphazardly categorizing his early works, such as "The Old Guard" and "Old Man Milon," which are stylistically very different.

The cover design is absolutely cheap and cheap!
A surge of excitement rushed to Lionel's head; royalties and manuscript fees were his source of income!
"This is all my money!"

In Russia, these shameless booksellers so blatantly pirated, altered, and pieced together his works, and sold them on a large scale.

He didn't receive a single kopek in royalties!

He felt a wave of dizziness, not from exhaustion, but from anger.

He clutched the poorly made detective book tightly; the warm air in the shop now felt suffocating, making it hard for him to breathe.

“Sir, are you interested in this book?” A shop assistant noticed him and came over to greet him, also in French.

(End of this chapter)