1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Upon hearing Michelle's question, Dickens put down his teacup, and the troubled look on his face vanished.

He was beaming with excitement, like an excited child.

"Michelle, you're a genius!"

"Your ideas are simply strokes of genius!"

"As you instructed, I found several of London's largest-circulation penny newspapers and published the most brilliant excerpts from A Study in Scarlet."

Dickens's voice grew louder and louder, clearly very satisfied with the effect of this tactic.

"And guess what? The moment those newspapers published it, London was in an uproar! Readers went crazy; they'd never seen anything like it before. Everyone was talking about Sherlock Holmes and the ten-pound prize for guessing correctly."

Dickens waved his arms excitedly, as if he could already see the magazine selling like hotcakes.

"These past few days, the magazine has been inundated with inquiries from readers, all asking when 'The Bentley Notebook' was launched. Everyone has shown great enthusiasm for the Sherlock Holmes stories and the prize-winning quiz."

"Even some ordinary citizens who were previously uninterested in literary magazines have started asking about them."

"In just the last few days, we've already received over two thousand pre-orders for the magazine!"

Michelle felt a weight lifted from her heart as she listened to Dickens' words.

These days he has been collecting data to refute "An Essay on the Principle of Population" and has not paid any attention to these developments.

In hindsight, my prediction was correct.

In this era of underdeveloped information dissemination, this novel marketing method is undoubtedly a game-changer.

"And what about the manuscript for Oliver Twist? Charles, can you finish it in time?" Michelle asked again.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Dickens waved his hand, a confident smile on his face.

"Thanks to your guidance, my thinking is very clear now. I've basically figured out the content for the first installment. I'll add some finishing touches and polish it in the next couple of days, and then I can hand it over to Bentley."

"So, the inaugural issue of Bentley's Journal will be released smoothly next week?" Michelle continued to ask, wanting to confirm.

"Of course!" Dickens nodded vigorously, his tone full of anticipation.

"With works by the 'twin stars of British literature,' plus your brilliant promotional skills, I bet this issue of the magazine will shock all of London!"

A smile appeared on Michelle's face as she picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

With Sherlock Holmes's superb content as a foundation, coupled with Dickens's fame and works, as well as the marketing strategies he brought, it was a perfect fit.

That old fox Bentley is going to make a killing this time.

And his betting agreement with Bentley was naturally a sure thing.

At that time, not only will they be able to pay off all their family debts, but they will also be able to significantly improve their standard of living.

As a modern person, to be honest, he had really had enough these past few days.

Besides, the sanitation in the East District is truly appalling. I'm lucky to still have good health.

The kind of good physique that even Yama, or rather, Satan, would praise.

"By the way, speaking of shocking London..."

Michael suddenly interjected, a smug smile on his face: "Have you heard? That textile tycoon Jonathan Wright got into trouble a couple of days ago."

"And it's a big deal."

Michelle and Dickens both looked at Michael.

Jonathan Wright was a household name in London's industrial world, having virtually controlled the entire London textile industry, but he was not well-regarded by the public.

"What's wrong? Is that old fox exploiting the workers again?" Dickens asked, frowning, clearly not fond of people like Jonathan Wright.

"Is his exploitation of workers news? That's his daily routine. This time, he's finally getting his comeuppance!"

Michael said mysteriously, lowering his voice slightly.

"Just two days ago, one of the machines in his factory suddenly went out of control while he was inspecting it. He got caught in it and, although he survived, he was seriously injured."

"Are you badly injured?"

Michelle asked, noticing something was off about Michael's expression.

"It's more than just heavy!"

Michael slapped his thigh and revealed a gloating smile.

"I heard that his manhood is completely ruined! A textile tycoon has been turned into a eunuch!"

"What?!"

Dickens' eyes widened suddenly, his face filled with disbelief.

"Such a thing exists?!"

"That's right!" Michael exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

"Now the whole of London's high society is saying that he got his comeuppance for exploiting his workers too much! He deserved it!"

Michael's tone was full of satisfaction, and he clearly hated Jonathan Wright.

"That's right, people like that deserve it!"

Michelle laughed and cursed, but her feelings were complicated.

Jonathan Wright.......

The name sounded somewhat familiar to him, and he suddenly remembered someone—William, the genius who died silently.

The factory where William had the accident was Jonathan Wright's "Lightning Street Textile Factory"!

Retribution? Can such a coincidence really exist in this world?

He had previously conducted in-depth research on Jonathan Wright and his factory in order to write "Sleepyhead".

Jonathan Wright was a prime example of worker exploitation. He not only paid his workers minimum wage but also made them work nearly 20 hours a day. Safety measures in the factory were practically non-existent, and accidents were frequent.

Now, this notorious scoundrel has also suffered such serious injuries due to a factory accident.

"Become a eunuch..." Michelle thought to herself, unable to describe the feeling.

The mastermind behind William's death suffered an accident and was in a state worse than death. He was naturally very relieved, but he also had a vague feeling that things were not so simple.

Is this retribution?

If this is truly retribution, then it has come far too quickly and directly. Why now, of all times, right after the public outcry sparked by "Sleepyhead"...

"Michelle, what's wrong?" Dickens asked with concern when he saw that Michelle's complexion was off.

Michelle shook his head without saying anything more. He just felt that this matter might be more than just an accident.

He picked up his teacup, took a big gulp of black tea, and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart.

He then looked out the window; night had fallen in London, and the glow of gas lamps twinkled in the mist.

But there's one thing Michelle is very clear about.

This era is quietly changing.

And he seems to have become a part of this change.

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The next chapter will probably be finished around midnight.