1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Chapter 85 The Man Who Silenced All of London

As a great man once said, "Without factions within the party, all sorts of strange things happen."

Literature and art are naturally divided into various "isms".

From a macro-historical perspective, just like the great intellectual liberation movements such as the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment, writers also need to come together under one banner and unite to promote the progress of thought.

But in essence, it's all about seizing the right to speak.

The literary circle is only so big. If you have more say, won't I have less say?

If you don't take down the big shots above, where will you find someone to stand up for you?

Therefore, it's essential for newcomers to stick together for mutual support... and at this time, "ideology" becomes very important.

As Michel had anticipated, apart from his staunch supporters like the London Express, the London media's reaction to Michel's new theories was rather lukewarm.

Instead, the reports focused on Michelle's dramatic speech.

The literary world is fucking dark... When will it ever get light?

It seems I need to think things through further...

Several days passed just like that.

Before we know it, the next issue of Bentley's Notebook will be released.

Early that morning, before dawn, a rare and spectacular sight unfolded on the streets of London.

Long lines, which used to only appear during "royal celebrations" or "bread riots," now densely packed in front of newsstands.

The people in the group came from every corner of London, and their social statuses varied greatly.

However, at this moment, they appeared in the same team.

Among them were coachmen who were dressed fairly well, their breath steaming in the air, and who were queuing up for their masters.

There were also dockworkers who wrapped themselves tightly in thin coats, shivering from the cold, relying on their righteous spirit to keep warm.

There were even a few teenagers who were clearly factory apprentices, clutching the coins they had painstakingly collected, standing on tiptoe and anxiously peering ahead.

The same emotion was written on everyone's face.

It was a kind of anxious waiting and anticipation.

It's been more than half a month!

Damn Michelle, do you know how we've been these days?

For almost half a month, the whole of London went crazy over that damned "RACHE"!

The first half of the serialized "A Study in Scarlet" left a very tricky hook, keeping all readers on the edge of their seats.

It feels like ants crawling all over me...

Who is the killer?

How will that strange detective named Sherlock Holmes solve this mystery?

These things have touched the hearts of readers all over London.

coming!

When the first carriage carrying magazines appeared on the street corner, a commotion immediately broke out in the crowd.

The newsboys didn't even have time to call out their wares before they were surrounded by a surging crowd.

Coins clattered against the wooden board, and stacks of brand-new magazines vanished at an alarming rate.

However, what happened next plunged the whole of London into a strange atmosphere.

Not one of those who received the magazine cheered in victory.

Their first reaction was remarkably consistent.

Whether it was a gentleman sitting in a carriage who immediately lit a kerosene lamp, or a laborer who casually squatted down on a step.

Everyone eagerly flipped through the magazine and found that page.

Then the world went quiet.

The entire city seemed to have been put on pause.

The coachman forgot to urge the horses on, leaving the carriage stopped in the middle of the road.

The gentleman, eating breakfast, forgot to chew, letting the smoked meat in his mouth grow cold.

The office clerks completely ignored their boss's angry roar.

All that remained in London was the rustling sound of pages turning.

Readers, armed with their various speculations accumulated over the past two weeks, plunged headlong into the second half of the story.

They followed in Holmes' footsteps, re-examining the clues they already knew by heart.

The words written in blood on the wall...

...cigarette ash at the scene...tracks from a horse-drawn carriage...

When you see Sherlock Holmes using his calm, almost cruel, deductive reasoning to connect all the seemingly unrelated details...

Like peeling an onion, as the truth is revealed layer by layer, countless readers feel their scalps are about to explode!

A sudden realization rushed to the top of my head!

"So that's how it is!"

A young bank employee suddenly gasped in surprise in the office, immediately drawing astonished glances from his colleagues.

But he didn't care at all, only muttering to himself in an almost trembling voice, "My God... all the clues... were hidden in the first half!"

Yes!

This is the most breathtaking part!

Author Michel didn't fabricate any new clues out of thin air in the second half!

All the foreshadowing and key details are clearly written in the first half!

But they themselves, like the two foolish detectives at Scotland Yard in the story, completely turned a blind eye!

This feeling is amazing.

It's as if the author is mercilessly rubbing your intelligence into the ground, yet a strange, indescribable pleasure surges up from the depths of your soul.

A thoroughly exhilarating feeling of being completely conquered by wisdom and reasoning!

Such stories unfold in countless scenes across London...

"Damn it! How could I not have thought of that!"

In the cheap pub on Lightning Street, old Jack slammed his hand on the table, sending beer foam flying.

He grabbed his hair in frustration, blushing at his previous foolish guess.

At the clinic in the West End, Dr. Thomas kept his promise.

A day was set aside specifically for "A Study in Scarlet".

When the truth was revealed, an unparalleled sense of accomplishment filled his heart.

"What an incredibly enjoyable reading experience!"

"If only Michelle didn't break the rules!"

At this moment, the whole of London was immersed in the tremendous spiritual shock of this sudden realization!

If "A Study in Scarlet" is a bombshell that made everyone's brains buzz.

Then, another short story serialized at the same time, "The Silver-Eyed Horse," acted like a sharp blade, precisely dissecting the blind spots in their thinking.

It's short, but just as impactful!

Moreover, unlike "A Study in Scarlet," "Silver-browed Horse" is a complete story.

No interruptions! You can read it all at once and enjoy it to the fullest!

When readers finish reading "A Study in Scarlet" with satisfaction, they turn to the next chapter with a sense of lingering interest.

When they saw the title "Silver-browed Horse," they thought it was just a dessert.

But when they read about Holmes asking Detective Gregory that famous question, their scalps, which had just calmed down, tightened again.

"Are there any other details that you feel need to draw my attention to?"

"There's only one thing, and that's the dog's unusual behavior at night."

"The dog's reaction was strange that night."

"The dog didn't show any unusual behavior that night."

"That's exactly what's strange."

Yes, the biggest abnormality is the absence of any abnormality!

How come I didn't think of that!

This dialogue, like a bolt of lightning, shattered all readers' preconceived notions.

It turns out that what didn't happen is more important than what did!

This concept is so novel and so groundbreaking that many people have read it several times before they could truly grasp its meaning...

Immediately afterwards, a wave of frenzied imitation swept across London without warning.

The atmosphere in the cheap pub on Lightning Street was stranger than ever before.

The workers stopped vetting or complaining about their wages, and instead gathered in small groups, scrutinizing each other with a critical eye.

"Old Jack, the mud spots on your boots today are red and very sticky."

Tom, the former clerk, solemnly pushed up his non-existent glasses and began to analyze things in a tone reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes.

"Based on my deduction, you must have been near the brick factory downstream of the Thames this morning, because only there is soil like this."

Old Jack paused for a moment, then roared in fury, "Bullshit! I went to fix the widow next door's chimney this morning!"

"Oh?" Tom's eyes lit up.

"So, that inconspicuous white stain on your cuff must be chimney ash?"

"And you should tell me your story with the widow."

""

A burst of laughter erupted in the tavern.

Overnight, countless "wild Sherlock Holmes" emerged on the streets of London.

People began to be keen to look for so-called "clues" from their friends' clothes, speech, or even scratches on their pocket watches, and then make a series of flawed deductions.

Although most of these imitations ended in jokes, everyone enjoyed them immensely.

The name Sherlock Holmes, and his unique way of thinking, have become a new fashion.

Its popularity even surpassed that of the Duchess's gossip and the two-headed monster fish in the Thames.

However, while the entire population of London was immersed in this game of "detective for all,"

There was a place in London where, however, a gloomy and somber atmosphere prevailed.