1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Chapter 93 I want to check the cards!

Mississippi Western Railroad has only three days left to raise funds!

The news quickly spread throughout the entire town.

These three days felt like Christmas Eve to the small town of Wilkesworth.

A frenzied and anxious atmosphere permeated the air.

There was only one topic people were talking about: the Mississippi Western Railroad!

And the yearning for overnight riches and new continents...

Some people mortgaged their houses to raise the five pounds.

Some people borrow money from all their relatives and friends just to be able to invest more.

Some people have even started dreaming of opening a grocery store in the United States after receiving their dividends next year.

The entire town was immersed in a beautiful dream woven from lies.

At LeBron's home, however, things were unusually quiet.

Charlie was the happiest person in the family.

He would take out the investment contract and look at it several times a day, then carefully put it back in his pocket.

It's like showing off one's medals...

"Look! Our family's future is on this piece of paper!"

Anna and Bella looked at the thin contract.

To them, Vincent's signature above was not a promise of wealth.

It was a verdict, relentlessly counting down.

Bella and Anna waited anxiously.

They did as Michelle had suggested, approving of all of Charlie's fantasies and winning him over.

If Charlie was the happiest person, then Robert was the busiest person in the family.

He took out hundreds of copies of the London Express that he had brought from London.

Then, as Michelle had instructed, he locked himself in his room.

Hundreds of covers were printed using the most ordinary paper.

The covers prominently displayed the words: "Mississippi Western Railroad Appreciation Dinner".

Below is a line of smaller print: "Can only be opened after the thank-you dinner begins."

Robert carefully folded the newspaper in half, then put the cover on the outside and glued it in place with a little glue.

From the outside, it looks like a booklet specially made for the party; no one would guess that it actually contains a newspaper from London.

Three days passed quickly.

The town of Wilkesworth seemed to be celebrating Christmas early.

The open space in front of the church has been completely transformed, with even colorful ribbons and flags hung up.

Vincent changed into a brand new suit, the fake medals on his chest gleaming in the sunset.

He stood on the makeshift wooden platform, like a king about to be crowned.

In a corner unnoticed by the crowd, Robert was quietly busy at work.

He was dressed in simple, coarse cloth clothes and looked no different from the other farmers who had come to try their luck.

He carried a large stack of prepared "official materials" and placed them methodically on each seat before the party began.

The villagers who arrived one after another couldn't help but sigh when they saw the well-made booklet on their seats.

"Look, Mr. Vincent is so thoughtful, he even prepared the materials for us."

"Yes, it looks like we'll be able to confirm our trip to America tonight!"

In fact, at 19th-century gatherings or sermons, organizers would typically distribute leaflets or pamphlets.

So this doesn't seem surprising...

Vincent, standing on the stage, naturally saw the booklet that everyone in the audience had.

He was taken aback; he hadn't prepared this.

But when he saw Charlie LeBlanc in the front row nodding smugly at him, he immediately understood.

Vincent smiled dismissively, assuming that old Charlie had simply paid out of his own pocket to print these things to curry favor with him and create hype for him.

That's really savvy.

He gave Charlie an approving look, feeling that he had the country bumpkin completely under his control.

The townspeople took their seats one by one, and when they saw the "official documents" on their seats, they picked them up as if it were a thoughtful arrangement by Mr. Vincent.

Night fell quickly, and a bonfire was lit, illuminating the entire venue.

The atmosphere reached its peak.

Everyone stared at the man on the stage with an almost worshipful gaze.

They were all waiting.

They awaited Vincent's announcement of the momentous occasion that would change their lives!

Vincent cleared his throat, and the entire square fell silent instantly.

He opened his arms and began the final, and most crucial, performance.

Vincent's voice was loud and infectious, echoing through the town's night sky.

"After tonight, poverty and suffering will be gone from us forever!"

"Abundance and glory will accompany each and every one of us!"

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

"Today is our last chance to become wealthy! In three days, the tickets to North America will no longer be available for us!"

That land flowing with milk and honey will close its doors to us!

It must be admitted that Vincent is a skilled orator.

His speech was highly inspiring, and the atmosphere in the audience was instantly ignited.

Many people had already prepared their money bags and rushed forward as soon as he finished speaking.

Catch this last train to wealth!

Some villagers, who were getting a little bored while waiting, began to fiddle with the "official documents" in their hands.

You can only watch it after the speech starts... Well, you can watch it now, right?

Then, someone opened the booklet.

"Huh? Why is it a newspaper?"

"The London Express? What's that?"

He was immediately drawn to the eye-catching headline on the front page of the newspaper.

The Vanishing Railway Tracks

And that familiar author's name...

Michelle LeBlanc.

This story was written by Michelle from the LeBron family!

The discovery quickly spread throughout the conference hall.

More and more people opened the newspaper and began to read the story.

At first, people were just curious. They wanted to know what kind of story Michelle could write...

But as they read on, their expressions began to change.

The conman in the story is named "Victor." He returns to his remote hometown, claiming he will lead the villagers to invest in a "golden railway" that runs across the Americas...

He forged elaborate company documents and won over a highly respected pastor...

This storyline...this flavor...why does it seem so familiar?

It was as if they had written down everything they had experienced over the past few days.

An elderly farmer is reading a story about a conman named "Victor" who uses free eggs and bread to gain trust.

He thought about the few eggs left in the house, and then his brows furrowed tightly.

This... how come it's exactly the same as what happened a few days ago?

A young woman, however, noticed the description of "company documents" in the story:

...printed on the lowest quality threepence paper, the ink had a pungent pine smell, and was made from kitchen cigarette ash mixed with inferior oil, dissolving instantly in water...

Her face turned pale, and she trembled as she pulled out the "shareholder certificate" that she treasured.

She brought it to her nose and smelled it; a familiar, cheap pine scent hit her head.

She then moistened her hand with some saliva and smeared it on the voucher.

Soon, the exquisite patterns began to blur.

Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

Some people even found a missing person notice based on GG's location.

"Urgently seeking: Head of the Mississippi Western Railway Company's London office. Your office has failed to pay the monthly rent of one pound for the basement for three consecutive months, and the doorman has fainted from hunger. Mr. Vincent, upon seeing this newspaper, please return to London immediately to settle the outstanding amount. Otherwise, your two broken wooden chairs and a pile of counterfeit seals will be disposed of as garbage."

Mississippi Western Railroad...isn't that the company Mr. Vincent works for?

How come he can't even afford the monthly rent...? Didn't he just say he owned hundreds of thousands of acres of land in North America...?

However, the real show is only just beginning...

On stage, Vincent was at the height of his speech. He waved his arms and shouted passionately, "The land of America is rich and vast, the moon is much rounder than in England! And the air smells sweet!"

Just as he shouted those words, a blacksmith in the audience who was engrossed in reading his newspaper also happened to read them.

The blacksmith looked up, his face filled with disbelief.

He glanced at the newspaper, then at Vincent on the stage.

Exactly the same word!

Even Vincent's next sentence was clearly written in the newspaper!

His companions noticed his unusual behavior and came over to look.

Then more and more people discovered this chilling coincidence.

Fear and doubt began to spread among the crowd, burning across the entire square like wildfire.

Vincent on stage continued his performance, completely unaware of the strange change in the atmosphere below the stage.

Just as he was about to utter that phrase he already knew by heart.

He heard it clearly just a second before he was about to speak.

Among the crowd below the stage, many people were reciting what they were about to say in a dreamlike voice filled with endless fear.