British writer

Wodehouse left.

Lu Shibian also took a carriage back to Braiya Road.

Along the way, he finished reading the "I am a Cat" comic serialized today.

I have to admit that Picasso did not only have cubist mountains and rivers such as "Guernica" and "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon", but also lower-level people. The characters in the comics are very cute, and the details do not lose authenticity.

When Lu Shi looked at it, it was as if we were really coming to life on the paper.

It took half an hour to rush back from the port.

As soon as we turned onto Braiya Road, the coachman spoke: "Sir, this street is now a 'forbidden zone'."

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"Football restricted area?"

There was a moment of silence outside, and the coachman was obviously disturbed by this rhetorical question.

After a moment, he said: "No, it's just that carriages can't get in on this road at all. The congestion is too severe, and there's really nothing we can do."

Lu Shi was surprised.

In the future, Brailla Street may become the former residence of Riku Toki and the former residence of Natsume Soseki.

But now, it's just an ordinary residential area in London.

He asked in confusion: "What is this..."

Halfway through what he said, he heard screams coming from outside.

"Cute! It's so cute!"

"Uhhhhhhhhh... I'm going to faint... It's over... I'm going to faint."

"Quick, quick, quick! You're taking pictures!"

…

Lu Shi opened the car curtain,

I saw a dark area not far away, where a bunch of ladies were crowded together, and it was very lively.

There were even ladies who brought photographers there to play with the cameras.

They seemed to be surrounding something.

The coachman was helpless;

"Sir, you saw it too, right?"

Lu Shi jumped off the carriage to pay, carried the huge suitcase and squeezed over there, finally finding a way out.

As expected, it was me in the middle of the crowd.

The little guy was curled up in Phyllis's arms, yawning from time to time, so lazy, he looked like a big star.

At this time, a woman came forward and meowed like a cat:

"Meow~"

I raised my head, without even looking at the other person, and stretched out my paw.

The lady was very excited and quickly handed over today's "Mirror".

Snapped--

With a soft sound, I left paw prints on the comic page.

Lu Shi looked confused.

Autograph session! ?

What kind of weird performance art is this! ?

But the lady was very happy, as if she had found a treasure, and said excitedly: "I am so cute! Let me kiss you~"

As a result, I lifted up my left leg, licked my crotch, and then looked at each other coldly, with eyes that were three-quarters cold, four-quarters sarcastic, and three-quarters careless. There was a chill in my bones, which made people retreat. .

The lady understood immediately and stepped aside.

After Lu Shi watched the whole process, he complained crazily in his heart.

Why did the little guy become the boss?

He continued to squeeze in,

"Borrowed it. Borrowed it for a while."

My ears suddenly perked up, and with a quick glance, I immediately spotted Lu Shi in the crowd.

"Meow~"

It screamed happily, kicked Felice's chest, jumped to the ground, went straight to Lu Shi, and then circled around Lu Shi's legs.

Lu Shi put down his luggage and touched the other person's head.

"What? Did you become the Cat King?"

My generation: "Meow~"

It jumped up and grabbed the handle of Lu Shi's suitcase in its mouth. When it found that it couldn't be bitten, it changed its shape to an arched position and pressed its head against the lower edge of the suitcase.

Lu Shi picked up his luggage with some confusion.

As a result, I awkwardly moved under the luggage and supported it with my head to help share the weight.

No matter how cold you are, there are times when you turn into a dog licker.

Seeing this scene, there was a moment of silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere is very strange.

After a while, there was a commotion in the crowd.

"Who is that person? Why is he Asian?"

"You don't know? He is the most popular writer in London right now. He is Lu, the author of "Roger's Mystery" and "No Survival", and he is also the person in charge of "Mirror"."

"Isn't "I Am Cat" the most popular thing right now?"

"The novel is just average, but the popular one is clearly a comic book."

…

Lu Shi couldn't help but chuckle,

It was the right decision to serialize the novel and the comic together.

Lu Shi looked around,

"Everyone, I'm very sorry, I have to take me away."

All the ladies were quite reluctant to give up.

But after knowing Lu Shi's identity, no one could say anything and could only leave angrily.

After five minutes, the crowd dispersed.

At this time, Phyllis leaned over and whispered with suppressed excitement: "Professor Lu, you are finally back!"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Um."

It does take too much time to travel to and from the United States.

He asked curiously: "What happened just now? Why are they all surrounding me?"

Phyllis couldn't help but cover her lips and smile,

"This guy is a big star now. The comic "I Am Cat" was a huge success as soon as it was serialized, especially the ladies and ladies. They seem to prefer the cute me to the brave Jane Eyre."

This is not incomprehensible,

Cuteness is justice.

Phyllis continued: "One day, Mr. Natsume took us out for a walk, and he was recognized. So, everyone knew that the prototype of the protagonist of "I Am Cat" was on Braya Street, so they stayed here every day. Son. At first, Mr. Natsume thought it was interesting, but later he couldn't bear it. Moreover, with the popularity of "I am a Cat", Mr. Natsume had to accept various interviews and socialize more and more, but he really had no choice. Just entrust me to take me out for a walk every day."

Is Natsume Soseki, an autistic child, able to socialize?

It's really rare.

Lu Shi felt more and more the changes he had brought to the world.

As he and Phyllis walked towards Rue de Breja, he asked at the same time: "You don't have to play Roman Holiday recently?"

Phyllis said happily: "I'm on vacation!"

Lu Shi said "Ah" and then remembered that the other party had just toured Europe.

He smiled and encouraged: "It seems that you have become a big star~"

Phyllis couldn't help but blush,

"It can't compare to my generation."

As she spoke, she felt a little depressed and said: "Moreover, your copyright to "Roman Holiday"... Now, there are theater troupes all over Europe performing this play, and the local language has an advantage over the English performance."

Lu Shi did not strictly control copyright matters. As long as he paid the fee, he could adapt and perform them appropriately.

He comforted: "It doesn't matter. If there is a suitable script in the future..."

Before they finished speaking, the two of them arrived at their destination.

Phyllis winked cutely,

"Professor Lu, I'll leave first."

After saying that, she bent down and slapped my hand several times, then waved to Lu Shi and jumped away.

Lu Shi knocked on the door.

Not long after, Natsume Soseki's voice came from inside: "Is Miss Felice back?"

squeak--

The door was opened.

When Natsume Soseki saw Rishi, he couldn't help but froze, and then gave him a hug.

"You're back!"

His cheeks flushed with excitement, and then he slapped his forehead as if he remembered something,

"Come on, let me introduce you!"

After saying that, he grabbed the luggage from Lu Shi's hand and took Lu Shi into the house.

Only then did Lu Shi realize that there were three people in the room.

Natsume Soseki introduced in turn:

"

Shimazaki Fujimura,

Hasegawa Tatsunosuke,

Zhenggang Zigui.

"

The three Japanese people all showed extremely surprised expressions because Natsume Soseki used Japanese instead of English or Chinese when introducing.

Unexpectedly, Lu Shi actually understood and greeted them in turn.

Among the three, Masaoka Shigui undoubtedly has the highest status.

As an East Asian, he is unusually eye-catching.

He is very thin, wearing a white cotton short-sleeved shirt and simple cotton trousers. He sits upright, with his waist as straight as a bamboo. You can see the unique temperament of the Meiji period Japanese.

His hair has begun to turn gray and his eye sockets are sunken. These features are a reminder that this is not too far away from the year 1902 when he died.

The other two Japanese were waiting for Masaoka Shiki to speak first.

He coughed lightly,

"Professor Lu, we came to London because we heard about the sensation caused by Natsume-kun's serialized novels in England."

Lu Shi said: "It should have taken a long time for the news to reach Japan, right?"

Masaoka Zigui nodded repeatedly.

"Today's communications are really underdeveloped. However, as soon as we saw the Mirror, we got on the cruise ship to London."

How could Lu Shi not understand?

It’s the same as when Gu Hongming and Zheng Guanying came to look for themselves.

There is a saying that goes well,

"When one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

To put it simply, these three people came to pay homage to the pier.

Lu Shi said: "Indeed, Natsume should be the most familiar Japanese to London residents. Here, even your Meiji Emperor may not be in trouble."

Zhenggang Zigui was stunned,

The emperor was addressed directly, which made him a little hard to accept for a while.

But he soon corrected his position. In front of the Chinese in front of him, he should remain humble and low-key.

He had already heard Natsume Soseki say that Lu Shi would definitely receive a medal from King Edward VII of England himself.

Has any Japanese ever received such an honor?

Masaoka Shiki said in a deep voice: "Professor Lu, you are right. We are here to find Natsume-kun because of the so-called 'fame'."

it is as expected.

Lu Shi's guess was correct——

Bye to the pier.

Natsume Soseki couldn't help but smile bitterly, sighed, and said: "Masaoka-kun, you really praise me too much. The success of "I Am a Cat" is certainly related to my novel, but the relationship is definitely not the biggest."

Zhenggang Zigui was silent,

The other two Japanese didn't talk to me either.

Seeing that they were silent, Lu Shi said: "There are three main reasons for the success of "I Am Cat". First, Natsume's innovation, using the cat as the first-person perspective of writing, is so imaginative and unconstrained; second, it is a cartoon, Mr. Picasso is someone I know. He is the youngest and most promising painter in the world; thirdly, his serial newspapers are good, and the Mirror is the largest-selling newspaper in London."

These three points are indispensable.

How could the three Japanese not know?

but……

"It is rare for a Japanese literati to be recognized by British gentlemen and ladies."

Masaoka Zigui murmured to himself.

Even with the signing of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Britain in 1894, which ended the unequal treaties and extraterritorial rights of Western powers towards Japan, Britain has always enjoyed privileges in Japan.

Therefore, the Japanese have always longed to be recognized by "mainstream society" and "civilized society".

Riku Shi glanced at Natsume Soseki with a questioning look in his eyes.

The latter understood, came over and whispered: "All three of them want something from me."

Lu Shi nodded,

"Yeah, I can guess."

He looked around and asked the other party: "Do you have the same appeal?"

Natsume Soseki shook his head, his eyes lingered on Shimazaki Fujimura for a moment, and he whispered: "Shimazaki-kun's request is the simplest. He hopes that I will guide him in writing novels."

Guidance?

The corners of Lu Shi's lips curled up, thinking that this word might need to be enclosed in quotation marks.

Shimazaki Fujimura is a Japanese poet and novelist. His representative work "Broken Ring" was published at his own expense in 1906.

This book is his first full-length novel that he completed in 7 years.

After all, I am already creating at this time.

This novel describes the struggle of a young teacher abandoned by society for self-realization. It is a masterpiece of naturalism.

Historically, although the book reflected the "influence" (reference) of Rousseau and Zola, it was appreciated by Natsume Soseki and others, making Shimazaki Fujimura the most eye-catching standard bearer of naturalistic literature.

Lu Shi muttered the title of the book in his mind,

"Broken Ring\

,"He recalled an anecdote about Shimazaki Fujimura.

Shimazaki's wife died in childbirth in 1910, so his niece Komako took care of her and assisted in raising her for many years.

As a result, in 1913, he had an affair with his niece,

In order to avoid the condemnation of his family, he hid in France. In order to clear his name, he even revealed that his father had made the same mistake and considered it an inevitable curse. However, the public considered this behavior to be bad and unforgivable.

All I can say is that this is very Japanese.

Lu Shi asked Natsume Soseki: "Have you thought about it?"

Natsume Soseki hesitated;

By "guiding" the other person in writing novels, he is equivalent to asking the other person to become his disciple and lending his reputation to the other person.

——A disciple of Natsume Soseki recognized by the British Empire,

This name must be very famous in Japan!

Natsume Soseki thought of the example Riku Toki mentioned before,

Bring "antiques" and "literary items" to London, get them appraised at a private museum in London, and then sell them back to China.

The Japanese in the early 20th century worshiped foreigners and were very fond of this.

Natsume Soseki pondered,

"I'll have to think about it."

The world line seems to have changed again,

According to the original historical development, Natsume Soseki was willing to stand up for Shimazaki Fujimura.

But now he's a huge success in London, where I Am Cat has captured the hearts of millions and made him appreciate his feathers even more.

Of course, one reason is that "Breaking the Precept" has not yet been written as a book.

It is difficult to comment without seeing the whole novel.

Lu Shi glanced at Hasegawa Tatsunosuke again.

"Where's this one?"

Natsume Soseki scratched his head,

"Um...have you heard of the novel "Floating Clouds"?"

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Isn't that the work of Erye Pavilion Si Mi?"

Hasegawa's eyes lit up and he said, "Professor Lu actually knows my pen name? Have you read "Floating Clouds"?"

Lu Shi was silent.

The book "Floating Clouds" does say something,

In Japan, it is known as "the first creation of a unified language", that is, the origin of vernacular novels, equivalent to the status of "Diary of a Madman" in the Chinese literary world.

The novel reveals the contradiction between feudal tradition and modern Western civilization through the fate of an upright and knowledgeable young man who is squeezed out by government agencies and despised by his lover, and creates the first "superfluous man" in the history of Japanese literature who is dissatisfied with reality but unable to resist. image,

"Floating Clouds" is known as the pioneering work of modern Japanese realist literature.

But such a novel had little response when it came out.

Eryeting Simi decided to stop writing novels on the grounds that "literature is not a man's lifelong career."

After that, he worked as a translator and editor in the Cabinet Office, a teacher at Army University and Tokyo Foreign Languages ​​School, and a cadre at the Beijing Police Academy in the Qing Dynasty of China.

But the fact that he came to see Natsume Soseki now only shows that "literature is not a man's lifelong career" is not his true idea.

Well, this kind of insincerity is also very Japanese.

"Tsk..."

Lu Shi was speechless and looked at Natsume Soseki.

The latter smiled bitterly,

"I have to think about it."

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing and said: "Natsume, so many people come to you, you are just a timely help and a blessing~"

Natsume Soseki was stunned for half a second before he realized that Jigure was talking about Song Jiang.

He also joked,

"Then I haven't seen 'bowing before bowing'~"

The Jianghu brothers in "Water Margin", as long as they hear Song Jiang's name, they must bow their heads and bow to him.

The three Japanese people couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

They exchanged glances,

Otherwise, really give Natsume Soseki a blow?