British writer

Three days later.

Eastern France, Franche-Comté, Doubs, Besançon.

The Du River surrounds the city, and the sun shines on the river as brightly as the light reflected by diamonds.

Citizens walk along the river,

Looking from a distance, they could see the vicissitudes of Woburn Castle, with its tall stone walls and pointed towers mottled and ancient.

Wombburg overlooks a campus—

Normal school of Besançon.

The school's history dates back to the early 19th century.

Since then, it has been a rock-solid pillar of French education.

Even though it is November and the cold wind blows, the students are still busy.

They wrapped their coats tightly and rushed to the library.

"Hiss...it's so cold..."

"I call you Smei, but you only have a thin woolen sweater underneath. If you're not cold, who is?"

"Hehe~ That was customized for me by Amélie~"

"Fuck! If you show affection again, I'll beat you to death!"

…

The students’ energy added a touch of vitality to the winter day.

Several people pushed open the library door, and then noticed the great writer sitting in the corner on the right -

Luis Pergaard.

At 19 years old, he is handsome and handsome, with clear and resolute facial lines, and a certain temperament.

At this time, he was holding a stack of small pieces of paper,

The printed words on the paper are densely packed, like tadpoles.

Several people walked over,

"Great writer!"

The corner of Pelgao's mouth raised a subtle arc, and he turned around and said: "Please add the word 'future' in front of it. 'Future great writer'."

Everyone was speechless and looked at each other.

My heart said,

This guy is not humble at all.

"Yes, yes, the future great writer, Mr. Pelco."

They sat down at the table,

Someone asked: "Do you think there is hope?"

Pergo was distracted;

"What are you talking about? What's promising?"

"Tsk..."

The man was speechless and complained: "You are good at pretending. I don't believe you are not worried about the final result of the Jules Verne Award. Do you know who the three core members of the jury are, right?"

Pelgao said "Hmm\

,""Of course I know."

Everyone was a little confused,

"Then you act so calm? Are you really not worried?"

Pergao spread his hands,

"It's not that I'm not worried...sigh...look at this."

He spread the small pieces of paper out on the table in chapter order.

The rest of the people came up,

Someone muttered: "Why is it in English?"

He cleared his throat and recited in a tone of voice:

"

I am French,

How can one learn English?

Submit a blank paper,

Show my love for France.

"

As soon as he finished reciting the poem, there was an explosion in the library.

"good!"

“Trash English, no dog can learn it!”

"well said!"

"This little poem has the spirit of Mr. Dodd's "The Last Lesson"!"

…

Many French students responded enthusiastically.

Pelgo complained: "It's outrageous! Even "The Last Lesson" was remade..."

"The Last Lesson" is a short story written by the French writer Alphonse Daudet. It tells the story of France after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, part of its territory was ceded, and primary schools in the ceded areas were forced to give up French.

Through the perspective of a child, the novel describes the last lesson of saying goodbye to one's mother tongue.

Pelgao said: "We learn English for the sake of cultural exchange."

The person who just recited the poem smiled "hehe" and said, "Can I not know about cultural exchange? I just don't want to take the exam."

Pelgo couldn't help but roll his eyes,

"Forget it, don't talk about this."

He pointed to the pieces of paper,

"This is Professor Lu's new work, sent by telegram."

telegraph……

The cost is too high.

Someone whispered: "It's great to have a father who is a Republican principal."

Pelgo punched the opponent on the shoulder.

"Don't mention this!"

He was born in Belmont, the son of a schoolmaster.

However, he did not rely on his father's protection. Instead, he relied on his studies to win a scholarship for himself, continued his education, and planned to follow in his father's footsteps and engage in education.

The topic of nepotism is his backstory.

The classmate who was joking also knew that he had said something wrong and quickly changed the subject: "I remember that Professor Lu's "Country Teacher" was written in French..."

Pell shrugged.

"People write more in English. Moreover, it is said that this work is a tribute to the first Nobel Prize."

Everyone was stunned.

That's no wonder,

After all, English is the most widely spoken language in the world and is more suitable for this kind of writing purpose.

Several students were at a loss.

Even if it is true that "I am French, how can I learn English?", I can only bite the bullet.

They settled down to read,

Unexpectedly, this "Chao Wen Dao" was so wonderful that everyone watched it.

Especially the core idea of ​​the novel——

Scientists continue to die generously in pursuit of knowledge, which is deeply shocking.

I don’t know how much time passed,

"Huh~"

Someone was the first to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was as if he was holding his breath and concentrating on reading to the end.

Others also woke up from their addiction,

"It's so wonderful..."

They all sighed with emotion, and felt a faint feeling of loss in their hearts.

This is a profound experience that can only be had after reading a good book.

Someone asked in a low voice: "What time is it now?"

Pelco looked at his watch.

"Half past five."

Several classmates couldn't help but smile bitterly after hearing this.

I originally came to the library to study, but now it's better to read science fiction novels all afternoon.

Someone suggested: "Let's go have dinner~"

The rest responded immediately,

"good!"

I was so focused on reading that I felt hungry.

They looked at Pelgau.

Pergo shook his head,

"I'm not in a hurry. I want to study this work more carefully."

The classmates did not dissuade him. They said goodbye to him, exchanged the contents of the novel in a low voice, and walked out of the library door.

As a result, they rushed back just half a minute after leaving.

"Louis, there's a letter! It's from the Collège de France!"

Pelgo:! ! !

He stood up quickly, took the letter, and tore open the envelope with trembling hands.

The rest of the people came together,

"how is it going?"

Pelgo silent reading,

——

Dear Mr:

We regret to inform you that you did not pass the preliminary round for the Jules Verne Prize.

Literature is a creative art, and everyone has their own unique style. Failure to be selected does not mean that the work has no value, but that it may not be in line with the theme, style or standards of the award.

So, I hope you are still confident in your creation,

We believe that in the days to come, you will create more works that resonate with readers.

We hereby guarantee that the Jules Verne Prize Organizing Committee will continue to pay attention to the development of science fiction literature and contribute to its prosperity.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

——

This is a letter of defeat.

Everyone was silent,

"..."

"..."

"..."

An unspeakable atmosphere spread around.

Several people looked at Pelgao with cautious expressions on their faces.

"Gu..."

I don’t know who it was, and even swallowed.

I just heard Pergo muttering to himself: "Could it be that the level of science fiction novels for the Jules Verne Award is very high? Did "New France" not even pass the preliminary round?"

He said, shaking his head,

"It shouldn't be...there shouldn't be many people involved in this new subject..."

He seemed to be in a daze, and his whole body seemed dazed.

Several classmates quickly comforted each other.

"Louis, science fiction is just that. If it's not rated, it won't be rated."

"It's also a good thing to be rejected. On the other hand, Louis was the first writer to prepare for the Jules Verne Prize in 1902..."

"Shut up! If you can't comfort people, stop talking!"

"Louis, how about we write more prose? Poetry will work too!"

"I like your poetry too!"

…

twitter,

This made Pelgo look irritated.

He said: "There are not enough poets in France?"

A few words silenced several classmates.

Pelco looked at them,

"Do you think that my writing of science fiction novels is inherently science fiction?"

Someone chuckled,

"Haha, your joke is so... um..."

He noticed Pelgao's expression and immediately changed his tone and said: "It's not funny at all."

Pelgao added: "You all called me 'the great writer' just now, but now that I think about it, it's really a bit harsh. I always feel that there is an indescribable irony."

The classmates looked at each other,

Pelgao has a strong background and is good at studies. He has never suffered any major setbacks since he was a child.

As a result, now I encounter something that is very difficult.

Someone said: "Louis, you'd better not think about this yet. Let's go and have dinner together."

He extended an invitation,

But Pelco remained motionless, still thinking hard.

"With the excellence of "New France", it will not fail the primary election, unless it is one of the judges..."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up,

"It's the judges!"

Hearing this, the students were stunned.

Three core judges,

Verne, an old comrade in his seventies, was still French and could not cause trouble;

Lu Shi's creations cover a wide range of topics and there is no need to block other people's paths;

Wells, the author of "When the Sleeper Awakes", "New France" is modeled after him, and there is no reason to get rid of Pergo.

No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like there is a shady story.

But Pergaard doesn’t think so.

He analyzed exquisitely: "It should be Welles, who was disgusted with my tribute to "When the Sleeper Wakes"."

This is outrageous.

Someone said: "Then according to what you said, it might be Professor Lu. You are younger than Professor Lu. When he saw your talent, he became jealous and decided to strangle you in the cradle."

This is obviously a strange and ironic statement.

Pelgao showed an expression of sudden realization.

"Yes! Very right! Very right! That makes sense! Of course, it could also be Verne, who hopes to always control the French literary world. But no matter who it is, there must be something behind this Jules Verne Award. "

The rest of the people communicated with each other,

"..."

They knew that Pelgao would not listen to anything they said now.

Someone asked: "Then what are you going to do?"

Pelgao said slowly: "Since someone is doing something shady, don't blame me for being rude. I will let them know what cruelty means!"

He went to the door,

"I'll send a telegram to father right now!"

…

Paris,

Collège de France,

Small conference room in the main building.

"Ha~"

Wells yawned loudly,

After staying up all night for several days, he felt a little nervous.

He looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, are we a little too strict in screening out so many works in the primary election? This operation is easy to be criticized. Some people may think that we are doing something inside and the final winner is determined by default. .”

Lu Shi said nonchalantly: "Let's fight quickly~"

Verne on the side also agreed,

"Science fiction is, after all, a newly emerging genre of novels. It's not that the good and the bad are mixed, but that the good and the bad are mixed. It's appropriate to filter out a large number of works. Our evaluation is objective."

Wells couldn't deny this.

He added: "Then our rejection letter was too perfunctory, wasn't it?"

Perfunctory indeed,

Because the rejection letters were all sent directly according to the template, and the names of the contributors were not even mentioned, so everyone had the same content.

Lu Shi said again: "Let's fight quickly~"

Wells: "..."

Verne: "..."

The two of them suddenly laughed loudly,

Verne complained: "Lu, you really never work overtime. Apart from 'quick victory', you have no other words, right?"

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"Soldiers are valuable and quick."

"Poof!"×2

The other two burst into laughter.

Verne said: "Okay, okay, I know you are busy and eager to return to London. In that case, let's continue to advance the work progress. Of the last three novels, which one do you like the most?"

Lu Shi said: "You should express your opinion first on the question you asked."

Verne was also unambiguous and said: "Then I'll tell you the truth. Among them, my favorite is "The Warden"."

Lu Shi smiled,

He had known that Verne would say that.

After reading Proust's words, most writers will be impressed by his excellent and psychedelic writing style.

But unexpectedly, the reason Verne gave was not literary.

He said: "Lu, in your "Country Teacher", what do you think makes the teacher forcefully instill knowledge into the students, even if the students don't understand, they have to memorize the three laws of classical mechanics?"

Lu Shi pondered,

"Mainly because of the idea of ​​teaching and educating people."

Verne raised the corners of his mouth,

"'Main'? In other words, you also implied 'secondary' when you created it, right?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"The secondary reason is a certain obsession with 'knowledge changes destiny'. Of course, teaching and educating people is positive, but obsession is negative."

Wells and Verne nodded,

Humans are complex animals,

Even as a teacher, the motivation is not always positive.

Lu Shi said: "Then I probably know why Mr. Verne admires "The Warden"."

Verne encouraged: "You continue."

Lu Shi touched his chin,

"Then I said it while thinking about it. In the novel, the warden is undoubtedly a perverted existence. He forces the prisoners to study in order to satisfy his own dark desire to abuse. But at the same time, there is a trace of positive things in it."

Wells also understood,

"That's it! The warden's duty is to guide the prisoners to change their minds, right? Otherwise, there would be no need to set up reform-through-labor. Therefore, his purpose is related to his duties, and he may not be aware of it himself."

Verne said: "Yes, this is why I am optimistic about "The Warden". There are many reasons for torture, but I chose..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door suddenly.

"Mr. Verne!"

Sounds like a clerk.

Verne walked over and opened the door,

"In a hurry?"

The clerk hurriedly handed over a note, and then whispered in Verne's ear for a while.

Verne's brows furrowed more and more,

In the end, it turned out to be the word "Chuan".

After a while,

"I understand. You first...you stay outside."

He waved and asked the clerk to go out and wait. Then he closed the door with a bang, walked back to the conference table, and said, "Mr. Wells' prediction has come true. Some people are indeed dissatisfied."

With that said, he handed over the note,

——

Jules Verne Prize contributor Louis Pergaard is dissatisfied with the results of the primary election.

Tomorrow's seventh page of "Le Figaro" will only have one sentence: "Regarding the Jules Verne Prize, I don't know which judge brushed off my work, but no matter who it is, it is destined to win." regret."

After that, he will publish his entry "New France" in the newspaper.

——

The signature of the note——

Gaston Camet,

Lu Shi had some impression that this person should be the editor of "Le Figaro". During World War I, he was assassinated for his fair reporting.

As for Louis Pergaard,

"hiss……"

Lu Shi held his chin and recalled, feeling that the name was somewhat familiar.

Wells next to him misunderstood, thinking that Lu Shi was thinking hard because he was annoyed, so he smiled and said: "Professor Lu, I told you before that something might go wrong~"

Lu Shi was still remembering,

"Pelgo...Pelgo...well..."

He remembered!

This person turned out to be the winner of the Goncourt Literary Prize in 1910.

During World War I, Pergaud resolutely went to the battlefield. After being wounded, he was captured by the Germans and transferred to a field hospital.

Then, something outrageous happened,

The French used artillery fire to cover the area, killing this promising young man.

If one's own people blow up one's own people, it's a code within a code.

Lu Shi sighed,

"No wonder he came out against it."

Wells echoed: "Yeah, yeah~ I said it before."

Lu Shi was choked.

He said "no wonder" because he knew Pergo's life.

As a son of a wealthy family and a well-paid writer, Pergo is upright, brave, and does not evade military service at all. He is a master who is not afraid of trouble.

What's more, in 1901, when he was still a college student, he was even more iron-headed.

Lu Shi admired such people who sacrificed their lives for the country.

But a fool is a fool after all, and needs to be dealt with.

"How to eliminate the impact?"

Several people pondered.

After a moment, Wells said: "Justice is in the heart. We only need to send the winning works to Le Figaro, and everyone will be able to tell which one is better."

Verne shook his head,

"I'm afraid not."

Wells sighed and said: "Jules, they are already riding on our heads to dominate us, why don't we challenge them head-on?"

Verne said: "Of course it is necessary to challenge head-on. But..."

He glanced at it,

"Hypothesis, please listen carefully, it is a hypothesis. If "The Warden" wins the award and is published in "Le Figaro", will it definitely be able to stabilize the "New France" one?"

Wells was asked.

After a long while, he said: "It should work."

Verne smiled bitterly,

"This is Paris."

Wells scratched his head and said, "Paris? What happened to Paris?"

Verne said: "What the citizens of Paris like most is drama that challenges authority. This has resulted in a bonus in "New France" and a weakening in "The Warden". One is ebbing and the other is ebbing, and the result is unpredictable. Moreover, , you can’t expect ordinary people to have the same taste as us..."

"Huh~"

Verne exhaled a breath,

"Let me make it clear. There are elements of nationalism in the book "New France", and it is also the favorite book of ordinary people."

Wells was silent;

He could no longer refute.

Verne said: "There is no problem with our idea of ​​​​challenging head-on, but the work we come up with must have an overwhelming advantage."

Wells spread his hands,

"Overwhelming advantage? Easier said than done? We, the judges, can never end up..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Sudden silence fell.

Suddenly, Verne and Wells looked at Lu Shi,

"It seems that the judges will be dismissed." × 2

They said in unison.

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"Are you going to sell me out now?"

Verne smiled "hehe" and said: "I would like to be sold ~ It's a pity that my writing has always been very slow and I can't make it in time."

Lu Shi complained: "Are you still slow?"

Verne laughed,

"It depends on who you compare yourself with. Compared with you, I'm just a turtle."

After saying that, he leaned over and patted Lu Shi on the shoulder.

"Judge, please leave immediately?"

Lu Shi was speechless,

"This... this is inappropriate. If I write it, if it really has a huge advantage, then people will be surprised. Compared with my works, "The Warden" and "New France" are also child's play, why should one be promoted? , one was wiped out?"

Verne said: "It's simple. Just write a work with the same theme as "New France"~ With the pearls first, you will naturally have the reason for high standards and strict requirements~"

Brother, I've even thought about this.

Lu Shi was helpless,

"All right."

Unexpectedly, the second time I came to France, I still had to write a topic.

Moreover, the scope of the proposition this time is smaller,

Last time it was science fiction,

This time it’s a branch of science fiction——

Dystopia.