British writer

Chapter 239 The novel is blocked

The next day, evening.

White Star Line London Branch.

Jingle bell bell—

After a piercing ringing, the foreman Kleiner stretched himself.

"Stop doing this! Get off work!"

"Okay~"

The workers all abandoned their work.

Someone asked: "Boss, where should we go for a drink tonight? RUDDER?"

Kleinel mused,

As a tavern, the drinks at the Helm are quite good.

Coupled with the fact that its regular base is a chatty and generous crew, it's a great place to relax, drink, and brag.

But because it opens on Breyard Road, which is considered the core area of London, the consumption is not low.

Clennell looked around;

"Where's that boy Nansen?"

Nansen was the accountant of the factory. He was well-literate, but he didn't have the airs of a "scholar". He was able to get along well with these rough guys, so he was highly regarded by Kleinel.

The tavern at the Rudder was introduced by Nansen.

It is said that it is very close to Lu, the author of "The Lord of the Rings", and he might be lucky enough to meet him in person.

As a result, I went several times without seeing him, but instead got to know a bunch of crew members.

Since they were all poor buddies, it didn't take long for them to get acquainted with each other.

Clennell said, "Wait for that kid."

After saying that, he opened the lunch box.

There are also a few leftover biscuits from lunch.

Because it has been baked three or four times, if you eat it without adding water, it will be so hard that it can break your teeth.

He asked: "Which one of you will give me some?"

The workers all looked away and pretended not to hear.

Kleinel was helpless,

"Just help me~ If I don't finish eating, my wife will beat me to death!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone burst into laughter.

In fact, his wife is a good cook. The reason why she cooks dark dishes is to punish her husband for not coming home until midnight these past few days.

No way, "Monopoly" is so fun!

Kleinel took a bite of the biscuit and said vaguely: "No, I won't be able to bear it if I keep doing this for a few more days. I have to go back early tonight no matter what."

The workers snickered,

The boss said this yesterday, said it the day before yesterday, and said it the day before yesterday, and he looked like he was swearing by it.

As for the result,

Of course none of them were fulfilled.

Kleinel found that these gangsters were all watching his joke, and he said dissatisfiedly: "Fxxk! I will definitely do what I say today..."

Before he finished speaking, he heard rapid footsteps behind him.

Everyone followed the sound.

I saw Nansen running over panting,

"I...huh...sorry, I'm late."

Kleiner patted him on the back to help him calm down, and complained at the same time: "If you are not active after get off work, you have a problem with your thinking."

Nansen raised his hand,

"Stop...stop shooting, I'm going to puke."

He asked the other party to stop, then he leaned on the wall to catch his breath for a while, and said, "Boss, you really misunderstood me. Do you know what part of my favorite job is my favorite?"

Kleinel was confused,

"What did you say?"

The rest of the people were also puzzled.

Someone asked: "Normal people shouldn't like any part of it, right?"

Nansen was already relieved at this time, wagging his finger,

“Let me tell you, my favorite part of going to work is getting off work.”

Everyone laughed.

Clennell said: "You are really a genius! Come on, stop talking about this. What's going on with you?"

Nansen replied: "I came late this time because I went to Buckingham Palace to pick up something in the afternoon."

The workers stared wide-eyed,

"Is that that? The collector's edition of The Lord of the Rings?"

Nansen smiled, his eyes full of pride, and he even picked out a biscuit from Kleinel's lunch box and put it into his mouth.

As a result, as soon as he took a bite, he immediately covered his cheeks.

"Who the hell put bricks in the boss's lunch box?"

The workers laughed again.

Kleinel is embarrassed,

"Stop talking nonsense, where are the things?"

Nansen "Bah!" took a few mouthfuls, spit out the dregs, and then said: "It's true that I deliberately lost the second round of the "Monopoly" game. This time I really made a profit! I made a lot of money!"

The others expressed disbelief;

You don’t want the ready-made ten pounds, but you want a board game?

How can it be! ?

Clennell complained: "Just blow it!"

Nansen was dissatisfied and said: "Boss, how can you accuse someone of innocence out of thin air? I'm not bragging! Isn't it reasonable for a loyal fan of "Lord of the Rings" to deliberately lose the game?"

As he spoke, he took out a wooden box from his bag.

The wooden box is designed to be simple and elegant, and the outer packaging is mainly dark blue, giving people a calm and noble feeling.

Printed on it:

——

"Lord of the Rings"

Publisher: (UK) Parker Brothers

Game designers: Lu (first designer), George Pike, Edward Pike

——

The design lineup is consistent with "Monopoly".

Nansen said: "Brothers, there are 100 sets of collector's editions, 48 sets are used as participation prizes in the "Monopoly" competition, and the remaining 52 sets are for sale. One of the character chess pieces in each set of collector's edition is randomly gold-plated."

The workers present all know that gold is highly malleable and the cost of gold plating is not high.

But this does not mean that the memorial value is low.

Everyone couldn't help but discuss,

"Aragorn! I want the golden Aragorn!"

"Fuck! Are you stupid? No matter how you think, Gandalf is more suitable, right?"

"I also think it's Gandalf..."

"It must be Aragorn! Think about it, if we get the Golden Strider, we will be the best at the helm of the ship!"

"Indeed, those water ghosts will be jealous to death."

…

The atmosphere was very lively.

Clennell gave Nansen a nudge.

"Drive quickly!"

Nansen was already impatient and carefully opened the wooden box.

The first thing that catches your eye is an exquisite instruction manual. Each page is printed in six colors, with clear illustrations and text, detailing the gameplay and rules of the game.

With it, the game can be easily started.

But if you want to master it, you have to explore it yourself.

Nansen put the manual aside and looked at the grid containing the chess pieces.

The others also looked over,

"Tsk...it's really Aragorn..."

Kleinel smiled and said: "In that case, we have to go to the helm of the ship! Boys, pack your things, let's show those water ghosts our treasure!"

The workers responded with a bang and poured out of the shipyard.

…

Fleet Street, headquarters of The Mirror.

Lu Shi was listening to the report from the Parker brothers and Margarita.

"Sold out? 1,000 sets?"

He was a little surprised,

Collector's Edition £30;

Regular version £20,

Neither the former nor the latter is a small amount that ordinary families can afford.

George replied excitedly: "Yes! They're all sold out!"

Edward said: "Even the collector's edition, everything is sold out! I just don't know if His Majesty the King's contribution to the Mirror has any effect..."

These words silenced the other three people.

After a long time, Lu Shi said: "It should...maybe...maybe...probably...it worked."

"puff!"

Margarita sneered,

"So unsure?"

Lu Shi was embarrassed,

"..."

Regarding the matter of Edward VII, there is really no way to go on.

George came to the rescue and said, "Anyway, it's only been one day and we've already made a lot of money."

Margarita was quite calm about this,

"Although the current sales volume is high, it is not enough to explain the problem. Today's buyers are mostly pub and cafe owners. They have seen that the strong social attributes of "Monopoly" can improve their business, so they are also interested in "The Lord of the Rings" "Confident."

In modern times, pubs provide darts, cards, and even arcade machines for this purpose.

Of course, the best trick is to ask sexy girls to dance, or place a big TV broadcasting the World Cup.

Lu Shi said: "If I had known this, I should have done some pre-sale statistics."

He pondered for a moment, stood up,

"Come on, let's find a pub and hang out."

Margarita said: "There are many cafes near Fleet Street, we don't have to..."

Before she finished speaking, she noticed that the three men were shaking their heads.

"What? Can't we do it in a cafe?"

Edward explained: "Your Highness, dice are used in "The Lord of the Rings". When it comes to luck, how can it be good enough if it is not paired with a few glasses of wine?"

Lu Shi and George also nodded in agreement.

Margarita hesitated.

Ladies should not set foot in taverns, especially those with a lively atmosphere.

Thinking this, she looked at Lu Shi,

It doesn't matter, Professor Lu is here, there is nothing to be afraid of! ?

"Then let's go to the tavern."

Margarita tilted her head and thought for a while,

"Speaking of which, I remember there was a pub called 'RUDDER' on Braiya Road. The atmosphere seemed to be very good. Every time I passed by when visiting Professor Lu, I could always hear the sound of arm-wrestling and cheering coming from inside."

The two Parker brothers looked at each other.

The princess is right,

What does "visiting Professor Lu every time" mean?

It sounds like the two of them often have private trysts.

George cleared his throat and said, "In that case, let's go to the helm."

The three then left the Mirror headquarters.

The carriage ride from Fleet Street to Breyard Road didn't take long, and they soon stopped at the ship's helm door.

As the name suggests, the signboard of the rudder is an old wooden rudder, which seems to have been directly unloaded from a weather-beaten ship.

There are signs on both sides:

While writing:

"There's super strong liquor in it! If you're brave enough, come and challenge it!"

Write on the other side:

"The Lord of the Rings is inside!"

It's very attractive to look at.

Through the thick wooden door, you can hear the noise inside, which is very rough.

Margarita had already prepared herself mentally, but when things came to pass, she was still a little worried.

"Is there a fight going on inside?"

George smiled and said: "Your Highness, you might as well ask Professor Lu next to you. He really had a fight. He opened someone's skull directly on the cruise ship from London to New York."

With one sentence, Margarita instantly suppressed her worries.

She couldn't help but look at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu can actually fight?"

Her Highness the Princess's big eyes flickering were full of curiosity.

Lu Shi glared at George,

Then, he said: "It's not a pleasant experience, so don't mention it. Come on, let's go in and have a look."

After saying that, he pushed the door open and entered.

The tavern was extremely noisy.

The sounds of people talking, laughing, and quarreling mixed together to form a chaotic noise.

Margarita wrinkled her little nose,

"The smell is so strong."

Lu Shi said: "Because it is mixed with the smell of various alcohol and cigarettes, it must be unpleasant. Moreover, the air is not circulated ~ but for those drunkards, this smell is a familiar stimulation and temptation."

George looked around;

"Let's stay away from the crowd."

The four of them took their seats in the corner.

Edward waved,

"Boss! Give us three large cups of Lone Star!"

The female boss subconsciously replied: "In a moment... wait! Lone Star? Sorry, we don't have American beer!"

She was too busy to touch the ground, so her tone was very harsh.

"The only foreign wines we have here are German and Belgian...well..."

She paused and looked at Lu Shi doubtfully.

"Who are you……"

Almost all residents of Blea Road know Lu.

Lu Shi made a "shh~" gesture.

This amounts to an admission of identity.

The female boss came forward excitedly and said charmingly: "Professor Lu, I'll cover all your drinks. I'll cover you for the rest of your life!"

There is ambiguity in this statement.

Margarita cleared her throat;

"Ahem..."

The female boss looked over and couldn't help but cover her lips and smile.

"This lady, you are so beautiful~"

The sudden compliment caught Her Royal Highness by surprise.

After holding it in for a few seconds, her face turned red, and she said angrily: "Even if you praise me so much, I won't be grateful to you~ Besides, Professor Lu is not the kind of person you think, so don't do useless work. ”

The female boss was slightly stunned. She didn't expect the other party to be so serious, so she deliberately teased: "Then, what kind of person is Professor Lu?"

Margarita: "..."

Don't know how to answer.

Lu Shi whispered: "Boss, stop joking."

As he spoke, he looked around,

"It seems that business is very good today?"

"More than good!"

The female boss said very happily: "The last time I was so busy was when the workers went on strike to push that old turtle Cecil out of office. But that kind of opportunity doesn't come often. You can't drive the Prime Minister out of office every day, right? And It’s not lettuce that has passed its expiration date, just throw it away.”

Lu Shi asked: "Is business good today because of "Lord of the Rings"?"

The female boss nodded repeatedly,

"This is exactly why I want to keep you forever. The Prime Minister cannot step down every day, but "The Lord of the Rings" can..."

Before the words fell,

boom--

With a loud noise, the door was knocked open.

A group of shipyard workers came in,

"Boss, bring up all the beer kegs! We're going to show these water ghosts the power of pure gold Aragorn!"

Suddenly, the bar fell into silence.

Half a second later, the yelling came,

"Fxxk! Why do you shipbuilders dare to challenge the sailors?"

"Fuck you solid gold Aragorn!"

"If you want to die, just say so! Go out and vomit your stomach first!"

…

The two sides were at war with each other.

Lu Shi looked at Brother Parker and whispered: "Pure gold? You said it was gold-plated before..."

George waved his hand,

"How can it be pure gold? Those workers are bragging~"

Lu Shi chuckled and said, "It fits the atmosphere of the tavern so well."

Margarita looked a little worried as both sides called for battle.

"Can't you fight?"

The female boss said carelessly: "It doesn't matter. These men are very good at talking. But it's because of this that they drink a lot, so my business is easy to do."

Frankly speaking, she had never thought that "The Lord of the Rings" had such magical power.

But the reality is before us,

The beer at the helm, whether local or imported, will definitely be wiped out tonight.

Lu Shi smiled and said, "Boss, since business is good, go ahead and get busy."

The female boss said "Huh?"

"That you……"

Lu Shi replied: "I came here just to see the effect of "The Lord of the Rings", so I don't need you to take care of me."

The female boss nodded and left quickly.

Seeing her busy back, Lu Shi stood up and

"I'll look around."

He first went to the table next to him.

Several crew members at this table were playing the novice tutorial book, but unexpectedly they encountered a problem——

not united.

Some people think that the mage should be allowed to output first;

Some people think that warriors should attack monsters;

Some people think that it is safer to let the thieves go up and steal first;

…

Three people, three ideas,

In the end, no one could convince anyone, and there was internal strife.

The mage released a fireball spell on the thief,

"Feel sorry!"

After killing his teammates, he even said "Good fight~" to show his ridicule.

Lu Shi looked at him in confusion.

I have to admit that humans are very innovative, and they actually turned a cooperative game into a confrontation.

He asked: "Shouldn't you be hunting wargs?"

These words immediately aroused public outrage.

"What do you know!? On a ship, internal conflicts must be resolved first before we can unanimously deal with the outside world!"

"We don't need anyone to teach us how to play the game."

"Hmph...who the hell are you?! Why are you talking so much!?"

…

Lu Shi choked back after just a few words.

He backed away quickly.

In the tavern, the table that attracted the most attention was naturally the shipyard workers and crew members competing for the table.

The one who fought on behalf of the workers was a young man named Nansen.

It seems that he didn’t play the new notebook and was immediately put on the shelves.

Next to it, a dog-headed military advisor was giving blind orders.

The leading foreman, Kleinel, reminded: "Nansen, I think you should let Aragorn learn slashing first. That skill is much more stable than shield blasting."

Nansen shrugged.

"Learning shield attack can gain high damage. I don't want to lose to Gandalf the Water Demon."

The antagonism in his voice was clear.

Kleinel lowered his voice,

"Didn't you tell me? His Majesty the King submitted an article in today's "Mirror" to share his experience in single pass. He learned the slash first."

Nansen was a little impatient.

"His Majesty the King can govern the country, but I'm afraid he can't play games, right?"

Lu Shi: "..."

Trying to keep a straight face, not to laugh.

Clennell urged again: "But that's the Mirror, and the editor-in-chief is Lu. His Majesty the King doesn't understand "The Lord of the Rings", which makes sense, but Lu doesn't understand "The Lord of the Rings", right?"

"Tsk..."

Nansen was speechless,

"Lu is just the original author of "The Lord of the Rings" and the first designer of the board game. He knows nothing about "The Lord of the Rings"!?"

This time, Lu Shi really couldn't hold himself any longer.

"puff!"

He burst out laughing on the spot.

The workers and crew members surrounding the table looked at each other,

There was hesitation in their eyes, as if they recognized Lu Shi, but they couldn't be 100% sure.

The corners of Lu Shi's mouth twitched,

"Sorry~sorry~, I shouldn't have laughed."

After saying that, he rushed out of the ship's helm gate.

The people at the table were talking behind them.

“Asian faces shouldn’t be too common on Burya Road, right?”

"It's not bad. Lu and his roommates are both Asian."

"Then, was the person just now Lu?"