Chapter 14: The Protagonist

"Have the British lost their confidence?

Astounding!

The room fell silent at first, followed by lively discussions as everyone found Lu Shi's remarks arrogant.

Buckler looked embarrassed. "Mr. Lu, you're not aware of certain things about Wilde..."

He couldn't bring himself to say it.

In the current England, women didn't even have the right to vote, let alone the right to be elected. It wasn't surprising that Wilde fled to Paris.

Arthur Doyle, on the other hand, felt a strange sensation looking at Lu Shi. It was inexplicable, lingering like the perpetual fog of London, unshakeable.

He said, "Mr. Lu, are you questioning the confidence of the British?"

Lu Shi didn't give a direct answer but gave an example:

"Just recently, Mr. Cooper gave me a typewriter. Can you guess what he said? His exact words were, 'The Andwood No. 5 Commemorative Edition, versatile, smooth typing, low failure rate. It's not like those Oliver and Remington machines; it's genuinely American-made.'"

Cooper was speechless, knowing those weren't his words but Scott's. He glared at Scott and then said, "Indeed, that's what I said, 'American-made.'"

The words "American-made" seemed to sting the British gentlemen present. Some were disdainful, some silent, some reflective.

The relationship between Britain and America, although strong in cultural identity, had its ups and downs. Despite the cultural affinity, they were still two nations, one a fading empire and the other a rising beacon of hope for humanity.

During this transition, there was bound to be some animosity towards the new.

Lu Shi continued, "An educator once conducted an experiment. He gave British and American children a glass of water and asked them to boil it without using fire. The British children tried various methods but failed. Then, the American children took the glass and put a label on it that read, 'This is American water,' and miraculously, the water boiled."

The room fell into eerie silence.

Suddenly, everyone burst into laughter, with Cooper and Scott leading the applause. Lu Shi's humor had won them over.

They understood Lu Shi's blatant sarcasm, mocking the superstition that "American-made" equated to quality and some people's view of America as a panacea.

True confidence, as Lu Shi's third story illustrated, came from authenticity. Stick a label on it that says "This is British water," and it boils.

Buckler said, "Mr. Lu makes a valid point, but confidence also requires substance. Like the Andwood No. 5, everyone here, as editors and journalists, knows it's genuinely good."

Lu Shi nodded. "Of course. But I'd like to say, America's industrial prowess didn't develop overnight."

This made Cooper and Scott briefly uneasy, but they quickly relaxed. Lu Shi, a mysterious Chinese man, was so knowledgeable about British politics; chatting about America shouldn't be a problem.

On the other hand, several conservative newspaper editors, like hyenas smelling blood, leaned in. They still believed Lu Shi would embarrass himself.

Someone asked, "Mr. Lu, do you have insights into America's rise?"

As a time-traveler, Lu Shi could casually talk about it.

"America's geographical advantages and abundant resources give it unparalleled advantages in agriculture and industry, making its rise inevitable."

This was a common topic.

Everyone in the room was disappointed.

Scott coughed lightly, saying, "But Mr. Lu, you don't know..."

Before he could finish, Lu Shi interrupted, "Exactly! The distance across the ocean is crucial. America dominates North America, almost monopolizing the entire region. And with limited transoceanic capabilities today, Britain may dictate terms in Europe, but it's useless over there."

"Ha!"

Someone, who had just taken a sip of water, sprayed it out.

What an utterly useless endeavor.

Lu Shi continued, "The British gentlemen look down on America, even calling it the 'thief nation.' Why is that?"

This sentence made everyone ponder deeply.

Combining Lu Shi's previous words, some people had already figured it out and said, "Because we can't reach across the ocean, the United States can blatantly default on debts, steal technology, and unfortunately, we have no way to deal with them."

Lu Shi nodded in agreement.

In fact, that's exactly what the United States does.

The precursor to the United States was a colonial conglomerate, with the vast majority of political power existing in the form of corporations. This allowed the United States to keep pace with European powers in terms of governance and technology, relying on tariff protection and using trade as a cover for its "thievery."

In simpler terms, Europe and the United States are like characters in a game, with Europe being the higher-level character and the United States being the lower-level one.

As space in Europe gradually became limited, more and more capitalists sought development in the United States. Even ordinary citizens moved there to start families and businesses, enabling the United States to become an industrial powerhouse almost overnight, relying on its natural resources and high-quality labor force.

Many people believe that the United States made its fortune through war.

However, in reality, this idea is only half correct. Before World War I, the United States already accounted for one-third of the world's GDP.

Lu Shi said, "In fact, there are many reasons. We can discuss them slowly..."

He began to explain.

Although much of what he said had already been discussed by experts and scholars, his explanation in such simple and understandable terms was refreshing, and everyone present sat up straight to listen.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Shi became the focus of the salon.