Chapter 41: A Letter from Paris

The guest lecture didn't end until well past one in the afternoon. Even then, the students were still reluctant to leave, some even seeking Lu Shi's autograph on their hand-copied booklets. It took the intervention of Shaw to restore order to the chaos. Slowly, the students dispersed.

Chevlin found Lu Shi. "Professor Lu's perspective is indeed different from that of ordinary scholars. It has broadened my horizons considerably. Perhaps the essential elements of geopolitics should be revised, no longer focusing solely on governance and power..."

Lu Shi knew the impact Chevlin's theories had on Germany during World War II. If they could reform a prodigal son, it would be a great accomplishment. As for the butterfly effect issue, Lu Shi no longer concerned himself with trivial matters, letting things take their course.

The two chatted for a while until Shaw finally dispersed the students. He walked over and invited them, "Shall we have a meal together?"

Lu Shi glanced in the direction of the school gates and noticed many students still waiting for him, their anxious demeanor resembling idol worshippers. He sighed, "Does the school have a cafeteria? I'm afraid I can't leave in this situation."

Shaw couldn't help but laugh. "No worries, we'll have a simple meal of bread and coffee at my place, and we can go out for a good dinner tonight."

The three walked towards the office building. Along the way, Shaw whispered to Lu Shi, "Professor Lu, what is your stance on women attending university?"

Hesitatingly, Lu Shi replied, "That's what I mentioned earlier. Those were my genuine thoughts."

Shaw nodded knowingly. Though Lu Shi didn't explicitly support women's rights, his inclination was evident from his expressed views.

Seeing Lu Shi's expression, Shaw sighed deeply. "That guy, even in his current state, he still wants to educate you on how to write novels. He's quite arrogant."

At their arrival at the teaching building, a person stood at the entrance. As Lu Shi approached, the person hurried over, saying, "Mr. Lu, I'm from The Scottish. The editor, Cooper, asked me to deliver this letter to you as soon as possible."

"A letter?" Lu Shi was surprised. In 1900, telegrams were commonly used for communication, and sending a letter was unusual unless the content exceeded the telegram's word limit.

Shaw suggested, "Is it from China? You should check."

Lu Shi received the letter. There was no writing on the envelope, not even a stamp. This indicated that the sender knew someone from The Scottish and either had it delivered by a person or brought it to London personally.

Lu Shi's curiosity deepened. He opened the envelope to find beautifully handwritten English:

My dear friend Lu Shi, greetings:

I am comforted to hear of your appreciation for my work, "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Though I wanted to drag my ailing body back to London to see you, it seems I may not have the chance now.

However, "absent in body, present in spirit," in my heart, you and I have long been kindred spirits.

Recently, I've been reading "And Then There Were None," and I am intrigued by its intricacies. Regrettably, there are only fourteen chapters at present, leaving me in great suspense.

Still, I must thank you. If not for the anticipation of the serial, I might have relinquished life already.

...

The following passages discussed how novels should be written, how they would develop in the future under the influence of aestheticism, and how France, more open and liberal than England, would become the birthplace of new literature.

The letter ended simply with two brief farewells:

Until we meet again.

P.S. Give my regards to Shaw. If possible, let him see my understanding of aestheticism.

Lu Shi stood there in shock. "What day is it today?"

Shaw and Chevlin exchanged glances. Chevlin cautiously replied, "It's the 4th."

December 4th.

Oscar Wilde, aged 46, passed away on November 30th, 1900, in the Alsace Hotel in Paris due to meningitis.

Lu Shi couldn't believe that a few casual remarks at the salon had led to a sincere friendship. He felt guilty, as only half of his claim to appreciate "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was true; the other half was to use Wilde as a shield against Dowell and Backwell's criticisms.

Shaw asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Shi handed him the letter. "Mr. Wilde wanted you to see this letter."

Upon hearing Wilde's name, Shaw was greatly surprised and instinctively took the letter.

Silence fell.

After some time, Shaw said, "That fellow, even in his condition, still wants to educate you on how to write novels. He's quite arrogant."

He then sighed deeply.

Seeing the reactions of the two, Chevlin guessed the contents of the letter and said, "What happened? When was this?"

Shaw looked at the date on the letter and replied, "It should be two or three days ago. The letter was written on December 1st."

Lu Shi was puzzled. "December 1st?" Shouldn't it be November 30th?

Lu Shi took back the letter, confirmed the date, and found that Shaw had indeed not deceived him.

Shaw didn't know what Lu Shi was thinking and tried to comfort him. "Professor Lu, although Mr. Wilde couldn't meet you, there's no need to blame yourself. As the letter says, he greatly admires your 'And Then There Were None,' and even said he held onto his last breath because of it. You should take comfort in that."

Lu Shi murmured to himself, "The butterfly effect may not necessarily lead to bad outcomes."

His mindset had undergone a slight change; he wanted to become more actively involved in this world and influence it positively.

Shaw was puzzled. "Professor Lu, what did you just say?"

Instead of answering, Lu Shi turned to the employee from The Scottish and said, "Next Wednesday... um... tomorrow, is the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of 'And Then There Were None' and the conclusion, right?"

The employee nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

Lu Shi said, "Could you help me make a slight modification to the content?"

The employee looked hesitant. "At this point, it might be difficult. As you know, to ensure the printing quality of the supplement, Editor Cooper asked us to finish typesetting by Monday. The printing presses have been working at full capacity for quite some time now."

Two months ago, The Scottish's requirements for the printing quality of the novel supplement weren't high. However, with the appearance of "And Then There Were None," the newspaper's sales had been steadily increasing, so Cooper naturally gave priority to the cash cow. The typesetting for the novel supplement was done two days earlier, thanks in part to Lu Shi's ability to submit his manuscripts early.

After some thought, Lu Shi said, "I only want to add two sentences at the beginning of the conclusion. If Editor Cooper is willing, my next novel will also be serialized in The Scottish."

The employee's eyes lit up. "Mr. Lu, I can't promise anything, but I can promise to relay your message."