Chapter 13: Have the British Lost Their Confidence?

On the following day at noon, Cooper and Scott arrived punctually at Blythe Road.

They also brought formal wear for Lu Shi.

Due to time constraints, they couldn't have tailored suits made, so they used off-the-rack ones, which were more or less ill-fitting, especially around the shoulders, requiring some padding inside.

Lu Shi also wore a top hat to cover his smoothly bald head.

However, overall, the suits were much more spirited than overcoats or the like.

The three of them boarded a carriage together.

Scott apologized somewhat, saying, "Mr. Lu, although today is referred to as a salon, the venue is arranged at The Times headquarters. So, you must be cautious; those journalists and editors can be ruthless."

The term "salon" originates from the Italian word "Salotto," which is a translation of the French word "Le Salon," originally referring to the luxurious drawing rooms in the residences of French upper-class individuals.

The drawing room was a private domain, and it was precisely because of this privacy that like-minded individuals could gather, sipping beverages, enjoying elegant music, and speaking freely, unrestrained.

Today's salon was arranged at The Times headquarters, indicating that the conservatives had ulterior motives.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Fleet Street and stopped at the entrance of The Times headquarters.

An office worker led them into the editor-in-chief's office.

Since the initial publisher and editor of The Times were the same person - John Walter, the editor-in-chief's office was equivalent to the general manager's office, with an outrageously large area, serving multiple functions such as office work, meetings, and leisure, all in luxurious style.

The two windows on the east side of the room were even floor-to-ceiling, ensuring that every corner was bathed in bright sunlight.

The room was already crowded.

In addition to editors and journalists from various Fleet Street newspapers, there was also the familiar figure of Arthur Conan Doyle, who was currently chatting quietly with the editor-in-chief of The Times, Barker.

Lu Shi's appearance attracted everyone's attention.

They whispered to each other,

"How come there's an Asian here?"

"You see, he came with Cooper and Scott, the conjoined twins. Could he be Lu?"

"No way! How could it be!?"

"Damn it! Are they making a fool of us?"

...

The discussions grew louder and louder.

Cooper awkwardly touched his nose and whispered, "Because both Scott and I are named Charles, and because The Scottishman and The Manchester Guardian have similar political inclinations, some old stubborn folks would call us the conjoined twins."

He didn't avoid mentioning Lu Shi anymore, using terms like "political inclination" when necessary.

Lu Shi asked, "This is my first time attending such an event. What should I do?"

Cooper nodded towards the editor-in-chief's desk and said, "Wait for the host to preside."

After saying that, he and Scott led Lu Shi to sit nearby.

Before long, Barker stood up, cleared his throat, gestured for everyone to be quiet, and then said, "Today we have invited two friends. To be precise, one old friend and one new friend."

He pointed to Doyle beside him,

"I think this old friend doesn't need further introduction, right? I believe everyone here is eager to publish his works in their own newspapers and magazines."

Instantly, the room erupted into enthusiastic applause,

and even some cheering.

Doyle smiled broadly, waved to everyone, and said solemnly, "My new work, The Hound of the Baskervilles, will begin serialization next Wednesday. I hope everyone will be lenient in their criticisms and offer more encouragement."

A stone thrown into the water!

Everyone present eagerly crowded forward,

"Dr. Doyle, is The Hound of the Baskervilles a new work in the Sherlock Holmes series?"

"Is the rumor true? Have you decided to bring Sherlock Holmes back to life?"

"Please do accept our interviews."

...

Doyle was drowned out by the noise.

Barker coughed lightly, diverting attention back to himself, and said, "Next, I'll introduce our new friend."

With that, he walked behind the sofa where Lu Shi was sitting, and placed his hands on the back of the sofa.

Naturally, everyone's gaze was drawn over.

Barker said, "This person is the author of And Then There Were None, Lu, real name Lu Shi."

The atmosphere was completely different from when Doyle was introduced,

the room fell silent.

Lu Shi smiled and waved, saying, "Thank you, everyone."

Cooper and Scott nearly couldn't help but laugh on the side, thinking that Lu Shi was indeed audacious. Even without applause or any greetings, he could still say "thank you, everyone" in such circumstances, isn't it a blatant reminder?

Sure enough, some people caught on,

Applause - sparse and scattered - broke out.

Barker chuckled,

"I didn't expect Lu to be a Chinese student. But it seems quite reasonable; that pseudonym has a strong Chinese flavor."

Doyle also chimed in, "We can't blame Mr. Barker for this matter. The vivid writing and seasoned descriptions in And Then There Were None don't seem like the work of someone from a non-English-speaking country."

He looked at Lu Shi,

"I wonder, from which master did Mr. Lu learn?"

Lu Shi couldn't fail to understand the implied meaning,

Unfortunately, Doyle and Barker's wishful thinking was bound to fail,

He had already prepared the answer to this question long ago, saying, "I'm a big fan of Mr. Oscar Wilde's works, especially The Picture of Dorian Gray. I've read it repeatedly, at least ten times, and it's always fresh and thought-provoking."

Hearing Lu Shi mention Wilde, Doyle was quite speechless,

The first time they met, he boasted to Lu Shi about the experience of inviting Wilde to a dinner party, saying that dinner gave birth to two masterpieces, The Sign of Four and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Therefore, he certainly couldn't argue with Lu Shi on this issue now because a wrong move could easily backfire.

On the other hand, Barker was also quite speechless,

Wilde was one of Britain's greatest writers and artists, excelling in plays, poetry, fairy tales, and novels, all splendid,

But the problem was...

Wilde was a notorious homosexual!

(The term "homosexual" had not yet been coined at the time.)

Each conservative present would sooner or later refuse to give Wilde a positive evaluation.

In fact, it wasn't until the late 20th century, nearly a century after being vilified, that Britain finally erected a statue for Wilde, unveiled on November 30, 1998, near Trafalgar Square in London on Adelaide Street.

Barker could never say, "Mr. Lu, your choice of idol isn't quite right; how about choosing another? What do you think of Shakespeare?"

After all, he came from the Orient to study English literature,

That's just not something you can say!

As for those left-wing newspapers, they were originally on the same side as The Scottishman and The Manchester Guardian, so they wouldn't come out to spoil the scene.

The room was eerily quiet.

Lu Shi looked around, seeing the amused or constipated expressions on these Westerners' faces, couldn't help but feel emotional,

Thinking about the political correctness that seemed to have gone mad in modern Europe and America, and then looking at how the British people in the early 20th century treated Wilde with such taboo,

I can only say, this world changes too fast.

A slight curve formed at the corner of Lu's mouth,

"What's wrong with all of you? Mr. Wilde is a genius. It was his influence that made me decide to come to London for further studies. But why are you all... Why are you unwilling to acknowledge even your own country's great literary figure?"

As he spoke, he sighed,

"Have the British lost their confidence?"

For some reason, saying this sentence felt oddly satisfying.