Wednesday,
Lu Shi got up early and cut his queue by himself outside.
Across from him, Natsume Soseki was helping hold the mirror.
Because the goal given by the Japanese Ministry of Education was something as vague as "researching English," Natsume Soseki himself couldn't figure out exactly what to do, so there were very few classes, mostly relying on reading and self-study, which made him even more leisurely compared to Lu Shi.
Natsume Soseki asked, "Why don't you go to a barber?"
Lu Shi replied, "I used to keep the 'Qing Dynasty traditional hairstyle.' My forehead is almost shaved, and there are only a few hairs left. What's the point of going to a barber? A barber can't make me grow hair. Besides, the chairs in the barbershop... tsk..."
In the dark ages of Europe, there was a stark contrast between internists and surgeons:
Internists were highly respected, serving in the papal and royal courts;
Surgeons, on the other hand, didn't even have the opportunity for a university position.
This directly led to doctors not wanting to get their hands dirty.
As a result, the burden of bloodletting therapy fell on the barbers, and the barber chair also doubled as an operating table.
Unfortunately, Europe valued tradition, believing that "the older, the better." A barber chair could be used for three or four hundred years without much fuss. Over such a long period, it's likely that it would have absorbed the blood of various patients.
Even if Lu Shi didn't have OCD, he couldn't tolerate it.
He handed the scissors to Natsume Soseki.
"Help me trim it. If you mess up, it's on me."
Natsume Soseki took the scissors. He thought this task was of great responsibility, but he found that there was really nothing worth working on with the "Qing Dynasty traditional hairstyle," so he relaxed.
As he trimmed, he asked, "Have you heard about Sherlock Holmes?"
How could Lu Shi not know?
When The Times released the news, the entire streets of Britain seemed to have experienced a major earthquake, and over 300 revelers were detained in Scotland Yard in one day.
Natsume Soseki looked around and lowered his voice, "Moreover, The Strand Magazine also leaked the news, saying they were going to adjust the publication time to every Wednesday, which happens to clash with your 'No Man Returns.'"
This was obviously not a coincidence.
Anyone who wasn't a fool could figure out the reason.
Lu Shi grunted.
"I didn't expect... "
He thought the butterfly effect wouldn't come so quickly.
Just as Natsume Soseki was pondering what Lu Shi hadn't expected, a voice suddenly came from nearby: "Mr. Lu, Mr. Natsume!"
The two turned around and saw Cooper, the editor-in-chief of The Scotsman, running towards them.
He nodded and then said, "Mr. Lu, there may be a change in the interview."
Lu Shi was surprised and asked, "Isn't it supposed to be an interview with The Manchester Guardian? Why didn't Mr. Scott come?"
Cooper sighed.
"Barker that old bastard... Ah, George Earle Barker is the editor-in-chief of The Times. I don't know where he heard that you were going to be interviewed and insisted on meddling, wanting to turn it into a salon format. By the way, do you know what a salon is?"
Lu Shi nodded.
"Tea party."
This sentence almost choked Cooper.
He struggled to regain his composure and said, "That's roughly the idea. Anyway, Barker doesn't know where his madness came from. He's teamed up with many newspapers and magazines to come over."
Lu Shi pondered for a moment and then smiled.
"Does he know that Lu is Chinese?"
Cooper's eyes flickered.
During the time they had been in contact, Lu Shi's intelligence had left a deep impression on him.
However, being intelligent alone wasn't enough to stand out, especially in London, the center of world politics and economy, where the world's elite gathered. Intelligence was not enough to make a person outstanding.
What really surprised people was Lu Shi's keenness.
This young student from the East was on par with those old foxes in Westminster Palace. He could see through the connections between things at a glance.
Cooper said, "That's right."
Lu Shi thought for a moment and continued, "Will Dr. Doyle attend?"
Cooper's admiration in his eyes grew.
"Bingo! If it were just one newspaper, Scott could still refuse. But The Times has already made a scene, saying that Dr. Doyle is returning with great prestige, and the rising young writer Lu is soaring, and the collision of the creative ideas of both sides... Hmph... meh!"
Cooper spat.
He enjoyed watching the excitement, not to mention that it might not just be excitement; it might also be able to ride the wave of traffic. It's no wonder that the newspapers on Fleet Street were collectively trying to force Scott out.
The pressure on Scott was imaginable.
Cooper sighed.
"It's a dilemma now..."
Lu Shi sneered inwardly.
You liberal folks know how to use a Chinese identity, but don't the conservative ones?
Don't forget, The Times is the strongest media force in London, and its enduring strength has reasons behind it.
Lushi knowingly asked, "So why is it so difficult now?"
Ku Po showed a difficult expression, which was quite exaggerated, with a significant element of performance.
But Lushi didn't expose it, just waited quietly.
Finally, Ku Po gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Lu, at this point, I'll tell you the truth. The Times wants you to participate in the salon, most likely to make you look bad, just like a clown in a circus for people's entertainment."
Lushi didn't say anything, waiting for the other to continue.
Ku Po continued, "But if you don't participate in the salon, then what will happen?"
What other result could there be?
Doyle has already thrown down the gauntlet to Lu, but Lu chose to play dead.
This is a victory without fighting!
In the public opinion, "No One Survived" will definitely become a stepping stone for "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Even if the quality is high, the final sales will definitely be affected.
Ku Po shrugged,
"So that's why I said it's difficult to make a decision."
Lushi waved his hand,
"It's okay, as long as I don't make a fool of myself."
Ku Po didn't understand the meaning of this sentence at first,
"Then you..."
Suddenly, he froze on the spot, his face full of surprise, and asked, "Wait a minute! If I didn't misunderstand, did you mean to participate in the salon?"
Lushi smiled and nodded,
"It's just a small matter. After all, my acquaintance with Dr. Doyle and Summerwood is because of literary criticism."
Next to him, Soseki Natsume echoed, "That's right. Lu once guided me in completing assignments and pointed out many unreasonable parts in 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes', such as in 'The Speckled Band', a snake would suffocate to death in an airtight safe; in 'The Yellow Face', a black man and a white man gave birth to a child even blacker than the black father, which is also absurd; in 'Silver Blaze', there are many descriptions that do not comply with the official rules of horse racing..."
These were Lushi's words, which Soseki Natsume directly used.
Ku Po was stunned,
"You... I... I need some time alone."
He took a deep breath and asked, "Mr. Lu, are you sure?"
Lushi said, "Since it's already difficult to make a decision, why not face it head-on, right?"
After all, it's not difficult to deal with a tiger; a slide tackle is enough.
Ku Po gritted his teeth, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
Finally, he made up his mind, "You're right. That's settled then! I'll go back to Fleet Street now and prepare for tomorrow's salon and interview."
Without stopping, he said goodbye to the remaining two and left in the carriage.
Watching the smoke gradually dissipate from the departing carriage, Soseki Natsume asked Lushi, "Lu, are you sure about this?"
Lushi casually said, "What's there to be sure about? The key is that the news has a punch. For example, tomorrow's salon, in your Japanese headlines, should be 'Men's Heroism! Grand Showdown between Mystery Novelists!' Right? More exciting!"
Soseki Natsume was confused: ???
Why is Lushi so skilled at this!