In the end, Lu Shi made up his mind to write a script.
He had already written "And Then There Were None," which earned him a hefty sum in royalties. With "Guns, Germs, and Steel," he expanded his influence in academic circles. Then, with his two poems "A Generation" and "The Answer," he stirred up the entire European cultural sphere. With these moves, he gained both fame and fortune.
So, it was difficult for Lu Shi to continue to remain idle.
Evidence of this was Gu Hongming's recent visit, followed by Churchill's arrival, attracted by his reputation.
Similar incidents would likely occur more frequently in the future.
Since that was the case, Lu Shi decided to actively participate in the tumultuous world of 1900.
The future trend of Britain was for the Liberal Party to rise while the Conservative Party's survival space was continually squeezed. This trend would culminate in 1906 when the Liberal Party leader Henry Campbell-Bannerman formed a government, reaching its peak.
(Of course, this wasn't the actual peak; there were still World War I and World War II to come.)
Therefore, Lu Shi didn't mind helping Shaw. He decided to create a satirical comedy— "Yes, Prime Minister"—for Wardhouse.
As the saying goes, "Half the world is governed by British dramas." This script focused on British politics, particularly the relationship between politicians and civil servants, making it well-suited to the British context. Its episodic nature also made it easy to adapt into a play.
However, "Yes, Prime Minister" premiered in January 1986, so its content couldn't be copied directly. Lu Shi would have to make gradual modifications.
On the other hand, Shaw was also actively making arrangements.
He was remarkably efficient, quickly arranging a meeting with Wardhouse.
Two days later.
Lu Shi went to a café overlooking Westminster Palace across the river.
Westminster Palace was one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Looking across the Thames, one could even see Big Ben, a picturesque scene.
Lu Shi ordered two cups of coffee and waited in the private room.
Before long, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Lu Shi said.
The door immediately swung open.
A young British man walked in, introducing himself, "Mr. Lu, hello, I'm Winston Churchill, the Member of Parliament for Oldham."
As he spoke, Churchill reached up to take off his hat, only to realize he wasn't wearing one.
His movements froze momentarily.
"Forgot it again," he muttered.
It seemed he had left his hat in the office.
Lu Shi was surprised.
"Mr. Churchill, I thought I was meeting Lord Kimberley today."
Churchill didn't follow up and instead asked, "By the way, Mr. Lu, it seems you know me?"
Lu Shi replied, "Of course. Recently, you've been making headlines in The Manchester Guardian every day, criticizing the Conservative Party's protectionist policies and staunchly opposing the government's military expansion plan. How could I not know?"
Churchill couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"If only I had known, I wouldn't have bothered with those useless thoughts."
Churchill had managed to persuade Wardhouse to arrange this meeting with Lu Shi, but he hadn't informed Lu Shi beforehand, fearing that Lu Shi might not have heard of him, leading to misunderstandings.
To his surprise, Lu Shi was a modern man who might not have much impression of Lord Kimberley, but Churchill's photo had surely appeared in textbooks.
Lu Shi glanced at Churchill's belly and couldn't help but sigh.
Time was truly ruthless. Even the most handsome men might end up as portly old men.
Churchill took a seat opposite Lu Shi and said, "Yesterday, Sir Wardhouse mentioned your plans to me, and I was quite curious, so I wanted to meet you in person."
Lu Shi asked, "Isn't Lord Kimberley coming himself?"
Churchill smiled.
"He has other matters to attend to."
Wardhouse was curious about the opinion poll, but only to a certain extent. So when Churchill took the initiative to meet Lu Shi, Wardhouse saw an opportunity to gain favor with Churchill.
The purpose was straightforward—to curry favor with Churchill.
Lu Shi could guess this much and didn't press further.
He asked, "Mr. Churchill, in what capacity are you here?"
Churchill looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
Lu Shi gestured towards Westminster Palace.
Everything was understood without needing to be said.
Churchill was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. "I had heard Sir Wardhouse speak highly of Mr. Lu's intelligence and talent before, but I underestimated it."
This was a subtle form of praise.
In fact, Churchill had developed a favorable impression of Lu Shi after reading "And Then There Were None" and "Guns, Germs, and Steel." He believed that Lu Shi had a keen sensitivity to the bickering between the two parties in Britain. But how much insight could a Chinese man from a feudal imperial system really have?
Churchill wasn't sure until he met Lu Shi.
Now, he had a clear understanding.
"Mr. Lu, rest assured, my status as a Member of Parliament..." Churchill sighed deeply.
Lu Shi understood the reason.
Because Churchill disagreed with the Conservative Party's protectionist tariffs, he called himself an "independent Conservative," which was tantamount to open rebellion. It was no wonder he would soon be stripped of his parliamentary status.
Lu Shi said, "It's understandable. Perhaps not long from now, Mr. Churchill will transform into a Liberal."
Churchill blinked his eyes.
"Mr. Lu jests."
A chameleon was never well-regarded.
Churchill was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, but he joined the Liberal Party in 1905. In 1906, when the Liberal Party formed a government, the thirty-year-old Churchill rose rapidly, appointed as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and played a crucial role in securing self-governance for South Africa, further solidifying his position within the Liberal Party.
From this experience, Churchill could be suspected of political opportunism.
(Interestingly, Churchill later aligned himself with the Conservative Party.)
Lushi didn't want to dwell on these matters anymore.
He redirected the conversation, "Mr. Churchill, why are you interested in opinion polls?"
Churchill smiled, "In my view, Mr. Lu's proposal for opinion polls is a form of social investigation to understand public opinion trends. As a politician, I naturally hope to have a tool that accurately reflects the public's attitudes toward certain social issues."
This answer was quite orthodox.
Combined with Churchill's upright attitude and standard London accent, it was indeed very convincing.
But Lushi knew in his heart that you couldn't trust a politician's words, or you might end up being deceived and still counting someone else's money.
Lushi asked, "Mr. Churchill, are you prepared to contribute financially?"
Churchill shrugged, "No, no, of course not me. Mr. Lu, haven't you forgotten? I'm here on behalf of Lord Waldhaus."
With that, Churchill subtly blinked,
"As for funding, whether it's Lord Waldhaus's personal act, his role as the honorary president of the London University League, or his status as a member of the Liberal Party, I, as a mere messenger, dare not draw conclusions."
Churchill had just admitted his curiosity about opinion polls, but now he called himself a "messenger," with a significant change in tone.
In his heart, Lushi thought:
Crafty and cunning!
No, wait, Churchill is only 27 now, so he's more of a young schemer.
Lushi thought to himself:
Young and cunning!