I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 133 New Science Fiction Novels and User Acquisition

Although Mikhail was just an ordinary college student, once he reached a certain position, he naturally had to shoulder the responsibility hidden behind that honor. So, while adapting to the process, Mikhail also made progress through continuous learning and practice.

At least I'm not so flustered when facing big occasions anymore, and even my eloquence is getting better and better. I'm becoming more and more able to accurately convey my meaning and stir up other people's emotions. As for various political and philosophical ideas, I'm doing quite well, and I'm still working on it.

In short, prestige is one thing, but a person still needs to have real skills.

Therefore, facing dozens of eyes, Mikhail remained calm and even smiled and nodded to the crowd.

Seeing Mikhail's behavior, many people present realized that they had been somewhat impolite, and immediately responded politely.

The ladies and gentlemen in the salon were rather reserved, only nodding slightly. As for the writers in the study, they all seemed quite excited, as if they really wanted to have a conversation with Mikhail.

However, before that, the host of the banquet, Prince Odoevsky, walked over to Mikhail.

Undoubtedly, Prince Odoevsky was quite well-known in high society, but compared to other members of high society, he treated every writer and scholar with sincerity and warmth, and extended a hand of friendship to all newcomers to the literary world, regardless of their status or identity.

He was so passionate about literature that he didn't care about the ridicule and sarcasm from his friends in high society.

However, he often mistook those vulgar, charlatan types for scholars, trusting and elevating them, and running errands for them. But when these people later revealed their ingratitude and incompetence, he would sadly shake his head and say, "Alas, what can I do? I misjudged them."

But it won't be long before he makes the same mistake again.

Even though this man currently holds a much higher position than Mikhail in both official and literary circles, when he approached Mikhail, he still took the lead in shaking Mikhail's hand and said warmly, "Mr. Mikhail Romanovich, I have heard your name from so many people, and I have been reading your works since the publication of 'Vanka.' If I may be so bold, all your works to date are masterpieces!"
Therefore, I was not at all surprised when I heard from Turgenev that your works were warmly received in Paris. But why do you never visit our home? If you don't come soon, I will definitely go to your house to invite you in person.”

Turgenev, you rascal, did you just blurt out what you wrote in your letter?
Would anyone actually believe that?
These thoughts flashed through Mikhail's mind, but he still had to exchange pleasantries with the duke for a while.

"I've been wanting to come for a while, but I was delayed by some things."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then inevitably started talking about literature.

This duke was indeed passionate about literature, and he is now recognized as a master of fantasy romance novels in Russia. Among his works, "4388," published in 1835, is a particularly interesting novel, mainly because it is a rare science fiction novel of this century, and it also features Chinese characters.

First of all, since he was Russian, his novels are naturally centered on Russia. Based on this, the science fiction novel can be roughly summarized as follows: in 4388, the year before the comet Bira struck the earth, the whole world was plunged into fear.

By this time, the wild and untamed American continent had fallen, and the fleeting brilliance of American civilization was no longer worth mentioning. Europe, ravaged by natural disasters and man-made calamities, had become a haven for a declining society. The only civilizations that remained standing in the world were the great Russian Empire and China.

After experiencing the terrible Great Depression and Great Stagnation, in the 39th century, China finally returned to the center of the world stage.

Finally, Russia and China, together with other countries and peoples, jointly resisted the comet impact and averted the disaster.

At the same time, the novel also introduces science fiction concepts such as "magnetic showers to remove hypocrisy," "pills that speak the truth," and "potions that produce hallucinations."

Incidentally, the author also showcased his political commentary skills, as seen in the portrayal of upper-class socialites in the book who, instead of eliminating hypocrisy, choose illusion:

"After a period of revelry, people often choose to forget. They forget the stupid things they said, the secrets others shared, and all the embarrassing moments when they became the target of criticism. Then they move on to the vacuum of social interaction, enjoying romance and friendship, fine wine and music."

Speaking of this, Mikhail also plans to serialize a science fiction novel, but not in Russia, but in France.

Relatively speaking, in this day and age, the countries that can make the most money writing novels are undoubtedly Britain and France. If all goes well, Mikhail could probably afford a large villa in old France, and who knows, he might even be able to do other things.

While Mikhail was chatting with Prince Odoevsky, some of the writers who had been looking at Mikhail turned their attention away and began to discuss how Mikhail would behave when he passed by those gentlemen of high society.

According to the layout of the Odoevsky family's house, if you wanted to go to the study, you would indeed have to pass through the salon first, and pass by those gentlemen of high society and literary authorities.

For many of the literary figures present, the process of passing through the salon and arriving at the study was like torture. They would often bow nervously to the hostess, feeling inexplicably trembling and shrinking back, and then, accompanied by various unpleasant gazes and smiles, they would hold their breath and hurriedly walk towards the study.

Because some of the literary figures present had never met Mikhail, and because they were members of the *Chronicle of the Fatherland* and accepted Krajevsky's view of *The Contemporary* as an enemy, even after hearing Turgenev's story, some of them still shook their heads and said:

"To be honest, he's not much better than any ordinary newcomer. I hope he can speak as fluently as possible, without stumbling over his words, so that those gentlemen of high society will pay even more attention to our literary circles in St. Petersburg! Of course, if he really does that, I believe Mr. Krajevsky will certainly lend him a helping hand. Mr. Krajevsky is sitting with those gentlemen of high society now, and he has deep connections with many people. He will definitely be able to help him maintain his composure."

Without a doubt, given that the senior foreigner Jakraevsky had to go to great lengths to squeeze into the circle of Prince Odoevsky when he first arrived in St. Petersburg, he is certainly a literary authority in the cultural world today.

Therefore, the editors and many authors currently working under "Chronicles of the Motherland" still have full confidence in the magazine. So, the person who said these words also glanced provocatively at the editors and authors gathered under "Modern People".

It seems to be trying to show that compared to "Modern Man", "Chronicles of the Motherland" is truly the safest option.

Meanwhile, Krajevsky, who was in the salon, seemed to have also considered this possibility. He immediately adjusted his posture and became more serious, preparing to look down at Mikhail and then casually reply to his greeting.

As the people present had differing opinions, Mikhail finished his conversation with Prince Odoevsky. After chatting with Mikhail for a while, the prince seemed to value the young man even more and immediately said, "Then Mikhail, how about I introduce you to those gentlemen? They have always been very interested in your poetry, and after listening to Turgenev's story, they are probably quite interested in you as a person."

Normally, this would be something any young writer in St. Petersburg would eagerly anticipate, and Prince Odoevsky had expected Mikhail to be pleasantly surprised. However, Mikhail shook his head and said:
"Thank you for your kindness, but let's talk about it later. You see, my friends are all itching to come and talk to me about something."

This is certainly true. At this moment, after hearing Turgenev's stories, Belinsky, Nekrasov, and Dostoevsky were so excited that their faces turned red, and they looked like they wanted to rush over and lift Mikhail up high right now.

And so, with the consent of Prince Odoevsky, Mikhail walked toward his friends, much to his surprise.

Krajevsky then saw Mikhail walk past them with an easy expression, pausing briefly to nod to the hostess and the other gentlemen before heading straight for the writers.

Normally, gentlemen in high society wouldn't linger too long on a writer, but this time, their gazes weren't unpleasant at all; instead, they followed the young writer closely, watching him being surrounded by other writers who seemed to have just woken up from a dream as he sat down, and watching him greet everyone. When he opened his mouth to speak, some people couldn't help but prick up their ears.

After Mikhail reached Belinsky and his group, before he could even ask anything, he overheard Turgenev telling another story from those around him. Although Mikhail's lips twitched as he listened, when someone asked:

"Mr. Mikhail, why did you decide to write a novel in French? You know, French writers would be extremely critical of your work. Are you just trying it out?"

"Not really."

Upon hearing this question, Mikhail did not seem surprised by the news. Instead, he honestly replied, "Before submitting it, I was already certain that this story would be published in a Parisian magazine, and if nothing unexpected happens, I think it might become a classic short story in French literature and be passed down through generations."

For Mikhail, these words were certainly not false, but to others they sounded like…
Most people present: "!!!"

Krajewsky and the editors and writers of "Chronicles of the Fatherland": "???"

As for Turgenev, he gasped in shock and stared at Mikhail, whose expression and tone were utterly ordinary, as if he had seen a ghost.

Without a doubt, Mikhail's expression and tone were so ordinary that it was as if he were saying that the weather was nice and it was time to eat, but what did he say?
He hasn't even submitted the novel yet, and he's already convinced it will become a classic in France and be passed down through generations?!

It can be said that this one sentence alone made all of Turgenev's boasts pale in comparison, while Mikhail didn't even bother to boast.

what is this?
For a fleeting moment, Turgenev felt as if he could already see the end of this road.
Although Mikhail's words were exaggerated, they were spoken in such an ordinary yet certain manner, and coupled with the stories Turgenev had just told, none of the people surrounding Mikhail questioned his statement. On the contrary, they became even more excited and flushed because of this ordinary sentence, and each of them looked as if they were proud of it.

It was as if, without realizing it, we had already been bathed in Mikhail's radiance.
Just then, Mikhail also noticed another group of writers standing on the other side, who were clearly distinct from them. When these people felt Mikhail's gaze, although they wanted to put on an arrogant expression, they could only turn their heads to the side and try their best not to look at Mikhail.

However, after learning from those around him that these people were among the more hardline supporters of "Chronicles of the Fatherland," Mikhail smiled, then took the initiative to greet them, extending his hand and saying:
"Nice to meet you, I am Mikhail Romanovich Raskolnikov. Welcome to submit your work to 'The Contemporary'. Without a doubt, with the joint efforts of everyone, 'The Contemporary' will become the most important magazine in the history of Russian literature."

Of course, that's the truth; Mikhail doesn't lie much. But from a practical standpoint, Mikhail will inevitably have to do some work occasionally, acting as a mascot, like promoting new faces for the magazine.

Mikhail's thoughts were simple, but his words were like a bolt from the blue to some.

But in the end, some people, seeing the smile on Mikhail's face and the hand he extended, couldn't resist and shook it too.

Krajevsky, who witnessed all of this: "???"

I only talked about digging up information from your "Modern Man" people in private, but what about you?
They're not even going to act anymore, and they're doing this right in front of me?!

(End of this chapter)