I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 135 The Father of Science Fiction
Without a doubt, Mikhail had a great appetite, but he certainly had his own preferences. There were some dishes he still couldn't stomach, just like the great fable writer Krylov, whose favorite dish was roast suckling pig with sour cream.

The dinners at Prince Odoevsky's house, frankly, did not suit Mikhail's taste, or rather, they did not suit most people's tastes, simply because Prince Odoevsky was a man who wanted to be different in everything. In addition to writing science fiction, he even used so-called scientific methods to cook.

For example, when stewing a hen, elderberry or chamomile must be used at the beginning, and the seasoning sauce must be distilled in a swivel flask. The mixed ingredients are often unheard of.

Mikhail hadn't thought of this before he came, but when he arrived without having eaten dinner and put food in his mouth, he finally remembered it. But it was too late to say anything then.

So Mikhail could only try to pick out some suitable things to eat from these things, but despite this, the host, Prince Odoevsky, seemed very moved, and the others at the banquet couldn't help but cast surprised glances at him.

As for Belinsky, he was already dizzy from the fact that Mikhail's novel was so popular in Paris, and now seeing this, Belinsky immediately said to those around him:

"To please the host of the banquet, Mikhail was even able to eat some of the food. How kind he was! And being able to eat such things also shows how strong Mikhail's will was. With such a will, he could succeed in anything."

Mikhail noticed these words and the looks from others, but he remained silent and continued eating quietly.

The days when even black bread was unaffordable are still vivid in his mind, and Mikhail's main message is to never forget his roots.

After a few rounds of drinks, the group didn't immediately go home after the meal. Instead, some chatted, some smoked, and some played cards. Since the meal wasn't very enjoyable, Mikhail had little interest in these activities and was more interested in having a nice meal later.

But whether it was due to some kind of custom or not, the owners of various magazines got together for another card game, and while playing, they exchanged some things.

After arranging the game, they naturally looked at Mikhail, who, out of a sense of responsibility as the boss, could only sit down in the seat that seemed to have been reserved for him.

Frankly speaking, although some people mistakenly believe that Mikhail plays cards every day, the truth is that Mikhail has played cards with people other than Belinsky and his group very few times. So much so that even though Krajevsky and the other magazine owners had heard the rumors that Mikhail was very good at playing cards, at this moment, they still showed a hint of contempt in their eyes.

Strictly speaking, the upper class has very few pastimes. Playing cards is the most popular form of entertainment. And all of them are at least forty years old. Mikhail, a college student who has not yet graduated, looks as green as a green recruit sitting among them.

“Come on, Mr. Mikhail Romanovich.”

An older publisher quipped with a hint of arrogance, “Don’t worry, the poker table is always forgiving of young people, and even if you lose a lot, I’m sure that with the current earning power of ‘Modern Man,’ it can help you cover this hole no matter what.”

Many people were naturally unhappy that Mikhail could sit on equal footing with them at such a young age. After all, he could reach this position in just one year, so what did our hard work of half a lifetime amount to?
It's not easy to seize a suitable opportunity, so let this young man realize his own limitations.

Faced with such words, Mikhail humbly replied, "Not at all, I still need your continued support."

After saying that, Mikhail stopped talking and started drawing cards with everyone else.

In a game like this, Mikhail and Krajevsky naturally had a lot of people standing behind them, and from their reactions, one could roughly tell the situation on the field.

As round after round went by, the editors and authors closely associated with "Modern Man" became noticeably rosier, spoke with greater vigor, and seemed to have completely forgotten about the situation at the card table, instead laughing and joking loudly.

In contrast, some editors and authors felt increasingly ashamed, and while remaining silent, some couldn't help but find other things to do.

As for Krajevsky, this literary authority seemed to be sweating more and more, sometimes even glancing back at the people behind him, and beginning to wonder if his ranks were impure, to the point that someone dared to tip off Mikhail.
During this process, Mikhail repeatedly tried to end the fight and give his place to someone else present, but he was often met with opposition and condemnation from the men on the field.
"No! How could you do this? Are you scared?"

“That’s where you’re wrong. I feel my luck is about to change, and this hand of cards in my hand is proof of that.”

"Let's play a little longer! I don't know why, but I'm starting to feel like I was when I was young again!"

Mikhail, who was pushed back into his seat: "?"

And so, Mikhail got up and sat down several times, and when he finally got up for the last time, no one wanted to stop him anymore.

At this point, Mikhail appeared perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened, but the authors and editors behind him couldn't help but gather around him and talk for quite a while.

In fact, age and seniority certainly symbolize authority in a certain sense and can make people more convincing.

Therefore, serving an overly young writer often seems to be a less than honorable thing.

But today, one thing is clear: it really brings prestige to be associated with Modern People magazine!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Dostoevsky, who witnessed the entire process, felt for a moment that he couldn't breathe.

To be honest, the young Dostoevsky was quite nervous about this occasion before finally deciding to come.

As a rising literary star, he had actually visited Prince Odoevsky's house many times. What made him truly uneasy was his rather good relationship with Valerian, the new critic of "Chronicle of the Fatherland," who was also Belinsky's challenger.

The relationship began when the critic gave Dostoevsky's novel "The Double," which had been criticized by Belinsky, full affirmation and encouragement. Over time, the two became good friends.

However, as the undercurrent of competition between "Modern Man" and "Chronicle of the Fatherland" seems to be becoming more and more obvious, the two sides have inevitably formed certain camps.

Therefore, among those associated with "The Modern Man," some were indeed dissatisfied with his frequent interactions with critics of "Chronicles of the Fatherland."

The young Dostoevsky might not have cared much about the opinions of others, but Mikhail's attitude towards them was undoubtedly very important to him.

This issue has been troubling Dostoevsky for quite some time, as Mikhail has not made many public appearances recently.

But after tonight, everything will become clear!
Mikhail's magnanimous heart can even tolerate his competitors! Or perhaps he's so far ahead that he no longer cares about such trivial matters.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Old Turk couldn't help but confide in Mikhail:

"Dear Mikhail, I want to learn how to play cards from you!"

“There’s nothing to learn, Fyodor.”

Mikhail's lips twitched. He really hadn't expected Dostoevsky to suddenly say something like that. Mikhail continued, "Moreover, this can easily lead to financial hardship, even causing people to incur huge debts and have to hide from creditors, or even rely on intensive writing to repay their debts."

"But why are your pockets so bulging?"

"I do not know either."

Mikhail, who was somewhat stumped by the question, paused for a moment before continuing, "Maybe someone slipped it into my pocket when I wasn't looking."

Krajevsky and the others, their faces grim, stood not far away: "?"

Young man, this is not funny.

After chatting with Lao Tuo about the dangers of this, the banquet was basically coming to an end.

However, before officially leaving, Prince Odoevsky took the initiative to approach Mikhail and chat with him. Perhaps because of what happened during the meal, Prince Odoevsky's goodwill towards Mikhail had increased.

Mikhail didn't mind chatting with the duke a little longer, after all, what the duke was doing now and what he was going to do next was truly admirable.

Around the late 40s, this prince rarely wrote literary works anymore, turning his attention instead to education, culture, and science popularization. He was the organizer and leader of the first children's nurseries in Russia, and personally drafted the "Charter of Children's Nurseries." He actively developed rural national education, improved school teaching, and compiled easy-to-understand textbooks for various subjects.
The duke believed that helping others was everyone's primary and sacred duty. He said, "A good person's life is about doing good for others."

Therefore, he devoted much of his time and energy to social activities and charitable causes, such as founding the Maximilian Hospital in St. Petersburg, providing cheap and free housing for the poor, building schools, orphanages and children's shelters, and establishing needlework workshops for women. He even went to Moscow University to understand the difficulties faced by university students, and upon learning who had not yet paid their tuition, he secretly paid it for them himself.

It can be said that what he did using his position was the best that a nobleman of this era who wanted to make a difference could achieve.

Mikhail may also be heading in this direction, but his focus will certainly be quite different from that of the Duke.

One might operate within established rules, while the other might be less conventional.

But in any case, associating with such a person is undoubtedly to Mikhail's liking.

Of course, when faced with a suggestion from Prince Odoevsky, he would say: "I have noticed that you seem to really enjoy the unusual dishes I have developed. Please come visit me more often; I have many similar dishes here."

Mikhail eventually gave an awkward laugh and waved his hand.

Duke, this is not good food.
After ending his conversation with the still-enthusiastic Duke, Mikhail was indeed preparing to go back for a late-night snack. Seeing that he was about to leave, the writers who had been talking to others quickly stopped and came over to offer to see Mikhail off.

Mikhail naturally waved his hand in response, thanked these people for their kindness, and then left with his friends who were going the same way.

Behind him, countless eyes followed his figure closely until he completely disappeared from sight.

On the way back, Mikhail not only discussed the next issue of "The Contemporary" with Belinsky and the others, but also brought up the matter of sending Belinsky abroad for medical treatment again.

Despite having already agreed, Belinsky seemed reluctant to give up his work when the time came.

Seeing this, Mikhail spoke up appropriately, saying, "Go ahead and do your best in Vesalion. Besides, I have another favor to ask of you. After the novel is published in Paris, if possible, I'd like to serialize another science fiction story in a Parisian newspaper or other publication. I might need you to take it with me then. Of course, I might need to find a publisher or something."

"Let me do it, Mikhail!"

Thinking of the treatment he had received in Paris and the surprised look on the face of the singer Victorie, Turgenev, having tasted success, immediately jumped out to take over the matter: "I have basically figured out the situation in the Parisian publishing industry. If I were to handle it, we should have a result soon. However, as far as I know, it is extremely difficult to serialize a novel in Paris."

"Science fiction?"

Belinsky's focus differed from Turgenev's. He immediately noticed the unfamiliar term and, somewhat surprised, continued, "Mikhail, what does science fiction mean? Do you perhaps want to create a completely new genre of novel?"

"It's not entirely new, but so far, there doesn't seem to be a clear definition."

After thinking for a moment, and realizing that the term "science fiction" did not seem to have entered the public eye, Mikhail smiled and said, "If there is an opportunity, I will bring it up."

Upon hearing Mikhail's words, although most of the people present didn't pay much attention to the new term Mikhail used, Belinsky still remembered this ordinary day when he first heard Mikhail mention the word.

Perhaps this day will become very important in the future?

(End of this chapter)