I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 251 You Win, Russian! and the Chimney Sweeper

Before long, "A Study in Scarlet" had been serialized in London for several installments, and as time went by, it caused a great stir among the public and in the literary world.

Many people are reading this novel, discussing its plot with others, and can't help but stop reading when they see related reviews in newspapers. Some even actively submit their own content to newspapers and magazines.

The public's enthusiastic response is undoubtedly forcing newspapers and magazines to make certain compromises and concessions.

Some newspapers and magazines that initially held negative views have now gradually turned to praise, or at the very least remain neutral. After all, both the general public and many gentlemen in London like this story. In this situation, why should we go against the majority?
And so, today, when publisher Jasper picks up the magazines that first criticized Mikhail's work, he first sees a comment in *Temple of Athena*:

"...Among the many writers who depicted London street scenes, impoverished workers, and dissolute youths, there was one writer who, with rigorous logic and a peculiar interest in science, pioneered a completely new realm of the novel."

We may be witnessing the birth of a new genre: the 'detective novel'.

The subsequent *Literary Gazette* was even more explicit:

"The London literary scene has long been devoid of such a clear-headed and awe-inspiring work. Unlike typical social novels, this book does not seek sentimentality, but rather traces the roots of crime with an unprecedentedly calm style. The author seems to have received scientific training, turning every step of the investigation into a logical necessity—as precise as geometry, yet imbued with an almost religious solemnity."

……

This marked the beginning of a new literature.

Jasper: "."

You guys didn't comment like this before.
As one of the people who was once closest to the novel "A Study in Scarlet," Jasper now feels as if his heart is bleeding.

If I had known this Russian had so many tricks up his sleeve, I would have agreed to give him those benefits long ago!
But it's too late to say anything now. What's giving Jasper a bigger headache lately is the damage to his reputation in social circles. Because he has been reluctant to go swimming in the Thames, as long as Mikhail's novel is still being serialized in London, this will definitely become fodder for his enemies' gossip.

But it was clear that the Russian wasn't going to give up on the novel being serialized in London, so Jasper finally...
"Mr. Jasper, are you really going to swim in the Thames?"

As a partner in a publishing house, Jasper's friend should have complained that Jasper was short-sighted and missed out on a novel like "A Study in Scarlet," but today, he looks at Jasper with only admiration and sympathy.

"Yes, for the sake of my reputation. I've already found a notary, and today is the day I'll fulfill my promise."

Having run out of options, Jasper was suddenly filled with a sense of pride: "I've been framed by that Russian's despicable scheme, but there's nothing I can do about it. Does he think he can defeat me like this? No! Besides, there are probably very few gentlemen in all of London who have swum across the Thames."

Russians, you win!
Jasper's friend: "."

But I don't remember him ever even seeing you.
Jasper's friend ultimately didn't say those words aloud; he simply patted Jasper on the shoulder and then went to watch the commotion.

The day after this incident, Dickens, who had been following "A Study in Scarlet" closely, immediately searched for news about the novel after receiving the newspaper. To his surprise, he found that the novel's story had not occupied the most important page of the newspaper; instead, it had been overshadowed by another news article.

How could someone actually beat Mikhail in just a few days?
Dickens quickly read the article:

"Yesterday, a gentleman in London jumped into the River Thames and nearly drowned, but was fortunately rescued."

Dickens: "?"

Could this gentleman perhaps have some strange quirk?
Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Dickens felt nauseous just thinking about it, so he quickly started looking at other news articles.

Strictly speaking, Dickens was not willing to pay too much attention to the success of others, which often made his mentality somewhat unbalanced, but even so, Dickens would still unconsciously pay attention.

Then a piece of malicious news made Dickens feel annoyed:
"Mr. Dickens is getting old! A new genius is about to take his place! Perhaps Mr. Dickens' only advantage is that he is English."

Although such news was clearly sensationalist and malicious, Dickens was still somewhat annoyed by such hurtful remarks.

Normally, in the British literary world, when faced with a newcomer who might challenge one's position, one would at least make a few sarcastic remarks, if not directly criticize him. However, after thinking about his interactions with Mikhail, Dickens ultimately decided to ignore the article and turn to other content in the newspaper.

While the latest issue of A Study in Scarlet has made London even noisier, countless others continue with their work as always.

As a bricklayer of considerable age, Norbert is currently working with other workers under a contractor on the construction of a two-story red brick building in the suburbs of London.

As far as Norbert knows, the person who rented the land wanted to repair and add something to the existing buildings and then open a factory.

At first, Norbert thought it was just an ordinary job, but as he continued to work on it, he began to feel that something was wrong.

This isn't a factory!

The ventilation and lighting were so good, and the site was so open. What puzzled Norbert even more was that the factory owner's plan included building a break room for the workers and an area for storing books!

Does this factory owner have some ulterior motive?
Meanwhile, Norbert also observed another group of people near the factory: an elderly widow and several emaciated children.

Although the factory has not officially started operating yet, these people are already employees of the factory.

But what use are an elderly widow and a frail child? Perhaps they can be used to unclog chimneys?

But why hire so many people so far in advance when the factory is up and running, instead of just hiring people to clean the chimneys?
As one of London's poorest people, Norbert was used to chimney sweeps, since when many families were struggling to survive, they would see their children as a resource that could be exchanged for a little money.

However, a five- or six-year-old child is not worth much money. A chimney sweep can often buy a child for just a few shillings and then let him crawl into the narrow chimney that an adult cannot squeeze through.

Institutions like workhouses and orphanages sometimes actively send orphans into dangerous professions, since having children work is seen as a symbol of diligence, and it's always more useful than children wandering the streets or stealing.

Because of this question, Norbert struck up a conversation with these seemingly idle children by chance. One of the children, equally puzzled, said to him: “Sir, my mother is dead, and my father sold me to someone else. I sweep chimneys during the day and have fallen asleep in them many times. Now I’ve been sold here, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Since what the boy named Tom said was quite commonplace to Norbert, his words aroused more of Norbert's suspicion than his sympathy.

What exactly was that young factory owner trying to do?
But this doubt didn't last long. Since the young factory owner would appear from time to time and even interact with them, Norbert's doubts quickly turned into envy.
Just like today, as the sun rose higher and higher and the sunlight became brighter, an exceptionally young figure suddenly walked towards the sunlight. When people finally saw him, the children stopped playing and ran towards him in a rush. Then, the workers present couldn't help but look at him as well.

Under such gazes, the young gentleman, who looked to be only in his twenties, seemed completely unconcerned about the vast difference in their social status. He spoke earnestly with the children for a while, patting their heads. His expression, which seemed to be a mixture of many complex emotions, almost had the effect of a saint in the sunlight.

As he walked toward the workers, he quickly spoke in a very clear voice, just as before:
"Gentlemen, please take a break! Have some tea and something to eat."

As soon as his voice rang out, the contractor rushed over eagerly, and soon the workers present happily stopped what they were doing and began to enjoy this rare break, or even tea time, in London.

During this process, they certainly didn't forget to say to the young man with deep respect, "May God bless you!"

Just as the atmosphere on the field became pleasant and relaxed because of Mikhail's arrival, Mikhail, while smiling and talking to others, was also looking at the scene with a slight daze.

Strictly speaking, Mikhail was not sure whether he could succeed commercially, whether he could create a virtuous cycle for the factory, and whether he could do anything else.

But in the end, let's try to do something.

After all, Mikhail's consumption was not high, and at the very least, he had income from literature as a safety net.

The factory currently under construction is naturally the toy factory that Mikhail mentioned earlier. Although samples are already available, large-scale production will definitely require a significant expansion.

Mikhail had actually thought about the factory's location—whether it should be in the suburbs of London or Manchester—for quite some time.

Of course, it wasn't just about cost; Mikhail was also thinking that Engels would return to the "Eumen-Engels Company" in 1850 to do business again. If Mikhail chose a good location, he might even be able to become neighbors with his mentor.

However, from a practical point of view, the suburbs of London are still the most convenient and fastest.

In addition, another reason Mikhail chose London for the factory was that he had already begun a wait-and-see approach.

In short, Mikhail is waiting for the arrival of a truly commercially viable sewing machine.

Although the sewing machine is a familiar machine to people of later generations, its creation process was quite difficult and tortuous.

In 1790, Thomas Seth invented the world's first hand-cranked sewing machine, but this invention did not become widespread. In the following fifty or sixty years, although countless inventors tried to invent and improve sewing machines, their inventions often only existed in patents and did not have the value to be widely promoted.

It wasn't until 1845 that American inventor Elias Howe invented a sewing machine that could truly be widely adopted and obtained a patent. However, initially, few people accepted his invention, so much so that the starving and impoverished Elias Howe had to send his brother to London in 1846 to seek opportunities. If all goes as planned, this should have happened sometime after September.

Unfortunately, his inventions did not receive much attention in Britain, so he had to return to the United States and start a new chapter in his life.

But for Mikhail, he certainly couldn't let the opportunity slip away. First, he could invest in the inventor and buy the copyright to his sewing machine in the UK. Second, Mikhail could hire the man and share his simple ideas with him, letting him try to turn them into reality.

After all, some things require real professionals; otherwise, Mikhail would have spent an unknown amount of time figuring it out on his own.

While planning this project, Mikhail also contacted the contractor, asking how much longer it would take for the factory to be renovated. The contractor quickly replied:

"Sir, the workers are very enthusiastic, and the progress is much faster than I expected. If nothing unexpected happens, it will be completely completed in less than a month."

Less than a month is enough time for Mikhail to take a short trip.

After confirming the matter, Mikhail relaxed for a while, and then, like everyone else present, he drank tea and ate some snacks.

When Mikhail inadvertently saw those still thin and frail children, he couldn't help but think of William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper":
I was young when my mother died.
My father sold me to someone else.

At that time, I couldn't shout "Sweep, sweep!" very clearly.

So you sweep your chimneys during the day and sleep in the ashes at night.

……

Tom fell asleep and dreamed of this scene.

Dick, Joe, Nande, Jack, and countless other chimney sweep children

They were all locked in black coffins.

……

Then an angel came and brought a golden key.

He opened the coffin and released the children (what a wonderful angel!).
They jumped and laughed as they reached the grass.
Bathing in the river, drying in the sun.

In short, let's keep moving forward.

(End of this chapter)