I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 265 Thanks to the selfish giant and all the hard work (6k)

The initial appearance of Monopoly in British high society was, on the whole, quite successful.

Even if not everyone likes it, the fact that it has aroused the interest of most people is enough to show the broad prospects of this board game. While letting these gentlemen from the club try it out, Mikhail didn't forget to add a couple of advertising lines:
"In a sense, this is equivalent to a gentleman's real estate management simulator, and it is also an excellent teaching tool for cultivating children's financial acumen and arithmetic skills. They can learn a lot without even realizing it while playing."

By the end, without Mikhail needing to say anything more, some of the gentlemen proactively inquired about the availability and price of the game: "It's a very unique game. After your introduction, I believe some of my friends and my family would be interested in playing it."

Some of the more astute businessmen in the club have even made appointments with Mikhail to discuss the board game in more detail.

Mikhail generally accepted these invitations, as he needed to leverage his existing connections in the UK and his limited time to better promote the game and negotiate partnerships with local businessmen.

It can only be said that business matters are much more troublesome than the various disputes in the literary world. Fortunately, Mikhail has been busy for several months and has managed to recruit some people with decent abilities. The next step is to explore and strive to expand the market.
However, to allow some things to develop further, Mikhail readily gifted several high-end-looking samples, intending to let the bullet fly for a while longer.

While Mikhail was temporarily preoccupied with these business matters, the literary world in London was still debating the commotion he had caused recently.

More serious literary critics still discuss the style and form of "The Happy Prince" from time to time, trying to find more out of it.

In the realm of detective fiction, several authors had already taken advantage of the lull before Mikhail's new work was published to serialize their own detective stories, and had achieved considerable success riding the wave of detective fiction popularity. This boosted their confidence considerably, and some even couldn't contain themselves, no longer observing the subsequent trends, and directly commented on Mikhail's earlier statement published in the newspaper:
"It now seems that this young man and his Holmes are not unique; his accidental success seems to have fostered those unhealthy qualities in him, and all we can do is sympathize with him."

Even Mikhail's recommendation of the Brontë sisters' three upcoming books has been met with skepticism from some:
"What is hard to understand is why this 23-year-old is so dedicated to recommending the works of these three new writers? Could it be that at this age he already wants to establish his own authority and flaunt his literary expertise?"

In fact, the poetry collection he so strongly advocated did not receive widespread recognition and praise from the literary world. However, this failure did not seem to have sobered him up. He still seemed to firmly believe in his own vision and his authority in the public eye.

However, his current actions have damaged his reputation and raised questions among critics about his literary vision. His behavior is a complete waste of the trust that the public and critics have placed in him.

He thought he could unearth literary geniuses, but this was actually just a young man overestimating himself. The three newcomers he discovered were merely weeds in the British literary world, utterly unworthy of so much attention. Clearly, he is far from being a critic. These three upcoming books will soon prove that right.”

Some people might genuinely think this way, while others simply want to use Mikhail to boost their own fame. After all, Mikhail has been a hot topic in London lately, and many people want to get close to him and try to associate themselves with him.

Mikhail paid little attention to these comments, as he was focused on preparing for something else, aside from business matters.

In short, Mikhail's charity literary readings are still ongoing. While the last event was mainly aimed at the upper class, this time the literary readings are more geared towards the middle class and slightly lower groups, such as teachers, shop owners, ordinary office workers, and university students.

This group was undoubtedly much larger, and it truly allowed Mikhail to gradually become a "popular writer," rather than being confined to the salons of nobles and the small circles of high society.

Frankly speaking, in this day and age, it is quite a strange feeling for Mikhail to organize and participate in such a recitation event, after all, even in Russia, where he rose to power, he has never had such treatment.

Of course, the main reason is that Russia does not allow such gatherings. Mikhail's reputation and influence are probably sufficient now, but it's very possible that he might be tackled to the ground by secret police hidden among the people the moment he begins reciting in public.
Putting that aside for now, even though Mikhail has recently encountered some considerable trouble in the public eye, tickets for his new literary reading event sold out almost immediately.

Even upper-class people who shouldn't be at such events, as well as literary figures who were still discussing and criticizing Mikhail, secretly bought tickets just to hear Mikhail recite live again and see if he would read any new articles.

That very evening, near a London theater that could accommodate a large audience, as the gaslights illuminated the theater's exterior, a long queue had already formed outside. These diverse people, while waiting, engaged in a discussion that was both exciting and reserved:

"Are we really so lucky to hear a genius recite his work? I thought only powerful and wealthy gentlemen and ladies had this privilege."

"Perhaps it's to raise more money for the children? Today's event is mainly to raise more funds for the children. According to newspaper reports, his story 'The Happy Prince' can bring many ladies to tears. I wonder if we'll have a chance to hear it this time?"

"I'd much rather hear him read 'A Study in Scarlet.' It's said that Sherlock Holmes was based on his own image and abilities, and some people have even personally experienced his amazing insight, just like Holmes's. I really want to hear it!"

"I really love his works, and I'm so glad I finally have the chance to meet him. I'm determined to let him experience the enthusiasm of London readers, and then I'll urge him to start serializing new Sherlock Holmes stories as soon as possible. Look at how some people in the newspapers are belittling Sherlock Holmes! Every time I see it, I get so angry."

……

Besides the audience, vendors selling all sorts of things quickly gathered around the theater; for them, such a large flow of people was clearly a good opportunity to do business. Old Joseph was one of them.

Unlike others, Old Joseph wasn't selling the usual snacks and trinkets common in London; instead, he was selling fish and chips, which have recently become wildly popular in various parts of London.

To be honest, old Joseph didn't understand why such a strange combination would be so attractive, but before he could even have a second thought, his body, having observed the market, had already acted accordingly.

In retrospect, this decision was clearly wise, and his business has indeed improved considerably these days.

At that moment, while doing business, old Joseph also struck up a conversation with another strange group of people near the theater out of curiosity.

They looked even poorer than old Joseph, the small merchant. Even though the temperature had dropped considerably at night, they were still wearing tattered single-layer clothes. To avoid getting sick from the cold wind, they huddled together and tried to stay in crowded places.

What's even stranger is that some of them brought children, but they were holding the children very tightly.

After finishing his business with a young man who looked like an ordinary college student, Old Joseph noticed that there were no other customers for the time being, except for this ordinary college student standing aside eating fries. So Old Joseph decided to strike up a conversation with the group of people who were neither there to do business nor to listen to the literary recitation:
"Brothers, what are you all doing gathered here? A literary reading by a great author is not something we should be listening to. Although I've heard others read his works, I'm not willing to pay for the tickets. You guys certainly can't afford it either, and you don't look like you're here to do business."

"We wanted to thank this gentleman in person."

Someone rubbed their hands together and said, "To be honest, some of the money raised by this writer with such a long and complicated name was spent on my child. He was already weak from illness, and we couldn't even get him to eat much or drink any herbal tea. Then God sent this gentleman!"

"If it weren't for him, our family would have had to go to the workhouse! That place is worse than a prison."

Someone chimed in, "We've finally made it through the toughest period; at least we don't have to go to those awful places for now."

"Our family received some very nice clothes, and I think this winter will finally be a little easier. This writer's help is much more substantial than that of those noble gentlemen."

"My mother was feeling a bit better recently, but she still has to stay in bed for now. I came here today to try my luck."

Listening to these people, old Joseph felt a pang of emotion, but he couldn't help but remind them, "God bless him! But forgive my bluntness, my friend, a writer as famous as him, you wouldn't get a chance to see him even if you waited all night. He probably has many people to meet and many things to do, each person and each matter far more important than us. How could he possibly set aside time for us?"

Look at how many people are queuing and discussing over there.

"Let's try our luck! He's just too popular!"

Although most people present understood this simple truth, they were not discouraged, but rather expressed a slight sense of envy:

"We've heard some of his stories too, they're absolutely amazing! If only we had the chance to hear them, but unfortunately, even the tickets at this price are beyond our reach."

"I already find it incredible that he's willing to read it to so many people."

Just as old Joseph was about to reply, a voice suddenly rang out clearly behind him: "There will be an opportunity."

How did you know? Are you trying to comfort someone?
When old Joseph turned his head with this question in mind, the young man who looked like an ordinary college student had already finished eating his fish and chips. At this moment, he was wiping his mouth and looking at everyone again, emphasizing, "There will be opportunities. There should be some free recitation events later."

For some reason, old Joseph felt that there seemed to be some strange light shining in his dark eyes.

"Sir, how did you know?"

Someone in the crowd had already asked.

"Because I am Mikhail Romanovich Raskolnikov, the writer with the long and complicated name."

you?
How can this be?

While many people present were still stunned, the handsome but seemingly ordinary college student continued apologetically, "I apologize, gentlemen, I'm too late. The literary recital is about to begin, and I need to finish this first. I'll come back after the event. And Mr. Joseph?"

"Ok?"

Old Joseph was jolted awake upon hearing his name. Then he heard the other person continue, "If anyone wants to eat something here, just sell it to them. The money will be deducted from here."

After saying this, the other person took out a few silver coins from his pocket and handed them to him.

silver!

He might not even earn that much money in a day!

Although it still seemed unbelievable, both old Joseph and the others clearly saw the young man walk towards a certain door of the theater, and then see many people come out to greet him, and then crowd around him and bring him inside.
Just as old Joseph and the others were discussing the matter in a flurry of activity, Mikhail, with a peculiar feeling, couldn't help but pat his stomach.

Luckily, he suddenly got hungry, otherwise he might have really overlooked it if he had been so focused on practicing.
Just as Mikhail was lost in thought, someone reminded him that the event was about to begin. Mikhail quickly gathered his thoughts and walked toward the stage in the center of the stage.

Compared to the reserve and scrutiny of high society, the response to this event was undoubtedly much more enthusiastic. As soon as Mikhail appeared, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the audience. Mikhail even saw some young university students jump up excitedly, but they were quickly pushed back into their seats because they were blocking other people's view.

During the opening remarks, Mikhail was interrupted by enthusiastic applause several times, until the atmosphere finally quieted down when he was about to begin his recitation.

In this event, facing a large number of enthusiastic viewers and a small number of people who came specifically to scrutinize and find flaws, Mikhail did not disappoint them, maintaining a good pace for each story.

Even as they reached the middle part of the story, Mikhail smiled and said, "Today I'll bring you a completely new story."

Well worth the money!
No, it's much more expensive than the ticket price!

While most of the audience was delighted, another group of people who came specifically to examine and scrutinize the scene immediately sat up straight and pricked up their ears. They clearly wanted to discover something from it and perhaps even write an article about it.
As the arena fell silent again, Mikhail quickly read out the title of the new story: "The Selfish Giant".

Like the Happy Prince, the Happy Prince was not happy, but the selfish giant...
Every afternoon, after school, the children would run to the Giant's Park to play.

The garden was large and lovely, with soft, lush green lawns. Beautiful little flowers dotted the grass like stars, and birds perched on branches, singing sweetly. The children often stopped their games to listen intently. "How wonderful!" they exclaimed to each other.

Then one day, the giant returned home. When he got there, he saw the children playing in the garden.

"What are you doing here?" he roared, and the children ran away in fright.

“My garden is my garden,” said the giant. “Everyone knows that, and no one but myself can enter.” He built a high wall around the garden and hung a sign on it.

Unauthorized intruders

All shall be prosecuted according to law

He is a selfish giant.

Can such behavior be called selfish?
Is it because his methods are too brutal? Or is the point not that the Titan is protecting his garden, but that after acquiring the garden, he no longer wants to share it with anyone and only wants to possess it all by himself?

This kind of possessiveness of shared imagery like sunshine, flowers, and birdsong is true selfishness.

And perhaps it was precisely because of this desire to monopolize spring that the giants could no longer obtain it:

"Only in the garden of the selfish giant remained a deep winter. Birds refused to fly in and sing, for the children were not there; the peach trees forgot to bloom. Once, a beautiful little flower peeked out from the grass, but seeing the sign, it felt sorry for the children outside the wall, and so it retreated back underground to continue its hibernation."
"Why is spring so late?" The selfish giant sat by the window, looking at the snow-covered garden. "I hope the weather warms up soon."

But this situation took a turn for the better with the arrival of a little boy:

One morning, the giant woke up and lay in bed when he heard a beautiful song. He saw a most wonderful sight: children had climbed in through small holes in the wall and were sitting on the branches of trees. There was a child on every tree.
The giant's heart gradually melted. "I was so selfish!" he said. "Now I finally know why spring didn't come. I'm going to lift the little boy up the tree, then smash down the wall, and my garden will be a playground for children forever." He felt deeply ashamed of his past actions.

"This is your garden now, children," said the giant, picking up an axe and breaking down the wall. When the people went to the market at noon, they found the giant playing with the children in this most beautiful garden.

After the giant chose love and sharing, his garden, which was once perpetually cold due to its isolation, is now exceptionally beautiful.

Just as many in the audience were pondering this shift, the short, beautiful story took another turn. Having learned about love and sharing, the giant's mindset also underwent a significant change, as if:
"He no longer hates winter, because he knows that winter is just the slumber of spring and the dormancy of flowers."

Meanwhile, as time passed, the giant grew old, and just as he drew ever closer to death, he saw his favorite child once again:
The giant rushed downstairs excitedly and ran into the garden. He ran across the grass to the boy. As he got closer, his face turned red with anger. "Who dared to hurt you?" he demanded. He saw two nail marks on the boy's palms and two more on his little feet.

"Who dares to hurt you?" the giant roared. "Tell me, and I'll take my sword and cut him down."

"No!" the boy said, "These are scars of love."
The boy smiled at the giant and said, "Once, you let me play in your garden. Today, come with me to my garden, which is paradise."

That afternoon, the children ran into the garden and found the giant kneeling dead under a tree, his body covered in white blossoms.

After Mikhail finished reading this simple, beautiful, and somewhat meaningful story, many listeners were still savoring it, but they promptly gave Mikhail a warm round of applause.

While the ending of this story could be considered happy, Mikhail's subsequent readings of novels such as "The Happy Prince" and "The Cop and the Anthem" created an atmosphere that was sometimes oppressive and at other times filled with ironic laughter.

After the novels were read aloud, just when the audience thought the event was about to end, Mikhail suddenly went backstage. Not long after, a slender, tall figure walked out with a rather calm gait. He was wearing a peculiar cloak that fit him perfectly, and a deerstalker hat that looked somewhat out of place in the city.

When this eccentric man gracefully bowed to the audience, the already enthusiastic atmosphere exploded. Many in the audience forgot everything else and just shouted the name of a detective whose fame had recently spread throughout half of London:

"Sherlock Holmes! Sherlock Holmes!"

Amidst the deafening cheers, it was a very long time before Mikhail finally had the opportunity to read "A Study in Scarlet."
It wasn't a wasted trip!
(End of this chapter)