The next day.

Lu Shi got up early in the morning as usual, ate a little at random, and continued to grind the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

On the other hand, Natsume Soseki didn't work "I Am a Cat" anymore.

He yawned as he stretched,

"Ha~~~"

My generation also followed "Ha~~~".

One person and one cat move exactly the same.

Lu Shi said: "Why don't you continue to write books?" ”

Natsume Soseki said helplessly: "I don't know why, since the last time Mr. Wood saw me, my heart has always been uneasy: sometimes I feel that I am very good, as if I can publish; Sometimes I feel that I can't do it, and I am afraid of being laughed at. ”

This kind of mentality, many online authors have experienced before putting it on the shelf,

To put it simply, it's just two words -

Impetuous.

Lu Shi pouted,

"Then you go out and walk the cat. Wander around and your mood should calm down. ”

Natsume Soseki glanced at my generation and said, "Forget it, I'm afraid of being scratched by it." ”

As he spoke, he picked up the newspaper on the side and began to flip through it.

"I might as well read your book review again, I feel that I can learn a lot of writing skills."

He flipped through the article "On Narrative Tricks and Reasoning Works" no less than ten times, and the blank space of the entire page was covered with various notes.

That's not enough.,You have to use a notebook to add notes.。

Lu Shi said: "What? Are you interested in writing reasoning? ”

Natsume Soseki writes reasoning, which is quite exciting to think about.

But it's not impossible.

Japan is the birthplace of the Benge school.

Matsumoto Kiyohari, Yokozo Masashi, and Edogawa Ranbu, these three "peaks of Japanese reasoning literature" will stand for decades after the 20s of the 20th century.

Natsume Soseki waved his hand,

"Forget it, I can't write that kind of thing, there are too many requirements for knowledge, too much, too miscellaneous."

As a pure liberal arts student, I really can't figure out reasoning works.

However, much of the content in "A Brief Discussion of Narrative Tricks and Speculative Works" is common, and any person who takes the best of it is enough to improve the ability to conceive a work.

Natsume Soseki carefully studied a few more paragraphs,

After that, he asked, "You are not afraid to write what you pressed at the bottom of the box without reservation...... Unafraid...... Hmmm......"

Lu Shi prompted: "Do you want to say, 'Church apprentice, starve to death master'?" ”

Natsume Soseki nodded,

"That's right, it's 'the apprentice of the church, starve the master'. This sentence should be regarded as a consensus in China, right? ”

Lu Shi shook his head,

"It's certainly not a consensus. This is only true for certain trades. ”

He was silent for a moment and said, "Moreover, I didn't think about it that much when I was writing a book review, I just thought about what to write. ”

Natsume Soseki was speechless,

"You can write something like this 'whatever comes to mind'?"

Lu Shi had to repeat: "I really didn't think about it that much. ”

It's the truth.

As a professional translator, he has been exposed to a lot of works.

If you read more, you will naturally have your own set of understandings, and being able to see them in the newspaper can be regarded as fulfilling your wish in a sense.

Natsume Soseki was no longer surprised by Lu Shi's writing ability, so he didn't ask any more questions, put aside "A Brief Discussion of Narrative Tricks and Mystery Works", and picked up "The Times" instead,

As a result, he sat up straight after only a few pages,

"What is this!?"

Lu Shi asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Natsume Soseki's stunned expression took a while before he could close his mouth,

He beckoned to Lu Shi,

"Look! Here is an open letter from the University of Cambridge! ”

Lu Shi leaned over,

The two read the letter together.

——

Professor Luk of the London School of Economics and Political Science:

Recently, I read "A Brief Discussion on Narrative Tricks and Reasoning Works", and Qiwen has the ability to turn stone into gold, which is rare in the world.

From my generation's point of view, I can't sleep at night and benefit a lot.

……

Lu Shi scratched his head, and always felt that this "sleepless night, benefiting a lot" seemed to have been heard somewhere, or the heavens had sensed it in the dark.

Natsume Soseki doesn't have any special thoughts about these two words,

"Lu, look! The University of Cambridge invites you to give a lecture at their school! So, the bet ......"

Lu Shi nodded,

"That's right, they threw in the towel, and I won it."

The room couldn't help but fall into silence,

“……”

“……”

“……”

My generation was a little nervous by this sudden strange atmosphere, and couldn't help but "meow~".

Lu Shi squatted down and touched my head.

Only then did we relax our bodies and lie on our backs to expose our belly.

Lu Shi said while RUA cat: "I didn't expect it, I didn't expect Cambridge University to be so sincere." ”

His gaze stopped at the end of the open letter,

It's not "Cambridge University", it's a list of names.

Spencer Cavendis,

Montague Rhodes James,

John William Stratt,

……

From the superintendent to the vice president, to the dean of the college, and finally to the professors of each college, there are more than 20 signatures.

In other words, it's a joint letter.

Lu Shi looked at the names one by one, and couldn't help but swallow saliva,

"Goo......

Natsume Soseki asked, "What?" ”

Lu Shi said: "Do you know who these people are? ”

Natsume Soseki didn't pick up the stubble,

However, looking at his appearance, it doesn't look like he knows.

Lu Shi continued: "Let's just say that this Strat can be said to be a leading figure in the physics world. ”

Natsume Soseki was shocked,

"You even know that?"

Lu Shi will have an impression of Strat because Strat will win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1904.

As for the other science experts, unless they have appeared in some popular science works, he is also a little familiar with the name, and he is not even clear about which field of research he is engaged in.

Natsume Soseki said, "What are you going to do?" ”

Lu Shi groaned,

Long

"I think I should go."

It was a decision made out of reason.

The two sides gambled privately in the dark room, and Cambridge University was willing to admit defeat generously and fulfill the gambling contract, and the mind was open enough.

And there is no loss when it is land, of course, you can borrow the slope to get off the donkey.

Natsume Soseki frowned and asked, "Isn't the pressure a little too much?" ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"It's definitely a lot of pressure. Students at Cambridge University, no matter what college they are, have to be top students, and if I talk back and forth in my speech, I will definitely be timid. ”

Natsume Soseki shook his head again and again,

"I'm not talking about speeches, you must have no problem giving speeches."

As he spoke, he raised the newspaper in his hand,

"That's what I'm talking about."

Lu Shiyi,

Roommate refers to the pressure of public opinion,

The open invitation to the newspaper does cause this kind of trouble.

Lu Shi said: "I don't think Cambridge University is pressuring. If you look at the wording of this article, it is very sincere and sincere. ”

For this, Natsume Soseki also agrees,

After reading this public joint invitation letter, I feel that the British have the appearance of a gentleman.

But the question is,

"Stress is stress."

Natsume Soseki is still worried.

Lu Shi smiled,

"The pressure at Cambridge was even greater than mine. They are all so low-profile, if I really refuse, where will the old faces of these people who signed their names go? Moreover, this kind of open letter is also a kind of protection for me. ”

Lu Shi said this because he knew some examples.

For example, Cai Yuanpei, who fled Peking University due to the persecution of the Beiyang government,

The teachers and students of Peking published an open letter in the newspaper, sincerely wanting to invite President Cai back.

Because of the newspaper, things made a big fuss, and Cai Yuanpei was repaired with a "golden body".

(In the end, he didn't go back, because in the eyes of the Beiyang government, it was never a matter of hindering public opinion.) ）

Natsume Soseki asked, "Have you thought about it?" ”

Lu Shi said "um",

"It's better to settle the grievance than to settle it~ The question now is, how should I respond."

The sedan chair is carried by everyone,

Since Cambridge University has given enough face, Lu Shi naturally has to respond.

Natsume Soseki said, "Why don't you reply with a letter too?" ”

This is indeed a way to go.

Lu Shi picked up the pen, buried himself in writing, and at the same time said with words in his mouth: "I read your school's open letter today, I can't sleep at night, and I have benefited a lot......"

Natsume Soseki looked confused,

"What's 'sleepless at night, so much gain'?"

Lu Shi was stunned, and while crossing out the line, he said: "I don't know what's going on, it's like someone has cast a spell and can't help but write this sentence." ”

He shook his head, cleared the strange thought out of his head, and continued to write back.

……

Palace of Westminster,

Inside the Wardhouse office.

The smoke lingers,

Churchill and Waldhouse sat across desks,

Two large smoking guns each with a cigar between them, crossed their legs, and enjoyed the after-session time of the council.

Wardhouse said, "Winston, why don't you read the newspaper?" ”

"Whew~"

Churchill exhaled,

He said, "Just after the meeting, you can't let me rest for a while?" ”

Wardhouse complained: "Rest ...... with my cigar"

He added an accent to the word "mine".

Churchill grinned, pursed his lips, held his cigar in his mouth, then picked up a copy of The Times, reclined himself in his armchair, and scanned the day's headlines quickly.

As a result, after two minutes,

With a soft "click", the cigar in Churchill's mouth fell to the ground.

Wardhouse complained: "My carpet! ”

Churchill was still looking at the newspaper as if he hadn't heard it.

Wardhouse raised his voice and said, "Hey! Winston! Why don't you hurry up and pick up your cigars? I don't want a hole in the carpet! ”

Churchill came to his senses,

"Sir, come and see this article...... No, this open letter. ”

Wardhouse didn't understand what the other party was flustered about,

He walked around his desk and picked up the cigar that had fallen on the floor before turning his gaze to the newspaper.

Unexpectedly,

Bar-×2

Both cigars in my hand fell off.

Wardhouse said incoherently, "What is this...... This one...... Not...... It...... ...... the hell

His eyes couldn't seem to be taken away from the Cambridge open letter.

Because it was too shocking, it was impossible to organize effective language for the time being.

Churchill had recovered his normal life, stooped down and picked up two cigars, extinguished one of them, put it in the small wooden box he had carried with him, and held the other in his mouth.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. ”

Wardhouse asked, "Aren't you familiar with the Cambridge guys?" ”

Churchill smiled and spread his hands,

"I'm sorry, I attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and my father was an Oxford graduate."

Wardhouse glared at Churchill angrily.

Today, Churchill is still a Conservative and is close to the current Prime Minister Cecil and his political successor, Balfour.

And both of these are Cambridge origins,

Not to mention that Cavendish Sh, the Chancellor of Cambridge, was a Conservative bigwig.

Waldhouse asked, "You really haven't heard any wind?" ”

Churchill nodded solemnly,

"Nope."

"Hmm......"

Wardhouse fell into deep thought.

Churchill took the time to straighten his clothes and said, "Of course, it is possible that I was so close to you that I was excluded from the inner circle of the Conservative Party." ”

These words made Wardhouse couldn't help but roll his eyes again,

"Do you think I believe it?"

Churchill was a "courtesan", and he should not be unable to hear such a big thing.

Wardhouse's gaze swept over the signature of the open letter, and found that except for Cavendis, everyone else had almost only academic backgrounds, not political backgrounds.

He said in a deep voice: "Could it be that this letter is really just a simple invitation? ”

This seems to be a question, but it is actually talking to oneself.

Politicians are like that, they like to associate everything in complex directions.

Churchill took over: "I think so. When the Duke of Devonshire invited people to sign a joint name, he should have deliberately avoided those graduates with a political background. ”

As he spoke, he pulled out a copy of the Manchester Guardian,

"Thinking of Professor James's public criticism of Professor Lu's "Roman Holiday" before, Professor Lu also fought back, and I have reason to believe that there was any commitment or even a bet between Professor Lu and the University of Cambridge."

This is a reasonable assumption.

Wardhouse was shocked,

"You mean, Cambridge threw in the towel?"

Churchill just smiled,

Although there is no positive answer, this attitude is tantamount to acquiescence.

Wardhouse didn't know how to assess his mood at this time, except for one word:

“Fxxk！”

He couldn't understand how there could be such a good person,

It's also a Chinese.

Immediately after that, he thought of another question:

“Fxxk！ Isn't Cambridge digging into the corner of our University of London alliance? Is Cavendish looking for a draw? ”

Churchill shook his head,

"Even poaching won't succeed. Professor Lu has a polling project in London Politics and Economics, and you still invested in it. People have taken your money, and they have taken away the students who work in London politics and economics, but they will not abandon you if they have a little work ethic. ”

Waldhouse was relieved,

Undoubtedly, Lu Shi is a moral person.

But Churchill's later words made Wardhouse's heart hang again,

Churchill said: "However, it is not a day or two that you have been in turmoil within the University of London Union. Let's just say that Professor Lu's guest London politics and economics has not yet issued a serious undergraduate degree, and people may want to 'choose a tree to build a nest'. ”

Waldhouse wondered, "What does it mean to 'a good bird chooses a tree to build a nest'?" ”

Churchill said: "I have recently learned a Chinese proverb that makes sense. ”

Waldhouse always thought this proverb was weird,

But he didn't know Chinese, so he naturally couldn't ask questions, so he turned the topic around and asked, "Do you really think Professor Lu will go to Cambridge?" ”

Churchill shrugged,

"Who knows?"

Wardhouse hurriedly asked, "What can you do?" ”

Churchill thought for a while and said: "Professor Lu seems to be a person who values affection, you let the students keep it~ For example, on the day of the speech, you pull a train of students over to cheer around, I think it's a good way." ”

Wardhouse clapped his hands,

"Good! That's it! Charter a train to Cambridge to listen to the lecture! ”

Churchill: "......"

He just said this casually, but he didn't expect the other party to really believe it,

Wouldn't it be considered a smash for the students of the University of London to go to Cambridge University to listen to a lecture?

(End of chapter)