The next day.

The rain had not stopped, crackling and knocking on the windows, and the wind blew the window frames, making a soft "click" sound.

Doyle wakes up quietly,

"Hmm...... Headache ......"

My throat is so dry that it smokes,

He opened his mouth and tried to call his wife, but only let out a violent cough.

There is no doubt that it is a cold.

Doyle propped himself up and looked around the room,

Clothes were messily piled on the chair by the window, socks on the back of the chair,

The curtains were closed, and the cloudy sky outside caused the light inside the house to be dim, making it impossible to tell the time.

Doyle reached for the head of the bed,

It didn't take long for him to touch the clock and turn it to himself.

Clock Display:

09：45。

Doyle didn't expect that he had slept for so long, and he had no real feeling at all.

At this moment, the door was opened.

Hawkins walked in with a basin of water and a towel, and when he saw his husband sitting there in a daze, he quickly grabbed the edge of the bed, pressed him back to the bed, tucked the corners of the quilt, and criticized: "Why did you get up by yourself?" ”

Doyle opened his mouth,

"Ah......h

My throat is so dry that I can't make a sound.

Hawkins glared at him, helped him put a hot towel against his forehead, and then poured water,

"Drink."

Doyle, as if he had just come out of the desert, did not hesitate to pour it down, regardless of whether it was hot or not, and burped in satisfaction.

"Finally alive," he said. ”

Hawkins snorted,

"You, you, are obviously a doctor, but you don't know how to take care of your body at all, like a child."

Doyle hurriedly smiled,

"I'm an ophthalmologist~ Besides, "The Lord of the Rings" is so good."

He fell into memories,

Yesterday, he finished reading the series in the rain, and when he got home, he couldn't help but reread it.

After that, the memory was blurry, and according to the current situation, it should be too tired, and finally leaned back in the chair and fell asleep (faint) (confused).

Hawkins on the side nodded,

"Well, The Lord of the Rings is really good."

Doyle:???

"Did you read it too?"

Hawkins couldn't help but glance at her husband and said, "I'll take care of you all night, I have to find something to do, right?" ”

Doyle then noticed that his wife was feeling a little sluggish.

He looked around the house,

"Where's the newspaper?"

Hawkins got up, opened the curtains first, then walked to the bookshelf next to him, pulled out a hardcover copy of "Sherlock Holmes Detective Book", and pulled out a few newspapers from it,

Throughout the process, she maintained a cautious state, like a pilgrim.

Doyle: "......"

The feeling of wearing an eco-colored hat became even stronger.

Hawkins whispered: "You, you know that the Mirror is difficult to buy, why don't you cherish it?" ”

She handed over the newspaper,

"After soaking it in water, I dried it, dried it over a fire, and then put it in a book to smooth it out. But the results do not seem to be satisfactory. ”

Indeed, those newspapers are crumpled,

Doyle flicked,

The paper is brittle and makes a soft sound.

Hawkins glared at him,

"What are you doing!?"

As he spoke, he snatched the newspaper back and carefully put it away.

Doyle: "......"

Fortunately, I had a cold and didn't have the strength to get angry, otherwise I would have to vomit blood in anger.

He asked his wife, "Do you think that book is well written, too?" ”

Hawkins also seemed to notice that his performance was a little overdone, and said embarrassedly: "Well, I like "The Hobbit" more than "The Mystery of Roger" and "No One Survives". So, I also prefer The Lord of the Rings. ”

Doyle asked again, "What about 'The Country Teacher'?" ”

Hawkins tilted his head and thought,

"Can you read it? Not to mention those strange weapons, I am still in a state of mud even for the three laws of classical mechanics. For example, the law of the three oxes, can you recite it? ”

Doyle couldn't recite it before,

But after watching "The Country Teacher" so many times, it's hard to memorize it.

Of course, those don't matter.

Doyle chuckled,

"If you dwell on concepts that you can't understand, it means that you haven't understood the core of "The Country Teacher". That's it, let's not talk about that. ”

He waved his hand a little condescendingly.

Hawkins complained: "Pretend! Just pretend! ”

It's normal for old husbands and wives to quarrel,

She said to her husband while helping him change the towel on his forehead.

Doyle felt that his strength was slowly recovering, and his appetite came, and he said with a smile, "Is there anything to eat?" I want to eat sausages! ”

Hawkins looked helpless,

"Okay, okay, I'll prepare it for you."

As she spoke, she walked to the door,

As she grabbed the doorknob, she turned around as if she remembered something, and said, "By the way, there is another tabloid on the street now, and I bought it." Do you want to see it? ”

Doyle remembered his unexpected encounter with Bakker yesterday,

"Probably a subordinate newspaper of The Times."

Hawkins nodded,

That's what old Mette said. By the way, old Mette is also sick, it seems that when I bought the "Mirror" yesterday, I saw Lu's new book, so I walked to the store while reading, but I was so engrossed that I stopped at the door of the bookstore to read, and finally ......"

Doyle was speechless,

He felt that he was sick enough to be outrageous, but he didn't expect old Mette to be even more outrageous than himself.

Hawkins laughed, "Okay, I'll give you the newspaper." ”

She handed the tabloid to Doyle and headed out.

The sign was called the Daily Times, or the Daily Times, and the phrase "I'm the little brother of The Times" was printed on the masthead.

Doyle couldn't help but want to laugh and looked at the first version,

Instantly, he was drawn to the article.

《Fake！ Fake！ Fake！ 》

False! False! False!

The headline was impactful, not far behind the Mirror's most eye-catching.

Doyle muttered, "Tsk...... Buckle: This is the essence of the Mirror. It's 'news', yes, but it's also a veritable 'fake news'. ”

He looked back at the subtitle of the article,

From sales to headlines to content, what is true about a tabloid? 》

Isn't the only tabloid newspaper that has been published now be "The Mirror"?

Doyle:???

"Bakker is crazy? This is a direct cannon! ”

He began to read the text of the article.

The first paragraph is about sales,

——

There are two ways to calculate the circulation of newspapers and magazines:

1. Calculate the maximum print run;

2. Calculate the actual sales volume.

But in the general concept, the actual sales of newspapers and magazines are the real circulation.

For example, 100,000 copies were printed, 50,000 copies were sold, and 50,000 copies were returned.

Well, the actual circulation is 50,000 copies.

In order to get the real data, you have to go to the printing house to know the print run, and then go to the bookseller to know the "stock guarantee", so that you can get the actual circulation.

——

This text is not the meaning of the drunkard,

On the surface, it is a method of calculating the actual issuance, but it is needless to say what exactly it implies.

What's more, there are "insiders" who broke the news later, saying that the average daily sales of a certain tabloid must be fake, because the newspaper has only been established for less than ten days, and it is impossible to have such a large circulation.

After all, the Times, which was born on New Year's Day in 1785, sold more than 100,000 a day.

The old master can't beat the juniors, so it's impossible to think about it.

As for who the "certain tabloid" in the article is talking about, it is almost time to name the "Mirror".

"Tsk......"

Doyle staggered,

"Interesting!"

He has accepted the reality that he is not as good as Lu Shi, so he has become a happy man,

Now his favorite thing is the smell of gunpowder.

He cheered up and continued to read.

Next, Fake! Fake！ Fake！ criticized two more points,

First of all, the name of the report should not be too excessive, and even took the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" as an example, and chose three extremely absurd names:

"What to Wake You Up, My Love";

"Sleeping Girl! Waiting for the final meeting of a lover! 》；

"A spinning needle causes tragedy, and the infatuated brother overcomes obstacles to wake up his sister".

Doyle burst out laughing on the spot,

But because of the serious illness that did not heal, it turned into a series of coughs.

At this time, Hawkins walked in, put the dinner plate on the bedside table, patted her husband on the back, and said, "What's so funny?" I don't know how to restrain myself......"

Doyle pointed to the Daily Times,

"That's it. You read the article on the front page, just the paragraph about "Sleeping Beauty". ”

Hawkins picked it up and looked at it,

"Poof!"

She burst out laughing, too.

Doyle picked up the plate, ate a piece of sausage to himself, and said vaguely, "What's the rest of?" ”

Hawkins roughly glanced at it and said: "Later, I am also criticizing the "Mirror", saying that the content is untrue, such as talking about the Queen's love history, which is hearsay and pictures, and violates the newspaper tradition of not digging into the privacy of honorary people." ”

Doyle chuckled,

"What? It said "The Mirror" by name? ”

Hawkins shook his head,

"'A tabloid.'"

Doyle smiled even more happily and took another bite of the scrambled egg, leaving his beard covered in debris.

He said: "The Mirror didn't mention the queen, only said 'a certain princess'~ Therefore, the accusation of the Daily Times is very unreasonable. ”

Hawkins: (ˉ▽ ̄~) cut~~

"This is too hypocritical!"

After speaking, she thought about it, as if there was no hypocrisy in the heads and brains of the journalists she had come into contact with in her life.

It's the reporters and editors who work below, and there are a lot of sincere people in these little shrimps.

Hawkins no longer reads the Fake! Fake！ Fake！ and turn backwards,

Suddenly, she stopped what she was doing,

"Someone criticized Lu."

"Poof! Ahem......"

Doyle had just taken a bite of bread and choked,

"What did you say?"

"It seems to be a piece of literary criticism," Hawkins said. ”

She read the title of the article: "Is Everything Suitable for Serialization?" Some deep thoughts on it". ”

Doyle's movements paused,

Long

"It's true that 'The Lord of the Rings' is not necessarily suitable for serialization."

Hawkins looked up,

"Why?"

Doyle pondered for a moment and said, "Let me give you an example. "Sherlock Holmes Detective Collection" or "Scarlet Study", which is more suitable for serialization? ”

Without thinking, Hawkins replied, "The former!" The former, of course! Because it's a collection of short stories. ”

Doyle nodded solemnly,

"So, what about Scarlet Study?"

Hawkins was silent.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The room was silent, as if a pin had dropped.

After a while, Hawkins said, "The Scarlet Study was first published in the 1887 Beaton Christmas Yearbook, so I can't assume history. But considering the structure of "Scarlet Study", perhaps serialization is not impossible. Because it is divided into two parts, the first half tells about the case, and the second half is the revelation of the motive, which can be serialized separately. ”

Doyle nodded,

"I'll give you another example, 'The Mystery of Roger.'"

Hawkins was silent again, closing his eyes and thinking,

This time the silence lasted longer than before, and Doyle even thought his wife was asleep.

finally

"Not suitable. "The Mystery of Roger" is not suitable for serialization. ”

Hawkins has his own answer.

Doyle said, "That's right, because of narrative trickery. Admittedly, this ruse is unrivaled in its groundbreaking nature and even escalates a detective adventure into a real mystery, but it has one characteristic – it is deceitful. ”

Hawkins corrected: "It should not be called 'tricky', it should be called 'unfathomable'." ”

Doyle: "......"

I always feel that my wife loves Lu Shi's works more than she loves herself.

It's a super unpleasant feeling.

He suppressed his emotions and continued: "All in all, this kind of layered suspense, if you read it fluently, it will be very refreshing. But what if it's serialized? How does the reader feel when they finally read that the murderer is the 'me' in it? ”

Hawkins said: "It's probably going to feel like you're being tricked. ”

Doyle nodded repeatedly,

"That's right. Many readers will feel that there are too many foreshadowings designed in front of "Roger's Mystery", which makes the author unable to recycle, so he uses a very irresponsible way to rush the ending. ”

Just the difference in the way of publication can turn a book's reputation upside down?

Although Hawkins also thinks so, he still doesn't believe it,

"Really?"

Doyle shrugged,

"Of course, this is only temporary. Because a masterpiece is a masterpiece, immortal. If "Roger's Mystery Case" is serialized, it will be questioned a lot, but the content is excellent, and it will eventually gain the prestige and achievements that match it. Lu is still the genius who created narrative tricks. ”

Hawkins said "um",

But even so, "Roger's Mystery" is still not suitable for serialization. Yes, but not necessarily. ”

Doyle agreed: "Bingo! ”

Hawkins asked again: "So what is suitable for serialization?" ”

Doyle said, "Do you even need to think about it? Of course, it's a collection of short stories or the Count of Monte Cristo. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is a story of revenge, with the main plot ups and downs, twists and turns, from which several subplots evolve, and the vignettes are compact and exciting, but they are not overwhelming......"

In the words of the Internet, it is a good rhythm, a small climax every few chapters, and it is just right to pretend to be forced to slap the face,

So it is also said that "The Count of Monte Cristo" is a brainless cool text of that era.

Of course, this must be nonsense,

The plot of "The Count of Monte Cristo" is bizarre, but it does not violate the reality of life, it is "cool text", yes, but it has nothing to do with "brainless".

Hawkins glanced at the literary criticism,

She said: "This author's point of view is very similar to yours, and even the examples he gives are the same as yours, using "The Mystery of Roger", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and your "Sherlock Holmes". ”

Doyle chuckled,

"Heroes see the same thing~"

Hawkins added: "He also predicted that 'The Lord of the Rings' was bound to have big problems. ”

As soon as these words came out, Doyle waved his hand again and again,

"Heroes see things differently. Hehe...... Hehehe......"

It's not that he can't understand the author's thoughts,

Judging from the first few chapters of the series, "The Lord of the Rings" written by Lu Shi is ready to create a real magical world.

Even with the great epic "The Ring of the Nibelungen" as the background, this kind of "making something out of nothing" still requires the author to have a very high ability to control the article.

And serialization, can it really work?

There is a contradiction before and after, will Lu Shi eat books?

To be honest, from a rational point of view, Doyle felt that this was inevitable.

However, from an emotional point of view......

"No, it won't."

Doyle was determined.

Hawkins was surprised,

"What wouldn't?"

Doyle just smiled indifferently and said, "After all, he is a great writer who makes me feel convinced, and he won't be able to." ”

Hawkins:???

was confused by her husband's headless words,

"You don't have a fever, do you?"

Doyle waved his hand and said, "What is the name of the author of this article?" ”

Hawkins looked at it and said, "It looks like a pen name, Luser, L-U-S-E-R——,) there should be no such word." ”

Doyle chewed on the pen name and sneered: "It's quite aggressive to hide your head and hide your tail." Loser, the loser, changed the first two letters 'L' and 'o' to Lu's pen name, as if to prophesy. ”

(End of chapter)