The assassination of the President of the United States is no small matter.

Time passed very slowly, like quicksand stuck in an hourglass, like asphalt.

Early morning on August 15th.

Lu Shi got up early in the morning and looked around the dormitory.

Unexpectedly, Wardhouse did not sit by the window and read the newspaper as usual, but looked at the scenery outside the window,

His eyes were far away, and he didn't know what he was pondering.

Lu Shi coughed lightly,

"Jazz?"

Wardhouse came to his senses and handed over a copy of the New York Times.

Headlines on the front page –

"The Death of US President William McKinley".

Lu Shi: "......"

Although it is not clear the exact date of McKinley's assassination in history, he remembers that the Buffalo Pan American Exposition was being held at the time.

That was supposed to be September.

And now, undoubtedly ahead of schedule.

This is obviously another self-inflicted butterfly effect.

Lu Shi asked: "What was the reason for the assassination of the president?" ”

Wardhouse shook his head,

"The newspaper didn't say anything."

With that, he pushed a sandwich over and said, "Eat something first, and then pack your bags." It's almost time for us to go back tomorrow. ”

At this juncture, it is indeed inappropriate for the two to continue to stay in the United States.

Lu Shi washed, then had breakfast, and read the report at the same time,

——

While McKinley was visiting the union at the port of Buffalo, Jorgos, an anarchist and unemployed worker from a Polish immigrant family, squeezed into the crowd posing as a fan and took the opportunity to shake hands with the president, suddenly pulled out a pistol hidden on his body and shot the president twice in the abdomen, causing the latter to be seriously injured.

Misdiagnosis by quacks and poor conditions in the hospital led to McKinley's death at the age of 58.

——

Lu Shi was a little confused,

"Quacks? Quack misdiagnosis? ”

For a moment, he thought he was wrong.

The corners of Wardhouse's mouth hooked a subtle arc,

"What's going on here...... Humph......"

He whispered, "The doctor only found and removed one bullet during the operation, and then stitched up the wound. ”

Land Hours: ???

"Can it be like this?"

He was utterly shocked,

"Aren't two gunshots clearly audible at the scene?"

Wardhouse spread his hands and said, "I don't know the specifics. It is only known that from the results of the autopsy, two bullets, one penetrated the president's stomach, and the other remained in the body and was not found, but the doctors declared the operation successful. ”

Lu Shi was speechless,

!

Ten thousand grass and mud horses galloped through his heart.

No wonder modern Americans have a lot of anti-intellectual, conspiracy theories,

It's hard to say that there is no conspiracy here.

In comparison, "Upside Down" is not absurd enough, "Yes! The Prime Minister is not sarcastic enough.

Absurdist drama has to look at the United States.

Lu Shi asked, "Sir, where did you hear the news?" ”

Wardhouse chuckled,

"Nor are the British ministers merely eating and not working. In conclusion, the cause of the president's death should have been a festering caused by a bullet in his body. ”

Lu Shi groaned,

"You said 'should'?"

Wardhouse only smiled bitterly,

"Yes, that's 'should'. After all, the level of medical care is limited, and no one can accurately diagnose the existence of bullets in the president's body without opening the stomach, and the inference of the cause of death is even more metaphysical. But extrapolating the cause from the result, this should be the most plausible explanation. ”

In other words, when the doctor completed the stitches without removing the bullet, it was the equivalent of sentencing McKinley to death.

Lu Shi thought of Theodore again,

In October 1912, during an election campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Theodore was assassinated.

The bullet entered his chest cavity after hitting the speech and the frame of his glasses.

But Theodore refused to be hospitalized and insisted on completing a powerful 90-minute speech.

His exact words were:

“

I don't know if you've heard of it, but I was shot just now, but it wasn't enough to kill a stag.

”

Doctors believe that removing the bullet will lead to greater danger.

As a result, Theodore's body carried bullets for the rest of his life.

Lu Shi spat out gibberish: "! @*#￥%……”

Waldhouse asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Lu Shi said: "Not much. I just think America is a little too wild to keep a bullet in the body at every turn. ”

Wardhouse looked at him curiously, but didn't look deeper.

He digressed the topic and said, "You just asked me the reason for the assassination of the president, what do you think yourself?" ”

Lu Shi looked at the report again,

The identity of the assassin,

Polish immigration,

Anarchist,

Unemployed workers,

……

At this point in 1901, the buffs were almost full.

Lu Shi pondered,

McKinley's presidency coincided with the formation of monopoly capital in the United States and the beginning of its aggressive expansion.

His policy of raising tariffs and stabilizing the currency, together with other measures, led to a great improvement in the US economy, earning him the nickname of "prosperous president."

Lu Shi said: "The reason for his assassination should be his reforms." ”

Wardhouse nodded,

"I share the same view. In the process of reform, the president took too much care of the interests of the big capitalists and the plutocrats, while ignoring the interests of the vulnerable groups such as workers, peasants, and urban proletarians. This led to his death. ”

The British are the first to analyze others, but they are the first to be the way when it comes to their own problems.

This can also be regarded as a traditional art.

Lu Shi couldn't help but smile and asked, "Then, Mr. Roosevelt succeeded to the presidency?" ”

Wardhouse nodded slowly,

"Yes, he ended his vacation."

There is a hint of sarcasm in this.

Wardhouse hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I have another piece of news here, I don't know if I should tell you or not." ”

Lu Shi was curious,

"You say."

Wardhouse said, "The criminal...... Forehead ......"

Lu Shi glanced at the newspaper and prompted, "The assassin's name is Leon Chorgos. ”

Waldhouse glanced at Lu Shi,

"'Assassin'...... What a title with a sense of justice. ”

In fact, Jorgos was charged with first-degree murder,

He readily confessed his guilt and waived his right to defend himself, because he believed that the assassination of the president was because he believed it was his responsibility.

Since he confessed, the trial was naturally not difficult, and it ended in only 8 hours.

Wardhouse continued: "Jorgos worked for a chess company called 'Winning Moves' before he lost his job, and the company's main sales area was the eastern seaboard of the United States, and the company's products were of high quality and were well received by many players. ”

Winning Moves，

Translated as "winning move", it is frequently used in chess.

Lu Shi groaned,

"Any questions?"

Wardhouse pointed to the Monopoly box on the table,

"See for yourself."

Lu Shi: "......"

A strange premonition rose in my heart.

He turned the box over,

Game Designers: Lu (first designer), George Peck, Edward Peck;

Publisher: Parker Brothers;

Manufacturer: Winning Moves.

……

And so it was.

Lu Shi couldn't help but darken his face and said, "Don't tell me...... Hiss ......"

He felt a toothache.

Waldhouse smiled,

"Well...... I can't say it well, so I can only infer it. But from the available evidence, this inference does not seem to be good. ”

Of course, Lu Shi can also follow the brain to make up the plot,

Jolgos, who was originally a dock worker, lost his job and had to work as a temporary worker in the Winning Moves factory, making chess.

At this time, Winning Moves and Parker Brothers cooperate, or not cooperate, but only a simple entrustment relationship between Party A and Party B.

Anyway, Winning Moves got the job and started working on Monopoly,

During this time, Jorgos recognized the greed of human nature,

He discovers that his co-workers, who are proletarians, like to kill others while playing games.

He fell into despair,

thereupon

Bang！ Bang！

"Hiss......"

Lu Shi's back molars hurt even more.

Thinking of the early timing of McKinley's assassination, he couldn't help but think about it too much.

Waldhouse's smile grew darker and darker,

"There are fixed numbers and variables in the development of any thing, and in the process of development, its trajectory has laws to follow, and there are also unpredictable 'variables'."

Here we go again,

When encountering the affairs of the United States, it is simply analyzed neatly;

The British thing, just "Huh? "This ......", "Forehead ......".

Lu Shi said: "I really want to go back to London this afternoon." ”

Wardhouse was stunned for a long time,

forthwith

"Hahahaha!"

He couldn't stop laughing.

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing along, and said, "Let's tell hell jokes like this, and it is really a bit detrimental to our merits to laugh like this." ”

Wardhouse smiled even more,

"Lu, you are the most interesting person I have ever known in my life. Maybe one day after a hundred years, future generations will sort out my memoirs and see you in them, and find that you are related to many major events and turning points in the world, which must be very interesting. ”

The Queen's Walk,

The assassination of the President of the United States,

This kind of thing appears in Waldhouse's memoirs, and it is related to Lu Shi, so it will only be regarded as a conspiracy theory by later generations, right?

Lu Shi chuckled,

"That's the end of it. Your memoir has to be criticized by the academic community. ”

Unexpectedly, Wardhouse retorted solemnly: "That must not be possible." You guy, your status in the academic world is ridiculously high, how can your successor slander Master Zu? If I want to see it, they will definitely look for clues to corroborate my memoirs. ”

This sycophant made Lu Shi feel comfortable.

Lu Shi waved his hand again and again,

"Not so ~not so much~"

Waldhouse: '(ˉ▽ ̄~)cut~~'

He stretched and said, "But we should have gone back to London sooner." Of course, it's impossible today, you have to set off tomorrow. But didn't you consider a trip to Washington.? Mr. President, you may want to meet you. ”

Lu Shi: "Ah, this ......"

Only then did he remember that he had not seen a specific report of Theodore's succession as president.

Seeing that he was puzzled, Wardhouse explained, "America...... How to say that...... The vice president's succession to the presidency is generally an emergency, so it is relatively low-key, and there is no inauguration ceremony. ”

Indeed,

Whether it was McKinley, who was "searched for intestines", or Kennedy, who was "brain-opening",

Their successors were all very secret when they took the oath.

Historically, when Theodore heard of McKinley's death, he went to the room where the body of the late president was kept, and only bowed his head in silence for a few minutes.

He was then sworn in as the 26th president of the United States in the library of his close friend Ansley Wilcox, a mile from the house where McKinley's body was placed.

This is quite "informal".

Lu Shi groaned for a moment,

"Well, I still don't go. We'll go straight back to London tomorrow. ”

Wardhouse nodded,

"Let's head south first, from New York State. I think you can discuss with Goodman in the first place, and entrust him with full authority for all matters of cooperation in the United States. That kid looks like a goblin and likes to speculate, but in front of a powerful person like you, he won't play any tricks. ”

Lu Shi said "um",

"I thought so too."

The two stopped discussing these serious topics and chatted about "Monopoly" while eating breakfast.

The Pike brothers sent a telegram saying that the game had taken Massachusetts by storm and sold more than three thousand copies.

This is a terrifying statistic.

The most important thing is that the game has begun to radiate to the periphery,

If this development continues, it will soon be able to sweep the eastern part of the United States.

Wardhouse's assessment of this is: "The vast majority of people do not hate the capitalists, but they hate the capitalists not themselves." ”

The two chatted,

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door outside,

"Professor Lu?"

The sound sounds familiar.

Lu Shi went to open the door and found Franklin D. Roosevelt standing outside,

Behind him were two students, fiddling with a camera.

Franklin said, "Professor Lu, I heard that you are ending your trip to the United States. We at Crimson would like to conduct an in-depth interview with you, but I don't know ......"

Lu Shi groaned for a moment,

"What are the main aspects of the interview?"

Franklin handed out a list and said, "Professor Lu, we have studied the interview column of the Mirror, and the Crimson newspaper hopes to carry out similar reforms, and I hope you will give me advice." Thank you very much. ”

Lu Shi glanced at the list,

The above questions are not sharp, mainly related to the global university rankings, the design of table games such as "Wanli 15 Years" and "Monopoly".

The only two troublesome,

One is the issue of race;

The second is the "death" of the president.

Lu Shi said: "You won't ask about "Upside Down", right? ”

Franklin laughed, "Of course not. "Upside Down" is only suitable for college performances, not for the public, which we still know. ”

Lu Shi thought for a while,

"Okay, I'm willing to be interviewed."

He turned to Wardhouse and winked.

Wardhouse gestured.

So, Lu Shi followed a few reporters from "Crimson Daily" and left, and went to a small storage room next to it.

"It's quieter here," Franklin said. ”

After that, he began to command others to help Lu Shi take pictures, and Lu Shi familiarized himself with the problem in advance.

After about fifty minutes, the photo shoot ended.

The interview officially began.

Franklin followed the list and asked, "Professor Lu, you're going back to London soon." How did you feel about your trip to the United States? ”

Lu Shi replied: "It feels okay, at least...... Forehead ......"

He paused,

Because the pen in Franklin's hand is crazy about the output:

Lu Shi, the greatest family and historian across the century,

At the same time, he was a respected poet, linguist, educator,

His handsome face is impressive.

His dark eyes ......

"Wait!"

Lu Shi couldn't stand it anymore after all, and said, "Mr. Roosevelt, there's no need to be so numb, right?" ”

Franklin smiled,

"Professor Lu, your voice at Harvard University is very high now, and if you don't write a little numbly, it doesn't conform to most people's understanding of you."

He folded the page and said, "You don't have to worry about me. ”

Lu Shi: "......"

I didn't shoot like this, hey!

It feels like the other party is not reporting, but in the whole rice circle.

Lu Shi said: "You...... Forehead...... You take control. ”

Franklin nodded,

"Okay, I'll try to control it."

He glanced at the list of questions and said, "Regarding the United States, let's talk about the recent events." What do you think of the former president, Mr. William McKinley? Do you know him? ”

Lu Shi replied: "Mr. McKinley is a 'prosperous president,' and his contribution to the U.S. economy has made him famous in the history books. ”

Franklin blinked,

"Of course, this title of 'prosperous president' may also be the reason for his assassination."

Lu Shi said helplessly: "Mr. Roosevelt, your own words won't be reported, right?" ”

Franklin nodded,

"Of course not. But I can't guarantee that your words won't be reciprocated. ”

Lu Shi himself is a media, how can he not understand?

It can only be said that the Americans themselves tell hellish jokes without ambiguity.

(End of chapter)