Putting down the telegram, Wardhouse left.

Lu Shi returned to his room, buried his head, and continued to study "The Nature of Japanese Civilization", thinking about how to integrate the strengths of each book.

He wrote a word next to it—

shame

Then there was a question mark next to it.

Natsume Soseki asked curiously: "Why do you have a question mark, is there any doubt?" ”

Lu Shi was surprised,

"I said yesterday about the 'culture of shame', do you agree with that?"

Natsume Soseki "forehead ......",

To tell the truth, as a literati, it is his job and his preference to create, essay, and haiku, but not history and politics.

So, what is Japanese civilization really like?

He never thought about a similar question.

But today, when Masaoka Zigui came to deliver the letter, the two chatted, which inevitably made people can't help but think more.

If Lu Shi feels something,

"What did Mr. Masaoka say?"

Natsume Soseki said in a low voice, "He seems to approve of you." ”

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless,

The Japanese quite approve of Li Mei, who made the Tokyo barbecue~

In the end, it is the recognition of the point of view, or the recognition of the strength,

Hardly.

Lu Shi wrote another line of words: "There is a sense of shame, but there is little guilt." ”

Natsume Soseki broke out in a cold sweat again,

He understands that if something bad is discovered, he will be ashamed of being discovered, but he will not feel guilty because of the bad thing itself.

The feeling of being seen through reappeared.

Lu Shi looked over,

"How?"

Natsume Soseki shook his head and asked rhetorically, "'There is a sense of shame, but there is little guilt', why is this happening?" ”

He asked this, which was equivalent to admitting Lu Shi's point of view.

Lu Shi was speechless for a while,

He himself felt that what he wrote was too absolute,

Unexpectedly, the Japanese recognized it themselves.

What else is there to say about this?

Lu Shi replied: "You know, I wrote 'Guns, Germs and Steel', so I like to start from many aspects when considering problems. In my opinion, there are many reasons for the emergence of this civilized character, which cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences. ”

Natsume Soseki is curious,

"Let's give you an example."

Lu Shi thought for a while and said, "I heard that many of you implement the marriage system? ”

Natsume Soseki couldn't help but be surprised,

"You know about getting married?"

The so-called marriage refers to the fact that a man does not marry a woman and does not marry, and the union of both men and women is realized through the visit from twilight to chao.

Both men and women produce and consume in their respective matrilineal households, and assume the obligation to raise offspring, and the two parties to the marriage do not monopolize each other.

In conclusion, walking marriage is a residual feature of matrilineal clan societies.

Lu Shi explained: "I know about the marriage system because many ethnic groups in southwest China still have this tradition. ”

Natsume Soseki nodded,

"Because of poverty and low productivity, coupled with the lack of transportation, walking marriages have been preserved. As a result, before the Restoration, only the nobility and samurai class had surnames in the country. ”

Lu Shi was stunned for a moment, and then showed an expression of "I understand".

Only patrilineal societies formalize kinship through surnames,

Because the mother must know that the child is her own, the surname seems redundant.

Natsume Soseki said, "What about getting married? ”

Lu Shi explained: "The characteristics of the matrilineal clan society, everyone has lived in a small village for generations, unlike China, where there are still places to migrate. This kind of acquaintance society where you don't see you looking down is prone to brewing a culture of shame. ”

That's really one of the reasons.

Natsume Soseki had read Guns, Germs, and Steel before, and knew that everything was connected, and that studying these connections was the core of the new historiography.

But he has never experienced this.

It wasn't until today, listening to Lu Shi's analysis of Japanese civilization, that he suddenly realized.

And Lu Shi can find those subtle connections with his discernment, and his erudition and insight are by no means very comparable.

Natsume Soseki muttered, "Sometimes, I really want to pry open your skull and see what's inside. Alas...... How can there be such a ...... in this world? People are more angry than people. ”

Lu Shi laughed,

He even lived as a "child of someone else's family".

He waved his hand,

"The authorities are confused, and the bystanders are clear."

Natsume Soseki glanced at Lu Shi helplessly,

"Then you can still write "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli", why isn't this a fan of the authorities?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh,

"Well, I still don't want you to write this. Seeing you write this, I always have a feeling of being stripped naked and parading the streets in public, not only surprised, but also frightened and terrifying. ”

Lu Shi took over the conversation: "Then I won't write it." ”

He didn't want to write,

It's not that I'm worried about not being able to sell,

Because of the fire of "I Am a Cat", the current Londoners are very curious about that distant island country, and the author of "The Nature of Japanese Civilization" is Lu, and it is not a problem to sell tens of thousands of copies.

Lu Shi didn't want to write it, mainly because this book was too troublesome to write.

Just like "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli",

There are so many things to consider for this kind of monograph, which is both academic and entertaining.

Unexpectedly, Natsume Soseki grabbed him,

"Don't, you have to finish it! I'm still ...... Still want to see it. ”

This thing is now not afraid of being stripped off.

Lu Shi was speechless,

"Okay, then write it out. It just so happens that I need income recently, and no matter how small a mosquito is, it is still a piece of meat. ”

Natsume Soseki was shocked,

"Will you be short of money? And, with your royalty income, it's just 'mosquito meat'? ”

Lu Shi pointed to the telegram on the table,

"Look."

Natsume Soseki immediately picked it up and read it.

The telegram was taken by an American lawyer named Saul Goodman.

It said that Nicholas Murray Butler, acting president of Columbia University, is about to become a regular and has begun preparations for the construction of a journalism school, and needs the financial support of Lu Shi to fulfill his promises.

The first is......

"Fifty thousand pounds!?"

Natsume Soseki's eyes are about to bulge.

What's so ......

Compared with this astronomical amount, the royalty income is indeed the younger brother of the younger brother.

Natsume Soseki said, "I can make you some...... Forehead ......"

He was a little embarrassed.

Lu Shi laughed,

"Good brother, morality. However, it is a drop in the bucket and there is no need. ”

Natsume Soseki touched his nose in embarrassment and asked, "Tell me the truth, how many pounds do you need?" ”

Lu Shi said: "There is no number~ Columbia needs 100,000 pounds, and it will be paid in three times, with a ratio of five, three, and two." Secondly, I also have a cooperation with Parker Brothers in the United States, and I am going to set up a toy company in Europe, which must have a gap of several thousand pounds. ”

Natsume Soseki: "......"

Such a huge number, he didn't dare to think in his dreams.

He asked, "What are you going to do?" ”

Lu Shi said: "If you want to make a lot of money, you have to rely on commercial means, and the "Mirror" dividend is the most reliable. ”

Natsume Soseki was even more speechless,

"It's only threepence a copy of the Mirror."

Lu Shi nodded calmly, and while writing a book, he said: "Of course I know that the Mirror is only three pence a copy, so I can't rely on these small profits." You should understand that the media makes money by advertising. So I just asked Sir to help me with Mr. Cooper and Mr. Scott......"

Before the words fell, there was a knock at the door,

"Lu!"

It's Wardhouse who goes and returns.

Natsume Soseki complained: "Let an earl run errands for you, you can really do it." ”

Lu Shi smiled,

"I also asked the princess to run errands for me~ If I'm lucky, maybe I can let the king and the prime minister run errands for me in the future."

Natsume Soseki pursed his lips in disbelief.

Lu Shi didn't say much, put the manuscript in the drawer, and walked over to open the door.

As a result, as soon as he opened the door,

"You're back!"

Before the man arrives, the sound comes first,

Cooper slapped Lu Shi on the shoulder with his fist and rushed through the door, then said, "You weren't there when The Mirror was a big success, and we didn't know who to talk to to to share the joy with." ”

Scott then entered the house as well,

"Just know...... I knew you were going to sell ad space! ”

He laughed,

"Although the Mirror is not able to stabilize the sales of 100,000 copies a day, there are some fluctuations, but on average, this number must be there. With such a proud achievement, how can it not sell advertising? Don't even give away money for free, it's illogical! ”

As he spoke, he took out a newspaper base,

"Look, I'm ready to ......"

Before the words fell, Wardhouse's voice came from outside: "I'll talk about it later!" Don't get stuck here, I can't get in! ”

Scott: "Huh? "With a bang,

"I'm sorry, I'm so excited to be able to do it."

He pulled Cooper out of the way,

Wardhouse entered.

Several people found chairs in the room and sat down separately.

Scott handed the plate to Lu Shi and said, "This is my masterpiece with Cooper!" Hahahaha...... Although it is a bit arrogant to boast that it is a 'masterpiece', I am indeed very confident in this advertising base. ”

Cooper further elaborated: "Lu, because the Mirror is a tabloid and very entertaining, we have done a lot of innovation in advertising. ”

Both men came in with confidence.

Lu Shi was curious, and carefully watched the bottom plate,

I have to admit that Cooper and Scott are indeed old media people, and they actually thought of it with Lu Shi,

They decided to advertise just one product with a full page.

Wardhouse smiled and said, "Lu, the two of them also thought of selling a full page as an advertisement, and they will follow you for a number of ways." Doesn't China say that 'heroes see the same thing'? I think that's the best example of this. ”

After a long period of contact with Lu Shi, these Britons are about to become China experts.

Cooper said, "Now imagine a product, like ...... Forehead...... Beer? Then think of an advertising slogan, 'The best beer in the world,' printed in large print in the most prominent place, and then accompanied by a frame. ”

Scott excitedly grabbed the words: "Such a page may sell a thousand pounds!" ”

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing,

Scott and Cooper understand the media, but they don't understand advertising.

For example, Cooper said "the best beer in the world", which is actually the advertising slogan of Carlsberg beer, but because of the advertising law later, it became "probably the best beer in the world".

If there is the word "maybe", it is not illegal.

Lu Shi said: "In doing this, you are not only selling layouts, but also selling designs and advertising words. These two comparable layouts are worth a lot of money. ”

Cooper: ???

Scott:???

Wardhouse: ???

They don't understand.

Lu Shi pondered for a moment and said, "Why did you change it like this? ”

Cooper spreads his hands,

"Now is the age of scarcity of materials, enterprises are on the top, and advertising is a combination of propaganda and threat. Admittedly, this can be a huge effect, but compared to the soft slogan of 'the best beer in the world', the current advertising is terrible. ”

That's right,

Take Japan's Shinagawa Electric Light Company as an example,

Its advertisement in the newspaper is the PUA of Chiguoguo:

“

People who are worried about the dangers of electric lights should come to our company to solve their doubts.

If the indoor wiring of the electric light is perfect, there is no fire worry.

If you want to complete the wiring, complete equipment, cheap and good, come to our company to buy.

Our company is not limited to distance and near, and does everything we want.

The people who go to other companies to buy the decorations of our company without visiting them are people who are negligent in art and economics.

”

In the eyes of modern Japanese, the language of this advertisement is more brutal than imagined.

But at the beginning of the 20th century, it was just easy to use.

Otherwise, Shinagawa Electric Light Company would not have developed into one of the predecessors of TEPCO.

Lu Shi said: "The current advertising space ...... I want to think about it...... In the case of Le Figaro, how much is an advertising space? ”

Scott shook his head,

"Don't talk about it, do you? Le Figaro is almost an advertising album, and there is no point in discussing it. However, if you talk about the Times, as far as I know, their most expensive advertising space is a hundred pounds, which it sells to Ernest Shackleton. ”

Lu Shi was stunned,

"Is Mr. Shackleton the Antarctic explorer?"

"Yes, they left in July," Scott said. However, you had already gone to the United States at the time, how did you know about it? Ah, I understand, literati don't go out, they know the world, don't you say that? ”

This guy has also begun to incarnate as a China expert.

When the land is full of black lines,

￣□￣｜｜

He digressed from the subject,

"Why did you mention Mr. Shackleton?"

Scott smiled and said in a low voice: "You know, the Antarctic expedition was formed by the Royal Geographical Society, funded by the British government, and the investment is generous in all aspects, including advertising. ”

Lu Shi understood,

The Royal Geographical Society is approximately equal to the public unit,

This kind of unit buys advertising space, and the price must be higher than the market price.

As for the reason......

I can only say that I understand everything, and I don't explain much if I don't understand.

Scott blinked subtly and said, "So, an average of fifty pounds for an ad in The Times is about the same." ”

This is not a small amount.

According to the old system,

1 shilling = 12 pence,

£1 = 20 shillings,

Suppose the profit of a Times newspaper is 1pence, and the profit of that advertising space is equivalent to the sale of tens of thousands of newspapers.

What's more, a current copy of The Times does not necessarily make a profit of 1pence.

The more newspapers are sold, the thinner the cost will be, so we have to rely on small profits but quick turnover.

The emergence of the "Mirror" has squeezed the living space of almost all newspapers, and the newspapers have to tighten their belts to get by, making the profit of advertising space particularly important.

Lu Shi said: "The advertising space of the Times is so cheap, we sell it for a thousand pounds per page, can we sell it?" ”

The rest fell silent.

With the current sales of the "Mirror", the single-page advertisement must be worth that price,

But how do you convince those businessmen?

When Waldhouse looked at Lu,

"By the way, you said you had an idea?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Yes, I was thinking about soft advertising. To put it simply, it is to integrate the product into the media in a more subtle way. ”

Everyone looked at each other, still not understanding.

Lu Shi had to give an example: "For example, the beer we just talked about, if we let the characters in the "I Am a Cat" comic get together, instead of drinking sake, drink beer instead, and reflect it in the comic grid from time to time, will you be curious about this beer?" If you're curious about this beer, isn't it the same as advertising? ”

Scott:!!!

Cooper: !!

"This ...... What kind of genius idea is this?! ”×2

The two spoke in unison.

"Of course, this kind of advertising also faces the same problem, and we still need to convince those businessmen," Lu said. ”

Waldhouse asked, "What do you think?" ”

Lu Shi lowered his head and pondered for a while,

"We bring together potential collaborators and have a buffet. During the dinner, we pitched the Mirror's advertising plan and asked them to bid, and the highest bidder won. ”

Wardhouse: !!

"Auctions? Can advertisements also be auctioned? Hiss...... What kind of genius idea is this?! ”

He gasped, shocked.

(End of chapter)