Institut Française.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of the door.

Lu Shi was the first to jump down and stretch:

"Heh......"

In November, the climate in Paris is much more pleasant than in Stockholm.

With an average temperature of between 6°C and 10°C, the sky seems to be covered in delicate gray-blue flannel, revealing a calm and elegant beauty that exudes a charming charm.

Lu Shi looked around,

"Nothing has changed......"

The corners of Verne's mouth hooked an arc,

"It's not for nothing."

As he spoke, he nodded towards the garden square in the center of the academy.

As far as the eye can see, the grass is withering, the flowers are withering, and only a solemn bust of celebrities stands there.

Lu Shi couldn't help but be curious,

"During this time, have there been any additional seats at the Académie de France?"

Verne shook his head,

"It's only been half a year since you last visited. There are no additions. However, we French people are flexible, and not all of those statues are members of the Academy. ”

After speaking, he took the lead,

"Let's go, I'll take you over and have a look."

Poincaré and Roland also chimed in: "Yes, Professor Lu should go over and have a look." ”

I always feel that their attitude is inexplicably eager.

Lu Shi scratched his head,

"Okay."

Several people walked over together.

After entering the garden, Lu Shi saw many busts of French celebrities,

It didn't take long for him to find Poincaré.

The face of the statue is resolute and profound, as if announcing his discovery and contribution to the world.

Its base is a granite stele engraved with Poincaré's famous quotes:

"It's just as easy for people to doubt everything as it is to trust everything, because neither requires reflection."

The handwriting shines in the sun.

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless,

"Monsieur Poincaré, your famous aphorisms are very forward-looking~"

"Really?"

The corners of Poincaré's mouth are hooked,

"Actually, I wanted them to engrave another sentence, 'Mathematicians are not made, they are born.'" But it was vetoed, saying that I was too arrogant. ”

Lu Shi couldn't help laughing,

"The French~ It's normal to be arrogant. What's more, it's a mathematician~"

Poincaré glared at him,

"With that, one black has two identities - a Frenchman and a mathematician."

The four of them continued on.

Lu Shi looked left and right, puzzled: "Then again, what is here and what is there when I last visited...... Hmmm......"

He paused, his gaze a little glazed,

"That's ...... What the hell is that, hey!? ”

On the easternmost side of the garden, a bust is erected,

It is brand new, has not been baptized by wind and rain, and the black stone surface is as smooth as ever.

And the protagonist of the statue is Lu Shi.

Roland smiled "hehe",

"Professor Lu, although you are not a member of the Academy, what did Mr. Verne just say? We French people know how to be flexible best. ”

Lu Shi was speechless.

He hurried over and saw the famous words of the stele:

"Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, and knowing is knowing."

It's not normal to get here.

First, this is not a famous saying of Lu Shi, but of the holy teacher Confucius;

Second, the rubbing on the stele is an inscription before the land time, which is full of bends and turns, chaotic, and has no aesthetic sense at all.

But there's something even more abnormal down there,

After Confucius's famous quote, there is a small poem in French:

——

Your eyes will deceive you;

Your feelings will deceive you;

Your experience will deceive you;

But math doesn't,

No, it just won't!

——

Fxxk！

10,000 grass and mud horses galloped in Lu Shi's heart.

You know, in the future, there will be many great Chinese people to study in France.

How would they react to this?

"Hiss......"

Lu Shi gasped.

When Poincaré saw him like this, he said cautiously: "Professor Lu, this statue was designed by Monsieur Monet on his own initiative, and he worked hard to design it. Both he and the academy are satisfied. ”

Lu Shi sighed,

"Alas...... That one...... This sentence was said by Sage Kong. ”

Poincaré nodded,

"Of course we do."

Lu Shi was completely stunned and asked, "Then why is it still ......?"

Poincaré blinked somewhat mysteriously,

"Professor Lu, you yourself said that the translation should pay attention to faith, reach, and elegance, and translate that little poem about mathematics into the famous words of Sage Confucius, I think it is very elegant~"

Lu Shi: "......"

Ya is not wrong,

What about Shinwada?

But at this point, it is impossible to say any more.

He looked at his statue again, how awkward he was, how awkward he was, so he simply couldn't see it and looked away.

"Let's go."

Verne nodded,

"Okay, then I'll take you directly to the dormitory, it's still the villa from last time."

Lu Shi waved his hand and said, "No." There is still half a day, and I am not ready to rest. Let's go straight to the Jules Verne Prize submission and get it done as soon as possible, so I can get back to London as soon as possible. ”

The work with the Pike brothers is not yet done,

Moreover, on New Year's Day of the following year, he will receive the honor of Edward VII.

With so many things rushing together, the time is too short.

Verne is as good as a stream,

"Alright, we'll go over now. Another judge, Mr. Wells, has already started working. ”

A few people then went to the main building of the college.

Entering the small conference room, the fragrance of a large amount of paper and wood pulp and the faint smell of rosin in the room came to your face.

Manuscripts are scattered on conference tables, floors, and even windowsills.

There is a whole stack at Lu Shi's feet, and the first page of the top manuscript is drawn with charts and data, not like science fiction, but like a paper or report.

At the conference table, sat a man with thinning hair,

He was tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and an unlit cigarette between his right index finger and thumb.

This man was none other than Herbert George Wells,

His science fiction works have had a profound impact, such as "time travel", "alien invasion", "dystopia", etc., which are all mainstream topics in science fiction in the 20th century.

When he heard the door open, he didn't lift his head,

"Leave the food right outside the door. I'm not hungry yet. ”

Verne laughed out loud,

"Of course you're not hungry, it's not even two o'clock in the afternoon."

Wells's gaze reluctantly withdrew from the Chinese manuscript in his hand, slowly raised his head, and said, "Mr. Verne, you are a ...... Not...... Professor Lu!? You're Professor Lu, right!? Great, I finally got it. ”

He stood up and rushed over to shake hands with Lu Shi,

Because he was too enthusiastic, he even kicked down the stack of submissions at Lu Shi's feet,

"Professor Lu, I like your work so much. I was shocked when I read "The Country Teacher" before, and the recent "Chaowen Dao" is even more shocking. ”

Due to the popularity of scientists, the influence of "Chaowen Dao" spread rapidly,

Paris, London, Berlin......

By telegram, the major cities of Europe had already spread.

Lu Shi looked at the manuscript on the ground,

There were shoe prints on it.

He said, "That'...... Is it okay? ”

Wells waved his hand,

"It doesn't matter. Several of these manuscripts are indeed novel and worth seeing. But the author voted in the wrong place, and it was clear that it would be better to vote for the journal, but he wanted to participate in the award. ”

As he spoke, he tossed the manuscript aside with his feet,

"Leave them alone."

He then locked his eyes on Lu Shi,

Staring –

The eyes are gentle and deep, like the warm sun shining down, like looking at the lover of a dream.

Lu Shi quietly took two steps back,

"Mr. Wells?"

Wells came back to his senses,

He also realized that his performance just now was a little excessive, and quickly explained: "Professor Lu, before, I asked George many times to introduce you to me, but you have been very busy, and it is the Isle of Wight, the United States, and Stockholm......

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Do you know Mr. Xiao?"

Wells nodded,

"George has always wanted to bring me into the Fabian Society."

Lu Shi then remembered that there was indeed such a history,

In 1903, Wells became a member of the Fabian Society.

However, he still considered the moderate and reformist socialist ideas of the Fabian Society to be too radical, and eventually disagreed with George Bernard Shaw and other predecessors, and finally withdrew from the organization.

Lu Shi said: "Let's sit down and talk." ”

Several people greeted each other and sat down.

Wells continued the topic just now,

"The reason why I want to meet you is that I want to talk to you about the creation of science fiction."

Wells was one of the most prolific writers in his lifetime, writing more than 100 works in science, literature, history, society, and politics.

For him, creation is the continuation of life.

No wonder he's so fanatical.

Lu Shi asked, "Does Mr. Wells have any ideas?" ”

As soon as he finished asking, Wells unexpectedly pulled out a piece of paper from his bosom,

It's a very small font on it,

Densely packed, there are more than 20 questions in total.

"Ah......h

Lu Shi was stunned.

Wells was ashamed to ask,

"The first question, in "Chaowen Dao", you portrayed the alien "Danger Solver". Why do you portray it as, 'His features are so upright, a little unrealistic, like a symbol of a human being on some public sign'? ”

Lu Shi was stunned,

"It's ...... How to understand this question? ”

Wells explained: "Professor Lu, I'm just curious, why do you think aliens are like that? ”

What is this called a problem!?

I'm afraid that if you ask the electrician Da Liu, Da Liu will have to think about it for a minute before he can give an answer.

Verne on the side smiled,

"Lu, haven't you read Herbert's work?"

Lu Shi suddenly.

Wells's description of the "big-headed" alien in many has always been the "standard image" of aliens in later science fiction.

It can even be said to be a "stereotyped image".

Lu Shi shook his head,

"To be honest, I didn't think much about the image of aliens. However, if you think about it, it is not incomprehensible that aliens, who are far more intelligent than humans, should make their image more 'approachable' in order to be compatible with human understanding. ”

Wells replied, "Uh-huh...... I see......"

Lu Shi looked over,

Unexpectedly, the other party was burying his head in taking notes.

He couldn't help but have black lines on his head,

￣□￣｜｜

I've recently encountered similar facts in too much.

Wells finished his memory and continued to ask: "The second question is ...... in 'The Country Teacher'."

Lu Shi interrupted: "Wait! ”

He pointed to the submissions on the table,

"Let's talk while reading the manuscript, shall we?"

Wells remembered that he was not here to study, but to be a judge, and he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

He gets to the point,

"There are a few submissions that are not bad."

As he spoke, he picked up a stack,

"For example, this lad named Marcel Proust...... Forehead...... Well, I'm five years older than him, so it doesn't seem appropriate to call someone 'a lad'. In short, his ...... Professor Lu, what's wrong with you? ”

Wells couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Lu Shi in a daze.

Lu Shi: "Huh? "With a bang,

"Nope. Not much. ”

He confirmed: "You just said that the author's name is ......"

Wells repeats:

"Marcel Proust."

Lu Shi: "......"

The future Nobel laureate, the originator of the stream of consciousness, and the author of "Reminiscences of the Watery Years" -

Marcel Proust.

Such a character actually submitted a science fiction award.

Lu Shi took the manuscript and skimmed it quickly.

Unexpectedly, Proust is clearly parodying The Country Teacher.

The title of the book is "The Warden",

It is about the warden of a prison who, because of his perverted penchant, obliges all prisoners to read a textbook every three months, and then takes an exam, and those who fail the exam will suffer extremely harsh punishments......

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless,

The idea of the later story can even be guessed.

Verne on the side is also reading,

He couldn't help laughing,

"Lu, it seems that someone is paying tribute to you~ You don't mind, right?"

Lu Shi himself is a copyist, how can he mind?

He shook his head,

"Of course not."

Verne said "um",

"Literary creation should be open, and it doesn't matter if the subject matter and structure are similar, as long as you don't nest in the plot."

This old brother imitated "The Count of Monte Cristo" and wrote "The Count of Sandorf", of course.

Wells on the other side continued:

"There's also a tribute here. The author is called Louis ......"

Lu Shi raised his hand,

"Don't say the name, it's easy to affect the judgment as a judge."

"Ah......h

Wells looked confused,

After a few seconds, he asked, "That Marcel Proust, do you know just now?" ”

Lu Shi: "......"

I don't know how to answer.

On the contrary, Roland next to him slapped his forehead and said, "In this way, this Mr. Proust seems to be indeed a writer, and he has published ...... Published ......"

Roland mused,

But I just can't remember it.

Lu Shidao: ""Joy and Time" is a compilation of chronicles, essays, and stories. ”

In fact, he had only read a few of them.

The main understanding of Proust is that the masterpiece -

"Reminiscences of the Past".

Wells was confused,

"Professor Lu, do you know such an unpopular work?"

As a result, before Lu Shi could speak, Poincaré next to him began to brag for him: "Is that not!?" Professor Lu is so knowledgeable that I even suspect that he has a knack for memorization. ”

Wells subconsciously looked at Lu Shi repeatedly,

It was like seeing an alien.

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"I just happened to read it."

Wells is no longer entangled,

"You're right, it's really not appropriate for the judges to know the true identities of these contributors."

As he spoke, he handed over the manuscript,

"This one is not bad, it's called "New France."

Poincaré was surprised,

"The title of the book sounds like politics."

Verne said: "Henry, you are right, politics and science fiction overlap. For example, Edward Bellamy's "Retrospective" tells the story of a Bosnian youth who, after 113 years of slumber, finally woke up in 2000 to find that the ideal socialism had been established. Similarly, there is Wells...... Forehead ......"

Verne looked at Wells, not knowing whether to speak or not,

After all, the word "tribute" can sometimes be used as "plagiarism".

Wells looked as usual,

"Yes, and When the Sleeper Wakes Up, which I published in 1899, the protagonist on an alien planet wakes up after 200 years of hibernation and discovers that the metropolis of the future world is worse than in a bygone era."

Poincaré muttered,

"It's the opposite of "Retrospective". One is the ideal world, and the other is a more evil human society. ”

It is for this reason that "When the Sleeper Wakes Up" is considered the originator of "dystopia",

Yami Zatin's "We",

Huxley's Brave New World,

George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four",

……

So many works, you can see the shadow of "When the Sleeper Wakes Up",

And "Retrospective" has become the tears of history.

Poincaré asked: "What do you think of this kind of 'tribute'?" ”

Of course, it doesn't matter when copying the public land,

"I think it's okay to write well."

And the other two judges, Wells and George Bernard Shaw themselves, have also done "tribute", so naturally they will not slap themselves in the face,

"I agree with it." ×2

Poincaré asked: "In that case, what about this 'New France'?" ”

Lu Shi is reading.

, the author portrays the future France as a behemoth,

Kick America, punch Eurasia,

Politics, economy, and culture are leading in an all-round way.

The people are extremely self-confident and open to many things, and even allow a man who married a woman 24 years older than him to become prime minister, and this woman was also the prime minister's high school teacher.

Lu Shi was speechless,

This book called "New France" is a real cow X,

In the general direction, there is no prediction at all,

On the contrary, it is about the details of the prime minister's private life, which is ridiculously accurate.

And thanks to this,

Otherwise, Lu Shi would have been able to be the author and a traverser.

He shook his head,

"I think so."

Wells chimed in: "Well, it's okay, but it's just 'okay.'" ”

Verne, who was on the sidelines, said, "Why do I think it's good?" In the future, France will kick the Americas and punch Eurasia, how to think and how reasonable. ”

Lu Shi: "......"

Wells: "......"

The two looked at Verne wordlessly.

Even Poincaré couldn't help but complain: "Jules, it's okay to lie to your buddy, don't lie to yourself, it doesn't matter if your buddy is deceived by you, just go over with a haha." ”

Verne muttered: "Okay~Okay~"

He spread his hands and said: "From the point of view, this "New France" is indeed average. ”

The three judges agreed.

Wells continued: "There are ...... to come There are few left. I feel like the trial will be completed today and tomorrow. ”

(End of chapter)