The second volume is full of glory and splendor in the capital, and the spirit is full of vitality in the foggy city. Chapter 274 Countdown
Subtitle of this chapter: Free is not necessarily the most expensive
The end of this degree awarding ceremony means that our Master Yuan’s stay in the United States has entered the countdown stage.
So Yuan Yanshu had to go...buy a boat ticket!
Sunday morning, June 5, 1921.
Americans, whether it was a hundred years ago or a hundred years from now, love to party. NYU graduates held a graduation reception last night.
The "Lord Fool," with his 16-point constitution, could naturally drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but "His Holiness the Pope" and "His Majesty the Emperor" were completely tipsy. So Yuan Yan quickly carried her two good friends back to the luxurious apartment on the Hudson River and dumped them in the guest room.
Now these two little friends are drinking white porridge and eating fried dough sticks with him.
"Neo, you're right. This rice porridge is indeed delicious, better than oatmeal porridge. Especially after adding milk and sugar, why don't you add some?"
Our Master Yuan gave his personal lawyer a look of disdain and shook his head. "John, that's not necessary. We Chinese never add milk to our porridge."
"Neo, don't look at me like that." Mr. McCall said a little dissatisfiedly, "You Chinese people just don't like drinking milk, so you don't grow tall... Of course, you are an exception."
Yuan Yan suddenly thought to herself, what the little fat man said makes sense. The problem is, we Chinese don't dislike drinking milk, nor is it like some people say that we don't like drinking milk, but we simply can't afford it.
These days, most of his compatriots were lucky enough to have mixed noodles to fill their stomachs. If they had to eat even worse wild vegetables and tree bark, or even worse Guanyin soil, they would even eat their own children. Why would they drink milk?
Even if he wanted to learn from the Japanese and launch the "cup of milk during recess" campaign, where could he find so much milk in Serbia?
For a moment, he was really a little sad.
So he changed the subject and said, "Gentlemen, who will be responsible for buying our tickets?"
Mr. Baker, standing by, swallowed the dough sticks in his mouth and said, "Neo, I forgot to tell you yesterday. Now I have good news for you."
"Oh, Louis. What's the good news?"
Louis smiled and said, "It's like this. Mr. Morgan heard that we were going on a round-the-world trip, and he was very happy to sponsor us. So as long as we go to England this time and take the ships of his passenger companies, everything will be... free!"
Little Morgan is really a big favor.
Ship tickets are really expensive these days. Take the Titanic, for example, which made its maiden and final voyage in 1912...
The reason why this ship is used as an example is that the British White Star Line that built the ship is affiliated with the United Shipping Group of the Morgan Consortium.
JP Morgan personally attended the ship's launching ceremony in 1911 and had his own private suite on board, with his own private promenade and specially designed bathtub.
He was reportedly booked for a maiden voyage but did not go, instead staying in the French resort of Aix-en-Provence, enjoying his morning massage and sulphur baths.
“Losing money in life is nothing,” he told a visiting New York Times reporter days after the sinking. “Life is what matters.”
By the way, Yuan Yanshu’s friend Theodore Dreiser, one of the “Three Giants of 20th Century American Literature”, almost boarded the Titanic, but later due to schedule issues, he took another cruise ship instead.
Dresser was at sea on the cruise ship Cluland when he heard the news of the disaster. The following year, in his memoir, The Forty-Year-Old Traveler, he recalled his reaction: "Before me, a ship as huge as the Titanic, brand new and gleaming, sinking into the unfathomable depths. More than a thousand passengers, scrambling from their cabins, were left floating helplessly for miles in the water, praying and wailing!"
Another lucky guy is Guillermo Marconi, "one of" the inventors of wireless telegraphy... Without this "one of", "Lord of the Tower" would not agree.
The shipping company offered him a free trip on the Titanic, but he had boarded the Lusitania three days earlier.
There is another unspoken story about Marconi and the Titanic. Although Marconi's company's wireless operators were accused of withholding information from the public in order to sell the news to the New York Times, and Marconi was questioned by a Senate committee, he is still considered one of the heroes of the disaster.
Because his invention saved more than 700 lives.
The cheapest third-class cabin on the Titanic cost 3 pounds, which is equivalent to more than 250 pounds today, or 2,250 yuan in RMB.
No wonder Jack, a poor boy, couldn't even afford a boat ticket, but had to win it by playing cards.
The ticket price for a single berth in the Titanic's first-class cabin is 30 pounds, which is equivalent to more than 20,000 RMB.
However, the first-class cabin is not worthy of Dr. Yuan and his friends. If they want to take a ship, they have to stay in the special luxury compartment.
In addition to suites with private balconies, they can also enjoy luxurious facilities such as a dedicated heated swimming pool, gym, squash court, Turkish bath, sunbathing deck, and even a dedicated kennel for pet dogs.
The most expensive luxury suite with a private balcony on the Titanic cost 870 pounds!
Poverty does limit a person's imagination. Spending more than 600,000 RMB just to take a boat ride for more than ten days... To be honest, for a comrade like Master Yuan who comes from a small family, it is really hard for him to do that.
This is a ship from the UK to the United States, just across the Atlantic. But this group of people also have to take a ship from Western Europe to East Asia.
Our Master Yuan knew why Morgan Freeman was so generous, but Mr. McCall asked in confusion, "Why does he want to sponsor us?"
Mr. Baker pointed at Yuan Yan, who appeared calm but was actually quite pleased with herself, and said, "We're all thanks to Neo. Mr. Morgan raved about his book, Murder on the Orient Express, and said it was the best detective novel he'd ever read."
"He also said that if Neo could write the next book soon and it was as good as this one, he would consider sponsoring our entire trip."
Our Master Yuan was delighted when he heard this. Look at how hard he pushed for updates. In the future, wouldn't a certain online literature website reward its entire site for news?
"So..." Louis stared at Yuan Yan with shining eyes and said, "Neo, hurry up and write!"
Yuan Yan frowned and said, "Louis, do you think writing is like milking cows, where you can just squeeze it out?"
Mr. McCall interrupted, "Neo, that's not very interesting. We all know you can write easier than milk a cow."
Mr. Baker agreed, "Right, right, right. You haven't calculated how much you've written since last October. How much time does a detective novel take?"
Our Master Yuan was not happy to hear this, but was frightened. He thought that his writing speed was really too fast. It would be fine if these two were members of the SCP Foundation, but it would be bad if other people became suspicious.
I should probably write less long stories and more short ones. Besides that long Chinese novel series...
"Okay..." He didn't let his friends down, shrugged and said, "Louis, tell Mr. Morgan that I should be able to finish the next one before I leave Europe. I already have the idea for it, and it's called 'Death on the Nile'..."
Since he has such enthusiastic readers, he has to apologize to Ms. Agatha Christie again.
In fact, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, she is probably the best-selling author in human history. If all her works are included, only the Bible and William Shakespeare's works have a higher total sales volume.
Moreover, Murder on the Orient Express was written in 1934, and Death on the Nile was published in 1937. By then, she had already achieved success and fame.
These two novels are indeed classics among classics, but for her, they are the icing on the cake. Even if there were no Poirot series, Ms. Christie would at most earn less in royalties.
Yuan Yanshu didn't feel much psychological burden when copying these two novels.
At this point, he remembered something and said, "Oh, Louis. I need to ship a horse back to the country. Don't forget to arrange it for me."
That horse was, of course, Red Hare, the horse given to him by Lady Louise Cromwell Brooks.
Just think about it, when the time comes, he will be riding a horse and galloping through the streets of Shanghai, looking as cool and stylish as he can be.
With this purebred Arabian horse, who would need a Maserati or a Rolls-Royce?
In fact, he was imitating the Jianhu Heroine. She did the same thing back then, riding a Japanese horse, carrying a Japanese sword, wearing a school uniform...note, not a sailor uniform, and parading through the streets of Shaoxing, making the local onlookers shout...I can't stand it!
After all, it was the late Qing Dynasty, not the late Ming Dynasty. Such shocking behavior was unacceptable to society as a whole. Even revolutionary comrade Zhang Taiyan said, "I was always proud and my words were not concise." He eventually died because of a leak.
"I've got that..." Louis Baker nodded and said, "Book two more luxury suites."
Since it was a luxury suite, it wasn't meant for one person. They were young and didn't need servants or housekeepers, so two rooms were more than enough.
"What do you mean by two suites?!" Yuan Yan suddenly jumped out to object. With a strange smile on his face, he said, "It's three!"
"Right, right, right..." The two young gentlemen looked at each other and immediately laughed mischievously. They nodded in agreement, "Hahahaha... It's three rooms, it's three rooms, it's three rooms..."
"Ha, you three are here."
Just as they were discussing booking the boat tickets, three beautifully dressed ladies walked in.
"Helen, Emma, and Aisi, would you like to have something to eat together?" As the host, Master Yuan stood up and greeted them.
Helen of Manhattan shook her head in dissatisfaction, "What's the point of having breakfast? Didn't you say you'd go shopping with us?"
"Helen, who said I would accompany you shopping?" Mr. McCall's expression and tone changed when he heard this.
"John, that's what you said!" Her Majesty the Queen put one hand on her waist and pointed at him, saying, "Didn't you promise me last night?"
The poor "Emperor" scratched his head and said, "Last night...wasn't I drunk last night?"
"Just because you're drunk, does that mean it doesn't count? Mr. John McCall, I really never realized you were such a person who doesn't keep your word!" Helen said unyieldingly.
At this time, "Her Excellency the Priestess" also chimed in, "Yes, we are going on a world tour. We must buy a lot of things. Without the help of you gentlemen, how can we ladies carry them all?"
"That's right, Boss. We're going to China, so how can we not make some preparations?"
If Miss Moman said this a hundred years from now, our Master Yuan would definitely slap her in the face and say, "You white country bumpkins, we in Seres don't have anything." It's just because of tariffs that luxury goods and some electronic products are a little more expensive.
When the time comes, I will take you to Hongqiao Market to open your eyes. I guarantee that you will be like a fly in a honey pot - confused and lost.
But it was 1921, and Serbia had literally nothing; even bicycle bells had to be imported.
"this……"
When the three gentlemen heard these irrefutable reasons from the three ladies, they all immediately showed a look of toothache.
Yuan Yan's eyes suddenly flashed as he had a good idea. He revealed a beaming expression and said, "Three beautiful ladies, I'm delighted to share some good news with you. Mr. Morgan is sponsoring our round-the-world trip. We can ride on his passenger ship for free."
"Niao, are you serious?" The three beautiful ladies indeed showed surprised expressions.
Master Yuan’s female secretary is fine, but the other two are traveling at their own expense. Saving money on the boat tickets means they can shop more things, right?
"Why would I lie to you?" he swore. "But Mr. Morgan has a condition: he wants me to finish a detective novel as soon as possible..."
"So..." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "In order for everyone to enjoy this luxurious trip for free, although I regret not being able to accompany you shopping, I have to go to work now!"
He bowed to Baker and McCall and said sympathetically, "I'll leave this matter to you two. Have fun!"
Naturally, the two let out a miserable cry: "Neo!"
What are you calling me, Neo? This means I would rather die than let my friend die.
"Xiaokang, send them where they want to go!"
"Yes, Second Master."
Our Master Yuan casually gave instructions to his driver and then walked into his study as if he didn't hear anything.
“Click.”
He locked the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey...
"oops!"
He raised his hand and sucked the new wound that had appeared inexplicably, then tilted his head back and drank the glass of whiskey in one gulp.
Yuan Yan suddenly sat down, took out the ball gag and put it on her mouth:
"Guys, Are You Ready?"
