I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 78: Profits and Fantasy Lao Tuo (Two in One)

Mikhail could understand Nekrasov's arrival. After all, the sales of the collection of essays were indeed related to the life and death of him and Mikhail. If he really failed, Nekrasov might never be able to stand up straight in front of Panayeva again, and Mikhail really had to consider whether to bear the pain and eat gigolo rice.
Because of this, unlike Mikhail's baby-like sleep, Nekrasov was so excited that he couldn't sleep the night before the collection was published. He lay in bed thinking about all sorts of things for half the night. Nekrasov simply didn't sleep, but put on his clothes and prepared to observe the situation in the bookstore.

At Mikhail's suggestion, Nekrasov had already contacted the owners of famous bookstores and cafes in St. Petersburg, where there is a strong cultural atmosphere. He spent a lot of money, but did get a relatively satisfactory response. So the rest depends on how the collection of essays performs.

Nekrasov thought he was a little too early, but unexpectedly, there was someone else who arrived at the same time as him and also went to the bookstore.

With a mixture of excitement and nervousness, Nekrasov found a random spot and started to wait, ready to see what was going on.

As time went on, Nekrasov became more and more agitated, so much so that he could no longer stay and jumped out of his situ- ation to find Mikhail.

Then on the way, he happened to meet Dostoevsky, who was mumbling something with a collection of essays in his hand. After greeting him, Nekrasov saw that the other party seemed to be also shocked by Mikhail's new work, so he simply pulled Dostoevsky along.

Mikhail, who learned what happened: "."

It seems like I won't be able to sleep in today anyway.
When Nekrasov arrived, he, Turgenev, and the old man beside him were excited and talked passionately for a long time. Then the three of them looked at Mikhail and said:

"Mikhail, read us some of your poetry! Nothing can lift our spirits more than your poetry!"

Mikhail: “.”

I'm still sleepy, how can I have the energy to read to you?
"Let's talk after I wash up and we go out."

Seeing that several people were almost hugging each other in his small room, Mikhail realized that he could not sleep at all, so he simply invited them to go for a walk together and have a cup of tea or coffee.

Mikhail didn't let the three of them wait too long. After a while, four men who looked quite different were walking on the street.

Among them, the one who dressed the best and looked the most respectable was Lao Tu, slightly second was Lao Tu, and then was Nekrasov. The one at the bottom of the clothing ecosystem was undoubtedly Mikhail, who had worn the same coat for three or four years.

However, it was vague that such a small group seemed to be centered around Mikhail.

The four men walked straight towards a famous cafe in St. Petersburg.

In today's Russia, more than 95% of the area is still living the traditional farming life. Only in the two big cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow can people keep up with the fashion of the old Pharaoh Britain in Europe.

One of the manifestations of these fashions is the emergence of public spaces such as cafes. People with culture or interest in culture often gather here to talk about art and philosophy and brag about themselves. The most indispensable thing is of course to discuss national affairs.

Of course, in St. Petersburg, the practice is certainly not as blatant as in the old revolutionary base areas, and most of it is carried out in private salons.

Even so, many educated young people or Russians who admire European culture very much are often happy to stay here for a while, whether to keep up with the fashion or for other reasons.

Normally, the topics of conversation in a place like a cafe are diverse and all kinds of things are discussed, but today the discussion is particularly unified.

When Mikhail and his group arrived, the cafe, which should have been a very noisy place, was surprisingly quiet. Only the sound of someone reading a novel loudly could be heard.

Generally speaking, reading novels is often done in private. After all, there are so many people in public, how can we be sure that everyone will be interested in the same novel?
However, perhaps because the recent works of the author named Mikhail are very refined and concise, quite a lot of people are willing to take some time to read or listen to them. The novel that is currently being read is undoubtedly the "Cowardly" that just appeared in the collection.

After the novel was finished, the cafe suddenly became as lively as boiling water. Discussions broke out everywhere, and many of them reached Mikhail's ears:
"You're clearly asking for the money you deserve, so why are you being so timid? You should fight for what's yours! You'll get nothing if you just keep giving in."

"Look at you, you're making it sound so simple. Sometimes you can just fight back whenever you want. There's always someone or some system tying your hands and feet, preventing you from moving!"

"you are right?"

"Hey! Petrov! Why are you playing dumb?"

"Her constant calls of 'Merci' are truly unbearable. I can't resist injustice, but why do I subconsciously accept it? Compared to cowardice in action, cowardice in spirit is the most deadly!"

Just as Mikhail was listening attentively, Turgenev, who was sitting next to him, suddenly said, "Mikhail, if they recognized you, they would definitely ask you to speak in front of everyone! It's a pity that you rarely appear in various salons and gatherings, otherwise they would definitely recognize you!"

Mikhail: “.”

What are you talking about? Shouldn't Russia be like this now?
It would be fine if it happened in other places, but do you really think that the Tsar’s glory cannot shine on a cafe right in front of your own house?

He waved his hand to deal with the matter, and then they ordered some food to clear their minds. As for poetry, Mikhail didn't need to read it. Soon, the sound of passionate poetry recitation could be heard again in the cafe.

Compared with the questions and thoughts brought about by the novel, this poem, which has an unclear specific direction but is extremely grand and full of vitality, brings a more intense emotional impact and a kind of inexplicable surge of emotion.

Poetry itself is an art form that is extremely condensed and contains a huge concentration of emotions. Coupled with its long-standing lofty status as the crown of art, to a certain extent, it can indeed impact more people more directly.

This led to a problem: Mikhail, sitting in the cafe, felt his head buzzing with excitement. Hearing so much noise, anyone who didn't know would think a riot was about to break out. Unlike Mikhail, the other three people at the table were looking at the scene with a touch of envy. Nekrasov couldn't help but look at Mikhail and say, "Listen, Mikhail! They're all talking about you. If one day my poetry gets this kind of treatment, I'll have no regrets."

"Your song 'On the Road' this time is good enough."

Hearing Nekrasov's words, Mikhail replied seriously: "I can feel your courage and sincere emotions from this. It will definitely be mentioned again and again in the future."

"Thank you for your affirmation Mikhail."

Nekrasov was deeply moved by this, and at the same time, a thought struck him. He couldn't help but ask, "By the way, can I ask you something? What exactly does the sun in your poem represent? If it were a purely natural scene, there would be no need to emphasize it so repeatedly."

Faced with this question, Mikhail did not explain too much. He just pointed to his heart and said, "Everyone has their own answer. But seizing the moment of emotional outburst and feeling the true thoughts and hidden corners of your heart is the most important thing."

"you're right."

Nekrasov seemed to have grasped something in his trance, and he nodded thoughtfully and said, "I think I've seen a new way of expressing yourself in your poem. Perhaps I can try to use it next."

"Just wait and see, Nicholas. Judging from the current sales of our collection, I think you'll be able to get rid of your debt soon and write poetry for a while."

For a future great poet like Nekrasov, the artistic experience of others will often become nourishment for his growth process without causing too much interference, so Mikhail was not worried that this poem would have any adverse effects on him.

When he heard the words "get rid of debt", Lao Tuo, who was a little shy at first, seemed to have triggered some kind of switch and immediately asked:
"Nicholas and Mikhail, how many copies of this collection have you printed? Judging from the current situation, I estimate that all 2,000 copies may be sold."

He knew that the price was not cheap, so in order to see his own novel and other people's novels earlier, Lao Tuo went out early to buy books.

And if he had not received more than 100 rubles in royalties from Nekrasov for the novel "Poor People", the money to buy this book might really have hurt him.

Even so, due to paying off some debts and buying some things for celebration, Dostoevsky recently found that his newly received royalties seemed to be running out.
Let's get back to the point. Judging from the current sales of "Petersburg Anthology", Mikhail and Nekrasov's gamble has most likely succeeded. One copy costs three rubles, and two thousand copies means a full six thousand rubles!

Even after deducting the costs, there should still be a lot of surplus, which is probably almost catching up with the inheritance he inherited!

That's great! Mikhail's gamble seems to be winning, so what he said must be right.
Seeing that the old man who asked the question looked more and more uneasy, Mikhail's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Just when he wanted to fool around or play the victim, the excited Nekrasov said directly:

"More than that! We've printed a full four to five thousand copies! And based on Mikhail's suggestion, some of them have been made into collector's and commemorative editions. These books will sell for a higher price!"

Mikhail: “.”

My eyes went dark.
As Mikhail's eyes went dark, the young Dostoevsky stood there motionless as if he had been struck by lightning.

Four or five thousand copies, even at the current price, can be sold for fifteen thousand rubles!
It’s almost ten times the inheritance he received!

And if Mikhail only invested nearly two thousand rubles, then this would be a return rate of 200 to 300 percent!
As soon as he thought of this, Mikhail's words began to echo in Lao Tuo's ears again:
"You know, daring to put all your effort into something is also a manifestation of wisdom."

If Mikhail could do this, then I, Dostoevsky, could do the same.
Fantasy, young Dostoevsky began to fantasize again
When Laotzu fell into fantasy, Turgenev asked curiously:
"By the way, what is a collector's edition? I heard about it from the bookstore clerk, but they said it's not on sale yet. It sounds like something really good."

"For this part of the book, we used better paper, more exquisite illustrations, and the covers and packaging are all of the best. When the time comes, we will specifically offer it to families with a deep artistic appreciation and good upbringing. They will probably be interested in it."

"Oh?"

Turgenev, upon hearing this, immediately became interested: "Then I must buy one. How much do you sell it for?"

"Mikhail said at least ten rubles."

Glancing at Mikhail with a bit of uncertainty, Nekrasov continued, "And it depends on subsequent sales. If it sells well, it might be more than this."

"Ok?"

Turgenev was stunned for a moment when he heard the price, then he smiled carefreely: "It's not expensive at all. I even think it doesn't matter if it's a little higher. I will definitely buy a copy when the time comes."

Mikhail looked at Turgenev's boasting: "."

Living expenses are not expensive without you. But I heard you're borrowing money from everywhere again.
V I fifty rubles to see the strength.
Mikhail shook his head speechlessly, but judging from Turgenev's reaction, this amount of money was indeed not even a drop in the bucket for such a powerful nobleman.

In short, it would be worthwhile to make a collector's edition or something, and the price could perhaps be set a little higher. After all, how can it be more satisfying to cut the leeks of noble gentlemen than to cut the leeks of others?
When Mikhail began to rethink the price, Dostoevsky, who was standing next to him, was shocked again when he heard the price.

Then the look he gave Mikhail became even more fiery.
I have waited for a long time. Tomorrow is still Saturday. It should be the same time as today. Thank you for your support.



(End of this chapter)