Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 526 The Englishman's Defenses Are Breached!

Gustave Eiffel was the first to realize: "You mean the 1889 World's Fair?"

Lionel nodded: "Yes, the Paris Exposition of 1889."

Almost simultaneously, several people gasped, not expecting that Lionel's goal was the World Expo seven years later.

Charles Garnier put down his cup: "1889, the centenary of the French Revolution."

Lionel walked to the map and lightly pointed to the location of the Bois de Boulogne: "According to current estimates, the 'theme park' will be completed before 1886."

By then, my Pirates of the Caribbean novels and 'series picture books' should have been fully serialized.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the living room, before speaking: "The public will have a complete 'Pirates of the Caribbean world' in their minds."

They knew who Jacques Sparrow was, the story of the Black Pearl, the cursed pirates, and the adventures in Port Royal.

Lionel drew a circle on the map with his finger: "And our theme park will hold all their fantasies and expectations."

This wasn't something created out of thin air; it's a world that's been living in their hearts for three or four years.

Nikola Tesla had sat up straight. He still held the booklet of *Pirates of the Caribbean* in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on Lionel—

"So the timeline is like this: the park was completed and began operating in 1886. By the time of the 1889 World's Fair, it had been operating for three years."

Lionel continued, "Three years is enough time for us to debug all the facilities, train all the actors, and perfect every detail."

By 1889, it would not be a hastily launched novelty, but a mature, smoothly functioning 'world'.

Émile Perrin also suddenly realized: "From the moment it was decided to hold the World's Fair in 1880, the 1889 fair was clearly given a theme—"

"To commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, to demonstrate to the world the legitimacy of the republican system, and to showcase the achievements of French industry and modern civilization."

This is a national project, not an ordinary trade fair.

Lionel walked back to the center of the living room and looked out the window at Paris: "Exactly. In this context, what is a real problem facing the government?"

He waited a few seconds, but no one answered.

He then continued, “It’s not about whether the pavilions are grand enough; the 1878 Paris Exposition has already proven our engineering capabilities.”

The real question is, where will the millions of foreign visitors stay after they arrive in Paris? What will they see? How can France continue to surround them with modernization?

The official expo park itself cannot fulfill all the functions of entertainment, leisure, and crowd control; everyone is well aware of this.

Charles Garnier suddenly spoke up: "Therefore, the government will certainly encourage, tacitly approve, and even support private projects located outside the core area of ​​the Expo."

But there's a prerequisite: they must be long-term, continuously showcasing French technology and culture, and crucially, genuinely attracting tourists.

Lionel nodded: "If 'Pirates of the Caribbean World' was basically completed before 1886, then it would be in a very ideal position in terms of time."

It neither competes with the official buildings of the World's Fair nor appears rushed. On the contrary, it had been in operation for several years before the Expo.

By 1889, it would be a 'fully developed French modern landscape,' and its operation had proven its appeal.

Charles Garnier pondered, having dealt with the government the most of all, and quickly formed his own judgment—

“From the government’s perspective, this is much safer and more respectable than temporary entertainment facilities.”

Lionel turned to the others: “Exactly. The key isn’t just whether the project is ‘fun,’ but how it can be described.”

'A long-standing public space,' 'a spectacle showcasing French engineering prowess,' 'an auxiliary facility to divert tourists'—"

Charles Garnier immediately chimed in: "Then it's no longer an 'amusement park,' but part of the World's Fair!"

The living room fell silent again. But this time the atmosphere was different; the previous excitement was tinged with unease, while now it was filled with confident joy.

Gustave Eiffel was also familiar with public works, and he understood its intricacies:

"The government will provide engineering subsidies and will also lease the land at preferential prices. The park needs roads and a drainage system, and we can strive to secure funding for these."

Furthermore, if our imported steel and ordered large machinery are identified as 'facilities related to major national public events,' we can apply for tax exemption.

Émile Perrin's mind also started racing: "In official publications, the park will certainly be listed as one of the recommended Parisian sights to visit!"

"Paris Guide", "Must-Visit for Foreign Tourists", "Recommended Tours Around the World Expo"... If our park is good enough, it will be placed on the first few pages.

This support can be seen as 'promoting tourism,' 'serving the public interest,' and 'demonstrating national technological capabilities,' and there would be no controversy about it!

Lionel looked at everyone: "So, if our 'Pirates of the Caribbean theme park' needs to clearly demonstrate three things to the government and the public—"

He held up three fingers—

"First, it is safe and sustainable in operation. It will not go bankrupt after three months of operation, and there will be no major accidents."

"Secondly, it is technologically advanced enough to represent the level of modern engineering in France; the architecture, equipment, and electricity must all be groundbreaking!"

"Third, its reception capacity was sufficient to absorb the overflow of people from the 1889 World's Fair, which could help Paris solve practical problems."

"Therefore, it is not 'using the name of the World Expo to solicit money,' but rather 'showcasing the image of the Republic and relieving its burdens!'"

Charles Garnier stood up, somewhat excited: "Yes, this is exactly the kind of project the Republic government is most willing to support—unassuming, but practical."

It demonstrated national strength while also solving practical problems.

He turned to look at Lionel: "You've thought this through very deeply... Is this an idea you had after visiting the 1878 Exposition?"

Lionel thought for a moment and then nodded: "Yes, the 1878 Exposition was great, but the 1600 million visitors nearly brought Paris to its knees."

But his mind was wandering to other grand events he had attended, far larger in scale than any 19th-century exposition. A brief silence fell over the living room as everyone processed the conversation.

The sun had completely set, leaving only a dark red glow on the horizon. The gaslights came on, filling the room with a warm, yellow light.

Emil Perrin suddenly sighed, drawing everyone's attention.

His brow furrowed deeply. "Leon, your plan sounds excellent. But there's a problem, have you considered it?"

"what is the problem?"

Émile Perrin put it bluntly: "Political changes. The cabinets in France are changing so fast now that it's hard to remember the prime minister's name."

Just a few days ago, Fresine was voted out of confidence by parliament for his indecisiveness on the Egyptian issue and will soon resign.

In 1889, that was seven years later! How many times would the cabinet change in those seven years? How many prime ministers would be replaced? How many times would policies change?
How can you be sure that when we need government support, the people in those positions will actually support us?

This was a pointed question, and the atmosphere in the living room grew even more somber.

Yes, seven years! In the Third Republic, seven years is enough time for ten cabinets to be changed!
A promise made today may be renege on by tomorrow's premier; a policy implemented today may be changed the day after tomorrow.

Lionel was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at Perrin, and then at everyone in the living room.

His tone was calm, even overly calm: "I believe Mr. Jules Ferry will support him!"

Everyone immediately thought of the turmoil of occupying the Bank of France two months ago. It was Lionel's actions that allowed the Fressine cabinet to "live" for two more months.

Among the ministers who remained in Paris at the time was Jules Ferry, who amassed considerable political capital during this period, all thanks to Lionel.

Given his previous impressive record in domestic affairs, everyone knew that Jules Ferry would definitely regain his position as "Chairman of the Council of Ministers," which is equivalent to Prime Minister.

If Lionel has indeed resolved his hatred with the other party, or even reached some kind of understanding, then this project certainly has great potential.

Even if Jules Ferry were to step down again, his influence would remain, and he would most likely still serve as a minister, which is the norm in Third Republic politics.

But only Lionel knew that Jules Ferry, upon his return, would form a "long-lived cabinet" that was rare in the history of the Third Republic!
—A full two years! That perfectly covers the construction period of the "Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Park".

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In mid-July, London is always shrouded in a layer of gray fog.

In this kind of weather, it's best to stay indoors—for example, in a club's smoking room or a bookstore's reading corner.

Now, Londoners have a new activity to enjoy indoors: reading Pirates of the Caribbean.

The novel officially began serialization in the magazine "Good Words," following "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

The Hound of the Baskervilles terrified the entire British Isles, and it is said that Mr. Sorel's new novel is both light and enjoyable.
The “Series Picture Books” are published by Longman Publishing and displayed in the most prominent position in the bookstore window.

British readers had long heard of this work. After all, the sensation in Paris and New York had already been reported via telegram and maritime news.

They knew it was an adventure story, with pirates as the main characters, set in the 18th-century Caribbean, and that the story would inevitably involve making fun of the British Royal Navy.

But British readers didn't take it too seriously; after all, it wasn't unusual for French people to write about British subjects.

In Jules Verne's "Around the World in Eighty Days," isn't Phyllis Fogg a stereotypical "English gentleman"?

But the novel was so well-written that the British continued to read it and even found it quite interesting.

Moreover, Lionel Sorel, the French writer, had previously created the character of Sherlock Holmes.

He was a true London detective, eccentric in personality but a brilliant detective, and the British loved him dearly.

So when news broke that Pirates of the Caribbean was coming to the UK, most readers reacted with anticipation, and some even complained.

In the smoking room of a club on St. James Street, an elderly gentleman muttered to his friend, "Good Words is moving too slowly!"

My friend took a sip of whiskey: "I heard it's selling like hotcakes in France and America."

“That would certainly be exciting. Sorel is a first-rate writer of adventure stories, as evidenced by Sherlock Holmes.”

"This time, the protagonist is a pirate?"

"So what if he's a pirate? Maybe he's a chivalrous thief, like Robin Hood."

The two exchanged a smile and raised their glasses.

This optimistic sentiment is widespread in London.

In bookstores, when recommending "Pirates of the Caribbean" to customers, clerks always add, "It's the latest work by the author who wrote Sherlock Holmes."

Most customers would nod and say, "I'll have to take a look."

So on the morning of July 15th, when the new issue of "Good Words" magazine was released, people lined up outside many newsstands and bookstores in London.

The magazine sold very quickly. Many people bought it and immediately stood by the roadside to open it and read it eagerly.

The story begins in Port Royal, Jamaica.

The beginning is quite normal—a colonial-era port, a British governor, the Royal Navy—everything is historically accurate.

The readers nodded, thinking that the Frenchman had done his homework.

Then Jack Sparrow appeared, and British readers began to lose their composure!

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