Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 625 "He Changed France!" (First Update)
In the first week of December 1883, all of Paris was captivated by the two “murders on the train.”

The novel "Murder on the Orient Express" and the mystery game "Murder on the Brest Express" swept through the city like two whirlwinds.

In just a few days, Lionel's name appeared in every newspaper.

The news vendor on the street corner yelled at the top of his lungs: "Le Figaro! Latest news from Detective Poirot! Lionel has given an exclusive interview! New mysteries will be released in the future!"

In the coffee shop, people held coffee in one hand and flipped through newly bought novels in the other.

Upon reaching an exciting part, someone couldn't help but slam their fist on the table and exclaim, "My God! So that's how it is!"

In the salon, the ladies no longer discussed fashion and gossip.

They were talking about Hercule Poirot—his elegant mustache, his unhurried manner of questioning, and his final, humanitarian choice.

“So charming,” a marquise said, covering her mouth with her fan. “A hundred times more elegant than that English detective who smokes all day.”

“Sherlock Holmes is good too,” someone nearby retorted.

"Not bad? He doesn't even shave his beard."

In the restaurant, the guests who had finished their dinner were no longer in a hurry to leave.

They sat at the table, took out the little blue box from their pockets, and some people played it once but weren't satisfied, so they switched to the murderer version and played it again.

Some people played twice and weren't satisfied, so they started challenging themselves with "faction mode." Others played three times and still weren't satisfied, so they simply became the host and dealt cards to others.

Many men are starting to change their beard styles, wanting to have an elegant, upturned look like Poirot.

……

In mid-December, Le Figaro published a year-end summary editorial on its front page: "What We Learned in 1883".

Many things happened this year. Defeat in North Korea, the Egyptian crisis, a stock market slump, a cabinet change... The winter in Paris was colder than usual.

But the most memorable thing about December is Poirot with "1 franc".

One franc won't buy you a bottle of fine wine, a good cigar, or even a ticket to the opera.

But for 1 franc, you can buy Hercule Poirot—an elegant French detective who is never in a hurry and waits for the truth to come to him.

For 1 franc, you can buy an evening sitting around a table with friends—someone lies, some cover up the lies, some expose the lies, and some get exposed.

Two or three hours later, whether or not the murderer has been found, you feel that the night was not wasted.

Lionel Sorel taught us one thing: solving crimes doesn't necessarily require the police.

Sometimes, sitting around a table with a few friends and thinking things through can lead to the truth.

Although we often can't find it, the process is very interesting.

1883 has ended; next year may bring new crises, or it may bring new opportunities. The winters in Paris may still be just as cold.

But at least we have Poirot, and that's enough.

After the article was published, Le Figaro reprinted it three times that day.

The Orient Express thus gained great fame.

That burgundy luxury train, which was originally just a crazy experiment by the railway company, has now become a true legend.

Because Lionel told a story in it, because that story was later turned into a novel, because the detective in that novel was named Poirot.

Every day, long lines of people queue up outside the office of the "International Sleeper Bus Company" to inquire about products.

Some were male servants sent by wealthy people or nobles, some were trendy people from other provinces, and some were foreign tourists... They waved francs and said they wanted to book tickets.

The staff could only explain repeatedly, "Sir, there really aren't any left. Tickets for 1884 were all sold out last week, and for 1885, only tickets for the autumn and winter seasons are available."

Other railway companies also benefited.

Christmas is approaching, and in previous years, the main way people traveled to the warmer south during the holidays was by stagecoach. But this year is different—

"Riding in a horse-drawn carriage is so boring. If you're going to ride, take the train."

"why?"

"Because a murder could happen on the train."

"Are you crazy? What's so great about a murder case?"

"You don't understand. What if you run into a detective like Poirot on the train?"

"...You're overthinking it."

"What if?"

Such a conversation may sound like a joke, but the railway company's statistics don't lie.

Before the Christmas holidays, train tickets from Paris to Lyon were sold out, train tickets from Paris to Marseille were sold out, train tickets from Paris to Bordeaux were sold out...

Even tickets for the Easter holiday in 1884 were sold out. The railway company employees could hardly imagine how strained Paris's rail capacity would be by spring!

The railway company bosses stared at the reports, their eyes wide with disbelief.

In previous years, train occupancy rates were only 60-70% at this time. This year? Almost every train is full!
What excited them even more was that some people started asking about "luxury sleeper berths like those on the Orient Express".

Do you have sleeper buses? You mean the kind where you can sleep?

"Yes, we do. Our night train from Paris to Marseille has sleeper carriages, but no private compartments."

"When will the private rooms be available?" "Well... we're still planning that."

Let me know when you've made your plans. I'll book them first.

Similar conversations frequently take place in the offices of several French railway companies.

The board of directors of the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Railway Company held a meeting for a full day.

The chairman slammed a promotional poster for the "Orient Express" on the table: "Look at them. One train, one trip, and they earn more money than ten of our trains combined."

Why? Because they have sleeper berths, dining cars, and lounge carriages. They're not selling seats, they're selling an experience.

One director said, "But that's an international train; we only have a domestic line."

"What's wrong with domestic routes? It takes more than ten hours to travel from Paris to Marseille. If there's a sofa and a bed, who would want to sit on a hard chair?"

Another director said, "Building sleeper cars costs money! Modifying the carriages, adding dining cars, training service staff... all of this costs money."

The chairman glared at him: "How can you make money without spending money? The Orient Express is booked until 1885! And us? What are we selling? Hardwood benches!"

The meeting concluded with a decision to immediately launch the construction plan for the "Luxury Sleeper Express Line".

The first phase of the project, from Paris to Marseille, from Paris to Bordeaux, and from Paris to Lyon—with a total investment of eight million francs.

Of these, six million francs would be raised through the financial market, with the related bonds to be issued in the first quarter of 1884.

After the news broke, the company's stock rose by 20% in just three days! Long queues formed as people lined up to pre-order the bonds.

This made other railway companies uneasy.

The Northern Railway Company announced that luxury sleeper cars will be deployed on routes from Paris to Lille and from Paris to Brussels.

Western Railway Company announced that luxury sleeper cars would be deployed between Paris and Brest—a perfect reference to the "Murder on the Brest Express" game.

The Eastern Railway Company announced that luxury sleeper trains will be deployed between Paris and Strasbourg.

Orléans Railway Company announced that luxury sleeper cars will be introduced on the Paris-Bordeaux route.

……

For a time, "railways" became the hottest topic at the Paris Stock Exchange.

The financial sections of the newspapers were filled with advertisements and prospectuses for the railway company, as well as announcements of upcoming bond issuances.

These bonds, jokingly referred to in the market as "Sorel Railway bonds," sold extremely well.

Mr. De La Rouvak once suggested that Lionel also buy tens of thousands of francs as an investment, but he firmly refused.

A speculator shouted at the entrance of the stock exchange, "Buy railroad stocks now, and they'll triple in value by this time next year!"

Someone asked, "Are you sure?"

He countered, "Have you seen the bookings for the Orient Express all the way up to the next year?"

"I know, 1885...that's an exaggeration!"

"So as long as the French still want to ride the train, railway stocks will not fall."

Another speculator chimed in: “Let me tell you, don’t just focus on the railways. Look at electricity.”

"'electricity'?"

"Yes. Lights, wires, generators... Have you heard of Lionel Sorel's villa in Vernef?"

"Of course I've heard of it. More than a hundred light bulbs, water heaters, and replacement fans—all of them are electric."

"That's the future. Now, wealthy people all want to install electric lights in their villas. But who will install them? Who knows how? Only Sorel-Tesla Electric knows how."

He lowered his voice and said, "But I heard that their orders are already booked until next summer."

"Isn't there also the Edison Electric Light Company?"

"They use outdated direct current (DC), while Sorel-Tesla Electric uses the great and advanced alternating current (AC) that belongs to France!"

From the latter half of 1883, the "Hillside Villa" in Verneve became the focus of Parisian discussion.

The villa itself was beautiful—built on a gentle slope along the Linden Path overlooking the Seine, its design was an elegant “modern southern style.”

This is the name given to the villa by the architect who visited it, and now all newly built villas in Paris are required to be designed in this style.

But what truly drives people crazy is the villa's interior—one hundred and five electric lights, which, when lit simultaneously, transform the entire villa into a crystal palace.

Electric water heaters provide hot water for showering anytime; electric fans offer cooling in the summer; and a three-layer filtration system makes the water safe to drink...

An AC generator rumbles and whirs in a remote mountain valley 25 kilometers away, delivering electricity to the villa in a quiet and clean environment.

Those utility poles stretched from the power plant all the way to the villas, like a group of silent soldiers, guarding everyone's fantasies about "modern life".

By the end of 1883, France had established more than seventy new factories and enterprises related to "electricity" and "electric appliances".

On the day a newly established "French General Electric Company" was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, its stock price rose by 40 percent.

The Economist commented:

In 1883, the French discovered two new things: murders on trains and electric lights in houses. The former brought joy, the latter excitement.

Either way, it's changing this country.

The changing France made Britain extremely uneasy!
(End of this chapter)