Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 99, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Bouton" (Seeking monthly votes)

Lionel requested a week's leave, citing "emotional trauma," which Dean Dunn readily approved.

This notoriously strict dean even asked with concern, "Is a week enough? If you feel unwell, you can continue to rest, and you can submit the leave slip when you return..."

If the students who had been punished by his cane heard this, they would probably think they were hallucinating.

Lionel didn't not want to attend classes at the Sorbonne, but there was too much controversy surrounding him, drawing attention not only at the school but also from numerous reporters gathered outside the Sorbonne.

By taking leave, Lionel not only escaped the commotion himself, but the school also breathed a sigh of relief.

Dean Henry Patan also did not want Lionel to appear at the Sorbonne in the near future. Baroness Alexievna's messenger brought a message that the Sorbonne should either return the 30 francs or hand over Lionel.

Dean Henry Patan's attitude was naturally: the donation had already been deposited into the Sorbonne's foundation and could not be refunded even if His Majesty the Emperor were to be resurrected; as for Lionel, he wasn't even at the school, so how could I pay?
So Lionel, who had just finished his Easter break and attended classes for less than a week, is now on holiday again, and the length of the break is unknown.

Unable to find Lionel, the reporters turned to the Sorbonne's teachers and students for interrogation.

For example, Albert de Rohan.

As soon as he stepped off the carriage, he approached the reporters and said, "Hey, you're looking for Leon? That's my good brother, and a friend of the Roon family! From the first moment I saw him at the Sorbonne, I knew he was a talented young man!"

He exudes the pure and natural charm of the Alps, and his mind is filled with endless intellectual wealth!

Alright, I have to go to class now... What, you want an exclusive interview? Haha, that'll have to wait until after class at noon.

Today I can tell you my story of venturing into the underground world with Lionel!

The person most eager to find Lionel was Paul Pigut, the editor-in-chief of Le Parisien.

The immense success of the coverage of Lionel, along with the widespread acclaim for "My Uncle Jules," propelled Le Petit Parisien to a record-breaking single-issue circulation of over 70 copies.

Paul Pigut naturally wanted to continue this success. Now that Lionel had proven himself to be the key to unlocking the sales ceiling, he certainly didn't want Lionel to be plugged into the locks of other newspapers.

After persistent efforts, Lionel finally agreed to meet him at Charpentier Bookshop.

"Charpentier Bookstore" is located on the first floor of "Charpentier Bookshelf" and mainly sells its own published books, making it more like a showroom.

Writers like Zola would often come here to chat.

Because Mr. Charpentier not only prepared fine cigars, cigarettes, coffee, tea, and snacks for them, but also invited them to dine at nearby restaurants.

When Paul Pigut arrived, Lionel was chatting with Maupassant, Huysmann, Paul Asclec, and several other young men in the reception area.

The bookstore owner, Mr. George Charpentier, and his wife, Margaret Charpentier, watched the young people with smiles.

"Is 'My Uncle Jules' really a story you came up with on the spur of the moment after seeing that old sailor shucking oysters on the ship?" Huysmann asked incredulously.

“I don’t believe it!” Paul Asilek exclaimed in a tone that was almost a lament.

“I can testify that I was standing right next to Léon at the time. He first threw ten sous to the old sailor, and then called him ‘Uncle Jules’…” Maupassant said smugly, his mustache twitching.

Paul Pigut did not interrupt them. After greeting Mr. Charpentier, he found a single sofa in the corner and sat down.

After recounting the legendary scene of Lionel's impromptu composition of "My Uncle Jules" on the ship, Maupassant was as proud as if he were the author of the novel himself.

Paul Asclepius, like Maupassant on the ship that day, covered his forehead in despair: "My God, we've lost Lionel, who will remember the others now?"

Huysmann's focus, however, was on the novel itself: "Léon, you've chosen a 'child's perspective' again, just like in *The Old Guard*—you seem to really enjoy observing the world through children's eyes?" Lionel nodded: "What's perfectly normal in an adult's eyes can have completely different meanings in a child's eyes. Therefore, seeing the adult world through a child's eyes always has a certain absurdity."

I enjoy the conflict between this sense of absurdity and the reader's common sense.

Maupassant, one hand holding his pipe and the other supporting his chin, seemed lost in thought: "Actually, 'Letter from an Unknown Woman' also has a child's perspective—the psychological descriptions of the 'unknown woman' when she recounts her first encounter with 'L'..."

The discussion lasted for almost twenty minutes before it came to an end.

Paul Pigut seized the opportunity to step forward and shake hands with Lionel: "Hello, Mr. Sorel, I am Paul Pigut from Le Parisien."

One sentence was enough to make Maupassant, Huysmann and others so envious their eyes lit up.

Although Le Petit Parisien was founded in 1876, it became a major newspaper with a daily circulation of over 300,000 copies in just three years, and having one's work published in it was a dream for many writers.

As the editor-in-chief of Le Parisien, Paul Pigut was certainly going to personally negotiate a "big deal" with Lionel.

Sure enough, he quickly revealed his purpose: "Mr. Sorel, on behalf of *Le Petit Parisien*, I cordially invite you to become a 'columnist' for our newspaper. Your short stories, essays, poems, and reviews will be given priority for publication."

This sentence made the eyes of several young writers practically spit fire!
Having a regular column in a newspaper is a privilege usually reserved for great writers and scholars, and it is considered a shortcut to financial freedom in this era.

It was through this very method that Alexandre Dumas, the king of serialized novels, built the "Count of Monte Cristo's Castle," where he lived a life of revelry for 20 years and left behind a substantial fortune.

But Paul Pigut wasn't finished; he added, "But if you have a novel that can be serialized in Le Petit Parisien, the royalties can be much better..."

Maupassant: "..."

Yusman: "..."

Paul Asilek: "..."

Even George Charpentier sat up straight and looked at Lionel.

Long-running serials are different from short stories, essays, poems, and reviews; they are the real money-makers, even a panacea that can save a newspaper's sales.

When "The Three Musketeers" began serialization in the Parisian newspaper "Le Soir" in 1844, it immediately doubled the newspaper's sales.

Georges Charpentier, who also had his weekly magazine "Modern Life" to boost sales, and his publishing house "Charpentier's Shelf" needed a bestseller.

However, his reserve prevented him from voicing the urge to "compete" and he wanted to hear Lionel's reaction.

Lionel thought for a moment and nodded: "I am honored by your invitation, and it would be impolite to refuse—I still prefer to write novels, long ones."

Charpentier looked somewhat disappointed, while Paul Pigut was overjoyed: "Oh, can you tell me what you want to write?" He then cautiously offered a suggestion: "I know you're good at writing from a child's perspective..."

But novels are different from short stories; our readers may be more interested in seeing the adventurous lives of adults…

Lionel frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed: "I'm sorry, this long work is told from a child's perspective... its protagonist is a child."

Paul Pigut was somewhat embarrassed, but still tried his best to persuade him: "Mr. Sorel, I know your pursuit of art, but..."

Lionel ignored him and said to himself, "This child is named Benjamin Buton, and was born during the French Revolution."

He was born with the appearance of an eighty-year-old man, with a full head of white hair and a face full of wrinkles…

(End of this chapter)