bayedsolid Chapter 553
Chapter 553
When Lu Qingfeng and Luo Haoming arrived, they saw Shen Ruishu and Zhong Huaiyi chatting by the window. Xia He hadn't arrived yet, and the two of them were discussing Hemingway.
"I remember Hemingway used a pseudonym called 'RingLardnerJr' for a period of time when he wrote articles, but not many people know about it."
Zhong Huaiyi crossed his legs and rested his hands on the back of the chair, looking relaxed and at ease.
"That must have been when Hemingway was in high school. At that time, he really liked an author named Lynn Radner, and he used this name in honor of the author."
Shen Ruishu leaned back on the sofa, his hands crossed over his abdomen.
Old Shen still admires Hemingway. In an interview, he said that "The Old Man and the Sea" is a work that deserves full marks.
"Has Professor Shen ever published articles under a pseudonym before?"
"I used one name when I was in junior high school, and then I used another name when I officially started creating content. After that, I always used my real name. Then, guess what? There was no response when I used a pen name, but when I went back to using my real name, I suddenly became popular."
"What does this mean? It means I'm not very good at naming things."
Lu Qingfeng and Luo Haoming, who had just arrived, were amused.
Lao Shen is a stand-up comedian whose talent was wasted on writing.
The two middle-aged and elderly people chatting asked them to sit down, and then Zhong Huaiyi asked them questions.
"Do Lu and Haoming have pen names?"
Lu Qingfeng shook his head.
"I have never used a pen name. The first article I published was under my real name."
"I always use a pen name, but more people actually know my real name."
Luo Haoming also said.
"There is an interesting phenomenon: some writers are famous by their pen names, while others are known to most people by their real names."
That's really the case.
Lu Xun, Ba Jin, and Mao Dun are all very well-known pen names of writers. Apart from knowing that Lu Xun's real name is Zhou Shuren, probably no one would know who the other two great writers are by their real names.
There's nothing to discuss here. Pen names and real names are irrelevant; what matters is the writer's work. Just like Lu Xun published his works under the name Zhou Shuren, it didn't prevent him from achieving his current success.
This topic led to a discussion about Shen Ruishu's works before he became famous.
"Actually, I don't want readers to read those articles. My students at Beijing Normal University told me they were looking for these articles of mine. When I asked them why, they said it was to boost their confidence. They said, 'If our teacher could write so naively back then, then we will have a bright future too.'"
This made everyone laugh again.
Xia He then joined the others.
Shen Ruishu asked Lu Qingfeng.
"After you finish writing that realistic article, which magazine do you plan to submit it to?"
"Not ready yet."
Lu Qingfeng replied.
"You could try Harvest magazine."
Shen Ruishu suggested.
One of the most influential domestic literary magazines, founded by Mr. Ba Jin, it publishes most of Lao Shen's works except for his early works.
Lu Qingfeng nodded.
Woo~
The old-fashioned train whistle sounded, signaling the train's departure.
The train wheels made rhythmic sounds as they hit the tracks, and the scenery outside the window moved along with them.
Director Wang Hao interrupted the conversation by handing over a cue card.
[Proceed to compartment 3 in carriage 10 to meet Sir Albert]
The words on the sign startled everyone. Who was this knight? Judging from the title, he seemed to be a nobleman.
He looked at the production crew without saying a word, appearing very mysterious.
"Let's go take a look first."
Zhong Huaiyi made the suggestion.
Everyone agreed, and then walked towards the back of the train.
They are currently in the front public space, with staff-only areas further ahead, private rooms in the middle, and the last few sections being the restaurant and kitchen.
Car number 10 is located in the middle to rear section.
Arriving here along the corridor for travelers, one immediately sees a woman dressed in formal attire standing at the door of Box Number Three, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a long, layered lace dress, resembling a noblewoman from the Middle Ages.
While everyone was still in shock, the woman noticed them, turned around, and said in a pleading tone.
"Please help me, I can't open this door."
The woman, dressed in Western classical clothing, had an Eastern face and spoke Chinese. Lu Qingfeng realized that this was a scenario set up by the program team.
He knew this woman; she was a screenwriter on the show.
"Is this a member of our program crew?"
Luo Haoming recognized him as well.
"Yes, he was in charge of my on-site filming before."
Xia He nodded in confirmation.
These people all understood what was going on.
"Madam, how can we help you?"
The young actress, born in 95, immediately got into character and quickly walked up, followed closely by the others.
“Good heavens, I don’t know what’s going on either. I met with Sir Albert about ten minutes ago, and he told me to come back to him at this time, but for some reason, the door to this private room is locked and I can’t open it.”
The screenwriter delivered her lines in a theatrical style.
"Is it possible that Sir Albert went out and isn't inside?"
Luo Haoming said.
"No, Sir is a very punctual person. Once he says he'll go to a certain time and place, he will never go anywhere else."
"You mean the jazz musician is in the box, the door is locked, and no one answers the door when you knock?"
Zhong Huaiyi asked.
The female screenwriter delivered a consistently excellent performance, nodding with a pitiful air.
Lu Qingfeng finally understood that the program crew had created another case on this Orient Express train.
Things suddenly became interesting.
Lu Qingfeng also started to get into character.
He surveyed the private room and the role played by the female screenwriter.
There's nothing special about the outside of the private compartments. Since the passengers staying there are all wealthy and powerful, the train does a great job of ensuring privacy. The compartments can only be locked and opened with a key from the inside.
There is only one key, which is given to the guest who checks in. In addition, there is another key for the train staff in case of loss.
How many people are staying in this private room?
Thinking of this, Lu Qingfeng asked a crucial question.
There are several types of train compartments. The one he and Luo Haoming shared was a two-person compartment, and there was also a single-person compartment.
"The gentleman didn't want to be disturbed and lived alone."
In other words, the room key is only in the hands of this gentleman, and it is left in the private room and is normally not locked before going to sleep; some are even left open.
"The door won't open, so we'll have to ask a waiter for the key."
Xia He then spoke.
"The butler has already left."
Just then, a person in a tuxedo walked over with a train attendant; the butler was also played by a member of the production crew.
The waiter was indeed there, but he had also spoken with the production team and didn't say anything, using the key in his hand to open the door to the private room.
The door was a sliding door; once it was opened, the scene inside was revealed to everyone.
Sir Albert, whom they were looking for, was found sprawled on the sofa.
It turned out to be a murder case!