"So, why not let that omnipotent 'consulting detective' go investigate?
Surely, finding a few pirate booksellers hiding in the sewers of the East End would be nothing more than a small game for him, a post-dinner amusement?
Why trouble us 'obtuse' and 'incompetent' official detectives of Scotland Yard?"
Colonel Howard Vincent, seated behind his desk, almost sneered as he spoke these words to Dr. Norman McLeod opposite him.
Dr. Norman McLeod's plump face instantly turned from red to a purplish-brown.
He shot to his feet, crying,
"Colonel Vincent!"
He roared, his voice making the windowpanes vibrate,
"I am reporting a clear, ongoing criminal act to you!
This isn't a discussion about characters in a novel!
Your duty is to uphold the law, not to mock a law-abiding publisher!"
His chest puffed out like an enraged pufferfish.
"You at Scotland Yard consume huge sums of taxpayers' money every year!
Do you mean to say that even a straightforward duty like combating piracy requires you to shirk responsibility by ridiculing the victim?
Or have you simply become this incompetent?"
Colonel Howard Vincent remained unmoved, his tone still very perfunctory.
"Of course not, Dr. McLeod. Upholding the law is Scotland Yard's duty."
He reached for the pamphlet and flipped through it.
"Very well, we will record it and assign personnel to investigate. You may leave now. We will notify you if there's any news."
Dr. McLeod wanted to say something else:
"You…"
But then he clamped his mouth shut.
He knew that staying any longer would only bring humiliation upon himself. Expecting Scotland Yard to pursue piracy for "Good Words" magazine was simply a fool's errand.
He glared fiercely at Colonel Vincent, then spun around abruptly and stormed out, slamming the door without looking back.
Colonel Howard Vincent snorted coldly, his lips curling in disdain.
"Holmes…"
He tossed the pamphlet into the wastepaper basket at his feet like rubbish.
"Enjoy this 'gift', ha, 'consulting detective'!"
——————
Back in the "Good Words" editorial office, Dr. Norman McLeod's anger still hadn't subsided.
He irritably tore off his tie and paced back and forth in the room like a caged beast.
Outside, London remained bustling, with the rumbling of carriages and the din of human voices.
But Dr. McLeod felt as if he could see countless crudely made counterfeits of "A Study in Scarlet" rapidly spreading like rotting mold in those dark street corners, noisy pubs, and bustling docks…
They were not only stealing the profits that rightfully belonged to "Good Words," but more terrifyingly, they were tainting and distorting the image of "Sherlock Holmes."
Going on a killing spree with a revolver, a romantic night with the widow, Mrs. Ruth… This was an insult to the entire taste of "Good Words" magazine!
He couldn't help but curse aloud,
"Damn Vincent! Damn Scotland Yard!"
He knew that Colonel Vincent's promise of "assigning personnel to investigate" was nothing but an empty promise.
By the time those gentlemen at Scotland Yard slowly went through the process, the pirates would have already made a fortune!
Time! What he lacked most now was time! With each passing day, the poison of piracy and counterfeits would spread deeper, and the appeal of "Good Words" original serialization would decrease.
Readers were forgetful and impatient.
Once they got used to that cheap and thrilling fake Holmes, who would patiently wait another half a month?
A thought grew clearer and clearer in his mind—he couldn't sit idly by.
Dr. McLeod sat down on his chair, breathing heavily.
He picked up his pen, spread out a sheet of letter paper, and prepared to inform Lionel of everything that had happened here as soon as possible.
[Lionel, my dear friend and collaborator:
…
Given the urgency of the situation, I plan to serialize the remaining part of "A Study in Scarlet" all at once in the late October issue.
I believe this is the best solution to the problem of counterfeits and piracy!
Enclosed with this letter is a copy of "A Study in Scarlet (Complete Edition)" for your reference.
Yours faithfully, Norman McLeod]
——————
When he received the letter from the editor-in-chief of "Good Words," Lionel was being swarmed with Patty's questions.
"Young Master, what role does 'I,' that is, 'little Joseph,' play in the text?"
"Young Master, why did 'I' give 'Uncle Jules' an extra ten copper coins as a tip? What character trait of 'I' does this reveal?"
"Young Master, what methods did the novel use to describe the character traits of Mr. and Mrs. Philips?"
…
No sooner had Patty finished her homework for "Montiel's Secret Scrolls (French)," than she returned with "Montiel's Secret Scrolls (Mathematics)."
"Young Master, why does this pond drain water while also being filled? That's so wasteful!"
"Young Master, why put chickens and rabbits in the same cage? Won't they fight?"
"Young Master, if Pierre wanted to chase Emily, why didn't he ride a horse or take a carriage? Isn't walking too slow?"
…
Lionel now only wanted to slap himself…
Just as he was about to break down, the apartment manager delivered the letter.
Lionel, as if granted a great amnesty, quickly told Patty,
"You work on it yourself for a bit, I'll check who this letter is from."
Back in his study, after reading the letter, Lionel flipped through the complete "A Study in Scarlet" and became engrossed upon reading it.
He only came back to his senses at dinner time.
It had to be said that the ghostwriter of this pirated copy had quite good prose, with vivid imagery and distinctive, prominent characters.
If it stood alone, it could almost launch a standalone "Gentleman Thief Holmes" series.
This made Lionel very curious about the ghostwriter's identity.
In his opinion, this ghostwriter was likely to become famous in the literary world in the future.
As for how to deal with piracy… Lionel had no answer.
This problem had existed since time immemorial, persisting for countless years until Lionel's transmigration.
No matter how many laws were enacted or how strict the enforcement…
Piracy always thrived and was never completely eradicated, growing alongside human civilization and technological history.
This was not something Lionel could solve with a clever trick, and in this era, there were no technical means to stop these pirates.
Norman McLeod's proposal to release the ending prematurely and conclude the serialization, in Lionel's view, would only weaken the influence of "Holmes."
It meant that "Detective Holmes" would literally have to get down and fight with "Gentleman Thief Holmes," which would be a very undignified act.
What he learned from later generations was that no matter how rampant piracy and counterfeits became, they were ultimately just a passing fad.
Just as no matter how well "Nine Yin Nine Yang" sold, it couldn't shake the colossal tree of Jin Yong's novels.
Therefore, the top priority was to quickly stop Norman McLeod's foolish action and offer him an alternative solution.
This way, the esteemed editor-in-chief of "Good Words" wouldn't resort to desperate measures in a panic.
Thinking this, Lionel sat down at the Sorell Model 1 typewriter…
(End of Chapter)