[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Literary Giant in Russia",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317191,4531,"Chapter 16: Publication","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Mikhail was unaware of his sister’s and mother’s plans; he simply continued with his tasks, quietly awaiting the next issue of *Motherland Notes*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, Mikhail had naturally taken the time to meet Dmitri again; upon seeing him, the bear-like man immediately lunged forward, embracing Mikhail with a loud laugh, slapping his back excitedly, and blurting out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Misha! I’ve heard everything from Nikolai—never expected you, fresh off your first novel, to earn Vissarion Grigoryevich’s approval! But your work deserves it! Just thinking about that story now, my heart feels gripped, I can barely breathe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brilliant! You should’ve started writing long ago! Waiting this long is a waste of your genius!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mikhail: “………”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell are you even saying? My hearing’s getting fuzzier…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My vision’s turning dark…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After barely wrenching free from Dmitri’s enthusiastic grip, the bear-like man finally realized his behavior and hastily apologized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You alright, Misha? I’m so sorry—oh God, I got too carried away. Who wouldn’t be thrilled by this news? A complete newcomer praised by that critic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucky, lucky,” Mikhail coughed modestly. Watching the overjoyed Dmitri, he walked with him along the street for a while; once Dmitri had calmed down enough, Mikhail hesitated, then finally spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dmitri, can I ask you something? I’m short on cash right now, and I want to join an investment…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Dmitri paused slightly, puzzled by Mikhail’s odd phrasing, but quickly recovered and grinned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean money? Of course, my friend! Just name your price! I’ve already heard the gist from Nikolai—I know you’re about to launch a great undertaking. You’ve prepared to sacrifice yourself, and I couldn’t stand idly by. Let me lend a hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mikhail: “?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What sacrifice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just wanted some cash…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell did Nekrasov tell you…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Dmitri had already said that, Mikhail couldn’t explain further. After a moment’s hesitation, he held up three fingers: “Thirty rubles, Dmitri. I’ll repay you within six months at the latest—I’ll write you a promissory note.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty rubles wasn’t much pressure; Mikhail could earn that easily just from writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifty,” Dmitri said, clapping Mikhail on the shoulder. “I can see you’re struggling, my friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need for a note—repay me when you can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t refuse me. Take it. I expect to bother you often from now on—I need to learn from you. Though geniuses like you are rare, I’m sure I can still pick up much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Nekrasov and Dmitri had both already decided Mikhail was a genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again, who else could be called a genius if someone who’d just started writing could produce two such mature, groundbreaking works?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Mikhail said, seeing Dmitri’s determination. He nodded, accepted the money, and the two began walking slowly toward Dmitri’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty rubles was roughly ten thousand rubles—very few people carried so much cash on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they walked, chatting idly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to recent population explosions, St. Petersburg was now unbearably crowded. Looking up, the streets were clogged with horse dung and drunkards already reeling by midday; on this short stretch alone, Mikhail had encountered countless of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Mikhail pondered his next steps beneath the gloomy, chilly sky, Dmitri suddenly blurted: “Misha, let me tell you, Tsar Nikolai is a big…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mikhail: “???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just walk properly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell are you suddenly spouting politics?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Mikhail rushed to clamp his hand over Dmitri’s mouth, on the other side, in the editorial office of *Motherland Notes*, Belinsky sat at his desk, finalizing his critique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the undisputed core of the editorial team, Belinsky’s recommendations rarely faced opposition—but before publication, every piece still had to be reviewed by the entire staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, everyone in the office had read it. One of them had immediately approached Belinsky:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dear Vissarion, this is a completely new perspective! I saw your title: ‘He Observes the World from the Lowest,’ and I couldn’t agree more!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think he goes further than Gogol. As you wrote, Gogol’s sympathy for his humble protagonists wasn’t strong enough to overcome the condescending stance embedded in his narration. But directly comparing him to Gogol—isn’t that too hasty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thrilling work! It should reach more people. I think we should read it aloud to others when it’s published.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, another group had gathered—among them, the publisher of *Motherland Notes*, Krayevsky. He said nothing yet, merely listening as those around him voiced quiet complaints:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand why we’re giving so much weight to a newcomer’s work. Will our readers—the educated, respectable gentlemen and young men—really care about stories of coachmen and apprentice boys on every street corner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s well-written, yes, but the language is far too simple. The plot is too sparse. Many moments I felt deserved elaboration, he just glossed over them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This goes against the current literary tide. I consider it a huge risk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Tsar won't be pleased by such a story. Neither will the noble gentlemen. What absurdities are there in our Russian land? One Gogol was enough—now we’re pushing Gogol II!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",833,"2026-06-20T14:41:53.633Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b814f5d5d8587af0e7b99bec7058b09b76d884bb673e0db8fb13777fc0694618","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-17","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-15",105,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-cover.jpg"]