[WP] Chapter 30 Lucky Southern Cross

[WP] Chapter 30 Lucky Southern Cross

This is the third time Mr. Franklin has come to the door to the commission, and the commission is also to forcibly take little Franklin, who is addicted to Rhodes cards, out of the illegal nightclub.

Mr. Franklin has had enough. He plans to sell his property and quit his job shortly, abandoning his and his wife's 30 years of hard work in this northern capital city, leaving the prosperous Tobesk and moving his family to the western part of the kingdom, known as the "City of Art," Artek City. Mr. Franklin's brother has lived in that city for many years and can introduce new jobs to the family.

Of course, more importantly, it is necessary to keep little Franklin away from those bad friends, away from Rhodes cards and gambling tables.

"After I bring him back this time, I will lock him up at home. I will take him to the steam train after I finish moving next month. So, Detective Hamilton, can you take my son out of that club?"

The client confirmed.

This matter only requires Shade to go to the club immediately and persuade little Franklin to leave with him, so the accountant's offer is 13 shillings and 3 pence, which is more than half a pound. For an accountant with an annual income of about 70 pounds, this is about half a week's salary.

The commission fee includes the club ticket and additional subsidies for night trips. Although compared with the commission to find Mia, this business is not even worth "half a cat," Shade thinks about it and is willing to accept this commission.

He had seen the Franklin family's affairs in the commission record of the previous detective not long ago, which recorded the process of the detective persuading little Franklin to leave with him.

"It's a very simple task; there won't be any mistakes."

The orange cat stayed at home, worried that Mia would be scared, and Shade reluctantly went out without turning off the gas lamp. Mr. Franklin went home to wait for news, while Shade chose to take a carriage to his destination because the journey was long.

The charging standards for renting a carriage in Tobesk City have different rules depending on the place where the passengers get on the bus and the destination. If you get on the bus within the city center centered on the Yodele Palace, the charge is 1 shilling within a range of 4 miles, and the destination within 2 miles is 1 shilling, and then 5 pence per mile. If you leave the central city and take a long journey, the cost per mile will be cheaper.

Shade's destination this time is in the lower city in the usual sense, that is, the North City. Including the extra tip that needs to be paid to the driver for driving at night, he paid a total of 3 shillings when he got out of the car at the dim alley.

Fortunately, Franklin's home is also in the North City, so he doesn't have to take a carriage after finding little Franklin.

At the same time, the expensive price of renting a horse-drawn carriage also made Shade realize the gap between the rich and the poor in this complex and prosperous steam age. And how many challenges he, as a person at the bottom, has to face.

The night in the city is quiet, but Shade, who has become a ring wizard, feels a terrible feeling like looking into the abyss from the long, silent night. There are definitely many secrets and unknowns hidden in Tobesk, the largest city in the north, and the secrets are in the shadows of the alleys and the corners of the apartments, but fortunately, at least Shade did not encounter these tonight.

"This world is more dangerous than I thought."

The main entrance of the club called "Lucky Southern Cross" is located on Glass Hill Avenue. But if you want to enter the club's casino, you must enter from the back door in the alley.

Shade entered the alley according to the records left by the previous detective and circled half a circle in the dark before seeing the silver-gray rusty iron door. During this time, a wild cat suddenly jumped out from the wall, scaring the detective, and he was annoyed by his "cowardice.".

After carefully knocking on the iron door three times in a row, he waited for a full half minute, and then a tall man with a beard, wearing a black coat and leather boots, opened the door from the inside vigilantly.

"This is not a place for young people."

Looking at the young detective, he stretched out his hand to push him but surprisingly did not push him. Even if he was just a first-ring wizard, his physical fitness has been greatly enhanced.

"Are the rules here so barbaric?"

Shade showed a Rhodes card with the suit of Silver Moon 13, which was one of the cards he picked up on the roof of the pet boarding center in the morning, and then said:

"I came to see Mr. Rhodes for some matters on the table."

Then he gave three one-penny coins as an entrance fee.

"Just now I thought you were... coming here for the first time?"

The bearded man glanced at the cards and confirmed that the code was correct.

"I was introduced by an acquaintance."

Shade answered in a low voice. The bearded man looked at him again, and then he let Shade out of the door and let Shade enter the back corridor of the club illuminated by the dim gas lamp.

The detective immediately raised the collar of his windbreaker to cover half of his face and looked around the alley vigilantly before walking in.

"Although this is an illegal casino, there is no need to do this."

The bearded man muttered behind Shade.

The corridor was quite dim, and the air was filled with a disgusting smell of sweat, alcohol, and tobacco. After walking in for less than ten steps, doors appeared on the left and right of the corridor. All the doors were ajar, allowing the dazzling light in the room to shine into the corridor, and chaotic shouting and the sound of hands slapping the table could be heard inside.

Shade did not enter any door. He walked forward cautiously and quietly used [Blood Echo] to check the surroundings. He did not find too obvious bloodstains, which means that at least there are no more serious illegal activities here.

"Although it is not a combat spell, it is inexplicably useful."

The corridor leads to the east hall of the club, where the lights are brighter. Dozens of four-legged, wide wooden tables covered with tablecloths are placed in the hall. Gentlemen in decent clothes, drunkards who have just left the pub, workers who are off work at night—all kinds of people gather around the table, waving their banknotes around the still dim table, and excitedly watching the gambling on the table.

The Lucky Southern Cross Club is divided into three floors, and only guests with sufficient status can go to the casino upstairs. And little Franklin can only hang out on the first floor. The last time Detective Sparrow Hamilton found a drunk young man lying in the corner in the east hall.

Because there were too many people, Shade only heard Mr. Franklin introduce the clothes and appearance of little Franklin, so he did not find the young man the first time.

He held a 1 shilling bill in his hand and quickly mixed into the crowded hall. He kept stopping at different tables to observe whether there was someone he wanted to find, but he would never throw the bill at the gambling table. The cost of riding a carriage was already very distressing to him, and Mr. Franklin would not reimburse unnecessary expenses in the detective process.

In half an hour, he almost looked through the entire east hall but did not find his mission target. Instead, when he pretended to study the bets at the table, he heard the gamblers chatting about the interesting things that happened here an hour ago.

The young man with small eyes, wearing a gray hat, a sailor shirt, and freckles on his face, was taken to the second floor and forced to "pay off his debts" because he owed too much money at the gambling table.

Shade didn't know the meaning of "paying off debts," but he thought it was not a good thing. He knew that he had found the trace of little Franklin and that the young man was in a very bad situation.

To enter the second floor of the club, you need to show at least 10 pounds in cash, and you also need an acquaintance to introduce you. Shade had no money and no acquaintances, but he had to go to the second floor. Now was not the time to give up; after all, it was his first formal commission.

After waiting for a while, fortunately, a group of dozens of drunks stumbled out of the room on one side of the corridor and walked towards the second floor together.

"Good opportunity!"

Shade dodged to the side with several people near the stairs, but when the drunks passed by, he immediately supported one of them who was slightly behind, endured the smell of alcohol on his body, and helped him to mix in the crowd. The detective finally came to the second floor.

"It's true that making money is never easy."

Compared to the noisy environment on the first floor, the second floor is much quieter, and the decoration is more elegant. Even at night, it is still a wine club rather than a casino.

(End of this chapter)