After the pistol, Mr. Johnson continued to hand Shad new things:
"Gun license and bullets. Your monthly quota of bullets is 50 rounds. When you use them up, come back next month to get new bullets. But when you get new bullets, you must specify the purpose of the old ones. Some time ago, those damn guys were reselling guns on the black market and caused a lot of trouble... Take your gun license. If you lose it, go to the Redwich Field to get a replacement. It's already on file for you."
Shad took the heavy box of bullets with a strong smell of oil in one hand. The strength of his wrist made Mr. Johnson raise an eyebrow.
He continued to take something out of the box, this time a page of paper:
"Your application consent form can be signed with any name you like. It is mainly for the convenience of checking accounts. MI6 is organized under the Royal Army, so you need to sign this."
So Shad signed on Sherlock Holmes, and it seemed like every organization he approached was troubled by the need to keep accounts.
Mr. Johnson reached for something one last time, this time again a document:
"Agree to pay taxes on your behalf. This way, the Sixth Department can pay your taxes directly before paying you."
Xia De looked at the sturdy middle-aged man hesitantly. He was surprised for the first time since coming here:
"Excuse me... MI6 also has to pay taxes?"
Mr. Johnson sneered:
"Of course, reimbursements don't have to be taxed, but how can basic salary not be taxed? Only death and taxes are inevitable... Sign the same name as above, don't make a mistake in spelling. Last time, a guy wrote a very complicated name, but when he came to sign the second time, he actually forgot what he wrote."
He handed the pen to Shade, who read it carefully before signing. The dark blue ink stood out on the printed matter. Foreigners now understand the characteristics of this steam age. "Only death and taxes are inevitable" is not a saying unique to the people of my hometown.
"Salaries are paid monthly. You can come here at the beginning of each month to collect them. You can come to me directly. You need receipts for the monthly reimbursement of 20 pounds. Any receipts will do, but they cannot be the same. Oh, and I have to warn you. Although agents may spend money in various places for work, even if you can get receipts from Rhodes Casino and brothels, we will not accept them. We will not accept any amount."
Mr. Johnson said this repeatedly, and judging from his expression, he had probably experienced this kind of thing before.
“Does the church accept donation receipts?”
Shade raised an eyebrow.
"Of course, this is better and easier to do accounting, but I need real proof."
"no problem."
He nodded. It would be easy to help get some donation receipts as a priest of Augustus. If that didn't work, he could go to Miss Annat and get some receipts from the Prophet's Association.
He gradually learned this trick.
"Although I don't know why you were recruited, but remember to write a report every month when you get your salary. One more thing, you probably have a special task assigned by the director, but you also need to pay attention to other things in the city."
Mr. Johnson coughed, and when he talked about business, his tone was very serious, and his expression and eyes also became serious:
"Not long ago, a military Draco II integrated steam bomb exploded near the Terraril River. If you have any information about this, please report it. Not only the City Hall and the military, but even the Orthodox Church is investigating this matter."
Of course, Shade knew about this, and was even familiar with the lady who fought the fish-man and set off the bomb that shattered it:
"Is it something that came out of the black market?"
He tried to ask.
"Of course not. This type of steam bomb has not yet been mass-produced and is only used on a small scale by the Royal Guard."
Mr. Johnson scratched his hair:
"The higher-ups suspect there may be a mole among the royal guards. Who knows?"
Xia De did not respond. At that time, Miss Louisa said that she bought it from the black market. Now that I think about it, it is likely that she got it from Princess Resia Cavendish for self-defense.
"The Orthodox Church also offered a reward for this matter, and it is very high. The reward was suddenly added on Saturday night. No one knows what happened..."
Mr. Johnson muttered, and Shade thought about the time. It was probably after he unfolded the maze to fight against the evil god's sight. In other words, the Orthodox Church really linked the fishman on Friday and the maze on Saturday together.
But fortunately, the evil god's sight affects divination, and he has the habit of carrying the twenty-sided dice of fate with him when he goes out. As long as he does not expose himself, no one can find him.
"I understand. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"
Shade wanted to skip this topic.
"Something worth noting... And this, the reward is very high."
Mr. Johnson pointed to the newspaper under the empty box. It was the Tobesk Morning Post, and most of the page was devoted to the follow-up to the missing child case in the city:
"This matter has attracted the attention of the higher-ups. City Hall and MI6 have both offered a very high reward."
"Because there are too many missing children?"
Mr. Johnson glanced at Shade:
"Of course not. It's because a viscount lost his child... Let's not talk about it. Just remember to pay attention to it. The last thing is very crucial. The day after tomorrow, which is around noon on Wednesday, Queen Diana will go to Tobesk Station to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. We received news not long ago that the Gray Gloves are going to take action against members of the royal family..."
Captain Raddes had vaguely mentioned this, and even the citizens had heard about it, so of course MI6 would know about it as well.
"... But later we found out that it was another organization acting under the name of Gray Gloves... We have some intelligence agents, you know, probably double agents or something like that, who have confirmed the situation, and Gray Gloves doesn't want to cause a war between the two countries."
He looked at Xia De, and seeing Xia De's understanding expression, he continued:
"Mr. Anros suspects that the mysterious organization intends to attack Queen Diana, so you can pay attention to the news in this regard."
This matter has nothing to do with Xia De. He is just a salary thief who does not work and has no intention of being associated with political events.
Mr. Johnson was still talking, and he joked:
"Of course, there is no definite news yet, and it is not necessarily a conspiracy against the Queen. But if something really happens on Wednesday... our dear director, Mr. Anros, will probably be sent to work at the National Cemetery Management Association. I heard that it is a sinecure."
"In my hometown, this kind of exile is usually called 'guarding the royal tomb.'"
While Mr. Johnson was smiling, Shad also spoke to the woman in his heart, and received a chuckle in response.
Just like that, Shade, who had just dealt with the aftermath of a hidden foreign agent half a month ago, officially became a member of the intelligence organization "MI6" of the Kingdom of Delarion. Although he did not work but only received a salary, this identity would definitely be of great help in the future.
The job came from Miss Carina, the great witch of the Witch Council. As Xia De walked towards home with an umbrella in his hand, he was still curious about what the other party saw in him.
"If it was just the Rhodes cards, they wouldn't be so kind to me... Even if they really don't care about it, this help is a bit too much. Am I overthinking it, or is there really another purpose?"
He looked at the rainy scene of the city in the steam age, thinking as he walked forward.