This was Mr. Franklin's third visit to the house to commission someone, and the commission was also to forcibly take little Franklin, who was addicted to Rhodes cards, out of the illegal night club.
Mr. Franklin has had enough. He plans to sell his property and quit his job in the near future. He will abandon the 30 years of hard work he and his wife have put in in this northern capital city. He will leave the rich and flourishing Tobesk and move his family to Artek, a city in the west of the kingdom known as the "City of Art". Mr. Franklin's brother has lived in that city for many years and can introduce new jobs to the family.
Of course, what is more important is to keep little Franklin away from bad friends, away from Rhodes cards and gambling tables.
"After I bring him back this time, I will lock him up at home. After I finish moving next month, I will take him directly to the steam train. So, Detective Hamilton, can you get my son out of that club?"
Confirmed by the client.
This matter only required Shad to go to the club immediately and persuade Mr. Franklin Jr. to leave with him, so the accountant's offer was 13 shillings and 3 pence, which was more than half a pound. For an accountant with an annual income of about 70 pounds, this was about a week's salary.
The commission fee included the club ticket and extra allowance for night trips. Although compared with the commission for finding Mia, this business was not even worth "Half Cat", Xia De thought about it and was willing to accept the commission.
He had just seen the story of the Franklin family in the commission record of the previous detective, which recorded the process of the detective persuading little Franklin to leave with him.
"It's a very simple task. Nothing can go wrong."
The orange cat stayed at home, worried that Mia might be scared, and Shad reluctantly went out without turning off the gas lamp. Mr. Franklin went home to wait for news, while Shad chose to take a carriage to his destination because the journey was long.
The fare for horse-drawn carriages in Tobesk varies according to the place where the passengers get on the carriage and the destination. If you get on the carriage within the city center centered on the Yodel Palace, the fare is 1 shilling within 4 miles, and the destination is less than 2 miles away. The fare per mile will be cheaper if you leave the city center and take a long-distance trip.
This time, Shad's destination was in the lower city, or the North City. Including the extra tip for the driver at night, he paid a total of 3 shillings when he got off the car at the dark alley.
Fortunately, Franklin's home was also in the northern part of the city, so there was no need 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 had to face as a member of the lower class.
The night in the city was quiet, but Shad, who had become a ring wizard, felt a terrible feeling as if he was looking into the abyss from the long silent night. Tobesk, the largest city in the north, was full of secrets and unknowns, and there were definitely many secrets in the shadows of the alleys and the corners of the apartments, but fortunately, Shad did not encounter any of them tonight.
"This world... is more dangerous than I thought."
The club, called Lucky Southern Cross, has a main entrance on Grass Hill Avenue, but if you want to enter the club's casino, you have to enter through the back door in the alley.
Following the notes left by the previous detective, Shade entered the alley and walked around in the dark for half a circle before he saw the silver-gray rusty iron door. During this time, a wild cat suddenly jumped out from the wall, scaring the detective and making him regret his "cowardice".
After carefully knocking on the iron door three times in a row and waiting for a full half minute, a tall man with a beard, wearing a black coat and leather boots cautiously opened the door from the inside.
“This is not a place for young people.”
The detective glanced at the young man and reached out to push him, but surprisingly failed to move him. Even though he was only a first-ring warlock, his physical fitness had been greatly enhanced.
"Are the rules here so barbaric?"
Xia De showed a Rhodes card with the suit Silver Moon 13, which was one of the cards he picked up on the roof of the pet boarding center this morning, and then said:
"I came to see Mr. Rhodes for some matters on the table."
Three penny coins were then given as an admission fee.
"I thought you were... your first time here?"
The bearded man glanced at the cards and confirmed that the code was correct.
"I was introduced by an acquaintance."
Shad answered in a low voice. The bearded man looked him over again before moving out of the door and letting Shad enter the back corridor of the club which was lit by dim gas lights.
The detective immediately turned up 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 be like 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 only ten steps inside, doors appeared on both sides of the corridor. All the doors were ajar, allowing the glaring light from the rooms to shine into the corridor. Inside, one could hear chaotic shouting and the sound of hands slapping on the table.
Xia De did not enter any door. He walked forward cautiously and quietly checked the surroundings with the echo of blood. He did not find any obvious bloodstains, which meant that at least there was no more serious illegal activities here.
"Although it's not a combat spell, it's inexplicably useful."
The corridor leads to the east hall of the club, where the lights are brighter. Dozens of wide four-legged wooden tables covered with tablecloths are placed in the hall. Well-dressed gentlemen, drunkards who have just left the pub, workers who are getting off work at night, all kinds of people gather around the tables, waving banknotes in their hands around the still dimly lit tables, and excitedly watching the gambling on the tables.
The Lucky Southern Cross Club was divided into three floors, and only guests with sufficient status could go to the casino upstairs. And young Franklin could obviously only hang out on the first floor. The last time Detective Sparrow Hamilton found a drunk young man lying in the corner of the east hall.
Because there were so many people, Xia De had only heard Mr. Franklin introduce little Franklin's clothes and appearance, so he did not find the young man immediately.
He held a 1-shilling note in his hand and quickly blended into the crowded hall. He kept stopping at different tables to see if there was anyone he wanted to find, but he would never throw the note at the gambling table. The cost of the carriage was already painful for him, and Mr. Franklin would not reimburse unnecessary expenses during the detective process.
In half an hour, he had looked around the entire east hall, but he did not find his target. Instead, while pretending to study the bets at the table, he heard the gamblers chatting about the interesting things that happened here an hour ago.
A young man with small eyes, wearing a gray hat, a sailor shirt and a freckled face, was taken to the second floor and forced to "repay his debt" because he owed too much money at the gambling table.
Shad didn't know what "paying a debt" meant, but he thought it was not a good thing. He knew that little Franklin had been found 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 need an acquaintance to introduce you. Shade has no money and no acquaintances, but he must go to the second floor. Now is not the time to give up, after all, this is his first official commission.
After waiting for a while, fortunately, a group of dozens of drunkards stumbled out of the room on the side of the corridor and walked towards the second floor together.
“Good opportunity!”
Xia De dodged to the side with several people near the stairs, but when the drunks passed by, he immediately supported one of them who was a little behind, endured the smell of alcohol on him, and helped him blend into the crowd. The detective finally reached the second floor.
“It turns out that making money is never easy.”
Compared to the noisy environment on the first floor, the second floor is obviously much quieter and the decoration is more elegant. Even at night, it is still a wine club rather than a casino.