"The Archduke's lover... Oh, I'm not talking about you."
Seeing Xia De suddenly looking at him, Director Anros immediately explained.
"I didn't say you were talking about me?"
Xia De also said this, and both of them felt a little embarrassed, so they consciously avoided this topic:
"It's like this. Virgil Cameron also went to Tobesk to join the Big City Players. But we suspect that his real purpose is to come to Tobesk and meet with the people of Carsonrick."
Director Anlos continued.
"Sorry, please wait."
Xia De raised his hand and asked hesitantly:
"You mean, he went all the way to Tobesk to meet with the other party? Isn't it more dangerous here than in the small principality in the south? Even if the principality has been suspected by the royal family, isn't it safer to find a small country town in the kingdom than Tobesk?"
"The specific reasons are still under investigation, but it is probably because both sides do not trust each other and are unwilling to set the meeting place in a remote countryside. Moreover, this meeting is a top-secret operation. It is purely coincidental that our people knew this information. Anyway—"
Mr. Anros put one hand on Shade's shoulder and looked at him with sharp eyes:
"Virgil Cameron will be under close surveillance in Tobesk, but players from the big city are not allowed to enter the final three game venues at will. Although we have deployed personnel, it is not safe after all. So, if you and Mr. Cameron both make it to the finals under the small probability, I want you to do your best to monitor whether he has met with suspicious people."
The Grand City Players Rhodes Card Tournament lasts for two weeks. The preliminary round starts on Friday, the semi-finals are next week, and eight players will be selected to participate in the finals next weekend. There are three finals in total, and only guests with special invitations can watch the games. Invitations are issued six months in advance, and even the list of names has been announced long ago. If MI6 just got the news, it would be difficult to temporarily insert reliable personnel.
"If it's just this kind of mission, I think it's fine."
Xia De nodded, accepting the commission. Mr. Anros was very satisfied with his attitude:
"It is unlikely that the two sides will meet at the final venue of the big city players. After all, no one can predict in advance whether Virgil Cameron can enter the final. So, you don't have to feel pressured."
He smiled and released his hand, but as they walked back to the front door of the Facilities Management Office, he turned to Shade and said;
"Look at my memory. I've got it all figured out, Shade. Good luck in the competition."
He patted Shade's shoulder again:
"None of our agents has ever made it to the finals of the Big City Players. If you can win the 1853 championship, I think I can immediately raise your salary level. After all, we welcome people with professional expertise to join the team."
When leaving the Urban Waste Disposal Management Center, because he had accepted a mission from MI6, Xia De couldn't help but think of the letter that was about to be sent.
Detective Sparrow had said that on the fifth day of September, which was this Thursday, a letter would be mailed to 6 St. Teresa's Square, and that the price for Shad to inherit all his inheritance would be to keep the detective agency running until that day and burn the letter.
"Time flies so fast, today is Monday, Thursday..."
He was not sure whether he would open the letter when he received it. After all, he was very curious about Sparrow.
Since he had received the free salary, Shad took Mia out for a big meal at noon as agreed. The cat felt sleepy after a full meal, so in the afternoon, he left Mia alone at home to take a nap while he went to the city to deal with the monthly gas bill, steam bill and his own advertising fee in the newspaper.
By coincidence, at the Steambird Daily newspaper office, Shad actually met Dorothy who was there on business.
The editors of the newspaper were carrying a heavy-looking sack, trying to help Iluna carry it to the four-wheeled carriage parked outside the newspaper office. After asking around, Shade found out that the sack was filled with letters from readers.
"Do you read every letter?"
Shade asked Dorothy curiously, and got a positive answer from the golden girl.
But when they left the newspaper office, Dorothy whispered to Shade that she would only read a small part of the letters, and she piled the rest in a corner, thinking that when she had enough money to buy her own house, she would pile all the letters in the attic. After all, these were letters from readers, and even if she didn't have time to read them all, she would not throw them away or burn them.
"Actually, you can put it at my place first. My house is relatively empty anyway."
Shard gave his advice, and his attic was filled with five sacks of mail, but in return, Dorothy, who had spent the afternoon reading detective records in Shard's study, invited him to dinner that evening at an upscale restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue.
When paying the bill, Shad noticed that Dorothy had left the name of Resia's personal maid.
"She won't mind."
Dorothy said with a smile, which reminded Shad of the image of Lesia kissing him with Dorothy's body on Sunday night.
When he woke up early on Tuesday morning, Shade misremembered the time and thought that the letter that needed to be burned would arrive today. But when he went outside to get the milk, he was blown by the morning breeze and remembered that the letter would not arrive until Thursday.
However, there was indeed a letter sent from afar today. It was from Miss Mia Gold. Miss Mia's original owner wrote to her once a month to inquire about Mia the cat's condition, and mailed the cat's £10 living expenses to Shad on time.
Apart from his salary from MI6, this money was actually Shad's only fixed income.
In the letter, Miss Gold still expressed her concern about Mia's recent situation and said that she had received the photo of Mia that Shad sent her last month.
She expressed her gratitude to the detective again, but also said that her illness was still not cured, and the troubles in her hometown were increasing. There were not only strange rumors, but also some news about her fallen family.
She certainly wouldn't be able to go to Tobesk and pick Mia up this year, so she hoped the detective could take care of the cat for a while longer.
"Didn't they say last month that it was just the flu? Why is it that you're still recovering after a month? Are family affairs really that heavy?"
Xia De was puzzled by this. While he was worried about the client's health, he was also glad that she did not entrust anyone else to come to Tobesk to take Mia away.
"But it seems that Miss Gold is very rich, or her 'declined' family is very rich."
Xia De turned over the two pages of letter paper to see if there was anything on the back.
"If I want to buy Mia, I'm afraid it will cost a lot of money..."
Thanks to the sale of the fishman's elixir to Miss Carina some time ago, Shad still had more than 2,000 pounds in savings. Although he couldn't tell what kind of cat Mia was, it shouldn't be expensive. But if Miss Mia Gold loved this cat, Shad was not sure whether 2,000 pounds would be enough to get the cat from that lady.
"It seems that we still need to continue testing the other party's attitude."
He found some letter paper and prepared to write back:
"There are still four months left this year. In addition to this month, I have three more chances to write to Miss Gold in October, November, and December. I must confirm whether she is willing to sell the cat to me before January next year. In fact, it's better to delay it. Maybe Miss Gold's feelings for Mia will fade gradually... Well, I still have to prepare to save money."
Have you ever thought about what would happen if that lady died of illness
Her voice suddenly came from his ears. Xia De thought about it and shook his head violently:
"I can't curse my client. Moreover, even if Miss Godd really dies of illness, I will go to that town in person and inform her grave that I plan to adopt Mia. However, I don't want this to happen."
Why? Don't want to take a long trip
"No, I hope everyone can live well."
He uncapped his pen and chased away the cat that was circling the ink bottle, so the cat jumped onto Shad's lap again:
“Everyone will die one day, but I hope that no one I know will leave because of an accident.”