"If this deal goes well, maybe I can really try to stay here as a detective. Once my life is stable, I can contact the extraordinary and try to find hope of returning home."
While monitoring the entrance of the club, the stranger thought of his distant hometown and Xia De couldn't help sighing.
He estimated the time again. Since Mr. Lawrence had also entered the club, it was impossible for the two of them to come out within an hour.
"They have something to do. Should I find a place to rest?"
He thought to himself and looked around, then he successfully saw a pub called "Screaming Hound" on the corner of the street.
This kind of pub, which is located on the main road and opens during the day, is usually not very chaotic, especially since it is only two o'clock in the afternoon. Shade squeezed the ten-pence note in his pocket, licked his chapped lips, checked the time, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over.
When he pushed open the door of the tavern, he saw a row of gas lamps on the wall, lighting up the dim interior. The air was filled with the smell of alcohol and fermented food, which made him feel a little uncomfortable as he was still hungry.
Xia De now knew that the lamps used in this era were all gas lamps. In addition to gas pipes, there were usually steam pipes climbing on the walls. The gas pipes were slightly thinner, and the steam pipes were covered with an insulation layer.
The round wooden tables in the pub were all empty. There were not many people there now, except for three customers, who were playing cards around a wooden table against the wall away from the bar. There was an oil painting of snow-capped mountains hanging on the wall next to the table.
They were three men who did not look wealthy. Although there were no patches on their clothes, the dark-colored clothing had turned pale after being washed. The hats on the table had obviously been used for a long time and were wrinkled and piled together.
Maybe they just wanted to take a break on this leisurely summer afternoon. Xia De didn't bother them and walked to the bar where the bartender was standing, thinking that he would just buy a glass of ice water. But he heard a cheer from one of the card players:
"I win again this time!"
The middle-aged man with a big beard and messy hair stood up and threw the cards in his hand on the table in a very arrogant manner:
"Look, it's 21."
He looked around proudly, but unfortunately there were only him and his friends here. Seeing Xia De just walking in, his eyes lit up:
"Please give this gentleman a glass of rye!"
The man who won the card but was not rich said to the bartender. Xia De turned around and looked at him in surprise. After a pause, he nodded slightly to express his gratitude:
"Thanks for your kindness, but I think a glass of ice water will be enough."
He was not good at drinking, and he didn't know the strength of the so-called "rye wine". Besides, he was still carrying out detective activities and there was no need for him to get involved in alcohol.
Obviously, the price of a glass of water is much lower than that of a glass of wine. The three men thought that Xia De was saving money for them and immediately had a good impression of him. Seeing that Xia De had no companions, they invited him to play cards together.
But Xia De didn't know how to play, so he could only watch them play from the side. The men were also very enthusiastic about teaching Xia De the skills of "Rhodes".
The playing cards in this world are very similar to the playing cards in the previous life. They also have four suits, with a total of 54 cards, but the four suits are the sun, moon, stars and flowers.
The mainstream way of playing cards is similar to the rules of "21 Points", which is called "Rhodes". There are also other rules such as solitaire, drawing joker cards, and comparing sizes, but Rhodes is popular all over the world. It is said that the inventor of this way of playing is called Rhodes.
Playing cards are generally made with pictures on the front and the suit and number marked in the upper left and upper right corners. Therefore, some series of playing cards with special patterns issued in special eras are particularly valuable.
The latest special series of Rhodes decks released is a limited edition of just 1,000 sets, called the "Fairy Tale Series".
The three men playing cards were not wealthy, and they did not know much about the so-called special series of Rhodes cards, and could only give a general idea.
They only knew that some of the nobles were crazy about those rare cards. In particular, some cards not only had special card patterns, but also contained special game rules.
That part of the cards is priceless. It is rumored that last year, Biford Auction House sold a special card for 12,000 pounds.
Xia De quietly calculated the prices and thought about the "Sun 3" in his diary. He didn't want to laugh, but he was deeply doubting whether the card he inherited was authentic.
But if the card with the woman sitting sideways and holding up the silver moon was authentic, his last bit of worry about his future life would disappear.
After chatting with three men playing cards in the pub for an hour, Shade left. When he returned to the newspaper office, the seat next to the mailbox was occupied by a young man wearing a brown vest and glasses.
This was probably a real reporter, so the young detective moved to stand next to the black iron lamppost.
The street lamp is generally cylindrical and also uses gas as its energy source. Xia De was standing leisurely beside it, but his eyes accidentally saw the nameplate. The nameplate clearly stated that you must not smoke under the street lamp pole, otherwise you will bear the consequences.
Xia De imagined what might happen and subconsciously stayed away from this dangerous place.
The sun was setting, and Shade was waiting patiently. After the feeling of hunger reached its limit and disappeared in the afternoon, he felt much better. He planned to wait until about five o'clock, and if Mrs. Lazoya did not show up, he would go to the church of the Church of War and Peace to collect relief food.
By the way, you can also take a look at what the church in this world is all about and confirm whether the church has any supernatural powers.
"But I have that voice in my head. Will I be arrested as soon as I enter? And the secret of the outsider..."
He was a little worried about this, but without knowing any of the circumstances, there weren't many choices Xia De could make.
Perhaps noticing that Xia De was thinking of her again, the woman's voice in her mind sounded again:
Observe his ring.
This sentence appeared at noon, but the personal pronoun was female at that time, and it was male this time.
Xia De immediately looked up at the entrance of the club, and saw a young man carrying a suitcase walking out. On the finger of his right hand was the white pebble ring that he had seen on Mrs. Lasoya's finger at noon.
Because the shape is so unique, Xia De is sure that he won't make a mistake.
Both of them put the ring on the middle finger of their right hand, and the voice in their heads did not give any further prompts.
"It's really interesting, why did the owner of the ring change?"
Xia De thought to himself that after seeing the man with the ring leave the club, he did not look for an empty carriage, but blended into the evening crowd and walked along the street to the east behind a fat man who was hurrying with a briefcase.
The fog of the steam city blurred his figure, and if Shade didn't chase him, he would soon lose the man's whereabouts.
"Should I chase after him? The voice in my head is definitely not just idle chatter."
He thought to himself, turned around and avoided the direction of the club entrance, unfolded the map in the notebook by one eighth, and looked for the direction of the Church of War and Peace. The church that distributed relief food was to the east of the current position, and it was very close to five o'clock.