Whispering Poems.

Chapter 30 Lucky Southern Cross
This is the third time that Mr. Franklin has come to the door to entrust. The content of the entrustment is also to forcibly take little Franklin, who is addicted to Rhodes cards, from the club that operates illegally at night.

Mr. Franklin has had enough. He plans to sell his property in the near future, quit his job, abandon himself and his wife's 30 years of hard work in this northern capital city, leave the rich and prosperous Tobesk, and move his whole family to the west of the kingdom. , the city of Artec known as the "City of Art".Mr. Franklin's older brother had lived in that city for many years and could introduce the family to new jobs.

Of course, it's more important to keep little Franklin away from those bad friends, away from Rhodes and the gaming tables.

"When I bring him back this time, I'll just lock him in the house. Take him directly on the steam train until next month when we're done with the move. So, Detective Hamilton, you can get my son out of here. The club?"

The client confirmed.

The matter required only that Shad set out at once to enter the club, and persuade Mr. Franklin Jr. to go with him, so the accountant's bid was thirteen shillings and threepence, or just over half a pound.That's about half a week's salary for an accountant earning around £13 a year.

This commission fee includes club tickets and additional allowances for night travel.Although compared to the entrustment from Mia, this business is not even worth the "half cat", but Xia De thought about it and was willing to accept this entrustment.

Not long ago, he had seen the matter of the Franklin family in the former detective's commission record, which recorded the process of the detective persuading little Franklin to leave with him.

"A very simple task, there will be no mistakes."

The orange cat stayed at home, worried that Mia was afraid, and Xia De reluctantly went out without turning off the gas light.Mr. Franklin went home to wait for news, while Shard chose to take a carriage to his destination because of the long distance.

Tobesque's rental horse-drawn carriage charges vary according to the location and destination of the passenger's boarding.Pick-up within the city centre centered on Yodell Palace, within 4 miles, 2 shilling for destinations under 1 miles, and 5p per mile thereafter.The per-mile fee will be cheaper if you take a long trip out of downtown.

And Xia De's destination this time is the lower city in the usual sense, that is, Beicheng.Including the extra tip he had to pay the driver for driving at night, he paid a total of 3 shillings when he got off the bus in a dim alley.

Fortunately, Franklin's family is also in the North City. After finding little Franklin, there is no need to take a carriage.

At the same time, the price of the expensive rental carriage also made Xia De aware of the wealth gap in this complex and prosperous steam age.And, as a bottom-level person, how many challenges do you have to face.

The night in the city was quiet, but Xia De, who had become a ring warlock, felt a terrifying feeling like staring into the abyss from the long silent night.Tobesque, the largest city in the north, is full of secrets and unknowns, the shadows of alleys and the mysteries in the corners of apartments, but fortunately, at least Xade did not encounter these tonight.

"This world... is more dangerous than I thought."

The club called "Lucky Southern Cross" has its main entrance on Glass Hill Avenue.But if you want to enter the club's casino, you have to enter through the back door in the alley.

According to the records left by the former detective, Shade entered the alley, and after a half circle in the dark, he saw the silver-gray rusty iron door.During this period, a wild cat suddenly jumped out of the wall, which startled the detective and made him annoyed at his "timidity".

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

"This is not a place for young people to come."

Glancing at the young detective, he stretched out his hand and pushed him, but unexpectedly there was no push.Even if it is only a ring warlock, his physical fitness has been greatly enhanced.

"Are the rules here so barbaric?"

Shade showed a Rhodes card of suit silver moon 13, which was one of the pairs he picked up on the roof of the pet fostering center in the morning, and then said:

"I came to Mr. Rhodes for something on the table."

Three more penny coins were then given out as an entry fee.

"I thought it was your first time here?"

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

"Introduced by an acquaintance."

Xia De replied in a low voice, and the bearded man looked at him again, and then let him out of the door, allowing Xia De to enter the back door corridor of the club lit by dim yellow gas lights.

The detective immediately erected the collar of his trench coat to cover half of his face, and looked around the alley vigilantly before entering.

"Although this is an illegal casino, it doesn't have to be."

The bearded man muttered behind Shard.

The hallway was rather dark, and the air was filled with a disgusting smell of sweat, alcohol, and tobacco.No more than ten steps inward, door after door appeared on the left and right of the corridor. All the doors were hidden, allowing the dazzling light in the room to shine into the corridor, and chaotic shouts and users could be heard inside. The sound of hands clapping against the desktop.

Xia De did not enter any door, he walked forward cautiously, and quietly checked the surroundings with [Echo of Blood], and found no bloodstains that were too obvious, which means that at least there was no more serious illegal activity here.

"Although it's not a combat spell, it's inexplicably useful."

The corridor leads to the brightly lit club on the east side of the hall. Dozens of four-legged wooden tables covered with tablecloths are placed in the hall. Well-dressed gentlemen, drunkards who have just left the tavern, and workers who get off work at night, all kinds of people. Such people crowded around the table, waving the banknotes in their hands around the still dim table, and excitedly watching the table game.

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

Because there were too many people, Shade had only heard Mr. Franklin's introduction to Little Franklin's dress and appearance, so he didn't find the young man for the first time.

With a 1 shilling note in his hand, he quickly slipped into the crowded hall.He kept stopping at different tables, watching to see if there was someone he was looking for, but he would never throw the banknotes at the gaming table. The cost of riding the carriage made him distressed. Mr. Franklin would not reimburse the detective during the process. No need to spend.

In half an hour, I almost looked through the entire east hall, but I didn't find my mission goal.Instead, while pretending to study betting at the table, I heard gamblers chatting about interesting things that happened here an hour ago.

A young man with small eyes, wearing a gray hat, a sailor's blouse, and freckles on his face, was taken to the second floor and forced to "pay the debt" because he owed too much money at the gambling table.

Shade doesn't know the meaning of "payment of debt", but it's not a good thing to think about.He knew that little Franklin had been found, and that the young man was in quite a bad situation.

To enter the second floor of the club, you need to show at least 10 pounds in cash, and you need to be introduced by an acquaintance.Xia De has no money and no acquaintances, but he must go to the second floor. Now is not the time to give up, after all, it is his first official commission.

After waiting for a while, 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 chance!"

Shade dodged to the side with a few people near the entrance of the stairs, but when the drunks passed by, he immediately supported one of them who was a little behind, enduring the smell of alcohol on his body, and helped him to mix in the crowd, the detective finally Came to the second floor.

"Sure enough, there is no easy time to make money."

Compared with the noisy environment on the first floor, the second floor is obviously much quieter and more elegantly decorated. Even at night, it is still a liquor club rather than a casino.

　PS: Speaking of which, there are now five members of the ring warlock team, and three occupations have appeared, namely detective (Shad), psychiatrist (Bill Schneider), and writer and part-time reporter (Dorothy Luisa).You can guess the occupation of the remaining two people, and remind them that they are all occupations that are easier to get into trouble, so that the next story will be interesting (laughs).

　　
　
(End of this chapter)