I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

After Pei Xiang selected the books and stationery to be purchased, he went to the counter to check out.

The owner of the bookstore is a tall, thin man with messy reddish-brown hair, about 40 years old, wearing a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, and is writing something in a thick loose-leaf book.

"Mr. Grant, please calculate the total price for me." Pei Xiang put a stack of books on the table.

"Okay miss, please wait a moment," the shopkeeper surnamed Grant wrote the last half of the record slowly, and then began to pay Pei Xiang, "W. Handbook, Dr Henry's Atlas of Mediterranean Plants, seven etudes, History of Greece... oh, and here are three books in Russian..."

Flipping through the hardcover book with a red cover at the bottom, Grant paused, then said:

"Miss, are you sure you want to buy Lermontov's collection of prose poems?"

Pei Xiang glanced at the collection of poems in the owner's hand, which was the one left by Mr. Stuart, and nodded with a smile:

"Yes, Mr. Grant. By the way, I noticed that there is only one book in the place where this book is placed. Maybe you can replenish the stock."

"Of course, although this book is not very popular, but because of Mr. Smith's comments, it still has some sales." Grant smiled and pointed to a record in the notebook and said, "Look, someone here has ordered a book."

Pei Xiang glanced at Mr. Grant's record book and found that the person who made the reservation was Guy Stuart, so he said curiously:

"This record was made before I checked out... Why didn't that gentleman buy this book from me? Did you find any flaws in the book's binding or printing?"

"No, no, you misunderstood, miss," the shopkeeper Grant explained with a quick smile, "Mr. Stuart told me before leaving, if you haven't bought this collection of Lermontov's prose poems, miss, let me help you." He reserves this book, and he will come to pick it up before noon tomorrow. If you buy the last one, miss, he hopes that the store can buy him a new one as soon as possible, so he keeps it This reservation record."

Pei Xiang came to a sudden, she confirmed to the shopkeeper with messy hair:

"The kind and humble Mr. Stuart you mentioned is a young gentleman with brown hair and a dark gray fine-striped coat, um, with a gentle temperament?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. Stuart is indeed wearing a dark gray pinstripe coat today. Why, Miss, don't you know Mr. Stuart?"

Pei Xiang shook his head regretfully, and said softly:

"Mr. Stuart and I noticed this book almost at the same time. He took the book off the top of the shelf before me, and he planned to let me read it first. But I noticed that the gentleman was interested in this book. The interest in prose and poetry collections is not so attractive.

"Later, when Mr. Stuart left with his companions, he put this book by my hand. I thought he didn't like the contents, but unexpectedly... Hey, it turned out that Mr. Stuart's Such a generous and kind man that he was willing to leave his favorite books to a stranger like me."

Grant agreed with Pei Xiang's praise of Stuart very much. He felt that this lady and Mr. Stuart were destined, so he said a few more words.

"To tell you the truth, I have seldom met a young gentleman with more self-cultivation and demeanor than Mr. Stuart. He is a regular customer in our store. I remember... Mr. Stuart came to the store often when he was in college. I bought books here. Why, Mr. Stuart looked very refined and easy-going in those days, and he was the editor-in-chief of a poetry journal."

Pei Xiang showed an interested look, and said:

"Then is he still in charge of that poetry publication now? Well, maybe Mr. Stuart is a poet himself. Hey, I don't know if I have the honor to read his works."

Grant scratched his messy fluffy hair and said in a casual tone:

"I don't know whether Mr. Stuart has published any works, but here is one of his paintings."

While talking, the owner Grant motioned Pei Xiang to look at the wall behind him.

"Have you seen the oil painting of the sunset on the sea? That is the work of Mr. Stuart. Once, I made a special trip to Europe to help him collect a few first-edition books with collection value. He was very happy and said I want to thank me. I just said that there is a lack of a landscape painting to decorate the blank wall in the store. Please draw one and give it to me. Haha, after all, it is very meaningful to display the works of the customers in the store. Then um, about a month later, Mr. Stuart sent someone to deliver this painting."

Following the direction of Grant's finger, Pei Xiang saw Guy Stuart's paintings.

It was a picture of the setting sun on the sea, vast and tranquil, with the afterglow of the setting sun falling on the blue sea, the sparkling light and the gentle sea breeze, giving people a soft and peaceful feeling of warmth.

Looking at this painting, Pei Xiang could feel the painter's peaceful and leisurely mind and delicate and soft inner emotions when he created this painting.She thought that if the painting resembled a human heart, this Mr. Guy Stuart would probably not do such despicable things as stealing technical secrets.

After Pei Xiang looked away, he found that Mr. Grant was still admiring the painting.He was slightly lost in thought, with a relaxed smile on the corner of his mouth.Obviously, even though the painting can be seen often, the shopkeeper will still be infected by the tenderness and artistic conception conveyed in the painting.

After a while, the shopkeeper came back to his senses and continued to deal with the accounts with his head bowed.

While waiting, Pei Xiang admired the sunset picture for a while, thinking that if this sunset picture was really drawn by Guy Stuart himself, then he is really a warm and elegant person.

She also thought of the gentleman's act of surrendering the book today, and felt a little moved in her heart, feeling that she could not let down the little kindness of others, so she said to Boss Grant:

"Mr. Grant, I am Amy Meredith. I don't live in New York often, so I don't know if I will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Stuart. Therefore, I would like to write a thank you message and sincerely thank that A gentleman's act of giving up the book. Can you pass it on for me?"

The shopkeeper did not refuse, and also provided a piece of light green stationery with exquisite patterns.

After coming out of the bookstore, Pei Xiang walked around the neighborhood again. After having a delicious dinner, she returned to the hotel where she was temporarily staying.

Under the light, Pei Xiang waited for Ace's return while reading today's newly purchased poetry collection. It was not until late at night that Ace returned quietly.

Putting warm food and a stomach-warming drink in front of Ace, Pei Xiang didn't rush to ask about today's observation results, but motioned him to take a break first.

There was a faint warm color in Ace's eyes, he didn't say much, just followed Pei Xiang's arrangement and instructions to concentrate on eating.

After swallowing the last bite of food and taking another sip of lemonade, Ace spoke:

"Today I focused on tracking and observing James Albert, Blake West, and Guy Stuart, and the people they had contacted today. Unfortunately, no one took the blue whale circle. The sealed drawings in the attic. Even, that Stuart did not go to sit in the dome at all today as usual, but stayed with a colonel surnamed Lester, who seemed to be asking for more. people."

Pei Xiang was first surprised that no one took away the drawings, and after listening to the second half of Ace's words, he added naturally:

"I also think that Guy Stuart is the least likely. Of course, this is not absolute. However, judging from his behavior, if he doesn't hide his true character very deeply, then he can be regarded as a Really personable."

Ace stopped drinking the milk, and the darkness in his eyes flashed away.

"Well, what happened to you today, Amy?"

Pei Xiang recounted his experience in the bookstore today in a few words, and finally said with emotion:

"Mr. Stuart's painting level is very good. The sea he described is peaceful, beautiful, vast and inclusive. Also, I can feel that his love for that prose poetry collection is sincere, so it seems that he The act of letting the book is particularly valuable."

Ace took another sip of the milk that Pei Xiang had prepared for him, and suppressed the depression rising in his heart.He has always liked to hear Pei Xiang talk, but this time he doesn't really want to hear her continue.

It's a bit strange to say that this is not the first time Ace has heard Pei Xiang praise other young men, such as her neighbor Laurie Lawrence, who has always been a handsome, smart and kind-hearted boy in Pei Xiang's mouth.But when those words of praise reach Ace's ears, they never make him feel sullen.

"Laurie, like me, is like a younger brother in the family in Amy's eyes," Ace lowered his eyes and thought to himself, "but I have more partners and close friends than Laurie, and I can be regarded as her closest and closest person. "

But this time...

Ace felt an inexplicable sense of urgency.

Of course, this sense of urgency was not brought to him by an unfamiliar Guy Stuart. More precisely, it was caused by Pei Xiang's easy trip this time without saying hello.Her lack of nostalgia has actually stirred up a certain cordon in Ace's heart.

He suddenly realized that close partners might not necessarily belong to him forever, even if they had an unbreakable and unique contract with each other, shared secrets and pasts, there was still a blank space after all.

"The blank space..." Ace pondered, trying to find the right way to fill the distance that made him restless.

Pei Xiang noticed the sudden silence of his companion, and shook his hand: "Ace?"

Ace came back to his senses, facing Pei Xiang's suspicious eyes, he temporarily suppressed those ups and downs and chaotic thoughts, and said calmly:

"Well, I was just thinking about the cruiser club. Why didn't anyone we suspect get access to that document? No, not only that, I'm almost sure that the document should still be in the Blue Whale Dome. This is a little strange, Amy, we seem to have overlooked a key point."

"One key point..." Pei Xiang carefully recalled all the details, and started reviewing the game when he went out in the morning.

The room fell silent, and time passed bit by bit.

Ace finally finished his milk.

He put down his glass and got up to clear the table: "At this time, Mrs. Carter, who is in charge of cleaning, has already fallen asleep. I will send these tableware to the first floor, and wait until tomorrow morning..."

Having said that, Ace suddenly stopped talking, his eyes turned slightly, and a faint light emerged from his eyes.

Almost at the same time, a hint of understanding flashed across Pei Xiang's eyebrows.

The two looked at each other, and an answer blurted out.

"Maid!"

"Ace, we almost ignored her." Pei Xiang clapped his hands and stood up excitedly.

Ace frowned and said in a low voice:

"I focused most of my attention on the members in the club before, and I really ignored the maid who entered the Blue Whale dome every day to clean up."

Pei Xiang smiled sweetly, and said calmly:

"Not only did you ignore it, but I also forgot about her. Now that I think about it, she is indeed a very suitable person to quietly take away the secret documents. Every day, she will be the first to enter the Blue Whale Dome Hall openly, and will Go clean the picture frame and every corner of the room. At that time, she is the only one in the room. When she gets the things, she can hide the secret item in the cleaning tool, and then take it out of the Blue Whale Dome inconspicuously .”

"Who will the maid pass it on to when she gets the trade item?"

After making new progress, Ace immediately thought about follow-up questions, and he murmured and analyzed:

"Would she be like Fortes and Little Brown, put things in some uninhabited and secluded place and go away without knowing anything? No, it doesn't matter, because anyway, take it away The person who did the stuff must be directly related to the person who planned everything behind the scenes, or it must be that person himself."

Pei Xiang nodded in agreement, and spoke a little faster:

"Indeed, there is no need for the other party to add more trouble. One more transfer link will increase the risk of exposure. Since the thing has stayed in the Ranger Club for a while, it can be regarded as achieving the effect that the other party wants to pretend to be powerful.

"Besides, that little Brown should also be a cover-up arranged by the other party. The people behind the scenes took advantage of Little Brown's curiosity to let him, and us who are investigating deeply, focus their suspicion on some officers who often go to the club. Then, Just when we were afraid of suspecting the innocent, the other party successfully transferred the transaction items through an inconspicuous maid."

At this point in the analysis, Ace frowned and nodded on the table, and let out a cold snort:

"It's a good plan with a loop. However, such a cautious behavior makes us more sure that the other party and the navy really don't have a particularly strong and close relationship, so it's such a bluff."

Pei Xiang sighed, with a helpless tone:

"This scheming and energy is actually used in crooked ways. However, it also shows that our power is too weak. If we have a strong background or abundant funds, the other party would not dare to play with these cunning ideas. And we don't need to investigate secretly like this. It is absolutely possible to fight back with dignity."

This was Pei Xiang's usual casual exclamation, but it gave the young Mr. Ace Hummel a new idea.Looking at the beautiful face under the lights, he began to think seriously about his future life and choices.

But before that, he had to find out who was behind the scenes.

Looking at Pei Xiang who was full of fighting spirit and enthusiasm, Ace suddenly realized clearly that his previous tacit solution to the problem seemed to be somewhat unworkable.

Originally, according to Ace's plan, after the enemy was caught, he would directly maim or kill him, and anyone who dared to block the way would be eradicated directly.

——Why not irrigate the gorgeous flowers on the way forward with bloody wind.

"Amy, if we identify the person behind the scenes through the maid's clues, how are you going to deal with him?"

Pei Xiang tilted his head and thought for a while, then said slowly:

"Probably collect the other party's criminal evidence first. Of course, the process of collecting evidence may not be legal or fair. Wait until you have the handle that can completely destroy the other party, and then look for potential allies. Through a series of interests Exchange and cooperate to ensure that I stand on a relatively fair platform, and then hand over the enemy's criminal evidence to the relevant law enforcement agencies, and then let the law judge the other party."

Ace immediately showed a "me too" expression.

But there was a voice deep in his heart asking him quietly, isn't it convenient, simple and efficient to directly kill the enemy and then take over the other party's power and wealth?If you want to obtain background resources and money capital that people can't underestimate, there are actually many "convenient" ways...

At this time, Pei Xiang looked over with clear eyes, and looked directly into Ace's eyes and heart, as if the clear starlight and moonlight sprinkled on a dark and cold lake, making the sleeping monster at the bottom of the lake turn over comfortably individual.

"Amy, after I go back this time, I want to apply to university. What do you think of me studying law?"

Pei Xiang was stunned for a moment, wondering why the topic suddenly jumped here, and asked:

"Didn't your dream when you were a child be to be a naval officer? Or to be a captain or something."

When Ace heard that Pei Xiang still remembered the old things a few years ago, he couldn't help chuckling, and then changed his words:

"It was my whim. However, even if I don't study law, I still want to study on my own. By the way, I'm going to the Cruiser Club tomorrow morning to check the situation. Do you want to go with me?"

Pei Xiang knew that the result would be available tomorrow, so he naturally didn't want to miss the opportunity to hear the news as soon as possible, so he readily decided to act with Ace.

So, after a few hours of sleep, Pei Xiang and Ace reappeared near the Cruiser Club.

At nine o'clock, a maid came out from the back door of the club with two big bags, Pei Xiang and Ace trailed behind her.

After the maid sent the towels and tablecloths that needed to be cleaned in the club to the cleaning shop two blocks away, she didn't immediately return to her work place, but walked into a relatively busy alley with a shopping basket on her shoulders. .

This alley is a famous place selling meat products nearby. There are many customers coming and going, and the thin figure of the maid is quickly submerged among the vendors and pedestrians.

Passing through the alley lined with shops, the maid looked back casually, and after confirming that no one was following her, she briskly ran towards an inconspicuous carriage at the corner of the street.

The car door opened silently, and the maid handed over the basket on her arm to the person in the car.

After another moment, the basket was handed out.The maid who took the basket smiled sweetly at the people in the car, then turned and walked away.

Seeing this, Pei Xiang and Ace, who had been following the maid all the time, exchanged glances and split up tacitly.Pei Xiang followed the carriage, while Ace took the opportunity to stop the maid for questioning.

The carriage moved forward rapidly, and Pei Xiang followed it all the way.

Half an hour later, the black carriage without any logo finally stopped, and a moment later, a gray-haired middle-aged man with a hooked nose came down from the carriage, holding a square Leather document case.

Pretending to be passing by, Pei Xiang unhurriedly approached the man who got off the carriage, sniffed it, and confirmed that the sealed drawing was in the document package.

"I caught you." Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows and smiled, and said silently.

At the same time, Ace, who had finished interrogating the maid, was about to leave the secluded alley, when his ears moved suddenly, and he caught a burst of messy footsteps and faint gunshots.He frowned, not wanting to be nosy at all, so he turned and left.

only……

After walking a few steps, he sighed, finally turned back and picked up the unconscious maid in the corner.Then he jumped, jumped to the other side of the high wall, and stood against the wall holding his breath.

After a few minutes, the footsteps got closer and the gunshots followed.Immediately afterwards, a life-and-death struggle broke out in the place where Ace had just left.Still later, there was another gunshot and a series of rapid and heavy breathing.

Ace listened quietly, smelling the bloody smell in the air, and guessing the situation outside the wall in his heart.During the period, the maid seemed to be awake, but was kicked unconscious by Ace without hesitation.

At this time, another group of people was gradually approaching in the distance, and Ace heard it, and not long after, the last surviving person outside the wall also noticed it.So, instead of continuing to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound, the man stood up again and stumbled away.

Ace quickly checked the situation on the other side of the wall before the group behind arrived, and found two people in uniform lying in a pool of blood, one was shot in the head and the other had his neck cut off .

"It seems that the man who was hunted ran away. He also has two guns."

After dealing with some traces, Ace left with the unconscious maid again.Soon after, a team of pursuers also arrived, but they had little to do with Ace for the time being.

After leaving the dark alley, Ace put the maid at the door of a shop, arranged his clothes in front of the window, and then went to the place agreed with Pei Xiang to wait patiently.