Outside the Coim Company in the Cherwood Borough.
Klein stepped down from the carriage, glanced around, and seemed to have never been here before, with a strong sense of novelty.
But in reality, he was quite familiar with the area. He knew that across the street was the Jowood Department Store, a favorite among the middle class, and that there was a famous Xin's Desi Pies not far away.
He once staked out this place, tracking down Doragu Gale, searching for clues about her infidelity!
Turning his gaze away, Klein, accompanied by his personal valet Richardson, headed towards the entrance of the Coim Company, where Mrs. Mary and her maid were already waiting.
In the relatively conservative Kingdom of Loen, a lady's personal servant must be of the same sex; otherwise, her reputation will suffer, affecting her social life and marriage. Therefore, even though Lady Mary's personal servant is, to some extent, equivalent to her secretary, and needs to be proficient in social etiquette, business knowledge, and have certain negotiation skills, she can only be found among women who have received a good education or have relevant work experience, and men cannot be considered.
Similarly, gentlemen's personal servants and business secretaries must also be of the same sex.
Of course, even so, people who can't control themselves will still engage in immoral behavior. In Backlund, there are cases of servants having relationships with their employers every year. Among them, the maids are the most likely to be harmed. They are either deceived, forced, or seduced into becoming the lovers of their male employers. When they are discovered, they are ruthlessly dismissed, lose their jobs, and then, because their reputations are damaged, they can no longer work as servants. A large number of them are forced to become prostitutes.
"Good afternoon, Dawn," Mrs. Mary greeted him with a smile.
Klein bowed and said:
Good afternoon, madam. It's quite a bustling place here.
Such remarks are roughly equivalent to a discussion about the weather.
Mary responded with a couple of words, and as she led Dawn Dantès through the doors of the Coim Company, she smiled and said:
"A professional will give you a tour and explain things to you later."
"About half an hour later, I went upstairs. I had prepared a buffet and invited some friends from different fields."
Friends from different fields... this is really helping me expand my social circle... that's quite sincere! Klein nodded slightly.
"As a newcomer to Backlund, I'm always looking forward to making more friends."
"No, you don't seem like a stranger at all. To me, you are a well-educated, true Backlund gentleman," Mrs. Mary replied politely.
As they spoke, they passed through the gate and entered a well-lit reception area, where a burly man in a suit with a neat mustache was waiting.
"This is Luke Summer, he's Coyme's first manager," Mary introduced to Dawn Dantès.
Actually, I know him... Klein looked at Luke and nodded with a smile.
In his mind, Luke Summer was a rather composed and very professional gentleman. He loved mechanics and was a very hospitable host at dinner parties. He neither looked down on the then-unknown poor Detective nor tried to curry favor with the few mid-level employees of the Backlund municipal government who lived on Minsk Street.
"This is my friend, Dawn Dantès. He's very interested in anthracite and high-quality charcoal. Could you give me a detailed explanation?" Mary turned to Luke and said.
Having already received instructions, Luke stepped forward, looked at the tycoon from Desi Bay, smiled gently, and respectfully said:
"Mr. Dantès, this is the headquarters of Coim Company... We have long-term agreements with several anthracite mining areas... We supply 30% of the total demand for anthracite and premium charcoal to the Cherwood Borough, Hillston Borough, North Borough, and West Borough districts, and we are poised to secure a large order from the Navy..."
I've never seen Luke with that expression before... Klein outwardly remained calm as he followed the other man around the Coim Company, listening to his explanations of various aspects, occasionally asking a casual question, but without making any statement.
Please remember the domain name: xin81zhongwénxiǎoshuowǎng
Half an hour later, they went up to the second floor and entered the large conference room.
The area had been prepared in advance, with tables set up against the wall and plates of food arranged haphazardly on them, mainly cold dishes such as ham, smoked meat, sausages, bread, salad, cakes, and puddings, but also a small number of hot dishes.
As soon as he entered, Mary introduced Dawn Dantès to two men who were talking nearby:
"This is Mike Joseph, a reporter for the Daily Observer, and this is Alan Chris, an excellent Doctor Allen Kreis. In Backlund, you'll always need them."
As Klein listened to Mary's words, he watched the two men with a smile, his lips almost twitching.
These are all friends I know very well! Hmm, I know even better than the baby in Allen's wife's belly... well, that sounds a bit odd... While Klein was thinking to himself, he patiently waited until Mary introduced Dawn Dantès to the other side before politely greeting Mike and Allen.
Mike Joseph hasn't changed much compared to last year; his eyebrows are sparse, his skin is rough, and his blue eyes are still captivating. As for Allen Kreis, although he is inherently a reserved and introverted person, he no longer shows it so obviously. He seems to have had a smooth six months, with both his mood and confidence at their peak.
Upon hearing that Dantès was a wealthy man from Desi, Mike took out his business card, smiled, and handed it to him.
You don't mind me trying to sell you something, do you?
"If you want to place an advertisement, you can contact me. Whether it's the Daily Observer or the Tussock Times, I can get you a discounted price."
As he spoke, Mike winked, indicating that he was joking.
"You reporter who always carries multiple fake IDs... Why didn't you mention to Sherlock Moriarty before that you could get a discounted advertising spot? You look down on the great Detective, don't you?" Klein muttered to himself, then exchanged business cards with the other party.
"I've always had this need."
Then, he turned to Allen and handed him another business card:
"I was sick a while ago and only recently recovered, so I really understand the importance of Doctor."
"I'm a Doctor, and I don't think you'd much like to see me," Allen said, but he still accepted the business card.
No, I really want to see you, and even attend your child's birth party... Klein muttered, deliberately steer the conversation toward the medical field, and had a very pleasant chat with Allen and Mike.
He had been worried about how to get close to Allen and re-establish contact with the unborn child. After all, the origami crane could break at any time and might not even be used once Sherlock Moriarty to appear openly in Backlund and visit him, let alone attend the birth celebration.
Now there's no problem. With Mrs. Mary's introduction, I can naturally become acquainted with Allen. I'll definitely be invited, hehe, maybe I can even become a godfather of the " Mercury Snake," after all, we're both believers in the goddess... Will this make the fetus angry...? I have to be careful. If Allen doesn't bring it up, I absolutely can't suggest it... Klein thought happily.
He professionally restrained himself, not showing too much enthusiasm on the first visit. After a few simple chats, he started getting to know the other guests with Mary.
Throughout the process, Klein didn't forget to get food and drinks, showing that he was quite comfortable in this environment.
After completing the lap, Mary stopped and said thoughtfully:
"These are all my friends."
Does that mean I wasn't invited to the other side, but also that I'm your friend? Klein nodded slightly.
"As a gentleman, perhaps I shouldn't ask, but as a businessman, I need to know who, or rather, who, is vying with you for control of the Coim Company?"
Mary paused for two seconds and then said:
" Baron Sindras and his friends want to Coim Company public on the stock exchange and make a fortune from it; they don't care about the company's future."
Baron Sindras, one of the wealthiest men in Loen, rose to nobility through donations to the Conservative Party. He was a banker, factory owner, and wealthy merchant... His stance is somewhat ambiguous; although he obtained his title through the Conservative Party, he sympathizes with merchants and is close to the New Party ... Klein thought for a moment, then smiled and asked in return:
"Why don't you ask Mr. Hall for help? His father is a high-ranking nobleman and a great banker; he should be able to provide the most effective assistance."
Mrs. Mary smiled bitterly:
"Mr. Hall did not want to get involved in this matter, saying that as the chief secretary of the Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission, he could not be involved in commercial activities related to smokeless coal and charcoal."
A gentleman truly aspiring to politics... However, he probably doesn't want to antagonize Baron Sindras... Heh, if I had chosen a different butler before, I'd probably be building a relationship with Baron Sindras now... He's so rich, if he really wanted to overpay, I couldn't possibly win... Heh, what if he tries to bury me in money...? Klein didn't ask any further questions, and instead said:
I'll wait for the investigation report to come out.
Seeing that Dawn Dantès hadn't backed down immediately, Mary said with a hint of gratitude:
"In this day and age, people with chivalry are few and far between, and you are one of them."
Klein smiled, made no promises, and after the buffet ended, he got into his high-class four-wheeled carriage and headed back to the North Borough.
After staring blankly at the street scene outside the window for a while, Klein suddenly turned to his personal valet Richardson, and said:
"Go to Saint Samuel Cathedral."
He still hadn't found a definite answer to the strange occurrence and subsequent cessation of the incident inside the church, which made him consider whether he should try to contact the internal guards.
He recalled that every afternoon, at least one of the inner guards would go to the Great Prayer Hall to pray to the Goddess.
How should he approach them? In that environment, even chatting seemed noisy... and being too deliberate would easily arouse suspicion... Klein frowned slightly, deciding to observe first and then figure out a way.
The carriage did not change direction and continued towards Böklund Street, but it did not stop there and drove straight past it.
Klein closed his eyes briefly inside the carriage, trying to calm his sudden nervousness.