On the small balcony of the master bedroom, Dawn Dantès, Klein as Klein, stood behind the railing, quietly watching Baron Sindras's luxurious carriage slowly disappear into the distance.
His mind was still replaying the other person's words, and he felt that the Coim Company's shares had been a conspiracy from the very beginning.
For Baron Sindras, although Coim Company had great potential and a bright future, its current value was limited to Backlund and constrained by various conditions. It was not worth the attention of a major banker, who was putting on an act of never giving up control. After all, even if he failed, it would only be a matter of how much he made, not a loss.
For the seller, Caron, it was normal to be under external pressure to sell shares for cash, and it was also normal to be reluctant to sell to the Conservative Party "money bag," Baron Sindras. The problem was that, as a businessman, when faced with a relatively unimportant deal and similar prices, he could indeed consider political leanings, but when there was a possibility of obtaining a very high premium, there was no reason to refuse. However, he deliberately rushed to complete the transaction with Dawn Dantès before Baron Sindras made his final offer, which seemed to indicate that he had a grudge against the gold pound or extreme hatred towards the Conservative Party. This was not in line with the current political climate; the Kingdom of Loen was not yet divided to that extent.
It seems someone is forcing Baron Sindras to do this, while someone else is using this as a trap, using Caron's 3% stake as bait, and me as a cover, to lure Baron Sindras into the game, hoping to achieve some goal... Klein looked at the gas streetlights under the night sky and sighed inwardly.
According to his speculation, if he hadn't discovered the problem tonight and hadn't sent someone directly to Baron Sindras, he would have inevitably been imprisoned due to various seemingly conclusive clues. And once the military or the Church of Evernight intervened, the evidence would undoubtedly have reversed, pointing to Baron Sindras.
In this process, if Baron Sindras makes even the slightest misjudgment, regarding Dawn Dantès as an accomplice of the mastermind and resorting to drastic measures against him, it will be the final nail in his coffin for his own demise.
As for who was behind it all and what their true purpose was, Klein had no way of knowing. He could only be certain of one thing: Mrs. Mary probably didn't know the truth either. She was merely being used by someone who was desperate to keep control of Coim Company. In short, she wasn't qualified to get involved in a conspiracy of this level.
Environmental protection... New Party... Conservative Party... Bankers... Acquisition... Framing... One word after another flashed through Klein's mind, making him feel as if he could see dangerous whirlpools lurking beneath the surface of Backlund's current calm.
They already existed, and the heavy smog did not subside; some of them were even extensions of that incident.
All these factors intertwined, coupled with an increasingly tense international environment, led Klein to think of one word:
"Change!"
In that instant, Klein seemed to sense the approaching storm.
Coupled with the Apocalypse prophecy, who knows how much chaos and madness is brewing in the shadows... My current focus is on investigating the truth behind the Great Smog of Backlund Incident, starting with the military. If I get caught up in this vortex, there will likely be unnecessary trouble, and I might even expose my Sequence power, making it impossible for me to continue Acting the Dawn Dantès... Klein withdrew his gaze, having already made his decision:
That means getting out of there as soon as possible!
As for Baron Sindras's safety, he wasn't worried. First, the man had the backing of the Conservative Party and his own power, so it would be difficult for him to be framed if he became vigilant. Second, Klein didn't have much of a relationship with him, and the fact that he offered a friendly reminder was already a sign of his high character.
He wasn't qualified to investigate the truth behind Caron's death, so he could only trust that the " Nighthawks " were experienced, resourceful, and had a chance to find the real clues.
How could he extricate himself from this situation? As long as he held that 3% stake, it meant he would always be in the spotlight... Could he get Mrs. Mary to buy it back early? That would be difficult; she probably didn't have the funds yet... Sell it to Baron Sindras? That would violate his promises and the contract... As Klein's thoughts raced, an idea gradually formed.
His facial muscles inexplicably Distortion slightly, but he quickly relaxed, because what he was about to do was something he had wanted to do but was unable to do before, and it would also help him build his image and better enter high society.
In the next room, which had a large balcony, Hugh and Fors, one gazing at the street and garden, the other at the red moon half-hidden behind layers of clouds, remained silent for a long time.
Only after the lights on Dawn Dantès' side went out did Fors turn to look at his friend, saying with interest and obvious sigh:
Being a millionaire isn't easy...
"If it were you, you might go bankrupt in three days and end up in jail."
Hugh glanced at her and said:
"I can hire a great butler, a professional Lawyer, and a capable business secretary to help me."
Fors didn't continue to criticize the other party, but instead smiled and said:
"If it were me, I would convert it all into bank deposits, government bonds, and real estate, relying on the pension income they generate to maintain a decent standard of living."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Hugh frown slightly and turn her gaze to the first floor of the house.
"What's wrong?" Fors suddenly tensed up.
Hugh focused on it for a few seconds and said:
"My Spirit Intuition tells me that there are items or things related to black magic appearing."
One of the key characteristics of a " Sheriff " is that, when they are close enough, they can detect and sense unmasked things related to evil, chaos, and madness.
"Dark magic?" Fors was a seasoned Beyonder and was no stranger to it.
Strictly speaking, anything that doesn't go through the seven gods is black magic, including Ritualistic Magic that invokes Hidden Existence.
In a general sense, black magic specifically refers to strange spells cast using flesh, hair, and various bizarre objects. Some involve evil gods, some stem from extraordinary abilities, and some rely on the Spirituality of the materials themselves and the correct symbolic symbols and magical insignia.
Xiu solemnly emphasized:
"Yes, it's on the first floor. I'm planning to go take a look. You stay here and protect Mr. Dantès."
Fors paused for two seconds, then nodded without uttering a word:
"Good."
After Hugh left the semi-open room with the large balcony, she took out " Lemano's Travel Notes " from a hidden pocket, ready to take immediate action if anything went wrong.
On the other side, Xiu moved nimbly and lightly down to the first floor, following his senses to arrive at the door of one of the rooms.
After confirming that the target was inside, Xiu paused for a moment, his expression gradually darkening:
If she remembered correctly, this room should belong to Walter, the butler who hired her!
In that brief moment of distraction, the dark magic item or event that had sparked her Spirit Intuition vanished, and the room fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
Xiu hurriedly pressed his ear against the door, listened carefully, and confirmed that there was still human breathing inside.
After waiting for a while, seeing that the butler Walter had not taken any action, she returned to the third floor with a puzzled look and told her friend Fors what she had just discovered, concluding with:
"Should we pretend we know nothing, or try to remind Mr. Dantès?"
Fors thought for a moment and said:
Perhaps the butler meant no harm?
Let's observe further.
After stating her position, she clicked her tongue in amazement:
"It must be said, Mr. Dawn Dantès is a truly pitiful fellow. Not only was he used to frame Baron Sindras, almost going to jail unjustly and damaging his reputation, but he also has a butler with unknown intentions who studies black magic by his side. Alas, I hope he doesn't lose his life because of this. In this respect, he's just a helpless ordinary person."
Hugh nodded in agreement:
"If we still can't confirm the butler's intentions after these three days, we'll leave him a note as a reminder."
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Klein glanced at his butler Walter with the same expression as usual, then left with his personal valet Richardson and took a carriage to Saint Samuel Cathedral.
After listening to the sermon and offering a prayer, Klein did not make a donation but went directly to Bishop Electra.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Although the bishop was under great pressure because of the intrusion into Chanis Gate, he was still quite kind to the believers.
Klein smiled and said:
"I've been through some things lately, and I'm becoming more aware of my own inner self."
Before Bishop Electra could ask, he continued speaking on his own:
"I want to establish a scholarship fund for the poor and hope to get help from the church."
"I will put my shares in Coim Company into this fund and use all the funds it can obtain under the contract to launch this project."
Bishop Electra was almost stunned, because this was by no means a small sum.
Although outsiders have no way of knowing exactly how much Dawn Dantès spent to buy that 3% stake, they have all heard the relevant rumors, believing it to be over 10,000 gold pounds, and that the subsequent returns will not be low!
When Mary was being pursued by many men of high status, her total assets were only tens of thousands of pounds.
Therefore, Dawn Dantès' donation of over ten thousand pounds is definitely a grand gesture. In the entire Church of Evernight, apart from donations specified in wills, the number of single donations received that amount can be counted on one hand!
"This is an act worthy of any praise," Bishop Electra said sincerely. "However, I must remind you not to do things beyond your capabilities."
Klein responded with a smile:
"This is indeed not a small amount for me, but it's manageable and won't affect my life or business."
Bishop Electra's smile gradually softened, and she nodded, saying:
"The goddess will surely watch over you."
Upon hearing this blessing, Klein's expression nearly froze.
Bishop Electra continued:
"I will report to His Excellency the Archbishop and try to hold a charity dinner for this fund. We will invite devotees of the goddess from various fields, including several nobles and their families, to see if anyone else is willing to participate."
He knew very well that Dawn Dantès had been trying to enter high society, so he deliberately pointed to the nobility.
P. S.: I'm back in China and adjusting to the time difference, so this chapter will be updated first and revised later. I'm flying back to Hangzhou today, and will resume my normal two-chapter-per-day update schedule tomorrow.