Chapter 97: Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee

Chapter Ninety-Seven
Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee

Sir Des Shaw? Mr. Hibbert Hall? Who are those people? I do not know either of them at all…

Klein pretended he had no questions and said half jokingly, “I hope they can bring Backlund blue skies and sunlight.”

“Yes. Although what one burns in one’s own fireplace is everyone’s freedom and a right granted by law, blue skies and sunlight are things more worthy of longing for.”

Luke Sammer, a member of the Soot Reduction Association, echoed with a sigh. Then he pointed toward the hired carriage. “We should be going. Mary urgently needs some help.”

Stelyn Sammer added with feigned reserve, “Perhaps Members of Parliament will attend the banquet. From the Backlund region, or even from the kingdom itself.”

“One can imagine how grand that banquet will be,” Klein said politely, watching the Sammers board the carriage and leave.

Just as he turned, preparing to head to the postbox at the end of the street, a postman in a dark-green uniform drove a carriage over and delivered a letter into the mailbox by his door.

A letter for me?

Klein took out a string of keys and casually chose the ancient-looking one whose color was close to brass.

Click!

The Master Key opened the mailbox with ease.

From now on, I can go out carrying only this one key…

Muttering to himself, Klein took out the newspapers he had subscribed to and the letter that had just been delivered.

The letter came from Isengard Stanton.

The day before, he had also gone through old unsolved serial murder cases, selected several that were most suspicious, and used the police department to preliminarily confirm the current situations of the corresponding suspects. He had then written to Klein, Kaslana, and the other private detectives interested in that line of investigation, sharing what he had gained.

Among them were precisely the two cases Klein had focused on most.

Great detectives see alike… The letter I was about to send has become pointless…

Klein mocked himself once, then returned to the sitting room.

According to Isengard’s description, in the case of random murders targeting people who returned home late at night, many people had been investigated, but no suspect had ever been locked down. After so many years, trying to search for clues again would now be extremely difficult, nearly hopeless.

As for the other case, among the four suspects, one had been a teenager. His mother had also been one of the victims: a prostitute, single, and with him as her only child. He had suffered abuse from his mother, was withdrawn and vicious, and had been the police’s first suspect. But within half a year after that case, he was seriously wounded in a gang fight in the East Borough and died in the operating room of a charity hospital.

His corpse, under witness, was reduced to ashes and buried in a cemetery.

That meant he could not be connected to the current serial murder case.

If he had not been cremated, I definitely would have gone to dig up his grave and confirm it… The resurrected Klein seriously considered the possibility that the other party might also have risen from the dead.

Of the remaining three suspects, one had moved several times over the years. The police had already lost track of his situation and needed more time to find him. Another had gone bankrupt and moved from the North Borough to the East Borough. The last had remained the same as before, still running a grocery store on that old street.

Klein drew out a fresh sheet of letter paper. He first described the corresponding situation, then asked the recipient to secretly observe the two suspects with specific addresses. He especially emphasized:

“Serial murderers are cruel, ferocious, and strongly aggressive. Please be careful, and do not approach them too closely. Observe them as though you were merely ordinary neighbors.

“The information I need concerns their recent mental state. For instance, whether they have been irritable, whether they like locking themselves in their rooms and rarely speak with others, and whether they have assaulted anyone.”

This was also information he had obtained from The Sun. After each murder, a Demon would, in accordance with the ritual’s requirements, eat the victim’s internal organs and remain in a bloodthirsty, manic state of wanting to harm others until the next victim appeared.

After emphasizing once again that personal safety should be prioritized, Klein folded the letter paper, placed it in a new envelope, and stuck a black stamp on the surface.

Then he wrote the recipient’s name:

“Detective Stuart.”

…

Queen’s Borough, inside Earl Hall’s luxurious villa.

Susie lay in a corner of the study, seemingly bored as she observed her surroundings.

Earl Hall, whose belly had grown somewhat prominent, took a draw from his pipe and said to his eldest son before him, “Hibbert, do you know why I insisted you enter the Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee?”

Hibbert Hall answered as though he had long thought about it:

“You wish to influence the formulation of the relevant laws and policies?”

“No. Although I am the second-largest shareholder of the Coim Coal and Steel Consortium, I do not care very much about that matter. I have already been urging them to make the corresponding adjustments. Governing atmospheric pollution is the trend of the future. On that point, I have no doubts.”

“Hibbert, although our family holds a fixed seat in the House of Lords, and sooner or later you will become a Lord, why is it that among Lords, aside from the Speaker and those with special identities, some nobles possess greater influence than others?”

Hibbert thought for a moment.

“Title, wealth, commercial status, and connections within the government and military?”

“That is only one part of it. Another part is one’s own ability to handle affairs. People always trust those of their own kind who have abundant experience and who have participated in many matters. If you want to make achievements in politics in the future, you must do more than inherit a seat. You must participate in all sorts of affairs as much as possible, display the corresponding capability, and gradually become active within the sight of Members of Parliament and ministers, letting them slowly feel that you are worthy of trust. This is influence that comes from you yourself.

“Hibbert, look at the Intis Republic. Look at the current situation of their nobles. Then you should understand that as time passes and society develops, overt privileges will weaken. Titles will grow less and less important, becoming merely honorific labels. Status in commerce and your personal influence are the things you should truly focus on,” Earl Hall explained in detail.

“What if I encounter something I am not good at?” Hibbert asked after a moment of thought.

“Then pretend you can handle it. Do not care whether money will be wasted. Form a professional team, listen to their opinions, and then make decisions. Everyone has many fields they are not skilled in. Only money is omnipotent,” Earl Hall pointed out.

Hibbert answered with dawning understanding, “I understand, Father.”

At that moment, Susie, nearby, yawned out of boredom.

After everything ended, she slipped into Audrey’s painting room and repeated everything she had heard. At the end, she muttered, “I completely did not understand what they were talking about…”

Audrey listened thoughtfully, then smiled faintly.

“It is a good thing that will allow you to stop smelling those irritating odors.”

“Is it?” Susie asked back, half understanding and half not.

Audrey did not answer. Instead, she thought of another matter.

She had originally planned to quietly guide Members of Parliament into paying attention to the terrible conditions in the East Borough, Factory Borough, and Dock Borough. But during the two most recent social gatherings, she had discovered that she could not find a chance at all.

Those nobles, those Members of Parliament, those senior government employees, never spoke of similar topics. She could not guide them even if she wished to!

…

Monday afternoon came once again. Klein leisurely returned from the Cragg Club to 15 Minsk Street.

Because Stuart’s side had not yet produced preliminary investigation results, and because he still had not found anyone who could be cultivated into an Apothecary, he had had nothing much to do yesterday or today. He had simply gone to the Cragg Club to practice shooting, read books, and—most importantly—mooch meals.

In the process, he had gotten to know quite a few more club members.

These are the future sources of business…

Klein sighed once, then took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog.

He methodically began making various preparations. First, he manifested the dummy, The World, and familiarized himself with the manipulation techniques of the All-Black Eye. Then he sent The Sun a message that the Tarot Gathering was about to begin.

Once everything was complete, Klein waited for three o’clock to arrive. Then he reached out and touched the crimson stars corresponding to each member. After establishing a stable connection, The Magician had also obtained her own illusory star.

Fors Wall had used the excuse of focusing on her writing to send Xio away. At that moment, her vision abruptly blurred, and she saw gray-white fog surge out in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, she discovered that she was standing above that mysterious and unfathomable gray fog, inside the towering, majestic palace. Before her was the ancient, mottled bronze long table. Around it sat figure after figure, blurred and hard to see clearly beneath veils of mist.

Figure after figure? So many figures! These are the gathering members Mr. Fool mentioned?

Fors cautiously and warily looked at everything around her, feeling that anyone who could participate in such a secret gathering had to be a very, very powerful Beyonder.

Except me…

She thought guiltily and fearfully.

But thinking from another angle, since even a Sequence 9 like me can join, the other members may not necessarily all be powerful. The requirements for this gathering clearly are not strength, but rather some reason for establishing a connection with Mr. Fool…

Fors quickly overturned her earlier judgment and relaxed a little.

At the same time, Justice Audrey also noticed that today’s gathering had gained a new member.

Female… Xio, or Fors? Did they pass the examination? Or is it someone else?

Audrey nearly forgot to greet Mr. Fool. She only wanted to carefully observe the features of the new member.

Even if the figure is blurred, hair color and outline can still be seen, and accent and habitual phrases can still be heard!

Mm… I must also be careful. Mr. Hanged Man first confirmed that I was a noble from my special pronunciation of certain words and my habit of using certain special expressions…

Audrey stood, lifted an illusory skirt, and said to Klein at the head of the bronze long table, “Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.”

After the greeting, she did not conceal her curiosity. She glanced at the new member seated in the same row as herself and asked with a smile, “Who is this?”