Joewood District, outside the Coym Company. Caine stepped down from the carriage, glanced left and right, as though he had never been here before, radiating a strong sense of freshness. In reality, he was quite familiar with the area. He knew that across the street stood the upscale Gardle Department Store, and that not far away was the renowned Sin's Dizzy Pie. He had once waited here, tracking down clues of Dolag Gail's infidelity! He turned his gaze back and, with his personal servant Richard, walked toward the main entrance of the Coym Company, where Mrs. Mary and her personal maid were already waiting. — In the more conservative kingdom of Roon, a lady's personal attendant must be of the same gender; otherwise, her reputation would suffer, affecting both social standing and marital prospects. Thus, even though Mrs. Mary's personal attendant serves in a role somewhat equivalent to that of a secretary—requiring knowledge of social etiquette, business acumen, and negotiation skills—can only be drawn from well-educated or experienced female candidates, not men. The same applies to the personal attendants and business secretaries of gentlemen. Of course, even under such circumstances, people who struggle to control themselves still engage in immoral behaviors. In Beckland, every year, there are incidents of servants developing romantic relationships with their employers—most often female maids, who are either deceived, coerced, or seduced into becoming the employers' lovers. When discovered, they are typically dismissed without mercy, losing their jobs and, due to reputational damage, unable to continue working as servants. A significant number are then forced to become street-walkers. "Good noon, Dauv." Lady Mary smiled warmly and greeted them. "Good noon, madam," Crane bowed, "this place is truly bustling." Such remarks were essentially equivalent to a conversation about the weather. Mary responded with a few words, then led Dauv Thénardier into the entrance of Coym Company, smiling as she said, "Later, a professional will guide you and take you around." "About half an hour later, I went upstairs and prepared a cold buffet, inviting some friends from different fields." Friends from different fields... This is clearly expanding my social circle—such genuine thoughtfulness! Dain Tangtases nodded lightly. "As a newcomer to Beckland who has only recently arrived, I've always looked forward to meeting more friends." "No, you couldn't be more at home. In my eyes, you're a true Beckland gentleman, well-educated and refined." Mrs. Mary responded politely. As they passed through the door into the well-lit reception area, a tall man in a suit, with a neat pair of small mustaches, was already waiting there. "This is Luke Summer, the first manager of Coym." Mrs. Mary introduced Dain Tangtases to Luke. In fact, I know him already... Dain looked at Luke, smiled, and nodded gently. In his mind, Luke Summer was a quite steady, highly professional gentleman—fond of machinery, with a gracious hostess demeanor at dinner, neither overlooking the then-unknown, modest detective nor overly courting the mid-level municipal employees who lived on Minsk Street. "This is my friend, Daven Tancred—he's particularly interested in smokeless coal and fine hardwood charcoal. Could you give him a detailed presentation?" Mary turned to Luke. Luke, already briefed, stepped forward and smiled warmly at the wealthy patron from D'Island Bay, bowing with respectful grace. "Mr. Tangates, this is the headquarters of Coym Company. We have long-term agreements with several smoke-free coal regions. Our smoke-free coal and premium wood charcoal supply approximately 30% of the total demand in the Joewood, Hillsdon, North, and West districts—and we are poised to secure a major naval order." Just as she was getting started, Mary introduced Doun Tanatse to two men standing nearby chatting: "This is Mike Joseph, a reporter from the Daily Observer, and this is the excellent surgeon Alan Kres, someone you'll always find useful in Beckland." While listening to Mary's words, Crane smiled warmly at the two men, his嘴角 nearly twitching with amusement. These are friends I know well! Oh, and I'm actually quite familiar with the baby in Alan's wife's womb—well, that's a bit odd to say out loud... While mentally noting this oddity, Crane patiently waited until Mary had introduced Doun Tanatse to the men across the table, then politely greeted Mike and Alan. Michael Joseph hadn't changed much compared to last year—his eyebrows were sparse, his skin rough, but his vivid blue eyes remained captivating. As for Alan Cris, though inherently reserved and composed, his reserved nature had softened recently. Over the past six months, everything about him had gone smoothly, both in mood and confidence. Upon hearing that Tang Taise was a wealthy man from Dici, Michael produced his business card and smiled, offering it with a nod. "Wouldn't mind if I pitched a little, would you?" he said. "If you'd like to run an advertisement, feel free to come to me—whether it's in *The Daily Observer* or *Tasok Gazette*, I can offer you favorable rates." As he spoke, he winked, indicating he was being playful. You're the journalist who always carries multiple fake IDs—how come you never mentioned to Sherlock Moriarty that you could secure discounted ad space? Do you look down on the great detective, then? Klein muttered a few thoughts under his breath, exchanged cards with the other man. "I've always had a need in this area." Then he turned to Allen and handed him another business card: "I've recently had a bout of illness and just recovered—now I truly appreciate the importance of doctors." "I'm a surgical doctor," Allen said, though he still took the card. "I'm not sure you'd want to see me." Indeed, I'd like to see you very much—I'd even like to attend your child's birth celebration... Klein murmured, deliberately steering the conversation toward the medical field, and had a pleasant exchange with both Allen and Mike. He'd been worried about how to approach Allen and establish a connection through the fetal reconstruction service, since the thousand cranes might easily break, perhaps never even being used once. Moreover, it would be difficult for Sherlock Moriarty to appear openly in Beckett and visit personally, let alone attend a birth celebration. Now everything is settled. With Lady Mary's introduction, I can naturally get to know Allen well. I'm certain I'll be invited—hmm, perhaps even become a patron of the "Mercury Serpent." After all, we're both devoted to the goddess. Wouldn't that make the unborn one feel embarrassed and indignant? I must be cautious—unless Allen brings it up, I absolutely mustn't suggest it myself.克莱恩 thought this over with a pleasant demeanor. He professionally restrained himself, not showing excessive enthusiasm at first, and after a few light conversations, followed Mary in introducing himself to other guests. Throughout this, he didn't forget to take food and drinks, appearing fully at ease in the setting. After completing the circuit, Mary paused and said thoughtfully, "All these people are my friends." Meaning she wasn't inviting the guests from the other side—while also implying that I am one of her friends, too, right? Klein nodded gently: "As a gentleman, I might not ought to ask, but as a businessman, I must know—who, or who—has been competing with you for control of Coym Company?" Mary paused for two seconds. "Baron Sindras and his associates. They wish to take Coym Company public, aiming to capture enormous profits from the stock market. They care little about the company's future development." Baron Sindras, one of the wealthiest men in Run, became a noble through his generous donations to the Conservative Party—his career as a banker, factory owner, and major merchant. His stance, however, remains somewhat ambiguous. Though he attained his title through the Conservatives, he shows sympathy toward merchants and leans toward the Liberal Party. Klein thought for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Why haven't you asked Mr. Hall for assistance? His father is a prominent noble and banker, and should be able to offer the most effective support." "Mrs. Mary sighed bitterly, 'Mr. Hall doesn't wish to be involved in this matter. He says he is the chief secretary of the Royal Committee on Atmospheric Pollution and cannot become entangled in commercial activities related to smokeless coal or charcoal.' What a truly politically minded man... though, of course, he probably doesn't want to antagonize Viscount Sindras either... Hm, if I had chosen a different housekeeper earlier, I would have surely established a relationship with Viscount Sindras now. He's so well-off—should he insist on a premium, I simply wouldn't be able to meet it... Hm, wouldn't it be a scene where he pays me off and effectively ends my career? 'Clayne didn't press further. Instead, he said, 'I will wait for the final report.' Seeing that Doane Thonastes didn't immediately retreat, Mrs. Mary expressed her appreciation, 'In this age, knights of spirit are few, and you are one of them.' Clayne smiled, made no firm commitment, and as the cold buffet drew to a close, took his luxurious four-wheeled carriage and headed back toward the northern district." Staring out the window at the street scene, Cain suddenly turned to his personal servant, Richard, and said, "Go to Saint Samuel's Church." The previous incident involving an unusual occurrence within the church that had quickly subsided still remained unexplained to him, prompting him to consider whether it would be worthwhile to make contact with the internal wardens. He remembered that each afternoon, at least one internal warden visited the Great Chapel to pray to the goddess. How could he approach them? In that setting, even a simple conversation would seem noisy, and being too deliberate might raise suspicion. Cain furrowed his brows slightly, deciding to first observe and then find a way. The carriage did not change course, continuing on its way toward Berkland Street, though it did not stop there—instead, it passed right by. Inside the carriage, Cain closed his eyes, calming the sudden sense of nervousness.