Sitting in the public carriage, Odis thought again and estimated that Ms. Mandy had already taken appropriate measures.
However, just to be on the safe side, I still need to go to the "Nanmu Dance Hall" tomorrow.
...
15 Minsk Street.
Ding-a-ling~
Just as Klein was about to enjoy his dinner, he heard the doorbell. He smiled wryly: Now, hearing the doorbell is like hearing my cell phone ring – something I want to avoid at all costs.
He hurried to the door, the somewhat anxious Daily Observer reporter, Mike Joseph, already etched in his mind.
Klein was slightly taken aback. Why was this reporter looking for him so late?
As soon as the door opened, Mike smiled and said, "Sorry, I hope I didn't disturb you."
"Yes, I've already bothered you," Klein said helplessly. "What do you need me for so late?"
"I received a threatening letter," Mike said calmly. "I think I wrote something I shouldn't have."
This veteran reporter had encountered this situation before, so he remained relatively calm.
Klein was slightly taken aback: "Come in and talk."
After the two entered, Mike smelled the aroma of food in the living room and said, "Mr. Moriarty, if you ever decide you don't want to be a detective anymore, you could consider becoming a chef."
"Given your praise, I should invite you to dinner," Klein said with a smile as he brewed tea. "But I'm sorry, I only prepared one dinner."
He handed the teacup to reporter Mike: "Let's get down to business."
Mike took an opened letter out of his pocket: "I received this this afternoon."
Klein opened the letter and quickly skimmed through it. The gist of the letter was that it pointed out something "inappropriate" in today's Daily Observer and invited Mike to the "Nanmu Ballroom" tomorrow to have a chat.
Unlike the threatening letters he remembered, this one was very polite. If you didn't know it was from Ms. Mandy, it would really seem like an invitation for Mike to go dancing and maybe spend some money.
Klein asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"We definitely have to go," Mike said with his experience. "It would be more troublesome if we didn't go."
"But it might be dangerous for me to go by myself, so I've asked the editor for a £10 commission to hire you to protect me."
"Yes, just like last time, you can still get these commissions even if there is no conflict."
"If a conflict occurs, I will award you additional commission based on your contribution."
Last time I went to the East End, I only earned £10 in commission for the whole day.
Finally, Mike concluded, "I'm quite familiar with these kinds of conversations. As long as I promise not to write anything about Ms. Mandy again, I don't think a conflict is likely to occur."
While listening, Klein was casually playing with a coin. After Mike finished speaking, he suddenly flicked the coin up and caught it.
After glancing at the coin's design, Klein smiled and said, "I accept this commission."
Mike breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, then we'll leave at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."
Klein nodded: "I won't keep you for dinner."
After seeing Mike off, Klein hurried to the restaurant, silently praying to the goddess that dinner would be still warm.
The next morning at eight o'clock, after having an early breakfast, Klein and Mike took a carriage to the "Nanmu Ballroom" on Ernst Avenue in the North District.
After getting off the carriage, Klein was slightly taken aback. He had previously thought that "Nanmu Ballroom" would be similar to other ballrooms, with a somewhat dark and vulgar decor, and that streetwalkers would be displayed outside like commodities.
But to his surprise, the "Nanmu Dance Hall" gave people a completely different feeling.
First of all, this is a four-story building. The main entrance is two to three times larger than that of an ordinary dance hall, and there is a huge hand-painted signboard on the left side of the entrance.
The signboard, even outdoors, remains brightly colored, thanks to some unknown dye.
Besides the name "Nanmu Dance Hall," the painting depicts a young woman in a black dress, posing as if inviting someone to dance.
This woman was not glamorous, but she had a great presence. Her eyes and movements were graceful and poised, setting her apart from ordinary streetwalkers.
But the black stockings that were just the right amount exposed were suggestive.
Klein suddenly had a very strange feeling, and it wasn't until he entered the room that he realized where that strange feeling came from: even in Backlund, this was a very rare and very clever way of advertising.
...
51 Henry Street.
Odis arrived at the herbal shop early and replenished the herbs on the shelves.
After Kaina arrived, Odis gave her a few instructions and then went to the basement in the backyard.
The small courtyard had a basement, but it was sealed off by Odis, and only he could enter it.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
The door to the basement was in Odis's room, and opening the door led to a staircase going down.
Odis reached out and infused his spirituality into the right spot, dispelling all the extraordinary traps set in the downward corridor.
Going down the stairs, you'll find a room about the size of a living room.
The room was very empty, with only a clothes rack and a set of table and chairs.
There was a black trench coat and a black top hat on the clothes rack, black trousers and a silver mask on the table, and a pair of black leather shoes on the floor next to the table.
On the two walls of this basement are two "teleportation arrays" that Odis spent a total of nearly 9,000 pounds to build.
Like the magic circle at 77 Hilton Avenue, it also uses an "octagonal star" formation, with the valuable "Ahonna Crystal" in the center, and various gemstones used for some key nodes.
Because the sum of money is so large, he has only been able to get half of the expenses reimbursed from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery so far, and there is still a long way to go before he can get full reimbursement.
One of the "teleportation arrays" leads to a room in the "Nanmu Ballroom," while the other leads to Odis's laboratory in the suburbs.
That laboratory in the suburbs was his main laboratory.
Odis changed his clothes, put on a mask, and infused his spirituality into the teleportation array leading to the "Nanmu Ballroom." A phantom passage appeared in front of him. He stepped in, and two or three seconds later, he appeared in a room on the third floor of the "Nanmu Ballroom."
He opened the door to the third floor, which faced the reception desk directly on the third floor.
The receptionist at the front desk paused for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Garr, you've arrived."
As she spoke, she rang the bell that led to Ms. Mandy's office.
Odis, whose face was mostly hidden behind a mask, nodded slightly. After a short while, the elegant Ms. Mandy walked over quickly: "Mr. Garr."
Odis said, "I read yesterday's report."
Ms. Mandy was somewhat flustered: "It's my fault for not being thorough enough. I've already arranged to meet with that reporter Mike, and he and his hired bodyguards have arrived."
Odis nodded: "You two talk, I'll just sit here and listen."