New Gods of North America

When a big money man he knew came to visit, Wayne, as the founder of the detective agency, naturally had to go and greet him in person.

At the same time, because there were ladies in the other team's lineup, Inissa and Lina were also called over for equal reception.

Ian Fisk is a particular person, but it is also possible that he is not particular at all. Mr. Henry, the old butler in the Windsor style, is reliable.

So he came and brought gifts with him.

America's etiquette at this time was mixed.

The more sophisticated ones follow the Windsor-style etiquette of the upper class. The host should wear appropriate clothes and stand at the door of the main house to welcome the guests. Then they should introduce each other, greet each other, and exchange a few pleasantries.

In more bold ways, like in Blackrock Town, the host opens the door and says "come in", or opens the door and does not close it in front of the other person, indicating that he does not refuse the other person's visit. Then everyone can come in together and find a place to sit without even saying "please".

Wayne: Actually, either is fine. It depends on which one the guests like.

Ian Fisk chose a more casual style this time. He took a bottle of wine from the old butler and handed it to Wayne by the neck of the bottle:

"This is my first visit, and I don't know what you like to drink. I remember you drank this before, so I brought you some."

According to American style, bringing a bottle of wine when visiting is a safe choice.

The wine that Ian Fisk brought was naturally not bad. It was the ice wine that Wayne had drunk at his place before. The price of the wine was at the level that required "careful tasting" among alcoholic beverages. It was a gift that was presentable but not particularly expensive.

But he said "visit"...

So there is no commission?

Wayne took the wine to express his gratitude, handed it to Doug, and then continued to greet Ian Fisk's sister, Olivia Fisk.

When greeting a lady, if she is the host or married, you can follow the principle of "the more courtesy, the less blame".

It's always a good idea to be a gentleman and say compliments like "You look so stunning" or "It's my honor to have you here."

If Wayne was married or 20 or 30 years older, the other party could come up to him and give him a hug, or kiss his hand or cheek.

But for unmarried women, men who are not elders should not be too proactive in being intimate.

Just say hello to each other.

Miss Olivia was considerate enough to give him some face. She bent her knees slightly and spread her skirt to return the gesture.

Finally, it was Mr. Russell's turn. This was a serious "guest". He was not only a wealthy man, but also the "head of the family" of someone else.

So Wayne honestly thanked the other party for the hospitality at the last dance and said some polite words like "welcome to visit".

As for the old butler Mr. Henry and the servants and bodyguards nearby, just smile and nod to them.

You can't ignore it, it will seem disrespectful to the guests.

However, you can't be too enthusiastic, otherwise it will embarrass both the guests and their servants.

Then Wayne and his companions took the guests on a tour towards the reception room. The men went in one group while the ladies chatted in another.

Wayne accidentally heard the old butler Mr. Hunter quietly called Doug and asked Doug to call a few people to move the wine outside the courtyard.

It sounds like Ian Fisk brought a lot of wine with him, which is consistent with his usual generosity.

However, the most expensive one should be the bottle of wine he handed over personally. The prices of the rest should be the same or slightly lower.

The decoration in the detective agency is certainly not comparable to the mansions in the rich man’s manor, but this kind of “industrial style” decoration style is probably still fresh to the rich.

Therefore, not only Ian Fisk looked around all the way, but even Mr. Russell, who seemed mature and steady, couldn't help but praise it as "interesting" and "special".

When you receive guests who bring wine, you usually have to provide food - the other party can choose not to eat, but you cannot.

So everyone is quite relaxed at this moment.

Wayne took the two men to the reception room, while Inissa and Lina took Olivia to visit other places.

Ian Fisk seemed to treat this place as his own home. When he arrived at the reception room, he threw himself on the single sofa without any proper sitting posture.

Mr. Russell was more like a first-time visitor, and his every move was in accordance with etiquette.

So Wayne could only maintain a "courtesy" attitude, took out the most expensive brandy from the wine cabinet, poured it for the two potential financiers, and asked them if they wanted to smoke cigars.

The cigars given by the mayor were pretty good. Mr. Russell gladly accepted them. Ian Fisk also took one and lit it up.

Then the three of them sat there and chatted, telling each other about their daily lives, what they had seen in different places, and that kind of stuff.

Mr. Russell was interested in Wayne's experiences in the West, and was also curious about the current situation in Kansas:

"I remember that the steam train line to your Blackstone Town was built by a private company. I wonder how it is operating now?"

Wayne answered honestly:

“The operation should be good. But our line has not yet been built to Black Stone Town.

"Because of the war in the Old Continent, a lot of funds now seem to have been transferred to the war trade with them, so the current plan is to accumulate some funds from operations first, or seek some suitable commercial loans, and then continue construction. It is estimated that it will take another two to three years to reach Black Stone Town."

Mr. Russell looked at the map hanging on the wall. "Only build to Black Rock Town? I heard that a large gold mine was recently discovered in the west, and many people are heading to California. Some shipping companies are planning to open routes from the east coast to the west coast. Don't you have any plans to continue building steam train lines to the west?"

Hmm... a gold mine...

Wayne thought for a moment and said, "From what I know so far, the shareholders of the Kansas Steam Locomotive Company seem to prefer to build their own steam train lines. So the route construction may have to be decided based on funding and operational conditions, and they may not be in such a hurry to continue expanding."

"That's a pity."

Mr. Russell sighed slightly. "Compared to the mountainous areas on the west coast, the terrain there is relatively flat, so the cost of line construction should not be particularly high. If we can extend the line as far west as possible and finally connect it to California, it will be a major interstate line that runs through America. I think the prospects are quite good. However, the cost of the high mountain line is too high, and some sections will inevitably require loans from the federal government."

Wayne shrugged his shoulders. "After all, Kansas has not yet been officially established as a state, and many wealthy people are still unwilling to invest there. After the state is established, perhaps the construction in this area will be accelerated a lot."

Mr. Russell nodded in agreement, and then asked about Wayne's experience as a sheriff.

Ian Fisk spoke up for Wayne in this regard and said that Wayne's detective agency was quite professional in security.

Mr. Russell naturally agreed politely, and then the topic turned to the detective agency.

Wayne had come to his senses by now.

Did Mr. Russell have any commission and was investigating potential successors? Ian Fisk was probably helping with "informal matchmaking" on his own behalf, without any guarantee involved.

So Wayne switched to "salesman mode" and tried his best to make the detective agency sound professional and reliable.