Whispering Verse

Because the matter was resolved so smoothly, when Shade walked out of Squirrel Alley, it was less than half past ten. The mission to catch the mysterious man can only be carried out at noon, and the other one is too far away, at the other end of the city.

So after thinking about it, Shade first went to the Steam Bird Daily to make up for next month's advertising expenses, and then took a carriage to the gas company to inquire about pipeline installation. Finally, he went to the MI6 stronghold and got his salary.

And walking around the city like this can also relax you.

"Don't laugh, I just suddenly thought of Mia."

Walking on the street, there is still laughter in my ears. Shade said in her heart with some dissatisfaction, but she did not answer Shade's request at all.

The MI6 stronghold connected with Shade is in the "Municipal Waste Management Center" in the West District of Tobesk.

The last time I came here was more than half a month ago. The small gray building located between the snuff bottle shop and the shoemaker's shop specializing in rain boots was just like the last time I came here, hidden in the bustling steam city.

Since I had already been here once, after entering the building, I explained to the receptionist at the door that I was here to see Mr. Giles Johnson. I quickly found the middle-aged man who was reading the newspaper in the "Facilities Management Office" people.

Hearing the sound of opening the door, the bored-looking middle-aged man raised his eyes and looked at Shade. After Shade closed the door behind his back, a smile appeared on his face:

"Oh, look who's here, isn't this Reggie's Hamilton Knight?"

After saying this, he stood up and shook hands with Shade warmly.

"Mr. Johnson, there is no need to be so exaggerated."

"Of course it's necessary."

The middle-aged man motioned for Shade to sit on the iron frame chair opposite the table. Behind them were rows of filing cabinets:

"You saved the Queen. Not only did you save our loyal director, Mr. Anlos, from managing the Kingdom Cemetery, but you also prevented us poor low-level civil servants from facing the risk of being liquidated."

He also specially poured a cup of tea for Shade. You know, the last time Shade came, he didn't even get water.

"What, are you here to collect your salary this time? Do you have the reimbursement receipt? Do you need extra bullets?"

"Of course, I brought all the reimbursement receipts."

Shade took out an envelope and took out the voucher he got from Priest August on the Feast of Holy Prayer. Because they were all genuine, Mr. Johnson simply checked them and put them away.

He took a bunch of keys and walked to the filing cabinets behind him. It took him a long time to come back with a wad of money:

"MI6 agents don't have payment receipts to prevent their identity from being discovered by interested parties, so you can check it out and I'll settle this month's salary with you, no problem."

"Why are there so many good ones?"

In Shade's hand were six five-pound notes, totaling 40 pounds. But his weekly salary is only 1 pound. It stands to reason that with 30 pounds of reimbursement expenses, it is only more than 34 pounds.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you got promoted,"

Mr. Johnson waved his hand so that he should not be surprised:

"Because of your achievements last time, Mr. Anlos has adjusted your rank. There is no complicated hierarchy within the Sixth Branch. We are directly affiliated with the Royal Army. According to this algorithm, you are now considered a major."

"Major?"

Shade was very surprised. You must know that his friend Captain Rades had been on the front line for decades without making any mistakes and had just reached the rank of captain. Shade had caught up with him in one step.

"Yes, Major, this is nothing to be surprised about. You are our ace agent, and the promotion systems of the Sixth Branch and the Royal Army are different. Isn't it normal for field agents to have good treatment?"

"Me, Ace?"

"Oh, sir, don't be so surprised. This is your military officer's ID card. Please keep it. I had time to prepare the last one, but unexpectedly it was replaced by a major's."

Mr. Johnson gave Shad a new ID card. Unlike the MI6 ID card that did not include his full name, the Royal Delrayon Army officer's ID card not only had a photo, but also the name of Shad Suellen Hamilton. full name. And that photo seems to be the one when Shade took a photo with the king.

"Your current salary is adjusted to 5 pounds per week, and the reimbursement expenses will remain as they are for the time being to prevent anyone from talking nonsense. But when your limelight is over next year, Mr. Anlos will give you a surprise."

Mr. Johnson said, Shade didn't know what to say. But no matter what, the bad mood brought by the mission just now has completely disappeared.

"Oh, there is also the matter of bullets. I want to apply for reimbursement of bullets, but the use report of the old bullets"

"It doesn't matter. I'll help you make up for it. It's just some boring clichés anyway."

The middle-aged man said enthusiastically. Xia De wanted to thank him, but the other party just shook his head:

"Given your relationship with Mr. Anlos and Miss Carina, if you allow me to help you, you are actually helping me."

"Excuse me, Miss Carina?"

Shade looked at him suspiciously.

"There are some rumors about the duchess inviting you to spend the night at her manor. Don't worry, they are just rumors."

Mr. Johnson made that "I don't know anything" face.

Because Shade had nothing else to do before noon, he chatted with Mr. Johnson for a few words before leaving.

Not only has the city's security improved recently, but even the MI6 department responsible for the Tobesk area doesn't have much to do. The arrival of the evil god temporarily made all the unrest in the city disappear, but there is still a lot going on outside of Tobesk.

"Grey Gloves have been very active in southern cities recently. Mr. Anlos left Tobesk three days ago and seems to be organizing some secret operation."

But since Mr. Johnson could tell it easily, Shade was really not sure whether Mr. Anlos went to the south.

"It's barely a peaceful time now, are the Gray Gloves of Kasenlik still so active?"

Because there is still one month left before the letter sent from an unknown location to No. 6, St. Teresa Square, is coming, so Shade is also very concerned about spies from neighboring countries.

"Of course, it is obvious that peace will not exist forever. Place spies in government departments, develop offline among young people in the academy, go to factories to investigate the usage of special steel, or just send people to mingle with the upper class to spy on the privacy of the nobles. Although these seem useless now, they actually have their own value. Otherwise, what is the value of the Gray Gloves and MI6?"

Mr. Johnson yawned, and Shade thought he had hit the mark on Detective Sparrow Hamilton's original job.

"Have you also been a field agent? I find that you are very familiar with these tasks."

Shade asked with a smile, picking up the tea cup and taking a sip. The quality of the tea leaves was not as good as those left by Detective Sparrow.

"Yeah, I did it when I was young, and then I got shot in the ankle and became a civilian support worker."

Mr. Johnson shrugged, and his enthusiastic tone became lazy, returning to the tired tone he heard when Shade came last time:

"The Gray Gloves of Carsonlik are doing these jobs, and we are also doing them. Even the ambitious people in the small principalities have their own intelligence departments. Mr. Hamilton, politics between countries is a very complicated matter. We You should be grateful that you are in Tobesk City and don’t have to work as a double agent.”

"How many Gray Gloves are there in this city?"

Shade asked again. Mr. Johnson smiled and shook his head:

"I can't answer this question, and even Gray Gloves can't answer it myself. But the Sixth Office has made an estimate, and it's probably around three or four figures."

"Even if Tobesk has a large population, including the diplomats from the United Kingdom embassy and consulates, there shouldn't be so many people, right?"

Shade asked hesitantly.

"Some people don't even know they work for Gray Gloves, and that number includes those people, which is why it sounds scary."

"So are there any well-known local spies?"

This is Shade's curiosity.

"Famous spies are failed spies, unknown spies are successful."

The middle-aged man thought for a while and added:

"However, we can be sure that there must be gray gloves among those in the embassy and consulates, as well as some brokers who travel between the political arenas of the two countries. In addition, we received news two years ago that Kasenrik secretly dispatched two ace agents from the Gray Glove organization to lurk in Tobesk. We caught one half a year ago, but the other party committed suicide. From his letters, we learned that the other one was The famous 'Grey-Headed Eagle' (Chapter 74)."

Mr. Johnson shook his head with emotion:

"But we only know his name. The last time our agents fought against him was three years ago in the city of Gondor, the steel capital in the eastern part of the kingdom. At that time, we knew that he was a man who was extremely good at makeup. Gray Headed Eagle was there during that time. During the operation, a batch of smelting records of special alloys for casting steam cannons were stolen. The losses caused to us are still affecting the special metal smelting industry of Delarian. His Majesty was furious. Director Anlos almost The demotion was due to the gold robbery ten years ago and the accident at the Coldwater Port Shipyard eight years ago."

This kind of agent is the real "ace", and "aces" like Sha De can't compare with him.

With just a few words, Mr. Johnson allowed Shade to imagine the complex and interesting story of this secret spy who was active in the steam age and walked on the edge of light and shadow. If Dorothy used this kind of person as the protagonist, she would definitely be able to write it. Tell a good story.

"So do we know the other person's age and appearance?"

"It's not that we are incompetent, it's that the other party is too cunning."

Mr. Johnson said regretfully again. Seeing that Shade was very interested, he added:

"If anyone can catch him, as long as his background is not too poor, I think it is possible to directly get the title of Viscount. Unfortunately, there is no news at all about the 'Grey Eagle' lurking in Tobesk for the past two years. I even doubt him. Is it really coming?"

The middle-aged man sighed helplessly again:

"Where could he be?"

"It's really hard to say that Tobesk is so big."

Shade was also quite emotional and hoped that the "King Agent" would never disturb his life.

After chatting with Mr. Johnson for a while, Shade left with the money and three books under his arm.

The time has come to 11:30 in the morning. He got on the carriage at the street corner and walked through the streets and alleys, passing countless strangers. Following the clues provided by Iluna, Shade hurriedly arrived at the same place in the city. Lewis Street on the west.

This is a rare pedestrian street in the city that does not allow carriages to enter. The street was not called this name twenty years ago. Later, after General Lewis of the Kingdom died here, the street got its current name.

According to intelligence, Ms. Swan, a 26-year-old divorced woman who sought help from Blackstone Security Company, could be found at the black corner of Lewis Street every day at noon except Sundays since two weeks ago. At the exit of the alley, a man in black clothes was peeping at her.

Lewis Street was the only way for her to go home, and it would be quite troublesome to take a detour.

This is a task entrusted to Blackstone Security Company by ordinary people, so the security company only conducted a preliminary investigation. After confirming that there were no major problems, the task was temporarily postponed, and the contract signed with the client will be implemented starting next week.

Iluna specifically chose this task because the client described the voyeur as "even in the summer, he wrapped himself tightly every time he appeared, and even wore gloves. I didn't dare to approach him, But looking at the face hidden in the shadows of the alley and under the brim of the hat from a distance, oh, God, I simply can’t describe what I saw.”

This description can easily make the ring warlocks think of some bad things, and Shade thought of those ugly fishmen in Coldwater Port.

He came earlier. Ms. Swan worked as a typist at the Southern Cotton and Linen Trading Company not far from here. She would leave her workplace and pass by here around 12:10 noon.

Before she appeared, Shade walked around the nearby alleys to determine the nearby roads and tried to find the peeper, but the other party didn't seem to come that early.

He hadn't had lunch yet, so he was working hungry. In order to appear more natural, Shade bought an expired morning newspaper from a passing newspaper boy and stood under the lamppost on the side of the road as if waiting for someone.

Fortunately, Tobesk was still shrouded in mist today, otherwise even Shade would not be able to bear standing hungry on the street at noon in summer.

At 12:08, Miss Swan, who looked exactly like the lady in the photo provided by Iluna, finally appeared at the east corner of Lewis Street. She was a tall woman, quite charming, but her expression looked a little frightened. There were other pedestrians on the street now, so although she grabbed her handbag and looked at both sides of the street worriedly, she still walked forward bravely.

Shade, who was "reading a newspaper" on the roadside in the middle of the street, suddenly became alert. The bustling pedestrians passed by him, and the noisy sounds made the atmosphere of urban life very strong.

His attention was focused on the alley on the other side of the road. Sure enough, with the appearance of Miss Swan, a man wearing a black top, black pants, black shoes and a black hat leaned against the wall and looked out from the alley. The head poked out from the large shadow.