The Day.

  Lucas, well-rested, stretched as he walked dowairs.

  Shelley was in the living room doing strength training on the pull-up bar. Wearing just a sports bra, her well-defined abs were very eye-catg.

  Seeing Lucas e down, Shelley got off the bar and grabbed a towel to wipe off her sweat.

  "Ior, how did you sleep st night?"

  "Pretty well. Just a bit hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

  Lucas checked the time on his pho was 10:00 AM. Sleeping until now, it was no wonder he was hungry.

  Shelley said, "I left some breakfast for you i. You eat first, I'll take a shower. Then I'll take you to the station to meet your subordinates."

  "Alright."

  Shelley went upstairs to shower while Lucas walked to the kit.

  On the dining table was a tray with bread, a fried fish fillet, and a cup of coffee.

  All of it was cold. It seemed Shelley had been up for a while, waiting for him.

  Hungry, Lucas quickly finished his breakfast. Shelley was fast too; she soon came down after her shower, ged into a fresh set of clothes.

  Twirling the car keys around her finger, Shelley asked, "Ior, are we ready to go?"

  "Let's go."

  At this time, the real Ior of Cape District should have arrived. Time to meet him.

  Lucas got into Shelley's BMU007 motorcycle as they headed out.

  When they reached the clock tower, Lucas asked Shelley to stop the bike.

  Shelley, puzzled, asked, "Ior, what's the matter?"

  Ohe bike stopped, Lucas said, "Before we go to the station, I o buy some clothes. There's some money I left in the clock to fetch it for me."

  "Yes, Ior."

  Without asking more, Shelley jumped off the bike and started climbing the clock tower's outer wall.

  Lucas also got off the bike and, seeing a hot dog stand across the street, walked over.

  "How much for a hot dog?"

  The vendor was an old woman whnized Shelley climbing the wall and knew of the Secret Intelligence Bureaus's Bck Mamba's notorious reputation.

  Seeing Lucas ing from Bck Mamba's vehicle, the old woman quickly ed up a hot dog and ha over, trembling.

  "Sir, it's free."

  Free? Is Seawall District always this hospitable?

  Lucas took a big bite of the hot dog. It was authentid delicious, much better than the fried fish Shelley made.

  "Hmm! This tastes great. The bread is soft, and the sausage is crispy. Your skills are impressive! Make me two every day from now on..."

  Ah!

  The old woman almost cried upon hearing this.

  "Sir, two is a bit much. My shop is small, my two soo sea and haven't returned, and I have three grandchildren to support at home..."

  "It's not like I won't pay you."

  By this time, Shelley had retrieved the money. She jumped down from the clock tower and walked across the street to Lucas.

  Handing over a stack of bills, Shelley said, "Ior... Sir, you're really carefree, leaving so much mohere."

  Lucas took the money and ted it. A total of ten gold notes, fourteen silver notes, and 5430 Imperial Marks.

  He then asked Shelley, "Did you use to take things from people without paying?"

  Shelley g the trembling old woman.

  "Sir, we in the Secret Intelligence Bureau protect their safety. Do we really o pay for a hot dog?"

  Hearing Bck Mamba call this stranger "Sir," the old woman hurriedly said, "Yes, yes... The Secret Intelligence Bureau protects our safety. No charge, no charge. From now on, I'll prepare two hot dogs every day for you, free of charge."

  Shelley looked as if it was only natural.

  Chewing o dog, Lucas asked Shelley, "Tell me, how do you protect this old dy's safety?"

  "?"

  "First, tell me where her two sons are."

  "This?" Shelley couldn't answer and turo the old woman, "Where are your sons? Have them e to the Bureau office."

  The old woman realized she was in big trouble. The Bureau was not a pce you could just go to.

  Besides… it wasn't even possible!

  "Miss Bck Mamba, my soo sea half a year ago and haven't been heard from since. I don't know if they're dead or alive..."

  Shelley said to Lucas, "Sir, it's very on for people to not return from the sea."

  "Why don't they return? Are they dead, alive, or missing? Who went to sea with them? When people go missing, someone o be held atable and give an expnation to the family.

  Bck Mamba, if you eat for free, you have to work for it. Prote 't just be words. sider this your first case under my and."

  Hearing that Bck Mamba would be responsible for iigating her sons' disappearahe old woman hurriedly said, "No, there's no need. We look for them ourselves."

  It seemed Bck Mamba's "100% case-solving rate" reputation was already well known.

  Lucas put a ten-Mark bill on the ter.

  "I am the new Ior of the Seawall District Bureau. You call me Ior Meteor. I promise the residents of Seawall District that now that I'm here, the district will be peaceful.

  Rest assured, as my first case in Cape District, I will definitely give you an answer. Let's go!"

  "Sir, Ior!"

  Shelley didn't expect Lucas to take on a case so casually. Was the Imperial Secret Intelligence Bureau supposed to iigate missing person cases like this?

  Moreover, he hadn't even officially taken office yet.

  But this new ior of hers had a strong background and could do as he pleased.

  "Hilm... bring all the information about your sons to the Bureau this afternoon. If you're te, you know the sequences!" Shelley said to the hot dog vendor before immediately chasing after Lucas.

  The old woman watched as Bck Mamba sped off with the young man who called himself the Cape District Secret Servispector, then looked at the ten-Mark bill on the ter.

  She had no idea what the oute would be now that she had involved the Secret Service.

  Sigh...

  With money in his pocket, Lucas had Shelley take him to a tailor shop.

  First, he ordered a few suits for different occasions, then bought a ready-made suit to repce his "straire."

  He bought a gentleman's hat from the hat shop.

  A pocket watch from the watch shop.

  Lastly, he bought a sturdy, handy e.

  Clothes make the man, just like a saddle makes the horse.

  After ging into his new outfit, his entire demeanor ged signifitly.

  The new ior should make a good impression on his first day.

  By the time he had bought everything he wanted, it was already noon.

  Shelley drove Lucas to a three-story building.

  Two seood at the entrance of the building and saluted as soon as they saw Shelley.

  Shelley parked the motorcycle to the side and asked one of the sentries, "Any special events at the office this m?"

  "Captain Bck Mamba… the new ior sent by headquarters has arrived."

  Shelley g Lucas beside her and tio ask, "Where is he?"

  "In the ior's offi the sed floor..." The sentry lowered his voice because of the outsider's presence, "Since you weren't here, the new ior hasn't pleted the handover procedures and has already lost his temper several times.

  Be careful when you go up to see him, our new ior seems to have a bad temper."

  Shelley said, "Got it... I'll go up now and calm him down."

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