Old Dunling, Inner City.

  When it comes to the prosperity of Old Dunling, what first comes to mind for most is the Inner City, the area where the wealth of the entire Old Dunling is most concentrated. Different from the "Royal District" at the core of Old Dunling, which is protected by guards and high walls, this is the farthest place that most nobles can reach comfortably.

  This area is covered by electricity, and at night it is brightly lit. You can see people walking in the tall buildings, their shadows cast on the ground by the lights, spreading out in a blurred and fragmented manner. As steam rises, even at the edge of the Inner City, you can smell the intoxicating aroma of wine.

  The streets are full of new-style automobiles. Due to their extremely high requirements for road conditions, most can only move within the Inner City. However, even so, the wealthy still spend large sums of money on these seemingly useless things, simply because they represent the most cutting-edge technology, and this is a symbol of status.

  Burton sat at a dining table on the balcony, overlooking the city as it slept peacefully.

  This was an excellent position: sitting here, he could observe the entire block. Although it was already dark, there was no such thing as darkness in the Inner City; bright electric lights illuminated every corner.

  This was a hunter’s vantage point. No matter what anomaly occurred, Burton could detect it the moment it happened. If he had a new sniper rifle from the Mechanic Institute in his hand, from this position he could easily kill everyone within his line of sight.

  Of course, Burton was a detective, not a cold-blooded killer—he was not a pervert who took pleasure in killing.

  The dining table was already filled with dishes, now only waiting for the arrival of another guest.

  He looked down at his pocket watch; she was already ten minutes late.

  But Burton was not in a hurry. It was 11:20, and there was still some time before the end of the night, so it was not yet time to be hasty.

  There were also many pedestrians on the street. Although it was almost midnight, it seemed as if a beautiful day had just begun.

  As he watched the pairs of figures leaving, Burton was lost in thought when a figure sat down.

  Looking at the beautiful figure in front of him, Burton was slightly stunned, then his etiquette lessons told him that he should give a good compliment now.

  “Hmm… very nice.”

  The girl in front of him was truly dressed up in splendid attire, beautiful yet not vulgar, like a socialite who often attended dances.

  Burton was well aware that the girl had not pretended on purpose; it was simply a difference in family atmosphere from birth.

  So, the thing called “temperament” was really an elusive concept. Burton could imitate anyone, but that crucial temperament was always beyond his grasp.

  “Did you invite me out just for dinner?”

  Eve looked at Burton. This detective had always been so mysterious, appearing and disappearing suddenly, leaving only a letter about the day’s itinerary.

  “Of course. Don’t you need to eat well to have the strength to work?”

  As Burton spoke, he picked up his knife and fork and began to eat. This person truly had no table manners, like a hungry wolf.

  Eve sighed. Someone like Burton would not do anything meaningless; he must have a purpose, but he just refused to say it for now.

  “Did you prepare everything I asked for?”

  Speaking while eating, his appearance was truly ugly, but Burton did not care anymore—he had long forgotten the etiquette from his lessons.

  This was the Inner City, and this meal could cost most of his salary; he was not going to give up on enjoying it.

  Eve leaned back slightly; she did not want oil stains to splash on her dress.

  “I did… What exactly do you want to do?”

  Burton’s letter had contained a bunch of strange requests, such as dressing formally but hiding casual clothes under the skirt, and requiring her to bring weapons and money.

  Eve had spent a great deal of effort to put on a close-fitting garment under her long dress. Similarly, her thigh ribbons were laden with weapons, and the girl did not dare to walk quickly for fear of making metallic clanking sounds.

  She suddenly thought of the Killer Queen in the stories, that charming woman who hid flexible and sharp iron sheets under her clothes. When she passionately embraced a man, she would draw out the metal, bringing forth a spray of blood. The difference between Eve and her at this moment was that instead of an iron sheet, Eve would pull out a Boning Model 91 pistol.

  Burton wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin; the feeling of a full meal was very good, and who knew when the next such luxurious meal would be.

  “For the sake of both our careers, Detective.”

  He raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

  Burton straightened his attire, and only then did Eve notice that under his gray-black windbreaker was neat white clothing, and a black top hat was placed beside him, as if he were going to attend a dance.

  “You need to solve cases to ensure you don’t get fired, and I need to solve cases to ensure my employer doesn’t kill me.”

  Burton put on his top hat, picked up his cane, and somehow found a fake mustache, which he pasted onto his upper lip.

  “You should have brought money, right?”

  After tidying everything up, Burton asked Eve. The girl hummed in agreement and took out her handbag.

  Burton nodded, then said,

  “I asked you to come today because I want you to attend a dance with me. After all, going alone would be too conspicuous; I need a female companion.”

  “Then how does this relate to our careers?”

  “Because this dance is being held by Sabo.”

  Burton gracefully extended his hand and pulled Eve to her feet. The girl gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and the two had an extraordinary tacit understanding.

  “Who is he again?”

  “A gang leader, a Viking, who manages a gang called the Green Sharks, mainly handling the final processing of smuggled goods from Raindona Port.”

  Holding this beautiful lady, Burton did not deliberately seek attention but still felt like the center of gazes here. This detective really looked astonishing when dressed up.

  “The gang that blocked us that day belongs to him. We will definitely pry something out of his mouth.”

  “Pry out what?”

  “Information. Whether it’s who he works for or the cause of Wal’s death, we will find answers there. If we’re lucky, we can even kidnap him directly to Suyalan Hall.”

  His cane gently tapped the ground; kidnapping was nothing difficult for a great detective.

  “Trust me, Detective. As a gang leader, his value is much more precious than the case you’re currently investigating. You will become a rising star in the police world.”

  “Kidnapping is a crime, and without evidence, how can we put him on trial?”

  In her heart, Eve was still someone who abided by the law. Compared to Burton, this unprincipled lunatic, she was much more noble.

  “Sabo is a resident of the Lower District. From a legal standpoint, he is not a citizen of Inverweig at all. Even if you killed him, no one would pursue it.

  Suyalan Hall has always wanted to open a stronghold in the Lower District. They can tolerate the existence of the Lower District as a trash can, but it must be under official control. The only reason Sabo is still alive is that Suyalan Hall hasn’t found an opportunity yet.”

  Burton flashed a slightly sleazy smile, and as he spoke, he picked up Eve’s handbag, took out several coins stamped with a lion—Inverweig’s official circulating currency, minted by Queen Victoria.

  As he spoke, Burton handed the money to the waiter, gave a smile, and then pulled Eve away from there.

  Eve watched Burton rummage through her bag and take the money, and after being stunned for a long time, she slowly said,

  “What was that about?”

  “You’re treating, so what’s the problem?” Burton felt no shame at all.

  “Don’t look like that; it’s not much money. You’re the little princess of the Phoenix family, don’t act like I’ve cheated you out of millions, okay?”

  Burton persisted in his teasing.

  “According to the city hall’s income list, I’m part of the low-income group.”

  He was not lying. At first, Burton had indeed wanted to run a proper detective agency, but unfortunately, he himself was not serious. A noble lady once hired him to catch her husband’s mistress, and in order to chase the fleeing carriage, he shot and blew out the carriage’s wheel. The unfortunate husband rolled three times with his mistress before stopping.

  Afterward, the mistress broke a bone and was hospitalized. When the hiring noble lady heard about it, she went to the hospital and added another broken bone injury for her. As for the husband, he thought Burton was a hired killer sent by the noble lady. However, the noble lady still had old feelings and spared him, so he repented with tears and reformed.

  Everything ended happily, but unfortunately, Burton’s rough behavior made most employers shy away. In the end, only Shrike would occasionally give him some cases to make a living.

  His financial situation was not good. Burton was now in urgent need of money to pay this month’s rent, otherwise, Mrs. Vanlu would shoot him.

  “You know? I’m so poor I can hardly afford bullets. Interested in sponsoring me a bit?”

  As she listened to Burton’s chattering, Eve gained a new understanding of this damn detective.

  “You really are a son of a bitch.”

  “Thank you for the compliment.”