Chapter 453: The Big Case Triggered by Nineteen Copper Wheels

"The tide has turned…"

Though saying so sounded a bit childish, Li Ang thought again and again, and decided this phrase perfectly described the current situation at Char Department Store.

When Char Department Store first started stirring things up, someone might have stopped it—after all, when the train hadn't yet started, all you needed to block it was a small wooden block on the tracks.

But now, with the uproar so great, more and more people had gained benefits, and even more were eagerly waiting for compensation—it was as if the train had already gained momentum; at this point, not even a solid iron wall dared stand in its path without being smashed clean through!

Amidst his curiosity about old Char and idle chatter with the coachman, the steam carriage roared along, arriving near the headquarters building of Char Department Store.

Looking out through the spotless glass, Li Ang saw the frantic crowds outside and the money box nearly overflowing, and couldn't help whistling inwardly—amazed at old Char's grand scale, yet pained, he pulled out two silver wheels and handed them to the coachman.

"Change!"

"..."

Watching Li Ang, after paying, calmly extend his hand for change, the coachman could only grimace and click his tongue.

Holy hell, twenty-two kilometers from pickup to here—twenty-two minus five plus two—that's nineteen copper wheels due, and I answered every question along the way, shouted myself hoarse chatting with you the whole time—and you won't even give me a single copper wheel as tip?

I'll just keep every last cent!

Sorry, tipping is a rich person's vice, and I've been poor for two lifetimes—I haven't even fully escaped poverty yet, so I don't deserve such extravagant spending.

Amidst the coachman's Bai Yan, Li Ang took the one copper wheel as change, hugged the folder with dried bloodstains, and got off the carriage, both pleased and depressed.

The driving force that had pushed him to steal documents from the Waterworks Company and contact newspapers for exposure was to help those patients screaming in hospital corridors—he felt that only by blowing this scandal wide open could those people get sufficient compensation for treatment.

But now, before he'd even succeeded in exposing it, those patients had already begun receiving compensation; with the burden lifted, Li Ang exhaled in relief, yet couldn't help feeling the disappointment of swinging a mighty blow and missing entirely.

Hmm… maybe I should still go meet this 'old Char'?

Recalling what he'd overheard outside the Waterworks Company meeting room, Li Ang stood by the street, pondered for a moment, then stepped toward the Char Department Store building.

Originally, hearing the arguments in the meeting room, the three noble families led by Lionheart Lyne seemed to have deliberately reduced filtration cycles and pumped unprocessed sewage into the public reservoir to seize control of Char Department Store.

Though the patients are now receiving compensation, those three bastards haven't been punished yet—and I happen to have the Waterworks Company's operational records, along with several documents of approvals and responses.

Though the priority of 'punishing evil' is far lower than 'rescuing the desperate,' since the kingdom churns out tons of messes every day and I can't possibly handle them all, yet…

I've come this far—I can't let my twenty copper wheels go to waste!

…

"You're saying the most important documents are missing?"

After hearing the detective agency's report, the dark-skinned old man frowned, clenched his thickened knuckles—calloused from years of labor—and slammed them hard onto the thick willow-wood desk before him, his expression displeased:

"Don't tell me merely bribing a few guards and archivists is all you did! The fees I've paid you these past days alone could've bought a county councilor's loyalty—have you even been working properly for me?"

"This… Mr. Char, this situation is a bit unusual…"

Seeing their biggest patron furious, the detective agency men changed expression instantly and hurried to explain:

"We truly gave it our all—we bribed two squads of security, bought off several personal attendants of the Shield-Bobby Laien family, and kidnapped family members of numerous Waterworks Company archivists. While your lady was locked in a three-day meeting, diverting everyone's attention, we seized the moment when the Waterworks Company was most lax and took complete control of the archive room.

But just as our people had sorted out a few documents and followed the archivists into the inner room to search for the remaining files, that damn security manager happened to walk into the outer room.

For some cursed luck, there were nearly thirty files piled on the desk—he casually reached out, and somehow grabbed the two most important ones. Mr. Char, we truly…"

"Enough! I'm not interested in your story!"

Glancing at the detective's gloomy expression, old Char, eyes bloodshot, pinched his brow, his tone hostile:

"What mistakes you made is your problem—I need proof that those three old noble families, especially the Lyne family, deliberately violated regulations! If the documents are in the security manager's hands, go get them back!"

"This…"

The detective agency man pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat beading on his forehead, bowed low and said:

"As soon as we realized the documents were gone, we followed him—but the security manager hadn't held onto them long before a man who'd infiltrated the meeting room snatched them away: that cop who saved your lady.

And that little cop, after taking the documents, led our people on a wild chase through the Waterworks Company—he must've set tripwires in hidden spots beforehand, smashing our people into bloody heaps, knocking several unconscious in one go…"

Here he paused, gesturing for the man beside him, whose head was wrapped in bandages, to step forward and open his mouth, revealing the empty sockets where his front teeth had been.

"Mr. Char, I know this sounds unbelievable, but look at his teeth—we truly chased him like our lives depended on it, but we simply couldn't catch him.

His physical strength is astonishingly high—he seems to have undergone special training. After thoroughly mocking our people and confirming no one could follow or interfere, he scaled six floors in under ten seconds.

Then he kicked open the air window and leapt straight out the sixth floor—likely using a pre-attached slide rail. We chased him all the way, but never even caught a glimpse of his face…"

"Then find the people who saw him!"

After pressing his throbbing temples, old Char glared and tapped the desk twice more.

"I've kept you all these years, spent so much money every year, hired so many people—I need you to be useful when it matters!

Whether by money or other means, no matter who he is, you must find him! Retrieve those documents!"

"Yes, Mr. Char—we're already working on it!"

Seeing the old man seemed unwilling to pursue their failure further, the detective agency men beamed with relief, nodding vigorously:

"He kept his face hidden under his hat brim—only your daughter and the lucky security manager saw his full face.

But because your lady suddenly fell ill, your daughter was crying too… emotionally, so she didn't see him clearly and can't describe his appearance. So we focused our investigation on the security manager—and we've already found faint leads!

Mr. Char, rest assured: as long as those documents haven't been destroyed, 'Silver Hook' guarantees we'll retrieve them for you!"

(End of Chapter)