Chapter 453: The Big Case Triggered by Nineteen Copper Wheels

"The tide has turned…"

Though saying so sounds a bit childish, Leon thought and thought again, and decided this phrase perfectly described the current state of 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 have gained benefits, and even more are eagerly waiting for compensation—it's as if the train is already speeding forward; at this point, not even a solid iron wall would stand a chance if someone dared to block its path—it would be 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.

Through the spotless glass, Leon saw the frantic crowds outside and the massive money box nearly overflowing, and he couldn't help but whistle inwardly—amazed at old Char's grand scale, yet pained, he pulled out two silver wheels and handed them to the coachman.

"Keep the change!"

"..."

Watching Leon, after paying, calmly extend his hand for change, the coachman could only mutter in disbelief.

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

I'll just keep it all!

Sorry, tipping is a rich person's bad habit; I've been poor for two lifetimes, haven't fully escaped poverty yet, and can't afford such luxury.

Amid the coachman's disgusted glare, Leon took the single copper wheel as change, hugged the folder with dried bloodstains, and stepped down from the carriage—both relieved and disappointed.

The driving force behind his earlier efforts—to steal documents from the Waterworks Company, to contact newspapers for exposure—was to help those patients screaming in hospital corridors; he felt only by exposing this scandal and making it explode 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, Leon exhaled in relief, yet couldn't help feeling the disappointment of swinging hard and missing entirely.

Hmm… maybe I should still go meet that "old Char."

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

Back then, listening to the argument in the meeting room, the three noble families led by Lionheart Lane seemed to have deliberately reduced filtration steps and dumped 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 and several documents with approvals and endorsements.

Although "punishing evil" is far less of a priority than "rescuing the helpless"—after all, the kingdom produces tons of messes every day, and I can't possibly handle them all—but…

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. Are you even working for me properly?"

"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 security squads, bought off several retainers of the Shield-Lion family, and kidnapped family members of numerous Waterworks Company archivists. While your wife was in back-to-back meetings for three days, diverting everyone's attention, we seized control of the archive room during its most vulnerable moment.

But just as our people had gathered a few documents and followed the archivists into the inner room to search for the rest, 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 reached out randomly, and somehow picked up the two most important ones. Mr. Char, we truly…"

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

Glancing at the detective's miserable expression, old Char, eyes bloodshot, pinched his temples, his tone sharp:

"What mistakes you made is your problem—I need proof that those three old noble families, especially Lane's, 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 sweat from his brow, bowed low:

"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 wife.

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 men into bloody heaps, knocking several unconscious in one go…"

He paused, then gestured for a man beside him, bandaged around the head, to step forward and open his mouth, revealing a gap 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 terrifyingly high; he clearly underwent special training. After thoroughly mocking us and confirming no one could follow, he scaled six floors in under ten seconds.

Then he kicked open the air window and leapt out—seems he'd pre-attached a slide-rail—and vanished. 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 countless coins every year, hired so many men—I need you to be useful when it matters!

Whether by money or other means, no matter who he is, find him! Get those documents back!"

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

Seeing the old man seemed unwilling to press 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 wife suddenly fell ill, your daughter was crying too… emotionally, so she didn't see clearly and can't describe him. So we focused our investigation on the security manager—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)