Chapter 360: Lamp Light Gazette

The next morning, Wu Chang and Ailin were woken by a maid; when they stepped out of their bedroom, they saw Reveton already seated at the dining table.

"Chef Brown's cinnamon apple sauce today is even better than what I had at the Deer Hunter Restaurant—could you pack me two portions to take away?"

Wu Chang sat in the main seat, glanced at Reveton, and laughed as he scolded:

"You really treat my house like a restaurant—come to eat is one thing, but now you're asking for takeout?"

Reveton replied as if it were obvious: "A dish's greatest sorrow is to go uneaten by someone who cannot appreciate it—I'm helping you."

Wu Chang asked: "So you're saying I should thank you?"

Reveton bowed slightly and said: "No need to thank me—it's my honor to serve you."

Wu Chang rolled his eyes and began enjoying his breakfast.

The main dish of breakfast was grilled pork chop with apple sauce; in Wu Chang's view, this was unquestionably dark cuisine—but it tasted surprisingly good.

At least in Stilan of the Food Basin, it far exceeded the average standard, which explained why the former owner of this villa had gone to such lengths to bring this chef over from Fran.

This was Stilan—the center of the world.

The new nobility, to satisfy their appetites, could hire a chef from neighboring Fran to serve them exclusively.

For instance, Wu Chang's chef, Brown, had once worked at a high-end restaurant in Fran's capital; to lure him over, the former owner of this house offered an annual salary of three hundred gold pounds.

Just the chef's annual salary equaled the food expenses of an ordinary four-person family for ten years—or more.

And this was even for families living in the workers' district with stable livelihoods.

Even excluding the colonies, and counting only Stilan's homeland, tens of thousands of poor people starved to death each year due to the Grain Laws.

"Rich men's gates reek of wine and meat; on the road lie frozen bones"—even in the world's most prosperous Stilan, this remained true.

After breakfast, they resumed their investigation into the Prime Minister's assassination.

Today's target: the Charter Movement.

Yet instead of heading straight to the workers' demonstrations, they first went to the Grey Church slum—just as yesterday, with Reveton once again acting as the carriage driver.

At Thomas's home, they saw Thomas's sister Grace was now able to get out of bed; her complexion had improved considerably.

They had just eaten breakfast: less than half a pound of black bread, a little butter, and two small bowls of oatmeal—totaling less than one penny.

In price terms, it equaled the scraps of meat Reveton picked from his teeth after breakfast, and the sauce wiped from his lips with a napkin.

Ailin rechecked Grace's body, confirmed no residual toxins remained, then asked her to summon nearby residents needing treatment to continue last night's healing.

Wu Chang and Reveton found Thomas and questioned him about the mine thieves.

"Thomas, among the mine thieves you recruited, do you know a man named Mick?"

Thomas nodded and said: "I know him—he's the leader of the mine thieves; whenever coal jade is sold to the black market and money is divided, he always shows up."

"Mr. Xiao En, if you're looking for him, I'm afraid it's impossible."

"According to his companions, he was deep in the lower mine when the explosion occurred—he didn't make it out in time."

Wu Chang and Reveton exchanged a glance: meaning Mick had discovered the Transcendent Refiner only shortly before the Steam Council orchestrated the mine explosion.

"Do you know who was close to Mick? For example, when you needed to pass information to him, who did you usually go through?"

Thomas thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xiao En—you may not believe me, but Mick possesses a unique quality that naturally draws people to him."

"Back at Pine Tree Mine, he was always surrounded by crowds; if you wanted to find him, you just had to ask anyone near Mine Shaft 37, and someone would tell you exactly where he was."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow—he hadn't expected Mick to have such charisma.

But then again, he remembered that members of the Steam Council in the resentment had mentioned: transmission magic was noble magic, passed only within noble transcendent families.

Clearly, Mick was no ordinary transcendent mine thief—he came from a distinguished family, or at least once had.

He asked casually: "Have you heard if he was close to any important person?"

Thomas repeated, puzzled: "Important person?"

To him, too many people qualified as "important."

Wu Chang added: "Not too important—a minor noble will do."

The term "minor noble" touched a blind spot in Thomas's knowledge; he shook his head:

"If any miner had ever met a noble, word would have spread across the mine the next day—I've never heard such a rumor."

"But…"

"I mentioned yesterday that when we marched into the city, they thought I was too small and skinny, so they didn't let me join—they only gave me small tasks like delivering messages."

"Mostly, I carried verbal messages; only once did a fellow mine thief ask me to deliver a written letter."

Written letter—upon hearing this, Wu Chang and Reveton perked up.

In Stilan, most lower-class workers began labor as child laborers from age five or six; their level of education was imaginable.

Especially among miners and textile workers, fewer than one in four could write their own names.

This low level of education was precisely why Prime Minister Logan believed they lacked political judgment.

A miner delivering a written letter? There had to be something unusual about it.

Thomas hesitated briefly, then continued:

"That companion told me to deliver the letter to the Lamp Light Gazette, to a man named Connor."

"When I arrived at the Lamp Light Gazette, I saw everyone there held great respect for Connor—they called him Mr. Connor. Perhaps he could barely be called an important person."

Wu Chang turned to look at Reveton; as someone who had always lived in the New World, he frankly didn't recognize the Connor Thomas mentioned.

Reveton, however, looked surprised and said:

"If I'm not mistaken, the Connor who received Thomas's letter is the founder of the Lamp Light Gazette—and one of the initiators of the Charter Movement."

"He's not a noble, but he was once elected to the House of Commons—he truly is an important person."

In front of Thomas, Wu Chang and Reveton did not spell it out, but both understood: Mick's transmission magic, even if the recipient wasn't Connor, must be connected to him.

If so, the next target for investigation had clearly surfaced.

After the investigation into the Pine Tree Mine explosion, Thomas no longer dared to casually ask Wu Chang about his investigations; he could only whisper:

"Mr. Xiao En, is there anything you need me to do?"

Wu Chang shook his head, pulled out two one-gold-pound banknotes from his winnings against Reveton yesterday, and slipped them into Thomas's hand.

"You don't need to do anything extra—just stay home during this time and take care of your sister."

"If anyone asks you to deliver a message, especially a paper letter, tell me immediately."

Thomas asked: "Then how should I find you?"

Wu Chang said, somewhat helplessly: "You don't need to find me—my wife will come here often to help patients in need; you just need to tell her."

Hearing that Eileen would frequently appear in the slums, Thomas's face lit up with joy—even more than when he received the two gold pounds in his hand.

After yesterday's healing, Eileen's status in the slums had become equal to that of a saint walking the earth.

This was evident from the miracle tree that had grown to three meters tall this morning.

Now that they had found their next target, Wu Chang and Reveton did not linger in the slums.

Before leaving, Reveton found two literate workers among the crowd gathered around and handed them a small booklet.

The booklet contained methods to prevent and treat malaria, such as filling in sewage pits, regularly clearing garbage, and organizing teams to eliminate mosquitoes.

The tasks were not complicated; Reveton had written down the solution for each problem in the booklet, requiring only labor and some money to complete.

Wu Chang would pay—the funds came directly from the Queen, so he spent them without a second thought.

Moreover, improving the environment and paying laborers wouldn't cost much.

Remember, this was the Grey Church Slums—there were countless lower-class laborers who would do anything as long as their basic needs were met.

Even the Grey Church Poorhouse, where the mortality rate reached 15% after entry, had people willing to enter just to avoid starving; managing the slum environment—easy work, with meals and pay, and for one's own benefit—was a perfect job.

As for how to get the slum residents to cooperate with prevention and maintain the environment, the method was simple.

Just say it was Eileen's wish.

Put bluntly, the residents of the Grey Church Slums, suffering from their living conditions and the great malaria outbreak, were merely a few days away from death—no more, no less.

Like Grace before she was healed, they were so poor they couldn't afford life itself, leaving only fervent faith.

Eileen, who had revealed miracles and pulled them back from the brink of death, held divine authority in their hearts.

Anything Eileen willed would be carried out within the slums.

After arranging the slum management, Wu Chang and Reveton left the slums—but as soon as they stepped out of the Grey Church Slums, they saw Zhu Li's carriage parked by the roadside ahead.

Reveton pulled down the brim of his hat, pretending to be a true coachman, hunching into his seat, and whispered:

"I'll wait here for you."

Wu Chang chuckled: "You're this afraid of meeting her?"

"I'm not afraid," Reveton immediately denied, then lowered his voice further: "I just don't want any unnecessary conflict with her before resolving the Steam Council."

Wu Chang shook his head, stepped down from the carriage, and entered Zhu Li's carriage.

Zhu Li, seeing Wu Chang, said her first words: "I just saw what Reveton had them do—if you keep going like this, will it really make things better here?"

Wu Chang answered without hesitation: "Of course. Just come back in a few days and see—the facts will tell you."

Zhu Li paused, and for the first time since their meeting, a rare smile appeared in her previously confused eyes.

"Then carry on—I won't interfere. If you truly change this place, I'll give you the Poorhouse."

Wu Chang said: "The residents here will thank you."

Zhu Li didn't say it outright, but her meaning was clear: as Grand Archbishop of the Holy Enlightenment Sect, she had tacitly approved Eileen's preaching in the Grey Church Slums.

If Eileen achieved results, she might even give the Grey Church Poorhouse to Eileen.

A church could be turned into a Poorhouse; a Poorhouse could be turned back into a church. If the Yongguang Sect gained a stable church, this place could truly become Eileen's divine realm.

But as Grand Archbishop of the Holy Enlightenment Sect, was it really acceptable to hand over followers and a church?

He asked cautiously: "Will this have no impact on you?"

Zhu Li shook her head and changed the subject:

"I've reported your discoveries at the Pine Tree Mine to Your Majesty. The Queen is pleased with your actions."

"As previously agreed, tonight, Your Majesty will formally announce the existence of the Arcane Knight Order and you before all of Stilran."

Wu Chang exclaimed: "So soon? Don't you need to wait a few more days?"

Zhu Li said: "The Prime Minister was just assassinated; it's not suitable to convene the council frequently. So we're combining your inauguration with the interim Prime Minister's. If you're dissatisfied, I can apply to the Queen for a one-week delay."

Wu Chang shook his head: "No need. Today is perfect—I like it fast."

Zhu Li said: "Though time is short, tonight's inauguration concerns all of Stilran—we cannot neglect protocol."

"So before evening, you must come with me to rehearse banquet etiquette several times."

Wu Chang's face fell—he'd have to use his True Self to investigate Mingdeng Press first.

Zhu Li said: "By the way, Master Xiao, if you've chosen your deputy, bring him to the banquet."

Wu Chang suddenly thought of something and asked: "Will my deputy rehearse with me?"

Zhu Li nodded: "Of course—he will appear before the Queen, so he must be trained."

Wu Chang continued: "Will you personally instruct us?"

Zhu Li said: "If you're unsatisfied with my teaching, I can arrange a dedicated court etiquette master for you."

"No need—you're perfect," Wu Chang said without hesitation, then leaned out of the carriage and shouted toward Reveton in the distance:

"Deputy, plans have changed!"

While Wu Chang's main body and Reveton investigated the Pine Tree Mine explosion, Wu Chang's True Self hadn't been idle—he had been wandering through Grimlan.

Unlike the main body, which focused on the direct investigation of the Prime Minister's assassination, using his identity as Arcane Knight Order leader to avoid concealment,

the True Self focused on covert investigations, especially concerning transcendent beings, dimensional rules, and Deep Game players.

Over the course of yesterday, the socially anxious True Self witnessed numerous battles between players.

Numerous battles led him to discover two things.

First, the quality of players in this dungeon was far beyond any he had ever joined before.

Almost everyone had a hidden class, and nearly every player possessed one or two secret techniques.

Second, the Root Power within the dungeon had grown more swollen, beginning to squeeze out other rules.

The swelling of Root Power was not unexpected to him, but what surprised him was that the node of this expansion coincided precisely with his discovery of the Transcendent Refiner and his removal of its Core Essence Furnace.

Coupled with the second main quest of Steam Phantom—obtaining at least one pearl from the Industrial Crown—he had reason to suspect that the cause of Root Power's expansion was players acquiring the Transcendent Steam Engine.

Why would the removal of the Transcendent Steam Engine accelerate the Root's erosion of the realm?

At first, he thought the Transcendent Steam Engine might be some kind of sealing object, and the Realm's Child was a monster suppressed by it.

Later, learning of the existence of the Steam Council from Raven, he dismissed this suspicion and needed to investigate anew.

Through today's morning paper, he learned that last night, the Serial Killer struck again, killing a policeman named Brian.

The location of the crime was peculiar—near the Grey Church slums in the industrial zone—and this left Wu Chang uneasy; he had originally planned to manipulate his True Self to investigate the Serial Killer case.

But his physical body was currently attending etiquette training, and investigating the Ming Deng Newspaper was urgent, so he could only alter his plan temporarily and send his True Self to investigate.

Grimlan's East District lay downstream of the Hills River, its banks lined with factories, the river surface choked with steam transport vessels spewing black smoke.

This was the concentration of factories and the primary area of worker activity.

Ming Deng Newspaper was founded to promote the Charter Movement, its main purpose being to voice workers' demands and guide worker movements; thus, Ming Deng Newspaper's headquarters in Grimlan was naturally built in the East District.

As his True Self walked through the East District, he could buy a copy of Ming Deng Newspaper from any street vendor he passed.

Wu Chang bought one and read it as he walked.

Since the newspaper's primary readers were workers, its language was simple and accessible, expressed entirely in colloquial speech, and he finished it quickly.

The content mainly called on workers everywhere to join in, spread the ideas of the worker movement, and report on worker assemblies, strikes, and demonstrations across all of Stilan.

The copy he bought also mentioned that after the Pine Tree Mine explosion triggered worker unrest, many workers had been arrested and remained imprisoned.

After a quick read, the overall tone of the newspaper still leaned toward peaceful petitioning; he could not yet link Ming Deng Newspaper to the Prime Minister's assassination.

As he walked and read, he soon spotted the Ming Deng Newspaper office.

Before he could approach, he heard a shout ahead.

"Mystical fortune-telling arts from the East! Guide your path tomorrow! Just a few pence to shake off misfortune—no pay if it's wrong!"

Wu Chang followed the familiar voice and saw, not far from the Ming Deng Newspaper office, a crude fortune-telling stall—the fortune-teller shouting was none other than Jian Xing, whom he had met not long ago.

(End of Chapter)