Chapter 2016: Black Hand Gang

After appearing from the attic, Xia De heard the sound of Little Mia running up excitedly when he went down the stairs. But after Little Mia smelled Xia De, she turned around and left the way she came, wagging her tail, which reminded Xia De again to take a bath as soon as possible.

Returning home after a day out, life was still so comfortable. After going out for dinner with Little Mia, Miss Galina, who had sent a letter to meet this morning, also visited No. 6 St. Deran Square again at seven in the evening with her maids.

"I hope you don't want to tell me that I just told you there are witches in Moon Bay, and you have already met her."

When seeing Xia De, the Duchess did not forget to tease.

"Of course not, but the Moon Bay area is indeed very interesting."

Xia De gave her a hug and wanted to sit down, but was pulled by the witch to go out.

"It's so late, where are we going?"

"The Opera House, I have already booked a box ticket. Lei Qianya can take you on a date to the Opera House, can't I?"

Xia De thought there was a strange psychology of comparison here.

The date location was the Queen Maria Opera House, which Xia De was very familiar with. As for what opera was performed that night, Xia De didn't listen carefully. Of course, he didn't do anything with Miss Galina in public, but talked about the new time key:

"I hope you can help me investigate the 'Radiant Messenger' cruise ship, late 5th Era, 5180, with a death toll of over 3,000."

Xia De had generally described the trouble he encountered this time, so Miss Galina also knew what he was going to do:

"You want to investigate the truth about the sinking of that ship in our time point?"

"Yes, we must make preparations for both hands."

"Then how do you plan to handle the wishes and desires of those ladies of the 5th Era?"

She asked again.

"Most of the things in the notebook are small things, I just need to prepare some items in advance.

There are only two things that need to be solved: First, Miss Maxim, the maid beside Miss Theresa, wanted to read a book when she was a child, but for various reasons, she never had the opportunity to see it. 'Mirror Fairy Tales' is said to be a fairy tale book that was very popular in the late 5th Era. Miss Maxim has heard the fairy tales inside, but she just hasn't been able to flip through it herself; Second, Professor Evans of the Zalas Academy of Literature once heard of a peculiar wine called 'Black Flame Ice Wine' when she was a young girl, but this ice wine produced in the extreme cold region of the Northern Continent in the 5th Era is very difficult to buy, which is also a small regret."

"How does it feel like you have become a traveler who fulfills wishes for ancient witches?"

She leaned on Xia De's shoulder, her hair gently rubbing against Xia De's chin.

Xia De reached out to embrace her:

"It can't be said to be fulfilling wishes, but this mission gives me a strange feeling. The ladies I met might be hiding some things. I will find a way to buy that book myself. The black market merchant I know in Tobesk is very powerful. As for the wine, although I haven't heard of it, since it is related to the extreme north, I am afraid I have to trouble Miss Danister again."

"It seems that you and your teacher have a good relationship?"

"The relationship is very good."

"Oh?"

This exclamation was definitely questioning Xia De. Xia De wanted to open his mouth to refute, but the witch who sat up straight covered Xia De's mouth with her hand, her beautiful golden eyes looking at him:

"Tonight is your date with me, don't mention others."

She hugged Xia De's neck and took a deep breath:

"It would be great if every day was like this."

"I..."

"I'm not complaining about your philandering, but complaining that there is always endless work in my hands. Tonight I will stay at your house. I don't have any other meaning, just that in this way, although I still have to go to the Yodel Palace tomorrow morning, I can get up a little later."

Every time after spending the night with the Duchess, Xia De would always be asked not to get up so early the next morning. Although the witches themselves tend to be perfect and don't have to worry about skin and wrinkles as long as they don't stay up too late, Miss Galina still strongly opposes the habit of getting up early.

Friday was the same. At 6:30, the cat, who spent the night with the maids downstairs, ran to the bedroom door on the second floor and kept scratching the door on time. Xia De originally wanted to get up at this time, but was pulled back by the red-haired witch in the quilt:

"Do you hate me so much?"

Even in the state of not being dressed in the morning, with bright red hair scattered on the pillow, and tenderness and fatigue between her brows and eyes, she was still so beautiful.

At the same time, the cat outside the door stopped scratching the door. Listening to the sound, it was Tifa who carried it away. So Xia De slept for a while longer until he got up at eight o'clock.

Miss Galina went to the Yodel Palace, and Xia De also started a brand new day. First, he went to Old John's place to buy ancient books. Although they were books from the 5th Era, because of the huge circulation, Old John told Xia De to rest assured that he should be able to buy them:

"We have a cooperation with the Apuna Library, they should have this book. Although the price will be higher, didn't you finally make up your mind recently to eat the soft rice of that Duchess?"

Old John should still bring up this joke, at least for half a year.

The matter of "Black Flame Ice Wine" had to trouble Miss Danister. Xia De had already sent her a letter through the poetry paper last night. Now the reply hadn't been sent yet, and Xia De hoped that the librarian lady wouldn't mind his disturbance this time.

After returning from Old John's place, he set off again for Moon Bay City. It was drizzling in the city area of Moon Bay City today. Xia De, holding a black umbrella, entered the city from St. George Stone Bridge. After getting off the carriage, he looked at the "Moon Bay Bridge" still under construction under the cloudy and rainy sky by the Taton River again.

"It's really spectacular."

On the bridge body that was gradually closing above the wide river, workers as small as ants were still working. Xia De couldn't help but have the idea of going to the bridge to see the scenery, but obviously, this was not what he was going to do today.

Going to find the MI6 agents could wait a bit. Xia De decided to go and see what secrets the "Black Hand Gang" in the dock area had today.

Miss Anne Bonny provided the station of that very famous gang in the dock area. Similar to "Rotten Eye Barry" in Green Lake, they also operated illegal businesses such as casinos and underground boxing rings. This time, without a big witch like Megan accompanying him, Xia De didn't intend to destroy the vibrant social organization here just after arriving in a new city.

He held an umbrella and watched the scenery by the river for a while, then turned and walked into the winding alleys of the lower city area in the rain.

The sewer system of Moon Bay City can almost be considered the oldest sewer system still in use on the West Coast. Most of those complex pipes are still serving the city today, but some of the extensive sewer systems also take on other responsibilities.

For example, the coroner's office in the lower city area uses a section of the pipe, and the underground boxing ring operated by the gang is also in the sewer.

The entrance to the sewer is hidden in an inconspicuous corner of the lower city area. From the appearance, no one knows what is being done inside. It was still an iron fence door blocking the entrance, but the guards here were much more dedicated than the guards at the coroner's office.

Fortunately, no special invitation letter was needed to enter here, just give money and explain who introduced it.

Although Xia De had no introducer, he gave more tips, so the guards didn't make things difficult for him and opened the door directly to let him in:

"Don't walk around, don't make loud noises, you don't want to spend the night at the bottom of the Taton River tonight, right?"

"It's really blatant, this place won't be a legally taxed industry, right?"

Thinking in his heart, he walked along the wide tunnel of the sewer towards the slope below, relying on the gas lamps on the wall for lighting, not afraid of stepping on dirty things. When he reached the end, he could already hear the lively cheers. Turning to the right, under the gaze of the guards playing Rhodes cards sitting by the wall, Xia De continued to move forward. After passing another downhill road, he chose to continue moving forward at the sewer crossroads ahead.

The pipe on the right side of the crossroads was blocked by various debris, and the pipe on the left led to the deeper underground, which was the entrance area for boxing players.

The smell in the underground pipe was not strong, just exceptionally damp and cold. The cheers and applause became clearer and clearer. When Xia De arrived at the final destination, what he saw were people wearing various clothes surrounding a square railing, watching two men with bare upper bodies fighting below.

The structure here was similar to a patio, and the audience watching the boxing match included both ordinary civilians in the lower city area and merchants in flashy clothes.

No one noticed Xia De's arrival, so Xia De also leaned forward to look down twice, then looked at the surrounding audience, but didn't find anyone similar to a gang leader here:

"But in such a place that makes money, it's impossible not to have a key leader guarding it. Did they not come to watch the boxing match, or are they hidden in a place I didn't find... Powerful spatial perception."

In a scene like an underground pipe, the strange technique of perceiving space exerted an exceptionally outstanding effect. By the time Xia De had roughly figured out the surrounding terrain, he used "Heart of Stone" to listen to the nearby heartbeats, and then he knew where the person he was looking for was:

"The 'arena' below counts as the first floor, the auditorium here counts as the second floor, and there are three floors above."

Coming quietly and leaving quietly, relying on the concealment of illusion, he returned to the pipe crossroads just now, then crossed the position blocked by debris and entered the right side of the pipe. Continuing forward past the corner, two men were playing Rhodes cards at a square table, but this was not Xia De's target. Continuing forward, he saw an iron ladder. Following the ladder to the top, bowing his head and passing through the door hole, he officially entered the "third floor".

This place was also similar to a patio, with a square railing surrounding a circle, but the area was much smaller than the auditorium on the second floor.

Three tables were scattered here, one table was empty, and six people were drinking and playing cards at the other two tables. Keys and weapons were hanging on the wall, most of which were cold weapons like machetes, but there were also three small-caliber firearms. ===== CHAPTER 2017 =====