Chapter 10, Episode 08 (with s)

Episode 08 (with s)

To be fair, Herbers was a capable and reliable housekeeper.

"Butler Herbers is really good. Look at these documents. I would have almost forgotten about them if he hadn't kept them on my bedside table."

Holding the materials Herbner had prepared for me, I rambled on, "It's more reliable than London. All London does is criticize me. They have no warmth, no concern for me, no kind words, no practical help, and they even side with outsiders, only admiring others. It's really too much!"

London: "...You know I can hear you, right?"

I feigned surprise and exclaimed softly, "Oh my god, how could I, such a straightforward and emotionally inept idiot, blurt out such truths?"

London: "..."

London: "...If you're going to look at the documents, please do so quietly. You're being really annoying."

It's truly an achievement that such humane words could emerge from its calm and collected voice.

There's a sense of pride in watching my little one grow up.

I am delighted and comforted by this.

As I carefully reviewed the documents, I responded to London's words, "I can't help it, my mind can't stay still. I need to talk to someone to concentrate on what I'm reading."

To be honest, I've been like this since I was a child. I can't sit still in class and always like to talk to the person sitting next to me.

This has nothing to do with what the teacher thinks is "lack of concentration in class".

When I'm alone, all sorts of attention, emotions, and thoughts run wild in my mind.

This is similar to how a "drummer" is needed to coordinate the rhythm of a dragon boat race.

I also need additional interaction to maintain my focus.

Because of this incident, I have always been the focus of teachers' attention since I was a child. I kept changing deskmates, and later I even had to sit alone next to the podium in class so that I would keep quiet.

I've thought about how to improve this situation. Since I want to talk, I'll talk to the teacher.

But the result was not good, because the teacher always thought that I was deliberately disrupting the class and causing trouble.

Later on, I discovered that listening to music could calm me down.

So, during class, I would have an earphone in one ear playing various kinds of music, while listening to the lecture with the other ear.

It's like there are two people living inside me, and I have to take good care of them separately in order to do things well.

Of course, I know that listening to music in class is definitely not good, but it was the only way I could think of to stay focused at the time.

Interestingly, I never need external interaction to concentrate during exams. Perhaps it's because the high-pressure environment itself is stimulating enough that my brain can build its own rhythm.

Because of these strange little habits, I was considered a troublemaker by all the teachers in the school, including the principal.

Fortunately, the rules of school life are very simple.

If the results are outstanding enough, 99% of the teacher-student problems can be solved.

So, in the atmosphere at the time when it was popular to give nicknames to people on campus, I woke up one day to find myself being called "a genius who doesn't like to study and likes to challenge authority."

I'm clearly trying very hard to study and to behave well, okay!

But I don't dislike it either.

Hehe, who doesn't like being praised for being smart?

Anyway, I really like it.

...

London didn't buy my words: "Do you think I believe you?"

"So, according to you, you've finished looking through all the materials you were just flipping through?"

"I've finished reading it."

"..."

"Want to make a bet? The loser meows."

I don't gamble.

London has absolutely no competitive spirit.

I urged, "Don't you know that only those who dare to lose can win?"

"Sorry, I don't gamble."

London's position is rock solid.

I continued to prop my legs up on the marble tabletop, leaning back in my chair, while the computer next to me remained silently occupied with emails, as if waiting for someone to call me.

Hebers's information is easy to find.

Using "Lloyds Bank" as a keyword, I found boring, dull, and outdated information such as "D-Notice (State Secret Notice)," "British Prime Minister with Pedophilia," "Explicit Photos of a Senior Executive of a Major Company," and "Confidential Information of a Listed Company."

After reviewing the intelligence from two months ago, the documents I casually tossed on the floor were already as high as the chair.

Logically speaking, digging a tunnel should take at least two months.

Is this case only just beginning to take shape, without even any planning?

I could only scroll back until I reached the most recent information.

Suddenly, an email from "X Michael" caught my attention.

He was very straightforward at the beginning.

"Mr. Milverton, there's something you might be interested in."

"I have some private photos of the royal princesses here. They're not staged or taken in public. You should understand what I mean."

"I don't want to say too much in the email."

"But this makes it worthwhile for you to cooperate with me."

"Imagine a news story that can sell 20 million newspapers; it would definitely be a good deal for you, wouldn't it?"

Kind regards

X. Michael.

A strong premonition struck my brain.

This is the case I'm investigating.

Forgetting that London didn't want to talk to me, I said smugly, "See? I think I've caught Albert by the nose."

“Albert was so proactive in contacting me and trying to get my attention.”

"Perhaps, he himself is X Michael."

As soon as he finished speaking, London scoffed.

Is this really a humane approach?

"What are you laughing at?"

London's statement was vague: "The email contained grammatical errors."

"?"

Is London's perspective really that tricky?

London even patiently explained to me, "You should add an 's' after 'kind regard'."

I don't believe such a small mistake could excite London so much.

So there's only one truth: London is mocking me because I made a mistake.

I raised an eyebrow. "So you were mocking Albert for being illiterate."

London: "..."

I tapped the table with my index finger: "London, I need to make a show, you have to help me."

London: "Why?"

I raised my chin and smiled, "It's obvious, because you can't live without me anymore."

A note from the author:

----------------------

Popping in! The application process has begun! Let's see if anyone's interested!

(This book will take a new approach to narrative.)