Chapter 16, Chapter 05: This is really too difficult.
Chapter 05 This is really too difficult
Bank holiday Saturday night.
No matter how long the days are, a bottle of ice-cold beer can always instantly wash away all your troubles.
It's like suddenly getting off a bus during a long journey and feeling the wind outside – quick, refreshing, and invigorating.
However, for Manager Richie, tonight was clearly much more boring than he had imagined.
Of course, this does not include the pleasant experience of dinner.
Enjoying a free gourmet meal worth no less than £400, plus the opportunity to chat and laugh with two potential big clients, this was undoubtedly the pinnacle of his career as a bank manager, regardless of the success or failure of the collaboration.
After all, this is Milverton, a media mogul worth billions, not to mention Moriarty, the heir to the Earl, sitting at the table. Even if this is a game between two people, it would be great for him to participate as an outsider.
Manager Tucker Rich also felt like a lucky guest who won the award.
However, compared to the lavish dining table and the excitement after high-end socializing, the evening after dinner felt long and boring.
He followed the others to a small apartment, where he simply stood guard over a cold, impersonal communication device, waiting to speak with the astronauts in space.
Although Albert suggested watching a movie to pass the time, Manager Richie was actually more eager to have an ice-cold beer.
He could almost picture the sensation of the cool liquid sliding down his throat, outlining the shape from his throat to his stomach.
Just a moment is enough to dispel the boredom of waiting.
However, reality quickly brought him back to his senses.
Among the five people present was a young woman.
Even though the other person is easygoing and wouldn't mind having a drink at a private gathering, the five of them still felt quite unfamiliar and distant. In such a delicate social situation, opening a bottle of wine would always seem out of place.
More importantly, Milverton, who clearly held the power of discourse, showed no intention of touching the wine.
Richie had no choice but to suppress his longing and focus intently on the screen.
Even though the film was the classic gay-themed "Brokeback Mountain," a movie he would have avoided like the plague during his high school years, Manager Richie managed to resist the urge to avoid it.
He initially thought he would be put off by the subject matter, but surprisingly, he got into the story.
The two job seekers who opened the event were very quiet from the start. They were reserved and efficient, unlike the arrogance and conceit that one might expect from Americans. Their slow-paced narrative gradually lowered the guard of Manager Richie.
The grasslands, the sky and the sea of clouds are as vast as the mountains, and the mountains are as beautiful as the landscapes in Alfred Sisley's paintings, with a sense of tranquility and gentleness that exudes depth and calmness.
In particular, the sheep in the mountains in the picture are really soothing.
Manager Richie remembers it as a tragedy, but he doesn't know the specifics of how the relationship between the two went, and he subconsciously tries to search for a brief introduction.
However, he felt that this gesture made him seem too interested in the story.
Especially in this slow-paced story, Milverton leans against the sofa cushions, hugs a pillow, and falls into a deep sleep as soon as he closes his eyes.
The impeccably tailored haute couture suit, worn in this relaxed sleeping posture, naturally formed a few leisurely folds. The collector's item Cartier white gold watch on his wrist was understated yet exquisite. The case reflected the cool light of the screen, shimmering with a jewel-like fire, perfectly complementing his healthy, fair skin.
The bluish veins were faintly visible on the back of the hand, rising slightly with the knuckles, like verdant mountain ridges disappearing into the sea of clouds.
Thus, even though Milvolton's expression was exceptionally gentle and kind while he was asleep, like a friend who would laugh, joke, and play around, every detail about him revealed his illustrious background, his pampered life, and his unwillingness to be easily disturbed by anyone.
Just as Manager Richie was deep in thought, he saw Milwald's shoe kick towards Albert with unexpected speed.
Albert stared at the screen without changing his expression, silently dodging the attacks.
Didn't they grow up together?
Manager Richie recalled how he had almost gotten himself into an argument with the two of them, so he turned his attention back to the movie and stopped getting involved.
The movie was the censored version, so there weren't as many awkward scenes as I had imagined.
However, because he became so immersed in the story, Manager Richie was often restless for the protagonist and eventually couldn't resist checking the ending beforehand. When he saw the most classic heartbreaking scene voted by the audience, Manager Richie couldn't help but feel a bit involved.
"You are too much for me."
This is a line from the protagonist, Jack.
He could no longer tolerate this ambiguous relationship, a state of being unaccepted by anyone.
Jack couldn't get a certain future, yet he couldn't completely sever his feelings for the other person.
This love transcends gender issues; it represents a burdened journey forward amidst an unsolvable situation and reality.
Manager Richie, anticipating the heartbreaking argument and subsequent misfortune later in the film, couldn't help but sniffle, his eyes welling up with tears.
Just then, Robert, who was sitting in the light, watching the movie unfold on the projector in his study with a blank expression while adjusting the frequency with his hand, suddenly frowned and said in their direction, "Something strange is happening. Come and listen."
Jenny didn't hesitate to press pause, interrupting the scene on the screen where the two were arguing and getting out of control. Albert and Milwaukee also got up.
And Manager Richie's tears came to an abrupt halt.
"..."
He suddenly realized that he was the only one in the entire room so deeply affected by this love affair.
Jenny asked, "What's wrong?"
Robert's expression was grave as he said, "I just picked up a strange frequency. After I successfully tuned in, I heard... a conversation between members of a criminal gang robbing a bank."
At this point, Manager Richie still didn't think it had anything to do with him; he was just thinking about how to casually press the play button.
"Could this be a TV show or movie that's playing right now?" Albert suggested.
Robert emphasized, "I listened to it repeatedly for five or six minutes to make sure this wasn't part of any podcast or TV program before I told you. I clearly heard words like 'vault' and 'dynamite.'"
Robert has been consistently reliable and steady from the moment they met until now. If Milverton had said this, there would have been more skepticism, but Jenny quickly trusted his judgment.
At the same time, she also gave Milwaldton a wink.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will be the first to grasp the clues to the top news story.
What incredible luck!
All of London, and indeed the whole of the UK, will check their official website for news reports as soon as they are released.
"We need to call the police."
Jenny began to speak.
This statement successfully stopped Manager Richie from sneaking his hand toward the remote control on the table.
He never imagined that his distraction of just a second or two would escalate the situation to the point where he had to call the police.
Like everyone else, Manager Richie instinctively looked to Milverton for the decision.
Milverton crossed his arms and said calmly, "Jenny's judgment is correct. Regardless of whether the news is true or false, calling the police is the most reasonable and effective course of action."
Albert stared at Milwaukee for a second or two, and seeing that he didn't move, asked, "Then why don't you fight?"
“I didn’t bring my phone.” Milwald patted his empty pocket. “My phone is in the car.”
Albert stared into Milworth's eyes.
The other party showed no abnormality from beginning to end, but Albert couldn't get the look in their eyes at the dinner table out of his mind.
When Milverton looked back at him, an untimely look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Why are you surprised?
A new friend invited them to come and see his equipment, and Milwald looked at himself not to confirm whether he was willing to go along, but rather with a slight look of surprise that was closer to noticing something was wrong.
This extremely subtle and brief change in his gaze was like a sharp glitter that grazed Albert's nerves.
For a moment, he suspected that Milverton had guessed his relationship with Robert just as he had guessed his relationship with Moran during the car accident.
Could Milwald really have such keen insight?
It was like a thorn that had pierced the already tightly wound plan.
Albert's shoulders and back were stiff, and he felt a rush of blood to his ears.
However, the longer the two stare at each other, the more disadvantageous it becomes for Albert.
So Albert decisively broke the dangerous silence with a provocative tone, deliberately provoking his anger in order to divert the other party's attention.
Robert also realized something was wrong with the process and even gave him a look, asking if he needed to change the plan.
Albert replied, "No need."
Because he did successfully divert Milverton's attention.
But danger lies here.
He couldn't be sure if Milverton might suddenly remember something.
Perhaps it was the purpose behind my previous elaborate efforts to get close to him;
Or perhaps it's about how Milverton got close to Fred, who was disguised as "Robert";
It could also be a matter of doubting one's relationship with "Robert Rowlands".
Albert knew Milverton's keenness was almost frightening, yet he still kept this danger in mind.
He's now even wondering if Milwaldton forgot his phone on purpose.
But just how early should this preparation begin?
“Miss Jenny, may I make a phone call?” Albert asked Jenny tentatively.
They tried their best to completely detach themselves from the incident and delegated key actions to others.
Milwald didn't say anything, but just stared intently at the FM equipment.
Albert's peripheral vision did not relax.
In the quiet struggle, Albert slowly rediscovered his original intention.
He habitually views danger as an opportunity to ensure things are under control. Observing Milverton is one of his habitual decisions.
But beyond this habit, Milverton actually stirred up another emotion deep within Albert, or perhaps an impulse tinged with pride and a competitive spirit.
He wanted to see Milwaldton completely under his control in his game, and lose everything.
The emergency call was quickly connected to the operator.
The game has officially begun.
*
The police initially thought it was a drunkard or some teenager playing a nighttime prank.
Keep in mind, this is already the 21st century. Normally, almost no one can accidentally eavesdrop on someone's walkie-talkie conversation from an encrypted frequency.
Moreover, to enhance security, bank vaults typically employ thick steel plates for comprehensive signal isolation. In such an environment, receiving wireless signals is virtually impossible.
In other words, this is equivalent to someone receiving a cell phone call in an elevator shaft, which completely defies common sense.
However, the person who made the call turned out to be Jenny Agnes, the administrative secretary at CAME Media. She revealed her identity on the phone, stating that she had previously worked as a reporter for a long-established company and was very familiar with the basic principles of filing a police report.
This identity surprised everyone present.
This may seem illogical, but it is a real phenomenon.
To be realistic, it's true that you can sometimes receive phone calls and emails in elevators.
"Please continue to listen to the thief's conversation and record it."
Considering that she is currently still a secretary at an online media company, the police continued, "Please keep this call completely confidential and do not report it immediately, so as not to alert her."
Jenny immediately joined in the bargaining, "Since it's about keeping it confidential, at least we at CAME can guarantee first-hand reporting rights, right?"
The police were clearly hesitant and unable to make a decision.
Jenny continued, "Our boss, Mr. Milwaldton, is here too. If you need, the director can speak with him."
Milverton's reputation is more convincing than one might imagine.
As soon as his name was mentioned, the police chief on the other side waved his hand, unwilling to make an enemy of Milverton.
“Okay, we can guarantee you exclusive reporting rights after the operation is over. But before that, absolutely no public disclosure is allowed.”
"We will get there as soon as possible."
After receiving confirmation from the police, Jenny's eyes lit up with a smile.
When she was a journalist, Scotland Yard required extensive connections to secure the right to negotiate. Surprisingly, this time, simply bringing Milverton's name along was enough to get them to compromise immediately.
She had always heard that people regarded Milvolton as a great villain, but now she felt that reality.
Jenny looked at Milford with eyes full of respect.
"Boss, we've got it! We've secured the exclusive rights!"
Milwaukee wasn't as excited as Jenny; he probably wasn't quite satisfied with the hype surrounding the bank robbery. Jenny, however, was quite content.
"I'll go contact someone now to set up the equipment."
Jenny quickly dialed the other members' numbers.
In journalism, time is everything.
Every second counts.
Even during holidays, many people remain on call 24/7.
Jenny's fingers were still trembling after she hung up the phone. Milwaukee, on the other hand, sat back in a chair, calm, as if everything that was happening had nothing to do with him.
CAME's professional team arrived even faster than the police, but their smiles noticeably faded when they saw their boss was also present.
Similarly, they also immediately noticed the paused movie screen on the projector, and the storm of thoughts in their minds caused them to freeze for a moment, as if their computers had crashed.
However, professional competence quickly took over the top spot in people's minds.
The team members quickly set up their equipment, with laptops, signal receivers, signal amplifiers, and headphones moving rapidly in their hands.
The weak and intermittent signal in the headphones was suddenly amplified several times over.
"What we need to determine right now is the location from which the signal was emitted," said the technician from the CAME company team. "Our current operation is to track changes in signal strength. Since we can receive a weak signal, regardless of whether the leak is from a ventilation duct, a door gap, or a reflection of the signal, we can roughly pinpoint its location."
"How many can be locked?" Milwald asked.
"Within a radius of 50 to 100 meters," the technician immediately straightened his back and replied.
Jenny bit her lower lip. Even though she couldn't understand the code on their screens, she knew very well that this was a critical moment.
Albert couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and whispered to Jenny, "The professionals on your team are really amazing."
Jenny looked up, smiled slightly, and said with a gleam in her eyes, "A top-five emerging media company in London, this doesn't come for nothing!"
When the police arrived, they found that there was no room left to step in Robert's room.
The CAME squad had newer equipment than Scotland Yard.
This left the arriving police officers looking at each other in bewilderment.
Just then, the faint conversation coming through the earpiece suddenly became abnormal.
The conversation between the robbery gang, which was originally clear and distinct, suddenly seemed to be fast-forwarded, or as if the signal was being severely interfered with in the air. The sound fluctuated, sometimes breaking and sometimes echoing.
Jenny quickly asked, "Has the algorithm already determined which bank is in trouble?"
“Someone is deliberately interfering.” The technical team members clearly saw that the changes in strength were changing in an illogical way. “It’s possible that someone has realized they are being monitored.”
Milwald said softly, "Isn't this timing a bit too coincidental? Did someone leak the information about this place?"
After saying this, he glanced at the police officers present.
Detective Lestrade, who was in charge of the night shift, frowned and strode forward. "Are you suspecting that we were careless and that people found out we had a police car on the road?"
Milford laughed immediately. "Think carefully about what you're saying."
This statement left Lestrade completely baffled.
Detective Donovan, a member of Lestrade's team, was well aware of this big shot's capabilities and didn't want Lestrade to run into him directly. She said crisply, "When we came over, we made sure to turn off the hazard lights, and we were using our own car. This won't attract the attention of the robbers."
“If they had only seen a police car drive by, the thieves wouldn’t have immediately noticed someone was listening,” Albert began. “Their conversation would have been—”
The man was tall and slender, standing in a corner with relaxed and composed movements. He already had a strong presence in the small room. At that moment, the moment he spoke, he almost instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Before he could continue, Milverton leaned slightly forward, looked at the crowd, and said in a detached yet undeniably authoritative tone, "If you see a police car being dispatched, passing by or in front of you, do not act rashly. Signals don't change without warning."
He paused, his unusually gray eyes taking on a metallic, cold gleam, and said bluntly, "So you have absolutely no suspicion that there's a mole within Scotland Yard?"
These words hit the nail on the head, making the atmosphere in the room even more tense.
The Scotland Yard officers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
At this moment, Milvolton smiled, his tone relaxed and cheerful, as if he was determined to make a surprising statement.
"If there were a mole, the signal wouldn't have changed only when you arrived. You should have stopped immediately after receiving the call and organizing the police force."
"Are the thieves so leisurely that they're afraid the police won't catch them, and they insist on dragging it out for more than 20 minutes before the signal becomes abnormal?"
Milverton's words left Lestrade even more bewildered. "But you just said with absolute certainty that there's a mole among us..."
Milverton responded, "What I said just now was simply to help you integrate better into this investigation team. Don't you feel like you've suddenly gone from being useless outsiders to becoming the core targets of the investigation?"
Lestrade and Officer Donovan's expressions immediately darkened: "..."
Secretary Jenny quickly shook her head at her boss and said, "Stop scolding, boss, please stop scolding."
Lestrade couldn't help but mutter to himself, "How come we just got rid of one, and another one keeps appearing?"
“What do you mean?” Albert asked.
“I was actually on the phone with someone I knew when I went out. I had just mentioned this matter when he said that it must be a bank on Baker Street that had run into trouble, and told me to go and check it out directly,” Lestrade continued to explain. “I thought Baker Street was only one block away, so I came to investigate first.”
"His criticisms are particularly harsh, and he has a very sharp tongue," Lestrade added with a hint of helplessness.
This question clearly piqued Albert's interest greatly. "Someone you know?"
Officer Donovan clearly didn't like discussing this character, cutting the subject shortly after: "He's just a attention-seeking detective. We don't need to pay much attention to this outsider."
Albert pursed his lips as he watched the topic begin to die down.
As soon as they hear a signal that something has happened at a bank, they can deduce that the crime scene is a bank on Baker Street, which is likely one of the targets that Moriarty will need to keep an eye on and be wary of in the future.
Just as Albert was deep in thought and about to ask another question, Milwaukee's voice rang out.
"It's Sherlock Holmes who lives at 221B Baker Street, isn't it?"
His tone was firm and precise, as if he had read Albert's urgent thoughts.
Albert's heart skipped a beat.
However, the next second, Lestrade said, "Everyone says that Mr. Milverton knows everything, but I didn't expect that he would even know about an unknown detective."
Milverton raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly amused by the phrase "unknown," and repeated it himself with a playful smile. "Your choice of words is quite interesting. So it's still so early..."
The statement was clearly playful, but the insight and sense of control conveyed in the tone aroused countless curiosities and a desire to explore among those present.
No one dared to ask why; at most, they exchanged glances.
It was as if they had an unwritten rule in their hearts: they understood that Milverton was not something to be casually explored, especially when it was mentioned in such a meaningful tone.
But this silence did not last long.
"Screech—" The headphones suddenly emitted a final static sound, and the wires were completely disconnected.
Their leads also came to nothing at this point.
The CAME professional team members were tense, not daring to look at their boss, Milwaukee.
But the failure is undeniable.
The person in charge of the testing said, "Mr. Milwaldton, I'm sorry, we failed."
“Failure?” Milwald said dismissively. “Didn’t this policeman just say that someone reported something was wrong with the bank on Baker Street? Let’s pinpoint the bank on Baker Street and head out now.”
Jenny was the first to react: "Huh?"
"Was the other person just saying that casually?"
"You really believe in that Sherlock Holmes so much?"
Milverton said, "His deduction makes a lot of sense. After all, there has been roadwork going on at Marylebone Road, which connects to Baker Street, and banks on that road often receive false alarms from the construction, so they have turned off their vibration alarms. If I were a thief, how could I remain indifferent to such a major security vulnerability?"
Upon hearing this, Lestrade's eyes widened, and he immediately ordered his subordinates, "Quickly find out how many banks are on Baker Street. We need to contact the bank managers immediately."
In the crowd, Manager Richie stared at everyone with a deathly pale face.
"...Lloyds Bank is also on Baker Street."
"No way?"
Donovan stared at this outsider whose mind was completely absorbed in the movie, and frowned: "Who... are you?"
In that instant, Manager Richie felt the bottle of ice-cold beer he had never tasted before freeze solid in his stomach. Jack's accusations in the movie became, at that moment, the cruelest commentary on reality for him.
It's too much for me.
(This is really too difficult!)
“I am Tucker Rich, the manager of Lloyds Bank.”
Manager Richie froze for a second, a million thoughts flashing through his mind, and he almost felt like he was going to cry.
A note from the author:
----------------------
The English translation is a free translation.
I've found that when I have a goal to achieve, my word count always skyrockets, and the goal seems so far away.
There is no Watson yet. If nothing unexpected happens, I will write the next case, "A Study in Scarlet" (Watson's first case).
Sending love!!
Actually, there's something I need to discuss with everyone.
This is also one of my points of confusion.
The current situation on JJ is that traffic isn't particularly good. This makes me really uncertain about my clicks and comments, which are much lower than before, especially since I've already made it onto a good ranking list, yet my article's growth rate is the worst in the past two years, and the latest chapter's clicks are among the lowest (even the gacha game next door is two or three times better than this one).
Is it really because of the environment, or simply because my writing is actually very poor, that I repeatedly hope to see everyone's opinions so that I can do a better analysis?
Because it affects my decision on whether to make a major revision to the text [revision][revision], I feel that if I'm going to revise it, I should revise the entire book to better maintain the rhythm and coherence of the story.
I'll do my best if I'm going to do something, unless it's already beyond saving.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me. I hope to do better and provide everyone with a better reading experience.
Please don't send me nutrient solution or landmines, thank you!
good evening!
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