After leaving Azik's house, Klein took a public carriage back to Daffodil Street.
Click, he took out the key and opened the door, and suddenly saw a figure sitting in the restaurant.
Klein subconsciously tightened his cane, but soon realized that it was not a thief, but the maid Bella.
Bella was concentrating on reading the newspaper spread out on the table. She was startled when she heard the door open. She stood up and stammered to explain:
"I, I just finished my morning work and am waiting, waiting for the water to boil and eat bread."
I really haven’t gotten used to having a maid in my house yet... Klein laughed at himself, took off his hat, and nodded slightly.
"Reading is a good habit. I am encouraged by the goddess to keep reading after busy work."
He was afraid that the other party would think he was mocking him, so he used the name of the Goddess of Night.
But in fact, only the God of Knowledge and Wisdom places reading in a high position... Of course, no matter which church, they all advocate learning... Well, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, believing in the Goddess of Night means that she is influenced by her parents. Such parents, as long as they have no other choice, will definitely let their daughters receive education. If they can't afford public elementary schools, the church's free schools are still no problem. At most, it will delay some time... So, Bella is not illiterate, she knows words, and can read newspapers... Klein put down his cane thoughtfully and walked into the living room.
He had a pretty good impression of Bella.
Although the little girl seemed uncomfortably skilled and clumsy in the kitchen, she demonstrated a willingness to learn and work hard.
Bella lowered her hands and said a little embarrassedly:
"I've rarely read newspapers before. The landlord doesn't allow us to buy old newspapers to paste on the walls... I just picked it up and took a look at it when I was wiping the coffee table. I thought it was very interesting."
Poor girl, when I traveled through time, the newspapers were at the bottom of the interesting rankings... Klein complained inwardly, smiled, followed the silver watch chain, took out the pocket watch, snapped it open, took a look, and said casually:
"As long as you complete your work and do it well, you can arrange the rest of the time freely. There is no need to be nervous. Of course, if Benson, Melissa and I are chatting, you'd better stay in your room. I allow you to use the gas lamp inside and bring in some old newspapers."
"Well, come knock on my bedroom door at one o'clock in the afternoon, and then prepare a cup of Xibo black tea, two soft white breads, a piece of oatmeal toast, and a small dish of butter for me."
To celebrate his advancement to Sequence 8, Klein decided to indulge himself a little and eat the white bread that Benson had planned to enjoy on the weekend.
Well, I will buy another 8 pounds. From now on, the staple food will be changed from oatmeal bread to white bread! The weekly salary of Sequence 8 Beyonders will definitely increase... The captain didn't mention this before... He forgot it again! Klein was stunned for a moment and decided to ask about it tomorrow.
"Okay, okay." Bella responded in surprise and joy.
Then, she asked back somewhat uncertainly:
"Mr. Klein, is this the Xibe black tea for the guests?"
Because the whole family is Moretti, she addresses them by their first names.
“Yes, that will be the tea I drink every day from now on.” Klein waved his hand and walked towards the stairs.
After becoming the "Joker", he suddenly found that his financial situation became very good.
This is because there are no additional large expenses for the time being, except for the fixed 2 soles per day for renting a carriage at the Red Chimney House, and occasional replenishment of materials, and the latter can often be reimbursed.
The second reason is that there are 300 gold pounds quietly lying in Klein's bearer account. You know, one hectare of fields and pastures in the countryside only costs 5 to 6.5 soles, which means that he can buy 920 to 1,200 hectares of rural fields or pastures, which is roughly equivalent to 137 to 179 hectares on Earth, or 23 to 30 acres. In addition, this money can also allow him to buy a house on Daffodil Street for 15 years in the form of a lease term.
If I exchange all of it for land, the rent income would be about 23 to 31 pounds per year... Not bad, but there's no need for it right now. I have to keep these 300 pounds for emergencies... Phew, I have to find a chance to tell Benson and Melissa about my real weekly salary in the next two days! Klein thought as he entered his bedroom.
After locking the door, Klein sat down on the bed and began to meditate once again. In this way, he slowly controlled the little power that leaked out of the potion, being very careful and cautious.
For him, loss of control was just a verbal term until he encountered the "Made in Punishment".
However, he did not know the "Manufactured Punisher" and did not know what had happened to him before. He subconsciously thought that it was a special case and a situation that rarely happened.
It's like when you see a homicide case in another city on the news, a normal person would just sigh a few times and then forget about it.
But Old Neil's incident gave Klein a great shock, making him clearly realize that loss of control is right beside him, all around him, and that loss of control may come at any time in unexpected ways!
What a bloody lesson... Klein ended his meditation, opened his eyes, and muttered to himself silently.
During this period of time, he often dreamed of the scene of that day and would often wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, covered in cold sweat.
He was grieving over Old Neil's death and worried about his own future. If it weren't for meditation to help him fall asleep, he believed he would have been unable to sleep recently.
“In addition to digesting the potion, you must also try your best to control your emotions and desires, keep them within a reasonable range, and not be corrupted by them…” Klein exhaled, lay down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
On the day Old Neil died, Dunn's performance and words touched him greatly, making him seriously examine the responsibilities of the Night Watchman for the first time. He wanted to take up his own burden as soon as possible to help the captain and teammates.
Therefore, he did not intend to waste the afternoon and would attend the fighting practice class as usual.
…………
Three o'clock in the afternoon, in the simple training ground.
Gawain, with his short blond hair and mottled wrinkles, watched as Klein's movements gradually became more skilled, and from skilled to like an apprentice knight who had received more than half a year of training.
And all this happened in just forty minutes!
He called a halt to the practice, looked the other person up and down, and couldn't help asking:
"What happened?"
Klein had already thought of a set of rhetoric, ready to attribute his performance to scientific research, but as soon as Gawain finished speaking, he immediately added thoughtfully:
"If it's inconvenient to answer, there's no need to answer."
It seems that the relevant personnel of the police department have already communicated with Teacher Gao Wen... Yes, he occasionally trains Beyonders, so how could he not warn them in advance... Klein breathed a sigh of relief and said with a raised corner of his mouth:
"Teacher, how long do you think it will take me now to be able to participate in actual combat?"
Gawain folded his arms, looked at him seriously, and replied in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Two or three days."
"But that's not enough!"
He explained as if thinking:
"Being able to participate in actual combat does not mean being proficient in combat. The latter will probably take another two to three weeks."
"In addition, you must master portable cold weapons, such as canes, whips, daggers, and triangular spikes!"
...There are so many projects? Klein was stunned.
Gawain glanced at him with a vicissitudes of life look and said:
"You have to remember that every drop of sweat you shed here may save your life in the future."
“Yes, teacher!” Klein responded with energy.
…………
On Saturday morning, Klein entered the Blackthorn Security Company and knocked on the captain's office door again.
Dunn Smith seemed to have been prepared. He only looked up and said to himself:
"I forgot to inform you yesterday. After being promoted to Sequence 8, your position in the police department will naturally change from trainee inspector to inspector. I will have them replace your ID and uniform shoulder straps as soon as possible."
"Your weekly salary will be increased from 6 pounds to 10 pounds, with the church and the police department each paying half. This will reach the level of a senior night watchman. Of course, I mean the Sequence 9 type."
...Captain, have you drafted something? Klein was stunned for a moment, then his brows relaxed and his lips curled up as he responded:
“It’s more than I expected.”
He thought the weekly wage had only risen to £8.
Dunn picked up the coffee, took a sip and said:
"The salary of a night watchman increases based on the number of years of service, the contribution made, and the rank of the person. The third factor is often closely related to the contribution."
That’s right. Without merit, even if I digested the potion and reached the standard for promotion, I wouldn’t be able to apply for the formula and materials... Klein nodded thoughtfully.
A weekly salary of 10 pounds, or an annual salary of 540 pounds, is considered very good among the middle class if no tax is paid. It is second only to professions that are close to celebrities, such as barristers, famous architects, senior surgeons and senior government employees.
The deputy director of the Finance Department of the Loen Kingdom's Ministry of Finance only has an annual salary of 700 pounds, and that's before tax. After tax, it's at most 640 pounds, um, less than a little... According to the newspaper, a good house in the West District of Backlund and the Hillston District costs about 2,500 pounds. If Benson, Melissa, and I can maintain our current expenses, we can buy it in seven or eight years... Relying purely on ourselves, we can buy a single-family house in the city center of the Imperial Capital and the Magic City in just seven or eight years. This salary really makes people happy... Klein stood up and said goodbye, and walked briskly into the underground to take his turn at the Chanis Gate.
Before ten o'clock, he suddenly heard someone approaching the guard room.
Soon, Dunn appeared at the door and said with deep grey eyes:
"There is a case that requires your help."
"Involving an extraordinary case?" Klein asked subconsciously.
"No, Councilman Maynard was found dead at home this morning. The Tingen Police Department is under great pressure and hopes that we can use psychic communication to help them identify the murderer as soon as possible. Well, you are the only one in the team who can communicate with the psychic." Dunn explained, and then added, "The Temple will dispatch a 'Secret Peer' to join us within the next week. In fact, we should have done this before, but you just happened to join and chose 'Fortune Teller'."