"Have you seen a teenage boy wearing an old coat?" One of the men who rushed into the carriage looked at the conductor fiercely.

Klein saw from the corner of his eye that the man was thin and sturdy, with a dark complexion as if he had been exposed to the sun for a long time, and his eye sockets were much sunken compared to those of normal people in the Kingdom of Loen.

Highlander? Or mixed-blood? He nodded thoughtfully.

In the middle of the northern continent, at the beginning of the Hornachis Mountains, is a plateau with a dry climate. Most of it belongs to the Feynaport Kingdom, the western part belongs to the Intis Republic, and the eastern part is occupied by the Loen Kingdom. The indigenous people are skinny and barbaric but brave and good at fighting. For a long time in the past, they have been one of the most troublesome problems for the three countries. However, with the improvement of gunpowder weapons and the change of the form of war, these plateau people finally recognized the reality and surrendered completely.

A large number of them left the plateau and entered Backlund, Trier, Feynaport City, and various prosperous cities and ports in the northern continent. Some became workers, while others became the fresh blood of local gangs, daring to fight and kill, and not afraid of big trouble.

The attendant was a man in his twenties. He shrank back upon hearing this and pointed in the direction of the third-class carriage.

"I saw...he went there."

The leader, who was wearing a black coat and a half-top hat, nodded imperceptibly and led a few accomplices to rush towards the third-class carriage, without paying any attention to the gazes of the passengers around him.

If I were that boy, I would have gotten off the third-class carriage by now... Klein thought distractedly as he read the newspaper.

After more than a minute, the train whistle sounded and the carriage door slowly closed.

Clank, clank, the steam subway started running from slow to fast, but at this moment, Klein was suddenly touched and looked up at the door leading to the other second-class carriages.

The fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy who was wearing an old coat, a round-crowned hat, and carrying a tattered satchel slowly walked into the carriage.

He has an innocent face, delicate features, and bright red eyes that are deep and serious.

"…That's amazing! He got off the third-class carriage, circled around, and got back on the first-class carriage? Was he afraid that his pursuers or accomplices were waiting in the subway station?" Klein was a little surprised. He felt that the boy in front of him handled things in a very mature and cautious way, much better than many people in their twenties.

Tapping his left teeth lightly, he quietly opened his spiritual vision and glanced at the older boy. He saw that his body was exhausted and his emotions were tense and low, but he still maintained the blue look of calm thinking.

Not simple... considering his age... Klein muttered silently and continued to read his newspaper.

The big boy didn't realize that he had been examined by the Beyonder, and walked towards the third-class carriage again.

The rest of the journey was smooth and peaceful, and Klein arrived at one of the three subway stations in Cherwood District more than 20 minutes later.

He took a horse-drawn cab for nearly ten minutes and finally found Minsk Street. According to the description in the newspaper, he came to No. 7 next to No. 5 and rang the doorbell.

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

As the bell in the house rang, a mechanical bird with a not-so-good-looking shape appeared on the door. It was only the size of a palm, made up of gears and other parts, and kept nodding its head, making a sound similar to a cuckoo.

It’s a pretty good toy, but the workmanship is a bit crude… Klein commented objectively.

Ten seconds later, the dark door was opened, and a young woman in a black and white maid dress looked at Klein warily and said:

"What can I do for you?"

Klein smiled and raised the newspaper wrapped around the top of his cane and said:

"I'm here to rent a house from Mrs. Summer. It probably hasn't been rented out yet, right?"

The full name given in the newspaper was Starling Summer.

"No. Please wait a moment." The maid bowed politely.

She hurried inside and informed the hostess. After a while, she came out again and led Klein into the house. She helped him put his cane and suitcase in the hallway and hung his coat and top hat on the coat rack in the same place.

A wave of warm air blew towards him, dispelling the chill that Klein had brought in. He glanced around and first saw the uniquely structured fireplace, the red blocks inside, and the burning smokeless charcoal.

The Summers' living room is quite large, almost as large as the entire first floor of the Moretti's house. Some places are covered with decorative carpets and landscape paintings.

The maid brought Klein to the sofa area and said to the hostess in a light yellow dress:

"Madam, a guest has arrived."

The hostess was about thirty years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, a pretty and well-maintained face, and she held a silver-inlaid court feather fan in her hand.

Because she was at home and the fireplace created a warm environment, she did not wear a high-necked dress. Her chest was white and her neck was long and smooth.

“Hello, Mrs. Summer.” Klein placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

Mrs. Summer smiled reservedly:

"Good evening, please take a seat, would you like coffee or tea?"

Klein sat on the couch and answered frankly:

"Black tea, thank you."

"Julian, Marquis Black Tea." Mrs. Summer instructed the maid, her eyes slightly turned, "Excuse me, what should I call you?"

“Sherlock Moriarty, you can just call me Sherlock.” Klein had already thought of a pseudonym.

At this time, he smelled the fragrance coming from the kitchen and saw the complicated pipes there.

“Haha, this is my husband’s design. Although his main job is the manager of Coim Company, he is a mechanical enthusiast in his spare time and is also a member of the Kingdom Soot Emission Reduction Association.” Mrs. Summer noticed Klein’s gaze and explained with a smile.

Madam, there's no need to introduce me in such detail. I'm not here for a blind date with your husband... Klein complained, and said with a smile on his face:

"Madam, I wish to rent the house number 5."

Mrs. Summer straightened her back, sat gracefully and smiled:

"Then I must warn you in advance that there are no such pipes in the house at number 5, no such easy chairs, no card tables, no mahogany-bottomed sideboards, no fine china plates, no silver cutlery, no gilded tea sets, no removable carpets..."

She pointed at the things in her room, introducing them one by one, and finally added:

"It originally belonged to my sister and brother-in-law, but my brother-in-law's business failed and he had to move to the South Continent. They also have a plantation in Balam, but I don't agree with their choice. It's not fair to my poor nephews and nieces. There are no good grammar schools or even good tutors there."

Madam, this is not what I want to know... Klein nodded sincerely:

"Except for the weather, there is no place in the Southern Continent comparable to Backlund."

His agreement made Mrs. Summer very satisfied. She turned her eyes slightly and said:

"The house still has three years left on the lease. I want you to pay one year's rent in one lump sum, 8 soli per week, plus 10 soli for the furniture. I can only take a small deposit, 50 pounds in total."

Klein shook his head and smiled:

"Mrs. Summer, you should be able to see that I just arrived in Backlund. I don't know what will happen next. Paying 50 pounds at once will reduce my ability to withstand risks. My limit is 25 pounds for half a year."

He also planned to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the East District of Backlund to change clothes, disguise himself, and get rid of followers - this was an essential preparation for the things he planned to do.

Starling Summer nodded slightly and asked:

"You went to grammar school?"

Klein chuckled and said:

"Yes, and I later taught myself history."

"Do you have any identification?" Starling asked casually.

"I'm sorry, I left home in a hurry and forgot to bring it with me. Haha, I forgot to introduce myself just now. I'm from Jianhai County." Klein deliberately used the accent that his classmate Welch usually used.

As soon as he said the word "forget", he thought of captain Dunn Smith, and the smile on his face became even brighter.

At this time, the maid Julian came over with a cup of black tea. The cup had white glaze, classical patterns, and some parts were plated with gold.

Klein took a sip and found the aroma to be lingering, with a moderate sweetness and sourness. It was obviously much better than the Xibe black tea he usually drank.

"Very pure Marquis black tea." He praised it with an impeccable description.

Mrs. Starling Summer said with a slight smile:

"Then rent it for half a year, 25 pounds."

Klein thanked him and chatted with him for a few minutes until another maid found the standard contract in the study.

After everyone signed, Klein painfully counted out 25 pounds in cash and pushed it to Mrs. Summer.

Starling spread out his notebook and calculated silently, then raised his chin slightly and said:

"Mr. Moriarty, you are probably looking for a job in Backlund, right?"

“Yes.” Klein answered a little dazedly.

Starlin raised her lips slightly and said:

"Then I can give you some advice. It's hard to live in Cherwood with a weekly salary of less than 3 pounds. Your rent, food expenses, water, gas, charcoal, transportation costs, etc., add up to at least 2 pounds and 5 soli. Believe me, this is Backlund. The rest has to be considered for new clothes and good tableware and tea sets... 3 pounds a week is a very tough bottom line."

"If the weekly salary reaches 5 pounds, you can hire a maid, 10 pounds can consider hiring a cook, 7 pounds can add a male servant, and 8 pounds can hire an additional maid..."

Mrs. Summer, I think you're showing off... I used to earn 0 pounds a week... Klein kept smiling and listened attentively.

At this moment, the door suddenly opened, and a burly man walked in. He was wearing a black double-breasted dress, leather gloves of the same color, and had two beautiful mustaches on his lips.

"Luke, this is Mr. Moriarty. He is our neighbor now." Starling Summer walked up to him and introduced him.

Luke, who was obviously the male owner, took off his coat and handed it to the male servant following behind him, smiling politely:

"Mr. Moriarty, would you accept the invitation to dinner?"

This is the manager of the Coim Company, a member of the Loen Kingdom Soot Emission Reduction Association... Klein smiled and said:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Summer, I've had it on the steam train, although it was very memorable."

After a few pleasantries, Klein, led by the maid Julian, left the Summers' house and entered No. 5 next door.

The layout here is very similar to that of the next door. On the first floor there is a large living room, a dining room with good lighting, two guest rooms, a bathroom, a basement, and a kitchen that extends to the back. On the second floor there are four bedrooms, a living room, a sun room, a study, two bathrooms, and a large balcony.

"Madam said that you can rent out part of it, but not to the workers, and you can't let it be too noisy or crowded. Um... I'll bring the clean quilts, sheets, and pillowcases later." The maid Julian gave instructions and returned to Summer's house.

After some packing, Klein finally settled down in Backlund.

He sat in the empty living room, suddenly feeling lonely, so he forced himself to think about what to do next.

Whether he likes it or not, revenge and promotion cannot be accomplished in the blink of an eye, so he must have a job that can generate income to avoid a financial crisis.

However, the work cannot restrict him or affect his actions and arrangements. In other words, he must have sufficient freedom.

After careful consideration and elimination of inappropriate careers, Klein only had three options left:

One is to plagiarize novels and become a writer, but his identity is sensitive and the higher his fame, the more fatal it is, so he has to give it up reluctantly.

The second option is to become a journalist, which is a fairly respectable job in modern times. Application requires academic certificates and other documents, and Klein can only express helplessness about this.

Finally, he chose his third career:

Private detective!

This was also the reason why he chose that pseudonym before.

PS: I will update one chapter in advance at midnight and ask for your recommendation votes