Old Neil rubbed his temples and said:
"Perhaps we have figured out the reason for your suicides. That notebook has also ended up in the hands of Riel Bibber, and the matter has been exposed. Whether you are alive or dead, it will be very difficult to influence the subsequent development. I think, I believe, the strange entity or mysterious force that caused all this will no longer pay special attention to you. Just like you don't care about the ants on the ground. Hehe, as long as you don't try to make 'Him' remember you."
"Meanwhile, the matter of our wanted notice for Riel Bibber will soon reach the Secret Society. They should be able to guess that this is related to the whereabouts of the Antigonus Family's notebook. Believe me, these secret organizations that have survived for thousands of years must have various information channels. So, their focus will shift to the whereabouts of Riel Bibber, trying to find the notebook before us. No, it's impossible for them to come back to harass you, track you, or deal with you."
"Young man, congratulations. You have shaken off the shadow of the past and are about to embark on a new journey filled with sunshine."
Klein nodded frequently and said happily and relaxedly:
"I hope so."
The cloud that had enveloped him since crossing over here seemed to be really about to disperse...
However, to be honest, Klein still felt a bit uneasy because there seemed to be some kind of bond between him and that notebook, so that even when doing a normal hostage rescue mission, he would accidentally find remnants of traces.
He was really afraid that one day, the postman would suddenly deliver a package, he would open it, and find that it was the Antigonus Family's notebook!
Hope everything will develop as old Neil described... He silently prayed.
Old Neil heard his reply and immediately chuckled:
"You seem not to be a devout believer of the goddess. At this time, shouldn't you draw the red moon on your chest and say 'May the goddess bless us'?"
"Mr. Neil, you seem not to be either. A true believer won't say 'Welcome to a new journey filled with sunshine'." After this period of "mystical studies", Klein and old Neil had established a good friendship, so he didn't hesitate to make a sarcastic comment.
They looked at each other, smiled knowingly for a few times, and almost simultaneously patted their chests four times:
"Long live the goddess!"
Just then, the sounds of spinning discs and marbles rang out, and the gate of Black Thorn Security Company was opened.
The delicate and elegant Mrs. Oliona put her fashionable curly hair up in a bun, and her light green skirt swayed as she walked into the reception hall.
"Good morning, Mr. Neil, good morning, Klein." She held a small leather bag and greeted with a smile, "Today is another sunny day, a good day."
"Good morning, Mrs. Oliona, you are still as beautiful as you were in the past decade." Old Neil replied cheerfully.
Mrs. Oliona's eyes narrowed and she put on a stern face:
"Mr. Neil, your praise is still as irritating as it was in the past decade."
She stressed the words "decade" several times.
"Is that so?" Old Neil was very puzzled and looked at Klein with confusion on his face.
Don't mention anything that could make the lady remember her age... As a keyboard powerhouse who knows a little bit about everything, Klein instantly understood the intention of Mrs. Oliona and smiled lightly before speaking:
"Good morning, Mrs. Oliona, you are always so beautiful every day."
"Thank you, our outstanding graduates from Hoy University." Mrs. Oliona smiled and nodded, then said, "The old housekeeper has already paid the commission for the assigned task. According to the captain's regulations, half belongs to the extra funds, and the other half is for you and Leonard. Since you are not a formal member, you can only receive ten percent of that half. You can come and sign to receive it later."
"How much commission did he pay?" Klein was both happy and concerned, asking.
"Two hundred pounds. That's what he said. Lord, the storm is upon us. I truly can't imagine, can't believe, this matter has been resolved like this! This isn't more difficult than having a dream! Why isn't your security company famous?
This is sheer disgrace for the entire industry!" Mrs. Oliona mimicked the old butler, Clellio, with a southern accent.
Klein thought seriously for a few seconds and humorously said:
"This is not fair to those kidnappers."
The two extraordinary individuals quickly resolved the problem in a relaxed and comfortable manner... It was like an armed man bullying a few children...
"They are so unlucky. They must have lost the protection of the gods." Mrs. Oliona chuckled lowly, "I told the old butler that this commission was only because we were lucky enough. Just by chance, a informant saw those kidnappers with children entering the hiding place, so, don't have too much expectation of us. We are truly just an ordinary security company."
Generally speaking, the more ordinary something is, the less ordinary it is... Klein chuckled under his breath and muttered to himself, watching Mrs. Oliona pass through the partition and enter the accounting room.
Old Neil puffed his lips beside him, expressing envy with a hint of sarcasm:
"You are really a lucky lad. How long have you been with us, and you already get a commission worth two hundred pounds."
"Is this very rare?" Klein asked in confusion.
He wasn't studying history, the mysterious, or wandering outside, using inspiration to seek clues.
"According to Oliona's statistics, we don't even encounter a commission like this once a week. Most commissions are worth less than twenty pounds." Old Neil rubbed the white crystal pendant on his wrist and sighed in reply.
Then, with a hint of anticipation, he looked at Klein:
"If we encounter a similar commission in the future, please do remember to inform me."
Listening to Old Neil's words, Klein suddenly felt a strange sensation, so he directly asked:
"Mr. Neil, you seem to be short of money? How much salary do you get each week? If it's inconvenient to talk, please ignore my question."
Old Neil leaned back against the back of the sofa, chuckling:
"It's not something to hide. I've been here for many years. Currently, I receive a salary from the church and the police department separately, totaling 12 pounds."
"12 pounds a week?" Klein exclaimed in astonishment.
12 pounds a week, 52 weeks a year, that's almost 600 pounds a year!
When he read the "Tingen Daily News" and "The Honest Man Newspaper", they both mentioned that senior barristers only earned 800 to 1,000 pounds a year. This was a senior barrister!
And the manager of Benson's import and export company, his weekly salary was only 6 pounds. This was already a rather respectable figure.
"Yes, such a salary is actually quite generous, and we don't have to pay income tax." Old Neil added with a smile.
Klein heard his brother Benson mention that if the weekly salary reached 1 pound or more, one needs to pay E-class tax, which is the salary income tax for government and company employees, 3% for the part from 1 to 2 pounds, 5% for the part from 2 to 5 pounds, 10% for the part from 10 to 20 pounds, and 20% or more for the part above 20 pounds.
In addition, he also saw in the newspaper that there were four other types of income taxes, A-class was the tax on land, housing and other real estate appreciation profits, including rent and rent, B-class was the income tax on agricultural income, C-class was the tax on bond, fund and stock profits, D-class was the income tax on commercial, financial and professional industry income.
"An admirable point." Klein echoed Old Neil's words.
"However." Old Neil shook his head, "For us extraordinary individuals who need to constantly explore secrets, practice frequently, and perform rituals, the salary is always insufficient."
"Materials are all applied for and received, right?" Klein asked in surprise. Old Neil chuckled:
"It's limited in quantity. Sometimes, you also need to provide sufficient legitimate reasons. To practice and experiment more in the mysterious realm, you can only buy the materials yourself with your own money. You can buy them internally or go to some underground trading markets."
Klein's spirit was lifted. He immediately asked:
"There are underground trading markets for extraordinary materials? I thought, I thought the church definitely wouldn't allow them to exist." Since
We are lacking sufficient channels for obtaining materials!
There is a hidden organization's prototype behind me. How can everything be resolved within the night watchmen?
"Such matters cannot be regulated. Well, from the perspective of mysticism, everything is alive and all things are related. The materials we use do not only come from extraordinary species, but also from normal animals, plants and minerals. For example, the thyme, gold mint and night herb in that 'Diviner' potion you have there are often encountered in daily life. They may not have extraordinary properties, but they all have their own characteristics. After blending and integration, they can achieve certain effects. Therefore, this kind of transaction that the church wants to prohibit cannot be prohibited by the church alone." Old Neil explained in detail.
Before Klein could speak, he continued:
"And also, extraordinary species are not only useful in their core parts. Just like the Lavazza octopus, apart from its blood, its eyes, its skin, and its tentacles are also good materials. Unless the church captures them all with their own people, otherwise, to completely stockpile and control the outflow would be a very heavy economic burden. The lower the grade of extraordinary materials, the more so. We can only try to keep the more special ones from circulating."
Old Neil suddenly laughed. "Another important reason is that the underground trading markets we know are always better than the ones we don't know. Before the hidden organization is completely eradicated, this is a good strategy. And it can also help us obtain the scarce materials. Of course, with such a market, there will definitely be prohibited items. As long as they are not too exaggerated or too dangerous, we will pretend not to see them. At most, we will use them to enrich our treasure house."
"Also, there are several major churches that restrain each other and cannot adopt too aggressive measures. The reason is that?" Klein speculated.
Old Neil "uh"ed and didn't elaborate specifically.
"I'm 'Diviner', and in the future, I will definitely need repeated practice. I need more materials. Mr. Neil, can you take me to those underground trading markets for a look?" Klein asked with a legitimate reason.
Old Neil showed a puzzled expression:
"Actually, most of the active people in those places are not extraordinary beings. There are aristocrats who like mystery, and wealthy people who yearn for this aspect... Well, okay, I have a 30-pound bill due soon. I'm not convenient to go there today in the morning."
"Alright..." Klein completely didn't expect it to be the reason of owing money.
After a while, he deliberated before speaking:
"Mr. Neil, do you need to borrow money? I have 10 pounds as a reward."
"Haha, no need. I have a way to solve it." Old Neil patted the sofa and slowly stood up, "Well, old age is the most difficult enemy that living beings cannot deal with. Last night's night watch made me very tired. Um, today in the morning, you review the previous lessons by yourself and read more literature. By tomorrow, I will start teaching you the basics of ritual magic."
"Okay." Klein followed up and stood up, removing his hat to bid farewell.
In the afternoon, seeing that Captain Dunn hadn't returned yet, Klein pretended to still be searching for that notebook, wandering again on the street.
With 10 pounds as a reward, he no longer needed to wait for the allocation of funds and could directly go to the Divination Club!
The whispers and visions that appeared from time to time in meditation and clairvoyance made him impatiently want to start "playing".