Chapter 17 Lovely Children (continue reading)
When he returned to the first floor from the spiral staircase, Lynch had an extra envelope in his hand and an extra stack in his pocket, which the Rand people jokingly called Little piece of paper for Elizabeth.
The rectangular paper has a complicated pattern of blue and gray, and in the center is printed the head of a graceful middle-aged lady. It was the image of Queen Elizabeth III of Rand a hundred years ago, and she was also the first person to use paper money to replace gold and silver. The forerunner of coins.
One pound each, ten sheets piled into a thick dozen, heavy in the hand.
While there was no one on the stairs, he secretly counted again, and finally took a deep smell. The dirty smell of banknotes rushed straight to his forehead, but Lynch felt refreshed.
After a night of worry, I can finally stand up like a normal person. In a foreign world, there is nothing more satisfying than having money in your pocket to eat.
The purchasing power of one pound is equivalent to 1,200 to 1,500 yuan in my hometown. Ten pounds is already a lot of money. The people of the Watcher really solved an urgent need today.
Now the rent and various expenses add up to three pounds a month. If you really move, even if you are lucky enough to find a house with two pounds, the down payment of three months' rent will still be six pounds. If you don't sell the ring, I'm afraid I won't even be able to pay for it. The family cannot afford to move.
But now that he had acquired the artifact ring that he had set on fire, he had obtained a stepping stone to save his life. In the end, not only was the lost payment of six pounds and fifteen shillings recovered, but he also made a lot of money.
What a great harvest after a hard night's work.
Looking at it from now on, it would be good to be a private detective on mysterious matters. At least I can support myself comfortably. Although this kind of good thing will not be the norm, it is at least a way out.
You can give it a try, that’s it.
Due to the need to rewrite the report and self-reflection, Officer Natalie's original plan to take Lynch out had to be shelved, but she still wrote the address to Lynch.
Kings Quarter, Via Vila, 221.
It is said that a friend of the police officer lives here and has a four-story single-family apartment for rent at a relatively cheap price. Knowing that Lynch wanted to move, he suggested that he check it out. For this reason, the police officer specially wrote a letter of introduction to him. If he likes it, he should get a discount if he gives it to the landlord.
Lynch actually didn't want to go because the Kings District didn't meet his expectations.
The King District is not far from the Crown District in the city center and is not considered remote. However, it belongs to the old city and is only one step away from the slums. The facilities are old and the environment is dirty. It is not suitable in theory. Make a place of business.
But because of this, the rent there is relatively cheap.
This reason is enough to overcome all shortcomings, not to mention that whether it is suitable or not cannot be determined only by theory. It can only be determined after on-site inspection. It is better to go and see first.
He made an agreement with Officer Natalie to move and wrote a letter to notify her of the new address. Lynch made up his mind and walked out of this weird club. Just before going out, there was a sudden wave of water in the bar behind him. The cry seems to be the result of another gambling game.
Looking back, I saw the bearded Cui En jumping on the chair, twisting his waist while holding a bottle and pouring it into his mouth. A group of people around him threw away the pieces of paper in their hands angrily.
He must have won a lot of money and got carried away, but halfway through the pour, he happened to see Lynch pointing at his boots as he was about to leave. He immediately spit out a mouthful of wine from his nose, his feet went soft, and he fell off the chair. .
I didn't do anything.
Lynch took off his top hat, paid a distant salute to Linda, the bartender at the bar, and turned away in the chaos.
When he came here, he walked five kilometers to save money. Now, in order to reward himself, Lynch decided to experience an open-top taxi in a different world.
However, at four o'clock in the afternoon, the Rhine City is facing the daily traffic peak.
The streets were crowded, with people, horses and cars all mixed together, and there was no way to get through. Horses neighed, roared and cursed, and everyone was irritable.
Lynch couldn't help but sigh, it turned out that road rage began in that era.
At this time, the open-top pony carriage is very convenient. It can not only weave between the traffic, but also easily pass through the alleys when encountering blocked roads.
Lynch was very satisfied with this, until the carriage plunged into a blocked alley.
According to the coachman, this place was originally accessible. He was still walking yesterday. Today, for some reason, a lot of rubble and gravel have been piled up, making it completely impassable for the carriage.
Fortunately, it’s not that far away from the destination. According to the coachman’s description, if you follow the alleys inside and pass through a large number of old buildings, you can reach the destination in ten minutes.
Lin Qi thought for a while, but agreed to the coachman's suggestion, threw down three three-penny coins and walked away.
The narrow alley can only accommodate one vehicle, and people cast wary looks from the windows on both sides. The residents of the old city have always been so wary of outsiders.
As we go deeper, the sounds of cars and horses outside gradually fade away, and the surroundings become quieter and quieter.
At this moment, a cry came from deeper in the alley.
The voice was a little childish, like the cry of a child, and the sound was quite miserable.
Crying suddenly came from the deserted alley. It was indeed a bit strange. Lin Qi frowned. He was not a nosy person, but the sound came from the direction he was going. He couldn't go around it. Way to go. What's more, if it was an ordinary cry or even a cry for help, it would be fine, but the child's cry was different, especially if it was so miserable.
Anyway, let’s go and have a look.
After hesitating for a moment, he softened, placed the 'Fiery Lady's Passion' where it was most easily accessible, swayed his cane as a weapon, and walked towards the source of the sound.
‘Travel companion, talk to me, I feel a little guilty. ’
The witnesses ignored him.
'Any mysterious reactions? ’
[No. 】
‘Why would you be panicked and depressed without me? ’
[Your mental tolerance for unexpected scenery during the journey is relatively low. 】
‘This is a disguised description of my timidity. ’
Silent and silent.
Lin Qi always felt despised, but he was not afraid anymore. After all, it was still bright and someone was talking to him in his ear. The most important thing was that as the distance got closer, the cries became clearer.
More than one, a lot of childish voices, yelling mixed with crying.
It didn't seem to be a tragedy, but out of curiosity, Lynch quickened his pace, walked around for two or three minutes, and found a small empty space of a few square meters next to the alley.
Seven or eight children, boys and girls, all in their teens, not shabby but overly plain, with thin bodies and dirty faces, were crowding around a little blond girl, pushing and joking. The cry came from the girl's mouth. She was almost ten years old, and her clothes were normal, much better than other children. He must have been pushed down several times, and he was covered in filth. He was pushed down again just now and fell into a pile of debris. He was holding his head and crying.
Lin Qi shook his head, thinking that something big had happened. He was crying so miserably, but it turned out to be just children fighting.
He sighed and was about to turn around when he suddenly saw the little girl say something. Then a bully child picked up a branch from the roadside, swung it up and slapped her on her body, and other children followed suit. Start looking for branches in the corners.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Lin Qi couldn't stand it anymore. This was beyond the scope of bullying.
When the children looked back and saw someone coming, they immediately threw down branches and debris and dispersed.
“Are you okay?”
Having reached this point, it was impossible for Lynch to let it go. He simply walked over, knelt down in front of the girl, and asked softly:
"Are you injured?"
The girl sobbed and shook her head, wiping her tears and looking up.
Lin Qi was stunned. This child had blond hair, fair skin, and was as delicate and beautiful as a doll. He was quite stunning.
"Why are they bullying you?"
"I don't know either." The girl's voice was also very pleasant, as clear as spring water, "I don't even know them. When they see me, they come over and beat me."
Why do you sound like a madman?
Lin Qi looked at the girl's blue eyes with a bit of laughter and tears. The eyes were bright and clear, but Lin Qi just happened to see the reflection of something shaking in the clear eyes.
Right behind yourself.
When he realized this, Lynch instinctively swayed to the side.
Then he felt a gust of wind blowing behind him, and a large sack fell from the sky and hit him on the shoulder.
If you didn’t dodge, you would have been trapped.
Lin Qi stood up suddenly, raised his cane and turned around. He saw two of the group of children carrying sacks quietly appearing behind him. He looked surprised at this time, and then He shouted, dropped the sack and ran away.
Lynch took two steps after him and found that the two of them were as nimble as mice. They disappeared into the alley in an instant. He could only wave his stick and return to the little girl.
“These damn kids, if I catch them, I’ll beat them up.”
Remembering that he was almost put in a sack by several kids, Lynch felt furious and even Fortunately, I discovered it in time, otherwise I would still be carrying a huge sum of ten pounds, and I would not be able to cry even if the money was lost.
"Don't you know these dead kids? Forget it, don't be afraid, get up, wherever you live, I will take you home."
Lin Qi reached out to the girl, and the girl obediently grabbed his hand He stood up and was about to speak when his expression suddenly turned horrified when he looked behind Lin Qi.
It won’t come back again.
Lin Qi quickly turned back, but when he was halfway back, he suddenly realized something.
When she was put in a sack just now, the girl didn't remind herself at all, but why did she suddenly show panic now?
Trap!
Lin Qi's hair exploded. He immediately protected his head and rushed forward. As soon as he took two steps, he felt a pain in his back, and then there was a crash and something smashed on his back.
Luckily it didn’t hit me on the head.
Lin Qi staggered a few steps and turned around, and saw the little girl holding up half a clay pot, looking at him in shock.
"You, you, you, you, how did you avoid it."
"I'm so sorry, shouldn't I have avoided it?" Lin Qi's face was gloomy, and he gritted his teeth and smiled grimly, "It seems that the damn kid who deserves to be beaten is here again. There is one more."
As he spoke, he raised his cane and rushed towards her.
"Ahhhh."
The little girl turned around and ran away. Lynch grabbed her by the back of the collar, but she managed to escape with all her strength. There was a clang and something metal fell to the ground.
Then a few children emerged from the fork in the alley and threw the garbage and debris in their hands at Lynch. Taking advantage of Lynch's escape, he pulled the little girl into the fork and disappeared in an instant. No trace.
These little bastards.
Lynch has figured it out.
These little bastards are a group of habitual robbery criminals.
They probably made the rubble and rubble at the entrance of the alley outside to trick passers-by into walking by, and then took advantage of the passers-by's lack of vigilance against children to rob them in sacks.
Lynch escaped their attacks both times by luck. If he were not careful, the ten pounds would probably be gone.
It seems that the Kings District has really taught me a lesson. Even children in the old city are not trustworthy.
Fortunately, the overall security of the city is good, and the children are not holding deadly weapons, otherwise my life would have been lost.
This world is too dark, and things that have nothing to do with mystery are so dangerous.
Lin Qi thought this, sighed with a wry smile, walked over to the thing that had been pulled off the little girl's neck and picked it up.
A ring, which should have been hung on a rope around the little girl's neck, was broken.
The moment I picked it up, the voice of my traveling companion suddenly sounded in my mind.
【Mysterious filth haunts it. 】
(End of this chapter)