3 Chapter 2: Blonde Twin Ponytails

Wayne remembered very clearly that the door of the Detective Agency was tightly locked, and it was locked from the inside.

In Lundan City, there were many urban legends, such as the subway station leading to Hell, the Headless Knight wandering in the mist, alleys that devoured people, and the Underworld Great Tomb, among others.

The sensational urban legends only roamed the city at night, sharing Lundan City with its citizens, who had it to themselves during the day and left it to them at night. Both sides existed peacefully, without encroaching on each other's territories. However, should anyone break the rules and invade the other's domain, they would evaporate overnight, disappearing without a trace.

When it came to these urban legends, the dockworkers all vividly shared as if they had seen them with their own eyes.

In the past three months, Wayne had heard plenty of urban legends. He scoffed at them since he hadn't seen them with his own eyes, but decided to believe in them anyway because it cost him nothing.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So each nightfall, he would make sure to lock the doors tightly, avoiding close encounters with the urban legends.

After all, it was free, so why not believe just a little bit?

Bang bang bang——

The knocking resumed, undoubtedly more urgent than before, as if the knocker would continue indefinitely if Wayne didn't open the door.

Wayne didn't open the door and silently picked up a crowbar beside him. The other party didn't keep knocking but pushed the door open and entered on their own.

The intruder's black hooded cloak concealed their entire body, making it impossible to discern their face. Under the overhead light, the shadow of the black robe was distinct, increasing the pressure on Wayne, whose hand gripping the crowbar began to sweat.

Staring intently, Wayne couldn't make out the features under the hood, but judging by the rise and fall of the chest on the robe, he guessed that the intruder was a woman.

Business?

"So you're the owner of this Detective Agency, right? I have a business matter I'd like to discuss with you."

"Can we discuss this tomorrow? We are closed right now."

Even though the woman's voice was attractive, Wayne still refused her proposal. Her mysterious appearance suggested she was the type with a story, and he didn't want to get involved with such people.

The intruder didn't speak. She slowly approached the desk, looked at the potatoes scattered on it, chuckled softly, and placed a stack of cash on the table.

The image of the Queen on the currency notes stung Wayne's eyes. Single hundred-value Xianlings, at least fifty of them, making it five thousand Xianlings in total—enough to keep him slogging away for two years.

Xianling was the official currency of Windsor Kingdom, with the copper Xianke being the secondary denomination. Twelve Xiankes could be exchanged for one Xianling, which was the so-called change.

Affected by the Great Depression and the shadows of war, the purchasing power of the Xianling continued to decline, but to Wayne, it was still a large sum of money.

"Can we talk now?"

"Please, take a seat."

Wayne sat down behind his desk, the crowbar laid across his legs. His instinct told him that the tool was of no use against the visitor, but he needed some psychological comfort, something handy to speak with a bit more confidence.

The woman seemed pleased with Wayne's acumen for business, especially how quickly he opened up at the sight of money. She took her seat calmly in front of the desk.

Up close, Wayne examined the intruder and managed to see the lower half of her face that the hood did not cover. Her lips were delicate, skin luminous and pearl-like, suggesting a finely shaped and soft jaw.

Judging by the complexion, Wayne guessed she was young, between sixteen to eighteen years old, definitely not over twenty.

At that age and with such beauty, venturing into the home of a single man at night meant she had some abilities or, at least, some resources.

Considering how generously she had already spent money, it was probably the latter.

The woman's silence made Wayne uneasy. With an official smile for customers, he courteously asked, "Have you eaten, would you like some potato?"

"Tea."

"Just a moment."

Wayne pocketed the five thousand Xianlings and went to the kitchen to make tea, wondering where on earth the locals got tea leaves in a world without ocean trade.

Moments later, Wayne returned and sat down again. He saw the woman's hands move to the edge of her hood as if to reveal her face, but he quickly spoke to stop her.

"I understand the rules. I don't want to know what you look like. After tonight, we won't know each other, so please don't take off your hood." Wayne raised his hand to cover his eyes.

It was pointless, as she did as she pleased, completely disregarding his opinion.

The young woman had golden hair and blue eyes, with well-proportioned features and a sculpted face that exuded fashion and adaptability, capable of portraying innocence, sweetness, or a cold demeanor.

Like now, her golden hair was pinned back neatly, and her calm blue eyes withheld a starry spark. She lifted the tea cup to her nose, sniffed without tasting, and set it back down.

What's the matter, can't a boar stomach fine bran?

Although she said nothing, Wayne still felt a thick barrier called class difference. The very finest tea he had purchased at great expense seemed worthless in her eyes.

Great, it's a big deal!

A habit formed from his past life, Wayne never complained to rich clients, at least not outwardly, and maintained a smile as he said, "Respected Miss, could you please tell me what business you have in mind?"

"I need a job, and you need an assistant."

"..."

Wayne was taken aback. He pointed to his office and said, "As you can see, this is a small business. I can't afford to..."

"I'll pay to work. One thousand Xianlings a month to hire me as an assistant at the Detective Agency."

"..."

"If that's not acceptable, just forget it."

"Welcome, Miss Assistant. You are employed by this Detective Agency."

Wayne nodded promptly, adding the earlier five thousand to the sum, a total of six thousand Xianlings.

Perhaps this made him seem utterly without scruples, but six thousand Xianlings and scruples weren't comparable, and hesitating even a second would be too generous to the humble potato.

Wayne reached out his hand warmly. She didn't take it, so he withdrew it and shook his own hand, unabashedly saying, "Your resume and identification documents... oh, I can just write those myself. I'm Wayne, the owner and chief detective of this agency. How may I address you?"

"Veronica."

Veronica gave a name of uncertain authenticity and then told a story of uncertain authenticity. She was from a foreign country and had loved detective novels since she was a child, dreaming of becoming a great detective.

She wouldn't stay at the Wayne Detective Agency for too long, nor would she cause any trouble for Wayne, as long as he asked fewer questions, then he could make a fortune with the Queen's likeness during her employment period.

It was a half-hearted lie, severely lacking in sincerity, but it was enough.

Wayne nodded his head, and at this point, he could see that Veronica had another purpose, the specifics of which were unknown, but he knew it wasn't aimed at him.

He had nothing of value to use.

"I will be living at the Detective Agency during my employment, do you have any rooms available? I need two, and I'll pay the rent separately, is that okay?"

"No problem, you can move in with your bags at any time."

Wayne sighed repeatedly, recalling the old saying that when you meet a good person, you start a family; when you meet a noble, you start a business; when you meet a wealthy woman, you do both. He didn't believe it before, but now he understood that he had never met a wealthy woman.

Money paves the way to success, and Wayne had already forgotten Veronica's ulterior motive. He knew only that money equals beauty and beauty equals justice. A rich and beautiful girl possessed double the justice. Veronica surely wasn't a spy assassin sent by the enemy country; she had traveled thousands of miles to a foreign land just to fulfill her childhood dream of being a detective.

That was nice, unlike Wayne, who also had many dreams when he was a child but only one as he grew up.

To afford a house.

"The first floor is the office area; the second floor is my bedroom and the archive room, studio, storeroom, and bathroom. If you don't mind, the third floor has compartments, which are usually unoccupied. Tomorrow, with a bit of cleanup, you can move in."

"I want to move in tonight."

Veronica looked towards the stairs and took a stack of Xianling bills from her wallet, handing them to Wayne one by one: "I'm taking your bedroom too. I want to rent out the entire second floor. You have one hour to move your things out."

"Half an hour will do."

"Also, my luggage is outside."

"I'll move it right away."

The daughter of a landlord: if there's no charge, there's no point. The amount of money Veronica offered was enough for Wayne to renovate the Detective Agency all over again. He found no reason to refuse.

But when he reached the entrance to the Detective Agency, he was stunned by the scene before him.

The double doors were wide open, shivering in the dark background.

A two-meter tall strongman stood guard in front of the doors, watching over three large black chests. He was broad-shouldered and well-built, with rough, rugged, and deep-set features, and his thick arms were covered with dense hair.

In Lundan, where winter had not yet departed, the strongman wore only white shorts and a sleeveless vest. Even from a distance, Wayne could feel the heat waves emanating from the man's robust physique.

He was a pragmatic person who made sense.

Upon seeing Wayne, the strongman smiled slightly, stretching out his bulky hand: "William, let's be friends."

"Hello, I'm Wayne."

The strongman had a fierce appearance but unexpectedly courteous manners. Wayne, not wanting to be rude, extended his hand. When their hands met, he felt the heat in William's palm and a sudden chill ran down his spine.

This chill ran from the soles of his feet to his tailbone, not continuing to the crown of his head but staying local.

No wonder something felt off. That's when Wayne noticed. William had his blonde hair tied into twin ponytails, and his sleeveless vest was a blue-and-white striped sailor shirt.

Death was near, he wouldn't let go, and he kept smiling!

William's smile was unsettling as he pulled Wayne in for a warm hug, new friend style. Wayne struggled fiercely, unable to match the other's terrifying brute strength. As the blue-and-white stripes drew near, he could see many curly golden hairs on them.

Chest hair, a symbol of William's male hormones.

"Meow~~~"

A cat's meow interrupted William and rescued the imperiled Wayne. It was a black cat with golden eyes, its paws tucked in, lying on a black chest, its sleek coat blending into the night, almost invisible when its eyes were closed.

At the sound, William immediately dropped Wayne and lifted the black cat: "Monica, up high."

Wayne: ( 一`´一; )

That was close, almost crushed by pectoral muscles.

William lifted Monica high and the two-meter strongman hopped and skipped around. The sight was so beautiful it completely dispelled any illusions Wayne had about the blonde twin ponytails.

A noble lady, a muscleman, a black cat—forgive his bluntness, but Wayne couldn't understand this combination.

Well, that's not entirely true. A noble lady with a black cat pet eloping, accompanied by a muscleman butler and bodyguard, suddenly made perfect sense.

"William, what are you doing? Get Monica down right now."

Veronica came out of the office and immediately began to wrestle with William. Under Wayne's silent gaze, the muscly gay wrestler couldn't resist and was easily relieved of the black cat by Veronica.

Veronica held the black cat in her arms and glared menacingly at William: "Your room is on the second floor. Hurry up and move the luggage with Wayne. From now on, you will live in his room."

This wasn't right!

Wayne shivered, swearing to himself that he would remove all bed linen, clothing, and anything that had his scent from the bedroom without leaving a single piece behind.

Contrary to Wayne's expectations, William was also unhappy: "This isn't right, I don't want to…"

"Shut up, that's the decision."

"What about Monica?"

"Monica and I will live on the third floor."

Veronica spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Cats and ladies share a room; smelly men are not allowed."

"Tsk, you're up to no good."