shadow of britain

Chapter 168 The first social target is S rank? (4K8)

Arthur watched as Elder happily put the brown paper bag into his pocket, his eyes swept over everyone in the ballroom.

Suddenly, Elder's eyes lit up, he snapped his fingers, and said in a low voice to Arthur.

"Anyway, I don't know so much. I'll write down all the things I know later. You can choose which ones are useful. As for the money, you can just give it to you. Anyway, the last time I went to sea to earn The money I got is enough to keep me cool for a while. By the time I spend all that money, you should have already judged the value of this information."

Arthur was not polite about Elder's generosity. He clinked glasses with Elder who was leaning on the sofa chair: "I wish our friendship."

"I wish my friend Arthur to be important soon."

Elder gulped down the drink with a smile, then stroked his tuxedo and said, "I won't be with you any longer. Today is a good opportunity to enter the upper class. I'm going to work harder. You'd better It’s best not to sit around stupidly, get to know more about Madam, this will definitely be of great benefit to your future promotion.”

After finishing speaking, Elder got up and walked towards Colonel Fitzroy, who had a heated chat with his wives. He planned to have the cheek to ask Mr. Colonel to introduce him.

As soon as Elder walked away, the Red Devil immediately occupied the sofa chair he was sitting on.

Agares nestled in the chair with Erlang's legs crossed, and whispered in his mouth: "Arthur, do you hear? Don't just sit here, go find something to talk to Madam."

"topic?"

Arthur took a sip of the whiskey with water in the wine glass, the spicy taste made him a little uncomfortable: "What can I talk to them about? I'm going to tell them what I used against those rats in the murder case." A cruel method? Or did I just send my men to break the legs of some hooligans in the East End of London? Agares, my story is far less attractive than their exciting experiences."

"Oh! my dear Arthur, you must not underestimate yourself so much."

Agares covered his mouth with a snicker and said, "A kid with no background, a country bumpkin who only received a London University education, a desperate person who once wanted to leave his hometown and go to America, in just over half a year, with With his own power, he transformed from an unknown patrol constable to the superintendent of the Metropolitan Metropolitan Police who dominated Greenwich and Tower Hamlets. Arthur Hastings, the meaning of this name There is only one, and that is the legend of Scotland Yard."

Arthur's eyes swept across the audience, but his eyes finally fell on Mrs. Cowper who was surrounded by stars and moons in the center of the crowd.

He said lightly: "Mrs. Cowper will appear here today, it should be arranged by you?"

When the Red Devil heard this, he was surprised at first, but soon his surprise turned into a stronger smile.

"Arthur, I just said, don't underestimate yourself, you are one of the few villains in this world who has both a shrewd mind and extraordinary control. We are in harmony, don't always be too wary of me, I do It's not out of malice at all. I just want to use her to help you better. As long as you can gain her trust, you will get an admission ticket to the Almark Club and become one of the seven female sponsor committee members of the club. Mrs Cowper wields considerable influence there."

When Arthur heard this, he just shook his head slightly: "Agares, you are too neurotic, I don't mean to blame you at all. On the contrary, I am very grateful to you. Do you remember that you told me before What? You said I always want to stand up and make money."

Hearing this, Agares couldn't help clasping his hands together, and the Red Devil said happily, "So, you agree?"

"That's right, I agree, I agree with your point of view, but I reject your suggestion. The reason I thank you is that you guys have given me the ability to make money standing up. You know, in this world, not every Everyone has the ability to make this choice. Since you gave me the opportunity to stand up and make money, why don't I cherish it?"

The Red Devil was stunned when he heard the words, he frowned and said, "Arthur, what do you mean, boy?"

Arthur calmly said: "Generally speaking, opportunities seem to be very attractive, but in fact, there are too many wonderful things that are out of reach are deceiving people. The best opportunities are often in your Beside. It may be too presumptuous to challenge the lady who has fascinated countless people from the beginning. Therefore, I think the best choice may be to start from the side."

After saying that, Arthur suddenly stood up and walked towards a girl in white skirt who was sitting not far away with a nervous expression.

Agares was taken aback for a moment. He was about to get angry, but the flame just rushed to the top of his head, and then went out in an instant.

There were a few wisps of blue smoke floating above the Red Devil's head, and he stared at the girl whom Arthur regarded as a low-difficulty target for a long time.

After a long time, Agares rubbed his chin, smacked his lips twice, and muttered with a smirk: "Arthur, you little bastard, do you think that Professor Agares, who is considered exhaustive, has no plans? ? This is the daughter of a parallelogram princess and a romantic writer. If you want to talk to her, I can only hope that you have really strengthened your mathematical skills when you are studying electromagnetism recently..."

Speaking of this, the Red Devil couldn't help shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders and said, "Human society may really be progressing, but at the time of King Solomon, who would have thought that he would have to be able to solve advanced math problems to chat with beautiful girls? "

As soon as Arthur came near the girl in the white skirt, he saw that the girl stood up too. She had her hands behind her back, as if she was hiding something.

Seeing this situation, Arthur couldn't help asking, "Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?"

The girl's eyes seemed a little flustered, she stammered and said, "No, it's nothing... I'm fine, I won't trouble you, Mr. Hastings."

The strangeness of the girl soon attracted the attention of her mother who was standing not far away talking with Mrs. Cowper.

The lady in the sky blue pleated skirt quickly apologized to Mrs. Cowper with a smile: "I'm sorry, there seems to be something wrong with Ada. You know, this child has been troublesome since birth .”

Mrs. Cowper replied with a smile: "It's okay, Mrs. Milbanke, you can go at ease. As for the matter you just mentioned to me, I agree. When Ida comes of age next year, I will be the escort at Buckingham Palace. Introduced her to the whole London society at her Shuyuan Ball."

Mrs. Milbank was a little surprised at first when she heard the words, but she was overwhelmed with gratitude afterwards: "I really didn't expect you to agree so readily, after all..."

When Mrs. Cowper heard this, she just raised her lace-gloved hand and interrupted: "Let the past be the past, and it was all caused by two incompetent guys in our generation, and Ada has nothing to do with this kid.

Ma'am, you were the most talented lady in London's high society back then. Even Professor William Fred of Cambridge commented that your knowledge reserve in literature, philosophy, and mathematics was far superior to that of ordinary Cambridge students.

If it weren't for the inhumanity you entrusted, you would definitely have a more brilliant life than mine.

And your daughter Ada seems to have fully inherited your blood of beauty and wisdom. I am really honored to be your daughter's chaperone at the Shuyuan ball. "

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Milbank could not help sighing: "I am very grateful for your generosity. My whole life has been ruined by that bastard father of Ida. Now I only hope that she can have a good home. She My future husband can have any hobbies and any status, but he cannot be a poet, and you should feel the same as me, there is nothing good in a poet."

After speaking, Mrs. Milbank took the initiative to ask Mrs. Cowper to resign, and then walked towards Arthur and his daughter.

She quickly noticed the awkward atmosphere in the air. Mrs. Millbank nodded to Arthur first, and then asked her daughter, "Ada, what's wrong with you? What's hiding behind your back?"

Ada's face was blushing, she hesitated for a long time, and finally, under the strict order of her mother, she reluctantly took out the gadget hidden behind her back.

It was a piece of draft paper, densely filled with all kinds of calculations that made Arthur feel a headache just by looking at it.

When Mrs. Milbank saw the manuscript, she breathed a sigh of relief, and then said angrily: "Look at you, you are so mysterious, I thought you were writing poetry. There is nothing shameful about liking mathematics." Things, when I was young, I also devoted myself to studying mathematics like you, but I would not spend more than ten hours a day on it.

Ada, you are almost an adult, and you have to spend some of your time on other things, such as chatting with others.Fortunately, today is a meeting of the Blue Sox Club. If you change to a normal social occasion, you will definitely be regarded as a freak by others. "

Hearing her mother's accusation, Ada bowed her head and admitted her mistake: "I see."

Ada had already admitted her mistake, but Mrs. Millbank was still dissatisfied. She turned her head and asked Arthur who was on the side: "Mr. Hastings, do you think I'm right?"

When Arthur heard this, he could only touch the back of his head in embarrassment. He didn't know whether he should express his opinion on other people's housework.

He thought for a while, and could only reply in a compromise: "To be honest, ma'am, it's my first time attending this kind of occasion, so I don't know much about the behavior of the gentlemen and ladies at the banquet. I just saw Miss Ada When I did this, I thought this kind of behavior was actually quite normal at a banquet."

When Mrs. Milbank heard this, her eyes widened in surprise: "Aren't you very social in your daily life?"

Arthur replied sincerely: "Ma'am, you may not know that my job is the police officer of Scotland Yard. Besides, I am also a scientific researcher. Dealing with these daily tasks every day has already killed me , if I hadn't recently been relocated to Metropolitan Police headquarters, I wouldn't have had much time to socialize."

When Mrs. Milbank heard this, she remembered Arthur's experience that Mrs. Codrington had introduced to her.

Suddenly, she showed a look of joy: "Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Hastings, I only remember you as a scientific researcher, but I forgot that you are also a superintendent of the Greater London Metropolitan Police. Ada I am relieved to have a well-trained police officer like you looking after me today."

After saying that, Mrs. Milbank gave a skirt ceremony to Arthur modestly, and then went to contact the ladies for her daughter's coming-of-age ceremony next year.

Arthur is baffled by Mrs. Milbank's behavior.

He was a Scotland Yard sergeant, but babysitting was not a rule in the Police Handbook.

And even if it is to look after the children, he only cares about the old friendship at most, taking care of the seven or eight-year-old little Adam for Tom, what is the matter if Mrs. Milbank just throws a daughter who is almost grown up to him?

Arthur was a little annoyed by his wife's careless behavior. He was about to turn around and leave, and called Elder to Mrs. Milbank, so that she could see the dangers of society.

But before he could take a step, he heard Ada beside him muttering: "Every day she reprimands me, saying that I don't understand etiquette, and I don't think she knows much by herself. I play math for ten hours a day." It’s true, but don’t you also play for eight hours a day? Two hours less doesn’t seem to make much difference.”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help turning around and asking, "Do you really spend ten hours a day on mathematics?"

Ada was startled by Arthur's sudden question. She stared into Arthur's eyes, then nodded slightly hesitantly: "I... I'm just playing, and the questions I do must not be like yours. of professional researchers.”

Arthur glanced at the draft paper thrown by Mrs. Milbank on the coffee table. He could understand the Arabic numerals on it, but if it was mixed with a lot of calculations and symbols, he would be confused.

Arthur just took a heavy breath: "I think you are too modest. Mr. Faraday told me that the Blue Sox Club is not as pure as it was more than ten years ago, but after I really came today, I realized that even if it is no longer Purely, the level of the ladies still exceeds my basic expectations."

When Ada heard this, she couldn't help but widen her shiny black eyes, and her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she was questioning.

"Aren't you really complimenting me? I think a professional scholar like you must be better than me in mathematics."

"No, no, no." Arthur waved his hands again and again: "I'm not as smart as you think, I'm just a Scotland Yard policeman who graduated from the University of London, and it's not just me, you see the horse behind Colonel Fitzroy in front Are you a fart?"

Ada looked in the direction of Arthur's finger, and it was Elder holding a wine glass with a flattering smile on his face.

"What happened to that gentleman?"

Arthur blushed and said without a heartbeat: "To be honest, that gentleman graduated from Oxford, and he can't beat you in mathematics. Or let's lower it a level, that gentleman's attainments in mathematics are not as good as mine. He graduated from the History Department of the University of London."

When Ada heard this, she nodded in agreement: "I know that. My tutor, Mr. Augustus De Morgan, also said that Oxford's mathematics education is really not good."

When Arthur heard this, he almost didn't even think about asking, "May I ask if Mr. Morgan graduated from Cambridge?"

Ada covered her mouth in shock: "How do you know? Mr. Morgan did indeed graduate from Trinity in Cambridge."

Arthur shrugged and said, "You know, I'm a Scotland Yard police officer. To be a qualified police officer, you must have sufficient insight and logical thinking ability, just like you solve math problems. The opposite of Cambridge is Oxford, and the sum of the two is zero."

Ada pointed at Elder suspiciously and said, "But what about the gentleman who graduated from Oxford? I heard him laughing at his alma mater, Oxford, in a conversation with others."

Arthur was silent for a while when he heard this, and then said: "Miss, that one is an exception, and his judgment on the quality of education is also uncertain, I...how can I explain this to you?

Um... By the way, it's like there is a lady standing in front of Mr. Carter. Before Mr. Carter knows whether the lady likes Cambridge or Oxford, we can't be sure whether Mr. Carter will slander Cambridge or Oxford. This phenomenon is generally referred to by me as the 'Elder Carter Uncertainty Principle'. "

Hearing this, Ada couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing, her eyes were crescent like crescents: "Mr. Hastings, you can just say that Mr. Carter is not eager to courtship. I didn't know that, so Oxford graduates are like him."

"That's right." Arthur said calmly, "Oxford is like this. However, I forgot to ask you how to address you. It doesn't seem very respectful to call you by your first name."

Ada listened, blinked her eyes, she picked up the draft paper, pointed to a line of beautiful handwriting on the side and said: "This is my rudeness, Augusta Ida Byron, if you don't mind, Just call me Miss Byron. Also, please don’t tell my mother, I took the initiative to reveal my name to you, otherwise she will definitely have to trouble me again.”

(End of this chapter)