Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 11 Huge Commission
Lu Ran did not respond. He first flipped through the contents of the commission in his hand, but was shocked by the information on it.

"100 pounds!"

Lu Ran's eyes widened.

Before this, the largest job he had ever taken on was an investigation commission for Afra. He paid a deposit of 3 pounds for the first time based on the progress, 5 pounds for the remaining balance after submitting the investigation results, and 10 pounds for the final completion of the commission, for a total of 18 pounds, which was already exceptionally generous.

But now they've gotten an order that's several times larger than expected. They wouldn't go to such lengths to lure me out, would they? If they really wanted revenge, this money would be enough to hire a bunch of hitmen.

Lu Ran hesitated. The letter didn't specify the details of the commission; it just showed a 100-pound note as an enticement, while the middle-aged man outside the door kept urging him on.

"Hello, is Mr. Sherlock here?"

“I am here, sir.”

Lu Ran couldn't help but respond.

“Yes, Mr. Sherlock.” The middle-aged man outside the door breathed a sigh of relief: “Because the details of the commission must be kept confidential, it wasn’t written down. Would it be convenient to find a private place to discuss this one-on-one?”

“It’s inconvenient.” Lu Ran said bluntly. “My back door is very private. There’s no one in the alley right now. You can just say it directly; no one will hear you.”

The middle-aged man choked, and remained silent for a moment.

"No problem, here are the details of the commission."

Another piece of paper was handed over from outside the cave. Lu Ran was surprised that the other party had given in so quickly.

Lu Ran looked at the letter again; it contained only one sentence—

Obtain evidence of Earl Biden's treason.

Lu Ran's eyelids twitched, but he quickly returned to normal, and his tone became more mocking.

"One hundred gold pounds for me to investigate an earl? Go look all over town and see if any detective would dare to take the job. Besides, the commission is to obtain evidence of Biden's treason, but that's based on the assumption that Earl Biden has already betrayed the country. If he hasn't, wouldn't my investigation in that direction be a waste of time?"

“One hundred is a deposit.” The middle-aged man ignored Lu Ran’s sarcasm and said calmly. “Regardless of whether Earl Biden betrayed the country or not, you only need to investigate in this direction, submit relevant intelligence once, and you will be paid 100 gold pounds each time.”

what!
Lu Ran gasped.

How come I didn't know I was worth so much money?
Lu Ran remained silent for a long time, repeatedly trying to find the right words, but he still couldn't figure out how to reply. If the other party really misunderstood, he was worried that he would lose face if he replied incorrectly.

To be honest, he really wanted to make that money, extremely so.

The other party seemed to have anticipated this as well, and surprisingly did not urge them, but instead gave them enough time to think.

Lu Ran carefully considered his tone: "You guys seem to trust me completely?"

“Of course.” The middle-aged man explained with a smile, “Moreover, my master said that if you refuse this commission, sir, the 100 gold pounds will still be offered with both hands as an apology for the previous offense.”

"offend?"

Lu Ran was taken aback, then his eyes lit up.

He thought of something.

Could it be that these people traced the homeowner's information back to Anthony, only to get beaten up by him and misunderstand something?

"You guys are quite interesting."

Lu Ran grew bolder and spoke with a more casual tone, but he also understood the principle that too much talk leads to mistakes: "Let me think about the commission. I will let you know when I have made up my mind."

"Okay, sir."

Without the slightest hesitation, a dozen gold pounds were pushed in, and Lu Ran's savings increased by 100 in a flash.

Lu Ran swallowed hard, but immediately beckoned with his paw to One Ear to send a few rats to follow.

If the other party is the same group that Anthony dealt with, then there's no need to worry about any supernatural powers. At least from Anthony's nonchalant tone, it's clear that they don't have much to do with the church, which puts Lu Ran at ease.

As Lu Ran took the money from the foodie, he touched the crisp banknotes. The moment he unfolded a stack of gold pounds, the smell of ink filled the air. "The smell of money."

Lu Ran took a deep breath and then quickly descended into the territory, where a bustling scene was now in full swing.

"Life is getting better and better."

……

"Has the new territory been surveyed?"

"not yet."

When the money-grubber saw Lu Ran come down, he quickly came over.

"The underground drainage system at Earl Biden's estate is laid separately, and it's not easy to get in from underground."

"How about going around it on the ground?"

"I can't get through. I don't know why, but there's a large number of stray cats loitering outside Earl Biden's estate."

"stray cat?"

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow and checked repeatedly.

"You mean a cat? Why would there be cats?"

"I don't know." The money-grubber said helplessly, "According to the rats around there, the cats have been there for a while now, probably about two months ago, suddenly appearing in large numbers. And it seems like there's a leader controlling the cat group, it's like...it seems..."

Lu Ran hesitated and asked, "A sense of order?"

The money-grubber clapped his hands: "Yes, it's orderly, and you can often see a big white dog running out of the manor to play with the cats."

"White dog?"

Lu Ran was speechless.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Why is this like a cat and mouse game? Why are we bringing up Earl Biden's dog again?

"Never mind that for now. You guys should gradually move the facilities within the territory to the nearest town. I'll figure out the rest later."

Lu Ran's idea was definitely not to let the rats stray too far from him, but now it seems he can only wait until he gets to the manor and then see how things go before making any adjustments.

As the mice's intelligence gradually increased, Lu Ran took advantage of the time before parting to quickly arrange the affairs and work within the territory.

To ensure a clear division of labor, Lu Ran first categorized the mice into several types of jobs, allowing them to quickly find their strengths and develop in the direction they were good at as their intelligence slowly improved.

Lu Ran first reclassified the sentinel rats, which were originally the most numerous, into scout rats and sentinel rats. The former required small, dark-colored, fast-running gray rats, with an emphasis on language, information analysis, and observation skills.

The latter basically only needs to scout outside the territory, focusing on physique, reaction speed, and concentration.

To prevent theft, grain-hoarding rats need to have sufficient self-control. They are generally similar to hamsters, with a mouth that can carry one-third of their body weight in food. They can quickly transport food and guard the grain storage within their territory.

After all, not every mouse in Lu Ran's territory can eat the fine food that is bought. Instead, it is distributed according to contribution. There are nearly 400 mice that have improved in physique and have increased in appetite. If Lu Ran were to take care of all of them, he would have a hard time affording them in the early stages. The money in the early stages must be spent wisely.

The mechanical rats are the most intelligent group of rats. They can use some tools even before they have mastered language. After their intelligence improves, Lu Ran reclassifies these rats into mechanical rats and scientific rats.

The former continued to be responsible for construction and manufacturing within the territory, while the latter selected a small group of elites to invent and create.

For this reason, Lu Ran even specially ordered a batch of books to use for early education.

Furthermore, if Lu Ran abandons the Anthony line, he will need to find new partners to help him purchase food and publish newspapers in human society.

"Tentatively named Afra."

(End of this chapter)