Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 27 Double-Sided Commission
"A commission?"

On the first day of the new day, Lu Ran stared blankly at the letter handed to him by the foodie.

How come he didn't know his firm had advertised? How come people came knocking on his door so quickly? Could someone have been secretly watching him all along?

I've been busy with the construction of the new firm lately, and while I was there with my dog, we managed to snag a small windfall.

A dozen or so gold pounds is a lot for ordinary people, and it's what the guards accumulated over a long period of time. However, for Lu Ran's enlightenment, it's just enough to cover the agency's basic expenses during this period.

Of course, the dog doesn't need money; it's satisfied as long as it vents its anger.

After arguing with the guard, which alerted the others, Afra, who arrived late, initially thought Bella was being unreasonable. However, a quick investigation revealed the man's unusual income, and the outcome was predictable.

"I hope there's nothing strange about it."

Lu Ran examined the letter of authorization in front of him, then turned to ask the foodie.

"Didn't any of the mice notice that someone came in from outside?"

The foodie shook his head: "No, I didn't hear a sound at all, it was like a letter suddenly appeared under the door."

Lu Ran frowned, thinking that the only people who knew he had moved in were a few people from Earl Biden's side. In addition, the fact that he walked without making a sound made him think of the old butler named Philip.

Lu Ran didn't dwell on it too much. He slowly opened the package to see if there was any information inside, but what he saw was five 10-pound gold pound banknotes.

"Another rich person."

Lu Ran couldn't help but sigh. He realized that these wealthy people didn't treat money like money when they commissioned him. They would secretly deliver the money and didn't even need him to quote a price. They would directly offer an irresistible high price.

The letter contains the following content:

Steel tycoon Conrad has been out of the public eye for almost a month. Detective, please investigate his current location and safety. The 50 gold pounds is an initial deposit, and we hope you can expedite the process.

"Conrad, isn't this Zell's father? Does this mean I'm being asked to investigate Zell?"

Lu Ran was taken aback, then thought of the Biden family, the only ones who knew that he had moved here.

"Could it be that these two guys who almost became in-laws are actually commissioning each other to investigate, and even commissioning the same detective?"

Lu Ran found this strange feeling somewhat amusing, but the two mutual investigation requests were slightly different. Compared to the airtight investigation on Earl Biden's side, Zell's was obviously much simpler.

If I remember correctly, I left a group of mice there to monitor the area in shifts. They should have discovered something by now.

"Foodie, please notify them for me... Never mind, it's a big order, I'll go myself."

Baker City is about ten kilometers away from where Lu Ran is now. If it were a horse-drawn carriage, it would be quite fast, but if it were a rat running errands, it would probably be too late to get any first-hand information today.

Lu Ran is also a rat, but he can ask Bella for help. The timing of this big order is perfect. Not only is the other party eager for results, but Lu Ran is also eager to get the final payment.

The final payment will be more than the deposit, and with his current savings, completing this order, along with the magic potion, seems to be enough to inspire magic. Moreover, he can also go to Baker City to inquire about the two young men who built airplanes.

"You all continue with your work."

Lu Ran called out. The interior of the stone house had been cleaned very thoroughly. However, to prevent being caught off guard by a surprise inspection, he would not stay in the house for long. Instead, he was working to excavate underground and build an underground kingdom. Every day, a large amount of dust was being quietly removed from the house.

Of course, there are also pneumatic tube mailing devices here, but they seem to be older models from an earlier batch. However, as long as they work, it's fine for Lu Ran.

At the current rate, it won't be long before this place is restored to its former appearance as the first office in Baker City.

Lu Ran jogged out the door and found Bella playing. After a period of training, Lu Ran didn't waste any more words. He simply gave her a look and the girl came running over.

"Let's go, head to Baker City." At Bella's speed, we should arrive at our destination in about half an hour.

"Baker City?"

Bella's eyes lit up, and she excitedly stuck out her tongue. She gently bit Lu Ran and threw him onto her back, then suddenly darted away.

Lu Ran was somewhat surprised: "Oh ho, you really like going there?"

"There are fun things there. I used to go there all the time, but I always got beaten up." Bella wagged her tail even more enthusiastically, almost brushing against Lu Ran on her back, as she ran and explained.

"If I go with you this time, I probably won't get beaten up again."

"Fun?"

"I have pretty female dogs to play with, and there's a place where people love to play hide-and-seek, but every time I suddenly can't find them at the end, and..."

"OK OK."

Seeing the guy's excitement, Lu Ran quickly interrupted him, simply pulling a dog's fur over himself and lying down: "Then have fun later, remember to tell me where you play, I'll come find you when I'm done."

"Okay, okay."

This time, Bella didn't suddenly dart forward at varying speeds. After noticing that Lu Ran was silent, she maintained a steady pace to keep her body as stable as possible.

The wind at the end of March had just lost its icy smell, and it felt like it was gradually warming up recently. It seemed like spring was just around the corner. Lu Ran leaned against Bella's back and looked up at the sky. This place was a bit far from Baker City, and the hazy feeling of being shrouded in coal smoke was gone.

Suddenly, he heard various voices shouting. Lu Ran raised his head slightly and noticed that the farmland, which was still frozen when he passed by last time, seemed to have changed a bit.

Brown soil gushed out from the cracked crust, carrying a damp, fishy smell. By this time, many farmers had already driven their oxen to plow the furrows, shouting "Whoa! Giddy up!" as they did so. The children running around the old oxen suddenly had their eyes light up and pointed at Bella, exclaiming in surprise.

"Big dog, Daddy, look at the big dog."

"Be careful, that's the Earl's dog."

Bella often roamed the neighborhood, and the tenant farmers at Earl Biden's estate all knew her. They warned their children not so much that they were worried about Bella hurting them, but that their children might hurt the Earl's beloved dog.

The child didn't care about anything else. As Bella swept past, he excitedly ran over, and when he saw the gray mouse on Bella's back, he was even more excited and incredulous.

"Dad, there's a gray mouse lying on the big dog's back. The gray mouse is riding the big dog."

"Stop talking nonsense and come back right now."

In the short time it took the child to pause, Bella had already sprinted more than ten meters, leaving the little kid with a look of unfinished fun.

"Farming is good."

Lu Ran felt inexplicably moved. The genes etched into his bones always made him feel a strange thrill when he saw this scene. It wasn't about planting a large plot of land, but even a small, self-sufficient vegetable garden would be fine.

Bella couldn't understand Lu Ran's feelings. She just kept running and saw more and more carriages and pedestrians along the way. Some carried loads, some carried baskets, and some carried bundles. Many people were amazed by Bella and Lu Ran sitting on her back.

Excuse me—excuse me—

More and more hurried tunes were played, and the surrounding buildings became newer and taller.

Finally, we arrived in Baker City.

(End of this chapter)