In the name of the true god

City Eye

He went from "seeking refuge" to becoming Stefan Nolan's boss.

Things took a turn for the better than expected, but it was still within Jude's control.

Use two thousand gold coins to open a respectable detective agency and conduct a year-long training program.

If things go well, not only can they become second- or third-tier wizards, but they can also earn extra money through the detective agency, achieving financial self-sufficiency.

At the same time, being your own boss gives you enough freedom to balance your two jobs as a private investigator and a zookeeper.

In short, as long as you are mentally prepared to lose two thousand gold coins, the decision to start a detective agency will be entirely beneficial to you.

"Shall we go pick a place tomorrow?" Stefan Nolan asked.

"I have some other things to do. You go ahead and choose, then come to my house to find me." Jude wasn't good at choosing store locations, so he planned to wait for Stefan Nolan to select a batch of candidates before making the final decision.

of course.

Actually, the easiest way to resolve this kind of issue is to ask Connor, who has a wide network of connections, to step in.

But having left prison, he should try to stand on his own, and Jude didn't want to rely on him for help in every situation.

Stefan Nolan asked somewhat impatiently, "Can I go today?"

Jude naturally had no objection: "If you think there's enough time, that's fine too."

Stefan Nolan immediately stood up: "There's still time."

With a positive attitude and high efficiency, it saves trouble and gives you peace of mind.

Jude gave a satisfied "hmm".

Seeing that Jude was quite agreeable, Stefan Nolan, out of habit, couldn't help but ask, "This may be offensive—but I still want to ask, is your money legal?"

Jude answered with a question: "If I had done something illegal, do you think I would still be rushing to find you?"

"Then why did you choose me of all people?"

"You have good character, and I feel comfortable working with you. Besides, I am genuinely interested in the private investigation profession and need you to share your experience with me."

Stefan Nolan believed this.

He was able to quickly receive two commissions after starting his own detective agency. Aside from the low prices, the main reason was that he did indeed have a certain reputation.

People living in the docklands, slums, and industrial areas would mutter "corrupt good-for-nothings" whenever they talked about the perfunctory police officers, but when it came to Stefan Nolan, their words would be much milder, praising him as a rare "conscientious detective."

Stefan Nolan said gratefully, "—Jude, thank you."

"You're welcome." Jude stood up. "I was just about to go to the city center anyway, want to come along?"

"it is good."

Jude thought he would spend a lot of time with Stefan Nolan, but he didn't expect that it would only be three o'clock when he left the Seagull Apartments.

On the way to the city, the two discussed some more matters.

For example, Stefan Nolan insisted on not accepting the basic salary offered by Jude, arguing that he hadn't contributed anything yet. He was also willing to split the commissions with Jude 30/70 after the new detective agency received a case.

For example, Jude himself didn't care about the name of the new detective agency and planned to continue with "Seagull Detective Agency." However, Stefan Nolan stated that he named it "Seagull Detective Agency" to associate it with Seagull Apartments, so that people would associate the apartment with the detective agency. Given extremely limited promotional resources, this was a last resort.

Now that we're moving to the eastern part of the capital to reach a wider customer base, associating the name with Seagull Apartments again would only be a hindrance.

So Jude racked his brains and came up with a catchy name: "City Eye Detective Agency".

"Isn't this a bit too arrogant?" Stefan Nolan felt a little guilty after hearing this.

Jude had connections in the capital's heavy prison.

He had connections in the dock area police precinct, as well as informants in the slums and industrial areas.

However, the combined reach of these areas is still negligible in the capital city of Montorus, which has a population of several million.

City Eye?

It would be more fitting to call it "Eye of the Dock District" —

"That's what being arrogant about is all about!" Jude wasn't embarrassed at all. "Think about it, we've just arrived, we have no reputation, no connections, why would anyone entrust us with high-paying jobs?"

"So we have to create a buzz—"

"Whether it's a gimmick or a scam, the point is to get the commission first. Even if we can't handle it, it's still better than sitting in the shop all day with no customers."

"You're right." Stefan Nolan couldn't find a way to refute it.

Now, just renting a shop requires an investment of over two thousand gold coins.

If Jude doesn't adopt bold and radical measures to compete for market share with those established detective agencies, he'll be in trouble a year from now.

Having lost everything, he could only return to Seagull Apartments and rebuild the Seagull Private Detective Agency, which didn't even have a proper reception room, to continue living hand to mouth.

"Should I leave you here?"

"it is good."

"Remember to come to my house when you find me."

"I'll try to choose one within three days."

Jude dropped Stefan Nolan off at a street in the city and then asked around until he found Wesley Pawnshop on Horn Street.

It was a rather inconspicuous shop, nestled between a jewelry store and a tailor shop. The old-fashioned sign above the shop bore two lines of text:

Wesley Pawnshop

[Acquiring jewelry, art collectibles, and bonds —]

He deliberately drove the car to a more forward position and first carefully observed it for a while through the rearview mirror.

Um--

Business was neither good nor bad; customers came and went from time to time.

It doesn't seem like they're being targeted by the Holy Church.

Of course, even if the Holy Church found out about Wesley Pawnshop and was secretly watching the fish take the bait, it certainly wouldn't be so obvious.

To ensure sufficient safety, Jude used the contact law to perform a double verification:

Was Wesley Pawnshop secretly monitored by the Holy Church?

Was Wesley Pawnshop secretly monitored by the Holy Church?

Was Wesley Pawnshop secretly monitored by the Holy Church?

There is no answer.

Clearly, his current causal connection with Wesley Pawnshop is not strong enough.

Minor issue!

Jude restarted the car, turned onto a neighboring street, and casually bought a literary work that looked a bit old at a bookstore, then specially signed the author's name on the title page.

Then, he put on his mask, pulled his hat down low, and walked back to Horn Street, striding into Wesley Pawnshop.

The pawnshop was elegantly decorated and had a long, narrow layout. One side of the shop featured shelves and displays of porcelain plates, watches, handicrafts, and jewelry.

The cabinet is flanked by sofas and long tables for receiving customers.

Jude stopped in the store, glanced around, and then looked at a thin old man standing behind the display case: "Are you the owner here?"

"Yes, my name is George Wesley." The elderly Wesley, with his kind face and gray hair, asked, "What do you need to pawn?"

"I'm planning to pawn one of my treasured books. I wonder how much I can get in return?" Jude said seriously as he took the book out of his coat and placed it on the counter.

Old man Wesley put on his reading glasses and gloves, picked up the book and examined it closely: "A book—are you serious?"

"Seriously."

"Two taels of silver."

Two silver grams —

Jude spent three silver dollars to buy this book.

"Only this much?" he emphasized earnestly. "But the author signed it himself. You can see it on the title page if you don't believe me."

Old man Wesley turned to the title page and chuckled softly, "The ink is fresh; it must have been just written here."

No wonder they run a pawnshop.

This little trick won't fool them.

Fortunately, Jude never intended to commit fraud; he simply used the book as a pretext to establish a connection with Wesley.

"Even if it wasn't newly written, this book is completely unknown and has no value whatsoever." Old man Wesley pushed the book back in front of Jude, slowly taking off his gloves. "Young man, seeing how well-dressed you are, it's really not right for you to try and swindle an old man like me."

At the same time.

Jude was silently questioning whether Wesley's pawnshop was being secretly monitored by the Holy Church.

Was Wesley Pawnshop secretly monitored by the Holy Church?

Was Wesley Pawnshop secretly monitored by the Holy Church?

The answer is no.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wesley." Feeling more confident, Jude put the book away apologetically and then inquired about the situation with a sense of relief. "I came here to ask you about the whereabouts of Lane Whitman and Austin Blair."

"Ryan Whitman, Austin Blair?" The old man Wesley's expression remained unchanged as he calmly shook his head.

He shook his head. "I don't know these two people."

Jude noticed that Wesley's right hand was slowly moving down.

Are you going to grab a gun or a knife?

Before he could make his next move, Jude preemptively revealed his identity: "I am a resonance mage, just like them."

o

Old man Wesley, naturally, wasn't easily fooled. Raising an eyebrow, he scoffed, "Oh? You're a heretic? Aren't you afraid I'll expose you to the Holy Church?"

Jude looked Wesley straight in the eye: "If you were that kind of person, Ryan Whitman, Austin Blair, and even Keanu Archer would have been arrested by the Holy Church long ago."

Old Wesley, extremely cautious, didn't lower his guard because of Jude's few words: "These people you're talking about, they wouldn't happen to be heretics, would they? How about we do a business deal? You give me their leads, and I'll expose them to the church for you. We'll split the payment fifty-fifty."

Seeing that Wesley showed no sign of backing down, Jude actually felt much more at ease.

After all, the less pressure one feels and the more one keeps quiet, the safer one can be.

As for whether or not he should further prove himself?

Having just declared himself a Resonance Sorcerer, he certainly couldn't reveal his ability to implicate wizards.

"And the law of similarity itself has not yet achieved direct resonance," so it would be too shameful to play the role of a kitten or puppy in front of Wesley for a few minutes.

No need—

"I fully understand your vigilance, and I hope you will continue to be so," Jude said. "I came on this adventure only to ask you to pass on a message to Lane Whitman and Austin Blair. His three companions, along with thirty-nine other sorcerers and resonance mages imprisoned in the capital's heavy prison, have been rescued by another group of their own. They will go to the border of Florence and Alsani to lie low and gather strength. If Lane Whitman and Austin Blair are interested, they can go there and plot something big with them."

Old man Wesley did not respond.

Jude had achieved his goal and didn't linger: "That's all, goodbye."

He had originally planned to give Wesley his address.

If anything happens, they can come to me for help.

But when he thought that Allen had only asked him to pass on a message to Ryan Whitman and Osjan Blair, and that he was currently fighting alone and really didn't have much ability to help others, he eventually gave up the idea.

in addition----

Leaving the pawn shop, Jude put his hands in his pockets and muttered to himself, "I should get a business card. Should I just say Chief Detective of the City Eye Detective Agency? Hmm, sounds good—"

The efficiency of doing things today is extremely high.

I met with Stefan Nolan in the afternoon and finalized the details of starting a detective agency together. I also went to Wesley Pawnshop to finish the task Allen had given me. By the time I finished all of this, it was only 4:30.

Or, while we're at it, let's also get the zookeepers sorted out.

Forget it.

After the detective agency has rented and renovated its premises, hired receptionists, and opened for business, there will be a lot of work to do. The trip to the zoo can wait until the detective agency is more stable.

Back in the car, Jude abandoned the idea of ​​continuing the journey.

However, while enjoying a meal at an upscale restaurant in the city that evening, he took the opportunity to ask the waiter about the zoo.

Montorus, the capital of the Kingdom of Florence, has two zoos.

To be precise, they were originally one family.

The first zoo built was the Old Royal Capital Zoo, which was managed by the Royal Capital City Hall. Later, considering its unfavorable location and the abundance of surrounding buildings that made demolition and expansion inconvenient, the City Hall built a larger New Royal Capital Zoo near the Central Park in the eastern part of the Royal Capital to meet the needs of the powerful and wealthy, and moved most of the large animals there.

Over time, the new Royal Capital Zoo became the largest zoo in the country, attracting a constant stream of visitors. The old Royal Capital Zoo was transferred to a wealthy businessman who loved wild animals and renamed "Exotic Zoo," which continued to be open to the public and charge admission fees, while also serving as a home for his pets.

"Exotic Zoo?" Jude felt the name sounded familiar, then suddenly remembered that his brother Connor had mentioned a large pet shop in the capital called Exotic Pet Shop. "Is the owner of Exotic Zoo the same person as the owner of Exotic Pet Shop?"

The waiter replied respectfully, "Yes."

No wonder————

Rumor has it that you can even buy tigers and elephants at "exotic pet shops".

It's perfectly reasonable for someone with such connections to take over the "Old Capital Zoo," which is used to house large, ferocious beasts. At the same time, it's reasonable for him to make an extra profit from the zoo's visitor revenue, which is in line with the nature of a businessman.