abnabooks Chapter 15 Anti-Suppression Bureau
Chapter 15 Anti-Suppression Bureau
"...That's the gist of it. We only managed to catch one small, clandestine gathering." Felix's helpless voice echoed in the office.
Lucius then realized that the so-called "Evil Name Capture" required three data collections to accurately locate the target; the first two collections could only determine the locations Marcus had stayed in during that period.
"Officer Felix, didn't any of the people at the party mention Marcus?" he asked curiously.
In his mind, if seven or eight people are arrested, one or two will speak up in order to protect themselves.
"That's the hardest part." Felix took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, but didn't light it; he just twirled it between his fingers.
He began to describe the members of the gathering in detail:
"There are quite a few people in Hull who are capable of pursuing mysticism, most of whom are people who already have considerable wealth and status."
The second sons of noble families, who could not inherit titles and lands and were unwilling to try their luck in the colonies, devoted their excess energy to the pursuit of extraordinary power.
The shareholders and executives of the largest trading companies on the East Coast traveled to every corner of the Western Continent and parts of the Southern Continent, bringing back things that shouldn't have been brought back.
There were also several retired military supply suppliers, and a speculator who had made his fortune in the colonies...
They achieved worldly success, but found that worldly success could not satisfy the deeper hunger that arose after they had glimpsed the extraordinary.
So they gathered together, exchanging snippets of information they had gleaned from different sources, trying to piece together a path to true supernatural power.
To maintain secrecy, they wore masks and covered their bodies completely at every gathering.
The members didn't know each other but were unusually united; we couldn't even separate them to ask questions.
Their respective lawyers will simultaneously pressure us with bail, writs of habeas corpus, and at least six different legal procedures.
Felix's tone turned somewhat angry at the end, clearly indicating his extreme dissatisfaction with the power behind these nobles and wealthy merchants.
Lucius was helpless; he had no say in the situation.
He shifted the conversation back to the main purpose of his trip, sitting up a little straighter:
"Officer Felix, I've made up my mind. I want to join you."
Felix calmed himself down, took out two copies of the contract from a drawer under his desk, and smiled:
"Take a look at this contract. If there are no problems, sign it."
Lucius took one of the contracts; in his previous life, he had systematically studied how to interpret the hidden meanings behind the terms of every contract in order to find a job.
The term "mutually agreed termination" essentially means "the company can unilaterally force you to leave."
The seemingly neutral term "comprehensive working hours system" actually means that you can be legally required to work overtime without being paid overtime wages.
But at that moment, as his fingers turned over the parchment, he discovered that there wasn't a single small word trap in the writing.
The contract has a title printed in bold at the top:
Labor Contract for the Third Squad of the Anti-Suppression Bureau, Hull, Yorkshire, Kingdom of Horn.
Yes, it's an employment contract, no problem.
Lucius chuckled inwardly at his overly pragmatic judgment and continued reading.
One day off per week, eight hours on duty each day.
Overtime work requires the team leader's approval and must be recorded. Overtime hours will be counted as compensatory time off or paid on a weekly basis.
Travel expenses, accommodation expenses, and material purchase expenses incurred during field investigations can be reimbursed in the same month, provided that an invoice or handwritten receipt is attached.
The confidentiality clause took up a full page and a half, and included:
The document states that "the existence of the Sequencer must not be disclosed to ordinary citizens without security clearance in any form," "access to the Secret Service requires prior notification and permission from at least two official members," and "unauthorized disclosure of internal documents of the Anti-Suppression Bureau will result in the highest level of disciplinary action."
The wording of these clauses was much more direct than his previous life's employment contract, without a single deliberately vague expression like "to be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations."
Lucius read line by line until he finally saw the salary section at the end.
His eyebrows rose, his pupils dilated slightly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"A weekly wage of £5.12 shillings, plus workers' compensation, medical insurance, and... housing allowance!"
He originally thought that 22 shillings a week would be generous enough.
This is the salary level of an ordinary patrol officer in the Hull Police Department, enough for him to have money left over after paying his rent so he can have a dinner with meat.
But £5.12 shillings is a completely different tier.
That's already within the salary range of respectable professions like junior clerks in law firms, mid-level administrative officials in municipal governments, and deputy managers in bank credit departments.
It has more than tripled.
This means he could receive more than £22 a month and move out of that cramped single room at 13 Baker Street.
Rent a two-bedroom apartment with a living room on Princes Avenue, and even hire a live-in maid who comes three times a week to clean and do laundry.
Felix chuckled when he saw him staring at the line of numbers for a long time without saying a word.
His laughter carried the pride of a veteran member in the organization's benefits:
"Mr. Lucius, our squad's salary comes from the Unyielding Order, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the contract."
Our third squad is affiliated with the Unyielding Order, and our salaries are paid directly by the Order's finance department.
He stood up and walked to a metal decorative panel hanging on the office wall.
This is a finely forged iron plate, its surface engraved with burning flames—the emblem of the Unyielding Order.
"Iron products, weapons and equipment, precision jewelry and instruments... the cult monopolizes the metal forging industry in the entire Kingdom of Horn, and naturally possesses unparalleled wealth."
He turned to look at Lucius and smiled:
"If it were a team sponsored by another church, such as the Tower of White Doves, it would be quite good if they could provide their members with a weekly wage of 2 pounds."
Lucius nodded in understanding. If the daily output of a skill can be directly converted into economic value, then practitioners in that field will naturally have higher market prices.
He went through the contract again from beginning to end to make sure nothing was missing, then looked up:
"I'm fine now."
"Then sign it." Felix took a pen from the pen holder and handed it to him.
Lucius took the pen and signed his name at the end of the two contracts in front of him: Lucius Anderson.
Felix put away the contract, stood up from behind his desk, walked over to Lucius, and extended his hand.
"Welcome. From now on, you are one of us. The seventh member of the third squad of the Hull City Anti-Suppression Bureau."
The seventh? Lucius quickly recalled the members he had seen so far:
Felix himself, Oliver the Radiant, Miles the Ghoul, Charles Williams who exudes a sense of class distance, and Eleanor who just stormed out of the drawing room.
That makes five already. Adding himself, that makes six. Felix says he's the seventh, so there's still one person who hasn't shown up yet.
"Captain Felix, who is our last member?"