Back at the restaurant, Wayne happened to run into Lina in the hall and actually asked her a question.

Lina looked utterly confused. "There are so many options for face cream, why would we use lead white powder? And didn't you say lead was toxic when we were installing pipes at the base camp? Inessa and I even researched how much lead sugar it would take to discreetly poison someone to death."

Well, I really don't know much about these things...

At the same time, Wayne's curiosity was piqued. "So, did you figure it out? How much does it take?"

Lina's expression was disdainful: "Lead sugar is edible, and boiling glucose syrup in a lead container counts as 'lead sugar.' I had Parker use it to feed rats, and they were fine. If it's too concentrated, the taste is too obvious. Under normal circumstances, it's almost impossible to directly poison someone to death. Inessa also said that it would probably only cause chronic poisoning through long-term consumption, and the effect would likely be uncontrollable."

Hiss...

Wayne felt inexplicably guilty. "Researching the dosage is fine, but in the future, can you please not let the chef do such things? After hearing that, I don't really dare to eat Parker's food anymore..."

"The guy who puts holy water in food all the time has the nerve to talk about others." Lina raised an eyebrow at that, then her face became cunning. "Do you know what Parker was originally used for?"

"Was he used to make poison?"

"Not exactly. According to Master William's original design, its purpose was to taste potions to find the most suitable method of using poisons and assist in concocting potions that were least likely to be detected—mainly because living people might not have time to express their specific feelings, and their state of mind could easily be affected, so they might not tell the truth."

Good heavens, Lina using Parker as a chef actually counted as him 'turning over a new leaf'...

After finishing their side conversation, they found Inessa listening intently to Emma explain a problem, and the three of them began to discuss serious matters:

"I've been to the mill borrowed from the Beaton Family. It comes with a considerable amount of usable land and a matching wooden house. I plan to set up the Detective Agency's base in Richmond there. At the same time, it will also be the centralized production 'workshop,' and the restaurant here will gradually return to being a normal 'restaurant,' relatively independent from the Detective Agency."

"What's the situation like there? Is the environment safe?"

"The specific location is roughly here on the map, on the edge of the Plantation, near the steam train line, so transportation is quite convenient... Safety is hard to say, but I've already asked Miss Mary's brother to help contact carpenters and workers. When the time comes, a wooden fence can be built around it, which should make it less likely to be disturbed, and the mill itself has a high vantage point."

"Huh? But what about Parker? Can a restaurant really operate without a chef?"

"We plan to open more than one restaurant, so it's impossible for one chef to handle everything. Rather than seeing a decline in reputation later on, it's better not to involve Parker directly from the start. Arranging the chef at the 'workshop' to control the production of sauces, processed cheese, cured meats, and luncheon meat might be more valuable."

"According to the previous plan, wasn't the mill only supposed to produce luncheon meat and then try to promote it in the Dock Area? Why are there suddenly so many other things?"

"That's because the area is spacious enough... And if the restaurants can get off the ground, the demand for these things might not be small. We can't spend every day boiling processed cheese and mincing meat. It's more convenient to mince it directly with a windmill and then send it over."

"I feel like your operations have suddenly expanded so much... It doesn't even look like you're just opening a restaurant anymore."

"You don't understand, do you? Business is very complicated. Even the grand hotel you want to open is the same. The supply of food and consumables needs to be considered in advance every day, as well as Supporting leisure facilities. It's not just about providing accommodation."

A simple consensus was quickly reached, as the restaurant's area was limited and still undergoing renovation, making it inconvenient for so many people to live there.

Doug, as the 'butler,' was first informed of the partners' various requirements and appointed as the person in charge of on-site supervision.

Some things are better done sooner rather than later. Inessa happened to want to observe the site firsthand, and Lina brought Emma along for the fun, so Wayne quickly decided to take everyone back to the mill.

Besides letting his own people 'learn the way,' it was also to let the stewards at the Plantation 'recognize the people,' so that if anything happened in the future, they would know which people from the Detective Agency to consult, instead of waiting for Wayne's approval for everything.

Unexpectedly, several Agents, upon hearing about it, volunteered to go and assist Doug, including Liam.

Wayne suspected that this guy hadn't been disciplined lately and was perhaps itching for trouble again.

A quick inquiry revealed that although Connal was currently out delivering messages, many Agents still inherited his 'demolition spirit':

"If the area is large enough and has walls, can we also set up an 'Arena' at the 'workshop'? While Connal is away, we must familiarize ourselves with the environment in advance, and it's best to include the river terrain within the scope. Then we can see if we can take the opportunity to deal with him."

It's not impossible... But 'Arena ranking,' at the end of the day, was just 'amateur entertainment' and 'one of the assessment indicators' for the Agents. Is there really a need to be so enthusiastic about it?

It seems there are still too few entertainment options these days. Wayne considered whether the Detective Agency should open another 'talent show Arena' in the future.

They could organize artistic competitions like opera, dance, and instrumental music, and even hold a gala during festivals... At least it sounds healthier than 'fighting all day long.'

So, 'one carload of people' turned into 'several carloads'—some Agents were too shy to volunteer but were equally interested—and they all headed straight to the Beaton Family's Plantation.

Upon arriving at the Plantation, the steward was initially startled by the Agents' display, thinking he had inadvertently offended Wayne earlier, and that Wayne had now brought people to 'settle the score.'

Fortunately, although the stewards and overseers at the Plantation had guns, they dared not easily pull them out against white freemen.

The misunderstanding was quickly cleared, and the steward became even more respectful towards Wayne and the other 'spokespeople' of the Detective Agency. He then had a pleasant conversation with Doug, presumably they would be able to cooperate well in their future work.

The group took a rough tour around the mill. Aside from not being too satisfied with the smell inside the existing wooden house, a group of people who could adapt to outdoor camping life weren't very picky about the environment.

The partners discussed the overall layout for the next stage. Doug quickly picked a corner, planning to raise birds there. As for Emma, if you don't manage her too much, she can entertain herself. The Agents, meanwhile, researched which areas wouldn't be needed and would be suitable for an Arena, with some even starting to fish.

When it was dark and time to head back, some Agents requested to stay and camp there—anyway, they would just be sleeping on the floor back at the restaurant, and sleeping in the mill was more spacious.

Doug, on the other hand, was genuinely staying there because the first batch of craftsmen, who were also 'scouting the site,' had just arrived. They also settled on a price with Wayne, and with 'money not being an issue,' arrangements could be made for people to start bringing in timber and begin construction tomorrow.

So Wayne conveniently bought some food from the stewards, and everyone simply had a bonfire party, making some simple barbecue.

A pigeon that came with the car was also released, with a route map tied to its leg, so interested Agents at the restaurant could also come over—for example, Ryan, who was busy chasing girls and hadn't come to join the fun.

Meanwhile, in the city of Richmond, others were alarmed by this development:

"Those people from the Wayne Detective Agency, they all left the city this afternoon?! What are they trying to do?!"

"Could it just be a coincidence? Corleone's funeral is tomorrow; no one should be causing trouble at this time."

"Have you forgotten how much happened on the night the newspaper announced Corleone's death? Can you guarantee that nothing will happen today?! After Corleone's funeral, it's the new bishop's 'secret election.' Those northerners probably don't want us to attend!"

"Then..."

"Quickly arrange for people to find them! We need to act before them! They left the city collectively; there's no way they went the whole way without any witnesses! Bishop Jonathan Crownz has already declared he won't interfere, and Tiriel is now on their side. If that Wayne brings the people Corleone left behind and takes action again, any of us could end up dying mysteriously like Bazzini and his men!"