Chapter 593: Adjustment

Three more people joined the dining table, and Connal, no longer daring to eat, honestly “confessed everything.”

“After releasing the pigeons the night before last, our steam train stopped at a temporary station. The ‘Underground Railroad’ member leading us said it was to make way for other trains, but the specific stop time was uncertain. To avoid delays, we secretly boarded a steam train that had priority, and later we were discovered by the guards on the train…”

What Connal actually encountered was a bit different from what Wayne and the others had previously speculated. The place where they transferred was not the “abandoned station” Wayne and the others went to tonight, and the location where they were discovered was even further from Richmond.

However, with a little imagination, this could also be “another piece of the puzzle” regarding that arms depot – special trains might have security regulations similar to “routine inspections” before entering that abandoned station, and Connal and his companions, who were “hitching a ride,” just happened to run into one.

After being discovered by the guards, Connal and his companions knew they were in the wrong and did not engage in too fierce a confrontation with the steam train guards. Their chosen strategy was “self-preservation plus escape,” but the train guards were relentless and even dispatched a team to pursue them.

So, they had to avoid exposing their identities to prevent trouble for the Detective Agency, while also controlling the intensity of the conflict to avoid meaningless casualties for both sides. After two days of this back and forth, they finally shook off their pursuers and found the workshop’s location, arriving back about half an hour earlier than Wayne and the others.

Wayne was a little speechless after hearing it, but their actions weren't wrong. In any case, no harm done was a good thing.

His gaze shifted to the others beside Connal. Two of the faces were familiar; they had participated in the Detective Agency’s interviews in Kankakee City before. The remaining three were unfamiliar, but seeing that Doug wasn't putting on airs, they probably also knew each other from Kankakee City.

Wayne greeted them individually, “It seems you are all old friends. Are you all interested in joining our Detective Agency? We are still short-staffed and warmly welcome like-minded friends to join.”

Everyone on the other side responded positively, and Connal quickly added, “Besides these few, two more groups will arrive a bit later. The total number should not be less than sixteen. These are all good hands, but some were not in Kankakee City at the time. We even roughly thought of nicknames on the way. We’ll let everyone see if they fit then.”

Anyone affirmed by Connal would likely not have poor combat ability. Wayne and the others had already arrived, so they joined in eating and took the opportunity to get closer and deepen their understanding of each other.

The specific interviews and onboarding training were left to Doug, and Lina would oversee daily assessments. As for their actual skill levels, that would become clear after a few appearances in the Arena.

He just hadn't expected Inessa, the “senior Hunter,” to have such strong Cohesion.

Aside from the salary, one of the things that attracted these individuals to the Detective Agency was that Inessa was also a partner in the Detective Agency, which provided an authoritative endorsement. Consequently, members of the Hunter Association were more inclined to recognize the Detective Agency compared to other civilian organizations.

Alas, you are all dignified Americans,

Why are you also engaging in that “worshipping foreign things” behavior…

Lina directly complained at the table, “Wow, it feels like the Detective Agency is really about to become a branch of the Hunter Association. If the Detective Agency gets any bigger, the local church will probably want to eradicate us, right?”

This gave Wayne an opening to speak, and then the partners subtly expressed their attitudes during their casual chat. Some matters were set in stone through their banter.

The Detective Agency is the Detective Agency, and the Hunter Association is the Hunter Association. They can “integrate,” but they cannot be “distinct.”

Anyway, Doug, Ryan, and Willie are not members of the Hunter Association, and they are familiar with the people from Kankakee City, so they are perfect for managing them.

...

The small unexpected event passed smoothly, and the next day, production at the workshop began before dawn.

The newly arrived “probationary Agents” had not yet been assigned work; their main focus was on onboarding training and familiarizing themselves with the specific operations of the Detective Agency.

However, they were clearly surprised by the situation in the workshop: “Isn’t the Detective Agency’s main business arresting wanted criminals? Why have they changed to operating food production?! And why are there black-skinned slaves?”

Doug spent a lot of effort explaining these things, for example, that the Detective Agency had already established two offices and would have more in the future, that Willie and his team were constantly investigating and prosecuting gangs, that the Detective Agency also cleared out bad guys without bounties, and that the Detective Agency’s business was divided into several parts, including not only the workshop but also a restaurant.

“As for the slaves who help out, they are considered people from the Plantation, and their relationship with the Detective Agency is a ‘hiring relationship.’ The cooperation between both parties is a win-win, and it can also improve their living and eating conditions, at least making their lives a bit better.

“But you must not help them escape… If you truly sympathize, it’s best to do it at other Plantations, at least don’t implicate the Detective Agency…”

Although America uses the same constitution, the ideas of people from the West and the “Southerners” are ultimately different.

Compared to supporters of the “Underground Railroad” organization, these new members, who had just arrived in Virginia, had a more complex view of slaves. To use Wayne’s words, it was probably a superposition of “sympathy in their hearts” and “disgust upon seeing them.”

If they encountered slaves on the run, Westerners might very well “lend a hand,” but if the slaves intended to settle in their towns, then Westerners might very well “fire a shot”—even if they thought the “little black girls” were “quite good-looking,” they probably wouldn't escape that shot.

It's very difficult to resolve such ideological matters with just a few words, so everyone can only try to adjust and see. Those who can adapt will adapt, and those who truly cannot adapt will simply be assigned to the office—out of sight, out of mind, “a gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen,” after all.

Daimon McQueedy originally wanted to “practice” with the new members, but there was no trustworthy combat power stationed at the main base at the moment. After dawn, he was rushed back, taking the reluctant Emma with him.

If the new members complete their onboarding training, it might be possible to arrange for two of them to swap shifts with him, but not so soon. For now, he just had to hold down the fort.

After a few days of the restaurant being open, although there were factors like “promotional marketing,” its overall popularity still exceeded Wayne’s expectations.

Especially the separate sale of luncheon meat, the customer base was almost completely different from what Wayne had envisioned. He had originally thought that this starchy meat product, which screamed “cheap” from top to bottom, would probably only be considered by the working class. However, the actual purchasers were mostly housewives from economically comfortable families.

Wayne pondered for a long time and thought it might be due to the publicity from Miss Olivia in the upper-class social circles.

Fortunately, this trend was not bad. If economically well-off families could accept it, then the promotion of luncheon meat in the Dock Area would probably not be a problem.

After checking on the restaurant, Wayne immediately went to the City Hall to complete the necessary procedures. Next, he would start arranging people to go door-to-door marketing in the Dock Area.

Some procedures also required a trip to the state government. Wayne also took the opportunity to find Victor Beaton. That guy was quick; he had already left Richmond and started organizing militia training in various counties.

However, with his connection, his office secretary was quite friendly to Wayne, and many pieces of information were casually shared without any “hesitation.” Thus, the secretary’s words quickly piqued Wayne’s curiosity again:

“An arms depot? That should just be rumors from the public—Mr. Wayne, you know, they love those conspiracy theories. Information on military facilities of the state militia and the Federal Army is always publicly available. Detailed information is, of course, confidential, but the general location and overall quantity are easy to find. There’s no such thing as a ‘secret depot.’”

Hmm…

I saw it with my own eyes, and even snagged two lever-action rifles from inside. Could it be fake?

Is the secrecy level of that thing really that high…?