บท 7: Benefactor, You Can Dress Up As A Woman
บรรณาธิการ: Atlas Studios
Tang Luo didn't hear what those people said.
However, he could clearly feel the Cotland Yard's anxiety, or rather, their desperate measures in desperate times, as well as the unscrupulous measures they practically couldn't hold themselves back from adopting.
Firstly, as a foreign detective with nothing on him and zero means whatsoever to prove his identity, the Cotland Yard didn't bother getting to the bottom of his identity. They very easily and readily accepted his identity. They even gave Tang Luo credentials that allowed him to go about doing things easily and conveniently.
With those credentials, Tang Luo now had a status equivalent to that of an auxiliary police officer. He could even enter residents' homes to conduct searches and only needed to present those credentials.
Being in possession of a gun wasn't an issue either.
Other than that, the Cotland Yard even provided Tang Luo relatively confidential inside information. Even the entirety of their investigations' results was given straight to him. Within which, a list of suspects that didn't look in any way as if it should be given out was even included.
After giving him the list of suspects, the agent who received Tang Luo hinted desperately that the Ripper was definitely one of the people on the list. All of them might be, but they didn't have any evidence to support that claim.
Thus, it wasn't appropriate for the Cotland Yard to take any action. They hoped that the foreign detective Xuanzang, who had come from a distant land, could find evidence of their crimes.
Once the murderer was caught, Tang Luo would receive handsome rewards immediately. The agent placed special emphasis on the words 'caught' and 'rewards'.
Tang Luo nodded in response, though whether or not he understood the Cotland Yard's hint was a mystery. He then left together with the credentials and information.
The hint was straightforward. They wanted Tang Luo to spare nothing at catching the culprit. It was alright even if it weren't the true murderer. What they needed was to at least provide an explanation for things.
Due to Tang Luo's foreigner identity, he could just up and leave after settling everything. Even if the Ripper were to resurface and commit murders again in the future, the Cotland Yard could just claim that it was a copycat.
And should it happen repeatedly? Then they could just push the blame onto the foreigner Tang Luo.
To think in a slightly more sinister manner, they could even arrest Tang Luo and push him out to appease the masses' fury when necessary.
In any case, they needed to shift the attention away from themselves—the people's terror and fury needed a venting outlet.
Using foreigners as the toilet paper to wipe their asses was the most appropriate course of action. Whether or not he was a real detective, the Cotland Yard couldn't care less. Of course, the ideal outcome was the foreign detective capturing Jack the Ripper for real—that would be to everyone's delight and satisfaction!
Tang Luo didn't take to heart the Cotland Yard's plans and intentions.
Without their 'cooperation', how could he get his hands on credentials and magically transform into an authorized detective so easily?
When it was nearing noon, Tang Luo returned to the hotel. Other than the information and credentials, he also brought a few sets of clothes with him.
They were for Little Chu and the others to change into. Their clothes, especially Little Chu's pink pajamas, were still rather out of place here.
Li Liang's clothes were also stained with blood. If it were possible, they naturally needed to be changed.
So that they could do as the Romans do when in Rome.
The group was gathered in Tang Luo and Li Liang's room and flipped through the information.
Every single one of them was solemn. Their brows were tightly furrowed, and the looks on their faces were awful.
The photographs of the victims in the information had created a fairly large impact on them. And these were black and white photographs that were rather blurry. Had they been in color, the impact would probably have been even stronger.
Tang Luo didn't join them. The Jade Lotus of Virtuous Merit rolled about continuously between his fingers.
A bit more power of virtuous merits had built up within. It was from the punishment he had given to the Ripper Gang's members.
Other than encouraging kindness, he could also obtain the power of virtuous merits through punishing evil.
"Master, are we going to the crime scenes or interviewing the families of the victims next?" asked Little Chu.
"Sure, all of you can go. Bring the photocopy with you and leave the original behind for now," replied Tang Luo as he hung the Jade Lotus of Virtuous Merit around his neck once more.
Tang Luo had expressed that he had assistants and might split up to carry out investigations. Hence, the Cotland Yard had given him three copies of the same credentials—the original document and two photocopies.
"Aren't you going, Master?" asked Little Chu.
Tang Luo shook his head. "No, my identity as a detective is fake. I'm just a bit more adept at fighting. I can't even compare to Watson, who's able to detect blind spots. Going there would just be a waste of time and energy. Just the lot of you going will do."
Li Liang followed suit and said, "I'm not going either."
Considering that weak and feeble tone of his and his pale complexion, it wasn't appropriate for the others to drag him along too.
To be honest, they didn't want to go around with Li Liang, either.
Who knew whether or not there were any problems with that fellow? It was better to stay away from him.
Only Tang Luo, owing to his superb ability, was gutsy enough and didn't mind in the least.
After a short discussion, the remaining four—two men and two women—still decided to head out. Even though they weren't detectives either, what if they made any discoveries?
Just as the four of them were about to head out, Tang Luo suddenly asked, "Oh, by the way, do any of you know how to
The others exchanged looks in silence. The atmosphere turned awkward at once.
'Master Xuanzang, even if you're a monk, asking something like that is too much!
'There are still girls here whose looks are getting plainer by the day due to the lack of makeup. How are we supposed to answer?'
Evidently, Little Chu and the high school student, Little Zhou, weren't that thick-skinned to the extent of proudly admitting to it or lying through their teeth and denying it.
"Whoever knows how to, hold on to this revolver. You can use it for self-defense."
Tang Luo fished out a derringer that was smaller than most typical revolvers.
"…"
'Master, don't you know that it's very easy for you to get hammered to death if you talk like that?'
Little Chu and the others definitely wouldn't be able to defeat Tang Luo in a fight. Thus, in the end, Little Chu, who looked the most reliable out of them all, took the revolver.
Tang Luo also reminded them that should they meet members of the so-called Ripper Gang, they must take care to hide their knives and guns properly, as well as avoid being discovered by the other party and taken revenge upon.
After realizing that such a method of begging for alms was how Tang Luo's money came about, these few people found it even more difficult to maintain their expressions.
So, was it a vicious person who up and went and became a monk? Or was it the monk who turned into a vicious person? This was a question worth deep contemplation.
Little Chu and the others left.
Li Liang lay back down on the bed, moaning and groaning as he did so. He acted as if he was half-dead.
"Master, you're too vicious. I feel like I'm about to die," said Li Liang to Tang Luo.
"Amitabha, this monk has very fine control in his actions. Benefactor, yours doesn't even count as light injuries, much less anywhere near death."
"But I feel like I'm not going to make it." Li Liang went on. "I feel like my body has been hollowed out…"
"Maybe your body has been hollowed out." Tang Luo smiled strangely.
His smile was so strange that Li Liang 'reinvigorated his spirits' and sat right up. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just speaking casually. You need not take it to heart."
How could Li Liang possibly not mind? Could it be that it was like what Zhou Zhenguo had said? Had his guts been ripped open by someone in the toilet?
Since when did Jack the Ripper have a career change and become the War God of Toilets?
Li Liang reached out his arm and touched his body all over. But apart from the wounds at the corner of his eye and on his arms, he really couldn't find any other injuries.
"Master, you don't think I'm already dead, right?" Li Liang suddenly had a weird thought.
Tang Luo cast a glance at Li Liang in surprise. He replied, "Typically, the moment those who are unaware that they have already died realize that they are already dead, they will experience sudden death right away."
After making sure that he wasn't experiencing sudden death, Li Liang heaved a small sigh of relief. Then, he went back to the topic. "There isn't some kind of Ripper hiding in my body, right? Like a mutation?"
Tang Luo complimented him, "Your imagination in this aspect is pretty active."
Li Liang didn't ask any further. He wasn't getting anywhere with his questions to this Master Xuanzang anyway.
Even though everyone addressed this guy as Master, in truth, he was a ferocious warrior monk.
He was adept at fights, but as for other aspects…
Li Liang could only sit there with a heart heavy with worries and let his thoughts run wild with a troubled look on his face. He was as though a person who had contracted the flu, googled about it, and then started penning a note with his last words.
On the other side, Tang Luo closed his eyes and regulated his breathing to treat his injuries.
Every little bit counted. Since he was free, recovering even a little would still count towards full recovery.
The sky slowly darkened.
When the travel-worn Little Chu and the others hurried back, they couldn't hide the fatigue on their faces.
After rinsing their faces, they sat back down and began to discuss the case again.
At first glance, it seemed as though they were very productive.
But on closer attention, they were still revolving around the clues provided by the Cotland Yard.
Holmes wasn't 'trained' just by conducting interviews and carrying out investigations for half a day.
After a brief discussion, everyone realized as well that they had been saying the same thing over and over and had almost turned into audio playback machines.
And so, they stopped the discussion. They looked in Tang Luo's direction and asked, "Master, do you have any thoughts?"
Tang Luo was at least the one and only 'adult of society' there.
Just a trip to the outside, and he had successfully 'begged for alms' from gangsters and even gotten everyone an identity, which allowed them to carry out investigations conveniently.
He looked extremely reliable.
'And so, we've decided that you're the new person to cling on tightly to!'
"I do indeed have a bold idea," replied Tang Luo.
Tang Luo didn't plan on hiding his identity as a monk in front of others who were also players and Employees of Gods and Demons.
"Go on, Master."
"Since we can't find Jack the Ripper, why don't we change our way of thinking and let him come to us instead?" Tang Luo suggested. He even cast a glance over at Li Liang.
His inspiration seemed to have come from Li Liang.
"How do we let him come to us?" asked Little Chu.
Tang Luo picked up the information from the Cotland Yard and flipped it open. He said, "The Ripper's victims come from all walks of life. However, they center around women nonetheless."
Out of 25 victims, 15 were women.
"Also, they were always assaulted outside. All the murders took place at night as well. We can determine that the targets whom the Ripper prioritizes are single women who loiter outside late at night instead of going home."
Li Liang thought of his situation. It seemed to match very well too. He had run outside to the toilet right before dawn and hadn't closed the door.
Apart from the fact that he wasn't a woman.
"I don't think many would dare to loiter outside alone at night," said Tang Luo. "Therefore, there's no harm giving it a go. Who knows if it might be able to lure Jack the Ripper out?"
Little Chu joked and said, "Master, are you intending to practice entrapment?"
"Yes." Tang Luo went on. "The two female benefactors here, which of you is willing to be the bait? I will try my best to protect you."
The room fell silent at once.
Being bait was an extremely dangerous task. One might just die if they weren't careful.
Who would be willing to do it?
"Master, we can take it slow. We don't need to be so extreme," replied one of the girls.
"Yes, yes, yes."
The other girl also nodded repeatedly.
"Since the two of you are not willing, then we'll give up the idea." Tang Luo didn't intend to force them to do it, which made both women breathe a sigh of relief.
Tang Luo then turned to look at Little Chu. "Benefactor Chu, why don't you do it?"
Little Chu was stunned for a moment before he replied, "But Master, I'm a man."
"It's alright. The night is dark. Benefactor Chu, you can dress up as a woman."
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