章節 16: 16. Content of Entrustment
[Haunted House]
[Location: Simp Park]
[Belfast has never been a playground for children, as it faces the constant corrosion of sea winds and potentially lethal industrial smog, although it has improved recently. As one of the representatives, Simp Amusement Park, other than the circus and creaky carousel, has nothing but some flowers and plants. This newly established, well-crafted, and diligently staffed Haunted House doesn't fit the local atmosphere at all—and seriously, would someone actually pay money to see these ghostly things?]
[The answer is yes, and there's a lot of idiots (please allow me to call them that) who pay to see the actors dressed as ghosts, claiming how real the ghosts inside are… Come on, why pay for fake ghosts when you can encounter real ones for free?]
[This information comes from a curious soul or rather someone who's been scared by the Haunted House, having suffered from nightmares for days after visiting. They suspected that the ghosts in the Haunted House weren't actors but real spirits, so they're planning to post a commission to the Detective Agency.]
[Payable remuneration: 50~200 Shillings. He's just a commoner with a bit of money, unable to afford much.]
Note: My brother from Simp Park told me that other than the opening of a Haunted House, there have been no other eerie incidents in the park.
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[Madam Anne's Art Gallery]
[Location: 23 Da Vinci District]
[Rumors suggest that there are sculptures that move around at night and paintings that come to life in the art gallery. You know, in a place lacking any artistic atmosphere like Belfast, it's normal for the public to fear sculptures and paintings. Decades ago, they were even afraid of cameras… Have I gone off-topic?]
[Anyway, quite a few night shift workers have been scared off. They claim that the nights there are extremely terrifying, even more desperate than being by the sea at night.]
[This piece of information was obtained privately. I heard that the gallery manager is not yet considering hiring an Exorcist—at least not until a customer gets attacked. However, they are hiring for the night shift right now, with the pay raised to 20 Shillings a night. Boss, you could give it a shot; if you do catch a ghost, it's a good chance to bargain with the owner—who I heard is very wealthy from out of town.]
[Payable remuneration: Unclear. The gallery owner is a stingy fellow, especially since he hasn't seen a ghost with his own eyes.]
Note: My brother from the Da Vinci District says the gallery's business is poor, which comes as no surprise.
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[Mysterious Forest Shadows]
[Location: Stover Logging Camp]
[This commission is posted by several lumberjacks, claiming that every evening in the forest, moving shadows and strange communication noises can be observed. After a few secretive observations from a distance, it was found that even when it's dark, the mysterious shadows in the forest don't disappear. Those lumberjacks hope to uncover the truth and drive away the ghosts.]
[The commission has been on the bulletin board for a few weeks, ignored by all. Those capable of dealing with it don't care for the money, and those who do need the money don't have the ability to cope. I asked around with some friends secretly; they said that Stover Logging Camp is still transporting several carts of logs out every day, and the lumberjacks themselves seem to have no issues. So is it possible that someone's playing a prank?]
[Payable remuneration: 180 Shillings. Each of the six lumberjacks is offering 30 Shillings.]
Note: I don't have any brothers living there.
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[Abandoned Asylum]
[Location: Rhodest Port Suburbs]
[The Asylum, the mental hospital, call it what you will. I heard it closed down three years ago due to poor management—since the hospital was privately owned, the land has remained unsold and fallen into disuse. Residents nearby have consistently heard horrific screams emanating from the forgotten Asylum ever since it was abandoned.]
[It is said that after the asylum closed down, all the medical staff left, but some of the patients who were sheltered and confined inside were forgotten, left there to this day.]
[The client is a relative of a patient, to be exact, a cousin. His cousin Edward was rumored to have been sent to the asylum after going mad, and then there was no news of him. He didn't have the courage to go in himself, so he posted a commission in various streets, looking for someone to go to the asylum to search for his cousin.]
[Compensation that can be paid: 100 shillings. The client believes that the place is just terrifying, but no paranormal phenomena will occur.]
Note: The brothers from the suburbs told me that the above is true, those people left some penniless patients without a family behind, which is truly pitiful. Hopefully, they weren't locked in iron cages.
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[Library Ruins]
[Location: Belfast Library]
[The ruins of Belfast Library still lie there unattended to this day, which is a sad testament to the government and the public. However, that doesn't really concern us.]
[This information doesn't have a client. It appeared here because the old librarian believes that some books in the ruins haven't been burnt, so he placed an ad asking residents to search the ruins for any unburnt books (a copy of the daily newspaper is included as a bonus), and the old librarian will buy each book for 5 shillings.]
[I tried it, and all I got was tired to death, and almost got hit by charred pieces of wood, and found nothing else. The reason it appears here is just that I personally think you, boss, might be interested. If you're really short on cash, you can try your luck, but don't get your hopes up too high.]
[Compensation that can be paid: 5 shillings per book.]
Note: A brother near the library told me there might be undead wandering in the ruins, and some people have seen human figures moving around at night without any light.
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After sorting through many commissions Oliver had organized, Lu Li discarded some due to the low reward or high likelihood of ghosts, leaving a few spread out on the table, arranged by priority.
Having reviewed the five commissions for the third time, Lu Li set his primary target as the haunted house.
Just for investigating whether there were ghosts, there were quite a few shillings to be made, and Lu Li certainly wouldn't miss out.
However, there was a slight change in plans. When contacting the client, Oliver told him that the commission had already been taken.
Lu Li then settled for the second option, Madam Anne's Art Gallery.
The pay of 20 shillings per night was merely on par with a sales clerk, and being a night worker meant Lu Li could only work during the nighttime. But he knew one thing for certain, shillings were not easy to come by.
Instances like Henry swindling his own father were truly one of a kind, and Lu Li, with only a Spirit-Calling Gun, couldn't take on commissions to eliminate ghosts like a real exorcist.
Lu Li still had much to learn.
The upper class might have a lot of money, but Lu Li wasn't planning on getting too involved with them just yet.
Early capitalists and nobles were like a mix of vampires and hyenas, insatiably greedy and excessively demanding.
Lu Li did not believe he could hold his own against them.
To avoid someone else contacting the gallery first and accepting the commission, Lu Li decided to visit Madam Anne's Art Gallery, located in the Da Vinci district, that very afternoon.
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