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The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 562 - 562 289 Gladstone’s Family Ethical Drama · Oct 21, 2026

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Chapter List (2338)

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551 Chapter 551 - 551 285 The Insightful Hastings_2 2026-10-21
552 Chapter 552 - 552 285 The Insightful Hastings_3 2026-10-21
553 Chapter 553 - 553 286 How Much is a Police Inspector’s Life Worth 2026-10-21
554 Chapter 554 - 554 286 What’s the Life of a Police Inspector Worth 2026-10-21
555 Chapter 555 - 555 286 How Much is the Life of a Police Inspector Worth 2026-10-21
556 Chapter 556 - 556 286 How Much is the Life of a Police Inspector Worth 2026-10-21
557 Chapter 557 - 557 287 Liverpool’s Chip Problem 2026-10-21
558 Chapter 558 - 558 287 Liverpool’s Chip Problem_2 2026-10-21
559 Chapter 559 - 559 287 Liverpool’s Chip Problem_3 2026-10-21
560 Chapter 560 - 560 288 Children Immigration Plan 2026-10-21
561 Chapter 561 - 561 288 Children’s Immigration Plan_2 2026-10-21
562 Chapter 562 - 562 289 Gladstone’s Family Ethical Drama 2026-10-21
563 Chapter 563 - 563 289 Gladstone’s Family Ethics Drama_2 2026-10-21
564 Chapter 564 - 564 289 Gladstone’s Family Ethics Drama_3 2026-10-21
565 Chapter 565 - 565 290 Social Dance Party 2026-10-21
566 Chapter 566 - 566 290 Social Dance_2 2026-10-21
567 Chapter 567 - 567 290 Social Dance Party_3 2026-10-21
568 Chapter 568 - 568 291 Golden Pig-Raising Expert 2026-10-21
569 Chapter 569 - 569 291 Golden Pig Breeder_2 2026-10-21
570 Chapter 570 - 570 291 Gold Medal Swineherd_3 2026-10-21
571 Chapter 571 - 571 292 The Secret of the Port Authority 2026-10-21
572 Chapter 572 - 572 292 The Secret of the Port Authority_2 2026-10-21
573 Chapter 573 - 573 292 The Secret of the Port Authority_3 2026-10-21
574 Chapter 574 - 574 293 Political Transaction 2026-10-21
575 Chapter 575 - 575 293 Political Transaction_2 2026-10-21
576 Chapter 576 - 576 293 Political Deal_3 2026-10-21
577 Chapter 577 - 577 294 The £200000 Transaction 2026-10-21
578 Chapter 578 - 578 294 The 200000 Pound Deal_2 2026-10-21
579 Chapter 579 - 579 294 The £200000 Deal_3 2026-10-21
580 Chapter 580 - 580 295 Corrupted 2026-10-21
581 Chapter 581 - 581 295 Corrupted_2 2026-10-21
582 Chapter 582 - 582 295 Corrupted_3 2026-10-21
583 Chapter 583 - 583 296 Early Human Love Issues 2026-10-21
584 Chapter 584 - 584 296 Early Human Love Issues_2 2026-10-21
585 Chapter 585 - 585 296 Early Human Romantic Problems_3 2026-10-21
586 Chapter 586 - 586 297 Medical Ethics Issues in the 19th Century 2026-10-21
587 Chapter 587 - 587 297 Medical Ethics Issues in the 19th Century_2 2026-10-21
588 Chapter 588 - 588 297 19th Century Medical Ethics Issues_3 2026-10-21
589 Chapter 589 - 589 298 The Duality of the Choleric Nightwatchman 2026-10-21
590 Chapter 590 - 590 298 The Duality of the Cholera Nightwatchman_2 2026-10-21
591 Chapter 591 - 591 298 The Duality of the Cholera Nightwatchman_3 2026-10-21
592 Chapter 592 - 592 299 Express Rush 2026-10-21
593 Chapter 593 - 593 299 Express Plus_2 2026-10-21
594 Chapter 594 - 594 300 Washington from the United States 2026-10-21
595 Chapter 595 - 595 300 Washington from the United States_2 2026-10-21
596 Chapter 596 - 596 301 Shooting Incident 2026-10-21
597 Chapter 597 - 597 301 Shooting Incident_2 2026-10-21
598 Chapter 598 - 598 301 Shooting Incident_3 2026-10-21
599 Chapter 599 - 599 302 Returning Kindness with Enmity 2026-10-21
600 Chapter 600 - 600 302 Gratitude for Revenge_2 2026-10-21

562: Chapter 289: Gladstone’s Family Ethical Drama 562: Chapter 289: Gladstone’s Family Ethical Drama Liverpool Old Dock, Gladstone Import and Export Trade Company.

From afar, the thundering sound of horse hooves crescendoed as Gladstone sped on horseback, skillfully slowing his pace as he drew near his destination.

The servant responsible for parking the guests’ vehicles in front of the door recognized the approaching figure and hurriedly stepped forward to take the reins from Gladstone as he dismounted.

“Young Master, what brings you here?”

Without much explanation, Gladstone, having removed his leather gloves, asked, “Is my father in?”

“He’s inside, but he mentioned he has to visit the port authority later.”

“The port authority?

Is the morning meeting over?”

“It just ended not too long ago.

You can see the fresh wheel tracks left by the departing guests; those are still fresh.”

“Don’t hurry with the carriage, I’ll go have a chat with him first.”

Having said that, Gladstone stuffed his gloves into the servant’s hand and then rushed up the steps toward the third floor.

However, before he could reach the third floor, he encountered his father on the second-floor landing, laughing and chatting with someone else.

The gentleman with speckled gray hair held a cane in one hand and pointed with the other toward the sky outside the window: “John, take a look at today’s weather.

A rare, fine sun in winter, accompanied by a slight chill, with a sea breeze carrying the tang of sardines, reminiscent of the day we first met.

Right there on the east end of the Old Dock, you bought a pocket watch from me, who was then a street vendor.”

Old Gladstone responded with a slight turn of the mouth and a slight shake of the head, “Robert, you truly swindled me that time.

That watch stopped working after just two weeks, and when I brought it back to you, you told me that repairs were part of after-sales service, requiring an additional half shilling.

Mind you, at that time, I was just an apprentice at the trading company and hardly earned a few coins.

How could you be so heartless.”

The gentleman known as Robert burst into hearty laughter and said, “My old pal, but didn’t you end up not paying a penny?

Not only that, you grabbed me by the collar and gave me a beating.

Yet, it was through these blows that we became acquainted.

Who would have thought back then that a trading company’s junior clerk and a watchmaking apprentice with poor skills could have come this far.”

Old Gladstone, resting his hands on his cane, joked with his old friend, “There’s nothing surprising about that; I’ve always believed that young people are full of endless possibilities.

Besides, I think the main reason for your success is that your pocket watches are now mainly used for export.

Customers can’t exactly swim across the Atlantic to settle accounts with you, can they?”

The elderly gentleman was not offended and replied with wit, “That’s not a big deal, John.

Don’t you have ships?

You bring the customers over, and we split the after-sales service fee.

Rest assured, I might sell tens of thousands of watches in North and South America every year, but the quality rate is no longer as low as it used to be.

If you could bring me a couple of ships’ worth of customers each year, that should do the trick.

By the way, isn’t William idle right now?

You could totally let him organize this.

Frankly, every time I see William, it’s like seeing a young version of you.

Whether it’s in business or something else, that youngest son of yours is bound to be promising.”

Gladstone had been preparing to walk over, but when he heard his own name mentioned in the conversation, his advancing steps involuntarily paused, and he froze in place.

“On the company’s side, his brothers are there to support it, which is enough.

As for him, I don’t have many expectations for him; having a decent career should suffice.”

“Ha-ha-ha, John, you and I are of the same mind.

When children grow up, for boys, we should arrange a decent career, and for girls, we should choose a husband with a decent career for them.”

“Heh, you’re not wrong.

The newspapers are always promoting some perverse and evil doctrines of free love.

The rhetoric of those journalists and authors is practically as vile as heretics.

Britain is now deeply poisoned by Byron and Shelley.”

“Well…

Getting back to the point, John, unlike you, I’m not blessed with such good fortune.

I don’t have a son to inherit the business, only daughters.

Anna married off to Scotland, Alice to Sussex, and both sons-in-law are first-rate.

But as they are eldest sons, they each have their own family businesses to inherit.

So now I can only pin all my hopes on Catherine, the youngest.

I thought with Catherine’s beauty, her marriage wouldn’t require much worry on my part.

But who would have thought, she turned out to be an odd one, not liking any of the outstanding young men I approved of…”

Old Gladstone became instantly alert upon hearing this.

He thought to himself, no wonder that remorseless old watchmaker was suddenly so enthusiastic about socializing with him after the meeting ended.

It turned out he was waiting here all along.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, the elderly gentleman hinted further, “John, I think it’s not suitable for a girl’s marriage to drag on too long.

According to British tradition, girls come of age at sixteen and attend social gatherings, usually marrying before the age of eighteen.

If it’s past twenty, that’s considered an old maid.”

Old Gladstone was adamant and merely stared out the window, saying, “Hmm…

Indeed, that’s how it is for girls, but a boy can afford to wait a bit longer.”

The elderly gentleman, upon hearing this, was choked up to the point of nearly gasping for breath.

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