The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 920: Chapter 27: Commercial Director in China

In the small hotel, Victor and Arthur were almost face-to-face, smoking silently.

The two of them just sat there without saying anything, and the current situation didn’t seem suitable for cheerful chatter either.

Though these two were the best detectives in the French and British police forces, capable of addressing almost everything, this time, it appeared they had both miscalculated.

On a Thursday afternoon, what type of guests would come to an unremarkable small hotel and rent rooms? And what was their purpose?

This was a topic quite worth investigating.

Of course, not investigating wouldn’t be an issue either.

Thanks to the hotel’s less-than-stellar soundproofing, even without seeing for themselves, Arthur and Victor were already quite aware of the guests’ current activities.

The people next door, Balzac and Mrs. Bern, naturally needed no mention; they were there to revise Balzac’s newly completed work. Of course, aside from revising, they might engage in other activities as a diversion.

As for those whose main occupation wasn’t writing, their purposes were even more straightforward.

Even though the afternoon sun was obscured by heavy clouds, the air in the room had become more sultry than before.

Victor, smoking calmly, teased Arthur across from him: ”Brother, don’t tell me you’ve never encountered such a situation back when you were at Scotland Yard.”

Arthur shrugged and said, ”Encountered them, naturally. In our line of work, isn’t it typical to choose such timing to make a move? But, being surrounded by love affairs from all directions is indeed a first. Mr. Victor, is today some kind of special day in Paris? How can a small hotel have such booming business?”

Victor lowered his voice and laughed, bending forward, ”Brother, there’s something you don’t know. Every working day, when husbands are out of the house, it’s always a good day for Parisians.”

Arthur joked, ”Every day like this? In that case, Parisians sure have boundless energy. When I first came to Paris, Alexander told me eating asparagus strengthens the body, I didn’t believe it. But today’s experience in Paris finally made me believe. Although I don’t know the scientific explanation behind it, the facts speak for themselves.”

Victor was delighted and said: ”Come to my house another day, and I’ll have my cook prepare some asparagus to boost your energy. In London, you eat jelly; in Paris, it’s asparagus. What’s the saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You must blend in with the locals, right?”

Arthur didn’t refuse Victor’s invitation. He was always interested in this senior figure in the detective world: ”I’ll definitely try the asparagus, but more importantly, how did you figure out in just two days that this hotel is a gathering place for these philanderers?”

Victor couldn’t help but boast upon hearing the question: ”Perhaps what I’m about to say will upset you. But, brother, that’s the difference between you and me. By simply standing in front of someone and observing them for a few moments, I can immediately discern their sexual orientation, whether they like men or women, are con artists, perverts, or gamblers. I honed this ability from time spent in jail when I was younger. After joining the Security Department, I even spent weeks mingling with these people to observe their behavior patterns.”

Arthur asked curiously: ”Mingling with these people? Gamblers and con artists might be easy to find; you only have to infiltrate a criminal group to encounter a bunch of such small fry. But perverts and homosexuals, where did you encounter them? Are Parisians so open that they’d blatantly share their sexual orientation with others? Has ’sodomy’ been abolished here?”

”No, of course not abolished. Paris and London are alike; sodomy is a capital offense.”

Victor, holding a pipe, said: ”But just because it’s a capital offense doesn’t mean no one engages in it. At least, I know there is a gathering place for male prostitutes on the right bank of the Seine River. From the Louvre to the Pont au Change, you can spot them occasionally. I mingled with them to observe how they searched for clients and then how they extorted and blackmailed them afterward. They threatened clients that if they didn’t pay double the fee, they would report the clients to the police for engaging in sodomy, getting everyone hanged together.”

At this point, Victor added a reminder: ”By the way, that young man who entered the room opposite us? He’s a homosexual. I saw it right away. If you don’t believe me, I’ll lure him out, strike a deal, and you can save me at the right moment. If you want, we can even scheme to extort him. However, I don’t highly recommend it; they don’t have much to offer. Our primary focus should be on punishing those scammers.”

Arthur listened, quite intrigued, and casually asked: ”Are all your riches obtained from those scammers?”

Victor chuckled: ”Brother, what do you take me for? I’m making an honest living now.”

Arthur saw the slyness in Victor’s eyes but chose not to point it out directly.

Whether at Scotland Yard or the Great Paris Police Hall, everyone has some less-than-honest revenue streams.