The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1826: Chapter 113: Victor Is Sir Arthur’s Brother and Closest Friend

The autumn rain had just ceased, and the clouds had yet to fully disperse. The damp morning light spilled across the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, slanting down onto the newly painted three-story row house on the south side of Fleet Street.

A freshly hung black plaque with gold lettering on the light blue lintel boldly proclaimed:

Breaux Detective Agency (London Branch)

——Representative Office of the legendary Parisian sleuth Francois Vidocq in England

Yes, this was indeed the latest battleground opened in London by that old man who once stirred up a storm in the Security Department of the Great Paris Police Hall, striking down French criminals and Republicans, and who proclaimed himself a ”pioneer of criminal psychology” on the Left Bank of the Seine River.

The choice of location for the agency was quite clever: directly opposite was the editorial office of the Daily Chronicle, a few steps away was the office of The Guardian, and not far off was the printing plant where The Times was printed daily. If Scotland Yard was the heart of London’s law enforcement, then Fleet Street was the lungs controlling London’s media influence. Opening a business here was clearly not just for convenience in handling cases, but rather to be ever ready to become a subject of media coverage.

Since Vidocq tasted success in Paris, he increasingly understood the importance of fame to a person.

His autobiography was a hit in Paris, and Balzac’s creation of the character Vautrin, based on him in Old Goriot, further elevated his fame.

Ah, once a person has money in hand, they often no longer find satisfaction in material pursuits.

For Vidocq, who came from a poor background, neither culinary delights nor sensual pleasures could satisfy him anymore. He now sought spiritual enjoyment, wishing to be seen by everyone as a hero rather than the former criminal and that cursed cop.

In reality, Vidocq wasn’t a bad person, nor was he as virtuous as he claimed.

He was like most people in this world, flawed yet with merits.

However, due to his increasing fame on both sides of the English Channel, he inevitably started feeling the burden of being an idol. Vidocq’s black history could indeed not be erased, but he hoped to minimize people’s references to it. As for now? He began to speak out more frequently on public affairs, denouncing the inhumane prison systems, criticizing unreasonable regulations in the French legal code, and engaging in various charitable activities.

In short, he started to become less like Vidocq and more like Vautrin from Old Goriot. Perhaps professionally, he remained as stern as ever, but he also began to value cultivating his charisma and profound thought.

And right now, he had a suitable role model nearby—Sir Arthur Hastings, this young fellow 35 years his junior.

In Vidocq’s eyes, although this young fellow was several decades younger, he indeed had to learn about the art of ”fishing for fame” from the young man.

And this could be seen in many ”little things.”

In 1832, Arthur and Vidocq, one fired shots under the Tower of London, delivering a blow to Britain’s Radical Party, while the other, during the June Rebellion in Paris, safeguarded Louis Philippe’s throne, intercepting the French Republicans with thunderous force outside the Tuileries Palace.

But what about afterward?

Despite both being fiercely criticized by the media, Arthur not only pulled through but even became a diplomat and now is a guest of the British Crown Prince. Of course, Vidocq wasn’t doing badly either, now being a thorn in the side of the Great Paris Police Hall.

That morning, the entrance of the newly opened Breaux Detective Agency London Branch was crowded with onlookers, consisting of curious citizens and reporters from third-rate tabloids, even an editor from the Police Gazette sneaked in, holding a half-page interview outline.

Someone recited that plaque, saying, ”This name sounds like a circus, but I heard he indeed solved major cases.”

Someone else jestingly remarked with raised eyebrows, ”First, the French came to teach us how to cook beef, now they’re here to teach Scotland Yard how to solve cases.”

Another chimed in shouting, ”He should have set up his agency on Whitehall, right across from Scotland Yard, opening on Fleet Street shows he still doesn’t dare to confront those guys.”

However, the laughter didn’t last long and was quickly overshadowed by a sales chart displayed at the door.

Victor’s Memoirs

Sales Last Week: 1,300 copies

——Number one on this month’s bestseller list of The Guardian

——Selected by London Monthly Book Magazine: The most popular reading material among the middle class in the first half of the year

——London Household Magazine: ”Contains many hidden anecdotes about Parisian society, perfect for reading during afternoon tea, preferably with a cup of Jasmine Tea.”

——The Times: ”If what he wrote in the book is false, he’s a genius. If true, then he’s a miracle from France.”

——Manchester Guardian: ”To not read Victor’s Memoirs is to not truly know Paris’s underground society.”

Indeed, Vidocq had become incredibly popular in London.

In a manner that, to outsiders, seemed almost illogical in speed.

But to the chairman of the board at Imperial Publishing, Vidocq’s rise in Paris was no surprise at all.

Because the citizens of London were not unfamiliar with Vidocq. They had long known about this Parisian sleuth through plays, and Balzac’s Old Goriot further elevated this Parisian sleuth’s fame in London.