Chapter 499 - Gentleman Thief (1/2)

Chapter 499 Gentleman Thief

“I sneaked into the bedroom later, spening some time finding relevant evidence. I’ve also heard rumors that the congressman is good at everything, except he is afraid of his wife. It’s probably why he only dared to meet his illegitimate daughter secretly.”

Holmes used a knife and fork to cut the potato and stuffed it with bacon into his mouth as he talked.

Zhang Heng could see that he was famished. He didn’t have a bite of breakfast, and during lunch, he only a few bites from the meal Mrs. Hudson prepared for him. It was most probably the remnants of the drugs, where its effects hadn’t completely worn off. To make matters worse, he had been focusing on his work all the while. It was a miracle he lasted until now. If it were not for the earlier incident, Zhang Heng would have almost forgotten about it. In addition to Holmes’s extraordinary observation and reasoning ability, he was excellent at disguising as well. It wasn’t easy to look through Sherlock Holmes, but mostly after Watson wrote an article about what he did, his popularity had begun to rise to the point he had to put on some makeup in order not to be recognized He had the uncanny ability to masquerade as some a coachman, an older man, a beggar, an officer, or even a woman… If given a chance, Zhang Heng yearned to learn a little of those makeup skills from him. With lightning speed, Holmes devoured the food before of him like a starving animal. When the food had all been gobbled up, he put the knife and fork aside and let out a contented sigh.

“Tomorrow, I have a friend coming from France. Want to come with me to meet him?” “Well, what does he do?”

“He is a detective like me. His name is François Le Villard. He is a fledgling rookie. As of now, he is not very famous. Last year, I worked a case with him in France, and he’s a fascinating young man. Although he can be careless at the time, he actually has great potential. He didn’t say anything in the telegram, but I believe he didn’t come all the way to London just for a vacation. Let’s see why he will be visiting this time.”

Sherlock Holmes and Zhang Heng arrived at the pier early the next morning, waiting amid the thick fog for the steamer Seagull to drop anchor.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it,” Holmes stated, holding up his cane. “Before Watt invented the steam engine, no one thought that s.h.i.+ps could sail on the water without sails and oars. This magical machine did indeed change a lot of things. Now, factories to s.h.i.+ps, or trains, are inseparable from the power of steam. Such is the charm of science. The world changes rapidly every day. Change is the only constant, and no matter what industry you’re in, if you don’t acknowledge the change, you will soon be eliminated by it. For example, alkaloidsthis highly toxic substance had only been discovered decades ago, but I have noticed its appearance at a more frequent rate in recent cases I’ve investigated. Compared to traditional methods of murder, alkaloids can’t be easily detected.”

“I can’t agree more,” Zhang Heng said. Sherlock was in the era of the information boom, where all kinds of new and fantastic crimes had been emerging in an endless stream. Both criminal investigators and the criminals themselves continuously learned and improved their craft.

Sherlock Holmes could become the best detective in Great Britain or even Europe. He had never allowed himself to be complacent, though-his research and essays played an essential role. In fact, several experimental studies that he’d conducted had yet to demonstrate its safety and morality.

A quarter of an hour later, Villard walked out of the Seagull. He had red hair and a face full of freckles. Seeing Holmes, he was like a little fan that got to meet his idol, feeling excited and slightly abashed at the same time.

“I can finally see you again, Mr. Holmes,” Villard exclaimed excitedly as he shook hands.

“I’m glad to meet you too, Villard,” replied Holmes replied, before introducing him to Zhang Heng. After shaking hands with Zhang Heng, Villard continued, “I’m here to follow someone in London this time, and I wanted to visit you while I’m here.”