Chapter 799: A Return to a Familiar Place

Jowood District, outside the Kauim Company.

Klein got off the carriage and glanced around, as if he had never been here before, feeling a strong sense of novelty.

But in fact, he was not unfamiliar with the area. He knew that across the street was the Jiadeli Department Store, quite popular among the middle class, and that not far away there was a famous Xin's Disi Pie shop.

He had once staked out here, tracking Doragu Gale, following him to find clues about his affair!

Withdrawing his gaze, Klein, accompanied by his valet Richardson, walked toward the entrance of Kauim Company, where Lady Mary and her maid were already waiting.

——In the relatively conservative Loen Kingdom, a lady's personal servant must be of the same sex; otherwise, one's reputation would suffer greatly, affecting social life and marriage. Therefore, even if Lady Mary's personal servant also functioned as her secretary, needing to master social etiquette, business knowledge, and have certain negotiation skills, she could only choose from women with good education or relevant work experience, and could not consider men.

Similarly, gentlemen's valets and business secretaries also had to be of the same sex.

Of course, even so, those who could not control themselves still engaged in immoral behavior. In Backlund, every year, relationships between servants and employers occurred, and most of the victims were maids. They were either deceived, coerced, or seduced into becoming their male employers' mistresses, and when discovered, they were mercilessly fired, losing their jobs, and then, due to their damaged reputation, could no longer work as servants, and many were forced to become streetwalkers.

"Good afternoon, Dwayne." Lady Mary smiled as she approached.

Klein bowed and said: "Good afternoon, Madam. This area is truly bustling."

Such words were roughly equivalent to discussing the weather.

Mary responded with a few words, then led Dwayne Dantès through the entrance of Kauim Company and said with a smile: "A professional will give you an explanation later and take you around the place.

"In about half an hour, we'll go upstairs. I've prepared a cold buffet and invited some friends from different fields."

Friends from different fields... This is about expanding my social circle... Very sincere! Klein nodded lightly and said: "As a newcomer who just arrived in Backlund not long ago, I always look forward to meeting more friends."

"No, you don't seem like a newcomer at all. In my opinion, you are a true Backlund gentleman who has received a good education." Lady Mary replied politely.

As they spoke, they passed through the door and entered a well-lit reception area, where a burly man in formal attire with two beautiful whiskers was waiting.

"This is Luke Summer, the First Manager of Kauim." Mary introduced him to Dwayne Dantès.

I actually know him... Klein looked at Luke and nodded with a smile.

In his heart, Luke Summer was a very steady, very professional gentleman. He loved machinery, had a host's demeanor at dinners, neither looked down on the poor detective who was not yet famous at the time, nor deliberately flattered the middle-level employees of the Backlund municipal departments who lived in Minsk Street.

"This is my friend, Dwayne Dantès. He is very interested in anthracite and high-quality charcoal. Please give him a detailed explanation." Mary then said to Luke.

Having been instructed beforehand, Luke stepped forward, looked at the wealthy man from Disi Bay, showed a gentle smile, and said respectfully: "Mr. Dantès, this is the headquarters of Kauim Company... We have long-term agreements with several anthracite mining areas... Our supply of anthracite and high-quality charcoal to the Jowood, Hillston, North, and West districts accounts for 30% of their total demand, and we have a good chance of securing a large order from the Navy..."

I have never seen Luke with this expression before... Klein remained calm as he followed the other around Kauim Company, listening to his explanations and occasionally asking a question, but made no commitments.

Half an hour later, they went up to the second floor and entered the large conference room.

It had been arranged in advance, with tables placed against the walls, plates of food scattered on them, mainly cold dishes like ham, smoked meat, sausages, bread, salad, cake, pudding, and also a few hot dishes.

As soon as they entered, Mary introduced Dwayne Dantès to two gentlemen standing nearby: "This is Mike Joseph, a reporter from the Daily Observer, and this is Alan Cris, an excellent surgeon. In Backlund, you will always have a need for them."

Klein listened to Mary's words while smiling at the two gentlemen, nearly twitching at the corner of his mouth.

These are all people I know very well! Well, I'm even more familiar with the fetus in Alan's wife's belly. Hmm, that sounds a bit strange... Klein muttered inwardly, patiently waiting until Mary finished introducing Dwayne Dantès to them, then politely greeted Mike and Alan.

Mike Joseph hadn't changed much from last year: sparse eyebrows, rough skin, still charming blue eyes. And Alan Cris, although essentially cold and introverted, no longer showed it as obviously. He seemed to have been going very smoothly in the past six months, whether in mood or confidence, at a peak.

Upon hearing that Dantès was a wealthy man from Disi, Mike took out his business card and handed it over with a smile: "You don't mind me promoting myself, do you?"