Under the gloomy sky, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove into Kerr Street, stopped in front of the Church of Truth, the glass door opened, and Dilloc Holmes pressed his hat with one hand, and his leather shoes stepped on the stone steps of the doorway.

He didn't go in for the first time, but stood at the door and stopped to watch, looking at the quaint architecture of the church and the surrounding environment, just as he was observing with relish....

A young man dressed in Father Davaris' robes walked out, holding a velhide book in his arms, and looked at him with some surprise:

"Mr. Holmes? What are you doing here? ”

"Father Mavi...."

Holmes retracted his gaze and said with a smile: "I came to discuss something with you, I don't know if it is convenient for you now?" If it's not convenient, I'll come back another day. ”

"That's right," said Ma Wei, who thought for a moment, "originally planned to go out, but since the famous Mr. Holmes has made a special visit, then I have to do my best to say that the friendship of the landlord is coming, and it will rain soon, so please come in." ”

"Thank you."

The two entered the church and sat silently on the same bench, separated only by a fist, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were shoulder to shoulder.

Sherlock Holmes took off his tall felt hat and held it in his hand, and was not in a hurry to speak, admiring the tall and magnificent statue of the god in front of him, as if he was fascinated.

It's better than a fox... Ma Wei sneered.

From the meeting a minute ago, the psychological game between him and Sherlock Holmes has officially begun, and both sides want to take the initiative in the next conversation, and want to use the words to achieve a high psychological position, so as to overwhelm the other party's momentum and achieve their own goals.

But....

Ma Wei, who has received an elite education, has a deep knowledge in the psychology of negotiation.

"I'll pour tea."

Ma Wei got up and walked into the kitchen, brought out two cups of hot and steaming black tea, put them in the empty seat between himself and Sherlock Holmes, and softly interrupted the other party's thoughts: "Mr. Holmes, please have tea." ”

Sherlock Holmes took a deep look at Mavey, scooped up a spoonful of sugar and put it into the teacup, then picked up the cup and took a sip: "Very fresh tea.... Looks like you're a big fan of tea, Father. ”

"Tea has a calming magic, and I really like it."

"You've got two cats, two great cats."

"Does Mr. Holmes like cats?"

"I don't like it, I don't hate it..."Sherlock Holmes pulled out a box of matches, "Can I smoke?" ”

"Please."

Cha!

The leaping flames rose abruptly, and as soon as they came into contact with the dense golden smoke, there was a sizzling burning sound, and Holmes shook the matches, took a beautiful puff, and let the thin smoke drift into the air over the church.

"I'm here today to ask the priest for a small favor." He said.

"Even Dilloc Holmes had a headache in trouble.... I can't necessarily help much. Mavi smiled.

"It's because you're here that you can help me."

Sherlock Holmes said expressionlessly, "I want to borrow your power." ”

Hearing this, Ma Wei raised his eyebrows lightly and asked tentatively, "Why are you looking for me?" Wouldn't anyone else? ”

"I don't know them, so why should I ask them for help?" Sherlock Holmes stipped his pipe and stared at the tall statue, "I have no connection with other churches, you know that very well, if I had received the power of some god's gift, I was almost killed last night?" ”

"Hmm...."

Last night at Madame Maggie's house, Holmes's life was indeed hanging by a thread, and if it wasn't for Mavi to let Fat Orange come to his rescue, he would have died under the claws of the golem.

It was precisely because of this reasoning that Ma Wei let Holmes and the others leave, but he still didn't know if there were other forces behind Holmes, such as the royal family, aristocratic background or something...

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Ma Wei put down the teacup: "Let's hear it." ”

"Just half an hour ago, Baron Bill received a notice from the Rose Thieves that they would steal their family's treasure, the Blood Rose, at 8 p.m. the day after tomorrow." Sherlock Holmes said: "I have not fought the Rose Thief before, so I don't know what he is doing, and what happened last night made me realize that the world seems to be changing dramatically, just in case... I'd like to ask you to help me catch the Rose Thief. ”

"Do you suspect that the Rose Thief is a member of a church?"

"There's a possibility, I'm not sure, after all, he's always elusive, and no one has ever seen his true face...."

After a pause, Holmes added, "If the Rose Thief is as good at magic as Gilbert Wilkin, then I'm certainly no match for him, but if the priest is by your side, it may be different." ”

Mavi was silent, bowed his head, and began to think about whether or not to accede to Holmes's request.

He also wants to catch the Rose Monster Thief, everyone's starting point is the same, cooperation is not impossible, but the key is....

Sherlock Holmes wants to make himself his deputy and follow his command, while Mavi wants to use the Rose Monster Thief to gain the friendship of the nobles of New Ross, and then contact the city lord Prince Arthur to quickly develop the church.

As a deputy, all the credit will go to Holmes, who is only a helper, like a subordinate who follows Inspector Macmillan, and cannot attract the attention of the nobles.

As a result...

Won't his plan fall through?

"I can grant your request, but..."

Ma Wei narrowed his eyes and said, "The relationship between us is cooperation, not assistance. ”

"You're going to catch the Rose Thief too?" Sherlock Holmes said with a look of surprise: "He has no grudge against you in the past, and no grudge against you in the near future... Oh, I see. ”

Suddenly, a smile appeared on Holmes's face, and while playing with his walnut cane, he said faintly, "It seems that your situation is not very optimistic, Father. ”

As a great detective with logical truth, Sherlock Holmes is not in vain.

Standing on Ma Wei's standpoint, he used his brain a little, and he figured out the key.

"It's no wonder that in the past two days, there have been divine servants from other churches in the city who have been secretly visiting to investigate what divine envoys are." Sherlock Holmes suddenly realized: "If I am not mistaken, the oracle is.... Father, can you please get it to take its claws off my neck? ”

A slightly warm breath hit the back of Holmes's neck, but instead of feeling a trace of warmth, his hair stood on end.

Fat Orange appeared behind his seat at some point, his glittering paws only a few centimeters away from his neck, ready to fall at any moment.

"Fat orange, be respectful to your guests."

Hearing Ma Wei's voice, Fat Tang hesitated for a moment, reluctantly retracted his paws, and turned to leave.

"Father, I'm curious, how exactly did you hide the oracle?"

There was a strange light in Holmes's gray pupils, and he had just walked away from the ghost gate, and he actually began to dance on the tip of the knife again, like a madman who was willing to sacrifice his life for the truth.

Seeing his expression, Ma Wei smiled, shook his head and said, "Order." ”

"Order?"

"In the past, stray cats had their own territorial ranges and often fought, but as long as they were unified, condensed into a group, an organization, and given order, they would undergo qualitative changes!" Ma Wei said loudly: "Just like ants, the power of social creatures is not to be underestimated!" Orders are forbidden, uniform, and all they lack is a monarch, a monarch of cats who can convince them! ”

"The one who just left?"

"Don't underestimate it, it's very intelligent, especially after receiving the power of gifts, its IQ is higher."

"I'm not underestimating it." Sherlock Holmes smiled and said, "It's just that Father you haven't answered my question yet...."

"Oh, I'll let them live in the church for the time being, go out early and come back late."

"Won't anyone find out?"

"Who can track a cat?" Ma Wei spread his hands: "They are the most mysterious creatures in the city, and they don't follow the usual path at all. ”

"How is the food problem solved? Now that they have order, they must not steal fish and meat to eat as before, and the daily expenses are also astronomical. ”

"I give them money and let them go to the market to buy food on their own, and as for the change, I have another way."

"Hmm... Is this really foolproof? Holmes said to himself: "I have walked around the city a few times in the past two days, and I found that near the churches, more or less, there are some eyeliner stalking, so many stray cats, will not be found?" ”

"They're spying on the church, and the cats are spying on them."

Ma Wei pointed to the top of his head, and said with a smile: "Condescending, overlooking everything." ”

"Great! I even ignored the habits of cats! ”

Holmes' eyes lit up, and he got up and said, "As you said, Father Priest, let's work together to capture the Rose Thief!" ”

"Well, I'm going to rush back now, think about it...."

Muttering, Holmes left the church, rode in a carriage parked at the door, and hurried toward Ross Boulevard.

"Why did you let him go?"

Fat Orange returned again, jumped on the stool, and asked, "He's so smart, once he becomes an enemy, he will have endless troubles!" ”

"The chances of him being an enemy are slim to none."

Ma Wei took a sip of the cold black tea and said softly: "A smart person, will he say out loud the clues he found in the enemy camp?" What's the difference between this and looking for death? ”

"What if he's pretending?"

"Is this necessary? None of us know how to read minds, and if he doesn't tell it, who knows he'll find out? Ma Wei said leisurely: "Take 10,000 steps back, even if he pretends to be it, it doesn't matter, there are cats staring, there is no need to be afraid at all." ”

"But you just told him about it! He's going to be wary! ”

"What if you know? His every move is under our surveillance, and once the secret is revealed, we can receive the news as soon as possible, right? ”

"You just believe in him like that?"

"He hasn't shown anything suspicious since I first met him, so what reason do I have to suspect him?"

Ma Wei looked at the gloomy sky outside the window, and sighed faintly: "If the church wants to develop and grow, it is not enough to have money, talent is the most important thing, if we can pull him into our camp, it will be a huge help!" ”