"Thank you, then, Mr. Vidocq, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your valuable experience in the field of criminal investigation. I think the people of Scotland Yard and all of London will benefit from the stories you share today. ”

Vidocq buttoned up his hat and stood up, saying, "Like I told you, it's not that hard to handle, you just need to understand that things are rarely what they seem, like skim milk disguised as cheese."

I don't need to tell you this, young man, you may have realized this sooner than I did. When I was 20 years old, I was still in prison all day. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and said, "And the best way to get those criminals to confess is not to enforce them harshly, but to do justice for them." ”

When Vidocq heard this, he couldn't help but glance at Arthur, and he reached out and patted the young man on the shoulder.

"You've got the gist of it. If someone is willing to live a good life, but to do something on the charge of killing their heads, except for a few perverts, most of them are because there are some unspeakable secrets.

As long as you can find out the secret hidden behind him and solve the puzzle for him, then he will definitely not mind giving his life, because from the moment he does it, this type of criminal has already made up his mind to die.

You've learned so much so early on, I'm sure you'll be a good cop in the future. The only thing you need to do now is to be careful not to get caught up in the maelstrom of power struggles, which is why I have been ostracized at the Grand Paris Police Department because I have suffered in this regard. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled helplessly: "The whole world is the same, and France and Britain seem to be no different in this regard." Mr. Vidocq, it's too late for you to say this to me, and we can't help ourselves in what we do. ”

Vidocq laughed when he heard this: "That's right, looking back, a fifty-year-old thing like me can make them jealous of a few cases, and it's simply impossible for a twenty-year-old young man like you not to be suppressed."

It's gold that always shines, and this sentence is actually farting, but the reality is that it's gold that will be squeezed out wherever it goes. Of course, there are exceptions, and that is that your piece of gold is banked, in other words, you have to have a background. ”

Arthur stood up with a notebook full of memories and sent Vidocq out the door.

"I've learned a lot from you today, whether it's darkening your complexion with walnut dyes, making fake blisters with wax, or mimicking blemishes on your face with sticky coffee grounds.

This camouflage skill is simply unparalleled. Where did you learn these techniques? ”

Vidocq pressed the brim of his hat and lifted his cane and said, "Part of it was my own thoughts, and part of it was learned from my lover. Don't forget, one of my former lovers was a famous Parisian actress.

Although she just kept me with me as a boring pet at the time, I did learn a lot from her.

But what I'm teaching you today isn't superlative, I remember you said you were going to have a concert at the Coburg Theater this weekend, right? Wait until that day, and I'll play you a high-level hand. ”

With that, Vidocq brushed his clothes and walked with a composure stride toward Hyde Park, across the street.

But his last sentence made Arthur frown: "Playing a high-end hand? ”

He looked back at Alexandre Dumas, who was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading The Human Comedy, and said, "Alexander, I think you'd better find a place to hide on Sunday." Although Mr. Vidocq didn't mean to take you directly today, no one can tell what he thinks in his heart.

If he breaks in and forcibly captures you when I'm not at home on Sunday, I'm afraid I won't have time to help you. ”

When Dumas heard this, he waved his hand disappretently: "Come on, from what I know about him, he is too lazy to do this kind of thing." Mr. Vidocq was a man of rebellion, he hated the Republicans and the Royalists, and he liked nothing but to do things with his senses. If he is really willing to be obedient, then he is the chief of the Grand Paris Police Department at this time, how can it be the turn of the others? ”

Arthur heard Alexandre Dumas take the initiative to mention this, and couldn't help but smile and ask, "Don't you say that I haven't remembered that when Monsieur Vidocq was talking about the French Revolution just now, you neither refuted nor reprimanded him, Alexander, this is not like you." Aren't you a self-proclaimed republican fighter? Mr. Vidocq denigrates the Republic so much, how can you say nothing? ”

Arthur heard Alexandre Dumas take the initiative to mention this, and couldn't help but smile and ask, "Don't you say that I haven't remembered that when Monsieur Vidocq was talking about the French Revolution just now, you neither refuted nor reprimanded him, Alexander, this is not like you." Aren't you a self-proclaimed republican fighter? Mr. Vidocq denigrates the Republic so much, how can you say nothing? ”

Alexandre Dumas rolled his eyes and said, "Of course I want to say something, but I also want to score something." The governor Joseph Le Bon that Mr. Vidocq mentioned was a real bastard.

Just because a parrot raised by a man will say, 'Long live the king,' his head must be cut off. Anyone who was considered a nobleman was to be guillotined. And let the local people report and expose each other, a small Ostend can actually find out hundreds of nobles, Lebon is no longer a revolution, but killing people for fun and seizing property.

It was because there were so many such people in the Revolution that it failed. On the side of republicanism, I still agree more with Monsieur Hugo's point of view that there is an absolutely correct humanism on top of an absolutely correct revolution. People should not do evil for the sake of doing good, and the overthrow of the throne is not to permanently erect a guillotine and overturn the crown, but it is necessary to spare the head. ”

Hearing this, Arthur took a sip from his teacup: "So that's why you opened the arsenal and bombed the Tuileries Palace?" ”

Alexandre Dumas glared and said, "Opening the arsenal is for the revolution, and after the revolution is successful, I will consider whether to let go of my head." ”

Arthur raised his eyebrows and said, "What if the king's head was pierced by a bullet before the revolution succeeded?" ”

Alexandre Dumas shrugged when he heard this: "Then it can only be regarded as his bad luck, I just promise not to liquidate him." ”

Arthur laughed, "You know pretty well." ”

After that, he turned to ask again: "But after listening to Mr. Vidocq talk about his experience today, I found out whether the prison escape of Edmund Dantès, the protagonist of "The Count of Monte Cristo", is ......"

Dumas blushed and coughed when he heard this: "I did draw on some of Mr. Vidocq's real experience, but I also did some artistic processing, so you can't conclude that I am plagiarizing." And most importantly, Mr. Vidocq doesn't care about us playwrights borrowing from him, and he enjoys being written into his book.

Balzac, Hugo, and I, all friends with him, told us about his legend and taught us some practical criminal knowledge. In return, we will naturally write him into the book and make a name for him. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just nodded: "This kind of personality is really quite French." But then again, since Mr. Vidocq doesn't mind someone else using his experience to create a book, does that mean I can too? ”

Alexandre Dumas raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course, but you'd better add a little more of your own experience, if it's original, you might as well go straight to Mr. Vidocq's memoirs, that book is not without an English version."

And I also think you should take this opportunity to write a book, the magazine is still very empty at the moment, and needs some other articles to fill in the content. We don't want you to write well as a beginner, at least better than Elder. ”

When Arthur heard this, he went back to his table and did it, and he pondered for a long time, when suddenly his eyes caught a glimpse of the crow mask placed in the deepest part of the bookcase.

He looked at the white paper in front of him, and then at "The Human Comedy" held by Alexandre Dumas.

A flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and for a moment, Arthur seemed to have discovered the true use of literary magazines.

He might be able to do something more important than making money with the magazine, which is bound to become a hit, and that he can't even do as Superintendent of Scotland Yard.

Arthur pulled out his quill and dipped it twice in the inkwell, and his usually steady arm hesitated again and again, and finally put the pen down tremblingly.

Dumas sat next to him, and when he looked up, he saw an attractive line of headlines on the paper - "Hastings Detective Collection: The Undead from St. Giles"

The second watch will be tomorrow morning, and there will be one shift in the morning and one in the evening.

(End of chapter)