If Londoners were to name the locations that represented the homes of London's magnates and prominent businessmen, Marylebone and Mayfair would be at the top of the list, and Marylebone would be home to some of Marylebon's brightest architectural stars on the border with Mayfair.

In the immediate vicinity of the bustling shopping street Oxford Street and the Royal Gardens Regent's Park, there is such a new residential area, the Regency Crescent.

Sir John Nash, a royal architect, designed many notable architectural projects during his lifetime, such as the renovation of Buckingham Palace, the landscape design of Regent's Park and Mary Bone Park, as well as the construction of Trafalgar Square, St James's Park and the Hymac Theatre.

But that didn't stop the Regency Crescent from being the most outstanding work of his life.

Since the completion of the Regency Crescent in 1820, royalty, dignitaries, and wealthy businessmen have flocked to the place, and courtesans who have set their sights on establishing relationships with them have regarded it as the highest temple of social gatherings.

The completion of the Regency Crescent naturally led to a rapid rise in housing prices in the vicinity, with numerous luxury stores and large commercial districts established nearby.

Arthur once had the opportunity to buy a small apartment here, but at that time he only had a vague idea of the price of the house here, and it was not until he learned about it later that he was quite glad that he did not take it from Lionel Rothschild in the first place, otherwise the favor would have been too heavy.

But looking back, it's a pity not to take this place, after all, except for Buckingham Palace, there should be no other place like the Regency Crescent, and you can see so many big people who shook Europe when you wake up in the morning.

Thankfully, a friend of Arthur's has recently moved to a new home, and this is where his new home is.

In the early morning of London, the fog had not yet cleared, and in a thin layer of moisture, the wheels slowly stopped in front of the Regency Crescent.

With a black riding boot treading on the stiff grey brick road and smoke rings belching from under a large-brimmed hat, Arthur looked up at the moon-like moon-like complex, with the stunning view of Regent's Park, one of the former George IV's most proud masterpieces.

With just one action, his figure was captured by the guards guarding the entrances to the Crescent Tower.

The guard walked up to him, first looked his clothes up and down, and then asked, "Sir, who are you looking for?" ”

Arthur simply replied, "Mr. Charles Wheatstone, I have already made an appointment with him." ”

The guard suddenly realized, "Then you should be Mr. Hastings, right?" Mr. Wheatstone had already greeted us last night, so just go up to 2-1B and I'll show you the way. ”

Arthur nodded slightly, and under the guidance of the guards, Arthur soon came to the door of the room with a black iron and gold rimmed door number.

The guard rattled the bell gently, and with the sound of a few jingling bells, the door was not long open, and the face behind the door was none other than Mr. Wheatstone, with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

He wore a nightcap on his head and yawned and stretched: "Arthur, so early?" ”

Arthur glanced at him and just asked, "Did you just fall asleep?" ”

Wheatstone let him in, poured himself a cup of coffee, and nestled in the sofa by the fireplace in the living room: "I was a little too excited to move to a new house, and I couldn't sleep when I lay in bed tossing and turning. ”

Arthur looked at the six-bedroom room with two floors, and put the gift in his hand on the coffee table: "It looks good, it shouldn't be cheap here." ”

Wheatstone sank into the sofa satisfied, squinting his eyes only to feel that his head was dizzy as if he was stepping on clouds: "It's really not cheap, a full four thousand pounds, if it were changed to Greenwich, this money would be enough for me to buy a street." ”

Arthur raised his eyebrows: "No wonder you didn't want to take the perfume yesterday, and you had to ask me to pay cash, it turned out that it was because of this house." Mr. Aitel is really right, women can do it with coaxing, a bottle of perfume can do it, but most men can't. ”

Wheatstone sipped his coffee and asked, "Who is Mr. Aiter?" ”

Arthur took off his hat and hung it on the coat rack: "A painter and professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, if you are interested in painting a portrait of him, I have his business card here." But by the way, the price is not cheap. ”

Wheatstone thought for a moment, and finally said, "Then it's going to be a while, this house almost cost me almost the money I paid for selling the gramophone." I'm also planning to open a branch in Regent Street, and I can't leave the rest of the money in a mess for the time being. But then again, what did you do so early today? You can't just come to give me gifts, right? ”

When Wheatstone said this, he suddenly asked again: "By the way, is your perfume yesterday, Rui Riddle, really expensive?" ”

Arthur picked up his coffee cup: "It depends on how you define it, if it's two hundred pounds a bottle, it's definitely not worth it." However, for those high-class ladies, let them pay a few pounds or even a dozen pounds to make an appointment, I believe that some people should be willing. You haven't met Mr. Riddle, so you shouldn't know that he's actually quite experienced in pinching noblewomen. Hunger marketing, customization, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have known anyone had already played it in the 19th century. ”

Wheatstone savored it: "That...... Maybe I should have given him a vote before he could do it. Is Mr. Riddle interested in opening a shop on Regent Street? When I have a shop there, I might consider setting aside half of the area for him to sell perfumes. ”

Arthur just smiled, and he threw the business card in his pocket in front of Wheatstone, "Go talk to him yourself." I don't think Mr. Riddle will want to see me again in the short term, he seems to hate the police. But I can understand that this is a common problem of the French. ”

Wheatstone shook his finger and said, "That's different, Arthur, he hates the cops because he thinks you're going to knock him off, but if you can help him make money, then his attitude will change soon." You see, take me as an example, I hate dealing with other people, but we both get along okay now, because I made such a good house by selling records and gramophones, then those things are over. ”

Arthur took out a pen and paper from his jacket pocket and recorded: "Charles, it seems that your social phobia is almost better. In that case, would you be interested in giving a lecture at the Royal Society next month? It's not a matter that I've been dragging on Mr. Faraday's side, by the way, I have a bit of gossip here, because of the invention of the phonograph, the Royal Society seems to be planning to build an acoustic laboratory and let you be the head of the department, I don't know if you are interested? ”

When Wheatstone heard this, his whole person stiffened: "Forget about the speech, and still specialize in the laboratory?" How did they come up with it? It's fine for me to stay at home and make it myself, I'm not interested in the lab. ”

Arthur asked, "Don't you go if you have special funds and job salaries?" ”

Wheatstone shook his head and said, "Arthur, you worked in Scotland Yard, so you don't know how low the treatment of the Royal Society is, haven't you seen that Mr. Faraday's tuxedo for his speech has been washed and washed, and he has been reluctant to change it for several years?" I'm much more comfortable now than I am at the Royal Society, and let me be the head of the laboratory, and I might as well go back to my musical instrument shop. ”

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly pondered, "Then you say, if I persuade Mr. Faraday to come out, is there any chance of success?" ”

Wheatstone only thought he was joking: "Come out and do it?" Mr. Faraday was probably not happy, he didn't care much about money, he just wanted to do his experiments quietly. It wasn't that there were no companies that wanted to invite him out before, but he rejected them one by one. Let me say that although Mr. Faraday is highly respected, his status is still underestimated.

It is said that Sir Newton was the closest man to God, and as his tombstone in Westminster Abbey reads - nature and the laws of nature are hidden in darkness. God said: Let Newton go! And so everything became bright.

And it seems to me that Mr. Faraday is the closest man to Sir Isaac Newton. The mysteries of electricity and magnetism, too, are in obscurity, in darkness, and it is Mr. Faraday who shows us the way.

However, such an outstanding person suffered from poverty because he was too tendonous. If Mr. Faraday had Sir Newton's half of the camp, he would have been either rich or expensive at this time. ”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked, "Drill camp?" Are you referring to the time when Sir Newton took calculus as a stock and lost ten years of his salary in the South Sea case? ”

Wheatstone argued: "People make mistakes, and Sir Isaac Newton was no exception. Besides, didn't he admit his mistake too? He said: I can predict the movement of the planets, but I can't predict the movement of crazy people. Besides, Sir Newton had the unrestricted tax exemption granted by the king, and losing some money was nothing to him. If Mr. Faraday had learned some tricks from Sir Newton, he would have been much better off than he is now. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just shook his head: "I think it's a blessing that Mr. Faraday is not like Newton, Charles, you are in a blessing and don't know how to be blessed." I went to a shop on Sir Newton on Regent Street a while ago, so I happened to know something. ”

Wheatstone wondered, "For example? ”

Arthur sipped the slightly bitter coffee in his cup and said, "Take Sir Newton's famous saying: If I see farther than others, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants. Many people thought that this was Sir Newton's self-effacing words, but in fact it had nothing to do with modesty, and that he was merely angry with his rival, Mr. Hooke.

However, since Sir Newton ordered the burning of all portraits of Mr. Hooke after his death, most people do not know much about Mr. Hooke. I will only emphasize here that Mr. Hooke was a notoriously short man, so you now understand what Sir Newton meant by that, right? ”

When Wheatstone heard this, he couldn't help but laugh: "Is what you said true?" I don't know he's done that. ”

Arthur said, "So now you understand how happy it is for the Royal Society to be led by Mr. Faraday, right?" If Mr. Faraday were replaced by Sir Newton, we who dared to compete with him in the same field of scientific research would sooner or later have to be tied up and thrown into the Thames. ”

"Hahaha, that's what I said."

Arthur saw Wheatstone smiling so happily, and suddenly, the smile on his face brightened.

Wheatstone was furious by his eyes, and asked tremblingly, "What...... What's wrong? Is there anything on my face? ”

Arthur leaned back on the couch: "It's nothing, I just thought of one thing out of nowhere." It is true that Sir Newton was a great scientist, but his fame was so great that it even exceeded his actual achievements, and his status in the public mind was far greater than that of the equally great Mr. Faraday, Charles, have you ever wondered why? ”

"Arthur, you?" Wheatstone's brow furrowed slightly, and he thought of something.

Arthur spoke, pointing to the lavish décor that filled the room and the guards patrolling the window all day.

"Charles, look at you, you're just a gramophone, and you're now one of the richest scientists in Britain, and even in Europe. Worldly success is still a joy for you, but I know that a person like you who is obsessed with science must have a more noble pursuit in your heart.

It may be a simple but memorable epitaph, or it may be buried in Westminster Abbey. Or a simple scientific theorem, like the Newton-Leibniz formula or something. But don't you think it's strange? Obviously, the Newton-Leibniz formula is written with Leibniz symbols, so why does Newton have to rank ahead of Leibniz? ”

Wheatstone swallowed and foamed, and what Arthur said, he fully understood: "You mean, suggesting that I take the initiative to accept the invitation of the Royal Society?" ”

"It's entirely up to you whether you accept it or not." Arthur smiled and replied, "I'm just a friend to give you some reasonable ideas and suggestions." ”

"But......" Wheatstone thought for a long time, and struggled to pull out a paper from under the coffee table: "Arthur, I have already written this paper on the principle of remanence." Although I made the tape recorder, don't you really plan to co-sign this principle paper that is the basis of recording? After all, from a practical point of view, this thing is actually what you discovered. I'm grateful enough for the gramophone and the record, I've earned the money, but in terms of scientific honors, are you going to miss it? ”

Arthur took a sip of coffee and said, "Charles, as you said, I am a Scottish Yard policeman, and I am usually busy enough for my work, so I really don't have time to distract from the affairs of the Royal Society." ”

"Arthur, you ......"

"Of course, it's not like I'm giving it away for nothing." Arthur knocked on the coffee table: "Charles, do you know who lives next door to your house?" ”

"Who?"

Arthur smiled and took out a document from his bosom and put it on the coffee table: "Joseph Bonaparte, that Napoleon's brother, the former king of Spain. Your house is so big, the vents must be very spacious, right? ”

Wheatstone was shocked: "Arthur, what are you going to do here?" ”

Arthur laughed, "I want you to set up the recorder in the duct of the vent." ”

"This ...... Of course I can do it, but in what name? ”

Arthur smiled: "Of course in the name of national security, do you think the French are worth trusting?" Alexander is always under my nose, but I can only rely on you for this restless member of the Napoleonic family. ”

"Really?" Wheatstone looked skeptical.

Arthur leaned back on the couch: "Believe it or not, but I must also emphasize one thing, Charles. If you want to gain something, you have to accept the loss. It is not so easy to make a name in history, to have formulas and theorems, to be the president of the Royal Society, and to be Isaac Newton. You have to understand one thing – great people are almost always bad people, and of course, you can also choose to bet that you are an exception. ”

After that, Arthur took out his pocket watch and looked at it: "Goodbye, Charles, I have to go to work." You have now half a day to consider, and according to the information provided by Fiona, there is a banquet at Joseph Bonaparte at his mansion tonight, and I am very interested in some of the guests. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can hear the recording I want in my office at Scotland Yard.

If you can't hear it, you can also come to me for a drink and talk about friendship, and the Duke of Wellington gave me Lysaluna has half a bottle left. Before I leave there, we can get rid of all the good wine we have. ”

With that, Arthur got up and left the Wheatstone mansion.

Walking on the stone path in front of the Regency Crescent, the Red Devil roams Arthur's side.

Agareth smiled, "Arthur, are you sure he'll bring the recording tomorrow?" ”

When Arthur heard this, he just spat out a smoke ring: "Of course I'm not sure. ”

"And what are you doing here?" The Red Devil rubbed his hands and smiled evilly: "One in two probability, gambler psychology? ”

Arthur glanced at him: "Agareth, I'm not like you, I'm not the devil, I can't see through people's hearts, so I need some way to judge how to get along with a person, and what kind of way to use." Especially for the work I am doing now that cannot be put on the surface, I have to be more careful. Also, I have to remind you that you kept me in Scotland Yard and that I am in this position where I am now, and many things have come out of my mind. But maybe that's what you'd like to see? ”

When the Red Devil heard this, he just smiled: "Oh! My dear Arthur, don't always think so badly of me. It's all your own choice, who let you be in this society, and you have to be the leader? But on the bright side, aren't you happy now?

In London right now, there are a bunch of people who are counting on you to survive. The wanted Fat Man, Tom and Tony, the two imps, the British's magazine, Fiona and his group, or the new rich man we just met. Arthur, you must not fall, if you do, they will all be doomed in no time. ”

Arthur didn't answer, he just put his hat back on, and his figure faded into the morning fog of London.

The Red Devil watched his figure disappear little by little, and the malice on his face became thick again: "You think they will thank you?" Arthur, you're so naïve, they just think they deserve everything. If you have a good life, you owe it to yourself. It's all someone else's fault, that's human nature. Boy, if you do this, sooner or later you will die without a place to bury. Hopefully, by then, you'll still have the same temper as you do now, the devil's deal has always been outdated, even though I admire you. ”

(End of chapter)