Woo!

The sound of the whistle echoed in every corner of the platform, and the front of the huge monster-like steam train dragged more than twenty carriages to a slow stop.

Dressed in a tuxedo and wearing a half-height silk top hat, Crane carried an exaggerated suitcase that did not match his size, and stepped steadily on the ground in Beckland, the capital of the Kingdom of Rune.

Divided diagonally into two parts by the Tasok River, which flows southeast into the estuary, the city is connected by the Beckland Bridge and ferries, and with a population of more than five million, it is the most prosperous metropolis on the northern and southern continents.

As far as Klein could see, there was a yellowish mist everywhere, and the visibility was extremely poor, and the gas lamps hanging on the platform had been lit one by one, dispelling the gloom and gloom.

"It's only half-past six, isn't it? It's like nine-ten-o'clock......" Crane shook his head imperceptibly, and suddenly remembered a joke he had seen in the Tasok newspaper earlier:

"A gentleman who had just arrived in Beckland got lost in the thick smog and had to ask the gentleman, who was passing by and wet, 'how to go by the Tasok River,' to which the gentleman replied very kindly: 'Go straight and don't stop, I have just swam up from there.' (Note 1)

Every time I read a newspaper or magazine in Beckland, the reporters and editors are changing their ways to ridicule the air pollution and the growing fog...... Previously, the "Beckland Daily" also made a special statistics, saying that similar weather has increased from about 60 days 30 years ago to about 75 days now...... To this end, many people of insight have established organizations such as "Soot Emission Reduction Association" and "Flue Gas Emission Reduction Association...... One of the bills in September reportedly proposed the formation of a "Kingdom Air Pollution Investigation Commission...... Crane put down the large suitcase and reached out to pinch his nose to relieve the sudden discomfort.

Then, following the golden bracelet, he took out a gold watch from his waistcoat pocket, snapped it open, glanced at it, and confirmed the time.

After saying goodbye to his brother and sister, Klein went to the department store and bought a gold pocket watch for 4 pounds and 10 soles, and a gold chain of 1 pounds and 5 soles.

- For him, not being able to always have a specific and clear time can lead to a sense of panic.

Originally, Crane planned to buy a silver pocket watch, thinking that it would suit his temperament, but considering the true meaning of "clown", he finally chose a more ostentatious and ostentatious gold watch.

"6:39...... Not much later......" Crane picked up his pocket watch, put on his cane and suitcase, followed the crowd, and slowly walked out of the steam train station.

Suddenly, without warning, he turned a corner, and someone who had crept behind him and reached into his coat pocket felt empty.

Crane didn't pay attention to the episode, and walked along the concrete-paved avenue, blending in with the crowd, to the intersection in front of him.

There are street lawns and gardens that surround a pillar that towers like a chimney.

"No, it could be a chimney......" Klein saw the smoke belching from the top of the pillar.

Part of the smoke drifted into the air, and part of it turned into tiny droplets that spread around.

Klein paused again, put down his suitcase, and unfolded the newspaper and map he held in his other hand.

- When he rode the steam train, he had already planned where he was going next and what he was going to do.

The experience of this time and the experience of pretending to be a clown in the morning made Klein finally understand the true meaning of "clown", that is, "although he can predict fate a little, he still feels helpless about fate, so he hides all his sadness, pain, confusion and frustration with a smile."

At that moment, he clearly felt the digestion of the "clown" potion, and believed that if he continued to play like this, it would not be long before he could try to be promoted.

But the problem is that he doesn't yet know what the corresponding Sequence 7 potion is called, let alone the specific formula.

"How do I get the recipe? The Esoteric Orders are rare, and they seem to be only interested in Antigonus items...... That's why people know very little about them, eh...... There are two aspects to consider, one is to contact the local circle of extraordinary people to see if you can find clues, and the other is to take the initiative to use the treasures of the Antigonus family as bait to fish out the people of the Esoteric Order, after all, I have the strange vertical pupil composed of many mysterious symbols. ”

"But this is too risky, you have to be cautious enough, the bait you put can't be too 'good', not too 'bad', too 'bad', others will not be interested, too 'good' is easy to catch a giant shark, one bite can swallow my giant shark...... The leader of the Esoteric Order, Zarathu, was the man who had mentored Russell the Great, and perhaps he received the largest piece of cake from the feast of the revolutions of the times...... Of course, he may not be able to live until now, and this was nearly two hundred years ago......"

In the midst of the thoughts, Crane felt the coldness of Beckland, couldn't help but shiver, and decided to find a place to live as soon as possible.

Flipping through the newspaper, he once again browsed the rental version of the house and saw the one circled earlier:

"15 Minsk Street, Jowood District...... Townhouse ...... Weekly rent 18 Sol ......"

Crane had thought a lot about where he lived, and even though Beckland had a population of over five million, he still had to beware of the possibility of encountering a local night watchman - whether it was Dalie, who had just been transferred here, or Lorotta, Al Hassan, and Borgia who had previously belonged to Beckland, they would definitely recognize him.

Therefore, Klein excluded the North Side, where the Church of the Night Goddess Beckland was located, and excluded the Queens and West Districts, which were the most secure and strictly regulated, which belonged to the aristocracy and the top wealthy merchants, while the former was more inclined to Queens.

Excluding a few factory districts, docklands, the East End and the Beckland Bridge area, Klein has not many options, one is the Shoreland District with the Beckland Stock Exchange, the Clearing House, the Futures Center, the headquarters of the seven major banks, various trust funds, various railway companies, and various bulk goods trading companies, which is known as the economic, commercial and financial center of the Kingdom of Rune, and the second is the Jowood District, which is full of small companies and many residences.

Both districts have a lot of foot traffic, and the security is relatively good and easy to hide, so Klein chose the Joewood district, which has a cheaper rent, after careful consideration.

- The reason why he did not look for organizations such as the "Metropolitan Housing Improvement Association" and the "Metropolitan Working Class Housing Improvement Company" was because these required certain identification, which he could not produce at the moment.

"If you don't find a place to rent today, find a small hotel that doesn't require identification for a while......" Crane folded his belongings, picked up his suitcase, and walked towards what looked like the door of a department store according to the instructions on the map.

That's the entrance to the Beckland subway.

Yes, the subway!

When Klein first saw the term "subway" in newspapers and magazines, he was really shocked, but he did not expect that this kind of transportation would become a reality before entering the electric age.

It was born twenty-five years ago as a connection to the two banks of the Tasok River, and today it has expanded to major urban areas, although there are not many stops.

Through the gate, Klein followed the people in front of him and walked to the ticket office step by step.

After waiting in line for a few minutes, he finally saw the conductor with beautiful blonde hair.

The girl didn't look up, but pointed to the price sign hanging near the window:

"During peak hours (7 to 9 a.m., 6 to 8 p.m.) every 10 minutes, the rest of the 15 minutes, 6 pence for first class, 4 pence for second class, 3 pence for third class, 9, 6 and 5 pence for round trips, annual passes are £8 for first class, £10 sules for second class, and no annual pass for third class. ”

Cheaper than I thought...... There is no limit to distance...... Melissa must have liked this over the carriage, it was a mechanical ...... Crane thought about it, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

With a big smile, he took out 4 copper pennies and handed them to the conductor:

"Second class. ”

The conductor tore up a ticket, stamped it, and handed it to Klein.

Finding the line to Joewood, and after passing the not-so-strict check, Crane descended the stairs and soon came to the platform, where he found the corresponding position of the second-class seat according to the signs on the ground.

Woooooo

He didn't have to wait long before he heard the whistle of rolling echoes like thunder, and saw a huge steam locomotive with a majestic sense of power break through the light of the gas lamps on both sides, and stop with a clatter.

Its massive shape, sinuous body, black iron color and intricate machinery are mixed together to create a unique beauty.

Beckland's subway still uses steam trains, and the smoke is uniquely designed to enter the chimney through the pipes above.

This is where the "real use" of street lawns and gardens comes in.

With the sound of metal grinding, Crane waited for the passengers in front of him to come down, and then walked up slowly with his cane and suitcase, and accepted the ticket inspection by the flight attendant.

Unlike the third-class seats, the second-class seats are one for one person, and there is no need to worry about being robbed of a seat, Klein just sat down, put away the suitcase, and leaned on the cane, when he heard a rush of footsteps.

He subconsciously looked sideways at the door and saw a thin boy with a green face hurrying into the carriage.

The boy was dressed in an old age-appropriate coat, a bowler hat, and a worn satchel with his head buried low.

"I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong car, I'm in the third class......" He flashed his ticket, apologized to the flight attendant, and walked briskly towards the position of the third class.

Crane retracted his gaze, reconfirmed his destination, and waited for the carriage door to close.

Just then, he heard another stumbling and hurried footsteps, and then saw several men in black coats and top hats rushing into the carriage.

Chasing the fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy just now, Klein had a gut idea.

He shook his head slightly, and continued to look at his newspaper and map, indistinguishable from the other passengers in the carriage.

Note 1: This joke is from a previous British magazine, "Punch".