The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 61 A Born Detective

No one will come looking for them.

They did not have British citizenship certificates; in this country, they were not even considered human.

Li Ang watched as the burlap sack slowly drifted away on the water, then was blown by the wind, changed direction, and drifted towards the center of the river.

The river water was grayish-black in the twilight, as were the burlap sacks; it soon became impossible to distinguish where the water ended and the sacks began.

Just like this world where it's hard to tell whether it's dawn or night.

He turned around and glanced at the textile factory one last time.

He had thought about burning it countless times, ever since the day Ktura first coughed up blood.

But he also knew that burning down a factory would be pointless.

Where there is demand, there will be new factories; where there are new factories, there will be new female workers; where there are new female workers, there will be new sacks being carried out from the back door and thrown into this black river that can never be cleaned.

He can't change anything.

But at least for now, it can't be changed.

By the time Leon returned to Charlotte's mansion, it was already dark.

Donald, the old butler, was waiting at the door. Upon seeing him, he bowed slightly and said, "Miss is waiting for you in the dining room."

At the same time, the maids stepped forward, took his coat, and hung it on a hanger nearby.

Upon entering the restaurant, dinner was already laid out on the rectangular table. The silver cutlery gleamed in the candlelight, steaming soup sat on white porcelain plates, and freshly baked crispy bread filled the bread basket.

Charlotte sat in the main seat, her long white hair cascading over her shoulders. She had changed into a light blue loungewear dress with a white ribbon tied around the neckline.

A cup of black tea sat in front of her, mostly empty, indicating that she had been waiting for some time.

When she saw Li Ang return, she didn't ask "Why are you so late?", but simply raised her chin, gesturing for him to sit down.

After Li Ang sat down, she finally asked, "Where did you go?"

Li Ang briefly outlined today's schedule.

However, he omitted the gibberish above Old Jack's head, only saying that he bought a bottle of medicine from a familiar person in the slums.

The reason he brought this up was that he intended to show it to Charlotte, hoping she might be able to identify the effects of the medicine.

Although Old Jack spoke with great confidence, Li Ang dared not take it before knowing its specific effects.

"Where's the medicine?"

Li Ang took out the bottle of medicine and handed it to Charlotte.

Charlotte took it and examined it for a moment. "It looks like a witch's secret potion. It's best not to take it out lightly."

"Is there any way to detect what effect this thing has?" Li Ang asked.

"Of course. We can hand it over to the association and ask a detective with detection capabilities to take a look, but are you sure you want to do that?"

"Then forget it," Li Ang quickly refused.

He didn't even need to think about it; handing this thing over to the association would definitely bring a lot of trouble.

Let's talk about it next time.

Li Ang then began to talk about the textile factory, including how those people threw the female workers who had died from exhaustion directly into the river.

"Oh." Charlotte's expression didn't change much; she simply put down her spoon and calmly looked at him. "So you want to shut down that factory?"

Li Ang looked at her. "Is it okay?"

"Sure," Charlotte said calmly. "With my authority, sealing off a factory doesn't require much justification. A report, a few signatures, and it'll be gone before sunrise tomorrow."

She paused deliberately.

"and then?"

Li Ang remained silent.

"What about those female workers? They have no household registration, no identity documents, and they signed contracts when they were bought from their hometowns."

"Now that the factory is gone and the contract is over, their freedom has returned. It's something to celebrate."

Charlotte picked up her teacup and gently blew on it. "And then? Where did they go?"

"The monastery can't take in so many people, and other factories won't hire them. After all, who would dare use workers from a factory that's been shut down by the Detective Association?"

"The Sheriff's Department won't care whether they live or die, there won't be another empty house in the slums, and the Thames won't become clear just because there's one less textile factory."

"They are scattered on the streets of London. Some will starve to death, some will sell their dignity, and the lucky ones may return to the countryside."

She put down her teacup, looked at Li Ang, and said, "So, this is what you wanted?"

"Of course not. That's why I didn't do anything."

Li Ang knew, of course, that every word she said was true. It was precisely because he knew that he did nothing.

On the way back, he kept thinking about it, but in the end, none of the answers satisfied him.

He could shut down the factory, but the female workers in that factory would lose their only means of survival.

Even when they are thrown into the river, they won't leave a single name. People without identification don't exist legally. And when someone who doesn't exist dies, no one cares.

"I met a girl," Li Ang changed the subject.

He briefly recounted what had happened in front of the watch shop that afternoon, mentioning the girl's deductive reasoning ability, including how she immediately identified the thief's accomplice in the crowd.

"It's a pity she's not a superhuman," he concluded. "She really wanted to be a detective."

Charlotte picked up the teacup that had been refilled by the servant. "Is that so? That's a real shame."

"Indeed," Li Ang agreed.

"No matter how smart you are, you're still just an ordinary person." Charlotte put down her teacup, slowly tracing the rim with her finger. "Being a detective requires ability. It's not something you can just do on a whim. That's the rule."

Looking at her, Li Ang recalled that Charlotte herself was a genius at solving cases since childhood, but she had a "fake" label above her head.

"And what about you?"

"Of course I'm a born detective." Charlotte looked up at Li Ang, her gaze becoming somewhat profound. "Why do you think that?"

"I just feel it's a pity."

Charlotte didn't respond, and the atmosphere in the restaurant became somewhat quiet until she spoke again.

"Come with me to the court the day after tomorrow. Helena's trial date has been set."

"So fast?"

"The evidence is complete, the confessions are accurate, and the people who needed to be arrested have been arrested. The association is always very efficient." Charlotte's tone carried a hint of "what's so strange about that?" as if it were a matter of course.

Li Ang nodded.

This was something that had been agreed upon long ago, and he had no reason to refuse.

The two chatted for a few more minutes.

Charlotte mentioned that the Third and Seventh Branches would be setting off in a few days, and also talked about the preparations the armed detectives were making before their departure.

"That guy brought more than a dozen large suitcases; anyone who didn't know better would think he was going on vacation."

She said this with disdain, clearly dissatisfied with the behavior of her nominal colleagues.

"By the way, where's Ktura?" Leon asked after quickly finishing his dinner.

"Upstairs," Charlotte pointed casually. "She went up after she finished eating. Honestly, doesn't she want to talk to me?"