## Chapter 226: The London-Paris Espionage Axis (5K4)
Arthur watched Tony rush out the door, then glanced at Pinkerton, who was happily munching on a ham sandwich. He tapped the bar counter, calling for the bartender, and flicked a coin with his fingernail, letting it land in the bartender’s palm.
“Please keep an eye on my nephew for a bit. Just add whatever he eats to the tab, I’ll settle it later.”
The bartender grinned and nodded, bowing slightly. “Detective Hastings, you’re too kind! You haven’t been gone from Greenwich for long, everyone still remembers you fondly.”
Arthur nodded in acknowledgement, then put on his hat and headed towards the alley behind the pub.
Before he could even step in, he heard a flurry of punches and kicks.
“Damn it, you want to drag me back to Paris? For a bite to eat, you’re willing to sell your soul to that usurper Louis-Philippe?”
“If you were really going to take this fatso back, fine. But you’re not only failing to take him back, you’re also deceiving my feelings. You believe me when I say I’ll throw you both onto a ship? On that ship, you’ll be not only gender-correct, but also nationality-compliant with their interests! I guarantee you’ll be very popular!”
“Alright, Dumas, Carter, go easy, don’t actually beat him to death. Didn’t Arthur just say we should spare his life?”
“Tom, I’m not a policeman, I’m Royal Navy!”
“That’s right, I’m not a policeman either, I’m damn French Artillery!”
Arthur lit his pipe, standing there for a while before blowing out a cloud of smoke to stop them. “They are, after all, part of the French ambassador’s entourage. You guys can vent a little, but don’t make things too difficult for me.”
Eld, upon hearing this, finally released his grip on Coconut Tree’s collar, but before letting go, he still couldn’t resist giving him a hefty kick on the ass. “Tell me, who gave you the audacity to come to Scotland Yard’s turf and act so wild?”
Vidock, leaning against the wall, heard this and simply clutched his aching waist, “Today, I’ve fallen into a gutter, Mr. Hastings. I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless in your dealings.”
Arthur, puffing on his pipe, simply replied, “I haven’t heard of any rule that allows French police to arbitrarily arrest people in London. Mr. Vidock, doing this makes me feel like it wasn’t Britain, but France, that won the Napoleonic Wars.”
Vidock, clutching his neck, pulled his pipe out from his skirt and put it in his mouth. “Oh, I forgot, you haven’t been in the underworld. But it seems you’re right. You guys who are bookworms are so much more ruthless than us dirtbags.”
Arthur pulled out a match from his pocket and tossed it over. “How so?”
Vidock lit it up and took a drag. “You know, those in the underworld talk about righteousness, while those who are educated talk about principles. Principles are far more ruthless than righteousness.”
Arthur, upon hearing this, simply smiled, “Mr. Vidock, I think you have me mistaken. I don’t talk about principles, nor do I talk about righteousness.”
Vidock raised an eyebrow, “Then what do you want to talk about? You can’t be thinking of throwing us into the Thames, can you? Come on, we just failed to kidnap someone, this time it’s my fault, but we’ll have the opportunity to cooperate again next time.
You’re not interested in my policing theories, are you? Anyway, I don’t have much to do these days, why don’t I train Scotland Yard? If you really need it, I can even add some money. We’re all out here making a living, be more flexible, don’t be so rigid.”
Arthur heard this and nodded slightly, “Mr. Vidock, your idea of paid training is indeed quite creative. I mentioned to you last time that I’m currently leading Scotland Yard’s criminal investigation department, if you want to be technical, we’re doing the same thing now.
But… I think maybe you can add something else. Although I haven’t been in the job for long, and I’m not as experienced as you, the benefit of having read more books is that I know that kidnapping someone privately in a foreign country is no small crime.
You don’t need to tell me that this was actually instigated by the French ambassador, Talleyrand. Regardless of whether Mr. Talleyrand is actually involved, even if he is, I’m guessing he wouldn’t admit it. So…”
As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Eld followed with a sinister tone, “Mr. Vidock, you wouldn’t want to be sentenced to hanging, would you?”
If these words had come from someone else, Vidock might not have cared so much, after all, it wasn’t the first time he was sentenced to hanging in his life.
But if these words were coming from Eld’s mouth, Vidock had to consider it carefully.
After all, Mr. Vidock always proudly believed that he still had some charm when he dressed as a woman.
He shuddered involuntarily, then spoke, “Not that serious, not that serious, we can still discuss anything. How about this, you give me Mr. Dumas, we split the bounty 50/50.”
Arthur, upon hearing this, simply shook his head, “Mr. Vidock, I think we should just forget it. As far as I know, in the North American colonies, an adult black slave is only worth twenty-five pounds.”
Eld nodded, “That’s right, if you offer thirty, maybe we can consider it.”
“What are you two talking about?” Dumas, hearing this, immediately flew into a rage. “You actually want to sell a strong French republican warrior for thirty pounds!”
Vakul, who was lying on the ground, beaten black and blue, suddenly spoke, “Mr. Dumas, don’t be angry, didn’t you hear what was sung in the opera house today? Jesus only sold for thirty silver coins, one pound contains seven to eight grams of gold, this price is not low.”
Coconut Tree, covering his swollen eyes, also spoke, “That’s right, republicans don’t even sell for thirty silver coins in Paris, the Security Department gives them a pretty low price.”
Vidock, hearing this, immediately spoke, “Mr. Hastings, we won’t offer such a low price, and I don’t want to hide it from you, Mr. Dumas is worth six thousand francs. Once I get back to Paris and get the money, I can immediately send you a bank draft, which bank you decide, what do you think?”
Arthur, hearing this, just shook his head with a smile, “Mr. Vidock, you may have misunderstood me. Although I need money, I’m not going to use Alexander’s head to exchange for it. I remember mentioning to you before that we are setting up a literary magazine, and for a magazine, a good reputation means sales.
If news gets out that I’m colluding with the French government to kill Alexander, how much do you think my partners and I will be able to recover from the five thousand pounds we invested in the magazine?”
Vakul, hearing this, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Five thousand pounds? That’s one hundred thousand francs!”
Vidock, hearing this, couldn’t help but click his tongue. He chuckled wryly, “Listen to me, once you have money, don’t go into business, or you’ll end up like me. When I left the Paris Police Department, I had already saved over one hundred thousand francs, but I decided to start a factory, and look where it got me, I’m back to work.”
Arthur leaned against the wall, “So, you see now that I’m not in such a hurry for money. So, let’s forget about Alexander for now. If I lose him, not only will I lose my job, but my magazine will also be doomed. So, we might as well talk about something else… Want a drink, Mr. Vidock?”
Vidock, hearing this, instantly understood the meaning behind Arthur’s words. He glanced at his entourage, took a drag on his pipe, and slowly exhaled.
Behind the smoke, was Vidock’s radiant smile.
He stepped forward, put his arm around Arthur’s shoulder, “Brother, I knew there was always something we could talk about. You know, the underworld, the江湖, the underground society, it’s not about fighting and killing, it’s about human relationships, we need to cooperate to win.”
Arthur also nodded with a smile, “Mr. Vidock, next time you do something, you should talk to me first. Although I’ve read a few books, I didn’t graduate from Cambridge or Oxford. Our University of London graduates aren’t that rigid.”
Vidock, hearing this, laughed heartily, “That’s my fault, I’m not familiar with British universities. Now it seems like the University of London represents the highest level of education in Britain.”
Amidst the astonished gazes of everyone, he and Arthur went through the back door of the pub, their arms linked, their friendly conversation making them seem like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, completely oblivious to the fight they had just had.
The two found a secluded spot in the pub and sat down. Before Arthur could ask, Vidock spoke, “You want to ask me about Ambassador Talleyrand, don’t you?”
Arthur didn’t hide it, “I have a department under me that’s similar to the Security Department, but it’s temporary. If I want to make it permanent, I need to achieve something. After all, things are different here than in France. I need to get approval from Parliament and the Cabinet to establish a new agency, I need to have something solid in my hand.”
Vidock leaned back in his chair nonchalantly, one hand resting on the back, completely ignoring the ladylike etiquette, and blew out a smoke ring, “I have stuff here, but whether it’s solid, I don’t know. Ambassador Talleyrand is an old fox, he won’t reveal a single word about what Paris has told him or what orders they’ve given. We who work under him can’t read his mind.”
If Arthur hadn’t known about the problems in Poland, he would have been dissatisfied with Vidock’s answer.
But now, with other intelligence to back him up, he only needed to get something symbolic from Vidock.
After all, sometimes to get the approval of those above, you don’t necessarily have to do things, the most important thing is to let them know that you’re doing things.
In other words, you need to get some proof that you’re actually doing things.
Arthur said, “French Embassy documents, whether they’re useful or not, can you get me a few copies?”
Arthur was so open and honest, Vidock responded readily, “I won’t go for real documents, the risk is too high. If one day someone finds out, I won’t just be unable to stay in Paris. I’m afraid that by then, I’ll have to come to London to beg you to take me in like you did for Mr. Dumas.”
Arthur just smiled, “That’s alright! Mr. Vidock, Scotland Yard welcomes talents like you. I know that in Paris, many people attack your background, saying that a criminal cannot lead the police. But in Britain, London citizens don’t care about criminal records, they even like to brag about their prison experiences in pubs.”
Arthur said it without any thought, but Vidock took it to heart. He half-jokingly said, “Mr. Hastings, I’ll remember that. But aren’t you worried that I’ll come and steal your job? You may not know, but I was sidelined in the Paris Police Department for this very reason. Speaking of why I left, it’s actually quite absurd. You want to hear it?”
Arthur gestured to the waiter to bring Vidock a gin, “Of course, we have a long night ahead of us, I have plenty of time.”
Vidock took a drag on his pipe, “At the time, the Chief’s wife lost a cloak when she was out, so the Chief specifically asked me to investigate the cloak’s whereabouts. At the time I thought, damn it, I came here to investigate cases, you’re sending me off on this trivial matter? But there was no way, after all, it was the Chief’s order, so I sent my men to investigate a little.
But finding a cloak in the vast city of Paris was really too much of a hassle, the result was of course nothing. Before long, rumors started circulating in the department, saying that the Chief was suspicious of my loyalty because of this. A few days later, the cloak was like it had wings, it flew right into the hands of my direct supervisor, Duplessis, who had always disliked me.
As soon as he found the cloak, he called me to his office, showed it to me, and questioned me about what the Security Department was doing, why they couldn’t even handle such a small matter? At the time, I didn’t take him seriously, I thought he was just a little white face who got promoted by licking women’s asses, while I was a hero who had solved countless cases for the department, what could he do to me?”
Speaking of this, Vidock suddenly kept puffing on his pipe, without saying a word.
Arthur smiled and asked, “So, the truth proves that being a little white face is more useful than investigating crimes?”
“Yes!” Vidock glared and cursed, “The truth proves that those who work in bed are stronger than us fools who squat on the streets! It’s such a damn France! You can run your legs off, solve ten thousand cases, it’s not as heavy as them taking off their pants and flattering a few words.”
Vidock said this, then suddenly took a hard drag on his pipe, looking up and asking, “Do you have this kind of thing there?”
Arthur took a sip of tea, “This kind of thing happens everywhere, it’s just a matter of degree. We have a gentleman here who’s about to get a judge’s position with an annual income of a thousand pounds by relying on his wife.”
Vidock, hearing this, just snorted, “So it seems you guys aren’t doing so well either.”
Arthur shook his head, “The unfortunate thing is that I don’t like the gentleman who’s about to be appointed judge, I’m still thinking about how to get rid of him.”
“That’s easy.” Vidock gulped down a mouthful of wine, “You have a good appearance, listen to me, go and steal the clothes off the big shots’ wives, you’re sure to get what you want, after all, that’s how Duplessis got promoted.”
Arthur originally thought that the other party was talking to him seriously, but Vidock’s words almost choked him to death.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course! Young man, don’t be shy. In this day and age, you have to be thick-skinned to eat.”
Vidock reached out and pulled on his corset, “You see, I’m wearing women’s clothes to make a living. But although I’m wearing women’s clothes, my heart is still a man’s heart. Don’t get any ideas about me, I’m really scared of your friend today.”
Speaking of this, Vidock said again, “But if you don’t want to take shortcuts, there are other ways, but they might be a bit more troublesome.”
Arthur originally brought up this topic just for fun, to build a closer relationship with each other, but Vidock actually intended to give him advice, which was beyond Arthur’s expectations.
But since the other party was willing to offer, Arthur was naturally willing to listen, “Please tell me, if your method is feasible, I can consider not pursuing tonight’s matter.”
Vidock said, “It’s not really a method, but when dealing with this kind of thing, there is always a general approach. Young man, you’ve only been in this line of work for a short time, so you may not understand one thing.
Whether you can do your job well is not something every boss cares about, but if you can solve their personal problems, then you are sure to be valued by them.
Public affairs are public affairs, private affairs are private affairs, they always distinguish them clearly. Think about my experience, that damn cloak, I’m your lesson.”
Arthur, hearing this, gradually understood.
He pondered the complicated and ambiguous relationship between the Nortons and Viscount Melbourne, and suddenly felt like he could stir things up a bit.
Vidock saw that he was silent, and also understood that the young man was probably enlightened.
He pulled Arthur along with a drunken voice, “Let’s talk about personal matters here. You just said about stealing documents from the Embassy, it’s a big deal, the risk is extremely high, so I can’t do it. But if you just need me to provide you with something to make it easier for you to curry favor with your superiors, I’m more than happy to help. After all, you know, I used to be a big shot in this line of work, I’m an expert in this area.”
Arthur, hearing this, nodded slightly, “Something is better than nothing, but if you’re going to forge documents, I hope the content is as ambiguous as possible, otherwise, if the Foreign Office makes some strategic misjudgment based on these documents, and then causes some trouble, I’ll be in trouble too.”
“Don’t worry about that, I was a big shot in this line of work, I know how to do it.”
Vidock said this, then changed the subject, “However, Mr. Hastings, although I’m being a little thick-skinned, I was beaten and bled tonight, even if you don’t let me take back Mr. Dumas, at least let me get something to report to my superiors? I still need to rely on showing some achievements in this London meeting to help me get back to the position of head of the Security Department.”
Arthur, hearing this, understood Vidock’s meaning. He put down his teacup and said, “I don’t want a talented person like you to be buried in the streets of Paris, because you never know, we might have business to do together in the future. But like you said, giving you real stuff is too risky.
So, I’ll go and get you a document that’s irrelevant, and write you some internal news that’s half-true and half-false, you can imitate that format and make a fake document that can be mistaken for the real deal, what do you think?”
Vidock, hearing this, just grinned. He stood up and shook Arthur’s hand, “Mr. Hastings, I never thought you’d be such a good talker. If I had known you were so easygoing, I wouldn’t have had to fight with you.”
Arthur also shook his hand with a smile, and said with a hint of warning, “If you hadn’t fought, how would you have realized I was so easygoing? Let’s cooperate happily, Mr. Vidock.”
(End of Chapter)