Time always flies when eavesdropping on gossip.
Wayne felt like he hadn't been eavesdropping for very long; the trio next to him had probably only chatted from “the Mayor’s future” to “Richmond’s recent situation,” then to “scandal and infighting within the State Government and City Hall,” as well as the “pseudoscience widely reported in the newspapers” recently, and so on.
Incidentally, during the veterans'Popular Science for the rookie, Wayne also unexpectedly learned a lot of useless knowledge.
For example, the “Secretary of State” of the America Federation is generally considered equivalent to the “Foreign Minister” of the Windsor Kingdom, but in the eyes of insiders, the meanings of the two are not entirely the same.
The “Foreign Minister” of the Windsor Kingdom is, of course, specifically responsible for foreign affairs, but the responsibilities of cabinet members in the America Federation these days use a different division method: all matters under the jurisdiction of the “Federal,” at the cabinet level, excluding parts managed by other cabinet ministers, are theoretically the responsibility of the Secretary of State—foreign affairs are merely the most prominent among them.
Similarly, the status of the Secretary of State in the State Government is similar to that of the Secretary of State in the Federal cabinet; both are the “first in rank” among ministers of the same level, and they both manage “matters not managed” by other ministers.
Those who do well are like, “What the East Factory can manage, I can manage; what the East Factory cannot manage, I can also manage.”
And those who don’t do well are like, “How can you always dump all the blame on me alone… (sobbing).”
It’s roughly a superimposed mixed state of “strongest worker” and “most unfortunate scapegoat,” and which one it is depends on the specific person.
The veterans weren't specifically talking about this; it was mainly because they had discussed the State Secretary's recent scandal with a wealthy widow, and then they casually explained to the curious rookie why the militia commander in the State Government dared to compete with the State Secretary.
Then, just as one of the veterans began to criticize the pseudoscience in the newspapers, the background music played by the band was temporarily halted by the steward, and amidst a throng of waiters, the Mayor and his wife personally escorted the last arriving main guests into the hall, announcing that the ball was about to officially begin.
At this time, the guests naturally had to show support for the ball's hosts, so Wayne also joined the human wall, gathering and applauding with everyone.
It's no wonder many important figures enjoy various celebrations or social occasions; the difference between people is sometimes truly “compared out.”
As the veteran had predicted, Mr. Basque of the Beaton Family indeed attended the ball and was treated as the most important guest of the night, personally escorted into the hall by the host of the ball under everyone's gaze.
If Wayne had felt that Mr. Basque was just a “retired old man” when he first met him, then upon another look at this moment, even an outsider could tell that this must be a great figure whose prestige still lingered, and who was still treated with solemnity by some influential people.
What surprised Wayne a little was that, besides Mr. Basque of the Beaton Family, Father Tyrrell was also among the “main guests.”
He was uncharacteristically dressed like a “normal priest” today, yet he walked slightly ahead of the four, accompanied by the Mayor and his wife and deferred to by Mr. Basque, instantly highlighting his importance and status.
“...Welcome everyone to tonight’s visit, and thank you for your continuous support for City Hall’s work. Let us raise our glasses together to celebrate this hard-won stability and prosperity!”
The Mayor, as usual, stood on a small platform under the gaze of the guests and delivered the opening speech for tonight’s ball, also declaring Wayne’s eavesdropping attempt tonight a complete failure.
Because when the Mayor was “calling out names” to the guests, besides specifically praising Mr. Basque and Father Tyrrell, he also mentioned some important supporters and “colleagues in City Hall,” and unexpectedly, among them was even “the great detective who recently solved a major case,” and he even glanced at Wayne.
Many guests’ gazes followed suit, all sharply piercing over, and the two City Hall veterans who had been standing not far from Wayne both instinctively retreated a couple of steps to the side upon hearing this.
Then, as they were preparing for the opening “first dance,” Mr. Basque saw that Wayne was standing still and not moving, and even called out from afar, “Wayne, come join us. You can be considered a role model among young people; you need to set an example.”
The Mayor, standing beside him, heard this and echoed, “Yes, we also need to let everyone see some fresh faces. You’ve appeared in the newspapers so many times recently; people need to know what you actually look like.”
Hmm…
With the main guest calling him out and the host egging him on, Wayne felt it was inappropriate but could only bite the bullet and go.
Fortunately, there were etiquette classes in the academy, and basic dance introduction was a required part of it. Also, partners were not an issue; the Detective Agency partners could all dance a couple of rounds tonight themselves.
Although Inessa didn't want to attract too much attention, she wasn't shy. Lina, normally outgoing and active in private, this time didn't want to steal the spotlight.
So, after a brief exchange of glances, Wayne walked up to Inessa, bowed, and extended his hand. Inessa's hand quickly rested on his.
Then, the two went to the very edge of the dance floor, accompanying the Mayor and his wife, Mr. Basque and his partner, and several other couples who could be called “influential” representatives, jointly leading the prelude to tonight’s ball under everyone’s gaze.
“What’s wrong with Lina? I thought she dressed up so beautifully specifically to shine at the ball, but now she’s backing out when she has a chance to perform.”
Knowing the age of the other lead dancers, it was clear that tonight’s opening dance was not an enthusiastic and lively type, but rather a very “proper” one.
This level of physical activity was, for Wayne and Inessa, at most a warm-up with set movements, and they even had enough energy to whisper during the intervals.
Inessa quietly replied in Wayne's ear, “The security personnel around Father Tyrrell are different from before. Lina doesn’t want to be noticed by those people in the Church—their level of attention might be even higher than the Bishop himself.”
So, she was also thrown off by the “old man”...
Taking advantage of a turn, Wayne quietly activated his simple lines of sight, scanning the entire hall to see if he could find any hidden Church security.
Suddenly, a large candelabra held by a waiter extinguished, and Wayne himself felt like he had been “flashed” by a camera, almost completely blinding his vision for a moment.
My goodness, that powerful?!
Inessa was vaguely aware of Wayne’s extraordinary “vision” ability, and also noticed a quiet commotion among some waiters, who subtly helped Wayne steady himself slightly during a pull, “Don’t misuse reconnaissance-type extraordinary abilities; some things can give a warning.”
Wayne quickly turned off his vision and honestly resumed dancing, “If it were just the Church, that would be fine, but if I encounter something like this in actual combat, wouldn’t it be very troublesome?”
Inessa was clearly skilled in this area, “Actually, so-called ‘warnings’ are often bidirectional. The Hunter Association sometimes deliberately uses certain methods that can trigger a reaction to determine the level and authenticity of certain cult altars. As Lina would say, ‘treasures are often hidden in safes.’”
I see.
“Safes” are sometimes easier to find, right?
During a turn, Wayne watched a stiff-backed “servant” quickly approach Father Tyrrell, who was enjoying the dance, and then whispered something to him.
Father Tyrrell frowned slightly but then waved his hand, seemingly telling the man “no need to worry.”
That’s right, what’s the big deal?
Maybe the candle was just blown out by the wind.
