At two o'clock in the afternoon, in the suburban area of the northern district, outside a two-story house with an old and dilapidated style.
Klein, in his apprentice inspector's uniform, looked at the overgrown garden and the walls covered with plants, and slightly surprised, turned his head and said:
"Did my martial arts teacher live here?"
Those who were selected by the night watch team for martial arts must be very outstanding, right...
Leonard Mitchell, who led him over, chuckled softly and said:
"Don't underestimate Mr. Gowan just because of the living environment. Although he didn't eventually obtain a title, he was once a true knight."
At this point, this poet-like night watchman, dressed casually in a white shirt, black trousers, and unbuttoned leather boots, suddenly became sentimental:
"He was active during the last glorious era of knights. Those warriors in breastplates charged wildly towards the rows of cannons and guns, destroying their opponents and flattening the lines. Unfortunately, they soon faced the invention and deployment of high-pressure steam rifles and six-barrel machine guns. From then on, knights gradually withdrew from the stage."
"Mr. Gowan was the same. Twenty years ago, his Ahova Knight Order encountered the army of the Inthes Republic, which had the most advanced weapons... Ah, whenever I think of this, it feels like I touch the dust of history, being shocked by that irreversible sorrow and destiny. There are poems brewing and surging in my heart, but I don't write poetry." ... So, what are you talking about all this for? Klein pretended not to notice Leonard's self-deprecating remarks and seriously suggested:
"My college classmates told me that writing poetry is a very demanding task that requires a lot of talent. It's best to start by reading 'The Early Classical Poems of Ruhn'."
Leonard's mood changed abruptly and replied cheerfully:
"I already bought this poetry collection. There are also books like 'The Rosel Collection of Poems', and I will strive to become a midnight poet, Mr. Diviner."
This was hinting... play a role? Klein seemed not to have understood at all and replied:
"You still need grammar books."
"OK, let's go in." Leonard reached out and pushed open the half-closed iron gate, walking along the path that allowed two people to pass side by side towards the house.
Before reaching it, Klein saw that the front door was open and a tall man emerged from inside.
He had short blond hair, with white streaks in his temples, and his skin had the marks of weathering. The wrinkles on his forehead, the fish tail wrinkles, and the lines of authority were deep and distinct.
"What are you doing here?" This middle-aged man asked in a deep voice.
"Mr. Gower, according to the contract you signed with the police department, this trainee inspector of ours will learn fighting from you." Leonard smiled and explained.
"Fighting? The current era doesn't need to learn fighting." Gower looked at Klein with slightly cloudy eyes and said deadly, "You should practice drawing guns and shooting, master the most advanced weapons."
Has this been caused by the psychological trauma from the six-barrel machine gun and the high-pressure steam rifle? Klein didn't respond rashly and looked at Leonard with a smile.
"For the police, fighting is still a necessary subject. Most of the criminals we face are not demons that must be executed immediately. They may even not have weapons. In such cases, fighting skills are needed." Leonard spoke as if he was well-prepared.
Gower frowned and was silent for a dozen seconds before saying:
"Try punching."
He was talking to Klein.
Without the cane, Klein recalled the boxing matches he had watched in a previous life, raised his arm, and swung it forward.
Gower's mouth twitched slightly, thought for a moment, and said:
"Kick your legs."
Half-turned body, swinging the hips, Klein tightened his thighs and drew out his right foot.
"Ah..." Gower pressed his hand against his mouth, coughed twice lightly, and looked at Leonard, "I will abide by the contract. But given his situation, for the first month, he only needs to come four times a week, each for three hours."
"You are a fighting expert, you decide." Leonard nodded without hesitation, smiling at Klein, "See you for dinner."
When he walked out of the iron gate, Klein couldn't help asking curiously:
"Teacher, where should I start practicing? Punching or footwork?"
As a qualified keyboard expert, he knew that fighting footwork was also very important.
Gower hung his hands by his sides, shaking his head with a heavy air of melancholy:
"The thing you need most now is strength training."
"See there? There are two iron dumbbells, they are your companions for today."
"Besides, you also need to practice squats, running, and rope skipping, and we'll do it in groups."
While Klein was stunned, his voice suddenly rose in pitch, sternly asking:
"Understood?"
"Understood!" At this moment, Klein felt like he was back in military training, facing an unreasonable instructor.
"Go and change your clothes. There's a set of knight practice clothes on the sofa." Gower suddenly sighed, put his hands behind his back, turned around, and walked towards the pair of black iron dumbbells. ......
At six o'clock in the evening, in a corner of the Old Will Restaurant.
Except for Fleary, who was on duty at the Check-in Gate, all the members of Black Thorn Security Company were present. There were six night shifters and five clerical staff.
The white tablecloth was neatly laid out on the long table. Waiters came over with plates of food one after another. They cut the food first and then delivered it to each guest separately.
Klein saw the steak with black pepper sauce, bacon, sausage with mashed potatoes, custard, aloe vera, specialty cheese, and amber-colored champagne. However, he had no appetite at all. The afternoon training nearly made him throw up.
Looking at the pale-faced and distracted new night shifters, Dunn picked up the glass of red wine in front of him and smiled:
"Let's welcome the new official member, Klein Moretti. Cheers!"
The cold and reserved blonde lady, Lao Ya Leiting, the short and sturdy "Non-Sleeping One" Cohenli White, the unkempt and dissolute man Leonard Mitchell, and the white-haired and black-eyed "Midnight Poet" Xigai Tengon, all raised their glasses and looked at the new teammate.
Klein endured the residual discomfort from the training and held the amber-colored champagne glass. Standing up, he said:
"Thank you."
He clinked glasses with each night shift worker one by one, and drank the small amount of champagne clean.
"Does our writer miss something at this time?" Dunn smiled and looked at Xigai Tengon.
Xigai Tengon was a woman in her thirties. Her appearance was quite ordinary, but her temperament was extremely outstanding. She was calm and peaceful, and her rare white hair added a touch of unique charm.
Klein had heard from Old Neil that this "Midnight Poet" was an amateur novelist and had tried submitting articles to newspapers and magazines. Unfortunately, only a few small newspapers accepted them.
Xigai smiled and looked at Dunn:
"To make your 'writer missess' a reality, Captain, I think you should specially approve me a sum of money so that I can pay for the publication of my novel myself."
Dunn shrugged and smiled:
"You should learn from Old Neil and find a more appropriate reason."
"In this regard, I admire Mr. Neil the most!" Rosan swallowed a piece of roasted lamb meat and shouted in agreement.
As the others chatted and laughed, Leonard looked at Klein and smiled softly:
"It's too tired. No appetite? Can't eat?"
"Yes." Klein sighed.
"If you haven't tasted it yet, I can help you." Leonard looked at Klein with a look of not wanting to waste food.
Klein nodded without any hesitation:
"Sure."
In this way, most of the food in front of him was eaten by Leonard and others.
At the end of the dinner, the waiters brought out one after another beef puddings and portions of ice cream.
Klein took a bite of the latter and felt it cold and sweet, very appetizing.
Unconsciously, he finished his portion of the ice cream with blueberry sauce.
And because of this, he began to feel the hunger scratching his heart and stomach, the desire for replenishment that the body urgently needed after a large consumption.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Klein looked at the plate in front of him. There was almost nothing left.
"Let's stop here. Let's have one last toast for Klein." At this time, Dunn proposed.
Before he finished speaking, Klein blurted out:
"Captain, can I have another dinner?"
At this request, everyone fell silent for a moment, and then laughed softly.
"Haha, you've recovered. No problem, two more servings are fine." Dunn shook his head and smiled.
During the anxious and unbearable waiting, Klein heard the sound of his stomach rumbling.
Finally, a piece of black pepper sauce-coated beef steak was brought out.
With the knife and fork dancing, Klein, who was almost in tears, solved the seven-sevenths-done food in one and a half minutes. The aroma of meat and the liquid echoed in his mouth.
After an unknown amount of time, looking at the empty plates one after another, he let out a contented sigh, put down his knife and fork, and took a sip of champagne.
"Waiter, settle the bill," Dunn turned to the waiter beside him and said.
The waiter first went to the front desk and then returned with the bill, explaining in detail:
"You ordered five bottles of Dizzy champagne, each at 12 shillings and 3 pence, a small glass of South Wales red wine, 10 pence... a portion of black pepper sauce steak at 1 shilling and 2 pence... each beef pudding at 6 pence, each ice cream at 1 shilling... The total is 5 pounds, 9 shillings and 6 pence."
5 pounds, 9 shillings and 6 pence? That's almost my salary for a week! The restaurant is indeed much more expensive than eating at home! Klein was stunned as he listened, very glad that the captain had said there was no need to pay for him, and there was a small treasury and additional funds!
He carefully calculated and found that the most expensive part of the dinner was the drinks, just 5 bottles of champagne cost over 3 pounds!
This is no different from anything on Earth... Klein quietly touched his stomach and forced himself to finish the last sip of champagne. ......
In the early morning of the next day, Klein felt a dull pain in his lower abdomen and tried to get up, but he was still in a daze.
Just as he was about to move, the muscle pain suddenly made him fully wake up, and he felt that his body was no longer his own.
"Such a familiar feeling... Just like the day after being punished to do frog jumps before... Today is a rest day, and I still have to visit my mentor to see if I can borrow that academic monograph on Horancius' main peak from the university library..." Klein's lips twitched slightly and he struggled to walk outside.
With each step, he wanted to gasp for air.
"Klein, what's wrong with you?" Melissa, who had just come out of the bathroom, looked at her brother with a puzzled expression, who was in an odd posture and moving slowly.