Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 51 Prelude to Preparation

Uncle Victor didn't answer his wife immediately. Instead, he shook the newspaper vigorously, pointed to a news item highlighted in bold at the bottom of the front page, and said excitedly:

"Look! Look at this! Those idiots in the city hall and council, what kind of bullshit proposal did they pass! [In view of the recent deterioration of the security situation in the dock area and the frequent activities of some labor unions, in order to ensure the normal operation of the port and the safety of citizens, it is proposed to deploy no less than two hundred police officers to be stationed in and around the dock area, and authorize them to take 'more decisive measures' to maintain order in 'necessary circumstances']!"

He took a breath, picked up his coffee and drank it, only to hiss as it was scalded. He quickly put the cup down, his face still flushed with anger, adding to his disheveled appearance.

"More decisive measures? Authorization? What are they trying to do? Turn the docks into a battlefield? Those workers, those dockworkers, sailors, warehouse guards... they just want a wage to support their families, they want basic security! The chaos in the dock area stems from those bloodsucking contractors and layers of exploitation! Instead of addressing the real problems, they're sending more police, armed with batons and guns, to 'maintain order'? Is this the solution? This is adding fuel to the fire!"

Victor became more and more excited as he spoke. He worked for the port authority and, although he was in the inspection team, he knew the actual situation there far better than the average citizen.

He had witnessed the hardships of the workers and was also aware of the gray areas between lower-level managers and contractors.

He viewed this proposal, which clearly leaned towards suppression and deterrence, not only as foolish but also as dangerous, and highly likely to exacerbate already tense tensions.

"And here," he pointed to another section.

"[At the same time, to offset this expenditure, it is proposed to levy a temporary surcharge on certain non-essential goods imported and exported through the port of Oberhafen]... Ha! That sounds nice! In the end, this money will still be passed on to the cost of goods, either reducing merchants' profits or raising prices, and ultimately ordinary people will pay the price! They say they want to maintain order and protect trade, while at the same time increasing trade costs... What can these politicians do besides play word games and curry favor with big merchants and landowners?!"

He crumpled the newspaper into a ball and threw it hard on the ground, as if that would throw away the absurd decision on it.

"Praise Goddess? I think even the goddess would be laughing at these idiots!" he concluded angrily.

The restaurant was silent. Aunt Sylvia looked at her husband with concern, opened her mouth to speak, but in the end she just sighed, bent down to pick up the crumpled newspaper, and gently smoothed it out.

She knew her husband had feelings for the dock area and understood his anger, but what could ordinary people like them do about it?

Sula was terrified by her uncle's unusual outburst of anger and huddled up next to her aunt.

Emily stared at the front page of the newspaper, which her mother had smoothed out, her eyes deep in thought.

Green silently pondered Uncle Victor's words.

Increased police presence, authorization of "decisive measures," the dock area... This immediately reminded him of the Crimson Order that the Night Watch was investigating, and the dangerous Extraordinary beings who might be lurking in the dock area.

Was the city hall's decision simply due to concerns about public order and stability, or were there deeper reasons behind it? For example, were certain forces pushing for it to achieve other goals amidst the chaos? Or was it really as Uncle Victor suspected?

The dock area is likely to become the eye of the storm.

This afternoon, he was going to Winston's house for an afternoon tea that was completely out of place with the present reality, filled with perfume, flowers, and insincere small talk.

"Alright, Victor," Sylvia finally spoke, her voice gentle. "Getting angry won't solve anything. Let's eat first; don't forget we have important things to do today."

She gave Green a meaningful look.

Uncle Victor took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

"You're right, Sylvia," he said softly, picking up another slice of bread, but seemingly losing his appetite.

Breakfast ended hastily in a somber atmosphere.

Victor ate only a few bites before hurriedly leaving.

Before leaving, he patted Green on the shoulder and whispered, "Don't let the newspapers affect you, Green. Do your best this afternoon."

Aunt Sylvia quickly cleared the table, changed into what she considered to be the most appropriate and best-made dress for going out, and a smile returned to her face.

"Alright, Green, Emily, we need to hurry. Let's go see 'Old Tailor' Blanco first. He sometimes has some nice ready-made clothes, and he's quick to alter them."

"I want to go too! I want to go too!"

Sula immediately hugged Sylvia's arm, tilting her little face up and pleading, "I want to see my brother try on his new clothes! And... and maybe there will be pretty candies for sale on the street!"

Sylvia hesitated. It wasn't very convenient to take Sula shopping; she always seemed to wander off.

"Let Sula come along, Aunt. Consider it... a family activity." Green looked at Aunt Sylvia.

"Alright then, go ahead. Sura, go change into a decent coat."

So the morning's itinerary turned into a family outing for the Hayes family.

Blanco the Old Tailor's shop is located on a relatively quiet commercial street not far from the Embankment.

The store wasn't large, but the window was spotless, and inside were several well-tailored suits and evening gowns.

Mr. Blanco was a thin, old man with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses. His fingers were deformed from years of handling needles, but his eyes were still bright.

He clearly knew Sylvia and was very polite.

After learning the purpose of his visit, he glanced at Green a few times and then took out two dark suits from the inner room.

One set is a deep blue that's almost black, and the other is a slightly textured dark gray.

After Green tried it on, Mr. Blanco circled around him twice, pinching and pulling at it here and there, and finally nodded in approval of the dark gray suit.

"The shoulder width is suitable, the waist needs to be tightened a little, and the sleeve length and pant length can be altered. It can be done before 1 p.m.

Sylvia carefully examined the fabric and workmanship, and then inquired about the price—6 gold pounds, 11 sous, and 5 pence.

The number made her gasp, but she simply pursed her lips and paid without hesitation.

Green didn't say much, he just nodded. He knew this was a necessary 'investment'.

Next, they went to a store specializing in men's accessories and picked out a silver-gray tie to match their suit and a simple and elegant pocket watch chain.

Sylvia wanted to buy another pair of new leather shoes, but Green dissuaded her by saying, "My black ones are still very new, I just need to polish them."

Emily followed quietly behind, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the merchandise in the shop windows or the pedestrians on the street. Her eyes were calm, as if she were observing or perhaps lost in thought.

Sula was full of curiosity about everything, especially when they passed a candy store, her eyes were almost glued to the window.

It was almost noon, and Sylvia originally planned to go home for a quick bite, but Green stopped her.

"Auntie, thank you for your hard work this morning. I'll treat you to lunch; let's eat out."

Green pointed to a clean-looking, moderately priced restaurant on the street corner. "I heard their grilled fish and vegetable soup are pretty good."

Sylvia was somewhat surprised, but then a look of relief appeared on her face, not because she was going out to eat, but because of Green's thoughtful gesture.

"You silly child... alright, I'll listen to you."

Lunch was served in the restaurant. Green ordered grilled fish, vegetable soup, mashed potatoes, and plenty of bread.

The food tasted good and the portions were generous.

Sula ate with relish, and Emily also enjoyed her meal quietly, her appetite seemingly better than in the morning.

While eating, Sylvia couldn't help but give a few more reminders about things to pay attention to in the afternoon, from how to greet others to table manners, leaving no detail unattended.

Green listened patiently, nodding occasionally.

When it was time to pay, Green took out his purse and paid the bill.

Seeing the relief, pride, and a hint of barely perceptible heartache in Aunt Sylvia's eyes, Green felt that the money was well spent.

This was not just a meal; it was also his small, within-his-limit way of giving back to the family and to his aunt and uncle who had always taken care of him.

After the meal, they retrieved their altered suits.

It was past one o'clock in the afternoon when I got back to my home on the embankment street. Time suddenly became urgent.

Sylvia urged Green to change into a suit, while she busied herself fixing her hair and helping Sula change into her prettiest dress and put on a new headband.

Emily also went back to her room and changed into a simple but well-tailored dress in a calm, dark green color, which made her pale face look even more melancholic.

At 2:30, the family of four stood in front of the mirror in the foyer.

Sylvia gave everyone's attire one last check, took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, let's go. Don't keep Mrs. Hannah waiting."