When faced with the muzzles of two black-hole-like guns, the second robber dropped his pistol from his hand and collapsed on the ground, holding his head in both hands.
Risking one's life is simply not worth it. The disciples of the Goddess of Death, numbering around twenty, were intimidated by Veronica's gun pointing, let alone the train robbers who were only in it for the money.
Going to jail was just a temporary setback; they could resume their criminal activities after being released. Was it worth risking their lives?
Life only comes once!
Wayne quickly stepped forward, pressing down fiercely on the robber's head on the ground several times, leaving him dazed.
"What are you doing, big brother? I have rights too! What about the international humanitarian spirit?" the robber protested.
Sophie couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. She stepped forward to help Wayne, placing her foot on the robber's head with a click, preventing him from further mistreatment.
She could tell that Wayne was trying to knock out the robber but lacked experience. Several attempts had failed.
"Why not just use the gun and hit him on the back of the head a few times?" she suggested.
"It's a fake gun," Wayne shook the toy gun in his hand—a wooden model painted black with an iron sheet covering the muzzle to ensure the unfortunate fellow hit in the back of the head could feel the chill of death.
"So, you couldn't fire the gun in the first place?"
"Yeah, it's all just a performance. As long as it makes the robber release the hostages, my job is done," Wayne downplayed, gesturing with his hand. It was all about the robbers making him look good; the key figure was Sophie, and he hadn't exerted much effort.
He did have two real guns, but he couldn't carry them around. The toy gun was something he made a few days ago, intended for surprise attacks from behind. It was useless in a direct confrontation.
Unless it was nighttime.
"Wayne, I'm increasingly impressed by you..."
Sophie genuinely admired. When Wayne had pointed the gun at her, she had genuinely thought her daughter was blind. Through Wayne's deliberate mentions of "move the gun away" and "innocent hostages," she realized his plan and cooperated accordingly.
Coming up with the most appropriate strategy in a very short time, ensuring the safety of the hostages, successfully subduing the robbers—all proved Wayne's meticulous thinking and excellent initiative.
His acting was too convincing, not at all like acting, hmm... more like her scoundrel husband.
Sophie also understood why her daughter had taken a liking to Wayne. A talented boy always attracted the opposite sex.
When you bloom, butterflies come on their own!
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that her excellent daughter had also attracted Wayne. The two of them hit it off quickly and fell in love.
Sophie's admiration came from the perspective of an elder looking at a younger generation. But Wayne didn't know that. The more he listened, the more ambiguous it became, pondering if the rich woman had revealed her affection and if the next step would be presenting a sponsorship contract.
Poor guy, he couldn't resist temptation and was easily seduced.
If he really signed the sponsorship contract, became a cheating scumbag, how would he explain to the three women?
Wayne was in a dilemma, and Sophie once again misunderstood something, smiling as she said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of the remaining robber. When I come back, you need to clarify things, what exactly is missing from my outfit."
With that, Sophie pushed open the door of the dining car with the gun in hand, her steps graceful, making Wayne suspect she was a spy.
A spy sent by Frank to the Kingdom of Windsor, a well-known fashion designer. She would soon integrate into the upper-class circles, get to know the aristocracy, and continuously send back intelligence to Frank.
"No, she's too conspicuous to be an outsider spy."
Wayne muttered to himself. Rather than Frank's spy, it was more like Windsor's spy sent to Frank, now that her mission was accomplished, she was returning to her hometown to find a decent person to take over.
And that decent person was me!
At 11:00 in the morning, the luxury train stopped at the Ennolde Station. Station officers dragged away five masked robbers, including the bearded man who had intentionally bumped into Wayne on the train.
Wayne and Sophie were escorted to the station office. They had subdued five armed robbers, saved an entire car of wealthy passengers, and due to their exceptional skills, they had to face questioning by the police.
Inside the office...
Sophie sat with her legs crossed, hands on her knees, maintaining a posture that was both upright and elegant.
She always maintained etiquette, discipline had become a habit for her. Whether it was her appearance or demeanor, she ranked among the top tier of women Wayne had encountered.
Veronica's manners were also good, but she still had a bit of childishness, especially when Violet played pranks—Miss always couldn't resist getting involved.
Miss was responsible for the beating, while Violet was responsible for the prank, with clear division of labor.
"Wayne, what do you do for a living?" Sophie asked.
"I run a detective agency."
"Sounds like you're a successful person."
"It's okay, just an assistant, a clerk, a cat, and a dog."
In the office, while the officers dealt with the robbers, Wayne engaged in a bored conversation with Sophie.
He could sense Sophie's curiosity about him, subtly probing, asking about his personal life.
Oh no, I've caught the attention of a rich woman!
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Sophie finally asked the question she was most interested in.
Wayne wanted to say he was single and in need of a big sister to support him—free was fine, but when the words reached his lips, he followed his inner voice and said, "I have a girlfriend. She really likes me, and I love her too. We've sworn not to betray each other."
As he said this, Wayne's heart was bleeding. He never thought he would reject such a mature and elegant lady.
With money!
Satisfied, Sophie nodded approvingly and sighed, "It's an enviable love..."
Thinking of something, she fell silent about her scoundrel husband, Wayne knew that asking now would lead her to talk about her battered love history, then sobbing, seeking comfort, seeking refuge in the other's broad shoulder.
Ha, don't think you can fool me, I won't ask!
Wayne remained silent, and Sophie didn't feel like sharing. After a while, she got straight to the point, "What's missing from my brand?"
Wayne hesitated for a moment and said slowly, "Madam, this piece of clothing hasn't been invented yet. It's just my idea. When I do invent it, I'll let you know first. Don't ask about anything else; I'm afraid you'll steal my creativity."
"Is it profitable?"
"Yeah, I'll rely on it to support my wife in the second half of my life."
"Sounds good. I wish you happiness."
Sophie smiled meaningfully. She had examined him; this kid was okay, intelligent and cautious, but a bit naive, needing guidance from an elder.
Moreover, Wayne seemed unaware of the truths of this world.
Ordinary people and magicians were two different worlds; it was difficult for them to find common ground. Even if they successfully got together, they might have conflicts for various reasons, leading to a broken marriage.
Thinking of herself and her scoundrel husband, Sophie decided to help Wayne learn magic, so that he wouldn't repeat her tragedy with Veronica.
This time, she was returning to London to take up the position of High Priestess in the Central District. She needed an administrative assistant, so she should take on a disciple.
Talent wasn't important; trustworthiness was!
A few moments later, two police officers entered and expressed their apologies and gratitude. After checking Wayne and Sophie's IDs and asking a few questions, they awkwardly explained that the robbery involved too many wealthy people, and the authorities in London had decided to set up a special task force.
In other words, Sophie and Wayne had to change their plans and take the next train back to London.
"Can it wait for a while? I have something very important to deal with," Wayne frowned.
The two officers shrugged, regretfully stating they couldn't do much.
"Darn it, do good people always have to be so accommodating?" Wayne lamented. If that was the case, he wouldn't be a good person anymore in the future.
"Wayne, remember you owe me a favor. I'll find you to repay it when the time comes," Sophie said.
Using the office phone, Sophie called the station chief. Five minutes later, the station chief personally came to apologize because of the officers' negligence, which had delayed the precious time of two distinguished guests.
Now that everything was settled, Wayne and Sophie could leave at any time.
Wayne looked at Sophie in surprise. This wasn't financial power; this was authority. The rich woman had more power than he had imagined, and her identity was definitely more than just a spy.
Damn it, why did I just reject her!
...
Outside the station office, servants and butlers who had been waiting for a long time crowded around. They had been ordered by their masters to express gratitude to the two saviors.
It wasn't about the money; it was about saving lives. Who knew what crazy things the robbers would have done?
Furthermore, many wealthy people traveling didn't bring their wives but secretaries, mistresses—mostly someone else's wife.
If things escalated, they wouldn't be able to handle the second wave of social death.
To express their gratitude, the servants and butlers handed over their masters' business cards.
This group of people was concentrated in the Central District of Inner London and had very good social connections. Wayne took the business cards, patted his pockets, feeling bad—he didn't have business cards, so he couldn't use this opportunity to promote his detective business.
Sophie handwrote her phone number on the back of the business card for exchange, realizing Wayne's predicament. She smiled and said that Wayne was an outstanding detective. If the wealthy encountered trouble in the future, they could contact Wayne through this number.
Wayne: "..."
Oh no, the rich lady has devious intentions, starting to play the social circle binding game!
...
After the two left, the station chief and the two officers chatted and confirmed Sophie and Wayne's identities. They made a call to London to report.
Not long after, a call was made from the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in London.
"Mr. Lando, do you know Sophie Lando?"
"She did injure someone, but it was in the line of duty—she injured five armed criminals attempting to rob the train, just a little heavy-handed."
"Yes, she's in Windsor. The train left London last night..."
"According to the report from the Ennolde Town station officers, she was traveling with a gentleman named Wayne... Yes, Wayne... I'm very sure it's Wayne."
"Hmm? How did you know Mr. Wayne is a detective?"
"According to the train attendants, they were very close. They had breakfast together early in the morning and even toured the observation car together..."
"Yes, they left together from the station. Miss Sophie didn't want to return to London and left with Wayne, getting into the same car."
"No trouble at all. It's my pleasure to serve you."
"This is what I should do. If you insist, I'll go to the finance department to get the money. Alright, thank you for your generosity."