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Hobert arrived at the law firm by carriage and felt a bit sore in his shoulders as he sat down in his office chair.
After adjusting his posture, he wrote down the tasks for the week on a piece of paper and roughly prioritized them.
He planned to first investigate Zachary, as mentioned by Mr. Robin. This case was quite complex, so he decided to start the investigation and then summarize the clues and evidence.
In comparison, the other three cases given to him by Barton were much simpler and could be scheduled later.
To investigate Zachary, Hobert thought of a breakthrough: the gang leader of the East Borough, Weir.
Since Zachary was also a gang leader in the East Borough, Weir, as a peer, should know something about him.
Around nine in the morning, Hobert called a cab and first went to the Mercenary Club.
Thanks to Barton's reputation, Hobert's gun permit was ready by this morning, and he bought a revolver at the club.
He believed the revolver would come in handy during the investigation of Zachary.
At around ten-thirty, Hobert arrived at the Blue Knight Bar in the East Borough by carriage.
The place was still the same. Even though it was morning, loud laughter could be heard from a distance.
As soon as he opened the door, a strong smell and noise hit him. Hobert first saw a short figure walking towards him. As the person got closer, he recognized it was Xio, wearing a gentleman's hat.
"Mr. Hobert, we meet again," Xio said with a smile.
As soon as she spoke, the bar fell silent.
Hobert replied, "Yes, Miss Xio, it's good to see you getting along 'peacefully' with Weir !" while observing the surrounding drunkards to see what was going on.
After a second or two, a drunkard suddenly said, "Mr. Hobert, my arm was dislocated when I was young, and since then, I haven't been able to do heavy work. Do you think it can be cured?"
He showed his skinny arm, asking Hobert for a diagnosis.
Hobert was stunned. Did he look like a doctor?
Another drunkard said, "Mr. Hobert, my leg was injured last year, and it hurts a lot during the rainy season. Can you take a look?"
Xio suddenly shouted, "I've said many times, he's not a doctor!"
Although she was small, her voice and presence were intimidating, making the drunkards avoid eye contact.
Hobert sighed, thinking that in such situations, the Beyonder abilities of an Arbiter were more useful than those of a Lawyer, who would need to persuade each person individually.
At this moment, Weir ran over, "Sir, why are you here?" His attitude was very respectful.
Hobert realized that it was because he had asked Emlyn to heal Weir's injury, and Weir had kept this a secret, leading everyone to mistake him for a doctor with miraculous potions.
Understanding this, Hobert smiled and said to everyone, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a lawyer. I can make the culprits who injured you lose everything, but I can't cure your illnesses."
Hearing the words "lose everything," everyone instinctively shrank back, and no one dared to ask Hobert for a diagnosis again.
Hobert then turned to Weir, "I'm here to ask you about a gang leader named Zachary."
Weir was stunned and looked at Miss Xio, who had stopped at the door and then walked back step by step.
Hobert immediately understood, "Miss Xio is also here to ask you about Zachary?"
Weir looked at Xio and then at Hobert before smiling, "Yes, sir. I've only met Zachary a few times. His territory is near the Cuckoo Bar. You can ask around there."
Hobert looked at Xio, "Miss Xio, are you planning to go to the Cuckoo Bar?"
"Yes," Xio did not hide her intention.
"I think we can go together."
As they talked, they walked out, and Weir breathed a sigh of relief, glad that these two people he couldn't afford to offend were finally leaving.
At the door, Hobert turned back and said to Weir, "Do fewer things that go against your conscience. Next time, you might not be so lucky."
Weir was stunned. It was both a warning and a reminder. He quickly replied, "Yes."
But Hobert didn't hear Weir's response. By the time Weir spoke, there were only the creaking doors and the receding figures.
Hobert and Xio walked quickly through the rundown, homeless-filled streets of the East Borough.
Hobert smiled and said, "Let me guess, Miss Xio, did you receive a commission about insurance company stock fraud?"
Xio coolly replied, "Yes." The gentleman's hat on her head suited her current demeanor.
"We have a common goal," Hobert said persuasively, using his Beyonder ability, "Perhaps we can exchange clues or even collaborate more deeply."
Xio had already thought of exchanging information with Hobert when she returned to the bar, but she wasn't very enthusiastic about collaboration.
However, for some reason, she suddenly felt an urge to accept Hobert's invitation, "Okay, but on one condition.
"Can you not walk so fast?"
Hobert looked at Xio's short legs, "Sorry, I didn't consider a lady's feelings. So, should we find a place to talk? After all, I just got you out of jail."
This time, Hobert's Beyonder ability didn't work. Xio smiled, "I'll thank Miss Audrey. I believe that noble lady won't treat you badly."
Hobert said, "I beg to differ. I solved your problem in just one day. Isn't that efficiency enough to earn your gratitude?"
Xio pointed to a nearby café, "I won't argue with you about this. Since you insist on me thanking you, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."
"Argue?" Hobert suddenly realized why he was arguing with Xio over such trivial matters. Could this be a side effect of the Lawyer potion?
While Hobert was lost in thought, Xio had already entered the café, and he quickly followed.
They each ordered a cup of cheap coffee, and Xio talked about her commission, which was similar to what Hobert had guessed. She had also received a commission similar to Mr. Robin's case.
Hobert concluded, "Zachary's fraud targets are all middle-class people."
He said, "This class has savings but no power. Even if they lose all their savings, the police won't put much effort into investigating unless there are clear clues.
"If the same thing happened to a noble, the police would be under pressure to give their best effort."
"I had a similar guess," Xio said, sipping her coffee, "So this is definitely a premeditated, planned fraud."