Chapter 32
Xia'er walked towards the police station in Beilun City, which was not far from her school. After about twenty minutes, she arrived at the entrance of the station.
Pushing the door open, Xia'er entered the front hall of the police station and approached the reception desk to register her purpose.
"Applying for a clerical position?" The receptionist looked at Xia'er’s note with surprise and asked, "Do you have a letter of recommendation?"
"Yes." Xia'er took the letter from her bag and handed it to the front desk.
"Please wait a moment while I show this to the inspector," the man said, standing up and gesturing towards the public waiting area. "You can sit over there for a bit, miss."
"Okay, thank you." Xia'er walked over to the waiting area, found an empty seat, and sat down. Suddenly, she seemed to sense something and turned to look at the entrance of the police station.
A girl with black hair, draped in a police cloak and wearing long boots and a black uniform skirt, pushed open the large door of the station.
She instinctively scanned the public reception area, as if her subconscious was urging her to do so. Then, she spotted a beautiful girl sitting on a bench in the waiting area, smiling at her.
The usually expressionless girl surprisingly acknowledged the red-haired girl with a slight nod before bypassing the front desk and heading towards the second floor.
---
**Chapter 33: The New Boss and Dehydration (Part Two)**
Knock, knock, knock—
"What is it?" The bald inspector sat behind his desk, rubbing his head as he looked towards the door.
"Mr. Zate, there’s a girl at the entrance with a letter of recommendation," the officer said, handing the letter to Zate.
"Another letter of recommendation... Where are all these positions coming from?" Zate grumbled as he took the letter, glancing at the wax seal before tossing it aside.
"Mr. Zate, that girl... she looks like she’s only about thirteen or fourteen," the officer added quietly.
"Another little girl? Is this a marketplace?" Zate rubbed his temples, finally sighing as he opened the envelope. After a cursory glance, he said, "Let her in."
"Yes, sir." The officer jogged downstairs, and soon, a beautiful red-haired girl was brought back up.
Another student... With such a good school, can’t you just focus on your studies? Zate massaged his temples, trying to soften his tone.
"Miss Xia'er, right?" He gestured to a chair in front of him. "Please sit, just call me Mr. Zate."
"Okay, Mr. Zate." Xia'er sat down across from the bald inspector and quickly noticed his somewhat awkward expression.
"Uh... Miss Xia'er, let me explain the situation," the inspector straightened up, pondering his tone before reluctantly speaking. "I know you’re quite capable, and I trust Dean Jenny’s judgment, but the police station is a bit overstaffed right now..."
"However, I have another suggestion, Miss Xia'er. If you’re looking for work, some departments here are still in need of assistants, but the salary would be paid by the person hiring you, not the police station. Do you understand what I mean?"
"When there’s an opening for a clerical position, I can transfer you over. How does that sound?"
Zate looked at Xia'er with sincere eyes, waiting for her response.
Xia'er understood perfectly.
Temporary worker, intern... Whatever you call it, it’s not a stable position.
"What’s the salary like?" Xia'er asked.
"Everyone’s different... but it’s around 12 shillings a week," Zate replied.
In fact, this was Zate’s way of subtly discouraging Xia'er. Given her status as an excellent student, she could easily find a better-paying job.
"Okay, when does the work start?" Xia'er asked directly after a moment of thought.
Twelve shillings a week is better than nothing. Lichi at the factory earns around 10, and 20 shillings equals 1 pound, so relying on a job to cover tuition seems unlikely.
But Xia'er wasn’t here to earn money; she just needed a cover identity.
Working at the police station would certainly be a respectable job.
"Uh..." Zate was taken aback by Xia'er’s agreement. After a moment of silence, he said, "Alright, I’ll check to see who needs an assistant."
After all, she was recommended by Dean Jenny, and many of the councilors’ daughters were still studying under her. If he didn’t arrange a job for her, it wouldn’t look good if a councilor came asking later.
Xia'er waited in the office for about ten minutes. Finally, a somewhat awkward Zate returned and sat down in front of her.
"Miss Xia'er, there is indeed someone looking for an assistant. She’s offering a weekly salary of 15 shillings, but the department... well, it’s a bit niche."
"What department?" Xia'er asked curiously.
"The Investigation Department. You can think of it as the detective division; it might require frequent fieldwork."
The Investigation Department?
Xia'er recalled some things.
In her last simulation, the one where she encountered Aivina, she had heard the name "Investigation Department" from the officers, and it was indeed Aivina who came from there.
What a coincidence!
Xia'er had been looking for a chance to get closer to Aivina, and now the opportunity had presented itself. She certainly wouldn’t let it slip by.
"Sounds good," Xia'er nodded.
"I’ll take you there now. You can discuss the details with her," Zate said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. He led Xia'er from the second floor to the third, the top floor of the police station.
After passing the chief’s office and a few other offices, Zate stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Come in."
Zate opened the door but didn’t enter. He stood at the threshold and said, "I’ve brought the assistant. I have some official business to attend to, so you two can chat."
With that, Zate turned and left. Xia'er couldn’t shake the feeling that he quickened his pace, as if he wanted to distance himself from the Investigation Department.
After all, he was the chief inspector.
"Sorry to interrupt." Xia'er stepped into the office, which was quite spacious with excellent lighting from the windows. There were about four or five desks, but only one was occupied.
"Is it you?" Aivina, sitting behind the desk, looked at Xia'er with surprise and said, "Come over, and remember to close the door."
Xia'er closed the door and walked over to Aivina’s side. "Hello, I’m Xia'er."
"Aivina." Aivina removed her gloves and shook Xia'er’s hand, then looked her up and down.
"Well... I can’t say for sure if you’re fit for this job," Aivina said, shaking her head with a neutral expression. "You stand out too much, Miss Xia'er."
"What job?" Xia'er asked, curious.
"Mainly helping me with some simple surveys, asking different people various questions, and then compiling the results for me..."
"Sounds like an easy job, Miss Aivina," Xia'er replied. "I believe I can handle it."
This job was incredibly simple for Xia'er.
She could easily hire two reliable teenagers in Bell Tower Alley to help her with these tasks for just 5 shillings a week—there would be plenty of people eager to do it. It was far easier than working in a factory.
And she wouldn’t have to do anything herself, earning 5 shillings every week, enjoying the freedom of work while holding a respectable identity as a police assistant.
Whether it was the effect of the contract or the skill of "The Art of Conversation," Aivina pondered for a moment before saying, "I think I can trust you."
Aivina pulled open a drawer and took out three silver coins with crowns on them, handing them to Xia'er. "This is 15 shillings, an advance for your first week’s salary."
"Can I ask what my tasks will be this week?" Xia'er inquired as she accepted the coins.
"You’ll be accompanying me to investigate the unexplained cases of dehydration in Bell Tower Alley," Aivina said. "I need you to take notes while you’re with me. Be here at 7 AM tomorrow, and don’t be late."
Unexplained cases of dehydration? Bell Tower Alley?
"What’s going on in Bell Tower Alley?" Xia'er couldn’t help but ask.
"You don’t need to worry about that, Miss Xia'er." This time, Aivina replied with a neutral expression, choosing to remain silent on the matter.
---
**Chapter 34: Meeting the Parents and Lord Hastings (Part Three)**
Table of Contents
