Chapter 168: Butterfly

"Ah, it turns out it's His Highness Thales and Miss Hilley..."

In the famous old theater "Tide Theater" in the Iris District, a theatergoer in luxurious clothes came to the box on the second floor in surprise, but was stopped by both Waiya and Caguire security officers. He could only turn up the volume as much as possible to attract the box. The attention of the two distinguished guests inside.

"I was too far away just now, so I'm sorry I didn't see it, but from a distance, ah, they are such a beautiful couple!"

It was strange that he didn't notice that the conversation was interrupted. Thales responded politely on the surface, but secretly sighed listlessly in front of and behind the theater, on the three floors inside and outside. Couldn't he see the security personnel?

Soon, the bold guest was politely invited out of the box by Mallos. He returned to the ordinary seats on the first floor. While watching the drama, in the eyes of everyone's admiration and envy, he recounted just now "The prince and I were chatting and laughing happily." extraordinary experience.

In contrast, Hilley was undisturbed. He watched a play with great interest, applauding or laughing in response from time to time, which gave him enough face as the theater owner.

On the third day of the Jade Celebration, one of the traditional activities of Kongming Palace is the “Lord’s Parade”:

It is said that after the wedding of 'Southerner' Heyman and Miss Regina, King Eight Fingers and the Duke of Cork stayed in the palace to entertain guests from all over the world, but the bride and groom went out on a tour to inspect the public sentiment, rewarding good and punishing evil wherever they went. , help the poor and those in danger.

So every day on this day, Duke Iris will follow the usual practice of reenacting the glorious allusions of the two ancient noble lords, patrolling the entire Emerald City, having fun with the people, and spending a whole day busy. This is also an opportunity for Thales to go out with Shilai. Reasons to watch drama.

"Of course, whether they are noble lords or officials and common people, people will fight for a position close to the Duke of South Bank in the parade." Healy said disdainfully.

"Wow, you know so much." Thales was impressed.

Hilley paid full attention to the performance on the stage and raised a piece of paper:

"Here, here's the cheat sheet Ashford thrust into me."

"Cheat sheet?" Thales was stunned.

"In order to be worthy of the wisdom and knowledge of the noble daughter of Kevin Dill."

oh.

"Then only Zhan will go on the cruise, isn't it appropriate?" Thales frowned, "Should we follow suit?"

"Why?"

"You know, Prince Hyman and Miss Regina, Bright Star and Kevin Dill..."

"you and me?"

Thales' expression changed: "Oh, I'm sorry, I, I swear I'm not, I really wasn't hinting at anything..."

Hilley glanced at him:

"Yes, originally not."

Thales had no choice but to shut up.

Soon, the heroine on the stage disappeared behind the scenes, the section ended, and the drama transitioned.

"So Zhan really said that? That wool merchant is in charge of secret accounts?"

Hilley applauded and returned to the topic before being interrupted by the guest.

"Yes," Thales nodded, "so Zhan 'dealt' with him in advance to prevent the kingdom's secret department from discovering his abnormal account entries and damaging the foundation of his rule."

Hilley frowned.

"That's not right. He admitted it too readily."

"It's not quite right," Thales exhaled, "but we will know the truth."

Miss Kevin Deere thought for a while, and her expression changed slightly:

"Wait, so instead of giving up, you sent more people to track down that Diop?"

Thales, who was seen through, forced a smile:

“In a more low-key, covert way.”

Thinking of Mallos' report, Thales hoped that Zombie and Rolf could find something.

"In what way? Are you sure Zhan won't know?"

Thales frowned and looked at Shilay.

Hilley raised his brows and raised his gloved hands:

"Okay, I won't ask."

Thales breathed a sigh of relief:

"Thank you for your understanding."

"But if you continue to pursue the investigation, aren't you afraid that it will be self-defeating like last time, and you will be caught by Zhan at the murder scene and driven out of the Emerald City by him?"

Thales was silent for a moment.

"I know, but thanks to you, Zhan and I haven't completely fallen out, at least we still maintain some tacit understanding."

Xi Lai's eyes moved: "Tacit understanding?"

"Next time something similar happens, he will inform me in advance to prevent my men from being caught 'invading and killing people'."

"And you believe him?"

Thales sighed:

"At least it's a gesture."

Hilley mused.

The curtain on the stage reopened, and the next section began. The leading actor swayed onto the stage wearing funny clothes that didn't fit. The supporting actors forced a smile on their face and tried their best to praise, which caused the audience to burst into laughter ("You What are you talking about? This is your mistress’s clothes?”).

Hilley spoke again:

"When I was a child, I once broke a vase left by Queen Bella and wanted to blame it on a cousin who looked down on me. But when my mother got angry, Zhan stood up and admitted that he did it, while secretly Use tricks to let everyone know that I broke the vase.”

I saw the girl from Kevin Deere’s family sneered:

"After this incident, I was reprimanded, and Zhan was praised by his parents, praised as a 'responsible brother' in the family, and grateful by a cousin."

Thales was attracted and looked back at Hilley.

"What do you want to say?"

Hilley shook his head:

"Zhan has known how to put on airs since he was a child and use a good-looking posture to gain maximum benefits."

She admired the performance on stage and slowly focused her eyes:

"Even if it's his sister, I've known since I was a child that you can't trust Zhan, at least not completely."

"The sun is setting above," Thales frowned amid laughter, "It's so tiring to live in your house."

"Do people from the Bright Star family also say that?"

Thales' expression paused:

"Let's get back to the topic."

The prince sighed:

"I know very well that Jenn's guarantee is just a good-looking gesture: just like Diop's murder case, by the time he 'informed' me, he must have packed up the mess and wouldn't give me any clues or loopholes. Stay. But I can at least be sure of one thing: Zhan has already made contact with the Kingdom's secret department. Now he has no time to deal with me specifically. On some levels, he even left me to deal with him in the Emerald City. There are benefits.”

"benefit?"

Thales nodded.

"From Moss to Diop, the kingdom's secret department tried every means to bring them into my sight, hoping that the impulsive Prince Thales would dig out the secrets and expose the inside story," Thales said in a deep voice, "Zhan based on my Take action to silence them and bury them before I do, and eliminate the conspiracy."

Shirley pursed his lips.

"It sounds like you are a pawn in their game that everyone can pick up and play with?"

Thales looked at her unhappily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have been more tactful," Hilley turned his head expressionlessly, "After all, the truth hurts the most."

It's really euphemistic.

"No, I am at most a chessboard and a battlefield," Thales was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "Those people in the Emerald City who were involved or even died because of it, they are the ones who really go with the flow. A chess piece whose fate cannot be controlled by oneself.”

Xi Lai didn't speak, just stared at him silently.

"Now, three lives have been lost, and there may be more, and we are still in the dark about the situation of the war," Thales said quietly, "I don't like this."

"But what if this is what the secret department wants?"

Hilley spoke softly:

"Keeping you in the dark and letting you punch indiscriminately like instinct? What if this is in line with their plan?"

Thales frowned.

Then let them eat shit.

He said silently.

While they were talking, another guest wandered to the second floor inexplicably and unexpectedly met the prince and the lady. With the polite invitation of Mallos and others, he left. However, Thales and Hilley had to stay silent for a while again and divert their attention. Back on stage.

Performed in the theater is this year's extremely popular new play "The Butterfly", which tells the story of the illiterate but warm-hearted silly boy Origi during the tyranny of the Red King:

Origi rescued the Prime Minister's niece by chance, but said the wrong thing when the Prime Minister rewarded him ("I want a good job that doesn't require me to bask in the sun/see the light"), and was mistakenly incorporated into the kingdom. Secret science. In the secret department, this simple and straightforward new detective made all kinds of jokes, but also by chance, he solved countless problems through blind fighting, bravely fought in the dark room, played Quintana, outsmarted the rebels, and manipulated the fans. Hai Sanguo saved the kingdom from fire and water, gained the trust of the king, and also won the love of the prime minister's niece.

During a mission, Origi accidentally discovered that what he was doing in the name of the king was actually countless unjust, false and wrong cases, which would kill hundreds of innocent people. However, under the temptation of the head of the secret department, in order to be worthy of his sweetheart and stay with her forever, Origi escaped the torture of pain and guilt, and chose numbness and escape. Slowly, Origi grew up and matured, learned vanity, understood hypocrisy, and understood human feelings. He sought advantages and avoided disadvantages along the way, and rose to great heights. He was no longer the silly boy he used to be, but as the title of the play goes, he grew from an ugly but beautiful person. A simple caterpillar transforms into a numb and struggling pupa, and then turns into a beautiful but poisonous butterfly.

At the end of the story, on the eve of the coronation of the virtuous king and the end of tyranny, the powerful Origi was involved in a political conspiracy to frame the prime minister. He died under the knife of his beloved in despair, and finally woke up in the arms of his lover. Ended in tears.

To be honest, the quality of both the script and the actors is indeed much better than that of Wangdu.

Thales scratched his head. Well, if in the royal capital, this kind of play that slanders and satirizes the secret science of the kingdom and promotes "incorrect values" would probably not be staged and it would be wrong. It depends on the historical evaluation of the Red King by each generation of kings. And positioning, should we vigorously criticize and reflect deeply, or should we "objective, rational and diverse views", should "historical conclusions not be distorted", or should "sensitive topics" be avoided?

In short, he didn't know if it could be staged.

"Can I give you some advice?"

Thales came back to his senses in shock and found that it was Hilli who had spoken.

"Of course, I'm all ears."

Xi Lai's eyes were burning: "If you want to start from the streets, such as tracing clues from the Blood Bottle Gang, be careful."

Blood Bottle Gang?

Thales' complexion changed slightly:

"you"

"How did I know you were going to start with the Blood Bottle Gang?"

Xi Lai turned his head and smiled slightly: "Same as you."

Under Thales's surprised gaze, Hilley picked up the tea without caring:

"If Diop is really a shady secret accountant, then when Zhan 'deals' with him, he must not use official resources on the surface, such as the Police Department and the Emerald Legion."

Thales thought of the killer D.D and Glover talked about.

"My brother has to use another set of people to go through channels that cannot appear on paper or on the surface. And when Diop usually handles secret accounts, he has to use similar people. It just so happens that in the Emerald City, such channels , the person who does this job and eats this bowl of rice has many twists and turns, and can be more or less related to a big gang..."

"The Blood Bottle Gang." Thales sighed.

Hilley nodded happily.

"Your direction and idea are correct. Most powerful families have gloves to do their dirty work." Miss Kevin Dill looked at the final confrontation between the hero Origi and his sweetheart on the stage. "Compared to the watertight Kongming Palace, these gloves are certainly easier to break through."

Thales sighed.

"Except for one thing." Hilley changed the subject, causing Thales' eyes to move slightly.

Heilai raised the corner of his mouth:

"It is said that a long time ago, there were dozens of street gangs and gangs in Emerald City, from shoe repairmen to street sweepers, from manure collectors to bricklayers. They were not affiliated with each other, just like most cities in the world. It was normal. ”

Thales was a little confused: "Until?"

Hilley's expression gradually became serious:

"It wasn't until a few decades ago that a certain Duke of the Kevin Deere family, 'Sheephorn Duke' Kirk, suddenly had a whim. He changed his old aristocratic behavior and stretched out his noble hands that were not touched by soil in the bustling palace. The bottom, sinking into the people, incorporating and even investing in non-traditional forces 'outside the chessboard' brought about a turning point in the streets of Emerald City."

Unconventional forces outside the chessboard.

Crocodile Cork.

Thales raised his eyebrows.

"Turning point, you mean..."

Hilley looked at Thales seriously:

"An out-of-town gang, composed of veterans from the Western Wilderness, who started out by smuggling and prohibiting alcohol, entered the Emerald City at that time. It received tacit approval and even support, quickly broke the balance, and swept away the Emerald City in just a few decades. ’s streets and underworld.”

What did Thales understand:

"Did the Kevin Deere family collude with the Blood Bottle Gang at that time?"

"not only that."

Hilley said: "Arms, prostitution, drugs, population, street intelligence, rural power, market monopoly... Starting from the streets of the Emerald City, with the support of the Kevin Deere family, the Blood Bottle Gang's 'business' is no longer Confined to smuggling and prohibiting alcohol, they changed their policies, transformed, grew, and expanded, entering areas they were unfamiliar with in the past. They extended their tentacles to towns and countryside across the country, to corners that the army and guards could not reach, and to many places. Officials and even lords of one party get involved, reach cooperation, provide 'services' and help with 'governance'."

"Service," Thales frowned, "Governance?"

Hilley ignored him:

"In this way, the power and money of Iris, the violence and organization of the Blood Bottle Gang, the official and unofficial forces, they complement each other and merge into one."

Two become one.

Thales thought of the Blade Tooth Dune Camp in the Western Wilderness, and the tacit understanding between the Legend Wings and the mercenary leaders, which may have included a little bit of threat and cooperation.

"Are you saying that the Kevin Dill family is the backing of the Blood Bottle Gang and is affiliated with them?"

Hilley shook his head:

"I wouldn't say that. After all, the Blood Bottle Gang is neither an army nor a loyal dog. Duke Iris cannot use them like his own hands, and the huge gap cannot be ignored. There is absolutely no difference between the two."

But her conversation changed:

"But it is true that the relationship between the Kevin Deere family and the Blood Bottle Gang is closer than that between ordinary lords and gangs. Mutual benefit has long been a tradition, and mutual compatibility has become a habit. The relationship is more complicated than you think. Each generation Duke Iris is also accustomed to using such unconventional chess pieces to monitor and even control the streets and underground world. "

Thales exhaled:

"No wonder, no wonder in the Emerald City, Zhan can so easily spread rumors about me according to his wishes."

"So, if you put a breach in a place like this," Hilley finished, "be careful."

Thales was silent for a long time. He looked at Origi on the stage and cried in pain, and expressed his feelings under the moonlight.

Only then did he realize that as the plot of "The Butterfly" progressed, the audience had not laughed for a long time.

"These things, street gangs, the underground world, etc.," Thales said solemnly, "As a noble lady, how do you know about it?"

"Ha, I knew you would say that," Hilley's face darkened and his words were sarcastic, "I would like to remind you, Duke of Thales, that the eldest lady in front of you is named Kevin Deere."

Thales' expression changed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything else. You're right, you are Kevin Dill," he sighed. "I would rather die for the sake of friends than to die for the enemy."

Hilley was silent for a while.

"When I was a kid, I was rumored once and there was a lot of talk in the streets."

Thales raised his gaze.

Hilley was gloomy when talking about the past: "My father did not resort to the power of the Duke to curb the rumors. He knew that would only be self-defeating. Instead, he used the Blood Bottle Gang to fight the rumors with rumors, and finally restored my reputation."

Thales frowned: "Your reputation?"

"Yes, my reputation," Heeley's face was full of sarcasm, "is related to my reputation whether I can marry or not."