545: Chapter 282: Anti-Smuggling Inspector_3 545: Chapter 282: Anti-Smuggling Inspector_3 Louis seed to rember sothing too, Arthur had previously sent him to investigate that casino.
He said, “In the past two years, the only casino in London where soone made a big win is the one on St.
Jas Street, and we even know who won the money.
Heinrich, take a piece of advice, you can’t learn his thod of winning.
For most people, it’s better to quit gambling while they’re ahead.”
Upon hearing this, Heine asked, “What, does he have so kind of infallible secret?
Ha!
I knew it, there must be sothing fishy about that casino.
My card skills can’t possibly be that bad, there must be soone cheating inside!”
Arthur, holding his forehead with one hand, said, “Heinrich, I so wish I had never t you.
You’ve completely destroyed the image I had of you in my mind.”
Heine mimicked Arthur’s words in response, “Arthur, I too wish I had never t you.
You’ve equally destroyed the image of a police officer in my mind.
If all Prussian police were as efficient as you, I wouldn’t have had to leave there.”
Upon hearing this, Great Dumas rely pursed his lips and widened his eyes.
He shook his head while clapping Heine on the shoulder, “Heinrich, if you really think so, then the dozen or so Barbary Pirates who died at his hand would surely disagree.
Our Officer Hastings is a true tough guy; if you think he’s gentle and lazy, it’s purely because he’s not out to get you.
If you don’t believe it, you can ask Louis.
His experiences after arriving in London could easily make up a short story.”
Louis, upon hearing this, quickly changed the subject.
After all, that story wasn’t exactly a pleasant mory for him to savor.
Louis handed Arthur the bound docunts in his hand, “I’ve already organized the relevant information about Liverpool.
It’s just that our departure was so rushed, so of the details will probably have to be inquired about from the relevant departnts once we reach Liverpool.”
At these words, Arthur suddenly rembered the ambiguous advice from Agares and the suspicions of Director Rowan in front of the Lord Chancellor’s office.
Smiling and looking up, Arthur asked, “Louis, have you read Hu?”
“Hu?” Louis nodded, “Though not as extensively as I’ve read Voltaire, I’ve read a bit of Hu’s work.
After all, he’s one of the representative figures of the Enlightennt.”
“Good,” Arthur continued, “Since you’ve read Hu, then surely you must be familiar with his principle of the knave hypothesis.”
Before Louis could respond, the most learned man in Germany had already taken the lead to answer.
Raising a finger, Heine recited, “Hu assud that human nature is evil, and so everyone entering a position of power could be a knave.
With this assumption, when designing chanisms of power, one must keep a close watch on human weaknesses and ensure that the system strictly guards against the knaves.”
“Because Hu believed that ambition plays a large role in human nature, desires are very hard to satisfy.
If a person lives at the bottom of society, say a thief, then what he pursues is the pinnacle of his own level, to be the king among thieves.”
“And once he has reached the peak, becoming king of the thieves, then he will pursue a leap to a higher level of society, for example, becoming a respectable gentleman or even running for election.
Moreover, he will do everything possible to escape the restraints intended for him, such as destroying his criminal record or spending money to cover up the immoral acts he had once committed.”
Arthur nodded slightly, and with a smile, he said, “Exactly, that’s true.
Yet, Hu also admitted that it is clearly wrong to treat every person as a scoundrel.
However, when it cos to institutional design, we should prepare for the worst rather than expect the best.”
Hu emphasized that, in designing any governntal system and determining the checks and oversight within that system, one must imagine every mber as a scoundrel, whose actions are driven solely by self-interest with no other purpose.
And I believe this theory is absolutely correct, and it can also be applied in our process of solving cases.
We will certainly refer to the data provided by Liverpool, but we must question its credibility.
Louis, I believe you have made so good findings on the credibility of governnt data with the statistics of London’s nightingales at Scotland Yard.”
“This…” Louis, holding the docunts, thought for a while, then stood at attention and saluted, “Understood, sir.”
Accompanied by a long whistle and a series of ear-piercing, almost mournful brake sounds, sparks burst from the rails as the train slowly entered Li Street Station at the heart of Liverpool.
The conductor struggled to open the cast-iron door, but before he even had ti to catch his breath, he was stunned for a mont by the sight of two rows of gentlen, canes in hand and dressed in formal attire, waiting at the station to et the train.
He found so of these gentlen to be sowhat familiar.
As a conductor who had been on the job for a year, he rembered that so of these gentlen had also appeared on the platform of Liverpool Station last year, waiting to et with Pri Minister Wellington, the Duke, during the inauguration of the Manchester-Liverpool railway.
As the conductor hesitated on whether to greet these personages, he suddenly heard a gentle voice behind him: “Excuse , sir, could you please step aside?”
The conductor turned to look and saw a young face.
The gentleman, who had previously been leaning against the window reading a newspaper, had at so point changed into a Scotland Yard uniform, and he was now calmly putting on white gloves.
In the sunlight, the Order of Saint Edward badge on his shoulder and the King’s Court Sword hanging from his waist shined brilliantly.
“Of…
of course, sir.”
The conductor quickly stepped aside.
Under Arthur’s lead, Louis, carrying bags big and small, exited the carriage with him.
Arthur let go of the sword hilt he had been holding and first surveyed everyone before raising his hand in salute to the officials waiting for his arrival in front of the station.
“Allow to introduce myself, Arthur Hastings, Senior Superintendent of the Greater London Police Departnt and head of the Criminal Investigation Departnt, Director of the London Police Intelligence Bureau, appointed by the Privy Council and the House of Lords, commissioned by the Lord Chancellor’s office, Navy Departnt, Ho Office, and Customs and Excise, the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’s Special Commissioner of Anti-Smuggling in Liverpool.”
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