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Chapter 173: The New Director of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency
🕑 Added 2025-01-13 03:08:04 +0000 UTCCharlot didn’t stay long on Yansun Street. After an unusually productive morning, he gleefully skipped work to pick up Annie, who was about to finish her lessons.
The two first enjoyed lunch together before heading to the Alcatras District. Among the seven major detective agencies of the Fars Empire, three were based in this district. In addition to the Cat Detective Agency, the Fierce Horse Detective Agency was also located here.
The Fierce Horse Detective Agency clearly had a more robust financial situation than the Cat Detective Agency. Its premises consisted of three street-facing buildings: one five-story building and two three-story ones. Each rooftop was equipped with training facilities, allowing detectives to practice swordsmanship, marksmanship, and various other skills.
Aubrey Tildon Atwood’s willingness to sell the detective agency stemmed from its assets being largely intangible—its reputation in the industry and a group of veteran detectives. The physical property and registered name were of lesser value. Furthermore, Charlot’s meteoric rise made it difficult for the Fierce Horse Detective Agency, despite its personnel, to compete with a knight order.
Aubrey Tildon Atwood was confident in his ability to make a comeback, especially with a group of seasoned detectives willing to follow him into a new venture. Selling the Fierce Horse Detective Agency to recoup funds was his best option.
When Charlot and Annie stepped off their carriage and gazed at the three office buildings of the agency, Charlot felt a subtle mixture of emotions.
He smiled and said, “Let’s head inside.”
As they entered the agency, a gentle-mannered trainee detective greeted them. “Sir, how may I assist you?”
Charlot replied, “I am Charlot Mecklenburg. Please gather all the detectives.”
The trainee detective’s expression froze momentarily before she hurried off. A short while later, she returned and said, “Mr. Mecklenburg, please proceed to the large rooftop terrace. Everyone in the agency is waiting for you there.”
“My apologies—there isn’t enough space indoors to accommodate all the detectives, so we had to ask you to meet them on the rooftop.”
Charlot nodded and, accompanied by Annie, followed the trainee detective up to the five-story building’s rooftop. This building served as the main office, while the two three-story buildings housed dormitories and archives, as well as the armory.
Charlot had already learned that the Fierce Horse Detective Agency employed over a hundred detectives, supported by two to three hundred detective assistants, numerous trainee detectives, and various administrative staff. The numbers alone explained why the meeting couldn’t be held in an ordinary conference room.
When Charlot reached the rooftop and saw the densely packed crowd, he was briefly taken aback, despite his experience leading a knight order of over ten thousand. The sheer number of people present made a striking impression.
The detectives remained silent. They all knew Charlot’s name and were aware that Aubrey Tildon Atwood had once accepted a commission to assassinate him. That mission had cost the agency three Transcendents and eight detectives—a heavy toll, and not even the worst consequence of their failure.
Since then, Charlot Mecklenburg’s rise had been unstoppable. He had become the Head Overseer of Lukavaro District’s City Patrol Guards, the commander of the West Wind Knight Order, the Director of the Lukavaro District Administrative Bureau...
Most recently, he had been appointed as the Special Envoy for War Affairs of the Fars Empire to the Ingrima Empire. However, this latest promotion had not yet reached the ears of the detectives.
Each detective harbored complicated emotions, unsure of how Charlot would handle them.
Charlot smiled and asked, “Would all official detectives please step forward?”
Eighty-some individuals stepped out of the crowd. Charlot then inquired, “Are there any Transcendents among you?”
Nearly all of them shook their heads.
Charlot nodded slightly. He had anticipated that Aubrey Tildon Atwood wouldn’t leave him the best personnel. With a smile, he said, “I will be the new director of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency. If any of you are unwilling to remain here, I will provide compensation to recognize your contributions to the agency over the years.”
“For those who wish to stay, I will raise your weekly salary by twenty centimes.”
Charlot’s approach, while common in modern business practices, was groundbreaking in this world. Offering an N+1 severance package for departures and a blanket salary increase for remaining employees were strategies that many capitalists would avoid.
His words stirred murmurs among the detectives. Aside from two or three individuals, nearly everyone chose to stay.
Clapping his hands, Charlot declared, “If you’ve chosen to stay, you are now my employees. Please step behind me and not stand in opposition to me.”
Immediately, the eighty-some detectives moved behind Charlot, their presence amplifying his authority and suppressing the remaining crowd.
Charlot, still smiling, addressed the others: “As for the detective assistants and trainee detectives, if you wish to stay, please consult the detectives behind me. If they are willing to keep you, your current salaries will remain unchanged.”
Naturally, Charlot didn’t intend to offer everyone a raise. While the veteran detectives, even without Transcendent abilities, were essential for conducting investigations, the assistants and trainees were less valuable. His approach toward them was more pragmatic.
One detective took the lead, calling out, “Little Charles, John, come over here.”
With someone setting an example, one to two hundred assistants and trainees soon joined Charlot’s side. The remaining individuals looked awkward and downcast, as many had no desire to leave the agency. Stable employment, even in Strasbourg, was hard to come by.
Charlot smiled faintly and dropped another bombshell. “For those who haven’t been chosen by the detectives, if you find better opportunities, I won’t stop you. I’ll even provide severance pay. However, if you have nowhere to go, you can report to the City Patrol Guards in Lukavaro District tomorrow. As you know, I am the Head Overseer there, and we’re short on manpower.”
The statement was nothing short of earth-shattering. Many of the unselected assistants and trainees were stunned by the prospect of such a good offer.
Though entry-level positions in the City Patrol Guards might initially pay less than their current roles, the career stability and potential growth were far superior. Additionally, everyone knew Charlot was a man of his word.
The previously tense atmosphere lightened as the crowd grew animated, with many viewing Charlot more favorably.
After all, working under Aubrey Tildon Atwood had been just another job. Working for Charlot promised much more, as he was clearly a better leader.
Annie, standing by Charlot’s side, was filled with admiration as she watched him take control of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency with just a few words. Though she had never doubted Charlot’s abilities, seeing them firsthand was something else entirely.
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