The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 567 - 290: Social Dance Party_3

Gladstone listened to this and couldn’t help but awkwardly said, "They are accustomed to such lives, and I had previously tried to persuade them by inviting the ladies and children to listen to me talk about the ’Bible’ over afternoon tea."

"Oh..." Arthur joked, "It seems now that they haven’t really listened. But Mr. Gladstone, your efforts weren’t completely useless; at least the afternoon tea and onion rings truly went into their stomachs. If you could propose, in the House of Commons after being elected, a bill for free afternoon tea distribution, I personally would support you."

It was just a simple joke, and Gladstone’s face once again broke into a smile, "Mr. Hastings, though distributing afternoon tea is straightforward, it doesn’t solve Britain’s poverty, crime, or moral decline problems."

Arthur, fanning himself with his hat, replied, "I can’t help it; I’m a simple-minded Scotland Yard policeman. The moment you start talking about something more complicated, I get lost. If you say: Distributing free afternoon tea could make the ladies let go of my arm, I can understand what you mean. But when you discuss protective tariffs, maritime regulations, or the Corn Laws, I get a bit confused."

Gladstone heard Arthur’s words but was half skeptical; he didn’t think Arthur was as simple as he claimed. After all, a truly simple man could not attain a position as an inspector at Scotland Yard.

But on the resume, Arthur indeed appeared too straightforward.

Whether it was investigating cases, fencing, playing the piano, or conducting electrical studies, Arthur’s abilities seemed to lean towards a professional aspect.

His rapid promotion appeared to be mostly due to the senior officials’ recognition of his professional qualities. Of course, Gladstone could not rule out the possibility of some behind-the-scenes deals.

However, Arthur had risen from a farm boy to a Scotland Yard inspector in just one year; in such a short period, how could he have gathered enough money to operate connections? Not everyone has a father who could produce eighty thousand pounds at any time to get his son a wife.

Gladstone smiled and replied, "You’re too modest. If you can understand the relationship between magnetism and electricity, you can understand the Corn Laws. If you don’t understand them yet, it just shows you haven’t put your mind to it."

"You’re right," Arthur responded, purposely patting the document bag in his hand, "my mind is on this now."

"Is that a customs declaration?"

"Hmm?" Arthur asked with a smile, "How did you know the customs declarations are with me?"

Gladstone responded with a smile, "I heard it from a friend who started in foreign trade at twelve and joined the Customs office when he was sixteen. This year marks his seventh year in the Customs office."

The Red Devil squatting above Gladstone’s head then asked knowingly, "Arthur, what were you doing at the age of twelve? Oh! I almost forgot, that’s when you first stepped into a leadership role and finally had the authority to manage a pigsty."

"It’s still the same now," Arthur glanced at him and then responded with a laugh, "With that said, maybe I have met him already. Someday when we’re free, you can introduce us. But regarding this document, unfortunately, Mr. Gladstone, you guessed wrong; this is not a customs declaration. Today, I went out on the streets to investigate smuggling and chatted with the locals. It turned out all useless stuff, really a waste of the time I spent making these notes."

"Information? Notes?" Gladstone asked, "What did the citizens tell you?"

Arthur took a moment, then brought out a prepared explanation from his mind.

"They were just complaining about the city council’s excessive control over Liverpool. Shopkeepers said that since the declaration of emergency, sailors have been locked on their ships, unable to spend money in the city.

The dockworkers said: because of the port control, the jobs they can find each day are dwindling. It’s possible to squat at the docks all day and hardly make a few deals; some of them can only afford to eat one meal a day to save expenses.

Factory workers are complaining about the dockworkers stealing their job opportunities. Liverpool’s wage rates have been dropping recently, but the prices of essential goods have been rising. If this continues, I fear the next time London sends someone to Liverpool, it won’t be the Lord Chancellor’s Office and the Home Office who speak, but the Department of War and Colonial Affairs."

Gladstone’s eyes widened, "The Department of War and Colonial Affairs?"

Arthur nodded, "Yes, military control. Although the Cabinet has been cautious about this approach since the Peterloo Massacre, given the previous large-scale riots in Liverpool, I cannot rule out the possibility of military control."

Having said this, Arthur then pulled a few papers from the document bag and handed them to Gladstone, "I also found out some things I don’t need, but you might be interested. Honestly, Mr. Gladstone, although you weren’t elected as a member of Parliament, your campaign slogan ’Eradicating Corruption and Fraud’ has won my heart. To show my support, I am willing to provide some leads for your speeches. Of course, I can’t guarantee this information is accurate, as I neither have the energy nor the ability to investigate these matters."

Gladstone took the papers, briefly glanced at them, and immediately understood what was involved.

Although he wasn’t very specific, as someone in the circle, he was somewhat aware of these matters. He also sensed Arthur’s implication that he wanted to resolve the issue properly, not just make a scene in Liverpool.

Gladstone silently folded the documents and then invited with a smile, "Thank you for your support. As a token of my gratitude, I would like to invite you to a social dance tonight. The guests are Liverpool’s most talented young people, and I believe you will find common topics with them. Would you be interested in joining?"