Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 29 Old Bob's Reminder

【Silver Moon Veil】

The store name is written in elegant cursive script.

Sylvia walked in, arm in arm with her daughter, and were greeted by the scent of fine fabrics, incense, and a faint coffee aroma.

A middle-aged woman, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit and with her hair neatly pulled back, approached with a perfectly appropriate smile on her face.

"Mrs. Hayes, Miss Emily, welcome. Your dress is ready. Please come with me to the fitting room."

The fitting room was spacious and bright, with thick carpets and huge floor-to-ceiling mirrors on three sides.

The pale gold dress was carefully suspended on the central mannequin, its pearls and fine gold threads shimmering with a warm luster under the soft light.

Emily was helped into her gown by two well-trained female assistants.

The cool silk clung to her skin, the intricate lace and pearl embellishments giving it a heavy, luxurious feel. Even she herself was momentarily stunned when she stood before the mirror.

The girl in the mirror had cascading golden hair, and her skin seemed to glow softly under the light gold light. Her dress fit her figure perfectly, outlining her slender waist and graceful shoulder and neck lines.

Luxurious, exquisite, and impeccable.

She perfectly embodies the image of the daughter of a port authority official who is about to enter high society.

But the cost was enormous; the dress cost the Hayes family two months' income, a total of 36 pounds, 14 shillings, and 8 pence.

If it were Green, who worked as a temporary worker in a dock warehouse, she would have to work for two and a half years without eating or drinking to afford such a dress.

"It's perfect, Miss Emily."

The tailor shop owner exclaimed sincerely, "You are like a goddess who has stepped out of a classical oil painting."

Sylvia's eyes welled up with tears. She stepped forward and gently patted her daughter's shoulder. "My little princess... your father will be so proud when he sees this."

Pride. Dignity. Social life. The future.

However, looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror, Emily suddenly remembered the mysterious crystal bottle. It was a completely different kind of 'light,' not meant to please anyone, but only to pierce through appearances.

That... is what I want to grasp.

"Mother,"

She heard her voice was a little hoarse, "Is it okay? I want to... I want to get some fresh air, and maybe go to the library."

Sylvia snapped out of her reverie, carefully examined the dress, and confirmed that there was nothing that needed to be altered.

"Okay, darling. Remember our promise."

Emily almost couldn't wait to change back into her own clothes.

Stepping out of the warm and bright doors of [Silver Moon Veil], the cold air outside invigorated her and made the restlessness in her heart even clearer.

......

港务局

underground warehouse storage area

The dampness and musty smell of the underground warehouse had left Green almost numb after a morning of work.

When he followed old Bob back into the dining hall, the smell of stew intensified his hunger, and he even felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had returned to the human world.

The woman serving the food already recognized him. Seeing his dusty and dirty appearance, she sympathetically scooped out an extra spoonful of stew and gave him more meat than others. There were also two pieces of black bread.

"Young man, eat more. You can't do without strength." She lowered her voice.

Green paid 2 pence as usual.

This price is considered very reasonable by any standard, which explains why the lower-level employees of the port authority, despite their complaints, rarely complain about the food.

At noon today, Green did not see Supervisor Henry and his "specially cared-for" female subordinate in the kitchen area, but he unexpectedly spotted Uncle Victor on the other side.

Victor, dressed in a crisp dark uniform with a badge on his chest signifying his status as an inspector, was sitting with four other middle-aged men, all dressed in high-ranking uniforms and exuding an air of authority.

The food on their plates was noticeably more refined than that of ordinary employees, and there was even a bottle of wine to accompany the meal.

The group chatted in hushed tones, occasionally letting out restrained laughter; the atmosphere was harmonious.

Uncle Victor wore a smile that Green rarely saw at home—a smile that was both reserved and affable—clearly indicating that he was in the midst of some social or work-related activity that pleased him.

Green hesitated for a moment, considering whether he should go up and say hello.

But Victor's gaze briefly swept across the direction of him as he looked through the cafeteria, without pausing, before naturally returning to his companions and continuing their discussion.

Green immediately understood.

Here, at the port authority, and especially in front of his colleagues, he, a temporary worker, was not a relative worth showing off or mentioning.

Perhaps it's out of consideration for saving face, or to avoid awkwardness, or perhaps it's simply a matter of workplace boundaries.

Dignity is paramount; that's very Victor.

Green wasn't unhappy about this; on the contrary, he thought it was fine. The boundaries were clear, they didn't bother each other, and it saved him the trouble of going over to greet them. He was happy to be invisible.

He lowered his head and focused on the steaming, but not exactly delicious, stew on his plate.

Old Bob ate slowly beside him, seemingly sensing Green's thoughts, and muttered vaguely, "People at the top have their own circles."

How could this be discovered? Green felt that this old man was practically a genius.

He didn't speak, nor did he refute.

After finishing his meal, Green returned alone to the two-story building. The familiar, rhythmic snoring could be heard again from the duty room.

He tiptoed into the basement and closed the door behind him.

The afternoon's work consisted of cleaning, sorting, and moving. The sacks filled with moldy garbage were heavy and dirty, and he had to climb the stairs again and again before dragging them to the garbage cans outside the building to empty them.

When old Bob leisurely came downstairs to announce the end of the workday, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes again when he saw Green still organizing those old documents, even meticulously classifying them.

"Tsk," he walked halfway around the open space, glancing sideways at Green, "Why take it so seriously? That Henry kid won't thank you."

Green looked up. "I was thinking of finishing this sooner so it would be easier."

Old Bob stared at him for a few seconds, as if trying to find something else on his face, but in the end he just shook his head and muttered:

"Youth is wonderful... but take it easy, this pile of junk isn't worth risking your life for."

"I know, thanks for reminding me."

After saying that, old Bob turned and went upstairs. "Go home early today."

The footsteps and the sound of the door closing gradually faded away and eventually disappeared outside the building.

Green took out his pocket watch and glanced at it; it was already time to leave work. For some reason, his attention would be drawn to old documents; the mundane information felt like a collection of interesting magazines.

This struck him as somewhat unbelievable.

"Is this the price of being an apprentice? This... is perfect for a high school student. If this happened in my past life... my mother would never have to worry about my studies again..."

He straightened up and let out a long sigh of relief.

The day's intense work began to leave him feeling exhausted. He put down the old files in his hand. "Old Bob was right, what's the point of temporary workers working themselves to the bone... Aunt Sylvia said she's making beef stew tonight..."

However, just as he was about to pack his things and leave, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the west corner of the wall.

The area was still covered by messy wooden crates and dusty tarpaulins, and old Bob's two seemingly casual reminders kept Green's curiosity hanging in the air.

"Be careful under the box..."

"Some old things... once they're there, you can't shake them off."

What could it be? A treasure? Or... danger?

Green hesitated for a few seconds. Reason told him that it was better to avoid trouble, but curiosity was like seeing a box with a "Do Not Open" label on it; reason was telling him to stop, but his hand had already reached out.

"Just taking a look... sensing it with my spiritual sense should be fine."

He then carefully probed the west corner of the wall with his senses, but the information that came back was... very ordinary.

The wooden box, the thickness of the scattered papers, and the outline of a book that looked like a hardcover book... there was no unusual spiritual fluctuation, just a pile of forgotten junk.

"Strange..." Green frowned.

Wasn't old Bob's statement an implication? Am I overthinking it?

But the more 'normal' it was, the more uneasy he felt.

He completely forgot about the idea of ​​leaving get off work on time and going home; once curiosity is ignited, it is hard to extinguish.

Green went over and began to clean. He moved the top few empty wooden crates, moved a broken chair with a missing leg, and tore off the tarpaulin that was covered in dust and almost black.

The dust kicked up made him cough a few times.