The Shadow of Great Britain

The people in the room could all tell that he was in a good mood. In this kind of terrible weather, for Sir Arthur to show such a smile, the materials must be not only valuable but also deliberately exclusive ”special supply” products.

He neatly placed the document into the folder, seemingly planning to savor it in the evening.

Finally, he didn’t forget to take a sip of his tea: ”Ledley, about this material, I can only say...”

Ledley leaned forward, listening attentively.

Arthur snapped his fingers: ”Extremely brilliant. It’s clear you’ve been very diligent with your work in Section Five.”

Ledley, flattered, quickly stood up: ”To receive such praise from you is truly an honor for me.”

Arthur raised his hand, signaling him to sit down, and then said leisurely: ”I know that within Scotland Yard, some colleagues have inadvertently strayed, taking the wrong path...”

Jones, upon hearing this, could not help but slightly bow his head, sitting upright with disciplined attention.

”However,” Arthur declared loudly, ”Where is there a perfect person in the world? Everyone makes mistakes, but they also need a chance to correct them, don’t you agree, Thomas?”

Plunkett was suddenly named by Arthur, and facing Arthur’s inquiry, this loyal tiger of the Police Intelligence Bureau would never disagree.

”Of course, Sir, what you say makes sense.”

Arthur nodded slightly: ”You should know that I have always disliked the methods the Home Office employs to counterbalance between departments. Those are tactics employed by petty, underhanded characters. I don’t know what others think, but personally, I appreciate genuine cooperation and harmony with aligned goals.”

When he finished speaking, his gaze shifted to Ledley.

”Ledley, you’ve done well these past few years. I’ve seen everything. Although Section Five doesn’t have the splendor of field duty, I’ve read each of your reports. They contain not only intelligence but also judgment. You are not an old-fashioned person who just follows orders. You have the ability to think proactively and the sensitivity to grasp the direction of events and the skill to adapt accordingly, which is what I admire about you.”

At this point, Arthur slowed his speech, his fingers sliding over the schedule on the table: ”So, concerning the security coordination work for the Princess’s birthday party, it will naturally be handed over to Charles and Thomas. However, for the on-site security command, I intend to recommend you to the higher-ups.”

As Arthur’s words landed, the meeting room suddenly fell silent.

Ledley seemed noticeably stunned by this, frozen in place, even forgetting to stand up and respond.

He originally thought that being able to win some favor with Arthur through this document was already a blessing. As for security work, at most, he expected to play a thankless role behind the scenes.

Who could have anticipated that Arthur not only didn’t keep the most prestigious and visible opportunity to himself but actually handed it to him, a traitor?

That was...

The security for Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria’s birthday.

Not a mere royal public appearance, nor a routine banquet security detail.

It would be Her Majesty Victoria’s last major public engagement before her coming of age.

Politicians, media, the Royal Family, foreign diplomats...

All eyes would be on this day.

Happiness came so suddenly that Ledley felt dizzy.

His mind seemed to momentarily crash; he could hear his heartbeat pounding against his eardrums, as if it were about to burst through his throat.

Seeing him in this state, Arthur casually picked up his teacup and remarked, ”If you feel you cannot handle it, you can say so now.”

Upon hearing this, Ledley reflexively sprang up from his chair, nearly tripping over the table corner, though his movements were not large, merely causing the teacup to wobble slightly.

”Sir...” Ledley’s voice was hoarse, as if he had just eaten two pounds of salted fish, ”I... will obey orders, and Section Five will not fail to live up to your trust!”

Arthur nodded lightly, calmly observing his excitement but without pointing it out: ”Good. However, I must warn you, this is not an opportunity for you to shine. On the day of the birthday party, even if someone stands in the wrong place, the Fleet Street journalists will be able to concoct a story about it. If anything similar happens then...”

Ledley stood tall with a salute: ”Then I will personally place my resignation letter on Minister Rowan’s desk.”

Plunkett, hearing this, also realized there was no point in arguing further. He submitted: ”Everyone knows I have a foul mouth. However, since Sir Arthur has spoken, and you are to command on-site, we will follow orders without question. On the day of the birthday party, even if Charles and I are present, we will follow your direction.”

The atmosphere in the meeting room, tight until now, finally began to relax.

Arthur stood up, smiling, and patted the shoulders of his two subordinates: ”With this determination, I can rest easy.”

Having settled the leadership issue, the few remaining agenda topics became trivial.

Like whether the cannons in Hyde Park need to be pre-tested for closure, the Foreign Office hoping to arrange dedicated entry pathways for foreign envoys, and preventing journalists and unauthorized persons from sneaking into the banquet venue, these procedural matters, though troublesome, generally came with pre-plans from the Police Intelligence Department, and most of the officers present were familiar with them.

Everyone resumed their usual work rhythm, recording, dividing tasks, and exchanging views.

Until the night deepened, and the fire gradually dimmed, the meeting finally came to an end.

Arthur stretched his arms and extinguished his cigarette butt in a porcelain ashtray.

He got up to put on his coat, apparently ready to leave.

Just then, a slightly clumsy but hesitant hand patted his shoulder.

”Arthur...” Tom’s voice was low, as if not wanting others to hear, ”Could I borrow a few minutes of your time? I want to have a private conversation.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows with a smile: ”We are old friends, such formality is unnecessary. Is it about your two boys? I remember Allen mentioning he wants to join Scotland Yard?”

”There’s no rush for that; his thoughts change by the day. He can decide after finishing university.”

Tom led Arthur to the floor-to-ceiling window by the door. The rain outside had long since ceased, but the fog had not completely lifted, with candlelight glowing dully on the glass reflecting the shadows of two figures.

Tom coughed nervously, speaking quietly: ”Do you know that before the meeting today, Miss Ivan waited upstairs for you for nearly an hour?”