New Gods of North America.

Chapter 593 Running-in
Three more people suddenly sat at the table, and Connor dared not continue eating, obediently "confessing his crimes."

"After releasing the pigeons the night before last, the steam train we were on stopped at a temporary station. The 'underground railway' member who guided us said that it was to let other trains pass, but the exact stopping time was uncertain. In order to avoid being delayed, we secretly boarded the steam train that had priority passage, but we were discovered by the guards on the train..."

What Connell actually encountered was somewhat different from what Wayne and his group had predicted. The place where they transferred wasn't the "abandoned station" Wayne and his group had gone to that night, and the location where they were discovered was also farther away from Richmond.
But upon closer examination, this could also be "another piece of the puzzle" regarding that arms depot—special trains might have security regulations such as "routine checks" before entering that abandoned station, and Connor and his group of "hitchhikers" just happened to be caught in one.

After being discovered by the guards, Connor and his companions, knowing they were in the wrong, did not engage in a fierce confrontation with the guards on the steam train. Instead, they chose a strategy of "self-preservation and escape." As a result, the guards on the train were relentless and even sent a team to pursue them.
So, while trying to avoid revealing their identities and causing trouble for the detective agency, they also had to control the intensity of the conflict and prevent unnecessary casualties on both sides. After two days of this back and forth, they finally shook off their pursuers and found the location of the workshop, returning just over half an hour earlier than Wayne and the others.

Wayne was slightly speechless after hearing this, but their approach wasn't wrong; in short, it's good that nothing happened.

Turning his gaze to the other people around Connor, he recognized two of them; he had interviewed with the detective agency in Kansas City before. The other three were unfamiliar faces, but judging from Doug's relaxed demeanor, they were probably people who knew each other back in Kansas City.

Wayne greeted them individually, “Looks like you’re all old friends. Are any of you interested in joining our detective agency? We’re still short-staffed, and we warmly welcome like-minded friends to join us.”

The responses from the other side were positive, and Connor quickly added, "Besides these few, two more groups will arrive later, so the total number should be no less than sixteen. These are all skilled fighters, but some of them weren't in Kansas City at the time. We even came up with some nicknames on the way, and we'll let everyone see if they're suitable before finalizing them."

Anyone who can be affirmed by Connor is probably not too weak in combat. Since Wayne and the others had already caught up, they ate together, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better.

Doug will be in charge of the specific interviews and onboarding training, and Lina will supervise the daily assessments. As for their specific abilities, we'll see how they fared after a few more appearances in the arena.

I never expected that Inessa, this "veteran hunter," would have such a strong ability to unite people.

What attracted these individuals to the detective agency, besides the salary and benefits, was that Inessa was also a partner in the agency, which provided her with authoritative endorsement. As a result, compared to other non-governmental organizations, the members of the Hunter Association had a higher regard for the detective agency.

Hey, you guys are supposed to be proper Americans, aren't you?

Why are they resorting to that "worshiping foreign things and fawning on foreigners" mentality...?

Lina complained directly on the table, "Wow, it feels like the detective agency is practically turning into a branch of the Hunter Association. If the detective agency gets any bigger, the local church will probably want to wipe us out, right?"

This gave Wayne something to talk about, and then the partners subtly expressed their opinions during their casual conversation, setting the tone for some things in advance amidst the banter.
The detective agency is the detective agency, and the hunter association is the hunter association. They can be intertwined, but "those who are employed must be dedicated to their work."

Anyway, Doug Lane and the others weren't members of the Hunter Association, and they were familiar with the people from Kanx City, so they were perfect for keeping an eye on them.

……

The minor incident passed smoothly, and production began in the workshop before dawn the next day. The new "prospective agents" hadn't been assigned tasks yet; their main focus was on onboarding training and familiarizing themselves with the detective agency's operations.
However, they were clearly shocked by what they saw in the workshop: "Isn't the detective agency's main job to arrest wanted criminals? How come they've switched to food production?! And why are there black slaves?"

Doug spent a lot of time explaining these things. For example, the detective agency has already established two offices, and there will be more in the future. Willie and his team are currently investigating and prosecuting gangsters. The detective agency is also cleaning up bad guys without bounties. The detective agency's business has also been divided into several parts, including a workshop and a restaurant.

"As for the slaves who come to help, they are considered plantation workers, and their relationship with the detective agency is one of 'employment.' The cooperation between the two parties is a win-win situation, and it can improve their living conditions and at least allow them to live a little better."
"But you shouldn't help them escape... If you really feel sorry for them, it's best to do it on another plantation, at least don't involve the detective agency..."

Although the United States uses the same constitution, the ideas of people from the West and those from the South are ultimately different.
Compared to the supporters of the "Underground Railroad" organization, these new members who had just arrived in Virginia actually had a more complex view of slaves. In Wayne's words, it was probably a combination of "sympathy" and "disdain".

If Westerners encountered escaped slaves, they might "lend a hand," but if the slaves planned to escape to their town to settle down, the Westerners would likely "fire a shot"—even a little black girl they thought was "pretty good-looking" probably wouldn't escape that shot.

These kinds of conceptual issues are hard to resolve in just a few words, so everyone can only try to work things out first. Those who can adapt will adapt, and those who really can't will be relocated to the office—out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes, "a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen."

Damon McCready had originally wanted to "spar" with the new members, but with no reliable fighters stationed at headquarters, he was sent back at dawn, taking Emma, ​​who was reluctant to leave, with him.

If the new members complete their onboarding training, we could consider arranging for two of them to take over his shift, but it won't be that soon. For now, we'll just have to let him fill in.

After a few days of operation, the restaurant's popularity, despite the influence of "event marketing," still exceeded Wayne's expectations.

In particular, the customer base for the separate sale of luncheon meat was almost completely different from what Wayne had expected. He originally thought that this starchy meat product, which was full of the word "cheap," would only be considered by the working class. However, the customers who actually came to buy it were mostly housewives with relatively good economic conditions.

Wayne pondered for a while and concluded that it was probably Miss Olivia's promotion within high society circles that had an effect.

Fortunately, this trend isn't actually bad. If families with good economic means can accept it, then promoting luncheon meat in the dock area shouldn't be a problem.
After checking on the restaurant's situation, Wayne went to the city hall to complete the necessary procedures. The next step was to arrange for people to go door-to-door to market the restaurant in the dock area.

Some procedures required a trip to the state government, and Wayne also took the opportunity to see Victor Beeton. That guy was quick; he'd already left Richmond and started organizing militia training in various counties.

However, because of his connection, his secretary in the office was quite friendly to Wayne, and often spoke frankly without hesitation. The secretary's words quickly rekindled Wayne's curiosity:
"Arms depot? That's probably just a rumor among the public—Mr. Wayne, you know they love conspiracy theories. Information on the military facilities of the state militia and the federal army has always been publicly available. The details are of course kept secret, but the approximate locations and overall quantities are easy to find. There is no such thing as a 'secret depot'."

Well……

I saw it with my own eyes, and they even took two lever-action rifles back from inside. How could it be fake?
Is the secrecy level of that thing really that high...?

(End of this chapter)