New Gods of North America.

Chapter 726 Fluctuation
On Sunday, before the sun had even started to get hot, Wayne arrived at the "construction site" where the cannery was being built.

After a week of intensive work, the "core area of ​​the workshop" closest to the river has been largely cleared of wild vegetation and shallow stones, and initial leveling has been completed.

The remaining areas are still mostly in a "semi-wild" state. The plan is to gradually work on them after the main structure of the workshop is built. As for some trees and shrubs that are not too in the way, Wayne thinks they can be left as green belts, which is both economical and aesthetically pleasing.

The wall did basically encircle the cannery, but part of it was still a relatively rudimentary "temporary wall," not sturdy enough; a stray dog ​​could probably dig a hole in it very quickly if it wanted to.
Some simple log cabins also took shape quickly. They are easier to build than "factories" which have larger interior spaces and need to be used for a long time. At present, they are only used to store materials or provide people with rest. It is enough to simply shelter them from the wind and rain in the short term.

The gang meeting was held today in a semi-wild area, in a riverside spot that could be considered scenic. Tables and chairs were set up on the relatively flat grass, with tablecloths on the tables, to be placed on later. The overall style was a minimalist, low-key version of an upper-class banquet.

A bunch of roughnecks don't need waiters or maids. The detectives lend a hand to each other, and the Rabbit Gang and Tuto Gang also send some henchmen to help out. However, everyone pays a little more attention to their appearance today.

Wayne didn't choose Sunday for the meeting randomly; many workers and carpenters attend church that day and would normally have at least half a day off. Using the day for the meeting would be perfect as it wouldn't delay the project schedule.

Moreover, it's said that due to the recent rumors circulating in Richmond, Bishop Tyrell will personally deliver a sermon at the cathedral today. Many gentlemen of high society will likely take this opportunity to exchange information, while Brother Merlin and his companions will have to return to participate in the cathedral's security. The remaining few monks will have no say in the detective agency's affairs.
Police officers like Sergeant William don't have to work on Sundays, so they have no excuse to "casually" come over from their temporary outpost to join the fun. It's already considered a better time overall.

Then, to Wayne's surprise,

Why did a perfectly good "gangster convention" suddenly have an extra "gift-receiving" segment?

Doug, fulfilling his duties as butler, explained from the side: "Because you used the name of 'picnic' for the invitation, according to the customs of high society in the South, it is also a kind of 'formal social occasion,' so some gangsters, following etiquette, sent some gifts over in advance."

Well……

They really think they're "guests"?
Why make such a fuss over nothing when you can just have a casual work lunch?

When attending high-society banquets, gifts generally fall into two categories: one is valuable but lightweight, usually with significant symbolic meaning, and is handed directly from the guest to the host; the other is more casual, either arriving with the guest's carriage or being delivered a little earlier.
Wayne glanced at the list Doug had written down and continued feeding the peregrine falcons with strips of meat on the riverbank:
"Things like ingredients, drinks, and cutlery aren't very valuable anyway, so we can just accept them and use them this afternoon as a return gift. As for the rest that we don't need, we can return them with a small gift. We should also tell them that our detective agency will not accept any gifts from now on."

When it comes to receiving gifts, sometimes you can't judge them by their monetary value.

Wayne didn't want to give the gangsters the wrong impression and wanted to try to maintain a "business as usual" stance. He believed that things were fine within the rules, but feelings shouldn't be discussed outside of them.

"Yes."

Doug was well aware of the detective agency's current financial size and operating style, and quickly nodded upon hearing this.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Paul also plans to have his men send over a leopard from the New World, saying it was specially sent for you to give to Miss Inessa. Sir, do you think we should return it as well?"

Wayne's heart skipped a beat. Not only did the peregrine falcon perched on his scratch-resistant glove spring into the air, but even the pigeons and crows on the riverbank a little further away took flight in a flurry of black and white: "How did Mr. Paul know that Inessa wanted to keep a jaguar?"

Doug looked like he was swallowing hard. “I’ll investigate later. I thought you mentioned it to Mr. Paul, and that’s why he came here.” “No need to investigate. That guy asked me secretly a few days ago. I told him.”

Lina, who had been feeding the birds while breaking off pieces of bread, was now in a bad mood. She walked over, biting into the remaining half of her bread, and said, "How was I supposed to know he could actually catch a leopard... I was just teasing him."

Yes indeed,

While jaguars theoretically exist in the United States, these days they are only found in small numbers around California on the West Coast. Wild populations are likely located further south in places like Mexico.

The distance from there to Virginia is roughly equivalent to the distance from Yunnan to Shanghai in China, twice as long as the journey from Wayne back to Kansas. How did they manage to do that in just a few days?
Seeing that both partners were looking at him, Doug quickly added, "Mr. Paul said he happened to know of a merchant ship that recently docked that had acquired this thing. It was originally intended to be sold to a circus or an animal collector, so he had someone buy it."

Wayne nodded. "Alright, we'll return it. If we need another one later, or we can just buy one from the ship owner."

After Doug seemed relieved and left quickly, Lina frowned and looked Wayne up and down again: "Were you having too much of an emotional fluctuation just now, or was there something wrong with your condition? Normally, spiritual power shouldn't fluctuate suddenly when you're not using extraordinary abilities."

Ok?
Wayne had initially thought that Doug and the Peregrine Falcon's reactions were the result of his sudden jolt.

After all, the details of Inessa's interest in raising a jaguar were considered trivial matters within the detective agency. If an outsider knew even this, it meant that the detective agency was practically a sieve in their eyes, something that would be considered a "you're asking for trouble" situation.

Now that we know it was Lina who told the story, we can put our worries about that aspect aside for the time being.
However, my spiritual power just fluctuated?
Wayne checked his physical condition: "I don't think I found anything abnormal. Maybe I was just a little nervous just now."

"That would be best. If we take a chance, you might be about to break through to the intermediate level, so your actual level and spiritual power don't quite match, and there might be some unexpected fluctuations in the short term, which isn't uncommon."

Lina was good at telling ghost stories, and then she changed her tone, "But many extraordinary individuals who are close to losing control are unaware of it themselves. If you feel like something is going to happen to you, remember to let me and Inessa know in advance, and maybe we can still try to save you."

Wayne was slightly speechless. He instinctively reached for his portable flat bottle, intending to take a sip of holy water to calm his nerves: "How's the search for that fake bearded man going over there these past few days? Still haven't found Jason?"

“He suspects that Jason was broken out of his ‘cocoon’ by you midway and may not wake up completely in the short term. He has been planning to leave these past few days.”

After answering, Lina straightened her expression slightly. "I was serious just now. If you weren't intentionally releasing pressure just now, then there might really be a problem."

“I’ve never been in this situation before, and Inessa isn’t a professional ‘doctor.’ She’s better at first aid. But those twins seem to have been studied before, and their extraordinary abilities are related to treatment. Maybe they can help with the diagnosis. Even just confirming that there’s nothing wrong with your body would be helpful.”

Wayne felt he was really fine, but he took it as Lina's concern for him and nodded, "Okay, I'll try to go see them when I have some free time in the next couple of days."

(End of this chapter)