Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 561 - 57 - The Flesh is Weak (Part 2)
St. Yves’s complexion turned notably worse upon hearing this, and he whispered into Robert’s ear, "You mean to tell the entirety of San Francisco that the finest steam prodigy Enfield has seen in a decade is not who they believe it to be?"
"..."
Robert bowed his head in silence.
St. Yves continued, "By the way, I’ve put in a request through Duke Weilang to the Pinkerton Agency: I’ve asked them to dispatch a thousand skilled agents trained in steam-powered solo combat into San Francisco. Led personally by President Allen Pinkerton, they will arrive tonight. Have the equipment testing department’s staff receive them and, once they are here, take them to the arsenal to pick up their gear."
Robert looked utterly astonished, "That’s practically a steam legion, isn’t it? What are you planning to do?"
"Have you heard the rumors circulating in Chinatown lately, about the Blue Robe Emperor?"
"I haven’t."
Robert shook his head.
"It’s a rumor that suddenly became popular around the docks and harbors, claiming the Blue Robe Emperor will protect those poor Chinese people and will punish their fierce assailants."
Upon hearing this, Robert looked at St. Yves as if he were mad, "You’re hiring a steam troop of over a thousand men for something as unsubstantial as that? If that’s the case, you never should have stirred up such filthy business in the first place."
"You don’t understand, Robert, you just don’t understand."
St. Yves stressed this twice, with suddenly a pall of gloom crossing his face, "During an inventory of equipment returned by the sanitation department, a heavy-duty bulldozer weighing dozens of tons went missing. When it was finally found, all that was left at the fire scene was a frame and scattered puddles of solidified molten metal, which would have required temperatures of several thousand degrees. The driver is nowhere to be found, alive or dead. There are claims that someone witnessed a monster engulfed in black flames during the blaze."
"A week ago, a long-time employee of the stock exchange was abducted by a water monster right on the street, witnessed by over ten people. There were several police cars on the scene, and officers were injured, one still lies in a coma at the hospital. What’s more bizarre is that the scene was left with at least two thousand gallons of freshwater, equivalent to the storage of a fountain, but the site was in a pedestrian area, with no water sources for miles around. On the same day, an abandoned rubber factory in the old streets had a violent explosion, equivalent to a level-four earthquake. The cause remains unclear."
St. Yves rubbed his eyes, "Something strange must have sneaked into San Francisco."
"You are merely being paranoid without reason."
Robert still wasn’t convinced, considering such anecdotes inconsequential in a city like San Francisco, home to nearly a million people.
"I hope that’s the case."
A loud voice interrupted the conversation between the two.
"Regardless of whether St. Yves’s concerns come true, Pinkerton will serve you with utmost dedication, and any Ox Ghost or snake deity will be reduced to nothing under the tide of steel."
It was none other than Duke Weilang, the Venomous Snake Detective from Pinkerton.
Robert gave Duke Weilang a sidelong glance and turned to leave. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"Where are you off to, Mr. Robert?"
Duke Weilang asked.
"Sorry, I don’t converse with arsonists and executioners."
Robert dropped the comment coldly, but was stopped by Duke Weilang’s chest.
There was no sign of anger on Detective Duke’s face as he responded with a sly smile, "I understand, it can’t be helped. After all, I’m the one doing the dirty work, cleaning up after people. I can’t be like those engineers and scientists in white coats who only have to plagiarize someone else’s research findings to gain wealth and reputation while keeping their own hands clean."
Robert’s face turned crimson in an instant, and he reached for Duke Weilang’s collar but ended up having his wrist twisted by the other man. He was, after all, an engineer and not match for someone like Detective Duke, who regularly dealt with hardened criminals.
"Let him go, Detective Duke."
Duke gently released the struggling Robert. St. Yves gave him a look but said nothing more, only letting out a cold laugh.
"Why did you tell him all that? I never agreed to claim credit for Chang’s work from the start."
Robert confronted St. Yves with chagrin.
"You didn’t refuse either, did you?" St. Yves said, seemingly affectionately, as he wrapped an arm around Robert: "Detective Duke is a seasoned man, and even if he wasn’t, there wouldn’t be anyone in the world willing to believe that the top steam technology comes from a savage Chinese. It’s illogical. I swear on my honor, as long as you don’t admit to it yourself, nothing you’re worried about will happen."
Robert fell into silence.
"Mr. Robert!"
Suddenly, a group of reporters with cameras swarmed over. "We are from the ’San Francisco News’"
"Your chance to perform has arrived,"
St. Yves whispered in his ear.
The flash of the reporters’ cameras pierced through Robert like swords.
"Giant Ymir, as the world’s first octa-core steam soldier to be formally put into production, how is it different from the traditional heavy-duty soldiers?"
"I, I want to say." Robert stuttered slightly: "It will change the pattern of steam warfare, I mean, it’s powerful enough to affect the outcome of a war."
The flashbulbs flickered continuously.
"The fifth anniversary of the completion of the Transoceanic Railway is about to begin, and you will receive the grand steam prize at the celebration. Enfield has even invited all the celebrities of San Francisco to support you, and even Miss Dorothy has attended the dinner. What would you like to say about this?"
"It is an honor for Enfield, and a personal honor for me,"
Robert’s speech gradually became more fluent.
"As the chief designer of the Giant Ymir and the Transoceanic Railway guard system, did any colleagues provide you with special inspiration or help?"
Asked another reporter from the News Report.
"...I want to say,"
Robert swallowed: "The development of every technology is the result of the collective struggle of an entire team, I thank all my colleagues, all the glory is shared with them."
On the other side, St. Yves was also surrounded by a group of reporters.
"Your Excellency St. Yves, today marks the fifth anniversary of the Transoceanic Railway’s completion, and over 90% of the railway was constructed by Chinese laborers, with thousands of them dying in accidents during the construction. Yet, for five years, no one has publicly acknowledged the contribution of the Chinese to the Transoceanic Railway, to San Francisco. After the railway was completed five years ago, you immediately dismissed almost all of the Chinese workers, leaving tens of thousands of them homeless. Don’t you feel the slightest bit of remorse for this?"
The banquet was in full swing, and the streets were bustling with traffic, but at the end of the street, unbeknownst to anyone, a few dozen miniature steam soldiers had appeared. Each soldier’s parts clicked and clacked as though they were about to fall apart at any moment.
In the banquet hall,
St. Yves glanced at the young reporter and answered calmly, "As far as I know, the Qing Government does not own a railroad that was entirely built by themselves; they lack the capability and knowledge to independently construct a railway. Since that is the case, how can we even speak of the Chinese contribution to the railway? And as for dismissing the Chinese workers, I have paid their salaries according to the contract. If I had acted against the laws of San Francisco, they could have sued me long ago, couldn’t they?"
The young reporter wanted to ask something else, but suddenly there was a surge of voices; it was Mayor Michael giving a speech. Everyone’s attention was drawn to him, and the young reporter could only give up.
Meanwhile, in the streets, an agonizing screech came from the thoroughfare’s rail tracks, as fist-sized tracked vehicles slid along the monorail, leaving behind chipped and cracked rails in their wake.
In the midst of the banquet, Mayor Michael spoke with passion: "This most magnificent railway project was a triumph because the blood of the four greatest modern nations flows through the veins of the people of San Francisco. The gallant courage of the French to fight boldly; the philosophical minds and staunch spirit of the Germans; the relentless perseverance of the English; and the fiery temper of the Irish who know no sorrow. Each has made its own perfectly fitting contribution..."
During the impassioned speech, the security guards at the banquet entrance looked up to see a figure wearing a brass mask and a cloak standing before them.
"Who are you?"
the guards asked warily.
Chang Yu listened quietly to the speech inside the banquet and said hoarsely, "I supposed I’m a person of San Francisco who hasn’t attracted much attention."
"Boom!"
The sound of a violent steam explosion instantly shattered all the windows.
