Volume 2: Empire Chapter 139 Darikova
Half a month had passed, and Luke had been in Winter City for two months. He had completed most of the secret rituals, and his footprints were all over the underground of Winter City.
It was the coldest season in the north, deep winter. The eaves were covered with icicles more than a meter long. The ice on the road was difficult to clear, so many rail cars had to stop running. People who went to work had to wrap themselves up tightly before going out. Slipping and rolling around was the most common sight on the streets.
Luke was driving to the home of Editor-in-Chief Morson in the car assigned by the company. The tires of the car were tied with anti-skid chains, so the ride was a bit bumpy.
This time I went to the home of editor-in-chief Morsong to attend a gathering of steam engineers. The purpose was to exchange ideas on steam technology, and everyone discussed the projects they were working on. Brainstorming helped speed up the progress of research and development.
Therefore, steam engineers who are qualified to attend such gatherings all have their own exclusive steam technology laboratories and are the backbone of the Steam Engineers Association.
Three days ago, Luke received an invitation when he visited Editor-in-Chief Morsong. Morsong also specifically told him to prepare well and strive to have an outstanding performance at the party.
Luke was sitting in the car, reading the newspaper he had just bought on the roadside.
In the war with the Empire, the army of the Art County Alliance won another great victory, destroying more than 10,000 imperial troops.
Snow City ran out of ammunition and food during the siege, the army's morale was extremely low, and it was only a matter of time before the empress of the empire was captured alive...
The content about the war in the newspapers every day is similar, and Snow City is still fighting hard.
Luke received news that the battle for Snow City was indeed extremely difficult.
After receiving reinforcements, the Art County Alliance launched a new round of offensive, pressing the Imperial Army on the third line of defense. The Empire lost contact with Snow City for ten days. Recent information from Snow City showed that the defenders in the city not only had to withstand the continuous attacks of the Art County Alliance, but also had to withstand the sudden cold.
The non-combat casualties due to frostbite and freezing to death were very serious.
But Snow City was still held, which was a miracle for the Empire and something no one had expected before the war. Now the Empire's Northern Army was preparing to launch a local counterattack, trying to fight a passage into Snow City and transport as many soldiers and supplies as possible.
The war is still going on and no one knows when it will end.
The Yate County League was not only recruiting soldiers for a protracted war, but the entire technology development system was also turning to war. All the technologies being developed had to give way to the development of new weapons, and the Steam Engineers Association was also under great pressure.
When Luke's thoughts were a little distracted, Rebecca, who was sitting next to her, said, "I wonder how Miss Darikova is doing now, the last time I saw her, and whether she has successfully left the Ice Cave."
Rebecca is now the captain of the security team responsible for protecting Luke, and her attitude towards Luke has changed a lot since she was rescued from the ice cave by Luke.
Luke didn't expect Rebecca to suddenly mention Darikova at this time.
Indeed, I haven't seen her since the last time I met her. As for resigning... she is the ace agent of the Ice Cave, how could she resign!
"She didn't ask me for help, so she must have resigned smoothly. Why did you suddenly mention her?"
Rebecca said: "I heard that guests who are invited to such high-class parties usually bring female companions. If you are still in contact with Miss Darikova, she would be a good choice for a female companion."
Luke then remembered the rules of this kind of gathering, but he had been busy with "work" since coming to Dongdu, and he really didn't know a suitable female companion to bring to the party.
So Luke patted the driver's seat and said, "To the Ice Cave Headquarters."
"Yes, Mr. Luke." The driver turned the steering wheel and the car turned and headed towards the Ice Cave Headquarters.
After arriving at the ice cave and giving his name, Luke met the chief of the ice cave, Herkugin, very smoothly.
As a loyal reader of Steam Weekly, this hobby has given Helkkin a keen sense of the movements of upper-class people.
The last two issues of Steam Weekly have included some articles on new weapon concepts, and these new weapons require a very efficient steam engine to drive them.
The heart of these new weapons is undoubtedly the water molecule binary steam engine.
Excellent steam engineers generally have extraordinary personal strength. They master the most advanced technology in the At County Alliance and are the targets that various consortiums and oligarchs are vying to win over.
In the Yate County League, many powerful politicians are steam engineers.
Luke is now a rising star. All the people and industries related to steam in the entire At County are looking forward to the water molecule two-phase steam engine that he is responsible for developing.
The sooner you make friends with such a person, the sooner you will benefit!
When he saw Luke for the second time, Helkkin ignored his own identity and instantly turned into a little fanboy chasing his idol.
He did not ask Luke the purpose of his visit, but took out his treasured "The Duality of Water Molecules and the Internal Circulation of Heat Energy" and two issues of "Steam Weekly" in which Morson wrote an interview with Luke.
"Mr. Luke, Master Luke... Please sign these two issues of Steam Weekly. These are definitely the most valuable two issues of Steam Weekly in my collection. I will definitely pass them down from generation to generation as family heirlooms. Let my descendants know that their ancestors once saw the legendary Master Luke and left their signatures."
The Ice Caves didn't cause any trouble, and Luke was willing to have a good relationship with them.
Luke wrote his name in two issues of Steam Weekly, and then asked Darikova: "It's the beautiful female clerk I saw here last time. She was engaged to the deceased Enoch, and her father was a factory owner.
The General Manager should have some impression of her."
"Don't call me Sir, just call me Hercule." Hercule brought himself and Luke closer, and asked curiously, "What do you want from Darikova?"
Luke stated his purpose: "Editor-in-Chief Morson invited me to attend a steam engineer gathering. I have never attended such a gathering before, and I heard that it is best to bring a female companion...
I have only been here for a short time and have been busy with work, so I don't know any suitable ladies. After thinking about it, I can only take the liberty of coming to Miss Darikova. I wonder if she has time."
Helkkin asked: "Is it the steam engineer gathering organized by Editor-in-Chief Morsong? I heard that several heavyweights will also attend, and the Ice Cave has specially strengthened the control there.
Editor-in-Chief Morson really appreciates you for being invited to this party!"
Seeing that Helkkin was trying to change the subject, Luke reminded him, "The party is about to start. Is Miss Darikova here?"
"Darikova...she, she has resigned."
"Resigned?"
Luke didn't know whether Darikova really resigned or it was just an excuse made by Helkkin.
Helkkin was very glad that he had driven Darikova away in time. Whatever trouble she caused in the future would have nothing to do with him. Helkkin said with emotion: "The death of Enoch was a great blow to Darikova. She was distracted and made mistakes every day. She even dared to embarrass you last time.
Since she wanted to resign, I agreed. After all, she was just an insignificant clerk.
If you want to find her, sir, I can give you an address."
Helkkin wrote down Darikova's current address on a piece of paper.
As the ace agent of the Ice Cave, Darikova cannot leave Winter Capital even if she resigns because she is still under the surveillance of the Ice Cave.
Holding the paper with the address on it, Luke couldn't figure out what these two were up to.
Luke became more interested in Darikova.
"Thank you, General... No, General Herkkin. Luckily, Darikova doesn't live far away, so she won't be late for the party.
goodbye!"
"Have a good party! Goodbye, Master Luke."
Darikova now lives in a cheap apartment building, where most of the people living here are migrant workers at the bottom of the city. The building is old, the walls are mottled, there is garbage everywhere, and there are leaking heating pipes that emit white smoke.
Rebecca followed Luke along the corridor, looking at the house numbers one by one, and asked in confusion, "Why does Miss Darikova live in a place like this? Her father is a factory owner. Now that she has successfully resigned from the Ice Cave, she should go home."
Luke was also very puzzled.
If Darikova's resignation was a further bait for him, Helkkin would have to arrange a factory owner father for her, waiting in the mansion for her to take the bait.
How can you live in a place like this?
"I don't know either. I can only find her first and then ask her."
Luke and Rebecca found the apartment where Darikova lived, and the door was ajar and unlocked.
"Ms. Darikova, this is Luke...are you there?"
Luke slowly pushed open the door, and was greeted by the smell of alcohol. Looking inside the room, all that was left were empty bottles.
"How much alcohol did you drink?"
Rebecca was expressing her feelings when she saw so many empty bottles, but Luke grabbed her and pulled her back.
Then a cold light swept across her neck, making Rebecca think that her neck was cut open.
Rebecca covered her neck, pulled out a long knife from her back with one hand, and swung the knife to chop at the attacker.
"Mr. Luke, retreat!" Rebecca stood in front of Luke, but after seeing the attacker's appearance, she couldn't help but exclaimed: "Ms. Darikova!"
It was Darikova who attacked Rebecca.
At this moment, she was holding a dagger in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, staggering and unsteady on her feet, and was extremely drunk.
Fortunately, Darikova recognized Rebecca and Luke, and she did not continue the attack, falling back into the messy sofa.
"So it's you? How did you find this place? Are you here to laugh at me?"
Rebecca checked her neck and found that she was not injured, so she put her worries aside.
"Thank you, Mr. Luke, you saved my life again!"
Luke said to Rebecca: "Even though Miss Darikova is a civilian employee of the Ice Cave, she has received professional agent training. Don't make this mistake again in the future."
"Yes, Mr. Luke. I didn't expect Miss Darikova to be so skilled even when she was so drunk!"
Luke nodded, then drew his magic wand and approached Darikova.
"Your address was given to me by Chief Herkkin. I will cast magic to sober you up now, please don't misunderstand..."
Luke chanted a spell.
Darikova struggled to stand up: "I finally got drunk, I don't want to wake up. Don't bother me, I am a person no one wants anyway."
Luke's magic wand had already touched Darikova's forehead.
A human-shaped mist rose from Darikova's body, and the smell of alcohol in the room became stronger.
Luke waved his hand, and the closed window opened, and the airflow blew out all the air in the room. The cold air from outside came in, causing Darikova, who was wearing slightly thin clothes, to shiver.
Darikova curled up on the sofa with her shoulders folded, her eyes clear.
"What are you doing here?"
Luke took out his pocket watch and looked at it. "I don't have time to explain to you. I need you to clean yourself up as quickly as possible, change into a decent dress, and then accompany me to a steam engineer gathering.
I wasted a lot of time looking for you."
Darikova asked warily: "Why should I accompany you to the party?"
Luke looked at the time: "I'll only give you five minutes. I'll leave when the time is up."
Darikova jumped up from the sofa and rushed into the bedroom in an instant. Then she was seen running into the bathroom with a bunch of clothes and shoes.
The water was rushing, and the hands of the pocket watch in Luke's hand were ticking.
It took only four and a half minutes for Darikova to walk out of the bathroom.
She is now a completely different person from the drunkard she was just now.
She wore a sky blue dress that matched her eyes, and a steam-patterned pendant hung from her creamy white neck. Her chestnut hair had been dried, tied into a bun and covered with a decorative round hat, with a bunch of hair combed separately and the ends resting on her right shoulder.
Wearing crystal high heels and carrying a lady's bag on her arm, she is simply a city socialite at the forefront of fashion.
Darikova walked up to Luke, her smile full of charm: "Mr. Luke, it's time to join the party, can we go now?"
Luke held out his arms. "You can go now! Go to the car and explain to me why you have fallen into this situation."
"Of course I will explain it to you, Mr. Luke!" Darikova took Luke's arm and they walked out of the apartment together.
Rebecca exclaimed in the background: "This is the Ice Cave Agent! A civilian employee is so powerful, how powerful ?"
Seeing that Luke and Darikova had gone far away, Rebecca glanced at the messy room, closed the door and chased after them.
The car started on the road again to Editor-in-Chief Morson's home.
In the car, Darikova confronted Luke and told him everything about her true identity and how she resigned.
“Here’s what happened…General Herkkin asked me to investigate you, so I forged an identity for myself. As a result, we didn’t expect that you had such a deep background and bright future.
Commander Helkkin was afraid that you would gain power in the future and would vent your anger on him because of this matter, so he drove me out of the ice cave.
It happened so suddenly. I never thought about saving money before, but now I am living like this..."
Luke was stunned.
This bald guy of Hercules really shows that you can’t judge a person by his appearance!
