With Councilor Maynard's butler seeing him off, Lex boarded his rented carriage and departed with his valet and bodyguard.
He noticed Maynard's unusual circumstances but had no intention of taking any action. The Councilor held significant weight in Tingen City and likely had Beyonder protection, so Lex decided not to worry about it.
Besides, he was only a Sequence 8, just as Kyle had said. In the mysterious world, Sequence 8 Beyonder were at the bottom.
At this level, if it's not necessary, don't take risks.
Living is more important than anything else.
After returning to the hotel, Lex drafted a telegram, relaying Councilor Maynard's thoughts and suggestions to Bison.
This would also let him know that Lex was working diligently in Tingen.
Additionally, there was a reception at the Horse Riding Club that evening, which was a good opportunity to expand his social network in Tingen. After the telegram was written, Lex handed it to Matthew to handle and began preparing for the reception.
The reception was scheduled for 8 o'clock. According to social etiquette, Lex should have arrived a few minutes late. However, this was a reception hosted by a club, not a private party, so there was no need to deliberately be late.
And, there was no need to prepare a gift.
So, Lex arrived at the club 10 minutes early that evening, entering the hall with his valet, while Gru, as his bodyguard, waited outside.
In the hall, the gentlemen attending the banquet had already started to arrive. Most of them knew each other and were exchanging greetings. Lex didn't try to join them; firstly, it would be impolite, and secondly, it might make him seem less important.
In any case, the reception would last until at least 10 o'clock, giving him plenty of time to meet new friends.
"Isn't that Mr. Lex?" a slightly aged but vibrant voice rang out.
Lex turned around and saw a gentleman smiling and walking towards him. This gentleman's black hair was already flecked with white, and he wore glasses, exuding a refined aura.
Lex had a deep impression of him because he was Luke Bruce, and even more so, because he was a major shareholder of the Pigeon Telegraph Company.
"Good evening, Mr. Luke, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Lex extended his hand proactively, greeting him with a smile.
After shaking hands with Lex, the gentleman seemed in no hurry to leave, smiling as he said, "Last time, I heard Young Miss Gnes say that Mr. Lex only recently arrived in Tingen City?"
Lex nodded slightly, his smile unchanged: "Yes, my father asked me to represent him in Tingen to visit a few friends. And, to hopefully find good investment opportunities in Tingen."
"Oh?"
Luke's face held a polite smile: "I wonder, Mr. Lex, which industry are you interested in? Nowadays, everyone's eyes are on banking, steel, rubber, and other industries. Hmm, I hear railways are also good."
Lex's lips curved slightly upwards, and he said with confidence: "The future era will be the era of information. I value the development of the information industry more. I think our current telegraph technology is already mature enough."
"On this basis, we should be able to further upgrade this technology."
Luke, whose main business was a telegraph company, immediately showed an expression of interest: "Technology upgrade?"
Lex nodded: "Exactly. The advent of the telegraph allows us to transmit information quickly over long distances. So why don't we set our sights even further? If a technology emerges that can achieve remote real-time communication, wouldn't that be even more convenient?"
"Most importantly, no one has invested in this area yet. The first person to 'eat the crab' will be able to dominate this future big cake to the greatest extent."
Luke's eyes flickered, clearly somewhat moved: "Mr. Lex's vision is very forward-thinking and also impressive."
He quietly inquired: "But this preliminary research requires a large amount of capital investment. I wonder how much Mr. Lex plans to invest in this area?"
Lex boldly stated: "According to my budget, for the initial stage, it will be at least ten thousand pounds. Currently, I am looking for partners and technical talents. I believe research will begin very soon."
Luke nodded: "As for talent, I do have some ideas. How about this, in a few days, after I finish my current work, I will visit Mr. Lex."
"I am very interested in your idea."
"No problem."
At this moment, a series of envious gasps sounded at the entrance, and Lex's attention was also drawn. He looked towards the main door and saw a man and a woman entering.
The gentleman was no longer young; his waist was already bloated and fat, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and on his forehead were neither shallow nor deep, and his hair appeared sparse.
A beautiful young woman walked arm-in-arm with him. This lady looked very young in all aspects. Her skin was delicate and lustrous, as if she had been bathed in milk. Her long, wavy golden hair, which must have been dyed, made her look a bit more mature than her actual age.
She had bright brown eyes and a smile on her face, but it gave off a sense of detachment, like an actor on a stage, as if she were wearing a mask.
"The rumors are indeed true."
Mr. Luke, standing nearby, chuckled: "Our Police Station Chief Pelt actually managed to win over Young Miss Pamela of the Red Maple Theater."
He added to Lex: "Young Miss Pamela is one of the most popular actresses at the theater. I am also one of her admirers; I even presented her with flowers at last month's performance."
Hearing this, Lex maintained his smile and offered no comment.
After the reception ended, Lex returned to the hotel, changed into 'Duke', and, taking the extra materials he had bought at the Evil Dragon Bar, went to the Elk Tavern.
He walked into the Hunter Club's hall and saw Cromwell, whom he had saved last night.
The Arbiter was drinking alone on a sofa and stood up when he saw Lex. As Lex passed by, he smiled and said, "Thank you very much for last night, Mr. Duke."
Lex's voice came from behind the iron mask: "Do you have amnesia? Otherwise, how could you have forgotten that you already thanked me last night?"
Cromwell was visibly stunned. Before he could respond, Lex had already walked towards the bar, so he just shook his head slightly and sat back down.
Sitting on a high stool at the bar, Lex looked at Mr. Parker, who seemed like a Machine, and said, "I have a clue to report about the Sea Serpent Gang."
The old man took out a notebook, ready to record.
"Terros, red hair, with a two-headed sea serpent tattoo on her body, is an executive of this Gang. And, she might be a Beyonder."
Old Parker quickly made notes and said, "This clue is worth 40 pounds. Do you want to collect the bounty now, or weekly? Monthly?"
"By the way, do you have an anonymous account? If not, I suggest you open one."
40 pounds was not much to Lex. He didn't plan to settle it for now, and he took the old man's advice, preparing to open an anonymous bank account.
He placed a tin box on the counter: "I have some materials here that I want to sell at the trading house."