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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Goose that Lays Golden Eggs
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"You must be aware that the goose that will lay golden eggs in the future is, without a doubt, the railway business, right?"
"Of course."
At Gladstone's explanation, Robert and I nodded our heads almost in unison.
Ever since the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in 1825, Britain had come to fully realize the power of the railroad.
The ability to transport raw materials on a scale incomparable to horse-drawn carriages had led to a visible and drastic reduction in shipping costs.
Following that, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened as a long-distance line carrying not just goods but people, heralding the dawn of the Great British Railway era.
"The potential of the railway is truly immense. Personally, I expect our British Empire's swift adoption of railways to become a crucial factor in putting us far ahead of other European nations. The only drawback is that the railway business is largely run by private companies, which means there are far too many untrustworthy operators."
"It's the nature of capitalists to flock to where the money is. Since the state can't possibly bear the enormous costs, isn't this an unavoidable phenomenon?"
"You're right, Killian. But the more brilliantly the sun of the railway boom shines, the darker the shadows cast beneath the bridge. The incident I heard about was related to the London-Birmingham line. You're both aware of this railway line, I assume?"
Of course, I was.
The talk about the effects of this railway's opening and which areas would prosper was incessant.
Anyone living in London would know the name.
"That's the line that goes from London through Watford to Birmingham, correct?"
"Yes. Since Birmingham is also close to Liverpool, it's considered a line that will contribute significantly to the development of commerce. There are ongoing legal battles over the railway route, but the industry predicts a conclusion will be reached by next year at the latest. And from what I've investigated, scammers are most rampant at times like these."
It's true. Then and now, the habits of swindlers never change.
They were the same 200 years ago—or to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that people don't change, even 200 years from now.
"So, the scam your acquaintances fell for was related to information about this planned railway line?"
"To be precise, they claimed to be a company supplying materials for the railway construction and solicited investments. It was so convincing that a great many people were deceived."
It was only natural for numerous companies to get involved and for various interests to become entangled when a large-scale construction project was planned.
However, Robert, who had been listening to the story, asked with a look of utter confusion.
"But when making an investment, don't people usually check if the company is actually involved in railway construction?"
"With a little bribe, such documents can be easily forged. It's a different story if you investigate with the conviction that they must be fake, but ordinary people don't usually think that far."
"That's true. But if they keep running the same scam, won't they get caught eventually? How have they managed to keep this up?"
"When they think the police are closing in, they shut down the company and open a new one under a different name. And their methods change slightly each time. They might ask for investment in railway construction stocks, or propose a partnership for ordering materials, or even entice people by claiming to know the location of a new station and suggest investing in real estate."
Though the specific methods varied, the fundamental tactic was the same.
They would forge documents to pose as a company related to railway construction and use them to deceive poor, unsuspecting saps.
So, even this level of deception was more than enough to empty the pockets of countless victims in the early to mid-19th century.
It was simpler and cruder than I had imagined, but I didn't want to blame the victims.
Even in the modern era, where information is relatively easy to obtain thanks to the internet, scams involving real estate and railway information are rampant. How much worse must it have been in the 19th century?
Moreover, this was a time when various scams were just beginning to emerge in earnest, so most people would have been caught completely off guard.
The victims weren't at fault; the swindlers were the scum.
"It's practically a given now that any investment in railway-related stocks, even if made blindly, will yield a higher return than bank interest rates. If you throw in real estate information about where a new station will be built, a lot of people would lose their minds."
"Exactly. So, if either of you hear of anyone around you planning to invest in a railway-related company, warn them to check two, three times. The most vicious part of this type of fraud is that even if the culprits are caught later, the chances of recovering the swindled money are slim. So, it's best to be extremely careful and avoid getting entangled in the first place."
"Thank you, sir. For giving us such valuable advice."
"Don't mention it. I'm quite pleased myself to have met a junior today whom I've been watching for a long time and would like to get to know."
After offering a few more words of advice about Eton and university admissions, Gladstone waved to us one last time and departed.
The time spent with him was more than worth the two weeks of enduring Eton's mind-numbingly boring classes.
Alongside Robert, I bowed my head until his carriage, leaving the Eton grounds, disappeared from view.
Thank you, sir.
It's not much of a repayment for the information, but you won't have to worry about digging into those scammers after you're elected.
By then, they'll either be broke or rotting in jail. One of the two.
* * *
When information comes in, the first step is verification.
The very next day, I relayed the information I'd heard from Gladstone to James, who had come to Eton for his regular report.
"What do you think? A perfect target to test whether our private investigators are worth their pay, isn't it?"
"Railway-related fraud, you say. It certainly is a prime opportunity for scooping up easy money."
"With information this specific, it should be easy to find a trail. For now, tell the detectives we have on staff to tail these swindlers and dig up as much information as they can. Find out what fake company they're running now, how they're spinning their lies to entice people to invest, and especially, find out how long they've been operating this current fake company."
"Why are you curious about how long the company has been established?"
"Because if it's been a while, they might shut it down soon and start a new fake company elsewhere. In that case, it's better to wait for the next opportunity rather than approaching them now."
Just as the saying goes, to catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger's den. To fleece a swindler, you eventually have to make contact with them.
Of course, I couldn't do it myself, so James's role was crucial. But this was essentially his first time handling such a task as my proxy, wasn't it?
I needed to write a scenario for him that would reduce variables and make things as easy as possible.
"I understand. So, while our informants are investigating, what should I be doing?"
"It seems some of Gladstone's acquaintances were victims of these swindlers. Meet with them and gather information on the methods used. Then, cross-referencing that with the information our investigators gather will make things clearer."
"Yes, sir."
"You obviously know this, but you can't use your real identity. You've created a new one, right?"
The House of Earl Aaron had to be kept completely separate from all the backroom dealings James and I would be involved in.
The best method would be to publicly dismiss James as soon as I inherited the earldom, but since that wasn't possible yet, I had instructed him to create a new identity as a backup plan.
Fortunately, forging an identity in this era was incomparably easier than in modern times, so it hadn't been a difficult task.
The main reason was the absence of a centralized, standardized system for identity verification, as things like resident registration cards or driver's licenses were nonexistent.
At the time, identity verification relied heavily on letters of introduction from socially prominent individuals, one's profession, or church records.
In other words, with the right intention and a modest amount of money, forgery or identity theft was a piece of cake.
This was especially true now, with countless people pouring into London from the countryside.
To put it with a bit of exaggeration, those whose identities could be properly verified were in the minority.
When James made contact with the swindlers, he would use the fake identity of Richard, and we had taken measures to ensure his trail couldn't be easily traced.
"For now, I've set up the new identity, Richard, as a young entrepreneur who made some money in railway stocks and then started a company. He's the classic nouveau riche type who, through a string of lucky investments rather than his own ability, came into a large sum of money and now has an overly simplistic view of the world."
"Perfect. Let's say he founded his company around the time the Liverpool and Manchester Railway construction began. Find a suitable company nameplate and forge the ledgers as well."
While the lack of an internet-based society where everything is recorded has many inconveniences, there's nothing more convenient when you need to fabricate something.
Countless companies were born and died every day in London, making cross-checking as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. The reality was that few people bothered to do so.
Furthermore, there were countless companies that had been founded ten or twenty years ago, put up a sign, and then effectively ceased operations.
Thus, unless it was a significantly large corporation, complete verification was practically impossible.
This meant that with reasonably consistent forged ledgers and activity records, making a company appear to have been operating soundly for several years was no problem at all.
And there was no shortage of professionals who would line up, hands raised, to do it for you for a bit of cash.
"Then I will look into a few reputable professionals, select a suitable one, and commission the work."
"No. Pick at least three and give them the job. For future endeavors, it would be best to primarily deal with the one who produces the highest quality forgeries."
"You mean to have them compete and select the best one. Understood. Ah, but one more thing. When I meet with Mr. Gladstone's acquaintances, how should I say I obtained the information? From what you said, it seems they haven't told many people about being scammed."
"Tell them other victims have united to catch the culprits and hired you. Then explain that you learned about them while investigating the criminals. They won't be suspicious. The fact that you found them when they had only spoken to their lawyer will signify that you have considerable information-gathering capabilities."
And by instilling such confidence in our abilities, they would spill information freely without us even having to ask.
Even if they couldn't get their money back, they would welcome with open arms the chance to see the scumbags who took their money thrown in jail.
"Young Master. In that case, for those victims…"
Just from his slight hesitation, I could see what he was about to ask.
Unlike me, James had likely never deceived others in this way, so his conscience must be pricking him a little.
In such cases, all I had to do was assure him that this was unequivocally a white lie.
"Later, if we make a sufficient profit, give the victims you met a reasonable sum as an information fee. After we squeeze those swindlers dry, a small information fee won't even make a dent."
"Yes! I knew you would say that, Young Master. With that understanding, I shall take my leave."
As expected, James's face looked much lighter as he bowed.
Well, hearing specific information from the victims would be genuinely helpful, so paying an information fee could be considered a matter of professional ethics.
It had happened many times in my past life; promising an information fee makes victims strive to recall even one more useful detail.
Above all, if this motivated James to work with even greater enthusiasm, it was all the better for me.
After seeing him off with a sense of satisfaction, I turned my steps toward my dormitory to begin drafting the scenario in earnest.
I wonder what kind of information will fall into my hands next week.
And how should I cook up these guys to get the most exquisite recipe?
This felt different from when I took over the gambling den with simple sleight of hand.
The thought of returning to my true profession after so long made my chest tremble slightly with excitement.