The characteristic bitter burnt taste of over-extraction hits your forehead, as if you're swallowing a piece of charcoal.
Maybe a spoonful of sugar would be better?
That was the thought running through Ed's mind as he squirted out the coffee, but at least he was fully awake now.
"Wait a minute...one hundred pounds? What do you want so much money for?!"
Ed took out his handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth. Fortunately, he didn't spray it directly on the table and turned his head away at the critical moment.
If only salary is counted, his net income per year is almost 400 pounds, which is enough to be considered a high salary. This income is about ten times that of a dock worker. The monthly salary alone is enough to sustain a small family for a whole year, and the personal income of a CBI agent does not need to be declared tax.
And little Tommy borrowed him three months' income as soon as he asked. You know, since he officially entered the Divine Adjustment Bureau, he has only been working for about three months in total. The money was a huge sum even for him.
"Well, actually, if it's really inconvenient, 50 pounds is fine..."
Little Tommy stared at his own toes tremblingly, and spoke the truth in a voice as soft as a gnat,
"The church-sponsored Sunday school only teaches basic pinyin literacy and scripture recitation. I want to go to a public school, and fifty pounds should be enough to pay for the tuition for the first school year."
That's it... Ed's expression softened slightly.
It's not that he can't afford the money. If he has a serious use for it, the faceless iron coins in his hand can be liquidated appropriately. But first he had to solve a doubt in his mind:
"Why didn't you choose to borrow money from Miss Catalina? Or Burke Orton. You saved his life and you have his contact information. He will definitely help you. 100 pounds is nothing to him. It’s a small amount of money, I believe he won’t even ask you for payment.”
"That's why I can't borrow money from Miss Catalina or Mr. Burke Orton."
"...I know that both of them are good people, and they will definitely forgive this debt. If I don't need to pay back the money, I will probably not really study hard. I need someone to force me to work harder. Only in this way can I Only then can you achieve success in learning.”
Ed stared at Tommy, who was exactly the same height as himself sitting on the chair. It was hard to believe that these were words that a seven or eight-year-old child could say.
But something seems wrong?
"So you think I'm suitable to be this bad guy?" He narrowed his eyes and looked at Tommy with a smile.
"No, no, no, Ed, you are also a good person - a very good person. It's just that your behavior is a little different from the two of them." Little Tommy explained quickly.
"You know the truth."
Ed then nodded pretending to be satisfied.
"...But you said it yourself, fifty pounds is only enough for one year's tuition. What are you going to do next?"
"The knowledge accumulated in one year should be enough for me to be a craftsman's apprentice. I can slowly save money until I complete my studies." Tommy replied.
Ed shook his head after hearing this. A maintenance technician like him can only earn two pounds a week when business is at its best. Excluding living expenses, it is not easy to save 50 pounds a year.
What's more, it takes at least one to two years from apprenticeship to becoming a formal maintenance technician, and there is almost no income during the apprenticeship stage.
"I'm afraid not. By the time you save enough money to continue your studies, you will have already missed the best age for studying."
"Then..." Little Tommy scratched his head at a loss after hearing this.
After all, he is still a child. Ed gave his own advice:
"I have an idea: The Royal Society just established a scholarship fund last year. As long as you complete the assessment indicators, you can apply for an interest-free loan, but the condition is that after graduation, you must work for a company or project under the Royal Society's name. Until the entire loan is repaid. I think you might as well give it a try.”
The assessment criteria for the Royal Society Bursary Fund are extremely strict, and only those who are at the top can apply, and the assigned job will obviously not be a good job. But no matter what, if Tommy really wants to finish school on his own, I'm afraid this is the only feasible way.
"I see……"
After hearing this, little Tommy nodded seriously and suddenly asked:
"Ed, do you think I could be like you?"
People like me? This question stumped him.
What kind of person am I? I'm afraid even I don't know it well...
Ed lowered his head and stirred the coffee in the cup with a tea spoon. It was like a black vortex surging with rapids, sucking his thoughts into it.
The subway massacre, resurrection from the dead, the Keeper's program, Arthur's death, the white clock tower...
In the end, he had to admit that he was not better than Arthur or anyone else, he was just luckier:
"I'm afraid not everyone is as lucky as me, but you can still be a good person."
He didn't want to say anything against the child in front of him. Not everyone has a girl with black hair and red eyes living in their head.
"No, no, no, I mean..." Little Tommy quickly explained, "Do you think I can become an engineer? Just like you used to."
"Huh? Who told you that I used to be an engineer?"
Ed was confused when he heard this. Does this guy know any secrets about my life experience? I'm not just a maintenance technician?
"Miss Quinn told me," little Tommy replied, "I had a casual chat with her while you were escorting Mr. Orton out."
Then I understand. After all, Miss Quinn herself doesn't understand the difference between a maintenance technician and an engineer... Ed teased in his heart.
The Royal Society has a set of systematic assessment indicators for this purpose. Only those who complete the assessment can be awarded the title and certificate of an engineer.
If simply speaking in a broad sense, if you want to be called an engineer, you must at least have the ability to independently design a complete engineering system and perform operations.
He can maintain and repair products according to a complete set of design drawings. If coupled with the Keeper Program and Dream Catcher, he can make parts and complete the assembly himself. At most, he can make some modifications based on experience, but that's all. ——At best, he is just a technician.
As for independently designing a set of high-tech products like the one-eyed spider, that was completely beyond his capabilities.
"I was just an ordinary maintenance technician before, not even an extraordinary person. I'm not as powerful as you think."
He smiled awkwardly and took another sip of coffee to cover it up.
"You're a good man, Ed."
Little Tommy laughed, and a light flashed in his eyes:
"I've seen a lot of people on the street, I'm sure of it, but I can't really say why."
Hearing this, Ed moved his hands to his hair in front of his forehead guiltily. Last night, he personally chopped off Jaros's head and stuck it on his sword. This was not something a good person could do anyway.
"Actually, it doesn't matter whether I am an engineer or not. I just want to make money with my own labor. As long as it is enough for me and my family to eat, that's enough."
"...My mother said, 'Even ordinary, unpretentious people can shine like the greatest heroes.'"
"Even ordinary, unpretentious people can shine like the greatest heroes..." Ed read it again softly, feeling quite emotional, "It does sound like the words of a wise man, Your Majesty... you Has your mother ever read a book?"
"No, she is illiterate. This is what the priest of Green Flower Church told her. She often goes there to pray."
"..."
After being speechless for a while, Ed continued:
"Well, in short, it is indeed a good thing to say..."
I don’t know if the person who said this is a good person. Ed felt helpless and said that a bastard priest like Dylan, who had a lot of food, drink, whoring and gambling, had the nerve to say such things to others.
"Well, let's write the IOU first. I need to prepare the 100 pounds for a while and will give it to you in two weeks. If I'm not at the detective station at that time, you can pick it up from the address on the back of the IOU."
He tore off a piece of paper, unscrewed the pen in the pen holder and wrote down the details of the loan, in duplicate, and pushed it to Tommy:
"Well, you should have been taught how to write your name in church school, right? Sign here."
Little Tommy took the pen, wrote his name one stroke at a time, and handed it to Ed: "Thank you."
"Seriously, this is the first time I know your full name."
Ed glanced at the name on the note, then simply pressed it under the pen holder.
"Would you like to have breakfast together? I really can't drink this coffee."
"No, I just ate..."
Gululu. Tommy wanted to refuse, but his stomach made a hungry sound.
"Then how about another meal? I'll treat you."
Ed stood up first, pushed open the green door and gestured with his hand, and little Tommy followed shyly. With a soft sound, the door closed.
The sunlight shines through the window sill on the fan-shaped table, and in the corner of the pen holder that has not yet dried up, a name shines brightly——
Tom Gunter.
