America 1881: Legend of the West

"Why is the door locked?" Harriman frowned and looked at Eva.

"When you left, I noticed that the door was open, so I locked it." Eva showed the key in her hand.

"Then where were you just now?" Harriman continued to ask.

"Bathroom, honey," Eva replied calmly.

Harriman doubtfully took out his key, opened the door, and walked into his office.

There seemed to be no trace of disturbance in the office, but Harriman always felt that something was not right.

"Would you like to have dinner together tonight?" He turned around and said to Eva, who was standing behind him, "Let's do some exercise after eating."

"Okay." Eva smiled sweetly, "I made an appointment with Serena to do her hair at 7:30, watch a show, and buy clothes."

"But if you don't delay things, it won't take you long." She added.

Harriman, who had been exposed, suddenly felt like a deflated rubber ball and was no longer interested.

"Then go and get busy, another day."

Eva walked to the bookcase and pushed the wall gently.

A secret door appeared in the wall.

This secret door connects the vice president's office and Eva's office, making it convenient for the two to have private meetings.

Although after the relationship between the two became public, there was some suspicion that they would take off their pants and fart.

But in Harriman's words, it was not interesting, so the door was kept.

Eva walked through the secret door and walked into her office.

She picked up the phone receiver:

"Pick me up to the 'Metropolitan Beauty' clothing store at 86 Fifth Avenue."

"Hello? Hello, I'm Eva Carly. I'm going to pick up a purple velvet evening dress from your place tonight. Please prepare it."

Harriman sat in his big chair, listening to the movement over there, but his eyes fell on the door.

He didn't speak.

For American workers in the early 20th century, there was no concept of nine to five, but white-collar workers basically did not have to work overtime.

These people are the new middle class born as productivity increases.

Most of the employees in the Flatiron Building fall into this category.

After get off work, they filed out of the building, walking or taking the tram to go home or enjoy the nightlife of New York City.

Eva was among them.

She changed her clothes and got into her car with her female companion Serena, who was also in the building.

The two had dinner at a French restaurant, had their hair done, and then headed to a Broadway theater.

Played in the theater is a play called "Ben-Hur", which tells the story of the love-hate relationship between the Jewish Ben-Hur and the Roman commander Marcela and their resistance to the oppression of the Roman Empire.

The stage was in chaos, and the two women in the box watched it with gusto.

The musical ended around 10 o'clock, and the two of them followed the crowd to the entrance of the theater.

"Selena, let me take you back." Eva said.

Unexpectedly, the female companion opposite her did not answer her question, but leaned towards her ear mysteriously:

"Eva, your charm is amazing!"

"Why did you say that? Serena?" Eva didn't quite understand what her female companion meant.

Serena smiled and whispered:

"The man behind you at two o'clock has been following us since we were eating. He has been secretly watching you."

Eva turned around and looked in the direction Serena said.

There stood a man with a mustache in a dress and a top hat, looking in his direction.

Seeing Eva looking over, he immediately looked away.

"Look, this young man is a little shy." Serena pouted, "Actually, he looks quite handsome, at least much better than Harriman."

"I haven't seen him." Eva shook her head.

She didn't pay much attention.

After all, as a charming heartthrob, she was used to being stared at by men.

After sending Serena home, Eva drove to Fifth Avenue.

She parked the car on the side of the road, then got out and walked towards the alley on the side of the road.

There were not many pedestrians on the road at this time, and even if there were, most of them did not notice Eva passing by in a hurry.

The woman came to the door of a clothing store called "Urban Beauty".

Eva is no stranger to this clothing store.

It was different from when she first came.

The clothing store was not closed today, but was brightly lit, becoming the only brightly lit store in this alley.

Eva opened the door and walked in.

"I'm here to pick up my purple evening gown, buddy," she said to the young man standing at the counter. "I called during the day."

"That's a simple solid-color evening dress." The young man raised his head and looked at the woman in front of him.

“Simplicity does not mean simplicity,” Eva continued.

The young man nodded. He glanced meaningfully behind Eva, and then slightly hooked his hand at Eva:

"Please come over here, the boss is waiting for you behind."

Eva walked into the counter, and then from the counter into the back yard.

The yard is not big, and there is an incandescent lamp hanging in the air.

There is a person sitting on the chair below the side of the incandescent lamp.

His shadow was very long, and there was an ashtray on the small round table to his right.

Chen Jianqiu was already sitting in the yard waiting for Eva.

"Mr. Chen, you don't have to come in person every time." Eva said.

"There happens to be nothing else going on these two days." Chen Jianqiu said with a smile.

Half of his face was illuminated by incandescent light, while the other was in shadow.

"This is the latest individual shareholding ratio of Northern Securities obtained today, as well as the list of several Minnesota congressmen bought by Harriman."

Eva took out a handwritten piece of paper from her clothes and handed it to Chen Jianqiu.

She took out the Masonic medal dedicated to the Rockefeller family from her arms.

"This is a medal."

Chen Jianqiu took those things and put them into a brown paper bag.

"You're being followed," he said to Eva.

"What?" The woman was a little surprised, "How do you know?"

"From the moment you left the Flatiron Building, someone was following you." Chen Jianqiu said slowly, "My advice to you is to get rid of Harriman as soon as possible. He should have become suspicious."

"You sent someone to follow me?" Eva's focus seemed to be different from Chen Jianqiu's.

"They are just keeping an eye on Harriman and protecting your safety." Chen Jianqiu replied.

"I don't need it!" Eva was a little angry. "Besides, I know what to do when! Please remove those people who are following me!"

"No problem. You can get any cooperation from our personnel."

Chen Jianqiu's answer was straightforward.

He took another bag from behind the desk and handed it to Eva.

Eva took it and found it was heavy.

She opened the bag and looked inside by the light of the incandescent lamp.

In addition to a purple evening gown and several gold bars, there was also a small pistol and several bullets.

"Do you want me to kill someone?" Eva's pupils trembled.

"No, I'm here to protect you." Chen Jianqiu said, "This pistol is Browning's new product. It can be kept in your handbag and can be used in emergencies."

Eva thought for a moment, said "thank you", then turned around and prepared to walk back into the house.

"Take the back door." Chen Jianqiu's voice came from behind.

Eva turned her head and saw that he was pointing to the shadows of the courtyard.

She hesitated for a moment, then followed Chen Jianqiu's instructions and left the "Urban Beauty" clothing store through the courtyard door.

At the same time, a man walked into the clothing store.

He looked left and right.

"Sir, are you choosing clothes for your wife?" The man's head stuck out from the counter.

"Uh, um, yes, I want to choose a beautiful dress for my wife." The man replied while looking at it.

The clerk walked up to him and began to introduce the styles in the store to him.

"Uh, by the way, did a lady come over just now to buy clothes?" the man asked, "Where did she go?"

"Who are you talking about? All the people who come to us are ladies." The guy scratched his head.

Men don't know how to describe Eva's image.

He hesitated for a long time without asking why.

After shopping around, the man left the clothing store.

He squatted not far from the door and stared at the door of the clothing store.

But until the clothing store turned off the lights and closed, the man didn't see anyone other than the clerk come out.

The man's mind was filled with questions.

He walked around in circles out of the alley, but suddenly found that Eva's car was gone.

"It's strange. I obviously saw her go in. Where did she go?"

There was no other way to follow the man who had lost his target, so he had to go back and regain his life.

Chen Jianqiu also left through the back door.

He drove back to his residence.

Camilla was playing chess with Xiaopengkun in the living room, and standing next to them watching the game was an acquaintance.

Hanif with a double beard.

"Hey, eldest nephew, you are not good at this level. If you think of Queen Yu like this, it will be in vain!" He danced on the side, wishing he could go up and down.

"Don't interrupt! My father said, 'A true gentleman watches chess but never speaks'. Don't make trouble if you have nothing to do!" Xiaopeng Kun obviously did not accept Hanif's suggestion.

"I'm not a gentleman!" Hanif curled his lips.

"Hanif!" Chen Jianqiu interrupted their argument.

Several heads turned.

"Boss!" Hanif "abandoned" the chess game over there, rubbed his hands and came over.

Chen Jianqiu tilted his head:

"Come on, let's go to the study."