Although Zhang Heng and Holmes had been getting along quite well, they had only known each other for a few weeks. Their friendship was far from deep. Zhang Heng tried to persuade him, but the latter did not take it seriously. After all, they were both adults, and they were qualified to be responsible for their own actions.
Holmes let out a satisfied sigh before Zhang Heng left the house. "It's rare for you to be in London. Go out and look around when you have time. Not only do you have to see the city with your eyes, but you also have to observe the city and record the details. It will help you solve cases in the future."
Zhang Heng nodded. "I'll ask Mrs. Hudson to bring you lunch."
"I appreciate it."
…
Even without Holmes' reminder, Zhang Heng had always planned to visit London. Holmes undoubtedly knew the city very well. He could wander around the upper-class balls and banquets (although he despised the red tape and hypocrisy involved), and he could also drink stout and chat with the coachmen and workers.
If Zhang Heng wanted to win this competition and complete the main mission, he needed to narrow the gap between them as much as possible.
So in the afternoon, Zhang Heng walked out of the house without calling a carriage. Instead, he went straight to the streets.
He first went to the lively Queen's Bazaar, where one only had to pay a shilling to see the Royal Clarence Vase. This glass, enamel, and gold work was said to have taken 15 skilled workers three years to produce. Other than that, the bazaar also sold trinkets from all over the world, cotton clothes from India, tea leaves from China … After that, Zhang Heng took a boat tour of the River Thames. On both sides of the river were factories and houses, and the dense chimneys constantly emitted black smoke. Countless boats were docked on the shore, and they were getting closer and closer, leaving only a narrow passage in the middle. Bare-chested boatmen smoked at the stern, and the fog that Dickens called "slithering sin" enveloped the entire city.
Carriages sped along the road, flower girls shuttled through the crowd with flower baskets, and the shoeshine boys squatted on the ground, waving their shoeshine diligently, hoping to earn more tips.
West of Charing Cross was London's main business and entertainment centre, the largest in England. The famous West End theatre complex was also located here. In contrast, the East End, east of Bishopsgate Street and north of the River Thames, was a different picture.
In the Middle Ages it had been rural and sparsely populated, but with the rapid expansion of the City of London it had become densely populated, and the houses were generally old and dilapidated, and the roads were narrow and winding. Originally inhabited by sailors, shipbuilders, and a large number of Jews, it was now home to all the lower income groups.
The population here was very dense. Thirty thousand people gathered in a half square mile street. Basically, every house was occupied by a large family. The lighting conditions were terrible, and there was a lack of ventilation. The shared toilets were extremely dirty, and the air was filled with a foul stench. The result was the frequent occurrence of diseases.
Typhus and typhoid were the most common epidemics. The first cholera outbreak in the early 19th century killed about 6,000 people, and subsequent outbreaks killed tens of thousands of people, most of whom were poor people in the East End.
At the same time, the East End was the most dangerous place in London with the highest crime rate.
Two million people lived here, but there were no important public facilities, no municipal authorities, no theatres, no galleries, no soldiers … — nothing. It was like a forgotten corner, with no history and no future.
The upper class of the West End would not come here unless it was absolutely necessary, and they needed to contact the Scotland Yard police, accompanied by several people to ensure their safety.
Zhang Heng changed into coarse clothes before he came here. However, it did not take long for him to be spotted.
The main reason was that his Asian face was more eye-catching, and as a modern person of the 21st century, even if he did not take good care of his skin, it was still better than many aristocrats of this era. Even if he changed his clothes, he still looked different from the poor living in the East End.
Two kids, playing with branches all the way, passed by him, and one of them slipped and fell on him.
"I'm sorry, sir." The kid's eyes rolled around, and he got up to continue to chase his companion, but just as he took a step, he was grabbed by the collar and lifted up.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me! I'm warning you, do you know who my brother is?! No one in this block dares to provoke him! "The kid shouted.
"Is that so?" Zhang Heng said, but he did not stop. He directly knocked the kid down, grabbed one of the kid's calves, and shook it hard. As a result, three wallets and some other trinkets fell from the kid's body.
"You have a good harvest today." Zhang Heng threw the kid aside, then picked up his wallet.
"Just you wait, don't even think about leaving here today!" The kid felt insulted, and his face turned red. He did not pick up the rest of the loot, and he ran away.
Of course, Zhang Heng was not interested in dealing with the kid. He patted the dust off his wallet and continued to walk forward.
In fact, Zhang Heng had long heard about the notoriety of the east side. However, he had been to a pirate's nest, and he did not think that there was any place more chaotic than the east side. It was not until he came to the east side's Whitechapel district that he had to admit that the situation here was worse than Nassau.
Although the pirates in Nassau were poor, at least they had freedom and hope for the future. The taverns on the island were filled with people talking about ancient and mysterious treasures, rich merchant ships, monsters in the sea, and beautiful mermaids. Even though they had not found a boat, and no pirate group was willing to accept them, everyone's faces were brimming with confidence.
It was as if they were the future Blackbeards. This was also what Zhang Heng liked about Nassau. Under the chaos and disorder, there was a hidden vitality, and this was exactly what the east side was missing.
Numbness and despair were scarier than poverty.
Perhaps this was why people like Pearson wanted to leave this place at all costs. Along the way, Zhang Heng saw starving children, suffering fathers and daughters, and drunken thugs. People would only think of this place when there was a murder or a plague.
After walking for a while, Zhang Heng suddenly heard a quarrel in front of him.
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