Old Ford held the silver in one hand, stroked his long beard with the other, squinted his eyes slightly, and gently weighed it, looking extremely professional.

No one could doubt Old Ford's skill at weighing money.

"Three taels and six qian."

As soon as he spoke, Charles Grant's expression changed.

Helen Howard looked smug, stroked his own mouth as he walked a couple of steps, and couldn't help but laugh: "Some people just love to meddle in other people's business. I was handling the case fair and square, but he just had to butt in. Now what can he say?"

Charles Grant slapped his forehead, pulled up the still wailing Old Harris from the ground, and asked, "You, tell me, what's going on?"

Old Harris sobbed and sniffled, crying, "I'm truly being wronged!"

"Bah, there's both witness and evidence, and you still dare to claim injustice." Helen Howard kicked him again, cursing, "If you didn't steal or rob, where did you get such a big piece of silver?"

Olivia Miller found it amusing. This logic was just like... you lost a hundred yuan, and I just happen to have a hundred yuan, so that means I stole your hundred yuan?

He thought this with a hint of mockery, but the others were rather impressed. They marveled at how Helen Howard's case-handling skills had improved, able to argue so reasonably. They also said Old Harris was too slippery, always good at quibbling.

"Where did you get this silver?" Charles Grant saw how miserable Old Harris looked and asked again. "If you don't speak up, I can't help you either."

"This silver... was from this old man... selling my son and daughter!"

Old Harris finally couldn't hold back and shouted out, tears streaming down, his withered body trembling uncontrollably, making it hard to watch.

Hearing this, the burly man with the tiger tattoo cursed, "Useless old thing, selling your children—hell, you'd be better off actually stealing. I can't believe I'm sharing a cell with a coward like you. Damn bad luck!"

"Sold your children?" Helen Howard lashed his whip hard across Old Harris's back. "Sold your children? And you just happened to get exactly three taels and six qian? I think you shouldn't be called Old Harris, but Old Slick."

"Exactly." Boss Harris stepped forward, pointing at Old Harris, "I've seen his son and daughter, skin and bones, clearly not going to survive, no one would even want them for free, who would pay silver for them?"

The yamen runner surnamed Fang also stroked his long beard and shook his head, "These days, lives are as cheap as grass. Poor families can't feed their kids and leave them by the roadside all the time. You can't get that much money for selling them, just can't..."

The other burly men who'd been arrested burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, this old man at his age still has a pair of young kids, really something."

"Hahaha, I told you, the guy's got a wife, that's real skill!"

"If you ask me, these two—one fat and greasy, the other can't afford to raise his kids but has money to buy wine—neither of them are any good. Might as well give the silver to me..."

Helen Howard said smugly, "Charles Grant! A bet's a bet, don't be such a whiner."

Charles Grant's square face turned the color of pig liver as he looked at Helen Howard, mumbling something under his breath.

Olivia Miller looked at his 'tender beef five ways' expression and suddenly had an idea—coming here today, Commander Zhang probably wouldn't care, but if it was Jane Miller who wanted to kill him, maybe he'd specifically inquire about his situation at the patrol camp, so he should make some noise himself. Best to show something...

Handling a case? The essence of handling a case is just 'making trouble without reason'—who can't do that?

"I have silver too, lost it, and it looks just like that one." Olivia Miller suddenly pointed at the silver in Old Ford's hand.

Boss Harris was stunned for a moment, then gave a mocking, idiotic smile and replied, "Young master, stop fooling around. This silver is mine, how could I not recognize it?"

"Then our silver looks the same." Olivia Miller said.

"Really?" Boss Harris was a bit speechless.

Olivia Miller made a 'hmm' sound, then said, "And Old Harris's too, the three of us have silver that looks the same."

"Young master, you..." Boss Harris was starting to get impatient.

The next moment, Olivia Miller quickly snatched the silver.

"What are you doing?" Boss Harris was startled, his voice cracking, "You little... young master, why are you taking my silver?!"

But Olivia Miller just smiled and asked, "Do you drink wine?"

"I don't."

"My family sells wine, so why don't you drink?"

"Hey, what do I care what you sell? I don't drink to save money, now give me back my silver."

"This is mine!" Olivia Miller held the silver up and sniffed it, then said loudly, "My silver smells like wine, so it's mine!"

His voice rang out, crisp and clear.

Charles Grant scratched his head, thinking: This is blatant extortion, no wonder he's from a rich family—even the idiots are so greedy...

Chapter 9 Captain Howard

"Hey, you little brat..."

Boss Harris was furious, snatched the silver from Olivia Miller's hand and sniffed it.

"Where's the wine smell? Where's the wine smell?" As he spoke, he quickly licked it a few times, his eyes rolling, and said, "I tasted it, there's not a hint of wine!"

Suddenly, all the riffraff and criminals burst out laughing.

"This little fat ball actually has such a skill, might as well let him lick mine too!"

"Hahaha... Boss Harris, come smell if I have any wine on me..."