David Ford was deep in thought when Henry Brooks chuckled beside him, grinning so widely his eyes disappeared as he replied to David Ford's flattery: “Of course, Miss Harper has a warm heart and can’t stand to see injustice in the world. But in this world... take what’s right in front of us, for example: the constables have worked hard, shouldn’t they get a little extra? If we don’t take the traffickers’ money, it’ll just go to waste. In a bit, we’ll get our share—that’s hush money. If we don’t accept it, the constables won’t feel at ease.”

David Ford curled his lips but didn’t respond.

He had already noticed earlier that Miss Harper, though hailed as a talented woman, was in reality a girl with an overabundance of justice. She had always been cherished and protected, adored like the moon among stars, which made her act without hesitation, freely showering her kindness on others... Yet, to be honest, after seeing so much coldness and indifference, encountering such a kind-hearted girl who always treats others with genuine goodwill, David Ford felt a soft spot in his heart gently touched.

A little later, George King indeed emerged from the house carrying two bundles, putting on a show as he walked up to David Ford. Handing him one of the bundles, he said, “John Ford, it seems this bundle contains your belongings.”

The bundle was heavy. David Ford weighed it in his hand, and the coins inside jingled.

Having been reminded by Henry Brooks earlier, David Ford nodded readily. “It is indeed my stuff. Thank you, George King.”

George King then presented the other bundle to Henry Brooks: “Young master, you seemed to have dropped something during your fight with the criminals just now.”

The young master laughed heartily: “Just give it all to John Ford. Hahaha, having a reputation for bravery and fighting criminals is enough for me. Money is a trivial matter.”

Fine, David Ford took Henry Brooks’s bundle as well... and found it even heavier than his own.

Holding a bundle in each hand, David Ford sighed to himself, “Well, I’m just an ordinary man. I can’t pretend to treat money like dirt, so I’ll accept it.”

After David Ford accepted the bundles, everyone’s faces broke into smiles.

Earlier, Henry Brooks had spoken with a hidden meaning, and George King quickly settled the matter: “John Ford, how do you think we should write this investigation report?”

David Ford grinned foolishly: “Whatever, write it however you like.”

So, the report was recorded as follows: Henry Brooks and the most talented lady of Haizhou, Grace Harper, along with a group of men and women, were enjoying a spring outing in the Peach Blossom Grove when they suddenly heard sounds of fighting from the Lotus Hall at Peach Blossom Temple. The brave Henry Brooks led several servants into the courtyard. Upon discovering that one side of the fight was a gang of human traffickers, Henry Brooks righteously rebuked the traffickers. When they refused to listen, he unhesitatingly joined the anti-trafficking effort.

After a fierce battle, the traffickers were wiped out and the kidnapped women were all rescued. Henry Brooks then tirelessly called for the constables, and after George King carefully examined the scene, the whole truth of the matter was uncovered...

In the entire report, aside from a brief mention at the beginning, the figure of Grace Harper was omitted from the rest—especially those moments that David Ford found most moving, such as her forcing herself to overcome her disgust and fear to revive the kidnapped girls one by one... all of it was concealed.

David Ford found it hard to bear, but before he could speak, Henry Brooks took the report and, dissatisfied, commented, “Getting involved in a trafficking case isn’t good for a girl’s reputation. Country folk are ignorant and will inevitably speculate about how the traffickers might have humiliated those young ladies... If someone with a grudge fans the flames, the young lady’s reputation will be ruined... How about we just erase Miss Harper’s name completely?”

Since they had just split the spoils together, George King naturally had to accommodate Henry Brooks’s small request: “Alright, we’ll do whatever you say, young master... Actually, what we constables care most about is the items the traffickers were carrying. How should we account for those?”

Henry Brooks turned his head, lifted his foot, and walked out, acting as if he wanted nothing to do with it: “Haha, when I was with my father, in cases like this, half would always be left with the chief, and as for the rest, who knows where it went... I don’t really want to know the details. I need to hurry and check on Miss Harper.”

George King immediately responded, “I’ll go too, I heard the kidnapped girls are still in the main hall. I’ll go comfort them as well.”

Henry Brooks and George King walked side by side, chatting about the daily affairs of the city as they went, with George King using the opportunity to get closer to the young master. The latter showed none of the arrogance typical of officialdom’s sons, and chatted openly with George King about neighborhood gossip: “Chief, how’s it going with you and the tofu beauty? Haha, I’ve heard some rumors. You even dare to eat that infamous poisonous tofu of Haizhou? I really admire your courage.”

Henry Brooks’s teasing made George King feel quite at ease, and he replied with an awkward laugh, “It’s just a matter of helping out as asked—she’s the widow of the former chief constable, how could I not look after her a bit more... Besides, there’s no one to care for her child. We’re both lonely people, so I thought... Oh, my child lost his mother at three. Poor me, having to serve at the county office and take care of a motherless child at the same time. It’s been tough—after all these years, I don’t even know how I made it through.”