The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 738 - 354: Police Intelligence Department Ghost Squad _2

Even Mr. Thomas Plunkett, the sharpshooter who killed French General Corbe, did not receive honors commensurate with his achievements.

After the sniping incident, the generals of the British Army even came forward several times to deny that the Army had intended to kill General Corbe and expressed their condolences on his death.

General Charles Stevens openly stated, "All of us who witnessed this are deeply saddened. Corbe was a man of extraordinary courage. Alas... but this is the fate of war."

In Britain, few cared about the achievements of the 95th Rifles, nor did they acknowledge their honor.

However, there was one exception, and that was their fellow countryman from York, Mr. Arthur Hastings.

According to Mr. Hastings, the sharpshooter Thomas Plunkett officially retired eight years after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

After retiring, he first started a small business with the modest bounty he received for killing Corbe, but it did not last long due to poor management.

After the establishment of Scotland Yard in 1828, he joined the service of the Greater London Police Department, and he is currently serving in the Paddington Division of West London. His rank was not especially high nor especially low, merely a Chief Inspector with three V’s on his shoulder.

In short, this position was within Arthur’s sphere of authority to manage.

So today, he found himself in Arthur’s office.

If no one mentioned it, nobody would associate this middle-aged man in his forties, already showing signs of balding, with a face flushed from drinking, and a body somewhat out of shape, with the once-celebrated sharpshooter Plunkett.

But in Arthur’s view, this was a standard sharpshooter’s physique, much like that of his friend the Great Dumas.

Plunkett, looking at the young man before him, didn’t quite know what to say.

Arthur Hastings, the high-profile figure of Scotland Yard, a policing star who had climbed to the position of Assistant Commissioner at the age of 22.

But then again, what did that have to do with him?

Plunkett began, "Sir, recent conditions at the Paddington Division haven’t been great, but they aren’t as bad as imagined either, at least our situation is much more stable than the East District. If you’re here about the thugs attacking MP residences, we are currently investigating, and we have also dispatched more police patrols to key areas."

"Given our current resources at hand, that’s all we can do. I’ve requested assistance from the department, but the Criminal Investigation Department said that these aren’t criminal cases, so they don’t fall under their jurisdiction. They also said that lower precincts shouldn’t always be looking to the department for resources. If you’re going to be fair, you can’t always be looking for trouble with us."

Arthur listened to Plunkett’s complaints, smiled, and waved his hand, saying, "Thomas, don’t get me wrong, I’m no longer responsible for dealing with criminal investigations. And I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble. The issue of public order is now being directly handled by Commissioner Rowan. However, I have received your feedback and will convey it diplomatically at the next senior police meeting. After all, I started out as a beat cop myself, I understand your difficulties."

Upon hearing this, Plunkett first expressed his gratitude, then couldn’t help but continue to vent, "Sir, just as you said, you come from the front lines, so you should know how hard it is for us. In the past, when sheriffs spotted trouble, drawing their gun was as common as having dinner.

And now? Forget about shooting, they won’t even let us carry a knife in most cases. If we’re unlucky enough to run into criminals in the act, all we have is a stick at our side. They’ve given this stick a nice name—Civilization Cane. It’s indeed a weapon meant for civilized people, but most criminals are anything but civilized."

Hearing this, Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "So you want to use your gun?"

"I..."

Plunkett stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was off, and quickly turned the conversation around with an embarrassed smile, "Don’t mind me, sir, I’m just complaining. The officers from Paddington Division still rigorously follow all internal regulations."

Arthur stood up, took a glass and a bottle of liquor from the cabinet, "No, Thomas, I didn’t mean to criticize your words. Scotland Yard does not punish people for what they say, and in some sense, I think your comments aren’t entirely wrong. But we must also remember that when Sir Robert Peel established Scotland Yard, his original intention was to maintain social order while reducing violence in law enforcement. Against vicious criminals, it is necessary to use high-caliber force, but the ones wielding such firepower against them should not be the police, but something else."

No sooner had he finished speaking, Plunkett’s heart leapt to his throat.

He thought Arthur’s words meant he might be getting fired.

Plunkett hastily stood and saluted, "Sir, I fully support the department’s decisions. Some things are just said in idle complaints, they shouldn’t be taken seriously!"

Arthur, with a smile, handed him a glass of liquor, then paced over and opened the display cabinet behind his desk.

Before Plunkett could figure out what was happening, a rifle was placed before him with a bang.

Arthur took a sip of his drink, lifted his head, and signaled for him to look, "Thomas, I’ve heard about your deeds; you’re the expert in this field. Help me evaluate this rifle, will you?"