Imperial Elite

Chapter 33 The sun also rises
Before getting the child into the car, Joe had to convince him to give up most of his belongings in his shack.

Although the child gave up things like dirty blankets and tattered quilts, he still insisted on bringing along a small, ugly bear doll.

When Joe saw the dirty teddy bear, he tried to persuade him to give it up and that he would take him to Harrods in Knightsbridge to buy him some new toys.

But after the child said that the teddy bear was the last thing his father left him, he reached out and patted the child's head.

Then Joe regretted it. He didn't know how long it had been since the child had washed his hair, or where he had crawled into before. His head was covered in a thick layer of greasy stuff.

Joe even suspected that the child's hair wasn't actually black as he saw it, but some other color that had turned black because it was so dirty.

"May I have your name."

“My name is Dorn, Dorn Patrick Brown.”

Upon hearing the child's name, Dorn, a smile involuntarily appeared on Joe's face.

"What's wrong sir?"

Dorn looked at the smile on Joe's face with some confusion.

"Your name is interesting; it sounds like a character from a story."

Joe put his hand on the shoulder of the boy, whose name didn't sound particularly bright, and gestured for him to follow him.

"And from now on, don't call me 'sir,' just call me Joe."

“Okay, first... I mean Joe.”

Dorn followed Joe along the dirty streets of the East End, glancing up at Joe as he went.

"Can you tell me what the story is?"

"Of course, but not now."

Joe led Dorn to the commander's convertible, opened the door, and gestured for Dorn to get in.

Looking at the black luxury car, Dorn looked at Joe with some trepidation.

“Sir… Joe, I’m very dirty…”

Before Dorn could finish speaking, Joe picked him up like a chick and shoved him into the car.

"Wait here for me, I'll be right back."

After saying that, Joe seemed to remember something after closing the car door, and then looked at Dorn again.

You should be able to count, right?

Dorn nodded.

"I studied math in school."

"very good."

Joe smiled and nodded to Dorn.

"Close your eyes and count from zero to one hundred, then we can leave here."

"1, 2..."

As Dorn covered his eyes and began to count, Joe walked to the apartment building, knocked on the door, and spoke in a very calm tone.

"Open the door, I think we need to talk about something."

However, just like before, Joe knew the landlord was behind the door, but he just wouldn't say a word.

Joe really wanted to kick the door open, pull out his pistol, and empty the magazine right in the guy's face.

But that would be too easy on him; Joe has a better idea.

Seeing that the landlord was unwilling to accept the last chance he was given, he realized that the landlord was unwilling to accept the opportunity.

Joe turned back to the car, took out the crank from the car, started the car, and drove away from East London.

As Joe roared away from the street, the landlord, who had been hiding behind the door and watching everything through the peephole, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought the officer with the medals on his chest would cause him trouble, but to his surprise, the guy just left with the child.

After letting out a sigh of relief, the landlord looked at the apartment building across the street and suddenly felt a surge of anger. "Damn it, why does that bastard tell everything to outsiders? Doesn't he know the rules of the East District?"
Thinking of this, the angry landlord immediately took his coat from the coat rack by the door, put it on, opened the door and walked out of the apartment to find the guy in the building across the street who had broken the rules and have a good talk with him.

Unbeknownst to them, after leaving, Joe first went to a hospital, and after confirming that Dorn's foot was fine, he drove to the nearest law firm.

As a country that has introduced a civil service system, Bonitania naturally relies on various documents and procedures to maintain its operations. Therefore, adopting a child is not as simple as just bringing the person home; there are procedures to follow.

In those days, there was no internet, and even lawyers who wanted to attract business had to advertise on walls or in newspapers.

After buying a newspaper, Joe found a law firm without much trouble.

Even law firms don't have much business during wartime, so Joe received a warm welcome from the lawyer.

Then, after learning that Joe intended to adopt the orphan of his comrade-in-arms and the orphan's tragic past, the lawyer said he would take the job.

Although Joe cannot obtain full custody under current law, it's not a major problem.

The lawyer quietly told Joe that he would charge Dorn's mother with abandonment to ensure that the scumbag woman would not cause trouble again.

Furthermore, the lawyer can handle minor matters such as abandonment certificates and adoption documents. The lawyer also stated that he will file a lawsuit against the scoundrel landlord for violating the Rent Act of 1915.

After learning that violating the Rent Act of 1915 would at most result in a fine of a few dozen pounds, or even no jail time, Joe said that the lawyer was too lenient in this regard.

Then, in response to the lawyer's question, "So what do you want to do?", I obtained the addresses of several local newspapers from the lawyer.

What happened next was quite simple. After paying the lawyer's fees, Joe took Dorn to two newspapers that had some influence in Brittany.

Having been tormented by public opinion back then, Qiao also learned what it means to kill without a knife.

However, although Joe's status as a war hero allowed him to meet with the newspaper editors, the editors refused to publish Joe's story about Dorn to stir up controversy.

After all, this kind of news violates wartime news control and has a bad impact.

When the editor refused, Qiao said she understood; it's all just work.

Now let's talk about something else. If I spend twenty pounds to place a fairly complete missing person ad in the newspaper, that shouldn't be a problem, right?
Faced with Joe's opportunistic behavior, the editor said that if that's how you put it, then that's how it can be done, but once the advertisement is published, the wartime news bureau will definitely go crazy.

Someone will definitely have to take the blame. Although we can temporarily hire an intern to sign off on the blame, it still carries risks. While my sense of social responsibility prevents me from refusing your suggestion, our newspaper also needs to survive, so... we need to pay more!

As for paying more money, anything that can be solved with money is a minor matter for Joe. As for offending the War Information Bureau, if you have the guts to get the War Department to send me to a military court and strip me of my military status, then I should thank you!
After offering the editor a substantial fee, the editor demonstrated his exceptional professionalism by quickly producing a missing person notice that incorporated a touch of personal emotion.

Of course, this missing person notice was destined to be different from ordinary missing person notices, because ordinary missing person notices usually put up a photo of the person being searched for, while this missing person notice put up a photo of Dorn holding an apple and looking timidly at the camera.

After finishing all that, Joe was finally able to take Dorn to the train station to catch the train back to York.

Due to wartime restrictions, Joe missed dinner when he returned to his apartment building in York.

As soon as Qiao opened the door, he saw his younger sister Jane tiptoeing down the porch. Judging from her movements, Jane was clearly trying to sneak out and do something.

Upon seeing Joe standing at the door, Jane's expression shifted from confusion to surprise, and finally to ecstatic joy, accompanied by a scream that sounded like a kettle boiling over.

Jane screamed and charged at Joe like a cannonball, burying her head in his arms. Joe felt as if a 77mm cannonball had exploded next to him.

Jane's scream immediately alerted everyone in the building. Soon, with a series of thumping footsteps, Joe's parents and two other brothers appeared from upstairs and the living room on the first floor.

Upon seeing Joe standing at the door, their expressions, just like Jane's earlier, went from confusion to surprise, and finally to ecstatic joy.

Joe's mother even covered her face with her hands and wept uncontrollably the moment she saw Joe appear at the door. After Joe was hugged, patted on the shoulder, and pounded on the chest by everyone in the hallway, Joe's mother finally noticed Dorn, who was standing somewhat awkwardly behind Joe.

"Joe, who is this child?"

Joe reached out and pulled Dorn in front of him.

“His name is Dorn. His father saved my life on the battlefield. When I found him, he was homeless on the streets, so I’m going to adopt him. My lawyer in London is already helping me with the process.”

Upon hearing that Dorn's father had saved Joe's life, everyone's expression towards Dorn changed slightly.

Joe's mother walked up to Dorn and hugged the dirty child.

“You’ve suffered, Dorn. Now that you’re here, make this your own home.”

After releasing Dorn, Joe's mother looked Dorn up and down, then pulled him upstairs.

“Come on, take a shower first, then I’ll find you some clean clothes. You look about the same age as Ron, so you should be able to wear his clothes.”

As she spoke, Joe's mother turned to look at Joe's younger brother, who had red hair.

"Ron! Go find Dorn some comfortable clothes!"

Ron nodded, then turned and ran upstairs with a "ding-dong" sound.

After Joe's mother dragged Dorn away, Joe's father waved to Joe.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? There's some meat broth and bread on the stove. Come and have some. How long will you be staying this time?"

"I only have two days off, and I'm going back to London tomorrow."

As Joe followed his father toward the kitchen, he casually grabbed his sister Jane's shoulder.

When her father wasn't looking, she lowered her head and whispered to Jane, "What were you trying to do by sneaking out just now?"

"Um... nothing..."

Faced with Joe's gaze, Jane lowered her head somewhat guiltily.

"It's really nothing..."

As Joe stared at Jane, making Jane's expression increasingly guilty, James, who was following behind, suddenly reached into Jane's pocket and pulled out a slingshot.

"simple!"

James looked at the slingshot in his hand and whispered to Jane.

"You're actually planning to go alone!"

"Are you planning to go alone?"

Joe took the slingshot from James and looked at James and Jane with some confusion.

Years of working in the factory had ruined Joe's father's hearing. He didn't notice the little interaction between his children behind him and continued walking ahead.

"What are you going to do?"

Joe gently pulled on the slingshot in his hand. The rubber band was strong, and the wooden stick was sturdy. If nothing unexpected happened, this was a good slingshot.

"I……"

Before Jane could speak, James lowered his voice and said to Joe.

"We found out where the woman who sent you the white feathers lives."

As they spoke, James glanced at Jane, who glared at him with a somewhat guilty look.

“We were all prepared to teach that woman a lesson, but we disagreed on how. Ron and I were planning to find an opportunity to put a sack over her head, but Jane wanted to smash her windows.”

Upon hearing James's words, Joe stuffed the slingshot into his pocket, then reached out and pressed his hands on James and Jane's heads.

"Listen, I'm touched that you're planning to cause trouble for that woman, but doing so will only get you into trouble. So listen to me, don't do it, okay?"

James nodded somewhat reluctantly, while Jane pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Doesn't she have to pay any price?"

Joe smiled and ruffled Jane and James's hair.

"They will pay the price, but not now."

Joe let go.

"Let's go get something to eat with me. I've been busy all day and haven't eaten yet. I remember you guys used to love stewed meat soup the most."

After Joe released his hand, Jane and James immediately raised their hands and began to tidy up their hair, which Joe had ruffled.

"Okay, we understand..."

Although James said he understood, the way Joe looked at James didn't seem like he had really taken it to heart.

Joe wanted to emphasize again that their focus now was on learning, not causing trouble, so James asked Joe.

"How's it going on the front, brother? We read in the newspaper that you gave those Teutons a good kick in the ass."

"The front line..."

Joe sighed.

"That place is terrifying..."

In the kitchen at home, Joe's frontline stories left everyone wide-eyed.

The pistol that Joe gave to his father, which came from the Teutonic Generals, became a favorite of Joe's father, who declared it to be the Harrison family heirloom.

After Dorn finished showering and put on Ron's clothes, he went to the kitchen and realized that Joe had indeed guessed correctly; the kid's hair was not black.

This kid, who shares the same name as a Primarch, probably hasn't had a proper meal in a long time, although he initially appeared somewhat refined while eating.

But he soon displayed an appetite comparable to that of a Primarch, devouring a whole pot of broth and half a loaf of bread by himself. If Joe hadn't stopped him because he was worried about the consequences of eating like that, Joe thought this guy could have eaten even more.

After telling his family that his unit was returning home for reorganization and that he should not have to go to the battlefield for a while, a tired Joe returned to his room and lay down on his bed. Joe quickly fell asleep.

While Joe was asleep, he was having a friendly, but not entirely friendly, oral exercise with his adopted son, who was still traveling in Warp space and seemed to be polishing his boots so well they could be used as mirrors.

The newspapers in London that published Joe's missing person notice were printed out by the printing press, and then, as in the past, these newspapers were loaded onto trucks and transported to distribution points throughout London, and then distributed to various newsstands and newsboys.

Then the newsboys would deliver the newspapers to the mailboxes of the subscribers or to their servants.

This included some figures who held some power in Bonitania, such as His Majesty George and the Prime Minister.

As the sun rose as usual, His Majesty George and the Prime Minister came to the dining table as usual to eat breakfast while reading the newspapers, which had been ironed as smooth as mirrors by servants.

Then, unsurprisingly, His Majesty George and the Prime Minister saw the missing person notice published by George.

After reading the missing person notice, His Majesty George and the Prime Minister's faces immediately darkened.

Meanwhile, in London, many people's expressions changed slightly after reading the newspaper.

In particular, the landlord who had been pointing at his neighbor and cursing him for an hour yesterday was now so trembling that he could barely hold the light newspaper in his hand.

"It's over, it's over... How could things have turned out like this..."

(End of this chapter)