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Whiiiii-!
Atop a towering skyscraper in District Y, a man let out a piercing whistle. His eyes fixated on the spectacle that unfolded roughly a kilometer away.
“Is it not astounding? Baloo was never the sort to fall so easily,” he remarked, his words bearing a tone of genuine admiration.
Although he was one of the rare manipulative types among the disciples of the Human-meat Chef, his proficiency was beyond question.
The ability to raise the corpses and bolster their power was a testament to his expertise.
Yet, even with knowledge of such forbidden techniques, the mastery of manipulating Life-force and emotions was a matter of sheer individual ability.
Baloo, in particular, understood his abilities with great depth and employed them with shrewdness and resourcefulness, capable of exceeding any other in his vicinity, given the right circumstances.
Alas, it all amounted to nothing now.
Hundreds of corpses that had been painstakingly collected were decimated in a single devastating wave of magical artillery unleashed from a great distance.
“And did you see that fight? Even though their real combat skills were disappointing, they brought out a freakin’ Wizard! Did they realize that high-powered attacks were the most effective way to fight against us?”
“It’s not a wizard,” another man interjected. He was referred to as Cook in this place.
“What?”
“It’s not a wizard. It’s a corpse doll made using a wizard as a material. Take a closer look.”
Cook gestured towards a tall building in the distance.
Despite the distance, it was still visible to the naked eye with some effort.
Two corpse dolls were perched atop the building, one resembling a grotesque amalgamation of corpses and a cannon, while the other had eight arms.
The one with cannon had fired the laser, while the eight-armed one aided with targeting.
“Whoa… It’s pretty ugly, but that’s some impressive stuff, right? I’ve only seen that kind of thing in the Puppet faction. Could it be…?”
“Yes, it’s the Solver’s work.”
“Wait, was his name Dave?”
“Yeah, but he’s a bit of a jerk. Tried to recruit him to my side, but he turned me down. He’s pretty full of himself.”
“Hmm… Is he from the Puppet faction?”
“Not sure, I think Puppet met with him once a while back.”
The man paused for a moment before speaking again.
“Well… does it matter? Whether he is Puppet’s disciple or not, if he dares to get in our way, we need to just kill him.”
The man spoke without bravado or jest, but with resolute sincerity. The Puppet and Human-meat Chef factions were both fingers of the same black hand, but they were not above fighting one another. If they got in each other’s way, they would not hesitate to take each other’s lives.
In reality, only their leaders avoided direct conflict. The disciples beneath them engaged in sporadic clashes every year, whether sanctioned or personal.
After a brief moment of silence, the man and Cook resumed their discussion.
“More importantly, what is our next course of action? Our initial plan has failed.”
Indeed, Cook and the man had intended to use the stolen auction items as bait to incite a battle between District Y and the Crime Firm, and seize other items during the chaos. However, the heist had failed, and the Crime Firm had become even more vigilant, securing the auction items tightly. As a result, they resorted to this convoluted scheme to stir up chaos by dragging the gangs in District Y into the mess.
But now their plan had gone awry.
They had expended significant effort deploying the District Y gangs and their own people, but they had been easily quashed. Even if they intervened now, they could not be certain that events would proceed according to their designs. They required a new plan, an entirely new one.
“We gotta go in head-on now,” Cook murmured, appearing to have reached a decision.
“Head-on?”
“Yes. Originally, I was gonna use the District Y gangs as a distraction, but that didn’t work out. And now they’ll blame me for the failure. If it works, they’ll take the credit. If it doesn’t, it’s my fault…. We’re losing time and the advantage.”
It was true. Time was no longer on their side.
“So what’s the plan now?”
“I am going to reveal that I am the mastermind behind the heist. As the leader of the Fighter Crew, I collaborated with District Y gangsters to steal the auction items from the Crime Firm.”
“You think it’ll go smoothly?”
“I formed the Fighter Crew precisely for situations like this. It is a large group with individuals who can imitate black magic, and they all have quite a bit of real-life combat experience, making it challenging for the Crime Firm to approach them. This will divert their focus from us.”
“Will those guys cooperate?”
“They will cooperate if they want to live. If they discover that I stole the auction items, they will be treated the same way regardless. They have no choice but to cooperate. By dangling the reward in front of them and promising to provide it at the right moment, they will do their best to assist me. Their lives at the bottom will change for the better, so why would they refuse?”
“You have a point.”
“Have you located the target?”
“I narrowed it down to five spots, but we gotta be careful. The security’s tight, so we can’t screw up. If we make a mistake, they may hide the items even further.”
“I’ll make the most of my time, so you better hurry up and find out. The time that Master gave is running out.”
“However, are you certain you’ll be safe? Could be pretty dangerous.”
“You really think I’d let those guys take me down?” Cook’s voice brimmed with anger, incensed by the dismissive remark directed at him– a disciple of Human-meat Chef.
“Baloo going down in vain was unexpected.”
Cook reminisced about Baloo, who vanished without a trace, before turning his gaze to Oliver, who was making his way toward the border of District Y.
“Hmm… It would be easier if we took care of that Solver first.”
“How?”
“Just in time, one of my dogs is close to him. If we provide some support, we might be able to take him down. And if we don’t succeed, it’s not a big deal… But in case things go wrong, can I borrow Fork?”
At the request of Cook, the man turned around, revealing a large, overweight man who was in the midst of consuming a human body.
It was Fork.
Fork looked back without speaking. He was chewing on bones, flesh, and intestines together.
“Fork, you have a job to do.”
The operation had an unexpected incident, but in the end, it was successful. The items hidden in the District Y temple were recovered, and many of the stolen goods were also found there. Although they still had to locate the remaining auction items, they achieved a significant breakthrough in the first mission. However, the most remarkable aspect of the operation was Dave’s contribution. His name became a household name even within the Pinkman office.
Al, a courteous waiter, placed the food in front of Oliver and poured the white wine with deference.
“I didn’t order any alcohol.”
“Boss asked me to bring it to you when he’s not around, so you can enjoy it without any hesitation.”
Oliver didn’t just order food at the restaurant because he was hungry. He also waited for Forrest, who left for a moment because of work.
Al explained that Forrest’s workload had increased significantly, and he had been busy trying to forge new business partnerships, networking with other brokers, and coordinating his work.
“Of course, it’s only a temporary situation, so this inconvenience will soon disappear. Please excuse me again.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind waiting like this… Actually, may I ask you something?” Oliver asked as he took a bite of the fish dish and sipped the white wine.
As usual, Al responded kindly and respectfully.
“Feel free to ask, and I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”
He was truly a kind person.
“Is the increase in customers at the store related to the increase in Mr. Forrest’s work?”
Oliver looked around the store as he asked.
Many people were present in the store, including a gentleman in a suit with pale skin, a muscular man, a woman with a sharp impression, and a man wearing unique glasses.
From a distance, they all appeared to be ordinary people. However, several of them looked at Oliver and whispered to each other.
“Who is that guy?”
“I heard he worked with the Pinkman office?”
“I heard he detonated a bomb in District Y?”
“That old man hit the jackpot in his final years.”
“Yeah, I thought he’d retire without any business.”
Al looked away for a moment to see if he felt the gaze, then answered.
“Yes, there are new Solvers, information brokers, security firms, money launderers, and others. As the broker’s workload increases, so must their network of connections.”
Oliver comprehended the harsh truth. Being a broker demanded much more than just the mere arrangement of work.
It necessitated an immense amount of effort and resources, from scrutinizing the mission’s background to verifying the client’s honesty, assessing the adequacy of the pay against the risk, identifying potential pitfalls when embarking on a mission, and much more.
The intricacies of the trade made it implausible for a solitary broker to handle every aspect of the business. It necessitated the enlistment of diverse collaborators, each contributing their unique set of skills and expertise to the operation.
“You must be very busy,” Oliver said looking at Al.
“Actually, I’m quite content. Work is a blessing from God.”
At that moment, Oliver remembered a phrase that he read in the scripture a long time ago.
– Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Holy Father, not for human masters.
“… Mr. Dave?”
“Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was distracted for a moment.”
“No, it’s alright… You must be very tired.”
Oliver nodded, his response somewhat ambiguous. The conversation then seamlessly transitioned to a new topic, as if by natural inclination.
“Did you hear any news from Mr. Jonathan?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Dave. That’s something only the Boss can discuss, so I don’t have the authority to speak about it. I hope you understand.” Al responded with an air of sincerity, evident not only in his words but also in his demeanor and thoughts.
“No, I was just curious. Please don’t worry about it.” Oliver replied, his curiosity temporarily sated.
However, after witnessing Oliver’s courteous behavior, Al had a change of heart and spoke up hesitantly, “…Although, I have heard some rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“Yes, they suddenly surfaced and seem quite nonsensical…”
“I’m glad you’re here,” a voice suddenly interrupted Al’s story.
The voice sounded quite familiar, and when Oliver turned his head– he saw Joe in an unusual emotional state.
“Hey, Dave.”
Oliver was momentarily taken aback by Joe’s sudden appearance, but he quickly regained his composure.
Whatever the case, Dave, the name of this Solver was pretty well known by now, and his dealings with Forrest in Street 27, District T, was something everyone in the field now knew.
So it wasn’t that strange for Joe to come looking for Oliver here.
However, what was unusual was Joe’s emotional state. He seemed to be experiencing a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, ranging from anger to fear to guilt and confusion.
Joe’s emotional state was like putting all kinds of substances in and heating them up, confused and sticky.
Except for a few cases, Joe always maintained a calm and straightforward emotional state, so it was quite unusual.
“Do you need any assistance with anything?” Al whispered quietly in Oliver’s ear. If necessary, he was willing to help.
Oliver hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
“No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”
Al didn’t believe him, but still, he nodded his head.
“By any chance, can I order another one of these?” Oliver asked, pointing to the food in front of him.
Joe raised his hand at the sight and refused, “I’m okay… I’m not feeling hungry.”
Seeing Joe lying, Oliver said, “I see. Would you mind having a little bit though? Since you’re here at the restaurant, it’s considered impolite not to order anything.”
Joe hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. The sense of guilt and hesitation grew stronger.
Al, who received the order, said he would bring it as soon as possible, and withdrew.
Oliver asked while eating first.
“This is quite unexpected. I didn’t anticipate running into Joe here.”
“Uh..….”
“Um… can I ask why you came to see me?”
“I have something to discuss with you in person.”
“Something to discuss with me?”
“Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable to talk about it here… Can we speak outside later, if you have some time?”
Joe’s emotional state was definitely strange. Every word he spoke was filled with hesitation, guilt, self-justification, fear, and anxiety, which left him feeling mentally uneasy.
To the extent that the agitation of emotions was also revealed physically.
Oliver was curious but instinctively knew that he wouldn’t get a proper answer in Joe’s current state.
Joe opened his mouth again, looking restless and trying to persuade Oliver.
“That…”
“…All right.”
“What?”
“Sure, I understand. I was planning to meet with Mr. Forrest, but I can do it after. However, there are two conditions.”
“Conditions…? What are they?”
“First, let’s finish our meal before we move. The food is arriving now,” said Oliver, pointing to the food being brought by the waiter.