Chapter 16 InformantTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 3094 wordsUpdate time: 2025-06-22 19:56:30
At 11:30 in the morning, Michael leaned back on the horsehair sofa, holding a cup of coffee, and leisurely flipping through the novel in his hand.
Grace sat aside holding Tom, whom she found in the bedroom closet. Her shoulders were hunched, her little hands were placed obediently on her knees, but her eyes were secretly observing Michael.
Half of the reason was that the novel he was reading was exactly her current serialized work, and the other half of the reason was that this man was too mysterious, which made it difficult for Claire, a writer, to suppress her curiosity.
Seeing that Michael didn't say anything, Claire felt so conflicted that she even twirled her thumb unconsciously.
"So boring. Should I take the initiative to bring up a topic at a time like this? But I don't know what to talk about!"
At this moment, Michael took the initiative to break the silence and spoke first.
"Miss Claire, if you have any questions, you can tell me directly."
But when he said this, his eyes were always fixed on the words in the novel.
"ah!"
When her inner thoughts were exposed, Claire's face flushed, and she stammered like a frightened little rabbit:
"That's, that... uh, how about coffee?"
Keleisi still didn't dare to ask the question she really wanted to ask.
"Very pure Filmore coffee, but I personally prefer Marquis black tea."
"Yes, I'm sorry, I'll change it for you right away!" Grace stood up immediately after saying that, but was stopped by Michael before she walked out of the room.
Michael closed the book helplessly, holding the coffee in his hand, and shook his head, "Didn't you realize this was a joke?"
Seeing that Claire was about to apologize again, Michael directly told Claire what she was thinking.
"Okay, okay, you just want to ask how to deal with this cat thief?"
Coles nodded slightly.
Just now, after Michael subdued the man and carefully checked him again, he simply bandaged him and then tied him up and threw him into the bathroom.
Then, Michael asked Claire with a relaxed look to borrow some books to kill time.
This watching lasted half an hour.
But the criminal is still in his own home! Who can sit still?
Claire swallowed her saliva and mustered up her courage to ask, "Excuse me, Detective Hulse, do we not need to call the police?"
Michael shook his head. "This matter should be left to other professionals."
After saying that, he glanced at the watch on his hand, and then said to himself: "It's almost time..."
Michael drank the remaining coffee in the cup.
Putting down the coffee cup, he waved the book in his hand to Claire and said with a smile:
"I have finished reading your book. The writing is very delicate, especially the description of emotions, which can be said to be the best I have ever read in a novel.
So I suggest you try writing romance novels. Pure mystery novels may not be able to bring out your true strengths."
Claire chewed over the meaning of Michael's words, and soon she asked timidly:
"Do you mean novels like Blizzard Hill?"
When Michael heard the title of a book he had never seen before, he was stunned at first, but he did not show it and smiled and confirmed it.
"Well...thank you for your suggestion, I will think about it carefully."
Claire was caught in a fierce ideological struggle.
Michael didn't say anything else. He went downstairs in silence and opened the locked door of the bathroom.
His shadow loomed over the bound man.
Due to the residual effect of the drug, the other party still maintains a certain degree of mobility, but the mental pressure cannot be relieved by this pill.
In the dead silence, the invisible pressure completely crushed the man's remaining will.
The man cried, "Please let me go. As long as you are willing to let me go, I will tell you everything you want to know!"
Seeing that his goal was achieved, Michael showed a fake warm smile on his face.
He squatted in front of the man, pulled out a small medicine bottle from his pocket and shook it in front of his eyes.
"Do you recognize what this is?"
The man nodded rapidly and explained everything at a rapid pace.
"I know, I know. This is the stimulant that Mouse sold me. It can improve a person's physical qualities in a short period of time."
"mouse?"
Seeing Michael's puzzled look, the man immediately replied, "He is a drug dealer in the underground black market of Feynaport City. He specializes in selling strange and bizarre potions to people."
Michael said "Oh" and asked with a smile: "How strange, I didn't even know there was such a place as an underground black market in Feynapotter City."
Hearing this, the man showed a smile that was uglier than crying, and said sensibly:
"It's not strange, Mr. Detective, you are busy dealing with various major cases all day long, so it's normal that you don't know such a small thing. I will tell you the location of the black market right now."
"Then tell me quickly." Michael deliberately frowned and kicked the man lightly.
"Yes, yes, yes."
The man smiled apologetically, recalled the location of the black market, and then reported the address out loud.
"The underground black market is at the Black River Bar on Graystone Street in the Seine River District. Go there and find the bartender York and tell him that the 'boy' introduced you and he will take you in."
Michael couldn't help but frown when he heard the name of the underground black market. He was very familiar with this place name because this was the crime scene of the second serial murder case!
The man then raised his eyes carefully to look at Michael, and said with a flattering smile: "Excuse me, can you let me go?"
Michael came back to his senses from his thoughts and thought:
"We have yet to squeeze out all the value from him. We can't just let him go..."
Then, Michael deliberately looked at the man on the ground with contempt and sneered:
"How do I know whether what you said is true or not, and why should I let you go?"
"You!" The man was furious, but only for a moment, his voice lowered again, "I have already answered your question."
"Hehe, think carefully, when did I ever promise that I would let you go as long as you confess everything?"
Michael reached out his hand like a villain, patted the man on the shoulder, and said earnestly:
"You are still too young. How can you trust others so easily in today's society?
"I'm teaching you a lesson. Well, you should thank me."
When the man heard what he said, he almost laughed out of anger.
At this moment, a thought kept echoing in his mind:
If I believe this man again, I'll be a damn piece of shit!
Michael took his hand back and changed the subject, "But then again, you are just a petty thief and your crime is not punishable by death..."
He paused deliberately, and in the man's hopeful eyes, he slowly stated his purpose: "If you are willing to be my informant, I can consider giving you freedom."
The man frowned deeply and stared at Michael with suspicion for a long time.
Perhaps considering that the gunshot wound on his leg would be ruined if he didn't get treatment, the man finally gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.
"I am the fucking shit!"
...
Two minutes later, Michael returned to the study and found Claire writing furiously.
"What is Miss Claire writing?"
Michael asked with a chuckle while standing outside the door.
Claire turned around calmly, pushed down her glasses, and said calmly, "It's Detective Hulls. Are you here to get your reward?"
He had a cold attitude but spoke fluently, as if he was a completely different person.
Michael was stunned, not understanding why Claire had changed so much in just a few minutes.
"Schizophrenia? Or possessed by a ghost?"
Considering the extraordinary existence of this world, Michael decided to be cautious and said as if nothing had happened:
"The total cost of this commission is 50 gold rizos, plus the contact information of the botanist you mentioned earlier."
Keleisi nodded: "Reasonable price, wait a moment."
After her personality changed, Claire became more efficient in her work.
Soon Michael received several banknotes with the king's portrait and a note with the botanist's address.
Michael collected his reward, glanced at Claire, and asked casually, "Ms. Claire, are you okay?"
Keleisi blinked and replied expressionlessly: "Thank you for your concern, I'm fine.
"If you have nothing else, please go back. I'm going to start writing."
Michael stopped asking questions and tactfully said goodbye:
"Then I won't bother you anymore. I will be responsible for sending this cat thief to the police station."
This time, Claire did not reply. She sat back in her seat indifferently and started writing again.
Michael quietly walked out of the room and returned to the first floor, where he found the man waiting obediently in the bathroom.
"Here is 100 gold rizos, 80 of which are for your activities this month, and the remaining 20 are for medical expenses. Take it."
The man was stunned, then took the money with a complicated expression.
Michael put his hands in his trouser pockets and continued, "From now on, you will come to the entrance of the river dock at 12 noon every Monday. I will give you tasks. In addition, you must hand over the intelligence you collected this week to me. If there is anything urgent to report, come here to find me."
At this point, Michael's tone changed and he said coldly: "If you dare to betray me, if I can catch you once, I can catch you a second time. You don't want to know what will happen if you are caught a second time."
The man's expression changed, but he finally bowed respectfully to Michael: "From now on, I, Charlie, will be at your disposal!"
Michael was not moved by this statement of loyalty. He just sighed in his heart: "Although the stick and carrot tactics are old-fashioned, they are indeed effective."
This time, he not only received monetary compensation for the commission, but also gained an extra subordinate and the means to enter the underground black market, which can be said to have maximized his benefits.
Michael felt very satisfied, but he vaguely felt a little weird.
Like he had forgotten something.
After watching the man limping away, Michael returned to his house opposite.
This commission left him covered in sweat and dust, which was extremely uncomfortable.
The door was opened, and Michael couldn't wait to take off his formal jacket, and then unbutton his shirt, wanting to take a shower and relax.
At this moment, a pleasant and shy female voice sounded in front of him:
"Ahem! Mr. Winston, please respect yourself."Chapter 17 IntelligenceTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 2254 wordsUpdate time: 2024-07-26 10:15:17
The atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward.
No, it's very embarrassing!
Michael and Irina were sitting face to face, and neither of them spoke first. The huge living room suddenly fell into deathly silence.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered the lyrics of a song that was very popular in his previous life.
"I'm most afraid of the air suddenly becoming quiet~"
However, Michael didn't feel embarrassed at all.
His emotions are very weak, especially the joy, anger, sorrow, fear and love that ordinary people have. He has none of them.
But years of research and analysis of human behavior have made Michael understand that he should show such emotions now.
After all, he acted like a normal person in front of Irina.
In the end, Irina couldn't help it and broke the silence first.
The blonde girl blushed, her emerald eyes shifted downwards uncomfortably, she pointed her little finger at Michael, and said in a low and soft voice:
"Could you please button your shirt first?"
"…"
Michael buttoned up his shirt silently, and spoke to ease the awkwardness: "Did you come to me to get any news on the case?"
The blush on Irina's face gradually faded, and she took out a report from her arms and placed it on the table in front of Michael.
"We have confirmed that the victim in the first case was indeed a street prostitute.
In addition, the victim in the third case has also been confirmed to have worked in a similar occupation in his twenties."
Michael picked up the report on the table and glanced through it. When he heard the second half of Irina's words, he couldn't help but look up in confusion.
"I remember that the victim in the third case was not only a public welfare teacher at the Mother God Church Sunday School, but also a public school teacher, right? The salary for this job is not low."
Irina sighed and said, "You don't know that although the status of women in the Mother Goddess's kingdom is basically the same as that of men, they even enjoy special treatment in some aspects."
"But the impact of the Industrial Revolution has widened the gap between the rich and the poor among citizens. Even an international city like Feynaport City still has bad places like the Bridge District and the River District."
Irina looked sadly at the quiet and peaceful street outside and continued:
"Because of the national conditions, many women from poor backgrounds choose to sell their bodies before they can find a job to support themselves. The victim in the third case was in this situation."
Michael opened his mouth and sighed in the obviously gloomy atmosphere.
"This is the sorrow of the people and the sorrow of the times."
Irina agreed and said, "You said it very well. You sound like a philosopher."
Michael smiled and passed over the topic. "Besides this, have the police and the church found any other information?"
Irina nodded. "During this process, we also confirmed that the four victims had lived on White Dove Street in the Cathedral District."
"The church now intends to mobilize all available forces to conduct a professional investigation on every resident of Dove Street in the church district to prevent the murderer from committing crimes again."
After listening to this, Michael shook his head secretly.
Such a plan is feasible, but it is too easy to alert the enemy.
Moreover, the manpower and time consumed in this process cannot be ignored.
According to the serial killer's pattern of killing one person every five days, there are only two and a half days left before his next murder.
Is it really too late?
Michael was skeptical.
But this is a world where supernatural powers exist after all, and maybe miracles will happen.
At this moment, Michael suddenly noticed the hesitation on Irina's face, and he asked directly:
"You seem to have something else to tell me."
After he revealed her thoughts, Irina no longer hesitated. Although she felt that it was a bit difficult to talk about it, she still spoke:
"I'm so sorry, there's something I have to tell you."
"Don't be so reserved. We are partners now. You can just say it directly."
When Irina heard this, she awkwardly rolled up her hair with her hands and said with evasive eyes:
"That's right, well, there's a problem with the batch of extraordinary materials I promised you."
"What?"
Michael opened his mouth wide, not trying to hide his surprise.
Irina blushed again, "I know this is surprising to you, and it surprises me too.
The person I asked to secretly deliver the extraordinary materials has been losing them due to various accidents recently. I wanted to buy them for you at the underground market, but the materials that are usually in short supply are out of stock at this time. "
Michael moved his lips and teeth for a long time before he uttered a word.
"This is really... really unlucky."
Then Michael narrowed his eyes and made a guess.
"Do you think it's possible that someone is deliberately obstructing it?"
Irina frowned and shook her head to deny Michael's guess.
"It's basically impossible, my channels are all safe and reliable, and I have never disclosed the information to anyone else.
If there really is such a person, he has no motivation to do all this. These materials have almost no effect on me. If they are targeting you, it is a bit unreasonable..."
"That's right..." Michael nodded and changed the subject.
"It seems that there will be a full moon tomorrow. I heard that the priests of Feynaporte have a custom that every time there is a full moon, the priests will cover their eyes and ears with cloth or something like that at night. Is this true?"
Irina said, "Yes, there was such a custom in the past. The implication is that the night of the full moon is when the reality and the spiritual world overlap the most. In order to maintain the purity of the spiritual world, some religious people would choose to use various methods to close their five senses."
Since Michael had read the information sent by Irina before, he had a certain understanding of many terms in mysticism, so he had no pressure in understanding what the other party said.
Irina then added: "Speaking of the moon, there are actually two belief systems within our Earth Mother Church: the God-Blessed and the God-Favored."
Seeing Michael's puzzled expression, Irina patiently explained to him:
"The ones who are blessed by God are the clergymen who are favored by the Mother Goddess in the two paths of 'farmers' and 'pharmacists'. The ones who are favored by God are those who are favored by the Mother Goddess from other paths. One of my teammates is like this."
On this topic, Michael took the opportunity to ask Irina more about the extraordinary world.
The two chatted for several hours, and it was already past one in the afternoon when Irina left.
After cramming a lot of knowledge on the mysticism, Michael clearly felt dissatisfied in his stomach.
So he used the remaining ingredients at home to make a cheap but not simple lunch.
When it comes to food, Michael has his own set of principles, the most important of which is that he will never compromise when eating.
After calming his rumbling stomach, Michael lay on the fabric sofa and thought about his next move.
First of all, I definitely can't stay in the church area for long. If I'm discovered as a wanted criminal by chance during the official investigation, I'd be doomed.
After much thought, Michael finally decided to go to the underground black market provided by his informant Charlie first, hoping that he could find some self-defense weapons there.
Take action immediately when you have an idea.
Michael first loaded his revolver with bullets, then packed his belongings and pushed open the door.
Standing on the avenue, Michael suddenly realized a serious problem - there seemed to be no horse-drawn carriages for rent near his home.
…
On this day, Michael's walking figure was full of loneliness and solitude.Chapter 18 RobberyTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 2760 wordsUpdate time: 2024-07-14 21:00:33
When the sun's orbit moved another big step westward, Michael finally arrived at the destination of this journey - the Black River Tavern.
Standing outside the door, Michael looked up.
The pub is not big, but it is full of the accumulation of years.
There were several faded bounty posters posted on the mottled and peeling brick walls, and the dilapidated signboard showed cracks that were difficult to conceal. The whole tavern was huddled in this small alley and was inconspicuous.
Michael, who was in disguise, lowered the brim of his cap, walked forward, pushed open the seemingly heavy wooden door, and walked into the tavern calmly.
As soon as he put half of his body inside, Michael keenly felt that there were several hidden eyes watching him.
He looked around the tavern expressionlessly.
As it was still early, there were not many people in the pub, only a few drunkards sitting in a few dark corners.
They lay on the stained wooden table in various postures, mumbling some incoherent drunken words from time to time.
But no one knows whether these drunkards are really drunk or just pretending to be drunk.
Michael withdrew his gaze, walked through the obstacle with a calm expression, and sat directly on the seat at the front desk of the bar.
He thought about it and ultimately chose not to ask about the second victim.
The authorities have already launched an operation. In the city of Feynapotter where demigods and even angels reside, it is only a matter of time before the murderer is caught.
He can now relax a little and no longer have to be deeply involved in the case.
So Michael raised his hand and knocked on the table, and said to the man dressed as a bartender in front of him in a low voice: "I was introduced by the boy."
However, the man ignored him and continued to wipe the glass in his hand expressionlessly.
Michael was stunned. After ruling out the possibility that the other person was deaf, he felt that he must have done something wrong.
He narrowed his eyes subconsciously. With his experience of two lifetimes, Michael quickly figured out the reason for the bartender's cold attitude.
After quitting his thoughts, Michael spoke leisurely:
"I wonder if you could recommend me some drinks for today, sir?"
After hearing this, the bartender's expression instantly changed from gloomy to bright, and he greeted enthusiastically:
"This is your first time at the Black River Tavern, right? I recommend a glass of Martini. It tastes so good."
Michael asked directly: "How much?"
"Thank you for your patronage. One gold rizo."
Michael's fingertips trembled. He stared at the bartender but didn't say anything. He just silently took out a brand new banknote from his pocket and slapped it on the table.
The bartender took the money and the smile on his face became visibly thicker.
He leaned over and took something out from under the counter, but it was not wine, but a palm-sized piece of iron.
The bartender calmly pushed the iron sheet to Michael and whispered, "Billiard Room No. 5, knock three times gently."
Michael glanced at the wine rack behind the bartender, took the iron sheet with a smile, and turned to walk towards the billiard room No. 5.
Standing in front of the dark wooden door, Michael took a few deep breaths to calm down, then tapped his fingers three times.
After a while, a burly man poked his head out from behind the door.
He looked at Michael and said in a gruff voice, "Proof."
Michael handed the iron sheet to the man calmly.
After checking everything was fine, the man returned the iron sheet, opened the door completely, and said, "Follow me."
"This is quite troublesome." Michael secretly complained in his heart and followed the man into the room.
His eyes moved around, carefully observing the surrounding environment.
The interior of the billiard room is very ordinary, with just a billiard table and a few sofas piled in the corner.
Just when Michael was wondering if he had been cheated, the man stepped forward and moved one of the sofas in the corner, revealing a manhole cover with a pull ring embedded underneath.
"So the entrance is hidden here. How cautious..." Michael thought to himself.
The man removed the manhole cover, revealing the dark hole underneath. Then he suddenly turned to Michael and asked:
"This should be your first time here."
Without waiting for Michael to answer, the man continued:
"Whether it's true or not, I'm going to tell you about the rules here."
"First, fighting is prohibited in the black market. Once found violating the rules, they will be blacklisted and banned from entering again for life."
"Second, it is forbidden to track or snoop on other people's privacy in the black market. Violators will be punished as above."
"Third, if you want to sell items in the black market, you must report to me in advance and pay the venue fee. It is forbidden to set up stalls privately. Violators must pay a fine of 10 gold risols or they will be banned from entering again for life."
"Fourth, 10% of the proceeds from transactions in the black market must be paid as a handling fee. If someone refuses to pay the handling fee, the black market manager will enforce it."
After the man finished speaking, he took out a white mask with exposed eyes from under the pool table and handed it to Michael.
"We provide masks for free, but you can choose not to wear them."
Michael took the mask and put it on his face without saying a word, then walked past the man and entered the passage.
After enduring a period of darkness, Michael finally arrived at the underground black market.
What surprised him was the location of this underground black market.
It was in the sewer!
It was as if he had entered an underground palace. A tall, spacious sewer black market like a tunnel appeared before Michael's eyes.
Unlike ordinary sewers that are filled with sewage and filth, the ground of the sewer black market is very clean and odorless, and a new type of gas lamp can be seen on the wall every two meters.
People of all kinds set up various shops in the aisles.
The constant sounds of hawking and shouting made Michael feel as if he was returning to the street market in his previous life.
Amid the noise, Michael withdrew his gaze and strolled around the black market with a calm expression.
Just behind him, three men also wearing masks looked at each other and followed quietly.
After a while, Michael squatted in front of a street stall, holding a sun amulet with intricate patterns in his hand, and started talking to the stall owner.
The three masked men stood not far from Michael, whispering to each other.
The tall man among the three looked at the talisman in Michael's hand from afar, unable to hide his excitement, and said:
"Look, the thing in that boy's hand seems to be made of pure gold. Mother, how much is it worth?"
After hearing what the tall man said, the fat man among the three looked at the third man - the thin man - with dissatisfaction.
"I say, why does your brother look so ignorant? He can be so excited about just a little bit of gold."
The tall man said angrily: "Are you insulting me with this?"
Seeing the conflict in the team, the thin guy hurried to smooth things over, saying, "Don't quarrel, don't quarrel. The most important thing in our industry is to know how to cooperate."
Then he said to the fat man, "You can get an extra 10% of the money you get from robbing that kid later."
"That's more like it..."
Just then Michael moved again, and the three of them hurried to follow.
As Michael was walking, he suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a small road.
Seeing the target disappear, the three of them hurriedly increased their speed and turned into the small road together.
Unexpectedly, Michael was standing in front of them at this moment, smiling ostentatiously and saying:
"Aren't you tired of following me for so long?"
As soon as he entered the tavern, Michael noticed that someone was observing him.
After many attempts, he finally seized the opportunity to lure the three people here.
The fat man first looked around, and when he found that this was a deserted dead end, he completely tore off his disguise.
"Humph, so what if you found out? I advise you to be sensible and hand over all the money you have, otherwise we brothers will make you suffer."
The thin man frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy.
But when he saw that there was only one person on the other side and there were three of them, the thin man put away his thoughts and started to threaten them verbally.
"Don't worry sir, we only want money and not life. Just hand over that lovely wallet and you'll be fine."
Michael flexed his arms and said in a frightened tone, "Are you violating the rules?"
"Bah!" The fat man spat on the ground and said disdainfully, "Who is afraid of that bullshit rule?"
The thin man also smiled sinisterly and said, "Brother, you don't know yet, right? In the black market, only the last rule counts.
As long as you don't commit any crime under the supervision of the manager, they will turn a blind eye to the first few items. In the end, you just need to pay them 10% of the stolen property as a handling fee."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Michael said with sudden enlightenment.
Seeing that it was only his two companions who were talking, the tall man felt excluded and raised his arm, shouting:
"If you know this, just hand over the money quickly and don't force us to do it!"
Michael suddenly asked a question at this time.
"Have you ever wondered why I ended up here?"
The thin man suddenly felt something was wrong, and the next second, a bullet hit his feet.
When he looked up again, he saw Michael, who was trembling with fear just now, now raised the corner of his mouth, and the black barrel of the revolver in his hand was pointing at his forehead.
"Mother, he has a gun!"
The tall man was frightened and raised his hands without hesitation and knelt on the ground.
Michael kept his distance, smiled and spoke word by word:
"Now the hunter and the prey have switched places."Chapter 19 Are you using this to test the cadres?Title of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 3074 wordsUpdate time: 2025-06-19 21:42:18
"You actually came out to rob. I guess you guys are prepared to be robbed."
In the spacious sewer, Michael pointed a brass revolver at the three robbers with a villainous smile on his face:
"Hehehe, quickly hand over the valuables on you!"
The thin man's mouth twitched, and it seemed that he could no longer control his expression.
Who is the robber after all?
Why are you more proficient in speaking these words than us?
The fat man looked at Michael fearlessly with his green bean-sized eyes and said:
"I admit that we failed this time, but isn't it a bit too much to ask us to hand over all our belongings in one go?"
"To be honest, this sewer is so spacious, the gun you just used must have attracted the attention of the administrator. If we fight you to the death, you will be in trouble when the administrator arrives!"
The more the fat man spoke, the more he felt that what he said made sense.
They have three people, while the other side has only one. Three is greater than one, so the advantage is on my side!
The thin guy turned his head in surprise and said, "If it's not you, brother, who gave you the courage?"
"oh?"
There was a flash of surprise in Michael's eyes, and even the hand holding the gun drooped a little.
The fat man thought that his rhetoric had worked, and was about to press on to win...
Bang!
The sharp sound of gunfire echoed in the sewers, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.
The fat man stared blankly at the bullet hole at his feet, unable to utter a word.
Michael's eyes suddenly became sinister and cruel, but there was an extremely arrogant smile on the corner of his mouth, and he said:
"I carefully selected this place. It will take at least three minutes for the nearest manager to get here."
Michael raised his arm a little higher, pointed the gun at the fat man's forehead, and said in a chilling voice:
"Three minutes, how many shots do you think I can fire?"
Seeing that his two accomplices had lost their courage, the thin man remained calm, gritted his teeth, and decided to gamble on his own speed.
There are three targets, but Michael only has one gun. If he is lucky, he might be able to escape.
He will find a chance to take revenge after he escapes.
Just as the thin man was about to take action, he met Michael's deep eyes.
Cold and ruthless, just like a god in the sky!
Those eyes seemed to see through all his thoughts, and the cold look seemed to say: "If you dare to run, you will be the first to die."
The three of them were completely frightened now, and under the threat to their lives, they hurriedly took out everything they had on them.
Seeing this scene, Michael felt nothing at all.
All his actions are based on the goal of "peaceful life".
He knew very well that if he let the three people leave, the other party would probably think he was a coward and would turn their attention to him again.
A great man once said it well: "Strike the first blow, and prevent a hundred blows from coming."
Only by giving these three people a profound enough lesson can I ensure that my peaceful life will not be disturbed.
So whether it's intimidation or madness, everything is just a disguise made by Michael to achieve his goal.
So far, this approach seems to be successful.
At this time, the three of them had already neatly placed all the items they were carrying on the ground.
Michael looked down and his face turned dark.
There was very little on the floor.
A few switchblades, three certificates, banknotes and copper plates with a total value of less than 5 gold rizos, and a booklet were all the three men had.
So poor...
Michael raised his pistol, squatted down, picked up the palm-sized booklet with a lavender cover from the ground, and read the words on it:
"Violet tasting manual?"
Michael frowned in confusion and opened the first page of the booklet with one hand.
A very shocking photo came into his unsuspecting eyes.
The photo shows a naked woman with a red rope wrapped around her body. The shooting angle and the handling of light and shadow are quite good.
To put it more simply, it's very astringent!
Michael's eyes moved down and saw the densely packed text underneath the photo.
The author of the booklet made a very professional evaluation from multiple aspects including price, experience level, and optional gameplay.
The introduction uses excellent writing style, making the readers feel as if they are personally on the scene.
But this left Michael speechless.
He originally thought that this booklet would be some kind of robbery tips or treasure-stealing manual worthy of the tall man carrying around, but when he opened it he found that it was a guide to prostitution. Who wouldn't be speechless?
Michael rubbed his brow and was about to throw away the booklet when he suddenly noticed a passage from the author.
"Miss Sarah's lips have the scent of citrus, which reminds me of the late Miss Garcia, that bright flower..."
"No way?"
Michael quickly flipped back to the catalog of the book, found Garcia's name on it, and then turned to the page that belonged to her.
He stared at the photo, confirming that the person was the streetwalker who almost had a one-night stand with the original owner, and was also the victim of the fourth serial murder case.
A bold guess suddenly popped up in Michael's mind.
He recalled the names of the other three victims and went back to the directory to look for them again.
The guess was confirmed, and Michael really found the names of the three people in the catalog.
He immediately rushed to the tall man, holding up the booklet and asked coldly: "Where did you get this?"
The tall man was stunned for a moment before he said, "This is a souvenir I took away from my visit to Violet. Any questions?"
Michael did not answer, but continued to ask coldly: "Where is this place? Tell me!"
The tall man was so frightened by the roar that he blurted out, "It's at 131 Shell Street in the Bridge District. Please don't kill me!"
After learning the address, Michael left quickly.
His action made the three people puzzled and looked at each other.
"This... he let us go?" The fat man looked at Michael's departing back with some disbelief.
The thin man scratched his head, pointed at something on the ground and said doubtfully:
"Why didn't he take the money, but only the booklet?"
The tall man said innocently, "Perhaps that gentleman has the same artistic vision as me."
...
Michael left the underground black market without buying anything.
This was partly because of the reason Fatty mentioned. He also didn't want to be targeted by the manager, so the best strategy was to run away before the other party came.
On the other hand is the booklet in hand.
But what puzzled Michael was not the deeper connection between the serial murder victims implied in the booklet; he was puzzled by the strange things happening to himself.
What a coincidence, it all happened so coincidentally!
Michael seldom reviewed the events he had experienced recently, but the coincidences that had happened to him one after another were so numerous that he could no longer ignore them.
Why did I survive?
Why did Irina and the others arrive just when he was attacked by a werewolf and about to die?
Why did he encounter robbery this time, and what a coincidence that he found clues to the serial murder case on the robber?
This made Michael feel as if there was an invisible net covering him and determining the direction of his fate.
Michael walked on the road, thinking for a long time, and finally decided to go to Violet to find out.
He will never have peace until the serial murder case is solved, so he has to go even though he knows there is danger.
Everything that stands in the way of the peaceful daily life he longs for must be eradicated.
But Michael was not a reckless person. Before setting off, he went home to get all his equipment, and then wrote a letter of complaint and put it in the mailbox to ensure that even if he encountered an accident, Irina would be able to find him.
After getting on the carriage, Michael continued to think about the coincidences he had encountered recently.
"Well, first of all, it should be Irina's attitude towards me. Although it can be explained, it is too far-fetched."
"I originally thought it was because of her personality that she chose to protect me, a survivor, in this way. Now it seems that there may be another hidden reason behind it..."
He thought all the way until the carriage stopped in front of Violet's door, and then Michael came back to his senses from the wasteland of his thoughts.
"Forget it, let's focus on the current situation." Michael decided to suppress the doubts in his mind for the time being.
Everything at the moment is still in his interest. He has no intention of tracing the source right now. This is neither realistic nor necessary.
...
After paying a fare that was far higher than normal, Michael straightened his clothes and walked towards the building with a violet pattern in front of him with a calm expression.
As soon as he came in, Michael smelled a perfume that was too sweet and even pungent, and exciting music echoed in his ears.
He looked around habitually and noticed that there were people wearing black vests who looked like thugs standing in several corners of the hall.
In the middle of the hall where flower petals were scattered, Michael saw a woman in green gauze, with a graceful figure and large patches of snow-white skin, sitting on a piano stool and playing beautiful piano music.
Around the piano are women with colorful hair and bright and beautiful clothes.
They were either laughing and chatting, or reading books and newspapers, or twisting their waists to the music, and no one was repeated.
Michael instinctively wanted to close his eyes. He had no emotions but still retained the most basic desires of living things. This was very troublesome but he could not eradicate it.
He is still a man with normal sexual orientation, and his body will react to such an erotic scene.
In order to stay awake and think normally, he had to do something.
Just then a woman noticed Michael standing outside the hall.
She walked slowly towards me with a charming and enchanting smile on her face.
Without saying anything, the woman hugged Michael's arm. The dazzling whiteness of her skin was like a mountain collapsing, giving him a strange feeling.
The woman smiled and asked, "What a handsome young gentleman you are. Is this your first time here?"
"Yes." Michael didn't know what to say at this time, so he could only respond rigidly.
The woman didn't care about Michael's indifference. She pursed her red lips and whispered in his ear with a scent as sweet as orchid:
"Then please allow me to entertain you, sir."
Michael's gaze rested on the woman's nasolabial lines that could not be covered up even with thick foundation.
Michael was angry. Are you using this to test the cadres?
Which cadre can't resist such temptation?Chapter 20: Horror ChamberTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 2503 wordsUpdate time: 2025-06-19 21:47:44
Faced with this sudden enthusiasm, Michael remained gentlemanly and smiled:
"I wonder if the lady is...?"
The gorgeously dressed woman raised her hand to cover her lips and chuckled like an old duck:
"Sir, you can just call me Hathaway. I'm the boss here. If you want to spend a wonderful time with the ladies here, you can come to me first to ask for the price."
"So direct..."
Michael turned his head in annoyance, and was about to refuse when he suddenly remembered the purpose of his trip.
Didn't he come here just to find out the deeper connections between the four victims?
The calmed brain gradually started to function again. Michael controlled his facial muscles, and his face lost its previous grace. It became frivolous, like a veteran who had been in the world of women for many years.
He smiled lightly, his hand naturally slid down to hold Hathaway's waist, his eyes full of affection, he said:
"I think Ms. Hathaway is still charming. I wonder if I can have the honor to invite you to spend a wonderful night with me."
Hathaway's face froze, obviously she didn't expect Michael to play by his own rules.
But she quickly regained her professional smile and said, "It's a pity, I haven't received any customers in many years."
Michael quickly took over the conversation and chuckled, "That's a pity. I guess I'll have to invite other ladies."
As he spoke, Michael took out the stolen "Violet Tasting Manual" from his shirt pocket and deliberately pointed the cover at Hathaway.
"I was introduced by a friend, who enthusiastically recommended a few ladies to me. I just wonder if they are still here now? Money is not a problem."
Hathaway's eyes lit up and she smiled:
"You can tell me the name of the lady you like first, and I promise that I can find her for you as long as they are still available."
Michael nodded in satisfaction and uttered the first name.
"I would like to see Ms. Garcia."
Hathaway was startled, then smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Garcia is no longer in 'Violet'."
Michael's eyes fell on Hathaway's face, his expression unchanged, and he continued to say the second name:
"And Lady Louisa?"
Hathaway's face darkened a little, but she still kept smiling and responded reluctantly: "Sorry, Louisa has also resigned."
"Ms. Julia should be here by now, right?"
As Michael finished speaking, Hathaway's face darkened completely. She stood up straight and glared at Michael with unfriendly eyes:
"If you are here to cause trouble, please go back. I'm sorry, we won't entertain you."
After saying that, Hathaway gestured to the men who looked like thugs around the hall and shouted impatiently:
"Bodyguard, show him out!"
Michael narrowed his eyes, but after getting the result he wanted, he did not argue and walked out of the hall with a calm expression.
Seeing that Michael was not causing any trouble, the thugs stood where they were and did not move forward.
After walking a few steps, Michael suddenly looked back and saw Hathaway walking hurriedly towards the back door of the hall, as if she had something urgent to do.
This quickly aroused Michael's suspicion, but he did not follow rashly because there were also two thugs guarding the back door.
He was not sure he could deal with two strong adult men in an instant without using a gun.
Secretly memorizing the location of the door in his heart, Michael walked straight out of "Violet" without stopping.
After leaving the "Violet" gate, Michael did not choose to leave. Instead, he made a circle and quietly came to the side of the building.
After making sure that there was no one around, Michael took out the only sealed object on him, the "Ducati Ring".
Being cautious, he naturally did not forget to bring this very useful and extraordinary item, but he did not expect that it would come in handy here.
Putting aside unnecessary thoughts, Michael placed his hand with the ring on the wall. Today he was going to teach these people from another world what "openly repairing the plank road while secretly marching through Chencang" meant.
A silver light flashed, and Michael's figure became transparent like a phantom in an instant, passing through the not-so-thick barrier.
Shaking his head, Michael, who had successfully sneaked in, moved his eyes and confirmed that he was now in a carpeted corridor.
Michael took a deep breath, leaned over the wall and walked quickly forward.
However, after walking for nearly ten minutes, Michael still couldn't see Hathaway.
"It's really strange. She only has two legs, so how can she walk so fast?" Michael thought to himself.
At this moment, Michael suddenly found that he had unknowingly reached the end of the corridor.
What lay before him was an ordinary wall, but on both sides of the top of the wall were two luxuriously decorated gold lattice wall lamps.
"There is no way out?" Michael stood in front of the wall, squinting his eyes in confusion.
All he saw along the way was a corridor but no rooms, which was very unreasonable.
It is impossible that Hathaway would have nothing better to do than build a useless corridor in the store and install two pure gold gas lamps at the end of the corridor.
"There is a secret room..." This guess suddenly emerged in Michael's mind.
After thinking for a moment, Michael stood up and knocked on the surrounding walls with his hands, not missing any suspicious places.
Boom.
Hard work pays off. After trying for nearly a minute, Michael finally heard a different sound.
This means that there is a hollow behind the wall in front of him!
After confirming the existence of the secret room, the next step according to the process in criminal investigation novels is to find the mechanism to enter the secret room.
But this is an extraordinary world where nothing can be measured by common sense, and mystery is the key to unlocking everything.
Translated into human language, it means: I don't want to pretend anymore, I want to cheat.
Michael put his hand with the ring on it against the wall without hesitation and used the wall-passing skill again.
After a dizzy moment, Michael's figure appeared in the space behind the wall.
The moment his eyes refocused, Michael was shocked by the scene before him.
In the empty room illuminated by candlelight, several girls in gorgeous costumes and heavy makeup stood on his left and right with expressionless faces.
The dim light shone on them, making the white appear whiter and the black appear darker.
In this room with a strange atmosphere, the light is no longer a comfort, but makes the girls look even more terrifying.
Michael's eyes focused, and he suddenly noticed that although these girls had different postures, they all had dull eyes and their fair skin had an extremely strange waxy texture.
This instantly reminded him of a word - "corpse puppet", which means that these beautiful girls are all dead!
What was even more frightening was that he only had to give a rough count and discovered that there were at least twenty corpse puppets in this small room!
This has far exceeded the death toll in this serial murder case, it is simply outrageous!
Even a freak like Michael who was incapable of feeling fear felt physically uncomfortable at the shocking scene before him.
"We should just call Feynaport City 'Little Gotham'. All kinds of evil spirits gather here."
Michael complained that he really didn't expect that Hathaway, who looked quite normal, could be so perverted behind the scenes.
Considering that Hathaway might come back at any time, he calmed himself and turned his gaze to the desk in the center of the room, which was probably where the "Violet" employee files were stored.
Michael ran to the desk with light but not slow steps. The table top, which exuded the scent of sandalwood, was empty, so he checked the drawers of the desk.
These drawers were carefully locked, but for Michael who had the "Ducati Ring", it was of no use.
Michael easily unlocked the locked drawer and quickly searched for useful clues.
"Found it!"
Only two and a half minutes had passed when Michael pulled out a thick stack of files from the second drawer.
When I opened the file, the first page clearly recorded the detailed information of a "Violet" employee, including but not limited to age, blood type, and whether he or she has any diseases...
Michael took the file away, and his sharp eyes noticed that there was a diary underneath the file.
The cover of the diary was unusually smooth, and if you smelled it closely you could smell an indescribable strange odor.
Just as Michael was about to pick up the diary to find out what was inside, he suddenly heard two people talking outside the door.
The voice of one of them was none other than Hathaway, the owner of "Violet" who had separated from Michael not long ago but suddenly disappeared!Chapter 21 A near missTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 2266 wordsUpdate time: 2025-06-22 22:19:39
Michael reacted quickly. Before the door of the secret room was opened, he quickly took the diary with a strange cover and ran quietly to the corner of the room.
The dim candlelight in the room could not illuminate this position. Michael planned to stay here and wait for an opportunity. While Hathaway was talking to another person, he would secretly run back to the door of the secret room and return the same way.
At this time, accompanied by the sound of several gears turning, the door of the secret room was slowly opened, and two figures walked in one after another.
Michael lowered his eyes and only glanced at the two of them secretly.
One of them was, as he expected, Hathaway, the owner of "Violet", but now she was no longer wearing the revealing clothes she had worn before, but had changed into a relatively conservative moon-yellow dress.
The other person was a tall man wearing a long black trench coat and a half-high silk hat.
What surprised Michael was that in the "Violet" territory, Hathaway, as the boss, was very respectful to the man in front of her, and her attitude could even be described as humble.
The man took Hathaway's attitude for granted and sat down on the sandalwood desk with a swagger.
Hathaway's eyes were filled with undisguised fear. She did not even dare to look at the corpses around her. She said in a trembling voice:
"Master, someone came to the store again today to investigate Garcia and the others' death. Do you think we should be more restrained recently? I'm worried..."
Master? Who is this man? Could he be the murderer who created these corpses?
Michael thought about it.
At this time, the man interrupted Hathaway impatiently: "What are you afraid of? I didn't kill them. Those striped dogs can investigate if they want."
Striped dogs refer to the police officers of Feynaport. Because their standard police uniforms have three conspicuous stripes on the top, many people who hate the police will call them striped dogs behind their backs.
"But..."
Hathaway was worried and wanted to say something but was stopped by the man's look.
The man was still not satisfied. He jumped off the table and walked to Hathaway. He raised his hand to grab her neck and said in a cold voice:
"I'm afraid it's been too long since I taught you a lesson. You're just a servant, how dare you question my decisions?"
Even though Hathaway was pinched to the point of rolling her eyes and foaming at the mouth, she didn't dare to utter a word to beg for mercy.
The man smiled with satisfaction and released his hand. "Good, this is an obedient dog."
Hathaway, who was almost exhausted by the pinch, immediately fell to the floor after being released, but she didn't dare to breathe, and even thanked the man:
"Thank you for the compliment, Master. Thank you for the compliment, Master."
This made Michael, who was hiding in the dark and peeking, gasp in his heart, "Feudal dregs are killing people."
Taking a deep breath, Michael planned to quietly go around to the door while the two of them were having fun.
He was about to take action when he heard a man's teasing voice.
"Oh my, is the little mouse going to run away?"
"What!" Michael's pupils shrank and he looked at the man with disbelief.
Cold and disdainful, like a cat that has caught its prey.
Michael's heart was filled with alarm. Regardless of the possible danger behind the wall, he immediately put his hand on the wall and was about to start the wall-penetration attack.
As the silver light lit up, Michael's figure suddenly became illusory, and he was about to pass through the wall and leave.
The man smiled confidently.
The next second, Michael's body solidified again and was forced to release the wall-penetrating state.
What's worse is that his vision is like it is covered by several layers of thick glass, and his thinking is noticeably sluggish, like a puppet that has lost its spring.
"Oh no… He is… a Beyonder… He will die… I have to save myself…"
Michael understood in an instant what had happened to him. He immediately changed his mind and injected all his remaining spiritual energy into the ring, intending to activate another extraordinary ability.
But his thoughts were so slow, the darkness around him grew thicker and thicker, Michael moved his fingers imperceptibly, his eyes full of unwillingness.
At this moment, his body trembled, and he vaguely felt that something seemed to pull him in the darkness.
Just like that, Michael was able to break free from his stagnant state and successfully activate his teleportation ability.
He seized the opportunity and immediately pictured the alleyway next to Violet.
Then, the colors in front of his eyes became richer and things became clearer. Michael also vaguely saw a wisp of gray mist flash before his eyes.
The man looked at the place where Michael disappeared and clenched his fists.
Two minutes and fifteen seconds. He was almost there, just a little bit away from completely turning the mouse that had entered his collection room without permission into a secret doll.
The man was so angry that if he hadn't been afraid of damaging his rare collections, he would have shot an air bullet at Michael's forehead.
Hathaway lowered her head in fear, not daring to look at the extremely unpleasant-looking master in front of her, for fear that the other party would vent his anger on her.
The man really wanted to do this, but before he could do anything, the crisp sound of high heels stepping on the ground came from outside the secret room.
The man looked up, and after seeing the face of the woman outside the door, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly:
"Ms. J from the Aurora Society? Why are you here?!"
At the door, a graceful woman with a black veil covering her face crossed her arms and chuckled:
"I'm here to make a deal with the man behind you."
"A transaction on the secret of the apex of a sequence."
...
A dazzling silver-white light appeared in an alley full of sewage around "Violet".
When the light faded, Michael's embarrassed figure appeared in the alley.
His expression was distorted and his handsome face was full of pain.
Spiritual exhaustion almost destroyed his brain!
His ears were filled with crazy and manic murmurs and whispers, as if a thousand silver needles were inserted into his head, and his headache felt like it was about to explode.
After a long time, Michael finally recovered. He faced the sky with his limbs spread out in an ungraceful manner.
The crimson moonlight shone through layers of clouds and mist onto his body. The dust raised by the wind flowed like time and was as elusive as a dream.
"I was careless. I didn't expect that such a powerful Beyonder would exist in such a small brothel. Fortunately, I brought this Beyonder with me this time. I must... I must hurry up... and tell Irina and the others about this..."
Michael suddenly felt very sleepy. His thoughts gradually dispersed like clouds, so he slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The last scene Michael saw before he fell asleep was a tall and upright figure slowly walking towards him.
...
Kovic looked at the sun high in the sky and frowned.
He looked down at the watch on his hand again, his expression anxious.
After being in the sun for half an hour, he was sweating profusely and couldn't help cursing: "Oh, this damn weather, why did it suddenly become so hot?"
"It's so hot, so hot, so hot!"
So when Michael dragged his tired body back home, what he saw was an old man who was probably in his sixties or seventies, wearing a thick double-breasted long dress, with a down scarf wrapped around his neck, complaining about the hot weather while spinning in circles, and then~
Michael closed his mouth tightly and said, "Huh, I almost sang out loud."
At this time, the old man with strange behavior also noticed Michael standing at the door.
His eyes lit up, and he rushed to Michael, grabbed his hand, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Mr. Detective, please save my grandson!"Chapter 22 Symbols on Letter PaperTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 2137 wordsUpdate time: 2024-08-20 15:07:37
"Another commission..."
Michael, feeling quite tired, frowned and looked at the old man who was holding his hand tightly with a puzzled expression.
The last time Claire came to his house, he could explain it by saying that they were neighbors. So how did this old man know him now?
"Could it be that I am some kind of innate detective, that even if I don't advertise and am not at home all year round, I will still have a steady stream of customers coming to me?"
"This kind of thing is really...super troublesome!"
His body couldn't help but shiver, and Michael turned his thoughts back to reality, to the old man in front of him.
The old man clenched his hands tightly, as if he was afraid that Michael would run away, and his eyes were full of pleading as he looked at him.
Only then did Michael notice that the old man's eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he hadn't slept for several days.
Considering the need to maintain his character, Michael sighed imperceptibly and said with a gentle expression:
"Don't worry, let's go inside and sit down first, and then you can tell me exactly what happened, okay?"
When the old man saw that Michael agreed, his wrinkled face immediately showed an ecstatic smile and said:
"Okay, okay, everything will be arranged by Mr. Detective."
The two entered the room, and Michael led the old man to sit on the sofa, then smiled cordially and said:
"Please sit down first. I'll go get two glasses of water."
Michael walked to the kitchen, hid the information he had obtained last night, then chose an unused towel, soaked it, and simply wiped his body.
Having slept in the sewage alley the previous night, he now had a rather complicated smell all over his body and his clothes were all dirty.
But it was precisely because of this that Michael thought the old man really had something urgent to do.
Otherwise, in this society where decency and etiquette are valued everywhere, no middle-class person would be willing to shake hands with him as he is now.
After pouring two glasses of water, Michael returned to the living room and placed one of the glasses in front of the old man. He said politely, "You must have been standing outside for a long time. Drink a glass of water to moisten your throat first."
The old man did not refuse. He picked up the cup and drank it in big gulps with a very heroic posture.
Michael found an old newspaper, folded it and put it on the sofa before he dared to sit down.
After all, cleaning this kind of fabric sofa is very troublesome.
Seeing the old man finish drinking the water, Michael asked, "I'm curious, how did you find me?"
The old man wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth with his hand and replied, "Your place is indeed hard to find. If it weren't for Miss Claire's introduction, I really wouldn't have known that there was a detective living here."
When Michael heard the old man's answer, he suddenly felt murderous.
You are so good, Coles. It turns out that you, a villain, are the one harming me!
Michael suppressed the thought of "I can't wait to kill Claire right now" and decided to wait until he had dealt with the current problem before settling the score with his good neighbor.
Returning to his usual calmness, Michael asked about the content of the commission with a serious expression.
"You just asked me to save your grandson. What exactly is going on?"
When the old man heard this, his calm emotions suddenly surged up again. His eyes turned red and he said anxiously:
"My grandson Rong, he, he, he was taken away!"
Michael crossed his hands and rested his chin on them. He said calmly, "If this is a kidnapping case, I think the police or the security company's personnel would be more professional than me."
The old man shook his head painfully. "It's not a kidnapping case. I've already contacted the security company and the police. This matter... oh, how can I tell you?"
Michael spread his palms and made a suggestion: "Maybe you can just tell me the whole story."
The old man hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded, and told his story with a tired expression.
"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Kovic. I am originally from Feysac. Ten years ago, I chose to settle in Feynaport because of my wife. Now I work as a lecturer at a university."
"My grandson Rong inherited my career and chose to become a university lecturer. He should have had a bright future.
But just a month ago, I accidentally discovered that he had been bewitched into joining a cult, and since then his mental state has become increasingly abnormal."
Michael did not interrupt, but listened quietly to Kovic's story.
Kovic continued: "I tried to stop it, but I couldn't wake up his heart. I also thought about reporting it, but in the end I couldn't bear it."
"Mother, if I had known this day would come, I would have been cruel enough to tell the police about this."
Kovic sighed, covered his face with one hand and continued:
"Just two days ago, Rong received a strange letter. After reading the letter, he ran out of the house in a hurry. He took nothing but a cloak when he left, and he has not returned until now."
"Oh?" Michael blinked. "You said that letter was weird. What's weird about it?"
"Oh, there is no stranger writing in the world, you can read it yourself."
Kovic said, pulling out an envelope from his pocket and placing it on the coffee table in front of him.
Michael opened the envelope, took out the letter inside and unfolded it.
He narrowed his eyes immediately. The language used on the letter in his hand was neither Feynapotter nor any other currently known language such as Ancient Feysac or Hermes.
Michael pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Kovic, please forgive me for being frank, but this doesn't look like a letter. It looks more like the doodles of an innocent child."
"You say so, too. What shall I do, my kind mother?"
Kovic mistakenly thought that Michael wanted to give up the commission and immediately started wailing.
Michael frowned and said impatiently, "Please be quiet, Mr. Kovic, I'm not ready to give up yet."
"Really?!" Kovic instantly returned to normal, and asked with excitement and disbelief, "You don't plan to give up this commission?"
Before coming to Michael, Kovic had commissioned other private detectives, but without exception, they all chose to give up after seeing the letter.
Seeing that the police and the security company were making no progress, he was forced to find Michael, a little-known detective.
"Of course, I will definitely do what I promised. There is no possibility of giving up halfway."
After that, Michael looked at the strange tadpole symbol on the letter again and asked without much hope: "Besides this one, do you have any other similar drawings?"
"Yes, because the police asked for it before, and I have been carrying it with me ever since. That's all."
As Kovic spoke, he took out two or three similar paintings from his arms.
"very good."
After Kovic put down the letters, Michael quickly gathered them together and placed them in front of him one by one, and began to analyze them carefully.
His brain was running at maximum power.
The strangely shaped tadpole symbols on the letter paper were constantly being combined, disassembled, and combined in Michael's eyes.
Finally, after a long hour, just when Kovic was so anxious that he began to pull out his beard, Michael stood up from his chair and shouted to Kovic:
"Uncle Kovic, take me to your house quickly!"Chapter 23: I'm going to start OlaTitle of the Book:Secret: I just want to farmAuthor: Be a FireflyChapter word count: 3649 wordsUpdate time: 2025-06-17 05:45:36
In the carriage, Michael explained his reasoning process to Kovic, who had been in a daze since getting on the carriage.
"First of all, we have to understand that these symbols must have meaning and can be interpreted, and the fact that they can be interpreted means that these symbols have a pattern."
"I tried to assume that the symbols were letters, and one tadpole represented one Feynapotter letter. Then I copied down all the tadpoles that appeared on the letter paper and found that there was exactly the same number of Feynapotter letters. Then it was easy to find the answer."
Michael took out one of the pieces of letter paper and pointed at the tadpole symbol on it and said, "Based on the format of the letter, I can tell that this word should refer to your grandson's name, Rong."
"Then I looked for the same symbols in other pieces of paper and spelled them out. Soon I spelled out the first sentence: 'The rally is about to begin, and the location has been changed to the town of Fornox.'"
"The successful deciphering gave me more confidence, and I translated the rest of the sentence in one go. Although there were some letters in the middle that I couldn't directly deduce, as long as I knew the beginning and the end, the empty spaces could be deduced logically."
Kovic was completely stunned. He looked at Michael with obvious admiration and exclaimed, "My kind mother, you are simply the most powerful detective I have ever seen!"
Michael just smiled and replied, "I am just standing on the shoulders of giants."
This is not modesty, because someone had already figured out how to crack this code during the first industrial revolution in his previous life.
Of course, it is also fortunate that the main writing system in this world is alphabetic rather than pictographic like Chinese, otherwise the difficulty of cracking it would increase exponentially.
Kovic laughed and said, "Emperor Roselle's words are always so insightful. You are really too modest."
He now completely recognized Detective Hulls and believed that he could rescue his grandson. His tense heart relaxed a lot and he was in the mood to tease Michael.
Michael was stunned. This was not the first time he heard the name of Emperor Roselle. Many of his famous quotes from his previous life in this world came from this legendary emperor.
Michael couldn't help but wonder if Emperor Roselle was also a time traveler like him.
He didn't have to think long, because the carriage had arrived at the door of Kovic and his grandson's house.
Kovic led Michael into the house and asked respectfully, "What are you looking for in my house?"
Michael hummed, "I learned from the letter to your grandson that the organization he joined was called the Redemption Society. The last letter I sent to him said: 'Gather at noon two days later at an abandoned warehouse one kilometer outside the city. At that time, we will offer our flesh and blood to the Lord in exchange for a new life.'"
"Flesh and blood! Does this mean human sacrifice?!"
Kovic was shocked by Michael's words, and instantly thought of the bloody rituals held by people in the ignorant period of the Third Age.
A map of the entire city of Philippot appeared in Michael's mind. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'm not sure, but I can't rule out the possibility. So we have to stop them quickly."
Kovic swallowed and quickly calmed himself down. He asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Michael didn't hesitate and said quickly, "It's past ten o'clock now. It will take at least an hour to get there by carriage, so I plan to split up into two groups. I will rush to the Redemption Society gathering to delay the ceremony, and you, old man Kovic, will go and notify the police... and the people from the church."
Although Kovic didn't understand why he had to notify the church, he nodded and agreed out of trust in the great detective.
Michael smiled with satisfaction, and then he continued, "Your grandson should have a Redemption Society cloak for changing. I need this camouflage to infiltrate."
Kovic immediately left upon hearing this, "I'll go get it for you."
Michael breathed a sigh of relief and found a place to sit down. This plan was a decision he made after careful consideration.
Based on simple logic, it can be inferred that even if the cult has extraordinary powers, they are not too strong and are the type that he can deal with.
So even if he failed to rescue the person, he could at least escape unscathed after making two preparations.
This is reasonable.
An hour later, in front of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Feynaport City.
After changing into a wig and putting on a cloak, Michael barely arrived at the meeting place of the Redemption Society before the ceremony began.
Standing outside the warehouse was a gloomy man who was also wearing the black and red cloak of the Redemption Society. Seeing Michael coming over, the man warily scolded:
"Stop, don't come any closer!"
Michael had a calm expression. He skillfully tapped his chest four times, forming an inverted cross.
"I come for the salvation of the Lord."
Seeing that Michael was not only wearing the Redemption Society's cloak but also knew the secret code for this gathering, the guard's attitude relaxed a little and he waved his hand to signal Michael to come forward.
"Huh, he is really cautious. But it is also true that if the pagans were not careful, they would have died long ago." Michael thought to himself and walked naturally to the front of the guard.
Just as Michael was about to enter the warehouse, the guard reached out to stop him again.
"Exposed?" Michael's body stiffened, his hand already reaching for the revolver at his waist.
The guard said in a grim tone, "Wait, we need to check if you have anything that is not promised on you."
Without waiting for an answer, the guard reached into Michael's cloak without authorization.
He took out the revolver, his face changed drastically, and he asked, "What is this!"
Michael was not panicked. Recalling the crazy conversation between the Redemption Society and Kovic's grandson on the letter, he immediately said with a solemn expression:
"This is the gospel bestowed upon me by the Lord. I am the incarnation of the angel of punishment under the Lord's throne, and I am given the right to carry out divine punishment!"
"What about this?" The guard took out three or four daggers and continued to question.
Michael remained calm and answered in all seriousness, "This is also the gospel given by the Lord. I am the incarnation of the steel angel under the Lord's throne, and I have been given the right to take up arms."
The guard took out another small bottle of medicine suspiciously and asked, "What is this?"
Michael looked towards the warehouse, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he continued to speak seriously, "The Lord knows that I am weak, so he gave me a magical medicine to cure my mundane illness."
The guard took a deep breath, his gloomy face filled with anger: "Do you take us all for fools?!"
Before he finished speaking, the guard turned his head and shouted into the warehouse: "There's someone..."
Michael suddenly swung his fist and hit the guard in the abdomen, using the purest physical method to interrupt the other party's words. When the guard instinctively covered his abdomen, he struck him with a knife and knocked him unconscious.
"Oh, why bother?"
Michael shook his head, dragged the guard aside and hid him, then walked into the warehouse with a swagger.
"The destined time has come."
As soon as Michael entered the door, he heard a low and cold voice saying this.
Before Michael understood the meaning of this sentence, his eyes were attracted by the scenery in front of him.
There was a crowd of people in front, and the followers of the Redemption Society, wearing black cloaks with red backgrounds and hoods, were kneeling on the ground devoutly. In front of them was a high platform supported by rusty steel and stone pillars.
The dome above the platform is a brass pipe structure that is connected like a spider web, and a gas lamp is the only light source.
On the high platform, a figure wearing a black cloak with a red background had his back to the believers. It was obvious that he was the person with the highest status among this group of cultists.
The figure did not wear a hood like the other believers, but instead wore a black half-face mask with silver-white patterns.
The mask was particularly strange. Even though Michael was several meters away, he could still clearly see the patterns on it that looked like broken earth.
Behind the masked man, there was a strange sculpture standing on the platform - a man in tattered clothes covered in blood, with his hands tied, black iron nails piercing his hands and feet, and the whole person hanging upside down on a huge cross.
When Michael saw this scene, ripples appeared in his heart, a familiar feeling arose spontaneously, and he almost cried.
"Oh my god, what's going on with me? Is this statue so evil?" Michael complained, blaming his own strangeness on the strangeness of the Redemption statue itself.
He took a deep breath and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
Fortunately, the cultists gathered around the platform did not notice him. All their eyes were focused on the "leader" on the platform.
Michael took this opportunity to blend into the crowd quietly, pretending to look at the "leader" sincerely.
The Leader spoke, his voice seemed to come from ancient times and was like a chaotic dream:
"We have been in the shadow of the Seven Gods for too long, and people's minds have become numb. Now I will exert my power and let the glory of my Lord descend upon this pitiful world!"
The masked cult leader turned around and looked down at the believers on the ground, his tone was a little cold: "But our Lord has been sleeping for too long. He needs blood to awaken His power. So who is willing to be this glorious sacrifice!"
"Me, me, me!"
"Let me come! I am willing to give my all to the Lord!"
"Great Lord, merciful Lord, praise you, praise you!"
The enthusiastic atmosphere at the scene was beyond Michael's expectations. "I can't play dumb anymore. I have to do something to express my position."
Michael's face immediately showed the same fanatical expression as the believers around him, and he waved his hands actively at the cult leader.
"Quiet, quiet!"
The atmosphere at the scene stagnated instantly. The eyes under the mask of the black-robed leader swept over the cultists crawling on the ground. Finally, he stretched out his finger and pointed at a person.
"You, you will be the sacrifice to the Lord."
Michael raised his head, his handsome face still showing the fanaticism that had not yet faded, and he stared straight at the cult leader on the platform.
Eh, me?
What a joke!
When the cult leader saw that Michael was not moving, he immediately frowned and asked in a cold and angry voice:
"Why don't you come forward? Isn't your faith in the Lord pure?"
It was just a simple question, but all the believers in the warehouse seemed to have seen an unforgivable sinner. They were so excited that they seemed to be about to tear Michael into pieces in the next second.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Michael stopped being silent. He made an inverted cross on his chest and said devoutly, "I am willing to dedicate everything to the Lord."
"Very good, then please come to me."
Michael walked up to the cult leader amid the jealous gazes of dozens of cult followers.
The cult leader did not rush to act. He once again faced the believers, opened his arms, and recited in an impassioned tone:
"Hunger, disease, darkness, all the suffering in the world is caused by the Seven Gods. Under their rule, we live in such pain and our lives are so fragmented.
As long as the Seven Gods remain, the world will never be able to escape suffering. How can we endure this eternal disaster? How can we endure the twisted and absurd world ruled by the Seven Gods? "
"Brothers of the Redemption Society, tell me, can we endure this?"
Under the deliberate instigation of the cult leader, the cultists who had long been bewildered became excited one after another and eagerly echoed loudly:
"No, no, no!"
"Yes, no!" The cult leader pulled out a strangely shaped bloodstained bone knife from his waist and said loudly. Then he patted Michael on the shoulder and said, "Feel honored, brother. Your blood will be the beginning of our Lord's revival."
Michael glanced around and suddenly laughed. He looked up at the cult leader with a look of a fool and said:
"Are you done?"
The cult leader was stunned, obviously not reacting to Michael's change.
Michael did not stand there stupidly, as the opponent had already entered his shooting range. He pulled out his hand hidden under his cloak and stuffed a pill into his mouth.
Michael put away his smile, poised and said expressionlessly: "If you're done, I'm going to start Ora!"