"Nobunaga, I'll leave it to you."
Luke had Nobunaga use his katana to carve into the office wall that classic line: "We accept anything you leave here, but don't try to take anything from us!"
The interwoven sword slashes brought the words vividly to life.
As for Risnorth himself...
"He's probably the most pitiful one tonight."
Feitan said coolly, delivering the final verdict for the so-called philanthropist who claimed to care for children's futures.
Thus, the Phantom Troupe's first operation came to a close.
...
Beep! Beep! Beep!
As the red warning lights flashed and the sharp alarms blared into the night, the members of the Phantom Troupe had already disappeared into the darkness.
The next day, an explosive piece of news swept across Yorknew City and soon surged outward.
It was spreading like a tidal wave to every corner of the world. The chairman of the Mom's Help Foundation, Risnorth, was found murdered in his private office within his building.
It was an extraordinarily heinous, shocking murder case!!!
When the police arrived and conducted a preliminary investigation, their findings shocked the world.
The number of dead and the extent of the scene were simply too great to conceal.
Back then, it was the mafia killing the mafia; no one else cared much.
But this time, the one who died was a world-renowned philanthropist.
And not just any philanthropist, it was one explicitly devoted to the welfare of children.
That made the problem and the public reaction far more serious.
Many public figures openly called for the killer to be found and severely punished.
Some even burst into emotional tears as they spoke out in defense of Risnorth: "He was just a father who lost his son! He only wanted to care for children all around the world. What crime did he commit?!!"
"Mr. Risnorth was already attacked once in the Kakin Empire, and now this happens again?!!"
"Last time, he lost his beloved child. This time, he lost his own life!"
"And we have lost such a great philanthropist!!"
"What kind of gangsters and thugs are those bastards? First they attacked him, and now they came again?!!"
"Are they heartless murderers? What kind of deep-seated hatred do they have for Mr. Risnorth!!!"
"We must investigate thoroughly! Investigate thoroughly!"
The public opinion was like a surging wave, and the cries threatened to drown out the police.
Especially the police in charge of the case, they understood the people's anger.
In fact, at the beginning, they too were furious and determined to solve the case at all costs.
But then… When they began searching the initial crime scene, they discovered Risnorth's secret room.
Well, before leaving, Luke had specifically revealed this secret room to those who came later.
The horrific scenes unfolding within were like a bucket of ice water being poured over the heads of the police.
The piercing chill shot straight up from their tailbone and directly into their foreheads.
This scene, like hell on earth, shocked everyone who witnessed it.
Many people immediately turned around and vomited.
Even the veteran police leading the investigation, who had seen their share of horrors, went pale and trembled uncontrollably.
It was clear that this wasn't the work of the criminals who killed Risnorth.
At least, a hidden chamber like that, inside Risnorth's own residence, couldn't have been built or used by outsiders.
Which meant only one thing...
"This person, seemingly a philanthropist on the surface, is actually a twisted, psychopathic lunatic?!!"
Once that thought took root in the police's minds, it wouldn't go away.
For the younger police, especially, it shattered their worldview.
"Those guys who appear so noble and righteous on the surface are actually such a person in private..."
"Is this world really that fake and hypocritical?!!"
Many people remained silent, their scalps tingling.
The leader in charge of this matter was also extremely troubled.
This matter was of such magnitude that he had no choice but to report it to higher-ups.
Clearly, this was no simple assassination.
In fact, it was very likely that these people were seeking revenge. As for the purpose of the revenge... a glance at that secret room pretty much tells the whole story.
Not to mention the obvious phrase etched on the wall.
"We accept anything you leave here, but don't try to take anything from us!"
That phrase alone made it easy to guess which group it referred to.
And since the culprits left such a message behind, it meant they hadn't intended to hide their identity at all.
But that only made things much more complicated.
It was far beyond what the local police could handle.
They immediately reported the situation.
The feedback they received was quite subtle...
"Are there any contact records, bills, or other documents?"
When the leader in charge of this incident received this inquiry from their superiors, he remained silent for a moment, then immediately shook his head.
"We're currently reviewing the assets to see if the attack might have been financially motivated."
"As for whether there are such documents..."
He glanced at the tall, expressionless man in black who had arrived with the higher-up's team.
With tactful wording, he said: "We haven't discovered or found anything yet."
"It's also possible that we lack the ability and need additional support..."
This statement made it perfectly clear.
The man in black gave a slight nod. "I'm here precisely to assist."
'More likely to destroy the evidence, right?'
The leader maintained a polite facade while exchanging formal pleasantries, but inwardly, he was gritting his teeth.
It was clear that Risnorth and his foundation had engaged in unspeakable, illicit dealings with high-level politicians.
After all, Risnorth had abducted so many children.
If no one had covered up for him, he would have been investigated long ago.
Now that Risnorth was dead, it was likely he still possessed evidence linking him to those higher-ups.
To avoid being implicated, the secret room incident was quietly buried.
Every person who had seen it was silenced, through threats or bribes.
Meanwhile, public outcry only grew louder and louder.
But the investigative team never released any updates.
No matter who inquired, no matter what questions journalists asked, the answer was always the same: "The matter is still under investigation."
No clear statement ever followed.
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