Inside the L.G.D. headquarters, Ch'en sat in her office, her posture radiating a visible, restless anxiety as she waited for news from Wei Yenwu. She desperately wanted to know exactly what was happening at the exchange site.
What did he mean when he said he had "made ample preparations" and would "handle the matter appropriately"? What were they actually doing behind her back?
Ch'en had a mountain of questions she intended to demand answers for, but up until this moment, that man—who seemed to have vanished into thin air—had been flatly refusing to pick up her calls.
Ring—ring—ring—
Just as Ch'en was reaching the limit of her patience, the phone on her desk suddenly shrieked. Without a second thought, she snatched up the receiver and waited for the voice on the other end. Since this specific line was ringing, it meant Wei Yenwu had returned to his office—which meant the two prisoners had already been handed over to the Columbians.
"The matter is concluded. Those two have already perished in a sea of fire. Remember to keep the medical reports of those two from their time in the L.G.D. safely filed. You don't need to worry about the rest."
Wei Yenwu spoke in a blunt, scattered manner. On the other end of the line, Ch'en was left completely dazed, her mind failing to grasp the meaning behind his words.
"Wait a second! What do you mean 'perished in a sea of fire'? Did you send people to secretly assassinate them?"
Although a spark of genuine joy flared in her heart at the news, she still felt that, at the very least, he should explain exactly what had transpired. As for the idea of sending killers for a covert execution—based on Ch'en's understanding of Wei Yenwu—he didn't seem like the type to pull such a brainless stunt.
Given his usual habits, if he truly didn't want those two to leave, it wouldn't matter how much profit the other side offered; the targets would simply end up "committing suicide" after being stabbed multiple times. In all these years, how many people had come to Lungmen trying to make a "big headline"? Not once had she seen this man break his own rules so messily.
"Why did they die in fire? So, you still don't know? Go and ask that girl named Jeanne later; this matter has a significant connection to her."
With those final words, and before Ch'en could get another word out, Wei Yenwu hung up the phone. Ch'en sat there frozen, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
Good grief, Wei Yenwu actually hung up on me without a word! When was the last time that happened? It was so rare that even with her excellent memory, she couldn't recall. It was indeed a rare sight, because usually, even if the two of them stopped talking due to a fierce disagreement, it was always Ch'en who slammed the phone down first.
And what did this have to do with Jeanne? Could she really perform some kind of ultra-long-range sniping that could blow things up from that far away? Then, Ch'en recalled the day she met the girl and the meaningful things Jeanne had said to her. Suddenly, she really wasn't so sure the girl wasn't involved.
After pondering for a while, Ch'en tossed the troublesome matter to the back of her mind. She needed to focus on the recent cases of disappearing gang members. It was truly bizarre; quite a few mobsters had actually called the L.G.D. to report crimes. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon event—the mice were actually running to the cats to help them meet their arrest quotas.
At that moment, sitting in his office, Wei Yenwu pushed all other business aside. His eyes were fixed intently on the twenty vials of dark red liquid inside the suitcase, his mind weighing his options.
His expression was incredibly complex. Logically speaking, even if he knew those two couldn't possibly survive, allowing them to leave the city of Lungmen was a personal dereliction of duty. As the official "father" of this city, he should prioritize Lungmen's development. Scum like them should have faced punishment within Lungmen to serve as a warning to others.
Yet, he had made a decision that went against his own principles, striking a deal with those people. And his sole purpose was the "gift" they offered to "strengthen their emotional bond."
"It can't be helped... this is for the future of Lungmen..."
Wei Yenwu whispered this to himself, letting out a sigh of powerlessness. Recently, the effects of the medication he had been secretly giving Ch'en had begun to wane. After several check-ups, the Oripathy in Ch'en's body had shown signs of becoming active again. He needed a replacement drug to stall for time until a more potent treatment could be researched.
After a moment of thought, Wei Yenwu took ten vials from the box and put them in his drawer. But then his hand froze, as if he were locked in a deep internal struggle. He then took five more vials from the box and added them to the drawer. Still feeling uneasy, he took out another three.
When he was finished, he collapsed back into his chair and sighed. Those eyes that usually flickered with sharp, calculating brilliance now showed a profound sense of exhaustion.
"It seems that now, I really can't manage to keep the scales balanced."
Wei Yenwu sat there with a smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with bitterness. It was the kind of smile that looked as if he were mocking himself. In this moment, inside this empty office, Wei Yenwu finally showed the posture of an old man. To the outside world, he was the brilliant, unaging dragon of Lungmen, a man who would never lose his edge. But now, he rarely revealed his vulnerable side.
"But what else can I do? If I've made a mistake, then I'll just have to keep making it. As for my guilt toward that child... I will find a suitable opportunity to compensate her."
After a period of silence, he looked at the sky outside the window and muttered to himself. However, something felt off—it was as if he were actually speaking these words to someone else.
The scene shifts to Jeanne. Having nothing better to do, she had walked toward the vicinity of the lower districts. She wanted to inquire about how the people who had been drugged were doing after the "Rhine Gold" facility was shut down.
Even though these Infected were victims of the incident, they hadn't received much attention from Lungmen. At most, the surrounding areas had simply lowered their guard against them. This was also because the L.G.D. currently didn't have the energy to focus on them; at most, they sent someone over to talk to familiar faces to understand the current situation. If there were no accidents, the matter was temporarily shelved.
Though it should be noted that the officer who took the time to check on them was named Hoshiguma.
"Is everything okay now? Has anyone had a flare-up?"
After some walking, Jeanne and her companion reached the lower districts. Using a method Hoshiguma had taught her, she found Rope nearby and asked how things were going.
As for why Rope was wandering around the lower districts—it was because the slums were currently gripped by panic. Whether she wanted to find an odd job or continue stealing, there was no opportunity. Having nothing to do, she had come to the lower districts for some peace and quiet. This specific street, which Jeanne had visited before and which had a candy shop, never saw any gang members.
"Mmhmm, no one has had a flare-up again. I was so worried before—if it happened again, I didn't know what I'd do."
Rope was in a good mood. Everyone had recovered their health, the blockades around them had vanished, and the slums' gangs seemed to be having their own problems, so those evildoers had no time to cause trouble. Although she had no way to make money right now, the huge sum of money Jeanne had given her was more than enough.
"That's good. I expect those residents won't get sick again."
Since the instigator had been dealt with and they hadn't had another chance to administer the drugs after the last outbreak, they should be safe now.
"By the way," Jeanne suddenly asked, "can you get into the water distribution station in the slums?"
Rope was caught off guard by the question. Why was she asking about the water station? That place was practically the most secure spot in the slums—one of the few places where Lungmen provided 24-hour security. It was mainly to prevent anyone from poisoning the water, which would be disastrous for the Governor's reputation.
"I can! I've known those guards for a long time. Sometimes, they even ask me to check if the equipment at the very top of the water tower is running normally! That's actually my job!" Rope said with a fair amount of pride.
Because the water tower was so high, the officers would occasionally ask the agile Cautus girl to confirm the machinery was working. It was one of her few legitimate ways to earn a living.
"That's perfect then. I have some medicine here," Jeanne said, producing the Holy Water. "You can pour one bottle-cap's worth into the station every month. It should help alleviate the Oripathy for the people in the slums."
This was exactly what Jeanne hoped to do for the Infected of Lungmen before she left.