Chapter 133: The Flag is Raised
Chapter 133: The Flag is Raised
After listening to Black Goat's proposal, Leon pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
The Bureau had received the anomaly delivered by Old Char, so Jerry, the senior officer, had been keeping an eye on the target. This rescue mission at Rose Estate should be as simple as going downstairs to pick up a package.
Infiltrate, bring the person, and return to complete the mission.
If the mission goes smoothly, there's no need to say more. But if even such a simple task encounters problems, it would prove that he has an "Easy-going Physique," and he should get himself checked.
"That makes sense. Let's go!"
Having agreed to Black Goat's suggestion, Leon decided not to wait for the public carriage. He opened his wallet, counted his money, and then, with a determined expression, hailed a taxi carriage waiting by the roadside.
"Where to, sir?" the carriage driver asked.
"How about Redwood Avenue?" Leon replied.
"Absolutely!" the driver exclaimed.
Seeing Leon's old coat covered in dust, the driver hesitated slightly, worried that it might dirty the carriage cushions. But when he heard that Leon intended to travel across half the royal capital, from the old district to Redwood Avenue, the driver's face lit up with joy.
What's there to fear about dirtying the cushions? They can always be cleaned. After carrying this "big client," he could take the rest of the day off to clean the carriage!
"Giddyap!"
Leon, carrying a shopping bag, crouched and entered the carriage. The horse's neighing and the hissing of the boiler valve accompanied the eager start of this small carriage, which could seat only two people.
The driver, having just picked up a passenger, was in a noticeably good mood. He leaned against the small window at the front of the carriage and initiated a conversation with a smile:
"Sir, there are a lot of people on Redwood Avenue!"
"..."
Hearing the driver's strangely familiar opening line, Leon couldn't help but shudder, and Black Goat seemed to remember something, almost shaking at the same time.
If his memory served him right, the driver had said the same thing when they encountered the Scale Gold Sect's toad. Could it be...
"My aunt is a ticket collector for the public carriage line. After her first trip this morning, she told me that some big shot seemed to have gone missing. There are people everywhere on Redwood Street!"
After sharing this fresh piece of news, the driver glanced at Leon through the rearview mirror and noticed his stiff expression. He couldn't help but pause for a moment.
This big client seemed to be the quiet type. Maybe I should just keep quiet. I don't want him to switch carriages midway.
As the driver prepared to stop talking, Leon, having recovered, asked with a slightly odd expression:
"The big shot who went missing... Was it from the Lane family?"
"Yes, yes, the Lane family!"
Seeing the "big client" finally responding, the driver relaxed and smiled broadly.
"You must have read the newspapers these past few days. Those... cough... those masters from the Lane family, over two hundred of them died, and even the first heir was killed. Old Duke Lionheart is alive, but he was probably scared and didn't last long either."
The Sun newspaper reported that before the old scoundrel's death, he chose a young heir to succeed the Lane family. However, the young scoundrel mysteriously disappeared this morning, leaving only a note saying he would return in a few days.
The Lane family and their allied nobles are now frantically searching for the young heir, offering a reward of five gold wheels to anyone who can provide useful information.
After hearing the coachman's words, Li, the young heir, couldn't help but scowl. He decided to change carriages after crossing the street to avoid further scolding and save on the fare.
Although he had been unfairly scolded, Li was relieved to learn that the problem was with the Lane family and not his target, the Marsani family.
For now, everything seemed stable. As long as he could sneak into the Rose Estate and carry out the target, things should go smoothly... right?
"The Lane family wants to contact the Scale Gold Sect through me and is willing to pay for information on the new Duke's whereabouts."
After hearing the steward's report, an elder with a rose emblem on his chest put down the financial report and frowned:
"Don't pay any attention to them. The Scale Gold Sect doesn't take on such jobs, and the Lane family has lost its decision-makers! Especially with the death of Thomas, who signed the contract on behalf of Bobby Lane, our alliance is as good as dissolved. From now on, reject such requests directly! Don't bother me with this!"
"Yes, sir."
Hearing the elder's instructions, the steward, holding a stack of letters in his left hand, quickly sorted through the letters. He placed the one with a lion emblem into the wastebasket beside him and then opened the next letter, reading it swiftly before reporting:
"The next letter is from Lord Simon. After you kidnapped the only daughter of Old Charles, Char Department Store has been stable for a few days. However, they have recently started selling products at low prices, specifically targeting items that the Rose Department Store specializes in.
Lord Simon is asking how much longer it will take to resolve the Old Charles issue. If this continues, even if they directly acquire the Lane family's shares, the Rose Department Store will suffer significant losses. He's almost at the point of withdrawing his investment."
"He must hold on, no matter what!"
Upon hearing the steward's words, the elder's expression darkened slightly. "When there was profit to be made, everyone scrambled for it. Now that there's a loss, they all want to back out. There's no such easy deal! Tell him to hold on!"
"...
"What is it? Speak up!"
"Lord Simon... might not be able to hold on much longer..."
The steward carefully handed over the report enclosed in the letter. "I took a quick look at the report. If no one continues to invest, according to the financial situation of the Rose Department Store, it can only last for 15 days at most.
If it goes on any longer, not only Lord Simon but also some people within our family, including your in-laws, will likely withdraw their investments."
Fifteen days...
The elder's eyes widened at the staggering deficit on the report. His expression shifted from anger to uncertainty, but in the end, he slumped back into the chair, seemingly powerless.
"Retrieve the Lane family's letter and see how much they're willing to pay..."
(End of Chapter)
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