John was montarily speechless.
The premise of Maya saying such things was that she believed he had a financier behind him who wanted to solve the problem.
Now things were gradually getting out of control.
Maya just wanted to pull her family out of it. Although she didn’t say it, she hinted between the lines — if John’s employer needed, she could silence herself.
The problem is, there’s really no one behind John.
If he had to say it...
Could he dig his brain out and let Black Light and the mission prompt take the bla!?
He leaned against the wall, unable to resist lighting a cigarette himself, mainly to cover the bloody sll emanating from the storage room next to him.
This place probably wouldn’t stay hidden for long.
The underground garage was swarming with cops, the Raqi Security Departnt lurking in the shadows, and Owl Town mbers coming and going...
John muttered, thinking it was hard to manage.
He was like a fish accidentally dropped into a pot, with the water temperature much higher than he imagined.
"Are you okay?"
Maya sensed sothing from his furrowed brows.
"Quiet for two minutes, damn it, I’m not good at using my brain."
John tried to figure out the crux of the issue, deciding to ask the person involved. "What’s Raqi Industry’s reason for killing you?"
"Video evidence."
This thing proves that the company is funding terrorists.
Even if the Rift Party has beco independent, this evidence would still tie Raqi Industry, Owl Town, and the Rift Party together.
If it gets out and the dia learns about it.
If sothing big drops in Eden City, no one would believe Raqi’s hands are clean.
Capital will unite to take down the Eastern People.
"Raqi has to do two things: first, get the evidence from your hands! Second, kill Du Remon, that dog has completely lost control and might implicate the company..."
"Exactly right."
Maya inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
She could even stand up without leaning against the wall, the previous weakness seemingly feigned—mainly to confirm John’s credibility.
If John really had an employer, he should’ve asked for the evidence, suggested solutions, and even taken action to silence her just now...
John obviously noticed this too.
"F*ck!"
"Sorry, buddy, if you were in my situation, you’d find it hard to trust anyone easily too."
Maya showed an apologetic expression.
"The situation is indeed as you imagined, the difference is, I have a solution in mind."
"Heh."
John let out a helpless chuckle.
If the mission wasn’t hanging in his mind, he might really have turned and left.
Maya no longer hid things.
She wanted to strike a deal with Raqi, to pass off the hot potato, and use the evidence to exchange for her family’s safety, at least to leave Eden City alive.
This would remove her side’s hidden danger.
Raqi Industry would focus its efforts on killing Du Remon, and could take revenge in the process, though it was a sha she couldn’t kill the beast herself.
Maya needed an interdiary to make the connection.
[Mission objective update]
[Find an interdiary to facilitate the deal. (Optional)]
Optional!?
There might still be a turnaround.
John just had a few nas pop into his mind, and he noticed the details in the mission hints.
The sound of sirens ca from the underground garage.
John decided to first take Maya out of the storage room, at least to a place far enough from the corpse.
[System permission application/default]
Black Light received an access ssage.
The ECPD had detected an anomaly in the Control Center and re-inspected the system.
The police found nothing.
Black Light, manipulating through the Atlanta Virtual Network, was still able to access data from every cara.
As John watched the surveillance while escaping, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
When he switched to the elevator view, he saw familiar faces.
Jilead and his Black Gold Gang underlings.
They swaggered through the blockade, appearing in the compartnt—wearing masks and sunglasses, stuffing gold chains and submachine guns in between clothes.
The surveillance cara slightly moved.
Beside Jilead were two dical stretchers.
Gerry and his daughter lay on them.
"WTF!?"
John didn’t hide the situation from Maya.
The female agent almost charged in with a gun.
John barely managed to dissuade her, choosing a quiet corner, directly calling Jilead.
Surveillance showed:
Jilead was crossing the transfer channel, suddenly stopping, signaling his n to wait in place, taking a few steps away before answering.
[Damn it, John!? Listen to first, don’t get involved in Maya’s family affairs anymore, the whole thing’s blown wide open!]
"Uh, brother, how much do you know?"
John furrowed his brow.
[I... wait, don’t tell you’re already at the hospital, and the two corporate dogs in the ward... were you the one who took them out!?]
John answered with silence.
Jilead also felt like he was drowning, and his voice lowered.
[The cops are all outside, I’ll wait for you to leave together.]
This is the West District.
As the local tyrant, the Black Gold Gang inevitably deals with the ECPD, but they definitely received soone’s orders.
"Why take Gerry and his daughter?"
[What!? Are you watching ?]
Jilead suddenly straightened his back in the surveillance, quickly glancing around the corridor.
[Order from Bone Shards, lock down the West District, no idea what rumors they heard, told us to grab people from the hospital.]
"Tell him to call ."
[...Brother, you...]
"Just relay my words, don’t leave the hospital for now, say I’m with Maya."
John hung up after speaking.
Maya, who was listening nearby, pressed him for his thoughts.
John, however, shook his head with a wry smile.
"I don’t have any plans."
"..."
Maya squinted, trying to see through his mind, always ready to draw her gun to blaze a bloody path.
"The Black Gold Gang is getting involved."
John could only patiently explain.
"If Bone Shards wants to stir up trouble in the West District, do we still have the energy to do things? We’ll have to bluff him, see what this swindler tyrant wants, then decide."
Jilead was still in the corridor.
The ti was shorter than expected.
[Contact - Ethan Ratliff [voice call]]
[Na a price, hand Maya over to .]
John glanced at the ex-Special Affairs Bureau agent beside him.
"Just say what you want."
The silence from Bone Shards felt a bit long.
John hinted to this extent, could not think why the other side would think for so long, always felt that guy was scheming sothing.
[If you can make the decision for Maya, things will be easy, kill Du Remon before dark, and the deal’s done.]
"...And what else?"
[Do you have anything over there that I might be interested in? Speak up, and I’ll reassess the value.]
John did not answer.
It’s not that he thought killing Du Remon was easy, but because the other party did not ntion the video evidence at all.
Could it be Bone Shards doesn’t know?
[Give a definite answer.]
"We haven’t cleared up, what’s the reward?"
Under Maya’s hint, John continued the negotiation.
Bone Shards was willing to pay for Du Remon’s life, verbatim—use it as a warning, stop Shark Coin from erging, don’t use the Black Gold Gang as a stepping stone for fa.
The reward was divided into two parts.
John got money.
Maya got security.
Bone Shards would select a better shop near the city center edge in the West District for her family to start anew.
He would no longer give cash, instead deducting it from the rent.
Bone Shards did not ntion the video evidence, nor did he inquire about the grievances between Raqi Industry and Maya.
He only emphasized the task timing.
John must complete the task by 18:35.
"Are you rushing to eat dinner?"
[Our relationship isn’t good enough for jokes.]
"If you don’t consult and sothing unexpected happens later, I’ll have to make on-the-spot decisions, don’t bla for not giving prior notice."
[I’ll give you a chance to ask one question.]
"Why kidnap Maya’s family?"
[Raqi Industry wanted to kill, so I grabbed them to question, just a very small matter, I was just waiting for reports, didn’t expect you to get involved.]
The tone of Bone Shards carried coldness and threat.
[Listen, John.]
[Get rid of Du Remon, the problem is over, and survive until Vito’s retirent party, quit wasting my ti, and don’t be arrogant enough to send ssages over.]
The call was hung up.
"How is it?"
Maya asked with concern.
John shrugged.
"Bone Shards is in a bad mood."
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