The grunt, who had just mentioned it casually, didn't press the issue. With a chuckle, he ran off toward the nearby restroom, the reek of alcohol wafting from his body.
Watching them walk away, the young woman known as Kaelie resumed her phone call while continuing to survey her surroundings.
"So, my next superior is the great hero who destroyed that experimental facility? Doesn't sound too bad. …Does that mean my undercover intelligence work here is over?"
The girl casually picked at her nails. The dark red manicure looked exquisite on her long, fair hands.
The voice on the other end of the line was also that of a young woman, but what they were discussing was certainly no sisterly chat.
"Yes. We've basically confirmed that their highly unusual demand for equipment is to fight against the Overlord Army formed by Ponta, the current hegemon of the Outer Ring, and not to pose a threat to New Eridu."
"Hmm-hmm~"
The Mouse Thiren girl raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, her tone decidedly flippant. She flicked her tail, deftly adjusting the angle of her compact mirror before speaking again:
"Closing the case already after just a preliminary investigation? I happen to think they're far from simple, you know~"
Her infiltration period had been too short. In a gang this large, it was impossible to climb to a high-ranking position in such a brief time.
And her low status gave her no opportunity to access much important intelligence—what she had gathered so far was too superficial.
Her current contact, a police officer posing as Kaelie's younger sister, furrowed her brow upon hearing Jane's words. She had immense faith in the abilities of this criminal behavior specialist, who had been cooperating with the Public Security Bureau for some time now.
If she was saying this, she must be confident about it.
But even with that trust, the 'sister' dutifully asked:
"Do you have any basis for that?"
The red-haired girl casually adjusted her bangs and the ends of her hair. Beneath the strands, her Mouse Thiren ears twitched unconsciously.
"Heh, their personnel structure is clearly divided. What I'm in contact with now is just the stuff they put out in the open. As for what they keep in the shadows..."
The red-haired girl didn't continue, but her meaning was perfectly clear.
After all, why would you keep two sets of books if you had nothing to hide?
In the context of a gang's structure, this was even more obvious. Most people might not realize it, but to a criminal behavior specialist like her, it was like a drop of ink on a white sheet of paper. So conspicuous it was almost jarring.
Despite all that, the current orders from her superiors were to report back to the Public Security Bureau. This was, after all, only supposed to be a simple intelligence-gathering mission regarding an unusual situation.
Normally, going this far for an Outer Ring gang was already overkill.
If they hadn't been continuously collecting equipment on the black market, the Public Security Bureau wouldn't have bothered with an Outer Ring gang. They were already swamped with maintaining order inside New Eridu.
"In any case, for now, use the excuse that your 'sister's' health has taken a turn for the worse and she needs you to take care of her in New Eridu. Report back to the Janus Branch, Miss Jane."
The Mouse Thiren's cover identity was officially terminated at that moment. Although she greatly trusted this expert they were collaborating with, the higher-ups' decision was final.
However, she still offered a sincere suggestion to the partner she'd been working with for a while.
"If you still want to pursue this investigation, make a request to your new captain. With her selfless, upright, and justice-filled personality, I'm sure she'll support you in seeing it through to the end."
Jane couldn't help but sigh, losing hope of maintaining her current identity.
After all, for any normal superior, the Outer Ring, with its limited connection to New Eridu, was no place to earn merits. Investing energy here was a thankless task.
Jane had seen too many leaders like that.
Still, her young partner's assessment of her new captain gave Jane a glimmer of hope. She hoped this new superior was truly as righteous as she was described.
"Oh, right!"
Just when Jane thought the call was over, she suddenly heard her young partner speak again in a hurry.
"On your way back, if you can, gather some intel on Caesar, the new leader of the Sons of Calydon. They've been stationed in Blazewood recently!"
Jane raised an eyebrow at this. This type of intelligence request usually meant the target had already been assessed as having little to no threat.
It was a small task she could handle on the way.
Still, the fact that they had to add more work for her even on her way back was a little tiring for Jane. But what could she do? It was the price of a government job.
She used her finger to tuck a stray strand of black hair back under her wig. With a flick of her dexterous tail tip, the open compact mirror snapped shut in mid-air and fell into her palm.
She hung up the phone. The two grunts who had gone to the restroom now came out, arms slung over each other's shoulders.
The two of them swayed, leaning on each other for support, their homemade spiked clubs now serving as makeshift canes propped carelessly on the ground. They gave Jane a foolish grin.
"Big Sis Kaelie! You heading to the city again?"
Jane lightly covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she spoke:
"That's right. My little sister's asthma is acting up again, so I have to go check on her~"
"In that case, Big Sis, can we ask you to pick up some of the latest magazines and videotapes for us again! The newest ones!"
"Yeah, yeah! And I want some snacks and drinks you can only get in the city!"
Hearing these requests, Jane said with a beaming smile:
"Sure But don't expect a discount on my runner's fee"
The two grunts immediately puffed out their chests and declared righteously:
"Of course! Ever since joining the Wolf Fang Gang, we brothers haven't been short on cash! The pay here is almost double what other gangs give out. We definitely won't short you, Big Sis Kaelie!"
"Hehe Well then, I'll take your word for it"
Pushing the door open, Jane saw the grunts gathered in small groups and walked over to a particularly burly man.
Before she could even speak, the man, sitting in the middle of the sofa, waved his hand as if he had already anticipated it.
"I already know the situation. Don't worry, there will always be a place for you in the Wolf Fang Gang."
As the leader, the burly man was exceptionally lenient with this highly skilled newcomer, and this was only one of a few such occasions.
Her perfect role-playing ensured Jane aroused no suspicion. After collecting a list of items to bring back, she left the building amid the farewells of the gang members.
She passed through the strictly guarded checkpoint, hopped on the motorcycle she had modified herself to infiltrate the gang, and rode away from the Wolf Fang Gang's stronghold in a cloud of dust.
_____
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