West End, 51 Henry Street.
Odis woke up from her bed in the lounge and let out a long sigh of relief: she had to be careful the first time she attended a Tarot meeting, but she could gradually relax afterward, and "justice" wouldn't be paying as much attention to her as it was today.
He reflected on it and realized that since it was his first time attending a party, he couldn't help but feel a little eager to perform; otherwise, "Justice" Audrey wouldn't have caught him looking like he wanted to make a deal with "the world."
Although it shouldn't be, Odis didn't blame herself. After all, this was the legendary "protagonist team," and it was only natural that they wanted to show off their abilities at their first gathering.
After stretching, Odis got up and went to the herbal medicine shop.
Kaina was chatting with a woman who looked to be in her early twenties, with an ordinary but somewhat heroic appearance and dressed simply.
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That was Bella, Ms. Mandy's assistant. When she saw Oddes come in, she immediately stood up: "Mr. Garr, these are last week's accounts."
As she spoke, she handed over a black leather notebook: "Ms. Mandy also asked me to report to you that the deal with the wealthy businessman Agenon has been completed, and Ms. Mandy needs to go to the East District to find a few more new people."
Odis nodded as he flipped through the ledgers: "Let Mandy handle it herself."
Aside from accounting and personnel arrangements, Odis barely concerned himself with the day-to-day operations of those industries.
Bella bowed slightly respectfully: "Yes."
Odis carefully examined the account books and made a summary.
Just then, a man in his thirties with tattoos on his face and a rather fierce-looking appearance entered the room.
As soon as the door opened, he immediately took off his felt hat, revealing several long scars on his head: "Mr. Garr."
As he greeted them, he held his felt hat in both hands and gave a slightly awkward bow.
This is Enoch, the gang leader whom Odis subdued. He is extremely ruthless but not very bright.
In just a few rounds, Odis had him completely subdued.
Odis nodded without looking up and gestured to Kena, at which point the young man immediately brought Enoch a chair.
After reviewing the account books Bella brought and giving her a few more instructions, Bella bowed respectfully again and left. Only then did Odis turn his gaze to Enoch.
Enoch immediately stood up and took out a black leather notebook, though it looked dirty on the surface and the handwriting was very messy when he opened it.
Odis frowned slightly. There was nothing he could do about it. After all, Enoch had never been to school properly. When he first started following Odis, the guy used numbers and symbols that only he could understand to keep accounts: "Tomorrow you and Mandy will go to the East District."
Enoch quickly replied, "Yes."
Fortunately, the gang's accounts were not extensive, and Odis made a brief summary before closing the notebook: "The serial murders have just ended, so let's not make too much of a fuss."
"Yes, yes, yes, we've been staying in bars and drinking all this time." Enoch began to report: "Last week, 'One-Eyed' brought some men to provoke us, and we only managed to drive them away. As per your instructions, we tried our best not to kill anyone."
"Oh, right, also last week a mysterious masked man asked me to help him find someone with a high reward. I had someone investigate, and it turns out he's an informant for 'The Punisher.' Should we hand over his information to the mysterious man?"
Under Odis's tutelage, he also learned a little about the extraordinary world.
Odis asked, "Is there a portrait?"
"Yes." Enoch handed the portrait to Odis. It depicted a thin, middle-aged man with a prominent scar at the corner of his left eye.
Odis said, "Don't get involved."
Enoch nodded: "Yes, yes, that's what I think too."
Odis took out 20 pounds from his wallet: "Although you didn't receive the bounty, you can get my intelligence fee."
"No need, no need," Enoch quickly replied, "It's what I should do!"
Odis handed it over again: "You deserve it."
Enoch then put it away and continued his report.
After the gang leader left, Odis wrote a note and asked Kaina to deliver it to the Backlund Mechanical Research Society.
He planned to use official channels of the Extraordinary to investigate Hugh Deercha with the police, so as not to leave any trace of the investigation.
This was just for show; Odis knew this short bounty hunter very well.
...
15 Minsk Street, Joewood District.
Early Tuesday morning, the doorbell rang at Klein's house.
He opened the door and, unsurprisingly, saw Mike Joseph, a reporter from the Daily Observer.
The two had arranged it the day before yesterday: today, Mike would hire Detective Sherlock Moriarty to protect him while he went to the East End for an interview.
They traveled by carriage to the dirty and chaotic East End, where Klein happened to meet old Kohler and made him the first person to be interviewed and hired him as a guide.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
Next, Mike interviewed an elderly woman in her sixties. She calmly recounted how her once happy family went bankrupt in a short period of time, and how her husband and son died one after another. After eating the food Mike had ordered for her, she sat in the warm coffee shop and died.
Looking at the old man's body, Mike opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Old Kohler tapped his chest three times and said with a bitter smile, "I knew she wouldn't last long. In the East District, things like this happen every day."
"At least she filled her stomach and died in a warm place. I hope, haha, I hope I can be like that someday."
After watching the police dispose of the old woman's body, the three of them sighed for a moment before continuing their search for interviewees.
They saw pickpockets running around in the streets, and emaciated streetwalkers soliciting business.
Old Kohler recounted some stories he'd heard about how gangsters trained thieves, and the streetwalkers that were everywhere in the East End.
Throughout Backlund, one in five women are either working as or have briefly worked as streetwalkers. Not only are streetwalkers ubiquitous in the East End, but even in the more middle-class neighborhoods of Joewood and St. George, many women have worked as streetwalkers for a short period due to financial constraints.
Ordinary people living in this glamorous international metropolis are far too easily bankrupted; when faced with the choice between dignity and filling their stomachs, it seems not so difficult for them to make a decision.
Mike saw a six-year-old thief and a streetwalker who looked only twelve or thirteen years old.
As the three walked, their gazes were drawn to one of the streetwalkers, who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. This was not only because the girl was very pretty, but also because of her nervousness, apprehension, and the bruises on her face.
It's very likely that today is her first day in this industry.
Judging from the style of her faded clothes, her family must have been wealthy; otherwise, given her looks, she wouldn't have become a streetwalker so late.
Mike was about to go up for the interview when he was suddenly stopped by Klein.
Just then, a carriage stopped in front of them, and a woman in her thirties, dressed appropriately and with an elegant demeanor, stepped out. She smiled slightly and started chatting with the streetwalker.
Old Kohler remarked, "This little girl is so lucky; she was chosen by the kind-hearted Ms. Mandy."
Klein was slightly taken aback: "Ms. Mandy?"
"Yes," old Kohler explained, "every now and then, this lady comes to the East District and takes away a few pretty young girls."
Mike stroked his chin: "I remember now, this is Mr. Gar's subordinate!"