Midnight's Sinister Shadow

There were countless bars and nightclubs in Brooklyn.

But only one was the most famous.

Blueberry Nightclub.

It drew students out for a night of fun, as well as city white-collar workers letting loose after work.

There were wealthy white men seeking flings, and people of every race selling pleasure.

As long as one dared to ask for it, no matter the demand.

It could be found and satisfied at Blueberry Nightclub.

Of course, none of these services were free. They were even more expensive.

Near midnight.

A drunken Sergei stumbled out through the nightclub's back door and stepped into a dimly lit alley.

This was an escape route reserved for regular customers.

It was usually used to evade enemies or the police.

And Sergei had only just become a junior member of the nightclub.

He barely qualified to try it out.

Although the nightclub manager had only agreed out of consideration for Sergei's cousin.

Sergei did not mind at all. He was even rather pleased.

Because today, through his own efforts.

He had helped his cousin fulfill a wish.

And earned a generous reward in the process!

I, Sergei, the rising new star of New York City's gangs!

"Hehe."

At this moment, Sergei was brimming with confidence and could not help grinning foolishly.

Then, he subconsciously recalled the slick, soft sensation he had just felt.

The women at Blueberry Nightclub were top-notch, both in figure and looks!

Unfortunately, the beautiful women in the club were forbidden from exchanging contact information with customers.

They were not even allowed to leave the nightclub.

Only higher-ranking nightclub members who received private invitations could stay the night.

So, Sergei planned to contact a technician he knew and see if he could continue tonight's exploits.

However, through his drunken haze, Sergei failed to notice.

That in the shadows behind him.

A terrifying figure wearing a red headscarf.

With his entire face obscured by blackish-green paint, was slowly emerging!

It was Rorschach, who had been waiting for a long time!

Without a sound, Rorschach gave Sergei no chance to resist.

He forcefully stamped the ground, and in the blink of an eye, appeared behind Sergei!

Veins bulged along his arm as Rorschach hooked the crook of his elbow tightly around Sergei's neck!

"Urgh—"

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Sergei did not have time to make any sound.

He could only flail his arms in panic, trying to break free of Rorschach's control.

But it was useless.

Only a few seconds later, Sergei's eyes rolled back.

His body gradually went limp and weak, on the verge of suffocating to death!

Rorschach's gaze was icy as he slightly loosened his arm.

Preventing the other man from dying in the alley.

The place was wrong, and the time had not yet come.

There were still some things Sergei needed to explain clearly!

Immediately afterward, Rorschach bent down and hoisted Sergei's heavy body onto his shoulder.

He swiftly turned and left, vanishing into the depths of the deserted alley.

This place was too close to the nightclub.

It was not suitable for an interrogation.

Before this, Rorschach had already scouted out a suitable place for a "heart-to-heart."

Bang—

Sergei's heavy body hit the ground like a sack of broken rags after Rorschach viciously threw him down, kicking up clouds of dust.

It was an abandoned, ownerless property.

Far from the street, with the nearest residents over two hundred meters away.

Rorschach could do whatever he wanted without concern.

Perhaps due to Rorschach's rough treatment, the unconscious Sergei gradually came to.

"Ah—"

He let out a pained groan and tried to roll over on the ground.

But Rorschach, standing beside him, suddenly lifted a foot and planted it on his disheveled blond head.

"Sergei Petrov?"

Rorschach asked, though he already knew the answer.

However, the groggy Sergei seemed not to have grasped the situation yet.

As he struggled to get up, he roared furiously:

"Do you know who I am?! Do you know who my cousin is?!"

Rorschach immediately gave a cold laugh.

His other Military Boot rose high into the air, then came crashing down!

Crack!

Accompanied by a crisp snap of breaking bone.

One of Sergei's arms broke as easily as dry firewood!

"Ah—"

Sergei's miserable scream had barely left his mouth.

Before Rorschach blocked it with the sole of his shoe, smothering it in his throat.

At this moment, Sergei, veins bulging from his neck, looked like a dying fish.

His entire body trembled as sweat soaked through his thin clothes.

After an unknown amount of time, the struggle beneath Rorschach's foot began to weaken.

Rorschach's eyes remained cold as he continued asking:

"I'll only ask once. Who suggested targeting Delicious Chinese Restaurant for the robbery?"

After asking, Rorschach removed the sole of his shoe from Sergei's mouth.

Sergei now looked utterly wretched, with none of his earlier arrogance left.

Blood continuously flowed from his mouth, running down the corners of his lips and onto the ground.

Sergei raised his head slightly. Hatred seemed to flash deep within his eyes, only to vanish in an instant.

Yet he still said through unclear speech:

"It was me. I suggested it first."

"Why? There probably wasn't much cash in that restaurant. If you hit the supermarket next door, wouldn't you get more cash? Or was it because that restaurant posed no risk at all?"

Rorschach stared expressionlessly at Sergei.

At Rorschach's question, a trace of hesitation appeared between Sergei's brows.

But he quickly decided to confess everything.

Because Rorschach once again placed the sole of his shoe on his broken hand.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

"We weren't just robbing people for money. We wanted to find some excitement in our last bit of freedom and enjoy the thrill of crime!"

"My cousin is a minor leader in the Tracksuit Gang. He said the rules of the underworld had completely changed! A month ago, a new Underworld King unified all the gangs on the East Coast!"

"All criminal organizations have to follow his commands alone. Private crimes aren't allowed, and every gang can only profit from the criminal operations assigned to them by the Underworld King!"

"Those good at robbing banks can only rob banks, and those good at selling white powder can only sell white powder. If a gang wants to change its line of business, it has to pay the Underworld King a hefty criminal fee!"

"Fuck! If you can't commit crimes however you want, then why join a gang? It's a fucking joke!"

"But now, no one dares defy the Underworld King's orders, and no one thinks it's a joke."

"Several hundred lives forged the new rules—the new order!"

At this point, Sergei forced down a mouthful of saliva, then said in a trembling voice:

"So I was just looking for a chance to help my cousin relieve some mental pressure, while also completing the Tracksuit Gang's initiation test. After all, my cousin has always looked after me. Joining his gang isn't a bad thing, right?"

"Where's your cousin now?"

Rorschach narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked.

"Today's Saturday. It should be time for the gang to go over their finances."

Sergei lay dejectedly on the ground.

He looked as though he had completely given up struggling.

"I once overheard my cousin on the phone by accident. Near the Brooklyn Bridge, close to the East River, there's a place called Warehouse 10. It's a secret stronghold of the Tracksuit Gang."

"If you're looking for him, he might be there."

Having gotten the address out of Sergei, Rorschach, his head wrapped in a red scarf, nodded in satisfaction.

He suddenly took a step back and bent forward at the waist.

"Sergei?"

"Hmm?"

Sergei, clinging to a sliver of hope, instinctively looked up.

Squelch—

A pitch-black giant knife suddenly plunged into Sergei's eye socket!

The razor-sharp knife, trailing flecks of white fluid, pierced through the blond hair at the back of his head!

"Thanks for your cooperation."

The opening's been rough, and I've dragged it out until now.

The contract is finally signed! Everyone, please vote!

And don't forget to keep reading—I think that's even more important now.