A Phone Call with Swire / A Soul-Crushing Blow

So where does the money come from? Dirty deals always happen in places with little oversight.

For example, the dock unloading area becomes quiet and deserted at night.

Lungmen... one of the world's most economically prosperous cities, boasting some of the world's most luxurious barge sites. The giant docks of this Mobile City bring them substantial foreign trade revenue.

The extremely large pier, with its unloading area at Pier 3 near the slums, became the best place for trading.

Pardofelis knew all this, and because of some commonalities, she quickly learned some of the slang in the Lungmen slums.

In this situation, one naturally knows how to investigate. To learn about slums, gangs, and the like, one often needs to infiltrate the community and ask people who live and work there for clues...

Of course, after gathering the fragmented clues, Pardofelis will need to sort them out and summarize them herself.

Standing atop the high-rise, Pardofelis used binoculars to briefly survey a row of small vendors preparing to set up their stalls in the distance, before selecting her target.

After leaving the observation point, the cat changed her clothes and went to the stall she had just chosen. It was a food cart selling glutinous rice balls that didn't look too difficult to make, and the stall owner was chatting enthusiastically with other people.

Pardofelis's eyes darted around, then she smiled and walked up to the stall owner. After the stall owner finished her conversation, she found a moment to speak, "Hey, boss, can we talk about something?"

"?"

"Excuse me, can I rent your food truck for a day? My family wants me to come here to experience life. Everything else seems so difficult, only your place looks simple..." Seeing the female stall owner's puzzled expression, Pardofelis smiled shyly at her and explained.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the female stall owner raised an eyebrow, about to refuse, when she saw the girl in front of her take out a wad of Lungmen Dollars from her pocket and hand it to her...

"Don't worry, boss, I definitely won't make things difficult for you! And with all these uncles and aunties around, you don't have to worry about me losing your food cart or anything." To achieve her goal, Pardofelis played the part of an innocent little girl.

"If I don't get it sorted out, my family will definitely scold me again when I get home today."

After hearing Pardofelis's words, the female stall owner was completely swayed, and her attitude softened. "Then I'll stand aside and guide you, little girl, so you won't make a mistake."

Perhaps because he had received money, the Liberi stall owner was unexpectedly enthusiastic, but Pardofelis didn't refuse, after all, helping is better than not helping.

Immediately afterward, under the boss's intensive training, the cat learned how to make glutinous rice balls. Just as she had initially expected, it wasn't too difficult.

She quickly got the hang of it and soon her stall was doing a decent job.

Shortly after Pardofelis finished her studies, the workers at the Third Dock also reached their break time and gradually came out of the dock to have lunch. The owner used high-quality ingredients and the portions were generous, so there was a constant stream of people coming to eat.

Meanwhile, Cat was also relieved that her boss hadn't left. If it weren't for her help, she felt she would have been overwhelmed with work.

During the lull between buying and selling, Pardofelis didn't stay idle. He carried a case of drinks and beer and went to look for the workers.

"Hey~ Uncles, I have a question. I'm here to collect material for some horror stories. Could you tell me some rumors about the docks? The more outrageous the better." As she spoke, Pardofelis handed the drinks in her hand to the guests at the first table.

Seeing that there was something to drink for free, the guests naturally didn't care whether the girl was telling the truth or not.

The group immediately started talking all at once.

Some say they heard ghosts sobbing in a shipping container at midnight, while others say they heard two headless men talking and ghosts arguing fiercely.

They chattered on and on about a whole bunch of interesting and boring stories, but Pardofelis kept hearing one thing over and over again: the G4 Area.

After listening, she immediately expressed her gratitude and then went to the second table.

Same process, same story, same G4 Area.

Finally, she got the answer at the third table: Blade Logistics.

Through intelligence gathering, Pardofelis quickly discovered its real name: a recently registered logistics company – Sicily - Gambino Logistics.

Chapter 146 The Phone Call with Swire

Although she found and confirmed the clues through some tricks, Pardofelis did not dare to be complacent.

She was taking this test very seriously. Although it wasn't a difficult task for her, she decided to be meticulous for her own and Rope's bright future in Lungmen.

Besides, Maomao has already revealed everything about the test. If she accidentally messes it up, wouldn't Swire to death? And she won't get to eat that big meal that guy owes her. Absolutely not! She can't accept this at all!

So, Pardofelis really worked at the stall all afternoon today, without slacking off or taking a break at all...

Actually, if she could, she would have liked to run away after confirming the clues. But that would have been too abrupt.

If I act too suspiciously, it would be bad if someone called the police... And if I happen to run into someone, not only would my whereabouts be exposed, but... just thinking about it is embarrassing!

As she pondered, the cat couldn't help but shake her head, clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts, patting her face, and refocusing on her "work."

Life is tough, even a cat sighs.

The port was bustling with people, and workers came here one after another to have lunch. While busy with her work, Pardofelis observed the surrounding situation. She estimated that more than 5,000 people had come from this area alone. Considering the area and the number of people needed to maintain operations, she conservatively estimated that the number of people working was around 1,000.

Eight thousand people?

Thinking about this, Pardofelis, who was wiping the table, couldn't help but mutter to herself. Even though it was just a rough estimate, weren't there a lot too many people here?

Why are there so many people in this loading and unloading area?

However, the cat didn't dwell on her thoughts for long, because the female stall owner standing next to the food cart was waving at her.

The female stall owner, her face and forehead still glistening with sweat, looked at Pardofelis with a gentle smile and said happily, "Thank you so much for today, little girl."

"With your help, we earned a whopping 3,000 Lungmen Dollars!"

Before Pardofelis could react, the female stall owner suddenly bent down and pulled a box from under the food cart.

Although the area under the dining car was somewhat blackened from storing coal, the box in her hand, which looked a bit old, was spotless.

"So I definitely can't take your money. Here, this is your reward for helping out today." As soon as he finished speaking, the stall owner opened the box in her hand and earnestly stuffed the stack of Lungmen Dollars that Pardofelis had given her earlier, along with some loose change, into her hand.

"... Huh?" Pardofelis was a little stunned when she saw the money suddenly being stuffed back into her hands. After a moment, she reacted and said, "I've already bothered you by coming here to experience life. Please accept this money, boss, as a tuition fee."

"As for compensation, there's no need for that!"

"No, this is a matter of principle." Upon hearing this, the stall owner showed no intention of compromising and said in a slightly firm tone.

"..."

After some back and forth, when the female stall owner "threatened" to hand over the money to the Lungmen Guard Department if she didn't accept it, Pardofelis was finally forced to compromise.

There's no way around it. Money is a small matter, but handing it over to the Lungmen Guard Department is a real waste of money! It would be better to give it to the boss or buy some things for some people in the slums.

Finally, after thanking the stall owner properly, the cat ended its clue-gathering session and left to investigate elsewhere.

However, the mention of the Lungmen Guard Department and money reminded Pardofelis of something: if she remembered correctly, didn't she have some unclaimed reward money from saving someone before?

Before, she definitely wouldn't have even considered this money, but now that she's almost "cleared her name," does that mean she can go to the Lungmen Guard Department or find Fumizuki to collect the money after this test?

Thinking of this, the cat walking down the street couldn't help but show a happy expression.

However, before Pardofelis could reach the next investigation location, she seemed to remember something and temporarily stopped her actions, finding a secluded spot nearby.

After confirming that no one was following her, she leisurely took out her phone and made a call.

"Beep--"

A moment later, the call connected, and a woman's voice, clearly lowered, came from the other end. "Hey, why are you calling me in the middle of the day?"

"What, can't I talk to Shi Ren Huai Ya if there's nothing wrong? You know you still owe us a meal!" Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, Pardofelis couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile and said.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Swire on the other end of the line paused for a moment after listening to Pardofelis's words, then said "coldly," "I'm hanging up if there's nothing else!"

"Hey! Wait, don't hang up yet, we have something important to say!" Pardofelis quickly interjected, afraid that Swire would hang up too soon.

"Say what you need right now. If you want me to do you a favor or to tell you something, no way!"

"Hey, Swire, how could you be so heartless?!" Pardofelis paused slightly, then suddenly changed the subject seriously, "But that's not what I want to talk about this time. Swire, do you remember the test I mentioned before?"

"It's started!"

"..."

"When did it start? What was the content?"

"Well, today is just the beginning. I just got back from Boss Fumizuki's place this morning!" In response to Swire's question, Pardofelis organized her thoughts and answered truthfully.

"As for the details, I can't tell you everything, but I can guarantee that everything I'm about to say is true."

Afterwards, the cat ignored what the other person was thinking and earnestly described and told them about some of the [tests].

"..."

"Alright, that's about it. The rest you'll have to investigate yourself, Swire. I don't believe that someone working for the Lungmen Guard Department like you wouldn't have noticed the recent anomalies in Lungmen."

"Try to seize this opportunity, or you'll never have another chance!" After saying that, Pardofelis fell silent, waiting for what the other person would say next.

"You've told me all this in such detail, aren't you afraid Miss Fumizuki will cause you trouble?"

"Hey, Swire, you're not an outsider, it's no problem."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Swire paused strangely for a moment, then said, "In that case, just you wait! I look forward to bringing you a feast in prison!"

Chapter 147 Soul Critical Strike

After hanging up the phone with Swire, Pardofelis quickly left the deserted corner and continued on her way to the next investigation location.

Just like she said, although this mission wasn't particularly difficult, it would be incredibly embarrassing if it went wrong by accident.

Finally, Pardofelis spent several more hours gathering clues in other locations and confirming some things before returning to the port. This time, her target was the G4 Area she had previously inquired about.

Upon arriving in this area, the cat found a secluded high spot and began to carefully survey the area.

Then, what Pardofelis discovered was quite unusual. Normally, a port area wouldn't have too many people gathered there, but this G4 Area was different.

From a distance, the cat could see nearly a hundred people scattered around the large cargo container area, slowly unloading their goods or simply resting.

These people's behavior seemed quite unusual to her, completely out of place with the rest of the port area.

As for why Pardofelis thought this way, the reason is very simple: this group of people looked too relaxed. In this port area where everyone is working hard and struggling for a living, they stood out starkly...

It's as if they're not workers here at all...

After confirming that something was amiss, the cat abandoned any intention of moving the investigation location and stayed there to closely monitor the situation.

The longer she monitored the situation, the more certain she became of her thoughts and suspicions.

Whether it's the "Pardofelis" of her memories or the woman she is now, she has witnessed too many impoverished people's lives. She is deeply moved by their living conditions, and the memories remain vivid to this day.

Everyone is always working very hard to live... And because of this, they rarely slack off or neglect their work, because the work in their hands is the only tool they have to support their families and survive.

So the moment the cat saw them, it could be said that it sensed something was wrong. They didn't seem to be working for a living at all; they didn't have the slightest sign of hard work.

Among these hundreds of people, a few dozen, upon closer inspection, possessed a rather robust and valiant air, making them seem less like good people.

"So, it's that gangster hiding at the dock?" Pardofelis withdrew her head from her observation and muttered thoughtfully.

Although she was almost certain in her heart, the cat didn't immediately make a final decision. Just to be cautious, she decided to go closer and take a look.

After all, she hadn't forgotten that one of her tests was [cleaning up]. If these people were indeed her targets, she wouldn't mind taking care of them directly.

Having made up her mind, Pardofelis put away her binoculars and decisively chose an entrance that was easy to move around in and not too many people, and quietly sneaked in.

The trading port of Lungmen is so large that delays by various logistics companies often force goods to remain in the port area.

In each storage area, the stranded containers of goods are often piled up to ten meters high. They crisscross and stretch endlessly, turning the storage area into a complex, secluded alleyway.

Therefore, although the port is equipped with a considerable number of security guards, the supervision of cargo storage areas is still not very strong.

For these security guards, their main responsibility is to protect the goods in the containers from damage rather than closely monitoring others entering and leaving. If anything serious happens, they will usually call the police directly to have the Lungmen Guard Department come to maintain order and prevent the port from shutting down.

After all, they are just security guards earning meager wages; it's not worth risking their lives for that little money.

People with this mindset often develop inflated desires when presented with certain "opportunities." Who working here doesn't want to earn more money?

For example, the guy in the security guard uniform smoking that Pardofelis just spotted in the corner.

The cat silently crouched on the towering shipping container beside him, observing the security guard making a phone call with great interest, listening quietly to him.

After hearing something said on the other end of the phone, the security guard, who had been smoking with a weary expression, suddenly snapped to attention, tossed aside his cigarette, and hurriedly responded to the other end.

Perhaps because the information revealed by the other party was too explosive, the security guard's voice, which he had initially kept low, rose involuntarily, and his basic vigilance had quietly vanished.

It was precisely because of this that, with the help of the quiet environment in the corner, the security guard's words reached Pardofelis's ears one by one.

"A transaction today? Really? And I'm supposed to be in charge of monitoring it?"

"This concerns my job. If I don't handle it well, I could end up in jail. This is a dangerous thing to do!"