Mystikos Sect

After his initial surprise, Henry asked directly, "Who are they?"

After much deliberation, Charlie finally said, "I should have advised you to stay away from these people. But given your status, it's not surprising that they approached you; you can't escape them. They are Mystikos Sect, one of the thirteen Vampires sects."

"These Vampires, in principle, adhere to the ancient Camarilla creed, controlling their own group and expanding their retinue. However, they do not fully abide by the Camarilla's hidden commandments, but actively infiltrate human society."

"They rarely appear in the public eye or become the focus of the news media. Most of them appear in this financial game as major investors."

Henry's earlier suspicions were confirmed, but he was far from feeling smug. No normal person would be happy to be targeted by such a monstrous thing.

"The Camarilla? I thought that was just something novelists made up, but it turns out it really exists. Could there be Sabbat too?" Henry feigned ignorance and made up a story.

Old Charlie said, "There really are. To put it simply, the Camarilla's doctrine is to live off human society, while the Sabbat advocates the enslavement of humanity. However, these two ancient sects have long since diverged into many more sects, and their creeds are quite different from what they used to be."

Henry chuckled, "It seems the Sabbat has been nearly wiped out by the so-called heroes, otherwise the world would have many more blood pack factories dedicated to feeding Vampires."

"How can you be sure they're all gone?" Old Charlie gave a strange, unsightly smile. But he didn't continue the conversation, turning instead to say, "What do you want to know about the people who came looking for you?"

"Hmm, what I should know?" Henry asked tentatively.

Old Charlie nodded and said, "That's a smart choice. I won't tell you too much, because the more you know, the harder it is to escape their sight."

"They're probably approaching you for business collaborations. That's their usual tactic—give you a small incentive, then try to gain some advantage in your business."

"That's probably how it is," Henry said with a self-deprecating laugh. "They can't possibly be trying to recruit me. I seriously doubt their teeth could even pierce my skin."

Even if they can't bite you, it's still like their mouths are pressed against your neck. Don't you find their saliva disgusting?

"Oh, damn it. You're absolutely right." Henry was thoroughly disgusted by old Charlie.

"In short, my advice is to minimize contact with them unless absolutely necessary. Don't even bother discussing cooperation," Old Charlie said, steer the conversation back on track.

"Oh, why? A cooperative transaction is about each party getting what they need."

"We like to call Jews Vampires, but they really are Vampires! Do you understand what I mean?"

So, the Vampires ' business practices are even more outrageous than the Jews '? Henry thought to himself, and said, "Is that so? That's terrible."

"They will use various tactics and pester you for a while. But if they can weather the storm, or if things escalate to the point of becoming a major incident, they will withdraw. Staying out of the public eye is still a principle of this Mystikos Sect."

"Methods?" Henry tapped his fingers lightly on the table, speaking thoughtfully.

"Take good care of your girl. If you create weaknesses for yourself, don't blame others for targeting her."

Henry frowned. Although he had been mentally prepared for this while dating Charlize Theron, it didn't mean he could accept it.

"Do you know to what extent they'll go?" Henry asked.

"Generally speaking, they still abide by the rules of the game, whether they are conventionally agreed upon or set by themselves. After all, once brutal methods are used, the situation can easily escalate into war. What they least want is unnecessary attention."

Old Charlie's intelligence was extremely important to Henry. The real fear was that the other party would act recklessly and without any bottom line.

Of course, the bottom line for Vampires, these dark creatures, is definitely different from that of ordinary people. It's important to understand this. You can't foolishly use ordinary people's standards to judge Vampires; doing so will definitely make you look foolish.

"So, should I go find a Vampires hunter or Priest to look after my girl? Show them I'm not weak and easily bullied," Henry tentatively suggested.

Old Charlie shook his head and said, "Stop with the useless stuff. Doing this will only provoke those Vampires and escalate the situation. Besides, instead of looking for those guys whose products might not even be genuine, you should talk to your boss."

"My boss? Tony Stark?"

"It's hard to assess Stark's situation right now. But even if Old Man Stark's relationship with certain Vampires isn't good, he and the other side understand the importance of mutual respect and keeping their distance."

"Oh." Henry raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, looking like he wanted to hear some gossip.

Old Charlie pushed the young man's face away and said, "This isn't some unknown fact. Howard Stark was Captain America and the Howling Commandos ' logistics supplier during World War II."

Even if Old Man Stark couldn't command the Howling Commandos to eliminate Stark Industries ' rivals, if any foolish Vampires dared to cross him, those Monster of the Howling Commandos would surely slaughter them.

"The Howling Commandos would do this kind of side job?"

Old Charlie said, "Even setting aside personal relationships, essentially, for Vampires to want to touch the government's purse strings, a genius mind comparable to all the scientists in the Manhattan Project is tantamount to squeezing the government's balls."

"In this situation, whoever extends which hand should be prepared to have that hand chopped off. Unless Old Man Stark himself actively approaches the Vampires and makes a deal with them. Do you understand the difference?"

Henry frowned and pouted, saying, "It's a bit like the legend that Vampires can't come in unless you invite them into your house."

"Every legend has its origin. Perhaps this is an author who knew the code of conduct of Vampires and wrote it into their novel in another form."

Henry asked skeptically, "But does the Stark still have the same deterrent effect on Vampires today?"

"I don't think there's much hope. But dragging that young master into this mess and diverting some of the attention away from you is probably easier than you having to fend off the Vampires all by yourself."

"Forget about that terrible idea. Don't you have any more useful information on your end?" Henry complained.

"More useful?" Old Charlie thought for a moment and said, "In that case, there is a development you might need to pay attention to."

What is it?

"A bunch of old guys have come to the West Coast."