Outstanding Underling

Alex's underground base was brightly lit, casting a uniquely cold beauty over the technological items displayed in the cabinets.

Several days had passed. The underground base had a newly established training grounds, complete with all kinds of exercise equipment, punching bags, plum blossom stakes, and weighted weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, whips, hammers, staffs, clubs, and lances. It also had weightlifting equipment beyond ordinary human limits. Thus, he had been practicing controlling his Magnetic Psionics in the underground base, combining it with his physical strength to produce all kinds of miraculous moves and endlessly varied techniques.

At the same time, he had been waiting for Jack's information in the underground base.

Alex intended to support Jack as the ruler of the Lower City, stabilize its environment and power structure, and turn the Lower City into a source of steady income for himself.

Yet over the past few days, Alex had learned a rather strange piece of news from his adoptive father, Bert.

"Al Swan has been transferred to the Lower City. Alex, that kick of yours was too vicious. You sent a Deputy Inspector with limitless prospects straight to a place like the Lower City."

"What happened?"

Alex frowned. Honestly, he had not expected to kick Al Swan out of headquarters like that. Even if Al Swan had let The Multiplicity escape by stealing credit, and even with the subsequent suppression from higher-ups, it should not have resulted in Al Swan being transferred to a chaotic place like the Lower City.

Even if he had to be transferred out of headquarters, given Al Swan's status and the Swan family, it would have been perfectly normal for him to be sent to the Upper City, where the environment was best and wealthy people gathered. If not the Upper City, then the relatively easy Barton District or Northwest District would have been acceptable. There was absolutely no reason to send a Deputy Inspector with connections and background to the chaotic Lower City.

"He applied for the transfer to the Lower City himself."

A flash of insight struck Alex. What did Al Swan want to do in the Lower City? Otherwise, there was no reason for him to transfer himself to a chaotic place everyone avoided.

Alex absolutely did not believe that Al Swan had no ulterior motive.

The Swan family's position among Central City's upper class was not particularly high. At most, they were a middle-tier upper-class family. However, after surviving the internet downturn of the past few years, they had begun riding the wave of the internet age and were poised to become one of Central City's elite families.

At such a critical juncture, a morally questionable family member like Al Swan had already disgraced the Swan family. Did they still intend to meddle with the Lower City's underworld forces?

In the eyes of high society, the Lower City's gangs and the like were merely filthy little thugs, beneath their notice.

Had the Swan family gone mad? Sending Al Swan to interfere with these underworld forces was no different from throwing away all the effort the Swan family had put into becoming part of high society.

Alex could not make sense of it no matter how hard he thought.

He had also considered that Al Swan might cooperate with others, but there was no need. The Swan family was far better than these gutter gangs; there was no reason to lower themselves and work with people from the gutter.

Yet Alex had not considered just how deeply Al Swan hated him. That kick had shattered Al Swan's proud self-esteem. He could not face the gazes of anyone at the police department, and his family had also become highly critical of him, abandoning their plans to support him. All of it tormented him to the extreme, making him desperate to kill Alex. Even if it meant cooperating with rivals he had once disdained, Al Swan had no complaints.

"Understood."

Of course, Alex knew Bert was calling now as a warning, cautioning him that retaliation from the Swan family might be coming. But Alex had no intention of staying in the police department forever. No one could do anything to him through the police department.

Just as Alex was about to hang up, Bert reminded him that Thanksgiving was approaching.

Only then did Alex realize that Bert had not called merely to tell him Al Swan had been transferred. He was telling Alex that it was about time to settle his affairs and come home for a proper family reunion.

Alex had never been allowed to miss Thanksgiving with his family.

"Then I need to speed things up."

Alex thought it would be best to settle the Lower City's affairs before Thanksgiving.

He hung up on Bert and continued reviewing the information Jack had sent on the computer: the territories occupied by Lower City gangs, the firearms and drugs handled by gangs large and small, and even the specific sellers in the Golden Triangle from whom their supplies came. Everything was clearly detailed.

This did not resemble Jack's style at all. Where would Jack get such detailed information? It even clearly listed matters requiring attention, along with follow-up plans for replacing the leaders of numerous gangs after killing them, allowing for the swiftest possible control of the Lower City.

This was practically the work of a management talent, someone who could at least become the president of a major corporation.

Would someone with that kind of ability become the subordinate of a useless gang boss who only wanted to play hip-hop?

That was far too strange.

Alex called directly to ask. Whoever had prepared this information was simply too capable. At the very least, Alex did not believe the person could be Jack's subordinate.

"Yeah, Boss, Ah Hu is amazing! Ah Hu was the one who took down the Crimson Angels before, too. What's wrong, Boss? Is there a problem?"

Alex's head was full of question marks. Jack's subordinate was this outstanding? He did everything for Jack.

Why is my subordinate such trash like Jack?

He had even beaten away my first and second undercover agents and broken their legs.

"Isn't there a problem?"

"What problem?"

"How did you get a subordinate like this?"

"Oh, oh, yo... One day! I was looking at girls on the beach... yo, yo... and saw him covered... in scars, scars, scars, bleeding all over the ground... yo, so I took him home... hey yo... and after that, he followed me... kept following me... yo, yo, yo."

"Speak normally. Didn't you ask about his background?"

"No. Why, is there a problem?"

"..."

"But Ah Hu is really good at fighting. He can knock one person out with one punch and fight twenty or thirty people. He said he's a martial artist and once traveled the world, exchanging moves with all kinds of masters. He brags that he's one of the world's top martial artists.

"But I think you're still stronger, Boss. Ah Hu doesn't attract women like you do, Boss."

"What is his name?!"

"Ah Hu!"

"His full name."

"I don't know."

"Ah Hu, what's your name?"

Alex could imagine Jack turning his head on the other end and asking Ah Hu his name.

Alex also heard a deep, solid voice come through.

"Bronze Tiger."