"Oh, beautiful Miss Caroline, yes, I... I'm starving."
He turned his head again.
The young man had already vanished without a trace, taking his book with him.
Even the gold coin on the table had mysteriously disappeared.
Chen Lun was in a very good mood.
He held Mr. Taut's Future Home Buying Guide in his hand.
For some reason, one particular scene kept playing in his mind-
Players with shovels on their backs rallied through forum posts, then descended on graveyards in small groups late at night.
As they dug, they chatted about "getting rich," "climbing the rankings," and "woohoo, here we go!"
A cheerful atmosphere filled the spaces between the graves.
The nobles were frantic, the police were under enormous pressure, and the History and Ritual Society was utterly bewildered.
Where the hell did these brazen rats come from!?
"Well, that's none of my business..."
Chen Lun whistled and carefully put away the Collection of Tomb Art Appreciation.
This book was a ticket into a supernatural sequence. Combined with his [Record-Keeper] secondary class, it was practically a goose that laid golden eggs!
When he reached the third floor, he heard Connie arguing with her father, Mr. Hood, again.
"I need more Fruit Honey! Can't you hurry up and buy me some!?"
A weak but irritable voice rang out.
"Dad, you really can't take any more of that stuff!
I've looked into it. None of the people who used that drug ended well."
Connie argued back.
"What do you know? That's because they stopped taking it. You can't stop taking Fruit Honey!"
"But we don't have any money left, Dad."
Connie sounded helpless.
"Then go earn some! Do you expect an old man like me to go out and make money now!?"
"Oh, God, how could you treat me like this..."
Connie ran out of her home in tears again.
She ran into Chen Lun in the hallway and looked a little embarrassed.
Chen Lun handed her a handkerchief.
"...Thank you."
Connie took it and lowered her head to wipe the corners of her eyes.
"Connie, take this money and buy your father some medicine."
Chen Lun held out a Gold Pound.
"Did you hear everything, Mr. Jack...?"
Connie shook her head, refusing it, and said through gritted teeth:
"I'm not giving Dad any more of the Red Apple Church's drugs."
Chen Lun sighed inwardly.
Her father probably didn't have long to live.
Not only had Fruit Honey already poisoned him badly, but abruptly quitting it would likely kill him in short order.
But this was Connie's family business. As an outsider, he wasn't in a position to say much.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jack, I... I want to go out for a walk."
Connie looked despondent.
Chen Lun stepped aside, and Connie walked out in silence.
As her back disappeared from sight, he shook his head slightly, returned to the fourth floor, and opened his door.
When Froy saw him return, she rose from the sofa and handed him a letter.
"What's this?"
Chen Lun took the letter, looking puzzled.
"Mrs. Caroline brought it over. She said a stranger left it for you."
Froy explained.
Chen Lun already had a pretty good guess. One of the Iron Fist Gang's underlings had probably delivered it.
He took the letter back to his room, sat down at the desk, and opened it.
"-Esteemed sir, Butler Feldman has sent word that he will visit again tonight.
Should you require it, you may attend in person. I will cooperate with you in all your actions.-Your humble follower, Gary"
Chen Lun crumpled the letter into a ball and rubbed it between his palms, reducing it to scraps that fluttered into the wastebasket.
He pondered for a moment.
Since Feldman was Councilor Daniel's butler, he should possess a great deal of information. If Chen Lun could bring him under his control, he might be able to uncover more inside information.
If he learned Councilor Daniel's intentions through Feldman, perhaps those clues could lead him to Dolly, the Big Eater...
Chen Lun wasted no more time.
He let Froy know he was leaving and headed out again.
Under cover of the fading light, Chen Lun concealed himself and hurried toward the Sewage Flats.
Before long, he arrived at the entrance to the Bird-and-Flower Tavern once more.
He pushed the door open and entered.
The heavily made-up proprietress paled when she saw Chen Lun. Then something else seemed to occur to her, and cold sweat broke out across her forehead.
She forced a smile and approached him.
"Sir... Boss Gary is waiting for you in the inner courtyard."
Chen Lun noticed the old-fashioned walkie-talkie in her hand and gave her a polite yet odd smile.
"Aren't you going to let him know? Don't worry. There won't be any rats causing trouble this time."
The proprietress's eyes suddenly widened.
Chapter 46: Are you threatening me?
A carriage slowly came to a halt beside the steps at the entrance to the Sewage Flats.
The carriage door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit and waistcoat stepped out.
His hair was meticulously slicked back, with a few gray strands lending him a touch of mature charm.
"Let's go."
With a grim expression, Feldman raised a hand to cover his nose.
"Every time I come here, it feels like I've taken a bath in a cesspit."
A flicker of disgust passed through his eyes.
Two tall bodyguards in black suits flanked him from behind as they descended the steps together.
Bang!
The door to the Bird-and-Flower Tavern swung open.
When the proprietress saw the three men, her face practically overflowed with deference and flattery. But before she could speak, a bodyguard pushed her aside.
"I've told you many times already. Keep your distance, madam!"
He paused pointedly on the word "madam."
Without even looking at her, Feldman walked straight inside, still covering his nose.
The corner of the proprietress's eye twitched, and she retreated, looking aggrieved.
The drinkers rose to clear a path, taking off their dirty hats and bowing.
Several serving girls clutched their trays and watched Feldman cautiously, making the rather charming middle-aged man uncomfortable.
Frowning, he led his two bodyguards through the kitchen and into the inner courtyard.
The Iron Fist Gang's underlings seemed to have been notified that an important visitor was coming. A dozen or so waited in the courtyard's open space, and they all bowed in unison when Feldman arrived.
Although quite a few of their brothers were missing, they were used to that. The Outer District was chaotic, and the Sewage Flats were a battlefield for gang wars. With the Iron Fist Gang based here, other gangs harassed them from time to time.
Deaths during gang clashes were perfectly normal.
Fortunately, people were the one thing the Sewage Flats never lacked. Plenty of strong young men wanted to join the Iron Fist Gang. They had recruited twenty fresh faces in the past two days alone.
"Sir, Boss Gary is waiting inside."
A veteran member of the Iron Fist Gang spoke respectfully.
He recognized this well-dressed, important man, who often came to see Boss Gary. Although he had no idea what important matters they discussed, he could tell that Boss Gary treated him with great respect.
"Mm."
Feldman grunted and entered the building.
But once inside, he discovered that the person waiting for him on the sofa wasn't Gary.
It was a young man with black hair.
Before you continue