Mother's Milk looked thoroughly irritated and complained impatiently under his breath:
"It's been three days without a peep. How much longer are we going to waste here?"
Frenchie remained composed, his patience undiminished:
"Relax. Just wait patiently. A lead will turn up eventually."
"Could The Female have lied to us?"
Mother's Milk was still full of doubts.
"No."
Frenchie shook his head gently.
"She wouldn't dare lie to us, unless she wanted that scandal exposed completely and to take us down with her. Don't be so tense. Let's put on a song to unwind."
Frenchie reached out and switched on the car radio. After a burst of static, an official news broadcast came through clearly. He had intended to switch casually to an entertainment station, but his fingers suddenly froze in midair.
"Breaking news: Translucent, a member of The Seven, has officially reappeared in public, conclusively disproving the rumors of his death that previously circulated online. As a top-tier superhero, Translucent possesses formidable abilities and could not possibly be killed so easily..."
The van instantly fell deathly silent.
Frenchie's face filled with astonishment, his pupils contracting sharply. He turned to meet the equally shocked Mother's Milk's eyes, both looking utterly incredulous.
"Translucent... didn't you guys take care of him?"
Mother's Milk's voice was dry and full of confusion.
Frenchie nodded instinctively, his thoughts churning.
He and Butcher had personally cleaned up Translucent's dismembered remains and disposed of the evidence. There was absolutely no way he could have survived!
If the original really had returned, Vought would never have let them stake the place out undisturbed for three days. They would have already sent everyone to their door to wipe them out.
As the two struggled with their jumbled thoughts, the van door slid open. Butcher ducked inside carrying several boxed meals and handed over a phone.
"Oi, look what I've found. Quite a show."
Vought's official livestream was playing on the phone. Onscreen, a set of clothes stood suspended in midair. It was Solomon, remaining invisible as he cooperated with the host's interview.
Frenchie leaned closer and studied it carefully for a moment, then immediately saw what was going on.
"So that's it. Vought found someone new with exactly the same powers to replace Translucent!"
Butcher snatched the phone back and stuffed it into his pocket, a knowing sneer on his face.
"Clever little scheme. Put the new guy in his place first to keep public opinion steady, then announce the old Translucent's retirement with whatever excuse they like after a while, making the transition perfectly natural. Vought knows this whitewashing-and-replacement routine inside out. But that's got nothing to do with us. You've been watching for three days. Find anything?"
Mother's Milk shook his head helplessly, his face weary:
"Nothing. The noodle shop across the street has been quiet. Nothing unusual at all. Maybe we could call Hughie's clever friend and ask if he has any other ideas. He's smart, isn't he?"
Frenchie nodded in agreement.
"He certainly is smart, but he might not be able to help with this sort of on-site stakeout, unless he's willing to come over himself."
Butcher grinned and immediately took out his phone to dial:
"Doesn't hurt to ask."
When the call connected, he spoke casually:
"Oi, Shen! How've you been?"
At the other end, Solomon paused briefly, then went straight to the point.
"You found the place? Where?"
Butcher raised an eyebrow and glanced at the two beside him, smiling as he casually strung him along.
"We're across from Uncle Egg Noodle House. Come on over. We'll be waiting."
With that, he hung up.
Mother's Milk slapped his forehead, looking speechless.
"So your idea of asking for advice is tricking him into coming here to work?"
Butcher wagged his head with an utterly unconcerned smile.
"It's not the process that matters, it's the result. Besides, I've been missing that clever little lad! Oh, where's Hughie?"
Several dozen minutes later, Solomon arrived near Uncle Egg Noodle House on time and immediately spotted the inconspicuous van by the street. He walked over slowly and raised a hand to tap lightly on the window.
The window rolled down, revealing Mother's Milk's large, dark face.
"Hi, Shen. Long time no see."
Solomon nodded in greeting, reached out to shake his hand, and got straight to the point.
"Hi, Mother's Milk. What's the situation? Did you bring the halothane?"
Frenchie nodded and took the halothane out from the back.
"Had it ready ages ago. Let Butcher fill you in on the details."
A moment later, Butcher's distinctive gravelly voice came from deep inside the van.
"Oi, Shen, you're here! Heard the news? Translucent's back at Vought Tower."
Solomon glanced inside. Sure enough, that loathsome bearded man was looking at him with a broad smile.
"I heard. It's just a supe with similar powers. Nothing to worry about. Where's the place? Why aren't any of you in a hurry?"
Butcher pushed open the door and got out, patted Solomon on the shoulder, and spread his hands candidly.
"About what I figured. Just a supe with similar powers. As for the place, we've been staking it out for three days without a single lead. We've been waiting for you to come up with something and lead us to them."
He came up beside Solomon and patted him on the shoulder.
Solomon watched him silently, his gaze calm and unruffled.
"So you haven't found the place at all."
Confronted with that blunt exposure, Butcher showed no embarrassment. He merely rubbed his thick beard casually, his smile shameless and unabashed.
"That's right. We've been staking it out for three days and haven't got a scrap of information, so we wanted to ask if you had any ideas and could help us look."
Solomon sighed. He really wanted to punch Butcher and send him flying.
Not a single word out of this guy's mouth could be trusted!
He did know the approximate location, but he couldn't reveal the exact spot outright. He had to find a reasonable starting point without exposing any inconsistencies or making the others suspicious of him.
After a brief moment of thought, Solomon spoke slowly, laying out his analysis clearly:
"A-Train risked secretly bringing Compound V here, so someone must be collecting it at a fixed location. Compound V is a drug exclusively for supes, with a specialized purpose. Its users are most likely supes too."
"This neighborhood has a mixed crowd. Ordinary supes wouldn't go to such lengths to hide here. Most likely, someone is trading in secret here and concealing a base. We don't need to search aimlessly. Focus on nearby businesses with basements or large storerooms, especially underground spaces that are well concealed and get little foot traffic. Our target is most likely among them."
Butcher nodded repeatedly at this, finding the reasoning sound, and immediately began assigning tasks.
"Mother's Milk stays in the van and keeps watching the noodle shop. Hughie, Frenchie, Shen, and I will split up and check the nearby businesses. Report immediately if you find a suspected base. No rushing in alone, especially you, Hughie."
Hughie, sitting in the back, spoke hesitantly:
"How about I stay here on lookout and Mother's Milk goes searching instead?"
As soon as he finished, four pairs of eyes turned to Hughie at once.
"Hughie, do you know what to look for? If the target walked past here, could you tell there was something wrong with him?"
Before you continue