Hugh had been a bounty Hunter for a long time, and he could react instinctively to many things without even thinking.
Upon seeing the customer who entered was nearly two meters tall, she instinctively lowered her head and continued eating her pork sausage and French fries as if nothing had happened.
The food entered her mouth, but Hugh couldn't taste anything. She endured it for several seconds before slowly raising her head and casually glancing around.
Soon, she saw the customer who had just come in sitting at the bar, waiting for his drinks and lunch.
Soft, slightly wavy, pale yellow hair; beast-like, deep brown eyes; slightly downturned lips; aloof and fierce demeanor... each detail reflected in Hugh's pupils, gradually overlapping with the image in her mind.
It's him!
That's the person suspected of being the murderer!
The murderer of Williams!
Hugh lowered his head again and slowly stuffed the remaining food into his mouth.
Several minutes later, she placed the plate and glass on the bar, then left the Workers' Union Tavern without looking back.
Because her boots were much higher, she effectively concealed her most obvious features.
Once outside, Xiu slowed his pace and found a secluded spot to observe the people coming in and out of the tavern.
After waiting for a while, she finally spotted an acquaintance, Burton, a technician who lived in the East Borough and worked at the East Balam Dock.
This young man likes to have a glass of cheap rye beer at noon or in the afternoon. His salary can only afford this kind of beer, and he can't drink it every day.
Hugh nimbly darted over, patted Burton on the shoulder, and whispered:
"It's me, Hugh."
"Hugh?" Burton scrutinized the short man behind him, almost failing to recognize him as Xio Derecha, the " Arbitrator " who was quite famous in some streets of the East Borough.
"I have something to ask you." Hugh pointed to the corner beside him.
Burton followed, puzzled, and only after they reached a secluded spot did he suddenly realize what was happening and ask:
Are you doing a bounty mission?
He heard that Hugh was also a bounty Hunter.
"Hmm." Hugh nodded perfunctorily, took out five penny coins, tossed them, and said, "Do you know that very tall man in the tavern?"
"You mean that tall guy with light blond hair, the one who looks fierce?" Burton gestured.
"Yes." Hugh immediately took out the folded portrait and unfolded it. "You must confirm this completely."
"That's him. He's been coming to this tavern a lot these past two or three months. I've never seen him before. He's very fierce, completely unreasonable, and a very good fighter. You'd better not mess with him." Burton carefully glanced at the portrait a few times and earnestly advised.
"Yeah, when I saw that person just now, it felt like encountering a wild beast when I was a kid. It was a feeling of danger, like I was no match for them, and I had to get away immediately..." Hugh sighed inwardly and asked:
Do you know who he has close ties with?
"I don't know. He's very unsociable, rarely speaks, and nobody even knows his name. We gave him a nickname ourselves, ' The Giant.'" Burton shook his head, pursing his lips.
After thinking for a moment, he asked again:
"Besides the tavern, where else have you encountered him?"
"You can ask your friend the same question, but remember, it must be a friend you trust enough."
Burton recalled for a moment and said:
"When I go to the Dockworkers' Union' union, well, the Dockworkers' Union at East Balam Dock, I sometimes see him around. Hugh, why aren't you a member of the union? You're so fair, while those guys not only charge us 1.5 Soli in dues every week, but when other docks go on strike and we have to support our families, they make us hand over half our wages!"
"Lord, all that is fine. For a better life, we must help each other. But they just organized a strike, and then they reached an agreement with the Lawyer sent by those rich people. Our situation hasn't improved at all!"
"Stop, halt," Hugh said, pressing down on his right palm. "Besides that, haven't you seen that ' Giant ' anywhere else?"
"No, and I don't think my friends do either, since we often talk about him in private," Burton replied with certainty.
Hugh said nothing more and gave the other party the five copper pennies:
I'll buy you a drink.
Don't tell anyone what I just asked you; it would be very dangerous.
Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and walked out of the corner, heading towards the Dockworkers' Union located in East Balam Dock.
About ten minutes later, Xiu saw the two-story yellow building.
She turned her canvas jacket inside out, revealing the patches underneath, instantly transforming herself from a short worker into a homeless person.
Hugh glanced at the few homeless men huddled on the street corner, pinched his nose, and went over to sit with them. His gaze occasionally swept across the Dockworkers' Union across the street, where people were coming and going.
Time passed slowly, and Xiu endured the cold wind and harsh environment, persistently observing the situation of the Dockworkers' Union and the surrounding area.
She clearly remembered Williams' insistence on drinking, and even more so, her feelings upon seeing the newspaper that day.
This feeling made her more patient than ever before.
At that moment, seven or eight Dockworkers' Union came out and headed in a group to the café across the street to have lunch.
Xiu squinted and carefully scanned each passerby to confirm their appearance.
No one suspicious... Hugh prepared to look away and wait for the next group.
With a creak, the café door opened, and a rush of heat burst out. A man couldn't help but take off his gold-rimmed glasses and wipe the fog from them with his sleeve.
Xiu glanced at it casually, then his gaze suddenly froze:
Those eyes!
That corner of the mouth!
He always had a mocking, smiling expression on his face!
Lanarvus Hugh suddenly turned around, unable to look any longer.
The man she had just seen had a bronze complexion, short, thick hair, and a sharply defined face, quite different from the portrait. Only his eyes and the corners of his mouth gave her a sense of familiarity.
It feels like someone is mocking everyone!
Is it Lanarvus? Could it be Lanarvus? Hugh buried his head, staring at the cobblestones on the street.
At Summer's home.
After a sumptuous lunch, the host and guests gathered in the living room to chat and made plans to play Texas Hold'em together later.
Intermittently, amusing rumors and funny stories echoed through the air. Klein kept smiling, occasionally chiming in, and watched the two Summer ' children busily coming and going.
Jurgen Cooper, standing beside him, maintained a serious and composed expression, occasionally offering legal advice to the group's discussion.
Klein smiled, turned slightly to the side, and asked in a low voice:
"Don't you get bored?"
"No, their topic is very interesting." Jurgen nodded seriously.
Klein was stunned and blurted out another question:
"Then why don't you smile?"
Jurgen frowned slightly, looking at him with a puzzled expression, and said:
Why are you laughing?
"..." Klein's lips twitched, unsure how to respond.
He was about to make a joke, saying that the other person was a lot like his cat Brody, always so serious, when suddenly he heard a pleading voice, layered and illusory.
"Woman... Miss ' Justice ' found useful information so quickly based on the clues I provided?" Klein stood up and bowed slightly, saying:
I'm going to the restroom.
Upon entering the washroom, Klein locked the living room door, took four steps backward, and entered the Gray Fog.
His judgment was very accurate; the plea came from Miss " Justice ".
Klein suddenly tensed up, a mixture of anticipation and Spirituality spreading through him as he listened intently to the other person's words.
Following the customary honorific title, " Justice " describes itself truthfully:
"They found the lead you provided at the Workers' Union Tavern in the East Balam Dock in the Dock Borough; the person's nickname is ' The Giant.'"
"Following the patterns of the ' Giant's' appearances, they discovered a person resembling Lanarvus at the Dockworkers' Union in East Balam Dock, but could not confirm it."
"They dare not approach Lanarvus for the time being, because the ' Giant ' is powerful and dangerous; they can only wait for an opportunity."
"They also asked if, after confirming it was Lanarvus, they could report it to the police and claim the reward?"
Lanarvus has a very powerful and dangerous accomplice... Does he have other accomplices? Is there some force behind him? Why did he commit such a violent murder? What is he plotting in the Dockworkers' Union? A series of questions Blink through Klein's mind, making him feel that things were much more complicated than he had expected, shrouded in mystery.
As for the last request, his answer was undoubtedly yes, and he would even suggest that the other party report directly to the Church of the Evernight Goddess, because there was a possibility of leakage from the police department.
Having the Nighthawks of the Church of the Goddess kill Lanarvus is also a form of revenge! Klein muttered to himself, feeling a strong urge to immediately confirm whether that person was Lanarvus, lest the wait be too long and something unexpected happen.
He took a breath, composed himself, and untied the pendulum from his cuff.
"Go to the Dockworkers' Union to confirm if Lanarvus's situation is dangerous."
After closing his eyes and silently repeating the mantra seven times, Klein opened his eyes and looked at the citrine pendant, only to find it completely still and motionless.
The Divination failed? Klein frowned immediately.
He changed the wording and the method of Divination, but the result was still failure.
After careful consideration, he came up with three reasons: first, there was insufficient information to Divination; second, the Dockworkers' Union did not have Lanarvus, making Divination impossible; and third, Lanarvus, like Ince Zangwill, possessed items that could shield him from Divination.
Items that shield Divination... What benefit did he gain from that divine child ritual? A bit of divinity from the " True Creator "? Klein pondered for a few seconds, then decided that no matter what, he had to make a trip to the Dockworkers' Union.
There are some things that, even knowing they are dangerous, you still have to do!
Those two ladies were able to observe secretly without being discovered, and so can I... I only need to meet Lanarvus once to confirm it through Divination...
Of course, I can't be reckless. I need to prepare in advance. For example, I need to send the " Eye of All-Black " above the Gray Fog, not carry it with me, to avoid the spiritual pollution of the " True Creator " and resonance with His divinity. For example, I need to elevate myself so that the " Giant " can't recognize me as the guy who "passed by" last night based on my physique. For example, I need to find a suitable, sufficient, and non-suspicious reason. Hmm, I could pretend to be a reporter to conduct an interview. I'll borrow Mike Joseph's fake press pass first...
Klein's lips slowly curled upwards as he enveloped himself in Spirituality and returned to the real world.