Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 149

Although the recluse's news was officially blocked, it was not a big secret in criminal investigation circles and the underworld.

Bounty hunters in Nevada with even a little influence all know something about the Hermit.

However, once outside of Nevada, only the police knew the detailed information.

Outside of Nevada, most people in the underworld believe that the Hermit is a fabrication by the group of beggars fleeing for their lives in Nevada, and simply regard him as an urban legend.

Even now, Zhang Feng remains skeptical of the hermit the lame wolf spoke of.

Zhang Feng knew that someone was hunting down criminals in Nevada, but he didn't think the truth was as outlandish as Crippled Wolf had described.

You're a large criminal gang with guns and cannons, and you got slaughtered by one person. Isn't that just bragging and talking nonsense?

Not only the criminal underworld in various cities, but even a small number of criminal police officers who had participated in the purges thought this was a fantasy.

Aside from the locals of Nevada, the only people who truly know the facts are high-ranking officials and some police officers who have gotten the real information.

Tian Hao was one of those who knew about it.

As the first person sent by Shi Hongfang to demand information about the Hermit from the Nevada City authorities, he saw the vast majority of the records related to the Hermit from the Nevada City Criminal Investigation Division.

One person against an entire city of criminals, no joke.

Tian Hao summarized these materials and submitted a report to Shi Hongfang.

Almost every three months, Shi Hongfang would send someone to Neva City on a "business trip," essentially to find the Hermit to cooperate in solving the increasingly serious security problems in Qianhua City.

Jin Ping'an, who had been dealing with Lao Tian for two or three years, was naturally familiar with this killing god, but he only knew that there was a killer who liked to sever the major arteries of criminals active in Nevada City.

As for what this throat-slitting maniac, codenamed "The Hermit," had done and how many people he had killed, he knew nothing.

Jin Ping'an tentatively asked, "So the messenger asked this hermit to help him deal with his enemies?"

“No.” Tian Hao shook his head. “We don’t know how he got in touch with the Hermit, but we are certain that the Hermit will not accept any employment.”

Jin Ping'an leaned forward: "Then why did you say that he only managed to defeat those eight people with the help of the hermit?"

Tian Hao looked at Jin Ping'an with the same look he gave a silly roe deer: "According to the intelligence provided by the messenger afterward, the crimes committed by those eight people were more than enough to warrant dragging each of them to the shooting range and shooting them for ten minutes. Is it strange that they were targeted by the Hermit, a group of people who specialize in hunting criminals?"

Jin Ping'an was speechless for a moment. You didn't say they committed a serious crime.

Tian Hao asked, "Are you curious why the messenger, having obtained evidence of their crimes, didn't submit it to the prosecutor sent by the Asian Union?"

Tian Hao thought Jin Ping'an would continue asking questions, but he shook his head contrary to his usual behavior: "I can understand why he did this. If it were me, I would also choose to blow them up with my own hands."

Jin Ping'an said in a self-deprecating tone, "Since the disappearance of my own blood relatives has already been suppressed once, it shouldn't be difficult to suppress it a second time. Even if this evidence is submitted, would the Asian Union abandon a large-scale purge that it has been preparing for months just for the sake of evidence against a few people?"

It is impossible to satisfy everyone's interests at the same time.

The Asian Union's decision to remain inactive and prepare to resolve the Nevada issue once and for all is not wrong.

However, while it protects the interests of the majority of people in Nevada, it will inevitably harm the interests of a small group of people, such as ordinary people who are being persecuted by criminals.

They could only continue to suffer, enduring the exploitation of criminals.

The same applies to the messenger; the Asian Union couldn't possibly act ahead of time just for him, and he too became one of that small group.

Looking at Jin Ping'an's slightly immature face, Tian Hao realized that the past month's experiences had matured the once exceptionally naive boy considerably.

He didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Sometimes, being exposed to the darker aspects of society at an early age can be too heavy a burden for people of that age, and could very well have a significant impact on their understanding of society.

Although Jin Pingan had previously assisted the criminal investigation team in their investigations, Tian Hao would hide all the negative information from Jin Pingan.

Jin Ping'an was only responsible for providing clues; Tian Hao handled all the investigations himself.

This time, Tian Hao could no longer hide the disappearance case, which allowed Jin Ping'an to glimpse the full picture of the investigation and discover a case that was darker than any before.

Tian Hao didn't want to delve into these darker aspects of society, so he changed the subject: "That's right. Since you can see it, the messenger can naturally see it too. He didn't want to wait, so he chose the most direct method."

Jin Ping'an was very unhappy with these words: "What do you mean I can see that?"

Just as the two were about to argue about intelligence, a call came from the infirmary that the tattooed man had woken up.

…………

At exactly nine o'clock in the evening, the messenger arrived alone in the suburbs.

Passing through the small garden, rows of villas came into view. Based on the information obtained from the tattooed man, the messenger walked to a private villa club.

As soon as he entered, he was stopped by two men: "What are you doing here?"

"Massage." The messenger took out two thousand dollars, one for each person: "I heard there are many different kinds of massages here, so I came to take a look."

Having received the bribe, the two guards' expressions softened considerably.

One of them said with a grin, "Hey, you've come to the right place. Apart from Jiuhua City, ours has the highest quality and most comprehensive service. Our technicians are all in their early twenties."

After saying that, he led the messenger to the living room on the second floor, picked up a tablet and began to introduce the services: "We sell package services, 1298, which include jelly massage, T-massage, X-smoothing, S-foot massage, finger massage, nasal inhalation and massage, essential oil back massage and other services, with a full range of options."

"The full price is 2598. The room is fully equipped with a red bed, joy chair, swimming pool, etc. If you want to play on the swing or the trapeze, that's no problem at all."

The messenger took the tablet without changing his expression and began to look at the activities: "The prices are much higher than elsewhere."

A typical foot massage parlor's service costs between 300 and 800 yuan for a mid-range service. A small shop's half-service costs around 300 to 400 yuan, and a full service costs around 700 to 800 yuan. Here, it starts at 1298 yuan, and that's not even the full service.

The salesperson smiled and said, "Look at what you're saying. Our technicians are all carefully selected before they can take on the job. Their looks and figures are top-notch. Those foot massage parlors can't compare at all. You get what you pay for. If you're not satisfied, I'll replace it! Until you're satisfied."

The 2,000 yuan tip taken at the entrance was very effective.

The salesman in front of him already regarded the messenger as a well-off old镖客 (bodyguard/escort).

This is a tip of two thousand yuan. If we can keep this big spender, he'll be willing to tip us even more when he's in a good mood in the future.

It's important to know that only a very small number of wealthy people come here to have fun; most are just looking for something new and are unlikely to become long-term customers.

Although they couldn't figure out where the messenger came from, they were much more enthusiastic than before when introducing their services, adhering to the principle of sustainable profit-making.

"Most of the technicians aren't working right now, so how about I call them out for you to choose from?"

The messenger ignored the suggestion, put down his tablet, and took out his wallet: "Give me the whole set, keep the change."

The salesperson eagerly took the three thousand yuan: "Alright, would you like it tender or cooked?"

"I don't like people who are too proactive."

(End of this chapter)