Chapter 390
Chapter 390
«In five years, my ambitions will only grow, hehe! It’s too long to wait! What if I solve the S1 case you are so interested in? Will I get a promotion then?» – Kyon asked in a firm and resolute voice.
Milan glared at him as if it was the most puerile thing to say: «Any A and, above all, S rank tasks require hard teamwork that takes a long time! I am patronizing you and giving you freedom of action only to bring you down to earth. Self-confident boys like you learn the hard way, taking the thorny path. You have to find out who you are and what you are capable of. I believe that you are talented, but you should stop trying to pluck the stars from the sky. You can’t move mountains alone.»
«I appreciate your advice, but it’s no answer.» – Kyon said flatly, not sharing Milan’s opinion. Back in his home world, any unpresentable individual could gain wealth and influence with due diligence and luck, let alone this world, where miracles happened every day, where anyone could become incredibly strong if they had enough motivation.
Milan heaved a deep sigh: «All second rank investigators tried to solve the S1 case. Many guys of the third rank helped them in the investigation… All to no avail. The Clintons are sick and tired of the guests from the department because it’s all for naught. There’s no evidence, no leads, no witnesses, and minimum information! It’s a hopeless case… A joke of the century!»
«Is this case important for your family?» – Kyon asked.
«It’s an understatement, son! This case is of the greatest importance for the Valentines and the Clintons because it is connected with our young Stein, who is also the Empress’ student and the future patriarch. This case has formed tensions between the Clintons and us.»
«So, if I solve this case…»
«If by some miracle you solve this case, I will instantly make you an investigator of the second rank! In fact, if you solve any S rank case, the position is yours. I will personally shake your hand in front of the whole department. Only, it takes the entire department a year to solve a case of S rank, and you want to do it alone. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in fairy tales, and you are no magician.»
A mischievous smile crossed Kyon’s lips: «I am no magician? Let’s make a bet. If I solve at least one S ranking case within a month, you will stop calling me a son and keep your promise. You will also put on a wizard hat and walk around the department, scattering glitter all around.»
Milan gave a little grunt of surprise: «Are you serious?»
«I am!»
«Ha ha! Ha-ha-ha! Damn it, I’m starting to like you! I agree! Why not? If your self-confidence proves its worth, I will be glad to have someone like you in my department! Ha ha!» – For the first time in many years, Milan enjoyed talking with a subordinate. It would be fun to see Dick Baker’s fat face if he won. And if he lost… Well, it would be even more fun!
«It’s a pleasure dealing with you.» – Lovr shook Milan’s hand and left the office. He had to take advantage of Milan’s ambitions. The head of the department wanted results? He will give them to him. It was pretty straightforward.
Meanwhile, It was announced in the entire department, in every cubicle that Dick Baker, the new investigator of the 3rd rank, was working on Milan’s personal task. Everyone who would dare to distract or bother the newcomer would deal with the head of the department.
The investigators were in shock. The rumors didn’t lie! The fat freak had paid a bribe to get this position, and then he enlisted Milan’s support! It was unthinkable!
The aggressive three friends were dumbfounded. What a jerk! He had complained to Milan! Now they couldn’t do anything against him no matter how much they wanted to…
Feeling safe, Kyon walked over to the archive and put his wrist against the door. Nothing happened. He did the same in a while, and this time the door opened. Milan’s order must have entered the system, and now Dick Baler’s formation had access to the high-ranking cases archive.
Inside the archive, Lovr found two simple glass racks, one ten times larger than the other. On the shelves of the larger rack there were thick folders with A rank files, about 6 or 7 dozen of them. The smaller rack contained about 8 quite voluminous S rank files and only one relatively thin one.
Kyon licked his lips and picked up the first A rank case.
All of them were about corruption, fraudulent schemes, murders, serial killers, the largest criminal gangs, everything that harmed the economy of the capital, or disturbed its dwellers, noble families in particular.
Kyon could see at once that the solution to about a third of A-rank cases was on the surface. A bit of investigation, and the culprit could be easily found. The rest of the cases required more time and patience. Every tenth was unsolvable as the necessary logical links were missing. In other words, there was too little information.
However, Kyon was not interested in A-rank cases. He preferred to hunt one elephant than a flock of partridges. That’s why he began to study the S rank cases, starting with the least complicated ones.
The case gave Kyon the whole picture on the capital’s shadow infrastructure: drug trafficking, illegal enslavement and human trafficking, smuggling, robbery and theft, racketeering and child prostitution, killings and raids… It all came down to eight shadow clans. Although they had always competed with each other for some market sectors, they all had some unbreakable rules and concepts, the foundation of their coexistence. For example, it was strictly forbidden to do any activity on someone else’s territory. These territories covered the whole city with such a powerful criminal network that Valeera’s activity in Boston didn’t even stand close.
Over many decades, the clans had created a multi-level system of protection. Even if someone got caught, the investigation department would never get any information because no criminal knew anything about their bosses. Average bandits knew nothing about middlemen who had very little information about the head of the gang who knew very little about the leaders of the organizations, up to the loyal subjects of the head of the clan. The most important criminals had a formation that scattered without a trace when activated, sending an alarm signal.
Shadow clans were more than rats hiding in the sewers. They were the dark side of the city that all residents were afraid of. They were dangerous and intimidating, invisible and intangible. The power of each clan but one was comparable to that of 25 to 50 ranking families in Dantes. Each of their members had impressive cultivation, but the influence they had throughout the infrastructure of the city was even more frightening. They had covered merchant guilds and law enforcement, high-ranking families, and government officials. They were everywhere. Nothing and no one could escape their information network. It was the main problem. Whatever ideas the investigators came up with, the criminals were one step ahead because they had been informed. Any attempt to infiltrate investigators into clans failed as soon as they reached an important position and got a subjugating formation.
About half of the A rank cases were related to the clans, being only a fragment of a huge puzzle. The same applied to the numerous cases of B, C and other ranks.
{Impressive.} – The thieves guild and the band of robbers he met in Boston were like miserable ants compared to these clans. It was no surprise that their cases were given the most important rank.
However, case number 9 was nowhere close to S rank. This small clan was created about six months ago and had already created a stir and provoked a public outcry. Its name Silent Horror fully justified itself. Nobody knew who had made it, but its leader must be a genius. The investigators failed to find any witnesses to the crimes! There were only cards with the clan symbol on the crime scene, left to make themselves known and earn credibility with other clans. Considering that there were no new cards from Silent Horror over the past two months, everyone concluded that they had reached the goal.
The investigation department was concerned about the Silent Horror clan and its leader, too talented in all spheres from organizing crimes that left no traces to the rapid expansion of their activities. If everything went on like this, a mega shadow clan would appear in Dantes in 5-10 years, being many times more powerful than any present ones.
{Valeera…} – Lovr understood at once who was in charge of the clan. His heart sank painfully. The little thief was a bad person, but she had never deceived or harmed him. During their first goodbye, he could tell that she had feelings for him… In return, he destroyed everything that she had been working on for many years. He tortured her with three needles. He was the reason her uncle was killed. Of course, he would not feel guilty if he had not become emotionally attached to her. She was a lost soul trapped in the darkness on a whim of fate.
Kyon calmed down and picked up the last case, so important for families of the 1st and 2nd rank.
Two months ago, there was a birthday party for Rose Valentine, the patriarch’s youngest son. The young elite of top ten families arrived, including the guests of honor: Stein, the patriarch’s elder son, the Empress’ student, and the birthday boy’s elder brother rolled in one, and Lindia Clinton, patriarch Clinton’s daughter and Roman Clinton’s younger sister. The party was a huge success with duels, booze, dancing, and even illegal substances. It lasted until late at night. Lindia was last seen walking with Stein into a private room where they could have a nice chat far from the madding crowd. In the morning, it turned out that the girl had lost her virginity and became pregnant, as it became known later.
Stein categorically denied his guilt but admitted that he didn’t remember anything. Lindia also had a blackout. They had both drunk a lot and might have taken drugs, which only complicated the investigation.
The capital nearly exploded with gossip! Stein, the first genius of the empire, had knocked up Lindia, the patriarch’s daughter! Every resident of Dantes had heard about this incident at least once and shared their opinions on the situation. Someone considered Lindia a lady of easy virtue. Others believed that patriarch Clinton had arranged everything for the family’s good. Some even called Stein a randy-dog.
It’s needless to say that the Clintons were humiliated. It was as if heaven had turned against them! All family members were afraid to look people in the eyes! It was a big blow to their honor and dignity. Hundreds of contracts had been terminated overnight. Many family members had lost friends and connections in other families and organizations. The Clintons faced financial hardships.
Horace Clinton, the patriarch, commented on the situation something along the lines of “my great family will never stoop to such despicable ways! The fact that Stein didn’t remember the details of his crime didn’t make him innocent! He had to take full responsibility for his actions!”
If Stein married Lindia, the family would regain their honor or a part of it. However, the empress’ student wasn’t interested in her. In fact, he wasn’t interested in anyone, being a high-flyer. That is why the relations between the 1st and 2nd rank families were tense at the moment.
One way or another, everyone wanted to know the truth, but the suspect and the victim didn’t remember anything. There were no witnesses, no recording formations. There was no proof of illegal substance in their glasses. Lindia’s personal knight had obeyed the order of his deranged lady and waited outside the building (like all the other knights), for which he was eventually executed along with his close family. The investigators had reached an impasse.
{So exciting!} – Kyon’s eyes sparkled with excitement.