The dock district in August buzzed with its busiest period of the year. Early-harvested grains from Jianhai County and East Chester County needed swift transport to various destinations, while industrial goods and local specialties flowed through Pritz Port, traveling upstream through Backlund and Tingen City via shipping routes to reach the upper territories.
Tingen City, positioned at the confluence of the Loen Kingdom's two vital waterways—the Hoy River and the Tassock River—served as the transfer hub for the entire eastern water transportation network.
The middle-aged man across from Angel watched intently as the bustling scene unfolded outside the window.
"That area originally belonged entirely to the Workers' Mutual Aid Society, didn't it?" Angel asked with a smile, taking a sip of her coffee.
The man withdrew his gaze, his sharp eyes settling on Angel. "You asked me out just to poke at old wounds? If so, you've already succeeded."
"How could that be, Vaughn? After President Jick was arrested, you've become the Mutual Aid Society's de facto leader. I came to help you solve problems."
Angel let her voice carry a trace of seduction as she replied softly.
This middle-aged man who had once delivered speeches before the Workers' Mutual Aid Society warehouse and commanded his subordinates to capture Angel no longer possessed his former vigor. Instead, he appeared troubled by mundane matters, looking utterly exhausted.
Vaughn seemed irritated that she had seen through him. He rubbed his brown hair in frustration and pulled out a cigarette box from his poorly maintained, wrinkled coat pocket. After a moment's hesitation, he put it back.
"That's right," he pressed his lips together and finally spoke in a rough voice. "Jick left behind this mess, and my subordinates pushed me into the president's position to fight for their interests. But more people are dissatisfied, making my orders difficult to execute."
"What does this have to do with you, though?"
Vaughn's gray eyes locked onto the hooded figure before him. The muscles in his arms constantly contracted and relaxed, stretching his coat tight, as if he might explode into action and eliminate this mysterious woman who dared speak so boldly.
"Of course it's related—the relationship isn't small." Angel glanced around, and seeing no one paying attention to their window table in the coffee shop, she continued in a low, mysteriously feigned voice.
"Jick's mistake exposed himself, and he was caught in Enmat Port. We collaborators are equally anxious. Although the gang that occupied your territory—the Wild Bear Gang you once drove from the dock district—now has greater power and offers better conditions, we're still willing to prioritize gangs we've previously worked with."
"The prerequisite is that you clean house internally, unite as one force, and find a way to deal with the Wild Bear Gang. Otherwise, you won't be able to handle our commissions."
Hearing "continue cooperation," Vaughn grew restless. He repeatedly opened and closed the iron cigarette box, his gaze wandering, expression uncertain.
"What do you want from this?" he asked hesitantly.
"Everything as usual, of course. You do what you're supposed to do, just occasionally help us transport some sensitive materials. Don't ask too many questions—just take the money."
"Without these profits, relying solely on collecting fees from those poor dock workers, how long can your Mutual Aid Society last? Three months? Half a year? Before next spring, the entire dock district will belong to the Wild Bear Gang, and I can simply cooperate with them instead."
Angel added the final weight to the scales.
Breathing roughly, Vaughn refocused his gaze on Angel and nodded.
"For Jick, for my brothers not to be bullied by the Wild Bear Gang... tell me in detail what needs to be done."
Having found sufficient justification for his actions, the confusion in his gray eyes had been replaced by greed. He leaned forward, his words filled with desire for power and money.
Only after Vaughn's tall figure disappeared from view did Angel leave the coffee shop through another door.
"Very good. This way both sides are settled..." she murmured to herself, pulling up her hood to cover her face as she entered a hired carriage.
"To the North District, Champagne Street."
After giving instructions to the coachman, Angel closed her eyes and began sensing the "Instigator" potion within her body, which had already started its slow digestion.
Early that morning, she had successively met with the arranged leaders of both the "Wild Bear Gang" and "Workers' Mutual Aid Society," using materials purchased from Jules Detective Agency and internal police investigation reports on Tingen City's gangs to complete her "instigation" of these competing factions:
Using peace talks as pretense, lure out the opposing leadership for negotiations, then seize the opportunity to eliminate them. While the enemy was in chaos, seize territory and absorb their operations.
She had made identical arrangements for both gang leaders, making each believe they had extraordinary power backing them and could secure victory in the upcoming battle.
Next, she would go to Tingen City's police headquarters and use her trainee inspector status to report them. When these two gangs openly conducted negotiations while secretly preparing "decapitation operations," she could arrest them on the spot.
To prevent someone inside the police from tipping them off, she would only approach the station at the last moment.
If everything proceeded smoothly, the police would achieve their performance targets, the dock district would lose two menaces, and a world where only the gangs suffered would be realized.
Most importantly, she could use this to successfully perform as an "Instigator."
Based on her previous summary of Assassin acting methods, Angel could now confirm that Cole's experience acting as Assassin and Instigator before advancing to Witch applied equally to her current situation.
In other words, she needed only minimal quick acting to rapidly digest the new "Instigator" potion and prepare for re-advancing to "Witch."
If things went smoothly, perhaps by September she could become a "Witch" again...
North District, Champagne Street, Jules Detective Agency
This time, another private detective received Angel.
"Mr. Jules went to the South District to investigate another commission, but rest assured—he only left after completing yours. All the 'red chimney' houses in Tingen City and its suburbs are documented here."
This refined, easygoing detective looked more like an office clerk than his professional colleagues. He was also extremely efficient at organizing files. He quickly compiled and bound nearly a hundred pages of reports, handing them to his client.
Angel flipped through them briefly. The files were well-organized with detailed content. Not only were all target buildings categorized by district and street, but the landlord and tenant information she needed was also recorded, with special markings for any recent occupancy changes.
Considering this commission was completed in just three days, Jules Detective Agency must have deployed double-digit manpower to manage visiting the entire city and conducting thorough investigations in time.
She satisfactorily counted out fifteen pounds as final payment and handed it to the detective.
"Thank you. Please sign here and the commission will be officially complete."
The detective accepted the gold pounds, verified their authenticity, carefully stored them, then produced the commission contract Angel had signed earlier. After she signed her name, the entire commission was concluded.
"By the way, what is Detective Buzz Jules investigating in the South District this time? I wanted to thank him personally."
After signing her full name, Angel inquired casually.
"Hmm, this involves client privacy—not really appropriate to reveal..."
The detective looked troubled.
"Learning more about it helps me spread word-of-mouth," Angel subtly employed some of the Instigator's "persuasion" ability. "I was actually recommended here by one of your previous clients, Mrs. Green. This kind of recommendation is more valuable than any advertisement."
"That's true. I can only briefly describe the general situation—can't involve specific client information."
The detective was easily persuaded.
"There's a company in the South District called 'Lanevus Steel Company' that raised substantial funds for iron ore development. Many wealthy people in Tingen City invested in this project. Recently, the company owner Lanevus, who initiated the investment project, absconded with the money."
"So those investors commissioned you to search for clues and find this Lanevus?"
Angel had originally asked casually, but now found herself genuinely interested.
"Yes, the commission amount is very generous. Finding clues nets ten pounds, helping police catch him pays over a hundred pounds, so..."
"So you all mobilized?"
Angel looked at the detective agency office, which contained only the front desk receptionist and this detective receiving clients—otherwise completely empty—and joked.
"Well, I'm still here..." the detective replied somewhat embarrassedly.