Chapter 210

“So… you’re asking me to ‘steal’ a glance at him and see if I can snatch that anomalous item called the ‘Door of Yonder’?!”

After returning from a mission to the bureau, having listened to Leon recount the request, Jerry hesitated while eyeing the middle-aged man bound up on his office couch like a Christmas present: “This might be a teensy bit tricky. Not that it’s impossible, but… there could be some danger involved…”

“?”

Confused by Leon’s puzzled expression, Jerry gathered his thoughts before explaining:

“My ‘Subtle Stealing Hands’ is powerful, sure, but it still operates within the realm of ‘human’. If we use your ‘Leon Value’ analogy, it reliably works on targets with a value under 60. According to our Bureau Director’s estimate, 60 Leon Points roughly mark the boundary between humans and gods. Anything above this line isn’t just human; they’re more akin to humanoid anomalies. They can resist certain effects, and if the power gap is too large, they might even trace the source of the anomaly back to us.”

“And Aquarius Director’s Leon Value definitely exceeds 60 points. So if the Door of Yonder really was given to this guy by her, when I use ‘Subtle Stealing Hands’ on him, she’ll likely pinpoint our location. She might even come knocking…”

I see…

Having heard Jerry Senior’s explanation, Leon mulled it over for a moment before responding:

“Getting Aquarius Director’s attention isn’t an issue. Before leaving, the Bureau Director promised both Emma Senior and me that regardless of whether the inquiry succeeds or not, he’d keep Aquarius Director tied up at General Bureau headquarters, giving us room to maneuver.”

“I can’t guarantee anything long-term, but at least in the next week or two, even if she finds out what we’ve done, she won’t be able to return… Jerry Senior, what are your chances of successfully stealing the Door of Yonder?”

“This is pretty high.”

Jerry pondered for a moment before replying: “If used directly on Aquarius Director, I’d probably only get scraps. But since this guy’s anomalous item was given to him by her, there’s a layer of separation. ‘Subtle Stealing Hands’ should function normally.”

“Then let’s do it!”

After hearing Jerry’s words, Leon weighed the pros and cons along with potential outcomes before decisively making the call: “Although the Bureau Director initiated the inquiry, its success rate isn’t actually very high. He just wants to catch Aquarius Director slipping up and force her to undergo memory extraction.”

“If we manage to get the Door of Yonder and deliver it as evidence to General Bureau headquarters, even if the creator is future Aquarius Director and not the current one, it’ll still give her plenty to chew on!”

That makes sense…

After hearing Leon’s analysis, Jerry thought about it for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Proving that the future Aquarius Director dared to move against the Royal Family would indirectly increase the suspicion that the current Aquarius Director is also violating regulations, helping the Bureau Director confirm his charge of mass-producing anomalies.

As for offending Aquarius Director…

The Bureau Director has already thoroughly offended her anyway. And over the years, if it weren’t for the Bureau Director’s protection, Jerry’s life wouldn’t have been nearly as comfortable. So, whether out of emotion or reason, standing idly by wasn’t an option.

Besides, with such damning evidence shoved in her face, surrounded by several directors and regional bureau chiefs, even if she had indestructible powers, she’d likely be beaten to death by those ferocious individuals. And a director who’s about to die doesn’t deserve any respect!

Let’s do this!

…

After discussing with Leon and resolving his concerns, Jerry first took a deep breath, wiggled his right fingers, then reached into the chest of the middle-aged Joshua, lightly brushing his heart area.

Ripples spread like water.

Oddly, why were there two objects that most impacted his fate? Seeing the shadows appear beneath the Fate Marks, Jerry couldn’t help but frown slightly, then glanced toward Leon.

“Leon, take a look. Which of these two looks more like Aquarius Director’s ‘Door of Yonder’ that she gave him?”

“Let me check.”

Approaching Jerry Senior, after identifying the two ghostly shadows, Leon’s eyebrows furrowed as well.

Of the two colorless shadows, the shape of the one on the left was extremely irregular, pulsating faintly like a living creature, revealing nothing about what it truly was.

The one on the right was slightly more regular, showing a vague outline resembling a hand with fingers slightly apart. Beyond that, nothing else was discernible.

Neither of these things seemed related to a “door,” did they? “Can you make them clearer?”

Unable to identify what these two items were, Leon couldn’t help but ask:

“At least sharpen the outlines a bit, maybe add some color? Or better yet, can’t you grab both?”

“Absolutely not.”

Jerry shook his head and said: “This thing involves a director, and achieving this much is already quite challenging. Grabbing both is entirely impossible. The ultra-high tier of ‘Subtle Stealing Hands’ sacrifices multiple attempts for effectiveness with the fewest uses possible. It only works on the same target during the first use.”

“In that case, Senior, just pick one randomly!”

Aware that his luck was usually terrible, Leon simply handed over the decision-making power. He told Jerry: “In my memory, the ‘Door of Yonder’ doesn’t match either of these. I don’t know which is correct, so Senior, just choose one randomly.”

“If we pick the right one, great. But even if we don’t, it doesn’t matter. We can always find a way to General Bureau headquarters and send the unconscious Joshua directly. That should work just as well.”

“Alright, let me try picking.”

After thinking it over and agreeing with Leon’s reasoning, Jerry accepted the choice, staring at the two shadowy masses for a moment. Feeling the indistinct object on the left looked a little creepy, he extended his hand toward the seemingly safer “hand” on the right.

“Hmm?”

When Jerry’s hand touched the shadowy hand, besides the still-unconscious Joshua, the other two people in the room simultaneously shuddered.

Jerry was surprised to discover that he seemed to genuinely grasp a living person’s hand, even faintly sensing its warmth. Meanwhile, Leon was shocked to realize his own right hand had just been tugged.

“…”

“…”

???

(End of Chapter)