Chapter 36

Amidst the cursing of the Black Goat, Leon, drenched in the stench of sweat, clutched the wrapped Witch’s Broom and followed the crowd to the gates of Chaer Water Power Corporation.

However, he didn’t rush in to start his investigation. Instead, he carefully observed the surroundings first, walking around the outer walls of the water company a few times.

Sure enough, in a shaded alley, Leon found a large number of people dressed in tattered clothes who looked “suspicious.”

After listening to their conversations for a while, Leon didn’t directly ask them about the situation. Instead, he stealthily mixed into the group, passionately denouncing the disgraceful acts of the water company, which resonated with most of them, causing them to angrily curse along.

Carefully noting down the content of these injured people’s curses, after collecting sufficient information, Leon returned to the main entrance of the water company with the broom, striding confidently inside.

“Halt!”

When Leon was circling the water company, the gatekeeper had already been eyeing this suspicious-looking poor guy. Seeing him finally enter, without a word, he stepped up to block him, glaring threateningly:

“Do you even know where this is…?”

“The Public Security Bureau.”

After flashing his credentials at the muscular gatekeeper with a face full of arrogance, Leon glanced at the suddenly tightened expression of the burly gatekeeper and bluntly demanded:

“I’m here to investigate a case. Take me to your security department manager.”

“Ah? Yes, yes!”

Recognizing official documents and ranks is a “required course” for gatekeepers at such large enterprises. After confirming that the seals on the document were complete and not fake,

facing an assistant-level public security officer, the previously wary burly gatekeeper immediately became compliant, leading him straight to the office of the security department without a word.

And after the manager of the security department examined the credentials issued by the Clearing Bureau, he similarly did not—or dared not—question Leon’s identity but instead smiled and asked about his purpose.

Looking at the cautious demeanor of the security manager, Leon guessed that if he just said the mission was confidential with a stern face, the manager probably wouldn’t ask further questions and would simply let him in without resistance.

The reason was simple: the credentials from the Clearing Bureau were really effective.

In the kingdom’s five-tier civil servant system of Enforcement, Execution, Administration, Assistant, and Clerical levels, although Leon’s assistant-level position could only rank fourth, it might sound unimpressive, but it actually entered the middle level of the administrative system.

If converted horizontally to the Kingdom Military Department, that would be a junior officer capable of commanding a two-hundred-person battalion. If thrown into a county outside the capital, he might even have the qualifications to vie for a deputy position in a local influential department.

Coupled with Leon’s age of sixteen or seventeen years old and that quite intimidating surname, it was almost as if the words “don’t mess with me” were written all over his face. Facing such a troublesome guest, the security manager naturally dared not obstruct him.

After all, if they truly angered the other party, even though Chaer Water Power Corporation had deep connections, it might not necessarily stand up for him, a mere manager, leaving him to bear the brunt of any retaliation.

But still…

Glancing at Leon’s overly youthful face, the security manager, roughly thirty-something years old and always smiling, slightly twitched his lips, unconsciously revealing a trace of disdain in his eyes.

Not daring to resist doesn’t mean one won’t try. If this “third-level incident handler” comes with ill intentions and wants to meddle in things best left untouched, there are plenty of ways to delay him!

…

“Hehe, it’s actually nothing major.”

Reaching into the shopping bag and patting the head of the Black Goat, Leon’s expression softened upon seeing the soul of the security manager flickering between compliance and resistance, and he chuckled gently: “There’ve been quite a number of people causing trouble at your company recently, and the department is worried that you might not be able to calm these people down, leading to a possible riot against the water company. So, they specially sent me over to check out the situation.”

Hearing that Leon was asking about the water supply issues, the security manager’s heart sank instantly. He then retracted his smile, looking troubled as he said:

“This… it’s not that I can’t tell you, mainly because the company has rules for us…”

“Brother, I’m not going to play games with you.”

Interrupting the security manager’s evasion, Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a soft-pack “Gaut” cigarette box, skillfully tapping the bottom to pop out a cigarette. He then mimicked the honest smile of a shrewd businessman while silently enduring the Black Goat’s pained curses in his mind and handed the cigarette over with a chuckle.

“Just tell me, what’s the real deal with the public water pipes? I just need an answer. Can you handle this situation?”

“This… we can definitely handle it.”

Eyeing the high-end cigarettes that cost three silver rounds per pack with envy, the security manager endured his itching heart and laughed nervously:

“It just needs a bit more time, and how well the final calming efforts go depends on the compensation plan…”

“You’d better tell me the truth!”

Seeing the gradually disordered soul under pressure, Leon narrowed his eyes and abruptly raised his voice to exert pressure: “I already saw the commotion outside when I arrived!

Although you drove away those blocking your gate, the words ‘either compensate us for medicine or come out and drink sewage’ haven’t been scrubbed off the walls yet! Do you think I’m blind?”

“This… sorry, I’m just the security manager. I really don’t know exactly how many people are affected or how to compensate them…”

“You don’t know, but once you take me inside, you can help me find out.”

“This… even though you’re from the Public Security Bureau, these matters are company secrets. As the manager of the security department, I can’t possibly…”

“The reason I came to you and not someone else is because you’re the security manager!”

Leon quietly stepped forward half a step, staring into the somewhat flustered security manager’s eyes, lowering his voice again and gently persuading:

“I thought these things didn’t need reminding, but it seems you lack self-awareness?

Brother, use your brain! If things really get out of hand and the mob storms the water company, do you think the higher-ups will let you let them in or will they order you to stop them?

During the process of stopping them, if blood is shed or if some patients, unable to afford treatment and brought here demanding money, die, do you think this matter will eventually be pinned on you as the security manager acting on your own?”

“This…”

After hearing Leon’s hypothetical scenario, the security manager’s expression couldn’t help but change slightly, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

“I’m just following the rules, and… this… this may not necessarily escalate, the company may not necessarily…”

“Don’t say ‘this’ and ‘that’ anymore! A company that cuts costs by dumping sewage directly into public water pipes, do you think they care whether you, a manager, live or die?”

Glancing at the extremely unstable soul flame of the other party, judging that his psychological defenses were wavering, Leon abruptly grabbed the security manager’s hand, forcefully stuffing the entire pack of cigarettes into it.

He then slowly closed the security manager’s fingers over the cigarette box one by one, bringing his mouth closer and softly whispering:

“First option, I conduct a serious investigation, and you cooperate fully.

If anything happens afterward, our Public Security Bureau can prepare accordingly and quickly control the situation. You might even earn credit for timely notification and good cooperation.

Second option, you deliberately conceal the water company’s situation, delaying my investigation.

If a big mess occurs later, the bureau loses face, I’ll suffer a severe reprimand, and you’ll end up bearing the blame for triggering a bloody conflict, getting fired from the water company, and rolling your whole family into the slums to scavenge.”

By limiting the other party’s thinking scope through a little rhetoric to either “yes” or “no,” watching the sweating security manager in front of him, Leon, whose heart was pounding wildly, calmly described in a slow tone: “Brother, have you ever been to the slums of the capital? Have you seen how people there survive? If you don’t know, I can tell you, they wear ragged clothes picked up every day, sometimes even wrapping themselves in stolen body blankets from funeral companies.

They fight with crows and stray cats for garbage in trash bins, digging through toxic alchemical waste heaps all day just to find a few scraps of old metal worth half a copper coin.

And every winter, after a heavy snowfall, the piles of garbage collected by the road administration department’s cleaning trucks will have a few frozen skeletons too hard for wild dogs to chew on the next day…

Brother, think carefully. If you choose this path, will you and your family become one of them this year?”

After painting a beautiful future for the security manager, seeing the soul spewing towering black flames, Leon judged the timing was right and suddenly withdrew his hand, stepping back significantly.

“Wait! Wait!”

The gray-white defense line in the security manager’s soul, which was already thinner than an eggshell, was completely burned through by the surging black flames below.

Leon’s unexpected sudden retreat felt like removing the last barrier between him and the slums. The pale-faced security manager instinctively followed, tightly grabbing Leon’s arm and stammered: “You… I can take you to some… less important places, but you mustn’t betray me! If you betray me, I… I… I…”

“Hehe, you can completely rest assured about this.”

After observing the state of the other party’s soul again, confirming that he had completely “broken down,” Leon, whose heart was racing at 160 beats per minute but appeared calm as an old dog on the surface, smiled and directly countered:

“Do you think betraying you, a security manager, benefits me in any way?

To let you cut me down in revenge? To let the higher-ups know I obtained information through improper means? Or to make it easier for the water company to accuse me of stealing secrets?

Relax, I’m no fool. This kind of thing that brings absolutely no benefit and is full of trouble, why would I do it?”

“You… you…”

Looking at the young man smiling warmly in front of him, the security manager felt his vision blur slightly, as if he saw two sharp horns wreathed in black mist sprouting from the young demon’s head.

Shuddering violently, he dared not look at this seemingly amiable young demon anymore, hastily turning his head, slightly hunching his back, and leading Leon toward the archive room.

‘Tsk tsk tsk… resentment, betrayal, jealousy, fear… you kid, you’re something else!’

Looking at the security manager’s soul almost scorched black, the Black Goat couldn’t help but widen his eyes and marvel in Leon’s mind:

‘It’s just a few words from you, and his soul is already blackened! You… could it be you have another anomalous item? But we didn’t sense anything!’

‘This isn’t the effect of an anomalous item; it’s the result of observation and judgment.’

Taking out a small bottle of pre-prepared cheap liquor from the shopping bag containing the sheep’s head, Leon forced himself to swallow a big gulp despite its awful smell, activating the “Martyr of Wine” badge. Feeling the gradually dissipating fear and tension in his heart, he pressed his hand against the Black Goat’s forehead and calmly explained: ‘Emma Senior told me, no matter the situation, never ignore the importance of intelligence. Careful observation, calm thinking, and cautious judgment—these are the reasons she could stay safe in the Clearing Bureau for six years.

Before entering, I specifically observed the injuries of those protesting people, noticing they were all aimed at fleshy parts, indicating that the security personnel were instructed to control the force, and the person most likely to do this would be the security manager, who is most likely to be abandoned after a serious incident.

From this, I realized that although he is part of the water company, his interests are not entirely aligned with the company. By focusing on attacking what he fears, separating his interests from the water company, we can turn him into our helper.’

Good job… leaving those aside, have you already learned to communicate through souls? You kid sure are a natural demon!

Sensing the intent conveyed through his fingers to his soul, the Black Goat was slightly envious of Leon’s “demon” talent and couldn’t help but argue:

‘Just guessing, right? How did you know he wasn’t lenient out of kindness, instructing them to go easy? And how did you know what he feared?’

‘If he were kind-hearted, he wouldn’t have personally participated, and after achieving the goal of driving people away from the gate, he would have continued chasing and beating unarmed people with weapons.

As for what he fears… his collar is clean, his pants crease neat, there’s a family portrait in the frame on his desk, and there’s a polo stick in the corner, clearly showing he’s a stable-living, happy-family type who has the energy to pursue his hobbies.’

Recalling the man who embraced his wife and children in the family portrait, smiling warmly, and the protesters beaten severely in the alley, Leon shook his head with a complex expression and continued summarizing: ‘What this kind of person fears most is generally the disruption of peaceful, stable days and the fall in social status.

So, as long as I connect the consequences of not cooperating with me to these things and keep interrupting his speech, giving him no time to think, he will naturally give in bit by bit.’

‘…’

Shit! You kid really are… compared to you, I feel like I’m a fake demon! After thinking with my not-so-bright brain and finding no obvious flaws, the Black Goat couldn’t help but sigh dejectedly, feeling like being a demon was wasted on him. But soon, he brightened up again, eagerly begging with a beaming face:

‘Hey Leon! When you sell him out later, can you bring me along? Haha, succumbing to the demon’s temptation due to one’s own weakness and cowardice, being cast down from a stable life to hell… that’s truly interesting! I’m starting to admire you more and more!’

“…”

‘Why aren’t you saying anything?’

Waiting for a long time without Leon’s response, the Black Goat couldn’t help but pause, then became furious: ‘You’re not letting your heart soften because he has a wife and kids, are you? Damn it! Can you be clearer? He’s a lapdog of the water company! Leading people to beat those seeking compensation!

Kid! Aren’t you thinking about punishing evil and promoting good? Then just go for it! After investigating the problems of the water company, report him harshly!

Then step on his head with your shoe sole, tell him arrogantly why you did it, and let him taste despair in his earthly hell!’

“…”

‘Let’s see the situation first…’

Shaking his head slightly, Leon sighed: ‘Can’t you see his soul too? Although he’s not a kind-hearted person, his dark side is not much greater than the average person, basically fluctuating at the same level, and there’s even a hint of warmth.

If we later find out he did many dirty things for the water company, when it’s time to sell him out, I won’t hesitate. But destroying his life and his family’s without even knowing his name seems a bit rash… What’s wrong with you?!’

Seeing the sudden surge of dark flames in the soul vision, sensing the intense desire rising from the depths of the Black Goat’s soul, Leon was about to ask, but his mind suddenly echoed with the Black Goat’s frantic scream: ‘Heart! My heart!’

‘Who cares about being rash or not? Hurry up and turn back! Someone touched my heart in that room we passed just now!’ (End of Chapter)