New Gods of North America.

Chapter 692 Connection Methods
The guy caught on the first floor was indeed a low-level henchman.
However, being a henchman has its advantages; he knows what things should never be mentioned, but he doesn't realize that some details are actually more important.

For example, when Wayne wanted to confirm who he was working for, he refused to say a word about it.

But after Sanders lifted him up by the back of his collar like a kitten, he admitted that a short man had been there that night.

After all, even for gang members, the chance of being attacked and blown up by a group of people with long guns in the middle of the night is probably not very high.

Even a normal person would be stunned for half a day if they encountered such a scene once, and there is a limit to how stubborn the henchmen are.

Wayne had considered promoting character sketching within the detective agency, but unfortunately, some of the agents needed extra lessons in literacy, let alone artistic skills.

In theory, Wayne should have had the opportunity to explore painting from a young age, but thanks to Uncle Torben, almost all academic classes were replaced by physical education classes. Compared to children from similar backgrounds in the South, Wayne could only be described as "without reading difficulties".

Fortunately, Wayne and Sanders had personally met the "shorty" in person, and some of his expressions, gestures, and physical characteristics matched immediately.
Then ask the monks in the cathedral if they have any existing portraits, bring them over for confirmation, and that will complete this part of the chain.

Jason Wohrtz did come here tonight, and it sounds like he wasn't looking for the guy upstairs.

There must have been other people there as well, and they were actually of a higher status than the guy upstairs.

In any case, both this thug and the guy upstairs now meet the criteria for arrest. Getting them released on bail from the police station will be difficult, and they'll probably have to go to the cathedral to get them released.
There shouldn't be any major fighting here tonight. After Brother Ma was tied up, most of the agents left in batches, leaving the scene to the church monks. Some went back to continue patrolling and keeping an eye on the gang, while others followed Inessa down the direction the intelligence team had given them, trying to track down the little guy's whereabouts.

Wayne and two or three others stayed behind as a show, waiting for Brother Merlin and the others upstairs to finish.

Half an hour later, the news they got was obviously not good. After that guy was taken down, he was put into the carriage along with the henchmen.

Before leaving, Brother Merlin sighed slightly: "Jason's escape is more complicated than we thought. There are some things I need to confirm back at the cathedral before I can tell you."

Wayne has become quite astute in this regard. The docklands are teeming with gangs, big and small, all backed by powerful figures. The fact that a Rank 7 Extraordinary escaped from the monastery and is now helping to silence him is hardly a coincidence.
He didn't even really want to follow up. Anyway, the cathedral arrested the man, so if there was anything else, he should go to the cathedral. The detective agency had a lot of things to do right now. Trying to catch that white-masked guy was enough. He didn't want to be associated with anything else.

“I understand. If there are any new developments during this time, we will keep each other informed when you return.”

So Merlin had barely left when Wayne boarded the carriage.
Sanders dropped off the two agents halfway there, and then followed instructions to go with Wayne to the Mongoose Gang's branch.

……

As a legitimate client of this group of meerkats, Wayne had a legitimate reason for coming over at this time.

The informants who witnessed the event at the time had firsthand information; further questioning might yield more clues.
Moreover, he essentially helped the detective agency drag the cathedral into the mess. Whatever the people behind it wanted to do, the result was that they were disrupting the situation in the dock area. Now that Brother Merlin is leading the way, what will ultimately be reduced is the external interference in the dock area.

A good life should be rewarded.

When Wayne was led into the room by the "softened" man who had returned earlier, he found a guy shivering in a chair, holding a wine glass in both hands.

Wayne was a little curious. "What happened to him?" The smile on "Soften"'s face almost faltered. "He just found out that there was also a murder at the home of that member of the Sailors Gang tonight. Then he recalled that he was not too close on the road at the time, and he was almost noticed by that 'little guy' twice. After that, things turned out like this."

Well……

Thinking about it this way, the white mask doesn't possess any reconnaissance abilities like her own vision or Inessa's sense of smell, at least not under normal circumstances, and it's not particularly alert either.

Wayne was even more impressed with his informant's find that night. A $10 single-eagle gold coin, which Wayne had been frequently handling lately, was placed on the table and then pushed across it.
"The intelligence you provided this time was very valuable, and the extra portion is an additional reward for you."

As Wayne spoke, he also sat down at the table—not to take the top spot at "Softening," but to sit in the guest's seat—he took a sip of the wine "Softening" had poured for him, "Tell me again from the beginning, in detail what you saw along the way tonight, the more detailed the better."

Gold often proves particularly effective in healing psychological trauma.
The informant from the Mongoose Gang seemed to forget his fear instantly and immediately tried to steal the gold coins.

Before he could get his hands on the gold coin, Wayne switched its position: "Explain the situation first, otherwise it might turn into a different color."

The guy withdrew his hand somewhat sheepishly, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards where Wayne might have pockets.
"Soften" tapped the back of his head lightly without leaving a trace: "Mr. Wayne has quite a few men under his command. You should know what happened to those gang members who caused trouble recently."

"Hehe. Sorry, it's just a professional habit." The informant smiled apologetically at "Soften" and Wayne, his hands no longer trembling.

Lina had mentioned the standard for paying informants within the detective agency: under normal circumstances, the fee shouldn't be too low or too high, otherwise it might increase the probability of false information and make the informant team more difficult to manage.

However, occasional large rewards are permissible. Moderate incentives can make informants more perceptive and proactive in certain aspects, gradually recognizing which intelligence is more valuable and worth following up on. But they should not be too generous, otherwise they will easily be seen as inexperienced suckers.

When Wayne talked to Seth about creating a dockside tabloid, he had heard similar things; some newspapers also had their own unspoken rules regarding censorship.
Some reports with specific themes can earn higher fees under the same conditions. When asked, they say it's because of "editor's praise" or "excellent quality," but they don't explicitly state the real reasons. Some journalists will realize the difference and understand how to write in a way that benefits everyone.

After a lengthy explanation and questioning, when the informant tried to leave furtively but was stopped by his companions in the room who demanded he "buy them a drink,"
Wayne already knew Jason Wohrz's complete action plan and his various behaviors along the way.

His actions after committing the crime were not particularly cautious. Although somewhat unexpected, upon closer examination, it makes sense—a "living vengeful spirit" who can teleport is neither fearless nor easy to catch. The fact that he didn't set off with fanfare after leaving home is already considered quite low-key.

Judging from the map, he didn't actually choose the shortest or easiest route. He was looking around as he went, which was different from Wayne's behavior when they last met. It seemed that he was consciously hiding his destination, which is why the informant thought he was bringing information to the Sailors' Gang's secret base.

Considering the church's assessment of his intelligence, overly complex rendezvous methods would be problematic. Even if he himself could understand them, those directing him would likely worry about potential failure.

When Wayne thought of this, he quickly ended the questioning, tossed the gold coin to the other person, and stood up.

That scrap metal shop...

Not only is it highly unlikely to be a "one-off" meeting place between them, but it may even be the "only" one.

(End of this chapter)