A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 303 Dark Clouds Loom Over the City (Part 2)

“We call him ‘Professor’.”

Inside the Mirror Lake Restaurant, thick cigar smoke swirls around, raindrops fall outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a vast mist descends from the dark clouds, making Mirror Lake appear to merge with the sky in the rain.

"I don't know his name, his age, or even his gender. All I know is that the professor is from Grindelwald. Of course, 'professor' is just a title; whether he is actually a professor at Grindelwald is unknown. Perhaps he is just a teaching assistant like you, or maybe he is a teacher or a leader."

"His story begins thirty years ago."

A deep sense of apprehension surfaced in Ike's eyes.

“You’re right. Of course, a small-time gangster like me who makes a living on the streets wouldn’t know anything about the academy’s top-secret experiments. But I do know that thirty years ago, the underworld structure in Eswell wasn’t like it is today.”

Quinn didn't look at him; the atmosphere was tense.

But as soon as Ike said it, he understood what he meant.

The gangster structure in Aiswell was not always like this.

Whether it's the Golden Wind, which has risen rapidly in recent years, the Razor Gang, founded by imperial fugitives, or the White Bandits, these three major gangs have short histories. Compared to the criminal organizations in other countries of the Southern Continent that have been passed down for more than ten generations, they are as young as infants.

Westwell has the highest population density in the Southern Continent, and its population consists of a large number of refugees, poor people, political prisoners, orcs and undocumented immigrants. Their beliefs are complex and their education level is extremely low, which makes the government have no desire to govern it. However, Westwell also has a large number of factories, and its economy is extremely prosperous because it is attached to Eastwell. This should be the most suitable natural fertile ground for the development of the underworld.

However, for some reason, apart from the original three major gangs, the rest were just some small forces that occupied the streets, none of which had a long history.

"Isn't it strange? Whether it's the Razor Gang's business of buying lives, the White Bandits' drug trafficking and loan sharking, or our casinos or smuggling, these businesses were all untapped markets before we entered the scene. It's not that no one was doing it, but that the old gangs that used to be entrenched in Eswell were all destroyed."

Ike narrowed his eyes, tilted his head back to look at the rain, as if he were about to swallow a cigarette.

"Borner, my deputy, you know him, right?"

Quinn gave a cold laugh.

“He was here at the time, talking to me about Star Flower in the private room downstairs. I asked him if the ‘medicine’ made by Golden Wind had any side effects, and he said no.”

Ike remained noncommittal and continued on his own: "Borner is an old hand in the underworld, very capable. Back in the day, he raised his flag two streets away from Woodcutter Lane, with about a hundred men under his command, but they all later joined the Golden Wind. When he was young, he used to hang out with the 'Birmingham Boys'."

Quinn had never heard of that name.

But he knew that Birmingham was a major city in Ron, equivalent in status to Riversea or New York, and was the trading center of the Kingdom of Ron.

"The Birmingham Boys have been entrenched in Eswell for over five hundred years, backed by Ron and protected by members of parliament. They share Eswell with British gangsters. You can tell from the factory layout that the British and Ron businesses are located in different blocks, blocks that have been clearly divided over the past few centuries."

"Golden Wind is nothing compared to them. The Birmingham Boys' business extended to the Western Continent. Their human trafficking and arms trade even influenced the war situation in the Western Continent. Such a large gang was wiped out overnight thirty years ago. You can probably guess who did it."

A strange light flashed in Quinn's eyes.

Without a doubt, only the Academy has this capability in Eswell.

Grindelwald is no benevolent educational institution. The academy was established to train arcane mages for the war against demons. During wartime, the administration office can directly become the battlefield command center, and wiping out a gang is as easy as using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

However, the academy usually only shows its cold-blooded and cruel side when facing demons. It is usually more gentle and cautious when dealing with ordinary mysterious events, not to mention criminal issues of ordinary gangs.

Even in this year's jewelry store case involving artificial circuits, after interrogating the exiled government officials, the college still handed them over to the city court and sent them to the execution ground according to legal procedures.

"Nobody knows what happened that night thirty years ago. But I can tell you, it's all gone."

Ike slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"The entire middle and upper echelons of the Birmingham Boys, the middle and upper echelons of the British mafia, vanished overnight. Not only them, but also the relatives and friends of some of them, enjoyed the most peaceful and tranquil morning in centuries. The thugs who had entrenched themselves on the streets were gone, no one was collecting protection money from the merchants anymore, and all the stolen goods and merchandise piled up in the mafia warehouses had disappeared."

Quinn understood immediately upon hearing this.

The Academy is probably looking for something, and the Sewell gang is connected to what the Academy is searching for, and that thing is so dangerous that everyone who has come into contact with it must be eliminated.

Thirty years ago, according to Ankuya, was precisely the time when the artificial circuit experiment was abruptly halted.

The reason for stopping the experiment was strange—"Starlight," as an inhibitor, is addictive and long-term use will cause "irreversible damage" to the mind, so the experiment was stopped.

Judging from the outcome, this reasoning is somewhat untenable. Addiction and psychological damage have never been problems for arcane magic; there are too many ways to deal with them, not to mention that the formula can be gradually modified to balance the effects of starlight.

unless
No matter how it's mixed, as long as the main ingredient is still Star Flower, it will inevitably lead people to see that "starry sky" called Kesiupozu.

Quinn felt a chill run down his spine, but he was almost certain that the truth behind the termination of the artificial arcane circuit experiment was pretty much what he had guessed.

"Borner did well in the Birmingham Boys. He was good at networking, adaptable, and fearless in knife fights. He even traded his contributions for a supernatural potion from the gang. But he was black, and the Birmingham Boys were ultimately a white-dominated gang. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't climb into the upper echelons. In the end, he escaped because of his skin color."

"He learned during a drinking session with the Birmingham Boys' higher-ups that the gang had taken on a big job: transporting a batch of arcane equipment to the Northern Continent—a so-called workshop relocation. Back then, there were no airship catapults, nor was there the Misty Sea; the only way to reach the Empire was by ocean-going ships crossing the seas. They needed to get the goods to the nearest port first."

Ike sneered.

"I just told you what happened next. Those audacious gangsters vanished overnight. Everyone who handled the goods—from the leaders to the prostitutes in the henchmen's beds, even the dogs guarding the warehouse—disappeared."

Quinn finally spoke: "Is this why the Golden Wind doesn't touch arcane artifacts?"

"Because they really could lose their heads. Those people have members of parliament protecting them, and all the businesses they run are owned by their own country's nobles. They can even sometimes handle royal treasures. Whether it's Ron or Britain, they didn't dare to utter a word after that night, pretending nothing happened. Is Golden Wind more powerful than them? Impossible."

"Those experimental artifacts are related to artificial arcane circuits?"

Quinn had already guessed, so his tone was particularly sarcastic: "Then you're much bolder than them. Knowing it's taboo in the academy, you still dare to get Starflowers out there, and even sell Starlight in the city?"

For some reason, Ike's expression suddenly turned extremely resentful.

Just like the catfish demon who was ordered by his boss to "go kill Tang Sanzang," he was unwilling and helpless, knowing full well that there was a tiger in the mountain, but pretending to be Wu Song to cross the hill.

His resentful expression only lasted for a moment; he took a puff of his cigar and quickly regained his composure. "That's all for the sacred artifact. Once I sell it, I'll be set for life."

"Tsk, you're lucky to have the life to enjoy it?" Quinn scoffed.

"This matter was originally just a secret of the underworld. For more than ten years after that, no large gangs entered Aiswell, probably because they were all wary of the academy. Most of the ruthless people in the underworld also died. It wasn't until the White Gang consolidated its business that the underworld became what it is today."

“Until three years ago—an old man approached me. He was a major shareholder of Xijin Bank. Perhaps he knew that my parents were from Yangen and asked me if I was interested in serving my country.”

Ike spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm, which was mixed with blood.

The curse he suffered was probably not limited to his skin; his internal organs were also wrecked.

"Of course not. What does Yangen's restoration have to do with me?" he said with disgust.

“But I’m envious of that guy’s circle. You know, Western Continent people are considered inferior in Eswell. Even if you pay the same bribe, those bureaucrats will trust the White Bandits or the Razor Gang more than us, the Golden Wind. I need a springboard to help me prove our capabilities.”

"The heads of the government-in-exile in Engelgen have been deeply entrenched in Eswell for many years, possessing extensive connections in both government and business circles. I needed those connections, so I infiltrated their ranks—"

"How did you sneak in?" Quinn asked.

"That's easy. I bought some Yengeon medals on the black market, claimed they were my parents', sang the Yengeon national anthem loudly at a social dinner, and knelt down and wept bitterly when I saw the portrait of the late King of Yengeon."

Quinn thought to himself, "You deserve it."

"In short, I met the 'professor' one day last May."

"He asked me to help him sell Starlight Potions—to some important people in the city."

"You agreed?" Quinn stared at him.

Ike shrugged.

“Those medicines weren’t worth much. But the buyers were different. They included almost all the bigwigs in the city, and even some high-ranking officials from Britain and Ron. By selling medicines, I monopolized the black market smuggling business.”

"That's good." Quinn finally understood why Ike was so determined to protect the Yangen government-in-exile.

Sure enough, what he said next confirmed Quinn's suspicions.

"After selling a few times, the professor came clean with me—he told me what happened in Seawell thirty years ago."

"He claimed to be in charge of a forbidden experiment at the academy, and after the academy stopped the experiment, he actually planned to leave the academy and complete the experiment on his own—yes, the artificial arcane circuit experiment."

"He wanted to move Grindelwald's workshop, including all the materials related to his experiments. The gangsters took on this task, but somehow their plan was exposed, and the Academy found out and wiped them all out. The experimental materials and arcane equipment were confiscated, and the professor himself nearly died."

"What do you mean by almost dying?" Quinn asked, frowning.

If that's the case, the school administration must be in charge of the operation. Given Hermès's methods, so many gangsters are dead; the professor who violated the rules couldn't possibly still be alive.

"I don't know how he survived. Anyway, when I saw him, the professor had signed a contract with the government-in-exile in Engen and was working for the government-in-exile. He was still conducting research on artificial arcane circuits. There was no turning back for me, including Golden Wind. Once the Academy finds out that we were involved in Starlight Trading, there will be no room for explanation."

Ike's dark face exuded a carefree attitude, as if life and death were preordained and wealth and honor were ordained by fate.

He looked at Quinn: "The good news is, you're on this ship of no return too."

Surprisingly, Quinn did not fly into a rage or show any resentment as Ike had expected. Instead, he calmly took a sip of tea, as if he were quite used to such bad luck.

"Well, that's good news. Any bad news?" Quinn asked after finishing his tea.

“Yes.” Ike nodded. “Although it has been delayed time and again, the artificial circuit experiment is nearing completion. It’s a stable, high-quality arcane circuit that is not prone to overload and has less stringent material requirements. He is currently building the first prototype. Once it is successfully verified, my cooperation with the government-in-exile in Engen will come to an end.”

“I will take the sacred artifacts, and they can go back and establish their own country.”

“You mean,” Quinn said, both amused and exasperated, “that you can live the life of a billionaire by relying on the sacred artifacts of Jiangnan, and then sit back and watch as a bunch of soldiers equipped with artificial arcane circuits emerge on the battlefield of the Western Continent while the Academy remains indifferent, and you can still sleep soundly, is that it?”

Ike's lips curled up.

The boy who scavenged rotten flesh from a pile of corpses once had that same look in his eyes, like the chilling wind blowing through a winter's desolation amidst a heap of corpses.

"Gangs have their own way of doing things. I'm never threatened that if they can't leave Ashwell, they can just sleep soundly, right?"

Quinn chuckled. "So, boss, if you tell me all this, are you going to take me down with you?"

"How could that be?" Ike held the cigar between his fingers and said sincerely, "You are my dearest friend, my brother. Hahaha, hahahahaha—"

Quinn laughed along, and the joyful atmosphere filled the private room once again.

After laughing, Ike said, "Actually, you don't need to worry at all."

"Most of the drugs sold are used as aphrodisiacs. The concentration has been diluted a lot, so they are almost not addictive. So far, no one has had any problems. Think about it, given their status, if anything happened, the academy would have found out long ago."

“I have a question,” Quinn asked, stroking his chin. “You said you were ‘helping him continue selling.’ So who was selling Starlight before you? And where did the raw materials come from?”

"I don't know. Anyway, it wasn't those people from the government-in-exile. As for materials, the academy probably still has some raw materials that weren't completely collected back then."

Quinn nodded slightly.

Looks like there's still stock left.

"Some more time is needed before the experiment is completely finished."

“No,” Quinn said calmly, “That’s all. We won’t sell them anymore.”

(End of this chapter)