Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 297 Lure the Snake
These records show that the brothers in this branch had a very difficult time conducting their investigations.

It's not that Caisablanca has no mysterious rumors, but rather that the rumors here, after going around in circles, always end up with the mafia.

So the colleagues in the branch were completely baffled.

In Casablanca, the mafia's power is clearly greater than the government's. Investigating a mafia branch is more difficult here than investigating an official one. Moreover, it's very difficult for them to conceal their identities. Elsewhere, you might say you enjoy these kinds of mysterious stories and inquire out of curiosity, and that's one thing. But in Casablanca, these rumors are all linked to the mafia, and you're still asking about them? Are you really courting death just to hear these stories?

Ordinary people aren't that stupid, right? Who exactly are you people?

Yes, so you see, it is indeed difficult to find.

However, they did record quite a lot, and through these archives, Li Wei gained some understanding of the current power distribution in Caesarblanca.

Simply put, the city of Cairo is currently ruled by three underground forces.

These are the Durut family, the Beredi family, and the Passman family.

Yeah, pure gangster stuff.

I don't even know if there's a godfather.

The Durut family controls all the hotels, inns, and brothels in Cairo, and they are also in charge of Cairo's politics. It's fair to say that almost everyone in Cairo's political circles has some connection to the Durut family. Simply put, if you're willing to do illegal things for the Durut family, they're willing to put you in power.

Since you've already committed illegal and criminal acts, you're now part of the same group, and there's no way you can betray us anymore.

Through this method, the entire official high-ranking officials of Cairo were almost entirely controlled by the Durut family.

The Barreddy family primarily controlled goods and supplies, dominating commercial trade in Cairo. However, rumors also circulated that the Barreddy family was involved in shady dealings, including arms smuggling and human trafficking. These items were auctioned off at Cairo's underground auctions.

If the Durott and Berry families were mainly responsible for the overt business, then the Passman family were purely the enforcers. Anyone who was detrimental to the gang or caused any obstacles was dealt with by the Passman family.

Logically speaking, gangs should fight amongst themselves, but according to the investigation, although these three families seem to be fighting their own battles, their leaders actually seem to belong to the same mysterious organization.

Although the file did not mention the name of the organization, Li Wei immediately thought of it—Wang Ting.

I never expected that this gang would be so organized, with people in charge of internal affairs, trade, and even military matters.

That completes the set.

Now that he knew about the existence of these three gang families, Li Wei could roughly guess what had happened in the attack on the branch.

The weapons were provided by the Beredi family, the work was carried out by the Passman family, and the Durot family was responsible for the cleanup.

That should be roughly the process. The police chief is very likely someone from the Durot family.

As for who gave the order, that's hard to say. Could it be the royal court?
Logically speaking, this should be the only thing that could get three gangs to act simultaneously.

According to the dates recorded in the archives, before the attack, MI7 was investigating two mysterious rumors related to the three major gangs.

There's a rumor about the Bereddy family's underground auction, where something that only exists in myths and legends is about to appear. What it is is unknown, but according to the rumors, it's something that could be the highlight of the auction.

Another one is related to the Passman family. It is said that some terrifying monsters have recently appeared in the city of Cairo. Some people say that these monsters are actually the Passman family's test subjects. They are conducting experiments to turn people into monsters with superhuman strength. The monsters that appear on the streets at night are the Passman family's test subjects.

They would capture those who resisted them, then subject them to inhumane experiments, and finally turn them into monsters.

Yes, this also aligns with Li Wei's previous speculation about the scene. If this rumor is true, then the traces left by the attack on the editorial department can be used to confirm that the members of the Passman family acted together with the monster.

Clearly, the Pasmann family members entered first, launching a surprise attack that killed half the editorial staff. The remaining staff reacted and began to fight back. So they closed the door and unleashed the hounds… As for why they didn't unleash the hounds immediately, how could they shoot if they unleashed the hounds?

This is getting interesting. What should we do next?
Li Wei thought about it and decided... to lure the snake out of its hole.

Since these guys are so adept at using monsters, they'll definitely be tempted to use the same trick on me when the night is dark and the wind is howling.

Perfect timing, Li Wei can also see what kind of monster it is.

That's it.

After reviewing the file, Li Wei put it back in its original place, then closed the secret room again and used [Shadow Shift] to leave the editorial department once more.

Then, he returned to the hotel, leisurely drank tea and ate desserts, and went back to his room to sleep.

Since we're going to operate at night, we definitely need to get a good night's sleep beforehand.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Wei woke up around midnight. Checking the time, he changed his clothes and left the hotel.

"Sir Levy, where are you headed?"

Upon arriving in the lobby, the receptionist was surprised to see Li Wei and quickly asked him questions.

"I'm going out for a walk."

“But it’s too late now, and it’s not safe outside… Or, if you need someone to accompany you, we can find someone…”

"I heard the night view in Cairo is quite beautiful. I'm going out for a stroll and will be back in a bit."

Li Wei smiled and nodded at the staff member, then turned and left. Watching him leave, the staff member wanted to say something more, but at that moment, her colleague quietly tugged at him and whispered something.

"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Be careful you don't get yourself into trouble!"

“I just think…” “They’re detectives, they might just be out investigating at night. You and I are just hotel receptionists, don’t meddle in other people’s business. If you dare to say another word, you might be replaced here tomorrow.”

Upon hearing her colleague's whispered reminder, the staff member turned pale and fell silent. After a moment, she stood up.

"I'm going to use the restroom."

"Well, go and come back quickly."

Upon hearing her colleague's reply, the staff member left the front desk. However, instead of going to the restroom, she went through the restroom, opened the door to the adjacent storage room, and then went down the stairs. After reaching the bottom of the storage room, the staff member looked around, went to the door of a laundry room, and gently knocked three times.

A moment later, the door opened, and the staff member entered the room. Inside, a laundry worker was working while keeping an eye on her.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Sir Levi has just left the hotel."

"what?"

Upon hearing the staff's report, the laundry worker paused for a moment.

"So late? Is he out of his mind?"

"He said he was going out for a walk... maybe to investigate..."

"………………………"

The laundry worker gritted her teeth and remained silent, while the staff looked at her and whispered something.

"Should we send someone to protect him? What if he gets...?"

"Now is not the time for us to make a move."

The laundry worker shook her head, interrupting the staff member.

“That detective isn’t a fool. Since he went out at night, I think he must have been prepared. Let’s wait and see. If he really does come back alive from the night in Cairo, then it’s not too late to talk to him.”

After saying that, the laundry worker looked at the staff.

"You should go back to your post to avoid arousing suspicion from others."

"yes…………"

The staff member nodded and left the laundry room. Only after the door closed did the laundry worker turn around, stare at the dirty clothes in her hands, and frown.

"This kid's got some nerve, huh. Looks like he has no idea what awaits him in the night in Cairo..."

Li Wei, of course, had no idea what awaited him in the night in Cairo. Right now, he was simply walking with his cane along Cairo's brightly colored streets, a veritable light pollution. Although it was late at night, the streets were still bustling with activity, and everywhere you could see people reeking of alcohol wandering the streets.

There were men and women, young and old, all freely expressing themselves on this neon-lit street. The noise and clamor blended together, making it... truly unpleasant to appreciate.

However, shops that play music all over the streets in modern society aren't much better.

Li Wei looked around and saw that almost both sides of the street were lined with taverns of all kinds. As for what they actually sold inside, that was hard to say. Every now and then, he could see people being thrown out, and others rushing out of the taverns only to be grabbed by burly bodyguards and dragged back inside.

"Help! Help!"

Just as Li Wei was looking around, a woman suddenly darted out from a nearby alley. She was dressed like a streetwalker and looked nervous. When she saw Li Wei, she hurriedly ran over.

"Sir, please help me!"

"What happened?"

Li Wei looked at the woman in front of him and asked her a question, to which she quickly replied.

"My sister is injured. She's trapped under a box in the alley. Please help me save her."

"Okay, take me to see it."

Li Wei withdrew his gaze from the woman and then spoke. Upon hearing Li Wei's reply, the woman's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile.

"Thank you, you're such a kind person! Please come with me."

As she spoke, the woman turned and ran back into the box, while Li Wei, holding his cane, followed behind her at a leisurely pace.

Leaving the bustling streets, the dark alleyways seemed to possess a certain power, isolating them from the noise of the streets. The cacophony of sounds became indistinct the moment Li Wei entered the alley, as if separated by a wall. The woman walked quickly ahead, with Li Wei following behind her.

After turning a few corners, Li Wei indeed saw a girl trapped under a cargo box.

"It's her! Please help me, sir! Save my sister!"

"Okay, don't worry, I'll help."

As Li Wei spoke, he walked over and reached out, trying to lift the cargo box off the girl.

Just then, a huge black shadow suddenly descended from the sky and pounced on Li Wei!

(End of this chapter)