The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

After all that, it turned out to be such a huge blunder.

It seems the police are likely investigating Joseph and have obviously been watching him for a while. Then, Sheriff Evans personally went undercover to scout the location and set up a sting operation.

This was the most reasonable explanation he could think of at the moment.

Charlotte reacted even faster, almost instantly suppressing her hostility, placing her hands elegantly on her skirt, and then giving a standard ladylike smile.

"Good afternoon, Sheriff. What a coincidence to meet you here."

skillful?

Is it a coincidence? How is it a coincidence?

Evans's lips twitched, his gaze falling on the bewildered Morian. Morian had figured out the cause and effect, but he hadn't had time to find a suitable opening line, and could only give an awkward but polite smile.

“That’s right, Sheriff Evans,” Mori said, regaining his composure and explaining calmly, “we are also investigating Joseph, and the leads from different sources all point to him having a deal here.”

He didn't mention words like "evil god ritual" because such information was too advanced for an ordinary police officer. Even if he revealed it without reservation, the police, without extraordinary powers, would find it difficult to stop the situation and might even put them in danger.

Evans raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Morian's face for a moment, as if trying to discern the truth of his words.

After a few seconds of consideration, he finally spoke cautiously: "We also received intelligence that Joseph will be in the dock area at four o'clock for a transaction involving contraband."

"That's why the police set up an ambush, with me personally disguising myself as Joseph to try and lure out the real buyer."

But who would have thought that these two guys would appear before them?

After saying that, Evans rolled up his work clothes sleeve and looked at the time displayed on his watch.

"It's been five minutes past the trading time... but apart from the three of us, we didn't see any other suspicious people on site."

It feels a bit out of place.

If both sides' information is accurate, then at least one of them should be present by now, whether it's Joseph as the seller or the mysterious buyer.

However, this heavy cargo area was deserted, with only the mechanical sounds of cranes operating.

"The deal was canceled? Or were we discovered?" Sheriff Evans asked in a deep voice.

"It's possible they've moved to a different location." Morian quickened his pace. "Joseph has another negotiation this afternoon, with the factory owner Tanguy, right on the dockside."

"Damn it! Let's go!" Sheriff Evans cursed and turned to walk quickly toward the gate.

Morian and Charlotte exchanged a glance, and Morian followed suit.

As soon as I stepped out of the gate, several plainclothes police officers surrounded me from their hiding places. They had obviously been staking out outside for a long time.

They will rush in and arrest the suspect at any time if a signal or gunshot is heard from inside.

Seeing their boss hurriedly walk out with a man and a woman, everyone looked puzzled.

"Joseph didn't come to the deal; he's probably at the negotiation site," Evans explained with a dark expression, immediately ordering several of his men to follow him to the negotiation location.

The officers' disciplined training allowed them to act immediately, even though they didn't understand what was going on, and the group continued on their way without stopping.

From the heavy cargo area to the dock, it is necessary to cross most of the dock operation area. Although the distance is not far, the containers and debris piled up everywhere along the way seriously affect the speed of travel. They have to take detours from time to time to avoid such a chaotic layout.

Five minutes later, they approached the negotiation site.

This area is located on the west bank of the pier. In front of us is a wide open space where at least a hundred people have gathered, all focused on the center of the open space.

The workers formed a circle, most of them wearing dark overalls. Many of them had temporarily stopped their work to come and witness the negotiations. In the center of the circle was a makeshift platform made of several thick wooden planks, with a wooden table on each side, where two people stood.

On the left is a slightly overweight man, around forty years old, with thinning hair, wearing a worn-out work uniform, who is attentively listening to the person opposite him.

It was Joseph.

At least... it looks like it's Joseph.

The man opposite him was tall and thin, wearing a well-fitting suit. Every time he spoke, he would be met with boos from the audience. He was undoubtedly Don Quixote, the factory owner who was despised by the workers.

Everything seemed normal, nothing unusual happened. In fact, among the crowd of onlookers in front of the platform, Morian even saw two familiar faces: Charlie and Ham, who had been interviewed at the tavern a few hours earlier.

Joseph actually came to negotiate? Was my judgment wrong, and that transaction record was just a smokescreen?!

Morian carefully observed his surroundings. The negotiations had been going on for some time, and now it was Tanguy's turn to speak.

Instead of directly admitting whether the cost statements were falsified, Tang Ji cleverly steered the conversation toward worker treatment.

"I promise that starting next month, everyone's original salary standards will be restored," Tang Ji's voice amplified through a tin megaphone, echoing across the empty shore. "At least the issue of unpaid wages will still take some time, but I guarantee it will be resolved within the next two months!"

An even louder booing erupted from the audience, with some shouting insults. Had it not been for the patrolling security guards maintaining order, some workers would likely have already resorted to physical means.

Next up was Joseph, who stepped forward, raised a megaphone, and protested in a loud voice.

For some reason, Morian felt a deep sense of unease and unease creeping into his heart.

He watched the two sides argue quietly, and suddenly noticed a hidden but fatal detail.

Inside the obese body of "Joseph" on the podium, some kind of energy was rapidly rising and increasing; it was neither the breath of life nor the pulse of flesh and blood!

Anyone with a sense of spiritual energy could vaguely perceive that Joseph was surrounded by extremely unnatural spiritual energy fluctuations, as if the person on the stage was not a living human body, but a mannequin made of spiritual energy.

At this moment, the spiritual structure of this "dummy" system is gradually collapsing, just like the internal parts of an overloaded machine breaking down.

"Something's not right," Morian said to Charlotte beside him in a low voice, turning his head.

The girl's expression was equally grave, her eyes fixed on Joseph on the platform: "You mean that fluctuation of spiritual energy, right?"

"What's wrong?" Sheriff Evans paused briefly.

His gaze followed theirs to the platform, and he belatedly asked, "You mean Joseph is acting strange?"

Although the police originally intended to arrest Joseph, negotiations are currently underway, and hundreds of agitated workers have gathered at the scene.

The other party has not yet shown any obvious criminal suspicion, so there is no reason to step forward and forcibly interrupt the negotiations. Doing so would be seen as the police intervening to smooth things over, which could potentially cause a larger disturbance.

Just then, Joseph's speech seemed to reach its climax.

He raised his right arm high and clenched his fist, his impassioned voice amplified through the loudspeaker.

"We just want our fair share of pay! And the most basic dignity of being a worker!"

"Instead of your empty promises that may never be fulfilled, or even ever be kept!"

The workers erupted in enthusiastic cheers, and the scene reached its peak of excitement.

However, Morian paid no attention to any of this; his focus was entirely on "Joseph," whose spiritual energy had reached a critical point in his perception.