"Then, this operation to capture the Ghost Freight Truck can begin."
Seeing that the commission issued through Special Assistant Xu had proceeded so smoothly, Han Su felt a pleasant surprise and, wasting no time, directly notified Doctor, Hei Hu, and Miss Crow to prepare for a meeting. As he left the meeting hall, he brought Xu Ji along as well.
He told him solemnly, "You’ve been requisitioned."
Just now, they had gone to the study without bringing Xu Ji, leaving him agitated and scratching his head, fearing that Special Assistant Xu had once again played some underhanded trick to ruin his opportunity.
Now, seeing that Han Su was willing to bring him along, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "I knew it!"
"A true brother always includes me in good things!"
"What do you need me for? Just say the word. As long as it doesn’t require me to sacrifice myself, I’m good with anything else!"
Han Su frowned and said, "Seems like in my plan, your only role is to sacrifice yourself."
Han Su felt a shiver of disgust and pushed him away: "Get lost. Stay away from me. Even if I’m taking you along this time, keep your distance!"
"I’m a professional. Since I took your family’s money, I’ll do my job for your family!"
Xu Ji immediately turned and shot a glare at Special Assistant Xu, then excitedly handed over his car keys.
However, Han Su thought of the nearly-nude anime girl on the front of that car and rejected it with disdain, requesting Special Assistant Xu to arrange another vehicle.
Han Su brought Xu Ji to the café where he had arranged to meet with Doctor and the others, but only allowed Xu Ji to wait outside.
After all, he and Doctor and the rest were Execution Members of the Disaster Management Bureau, and internal meetings couldn’t be attended by outsiders.
Of course, to prevent Xu Ji from feeling excluded, he was specially allowed to pay the bill.
"I’ve already submitted the task application to Miss Ai."
Doctor was always punctual, Hei Hu never delayed others because of personal issues, and Miss Crow was exceptionally enthusiastic about this operation. So by the time Han Su arrived, the three were already in place.
They had assumed it was just a second round of discussion. Hearing Han Su say this, they were all a bit surprised: "So sudden? Everything’s ready?"
Han Su countered, "What about the tasks I asked you to prepare? How are those coming along?"
Doctor frowned and shook his head. "I’ve already put together a detailed blockade plan, selected a suitable location, calculated the personnel requirements, and even roughly estimated the minimum force needed to handle that grotesque."
Han Su looked over the contents on the tablet and was somewhat surprised.
He knew that Doctor would do a thorough job when asked, but didn’t expect him to go this far.
Doctor only had data on the Ghost Freight Truck, failed past operations by the Disaster Management Bureau, and the Investigator’s Operational Code.
In terms of clearance, he wasn’t even as high-ranked as Han Su.
But with just that information, he had accounted for every detail in the mission.
In a way, what Doctor had presented was already a well-developed proposal—just a bit of formatting and it could serve as a draft for an official report...
Looking at it, Han Su even felt slightly tempted:
Once he became an Investigator, could he invite Doctor to be his assistant?
But that thought quickly faded. Not a good idea...
This was the same guy who, upon realizing the Disaster Management Bureau’s promotion track was limited, started considering if mass Investigator deaths might be a solution...
If he became Han Su’s assistant, who knew if he’d start plotting a coup?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Han Su turned and asked, "What about Miss Crow?"
Beside him, Miss Crow looked a bit troubled, with a sense of guilt for not fulfilling her entrusted task. She spoke softly, "I asked my aunt about the blockade personnel. She said according to the Disaster Management Bureau’s regulations, you’re only allowed to deploy a limited number of Execution Members at your current level."
"But trying to seal off a grotesque of the Ghost Freight Truck’s caliber using only Execution Members is almost impossible."
"In theory, anyone trained in Mysterious Power and capable of reciting the fifth spell of the Zero Sequence could serve in such a blockade position. But in practice, it just doesn’t work."
"To succeed, we’d need other Investigators to volunteer their help. But since the Ghost Freight Truck incident has become your personal task, those Investigators won’t easily agree to assist."
"Unless... substantial money and rewards are prepared in advance."
"Of course, my aunt said she could front the money for you and even personally lend a hand, but she... she won’t help for free. You’d have to agree to one condition first."
At this point, Miss Crow seemed conflicted, clearly disliking her role as a messenger.
Han Su merely smiled and asked, "What condition?"
Miss Crow shook her head, pulled out her phone, and handed it over. "My aunt didn’t say. She just asked you to trust her. It’s a condition that would benefit you as well. She’s a friend of Chief Zhang, so she won’t do anything to harm you..."
Miss Crow relayed the message with difficulty: "Think it over before calling her."
"She’s very busy. If you haven’t made up your mind, don’t bother her."
Even through Miss Crow’s retelling, Han Su could almost envision the high-handed attitude of the Red Trench Coat woman.
As if bestowing a favor, she offered him a chance—provided he agreed to their terms...
Han Su shook his head. He had asked Miss Crow to inquire simply because he had no other way and wanted to see what terms the Red Trench Coat woman would offer. Now, it was clear: she had been waiting for him to make a request, so she could name her condition.
But now that it had come to this, there was no longer any need for polite pretense.
With a cold expression, he said directly, "Since she’s so busy, let’s not disturb her. We’ll handle it ourselves."
He knew full well that his issuing of the commission through Special Assistant Xu likely hadn’t escaped the Disaster Management Bureau’s notice.
Perhaps the Red Trench Coat woman had already guessed, and Miss Crow simply hadn’t received any notification or orders from her yet.
"Handle it ourselves?"
That sentence left Doctor and Miss Crow both visibly stunned.
Hei Hu was eating dessert.
Han Su nodded and said, "I don’t plan to assign too many people to the blockade. Three will suffice."
"I’ll submit an application to Miss Ai, granting you temporary permission to use Zero Sequence Spell No. 3."
"Though Doctor and Brother Hei Hu haven’t undergone Mysterious Power Training, as long as the Ghost Freight Truck appears and Mysterious Power manifests in the area, it should still work, right?"
"My mentor, Mr. Strange Bird, used this method. So of course, I can learn from it too."
The room fell silent.
This was a grotesque that even six senior Execution Members had failed to block before—and now he wanted three rookies to take the blockade positions?
Was Han Su’s logic valid in theory? Absolutely.
Taking on three rookies, even taking none, was not uncommon.
The Legendary Investigator who had sealed the Ghost Freight Truck before had walked out alone with a suitcase and a cigarette, taking just ten minutes to seal it on Highway 59.
"If you trust me, then take on this blockade task."
Han Su didn’t elaborate, he only said, "If you don’t trust me, it’s fine to walk away. I’ll do my best to make sure that truck doesn’t charge through the blockade."
Hei Hu slowly raised his head. "Where are the blockade positions?"
Doctor couldn’t help but glance at him. "You’re really betting your life on his promise?"
Hei Hu furrowed his brow. "I survived the battlefield by trusting my comrades. Betting my life on their promises—isn’t that the norm?"
Doctor retorted, "But what if your comrade is unreliable?"
Hei Hu looked genuinely confused. "Why would I treat someone unreliable as a comrade?"
Doctor was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at Han Su, dozens of questions flashing through his mind, quickly countered by hundreds of self-generated answers. Then, looking into Han Su’s eyes, he suddenly understood, nodded, and said, "Alright!"
‘If someone’s being sent to do something clearly beyond their capabilities, they’re either cannon fodder or destined to win by default.’
‘I’ve proven my value. There’s no reason for the Butcher to send me in as cannon fodder.’
Miss Crow was far more anxious and worried. "But you... even if we can block it, you’re planning to face the Ghost Freight Truck alone?"
Han Su nodded. "There’s only one Investigator license, so of course I’ll face it alone."
"As for the rest, you don’t need to worry."
As he slowly stood up, he pulled out his phone and submitted the application to Miss Ai, smiling. "Everything’s arranged. We just need to make sure everything looks reasonable in the task report and write it up nicely." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI~Fire.net
Miss Crow still looked uneasy. "But this is too difficult, you..."
Han Su interrupted her with a smile. "Didn’t I say before? I’ve got some connections and backing too."
Miss Crow looked up at him, utterly dazed.
Doctor, on the other hand, looked vaguely impressed. Supporting his glasses with his middle finger, he silently admired: ‘Now this is how someone with connections ought to behave...’
"So, when exactly does the operation begin?"
Han Su turned to the three of them, smiled, and said, "Tonight. We leave now!"
Just as Miss Crow and the others each revealed expressions of shock, joy, or matter-of-fact acceptance, Han Su’s phone chimed with a "ding"—Miss Ai’s reply had arrived:
[C+ Level grotesque Ghost Freight Truck capture request approved. Ritual setup and special weapon Nail of the Dead Sea deployment permissions will be delivered to the designated location shortly!]
[Best of luck, dear Mr. Butcher!]
[Kind reminder: If the task can be completed, please make sure to protect your own safety!]