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Jane thought for a moment before replying, "They're fairly wealthy. The Black Panther Syndicate is a mid-sized underground group primarily dealing in arms trafficking. In New Eridu's underworld, that already makes them a major player. For individuals like us, you could say they're… rich."
She paused, studying Sol Mercer carefully. "You're not thinking of taking revenge on them, are you?"
"No, not at all." Sol shook his head quickly, tone serious. "I'm the timid, law-abiding type. How could I ever do something so dangerous?"
Of course, that was a lie. He was interested in the Black Panther Syndicate—partly for the Dennies, but mostly for the sake of New Eridu's citizens and their safety.
Still… saying that out loud in front of a Public Security officer wasn't exactly smart. "Black eating black" wasn't the sort of conversation you had with law enforcement.
Jane chuckled softly. "Ha, you've got a good sense of humor, Mr. Mercer."
She glanced again at the ice sculpture—the frozen remains of a woman who had, moments ago, been strutting around with an Ether bomb strapped to her waist.
Now she was just… gone. Not even the bomb had twitched.
And this man called himself timid? Yeah, right. Even ghosts wouldn't buy that.
"Don't overthink it. I'm serious," Sol said, blinking innocently as he took Anby's hand and started toward the alley exit. "Anyway, we'll be off. Time for dinner."
"Wait a moment, Mr. Mercer!" Jane hurried after them, forcing a bright smile. "If you really are interested in the Black Panther Syndicate, we could cooperate."
"I've been undercover within their ranks for a while, so I know a fair bit about their structure. Working together would save you—well, both of us—a lot of trouble."
Truthfully, it was her who'd be spared trouble.
Sol was a wildcard—if he acted on his own, who knew what chaos he might unleash?
Better to keep him close, where she could monitor him, rather than leave him as an unpredictable element wandering the city.
"Sure," Sol said immediately, turning back to her with zero hesitation. "Let's find a place to discuss this properly."
He already had ways to locate the Black Panther Syndicate—like following Jane, or… following Jane, or maybe following Jane again.
But if they were going to cooperate directly, that made things a lot easier.
Anby and Jane exchanged looks, speechless.
Hadn't he just said he was "timid and afraid of danger"? How did that change so fast?
Sol's transition was smooth as ever: "Although it's extremely dangerous, the Black Panther Syndicate is a serious threat to the safety and property of New Eridu's citizens. Therefore, I've decided to dedicate myself—fearlessly—to eradicating this evil."
As he said, New Eridu didn't need radicals like that—people running around with Ether bombs strapped to their waists.
What if one of those bombs injured an innocent citizen—or worse, one of his lovely companions?
No, this city only had room for one overpowered lunatic, and his name was Sol Mercer.
The Black Panther Syndicate had committed the supreme unpardonable sin of challenging his coolness!
He would invoke the Galactic Justice Act and strip them of all rights!
"Mr. Mercer, your righteousness is awe-inspiring," Jane said with an exaggerated clap, her smile radiant. "Truly admirable. Our cooperation is sure to be a complete success."
She only half-meant it. Maybe one percent of what he said was genuine altruism; the other ninety-nine percent she chalked up to sheer mischief.
Still, she played along politely.
"Shall we find a place to talk, then?"
Sol raised an eyebrow and gestured courteously. "Of course."
"But…" Jane pointed to the nearby ice sculpture. "How do you suggest we deal with that? Is she still alive? And what about the Ether bomb's stability?"
The crystalized bomb inside still glimmered faintly, and no one could tell what might happen once the ice thawed.
Sol gave it a quick glance. "She's very dead—every cell shattered to frost. As for the Ether bomb, I doubt it'll explode again, but I'm no Ether specialist, so I can't guarantee anything."
"As for disposal, I could always just… launch it skyward. Or you Public Security folks can take care of it."
Launch it, meaning quite literally throw it out of New Eridu.
"…We'll take it from here," Jane said diplomatically.
The sculpture was an important piece of evidence anyway.
She pulled out her phone, swapped SIM cards, and contacted her handler to dispatch the forensics team to collect the frozen remains. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Then she smiled lightly at Sol. "All right, now that's settled, let's discuss our partnership."
Sol nodded, naturally slipping his fingers around Anby's once more as they walked out of the alley.
Jane followed behind, still puzzled. "By the way, Mr. Mercer—why do you trust me so easily?"
She hadn't even given her fake name, Jane Doe, nor shown any credentials. For all he knew, she could've been the bomber's accomplice.
So why believe her so readily—and agree to work with her?
Sol paused mid-step, then nodded seriously. "Good question. Why do I trust you? You could easily be her ally, and your 'undercover' story could be fake."
He crooked a finger at her, smiling faintly. "Come with me. Don't try anything funny. We'll have Zhu Yuan verify your identity."
He'd seen the PV, after all—he knew exactly who Jane was.
But she didn't know that he knew.
Claiming "intuition" would sound suspicious, but turning it into a bit of theater? Much more fun.
"He's right," Anby said calmly. "We can't verify what you've said yet."
She didn't think Jane looked like a gangster, but facts were facts—her identity was uncertain, and verification was prudent.
"Can I pretend I didn't ask?" Jane sighed helplessly.
She really shouldn't have been curious. One simple question and now she'd gotten herself into trouble.
"Nope," Sol said cheerfully. "You're coming with us."
He stepped closer and, to her astonishment, produced a pair of handcuffs and snapped them onto her wrists.
"You… carry those around?" Anby asked, wide-eyed.
They were supposed to be on a movie date. What was he doing with handcuffs in his pocket?
"You might not know this," Sol said, entirely serious, "but I've always dreamed of becoming a Public Security officer. Reality got in the way, but having a pair of cuffs for the fantasy is perfectly normal, right?"
Of course, those cuffs were a gacha pull—part of a "special set" that also included a whip and a candle.
Still, they'd do fine for the roleplay.
"Totally normal," Jane said flatly, staring at the cuffs with visible discomfort.
They looked nothing like standard Public Security issue.
A bit too… decorative.
So, this man carried them around on dates? Prepared for everything, huh? she thought wryly.
Not that she cared—she could slip them off in seconds with a flick of her tail.
The last time she'd worn handcuffs had been during an undercover wrap-up, teasing a flustered rookie officer as part of her cover.
She hadn't expected that today, she'd be the one getting teased—by two overly enthusiastic "good citizens."
Life really is unpredictable…