Constantine hadn't expected to hear such words from Freedom.

It was like being in the middle of an intense hand-to-hand fight with an enemy, only for the enemy to suddenly give you a French kiss, leaving you completely off guard.

“Why?” Constantine said in a deep voice, “I think you need to give me an acceptable reason.”

“Haha.” Freedom chuckled, “Mr. Constantine, this is actually very easy to understand, because he is your guest, and also an agent of the Night Watch. As long as such a person doesn’t do anything to embarrass everyone, I have no reason to get rid of him!”

“This is no longer an era where problems can be solved by fighting and killing... If unnecessary, our New Elder Council also don’t want to do things that would affect our business.”

After a pause, he added, “Besides, if my information is correct, you treated his previous predecessors and those investigators from the Black Night Alliance in the same way, didn’t you?”

In his opinion, Yu Yinchuan was no different from the previous Night Watch agents and Black Night Alliance investigators. He earned a not-too-high income, came to Free City on orders to investigate matters of interest to important figures, but would not risk his life for it.

Even if the “Yu Yinchuan” currently in Free City was not the real Yu Yinchuan and had a special identity, it was still the same!

Upon hearing this, Constantine frowned slightly with displeasure. He didn’t mind doing some dirty things, but he did mind those dirty things being known by others, especially the New Elder Council.

However, Freedom was right. Before Yu Yinchuan, there were three Night Watch agents who had done the same work as him. In addition, the Black Night Alliance had also dispatched four investigators, attempting to save Free City from the brink of collapse, but none of those guys resisted his sugar-coated bullets.

Beauty, money, power... as long as their desires were satisfied as much as possible, plus a little appropriate threat, those guys would become as docile as sheep, turning a blind eye to what the Black Hand Mafia did in Free City and its surroundings, and then submitting a “nothing happened” report to their superiors at the end of their term.

“......”

Perhaps Lu Yibei was also like those guys?

He was just escaping to Free City to avoid trouble, not even daring to use his real identity... presumably, he wouldn't want to stir up trouble either, right?

If that were the case, agreeing to Freedom’s terms could both secure compensation and keep his promise to an old friend. It seemed like a good choice?

Thinking of this, Constantine finally put down the Omen in his hand, “Alright, I can help you persuade Yu Yinchuan to cooperate, but before that...”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to the wreckage of the tiger whale in the open space not far away, “I think we need to discuss the issue of compensation first.”

“Of course!” Freedom nodded, “My pleasure.”

As he spoke, the smile on his face was eerily calm.

------

An hour later.

Freedom left the manor, got into his luxurious white car, and gradually drove away, disappearing into the inky night.

Inside the manor.

Constantine held the equity transfer contracts for a five-star hotel, a clothing factory, and a seafood company, lost in thought.

The hotel, clothing factory, and seafood company that Freedom compensated him with were all in good operating condition, capable of bringing in a net profit of three to five hundred million dollars annually, as well as some hidden benefits that were useless to ordinary people but greatly beneficial to Psychic or urban legend. The losses from the sinking of the tiger whale could be recouped within three years.

However, whether it was the hotel, the clothing factory, or the seafood company, their lifespan could not possibly be only three short years. After that, even more funds would continuously flow into Constantine’s pockets.

From this perspective, Freedom indeed showed enough sincerity... 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Father, does that guy from the New Elder Council really intend to live in harmony with us?”

The speaker was a burly man nearly two meters tall with a scarred face, named Andrei Bucher. He was once a famous boxer in Free City and also one of Constantine’s many “children.”

“Such a small benefit, and you’re already bought off?” Constantine glared fiercely at the strong man.

He now had a very subtle feeling, which was that he too had become a character like the Night Watch agents and Black Night Alliance investigators he had once wooed.

Yes, he felt that he had been bribed by Freedom.

Although conflicts with the Black Hand Mafia usually involved the Fourth Seat Ariel of the New Elder Council, and Freedom was more often active in the big cities, constantly creating trouble for the Black Night Alliance.

But Constantine absolutely did not believe that the leader of an organization that had appeared for less than two months, had established itself in M Country, was gradually flourishing like a spreading bacterium, and had made the Eclipse Society Elder Council, which had existed for who knew how many years, disappear, truly wanted to live in harmony with the Mafia.

It was said that the “Human Complete Freedom Theory” that Freedom propagated in the big cities had caused quite a bit of chaos. It was also said that under his guidance, some people even rushed into the White House and carried away the safe from a certain important official’s office...

Under multi-party pressure, the Black Night Alliance almost hated Freedom to death, wishing they could capture him and extract his bones and marrow.

Could someone who could do such things be as friendly as he appeared?

Although he didn't know what that guy was thinking for now, Constantine felt that the goodwill Freedom was showing now might one day turn into the most terrifying sharp blade aimed at the Black Hand Mafia.

However, guarding against the New Elder Council was one thing, but accepting someone’s benefits meant doing things for them... Traditional Black Hand Mafia, though cold-blooded and ruthless in their methods, were mostly trustworthy.

“Bucher!” Constantine glanced at the strong man beside him and softly called out, “You should be able to find out where Yu Yinchuan is now, right?”

“Yes, Father.” The strong man respectfully bowed, “He’s currently in an old apartment near South Avenue. Yesterday, after he arrived in Free City, he was picked up by a girl.”

“A girl? What girl?” Constantine frowned.

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“An insignificant nobody named Vivian Chapparelli.” Bucher explained, “She seems to make a living by salvaging corpses from the canal and scamming people as a charlatan, active around Garden Street, frequently visiting the Angel Rose Theater, and is a habitual drunkard...”

Constantine waved his hand, stopping Bucher from continuing.

He had little interest in someone like Vivian, a common sight in Free City, who engaged in dirty livelihoods, like a sewer rat, and was an alcoholic.

“Alright, since you can find Yu Yinchuan, then you and a few others go make a trip!”

“Yes, Father!” Bucher responded, carefully cupping Constantine’s right hand and kissing his hand, then turned around and, with his men, quickly left the manor.

------

Half an hour later.

In Vivian’s old apartment.

Paper Cicada Immortal, transformed into Yu Yinchuan’s appearance, leaned on the soft sofa, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° one hand holding the remote control, flipping through TV channels, and the other unceremoniously grabbing potato chips he’d found in the cupboard, stuffing them into his mouth in large handfuls.

To be honest, after Lu Yibei left, he was very unaccustomed at first, anxiously worrying about what morally corrupt and humanly depraved task Lu Yibei had arranged for him this time.

However, when he lay obediently on the pink single bed like a corpse for nearly an hour, he found that Lu Yibei had truly had a change of heart this time. The task she had arranged for him didn’t seem as terrible as he had imagined.

“What the heck! As a trading partner who has something to ask of me, isn’t this only natural?”

“Hope it continues!”

As he spoke, he pressed the remote several times in a row.

The next moment, the light above him suddenly went out, and the entire apartment plunged into darkness.

In the darkness, a faint, chaotic sound of footsteps arose.

A few seconds later, when the lights came back on, Paper Cicada Immortal discovered that over a dozen burly men had appeared out of nowhere in the room. They were dressed in dark suits, wore sunglasses, and had stern expressions, as if afraid others wouldn't realize they were Black Hand Mafia members.

Two of the strong men, exuding considerable Ling Neng power, sat on either side of him, one arm restraining his, the other subtly pressing a gun barrel against his waist. The rest of the strong men stood around, completely surrounding him.

“If I’m not mistaken, you are Yu Yinchuan, right?”

Accompanying the voice, the strong men surrounding him made way, and Andrei Bucher, whose physique resembled a grizzly bear, slowly approached Paper Cicada Immortal, shaking a photograph in his hand.

“......”

Seeing the man in Bucher’s hand who looked exactly like him, Paper Cicada Immortal swallowed the “no” that had reached his lips, then secretly cursed in his heart.

Damn it! I knew that woman wasn't that kind!

Did she go out and cause trouble, and now someone’s chasing her back home?

Given the current situation... does she want me to take the blame for her? Paper Cicada Immortal thought.

Seeing his silence, Bucher squatted down and leaned in front of him, roughly pinching his chin with his right hand, and placing the photo next to his face with his left, carefully comparing them. Then he grinned, revealing two rows of pure gold teeth.

“That’s right, it’s you!”

Upon hearing this, Paper Cicada Immortal subconsciously clenched his fists, his gaze quickly sweeping over the gun barrels pressed against him and the slightly bulging waists of the surrounding people.

Although the Ling Neng fluctuations of this group of people were considerable, he could clearly sense a strong reliance on items from them. With the authority inherited from Pink Fluffy Rabbit, he was completely unafraid of a hundred such item-dependent guys.

That’s right, this is my moment of glory!

However, just as he was about to erupt in resistance, Bucher’s next words made him freeze.

“Mr. Constantine asked me to tell you that as long as you stop your current work and give up further investigation, we can satisfy any conditions you propose as much as possible...”

Paper Cicada Immortal, “???”

What the hell? What’s going on? This posture, they’re not here for revenge?

After being stunned for a long while, and then sizing up the fierce-looking Bucher, Paper Cicada Immortal stammered, “An... any conditions?”

“That’s right!” Bucher nodded, saying earnestly, “Women, money, or even Ling Neng completion potions, as long as you propose it, we will try our best to satisfy you, and Mr. Constantine will cover all your expenses during your stay in Free City. However... the premise is that you must first stop your current work.”

There’s such a good thing? Paper Cicada Immortal raised an eyebrow, answering without hesitation, “Of course, no problem at all, I will fully cooperate!”

Although he didn’t know what had happened, he wasn’t stupid. How could he not take advantage of a good deal?

In this regard, he was very much like his creation template—Lu Yibei.

“Very good! So, what are your conditions?” Bucher pressed.

“I want to have a passionate, moving love affair!” Paper Cicada Immortal shouted.

Bucher and the Mafia members, “???”