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Forrest checked outside through the restaurant window and murmured, "I thought the retired dude would show up without a fuss, but this is totally unexpected."

He then apologized to the customers, closed the restaurant early, and cleared the entire hall to set up a large negotiation table.

To Forrest\'s right, Oliver, seated at the negotiation table, asked, "Is this a good thing?"

Behind Oliver, Joe and other influential members of the Fighter Crew seemed quite uncomfortable in this situation.

Forrest half-jokingly replied, "Umm, I\'m not sure. It\'s my first time dealing with something like this. Wish I had insured the restaurant in advance."

A moment later, a woman with a squint, who appeared to be a bodyguard, entered the hall alone. She looked around sharply with her one good eye, which was filled with a large amount of mana.

"……."

After completing her inspection, the woman left without a word, only to return shortly with an elderly man – Gordon Goodhart. He was the director of the Landa Cultural and Arts Association and the former director of the Crime Firm. Four people with huge physiques followed behind him, all of whom were skilled mana users. Additionally, there were ten or so others waiting outside who were no less capable.

‘Some of them are wizards… Judging by the flow and amount of mana, they\'re not average talents.\'

Forrest and Jonathan\'s observation that the Crime Firm had been repeatedly defeated by Human-meat Chef not due to their lack of power, but because of their business-minded approach and the political structure that kept them in check, rang true.

‘Um… If I can figure out the right move, it might work out.\'

Oliver was somewhat more confident in his plan.

“Dave.”

Seeing the former Crime Firm director, Gordon Goodhart, Forrest rose from his seat and called Oliver.

Oliver stood uprightly respectful and greeted Gordon, “Hello, sir.”

"Hello."

"Hello, Forrest and Dave… Please, just call me Gordon."

"Thank you for your consideration. If it\'s alright with you, please take a seat."

Forrest respectfully asked Gordon to take a seat on a chair to his left, gesturing towards it.

Gordon followed Forrest\'s guidance and took his seat without any further words.

As the old man sat down, Forrest and Oliver also sat, and the conversation began shortly after.

Forrest, who acted as the organizer and mediator of the meeting, was the first to speak. "First things first, thanks for showing up on such short notice," he said.

"Please don\'t mention it. I\'m here because I owe a personal favor, so there\'s no need to feel obliged. Additionally, I\'m intrigued as to why you reached out to me in this manner," replied Gordon.

The personal debt in question was none other than the auction house raid at the Subreptor Museum. Oliver had stepped in and minimized the Crime Firm\'s damage in a situation where VIP customers could have been injured by the sudden attack of the warlocks.

Using the debt created at that time like this made life seem quite interesting.

"Therefore, you need not express gratitude for my being present here as I have already fulfilled my obligation," Gordon added.

His words were polite and modest, but spoken with the business-like expression he had when working in the black market, they carried a different meaning – that he had the freedom to refuse any further conversation since he had paid his dues.

This was not entirely wrong, as they had no intention of dismissing matters concerning the organization\'s interests with something like this.

At that moment, Oliver realized that he had become somewhat accustomed to the rhythm of this world, which was surprising and delightful.

It meant that the time he had spent here was not in vain.

Gordon initiated the conversation with a simple "Dave."

Oliver responded respectfully, saying, "Yes, Mr. Gordon."

Gordon then said, "I\'ve honored your request to be here, so please proceed with your explanation. If I understand correctly, you\'re suggesting that the Fighter Crew wasn\'t responsible for ambushing us and taking our belongings. However, I\'m finding it difficult to comprehend your reasoning behind this."

Oliver then recounted the story he had heard from Joe, the fight in District X, and his speculations.

Originally, Cook had carried out the job alone, but Jonathan\'s excellent handling of the situation had complicated matters, and in order to draw Crime Firm\'s attention, he had deliberately revealed himself as the mastermind and involved the Fighter Crew.

Although it was all just speculation, Gordon did not criticize it.

On the contrary, he somewhat agreed with it.

"I see. That appears to be a plausible explanation."

“Really?”

"Why you gotta be surprised when it was your own words that came outta your mouth?" Forrest murmured quietly toward Oliver.

Gordon continued, "I\'ve come across similar situations before, although they weren\'t identical. As you can tell, I\'ve been around for quite some time," placing a hand on his chest.

In fact, he was the oldest person present.

"So Cook is no longer alive…While I\'m pleased that the thief has met his demise, do you have any proof?"

Oliver took out a glutton bag from inside his jacket and handed it over. Inside the bag were decaying pieces of flesh.

"This is a part of Mr. Cook\'s remains. I had hoped to bring back more intact, but like the raiders who attacked the auction house, the corpse decayed.”

Gordon took the bag to his side to examine it, and then handed it back to Oliver.

"To be honest, as an elderly man who used to be in the business, I cannot guarantee that ‘this\' is indeed Cook, but I am willing to take your word for it. Furthermore, I have a way to verify it."

"Thank you for placing your trust in me."

"No, no. The gratitude is mine. I have heard about your recent activity, Dave…However, this alone does not exonerate the Fighter Crew from their alleged involvement."

The conversation, which had been proceeding smoothly, suddenly hit a snag.

Forrest\'s demeanor remained unchanged, as if he had already predicted this outcome.

Oliver, on the other hand, was not entirely taken aback by the sudden turn of events. Though he couldn\'t quite articulate why, he had a nagging feeling that this was a possibility.

The only ones who seemed visibly shaken were the Fighter Crew members standing behind Oliver. Despite their apparent unease, Joe stepped in, signaling his trust in Oliver, and prevented any outbursts.

The once vibrant restaurant fell silent, with the only discernible sound being the soft sipping of coffee.

"I don\'t mean to be disrespectful, but can I ask why you\'re having a hard time believing it?"

"As I mentioned earlier, there\'s no evidence to prove their innocence. I\'ll ask this with the expectation of some impoliteness: Can you guarantee that there is no possibility of them lying?"

“Lying?”

"Yes, for instance, they could have been involved in Cook\'s plan, and when things went wrong, they might have pretended to be innocent to extricate themselves from the situation. You may not be aware, Dave, but such occurrences are quite common in this world."

"I don\'t believe that\'s the case. I\'ve assessed the emotions of others, including Joe, and they all seem genuinely aggrieved. Do you not know what kind of person Joe is, Gordon?"

Indeed. Joe had previously worked part-time as a security guard in the black market. It was there that he had crossed paths with Gordon, although it had been a mere coincidence.

"I do. He\'s an exceptional individual – capable, discreet, and trustworthy. However, based solely on your observations and the account of one friend, this matter cannot be easily disregarded. Even if I were to concede a hundred times and believe you, I still wouldn\'t be able to persuade the other board members."

Undoubtedly, it was a sound argument.

If it were a mere disagreement between two individuals, it would have been a different story.

However, this was a matter that concerned two organizations, and the stakes were higher.

What\'s more, one side had not only incurred material losses but had also suffered significant damage to their reputation.

To suggest that it was all a mere misunderstanding and to brush it aside would be naive, especially when dealing with the likes of Crime Firm.

"If we simply hear your perspective and take no action, we\'ll begin to face ridicule from others."

"When you say ‘others,\' who specifically are you referring to?"

"Other branches of the Crime Firm, independent gangs in Landa, various clients we do business with, and even foreign gangs that are expanding their influence around the port city… Despite the Crime Firm being recognized as the ruler of the underworld, we face numerous challenges from all sides."

Oliver could tell that the statement was genuine, and not just a perfunctory complaint. Without hesitation, he proceeded to ask the next question.

"In other words, you can\'t disregard it for the organization\'s benefit?"

"Essentially, yes. Please don\'t take it personally."

"I\'m not taking it personally. Everyone has their own position."

"I\'m glad we can communicate."

"On that note, I\'d like to mention that the members of the Fighter Crew claim to know the whereabouts of the remaining raiders. Would you be interested in working together to apprehend them? Before Mr. Cook passed away, he had instructed some of his subordinates to deal with related matters, so they have a general idea of their location."

"It\'s not a bad proposal, but it\'s not substantial enough to be a condition for a deal. Neither I nor the other board members would accept it as a condition."

"What if we added another condition?"

"Another condition? What would it be?"

"What if the entire Fighter Crew were to be employed by the Crime Firm?"

The calm yet stunning proposal reverberated throughout the restaurant, leaving everyone present in a state of shock.

Not only were Gordon and his subordinates taken aback, but Forrest and Joe, who had been forewarned about the situation, were visibly moved by the statement as well.

The only individual who managed to maintain their composure was Oliver, the one who had made the proposal.

"…Forrest."

“Yes.”

"Is it alright if I smoke a cigarette?"

"Absolutely. Actually, I could use a drink myself."

Without delay, Gordon seized a cigarette from a woman with a sullen look and lit it up, while Forrest quenched his thirst with a refreshing sip from his beverage, provided by Al.

As time passed, Gordon eventually extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

"What do you mean by employing the Fighter Crew?"

"I mean exactly what I said. From what I understand, the Crime Firm has been focusing on strengthening its forces lately. So, I thought it might be beneficial to employ the Fighter Crew."

"To be honest, you\'re not wrong, Dave. The city has become increasingly difficult to navigate due to the ongoing power struggle between the tower and the city. This has resulted in frequent conflicts within our organization as well. Power is a sensitive issue."

"I see."

"But to employ the Fighter Crew… It\'s quite perplexing and concerning. Very much so."

"Can you elaborate on why you\'re hesitant?"

"Well, firstly, it\'s a matter of their capabilities. I know the Fighter Crew has made a name for themselves, but at best, they operate in back alleys. I\'m not sure what they can offer over a well-trained mercenary group or highly skilled Solvers."

Indeed, that was an accurate assessment.

Although the Fighter Crew had earned a reputation for their prowess, it was only applicable to exceptional individuals like Joe or teams that displayed exemplary teamwork.

In reality, not all of the nearly 300 members could be considered outstanding. At their core, they were simply a gang with notably high combat proficiency.

However, this was hardly surprising because Cook\'s training methods lacked a systematic approach.

"What if I can address that concern?"

"Do you have a specific plan? We need a solid plan to convince the other board members."

"I will teach the members of the Fighter Crew black magic."

Gordon lit another cigarette as he received the answer, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Oliver.

"Huh… Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am."

"By any chance, are you the captain of the Fighter Crew?"

"Um? No, I\'m not."

"Then why do you want to teach them? I know that Warlocks and Wizards are usually reluctant to share their knowledge."

"I am aware of that, but I couldn\'t see a reason to adhere to that… Additionally, I promised Joe that I would assist with this matter. I believe that there\'s nothing I wouldn\'t do to resolve this problem."

Taking a deep drag from the cigarette, he continued to stare at Oliver intently before finally speaking up.

"It doesn\'t seem like you\'re simply saying that."

"Yes, I may not be proud of it, but I have taught others on a few occasions before, so I\'m confident that I can produce results."

"I\'m not doubting your abilities, Dave."

"Thank you for saying that. Anyway, what I\'m proposing is that if you assure the safety of the Fighter Crew and offer reasonable compensation, I will do my best to teach them… Wouldn\'t the Crime Firm then gain a significant advantage?"

"I agree. Frankly, I would like to ask for your assistance. However, there is still an unresolved issue."

"What\'s the problem…?"

"It\'s a matter of trust."

“Trust?”

"Yes, trust… Trust is crucial even in this line of work. No, it\'s especially crucial because of this line of work. Do you have any evidence that the Fighter Crew will genuinely collaborate with the Crime Firm?"

"Can I chime in on that?"

Forrest, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, eventually interjected.

Gordon nodded in agreement.

"Actually, this issue is pretty complex. The Crime Firm can\'t fully trust the Fighter Crew, and the Fighter Crew ain\'t keen on being completely dominated by the Crime Firm."

An eerie silence filled the room, but Forrest had pinpointed the crux of the matter. Although no one spoke up, Gordon nodded in agreement, acknowledging the significance of the statement.

"Most of the Fighter Crew hail from X and Y districts. That\'s why it\'s tough for them to trust each other wholeheartedly."

"What is your proposal?"

"I suggest I act as the middleman between the two."

"…Could you please explain in more detail?"

"I\'ll make a contract with the Fighter Crew as a Solver group. It\'ll be an exclusive contract to provide manpower solely to the Crime Firm."

"In that case, the Crime Firm would enter into a separate supply agreement with you, Forrest, for the Fighter Crew members. You would manage the risk in exchange for regular base pay."

"Exactly. So it\'s like a subcontracting agreement. I\'ll handle the management, and the Crime Firm can minimize its risk while effectively utilizing the Fighter Crew\'s manpower to boost its power… Plus, power won\'t be concentrated on just one of the Crime Firm\'s directors, avoiding any unnecessary tension."

Forrest\'s observation had struck at the heart of the matter. The concentration of power, as well as the need for checks and balances, were of utmost importance to the Crime Firm.

Having Forrest serve as a mediator could serve as a valuable safeguard against any potential abuses of power.

"Huh…"

Gordon let out a puff of cigarette smoke before finally snuffing out his second cigarette in the ashtray.

"To be honest, I find the idea quite appealing. Since the Fighter Crew would be subcontracted to us, it would be advantageous, and it could also reduce unnecessary competition."

"Appreciate your understanding."

"May I ask one final question for clarification, Forrest? What makes you so confident that you want to take charge of the subcontracting deal between the Crime Firm and the Fighter Crew? If something goes awry, you could end up being caught in the crossfire and face dire consequences."

That was a stark reality.

In the event of any mishap within the Fighter Crew, Forrest would be held accountable and would bear the brunt of the consequences. Depending on the gravity of the situation, it could even cost him his life.

"I will handle that aspect."

"Dave?"

"Yes, it\'s partially due to the fact that I initiated this situation.."

"It\'s commendable that you\'re willing to take responsibility, but can you explain how you intend to do so?"

"I\'ve agreed to kill anyone who violates the contract between Mr. Forrest and the Crime Firm."

"……"

"As long as both parties keep their promises, there shouldn\'t be any issues, correct?"

Oliver spoke as though there were no concerns, and the room fell into a deafening silence.

(To be Continued)

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