Silvermist City, at the junction of the East District and the Central District, is an uninhabited alley in Ivy Bridge.
Ed stretched out his left hand, and as he thought, a pale white flame ignited from his palm.
Born from combustion, the invisible ashes condensed into two silver-white metal cards in the flames, like a video tape played backwards.
The bright flame-like "Arthur Custer" and the dust-like "Edgar Waikolo", the metallic light of the two cards shines on the fingertips, like a pair of trump cards.
The white flames did not fade, but instead burned stronger and stronger. Only the broken and weak "Edgar Waikolo", which was almost transparent, was seen adhering to the card "Arthur Custer", and the images of the two gradually Melted into one.
The character on the card still has Ed's appearance and attire, but his eyes are shining with the bright green light of the brocade——
The luster of tourmaline.
【》》》Loading character card "Edgar Waikolo (Arthur Custer)"》》》]
Along with the buzzing in his mind, tiny tourmaline crystals clustered in his brain, like sprouts bursting out of the ground.
He could sense the color of the crystals and feel the shape of the crystals as if they were part of the organ. Crystal clear and shining with exquisite colors.
An indescribable energy twisted and changed in his mind like a vortex in the center of a storm, gradually collapsing into a two-dimensional plane, flashing with the power to control everything - the "puppet" secret text representing "belonging and manipulation".
Flame words appeared on the brick wall covered with gray moss:
[Crystal structure is completed simultaneously, "Puppet" secret text affinity: 91%. Use this gift well, my dear good sir. 】
Can I control the one-eyed spider now?
[Of course, the birthstone in your mind is a perfect copy of Arthur Custer, and what is also retained is his skill in controlling the "Puppet" secret text. Just like a high-wheel bike, once you learn it you can never forget it, it just takes a while to get used to it again. 】
"I understand." Ed nodded, grabbing the cane and the peaked cap hanging on the handle with one hand, "Come on, it's time for the show to begin..."
"Justice is sometimes late and often absent, but I promise this time it will not miss your funeral, Mr. Floyd."
He said in a voice so low that only he could hear it.
The sun has just risen, and although the sky is now blue, the city is still stained with ink gray. The streets were already full of pedestrians, and there was always the sound of shouting, hawking or coughing.
The dirty-bearded beggar in the corner of the alley was sitting on the ground with his head hanging down. He was suddenly awakened by the sound of metal hitting the ground, heavy with alcohol and sleepiness.
He smacked his lips, and his habit made a numb humming sound come out of his throat. Even he himself didn't realize that he was speaking:
"Uh-huh... OK, give the veteran a copper..."
Snap. A sixpenny white copper coin fell into the beggar's broken enamel cup. The crisp and beautiful sound immediately made him open his sleepy and swollen eyelids.
"Wish me good luck." A pair of dark eyes were revealed under the smoky gray peaked cap.
"Of course, I wish you good luck! Thank you, sir. Good people are rewarded. The Holy Spirit bless you."
Suddenly, the old beggar noticed that the gentleman was coming out of the alley behind him. Out of curiosity, he couldn't help but ask:
"Where are you going so early in the morning?"
"Well, I have a gambling game to participate in."
The black-haired boy put on the smoky gray flat-topped cap. The metal cane hit the floor tiles with a clear, rhythmic muffled sound, and he turned around and disappeared into the noisy crowd.
On the other side of the bridge, the towering white clock tower in the central area shines in the sun, pointing straight to the sky...
…
The four-story building where Floyd Carriage Rental Company is located has beautiful and neat red bricks and white cement gaps, which diffuse bright colors in the sunlight and attract everyone's attention.
But Ed didn't intend to go in through the front entrance. He walked around in a circle with his cane and came to the back alley.
Two guards, one tall and one short, were waiting at the back door. The taller one was stout, had a beard, and was wearing a pair of black gloves.
Ed tapped the ground hard twice with his cane, which quickly attracted their attention. Their expressions were extremely surprised, and they obviously didn't expect Ed to come to their door.
"do you miss me?"
He leaned against the brick wall with his elbows and spoke in a sinister tone.
He saw the strong man walking toward him menacingly, but Ed took two steps forward calmly, and pressed the white crow cane against the opponent's chest with confidence, signaling him to keep his distance, and then raised his head and asked:
"Aren't you going to ask me what I do for a living?"
"Are you here to die, boy?"
Seeing the other party's gnashing of teeth, Ed only felt funny in his heart.
"No, I'm here to discuss business with Mr. Floyd. If I don't get back to the detective agency before dark, an envelope containing all the evidence in my hand will be sent to a certain police station... "
"——That would be too bad... Mr. Floyd would be very angry, wouldn't he?"
The strong man glared at him angrily, turned to wink at the short man, and the short man turned around and entered the building. The strong man and Ed were left alone to confront each other.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of running away."
With an exaggerated smile on his lips, Ed leisurely took out a change, put it on his fingertips and started spinning it.
About ten minutes later, the short man came back and said in his high-pitched voice: "Take him into the carriage."
When the strong man heard this, he showed a mouth full of hyena-like teeth and smiled ferociously. He grabbed Ed by the back of his collar and pushed him deeper into the alley.
"Let me go! I can leave by myself. Is this how you treat your customers? Do you hear me? Let me go!" Ed complained and struggled, but the other party ignored him completely.
After passing through two alleys, there was a black enclosed two-wheeled carriage parked on the street at the end of the alley.
"Hey - stop my friend, damn! Really, you've torn your flesh!" Ed yelled, but the strong man pushed him into the car.
Before he could react, a dusty sack was put over Ed's head, choking him and making him cough. Then the wheels bumped and rolled forward...
…
"Ahem..."
When the sack was taken off, Ed couldn't stop coughing loudly. He was tied to the chair and couldn't move.
Looking up, he saw that the curtains were drawn and he was surrounded by seven or eight gunmen.
Sitting on the wide-backed sofa across from him was a fat man with a full head. He was wearing a tailor-made tan formal suit, with black hair and white, and a calm and arrogant expression.
He slowly said:
"I'm sorry that my men are not good at taking care of people. Mr. Edgar Waikolo, I am Floyd, the man you are looking for. Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette?"
After speaking, Floyd clapped his round and stubby palms, seemingly not intending to ask Ed for his opinion, and the person next to him immediately lit a cigar for him.
"Tsk, this bag has been filled with potatoes, and it seems to be moldy." Ed shook the mud particles from his hair, "You have made so much money, do you just give this to your employees?"
"Are you here to guide me on how to improve employee treatment?"
Floyd held the cigar with his right hand covered with gemstones and gold rings, and exhaled pure white and fine smoke.
"Of course not. I'm just an ordinary maintenance technician who happened to learn some secrets I shouldn't know. I'm here to discuss business, Mr. Floyd."
Having said this, Ed showed a kind and even flattering smile.
This smile seemed to satisfy Mr. Freud. He leaned back to make himself more comfortable and raised his eyes slightly to the ceiling:
"Very well, we all need to figure out who we are. Many people fail to do this and suffer as a result. You are very smart, young man. I have a good offer here that you should be satisfied with."
After saying that, he waved his hand and asked his men to take out a prepared agreement and show it to Ed, who also read it with interest.
An airship ticket to the New World, fifteen hundred pounds in cash, and a property deed to a small manor in the eastern pioneer area of the New World.
Tsk tsk, fifteen hundred pounds in cash, a small manor. He would never make so much money as a maintenance technician in his lifetime.
"It's a very sincere offer, Mr. Floyd. But I still have a small question..."
"But it doesn't matter." Mr. Freud nodded with satisfaction, and the fingers holding the cigar made empty gestures in the air.
"Tell me, Mr. Floyd..."
Ed raised his head and stared into Freud's empty and boring eyes:
“If justice could be framed like a commodity and clearly marked with a price in a display cabinet, how much do you think it should be worth?”
"What do you mean……"
I saw Mr. Floyd's face turning from sunny to gloomy, and he struggled angrily to stand up, but due to his obesity, he turned into some kind of ridiculous squirming.
Ed on the chair suddenly twisted his body, and a bright metal disc flew from his fingers in the direction of Mr. Floyd.
The tall, bearded man suddenly took action and grabbed the metal disc in mid-air.
He smiled evilly and opened his palm, only to find that it was just an ordinary sixpence.
Ed had taken advantage of this opportunity to fall toward the window along with the chair that tied him, and tore open the curtains with his teeth...
