Ed finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he didn't back down, otherwise not only would the task not be completed, but the informant would also be put in danger.
"Johnny." The informant extended his hand and introduced, "This is Mr. Andro, he will lead you from now on. Be smart and don't cause trouble."
"Lord Andro." Ed bowed.
"Okay, now that people are here, let's go."
The scar-faced young man named Andro waved his hand, and the gunmen immediately moved out of the way. Through the gaps between the dense debris, you can vaguely see a four-wheeled black carriage parked at the end of the alley.
After getting on the carriage, someone covered his eyes with a black cloth. The informant sat opposite with Andro and talked to Ed:
"By the way, Johnny, how is your aunt?"
According to the prior arrangement, the informant Frank is the uncle of "Johnny Rick", the character played by Ed. After his mother died, he was adopted by an aunt named Marlene.
"She...is not very well. Her eye disease is getting worse and worse, and her health is getting worse day by day."
Ed replied while controlling the one-eyed spider to sneak up under the car.
After several experiences, he became more and more proficient in controlling the one-eyed spider. He was able to control the one-eyed spider and the main body to move at the same time without making precise movements.
"In that case, why not drop by your house and visit, Johnny."
Scarface Andro suggested. Although there was a smile on his face, the scar looked even more ferocious:
"...After joining a gang, you don't have many opportunities to go home."
There was definitely no room for rejection. Fortunately, Mr. Eaton has made arrangements in advance:
"Okay, it's on Sailor Street in the dock area."
The coachman outside the carriage heard the news and turned the car around, heading in the direction Ed said...
…
The dock area is located on the north bank of the Silver Mist River. It is an urban area second only to the East District in terms of badness. In terms of the scale of the slums, the two are even comparable.
The carriage stopped in a remote and narrow street, in front of a waist-high courtyard surrounded by old blue bricks.
An old woman with sharp lips was bending over to scoop water from a barrel and water the tomato seedlings in front of the garden. There was a white film in front of her eyes, making it difficult to see anything.
"Aunt Marlene!"
Ed got out of the car, opened his arms and shouted loudly, as if he was really his relative.
"Johnny." She straightened up tremblingly, her body a little stooped, which made her already short stature even more obvious.
"Uncle Frank is here to see you."
As he spoke, Ed took the bucket and wooden ladle and started watering them skillfully - he had done the same daily work in the detective agency, so it didn't seem stiff when he did it.
Frank stepped out of the carriage. Followed closely was Scarface Andro, his eyes wandering over everyone's face, as if trying to find flaws.
"Oh, Frank..." She walked forward half-step, half-step, as if she wanted to see him clearly, "We haven't seen each other for almost ten years, right?"
"Yes, ten years... time flies, the sun and the moon fly by." The informant nodded and said with emotion, "This is Andro, my business partner."
"Nice to meet you. Come inside and sit down."
"Aunt Marlene" stretched out her hand to make way for a passage. Ed stepped on the cobblestone road and opened the ajar wooden door.
There was a fat maid in dirty clothes cleaning the house. Housemaids like this are extremely cheap. A family with an annual income of about 100 pounds is enough to hire one. Even in the East End, some craftsman families can afford this fee.
"Good day, Master Johnny." the fat maid greeted.
I never thought that one day I would be called young master. Ed smiled and was about to respond, but was embarrassed to find that he didn't know the other person's name at all.
broken……
"This is my new maid Linda. You are no longer here, so there must be someone to help take care of me, an old woman."
Behind him, Aunt Marlene said:
"Go ahead, Linda, and make some tea for the guests."
"Wait a minute." Scarface Andro suddenly said, "Let Johnny go. It's a good thing for young people to learn how to treat others."
Ed was stunned for a moment. You must know that when he came here to visit, this place was still an empty room. He didn't even know if there was any tea.
The fat maid lost her composure and looked at Aunt Marlene, but the old lady looked calm at the moment and did not speak.
"Okay." Ed responded upon seeing this.
Since she didn't help smooth things over, it means there must be tea in the house, and it's probably placed in an easy-to-find location.
Based on the position of the chimney and the direction the fat maid was facing, he deduced that the kitchen should be on the left hand side of the first floor. He rummaged through the cabinets and found the tea can.
The next thing is a piece of cake: light the stove, boil a pot of water, brew the tea and serve it.
In the living room at this time, Aunt Marlene was showing Scarface a photo frame, which contained a photo of Ed and her - even though Ed had never taken a photo with her at all.
Does the Bureau of Divine Investigation still have this kind of technology?
After Ed distributed the tea to everyone, Andro took a symbolic sip, took out his pocket watch from his waist and looked at it:
"Okay, it's getting late. There are still things to deal with at the factory, so we'll leave first."
At the same time, Scarface took out a few gold coins and put them on the table, which was about ten pounds:
"Don't worry if Johnny is here with us. With his qualifications, it won't take him three to five years. He will definitely be able to make a difference."
The stone in Ed's heart finally fell. These words meant that he passed the test.
As for getting ahead...if I really hang out here for three to five years, I will most likely end up dead.
Although the other party seemed to be righteous, Ed knew in his heart that if it came to a critical moment, he would definitely be the first to take the shot.
…
When the carriage stopped again, he smelled a bloody, meaty smell. Through the vision of the one-eyed spider, Ed understood where he was——
Meat processing plant.
It is close to the slaughterhouse and is convenient for transportation. The wails of livestock were everywhere in my ears. At first I thought they were mournful and terrifying, but after a while they just felt harsh.
Ed even had an evil thought: Even if he killed someone here, his voice would not be noticed at all.
As soon as I got out of the car, the bloody stench hit my face, like the horrible smell left after some kind of massacre.
While following the footsteps of Scarface and the informant, he controlled the one-eyed spider to penetrate into the factory.
The workers were all sallow and thin, with stooped backs. The tallest man among them was only over 1.6 meters tall. Compared with Ed, it's like Ed standing in front of the 'anvil' of the Divine Bureau.
The whole pig was hung upside down on an iron hook, disemboweled, eviscerated, head and feet removed, split in half, and then treated with ammonia.
After passing through these scarlet monsters, the three of them went downstairs. Standing at the entrance of the stairs were two lean security guards with tattoos carved from their necks to their fingers. They were obviously members of the Woodcutter Gang.
"What should I do, boss?" Ed asked softly.
"Don't ask questions that shouldn't be asked," the informant reminded sternly.
"It doesn't matter——"
Andro waved his hand and said:
"Take him to search him first."
