Back to the Future 1999: Raining at the Same Time

"What do you mean you didn't do it? Is your foundation not going to take responsibility?"

“I’ve already said that Chen Xi is the one who started this. What we should be doing now is finding him and punishing him according to the law, not sitting here answering your irrelevant questions, Mr. Carl.”

As unexpected situations became more frequent, Hoffman also learned how to act shamelessly and make himself an unselectable target.

"But...but..."

Old Karl's face turned bright red, but he couldn't think of any words to refute it.

"Enough, Mr. Carl. Although we have provided emergency treatment for your man, he is still not out of danger until he receives professional medical care."

"You don't want to lose your subordinates forever, do you?"

To be honest, if Chenxi were there and saw Hoffman say those words with a straight face, she definitely wouldn't have been able to hold back her laughter.

Carl took several deep breaths to calm his trembling face, then called over two other members who had come with the commissioner to carry him away.

Hoffman and Marcus also left the Secession House; the current situation no longer allowed them to slowly investigate and reconstruct the matter.

The only thing to be thankful for is that when Chenxi was analyzing the "spider tail" and "bang bang spores" before, Hoffman also placed a copy on him, hoping that he would be too careless to notice.

The testing instrument vibrated slightly in Hoffman's hand. Watching the red dot slowly move on it, Hoffman breathed a sigh of relief.

At least in terms of speed of movement, this is within the limit of what an adult male can achieve on foot alone.

“Stay close to me, Marcus. We have a lead on Chenxi. He’s been quite lenient with you, so we’ll need you to persuade him later.”

Still preoccupied with the emerald green crystal, Marcus, unusually, didn't hear what his mentor was saying.

"Marcus?"

Trying hard to recall her initial feelings upon first encountering it, Marcus felt she was missing something. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she completely ignored her tutor calling her name.

"Marcus!"

"Wow! I'm listening, Ms. Hoffman!"

Marcus straightened his slightly askew newsboy cap, and his waking-up-from-a-daze made Hoffman rub his temples in exasperation.

After repeating his requirements, Hoffman was only slightly relieved when he saw the student's determined eyes.

……

"Hmm. They should know how to use the healing crystals I left them, right?"

"Such pure energy, you can feel it just by holding it in your hand. Hoffman wouldn't be so cautious as to think it might be some kind of dangerous substance, would he?"

"If that's really what she thinks, even I would feel sad."

Chenxi couldn't help but smile as she performed her one-woman show, which no one appreciated. She pinched the almost transparent "spider tail" that was twisting wildly between her fingertips.

"Well, compared to the capabilities of Sharp Teeth, it's still a bit lacking. After all, no one would suspect that someone would tamper with a perfectly normal coin."

"But that's what makes it interesting, so let's use that to get the story back on track. After all, it's an essential part of Marcus's growth."

With a casual release of the "spider tail" that seemed to yearn for freedom, Chenxi watched it drift into the frenzied crowd ahead, then vanished in a flash.

……

"The signal stops here."

Hoffman put away his instruments and looked at the crowd that had gathered around him in three or four layers. His temples began to throb again.

The notary adjusted his clip-on glasses, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, his tone businesslike and almost indifferent.

“Then, Ms. Clara, Mr. Schwarz.”

He paused, then cleared his throat.

"There are only three legal weapons: first, a military knife; second, a sword; and third, a pistol."

"Let Dr. Schwartz decide, the veteran duelist among the nobles."

Kacania gave a slight bow, displaying a confident curtsy.

"I am certainly honored to be on your list, and at the same time, I am also honored to be the one to end your winning streak."

"For me, it's the complete opposite!"

Schwartz cocked his gun, smiling slyly, as if the outcome of the match had been decided from the very beginning.

Marcus anxiously tiptoed along the edge of the crowd, trying to squeeze in.

"Give way……"

She struggled to push aside the shoulder blocking her way.

"Excuse me... could you please let me pass?"

Unlike Marcus, Hoffman didn't plead or beg. Instead, expressionless, he stretched out his hand and ruthlessly cleaved through the crowd like a sharp blade. People were forced to move aside, creating a passage.

He casually patted one of the more enthusiastic passersby on the shoulder and asked in a deep voice:

"Excuse me, what happened here?"

The passerby rubbed his hands together excitedly, as if he were watching a grand show about to begin.

"It's a duel of honor, madam!"

He pointed to the center of the field and explained, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Schwartz was still treating patients when Miss Clara barged in! After the argument, this is what you see here."

He lowered his voice and added mysteriously.

"Although to prevent interference from friends of both sides, no duel can be initiated more than forty-eight hours later... I have never seen such a swift and decisive battle before..."

However, another passerby standing next to him nervously shrank back and looked around uneasily.

"Oh, hopefully they'll be more skilled and not accidentally hurt us."

"That woman in the green dress—it turns out she's Miss Kacania. Ms. Hoffman, she's the suspicious person we suspected might have been involved with Reconstruction."

“Yes, I understand. But our top priority right now is to find Chenxi here. His negative interference in history could cause some irreversible things, and we need to find and stop him before that happens.”

Just as Hoffman was giving her instructions, a sudden ringtone interrupted her.

“Investigator Greta Hoffman, please speak, what…? Wait a moment.”

Covering the microphone of the communicator with her hand, she turned to Marcus beside her and instructed him:

“I need to leave for a while. I’ll leave this place to you until I return. Remember what I said, Marcus.”

Marcus was startled by her words, and almost dropped the file box he was holding. He quickly looked up at her.

"Where are you going?"

“The outsourced contract team’s specialist has something important to discuss with me. I won’t be away for too long, nor will I go too far.”

Marcus nodded frantically, his hands trembling with unease, and he even seemed about to salute.

"Yes, yes, Ms. Hoffman."

Hoffman turned and walked toward the mahogany Baroque wooden door, disappearing into the distance, leaving only his young and inexperienced assistant behind.

Marcus watched the direction she left in, his hands gripping the documents tightly until his knuckles turned white.

"It's up to me, it's up to me, it's up to me..."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her wildly beating heart, but her eyes still held a hint of panic.

“Take a deep breath, Marcus! There’s nothing to be nervous about. You can’t always rely on Ms. Hoffman. Sooner or later you’ll have to stand on your own!”

“Just like at the Separatist House, just watch… Weren’t you alone before? In the lighthouse, in the forest… ‘reading’…”

"If you have the chance to find Chenxi, just close your eyes and stick your face out—it's simple!"

However, on the rooftop of the building Hoffman entered, Chenxi sat on the edge of the rooftop, resting her chin on her hand and smiling as she looked down at the crowded people and the cute little seagulls that were secretly cheering her on in the crowd.

However, there were some things he didn't know about this trip to Vienna. For example, the assassination plot that Hoffman was discussing with Semmelweis, a member of the outsourced team, was actually intricately connected to Chen Xi.