Forge a path to success

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“I didn’t do it,” the man in the top hat said. “You know my habits; I only use my own people.”

Bessen, who was driving, glanced at him: "But everyone thought it was you. You know, Hugos's return gift."

"Don't tell anyone else, that kid deserved it. I sent him down to open up trade routes, but he did it so arrogantly."

“You did this on purpose, Kanin. You sent him here to probe the city lord’s mansion.”

“Yes, I did it on purpose,” the man in the top hat—Kanin—admitted cheerfully. “Now you know it wasn’t me, so who hired the hitman?”

Bessen didn't reply; answering such an easy question made it feel insulted by its intelligence. It floored the accelerator, plunging the main road in front of the gate into a complete traffic jam. Bright silver sleek sports cars, deep black limousines, convertibles favored by spoiled rich kids… resembled a group of elegantly designed coffins awaiting mass burial. Their cargo truck, mixed in with the luxury cars, looked like a cleaning worker who had mistakenly stumbled into a funeral.

The streets are lined with bars, cafes, and upscale restaurants, their brightly lit neon signs illuminating the night. The driveways in this area are winding like tree rings, with illegally altered buildings and barricades forcing visitors to circle around to reach the center.

Deeper into the layers of time, one can see a row of pawnshops behind the building. People with bloodshot eyes constantly enter, carrying relics or jewelry, exchanging them for flowing pearls at low prices. Their destination, like the luxury cars on the road, is the building at the very center of the layers of time—that den of iniquity surrounded by walls and pawnshops.

Bessen and Kanin were stuck in traffic for almost half an hour before finally finding an opportunity to drive onto a side road. After several turns, they circled around to the unloading area for transporting goods. This place faced several large garbage bins, reeking of a foul stench, but completely empty. Upon their arrival, the roller shutter door rose, and the red lettering spray-painted on the door disappeared from view:

High-class elegance, extraordinary enjoyment, always welcome – Maivia Club

“That’s incredibly stupid,” Bessen said.

Kanin chuckled a few times, then resumed his impeccably gentlemanly demeanor. He put on his top hat and got out of the car. The lights in the garage were already on, and a young man in a brown shirt and gold-rimmed glasses strode towards him. The two shook hands warmly.

“You look very well, Vesapu.”

“A sincere welcome to you, Mr. Kanin!” said the young man in the brown shirt, Visap. His tone was light, but his voice was drawn out, like sticky bubbles rising from a muddy puddle.

"Following your usual practice, there will be no invitations, no reception, no roll call—everything will be kept simple."

“You all indulge my quirks so much, always wanting me to thank you again and again.” Kanin looked around. “Just you? Last time you said you found a nice young man with several hands, I thought there would be a new face this time.”

“There was a slight mishap; he didn’t pass the ‘interview’,” Visap said casually. “You know, recruitment always requires caution…”

"This applies to everything."

Bessen remained in the car, while Kanin, accompanied by Visaph, stepped into the elevator. The elevator ascended silently, with only the faint sounds of melodious jazz and a soothing female singer's voice. As the elevator doors opened, the music and voices erupted, and a blinding display of gilded and crimson light filled the view.

Crystal chandeliers adorned the space, while a vibrant, blood-red carpet carpeted the hall. Ladies swayed to the music, their flowing skirts resembling open umbrellas. On the upper tiers, impeccably dressed gentlemen chatted and laughed, wine glasses raised, and food piled high on the tables. Not far away, emerald green card tables displayed alluring female dealers flipping cards with almost provocative gestures, as fervent spectators shoved chips onto the tables, followed by cries of despair or cheers.

The clinking of dice, the giggles of women, the snap of a match lighting a cigarette—a cacophony of extravagant sounds blended into a blood-pumping symphony. This was the Maivia Club, a miniature paradise built with money and flesh.

"How's your luck, Mr. Clu?... You look even younger, Mrs. Anderson... Long time no see, 'Mole' boy, bring him a beer!"

Visaph walked among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with ease and skillfully adjusting his demeanor according to the guests' status. People responded by raising their glasses in gratitude for his hospitality. As Maivia's second son, he had hosted countless banquets, and this was a task he handled with great ease.

Kanin leaned against the railing with a glass of red wine, watching the women dancing below. He spotted his eldest daughter, Camelle, a girl with chocolate-coated brown hair, but he didn't find his eldest son, Whitebrow. That scoundrel would usually change his appearance and mingle with the gamblers, betting and cheering, whistling at the new girls.

An interesting sign is that Whitebrow has been sent out to do some work, but Maivia doesn't usually work at banquets... unless tonight's banquet is held very hastily and the original plans can't be changed...

Kanin's train of thought was interrupted when he felt a tickling sensation on his back. He turned around and saw a gray cat's tail swaying in front of him.

Chapter 42 Everyone has their own agenda

A cat's tail extended from a dark gray bodysuit, like a fluffy rope; a quick shake would cause the woman's buttocks beneath the bodysuit to sway seductively. The woman in the bodysuit actively swayed the cat's tail, her eyes filled with sweet longing. She straightened her posture, trying her best to accentuate the small "tube" beneath her bra.

"It's almost full!" the catwoman said seductively. "Maybe another 100 orbs will be enough. Would you like to give it a try?"

The tube was almost full of beads, and Catwoman had to try her best to straighten her chest, because the tube was tied with three gold threads, which hung on the neckline of her tight-fitting clothes and the three zippers on both sides. When the beads exceeded the limit, the tube would pull the zippers down, "stripping" Catwoman's top off with the weight of wealth.

This was a popular invention among gamblers at the club. Each tube had a different capacity, and people took turns throwing marbles into them, betting on who could undress the women. The lucky winner would then be allowed free entry through a pink-lit door to spend the night with the naked women.

Kanin glanced back at the catwoman who had seduced him and realized she wasn't as young as she appeared. She was over thirty, her glamorous makeup concealing fine wrinkles, and her waist, shaped like she'd had a child, wasn't as slender as it once was, requiring a tight-fitting garment to accentuate its shape. That little tube was indeed almost full; soon she'd be shirtless, arm in arm with a customer, walking through the crowds, trying her best to please the man of the night, and then perhaps forcing herself to go home and make breakfast for her child…

He pulled out a bead and placed it in the woman's hand, giving her that embarrassed, sucker-like smile: "Sorry, I'm not here to... relax. I'm a businessman, I think..."

"Oh! You want to see the magician?" Catwoman suddenly realized. She thought he was a novice and said gratefully in a low voice, "Then you'd better hurry to the ballroom! He always likes a glamorous appearance."

Kanin thanked him repeatedly and walked down the small staircase. Anyone who looked at him would think he was a young man who had just arrived. As he went down the stairs, he heard a vulgar cheer. The small tube finally fell down, and the catgirl was being embraced by a pot-bellied bald man, giggling under the gaze of many people.

“Absolutely stupid, Kanin,” he heard Bessen’s voice say. “Absolutely stupid.”

"I thought the devil didn't care about these things," Kanin thought to himself.

“I don’t eat this kind of disgusting emotion.” Bessen gagged. “This place is filled with the smell of moonlight, rotten, vulgar mud…”

"So I suggest you stay inside the puppet. Now go back, Maivia is coming."

Bessen left silently, like a transparent ghost, invisible to everyone. Kanin descended the stairs step by step to the rhythm of the music. A military-style drumbeat, initially just an embellishment, grew increasingly urgent and loud, becoming a jarring urgency. The dancers retreated to the beat, clearing a large space in the ballroom where people clapped along. Suddenly, the drumming stopped, and dozens of cannons fired simultaneously from somewhere. A huge, enormous black shadow fell from above, crashing into the center of the ballroom like a cannonball!

His arrival caused a genuine "earthquake," shaking the guests around the ballroom so much they could barely stand. The man let out a hearty laugh, took off his small round hat and tossed it high into the air, from which white doves flew out. Dozens, even hundreds, of doves flew out of that small hat, fluttering their wings and shaking off not feathers but fragrant rose petals.

The big man raised his hands above his head, clapping loudly amidst the rain of petals, and cheered, "Welcome everyone! Welcome to my club!"

"Mavisa! Mavisa!" People welcomed him enthusiastically, "Mavisa the Magician!"

Maivia bowed to everyone, radiating his enthusiasm and hospitality. He was a truly "big man," standing at least three meters tall, his excessively obese body tightly wrapped in a custom-made tuxedo, like a giant balloon about to burst into the sky. But his face was sharply defined, and his demeanor was confident and composed, making one realize that he was equally reliable in any situation outside of the party.

He bowed repeatedly to those around him, exchanging a glance with Kanin in the crowd. "Tonight is another full moon, such a fine occasion is worth celebrating!" He then led a lively dance, before calmly leaving the stage with a glass of white wine. Instantly, well-dressed members of high society surrounded Maivia, their eager faces concealing barely concealed anxiety.

Visab quietly approached and handed his father a small note. Maivia glanced at it and smiled, "Is everything alright, friends? Is there anything I can help you with?"

These words ignited the anxiety. A furniture merchant squeezed to the front and braced himself to be the first to speak: "Thanks to you, everything is fine, sir! It's just... a little worry... we heard that the workshops upstairs have started operating again."

“It is true,” Maivia said.

"God, have mercy! They can't do this!" The furniture merchant cried, his face flushed. "Those monotonous, uncreative factories will destroy the industry of every honest craftsman! They will use hateful cheapness to entice honest people out of their pockets, and there will be no way to make a living by craftsmanship anymore!"

Another fruit merchant stepped forward, his formal attire putting every other fruit vendor to shame. "The fruit industry hasn't been doing well lately, sir. Since the departure of the esteemed High Wizard, the Swamp People have started to break the rules. They intend to bring their own goods to Midgard! You know how greedy and filthy those mud-covered people are; without our careful oversight, who knows how many people will fall ill from rotten fruit!"

Maivia listened attentively, nodding occasionally. Once the conversation started, people poured out their worries: about the new workshops, about the "rule-breaking" swamp, and, hidden beneath the surface, about the city lord's increasingly active presence. They were all monopolists, unscrupulous merchants, beneficiaries of the existing system. In the past, they had never had to worry about anything because everyone knew to "follow the rules," and thugs would take care of those who didn't.

But now things are changing. The city lord's mansion is reviving a new set of rules that people had long forgotten. They fear they will become "people who don't know the rules."

“I understand, friends, I understand.” Maivia spoke slowly but firmly. “First, I want to remind everyone that our city will not mistreat any citizen who earns money through their ability and conscience. We run legitimate businesses; who would be hostile to honest people with status and position?”

He glanced at the worried faces of the people and responded with a confident smile: "I have a deep partnership with the workshop, and I know perfectly well that it won't take over the market in the short term—the goods supplied to the City Lord's Mansion alone are enough to keep them extremely busy. As for the business in the Bize District, I will personally go and talk to them. We all understand the hard work of individual business owners. Now that we have a mature agency system, who would want to suffer the hardship of carrying goods themselves?"

"Finally, I want to remind everyone: never, ever be hostile to our City Lord's Mansion. No matter how the environment changes, only those who cooperate will have a future!"

The magician made a promise, which meant all problems would be perfectly resolved. The businessmen raised their glasses in celebration, relieved, and began to enjoy the feast at the table. Visab took his father's glass to take charge, while Maivia, after a round of toasts, noticed Kanin's absence and excused himself to watch the kitchen. He took the private elevator from backstage to a small VIP box on the top floor, where a man in a white tuxedo was waiting at the table. Maivia embraced him warmly and kissed him on both cheeks with the utmost courtesy.

“Kanin! Our most honored guest, our most intelligent workshop owner!” Maivia tugged at her evening gown. “Our clothes, our houses, the little toys people love, and those little gadgets that protect them—what more can I say? It’s all thanks to you, Kanin. Without your strong support, even the most beautiful magic tricks would be nothing more than fireworks that vanish in the blink of an eye.”

“I also thank the club for the blood and meat.” Kanin picked up his knife and fork, “and the delicious veal steak.”

"I guarantee it's slaughtered that day; it's the only one of its kind in the whole city, my friend," Maivia said proudly. "You won't find beef this good anywhere else!"

Maivia was right; the steak on the plate was cooked to perfection, with clearly defined marbling on the outer layer and a tender pinkish-red on the cut surface. A gentle press with the knife released the juices and aroma. The chef's skill was superb, and the ingredients were top-notch—it would be considered first-rate even on Earth. This meal was a major reason why Kanin was happy to attend; they were all people who had experienced hunger. They didn't get down to business until they had finished eating the meat juices and even dipped their bread in them.

“By your standards, it’s a bit rushed,” Kanin said. He was referring to tonight’s banquet, which Maivia usually sent out invitations days in advance, instead of being held so hastily as it was today.

“You’re still as perceptive as ever.” Maivia hesitated for a few seconds, then put down her knife and fork. “There’s nothing to hide… I made a decision this morning.”

Kanin listened intently.

“The Maivia family isn’t prosperous enough yet. We plan to conceive a new ‘daughter,’ and according to the rules of the moon, such an important event must be celebrated,” Maivia said seriously. “So, you understand, old friend. I want to give you a big order.”

Kanin nodded knowingly: "With pleasure. The relics related to the moon should be as complete as possible. Any other requirements?"

Maivia pondered for a moment: "Four children are enough for a father, aren't they?"

“I don’t know how to answer, after all, I’m a bachelor,” Kanin said. His quip drew a burst of laughter.

"Come on! Plenty of women will throw themselves at you." Maivia laughed and coughed. "I probably won't be having any more children for the next few years, so I want this ceremony to be as beautiful as possible. I want as many belongings as possible, the more the better."

Maivia took out a beautiful crystal bottle, inside which black blood writhed like a living thing. He tossed the bottle to Kanin.

"In return, I will provide five bottles of 'parents' blood,' with the same purity as this deposit."

“Deal,” Kanin agreed immediately. “I will personally transport the goods.”

"You are always trustworthy."

Maivia beamed, relaxing after the deal was struck. He leaned back in his extra-large chair and lit a cigarette. "It's always so easy doing business with you, no need for so much talking. Look at those poor wretches in the dance hall, so easily alarmed by the slightest sound. That's not like a good boss, much less a good father."

Kanin seized the opportunity to state, "Their concerns are not unfounded."

Maivia caught the signal, sat up straight, and exhaled a puff of smoke: "Kanin?"

“I’m a little worried,” Kanin said. That’s a weighty statement; when a boss, a leader, says he’s “a little worried,” it means his anxiety is nearing its peak.

"Just because of that new detective?"

“Not only that, I think they’ve gained something in the swamp, something so important that the city lord’s mansion immediately began adjusting its strategy,” Kanin continued. “Everyone is aware of the current situation, and we need to take action.”

Mentioning the situation implies a matter of life and death. And taking action, the most serious of all, means skipping the "talks" and preparing to act. Maivia understood the unspoken meaning perfectly. He remained silent for a long, long time. During this time, a man in a suit and sunglasses came over to clear the plates from their table, and Kanin greeted him as well.

“Perhaps later, Kanin,” Maivia said heavily, “we have been at peace with the city lord’s mansion for a long time, and this is the eve of a newborn’s birth…we might as well talk more and then make a decision.”

“You see, that’s why I don’t get married. Family is too much of a burden,” Kanin said flippantly.

"That's right! Hahaha..."

They toasted each other, letting the matter drop, and the man in the suit then served refreshing drinks and small desserts. They chatted about old anecdotes and recent news, before Kanin finally got up to say goodbye.

"Oh, right." Before leaving, he paused as if he remembered something. "There's something I need to remind you of."

"What?" Maivia wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Last month, Visab hired someone to assassinate Chu Hengkong.” Kanin put on his hat. “Check the accounts when you have time.”

Maivia's face turned a terrifying, ashen blue. His broad chest heaved violently, his breathing heavy and suffocating. Suddenly, his sleeve ripped open, revealing a swollen, foul-smelling arm. His already enormous body swelled with each breath, and Kanin felt as if he were watching a giant bomb, about to fill the room in fury and then destroy everything in a devastating explosion.

But his breathing gradually calmed down, and Maivia visibly shrank back to his 3-meter height. He took a deep breath.

"Fuck you, thank you so much," Maivia said in a low voice. "I didn't even know..."

“Don’t be too rough with the kids.” Kanin shrugged, walked out of the small restaurant, and unsurprisingly heard a loud crash as he closed the door. He went up the stairs to the garage alone, where Bessen was waiting for him in the truck.

"How to say?"

"Put the car at the intersection ahead."

The truck stopped, and Kanin looked in the rearview mirror. From this vantage point, he could see the windows of the club's upper floors. He waited a moment, then saw a black "fog" billowing from the upper floors, and a man with white eyebrows emerged from it, holding the hand of a young girl. That must be one of the candidates for "daughter"—Mavia hadn't lied to him.

“We can go now,” Kanin said cheerfully. “Let’s change our plans. We’ll work with the City Lord’s Mansion to destroy the club.”

Bessen drove the delivery truck quite a distance before turning around and asking, "...Huh?"

“The fact that Maivia knew about the assassination but didn’t ask me to stop means he has his own ‘grand plan’,” Kanin said. “We can’t count on him, so we’ll just have to use his corpse as food.”

"But why?" Bessen shook his head vigorously. "What reason would the City Lord's Mansion have to help you? You just went to the swamp. If I were someone from the City Lord's Mansion, I would definitely go and beat you up first."

Kanin took out the bottle of "parent's blood" and put it in the truck's storage compartment.

"Send an email to Ji Qiufeng the day after tomorrow."

"…………"

Bessen stopped at the traffic light and stared at Kanin for a while: "You humans are really scary. I always thought you and Maivia were friends."

"Can demons make friends?" Kanin asked rhetorically.

"No. Only food and mortal enemies."

"Now you've learned it, and so have humans."

Chapter 43 The Legitimate Underworld

At 7 a.m., Chu Hengkong had just finished his night shift and was eating noodles for breakfast. Across the table, Ji Huaisu stared at the newspaper with a furrowed brow. It was the "City Daily News," a favorite among the upper class, and the headline was an article criticizing individual fruit vendors in Bize District, accompanied by a large photo of rotten water fox fruit (a fruit that looks like a small blue watermelon).

"Nonsense, utter nonsense." Ji Huaisu threw the newspaper on the table. "Anyone who has ever been to a market knows that water fox fruit is more resilient than a person; it can stay in the open for a week without spoiling."

Chu Hengkong used his tentacles to roll up the newspaper and glanced at it a few times.

"The report says this is a tactic used by a low-level demonic cult to corrupt Midgard, and implies that the City Lord's Mansion is disregarding food safety issues in order to boost the economy." He pointed out, "The logic is sound and reasonable."

Jie An was making rice noodle rolls behind the counter when he heard this and opened the small window: "Hehehe, that's pure nonsense! I personally revised the food safety regulations with the Food and Drug Administration last week. Even Bize had to go through three security checks on Guangyi's belongings in Zhongting. It's much safer than the mess that Adali used to make!"

"Only people who read this lousy newspaper wouldn't pay attention to the facts." Ji Huaisu said with disgust. "It's another of Maivia's tricks to confuse the public."

“Typical gangster style,” Chu Hengkong said.

Ji Huaisu was completely bewildered: "How did they become gangsters? They run casinos and brothels."

"I'm talking about the commonalities of those in the underworld." Chu Hengkong tossed over a stack of files. Ji Huaisu flipped through them carefully and found it was an investigation report on the Maivia family. The information included Maivia, his three children, and an unidentified "henchman." This former assassin's efficiency was always astonishing. He had only learned of the suspected identity of the mastermind yesterday, and today he had compiled a detailed document based on old files and interviews.

“Mavia’s wife passed away twenty years ago, and he never remarried, so he has no biological children. Those so-called ‘offspring’ are all core members of his adopted family. This is the first commonality of underworld families: they value loyalty in the name of blood,” Chu Hengkong explained. “The second commonality is their close ties with the public. The media, the food industry, industry… they provide ‘protection’ to various sectors to expand their sphere of influence, so the tentacles of the underworld are everywhere, just like this newspaper. Fortunately, there are no politicians in Huilong City, otherwise we would most likely be dealing with high-ranking officials with underworld connections.”

"Thank you, underworld master. It's only at times like this that you talk so much..." Ji Huaisu showed little interest.

Chu Hengkong finished his noodles and put down his chopsticks: "But their main business is prostitution and gambling, which is not the style of a legitimate underworld."