Chapter 172: Then He Inserted Something Inside Me
A bell’s not a bell till you ring it, a song is not a song till you sing it.
The shopkeeper had said that he would get to know anytime if someone stole from his shop or not.
Zane wanted to know how but the bald man didn’t tell him.
The gutterborn gave up but because of Jammy, the desire to know riled up again.
Jammy mentioned the door bell not ringing for them when they left the shop and that detail clicked to Zane.
He went inside the shop again and deliberately picked a nail from the counter.
He told the shopkeeper to not throw a knife at him.
While holding the nail, Zane opened the door of the shop and this time, the bell rang.
But to confirm more, he stored the nail inside his ring and again opened the door.
The bell rang this time as well.
After that, he turned to the shopkeeper with a smile.
The shopkeeper returned the smile and shrugged.
"So you found it after all."
Zane returned the nail.
"Yes. Now I know why no thieves ever won against you."
"What do you want now?" The shopkeeper asked.
Zane shook his head. "Nothing. I simply wanted to know. I recently realized how hard it is for everyone else if you don’t know things."
"Have a good day then. And try to keep it a secret."
Zane nodded and finally left the shop for good.
The bell didn’t ring this time and that only made him more sure of his findings.
He joined the others and Jammy was the first one to ask:
"What was that?"
"Nothing. I was just checking something."
"What?"
He asked me not to tell anyone.
Zane thought for a while.
Well, they are not ’anyone.’
"Don’t tell anyone." He said.
Jammy gave a nod and everyone else also perked their ears.
Zane looked around and in a low voice, he said:
"I know how the shopkeeper gets to know who was a thief or not."
And unlike what Zane expected...
"That’s all?" Draxus wasn’t interested at all.
"You wasted our time for that?" And so was Hena.
"I thought it was something big." Xavier chimed in too.
Zane flinched.
"What’s with the reactions?"
"We already know how he catches thieves." Draxus said.
Zane’s brows shot up.
"What? Then why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me in the shop when I asked for it from the shopkeeper?"
"I didn’t deem it important." Hena answered.
"I didn’t care." Draxus replied.
"I thought you were acting." Xavier said.
"Haha. I also already knew. Haha.. ha.. ha." Jammy laughed, scratching his head.
Zane narrowed his eyes. "You knew shit. I can understand about them but if you would have known you wouldn’t be surprised about the bell."
Jammy whistled, looking around.
"You should be ashamed of lying, old man. What will you teach the young ones?"
Jammy didn’t answer and Zane gave up.
"Well, since I wasted my time anyway. I will tell you. And you will all listen."
Zane didn’t wait for the retorts.
"The bell at the door rings when anyone enters but it doesn’t ring for everyone when they are leaving. It only rings for those who have taken something from the shop without paying for it. That’s how he gets to know who is a thief or not. He has a magic bell on his door."
Zane explained that in one breath and they all watched him with a blank face.
But not Jammy.
The man listened with attention and he even nodded.
Zane saw that.
"I thought you said you also knew."
"Yes. I also knew. I was just checking whether you explained it right or not."
Zane rolled his eyes.
"Just accept it. Just because you are old doesn’t mean you should know everything."
"Fine. Yes. I also didn’t know. Happy?"
Zane smiled. "Yes."
"And I am not old. I am middle aged!"
"Whatever. It’s the same."
Zane stopped talking and his eyes went straight to the spot where the thief was resting.
But his heart skipped a beat.
"Where did he go?"
The spot was empty.
The thief wasn’t there anymore.
"I told all of you to keep an eye on him."
"He was just here." Xavier said.
Zane gritted his teeth.
"He was injured. He wouldn’t have gone too far. Look around." He ordered but before he could even gaze around...
WHISH!
"Is this your guy?"
Draxus held a man with his collar.
Golden hairs, no beard, average build, no rings, yellow skin.
The man looked normal if not for his unusual golden hair.
But more than that...
"That’s... yes. He is the guy but how.. thank you anyway."
Zane gave up forming words.
He didn’t know Draxus would oblige this fast.
"Don’t thank me. He was lying unconscious on the next street so I brought him here. Just finish your work with him and keep going."
Draxus shook the thief.
The thief was unconscious for some reason.
"What do you want from him anyway?" Jammy asked.
Zane replied, "He is the thief that tried to steal from the shop. I want to know what Paulo was doing with him."
Draxus nodded.
"Why are you so curious? You should worry about not being branded as a thief yourself. I hope you still remember the relic mission." Hena said.
"I do. But let’s go away from the shop first."
Everyone agreed.
The shop was closer to the Citadel and the shopkeeper was also against Zane to know about the outcome of thieves. So if he saw Draxus holding the thief, the bald man might pose problems for the group.
After a while, they found an alley and Draxus dumped the thief on the ground and began slapping him.
Hard.
"Er... I need him alive to talk."
"Shut up."
Zane shut his mouth.
Draxus slapped the man harder and harder until...
"Haaah! Don’t kill me!"
The thief sat up straight.
Draxus’ slaps worked.
He went to stand beside Hena again and Zane stood in front of the thief.
He doesn’t look like from the slums. Nor from the rich. Is he from Xavier’s class?
"Are you a Commoner? No. Forget it. Tell me what happened to you inside the shop? What did they do to you?"
Zane asked the main question and the thief held his shoulders.
He shivered.
"They... He.. that man first removed my clothes and then..."
Everyone gulped.
"Then?"
"Then he inserted something inside me!"
" ... "
