Chapter 2063: Chapter 2063: Parsifal Club
The Sunday Review Press is located on the bustling Clover Street at the edge of the Lower District. Although this newspaper is not well-known in the distant Northern Tobesk City, it has a significant circulation in the Moon Bay Region. Of course, despite sounding like a serious periodical for current affairs reviews, it’s actually a locally famous gossip tabloid.
If Shard and Miss Galina’s stories took place in Moon Bay City, they would become regular celebrities for this newspaper.
The journalist Mr. Cooper, code-named "Boatman," is the person Shard needs to find. When Shard met him at the press, he was checking a draft and was startled by a salesman’s card from the "United Fruit Company." After verifying each other’s identities, he invited Shard to a tavern on the other side of Clover Street for a drink and lunch.
Shard was somewhat worried about taking up the man’s time, but the journalist waved his hand with irritation:
"All we have here are stories about affairs, infidelity, and bastards, and the editors even demand us to fill in the details ourselves, ensuring they’re attention-grabbing enough. Sometimes, I even suspect whether I’m a journalist or a novelist writing illegal publications. Alright, alright, let’s go grab a drink; you also have questions, don’t you?"
Compared to an agent, this journalist, with his medium build and slight belly, resembled more of an average working man already tired of his job under life’s pressure. They sat down in the tavern, eating and chatting while Mr. Cooper insisted on covering the bill:
"I can get it reimbursed."
After a pause, he added:
"I can get reimbursed both at home and the press."
Shard thus accepted the man’s "kindness" and explained his purpose:
"United Fruit is arranging for me to operate in the Moon Bay Region for a while, and might come by again later. This time, I have two matters."
"Please don’t be so polite. Sending me here to coordinate your affairs in Moon Bay City already speaks volumes about your importance. What are the specific matters?"
"First, I want to inquire about a person."
Shard lowered his voice slightly as the tavern was quite lively at midday, making their conversation unobtrusive:
"Freeman Hawthorne."
"If you’re referring to that Freeman from the Hawthorn Family, I don’t even need to dig for this information."
The journalist tapped his head, and upon Shard’s nod, he provided a detailed introduction:
"In the ’Seven Families of Glory’ in Moon Bay, the Edington, Hawthorn, and Belindel Family still hold the Carsonrick Earl titles, while the remaining four families are Viscounts and Barons. The current Earl of Hawthorn is the grandfather of the 34-year-old Freeman Hawthorne. Freeman Hawthorne’s father, a second son, is now a city council member, coveting the family’s title.
As for Freeman Hawthorne himself, he hasn’t participated in politics. He is the farthest from core power within the Hawthorn Family and also the one with the worst reputation. At least one-fifth of the local gangs are related to him, and he’s often the one handling the family’s shady affairs."
A few simple words basically sketched the character, so Shard continued to ask:
"If I want to find this person, where should I go?"
"That’s not difficult either; his daily life is quite regular. Now it’s Friday afternoon, he should be mingling at the Parsifal Club in City Cave. It’s a... high-end leisure place, or a high-end brothel, where we don’t get expenses reimbursed for such places. But if you really want to go, I can find a way to apply for some activity funds."
He kindly reminded Shard, who nodded lightly:
"No rush for the funds. Have there been recent months where the Hawthorn Family interacted with mysterious figures?"
The journalist, holding his glass, thought for a moment:
"No, but if you need intelligence, I can gather some, though this would take time."
"No need. Knowing where they are, I can figure out how to get the intel myself... Then for the second matter, I want to connect with the Grey Glove people. Is there a way?"
Though the two sides were opposing forces, sometimes contact is necessary, so Mr. Cooper wasn’t very surprised:
"Still go to the Parsifal Club. The proprietress there, Mrs. Frei, is a well-known intelligence dealer here. She’s backed by one of the seven families, though not our people. But tell her Mr. Boatman sent you, and she’ll be willing to help."
So, as long as you have connections in this place, those seemingly difficult to handle matters can be resolved with a few words.
Shard then had a peaceful lunch with Mr. Cooper, listening to him talk about the anecdotes and noteworthy things in Moon Bay City.
Of course, Shard didn’t forget to inquire about the "headless corpses" and the "blood-drained corpses." However, Mr. Cooper didn’t know much; he only knew that the former had made the city’s inhabitants uneasy over the past few weeks, while the latter seemed more like urban legend stories.
After lunch, Shard continued his investigation work. He temporarily set aside the matters of Grey Glove, still believing that the Hawthorn Family and the mysterious Circle Sorcerer were more important.
Just as journalist Mr. Cooper said, the Parsifal Club located in the city’s western district is a famous local... establishment for technical work. The situation there is very similar to the place Shard saw in the City of Glass where MI6 met with Grey Glove leaders. A wooden lattice wall hung with morning glories and other flowers Shard couldn’t identify obstructs the view on the east side of a downhill road, but the spacious four-story building behind it is completely unassailable by such a wall.
In the drizzle under the sky, it seems the whole street has only this building looking colorful. But precisely because of the bad weather, no one noticed the Red Butterflies flying out from the alley, entering the club’s top floor window in the rain.
Trying to find someone in a unfamiliar building is not difficult for Shard. With the photo given by the journalist—there’s no lack of tabloid stories about Freeman Hawthorne—combined with simple hypnosis and spiritual guidance under powerful spiritual power, he quickly found the target on the fourth floor.
Shard had previously learned Freeman Hawthorne was in the room playing games with two girls, but when he arbitrarily used a wire to jiggle the lock and then opened the door with the "Key of the Door," what he heard was the sound of a whipping.
Silently entering and relocking the door, he then discovered this room was a large suite, so following the sound, he turned left into the room and quietly approached the man wielding the whip with his back to him.
The two scantily clad women tied to the chairs naturally saw Shard as well, but their mouths were stuffed and their eyes wide open, able only to make muffled sounds, unable to alert Freeman Hawthorne.
Successfully "stealthing" once more, Shard knocked Freeman Hawthorne out from behind. When he woke up later, he was firmly tied to a chair with hemp rope, with Shard standing in front of him holding the whip Hawthorne had previously held:
"Don’t worry about those two women from earlier, I knocked them out and tossed them into the outer room... Judging by your expression, you don’t seem to care much about them."
"What do you want?"
Freeman Hawthorne, in his thirties, sported long hair tied into a small braid behind his head, unlike the hairstyles of most men. If not for the scar traversing his left cheek, he would have quite an artistic aura.
His height was roughly the same as Shard’s, but he was very slim. He didn’t panic but calmly questioned, wearing only loose shorts, sizing up Shard’s attire and appearance, indeed displaying good psychological qualities:
"If you want money, I can give you an anonymous bank draft, cashable at any bank in Moon Bay City. If you want me to help with something, I wouldn’t mind making a very capable friend. If you’re hired by someone else, I can offer triple the price. This is Moon Bay; I’m Hawthorne; I can fulfill nearly all your desires."
Shard sneered slightly... though he hoped it was a sneer, the expression didn’t suit him:
"I’ve circled Moon Bay quite a bit just to find you."
Spent half a day gathering various clues.
"Originally, I wanted to pretend my pet dog was killed by you, and I came to avenge it, but thinking it over carefully, there’s no need to waste that kind of time. Answer me three questions; I just need three answers."
"Go ahead."
The bare-chested man frowned at Shard:
"Or you could untie me, maybe we could go have a drink together. We’ll have something in common; look at how professionally the rope is tied. We can exchange thoughts. Friend, this is the Parsifal Club; you should be tying up the girls, not me."
Shard had no interest in discussing this topic:
"Shut up. First question, recently there’s been a rumor in the city about someone trying to sell three expensive Special Rule Cards. I heard your subordinates intended to bring those cards to you; are the cards currently in your possession, do you know which series the three cards belong to?"
Freeman Hawthorne suddenly understood:
"Ah, so you’re after that?! Friend, want to play a round of Roder Cards? I can..."
"What do you think we’re doing right now? Answer my question."
Hawthorne licked his lips:
"Those fools didn’t get the cards, but I am indeed interested in those three. I heard one of them was issued during the earliest days of the Creation of Roder Cards, something everyone wants. But honestly, friend, I don’t know where they are, many in the city want them now. Though my men killed the businessman originally possessing the cards, you really sought the wrong person coming to me."
Shard frowned slightly, initially just asking offhandedly to obscure his true purpose, unexpectedly receiving such an answer. Although unlikely, there’s still a chance that Moon Bay Region has "Genesis" series cards appearing.
Comments