CHAPTER 45 - Mastermind

"Seems like you've realized the severity of the situation... judging by your expression, you're probably not the mastermind. If you cooperate, I might be able to help you clear your suspicions," Caitlyn remarked with a disdainful hum.

Li Lin felt somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected her to make such a promise. Given her dislike for lies, this commitment was likely genuine.

On the other hand, Jayce stared wide-eyed and remained silent. Negotiations weren't his forte, and he didn't want to complicate Caitlyn's efforts.

Quickly regaining composure, Silco took a deep breath and calmly stared into Caitlyn's blue eyes. "What makes you able to make such a guarantee?"

"Because my last name is Kiramman," Caitlyn replied.

Silco hesitated for a moment. "So, the kidnapped councilor is Mrs. Kiramman? Your mother?"

Caitlyn's expression darkened slightly. "That's right... and my father too."

As the ruler of a district in Zaun, Silco was well aware of the names of many prominent families in the upper city. The Kiramman family, though not economically powerful, held significant political influence.

Silco clenched his right fist, striking it against his left palm. In front of everyone, he paced anxiously, appearing distressed.

Glancing at Li Lin's powered armor, he thought, "No, I'm not ready yet. Now is not the time to confront the upper city. Vander was rescued, and I still need to be cautious about their potential retaliation... Damn it! How could I have believed that guy's nonsense? Kidnapping a councilor, this is different from what we initially discussed!"

The eyes of more than twenty people followed Silco's movements. After a short while, he roughly formulated the words he wanted to say next and came to a stop.

"Miss Kiramman, I can assure you that we have nothing to do with what happened in the upper city."

Silco clasped his hands in front of his chest, and his furrowed brows revealed his uneasy mood.

"Since you're unscrupulous, don't blame me for being unjust."

A hint of cunning flashed in his eyes. "However, not long ago, a mysterious person from the upper city approached me and provided some information. That person claimed that on Progress Day, there would be chaos in the upper city. At that time, the enforcers would be too busy to control the undercity, giving us an opportunity to seize control of the lanes... It's a gang struggle, and I won't miss this chance."

Caitlyn coldly stared at Silco, not buying his clearly flawed explanation.

However, she paid no attention to these irrelevant lies and focused on the crucial matter of finding her parents.

"Was that person male or female? What did they look like? What was their physique? What did they say at the time? What were they wearing when they came to you?"

Caitlyn's questions came rapid-fire, leaving Li Lin and Jayce dumbfounded, and even Silco somewhat bewildered.

After a brief pause, Silco shook his head. "Um, I might not be able to answer most of those questions."

"Why?" Caitlyn furrowed her brows.

"Because I never saw that person's face at the time, and I couldn't tell if they were male or female by their voice."

Silco ran his hand across his chin, his heartbeat accelerating as he recalled the events. "It was night, and I was lying in bed. Suddenly, I smelled a strange fragrance, quite different from the usual haze in the undercity. Then, my door was pushed open, and from the light footsteps, I could tell it wasn't one of my men. As I tried to get up to grab the gun in my drawer, I realized my body was weak, and I couldn't muster any strength. I lay there helpless until that person stood by my bed..."

In these words, only a small part is a true account.

When Silco mentioned this, Li Lin and Caitlyn basically guessed who he was referring to.

The mastermind behind the scenes is indeed C...

It seems that, like the Odelenke family, Silco is also being used as a scapegoat by C.

Caitlyn thought silently, then her brain rapidly spun, analyzing the information that could be extracted from the current information:

This time, the pollen of the hypnotic flower used by C serves a different purpose. This person might make the pollen exhibit various effects through adjustments.

And the footsteps are quite light, preliminarily indicating that C is a woman...

Caitlyn scanned the subordinates around Silco.

Apart from a few strong and sturdy figures, most people had a small and weak stature, looking like they suffered from malnutrition.

Well, it might not necessarily be a woman; it could also be a man...

After thinking about it, she gestured to Silco to continue:

"I thought it was someone sent by an enemy to assassinate me at that time. However, that person unexpectedly brought a chair and sat by the bedside, in my blind spot.

"That person identified themselves as 'C' and, just as I mentioned, C provided me with information about the upcoming riot in the Upper City, asking me to be prepared..."

Silco's words abruptly stopped, and everyone heard the commotion outside the factory.

As in the movies, enforcers always arrive to clean up the scene at the last moment...

"Silco, we need to leave," reminded the bald tattooed man by Silco's side.

"Just a moment..." Caitlyn knew Silco hadn't finished speaking and wanted to call him back.

But there was no time now; Silco wouldn't gamble his safety on a young girl, especially facing a large number of enforcers, with so many shimmering potions on the scene.

"I know you have many questions, but unfortunately, I don't know much about the inside story."

Surrounded by a group of subordinates, Silco ran to the side door of the factory.

Before leaving, Silco glanced back at Li Lin and them, saying loudly, "However, I think you can check out the abandoned Wells Brewery on the northwest side of the Mid-Level Plaza."

Wells Brewery...

Caitlyn silently noted this name, then turned to Li Lin and Jayce, "Let's go out from the side door; we're heading to the place Silco mentioned."

"Huh? Just the three of us?" Jayce asked in surprise.

"Why not? Didn't we almost handle everyone just now?" Caitlyn gave Jayce a disdainful look.

"But the enforcers are here; shouldn't we inform them?" Jayce scratched his head.

"Do you think Grayson would let me continue the investigation if he saw me?" Caitlyn retorted.

"Well, yeah..."

"Alright, the three of us are not a problem. My powered armor and Jayce's hammer have enough energy."

Saying this, Li Lin turned to Caitlyn, "How many bullets do you have left?"

Caitlyn checked her waist pouch, "I brought quite a few this time, currently 34 rounds."

"Enough."

If everything goes according to plan, C shouldn't show up in this event. There shouldn't be much to worry about.

Of course, with the lessons from the past, he wouldn't be blindly confident just because he understood the background.

Being fully prepared is the key.

While thinking, Li Lin noticed the chaotic flashlight beams at the end of the corridor near the entrance and quickly reminded:

"Enforcers are coming; let's go."

(End of this chapter)