Chapter 25 Big Shot

On a branch-shaped rack, a completely white owl with a few black spots drooped its eyes, half-opened but not fully, looking down at Wayne through narrowed eyes.

Wayne saw disdain in the slit of the owl's eyes!

According to the grapevine, owls are a symbol of wisdom.

Wayne didn't believe it, taking the white owl in front of him as an example. If it were truly wise, it would have understood how to make use of its adorable appearance. Its eyes would not look so provoking.

Its sullen appearance seemed like a challenge, as though today only one of them, either it or Wayne, could walk out standing.

"Oh, have you taken a liking to this one? I remember it's quite old, always been here without being selected..."

Veronica saw Wayne and the white owl staring each other down and knew he had chosen the messenger bird that suited him best. She took an encyclopedia from the shelf beside them, flipped through a few pages, then began to read, "Snowy Owl, also known as the white owl, is accustomed to making appearances during the day. Its body length ranges from fifty to seventy centimeters, with a round and small head. Compared to other owls, its facial disc is not as distinct."

According to the records, this Snowy Owl is a male. Under normal circumstances, male Snowy Owls can reach up to sixty centimeters. This one is a bit smaller; it seems it didn't get enough to eat as a chick, and its almost pure white body indicates it's an old bird."

"Get to the point!" Wayne interrupted without looking back.

Driven by some strange competitive spirit, he was still in a staring contest with the bird across from him, both glaring unblinkingly, to see whose eyes would dry out first.

"It's too old and seldom active at night. Maybe you should choose another one."

After speaking, Veronica shrugged, accepting that eye chemistry is just the way it is, what catches your eye at first glance is what it is, unchangeable.

Moreover, Wayne and the bird had a high degree of compatibility, their gazes matching each other precisely. It would be difficult to guarantee such a high level of match with another one.

"I'll take this one."

Wayne glared for a while until his eyes dried up, and, having not outlasted the owl, he resolved to take it home and deal with it properly.

"Give it a try, you two should get along well."

Encouraged by Veronica, Wayne reached out to pet the Snowy Owl.

Owls are cats, too, so petting an owl is akin to petting a cat. He believed his exquisite skill would make it irresistible for the bird and turn it into a puppet of desire, crying and begging for more pets, no longer daring to squint at people.

He didn't touch it!

The little critter dodged away!

Wayne was dumbfounded, and Veronica didn't quite understand either. She handed over a mouse strip for Wayne to try again.

It got worse; the Snowy Owl ignored the mouse strip, its eyes filling with even more scorn as if mocking Wayne for being dim-witted.

This was outrageous!

Wayne rolled up his sleeves, ready to show the owl a lesson. Seeing this, Veronica quickly grabbed his arm, urging him to calm down and not to stoop to the level of the messenger bird.

They were going to be family from here on out; there was no need to get physical when they could talk things through.

The friction was too much; Wayne struggled a couple of times but didn't break free, then struggled a few more times, still without success.

He decided to give Veronica some face and let the bird off for the time being.

"I'm taking this one. Today, I'm definitely bringing it home."

"Uh, why not try using Magic Power to lure it? Logically, your compatibility should be really high..." Veronica suggested.

What do you mean 'lure'? This is called showcasing one's strengths!

Wayne gave it a try. He was very confident in the purity of his Magic Power. He waved his hand in front of the Snowy Owl, sending out a strand of white light that caused the other owls in the enclosure to collectively salute.

The Snowy Owl's half-closed eyes slowly opened wide, its golden pupils becoming round as copper bells, while its black irises abruptly contracted.

Clearly, it was shocked.

This time, the Snowy Owl didn't refuse Wayne's invitation to go home with him. Instead, it hopped onto Wayne's arm on its own accord.

The Snowy Owl looked large, but it was actually very light, weighing around two or three pounds. Its apparent bulk was mainly due to its fluffy feathers. Owls are all like that—without their feathers, they're skinny as rails.

The Snowy Owl couldn't possibly fit into a hat. Some magic spells allow large owls to hide in their owner's clothing or accessories, but clearly those spells were not within a beginner's grasp. Veronica found a birdcage, the kind with curtains, and managed to fit the Snowy Owl inside.

This snowy-white owl was exceptionally quiet, unlike its curiosity-driven counterparts. It maintained its dignity throughout the process, convincing Wayne that it indeed was an old bird.

An old bird is an old bird; Wayne had no expectations for it to guard the house or be active at night. Besides, he had Ah Bin, who would take care of everything.

Speaking of which, Ah Bin had been out gallivanting for several nights. It was time for him to assume his responsibilities as a guardian of the home.

...

After Wayne had filled out the form, he carried the caged bird out of the Moon Arch Iron Gate with Veronica, who was preparing to take him to his room to teach him the basic magic associated with messenger birds.

Quiet, undisturbed.

As expected, the enthusiastic coaches swarmed around them. Their bouncing muscles made it hard for Wayne to refuse, and he took the initiative to ask for an office with a glass door.

Veronica brought over a book of magic, which included basic spells to use in conjunction with messenger birds, explaining each one in simple and clear terms.

Outside the glass door, musclemen towered and observed. Should they catch Wayne using the opportunity to learn by touching Veronica's hand, they would barge in to show Wayne their revered aesthetics of strength.

Wayne: heh, I just touched the chest!

Wayne proved himself a genius once again. His memory was strong, and he quickly absorbed and mastered new knowledge.

Veronica warned Wayne not to attempt the newly learned spells, as beginners were prone to mistakes, and a mistake could mean the loss of a messenger bird's life. For now, Wayne's task was to familiarize himself with the bird, which meant feeding it often, making sure it was happy and joyful when it ate.

When Chris was done with her current tasks, she would offer Wayne one-on-one intensive tutoring; at that time, trying out the magic wouldn't be too late.

Brilliant, there were one-on-one tutoring sessions with a beautiful girl!

Someone once said, when a man and a beautiful woman sit together for an hour, it feels like only a minute has passed, but if he sits on a 'muscleman' for a minute, he will feel like it's been more than an hour.

Time flew by without him realizing, and before night fell, Veronica gave Wayne the basic magic textbook to take home and study to reinforce his memory.

With the textbook and birdcage in hand, Wayne left the gym.

Behind him, a group of burly coach hulks stood at the door, watching him go. Main Coach Dick raised an eyebrow and looked toward the end of the street, where a black car was parked.

Inside the car, two suspicious men in black were smoking. After they saw Wayne leaving the gym, they threw away their cigarette butts and slowly started the car to follow him.

"Is the kid being followed?"

Dick pondered for a moment, and then said to his companion, "Follow him, but remember to keep it down, don't do anything unnecessary, just make sure he doesn't get hurt."

The coach nodded, picked up a jacket to put on, and started tailing the black sedan driven by Wayne.

The two men in black were not Mages. In Dick's eyes, their life force was weak and scattered, ordinary people found all over the streets, probably thugs associated with some gang.

Little things like these didn't concern Dick, nor did he care why Wayne had gotten mixed up with the gangsters. He happily sidled up to Veronica, rubbing his hands together foolishly like a doting old father with his daughter.

"Veronica, when did you meet Wayne?"

"I know, but you didn't go into details last time... No, I mean no offense, just showing some concern."

"Him, a genius, that's a laugh... Uh, I'm not doubting your judgment, I mean, even if he is a genius, his age means he's got limited potential to tap into."

"What, he took away the white Owl using his Magic Power?!"

Dick's eyes widened, and his facial muscles twitched in horror, twisting his centipede scar.

"It's nothing, that was just an old bird; Wayne just had bad luck, really bad luck."

His expression changed quickly, and Dick casually moved on from the topic, preventing Veronica from noticing anything odd. By the time he turned to walk out of the gym, Wayne's silhouette with the birdcage had already vanished.

"It shouldn't be, it's not a homing bird, no reason for it to leave with Wayne..."

"Could he truly be a genius?!"

————

Wayne didn't hail a cab straight home. Left hand carrying the birdcage, right hand with a tote filled with textbooks and feed, he wandered the streets as the streetlights gradually lit up.

Firstly, he thought he'd try his luck and see if he could stumble upon kidnappers abducting a young girl while walking at night. If he could play the hero, and if the girl was as well-off as Veronica, he wouldn't mind accepting her gratitude to alleviate his urgent financial drought.

Exchanging romantic engagements, however, was out of the question—his views on love were rather traditional, and he couldn't handle juggling multiple partners.

Secondly, he wanted to familiarize himself with the North District's layout, figure out which corners were suitable for surveillance, which sewers he could sneak into, and how to reach the nearby subway station for a quick escape.

Plus, it was time for a walk with Ah Bin; it was getting dark and foggy, and it was time for Ah Bin to emerge from the earth.

After about ten minutes, Wayne noticed he was being followed. At the turn of a corner, he glanced sideways using his peripheral vision—a black sedan, crawling along at an unusually slow pace, seemingly waiting for darkness to fall.

The dark is good for a strike!

"Damn, have they stopped kidnapping pretty young girls and started targeting pretty boys now?"

Wayne muttered to himself and, when passing by an alleyway, suddenly picked up his pace and walked swiftly into its depths.

The black sedan stopped by the roadside, and two men in black hurried out, rushing into the alley.

At the end of the street, the trailing coach moved quickly to the mouth of the alley; he didn't go in right away but listened with his eyes closed for a while.

A moment later, he shook his head and left.

The boss is overthinking it; this kid can fight, and he's full of tricks—not as innocent as he seems!

Wait, if this kid isn't innocent, won't Veronica be duped?

The coach spat vehemently and walked briskly back to the gym; he had collected vital information and had to keep everyone on alert to prevent the bad kid from succeeding.

...

In the alley, Wayne hid behind a trash bin. As the two men in black walked past at a quick pace, he burst out from his hiding spot and kicked one of them over with a flying foot.

Upon landing, he swung around and threw a punch, using his momentum to land a heavy hit on the other man's nose.

With overwhelming force, he inflicted a stunning blow; the second man hadn't even reacted before he slumped to the ground.

The first man fell and let his handgun clatter out. Scrambling, he tried to pick it up.

Just as he managed to grasp the handgun, the tension on his face eased.

Too soon to be happy!

A kick landed on his butt, sending him tumbling forward before turning around—only to find Wayne holding his handgun.

The original owner's muscles retained extensive combat skills; there's no way he was a third-rate detective idling his days away.

"Get down on the ground, hands on your head!"

Wayne waved the gun muzzle, the shadows of his black hat shading his eyes as darkness fell, and his chilling words carried an intimidating presence reminiscent of a ruthless gang boss.

The man in black was shaken and obediently lay down with his hands on his head.

The other man had already passed out; Wayne searched his body, retrieved another handgun, and said with a cold frown, "Who are you guys, and why are you following me?"

"No, nothing, just passing by," the man on the ground tried to explain.

"Heh, so it was a coincidence then?"

"Yes, just a coincidence!"

Bang!

Wayne stepped forward slowly, pressing his knee into the man's neck, and placed the gun against the back of his head, "Kid, you put your life on the line for just a few hundred a month. I'll give you one more chance, or I'll blow your head off, and your partner will give me the answer."

"I, I..."

Lies won't break through defenses, but the truth will!

The harsh realities of Wayne's words struck a nerve, and the man's tone became filled with anger and grief, the weight too heavy to breathe.

"Still not talking?"

Wayne prodded with the gun muzzle, "Never mind, I won't press you further. I'll ask your partner; with your bloody example before him, he'll surely cooperate, and then I might let him live."

"No, no, don't shoot, I'll talk," the man in black quickly confessed.

"We're from the Black Serpent Club in the East District, we followed you to the North District. A big shot has taken an interest in you, our boss wants to curry favor with that big shot by kidnapping you to hand over."

Wayne: "..."

A big shot, who could that be—had he offended any important person?