Chapter 49 Investigation

"I have a way to alleviate Grandma Nieno's condition. Now, except for Yuli, could the rest of you please step out?" Rex suddenly said to everyone.

That's right, Rex wanted to use his abilities to help Grandma Nieno recover. Now that he had gained a foothold, it didn't matter much to him if he revealed his abilities to those close to him.

Moreover, in this situation, he couldn't bear to let this admirable elderly person endure prolonged suffering.

Not only would he feel guilty, but once his abilities were exposed in the future, it would leave a thorn in the hearts of Yuli and the others.

So, after some thought, Rex decided to reveal his healing abilities to Grandma Nieno and Yuli. As for the other residents of the orphanage, being young, he didn't want to reveal it to them yet.

"Really? Boss, do you really have a way to help Grandma Nieno? Thank you so much!" Yuli said excitedly, grabbing his hands with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, but my methods can only be used in front of you. Let's have the others wait outside for now," Rex affirmed.

Although curious about Rex's methods, the others restrained their curiosity, giving space to Rex. They consciously walked out of the sickroom and closed the door behind them.

"Grandma Nieno, you'll soon feel better!" Rex walked to Grandma Nieno's bedside, held her hand, and said.

As Rex's ability activated, a verdant energy flowed into Grandma Nieno's body through her hand.

At this moment, Grandma Nieno felt incredibly relaxed. The intense pain in her lungs from breathing gradually subsided. Not only that, but she felt as if her body, which had been on the verge of exhaustion, was rejuvenating.

"Grandma Nieno, you can now feel your body's condition," Rex said with a smile.

"It's truly unbelievable! I feel like I'm ten years younger now, full of vitality. Thank you so much, Rex!" Grandma Nieno expressed her gratitude as she felt her body rejuvenated.

"Grandma Nieno, I don't want to reveal my abilities just yet. Can I trouble you to continue pretending to be sick and just say that your breathing has improved a bit when asked?" Rex looked at Grandma Nieno, who was about to get up from the bed, and said.

"I understand. I won't mention your abilities to anyone else. I swear!" Grandma Nieno, after a brief thought, understood Rex's concerns. After all, such abilities were extremely rare, and spreading them carelessly could invite unnecessary trouble.

"Same here. I won't mention what I saw today, boss!" Yuli, who had been accompanying them, witnessed everything and immediately promised.

She was deeply grateful to Rex for using his special abilities to help Grandma Nieno, and she silently vowed not to betray this trust.

"No need to be so serious. As long as you don't mention it to anyone else!" Rex was very satisfied with their assurances, feeling that he hadn't placed his trust in the wrong people.

"By the way, Grandma Nieno, how did the orphanage catch fire for no reason? Do you know what caused it?" Rex changed the subject and asked about the cause of the fire.

"I'm not sure. The fire seemed to break out suddenly. My first reaction was to rescue the children who were still napping in their rooms!" Grandma Nieno wasn't clear about the cause of the fire either. There wasn't any source of fire inside their house.

"Right, a few days ago, a group of people came and said they wanted to buy the orphanage. They mentioned planning to build a high-end residential area in that area. The offer was quite high, but the orphanage is our home, and we're used to living there. So, I directly refused!" Grandma Nieno seemed to recall something and suddenly said.

"If that's the case, there's a high probability that they started the fire. The land of the orphanage is under your name, Grandma Nieno. If something were to happen to you without a designated heir, the land would revert to the Alliance, and then they could directly purchase the land from the Alliance," Rex deduced upon hearing about the land acquisition.

After all, such incidents weren't uncommon in his previous life. However, in this world, with vast lands and sparse population, ordinary people wouldn't usually engage in such acts unless that piece of land held some unknown value to them.

"How could there be such despicable people?" Yuli couldn't help clenching her fists upon hearing Rex's analysis.

"Whether it is or not, we might find out soon. If it's them, and Grandma Nieno hasn't encountered any mishaps, they might come over to negotiate the land purchase again soon," Rex reasoned. Surveillance wasn't common in this world yet. Even if someone started the fire, if they didn't admit it, it would be difficult for Rex to find evidence to accuse them.

But now that Grandma Nieno hadn't faced any accidents, the problem was back in their hands. Unless they didn't want the land, they would soon come to negotiate the purchase.

---

"That useless fool! Didn't I ask you to get rid of that old hag? Why is she still fine now?" Ikawa Nobuo glared at his subordinate with a murderous look.

"Boss, I've already burned down that orphanage. Now, that place is just scorched earth. When you go to negotiate buying the land, she'll definitely sell it. Otherwise, she and those little brats will end up on the streets," Watanabe Yusuke said with a forced smile.

Ikawa Nobuo was the owner of a real estate company, but he was also the behind-the-scenes boss of an underground gang in Slateport City. In the early days, he made his fortune by smuggling pokemon and selling illegal drugs. Later, after accumulating a certain amount of capital, he whitewashed his reputation and established the current Ikawa Real Estate.

By bribing Slateport City officials, he obtained some information about urban development in advance. He bought potentially appreciating land early on for building houses and made a lot of money.

During the land purchase process, he often encountered people like Grandma Nieno, who were stubborn and unwilling to sell. In such cases, he would have his subordinates take care of it, whether through coercion, temptation, or even murder, as long as it served his purpose.

This time, he got wind of news that the Alliance would invest heavily in the development of towns around Slateport City. The nearest town, Fallabor Town, was among them. It would receive a large amount of resources for development and a railway line directly connecting it to Slateport City. Fallabor Town was bound to prosper, and consequently, its land value would increase rapidly.

Ikawa Nobuo needed to buy as much land in Fallabor Town as possible before this news spread widely. The area where the orphanage was located was one of his prime targets.

Watanabe Yusuke was the black-market member responsible for dealing with this matter. He had already helped Ikawa handle many similar situations before.

For Watanabe Yusuke, he was starting to feel tired of doing these things.

 However, having already gotten his hands dirty, he felt like there was no turning back.

This time, he instructed his henchmen to set fire to the orphanage. Perhaps it was because he had grown up in the orphanage himself, he simply set the fire and left. As for the safety of the people inside, it was up to their luck. This was already his last bit of mercy.

Although Nobuo felt that Yusuke was a bit soft this time, he didn't care much. After all, he believed that after this incident, the old lady wouldn't dare to refuse to sell the land to him again.

"In that case, let's leave it at that. I'll send someone to negotiate with the old lady to buy her land. If she still refuses, you know what to do next!" Nobuo squinted his eyes and said to Yusuke.

"Understood, boss!" Yusuke hurriedly bowed.

He knew how ruthless Nobuo could be. Many members of the gang had been dealt with for failing to complete tasks satisfactorily.

(Fin)