Chapter 95: Shadows Outside the Window

"Ugh, seems like I can't escape the grip of this city after all. With so many people around, why call me back? You could handle everything here alone. What kind of trouble could arise in such a small city?"

Nicholas, who had arrived in the city just yesterday, still covered in dust from the journey, reluctantly left his warm hotel suite to visit the nearby contact point in the civilian district.

The StateSec members already stationed there glanced at Nicholas, scratching their unkempt hair in disbelief. What was this guy trying to prove?

"It's because of your connection with that guy Reno, the private security contractor. Although things have been quiet lately, events like Sangvis Ferri taking over security for the coastal transport line and the establishment of the Doll rights association headquarters in the city are somewhat related to him."

"Reno? The guy who took humanoid dolls to the southern port for reconnaissance data? That's an exaggeration, isn't it? He only had a few tactical dolls, and they were all low-level ones, not even a dummy."

Nicholas shrugged. He didn't see Renault as a problem. While Griffin was the only security contractor using tactical dolls on a large scale, other small contractors existed too. It didn't necessarily mean anything.

"You should toss out your outdated intel. If you knew what Reno had been up to in the months after you left, you wouldn't think that way."

"Huh? Hey, Alina, I've only been gone for less than a year. How does that make it outdated?" Nicholas knew Alina well. Her blunt way of speaking wasn't likely to change.

"A month after you left, Reno received a task from Ural Biotechnology to escort materials for Doll parts. He safely neutralized two mercenary ambushes during the return journey, with only a jeep provided by the employer as the casualty."

"Since then, he's handled sixty percent of the city's cargo transportation, earning at least three billion in just a few months..."

Nicholas's eyes widened. "Wait, three billion in a few months for a private security contractor!? Are you kidding me?"

Admittedly, security contractors made money, but Alina's description seemed exaggerated. Small contractors barely scraped by, even Griffin struggled without support from IOP and other capital sources.

"And what about the merchants? Would they just generously give money to Reno?"

"Ha, your wise look tells me you're not paying attention. I said sixty percent of the cargo, not one hundred percent. The remaining forty percent comes from the north. He monopolizes all the southern transportation routes."

Alina sneered at Nicholas's ignorance before turning back to her screen. However, the pages that were open suddenly turned white, followed by warnings of connection failure popping up.

"What...!? Something's wrong! The communication is down! Grab your stuff! Come with me to the communication tower..."

As Alina reached for her weapon, preparing to leave the door she hadn't opened in half a month, her hand was grabbed.

Snap!

Her pistol fell from its holster as her hands were tied behind her back. Similarly, Nicholas's hands were bound tightly, his mouth agape in pain from having his jaw dislocated.

But they didn't lose consciousness; instead, they stared incredulously at the figure in the doorway, dressed in a coat.

"Don't worry, I won't drown you in cement. Just need you to stay quiet for a while. I have some personal matters to attend to."

Quickly tying knots around Alina's wrists, Reno then reattached Nicholas's jaw.

"Gah! Wha... What are you doing, Reno!? You don't need to tie us up for personal matters!"

"Oh, but I do. I need to ensure you two don't interfere when the time comes."

It wasn't uncommon for teammates to mess things up at crucial moments. Though they weren't exactly teammates, Reno didn't want them causing trouble.

He had already informed the patrol, and they wouldn't be around the Doll Rights Association tonight. Fortunately, the association had chosen a location very close to Griffin's branch office.

This place was perfect for Renault's surveillance, no normal residents within five hundred meters, and no risk of collateral damage, as the only people here were the ones transferred from other cities.

Their daily routine was just protesting and chanting slogans outside G&K's branch.

"All right, that should do it. Remember to stay quiet. You know what'll happen if you don't."

As Reno's eyes glowed red, Nicholas and Alina shivered. They exchanged glances, but before they could say anything, Reno had already left, the sound of chains dragging against the door echoing behind him.

Clearly, Reno had not only bound them but also secured the door with iron chains!

Through the small window in the contact point's wall, Nicholas and Alina watched as Reno waved to them before several large figures with glowing red eyes, just like Reno's, lumbered away.

"Ouch, that hurts. Did you see what was outside the window? What was that?"