Back at the LGD headquarters, Ch'en was feeling increasingly perplexed. What on earth was Wei Yenwu doing today? Why had there been no response for so long after she sent her application?
Normally, Wei Yenwu wasn't one to procrastinate. Reviewing these types of cases was usually just a formality for him; he'd glance at them and give an answer immediately. If she hadn't expected a quick reply, she wouldn't have kept Jeanne waiting at the station; she would have sent her back to rest and waited here by herself.
Where did that old dragon go? She had just made a discrete call, only to be told that Wei Yenwu had left immediately after receiving a transcript of the interrogation. No one knew where he was.
"Hey, Char Siu Cat, what kind of report did you send Wei Yenwu? It actually made him run out of the office during work hours?"
Ch'en figured that only Swire would have the leisure to file a report. But that didn't seem right—when did Swire ever have time to write reports? Even if it were the intel from that prisoner's confession, it shouldn't have been enough to make him flee his office in such a hurry.
"I didn't send anything. However, the City Lord did have Shirayuki take a copy of the confession earlier. Aside from that, I haven't a clue."
What Swire mentioned had actually happened while she and Jeanne were inside doing... whatever strange things they were doing. Swire hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. The City Lord often sent his subordinates to copy transcripts of important suspects so he could stay updated on the situation.
Given that Jeanne's encounter definitely fell into the category of "major events," it was perfectly normal for him to send someone for a copy. Plus, Swire had been so busy helping Ch'en investigate that Columbian pharmaceutical company that she had simply forgotten to mention it.
"Then we can only wait. Who knows where he went or when he'll be back."
Down in the slums on Forest Road, Wei Yenwu was driving a very inconspicuous car. He pulled up in front of the Rat King's house.
He intended to have a serious talk with his old friend regarding Jeanne's situation—specifically to find out how much the Rat King knew and whether he needed to employ "thunderous methods." After all, this matter involved a character he particularly disliked remembering: that schemer who had been dead for years, the "Black Snake" that Jeanne claimed was no longer a threat—Kashchey.
Although he had heard from Jeanne, and his own elite troops had confirmed that the snake had died at Talulah's hands years ago, he knew one thing: if a master schemer meticulously plans a conspiracy, it doesn't end just because the schemer dies. Such a plot could erupt even years later.
Wei Yenwu never believed that Kashchey's schemes vanished with his death. He still had loyalists, and there were gangs brainwashed in secret who would continue to act on Kashchey's will.
Worried, Wei Yenwu felt he had to speak with Lin Gerui, the old friend who had ruled the slums from the shadows for years. If his car weren't constantly emitting a terrifying odor, his "official business" visit would have been five percent more believable.
"It's been years since you personally drove to my door. What's with the sudden dramatic entrance?"
The Rat King caught a whiff of the stench emanating from the back of Wei Yenwu's car. If he weren't so familiar with the man, he would have assumed Wei Yenwu had brought a trunk full of manure as a gift.
"Well, I didn't know what to bring you as a gift. It just so happens Fumizuki bought too much fruit yesterday, so I brought some over to save it from going to waste."
Wei Yenwu looked at the durians packed tightly in his car. They were just a portion of the massive amount Fumizuki had purchased; there were even more waiting for him at home! While kneeling on durian husks wasn't the hardest thing in the world, having to eat durians for every meal to the point of a physiological reaction was a serious problem. As his old pal, Lin Gerui would just have to help him digest them so his wife's punishment could end sooner.
"None of the three of us in this house have a habit of eating durians. For those of us with a sensitive sense of smell, this stuff is a nightmare. If you're looking for someone to help you clear this out, find someone else."
The Rat King coldly rejected the gift. For a member of the Zalalak race, the smell of durian was significantly more overwhelming than it was for a Lung. Having a durian inside the house would make the place uninhabitable for him.
"Help me out here. Fumizuki bought these specifically to teach me a lesson. But she bought way too many. If I eat them all, I'll end up in the hospital."
Wei Yenwu began whispering to his old comrade. If he could have found anyone else to take them, he never would have brought them here. Knowing his old friend's "rat-like" memory, the man would nag him about this for twenty years; every time they sat down for a drink, he'd use this as an excuse to make Wei realize he owed him five shots of white liquor.
However, the Rat King didn't press further. Perhaps he realized Wei Yenwu wasn't going to take the pile back. He used his Originium Arts to manipulate the sand, moving the carload of durians to a well-ventilated spot.
But just as Wei Yenwu let out a sigh of relief, his expression stiffened at the Rat King's next words.
"As it happens, my wife went shopping yesterday and came back with a massive pile of pineapples. You should take some back with you later for dessert."
What the Rat King didn't mention was that his wife had spent the entire night grilling him about his secret stash of pocket money. He had wondered who had blabbed; now he knew the culprit. Though the Rat King had escaped the tragedy of kneeling on durian skins, his wife had cooked an entire table of pineapple-based dishes last night—his daughter was so fed up she wasn't even planning to come home tonight.
It seemed that the "surplus pineapples" Fumizuki had mentioned were actually bought by Lin Gerui's wife as they compared notes on how to uncover their husbands' secret stashes.
"Are you sure your wife didn't buy those as New Year gifts for your subordinates? Are you sure your family can finish that many pineapples?"
Wei Yenwu followed the Rat King into a storage warehouse. It was packed to the ceiling with pineapples. If his old friend ate all of those, Wei suspected the man would die of high blood sugar before he died of old age.
"If we can't finish them, she says we'll dry them into pineapple jerky. I'll hand them out to my men later. Honestly, I wonder whose mouth was so loose that they sold out the secret of our pocket money?"
As he spoke, the Rat King's beady eyes flicked toward Wei Yenwu. It was clear he knew exactly who had sold him out; he was just being passive-aggressive.
Wei Yenwu's expression was awkward. He hadn't expected Fumizuki to run into Lin's wife yesterday. After the two women talked, they both started "testing" their husbands.
"Let's talk business. Let's head inside. If we really can't get rid of this fruit, we still have that Old Penguin to help us, don't we? Let him find a buyer and sell the whole lot at a low wholesale price."
Wei Yenwu's plan was clever. If they could secretly sell the fruit, they might even end up with a decent bit of secret pocket money.
"Hmph... then why did you come to see me in person? It's been years since you've set foot in my house."
Seeing that Wei Yenwu was ready to get serious, the Rat King stopped nagging. He led Wei into the living room, and they sat down across from each other.
"Yesterday, we discovered that Kashchey seems to still have influence remaining in the slums..."