Legend Management Bureau Chapter 119

[ … words ]

“Tell the police?” Chada asked doubtfully as she led the way. “I do not follow, sir. Why would I tell the police?”

“To arrest that bastard!” Du Yu exclaimed, then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. “My bad, my bad. I’m live-streaming right now, and I actually just swore.”

Seeing that Chada remained silent, Du Yu continued, “I heard Jack the Ripper was never caught in the end. He brutally tortured and murdered several women, yet ultimately got away with it. Since you know who he is, why not arrest him?”

“An interesting perspective, sir,” Chada noted. “You may not realize just how much profit the name ‘Jack the Ripper’ brings to the British Empire. There are thousands upon thousands of movies, publications, and games based on that moniker. If I were to erase Jack’s existence, it would significantly damage our nation’s interests.”

“Profit?!” Du Yu gaped at her. “Am I talking to you about profit here?”

Shiranui Asuka, who had been listening quietly all this time, finally chimed in. “Senior Chada, I think Senior Du Yu is right. If that person truly is the legendary Jack the Ripper, erasing his existence would be completely justified.”

Hearing this, Du Yu turned his head to look at Shiranui Asuka in confusion. Meeting her exceptionally determined gaze, he could not help but wonder: ‘Wait, aren’t they on the same side?’

“I disagree,” Ramla from Greece countered, shaking her head. “Diogenes once said that the sun visits the dung hill without being defiled. The British Empire preserving Jack the Ripper does not imply any malice; they simply made the most pragmatic decision.”

Who could have expected that the four of them would already be divided less than a minute after entering the legend?

Du Yu nodded. He understood the logic, of course, but the thought of helping a serial killer still rubbed him the wrong way.

The group wound their way through the East End, following Chada into a narrow alleyway. This street looked notably cleaner than the one Du Yu had initially spawned in, suggesting the residents here held a somewhat higher social status.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Chada continued as they strolled down the lane. “Do you know how many suspects have been accused of being Jack the Ripper throughout history?”

Du Yu and Asuka exchanged a blank glance. Naturally, neither of them had a clue.

“Over two hundred,” Chada answered her own question before posing another. “Second question: do you know why Jack the Ripper was never caught?”

Du Yu pondered for a moment. He had actually done some online research the night before. There were countless theories about Jack the Ripper. Some claimed it was the work of an organized group, while others insisted the real Jack only killed one person and the rest were merely copycat murders.

This time, Chada did not offer an answer. Instead, she came to a halt in front of a house. Reaching out with a black leather-gloved hand, she gave the door a gentle knock.

A moment later, a middle-aged woman answered the door, looking at the group with a puzzled expression. A white chiffon scarf was tied around her neck, and she wore an off-the-shoulder corset. The garment appeared two sizes too small, aggressively cinching her waist. While the woman was not overweight by any means, the tightness of the corset was absurdly exaggerated. She wore a floor-length dress, and the massive hoop skirt underneath took up nearly the entire doorway.

“Good evening, my lady.” Chada tipped her top hat slightly. “Might Mr. John Williams be at home?”

The woman remained silent, merely giving a slight shake of her head.

“If he is out, would you mind if we came in for a bit?” Chada pressed.

The woman looked confused. After a brief pause, she asked, “Pardon me, but who are you people?”

“My name is Chada Schwann, a private investigator. These fine people behind me are my assistants.”

Du Yu blinked in surprise. “Who are you calling an assistant?”

Asuka tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to keep his mouth shut.

“Why would a detective be visiting my home?” the woman asked warily.

“If I am not mistaken, you must be Mr. Williams’ wife, Mrs. Lizzie Williams. Is that correct?”

“Yes, I am.” The woman named Lizzie looked defensive, narrowing the opening of the door as she spoke. “But I certainly do not recall hiring a detective.”

“You did not seek my services, that much is true,” Chada replied with a smile. “However, I have a business proposition I would like to discuss with you. It is not something to be spoken of in the street. May we come in?”

Du Yu muttered under his breath, “This feels a bit scummy. If Jack the Ripper isn’t home, what are we doing here? Are we seriously going to threaten his family?”

“I have a bad feeling about this, too,” Shiranui Asuka whispered back. “I have read stories like this. Often, a killer only falls into the abyss and becomes a true demon because their entire family is slaughtered.”

“Holy crap.” Du Yu jumped. “Hey, how did your thoughts get even darker than mine? I just meant using his family for blackmail, and you jumped straight to murdering them all! Could you try being a little more optimistic, kid?”

“Hmph.” Shiranui Asuka huffed softly. “I merely said I had read stories like that. I never said I was going to do it.”

Lizzie deliberated for quite some time before finally swinging the door wide open. “Please, come in.”

“Thank you kindly.” Chada tipped her hat once more in a polite greeting.

Du Yu and the rest followed her inside. The house was quite dim, lit only by a few flickering candles. Lizzie gestured for them to take a seat around the dining table.

“Would anyone care for a smoke?” Lizzie offered.

“No, thank you,” Chada replied with a polite smile. “Might I ask if you know where your husband went tonight?”

“I have no idea.” Lizzie shook her head. “My husband is a Royal Physician. He is generally quite busy.”

“Indeed, your husband is a Royal Physician. I am well aware,” Chada nodded, fixing her gaze on Lizzie. “Actually, I know exactly where he is right now, and I would like to sell that information to you.”

“Sell it to me?” Lizzie frowned in confusion. “You want to charge me just to tell me where my husband is? I believe you have gravely misunderstood, Miss Detective. I care little about his whereabouts, nor have I ever hired a private investigator to trail my husband. So…”

“No,” Chada interrupted, shaking her head. “My dear lady, I assure you that you will be absolutely fascinated by this information. It will change your life, I guarantee it.”

“Change my life? I do not understand. What do you mean?”

“For merely fifty pence, the information is yours,” Chada offered.

“Oh, heavens! Fifty pence is no small sum!” Lizzie shook her head vigorously. “I will have to think carefully about this!”

Having listened to this exchange for far too long, Du Yu simply could not hold back anymore. “I swear, do you ‘Old Londoners’ always dawdle around like this when you talk? Are we filming a period piece or something?”

Startled by his outburst, Chada hissed at Du Yu, “Sir, what on earth are you doing? Please do not disrupt our legend!”

“Sorry, lady, but I seriously cannot listen to this anymore.” Tossing his head back, he turned to Lizzie. “Look, ma’am, judging by your clothes and this house, you aren’t exactly hurting for cash, right? Since we are all sitting here anyway, why don’t you just put the money on the table right now? Our boss will tell you the ‘news.’ If you are satisfied with what you hear, we take the money. If not? Hey, guess what—we won’t take a single penny! We’ll walk right back out that door. As the saying goes: a failed deal doesn’t mean broken ties. If you feel bad about it, we can always just stay on friendly terms!”

Du Yu’s street-vendor pitch left everyone completely dumbfounded.

“Sir! What are you saying? It is incredibly rude to speak like that, entirely unbecoming of a gentleman!” Chada scolded in a hushed voice.

“A gentleman?” Du Yu blinked. “Sorry, you clearly don’t know me very well.”

“Well said!”

Back at the Legend Administration Bureau, someone standing in front of the massive screen suddenly clapped and cheered, giving the gathered immortals quite a fright.

“How strange,” the Queen Mother of the West muttered, shaking her head. “I had heard that mortals are expected to remain completely silent when ‘watching a movie.’ Why is this man cheering and clapping?”

She turned to look at the disturbance with a hint of displeasure, only to find that she didn’t recognize the cheering man at all. He was dressed entirely in white, with a variety of hammers and chisels tucked into his belt, making him look very much like an artifact crafter.

“Somebody come here!” the man shouted. “Bring me the QR code, I want to tip the streamer a rocket!”

Upon hearing this, Qu Xi slowly walked over to the man. “Exalted Immortal, the membership card in your hand has been enchanted with a special spell. Simply inject a bit of your spiritual energy into it, and the ‘Tipping Menu’ will appear. You may offer tips directly using either Spirit Stones or Hell Money.”

The Queen Mother of the West frowned in bewilderment. She turned to the Weaver Girl and whispered, “Weaver Girl, I do not understand. Are we not watching a movie? Why is that man shouting? And what in the world does ‘tip a rocket’ mean?”

The Weaver Girl failed to stifle a giggle. She gently linked her arm through the Queen Mother’s and explained, “Your Grace, according to the Operator, we aren’t actually watching a movie—we are watching a live stream. ‘Tipping a rocket’ simply means spending money to reward the person broadcasting the stream.”

“Oh…” The Queen Mother of the West nodded, looking as though she only half-understood the concept.

Suddenly, the massive screen of the Legend Administration Bureau flashed with a brilliant red light. An attendant was fiddling with something off to the side, and a moment later, a massive digital rocket streaked across the screen, followed closely by a line of sparkling, floating text.

“Thank you to ‘Future Number One Crafter of the Immortal Realm’ for gifting a Rocket!”

“‘Future Number One Crafter of the Immortal Realm’?” The Queen Mother of the West knit her brows. “This man is certainly generous with his wealth, but I have never heard of such a title before.”

The Weaver Girl, seemingly catching onto the ploy immediately, let out a soft chuckle. She leaned in and whispered to the Queen Mother, “Your Grace, I am willing to bet that crafter is actually an employee of the Legend Administration Bureau.”

“Oh?” The Queen Mother raised an eyebrow. “You have always been highly perceptive, Weaver Girl. Did you notice some hidden clue?”

“It isn’t about noticing any hidden clues,” the Weaver Girl replied, shaking her head with a smile. “Simply put, the Operator means no harm. That man is just a planted actor—a shill—arranged to encourage the rest of the audience to start spending their own money.”

The Queen Mother offered a rare, amused smile. “I know exactly what kind of scoundrel that Operator is. What you say makes perfect sense. But will anyone actually fall for such a blatant trick?”

“Let’s just wait and see,” the Weaver Girl replied with a grin.

“Hah! If you ask me, what is the point of watching a live stream if you aren’t going to tip rockets?” Shen Shi, having just basked in the limelight earlier, boldly crossed his legs and shouted, “Somebody get over here! I am a Black Card Member, and I want to post a bullet comment!”

Qu Xi strolled over and politely explained, “Sir, simply write your message directly onto your membership card. It will instantly appear on the screen, and we will even select a few to be read aloud to the Operators inside the legend.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Shen Shi looked at the black card in his hand with feigned surprise, then swiped his finger over it, writing out a message.

Sure enough, a moment later, a line of text slowly drifted across the massive screen—

“Du Yu is a total boss!”