NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8: 8
Chapter 36 Commission ContractTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3266 words Update time: 2025-05-04 18:00:00
After enjoying dinner, Caroline washed the pots and dishes step by step to the "dishwashing song", then went upstairs to the bathroom, summoned and unfolded the "Void Cube" as usual.
The solid gray blocked the outer space, and the stacked "reports" slowly emerged and hovered in front of Caroline.
Looking at the pile of "reports" that had accumulated to a considerable height, Caroline suddenly felt like the mayor of Backlund reviewing official documents. Perhaps the members of the parliament discussing the topic and His Majesty the King listening to official reports in the palace felt similarly.
"The number of 'reports' I can read every day seems to be completely unable to keep up with the speed at which they are generated. At this rate, the 'reports' will only pile up more and more. If I'm not careful, some useful information will be drowned in useless gossip..."
Caroline pressed her forehead in distress. Her ability to keep the "Void Cube" unfolded was limited. If she calculated it over a day, assuming she unfolded it once early in the morning, she would have to wait until at least the afternoon to have enough energy to unfold the "Void Cube" again without feeling dizzy or dazed.
It seems that she must quickly learn the ability to discern information, eliminate those useless "reports" as quickly as possible, and extract the useful information she needs.
This is a skill that is not easy to learn and it takes time to hone. All Caroline can do now is to speed up the reading of text.
Caroline picked up several "reports" in succession, glanced at the text on them, then quickly threw them away, letting the "reports" float in the space of the cube, and then picked up the next one to continue browsing.
Just as she expected, there was no screening of the content collected in the "reports". Almost anything interesting and influential that happened in Backlund would be recorded by the "Void Cube" and then a corresponding "report" would be generated. After reading a few articles, Caroline basically did not see any useful information.
However, she did discover a small feature, that is, the "Void Cube" seemed to actively generate "reports" related to her. Even if these things did not cause any impact, as long as they were strongly related to her and had a certain connection with her actions, it would be generated.
For example, Caroline's previous visit to Caspers to buy a dagger and a revolver was recorded in it.
Of course, the "Void Cube" does not record everything that is closely related to her. For example, no "report" is generated for her shopping for groceries and cooking. Caroline believes that there must be some pattern in this.
"Will only events that affect my future actions be recorded?"
Caroline thought about it and wondered if she could take advantage of this. When making any decision in the future, she could first look at the "report" generated by the "Void Cube" and then examine her own behavior from a relatively objective perspective.
In this way, perhaps you can help yourself avoid many unnecessary wrong choices.
Caroline thought so, but the actual operation still required practice. She couldn't just unfold the "Void Cube" anytime and anywhere outside, and there were not bathrooms everywhere.
After reading about a dozen "reports", Caroline felt that her energy had reached its limit. Before she felt any discomfort, she tactfully ended the reading and took back the "Void Cube".
Since there was nothing important to do, she simply washed up in the bathroom, changed into her nightgown, went into the bedroom early and lay down on the bed.
...
There was no conversation that night. Time passed quickly after Caroline closed her eyes and fell asleep. The hands on the clock quickly turned from nine to six, and the morning light slowly illuminated the bedroom.
Caroline got up very early today. She always gave herself enough time. According to the agreement, she and Mr. Ovis would meet again at the underground market at nine o'clock this morning to sign a detailed contract for the commission.
She had no relevant experience in this area. In fact, even on the previous Earth, she had never signed any contract. The only thing that resembled a contract was the voluntary tutoring required to stay in school for evening self-study in high school and during holidays.
In her opinion, this kind of thing similar to bounty commission should belong to the underground gray industry. Everyone should rely mainly on verbal agreements, and the prestige of the people behind the underground trading market can maintain the operation of this industry.
Ovis Wein's focus on contracts through "normal" channels seems like a breath of fresh air in troubled times.
After getting up in the morning, washing up and having a simple breakfast, Caroline changed into a hunter's suit, took the "Silver Key" and some cash and went out.
At the T-junction of Blaise Street, Caroline took a carriage and headed straight for the East End.
...
After getting off the bus near Tiemen Street, Caroline followed the route that Hugh had led her last time. After a few turns, she soon found the broken wooden door entrance hidden in the alley.
She pushed open the wooden door, walked down the long ramp, came to the huge iron door, and knocked gently a few times according to the rhythm she remembered.
After a moment of calm, the huge iron door was opened. The guard inside the door leaned his head out to look at her, then stepped aside to let Caroline walk in through the gap in the door.
The underground trading market is still so dull, with a visible ceiling and walls on all sides. It is an extremely limited space, with poor air circulation but not enough to suffocate people. Dim kerosene lamps are hung on the walls, and someone has to add kerosene from time to time to prevent the lights from going out due to carelessness.
Caroline ran straight to the inner corner of the underground trading market. From a distance, she could see the stall owner, who was wearing overalls and a shirt and had a unique temperament, and his twisted sign.
"Mr. Ovis Wein's Shop"
Seeing Caroline approaching, Ovis smiled and greeted her:
"Good morning, beautiful lady, my considerate and kind partner. Today is a wonderful and happy day, isn't it?"
Caroline walked over to the stall and leaned over, looking at Orvis strangely.
"It's cloudy today."
"My lady, you really don't understand romance. But it doesn't matter. I believe that as long as we communicate more, you will soon learn the joy of life from me, a gentleman from Intis who loves life."
"…That's all thanks to you."
Ovis kept talking about the beauty of life, and Caroline could only smile awkwardly and agree with him. Only after the former had fully expressed his desire to perform did their topic really start to get to the point.
"First of all, I want to compliment you on your punctuality. Those who have done business with me in the past don't seem to like to keep time."
Ovis said with a smile, and took out a thick brown parchment from the huge bag behind him, on which many lines of densely written words were written in ink.
"This is the commission contract I drafted. Haha, I am very professional in this area. Professionals should do professional things. Miss, take a look. If you think there is no problem, then we can sign the contract."
Ovis handed the parchment to Caroline, and when the latter reached out to take the contract, her fingertips felt the considerable texture.
This thing shouldn't be cheap...
Caroline remembered that parchment was a relatively ancient craft. Now, due to the development of papermaking technology, people basically no longer use parchment. Parchment is only used when signing extremely important documents and in very solemn occasions.
He really treats business as his life...
Caroline couldn't help but look at Ovis with some admiration. In her opinion, people who focus on an industry and strive for excellence are worthy of respect. Perhaps in the future Ovis can be called a "business genius" by her.
Caroline took the commission contract and read it carefully. It must be said that Ovis was not exaggerating. He wrote this contract document in great detail, clearly listing the rights and obligations of both parties, including what Caroline should do during the commission period, what she should do when the commission encounters problems, what Ovis should do as the client, and how to refuse when she proposes matters beyond the commission requirements. There is even a "termination clause" at the end of the contract regarding force majeure.
The so-called "termination clause" means that when some events occur that are unforeseeable to ordinary people and can pose a serious threat to life safety, the two parties to the contract can terminate the obligations in the contract on their own, and the trustee does not have to bear any responsibility, but the principal must make certain compensation to the trustee based on the specific circumstances.
"Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, wars, terrorist attacks, cults causing chaos, the advent of evil gods...?"
Caroline frowned, wondering if these things were really possible.
As far as she knew, Tingen was located in the northern part of Loen, with a year-round cool climate and good weather, and no record of natural disasters. The worst was one year when it snowed and froze the roads throughout the city, which was even reported in Backlund's newspapers.
Caroline looked at him for a long time, and Ovis was not in a hurry, but just looked at her with a smile.
After reading the entire contract from beginning to end, Caroline really didn't see any problems.
So she returned the contract to Ovis, who took it and immediately said with a smile:
"Since there is no problem, then we will..."
"Wait a moment."
Caroline raised her hand to interrupt Ovis.
"Please allow me to leave for a moment. I want to think calmly first. Is there a bathroom here?"
"bathroom?"
Ovis was stunned for a moment, then pouted and sighed:
"Miss, you are really unique. Even I don't want to go to the public bathroom here."
Having said that, Ovis still pointed Caroline in the direction of the public restroom based on fair and friendly business principles.
After saying thank you, Caroline stood up and walked around to the other side of the underground trading market. She found a small gap inwards at the extension of a corner of the wall. Inside was the public bathroom she was looking for.
As she walked into the public bathroom, a foul odor immediately hit her in the face. Caroline subconsciously covered her mouth and nose. It seemed that there was no one arranged to clean the bathroom regularly.
But she didn't care so much now. After confirming that no one came, she closed the bathroom door, took out the "Silver Key" from her inner pocket, and then summoned the "Void Cube".Chapter 37 Business RoutineTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 2986 words Update time: 2025-05-05 13:00:00
The gray solid space was quickly covered, and stacked "reports" emerged.
Caroline quickly picked up the top "report," hurrying up so as not to appear to have wasted too much time in the bathroom.
She looked carefully and saw the bold black title at the top of the "report":
"Business routine"
Sure enough! Events that are strongly related to me and will affect my next actions will form a corresponding "report"!
Caroline was delighted, but then she immediately became confused.
What does "business routine" mean? Her eyes immediately swept downwards.
"Contracts were born with the development of human commerce. This document, which is based on trust and consensus between two parties, has a strong legal constraint. Once signed, it means the formation of constraints. Therefore, people often perform some strange little operations when signing contracts."
"Ovis Wein, it is obvious that he is a man of great business acumen. As a former "lawyer", he can not only confuse the minds of business partners with his eloquence, but also skillfully use various legal clauses to establish a contract that seems to be very fair."
"Although the rights and obligations stipulated in the contract are indeed very pertinent, the problem is that Ovis Wein will not suffer too much loss of personal interests due to the commission's mistakes. He seems to be in no hurry to entrust, but only he knows that his business is in urgent need of recovery. The deal with Caroline must be won. Catching the swindler will help him regain his status among his friends."
Business tactics... I just find it strange. There is indeed something wrong with Ovis's attentiveness. He used his advantage as an Intis person to make me think that he was just a simple playboy.
After reading the main text of the "report", Caroline suddenly felt that her mind had become much clearer, as if something had been entangled in her thoughts like a spider web, making her instinctively not think too deeply.
Now looking back at the time when she was negotiating the commission with Ovis, the whole rhythm of the whole process was led by the other party. She only thought about what she needed, but never thought about what Ovis needed.
Business is actually an exchange of interests, but she forgot this.
If she thought about it carefully, maybe she had fallen into Ovis's trap since the moment she bargained.
A Sequence 9 potion formula could be sold for 200 pounds, and a Sequence 8 potion formula could be sold for twice that much. So how could investigating a possible Sequence 8 Beyonder only be worth that much? To be fair, Ovis could have used the blood of the red-haired hound as a reward.
But Ovis only gave her a small discount, and at the end threw out the potion formula of the "Hunter" pathway sequence 8 as a lure, which made her immersed in it and subconsciously ignored the previous questions.
What fair and friendly business dealings? This guy clearly wants to make back the profits through himself!
Fortunately, I used the "Void Cube" to confirm the situation before signing the contract, otherwise I would have been cheated by the merchant again.
Before it was the owner of the roadside stall, this time it's Ovis Wein!
Caroline frowned, wondering why she had not thought of this problem even though she had suffered a loss before...
Am I not being cautious enough?
Or maybe the problem lies with Ovis...
Caroline pondered, then looked down again and caught a glimpse of the comments at the bottom of the "report".
What's strange is that there was one more comment this time, even though there would usually only be one.
——"It doesn't matter. We just take what we need."
——"I knew this kid had bad intentions!"
The two comments had completely different tones. One seemed to agree to continue trading with Ovis, while the other seemed to be ready to give up directly.
Do the two comments represent the two choices I face?
Caroline clenched the "report" and began to reconsider her actions.
She would definitely not accept the currently known commission, because the price offered by Ovis was not enough to cover her needs and risks.
But she didn't want to be rejected directly. She urgently needed to drink the potion again and become a Beyonder in the shortest possible time, and Ovis was the only person she knew who could provide her with the potion materials.
She could indeed give up the Ovis line and look for other sellers, but how long it would take was uncertain.
Moreover, Ovis had the formula for the Sequence 8 potion in her hands, and the "report" had verified that Ovis did have a lot of connections. The "Secret Society" and the "Iron Cross", these two mysterious organizations might be able to give her some help in the future, especially the latter, which was said to be composed entirely of Beyonders from the "Hunter" path.
So giving up is definitely not something we can give up, but this deal must be changed!
...
After confirming the known information in the "report", Caroline ended the development, recalled the "Void Cube", and walked out of the bathroom.
Returning to the underground market, she headed straight for Ovis's stall.
Ovis, who was sitting leisurely on a stool, humming an unknown tune, immediately put on his unremarkable smile when he saw Caroline coming back, and said:
"Welcome back~"
Caroline leaned over the stall and said with great approval:
"I just thought about it calmly. This contract is indeed well written. I can't find any faults with it. Mr. Ovis, you are indeed a very professional businessman."
Ovis waved his hand modestly, but the smile on his face became brighter.
"It's really flattering to receive such positive compliments. I know you are a very reasonable person, young lady, and there won't be any problems with our transaction."
As he spoke, he handed over the parchment with the contract written on it and said impatiently:
"In that case, let's sign the agreement quickly—"
"But I think the conditions here can be improved."
Suddenly, Caroline changed the subject and stared at Ovis.
"For example, the first phase of the reward can be replaced by the 20 ml of red hound blood I need..."
Ovis's expression was stunned, then he chuckled a few times and said:
"Miss, you are such a joker... Haven't we discussed this before? This is a bounty commission, and it is definitely not as equal as a business transaction. The preferential conditions I offer are actually very good. Moreover, for the final stage of the commission, I can provide a Sequence 8 potion formula."
"I know, but what I want to ask now is, what is the value of a Sequence 8 Beyonder?"
Caroline squatted down, held her cheek with her hands, and said calmly with a smile:
"To be more specific, you are commissioning other professional bounty hunters to investigate a Beyonder who may be a Sequence 8. How much can they accept for the commission?"
Ovis' smile disappeared a little, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Caroline continued:
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I can go somewhere else and ask more professional people. The signing of the contract can be postponed for a few days. We can discuss the commission remuneration again later. I'm not in a hurry, but..."
Caroline moved a little closer to Orvis, her blue eyes flashing with a cunning and powerful light.
"Mr. Ovis, it may be difficult for you to open your business. And if you delay for too long, the cunning swindler will leave Tingen and run away to other places. What should we do then?"
"I'm very confused. Backlund should have the largest underground market in the entire Loen Kingdom, and there must be a lot of bounty hunters who can accept investigation commissions. But why don't you go find those professionals, but are ready to make this deal with me, who obviously has no experience."
"Let me guess. Could it be that you don't have enough gold pounds? Could it be that the most valuable things you have are the blood of those red-haired hounds that are everywhere on the street, and the gray matter of the red-haired hounds' brains that will arrive at an unknown time?"
The smile on Ovis's face had disappeared, and his eyes widened slightly unconsciously. The pretty face in front of him seemed so oppressive in his eyes.
He swallowed and raised his lips slightly. Maintaining his professionalism as a businessman, he forced himself to remain calm and said to Caroline:
"Miss, you are really scary. You know..."
But before Ovis could finish his words, Caroline interrupted him again.
"The scarier things are yet to come."
Caroline couldn't let Ovis regain the initiative in speech. It might be impolite for her to do so, but she had to use a series of combos to break down Ovis's language defenses.
"I just thought about it. Mr. Ovis, since you have so many friends, why don't you ask them to help you catch the scammer?"
"Could it be that... you're not the only one who was cheated of money by that scammer?"
"Could it be that some of your friends invested in that fraudster together with someone else's guarantee, and ended up losing money as well?"
"That guarantor, could it be you..."
"As a businessman, you should know that if an investment goes wrong, the person acting as a guarantor will bear a lot of responsibility."
"Have you used all your funds to compensate your friends?"
Facing Caroline's increasingly brilliant smile, Ovis, who had originally tried to pretend to be calm and control the situation, completely lost his expression. He smiled helplessly and distressedly:
"Miss, you are truly a natural born 'hunter'..."Chapter 38 SignatureTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 2972 words Update time: 2025-05-05 18:02:41
After Caroline revealed the tricks hidden in his words, Ovis no longer had that meaningful smile on his face. Instead, he looked more sincere at this moment, and even seemed a few years younger.
Caroline was actually very nervous at this time. She kept clutching the corner of her clothes to relieve her anxiety, fearing that what she said would be too much and cause the original plan to go wrong.
Fortunately, she seized the opportunity and successfully pulled the commission back from the contract signing stage to the remuneration negotiation stage.
Caroline's expression was a little stiff, and she couldn't even smile for the moment. This was because she had just completed a successful "feat" and her mind and spirit suddenly relaxed.
However, when Ovis saw her expression, he mistakenly thought that she was seriously dissatisfied with him. Worried that the business he had finally caught would be ruined, he quickly explained with a smile on his face:
"Ahaha, I really didn't make a mistake about you. Miss, you are indeed smart and brave. I was abrupt this time, and I deeply apologize for trying to take advantage of you. But you have to understand that I really want to make this deal with you, and I also want to develop a long-term friendship with you... You know, just like my friends."
Caroline relaxed from her stiff expression. She let out a breath and raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
"I understand your thoughts. When doing business, it's natural to pull each other for profits. But you said it yourself, this is just a bounty commission, which is different from a business transaction, so I think it's better to be more frank about the reward, at least it should satisfy both of us, right?"
"Oh my dear and beautiful lady, I totally agree with what you said! As you said, we can completely start discussing the remuneration again."
Seeing that Caroline had not given up the idea of entrusting and trading, Olves' eyes lit up immediately. He sat up straight and pulled at the non-existent tie at his collar.
Now that Ovis has regained his enthusiasm, Caroline must take this opportunity to bargain.
So she put her hand on her chin and said in a very leisurely and relaxed tone:
"Then let's re-plan the reward, shall we? Well, I think it would be best to use the 20 milliliters of red hound blood to compensate for the first phase of the reward."
Ovis's expression froze for a moment. He lowered his head, approached Caroline, frowned, and said:
"Miss, you really can't give away 20 milliliters of red hound blood for free..."
Caroline raised her head, stretched out her index finger and shook it, pointing out the problem in Ovis's words:
"Mr. Ovis, this is not a free gift. This is the commission for investigating a Sequence 8 Beyonder. The amount spent on training a Sequence 8 Beyonder is over a thousand. Isn't he worth 20 milliliters of red-haired hound blood?"
Ovis scratched his head and said:
"Miss, that's not how prices are calculated. Not the entire Beyonder is worth much. At most, it's just…"
"What is it?"
"Nothing… Anyway, Miss, the value of a Sequence 8 Beyonder is really not that high. Besides, my commission is not to kill him, but just to investigate for information."
"Oh, that's such a pity..."
Caroline sighed, shook her head and was about to stand up, but Ovis quickly stretched out his hand to stop her, and said in a quick and hurried voice:
"But if we can slightly change the relationship between commission and reward, I think such an exchange may not be impossible!"
Ovis was relieved, but Caroline still stood up and stretched her legs a little.
"Sorry, I just wanted to move around. You know, squatting for too long is not good for your leg muscles."
She blinked mischievously. Ovis stared at her blankly, then finally shook his head with a smile and cursed in Intis in a low voice:
"Damn it, isn't it said that low-sequence Beyonders in the Hunter pathway don't have any brains? Those people from the Iron-Blooded Cross don't look like they have any brains either…"
Caroline didn't speak Intis, so she didn't understand what Ovis was saying, but from his expression, she could tell that he was definitely not saying anything nice. She just didn't know if he was talking about her or someone else.
It doesn't matter, just let him complain. If there was no "Void Cube", I would have really fallen into the trap. It's normal for Ovis not to understand...
So Caroline pretended not to see Ovis, leaned down again, supported her knees with her hands, and asked him:
"So, how should the relationship between commission and reward change?"
Ovis turned his head back, spread his hands reluctantly, and explained to Caroline:
"It's very simple. Just combine the beginning of the first stage with the second stage. As long as you can accurately find the fraudster and give me all his basic information, I will use the blood of the red-haired hound as a reward. At the same time, the 50% discount on the red-haired hound's gray matter will remain unchanged."
"This was actually the commission I had planned at the very beginning. But later on, as you know, when I saw a new Beyonder like you, I couldn't help but want to... make a little money."
Ovis defended his behavior, but when he saw Caroline's raised brows, he immediately changed his words and said:
"Haha, this is actually a very vivid lesson, isn't it? The extraordinary world is not that simple, and the relationships between extraordinary people are much more complicated than those between ordinary people. It's better for you to be fooled by me and learn a lesson than to lose your life in the future because of carelessness."
"And didn't I tell you that I want to develop a long-term trade partnership with you? You may suffer a loss today, but maybe you can get compensation in the future?"
Is this how you treat your trading partners?
Seeing Ovis's ridiculous smile return to normal, Caroline suppressed her urge to hold her head and shake her head, and said to him:
"I'm not planning on looking to the future yet. I'm not living well in the present."
Hearing this, Ovis nodded in agreement:
"Ah, a very pragmatic value. Emperor Roselle once said this. But he also said something more poetic, which is 'Life is not just about the confusion in front of you, but also about beautiful poetry and a distant place full of hope.'"
Great Emperor, you really copy everything. If you say one word less, will it make you unable to sleep well that night?
Caroline pressed her temples with a headache and turned the topic back to the commission remuneration:
"That's it, then. I will try my best to go to Tingen and bring you the basic information of all the suspects there. If the fraudster is indeed among them, you can just give me the blood and gray matter of the red hound. Of course, the former will be given as a reward, and I will buy the latter with money."
Ovis looked at Caroline in confusion and said:
"Tingen is not a small city. I guess there are at least ten people who meet the characteristics. Can you collect so much information at once?"
"I have my own unique way of collecting information. You don't need to worry about me."
Looking at Caroline's affirmative expression, Ovis curled his lips in admiration and nodded his head.
"You are such a lady full of surprises. I am beginning to feel moved~"
Caroline's eyes suddenly became extremely dangerous. Ovis coughed a few times and said:
"Then let's put it this way. Our commission contract is officially changed to this."
"If you bring back the basic information about the swindler, I'll give you the blood of the red hound and half the price of his gray matter."
"If you can help catch that swindler, I will give you the formula for the Hunter Path Sequence 8 potion!"
"Yeah, very good. This must be a result that both of us can be satisfied with, right?"
Ovis looked at Caroline, as if asking for her opinion. Caroline nodded, indicating that she could accept the current reward.
"Very good, then the contract needs to be changed."
Ovis took out a fountain pen from somewhere on his body, opened the cap to make sure there was still ink, then he picked up the parchment of the contract that was thrown on the stall, placed it on his lap and began to change the contract on the spot.
How can it be like this... I thought he was going to go back and rewrite it...
Caroline waited patiently for Ovis to modify the contract. After he finished writing it, he threw the pen away, turned the contract to Caroline, and said:
"Miss, please take a look."
Without taking the contract, Caroline simply glanced at it to confirm that the terms had indeed been changed.
However, she didn't expect that this contract was actually written by Ovis himself. It was different from the twisted and strange words on his sign.
After receiving Caroline's approval, Ovis smiled happily. To show his sincerity or something else, he was the first to sign his name on the contract.
Then, he turned the contract parchment to Caroline, took out a box of ink from his bag, and said:
"It's your turn, Miss. You can sign like me, or you can sign by fingerprint."
Caroline glanced at the box of ink and asked curiously:
"Will this work?"
"Of course, this is a contract with the Holy Emblem of the Eternal Sun. As long as it is signed with a mark that can prove one's identity, the contract will be effective."
Ovis smiled and pointed to a golden symbol at the top of the contract that looked like the sun.
The Eternal Blazing Sun... the main god worshipped by Intis...
With the holy emblem of the righteous god as a guarantee, Caroline no longer hesitated. She took the parchment and ink of the contract, placed them on the stall, and pressed her fingerprint forcefully on the "trustee" position of the contract.Chapter 39 Shooting Range PracticeTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3209 words Update time: 2025-05-06 13:42:40
After pressing her fingerprints, the commission contract between Caroline and Ovis was officially signed.
Although Ovis claimed that this parchment of the contract was blessed by the "Eternal Sun", Caroline did not see any special changes in the contract after it was signed.
Ovis rolled up the contract with a smile, then took out a piece of paper with the information and appearance characteristics of the scammer that he had used before, and handed it to Caroline as a basis for her to find the target person after she went to Tingen.
Caroline pinched the ends of the paper with her hands and unfolded it.
"Male, from Loen, about 20 to 30 years old, about 1.76 meters tall, black hair, brown pupils, ordinary appearance, no obvious physical features, formerly known as Randall Binochev."
There is nothing special about him. Isn't he just an ordinary person? There are a lot of people who meet the above characteristics in Backlund alone...
Caroline frowned. There was a portrait next to the description, but...
She turned the paper to Ovis, pointed at the portrait that looked like a child's drawing and said:
"Mr. Ovis, do you think this can really help me find my target?"
Ovis stroked his chin and pondered for a while, then said:
"I think this is a very vivid description. Miss, please don't focus on the external appearance, pay more attention to the small details."
Small details? I think the lines are really thin... Wait, could it be that Ovis drew this on his legs temporarily? No wonder the lines are so twisted and frivolous...
Seeing that Caroline had been staring at the portrait for a long time without making any sense, Ovis quickly grabbed the stool and moved forward. When Caroline glanced at him, he stretched out his hand and pointed at a place on the portrait.
"Pay attention here, look at this corner of the mouth."
Following Ovis' instructions, Caroline did see a raised line on the face of the graffiti man.
Wait, you said this is the corner of the mouth?!
Caroline glanced at Ovis slowly with an extremely shocked look and praised him:
"Mr. Ovis, you are truly a gifted painter..."
"So...what do you mean by this?"
Ovis sat up straight and explained with a smile:
"When I wrote this note, I thought about how to describe the guy's characteristics so that you can at least see him and have doubts."
"I have thought about his appearance, but appearance can change. With a little makeup or the help of some extraordinary items, his appearance can become completely different from what I remember."
"I've thought about the name, too. The scammer told me his name was Randall, but that's even less valuable as a reference. Who knows what his name is now?"
"Then I realized that if you want to identify a person, it's best to look at his inner qualities rather than his appearance!"
"Inside?"
Caroline tilted her head in confusion.
Ovis nodded and said confidently:
"That's right! The key lies in people's habits. It is difficult to change a person's habits, especially when the habit is developed according to the person's personality."
"So even if the scammer changes his name and appearance, as long as his annoying personality remains the same, some of his habits will still be reflected in him."
"The most iconic thing is the corner of his mouth! The corner of this guy's mouth is always upturned to a certain extent. At first glance, it feels like he is laughing at you. It's very disgusting and extremely annoying."
"Besides, I believe this guy will never be idle. After he used despicable means to defraud my money, I asked someone to re-investigate him and found that the description of the perpetrator in a previous fraud case in Feynaport was very similar to his."
"Therefore, this guy must not have any good intentions in Tingen. He might be planning the next scam."
"It could be in the financial field, it could be in the investment field, or it could even be some shell company, but in any case, this guy's fraudulent means will definitely be spread in the early stage, claiming that anyone can invest and anyone can make a profit."
Ovis leaned over, made a shooting gesture to Caroline, and said:
"That is to say, if you meet a guy with this kind of behavior in Tingen, then he is most likely the scammer I'm looking for!"
...
After agreeing with Ovis on the next meeting place, Caroline did not stay in the underground trading market for too long. After leaving the market, she took a carriage back to the Cherwood District.
The commission has been accepted, and Caroline is preparing to go to Tingen tomorrow morning.
There was a lot of preparation work to do before leaving, but most of it was just about packing. She didn't need to bring much, just daily changes of clothes, necessary cash, and most importantly, weapons for self-defense.
That's right, Caroline planned to carry the revolver and the dagger together. The train security in this era was far less strict than that on modern Earth. There were many ways to evade the inspection. Even if she didn't evade the inspection, she had plenty of ways to prevent the security personnel from searching for weapons.
"Good ideas from netizens, wisdom from the Internet, and the most popular thing for bored people is to use their wild imaginations."
Caroline smiled obliquely, got up and got off the carriage, walked back home along Blythe Street, changed out of her hunter's suit, put on her daily clothes, and then went out again.
It was close to noon, and as it was a rare day off during the week, the streets of Cherwood were crowded with people. There were families who had saved money for a week and finally came out to enjoy a big meal at a restaurant; there were believers dressed simply and going to churches in various districts for weekly prayers; there were groups of young students who came out to play because school was over.
This is the life of the people in Cherwood, which is closest to the lifestyle of the middle and lower working classes. In the East Side, it is another scene. In Hillston, Queens, and the West Side, it is another face of the city.
Caroline walked quickly among the crowds, and when she reached the area near the Backlund Bridge subway station, she found the nearest newspaper stand.
Caroline squeezed through the several gentlemen who were surrounding the stall and reading newspapers about today's current affairs, and paid for a Backlund Morning Post from the stall owner.
Being aware of current affairs is one of the qualities that a Loen gentleman should have. In various gatherings and banquets, discussing national affairs is often the best way to demonstrate their personal qualities. Even in daily family dinners, Loen men, as the heads of the family, will hold up a newspaper and even if they are just pretending to criticize the current news.
However, Caroline's purpose of buying newspapers was not to show her literacy. If she wanted to know current affairs, she only needed to find a deserted place and unfold the "Void Cube".
Furthermore, there was no one around her who could discuss and criticize the news with her.
What she wanted was to find a shooting range suitable for her to practice her marksmanship through an advertisement in a newspaper.
The Kingdom of Loen relaxed restrictions on private shooting ranges a long time ago. Shooting ranges that could only be set up in suburban areas before can now be found in cities. Although most of them are under the management of the police department, the remaining ones are large enough for civilians to use.
Caroline wanted to find a small shooting range with few people. On the one hand, in Loen, a traditional and conservative country, it was still not a trend for women to use guns. On the other hand, her purpose of practicing shooting was to prepare for the next commission and future self-defense. She didn't want anyone to see any clues from her shooting movements.
This cannot be considered as being overly cautious. For professional police officers, they can indeed judge from a person's shooting posture whether that person has ever shot someone.
Moreover, most of Backlund's shooting ranges are supervised by corresponding police officers, and she doesn't want the police to remember her appearance.
Turn the page of the newspaper, and below a certain news section, there are a large number of advertisements, ranging from house rentals to investment introductions.
After searching for a while, Caroline finally found a pitiful small shooting range advertisement in a small corner.
According to the introduction, this shooting range was recently opened, located in the Cherwood area, and is a small private shooting range.
Isn't this exactly what she needs?
So Caroline wrote down the address, rolled up the newspaper and casually handed it to a little boy wearing a loose old coat on the roadside, and then headed towards the shooting range.
After walking for about ten minutes, Caroline arrived at Wooster Street in Cherwood District. Following the house number, she found House No. 13 on the address.
There is no sign or logo at the door, and it looks like a very simple small apartment. However, there is a police station on the corner of the street very close to it, so there is no need to worry that this is a "black shooting range".
Caroline walked to the door and knocked gently a few times. Not long after, a sturdy middle-aged man with a bald head opened the door.
"Excuse me, is this Hank's Shooting Club?"
Caroline asked in a harmonious voice.
The middle-aged man who opened the door looked Caroline up and down, nodded, opened the door completely, and invited her in.
When Caroline walked into the house, the first thing she saw was a staircase leading to the basement. Next to the staircase was a corridor leading to the inner living area, and from a distance she could see a few slices of bread that had not been eaten on the dining table.
Up there is my home, and down there is the shooting range...
Caroline thought this style was a bit strange, but considering that the advertisement of this shooting range could only be stuffed in the corner of the newspaper, it was obviously due to lack of funds, so she could understand it a little.
The middle-aged man closed the door and took Caroline into the basement. They soon came to a small underground shooting range with lights on and simply built with wooden boards.
"There is a uniform charge for the use of firearms, and different types of bullets are charged separately, calculated on a per-round basis. Pay first, use later."
The man walked to a place similar to a front desk and handed Caroline a handwritten bill.
Caroline held the bill, but her attention was focused on a trophy base in the shelf behind the front desk.
"First place in the Backlund Police Department shooting competition"
"Winner: Hank Davis"Chapter 40 Hank DavisTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3085 words Update time: 2025-05-06 18:09:50
Backlund Police Department shooting competition?
The boss is a retired policeman?
Hank Davis, that's the name of the owner of the shooting range?
Caroline shielded her eyes with the billing slip and secretly looked at Hank, the owner of the shooting range behind the front desk through the cover of the paper.
When she first entered the room, she was only busy looking around the environment inside the house. After a quick glance at Hank, she didn't pay much attention to him. The only thing she remembered was his short but strong figure and his bald head without a single hair left.
But now, looking closely, she found that Boss Hank's muscular body seemed to have become quite bloated. Large amounts of fat replaced the former muscles and accumulated all over the body. The linen shirt he was wearing could hardly cover his body, and the clothes tucked into his trousers seemed like the poor buttons would burst at any time.
His arms still looked strong and sturdy. The rolled-up sleeves pressed against his flesh and stretched the muscles on his arms tight. His limited forearms seemed to have strength far beyond that of an ordinary person's entire arm.
But if you look at Hank's face again, you will find that his eyes are unusually calm, as if he has no interest in anything. His cheeks and chin are piled with fat, and his mouth is surrounded by messy stubble, making him look like a decadent middle-aged man.
Caroline noticed that there was a scar of moderate size on Boss Hank's left eyebrow, and his left auricle also seemed to have signs of healing after an injury.
There is a story... well, a lot of stories...
Caroline thought to herself, but it was just a thought. She had no intention of prying into the past of a retired policeman.
Turning our attention back to the bill, this small private shooting range does not have many types of firearms. In addition to three different sizes of revolvers, there is only one early bolt-action rifle.
Generally speaking, shooting ranges in Loen allow customers to bring their own weapons, provided that they have the corresponding gun license. Therefore, in order to take care of those customers who are unable to obtain a gun license, shooting ranges often equip themselves with a certain number of firearms.
Since the military technology of this era had not yet developed to the point of magazine-fed pistols, most of the firearms provided in the shooting range were revolvers. Only some shooting ranges with some capabilities could provide shotguns that could fire shotguns, and bolt-action rifles were also rare weapons.
As expected of a retired police officer, although the number of firearms is small, they can provide bolt-action rifles...
Caroline pursed her lips. The rifle technology at that time was just like that. Aiming and pulling the bolt were actions that only appeared on the battlefield. She didn't intend to try it.
So, she just picked a short-barreled revolver that was similar in size to her own. According to the bill, the rental fee for the gun was 1 soli, the price of each target paper was 2 pence, and the corresponding bullet price was 5 pence each.
Caroline bought a target paper and sixty rounds of bullets. Including the rental price of the revolver and the venue fee, the total price came to 1 pound 7 soli.
The price is not cheap either... It seems that shooting is not something that ordinary people can afford no matter in which era.
Caroline shook her head and thought, and paid the corresponding amount to boss Hank. After the latter finished counting, he took out the revolver and bullets she wanted from the drawer behind the front desk, and then took a brand new target paper, went to a 10-meter target road, and pasted the target paper on the target at the end.
"Don't shoot anywhere else. Call me if you have any questions."
After delivering the items, Boss Hank said no more. He went back to the front desk of the underground shooting range and sat down in the armchair.
Is this the end of retirement life?
Caroline glanced at Boss Hank, then walked to the shooting range, placed the bullets on the table in front of her, and began to load bullets into the revolver one by one.
Shoot normally first, then try to draw your gun in case of an emergency...
After thinking about her next move in her mind, Caroline closed the revolver with her left hand, turned on the safety, held the revolver with both hands, raised it forward, and aimed at the target ten meters ahead.
Through the straight line formed by the crosshairs and the sight, she saw the target in the distance constantly shaking in front of her eyes. The point represented by the crosshairs went up and down, and there was no way to fix it in one position.
Caroline realized that the interference was caused by her own hands. She could hear her own tense breathing and pounding heartbeat.
Including her days on modern Earth, this was her first time firing a gun in her two lifetimes, so it was inevitable that she would be nervous.
After adjusting her breathing, Caroline imagined that she was just playing a game and the revolver in her hand was just a gun-shaped sensor.
After giving herself a hint, she clearly felt her breathing stabilize, her hands stopped shaking, and the crosshairs were finally fixed in the center of the target paper.
After aiming roughly, she thought she should be prepared for the recoil, so she pulled the trigger resolutely.
"Bang!"
The bullet was fired, and the moment the gunshot rang out, a huge recoil force immediately acted on Caroline's hands.
The force went along her arms and all the way to her body, and she felt as if she was suddenly pushed. This caught her off guard, and even though she was prepared, the revolver in her hand still slightly separated from her hands and automatically lifted up, and her body also unconsciously leaned back.
"despair!"
Such a situation will only lead to one result, that is, the bullet will miss the target far away and fly onto the wall nearby.
Caroline quickly stood up, looked at the bullet holes on the wall, and looked back at Boss Hank with a guilty look.
However, the other party didn't seem to pay any attention to her at all, and lay in the recliner with his eyes closed.
Seeing that Boss Hank didn't react, Caroline quickly looked away to avoid him seeing her guilty conscience.
Well, this is acceptable, after all I'm just a newbie...
After comforting herself repeatedly, Caroline raised the gun again, recalling the transmission trajectory of the recoil she had just felt, and applied force downward with her hand in advance to prevent the bullet from derailing again.
"Bang!"
Caroline pulled the trigger again. Having experienced the recoil once before, she successfully suppressed the deviation of the muzzle. The bullet flew out of the barrel, streaked through the air, and successfully hit the target paper - although it only hit the edge, but not missing the target was the best success.
With the successful experience, Caroline took advantage of the victory and pulled the trigger several times in succession.
Gunshots rang out one after another, and bullets whizzed past, all hitting the target paper without missing a single one.
But after firing for a while, Caroline noticed that her arms were becoming very sore.
It should be the problem of the gun holding posture. I was too nervous and kept thinking about suppressing the recoil, which is not okay...
After reloading the bullets and adjusting her posture slightly, Caroline fired a few more shots to try again.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several bullets flew out, this time the accuracy was far worse than before, but Caroline's arms were not as tired.
You always have to make a trade-off. You can practice your marksmanship, but if your arm is injured, you have to rest...
After determining this view of gains and losses, Caroline kept adjusting her shooting movements, trying to find the most comfortable and labor-saving posture, and then slowly shooting and adjusting her accuracy. After the accuracy of both hands had been improved enough, she gradually changed from two hands to one hand, and slowly stabilized the habit of shooting.
After several rounds of practice, most of the bullets had been used up, the target paper was covered with bullet holes, the wrists of both hands became sore, and the palms and fingers were also numb from holding the target for a long time.
Putting the revolver on the table, Caroline breathed a sigh of relief, shook her sore wrists, stretched her body, and made herself relax a little.
Then she looked at the only six bullets left on the table and realized that a lot of time had passed.
I'll use the remaining bullets to try to draw my gun in an emergency...
Caroline thought about it, reached out and picked up the revolver, opened the cylinder, ejected all the empty shells, and then loaded the remaining six bullets into it one by one.
Caroline's fingers were stained with the smell of brass and gunpowder smoke from the repeated reloading of bullets. This smell was rare, and Caroline had only smelled it during the Chinese New Year when she played with firecrackers.
With the gun loaded, Caroline held the revolver in her right hand, hanging at her waist, roughly where her hunting suit would have kept it.
Caroline stood firmly, spread her legs, lowered her center of gravity, and stared intently at the target in front of her.
Then she suddenly raised the gun, but did not shoot, just trying to aim for speed first.
After shooting practice, her control over the revolver has improved significantly. At least the butter-hand incident like yesterday will not happen again.
After aiming at the target, Caroline put the revolver down again, then raised the gun and aimed again unexpectedly.
After all, regular clothes are not as convenient for shooting as hunter clothes. Every time Caroline moved her arms, the fabric of the sleeves would cause the rest of the clothes to pull her body.
But there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't wear hunter clothes all the time. She usually wore casual clothes when traveling. Sometimes she would even be called to attend some important occasions. In that case, she would be wearing a skirt which was even more inconvenient to move. If she wanted to shoot for self-defense, she couldn't take off her clothes first, right?
After several tests, Caroline began to get used to the feeling of holding a gun in regular clothes.
Then, when she raised her gun suddenly again, this time Caroline did not put the gun down, but pulled the trigger the moment she aimed.
"Bang!"
When the gunshot was heard, Boss Hank, who was lying in the armchair, secretly looked at Caroline, glanced at her movements, and then turned over silently.
Caroline's whole arm trembled, and the bullet deviated from its trajectory and missed the target, but she felt that she had found a little feeling.
It will definitely get better after a few more attempts...
At least that's what Caroline believed.