After numerous pleas from the crowd, Luke finally spoke, "Originally, I only wanted to provide a source of goods and didn't want to get too involved. But the fact that you all came here in response to my summons proves that you are all loyal and righteous partners."
"I trust you with the goods! If you want me to take charge, I can do it!"
"From now on, I am your leader, and I have only one requirement, which is quite simple."
"You must obey my orders. Can you do it?"
"Don't rush to answer... it's a matter of life and death. You must think it through."
The meeting room fell quiet and tense.
The request was indeed simple, but upon closer consideration, it was not so simple.
An indescribable pressure caused sweat to break out on the foreheads of the sponsors.
They were all unruly individuals, but at this moment, they didn't dare to look directly at Detective Luke, sitting at the head, as if their lives depended on his every thought.
Even if they left this place, their life and death would still be in his hands.
After a while, someone stood up and bowed to Luke, saying, "Detective, I am willing to obey all your orders!"
Others also stood up, bowing to Luke one by one, "Detective, I am willing to obey all your orders!"
...
"Good, very good, this is how a smuggling syndicate should be. Sit down, let's discuss the support for the Furious Axe Gang..." After the new recruits had all taken their seats, Luke thought for a moment and said, "We should give our smuggling syndicate a name. Let's call it Flame Sun Syndicate. What do you all think?"
The new recruits looked at each other.
We're involved in a black market business, and we're giving it such a bright name. Isn't that inauspicious?
But it was Detective Luke who suggested it, so who would dare to say it's not good?
"Detective Luke is truly knowledgeable!"
With the name settled, the Flame Sun Syndicate was officially established in the meeting room of the Security Bureau in the Cape District of the Storm City.
Next, they truly began discussing how to support the Furious Axe Gang.
The Furious Axe Gang must be saved!
This would be the Flame Sun Syndicate's first major battle to establish their dominance, and they wouldn't allow any compromise on the interests of the dockyard.
The core members of the Flame Sun Syndicate quickly reported the manpower they could provide for support, surpassing yesterday's numbers in both quality and quantity.
The support force of two thousand was easily organized.
Luke also revealed his own arsenal: 500 bottles of high-potency Berserker Rage potions, to be delivered to the headquarters of the Furious Axe Gang before the curfew.
Another 500 bottles would be delivered tomorrow!
500 more bottles! Detective Luke was sending such a large quantity of goods directly to the headquarters of the Furious Axe Gang. It meant that he definitely had a large stock in his hands.
After this battle, everyone would get rich together with Detective Luke!
The core members of the Flame Sun Syndicate were filled with high morale. Some of the individuals who believed in their own capabilities even decided to personally lead their troops to support the Furious Axe Gang, wanting to put on a great performance in front of the leader of the Flame Sun Syndicate.
Just as the atmosphere in the meeting room was reaching its peak, Pisco entered through the door.
He placed a safe he was carrying on the table.
"Detective, we have captured the individuals and they are currently being interrogated. This is the safe you requested. It's exactly where you said it would be, underneath the tenth wooden plank to the left of the captain's room on the Lucky Princess."
Luke said, "Later, you and Black Mamba will interrogate the two individuals and extract the confession about Hansen Hamilton's involvement in the murder of the previous detective."
Black Mamba confidently replied, "Please rest assured, Detective."
Shelley and Pisco, the "golden duo," would definitely "extract" the confession.
The meeting room, which had just been bustling, quieted down as everyone looked at the safe.
And at Detective Luke.
Luke stood up and walked to the safe, but instead of opening it, he placed his hand on top and gently patted it with profound meaning.
"Inside is the evidence of Hansen Hamilton's involvement in the murder of the previous detective... Would you all like to see it?"
...
The new recruits started to sweat on their foreheads again.
Does it matter whether Hansen Hamilton murdered the previous detective or not?
Not at all!
Do we need to see the evidence?
Is it something we can see!
No matter what's inside, if Detective Luke says it's Hansen Hamilton who killed the previous detective, then it's Hansen Hamilton who killed the previous detective.
Wanting to see... implies doubt!
"Detective, the evidence of Hansen Hamilton's involvement in the murder of the previous detective is conclusive. On your second day in office, you solved this unsolved case, and your investigative skills have amazed us."
"We believe that with you in the Cape District, it will soon become stable and prosperous."
Indeed, they were all influential figures in the Cape District, with keen eyes and well-connected.
Luke didn't open the safe.
"Good! Very good! It's getting late, and you all need to go back and prepare to support the Furious Axe Gang. I won't keep you for dinner."
"From today onwards, we will carve out a piece of heaven and earth in the Storm City together with you, Detective Luke!"
Luke threw the bottles of high-potency Berserker Rage potions he held onto the ground.
"Together with Detective Luke, we will carve out a piece of heaven and earth in the Storm City!"
More than ten empty potion bottles shattered together as everyone left the meeting room, heading back to their respective territories to gather their forces and support the Furious Axe Gang's headquarters.
In the now-empty meeting room, Shelley looked at the broken glass on the ground and at Detective Luke, who was still sitting there lost in thought.
She couldn't help but ask, "Detective... we are Imperial detectives, and according to our duty, we should suppress and eliminate them. But you, as a high-ranking official of the Empire, are involved in smuggling and even forming a gang."
"Is this really a good idea?"
Luke took out a cigarette from his pocket, placed it in his mouth, raised his right hand, and a dragon and snake emerged, spewing a breath of fire that lit the cigarette before turning back into a tattoo on his skin.
He took a deep drag.
The spicy smoke entered his chest, warming and stimulating, quickly stabilizing his rapidly beating heart.
"Besides being a high-ranking official of the Empire, I have another identity. Shelley, don't question me, don't question the princess. Focus on your own tasks." Luke stood up and looked at Shelley, speaking in an unquestionable tone, "Prepare the evidence for Hansen Hamilton's involvement in the murder of the previous detective... Case closed!"
Shelley stood at attention and said, "Yes, Detective, I and Pisco will prepare all the evidence before we start work tomorrow."
Luke patted Shelley's shoulder, encouraging her, "Do your best!"
Leaving the meeting room, Luke returned to his office.
As soon as
he sat down, Kailena pushed the door open and walked in.
"Detective, the City Administrative Hall just delivered an urgent message. Last night, a female elf named Clear Sky purchased a prop suspected to activate the 'Heart of the Red Dragon, Niercolone' at the Whisperer's Mysterious House in the central city area."
"The City Administrative Hall requires our Cape District Security Bureau to immediately arrest the elf Clear Sky and retrieve the 'Heart of the Red Dragon, Niercolone' before she causes major destruction."
"Otherwise..."
When Kailena paused here, Luke asked, "Otherwise, what?"
"Otherwise, you will bear all the consequences."