"You're here, Mr. L."
The figure that emerged from the darkness was the same man in black who had been nurturing the bloodthirsty vine in the hospital earlier!
"Ha! Mr. J? Ridiculous!"
Mr. L sneered, "Grandi, the Trickster Clown, you're impersonating one of our people again. Do you find this amusing?"
It turned out that the man in the red vest with face paint wasn't Mr. J at all—he was an imposter.
"Of course... it's quite amusing! Our little organization doesn't have the reputation your Desecration of Blood does. If I don't pretend to be one of you, who would take me seriously?"
Grandi, wearing his red vest, flashed an exaggerated smile, black energy swirling around him as it playfully writhed and twisted in the form of claws.
"I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to propose a collaboration. It seems that a newly emerged superhuman has ruined your plans, just as they did mine. I want to eliminate him."
"A superhuman?" Grandi raised an eyebrow, thinking that L's information might be off.
"Not a superhuman?" Mr. L asked, surprised. He had seen Wen Wen chatting amicably with members of the Hunters' Association and assumed he was a superhuman.
"No, no, definitely a superhuman," Grandi quickly covered up. He wasn't interested in sharing his intel with Mr. L.
"He's definitely not a superhuman!" Mr. L concluded, noticing Grandi's reaction.
...
Wen Wen finally stopped after running a great distance.
Grandi was undoubtedly much stronger than him—far stronger. If he didn't flee quickly, his only option would be to hide in the Cursed Containment Shelter.
So far, Grandi's known abilities included manipulating others' actions and the powerful black mist that was just as deadly as Wilson's iron wings.
What Wen Wen didn't know was that Grandi had another ability, one that earned him the nickname "Trickster Clown."
He could, through simple conversation, dig out the darkest desires of others. In short, a person who was originally kind-hearted could become extremely irrational after speaking with him.
However, this ability came with a high cost and wasn't permanent, so Grandi didn't use it often.
The reason Wilson had suddenly attacked earlier was partly due to Grandi's influence.
But Grandi hadn't used it on Wen Wen—using such an ability in battle could backfire by making the enemy even stronger.
"Hmph, once I've refined my abilities—once I have a foundation of five extraordinary powers—I could kill you, hmph!"
"But I can't wait that long... I need to report this now!"
What do you do when you encounter an enemy you can't handle? Hide and bide your time until you're strong enough to strike back?
Of course not! You report it and call in the experts!
When Wen Wen was a detective, he'd call the police whenever he couldn't handle a tough criminal. Now that he was a superhuman, he wasn't about to start going rogue.
Reporting issues is like anything else—the more you do it, the better you get.
However, Wen Wen didn't plan to call Lin Zheyuan right away. He first wanted to locate their new hideout, so he'd have enough time to make a plan and seize Wilson's wings in the ensuing chaos.
Before grabbing Wilson's wings earlier, Wen Wen had smeared a bit of his own blood on his gloves, then rubbed it into the seams of the iron wings.
If Wilson and the others hadn't noticed it, even if they washed it off, they wouldn't be able to completely remove the scent.
Touching the area above his ear where the skin was bare, Wen Wen sneered. He had nearly been caught this time, but those guys wouldn't get off easily either.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, but he wasn't a gentleman—he was a psycho... well, a detective.
Following the faint scent, Wen Wen resumed tracking Grandi and Wilson.
Their movements were highly secretive, leaving little for Wen Wen to exploit, but the blood he'd left behind acted as a faint beacon, pointing him in their general direction.
With that direction, Wen Wen could easily find them.
But it wasn't a smooth search. Wilson and the others must have bathed, as the scent was faint. It wasn't until the next morning that Wen Wen confirmed their hideout.
It was in a budget hotel district near a school. The management there was lax—so lax that even middle schoolers without ID could stay. Wilson and the others would easily go unnoticed.
He didn't conduct a thorough investigation since Grandi had sensed his presence before. This time, Wen Wen wouldn't go near the place until reinforcements arrived.
He only needed to confirm the general location—Lin Zheyuan's sense of smell was much sharper than Wen Wen's. Once Lin arrived, the job would be as good as done.
"Hey, Captain Lin Zheyuan? Yes, it's me." Wen Wen said, adopting a playful tone as he made the call.
"It's only five-thirty in the morning. Don't you ever sleep in?" Lin Zheyuan grumbled, and Wen Wen could faintly hear a woman's hum on the other end.
"If I sleep in, I'll miss out on big catches, Captain Lin."
"A big catch? What kind of big catch?" Lin Zheyuan suddenly perked up, sensing that Wen Wen might be in trouble again.
"Well, you've been hunting down members of other superhuman organizations, right? I found one. I'm watching them right now!"
As they spoke, Lin Zheyuan was already getting dressed and ready to head out. He knew better than anyone how dangerous those secret organizations could be, but capturing one of their members would be a huge accomplishment.
"Where are you?" Lin Zheyuan asked.
"The motel district north of No. 9 High School. The guy has a keen sense—I don't dare get too close. I've confirmed he's in the area, but I'm not sure which motel he's in."
"These organizations are called 'secret' for a reason—they're elusive and hard to catch. How did you manage to run into two of them so easily?" Lin Zheyuan asked, puzzled.
"I'm just being diligent for the Association," Wen Wen chuckled.
After hanging up, Wen Wen leaned against a utility pole, a satisfied smile on his face. Reporting issues felt great—it never got old.
Then he turned his gaze toward the motels, deep in thought, and called over a short-haired middle school boy.
"Hey, kid. Help me out with something. I'll give you twenty bucks if you write down the names and contact numbers of the motels to the east and hand them to me. How about it?"
If Wen Wen investigated on his own, he'd definitely arouse suspicion. Even an adult collecting this information might draw unwanted attention, but a middle schooler wouldn't.
There were plenty of middle schoolers around here. As long as the inquiry wasn't too deliberate, it wouldn't be noticed.
But the boy shook his head, refusing Wen Wen's request.
"Why not? Twenty bucks is pretty good for such a small favor," Wen Wen asked, surprised.
"You don't look like a good person. My mom said I shouldn't take things from strangers," the boy replied. "So... you'd better add some more money."
"...Kids these days. First, I caught one who was online dating, and now... sigh," Wen Wen sighed.