"Which Syndicate are we visiting?"
Putato removed his Smoke Mask. His body stopped dissipating smoke, causing Mi to halt her approach beside him.
"Mi is in charge of this. It's called Depreciation Gang, right?"
"That seems to be it. I heard they specialize in junk and second-hand business. The Rats in the vicinity also go there to dispose of stolen goods. The quality should be decent."
Taking advantage of their distraction, Putato quickly pulled out his communicator.
[Putato: What do you mean, 'save your sister'?]
[Parui: Bro, right now, you're the only trustworthy and capable person I can find. Just now, the neighborhood watch in the area sent news that Smiling Faces came to my place.]
[Parui: I can't tell Boss Gyeong-mi that I'm worried my sister might get hurt and ask him to go. I don't trust other Syndicate comrades either. I hope you can go check immediately. Don't worry, you won't go for nothing.]
[Putato: Are you just going to trust me with the address like that?]
Putato remembered the incidents with Katae and Oaks. Syndicate members, when it came to fighting and crime, could cooperate, but when family was involved, one had to be cautious. Even Stray Dogs valued loyalty.
[Parui: I can tell, Putato. I'm actually really good at watching the door. I can tell what kind of style those guys are just by glancing at them.]
[Putato: Oh, what kind of person am I then? Aren't you afraid I'd have designs on your sister now?]
[Parui: Gyeong-mi and Zulu fundamentally don't understand you. You actually don't care about anything. You just do what you want to do. No one can change you.]
[Parui: So Bro, I didn't tell Gyeong-mi about you meeting the Axe Gang before because I didn't want to offend you. This time, consider it me owing you, alright?]
Putato agreed before Parui sent more pleas. After all, no one was clearer than him about where Smiling Faces intended to go.
[Parui: Address sent. You don't need to go inside. My sister is shy around strangers. If Smiling Faces really comes to my place, then you take her away.]
Putato put away his communicator and refocused on Smiling Faces' conversation.
"I heard during an interrogation that this Depreciation Gang has some strange preferences. They seem to be into polyamory."
Wang, with a slightly exaggerated tone, successfully drew the attention of the other three in the carriage.
"It's the kind where they don't distinguish between men and women. They can be with anyone they like, with no limits on numbers. Their Syndicate's turf is filled with emotional disputes every day."
Jin immediately spoke with disdain.
"Just a pathetic way for the weak to comfort each other. For me, just seeing a smooth white paper folded is satisfying enough. The expansion of a fan blade makes my blood boil even more."
How peculiar. At least Depreciation Gang's obsession was understandable. Putato still couldn't understand why someone would be aroused by folded paper, or what kind of paper fetish Jin had. Even Smiling Faces'Mi turned away, not looking at Jin.
The vehicle stopped again.
"Putato, without further ado, I hope your first Syndicate operation with Smiling Faces goes smoothly. Next, we'll act separately."
"The others in the gang are at different alley entrances. I'll call for the refrigerated truck to be driven over soon."
As far as the eye could see, there were huge mountains of trash. This was likely Depreciation Gang's stronghold, with a large contingent of people at the entrance. Putato noticed their worn and outdated attire. They had tried their best to bleach and dry their clothes white, and the edges were brutally torn, exuding a retro and old-fashioned aura.
"Hey, who are you! And you're wearing masks to scare us, for f***'s sake!"
"Darling, that's Smiling Faces!"
Immediately, a woman in a tattered white dress came to greet them, flatteringly asking Wang their purpose.
"Haha, we're just here to pay a visit to the local Syndicate. After all, we were hunting on your turf a few days ago. That was indeed out of line."
"Not at all, not at all. I'll immediately notify the boss. Please wait."
"No need. We'll go meet him ourselves."
BOOM!
Before the woman could speak, the hammer-shaped pipe slammed into her face. The terrifying force actually exploded her head, leaving only a headless corpse.
"The first piece of meat for the feast."
"No!! You bastard, you dared to kill my beloved!"
"Damn it, today is our wedding anniversary!"
"She's dead, I can't live either!"
"F*** you, you damned boyfriend!"
Putato found this scene somewhat cruel, but the various roars from the gang members behind him made him unable to control himself. They even charged forward, undeterred by Smiling Faces' reputation. Truly insane.
At the entrance to the junkyard, only a skinny, skeletal man, huddled with his head in his arms, sat there, too scared to move. Putato looked at the three Smiling Faces members, who were busy dealing with the situation, and still approached the thin man.
"Hey, are you also from Depreciation Gang?"
"No! No!"
"The two-handed medicine they sold me was fake, and I even saw them looking for flu patients to sneeze on the cold medicine."
This immediately made Putato's last shred of sympathy for Depreciation Gang vanish. Selling fake medicine was one thing, but using such idiotic methods to sell it cheaply? Their brains were clearly malfunctioning. Not a single Syndicate in The City was worth sympathizing with.
"What's your illness? You're so thin you look like a stick."
"Uh, I, I'm not sick."
"If you're not sick, what medicine are you taking?!"
Putato turned to see the three Smiling Faces members almost finished. He wasn't interested in asking further and simply waved him away.
"Thank you, honored one. Can I take the medicine with me then?"
Putato then saw the guy take all the Enkephalins containers from the trash can. So that was the medicine? Another drug addict!
Putato sighed, too lazy to waste more words with these guys. Immediately, white smoke billowed from his mouth, forming a Mask. The white mist gradually filled the area in front of the approaching reinforcements.
Honesuki flashed out of its sheath. The dead must be dealt with cleanly.
Many of the gang members, driven mad by the murder of their loved ones, disregarded Smiling Faces' power and charged.
Putato stood next to a large electronic scale, watching the Smiling Faces members clean up the scene. Many of the guys who survived were stuffed into refrigerators alive. The only good news was that they would be injected with sedatives.
"Putato, well done! Do you want to come back with us?"
"Of course, it's just a temporary stronghold. Anyway, we still have work to do next. We can also teach you how to slice ingredients better."
"No need. I don't like studying cooking and worrying about other things. Let's deal with Syndicate matters first."
"I completely understand what you mean. We'll drive to pick you up next time. Goodbye."
Waving goodbye to the group, Putato understood why they liked wearing red. It was simply because it was stain-resistant.
Before they drove away, his communicator immediately rang incessantly. Putato glanced over and knew the neighborhood watch was completely out of control.
Don't think that Smiling Faces' actions this time were for the people's benefit. Many residents cooperated with Syndicates, not to mention that Smiling Faces might return next time. No one wanted to live with such constant worry.
Putato first sent a safety update to Parui, then connected the call, immediately hearing an impatient voice.
"Vanda, we're willing to hire you. The mission is to make Smiling Faces move somewhere else. Are you still accepting commissions now?"
"Of course. I'm currently part of Molar Office. Once you place the commission, I'll tell you what to do."
"Why don't you tell me now what you plan to do, and when Smiling Faces will come next?"
Ignoring the persistent questions, Putato hung up and pulled out Wym's invitation letter. Before handling the commission, he had to visit this guy's solo exhibition and clarify what side effects her surgery had on Olivia!
Just thinking about Olivia giving him a puppet and building a Christmas tree, Putato couldn't possibly accept her falling into a tragic end because of the Ring. At worst, he would kill Wym and her apprentices.
...
A square, colossal building stood out conspicuously amidst a cluster of Backstreets buildings. Its interwoven cross patterns and vibrant color blocks made the architecture somewhat surreal. Abstract minimalist curves spelled out "Moon in Water."
"Idlers, stop."
Putato, following the invitation's guidance, was about to enter. He looked up and saw four fully armed individuals guarding the entrance. Their clothes bore the blue shield emblem of Zwei Association.
Was Zwei Association going to seal off the solo exhibition? It seems the Association still has some use.
"What's wrong? Are you preparing to arrest Wym?"
"Excuse me, sir, we are providing security services for this exhibition. Please present your invitation letter."
Damn it!
"Don't you know that person inside is a gang member?! I think anyone can tell Wym is a Ring member at a glance."
"We don't inquire about clients' privacy. This has nothing to do with security work."
Putato immediately fumed, unable to vent his anger. Those people were protecting this monstrous artist!
A wealthy couple, holding their invitation, scanned it at the entrance. When the card reader turned red, indicating a large red checkmark, the Association members immediately let them through.
Now might not be the right time to go in. What if scanning the card simultaneously notifies Wym? That wouldn't be good. She might even personally come to meet Olivia, who was a former experimental subject, since this is also part of the exhibition.
...
It's better to come back tomorrow when the exhibition officially opens. There should be more people then, making it easier to blend in.
"It seems I need to find a way to buy some intelligence. I should ask Olga."
Sitting in the taxi, Putato, deep in thought, suddenly noticed that the driver's eyes were bloodshot and his hair was disheveled. Only his clothes were relatively clean. But this appearance seemed familiar, like the snake-friend driver he had encountered before.
"Bro, weren't you fine before? What happened?"
Now, the driver also seemed to recognize Putato, immediately making the car's horn blare incessantly.
"You don't know, I'm so damn unlucky!"
"I accidentally played too rough. The lubricant wore her down. She was sent to the hospital for days but still died."
"In the end, I could only bury her in a lightbulb, and every night I can still see her smiling face."
"Later, fortunately, I accidentally met Palara, which reawakened my lonely soul. I was clearly about to join her big family, but I just received bad news."
"Do you know how gentle Palara is? She's like water!"
Putato looked at the driver, who suddenly slapped the speaker, feeling a bit regretful he had gotten in. This Palara wasn't a snake, was she? Moreover, why was he so unnecessarily agitated for a snake?
"What bad news?"
"She was killed by those Smiling Faces! WAAAH, they didn't even leave her body for me!"
Hearing that, Putato couldn't bear it. He quickly paid and tried to get out of the car, but he saw the driver's expression turn ferocious in the mirror.
He glared at Putato through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with resentment.
"Without her, I can't live either!"
"Back at the flower shop, I saw you, you bastard, with those masked idiots! To get to you, I deflated every single one of their tires!"
"Calm down!"
Putato kicked away the steel mesh protective barrier separating the seats, lunging to grab the steering wheel. He looked up and saw a tall white wall looming ahead, covered in colorful blocks.
[Safely exit the vehicle in the accident.]
In an emergency, Putato hastily set a prescript. Immediately, a powerful force jerked the steering wheel. The vehicle made a sharp left turn, its body slamming solidly into the wall. BOOM!
Two Zwei members immediately ran over. Putato reached out, wanting to cry for help. Although his clothes were only torn by twisted steel pipe, the driver was bleeding profusely.
"You have half a minute! Leave the security zone now! Retreat outside the warning line immediately!"
"Once the time is up, we will expel intruders without hesitation!"
"Damn it! Can't you see this is a car accident?!"
Putato kicked open the car door. Fortunately, the outer side of the car wasn't severely deformed, allowing him to push the unconscious driver out.
"Retreat immediately! Retreat!"
Watching the Association members draw their greatswords with both hands, Putato carried the driver to the warning line 3 meters from the wall. Only then did they put away their weapons.
Truly incredibly unlucky!
Putato, holding the driver across his shoulders, planned to hail another car, but this time he wanted to go further to avoid any more retaliation.
"Two streets to the right, there's a big hospital. Across the street from here, there's also a clinic."
A voice from behind made Putato turn around in surprise. It was an Association Fixer with long white hair. Her hair, falling over her shoulders, looked like octopus tentacles.
He seemed to have met her before when executing a mission with Olga. The other party was a Grade 6 Fixer, Julia.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Just, I hope you don't come near here. There's no place for you."
She then immediately pushed her partner outside the warning line.
...
Putato found a clinic to drop off the driver. Only then did he look at the massive building across the street. It seemed Wym had hired Section 6 Walter for the exhibition's security.
"Is this heaven? Damn it, how did you also wake up?!"
The agitated driver immediately glared at Putato, who was sitting on the adjacent bed, staring back in disbelief.
To be honest, Putato felt baffled. How long had this driver known that Palara? Was it worth taking his own life and Putato's for that person?
"Go. Smiling Faces is Urban Nightmare grade in the Association. Don't even think about revenge."
"You know what level that is, right?"
Those words made the driver's face turn ashen. He lay weakly on the hospital bed, his pupils unfocused.
"Indeed, I am nothing. Even if I die, another driver will replace me. The City simply has no place for me."
"Only Palara cared what I thought, willing to reserve a place for me in her heart."
The driver began to cry, completely losing his reckless demeanor from the car.
"Don't be arrogant! What's Urban Nightmare? Aren't you just like me, expendable!"
Next came more rambling about how only people from the Nests were the true masters of The City, and that his and Putato's positions were insignificant, which made Putato slap him. BANG!
The bandage wrapped around the driver's head was knocked askew by Putato, and only then did he regain his senses.
"Do you know your place now?"
"Can you still return to Depreciation Gang?"
"No. Smiling Faces didn't leave anything."
"Since you let me go, I want to go back to Depreciation Gang and accept others, just like Palara. I don't want to be this driver anymore, I've been doing it for over ten years."
"Then take care. Contact me if you need anything."
Putato, watching the driver cover his face and weep, felt he was too idle to be sentimental. As he stepped outside, he found the car was still drivable.
He drove the dilapidated car home, attracting many contemptuous glances, but Putato disregarded them, extending a middle finger out the window.
His communicator rang. Putato answered with suspicion.
"Putato! Why the hell didn't you tell me that my sister is gone!"
"What? Impossible! Today, I can guarantee with my life that Smiling Faces absolutely did not go to your house!"
"I don't care about this or that! How did you guarantee me today?! I must have been a f***ing idiot to look for a Syndicate hooligan! Damn it!"
Putato, utterly terrified, immediately braked hard. The driver behind him cursed, startled by the sudden stop.
"Shut up!"
His sudden shout made Parui on the other end freeze and fall silent.
"Is your sister's body at the scene? Who killed her?"
"Uh, no. I just came home and couldn't find her. She's usually afraid to leave the house, let alone now that it's getting dark."
"Have you asked the neighbors?!"
"I was too rushed just now because I heard the neighborhood watch say Smiling Faces could easily breach their defenses. I haven't asked yet."
"Go ask now! I'm coming immediately!"
Throwing the communicator onto the passenger seat, Putato immediately drove against traffic. He would not allow something he had promised to go wrong.