It was dusk, and the shadows of the carriages and horses were stretched long by the setting sun.
Klein, who had already briefed Benson and Melissa, had dinner at the Blackthorn Security Company and was now taking a public carriage to the dock area together with Old Neil.
He was wearing his original cheap suit, worried that a similar occasion might easily lead to conflict—if his carefully maintained tailcoat got damaged, it would be more than just heartache.
When the sunlight felt like it was burning, the carriage stopped. Old Neil, in his usual classical black robe and same-colored round-brimmed felt hat, walked towards the "Evil Dragon Bar" diagonally across the street, utterly disregarding the stares of others.
Even though the bar was a bit far away, even though the heavy doors were tightly shut, Klein could still hear waves of cheering from inside, as if they were rooting for some "hero."
As he approached, he suddenly sensed something. He turned his head to look at the cargo warehouse across from the bar and saw a burly man in a uniform standing hidden on the rooftop.
The man was carrying a large grey-white mechanical box on his back and holding a thick, long rifle of complex construction.
There was a clear pipe connection between the grey-white metal box and the rifle of the same color.
"High-pressure steam rifle?" Klein muttered in astonishment, turning to Old Neil. "How can this bar get its hands on a weapon like this?"
This was a military-controlled item!
Although it used extracted phlogiston, the size and weight of the high-pressure steam backpack were still astonishing. Only a true iron-blooded warrior could bear it, and the bullets propelled by its power had extremely high speed and destructive force.
Paired with proper aiming, it could almost equal a low-grade sniper rifle.
"What?" Old Neil squinted as he looked over, equally confused. "Did something happen here?"
Something happen? Klein looked around and indeed saw several men holding repeating rifles searching for something.
"What's going on?" Old Neil approached the bar and asked the brawny man guarding the door.
The brawny man clearly knew Old Neil. The muscles on his face twitched as he gave a bitter smile.
"The bar was almost torn down just now."
"I heard there was a wanted guy who came to buy materials and got recognized, so it turned into this... My Lord, what did he do that made him so dangerous that he needs to be treated like this? Seeing those guns makes my legs weak, weaker than after a whole night of fooling around with Red-haired Shani!"
He didn't know the identity of the wanted man, nor did he know that the people coming here to buy materials were mixed with Beyonders.
"A wanted guy? Do you know his name?" Old Neil asked with interest.
"Uh, Triss...?" the brawny man answered uncertainly.
Triss the "Seducer"? Klein nodded in sudden realization, understanding what had happened.
Triss didn't know that Joyce Meyer had already become suspicious of him, so he swaggered into the underground trading market to buy materials, only to be recognized by an informant of the "Machinery Center," the "Punishers," or the "Nighthawks," triggering a fierce conflict.
"Was he caught?" Klein tapped his silver-inlaid black cane.
Judging by the current situation, it seemed he hadn't been...
The brawny man shook his head slightly and pointed his chin towards the top of the cargo warehouse across the street. "He rushed out before those terrifying guys arrived. Wow, I've never seen anyone who could run faster than him!"
You haven't seen the true capabilities of an "Assassin," Klein grumbled inwardly. If you had, you'd be taken somewhere indescribable for re-education...
"Is the trading market still open?" Old Neil turned to the crucial point.
"It just reopened," the brawny man confirmed.
"Good." Old Neil took two quick steps, reached out his right hand, and pushed open the heavy door.
Klein followed closely behind and entered, nearly overwhelmed by the stuffy heat and the smell of alcohol rushing at him.
In the center of the "Evil Dragon Bar" stood a boxing ring where two men with bare torsos were fiercely fighting. Dozens of patrons around were loudly cheering for their favorites, their shouts punctuated by vulgarities.
Old Neil ignored them and led Klein around the boxing ring to a billiard room in the back.
Inside the billiard room, two men holding cues were chatting and laughing. They fell silent for a few seconds when they saw Old Neil push the door open.
Recognizing who had come, they quietly made way, allowing Old Neil and Klein to pass through a secret door behind them.
After walking through several rooms, Klein's view suddenly opened up. He saw a place about the size of a lecture hall from his previous life.
Here, people set up stalls piled high with bottles and jars, while others walked among them, examining, chatting, or comparing prices.
"All profits have to give a twentieth to Svien. Ah, he's the owner of the Evil Dragon Bar, the former captain of the 'Punishers' squad, older than me, an old bastard who wants to die from drinking." Old Neil chattered as he introduced.
Klein thought for a moment and gave his honest evaluation:
"A pretty damn profitable business."
Because the cost was just providing the venue and protection.