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Shao Yun quickly found his first target—the Brunn family.
That elegant two-story villa located in Quartier Lyonnais was precisely the Brunn family's residence.
Standing before the villa, Shao Yun slightly raised his head and carefully examined the imposing exterior of the building.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, raised his hand, and knocked on the door, the sound echoing crisply through the quiet villa.
Before long, the door slowly opened, revealing a middle-aged man of average build with a somewhat weathered face.
He looked Shao Yun up and down, his tone carrying clear wariness as he asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
A warm, friendly smile spread across Shao Yun's face as he opened his arms and replied kindly, "Hello there! I'm a friendly person—someone here to offer you a solution."
However, these words did not lower the man's guard. Instead, he seemed to take Shao Yun for one of those annoying salesmen.
Waving his hand impatiently, he snapped, "Sorry, we don't need any strange products or services. Please leave at once!"
With that, he moved to shut the door.
Shao Yun reacted swiftly, thrusting out his hand to firmly grasp the doorknob and yank it back.
His expression turned serious in an instant as he stared straight into the man's eyes and said solemnly, "You can think of me as a salesman if you like. But if you miss this salesman, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
The man was startled by Shao Yun's rough, forceful action, irritation flashing across his face.
Frowning, he shouted angrily, "What's wrong with you? Regret missing out on a blender? Or an oven? I'm not interested in any of that!"
"Stop bothering me and leave now! Otherwise, I'll call the security patrol and have you thrown out!"
Yet Shao Yun did not retreat. Instead, he calmly spoke the name of the man's daughter.
"Chloe."
Then, with a grave expression, Shao Yun continued, "Don't you want to avenge your daughter?"
Upon hearing the name "Chloe," the man's body jolted violently. His hand, which had been about to slam the door shut, froze midair.
He lifted his head, a complex, indescribable emotion filling his eyes as he spoke slowly, "My child? She's been missing for fifteen whole years…"
"All these years, the police have caught plenty of so-called culprits, but every hope ended in utter despair. I've been through this too many times—my heart's already gone cold…"
Looking at the broken father before him, Shao Yun asked softly, "But even so, you never truly gave up searching for the truth, did you?"
After a moment of silence, the man let out a long sigh and nodded, tacitly acknowledging Shao Yun's words.
Seizing the moment, Shao Yun lowered his voice and continued, "The day after tomorrow, the Opera Epiclese will put the real culprit on trial."
"As long as you do exactly as I say, that vile criminal will receive the punishment he deserves."
The man's eyes widened as he asked urgently, "What do I do? Tell me!"
Shao Yun leaned in close and whispered, "The day after tomorrow, wait outside the Opera Epiclese. A mysterious person will meet you there, and then you'll cover your face."
"Remember—stand firmly by his side and show your support. Only then will the murderer truly pay the price."
The man hesitated, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head, as if finding the whole thing unbelievable.
But when he thought again of his daughter, missing for so many years, hatred and resentment surged back into his heart.
In the end, he clenched his teeth and chose to trust Shao Yun.
"I've been disappointed so many times already. One more won't make a difference. The day after tomorrow, right? I understand."
Shao Yun patted his shoulder and said meaningfully, "You've made a very correct choice."
…
After a full day of nonstop visits, Shao Yun had gone door to door, meeting every family involved in the case.
When they heard that the true culprit had been caught, the families reacted in different ways.
Some were overjoyed, others appeared calm, and a few were even cold and indifferent.
Yet without exception, they all agreed to wait outside the venue the day after tomorrow. After all, with news of the culprit, no matter how slim the hope that their daughters were still alive, they still wanted an answer for themselves.
Freminet stayed close behind Shao Yun from morning to night, following him back and forth, yet never quite grasping Shao Yun's true intentions.
After dinner, as night fell deeper, Freminet could no longer suppress his curiosity. He stopped Shao Yun and asked timidly, "Um… may I ask you a question?"
Shao Yun halted and replied casually, "Hm? What is it?"
Taking a deep breath, Freminet gathered his courage and asked, "Why did you visit all those families of the missing girls? Was it simply to offer comfort?"
Hearing the word "comfort," Shao Yun couldn't help but laugh.
"You're giving me far too much credit."
Since it wasn't for consolation, Freminet asked curiously, "Then why did you visit them?"
Shao Yun deliberately put on a cold, eerie smile and said in a low, threatening tone, "I wanted to provoke them—and enjoy the sight of their despair."
Freminet stared at Shao Yun in disbelief.
But deep down, he knew Shao Yun wouldn't go from house to house for such a trivial reason.
So he pressed on innocently, "Then why did all those families look hopeful when they saw you off? That's completely different from what you said!"
Shao Yun replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't it obvious? They've all gone mad."
Now completely confused, Freminet said helplessly, "Huh? I don't really understand…"
Shao Yun had no intention of explaining further.
He looked up at the sky and realized it was already late.
Patting Freminet on the shoulder, he said, "Alright, don't think too much about it. You wouldn't understand anyway. It's getting dark—I'll take you back to the House of the Hearth."
…
After sending Freminet home, Shao Yun returned to the Spina di Rosula base in Fleuve Cendre.
The moment he stepped inside, he flopped straight onto the bed.
At that instant, the system suddenly displayed a line of text.
[So, everything that needs preparing is ready?]
Lying on the bed, Shao Yun raised his hand slightly, rubbed his temples, and nodded weakly.
"Yes. The day after tomorrow… the day after tomorrow, we'll see a huge crowd surround the Opera Epiclese. Then I'll lead the charge, abduct Marcel, and torture him to death."
The system displayed another dense block of text.
[You have been issued Dutch van der Linde's "Gang Leader" outfit [Winter, Summer].]
[Outfit effect: You are a Robin Hood–style gang leader. Countless followers will rally behind you, and innumerable girls will fall for you.]
[You have obtained Dutch van der Linde's dual-wield Schofield Revolvers.]
Once that set of equipment was issued, the system immediately distributed another set.
[You have been issued Dutch van der Linde's "Desperado" outfit [Wearable when Honor reaches the lowest point].]
[Outfit effect: You are a thoroughly fallen criminal. Your infamy spreads across the world, and no one will welcome you.]
[You have obtained Dutch van der Linde's semi-automatic pistol.]
Looking at the new clothes, Shao Yun remarked thoughtfully, "How considerate. Feels like I'm about to become a Darknight Hero like Diluc?"
Before the words fully left his mouth, Shao Yun narrowed his eyes meaningfully and added, "But this so-called hero of mine is worlds apart from someone like Diluc."
The system displayed another line of text.
[Everything you're doing is for yourself, isn't it?]
Seeing this, Shao Yun froze for a moment, then nodded lightly with a self-mocking smile.
"Keep Paimon's mouth shut—eighty percent of the trouble disappears. Keep both Lumine's and Paimon's mouths shut, and ninety-five percent of the trouble is gone."
Then, a helpless yet affectionate smile appeared on Shao Yun's face as he shook his head and said slowly, "But what can I do? They're my wife and my child—how could I not care?"
As he spoke, Shao Yun stood up, walked to the wardrobe, and put on Dutch's Gang Leader outfit.
Once fully dressed, he stood before the mirror and examined his reflection from head to toe.
After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction and muttered to himself, "I was worried it might be too small, but I didn't expect it to fit this perfectly."
At that moment, the system chimed in with an explanation.
[Correct. It has been precisely tailored based on your body data.]
Hearing this, the corner of Shao Yun's mouth lifted slightly in a faint smile.
He then picked up a red checkered bandana, skillfully tied it over his face, and adjusted it until it concealed most of his features.
After that, Shao Yun took a deep breath, cleared his throat, deliberately lowered his voice, and perfectly mimicked Dutch's tone with an authentic Blackwater accent.
"I, have a goddamn PLAN!"
After shouting the slogan, Shao Yun burst out laughing.
"Every time I shout that line, I just can't help laughing."
He then stood before the mirror, staring intently at his reflection.
Slowly, his gaze shifted to the [Desperado] outfit on the panel.
It was a slightly worn brown sweater, with fraying at the collar and cuffs.
A pair of old trousers marked with heavy wear, white threads faintly visible through the fabric at the knees.
Paired with sturdy-looking but clearly used suede boots.
The overall look was plain and unremarkable—nothing imposing or distinctive—simply the appearance of a man at the end of his road.
Shao Yun gazed quietly at the outfit, unconsciously murmuring, "I hope I never have to wear that brown sweater in this lifetime…"
Just then, the system interjected, shifting his attention.
[Don't overthink it. Change back into your clothes and start thinking about how to prepare your speech for the day after tomorrow.]
At the mention of the word "speech," Shao Yun's expression turned complicated.
A faint, slightly mocking smile curved his lips as he muttered, "You're right… preparing a speech… hehe, old Dutch's little trick."
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