“I - I think that’s definitely a useful lead. I’ll ask my colleagues to look into it. But - I’ve gotta say though - ” Tyler Khan seemed to be weighing his words, trying not to offend or sound too dismissive: “What I’m trying to say is, this is probably the desperate pleas of a career criminal uhe pressure of arrest.”

  Mararrowed his eyes for but a brief moment, then shrugged: “Yeah - yeah, it’s a possibility. I’ve definitely sidered that. It’s just - if I was to make these reclusive pious schors work for me for some dirty ends, then I would probably not use force. Instead, I’ll try to deceive them. And IF - I mean that’s not really that big of an IF, if all these missing schors are all parts of an overarg criminal uaking, theing a grand narrative like that would be one of my key measures.”

  “Yeah, that’s - that’s for sure a good ayler Khan Marcus with a slightly insinuating smile: “You - uh, you’ve spent time in the South-Eastern District, Detective Cai?”

  “Yeah, I spent some time there. Not enough to be an expert or anything, but - ” Marodded, but then immediately raised his eyebrows at a specific detail he almost missed: “Wait, here’s something I don’t uand. This clergyman who got murdered, he’s - he’s a clergyman right? Not a reclusive schor like the missing ones?”

  “No. You’re correct, from what I’ve heard, he’s got the talent on that front for it. But he did not want to be a schor and ended up being the clergyman of that temple - ohat’s without a clergyman or clergywoman for quite some time.” Tyler Khan sighed: “And unlike most of the schors, he’s a practitioner of mystic martial arts as well. And - as you might expect, there are signs of struggle and fierce fight iemple.”

  “What about the assaints? ” Marcus asked.

  Tyler Khan paused for a brief moment: “I’m not at liberty to disclose that information.”

  Almost everyone w for the pre the room groaned. And Tyler Khan, with embarrassment, tried to wave his hands to diffuse the situation and lighten up the mood.

  “I know - I know. My deepest apologies for the fusing and frustrating situation. ” Tyler Khan shook his head and bowed gently: “But please be assured, I will have an answer for you very soon. I apologize on behalf of our iive se. As you know, things are getting really hairy everywhere across the city. I guess I won’t have to tell you that, sidering the upiion season of the city. Our district is already sed, and the process of information sharing authorization is a bit slow. And I thank you for your uanding and patience.”

  Kevin scoffed: “Yeah, yeah, I know you’re busy. But you’re asking for help - ”

  “Kevin!” Captain Ko cut Kevin off, then turo Tyler Khan: “Mr. Khan, please when you get a ce, get that authorization. You see, we’ve been w on all kinds of intel sharing policies on our end as well. I only expect the unity collective will show a simir level of resped courtesy for our effort and time.”

  “Of course, captain. I will get everything through as fast as possible. ” Tyler Khan nodded: “I sincerely appreciate your patience. ”

  The entire exge not only did not give Marcus any crity on the whole situation. But a risky idea popped into his mind.

  “... oh man.” Marcus rubbed his temples and mumbled with a low but still audible voice: “When we get a fug break, huh? I was kinda hoping for that food festival. Too bad it got celed. I could use a break, holy fug shit.”

  Tyler Khan and Captain Ko raised their heads and fixed their eyes on Marcus, surprised and suspicious.

  “I’m - I’m sorry.” Marcus acted surprised: “Please - please tinue.”

  “That was all I wao say to you officers. Thank you very much for your time.” Tyler Khan chuckled: “And, Detective Cai, since you’re looking forward to the food festival this much, I have good news for you: the unity collective will be hosting our own food festival soon, and we’ll be inviting all of the vendors that ake it due to the previous ping celed.”

  “Oh, really?” Kevin raised his eyebrows, his voice got slightly higher pitched, but he pushed it down and tried to use his normal voice: “Where will that be held?”

  “From what I’ve heard, the edge of the Lanmian Forest.” Tyler Khan shrugged.

  “The Desote Forest? What the hell?” Brian Sai and Shrevas gasped at the same time.

  “Well, I’m sorry, it seems that the infamy goes way beyond the bounds of our distrid gets exaggerated at every term.” Tyler Khan sighed: “The desoted area was only a small part of the entire forest, and it’s nowhere he edge. The unity collective has vassed the area, and we be sure…”

  “It’s okay, everyone, we adjourn this meeting and talk about other things on a separate occasion.” Captain Ko everyone: “Marcus, Kevin, I have a meeting with some city people ter. e to my offi forty minutes.”

  “And I have to report to my station to follow up on the clearance issues we just discussed.” Tyler Khan waved his hand at everyone: “I’ll e back with some news as soon as I . And with some news about the Food Festival as well, so detectives - please stay tuned.”

  Kevin and Marcus watched as Tyler Kha, then headed into Kevin’s b.

  “Something’s nht.” Kevin scoffed and threw his phone oable: “That food festival - I don’t think it’s good, Marcus. It’s not good.”

  “Don’t worry. I actually know a little bit about that forest. ” Marcus shook his head and sidered for a while: “I’ll go check it out.”

  “Need me to e with?”

  “Nah, it’s fine.” Marcus thought for a moment: “I’ll tell you what I find. That pce is not as dangerous as rumors say, yet it is plicated enough - ”