“Okay - what else? This is pretty stretched.” Captain Ko asked.

  “I agree. The informatiohered and the leads we’re pursuing were not definitive by any measure. ” Tyler Khan raised the folder in his hand: “But - if you asked any of us iigators, this does not sound right at all. For one, we still don’t know who paid him off, and the other thing, his position is a pretty fortable one. As long as he doesn’t screw up - by screw up I mean it gross negligence or take too big a bribe, he would not have too much to worry about in his life. He’s single, he has a collective-assigned apartment. And he did not have any expensive hobbies or habits.”

  “So, you’re saying whoever paid him off, is either very wealthy or very powerful?” Marodded.

  “Or both. We believe it to be indeed both. The reason is simple - they hid their tracks very well. That pany they rehe ptform under, it’s a shell pany with ties to some out the city glomerate. So - ”

  “So - what makes you think that this Luo Zhuge guy is still iy?” Captain Ko sighed and asked: “How do you know if this is only one person? And not a group of people operating uhat name? And why is it that this ‘Luo Zhuge’ operates only in the South-Western District, if it is to be some powerful, rich, malicious guy?”

  “All very insightful, keeions.” Tyler Khan did not show any signs of anger or frustration wheioned, and instead he still kept his smile and his calm demeanor: “To be fair. We don’t have a good idea oher he is a singur persroup. But we absolutely be sure that they are still iy. Because we looked at some of our records and we went through the exit records from the st two years. There was no ohat had ties to said glomerate.”

  “... ha, so you basically don’t have anything and are ting on us.” Captain Ko shook his head: “I - I don’t know, Mr. Khan. We will o get more information from the unity collective before we reasonably make any goress.”

  “That is uandable. Please let me know what other information you need. I’ll draw note everything down ahe collective know, then I’ll retrieve as muformation as possible and share with everyone here.” Tyler Khan smiled while gng around the room, fixing his eyes on Marcus for a short moment: “Any - any questions?”

  “Do you know any other aliases this Luo Zhuge might be using?” Shrevas narrowed his eyes with his right hand half raised:“ I mean. Zhuge is ly a very on surname, so the person or the group could be switg to different aliases. ”

  “We are looking into that dire as well. I check with my colleagues. But as far as I know this is the only definitive alias. ” Tyler Khan shrugged: “And if we work together to look into his traces in the South-Western Distrid even the Northern District, we could definitely find out more.”

  The briefing finished earlier than usual, and Captain Ko called Tyler Khan into his office. And just when Marcus was ready to get back to his desk, Shrevas and Keryn came to him and Kevin: “Hey, we have a quick chat?”

  “What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Miuarcus’ side.

  “I - we have something we’d like to tell you.” Keryn and Pahaik exged looks, then answered in a low voice.

  “My b, then?” Kevin poi his b with the doors shut.

  Three detectives and Mick followed Kevin into the b. The space became a bit crowded with five people in it and there ractically no pce to sit.

  “Okay, since we’re so secretive and all, should I kiy bug sers first?” Kevin chuckled.

  “Yeah, yeah you might as well.” Keryn chuckled.

  Kevin shrugged, then reached his hand into a small partment in one of his drawers and pushed a tiny button hidden in the er. After some light buzzing sounds, he everyone: “Okay, we’re good now. The room’s . Or at least, as as it be.”

  “That’s fine. If anyone’s able to listen even against the general sers, then they’ll learn about what we’ll do anyway.” Marcus shrugged and sighed.

  “Okay, then here goes.” Shrevas leaned his behind on the edge of a table: “You guys, be discreet. Don’t bbber just yet.”

  Almost everyone in the room, aside from Mick, subsciously turheir eyes on Mick. Mick sehis as well, then he immediately shook his head and hands: “I - I get outta here if you’d like, I mean - I uand, I’m new here and I’ve barely earned - ”

  “It’s okay. We’ll need your help on this, more than you know.” Keryn nodded and pulled him back: “Where’s Sai?”

  “He’s - goo the city now. I’m actually waiting for him. I rey to him.” Mick let out a long exhale.

  “Okay. Okay.” Shrevas nodded.

  “What is it? What is it?” Kevin drummed the surface of his desk: “The suspense is killing us over here.”

  “We may know who Luo Zhuge is.” Keryn’s voice was cold and low, but it exploded like a bomb in this tiny b.

  “What the fuck? How’d you know?” Kevin’s voice almost broke.

  “Because we found the name, almost purely by ce when we were looking at the reparations team case files and following up on record checks. We didn’t think too much of it, because it was obviously an alias.” Shrevas cleared his throat: “It’s not frequently used, at least acc to our records. Just some credit cards, and all paid off on time regurly.”

  “It’s very likely, though we could still be wrong, but - ” Keryn sighed: “But, it might be an alias of John Mitchell.”

  The b went quiet, just like a small town suffering from nuclear fallout.