69novels Chapter 223 Despicable, Not Bad at All
Chapter 223 Despicable, Not Bad at All
Chapter 223 Being a little despicable isn't so bad
"Um... my head hurts so much."
It was unclear how much time had passed before Hazel slowly awoke from her deep coma.
She reached out and pressed her throbbing forehead, looking around the messy room with a somewhat blank expression.
"What happened? Oh, and where's the teacher?"
She looked around but did not find the grayish-white mouse.
She sat there motionless for a moment. Suddenly! As if realizing something, she abruptly raised her head!
"Oh no! Time!"
She looked up at the mechanical clock in the room.
The pointer above has mercilessly passed the twelve o'clock position.
"You'd better be here on time tonight at midnight. If you don't, I can't guarantee what kind of news will be in tomorrow's papers!"
The man's threatening words echoed in her ears once again.
The thought of the public condemnation her family would face if this matter were to make the newspapers made her tremble uncontrollably.
"Hazel! I never thought you would do such a thing!" The father's furious and disappointed roar seemed to echo in my ears. "Daughter, why, why did you do this—" The mother's heartbroken sobs followed closely behind.
Look, that's the infamous thief!
I told you they were all hypocrites!
Who knows what her father did on the battlefield? Maybe he was just a coward who tried to survive!
"A family of thieves!"
Countless faces of ordinary, vulgar people—faces she once looked down upon—surrounded her, pointing and whispering, their faces filled with mocking smiles.
"No! No! This absolutely cannot be!" Hazel jolted awake from her terrifying fantasy, her back soaked in cold sweat.
She hurriedly put away the stolen gift, picked up the crystal monocle from the ground, and without even changing her dusty clothes, she jumped over the balcony and rushed desperately into the dark street!
Meanwhile, at the other end of Berklund Street.
"Near Berklund Street," Club 5 strolled leisurely alone on the quiet street, a faint smile playing on his lips. "The 'us' around Backlund are basically all in hibernation, and '... well, it seems I'm the only one left who can move around freely and do odd jobs."
"We haven't even had a referendum yet. Why do I have to do this kind of hard labor? It's so unfair—"
Although he was complaining, the smile on his lips didn't diminish at all; in fact, it deepened.
"What are you doing!" Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder without warning.
"What?!"
The smile on Plum Blossom 5's face froze instantly! He shuddered and turned around abruptly.
That was a figure who wore a monocle over his left eye and looked somewhat similar to him.
"Boss?" Clubs 5 quickly composed himself, forcing a smile again. "What are you doing here?"
"The 'Witch Cult' seems to be making some unusual moves lately. So, I came to investigate," Club 2 explained with a smile.
"Alright, now you can tell me why you're here, right? I don't think you've had any missions these past couple of days."
"That's how it is."
The Five of Clubs reacted quickly, taking out a shimmering playing card from his pocket.
"I just discovered traces of Amon's clone. That's why I came here specifically to investigate."
"Boss, you know this. This has always been my job: to eliminate clones and protect the organization."
"Hmm—not bad, a very 'reasonable' answer."
Clubs 2 seemed to believe his words and slowly withdrew the hand that was still on his arm.
"That bastard Amon loves to play these disgusting tricks."
"That ungrateful bastard! Sooner or later, we'll wipe him out."
"However," Clubs 2 cursed, then changed the subject, "I happen to be short-handed right now. You'll have to come with me."
"This—boss, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Club 5 looked a little embarrassed. "I only came out on a whim this time. Besides, I'm on vacation these two days."
"Since we're already out here, we might as well work overtime one more time."
Before the other party could refuse, Clubs 2 directly commanded:
"Be professional. I'm going to check out the east area now; you come with me immediately. That's an order."
"Yes." Club 5 lowered his head and replied.
Watching the other's figure gradually become transparent and finally disappear completely into the air, the 5 of Clubs frowned slightly, a rare occurrence for him.
"This guy only gained Joers' favor by imitating me, yet he dares to be so arrogant in front of me~"
He muttered something under his breath, and then that enigmatic smile returned to his face.
"It's alright—one day, I'll let you put that monocle on your right eye yourself—"
"It's past midnight, and they still haven't arrived."
In an inconspicuous shadow somewhere on Berklund Street, Lorne awaited Heyle's arrival.
Having the abilities of a "machine," he is extremely sensitive to the passage of time. Clearly, the time has long since run out.
"Hmph! I didn't expect this young lady to lack even the courage to come. I really overestimated her."
"Does she think that everything will be fine just because she doesn't come?"
"Or is she really so cowardly that she doesn't even have the courage to face reality?"
"What are you going to do if she doesn't come?"
The bodyguard's ethereal voice came directly from behind him, as always.
"Then I'll have to visit her parents in person," Lorne replied. "At the very least, I need to get my things back first."
"What you're doing could get you into a lot of trouble," Sharon warned.
"It doesn't matter."
The so-called "vest" is just something used to take the blame.
"Compared to the potential gains, this risk is nothing at all."
Lorne slightly turned his head to look behind him and continued:
"Moreover, you and Marich may also find this benefit useful."
"What do you mean?" The bodyguard's voice held a rare hint of confusion.
After waiting a few seconds, Lorne slowly explained:
"I have personally experienced just how bad the situation is for wild Extraordinary individuals. And for Extraordinary individuals like you, Miss Bodyguard, who are connected to a secret organization that is extremely hostile to the Church of the Righteous God, the situation is even more difficult."
"When facing official power, we are often at a complete disadvantage and have no room to maneuver."
"However, if—we could somehow obtain the covert 'protection' or 'channel' of a politician with a certain status and influence in the kingdom—then in many situations, our situation would become relatively easier."
"Politicians with influence often have connections with the church. In crucial moments, it shouldn't be a problem for them to provide cover for us."
"As long as we have leverage over them, the other party will most likely not dare to easily refuse our small requests that do not touch upon their core interests."
Even if the other party ultimately refuses to cooperate, they will most likely not dare to push things too far, lest they suffer a lose-lose situation.
Before the bodyguard could speak, he added:
"You helped me with this matter. Therefore, this profit is considered to be shared by both of us."
"If it really works, you can use it later. I'll send you a copy of those photos later."
Sharon fell into a long silence in the shadows.
As members of the "Temperance Faction," they constantly face dual pressures from the "Indulgence Faction" and the official extraordinary individuals. The value of a channel that can provide some cover at critical moments is self-evident.
Seeing that the bodyguard remained silent for a long time, Lorne said with a soft, self-deprecating laugh, "What? Do you think I'm too despicable?"
"No."
"I'm just considering its feasibility," the bodyguard replied pragmatically.
"Sigh, it's okay if you really think I'm despicable." Lorne sighed. "I've been thinking a lot these past two days. Sometimes, in order to survive better, it might be unavoidable to be a little more flexible or even despicable in our methods."
However—rest assured, I've always been very good to the friends I consider friends.
"Thanks."
After a brief silence, the ethereal voice rang out again, this time seemingly closer to Lorne's ear.
You're welcome~
A while later.
"Da, da, da."
A series of hurried footsteps, approaching from a distance, suddenly came from not far away.
In the quiet of the night, the footsteps sounded exceptionally clear.
"They actually came?"
Lorne raised an eyebrow slightly, watching the figure rushing towards the direction of the Macht family villa.
Originally, he had already planned to leave directly.
"Madam," Lorne asked softly to the air behind him, "have you noticed anything about her?"
He was somewhat worried that there might be a trap involved.
After a brief silence, the bodyguard responded:
"No, she's perfectly normal."
"Hey! I'm here!"
"James Scott, where are you?!"
As Hazel ran, she shouted loudly, but no one came out for a long time.
Hazel's heart sank completely. That bastard... he couldn't have really left and sent those photos to the newspaper, could he? It's hard to say; that guy doesn't seem like a good person at all!
"They're here, they're here."
Just then, Lorne's figure emerged slowly from the shadows at the street corner.
"Miss, aren't you afraid of waking up all the neighbors with your loud voice?" He pretended to be helpless as he picked at his ear.
"I..." Heroine was speechless for a moment, instinctively covering her mouth with her hand, and looked in panic at the dark windows on both sides.
"And one more thing," Lorne said with a cold smile, "you're late!"
"—" Hazel was stunned and subconsciously took a few steps back.
"Miss, you're out meeting people in the middle of the night, and you can't even change into something decent?"
He glanced at Hazel, whose home clothes were still covered in dust, and said in a mocking tone:
"It seems the Macht family's upbringing really isn't very good."
"You bastard." Hazel looked down at her wolf-fox appearance, a strong sense of shame welled up in her heart, and her cheeks burned.
She gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing her humiliation. "You're not allowed to insult my father! I've already brought your friend's things! Give me that camera now!"
"The camera? No problem."
Lorne took the small camera out of his pocket.
"However, I spent two hundred pounds to buy this camera. Let me make it clear, I'm not lying, this is the real market price."
"Two hundred pounds—" Hazel gritted her teeth inwardly.
The price still made her feel a little pain.
Compared to those truly noble families that have been passed down for hundreds of years, her family's economic situation can only be described as well-off. Two hundred pounds is not a small amount for her.
"I—I forgot to bring any money."
"You don't want me, do you?" Lorne's face showed a suspicious expression.
"You—how could I possibly play a trick on you!" Hazel said, both ashamed and indignant. "I didn't even—I didn't even have time to change my clothes!!"
"Fine," Lorne accepted this explanation. "Then give me back what you stole from my friend."
Hazel made no move.
"What? You don't want to?" Lorne said. "Then how about I pay Mr. Macht a visit myself?"
"Alternatively, we can call the police to resolve this issue."
"Given the behavior of those policemen, once they know about this, it's as if all the journalists in Backlund know."
"you---"
Hazel clenched her fists, trembling with anger. But in the end, she gave in and reluctantly handed over the gift box.
Lorne quickly checked everything. Nothing was missing. He nodded slightly, then made a move to leave.
"Hey! Don't go! Give me the photo!" Hazel exclaimed anxiously, and Mao quickly stopped him.
"Didn't you say you were broke?" Lorne spread his hands innocently. "I've been thinking, it's more reliable to ask your father for the money yourself."
"No! Absolutely not! I can't tell my father about this!" If her father knew that she had not only stolen things, but had also been caught red-handed with such a fatal flaw, he would be utterly disappointed in her!
Upon hearing this, Lorne's lips curled up slightly: "What if I insist?"
"I--"
Hazel was in a complete dead end.
Her weaknesses have been firmly grasped by the other party. And her teacher is now nowhere to be found. There's no one left to help her.
"How about this?" Lorne's tone became flippant. "This matter will remain a secret between the two of us. But if you want me to keep this secret for you—you'll definitely have to give something in return, right?"
"Pay—pay" Hazel was stunned for a moment, then as if she had thought of something extremely terrible, her face turned pale instantly, she hugged her chest and retreated backward.
"You—you wouldn't want to—no! How disgusting! I'd rather die than submit to someone like you!"
"Aren't you—a little too confident in yourself?" Looking at Hazel's wary look, Lorne was speechless. Did I seem that hungry?
What? What? You don't like it?!
Hazel looked up and saw Lorne's disdainful gaze, and a surge of intense anger inexplicably rose within her!
From childhood to adulthood, she has always been the one looking down on others! She has never been the one being looked down on! What's more, the person in front of her is a complete, despicable, and shameless hypocrite!
"Then what do you want me to give in return?!" she asked through gritted teeth, her voice filled with humiliated anger.
"I need you to do a few things for me. I'll tell you the details later."
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your body."
"Damn it! I absolutely will not help you!"
"Not going to help?" Lorne shrugged indifferently. "Then this secret thing... I guess I don't need to hide it anymore."
"Such sensational news must be worth at least several hundred pounds, right?"
"You're despicable!" Hazel cursed.
"Yes." Lorne nodded. "I'm shameless too. But what can you do to me, Ya Xiaoguan~"
Hazel stared at him intently, falling into a long silence.
In the end, all her pride, anger, and struggle turned into a powerless compromise, and she lowered her head:
"It can't be anything illegal. And, absolutely, my parents can't find out!"
"Okay." Lorne smiled with satisfaction. "Then, I hope our cooperation will be completed soon."
"It's finally all resolved."
Lorne carried the recovered gift as he walked back to the hotel.
If Hazel really doesn't come tonight, then he will indeed go to that MP Macht in person to ask him for help (or rather, to extort him).
However, that would probably cause a lot of trouble. After all, an experienced politician is much harder to deal with than a pampered young man like Ya Xiaoguan.
"How was my performance?"
"It doesn't seem like acting." Bodyguard Xiao Guan's assessment was as brief and direct as ever.
"Hmm—" Lorne touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Don't indulge yourself too much. Otherwise, you'll bring unimaginable trouble upon yourself." The ethereal voice rang out again, carrying a hint of warning.
Is this a warning to me not to take things too seriously and end up going astray?
"But—in this world, being a little 'bad' isn't all bad."
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, asking softly:
"Speaking of which..."
"Madam, what is your name?"
"...You don't need to know."
"But you already know many of my secrets," Lorne argued.
"But I, Big Spear, don't even know your name."
"I think there should be more basic trust between us."
Bodyguard Xiao Guan remained silent for a long time before slowly opening his eyes:
"Sharon."
"Sharon, huh—" Lorne murmured, savoring the memory.
"A good name."