A Calculated Gambit

He really had to wonder when he had managed to raise her favorability to such a degree.

Or perhaps Yali was simply easily content, finding even the smallest gestures of kindness, which Yodel considered mere trifles, enough to cherish immensely?

Regardless, from this moment forward, Yali and he were officially siblings.

Thus, all of Yodel’s efforts on Yali’s behalf could be explained as a brother’s unconditional kindness towards his sister, alleviating any concerns about Yali’s psychological well-being.

Accepting charity from strangers was a vastly different matter from accepting a brother’s care.

Though the process remained somewhat absurd, the outcome appeared rather favorable.

Yodel’s thoughts drifted to the unfortunate young inquisitor, and he couldn’t help but compare her to Yali.

Within mere hours on the same day, one went from a promising inquisitor to a s*ave, while the other transformed from a matchstick girl into the sister of an incredibly overpowered (TL Note: ‘Guabi’ is a Chinese slang term referring to someone who is extremely powerful or ‘cheating’ in a game-like scenario.) protagonist.

Opportunities were presented, yet she failed to seize them; she merely needed to let Yodel carry her, winning effortlessly like Yali, but instead, she foolishly courted disaster.

Muttering to himself, Yodel, with Yali’s soft, slender arm linked in his, pushed open the door to his home, concluding a day fraught with incident.

****

Early the next morning, Yodel arrived at the “Minkton” Detective Agency.

Perhaps he had come too early, for the agency appeared remarkably deserted.

‘Good,’ he mused, ‘no need to queue.’

Yodel walked directly to the reception desk and began conversing with the receptionist.

“I require all information concerning the Everlasting Society.”

This request immediately posed a challenge for the receptionist, as clients typically approached the agency with specific and well-defined objectives.

These might include locating or trailing particular individuals, or gathering intelligence on specific cases, among others.

Yodel’s demand was clearly far too broad.

“Sir,” the receptionist stammered, “could you perhaps provide more detailed requirements?”

“No, all information pertaining to the Everlasting Society is my requirement, and price is not an issue.”

Once more, Yodel engaged in his characteristic lavish spending, placing two hundred gold pounds (approximately 160,000 yuan) directly on the counter; in his estimation, the God of Death’s mission far outweighed any monetary value.

Despite his worldly experience, the receptionist remained composed, yet witnessing such an extravagant client, his heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

Given the exceptionally high remuneration and the investigation into a cult like the Everlasting Society, the receptionist realized this transaction necessitated reporting.

“Please wait a moment, sir.”

He offered a slight bow and retreated into the back room of the agency.

Moments later, the receptionist returned. “Our proprietor would like to meet with you. Kindly follow me to the conference room.”

Yodel nodded, then accompanied the receptionist deeper into the agency.

Soon, Yodel was introduced to the owner of the detective agency.

He was a burly middle-aged man with broad shoulders and a thick back, his slightly disheveled black hair streaked with a few barely perceptible silver strands; his rugged features presented a stark contrast to his formal attire.

However, appearances were secondary; Yodel glanced at the man’s head:

5/0/1

A positive kill-death-assist ratio…

This man was clearly a formidable individual; it was Yodel’s first time encountering someone with a positive KDA.

“Hello, I’m Lauren Howard,” the middle-aged man greeted, extending a hand to Yodel.

“Yodel Finn.”

They shook hands and settled onto the sofa.

“I accept your commission. Furthermore, while I harbor no inclination to pry into clients’ private affairs, forgive my impertinence in asking…”

As Lauren spoke, he straightened his posture, sitting upright and formal, his light blue eyes fixed intently on Yodel, as if intending to pierce him with his gaze:

“What is your true purpose in making such a grand display and drawing my attention?”

Indeed, he was a man with blood on his hands; though his power might not rival Yelica’s, his aura far surpassed hers, and Yodel distinctly felt the oppressive weight.

“Since you’ve put it so directly, I won’t beat around the bush. Beyond this current commission, I also hope to establish a deeper level of cooperation with your esteemed agency.”

Much like his previous endeavor to forge ties with the Church, Yodel’s intention now was to build connections and cultivate influence; the transaction itself was merely an opening gambit.

While revealing his intentions too early might typically disadvantage him in negotiations, as it had with Yelica, Yodel remained unconcerned.

He possessed other trump cards that he believed would compel Lauren to accept his terms.

A faint smile touched Lauren’s stubbled lips.

He idly twirled the ring on his finger, speaking with deliberate slowness:

“Do you aspire to be a patron, or a collaborator?”

Before Yodel could respond, Lauren’s tone shifted. “For the ‘Minkton’ Detective Agency to maintain its standing in the kingdom’s capital, both are indispensable.

“As for the former, we receive substantial remittances annually from nobles, merchant guilds, and media outlets. Mr. Yodel, how much are you prepared to contribute? While two hundred pounds is indeed considerable, it is insufficient to impress ‘Minkton’.”

Yodel remained silent.

His total remaining assets barely exceeded five hundred pounds, and he surmised that even investing all of it would fail to impress Lauren.

Lauren waited for a moment; seeing Yodel offer no reply, he continued.

“Regarding the latter, we also maintain numerous collaborations with official bodies and various grey (TL Note: Refers to organizations operating in a morally ambiguous or semi-legal area.) forces. Mr. Yodel, may I inquire whom you represent, or do you merely speak for yourself?”

His words now carried an unmistakable edge of bluntness.

Yet, Yodel persisted in his silence, offering no response.

Lauren’s patience had worn thin.

Already overwhelmed by a recent university murder case, engaging Yodel in conversation for this long had been his absolute limit.

He had initially assumed that despite the young man’s impulsiveness, he must possess some backing; instead, it seemed Yodel was merely a brash fool with a bit of money but utterly lacking in foresight.

Such a young man needed to be put in his place.

“Then, Mr. Yodel, why should we, the ‘Minkton’ Detective Agency, engage in a deeper collaboration with you, a young man of unknown origins? No offense intended, but I genuinely require you to provide a compelling reason.”

Lauren Howard leaned back against the sofa, the implicit dismissal already forming on his lips.

“Mr. Howard, as you can plainly see, I am indeed a young man with no established connections. In fact, I have only been in Langdon City for approximately five days.

“However, I believe a seasoned combatant, one who has taken five lives, would not lack the audacity to invest in a young man.”

Lauren’s hand, which had been toying with his ring, froze.

The conference room plunged into a deathly silence.

Yodel lifted his head, meeting Lauren’s light blue eyes directly, and was thoroughly satisfied to discern astonishment within them.

“Everyone else, leave. I need to speak with him alone. Wait, Collins, you stay.” Lauren called out to a brown-haired man.

“He is my deputy,” Lauren explained, gesturing to the brown-haired man, “You wouldn’t mind him staying, would you?”

“More than just a deputy, I presume; perhaps a sworn friend, or even a comrade-in-arms,” Yodel added softly, glancing at the brown-haired man’s KDA: 1/0/5.

The brown-haired man, addressed as Collins, frowned, took half a step back, and reached inside his coat.

However, Lauren pressed down on Collins’s hand and laughed heartily. “Hahaha, interesting. Are you here to collaborate, or to apply for a detective position?”

“So, now, are you prepared to consider my proposal for cooperation?”

“I concede that you certainly possess the qualifications to establish a partnership with ‘Minkton’, but that does not automatically mean we will agree.”

Yodel understood Lauren’s underlying meaning: ‘Your knowledge of these matters is indeed intriguing, but it does not imply that I will be blackmailed or forced into cooperation by them.’

“Becoming our collaborator grants you access to higher-priority detective services and the ability to issue special commissions to the agency.

“In extreme circumstances, we would even be willing to breach certain principles for a collaborator. Furthermore, the agency would not charge any commission fees to our collaborators.”

Lauren paused. “Mr. Yodel, it’s your turn.”

“The Hymn Church,” Yodel began. “You likely lack cooperation with them, do you not?”

“Hm? That… you are correct, we indeed do not.”

As mentioned previously, the Hymn Church was a faction actively combating cultists on the front lines, unequivocally an aggressive force against their enemies.

It was precisely this aggressive ideology that led to constant friction with most grey forces and a lack of cordiality towards conservative factions like the old nobility.

This predicament troubled the detective agency, which collaborated with numerous grey forces and received funding from nobles; forging an alliance with the Church would inevitably damage its relationships with other partners.

Consequently, despite the fact that partnering with the Church would allow the agency to share a wealth of intelligence unattainable through conventional means and receive powerful combat support, the relationship between the two had remained stagnant.