novelraw Chapter 295: Temporary Squad
Chapter 295: Temporary Squad
Lin Jie put the folding blade, Silencer, into his pocket. By the time he stepped out of Dr. Iron's shop, the nightlife of New Orleans was just beginning to unfold.
The gas lamps on Bourbon Street had already been lit, destined to burn through the night.
Mellow jazz music, mingled with the unrestrained laughter of people and the clinking of glasses, drifted out from every half-open bar door. It blended with the damp, desire-laden air, creating an intoxicating, drunken atmosphere unique to this fallen city.
Lin Jie had no mind to enjoy any of it.
He quickly made his way through the noisy crowds and returned to the small hotel in the Marigny neighborhood.
Less than thirty-six hours remained until the official start of the hunt.
Countless hungry wolves, tigers, and leopards from all over the world were already on their way, or soon would be.
He had to use this limited time to adjust his condition to its peak.
Early the next morning, just as Lin Jie was about to set off for the temporary forward camp set up by the Association at the edge of the quarantine zone in the Delacroix area, the Baroness once again sent someone to summon him back to her office on the second floor of the cotton warehouse.
"Good morning, Mr. Lin," Isabella said, still in that languid manner of hers."Try this, a specialty of our Louisiana, gumbo. Simmered all night with okra, seafood, and our unique local spices. Believe me, it will give you enough stamina for the journey ahead today."
She pushed a bowl of steaming, richly fragrant gumbo towards Lin Jie.
Lin Jie took a small sip and put the bowl down. He had no mind to savor delicacies right now.
"Madam Isabella, I imagine you specifically called me here at this time not just to offer me a bowl of soup?"
"Of course not."
A smile of approval appeared on Isabella's face. "I merely wanted to add two more interesting companions to your journey, which is destined not to be a lonely one."
"Companions?"
Lin Jie's brow furrowed slightly.
He had grown accustomed to operating alone.
Moreover, in this Free Hunt game where backstabbing was a real possibility, the word 'companion' could sometimes be even more dangerous than an enemy.
"Don't be so tense, little one."
Isabella saw through Lin Jie's concerns. "They are here to help you, representing a friendly cooperation between you and our North American branch."
She explained her intentions.
"Although this operation is nominally a 'Free Hunt,' you should be well aware that the Association cannot truly allow that Kingdom-class prize to fall into the mouths of those stray dogs of unknown origin."
"We must, and inevitably will, send our own official representatives to ensure this trophy ultimately returns to where it should belong."
"And you, Mr. Lin," her gaze sharpened, "...are the 'tip of the spear' I have chosen for our New Orleans branch."
"I need your wisdom, your tactics. In exchange, I will assign you two of the best rookies from our branch to serve as your 'sheath' and 'hilt'."
Lin Jie remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I need to meet them first."
"Of course."
Isabella snapped her fingers.
The office door opened, and two figures with distinctly different styles, yet both exuding a powerful aura, walked in one after the other.
Walking in front was a white man, tall, with broad shoulders and a commanding presence.
He appeared to be in his thirties, with neatly combed black short hair, a clean-shaven chin, a square face, and sharp eyes.
He wore an exquisite, stiffly starched brown-black leather jacket and a pair of highly polished alligator-skin boots.
Most striking was the shiny, pure silver six-pointed star sheriff's badge pinned to his chest.
The whole man looked like a legendary sheriff straight out of a Western film.
"Sheriff, Brewer."
Isabella introduced him. "Former Texas Ranger, the best shot in our branch. A staunch upholder of order."
Brewer extended his hand to Lin Jie, a polite, professional, yet formulaic smile on his face that kept others at a distance.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lin. I've heard about your exploits. I hope this cooperation can be as efficient as described in the files."
Lin Jie shook his hand.
He could feel the astonishing strength contained in the other man's grip.
The person who walked in behind Brewer formed a stark, even extreme, contrast to him.
It was a relatively slender young man who looked a few years younger than Lin Jie.
He wore a green scarf and a white cloak draped over his shoulders.
And on his face, he wore an expressionless mask made of pure white fired ceramic.
The mask only had two dark, empty holes for eyes.
You could see neither his gaze nor his expression.
His most striking feature was his left arm.
It was severed from the shoulder and replaced with an exquisite prosthetic made of birch wood and brass.
From the moment he entered the room, he remained silent, standing quietly behind Brewer like a shadow without self-awareness.
If not for the faint, almost imperceptible killing intent emanating from him, Lin Jie would have almost thought he was a non-existent person.
"This one is 'White Ghost',"
Isabella's introduction was equally brief. "He doesn't speak much. But his 'hands' are faster than anyone's gun in our branch."
White Ghost did not shake Lin Jie's hand, nor did he even glance at him.
From beneath that pallid mask, he merely gave a very slight nod in Lin Jie's direction.
One was a sheriff walking in the sunlight, the other an assassin lurking in the shadows.
The corner of Lin Jie's mouth lifted in a knowing arc.
He instantly understood Isabella's intention.
One was responsible for the front, the other for surprise attacks.
And Lin Jie himself would serve as the brain of this squad, coordinating from the center, controlling the overall situation, using his wisdom and tactics to meld these two forces together.
"It seems, Madam Isabella, you have placed high expectations on this journey of mine."
Lin Jie picked up his cocktail glass and raised it in a toast towards the queen of New Orleans.
"I never make investments without expecting returns, Mr. Lin."
Isabella also raised her glass, a smile appearing on her face. "I look forward to you bringing back the sweetest fruit for me."
That afternoon, a "survey convoy" consisting of three specially modified Ford four-wheel carriages, equipped with heavy armor and steam power, quietly departed the New Orleans city limits and sped south towards the Delacroix river-mouth county shrouded in green miasma.
Inside the carriage, the newly formed three-person squad sank into an eerie silence.
Brewer sat upright and proper, meticulously polishing his revolver, which shone as brightly as the badge on his chest.
White Ghost was curled up in the darkest corner of the shadows, hugging his cold mechanical arm, seemingly already asleep.
Lin Jie made no attempt to break this silence.
For a temporary team composed of three complete strangers with vastly different personalities—three 'oddballs'—true trust could only be forged in the hunts to come.
He also closed his eyes, beginning to mentally simulate all the possibilities of the first battle that lay ahead.