Chapter 35: The Main God Space: Is Someone Plagiarizing My Ideas? (Mist)

Leon glanced at the book in his hand, then at Raymond, who was still unconscious.

To be honest, he had initially assumed the man was a Mechanic, but it turned out to be Alchemy. After all, that mining robot with its formidable combat capability had been quite misleading.

Not dwelling on such trivial details, Leon used his wristband to record the contents of the book. He had no intention of hiding it; for one, he had nowhere to conceal it on his person, and for another, who knew if Raymond would report the missing book to the Public Security Bureau once he woke up.

The content in the book was brief, and Leon quickly finished scanning and saving it all with his wristband.

At that moment, Danika returned after scouting the abandoned buildings in the mine. Seeing the book in Leon’s hand, she raised an eyebrow. "What’s that? Spoils of war?"

Leon closed the book and shook it. "Dropped by that 'Artisan' in the vehicle. I took a look, and it has something to do with alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Danika’s expression turned peculiar. She took the *Detailed Introduction to Alchemy* from Leon, flipped through it casually, and then looked up with a strange expression. "It seems we’ve struck gold. The Federation is willing to pay for books like this."

"...Provided it hasn't been logged into the system yet."

Danika didn't mention keeping the book. In her view, both she and Leon were already professionals, and they had no use for an item that clearly belonged to another class. Of course, skills related to research like alchemy or mechanics could technically be learned even without the corresponding class, but that would depend entirely on individual talent.

...Except for Leon.

After a brief moment of thought, Danika said, "If the Federation is willing to buy it back, the money should be split three ways. You, me, and the Chief—one share each. No objections, right?"

Leon certainly had no objections; if anything, he felt he was getting the better end of the deal. After all, Danika had faced Raymond initially, and Marcus had taken down the mining robot. All Leon had really done was seize the opponent at the end while Raymond lacked the ability to defend himself. His overall score was a 3.0; he was essentially a passenger being carried to victory.

Seeing Leon had no objections, Danika tucked the book away and sat in the passenger seat. "Let’s go."

Leon climbed into the back of the pickup truck. With Cole stepping on the gas, the truck sped off in the direction they had come from.

***

The group returned to Pioneer City without encountering any more insect swarms along the way.

Shortly after, Higgins, having received basic medical treatment, appeared in the interrogation room of the Public Security Bureau. Cole conducted the interrogation, while Leon, Danika, and Marcus watched silently from behind the one-way glass.

The blond man with limp limbs opened his eyes, looking around in a daze. His memory was still stuck on the moment he was defeated by Leon; he could even faintly hear the echo of those words: "Are you really that strong?"

Wait!

Higgins snapped back to reality. He looked down at his restraints and sneered. "Give it up. I won't say a word."

Cole didn't speak. He picked up a pair of pliers and began his routine. However, Higgins merely watched with a cold expression as the man tortured him, even as the agonizing pain broke him out in a cold sweat.

Seeing his methods weren't working, a hint of surprise flashed in Cole's eyes; it was rare to encounter such a tough nut to crack. The interrogation expert didn't continue with physical punishment but instead looked at the red-blinking camera in the corner of the ceiling.

"Chief, can we bring in his family?"

Before Cole could get a response, Higgins rasped, "Good idea, but unfortunately, I'm an orphan."

Hearing this, Leon, Danika, and Marcus, who were observing the situation, fell silent. Cole was also taken aback. Just as he was contemplating how to crack Higgins open, he saw the man suddenly grin, revealing blood-soaked gums. "But since you're so eager to know, I can tell you."

"I..."

The blond man had barely uttered a single word when his head lolled to the side, and he ceased breathing.

Seeing this, Cole was stunned for a moment before his expression changed drastically. He rushed forward to undo the restraints and began emergency resuscitation. After a long while, he stood up, looking pale, and faced the camera in the corner.

"Chief, he's dead."

The observation room fell into a heavy silence.

***

Marcus’s originally deep-red complexion began to shift toward a dark, bruised hue. His face was as gloomy as a storm cloud as he squeezed two words through his throat: "A contract..."

Hearing this, Leon frowned slightly. It was his first time witnessing this so-called "contract," having only seen information about it on the network before.

Danika, seeing the situation, murmured in despair, "My vacation... it's ruined..."

The only lead had been severed. It was foreseeable that the work of the Public Security Bureau would not be easy, and her requested vacation would inevitably be pushed back indefinitely.

However, the fact that Higgins had signed a contract with someone held its own implications, as this was not something just anyone could access. At the very least, in Pioneer City No. 66, only high-ranking officials had access to contracts: the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, the Director of the Finance Bureau, the Commander of the City Guard, and the City Lord.

Fortunately, although Higgins was dead, there was still Raymond to interrogate.

Soon, the smuggler and artisan, having been changed into fresh clothes, was brought into the interrogation room. Unlike the arrogant demeanor he displayed at the mine, Raymond was now as meek as a quail.

Before Cole could even ask, he spilled everything he knew like beans from a jar.

"...Higgins contacted us and asked us to help take you out. Considering you might track us down, we agreed."

"But before Razor left, he said something urgent came up and told me to go alone. As for where he went, he didn't tell me."

"I don't know anything else. I’m usually just responsible for mining fire crystals and refining them; Razor handles everything else."

Seeming to think that wasn't enough to secure his safety, Raymond added, "Oh... right, if you're willing to let me live, I'm willing to work for Pioneer City from now on."

In the observation room, Marcus pondered for a moment before stepping forward to the microphone. "Accepted."

Hearing this, Leon glanced at the Police Chief with surprise; he hadn't expected an "Artisan" class professional to receive such preferential treatment under these circumstances.

Looking at the job information for "Artisan Apprentice" on his interface, Leon began to formulate a plan in his mind.