It was completely dark, and inside the restaurant with its doors and windows tightly shut, only the lamps provided illumination.
Although the partners had put the clearing of old cases on the agenda, “overturning a verdict” and “investigating internal secrets” were certainly not as urgent as “current cases.”
For example, in the case Inessa was currently investigating, the “murderer” who had been judged was already hanged almost half a year ago, and the “victim” died even earlier. Both parties were currently stable, and the case had already been publicly defined in the newspapers.
Aside from Father Tyrrell, who provided the list and might inquire about it later, no one else would rush them for progress.
Mainly because Father Tyrrell had given such a long list of names all at once. If there were only a few cases, the Detective Agency might “work hard, put in overtime, and strive for an early resolution.”
But now, “one case” was just “one line” on the list, and several pages of lists added up to at least dozens of lines, so what was the rush?
—When the workload seems too immense, once a person is flattened, the pressure actually doesn't seem that great; there's no point in rushing anyway.
So the Detective Agency’s initial plan was to create another “Case Handling Team,” which would be relatively independent of the “Headquarters” and the “Office” responsible for the security of the steam train route.
It would be a somewhat special, temporary operational body, led by the partners, but with flexible membership.
Currently, the Detective Agency only had so many people, so at least in the short term, the “Case Handling Team” specifically assigned at any one time should not exceed two.
Which people handle which case would be directed and dispatched by the Headquarters. If Agents were assigned to the “Case Handling Team,” it would be equivalent to “short-term rotation training,” and they would return to their original posts once the case was resolved.
Thus, “a craftsman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well.”
At this moment, in the restaurant’s basement, the Detective Agency was conducting “recruitment.”
Because these captives had already learned about the Detective Agency’s rules from Doug and had all expressed their desire to join,
the matter had now reached the final stage before their employment—an interview with the partners.
Space in the basement was limited, so everyone sat on the floor, using cushions.
Wayne and his two companions were on one side, and the captives, still wearing simple shackles, were on the opposite side. The two rows of people were not far apart, with the shackle keys, symbolizing “freedom,” placed in the middle.
Inessa seemed to be following the Hunter Association’s path, likely influenced by her personal style. At this moment, she looked like a good-tempered, gentle teacher:
“Have you all thought it through? As the ‘price’ for leaving your original organizations and not being dealt with by the Church, you must serve the Detective Agency for a corresponding number of years. The specific duration will be determined by the ‘past experiences’ you yourselves disclose.”
“During your service within the Detective Agency, we will not actively inform Agents who are unaware of your background about this identity. On the surface, you will all be managed as ‘peripheral members,’ and your treatment will be largely the same. However, you yourselves must understand that this ‘trust’ is equivalent to ‘obligation.’”
“The rules you need to follow will be no more than those for ordinary Agents. But once violated, especially if judged to have intentionally harmed the Detective Agency, the punishment will certainly be more severe, possibly even directly considered ‘betrayal.’”
Although it was unclear whether these captives truly listened or if they could grasp the “decisive action” behind Inessa’s “gentleness” as a seasoned Hunter,
at least they all listened obediently, nodding repeatedly, their faces full of expressions that said, “I’ve learned my lesson.”
Actually, Wayne initially intended to “treat captives differently” from normally recruited members.
However, upon delving into the practical details of the plan, he found that this approach contradicted his desired policy of helping the captives “eliminate their fears.”
Therefore, the specific rules were quickly upgraded to “Version 2.0.” To help the captives integrate better, no obvious distinctions would be made on the surface.
Instead, an “internal file” would be established, and the Headquarters and some core Agents would supervise and control them in the actual management process according to their authority, to prevent them from always being regarded as “outsiders” within the Detective Agency, which would likely cause problems sooner or later.
Both approaches had their pros and cons. It could only be said that after weighing them, Wayne still chose to trust the wisdom of his predecessors, following their “practically effective” path: do not use those you doubt, and do not doubt those you use.
Inessa also favored this plan. She believed that “punishment” and “crime” were equivalent. If a person committed a crime and officially accepted punishment, then according to the rules, they should not be punished a second time for the same offense—it was probably like, “those who deserve to die should be killed directly, but those whose crime does not warrant death, once reformed, do not need to constantly wear the label of ‘sinner.’”
Lina, however, was still a bit dissatisfied with this “mixed member” plan, feeling she couldn't fully trust it. But considering that the Detective Agency was indeed short-staffed at the moment, and that this type of member might be quite numerous in the future, it would be impossible to constantly monitor them, so she reluctantly agreed.
According to the process, after the partners finished emphasizing the “rules” for the last time and the captives completed their declarations, the next step was to “take the keys and unlock the shackles,”
representing their formal confirmation of their choice, their return to “freedom,” and their becoming a member of the Detective Agency.
Just as the captives one by one reached out their hands towards the floor in the middle, preparing to pick up the keys,
Wayne’s spiritual intuition suddenly warned him. His simplified vision activated responsively, and then he saw many “lines” suddenly emerging from the void in the ceiling of the basement.
He almost jumped up, ready to run and pull out his gun to defend himself,
but after a quick second look, such a strong pressure, and these “lines” with this kind of style—wasn't this the Wise Sage?!
And it certainly wasn’t His “true self” that had come. The intensity of the pressure was far from the “real thing,” and it “popped its head out and then retracted it again.” The difference was even greater than between a “live video” and a “viral image”—outsiders might not see it, but Wayne had experience in this area, the kind that almost got him killed on the spot.
He calmed himself slightly and turned his head to see Inessa also almost making a move then stopping, her small face furrowed as she looked at Lina, unclear what she was up to again.
The captives’ reactions were indeed even stronger. Those who were scared and scrambled to the wall were fine; one was already holding his nose, bleeding, his face full of disbelief, as if wondering why the Detective Agency’s partners would turn hostile at such a moment.
Lina’s expression at this moment was grim, like a witch:
“Our Detective Agency might be different from what you previously thought, so we must make you clearly realize this point.”
“This is both the final ‘reminder’ and my personal last question—do you dare, under ‘witness,’ to confirm your ‘promise’ and sign a ‘contract’ with us?”
“The consequences of betraying the Detective Agency will be far more terrifying than you imagine. If you cannot reform yourselves, then going to the Church to accept punishment might be a better choice for you. You can still abandon this ‘key’ now; we will not blame you for it.”
Upon hearing this, the captives all froze in place for a moment, exchanging glances.
Instead, “Nosebleed Guy” was the first to cover his face, tentatively and slowly “crawling” on three limbs towards the key, finally taking it in his hand.
“This is better; at least I won’t have to worry about being threatened and controlled by them again after joining you.”
