Nemo had agreed to meet Hako in the port area, but he didn’t specify an exact time.
After all, both the date and location were already known to Hako, which put Nemo at a disadvantage, being quite passive. If the matter in the distress message was truly urgent, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Kingdom delegate waited all day, even if that meant arriving at midnight. Regardless, Nemo wasn’t worried about having time to observe the situation first and confirming that Hako was keeping his word before showing up.
The powers of KS Man and Hako were like a spear and a shield. Based on his recent investigations, Nemo had basically concluded that the serial killer in the Northern District Seven was Hako, purging opposition forces.
Superheroes and villains were destined to be in direct conflict, and even though they had agreed to meet one-on-one, Nemo was mentally preparing for a fight between two powerful individuals.
Nemo made sure to get plenty of rest, then warmed up at Matthew's gym, took a shower to refresh himself, and had a nutritious breakfast. During the meal, he updated Angie on his safety status. Afterward, he got fully equipped for the meeting, no intention of giving any leeway to the fans whatsoever.
Around 9 a.m., Nemo arrived at the port area and entered a building with a good vantage point to observe where he and Hako had last spoken. He took out a small pair of binoculars to survey the area.
The sky was a little overcast, the clouds low and thick, and rain seemed imminent. The Japanese youth stood in the open, wearing a white shirt, dress pants, and shoes, making him the ideal target for a sniper.
However, Nemo knew better. If anyone were to shoot at the seemingly idle Japanese youth, they would immediately expose their position. Though he wasn’t sure how strong Hako’s long-range abilities were, he figured that if Hako could crush an opponent’s ankles or toes within sniper range, he would disable their mobility, allowing Hako or his partner to easily pursue them.
Hako was standing facing the sea, as per Nemo’s request, alone and calm. Nemo guessed that this was the same expression Hako had when crushing several people into meat paste at once.
After circling the area once to make sure there were no hidden ambushers, Nemo leaped onto the rooftop, landing about ten steps behind the Japanese youth.
“You’re here. I thought I’d have to wait a day to prove my sincerity,” Hako turned and smiled.
“Was I wrong to assume it was an urgent matter?” KS Man’s voice came through the voice changer.
“It is urgent, but panicking won’t help. We have a traitor in our ranks, and there’s likely more than one, but the mastermind is a superpowered individual from District W9, known as ‘Bookstore Owner,’” Hako wasted no time in getting to the point.
Nemo immediately felt the familiarity of the codename. He wasn’t so enthusiastic about keeping track of the Kingdom organization’s district codes in Lone Star City, after all, he had a more practical focus. However, in everyday conversations, certain districts had been mentioned repeatedly by Tolya as being noteworthy, such as the more violent Northern District Seven, and his own nearby district—Hako was talking about Nemo’s new neighbor, just four blocks away.
Nemo’s stomach gave a slight twist, though he didn’t show any outward reaction.
“Tell me about this ‘Bookstore Owner’ from District W9.”
Hako began providing information that Nemo was already aware of. There was a culture of secrecy among Kingdom members, and Nemo, who was connected to Russian gangs through Tolya, even knew more about the Polish old man’s preferences than Hako did.
From Hako’s briefing, it was clear to Nemo that while Hako’s powers were impressive, his foundation was still unstable, which was why he always teamed up with Steel Fist for bloody suppression missions.
“Are you sure ‘Bookstore Owner’ is a traitor?” Nemo asked, studying Hako closely.
“Yes,” Hako answered with certainty, and Nemo could tell he wasn’t lying.
Nemo had always trusted his instincts, largely because he hadn’t yet accumulated enough stable and lethal abilities. His intuition formed the foundation of his judgments. Both veterans and rookies needed good judgment, as it could mean the difference between life and death in an instant. It wasn’t that instincts couldn’t be wrong, but rather that one couldn’t rely solely on them for action; personal experiences were, after all, biased.
At this moment, KS Man's intuition told him that Hako wasn't incapable of lying, but rather he didn't want to lie to KS, just as his desire to be friends with KS was the truth. However, this didn't mean that Hako was trustworthy, or that Nemo trusted him. It was simply a subtle phenomenon that Nemo had noticed.
Trust, love, loyalty, and affection were not inherently incompatible with betrayal in the face of a core interest being threatened. To paraphrase a classic line from World of Warcraft: "When the Brothers' Blade emerge, brothers are no more.*" How many good people could resist turning to crime when their loved ones were used as leverage? Let alone when even villains abandoned their integrity to seek help from superheroes.
“If someone is going to betray, it's usually younger people with unstable emotions like you. That Polish old man is in his seventies. Shouldn’t the Kingdom be a better place for him than this?” Nemo continued.
Otherwise, why would an old superpowered person join the Kingdom and work alongside people younger than his grandchildren to collect protection fees and control small gangs?
Nemo probably found it a better life than running a bookstore and enjoying coffee and walks in his later years.
"Because he's nearing the end of his life, there's a temptation that even old people can't resist." Hako, like Nemo, had large eyes with distinct black and white, but the difference was that he had single eyelids, which made him appear colder and more rational when he stared at someone.
“Could it be the black market's latest trend, the ‘living gemstones’? I heard the Chinese are the biggest buyers,” KS Man mused.
“Living gemstones” referred to the organs of superpowered individuals.
He had always been fascinated by the emerging criminal industry where superpowered individuals’ organs were traded in the black market, and though it was gradually becoming more sophisticated, Nemo expected to be able to handle such organized opponents in a few years. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to do some research now.
“The Chinese are using rejuvenation surgeries as payment, having him kidnap the family members of Kingdom superpowered individuals,” Hako explained. “I’m not sure about ‘Bookstore Owner’s’ abilities, but clearly, his powers didn’t prevent him from aging and declining.”
“Why not team up with the families of the victims, who are also suffering?” KS Man asked, curious.
Given that Hako worked in a well-structured large organization, there must have been a special execution team for clean-up. Even if he had to do it alone, the victims's families were all superpowered individuals, and their combat abilities were formidable.
“Some trust and grudge issues are involved, different bosses with different interests, and it’s tied to internal faction conflicts. Teaming up is impossible. Even if we manage to rescue the victims, we can’t guarantee they won’t end up in someone else's hands and become leverage against me. Of course, they’d think the same. I’m just a low-level guy collecting protection fees.” Hako didn’t seem hesitant to reveal internal details of the Kingdom, adding nonchalantly, “This isn’t a secret. The gangs that’ve been repeatedly losing territories know about it. The higher-ups strictly prohibit collecting protection fees in the same area twice. If another delegate forcibly collects your protection fees in a given month, you’ve got to sort that out.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“The way your Kingdom works sounds like you’re training scorpions,” Nemo remarked. “Hasn’t your boss heard about this? Isn’t he supposed to stand up for his subordinates?”
“I told him, and he thinks that if I can't protect my loved ones, I shouldn't have them around. But at the same time, he said he wouldn't interfere with how I rescue people For example, if I come to you for help, he won’t get involved. If I manage to kill ‘Bookstore Owner,’ he won’t throw me under the bus and will let the blood debt fall on him. But if I die, he won’t bother collecting my body.”
“Sounds like your boss is somewhat reasonable,” Nemo commented. He despised those so-called gang bosses who were all about showing off their power, but when things went wrong, they pushed their subordinates to take the fall without a drop of guts.
“I’ve changed bosses and partners several times. Now I’ve been with Steel Fist for a while, and it’s more stable,” Hako said, not minding to expose his own shortcomings.
The “Crazy Doctor Asian” moniker didn’t sound like a friendly one.
KS Man studied the Japanese youth for a while, noting the expression on his face. The lower half of his face, visible beneath the hood and goggles, showed a slight smirk.
“Superpowers develop unpredictably in the early stages. You’re just a low-level delegate now, but in a few months, you might end up replacing your boss. Bosses tend to be wary of talented subordinates, but higher-ups want to promote capable individuals. You’re probably one of the promising candidates, even if you don’t replace your boss, at least you might end up on the same level as him. Am I right, Hako?”
KS Man came from a secret group called Nightmare Squad, where all members were on equal footing. “Visioner” was their spiritual leader, and the only time there was any form of hierarchy was when missions were assigned, or when senior members trained newcomers.
Even though Nemo had only heard about the Nightmare Squad from Michael, he fundamentally didn’t share the hierarchical mindset of gang organizations, having served in the military in Taiwan, where he despised the senior-junior system.
In his experience, capable leaders were usually straightforward and reasonable, earning Nemo's respect. They cared about the well-being of their subordinates, as their performance directly impacted the leaders' career paths. Simply put, those with experience and professional ethics were the ones Nemo respected, while those without the ability to back up their rank and who exploited their position were the ones who annoyed him.
“I can’t say I didn’t anticipate it, but for now, I don’t want to rise too fast and make enemies,”Hako replied pragmatically, as if joining the Kingdom was just a job. If his colleague hadn’t messed up, Nemo would have probably seen Hako punch out for the day soon after.
“Hako, how do I know you’re not just using me as a pawn?” Regardless of whether the bookstore owner was truly a traitor or framed, Hako's side clearly wanted the W9 district delegate dead.
“This is a photo of the hostage. Take a look and see if she looks like me,” Hako pulled out a carefully protected photograph from his wallet and handed it to Nemo.
“Your sister looks quite a bit younger than you. She must’ve been born when you were in high school.” Nemo examined the photo and compared it to the young man in front of him, and there was clearly a noticeable family resemblance.
“This is my daughter,” Hako dropped a bombshell.
“Got it, being a dad sure isn’t easy. What’s her name? Or her codename would work too,” Nemo, who often drank tea and maintained a calm demeanor, was always patient with kids.
“Red Plume.”
“Red Plume... Could it be that your last name is Niwa (丹羽)?” Nemo guessed. “Hako's codename comes from 'Hakoniwa' (箱庭), meaning 'miniature garden,' representing the close bond between you and your daughter, like a family.”
“You already figured that out. Can you keep this a secret?” Hako asked. “By the way, did you check my background on the Grimm Group’s supercomputer?”
“I told you I support the Oda family, so it was hard not to think of Niwa Nagahide (丹羽長秀)*,” Nemo replied with a grin. As a long-time fan of Nobunaga Oda, Nemo remembered the historical pronunciations of samurai names clearly.
“KS-san, why not the Takeda or Uesugi families?” Hako asked awkwardly, surprised by the accuracy of Nemo’s deduction.
“I was a foreigner. I was just a kid when I played games, and I chose the famous, cool Oda Nobunaga as my leader. It’s just fate playing tricks, and your personal information just happens to be an added bonus,” Nemo said.
Niwa Nagahide is from Owari, and he spent almost twenty years collecting materials in the Owari region on those beginner maps. If he encounters a Japanese villain with the same surname, he can’t help but feel a bit of a connection to his old world. Nemo will extend some goodwill to Hako.
“Then thank you very much!” Hako was clearly a little embarrassed. Nowadays, most young Japanese wouldn’t even know how to read the kanji for Niwa correctly; only someone interested in Sengoku history would get it right.
“I’ll go for a feint attack first, test the Polish old man’s abilities. If it goes well, I might find clues about the hostage’s location. Then we can discuss the actual rescue tactics,” KS Man made a decisive decision.
“Did you really agree to it? Do all superheroes act so generously?” Hako was genuinely surprised, clearly not expecting any help. After all, the superpowered individuals whose families had been kidnapped were all morally questionable villains themselves.
“Your 'generously' needs some retranslation. It sounds more like ‘playing with fire,’” Nemo replied. “Anyway, I don’t vouch for other superheroes, but I personally can’t stand the idea of family members of superpowered individuals being kidnapped. It's the kind of crap I usually handle. Just give me the details of how Red Plume went missing. I have my own investigative resources. We’ll need to work on two fronts—finding the people and dealing with the Polish old man. Kidnappers love using hostages to negotiate, but I don’t want to waste time with trash. If they’re lying through their teeth or getting involved in a black-market deal with the Chinese, we won’t be able to rescue the hostage.”
Hako nodded solemnly, fully aware that Nemo was speaking the truth.
“Is there anything else you need me to do?” Hako asked eagerly.
“Yes, you mentioned that the hostages’ families won’t cooperate. Have you confirmed that face-to-face with each of them?” Nemo inquired.
The Japanese man was momentarily speechless.
"I need you to clarify this, because I want to know the answer, but you cannot reveal KS’s existence. If the bosses can’t reach an agreement, why not all switch to one with the same leader? After all, the other bosses don’t seem all that capable; none of them can solve this problem on their own. The more useful information and manpower we can gather, the better. You’ve already wasted quite a bit of time since the kidnapping happened. You’re aware of the 'Hyenas,' right? I want the hostage rescued within forty-eight hours," Nemo said, tapping his fingers.
The "Hyenas" refer to a type of illegal expert team specializing in the collection of superpowered individuals’ samples within the country. They are highly mobile and secretive, capable of swiftly collecting anything from sperm and eggs to organs in a very short amount of time.
Hako suddenly burst out laughing, pressing his hand to his face as tears welled up in his eyes. “You’re beyond imagination. Don’t you worry that a daughter of a madman and villain will grow up to be a demon too?”
“Well, that’s another price to pay. If there are any hereditary mental health issues, make sure to get her professional help—patience, medication, and care. If you can’t manage, find a trusted agent to assist. Your life is not my business, but if I manage to save Red Plume, I’ll have the right to ask you to arrange for that.” Nemo gave a serious look. “Even if one day you go mad and bad enough to get killed by me or someone else, you need to make sure this task is completed.”
Nemo realized he couldn’t assume that villains would all be lifelong bachelors. He didn’t want to inherit any daddy/mommy issues from the villain’s next generation.
“Fine, it’s a deal.” Hako handed Nemo a small USB drive. “The information you need is already prepared. This contains records of Red Plume’s residence and the surveillance footage on her. I also trained her on how to respond in case of a kidnapping. It’s not much, but these are the clues she left for me with all her might.”
“I’ll make good use of it,” Nemo nodded in serious agreement, then threw Hako a disposable phone. “Use this to contact me for now.”
“Whatever happens, KS, thank you.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘whatever happens.’ As long as she’s still alive, she’ll be rescued. If the feint goes well and we gather usable clues, you need to assemble as many trusted people as possible to support the operation. Don’t get people who have no stake in this.” Nemo kept his response brief and to the point.
“Got it, I’ll drag as many people down as I can,” Hako said with a harmless smile and gave a thumbs-up.
Nemo turned and walked away, ready for a busy day ahead.
*This phrase is related to a two-handed weapon from the Blackwing Lair (BWL) dungeon in World of Warcraft, known as "Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood." Though not actually a pair, it was sometimes referred to as part of the so-called "Brothers' Blade."
When a raid group successfully defeated a dungeon boss and obtained this rare weapon, close friends or even guild members would sometimes turn against each other over who should receive it.
Over time, this saying became a well-known joke and cautionary remark among Taiwanese World of Warcraft players, highlighting how in-game resource disputes could damage friendships.
*Niwa Nagahide was a Sengoku period general who followed Oda Nobunaga, and was one of the four representative executives of the Oda clan.