Chapter 11: Capital

Tian Yi seemed to have no objection to Gu Wen's attitude. He simply said calmly, “Take your time. Sit down first.”

“On your face?” Gu Wen had, of course, taken in his surroundings the moment he entered. There wasn't a single seat in the entire bookshop apart from the armchair Tian Yi occupied.

Tian Yi gave a long sigh. He actually stood up, went through the door behind him, and carried another armchair out of a bedroom even messier than the shop. He set it opposite the desk, returned to his own seat, and said again, “Sit.”

Gu Wen threaded his way through the jumbled piles of books and sat opposite Tian Yi, then repeated the purpose of his visit. “You owe me three hundred thousand. Ring any bells?”

Tian Yi said, “Let me owe it to you a while longer.”

“Aren't you afraid I'll turn nasty and kill you?” Gu Wen's tone was perfectly casual, but he didn't sound as though he was joking.

Tian Yi gave a noncommittal smile. “Would you like something to drink?”

To Gu Wen, that smile suggested three possibilities, ranked from most to least likely: first, this man called Tian Yi was powerful enough to feel secure; second, Tian Yi was absolutely certain Gu Wen wouldn't actually attack; third, the bastard wasn't afraid to die.

All this passed through his mind in a single second. Outwardly, Gu Wen remained unperturbed. “Tomato juice.”

“Do you think I'd have anything like that in my shop?”

“Then what do you have?”

“Coffee.”

“What else?”

“Coffee.”

“Understood. Water will be fine.”

“No, you haven't understood. There's only coffee.”

“Don't you use water to make coffee?”

“I used the last of the drinking water to make the last pot half an hour ago. There's only tap water now. I doubt you'd be interested.”

“So coffee is the only drink you have.”

“Yes.”

“You just asked what I'd like to drink, as if I had plenty of choices.”

“It just slipped out, out of politeness.”

This time Gu Wen gave a long sigh. “Fine. Coffee.”

Tian Yi immediately said, “The pot's over there. Help yourself.”

The instant he heard that, Gu Wen wanted to flip the desk, but he restrained himself. He stood, took a couple of steps, picked up the coffeepot, and poured himself a cup. Just as he was about to put the pot down, Tian Yi spoke. “Bring me a cup while you're at it.”

Gu Wen actually poured him one. He put both cups on the desk and sat down again. “Since you invited me here, I assume there's something you want to discuss.”

Tian Yi said, “Yes. First, step one...” He switched the two cups on the desk. “Give you back the cup you spat in.”

Gu Wen had deliberately shielded the movement with his body and hadn't expected Tian Yi to notice. Even after being caught, though, he showed no particular reaction. He merely said, “And step two?”

Tian Yi said, “What I want to discuss is cooperation.”

“You mean criminal consulting?” Gu Wen said. “I could consider that. Personally, I'd suggest robbery, preferably for at least three hundred thousand. And there's a separate fee for this consultation.”

Tian Yi said, “I'm not talking about devising a scheme or two. I mean long-term cooperation.”

Gu Wen said, “Oh? How long is long-term? A month? Two? I never take more than five days to plan a crime. Once the plan's complete, I rarely take a personal part in either preparation or execution. If by long-term cooperation you mean committing a continuing series of crimes over a given period, I do have a plan for a marathon sweep of banks across Europe. That would require a certain amount of improvisation...”

“I noticed you kept revising your plans while you were testing Dewitt,” Tian Yi interrupted.

Gu Wen said, “That test was a personal project. Business is business. As far as the Opium Club's commission was concerned, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.”

“So you killed Joseph Lucchese,” Tian Yi said.

“Oh? You even know about that?” Gu Wen said.

Tian Yi pulled a book at random from the shelves behind him and tossed it over. “Read this first. You'll understand soon enough.” He took a sip of coffee. “While you're assessing whether its contents are genuine, let me say a few things.”

“In January, you devised a plan for Jim Malone, commander of HL's Northern Second Branch in the Crown Commandery, to seize the governorship. You also used your contacts to put him in touch with Silver Shadow and made meticulous arrangements. Once that was done, you collected your payment and stayed out of it.

“With your skills, getting hold of imperial intelligence wouldn't be particularly difficult, so you must have looked into Blood Owl while you were advising Malone. But I'm quite certain you've never met Blood Owl in person. Your understanding of him was probably based on HL's designation of him as a ‘danger level four criminal.’ In other words, you still thought of him as the murderer from the ‘Bloody Midnight’ incident.

“And so your plan failed.”

Gu Wen was rapidly leafing through the book. Without even looking up, he replied dispassionately, “That happens occasionally. Failure caused by the incompetence of those carrying out the plan is unavoidable.”

Tian Yi smiled. “Hm... you have a point. Yes, there weren't any holes in your plan, but you can't lay the blame for its failure on Malone or Silver Shadow either. You all made the same mistake.”

Gu Wen kept turning the pages. He had read nearly half the book, rapidly absorbing information and analyzing the possibilities, yet he still followed the conversation with perfect clarity. “Are you saying I underestimated Blood Owl's strength? The initial information didn't list his ability rank at all. My worst-case estimate was ‘Fierce.’ After the clash with Steel Commandment in January, they publicly held up some fellow called Faru as the hero, but HL's internal intelligence indicated that the man chiefly responsible for resolving the situation was a police officer called Elot Nice, known as Paper Hero. The Empire also revised some of its assessments of Blood Owl afterward, confirming my estimate. He is indeed a Fierce-rank ability user.

“That was the basis of my plan. Malone had powerful fighters from Silver Shadow supporting him. His enemy was out in the open while he remained concealed. He could even mobilize the local troops if necessary, and both Paper Hero and Faru could be used. With all that fighting strength, could they really not kill one isolated Fierce-rank ability user? Give me those resources, and the success rate would be ninety-nine percent.”

Tian Yi said, “To return to our earlier subject, long-term cooperation would put those resources at your disposal.”

“Oh, I see...” Gu Wen closed the book and put it back on the desk. “Suppose you currently possess some device or ability that can read people's thoughts. Then you make a remark like that. Hm... as I see it, you simply want to start a resistance organization. You might as well say so. This isn't the first invitation I've received. What ‘resources’ do you have? Hundreds of thousands of followers? A few provinces and commanderies? Or a few factories churning out weapons as fast as sausages?”

Despite the obvious disdain in Gu Wen's reply, Tian Yi was delighted. “Excellent. It seems questions like ‘how many men’ and ‘how many guns’ don't impress you. They really aren't important.”

Tian Yi said, “At present, in terms of material assets, I have this bookshop.”

“Ha. I hope you've got enough coffee to go around,” Gu Wen said evenly.

Tian Yi continued, “The book you just read isn't an ability. It really is a device. And this bookshop contains the scientific framework for making that device. The complete framework.”

For the first time since entering the bookshop, Gu Wen's expression changed visibly at something Tian Yi said. “That may be the most exciting lie I've ever heard in my life.”

Tian Yi gulped down another couple of mouthfuls of coffee and continued, “As for personnel, among those we can already count on working with or making use of, there's a fellow called Zuo Dao. I imagine you've heard something of him.”

“Ah... the father of modern forged identification. A sleaze of a man. An absolute sleaze...” Gu Wen replied.

“There's also someone called ‘Accountant,’ another exceptionally rare talent.”

Gu Wen said, “I've heard a little about him.”

“The world's finest craftsman and most irritating idiot...” Tian Yi pointed to a row of bookshelves in the corner. “He's used a bookmark to hide in subspace. He won't get away, though.”

“Why is he hiding?”

Tian Yi replied, “The fellow he's hiding from is definitely joining us too. Loyal, dependable in a fight, half human and half ghost. I'll introduce you another day.”

“You certainly have an impressive army.” Gu Wen took a sip of coffee as well. He seemed increasingly interested.

Tian Yi said, “There are still three people we need for the launch of the plan who haven't been confirmed. These three are the key figures. Every one of them is indispensable.”

Gu Wen didn't interrupt. He waited expectantly for Tian Yi to continue.

Tian Yi smiled. “The first is you.”

“I'm not particularly surprised, but I'll take it as a compliment,” Gu Wen said.

“The second is Divine Key.”

Gu Wen said, “Hm... then you're in for a disappointment. He's already been arrested and thrown into Tidal Prison. As far as I know, no prisoner has ever escaped Hell Island alive.”

“I know all that. But the third person can help me fish Divine Key out of hell.”

Gu Wen had the answer before Tian Yi could name him. “You mean that Blood Owl?”

“Correct. But the last time I approached him, he refused to cooperate. It looks as though winning him over will take a little more work.”

“Oh? Even if you do win him over, is he really that formidable?”

Tian Yi gave a cold smile. “If you want to know how strong he is, answer this first. Where would you rank your own intelligence on this planet?”

Gu Wen was about to blurt out his answer when something else flashed through his mind. He smiled. “Oh... Blood Owl is that strong, is he?”

Tian Yi said, “That's it for personnel in the initial stage, for now. Finally, having covered material assets and people, let's discuss intangible assets.”

“Huh? What? Heh... do you actually have some political capital? What sort? A faith? An ideology? Or are you the bastard son of some royal grandee?”

Tian Yi shook his head. “A flag. Silver, with a black inverted cross embroidered on it.”

“What's its significance?” Gu Wen asked.

“One day, you'll know the answer.” Call that answer mysterious or call it a good reason to punch him. Either way, Tian Yi wasn't about to explain.

Gu Wen stood and stretched. “So what do you want to do with all this?”

“Destroy all established order and create a new world.”

“Fine, fine. Count me in for the moment. Apart from yourself, you have seven partners, two of whom are still up in the air. Without a single soldier, with nothing but this so-called scientific framework, what do you expect to do?” Gu Wen said. “Let me check something first. This bookshop doesn't transform into a giant robot or anything, does it?”

Tian Yi said, “No.”

“Then let's start closer to home. Take a single prefecture. Add up the local garrison, the police, HL's own troops, the nobles' private forces, and all the rest, and you'd have ten thousand or so men at the very least. There might be quite a few ability users among them too. Do you think eight people could capture any administrative office above the township level?” Having said this, Gu Wen suddenly found it a little strange. Why had he already started helping Tian Yi devise plans without even realizing it?

Tian Yi said, “There's still a great deal I need to tell you. Don't rush to conclusions. Our most pressing concern right now is to leave Chicago as soon as possible. Blood Owl and Tea Immortal will be here any moment. If we run straight into them... even I can't imagine how Blood Owl will kill you.

“As for Tea Immortal, he's spent years believing he's my nemesis. Much as I hate to admit it, if I had to pick one outstanding figure from the Empire in this stupid world, it really would be him. Darkwater's whereabouts are currently unknown. If we don't pull out quickly, things will become difficult.

“Anyway... kindly close the shop door. I'm about to activate the relocation device.”