Chapter 373 - 176: Run

"We should have just let Elise loose back then," Elvire said. "A little lesson would’ve made him behave."

Yisha raised her little hand. "I agree!"

"How about we head back now and land a few punches to blow off some steam?"

Elise was silent.

’On second thought, no.’

The so-called base of the White Bear Organization was smelly and chaotic; she had no desire to go back a second time.

Sean just smiled and explained, "It’s mainly because I actually want his men."

The more people they had, the easier things would be, and the Elise sisters wouldn’t have to draw on their power as Grand Mages.

Besides, the biggest beneficiaries of the Kovloki Family’s downfall were all the Wizards in Sonaros State. He couldn’t just let those guys get a free pass. Under normal circumstances, Sean might not have cared. It was a small effort, and helping was helping, just like when Elvire got him out of a jam at the hospital with no thought of repayment. But the mental state of the Wizards in the White Bear Organization left Sean deeply unsatisfied.

They gave off the feeling of being the walking dead, content to wallow in their own decline.

Sean had no interest in helping spineless cowards.

If you want others to help you, you first have to stand up for yourself.

These Wizards needed a battle to reawaken the fighting spirit in their hearts.

’And if they really can’t stand up...’

’Then they can stay down.’

’They can just lie in the basement and wait for death.’

"Ugh, let’s not talk about those guys anymore. So depressing."

Yisha said with disgust.

Then, she flashed a cute smile and winked at Sean. "Master, Lemondaff said he’ll see us in two days. Since we’re free until then, shouldn’t we start investigating the Gate of Hell?"

Sean gave her a suspicious look, then glanced at Elise. "You two seem awfully concerned about the Gate of Hell."

"Not really," Yisha said, putting on an innocent face. "It’s just that Mr. Sean is still waiting for news from us. The sooner we confirm things, the sooner he can start the work."

’She’d never admit she just wanted to find something for her dear Master to do, to keep him from dishing out more lovey-dovey stuff like he did this afternoon. It was more than anyone could take.’

Her excuse was quite fitting.

Kate hadn’t come with them to Sonaros State this time, only lending them his private jet.

The gubernatorial election in Siracle State wasn’t over yet, and Kate was particularly good at dealing with government types, so he had stayed behind to handle the land acquisition for Holkaydo Hospital. In his spare time, he was also helping Pulente build momentum and rally votes.

He was one of their own, so he’d help where he could.

Besides, Sean had also promised Pulente a certain degree of political support.

He had always been a man of his word.

He felt completely at ease leaving this matter to Kate.

Speaking of which, the timing was right, so Sean took out his phone and gave Kate a call to ask about the election campaign and the progress on the land deal.

It was already the next morning in Siracle State.

"Hello, hello?" Kate answered the phone.

Sean got straight to the point. "How’s the land deal going?"

Kate, wearing a bathrobe, walked to his floor-to-ceiling window with a cup of coffee. "I just met with the mayor of Holkaydo yesterday. It should be pretty much settled. Now it’s just haggling... You know how shrewd those old coots are. I plan to let them stew for a few days. I estimate I can knock another hundred or two hundred thousand off the price."

"Don’t haggle so hard you blow the whole deal," Sean said.

Kate replied, "Don’t worry, this isn’t my first time doing business with the government. I know exactly where their bottom line is."

"Alright," Sean said. "What about Pulente’s side?"

"Is the campaign going smoothly?"

"You have even less to worry about there."

Kate was brimming with confidence. "We just have to wait for the election to end, and Pulente will become Siracle State’s first-ever re-elected governor."

"Good, good." Sean loved Kate’s efficiency. "But don’t pull in too many votes for him. You’re a businessman, after all. If you’re too involved, people can use it against him and it might backfire."

"I know," Kate said. "That’s why I didn’t canvass for him."

Sean was taken aback. "Huh?"

"You didn’t canvass for him?"

"Then what did you do?"

Kate took a sip of coffee and said, "Nothing much. I just took a shotgun and paid a few of those council members a visit at their homes these past few nights."

Sean: "?"

"You can play politics like that?"

Kate replied, "It’s not a question of if you *can* play it like this. This *is* politics!"

After so many years in business, no one understood politics better than he did.

The day Pulente fell from power would be the day he became the next businessman-turned-governor!

Sean: "..."

"Fine, just make sure no one can trace it back to you."

"You’re giving those old geezers too much credit," Kate said scornfully. "I’m the only one who does the investigating around here."

For example, there was the matter of a certain councilman who, in his youth, had attended a "loli party" on an island.

The reason he dared to visit those council members with a shotgun wasn’t just because the gun was loaded. It was also because he had collected dirt on all of them. Besides Pulente, there were more than a dozen other candidates for governor, and not a single one of them was clean.

"Also, I looked into that guy who threw the bomb at Pulente before Yisha opened fire," Kate said. "And you’ll never guess what I found."

Sean: "Wasn’t it one of his political rivals?"

"Yes, but not entirely," Kate said. "The person behind him is Carlos."

"Carlos?" Sean frowned.

He hadn’t seen that name on the official election website.

"This guy is a big deal," Kate said. "He’s the head of the Wolf Family."

"The Wolf Family... Where are they from?"

"Krim State," Elvire said from the side.

The Dawn Council often procured supplies from Krim State. When Sean was injured in the hospital before, many of the special medications were purchased from there, so she was reasonably familiar with the general situation in Krim State.

Sean subconsciously glanced at Sopea.

Sopea nodded.

The Wolf Family was indeed a Witch Hunter Family from Krim State.

"So you’re saying the Wolf Family is trying to extend their reach into our Siracle State?" Sean asked.

"I think so," Kate said. "According to the official polls from that day, if Pulente had died, Carlos’s man had the highest public support."

Sean: "Excellent."

’Sometimes, I really love my enemies.’

’They always manage to point the way when my life lacks direction.’

Once the matter of the Gate of Hell was dealt with, he had his next destination.

’How dare he have designs on my territory. I’ll have to pay this Carlos fellow a visit, one way or another, and see where he gets his nerve.’

"I’ll leave it at that for now. I’m getting ready for work. I’ll message you when there’s more progress," Kate said.

"Alright."

Sean hung up the phone.

「The next day.」

Little Yisha got her wish.

They finally began to investigate the Gate of Hell.

However, investigating it was not easy.

No matter how they searched, they couldn’t find any information about the Gate of Hell online.

Not even the old news story that Sopea had discussed with Koni.

It was clearly being censored.

"Looks like we’ll have to find it ourselves," Elise said.

Sean didn’t mind. "We’d have to make a trip sooner or later anyway."

He wasn’t discouraged in the slightest. On the contrary, the lack of clues excited him.

The tighter the lid was kept on it, the more it proved something was wrong. Their trip had not been in vain.

As for how to find the location of the Gate of Hell...

Simple.

They just had to ask the Kovloki Family.

He could kill two birds with one stone.

"By the way, where was Ivan Pharmaceutical again?" Sean suddenly asked.

Elise was both amused and exasperated. "We’re about to go to war, and you’re asking about that now?"

Yisha also teased, "Master, a general who doesn’t know where the battle is isn’t a good general."

Sean retorted self-righteously, "I’m already a general, so of course I have privileges. If I have to investigate everything myself, what do I have you soldiers for?"

Elise threw Sean a flirtatious glance. "That could be arranged."

Sean: "?"

Elvire kicked Elise, fuming, "Can you please drop that nasty habit of yours?"

Why did she always enjoy teasing Elvire’s friend so much?

Elise felt wronged. "What’s wrong? You never used to mind. Now that you have a husband, you’re starting to despise your bestie."

Elvire’s face turned slightly red as she glared at her. "What husband? Don’t talk nonsense. We’re just friends."

She changed the subject. "Ivan Pharmaceutical is about ten kilometers from the hotel. It’s not far."

Sean glanced at his watch. "Alright, let’s call it a day. Get some rest. We’ll head over early tomorrow."

"Wait!"

"Sir— Mr. Sean!"

Koni suddenly ran in from outside.

The usually quiet girl was rarely this flustered; she even almost got his name wrong.

"Didn’t you go downstairs to buy something?" Sean asked. "What’s wrong?"

Elvire and Elise also looked at the girl with confusion.

"Look at this." Koni handed Sean a piece of paper. "I found this in the elevator."

The note was crumpled and had shoe prints on it, looking as if it had been stepped on several times.

A few words were scribbled on it in a shaky hand—

"Don’t go to Ivan Pharmaceutical! Run!"

...