Kapitel 41: Uncle Kaize (I)
Nie Li didn't know or even care about the storm he caused with his letters. He was busy preparing to meet with his potential spy. He must immediately make clear who is the boss and who is the employee between them because criminals are a very resourceful bunch. Give them an inch, they'll take a mile. Nie Li wouldn't have approached him if he wasn't Zhang Ming's uncle and he didn't know him a bit from his previous life.
So he prepared some equipment. And his cameras also gave some results. In one of the photos were Dark Guild's deacon, Yun Hua, and his followers. In time he will have the photos of every member of the dark guild in the city and their contacts.
He also created new artifact body armor. This one was thin and snugly fit the body. Even if its protections weren't as good as his more bulky armors, which he made into artifacts as well, it could be worn under the clothes discreetly.
When Zhang Ming came to take him to his uncle's place, he was ready. They left toward the city's shadier parts.
It was unsurprisingly a bar, where Zhang Ming's uncle decided to meet them. Maybe this was the same bar, he took over when he retired. Nie Li didn't know. Before entering Zhang Ming again warned him about his uncle being dangerous. Nie Li assured him that he knew was prepared.
They were led to the second floor. Through the employees-only hall, they reached a room with an inconspicuous door. The guard that led them here from the entrance knocked on the door and opened it. After Zhang Ming and Nie Li entered he closed the door behind them. Inside two guards were guarding another door.
One of the guards, the older one seeing Zhang Ming smiled and asked, "Little Ming, how're your studies?" The younger guard opened the door and entered the room.
"Good, and don't call me 'Little Ming'!" he said and turned at Nie Li. Nie Li smirked at him as if saying he is going to remind him about it for the rest of his life. Despite him saying that he doesn't contact his uncle he was well acquainted with his uncle's subordinates. Or this is someone big in the hierarchy in his uncles' gang.
While Nie Li was observing the old man, he was doing the exact thing to him. "Is he your new friend?" he asked Zhang Ming.
"Yes, old Zhao, he is my friend." Zhang Ming replied accentuating the title 'old'.
"Oh, introduce your friend to us then. And what is he doing here?" 'old Zhao' asked kindly as if interrogating his misbehaving grandson. Zang Ming looked at Nie Li as if asking his permission. 'Old Zhao' noticed too.
"My name's Nie Li." Nie Li decided to take initiative into his hands. "And I have a business proposition for your boss."
"Aren't you a bit young for business propositions?"
"Youthfulness is a disadvantage that will pass with time." Nie Li replied. The old man looked at Nie Li's eyes like he was trying to divine his motives through them.
"I have a question as well." Nie Li said distracting him. "What do you do besides interrogating your boss's guests?"
Old Zhao's eyes narrowed. But before he could say anything the second guard opened the door and invited him and Zhang Ming inside.
"Uncle Kaize, good evening." Zhang Ming greeted the hard-looking man in his forties after the door was closed.
"So this is the friend you talked to me about," said 'uncle Kaize not changing his expression. He had some scars on his face that made him look fierce.
"Yes, this is Nie Li, my friend that I talked about," Zhang Ming said rolling his eyes. This must be the first time his uncle scowling expression before him. So he wasn't intimidated a bit. He also understood why his uncle was acting this way.
His uncle understood it pretty quickly either. He didn't want his nephew ruining his game.
"Your friend can explain to me himself. You can leave." He said to Zhang Ming.
He in turn looked at Nie Li wanting to know what did he think about it. Nie Li nodded imperceptibly. He can deal with it himself.
'Uncle Kaize' noticed it as well. He wanted to know how much influence this boy had over his nephew.
"Uncle Kaize, remember he is my friend. So none of your usual stuff okay?"
"Don't worry. Your friend will remain in one piece."
"You have been warned," Zang Ming said before closing the door.
Now Nie Li and the Kaize were alone.
"So you have an offer for me?" The gang leader said crossing his hands over his huge dark wood desk. He was looking at Nie Li with a hard expression trying to intimidate him. Before the desk was a very uncomfortable-looking stool. Not even a chair. Nie Li sighed, the classic intimidating tactic. It looks like it's universal in every world.
But it doesn't work with Nie Li. He walked up to the stool and moved it to the side. And then took out his very comfortable armchair from his interspatial ring. He bought it before the expedition and never regretted it. He sat down on it and sighed. It was really comfortable.
Zhang Kaize was dumbfounded. The kid was just too cavalier. Does he know who he is facing off?
"Yes," Nie Li unknowingly answered the question Kaize was asking inside his mind. Actually, he was answering his first question. "I do have an offer."
Saying that Nie Lo took out a pyramid-shaped object from his ring and put it on the desk in front of him making the gang leader wary. Nie Li lightly pressed its top and a low humming sound was heard in their ears. Then the sound disappeared and the top section of the pyramid glowed.
"What is it?" Zhang Kaize said warily. One of his hands was under the table, most likely pointing some kind of weapon at him.
"Privacy barriers. It won't allow anyone except us to overhear or even watch us talking."
Kaize looked around. He couldn't notice any difference. There wasn't even a small ripple of the barrier membrane. Was the kid lying? He looked at his walls. Especially at specific locations on the wall. Why hadn't his guards entered? They must have noticed him putting his hand on a hidden crossbow under the table.
"If you are worried about the two in those hidden chambers don't be. They just think that we are talking in a very low voice so they can't overhear."
"How is it possible?" He never heard of privacy barriers like that. Usually, they just block sound or muffle it. But blocking a sight as well without anyone noticing? To check it he slowly massaged his earlobe with his free hand. This was an order for his guards to rush into the room. But seconds passed and nothing happened.
The kid wasn't lying. Or he somehow neutralized his two hidden guards without him noticing. Either way, the kid was dangerous.
"How does it work?" he decided to be a bit careful around his nephew's friend.
"The sight and sound illusions. It makes the observer believe that it's natural that he can't overhear the conversation." There was also a physical barrier to block the sound and blur the image, just in case, but the illusions hid them as well.
"So let's return to my business proposition." Nie Li decided to return the discussion back on track. "What do you know about the Dark Guild?"
"Why are you asking?" When his nephew asked him to meet one of his friends and hear his offer, not telling him what it was he was a bit surprised. But decided to indulge the kid. Maybe his friend wanted to become a 'cool' gangster. And he could frighten the kid away from that path adding a plus to his karma. He knew enough about the life of a criminal to know that there was nothing cool about it.
But it looks like he was mistaken. Could this kid be from the Dark Guild? If he is, how is his nephew related to it?
Nie Li could understand what he was thinking. So to dispel his worries he replied calmly, "I hate their guts."
"They are assholes," replied Kaize relieved. "It would be a surprise if someone liked them."
"There are enough insane people around." Nie Li said.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
DaoistDlL6M5
DaoistDlL6M5 The next three chapters are going to be released daily.
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