Chapter 432 - NOT OUR PROBLEM

After finding a real lead on Kaito, Akira was relieved and anxious to get started on her investigation. However, she knew it would be useless to go to the red-light district during the day. She also needed to rest after pulling off an all-nighter. 

The doctor had said she was in great physical condition, but she still needed to take care of herself. Moreover, she knew that she had been pushing her body beyond its limits. She needed plenty of rest before going out in the evening.  ​​

Fortunately, she now had a way forward and her mind was at peace. She fell asleep as soon as she took a shower and her head hit the pillow.

In another part of the Immortal Sword Valley, her team of six agents was just returning from the field. Akira had finally allowed them to finish up with their investigation of the port. They did not find anything per se suspicious, only circumstantial issues that indicated hidden problems. 

Whoever had cleaned out the property was thorough, so they were unlikely to find anything useful about the lot. Therefore, Akira felt there was no need to keep up the investigation, especially after discovering a new lead. 

"Why do you think Akira stopped our investigation?" Miki asked while looking at her phone. 

"Does it matter?" Rin asked. "I am just relieved to not be canvassing the area like a rookie cop." 

Their leader, Ryou, had a meditative expression as he drove down into the valley. He found it strange when Akira sent him a message telling them to stop all activities. It was too sudden. 

"But don't you think that there is something suspicious about that port?" He asked his team members. 

The people in the vehicle became silent. It was true that they were relieved to drop that mission, but it was a curious situation because they found nothing. The security footage around the lot that was supposed to be a shipping yard was corrupted. The history of the lot from national databases was shady. The records indicated that it used to be a storage area for old shipping containers. 

However, the locals had different theories about the place. Some said it was a port that was closed after a serious pest infestation. Others said they had never seen movement on the property. Others had conspiracy theories of a government black site or something alien. 

"It does not matter. We cannot find anything useful about it, and everything was shut down cleanly. How can we investigate a smuggling incident in this situation?" Fuji asked angrily. "I am telling you. She made us do this inane work for more than two weeks just to satisfy her ego." 

The vehicle was silent again as they thought of their dislike for Akira after this simple mission. Everyone felt frustrated by their current predicament. Even though they were no longer under Akira's supervision, their life was not going to get better. The demerits she had recorded against each of them would mean their missions might not be as great as usual. 

"It is not our problem anymore. If she wants to learn more about this mystery smuggling or whatever, she should find other people for it." Hiro said while looking out the window. 

He was the most dissatisfied with Akira because he had gotten two demerits. If he got one more, he would be out of the team, and it would be impossible to do fieldwork. He wanted to find Akira and deal with her, but he retained his sanity. 

"Hiro is right. The investigation is not our problem anymore." Ryou said as he pulled the vehicle into the parking lot. "Do not cause trouble in the coming days. I will find a way to minimise the effect of the demerits. Avoid contact with Akira. Do not provoke her." 

"If you need help with the superiors, you should bring me along," Miki said with a sly smile. "We just need a few people to think that she was annoyed with us because she is hormonal. It should not be too hard for people to think it was an overreaction to a small misunderstanding." 

The people in the car laughed despite their low mood. It was an excellent idea. They might not have the guts to bring their grudge up through official channels. However, this method would preserve their reputation and ensure their career paths remained safe. 

The group dispersed, and each went to their rooms. One of them opened a dark website and logged in to check the messages. It had become a habit. When Akira was mentioned, the impulse for revenge would arise, leading to a check-up on the website. 

A long time ago, the team member did not check up on their account frequently. But now, the current task was a little personal because it involved Akira. 

Actually, picking a task with Akira as a target on the website was a delightful coincidence. In the past, the missions they found were just random. 

As an agent, this person realised that they had access to a lot of classified information through the Immortal Sword Brigade databases. People wanted to know things. It only made sense to use some of the information to earn a little extra money. 

When a client on the website asked for details about Akira, it felt like an answered prayer. It meant getting payment and revenge at the same time. Therefore, this team member did not hesitate in providing all the help to the dangerous man on the other end. 

There were two new messages in the account. In the last few weeks, the two people had discussed the details of the new transaction. The only thing pending was the matter of the initial payment, and Akira's end would begin. 

The first message was a confirmation of the payment for the agreed-upon deposit for the task. The second was a small threat from the client, saying that if Akira did not suffer as expected, a complaint will be lodged. 

The team member did not mind the petty message. Akira would not be spared. She would suffer in a way she never thought possible. Everything was already in place. People would hunt her and wound her until all that was left was fear and despair. 

And then, the final blow…

Akira did not know that someone was plotting against her within the Immortal Sword Valley. She rested well. When evening came, she left the valley and headed to the red light district. Like Kaito, she disguised herself by wearing garish makeup and clothes. 

She did not want to stick out because people might be less willing to talk to her. She wanted to drive her red car, which had been transported from Mountain Ridge. However, she realised it was quite conspicuous, so she picked one of the common ones available for agents. 

Unlike Kaito, she did not wait outside on the streets before going into a bar. She went directly in the direction to which Kaito disappeared in the security footage. Fortunately, there were only two bars on the other side of the road. 

She looked at them for a while before going into the simple basic bar instead of the grill and bar establishment. She ȧssumed the type of person Kaito was meeting would be more interested in alcohol than roasted meat. 

She entered the bar while chewing gum and walked to the serving counter. The bartender looked at her before he continued wiping the surfaces. 

"What can I get for you?" He asked. 

"My boyfriend!" Akira answered while chewing her gum with an open mouth. 

"If you can't see your boyfriend in the bar, he is not here." The bartender responded without inflexion in his voice as if he was used to such incidents. 

"I know he was here two weeks ago. He has never been gone for this long. If I can't find him, I will have the police come to this place and turn it down." Akira raised her voice, letting him know she was ready to cause drama. 

The bartender frowned. He was not unfamiliar with women who came looking for their husbands or boyfriends in the bar. However, something about the small lady made him seem a little cautious. Perhaps, it was the cold look in her eyes that looked completely mismatched with her garish clothing and attitude. 

"Have a seat." He said in a low voice.