30: Chapter 30 Only the dead don't lie.

2:00 AM, Queens apartment.

Chen Mo threw himself onto the leather sofa, swirling a glass of ice water in his hand.

Only one floor lamp was on in the room, casting his long shadow in the dim, yellowish light.

The system panel floated in the air.

[Current Status]

[Name: Chen Mo]

[Level: Lv3 (Experience: 750/2000)]

[Assets: $2,850,000 (Laundered)]

[Identity: NYPD Major Crimes Unit Probationary Detective, Medical Examiner Liaison]

[Core Trait: All-Things Trait Extraction]

[Equipped Skills: Sharpshooter (Green), Close Quarters Combat Mastery (Blue), Hacking Mastery (Blue), Master of Disguise (Green), Advanced Deception (Green), Advanced Toxicology Identification (Green)]

[Special Items: Corrupt Sheriff's Ledger (USB Drive), Deep State Stronghold Coordinates, Human Elimination Plan Fragment]

Chen Mo took a sip of ice water; the chill flowed down his throat into his stomach, cooling his slightly overheated brain.

A mere half month.

From a stateless person waiting to die in the morgue to now having a net worth of millions, straddling both the black and white worlds.

But this still wasn't enough.

That dead congressman, and that "Human Elimination Plan," weighed on his heart like a giant boulder.

The waters of America were murkier and deeper than he had imagined.

The real big sharks hadn't surfaced yet.

His phone vibrated.

It was an encrypted email. Sender: J.V. (Jessica Vance).

"Cleaner, I want to see you. Tonight's events were too strange. That Chen, I feel like he has some kind of connection to you. —J"

Chen Mo looked at the screen, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth. A woman's intuition was sometimes even more terrifying than the system.

His fingers tapped on the virtual keyboard, replying with a single line.

"Curiosity killed the cat, and it will kill an agent too. The time isn't right yet. —Cleaner"

Send, clear traces.

Next was a message from Ava.

"The family has relented; they are willing to let me take over a portion of the fringe industries.

But they are demanding a thorough investigation into the whereabouts of that five million. We need to talk about the next steps of our plan. Also... you were truly charming tonight."

Chen Mo did not reply.

A business empire—this was a necessary move.

Only money could beget money; only capital could buy real power in this country.

He stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside, the lights of New York looked like a galaxy reflected on the ground.

The skyscrapers of Manhattan were like swords piercing the sky; it was the heart of money and also a hotbed of vice.

"The first round can be considered a win."

Chen Mo raised his glass, offering a silent toast to the night outside.

"Next, it's time to play for higher stakes with you all."

Just then, that antique Nokia, exclusive to the morgue, rang.

This late?

Chen Mo answered the phone.

"Hey, kid." Old George's voice sounded a bit raspy, with the buzzing of an exhaust fan in the background. "I know you're resting, but this matter... you need to come and see."

"Another gunshot victim?" Chen Mo asked.

"No." George paused, his voice dropping very low.

"This body... has no fingerprints, no dental records, not even an iris. But when I went to cut open his chest cavity, the scalpel blade dulled."

Chen Mo frowned: "Bones too hard?"

"No." George took a deep breath.

"I found a metal plate beneath his ribs. It has a string of numbers engraved on it, and also... a symbol you might be interested in."

"What symbol?"

"An Ouroboros, exactly the same as the pattern you saw on the cover of Marcus's ledger."

Chen Mo's hand gripping the phone tightened abruptly.

Ouroboros.

Deep State.

Clues were delivered to his doorstep just like that? Or was it a trap?

"Don't touch that body." Chen Mo's voice turned cold. "Lock the freezer, turn off the surveillance. I'm on my way."

Hanging up the phone, Chen Mo downed the rest of the water in his glass.

He grabbed the trench coat from the back of the chair and checked the glock at his waist and his spare magazine.

Chen Mo opened the door and walked into the night.