Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Meeting

"Let's do this." After much deliberation, Verrick decided on a different way to determine if Nord was inside. "Of these twenty-four people, I want you to go to everyone who has been staying at the hotel since July 16th and hasn't stepped out once. Pretend you've gone to the wrong room and approach them. Once you see them, simply say, 'The photographer asked me to bring you a bottle of Inbit wine.' Regardless of their reaction, tell them you have the wrong room and leave immediately. Then, make a note of the address of anyone who reacts abnormally, and I will go check it out personally when the time comes."

"Understood. I'll get on it right away."

"Wait until I've finished talking with Colin. I hope you'll have the final results for me when we meet tomorrow." Verrick patted Diaz on the shoulder. "It’s going to be tough for you during this time. Sorry for the trouble."

Verrick had always treated Diaz as an equal, and this subconscious behavior had significantly increased his favor in Diaz's eyes. Having been treated as a mere plaything in the fighting pits, where he couldn't even control his own life, Verrick's approachable attitude touched Diaz deeply. The nobleman had never once acted condescendingly, showing him a level of respect that felt incredibly precious in this era.

"Thank you..."

"What are you thanking me for?" Verrick smiled.

Colin returned from the restroom. "Let’s play a few rounds. We can't come to a casino and do nothing."

"No, thanks." Verrick didn't want to waste time on meaningless activities. "Since the matter was resolved so quickly, I'd better get started on putting things into motion."

"Fair enough..." Colin was more interested in getting his invested money back sooner than in gambling.

"Then we’ll be off." Verrick picked up the heavy suitcase.

Colin yawned again. "Alright. I might as well go catch up on some sleep."

"Oh, and I'll see you at the underground fighting pits tonight," Verrick said before leaving.

"Hm? You're hooked? Planning to make a big move again today?" Colin asked.

"Just looking to relax."

"Fine, fine. I'm broke anyway and don't know where else to go, so I'll tag along with you. See you tonight."

"See you tonight."

Verrick and Diaz left the private room and headed out.

"Take this." Verrick handed the suitcase containing 550,000 gold marks to Diaz. "Keep this safe for now."

"This..." Diaz didn't reach for it.

Seeing this, Verrick asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll run off with the money?" Diaz asked bluntly.

"I handed the suitcase to you openly and easily; what do you think?" Verrick countered. "Take it, put it somewhere safe, and we'll meet tomorrow. If Colin asks, just tell him I took the money and left."

Diaz slowly took the suitcase. "Understood, Mr. Chris."

This reserved man reminded Verrick so much of his former self. With a faint smile, he patted Diaz on the shoulder, exited the Green Leaf Casino ahead of him, and returned to the car. "Let's go. Take me home."

Daniel drove away from the casino. Verrick glanced casually through the rearview mirror and saw Diaz watching him leave. He had boldly entrusted 550,000 gold marks to someone he hadn't known for more than two or three days, yet he felt no unease, no worry that the money would be stolen. In this world, everyone has something they value more than life, more than desire. If you can identify what is most important to someone, you can coexist with them without fear of betrayal. He was fortunate enough to know what mattered most to Diaz, but unfortunately, he didn't know what mattered to Dempsey.

"Nord..." Verrick’s eyes flickered. "You have to stay alive..."

After dinner, Verrick used Colin's invitation as an excuse to leave the Thomas estate and head to the underground fighting pits. The venue was as lively as ever. Led by a waiter, Verrick and Daniel went up to the premium seating area as usual, where Colin was already waiting.

"You're finally here," Colin waved at Verrick.

"Looks like you arrived quite early? The matches haven't even started yet." Verrick sat down next to Colin. "This is Colin, a good friend of mine. And this is Daniel, my driver."

"Hm." Colin merely glanced at Daniel, who was standing to the side, before turning to Verrick with a mournful expression. "I'm broke now, and I really don't know what to do... I went all-in on that last round, didn't leave myself a single gold mark..."

"Haha." Verrick was amused by Colin's honesty. He pulled out 1,000 gold marks. "It’s not that dire. You should enjoy yourself—consider this 1,000 marks my treat."

Colin sighed and picked up the bills. "I never thought I'd hit rock bottom to the point where I'd be treated by you."

"Once we make money, you can treat me every day," Verrick comforted him.

"Yeah, I'll just be poor for a while; I can handle that." Colin clutched the 1,000 marks, becoming quite cautious. "I don't even know how to spend a thousand; I have to be very careful tonight."

Seeing Colin start to calculate how to spend the 1,000 marks, Verrick felt much more at ease. He had invited Colin along to avoid any trouble if Fletcher were to investigate and find that he had lied. As for Verrick, the most important part of this trip was to hold a meeting with the organization to finalize several key matters. To ensure Colin wouldn't interfere, Verrick had prepared the money to keep him focused on betting.

Once the matches began, Daniel quietly slipped away. Not long after, he returned to the premium seating area and gave Verrick a subtle nudge. Verrick looked up, met his eyes, and knew the organization's people had arrived. He began clutching his stomach, feigning pain. "Goodness, why did my stomach have to act up now? You keep betting; I need to go to the bathroom..."

"Go, go! Ever since Diaz beat Kizi that day and you bought him, the roster here has been completely reshuffled. It’s very interesting tonight; I’m determined to win enough for my allowance for the coming week!" Colin was too preoccupied with his winnings to pay attention to Verrick.

Verrick was happy to see this and encouraged him. "Isn't winning easy for you? Go ahead and play; I'll be right back."

With that, Verrick and Daniel left the seating area and exited the underground pits.

"Where are they?" Verrick asked in a serious, low voice as they walked down the street.

"They rented a garage on the next street over." Daniel’s pace quickened as he led the way.

The two walked briskly for a block, turned into a small alley, and entered the inconspicuous garage through the back door. Inside, a dim, yellow light illuminated six men of varying ages and tall, sturdy builds. They all turned in unison to look at Verrick.