The time may be morning, and the Blood Owl is staying in a room in the Reflection City. It is really difficult to feel the passage of time here.
The place now resembles a residence. Although the lighting facility is still the light channel above the head, some furniture and daily necessities make this room different from other square boxes. Of course, the overall layout is still very strange, because the space in this room is very large, and the distance between the furniture is too far and inconvenient, so the blood owl's living area only occupies about one-third of the area.
He was sitting on the sofa at the moment, opposite a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. There were several messy wires on the back of the TV that were connected to the back of a black rectangular flat box on the floor. This thing It's the legendary video recorder.
The blood owl put a videotape into the machine, then turned around and sat on his old sofa, pressing the play button on the remote control.
This is the fifth day after his fight with Paper Man. Starting from the day before yesterday, Zuo Dao has completed deliveries one after another. As a middleman, he has done a really good job with various equipment, chemicals, legal cash, and even goods of unknown origin. Furniture, all very satisfactory.
After all the handovers are completed, they go their separate ways and become strangers. It is best not to have contact with each other until the next cooperation. This cooperation is considered perfect.
But what was unexpected was that Zuo Dao also gave the blood owl a videotape.
The blood owl also asked Zuo Dao some questions, but the information he got was only two names that didn't sound like their real names at all, "Accountant" and "Tianyi".
Zuo Dao originally thought that the other party would question him or simply punish him, but the blood owl did not do this. It seemed that he could tell when others were telling the truth.
The video started to play, and the opening scene showed a snowflake shape. A few seconds later, a strange beeping sound sounded, which sounded like the ringtone of some kind of electronic alarm clock. After about ten seconds, a scene appeared on the screen. It was a room filled with bookshelves and messy books. The camera seemed to be placed on a desk, but in front of the desk There is no one on the chair.
Then there was the sound of a toilet flushing outside the screen. Then, a man wearing a black shirt and suit with a drooped collar walked into the camera. He glanced at the camera and then said: "Oh, Mr. Blood Owl ,Hello."
Xue Xiao looked at the TV screen with a numb expression. When Tianyi in the screen asked that sentence, Xue Xiao directly pressed the stop button on the remote control and cursed: "Idiot."
As a result, the video did not stop. Tian Yi on the TV slowly walked to the sofa chair behind the desk and sat down, cleared his throat and said: "First of all, this is not some kind of prank to trick you into talking to yourself in front of the TV. film, so the conclusion of 'idiot' is obviously incorrect. Even if I really want to make a film of that nature, it will definitely be at the level of a master."
The blood owl thought he had misaligned the remote control when he pressed it, so he pressed it a few more times, but the video continued.
"Zuo Dao got the video recorder for you, right? A few days ago he wanted to peek at the contents of the video tape, but he was scared to death. He seemed to think I would crawl out of the screen, so he unplugged the power supply." He picked up the coffee and said: "Mr. Blood Owl, you don't have to press the remote control of the video recorder anymore. This is not an ordinary video tape, but a communication medium. As long as someone plays this video tape, the computer on my desk will There will be a prompt sound, and then it will automatically connect to your TV screen. So you are actually having a video call now." He showed an unhappy expression: "It's a little different from the time I estimated, bloody Mr. Xiao, I haven’t slept well these past few days, for fear of missing communications due to time difference.”
"I have never heard that you can use twentieth-century audio and video products with a TV to make video calls with other people's computers." Although the blood owl said this, he finally spoke to the screen.
"Ah, it is true, but you have to know that the person who made this tape can be said to be the best craftsman of this era. If he had been born a hundred years earlier, he would have led the design work of Tiandu." Tian Yihui road.
The blood owl sneered: "Are you referring to yourself?"
"Me? No, no, I don't know how this thing works. I'm only responsible for placing orders. And what I said just now is not flattering at all. The best craftsman of this era is a complete idiot. You have If you get the chance to see him, don’t forget to stab him a few times for me and chop him into pieces to feed the pigs.”
The blood owl said: "So, I already know enough about this video tape. Can you get to the point? What do you want from me? Mr. Tianyi."
Tianyi replied bluntly: "I want to cooperate with you."
The blood owl snorted coldly and said: "Why do I feel that this sentence sounds like 'I want you to be my subordinate' or 'I want to use you'."
Tianyi smiled and said: "Cooperation, Mr. Blood Owl, means using each other until the other party is no longer valuable, and then break up the team. After that, if you feel that the collaborator is very annoying, just kill him."
"Oh, it seems that your views on things are quite insightful, but since you came to me first..."
Before the blood owl finished speaking, Tianyi already knew what the other party wanted, and he directly replied: "No problem, I can tell you." After drinking half a cup of coffee, Tianyi began: "Things have to start from the beginning ten years ago. Speaking of the night of the Mark Massacre, you may not know it. About a month before that, a group of professional thieves hired me to provide them with a robbery plan for St. Mark's Basilica. The skills of this group of people Yes, they were not stupid, and some of them had military backgrounds. I thought this deal could be done, so I took it.
It took me half a day to draw up the plan, but intelligence collection, investigation, preparation, training and acting took up most of the time, so it was a coincidence that they happened to meet you that night when they took action.
Communication with them was quickly lost, and when I arrived at the scene, I saw a very interesting crime scene. There was no plan, no hesitation, no mercy, and no... survivors.
From that moment on, I became interested in you. "
The blood owl grabbed the snacks at hand: "Oh, speaking of which, a group of strange people did appear in the cathedral that night, and they didn't look like security guards."
Tianyi continued: "I think there are two paths that can lead to a perfect crime. The first is careful planning, precise execution, and proper aftermath; the second is to do it first.
Having spent years peddling organized crime for a living, I knew the first route very well. But you, Mr. Blood Owl, have created what appears to be the scene of an impulsive crime. Walking into a church, packing up the art, taking it out, killing everyone who tries to stop you until there is no one left to kill, and then quickly leaving, no matter how many times I replay this image in my mind, no matter how many traces it seems to have left and flaws, but actually perfect.
Countless detective novelists take solving elaborate plots as the main story line, but they can never touch the second road, which is the simplest and most direct crime, such as traffic accidents, armed robberies at night, pickpockets on the bus, etc. If a criminal can escape for a while and never commit another crime, he can often get away with it, and no matter how smart a person is, he or she will not be able to detect the crime. "
The blood owl said: "Are you indirectly showing off that you have a way to contact me?"
Tianyi curled his lips: "No, it's nothing worth showing off. I haven't been able to find your whereabouts for ten years. It was really a failure. It wasn't until you killed someone in the Bronze Parrot Bar that I had a clue. Then let's talk about it next Tell me the part you want to hear most, how I found you." He drank the coffee in his cup and pointed to the bookshelf behind him: "In my bookstore, there is a kind of book of the heart, which is written every time. Each book represents one person, and I can see the voices of all ordinary people below the paper level. This is my source of intelligence."
The blood owl showed disdain on his face, as if he didn't believe what the other party said: "You mean there are more than 10 billion books in your bookstore?"
Tianyi replied: "Mr. Xue Xiao, why do you think like those common people who are limited by space and quantity? Just now you thought that what you put into the video recorder was a twentieth-century image recording carrier. Now You're talking to me, aren't you?" He looked back at the books on the bookshelf: "From the appearance, there is no difference between these books, they are all wrapped in black book covers." He took one off casually. Bendao: "So, when I opened the book I took, the name in it could be Zhang San or Li Si. And when you turned your attention to my hand, did you Notice that the place where I just removed a book is now full and there is no gap."
The blood owl seemed to understand, he said: "Is this your ability?"
Tian Yiyi said: "Oh, oh, oh... man, this question has crossed the line."
"Humph...it doesn't matter, I don't really want to ask."
"The next thing should be easier to explain." Tianyi filled himself a glass again: "Of course, it is impossible for all HL to be ability users or transformers. Ordinary people without super powers want to... *Exercising to a paper level or above is also very difficult.
But your file is very special. It has barely passed through the hands of a few mortals since ten years ago. Even if it has, they are not qualified to see it, so I only recently learned about your code name in hl. It is impossible for me to spy on everyone in this vast crowd. Of course, now that I have confirmed your appearance and identity, I can put some information into place and know some things that you may have done in the past.
As I said before, I am ashamed to say that I know nothing except what you did in Piazza San Marco. Fortunately, the policeman named Zhi Xia connected the murder case a few days ago with you. Some civilians in the Northern Second Branch of Guanzhi County HL handled your case, so I have a target and clues. , and then began to investigate the voices of some people in Venice. In fact, it didn’t take too long. I tied the messy clues together like braids and pieced together what was happening in the city. things. "
The blood owl asked: "So, you have the whereabouts of everyone including Steel Commandment, Zuo Dao, hl, and the Paper Man."
Tian Yiyi said: "Ah... Actually, it's not too troublesome. When you live in this world, you always have to come into contact with people. Countless passers-by on the street, ordinary members of the Steel Commandment, and policemen in the police station, each of them can give me something." Provide information, they can be my eyes and ears, and they will never lie. With such an intelligence network, combined with some simple reasoning, it is not difficult to guess the progress of the matter.
Judging from your whereabouts in the past few years, I estimate that your habit is to use art as currency. This is the most clever method. Checks need to be exchanged at banks, and cash cannot be carried in large quantities between regions. And those paintings can easily pass through airport security and can be exchanged for money without the need for a bank, and one exchange can provide you with enough funds to spend a lot of money. Ten years ago you would rob a museum for this reason. "
The blood owl took over: "So you know it through various intelligences. You can contact me through the middleman Zuo Dao."
"Yes, disclosing the above information is my expression of sincerity for cooperation."
"Hehehe..." The blood owl's smile revealed a burst of murderous intent: "Why do I feel that you are quite intimidating when you say such a terrifying thing as if it is nothing?"
Tianyi also smiled and replied: "Oh? This kind of statement is very novel. After hearing these words, most people will never use horror to describe my ability to do things. Mr. Blood Owl, your understanding is far beyond my expectation. I guess."
The blood owl suddenly changed the topic and said with a ferocious smile: "What exactly do you want to do?"
Only Tianyi knew how to answer this inexplicable question: "It's not time to say what I want to do, but Mr. Blood Owl, you are a very important part of it."
"How important is it?"
"I have selected some collaborators, some have already reached an agreement with me, and some have not yet. Some of them have abilities that are not inferior to that of Mr. Paper Man, and some are people with special talents like Zuo Dao. Of course, there are also some who are just pure perverted lunatics. And you, Blood Owl..." Tianyi's expression was as if he was tasting an unpalatable side dish: "You are more important than any of them, because you are the most disgusting person I have ever seen so far. There is no such thing as a perverted lunatic, and there will be no such thing in the future."
"Hahahahaha..." The blood owl turned his head to the sky and laughed. After laughing for a while, he stood up and walked towards the TV screen.
"Do you want to smash the TV?" Tianyi asked.
The blood owl had already clenched his fist and was about to swing it down.
Tianyi shrugged helplessly and said: "Okay, okay, let's just treat the negotiation as broken... Oh, out of good intentions, I will provide you with a free piece of information, just one sentence..."
The blood owl punched the TV screen, and the last five words Tianyi said on the screen were: "You are already in the game..."