Common sense says that when a general with a prestigious reputation comes to a small city like Patton, he will be greeted by a grand guard of honor. But the fact is that there were just two people waiting at the exit of Beqi Station, one Kate and the other Zach.
"Isn't James coming?"
"Here he comes, on the other street, homicide."
Zach raised an eyebrow, "He's still working at this time?"
"It's a time like this." Kate seemed to have no trust in her fiancé. "If there are no cases, I suspect he is going to create a few."
Zach laughed.
"I thought the vampires from Allen's funeral would be the ones who came to kill me." Kate opened a new topic.
"It should have been them." Zach didn't hide it, "I'm coming."
"Very well, if you hadn't come over, I would have taken action."
"Oh? How are you going to get General Lance away from the Sabbat vampires?"
"In the contract for Allen's purchase of the mill that you gave me yesterday, there are several provisions for offsetting."
Zach was curious, "Offset what?"
"I knew you hadn't carefully read the sale terms of your mill." Kate waved her hand, "It was the previous agreement between the mill and Allen. Allen Funeral used market costs to squeeze out the mill, but later on, didn't you two reach a compensation agreement? Well, Allen has been continuously paying for the losses of the mill. In this transaction, the mill is already Allen's property, so the compensation will naturally be offset."
"Oh." Zach nodded, "Then what?"
"I can use these inside stories to interview Allen's funeral~" Kate smiled, "I can use the media to threaten them into handing over my future legal father."
“Not bad~”
Zach understands that Kate does not need to maintain her relationship with the Sabbat. This does not mean that Kate can stand on the opposite side of the Sabbat casually, but when Root Lesenbra uses James to expose Louise through the media , the Sabbat itself regarded the media of modern society as a tool that can be used.
As for tools, everyone knows that while recognizing the role of a tool, we must also understand its dangers. There are some things that do not require Kate, the reporter, to explicitly threaten. The Sabbat needs to be self-aware.
A large group of people poured out of the station. Kate cheered up and pushed Zach, "You see quickly." She asked Zach to identify James' father in the chaotic crowd.
Zach saw General Lance, a group of people in civilian clothes and Zach and Kate who were here.
Zach gestured to Kate and said, "The guests you need to entertain are not just your future legal father."
"Of course it's more than that." Kate was a little nervous.
"Evidence chips for human organs..." No need to finish, Kate can take over.
"It applies to all of them the same way, and the final destination is the Lance family." Kate's logic was very clear.
Zach nodded, "Just leave General Lance to me."
Zach left Kate and stood on the other side of the road.
The group of people leaving the station saw the people waiting for them separated, and they were obviously not sure what was going on. However, they did not stop leaving the station. General Lance said a few words to the people around him and introduced his friends to Kate, who had put on the brightest smile of her life, walked towards Zach herself.
"We meet again, Toledo."
"Grand or Zach." Zach first made it clear.
The other party didn't have this need. Lance was enough to distinguish his identity from James in Barton, as long as he didn't add a general suffix to attract unnecessary attention.
"It seems my son didn't feel the need to pick me up at all."
"He's working." Zach had plans to receive General Lance this time and led the way to his car. "Being a police detective in Patton is very busy."
"Where are we going now?" People who have reached a certain status will tend to know the goal in everything they do and have no time to waste. It is understandable.
"Meet a man from the West."
"Really?" General Lance was obviously mistaken. "I originally thought it was the vampires under Lute Lesembra who came to pick us up. When I saw that it was you, I thought I was lucky enough not to have to fight with you. Those vampires are talking official talk. It seems they can't escape." General Lance thought Zach would take him to Allen's funeral.
"Hehehe." Zach helped General Lance collect his luggage and opened the car door, "This is Barton. You don't need to be polite to vampires in the Sabbat, no matter who you treat."
"That's it." General Lance got into the passenger seat while observing Zach.
Zach also got in the car, "As for who to see, it's not Hamilton and the others. I have taken the matter of receiving you into my own hands. If you want, you don't have to see them during the whole time you stay in Barton."
"That's the best." General Lance pressed his chest as if subconsciously.
Zach noticed. In fact, Zach mentioned this when he first met General Lance in Vega City. Regardless of General Lance's human appearance, which has passed his prime and is aging, his heart is a young heart -
A certain human group in the West abuses organ systems to obtain better human parts, and for what purpose? Remember, you can become a better vampire in the future.
This small action of General Lance shows that certain psychology has begun to work in the hearts of the vampires in the Western Sabbat. General Lance obviously did not want to be troubled by this problem in Patton.
However, Zach would not easily let go of this topic that was too worthy of discussion. "Those friends you just mentioned, I can sense that there is something wrong with someone's body."
"That's what you mean."
Tsk, Zack doesn’t bother to remember his name.
General Lance continued, "He just had a kidney transplant." Uh... "The doctor asked him to be hospitalized for rest, but he really couldn't miss the opportunity to leave the vampires in the west." He said it in a completely nosy tone.
Zach smiled and nodded, "It seems that James' wedding is a perfect time~"
"Yeah, it can give us old guys a breather."
We have discussed before, what the Sabbat will do to the future of vampires by replacing the organs in their bodies with younger and better organs for these humans.
We also gave an example at that time. If Mrs. Queen had become a vampire a few days later, with her power and resources among humans, she would not be trapped in the body of an old woman forever.
Of course, in addition to such pragmatic examples, we have also discussed deeper meanings -
The biggest difference between vampire inheritance and human reproduction is that vampires can choose their own descendants, and the thirteen clans all have their own standards for descendants. Either you are satisfied or you are not. Now that humans can change their body parts, there may not be a big change for the standards of vampire descendants... Not to mention that the descendants of Toledo choose to care about appearance, there are also ugly ones in Toledo, they are just dead...
What cannot be denied is that the vampire race will undergo a revolution that was once unimaginable.
Vampires with regrets about their appearance that could not be changed after eternity could do nothing but be jealous that the revolution was happening so late.
"Are the Sabbat vampires very responsive to the replacement of organs? I thought Lute Lesembra had decided not to interfere with your operations."
General Lance was quiet for a while, "How should I put it?" He seemed to really feel a little powerless about this matter, "Vampires who are active in social activities naturally have no objections and all agree with Lute Lesembra's decision. But Those vampires who rarely or occasionally participate in social activities have a big opinion."
"Why?" Zach felt that this could better understand the social status of the West.
"Human age has a great impact on vampires." General Lance didn't seem to want to hide anything from Zach. Such a smooth conversation should be attributed to the good impression established in Vega City - General Lance knew that his son James Who did Ms. rely on in Patton? "Just use me as an example. I am still a human and a general. I can say that my influence in human society is not bad, but when I become a vampire, I can only carry My influence slowly withdraws from human society."
This is a fact. Old people will die, and old people will transfer their resources to the new generation. Old influence will fade away, and new influence will rise. This is the rule of human development.
Zach could guess what General Lance meant, "If you continue to update your organs and even your appearance, the influence that should be lost with your human age will continue to be in your hands."
"Yes." General Lance nodded calmly, "For vampires who appear on the stage of human society as human beings in their prime, such as Lute Lesembula, this has no impact on him. His entire The identity rotation will ensure that he always has resources and influence. But for some guys who become vampires at an older human age, well, this is impossible."
Zach also nodded, "For older vampires, the number of human identities they can maintain is limited. The Sabbat will not invest too many resources in maintaining such identities. There is a high probability that they will just use such identities to give people Vampire Transition in the Prime Age…”
I'm afraid you won't understand just by saying this. Let me give you a hypothetical example to facilitate your understanding.
Mrs. Queen's age determines that her human identity will not last long, right, but Mrs. Queen's human identity is very influential in human society. Think about it, everyone, if Porky Quinn hadn't followed Papa to hang out at midnight, Mrs. Quinn's property wouldn't have to be donated to charity. It can be passed on to Poch who is of the right age to continue operating and exert influence.
To use this hypothetical example, a resource that contains social influence, a vampire whose human age is too old and whose identity will expire at any time, and a vampire who is of the right age and can maintain his identity. How to get this resource into the hands of the right vampire? That vampire who is too old for a human needs to use it for transition.
As a vampire group that has been operating in the West for four centuries, the Sabbat is very skilled at this skill. Well, I've also played in the Secret Alliance, so Zack understands it quickly.
"... What you guys are doing now deprives those vampires who have made little contribution to the Sabbat of their only value."
General Lance sighed, "I have a ten-year plan. When I end it, I won't say that I can become James's brother in human age, but I will definitely not be a generation different. I can personally complete the inheritance of the influence of the Lance family. What I had when I was a human, I still have after becoming a vampire, without letting go of it."
"Haha." Zach smiled, "Jealousy makes some people unbalanced." Zach is not afraid of offending those fringe people in Mo Yan, "You and your friends can rest assured, Barton does not have such vampire."
"That's not necessarily true." General Lance glanced at Zach, "At least I know that there is a vampire at Allen's funeral who doesn't like me continuing to dominate the military's resources."
Zach really didn't think about it for a moment. Hamilton and the others are all in the prime of human life, and based on their current living conditions, they have no intention of competing for resources like the Lance family.
"That Nenad Cappadocia." General Lance looked at Zach's expression and said the answer.
Zach raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh~" He remembered, "When James and Wes were in the army, Nenad was ordered to protect them."
General Lance corrected him, "I am only protecting my son, James, and Weiss is just incidental." There is nothing wrong with this emphasis. A general does not need to accept meaningless thanks.
"The Lance family is not very friendly to the Cappadocia clan."
"It's not unfriendly. It's true that all troublesome things are left to them." General Lance had no intention of concealing his meaning, "Who said they were once the worst vampires in the Sabbat." There's nothing wrong with it, " Tsk, it can't be done now." His face darkened, "The ancestors have appeared, and Cappadocia has turned around. I don't think Cappadocia dares to trouble Lesenbula and other vampires who once bullied them. But..." His face has returned to normal, "Before my ten-year plan is completed, I will still be a human being."
"Ha." Zach didn't say anything, just smiled. Laughing is enough, Cappadocia is not that boring, going to take revenge on a human family. But General Lance's prestige in the military is indeed beneficial to Cappadocia, which has just taken control of the unconquered weapons industry. It cannot be said that General Lance was wrong when he thought of such a hidden danger due to a personal grudge. It was just that before there was any warning, There is no need to pursue anything.
Zach's destination was Beqi. It was not a long drive. Zach stopped the car and said, "We're here."
"I hope this is not the accommodation you arranged for me." General Lance got out of the car and looked at the small hotel in front of him. There was also a charming woman standing at the door. She waved the small leaflet in her hand and came closer.
Zach politely accepted the flyer, "We are here to find someone."
"Oh." The woman walked away without interest. Zach led General Lance in and told the front desk, "I'm the one who called Bell before."
"0." The front desk reported the room number.
"Thanks."
Zack moved on, General Lance waited for a moment, "Bell? Who?"
"Detective from the Vega Police Department, using an alias."
"What do you mean by taking me to see this person?"
"I'm not bringing you to see him, I want to see him." Zach smiled, "I'm sorry, I just didn't know how to arrange it for you, so I took you to deal with my own affairs, haha, you won't mind. "
General Lance was quiet for three seconds, "I don't mind." Well, otherwise, why don't you just turn around and leave. (To be continued)