Chapter 156: Follow The Money [ 2 ] Bonus -

Chapter 156: Follow The Money [ 2 ] Bonus Chapter

Marcus looked up when they entered, his expression showing mild surprise at the sight of Mikhail carrying a folder filled with handwritten notes.

"Jet, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon," Marcus greeted him before turning toward Mikhail. "And you’ve brought someone with you."

"Captain Marcus, this is Mikhail Dragunov," Jet introduced, gesturing toward his friend. "He’s an E-Rank Porter who works in materials harvesting and trading. I asked him to examine some of Meridian’s purchases."

Mikhail immediately straightened his posture.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Captain," Mikhail greeted him respectfully, adjusting his glasses. "Jet told me you were investigating some suspicious transactions. I’m not an expert in finance, but I know a little about monster materials."

Marcus accepted the folder.

"That’s precisely the kind of knowledge we need," Marcus replied, examining the notes. "Financial records can tell us where money went, but they don’t always explain what was actually purchased."

Mikhail relaxed slightly.

He began explaining the unusual material combinations, inflated prices, and questionable suppliers he’d identified. Marcus listened carefully, occasionally interrupting to ask aboutordinary market prices or the availability of particular materials.

When Mikhail reached the transaction involving the merchant whose warehouse had burned down, Marcus immediately opened another document.

"Interesting," Marcus remarked, comparing the entries. "That payment was followed by three withdrawals from accounts belonging to individuals we’ve already connected to the attacks."

Jet leaned forward. "So the purchase was probably a cover."

"Possibly," Marcus answered, tapping the document. "The money entered the merchant’s account as payment for materials, but a substantial portion was transferred elsewhere shortly afterward. We suspected the transaction was fraudulent, but we couldn’t establish whether the listed materials were unusual ."

Mikhail pointed toward the figures.

"There’s another problem," Mikhail explained. "Even if the merchant had those materials available, the price is nearly three times what they should’ve cost."

Marcus studied him with renewed interest.

"Can you provide approximate market prices for the other purchases?"

Mikhail nodded immediately. "Yes, Captain. I’ll need to check a few older price lists, but I can give you reasonable estimates. Some materials fluctuate depending on dungeon activity, so I don’t want to give you incorrect figures."

"Good," Marcus replied, handing him another document. "Take your time. Accuracy matters more than speed."

For the next several hours, Mikhail examined dozens of transactions, comparing listed prices against his knowledge of the materials trade.

He identified several inflated purchases, a handful of suspicious suppliers, and two shipments whose contents didn’t match the equipment normally used by private security companies.

One shipment was particularly interesting.

According to the documents, Meridian had purchased a large quantity of reinforced storage containers designed for transporting valuable monster materials.

However, the containers had been delivered to an industrial warehouse rather than any of the company’s registered facilities.

Mikhail recognized the warehouse district immediately.

"That’s near the old freight terminal," Mikhail explained, pointing toward the delivery address. "A lot of independent merchants rent storagespace there because the fees are cheaper than in the central markets."

Marcus examined the address.

"Do you know the warehouse itself?" Marcus asked.

"Not personally," Mikhail answered, shaking his head. "But I know the area. I’ve collected shipments from nearby buildings before."

Jet glanced toward Marcus. "Could it be another safehouse?"

"It’s possible," Marcus replied thoughtfully. "But we shouldn’t assume that. It could be a storage facility, a transfer point, or simply a legitimate warehouse being used without its owner’s knowledge."

He marked the address for further examination.

--

By late afternoon, Mikhail had finished reviewing the available transactions.

The results were more useful than anyone had initially expected.

Several payments disguised as material purchases now appeared connected to individuals involved in the assassination attempts.

Others suggested that Meridian Security Solutions had been acquiring equipment through intermediaries, possibly to prevent the purchases from being traced directly to the organization.

The records also revealed that some operatives had received payments shortly after particular shipments were delivered, suggesting that the same network responsible for purchasing equipment might also have been handling compensation for completed assignments.

However, none of the discoveries identified the person ultimately financing the operation.

The money continued passing through different companies and accounts, with each transaction revealing another intermediary rather than the individual controlling everything.

Marcus closed the final folder and leaned back in his chair.

"This is useful," Marcus remarked, looking toward Mikhail. "You’ve helped us distinguish legitimate purchases from transactions that deserve closer examination."

Mikhail scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I’m glad I could help, Captain," Mikhail replied. "I usually spend my days carrying equipment and collecting materials, so I didn’t expect that knowledge to be useful for something likethis."

"Knowledge doesn’t become less valuable simply because it isn’t used in combat," Marcus answered, offering him an approving nod. "You noticed details that we would’ve needed considerably more time to verify."

Jet smiled at his friend.

"See? I told you there was a reason I brought you here," Jet remarked, nudging Mikhail’s shoulder.

Mikhail grinned. "Does that mean you’re buying dinner?"

Jet stared at him.

"You’ve been eating since I arrived at your room," Jet replied incredulously. "How are you hungry again?"

"Thinking uses energy!" Mikhail protested, placing a hand over his stomach. "And I’ve been thinking very hard for the past three hours!"

Marcus couldn’t suppress a quiet chuckle.

For a brief moment, the tense atmosphere surrounding the investigation eased.

---

After Mikhail departed, Marcus contacted Adesewa and summarized the discoveries.

Several suspicious transactions had been identified, and the warehouse near the old freight terminal had become another location worth examining.

More importantly, the financial records suggested that Meridian Security Solutions was connected to both the acquisition of equipment and the distribution of payments to operatives.

That connection strengthened their suspicionsconcerning Lucien Veyr.

However, Adesewa remained cautious.

"Don’t move against Veyr yet," Adesewa instructed over the communication device. "We need to understand his role before deciding how to approach him. If he’s only managing the money, arresting him too early could warn whoever stands above him."

Marcus nodded. "Understood, Captain. I’ll continue examining the accounts and arrange for the warehouse address to be checked."

"And Marcus," Adesewa added, her voice becoming more serious. "Make sure Mikhail’s involvement remains confidential. He’s already connected to Jet, and I don’t want another ordinary supporter becoming a target because he helped us."

"Of course," Marcus assured her. "Hisname won’t appear in any documents outside our restricted investigation records."

Jet listened quietly.

He appreciated the precaution.

Mikhail had already been placed in danger simply through his friendship with Jet. The last thing Jet wanted was for the young porter to become a target because he’d helped identify several suspicious purchases.

Later, as Jet accompanied Mikhail toward the exit, his friend suddenly stopped walking.

"Jet, those people really aren’t going to stop, are they?" Mikhail asked, his expression unusually serious.

Jet looked at him for a moment before answering.

"Not until we find whoever is responsible," Jet replied firmly. "But we’re getting closer, and we’re not going to let them do whatever they want."

Mikhail nodded slowly.

"Then if you need help with materials or trading records again, just ask," Mikhail offered, adjusting his glasses. "I can’t fight monsters like you guys, but I can at least do something useful."

Jet smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You’ve already helped more than you realize," Jet assured him.

Meanwhile, deep within the investigation records, another connection had begun taking shape.

Lucien Veyr’s company had purchased equipment, transferred money to intermediaries, and arranged deliveries to locations unrelated to its registered operations.

The individual controlling the assassination network remained hidden.

But the money he’d spent to keep his organization functioning was beginning to reveal the people and places through which his orders had been carried out.