Lorraine didn’t answer the question directly, instead showing a hint of a mocking expression.
“Now, do you still want to join some bullshit gang?”
“Gangs aren’t some bullshit novel’s knightly arena.
For money, those animals will do anything!
They’ll squeeze every bit of value out of everyone.
Believe it or not, if Iron Cross Street had a few thousand more gay men, Samira wouldn’t hesitate to force her male thugs to stand on the street corners too!”
Levi fell silent again.
After a long while, he asked,
“But you’re different from them.
You’re a good person.
What is your purpose for staying here?”
Lorraine fell silent.
After a long while, she spoke with a mournful expression.
“I already carry sins on my back; I have no choice but to stay here…”
“But you’re different.
You haven’t fallen into the Abyss.”
She thought for a moment and said,
“I can’t let you run away right now, or I’ll be under suspicion.
I’ll tell Samira that you’ve compromised.
Before you’re officially scheduled to receive guests, there will be some free time.
You can find an opportunity to escape during that time.”
Levi didn’t speak, thinking for a moment before asking,
“Why are you helping me like this?”
Lorraine smiled.
“I don’t know either.
Maybe I see a shadow of myself in you?
I used to be a carefree, innocent, beautiful girl…”
As she spoke, a sorrowful expression appeared on her face, as if she were recalling some painful past.
“Just stay in my room for now.
I’ll spread the word that you’re already my mistress, so those ordinary thugs won’t dare touch you.
There are bandages and alcohol over there; you can treat your wounds.”
Lorraine sighed and left her room.
Levi stood there, for a moment not knowing how to react.
After a long while, he shook his head with a wry smile.
“At least, I’ve successfully joined the Hyena Gang…”
He briefly treated his wounds and began wandering around Lorraine’s room.
The windows in the room were large and faced the street.
With the Assassin’s Feathering ability, he could easily jump down, but it would be too conspicuous during the day…
There were many things in the room.
Levi searched around while trying his best not to disturb the original placement of the items, but he didn’t gain much.
This room was likely just a place for Lorraine to sleep; there were no important items.
Lorraine was undoubtedly a Beyonder: that terrifying strength was simply not something a slender woman could possess.
However, Levi wasn’t sure which Pathway Lorraine belonged to.
Currently, the Pathways he knew of that could significantly enhance strength were: Warrior, Prisoner, and Corpse Collector.
Assassin and Hunter could also enhance the constitution, but the increase in strength wasn’t that exaggerated.
The power Lorraine displayed had an overwhelming advantage over him as an Assassin, so Levi believed she wasn’t an Assassin, but a more powerful Warrior or Corpse Collector…
As for Prisoner, the information recorded in Jason’s notes was too sparse, only mentioning that Beyonders of this Pathway might have a strong constitution, so Levi didn’t consider it for the time being.
The killer who murdered Jason was of the Corpse Collector Pathway, so Lorraine might also be of the Corpse Collector Pathway.
However, from her appearance, Lorraine didn’t have that cold aura…
Of course, she could also be a Beyonder of a higher level than Sequence 9, or belong to some Pathway Levi didn’t yet understand.
After thinking for a while, Levi couldn’t find many clues, so he decided to rest for a bit and wait for nightfall to act.
He took off the butterfly of vanity, opened Lorraine’s wardrobe, found a set of clean clothes, then went to the bathroom to take a shower and change.
At this point, Levi realized that when he wore ordinary women’s clothes that weren’t specially designed, his figure looked very mediocre, quite different from his original cross-dressed appearance.
Levi had no choice but to remove items like pads from his original clothes and then painstakingly assemble them onto Lorraine’s clothes, barely making himself look not too strange.
“What a hassle.
It seems necessary to go to the Mutual Aid Society to get a few more outfits…”
Levi sighed helplessly and lay down on the circular double bed to take a short nap with his eyes closed.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky outside the window gradually darkened.
Levi found paper and a pen and quickly scribbled a letter, telling Emily that he would be working overtime at the company for the next few days and couldn’t return for the time being.
He included four 5-soli banknotes in the letter and attached a large-denomination express stamp.
Afterward, he opened the window, used his Feathering ability to jump into the shadows, and dropped the letter into a mailbox.
After doing all this, he quietly slipped back into the shadows, stepping on the protrusions of the building’s exterior wall to return to the second-floor room.
Before long, rustling footsteps sounded outside the door.
Levi subconsciously gripped the pistol in his pocket.
The sound of a key inserting into the lock came through.
Lorraine unlocked the door and walked in carrying a dinner tray.
“You must be hungry; I’ve brought you dinner.”
Lorraine walked to the bedside, looked at Levi’s appearance, and said with a smile,
“You’re certainly not being polite, putting on my clothes and even sleeping in my bed?
It seems you really intend to be my mistress?”
Levi said irritably,
“You have me locked in here and won’t let me go home.
What other clothes do I have to wear?
Do you think I enjoy wearing your clothes?”
Lorraine smiled, put down the tray, and sat on the other end of the circular double bed.
“What do you want to do?”
Levi asked somewhat nervously.
Lorraine looked Levi up and down, and after a long while, asked with a smile,
“You’re a Beyonder, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
Levi pretended not to understand.
Lorraine continued,
“I received word that a textile workshop belonging to the Black Scorpion Gang was attacked today.
Including Luca, a total of seven or eight gangsters were killed.”
She looked at Levi.
“Were you the one who killed them?”
Levi shook his head.
“I don’t know what happened to the others.
I just quietly dealt with Luca and then slipped away.”
“Is that so?” Lorraine showed a look of regret.
“I originally wanted to plot something with you, but since you’re not a Beyonder, then forget it.”
With that, she stood up and walked toward the exit.
“Wait!” Levi called out to Lorraine.
“Why don’t you tell me first, what exactly are you plotting?”
Levi was very interested in Lorraine’s plot.
For someone like her to stay in a gang, there must be a purpose.
Therefore, even though he knew Lorraine was testing him, Levi still proactively ‘took the bait’.
Lorraine smiled and didn’t continue answering, instead changing the subject.
“Our prospective ‘top star,’ Miss Livier, please come downstairs with me.
The evening’s business has already begun.”
Levi was a bit confused and asked,
“Are you really going to send me to receive guests?”
Lorraine said in a gentle tone, “We still have to keep up appearances.
Besides, you can use your own eyes to see this Kingfisher Bar for yourself.”
Levi nodded, made an excuse to slip into the bathroom, put on the butterfly of vanity, and adjusted his appearance.
Then, he followed Lorraine and walked downstairs.