A week later, in a luxurious house located in a housing development in another city, "Bang," Layla, wearing a bathrobe, sat behind the desk in her study, slamming a report from her subordinates onto the table.

"My operation is ruined, huh... just a headache," Layla muttered, rubbing her eyes and taking off her glasses.

"Knock... knock... knock," someone knocked on the door of her study. "Come in," Layla shouted, who looked exhausted even though it was still early morning. "Click," a handsome, well-built male servant entered.

"Madam, you have a visitor," the servant said.

"Who is it?" Layla asked.

"A young man... I'm sorry, but I don't recognize him, Madam," the servant replied.

"Fine, send him in," Layla replied.

"Yes, Madam," the servant replied.

The servant left the room and closed the door. Layla looked back at the report on the table, and her face instantly darkened. Shortly after, the door opened again. Layla looked up at the door and saw the servant return. Behind him, Mike stepped into the room with the servant.

"Thank you, sir," Mike said.

"It's you, Mike," Layla greeted, standing up and walking to a small bar next to her desk to get a drink.

"Hello, Aunt Layla," Mike replied, greeting Layla.

"What do you need, coming to my house?" Layla asked while pouring the drinks.

"I heard your factory in that city was busted by the police, right? All your men died, and it looks like there was a shootout with Mr. Hans's people," Mike replied.

"Haaaah, no. Hans's people were slaughtered at the gate. My people inside the warehouse—someone killed them," Layla replied, walking over to Mike, carrying two glasses.

Layla handed Mike a glass and "Clink," they tapped their glasses together and immediately drank.

"Did Hans send you here?" Layla asked.

"No, I was asked to investigate what happened," Mike answered.

"Hmm... has your sister's whereabouts been found?" Layla asked.

"Not yet, but Grandpa Vincent suspects she's in the same city as your factory, with that man," Mike answered.

"Oh... that young man, the one Ellie always talked about since she was a kid," Layla said, drinking.

"I came here to ask permission to go to that city after I get married. As we know, you and Mr. Hans control that city, right?" Mike replied.

"Go ahead, and if anything suspicious happens, let me know right away," Layla replied.

"Okay, Aunt. Thank you," Mike replied.

"And are you ready to be married?" Layla asked, smiling.

"Haha... ready, Auntie. I'll be a husband in two days," Mike answered, laughing.

"Ah, you are already a husband now; you've been living together, haven't you? Congratulations. I'm sorry, but it looks like I can't attend because of business," Layla replied, hugging Mike.

"It's okay, Auntie, no problem," Mike replied, hugging Layla back.

"One more thing: end your mother's suffering quickly. It's a pity if she's forced to hold on like that, and besides, paying for her hospital bills is a waste of money, right?" Layla replied.

"Definitely, Auntie. After the wedding, I'll take care of it, including the funeral," Mike replied.

"Good. Are you familiar with CROWS yet?" Layla asked, smiling slyly.

"Yes, Auntie. CROWS will accompany me to that city," Mike answered, smiling slyly.

"Good. Now you are ready to replace your biological father, Karl," Layla replied.

"Hehe, yes, I won't disappoint Dad," Mike replied.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time, at a mall and hotel construction project in the city where Dylan and the others live, Dylan, who has started working as a foreman, was helping to push a wheelbarrow loaded with several bags of cement. He unloaded his cargo behind a truck mixer, right next to the silo for pouring cement, and helped a couple of workers open the cement bags. A construction worker turned and looked at Dylan.

"Sir, you're helping us. You should just wait in the office," the worker said.

"No, I'm used to helping. Don't worry," Dylan replied.

"If I'm not mistaken, you understand the electrical work, right? It looks like they need some help inside, sir," the worker replied.

"Oh, alright, I'll head inside," Dylan replied.

Dylan immediately ran inside the half-finished mall building on the left side. He quickly ran toward two workers who appeared to be discussing something in front of cables they were planning to embed in the wall later. But before Dylan could get close, "Watch out!" Dylan looked up and saw an iron beam falling from above, right over the two workers who were talking. Without hesitation, Dylan instantly teleported behind the two workers and pulled them back.

"Blam, Blung," the piece of iron beam, which wasn't very big, fell right in front of them. It seemed the steel hook cable had snapped, and although the beam was small, if it had hit the two electrical technicians, the result would have been fatal.

"Whoa... we almost got hurt," said the first technician.

"Y-yes, thank you, Mr. Dylan," said the second technician.

"You're welcome. I'll head upstairs. There seems to be a problem up there. Why would an iron beam like that break loose?" Dylan muttered, looking up.

"Yes, sir. Leave this part to us," the first technician replied.

Dylan immediately headed for the emergency elevator and went up. When he arrived, he saw several workers who were supposed to be welding on the finished floor looking agitated. He looked at the hoist cable, which was made of very strong steel wire, now snapped.

[Use your All Seeing Eye skill, sir.]

Dylan immediately used his skill and looked around. He was instantly startled to see the ghost of a young man wearing a clown costume wandering around and seemed to be taunting the agitated construction workers who couldn't see him.

"Huh... a clown ghost?" Dylan asked in his head.

[That is correct, sir. He is the one who caused the iron beam to fall earlier because he was messing around.]

"Hah... that's dangerously messed up," Dylan muttered.

Suddenly, the clown turned his head. He instantly froze when he saw Dylan looking at him seriously and angrily. The smile on his face disappeared. He immediately turned and ran toward the open side of the building, which was still a skeleton without walls. But when he looked back, he was relieved to see Dylan was gone. Finally, he turned back, but suddenly...

[Who are you?]

Dylan appeared in front of him, startling the clown ghost so much that he backed away. Suddenly, KATS captured him, making the clown unable to move. He finally fell to the floor and wrote something in the dusty ground with his finger:

"I want to stop this project because it's built on top of my grave," the clown said.

"Huh... your grave?" Dylan asked, looking at the clown who nodded angrily.

"I was murdered here... my body is buried down here... I can't leave this place until my body is found," the clown said using the writing in the dirt.

[Show me where your grave is, and don't try to run.]

"Okay," the clown wrote.

The clown, who appeared to be bound by an invisible rope, walked, followed by Dylan behind him. They went back into the elevator and went down. Then they walked to the back of the still skeletal, half-finished mall building. They entered an area planned for a basement parking lot and a multi-story parking garage above it for mall and hotel visitors. After the newly marked excavation area, they arrived at the foundation where the piles for the building were just being installed.

The clown squatted down again and wrote on the ground, "My body is here," he said using the writing.

"Under this foundation?" Dylan asked, pointing at the foundation area.

The clown nodded. His face looked sad, and his eyes begged Dylan to save him. Dylan thought for a moment, then he opened his dimensional storage and took out several bombs from it. Then he began to set the bombs in the spot the clown indicated and jumped away, very far away. "Blaaar," Dylan turned around, shielding his face from the scattered dirt and stones that flew everywhere from the explosion.

Afterward, he looked back at the foundation, which was now destroyed, forming a hole in the ground. He saw a human skeleton wearing tattered clown clothes, with its head detached due to the explosion. Dylan turned to look at the clown ghost, who stared at his own body with deep emotion. Several construction workers who heard the explosion approached Dylan. They were shocked when they saw a human skeleton in the hole.

"Please call the police and an ambulance," Dylan said.

"Yes, sir," one of the workers replied.

The worker immediately grabbed his smartphone and made the call. Dylan kept staring at the skeleton, half-buried in the dirt in front of him.

"Why was this clown killed?" Dylan asked.

[That clown is a woman, sir. Judging by her clothes, it seems she was raped before being murdered by someone. She was messing around because she wanted to say she was here, but no one could see her except you.]

"Huh... really?" Dylan asked, turning to look at the clown ghost, who was standing without legs next to him. And indeed, the clown ghost was a girl dressed as a clown.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.