Chapter 228: Not a Single Truth Spoken
Although Andy still had some concerns, he felt reassured knowing that Irving was willing to join him in this endeavor. Even if unexpected situations arose, Irving would have his back. After taking several deep breaths, Andy finally managed to calm his nerves.
"Elder Howard will be here soon. Once he arrives, you must not show any signs of unusual behavior. You have to maintain a normal demeanor; only then can our plan succeed," Irving reminded Andy earnestly.
Andy nodded gently in response.
At the same time, Elder Howard had successfully disguised himself as an ordinary person with some connection to the Angel Guild's Starling City branch. After blending in, he quickly made his way into the Angel Guild's local office.
"I have very important news to share with you all—it's regarding the Night Blades! You must take me to your captain," Elder Howard said urgently, adopting the tone of an ordinary Angel Guild member.
The ordinary Angel Guild member, hearing this, showed a slight expression of disbelief. To him, the man before him appeared to be just an average person. How could an ordinary individual possibly have information related to the Night Blades? Moreover, he claimed that this news was critical.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and tell your captain! Honestly, I think your captain isn't even worthy of knowing this news; I suggest you go straight to your branch's leader instead," Elder Howard continued to press, his tone still frantic.
Under Howard's persistent urging, the ordinary Angel Guild member felt that he should indeed act promptly.
"Wait here for a moment; I'll go tell my captain right away. If my captain thinks this news is indeed important, he will inform our branch leader," the member said before quickly departing.
Although Elder Howard maintained an anxious expression, internally he was feeling quite relaxed. He even took the opportunity to observe the specifics of the Starling City Angel Guild branch. He believed he would soon have the chance to completely destroy the Angel Guild's presence in Starling City.
However, before that could happen, he needed to gather enough information from the Angel Guild's Starling City branch first.
The ordinary Angel Guild member moved quickly, conveying the information he had received to his captain. The captain then went directly to Andy, the head of the Starling City Angel Guild branch.
"I think I have a good grasp of the situation. For now, let that informant wait in our designated secret meeting room," Andy said, his expression relaxed.
The captain nodded and swiftly left to carry out the task.
Beside Andy, Irving smiled occasionally and remarked, "It seems you can still keep your composure. I'm feeling even more confident about our upcoming actions."
In response to Irving's comment, a wry smile appeared on Andy's face. "Please don't tease me. The only reason I'm able to remain calm right now is that I haven't come face to face with Elder Howard yet. Once I meet that extremely powerful Night Blades elder, I'm sure I'll fall into a state of panic."
Andy was a very humble person. In any situation, he tended to think things through deeply. He wanted to be prepared for the worst, ensuring he wouldn't find himself in an entirely unmanageable situation.
Irving nodded in understanding. "Your concerns are valid, so let's hurry and meet with Elder Howard. However, I must warn you in advance that after you meet him, you'll realize you've made a serious misjudgment."
With that, Irving and Andy headed to the secret meeting room together.
When they arrived, the ordinary person that Elder Howard had disguised himself as was already waiting there.
"You're the one who provided us with the information? What exactly is it? You can share it now," Andy said as he entered the meeting room.
Upon entering, Andy immediately recognized that his earlier judgment had been significantly flawed. Before him stood merely an ordinary man. If Irving hadn't warned him beforehand, he would never have guessed that this was Elder Howard of the Night Blades.
Irving, disguised as Daniel, followed Andy into the meeting room.
After hearing Andy's question, Elder Howard quickly stood up. He answered Andy while also sizing up both Andy and Irving.
"The important information I have for you is the location of the Night Blades' secret base in Starling City."
As Howard spoke those words, both Andy and Irving's faces displayed expressions of sheer shock.
The look of shock on Andy's face was genuine; he was truly taken aback by the revelation. In contrast, the surprise on Irving's face was feigned. He was completely certain that not a single word spoken by the man was truthful.
"Do you really know the location of the Night Blades' secret base in Starling City? Quickly tell us where the Midnight Group's base is located, and the Angel Guild will reward you handsomely," Andy said, maintaining a reasonable demeanor as he pressed for details about the secret base Howard had mentioned.
Elder Howard, disguised as an ordinary person, slowly shook his head. "I can't tell you directly right now. If I do, the Night Blades will find out, and they will take countermeasures. Not being able to find their secret base isn't that terrible. If they target me directly, that would be the worst-case scenario."
Howard's response caused a flicker of impatience on Andy's face. Irving thought Andy's reaction was perfect; under normal circumstances, he should indeed show a hint of annoyance.
"So how can you tell me the location of the Night Blades' secret base? Don't you trust that the Angel Guild can ensure your safety?" Andy continued to press on.
Elder Howard, still in his disguise, replied bluntly, "I hope to stay at your Angel Guild's base. Only there can I ensure my own safety. While the Angel Guild is indeed powerful, the Night Blades in Starling City are not weak either. If they find out that I've disclosed the location of their secret base to you, they'll definitely come after me.
Only by hiding in your Angel Guild's base can I guarantee my safety. If you can't agree to this request, I absolutely will not reveal the location of the Night Blades' secret base."
Howard's disguised persona spoke at length, but every word was a lie. Andy's expression showed a hint of hesitation as he contemplated whether to allow the man to stay at the Angel Guild's base. He was acutely aware that this man was Elder Howard, and permitting a Night Blades elder to remain within the Angel Guild's compound would pose a significant threat.
Even with Irving's presence, Howard could inflict substantial damage on the Angel Guild's base.
Moreover, the Starling City branch of the Angel Guild, where Andy operated, was not one of the more important branches of the organization. This meant that if it suffered any damage, they would not be able to quickly secure the funds for repairs.
As Andy hesitated, Irving leaned in and spoke in a lowered voice. "Boss, I think we have to meet his demands. Only then can we learn the location of the Night Blades' secret base in Starling City. We haven't found any leads on the Night Blades for a long time. If we continue to come up empty-handed, the headquarters will surely come after us.
At that point, neither of us will be able to escape unscathed. We need to seize this opportunity to make a significant contribution."
After hearing this, Andy slowly nodded. "You're right; we need to secure a big win as soon as possible."
Muttering to himself, Andy then turned his gaze back to the ordinary-looking man, who was actually Elder Howard. "I can allow you to stay at the Angel Guild's base. Now you can tell me the exact location of the Night Blades' secret base in Starling City, right?"
Upon hearing these words, a look of delight spread across Howard's face. "I can tell you the exact location of the Night Blades' secret base in Starling City now. It's located beneath the library on Third Avenue in the commercial district."
After hearing Howard's response, Andy nodded. "Got it. I'll send someone to investigate that address as soon as possible. For now, you will follow the instructions of my assistant, Daniel. He will take care of everything for you."
With that said, Andy turned and left the room. He needed to direct his subordinates to investigate the specifics of the address provided by Howard.
Remaining in the meeting room were only Irving, disguised as Daniel, and Howard, disguised as an ordinary person.
Irving smiled at Howard and said, "Since you plan to stay at the Angel Guild's base for a while, let me go over some important points you should know."
As Irving led Howard out of the secret meeting room, he continued to explain the supposed rules of the base. "While at the base, you can only stay in your room. You aren't allowed to wander into other areas easily. Each section of the Angel Guild's base serves a crucial purpose. For instance, the area we just passed is responsible for the maintenance and repair of Angel Guild equipment.
If you go into that area, you'll definitely be escorted out."
Irving spoke seriously about these so-called guidelines, but in reality, everything he said was a lie. He had no intention of revealing the true rules of the Angel Guild base to Howard. He simply aimed to use this opportunity to confuse Howard's judgment.
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