Chapter 97

<97. Transportation Company (2)>

After preparing, Oliver went straight to the place Forest mentioned.

Hoffman Transport, located on 35th Street, seemed rather modest for a company that was supposed to handle part of the logistics for Crime Firm.

The empty lot was surrounded by a low wooden fence, and about a dozen trucks that looked unused were visible.

They were quite old, but compared to the building at the far end of the lot, they were in relatively good condition.

The building, whose construction date was unknown, had its finish completely peeled off, making it look grotesque like a naked rat.

Moreover, a group of people were having a noisy argument in front of the building.

"Let go of this, you bastards! I'm going to take care of those fuckers right now! Maybe they'll learn something when they get a bullet in the head!!!"

A man shouted.

He was in his late twenties, younger than the people trying to calm him down.

He was filled with anger, anxiety, and resentment, and was in a highly agitated state.

Literally, he was being swayed by his emotions.

In contrast, the others around him were trying to suppress their frustration, disappointment, gloom, and awkwardness while trying to calm the man down.

“Ah, I understand your feelings, Mr. Boss. But can you wait a little longer? Murphy said someone will come soon—”

“—Do you think I can't take out the drivers' heads by myself?”

"No, no. That's not it. However, as you know, the city is noisy these days. It's not good to stand out when things are sensitive... Let's wait for the right time and then deal with it. The timing is really bad right now.”

Middle-aged men took turns persuading the young man.

Fortunately, it seemed to work, and the young man looked like he was thinking, which made quite an impression on Oliver, who was watching.

They were having a close conversation, but there was almost no emotional exchange, and they were all hiding their true thoughts.

"Ah."

Oliver saw Murphy standing a distance away, quietly observing the situation.

He was stroking his chin, silently watching the argument, deep in thought, with a cunning look.

“Mr. Murphy.”

Oliver approached and spoke to him.

Murphy, who had been frowning, immediately relaxed and politely greeted Oliver.

“Ah, Mr. Black Mage. You've come. I've been waiting for you.”

Everyone's attention turned to Oliver.

They all looked at him with welcoming expressions, but soon their emotions turned to doubt and suspicion.

An awkward silence fell, and then a fat middle-aged man spoke.

"Hey, Murphy... Is this the fixer you mentioned?"

The fat middle-aged man looked disdainful, while Murphy answered with firm belief.

“Yes, his name is Dave, the black mage I told you about. He's been a great help.”

Thanks to Murphy's firm guarantee, no one spoke rashly, but Oliver could tell they were skeptical of him.

They were just hiding it, and then someone said,

"I knew this would happen. I've been saying it for a while, haven't I?"

Everyone's attention turned to a neatly dressed man in his forties.

He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, with an attractive all-back hairstyle and a clean beard, as if he had just come from an expensive barbershop.

"Who are you?"

“...I'm Hilton, the black mage who has an exclusive contract with the Hoffman Family. I've been here since the old boss.”

While Murphy was answering Oliver's question, Hilton pointed at Oliver and said,

"Surely, you're not planning to deal with those guys with just a kid who looks about twenty? Then, the drivers will just laugh at us. They're already feeling confident because of the fixers they got through the labor union... This will just make things worse."

This sparked a murmur of agreement.

Listening closely, words like "kid," "definitely...," and "underestimate" could be heard.

However, Oliver wasn't particularly angry or upset.

He and these people were meeting for the first time today.

They didn't know each other, and it was natural that there was no trust.

If Oliver worked hard and earned their trust, it wouldn't be a big problem.

However, Murphy, seeing Oliver's expression, spoke urgently.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me reiterate that I vouch for the black mage's skills. I've seen them myself. I stake my name on it; his skills are top-notch. Please don't insult someone we've invited with respect. He came at my personal request."

Murphy maintained his politeness but didn't hide his displeasure.

The others, feeling embarrassed, tried to avoid the situation, but it seemed that the Hoffman Family, while a higher organization, wasn't at the very top.

‘Or is there something I don't know?’

It wasn't a serious matter, but it was slightly curious. Would they answer if he asked?

"....Arrogant, aren't you? A new recruit, and you're already making big talk to our family. When Mr. James was around, this kind of thing was unimaginable."

Hilton spoke with malice. It seemed he was doing it on purpose, which made the atmosphere more serious.

A plump, friendly-looking man interjected.

"Hey, hey. Let's calm down... Murphy went to the trouble of bringing this person, and we were a bit rude, weren't we?"

"Bringing a kid black mage in a serious situation and telling us to do nothing?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Hilton. This person is well-known in this area recently. Haven't I mentioned it several times?"

"The reputation of fixers is half an illusion. Real experts usually belong to some organization... Mr. Boss, how about following my suggestion? If you give me some funds, I can bring my old friends and take care of the arrogant truck drivers and the bandits threatening our business."

Others approached and said something. It seemed to be about a lack of funds, and there was some tension.

Murphy had many questions, but Oliver decided to focus on his own work first.

There's a sequence to things, and he needed to do his job before making demands.

"Excuse me?"

“I’m sorry to bother you, but it seems everyone doubts my skills. How about testing me? That way, we won't have to fight each other.”

Everyone looked at Oliver with a subtle expression, as if he had said something strange that didn't fit the situation.

Then, the well-dressed black mage Hilton spoke, showing a hostile emotion, as if he had misunderstood something.

“Ha... Young man, you have spirit. How do you plan to prove it?”

“I’m not sure. How can I prove it?”

“Ha! Just a fool. There's a simple way.”

Hilton immediately extracted an emotion from a test tube, and a black magic array formed in the air, loading a hate-filled bullet.

He used the black magic array as a focal point for concentrating power, which was an interesting idea.

It was inefficient, but it could be surprising if done well.

"Then, let's see your strength—"

Swoosh!

Bang———!

Oliver's shadow tentacles instantly sprang up from under Hilton's feet, destroying the hate bullet that was about to be fired.

It happened in less than a second, and everyone, including Hilton, the Hoffman Family members, and Murphy, were speechless.

"........."

"........."

"........."

“...Ah. I'm sorry. Did I misunderstand? I thought you meant a light sparring match to test my skills?”

Oliver spoke softly, but the atmosphere didn't improve.

Finally, Oliver whispered to Murphy.

"Shall we just go?"

"No! No, no. Please don't go."

The one who interjected was a young man who had been arguing with other older men, holding a shotgun. He introduced himself as Jimmy Hoffman, the boss of the Hoffman Family.

"I took over the family after my father, James Hoffman. Nice to meet you... Murphy, you really brought the right person. Thank you."

The interest in Hilton quickly faded, and people gathered around Oliver.

Like a boat in the middle of a storm.

"Are you going to help us?"

"Yes, I have a contract with Mr. Murphy."

"Good... Very good! Murphy, I'll give you whatever you want if this is resolved. I promise it on my father's name."

“Thank you, Jimmy.”

"Then, can you help us right away? Let's start with the arrogant truck drivers and the fixers helping them."

"...?"

Oliver looked at Murphy silently. This wasn't part of the contract.

Murphy, looking awkward as if he had known Oliver would come, sought his understanding and took Jimmy aside to talk.

The conversation, which started with a few words, soon turned into a shouting match.

Jimmy, who had been nervous from the start, was emotionally unstable, but Murphy persistently and politely persuaded him.

He said he would take responsibility and asked for trust. Eventually, Murphy came back alone.

"Jimmy has given me permission to negotiate on his behalf. Can you help me?"

***

Oliver followed Murphy to the parking lot where the Hoffman Transport drivers were on strike.

It wasn't far, and on the way, Murphy briefly explained the Hoffman Family.

Jimmy, who had a short temper, had become the boss of the family a few months ago after his father. He was known for his excellent reputation and skills, but he was a bit impatient.

"Right. That's why he was so angry. Please understand. It's a kind of youthful anxiety, you know. Yes, yes."

A plump, friendly-looking man with wrinkles chimed in.

His name was Frank, the one who had tried to calm Hilton down.

Jimmy had assigned him to help and monitor, but he seemed very close to Murphy.

"By the way, Mr. Black Mage. You mentioned knowing one of the fixers on the drivers' side?"

“Yes, according to Mr. Forest, there's someone named Arthur.”

“Ah, I see. The guy with the strange arm, right? What was it...?”

"A golem prosthetic?"

"Ah! Yes, that's it. He beat up a few of our guys. It was like a rock... He punched a truck and rolled it over. Incredible... We ended up backing down after seeing that, which hurt Jimmy's pride. Hilton kept egging him on. When Mr. James was alive, things were calm, but after he passed, it's like Hilton thinks he's the boss."

Frank's words were laced with dissatisfaction and subtle messages.

Murphy pretended not to notice, but this underworld seemed quite interesting.

"Still, it's fortunate. Arthur seems to be in charge now. Since you know him, it should be easier to start a conversation."

"I'm not sure if he likes me. I haven't had a detailed conversation with him... Besides, I'm not good at persuasion."

Oliver recalled his negotiation with the innkeeper, which ended with just a scolding.

“I'll do the persuading. Mr. Black Mage, just start the conversation and watch my back in case of any unexpected situations.”

Murphy said this with a secret excitement and ambition.

It seemed he had more than just helping the Hoffman Family and securing a sales network in mind.

Oliver was personally curious about what that was.