Chapter 1027: Not a bad side hustle
The Information Center wasn’t completely illegal, nor was it entirely legal. It toed the line; they could get in trouble, but not too much. Just like those loan sharks who operated with unjust interest rates but stayed afloat because they were upfront about their terms. They’re the types who found holes in the system and used it to get away from trouble.
Moreover, these information centers mostly focused on the personal lives of upper-class individuals; they were essentially the paparazzi of the rich. At least, that’s how this particular information ring began or was supposed to be.
"... In other words, before the attack, we were already onto the group that had been using our name for their own purposes," the man explained under his breath, giving Hugo an overview of their organization’s situation before the incident. "We’d heard that some people were receiving invitations like ours, which gave our boss a lot of headaches. Even so, we continued with our usual operations because the business needed to run, no matter what."
The man paused, trying to recall everything he could. "Then, one day, our boss started acting strange. I don’t know why, but it all began after he took an interest in one particular case. He didn’t tell us much—he did the digging himself."
’It’s the baby swap,’ Hugo thought, recalling the last few words the boss had uttered before he was shot and left for dead.
"And then, when the attack happened," the man sighed, "we were out investigating a case, so many of us weren’t there. However, we retrieved some footage, though it was... misleading."
"That’s where you saw me?" Hugo asked.
The man nodded. "But even before that footage, we’d already received a tip. That tip named you, Hugo Bennet."
Hugo smirked, laughing softly. It all seemed quite meticulous. His presence that night wasn’t planned, but based on what he’d heard so far, someone had been working overtime.
"I see," Hugo replied, nodding in understanding as he stood and walked toward the man. "Keep talking while I untie you. You might get squeezed to death if you keep talking and breathing with these on."