BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

They positioned themselves just outside the lit area, close enough to hear the conversation but hidden from view.

The voices were low, but carried a sense of urgency and importance.

"I didn't like the mayor's move," a man said. "We need him to know he shouldn't mess up with us."

"The problem lay elsewhere," a woman said. "We are losing control over the government because of the Band of Giants. If the mayor thinks we can't reach him because of them, then it is a problem."

From their concealed position behind the bookshelf, Erik and his team had a clear view of the gathering, though they themselves remained unseen.

"And how do we ensure our influence remains undetected while expanding our reach?" The man's keen eyes scanned the room.

"Can't you place more spies there?" a woman asked, turning to someone else.

The man she turned to remained silent until that point.

"First of all, you should all wait your turn to talk," the man said. However, he wasn't the only one with something to say.

Ramon turned to Erik. A look of recognition in his eyes, he knew someone among those inside the room.

"Sorry, Gabriel," the other said. Based on this small interaction, Erik could assume this guy, Gabriel, was the one leading the conversation.

It must have been a sort of arbitrator, or leader of the sort.

The respectful tone in the other men and women there, all likely criminal organization's bosses, and for sure, part of the underworld elite, clarified that Gabriel held some sort of power.

"Yes. I can send more people to the town hall. They should be able to manage the Band of Giants, but it's not like they are easy to fool. Regardless, I will take care of the matter," Gabriel said.

"I will send some trusted men there." He paused.

"There is something else I want to talk about, and for which I summoned you here today." Gabriel paused again.

"I know there had been problems between the Shadow Brigade and the Cobra's Venom."

That left everyone surprised. Those were highly confidential information, something the gang's leaders, the ones present, tried to hide as best as they could.

Gabriel turned to look at the woman. "Lena, if I'm not wrong, one of your men told the police about the heist you were planning to make, right?"

Shock appeared on Lena's face once again. She told very few people about the Heist. Gabriel shouldn't have known about it.

"And you, Arthur. Didn't one of your men betray you? Didn't he steal a huge crate of drugs?"

Arthur didn't talk. "If I'm not wrong, your gang should have sent those crates to Khunelerp, right? Wasn't it a trade I supervised to deepen our bonds with the White Hands?"

Gabriel was referring to a criminal group nested in the distant nation. The two didn't reply. They were too ashamed of not having been good enough to avoid those incidents.

Gabriel sighed. "From now on, I will send some of my men to keep an eye on your people. I'm sick of all those incidents."

"But this means having control of our affairs!" Lena said.

"It is not my problem. This is a situation you created with your own hands."

To Erik, it was clear who Ramon recognized: Gabriel. This guy was basically controlling the others, and they were gang leaders.

These guys were here in the Shadow's Market, a place that was likely built only for the top elites in the underworld. It was clear they were not just some random people, and yet, he almost acted like he was the boss.

Erik picked up on Ramon's thoughts and realized he suspected Gabriel knew where to find Shade.

Besides, Erik understood what Gabriel did as a primary job. He was an informant, and one powerful judging by what Ramon was thinking.

To say he was an informant was an understatement. He was a sort of spy, or something like that.

It was likely that his influence and power expanded through the entire world, making him have spies in all places.

However, that didn't fully explain Erik's doubts. How could Gabriel know something about Shade, when no one else, not even other good informants, could?

But it was also clear that Gabriel was at the top of the hierarchy here.

That meant it wasn't just about his network of spies. Shade had to be in contact with other people.

There was no way he could manage the underworld alone.

Shade was a shadow, but even shadows left traces in the right light. Those shadows were likely the few underlings the man, or woman, had.

"I will surely open my doors for your people," another woman said.

"Thank you, Sophie," Gabriel said. "What about you, Mikhail?"

"I don't like it either," the man said. "But if this would make our organization safer, then I have no right to object."

"Good. What about you two?" Gabriel's attention shifted towards Arthur and Lena, his gaze piercing and expectant.

Under the weight of his scrutiny, their reluctance was easily seen. Arthur's face betrayed a momentary flicker of hesitation.

His eyes darted to the side, while an internal debate raged within him.

Lena, for her part, wore her reluctance more openly. Her sharp features tightened, and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Despite their initial resistance, the atmosphere in the room, charged with a blend of anticipation and subtle pressure, seemed to push them towards agreement.

After a tense moment that stretched longer than comfortable, both gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Arthur's agreement came with a resigned sigh, his shoulders dropping as if relinquishing a burden he'd hoped to avoid.

Lena's nod, on the other hand, was accompanied by a sharp intake of breath, her decision clearly not made lightly.

Her eyes met Gabriel's, a spark of defiance flickering within them, signaling her acquiescence was not a sign of submission but a strategic choice.

Gabriel offered a slight nod of acknowledgment in return. His expression softened momentarily.

"Now, let's go to the next point," Gabriel said.

Erik made a slight gesture to the others. He wanted to get the hell out of there and think about their next move. This could be a great chance to find Shade, based on what Ramon knew, but the others need to know and give some insights.