Matthew only asked Nemo to change his mindset and acknowledge the pressure faced by the superhero community in reality—whether it’s international politics or supernatural phenomena. He didn’t impose any specific quantitative goals or achievements for Nemo to reach, as the billionaire had promised him before: he would give Nemo the time to grow at his own pace.

  The world’s richest man was very precise in gauging how to motivate and guide reluctant newcomers. As a top-tier CEO, Matthew made sure that Nemo had no chance to slack off or become complacent.

  Many heroes on the top rankings were quietly observing this aspiring, low-profile yet extremely well-backed new Asian superhero who didn’t want attention.

  To be fair, KS man’s progress had been very fast. As a new superhero, he had professional teaching and protection, which was vastly different from the chaotic situation after the Meteor Shower Event, when all the rookie supers were flailing about. His achievements were cautious, steady, and highly efficient.

  However, KS man’s powers were still quite vague and ordinary. He hadn’t used any signature moves, possibly because he hadn’t mastered them yet. Even worse, Salamander, who debuted slightly earlier but almost at the same time as the KS man, was too eye-catching, leaving KS man with little distinction aside from the rumored legend of supposedly being stationed in Lone Star City to modestly tackle ordinary criminals. The hero lacked any other distinguishing characteristics.

  Well, it wasn’t entirely without features.

  After beating up the bad guys, KS would take humiliating photos of them and keep a record, threatening that if they committed crimes again, he would socially ruin them. This severely lacked the typical heroic justice image!

  Although the general public didn’t know about this ninja superhero’s peculiar habit, the police, gangs, and underground organizations who had heard of the fate awaiting criminals after KS man intervened all felt quite satisfied. After the related rumors spread, some supers began to think this tactic might be quite effective. After all, superheroes from other cities were fed up with the endless cycle of arrest, release, and re-arrest.

  Let’s just say that the top-tier superheroes, who focused on defeating powerful, inhuman opponents and villains, were paying particular attention to KS man’s growth.

  A few high-ranking superheroes knew that the joint tactics used during the Sea Giant landing event had been suggested by KS. They held special expectations for this newcomer, who was just starting to explore the world of superpowers and crime. They were all waiting for more reliable teammates to emerge.

  However, whether KS man could grow to stand shoulder to shoulder with the upper-level heroes, or if he would, like many other promising newcomers in the past, face a rapid fall after much anticipation, was still uncertain. Too many disappointments had led these experienced combat veterans to decide that KS man, like his predecessors, had to first survive various crises and stand firm before moving forward. They wouldn’t interfere with his continued training, even though he had the world’s richest man supporting him. Sometimes, that kind of support could be the most dangerous illusionary trap.

  KS man was worried about how to maintain a steady pace in cleaning up the city of reprobates while also fulfilling his promise to his benefactor by delivering a luxurious Christmas gift.

  In short, Matthew needed to see evidence of Nemo's mental awakening, and the most direct way to prove it was: to make a big move.

  By the end of October, Nemo needed to fully heal his gunshot wound, and at the same time, form a temporary team with capable personnel to complete the first phase of intelligence gathering.

  Nemo lay in his hospital bed thinking, setting initial goals in his mind, and beginning to sketch out the various detailed structures.

  For the field team, he could solve some of the issues with money and the internet.

  He could recover while selecting team members, not wasting time waiting idly. The first and most crucial hacker sniper had already been found through Tolya’s connections, and capturing the person wouldn’t be too difficult. Nemo needed to find a few skilled people for the on-site investigations, but that part would require luck, and Nemo decided to stay optimistic.

  It was only his first day in the hospital!

  Grayhat* came to the forum to privately message KS man. Although he insisted it wasn’t because he was being threatened, but rather he wanted to make a friendly greeting to the superhero he admired.

  Grayhat: Good afternoon, KS.

  KS man: Good afternoon.

  Suddenly being summoned by a superhero was quite stressful for the 45-year-old Russian hacker with a receding hairline, especially since he had been connected through one of the few real-world contacts he had. It was such bad luck to know an emotionless, computer-illiterate server worker as a fellow countryman!

  On the Meteor Shower Watchers Forum, Grayhat behaves like a regular user, doing the most idiotic things to avoid causing trouble. It is said that the forum administrators, who are fanatics of superheroes, are actually super hackers in disguise. They work tirelessly, day and night, patrolling both the front and back ends of the forum, preventing government and foreign forces from contaminating this sacred space.

  These forum admins, if placed on the dark web, are monsters of the Leviathan level. Grayhat, however, is just a low-key, small-time guy who makes a meager living by selling beginner hacker scripts and exploiting vulnerabilities in small network service companies, not wanting to attract any attention.

  These admins were leviathan-level monsters in the dark web, and Grayhat was just a low-profile, small-time hacker, earning a modest living by selling beginner hacker scripts and exploiting system vulnerabilities for small companies. He didn’t want to attract any attention.

  KS man: But it’s just gotten dark on your side, right? Are you trying to find out if our time zones are the same?

  Grayhat broke into a cold sweat. Based on Tolya's detailed description, KS man knew where he lived, how much his rent and utilities were every month, and had told him not to think about asking for more money. It was better to just take the money and not risk hearing a knock from the police.

  Grayhat: No, no, no! The Five Major Rules of Superheroes! I remember them! I just thought that since I’m in such a remote place, I should greet you this way.

  KS man: It’s not as far as you think. Once we come to an agreement today, your five months’ rent will be transferred to your designated account as a deposit. And if you do a great job, there’s a bonus for you too.

  Grayhat, who had been struggling with a stack of bills, instantly perked up at the mention of green, fresh dollars. Just not being kicked out by his landlord was enough for him to keep living his carefree life, wandering the dark web and observing security systems of target sites (usually hotels where female celebrities stayed). Plus, the superhero directly requested cooperation, which greatly inflated his confidence as a washed-up hacker.

  He hoped the other side didn’t overestimate his abilities. Maybe Tolya had raised his abilities too much out of admiration. Grayhat decided that if KS made any overly difficult requests, he’d decline appropriately.

  Grayhat: What would you like me to do?

  KS man: Let’s start with a simple interview. Please go to SNAP* and find out which district has had the most complaints in the past ten years, along with the list of the local prosecutor handling the reports and the internal review committee within the church. Also, choose the district archbishop you dislike the most in North America. Monitor the complaints of child sexual abuse against clergy during his tenure, and gather details on the responsible individuals and how the cases were handled. Just these two tasks. But I need both the perpetrator and victim’s information, the more detailed, the better. If you have concrete evidence, there will be extra rewards. Report back in a week, and of course, if there’s anything you particularly want to say, feel free to send me a private message.

  Grayhat: Wow! Can I really choose for myself?

  KS man: Yes, because I’m very busy, but I want to give the children a belated Christmas gift. You are one of my temporary assistants. The operation itself must be confidential. You can’t pass this off to someone else. If you’re unable to handle it, and you want to recommend someone, just let me know, and I’ll review it separately.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Grayhat fell silent for a moment, then typed his response on the keyboard.

  Grayhat: It’s my honor.

  Knowing that the superhero couldn’t see his expression (Grayhat had taped over all his home appliances’ cameras), he still placed his left hand on his chest and bowed his head to the screen.

  KS man: I look forward to your performance.

  Grayhat: Are you looking for those perverted priests who were dismissed or transferred to other districts but were never actually punished?

  KS man: To boost morale, and because of our mutual friend, I can tell you the target in advance – important names that have never been exposed, the more prestigious the better, and they haven’t retired yet. They won’t appear on any lists, but some accomplices or long-suffering victims will surely recognize the true face of the devil. Maybe we’ll even catch a “red” demon, which would be very interesting.

  Red? Does that mean cardinal-level? Grayhat thought to himself in awe. He never expected this low-profile superhero to be so wild on the inside! If they caught a big fish, they would all experience the same treatment as The Satanic Verses author being hunted by fanatical global followers!

  That said, it was rumored that KS man’s backing was the Grimm Group, so he shouldn’t be afraid.

  KS man: This year is just a trial run, no pressure. I plan to do this kind of Christmas gift every year.

  Grayhat: Got it, I’ll work hard to earn that performance bonus. Can I ask how you know Sunrise?

  KS man: You just uploaded and released the first file. Someone asked me to retrieve the original flash drive, and he’s in the Swamp Factory case news, so he’s not hard to find. But I still have to check with Sunrise about your character and abilities. I think you should be capable of handling my request.

  Hmm? Could it be that he had wrongly suspected Tolya? The Russian hacker thought.

  Did KS man’s big boss track Grayhat down on the dark web and discover his relationship with Tolya through file transmission? Anyway, the two of them didn’t communicate high-level information, so there was no need for secrecy.

  Grayhat decided to set up a little diversion to prove he was still a privacy-conscious hacker. He had spent so much time teaching Tolya not to contact him directly via mobile phone and at least use a cybercafe and disposable email address. That alone had caused him to lose so much hair.

  KS man: Sunrise saved the victims who were attacked by bloodsucking mosquitoes laying eggs, and that’s when the flash drive was handed over. He’s not afraid of trouble. Since you promised to help forward the Beelzebub files for him, I assume you’d be interested in this Christmas gift of mine. I won’t let you help for free.

  As expected of a superhero, KS still makes sense. Grayhat was so moved he almost cried.

  In the end, Grayhat was a bit of a naive otaku older guy, which is why he always ended up doing some anonymous online tasks for his younger Russian peer.

  ※※※

  Lone Star City was arguably the most thriving city in the United States for the informant trade. It hosted a large number of Taiwanese refugees who were the mainstay of this new informant market. The independent city’s regulations were relatively lenient toward immigrants (which was also due to the strong promotion by the Grimm Group), and the residents were generally friendly toward people of color, especially Asians.

  Due to a series of major events involving bloodsucking mosquitoes and sea giants, to be exact, three incidents, not to mention the Greens issue that stemmed from the first, the demand for local monster and infected information skyrocketed. Any newcomer wanting to become an informant could easily find opportunities to team up with veterans for training on-site.

  Of course, the death rate in this gray industry was unusually high.

  Speaking of the informant industry, Tolya often dealt with gangs, and he knew much more than Nemo. Nemo had been directly fed high-level intelligence by the world's richest man, but he had no knowledge of the underworld connections. Nemo, who could get a good citizen certificate both before and after his transmigration, realized that he could no longer continue like this.

  Class segregation didn’t only happen in the circles of the wealthy or fashion industry, it also extended to the underground gray industries, where the ability to influence was valued more than wealth or business cards. Money made things easier, but that was only if both sides were of the same class; otherwise, they’d be categorized as potential enemies to guard against.

  For instance, if neither person was into drugs, and the goal was to compete in who could get their hands on a pack of crack (cocaine) without relying on connections, Tolya would definitely win.

  When Tolya found out that Nemo wanted to gather a group of informants to cross state lines and investigate the religious sexual abuse complaints that Grayhat had uncovered, even interviewing victims, he immediately gave Nemo a crash course in informant basics.

  “Never go for the informants with the best reputations. They’re overloaded with cases, and they’ve basically transitioned into being intermediaries. They outsource all the tasks they accept, and the information leaks to unreliable third parties. Even if they have good ethics and investigative skills, their actions are often too high-profile, and their exposure chances are very high. In short, you’ll spend a lot of money for low efficiency.” Tolya made up his mind to keep a close eye on Nemo’s budget once he heard that Nemo was using his insurance compensation and danger allowance to find collaborators for this cross-state mission.

  Though Tolya frequently joked that Matthew Grimm was the superhero’s sugar daddy and took care of everything for Nemo, the Russian was familiar with the fate of private mercenaries. He saw it as a very wise decision for Nemo to take charge and control the situation himself.

  “How do you know so much about informants, being just a delivery guy?”

  “Because Veronika had been burned when she wasn’t familiar with the informant market mechanisms, I had to work hard to stop her from killing people, so that no one would be willing to take on her future commissions. At that time, I spent a lot of effort helping her filter out a few decent outsourced informants, but the job was too dangerous. Three out of the four ended up dead. Later, Veronika did help with settling their families.” Tolya said.

  “You really are multi-talented,” Nemo remarked.

  “She came to me for help, so I had to find a way to fix it. Maybe it’s just a habit I developed when I was younger. I can’t ignore it.” Tolya was also indirectly trying to make up for his refusal to join the gang, and Nemo understood the personal pressure Tolya felt in this regard. Usually, he would just turn a blind eye.

  It was during this time that Tolya got involved in the gray market of informants. Thanks to his famous chef housemate in Lone Star City, most Taiwanese refugees there had a favorable view of Tolya, and some even actively approached him to self-recommend.

  “Some reclusive investigative experts, who are hiding from the Chinese Communist Party’s pursuit, may have been former journalists, military or police personnel, or even had more sensitive professional backgrounds. With no way out and financially struggling, they only take outsourced jobs for cash transactions to avoid direct contact with clients. Experts who know how to get the job done are rare, and finding one among the outsourced informants is considered lucky.” Tolya said.

  “How do I contact them?”

  “You can’t do it, you’ll have to rely on accumulated transaction credits and introductions from acquaintances. Don’t look at me, I’m also an outsider. When the escort informant industry first emerged, the quality was mixed, and it was easy to pick out talent through a mass audition. But as you heard just now, the sacrifice rate was too high. Those who earned enough to make a living would quit, and now it’s hard to find the people who didn’t emerge until they ran out of money. You’re not the only one lacking information; everyone is.”

  “My mission isn’t particularly dangerous, just rushed. It requires a lot of fieldwork to gather interview data. These informants only need to do simple journalistic work. Of course, it’s best if I can hire smart ones who can protect themselves,” Nemo mused. “Maybe I should first find an agent to post the mission and offer a bounty. I’ll toss out some simple tasks and select a few informants who perform well, then have them investigate the real targets I want confirmed. It’s basically a long-term investment in connections, and there’s no point in rushing.”

  “Am I that agent?” Tolya eagerly asked.

  “Of course not. You just said three out of four informants died, leaving one behind. If that person is smart, they definitely wouldn’t be fighting for rankings on the escort informant network. You still remember their name and contact details, right?” Nemo stared at Tolya intently.

  “Maybe they’ve already changed their address and number. I wasn’t friends with them!” Tolya didn’t understand where Nemo’s confidence came from.

  “Refugees wouldn’t easily abandon a reliable way to make money. Since you didn’t default, they’ll definitely keep your information. You’re a legitimate immigrant who even made the news. If you mention KS man wants to develop multiple informants, the person will definitely be interested. You’ll still contact them through the forum, but I need you there to verify that it’s really them.”

  “You’re not even telling me why you’re making this such a big operation or what exactly you’re investigating, but you want my help?”

  “I can only say the targets are ordinary people. There are many of them, and they’re scattered, which is why I need help. It’s not because the targets are particularly dangerous. After all, it’s a Christmas gift, and I have to put in the effort to prepare. You don’t need to know everything since you’re not part of the mission. It’s a rule of mine to keep things confidential until it’s completed.” Nemo lay back on the bed in a lazy posture. His gunshot wound was on his side lower back, so sitting too long was uncomfortable, and lying on his back wasn’t much better.

  “Who’s the Christmas gift for?”

  “Sad children and friends.”

  “Does that include me?”

  “You should be happy when you see the result.”

  “Fine, I’ll go help you contact that informant. Promise me you won’t do anything reckless before your gunshot wound heals. There’s still a month and a half until Christmas in the U.S. You can’t possibly just do one big thing in this time. I know you, you’ll definitely keep up with your ‘daily homework.’” Tolya was worried. Nemo was too good at lying.

  “It’s precisely because of the injury that I need to make preparations in advance. Right now, my focus is on intelligence work. Once the wound heals, rehabilitation will determine if my body is ready for action. Collaboration with others is also part of the plan, so don’t overthink it. Just helping me contact that starting informant will be a big help. I don’t have any extra budget for you. Also, this mission is really illegal, a federal felony. Since I’m a superhero now, I have to occasionally live up to the expectations of the public and do what ordinary people can’t.” Nemo gave a mysterious smile.

  “You’re starting to look the part, even though it’s not how a superhero should look. You seem like you're planning a terrorist attack!” Tolya couldn’t help but comment.

  “Who cares, as long as it works,” Nemo said.

  *“Gray Hat” refers to hackers who engage in both white-hat and black-hat activities. White-hat hackers explore system vulnerabilities for the sake of interest or self-challenge, while black-hat hackers maliciously cause damage, create chaos, or steal data for personal profit. Gray-hat hackers do both.

  *SNAP stands for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.