Brant didn't hesitate for even a second. His eyes glinted coldly.
"I already said—do whatever you want. Money's not a problem."
The moment he said it, Bob understood completely.
A few minutes later, Kelly and Carl had already agreed.
"Same account. Eight hundred thousand US dollars. Half upfront."
Their way of doing business was simple. The client stated the goal, and Bob found the people.
If someone accepted the job, the deal was done.
Brant didn't even blink.
"No problem. Within twenty-four hours!"
Bob gave a firm nod. When it came to Kelly and Carl's capabilities, he was more than confident.
Brant wired the down payment to the account Bob had specified, then raised his glass and downed it in one go.
Because of Zhang Yang's flawless disguise technique, the name Kaitō Kid was blowing up across the internet. More and more people were tuning in to follow this mysterious, high-profile thief.
[How is someone as insane as Kaitō Kid only now showing up?]
[Heard the British Museum is closing for three days to tighten security!]
[You sure he just appeared? What if he's always been around, just never caught before?]
[Brant looks like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Can't wait for Kaitō Kid's next move!]
[Oh my god! Y'all are really idolizing a thief now?!]
Kaitō Kid's follower count had already climbed to nearly three hundred thousand.
After Zhang Yang posted the photo of the night-luminescent pearl last night, he gained almost one hundred thousand new followers in a single burst.
And more people were starting to recognize the name Kaitō Kid.
At noon, Zhang Yang was just sitting down at the table, ready to dig into a nice lunch, when the system voice suddenly chimed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[New mission received: Steal the lost Dragon Nation artifact—Serpent Head of the Twelve Bronze Zodiac!]
[Mission Hint: The Serpent Head is privately owned by Charles, stored in the Swan Lake Castle.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock one random Kaitō Kid skill via the Kaitō Kid Skill Wheel!]
Zhang Yang raised his brows.
This one sounded tougher than the last.
The Twelve Bronze Zodiac Heads were once part of the Dragon Nation's imperial fountain. After being looted during wartime, some had been recovered over the years, but nearly half were still missing.
A few were unaccounted for to this day—meaning nobody even knew where they were.
Odds were, they'd ended up in private collections.
And this Serpent Head was one of them.
Zhang Yang quickly finished his meal, then dove into researching Swan Lake Castle and Charles himself.
After searching Charles online, all his public details came up.
Charles was a second-gen rich kid—and now a filthy-rich tycoon. For him, money was nothing more than numbers.
He had a passion for collecting. Inside Swan Lake Castle, every painting on the wall, every vase on the tables, even the gems on the doorknobs—they were all real.
The value of Charles' private collection inside that castle could probably buy the castle itself.
"This guy's loaded."
"Swan Lake Castle, huh…"
Zhang Yang pulled up the castle's location and jotted it down.
Then, he wrote out a new calling card and sealed it in an envelope.
One of the Twelve Bronze Zodiac held huge symbolic value for the Dragon Nation. This mission wasn't just about points—it mattered.
He opened the system shop and redeemed a white carrier dove, setting it on the table. Then he held the envelope out.
"Swan Lake Castle. Go."
The white dove took the letter in its beak and flapped its wings, flying straight out the window.
Next, Zhang Yang pulled out his phone and updated Kaitō Kid's page with a new post.
"An operation with extraordinary meaning."
Attached to the post was a photo—the calling card delivered to Swan Lake Castle.
On the card, a short message was written:
"When it gazes at the moonlight, I shall arrive at the beautiful Swan Lake Castle to escort it home."
The moment this was posted, it caused an uproar across the internet.
Charles came from three generations of wealth and business. He was one of the world's elite.
Swan Lake Castle was only one of his many properties, and it was merely used to house his private collection.
[Charles? Kaitō Kid is targeting Charles now?!]
[Oh my god! That's not a wise move at all!]
[He's heading to Swan Lake Castle? That place is basically a private museum!]
[Wait wait, who exactly is this Charles guy? Can someone explain?]
[A mega tycoon. The kind of rich you can't even wrap your head around.]
[Ah, got it. That clears it up!]
Elsewhere, the white dove holding the envelope in its beak landed near the hallway of Swan Lake Castle's grand hall.
It strolled calmly back and forth, waiting for someone to take the envelope. Only then would it leave.
Nearly ten minutes passed before the castle's butler happened to walk by and spotted the dove with a letter in its beak.
He hurried over and took the envelope.
There was only a white line-drawn silhouette of Kaitō Kid on the cover—no other information at all.
The moment the envelope was taken, the dove flapped its wings and flew off into the sky.
The butler opened the envelope. Inside was a single rectangular white card. On the back, the same minimalist silhouette was printed.
"When it gazes at the moonlight, I shall arrive at the beautiful Swan Lake Castle to bring it home."
The butler had never heard of Kaitō Kid, so he had no idea what this was supposed to mean.
But since it was still a message, he snapped a picture of the card and sent it to Charles' assistant.
At that same moment, Brant had already seen Zhang Yang's newly posted update.
Right now, no one in the world was paying more attention to Kaitō Kid than him.
"Charles?"
"Hmph."
Brant let out a cold snort and immediately dialed Charles' number.
As the director of the British Museum and a fellow collector, he was personally acquainted with Charles.
"Director Brant, good afternoon," came Charles' voice.
He was currently in his garage, choosing one of his luxury cars to take out for the day.
Brant kept his tone cordial at first.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Charles."
"Did you know Kaitō Kid is planning to hit Swan Lake Castle?"
Charles paused just as he was about to open the car door.
As an avid collector himself, and being well-connected in the same circles as Brant, he had already heard the name Kaitō Kid—especially after the British Museum abruptly shut down for three days.
"He's targeting my Swan Lake Castle?"
"And how do you know that?"
Charles hadn't been paying particular attention to Zhang Yang.
In his mind, the idea that Kaitō Kid would actually dare steal from him was absurd.
"Mr. Charles, it's obvious you haven't been following Kaitō Kid's activity."
"He's already posted the announcement himself. The location is clearly stated—Swan Lake Castle."
"You haven't received a calling card?"
Charles wasn't currently staying at the castle, so he hadn't personally received it.
But just then, he got a new message from his assistant—a photo from the butler.
Charles let out a low chuckle.
"Brant, I've received it."
"If Kaitō Kid is coming to Swan Lake Castle… what is it, exactly, that he wants to steal?"