Chapter 14: Clues

After running laboriously for five minutes, the software finally found several candidates matching the image from the database. Further screening would require Maverick's personal inspection.

Looking at the screen, Venom immediately singled out the person it sensed that day. "It's this guy. He indeed has a criminal record," Venom remarked.

Maverick nodded and opened the detailed information to browse through.

"Rick Frey, thirty years old." In the photo on the screen, a white man with a crew cut was glaring at the camera with a disdainful and fierce gaze.

"He was previously imprisoned for robbery and assault charges, later released on bail. Hmm, doesn't seem like just an ordinary thug." Venom remarked, clicking its tongue as it read the information.

Maverick stared fiercely at the man's face on the screen, as if etching it firmly into his memory. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Since I found his information, he can't run! I will make him suffer!"

Venom nodded in agreement and added, "I will make sure he has no place to hide, and I'll absorb all his energy to nourish myself."

Afterward, they continued to examine Rick Frey's information.

The data briefly outlined his life experiences from childhood to adulthood, with the majority focusing on his criminal activities before and after bail. The latter part was much more detailed than the former.

According to the information, he seemed to belong to a criminal organization called the Bloodhead Gang, occupying a slightly higher position than the bottom-rung members, mainly dealing with miscellaneous tasks and dirty work within the organization.

However, these were mostly speculations based on scattered intelligence, with little direct evidence.

"He's from the Bloodhead Gang. But was this action ordered by the gang, or was it his own initiative?" Maverick mused quietly.

Venom, indifferent, merely grinned and said, "Thinking about it now won't get us anywhere. We'll find out when we confront him face-to-face."

"I guarantee he'll spill everything then, without daring to conceal anything."

As Venom spoke, it licked its teeth with its crimson tongue, clearly eager to devour his brain.

Maverick nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that's true. There's no use in overthinking it now."

"The Bloodhead Gang seems quite formidable. Most of the information in the database about them is just about foot soldiers and small fry," Maverick remarked coldly, squinting his eyes as he held up the sketch of Rick Frey. "Looks like you're the breakthrough. I'll find you soon."

After obtaining the desired information, Maverick restored the computer to its original state and left the police station's database. He soared through the night sky back to his home, this time a bit faster than before, indicating he was gradually getting accustomed to these abilities.

Sitting at his desk, Maverick cleaned up the materials and then opened his computer, ready with a stack of paper.

The experience of searching for information at the police station gave him some ideas. With only a name and a photo of Rick Frey, finding him seemed like a daunting task.

"Are you planning to make another software like the one you made at the police station?" Venom asked curiously as it watched Maverick's agile fingers tapping away at the keyboard.

Maverick nodded, continuing his work while explaining, "We don't have any other channels to gather information right now, so I'm planning to create an upgraded version of the software we used at the police station."

"I'll link him with all the surveillance cameras in New York City. That way, if any camera recognizes or captures someone resembling him, it'll give me feedback."

"But this might require a bit of effort, hacking into the entire system isn't a small task."

"And considering that there aren't a lot of surveillance cameras in New York City right now, and the versions aren't very high, manual recognition will still be needed after the initial identification."

"It's a bit of a gamble, but I have a feeling we won't have to wait long for results."

"I'm also eager to meet him," Venom added after licking its sharp teeth.

While Maverick was devising his revenge plan, in a basement in the Queens borough of New York City, a man with a shaved head tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

He was none other than Rick Frey, the man Maverick was desperately searching for.

For some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease after the recent job. Despite having done similar things many times before, he couldn't help but feel strange this time.

As a seasoned street thug with ample experience in crime, he usually trusted his instincts. And if this job left him feeling uneasy, he knew he needed to take precautions to protect himself.

Normally, after a job like this, his boss would have him lay low in this suburban basement until the heat died down or things cooled off a bit. But now, Rick was planning to leave the country for a while to feel safe.

With this in mind, Rick got up from bed, unable to sleep. He packed his few belongings into a small suitcase.

As the saying goes, danger and opportunity often go hand in hand. For Rick, this situation presented an opportunity.

After years of doing odd jobs for the gang, once he finished this job, his boss promised to promote him. Once he became a small-time leader, money and women wouldn't be in short supply, and even drugs wouldn't be scarce.

The Bloodhead Gang was a powerful force in New York, and as long as you were loyal and obedient, they treated you well.

Thinking about this, Rick couldn't help but remember the traitor whose picture had been circulated throughout the gang a while back. Rumor had it that he was beaten to death by the gang's second in command, with every bone in his body broken, leaving him a pile of mush.

Rick shook his head, pushing the gruesome images out of his mind, and focused on his future.

"When I come back this time, I'll have made it big. I'm gonna have a blast with ten chicks at once, hahaha."

His lascivious laughter echoed in the dim basement, while outside, a few crows cawed loudly from the branches of the trees lining the street.

°°°

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