David Maslow opened the email, another anonymous one from headquarters. The content was brief: "Once you start the investigation, be aware of your safety at all times. You will not only be dealing with Ozunu's assassins but also an internal investigation. Once you begin, you'll be eligible for a promotion. Good luck."
After reading the email, David Maslow sat in his office chair, deep in thought. A lifetime of principles made it impossible for him to give up on the investigation, but from these two emails, it was clear that the situation was dangerous.
He wasn't naive and knew what kinds of risks came with certain cases, so after pondering for a while, he picked up the phone and called one of his subordinates.
"Mika, come to my office."
After hanging up, David opened a document on his computer, clicked on the printer, and placed the printed materials related to the Ozunu case into a folder, which he casually left on his desk.
A few minutes later, a Black woman knocked on the door and walked into David Maslow's office. "Boss, you called for me?"
"Yes." David Maslow glanced at the folder on the desk as if unintentionally, then covered it with some other papers. "How are things going with the case you're working on?"
"I finished it yesterday. Do you have a new case for me?" Mika's curiosity was piqued by Maslow's subtle movements.
"So quickly?"
"Of course, it was just a few theft cases. Nothing difficult," Mika smiled. "Boss, I've been here for two years already. Can't you give me something more challenging?"
Maslow shook his head. "You're a woman; there are some cases I can't give you. I don't want you losing your appetite over them. But don't worry, I have a few tough ones on hand. I'll use them to test you later."
With that, Maslow stood up and walked into the file room in his office. As soon as he did, Mika immediately grabbed the folder from his desk. Opening it, her attention was quickly absorbed by the documents.
Time passed without her realizing it. Maslow, who had been standing at the file room door, saw Mika completely engrossed in the documents several times. Five or six minutes later, Maslow, worried that Mika might suspect his motives—after all, fetching a file shouldn't take that long—coughed lightly and walked out.
"Sorry, boss," Mika said, seeing Maslow looking at her helplessly. She quickly changed the subject. "Boss, are these cases real?"
"What do you think?" Maslow said in a teasing tone. "Ninjas? Seriously? It's the 21st century. There's no way ninjas still exist. Now, don't worry about this. Just make sure to file these documents properly after you're done."
Mika nodded, took the folder, and said, "Okay, boss, I'll take care of it right away." She turned to leave but then stopped and pointed at the documents. "Boss, since you don't want to investigate the Ozunu case, how about letting me handle it?"
"Not a chance. It's a dead-end case. Investigating it will be a waste of time, and many of the cases involve other countries. It's better for you to focus on helping me with some local New York cases."
"I'll just look into it casually. I promise it won't interfere with the work you assigned me," Mika pleaded. "Boss, think of it as a learning experience for me."
Maslow knew Mika's curiosity would get the better of her, but he feigned a helpless expression. "Fine, but I'm warning you, don't let it distract you from your main tasks."
"Understood, boss!" Mika grabbed the folder with a big smile, nodded, and left the office to return to her desk.
As soon as she sat down, Mika opened the folder again. Even the second time she looked at the case descriptions, she was still shocked and deeply curious. She kept asking herself if a centuries-old ninja assassin organization could really exist in the modern world.
Over the next couple of days, Mika's mind was completely consumed by the Ozunu case, so much so that she didn't even notice that her boss, David Maslow, hadn't asked her about the other cases she was supposed to be working on.
David Maslow, meanwhile, had been subtly making things easier for Mika, helping her indirectly with her investigation. He even turned a blind eye when Mika had her colleagues handle some of the other cases she was assigned.
On the third day, Mika knocked on Maslow's door again, holding the files her colleagues had helped her with.
After reviewing the files, Maslow saw Mika holding the Ozunu folder and said, "Boss, do you have a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Taking the folder from Mika, Maslow rolled his eyes and said with irritation, "Didn't I tell you to stop investigating this case? Ninjas? This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard all year."
"Just ten minutes, boss. I only need ten minutes. You can't let me waste several days on this investigation just for nothing, right?"
Maslow looked down at the folder in his hands. While he was pleased that Mika had made progress in her investigation, he was also worried that the cases might turn out to be real. He sighed. "I hope I don't regret listening to this report. Fine, just ten minutes."
The two of them went to the conference room. Maslow made sure to close the door carefully, but Mika paid no attention to this detail. She dove right in. "I checked the original records for all the cases in this folder and found two very interesting clues."
"Two?" Maslow asked curiously.
"Yes, two. Whether it's cases from a hundred or two hundred years ago, or even recent ones like the gang-related killings in New York, they all share one common detail: in each of these cases, a letter was mentioned—a letter containing nothing but black sand."
Maslow took the files Mika handed him and, upon looking them over, realized that 70% of the cases did indeed mention black sand and an envelope. "And the second clue?"
"The second clue is that in five or six of these cases, witnesses mentioned 100 pounds of gold." Mika pulled out a document. "I couldn't investigate the older cases, but I did check our records and cross-referenced them with local banks that have dealings with the black market. I found that just the day before the gang killing case, there was a transfer of funds that matched the value of 100 pounds of gold.
"Also, the killers used bladed weapons, not guns. Boss, who uses knives to kill gun-toting gang members in this day and age?"
Mika raised her eyebrows, clearly implying that Maslow should understand what she was getting at.
Maslow stood quietly, already convinced by Mika's findings but still reluctant to admit it. "I still don't believe that if this assassin organization really exists, their fees would remain the same for a thousand years."
"But the evidence we have shows they do exist!" Mika argued.
"Alright, this story is intriguing. Let's leave it here for now," Maslow said, cutting Mika off as he opened the door and returned to his office.
Sitting back in his chair, he silently debated whether or not to pursue the investigation. With the evidence Mika had gathered, plus the emails from headquarters, he was already convinced the assassin organization was real.
But digging deeper was no joke. One wrong move, and it could cost lives.
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