Chapter 425: Chapter 425: No Money, No Progress, The Scars on Caroline’s Back

To live in this world, money alone may not suffice, but to live without money is definitely out of the question.

Since Luo An’s group of three headed to Europe to investigate Javari’s disappearance, about eighty percent of their food, accommodation, transportation, and actions had been financed by Caroline.

Indeed, Mona didn’t have much money, and Luo An did have money, but he couldn’t touch the funds in his accounts within the Federation because he needed to conceal his identity.

On the surface, among the three, it was Caroline, with investments in many companies and a piano store near Goethe Square, a famous luxury goods shopping district in Germany, who seemed to have the most wealth.

Thus, when setting off from the Federation to Europe, Caroline took the initiative to suggest that in the search for Javari, Luo An would contribute manpower, Mona technology, and she would provide the funds–a fair and reasonable division of resources.

And then… Caroline distressingly discovered that reality wasn’t quite like the movies.

There are some spy movies in the world, where the protagonists never seem to lack funds and can go wherever they want, as if money was never an issue for them.

But as the trio traveled from Germany to Austria and then back to Germany again, Caroline was horrified to discover that the money in her purse had substantially dwindled.

The country of Monaco has always been known for its high-end tourism, luxurious residences, and extraordinarily high living costs…

Knowing that saving someone was more important, but seeing the money in her account potentially dropping to zero or even going negative, the heartachingly helpless Caroline couldn’t resist raising her hand and presenting her concern.

Upon hearing this, Mona fell silent. It was indeed a problem. Subconsciously, she turned to look at Luo An; she didn’t know how much money Luo An actually had, but it was certainly more than her.

After a moment of contemplation, Luo An was just about to speak when Mona suddenly remembered something and energetically clapped her hands. Then she typed away on her computer keyboard, finally smiling and saying:

“Guys, I’ve noticed something.”

“What?”

“Ever since he was injured, Benekoff-Robert seems to have surrounded himself with a dozen more bodyguards than usual; it looks like it’s entirely impossible for us to get close to him.

However, this guy goes to gamble at the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco every two days, spending the whole day there.”

After Mona finished speaking, she looked up at Luo An, who grinned at Caroline:

“It sounds like good news. This time, we can solve both the money problem and the people problem.”

——–

Monaco was one of the world’s wealthiest countries, with gambling being a pillar of its economy.

The famous Monte Carlo Casino, blending classical and baroque styles, looked as luxurious as a palace with its Greek columns and intricate stone carvings, absolutely splendid under the lights.

The casino’s interior decoration was on par with palaces, with marble flooring, crystal chandeliers, embroidered fabrics, German furniture, Asian silk, and Italian artworks, making the Monte Carlo Casino no less prestigious than the noble clubs or palaces in Paris and Berlin.

To accentuate the opulence of their casino, the early Monte Carlo Casino was not open to the public; participation in gambling required an invitation, and patrons had to dress formally, with men in suits and ties and women in evening dresses.

Before long, these rules disappeared into history, but the convention of wearing suits and dresses was retained.

After two days of on-site scouting, they confirmed Benekoff-Robert would be going to the Monte Carlo Casino from noon today until the morning of the next day. Luo An then seriously formulated an operation plan and began to put it into action.

First, Luo An had Mona create a fake identity for Caroline, nested within layers of fabricated backgrounds stretching from Europe to South America to Africa and even to the East, making it difficult for anyone to figure out Caroline’s true identity in a short period of time.

Next, Luo An instructed Caroline to write a letter in Russian, as a fallen noble, requesting a meeting with Benekoff-Robert, and had Mona, under a disguised identity, deliver it to Benekoff-Robert’s secretary at his current location.

Soon, they received a refusal for the meeting from the other side. Although the secretary did not directly mock Mona, the tone was not particularly pleasant.

In a Monaco hotel room, Caroline, who had bought an expensive, high-quality burgundy gown, placed the dress in the bedroom. Seeing Mona returning empty-handed and with an unhappy face, she softly asked:

“So, does this mean we’ve failed?”

“On the contrary, this means we’ve succeeded.”

Luo An placed his newly purchased high-end black suit aside, shook his head with a smile, walked over to the table, picked up a few sheets of paper, and handed them to Caroline, saying:

“This is your identity for tonight; you must commit it to memory.

Then, come and sit in this chair; I need to draw something on your back.”

“…What do you mean?”

As she spoke, Caroline still took the paper and sat on the chair in front of Luo An. Just as she was about to look down, she felt a sharp pain from her right shoulder, which made Caroline scream and jump up instinctively.

“Don’t move!”

Mona walked up to Caroline, pressed down on her shoulders, and pushed her back down into the chair, smiling as she said:

“Luo An needs to create a scar on your shoulder. It’s part of your disguise for tonight.”

Turning to see the fine, sharp needle in Luo An’s hand, Caroline swallowed and asked with trembling lips:

“Are you sure this is just painting? Not tattooing? It won’t stay on me forever, right?”

“Don’t worry, I know you girls don’t like scars. Trust me, this thing will disappear with a wash and a rub using professional products later on.”

Luo An chuckled. This was an ancient technique from the East taught to him by an old assassin in a past life. It looked very lifelike for a short time, and washing it with a fixed proportion of potion and resting for a few days would leave no trace.

But if it isn’t washed within 48 hours, it would become permanent, making removal quite troublesome and time-consuming.

“…OK.”

Caroline swallowed again and chose to trust Luo An. After a few seconds, she got used to the slight stinging sensation, relaxed her brows, and started to read the content on the paper carefully.

Tonight, Caroline is a woman from Eastern Europe named Godunova-Yevdokiya. Her ancestors were surviving Tsarist nobility who amassed considerable wealth over several generations. Her family has some ill-reputed industries in Eastern Europe.

Because of something her people did a while ago, she learned about Benekoff-Robert’s identity. She came to Monaco this time to discuss a partnership with him.

It wasn’t long before Luo An completed his artwork. Caroline stood up, looked in the mirror, and saw a nearly 10-centimeter-long “scar” on her right shoulder, causing her to wince:

“Does it really need to be this long?”

“When a beautiful woman, wearing an elegant backless gown, has a long scar on her back, she will definitely draw everyone’s attention.

People will feel sorry for her, and they’ll be curious about how she got that scar.

And when their attention is focused on one thing, they will overlook other things.”

Luo An stood up, put away his tools and handed them to Mona, then walked over to Caroline, looked at her in the mirror, and laughed:

“Tonight, you are the boss, responsible for attracting attention and diverting it.

I am your subordinate, handling the gambling, getting in touch with Benekoff-Robert through gambling, and securing a chance to meet him alone.

Mona will be outside surveilling and responsible for backing us up.”

“A man with meticulous thought.”

Caroline pulled up her shirt to cover her shoulders, gave Luo An a glance, then took the papers and went back to the bedroom:

“I’ll memorize them, but I don’t have much money. Make sure you don’t lose it all tonight, or else I’ll have to go to the federal government to freeload off you guys later.”

After the bedroom door closed, Luo An chuckled and did not bother with Caroline. He walked over to Mona, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her on the face:

“Mad at me?”

“A little.”

Mona glared at Luo An and bit his lips, then said with concern:

“Are you sure about tonight? If not, let’s switch to a different plan.”

“Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

Luo An lowered his head to cover Mona’s lips with a long kiss, then paused and said softly in her ear:

“By the way, there’s something I need you to prepare for tonight.”

“Hm?”

Mona was slightly taken aback, then after listening to Luo An’s words, her expression shifted subtly, and she nodded silently.

Time quickly reached three o’clock in the afternoon. Following the plan, Luo An and Caroline changed their clothes, drove a sports car, and headed to the palace-like splendor of the Monte Carlo Casino.