Chương 18

And honestly… the gun store helped far more than Rei initially expected. At first many people looked uncomfortable seeing a child around the store or even near the shooting range. Which honestly was fair. America might love firearms but even then a random child calmly sitting near the counter while reading books about psychology and history looked slightly suspicious. Some customers even complained openly.

"Why's there a kid here?"

"Isn't this dangerous?"

"Shouldn't he be in school?" And every single time, before Daniel could even properly answer, Rei himself would immediately step back politely and lower his head slightly.

"Sorry sir."

"My father doesn't allow me near the guns."

"I just help around the shop." That single sentence alone somehow made middle-aged men emotionally weak. Especially the "father" part. Well at least most of them. There would always be some white male Karen, and Rei would do his best to calm those people, but sometimes Daniel had to show up and calm them down. Or if they didn't, the regular customers would show up in support of Rei. That was enough. He faced all of this for a few months.

Despite everything that happened with the Harris family, publicly Daniel still played the role properly. And honestly? The contract itself almost forced him to naturally maintain the image too. So from the outside, the Harris family genuinely looked functional. Rei meanwhile acted perfectly. He cleaned tables, organized inventory, greeted customers politely and always made sure to visibly stay away from the firearms unless directly instructed otherwise. And slowly… the regular customers started liking him. A lot.

"He's a good kid."

"Very respectful."

"Wish my son behaved like this." One old veteran even brought him books occasionally because Rei once politely corrected a historical inaccuracy in one of his stories regarding Vietnam. Honestly, old military men were surprisingly easy to manipulate through politeness and basic listening skills. And thus, over the next several months, Rei quietly integrated himself into the store environment while observing everyone carefully.

Former military personnel, contractors, wealthy hobbyists, local police and security consultants. Occasionally even men who screamed "government" without actually saying it out loud. Probably local SHIELD agents? Maybe CIA? And through all of this, Rei patiently waited. Because eventually someone important would appear. They always did. And then one day… finally… someone did. The man arrived with two bodyguards first. That alone already separated him from most customers.

Wealthy clients existed, yes, but this level of security was different. Rei immediately paid attention. Middle-aged. Expensive watch. Calm posture. Confident without trying too hard. The bodyguards meanwhile constantly scanned exits subconsciously even while pretending to relax. Interesting. Rei quietly listened from nearby while organizing fake inventory sheets.

"…Shipment security contracts…"

"…Corporate logistics…"

"… Allied Universal…" That name alone immediately triggered something in Rei's memory. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Allied Universal. One of the largest security companies in America. Though the Internet was slow by his standards and Google was still not at its peak, it didn't mean there was nothing on the Internet. He had researched enough to know what he should aim for. Tony Stark would never come down from his Malibu estate to New York suburbs.

That would be absurd, even expecting a visit from anyone who belonged to Stark Industries. But that didn't mean he couldn't go for companies that allowed him access to doors he otherwise didn't have. So such a company was useful. And more importantly… the man himself apparently owned a controlling share inside the company. Of course, all this information Rei just Googled and since it was a publicly traded company, the names and faces were there for the world to look at.

He didn't know if this man was overconfident about not getting assassinated or threatened after belonging to one of the greatest security companies, or just plain stupid. But it did help Rei in this regard. For the next several weeks afterward, Rei paid closer attention quietly. He seemed to have moved here very recently and thus showed up often. The man visited semi-regularly. And Rei kept an eye on him. He would follow the man once in a while to take a proper look.

Of course he did so discreetly, using transformation jutsu and besides, running and jumping over rooftops came naturally to him. After all it was in his blood to do that. Sorry, Spider-Man, I can now do that too. Eventually, one rainy evening after the man left the store again, Rei finally decided it was time. The moment Daniel closed the store for the night, Rei quietly disappeared. Transformation Jutsu. Rei would rate this jutsu as one of the greatest inventions in shinobi history honestly.

Within seconds, the harmless adopted child transformed into an entirely forgettable middle-aged civilian. Slightly overweight. Balding. Miserable posture. The kind of face people automatically forgot after three seconds. Perfect stealth. Following the convoy itself wasn't difficult. Not for a shinobi. Rei moved across rooftops silently. The security detail was good by civilian standards. Unfortunately for them… none of that was designed for someone trained in literal supernatural assassination arts.

Eventually the convoy arrived at a large suburban mansion surrounded by private security. Cameras covered most visible angles while guards rotated outside periodically. Honestly? Still easier than sneaking around ANBU. Though he had never done this before, he was pretty sure of his craft. Rei quietly observed the property for another hour before moving. The guards never even properly saw him.

One by one Rei incapacitated them through precise strikes directly against the neck and nervous system, using a bit of chakra. Though one poor guard probably woke up tomorrow questioning whether Batman assaulted him personally. Eventually Rei reached the interior office where the Allied Universal owner sat alone reviewing paperwork. The man barely had enough time to look up before suddenly finding a transformed stranger calmly standing inside his office.

"…What the hell—" Rei moved instantly. One hand grabbed the man's throat while the other slammed him directly against the wall hard enough to destroy resistance but not kill him. Fear immediately appeared afterward.

"Quiet," Rei said calmly. The businessman froze instantly. Then Rei released the transformation jutsu. And honestly? Watching a grown corporate executive stare in complete horror at a nine-year-old child (almost 10) holding him against a wall was strangely satisfying.

"…You…" the man whispered weakly. He had seen the face before. This kid was shorter than him but he still couldn't move his hands or legs to defend himself. What was this kid? Was he a kid? Or a dwarf? No, he had seen the face before. That gun range he always visited and the kid everyone was a huge fan of. What the hell was going on? Rei ignored the confusion completely and materialized the full contract instead. The businessman's eyes widened seeing a paper appear out of nowhere.

"Sign it," Rei said calmly.

"…What…"

"Sign." The pressure behind that single word immediately made the man panic. Especially after noticing his entire security team had somehow vanished already, otherwise they would have shown up by now. He wanted to threaten him but seeing that at every passing moment, the grip on his throat was getting tighter and his muscles not responding, he vowed to kill this kid after he was free. He didn't know what magic he used to look like a middle-aged bald man before, but flesh was flesh. He could negotiate.

"I-I have money—""I know."

"…You can take whatever you want—""I know."

"…Then what the hell do you WANT?!" Rei quietly held the contract closer afterward.

"Your signature." The man didn't understand the concept but as he saw a gun slowly appear from the pocket of the kid, he knew he would have to sign. Or he might really die. Normally, a child shouldn't even have a good hand to shoot as there would be huge recoil and also no training, but the way the kid had held him against the wall and made his arms and legs feel like mush, he didn't want to dance with the devil here. Under duress, the man named Steve Jones finally signed.

He thought it was a joke when he read the clauses, but the moment he did so, he knew that the joke had just backfired on him quite instantly. His free will was stripped away. He didn't know how, but this urge to always listen to the words of the kid took over him and he didn't know how to stop it from happening.

"I..." Steve didn't know what to say or ask.

"How many major shareholders are there in the company?" Rei asked. He didn't have time to play games this late at night.

"Uh.. Sir.. there are like 6 people who get to sit on the management table quarterly to discuss about the company's direction, if that is what you want to know?" Steve didn't want to reveal it, but a force compelled him. He was horrified at how easily he blurted out secret information to this kid. He knew he was done for.

"Sir sounds weird. Call me by my name. Ray." Yes, Rei had used the name Ray, just a minute change in pronunciation, as his official name.