Silly Bride

Chapter 199

purchase from the black market firearms that weren’t circulated in the market. That was also where I first saw Yulissa using drugs. Back when the badge was presented, it stirred up a ruckus within the black market, which was also the reason I was pursued.”She paused before continuing, “Coincidentally, Josiah got out of your car to puke after getting drunk, so the car was parked by the road. I snuck into it and accidentally left the badge in your car at that time. I suppose Yulissa must’ve also heard some news about that black badge that night, so she conned you to get it from you out of greed after seeing it in your car. You should never underestimate the power that the black badge represents, especially in the shadows. Given that a drug addict like Yulissa has gotten a hold of it, there might be dire consequences if she abused the power it bestowed her. So, I need to get it back right away! I need to set out to find it this instant!”“Where to?” Xavier frowned. “Who was the person who contacted you just now? Does he have news about the badge?”“That would be Wilhelm, a member of the Speiser family and also one of my brothers. He holds much power in the underground of Yartran. To be more specific, he was the one who gifted that black badge to me. A few days ago, he received news that the badge was spotted on someone at Jipsdale. He thought I was the one holding on to it, so he called me for confirmation. He has always assumed that the badge, much like me, would remain in hiding in Avenport. Similarly, I, too, assumed that it would be lying quietly in a drawer or safe in your office. But apparently, the badge is with Yulissa, and she was spotted at Jipsdale a few days ago!”Josiah, who had kept a low profile up until then, couldn’t help but interject, “So I suppose it is most likely that Yulissa is still alive, then. Not only are the saliva and DNA found on the cigarette butt proof of that, but that family badge of yours has also directly exposed her trajectory! Did your brother tell you her exact location? If he has his men over there, could he possibly send them to retrieve the badge for you?” “This poses a slight challenge.” Winnie frowned. “So far, that badge has shown up in Jipsdale twice in different locations that are geographically distant from each other, so it’s impossible to lock down on the holder’s exact location.”“Then send someone in for an investigation. By now, we can be certain that Yulissa is the one holding on to the badge, and we have her photo, so we won’t need to worry about not being able to identify her. It’s just a matter of time before we get her,” Xavier said.Winnie nodded after a short period of silence.“Considering our circumstances, that’s our only way forward.”However, her phone in her pocket rang again before she could finish her sentence.Xavier lowered his gaze to glance at her phone before asking in jealousy, “Is it your dearest Wilhelm?”Winnie took out her phone, ignoring Xavier for the time being.Unlike her, Josiah blurted out, “Worry not. It’s not dearest Wilhelm this time. Just check the caller ID yourself. If my guess is correct, the call should be from the First Institute of Applied Toxicology in Yartran.”Xavier gave him a side glance in silence, unhappy that the latter interfered.Meanwhile, Winnie added as an explanation to Xavier, “Josiah’s right. It’s from the First Institute of Applied Toxicology. There might be new progress regarding the analysis of the venom. Please excuse me.”With that, Winnie picked up the call.Although Winnie was speaking a foreign language throughout the phone call, both Xavier and Josiah understood what she said.“What? Is it that hard?” Winnie heaved a sigh before continuing her conversation. “Sure. Thank you for your hard work. This is already great news. I will. Thank you all.”Soon, Winnie ended the call and proceeded to explain the situation to the others.“They told me that they couldn’t conduct a complete analysis on the venom due to the presence of a previously undiscovered chemical component in it. If they are to carry out research, it might take five to ten years to find out what it is. While they might have the time to do that, we don’t. Thus, their suggestion is to find the person who developed that venom, for that person should be the one who knows its components the best. We might even get an antidote within the shortest possible amount of time.”After hearing that, Xavier furrowed his brows immediately. “The key to this still lies on Yulissa. Only by finding her can we possibly find out who developed that venom in the first place.”“Indeed.” Winnie thought about it seriously. “I think I will have to go on that trip in person.”“Absolutely not!” Xavier objected to her idea almost as soon as she voiced it. “It’s too dangerous around Jipsdale. I can’t have you risk yourself by traveling there.”“Yeah!” Josiah also tried to talk her out of it. “Who will treat Xavier if you leave? Besides, you aren’t familiar with that place either. If we want to find Yulissa, we should have locals do the job. It’s more convenient that way.”“Josiah’s right, Winnie. Please listen to us.” Upon noticing Winnie’s