Thug and Idol: 10X Rewards Second Identity System

Next morning.

"I can't believe you are doing this in such an early hour," Nel muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Are really a human, Tris? Do you ever sleep? No, the real question will be… Why did I agree to come with you?"

Tristan laughed.

Previous evening and night were taken by the team setting into their hotel and resting after the long journey. While the others slept soundly, Tristan used the Internet to deal with the King Lion Gang's business back in his city, and then to check out some information he needed today.

There was a lot to do, and Tristan was incredibly excited about it.

"This is Los Angeles! You never know when you see someone world-class celebrity around here! There are so many tourist traps we didn't see yet…"

Tristan waved his hand around, and Nel followed his movement with his own excitement. A moment later, it soured.

"I don't know about celebs, but there are surely a lot of homeless guys."

A pair of grimy hobos sitting on a sidewalk followed Nel with a dirty glance. However, when Tristan glared back at them, they hurriedly looked away.

Since Tristan and Nel weren't very famous, they didn't bother taking their security with them on this walk. The security was more for events and their things. And, of course, because they needed a reason to be in the city.

All four gangsters were given orders to obey Tristan, Nel and Derek as if they were actual people from security. Their primary orders came from Hayes via phones.

So far, they were just given command to scope out the place.

Tristan was doing the same even as he walked casually from the parking lot and down the street.

That night, he had increased his observation skill from 923 to 1423. While he chatted, Tristan spotted various signs of criminal activity and used them to make a mental map of the local underworld.

"I didn't just bring you for a stroll, you know," Tristan said casually. "Well, that too. But actually, I wanted your help with some shopping!"

"Shopping?"

"Of course. This is a city of high fashion! We need costumes for the movie event, and I need a stage costume. I mean, I already have one, but there's always a room for improvement."

Nel stared at Tristan for a moment, then snickered in his fist.

"Man, Tris, you sound more excited than a girl who stole her rich dad's credit card!"

Tristan ran a palm through his hair in a graceful gesture, completely unashamed.

Maybe there'd be a time when a comment like that would've made Tristan self-conscious, but since the beginning of his careers, Tristan's confidence grew even more than it had been.

Besides, he could see from the start that Nelson wasn't mocking him at all.

"And?"

"Nothing, nothing. I actually tried to imagine you wearing a dress and holding a purse, but you'd still look handsome." Nel shook his head. "You could've become a fashion model easily if you wanted to."

Tristan smirked.

"And right now, we are going to try some fashion."

He had money to spend, and he really was excited about it. But shopping only took a few hours.

There were no events planned in the artists' schedule; but after a morning of being dragged around, Nel declared he needed more relaxation and went back to the hotel.

Tristan was free to explore on his own and change identities as he pleased.

With that, he used his funds to secure a modest 2-bedroom apartment that could serve as a base of operation or a safehouse for his gangster crew.

Then, he rented another apartment, a more luxurious one—for his own Hayes identity. Tristan Gemello stayed in the hotel for now.

In that apartment, Tristan hid some weapons he brought as a contraband hidden in his Gemello things. In case someone went through them, it was much safer to keep them here. Even if it meant that Tristan was down to a knife unless he came prepared.
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He made sure both apartments weren't far from his hotel.

'One day I will get enough money to buy these apartments permanently. Or apartments like these, I guess. One day—soon.'

Tristan spent more time in his criminal identity, watching people and occasionally approaching local small criminals for information. Prostitutes and dealers were the chattiest of them all, especially prostitutes. And the later in the day it was, the more of them appeared.

Under the pressure of Tristan's hypnotic voice, charisma, fearsomeness, and money, all these people spilled information like a burst of pinata spilled candy.

Los Angeles really was a rich hunting ground. There was a lot of profit to be made with petty tourist crime—but most local gangs, all of which were small, mostly stuck to less popular areas.

Tristan bid goodbye to the last prostitute he talked with and went down the street toward where he left his car. As soon as he left a narrower alleyway, he felt a pressure of someone's watchful gaze on his back.

Acting casually, Tristan turned his head as if to fix his hair and spotted a pair of police officers sitting a car, watching him with slight suspicion.

He huffed to himself. The cops weren't here when Tristan went to a more private place (to chat, not to do what she expected originally) with the prostitute.

'There are damn many cops out here, guarding all the rich tourists like dogs. They won't catch me or my people, of course, but it's annoying.'

This meant that to establish a new business here, and to gather his own local combat force—a force that will increase his status in the King Lion Gang even higher—Tristan will have to work extremely carefully.

Tristan Gemello returned to the hotel for the night—just to pretend that he went to sleep here. After midnight, Tristan Hayes sneaked out of the hotel's door, intending to spend more time networking and return before anybody from his team woke up.

At the same time, on another side of the city, an anonymous assassin drove onto the streets of LA, following a clue from one of his police contacts.