Refining (12)
Height is power. Being able to look down on someone unilaterally creates an overwhelming difference.
I held up a small remote control and illuminated the rooftop of a building. The light emitting from the remote control touched the window, and a brilliant light burst forth from the window.
The light spread out like divine radiance. Although it was a dark night, just by focusing my eyes a little, I could see what was happening below.
The view from here was more stimulating than any video I had seen, and it was as addictive as it was sad, impossible to look away from.
There was a living person down there. But just watching from here was a meaningless act.
After taking a deep sigh, I turned my head back and read through the pile of work on my tablet.
There were quite a few things I needed to approve.
Hansan Electronics was a company that could operate without Han Sanwoo's help, but it would be better if I mechanically stamped my seal.
It was something I had to do to increase my influence. To firmly establish power, it was necessary to demonstrate that it was Han Sanwoo, and no one else, who held the decision-making authority.
But proposals that came to me were never rejected. Excessively dangerous or malicious business plans were somewhat distant from the electronics industry.
"Young master, may I come in?"
It was Sans Suhwa. I could guess that something unpleasant had happened.
The sun had set, and it had grown dark. If it were a trivial matter, she wouldn't have come looking for me.
As always, she had a beautiful appearance. There weren't many people in Stella City who weren't, but her face was even more comfortable than that.
It was a world where wearing implants was the norm.
If not for extreme examples like the Hansan family, generally, people who wore more implants could be considered wealthier.
Mercenaries ostentatiously wore combat implants, and office workers revealed in various ways that they wore computational assistance implants or cold-heartedness implants.
It was a kind of branding business. Like buying a luxury bag or coat and showing off its mark, they wore expensive implants and displayed them externally.
But San Suhwa didn't do that. It wasn't her personal preference, but because of the family guideline that "a secretary should not stand out unnecessarily."
It wasn't bad for me. Implants were sometimes attractive but occasionally stimulated an uncanny valley effect with my utterly ordinary gaze.
"We have a problem."
But the secretary didn't give me a chance to appreciate her appearance. The word I had been anticipating flowed from her lips.
"What kind of problem?"
"Just now, Enzo and a Hansan employee made contact."
"Not one of our people, right?"
More frightening than a competent enemy is an incompetent ally. There might be an executive who acts out of excessive loyalty to me.
If there really was such a person, my enemies wouldn't need to use tricks to corner me. They would just need to spread the facts as they are, and I would become the culprit.
"For now, they could be considered on our side, but it's ambiguous. It's a subordinate of the person who was with you when you received hospitality last time."
"Subordinate?"
"The person who actually contacted Enzo is a manager-level employee. They went all the way to White Mountain Street to meet him."
"That's definitely strange."
A sane business person wouldn't go to such a place to meet Enzo. There was something hidden.
"It's not that dangerous. As long as they don't bring a gang in and put a bullet in someone's head. Is Doris with them?"
San Suhwa shook her head.
"A lot of time was consumed in the process of leaving the central district. A report just came in that they've just escaped."
"That's unfortunate."
Terrorism within the central district is different from the all-too-common violent incidents.
The police would have been fully mobilized to search the surroundings and find those involved. Even with a fake identity, it wouldn't be easy to escape.
"The Hansan employee meeting Enzo, there's no other reason?"
"There is. According to our investigation, it appears there were personal reasons."
Even if there was a reason, I couldn't fully believe it. But by analyzing it, I might be able to get more accurate information.
"Enzo's son committed fraud against that Hansan employee."
"When?"
"The case was filed recently."
Strange. If they could have contacted Enzo's son first, there would have been no need to go about it in such a complicated way.
Or maybe the order was reversed.
The son's fraud happened first, and then they used it as leverage to comfortably manipulate Enzo before firing him.
"It was a small-scale fraud conducted through the computer system. The perpetrator, Enzo's son Rick..."
She lightly moved her hand. A familiar man's face appeared as an image before my eyes.
"Rick?"
He was someone I knew. Quite an important character.
"...Young master?"
"No, it's nothing."
I was startled into silence. San Suhwa must not find out that 'I know this man.'
It already seemed too late, but still, suspicion and certainty were different.
"Where are those people now?"
"Rick's whereabouts cannot be determined at this time."
"...I see."
"It's Macheonpa's territory, so we could find out if we push, but in the process, it would inevitably be revealed that we are watching Rick."
Hansan's power is absolute. If cooperation is sought, all surveillance cameras and electronic information in this city can be accessed.
Even a poor person would have a smartphone, so if desired, they could be tracked through telecom companies.
But that would be impossible without going through the process of 'seeking cooperation.'
The reason I didn't attach mercenaries other than Doris to Enzo was for a similar reason.
As long as there is an enemy within Hansan, most actions taken through Hansan should be considered detected by the enemy.
"...I have to move. Prepare a car. And a disguise, face, and voice."
The variables were too great. I needed to know why Rick was already moving.
At this time, I thought he would just be a slightly rebellious teenager, but if he was moving directly, I couldn't be careless.
"Aren't you worrying too much?"
Rick's combat sense is excellent, but in the end, he's just a human who doesn't wear implants. An ordinary person who dies when shot.
But his boldness and charisma couldn't be ignored. I had destroyed the Brown Hood once, but someone like him could gather other people anytime.
'...Was it because of that?'
He was a character who only appeared late in the game. A person who only comes to the forefront of the organization after 'the woman with the hat' is caught by the police or suffers a fatal injury.
Perhaps my actions had triggered his awakening. But now was not the time to think about 'why' he was involved in this incident.
***
"I'm truly sorry about my son."
Enzo bowed his head as soon as he saw the man in the suit. He had no choice.
Just looking at those cold eyes seemed to freeze his body.
"You've become famous since then. I'm sorry about you being fired."
"No, it's just that the timing wasn't good..."
Silence fell again. The Hansan employee took a sip of coffee and made a disgusted expression.
"I didn't ask to meet you for any particular reason. Do you have a lot of time?"
"Yes, yes! Shamefully... I do."
"I just had business nearby, and I don't like wasting time, so I called you."
Enzo breathed a sigh of relief. Then came the question.
"You had business nearby?"
"I guess you don't know. I was going to raise hell if you were involved."
"Involved..."
"My daughter is meeting your son at that shabby restaurant behind us."
Enzo's back tingled.
"I heard he was going to apologize personally... here?"
"What else could we do? Could a scammer enter the central district? My daughter had to come."
It wasn't the attitude a victim would show when meeting a suspect. Enzo took a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry. My child... doesn't always do as I wish."
"If you bring that up first, I have nothing to say... Right, children don't always do as we wish."
The eyes of a father whose daughter had her heart stolen by a handsome delinquent and a father whose son had taken in orphans he couldn't be responsible for and was committing fraud met.
"I'll try to settle this. As for the settlement money... just think of it as a token of sincerity."
The Hansan manager slowly nodded.
Considering what that son had done, and probably would do, tearing him apart wouldn't be enough. Still, the man in front of him was sincerely apologizing.
But at the same time, Enzo's eyes were wavering.
'Those guys who just came in, they look like Macheonpa...'
It wasn't particularly strange for Macheonpa to be around here. Gang members are people too. It was natural for them to drink coffee or have a meal.
But the atmosphere wasn't good. When Enzo's eyes met with one of the gang members, his anxiety grew.
Something was happening.
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