Taeui wiped the sweat beading on his face and neck roughly with the back of his hand before lowering it again. He didn’t even consider sitting on the bed, instead standing there and silently gazing down at Ilay. As expected, an odd feeling crept over him. There couldn’t be a scene more out of place than this.

“Hey, when are you planning to get up? Or maybe just get worse and be sent outside entirely. Staying half-sick like this inside the branch only makes everyone more on edge for no reason…… Seriously.”

Taeui clicked his tongue. Every time trouble had broken out, he’d grumbled that this guy needed to get a taste of his own medicine. But now that it had actually happened, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight.

“Seriously, why mess up someone’s perfectly normal eyes, you bastard? Did the way they looked at you bother you that much? From what I saw, it wasn’t any different from anyone else’s gaze. ……Though, I’ll admit, there was something unsettling about it.”

Taeui frowned as he recalled that unsettling gaze that scanned a person from head to toe, leaving a lingering discomfort. Still, no one in their right mind would think of ruining someone’s eyes just because they found it unpleasant. As expected, this guy’s way of thinking was far removed from anything normal. With that kind of mindset, it’s no wonder he wouldn’t bat an eye at being stabbed or poisoned.

Taeui stared at Ilay for a moment before reaching out and pulling his cheek. It was something he’d never dare to do if the man were awake—so he did it now. Who knew when he’d get another chance to do something like this once Ilay woke up?

“If you’ve got a problem with it, try getting up. ……Serves you right, you idiot.”

Taeui let go of the cheek he had been pulling. From start to finish, today had been utterly cursed—bad luck clinging to him like an annoying rash. Damn it. If it had to stick to someone, why couldn’t it just stick to him alone instead of dragging others into it? What a rotten stroke of luck.

****************************

Footsteps echoed from outside. Starting at the door of the adjacent room, the sound gradually faded in the direction of the elevator.

On the sparsely populated 1st floor – especially compared to the bustling sixth basement level – it was rare to hear sounds from anyone other than himself. Unless someone came specifically to see him, encounters with others were almost nonexistent.

Come to think of it, the only people living on this floor were the guards and the inmates. While the soundproofing between the rooms was fairly good, the walls facing the corridor seemed thinner, allowing sounds from the hallway to carry quite far. He had heard it was deliberately designed that way for security reasons.

But the people living on this floor weren’t exactly the type to fall victim easily to an intruder, Taeui thought, before shaking his head. The thought of the man currently lying unconscious in one of the rooms deep inside this block crossed his mind.

“If even the least likely person to be taken down ends up like that, who could truly be safe?”

Taeui muttered to himself, sprawled on the bed. The thought tangled his mind again, making him click his tongue in irritation. He glanced at the clock; it was a little past ten. These days, his uncle and the other instructors seemed unusually busy. With joint training on the horizon, they were already swamped, and losing such a key person likely made things worse, leaving them scrambling to cover his share of the work. As a result, even the inmates were bustling around, too preoccupied to hold a conversation for long.

“Still, if you’ve called someone over, you should at least keep to the time, Uncle…….”

Earlier that morning, he had run into his uncle by chance. Clearly busy, his uncle had a phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, simultaneously taking sheets of paper from an adjutant standing beside him and passing them back. When he noticed Taeui, he waved him over and told him to stop by later that night. When Taeui asked what time he should come, his uncle casually replied: “Around 10 should be fine”, in a tone that showed little thought before walking off with the unmistakable look of someone overwhelmed, not even giving him a chance to ask what it was about.

Joint training wasn’t something as simple as gathering personnel from various branches, running them through some drills, and sending them back. At its worst, people could die—though incidents like the last training session, where three or four participants lost their lives, were rare. More often, it resulted in numerous injuries. Given those stakes, it wasn’t the kind of operation that could be prepared half-heartedly. On top of that, the costs involved in such training were astronomical, far beyond what the average person could even imagine. With less than a week left until the South America training session, his uncle was increasingly swamped, buried in tasks both related and unrelated to the drills.

“Come to think of it, I guess I won’t be able to come here for a while.”

Taeui muttered to himself, recalling the rule that prohibited branch members from entering the 1st floor during joint training. He glanced at the clock again. It was almost 10:30. If his uncle was going to be this late from the agreed time, even knowing Taeui was waiting comfortably in the room, he should have at least sent a message by now.

‘He must be really busy.’ – Taeui thought, scratching the back of his neck. Just then, a light blinked on the desk, followed by a low, smooth mechanical chime. A call. Taeui instinctively frowned and turned toward the sound. Whenever the phone rang in this room, it habitually made him think of Ilay. Memories surfaced of pale hands flashing across the screen and the effortless, shameless way Ilay had pretended to be an antique book dealer while steering conversations with remarkable ease.

“Come to think of it, that guy never actually said he was an antique book dealer…… ugh.”

Getting up from the bed, Taeui walked over to the desk. The phone was ringing, but the monitor remained off. Now that he looked closer, the blinking light was green. An internal line. Maybe it was his uncle calling, knowing Taeui would still be waiting in the room.

“Hello, this is Instructor Jeong Changin’s room.”

Taeui pressed the blinking lamp and answered the call. Even if it wasn’t his uncle, it was bound to be someone from within the branch.

[“……”]

No voice came from the other end of the line. Taeui tilted his head slightly, wondering if there was an issue with the line or if the caller simply hadn’t heard him. He repeated the same greeting once more. After a brief pause, a voice finally came through.

[“Has Instructor Jeong not returned yet?”]

The voice wasn’t exactly familiar, but it was recognizable enough for Taeui to quickly identify the caller. It was Instructor Grimson.

Taeui paused for a brief moment before answering: “No, he hasn’t come back yet.” What could this person want? Especially during a time like this, when everyone was so busy they barely had time to breathe. If they were working separately, perhaps it wasn’t that strange. After all, with different adjutants to report to, it wouldn’t be unusual for tasks to be divided in this competitive system. Still, the thought of working in such an inefficient manner seemed unlikely.

Grimson hung up without saying anything further. Taeui stared at the receiver for a moment before setting it down. Grimson. He attended the man’s lectures every week. While their conversations had never been personal, they had exchanged words a few times. Still, it was hard to get a read on him. You couldn’t truly understand someone after just a few brief encounters, after all. He didn’t have a reputation for anything particularly bad, nor did Taeui have any unpleasant memories associated with him. But there was something about him…….., He seemed like the kind of person who would be difficult to approach without a certain distance in place.

While thinking that, Taeui let out a small laugh. As if there was anyone among the guards here who could be approached casually. Even his uncle—sure, they got along because they were relatives and had known each other since he was a child. But if they had first met as strangers after he became an adult, Taeui doubted he would have wanted to get close. It wasn’t that his uncle – or anyone else – was a bad person. He simply didn’t like people whose true thoughts and feelings were impossible to discern.

“See? Even Uncle isn’t someone you can let your guard down around.”

“What did I do?”

No sooner had Taeui finished speaking than a response came. Turning around, he saw his uncle walking in, having just opened the door. Taeui spoke in a flat tone.

“You scared me. Of all times, why’d you have to walk in while I was badmouthing you?”

“You’re the type who’d know it was me from my footsteps the moment I got off the elevator.”

“Sure, I heard footsteps approaching, but how was I supposed to know it was you?”

“You think I don’t know you only started talking the moment I stopped walking in front of the door on purpose?”

“What are you saying? That’s a misunderstanding, Uncle.” – Taeui replied with an overly earnest and sincere expression. Watching his uncle take off his jacket with a weary look, Taeui relaxed his own expression.

“You must be really busy. Your face—if I’m exaggerating a bit—looks like it’s been cut in half from exhaustion.”

“This is all because some guy got stabbed at the worst possible time and collapsed. Ah, you must’ve been waiting a while.” – His uncle said.

“Not at all. 30 minutes is just enough time for a quick nap or to pass the time.” – Taeui replied casually.

As usual, the moment his uncle took off his jacket, he headed straight for the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. He offered Taeui a can of beer, but Taeui waved it off, gesturing toward the two empty beer cans already sitting on the side table. His uncle nodded, grabbing only a bottle of water for himself.

“Oh, there was a call.”

“A call? From who?”

“Instructor Grimson.”

His uncle paused mid-sip, lowering his cup slightly. Then, with a subtle lift of his eyebrow, he asked again,

“Grimson?”

“Yes…… Now that I think about it, he didn’t say his name. It might’ve been someone else. But it was an internal line, and the voice really sounded like his.”

“Hmm. I see.”

His uncle nodded and murmured to himself. With an expressionless face, he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before suddenly turning his head, as if something had just occurred to him.

“How’s Rick? Is he doing any better?”

Taeui remained silent for a moment before nodding vaguely. There wasn’t much to say. Ilay hadn’t shown any signs of improvement. He was still unconscious, as if in a deep sleep, and hadn’t woken up in over a full day. Despite checking on him whenever he had a chance – 7 or 8 times just today – he was always the same. His uncle muttered: “I see”, and threw himself onto the single-seater couch with a sigh.

“His brother contacted me earlier, actually.”

“Ah, so the family’s been informed. Were they very worried?”

If his personality was anything like Ilay’s, ‘worry’ would be the last word to describe it. However, Taeui vaguely recalled hearing that Ilay’s brother was a normal, reasonable, and somewhat humane person.

“Hmm, no. He contacted me about something else, and Rick just came up during the conversation. He was laughing about it.”

“……”

Taeui looked at his uncle in disbelief. Laughing, when your brother was hovering between life and death? What kind of reaction was that? His expression clearly conveyed his thoughts, and his uncle, apparently understanding his concern, waved a hand as if to defend his friend.

“No, it’s not like that. He laughed after confirming that his brother was alive. Said it’s just one bizarre thing after another.”

That reaction was somewhat understandable. If Taeui were somewhere else and heard that Ilay had been stabbed and fallen into a coma, he might have laughed too, wondering how such a thing could even happen. It was only because he had seen Ilay unconscious in front of him that he didn’t feel that way now.

“His brother seems to know him very well. Though, I suppose that’s only natural.”

Taeui sighed and muttered to himself. Somehow, he felt a little reassured. Laughing like that must mean his brother was confident that Ilay wouldn’t succumb to something as dire as death. Yeah, it made sense—someone as tough and stubborn as that guy wouldn’t go down so easily. Taeui lightly tapped his chest, as if trying to shake off the weight sitting near his heart. While his uncle lost in thought, silently watched him, his gaze steady, almost as if he were observing or evaluating something.

“? What is it?” – Taeui asked, breaking the silence.

“No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about Ilay’s inhuman side, and it struck me as a bit fascinating.”

“I feel the same way about Ilay’s lack of humanity. Before coming here, I never would’ve imagined someone like him could actually exist in real life.”

His uncle burst out laughing. It was as if Taeui had said something unexpectedly amusing, even though he thought it was a perfectly normal observation. When Taeui gave him a skeptical look, his uncle chuckled softly for a moment longer before shaking his head.

“True, but still, he’s been treating you surprisingly well, in his own way.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“But weren’t you the one telling me to stay far away from him and run for it if he so much as came into view?”

“That’s a separate issue. Besides, when it comes to that, you’re already too late, aren’t you?”

“……Not exactly a comforting thought.”

Taeui muttered gloomily. His uncle wasn’t wrong. Objectively speaking, even he had to admit that compared to how Ilay treated others, he seemed to hold back a little with him. But what his uncle didn’t understand was how much effort it took—constantly walking on eggshells, overthinking every word and action. Even if Ilay stepped back, Taeui was all too aware that the slightest misstep could result in that man snapping his neck without a moment’s hesitation.

“How’s Xinlu these days? Oh, right. He must be busy too, so I guess you haven’t had much time to spend together.” – His uncle remarked, changing the subject.

At this, Taeui felt even more downhearted. Since that day, he hadn’t properly met with Shinru. Occasionally, they crossed paths in the hallway, but there had been no direct contact or messages. Taeui had thought about reaching out but always ended up putting the phone down. Everything was a mess, with nothing going right. A perfect storm of misfortune. It must be bad luck catching up with him.

Taeui let out a heavy sigh inwardly, as if the ground might give way beneath him, and shook his head.

“So, what did you call me for, Uncle?”

It seemed better to change the subject. Dwelling on things he already didn’t want to think about would only wear down his mental health further. His uncle’s fingers interlaced on his lap, quietly watched Taeui for a moment before letting out a calm laugh.

“Why not? It’s something good.”

“The joint training with the South American branch is coming up soon.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You stay here.”

His uncle spoke succinctly. Taeui silently looked at him. Even without his uncle explicitly saying so, there was already a high chance he would stay at the Asia branch. No, it was almost certain. As an adjutant assigned to an instructor, if the instructor remained at the branch, Taeui would naturally stay as well.

“Alright, I’ll stay.” – He replied.

Taeui nodded calmly and answered without hesitation. At that, his uncle spoke again.

“And lend a hand to McKin, will you?”

This time, Taeui remained silent for quite a while. If it was McKin, he was an Instructor working under Rudolph Gentil alongside his uncle. Taeui could understand why his uncle would want him to assist McKin, but he had no idea how he was supposed to do that. Joint training involved a mix of team-based and individual exercises, but it wasn’t structured in a way that required specifically helping someone. Moreover, instructors didn’t participate in training on the same level as branch members. If anything, they were the ones offering help, not receiving it. His uncle, noticing Taeui’s puzzled look, burst out laughing.

“There’s no need to look so troubled. Just help him out if he asks for assistance.”

“Well, I’m not sure if he’d ever have a reason to ask me for help.” – Taeui replied, his tone skeptical.

Taeui murmured uneasily, picturing McKin’s stoic face. If McKin needed help, surely his own adjutant would be there to assist him—why would he turn to Taeui instead? The reasoning escaped him. He stared at his uncle for a long while, but his uncle, seemingly unwilling to elaborate further, merely offered an awkward smile without saying another word.

“No comment?”

“No comment.”

Taeui let out a light sigh and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll do it. As long as it’s something within my ability and doesn’t involve killing someone or causing harm to anyone personally.”

“Hahaha, no, it won’t be anything like that. Good, thanks for agreeing to help.”

“You’re welcome.” – Taeui replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

It didn’t feel right. The moment the words of agreement left his lips, he regretted it. After all, the reason he had ended up here in the first place was to accommodate his uncle. With his departure date not far off, there wasn’t much justification for refusing what his uncle asked of him. So, even though he wasn’t particularly thrilled, he nodded along. Still, something about it left a lingering unease.

‘Uncle’s quite the sly one, isn’t he……’

If he didn’t trust that his uncle wouldn’t harm him, he would have refused outright.

“Well, I’ll get going then. Anything else you need?”

“No, nothing else. Get some rest.”

“Alright……Oh, by the way, what happens to an adjutant if their instructor is bedridden during the training period?”

As Taeui rose from his seat and headed toward the door, the thought suddenly came to him, prompting the question. His uncle raised an eyebrow slightly, murmuring, “Hmm,” and seemed to consider it for a moment. It appeared even he wasn’t entirely sure.

“Well, I’ve never heard of such a case before. But since adjutants are treated the same as other members when it comes to non-instructor-related matters, you’d probably just participate in the training as usual……That said, I don’t think that guy will still be unconscious by the time the joint training starts.”

“I agree. It was just a passing thought.” – Taeui said with a casual shrug, turning to leave. “Good night.” – He added, stepping toward the door.

Just as he was about to cross the threshold, his uncle, who had been frowning slightly as if preoccupied, suddenly called out to him.

“Taeui.”

Taeui paused and turned back to look at him. After summoning him, his uncle remained quiet for a moment longer, as though weighing his words, before finally speaking in a tone laced with subtle hesitation.

“I think you need to be a bit more diligent.” – His uncle said thoughtfully.

“Me? ……Am I really that lazy?” – Taeui asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Taeui pointed to himself, repeating the question. He considered himself reasonably diligent. Sure, he indulged in laziness on holidays and during breaks, snuck in naps whenever he could, and occasionally skipped out on boring lectures when the opportunity arose. But he didn’t think any of that warranted being labeled as lazy. As Taeui mentally ticked through his habits, trying to pinpoint where he might have fallen short, his uncle offered a response that was as vague as it was suggestive.

“You’ve got good instincts and solid judgment, but you lack a certain decisiveness in your actions. Or maybe it’s that your judgment goes a bit off track—especially when it comes to issues involving people. If someone pushes you, you might dodge a little at first, but eventually, you get annoyed and just give in, telling them to do whatever they want while you stay put.”

“Do I really do that?” – Taeui asked, genuinely surprised.

Taeui tilted his head, caught off guard by the unexpected comment. Has he really been like that? He mulled it over, but nothing came to mind. Besides, he couldn’t recall anyone ever prodding or pressuring him like that. If he had to name someone, it’d probably be that damned Lieutenant Kim—but he’d gotten his payback for that incident. As Taeui’s eyes darted around, searching his thoughts, his uncle seemed on the verge of saying something more but eventually shrugged and fell silent.

“Well, trying to figure out what’s going on in someone else’s head is a never-ending task. But I’m not too worried about you. Even if you end up tangled with a really difficult and troublesome person, you’ll manage somehow……”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Uncle?”

“It means you’re exceptionally good with people.” 

“I don’t think so. Why do you say things that feel like you’re placing storm clouds on my horizon? It’s ominous.” – Taeui said, pretending to frown.

His uncle waved his hand dismissively.

“No, no, I’m just being overly sensitive. Getting older makes you worry about everything, I suppose.”

“Just look at these gray hairs……” – His uncle lamented – “Until last year, it was all healthy black, but now they’ve started popping up one by one.”

Facing his uncle’s complaint, Taeui let out a sigh.

“Next time you go out, pick up some hair dye. Face it, Uncle, you’re not young anymore.”

As his uncle lamented: “My spirit feels youthful, but my body just won’t keep up anymore—it’s such a sad reality.” Taeui patted him lightly to console him before stepping out of the room.

********************************

That friend’s laughter was predictable—light and cheerful, as if nothing could faze him. [“Haha”], smooth and untroubled. On the other end of the line, he was probably shaking his head with a wry smile.

[“As long as he’s still breathing, that’s all that matters. If he were the type to die so easily, he’d have been gone ages ago. But, man, life sure throws some bizarre things your way…… Hahaha.”]

“Hey, hey, no matter how you look at it, laughing like that when your brother’s on the brink of death isn’t exactly appropriate.” – Changin muttered, though his tone was just as nonchalant.

[“He won’t die, he won’t die.”]

Jeong Changin also firmly believed in the certainty of his friend’s words, but hearing them stated so matter-of-factly sparked a natural urge to prod him a little.

“What, is your brother some kind of immortal? Getting stabbed with a germ-covered knife and still not dying?”

[“That guy has a knack for thriving on bad luck. He’s not on the same level as Jaei, but he’s still got pretty strong luck. If he were the type to die from something like that, he’d have been dead hundreds of times over by now.”]

“That’s true…… —By the way, have you heard anything from Jaeui?”

At that, his friend’s voice suddenly grew somber. With a bitter click of his tongue, he replied: [“No”] the regret in his tone was unmistakable.

Changin twirled a pen between his fingers. Unlike his friend’s brother, who thrived on bad luck, his nephew was blessed with extraordinary fortune, and was unlikely to find himself in danger anywhere. Yet, a vague sense of unease – not quite worry, but something akin to it – settled faintly in the back of his mind.

The UNHRDO’s intelligence network was far from flimsy. It could confidently rival most other information agencies. And his friend, too, wasn’t someone to be underestimated in such matters. Despite some overlap, the two independent entities had been casting their nets far and wide for months, yet not a single trace of his nephew had surfaced. If the nephew didn’t want his whereabouts to be discovered, it might be tempting to attribute it to his innate luck working in his favor. But as far as Changin knew, his nephew wasn’t the type to be so meticulous or overly sensitive about such things. A few years back, when the UNHRDO headquarters had reached out to him, he had scratched his head nonchalantly and said: “They’re looking for me? Sounds like a hassle. I don’t like it. But if they’re searching, I guess I should at least show my face.” That didn’t seem like someone who would suddenly, for no reason, grow disillusioned with the world and decide to disappear. Changin had initially thought his nephew might have impulsively gone on a few months’ trip somewhere. But for there to be no word at all, even now—it was baffling.

In cases like this, the only explanation aside from him not wanting to be found was……

“Anything from the leads you said you’d check on before?” – Changin asked.

[“Not Costa Rica*. That one didn’t pan out. There are two places left, but news from those is slow. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something————Don’t get too anxious. It’s Jaei we’re talking about, not just anyone.”]

“It’s because it’s Jeong Jaeui that it’s more troubling.” – Changin muttered, clicking his tongue.

If no information had surfaced to this extent, it meant either someone beyond the reach of any organization or ordinary faction was harboring him—or, in a worse scenario, he was being detained. Though he didn’t believe that was likely, the thought of Jaeui inadvertently getting involved in some weapon development program was enough to make the situation a potential nightmare.

“It’s already nerve-wracking enough that he’s constantly toeing the line with those treaties.” –  Changin grumbled.

As always, his friend chuckled good-naturedly.

[“Even if they wanted to go after him, they wouldn’t dare. They’re all people with skeletons in their closets themselves.”]

Changin chuckled. Talking with this friend always put him at ease. He had a way of analyzing situations objectively and arriving at the most appropriate conclusions.

“Alright, I’ll leave that side of things to you. As for Rick, if he wants, we could arrange to have him transported to Germany.”

[“No, there’s no need for that. Bringing him here won’t solve anything. Just tell him to get back to work properly once he wakes up.”]

“You’re suggesting I kick him straight to Hong Kong to handle company affairs the moment he gets out of bed?” – Changin replied with a wry smile.

[“Changin, what are you talking about? Don’t tell me you’re getting soft. Remember a few years ago, when I had surgery? The first thing I saw when I came out of anesthesia was Ilay pointing a gun at me.”]

“Yeah, that did happen.” – Changin replied with a faint smile, recalling the memory.

Changin let out a faint chuckle as he recalled the story he had heard before. The guy was merciless, even toward his own family. Apparently, at the time, due to unavoidable business reasons, his friend had become involved with the group Rick was affiliated with, which ultimately led to the group’s collapse. Fully aware that his younger brother would go on a rampage, his friend had decided to take the opportunity to undergo a long-postponed surgery for chronic appendicitis and checked into the hospital. When he regained consciousness, the scene around him was horrifying: His bodyguards were sprawled on the ground, drenched in blood, while his younger brother sat casually in the guardian’s chair, spinning a gun on his finger with a smile, staring straight at him.

[“If I hadn’t proposed a compromise back then, he would have shot me without hesitation.”]

“Probably…… The only person who could face that guy’s ferocity head-on and come out alive would be someone like Jaeui.” – Changin replied with a dry smile

Changin nodded and murmured to himself. It was already well-known that Jaeui was incredibly lucky, but that fact had hit home once again when that lunatic – Ilay Riegrow – got involved.

A few years back, a small pistol Jaeui had casually designed for fun had been commercialized by his friend’s company. At that time, Ilay Riegrow was at his most dangerous—a volatile period when his youthful recklessness hadn’t yet faded, and his intelligence, sharp as it was, couldn’t mask the raw ferocity of his instincts.

During the demonstration phase, before the pistol was commercialized, Riegrow had taken the weapon in his hand, gripping it a few times and pulling the hammer back experimentally. Then, with a seemingly impressed chuckle, he let out a: “Ha-ha.” Without any concern for the fact that they weren’t at a shooting range but indoors with several people present, he casually pulled the trigger, shattering the bell-shaped glass ornament of a chandelier with perfect precision. At that moment, his eyes landed on Jaeui—who happened to be there, perhaps during what was their first-ever meeting. Riegrow smirked slightly, then aimed the pistol directly at him.

“—I hear you’re supposed to carry extraordinary luck with you, like some kind of talisman. People won’t stop talking about how incredible it is. So, how about we test it out?”

Before he even finished speaking, Riegrow pulled the trigger, aiming straight at Jaeui.

There was no time to stop him.

He probably hadn’t intended to kill him—Riegrow hadn’t aimed for Jaeui’s head or heart. But his actions made it clear that he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest if Jaeui had been struck down on the spot.

And in that moment, the very same pistol that had fired flawlessly just minutes before exploded in Riegrow’s hand.

Changin still remembered the silence that had fallen over the room in that moment. Jaeui looked briefly startled, muttered with a blank expression: “There shouldn’t have been anything wrong with the mechanism……”, Changin, his friend, and a few other officials present – already aware from meticulous inspections that there were no issues with the pistol – stared at him in stunned disbelief. Riegrow, who had likely reached the same conclusion while handling the gun earlier, now stood there, staring intently at his bloodied, shredded hand. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at Jaeui. His gaze was initially filled with disbelief, gradually shifted into an expression of absurd resignation. Then, with a faint chuckle: “Ha”, he laughed. Only then did Changin finally let out the breath he had been holding.

At the time, Riegrow had looked like he wanted to test something further, but when the people around him rushed over in a panic and insisted on taking him to the hospital, he seemed to give up and went along without resistance. He even laughed as he said: “Well, there’s no competing with that, is there?”

And then, in a tone that made it impossible to tell if he was joking or serious, he added: “I’d like to meet that lucky talisman of a sibling sometime, too.”

“……Your family’s education must have gone terribly wrong.” – Changin muttered after a brief pause, lost in thought.

On the other end of the line, his friend let out a hearty laugh.

[“That’s harsh—criticizing someone else’s family like that. Though, as a family that produced such a troublesome individual, I suppose we owe the world an apology, so I can’t argue with you. But for what it’s worth, both Helena and I turned out perfectly normal.”]

“Of course, your sister is a beauty and undeniably talented, but entrusting the company to Rick? That’s where your judgment is clearly flawed.”

[“Haha, still, he’s not incompetent enough to run the company into the ground. It’s just that his personality is a bit…… problematic.”]

“That personality of his is more than just a bit problematic.” – Changin retorted.

Changin let out a sigh. He didn’t really need to worry about someone else’s company, nor did he feel particularly concerned. Still, for a moment, he couldn’t help but taste the bitterness of the world’s unfairness.

[“Why not? Thanks to him, the Hong Kong branch is thriving smoothly. And since he’s family, there’s no need to worry about embezzlement.”]

To his friend, who seemed intent on defending his brother in his own way, Changin muttered a half-hearted rebuke that wasn’t really much of a scolding.

“Using company funds to curry favor with colleagues—that’s a kind of embezzlement too, isn’t it?”

[“……? Of course it is. But as you know, that’s not something that applies to him.”] – His friend replied, as if stating the obvious.

*****************************

*Costa Rica: is a small but vibrant country in Central America, known for its rich biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and progressive policies.