Silver Moon Society (3)
[I didn't know you spoke Chinese this well?]
Jang Liuwian looked stunned. Baek Dosan too. The man who'd been looking down on me just moments ago hadn't shown it, but he must have been thrown off balance.
"Didn't you say I didn't speak Chinese well?"
"I never said you couldn't."
I'd considered playing even dumber to probe him further, but I just wanted to cut to the chase.
[I don't want to waste energy on mind games before the real talk.]
"Your friend's quite bold."
This time, it was Korean from Jang Liuwian's side.
"You speak Korean well yourself."
"Korea's one of my main trading partners. Learning the language is a given."
Still, starting in Chinese was probably another test.
"Shall we eat first?"
I turned to Kim Jaeho, who'd been drooling beside me, and gave the word.
"Go ahead."
The moment I spoke, Kim Jaeho dove into his plate. Manners be damned—he shoveled food into his mouth like a beast. Jang Liuwian chuckled at the sight.
"Your friend must've been starving."
No hint of unease in that laugh, but men at his level never let their true feelings show.
Han Seohyun started eating more cautiously. One bite, and his eyes went wide—clearly delicious.
"By the way, I know Beltsmets is your team's name, but what's yours?"
I paused at the question. I hadn't settled on a solid alias. But I recovered smoothly enough.
"I'm basically Beltsmets itself. Leader, head honcho. Call me whatever you like."
Smooth delivery, lame content—that was the trap.
Call you whatever? Ray's voice echoed in my head.
'What am I supposed to do? I didn't think of a name!'
Come to think of it, we'd named the organization but nothing else. I had a new ID ready, Kim Jaeho had no real identity to begin with, but Han Seohyun needed an alias bad.
Hmm. I'd figure something out later.
"Fair enough. Your name doesn't matter anyway."
Jang Liuwian brushed off my flimsy excuse with a playful grin. But the smile faded fast.
"You've heard the story by now. Things are dangerous here."
"Something about trouble with the Red Society, right?"
"They struck first. No warning, just cowardly Awakeners wiping out our people and turf without a trace. Not even war. A massacre."
If my hunch was right about who was involved, it wasn't war—it was slaughter, just like he said.
"I want you to drive the Red Society out of here. Can you do it?"
"Honestly? Too soon to say."
The woman behind Jang Liuwian—Tian Clian—flashed fire in her eyes. How dare he say that here?
But it was the truth.
Pulled here blind, no intel? No way I'd commit.
"We'll give it our best shot, at least."
"Mm. Fine."
Jang Liuwian looked dissatisfied. Baek Dosan smirked like it was amusing.
"I'd love to join you for the meal, but urgent business calls. Excuse me."
He stood. I watched him go.
"Enjoy your food."
With that, Jang Liuwian left.
Open dismissal, but I just shrugged.
"Dig in, kids."
In the descending elevator, Tian Clian—who'd stayed silent till now—finally spoke.
"What disappointments. Disappointing just to look at."
Jang Liuwian nodded. They did look sloppy. The masked guy was cocky, the kid behind him all nerves.
Street-level thugs, basically.
Leaving the table first was his way of showing displeasure.
Baek Dosan had vouched for them, so it wasn't polite, but even he felt let down.
"You're really entrusting it to those losers?"
Jang Liuwian smirked.
"What's the harm? If they fail? Eh."
"We'll just look a bit more ridiculous. We've got nothing to lose."
The situation was dire. Silver Moon Society had lost or had destroyed 80% of its turf to Red Society in just six months. Decades of dominance, gone.
Red Society was the new power.
Calling them in was a desperate Hail Mary.
Red Society had a monster. One that devoured everything without a trace.
Baek Dosan apologized on their behalf.
"He's not usually like that."
"Look at us. We're ignorable. And honestly, I'm not delicate enough to get offended."
If anything, his absence improved the appetite.
Guys like that? Talking wouldn't sway them. Results would.
"We'll poke around on our end, then."
With that, I parted from Baek Dosan and headed back to the hotel with the two. Time to share what I knew before digging deeper.
"Red Society's boss is Samaheon. But don't worry about him. Ordinary guy, no abilities. The real threat's his adopted daughter, Suo Haozhu."
"A girl?"
"Yeah. Looks about fifteen."
Han Seohyun's jaw dropped.
"Wait—we're up against a fifteen-year-old girl?"
"Looks only. She's older. Way older."
"Wha—that her Talent? Baby face?"
"No. Her Talent's 'Trade.' Sacrifices something of hers for power."
Her time's frozen. Traded 'not growing' for it.
When I met her, she looked fifteen, but she'd been active over a decade.
No one knows her real age. Not even her.
"There's Talents like that, huh."
"Yeah."
"How do you even know?"
"Just do."
"You said your Lie Talent, but—"
"Told you, I've got all sorts."
"This ain't 'sorts.'"
Han Seohyun eyed me suspiciously but nodded.
"Anyway, that girl—well, girl-looking but unknown age—is our enemy?"
"Right. Don't underestimate. Weird Talent means freakishly strong."
Talents are innate. Hers is unique—trade-based.
That's why she's special.
Gets stronger with limits.
Few know her sacrifices. I heard rumors.
I glanced at news footage of her wrecking a base.
"That firepower? She gave up a ton."
Silver Moon crumbled unprepared because of this 'irregular monster.'
"Probably her memories too."
"Memories?"
"Yeah. Memories, emotions. Her adoptive dad manipulated her into it. Turned her into an emotionless war machine that obeys only him."
Suo Haozhu's ruthless, psychopath-level cold, but it's all conditioned. She trusted her 'dad,' locked away pieces of herself on his word.
I've met her. She wasn't the type to start wars.
This was all her adoptive dad's doing.
"So the 'nobody' dad is the real boss."
"Bingo."
I stared at the screen.
"He set her on this path from the start."
Her massacres, her rise over corpses—all for his praise. She'd do anything for it.
"What's this dad guy like, exactly?"
I sneered.
"Silver-tongued con man."
Problem was, he conned too well. Found her, molded her into his perfect weapon, got everything he wanted.
"You're finding him first."
"What about you, Boss?"
"I'll scout Suo Haozhu."
"W-wait. You just said she's insanely strong? Like, instant death?"
"She doesn't kill randomly. Safe till her dad orders it."
Han Seohyun gaped.
"Sorry, but are you insane?"
I laughed and smacked his rude mouth.
"Ow!"
"Spouting off like a fool!"
"Wasn't wrong! You hyped how dangerous she is, then say you're meeting her?"
"Got reasons."
I'd meet Suo Haozhu in four years. This version? No clue.
So, scout time. Know your enemy, win every battle.
"Best case? Flip her to our side. Convince her not to play her dad's game."
"Possible?"
I shrugged. She loved her 'dad'—twisted, like loving a well-oiled tool. But she cherished it. Her life had no other love.
World's full of other things.
Things worth loving.
Show her? Might avert this tragedy early.
That's why I'd meet her first.
"Can we just waltz up?"
"Yeah."
I knew her habits up close.
Like that ice cream shop she couldn't pass by.
Han Seohyun read my face and facepalmed.
"I'm the crazy one."