The Land of Opportunity
My private jet sat parked in a corner of the runway at Dallas International Airport in the land of opportunity. Dr. Jennifer Cash stepped off and stretched, murmuring with a wistful look in her eyes. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here...”
Following her lead, I loosened my stiff body and asked, “A long time?”
“I used to live here with my husband.”
“I see...”
“Let’s get moving. I’m tired.”
Tired, my ass. She was struggling because of thoughts about her husband. Such pure, unwavering love. I wanted to turn that heart toward me as soon as possible.
“Understood.”
After clearing immigration, we headed straight for the most luxurious hotel in Houston. The doctor seemed uncomfortable that I was covering all the expenses. It was a completely different reaction from the time she had asked me to pay the hotel bill back in Ganghwa Island. Proof that the power dynamic between us had completely reversed. Still, as I’d thought before, I couldn’t afford to rush. I had to move step by step, following the plan, and win her over. In her heart stood an unshakable statue of her late husband, Parsons. Its height probably surpassed even the tallest skyscraper. I couldn’t try to smash it from the start. First, I needed to set my own statue beside his and slowly make it grow.
Being alone together like this almost felt like a vacation. For some reason, I felt excited. Why did this remind me of the first time I slept with Sehwa?
While riding the elevator with the doctor, I asked, “Are you planning to rest properly today? Shall we grab a light meal and relax?”
“Let’s do that. Want to meet in the lobby after we unpack?”
“Yes.”
After getting off the elevator, we each entered our rooms to unpack. Amusingly, we opened our doors almost at the same time. Meeting my eyes, the doctor gave an awkward laugh, clearly embarrassed. “You didn’t time it so you’d come out exactly when I did, did you...?”
Honestly, I could have if I’d wanted to. I could have focused my hearing and stepped out the moment she did. But this really was a coincidence. Fate... Yeah, this was fate. I hoped she would see it that way too.
“Did I have that kind of ability?”
“You probably do. You’re basically sinister, after all.”
Even though it was clearly a joke, I felt strangely guilty. How did she know? This woman with sharp instincts... Forcing a smile, I scratched my head. “What does being sinister have to do with this...?”
“It’s a joke. Shall we head down?”
“You’ve been joking a lot more lately, haven’t you?”
The doctor didn’t answer and quickened her pace. It was cute how she always did that whenever she felt embarrassed. It didn’t match her usual image at all, yet it suited her and felt refreshingly new. I’d be seeing this side of her often soon enough.
We entered the restaurant, were guided to a table by the waiter, and sat down.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Please order for me, Doctor.”
“Why? Do you have some kind of English phobia?”
“Another joke, right?”
“Yeah.”
I looked at her with a warm smile. “It’s nice. The old you had a stiff side that made it hard to approach.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. Honestly, I was scared of you.”
“Not anymore, I guess?”
“I’ve gotten much more comfortable. Shall we order?”
The doctor answered with a bright smile and called the waiter over. After ordering several dishes, we chatted casually. Most of the conversation revolved around the seminar.
“Actually, there’s something I couldn’t say back at the lab... There are quite a few stubborn types over there. I don’t think your intellectual curiosity will be satisfied.”
“The broader one’s perspective, the better. You have to listen to various opinions to broaden your horizons.”
“It’s a good attitude, but... Shall I be honest? You’re much smarter than those empty-headed guys there. I can guarantee there’s not a single thing you can learn from them.”
“Is it really that bad...? I heard only famous people gather there.”
“Being famous and being smart are two different things.”
“Even so, they must be the best in the field of future science...”
“Not as good as me... No, not as good as us.”
I arched my mouth in a skeptical expression. Seeing it, the doctor continued. “There are plenty of people who are stubborn without any real skill. Those kinds of people are eating away at future science. You know that saying, right? It’s better not to know than to know half-assedly. They’re exactly the type that fits that half-assed knowledge.”
“Aren’t you being too harsh...? They’re your colleagues...”
“I’m saying this so you don’t get your hopes up. And... even if something makes you angry, try to endure it as much as possible. They’re ignorant, but they’re famous, so if word gets out, it could become a problem. Just think of it as going there to get Polymus.”
If I got heated, I could always kill them secretly later.
“Well... Understood.”
The next day, we took a simple walk. Breathing in the humid Texas air from early morning, I asked, “After breakfast, shall we go sightseeing or something?”
“No, I want to rest until evening. You shouldn’t think about wandering around either—just rest well. Once we get there, you’ll definitely be drained.”
This level was almost like holding a grudge... When I made a puzzled face, the doctor patted my back with a smile. “Let’s meet in the lobby at seven. Got it?”
“Understood.”
No choice, then. What a shame. I answered obediently and returned to my room to request a limousine. From what the doctor had said, the seminar sounded like a gathering of old fogies. In that case, I couldn’t let her take a taxi and lose face. Our Dr. Jennifer Cash had to be perfect. She couldn’t become a laughingstock.
That evening, while waiting for the doctor in the lobby, I was startled when she stepped outside. The dress—white on top, black on the bottom—was incredibly alluring. Her diamond-shaped hips, the neckline deep enough to reveal cleavage, and one bare shoulder made me swallow involuntarily. Her only accessory was a single bracelet. It might have looked plain, but it completed the look perfectly. With makeup added, she was the very image of a goddess of beauty. Even the faint tendons visible along her collarbone to her neck were strangely attractive. Her hair slightly covering her right eye... There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like. Especially erotic was the slight protrusion of her upper abdomen and the groove running down the center. I was going crazy wanting to lick it right then and there.
As I stood with my mouth hanging open, the doctor chuckled and tapped my arm with the hand holding her clutch. “I wish you wouldn’t stare so blatantly.”
“Ah... Sorry...”
“Close your mouth. You’re drooling.”
I unconsciously brought my hand to my chin and wiped it. At that, the doctor burst out laughing. After laughing for a while, she waved her hand dismissively. “You weren’t actually drooling. Do you know you’ve been really funny lately?”
“That... I can’t come to my senses.”
At my compliment, the doctor let out a wry laugh. She didn’t seem to mind. “Sehwa will get angry, you know?”
“Sehwa isn’t here right now... But shouldn’t we cover up here?”
I made a zipping gesture in the air in front of my chest. The doctor looked flustered. “Shouldn’t we not worry about it?”
“How can I not worry when it’s like this?”
“Call a taxi. Before you get scolded.”
I don’t want other people seeing your chest! Hiding my disappointment, I pointed behind my shoulder. “I’ve already requested a limousine.”
“What...? It’s only a fifteen-minute distance...”
“I wanted to make it a bit more special. Let’s get in quickly.”
“I really can’t stop you... Alright... Let’s go.”
The seminar was being held at a mansion—a grand estate ten minutes from the hotel. It seemed to belong to some wealthy patron. When I stepped out of the limousine, I was surprised by the number of people outside. At this rate, it had to be packed inside. Had all the world’s renowned scholars gathered?
As I was glancing around, the doctor came up beside me. “Don’t be nervous.”
“Ah, yes... But are there young people here too...?”
“There are. Around thirty years old.”
“Thirty...? Is that considered young?”
“At my age, isn’t thirty young? Let’s go in quickly. I want a cocktail.”
Nodding, I glanced at her. I wanted to link arms with her, at least until we entered... I should ask. “Can I link arms?”
“No.”
I see. “Yes. I won’t act up.”
I looked ahead with a resigned gaze. Then, for some reason, the doctor linked her arm with mine. Startled that she had actually done it, my shoulders trembled. “What are you...”
“We have to keep up appearances. Only until we enter, okay?”
She hadn’t linked arms because she liked me as a man. She had done it purely for appearances. But whatever the reason, what did it matter? The important thing was that we had physical contact.
“Understood.”
Thanks to the doctor’s invitation, I safely entered the mansion. I ordered a simple cocktail and observed the atmosphere. Inside, it was bustling. All sorts of people leading Earth’s future science were networking. As I quietly studied the scholars’ faces, the doctor spoke to me. “How is it?”
“I’m not sure yet. Has the opening not started?”
“There’s no opening. It’s just a place for free discussion. And incidentally, to build friendships.”
“How can they discuss and network without any central standard?”
“The people gathered here already know each other well.”
“Ah...”
This was the problem with elite groups. They were all trying to monopolize everything among themselves. Later, when I conquered the Earth, I’d behead every last one of them fairly.
“It’s more like a social gathering than a seminar.”
“Exactly. I’m going to start walking around now. If I find a Polymus seller, I’ll call you, so stay here.”
“Can’t I go with you?”
“I think it’s better if I approach first.”
She’d been saying things that made me feel disappointed since earlier. I really wanted to fuck her senseless like Bo-young... “Alright...”
“I’ll be back.”
The doctor gave an awkward, apologetic smile and moved away. She was drawing everyone’s attention. At first, I thought they were captivated by her beauty, but upon closer inspection, that wasn’t it. The men and women looking at her were tilting their heads as if seeing someone they hadn’t met in a long time. They were clearly comparing her face to the Isabella Parsons they knew.
‘She said she doesn’t reveal her face much under that name... It makes sense.’
A few guys were sneakily glancing at the doctor’s chest. Death penalty. You too. That guy as well. As I was adding them to my kill list, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties approached and asked, “A face I’ve never seen before? You’re not a waiter... Are you perhaps an assistant?”
“Yes, my name is Alex Song.”
“Whose assistant?”
This disrespectful bastard... If I gave my name, you should give yours too. You’re getting the death penalty as well.
“Just... an assistant to a nano-tube and Polymus expert.”
“You don’t want to reveal your master’s name, I see. By the way, do you know much about nano-tubes?”
“I think I know a lot about arrangements. I’m doing research on arrangement replacement.”
At those words, the middle-aged man snorted. “You’re doing useless research. Nano-tubes become worthless if you don’t use the standard arrangement.”
I immediately understood why the doctor had disparaged these people yesterday. The type who didn’t care about other people’s experiences and believed only what they themselves had experienced was the truth. Humans who tried to judge others with that pathetic standard. Moreover, they didn’t even think it was wrong. There were mountains of things I could refute, but these kinds of people had no intention of listening to others. Discussing with them was a waste of time. It was better to just ignore them consistently.
“I see. Understood.”
“No matter which scholar you’re learning from, you learned wrong.”
“I said I understand.”
“Is it because you’re young and full of vigor? How arrogant. But do you know? There’s no one here who wasn’t called a genius when they were young.”
Then what the fuck do you want me to do? You’re the top priority for death penalty. I’ll kill you secretly without anyone knowing as soon as I get back. For a long while, I struggled to listen to the middle-aged man bragging about himself. Just as it was getting hard to let it go in one ear and my irritation was rising, the doctor approached quickly from afar and stopped nearby. She was looking at my expression with a playful smile. A smile as if saying, ‘How is it? Wasn’t what I said accurate?’
Forcing a bitter smile, I pointed behind the middle-aged man. “It seems like the person you’re looking for is over there?”
“... So the ultimate purpose of nano-tubes is... Huh? Who?”
The middle-aged man stopped mid-sentence and turned around. Taking that opportunity, I quickly mixed into the crowd and approached the doctor. Seeing me with drooping shoulders, the doctor chuckled and asked, “You’re really quick? Already tired? I told you so.”
“Well... It could be just that person.”
“More than half of the people here are worse than that guy, if not better? They used to be pure too. But after tasting power here, they changed. Just don’t have expectations.”
“Haah...”
I let out a deep sigh. Seeing the disappointment on my face, the doctor laughed quietly. “It’s your fault for not believing me.”
“Right now I really need comfort... Stop teasing me. Did you find the seller?”
“Yeah. I found them. Shall we go a bit slowly?”
From her tone, she was clearly enjoying this situation. I relaxed my neck and made a dejected face. “Let’s go quickly...”
“From now on, you have to listen to me well? If you don’t want to regret it like today.”
No, you have to listen to me well. You have to do whatever I tell you to do.
“Stop teasing me already...”
“Got it. Let’s go quickly.”