Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Yulmyeong Bio II
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The thief's plan outlined exactly how to steal Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop.
Na Gang-in said,
"Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop and the event laptop are the exact same model."
"So he grabbed the wrong one by mistake?"
"No. The plan is too detailed for that. There's no way he could've mixed them up."
"But he confessed that he stole it to get back at his ex-girlfriend..."
"Did you verify that?"
"The detective in charge checked it out. They definitely dated."
"He lied to make it seem like he committed a petty crime for revenge on his ex. It was to hide his real motive. The question is why he targeted Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop..."
"We'll get him to spill why. With all this extra evidence, we can squeeze it out of him."
Na Gang-in knew that Kwon Soo-yeon was the original developer of the Iramid solar cell.
Na Gang-in thought,
'This is weird. That tech doesn't get recognized as groundbreaking until thirty years from now. No one should know about it yet.'
He wanted to know who had targeted Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop and why.
"If you uncover anything, let me know too. I'll keep cooperating. Oh, and it won't be a problem for me to assist with the investigation, right?"
Park Soon-gi grinned broadly.
"Of course not! We always consult experts when we hit a wall. You're the pro at this stuff, aren't you, Teacher Na? Hahaha."
The next day, Park Soon-gi came back to see Na Gang-in.
"That thief finally talked."
"What'd he say?"
"The guy who ordered the laptop told him to bring it to someone waiting inside the school. He was supposed to hand it over, let that guy do whatever, then put it back where it belonged."
"They were gonna plant hacking code in it."
"That's what I thought the second I heard."
"The client wanted Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop, not the event one."
"Right. They tried to grab it while she was presenting, but her dad kept holding onto it, so they failed."
Na Gang-in could guess why they'd stolen the event laptop instead.
"The thief figured he could swap in the identical model and fool the client."
"Yeah. He thought the client wouldn't know what was on Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop anyway."
"They probably had the password or a silicone fingerprint fake. Anyway."
Na Gang-in pieced it together.
"So some guy hires a pro thief to plant hacking code in Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop, but the thief tries to scam him with a different one and pocket the cash?"
"Exactly."
"Then he runs into Soo-yeon on the way out, so he chases her down."
"Yeah. He panicked and tried to threaten her."
"After missing her, he bolts out of the school entirely."
"You got it, just like you heard."
Na Gang-in tilted his head slightly.
"What about the ex-girlfriend?"
"He said he seduced her before to steal other stuff from the school. She's just one of many. When we caught him, he threw her under the bus since she happened to be at the event."
Park Soon-gi grumbled,
"This is why you shouldn't date based on looks. Anyone wanna look past my face and see my heart?"
"There's Min Young-hee."
Park Soon-gi jumped back.
"Whoa, who're you trying to set me up with? Even you, Teacher Na—no way. Young-hee isn't human; she's a wild beast in disguise."
"Ah, got it. So did you catch the guy who hired the thief?"
Park Soon-gi shook his head.
"He bolted when the incident blew up. Never showed at the meetup, so no face."
"What about people entering the school that day?"
"Too many locals by then; can't track 'em all. Phone tracing's underway, but burner phones make it pointless."
"CCTV at the front and back gates should've caught faces, right?"
"Yep."
"Can I scroll through them? Might recognize someone."
Park Soon-gi smiled awkwardly.
"So many people came and went that day, it might not help, but we've got 'em compiled. Take a look."
Na Gang-in went through photos on Park Soon-gi's laptop of everyone leaving Korea University after the incident. Even just an hour's worth was hundreds of faces.
As he scrolled, Na Gang-in said quietly,
"Ji-in-ah, memorize them all. So we spot 'em anywhere."
Na Gang-in kept scrolling and asked Park Soon-gi,
"Why would that guy want to hack Kwon Soo-yeon's laptop?"
"Thief didn't know. I figure he was after her research."
He went through all the photos but recognized no one.
After Park Soon-gi left, Na Gang-in sat in his chair, thinking.
"Soo-yeon's Iramid solar cell research gets buried for thirty years after the lead developer dies."
"If someone went this far targeting that research, it wouldn't stay buried."
"Yeah. It's not them."
"Nah. The guy's definitely after something tied to Soo-yeon. If the lead developer's home hits major trouble, the research stalls hard."
"Plus, it'd make her surgery way tougher. This isn't some routine hospital op."
"Our Ji-in's got beef with the surgery, huh?"
"Can't have that. No surgery, she dies. Then Iramid solar cells don't show up till thirty years later."
"But get this—just spitballing..."
Na Gang-in frowned slightly.
"What if someone knows how Iramid solar cells get used in the future and tried hacking her laptop to find out? Maybe future research too."
"What if someone does know that impossible info? They'd have future knowledge like us, right?"
The AI Jeon Ji-in responded urgently.
"I know. But odds are near zero. Probably."
Na Gang-in had heard from Surgical Director Lee Jeong-ho that Kwon Soo-yeon was the daughter of Yulmyeong Bio President Kwon Dong-jin.
"Yulmyeong Bio. That's the real target."
"Yulmyeong Bio still around in 2082?"
Absence from Jeon Ji-in's initial data didn't mean the company vanished.
"Could exist till 2082 without being in your data. Or name change."
"What info would the hacker want from that company?"
"Nail the perp on one, and the rest follows."
To probe Yulmyeong Bio, he needed an insider.
"Gotta meet Director Lee Jeong-ho first."
Na Gang-in visited the hospital the next day.
High schooler Lee Yeon-ji had been discharged already. She was on outpatient treatment now.
AI Jeon Ji-in reported,
Lee Yeon-ji spotted Na Gang-in while at the hospital too.
"Ah! Uncle!"
"Hey. Feeling better?"
"Heehee. I can eat whatever I want now. Wanna split some tteokbokki and jokbal later?"
"Gonna steal my mandu again?"
"Heehee. And ramen."
"No time today. Next time."
"Okay!"
"Hey, remember when I bought you street food last time? You said you'd treat me if we met at the hospital."
"Oh, right. Coffee from the convenience store."
AI Jeon Ji-in said,
"I'll take cola."
Lee Yeon-ji bought two colas from the first-floor convenience store. They sat on a bench outside.
Na Gang-in asked,
"All good now? No pain anywhere?"
"Of course! My dad's the world's best surgeon!"
"Yeah? Sure is."
Na Gang-in probed casually.
"Director Lee do the surgery solo?"
"Dunno. It's a secret technique. I'm his daughter and the patient, and he won't even tell me. Man, maybe I'll become a doctor too out of spite."
AI Jeon Ji-in said,
Lee Yeon-ji chattered on.
"Not really going to med school, though. I wanna be a scientist."
"What kind?"
"Build spaceships, robots, research nuclear fusion."
"Hydrogen bombs? Big dreams."
"No, fusion power plants. Super into energy issues."
"You've got a lot of interests. Weren't you gonna be a celebrity last time?"
Lee Yeon-ji giggled.
"That's for college. Right now, I wanna be an idol. Singer, actress."
"Go for it. But can you act?"
She poked her cheek with a finger.
"What if I'm a natural?"
"Never tried?"
"Heehee."
"Singing?"
"My friend said I'm good."
"Eh, amateur level. Yeon-ji, you're top of your class, right?"
"Yep!"
"Stick to studying. That's your talent."
"Ugh."
Na Gang-in finished his cola and headed to see Lee Jeong-ho.
Lee Yeon-ji had a checkup, so they parted.
Lee Jeong-ho greeted Na Gang-in in his office.
"Thank you. My daughter lived because of you."
"Ran into her downstairs. Looks fine."
Lee Jeong-ho smiled.
"She's perfectly healthy now. Recovery's insanely fast. Hahaha."
His smile faded a bit.
"Actually, it's too fast. She's back to running around already."
"Think it's the disease?"
"Not sure. First success from critical condition... Even if so, regular checkups to stay safe."
Lee Jeong-ho brought coffee in a mug.
Na Gang-in sipped.
"This is good."
"Yulmyeong Bio's President Kwon Dong-jin gifted the beans. Want more?"
"No, actually here to ask something."
"Shoot."
"Yulmyeong Bio developing anything special?"
"Huh? Pharma company, always on drugs, but what specifically...?"
"You don't know details."
"Just sales rep chatter. Doctor forums too, nothing stands out."
"Hmm..."
Na Gang-in didn't know what the laptop thief's client was after. But he hoped it wouldn't cause Kwon Soo-yeon trouble.
She knew about his past life and was key to future energy tech with Iramid solar cells.
'If it's the solar cells they're after, gotta find out why.'
To catch the guy, figure out the target first.
"Surgery still pending?"
Lee Jeong-ho glanced around, then whispered,
"Need time to divert meds, blood, fake docs, adjust schedules. Did it once for Yeon-ji; back-to-back risks exposure."
Na Gang-in said,
"Never asked for money as a condition."
Lee Jeong-ho nodded.
"I know. No cash trail means no legal or PR blowup later. President Kwon appreciates the no-strings help."
"Wasn't asking for anything, but circumstances changed."
Lee Jeong-ho tensed.
"Need something...?"
"Want to meet Yulmyeong Bio President Kwon Dong-jin today."