Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: XVE Gas
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All the lights in the exhibition hall suddenly went out.
Na Gang-in quickly issued orders.
"Report any anomalies."
A moment later, the rechargeable emergency lights installed throughout the hall flickered on. They were just exit indicators, so the light was dim.
AI Jeon Ji-in reported.
Na Gang-in's night vision hadn't improved. Nor could he see infrared directly.
AI Jeon Ji-in used a different method.
The AR Lens wasn't equipment for seeing objects directly. It projected imagery synthesized by AI Jeon Ji-in. Thanks to the AR Lens, Na Gang-in could view hologram footage even normally.
The semitransparent AR Lens imagery overlapped with the real view. It wasn't as good as seeing directly, but he could clearly distinguish objects inside.
However, night vision mode had a drawback.
"Got it. First, evacuate the people..."
A new problem arose. AI Jeon Ji-in urgently reported.
Na Gang-in looked toward the entrance. He couldn't see the front door blocked by the wall, but he heard the amplified sound from AI Jeon Ji-in.
"The power's out, so why is that moving?"
"Security's lax everywhere else, but that's solid. How do we open the front door again?"
Na Gang-in quickly assessed the situation.
"Find the administrator to open the door, locate Eun-ha and the others to get them out, and evacuate everyone?"
That would take too much time.
Normally, he could afford some delay. But he'd come here suspecting a chemical weapon attack.
"Would evacuating Eun-ha myself be faster? Or would the XVE gas detonating be faster?"
"Right. Eliminate the cause first. If the chemical weapon's already inside this building, where could it be?"
The rooftop was already checked. The second floor was empty.
But just now, the power equipment underground was damaged.
"Probably in the basement."
Scarlett's two bodyguards were waiting in a car in the parking lot outside the exhibition hall.
They were startled to see the jewelry exhibition's front shutter descend.
The two hurriedly got out of the car and headed to the jewelry exhibition, pulling out their cell phones. One to contact Scarlett, the other to call the police.
As they rushed along, they bumped into people coming from the front.
The people they collided with suddenly pressed stun guns against their bodies and held down the buttons. Electricity disrupting their nervous systems overwhelmed the bodyguards.
"Guh, guh..."
The bodyguards, caught off guard by the stun guns, slumped limply in an instant.
The two who bumped into them pocketed the stun guns. One of them brought a wrist mic to his mouth and reported.
"OmegaTech's bodyguards have been neutralized."
"We'll load them back into their car."
The guard in the special exhibition room was also struck on the back of the head by Cougar's subordinate and collapsed.
The international mercenary Cougar ordered.
"Grab the gear."
His subordinate opened the briefcase called a 007 bag.
Inside were four small pistols. Cougar and his three subordinates each took one and attached small suppressors to the front.
Cougar issued another order.
"Grab the jewels. Don't take useless junk—only the valuable ones."
Another subordinate said.
"I've marked the expensive ones."
The bag also contained tools.
Cougar shone a small flashlight on the central display case with the diamond rough.
"This first. Dismantle it carefully without damaging the goods."
The subordinates used tools to separate the glass joints. As soon as one panel was removed, Cougar wrapped the rough in a handkerchief.
No alarms went off. The entire alarm system was silent.
Cougar held the diamond rough and grinned.
"This one's ten million dollars alone. Heh heh."
After putting the jewel in the bag, he ordered his men.
"What are you doing? Think we've got time to spare? Fill that bag quick!"
"Yes!"
Shin Eun-ha mingled with the crowd, admiring jewels, necklaces, rings, and crafts.
While she was looking at a jewel-encrusted bag, all the exhibition hall lights went out. A moment later, emergency lights came on, but the exhibition room was still dark.
Shin Eun-ha said.
"A blackout in Seoul? That's rare."
At her words about it being rare, Scarlett's secretary Jessica pulled out her phone.
"This feels bad. I need to call the bodyguards..."
Jessica's expression hardened.
"Out of service area?"
Shin Eun-ha quickly checked her own phone.
"Mine too."
The others pulled out their phones as well. Everyone was the same.
Shin Eun-ha tensed. She knew from the Jackal incident that phone service was cut off simultaneously with enemy attacks.
"Something dangerous seems to have happened."
The lead actress from Sunny Day, Oh Se-mi, didn't worry much.
"The local blackout probably took out the cell towers too. Don't overreact."
Kim Yu-chan sided with Shin Eun-ha.
"It's not overreacting. I have a bad feeling too."
Shin Eun-ha suggested.
"We need to grab weapons first."
People looked at each other. No one would have weapons.
Lee Bo-ra fretted.
"We're not screwed, are we?"
Oh Se-mi realized the mood was off, swallowed hard, and suggested.
"If robbers have broken in, wouldn't it be better to hide here? Running into them would be dangerous."
Na Gang-in headed to the basement.
The alarm device on the stairs showed no reaction.
"The entire exhibition hall's alarms are down. That blinds their eyes too."
With all alarms off, the enemies couldn't use the building's security system either.
After descending to the basement, he first searched for the security system control area.
It didn't take long. A beige-painted steel door opened, and a man walked out.
Distinguishing enemy from ally was simple. Through the open door, a fallen staff member was visible on the floor inside.
Na Gang-in sprinted through the basement. The enemy was twenty meters away. The enemy heard someone running, whipped his head around, and spotted Na Gang-in.
Na Gang-in was already mid-jump. He lashed out with a kick in midair.
The enemy's torso folded in half.
"Kek!"
The enemy flew back into the security room he'd just exited. Na Gang-in followed, landing inside.
Na Gang-in checked the pulse of the fallen staff member on the floor.
The one he'd just kicked was crumpled in the corner—no need to check.
Na Gang-in scanned the security room interior. All the equipment was already wrecked.
He'd seen this before.
"The method looks more like Jackal's the more I see it. So these guys probably have guns too?"
Na Gang-in patted down the crumpled body in the corner. No gun, not even a knife.
"None? Short on guns?"
Na Gang-in stepped outside.
"Machine room?"
Na Gang-in opened the machine room door. Some internal equipment had short-circuited and melted. No fire had started, but acrid smoke lingered.
"Work of someone who knows electrical systems. But did that guy do all this alone?"
"Where?!"
The noise location appeared in midair. It was directly opposite his position.
Na Gang-in burst out of the machine room and dashed that way.
Facilities in front of the machine room made running difficult. Even so, he didn't slow. He kicked aside obstructing equipment, veering direction. A concrete wall blocked ahead. He kicked it again, leaping forward.
He cleared the machine room front in an instant. Now there was a bit more space to run. He crossed it in a flash.
A corner appeared. His speed was too high. He crouched low, sliding around the corner on the floor.
Far ahead, two men stood by equipment. A gas canister was beside them.
"XVE gas?"
Na Gang-in charged toward the target.
The canister connection was already complete. One of them spotted Na Gang-in and widened his eyes. He immediately reached for the gas valve with his right hand.
Hologram warning markers popped up rapidly. To block the valve before it turned, he'd need to throw something.
Among what he had, only one item could inflict damage when thrown.
Na Gang-in pulled out his smartphone. No need to specify the target. What needed stopping now was the enemy's hand on the valve.
Na Gang-in hurled the smartphone with all his strength. AI Jeon Ji-in slightly adjusted his hand and arm motion for precision.
The thin, sturdy smartphone flew at high speed, striking the enemy's hand reaching for the valve dead-on. The enemy's right hand snapped, his arm flinging sideways.
"Argh!"
The enemy screamed.
The other one turned toward Na Gang-in, raising both fists forward. Boxing stance.
Na Gang-in charged. The enemy planted himself firmly, launching a right hook at Na Gang-in's face as he closed in.
Na Gang-in twisted his upper body slightly to dodge the fist, then countered with his left hand. The counter punch slammed into the enemy's jaw.
"Kek!"
The enemy collapsed on the spot with a short cry.
Na Gang-in had no time to toss the enemy aside. But shoving with his shoulder risked hitting the canister.
He slid past the collapsing enemy.
The man by the canister now reached for the valve with his left hand. It touched.
Na Gang-in pivoted on his right foot, delivering a left roundhouse kick to the enemy's torso. No mercy—he put full power into his leg.
The enemy's body folded at the waist and flew sideways, smashing into the wall without even a scream.
Na Gang-in quickly grabbed the valve with his hand and locked it. He urgently asked.
"Did it leak?"
"Damage from a negligible amount?"
Na Gang-in let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew. I stopped it."
"Wasn't late. That's what matters."
"Good work."
Na Gang-in said.
"We've secured the XVE gas, so the most dangerous crisis is averted, right?"
Cougar's gang had taken all the pre-marked jewels. A subordinate locked the bag full of gems.
Another subordinate asked.
"Boss. Move to the next phase?"