The Stirring
[So, what are you going to do now?]
A subtitle filled with discontent popped up on the screen Swoo was looking at. Even though it was a text display that shouldn't have carried any emotion, it was fascinating how clearly Serena's irritation came through.
[If we take him to the client like this, he will be killed. If we leave him, some nameless faction will take care of him.]
And once again, it was completely dry.
Even with a man slamming his head against the ground in front of her, blood dripping from his forehead, Serena did not waver.
Was she hiding her agitation deep down, or did she simply not care because it wasn't her business?
Swoo might have known if she could see Serena's face, but except for the occasional glimpse of her thighs when she leaned down, Serena remained out of sight.
If it were Angela, only her breasts would have been visible.
Does that mean Angela can't even sleep on her stomach?
Swoo's thoughts began to drift aimlessly.
Perhaps noticing this, Serena brought up a subtitle that was larger than before.
[I have asked you three times what you plan to do.]
"Just like you said, Serena, it looks like Isaac is going to die no matter what we choose."
[Do not just agree with me; tell me your plan. You are wasting my time.]
"What do you want to do, Serena?"
Lost in thought for a moment, Serena slid her shoe right under Isaac's forehead as he continued to bash it against the floor. She effectively stopped his self-harm.
[It would be a waste to kill him.]
"Because there's still more to squeeze out of him?"
[Shall I speak frankly?]
"Yep."
[Yes. There is definitely more we can extract from Isaac Evan.]
"For example?"
[Kimeras.]
A strange gleam flickered in Swoo's eyes.
[Until recently, the department Isaac belonged to was researching Kimeras. Although that role has now been transferred to headquarters, remnants of their work should still remain. He will certainly have information on a specific Kimera currently reported as missing.]
A walking magic pouch.
It was a subject more than capable of capturing Swoo's interest—in fact, it was overflowing with appeal.
"So you want to keep Isaac alive until that nameless faction contacts him, right?"
[I cannot deny that. But it is not an absolute necessity. Extracting information is as simple as opening up his head, after all.]
"I want to keep him alive."
[Do you have a plan?]
"Yep."
[What will we do with him for now? If we leave him like this, he will be killed within half a day.]
"Let's protect him in a safe place first."
The "safe place" Swoo referred to meant a location hidden from public view, where no one passed by, and where no one would think to look even if he stayed there.
And to "protect" him meant setting things up so that he could eat, drink, and live without any issues for a while, even without them constantly paying attention to him.
It was a somewhat convoluted proposal, but Serena and Angela understood it instantly.
[So, kidnapping.]
"And confinement."
"No, it's just protecting him in a safe place."
[I will blindfold him for now.]
"Unni, you'll hack the cameras?"
From beyond the screen, Isaac's wails echoed as he begged them to spare his family, pleading to at least let him pass on his insurance money.
Despite the noise, Swoo offered a bright smile.
Isaac wouldn't die, and his family would be happy.
What did it matter if he was a little scared right now, as long as he ended up happy later? There was no need to be afraid anyway. The goal was simply to protect him in a safe place.
"He keeps squirming, so we should probably tie his limbs and throw him in the trunk."
It definitely wasn't a kidnapping. Really.
Serena lightly kicked the trunk and asked.
"So, what now?"
"I told you. We're going to protect him in a safe place."
Swoo answered without hesitation.
She was confident that their current conversation wouldn't reach the ears of Isaac, who was currently stuffed inside the trunk.
Trunks in Eden came in all shapes and sizes. Among them were soundproofed models, and the trunk Isaac was currently in happened to be one of them.
A trunk where no sound from the outside could leak in, and no sound from the inside could escape.
Questioning why such a thing even existed was foolish. It was a trunk designed to throw a kidnapped person into, plain and simple.
"Does a safe place even exist in Eden? You aren't just planning to dump him in the Badlands, are you?"
"Yep, there is. A safe place."
"Then let's head out immediately."
"It's not a place we can just go to whenever we want. Hmm? Actually, can Serena go there? I think you can."
Frowning, Serena stopped mid-movement and looked back at Swoo.
"Where on earth is it?"
"The safest place for people who have earned the resentment of others."
"So, where is—"
"Hello."
Cutting Serena off, Swoo waved at the person who had just connected to the call.
Once again, it was a video call.
At that, Serena immediately shut her mouth. Not stopping there, she hurriedly moved out of the camera's frame.
"It's been a while, Eva."
"Indeed, it has been a while. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yep, it's something you and Agner will like."
"Oh, is that so? What kind of matter is it?"
"Do you happen to know a man named Isaac Evan?"
Eva's eyes flickered as if she were searching for the name. After a brief moment, her expression darkened, and she nodded.
"He is a researcher at Lui Chen, correct?"
"Yep, that's him."
"He has... quite a few things tied to him."
"Do you want to take action against him?"
"If we can sue him or take him to trial, we would certainly love to."
"Is there anything related to a cyberpsycho?"
"We do have testimonies and circumstantial evidence suggesting he instigated someone into becoming a cyberpsycho."
"What is the victim's name?"
"A man named Choi Min-hyuk."
"What do you need?"
Eva blinked blankly.
She hadn't understood Swoo's question.
What did she need?
Was she asking what was required to file a lawsuit and win? Or was it something else?
"...Well, whatever the case, physical evidence is always the most definitive power in a trial, isn't it?"
"Got it."
"What do you mean, 'Got it'? Isaac Evan is a Lui Chen researcher. Are you saying you're going to secure physical evidence against him?"
"Yep."
"Why... all of a sudden? Why target Isaac, and why are you giving us evidence of his crimes...?"
"To protect him in a safe place."
Eva's expression turned blank.
They were clearly talking about the same topic, yet she couldn't comprehend Swoo's words.
"...You mean you're sending him to prison?"
"Yep. The death penalty would be troublesome, so I'll bring you the right amount of evidence."
"Since he's a Lui Chen employee, even the most heinous crime probably won't lead to the death penalty... hopefully."
"Got it. You'll hear from me soon."
"...W-What? No, no, Lady Swoo? I... I really can't keep up with this conversation right now."
"Bye, see you next time."
Though another question mark popped up on Eva's face, Swoo hung up. Then, she dialed another number.
"Hey, Kou."
"Oh! Swoo! What's up!"
Perhaps he was with Honoka, as Kou answered the call with his arm slung over Honoka's shoulder.
As always, he had an incredibly intense face.
"Do you happen to know a man named Choi Min-hyuk?"
"Huh? Why would I know some guy's name... Wait, hold on. Is that the bastard who went cyberpsycho recently?"
"Did you happen to handle it, Kou?"
Kou's face darkened instantly.
He even began to grind his teeth.
"...I tried to, but failed. The guy was already too far gone."
"But it's certain that he became a cyberpsycho. Do you know the reason why?"
"Is there ever any other reason? It's obviously because of those megacorp motherfuckers."
"Is that what you heard from Choi Min-hyuk's family?"
"You could say that. I've still got the recordings, not to mention the logs from the cleanup process."
"Can you come over when I call you? Bring those recordings."
"If you call, I'll run over in a heartbeat."
"Heh, yep. Got it. See you later, then."
"Yeah, yeah. Hit me up if you need anything else!"
"Yep."
Swoo's phone calls continued one after another.
"It's been a while, Seung-ah."
"Yes, hello. Do you require my assistance with something?"
On the screen, Yoo Seung-ah offered a gentle smile and saluted, as if greeting a superior in the ECPD.
"Yep, I need your help, Seung-ah."
"I will help with whatever is within my power."
"Do you want to investigate a megacorp employee?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you want to investigate a megacorp employee?"
"...P-Pardon?"
"His name is Isaac Evan. He's a researcher at Lui Chen. I'll send you the crimes he committed along with the physical evidence."
Regardless of whether Yoo Seung-ah answered or not, Swoo began her explanation.
"Then, Seung-ah, just issue an arrest warrant with that evidence. The Eterno Law Firm will handle the rest."
"W-Wait a moment."
"You just need to proceed with a detention investigation. Of course, it's just for show, and I'll hand over the evidence. He's someone who mustn't die, so you have to protect him well. An ECPD detention investigation is safe, right?"
"We will make sure he doesn't die, but... I-I'm having trouble following the flow of this conversation. I'm sorry, but what on earth... what is going on?"
"It's a relief if he won't die. And this has to be an investigation you conduct personally, Seung-ah, so don't tell anyone. Will this get you promoted? Congratulations on your promotion in advance, Seung-ah."
"No, Lady Swoo—"
Beep. Swoo hung up on Yoo Seung-ah.
But that wasn't the end of the calls.
Swoo immediately dialed another number.
"Hey, Grandfather."
"Perfect timing. This old man has a request to commission. Are you interested?"
"Sure. In return, tell me the weakness of Seung-ah's superior."
"Seung-ah? Do you mean that Yoo Seung-ah from before?"
"Yep. I'm giving Seung-ah a job this time, and I don't want it to be escalated to the higher-ups."
"That is not difficult. Come to my office. I will settle the payment in advance along with the details of the request."
"I'll be there by 7 PM."
"Very well."
"Hey, Sena."
"I-I didn't answer quickly because I was waiting! I just happened to be checking my phone. Don't get the wrong idea."
"I didn't even say anything."
"Ahem, anyway! Why did you call? And a video call, at that? Why? What is it? Did something happen? Are you bored?"
"Assign some bodyguards to Seung-ah."
"I-Is my sister in danger?! Where is she?!"
"No, it's just a show of force. A performance to let everyone know Wolha is backing Seung-ah?"
"...So she's safe?"
"Yep."
"Well, that's a relief... but why are you doing that?"
"Since Wolha is under Lui Chen now, the name won't be taken lightly."
"Is that... a compliment?"
"Yep, it's a compliment. Sena is amazing."
"Heheh, that's right. I'm a highly capable CEO running a company of this scale at such a young age."
"Anyway, you can do it, right?"
"Of course—"
"Thanks."
Swoo hung up without even listening to Sena's full reply. Then, she let out a long sigh.
For Swoo, she had spoken an excruciatingly large number of words.
It was to the point where she felt like not saying a single word until tomorrow.
But she wasn't finished yet.
Swoo's gaze shifted to Serena.
Even without being told, Serena knew what she had to do.
"...Should I report Lui Chen's movements to you? And extract the physical evidence from Isaac?"
"As expected of Serena."
"Hah."
The target they were dealing with now was a Lui Chen researcher.
Unlike ordinary office workers, researchers were valuable assets to Lui Chen, no matter how low-ranking they were.
Yet, Swoo already possessed the perfect setup to ruin such an asset.
A large law firm, and a witness who would serve as the strongest evidence in court. A trustworthy ECPD officer. A backing force to protect that officer from within the ECPD, and another backing force to shield her from external pressure.
And finally, an executive who could extract evidence from Isaac and report on Lui Chen's movements.
"...Just."
"Hmm?"
"Just when did you plan all of this?"
"I never planned it. My friends are just competent."
Swoo replied as she handed the trunk key to Serena.
"Once we get the evidence, Isaac will be safe."
"And the victims will get the compensation they deserve."
Having said that, Swoo finally turned her gaze to Angela.
"Angela, can you get your sister on the line?"
"I can, if it's just for a moment. Are you going to speak to her directly, Swoo?"
After a brief hesitation, Swoo nodded quickly.
"Yep. I think that'll be more fun."