24. Conclusion.
24. Conclusion.
Hector, the head of the Asset Management Department at the Intelligence Bureau, was well aware that the Security Squad had been digging into his affairs for months. But since he had moved the money off-planet via a private satellite without leaving a single trace, how could there be any evidence left behind?
Naturally, he had been living safely until now, even under that tight surveillance. ...But the problem started a few weeks ago.
When Conte Magnichi, who had worked as a technician for the Satellite Management Department for a long time, tried to blackmail Hector for money, the Asset Management Department head killed the guy without hesitation. He even went as far as to collect the computer's main unit to destroy evidence, just in case, but it turned out the Security Squad had found evidence regarding the satellite.
Still, the link was too weak for them to figure out his corruption from that alone, so he hadn't been too worried. However, a rumor he heard in secret made his spine chill.
- We found the slush fund.
A slush fund? No way, no way—my money? My life's savings?
Hector tried to stay as calm as possible, but the urgent phone call from the head of the Satellite Management Department was the trigger. He, too, had risked his life to participate in this corruption and had made a killing, so he was obviously terrified that the money might have vanished.
- That's why I told you! From the start, I said we should have killed every single witness without leaving one—!
Of course, Hector knew that too, but he had wanted to space things out a bit because killing too many people could leave a trail. ...But that's exactly how things got twisted.
"It might not be us."
- Either way, let's check it quickly. I worked so hard for that. If that money is gone, I'm dead—!
Hector, who had tried to act tough, eventually crumbled under the pressure from Longpat, the head of the Satellite Management Department. He was just as scared as the other guy.
"Then set the launch date. I'll check it."
- It's already set. Three days from now. Board like you did last time.
"Understood. Let's hang up now."
The call ended abruptly. Hector let out a long sigh and leaned back against the chair. Then, unable to contain his anger, he slammed his fist onto the armrest.
"Ack, aaaack—!!"
He couldn't for the life of him understand where he had slipped up. ...It seemed those bastards from the Security Squad hadn't just been wasting their time for the past few months. They must have been combing through nearby planets like they were looking for lice, tracking the large sum of money that had come over from Akumansina.
Is that even easy to do?
Of course, that didn't make sense to him either. You'd have to go through the hassle of getting permission from each planet's headquarters, so it was logically impossible to do that for dozens of planets in just a few months.
He even thought that maybe this was a trap. They couldn't catch him anyway, so they were just casting bait.
But while his head understood that, his heart didn't. If it were real, that would mean losing that massive amount of money in an instant. That was something he couldn't accept, even if he died.
How hard he had worked for that money—!
Still, he needed to be careful with his actions. There was a one-in-a-million chance it could be real.
And so, Hector entrusted the verification work to a trusted relative. He couldn't move himself, because if he were followed and caught, he'd really be screwed.
...He prayed desperately that the money the Security Squad had found wasn't his.
· · ·
Three days later, as promised.
Hector couldn't sleep late into the night and paced around his bedroom. His wife was also watching him with a worried expression.
The Department Head was waiting with bated breath for a call from his relative on the cargo ship. Praying desperately that there would be no problems.
"Honey, is everything okay?"
"Keep your mouth shut."
"Honey..., if something goes wrong like this..."
Then Hector glared at his wife with a murderous look and shrieked.
"I told you to shut up—!"
It was a matter involving 50 million Zeny. Killing one or two people was nothing, and it was a fortune for which he could even abandon his own family.
Naturally, Hector was half-crazy. He couldn't keep his sanity, worried about what he would do if the money was really gone.
It was a slush fund he had built by skimming off the books for nearly ten years. It was perfect money, with no physical evidence other than some minor suspicions.
It was money that would have been perfectly fine as long as it wasn't discovered. That was why he had even used a private satellite to make it completely evaporate on this Blue Star Akmansina, but now his ten years of planning were on the verge of turning into bubbles in an instant. It would be strange if he still had his full sanity.
Please, please, please, please.
"Fuck, fuck—!"
Hector kicked the bed and the wall, expressing his frustration.
Why the hell isn't this bastard calling me back—!
He waited and waited for the call. After about an hour of waiting, his silent phone rang.
ㅡㅡ!!
Caller ID hidden.
It had to be his relative's call. He quickly picked it up.
"Rey?"
- Yes, Daebu. The money is there.
"Really? It's there? No problems at all?"
- Yes, no problems.
Phew.
Hector felt like a ten-year-old blockage in his chest had finally cleared. The expression that had been twisted like a demon until just a moment ago relaxed completely.
"Good, good work. Clean up without any issues. Got it?"
- Understood.
And the call was cut off.
He let out a long, "Phew," once more, and then started to chuckle.
"It's there. No problems. ...Phew. What a relief, right?"
"Yes, honey."
"I'm sorry for yelling earlier. I was just so out of it."
"It's not a problem. I understand. You must have been so worried."
Once his worries disappeared, he began to feel a deep sense of lust.
"Honey...."
The middle-aged couple had some fun for the first time in a while.
After finishing, Hector fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
· · ·
The next day, early dawn.
Hector was woken up by the doorbell ringing ding-dong, ding-dong at the crack of dawn. The husband told his wife to go check who was outside, and he pulled the blanket over his head.
His wife, wearing a robe, soon left the bedroom. And a short while later, she returned and urgently woke her husband.
"Honey, honey...!"
"Ah, what."
"Outside, there are people...."
That was when Hector's mind snapped to attention. As if he weren't the same person who had just been sleeping.
"People? Who? Who came?"
"They say they're from the Keuble Knights' Security Squad."
ㅡㅡㅡㅡ!!!!
Hector felt the strength drain from his body. His mind went blank for a moment.
Just then, unknown figures burst into the bedroom. His wife was startled and screamed, asking how they could just barge into a bedroom without permission. But the knight who had broken into the house didn't budge, staring at Hector with murderous eyes and speaking in a grim tone.
"Hector Johnson. You are under arrest for embezzlement. ...Arrest him."
"Em-embezzlement?! I don't know anything! I don't know anything—!"
"Save the statements for the interrogation. Why aren't you arresting him already—?!"
The mobilized police officers approached Hector. He made a scene, saying this was nonsense, but the knight just stared at the Department Head without saying a word. In the end, the Department Head was bound while wearing only his underwear. It was no use even when his wife cried and made a scene, saying they had made a mistake.
The knight who had boarded the back seat with the bound Department Head told the female knight in the passenger seat that they could depart. Soon, the car carrying the Department Head zoomed off, sliding down the road.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything wrong—! Embezzlement? You guys have made a huge mistake. You think you'll get away with this? Huh?!"
Then the man sitting with him in the back seat, Kal, smiled crookedly.
"Your methods, we've already figured them all out. You secretly sent the money via a private satellite. You even launched a cargo ship last night to check on the money. It's all confirmed."
ㅡㅡ!!
At that, the Department Head was stunned, his mouth hanging wide open, unable to say a word.
"You hid it so thoroughly, what a shame. You could've pocketed 50 million Zeny."
He even stated the exact amount. That meant the slush fund had already been discovered.
Ah, ahhh.......
Hector felt like the world was going dark before his eyes. All will to live vanished.
No, no, no, no.
"We've gone to arrest the Satellite Management Department head, Longpat Gamoshi, too. You two can rot in prison together. The amount is so huge, you won't be coming out before you die."
No, no, no, no.
"Don't bother appealing, just rot there. The evidence is solid, so you're stuck. Instead of getting on our bad side and ending up in a shitty prison, just beg for leniency."
No, no, no, nooooooo—!!!
"Aaaaaack—!"
Hector started banging his head against the front seat. Then Kal pushed his chest with his hand, pinning him down so he couldn't move.
"Fuuuuck, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck—, aaaaaaaaaaaack—!!"
Seeing the bastard struggling, Kal laughed grimly.
This is why greedy bastards can't do big things—
The corruption case that had dragged on for months came to an end just like this.