<h4>Chapter 249: Scheme (4)</h4>
<strong>Scheme (4)</strong>
In the residence of Libra Aerial Garden Section 1.
I looked at the magic share certificate Zia had handed me. I refused to ept it, but she was stubborn as ever.
In five years, this 25% stake in lithium will skyrocket to the value of a top 100 corporation.
Congrattions~
Grawl said. The creature was, for the first time in a while, in its original form of a ck cat.
Are you analyzing the R-elix?
The R-elix given by Johanna is currently in Grawlsboratory.
Yes~ Its a really good R-elix. It will allow me to grow a lot!
Thats good to hear.
Im d Grawl is here.
I never thought Id have such a thought, but somehow, I began to understand a little of what Johanna might feel.
Master~ You seem to be having some embarrassing thoughts~
Grawl purred with a sly smile.
Shut up.
Its not that I cant trust anyone.
I shouldnt trust anyone.
Because Im in the heart of the enemy, in the jaws of a crocodile.
Its fortunate that this creature is unconditionally on my side.
But Beckmans movements are suspicious.
I told you. Hes going to go after Johanna.
Sooner orter, he will definitely kidnap Johanna, dreaming of a romantic escape with her.
Keep an eye on him.
Yes~ Oh, and there have been a lot of inquiries to Jaketely, what should we do?
Grawls dual identity, the dark web informer [JAKE].
Informers are usually distinguished by scale, and currently, he is a third-grade Red Scale. His reputation is high enough to be called the next ck Scalefirst grade.
Increase the price, and only ept tasks from verified individuals.
Identity is now important. As Jake bes more famous, both my enemies and allies will start to use him.
Yes!
How are the others doing?
Theyre great~ Theres no better welfare environment than this~
Grawls feline connection is more reliable and trustworthy than any informant. They dont arouse the suspicion of the targets they track, and the possibility of betrayal is 0%.
By the way, there are already inside informantscatsthat have been selected by mafia and cartel executives.
Just got news. Jesco is about to return.
Really? Then its about to start.
I looked out the window.
The sky reflected from Libras Aerial Garden is unusually vast. The moon, wrapped in a dusky veil, and the stars that twinkle between them.
Master. There. Johanna is there.
I looked over there. A group was walking through the garden of Section 1. Johanna and her entourage.
They seemed to be discussing some business as they walked somewhere Suddenly.
She looked up in this direction.
Our eyes met for a moment.
I quickly straightened my posture and gave a nod.
She didnt react, but Beckman at her side was already ring at me with bloodshot eyes.
Wow. That guys jealousy is scary.
Tell me about it.
I closed the window.
* * *
Jesco, the Quantum Mechanic, had returned to his base.
The meeting itself was sessful. He had pitched Beckmans uniform mana stones and equipment to expand his territory, and he had secured favorable negotiation terms.
Thanks to that, he was in high spirits, nning to proceed with the executive meeting.
Trouble!
Suddenly, the security team guys came looking for the Chairman.
What is it? Why are you here?
Jesco asked coldly, and the head of the security team immediately knelt down.
Engineer Beckman seems to have escaped.
Jesco was silent for a moment.
After a long while, he red at the head of the security team.
What the hell are you talking about?!
Face was the first to grab the guy by the scruff of his neck.
We hadnt seen him for a few days, so we thought he was just resting, but-
There was no one at his mansion. They had searched the area thoroughly, but there was no trace of a person named Beckman
The head of the security team was pale as he made his excuses.
Hmm.
Jesco scratched his temple.
Prrrrr- He loosened his lips in a scowl.
Im sorry, Im so sorry!
The head of the security team banged his forehead on the ground.
Ha.
Jesco let out a small sigh and reached into his pocket. He grasped a heavy piece of metal.
Pulling it out,
Bang!
He detonated it in the middle of the security team leaders forehead.
The man died on the spot, still kneeling. Jesco kicked the head of the falling corpse.
Crunch!
Fucking bastard.
Jesco looked around at the remaining security team. They had their eyes tightly shut.
Boss! I told you. Something about that guy couldnt be trusted!
Face yelled out loud. Jesco just stared at Face quietly.
.
Face also quietly shut his mouth, lowering his head and holding his breath.
Damn it all!
This time it was Crow, the third inmand.
Crow seemed to have received a message from someone, his veins bulging as he stared at the phone screen.
Boss! The funds you gave to Beckman have been funneled into a dummy ount.
It meant that three months worth of Beckmans sry had vanished.
As if he had been waiting for this moment, Face lifted his head again.
Boss, I await your orders.
Jesco looked away, his eyes narrowed with a dryck of emotion.
Then, as if with a hollowugh, he spoke.
Search for him. Release all the hounds, scour the entirety of Edsi if you must, but find him.
Yes!
Wherever he is, bring him before me.
With those words, Jesco raised his gun and pulled the trigger like a madman.
! ! !
A series of gunshots.
Jesco sprayed bullets from his pistol, killing all the remaining members of the security team.
Covered in the blood that spurted from them, he thought to himself.
The desert does not forgive betrayal.
You should have known that.
Why?
Faceunched a massive search operation. He mobilized all the members of his organization tob through the night streets and back alleys of Edsi.
They roamed day and night for two days, but to no avail.
Beckman had vanished, just like a mirage.
Boss.
Trudging back to the hideout.
One of Faces subordinates broached a topic with a grave tone.
What.
Its just a thought, but
He nced around cautiously as he continued.
Could it be Crows doing?
Crow?
Yes.
Face furrowed his brow.
If it had been anyone else, he would have told them to shut the fuck up with such a stupid idea, but this was one of his sharpest guys, someone who could be called a strategist, currently preparing for college.
Crow knows how to design the equipment himself. He knows exactly what to do. So, what does that mean? If he has the technicians, he could build his own independent force.
Face and his men came to a sudden halt.
Indeed, it was a usible story.
Especially if it was Crow, that cunning bastard.
And boss, doesnt it strike you as odd?
What else is odd now.
The guys went to the factory, and its swarming with mana stones.
mana stones?
Yes. The ones Beckman made. But logically, if youre going to run away, youd take those with you, right? Theyre all jewels. Leaving those behind and just taking three months sry? Does that make any sense?
At that moment, Crows face was utterly convinced.
It made perfect sense.
Mana stones, far more valuable than any sry, piled up like a mountain. There was no way he would have run off and left those behind.
Clearly, he must have been kidnapped.
Youre right. Your words make perfect sense.
Face ced his hand on the head of his clever subordinate.
That bespectacled bastard Crow, that fucking son of a bitch
Lets catch him and break his legs.
Shh. Prepare quietly. That idiot wont know were this smart, so we have to be careful and take him down in one fell swoop. Call the boys first.
Meanwhile, Crow had mobilized all his connections and intelligence to check the records of the identity Beckman. Border crossing records, public transport usage, even credit card transactions.
But there was nothing.
Beckman had vanished as if he had never existed.
Its suspicious.
As a result, Crow and even his subordinates naturally came to harbor some rational suspicions.
Do you think the same?
At Crows question, his subordinate nodded.
Yes. Theres no other exnation. The mana stones Beckman manufactured are still in the factory, and the equipment, raw materials, and supplies are all still there. So it doesnt add up that he ran away after pulling a scam
He did his job too honestly. He didnt take anything with him.
Yes. And about the three months sry. Weve traced the flow of funds, and the destination is the desert.
The desert?
Crow furrowed his brow.
Yes. It seems he made a donation to the desert.
A donation.
Why would someone from the desert, donate to the desert and then run away?
Especially when he could expect a hefty sum of money in the future and had the protection of the boss, who was also a fellow desert native?
Furthermore theres testimony that there was a conflict with Face over the distribution ratio.
Ah.
Thump! Crow ced his hand on his forehead.
Face, I knew it woulde to this.
That filthy bastard.
Crow clenched his teeth.
He was not good at controlling his anger.
Even knowing how important a technician was, in a moment of blinding rage, he was beast enough tomit a spontaneous murder.
Its certain. Hes caused this mess.
If by mess, you mean-
He probably killed him.
Shit!
A curse burst from Crows lips.
If the technician was dead, or rather, if Face had killed him, all the business ventures set up by Quantum Mechanic would end in severe losses.
Even Jesco would suffer a significant financial blow, and if financial problems arose
The routes through which Crow had been embezzling money via bookkeeping maniptions would also be exposed.
No choice. Get ready.
Yes.
To survive, I must make the first move.
The factory, once filled with state-of-the-art equipment, now stood empty.
Jesco surveyed the interior from the center of the space.
Nothing was missing.
The equipment, the mana stones, everything was still in ce.
Only Beckman had disappeared.
Thud Thud
Jesco wandered through the factory and suddenly nced at the office.
[Technician Beckmans Office]
He opened the door.
It was a space set up like a dormitory.
There was a bed, a TV, a desk, and drawers.
He had insisted on creating this ce, saying it was a waste of time tomute, that it was better to sleep and work in the factory.
But the man himself was gone.
Jesco fiddled with various things before opening a desk drawer.
Inside was a notebook that looked like a diary.
It was indeed a diary.
Picking it up, Jesco sat down on a chair and flipped through the pages with his dirt-stained hands.
[I am about to start a new job. Its much better than being alone. All thanks to a chance encounter with a man from the desert. A brother named Jesco. Even from the same hometown, I wonder if we might have crossed paths when I was a child.]
It was a real diary. He had expected some sort of code.
Jesco scanned the sentences with his eyes.
[The equipment isplete. All thanks to Brother Jescos trust. How fortunate I am to meet someone like him in this vast continent, in the cold-hearted Edsi. The word gratitude doesnt even begin to cover my luck.]
Rustle, rustle.
He quietly turned the pages.
Some sentences made him chuckle, some left him incredulous, and some
The fluttering paper came to a halt.
[Face is demanding a share. But I cannot divide or distribute the ratio that Brother Jesco has set for me. So I must deal with Face myself. Its best not to bother Brother Jesco with this, as it might cause him concern. After all, Face has served him for a long time, hes someone Brother Jesco trusts]
A story about Face. Despite Faces aggressive demands for a share, the diary stated that it was the writers responsibility to handle him because Jesco trusted Face.
Jesco turned to the next page.
[The numbers in the ledger are strange. The flow of funds through thepanies is also suspicious. These are managed by Mr. Crow It seems like something I should discuss with Brother Jesco when he returns.]
Page by page.
Jescos fingers trembled as they continued to turn the pages.
[It seems there are many insincere people by Brothers side. Is it because Brother shines too brightly that it cant be helped? At least I must remain a sincere person by Brothers side]
Thest words on thest page.
Jesco quietly closed the diary.
Drrring-
Just then, a call came through on his phone.
Boss. Weve sessfully traced Beckmans ount movements.
Speak.
The desert.
The desert?
Jescos face twitched.
Yes. It seems the purpose was charity.
Ha.
Jesco sighed silently and leaned back in his chair.
He gazed up at the ceiling light.
Suddenly, the guys voice came to mind.
To not forget my homnd.
Beckman.
That guy hadnt forgotten his homnd after all.
He was better than me.
Jesco absentmindedly fumbled in his pocket. He pulled out a gravestone mixed with desert sand.
I brought it with me when I left the desert. Ites in a pair.
He toyed with it, sand crumbling from it, and then nced toward a corner of the office.
Something caught his eye there.
Jesco quickly stood up and picked it up.
It was a gravestone.
A desert gravestone with a streak of blood on it, the pair he had mentioned.
Brother.
Again, the guys voice echoed in his mind.
Thank you. For taking in someone with just this little talent.
Thest day he saw that guy.
Leaving the desert was tough, and I missed it, but after meeting you, brother, this ce feels like home.
The words he spoke as he was about to leave.
Turns out, it wasnt home I was missing, but someone.
Did the guy sense his own ending then?
Was he feeling some sort of ominous premonition?
Clench.
Jesco gritted his teeth. His whole body trembled with a raw ache.
Rage, sorrow, self-reproach Some damn emotions that were indescribable in words,
were swirling inside him like a sandstorm.
Jesco bowed his head.
Only now had he finally met someone like a brother, who lived in the same world, harbored the same ideals, and shared the same memories.
Drip
Drip
Droplets formed on the floor. Sad stains spread on the cold concrete.
They were tears.
Jesco picked up his phone again.
Are you listening?
Yes, Boss.
Prepare for war.
War, you say?
Ive found evidence. The one who made Belke
He paused to catch his breath before continuing.
disappear from inside.
He couldnt bring himself to say dead.
He wanted to cling to even the slightest possibility.
Find that bastard and tear him limb from limb.
Jesco, clutching Beckmans bloodstained gravestone tightly, cherished it.