*

After Ga-on left, Jin Geon, now alone, tucked his police notebook back into his coat.

Though he was part of the Emergency Disaster Response Team, revealing his identity was not an option.

It was an organization whose significance lay in its secrecy.

Therefore, when the time came to reveal himself, he used a cover identity.

Jin Geon's favorite was posing as a sheriff.

Unlike the Mars Defense Force, the police were a cooperative organization with the city government.

Moreover, being an official authority made it easier to wield power, and in emergencies, he could call for backup forces—killing two birds with one stone.

Those patrolling outside were like that.

"It's unfortunate."

The death of Sprinter, Norman, was shrouded in mystery.

It was clear someone had dealt with him, but the identity of the perpetrator was unknown.

Of course, it wasn't impossible to find someone like Ga-on.

He suddenly appeared as a fixer helping the third-generation chaebol, Doby.

Despite his ambiguous background, his skills were abnormally exceptional.

Considering the timing, it couldn't be anyone but Yang Hu.

This was evident from the fallen Pier Gang.

One shot per person.

When it came to Gestos, it was not just overwhelming but downright violent.

Such a person appearing without any warning?

It was something that couldn't happen within Jin Geon's understanding.

That's why he fired a warning shot as soon as he found Ga-on.

However, the blood he shed was real.

He expected it to heal soon, but to his surprise, the wound remained.

The warning shot he fired with half-certainty seemed pointless.

This was not something that could be shown if he had a healing factor.

Of course, assuming he could control his abilities at will wasn't absurd, but considering all the variables was too much.

It was obvious that he would be blinded by suspicion and unable to see a step ahead.

He needed to broaden his perspective.

There was a possibility that Ga-on wasn't Yang Hu.

But Jin Geon's instincts, honed through countless crises, whispered to him.

The man he just let go was indeed Yang Hu.

That the previous moment was his last chance.

The delusions swirling in his mind constantly urged Jin Geon.

But he knew that his judgment was always based on the information he had acquired.

Securing objective information was the priority.

Jin Geon took out a handkerchief and wiped the bloodstain off the control pad, sealing it in a plastic bag.

Today's meeting was all for this, one could say.

Even if he changed his face, discarded his name, and hid his origin, he could never alter the genetic information embedded in the Device.

All the data of humanity born on Mars was gathered in the Seed Colony.

To be precise, a massive data center located in Sector 1 managed it.

It was a black box that neither the megacorps nor even the president of the city government could access at will.

Since its completion, it had never allowed foreign intrusion—a fortress impregnable.

So, comparing the bloodstain on the handkerchief with the records stored in the Device would reveal the truth.

Is Baek Ga-on real or fake?

*

The next day, Ga-on showed up at Columbus. When he appeared early in the morning, Fernandez looked puzzled.

“Did you already complete the task?”

“It wasn’t difficult.”

Sitting at the bar counter, Ga-on transmitted the data stored in his Device to Fernandez. Upon confirming the contents, Fernandez exclaimed and served a vodka martini.

“Impressive. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect it, but to solve it in less than a day… I think I need to reevaluate you.”

Fernandez kept rambling, but to Ga-on, it was just meaningless noise. This task had many incomprehensible aspects. Naturally, his voice lowered.

“Mr. Pepe.”

“Yes?”

“Is that all you have to say? Even though the Devices were extracted and all the missing people were found dead?”

“…”

“Who commissioned this task?”

“I told you, didn’t I? People who wanted the missing to return.”

It was a vague answer. No specific individuals were mentioned.

“That way of speaking is quite unpleasant. You’re saying you won’t lie, but you won’t tell the truth either, right?”

“What do you mean? I told you everything honestly.”

“Then answer me. Was it the relatives of the missing who commissioned it? Or friends? Colleagues?”

When Fernandez couldn’t respond, Ga-on scoffed. They were all socially vulnerable. Disappearances of one or two wouldn’t even be noticed. If there was a risk of trouble from kidnapping, Pier Gang wouldn’t have targeted them in the first place.

“Our broker here must have known there was a problem with this task.”

“…It was the client’s request.”

Fernandez’s answer, cornered, was plausible, but Ga-on wasn’t about to back down.

“Even if that’s the case, you should have informed me beforehand.”

He could have unknowingly built a bad relationship with the police. He could have been entangled with Pier Gang and been pursued by them for life. Excluding all those risks, he deserved criticism.

“You didn’t say you trusted my skills just to use me like this, did you?”

As Ga-on got up and closed the distance, Fernandez raised his arms in defense.

“W-wait. Listen to me. I was going to reveal things one by one if you got stuck during the investigation. Device extraction isn’t a topic you can just tell anyone about. And who would have thought you’d solve the task overnight?”

It was a future that couldn’t be verified now. It could be an excuse to get out of the current situation. Nevertheless, Fernandez wasn’t entirely unhelpful. He found traces of RYS Company and stopped meaningless victims before they could occur. Of course, the anger boiling in his chest didn’t disappear.

Bang!

He punched Fernandez’s frog-like face. As Fernandez flew back and collided with the display shelf, various whiskeys and wines fell over him. The entire bar was filled with the sticky scent of alcohol in an instant.

“My collection…”

“With this, we’re even.”

Brokers were like pranksters.

Sometimes they approached kindly, acting as if they'd give you their liver, and other times they distanced themselves, growling like sworn enemies.

It wasn't just Fernandez.

Most in the underworld wore masks for their own benefit.

Without a better alternative, it was more efficient to hold and shake their weaknesses.

That's why he didn't finish Fernandez off.

The subconscious debt left behind would control his actions.

"But if you pull another stunt, I'll kill you on your way home without anyone knowing."

If that really happened, the targeted time would be the morning commute.

Specifying the evening commute was to imprint a preconception in his mind.

Ga-on downed the vodka martini in one gulp and murmured softly.

“Answer me if you understand.”

“I understand.”

Fernandez nodded gloomily. The moisture in his eyes made him look genuinely aggrieved. Even Ga-on wondered if he had gone too far, reflecting on his actions once more.

“Oh, and I need information on Jin Geon, a sheriff from the 2nd District’s Major Investigation Unit.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to visit an information broker?”

“No, you take responsibility and find out. Because of you, I’ve gotten involved with a troublesome guy. Let’s see how far you can go.”

*

Ga-on received the answer a few sols later. While walking as usual, he turned his head at the sound of a horn that stopped his steps and found himself facing a black sedan. Curious about the situation, he leaned in, but the interior was invisible. It was then that the rear window rolled down.

“Are you Baek Ga-on?”

“That’s right.”

“I was sent by Fernandez. Get in.”

The speaker was a black man who exuded an unmistakable air of authority. His tone was commanding, but his calm expression suggested it was just a habit. He seemed to be around the same age as Fernandez. Since he was capable of taking care of himself, Ga-on boarded without much hesitation.

Inside the smoothly moving car, the black man sitting across from him presented a police notebook.

“I should introduce myself first. I’m Dominic Jordan, a sheriff from the Eastern Police Station of the 39th District.”

“Are you acquainted with Mr. Pepe?”

“If you mean Fernandez, yes, we’ve been associates for many years.”

The outline seemed to be forming. The man before him was likely the one backing Fernandez when he drove Gestos away from the unauthorized clinic. It was clear where Fernandez’s information network originated from.

“I heard about what happened between you and Fernandez. It seems unnecessary friction arose because of me.”

His brief words were enough to grasp the situation.

“So you were the client Fernandez was so eager to hide.”

“Fixer Baek Ga-on. I witnessed your skills. Quite impressive.”

No wonder the client’s identity was kept vague until the end. If the police were involved, it would have been difficult to mention casually.

“You may not know, but cases of illegal Device extraction are rapidly increasing. The spread is unprecedented. However, within the police, there are those who, instead of preventing it, are trying to ride the wave.”

It wasn’t a new story. However—

“I didn’t expect it to be so desperate that you’d hire a third party.”

“Not all senior officers in the police are corrupt.”

He was merely using a fixer’s hands to avoid being checked if he acted internally. That’s why Ga-on didn’t pay much attention to Dominic’s words.

“So my role this time was not a hero of justice but a doormat for the police?”

“Don’t belittle it like that. Thanks to you, a high-ranking officer within the police who supported Pier Gang has been referred to the disciplinary committee. With the evidence being solid, it’ll be hard for him to make a comeback.”

“Such things should be expressed with money, not empty words.”

“I was planning to pay the full 40 million pia.”

“I like how straightforward you are. It would have been better if I didn’t know your ulterior motives.”

The promise of 40 million pia for bringing back the missing alive was a lie from the start. Dominic must have known they were dead when he commissioned the task. In simple terms, the task was essentially priced at 20 million pia. Inflating the amount now wouldn’t impress him.

“By the way, why did you want to meet me? You could have conveyed this through Mr. Pepe.”

“You asked Fernandez to investigate someone named Jin Geon. Since it’s internal police information, I didn’t feel comfortable passing it on indirectly.”

“So you came personally?”

It seemed Fernandez was doing his job right. Perhaps the physical treatment had worked wonders. Ga-on adjusted his posture and nodded.

“Go ahead. Tell me who that guy is.”