Chapter 192
I am not a great Detective.
But given this much information, I felt like I was starting to grasp the outline of the case.
I also had a guess about the culprit’s identity. It had to be one of two people, and one of them seemed exceptionally likely.
Even if it’s an unbelievable fact, a fact is a fact. If you eliminate all other possibilities through the process of elimination, the last remaining one must be the truth.
I glanced sideways to check on Hina.
She had a complicated expression.
I felt like I was starting to understand why she was no longer as enthusiastic about pursuing the culprit as before and had become hesitant.
That girl is definitely smarter than I.
I was a bright student who got into a decent university myself, but I couldn’t compare to a Hacker High School girl from the Gifted Academy.
So there was no way Hina wouldn’t know what I had also realized.
“…Haa.”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
Whatever the case, I had grown fond of this high school girl while the two of us played detective together.
“…Please protect Hina. I beg of you.”
Paulo’s desperate plea.
What he was worried about wasn’t the girl’s physical safety, but her mental - her emotional well-being.
If I weren’t there with her when this girl faced the terrible truth with her own two eyes, it would mean I hadn’t kept my promise to Paulo.
Am I cold-hearted enough to just back out like this?
But now is the time to be cold-hearted.
“I know what you’re trying to say. But since a corporation is involved, even if we know who the culprit is, chasing him or her is another matter, isn’t it?”
If a corporation is protecting the culprit, catching the culprit is impossible.
I also wanted to see this through to the end, but there are things you can do and things you can’t.
Moreover, it was a situation where the culprit had hidden himself or herself and we didn’t even know where he or she was…
“If that’s the problem, I think it’ll be simpler than you expect.”
Angela smiled fiercely like a beast of prey with its hunt right in front of it.
It seemed she had something in mind.
“First of all, the culprit hasn’t been able to leave East Monica yet. It’s obvious from how hard they’re trying to shake off pursuers by even setting up traps like this.”
It made sense. But East Monica is vast. The fact that the culprit was in East Monica wasn’t a very strong clue.
When I made a vague expression, Angela added further explanation.
“And they must be under the protection of Dysis Waste. That trash corporation isn’t made up of those bastards who are loyal enough to protect a collaborator like this, so whoever the culprit is, they must have made a really good contract.”
“Doesn’t that make the problem more complicated?”
If it was Dysis Waste’s protection, it was indeed right to wash our hands of it.
But Angela shook her head.
“Beggar, as you heard during the last team dinner, this isn’t the turf of those bastards. They crawled in from the outside, which means they’re bound to leave traces. If we ask around a little, we’ll be able to find in no time where the trash corporation’s soldiers are. It won’t even take long. Information will probably come in less than 30 minutes. That’s definitely where the culprit is.”
“Wouldn’t breaking in be more of a problem than finding it? A corporation is guarding it.”
If she spouted nonsense like how we could easily conquer it if we showed the same stunt we just did at the condo, or what could be the problem when the Shaolin Monk and the hand butcher teamed up, I would quit right away.
I was sick and tired of fights where people killed and died.
But Angela raised her finger and wagged it obnoxiously, as if she had read my mind.
“No, no. I’ll say it again, this isn’t the turf of those bastards. On top of that, the situation at headquarters must be chaotic too. They’re bound to be short on available manpower. Besides, how serious could they really be about guarding the culprit? It’s not even something that makes them money.”
As you know, a corporation doesn’t dip its toes into unprofitable ventures. Considering the number we killed, there should be three or four left at most, and since their losses are already significant, they’ll probably try to pull out quickly.”
This was quite persuasive.
When I seemed conflicted, Angela added.
“Now is our chance. We wiped out the soldiers of those bastards, so it’s the Golden Time. If they properly grasp the situation, withdraw, and the culprit also makes up his or her mind to hide, it’ll become much harder then.”
We have To strike while they’re still disoriented to catch them by the scruff of the neck. I didn’t say we were almost there for nothing. We’ve already passed the hardest hurdle, so wouldn’t it be a waste to give up now?”
“…In the end, it’s just a guess. What if the corporate private soldiers are still going strong?”
When I threw out my final doubt, Angela shrugged and answered readily.
“Then we just pull out! I don’t intend to demand anything unreasonable either. I’m just saying let’s check it out first. If those bastards are more formidable than I thought and are loyal enough to thoroughly guard the culprit, I’ll wash my hands of it too. Revenge is important, but in the end, my survival is more important.”
This was a satisfactory answer.
“And if the Corporate Bastards aren’t there, or even if they are, if there are five or fewer of them… Then neither you nor the Monk will need to step up. I’ll clean them all up by myself.”
The sight of her licking her red lips as she spoke so viciously.
At the same time, a blue light shone on Angela’s corneas. She was utilizing her neural interface.
“Oh… I just got a message from the friends I asked for a favor.”
“A message?”
“They said they found the hideout of those bastards from the trash corporation. Wait just a moment. If I give them a little money, I’ll be able to get the information right away.”
What, already?
I asked in bewilderment.
“Didn’t you say it would take about 30 minutes?”
“Yeah. And exactly that much time has passed.”
“…?”
We just started talking. What do you mean 30 minutes?
At my dumbfounded expression, Angela winked and said.
“I sent out messages to some well-connected kids I know right after we came out of the condo. It’s been roughly 30 minutes from then until now, right?”
Wow…
Admiration flowed out naturally. Didn’t that mean she had already thought that far ahead and started tracking clues by hiring people right after the fierce battle with the corporate private soldiers, when everyone was still out of their minds?
Is this what it feels like to work with a competent career woman?
She wasn’t a veteran hitman for nothing. Her work handling was truly impeccable. I was glad we were on the same side.
“Got the location. Let’s head out, honey. Let’s bring this to an end slowly.”
Angela said so, wrapping up the situation, and coolly swept her hair back.
Seriously, the culprit who incurred the grudge of such a scary yet reliable woman was definitely super fucked.
* * *
hulking man
It was a fairly large-scale facility that mainly handled the maintenance and diagnosis of air purification cyberware or other minor body modification implants used by the lower class, and occasionally, Ronin would visit to entrust the transplantation of cybernetics equipment.
The owner’s name was Dr. Lead Chang, a Chinese-American who was a somewhat reputable illegal procedure specialist.
It was funny that the words “illegal” and “specialist” were used together, but that was just how Dusk City was.
“I heard those bastards from the trash corporation barged in, held Dr. Chang hostage, and squatted there making him perform various procedures… Doesn’t it look super noisy inside? There aren’t many of them either. It seems my guess was right, honey.”
Angela said, her bright yellow pupils sparkling as she crouched. Her gaze was directed diagonally downward, and she grasped the situation of the underground clinic.
According to her, the distance was too far to fully grasp the internal situation, but she could at least vaguely see how many people were moving around inside.
Even that was amazing. It was an eye implant that was worth the expensive price paid for it.
“The surveillance cameras are active. There’s nothing special about the security system either… I’ve extracted all the info.”
On top of that, Corridor
A thorough division of labor. At this point, we were nothing short of a dream team.
Unless all the soldiers inside were wearing enhanced exoskeletons, they would absolutely not be able to stop us.
“Only four of them, and no enhanced suits either. This is so easy I feel like I’m going to yawn.”
Angela seemed to think the same. Hina, who was grasping the situation with her Cyberdeck, let out a “Huh?” sound.
“They’re moving? It looks like they might be preparing to leave.”
“Really? Then we should move now. Time to get started.”
“What about ambushing them after they all come out?”
When Hina asked, Angela shook her head.
“The culprit could come out with them. That would make things annoying. Right now is perfect. They look busy, so they probably won’t even notice until they die.”
She made a throat-slitting gesture, stood up from her spot, and dusted off her hands.
“Then I’ll be back, just like I promised. Kid, make sure to turn off the surveillance cameras, okay? I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll give you a signal when the cleanup is done, so all of you come in then.”
Her tone was cheerful and light, as if she were just going on an errand.
After patting the head of Hina, who was slightly annoyed at being called a kid, Angela entered the entrance of the underground clinic.
I wondered if it was okay to walk so confidently through the main entrance like that, but there had to be some reason for a professional hitman’s confidence.
Shall we see what she’s made of?