Of course, he had expected opposition. Regardless of the reason, he was the one who had violated the Unified Zone Act, and under the current circumstances, he was at a disadvantage. No matter what terms the First Zone Leader proposed in negotiation, he would have no choice but to comply.
And yet, without any discussion, he was being granted permission to return to the Fifth Zone just like that. Could it be that what he said back then was true? The promise to overlook the illegal visit?
“Is that really the case?”
“I don’t go back on my word. Didn’t I say I’d grant whatever you asked for?”
For once, it seemed this wasn’t just an obvious trick. Han Jae-hoon, so shocked that he had been frozen in place, belatedly gave an awkward bow, murmuring his thanks in disbelief.
“To think I’d hear words of gratitude from you. I suppose tonight, even the First Zone will see nightfall.”
The man chuckled, making an offhanded joke. Normally, he would have ignored it without a reaction, but just this once, he allowed himself a small smile.
As soon as he left this place, he would begin preparations to return to the Fifth Zone. If it were up to him, he would have preferred to leave Shining behind here. However, he could decide on how to handle him later, once he had returned to the comfort of his estate.
He needed to ensure that Seo-yul would experience as little shock as possible. The boy was deeply affectionate, and if someone who had been close to him suddenly disappeared, he would surely be heartbroken.
So, Shining had to leave due to unavoidable circumstances. It was something Seo-yul could reasonably accept—or even if he couldn’t, it had to be an undeniable necessity.
“But, there is one condition.”
The man placed his teacup down and smiled brightly. The excitement that had been rising within him swiftly died down. Of course. There was no way he would be let go without any price.
Despite knowing the man’s nature well, he had still fallen for the sweet words like a fool, and the realization made irritation surge within him.
“What condition?”
“So impatient.”
The man took a leisurely sip of tea, his smile remaining pleasant. Outwardly, it was a beautiful expression, but there was no telling what kind of insidious thoughts lay behind it. Whatever they were, they certainly wouldn’t be beneficial to him.
White, delicate fingers slowly traced the rim of the teacup resting on the table. A drop of red liquid clung to his fingertip, which he lightly licked away before continuing.
“I heard you submitted a formal objection regarding the reduction in power supply.”
“It’s decreased by another five percent compared to the last quarter.”
“Hmm, five percent, you say? That’s less than I expected.”
The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp gaze bore into him. Did he realize it? That he was deliberately choosing his words just to get under his skin? The man had to put in some effort to suppress the smirk twitching at his lips.
“You’re probably the only one who thinks that, First Zone Leader.”
“Well, from the perspective of the Fifth Zone, even that must seem like a significant amount.”
At some point, the conversation kept veering toward electricity. Could it be that the condition the man was about to bring up had something to do with it? For example, what if he demanded that the current power supply be cut in half?
“As I’ve always said, our zone isn’t in great shape either. Production is limited, and yet we’re practically giving away electricity to the other zones.”
As the man continued speaking, Han Jae-hoon’s face visibly tensed with unease. They were already operating on minimal power. If the supply were to decrease even further, the entire zone could collapse.
He had expected this, but now the reality of it sank in—his choice today could determine the fate of the entire zone. That was the burden of being a Zone Leader. A single decision could either destabilize everything or keep it standing.
Still, even if he could go back and choose again, he would make the same decision. Before being a Zone Leader, he was a father. He would not regret it. He steeled his resolve.
“Is that why you always keep the lights on, despite claiming there’s not enough electricity?”
He was sick and tired of hearing the same excuse over and over. The Fifth Zone was so destitute that even in the Zone Leader’s mansion, they had to use gas lamps instead of electric ones.
And yet, in the First Zone, they kept their fluorescent lights blazing at all hours, bright enough to erase the darkness of night. And now they had the audacity to claim they were short on power? It was utter nonsense.
“Lights that never go out, huh….”
The man pondered over Han Jae-hoon’s words for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. He laughed so hard that his stomach hurt, wiping away the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he caught his breath.
“If the citizens of the First Zone heard you, they’d be appalled. That’s not just a light—it’s the sacred moon of humanity.”
“No. It’s just an unnecessarily large light that wastes electricity.”
Since he wasn’t technically wrong, the man didn’t bother arguing further. The First Zone’s citizens might call it a divine gift, but in the end, it was still a lamp powered by electricity.
Of course, its scale was nothing like an ordinary fluorescent light. Still, it was an amusing description—”a light that never goes out.”
“I acknowledge that the amount of electricity supplied to your zone has been decreasing. But you also understand there are various reasons for that, don’t you?”
“If you’re going to bring this up every time—”
“Jae-hoon, you need to listen.”
At the man’s suddenly humorless tone, Han Jae-hoon instinctively shut his mouth. The man leaned back into the sofa, crossing his legs before continuing.
“There’s the issue of location, the problem of aging wiring, and countless other factors. Just the maintenance costs alone amount to several years’ worth of the Fifth Zone’s budget. And it’s the First Zone that shoulders those costs.”
Now that the discussion had shifted to maintenance expenses, the balance of power had inevitably tipped in the man’s favor. Whatever condition he was about to propose, Han Jae-hoon would have no choice but to accept it. All he could do now was pray that it had nothing to do with electricity.
“So, what exactly are you getting at?”
He tried to feign indifference, but the tension on Han Jae-hoon’s face was obvious. Sensing this, the man deliberately hesitated, pretending to contemplate his words. The longer he drew it out, the more unsettled Jae-hoon would become.
As silence stretched, Han Jae-hoon’s mask of calm began to crack. His fingers clenched and unclenched repeatedly, and just as he was about to speak, the man finally broke his long deliberation.
“I’ll increase the electricity supplied to the Fifth Zone. Double the current amount. If you want, I could even make it triple.”
“…What?”
He couldn’t make sense of the man’s intentions. Given the way he had been speaking, it seemed like he was ready to cut off the Fifth Zone’s electricity supply at any moment. Yet now, out of nowhere, he was offering to increase it—doubling or even tripling the amount.
“There must be a reason you’re making such a generous offer.”
“As expected, you catch on quickly.”
The man smiled in satisfaction, as if praising him. Jae-hoon wasn’t sure if that was something to be complimented on, but the acknowledgment eased his tension slightly. It allowed him to listen to the man’s words with a bit more composure.
“The truth is, I’ve found myself in quite the predicament.”
Exaggerating his troubles, the man furrowed his brows deeply and shook his head. Predicament, my ass. This was the same person who wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in someone’s head if they displeased him. What could possibly have him feeling “troubled”?
The words rose to the tip of his tongue, but Jae-hoon held them back. Right now, it was better to stay quiet and wait for whatever demand was coming next.
“Until now, no child who was ‘disposed of’ has ever returned. But an exception has appeared. And thanks to that, the Elders are in an uproar.”
The man suddenly stood up, leaning in with his face close. The sudden invasion of space made Jae-hoon instinctively press himself deeper into the sofa, trying to put distance between them.
The man was tempted to grab him and pull him right back, but he restrained himself. If he did, he might get slapped. Besides, watching Jae-hoon’s constantly shifting expressions was amusing enough.
“Jae-hoon, do you know? This place is still stagnant. The stench of decay is unbearable. The world is gradually returning to its original state, yet the Elders still believe that the perfect Shining must have a pure, vivid color.”
Fools. He muttered the last words under his breath, his face momentarily twisting in disgust. It vanished quickly, but it was rare to see him display such an open, raw emotion. Normally, he always wore that easy, smiling mask.
“All the children in the estate are muddied in color. So to the Elders, that child must seem like the perfect heir.”
Back then, they had rejected him as an unclean existence born of an Omega. But now, because his color was purer than the others, that one flaw had become insignificant.
“The Elders want to give him the same opportunity as the others. They want to see if he is worthy of being the next Zone Leader of the First Zone.”
“So what you’re really saying is—”
The tangled thoughts in Jae-hoon’s head suddenly unraveled, revealing the core of the conversation.
Luis Shining wanted that child.
But that child belonged to Han Jae-hoon. Five years ago, the man himself had placed him in Jae-hoon’s hands as a gift.
Jae-hoon slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes sharpening. The man smiled as he drove in the final nail.
“Give the child back to me. That’s my condition.”
