58.
“What did you say? You’re giving up the experiment for good? No, Jae-won? Did I misunderstand? I just misheard you saying you wanted to take a break, right? Haha, you know how it is. People’s hearing deteriorates as they age.”
Under the warm interior lighting that gently illuminated the surroundings, the glasses that normally concealed snake-like eyes gleamed abnormally. It felt especially strange to meet at a well-decorated café like this by appointment, when they usually met in remote places or only encountered each other in the bleak laboratory.
Choi Jae-won tapped the surface of the pager on his wrist, displaying obvious boredom as if his time was being wasted. It was a clear indication that the old doctor’s eardrums were functioning perfectly well.
In truth, though Choi Jae-won had ridden on the coattails of Dr. An’s reputation with his desperate wishes and tenacious goals, it was always Choi Jae-won who held the key in their relationship.
Where else could the doctor find such a naive sponsor or sucker who would not only share his distant yet transparent goals but also diligently provide all necessary funds, resources, and even test subjects? The predator who had once freely captured immature Espers with soft bones and exploited them on his experimental table now looked surprisingly pathetic when placed in the ring created by capital.
Objectively speaking, he wasn’t in a difficult position, given his numerous unparalleled achievements, albeit through unethical methods. However, now that he was about to lose the magic club that had been spitting out gold nuggets with every swing, he couldn’t maintain his typically rational attitude.
“Since you seem to have understood correctly, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Wait, Jae-won. Jae-won!! Hold on, you need to hear me out. It’s 2, 2 percent! The goal is right before us! The minimum value required for imprinting that you wanted!”
“I’m sorry, but what can I do? My time is too expensive to waste on someone like you, Doctor.”
Regardless of his feelings toward the doctor, Jae-won’s claim about his time being valuable wasn’t a lie. The doctor wasn’t important enough to lie to or be intimidated by.
Completely stopping the guiding enhancement experiment was the first step to using the express ticket to paradise that Ryu Ho-yeon had permitted. Calling the doctor to this café outside the center today was intended to implement the second step as well, saving both time and movement. Though he wasn’t sure what the doctor expected when he rushed over so quickly.
“Hey! Wait a moment!! After all the years we’ve spent together, for the sake of our bond, just a moment!”
Bond? What nonsense. The only reason Choi Jae-won could face the doctor so casually despite the bone-chilling pain he’d inflicted on him weekly was precisely because there was no bond—he had regarded everything between them solely as official business.
Dr. An, who had inflicted shameful violence and pain on vulnerable Espers, had developed some terrible habits. For instance, when he could have simply injected drugs and observed the results, he would unnecessarily force the test subjects to kneel, and when they seemed to be losing consciousness from pain, he would grab their hair and shake them violently with his filthy hands.
“Well… Alright. Though I don’t think we have any bond, I’ve seen your face weekly for almost ten years since I was fifteen, so I’ll give you one piece of advice before I go.”
He was the worst kind of person who took pleasure in watching promising young people crumble under his fingertips. It was only because we needed his vile skills that I’ve endured until now. But that’s no longer necessary.
“Within the next month, you’ll receive a lawsuit. Kidnapping of minor Espers, assault, fraud… There’s an abundance of evidence, you know? As you mentioned, for the sake of our ‘bond,’ I’ve decided not to include in the complaint how you misappropriated the research funds I provided.”
“What are you talking about? A l-lawsuit? Are you saying you’re actually suing me?”
Dr. An slammed his fist violently on the coffee table with its thin legs. The coffee cup that had been precariously balanced on the already narrow table wobbled and finally fell to the floor with a loud crash. Fortunately, they were in a private space attached to the café, so they avoided the trouble of attracting attention.
“Do you think I’ll die alone? And what can you do with that lawsuit? Most of those cases have passed the statute of limitations!! I can easily pay a few hundred million won in settlement or fines!!”
He pretended to be so refined and rational when he thought he had the upper hand, but now that things were unfavorable, he quickly revealed his true colors, looking utterly vulgar. It was bitterly ironic that such a shallow person was considered the country’s top technician.
“Go ahead, try it! I won’t just sit back and take it!! Did you know my wife is a prosecutor at the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office? My father-in-law was even a Supreme Court Justice before he retired!”
When he has nothing else to say, he resorts to boasting about his family. If it’s a competition of family pride, Choi Jae-won, who would be second to none in Korea, observed the pitiful sight of the old man shouting at the top of his lungs while becoming immersed in the fragrant coffee aroma. Though the cup was shattered and the liquid stained the floor messily, its scent spread even more intensely through the air.
“The coffee smells wonderful, Doctor. Don’t you think?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to provoke me?”
“Oh my. Provoke you? I was just responding to what seemed like a family boasting contest.”
The building where today’s appointment was made had been named after the precious only son of a wealthy and harmonious couple – the Han-seo Building.
On the first floor of this building was the café they were visiting. Though the doctor didn’t know, this café had been specially opened after the mother of that only son, the current CEO of a department store and distribution affiliates, developed a keen interest in coffee.
From the second to the twelfth floor, the entire space was occupied by a law firm run by Attorney Lee Yun-jae. The lead attorney Lee Yun-jae, who personally drafted the lawsuit against Dr. An on Choi Jae-won’s request, was, of course, Lee Han-seo’s father. The building itself, located in the heart of Gangnam on land as precious as gold dust, had been generously gifted by Chairman Choi on Lee Han-seo’s first birthday. He even paid all the taxes in cash to ensure there would be no issues in celebrating his precious grandson’s birthday.
The doctor still seemed unable to understand Choi Jae-won’s words, merely frowning intensely. He’s slower on the uptake than expected. Perhaps the areas responsible for academic and theoretical thinking differ from those needed for social life. As a courtesy, Choi Jae-won left him with a suggestion to check the building’s name on his way out.
Having accomplished two out of four steps at once, he felt completely relieved, like having a painful tooth extracted. Now all that remained was finding Kim Jun-young with Ryu Ho-yeon, and…
“Ah, how should I make my final confession? I want it to be something that will really stick in his memory.”
Unable to anticipate what lay ahead in the fog before him, Choi Jae-won admired the soft carpet beneath his feet as he headed straight to the parking lot.
Until he discovered that what lay beneath his feet was not a soft carpet but the hide of a sinister beast, he could remain carefree and happily oblivious.
* * *
David Howard. That’s the name of the man who held the title of the world’s strongest Esper for decades until he officially announced his retirement, having awakened as an Esper at the age of thirteen.
He must already be over fifty, but perhaps because Espers age more slowly than normal people, though not as much as those with physical enhancement abilities, the man who appeared at Incheon Airport amidst a flurry of cameras looked no older than his early forties at most.
The sudden official appearance of this eccentric figure, who had declared a unilateral retirement leaving many questions unanswered and completely cut off his public activities for over ten years, drew the attention of not only South Korea but almost every country to this airport.
Reporters hastily dispatched from various places tried to get their microphones as close as possible and continuously asked him questions: What was the reason for your sudden retirement? Should we assume that your official appearance indicates you’re retracting your retirement? Why did you choose South Korea for your first return appearance?
The man, who had been casually walking, ignoring the barrage of questions and cameras with practiced ease, magically stopped at the last question.
“I have come to this country.”
The moment he quietly began to speak, all commotion instantly ceased. Howard stared directly into the camera lens and declared:
“To take back what was stolen from me.”
The research director, who had personally come to welcome the living legend on behalf of South Korea’s Ability Management Agency, uncharacteristically lost her poker face upon hearing his interview. What was stolen from him. Perhaps it was the most precious thing in the world that she had stolen.
