Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 503

His City was a mid-sized city within the Willingham region, bordering the Deloy metropolitan area. With a population of 3.4 million, it was located in the center of the Highrun central government and boasted a large lake, making distribution and tourism highly developed.

In the bustling downtown area, a man in his thirties, carrying a heavy hiking bag, walked into a shabby building. The man was Jaxson, an aide to Chairman Lucas.

Reaching the third floor, he knocked on an old steel door. Soon, the door opened, and a sturdy man with red hair peeked out.

“캬아~ You’ve arrived? I’ve been waiting. Come on in,” Fork said, using a Korean exclamation (a sound of delight or anticipation).

Jaxson, looking around cautiously, asked,

“Fork, are you sure you’re alone?”

“Yes. As you ordered, I secured this office as quickly as possible. There aren’t even any furnishings, so don’t worry.”

Jaxson entered the room and nodded after checking the empty office space. Indeed, there was no one inside. Finding no suitable place to sit, he leaned against the sunlit window and looked at the red-haired man.

“So, how’s the recruitment going?”

“Heh heh. Great. I’m carefully selecting only the best talents who know how to use their strength. Some even have elves who are skilled fighters, so there shouldn’t be any problems completing the job.”

“That’s a relief. But you’re keeping your identity a secret, right?”

“Heh heh. Don’t worry about that. You know my skills from my previous work, don’t you? I may not be good at everything, but I’m the best in the world at covering up incidents when things go wrong.”

Jaxson nodded. Fork was indeed trustworthy.

In the past, Mackin, a former colleague, was the one who lured and attempted to assassinate Beomsuk and Margaret. Although it failed, Fork’s help was crucial in getting that fool to carry out the plan to the point of assassination.

He was the one who recruited the agents, and he proactively planned the cleanup after the incident, preparing the explosives and vehicles and handing them over to Mackin.

“Indeed. You helped us a lot before, making things very easy.”

“You’re too kind. The guys who were mobilized and eliminated back then, their bodies still haven’t been found. Heh heh heh. By the way, you know that a considerable amount of cash is needed for things to run smoothly, right? And very clean money, at that.”

Jaxson handed over the hiking bag and said,

“I’ve prepared it.”

“Oh, thank you. Then……”

Fork opened the zipper of the hiking bag and checked the contents. Inside were crumpled bundles of bills, all 1,000 krang notes (Krang is the currency), which seemed to be quite valuable.

He took out a bundle of bills and flipped through them, saying,

“How much is this?”

“There are 70 bundles of 100 bills each.”

That meant a total of 7 million krang. It was a lot of money, but Fork looked at him with a dissatisfied expression.

“You know this isn’t nearly enough, right? You’ve done this before, so you should know.”

“Heh heh. Of course. The money I’m giving you now is just for the operational expenses. You can keep what’s left over.”

“What about the commission? The guys I’ve gathered won’t work without an upfront payment.”

Jaxson took out a car key from his pocket and handed it over.

“Don’t worry. I’ll park a car nearby in a few days and contact you, so you can take it.”

Only then did Fork smile.

“Heh heh. Well, then there’s no problem. I understand.”

“What else do you need?”

“Hahaha. What else could there be? I just need to solve the tasks you request and get paid. But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

Jaxson glared at him with sharp eyes.

“I’ve repeatedly told you that questions are not allowed under any circumstances, haven’t I?”

“That’s true, but this time it’s a bit unusual. Actually, this target is the woman I’ve met a few times with you before, isn’t she? And from what I saw back then, she seemed like your superior. But suddenly, she’s one of the targets. I’m a bit taken aback. I thought she was on intimate terms with the elder you mentioned.”

Jaxson crossed his arms and stared at Fork. It seemed like it was time to get rid of this guy. If he was doubting the relationship between the woman who had become the target and Lucas, he might know quite a bit.

‘Hmm. This guy is asking for trouble. He knows things he should never have noticed. I need to find a new person before things start.’

He sighed deeply and opened his mouth. It wouldn’t be bad to tell him as a farewell gift.

“She’s a traitor. That’s why we’re eliminating her. Do you understand?”

“Keu heu heu. Then, of course, she must be eliminated. If she utters a word, I’ll be behind bars. I think we need to start this job quickly. If we’re late, we might be the ones who get caught.”

“But she doesn’t know we’re onto her. Don’t rush and make mistakes due to clumsy work. Don’t start things too hastily.”

Fork smiled awkwardly and said,

“Really? When should we start the job then?”

“We’ll look for the right time and let you know.”

“Is that necessary? We can handle that much.”

“No. We know her behavior patterns best, so that would be better.”

“Ah. Is that so? Then I’ll do as you wish.”

“Then always be on standby and wait. That’s why I told you to open this office.”

“Yes. I’ll do that, so don’t worry.”

Jaxson nodded and straightened his collar. It was still early spring, and the office was chilly.

“Then I’ll be going now. I’m counting on you for the job.”

“Heh heh. Yes. Please return safely.”

Jaxson, escorted by Fork, left the office and began walking through the bustling streets again with a bitter smile. If he handled this job well, he could live as Chairman Lucas’s right-hand man, overseeing the world.

However, Fork, looking down at Jaxson from the window, was different. His eyes were filled with fear.

‘Damn it! Doing things like that is why things turned out this way! You idiot!’

Fork carefully took out the electronic notepad from his pocket. He had to report today’s events.

– Did the conversation go well?

Fork, staring intently at the black-haired beauty on the screen, hurriedly bowed his head.

“Yes, of course. I received the initial payment and recorded all the conversations with hidden CCTV.”

– Really? You did a great job. But you know you absolutely can’t use that money, right? It could be evidence.

“Yes, of course.”

– Good. Then start the job right away. But you know what will happen if you play tricks or run away, right?

Fork, looking like he wouldn’t even dream of it, smiled slyly and waved his hands. He had run away plenty of times before.

The problem was that, like Sun Wukong [a mythical figure] in Buddha’s palm [a metaphor for being trapped], he was caught by this woman in less than a day. Once, he went to rely on an acquaintance, but he was horrified when an agent sent by this woman waved at him from inside the room.

“O-of course. How could I ever run away again? Please entrust this job to me. I’ll string all of their noses and bring them before you, miss.”

– It would probably be better for you to do that. If this job fails, you’ll have to pay a heavy price, including the previous incident.

“Yes, yes. Of course. Don’t worry at all.”

The black-haired woman smiled sweetly and said in a low voice. She had already shown the whip, so now it was time to remind him of the reward.

– Good. I’ll trust you. And if you solve this job well, you’ll get enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, or even for generations. And the criminal facts you’ve committed so far will be concealed. Since you’re taking the risk anyway, it’s much more profitable to work for us. You know that very well, right?

Fork nodded. This job was being carried out under the orders of that black-haired woman, but ostensibly, it was cooperation with the police investigation.

Of course, there was no way it would go wrong. And he had investigated and knew that the wealth of that woman and the organization she belonged to was enormous due to the previous attempted assassination. He expected that enough money to satisfy him would be in his hands. Also, Jaxson’s eyes when he looked at him today were very strange.

He felt a sense of foreboding, and an instinct he had acquired from living in a harsh world was signaling him to stay away, so he thought it was much more profitable to follow that woman.

“Haha. Of course, I know very well. I only trust you, miss.”

– Good. Then, if any problems arise, contact me directly on this hotline.

“Yes, I understand.”

– Then, good work.

“Yes.”

As the black-haired woman disappeared from the screen, Fork let out a long sigh. This job was a good opportunity to change his fate if he did it well, but he could also lose his life if he did it wrong. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be nervous.

– Master, we’ll be arriving at the Ravelocity Colosseum soon. Please prepare to disembark.

Beomsuk, looking at the huge Colosseum building spread out on the ground, tensed up. The 34th match against Real Heroes was about to begin. If he won this match today, one of the major obstacles to winning would be removed. Although they were a difficult opponent, he had to win.

He stood up, gripped the handle on the ceiling tightly, and wore a tense expression.

‘I must win today!’

With that resolution, he jumped out as Aaron landed and walked slowly towards the entrance of the Colosseum, following the path created by the security guards.

“GodsKnights! Don’t even think about returning safely today! We lost last time because it was your home, but this time it’s different!”

“Yeah! Real Heroes will definitely win today!”

The jeers of the home fans gathered around him were piercing Beomsuk’s ears. Most of them were confident that Real Heroes would beat GodsKnights. But he just kept walking silently.

It was annoying, but there was no need to listen to their complaints. It was better to focus on today’s match than to pay attention to the grumbling of those who had fallen out of the championship race.

Currently, after 33 matches, GodsKnights had 32 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses, with 97 points. Chaplin Whisper was closely following behind with 31 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with 94 points, and Real Heroes had 29 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, with 88 points.

Considering that there were 4 matches left, Real Heroes’ chances of winning were almost gone. They were 9 points behind GodsKnights and 6 points behind Chaplin Whisper.

Of course, if they won today and gained points, they could reduce the gap with the first-place team to 6 points, but this was impossible considering the upcoming matches for GodsKnights and Chaplin Whisper. Both teams had three of their remaining four matches against teams in the bottom of the league, and the final 38th match was between GodsKnights and Chaplin Whisper.

No matter how you looked at it, Real Heroes’ chances of winning were slim.

Beomsuk, who had entered the Colosseum, waited for his gladiators in the hallway. The burden of being away and facing a strong team like Real Heroes could hinder GodsKnights today, so he needed to encourage everyone.

“Okay, everyone, let’s do our best and win today’s match!”

“Yes!”

Beomsuk smiled slightly at the confident answers of his gladiators. Seeing their energetic 모습 [Korean for appearance or demeanor], Beomsuk also seemed to gain strength. He had a very good feeling about today.

At that moment, a small vibration kept ringing in his pocket. Wondering what it was, Beomsuk picked up his notepad, saw the number, and quickly moved away from his gladiators.

– Oppa [Korean for older brother, used by a female], it’s me.

“Yeah, Margaret, what’s going on?”

– A mouse has been caught in a trap.

“A mouse has been caught in a trap? What does that mean?”

– It means Chairman Lucas has moved.

Beomsuk, with a tense expression, stared intently at her.

“What did that bastard do?”

– According to the informant, Theresa has been kidnapped by a stranger.

Beomsuk’s eyes widened.

“Why Theresa?”

– Actually, Chairman Lucas was aware of Theresa’s betrayal. So, he seems to have planned to eliminate her with you.

“Are you sure?”

– Yes. I’ve already confirmed it.

Beomsuk narrowed his eyes sharply and glared at her.

“Why didn’t you stop it knowing all this!”

– That was the only way to catch Chairman Lucas.

“Even so, what if something happens to Theresa?”

– Nothing will ever happen. I told you before, just trust me. I’ve already completed all the preparations for this.

“Are you sure?”

– Yes. You’ll see soon.

Beomsuk was greatly relieved by her confident words.

“That’s a relief. But what do you mean by ‘see soon’?”

– A kidnapping will happen to you soon too.

“Now?”

– Yes.

“That can’t happen! Today’s match is very important! Can’t we just save Theresa?”

– We can’t do that. You need to be kidnapped to completely trap Chairman Lucas. Theresa is, after all, the chairman’s daughter on paper. If he says he forcibly brought her because he missed his daughter, it’s likely to be dismissed as a simple family matter. So, what are you going to do? If you save Theresa now, the chairman will realize he’s been trapped and go into a long hibernation. Then, there may never be another chance to catch him.

Beomsuk looked at the door of the gladiator waiting room where his gladiators had entered and at Margaret, with a troubled expression. Whether to seize this important match to win or to catch Chairman Lucas was causing him a lot of conflict. Winning was important, and catching the chairman was also important.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

Everyone, have a great day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.