Playing with Fire (2)
"The atmosphere doesn't feel right... It seems they're tracking us. It's dangerous."
Although the data analysis was complete, Luna couldn't take off her nerve gear.
She always wore the nerve gear for hacking except during meals and sleep.
"We've stirred up a hornet's nest. Looks like we'll have to be careful on the streets at night."
"It's not like this is the first time we've stolen from corporations?"
"There's no corporate-level response. That's fortunate, at least."
But that didn't mean they could feel at ease.
"How long are we going to hide?"
"It's frustrating right now... but just waiting won't solve anything. The mercenaries who've targeted us will be waiting for their opportunity."
"We should start bringing in new results soon too. The gentleman from Hansan hasn't particularly pressured us, but... considering the money we're getting, we should be mindful."
Doris shook her head.
Looking at Han Sanwoo's actions, they could tell how meticulously Hansan was using the information they had brought.
"Can you assess their scale?"
"They're not that impressive. None of them have fancy implants either... most corporate requests are like that."
It was somewhat ironic, but at least in the field of choosing which mercenaries to use, corporations weren't very wise consumers.
Unlike the thugs who practically lived in the underworld of Stella City, the information available to corporate lower ranks had clear limitations.
It wasn't easy to accurately assess mercenary groups' strength, and they couldn't counter the tactics of failed or treacherous mercenary groups who simply changed their names to form new groups.
However, corporations that hired mercenaries rarely failed. They had overwhelming money at their disposal.
While there might be 'mercenaries not worth their pay' or 'requests that could be solved with much less money,' the chance of failure was low once they poured in sufficient funds.
"There are some who broke away from the Macheonpa faction... and those redneck guys? One who split from there... the rest aren't worth looking at. They're just vagrants who make a living selling organs."
"Funny. Were those folks still thinking of themselves as 'corporate employers'?"
But they weren't.
Not everyone affiliated with corporations had jaw-dropping amounts of money.
This was especially true considering assets that could be frozen due to criminal involvement.
Besides, even if they took revenge on the Doris mercenary group now, the facts that 'Han Sanwoo' had exposed wouldn't be forgotten.
Insufficient information and lacking funds. Having picked only the worst elements to hire mercenaries, their chances of success were almost none.
"Do you think they know our names?"
"Well, other mercenaries might. Whatever the trick is, it's certain there are some circling around us."
"We won't be able to investigate like this. Alright, let's shake them off first."
"...Are you serious?"
Ravina smiled and opened the closet in the corner of the room. Instead of clothes, it was filled with numerous assault rifles.
"It's not like we've caught some disease, so how long do we have to stay cooped up at home ordering delivery for meals?"
"That's true."
"Just leak some information. Let's openly wave the 'try to catch us' flag."
"The corporation might be wary."
"Surely, if they have a conscience... no, if they have any sense, they won't come after us directly."
While no one in Stella City expected anything 'conscience'-related from corporations, few thought they would make irrational choices.
"Besides, it would be admitting it, right? That the data was really corporate data, and the information we stole and handed over was real."
The corporation naturally tried to make the most stable and moderate response in this storm-like situation.
That was, of course, unlimited denial.
With statements like 'Of course Chairman Hansan is truly respectable, but it seems this time he brought in incorrect information,' they questioned the authenticity of the information itself.
To support this hypothesis, declaring 'Actually, nothing was stolen from the corporation' was the more convincing approach.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't wrong. Officially, the place the Doris mercenary group entered had no connection to the corporation, and Stella City's corporation hadn't done anything to have data stolen.
"Even if we act somewhat recklessly, they can't harass us directly."
"So we can pick off just the mercenaries sent by the field managers. Human hunting..."
"No time to make money. Stay focused, get ready, and let's head out."
Ravina and Luna nodded. They each gathered their weapons and prepared to fight.
***
"As I keep saying, ah! They're all ungrateful bastards, aren't they?"
"Grandfather. You're too loud."
The young granddaughter was desperately trying to contain the old soldier's outburst.
"Our Chairman Han Sanwoo... how much dedication he showed. As I've said before, this Stella City is a city that can't even make its own living without Hansan's help!"
"Well, it's half Hansan's own doing."
"What? Did you also work for money from other corporations?"
"If I were that kind of person, I would have taken you to a better place..."
Even as a white lie, he couldn't be said to have good manners.
While there was no reason to maintain silence in a restaurant, he was shouting loud enough to disturb others.
Though it wasn't a small restaurant, most customers not wearing earphones were probably being forced to listen to his political views.
"Anyway, these... young people nowadays have no sense of gratitude! Back when Chairman Han Sanmok invested in this city, the commercial districts thrived, and other corporations came in, didn't they?"
"...You said the war was terrible. The one who started it was Hansan."
"That! That was because that vile General Machina and other corporations attacked Hansan like wild dogs! It couldn't be helped!"
It was unfortunate to be seated near him, but fortunate to be sitting with my back to him.
While my ears might hurt, at least I wouldn't have to worry about his fierce roaring sending spittle flying into my ordered food.
"Those, all sorts of lowlifes disrespect corporations, slander Hansan... and what do they do? At best, they rob corporate employees and harvest organs from vagrants."
"That's true, but... But grandfather..."
"There were too many spies in Hansan. The executive I served once said he would use me importantly, so you just need to wait! Huh?"
"But... grandfather, you're getting older. Even if Hansan calls you back, whether you can work again..."
"What nonsense is that! I'm still fit! If Chairman Han Sanmok and his grandson Chairman Han Sanwoo just call for me, I'll grab a gun and run right..."
"Okay, okay. First, please eat something. You need to eat well to maintain your health and be able to work later."
The secretary sitting across from me whispered in a voice so quiet others absolutely couldn't hear.
"Though rough... he's not wrong."
"He's not wrong. True."
Hansan and the corporations of this world had already taken the mainstream position.
Conservative people, or those lacking the courage or will to adapt to society's unreasonableness, naturally had no choice but to join the corporate order.
"Perhaps they understand your sincerity about working for Stella City's residents, young master."
"Those people would have defended me the same way no matter what I did."
To begin with, someone with critical thinking shouldn't try to defend me with just 'a few acts of kindness.'
Looking at him, he's probably another person betrayed by Hansan. Usually, such abandoned people hate Hansan, but some can't bring themselves to do so.
If they acknowledge Hansan as evil, it would be no different from denying their entire life and sacrifices made for it.
They had already reached a position where they couldn't deny what they believed was their brilliant past.
"But you know well how vile and disrespectful those living outside corporations are."
Corporations had grown too big. The old man's words about this city living as a parasite on Hansan couldn't necessarily be called lies.
Of course, Hansan was eyeing Stella City because there were profitable interests here, but when it came to Hansan leaving Stella City right now, this city would be the more desperate party.
"If they had even the level of character as that mercenary group we saw then, I wouldn't speak like this."
"Well, that's true."
This was wrong too. No event triggers here. It seemed all I could do was listen to that old man's bellowing.
"At least the food is satisfactory. This doesn't seem like a restaurant that should be on this street."
"You're more generous than I expected."
"The hygiene passes, and while they might have used cheap synthetic meat, at least they didn't use inedible parts."
"Hmm."
"The oil used for frying is a bit concerning... but it seems barely edible. The taste, while not the best, is satisfactory considering the price."
She made a slightly sad expression.
"If all the shops on White Mountain Street provided food of this quality... maybe walking down the street would have been somewhat fun."
It was a small gratitude born from infinitely low expectations.
The way corporate people view those outside corporations is extremely discriminatory, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's negative.
Like it or not, unless you're going to live as a greenhouse flower, you have to face people from the city outskirts.
And in most encounters, people outside corporations disappointed those from inside corporations.
Minimal trust and courtesy, the will to respect rules even if not following them. Not a few people failed to show even that much.
But they too had no choice.
People express their anger towards corporations and hatred towards the world in their own ways.
Nothing changes without that critical consciousness. But what that consciousness can influence is, in the end, only the 'relatively vulnerable' people.
No matter how high one climbs, one cannot escape those rules. Even I couldn't.
"It's started. Should we stand by nearby?"
Still, we couldn't not do it.
"Seems we'll need disguises too. Is there a suitable place..."
"When you visited this street last time, I prepared a safe house just in case."
"You're experienced."
As expected, she was someone I couldn't give up.
"But direct intervention is still dangerous no matter how I think about it."
"This? How?"
What could endanger me wasn't something random mercenaries could do.
Even the 'protagonist' who would become a legend of Stella City could only kill 'Han Sanwoo' after coming with all sorts of implants, information, and legendary weapons.
"If there's even a one in a million, one in ten million chance that the young master's body could be scratched, it would be wise not to do it."
"I'm desperate. I have reasons to intervene."
"Were you serious?"
"To some extent."
Her deliberation wasn't long. The secretary smiled brightly and guided me to the safe house she had prepared.
"Come to think of it, do you have guns?"
"I prepared several commercial products, but... for guns that young master would use, they're somewhat lacking in quality."
"Well. I don't plan to go around announcing that Han Sanwoo is here. That's enough."
It might be my imagination, but the air seemed to smell of ammunition.
Well, that was daily life here. Nothing particularly special.
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