Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 224.1

“Agent Bronze.”

“Yes.”

Ryu Jaekwan, who had been waiting, lifted his head.

“Allow me to guide you.”

Only a single day had passed since the ‘Man in the Screen’ incident was contained. The headquarters of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau was still buzzing with unease as the cleanup continued.

The incident had required not only Black-Tortoise Team 1, who were on duty that day, but also Black-Tortoise Team 3, who were off-shift, to be called in.

This was because it had escalated simultaneously in multiple places. And worse, it was tied to a broadcasting station, threatening to spiral into a major mass-casualty event that was barely suppressed through the intervention of state power.

On top of all that… the sequence of events was suspicious.

‘In hindsight, the timing of that report was way too perfect.’

Normally, when a supernatural disaster first occurs, it’s extremely difficult for civilians to contact the bureau. Most ordinary people don’t even know the hotline number, and the bureau can’t pre-assign their number to incidents that haven’t happened yet.

But this time, they called before confirming whether there were even fatalities.

‘Of course that’s suspicious.’

Sure enough, after interrogating the PD, they found out.

A group of ‘professionals in suits and masks’ had shown up, tampered with the editing room, and then ‘that company’ had given them the bureau’s number.

From all appearances, Daydream Inc. had meddled with a previously resolved supernatural disaster to harvest it, lost control of the situation, and dumped the mess on the bureau.

Officially, they were denying everything.

Bronze pressed under his eyes, dark circles showing his exhaustion.

‘What a trash company.’

Bringing in a Daydream employee who seemed to be an elite team member for interrogation was, therefore, praised as an excellent move for gathering extra intel.

…But honestly, that wasn’t the only reason.

Besides, one of the employees who looked like they were from an elite team had escaped in an instant using an item, slipping through his fingers by a hair.

Regrettable.

“Still, it’s fortunate that the situation was resolved smoothly.”

“…Yes.”

The administrative clerk guiding him made small talk.

“I heard they decided not to use the label ‘Episode 6’ anymore, right?”

“Yes. I heard they’ll jump straight to Episode 7.”

The chosen solution was this.

Until the Man in the Screen disappeared completely, they would avoid using the term ‘Episode 6’ altogether.

The broadcasting station, meanwhile, would get ahead of the rumors, turning the ghost story into a marketing gimmick with their loud ‘Skipping Episode 6’ campaign.

Even if they were mocked as clueless or incompetent marketers, it would neatly dispel the unsettling mystery.

The two casualties would quietly be written off as overwork or accidents, and after a full-scale memory purge of those involved, the station would return to stability.

Though on a different scale, this gave him déjà vu.

It reminded him of a tactic used long ago by a rookie when he was temporarily assigned to the White Tiger Unit, and was even affectionately nicknamed ‘Destroyer King Rookie’.

“……Um, Agent? We’ve arrived.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

And that’s when Bronze felt it even more strongly.

That presence.

It reminded him of his direct junior who had disappeared six months ago, leaving only a carefully written letter and a pile of items behind.

Agent Grapes.

…Kim Soleum.

It felt like a warning not to make any mistakes here.

“You may go in now.”

He stepped into the assigned location.

A room set apart from the area used to check in disaster survivors, a temporary holding cell for those flagged as ‘high-risk based on testimony’.

They called it a probation room, and it was the stage before the Glass Prison.

“Hey, nice to meet you, Agent!”

Agent Bronze was greeted by someone still smiling, even inside the probation room.

A member of the Field Exploration Team wearing a Pony mask.

“The jajangmyeon[1] here was great! This place serves amazing food. And it’s free too, haha.”

Though she didn’t give her real name, her personality was already well-known.

“So, if the price is right, I’ll tell you everything.”

A shameless, extreme gold-chaser.

“But if it’s about stuff directly tied to my work that day… Nah, I could get disciplined or fired for that. ‘A little token of goodwill’ won’t cut it.”

“……”

Agent Bronze was used to these types.

Though it was rare to see one this extreme.

“Civilian. This is not a negotiation.”

With eyes sunken, Agent Bronze made his stance clear.

“The small tokens we offer are gestures of appreciation for cooperation, not bribes. Exercising your right to remain silent is not permitted in the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, for safety reasons.”

“……”

“And continued refusal to testify will be considered grounds for escalation.”

Bronze’s tone carried no hint of regret at the thought.

“This means you may face measures other than probation.”

Yet, the Daydream employee didn’t so much as bat an eyelash.

“After that, I think I can start asking for a much higher price to compensate for emotional damages too!”

“……”

“Of course, instead of letting it get to that point, I think we can agree on a fair price through a smooth negotiation. Hahaha!”

What a piece of work.

Agent Bronze suppressed a sigh as he looked at the archetypal, self-serving junior employee from Daydream Inc. seated before him.

Judged as a wrongdoer, but one who hadn’t yet committed enough evil to tip the scales completely.

Because the scales of malice hadn’t fully tipped, the bureau wouldn’t send this person to positions that required sacrificial pawns.

Normally, this would follow the standard process of being locked in a Glass Prison, interrogated, and prevented from lying…

‘…Or I could just send her there.’

Into the Labyrinth of Nightmares.

After a single round in there, her attitude would surely change.

Bronze was considering securing her a slot when—

Click.

The door to the probation room opened, and someone else stepped in.

“…Agent.”

“Aigoo, how tough.”

Grinning at Agent Bronze and giving a casual wave, then waving to the Daydream employee as well, Agent Choi entered and dragged over a chair to sit down.

“I just dropped by after wrapping up my assignment. Well, since I was involved in your transport, it’s only fair I chat a bit with you too, right, Ms. Employee?”

“Shall we just cut the chit-chat and talk gold, sir? Hahaha!”

“Hahaha, straight to the point!”

Agent Choi slouched into the chair, lowering his voice as his expression hardened.

“But, see, even if I want to give you gold, you’ve got to tell me something worth trading for.”

“……”

“Do you really think intel from a Field Exploration Team supervisor with under two years on the job is worth that much?”

Kang Yihak laughed.

“You wouldn’t have hauled me in if it wasn’t, would you?”

“We took a gamble.”

Agent Choi leaned his chin on his hand as if thinking, then raised both hands in mock defeat.

“Alright! Just spill everything you know, straight through. I’ll match the price as best I can.”

“Oh!”

“How about gold as a deposit? Got jade, too.”

“Wow, top-shelf stuff!”

Agent Bronze shot Agent Choi a look of disbelief, but Agent Choi remained easygoing, a faint air of mild discomfort under his smooth demeanor.

Then, true to his word, he pulled out a piece of jewelry made of pure gold and jade, bringing it into the probation room.

“…!”

Note/s:

[1] Jajangmyeon – a popular noodle dish topped with thick sauce made of chunjang sauce, diced pork and veggies. ↵

Salt Goblin

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