Class would be ending soon.

  Then, he would be able to meet his target. Seok-young had come all this way based on the data he had investigated so far.

  He couldn't be certain if he would actually find the target. However, if his hunch was correct—and if he wanted to resolve the incidents currently unfolding—he absolutely had to meet today's target: Jihyeon.

  Jihyeon was the person who knew the most about the current cases. Of course, Seok-young couldn't yet guarantee whether the information Jihyeon possessed was trustworthy.

  But now was a time for risks. If it was to protect what mattered most, walking the line between legal and illegal was a duty a police officer had to accept.

  What mattered most? Social order.

  Of course, Seok-young was just a single investigator. No matter how much he struggled, there were limits to what he could do. Yet, knowing those limits, he had to take the plunge.

  To do that, the most important thing was a face-to-face meeting. Regardless of the official nature of the investigation, it was ultimately a meeting between two people. Things only move forward when you talk in person. Thus, Seok-young came directly to the campus to meet Jihyeon. It was the best way to show his sincerity.

  Normally, a public official might send an official summons to call someone in. However, Seok-young knew well that such an approach could sometimes incite hostility. Especially when cooperation was needed, one had to be more considerate. Offending someone could lead to a negative outcome for the investigation.

  Praying for a good result, Seok-young looked at his watch. It was time. He stared anxiously at the main entrance of the building.

  Gradually, he heard the sounds of students pouring out. Their faces were bright with the joy of finishing class. While those with remaining lectures headed to other classrooms, those who were done savored a sense of liberation.

  Watching them, Seok-young recalled his own student days. For someone who had dropped out and chosen the path of a police officer, the sight of ordinary college students overlapped with bittersweet memories.

  But there was no time for sentimentality. Seok-young focused on the faces of the students to find the person he needed.

  It wasn't as easy as he thought. With dozens—no, hundreds—of students pouring out at once, it was difficult to identify a single person. He regretted not calling ahead. He felt he had made a mistake by being unnecessarily stubborn about showing up unannounced. If he had scheduled a meeting, he wouldn't be wasting time like this.

  "Maybe I should have made an appointment after all..." Seok-young muttered, watching the stream of students. The short ten-minute break would soon end, and classes would resume.

  Looking at his watch, there was only one minute left.

  Today might be a failure. The target might have already passed by while he wasn't looking.

  "What a foolish move," Seok-young thought, turning to leave, lamenting the wasted time.

  "Excuse me, are you looking for me?"

  It was then. A man spoke to him from behind. His voice was calm, as if he already knew exactly why Seok-young had come.

  "Huh? You are...?"

  Seok-young turned around. Standing there was a young man who resembled the photo he had obtained. He looked ordinary at first glance, but his bearing left an impression similar to that of a high-ranking figure.

  "Yes. You don't even have to tell me why you're here."

  Saying this, the man Seok-young was looking for—Jihyeon—wore a faint smile. Looking at him, Seok-young felt an involuntary chill of fear.

  Don't be intimidated. Steeling himself, Seok-young introduced himself and reached out for a handshake.

  "Nice to meet you."

  Jihyeon shook his hand. That was the beginning of their encounter.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Sales don't always go as planned. Sometimes unexpected things happen, and a deal falls through. That's just part of the business.

  Of course, if things go well, you can initiate a first trade. But fickle clients always prioritize their own interests, so they don't easily grant requests.

  In that sense, So-young was quite disappointed that the deal with the Boss had failed. The largest criminal organization in the region showed unexpected caution toward the tools. Given their connection to Jihyeon, perhaps that was only natural.

  Jihyeon was a cautious man—so much so that he attempted to hack her the moment he saw her face. While she had prepared her security thoroughly enough to prevent a data leak, his attempt had provided So-young with many lessons.

  At the same time, she could deduce why the Boss was being so careful. Having a connection with Jihyeon, he likely wanted to wait and see.

  But in sales, there's no need to stick to just one place. If a client gives up the chance to be a first adopter, you simply sell to others first and provide it to the first client at a higher price later. So-young knew well how to extract profit as a seller.

  In fact, she was currently driving to meet a new client. These were people who had long ago discarded the kind of caution the Boss possessed.

  They would be the ones to fill So-young’s bank account. Since the billboard known as "Cheol-min" had already demonstrated the product's performance so spectacularly, they would surely move in the direction she desired.

  After parking her car and getting out, So-young walked briskly toward the meeting place. With her ordinary appearance and well-fitted suit, she didn't particularly stand out.

  However, none of her clients could afford to ignore her. When speaking face-to-face, the unique aura she exuded made even the toughest thugs think twice before crossing her.

  So-young hoped to leverage her strengths to produce a good result this time as well. Not just to sell products, but to achieve her true objective.

  The client had not yet arrived at the meeting spot. But So-young had arrived early on purpose. Exactly ten minutes later, she saw her client approaching and greeted him first.

  "Nice to meet you."

  The client returned the greeting and sat down.

  "You're early. Nice to meet you. I've read your proposal thoroughly."

  The client showed great interest in the proposal. Although he was well-dressed, the man exuded a sense of danger and made no effort to hide his intense craving for power.

  "What's the price, and how much can you supply? I understand the risks, but that's something we can handle on our own."

  So-young nodded at his words, pulled out her tablet, and showed him the organized data.

  "Ho... this is good. Shall we enter the contract immediately?"

  The client was in a hurry. So-young replied with a smile.

  "Certainly. Then, would you mind reading this first?"

  The deal was struck quickly. Satisfied with So-young’s explanation, the client shook her hand and left shortly after.

  "Hmm... I should check on the next client then."

  Sales is a busy life. Though the transaction ended satisfactorily, So-young immediately moved to the next location. She moved happily, noting that she still had plenty to do today.

  The entertainment district at night was, as always, crowded with people. For those seeking pleasure, it was the ultimate dream space. People flocked here in search of a slight escape—or something more.

  Sometimes, those who came here sought an escape that went too far. To them, pleasure itself was the only thing that mattered. For its sake, they would readily enjoy things outside the law. Drugs were no exception.

  A forbidden pleasure that ordinary people could never taste. There were people everywhere who would do anything for it. They viewed their indulgences as if they were justified, never considering the immense harm they caused.

  However, as is always the case, forbidden things are never cheap. To buy drugs from a dealer, one had to provide a significant amount of money.

  But sometimes, there were those who lacked the funds to buy what they craved. They would do anything to get the money for a hit, and those who couldn't often ended up broken.

  Still, being broken was a lucky outcome. Among those who crossed the line, some would use the very last of their stash to gain the nerve to target the dealer.

  The man currently causing a scene was one such person. His eyes were unfocused, completely intoxicated by the drugs, and his incoherent rambling signaled to everyone that they should stay away. Of course, the man himself was oblivious to this.

  All that mattered to him was the drug he needed to obtain. But without money, there were no drugs. Enraged by this simple fact, the man screamed.

  "What? Who do you think you are?!"

  He could no longer control his emotions. He surrendered his body to rage and attempted to use violence without a second thought.

  The dealer's bodyguards stepped forward to stop him. Those in dangerous businesses always kept a means of protection, and bodyguards were one such insurance policy.

  However, they couldn't withstand the man's assault. They crumbled under his one-sided violence.

  Under the influence of the drugs, the man displayed a monstrous strength he normally couldn't produce. Ordinary people couldn't hope to match him. Even though the bodyguards were strong, they were ultimately just human.

  Of course, using such monstrous strength would have a devastating impact on his muscles and skeleton, but the intoxicated man didn't care at all.

  Yet, the dealer remained unfazed. He looked as if he had something to rely on.

  "You son of a bitch!"

  The man, not even knowing what he was doing, charged at the dealer, exploding with rage. As if possessed by the delusion that he could do anything once he took down the bodyguards, his movements were unhesitating.

  But the man could advance no further. Another bodyguard appeared between the dealer and the man.

  "Get out of the way!"

  The man shouted and attacked the guard. But the bodyguard blocked the attack as if it were nothing.

  "Aaaaaagh!"

  The guard then grabbed the man's arm and twisted it. Despite the drug-induced numbing of pain, there were still limits to what a body could take.

  "Well done."

  The dealer said, looking at his bodyguard. The guard simply nodded in response. On that guard's neck was a black pattern that could not be seen on an ordinary person.