Chapter 37: The Curtain Rises

“Do we really need this many people stationed here? I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to try assassinating such a big shot right here.”
A Militech soldier lit the cigarette between his lips, exhaled slowly, and narrowed his eyes.

“Who knows? Maybe that’s exactly what someone’s counting on. And hey, I heard the top-level bigwigs supposedly have some kind of protocol—if they die, missiles get launched. No idea whether this Congressman Fiers signed up for that...”
Another Militech soldier shrugged, giving his partner a mysterious look.

In truth, Fiers had never signed that insurance. Since he spent most of his time operating inside the New United States, he saw no reason to spend that much money every year on such an agreement.
Even if he was a senator, he didn’t hold any crucial position within Militech. Most of his income came from political donors and his government salary.

He wasn’t nearly as rich as people imagined—especially compared to actual corporate executives. His advantage lay in influence, not wealth.

“If that’s real, then an assassination is even less likely to happen.”

“Whatever. It’s not like it has anything to do with us. If anything, their concerns are why they hired us—giving us a shot at some easy money.”

The two exchanged smiles, put out their cigarettes, and continued their patrol.

At that moment, a pair of crimson electronic eyes quietly emerged behind them.

Jhin watched the soldiers walk away without making a move. Acting rashly would only alert the enemy. And unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to kill right now—it would create unnecessary complications.

“Hmm... there’s a room on that floor that’d make a perfect sniping spot... but they’ve probably thought of that too. Someone’s likely patrolling it.”

Keeping his form concealed, Jhin moved upward. Soon, he spotted an extremely well-hidden corner. The sniping angle wasn’t ideal—too many obstructions, and several objects could interfere with bullet stability.

But... the weapon in his hands wasn’t a conventional one. Sightline limitations didn’t matter much.

With that thought, Jhin slipped into cover near that room, observing patrol cycles and patterns.

Meanwhile, Fiers’ AV arrived at the venue. He met the representative from Biotechnica, then headed into a private room to rest and wait for the upcoming discussions.

The actual negotiations were off-limits, so Jhin wasn’t waiting for the meeting. What he wanted was the moment both representatives exited afterward to face the press.

After enough observation, Jhin confirmed that no one entered the room to patrol, and hardly anyone passed by at all. Clearly, they also assumed this place couldn’t be used for sniping because too many objects interfered with accuracy.

Jhin waited a bit longer, only approaching once the patrol had left for some time. At the door, he realized the lock was a standard mechanical one instead of an electronic lock.

That was a problem. Electronic locks could be invaded easily. Mechanical ones... required brute force—and brute force made noise.

A small canister popped out from his arm. Jhin poured the solvent onto the lock. Soon, the metal destabilized as it reacted and weakened.

He applied slight pressure, crushing the lock, then cleaned the traces left on the floor before slipping into the storage room. He dragged a shelf over the door to block any light leaking through the hole and drawing attention.

Only after finishing all that did Jhin set up his weapon and begin selecting the best angle.

...

“Mr. Fiers, I hear President Myers has been actively reorganizing the military lately.”
Owen, Biotechnica’s representative, spoke with a pleasant smile.

“That’s right. Something like that.”
Fiers didn’t deny it. Myers’ plans were practically public knowledge, and the content of this meeting was related to it. Honestly, without that agenda, this meeting with Biotechnica wouldn’t even be happening.

“As you know, our cooperation with Moore Technologies has been progressing extremely well. Thanks to that, our company is launching a completely new Cyberware.”

A strange expression flickered across Owen’s face. His words made Fiers pause—he hadn’t heard anything about Cyberware being on the agenda today.

“I don’t recall us discussing anything like that before, Mr. Owen.”

“Oh, don’t worry. This conversation stays between just the two of us. See? No one else around, no surveillance equipment.”

Owen waved casually. Fiers glanced around, frowning. “What… are you getting at?”

“For this collaboration, if you agree to help us acquire the experimental data for this Cyberware, we can offer Militech ten percent of the profits—mainly in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. What do you think?”

Fiers was tempted, though still uncertain. “I need to confirm exactly what kind of Cyberware you’ve developed.”

“Of course, perfectly reasonable. Please, take a look.”

Owen tapped a few times on the table. A screen appeared, and a video began to play.

Fiers watched the cyberpsycho in the footage—completely deranged—and frowned. But he couldn’t deny the functions were impressive. The Cyberware granted the subject tremendous offensive power, recovery, and defense.

“This seems to use nanotechnology?”

“Correct. The latest nanomedical tech, currently experimental.”

Owen nodded with a smile. Hearing that, Fiers’ gaze shifted subtly. This technology... might be worth stealing…

“I can agree, but it’s a Berserk module—the risk is high. Give me an extra five percent, and I’ll sign off.”

“This...”
Owen frowned, looking troubled.

“This is my final offer. It won’t change. Otherwise, we can return to discussing pharmaceuticals.”

Fiers ignored Owen’s expression and pressed on.

“Fine. Deal. Looking forward to working with you.”

Owen sighed but agreed, extending his hand in goodwill.
Of course he knew exactly what Fiers intended—but it didn’t matter. As long as they obtained the experimental data, even if Militech learned part of it, they would still remain ahead.