By Zephyria “Hehehe, another day wasted?”
“Shit… I’m blowing a week’s worth of earnings here. Should I try to get some work here too?”
“You think they just give work to anyone? Even Kim got rejected by Choi last time.”
As expected, the depths are different for a reason. Information about Sakdal comes in so casually.
Jin Mu-hae subtly perked up his ears and started walking around. Amidst all the chatter, there were bits of information that might be true.
“I can’t believe that baldy just staggered around instead of grabbing him when he had the chance, what a bastard!”
“Just stop betting, man. You’ll end up going up there if you get into more debt.”
“I’ll get my money back! They’ll call me again next week.”
Joo-oh led Mu-hae through the bustling crowd, only stopping where plausible conversations were happening.
Even though the conversations lacked important keywords, he would be able to piece together all this fragmented information and come to a conclusion.
Beep beep-.
As the ring was cleared and the buzzer rang, everyone who had been chattering turned their heads to one place.
It was betting time. Looking at the three-dimensional image floating in the air, the fighters this time were a muscular man with one arm and a slightly smaller man.
The gamblers busily started manipulating their Watches. The numbers on the Hologram Billboard swelled like a snowball.
The score was 7 to 3. Even though he was missing a fist, the money was pouring in for the bigger guy who looked like he knew how to fight.
Which side would Jin Mu-hae see as having a better chance? Joo-oh was eager to know his choice.
“Jin Mu-hae, who do you think will win?”
“Why?”
“I have 200 Deal left. I want to bet too.”
“I’m not giving you any more money this month. Don’t waste it on just anything, save it.”
What? This was unexpected. Joo-oh knew that Jin Mu-hae wasn’t exactly rich, but he still had a lot of things he wanted to buy.
“Then I’ll turn it into 500 Deal here!”
His brow furrowed at the determined answer. Damn it… Jin Mu-hae seemed to hesitate for a moment, muttering to himself, before leaning down and whispering in Joo-oh’s ear.
“Then bet on the smaller one.”
“Why? He doesn’t look strong.”
“The armless guy is hiding his stump. He must be Interfacing. He usually wears an Augmented Prosthetic Arm.”
Prosthetics with motors or built-in weapons aren’t allowed in the bare-knuckle arena.
It’s questionable whether his balance or fighting style will be the same after taking off the Bionic Arm he always uses.
As expected, Jin Mu-hae immediately came to a conclusion after just a quick glance. Joo-oh, satisfied with the answer, hugged Mu-hae’s arm tightly.
Beep beep-.
Once everyone who wanted to bet had participated, the buzzer rang again. The two fighters went up to the ring, and bang! The match began.
Thwack! Clang.
A heavy fist hit the iron bars, and the man who barely dodged it took advantage of the opening to strike the muscular body.
But the bigger guy was definitely stronger and had more stamina. The man who had Joo-oh’s money almost rolled on the ground just from being grazed by his kick.
“Waaaaah!”
The cheers grew and subsided depending on the situation of the match.
In an era where everyone was trapped in their Comfort zone for the sake of survival, people’s excitement reached its peak as they watched bare-bodied humans beat each other to death.
“What the hell! Why is he staggering like that?”
“Hit him in the head! Hit him! I’ll kill you if you lose my money!”
The match, which had been dominated by the bigger guy in the beginning, was becoming unpredictable as time went on. The win rate on the Hologram Billboard fluctuated, fueling the madness of the people.
Then, thwack! The bigger guy was hit in the jaw with an elbow and staggered before collapsing to the ring floor.
Thwack! Pow! Thud!
From then on, a brutally one-sided beating ensued.
The man with the swollen face continued to kick his opponent, who was already half-down, whether he was covering his head and cowering or not.
Blood splattered and curses flew from all directions. People in a frenzy were bound to say anything.
Even in the midst of the chaotic scene, Jin Mu-hae didn’t bat an eye as he eavesdropped on the crowd’s voices.
Bang!
Zeeeng- The Watch sent a signal at the same time the match ended. The 200 Deal that Joo-oh had bet had turned into 472 Deal, but neither of them showed any particular excitement about the increased wealth.
“Jin Mu-hae. Did you hear that?”
“Yeah. That beard seems to be involved.”
He sensed a conversation that he could vaguely understand if he knew the whole story about Sakdal’s smuggling, especially regarding alcohol.
A man with a sparse beard that reached down to his neck was clutching his head and banging it, as if he had lost money.
He seemed like someone who was just being used and thrown away, but even so, he was saying too much.
“Is it okay to say that much?”
Mu-hae looked at Joo-oh, who was muttering, as if to ask if he was serious.
Then his eyes changed slightly. He seemed to have come to the conclusion that their smuggling wasn’t such a life-or-death secret.
From the start, Gu-reum knew about it, and Central probably knew about it too. That’s why she had figured out in advance when something would be coming in and sent Mu-hae.
Nevertheless, those involved in this matter weren’t very wary of their surroundings. The manpower they used didn’t seem very smart, and the whole thing felt sloppy.
Beep beep-.
The buzzer rang again. The fighters this time seemed to be similar in size and health.
But it was interesting that the betting ratio remained around 7 to 3. The gamblers had information that Jin Mu-hae didn’t have.
In other words, someone who was out now had been out before, or what kind of fight they had shown at that time, or what they had done.
All of these were settings that could only be learned from the conversations of the audience or by examining the map after the event. In other words, things that Joo-oh knew.
“That sideburns guy has a long reach.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. And he’s persistent.”
This bet was a waste, but he had to bet on the 7 side. It was unfortunate luck for those betting, even if it wasn’t for the fighters.
Mu-hae, who had participated in the betting again to avoid suspicion, tapped Joo-oh on the shoulder.
“Tell me everything you hear.”
He must have realized belatedly that Joo-oh was better at eavesdropping on people’s conversations, so he shouldn’t be too focused on his surroundings.
At this rate, there was no need to take Jin Mu-hae around everywhere. Joo-oh mentally sorted out what he could say to Jin Mu-hae at this point and what information was ambiguous.
From now on, whatever he said would be transformed into conversations that people around him had. Good. Things just got easier.
‘Hmm. But I thought too much.’
Instead, his stomach was now empty. Joo-oh swallowed hard and looked around.
Fortunately, everyone was focused on the match that was just starting.
So much so that they wouldn’t notice what anyone was doing in the crowd.
They must be selling cursed meat skewers near Seogyeong City.
The kind of food that, no matter how much you eat and get rid of, stubbornly returns to its owner.
‘How long is that skewer going to keep coming out?’
Joo-oh was munching on meat while watching the bloody brawl.
Whether he wasn’t bothered by the stuffy air or the bloodshed in front of him, he calmly took his own meal time even while watching people get beaten up.
Mu-hae reflexively shook his head and looked away from him. The more he paid attention to Joo-oh’s eccentricities, the more tired he would get. After realizing that, Mu-hae always stayed one step away from his mysteries.
“Jin Mu-hae. Hmm, nom. But the Deal we made was about information.”
It was amazing that he could pronounce so clearly even with food in his mouth. Mu-hae didn’t even turn his head, but he raised one eyebrow slightly as if to listen.
“Gu-reum already knows about it, so why would this be a Deal?”
As expected. Joo-oh’s thinking was evolving. It wasn’t just a feeling. The mumbling that had been close to nonsense had become a conversation, and now there was substance in that trivial conversation.
He was starting to get to the heart of the matter. As Joo-oh always claimed, he ‘knew what he was saying before he answered.’
Originally, it was none of his business, but for some reason, it felt welcome, so Mu-hae opened his mouth in a low voice instead of ignoring him.
“It’s not that she wants information about the smuggling.”
“Then?”
“She wanted me to come here under that pretext. I also wondered if there might really be the evidence that person is looking for here…”
But it didn’t seem like it. If Mu-hae, who had nothing to do with this case, had come this far, they could have sent a more capable and discreet person to find out everything long ago.
And coincidentally, Sakdal had a ‘shadow’ who was interested in Mu-hae.
“Jin Mu-hae. Did you get sold?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
Gu-reum wanted Mu-hae to make contact with that shadow. He guessed that it would be beneficial to Gu-reum, but it could also be a ‘help’ to Mu-hae.
That was what she had promised. Mu-hae, who had thought that far, stared intently at the ring.
The vagrants who were loitering around as if trying to get noticed. The underground arena that was openly revealed without any resistance when he found the tail.
The shadow here who was watching Jin Mu-hae was hidden but not concealed. It was as if he was watching Mu-hae’s actions and whispering.
Come if you can. If you meet his expectations, you can meet him at any time.
It was a good choice to attract his attention. Gu-reum’s intentions and the reaction here were gradually converging towards the same goal.
Mu-hae unbuttoned a few of the tightening shirt buttons and strode forward.
Bang!
Zeeeng-.
Just as the bloody fight ended, the half-dead man was dragged out of the ring.
Approaching the person who appeared to be the host of the gambling match, he gave him a look that asked what his business was.
“Do you happen to accept on-the-spot entry applications?”
“…We already have fighters lined up.”
Two men who were fully prepared were standing where the guy gestured.
Without answering, Jin Mu-hae walked towards them and suddenly threw a punch.
Pow!
The eyes of the fighter, who had been full of venom, rolled back with a single punch that shook his jaw.
Thud. The huge body collapsed, and the surroundings, which had been as chaotic as a marketplace, instantly became quiet.
Jin Mu-hae put his aching fist in his pants pocket and turned around.
“Is that okay now?”
The host glanced somewhere and nodded, pressing his ear and giving approval.
That bastard. He was getting contacted from above after all.