By Zephyria 
Ilgun, no, Jin Mu-hae gained two benefits after returning to Goryeo City with the man who was now Kim Jo-seong.
He received a generous reward from the Company, enough to leave his account overflowing, and as a bonus, he managed to narrow down the list of missing persons he had been vaguely wondering about.
‘Kang Ju-seo…….’
About the same age as his father, a missing person whose death could not be confirmed. If Cheong was indeed the one who provided the data related to West Wind, then she was the person.
The problem was that even though more than ten days had passed since he gained certainty, he couldn’t find even a clue to her whereabouts. According to the records, she lived in Goryeo City until she became an adult, but no one remembered her.
Perhaps it was natural, as more than 20 years had passed since her disappearance. Nevertheless, the unsettling feeling did not go away.
With only the brief information he had obtained, he cautiously inquired about Kang Ju-seo’s birthplace, the academies she attended, and the company where she was last employed, but to no avail.
“Are you sure she’s even a real person?”
Joo-oh’s simple judgment had some merit. In a society where most residents were registered as citizens, such a clean disappearance required more than just Sakdal’s involvement, like someone else.
If Kang Ju-seo’s identity was fabricated, it would be somewhat understandable. After all, she was a key figure in the Return flight.
However, such an act would require a considerable amount of effort. Whether it was money or power, something must have firmly supported her from behind.
‘So, she’s not an ordinary person.’
The person who managed the Return flight participants. Considering the fact that she quietly supported Dmitri’s research expenses, Kang Ju-seo was likely from Central, unlike the existing records.
Come to think of it, Director Gil, who tinkered with machines in a shabby Electronic Store, was once a young master from Central.
Would he give him some plausible information if he asked? Mu-hae pondered for a moment before clicking his tongue.
That was unlikely. For some reason, both Director Gil and Teacher Jung were reluctant to talk about the past.
Especially when it came to anecdotes about West Wind, Director Gil avoided even speaking, as if his mouth was locked.
He had been vaguely feeling that it was not just because of simple aversion. Perhaps he would not get much information about West Wind this time either.
“I haven’t seen Director Gil lately.”
As if some telepathy had worked, Joo-oh brought up his story at that moment.
Come to think of it, he had been so busy that he hadn’t been able to visit Director Gil.
Since he had bought so much equipment last time, there was nothing lacking, so the visit was further delayed.
“The tea that Director Gil gives is delicious.”
“It’s just water with weeds steeped in it.”
“It smells good.”
As he recalled the luxury goods that were prohibitively expensive for those in the slums, Mu-hae suddenly became curious about his younger days, which he had not told him about in detail.
How did someone who was affluent enough to develop a taste for such precious things get involved in dangerous work?
What did the world he wanted when he was young look like? What was the ideal that made him jump in, leaving behind all the benefits he enjoyed, and still filled his eyes with passion even after years?
The polluted environment is gradually recovering naturally.
In some areas where human access has been cut off, acid rain has stopped, and the quality of the soil has improved remarkably. According to a survey by a credible organization, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula is reported to be arable without auxiliary equipment.
What prevents humanity’s will towards nature are the Aberrants scattered everywhere, and furthermore, Blue Energy.
Humanity is isolated in a well, losing even the natural desire for freedom.
I found several forbidden books in the newly acquired Return flight data list.
They are books on various subjects such as culture, history, and environment, but they all unanimously express concern about the future of mankind.
The elderly who remember the outside of Dome City and the generations who were born in the Comfort zone and have lived only within it all their lives.
When they discovered that Crystal Blue might be erased from this world, the hope and relief they felt must have been greater than any value.
“There’s a data reading room in Central.”
“Who said that?”
“Mrs. Jang from the store next to the meat sandwich shop. She told me while bragging that her daughter was going to the research center.”
Come to think of it, Mu-hae had heard of it before. Among the data needed for research or studies, those with security clearance could be registered and viewed in a specific building.
It wasn’t information that he needed much in his life, so he had neatly erased it from his mind, but he thought that Kang Ju-seo’s traces might be left there.
“But can we even go there?”
“I don’t think just anyone can go in.”
“We went to the Company, though?”
“That’s…….”
Because Gu-reum helped. Mu-hae, who was about to answer indifferently but got the answer, looked down at his wrist.
This time again, he could easily access it through Gu-reum. But hadn’t he already received too much help from her?
Regardless of the fact that the initial promise was a deal, Mu-hae had gained too much benefit.
He had been diligently solving the problems that Gu-reum wanted in his own way, but looking back, there would have been plenty of subordinates who could have carried out such instructions even if it wasn’t Mu-hae.
“Does Gu-reum want something too?”
She seemed to understand Mu-hae’s feelings at once, as they had lived together for quite a long time. Joo-oh clattered his drink glass and pondered.
‘What Gu-reum wants…….’
Gu-reum already knew almost everything about Mu-hae. He could feel that she roughly guessed even the information he had intentionally hidden.
Nevertheless, she constantly tested and supported him only to revive the Return flight, the collapsed organization. Mu-hae was shouldering the problems that she couldn’t take the lead in and was climbing up one step at a time.
“Should we contact Gu-reum?”
“Ah. Yeah.”
There was no better assistant than Gu-reum for Jin Mu-hae, who led the Return flight, even if not for the human Jin Mu-hae. Director Gil and Teacher Jung, who supported him from behind so that the young man wouldn’t die alone, were of little help in this matter.
The moment he directly faced Gu-reum was still vivid in his mind. The look in her eyes as if she had realized something as soon as she saw Jin Mu-hae. The meaningful conversation that she resembled ‘that woman’.
[I need an excuse to visit the Goryeo Library.]
It was still unknown who was backing Gu-reum. However, he recognized that the path overlapped with her, whatever her ultimate goal was.
All that Mu-hae, who was full of ability and will, lacked was one thing: opportunity. The moment he obtained the permission that Goryeo City did not give, the bottom-level mercenary could surprisingly become anything.
“It’s Teacher Jung’s clothes.”
“It’s just a gown. A white gown.”
In the broad avenue and towering buildings, Joo-oh laughed and put on the gown in the heart of Central.
When he was wearing a T-shirt at home, he was undoubtedly a foolish Joo-oh, but after tidying his hair and wearing neat clothes, he instantly became a researcher who seemed to have just walked out of a nearby facility.
Mu-hae was no different. When he put on a generous shirt, comfortable pants, and a used white gown over it, the sharp image was softened.
When he deliberately put on glasses with large lenses on the bridge of his nose, Joo-oh gave a thumbs up and made a satisfied expression.
“Jin Mu-hae really looks like he reads books well.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means it’s good.”
Humph, Joo-oh snorted and quickly ran to the white building.
The Goryeo Library, which did not have a single paper book but had a space for pure visitors that was seven stories high.
When he stood at the entrance and had his Link Watch recognized, a photo taken the day before and an unfamiliar identity appeared next to the gate.
[Seo Hae-moon / Central Research Facility Baekho Division 3 years]
[Lee Joon-ho / Central Research Facility Baekho Division 1 year]
The two became young elites who had entered the research center today.
After receiving certification for access for academic purposes and the door opened, a huge interior space unfolded before their eyes.
A vast hall where many people passed by. Places for learning, research, and discussion divided by elevators.
There were even fruits and vegetables with low commercial value piled up like mountains on one side.
It was a free tasting part where people reading data could easily satisfy their hunger.
“Sunbae. Me apple. Apple.”
“Just take one.”
“I’ll make it look like just one.”
As soon as Joo-oh, who had been impatient, received permission, he put the bumpy fruit in his arms. It was so secretive that no one noticed even though he had already stuffed three into his inner pocket.
After biting into the last one with a crunch, Joo-oh finally returned to his duty.
“Where do we see our data?”
“4th floor. I heard it’s the quietest there.”
Pretending to manage his troublemaker Hubae, Mu-hae wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pushed him into the elevator.
Anyone could see that they were students who had just entered the research center. Since it was a common excitement for those born outside Central, their somewhat lively attitude did not attract people’s attention.
“Ooh.”
The 4th floor of the Goryeo Library was a letter reading room without hologram projection devices or question-and-answer systems.
Since there were few users and individual spaces were provided with half walls, the vast space was quietly locked.
Mu-hae touched the Reader devices placed everywhere and pretended to turn around to identify the location of the CCTV.
One, two, three, four…… At least five or more surveillance cameras were installed on the high ceiling.
There were no completely blind spots, but he identified the locations that were somewhat on the edge. Probably about 2 meters at the end of each individual space.
Beep-.
Calmly searching for books, he took out a temperature detection device from his pocket. Before long, he found the location of the main body connected to the main system.
“Go ahead first.”
“Come quickly.”
Joo-oh whispered and took the Reader device into the individual space. Mu-hae lightly gripped the object in his hand.
‘Hacking device?’
‘Yes. It only needs to work enough to extract simple information. For example, viewing the building’s entry and exit list, which even lower-level employees can manage.’
‘In that case…… It’s almost impossible to access it from here, but if you directly contact the device, it becomes simple. However, from what you’re saying, it seems like you’re going to a building with security?’
‘It’s the Goryeo Library. Would it be safer if I finished reading inside?’
Oh dear……. The image of Shin Dae-soo frowning and muttering came to mind.
The man who had the ASCII code of the Return flight tattooed on his arm. The participant who told him about the Index function so that he could dig deeper into the records left by his father.
After a moment of hesitation, he accepted Mu-hae’s request. The terminal containing the hacking program was delivered in just two days, and he also heard a warning that he could not be sure of the function.
Whirr-.
But unlike his worries, it works well. A vast amount of documents began to be slowly transmitted to the Reader device that Mu-hae had picked up.