Chapter 26: Bread and Candy (3)

I thought that judging everything based solely on a momentary rage or the situation in front of me was wrong.

Maybe… just maybe, what I knew wasn’t the whole story.

‘There might be something else… an unavoidable circumstance hidden somewhere…’

That slight possibility was why I had come to meet Ricardo in person.

But… unfortunately, there was no twist.

“You must still be young and naive. In this city, power and law don’t matter. If you have enough money, you can even become a god.”

Ricardo’s explanation and his vile actions contained no hint of complex circumstances or human struggle.

He was just a shallow, stereotypical villain.

Maybe my effort to see him as a person and search for even the slightest justification was in vain.

Nevertheless, I did not give up and asked again.

Once more, because as a human being, the weight of judging others is never light.

I had the responsibility to thoroughly confirm everything before making any decision.

“You’re making money, but… what about the people who suffer because of it? What happens to their lives?”

“Hah. Why should I care about that?”

He picked up another bottle and took a casual sip.

“Look here, miss. Take a good look at me. I was once a stray from the back alleys, too. But I made it big.”

He proudly stroked his glimmering gold rings, smirking arrogantly.

“Do you know the difference between me and the other trash? I used my brain and did whatever it took. Those fools? They don’t even know how to try. They’ll just live like garbage and die miserably anyway.”

He picked up one of the blue pills—Heaven Candy—from the table.

“If those useless lives can at least serve my business before they die… isn’t that a better outcome? Hahaha.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

Hearing my resolute answer, Ricardo’s eyebrows twitched.

I remembered the scenery I saw one sleepless night after I was thrown into this city.

I saw countless people waking up at dawn, dragging their weary bodies to factories or the labor market.

They rubbed their sleepy eyes, trudging along with exhausted steps, fighting fiercely to survive in this harsh world.

And I thought of the customers I met while working at the pizza shop.

The young man who came in late after working at the auto repair shop, covered in grease;

The taxi driver who had driven around the city all night;

The plumber who unclogged blocked sewers;

The supermarket cashier;

The construction worker at the dusty site.

Even in this miserable city, there were people who lived honestly and earnestly, without resorting to crime.

“Do you think they’re stupid because they don’t steal or sell drugs like you?”

I looked directly at Ricardo and continued.

“No. Those people are much wiser and stronger than you. They choose to live honorably by their own sweat rather than earning money by making others shed tears of blood.”

Of course, I knew their lives were far from easy.

They were treated as cheap labor, costing less than maintaining an automated machine.

They endured long hours and unfair wages just to make ends meet.

I was well aware of the city’s cruel system.

The small mistakes of honest people become irreparable crimes,

While the great wrongs of the powerful go unpunished.

A world where only the most vicious and deceitful crawl to the top.

“But just because that’s how society works… doesn’t mean what’s wrong becomes right.
No one, including you, has the right to look down on or trample those who live without committing sins.”

My voice came out more determined than I expected.

I knew I wasn’t some kind of hero.

I wasn’t playing the role of a righteous crusader.

No one had given me the right to root out all evil.

But… that didn’t mean I could just turn away from what needed to be done.

There was no more room for hesitation.

“ST. Please.”

“As you command.”

No sooner had I spoken than ST’s fist flew toward Ricardo without hesitation.

A sharp whooshing sound cut through the air.

Her strike was aimed directly at his vital point.

Boom!

But the attack didn’t land.

The deafening noise came from the door being violently kicked open, and black-suited guards rushed in.

“What the…!”

Two bodyguards blocked ST’s path.

Their reaction speed was astonishing.

Though they barely managed to deflect the strike, they had nonetheless blocked it.

Leaning back on the sofa, Ricardo grinned.

“You thought I was just wasting time chatting with you? Of course, I called the guards earlier.”

The moment he finished speaking, a full-scale battle erupted between ST and the two guards.

Despite being outnumbered, ST’s movements were overwhelmingly fast and precise.

The guards could barely keep up, constantly on the defensive as pieces of their cybernetic bodies shattered and scattered.

But… they were holding up surprisingly well.

Unlike the street thugs or the club guards, they were evidently highly trained and equipped with superior cybernetic enhancements.

That explained why Ricardo had been so calm despite our suspicious behavior earlier.

He had such elite guards on standby.

As the fight grew louder, more guards appeared in the hallway, forming a defensive line around Ricardo.

By the time ST had finally subdued the first two, five more guards had taken their place, ready to attack.

A tense standoff followed.

ST, realizing the situation, moved back to my side.

She spoke softly, for once admitting the unfavorable situation.

“It seems we have no choice but to retreat. I will handle the cleanup here. Joseph.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve broken through.”

Startled, I looked around.

A familiar man had silently appeared behind us.

ST must have called him earlier.

She gave a brief instruction.

“Escort Eve to a safe place.”

“Understood.”

Without hesitation, Joseph approached and gently lifted me up.

Before I could protest or understand what was happening, the scenery around me blurred.

When I regained my senses, we were already in a dark alley outside the club.

“Ugh…”

The aftereffect of the rapid movement made my stomach churn.

Joseph carefully set me down.

I leaned against the wall, retching for a moment.

“Huff… Hah…”

Once I steadied myself, I noticed Joseph looking at me with a worried expression.

But right now, that wasn’t what mattered.

I turned toward the club and asked.

“ST… will she be alright?”

“Don’t worry… Someone like her wouldn’t be taken down by those thugs.”

His confident assurance eased my mind just a little.

===============

A few anxious hours passed.

Fortunately, ST returned before long.

The moment I opened the door to greet her, I sucked in a breath.

Her entire body was drenched in blood.

“……!”

But on closer inspection, I realized that the blood wasn’t hers.

It was just the enemy’s blood staining her clothes.

‘Still, for her to come back in such a state…’

It was clear that the fight had been intense.

I didn’t have the nerve to ask what exactly had happened.

I just spoke in a shaky voice.

“I’m so relieved you’re safe. And… I’m sorry.”

Hearing my apology, the sharp tension in ST’s expression softened.

She looked at me, her lips curving into a faint smile.

“If it’s for your sake… I can endure much worse. So please, don’t worry, Eve.”

With that, ST headed to the bathroom.

A little later, she emerged, having washed off the blood and changed into fresh clothes.

After settling herself, she sat down in front of us.

It was time to seriously discuss the situation.

========================

“First, let me share the information I’ve gathered on my own.”

“The Ricardo Family. They’re an organization on a completely different level from the back-alley gangs we’ve encountered so far. They receive direct manpower and financial support from the higher organization, the Los Jaguares Cartel, which means their foundation is far more solid.”

“If we choose to confront them head-on, it won’t be just a territorial dispute but a full-scale war. If you’re not prepared for that… it might be wiser to leave this area entirely.”

“…..”

“Understood. I’ll continue the briefing.”

“If our conflict with them results in direct harm to the Ricardo Family, it’s uncertain whether Los Jaguares will intervene. They might get involved, or they might cut their losses and abandon them. However, even on their own, the Ricardo Family is not a force to be underestimated.”

“The biggest issue is the heavily armed security unit we encountered at the club—the elite combat cyborgs directly under Ricardo’s command, commonly known as Sicario.”

“Based on the gathered data, all of them possess combat cyborg bodies of at least Class 7. Their specifications match those of the Omega Detroit Police Department’s special operations unit, comparable to military-grade cyborgs.”

“It’s estimated that the Ricardo Family has at least thirty of these elite combatants.”

“As you know, Eve, my current condition isn’t optimal. Many of my internal weapons are still unrepaired. As it stands, I can handle, at most… about half of them in a single engagement.”

“Therefore, to be honest… an all-out battle would be unlikely to end in our favor.”

“What?”

It was the first time I had seen ST openly acknowledge her own limitations.

However, that wasn’t the part that truly shocked me.

ST’s combat prowess had already been proven.

It wasn’t that she was weak; rather, it was the fact that the security force of a mere drug dealer was unreasonably powerful.

It didn’t make sense for a subsidiary organization, not even the main cartel, to maintain such a formidable force.

Even with financial support from a higher organization, hiring and maintaining thirty mercenaries of that caliber would require an astronomical budget.

It was economically illogical for an operation in a back-alley district to sustain such a force.

Sensing my doubt, ST added a critical piece of information.

“There’s something unusual about those Sicarios.”

“Something unusual?”

“Yes. They’re all drug addicts.”

“…!”

ST’s explanation was shocking.

“The Ricardo Family specifically targets highly skilled mercenaries from the surrounding areas. They lure them in through various means—seduction, bribery, or other tricks—and get them addicted to a special drug. Once addicted, the process becomes simple.”

Once the brain is exposed to that drug, it undergoes irreversible changes.

Even basic human instincts like sleep, hunger, and libido become powerless against the agonizing withdrawal symptoms.

No matter how mentally resilient a person is, they inevitably succumb to the hellish pain and end up swearing blind loyalty to Ricardo, who controls the supply.

“Additionally, those deeply under the influence don’t feel fear, even in battle.”

High-grade cyborg mercenaries charging recklessly, disregarding their own lives.

That was how the Ricardo Family had gained such a fearsome reputation in such a short time.

Perhaps Ricardo’s real talent wasn’t just in selling drugs but in using them to control people.

Once caught in that leash, it became the most brutal and unbreakable chain of domination in existence.

They would never betray their master. Or rather, they couldn’t.

It was horrifying. Yet, at the same time, an idea flashed through my mind.

“Wait. Can you tell me more about those Sicarios?”

That seemingly unbreakable leash might just be their most fatal weakness.