Chapter 48: Holy Blood (2)

The brilliant liquid contained in the glass bottle was placed on the table.

The reddish wine clearly asserted its presence even under the dim lighting.

I gazed intently at its elegant color and became lost in thought for a moment.

“….”

‘Perhaps, if I sell this… I could make some money?’

Once that thought occurred to me, it didn’t leave my mind all day.

But realistic concerns immediately followed.

Where and how on earth am I supposed to sell this?

Of course, a few methods came to mind right away.

Supplying it to nearby shops, or selling it directly at the church.

Creating demand for a specific product and securing a sales outlet in this area, which the church completely controlled, was indeed very easy.

Perhaps the residents who had become believers would rush to buy it, saying it was a gift from the Saintess.

If so, the problem was… the actual profit.

‘The residents here don’t have deep enough pockets to readily purchase a bottle of expensive alcohol.’

Therefore, to sell a product like alcohol, it would have to be low-priced, focusing on quantity over quality, and sold in bulk at a small profit margin.

The problem was that it was difficult for me to produce this wine in such quantities.

Although the wine bottles in front of me filled the display case, that was merely the amount I had accumulated by periodically ‘releasing’ the power over several weeks.

Even if I deliberately concentrated my ability to create it, the maximum daily output was still only a few bottles.

Selling that amount at a price low enough for the residents here to afford without burden would be far from enough to make a profit.

In short, it was a business with very low profitability.

‘Hmm….’

I pondered a little more.

To make a profit even with a limited supply, this wine had to be priced comparably to a luxury item, not just a simple beverage.

If that was the case, it meant selling it in the suburban areas was impossible.

The financial situation of the back-alley residents was as clear as day.

If our church were to sell such a product at a high price, it could easily look like we were strong-arming the believers.

‘Then, in the end, the only sales outlet is within the city itself.’

Only there was a market with the economic power to readily purchase high-end alcohol akin to luxury goods.

But, inevitably, another problem arose here as well.

This wine was not officially produced in a legitimate winery.

Moreover, since it didn’t originate from an actual vineyard, proving its origin was impossible, which was also a concern.

It could only be, literally, ‘moonshine.’

Therefore, getting the product across the city border was the first hurdle.

The Omega Detroit city government thoroughly controlled entry and exit, conducting strict inspections and searches on all people and goods passing through.

So, for unidentifiable alcohol to pass through customs was like plucking a star from the sky.

Even if, by some miracle, I succeeded in smuggling it in, the aftermath was an even bigger problem.

I had no idea how to secure buyers or a sales network.

No matter how excellent the quality, it would be difficult to find someone willing to pay a large sum for a product whose manufacturing method and ingredients were unclear.

“Haa….”

The more my thoughts tangled, the more difficult it became.

Even with a good product, the process of distributing and selling it without issues was a whole other dimension of work.

‘It seems distribution companies don’t exist in this world for no reason.’

It was while I was struggling alone, racking my brain.

ST, who had been silently watching me from the side, quietly spoke.

“Lady Eve, there’s no need to overcomplicate things.”

“ST, do you have a good idea?”

The answer that came back was simple.

“If it’s a difficult task, wouldn’t it be best to entrust it to an expert in that field?”

==========

Omega Detroit was not just a large city.

The widening global income gap and unpredictable climate change had rapidly decimated rural and provincial populations.

As a result, people could no longer survive in places lacking reliable infrastructure.

This led to extreme urban concentration, and Omega Detroit was a city born from that trend.

A megametropolis formed by sucking up human and material resources from all surrounding regions like a black hole.

An enormous population, far exceeding the entire population of 21st-century South Korea, lived densely packed within this single urban area.

Therefore, it was no exaggeration to call it a de facto independent city-state.

The boundary between its interior and exterior was also strictly controlled, much like a national border.

This was because immigrants constantly flocked in from various depopulating regions, seeking a way to survive.

Ultimately, those who failed to gain entry into the city proper had no choice but to settle in the surrounding suburban areas.

As a result, an almost insurmountable gap emerged in nearly every aspect, including infrastructure, income, welfare, administrative services, and living and educational standards.

Thus, while the inside and outside of Omega Detroit were physically separated by just a single barrier, they were, in practical terms, entirely different worlds.

And, as a matter of course, strict inspections and customs checks were carried out on all people and goods crossing this boundary line.

However, just as there is no perfection in human endeavors, loopholes always exist.

And organizations that skillfully exploited these gaps, smuggling all sorts of goods across tariff and legal boundaries, also operated in the shadows.

One such organization that amassed enormous wealth through such smuggling and grew was the Black Tiger Gang.

A mafia force occupying the southern suburban area and a portion of the harbor district connected to it.

If there was demand, they secretly smuggled anything in and out of the city, including weapons, illegal replica drugs, modified cybernetic parts, and even people.

And like any other illicit business, as long as they succeeded, despite the risks, they could earn enormous profits.

Thanks to this amassed capital, the Black Tiger Gang grew beyond the level of a mere suburban gang into a respectable large organization.

In the southern suburban area, they suppressed all the riff-raff organizations and reigned as the undisputed king.

The leader of that Black Tiger Gang was the man in his late thirties standing before them, Boss Chen Wei.

“……”

He was wearing a modern-style red changpao and glaring at the terminal in his hand.

Two unanswered call records were clearly displayed on the terminal screen.

From that screen, he recalled a bothersome rumor that had recently been grating on his nerves.

It was the story that Moretti, the godfather of the Salvatore Family, a fellow mafia boss who dominated the northern suburbs, had been brutally ruined overnight.

At first, he dismissed it as mere absurd nonsense.

Unless a corporation was involved, how could an organization of that size be crushed in a single day?

Of course, a corporation might have indeed been involved, but then it wouldn’t have ended so quietly.

If they had truly made a move… the entire northern suburban area would have been bombed.

It was unthinkable that such a commotion would go unnoticed.

Therefore, Chen Wei considered the mafia story to be just a baseless rumor, but a nagging feeling in a corner of his mind did not easily subside.

It was to the point where he had personally sent a message to someone he would normally never contact first.

But no reply ever came from Moretti.

Ominously, information about an unusual atmosphere being detected in the northern suburbs recently had also been trickling in quite frequently.

“…….”

After being lost in thought for a long time, he finally made a decision.

He pressed a button on the terminal and gave a short instruction somewhere.

“Hey, Section Chief Cho.

Contact those brothers we saw the other day.”

He had decided to significantly strengthen his security in case of an emergency.

From that day on, Chen Wei not only always had twenty of his existing gang members with him but also hired two additional top-class mercenaries.

They were the infamous twin mercenaries from nearby Chinatown, Yan Luo and Yan Sha.

“Boss, we look forward to working with you.”

They were once successful mercenaries even within the city, but their uncontrollable violence landed them on the ODPD’s wanted list, forcing them to flee to the suburbs – a pair of troublemakers.

Rumor had it that they weren’t even suffering from cybernetic rage, yet during a mission, they had killed over a dozen police officers and civilians who had arrived at the scene.

Thus, their character was questionable, but their skills were undeniably top-notch.

The common consensus was that even if their conduct was poor, they definitely delivered on what they were paid for.

“Honestly, just the two of us are enough for security.

Why are you dragging so many underlings around?

It’s cumbersome.”

And indeed, that choice proved to be more than satisfactory.

“Die, Chen Wei!!!!”

Despite the Black Tiger Gang’s reputation, fearless rookies who challenged their authority would occasionally appear, and the day they first encountered the Yan twins was no different.

A newly formed gang, eyeing the district’s interests, had launched a surprise attack.

At that time, Yan Sha, the younger of the twins, single-handedly took care of dozens of them in an instant.

“Keok…..”

“P-Please spare me…. Keock!!!”

Although his methods were somewhat brutal, his skills were undeniably proven.

Therefore, Chen Wei decided to make a contract with them without a second thought.

“You’ve chosen well.

Boss, we’ll protect you for sure.”

Hiring top-tier mercenaries for an extended period cost an enormous amount, but the psychological stability gained from it was worth more.

Having reliable bodyguards allowed him to focus on his main business again with peace of mind.

Thanks to this, that day too, Chen Wei was leaving his hideout with heavy security to personally inspect the ‘goods’ that had newly arrived at the port.

It was at that very moment.

Five or six men in ordinary attire suddenly emerged from a dark alley and blocked his path.

“Excuse me, are you the boss of the Black Tiger Gang?”

The man at the forefront, with a neat impression in a jacket, spoke calmly.

“The person we serve wishes to see you urgently, Boss.

We will escort you respectfully.”

But Chen Wei didn’t even glance at them.

‘Are these more reckless pups who don’t know their place?’

At that reaction, the surrounding gang members raised their heads with murderous glares.

“Get lost.

I won’t warn you twice.”

However, when they showed no signs of backing down, Chen Wei signaled with a nod of his chin.

One of the closest gang members stepped forward as if he had been waiting.

“I’ll make you realize how insolent you’ve been, daring to act so arrogantly.”

The gang member approached, flexing his formidable cybernetic forearm as if to show it off, cracking his knuckles.

But the next moment, he collapsed, spewing blood.

With just a single punch from the man.

“Keoheok….!”

The massive body rolled on the floor belatedly, its face mangled.

As the atmosphere around them grew chilling at that sight, the twin mercenaries, who had been watching idly with their arms crossed, showed an interested smile.

“Hoh?”

Then, gently pushing aside the jacketed man who was confronting the Black Tiger Gang, another figure revealed herself to the group.

She was a slender beauty in a neat suit.

Her distinctive golden eyes shining brightly, she strode confidently towards the Boss’s party.

“Excuse me, but I have urgent personal business, so I will escort you a little more quickly.”

No one noticed, but an uncharacteristic impatience leaked from her voice.

Because this mission was not a situation she had wanted.

In fact, there was a story behind it.

The ‘someone’ she deeply revered had recently found the bodyguard, who stuck to her side like a puppy with separation anxiety, to be inwardly burdensome… such was the tale.

So, she had administered a kind of drastic measure.

She wanted some time alone, even if just for a little while.

Therefore, unintentionally separated from someone, she was now pressed for every minute and second, but it wasn’t easily visible on the surface.

Only her expressionless face was much colder and more rigid than usual.

Unfortunately, the younger of the twin mercenaries, Yan Luo, who failed to recognize that demeanor, merely scoffed, drew his cybernetic blade, and stepped forward.

“This is lucky.

How long has it been since I’ve cut down such a pretty beauty-“

Thwack-!

But the top-class mercenary, hired by the Boss for a hefty sum, was sent flying before he could even finish his sentence.

Literally.

With a single swipe of her hand, as if swatting a fly, his body soared through the air as if hit by a truck and was flung away.

The man, cutting through the air, crashed loudly into a nearby building, smashing it.

Soon, the body, buried in the debris of the crumbling wall, became still, without even a twitch.

At that unbelievable sight, the shoulders of all the gang members froze solid.

Silence filled the air.

“…….”

“…..”

Only then did the color drain completely from Chen Wei’s face.