Ch.185Work Record #028 – Beautiful Enough to Dazzle the Eyes (1)

“If I go any further with the mood, what’s today? I’d probably have to take sick leave until tomorrow. Arthur, I never thought I’d see such inconsiderate behavior from you.”

Leaning against the headboard, I gently wrapped my arms around Eve’s waist as she sat on my thighs. I didn’t have much to say in response. Her hand softly stroked the back of my forearm.

“Really? A Posthuman Type IV gripped a person hard enough to leave marks without crushing them—is that what passes for consideration from my Arthur? I’ll accept that.”

Eve brushed her sweat-dampened bangs aside and leaned her back against my chest. My heartbeat remained steady as always, once every four seconds.

We went to the bathroom together, and despite having already eaten lunch, I felt hungry and filled my stomach a bit more. Only about five and a half hours remained until I had to go to work.

I sat Eve on my lap in the living room beanbag, planning to spend a relaxed evening browsing the net until dinner, but shortly after six o’clock, a work request came in.

It wasn’t from just any company—it was from Belwether. Eve, who had been sharing the virtual screen with me, naturally turned off the screen sharing, gently placed her hand on my head, stroked it a few times, and leaned back comfortably.

Despite there being a written work request, a communication request came in simultaneously. I connected the call.

The caller was the HR team leader from the LA branch. I instinctively straightened my posture. If a team leader-level employee was personally reaching out to freelancers, the situation must be quite serious.

The HR team leader waited until all five members filled the channel before speaking.

“It’s not a good afternoon, freelancers. It appears that a Belwether employee has been murdered. The victim was an intern undergoing secondary background checks before becoming a permanent employee. The incident occurred approximately two hours ago.”

Belwether was about to foam at the mouth again. Someone was killed just as they were about to be made an insider after their efficiency had been verified.

What would have been a worthwhile investment has now become a sunk cost, with the expected efficiency plummeting to zero.

Belwether has only one punishment for such matters: death. But something seemed off. Life and death are clear-cut, yet the HR team leader used the phrase “appears to have been murdered.”

“Yes, it appears to be murder. This is an estimation. When the company couldn’t reach the employee, we dispatched the mobile unit, which found enough of the employee’s blood in the home to indicate a murder, but no body was found anywhere.”

An unsolved case. Freelancers were called in for both investigation and revenge. Why would someone just extract blood and take it away? Blood is a liquid with a strong odor. Draining blood and transporting it would be less likely to attract attention.

So were the killers after the employee’s body? I examined the written work request as well. The scene truly had only blood splattered around. It noted the possibility that the victim had been exsanguinated like a slaughtered animal.

At least so far, I seemed to be following correctly. Since a proper incident report hadn’t been filed yet, the work request mostly listed just the facts.

The employee had already undergone a procedure at the HR department level and was equipped with Belwether standard implants. They were much higher quality than what was available to civilians. Belwether implants were exceptionally clean.

But only gangs engaged in implant extraction, and they wouldn’t dare to directly challenge Belwether. Such thugs always target only those weaker than themselves.

Could it be the opposite—that they killed the person without knowing they were a Belwether employee, then realized it and fled? No, the blood was still an issue.

In such cases, the only reason to take the body would be to hide the fact that they killed someone who turned out to be a Belwether permanent employee, but this time, blood was left in abundance.

If that were the case, it would make more sense to not only avoid leaving blood but to thoroughly clean up any remaining blood before fleeing. Yet they left the blood. So this probably wasn’t a simple gang crime.

There were two reasons to hire freelancers then: to find the body and check if the perpetrators had performed any brain scans. And the other reason was obvious.

“You have two tasks. Find the body. And slaughter everyone involved in this incident. This is not a competitive assignment. The compensation will be the same for all if you succeed.”

But assigning this to freelancers meant… either they were short-staffed, or other megacorporations were among the suspects. I hoped it was the former.

If it was the latter, I’d have to move like when I explained Noah’s prank call last time. That was exhausting work.

The only reward for that exhaustion was being able to conclude the log with six simple words: “Nothing happened.”

“For anything else, check the written work request that was transmitted. It will be updated in real-time, so don’t forget to keep checking. That is all.”

It seemed I’d get to work with other freelancers this time. I briefly made sure my voice wouldn’t leak into the communication channel before putting my arm around Eve’s waist.

“Ah, Eve. Belwether suddenly says they need me?”

Eve’s laugh was rich. Her response was uncharacteristically mischievous.

“Man or woman, it’s not the first time someone’s needed you. Handle it safely. I’ll let the company know. I’ll just be the bad woman who drained her younger boyfriend so much he couldn’t come to work.”

“If that happened, you’d really need to take two days of sick leave. Anyway… I’ll come back in one piece. Though it might be better if I contact President Yoon directly. Well then.”

I didn’t put on combat gear. Just my usual jeans and jacket. Instead of a watch, I wore a noise canceller turned inward and tucked a small Evil Deed at my waist.

I’m young. I look young and inexperienced, and I actually don’t have that much experience. So it wasn’t difficult to maintain a non-threatening appearance.

My freelancer license and the nature of my work would do the threatening for me. I just needed to find out what threats and intimidation couldn’t.

Eve prepared to leave with me, and though I could have carried it myself, she took the gun bag containing the carbine. I only shouldered the bag containing the disassembled sniper rifle I’d received from President Yoon and trained with a few times.

After putting both the sniper rifle and carbine in the bike’s storage compartment, I pulled Eve close by the nape of her neck and gave her a quick kiss before putting on my helmet. I enjoyed watching her hide her flushed face with her helmet.

Only then did I reconnect to the freelancer network. One person who seemed to have been ready for work immediately started speaking as if I was late when I connected. It was a deep male voice.

“You’re quick for a call at this hour, freelancer. Your callsign?”

“I mainly use Boogeyman. And yours?”

“Tinker. And your voice sounds young for someone with a freelance contract. Is it just your voice?”

Tinker—a fitting callsign for a freelancer. We’re always called when someone’s vessel has a hole in it. Our job is to patch it up neatly.

“No, I am young. I just happened to receive it. As a fellow freelancer, you surely understand what I mean.”

“No mercenary gets a freelance contract by chance, Boogeyman. Have you seen the case information?”

He accepted my meaning as “I can’t talk about it.” He continued his deduction leisurely.

“I have. Either it’s a force large enough to have brain scanning equipment, or less likely, another megacorporation, or with slim probability, a gang.”

“Good to keep an open mind. Honestly, I’ve already crossed gangs off the list. Personally, I think it’s another megacorporation. Otherwise, why leave blood as a warning?”

As a warning, huh. That could be one way to look at it, but megacorporations don’t usually send such bold warnings to each other. They typically deliver warnings wrapped in diplomatic rhetoric.

Other freelancers were starting to connect. Another freelancer who had been listening to the suggestion that a megacorporation might be the culprit chimed in. The voice had a strong inflection.

“This is callsign Ilbelly. Honestly, the possibility of a megacorporation is lower than a gang. How could an entity with a fuck-all gang mentality of killing employees and splashing blood become a megacorporation? It’s a third party, Tinker.”

What followed was a thin, drawling voice. Somehow it was similar to Stephanie’s tone, and she seemed just as narcissistic as Stephanie. They all had distinctive characteristics, so it wouldn’t be difficult to remember them.

“Callsign Ruiner, online. Couldn’t it be those Las Vegas Strip guys? They were the ones who tried to extract NFD last time, and if they’ve escalated their provocations, it makes sense…”

The woman openly mocked the Las Vegas Strip. Unlike other megacorporations that grew from legitimate businesses, the Strip was nothing more or less than a money laundering operation that had grown too large.

“That kind of cruelty suits organizations with criminal roots from birth. Right? Ah, having to deal with such people is such a hassle. I’m better suited for more refined work.”

Ilbelly let out a hearty laugh that reverberated through the communication channel, likely causing everyone to lower their volume. His mockery continued.

“Ah, Ruiner. Who was it that got chewed out by the personnel management team last time for spraying cluster munitions on Belwether’s roads? Judging by your claim to be suited for refined work, it couldn’t have been you.”

“Fuck off, old man. Who would care about roads when spraying cluster munitions in that situation? Anyway, Boogeyman. What did you mean by a force large enough to have brain scanning equipment?”

She naturally changed the subject and directed a question at me. Ilbelly and Ruiner seemed to know each other, and Ruiner, true to her name, appeared to specialize in creating ruins.

“Something that’s not a megacorporation but can run brain scans… usually that would be mercenary companies that cooperate with information processing teams. But that still means it’s the work of another megacorporation, right?”

“I like your approach, Boogeyman. So… ah, right. Those Non-Human Liberation Front guys I dealt with before also had brain scanning equipment? Though it was for their pathetic terrorist purposes.”

They would scan a person’s brain, put it in a body identical to that person’s, and then protest, “If they’re so identical, which one is human?” In reality, distinguishing between them wasn’t difficult.

“No, that’s closer to the Strip guys. Do you know how many whores under them have developed personality adjustment devices? If Belwether should be worried about anyone, the Strip is the most realistic threat.”

“Conversely, the Strip would be worried about Belwether too, Ilbelly. Their recruitment team was recently wiped out by an ordinary mercenary company, so would they suddenly make an unofficial declaration of war on Belwether now?”

That made sense too. Killing a regular employee, even a transitional intern, is one of the best sparks for a corporate war. Las Vegas Strip is significantly outclassed by Belwether.

It seemed like we needed time to organize these differing opinions. I slowly organized my thoughts. The most dangerous potential culprit would be the Las Vegas Strip. Belwether would have deployed personnel against them.

Conversely, the Non-Human Liberation Front wasn’t such a high-risk organization, and it didn’t seem likely that Belwether would have immediately sent people after them. What freelancers needed to do was obvious.

“If it’s that dangerous, the intelligence department is probably already scraping together all information related to the Las Vegas Strip. If they find something, all we need to do is shoot just enough to avoid a corporate war, right?”

“That’s right, Boogeyman. So, are you suggesting we just sit and rest, hoping to just do some shooting? Honestly, I’m in favor.”

“No, I’m against that. I’m saying let’s start by investigating the Non-Human Liberation Front, which Belwether won’t be focusing on.”

Tinker’s voice followed. At least one person agreed with my opinion… we were getting closer to a majority decision.

“True. That’s the kind of approach Belwether expects from freelancers. I vote with Boogeyman. Ilbelly and Ruiner?”

“I agree. Let’s go to their branch. They’re already under surveillance because of the hostage situation last time, so Belwether should have plenty of information even if they haven’t investigated.”

“Agreed! It’s easier to raid self-proclaimed revolutionaries than a megacorporation. Also, we should check the black market. Anyone have a Coco ID? I only have Bazaar.”

Bazaar was the name of another online black market. I was about to think it was fortunate that I had at least one ID, even if it wasn’t mine, when Ilbelly’s voice sounded almost simultaneously with mine.

“I have one. Though it’s not a very high level…”

“I have one! I asked Coco’s daddy to make me a whale seed. I’ve been using it quite effectively, and my level is high, so leave the Coco investigation to me. When do we meet at the NHLF branch?”

Coco didn’t just feature information stolen from megacorporations. Megacorporation information was dangerous and often not very useful, but criminal information was different.

It wasn’t difficult to obtain, and if successful, it would contribute to Belwether’s operations in some way, so it could be sold without burden. That’s probably what Ilbelly was using it for.

Tinker, who had been quietly listening, continued. The freelancers had strong personalities, but once the goal was set, they began to work efficiently as a team.

“If the black market investigation yields nothing, then it might be right to go to the NHLF. Let’s head out early and do some reconnaissance, Boogeyman. How long will it take you?”

I entered the destination into my bike through Chance. After checking the distance to the target point, I responded. This was my first freelancer job in a while, so I needed to handle it properly.

“Considering traffic, about 40 minutes. How long will it take you, Tinker?”

“About 30 minutes, so I’ll arrive early and review Belwether’s surveillance information. Any additional points for discussion?”

It felt different from Nightscape’s clean strategy and tactics, and perhaps more similar to Fitz & Morrison’s improvisation method. But that was precisely the point where Belwether needed freelancers.

While the well-organized mobile unit searched the city, and the assault and special operations units prepared for deployment on their respective helipads, freelancers could think thoughts they couldn’t think and move in ways they couldn’t move.

“Ruiner, don’t bring explosives! If the body gets blown up too, you’ll achieve the dubious honor of being chewed out by team leaders twice in one day!”

“Is your computational assist device outdated, old man? If I break something again, it won’t be twice—it’ll be three times! I’ll check the black market and just bring a machine gun!”