Ch.77014 Work Record – Unqualified Slaughter (4)

Mr. Michael sent the recording file to the entire Enforcement Division during lunch hour. This was a coup.

Cutting off the head of a perfectly living Belwether to attach a new one. Inefficient. The moment I recorded that information, fighting back became not a choice, but a duty.

And duty is always followed by resistance. For me, this was information gained by spilling blood and flesh, but for them, it was just sudden news arriving during lunch on the last day before the weekend.

Since it wasn’t a situation where they could openly object, one of the Enforcement Division members gathered in the cafeteria tapped his finger on the table as if annoyed and said:

“I understand that the General Affairs Division is up to something shady, but are you saying you’re the only one who’s come to us to suppress this coup? And you want us to shoot our own colleagues dead?”

I briefly stopped Mr. Michael as he was about to say something. Since the cafeteria CCTV was already off, I turned off my helmet display, removed my helmet completely, and spoke instead.

“I’m not the only one who came to you, but I am the only one running around LA trying to suppress this. There might be others, but if you know anyone, please let me know. I desperately need them.”

Revealing one’s face always helps build trust. As if deciding to hear me out, he gave a slight nod of his chin, signaling me to continue.

Is the Shepherd expecting me to perform another miracle? Hoping that his earlier question about whether I enjoy performing miracles meant this, I opened my mouth and spoke.

“And yes, the rest is true too. I’m here asking all of you to kill everyone in the General Affairs Division. The General Affairs Division will probably say the opposite—that if you just deal with me, we can all be on the same side again.”

Belwether was a company fanatical about efficiency, and Walter, despite denying humanity, was the same. He tried to incorporate me into his plans until the very end, despite my repeatedly ruining them.

It was inconceivable that the General Affairs Division, who worked in the same company, wouldn’t make such a proposal to the Enforcement Division. They would know too. Lying here would be the worst move.

“Joining forces with people you know, linking arms and squeezing out a scream—it’s quite an effective tool, isn’t it? You can just put a bullet in my head and return to your normal lives. That’s the truth.”

I patiently wait for the murmuring to rise. After about five seconds, the murmurs turn into suspicious whispers, and after seven seconds, they were about to ask questions. They now clearly understood the situation.

They were intelligent people. I needed to limit the conversation to them and me, preventing them from thinking beyond that. It’s more efficient to gather thoughts like building a dam and then burst them with a single statement.

Perhaps after this is over, I should properly learn about speech techniques. I break the seven seconds of silence again.

“What about Belwether? What about those unqualified people attempting a coup?”

It was a question anyone could realize if they thought about it for a minute. Even if the Lone Star Rangers killed me and sided with Walter, they would only end up in my current position.

For ordinary words to appear profound, one needs the ability to sway others. If I had just swayed them well, these words would be useful; if not, I’d just be an idiot stating the obvious.

“They’re also maintaining tight solidarity among insiders and organizational trust, so why would they care about the Lone Star Rangers? If necessary, they’ll shoot you—just as you’ve been worrying about!”

This time I continued without giving them time to murmur. Controlling the pace was important. The key was deception. When loosening control, one must maintain it; when leading, one must make them boil.

“Let me tell you how much of an outsider the Lone Star Rangers are. The branch manager and the coup forces initially planned to cultivate and use Post-Human Type IV enhanced bodies. To deal with the Shepherd.”

As I said this, I walked a few steps toward the center of the cafeteria. My body was Walter’s tool for crime. Since I still wouldn’t have a serial number, I boldly said:

“Scan me. Why would a kid barely of legal age be wearing a Post-Human Type IV without a serial number? What was next? Not the Lone Star Rangers’ turn. Absolutely not.”

I remember Adrian. He was a good person. But now I had to treat him as a monster. Swallowing my guilt, I spoke. Between guilt and failure, I choose guilt.

“After that, they tried to use a bioengineered monstrosity that had become a monster while cultivating Post-Human Type IV and escaped. Because that monstrosity could easily tear a Post-Human Type IV to pieces.”

After that, I smiled. By now, all eyes were fixed on me. I didn’t feel any pressure. This could be considered my specialty.

“The General Affairs Division has been busy in Malibu lately, right? They also received direct orders from Belwether. Why did a monster escape from Malibu on the day those people went there for work?”

They tried to resist again. Whether trying to bring things back to a sensible level or not, one Enforcement Division employee exclaimed:

“They were searching! Looking for that monster you mentioned.”

“Then why would people who are searching place snipers at the edge of Malibu looking toward LA? Do Lone Star Rangers place snipers in the middle of an operation area without support troops after sweeping the area?”

I take a light breath. An uncomfortable truth? Not quite. More like a truth I didn’t want to utter. I poured it out leisurely. Scathingly.

“Those bastards were keeping the monster confined. They were storing it and monitoring to prevent anyone from coming near. That’s all the Lone Star Rangers are to Belwether—laborers managing Plan B, not even Plan A.”

A message appeared on my augmented vision. It was from Mr. Michael. The content was simple. I could roughly guess why he wanted me to do this.

‘Do it once more. Don’t be clean about it. Be informal, and even if you miss the point, make them angry.’

I took a breath. My language had gotten a bit worse after dying twice, but such words were always difficult. However, assigned duties must be performed.

“So, if you want to bow your heads with the General Affairs Division and accept menial work, living like ants sucking honeydew from the rear end of aphids, go ahead. I don’t need a swarm of ants either.”

As my scratching tone turned into complete insult and mockery, a Lone Star Rangers employee right in front of me stood up. I heard someone stomping hard on the tile floor behind me. Mr. Michael took over.

“Enough! Your attitude is going too far. You came to request cooperation, not to fight with us.”

I knew he would say that. I had dominated the situation too much. As an outsider, I was trying to lead all the Lone Star Rangers employees. If so, my own question would come back to me.

Now the Lone Star Rangers needed to take the lead, and I needed to become a supporting role. That would make the Lone Star Rangers feel secure. For that, Mr. Michael needed to show that he was controlling and organizing the situation.

That’s why he told me to make them angry, both to move the employees’ hearts and to create that opportunity. I had performed my assigned duty very well. He continued speaking.

“Wilson, sit down too. Even if this young punk went too far… he hasn’t said anything wrong. If we side with those attempting a coup, we’ll just be unwelcome guests. And if suppression from headquarters begins then?”

His excited mind couldn’t find any path other than the one I had shown. Without thinking further, he repeated the path I had revealed.

“We’d be the first fucking bullet shields. I’m frustrated, that’s all. Just frustrated…”

“Good. You understand the situation well. Let’s vote. Do we resist or cooperate? Do we trust someone from Belwether whose face we don’t even know, or do we trust this kid who’s at least arguing with us here?”

I could see the voting results too. The opinion I had roughly manipulated didn’t change. After confirming the unanimous vote for resistance, Mr. Michael raised one corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“Good. We resist. The General Affairs Division has conveniently sent both divisions out to Malibu for peacekeeping activities, so now is the perfect time for a clean sweep. Since it’s decided, we’ll launch a night raid tonight.”

Mr. Michael first won over the Lone Star Rangers employees and then looked at me. He took over the burden I had forcibly dragged here with my abilities.

“Agent Arthur Murphy… if you’re willing to follow orders, I’ll include you as a loaned employee. After saying all that, you wouldn’t back out because you have to follow orders from cowboy bastards, would you?”

He hesitated over my title. He knew I was a general employee of Nightwatch named Arthur Murphy, but he called me something that sounded impressive, just as Chance had called me. A necessary formality.

“Of course not. I’ll participate. If I can use the Type IV that those coup plotters wanted to use to screw them over, I welcome it from either side.”

I show that the temperament I had falsely displayed was something that could be sufficiently controlled. There were some bumps, but I make it clear that everything was within the plan.

The atmosphere suggested I should salute, but deliberately, instead of the ordinary Belwether-style salute used at Nightwatch, I performed the headquarters-style salute I had learned by observation in the trailer. If anyone recognized it, trust would increase further.

I raise my hand with the thumb and three fingers extended, as if taking an oath. If I were on the security team, I would have spoken with sincerity, but now I spoke words that were merely mimicry.

“For the company and its employees and shareholders.”

He returned my salute with an ordinary Belwether-style one. Then, whistling to the impatient employee who had stood up, he said:

“Wilson, bring equipment for our friend here. He’ll take over one of the Special Operations members who went out with the General Affairs Division today. You saw how he saluted, right?”

I still didn’t know if it was really okay. One can’t reveal all their anxieties. The employee named Wilson brought me black combat fatigues with a bulletproof vest that included shoulder guards. More new clothes.

I’d only had one chance to thoroughly search New Magers Department Store or the net with Ms. Eve, but my clothes kept increasing. On top was a revolver. It looked like something used by the Mobile Division.

“It’s a revolver loaded with explosive rounds. You probably won’t need to shoot much, but take thirty spare rounds each. Five speed loaders. Right? Yeah. Damn, I was wondering who you were…”

The belated revelation that I was someone from headquarters served as evidence for what I had been saying. Upon reflection, it made sense, and after confirming my affiliation, I became a trustworthy person.

Doing it sequentially like this was more efficient than dumping everything at once. Humans are not animals that quickly understand things all at once. Every process needed to be step-by-step.

I check the remaining rounds in the revolver. It was perfectly loaded. After nodding slightly, I asked:

“Check complete. Ah, can I borrow a voice too?”

After setting a preset, I continued this awkward cohabitation inside the building until evening, and only when it was close to midnight did we go down to the Lone Star Rangers’ parking lot. I board a van.

If multiple vehicles departed at once, it would attract attention. If noticed, the office workers would naturally report it. We couldn’t completely prevent that, but we had to block official reports. The method wasn’t difficult.

For a manager-level employee in such a company, equivalent to a team leader at Belwether, Mr. Michael forcibly opened the basement management room door with his manager authority and tossed in two grenades.

Even as we departed, Los Angeles’ night was full of light, but only the Lone Star Rangers building was shrouded in darkness.

It will take some time for this chaos to be resolved. Since the company AI can’t authenticate personnel, official channel reports will also be delayed.

The van drives along the edge of the rotten black sea, following the coastal road. I turn the display of the helmet worn over my combat uniform completely black. This allows me to blend seamlessly into the darkness.

Malibu is approaching. We’re arriving in twenty minutes on a distance that would take fifteen minutes at full speed, and Mr. Michael brings up a hologram screen in front of me. It was a map of the area with dots.

It showed the initial deployment positions of the Special Operations Division and the work range of the General Affairs Division. The General Affairs Division was working inside the villa area, but the Special Operations Division was positioned near the coastline. The purpose seemed to be protection.

One person protecting over fifty people. To protect fifty mercenaries barely equipped with bulletproof vests, one Special Operations member wearing a full-body prosthesis was needed.

“Assuming the General Affairs Division won’t immediately engage in combat, we plan to drive straight to their work area, get out of the car, and start combat right away. The Special Operations Division will also have their attention drawn to us.”

“I’ll locate and eliminate the Special Operations member during that time. I expect maximum efficiency.”

Since I was pretending to be someone from headquarters, I deliberately answered in headquarters style. As the van door opened while we were still moving, I heard Mr. Michael’s response:

“Good hunting, partner.”

After hearing his reply, I jumped out of the van. Instead of rolling to overcome inertia, I planted my feet firmly and ran toward the coastal cliff. Even peering through the darkness, I couldn’t see the Special Operations member.

It was time to use the borrowed voice. I pressed the voice module on my neck and whispered a preset into my mouth. By now, I was used to speaking only with my throat.

Now it was time to shout again. With my body securely hidden in darkness, I called out:

“Special Ops! Special Ops! Shit! This is Wilson Rover from Lone Star Rangers! Someone has carried out a terrorist attack on the Lone Star Rangers headquarters! The command channel is cut off, so the Enforcement Division came directly! Emergency return order!”

The moment I shouted those words, after just a brief delay… a communication connection request appeared. It was censored. It must be the Special Operations member. I connect.

I didn’t think he would fall for this crude speech. I simply hoped that seeing me, he would think someone was pathetically trying to deceive him. I was expecting him to try to backstab me.

If he would come closer that way, things would be much cleaner. And with the connection, something came into view. I could see someone rising from the terrace of a ruined villa’s second floor.

“If it’s an emergency return order, I should obey. I have a bike, so I can return on my own. But…”

That silhouette began scanning the surroundings. He already had a gun in hand. He was trying to find where the transmission was coming from. Both he and I knew this was a childish trick.

But I identified him first. As I said the last words, I triggered a jammer. Simultaneously, I aimed the revolver loaded with explosive rounds at that silhouette and pulled the trigger six times in succession.

“I know too. If you were a real Lone Star Rangers employee, you could have accessed without needing connection permission.”