Antinomy Chapter 4

“Aaaaagh!!“

 

Hye-young’s body moved instinctively at Emil’s scream. Sitting in front of the monitor, Emil was overcome with despair.

 

“Emil, what’s wrong?“

 

“This… this is it? This can’t be everything! They definitely hid it! Damn it.“

 

Emil exhaled helplessly and nervously tousled his hair.

 

“Why, what went wrong?“

 

“Yeah. They meant to screw us from the start. H, those bastards knew we were after the microchip.“

 

“What do you mean by that?“

 

“Look.“

 

Emil clicked the mouse and gestured at Hye-young. It meant she should check the monitor. Hye-young shifted her gaze and began reading the words on the screen slowly. As she read each word, her face gradually hardened. The names listed were all familiar. Names of businessmen, politicians, and celebrities that she recognized just by hearing them were on the list. Frowning, Hye-young tilted her head.

 

“Aren’t these people all known art collectors?“

 

“Yeah, that’s right. This isn’t a list of money laundering transactions. It’s a list of legal deals. Anyone can look it up.“

 

Emil’s face flushed red, as if humiliated.

 

“Emil. That microchip that supposedly contained the list—are you sure it actually exists?“

 

“It exists. I’m sure. When I tapped Massimo’s phone, I definitely heard it.“

 

Emil’s tone was filled with conviction, as if swearing.

 

“The real list must be somewhere else. This is probably just the list they show in case the police barge in.“

 

“Then the real chip with the real list must be hidden well.“

 

The operator of the Liberta Art Auction House was the businessman Massimo. That meant there was a high probability Massimo was in possession of the chip containing the list.

 

“It was ridiculous to think it’d be left at the auction house in the first place. I feel like an idiot. Can’t believe I was so shortsighted.“

 

“It’s in the past anyway. If the chip really exists, we just have to go find it.“

 

As if it were no big deal, Hye-young sat calmly in front of the laptop.

 

“Didn’t you say Massimo owns a casino and a hotel?“

 

“Hey, H. Don’t tell me you…!“

 

“Looks like Massimo lives in the hotel.“

 

Hye-young curled her lips into a slight smile and turned her head. Emil looked at her with a bewildered expression.

 

“What are you planning to do?!”

 

“Go in head-on.“

 

Emil shouted at Hye-young as she rose from her seat with a composed look.

 

“H! That place has serious security. You know that, right? That hotel is connected to a casino—they’re really uptight about security. Not to mention Massimo lives there!“

 

“Which is exactly why I have to go. If Massimo’s staying there, the chip is even more likely to be there. Probably stashed away in the safe in his suite.“

 

“Ha, seriously.“

 

Emil, who had burst out laughing in disbelief, suddenly grew calm.

 

“What about the leader?“

 

“The leader? Why?“

 

“Why do you think? Last time at the auction house, when we got chased, the leader was super worried. Said he’d never assign you to undercover work again.“

 

“What else is a DIA agent supposed to do if not undercover work?“

 

Emil also knew Ricardo was especially protective of Hye-young. It was a bit excessive to say it was just because she was a woman. But Hye-young herself simply thought Ricardo was being nice because they were teammates. She didn’t think there was any need to misunderstand kindness.

 

“The leader’s at headquarters right now, so he’ll probably be back tomorrow. For now, it’s just you and me.“

 

“So what you’re saying is we should do this ourselves? Without the leader? H, are you really insane?!“

 

“When the leader comes back tomorrow, are you going to tell him we went through all that trouble and the microchip turned out to be useless? No, right?“

 

At Hye-young’s words, Emil shut his mouth in a straight line. After all, it had been Emil who insisted they had to break into the auction house to retrieve the microchip. But now that Hye-young had risked danger and brought it back, it couldn’t even serve as evidence. Emil let out a deep sigh. Hye-young patted him on the back.

 

“Don’t worry. As long as I don’t get caught, it’ll be fine. Keep it simple.“

 

“H, what if things get dangerous again? And if the leader finds out, he’ll…“

 

“Ugh!“

 

Emil ruffled his hair roughly again, at a loss for words.

 

“How am I supposed to win against you?“

 

“Were you trying to win?“

 

Hye-young smiled. Emil always got swept up in that reckless but confident smile. And that was always the problem.

 

“So what are you going to do?“

 

“What do you mean? The famous hacker Emil needs to make me a new identity. I’ll enter the casino at 8 p.m. tonight. Back me up properly.“

 

“Ha, you really are hopeless.“

 

Even as he said that, Emil spun his chair and immediately began hacking into Massimo’s casino network.

 

“I’ll make you into a VIP worthy of a personal greeting from Massimo.“

 

Emil smirked and jerked his chin toward Hye-young.

 

“I’m counting on you to cover me.“

 

“I’ll strip the place clean.“

 

“This time, don’t take out the in-ear comms!“

 

“Don’t worry.“

 

With all traces of mischief gone from his face, Emil began typing on the keyboard. Most likely, the moment Hye-young entered the casino, all calls, radio transmissions, and messages would be wiretapped by Emil. He would have hacked not only the telecom network but also the routers and the casino’s internal network. He would monitor everything happening inside through the CCTV installed in every area. That was why the in-ear piece was even more important. He needed to give real-time updates to Hye-young.

 

To avoid disturbing Emil’s concentration, Hye-young took a step back. At that moment, her phone vibrated.

 

Zing—

 

There was a proverb she once learned while taking a Korean class: “Even a tiger appears when you talk about it.” She hadn’t understood what it meant back then, but it seemed to refer to situations like this.

 

[ Ricardo ]

 

Seeing the clearly displayed name on the screen, Hye-young hesitated briefly before pressing the call button.

 

“Yes, Leader.”

 

—Hye-young. Are you with Emil?

 

“Yes.”

 

—Have you eaten?

 

“…Yes, I have.”

 

—Alright. I’ll be back early tomorrow morning, so don’t get into any trouble.

 

Don’t get into any trouble. — That phrase stuck sharply in her ears, but Hye-young responded calmly.

 

“Understood.”

 

Just as she was waiting for the call to end, Ricardo’s voice continued from the receiver.

 

—I’ll bring back the pistachio croissant you like when I return. So behave until then.

 

And with a click, the call ended, leaving Hye-young slightly parting her lips in silence.

 

It was because of things like that. That was the reason she had harbored feelings for Ricardo for such a long time. Ricardo always reacted to even the most passing remarks she made. He never forgot even the smallest things Hye-young had said.

 

That’s why she had been sure. That Ricardo had feelings for her too.

 

But the moment she confessed, what she received in return was a cold rejection.

 

Hye-young shook her head. There was no need to dwell in old memories. In just a few hours, she would be walking alone into enemy territory, and she had to prepare her gear. Leaving behind Emil, who was immersed in hacking, Hye-young moved.

 

It was time to dress up in disguise, befitting a glamorous casino VIP.