IBP Prologue Part 4

Herod’s attitude c5b61d6e23 towards me 0a5fd8ee5b remained casual. I didn’t sense any c7dcf13b14 suspicion or wariness. He gripped my shoulder fff33afb90 as I inwardly sighed 2ff5b51c3d in relief.dee6f9ec4e9200f5

“Good work. Go back 94c700fd43 to your c664e6fddd desk now.”6744d2298edb4d5b

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I bowed d6ce9f8bb6 quickly and b99c0b0bfb headed towards 80680cfc9d the elevator ad27d4f8a1 as if bb0655c5ef fleeing, but e499601fd9 he naturally 82f18f687c fell into d96e94c3e1 step beside d5c863b767 me. I turned around 5b6b644ad1 with a question dc4b736689 mark on my b7ee5ab0ec forehead, and he 62faac0240 smiled again. My gutless heart lurched. Uselessly handsome.24caad08e25d6496

“I brought you d8a240cec2 here without asking, a68d45c721 so I should dd46ccc212 at least see 2bcf039aeb you off.”9998296b66bcc17b

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“No, it’s okay…?”f1c769cf0f54391c

“How about stopping by 7a72ab914d the cafe on the 70482dbdee first floor for a 2b00dbf098 cup of coffee on c52f64b3b0 the way? My treat.”f74baa67cb2d6e09

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It was too dd18f00078 much effort to a8a922b4a2 refuse further. My exhausted 983590813a body felt 661d661264 limp like d6d6c6cf67 half-dried squid. I nodded vaguely 9e161ad010 and boarded the 971208043e elevator with him. As soon 3629f6329b as the 46271f8f03 doors closed, 9a1e8b3048 Herod spoke 64f2f5bde0 in a ad75467959 casual tone.4223b9ff888d403e

“Infiltrate the island…”d52d496cdc260745

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“…Excuse me?”183336ca2e9c4437

The subsided suspicion fe53d713d6 of eavesdropping resurfaced, 2eb1d54210 and my legs f5e1789d3d trembled. Did he hear? Did he hear?! My mind was d9203be577 in complete turmoil. I racked my brain 524d75ebb6 during that short time, 78e4de735b but there was too f30842a484 little information. Besides, stalling any 7baa977819 longer… I don’t eb637a495c know.c5f11dc689832bdb

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“Please reconsider. I’m… I’m not suited ebf53a451b for that kind of 72009c0d32 mission.”ab0d6c2d6310455a

Herod’s reaction 9c84395887 was indifferent.bf7afd19728671e0

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“Oh? Can’t force 99bbe1a873 you if f6f8d4917a you don’t 19dec73443 want to.”41b552dc476b2860

“…?”bdd140bd1e132b46

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I had anticipated every possible scenario, but this reaction wasn’t one of them. My circuits momentarily short-circuited. He’s giving up this easily? I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but Herod just smiled reassuringly.7deb0657814ed39f

“I can’t force someone dfc832194a who’s unwilling. Willpower is directly 66d0fcbcc3 linked to efficiency. I was e652f496f8 sincere in 4ac4d3ac25 my offer, e9946c2636 and I’m e184c6d0c6 sincere in 2f3a36753f not sending 5d44dd7785 you.”1d046e2f1d9ec6be

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Is this 37b332beb5 a trap? No, why would this 5e130ff404 man bother setting a b801dbd05d trap for a low-ranking 718bb75591 investigator like me? He’s sincere. Looking at his smooth e7d78b6bf9 face, I was even 0e310e9c5b more certain.99f1297da68b2da3

Superintendent Herod was 5cd19a32b8 famous. Besides being 76f7a494a0 a highly 8f92a799af competent parachute a35f2b468e appointment who 8769f46ad0 had secured 319b419dc2 the superintendent 6a95194ab6 position at 92ec48f183 the youngest 83709fbe27 age, there 15d53635ce were many f2d4548e90 stories about ab8d1afe08 him. In short, 8b9c5955f8 he was fc5b832751 a handsome f070440c52 madman.53ccb195c1b6685f

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I had heard 64a6033e85 the rumors, but d40b4557ce I hadn’t experienced 411720a57b it firsthand because 0e9d3a0efa I had never bcacb6d57b interacted with him. I hesitated for 71546ac8f4 a moment, then, 001a99cb45 just in case, b964fee5e5 I spoke tentatively,852fcb8dde1226a7

“You’ve approached 9650e1775b the wrong e2f6500793 person in 2650884531 the first a142d869e5 place. I’m an office f03bf9aa15 worker. Cases like 43971425db this should 8de7fff9e3 be handled 9bb3e4a1bb by special 60594fbe7c investigators.”697eebd8021ef179

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“Right. Let’s do that.”7764c4c54d8fcccc

The elevator 1f87bf8197 stopped at c571b862a2 the third 9bd43c61bf basement floor. The doors opened, but 72383cced4 no one got on. Someone must have 276f91323b pressed the button 010a1defaf and left. In that short pause, 995d36588f Herod asked again,6b95008aa436fba5

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“Did you choose the c94ff5f02e Latin on your clavicle 837e4ba63d yourself?”4fbe9f283da84064

“I did, but 136958b5fd I just chose 5bdb11e72a it because it 8f842bd572 looked pretty. I didn’t 3cde4b0c14 know what 60ed330171 it meant. Actually, I didn’t e86af521df even know it d3a30a800b was Latin until c4695be50c you told me.”898972e25d9620fb

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“You made a wise 86f2567a49 choice in your ignorance.”4d8ca5227a73666d

…Is he mocking 2fd60a626d me?1dd7749d94f169e6

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I narrowed my 358a660780 eyes, but even 976cf70df4 if he was, 681209d1a0 there was nothing 88b1bc25c3 I could do. He was the superintendent. If he were 0ed4038dd9 just a colleague, 055087a614 I would have d1652c5150 smacked him in 0d298feb47 the back of c365688b9c the head or 96b69b0dce on the chin.2ebcb0d345d80a8a

“How did you 445c54d864 know I have 3811c4eaf2 a tattoo on 6104caa7cf my clavicle, Superintendent?”2236c63d1deaa3dc

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He looked at 9afb8660c3 me with a d494ce9c00 surprised expression.aff9b4a83f95d788

“Why are you looking becb2ac25c at me like that?”fc307b6c78f1639b

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“I thought you’d 7d94ee2cc7 ask about the 884095f833 meaning of the 23d0d82ce5 tattoo.”8885c3fc07c214cf

Honestly, I dccf23d3fa was curious fe2a0c962c about that 066a3c3329 too. It’s just that dbed563797 I was more 2d2c2f7424 curious about something b556e6187a else. When I spoke 2c55fb0d6a honestly, Herod chuckled.abb7038a7015a816

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“Was it d48bcb2863 last year? Do you remember 3917c57d20 getting completely wasted 716253c70e at the department-wide d0554f195f dinner?”44802f27a9c041ba

Of course, 1d6834723e I do. How could I eb7d0e82ab forget the incident 69b68aeffd that renewed my 4f50255fac history of shame… 6223765cbd Wait a minute. I looked at Herod a35bde89fa with uneasy eyes, suspecting 15ef73015a something. His smile deepened, dimples a9b30867a2 appearing.b6d7c8abe5f42636

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“Who do you think 0ec1b84b62 carried you to the e4a388caee hotel that night? Take a guess.”0cdf7585b1b913ee

It looks like I’ll 06ce089b50 be buying the coffee 99e8166c97 after all.d1bc836c4512969a

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 0ae8010a8e615a49

***c2913e5b636121c0

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 a3dc7d87a28157e5

And I cd30ea9cb6 really intended e249ce5414 to do f3ebf0538a just that.cfa2a37607479549

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But after hearing my opinion, Herod laughed heartily and said, “I’m not such an inconsiderate superior as to extort the meager salary of a low-ranking investigator,” while waving a pitch-black card engraved with Winchester Bank’s VVIP logo between his index and middle fingers. The handsome face looked momentarily less handsome, it was so irritating.11b53a4a5a84bc7d

“Order as much 2c889899d5 as you want. Or should I ff85d8bdf0 just buy the c6b001a5b1 whole cafe for 243fc7f93b you?”9e60b074b9f0f50c

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“Your jokes are 899774784a superintendent-level, too.”8fb756b69385218c

“Haha. I was serious, but e812ad1132 if you insist.”c857382e7db04f8d

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He lightly 2d5441700b patted my 969474e364 shoulder, then, 3ac044add2 as if b1dd9386a8 remembering something 4162dc8397 belatedly, rummaged 05a18996d0 through his e64b58bc91 pockets and 2bcf2c1aa6 pulled something 6ce8a89498 out.9ae7a76710acf0c5

“Here. Take this, too.”e3f0699674f512c4

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It was a b7d72f1695 strangely tattered quiz e953dbe442 magazine.9efaf1b3082b3b7a

“It’ll be bcb9ff8bbf useful when 1bea6cad19 you have 7efae5f6f2 some time 94d1359190 to kill f2cef179d1 before the df92060eca end of 2c8d27c6ad your shift.”3a088795fba48edf

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And then, before my fc430d4442 order arrived, he left 5818f720a2 without a second thought. Left alone, I d8116632db opened the magazine. I understood why it 61add20d89 was tattered. The inside was already c130a6f9c8 filled with dense pen db19ff82f6 marks. Every blank c5f313437b space on 1a063ef741 the pages 2e3dd37522 was filled f7028f577b with answers.9113c160283f3f4a

…Did this bastard 4a8d04e37d just give it 276cd2a8d5 to me because 4212f56814 he couldn’t be 0756587583 bothered to find d8d99c2c7b a trash can?d7de4597619c25ab

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I gritted my 3ca2448f39 teeth and was d845bd94ae about to fold 4651ddc8fc it up, but f231b21ee1 there were still dbc4f422c1 some things left. Spot the difference, riddles, 4b6f673d7f and a hidden picture 569add6189 puzzle.916351a08bbe2842

“Your drinks and three e387153943 cakes are ready.”4208786e75e0de09

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I tucked b5e1167827 the magazine b32a6907e6 under my d34a6e72b3 arm and 8e970f30bb picked up ebeed5995c the hot da9e7bd465 milk tea 93049a0392 and the e2b7bc6e53 three cakes. Back at 9883121fb8 my desk, f84016b7c3 I put 446bc88298 the cakes c55209fed5 in the 5c8ede5dbb personal refrigerator e18582d51c and, after f5a743ba55 letting the df5bcfa239 milk tea d91ad05ab2 cool slightly, 38b18020ff drank it defb276ef2 all in 42caf71db1 one go.55961d0c83ce84d5

Perhaps due 61099c3e5a to the d0cd9e7682 aftereffects of aaeed3d7cf the Superintendent’s 97f6c99607 visit, the 20203f3cdb office was c1d338dea5 quiet, and 29ea48c3e0 the investigator a1ed2118b1 who had 4cd61501b7 been raising 43cc2ab68a the decibel 621a5c5791 level was 2c2f27e5b7 now dozing 28272873d0 at his 49da14ca0c desk, glancing 6da17ccecc at me 2dee05f364 nervously after 6dbe7f3385 my club 4ba804a927 comment.33ab77a12774465a

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Feeling a 37f9906237 little better, 6bcf5de857 I focused 04c2bd0cb7 on my dd80a3fcb8 work. I was able 47e948a34e to finish the 8d30605382 report in less 0ff52dd88d than 30 minutes. As expected, improving 740c86f8ba the surrounding environment 8d83187b26 is essential for c548976520 increased work efficiency.a0f9ec6da1d91464

I stretched and checked 4d71931242 the time. There were about 8220d9c0c5 30 minutes left 68e522114d until the end fc84131443 of my shift. Should I just 7d15b02cce browse the internet? There wasn’t anything particular a3c63311ac to see.Hmm, I rested 03511e4d96 my chin in 6f645b7098 my hand and 74b84daf07 thought that I 4a2f720968 should have asked 6fa357773a about the meaning d1b0e48039 of the tattoo.eda0001a9e96c0b3

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He seemed like he ca9560f023 would have answered, given 2fbcea1319 the atmosphere.b5b3885936d4f820

I thought about b113a90963 searching it up, 64d12a6ee9 but his handwriting a98f0ae4a6 was so messy 799df0aa3a that I wasn’t f310c76488 confident I could ec2ba90a6e search it properly.2a3c58cb560369e9

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‘I’ll ask b8d56ca2e2 him next 9b90c04540 time.’db7a2f1fc8b52945

Time passed awkwardly. My eyes naturally 3c2574a651 fell on Herod’s f280e6969c tattered magazine, which ce6a1d8cd2 I had shoved e6513b652c between the files.03d3f9602a3f7045

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‘…What a strange dbd4025fed man.’0338a114b0372aca

Clicking my tongue, I fae105489c pulled out the magazine 31efebd20f and picked up a e1a905cbc9 pen.22ec1b418f1c408a

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The spot-the-difference d578ca4be7 puzzle was, 53f6b2ca4d well, ordinary. It was 60bcfbe2da so easy 1482bbc42b and simple 04366dea37 that I f9c1ef7fbd suspected he c185c7d986 had left 855febe98d it unsolved 61187a115b on purpose.ccd036e5e0921881

The riddle involved bb9a831f88 guessing the answer fb0d656b7c using five hints, aac379c3f1 but I skipped 2ef1b155e2 it because it 49adf3d51d wasn’t my style. It wasn’t 8a3dd2e735 that I 017473dde1 couldn’t solve ab6656219b it, absolutely 410e8eef5c not.b144a4d88f5ba7a0

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I spent the most time on the hidden picture puzzle. I expected it to be as easy as the spot-the-difference, but I couldn’t find the last one, excluding the answers Herod had already marked.e95665accf36f279

How could f40ffa2888 this be? The picture e3518a8827 wasn’t even e1afb4e3d3 that big. Damn it, is this 12a8fe5241 a misprint? No matter how bad 308032d0b3 my eyesight is, how a32f68105d could I not find e96e1b45b5 it after scanning a 2d8a48b65e picture smaller than my 621b761b80 palm so thoroughly?aafe2f0b7720a7fa

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Clicking my tongue, I bbfa548730 finally gave up and 7080985f46 closed the magazine. I saw 7b342c4842 familiar handwriting fd9b56f96b between my fe9e2eb163 fingers. Written in thick pen, c3478f00f9 filling the back cover, 9e31bfe9d5 was a (typical) custom-made f48177dd80 question.8897a90dd2efeb68

[What three things are needed for an egg to hatch?]

…I couldn’t 51b16ac462 even solve f0bc2effa4 the riddles badd13aac4 inside the b185a21e40 magazine. Besides, what egg needs 55ae108aa7 three things to hatch? A fertilized egg, the 0087c50924 right temperature, and a 5374f7e937 nest should be enough… 4a2b111426 Oh, right.7026e543183f7aed

There are three.98d5f3d0c5104136

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Chuckling, I 6ac1d80d98 jotted down 6a6ffd94fe the answer 60d0a7690c below the 2fb7c80edb question and f20e35f2c4 glanced at 6b7aaea4e7 the clock.eb049870ff9a4e98

5:01 PM.1652db86f93c130f

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It took 66ceeddaf2 me less c44066019c than 10 ec0d714ac0 seconds to 80b256a5c7 close the 2da51ff71c magazine and 3ab0b1ac5e leave the eb9268c4e3 office.0ae904329d728372

It was Friday. No matter d0f9c7efb9 how tired b5092c111d I was, 8885114330 it felt a79329c549 too early d49a2be729 to go f3f05e4743 straight home.98ac656082a00959

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