Chapter 124: Rise (2)

Lee Taebaek submitted his report to the Resistance leadership only after completing the major preparations.

Act first, report later. If the Resistance were a proper army, it would have been the kind of arbitrary behavior worthy of court-martial.

But the Resistance wasn’t that kind of organization. They were a loose coalition of fighters battling for freedom.

The Resistance had placed the Commander-in-Chief at the forefront, dividing the group into nine battalions each led by a Battalion Commander, all for more efficient operations. It was the bare minimum structure needed to function as an organization.

The reason Kang Hyeonseong kept rushing to Lee Taebaek every day was purely due to his affectionate personality.

Most Battalion Commanders wouldn’t have cared what he did. Some might have quietly eliminated him if they saw him as a hindrance.

The Resistance’s guiding principle was ‘freedom,’ not ‘brotherly love.’ If someone was seen as an obstacle, a Battalion Commander had a duty to make a bold decision.

“You got a call from Taebaek this time, right?”

“…Yes……”

Kang Hyeonseong replied with a resigned expression to the Commander-in-Chief’s question. The documents on the desk fluttered faintly with his sigh.

“I don’t know what he did, but he said we’ve got a chance to infiltrate Daesung Group.”

“That’s what I’m saying. What on earth did he do?”

“…That’s what I want to know most.”

“Haha! Right. You’d be the most curious, being a Battalion Commander yourself.”

The Commander-in-Chief displayed a curve on his facial screen. Was it just his imagination, or did that curve feel blunter than usual today?

Kang Hyeonseong let out another sigh as he spoke.

“Commander-in-Chief, you must be thrilled that we can finally plant someone from outside into a Megacorp.”

“You bet.”

It was a remark laced with thorns, but the Commander-in-Chief didn’t seem offended—in fact, he looked amused.

And for good reason.

“It’s what we’ve been hoping for.”

“……”

The Resistance had desperately tried to infiltrate Megacorps with their limited funds.

They’d bribed people on the inside, but it ended in failure—they turned out to be double agents. They nearly exposed the Resistance headquarters.

Though understated, the Resistance had been pushed to the brink of dissolution back then.

‘If not for the Commander-in-Chief’s guidance, we would’ve disbanded right there.’

That incident transformed the already secretive Resistance into something akin to an urban legend. Recruitment became even more stringent.

Every new recruit underwent thorough internal investigations and multiple procedures before being officially recognized.

“Ironically, that made us drift even further from our main enemies, the Megacorps.”

Kang Hyeonseong nodded in agreement. Beneath the mask, the Commander-in-Chief’s eyes were probably tracing the Resistance’s history.

“At some point, it felt like we were just spinning our wheels. Even trying to get new recruits into Megacorps wasn’t as easy as it sounded.”

“It’s tough. Megacorps have insanely rigorous ideological screening in their hiring processes.”

“Even if someone got in by luck, there’s always the risk of them buckling under the Megacorp’s immense financial power.”

There were plenty of real cases.

Mid-sized companies had planted spies that way, only to get swallowed up by Megacorps. Megacorps exterminated cockroaches like those without mercy. Companies that had made a name for themselves vanishing overnight was commonplace in the City.

“Just listing them out shows how tough it is.”

“That’s why Taebaek pulling it off is even more impressive.”

“Ever since that kid joined, so much has changed—practically everything about the Resistance.”

The Commander-in-Chief meant it sincerely.

With Lee Taebaek’s arrival, the Resistance, which had been stagnating, entered a phase of revitalization.

Other battalions moved swiftly in tandem with his actions, reaping various trickle-down benefits. His own 9th Battalion went without saying.

Thanks to the chaos Lee Taebaek stirred up, cracks were forming in the City’s tight security. Battalion Commanders expanded their operations amid the confusion. And that was just the start.

They’d forged ties with the Beggar Clan and even the Lilith Order, groups they’d had no contact with before. The Resistance was fully capitalizing on the opportunities Lee Taebaek had unwittingly provided.

That’s why no one batted an eye at the Commander-in-Chief’s special treatment of him. Few idiots would complain about clear rewards and punishments.

Those who did were simply jealous of Lee Taebaek’s achievements.

And jealousy stemmed from the belief that the other person was superior.

These days, he was receiving both admiration and envy in equal measure.

Of course, Lee Taebaek himself, always wandering outside, was oblivious to the internal buzz.

‘Can’t exactly tip him off; he’s not the type to care about that stuff.’

For various reasons, they gossiped about Lee Taebaek behind his back. But it was all in a positive light.

“Hyeonseong, you have no idea how lucky we were that you pulled Taebaek out of the Brain Prison.”

“You’re the one who officially approved his enlistment, Commander-in-Chief. I was skeptical until then. What if he was a Megacorp plant?”

“What do you think now?”

Kang Hyeonseong shrugged.

“It’s not so much a change of heart as resignation. He’s shown us so much already. If it turns out he’s with Siesta… well, what can we do? We’d just have to take it.”

“Haha, you’ve mellowed out a lot, Hyeonseong.”

“Tell me about it. I thought coming to the City would turn me into a cold machine, but I’ve gone soft instead.”

The Commander-in-Chief chuckled.

Even without it showing on the facial screen, Kang Hyeonseong could sense the smile.

The Commander’s office warmed up for a moment.

“Anyway, we won’t be assigning missions to Taebaek willy-nilly just because he’s in Daesung. He’ll need time to adjust.”

“Agreed.”

Kang Hyeonseong’s eyes darkened gravely.

“Sloppy orders could tip off Daesung. Better to let him act independently and have us clean up after.”

“Worried the whole Resistance looks like it’s just babysitting Taebaek?”

“Yes, a bit……”

“Bring anyone who says that to me.”

The Commander-in-Chief rested his chin on his fist. When he spoke, a chilling voice briefly dominated the office.

“I need to see how great they think they are myself.”

〉〉 Auto-saving……

〉〉 Applying patch.

After going through cumbersome procedures, he arrived in the Upper District.

“Today’s the last of this crap.”

If Ryu Subaek kept his word, he could now roam the Upper District freely. He’d considered the possibility of a trap, but it seemed unlikely.

Ryu Subaek was the one who’d lose out.

He was the one wearing the bomb collar, and Lee Taebaek held the key to disarm it.

Ryu Subaek was a contender for Daesung Group’s leadership. His motive was simple: survival.

Failure meant death at his half-brothers’ hands. It wasn’t ambition but a desperate struggle, and he’d grasp at any straw.

In that dire situation, Lee Taebaek—who could vastly boost his power with a single hand—was a desert oasis.

At least for the foreseeable future, he wouldn’t harbor ill intentions.

Lee Taebaek didn’t trust Ryu Subaek.

He trusted his circumstances and self-preservation instincts.

‘He’s an executive at a Megacorp, so his background’s bound to be messy.’

During the groundwork, he’d taken out insurance.

Walking into the enemy’s maw without precautions? No way.

“This way.”

Lost in thought, a woman’s voice tapped his spine. Turning, he saw the secretary general as expected.

“Mr. Lee Taebaek.”

She stepped down from the sleek silver vehicle with eye-dazzling poise. The wing-like doors were striking, as if ready for takeoff.

“Please, get in.”

His guess was spot on.

The moment Lee Taebaek sat in the passenger seat, his butt lifted off. Before the door even closed, the undercarriage thrusters blasted the road away. It wasn’t like boarding a plane. If anything, it resembled the floating sensation of a rollercoaster dropping from its peak.

“First time in an air vehicle?”

…Yeah, it showed too much.

“Luxuries like this are sins in the Lower District.”

“Ah.”

The female secretary sighed while gripping the controls. After fumbling a bit, she suddenly apologized.

“Sorry. If I’d known it was rude, I’d have brought a standard vehicle.”

“……”

Unlike her appearance, she was quite attuned to others’ feelings.

‘She looks like she’d bleed just two drops even if stabbed.’

Come to think of it, they hadn’t exchanged names yet.

He’d be living inside Daesung Group’s building for days to scope out the ecosystem. Couldn’t keep calling her “you” forever, so he asked for her name.

“What should I call you at the company?”

It’d also break the awkward vibe.

“Director Ryu Garyeon will do.”

A pitiful name.

“Can I drop the ‘sir’?”

Ryu Garyeon tilted the yoke slightly as she replied.

“Use your discretion. You’ll be assigned to Executive Director Ryu Subaek’s personal security team, so the hierarchy between us is meaningless. But using informal speech from the start might cause misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings? Like what?”

“Silly ones. Like whether we’re dating or something.”

“Can’t have that. I’ll stick to ‘sir.’ Director Garyeon.”

“……”

Ryu Garyeon stared straight ahead.

Not focused on driving, but worried about failing to manage her expression.

That was the end of small talk. They both gazed out the window, lost in thought.

A few minutes passed.

His hovering butt dropped like it was magnet-pulled. The thrusters rumbled against the glass. Then, with a ‘thunk’ vibration, the doors swung upward again.

“We’ve arrived.”

Ryu Garyeon pushed up her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

“Daesung Group Headquarters.”

The interior of Daesung Group’s headquarters was like a room of time and mind. Everything was painted stark white and black in all directions.

The extreme contrast blurred object boundaries. It was disorienting whether you were moving forward or backward.

Whether it was the company founder or not, employees wore only black and white. The line ascending the escalator was ruler-straight, eyes glued to devices, ignoring each other.

‘They’ll walk into walls at this rate.’

After a few minutes following Ryu Garyeon’s lead, Lee Taebaek pierced multiple thick security walls to enter the inner sanctum.

It was plastered with cutting-edge tech. Dozens of displays worth tens of millions each, mechanical arms used as cup holders. The stench of money stabbed not just his nose but his frontal lobe.

Thud, thud.

Deeper in, a long conference table and a scattered group greeted Lee Taebaek.

Purely metaphorical—they eyed him warily, not welcomingly.

They greeted Ryu Garyeon politely first, with disciplined poise despite the hasty lineup.

After perfunctory formalities, they glared at Lee Taebaek.

‘What, staring ’cause I’m so handsome?’

He barely swallowed the words. This was Daesung Group. He was infiltrating.

‘Getting marked as trash on day one would complicate things.’

Unfazed, they turned to Ryu Garyeon, switching targets.

“Director Ryu, who’s this guy?”

A woman asked.

Her bizarre half-shaved hairstyle started from the center. High cybernetic prosthetic ratio in her features marked her as the leader.

“New recruit for Executive Director Ryu Subaek’s security team.”

The woman shot back aggressively.

“Isn’t recruit selection my authority?”

“And wasn’t it the Executive Director who granted that authority?”

Ryu Garyeon wasn’t one to back down.

Few could engage in a staring contest with such a burly woman.

The tense air pressed like a lung-squeeze. She yielded first.

The half-shaved woman smirked, curling her lip mockingly.

“Of course. Who are we to question the Executive Director? Just procedure. Understood, Director. Ryu. Ga. Ryeon.”

“Yes. Take good care of the newbie.”

Ryu Garyeon said, turning her back on the security team. As she passed Lee Taebaek, she shot him a sidelong glance before walking away.

No interpretation needed.

The message was clear.

-Root out the enemies inside here.

One issue, though.

“Hey, Executive Director Garyeon’s concubine.”

“……”

“Wanna show off your daytime skills instead of nighttime ones?”

Everyone here looked like the enemy.