The golden-horn alloy container was shattered to pieces, and the thick blood oozed out from within.
The Director’s experiment had failed once again.
“Adjusting the alloy ratio alone seems to have its limits. Since we’re dealing with a special Object, we’ll need to prepare some special materials on our side as well.”
Tapping his fingers on the desk, the Director fell into deep thought.
He recalled the countless Objects he had observed through the Time Gap.
He randomly brought to mind any useful Objects from past or future observations.
An Object that excels at blocking entry and is readily obtainable now…
And then an idea struck him.
“The Object Expo”
He remembered that a highly useful Object would soon appear there.
The Director mobilized the Researchers under the name of Bucheon Research Institute to prepare for participation in the Expo.
It was all part of the preparation to acquire an Object crucial for humanity.
Looking up at the sky, it was unusually sunny today.
The warm sunlight heated my skin while the cool breeze made everything feel just right.
Meow~!
The Ghost Cat in my arms looked happy too.
The Cloud Fish swam freely across the sky.
A rare sight—a Cloud Whale could even be spotted!
Once I finish unpacking the stuff brought by Sehee Research Institute, I’ll enjoy a cold soda with the Cloud Whale as a snack.
This is the Object Expo venue.
Yerin had been bouncing around in excitement about coming here.
A large festival where many domestic research institutes participate, along with a few international ones.
They say rare Objects are imported here, so I’m looking forward to it.
I’ve always wanted to visit a place like this—especially the “Object Zoo.”
The “Object Zoo” has been attempted more often than I thought, but it comes with a sad jinx: massive accidents on opening day lead to cancellations.
After the jinx repeated a few times, no more permits were issued—a sad conclusion indeed.
Hopefully, this event will succeed despite the curse.
I hope the successful conclusion of the Object Expo leads to the approval of the Object Zoo.
I’m hoping for a fun Object Expo!
Hehe~
As we entered the expo grounds, far off in one corner stood a giant Golden Tree greeting us.
“Wow, sis! What kind of tree is that? Is there a research institute isolating such a huge tree Object?”
Flipping open the guidebook to check, we found the answer.
“It says it’s from the Bucheon Research Institute… wasn’t that the one that went bankrupt?”
Hmm, did someone buy it and restart operations?
Why bother acquiring a defunct research institute? This question briefly lingered in my mind before fading away.
On the way to Sehee Research Institute’s assigned booth, we passed by Bucheon’s stand.
Employees with tired expressions greeted visitors.
Do they not let their staff sleep at that lab? Why do they all look like that?
Still, the giant tree glowing on its own was quite an impressive Object.
It’s strange though—it’s odd that such a conspicuous Object hasn’t been widely known before.
“Hello! Do you have any cases you’d like to entrust us with?”
Just as I caught my breath, my Senior started spouting random nonsense, cutting all context.
People would run away if you greet them like that!
“Yes! I have a case!”
And yet… it worked!
“I need to find my older sister!”
Why does my Senior’s weird approach work so often?
Since discussing the case in the rain wouldn’t be ideal, we decided to head back to the Detective Agency to hear the details.
Arriving at the agency late at night after catching a taxi.
Opening the door, the office felt different from usual.
The big window that always lets in sunlight now exuded an eerie atmosphere, and the faint sound of raindrops hitting it felt like a scene from a horror movie.
Watson, sitting on the shelf, seemed unchanged, yet something felt off.
It almost felt like the gas lamp had been lit mere seconds ago.
My Senior, unfazed by the ambiance, naturally guided the Client to a seat after turning on the lights.
He even handed over a large towel to the soaked Client.
Wait, where did that towel come from? I’ve never seen it before!
My Senior skillfully brewed a warm cup of coffee and offered it to the Client.
Listening to the Client’s story, it became clear why my Senior’s bizarre pitch had worked.
The Client had already seen my Senior on TV.
Yeah, anyone wearing a yellow suit and smoking a pipe would stick in your memory after just one sighting.
“I need to find my sister. She headed to Seoul, but… suddenly I can’t get in touch with her anymore.”
The Client’s thoughts were scattered, struggling to organize them.
“Oh! And the broker who tried to kidnap me said my sister was kidnapped too.”
“Can… can you find her?”
Summarizing the case, it seemed like a tough one.
Fortunately, not much time has passed since the kidnapping, but the chances of survival are slim.
Most victims of Golden Horn-related disappearances are killed within 10 hours.
When crimes involving Golden Horns skyrocketed, penalties were increased, leading to this trend:
Anyone committing Golden Horn-related crimes faces severe punishment akin to murder, causing perpetrators to simply kill their victims instead of risking capture.
Given the low probability of getting caught when disposing of bodies, this behavior emerged.
Maybe the law will change again soon?
Like imposing extreme sentences for both horn theft and murder.
“Well, let’s start by tracking down that broker!”
My Senior accepted the case without hesitation, ignoring the complications.
Hey, what about the fee, Senior?
The Black Agent was still stationed in Chinese territory.
While investigating the research institute importing Golden Horns, the Agent noticed something odd and stayed in China to continue the investigation.
“Uncle, what exactly are you looking at?”
“Contradictions in the reports about the investigated institute don’t match up, so I’m verifying these discrepancies.”
Just listening to the transcripts of the ‘special delivery drivers’ who transported the horns revealed suspicious elements.
They all mentioned similar things:
<"The institute we visited during delivery was meticulously maintained, with no issues whatsoever.">
<"The building itself looked brand new.">
<"I’ve been delivering there since before it went bankrupt, but after reopening, it felt like a completely different building.">
<"They must clean obsessively—there wasn't a speck of dust.">
The first commonality: The building was spotless and flawless.
<"The employees were a bit strange.">
<"Their lack of hospitality was off-putting.">
<"All the employees looked exhausted and depressed.">
<"Even the security guard didn't pay attention to incoming vehicles.">
<"Honestly, the employees seemed unbearably unpleasant.">
The second commonality: Employees appeared unfriendly and despondent.
Despite never meeting the employees personally, the actual state of the institute contradicted these descriptions.
Ruins. A crumbling structure.
Severely dilapidated due to neglect.
This raised suspicions, prompting deeper investigations.
The acquisition and establishment process itself was questionable.
The officials who approved the acquisition had no recollection of the institute.
The landowner who sold the property didn’t remember receiving payment, only vaguely recalling signing a contract.
Both parties exhibited vague memories.
The Black Agent jotted down the mysteries in a notebook.
<Some kind of hypnotic Object?>
<Reality-altering Object?>
<Either way, a troublesome Object.>
<There must be better applications than criminal use.>
<Why specifically Golden Horns?>
<Risk vs reward feels disproportionate.>
<Hiring Korean criminals in China.>
<Golden Horn Syndrome occurs only in Korea.>
<High likelihood of primary activity being in Korea.>
<Investigate Korean institutes that were suddenly acquired or reopened.>
Closing the notebook, the Black Agent stood up.
The Blonde Girl followed suit.
“Uncle, have you reached a conclusion? Your expression looks decisive.”
The emotionless agent nodded slightly and replied.
“Yes, Miss. It seems we’ve gathered all we can here. The rest of the investigation needs to happen in Korea.”
The Black Agent finally felt the faint outline of the mastermind behind the Golden Horn incident emerging.
