Chapter 065 – If You Plug in the USB, They Can’t Move
“d*mn it!”
Bang! Clangclang!
Prince Juhyun stomped and beat on the trash can in his home with all his might.
Still, his anger wouldn’t subside, so he shattered the living room window.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
With a crash, the glass broke, and only after bl**d began to flow from his injured fists did Prince Juhyun slump down amidst the chaos in his wrecked living room, clutching onto an inexplicable sense of unease.
“Hanamjin, I never thought that guy could be so irrational—.”
The events from several hours ago continuously replayed in his mind.
The commotion at the villa caused by Hanamjin’s loud outburst.
“What? Nam Tae-geon and Seo Do-cheol set fire to N-Mart?”
“Is there evidence that Prince Juhyun has it?”
“Wh, if it’s true, this won’t just end with impeachment.”
The eyes of those around instantly focused on Prince Juhyun.
If the police nearby had not intervened, entered the villa, dispersed the banquet, and escorted Hanamjin out, Prince Juhyun could only imagine with a shiver down his spine. Now, he turned on his phone and scanned the internet.
Post by: Anonymous
Title: Did you see the chaos at the Samjin Villa? Haha
Content: I watched the livestream at that time, and it’s honestly legendary lmao
– If Hanamjin’s claims are true, then the country is seriously messed up, isn’t it?
– Lmao you all are criticizing having a psycho murderer in the president’s seat.
– – sh*t! You traitors dare to suspect Lord Nam Tae-geon?!
Post by: Horned Horse
Title: Starting Today, I Withdraw My Support for Jin Eun-byul
Content: Jin Eun-byul had a boyfriend lmao. Prince Juhyun, you lucky f*ck.
– Isn’t it true that it was actually Hanamjin who touched Jin Eun-byul’s b*obs lmao
– – Hanamjin is gold every time his name appears on the internet. Lmao typical mansplaining
Post by: Head Broken But Still Yoo Dogwan
Title: Finally, the True Nature of the Wealthy and the Southern Party Has Been Exposed
Content: If what Nam Taegum and the rich were secretly doing—playing with citizens’ lives—is true, then this exceeds just impeachment. They deserve the guillotine.
– Nam Taegum, wasn’t the guy who pretended to be a human rights lawyer and a civic activist? Turned out he was the one who proposed the bills ruining human rights though?
– Alright, let’s go for the French Revolution~
– Looks like Seonam Group and Imperial Group stocks are going to plummet soon lmao
Woooww… The incessant buzzing of his phone prevented Prince Juhyun from fully processing all the online reactions. Though hundreds of unread messages piled up, he didn’t feel the urge to check them.
“d*mn Hanamjin!”
Prince Juhyun despised Hanamjin. Despite various conflicts in the past over matters involving Jang Geunseong, Samajun, and the like, he hadn’t given him much thought. The young prince had a distinct impression that their playing fields were different and the weight they bore incomparable.
Graduating school would have meant being strangers forever. That was how Prince Juhyun had viewed it, hence his disregard. However…
Those with nothing to lose have no fear because they have nothing to lose. Prince Juhyun felt this acutely now. For someone like him with a lot to lose, getting entangled with Hanamjin was a loss in itself.
“Why do you suddenly show up in my life and cause all this trouble?”
Prince Juhyun could barely contain his boiling anger. At this moment, however, it seemed more important to silence the noise than to vent. He walked into his bedroom and asked Jin Eun-byul, who was straightening her hair.
“Eun-byeol, how’s it going? Did you make any calls?”
“Yes, I called Grandfather just now, and he assured me he’ll take full responsibility for controlling public opinion. That side shouldn’t be too much of a worry. We’ve bought a lot of newspapers and broadcast companies, so it’ll settle down soon.”
“Really?”
When Jin Eun-byul talked about ‘Grandfather,’ there was only one person it could be. If Grandfather himself was stepping in, there was nothing more to worry about.
Prince Juhyun marveled anew at how extraordinary a backing Jin Eun-byul possessed. This, he thought, was why people desired high positions.
“But regarding Hanamjin, Grandfather didn’t specifically mention anything. I think he wants you to handle it yourself. I feel the same way.”
“…Me, personally?”
A wave of tension gripped Prince Juhyun once again. To him, Hanamjin was a complete unknown. You couldn’t predict what he would do next since he operated seemingly without common sense.
“Why? Do you not want to? Prosecution and court proceedings are too boring, right? Do this for me. Handle it yourself. Or is it that you don’t think you can discipline Hanamjin?”
Swoosh—Jin Eun-byul stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Prince Juhyun.
“I’m disappointed.”
Truth be told, Prince Juhyun found Jin Eun-byul somewhat terrifying too. Just like Hanamjin, her unpredictability was unmatched.
“Do you know that you’re the only adopted female heir when direct voting is abolished and the inheritance law passes? And when it happens, I’ve promised you that position.”
Presidential succession and transfer. It sounded absurd, but when martial law is declared, the world would change.
“So, Juhyun, prove your worth to us. To the brothers who look down on you because you’re the son of a concubine. Show everyone—you included—who you are in the world you will rule.”
The whispering by her ear stirred something in Prince Juhyun. Proof. His life had always been about proving himself.
“Hanamjin—I was planning to deal with him soon anyway. Honestly, I could have handled the situation alone this time too. Trust me.”
Jin Eun-byul felt more intimidating and formidable than Hanamjin to Prince Juhyun. After all, she commanded an extraordinary backing.
“Still, Juhyun is the best.”
Her smile, though, didn’t appear genuine to Prince Juhyun.
“By the way, do you know Baek Yeo-ul from your school?”
*
The jail cell, surprisingly, turned out to be cozy.
It felt a bit cramped, but the solid walls and ceiling were an upgrade compared to the shanty house I’d once lived in. If civilization ever ends again, I might consider using a prison as my base.
“Are you insane? Seriously?!”
“Why did you do that? Who asked you to? Who’s behind this?!”
If there was one downside, it was the incessant questions the cops bombarded me with. So curious.
After about an hour, a familiar face approached and spoke to the police officers.
“I’m Section Chief Gim Jang-dong from the Management Division. Could we take custody of Hanamjin? We have important witness interviews scheduled.”
“B-but do you Management Division folks even have jurisdiction over our investigations?”
“How many of our officers were injured while arresting that guy? And now you’re just gonna take him away?”
“Quiet, all of you! I’m Chief Kim Cheol-gwan. Section Chief, you wish to take Hanamjin?”
“Hanamjin’s custody is now under the Management Division.”
Clank… Squeak… The steel door opened, and we stepped outside into the dimly lit streets.
In a sleek black car speeding silently down the road, Section Chief Gim Jang-dong addressed me.
“Namjin, why are you taking such risks when you could live comfortably? Is it because of your parents? If it’s revenge you’re after, stop now. You’ll only get hurt.”
“Revenge? No, that’s not it. I barely even remember my parents’ voices anymore.”
“If not revenge, then what is it?”
People like Seugal and Chief Jang-dong seem to mistakenly think I’m driven by dark revenge or lofty ideals, but both of them are wrong.
“Chief, I’m pretty simple. The existence of food in the fridge keeps me happy, and the smile of the girl I like can energize me for an entire day.”
I made an agreement with Seugal—a promise for ‘softsoft’ three times. That’s all I want.
Dammit! What even is ‘softsoft’? I keep getting flustered!
The sedan smoothly made its way back to my place before finally stopping.
“Namjin, I know you have a volatile temperament, but try to tone it down for now. I’m only saying this for your own good.”
“I’m fine. I’m just a ‘Special Management Target,’ right? So, technically, I’m already being watched.”
When the world ended before, did Chief Jang-dong approach me with random requests purely by chance? No, not at all. He had been watching me even in the post-apocalyptic world.
Even now. Though Chief Gim still tried to pretend otherwise.
“Special what? Anyway, even if you’re safe, I’m dying cleaning up after you. Why provoke Jin Eun-byul, of all people? Ugh, do as you please.”
But I always handle things on my own just fine.
As Chief Gim left, I headed back inside.
…
Something seemed off. The “Intruder Warning Stick” I had placed by the gate had fallen inward, meaning someone had come inside. The setup was to have it fall inward whenever the gate was opened.
Burglars?
This is why good neighborhood selection matters. This place is great except for the poor security. Too many criminals around. Remember the terrifying high school girl kidnapper residing nearby?
While considering this, I entered the house and found someone lounging on the living room sofa. A man dressed in a leather jacket with long hair tied back.
I recognized his face, but what was strange was that he was petting Yining.
Shhrr…shhrr…shhrr…
Yining, you d*mn traitor!
Letting strangers inside.
Trying to act casual, I asked, “Didn’t I see you at the Seonam Group building back then?”
Yes, this was the man I’d first encountered in front of the elevator when I first met Seo Do-cheol. He was the one who had healed my broken leg.
Who would’ve thought we’d meet again like this.
“Good to see you again, Hanamjin. My name is Gu Se-jun.”
Gu Se-jun—the leader of the illegal Awakened group, “Billions.” The same person who worked with “Yeomra” and “Pinocchio” during my battles.
“I don’t work with terrorists. It rarely ends well.”
“However, today you’ve created a challenging enemy, one that might be too difficult to face alone. Jin Eun-byul. More accurately, the “Concept” residing within her. Even we’ve struggled against it.”
“A concept turned into an enemy—” The phrase felt unusually mysterious. Sensing my confusion, the long-haired man, Gu Se-jun, added more explanation.
“The ‘Concept’ an Awakened One possesses isn’t merely a power. It’s alive, with a conscious will, and this will can sometimes overwhelm people, consume them. They’re eaten by their own concept.”
Eaten by the concept — several things came to mind.
As if reading my thoughts, Gu Se-jun added,
“Originally, they were called ‘Concept People’ as they were consumed by concepts, but it sounds too positive. So naming them as they are would be better—Demon (Ma-in). Jin Eun-byul is one of those Demons.”
Jin Eun-byul? The Ma-in I encountered before were like active volcanoes, uncontrolled and exploding, burning out quickly unable to handle their own force. However, Jin Eun-byul didn’t feel like that, did she?
“The ‘Concept’ inside her is particularly evil. However, as the will of the Concept becomes more distinct, so do its weaknesses. That’s Jin Eun-byul’s weakness.”
With that, Gu Se-jun handed me a small plastic object. A USB.
“How does this USB relate to Jin Eun-byul’s weakness? Is there a USB port somewhere in her body where plugging in this will immobilize her?”
Does Jin Eun-byul have such a port?
When I looked up, Gu Se-jun had vanished. He was quite the remarkable person.
“Gu Se-jun, leader of the terrorist group. Yining, what do you think of him?”
-Yingyingyying.
“Yeah, there’s no good guy who steps inside wearing shoes. But wasn’t it you who opened the door? d*mn Yining!”
-Crrr…rrr…
With nothing else to do, I plugged the USB into the computer and noticed a video file inside.
「6.mkv」
Click—
…
