Chapter 132

I held my pounding heart and barely swallowed the double voice that had jumped out to just below my uvula.

No, rather than saying I managed it well, it’s more accurate to say a miraculous balance was established between my inability to swallow the curse and my face muscles twisted and stiff.

‘These damn cunning Enemas… They brought us here knowing everything, didn’t they…?’

It didn’t seem like there was anyone else in the warehouse, and if there had been an ambush, Zero wouldn’t be so quiet, maintaining calm.

It felt like I had metaphorically climbed onto a tiger’s back and missed the right timing to get off, getting dragged into the tiger’s den instead.

…Focus. Nothing has been confirmed yet.

The other two might have been involved in a wholesale manner, but if there was real certainty, a single tracker wouldn’t be wandering around politely greeting us; there would have been a proper response team chasing us down.

Besides, a considerable amount of time had passed, so it wouldn’t be surprising if another laboratory had been attacked during that time…

If I break it down one by one, there’s no guarantee that what they’re talking about is the same thing as my own experience, so it’s okay. It should be okay. …Probably?

“Hmm…♪”

“…”

Even though the request was only outlined in rough terms, Marina seemed to be in a good mood, humming as she fiddled with her mouth, while Kên was furrowing his face in distress.

Before I knew it, the gaze of the observing tracker, who had stepped aside, was sharp.

It might be natural since the only ones to watch here were external hackers, but if we had earned our place purely on skill, I wish they would stop doubting our potentially problematic personalities or past actions.

“The deadline for the project… Therefore, the contract period is set for about three months. During that time, all external contacts will be blocked, and accommodation and meals will be handled entirely within here. If you need anything… you can tell the designated staff member here, and other employees will fetch it for you.”

The term ‘designated staff member’ had been considerably softened, but nonetheless, the mentioned tracker withdrew his sharp gaze and slightly lowered his head.

Even if it was a form of temporary employment, he was trying to show at least minimal respect because he was working for Enema.

In reality, what was more bothersome was that I would have to work under these conditions, eating, sleeping, and training together.

At a glance, the workload didn’t seem simple, so I had been holding out hope that it wouldn’t be a long-term commission… To reduce wasted time and force us to dive into our work? Did they believe that mere mercenaries and shady hackers would be motivated to put in that much effort into a megacorp problem…?

“For the three months, since we’ll be enforcing various inconveniences, your sleep and leisure time will also be included as overtime. Given that you’re high-level personnel, being cyber engineers, the base salary budget is set at around 400 million credits.”

“Wow.”

What is there to say? That’s a hell of a lot of money.

As expected from a megacorp, their spending was extraordinarily (Mega) impressive.

Compared to the meager jobs I had been doing until now, the increase in zeros in the compensation was simply astonishing. And when I heard the secretary’s choice of words, it implied that the base salary budget would also mean a separate bonus.

“…Additionally, if you can accelerate the data recovery ahead of the original deadline, performance bonuses will be added. Specifically… it would be possible to earn about 30 million daily. Also, if you find traces of the intruder, depending on the importance, it could be up to 100 million, and if you secure evidence that can specifically identify their identity….”

The secretary, who had interrupted her speech, smiled slightly.

It was clear that she meant we could expect good things… But in this atmosphere, it only felt ominous.

However, I had been presented with enough of a reason to consider it positively.

If we could each pull in at least 130 million credits, and possibly 200 million depending on our performance… it was undoubtedly a ‘big deal,’ just as had been said.

“Do you have any particular questions? I can provide information I have the authority to access, especially if it’s needed for the task.”

“Um….”

I pretended to think while observing my surroundings.

I was curious about what had happened that required outside personnel like us, but I lacked the confidence to step forward here.

It was just perfect that Kên opened the floor.

“Uh… I’ve never heard of Enema’s lab being physically assaulted or attacked en masse… Are we not inadvertently getting blamed for something?”

Though the question was directed at the other party, it was a valid point that applied to everyone.

It wasn’t uncommon for a contracting party to conceal the truth and exploit the employed party badly. And if there was a chance of taking on original sin, it was wise to be cautious.

If that sneaky issue could be resolved, there would be no complaints in seizing an unexpected opportunity to gather a considerable amount of money.

“…The laboratory where the incident occurred is located in a remote area in the desert, so information control has been effectively maintained, preventing any leaks. Please trust Enema in this regard.”

“Pfft?!”

““……?””

…That was a lot! I had nothing but complaints!!

The embarrassment spilling out of my lips caused my concentration to waver, and I waved my hands, trying to justify myself as I roughly brushed it off.

There was no one here who would simply roll their eyes at a trivial physiological mistake, but hearing about the dangerous matter had completely eliminated my option of making a huge profit from this request.

I wasn’t a thief aiming to get hired at a police station, nor did I have any intention of facing my past self or digging my own grave.

Since I had already heard about the dangerous aspects, I might end up being detained until that job was completed, but accepting that was better than the alternative.

Just when I was set on my path, ignoring the smoothly progressing atmosphere of the business contract…

Zero presented me with an entirely new perspective, solidifying my resolve to decline.

– …Ahsa, you must accept this without fail. –

‘Huh…?’

What on earth was this guy talking about?

While he wasn’t the type to say something foolish, it was surprising for someone who had never encouraged crossing dangerous lines to suddenly oppose a safety-oriented decision.

Had he been looking into Droid parts and Android catalogs recently and gotten greedy?

…Definitely not. It’s unlikely a carebot would be so short-sighted as to risk lives for money.

– This is a rare opportunity to stay and observe how things unfold and control the progress. If you withdraw now… they may uncover much more than they would have otherwise. –

‘…Oh.’

Indeed, there was an absurdly valid and rational reason behind it.

I glanced at the two of them.

One was a complete memory expert, and the other was somewhat timid but extraordinarily thorough as an expert hacker, recognized by others for their skills.

The system-hacking speed, which was nearly double that of other teams, was a record achieved solely by these two, so even if I turned a blind eye, they would surely make significant progress.

It wasn’t particularly pleasant for allies to suddenly turn into issues that needed to be regulated.

On the other hand, it was also a golden opportunity to entirely cover up the negative ties between Enema and me while also sneaking away their money.

Guys, I’m really sorry, but please give up the performance bonuses. The base salary should be plenty, right? And this isn’t something to proudly write on a resume anyway.

“But… it doesn’t make sense no matter how I think about it…? What would a big corporation like this need from us…?”

“Tsk tsk. Our little shy one can doubt, but they can’t see the bigger picture, huh?”

Pushing aside the somewhat awkward Kên, Marina stepped forward.

Confronting the secretary, who still wore a friendly smile, she began to voice her speculation as if she had discerned what lay beyond.

“Companies usually have employees or partner firms they hire for these situations… In fact, with a corporation like Enema, there must certainly be a security agreement with Elysium, another megacorp. So, what’s the reason for pushing ahead with this in secrecy and tossing credits around like this?”

After glancing at the tracker, who remained quiet and observant, as well as the silent secretary, Marina slowly moved her steps and leaned against the server rack.

With an air of confidence, she spoke with a self-assured expression.

“Everyone is suspicious. Literally everyone. Other corporations, security experts, and even internal employees can’t be trusted. Otherwise, why would they make the effort to dig up and hire lower-tier individuals like us, who aren’t particularly famous?”

Upon hearing this, I realized that the accidents I had caused had escalated into a much larger distrust than I had initially thought due to various coincidences and misunderstandings.

There was a possibility that the power struggle within the Amagi family, which should have exploded in the original work, could occur way too early.

Reluctantly, I had yet another reason to get involved.

“I guess whether you like it or not, it’s too late for you and your cute friend to back out, right? Hey there, secretary? If we say we can’t do it, will you let us go easily?”

“…Of course not. Even if we were to find more people while you are working, it would be too tight of a schedule to start searching for hackers and validating backgrounds now. …We’ll have to hire suspicious individuals.”

His smile deepened, and a chill ran down my spine.

If his direct gaze was just a misinterpretation from the part about suspicion, it would be nice, but given that they likely had investigated my background and entry records, the suspicion they were harboring was all too obvious.

…I want to clarify that my relationship with Paradise is strictly business. Yes.

Fortunately, Marina, who had stepped up as a negotiation representative, seemed to share a similarly unnoteworthy record and hurriedly shifted the topic.

“Ugh…! Anyway! You mentioned your title is secretary, so you must be acting according to someone of higher rank’s intentions, right? But don’t you think the compensation seems a bit stingy for that?”

““Uh…””

“…”

We stared at her as she smiled and rubbed her hands together, and the secretary, in charge of contracts at Enema, still displayed a somewhat stiff smile.

In the end, what was it? The reason for going through lengthy explanations and making rather tenuous speculations was merely a ploy to try to increase the cost- worth- a remarkable figure.

But, inevitably, it took only a few seconds to succumb to authority and external pressure from his previously frivolous talk.

“…Originally, once the contract expires and wages are paid, an implant chip for the confidentiality agreement would be embedded, but it seems better for you to undergo surgery today….”

“Let’s go!! Our princess and young master?! Let’s hurry!!”

As if she had forgotten she was showing off, Marina dashed off with all her might.

…This was Day 0 of the data recovery request from Enema Corporation, an event that occurred right after we were deployed.