Entrance of the Players (3)
There was a small pool surrounded by sculptures of the gods of Olympus.
A couple had already gotten thoroughly drunk, and were now wrapped around each other in a topless embrace.
This was probably an intentional show to get our blood pumping.
Because the faster our blood circulated, the faster that the drugs would take effect.
Mong-Doo and I exchanged glances and nodded.
“Looks like this’ll be fun.”
“Yep. Let’s party hard.”
Our own party was just getting started.
-From now on Mong-Doo is linked with me, while the newbie is linked with Black.
Seeing as the interior was so chaotic, the team leader gave this order to prevent any confusion.
-Mong-Doo on the right. Newbie on the left. Make a big circle of the room.
“Since that’s the case, see you later.”
“Ok.”
The penthouse was split up into different rooms that were linked together like a honeycomb.
After Mong-Doo and I said our goodbyes, he headed to the right.
As I moved in the opposite direction, I tapped the button on my shirt twice.
This was to adjust the lighting of the hidden camera.
-Okay. There’s no problem with the screen. But there’s way too much smog.
Since they had let out smoke in an already dim place, it felt like I had arrived at the scene of a fire.
If it wasn’t for the lasers and occasional lights, it might even seem frightening.
I walked forward slowly while scanning my surroundings.
As if they were ghosts, people faded in and out of the smoke.
There were mostly couples grinding against each other as they embraced.
Just as Madam Shim had said, in this atmosphere there wasn’t much of a reaction as to whether or not you chose to wear a mask.
Because their only concern was the pursuit of primal pleasures.
Also, at every turn, you could see men in t-shirts paying their full attention to the party’s security.
As I wandered here and there, I noticed that the dozens of guards, waiters, and bartenders all seemed to be part of the same group.
-Newbie. Take a look at the top of the tables.
A ruckus seemed to have occurred at one empty table as empty bottles and glasses were scattered haphazardly.
I noticed an empty plastic wrapper and picked it up to get a better look.
The trademark of the Exodus club was printed on the plastic
When I looked closely, I spotted traces of white powder.
-Is it sugar? Or salt
“Not sure. I can’t fully tell. But I think it might have been sugar.”
-But why was it marked with Exodus’ brand? Could they be making it seem like it’s high-quality sugar by branding it.
“Probably. Hm. So it’s not just distribution, they’re also involved in manufacturing.”
-In any case, keep taking a look around. Let’s get a hold of Madam Shim and Ma Eun-Tae’s location first.
“Understood.”
As I went through one room after another, the atmosphere became increasingly desolate.
Through the open doorways, I could see people laid out flat with their syringes rolling on the floor.
-Crazy bastards. They’ve lost their senses.
I frowned as I picked up one of the discarded syringes.
The inside of the syringe was packed full of undissolved grains.
-Hey. Isn’t she an idol? There, up ahead.
It was a member of an idol group whose stock had been on the rise lately.
She was a kid who had become so famous that even I, who didn’t watch TV, knew about her.
Black grumbled in a gloomy tone.
-Shit… And I even bought her latest album.
Hm. This meant that not only the political world, but also the entertainment world was caught up in this.
As I got farther away from the main hall, the smog slowly grew lighter.
In the distance, I saw a crowd having a conversation near a window.
In the center of the crowd stood the organizer of this party, Madam Shim.
And supporting her from the side was a certain man.
“It’s Ma Eun-Tae.”
-So he came. Well spotted.
I tried to keep a covert eye on them, in order to check just who happened to be in attendance.
However I seemed to have caught Madam Shim’s attention.
She ducked her head to one side and started to whisper something to Ma Eun-Tae.
Even though my face was covered, had she noticed it was me?
-Newbie. Hide in the smog. It looks like you’re standing out.
I could hide my looks, but not my build.
I hadn’t thought that I was so tall and sturdy as to draw attention from a distance.
Sigh, this was all because of Black.
Next to him, even my over-180 cms of height looked average.
Ma Eun-Tae’s eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to stare at me.
As if he had felt a strange sense of deja-vu.
‘Shit. I’m fucked.”
As the two continued their hushed conversation, they soon drew closer to me.
-Well now, what should we do?
Black was also left flustered and feeling helpless.
And it seemed that the Fork Gang were still on their way.
Ma Eun-Tae slowly crept closer.
Helplessly, I picked up a bottle of alcohol that had been placed next to me.
If it comes to it, then I would have to make my move and strike first.
At that moment…