174 – Fender Bender

[Quest Initiated]

[ Corrupt Enterprise ]

◇ Quest Objective: Faced with the brink of collapse, the company stands at a crossroads. Cheongrim chose money tainted with darkness to escape the crisis. The vehicles that are seemingly busy every day, even though there is no work, contain the evidence. However, even if you secure evidence here, the higher-ups will escape and continue their misdeeds, so eliminate the Hwa brothers who run Cheongrim and uproot the rotten roots at once.

◇ Condition: Eliminate Cheongrim’s Hwa Brothers 0/2

◇ Category: Spontaneous

◇ Success Reward: Random Point Pouch, Exclusive Weapon Level Up, 1 instance of Positive Development

◇ Failure Penalty: None

‘The quest window has become rather considerate, hasn’t it?’

The “Spontaneous” category was familiar.

The same type as when Rohan dealt with the human trafficking ring with Clara in the past.

But to have the conditions spelled out so clearly, that was a first since falling into this world.

And what drew the eye most was the reward.

‘Positive Development…’

Even with the exciting reward of a weapon level-up, it stole his attention.

Rohan knew the potential held in the word ‘positive.’ He’d received a positive cliché as a reward back when he worked at the Blood Lily Bookstore and it resulted in him meeting Clara.

“Hey? What’s wrong?”

“Rohan…?”

Noah and Ichinose approached Rohan, who had stopped dead in his tracks, looking puzzled.

Sion and Clara, busy examining the weapons, had lost their smiles.

But Rohan couldn’t give them an answer easily.

First, he needed understanding.

“Just a moment. I need to sort my thoughts.”

Rohan put his mind to work as quickly and relentlessly as possible.

In urgent situations, organizing thoughts had to be done in seconds. Rotating them as fast as possible was essential.

Rohan looked up at the sky, lost in thought.

Then lowered his head and first asked Noah for a favor.

If what was being carried in that truck was illegal drugs and narcotics, just like in Abyss City, it might have a distinctive smell.

Transporting it so openly on the road likely meant they’d taken measures to mask the scent, but right now, trying was the only option.

“Noah. You see that truck over there with the name ‘Cheongrim’ written on it? The one waiting at the light.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you smell anything strange coming from that truck?”

Noah, who was holding a meat bun, shoved it into his mouth and immediately started sniffing the air intently. He even closed his eyes to concentrate.

Then opened them with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t know? There are too many smells here to begin with.”

The pungent smells of food, vehicles, and pedestrians. Everything was interfering with Noah’s nose.

Rohan thanked Noah for his cooperation. Then turned his gaze to Ichinose.

“Ichinose, have you heard of a company called Cheongrim? I think they’re in the pharmaceutical manufacturing business.”

“Never heard of them.”

Ichinose couldn’t possibly know every company that existed in the Samhwa Nation.

It was only natural that ordinary small and medium-sized enterprises wouldn’t be in the head of the Cheonoecheon heir.

“Tch.”

Rohan searched ‘Samhwa Nation Cheongrim’ on his phone.

The company’s location appeared on the map. Not far from here. The truck was probably heading there.

Scrolling down on the map, he saw negative internet articles related to Cheongrim.

Their finances were in terrible shape. To put it bluntly, they could disappear tomorrow and no one would be surprised.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Rohan was frustrated by the situation he couldn’t easily explain.

Not only him, but the girls in front of him would also be frustrated, but for the opposite reason.

The absence of visible evidence made things so difficult.

He couldn’t even show them the quest window.

‘Alright, these two are out.’

Rohan decided to separate Ichinose and Noah from the situation and think.

If he asked them to move based on what felt like instinct, and things went wrong, Ichinose, with his ties to the corporation, could be in trouble.

Of course, the same went for Noah. No matter what he did, the scale of things was already too big for them to be involved.

‘Three is enough.’

Decision made.

“Sion and Clara, could you follow that truck and share your location? I’ll go get the car.”

“Uh-huh…!”

“Leave it to us.”

They didn’t ask why he was going to get the car.

These girls sensed the urgency and would do as Rohan asked. He must have something in mind.

Sion and Clara, muffling their presence, ascended to the building’s rooftop without a sound and lightly began tracking the truck.

Rohan checked the car keys in his pocket and gave the remaining two a short order.

“Sorry, but Ichinose and Noah, could you go to a cafe for a bit?”

“At least give us a proper explanation!”

Noah playfully punched his shoulder.

Rohan had no words to say other than an apology.

“Rohan. Is there a problem with the company, Cheongrim?”

“It seems so. I’m going to look for tangible evidence now. Sorry for ruining the mood while we were hanging out.”

“If there really is a problem, let me know. I’ll be waiting. Though, instead of a cafe, I’ll keep an eye on things from a distance.”

“…Understood. I’ll just do a quick check.”

Just as Rohan turned to leave,

Ichinose grabbed his sleeve.

“Rohan.”

“Yeah?”

“…You know you’ll have to make up for this properly, right?”

“That’s right! You idiot! When you get back, you’d better be ready to work like a pack mule!”

Noah’s not-so-threatening warning that they’d leave him and go get food if it took too long.

Ichinose’s terrifying remark that he’d be truly angry if he got hurt.

Rohan thanked his understanding friends again and moved quickly.

··

··

Wooosh───!!

Rohan drove fast. He ignored the speed cameras and sped down the road.

He put his smartphone on the dashboard mount and checked the location Clara was continuously sharing.

The truck was indeed heading towards the company.

‘What balls do these b*stards have, doing this even though this is the outskirts of the capital….’

Rohan cursed inwardly and looked around.

Could it be that the darkest place is right under the lamp?

The lively, cheerful surroundings seemed far removed from crime.

And that’s what sparked the irritation.

These kinds of things were simply unforgivable.

‘Even if it’s a day off and there’s no penalty for quest failure.’

This wasn’t merely a matter of reward.

Like a useless option in a game transforming into a honey pot in reality.

Trivial quests, deemed insignificant compared to the main quests and left to individual choice, had become entangled with real people’s lives as reality took hold.

Therefore, caution was necessary.

To avoid casualties, a cleaner process was required. Tearing apart the truck right away was a last resort.

The picture of confronting problems and incidents demanded at least a semblance of a comprehensible beginning, development, twist, and conclusion for others to accept.

‘There!’

Rohan spotted the vehicle. The truck was attempting to enter the company grounds.

If it entered the warehouse inside, he’d have to infiltrate, eating up even more time, undoubtedly.

Rohan floored the accelerator. Rapidly closing the distance to the truck.

Vrooom! Wooo──!!!

Once close enough, he slammed on the brakes.

Unable to completely kill his speed, his vehicle slammed into the truck’s rear.

Thump!

A successful fender-bender right before entering company grounds.

He saw the bumper shatter and scatter on the ground.

The truck flicked on its blinker and stopped.

‘Good. My body’s sturdy, so I barely felt a thing.’

Rohan checked the rearview mirror, crafted a contrite expression by manipulating his eyebrows and facial muscles.

Then, grabbed the sword from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car.

The moment he exited, a furious voice boomed from the truck.

“Hey, you son of a—! How the hell do you drive?!”

“I’m so sorry!”

With 광휘(Gwanghwi) bound to his back, Rohan bowed his head and began to examine the rear of the truck.

Seeing Rohan poking around, the driver urgently scrambled out and approached him.

“The container’s fine, but the rear license plate is bent. I’m sorry.”

“Hey! Don’t touch the truck! Stand back and wait!”

“I’ll contact the insurance company right away.”

“I said wait!”

Taken aback by the yelling, Rohan feigned surprise and retreated.

After a short wait, the driver returned, a twisted look on his face, having finished his call.

“Forget about it, just go. The boss is nice enough to let you off the hook.”

“How can I do that? If there’s a problem, I need to compensate for it.”

“Listen, just go, alright? I’m a busy man.”

The driver clicked his tongue, as if frustrated by Rohan’s actions.

He spouted off about how at fault the driver would be for rear-ending, and that replacing truck parts was no small expense, but Rohan stood his ground.

“I’ve had the experience of being reported for a hit-and-run before after leaving like this. I’ll properly compensate for the damaged goods before I leave. You should get yourself checked out at the hospital too, sir.”

“I said it’s fine, alright? Why’s a young man like you so hard of hearing?”

Rohan was aware there was something forced about his actions.

Even so, the effect was undeniable. He could see the driver’s irritation and bewilderment.

“What if something inside got damaged from the shaking? I need to check it here and file an insurance claim, so I don’t get stuck with the blame.”

“You barely got the smell of milk off your breath, look at the way you talk? You think our company would stoop so low as to fleece some kid like you!”

As Rohan reached to open the container, the driver blocked him with his body.

The driver screamed himself hoarse and even shoved Rohan back, but Rohan didn’t lose his smile. From the start, he hadn’t budged an inch from the shoving.

“Sir, I’m just saying, for argument’s sake. I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly if I went back like this either.”

“You little punk! Get away! I said get away!”

Rohan ignored the driver grabbing at him.

*Click!*

The container was open.