Bad Born Blood Chapter 222

222
Handicrafts was located on the outskirts of Border City.

The site of the handicraft factory consisted of a single, iron-smelling factory, a four-story office building, and a shabby dormitory building.

‘It’s not a very large company.’

The workers at the handicraft factory were both combat and production workers. Some of the combatants who had pointed their guns at me had already changed their uniforms and were entering the factory.

‘Weren’t you a professional combatant?’

For that reason, their training was excellent. I thought they were professional mercenaries or former soldiers.

“… … If you pay the same wages and have them do two jobs, the company’s efficiency will double. This is the spirit of business. I wonder why everyone hires combatants separately. Hmm, is it because the money is rotting away?”

Son Seok-jae noticed my gaze and added an explanation. The content of his words was absurd. It was an idea that would soon destroy the business.

‘But Son Seok-jae is not a fool. There must be another reason.’

I squinted my eyes. I had slept for 30 minutes, but I was still tired. My headache was severe, and my intracranial pressure was particularly high. I felt like something big was going to happen soon.

“I want to wash my body.”

Before an important negotiation, I took out Seshin Yongmu. Son Seokjae laughed, shrugging his shoulders. He kept his distance from me because of the cigar smoke. Even so, the smell still reached here.

“There is a public bathhouse for employees on the second floor of the dormitory building. There will be no one there right now, so go ahead and go. Oh, and the boiler is turned off at this time of year, so there won’t be any hot water. It’s not that cold.”

He seemed to be quite… … a miser. He could be compared to Japa, who spends money on welfare like water.

“Do you have a medical drill? I was just wondering.”

“There’s an emergency room on the first floor of the building. If it’s not there, it’s not there.”

Son Seok-jae didn’t ask me the detailed reason. He was also one of the so-called extraordinary people. I could sense a strange spirit even from our brief meeting.

‘First of all, the handicraft industry is small compared to Japha Trading Company. However, Japha is wary of Sonseokjae.’

Japha wasn’t looking down on Son Seok-jae. It meant that Son Seok-jae was the type of person who could stab Japha with a knife.

‘I need to connect myself to some force that can keep Japha in check. Up until now, I’ve been too dependent on Japha.’

I thought to myself as I walked to the dormitory building. I was going to bring in a third force called Handicrafts to balance things out between me and Japha.

‘I must make sure that neither Japa nor Son Seok-jae can easily touch me.’

They deliberately create conflict and complicate the interests. I will wade into that chaos and secure my own safe zone.

… … Ah, yes, this is what Kinuan did in the Empire.

Memories of my boyhood were warming me. The heat rose to my ears and my headache got worse.

My vision was blurry, as if split in two. The sounds of the world were muffled, as if someone had turned down the speaker output. Even smells were muffled and indistinguishable. My senses were dulling.

Damn it.

The accommodation building had no automatic doors, let alone the bare minimum of security measures.

‘They’re running a factory on the outskirts of Border City, where public safety is poor, without any proper fences or security facilities.’

The conclusion came quickly. The Handicraft Industry must be a group that the people around here are afraid of. Even the vagrants must not approach them because of the scary rumors.

String.

A pain arose in my temple.

I frowned. Let’s stop thinking. It’s time to take emergency measures first.

I pushed open the dirty glass door and went inside. A hallway appeared that seemed to have not been cleaned in a dozen years. The old grime between the tiles gave off a musty smell.

‘I already miss Japa’s office building.’

Japa Company’s headquarters was like a comfortable hotel.

Squeak, squeak.

It’s slippery under my feet.

I walked through the grease-stained hallways and into the emergency room on the first floor.

‘… … Handicrafts are strange.’

Despite its shabby appearance, it was stocked with professional medicines.

I looked at the ‘medical tools’ hanging on the wall.

[Disinfect and use.]

Medical instruments were not stored in a separate sterile space.

Medical tools were hanging haphazardly on the wall, and underneath them was a spray bottle filled with disinfectant.

And most of the products that were hung as medical tools were actually tools. Well, considering that the difference between surgical tools and tools isn’t that big, there’s no reason they wouldn’t be compatible… … .

“… … What kind of company is this?”

Calm down, Luca.

Because I have been in a blessed environment, I feel aversion to this messy environment.

The facilities of the Imperial Guard and Jafar Corps are excellent even by the standards of the entire planet Novas.

You shouldn’t look at the world with such high standards. Even though you know it’s not right… … I kept thinking, ‘Isn’t handicraft a bit too much?’

‘Is this a medical drill… …?’

This is how a noble young prince of the Empire would feel when he first visited the lower districts.

The drill handle was boldly marked “Industrial Use.” Even without the words, anyone could tell that this was not for medical use. The paint on the drill was a rich yellow.

And the drill bit was even more impressive.

“Ha, damn it… … .”

I stared at the drill bit, which I had no idea who had used it and when. It was covered in dried blood and flesh. It looked like it had been left there without being properly cleaned.

[Disinfect and use.]

I read the notice posted next to me again. Even without it being explicitly stated, anyone who saw this piece of shit would be slapped hard.

I chose the bit that was the ‘cleanest’ and ‘thinnest’. After cleaning and disinfecting it, I attached the bit to the drill.

“Phew… … .”

I know this is a bit of a bummer.

But I had several more hours to work on, and I had to muster up the insight to read the subtle currents.

I looked in the mirror and placed the drill on the top of my temple. It was right at the upper corner of my forehead.

If it was a gun instead of a drill, it would look like suicide.

“Don’t be nervous, Luca. It’s not like I’ve been doing something stupid for a day or two… … .”

I hope this isn’t a will.

Creak.

I pulled the trigger on the drill.

Wheeing!

oh my god.

Tudadadot!

Even my front teeth are chattering.

Kiiik!

That sounds terrible.

Pee-shoo-out!

It’s ending now.

I drilled a hole in the skull. As soon as the hole was drilled, sticky blood gushed out like a water gun. It was due to the increased intracranial pressure.

As the blood drained, the pressure in the brain decreased.

Tsk tsk tsk.

It was a comfortable sound, like a breeze blowing. If my head were a balloon, it would be deflating.

I felt like my complicated mind had been cleansed. The fatigue in my eyes had gone away, and my senses were becoming clearer.

“Much better.”

I muttered as I looked in the mirror. I saw a man with blood pouring out of his head as if there was a bullet hole in it.

Once the world became clear, the rest was a breeze. I slowly cleaned up the blood and disinfected it, and finally, I covered the puncture site with gauze and taped it in place.

My head was clear, so even problems that seemed complicated were being sorted out. My thoughts were flowing smoothly. I could also see what I had to do.

Swish.

I roughly washed my face and the blood off at the sink.

‘This schedule is tight.’

I wiped my neck and chin with a smelly towel.

As my mind cleared, pain signals rang out from all over my body. I lifted my shirt and put on pain relief patches. As the medicine was absorbed, I felt much better.

‘This is the best we can do for now.’

As we live, unexpected things happen, and they are usually bad.

And so, you end up facing obstacles and despair unprepared. This is a very, very frustrating thing.

Well, even if I get screwed, there’s nothing I can do. If you don’t want to be eaten by this world, you have to grit your teeth and move even if it feels like you’re going to die. If you just stand still, you’ll just get eaten. The world won’t wait for you to have a hard time.

Now is that moment.

Thud, thud.

After completing the first aid, I left the accommodation.

There was a conflict in the vacant lot. The aerial vehicle sent by Sergeant Jafar was visible. It had a snake design on it, so it could be seen from afar.

“This is private property, my Equusian friends. No matter how dangerous Border City is, it is not acceptable for corporate mercenaries to trespass.”

Son Seok-jae was facing off against the Equusian mercenaries, escorted by armed staff.

-Hey, hey. I’d like to talk to you for a moment, Mr. Son.

A holographic life-size Japha was moving in front of Seokjae Son.

“It must have been quite a rush, seeing as they even deployed hunting dogs right away.”

Son Seok-jae laughed heartily while smoking a cigar. He was not intimidated even in front of Japa.

‘Equusian, N.’

I walked over, staring at End. End was also looking at me. The anger that couldn’t be hidden even by the battle helmet was seeping out of him.

‘You probably think I’m a traitor.’

Of course, it’s not a betrayal. Jafar wouldn’t think that way either. Jafar is a smart businessman.

‘Japa must have noticed that I was trying to find balance through this situation.’

There were five Equusian mercenaries, including En. They were exerting considerable pressure without even drawing their weapons.

– Mr. Luca is currently my employee. He is strictly under the command of Company Japha. Mr. Luca’s loot and spoils have priority over Company Japha.

“I didn’t know Mr. Luca was affiliated with Jaffa Trading Company. I thought there were only aliens there. Anyway, we have a contract for the remains of Mushir Al-Kashra… .”

– It’s a contract for the right to transport, I think. I think it’s separate from the ownership.

“Since we transported it by hand, we can implicitly claim priority in ownership.”

Since it was implied ownership, I didn’t know there was such a thing.

Two businessmen were having a legal talk.

-The person in question is here. Mr. Luca, come talk to me.

The holographic Jafar found me and said, I was standing in the middle of chaos.

“Oh, it’s good that you came. That snake head keeps making excuses.”

Son Seok-jae left his cigar with his secretary and came to me. He put his hand on my shoulder and acted friendly.

I opened my mouth, my lips tight.

“What those two want anyway is not the physical remains of Mushir al-Kashra, but the technology and designs contained within. If I’m wrong, tell me now.”

I pushed Son Seok-jae’s hand away and maintained a much more calm attitude.

The two people were waiting for me to speak without denying anything. I took a breath and continued speaking.

“I intend to negotiate with the Handcraft Industry for priority. However, Jafar, you have a point. I have no intention of fighting with you, and I will continue to carry out my mission.”

Son Seok-jae laughed loudly at my words.

-Please continue talking. After all, it is time to renegotiate.

“Send Lapis Lazuli here. Lapis will also participate in the analysis and reverse engineering of the Mushir Al-Kashra ruins. Then, Company Jafar will also be able to obtain the reverse-engineered technology and blueprints. It is up to you whether you use it or sell it for profit.”

Son Seok-jae’s smile distorted for a moment and then returned.

“Wait a minute, then we get priority… … .”

“I heard that Handcraft is moving to bid for the Federation’s weapons development project. Jafar Corporation will not sell the technology until the bidding is over. That clause should be included. Even if Jafar Corporation breaks its promise and transfers the technology to a competitor through backroom deals, it will be slower than Handcraft. After all, Handcraft will be quicker to register a patent, and it will be able to gain an advantage in the bidding competition. Or is Handcraft so incompetent that it cannot maintain its advantage even after taking the lead?”

I poured out my words.

Son Seok-jae stroked his fine beard, which was so fine that his chin looked blue.

“Okay, I’ll give in. Then what do you want in return for handing us the remains of Mushir al-Kashra? If the conditions aren’t too harsh, we can make a deal as of now.”

I winked at Yen. He clicked his tongue, turned off the holographic device, and stepped back for a moment.

Chiik.

The hologram of Jafar, whose signal had been cut off, blurred and disappeared.

… … From here on, it’s just me and Seokjae Son dealing with each other.