Chapter 86: Number Game

Jotron’s signature has been a month ago.

During that time, Amon and Sonia traveled across France, preparing for a counterattack.

[Oh, Cassie. I’ve secured the witnesses and their families and sent them over.]

Amon’s voice came through the receiver.

“Good job.”

[Thank goodness. Ugh, I haven’t slept for a week. Sonia hasn’t slept for days either.]

“You two have been through a lot.”

[It’s manageable because of you. Yawn… Ah, sorry.]

“It’s fine. Go get some rest.”

[Alright. I’m hanging up now.]

Amon yawned once more before ending the call.

Cassie ended the call and smiled faintly.

She could vividly imagine Amon rubbing his eyelids throughout the conversation.

Tap, tap.

Cassie organized a stack of papers by tapping them on the desk and tucked them under her arm before leaving the office.

She headed straight for the elevator.

[Good morning, Director Cassie. Where would you like to go?]

“To the Executive Director. Oh, and AI?”

[Yes, Director?]

“After the Executive Director gets on, enter sleep mode until I wake you. Also, turn off the black box.”

[Understood.]

The elevator arrived at the floor of the Executive Director’s office.

When Cassie entered the office, the Executive Director was lying inside a capsule with his eyes closed.

As she approached, the Executive Director opened his eyes sharply.

“What brings you here, Miss?”

“Director, it’s time.”

“Has it already come to that?”

The director looked surprised as he glanced at the clock.

He unplugged a cord from the back of his neck and stepped out of the capsule.

The two entered the elevator together.

This time, the AI didn’t ask any questions.

They remained silent as the elevator ascended.

On the way to the Chairman’s office, they encountered the Chief of Security.

Cassie issued a similar order.

“Until we return, don’t let anyone through. There are no appointments today, and nothing urgent should come up.”

The Executive Director added a casual, “Kill if necessary.”

The Chief of Security nodded.

Amid strict security measures, the two arrived at the Chairman’s office.

***

“You’re here?”

The Chairman, who had been watching television idly, greeted them.

Cassie sighed as soon as she saw her father.

“Are you not working?”

“You two took all the work away. What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re still getting paid. Do something.”

“My dear daughter, handling work is akin to power. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“People might think I’ve usurped your power and made you a puppet.”

“Isn’t that what happened?”

Cassie glared at the Chairman.

“Fine, I’ll stop.”

“Ha…”

Even after Cassie became a director, the Chairman remained the Chairman.

He stayed to cover for her in case anything went wrong.

However, as time passed, he offloaded more and more tasks onto her, and now he barely did anything.

Those with sharp instincts had already noticed that the Chairman was preparing for retirement.

“So, you came because of that matter, right? Tell me.”

The Chairman spoke nonchalantly, as if it were someone else’s concern, but his expression was serious.

Cassie matched his expression and began her report.

“We’ve secured all the victims so far. We’ve rescued around 37 people.”

“What’s the target?”

“A minimum of 50, but the more, the better.”

“What about the opposition?”

“Miller Pharmaceuticals seems to have caught on, but they have no idea it’s us. Amon and Sonia are doing an excellent job.”

“They’ll start moving soon. They’ll likely send private soldiers or mercenaries to handle the victims first.”

“I’ve prepared for that. From now on, we’ll focus on concealment.”

“That’s expected of him.”

The Chairman nodded.

Cassie and the Executive Director did the same.

Although Amon’s combat skills weren’t unanimously acknowledged, his talent for concealment and assassination was undeniable.

“We’ll have some breathing room until we deal with Neville Pharmaceuticals.”

“Understood.”

The Chairman nodded again.

“So, what’s the situation with Neville Pharmaceuticals?”

“It’s exhausting. They keep sending people nonstop, leaving no time to rest.”

By now, Neville’s strategy was clear.

They weren’t trying to assassinate Amon and Sonia; they simply wanted them out of Europe.

No matter how strong Amon and Sonia were, they were still human and needed rest.

By continuously sending unidentified attackers, Neville aimed to exhaust them mentally and physically, forcing them to give up.

If Amon and Sonia weren’t aware that Neville was behind it, they would have already retreated to regroup.

The Chairman nodded thoughtfully.

“Neville is relentless.”

“That’s why I told them not to bother subduing attackers anymore. They just commit suicide anyway.”

“Smart move. But it’s strange. How can they have so many elite soldiers? The numbers already exceed thousands.”

“I think it’s odd too. Where are they sourcing this many people…?”

“Could they be using clones?”

“Amon and I considered that possibility, but we’re keeping an open mind. Other explanations are still possible.”

“That makes sense.”

The Chairman nodded.

Jumping to conclusions could be dangerous.

With no urgent matters pressing them, a cautious approach was best.

After all, Cassie held the initiative, so there was no need to rush.

The Chairman reclined slightly in his chair.

“Is that all for Neville?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you bring the Executive Director?”

“I’ll explain after his report.”

Cassie turned to the Executive Director, who began his briefing to the Chairman.

“There have been a total of 1,758 hacking attempts on the company so far. Among them, 1,102 targeted the vulnerabilities you warned us about, Miss Cassie. Notably, all of these 1,102 attempts began after Amon started operating in Europe.”

The Chairman’s eyes sharpened as he listened to the report.

“What about the skill level of these hackers? How capable are they?”

“We couldn’t determine whether it’s a group or an individual. However, one thing is certain—it’s neither Neville Pharmaceuticals nor Miller Pharmaceuticals.”

“Hmm… So, we don’t know who it is?”

“Yes, we haven’t been able to figure that out yet.”

The Chairman rubbed his chin and let out a low hum.

After a moment of deep thought, he turned to the Executive Director.

“You did well. Thanks to you, the company is safe.”

“It’s nothing. If Miss Cassie hadn’t warned us in advance, I would have been caught off guard.”

“Even so, the situation could have escalated without you. Thank you.”

“It’s an honor.”

“There’s no need to be so humble. Don’t you want to know who’s behind it?”

The Executive Director glanced at Cassie before replying calmly, “I believe Miss Cassie must have her reasons for not telling us.”

The Chairman shifted his gaze to Cassie, silently asking, ‘What do you think?’

Cassie shrugged and spoke.

“It’s not that I didn’t tell you. I couldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not looking into the future right now.”

The Executive Director seemed taken aback, as though hearing this for the first time.

In contrast, the Chairman’s expression remained calm as he asked, “Is someone interfering?”

“Yes. It’s a different feeling from Owen, but I could sense it. When I saw the future of the attackers sent by Neville Pharmaceuticals, it felt like I made eye contact with someone.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Yes. That’s why I came to you, Father.”

She gestured to the Executive Director’s report.

“This hacker seems related. Do you have any guesses?”

The Chairman shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“You said earlier you understood the feeling.”

“I understand the sensation, but I can’t identify who it is.”

“Do you have any suspicions, at least?”

“I do have a guess.”

“Then tell us, please.”

“I was going to anyway.”

The Chairman clasped his hands in front of his mouth and began speaking.

“This sort of thing has happened occasionally in the past. For me, when I try to glimpse the future, sometimes I hear static, or things turn out completely different from what I saw, or it feels like someone is whispering in my ear.”

“This is the first time something like this has happened to me.”

“That’s because it doesn’t happen in California. Here, we are within the range of our influence. Once you leave, the situation changes.”

Even within the U.S., the Chairman could exert some influence, but outside the U.S., his control diminished.

“It’s probably a matter of distance and influence. In California, I can manage the variables, but so can the other side.”

Cassie asked incredulously, “Are you saying there are others who can see the future, like us?”

“Why not? It’s not impossible.”

The Reketio family’s history spans centuries, with countless unknown branches.

To assume no one among them awakened the ability of prophecy would be naive.

“There are seers among the priests in the Vatican, and it’s not just our family that has awakened abilities.”

“I’ve thought about it, but experiencing it firsthand was unsettling.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to rely too much on your ability?”

“It’s not like that, Dad. I came to confirm, that’s all.”

Cassie jotted down something calmly, as if she had expected this response.

The Chairman, seeing this, nodded in agreement.

“Alright, if that’s the case.”

“What did you do in situations like this?”

“I avoided them.”

He didn’t delve unnecessarily.

Birds flying too high burn up in the sun.

There was no need to pursue a path that might lead to conflict with another seer.

For the same reason, he hadn’t tried to look into Amon’s future.

“I don’t want to become a snail.”

Cassie smirked at her father’s remark.

“If that’s your stance, I can’t argue.”

“I wonder if my advice helped.”

“It turned doubts into certainties.”

“From the way you’re talking, it doesn’t sound like you’re giving up.”

“Of course not.”

“Well, I wouldn’t expect you to.”

The Chairman knew his daughter well.

She wasn’t someone to back down from a challenge.

Even if it meant risking everything, she would strive to overcome the sun.

‘Just like her mother,’ he thought, briefly recalling his late wife before pushing the memory aside.

To mask his melancholy, he adopted a lighter tone.

“So, what’s your plan now?”

Cassie smiled confidently.

“I’ve stopped looking into the future.”

“Why?”

“Because they can’t see Amon’s future.”

For reasons even Cassie didn’t fully understand, she was the only one who could glimpse Amon’s future.

No one else in the family, not even her father, could see it.

Cassie was certain of one thing.

“If I don’t look into Amon’s future, they can’t either.”

“But wouldn’t they deduce it from your actions?”

The Chairman’s question deepened Cassie’s smile.

“That’s why I haven’t given any direct orders since the deal with the blacksmith.”

Instead, she analyzed the information Amon and Sonia provided and passed it along as if it were foresight.

Amon and Sonia, believing it was her future vision, acted accordingly.

In reality, all of Amon’s actions in Europe were based entirely on his own judgment.

“And if I add a little bluff, pretending I gave orders or received reports, what do you think will happen?”

Cassie spoke proudly.

The Chairman, impressed by her ingenuity, praised her.

“You’re bold, my daughter. Truly impressive.”

“Why would I show my hand when I’m holding the joker card?”

“I could never do that. Maybe you should visit Las Vegas one day.”

“Maybe. I’ll take Amon and Sonia with me when I go.”