Don't Feed the Professor! - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“……What?”
“I mean, it sounds like you’re saying there’s something here that isn’t human.”
Tap. The Dealer set down his cards at my words.
The other gamblers—an elderly gentleman who’d been covertly licking chips, and a younger man making gulping sounds—stopped what they were doing and stared at the gaunt man.
“I……, I…….”
The flustered man couldn’t utter a word.
It seemed he’d only just realized he might be the one cornered.
Bibi leaned back in her chair and looked up at the man.
“This is just an ordinary casino, isn’t it? What else could there be besides ordinary humans? You know something, don’t you?”
Ding-ding-ding. The sound of a slot machine echoed from the Dealer’s throat.
As if waiting for their cue, guards approached and dragged the gaunt man away. Fortunately, he retained enough reason not to resist.
Clink. The Dealer slid the man’s chips across the table toward Bibi.
“……Hah.”
The rules were simple. Bibi turned to me and smiled.
A clean victory.
* * *
Shortly after, at the VIP Exchange Office.
The VIP section was located half a floor above the Casino, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a small balcony that afforded a clear view of the level below.
Looking down from this vantage point, the space struck me as oddly peculiar.
Despite all the commotion, there was no life to it—the gamblers moved slowly, repeating the same motions over and over.
As if time itself had stagnated within these walls…….
“I brought the thing we talked about.”
Bibi handed me the Orange Box she’d retrieved from the storage locker.
“Where’s the Broker?”
I glanced at the golden lattice dividing the exchange office in half.
Beyond the lattice hung an opaque veil.
“Stay sharp.”
Bibi said it quietly.
Right. The Black Market in the Fortress draws not just illegal residents, but criminals who’ve committed serious crimes in the real world, or so I’ve heard.
I shouldn’t underestimate the Broker who deals with such clients.
“Hey, speaking of which—what was that about you? Earlier, I seriously thought I was watching a movie.”
The Bibi from a moment ago had been truly impressive. The instant she touched the cards, she’d entered Concentration Mode and swept up every chip without blinking.
“You’re not a card sharp or anything, are you?”
Bibi laughed weakly at my question.
“I’m not stupid enough to cheat in a place like this. I just…… have a lot of experience. I was hospitalized frequently as a kid. When I got bored alone in my private room, I’d play with cards every day.”
“You? Hospitalized?”
I was genuinely surprised—I’d never met anyone as sturdy as Bibi in my life.
“You run every morning, don’t you? And you never touch refined carbs, and you’re always scrounging for protein.”
“……I know how it sounds, but it’s all compensatory psychology. Try being locked in a hospital room for years.”
That’s…… fair.
“I was sickly as a kid too, actually. I don’t remember much, but back then I was pretty depressed.”
“Good thing we both got better.”
Bibi looked down at me and smiled.
“Hey, when you smile like that, you’re really handsome. You should do that more often.”
“…….”
And before long, an elongated shadow flickered beyond the veil.
Whoosh. The veil parted, and a pale man in a tuxedo and round glasses appeared. His dark circles sagged all the way down to his jaw—as if he’d been up all night.
‘Is that the Broker?’
The man stared blankly at us for a moment, then frowned and gestured toward me.
I stepped forward and leaned toward the lattice.
“Hello, I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but…….”
Shh. The man made an irritable sound and pointed a finger to his ear.
“Could you speak a bit quieter? My head’s still ringing…….”
“Ah……, do you have a hangover?”
“Something like that.”
The man let out a metallic laugh.
“Work around monsters long enough, and you end up living in a perpetual hangover.”
That’s horrifying.
“Anyway, the reason I’m here…….”
“I know. You’re Amelie, correct? You need assistance with an investigation.”
I nodded. Sure enough, this was the Black Market Broker that Momo had mentioned.
The man glanced briefly at Bibi, then continued.
“As you can imagine, we cooperate with The Agency’s investigations to the fullest. But customer purchase records are…… a different matter entirely.”
‘As expected.’
I hadn’t expected him to hand over information willingly.
The Pain Relief Pump found in Room 1202 was undoubtedly a Black Market item.
The Black Market may run on money, but if the Broker sold out his clients to The Agency, who would dare do business with him?
“Oh, of course, of course. I understand. Customer trust is on the line, after all!”
I put on a sorrowful expression.
“It’s such a shame, though—that someone so committed to professional ethics has to work in such a dangerous environment…….”
“Hah……, well…….”
I gave Bibi a subtle look.
Bibi placed the item she’d prepared earlier on the counter.
“We didn’t want to come empty-handed. Would it be okay if we had a drink and talked about this more leisurely?”
Behold: the Vitamin Monster!
“Ha.”
The Broker scoffed.
“Are you serious? A bribe? Do you know how much I make in a month?”
I understand. Since the emergence of fifty-thousand-won notes, the Vitamin Monster box has replaced the apple box entirely.
So it made perfect sense that this narrow-minded Broker would assume the box contained stacks of cash.
“Why don’t you open it and see?”
At my suggestion, the Broker reluctantly reached through the lattice. His eyes wavered as he opened the Orange Box with a skeptical expression.
“This is……, don’t tell me……?”
Exactly.
Inside the Vitamin Monster box wasn’t money at all.
“Is this……, is this really, really the Vitamin Monster?!”
The Broker’s eyes lit up as he spoke.
“Where, where did you get something this precious……?”
“That’s a trade secret, of course.”
I smiled as I spoke.
On the surface it seemed absurd, but within the Fortress, items from the outside world were priceless beyond measure.
Particularly goods and food that pleased the Higher Entities—manufactured products above all—couldn’t be brought in without The Agency’s authorization.
Without connections, such items were utterly unobtainable.
〈If you ever need anything, just say the word. I have no use for these anyway.〉
It was a message that Canaria—or rather, Lee Ha-young—had sent not long ago, along with bottles of Vitamin Monster.
I’m not sure how they ended up at my door, but since she’d called it an apology and a token of gratitude, I’d accepted them graciously.
‘So this is the power of connections.’
“So, are you feeling more inclined to talk now?”
At my question, the Broker flinched slightly, then suddenly let out a deep sigh.
“Let’s meet in the Lobby.”
* * *
[SPECIAL NOTICE]
Thank you so much for visiting the Sarim Hotel!
To repay your continued patronage, our hotel has prepared a special event for you.
Have you read this notice?
Congratulations! What? You’ve just become a participant in an exciting Hide-and-Seek Game! The door won’t open.
Climb the stairs and explore the various rooms of the Sarim Hotel to find the hidden human! Please. I want to go home.
Elevator use is limited. How many times can you use it? Where is this? You bastards! It’s a secret!
From the Monitoring Room, you can view all the rooms at once.
The layout is completely random, and room numbers aren’t displayed. Who was that just now?
Monitoring Room access is limited to one minute. We can’t have the game be too easy, after all!
The hotel manager will personally present a special prize to the winner. No.
Stop. Don’t.
Get out of my head, damn it!
So best of luck!
“……This is definitely unsettling.”
Bibi handed the notice back to the Broker and spoke.
But I still didn’t understand.
We’d regrouped in the Lobby as the Broker suggested, but isn’t the Hotel a separate space from the Casino?
What does this notice have to do with us?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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