Li Yuantao, a civil servant at Guangzhou City Hall, had been utterly miserable lately.
He had prepared enthusiastically for the Guangzhou Flower Festival, but it was rejected for lacking realistic feasibility, and he was now assigned to other tasks.
It was unjust.
Li Yuantao's plan had been perfect.
The problem lay with those who couldn't understand it; his plan was not the problem.
If only he had a few Asends, he could prove how perfect his plan was, but that was impossible.
He had no Asend.
Asend was too difficult to obtain.
The purchase site he accessed via QR code only displayed the word “sold out” and had stopped selling.
Through word of mouth and information passed from person to person, he tracked down places that supposedly had Asend.
Yongwai, Dashilan, Zhongguancun, Tianqiao, Panjiayuan, and so on.
They were notorious slums even in Beijing.
He would never have gone near them normally, and he was terrified, but for Asend, he had no choice.
But all he encountered there were crude Desends (counterfeits).
Desend (Descend).
As knockoffs flooded the market, people gave them a name too.
Rather than the brightening sensation and the feeling of rising self-esteem and dignity like with Asend, it made one feel as if their body were melting away, so they called it Desend, the antonym of Asend.
Some bastards said even Desend (knockoffs) had their own charm, but Li Yuantao didn't think so.
It was nothing more or less than a knockoff.
It was merely a cheap candy that left one feeling filthy.
Comparing it to the sacred Asend was blasphemy itself.
While searching for Asend like that, someone had claimed to have the real thing, and he paid a premium to barely obtain it.
Before buying, he carefully examined the packaging.
Unlike before, there were many knockoffs.
It was the familiar Asend packaging he had seen before.
This must be the real thing.
Full of anticipation, he put it in his mouth.
And the moment it entered his mouth.
Ptui.
He spat it out.
This wasn't Asend.
It was Desend.
Damn it.
All strength drained from his body.
He wanted to eat Asend.
He missed Asend.
He felt like he could buy Asend even if it cost 100 yuan (20,000 won).
Surely Asend wouldn't just disappear like this?
.
.
.
Li Yuantao stood in front of the mirror after washing up.
The person reflected in the mirror didn't seem like Li Yuantao.
Wretched and unsightly.
Li Yuantao was not that kind of person.
He was someone who sparkled brilliantly.
He was a sun-like existence.
The reason Li Yuantao couldn't shine was that he lacked Asend.
He had an outstanding engine, but no fuel to run it.
If only he could obtain Asend…
If only he could take Asend, everything would be solved.
If only he had Asend, it would all be sorted out.
But when had he gained so much weight?
The belly of Li Yuantao, who had been on the thinner side, was protruding noticeably.
******
“Three. Two. One. Entry.”
“Entry!!!”
Crash!
The windows shattered, and the entry doors were kicked open.
Through the gaps, PAP (People’s Armed Police) entered the Desend factory in perfect formation.
The factory workers, having never expected the police to come, cried out in shock at the sight.
There were even PAP officers carrying guns.
“Run.”
“Run, hurry!”
“Don’t get caught.”
“If caught, it’s the death penalty. So run no matter what.”
“Run, no matter what.”
They shouted at one another.
But not a single person made it out of that factory.
Outside the doors, public security officers were waiting.
They guarded it in a tight cordon, two and three layers deep.
.
.
.
“Jump down.”
“Don’t get caught!! Just jump.”
“Escape.”
“Hide if you have to. Don’t get caught.”
The public security crackdown began.
It started across Beijing.
They cracked down indiscriminately—rooftops, underground spaces, mountainsides, and riversides.
Whether it was a place making Desend or an organization distributing it, no location was spared.
This was no simple inspection-level crackdown.
A large number of public security officers began arrest operations,
and the People’s Armed Police and SWAT were deployed as well.
Their arrest operations showed no mercy.
They apprehended everyone in sight.
There were no gaps to escape through.
All entrances were already sealed.
It was a thoroughly prepared, planned operation.
It was an achievement combining the intelligence capabilities of the MSS and the manpower of Public Security.
Never in the last thirty years had Public Security launched an operation of this scale.
Factories producing Desend, of course,
and even the headquarters of the organizations distributing them were struck down at once.
The process was extremely aggressive and cruel.
At the slightest sign of attempting to flee, live ammunition was fired.
Several injured appeared, but the Ministry of Public Security didn’t care one bit.
Rather, it felt like they were encouraging gun use even more.
Combined with the will of Du Quanguo, the top chief of the Ministry of Public Security, the crackdown was even stronger.
[Beijing Public Security Raids Drug Candy Organization. Large-Scale Crackdown with PAP Deployed]
[Armed Police Deployed, Suppressed After Gun Resistance. 27 Qixing Society Members Arrested]
[20 Million Yuan in Cash Seized at Beijing Outskirts Warehouse. Drug Candy Confiscated]
[“New Crime Pattern Combining Urban Gangs + New Drugs.” Will Uproot Them Completely.]
[Criminology Expert: “Drug Candy Spreading via SNS and Clubs, Concerns of Social Repercussions”]
[Criminal Arrests. Controversy Over Excessive Force]
[Unnecessary Firearm Use During Arrests. Public Trust in Security Declines]
News of the drug crackdown was flooding the media.
Among the news, there was criticism of the excessive response as well as the drug crackdown itself.
At this, Minister of Public Security Du Quanguo personally stood before the reporters.
Since it was rare for Du Quanguo to appear before people, it was a very unusual event.
“Hello. I am Du Quanguo, Minister of Public Security.
I am aware that there is some public criticism regarding excessive suppression during the recent arrest processes of certain drug organizations.
We fully recognize these opinions and respect the concerns of our citizens.
However, I must state this clearly.
All measures taken during this arrest operation were not excessive suppression of criminals, but the minimum essential measures to protect the safety of citizens and public security officers.
The drug organizations were in possession of illegal firearms and created extremely dangerous situations by firing randomly at public security officers and ordinary citizens at the scene.
In order to suppress such organizations, a certain level of force was inevitably mobilized.
We ask for your understanding that this was an unavoidable choice to protect citizens.
Our Ministry of Public Security has consistently worked to create a drug-free China.
Going forward, drugs can never exist on Chinese soil, and all criminals related to drugs will certainly be tracked down and completely arrested.
Finally, our Public Security will prioritize the safety and lives of citizens in the law enforcement process, and when necessary, we will protect society from crime through bold measures.
We ask for your understanding. Thank you.”
The citizens’ reaction to this was extremely positive.
- If national safety is the top priority, then using force is acceptable. Thank you for your hard work, Public Security.
- Gangsters are wielding guns and running amok, and they call it excessive force? These are the kind of people who’d try to talk burglars out of their own homes.
- I misunderstood just from watching the news; after hearing the explanation, it makes sense. Damn reporters.
- Minister Du Quanguo, who only looks out for the people, is a treasure.
.
.
.
Office of the Minister of Public Security.
Minister Du Quanguo wore a satisfied smile as he looked at his own face and the articles on the news.
Having received a cooperation request from MSS’s Zhou Zhiming, Du Quanguo was carrying out the maximum operation possible within Public Security.
He had ordered excessive suppression.
Whether they were criminals or not didn’t matter.
He simply crushed them all.
On top of that, he appeared on TV and held a press conference.
There were several reasons Du Quanguo acted this way.
The first was image-building.
He wanted to plant an image of an upright and incorruptible person.
A driven figure who pushes forward without compromise for justice and for protecting China.
The item called “drugs” was extremely attractive for creating such an image.
The appearance of pushing hardline without compromising with anything to drive out drugs could elicit a great response from Chinese people who like strong leaders.
Achievements obtained while cracking down on drugs.
Medals or promotions were meaningless.
The real thing was a title like “Du Quanguo Who Protected China from Drugs.”
He could have the image of a strong leader,
and make people instantly understand what kind of work Du Quanguo had done.
This would be a great asset later when Du Quanguo transformed into a politician.
The second was restructuring the internal power landscape.
The Ministry of Public Security was largely divided into two factions.
Du Quanguo planned to purge opposition figures using this opportunity as a turning point.
There was a good reason for carrying out a large-scale operation that crushed even gangsters.
Crush the gangsters, and purge all officials connected to them.
Of course, only opposition figures.
There were no loopholes to slip through.
He could hold the Ministry of Public Security perfectly in his hands.
The third was the enormous amount of seized assets.
Cash seized on site, laundering accounts, overseas routes.
One might think everything was forfeited to the state, but reality was different.
Seized items could easily be siphoned off or used by Du Quanguo.
Slush funds were created.
Lastly, it was Zhou Zhiming.
It was an opportunity to build a close relationship with MSS’s Zhou Zhiming, who was even mentioned as a future Chairman candidate.
Carrying out a strong operation.
This was a signal sent to Zhou Zhiming.
A signal that if he just said the word, the rest would be handled on its own.
.
.
.
“Kneel, bastard.”
“I said kneel.”
Public Security arrested the gangsters who were distributing drugs on site.
The officers made them kneel in a straight line.
One stood guard over them with a gun.
If anyone tried to jump out, he would fire immediately.
“Runt. Tie all these bastards up.”
“Yes sir.”
The captured organization members had no choice but to wait obediently to be bound.
They were dragged away like dried fish strung on a long rope.
No one knew where they were being dragged to.
Already dozens of organizations had been captured.
Factories that made Desend closed, and all related persons were taken away.
Even ordinary candy factories, not Desend ones, came under suspicion.
Such was the intensity of the crackdown.
.
.
.
Mashu’erling of Heishifang.
He had manufactured Desend and earned a huge amount of money, but he went into hiding before he could even spend it properly.
He hadn’t thought Public Security would storm in so suddenly.
While he was away on business, Public Security had stormed Heishifang.
Thanks to that, he avoided the worst situation of being arrested, but many Heishifang organization members were taken by Public Security.
Under normal circumstances, he should have stopped Desend production immediately and fled elsewhere.
But Mashu’erling didn’t stop producing Desend.
Instead, he moved the factory to a darker, harder-to-find place.
No matter how much Desend had been nerfed,
and even though the price had dropped and crackdowns had intensified,
it was still an attractive item.
There was no item that made this kind of money.
Mashu’erling was already steeped in the dopamine that Desend gave, that money gave.
Even if he got caught, Mashu’erling intended to earn money first.
*****
“Jung-gi! Coffee!”
“Jung-gi! Clean this up.”
“Jung-gi! Can you set this up so I can run a new experiment?”
Edward put Jung-gi to thorough use.
Sin Jung-gi didn’t particularly like this situation, but it wasn’t something he couldn’t do.
Sin Jung-gi diligently carried out the tasks Edward gave him.
What Edward ordered wasn’t very difficult.
Honestly, if he didn’t like it here, he could run away anytime.
There was no one guarding him, no one holding him.
If he wanted to, he could do it anytime.
Nevertheless, staying here without running away was Sin Jung-gi’s own will.
The moment he left here, Sin Jung-gi’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
He had already felt that bitterly through experience.
There was no need to repeat the same mistake.
That was why he had to stick here unconditionally.
The problem was that Edward’s irritation seemed to be getting worse.
Well, if his project wasn’t working out, it was natural to be annoyed.
“Edward, let’s eat.”
I took Edward out because he was sitting blankly in the lab.
I'm not usually the type to nag someone this much to eat, but Edward didn't seem to have eaten yesterday either.
If he collapses like that, if he says he doesn't need me, if he tells me to get out—that would be a huge problem.
Whether Edward completed the task or not had nothing to do with Sin Jung-gi, but Edward dying was unacceptable.
If Edward died, Sin Jung-gi might no longer be needed.
I shoved a sandwich into the zombie-like Edward's mouth.
"Eat something."
Edward chewed half-heartedly.
"Things not going well lately?"
"Yeah. I'm going crazy."
Edward replied in a deflated voice.
"What's not working?"
At Sin Jung-gi's question, Edward looked at him with scornful eyes.
It was a look that said, 'Would you even understand if I told you? Could you even comprehend?'
Even so, Edward gave a brief explanation.
Because he remembered the boss telling him to try and put him to use somehow.
Once the explanation ended, Sin Jung-gi asked.
"So, it's hard to boil ten packs of instant noodles at once. And doing them one at a time won't work because of the equipment and situation?"
"Right?"
"Then just boil the noodles and the broth separately."
"Huh?"
"A lot of places sell it like that. They boil the noodles first, put them in a bowl, and pre-boil the broth too, then just pour the broth when an order comes in."
"But then it won't taste good."
"You opening a famous restaurant? Why are you so hung up on taste?"
"Huh?"
"Isn't it enough if the effect is the same, not the taste? I'm saying, isn't it fine if the ingredients are the same? Once it's in your stomach, all that matters is that it fills you up, right?"
Edward felt like he'd been smacked hard in the back of the head.
It was something he had never even imagined.
Come to think of it, Sin Jung-gi was right.
The ingredients were what mattered, but he had been too focused on the process rather than the ingredients.
Edward had been proud of the Ascend he made himself.
He thought Ascend was the greatest drug.
Even now, his opinion on that hadn't changed.
But at some point, he had become completely buried in that thought.
Rather than thinking of making a drug, he had ended up thinking he had to reproduce Ascend exactly.
Without even a 0.0001mg margin of error.
Ascend had clouded Edward's eyes.
He had been thinking he needed to make Ascend, not make a drug.
He hadn't even considered changing the ingredients or improving it.
And Sin Jung-gi had pointed this out to him.
"How do you make ten packs of instant noodles taste exactly the same as when you boil one pack every single time? Even if the pot, heat, amount of water, and noodles are all the same, the taste of instant noodles changes depending on the temperature, humidity, and the mood of the person eating them that day. So instead of trying to make it taste exactly the same every time, create a new recipe suited for ten packs. Just think of it as a slight upgrade."
Edward looked at Sin Jung-gi again.
He felt he understood why the boss had called this bastard smart.
"But the ingredients change. That's what I was worried about."
"So what if they change? Whether those junkie bastards drop dead after taking it or not. If you're upgrading it anyway, make it fucking strong. Let them eat their meals and just take the drugs. Instant noodles taste better when they're salty and spicy, right? So stronger drugs should be better too."
Edward looked at Sin Jung-gi.
He felt he understood why the boss had called this bastard a psychopath.