The night before the funeral.
I sat across from Allen and Chen Zihao.
Spread out on the table was the blueprint of the cathedral.
Zurich Cathedral Church.
It was an old building.
Thick stone walls. Limited exits.
A simple structure, but easy to control.
For a while, I stared at the blueprint in silence.
“How many men do you think Rodrigo has planted in the funeral hall?”
“Ten at most.”
“Not many.”
“Mateo blocked them all. Aside from essential personnel, he denied entry passes to everyone. And naturally, both Pablo and Carlos won’t be attending, though they should.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Pablo went to Mauritius. As for Carlos… I don’t know. He won’t be attending. Apparently, he’s overseeing the perimeter security that day.”
“That’s strange.”
“I suspect they’re suspicious of Carlos. They seem to think he’s the traitor inside. But since there’s no evidence, they can’t make a decision, so they’re keeping him at a distance.”
“Hmm…”
I nodded.
It was entirely plausible.
“What about Eduardo?”
“He arrived this afternoon from South America.”
“How many men?”
“Less than a hundred.”
“He scraped South America clean for this?”
“He couldn’t get passports issued.”
“Huh…”
“I heard even those hundred were barely secured through connections.”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
To miss out on something this important because of passports.
It was a funny situation, but I couldn’t laugh.
Do this line of work long enough, and all sorts of things happen.
Especially when you’re rushing.
Still, it was fortunate.
If too many men had come over,
Rodrigo’s power would have grown too strong.
If a large number crossed over and overwhelmed us with sheer numbers,
the scale would have grown, and so would the damage.
“They can’t get inside the funeral hall anyway, right?”
“No. They can’t get inside. They’ll be positioned on the perimeter and plan to rush in immediately if a situation arises.”
So the manpower from South America couldn’t enter the cathedral.
Let’s focus on the cathedral.
“What about weapons?”
“The entrance is unified to one point. There’s a security checkpoint at the entrance. Smuggling weapons in will be difficult. But there is a possibility they’ve been stashed inside beforehand.”
“Check in advance.”
“It’s already underway.”
I looked at the cathedral blueprint again.
Rodrigo was planning to strike Mateo at the funeral.
I knew that.
I could stop it, or ignore it.
I could capture Rodrigo,
or leave Mateo to die.
But my plan was to get rid of both.
If I only took down Rodrigo, the remaining forces in South America would survive.
Eduardo was there, and the cartel network would remain intact.
Cut off the head, and as long as the body remains, it can always grow back.
I had to end this in one blow.
“The operation is as follows.”
I placed my finger on the blueprint.
“Start leaking information tomorrow morning.”
“What are we leaking?”
“That during Mateo’s eulogy today, he plans to publicly expel and execute Rodrigo.”
“What?”
Allen’s expression stiffened.
“You mean leak false information?”
Chen Zihao asked.
“Yeah. Rodrigo won’t be able to endure hearing that. He’ll definitely try to strike Mateo.”
“But the funeral hall will descend into utter chaos.”
“We’re going to use that chaos. Make Rodrigo draw his blade first, and let Mateo run rampant thinking he’s going independent. The moment they sink their teeth into each other’s throats, we discard both.”
The air in the meeting room grew cold and still.
Allen and Chen Zihao seemed to read my will from my words and gaze.
After a brief silence, Allen asked.
“What about the deployment of the Obsidian Unit?”
“Two at the entrance, one at the side. Two at the altar. The rest on outer perimeter watch.”
“Is this because of Shin Jung-gi?”
Chen Zihao asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve got a bad feeling. It’s also because Shin Jung-gi’s location hasn’t been confirmed. So let’s be careful.”
“Understood.”
“Keep drones in the air at all times. Monitor the situation.”
“Yes.”
Chen Zihao and Allen left the room.
Left alone, I folded the blueprint and leaned back in my chair.
Tomorrow, it would all be over.
It had to end.
Yet for some reason, that certainty did not feel complete.
******
The day of the funeral.
3 AM.
Zurich Cathedral Church was brightly lit.
Inside and out, the cathedral was bustling with funeral preparations.
To bring in even the smallest item,
one had to undergo stringent security checks.
Metal detectors, portable scanners, identity verification.
The control looked perfect.
And within that control was Shin Jung-gi.
Wearing a cap pulled low,
his face covered with a mask,
dressed in old work clothes, he passed through the security checkpoint silently, doing as he was told.
Like any other laborer, he tirelessly carried items.
He carried flower boxes, lighting equipment, chairs.
No one suspected Shin Jung-gi.
His movements were natural, his pace moderate, and he never stood out.
Here, he was just one among many workers.
Past 4 AM.
The interior of the cathedral had quieted down somewhat.
Shift change.
The time when concentration was at its lowest.
Shin Jung-gi naturally moved toward the central altar.
He walked to where the empty coffin lay.
Pretending to arrange flowers,
he took out the item he had hidden inside the lighting equipment he had prepared.
A small object the size of a palm.
He pushed it in among the flowers.
It was a high-performance bomb that wouldn’t trigger a security check.
He moved to the distribution panel.
The moment he opened the panel to check the interior.
“Hey, what are you doing there?”
A patrolling security guard asked.
“I’m checking the lighting lines. The cables here look loose. It’d be a disaster if the lights went out during the funeral.”
Shin Jung-gi spoke calmly, without the slightest hint of tension.
His hands looked sufficiently professional.
Even as he spoke, his hands kept moving.
“Make sure of it.”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
The guard looked no further.
Rather, he urged him to make sure of it before leaving.
The moment the guard departed,
Shin Jung-gi pushed a small bomb inside.
After that, it was repetition.
Wearing work clothes,
he moved throughout the cathedral,
pushing thin, small bombs into every gap and crevice.
The high-performance bombs filled the gaps so perfectly that no one would think they were bombs.
Shin Jung-gi intended to make this cathedral into one giant tomb.
Thoroughly, meticulously, without a single gap, he planted bombs everywhere.
Behind pillars, under wall decorations, stuffed into the gaps of the pipe organ.
Without anyone noticing.
For Shin Jung-gi, today’s funeral was the perfect event to dispose of the trash called Paradox all at once.
Along with the bastards who had been leeching off Paradox.
He felt grateful enough to want to thank Adrian for arranging such a gathering.
Shin Jung-gi quietly exited the cathedral and relocated to a nearby hideout he had prepared.
He set up his sniper rifle and checked his drones.
Now, preparations were complete.
*******
The day of Adrian’s funeral.
Zurich Cathedral Church.
The sky was overcast.
There was no wind, and a drizzle began to fall.
It didn’t feel like rain falling, but rather droplets suspended in the air.
It was like being underwater.
The air was heavy.
In front of Zurich Cathedral Church, a great crowd had already gathered.
Though there was still plenty of time before the funeral began,
they were staff preparing for the event.
Dressed in black,
wearing armbands indicating they were staff.
They were busy preparing for the ceremony.
.
.
.
[10:00 AM]
Mateo was the first to arrive.
Having stepped out of the car, he did not stop.
He immediately circled the exterior of the cathedral.
Checking if there were any problems,
if anything had changed.
He entered the interior.
The cathedral was still quiet.
An empty coffin lay in front of the altar.
Behind it was a photo of Adrian, surrounded by lit candles.
Items Adrian had used,
and items containing the history of Paradox were also displayed.
Mateo stood before the altar.
He gazed at Adrian’s photo for quite some time.
“Adrian. From now on, Paradox is mine. Watch well how I steer Paradox from here. Because today is my day.”
Mateo muttered quietly.
He touched his signet ring.
He scanned the cathedral once more.
Everything was exactly as he had designed.
Once the eulogy ended, everything would change.
This was not Alex’s script.
It was a funeral planned and directed by Mateo himself.
He would announce Paradox’s independent operation.
He would define the relationship between Mateo and the Alex Group himself.
Cooperation, yes. Subordination, no.
He only needed to declare it here.
And one more thing.
Rodrigo would be expelled and publicly cut off.
With that, Paradox would become Mateo’s.
The corners of Mateo’s mouth rose ever so slightly.
All preparations were complete.
Thinking of the perfect Paradox under his leadership made his heart flutter.
.
.
.
[10:15 AM]
Rodrigo appeared at the funeral hall.
His face was pale, and dark shadows hung beneath his eyes.
He looked utterly haggard, as if he hadn’t slept.
Beside Rodrigo were Eduardo and bodyguards.
At the entrance, a security officer held out a hand.
“I’ll need to check you.”
Rodrigo complied obediently with the security officer’s request.
He passed the security check without a word of complaint.
He was clean.
He had no weapons.
But Rodrigo had already made preparations.
He had hidden a pistol inside the ventilation duct of the cathedral restroom.
He didn’t need much.
One pistol was enough.
No, even just one bullet was enough.
Rodrigo surveyed the cathedral interior.
Mateo was near the altar.
It had been a while since he’d seen his face.
Running away like a rat all this time.
There were a few people nearby.
They seemed to be bodyguards.
He ran a simulation in his head.
Before the event began, he would go and retrieve the gun from the restroom.
And from that point on, he would act if the opportunity arose.
It was time to go to the restroom.
That was when—
Eduardo had heard something from somewhere, his face drained of color.
The two whispered very quietly.
“What is it? What happened?”
Eduardo leaned in close and spoke.
“I just heard… that in today’s eulogy, they are going to expel Commissioner Rodrigo.”
“What?”
Rodrigo let out a loud voice without realizing it.
Immediately, gazes converged on him.
He couldn’t control his expression.
Expel him? Here?
Now? At the funeral hall?
He was furious.
Rage boiled up.
He wanted to fire his gun at the bastard sitting in front of him right that instant.
But the bodyguards were surrounding him front and back, making it difficult.
He knew he needed to calm down and stay composed,
but it wasn’t easy.
He thought of a cigar.
But now was not the time.
Now, he would endure,
and after killing Mateo,
he would smoke it very slowly, savoring Mateo’s death, nice and leisurely.
[10:30 AM]
Mourners began arriving at the funeral hall.
People dressed in black suits appeared one by one.
Figures from politics, finance, military factions, and the black market.
They had all come to Adrian’s funeral.
Outwardly there was grief,
but in reality, each came harboring different schemes.
Invitations were checked at the entrance.
Security screenings were also conducted to ensure no weapons were brought in.
It took a long time.
There were many people for the security checks to handle.
But no one complained.
Those who passed through the security checks quietly entered the cathedral and sat down.
The atmosphere was no different from any other funeral.
No one was crying or grieving,
but they all had the eyes of people lost in thought.
They looked like they had much on their minds.
[10:50 AM]
I arrived to match the funeral’s scheduled start at eleven.
Zurich Cathedral Church was already packed with mourners.
Were there really this many bastards leeching off Paradox?
I was surprised anew.
The moment I arrived, I checked the locations of Mateo and Rodrigo.
Mateo was in the very front row,
and Rodrigo was sitting three rows behind Mateo.
A distance of only about five or six meters. Close.
It seemed it was for the purpose of firing the gun right away.
But with bodyguards around, not to mention
so many other people, it seemed it would be difficult to do immediately.
- Location confirmed.
Chen Zihao’s voice came through the micro earpiece in my ear.
I did not answer.
I simply nodded.
That was enough.
Chen Zihao would be watching from somewhere.
[11:00 AM]
The funeral began.
Mateo stood before the altar.
The cathedral fell silent.
Mateo quietly opened his mouth.
“Thank you to everyone who has come here today.”
“Adrian was our good friend and colleague.”
“It pains us deeply to send him off.”
“But we cannot remain here forever.”
“We must move forward toward the future.”
“Our Parallax, too, will change.”
“We promise a harsh and thorough restructuring.”
“Accordingly…”
It was the moment Mateo was about to say something important.
Chen Zihao’s voice came through the earpiece.
- Boss. Something’s strange outside right now.
“What is?”
I murmured softly.
- Several drones have risen into the air.
“Why is that strange? Aren’t they the surveillance drones we’re operating?”
- No. They’re not showing up on radar.
There were drones floating in the sky, but they weren’t being picked up by radar?
In that instant, only one thing came to mind.
Fandom Grid.
Sin Jung-gi had come.
I was certain of it.
Just then, the power distribution box exploded with a small sound.
The power went out.
The lights went off, and the cathedral grew dark.
But it was not complete darkness.
Because of the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass, the cathedral took on an even stranger atmosphere.
Mateo continued saying something after that,
but perhaps because the power was out, the microphone was not working.
I could not hear Mateo’s words.
Murmurs began to spread here and there.
I did not hesitate.
I quickly rose from my seat and ran toward the entrance.
- Boss, I think you need to evacuate.
“I’m on my way.”
When I got up and ran toward the entrance,
several people looked at me strangely.
But I paid no attention to those gazes.
I ran straight ahead.
Someone began running toward the entrance after me.
A moment later, a drone crashed into the outer wall of the cathedral.
There was a sudden bang.
At the same time,
Bang.
An explosion also went off inside.
The pillars, ceiling, and walls erupted as well.
In an instant, Zurich St. Cathedral had become a scene of utter chaos.