Knock, knock.

  The sound echoing through the thin plywood door was heavier and more deliberate than usual.

  [A-12: Mr. Han, I am standing outside. Open up.]

  My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. On my laptop screen, the list of ghost accounts Seo-yeon had sent and the secret message from D-33 were still wide open. 0.5 seconds. If I’m caught, it’s over. My father, Seo-yeon, and me...

  My trembling fingertips scrambled for the shortcut. Ctrl+W. Instinctively, I closed every window and pulled up the pre-arranged manipulation spreadsheet for 'Daeyoung Medical.' Cold sweat dripped from my palm onto the mousepad.

  Click. The door opened.

  The man standing there looked more ordinary than I expected. A navy suit, hair slicked back neatly, and a black mask covering half his face. But the eyes above the mask were chillingly precise—like a machine that read human emotions only as numerical values.

  "It’s our first time meeting in person, Mr. Han."

  A-12 stepped into the cramped 1.5-pyeong (approx. 50 sq. ft) room without an invitation. His gaze swept over the damp wallpaper, the scattered instant ramen cups, and the high-performance laptop—the only thing of value in this pathetic room.

  "The client is very pleased with your work. Headquarters has instructed me to check if your 'work environment' is vulnerable to security breaches."

  A-12 approached the laptop. A cold shiver ran down my spine, but I forced a blank expression and moved my chair aside.

  "As you can see, it’s not exactly a grand environment worth worrying about. It’s just a goshiwon where even a rat wouldn't bother entering."

  A-12 didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed the mouse and began reviewing the file I was working on. His cursor hovered over the very sentences where I had planted my '12 Poisons.'

  An eternal silence followed.

  "...Perfect. Especially this defense logic. I can see why the client calls you an 'Ace.'" He smiled, satisfied, believing the mines I had laid were shields.

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  Before leaving, he patted my shoulder lightly. "Your father's post-surgery prognosis looks good. Just maintain this environment. If you do, your future will shine as bright as this laptop."

  I couldn't breathe until the door closed and his footsteps faded down the hallway. To me, the word 'Future' sounded like a death threat.

  They saw me as a disposable tool, yet they worshipped my talent.

  An hour after A-12 left, I headed to the PC bang Seo-yeon had mentioned. It was only five minutes away—a place filled with the acrid smell of cigarette smoke and the mechanical clatter of keyboards.

  "Seat No. 42..."

  A man with a hood pulled low over his face sat in the corner. Though a flashy game was on his screen, his fingers were tapping the numerical keypad in a rhythm that had nothing to do with gaming.

  I sat in the adjacent seat and logged in.

  The place was sparsely populated given the late hour, but three seats away, a man kept glancing in my direction. I pretended to log into a game site to look natural. A moment later, the man in the hooded sweatshirt whispered without taking his eyes off his monitor.

  "...Was anyone following you?"

  It was B-07, the man I had met at the Guro-gu officetel.

  "No. I checked." "A-12 must have visited. You look pale."

  B-07 scrolled his mouse wheel, and a system window hidden behind the game screen appeared. Red numbers flickered against a dark background.

  [SERVER_SHREDDING_COUNTDOWN: D-99]

  "99 days..." I stared at the numbers.

  "The organization completely shreds all server data every 106 days," B-07 explained while clicking on in-game items to maintain his cover. "It’s been a week since you started the Daeyoung Medical case. Even at this moment, the countdown doesn't stop. 99 days left until the next shredding."

  My lips went dry.

  "If we don't secure the evidence and bring the organization down within those 99 days, the list of 3,870 names, the ghost account flows—everything will be permanently deleted."

  The system's shredding clock was racing toward zero with zero margin for error.

  "And..." B-07’s voice dropped even lower. "Two hours ago, the tracking account Seo-yeon was using was blocked. They found the traces of her ghost account search."

  "What?" I gripped my mouse tight.

  "I received word. Seo-yeon has been 'urgently summoned' to Daeyoung Medical headquarters. The official reason is a 'request for special reporting cooperation,' but..."

  B-07 switched his screen back to the game. The man three seats away stood up and headed for the restroom.

  "Seo-yeon is in danger. We have to stop the heart of this factory within the remaining 99 days. But before that... we have to get her out."

  I clenched my fist. The time to trigger one of the '12 Poisons' earlier than planned was fast approaching.

  Next Episode Preview:

  Seo-yeon's last known location is Daeyoung Medical HQ. Yun-jae decides to set the first fire to create a distraction.Next Episode Preview: Seo-yeon's last known location is Daeyoung Medical HQ. Yun-jae decides to set the first fire to create a distraction.

  D-99. Yun-jae has successfully bluffed A-12, but Seo-yeon has been lured into the lions' den. Daeyoung Medical isn't just a client—they are the ones who indirectly caused Lee Seo-jun's death.

  Question for the readers: Yun-jae is planning to trigger one of his "Poisons" early to save Seo-yeon. Do you think this will expose his betrayal to A-12, or can he spin it as a "necessary error"?

  If you’re feeling the pressure of the countdown, please Rate, Follow, and leave a Comment! Your support keeps the server from shredding!