I'm Not Kind, Just Lazy

What If...? that person is locked up, or at least embroiled in legal trouble, they won't have the time or inclination to deal with these lost items. But What If...? they're free, how could they not look for these things?

Therefore, those who left these things behind must have taken precautions.

The "telephone" mentioned in the notice should be a wireless portable phone. In this case, no one would deliberately bring up a landline. However, after several checks, they did not find portable phones or similar homemade items.

The easiest way to locate the phone is to dial it and use the ringing sound to find the number.

Using the list at hand and the survey reports of the target subjects, the researchers found a private phone number, not a company-issued one, and dialed it. However, no one heard the phone ring among the pile of research samples.

After the phone rang for a moment without response, the researcher hung up. Perhaps the news was just a misrepresentation, or some kind of extortion.

Unbeknownst to them, a timer had already been started inside the host computer.

However, this timer is insidious; it doesn't have a beeping sound or a countdown panel, it's just that the electronic components start internally.

Although an ultra-high-frequency sound, inaudible to ordinary people, alerted a Kryptonian device to its activation, the warning was clear. "If you don't want to clean up, go turn it off." This was obviously not Kryptonian's home, and the one who could hear it wasn't present.

This approach completely contradicts the principle of creating exits in mazes and leaving escape routes in traps. However, the original intention of the destruction device was simply to let oneself know when to stop, without having to remind others. Wasn't that right?

In short, ten minutes later, Mitch Schulhoff, the man who orchestrated all of this, had just left Sony America's Los Angeles headquarters.

He took the news from his researchers very seriously. Many of them had been transferred from the Japan headquarters and had just arrived today to work on cracking the equipment and researching the technology.

To reassure these people about their work, Mitch Schulhoff needed to meet with the FBI's head in Los Angeles to add an extra layer of security to the matter.

The Lexus LS, the company's official vehicle for the president, was parked at the building's main entrance.

Although this was a branch of a Japan company in the United States, and many of the rules had to be adapted to local customs, Mitch Schulhoff still appreciated having two rows of employees lined up to greet him when he entered or left the building.

Forget about cultural dross; any habit that brings you joy is a good habit worth keeping. Whether others feel the same way is their business.

Just as they were striding confidently through the ranks like generals, about to board the vehicle, a deafening explosion terrified everyone, including Mitch Schulhoff. A pile of shards of glass rained down from the sky, injuring many people.

Before the shock could subside, another huge object slammed directly onto the roof of the Lexus LS!

Under the protection of bodyguards, Mitch Schulhoff, who was trying to get into his car to avoid the disaster, ended up staring at the man who had crashed onto the roof of the car. The horrific death and the burning robes caused the usually composed president of Sony America to scream hysterically.

One after another, heavy thuds echoed from the side; some things fell to the ground, others hit people. The scene was horrific.

Henry, sitting in the lawyer's car, certainly heard the explosion several kilometers away, given his hearing. Even the lawyer driving the car noticed it, though the sound was very faint.

He asked, "Where is that sound coming from?"

"I don't know either," Henry said, offering an excuse.

In his mind, he was thinking that although he hadn't designed a deadly trap for enemies invading the house, he hadn't said he hadn't made a device to Oblivion evidence.

With such a large-scale operation, did they use too much explosives?

It seems that the initial plan was to use only one shot, and that the person who stole their things might not have put everything together, so the power was deliberately made stronger to allow for a larger area of destruction and ensure that the lost items could be completely destroyed.

In retrospect, this idea was ill-considered. Henry is seriously reviewing it. Items that should self-destruct should be fitted with similar devices so that the amount of explosives required can be reduced.

Hmm, I'll improve next time.

As for the human element— Henry consciously ignored it. He was never kind by nature; he was just afraid of trouble. The other person had already prepared an escape route and cleaned their own throat. It would be a disservice not to cut their throat.

Besides, isn't making self-destruct devices the most basic thing? Don't underestimate otaku who experienced the Gundam Wing generation!

The quirk of building a self-destruct device before its functionality is even complete is incurable. All that's missing is a Red Skull button to clearly indicate it.

However, since the act was to be convincing, Henry certainly wouldn't reveal anything to outsiders. He continued chatting idly with the lawyer beside him, discussing trivial matters to ease the awkward atmosphere in the car.

With the help of a top lawyer, retrieving my Cadillac from the vehicle storage facility wasn't too much trouble.

Since it wasn't illegally towed, all I needed to do was pay a storage fee. Anyway, once it's in the storage yard, I'll have to pay. For older cars, it doesn't matter if the paint is scratched or not; as long as the four wheels are still there, it's fine.

Getting a car is easy, but getting your own pet isn't so straightforward.

Henry, who went to the animal shelter alone, learned that Kitty wasn't there. This is because most animal shelters only take in small animals, mainly cats and dogs.

Snakes, turtles, and lizards are smaller and easier to handle. But Kitty is the size of an adult Tiger, weighing over 500 pounds. If Kitty were put in the largest cage in the shelter, she would probably have difficulty even turning around.

What If...? it were just a matter of putting the Tiger in a difficult position, they probably would have kept it locked up. However, the biggest reason why animal shelters dare not take them in is that the iron bars in the cages are not thick enough to withstand the tearing power of an adult Tiger.

Tiger, being apex predators, don't roam the streets of Los Angeles every day; animal shelters need to capture and temporarily house them.

So Kitty was transferred to the Los Angeles Zoo, where she was temporarily housed by the local predator shelter.

Busy as ever, Henry had no choice but to drive to the zoo again. Fortunately, unlike a parking lot, you had to buy a ticket to get in and talk. He told the staff at the ticket booth, and someone came out and led Henry inside.

The guide was a young female keeper in charge of the predator enclosure, the most difficult kind of person to deal with.

Many people who choose this path do so because of their love for animals. And youth means their passion hasn't been extinguished, so naturally they may have some overly idealistic opinions and ideas.

As expected, Henry, upon being led into the zoo, was immediately confronted with a barrage of questions. "Mr. Brown, our investigation has revealed that the Tiger you are keeping have not undergone legal quarantine procedures or cleared customs. How do you explain this?"

The female farmhands who questioned Henry were, to be honest, quite attractive. And judging from their attire outside of their uniforms, they seemed to be from wealthy families.

However, she wasn't the type of girl who wore too much unprofessional jewelry or had gear that looked professional but was actually impractical. The things she did use were either designer brands or looked very expensive.

She might have been pampered at home, and competed in the environment of a cheerleader at school, where she had no shortage of suitors. These factors combined might have led to her being quite arrogant and sticking to her own beliefs.

Simply put, in Henry's observation, she was very likely the kind of extreme animal rights activist with a screw loose.

Although stereotypes and preconceived notions are bad, Henry looked at the person in front of him and felt that this was that kind of personality.

Even though the top lawyer wasn't present, Henry hadn't wasted his time reading law books. In particular, he had gained a considerable understanding of the relevant regulations in order to keep this Tiger.

"Excuse me, ma'am, through what legal channel did you learn that I did not undergo legal quarantine and customs procedures? Shouldn't I be the one to request these documents? Or are you saying that if you can't find them, you're just assuming they don't exist?"