Lying in wait

The Slums.

This was the collective name for the Fourth District and the districts beyond it. Compared with the safe, bustling Second District, this place was steeped in chaos and poverty.

All kinds of illegal drugs circulated through the markets, and emaciated corpses whose hearts had failed from excessive injections lay everywhere in the streets and alleys.

Curses could be heard anytime, anywhere. Bathed in neon light, the place looked like an infernal underworld standing amid the living.

Residents of the Second District would take a detour rather than even pass through here.

"This place is a real mess."

Jonas kicked an empty can aside by the roadside and spoke with a frown.

He wore a black shirt, looking nothing like his usual self. He seemed to have deliberately changed his appearance to blend in.

Eiffel followed behind him. To avoid trouble, they had left behind the black bulletproof car bearing the Wetting Conglomerate's insignia and dressed inconspicuously instead.

"So, Mr. Jonas, are you really certain the person you're looking for will be here?"

Eiffel remained as composed as ever. She paused, then spoke as though stating a fact:

"According to the Wetting Conglomerate's personnel screening system, the probability of finding someone skilled in cybersecurity and information technology here is less than one in a thousand."

"If the Wetting Conglomerate's personnel system were any use, I wouldn't be left without a single competent person at my side."

Jonas scoffed, then paused as though something had occurred to him and added:

"With the exception of Miss Eiffel, of course."

"I'm glad to hear you say that..."

Eiffel's expression did not change at Jonas's words. She said softly:

"But I still have reservations about your judgment."

The young woman did not believe Jonas could unearth any talent in the Slums.

It was not that she trusted the Wetting Conglomerate's personnel system so much. She simply could not imagine what channels this young master Jonas, constrained at every turn, could have used to obtain information on suitable talent.

"Fair enough."

Unbothered by her attitude, Jonas planted his hands on a nearby wall, pushed himself up, and vaulted over it.

Eiffel looked puzzled, but she followed Jonas all the same, hoisting herself up and vaulting neatly over the wall.

As she landed, she heard Jonas speak beside her.

"After all, people's judgments are often tied to the information available to them."

Eiffel froze for a moment, then heard loud, disorienting music coming from ahead.

She turned her head and saw a scene completely unlike the one outside the wall.

Bustling streets, young women dressed to turn heads, neon signs of every description, and all manner of people walking along the street.

"Mr. Jonas... where are we?"

Rather than answer her question, Jonas looked at the street before them.

"Let's go, Eiffel."

"..."

At his words, an ominous feeling rose in Eiffel's chest.

I can't shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.

As though confirming her suspicions, Jonas spoke with a hint of amusement.

"Next, I'll show you the adult world."

The Red-Light District.

The only part of the Slums that could truly be called prosperous.

This place overflowed with human desire and ugliness. Decadence, extravagance, and glittering nightlife were all perfectly apt descriptions, and its only purpose... was to help these people who had lost hope vent their desires.

Eiffel frowned at the scantily clad women posing seductively beneath the spotlights around her. Everything here made her uncomfortable.

Just as Jonas had said, this was the "adult world."

And for Eiffel, a young woman with no experience of intimacy, everything happening around her was far beyond what she was ready for.

"It seems Miss Eiffel isn't quite comfortable with the surroundings."

Jonas's voice sounded beside her ear, sending an involuntary tingle through it. Under the influence of the atmosphere, she even felt as though his warm breath brushed her neck as he spoke. She could not help taking two steps forward before asking with forced composure:

"So is this all you wanted to show me, Mr. Jonas?"

What should have sounded deeply sarcastic came across as stubborn bravado instead, thanks to her flushed face. In the shifting colored lights, the blush on her cheeks looked even more vivid.

Clearly, the usually composed Miss Eiffel really was not accustomed to places like this.

In a sense, her innocence was rather endearing.

"Of course not. You'll find out soon enough."

Amused by her stubborn front, Jonas refrained from teasing her any further.

Beneath the dim, flickering lights, their faces were indistinct.

"A tequila, please."

Jonas sat down at the bar and called to the bartender. Though uncomfortable, Eiffel still followed him and took a seat.

"So what do you intend to do?"

Reining in her emotions a little, Eiffel took a deep breath and asked.

Under the lights, the eyes of the man before her were hard to read.

He smiled and said:

"Lie in wait."