Jin-woo's face turned grim and he coldly asked.
"Why are you picking up my mother's phone? What have you done to her? If you don't tell now, then I'll… I'll…"
Jin-woo's voice faltered at the end. He was about to say he was going to call the police, but he rembered that the 'White Tiger' ard forces had raided his ho. If Madelyn was related to it, then soone high up in the military must be behind her.
After a mont of silence from both Jin-woo and Madelyn, Jin-woo's tone got softer as he asked.
"Madelyn, what happened to my mother? Has… Has she stolen sothing?"
A sigh was heard from the other end of the phone before Madelyn asked.
"Jin-woo, what do you know? If you know sothing, then it's best if you speak up now."
"I… I don't know anything. I saw the 'White Tiger' ard forces break into my house and grab my mother's computer, so, I just thought she likely stole company secrets."
Another sigh ca from Madelyn before she said tiredly.
"I don't know how else to say this, but that's right, your mother indeed stole company secrets. But it's not just any company secrets, this is related to high-ranking officials in the governnt. She might get life in prison for what she did."
Hearing this, it was like a truck had slamd into Jin-woo's chest the way it constricted. Tears couldn't help but form in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.
….
Madelyn was in her office in HBTR Labs. She was standing by the window looking through the shades at the construction workers outside as she listened to the small boy's faint sobbing at the other end of the phone.
A complicated expression appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but release a sigh in her heart.
'Myung-hee, you-'
Madelyn was unable to finish her sentence. After a mont she then said.
"Jin-woo, I'm sorry to ask this of you after informing you of sothing like this, but it's important. Perhaps it'll help your mother receive less ti, I'll also put in a word as well."
Sounds of sniffles ca from the phone before Madelyn heard the boy compose himself and ask.
"W-What is it?"
Seeing that the boy had already recovered sowhat, Madelyn internally nodded before she said.
"What your mother stole wasn't only company secrets, but she also stole an experintal pill sample from our labs. She refuses to talk, but we suspect that she snuck out the pills using one of your dication bottles. We've searched your house, but we haven't found it. However, if you're willing to co down and talk to your mother, perhaps she'll-"
Madelyn wasn't able to finish her sentence as the boy on the other end of the call abruptly cut her off.
"I have it."
Those words cause Madelyn to be taken aback. But her face soon lit up, though, before she could say anything the boy said once again.
"I picked up a pill bottle from my living room yesterday. When I was leaving for school this morning, I wasn't wearing my glasses when I took out a pill to take during lunch, so I only realized the pill was different from usual when I was at school. Was the experintal pill gray?"
"Uh, yes, yes! They were gray! So, you really have it, that's good, that's good. With this, I'll be able to argue for a lesser sentence for your mother. Don't worry, I'll send soone to pick you up from school. Also, be careful about how you handle the pill.
It's a pill made to treat various diseases and illnesses, but we haven't gone through clinical trials as yet to see how it will affect the human body."
After Madelyn said that dead silence descended on the other end of the phone. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard as if the boy was holding his breath.
"Jin-woo, what happened? Did you perhaps take the pill by accident?"
Madelyn recalled that lunch was almost about to co to an end for the boy, and he had said he was going to take his pills at lunch. She couldn't help but panic.
"Don't worry Jin-woo, I'll send a doctor as well. You're going to be okay, nothing bad will happen."
"I…"
Madelyn heard the boy start speaking but stopped. But she smiled and
reassured him.
"Don't worry, I won't go back on my promise, I'll still help your mother. In fact, this is slightly better. The data we can collect from you after taking the pill will likely be more valuable than what your mother stole, especially how it helps with your schizophrenia."
"…Okay."
Madelyn heard the boy say after a bit of silence. However, she still sensed that sothing was wrong. And indeed, there were as she suddenly heard from the other end of the phone.
"There is sothing I need to tell you, and you have to believe ."
Madelyn beca slightly serious due to the boy's tone of voice.
"Jin-woo, what is it? Tell ."
After a beat of silence, Madelyn heard the boy speak, however, his words almost caused her to let out a chuckle.
"There are zombies in my school. I need you to send the 'White Tiger' ard forces to rescue us. My classmates are currently inside the gymnasium, Mai-sun is also there. Please, you have to hurry before the virus spreads any further."
Madelyn cracked an amused smile while saying.
"Jin-woo, I'm not sure what's going on, is there so kind of event happening at your school? That daughter of mine said nothing about it. She never tells anything these days."
Madelyn then let out a sigh, but she suddenly heard the boy say once again.
"No, I'm telling the truth. Wait, I'll send you a picture."
Madelyn heard a few rustling sounds coming from the end of the phone before she felt a buzz as a notification ca in. Taking the phone from her ear for a second, she clicked on the notification and was sent to the ssaging app.
The photo was blurry for a second as it was still being downloaded, but in an instant, it cleared up.
Madelyn stared at the photo and the amused smile grew on her lips.
The photo was of a slightly chubby boy leaning against a toilet seat. There were black lines on his pale face and arms, which was likely due to make-up.
Madelyn was about to comnt on the realistic depiction of soone infected, but suddenly her phone buzzed once again.
Another ssage ca in, but this ti it was a short fifteen-second video.
Madelyn casually clicked on the video and after a small buffer, it began to play.
The video started with the image of the chubby boy leaning against the toilet, before the angle then shifted like the person was slowly turning around. It soon ca to a stop on a mirror.
Madelyn saw the reflection of a small boy with a sowhat familiar face.
'This is Jin-woo? He's grown so much since I last saw him. Hm? He's wearing his P. E. clothes, did he have P.
E. before lunch, or is this a part of the event?'
As these thoughts appeared in Madelyn's mind, the contents of the video changed as the cara shifted from the mirror to face the middle of the bathroom. It then shook for a mont as it moved forward towards the last stall on the left.
"Hm?"
Madelyn couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly. There was a faint sound of snarling and screeching in the background. It sounded like it was coming from an animal being butchered alive. There was also a sound of sothing harshly banging against the ground, along with a bit of wetness to it, like an object hitting a puddle. Your next chapter awaits on empire
It kind of sent a shiver down Madelyn's spine as she didn't believe a human could make such an animalistic sound.
However, this thought made her even more confused because from how loud the sound was getting, it was obvious that it was coming from the last stall.
Unknowingly Madelyn's grip on the phone tightened, while a foreboding feeling began to rise in her heart.
At that mont, the door to the stall was pushed open by a hand, and as it swung open, Madelyn was greeted with the sight inside of the stall.
The scene almost made her drop the phone in her hand.
There inside the stall, was a boy in student uniform with his hands tied behind his back. The screeching Madelyn thought was coming from an animal was actually coming from the mouth of this boy, however, what was more horrifying was that the boy, in an attempt to get up while he was on his belly, was slamming his head against the ground.
Blood had already seeped out of his forehead and covered most of the stall's white tiled floor. This painted such a contrast of colors that it added another layer of horror to the scene. But at the sa ti could that be called blood? It was a sickly black color rather than red.
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