How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Ca from Quite an Impressive Place

***

Unable to withstand Fernandez’s urging, I had barely taken a seat when a flat voice reached my ears.

“My na is Ray Calyx.”

“I’m Baek Ga-on.”

“I heard about you from Fernandez. He said you’re young, but you handle work as cleanly as a veteran.”

With a soft swish, the middle-aged woman held out a plastic business card.

When I checked the recognition tag, an unexpected background popped up.

[Isabella Public University, Departnt of Artificial Intelligence, Professor of Software Engineering]

“You’ve co from quite an impressive place.”

Isabella Public University.

It was an institution of learning established in honor of Isabella Lee, the mother of artificial intelligence.

There was no need to explain that only the very best talents in humanity gathered there.

As its origins suggested, the flower of Isabella Public University was, without question, the Departnt of Artificial Intelligence.

To hold a professorship in such a symbolic place ant that Ray was an unparalleled genius in her field.

She was a completely different case from Producer Raju. He had undoubtedly achieved social success as well, but compared to her, he inevitably fell short.

The weight of her influence itself was on another level.

Right. Whether it was the Public Enforcent Corps or the dia, she was soone who could exert pressure through her connections, so why—

“You’re looking for a fixer?”

It was a pure question. She didn’t seem like soone who would lack capable people around her.

At my question, Ray’s eyes drifted as she traced back through her mories.

“Last night, my father passed away. It was ruled a crash caused by a defect in his flying car. The Public Enforcent Corps reached that conclusion as well. But I don’t think it was a simple accident.”

“And what makes you so certain?”

“My father flew the vehicle himself only a handful of tis. And in the days leading up to the incident, he had been working overti for several sols.”

“You’re saying he wouldn’t have chosen to fly, especially not when he was exhausted and unfamiliar with it. But if the circumstances are that clear, shouldn’t you report it to the Public Enforcent Corps?”

“Well….”

Ray let out a sigh and closed her mouth.

Fernandez clasped her hands in his.

“We’re not the Public Enforcent Corps. Even if the deceased had faults, we’re under no obligation to report them.”

“Unless he was a psycho killer.”

When I added that, Fernandez shook his head as if I were incorrigible.

But idle remarks could sotis help soone.

Ray’s expression seed noticeably more relaxed as she continued her story.

“A few months ago, my father received a large sum of money under the pretext of a performance bonus. At the ti, we didn’t have the treatnt fees to pay, so we let it slide. But thinking back on it now, I don’t think it was money he should have accepted.”

“Treatnt fees? Is soone in your family ill?”

“Yes, my mother has been suffering from a rare disease. It’s already been 20 years.”

It was unfortunate, but dical services in modern society had been privatized. They didn’t charge murderous fees, but they weren’t exactly reasonable either.

Would it be fitting to call it vicious.

Moreover, if it had been classified as a rare disease in this era, that ant it couldn’t be resolved through genetic manipulation. In other words, most of their living expenses must have been consud by her care.

Needless to say, they must have been drowning in debt, and in such a state, rational judgnt would have been difficult.

“And your father?”

“He works at the sa university.”

Preston Calyx, professor at Isabella Public University.

And a devoted husband.

After calmly organizing the information Ray had given, I asked,

“Then you must have quickly realized that the ‘performance bonus’ was a lie.”

“That’s why I suspect my father may have leaked research technology.”

“That’s strange. If the transaction had gone smoothly, why kill him several months later? It would only be troubleso and inconvenient.”

If they wanted to erase traces, it would have made sense to deal with him imdiately after the transaction. Not hand him a large sum of money.

“I’d like you to investigate that part as well.”

“From the look of it, you don’t seem to have a source of funds.”

I couldn’t help but sympathize with soone who had a sick mother at ho, but the matter wasn’t light enough to handle free of charge.

“I heard from Fernandez that you’re interested in androids. If you resolve this, I’ll assist you to the extent my abilities allow. Whether that crosses legal boundaries or not.”

Naturally, my gaze turned to Fernandez.

“Mr. Pepe, I suppose you haven’t learned your lesson?”

“It was only sothing ntioned in passing. And wouldn’t you need a competent engineer?”

He looked both sly and wronged at the sa ti, and for no reason, I ended up feeling a bit sorry again.

Yes, from Fernandez’s standpoint, this was undoubtedly an opportunity he couldn’t overlook. If he wanted to handle unlocked products, expert assistance was indispensable.

Moreover, Ray’s specialty was also artificial intelligence. And software, at that.

It was certainly tempting, but still—

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been swamped with work lately. I don’t think I can take on another case.”

Taking on three requests at once was unreasonable. And each of the previous cases required more than enough dedication as it was.

Try to catch two rabbits, and you could lose both.

It was a ti that required focus and choice.

I wanted to avoid inviting disaster through greed.

“Then could you at least take a look at this?”

My eyebrows twitched at the file that ca through via short-range communication.

“This is an investigation record.”

“I may look like this, but I’m still a professor at a prestigious university. I have connections to this extent.”

Photos of the scene stread one after another in succession.

After examining the half-destroyed Ort NO.9 from multiple angles, I let out a low murmur. It seed they had tried to conceal sothing to close the case quickly, but it couldn’t escape my eyes.

A strange sense of incongruity emanated from the front door.

Beneath the soot, a severed surface lay hidden.

It was similar—no, identical—to the swordsmanship X had displayed at Club 999. Which ant that, just as Ray had claid, this was not a simple accident but a murder.

“When did the accident occur?”

“About a week ago.”

One day a renowned professor, another day a Mafia executive.

X’s behavioral pattern was remarkably inconsistent.

But precisely because of that—

“This is interesting.”

***

Isabella Public University.

The campus alone occupied a quarter of District 15, a lavish complex of enormous scale.

Not only did it provide an educational environnt covering all age groups, it was also equipped with every imaginable convenience facility and chain store within its grounds. If one wished, it was possible to enjoy civilization without ever setting a foot outside.

There were even famous hotels and resorts, allowing anyone with spare ti to indulge in leisure activities to their heart’s content.

Patrol drones were specially assigned, and public safety far surpassed that of other areas. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a city within a city.

“Please follow .”

Guided by Ray, I entered the university’s main building.

Despite it being morning, the campus brimd with vitality. So students walked arm in arm on their way to class, while others rode in on skateboards.

If there was one defining feature, it was that they were all impeccably neat.

There were no excessive tattoos or piercings. No one flaunted a grotesque appearance from adding too many Slots.

Yes, just like before the Third World War had broken out.

Perhaps because it gave an opportunity to look back on those nostalgic tis, I couldn’t take my eyes off them for quite a while. It was almost instinctive for a seasoned mind to be drawn to youth.

Unaware of the truth, Ray must have mistaken it for admiration, because she smiled softly without realizing it.

“Why?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

***

The place that still carried Preston’s lingering presence was on the 14th floor.

“This is the office my father used.”

The naplate caught my eye the mont I entered.

[Isabella Public University, Departnt of Biotechnology, Professor of Neuroscience]

Having glanced at other professors’ spaces on the way here, I could tell.

“It’s especially large.”

“He deserves it.”

Instead of answering directly, Ray walked over to a display cabinet along one wall of the office.

It was filled with plaques and awards.

A quick search online revealed nothing but praise. He appeared to be an authority recognized even by academic societies.

However, in the very center of the cabinet, there was an empty space. Because the surrounding areas were so densely filled, it almost looked like a gaping hole at first glance.

“It looks like it was left there intentionally.”

“Yes. That’s where the Isabella Prize was supposed to go.”

The Isabella Prize.

It was the highest honor bestowed upon soone who had contributed to the advancent of human civilization.

Not only the Isabella Foundation, which hosted the event, but also the municipal governnt, the board of directors, and gacorps would all gather to grace the occasion. Winning it ant receiving enormous sponsorship as well.

“But he was eliminated in the final round. Objectively speaking, it should have been my father’s overwhelming victory.”

“What was the subject he worked on?”

“The inspiration of artificial intelligence.”

For a brief mont, I froze. Owen’s explanation resurfaced in my mind.

“I heard that still had a long way to go.”

“He established the hypothesis. He even achieved visible results in part of it. But since it hadn’t been fully developed yet, the general opinion was that it was difficult to acknowledge.”

“So the direction was right, but there was nothing concrete to show.”

“Of course, it probably didn’t help that all the competitors had powerful connections of their own.”

“So they found faults and pushed him out.”

It was a theory capable of stirring a storm within academic circles.

When one lost not due to pure scholarly achievent but because of politics, what must Preston have thought?

“After that, he beca harsher. So much so that even watching him made uneasy.”

Not only had the lifelong pension and prize money slipped through his fingers, but the effort he had poured into his research hadn’t been recognized either.

For a man who had reverted to being a poor scholar, reputation was worth less than a speck of dust.

“Could that be connected to the large sum of money he brought ho?”

“Most likely.”

If the causal link was clear, then all that remained was to trace Preston’s steps backward.

He had spent his entire life buried in books.

The answer would be within the university.

“I’d like to see the related materials.”

“They’re probably in the Lab.”

***

After leaving the main building, I headed straight for the affiliated research institute of the Departnt of Biotechnology. The laboratory assigned to Preston boasted a scale just as impressive as his office.

Perhaps because the facilities and support matched his stature, the atmosphere among the assistants wasn’t bad either.

Though with Preston, their central figure, gone, they would inevitably scatter.

However, what ca out of Ray’s mouth went beyond my expectations.

“That part is currently being coordinated. Fortunately, there’s soone at the university capable of succeeding my father. As it happens, they’ve shown interest.”

“So it might continue to exist as it is?”

“Yes. It’s not a bad outco from the university’s standpoint either.”

As I skimd through Preston’s papers, admiration escaped repeatedly. I didn’t fully understand everything, but I had experienced the application of certain technologies in various fields before.

Over several decades, at that.

From my perspective, Preston’s abilities were the real deal. It naturally made curious about who would succeed him.

As I searched through the database for clues, a voice ca from behind .

“My apologies for being late. My conversation with the president ran longer than expected.”

I reflexively turned my head—and my eyes widened.

A half-coat, black stockings, and ebony hair tied down in twin tails.

That subtly impish expression brought back mories of the past.

I never imagined I would et her here.

“Miss Phytoncide.”

“Who are you calling slly?!”