I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 594

"Never thought I'd be flying to Manhattan on something that looks more like a plane than a car."

"Isn’t that more convenient? Plus, if we wait until this evening or tomorrow, there will be 500,000 tourists trying to leave the area all at once. Do you really want to deal with that traffic?"

"Ah… come to think of it, you’re right."

On the night of December 20th.

A tilt-jet plane traveling at an incredible speed of 600 km/h was flying across New York State, heading toward Manhattan. Unlike the rigid interior one might expect for military operations, this plane was equipped with seats resembling sofas, around twenty of them.

This, of course, was yet another Icarus model. I didn’t know all the details, but it was apparently used when executives needed to move quickly domestically—by "domestic," I mean within the U.S. I heard that they bought it cheap after a vertical takeoff and landing craft project was scrapped due to cost issues.

Anyway, the rest of the events followed a similar trajectory as the private jet Icarus sent last time. The fuel lines were blown out, replaced by a fusion reactor. In short, the plane we were on had an unlimited range, though it was a small private jet.

It had been less than 20 minutes since takeoff, and already Manhattan was just minutes away.

Outside the window, the golden veins of traffic spread out below, a scene where highways, connected by the dark ground below, intersected. After a few minutes, Manhattan, still gleaming brightly, appeared on the horizon.

Tonight’s destination was JFK International Airport. I had been here a year ago. With the AP stadium moving near Rochester, I probably wouldn’t have to visit here again unless it was through this method.

While I was casually looking out the window, Olivia spoke up.

"It looks like Logan’s vehicle will arrive around tomorrow morning... we should swing by the studio too. There’s nothing to do at the hotel anyway, right, kids? I’ll be back in a bit."

"Heh, I was just about to say that...!"

"You’re the youngest? Are YOU the youngest?!"

"Ugh, what's the problem now?!"

"Stop bickering, are you kids in elementary school or what?"

Lauren, who had been trying to subtly tag along to Olivia’s studio, was swiftly shot down.

Her eyes rolled, trying to gauge the situation. Of course, even though she seemed like the classic tsundere type, if she asked kindly, Olivia would probably take her along… but honestly, I didn’t think the Shark would seriously ask to visit.

She was just someone who enjoyed watching others get worked up.

The tilt-jet, high up at thousands of meters, didn’t appear to be particularly high but certainly wasn’t low either. Manhattan slowly passed beneath us, glowing with lights, and as the altitude gradually lowered, JFK International Airport came into view. The engine angle shifted slowly, and as the altitude quickly dropped, the speed reduced in kind.

Not long after, the plane jerked as it landed in a corner of the airport. Because of the aircraft’s design, it didn’t need a runway, so as long as there was space, it landed directly there.

The ramp lowered, revealing an area that was off-limits to anyone other than staff or those with prior authorization. My streaming friends, pro gamers, and managers all got off the plane, thanking me as they left. Logan chuckled and added:

"When money and power combine, things like this are easy. As I always say, because of you, I’ve experienced all sorts of crazy things."

"…If it weren’t for the people here, I wouldn’t even be standing here. Think of this as the payment for the military knowledge I’ve provided, and enjoy the luxury while you can. In a few years, I’ll make sure you can enjoy even greater luxuries."

"Damn, you’re really tempting me."

With that, Logan also turned his head, chuckling. I honestly thought he’d brush it off with a "forget it," but it turns out even Logan’s interested when money’s involved. Of course, everything I said was true. The think tank had been making $100 million in profits monthly, so money wouldn’t be a problem moving forward.

As I was the last to get off the plane, the tilt-jet took off, and a large bus approached us. It was also branded with the Icarus logo. I wasn’t sure how it had entered the airport, but considering Icarus International’s headquarters was near Manhattan's Two Bridges, it probably wasn’t unusual.

One by one, we boarded the bus, and once everyone was on, I added:

"The traffic in Manhattan around 7 PM will be worse than Seoul. It’ll take about an hour just to get there, so take it easy."

"…Please build a helipad on the hotel’s rooftop."

"I’ll suggest it. But you probably won’t be able to use it until next year."

"Ahhhh!"

I chuckled, realizing they thought building a helipad was just a matter of stacking a few bricks and applying some concrete.

Leaning back in the bus seat, I relaxed as we drove through the airport. The chairs, able to support over 500 kg, moved smoothly. The roads, thick like the veins of an obese patient, gradually started to block our path.

Luckily, we didn’t have to worry about it. The day’s events were full of stories. As the minutes passed, the conversation turned into a lively debate. At first, only one or two people spoke, but it grew to six, then ten. We started discussing the competition rankings, which quickly escalated into an argument.

"I should’ve beaten Dice’s head off right there if I hadn’t made that mistake..."

"But you didn’t, did you? Heh, there’s no 'if' in the world."

"But Dice, even after I hit him with a rocket launcher, didn’t win."

"Why are you suddenly hitting me?!"

The primary target of the conversation was Dice.

But she already had her impenetrable defense.

"I’m going to make an honest statement. Isn’t it a luxury to be speaking when you didn’t even get first place?"

"What did you just say? You little..."

"Heh, this isn’t going well. Hey, bring the muzzle, bring the muzzle."

"Even if you muzzle me, I’m still in first place, right? Hohoho!"

Objective fact: Dice won first place in this year’s final championship.

With that fact, Dice began to stir up trouble, gleefully teasing the other players who were sulking in their seats.

Logan turned his head with a grin, ready to speak when he suddenly said:

"Hmm, by that logic, I got second place. Shouldn’t I get the right to speak too? Don’t you think?"

"Uh, uh, eek..."

"…I didn’t mean to scare you! If you keep reacting like that, I’ll feel bad!"

After that, Logan calmly handled the situation. Dice quickly shrank back into her seat, while Logan reassured everyone with a light tone. The conversation eventually turned to other topics as we made our way to Times Square.

We had finally arrived at the hotel. The staff moved our luggage to the pre-reserved rooms while we headed to the elevator. Even though there were many activated users, the custom-made elevator could hold up to three tons, and luckily, around ten people were able to fit in.

Then, after a few moments of thought, I said:

"Come to think of it, we haven’t had dinner yet. I’m starving."

"Do you remember that restaurant from last year? It’s still open. If everything goes smoothly, we might be able to go there."

"Eh, but don’t you usually need a reservation for places like that?"

"Well, if that doesn’t work, we can always try room service or find another way."

I felt a little puzzled. Normally, I would expect my parents to mention something or at least send a quick message, but they hadn’t. It was either left to us to choose, or maybe—

Ding!

Before I could finish my thoughts, the elevator arrived at the 32nd floor, and there stood my parents.

I immediately wondered why this thought had crossed my mind, but before I could consider it further, the words slipped out of my mouth before my brain caught up.

"…Why are mom and dad here?!"

"Well, after not seeing you for a while, that’s the first thing you say? Your dad is hurt, Jina."

"We haven’t seen each other in a while, and there are some new faces as well. Now, as we’re all familiar with each other, there’s no need to say much. I know you haven’t had dinner yet, so there’s plenty of food prepared. Let’s move forward; I guarantee the taste, so I hope it’ll be a good dinner."

With that, my parents turned and began walking ahead.

Some people were confused by this, but a few of them, who weren’t so surprised, tapped my shoulder and signaled for me to follow them.

I chuckled and added:

"I knew we’d have dinner, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon."

"Well, it’s hard to say, but maybe your troublesome side runs in the family."

"Ugh…"

I couldn’t deny that, which made me sad.

So, dinner began rather abruptly.

"Uh, um, nice to meet you. I’m known as Cartographer in the game…!"

"Mm. That nickname sounds familiar. I remember seeing it in a report recently. The subject itself was a bit ambiguous, so it was decided to be put on hold… but, well, just understand that you don’t need to speak of it outside."

"Oh, it’s on hold...? Did I do something wrong…?"

"Wrong? It’s just business talk, so don’t worry about it."

I was the one who said the last line.

It wasn’t like the person worked under my parents, so why was everyone so tense when they met my parents? I thought this might end up with someone choking on their food.

I patted Carto’s back lightly, trying to ease the tension. Of course, strictly speaking... it wasn’t entirely unrelated to my parents. If they got involved, I could be banned from streaming on Tricky. But that was a rare scenario.

Still, my parents wouldn’t do something like that.

After trying to ease the atmosphere, my dad casually added:

"Oh, don’t worry too much about it. I’ll tell you, based on avatar market product sales, your avatar ranked third in the fourth-quarter recognition data."

"Oh, that’s why the goods collaboration email I got recently…"

"That’s just one of many examples that Icarus can offer. We thought about other directions, but we decided to hold off on doing a major marketing campaign. We felt your recognition wasn’t sufficient yet."

"More than that…?"

"Well, seeing is believing."

At that moment, a small holographic screen appeared, visible only to a few nearby people like Carto.

As I was sitting right next to him, I could clearly see what the video contained.

The video was simple enough. It showed New York’s Dark Zone, completely wrecked, with people struggling to survive. The camera zoomed in on the source of the sound—Carto’s avatar, dressed in tactical gear, strumming a guitar and singing with a smooth, soothing voice reminiscent of a siren...

"Uh, cough, cough!"

"What is this?"

"Why is it only fun for you?!"

"Everyone, sit quietly while you’re eating."

I was baffled.

This "on-hold" project looked unnecessarily well-made. I knew video production in this world had become much easier, but the storyline and the settings were already worked out!

My exaggerated reaction caused everyone to turn their heads, eager to see the video. But with Lorentina’s cool voice, no one moved much.

I took a deep breath and added:

"I think I’ve seen a game attempt something like this before. What was it, an AOS game? Anyway, were you thinking about something like that, mom and dad?"

"Sure, it would generate buzz, but it also comes with its risks. If the project gets approved, we’ll start by composing new tracks for the background music and the world’s soundtrack."

This seemed to be progressing more than I expected.

As I thought about it, Mina spoke up:

"Uh, I’m not sure if I should be saying this, but… you’re very open-minded."

"Haha, if we weren’t, we wouldn’t have considered putting Jina into the game."

That was true...

My parents continued their conversation with solid reasoning. It made sense why they were interested in having me in the game and how it could benefit from proper backing. They discussed the importance of user engagement, citing my progress in the Dark Zone as an example.

It seemed like everything was falling into place, but Carto, feeling a little overwhelmed, turned to me with a nervous expression and mumbled:

"…Did we have to decide this right now?"

"No, not really… but how did this conversation suddenly turn into this? We were supposed to be eating."

"Hmm, I realize this isn’t the right time during dinner. I apologize for bringing it up."

While Carto nervously mumbled, I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

It wasn’t a great idea to talk about work during dinner.