Chapter 283: FRB (11)

Ryu Young-Joon, Director Harris, and Isaiah Franklin were seated in the VIP section with other bodyguards and entourage.

“I have to be the only terrorist in the world who’s flying on the presidential jet,” said Isaiah Franklin.

“If you testify well in the Netherlands, the court will be more lenient. Be good.”

“This plane is safe, right? If it crashes, it’s all over,” she asked.

“Air Force One being attacked is the same level of threat as the White House being attacked directly. No matter how powerful Lofair is, it won’t be easy to attack Air Force One. This plane is extremely well-prepared for any kind of terrorism. The entourage here is a small group of trusted people.”

“But we need to be careful once we get off,” said Campbell as he came out of the presidential suite. “Director Harris thinks there may already be snipers or terrorists in the Netherlands waiting for us.”

“It makes sense. They’re the same people who killed President Lincoln and Kennedy.”

Harris nodded and agreed with Campbell.

“Apparently, things are rough in the financial district these days. Citizens have been holding a lot of rallies,” Young-Joon said.

“That’s right. Their chants are, ‘Nationalize the FRB.’ The atmosphere is shaping up to be what we originally planned. By the time public opinion boils over and the International Court of Justice makes its ruling, Congress will attack the Federal Bank,” Campbell said.

“It’ll be difficult to nationalize the Federal Bank entirely, but I’m thinking of amending the Federal Reserve Act to ensure that all of the Federal Bank’s operating profits are attributed to the Treasury. Alternatively, we might transfer the authority to issue dollars or set interest rates to the Treasury.”

“In any case, Lofair is going to play some rough, aggressive tricks, Doctor Ryu, because he’s a dead end. We all need to be careful, which is why I’ve been thinking...”

Harris gestured to Young-Joon’s arms.

“Are you sure you’re okay with taking a child to the Netherlands at this time?”

A little red-haired girl was snuggled in Young-Joon’s lap and sleeping. After boarding Air Force One, she was so excited that she ran from the president’s suite to the staff’s economy seat at the back of the plane. Now, exhausted, she had fallen asleep in Young-Joon’s arms, breathing softly. She occasionally let out little murmurs as if she was playing around in her dreams as well.

Rosaline was here with Young-Joon. Everyone was surprised when he brought this curious, energetic, and adorable child with him. It gave everyone in the Campbell administration a little something to smile about before the big fight, but they couldn’t help but worry.

“It’s alright,” Young-Joon said. “Lofair is after this girl right now. Leaving her in the U.S. is more dangerous. I can only protect her when she’s with me.”

*

Several weeks ago from now. It was the day Young-Joon stopped by Director Harris’ hideout to see Isaiah Franklin for the first time. He administered drugs to help Isaiah regain consciousness even though there was neither a clinical consent form nor preparation to collect stem cells. There was another reason for his visit.

Isaiah had other guests to meet. They were Elsie and Song Ji-Hyun: one was her biological mother, and the other was the scientist who, along with Yassir, had exposed CIA attempts to eliminate Isaiah in the media.

Harris realized early on that their lives could be in danger and had sent agents to protect them in advance.

“I need to see my daughter before I go to the Netherlands because I might never be able to see her again. If you don’t, I’m not going to testify,” Elsie told Harris.

Eventually, before they left for the Netherlands, they stopped by Harris’ hideout to see Young-Joon and Isaiah.

“Hello,” Isaiah greeted them from her bed.

“Long time no see, Isaiah.”

It had been a long time since Isaiah had run away from home after they had a big argument in the Middle East. Elsie was worried that it would be uncomfortable seeing her daughter after all this time, but when she saw her face, her first reaction was pity and remorse.

“Why do you look so bad? Have you eaten? How are you feeling?”

“What? It’s not like you don’t know me. You know I have myelodysplastic syndrome.”

“...”

“Is this the famous Doctor Song?” Isaiah said, glancing at Song Ji-Hyun.

“My name is Song Ji-Hyun. Doctor Elsie has told me a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you, Doctor Song. You didn’t have to get involved in this fight. I appreciate your participation, but I’m afraid you might get hurt.”

“Doctor Ryu has nothing to do with it either, but he’s here risking his life for you.”

“No, Ryu Young-Joon has something to do with this. This actually started long before the three of us met,” Isaiah said, chuckling.

“...”

Song Ji-Hyun glared at Isaiah for a moment. She wanted to suppress her personal feelings and have a conversation with Isaiah Franklin, but it was hard. The nuance that the three of them were sharing a secret that only she didn’t know annoyed her.

“Is that why you carried out a terrorist attack on the GSC? At the hotel where Doctor Ryu was?” Song Ji-Hyun asked.

Her anger towards Doctor Ref, the terrorist, burned like a slow fire and has remained with her ever since. She knew Isaiah was a victim who had suffered a lot of pain in Nicaragua and the Middle East, but she still couldn’t forgive Isaiah.

“And that’s why you tried to frame Doctor Ryu for using anthrax weapons in the Congo?” Song Ji-Hyun asked.

“I didn’t intend to kill him, and I thought he would clear his name quickly,” Isaiah replied.

“You don’t feel the slightest bit guilty? You’re so shameless.”

“Do you like Ryu Young-Joon or something? It’s all in the past, and Doctor Ryu, who was attacked, isn’t saying anything. I don’t know why you are being so sensitive, Doctor Song?”

“What did you say?”

The atmosphere between the two became slightly tense.

“Look, wait a minute. We’re not here to fight. We’re here to strategize for the trial in the Netherlands,” Young-Joon interrupted. “I would like Elsie and Doctor Song to do the first trial. I’ll stay here and treat Isaiah, then go in for the second trial.”

“Whatever you decide is fine, but first, we need to talk,” Isaiah said to Young-Joon. “Doctor Song, could you give us the room?”

“What is it?” Song Ji-Hyun asked.

“Would you know if I told you? Have you heard anything about Rosaline?” Isaiah asked.

“Rosaline?”

“Doctor Song, I’m sorry, but can I have a moment alone...” Young-Joon asked with an apologetic expression.

“...”

Song Ji-Hyun gulped and stood up.

“Call me after you’re done.”

She walked out, looking slightly offended.

When she stepped outside, Harris and Robert stared at her.

“Are you done talking?”

“The three of them have something to talk about.”

Song Ji-Hyun sat on the chair, deep in thought. She was now a candidate for the Nobel Prize, but she was still an ordinary civilian. But instead of going home, she stayed in the United States, faced the media with Yassir, met Elsie, and decided to go to the Netherlands. This needed quite a bit of courage to do. She thought this would help Young-Joon, and she thought she would be able to work alongside him. But to be in a worse position than a terrorist...

“Phew...”

Song Ji-Hyun sighed and lay down on her desk.

‘What is Rosaline? What is it about her?’

Song Ji-Hyun remembered Young-Joon’s niece she’d met at the Next Generation Hospital.

That girl was a mysterious child in many ways. The girl hadn’t been there before she left the hospital room to get cocoa, so it was strange that she appeared out of nowhere. She asked Young-Joon about Rosaline when they were in the United States, but he didn’t respond clearly. Elsie had also asked if she knew about Rosaline, saying that it was an artificial cell she was growing at the Life Creation Department.

‘Did they really create life or something? Why are they making such a fuss about that name?’

Song Ji-Hyun passed the time idly, rolling a pen on the desk.

In the meantime, in Isaiah Franklin’s hospital room, the three people who knew Rosaline’s identity were in discussion.

“You could tell Doctor Song,” Elsie said.

“The less people know, the better. Doctor Song seems to have a crush on Ryu Young-Joon, so who knows? If she gets rejected, she might go around exposing everything out of spite,” Isaiah said.

“Doctor Song wouldn’t do that. Cut the crap and let’s talk about Rosaline,” Young-Joon said.

“When I was in Egypt, Yassir told me that a red-haired girl named Rosaline was playing in the hospital director’s room at the Next Generation Hospital. He said that you brought her,” Isaiah said to Young-Joon.

“Doctor Song talked about that too. It bothered me a little... Doctor Ryu, is that girl really Rosaline?” Elsie said, intervening.

“... Yes,” Young-Joon said.

“Shit...”

“She can make a body... How many cells does that need? Her fitness is not what it was when we were developing her.”

Isaiah and Elsie were amazed.

“Where is she now?” Isaiah asked.

“She can’t maintain her body for long, so she is back in her cell state right now.”

“Can she form her body again?” Elsie asked.

Young-Joon glanced at Rosaline.

—Yes.

Rosaline sent him a message.

—My fitness recovery speed couldn’t keep up with the amount of fitness being used.

She felt the fitness coursing through her.

—But not anymore. Thousands of people in Nicaragua have been infected with the virus that Yassir spread, and the DNA injected by the virus is active because most of them have undergone treatments like gene therapy or organ transplants. Proteins expressed in the central nervous system, like Lagba, or organs like the liver are being delivered to the brain.

Rosaline went on.

—Now, I can build a body the size of Ryu Sae-Yi anytime I want, and I can maintain it. I was going to do it when we go back to Korea since it might cause problems for you if I do it here.

Young-Joon delivered this news to Elsie and Isaiah.

“Then is she listening to us as a cell?” Isaiah asked.

“Yeah. she’s over there,” Young-Joon said, pointing to the chair beside the bed.

Elsie and Isaiah’s head followed his finger. They couldn’t see it, but a cell was floating there. And Rosaline, who was in the form of Ryu Sae-Yi, was pacing.

“Okay. Ryu Young-Joon, when Lofair deals with someone as dangerous as you, they start with family. They’re probably doing quite a bit of research on Rosaline, too,” Isaiah said. “She absolutely cannot be revealed. If you’re going to make her human, it has to be perfect.”

“Use my name,” Elsie said.

“What?”

“I haven’t met anyone but drug dealers in over a decade. And do you know what the suburb of San Diego I was living in was like?” Elsie said. “It’s full of illegal immigrants from Mexico. Most of them are undocumented, and babies born from them are abandoned quite often, too.”

“...”

“Just say it’s a kid that an old drug-addicted scientist of the Life Creation Department was keeping. And...” Elsie said. “You can adopt her, Doctor Ryu.”