“……What? What about him?”
His heart sank for a moment.
Was Ju Xiang suspicious? Of course he would be suspicious—he was also a spy for the Baeksa Faction. A properly trained, real spy, unlike himself who could barely manage the tasks assigned to him.
His chest tightened sharply at the thought that the perceptive Ray Jun might have figured out his identity. It wouldn’t matter if only Ju Xiang went down, but this could drag him into it too. If Ju Xiang was exposed, there was a high chance his own identity would be revealed as well.
“For someone on the surveillance team, he wanders around the floor suspiciously often.”
“…….”
“He did it a week ago too. I had the night shift on Friday. But Ju Xiang was loitering around the floor at 4 AM when there were hardly any people.”
“Wasn’t he just on duty?”
Kang Siwon forced himself to defend Ju Xiang. But Ray Jun responded in an unconvinced tone.
“He was wearing his uniform, so he must have been on duty. But why was he wandering around the floor at that hour? If there was a problem on the floor, he could just check the CCTV from the surveillance room.”
“…….”
“I don’t know if he was patrolling or monitoring someone, but… the atmosphere was a bit strange. Besides that, I’ve heard things here and there.”
“What did you hear…….”
His fingertips went cold. This wasn’t just about Ju Xiang—his own safety was at stake too. He hoped it wasn’t critical information, but Ray Jun’s next words were enough to choke off Kang Siwon’s breath.
“I know a few people on the surveillance team. According to them, Ju Xiang frequently looks through the logs. Even when there’s no particular issue, he obsessively checks ordinary table logs. Combined with Ju Xiang’s usual reputation, people are gossiping that it’s creepy.”
Kang Siwon felt uneasy. If it had been someone else telling him this story, he might have tried to dismiss it as a baseless rumor.
But this was Ray Jun, who was friendly with employees from other departments. If it was him—someone who had even accessed the settlement system—it wouldn’t be strange for him to know the internal affairs of the surveillance team.
“Xie Wei, what the hell is that bastard Ju Xiang plotting?”
Kang Siwon realized this wasn’t simple curiosity, but a question premised on certainty. Perhaps Ray Jun had suspected Ju Xiang all along, separate from his own affairs.
He couldn’t help but sigh at that accurate speculation. A dealer who had been with the company for less than a year had seen through the existence of a spy that even Sovereign’s upper management hadn’t noticed. Perhaps Ju Xiang had shown vulnerabilities because he’d been driven by the recent pressure to produce results, but without exceptional observational and deductive skills, Ray Jun couldn’t have reached this conclusion.
“……I don’t know either.”
That was all he could answer. Kang Siwon pushed Ray Jun away. He clung to him as if unwilling to let go, but eventually backed off in the face of continued resistance. At the same time, the cock that had been filling the hole slipped out and semen poured out in a stream. At the sensation of semen flowing down between his legs, Kang Siwon’s expression faintly crumpled.
However, Ray Jun seemed to have no intention of changing the subject.
“You really don’t know? Not even a guess?”
“Yeah.”
“Then shall I tell you what I’m guessing?”
Ray Jun stubbornly pulled Kang Siwon into an embrace. He wrapped his strong arms around him and buried his face in Kang Siwon’s nape. His cock rubbed against his ass in the process, but Kang Siwon said nothing.
“Between blackmailing you and everything else, Ju Xiang is a real piece of shit.”
“…….”
“Would a bastard like that be satisfied with just getting a regular paycheck? I doubt it. He wouldn’t have any qualms about getting his hands dirty with illegal activities either.”
Ray Jun didn’t seem to know yet that Ju Xiang was a spy, but at this rate, it seemed only a matter of time.
“Xie Wei, is Ju Xiang trying to drag you into that kind of thing too?”
“I said no.”
Kang Siwon spoke firmly. But even to his own ears, the answer didn’t sound convincing.
“I don’t know exactly what Ju Xiang is up to or what he’s trying to make you do, but one thing’s certain. If something goes wrong, Ju Xiang will be the first one to bail. He won’t take responsibility for you.”
“……It’s not your business, so butt out. Don’t write fiction.”
“How can I butt out when you’re involved too? I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt.”
His head throbbed. He was grateful for the concern, but he himself could end up in more danger as a result. Kang Siwon snapped sharply in his agitation.
“It’s not for you to get involved in. Honestly, from my perspective, you’re suspicious too, you know? You keep prying into my personal life and subtly probing. Who are you to do that?”
“I’m…….”
“Just because we slept together once, does that make us lovers or something? You said to think of it lightly. If you volunteered to be a tool for sexual relief, then just have sex and stay out of everything else!”
Maybe there was no need to push this hard. But he felt he needed to be firm so Ray Jun wouldn’t dig any deeper.
“Objectively speaking, you’re plenty suspicious too—taking photos of Sovereign’s settlement system. Are you an undercover reporter? A detective? Or are you some kind of champion of justice?”
Ray Jun only parted his lips slightly, saying nothing. Seeing his seemingly hurt expression made Kang Siwon’s chest sting too.
After a brief silence, Ray Jun spoke.
“No. I’ve never tried to pretend to be a champion of justice or anything like that. Yeah, hearing you say it, I can see how I might look suspicious from your perspective. But at least, unlike someone else, I have absolutely no intention of dragging you into bad things.”
“…….”
“Be honest with yourself, Xie Wei. You know better than anyone which of us is more trustworthy—Ju Xiang or me, right?”
“That’s…….”
“And actually, your reaction right now is familiar to me. You know what? When playing poker, people who are anxious about their bluffing being caught make exactly that expression, just like you are now. No matter how much they bluster, deep down they know they’ve lost. They just don’t want to admit it.”
Ray Jun gently stroked down Kang Siwon’s back. Despite saying such sharp things that pierced his heart like an awl, his touch was gentle. The gap was so vast that Kang Siwon didn’t know what reaction to show.
“Xie Wei, I’ll say it again—I’m on your side. But for me to help you, I need to know what kind of trouble you’re in first.”
“…….”
“Can’t you rely on me just a little?”
Ray Jun’s voice was like a soft breeze, shaking Kang Siwon’s parched reed-like heart helplessly. It seemed like if he just leaned on Ray Jun, forgetting what came before and after, he could feel at ease, at least for a moment.
But what about after that?
He said he’d never tried to pretend to be a champion of justice, but from Kang Siwon’s perspective, Ray Jun was a more moral person than average. He was strict about criminal activity. This was evident just from watching him criticize people who used the exchange system for tax evasion and Sovereign for running double books.
Would such a Ray Jun still protect him like this even if he found out he was a spy?
He wouldn’t. Even if by some chance he believed him, it was too dangerous an experiment to stake his safety on.
“……Forget it. I’ll handle my own problems.”
In the end, Kang Siwon spat out bluntly.
The hand stroking down his back hesitated for a moment, but Ray Jun soon resumed caressing him again. Like polishing a precious treasure with silk over and over.
“Yeah. I’m sure you’ll handle it well.”
“…….”
It seemed settled for now. However, Kang Siwon still felt nothing but complicated emotions.
Ray Jun’s remarks he’d just heard circled in his head. He had said Kang Siwon was like someone anxious about their bluffing being caught. It was a remarkably accurate observation. Having started the game holding a bad hand, what else could he do but bluff?
Kang Siwon also knew in the end that this was a game he would lose. However things unfolded, he would continue walking a thorny path. In the worst case, his identity might be discovered by Sovereign and he’d end up in prison in Macau, or he might be beaten nearly to death by the Baeksa Faction and become a cripple.
At best, maybe he could complete his spy mission safely without being caught by anyone? But even in that process, he’d have to take on all kinds of dirty work, and most critically, he’d have no choice but to part with Ray Jun.
“……Ha.”
He didn’t want to think about anything right now. Kang Siwon sighed and pulled Ray Jun’s arms closer. His body heat felt so hot it stung against his back.
* * *
Ray Jun looked down at Xie Wei in his arms. He was sound asleep. Judging from how he lay completely still with only soft breathing continuing, he must have been quite tired. Well, why wouldn’t he be? He’d come in after getting beaten up by some bastard and then dealt with him on top of that.
“……Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue, he carefully unwrapped his arm from around Xie Wei. He worried he might wake up, but it was needless concern. His sleeping position had changed, but he continued wandering in his dreams, unbothered.
Ray Jun gazed at him for a moment, then pulled the blanket up to his chest and quietly got up.
He grabbed his phone and went out to the living room. After frowning briefly at the bright fluorescent light, Ray Jun sat on the sofa and opened the security app.
[Me] An employee named Xie Wei on the cage team. I need to investigate him.
