She hung up and Min-joon set his phone down on the table. Tae-hyun was looking at him with an expression of surprise and hope."You actually did it, you actually said no," Tae-hyun said."I said no to one thing, that does not mean I have fully decided," Min-joon replied. "But you are right that I need to make a real choice instead of trying to do everything.""So what are you going to choose?"Min-joon thought about it for a long time, weighing everything. The resistance needed him, or at least they thought they did, and people would probably die tonight if he was not there to help defend the facilities. But Tae-hyun needed him too, needed him alive and present and not constantly sacrificing himself for strangers."I am going to choose you," Min-joon said finally. "I am going to step back from active fighting, I am going to keep my government advisory role because that is structured and bounded, but I am not going to personally raid facilities or hunt terrorists or put myself in dange

Min-joon spent three days reviewing everything, cross-referencing it with regulatory language, identifying exactly how each loophole was being exploited. Then he prepared a comprehensive report for the oversight committee with specific recommendations for closing each gap.The committee meeting where he presented the findings was tense, several members had received lobbying pressure from the Collective and technology companies who did not want stronger regulations. Min-joon presented the evidence methodically, showing exactly how the regulations were being circumvented and why it was dangerous."These are not theoretical problems, these are things happening right now that are putting people at risk," Min-joon said during his presentation. "If we do not close these loopholes immediately, the Collective will continue manipulating vulnerable people into consciousness upload without genuine informed consent.""But some of your proposed regulations would affect industries beyond just consc

Song Mi-rae immediately started making calls while Min-joon sat down and began gathering his power. This was going to require enormous precision and strength, he had to cut seventeen sets of deeply integrated consciousness connections simultaneously without causing catastrophic damage to any of them."You are really doing this," Tae-hyun said quietly, sitting beside him. "Even though it is dangerous and exactly the kind of direct action you promised to avoid.""I approved Song Mi-rae's network, I bear responsibility for what it became," Min-joon replied. "How can I walk away when people are trapped because of my poor judgment?""You keep finding reasons to blame yourself for things that are not actually your fault," Tae-hyun observed. "Song Mi-rae created the network, the seventeen people chose to join it, the network malfunctioned for technical reasons nobody could predict. None of that is your responsibility.""I could have examined the network structure more carefully before approv

Min-joon looked at Tae-hyun, who was staring at him with an expression of pleading desperation."Hyung, do not do this, please," Tae-hyun said quietly. "You promised me you were stepping back, you promised boundaries mattered more than saving everyone. Do not let them manipulate you into breaking that promise.""But if I do nothing, thousands of people will suffer.""And if you go to this meeting, you will probably die and I will lose my brother," Tae-hyun countered. "Min-joon, I am begging you, choose yourself this time. Choose me. Let other people handle this threat."The room fell silent as everyone waited for Min-joon's decision. He could feel the weight of all those expectations pressing down on him, the government officials wanting him to negotiate, Tae-hyun wanting him to refuse, the distant awareness of thousands of uploaded consciousnesses whose fate depended on what he chose."I need time to think," Min-joon said finally. "Give me until tomorrow morning to decide.""The Remn

The abandoned factory was in an industrial area near Incheon Port, surrounded by other derelict buildings and empty lots. It looked like it had been closed for years, windows broken and walls covered in rust and graffiti. Min-joon felt System energy radiating from inside, confirming the Remnant had prepared something beyond a simple conversation.He walked to the entrance alone as instructed, pushing open a metal door that screeched on rusted hinges. Inside was a large open space that had once been a manufacturing floor, machinery removed but oil stains and debris remaining. Lights had been set up creating a pool of illumination in the center of the darkness.In that light stood three figures, all wearing masks that obscured their features completely. The one in the middle spoke with the same distorted voice from the video."Kang Min-joon, thank you for coming. We were uncertain whether you would prioritize innocent lives or your own safety.""Let us skip the philosophical debates," M