Chemistry

10. Special Research: Venice Entropy(3)

「Sunglasses man」 – Calle Magno Street

A building overlooking address 2696.

The hand, holding a Rolex wristwatch, raised a pair of binoculars to the eyes. Through the eyes of the person, the backs of a man and a woman leaving the alley came into view.

The man and woman stood on the gondola in the canal. After confirming this, the man lowered the binoculars and picked up the radio.

『Head west along the canal. Follow those Asians closely. It’s related to Dr. Cheon.』

The words that came out of his mouth were in German.

Click.

-I’ve sent two.

『What about Jeremy? Have you assessed the situation already?』

-We’re contacting the police headquarters.

『Hey, Tom. Use money or whatever it takes to find out. We don’t have much time. We’re not the only ones here.』

The person became anxious, and as he fiddled with his wristwatch, he picked up the tablet placed on the table.

The stock graph of ‘LANCESS’, a German specialty chemical company, appeared on the screen. The person, who had been closely monitoring it, bit his lip as he noticed the fluctuations that had been going downhill since two days ago.

‘How did Cheon Seung-guk get a whiff of the top-secret project? It’s a matter of life and death for Drex and Lancess. We must catch Jeremy Baker at all costs.’

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Above the Gondola

The boat smoothly cut through the water, guided by the leisurely gestures of the helmsman gripping the oar.

Seated on the velvet cushion and Persian rugs spread on the ferry, Jeong-woo continued to massage his molars with his hand.

‘Am I never going to get the pronunciation right at this rate? Even if it’s English, I should at least give it a try before heading to the police station.’

His listening skills had improved considerably, but the current situation, far beyond the occasional nervousness when speaking a foreign language, left him utterly perplexed.

‘The problem was my desire to get it easily.’

Looking back, he should have realized when forming the combination. He had even confirmed that neurotransmitters would act sensitively while exploring the molecular world.

In his attempt to properly exercise his mouth, he had been pronouncing ABCD when Yoon Yi-seol, who was sitting opposite him, pulled out a camcorder from her bag.

When their eyes met, Yoon Yi-seol smiled.

“It might take some time, so I want to shoot a little. Whenever I go abroad, I record a travelogue with the camcorder. Don’t bother searching; there are many embarrassing moments.”

“Can I help you with something?”

His Korean pronunciation had now nearly returned.

Yoon Yi-seol turned the camcorder upside down and extended it towards Jeong-woo.

“Could you film the background nicely? Oh, and could you ask a few questions here? Director Ji used to do it…”

She handed him a small notebook.

“The editing will be taken care of by the staff, so just shoot freely.”

“Got it.”

Jeong-woo accepted the camcorder and adjusted the angle of Yoon Yi-seol and the background on the screen before giving an OK sign.

The light illuminated the REC lamp, and Yoon Yi-seol focused her gaze through the camcorder lens. With two fingers against her cheek, she formed a ‘V’ and spoke with a bright smile.

“Ta-da~ It’s Yi-seol TV. Yesterday, it was Paris, right? And today…”

A mobile barge laden with vegetables and fruits passed in front of the gondola as it moved. Yoon Yi-seol briefly turned her head in that direction and then turned back with an expression that seemed to say, “Did you see that?”

“This is Venice, where these boats come and go. Wow~ Applause.”

Yoon Yi-seol cheered alone, then put her fingers to her lips and tried to whistle, but only the sound of the wind came out.

Jeong-woo found her cute, and he unknowingly wore a proud smile while focusing on the camcorder screen.

“We’re on a gondola heading to Piazza Navona right now.”

After finishing her comment, Yoon Yi-seol gestured to the notebook, and Jeong-woo read aloud from the top.

“Why did you come here?”

“We’re here for a mini-album photoshoot. Today, we’re doing a preliminary exploration with the manager.”

Jeong-woo leaned towards the camcorder and sent a look that seemed to say, “Am I your manager now?” Yoon Yi-seol nodded in response.

“As you can see, the city is so beautiful. The weather is great too. The sky is clear.”

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing Yoon Yi-seol’s hair to fly to the side. She was slightly flustered by her now tousled hairstyle.

While she tidied her hair, Jeong-woo glanced at the background on the screen, then pointed to the sky.

“Ms. Yi-seol, there are quite a few clouds, so it’s not that clear.”

“If you look closely, you can see it that way, right? Besides, this is how they usually exaggerate in travel shows. Our manager is shooting a travelogue for the first time, so he doesn’t know.”

In the midst of the situation captured by the camera, there was an inexplicable feeling of pressure within Yoon Yi-seol.

Yoon Yi-seol combed her disheveled hair with one hand, then looked up at the sky and said after a brief silence.

“As you can see, the city is so beautiful.”

“Didn’t you just say that?”

“Shh.”

Yoon Yi-seol’s determination in setting the editing point amused Jeong-woo.

The vivacity that was unimaginable considering her usual demureness was unfolding on the rectangular screen. As soon as she focused the lens, her cheerful voice tone transformed, and it definitely had that celebrity vibe.

‘Come to think of it, before the delicious feast shoot, she had a professional vibe.’

Should we say she knows how to look good on camera?

‘This is why you won’t be able to get over it if you become a fan.’

For Jeong-woo, a novice fan who had been supporting Yoon Yi-seol for just three months, the fact that he could watch her from the sidelines was simply a delightful experience.

Jeong-woo asked the next question from the notebook.

“You’ve prepared a surprise new song for the spring. Was there a special inspiration behind it?”

“Yes, there was.”

Yoon Yi-seol looked directly into the camcorder’s lens.

“I’ve recently found a very special music companion.”

Jeong-woo felt a momentary excitement as if the gaze on the camcorder screen was looking at him.

“Now that we’re in Italy, shall we do a canzone”

“What’s that?”

Yoon Yi-seol, with her hand over her mouth, said quietly.

“In Paris, I sang a chanson. I’ve been practicing one song from each country.”

Yoon Yi-seol turned her gaze to the surrounding scenery and began singing in a whisper.

“che bella co’sa na’ iur na ta’e sole―”

Oh Solé Mio. It was a familiar melody that Jeong-woo had heard during his school music lessons.

Even the helmsman, who was rowing the boat, had a smile at the corner of his mouth as he listened to her sing.

‘I can understand the lyrics right away.’

While the song continued, Jeong-woo, out of curiosity, tried mumbling a Korean translation experimentally.

“How splendid the sunny day is, as the storm passes by, the sky is clear, and in the refreshing breeze, the sunlight shines like a festival.”

The harmonious combination of the sparkling water sounds and Yoon Yi-seol’s gentle voice, like fine wood grain, made this waterside stage a special performance that was hard to come by even with money.

Because the atmosphere was so exquisite, Jeong-woo, who was shooting frantically, turned his head when he felt a harsh sensation from the side.

A sudden shift in the dust particles. It was as if a gust of wind had brushed past Yoon Yi-seol, just like before.

‘Oh no. I can’t let that ruin it.’

Jeong-woo handed the camcorder to the helmsman behind him. The confused helmsman received it, and when he sent an inquisitive look, Jeong-woo pointed to Yoon Yi-seol. As a professional boatman catering to tourists, he quickly understood and focused the camcorder screen on her.

Jeong-woo, now without his outerwear, quickly covered Yoon Yi-seol’s side.

A whooshing wind, and with it, the drifting dust particles passed like wrapping around their outerwear.

“O Sole Mio―”

Yoon Yi-seol, wearing her windbreaker, looked up at Jeong-woo. With a look that seemed to ask, “What are you doing when you have a cold?” Jeong-woo made a facial expression as if he wanted her to finish the song properly and then turned a stern gaze to observe the movement of the dust particles.

“Where is it!”

He even chased the dust particles that had slipped through the small gap in their outerwear far away.

“Stan fron te’a te~”

Her song came to an end. Jeong-woo extended his gratitude to the helmsman who had filmed it well until the end.

When the helmsman handed back the camcorder and applauded, saying “Brava!” Yoon Yi-seol nodded with a familiar smile.

“Let’s stop here.”

Yoon Yi-seol switched off the camcorder and packed it into her bag.

“Jeong-woo, earlier you were reciting something like a poem, right?”

“It was the lyrics of the song Yi-seol was singing.”

“The Korean lyrics I knew felt different.”

“Well, you could say it’s a loose translation.”

“Do you know Italian? Wow.”

To Yoon Yi-seol, who was amazed by everything, Jeong-woo shook his head.

“Just a little.”

“I’ve only learned greetings and this song for overseas fans. Jeong-woo, you pretended not to know when you actually knew.”

As much as her admiration, it would be great if he could speak Italian fluently. But his darn tongue just wouldn’t cooperate.

“Translating and speaking in Korean is really simple.”

Just in case, Jeong-woo tried pronouncing the lyrics she sang.

“che bella co’sa… Huh? It works? Why is this happening?”

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly not feeling like his tongue was getting stuck, Jeong-woo looked at Yoon Yi-seol.

‘Did I suddenly become good at singing in just one song? No way.’

However, he couldn’t pronounce any other foreign languages at all.

Without any knowledge of neurology and the brain’s linguistic processing, Jeong-woo gave up on deep contemplation. Where on earth did his ability to speak even a bit of Italian come from? Given that he had to go to the police station, he could only be thankful for this.

The boat that had been floating down the canal for a while was soon approaching the canal near the destination pier.

Confirming the sign that read ‘Questura di Venezia,’ which indicated the police headquarters, Jeong-woo spoke.

“I need to go in now. Do you want to go to a restaurant for lunch first? It’s nearby.”

“No.”

Yoon Yi-seol abruptly shook her head, then quickly added, fearing that Jeong-woo might misunderstand.

“I get bored when I’m alone. Let’s check out the Venice police station. Jeong-woo, you keep trying to leave me behind. Am I a burden?”

Seeing her narrow-eyed and piercing gaze, Jeong-woo urgently waved his hand.

“No way.”

“Then let’s go together. Don’t wander around alone.”

While Jeong-woo thought the journey might be boring, Yoon Yi-seol seemed to be enjoying herself all the way, not losing her liveliness for a moment.

‘You’re really kind.’

「Jeremy Becker」 – Venice Police Headquarters, Interrogation Room

Jeremy couldn’t believe the reality of sitting in this cramped room being interrogated by Italian police.

A government official from the Ministry of Public Safety, Marco, asked in English.

『So, is this bag just a storage container?』

『How many times do I have to say it?』

Jeremy had rushed to Venice upon receiving a shocking email from a chemist about the unfinished ‘Drex enzyme.’

And then the problem unfolded.

The two police officers who had brought him in continued to eye the bag on the table with unease. Jeremy felt unjustly treated and frustrated.

The bag, specially designed to store the enzyme, was not something you could buy in stores. Naturally, explaining it to people with little knowledge of chemistry was not easy.

A gas circulation device for temperature control, a sealed container that opened with fingerprint recognition, and a tube for stabilizing the contents with up to ten reagents. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for a biochemical weapon.

『Why can’t you tell us what’s inside?』

『It’s a substance I’m applying for a patent for. Would you understand if I disclosed all the components? Do you know what a ‘Micaelis-Menten’ model is?』

『But we have to understand it to prove it.』

『Why hasn’t the expert who was supposed to come arrived? If it’s really a biochemical terror plot, that’s a big problem!』

His outburst in frustration made Marco’s complexion turn pale.

『Terror?』

『I mean, that’s what it seems like.』

Determined to buy a ticket back to the United States as soon as he was released, Jeremy clenched his fist and held his tongue.

As they spent time this way, they heard a knocking at the door. The police officer opened the door, spoke something in Italian, and then let one person in.

『It seems the expert has arrived.』

Jeremy turned his head at the sound. A man in his mid-thirties with brown hair walked towards Jeremy and greeted him.

『Professor, I’m Tom Schneider, a researcher at Lancess.』

At the sound of this, Jeremy’s ears perked up. Lancess was a world-renowned chemical company, especially famous for its expertise in engineering plastics and advanced materials.

Tom, the researcher, placed a plastic box on the table he had brought with him and said to Marco.

『Safety certification experiments for the professor’s patented substance. We’re willing to stake the name of our company, Lancess, to prove it.』

As a machine-like device emerged from the open box, Marco and the police officers were once again bewildered.

Thinking back to their attitude that seemed like you were talking to a wall, Jeremy asked Tom.

『Do you know what this substance is?』

『Yes, of course. I’ve read Professor’s papers several times. Isn’t this the miraculous catalyst?』

Jeremy’s face swelled with pride at Tom’s praise, but there were still some things that needed to be clarified.

『It’s not perfect. How are we going to conduct the equilibrium experiments?』

『Our portable lab from Lancess will be sufficient for verification.』

Tom, who had set up a spectrometer with electrodes and a microscope, grinned.

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Venice Police Headquarters

Jeong-woo carefully surveyed the interior of the police station, which, by Korean standards, could be considered a small-scale neighborhood police station. If it weren’t for the exotic exterior, one might not even think it was a police station.

As he walked towards the reception desk, a middle-aged woman with yellow hair turned her gaze towards Jeong-woo.

『What brings you here?』

『If possible, I’d like to visit someone inside. Professor Jeremy Becker. Please tell them he’s Dr. Cheon Seung-guk’s student. Here’s a note as well.』

Jeong-woo handed over a paper containing Cheon Seung-guk’s statement, which he had written using Yoon Yi-seol’s notebook. Since they might not be familiar with the name Cheon Seung-guk, Jeong-woo pronounced it again, emphasizing each syllable. As he did so, he met Yoon Yi-seol’s curious gaze.

“You’re speaking Italian now?”

“A little.”

While Jeong-woo flashed a charming smile, the middle-aged woman called over a passing police officer. She then pointed to a bench behind Jeong-woo.

『Wait here.』

“Alright, we’ll wait.”

After waiting for about ten minutes without any contact, Jeong-woo and Yoon Yi-seol walked back to the reception desk.

『Is there no response?』

『I’m not getting any response for some reason..』

『How much longer do we have to wait?』

The woman at the reception raised her hand, indicating that she didn’t know.

『Why don’t you go have a coffee at the cafe nearby? We’ll contact you.』

The response was as laid-back as the atmosphere inside.

Jeong-woo turned his head and asked Yoon Yi-seol.

“Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer. Should we get something to drink?”

“Okay.”

Yoon Yi-seol nodded with a playful smile.

With worries about when they might be called and not much else to do, they sat at a cafe. They returned with two cappuccinos, a quintessential Italian coffee.

“Enjoy, Jeong-woo. The aroma is amazing.”

As Yoon Yi-seol sipped her coffee, she continued.

“It’s smooth. Oh, but it’s a bit bitter.”

“Do you sleep well these days?”

Yoon Yi-seol avoided answering directly to the indirect question about whether she could handle caffeine.

『Han Jeong-woo. Where are you?』

A police officer who had walked out from the interior corridors called out, causing Jeong-woo to turn his head.

‘It’s him.’

He was one of the burly police officers who had taken Professor Jeremy away. Jeong-woo raised his hand.

『I’m here.』

『This way.』

As it was a situation that required immediate action, Jeong-woo glanced back at Yoon Yi-seol.

“I need to go with him. If it takes too long, I’ll send you a message.”

“Okay.”

“Oh? There’s foam on your lips…”

After wiping the foam from Yoon Yi-seol’s lips with his sleeve, Jeong-woo chuckled and said.

“Our manager is temporarily absent, so be careful not to be too fatally cute. The young policeman over there has been staring at Yi-seol since earlier.”

Blushing deeply, Yoon Yi-seol hastily lowered her head when a handsome young police officer from the reception desk winked at her.

Standing in front of the room named ‘Investigation Room,’ Jung-woo asked the police.

『Has Professor Jeremy Becker’s charges been dropped?』

『Well, the expert did arrive, but I don’t understand what he’s saying.』

Jeong-woo raised an eyebrow at the police officer’s response.

The door opened, revealing the interior of the investigation room. Jeong-woo glanced briefly inside the room. He saw Professor Jeremy sitting with an uncomfortable expression. On one side, a well-dressed individual was passionately explaining something in English.

『The results from quantitative IR spectroscopy. The range between the maximum absorption wavelength and the minimum absorption wavelength. This means it has a structure that cannot explode.』

『That’s…』

The person listening to this explanation had a puzzled look on their face, but they continued to send blank stares. Nevertheless, the well-dressed man was doing his best to interpret the conversation in Italian.

『Do you see the frequency range of the gaze shift here, three times the normal? It’s harmonic vibration. The bonds involved here are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, hydrogen. This proves that it’s an enzyme that works at the level of agricultural and food products.』

However, while translating that, one-third of it got cut off, one-third had its meaning distorted. It’s only natural that some of it is incomprehensible.

“How does it work?”

Muttering in Korean, Jung-woo cleared his throat and signaled discomfort. The conversation between the man in a suit and the interpreter paused briefly.

Jeremy confirmed Jeong-woo’s presence and showed him a note.

『It’s because of Dr. Cheon Seung-guk.』

Jeremy’s gaze conveyed the question of how they could resolve this situation. Even though Jeong-woo wanted to respond, his lack of proficiency in English forced him to focus on understanding the situation with a smile on his face.

‘It’s the process of proving that Drex isn’t hazardous, right? But it’s not going well, is it?’

Jeong-woo’s gaze roamed over the table, searching for Drex.

Between the infrared spectrometer, microscope, and a small monitor, there was a drop of liquid on a glass sheet, nestled in the gap.

He quickly zoomed in with his molecular vision.

‘Hmm?’

For the past few months, he had peered into the world of countless compounds, but this particular structure was unlike any he had seen before.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of elements were orbiting around a single point in perfect harmony. Despite the complexity of the molecules involved, their regularity was strangely clear.

Upon closer examination of the central point, it appeared to be an unstable nucleus, with particles scattering in all directions.

‘Why are you trembling around?’

This molecule resembled the temperament of Professor Jeremy in many ways. It was somewhat disappointing. It was like drawing a beautiful painting but failing to finish one small detail, a molecular structure.

After completing his analysis, Jeong-woo withdrew from the molecular world.

『Please, listen to me for a moment.』

The fluent Italian from an Asian man made everyone in the room turn and exclaim in surprise.

『That’s a protein compound that’s safe to ingest, even though it’s still incomplete. When it’s finished, it can act as a catalyst that can balance any reaction…』

Jeong-woo paused.

The green protein inside the vial, the one he suspected was about to be mixed with the Drex enzyme. It couldn’t be that they called the Harvard professor for this, could it?

『…And it’s quite expensive. By my understanding, it’s worth around 1,000 euros per drop?』

When Jeong-woo mentioned money, the interpreter and the two police officers widened their eyes.

『No way. What is that?』

『What makes it worth so much? Who are you?』

The two officers couldn’t grasp the situation without seeing the material.

‘That’s why the professor seemed frustrated.’

He looked at his cappuccino for a moment, then had a sudden idea and relayed it to the interpreter.

『Could you ask if the professor would be willing to use just one drop? The money… Dr. Cheon said he would cover it.』

The interpreter seemed to think that Jeong-woo could only speak Italian and relayed the message to Jeremy diligently.

『What would one drop achieve here?』

Jeong-woo then asked the interpreter to convey his response.

『He wants to put it in his coffee.』

It might become the world’s most expensive coffee.