Chemistry

10. Special Research: Venice Entropy(4)

「Tom Schneider」 – Venice Police Headquarters, Investigation Room

『Coffee.』

Tom, a special researcher from Lancess, chuckled at the ignorant Italian police officers who seemed utterly baffled.

Diffusion REX.

A miraculous enzyme born after five years of research by Harvard’s renowned biochemist. No one wants to take a man-made compound that hasn’t been clinically tested, even if the analyzers say it’s not a hazardous substance.

『Professor, what is that guy talking about?』

『Well…』

It was a reckless choice driven by the desire to earn Professor Jeremy’s trust. There was no way Jeremy would trust someone who would do something like that.

『Tom.』

Marco, the government official who had been subtly bribed by him earlier, relayed the young man’s message.

『He’s asking if you can borrow three beakers and distilled water.』

Tom took out a bottle and three small glass beakers. It was like a last supper for someone about to commit biochemical suicide.

“Grazie.”

What’s the gratitude for?

Tom watched the young man’s actions, then picked up his phone as a message arrived.

It was from Weber Jansen, Lancess’ Director of Development.

[What about Jeremy?]

Quickly, he responded while keeping an eye on the police.

[We’ve secured his safety, but these police here are so bad that bribery might work.]

[We’ve received information that a Thespsa employee has also arrived in Venice. Hurry.]

「Han Jeong-woo」 – Venice Police Headquarters, Investigation Room

Jeong-woo poured distilled water into a glass and then turned his gaze to Jeremy. He sent a look that asked for just one drop of Drex inside.

『Are you serious?』

Jeremy hesitated for a moment with a nodding gesture, then reached into his bag.

As he placed his hand on the fingerprint recognition area, it lit up with a beep.

Jeremy, holding a tube with a syringe-like nozzle, sprayed 1 ml of Drex into the glass.

‘Good.’

Jeong-woo focused his gaze on the diluted Drex solution in the glass. Within the magnified cluster of molecules, an incomplete nucleus.

Direct attachment of free electrons to it would produce the desired effect.

He concentrated all the dust particles he could gather in this room into the glass he held in his left hand.

While doing so, he opened his mouth to the two police officers who were curiously watching his actions.

『Do you guys drink a lot of coffee?』

『The stuff you’re holding, it’s made by the guy next door, Greg.』

『I see. That’s fortunate.』

『Fortunate?』

Jeong-woo poured about half a glass of coffee into another glass. The foam from the cappuccino flowed down into the still-warm liquid in the glass.

『Professor Jeremy, the substance you’ve brought enhances the catalytic reaction. Milk is essentially a cluster of fats, right? It breaks that down in an instant and…』

While speaking, he glanced at the somewhat perplexed expressions on the faces of the police officers. It seemed like they couldn’t see the answer.

『When you add this, the taste and aroma change completely. You understand, right?』

In the brief pause, one of the dust particles finally penetrated the unstable nucleus of diluted Drex. When the dust particle was urgently injected, the completed nucleus no longer resembled Professor Jeremy, but instead had a firm central point.

In an instant, Drex transformed from an incomplete form into a complete enzyme. Jeong-woo transferred the coffee into the glass.

There was a bubbling, boiling reaction, and the cappuccino foam dissolved into the coffee all at once. When the police officers were astonished by this chemical reaction, Jeong-woo spoke.

『The enzyme is reconstructing the coffee. Just wait for three seconds.』

Jeong-woo extended three fingers and then folded them one by one. When all the fingers were folded, the cappuccino foam that had been sucked in suddenly burst out.

『What is this?』

『Smell it. Does it smell like your usual coffee?』

The police officer sniffed and his eyes widened.

『It’s different.』

Another police officer who compared the smell to the original also nodded.

『Yeah? It’s definitely different.』

Jeong-woo gestured for them to wait, then poured the original cappuccino into the one remaining empty glass.

『This one has a different milk composition, so it’ll have a different flavor.』

He added the diluted Drex solution.

The coffee bubbled and began to take on a different flavor. Jeong-woo held the two coffees that had been transformed into Drex in his hands.

『They were the same coffee, but both taste different.』

Jeong-woo, after tasting each one, shook his right hand.

『The one with more foam suits my taste.』

As Jeong-woo actually drank the coffee he had mixed with the solution, the police officers looked at him with a somewhat suspicious gaze.

One of the police officers asked.

『If it has this effect, why is it worth 1,000 euros? Isn’t it just like syrup?』

『Well, you see.』

Jeong-woo glanced at Professor Jeremy.

『This is a catalyst with a ‘shape memory’ effect that restores chemical balance, that’s why.』

Jeong-woo poured the coffee from the two glasses back into the original takeout cup.

『Like this.』

The foam and coffee became so mixed that it was hard to call it cappuccino anymore, gradually returning to its original state.

Bubbling—

As soon as the foam was perfectly restored, not only the watching police officers but also the man in the suit and Professor Jeremy looked bewildered.

Jeong-woo held the cup that had returned to its original cappuccino and took a sip before saying.

『The original coffee made by the man named Greg. I think this one is the most delicious.』

The police officer who smelled the cappuccino cup turned his head in surprise because the aroma was just as it should be.

『Hey, is this some kind of magic?』

Jeong-woo seeming to have successfully convinced the police, said happily.

『It’s magical chemistry.』

「Yoon Yi-seol」 – Venice Police Headquarters, Reception

Avoiding the gaze of the Italian police officer who kept staring at her and sending glances her way, Yoon Yi-seol sipped her coffee. When Jeong-woo walked over, she quickly stood up.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yes, but…”

Yoon Yi-seol’s eyes shifted to the foreign man standing behind Jeong-woo, holding a hefty bag.

“We have one more companion. Professor Jeremy Becker.”

“The guest from the research lab?”

“Yes.”

Leaning her head toward Jeremy next to Jeong-woo, Yoon Yi-seol greeted him.

“Bon jorno~”

“He’s American.”

“Ah. Hi~”

With a warm smile, she extended her greeting, but Professor Jeremy responded with a slightly tense expression, nodding curtly.

Whispering to Yoon Yi-seol, who was standing close by, Jeong-woo said in a low voice.

“He’s someone who’s very cautious.”

“Like me?”

“Much more than you, Yi-seol.”

Yoon Yi-seol looked at Jeremy again. He had a gentle face, with barely any stubble and curly hair. Their eye contact revealed that he was an introverted person.

“professor!”

Someone in a suit called out to Jeremy and hurriedly approached.

『Please reconsider Lancess’s proposal. If you grant us exclusive rights, we will offer the best treatment in the industry.』

Jeremy firmly shook his head.

『The substance we’re researching is still a long way from completion, and we haven’t decided how it will be used in any field.』

『Our R&D director is convinced. If it combines with our Tepecs fibers, it will revolutionize the materials industry…』

『I’m not interested.』

Not understanding their conversation, Yoon Yi-seol looked at Jeong-woo. He explained in a low voice.

“Seems like someone from a chemical company wants to buy the professor’s research results at a high price.”

“Is the professor a chemist like you?”

“Better than me. You know Harvard? He’s a professor in the biochemistry department there.”

“Wow.”

“And Yi-seol.”

Jeong-woo added cautiously.

“I need to speak only Italian for now.”

“Yes?”

Yoon Yi-seol looked at him, not quite understanding.

“Why…”

“If necessary, could you translate for Professor Jeremy in simple English or something?”

“I don’t mind, but why?”

“For some reason, my English pronunciation is getting all tangled today. It’s non-existent.”

Amused by the unexpected reason, Yoon Yi-seol chuckled.

『In addition to the advance payment proposed by the other company, they’re offering up to a 15% royalty…』

『We don’t need that.』

The man in the suit appeared dismayed as Jeremy maintained his firm stance. He shook his head and put his phone to his ear, then disappeared.

Jeremy returned to stand in front of Jeong-woo and Yoon Yi-seol.

“Shall we leave Professor and have lunch? It’s lunchtime.”

Yoon Yi-seol gestured outside.

“Follow us. Lunch time.”

With a sly smile, she narrowed her eyes at Jeong-woo and asked.

“You’re not trying to make fun of me, are you?”

“Of course not. If I intended to make fun of you, I wouldn’t do it like this.”

“I feel very relieved.”

Still, looking at Yoon Yi-seol who accepted the request, Jeong-woo sent her a grateful look.

「Han Jeong-woo」 – East side of Piazza Roma

The street in front of the police station was a bustling area with restaurants, cafes, and tourist bus stops.

Jeong-woo walked along the street and pointed to a restaurant on the corner.

“Yi-seol, didn’t you say you wanted to try traditional food? I see a lot of that on the menu over there.”

“Let’s go there.”

Yoon Yi-seol turned her head to Jeremy, who had been following a step behind her.

“Professor, Venice traditional food. Are you okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Mr. Jeong-woo…”

While Yoon Yi-seol was speaking, she suddenly turned to Jeong-woo.

“How can I say ‘he’s going to shoot’ in English?”

“Um… ‘Bang’?”

Since his English pronunciation was still quite stiff, Jeong-woo made a joke.

“Oh, I knew it would be like this.”

Yoon Yi-seol, who was giving him a playful look, chuckled and then said to Jeremy with a bright smile.

“It’s on him, Jeong-woo.”

“No, no.”

“That’s okay, very~ okay.”

Jeong-woo continued to practice his English pronunciation as he listened to their conversation. His pronunciation was still at a level where it sounded like he was under anesthesia.

It was frustrating to think how easily Italian came to him while his English was a struggle.

‘This must be a curse disguised as chemistry.’

If he hadn’t met Yoon Yi-seol, this trip would have been incredibly boring and painful.

Inside the restaurant, it was packed with customers. They were finally led to a table.

“You can choose whatever you want to eat.”

“Shall we order several dishes and share them?”

Yoon Yi-seol, holding the menu handed by the waiter, had an excited expression.

“Mr. Han.”

Jeremy, sitting opposite them, spoke to Jeong-woo.

『I understand if you have a cold attitude towards me. I was quite rude in front of the laboratory, so I understand why you might be hesitant. But I have to ask this. How did you manage to manipulate the chemical equilibrium in milk fat and coffee molecules to deal with Drex?』

“Um…”

They needed an answer in this situation. Jeong-woo glanced briefly at Yoon Yi-seol, who would translate for him.

With her sparkling eyes focused on choosing from the menu, she didn’t show any signs of slowing down. He couldn’t interrupt her.

‘I should write it down.’

Jeong-woo pulled out a thin marker from his bag, and, using the language of chemists, he began drawing chemical equations. He added an explanation.

[The problem with Drex is that there’s a shortage of free electrons in the most critical nucleus, which leads to an inaccurate diffusion rate.]

Jeong-woo pointed to a specific point in the chemical equation. Jeremy’s eyes lit up.

『That’s right. That molecule is the troublemaker right now. However, the coffee experiment you conducted earlier was different.』

Using his abilities would naturally lead to these results. However, to apply it to real chemical equations and create a complete compound, a much more complex process was required.

[Just Lucky.]

Jeremy seemed disappointed by this response.

Observing the world of molecules, the ability to influence as much as desired at the right time showed its highest efficiency in situations where research results could change with just a slight difference. It was the same when he had made the snow-removal in Cheonan.

‘Is there no other way to understand it quickly?’

While he watched the other side of the table closely, Jeong-woo suddenly had an idea and scribbled words on the napkin.

[What if we try creating an enzyme that only affects enzymes? With the technology to create Drex, we should be able to construct enzyme frameworks using carbon nanostructures.]

『You sound similar to Dr. Cheon Seung-guk.』

Jeong-woo inwardly chuckled at this response. Well, he was using Cheon Seung-guk’s knowledge and abilities directly, so it was a natural comparison.

『What specifically are you planning to do?』

[Confine electrons within nanotubes and push them into the nucleus. Does this chemical formula roughly align with that direction?]

Jeremy, who had been closely watching Jeong-woo’s pen as he continued to write something, expressed his admiration.

『Wow, indeed…』

They had written several napkins, and before they knew it, an appetizer had arrived.

A dish called ‘Sarde in Saor,’ a sardine specialty. Jeong-woo gestured to Jeremy to start with the meal.

[That’s my opinion. The rest, please ask Dr. Cheon Seung-guk.]

Jeremy nodded and pointed at the napkin with writing.

『May I take this with me?』

Jeong-woo accepted without much thought. Jeremy folded the napkin carefully and put it in his pocket with gratitude.

『Waiter! I’ll buy the wine.』

Jeremy raised his hand and ordered wine. When several mini bottles of wine arrived at the table, he offered one to Yoon Yi-seol.

“That’s okay. That’s fine.”

Yoon Yi-seol smiled and nodded.

“It seems that foreigners are accustomed to having wine before a meal. Our overseas staff always has at least one glass.”

“He ordered three bottles, Yoon Yi-seol should have one.”

“I need to shoot for Yi-seol TV, so I can’t drink. Jeong-woo, you should drink.”

Jeong-woo pointed to Yoon Yi-seol.

“I need to be the manager for that.”

“That’s right.”

Yoon Yi-seol laughed.

“If there’s any left, should we take it with us for dinner? Oh, but what if you throw me away?.”

“Why throw you away? You can stay as long as you want.”

Although she asked playfully, Yi-seol smiled when Jeong-woo assured her that he wouldn’t go around without her.

“However, in the evening, won’t there be staff with Yoon Yi-seol?”

“They won’t be coming. It’s too late.”

Of course, Yoon Yi-seol was lying. Her manager had already come and even reserved a hotel. The overseas staff, who were also her bodyguards, kept sending her messages asking where she was.

“Yoon Yi-seol.”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t leave the staff behind, did you?”

“No!”

Even though she was holding on firmly, a small part of her heart ached as she avoided Jeong-woo’s gaze and focused on the plate of delicious Sarde in Saor.

Jeong-woo, who had filled his stomach with ‘Baccalà Mantecato’, a creamy-textured cod dish, raised his phone to check Cheon Seung-guk’s location as the meal was nearing its end.

As he did so, he spotted an Asian man with black hair walking into the restaurant. He was a man in his late thirties, neatly dressed in a corporate attire, holding a briefcase. When the man walked straight towards their table, Jeong-woo wondered if he might be Dr. Cheon Seung-guk.

‘Dr. Cheon Seung-guk?’

However, he hesitated because the man didn’t seem old enough to be the professor. The man’s steps halted abruptly in front of Jeremy.

『Professor Jeremy Becker.』

Jeremy, wiping his mouth with a napkin, looked at the man with a questioning expression.

『Manager director of ‘DUSF’. I’m Sun Hwi.』

『DUSF, the petrochemical company?』

『Yes, that’s right. I heard you were coming to Venice. I’m here regarding the Drex you developed…』

Jeong-woo watched in amazement as the Chinese man, who sounded similar to the Langmo employe he had seen earlier, discussed the power of the new substance that Jeremy had researched.

A super-catalyst that could be effective in any field.

He was so eager for it that he had inquired with Harvard University to check their schedule, flown straight to Venice from China, and was now waiting eagerly.

Yoon Yi-seol asked Jeong-woo.

“What are they talking about?”

“They want to buy Professor Jeremy’s research.”

“Again?”

Yoon Yi-seol, who knew nothing about chemical companies, was surprised.

“We’re done eating, right? Let’s leave first.”

Jeong-woo finished calculating the bill while they continued talking. Then he went outside. He called Dr. Cheon right away.

Dial tone.

-It seems you can talk now that you’ve called me?

“In Italian, at least. Quando arrivi?”

When he asked when he would arrive, he could hear Cheon Seungkook’s laughter.

-It seems like there’s about an hour left until arrival. Considering the travel time within Venice, let’s be generous and say an hour and a half.

“Are you coming through the train station?”

-No, by boat. Where are you? In the lab?

“I’m having lunch near the police station. By the way, people keep coming to Professor Jeremy, saying they want to buy his research. Even the manager from Dusf came.”

-If it’s Dusf, they’ll probably try to buy it with a truckload of money.

“Do I need to intervene?”

-Not at all. He won’t sell until it’s perfect, you know how stubborn that professor is. Anyway, if you want to see me soon, come to Zattere. We’ll be docking at the pier there.

The call ended, and Yoon Yi-seol, who had been standing quietly next to him.

“Where are we going now?”

“He said we’ll arrive at the Zattere pier in an hour, so should we go somewhere else and sightsee? Any suggestions?”

“Then we should go to San Marco. There’s so much to see there.”

Like a diligent student who had studied the brochure, a list of popular tourist attractions popped out.

“Okay, let’s do that.”

Jeong-woo turned his gaze to Jeremy inside the restaurant. He was still struggling to send Sun Hwi away, just as Cheon Seung-guk had predicted.

“Ah, A… B… C… Still not there.”

“What’s that?”

“Just testing my English pronunciation.”

What on earth are those four languages? Jeong-woo was half-giving up, as he couldn’t see any way to solve this curse in a short time.

As Sun Hwi walked out roughly, he glanced at Jeong-woo and shook his head before disappearing.

When Jeremy came out as well, Jeong-woo quickly typed an English sentence on his phone.

[Dr. Cheon will arrive in an hour. Are you going to stay in the lab?]

『And you?』

[We’ll be sightseeing at San Marco first.]

Yoon Yi-seol shouted, “Let’s go together!” to the contemplative Jeremy. Perhaps inspired by her bright energy, Jeremy expressed his willingness to go together.

「Weber Jansen」 – Calle Magno Street, third floor of a building.

The hand wearing a Rolex wristwatch slammed the table.

『Sun Hwi’s here? What about Jeremy?』

-“He’s with Cheon Seung-guk’s associates. Among them, there’s a man named ‘Han Jeong-woo.’

『I don’t like the idea of losing the exclusive rights to Dusf. Chinese capital has more assets than Lancess. It’s not good.』

As if that weren’t bad enough, Tom’s report was even worse.

-Jeong-woo’s expertise in handling Drex is superior to the professor’s. I saw the professor in shock, asking questions in the lab.

『The information was released a few days ago, how is that possible?』

-I couldn’t ask that. Jeong-woo and professor Jeremy completely ignored me. He seemed to have an attitude that whatever choice the professor made didn’t matter.

『He’s Cheon Seung-guk’s successor. There’s no need to get involved in his strange actions one by one.』

Weber had been monitoring address 2696 and finally stood up.

『I’ll give up here and make direct contact. You prioritize securing Jeremy. And as for Han Jeong-woo, try to dig up information on him.』

-Should I send hired mercenaries to pry it out?

『If possible. Keep the radio communication going.』