"Director Lorenz."

An office inside the hotel, used as the party's operations headquarters.

Emilia Lorenz had run tonight's event, and now she was going over the auction results and the guests' movement records.

It was past midnight, but the party was still going.

Some had gone back to their rooms drunk, and some had moved to separate spaces to carry on secret deals.

For Emilia, the more important hours started now.

Atlas's area of responsibility wasn't limited to the hotel where the party was held.

During the event, it tracked the movements not only of the invited VIPs but of the attendants and security teams they'd brought with them.

The measure was meant to head off clashes between armed bodyguards, or outside forces getting near a VIP's lodgings.

Badrutt's Palace, where the VIPs stayed, and the nearby hotels designated for security staff were in effect tied into a single security net.

Each hotel's entry records and the CCTV footage of its corridors, lobby and back entrance were sent to the operations headquarters in real time.

Even people who guarded their dignity inside the event would start showing their true nature once they were drunk on liquor and darkness.

Just then the door opened, and the head of security came up close to Emilia.

"What is it?"

"It's about the Korean, Ha Tae-ung. He's on the special-protection list."

Emilia had been leafing through papers; she stopped and turned around.

"Ha Tae-ung?"

"Yes."

"Go on."

"Ha Tae-ung's bodyguard, Kim Cheolsu, has disappeared from his lodgings."

Emilia's eyes sharpened. Kim Cheolsu and the Cheonmu security team weren't staying at Badrutt's Palace, where Ha Tae-ung was, but at a nearby designated hotel.

Protection on-site was handled by a separate team, apart from Atlas. The Cheonmu team in particular was standing by outside in case of emergency.

"When did he leave?"

"Just before midnight. Right after he took a call in his room, he slipped out the back entrance alone."

"And the Cheonmu team?"

"They didn't even know Kim Cheolsu had left the hotel."

"Where did he go?"

"We confirmed he went into the foothills,…