(Arc 1 : The raven and the dragon) 

Hao Ming did not waste time. He sat down at the desk with the keyboard and screens and opened several files. He also switched on the video projector. As soon as it was fully turned on, it displayed the surveillance images that Gwenval and Ashlay had been looking at yesterday. Gwenval who was wondering about the extent of Hao Ming's skills, took a look at the screens and saw that on the left one there was a very detailed blueprint of the Seoul Arts Center. The images that were projected were those on the middle screen. On the right screen was a complete list of those who had been invited to the concert, as well as another list with the staff member's name. A computer program was running.

Shortly afterward, there was a sound from the computer. Then the message "All match" appeared on the center screen, followed by another list of people.

"What does that mean?" Asked a curious Gwenval.

"Before you arrived, I ran a facial recognition software using the list of people who were supposed to be at the Seoul Arts Center last night." Began Hao Ming. "To make a long story short, my program analyzes the faces of all the people who were supposed to be there and finds the intruders. It also takes into account the schedules of all the employees to find out if any of them were there last night when they weren't supposed to be.

"Is this legal? How did he get access to all this information?" Gwenval was both impressed and frightened.

"This is an "All Match". Does that mean there are no intruders?" Asked Ashlay.

"That's right. The third list of people that just appeared corresponds to the delivery people, cooks, and other people who came to the center and stayed in the building for a very short time. They were not present when the concert began."

"Only the musicians and staff had access to the dressing rooms, so..." 

Gwenval was deep in thought.

"... so the person who wants to harm you is either an employee or one of the musicians." Ashlay finished, looking at Gwenval.

"You managed to sneak in, so anyone could have gotten into my dressing room after all." Gwenval looked at Ashlay accusingly.

"It wasn't me, I already told you! Last night, unfortunately, I didn't know who you were. How can I come to want to harm you?" Ashlay quickly defended himself.

"I can confirm that." Hao Ming intervened. "Moreover, if we look at the CCTV footage of the perpetrator running away and disappearing, we can easily see that he and Ashlay don't have the same build, and we can assume that the perpetrator knows the building well. Ashlay had never been to the Seoul Arts Center before. Another important point is that Ashlay and I were very busy preparing for and competing in an automobile tournament, and we were almost always together. Unless I'm mistaken, he didn't have time to organize anything against you. Third, even if he had hired someone to do something, it certainly wouldn't be to commit a crime."

Hao Ming turned to Gwenval and smiled.

"Ash and I have known each other for a long time. If he had a conflict with you, first: he would have told me, and second: he wouldn't have used devious means to make it clear. He would have come to you directly. He doesn't like to leave problems unresolved for too long. The opposite is also true. He doesn't hide when he's interested in someone or something, and goes for it."

"Hao Ming!"

Ashlay's cheeks flushed a bit because he hadn't expected his friend to be so talkative. However, Gwenval didn't react much and just watched the two friends.

"... You two get along well."

"All in all, he's more of a daredevil or a hothead than a manipulator who stays in the shadows." Gwenval thought.

The musician took a USB flash drive out of his pocket and handed it over to Hao Ming.

"These are the videos from the cameras in my recording studio."

Hao Ming thanked Gwenval and then plugged the key into his computer. After watching several videos, it was clear that an unknown man with a covered face was a regular presence near the studio, even when the delivery men passed by.

"He wanted to see your reaction..." Hao Ming remarked.

"Gwen Gwen, can you think of anyone in particular?"

"No." Gwenval replied, shaking his head. "That's the most annoying thing. I've been traveling a lot lately, and I can't remember having a conflict with anyone. Besides, I've only been making a name for myself for a few years."

"Another musician who finds you annoying?" Ashlay speculated.

"I think so too, but I can't think of anyone. I haven't been in contact with many Korean musicians."

While Gwenval and Ashlay were talking, Hao Ming was running a new program to compare the stalker's silhouette with those of the center's guests and staff. He also compared pictures from Gwenval's studio. He added that the culprit was familiar with the structure of the Seoul Arts Center.

After three minutes, the search ended and a new list of names appeared on the central screen.

"One of these people is probably the culprit." Hao Ming announced. "Do you know these people?" He asked Gwenval.

"I know some of them by name. They're very influential artists. I've never really interacted with them. Last night, I met some of them for the first time."

"It would take too long to visit them one by one without alerting the culprit." Ashlay thinks of a solution... "I know! Maybe another event! This weekend I could organize a reception at the Turquoise Hotel and invite the people on the list of suspects. I also have the idea of inviting other artists so as not to arouse the culprit's suspicions."

"That's an idea... What if some people can't come?" asked Gwenval.

"Well, it's not that serious. From what I've seen, the person who wants to harm you always seems to be around to observe your reactions. At first, he stayed in the shadows, but now he's getting more and more impatient and aggressive. To the point where he's risking his own identity to get to you. What's more, last night's action had no effect. The stalker won't miss this chance to act again and will come, I'm sure... It remains to be seen what exactly will be done about this event. What do you think, Gwen Gwen?"

Gwenval thought for a moment. The Turquoise Hotel was one of the most prestigious hotels in the city. The musician thought back to all the events that had been organized there that he was aware of. Since he wasn't used to performing in hotels, he couldn't be the only headliner. If possible, it would be a good idea to enlist the help of people who could help catch the stalker. Gwenval suddenly thought of someone.

"Would an exhibition work?" Gwenval asked Ashlay.

"An exhibition?... Yes, that's an interesting suggestion." Ashlay replied.

"I have a friend who'd be happy to help and who could bring some pieces, with no problem, to the Turquoise Hotel this week."

"Sounds perfect! I'll discuss it with my mother so she's aware of the situation. She'll be able to help as well."

"You can also count on me and my bodyguards for security." Hao Ming added.

The trio came up with a plan and agreed that D-Day would be this coming Saturday. An event centered around Gwenval would certainly limit the culprit's options, as security would be focused on him. On the other hand, if the main event was an exhibition and Gwenval was only a guest, the public's attention would be less focused on him, and it would be easier to approach him.

Around one o'clock, they finished their discussion. Hao Ming had an appointment in the afternoon. He left to prepare some documents after escorting Gwenval and Ashlay to the elevator. By mutual agreement, Ashlay temporarily took on the role of Gwenval's bodyguard. The young man had insisted on accompanying the musician and looking for a moment when the stalker might appear. Gwenval looked thoughtful as the elevator began to descend.

"It's already afternoon, I can take you somewhere to eat." Ashlay suggested suddenly.

"Do you want to skip steps?" Gwenval asked ironically.

"No, it's...It's not dinner. Or anything special. I was thinking you might be hungry." Ashlay stuttered a little.

"I'll have to decline." Gwenval replied amused. "I'm going to see my painter friend to explain what we're planning for the exhibition."

"Okay..."

"Hao Ming is really an atypical person." Gwenval changed the subject. "I thought people like him only existed in movies or worked for the government."

"Even then, it was nothing to him. He's capable of breaking into any system and doing much more than just consulting data. He created Jade Shielding partly to counter high-level hackers like himself. Besides, he hopes to meet someone who can compete with him... He loves to put his skills to the test."

"Hmmmm... Interesting."

"Does Ashlay have a unique and unlikely set of talents like his friend? Bai mentioned a race earlier..."

The elevator stopped at the tenth floor. As soon as the doors opened, a large group of people entered. Ashlay was already anticipating what would happen next: due to the sudden influx of employees into the elevator, Gwenval would have no choice but to step back quickly, and his body would come into contact with Ashlay's, who would have rushed to protect the musician from the people in front of him. Of course, this was only the young businessman's imagination. In reality, Gwenval had dodged a few people and found himself at the opposite end of the elevator from Ashlay. He had also imagined the same scene, but he hadn't wanted to find himself in such a cliché situation.

From where he stood, he could see a disappointed Ashlay, which inwardly amused him. He smiled as he adjusted his glasses. The young Ashlay felt like he'd been tricked. But that didn't stop him from admiring the musician's face from afar and forgetting about the others.

Later, in the car, Ashlay entered the address Gwenval had given him into his GPS. For the first few minutes of the drive, the two men remained silent. Ashlay tried to keep his eyes on the road and not be distracted by the divine being looking out over the landscape to his right.

"I'm going back to my studio tomorrow." Gwenval said calmly.

"Don't you think that would be risky? What if... " Ashlay stopped talking when he realized what Gwenval was up to.

"He probably thought I was getting scared of him when I stopped coming. But my presence at the concert must have made him really mad. By coming back to the studio to work as if nothing had happened, he'll get angrier, become less careful and end up making a mistake. At least I hope so..."

Listening to the musician's words, Ashlay noticed something again: he didn't seem to be afraid of anything. Ashlay had done some research on the musician. In public, Gwenval appeared talented and elegant, incapable of harming anyone. Instinctively, a person would want to respect him, protect him, and/or see him smile. Ashlay realized that this was only one side of Gwenval. Deep down, he had a rage and an attitude that drove him to not let anyone walk all over him. What is a rose without thorns, you may ask? Ashlay found this duality very appealing and was even more curious to learn more about the musician.

"And you're not afraid that he'll use more extreme means." Ashlay continued.

"Let him try. Not only will his stay in prison be long, but I can't guarantee that he'll be in full possession of his motor skills."

Ashlay shivered. Gwenval had spoken these words very calmly. The person who had decided to target him had absolutely no idea that he had disturbed a demon who had the appearance of an angel.

Ashlay couldn't wait to see what Gwenval was capable of.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a studio just outside the city center. There were no signs indicating the name of the place, but from the fresco covering the front, it was easy to guess that a painter occupied the studio.

Gwenval thanked Ashlay for driving him there, then got out of the car.

"Gwen Gwen!" Ashlay shouted.

The musician stopped and turned towards Ashlay's car.

"Tomorrow I'll pick you up at your home and take you to your studio. It's safer than taking a taxi."

Gwenval took out his cell phone and sent Ashlay his address. He gave him a smile and entered the studio after saying goodbye to him.

As he left, Ashlay noticed a car parked across from the studio. He had the feeling he'd seen it before. In the end, he couldn't remember where this feeling had come from and concentrated on the road, heading for Orchid Prestige headquarters.