Chapter 168 - Tracing the culprit

Ayu pressed a few buttons on a digital lock outside James' cell. The tongue-less computer whiz was lounging in a king size bed, flicking channels on a flatscreen TV. 

His prison cell had better arrangements than most people's homes. James was made as comfortable as a prisoner could be. Without the use of his tongue. 

He noticed Ayu as she walked up to the front of the glass door of his cell. He made a low, disgruntled sound and continued to ignore her, his eyes falling back upon his TV screen. 

He found Ayu to be a tiresome creature who always had some boring technical errands for him to run. As much as he hated having to help Shen Moshi who'd cut off his tongue, he had no choice. 

The youngest Moshi brother held a piece of leverage that he desperately needed, and until then, he was their servant dog. 

Ayu gingerly punched in the code to the cell door, sliding it open as the lock light flashed green. Ro-kun followed closely behind her. Nobody would mess with Ayu as long as he was around. 

Even though he knew the tall, intelligent woman was tough enough to hold her own when it came to the measly geek James. 

"Waa" James made an annoyed sound, trying to ask what they wanted from him this time. 

Ayu dropped the phone in front of him. 

"I want to know where this came from. And pull all the data from it." she commanded, her voice like steel. 

James rolled his eyes and let out another dramatic sigh. They would kill him with boredom before being imprisoned did. 

Tracing a stupid phone's origins was child's play to him. Nonetheless, he lazily pulled himself up and dragged himself out of his cell.

He wasn't allowed any access to the internet or connectivity to the internal Moshi Corp. systems in his cell. He was only allowed to work from a secured room completely supervised. 

Just in case he tried something, Ayu would reign terror down on him. 

As he connected the phone to the system, his hands moved swiftly on the keyboard. His eye remained dull and uninterested. 

Ayu's eyes never once left him, vigilant not to make another mistake, still punishing herself for allowing her beloved Lina to be cheated by Mana. 

Noticing her intent gaze, Ro-kun's eyes softened in pain for Ayu. She was truly a fool. Her tough exterior was such a sham when it came to the truth in her feeble heart. 

He reached out to touch her shoulder, to provide her with just a little comfort so she would stop beating herself up. But he stopped short. 

She would never let him in. She was far too guarded, far too wounded and he wanted to respect her space. It was the one and only thing he could do for her. 

Suddenly, James let out a grunt. He sat in front of the screen, his finger on his chin. 

He turned to the notepad beside him and began writing. 

'Phone is a burner, purchased anonymously probably with cash. Data was supposed to be uploaded to a server but for some reason, phone was wiped' 

After writing, James flung the pen away, put his feet up and yawned callously. Ayu's face turned in disgust at the stump in his mouth where his tongue should have been. 

Did boss really have to be so gruesome? James would've been more useful if he didn't have to write everything down and could actually explain. 

"Boss wiped the pictures off the phone. They weren't uploaded yet thankfully because we were in a bas.e.m.e.nt where there was no connectivity or network" Ayu breathed a huge sigh of relief, as she announced the news to Ro-kun. 

They didn't have the information they wanted, but at least Lina's reputation was safe and sound thanks to Shen's quick thinking and protectiveness. 

Ro-kun nodded, realising how he had also held his breath, hoping nothing had gone wrong and that the Madam's reputation was well-protected. 

Not so much for the same reasons as Ayu, but simply because he didn't want her to burden herself with guilt any longer. 

He grimaced, knowing that Ayu's feelings were too complicated for her to ever stop caring about Lina the way she did. Her emotions ran as hot on the inside as she was cold on the outside. 

"Do you know where such a burner could be acquired" she asked James, not ready to give up her search yet. 

James shrugged nonchalantly. He picked up the phone lazily, dismantling the back, looking for something. 

Then he began to scribble something else on the notepad. 

'Checked for the serial number to trace the supplier but it's been scratched off. The phone is too common, it's impossible to trace it without the serial number'

Ayu grit her teeth harshly, slamming her fist on the table, startling the lazy genius without a tongue, an irritable expression plastered all over his face. 

He'd have definitely been mouthing her off if he could for being the most annoying woman alive. 

"Unbelievable. Is this why they call you such a genius?" she chided James. Ayu huffed as she turned to Ro-kun to rant. 

"We have all the damn resources in the world and power equalling to that of a small time dictator, and yet, we can't trace one stupid burner phone!" she cried out, her voice climbing a few octaves with anxiety. 

"Calm down. We have another lead." Ro-kun said in a low, dangerous voice. 

Ayu's eyes widened. 

"That's right. We do" she licked her lips, a fire burning in her belly. She was ready to get her hands dirty. 

Ro-kun ushered James out, the tech genius grumbling to the best of his tongue-less ability. He was going back to his stupid cell to rot, like the small time dog he was for the Moshi Corporation now. 

Ayu's fists clenched at the thought of the woman who had so easily betrayed Lina's trust. She wouldn't let that two faced bitch get off easy, not even if her life depended on it.