Chapter 41 (Interlude before Chapter 42)
KPK Building, Jakarta
Satrio sat restlessly. A cup of hot coffee and a pack of cigarettes on the table in front of him remained untouched.
Tina sat across from Satrio, her eyes fixed on the laptop screen.
Beside her sat Rustam, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
Rustam: "You look restless, Pak Satrio?"
Tina: "Is there another major case, Sir? Other than the Jakarta gangs?"
Satrio shook his head.
Satrio: "Have our intel people obtained any information?"
Rustam: "What kind of information, Sir?"
Satrio: "Information on why Eryjat hasn't released Nagini Chapter 42."
Tina: "You mean why Eryjat stopped releasing new chapters after Chapter 41?"
Satrio: "Yes."
Rustam: "Writing a story isn't an easy matter, Sir."
Satrio shook his head firmly. His voice grew louder.
Satrio: "But this is proof. Eryjat is releasing our characters instead of continuing with Chapter 42."
Tina laughed.
Tina: "That's not the real issue, Sir."
Satrio stared deeply at Tina.
Satrio: "You're KPK's cyber expert. Can you break into Eryjat's computer?"
Tina: "I tried, Sir. But the firewall is extremely strong. I only managed to access the computer interface."
Satrio: "What did you see?"
Tina adjusted her glasses.
Tina: "I saw Chapter 42 and everything after it—up to the ending."
Satrio: "You mean Nagini is already finished?"
Tina: "Yes, Sir. Eryjat just needs to release it."
Satrio: "So Eryjat isn't still writing Nagini toward the ending?"
Tina: "No, Sir. The story is already complete. It just needs to be released chapter by chapter."
Satrio: "That's good news.".
Rustam: "Then why hasn't Eryjat finished and released Nagini yet?"
Tina: "Based on CCTV surveillance of his house—which I hacked—Eryjat is tidying up and revising a clean manuscript for Patreon."
Satrio: "Patreon? Isn't that paid?"
Rustam: "That would clearly disappoint readers on this platform."
Tina: "That's not what it means, Sir. With revisions, added dialogue, gestures, humor, and setting, readers will feel the story more visually."
Satrio: "What about Nagini readers on this platform?"
Tina: "Nagini will still be released in its original version. It doesn't reduce the story's weight. The Patreon version is only a revision."
Satrio: "So readers can still read it to the end on this platform?"
Tina: "Of course. The good news is Nagini has been fully written to the end. Eryjat just needs to release it."
Satrio: "Ah, that's a relief."
Rustam: "I thought Eryjat was that cruel."
Tina chuckled.
Tina: "From Eryjat's computer, I saw that around ten to fifteen final chapters are ready to be released and completed."
Satrio: "So all we have to do is wait?"
Tina: "Yes. We just have to wait."
Satrio: "Thank goodness we can still appear on this free platform."
Tina laughed softly.
Tina: "There's something even more surprising on Eryjat's computer."
Satrio: "What is it, Tina?"
Tina: "I saw Eryjat drafting Nagini Season 2."
Satrio and Rustam exchanged glances, equally shocked.
Satrio: "What?"
Rustam: "Nagini Season 2?"
Satrio: "Draft?"
Tina nodded.