Perfect Mission – Chapter 14 – Lee Hongshin (3)

Author: Raven

Chapter 14 – Lee Hongshin (3)

NIS headquarters, Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu.

Only three people occupied the large conference room, which could easily accommodate twenty: Jeong Sejin, the Second Deputy Director of the NIS; Do Cheolmin, Director of the Counterintelligence Bureau under the Second Deputy Director; and Kim Cheolsoo, Director of the Industrial Security Department under the Counterintelligence Bureau.

The focus of the meeting was, naturally, Second Deputy Director Jeong Sejin, who held a cigarette between his lips, his gaze fixed on the email displayed on his tablet.

[I have the Swiss bank account details of Park Junghoon, former Vice Chairman of the External Economic Committee, who was purged in North Korea five years ago. I wish to exchange this for a new identity for an eighteen-year-old woman. The condition is that only those of deputy director level or higher may access information about this woman within the NIS. This account contains over $10 million and transaction records of remittances to North Korean secret agents stationed overseas. I will leave Korea if I don’t hear from you within 24 hours.]

Deputy Director Jeong Sejin chuckled and said, “How reliable is this?”

Director Do Cheolmin of the Counterintelligence Bureau looked at Director Kim Cheolsoo of the Industrial Security Department. The look meant, “You worked with him, you explain.”

“Frankly, I’d say it’s fifty-fifty.”

“Fifty-fifty? Aren’t you being too optimistic?”

“I’d like to give him better odds, but considering what he’s offering, I lowered it a bit.”

“Is it that significant?”

“From my experience working with him a few times, I don’t think he’s the type to make things up. But of course, I could be wrong. Gorilla weren’t like this before.”

“Who’s going to eat you alive if you’re wrong? Stop being so cautious.”

Director Do grumbled, frowning.

“Everyone who wasn’t cautious in this field is either dead or retired…”

“That’s all in the past.”

“The past… don’t trust the Deputy Director.”

Director Kim chuckled at Director Do’s playful warning.

“I’m taking everything with a grain of salt, as always.”

“Are you brats trying to disrespect an old man right to my face?”

“No one in this building would dare disrespect you, Deputy Director.”

“Tsk, tsk…”

“Anyway, you’re saying this is worth considering?”

“Let’s do it. It’s not a huge risk.”

Second Deputy Director Jeong Sejin scoffed.

“Not a risk? Do you think this is the 80s? Do you know how much work goes into creating a new identity? We don’t even know who this girl is. How do we know she won’t just blab about it everywhere? Is that all? The Internal Intelligence Bureau will be grilling you with questions, and are you confident you won’t get caught when they audit us later?”

“Well…”

“That’s my job, you say?”

“Just saying, Deputy Director. Hahaha! But we can’t just ignore this, can we?”

Deputy Director Jeong Sejin scratched his graying hair with his cigarette-holding hand. It was strange, but as Director Kim said, the bait was too tempting to ignore.

Not only was it $10 million, but the transaction records of remittances to North Korean agents operating overseas were incredibly valuable. If they sent this information to the US and froze all the accounts, the agents’ operations would be paralyzed.

“That’s true, but… him prohibiting access to NIS information, how the hell does he even know about that? It’s not like he completely trusts us, is he?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Is it just a threat? What can he do even if Cheolsoo looks into it?”

Director Do, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

“There’s nothing he can do directly. But if he finds out later… Well, there’s no way for him to find out, but if he does, he could make things difficult for us. You know how it is. Independent agents can mess up operations if they want to. If Gorilla decides to switch sides to China or Japan, it’ll be a headache. He probably included that condition to prevent us from harassing the girl, so let’s just interpret it as ‘hands off unless you’re deputy director level or higher.’”

“He’s got nerve.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

“While we’re at it, let me ask you something else. Why is Gorilla suddenly acting friendly towards us? Weren’t we on bad terms after that incident?”

“I don’t know, sir. I think something must have gone wrong between him and ASA regarding the Daewon Chemicals case.”

Deputy Director Jeong Sejin, his lips twisted in displeasure, put down his tablet.

“No choice. Bring her in.”

Director Kim Cheolsoo replied immediately, as if he’d been waiting for those words.

“Yes, sir.”

“And try to contact Gorilla.”

It meant he should try to meet Gorilla in person if possible, but the tone wasn’t an absolute order.

“I’ll try my best to approach him. As for his identity, the Internal Intelligence Bureau…”

Director Kim Cheolsoo suddenly frowned, looking at his tablet. The other two sensed something was wrong.

Director Do Cheolmin asked,

“What is it?”

“Goblin’s hideout was destroyed.”

“Destroyed?”

“We need to investigate further, but there are reports of an explosion heard from a distance. Perhaps…”

Everyone knew what he was implying.

Deputy Director Jeong Sejin let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha! So the girl seeking a new identity is most likely Goblin’s daughter?”

Director Do agreed.

“It seems likely.”

“Alright, let’s rethink this. It’s unlikely that Gorilla eliminated Goblin, so let’s set that aside. The North Korean slush fund was with Goblin from the beginning, then?”

“That’s what I think.”

“I agree.”

Deputy Director Jeong Sejin nodded and continued.

“Someone tried to eliminate Goblin, and Gorilla rescued Goblin’s daughter and is offering us $10 million in exchange for a new identity for her. Is that all we can gather?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The fact that he’s trying to get her a new identity means the danger hasn’t passed, which makes sense. But that money-grubbing bastard is offering us $10 million just to save his dead colleague’s daughter? Have we misjudged Gorilla?”

Director Kim Cheolsoo spoke up.

“I’ll add the recent domestic records to the Overseas Operations Team’s data and submit a new analysis.”

“Do that, and… was Goblin targeted because of the North Korean slush fund?”

This time, Director Do Cheolmin answered.

“That seems most likely.”

“Hmm…”

“Do you think otherwise?”

“Something feels off. I can’t put my finger on it… Let’s see what happens. Bring the girl in. I want to see her face.”

Second Deputy Director Jeong Sejin’s expression was complex.

***

Late at night, the bustling streets of Hongdae.

“You’re really just going to let me go like this?”

Hyesun looked up at Junho with anxious eyes.

After cleaning themselves up at the motel, they came straight to Hongdae. He’d considered staying at the motel for the night if he didn’t get a reply, but fortunately, the NIS responded quickly, allowing them to avoid an awkward situation.

“Yeah. Remember what I told you?”

Hyesun nodded. He thought she’d do well; she was smart and surprisingly resilient.

“Then go.”

“…”

Hyesun lowered her head, hesitated, then looked up at Junho again.

“What?”

“Are you abandoning me?”

“What are you talking about? I told you, this is to keep you safe. I can’t protect you on my own.”

“I guess you’re still a student, after all.”

Junho was startled.

“W-What?”

“I saw the phones in your bag earlier. You have two.”

Junho felt a throbbing pain in his head. Had she seen them while he was washing up? He had taken a long time because of the makeup. He must have let his guard down, being in an unfamiliar and somewhat awkward situation in the motel. Was his phone unlocked?

No. She must have seen the photo on his lock screen.

“Forget about it. Please. Otherwise…”

“You’ll kill me?”

She met his eyes directly.

“I’ll have no choice.”

He meant it. Promises be damned. He felt terrible, his heart heavy, but if killing her was the only way to silence her, he had to do it.

But Hyesun wasn’t intimidated.

“Then kill me.”

“…Do you think I’m bluffing?”

“No. I think you can really kill me. And that’s a good thing. It seems like a big weakness for you, oppa.”

She downgraded him from “mister” to “oppa” and twisted the knife.

“If you know it’s my weakness, you should also know there’s no reason for me not to kill you.”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut. I promise.”

“…”

She promised. But Junho, with Jo Gyeongcheol’s memories, knew how easily promises could be broken.

“I wanted to know. I want to be part of your revenge. If you’re not abandoning me, I want to find those bastards who did this to my dad and kill them all. That’s why I looked.”

“Neither your father nor I are people you should associate with. It’s dangerous.”

“But we’re already involved.”

“That’s why I’m getting you a new identity.”

“I remember everything. The horrific torture my dad endured, his death. And you, almost dying.”

“I’m not your family, and I’m not on your side.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t seem to. So, I’ll show you. Turn around. Now.”

Hyesun looked at Junho with fear in her eyes, then slowly turned around.

“Go down the alley, turn right, and you’ll see a building with Happy Karaoke on the second floor. Go into room number 5. There will be someone there.”

“I’ll find it.”

Was it because her only family was gone? It was likely that she was afraid of being abandoned by the person who had protected her. So, Junho had to make it clear.

“I’ll handle the revenge alone. Don’t forget what I told you. And don’t forget this pain. This is a warning.”

As Hyesun trembled in fear, a large hand covered her mouth. And then—

“Oof!”

A searing pain shot through her left arm, like a lightning strike, a sharp, tearing sensation.

Junho pulled the knife out of her arm and wrapped it with the spare T-shirt Hyesun had brought. He said to her, trembling in fear and pain,

“Run straight ahead. Don’t look back. Now.”

Hyesun started running. This was her first time being stabbed, and the pain was unimaginable. But the image of her father flashed in her mind.

‘Dad… I’m sorry. I’ll get through this.’

She couldn’t fathom the pain her father must have endured during his torture, and this thought strengthened her resolve.

She ran as fast as she could and found the building Junho had described. She ran up the stairs two at a time, frantically searching for the room. As soon as she saw room number 5, she threw open the door.

Bang!

The five burly men waiting inside were startled by the sudden intrusion. They hesitated, looking at the girl who had burst in.

Her face was a mess of sweat and tears, a red-stained cloth wrapped around her arm.

“Gorilla sent me.”

Director Kim Cheolsoo stepped forward, past the NIS counterintelligence agents. He glanced at her bleeding arm and asked, “The account?”

Hyesun opened her bag and handed it to him. Director Kim rummaged through it and pulled out an army-green analog device.

A device?

“What’s this?”

“It contains the account information and password.”

“Son of a bitch!”

He’d been played. Director Kim Cheolsoo, furious, ran his hand through his hair and then asked Hyesun, “The conditions?”

“The right thumbprint of Kim Junghyun, the economic attaché at the North Korean embassy in France.”