Perfect Mission Chapter 23 - Wolf and Gorilla (1)

Chapter 23 – Wolf and Gorilla (1)

Ordinary people might find it easier to check the navigation history than the dashcam, but agents rarely used car navigation unless it was their first time visiting a place. They memorized the basic routes. And no agent in their right mind would be foolish enough to register their home or work address in their car. That’s why the dashcam was crucial.

After getting an earful from his mother, Junho returned home late at night, locked himself in his room, and examined the dashcam footage, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

‘You idiot… that’s why you failed.’

Junho inwardly mocked the deceased Mortar. The trauma Mortar had inflicted on him was a major turning point in Jo Gyeongcheol’s life. He had vowed to kill him someday, but the fact that Jo Gyeongcheol was killed by Mortar’s crew proved that even the slightest carelessness was unacceptable in this world.

Anyway, Junho found a suspicious location in the dashcam footage, aside from Mortar’s home and office. He considered going to the office first, but he figured that if the boss had any brains, he would have already fled, knowing that Mortar was dead. If he was still there, it wasn’t a bad thing either. It meant he was an easy target.

[Check the real estate registration. The address is…]

Junho gave Yoon Gyeongsik another task and went to bed at 3 a.m. The image of a half-blown-off head, a stiff hand, rolling eyes, and blood spattered everywhere… He was exhausted, but it took him hours to fall asleep.

 

***

 

The next morning, his mother’s eyes were filled with suspicion as she prepared breakfast.

“What have you been up to lately?”

To be honest, he had been acting strange. He, who had always hated going out, suddenly went on a trip alone and came home late. If it weren’t for his improved grades, his mother’s suspicion would have turned into certainty.

“I’m just… a senior in high school, so I have a lot on my mind.”

Junho avoided his mother’s gaze and replied.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Well, you know. I don’t like studying and I’m not good at it, but I don’t have anything I really want to do… and I’m not sure about pursuing a career in gaming, which I like.”

“So?”

“I’m studying hard because I’m a senior and I don’t want you to worry. But I have a lot of other concerns. Like which university to go to.”

His mother’s gaze softened.

“Really? You should have told me.”

“Guys usually worry about these things alone. You wouldn’t understand; you’re a woman.”

He was just making it up as he went.

“Do all guys do that?”

“Yes, they do. They need their alone time.”

“Oh, you’re all grown up now.”

Junho glanced at his mother and asked,

“What university do you think I should go to?”

“Well… I’d be happy with wherever you want to go…”

“You’re lying.”

“Honestly, I’d prefer a university in Seoul. But the problem is your grades.”

“So the major doesn’t matter?”

“So, where do you want to go?”

In fact, the more knowledge an agent had, the better. But since he had absorbed Jo Gyeongcheol’s memories, he didn’t think he needed to waste time in college.

“I’d rather take my time and think about my career path than go to college.”

“What do you mean? You’re not going to college?”

“I just need some time. I’ll take the CSAT. I’ll study hard.”

“Alright. But are you sure you should continue with this diet? You’re getting so thin, I’m worried you’ll collapse.”

“I’m eating well. I’m actually healthier than before, so don’t worry.”

Junho, who had cut back on carbohydrates and was focusing on vegetables and protein, was eating a salad and chicken breast for breakfast. With his intense workouts and strict diet, he was losing belly fat and his flabby body was turning into muscle. His chubby face was becoming more masculine, and he thought he finally looked like a spy.

“Okay, I trust you, son.”

Junho watched his mother’s back as she left after preparing his breakfast.

‘I’m sorry, Mom… Your son is going to be a world-class agent.’

He figured he should find her a boyfriend after he graduated high school, so she wouldn’t be lonely. And of course, he’d have to move out.

“Heh…”

Junho chuckled to himself as he ate his salad.

 

***

 

After school, Junho went to his officetel, changed into a tracksuit, and went out with a sports bag slung over his shoulder. He wore a hat pulled low, making it difficult for anyone to recognize him.

[It’s owned by a woman named Yang Yoojin, twenty-eight years old. Ownership changed the year before last…]

A text message from Yoon Gyeongsik. Junho, with a hint of excitement, sent him a text.

[Check all the businesses at Wonkwang Building, 103-55 Cheongdam-dong. Look for any businesses that aren’t large corporations and have unclear business descriptions.]

It was the address of the building where Mortar frequently parked. Even if it wasn’t his final destination, he had to check it out. Of course, he didn’t think Mortar would be that meticulous.

He took a taxi to a rural area in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. It wasn’t unusual for an agent to visit a rural area for a mission or personal business, but what was strange was that he came alone at night and left in less than ten minutes. His home was in Seoul, over two hours away, so why drive all the way to Pocheon at night for such a short visit? It meant he knew the area well, and he probably wasn’t meeting anyone.

That’s why Junho came here first.

Most agents were wealthy, but none of them kept all their assets in a bank. Their line of work made them a lot of enemies, and their bank accounts could be frozen at any moment. This was especially true for agents in Korea. The national identification number system made it impossible to hide their assets. No matter how good they were at their job or how much money they made, the government could seize their assets if they didn’t cooperate, effectively turning them into slaves.

That’s why Korean agents didn’t receive payments into their own bank accounts and accumulated wealth in their own ways.

‘Yang Yoojin… twenty-eight years old, so probably his girlfriend. Did he buy land in his girlfriend’s name and build a warehouse?’

It was the most plausible scenario. A smarter agent might have added a few more tricks, but he didn’t know how Mortar operated.

Junho tightened his grip on the strap of his sports bag and walked past the spot where Mortar had parked, following the direction he had taken in the dashcam footage. A metal gate blocked a dark, rural mountain path.

Junho scanned the area around the gate. He was looking for any security devices from private security companies, but he didn’t see any. He examined the lock on the gate, but there were no electronic traps.

Junho smirked, took out a bolt cutter from his sports bag, and cut the lock. He’d bought it at a supermarket on a whim, and it came in handy.

Thud!

The lock fell with a dull thud. Junho opened the old, rusty gate and went inside.

“What is this?”

He turned on his flashlight and scanned the area. The large open space was filled with trash. Not household trash, but piles of weeds, rotten wood, and other debris. There were also several large tarps covering something.

Junho chuckled at the sight of these seemingly random things gathered in one place.

“Haha, this bastard is something else.”

An ordinary person would just see a pile of trash. Junho started examining the area more closely with his flashlight. He was sure there was something here, but he couldn’t find it easily. He lifted the tarps, but all he found were foul odors and swarms of insects.

Still, Junho didn’t think he had made a mistake. Then, his foot hit something. It wasn’t the soft, yielding feel of dirt, but the hard, solid feel of concrete. He stomped his foot.

“Oho~”

He kicked the dirt away with his foot, and his flashlight revealed a sturdy metal plate. There was also a lock, buried in the ground. Junho chuckled, cut the lock with the bolt cutter again, and lifted the plate.

Creak!

A musty smell hit him, and he held his nose as he shined his flashlight inside. It was a pit about a meter deep, and he couldn’t see anything at the bottom. He probably had to go inside, but the thought of the crawling insects made him hesitate. Jo Gyeongcheol would have gone in without a second thought, but while he could tolerate urine, he had a strong aversion to insects.

“Phew… phew… Just once.”

Junho took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, kicked away the visible insects, and jumped in.

As he landed on the damp floor and shined his flashlight ahead— a yellow light reflected back, dazzling him.

“What is this…”

Rectangular blocks of gold, stacked up to his knees.

“This bastard was hoarding gold bars.”