Perfect Mission Chapter 28 - Warning (1)

Chapter 28 – Warning (1)

The owner of this place, Jeong Hocheol, divided his customers into two categories: regular customers and those who killed people. Regular customers were stressful and didn’t pay well, while the other type wasn’t stressful and paid well. One would think he’d prefer the latter, but Jeong Hocheol didn’t particularly like them. Perhaps it was a kind of self-loathing.

“What are you looking for?”

Those who weren’t human had a different scent. That’s how Jeong Hocheol knew that this man, who looked to be in his early thirties, was a killer. He wasn’t hostile, but his gaze was wary.

Junho didn’t mind.

“Do you have a PCM-2000?”

Jeong Hocheol examined the customer’s face through his light-colored sunglasses. Anyone who knew the model name PCM-2000 was a professional in this field, but he’d never seen an agent in Korea with this appearance.

“I have something similar…”

“Similar?”

“The PCM-2000 is an old model.”

The owner’s informal tone felt natural, and Junho didn’t take offense. He was a senior, after all.

“Then what’s the new model?”

Jeong Hocheol looked at Junho’s face for a moment, then went inside. He brought out a microphone slightly longer than his palm and a device the size of a woman’s hand.

“PCM-3000. It has a range of up to 500 meters and a 12-hour battery life. And with this special adhesive…”

Jeong Hocheol spread a clay-like substance on the small device and stuck it to the wall. It looked like it would fall, but it held firm.

“And?”

“You can hear everything on the other side of this wall, crystal clear. You know how to use the microphone, right?”

He knew. Point it in the desired direction and you could hear everything within that range. They might look insignificant, but their performance was incredible, and they were ridiculously expensive. Junho’s initial confidence in his backpack full of cash began to wane.

“How much?”

“For both?”

“…Just the microphone?”

“70 million.”

He was shocked.

“Ahem… I know it’s a good product, but what about interference or noise?”

“You know your stuff.”

“Then 70 million is a bit steep.”

“Still, no. If I don’t have this in stock, I couldn’t sell it even for 100 million. You’re lucky to even see it. You might not find it in Korea at all.”

Damn it.

“What about the thing you stuck to the wall?”

“That’s 200 million.”

He almost choked.

“200 million?”

“That thing. It’s a special adhesive, and it’s a package with 20 disposable units. It eavesdrops on the minute vibrations transmitted through the wall, so it’s immune to interference. Crystal clear. It might not look like much, but it’s a technological marvel.”

“…”

“You can’t just buy this with money. The fact that you’re seeing both of these at the same time is a sign from your ancestors. Otherwise, it would be impossible.”

This guy’s sales pitch hadn’t changed a bit.

“Hmm…”

“Just buy one. And for the record, we don’t do credit.”

“Do people still ask for credit these days?”

“A lot of them do. I just don’t give it to them.”

Junho hesitated for a moment, then opened his backpack.

“This is 90 million. Count it.”

“Huh? Both of them? Then what about the rest?”

“Do you accept crypto?”

Jeong Hocheol smirked and nodded.

“Sure, why not.”

He wrote down his crypto wallet address. Junho knew he was being overcharged, but in a barren agent environment like Korea, a certain markup was unavoidable. He punched in the numbers on his phone with a hint of annoyance and said curtly,

“Sent.”

“You got a good deal. Where else would you find this?”

He’d considered asking Nikolai, but decided against it. Going through a middleman might end up costing him even more.

“Yeah, right.”

“So, who was your teacher?”

Jeong Hocheol’s eyes glinted, as if trying to read his mind. How had his gaze not changed at all with age? He must not drink.

Junho met Jeong Hocheol’s gaze and said,

“Well, let’s just say he’s a big shot.”

He chuckled.

“Heh, really? Interesting. Kids these days don’t like to wear makeup.”

Junho smiled, biting his lip. This old man had noticed his makeup in an instant. And he was still observing him, pretending not to. He hated agents, yet he couldn’t resist his curiosity. People really didn’t change.

“You have a keen eye. Next time, just pretend you don’t see it.”

“Why? Are you going to slit my throat?”

“Don’t be so dramatic… If you’re gone, who will I buy my equipment from?”

“Hmph! If you’re that well-taught, you should know I’m not the only one who sells this stuff.”

“I’ve heard this place is a bit expensive, but the products are reliable…”

Junho emptied his backpack and put the eavesdropping device inside. He said to Jeong Hocheol, who was counting the money,

“See you next time.”

“Well, if you don’t die, you’ll be back.”

“Exactly.”

Junho’s smile faded as he left the shop. Jeong Hocheol, now retired, was an agent codenamed Jjanggu. How did aspiring agents get their start? Even Gorilla, a former special forces soldier, couldn’t just declare himself an agent and become one. Newbies had to be taught by someone or join a company to learn the basics and gain experience. Jo Gyeongcheol, with his mercenary background and connections, had knocked on the door of a company called Guardian Elite Forces (GEF), which had considerable influence in Europe, especially France.

Ostensibly a private military company, GEF was actually an organization with close ties to the criminal underworld, with over a hundred agents. It had the intelligence gathering capabilities of a small nation. He’d met Jjanggu there. They’d gotten close because they were both Korean, and Jjanggu had taught Jo Gyeongcheol a lot, who was a quick learner. Jjanggu’s specialty was disguise, so it was only natural that he had seen through Junho’s makeup. Of course, it also meant that Junho’s skills were still lacking.

‘So he’s alive…’

Junho had come to this shop not only to get equipment but also to confirm Jeong Hocheol’s status. He was one of the few people who knew that Jo Gyeongcheol was Gorilla. Goblin was dead, but Jeong Hocheol was alive. He needed to check on the others, but the fact that Jeong Hocheol was alive and running a shop was enough to make him a person of interest.

If Jeong Hocheol, his mentor, was the one who had exposed Jo Gyeongcheol’s secret…

‘Then he has to die.’

Blood for blood. No exceptions. That was the law of this world.

 

***

 

The next morning, Gyeongsik woke up in a goshiwon (a small, cheap room for rent) and rubbed his eyes several times, looking at the 300 million won worth of Bitcoin in his crypto wallet. 300 million won. For someone who had lived a difficult life and struggled to start a business, it was a huge amount of money. He had never had even 10 million won in his bank account, so the idea of someone lending him 300 million was unimaginable. Now that it was a reality, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

But the feeling was fleeting. He transferred the money to his bank account and started contacting his creditors. Some of the money was automatically withdrawn as soon as it was deposited. He contacted the creditors who had placed liens on his accounts, informed them of the payment, and asked them to release the liens. He would then pay off the rest of his debts.

“Honey…”

He thought of his long-suffering wife, and tears streamed down his face. He wanted to call her immediately and tell her it was over, but he resisted, remembering his promise. He knew there was a reason why… no, James… had given him so much money. He had fulfilled his end of the bargain, and now it was time to sell his soul. He was content with that.

 

***

 

Sleeping, dozing, sleeping again… Junho’s school life, filled with exhaustion, seemed no different than usual, but in reality, his mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of Black Turtle and Wind Wolf. He planned to deal with Wind Wolf when the time came; he had killed Jo Gyeongcheol and the innocent security guard, and Junho felt responsible. Black Turtle, on the other hand, was a key figure related to his hidden memories. If he could learn more about him, he might be able to remember something about Mantis and White Tiger, whom Goblin had warned him about.

“Ye-eun told me what happened.”

But his thoughts were constantly interrupted by others. Especially Daeseong and Suyeon, who kept bothering him, even when he pretended to be asleep.

“It was nothing.”

“You’re lying.”

“…”

“Should I take you there?”

Junho’s gaze turned cold. Suyeon, startled by his unfamiliar expression, flinched.

“Where?”

“The… the office Ye-eun mentioned.”

“How do you know about that place?”

It was the first time Suyeon had heard Junho speak in such a cold, detached tone.

“Well… Ye-eun was scared to go there for the first time, so she asked me to go with her. That’s how I know.”

Junho was about to say something but buried his face in his desk again.

“Forget it. Stay out of it.”

“But…”

Suyeon, feeling unfairly blamed, returned to her seat, not wanting to make things worse.

‘What does she think she’s going to do, going there with me?’

Junho didn’t want Ye-eun, Suyeon, or even Daeseong to get involved with Black Turtle. He was leaving Hyeonuk alone for the same reason; he didn’t want to escalate the situation. He planned to move against Black Turtle in secret, without anyone noticing. For now, it was just a fight between high school students over a tattoo. But if he went after the real gang members, it would have direct repercussions for him. He didn’t want that.

He decided to put Black Turtle on the back burner for now and focus on Wind Wolf. He sent a text to Gyeongsik from his burner phone.

[Book room 2502 at the Paradise Hotel in Incheon.]

Gorilla never revealed his true face. So, when he had to meet a client after completing a mission, he never met them at a location of their choosing. Without knowing the geographical advantages, he could be in danger at any moment. But to do that, he needed to know one thing: the client’s identity. If he hadn’t known who requested the Daewon Chemicals data, he would never have taken the mission.

The room the client always stayed in when he was in Korea was booked in his name for the entire year. Room 2502 was the room next to his. Agents affiliated with large organizations sometimes displayed such arrogance. A confidence that no one could touch them.

He was curious to see how he would react.

Junho smiled secretly, then remembered something and was startled.

‘What if the room is already booked?’

He quickly checked the hotel’s booking website.