The Imperial Hunter Chapter 78 - Metamorphosis (5)

When the briefing and ensuing meeting finished after over an hour, the sharp-nosed passenger ship passed through the Pearl River estuary at 25 knots. Unable to restrain my desire to save time, I had asked if it could accelerate without pushing it, and the worried captain ended up increasing speed by 5 knots, saying he would try adding more if the situation allowed.

The ships sailing in the same direction and resisting the current to the right of the river fell behind one by one. 25 knots, 46.3 kilometers per hour, was a considerably fast speed on water, especially on a narrow waterway with heavy traffic. Where the river met the sea gathered seven major cities including Hong Kong and a population of 60 million, and maritime traffic volume was proportional to that population size.

Yet there was no risk of dangerous collisions. Firstly because the ship itself was almost completely empty, allowing agile movements, and secondly because a bow thruster used purely for changing direction was installed below the bow. There were three waterjet propulsion engines, and the auxiliary engines located on both sides made steering the ship even more delicate.

Of course, tools being good meant nothing if the user was incompetent. The stable navigation now was thanks to my subordinates’ skills cultivated over a long time smuggling at sea.

When the passenger ship Becrux grazed past a small mid-river island the size of Yeouido, the turbid ripples carried the stench of poverty and a faint tear gas smell from the poor residing there. Looking closely, the collective housing of dock workers divided left and right by the channel was tightly clustered on the island like pustules of shingles.

‘Everyone’s free even though it’s daytime?’

The clock showed 2:36 pm. Not lunch break to have free time. Even if it was lunch break, workers coming home to rest was an abnormal sight. After all, the day laborers and peasant workers who lived day to day were staying home because they had no work. Enjoying forced leisure with empty pockets.

To the housing’s north were shipping yards filled with vehicles waiting to be loaded. So many cars waiting that not a single vacant spot could be seen, yet no ship to load them onto was in sight.

Kyung-tae, who approached and leaned on the railing next to me, exclaimed at the sight.

“That’s all stacked up because of the trade sanctions right?”

“Probably so.”

“If this keeps up, China might really split into multiple countries.”

“It’d be troublesome if it crumbles too quickly though…”

Nowhere was busy, not the harbors, nor the factories or oil facilities. Meaning the river must have been much livelier in the past. India, China’s largest export market, joining hands with the Western world and turning hostile must have been the decisive blow.

‘The Communist Party needs to hold out until it’s used up.’

Staring at the currents lacking continental-scale debris, I asked,

“How was touring the ship?”

“It’ll become the best mobile base once preparations are complete.”

Kyung-tae’s instant reply.

“The speed is faster than most patrol boats, and stability and maneuverability are excellent. Cargo and vehicle capacity are good. It can hold 8 1.5-ton trucks and 11 2.5-ton trucks. No issues transporting spoils, and seems reliable although it’s not Made in China.”

“It’s not Chinese?”

“1996 Italian lady. And it’s a Rolls-Royce engine. Chief Park…no, Executive Director Park put in a lot of consideration despite the tight deadline, it seems.”

“That’s because her predecessor was a solid guy.”

Almost overly sentimental.

Before I brought him in, he really was sentimental. He had co-signed for a friend using his home as collateral. As expected, the friend had disappeared, his wife left the home demanding divorce by document, all assets were seized, and the kids could barely scrounge up one meal a day. That was the circumstance in which Seo Gabsoo had met me on the Han River bridge.

It was regrettable I couldn’t attend the funeral. To manage loyalty, I had to show my face at such events whenever they occurred. Although just an executive director, he was a subordinate who served me for a long time… A condolence wreath would be sent without me needing to instruct, Suyeon would see to it.

“Hyungnim.”

“What?”

“When you have time, please encourage Executive Director Park separately.”

“We’ll see.”

“Please get some rest first. You barely got any sleep last night.”

My chronic sleep deprivation was something Kyung-tae and Suyeon always worried about. Even now if asked how long I slept last night, they could accurately reply down to hours and minutes.

Well… was I ever in perfect condition? I shook my head.

“Since I have free time unintentionally, I should review plans for the future. Wasting time in fitful sleep is fine for one night.”

The more urgent, turn back. Haste makes waste. Eagerness leads to delay… Although Eastern and Western wisdom warn against hastiness, when actually faced with such situations, it was not as easy as just saying so for human affairs. Plans I had thought thoroughly through at the moment often had multiple better alternatives in hindsight after everything was over. Therefore, resisting the now was a good blank space to reduce future regrets. Even if plans went awry, sufficient deliberation was the foundation for better impromptu responses.

Scratching his head, Kyung-tae asked,

“You won’t change the ship name?”

The current name written on the bow was “Becrux.” The alternate name for Beta Crucis, a star in the Southern Cross constellation. I shook my head again.

“It’s best to use the existing name for disguise.”

“Understood.”

Kyung-tae vacated his spot out of consideration for my contemplation.

The passenger ship Becrux arrived at the pier after nearly another hour passed. A small number of security bureau officers had come to greet us at the quay, none with good expressions. The intraparty politics of the current Chinese Communist Party was truly a life-or-death struggle. If Gao Shusen, the manager, lost his head, his subordinates would also face serial political martyrdom. No wonder their complexions couldn’t be bright.

‘If I still had contacts I had personally cultivated…’

Regrettably, the official who had granted me hotels and casinos in Macau 15 years ago entered prison. The charges were polygamy and bribery. The case came to light when his legal wife hired killers to assassinate his numerous mistresses. With it hitting international news, it became impossible to cover up, so the central party sacrificed him as a scapegoat.

Truly, it was an extremely unfortunate matter for me. If not for that incident, he was guaranteed to ascend to key positions in the central party. Even if he kept mistresses, if he had maintained it at the level of other officials, around ten or so, how great would that have been?

Past and present, Chinese officials were high-risk, high-return investment products.

Upon disembarking, Miju shook hands with a man wearing Third-Class Superintendent insignia while gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Chief Inspector Hu. Good to see you again after three days. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Likewise Mrs. Park.”

The Chinese “Mrs.” differed greatly in connotation and nuance from its Korean equivalent. The middle-aged security officer with bags under his eyes looked at me.

“Could he be that…”

Miju nodded.

“Yes. This is Chairman Li I serve.”

Li was the surname of the alias I was using this time. Nationality Peru. An identity purchased from a South American broker connected to casinos exclusively for foreigners. The nodding security officer briefly saluted me.

“I’m Hu Shanliang. Deputy Secretary Gao ordered me to politely escort the Chairman.”

Then he looked at Miju. Asking for interpretation.

“Li Gyuhwi. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so I look forward to your guidance.”

Hu Shanliang made a slightly surprised expression at my reply in Cantonese without an interpreter. A name I had already heard during the briefing. One of those three security bureau executives that were like spare lives for Gao Shusen. This security officer gazed at me searchingly through my sunglasses and then guided me to the prepared convoy.

“Please get in for now. The Deputy Secretary is waiting.”

I boarded a vehicle with only the minimum number of subordinates including Kyung-tae. The remaining subordinates led by Suyeon began loading the goods guarded by the officers who had come to greet us. Food and medical supplies, materials needed to remodel the ship’s interior, etc.

As I boarded the car, Hu Shanliang had a brief conversation with his subordinates outside before following. Based on his subordinates’ flustered rambling while pointing at me and my entourage, Hu Shanliang was startled before stealing glances at me.

It wasn’t difficult to guess what conversation had transpired. The capable could sense other nearby capable through reactions in the magical field, and aside from Hu Shanliang himself, the other subordinates were composed of somewhat decently capable awakened.

Hu Shanliang must have been surprised that my subordinates’ abilities were quite a bit higher than his subordinates’. I had also intentionally let my force field loose to an appropriate degree.

‘Here they call those with primitive magic abilities Special Ability Holders, I think?’

Among civilians, more common names were Divine Power User, Divine Power Warrior, and such uncouth titles, but the Communist Party hating religion obviously couldn’t officially use such superstitious names.

Soon the convoy departed. As the security bureau cars with white license plates sped up, surrounding vehicles automatically vacated a lane.

A noticeable sight while traveling the short distance was the state of the damaged CCTVs. All visible cameras were completely smashed, spray-painted, or otherwise rendered unable to fulfill their roles. On the exterior walls of the halted high-rise construction sites were seditious phrases wildly spray-painted in red.

「销毁所有电眼为了革命, 帮助我们推翻共产党! (Destroy all surveillance cameras for the revolution, help us overthrow the Communist Party!)」

「毛主席教导给了我们无穷的力量, 是我们的指路明灯, 是我们正义行动的保证, 现在已经到了动手打倒这个假共产党的时候了! 中国人民反复辟大革命一定胜利! (What Chairman Mao taught us is our infinite strength. It is the beacon lighting our path, the guarantee our actions are just, now is the time to overthrow this sham Communist Party! The Chinese people’s counter-restorationist great revolution will surely be victorious!)」

The first explained why the CCTVs were a mess, and judging by the latter invoking Chairman Mao, it seemed like selectively excerpting plausible parts from the claims of “Mao Gong.” I could find similar graffiti even in the apartment complexes of villages that should have the most stable security.

‘At this rate, the military will have to step in soon.’

With surveillance cameras almost entirely neutered, 20-30% of China’s meticulously constructed social surveillance network had evaporated. Of course, the online surveillance network was still active, but the collapse of the frontline barrier preventing passive endorsement by ordinary citizens was the issue.

The hunting ground environment I had witnessed directly with my own eyes was truly beyond expectations…

“Wait.”

I frowned and demanded of the officer driving,

“Stop the car at once.”

“Why do that?”

“We’ll talk after stopping. Hurry!”

The Third-Class Sergeant with both hands on the wheel made a confused expression but yielded to my forceful speech, informing the other vehicles via radio then pulling the car onto the shoulder and stopping. It was a point just past crossing a bridge from the pier. The entire convoy moving together stopped bumper to bumper before and after.

The seated officer asked in a tone barely concealing displeasure.

“Chairman. Our destination is right ahead, so why did you tell us to stop?”

“Look at that truck over there.”

“The truck?”

The two officers in the front seats knitted their brows, observing the truck I indicated. But seemingly unable to discover anything suspicious, they looked at each other and shook their heads once each. The senior officer Hu Shanliang, also doubtful, asked again.

“What’s wrong with that?”

I replied while monitoring the truck with its brake lights on.

“It seems the cargo loaded on it is a bomb.”

“What? It’s just an ordinary concrete pipe right?”

Outwardly it did seem so. A steel-reinforced concrete pipe commonly used for waterworks. However, I could see the explosives loaded inside. Fortunately, there was a clue even the average-eyed sergeant could understand, for explanation’s sake.

“Look closely again. Isn’t the back of the pipe blocked by something concave? They even painted the interior of the pipe to make it difficult to notice the pipe was blocked. Why would they need to do that?”

“Is it blocked…? It does seem suspicious when I listen and look again but… just based on that…”

“Do you not know? That’s a typical explosive-formed penetrator (EFP) shape. The short length of the pipe is also evidence. Simply put, it’s like a disposable cannon with high penetration. It seems those parked military vehicles over there are the target.”

An explosive-formed penetrator was a directional explosive made by filling a closed-end pipe with explosives and then sealing the remaining opening with a concave metal liner. It operates on the principle of deforming the metal liner using explosive pressure to eject it at high speed.

For example, by filling a 20-centimeter diameter and depth container with explosives and then capping the opening with a 3-kilogram copper liner, the deformed metal projectile would shoot out at Mach 6 speed. Its power could penetrate reinforced concrete up to 80 centimeters deep. This was enough destructive power to punch through several armored vehicles in one go.

Moreover, the bomb loaded on the truck looked to be at least 1 meter in diameter and depth. It was hard to estimate how much penetration it would have. The sturdy, solid container seemed like it would have relatively little dispersing firepower.

Now the security officers who had finally taken my warning seriously hastily retreated the car while busily radioing back and forth. Meanwhile, the truck carrying the bomb made a U-turn crossing the center line at the crosswalk ahead, then parked at the far edge of the road feigning parking to take aim at the military vehicles. The distance between the two sides was about 30 meters.

Wearing a mask, the driver repeatedly got out and sat astride the concrete pipe to trace imaginary lines of fire then returned to the driver’s seat to adjust his aim, repeating this process. To put it nicely, he was an extremely meticulous terrorist, but to put it bluntly, he was an inexperienced rookie lacking experience and confidence.

I felt a slight satisfaction.

‘Off to a good start. This will give off a competent impression right from the beginning.’

The communication between the security personnel escalated and eventually reached their leader, Gao Shusen. Gao Shusen decided to handle it himself and terminated the communication.

However…

The People’s Liberation Army vehicles deployed to respond to the rapidly changing situation in the city still showed no intention of moving even after five more minutes had passed. An officer leaned on an armored vehicle and smoked a cigarette, wearing nothing but a look of annoyance. It seemed like no warning had reached them. The truck driver had just completed his sixteenth micro-adjustment. The terrorist, perched on the concrete pipe with his legs spread wide, closed one eye, extended his right arm, checked his aim, and, finally seeming satisfied, broke into a trembling smile. After glancing at his wristwatch, he let out a sigh of relief.

And then, the hidden bomb’s timer activated.