May 16, 2014, 9:36 PM.
The surrounding seawater continued to churn, crashing against the beach, then slowly receding, carrying grains of sand.
Although it was already 9:30 PM, seagulls still flew overhead incessantly.
After Zhang Jie stepped onto the shoreline, he let the boat drift with the current; the people on board had long since become companions to the fish in the sea.
The sea breeze, laden with a salty, fishy smell, blew into his face. Zhang Jie stood on the container terminal of Busan Port, squinting his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings.
However, he was now hesitating whether to turn on his phone, worried about being tracked. But if he didn't turn on his phone, there was no way to contact Veronica.
It was quite nerve-wracking. Although he wasn't afraid of being hunted, what if the other party sent top assassins? What should he do then?
"Forget it, I'll contact her. I need to finish this damn mission quickly and get out of this godforsaken place," Zhang Jie muttered.
He pulled out his phone, turned it on, and dialed.
Beep—
"Little brother~ Where are you?"
Veronica's lazy voice came from the other end of the phone, and Zhang Jie raised an eyebrow.
"Thankfully, I made it to Busan alive. Where should I deliver the item? Send me the address."
Zhang Jie was too lazy to waste words with her. He wanted to deal with the matter first. As for other things, he would settle them properly with Veronica after he returned to America.
"I'll send you a phone number shortly. You can contact him. As for the other person, I'll tell you later."
Veronica was also very straightforward, saying just that. Then Zhang Jie's phone vibrated, and he received a message.
"010-1342-5528"
After leaving the dock, Zhang Jie changed his disguise in a nearby cheap motel: a black wig, thick-rimmed glasses, and a tacky T-shirt printed with "I Love Busan."
His reflection in the mirror looked like an ordinary backpacker; no one would associate him with the dangerous individual who had sped through Tokyo Bay.
The problem now was how to safely reach Seoul?
He still carried a gun. The high-speed rail was too dangerous, and the airport was an even greater trap.
He ultimately chose a long-distance bus, sitting in the last row by the window. Throughout the journey, his fingers never left the gun grip.
Seoul's prosperity was a stark contrast to Busan's ruggedness.
Zhang Jie got off in Gangnam District and blended into the crowd.
He needed to find a safe place to make that call. Using his mobile phone was out of the question. He finally chose a roadside public phone booth; it had no surveillance, and the constant flow of people made it easy to hide.
After the call connected, a male voice spoke something in Korean.
"English," Zhang Jie said, "or Chinese."
A brief silence.
"Myeongdong Cathedral, 4 PM today. Bring all your things." The other party hung up after speaking.
Zhang Jie checked his watch; he had six hours.
Enough time for him to do some preparatory work.
Myeongdong Cathedral was Seoul's oldest Catholic church, its Gothic architecture standing out incongruously amidst the modern high-rises.
Zhang Jie arrived two hours early, circling the cathedral three times to confirm every exit and potential surveillance point. He had changed into his third disguise: a dark gray suit, making him look like an ordinary office worker.
At 3:50, he sat on a back pew in the cathedral, pretending to read a Bible.
There weren't many people in the church; a few elderly worshippers were praying, and a cleaner was wiping dust from beneath the stained-glass windows.
Precisely at 4 o'clock, a young man in a black trench coat sat next to him. The man was about twenty-five years old, looking around cautiously.
"Nice weather," the man said in English.
"Too bad it's not suitable for a funeral," Zhang Jie replied.
The man breathed a sigh of relief: "Park Zhixun, Mr. Cui's private secretary."
Zhang Jie's pupils contracted slightly.
Mr. Cui?
That mysterious employer?
Why would his secretary come to meet him personally?
"Give me the item," Park Zhixun whispered, his eyes fixed on the statue of the Virgin Mary ahead.
With countless thoughts racing through his mind, Zhang Jie suddenly changed his tone, "You've got it wrong. I'm here to collect the final payment."
"Listen, the situation is very complicated now. Mr. Cui has already sent another group of people to find you. They're not here to receive the goods; they're here to... clean up the problem."
"Oh?"
"What happened in Tokyo wasn't an accident."
Park Zhixun finally turned to look at him, "Suoluo made a deal with Takahashi Ryosuke of the Triads, hoping to extort Mr. Cui with what's in that box."
Zhang Jie's mind raced.
So the trap in Tokyo was set by Suoluo?
No, that's not right. In Shibuya, it was Han who came to pick him up... But why did the box end up in his hands anyway?
Unless... "What's in the box?" Zhang Jie suddenly asked.
Park Zhixun's expression stiffened: "That's none of your business. Your mission is just to deliver it safely."
"When I almost died for it, it became my business." Zhang Jie's voice was icy, "Tell me the truth, or the deal is off."
Cold sweat seeped from Park Zhixun's forehead: "It's... some videos and documents. Mr. Cui's... private collection."
"Hmm? It seems you're not an honest person either."
Zhang Jie stood up and looked outside the church.
At this moment, a group of people in black suits had already blocked the church entrance outside.
The dozen or so people said nothing, only their gazes began to sweep through the entire church, lingering on each person's face for a moment.
Zhang Jie had noticed them when they came in, so he immediately stood up and walked towards the back of the church.
Park Zhixun, still unaware of what was happening, quickly followed, whispering in Zhang Jie's ear, "Give me the item, and your mission will be complete."
"Give it to you? You should first consider whether you can even survive."
Zhang Jie was too lazy to waste words with him and continued walking towards the back.
At this moment, Park Zhixun also noticed the abnormality outside. The men in black behind him did not look like people to be trifled with, and his face instantly turned quite pale.
He went directly through the back door of the church and into the backyard. There were some noisy sounds outside the backyard, but it didn't seem like there were many people.
So, when Zhang Jie reached the door, it suddenly opened. The person in a suit outside looked at Zhang Jie, just about to speak.
Pfft!
Zhang Jie directly raised his hand and fired a shot, piercing his head.
Then he yanked hard on his collar, leaning him against the wall.
He continued to walk out, and as soon as his foot stepped out, he bumped into another person. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and fired another shot.
Pfft!
Clean and swift.
Just like that, two people with gaping head wounds stood silently on either side of the door, on guard, while Park Zhixun, standing behind him, instantly turned deathly pale and began to feel nauseous.
After stepping out, Zhang Jie quickly flipped his clothes inside out and put them on. It was a double-sided jacket, with different patterns and styles on each side.
Then he took a baseball cap from his pocket, put it on his head, pulled it down low, and quickly left in the direction of the back street.
Park Zhixun naturally didn't dare to stay long. After all, he had come here stealthily, so he also quickly opened the door, despite feeling very unwell.
Zhang Jie, having left Myeongdong Cathedral, looked around and quickly headed towards the subway station 300 meters away.
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