Kwon Taek Joo entered the room. He ignored the bag that had been brought before and just
took off his clothes and went to the bathroom. He walked in and stood under the shower and
pulled the lever. Hot water slowly poured down on his head. Kwon Taek Joo stood still under
the water for a moment and then leaned his upper body against the wall. He needed time to
organize his thoughts.
He agreed with the police explanation that the kidnapping upon arrival in Russia was the
action of forces opposing the energy facility contract. There is no other doubt. But what he
couldn't understand were the crocodile leather shoes that appeared at the scene. Who exactly
is that person, and what is his purpose in coming there? In the end, he received help from
him, but it was difficult to guarantee that he was his ally. Did he have no intention of harming
Kwon Taek Joo from the beginning, or was he just unable to do anything because the police
arrived too quickly?
Just thinking about him being there right behind Kwon Taek Joo was enough to make him
suffocate. He could barely move, it felt as if there was a crocodile living nearby, and if he
were startled just a little, it would tear him to pieces. Kwon Taek Joo felt like he was thrown
into a barbaric world without a single armor on his body. This was the first time he didn't
even dare to fight back. He tried with the will to survive but was defeated with unbelievable
ease. What will happen if his brother is determined to harm Kwon Taek Joo?
Pointed shoes, the smell of cigars, a calm voice and violence without any hesitation. His
violence is not simply controlling the opponent, but it is more like the process of gradually
engraving fear in the prey and destroying it little by little.
Kwon Taek Joo gritted his teeth and shook his head. He forced himself to shake off that
lingering afterimage. If it's a bad memory, it's best to forget it as soon as possible.
Kwon Taek Joo was trying to finish showering quickly, but the bandage on his arm was really
making him uncomfortable. He removed the wet bandage without thinking too long. His
wrist ached, but not unbearably.
The artificial skin covering the face was also decisively peeled off. Instead of the tired face
that had fallen off, there was Kwon Taek Joo's refreshed face. He quickly washed his face
and hair and put on his robe.
He walked out and opened his bag. The bag had been bumped here and there like Kwon Taek
Joo himself, messy with mixed belongings. Above the pile of clothes were razors, game
consoles, watches, tablets, cameras, etc. He lined them up and took out a small screwdriver
from the hand tool box and began to disassemble them. Brand new items in the blink of an
eye.
He took out the necessary parts from each item and put them together. A small device that
connects to a mobile phone is used for such completed work. It's a high-tech device that
periodically changes IP using the hotel's communication network and can prevent
eavesdropping or hacking. He plugged it into his laptop and booted it up.
Kwon Taek Joo entered the password and waited a moment. Soon a simple screen appeared.
Among the countless icons, he clicked on a commonly used SNS messaging application.
Immediately after logging in, the National Intelligence Agency logo appeared and Kwon
Taek Joo was quickly connected to headquarters. Chief Lim's face appeared on the screen
immediately after saying "You're late". Kwon Taek Joo also complained.
"If you're going to hide my identity, shouldn't you choose someone safer?"
"You have to be valuable enough to be kidnapped to meet high-ranking people."
"It seems like you knew this was going to happen, huh?"
"Why is it like that? I just figured it could happen. Because you are an excellent agent, even
if you are in danger, I believe you will survive."
He can say anything. Kwon Taek Joo asked again with a dissatisfied expression.
"What happened? Apparently you said Gazprom would pick me up."
"Yes. That party contacted me saying they would send someone to the airport."
"Did you really receive contact from Gazprom?"
"What's up?"
His identity was almost revealed. They waited for a long time, then said he didn't show up
and immediately called the Itochu Group. I diverted the call and blocked it. I heard your
flight didn't arrive on time due to chaos on the plane? It seems there was a mistake with the
Gazprom staff who came to the airport to pick him up. I heard that an Asian person who
entered Russia before you impersonated Hiro Sakamoto. Only later did I find out he was not
Hiro Sakamoto. Meanwhile, he was kidnapped by a fake employee.
That's right, everything started to get messy on the plane because a stupid Russian guy was
drunk and behaved rudely. Kwon Taek Joo leaves the airport late and meets Vasily, a fake
Gazprom employee.
"But it's much later than expected, isn't it?"
"There was a small commotion in the plane."
"Are there any drunk people causing trouble again?"
"..That, how do you know?"
This is remembering the story with the name Vasily.
How do you know what? Because it's the same group, so what? As expected, he killed Vasily
so easily. Kwon Taek Joo clenched his fists in rising anger and then frowned, because his
wrist suddenly throbbed.
He looked down at his right arm. The place where the killer grabbed it was still bruised with
a hand clearly printed on it. The shame he had suppressed the moment he encountered him
surfaced again. No matter what, Kwon Taek Joo must reveal this guy's identity, otherwise he
will have to live with that terrible feeling of surrender forever for the rest of his life.
Kwon Taek Joo confides in Chief Lim about the murderer. His plan was to borrow the
information capabilities of headquarters. But Chief Lim reacted with disappointment.
"Let's see. If you haven't seen his face, there's no way to confirm who he is. According to his
research, 4 thousand packs of cigars were sold, meaning there could be up to 4 thousand
buyers. Trying to keep track of everything would take a lot of time. Furthermore, the shoes he
wore were not limited edition products."
Kwon Taek Joo opened his mouth but then closed it again. It's not wrong either.
"It's just the first day but it's already a lot of hard work, right?"
Ignoring Chief Lim's comfort. Kwon Taek Joo just held his head in frustration. Chief Lim
observed for a moment then leaned forward.
"No matter how much you like working alone, if you're such a mess from the beginning, how
can I feel secure in this far away place? I will be very worried about you."
"Why do you suddenly say such itchy words?" He continued, "I'm afraid something will go
wrong."
"I found someone to help you."
"You didn't say that before."
Kwon Taek Joo frowned. This mission is only for him to perform. He did not announce that
he would have a partner until just before departure.
But only now, after coming this far, did he secretly reveal that truth. This sly person is no
different from a snake. Kwon Taek Joo stared at the screen. Chief Lim didn't mind and
continued talking.
"That friend not only understands the geography of that place but also the movement of
power and money. It will help a lot. Looking at the situation, I think that party will contact
you in advance the day after tomorrow. When I have time I will send a photo of that friend so
please check carefully."
He brazenly blurted out what he wanted to say and then as if remembering something, he
went "Ah." raised a voice.
"Since you will meet directly with the people involved in the contract tomorrow, let's learn
more about the LNG equipment project."
The communication was cut off before Kwon Taek Joo could speak. A file arrived from Chief
Lim. He opened it discontentedly. Soon after, details of the contract signed between Russia
and Japan and documents related to the construction of the LNG facility appeared in the form
of a 527 page PDF file.
Kwon Taek Joo stared intently at the pile of documents filled with tiny words and then
suddenly turned his head. The soft bed without a single wrinkle was seducing him. But he
had no other choice.
Kwon Taek Joo let out a sigh that made his shoulders droop and stood up. He opened the
minibar and took out beer. drank half the can, then returned to the table. He took a deep
breath and sat down. Finally, my academic luck is booming after a long time.
______
Kwon Taek Joo sat in the main restaurant with an extremely depressed expression. Key
Russian and Japanese figures are expected to enjoy lunch there. Fortunately, there was no
suspicion from Japanese officials about him, because there was no need to focus attention on
a lower-level employee. All vou have to do is finish today's lunch safely and attend the
celebration party that will be held in a few days. The moment he left the gathering of Russian
political and business tycoons, his role as Hiro Sakamoto ended.
Suddenly Kwon Taek Joo looked at the clock. The scheduled lunch time was noon, but the
minute hand had passed the number '12' and was heading towards the number '6. Those who
arrived on time were forced to stay for about 30 minutes, because the Gazprom representative
did not arrive. The person in charge of Gazprom called the company several times to confirm.
The sight of him struggling to stand still looked extremely pitiful.
"... Mr. Sakamoto?"
Kwon Taek Joo was so distracted by that distracting scene that he even missed a question
from a Russian official.
"Yes? Ah, sorry. What did you just say?"
"I heard you had some bad luck on the day you entered the country. Are you okay?"
"Ah yes. The Russian police arrived just in time so I was safe. He even kindly took me to my
place."
"I don't know how to apologize for this... I'm sorry for putting you through something like
that."
"No, why do you have to apologize? I should have paid more attention, I really have no
face."
Kwon Taek Joo replied politely but his eyes did not show any shame at all. He said it was
okay but the other person kept apologizing. After that, even the Japanese delegation began to
bow their heads in unison. They apologized for making him scared, saying it was their fault
so he didn't need to worry. They apologized, he apologized, everyone was in chaos.
Then Kwon Taek Joo suddenly felt uncomfortable. He stood up, drawing the attention of both
delegations to him. Kwon Taek Joo was about to try to sneak out so he smiled wryly and
asked for sympathy.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
He even pretended to wash his hands and then went out. A deep sigh rang out as soon as he
closed the door. Kwon Taek Joo was loosening the tie that was tightening his neck when he
suddenly stopped. Gazprom's CEO was still standing in the aisle making a phone call. He
was talking to the person on the other end of the phone in a somewhat angry tone, but in the
quietest tone possible.
"Where is the chairman? Has he departed? Is he not coming?"
The patience until now suddenly melted into soap bubbles. Not long after, the employee
broke out in his suppressed anger.
"Representative? What are you talking about? Is the
representative coming??"
That was the moment where all his patience thus far came to naught. Kwon Taek Joo clicked
his tongue and leisurely went to the bathroom.
To find the bathroom, he had to go down a separate hallway. He opened a door that reached
the 5 meter ceiling and entered. Kwon Taek Joo checked inside the room as usual and let out
a long breath when there were no suspicious signs. He came to stand in front of the sink.
Kwon Taek Joo wiped his hands and looked back at his activities. The other day he fell
asleep looking at the PDF file that Chief Lim sent. That night wasn't too bad except for a
rather vague dream. I don't know if it was because he was so tired that he fainted for a while.
Yesterday morning he finished reading the remaining PDF files and this afternoon went to the
airport to welcome the Japanese delegation. Even after examining each situation, it doesn't
seem like there were any major mistakes. Studying was indeed just cramming, but thanks to
the contract documents he had read in the past two days, Kwon Taek Joo was able to
understand the conversation without any difficulty.
At the same time, a sound rang out from outside the door. Someone's voice. If he wasn't
talking to himself, it sounded like he was talking on the phone. Is that the person in charge of
Gazprom's affairs just now? The door opened, and that voice reached Kwon Taek Joo more
clearly. His body stiffened for a moment.
"...No. I'm here but it will probably be boring."
It seems like you've heard it somewhere before. Where?
That memory is not too old. Although he didn't hear it often enough to be familiar with it,
that moment was so powerful that it was imprinted in his mind.
While Kwon Taek Joo was trying to recall the memories that seemed to have disappeared, the
voice from before rang out again. Exactly right behind him.
"Let's be clear. If it's support, then what happened last time is enough."
It's him. Kwon Taek Joo can be sure without looking back. This was the killer he met in that
makeshift building two days ago. As soon as he realized that fact, all his senses become
sharper. The first thing to wake up is the sense of smell.
Kwon Taek Joo could feel the strong scent of wet leaves gently burning. An unmistakable
scent of delicate cognac and rich Aroma. Cohiba Behike. The excitement that couldn't be
ignored seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders, even though the other person hadn't
smoked a single cigar.
His voice still echoed in the background. He stopped right at the door and continued the call.
Then, Kwon Taek Joo suddenly felt a gaze. He still didn't look back or look in the mirror, but
that was certain. He is looking at Kwon Taek Joo. A chill ran down his spine.
"That's enough... I know."
Maybe it was just an illusion, but his tone sounded a bit longer. The call ended. The eyes
following him became much clearer. Now only he and Kwon Taek Joo were left in the closed
bathroom.
He constantly washed his hands and watched his movements. He always looked down at his
hands without appearing to recognize who he was. The atmosphere quickly became heavy.
Time passed so slowly.
How long has it been? The man's footsteps, which had stopped, echoed again. He walked to
the sink right next to Kwon Taek Joo. Soon the water poured out with a clicking sound. He
began to gently rub his hands.
With just that small movement, Cohiba's scent became stronger, along with memories of the
first day he smelled that scent rushing back.
Kwon Taek Joo tried to act as calmly as possible. He turned off the water as if he didn't know
him and then used a prepared towel to dry his hands.
I wonder why that murderous bastard appeared at this moment right here. If it's random then
what a damn coincidence. Just considering the economic situation, this is not a place he
cannot go to. The only problem is that he is locked in a closed space with him.
Must avoid. The thought that he shouldn't be in the same space as him took over his entire
body. Kwon Taek Joo felt the pressure on his brain increase in tension.
He threw the wet towel into the trash and tried to escape. At that moment, a sudden word was
thrown out that made him choke.
"You didn't even say hello? It seems like we know each other."
"So Japanese people aren't that polite?", he continued. Kwon Taek Joo didn't look back. He
couldn't even open the door handle he was holding. Don't know what will happen if you act
hastily. Even if something bad happened here right now, even if he killed Kwon Taek Joo by
smashing his body, no one would know. And if someone finds out, it will be too late.
He continued sarcastically, hesitating, "That's all a Samurai's manners are, right?" The tone
was calm but didn't sound entirely comfortable.
He didn't say anything more after that. Kwon Taek Joo put all his senses behind him and
walked out without saying a word. As soon as the door closed and he got rid of him, Kwon
Taek Joo breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was pounding. Maybe he hadn't realized it but it
seemed like it had been like that a while ago. He didn't remember the last time he was this
stressed.