"But we will stick to our original plan.""Major, keep your soldiers ready. We may need them urgently at any moment.""Captain Jin-Woo, prepare the hidden surveillance cameras and micro-weapon kits tonight—ones that Min-jae can easily hide in his clothes.""Min-jae… we need to find the location where Mr. Han conducts his secret deals by tonight.""We'll start the mission from tomorrow."
Joon Hyunk gave the commands, and both the Major and Captain immediately went on alert. Without wasting a second, they left to prepare for their respective tasks.
Only two people were left in the room—Min-jae and Joon Hyunk. Min-jae opened his laptop right away and started typing. His fingers moved fast over the keyboard, but his face was full of tension.
Joon Hyunk came closer and spoke in a gentle, reassuring tone:"Don't worry. We will find him."
Without taking his eyes off the screen, Min-jae replied,"I just wish we could reach him in time… before those people do something bad to him."
There was not only worry in his words but also guilt. For the first time, Joon Hyunk saw his friend with a friendly smile—Min-jae was changing. For the first time in his life, Min-jae genuinely cared for someone.
But there was no time to pause.
Joon Hyunk immediately activated his secure contacts, accessed the system, and ordered his trusted field agents:"Find me every location where Mr. Han might have held secret meetings. I need a list of old warehouses, closed clubs, or off-grid places—urgently."
At that moment, an old memory clicked in Joon Hyunk's mind. He quickly grabbed an old steel file box from the shelf in his office. From inside the box, he took out a folded paper—old but meaningful.
He spread the paper on the table — an old blueprint. The edges were faded, but the lines were still clear."Min-jae," he said, "maybe... now I understand which secret place this could be."
As soon as Min-jae heard Joon Hyunk's words, he hurried over to him. His eyes fixed on one spot — the old floor plan of the hotel that Joon Hyunk had spread on the table."Which place could it be? Tell me," Min-jae said quickly, his voice filled with investigative urgency.
Joon Hyunk pointed to a section — the back area of the hotel, where an exclusive casino was located.Beneath the casino was a hidden, large, and heavily secured basement that few people even remembered.
This place was for those who wanted everything for their comfort and pleasure, away from the world's eyes.It was a luxury private hotel, and it offered all the amenities the wealthy could desire —opulent bars, velvet-covered lounges, underground pools, lavish clubs, and a high-roller casino.A place where money spoke loudest... and voices were silenced.
Joon Hyunk asked,"Do you know this place, Min-jae?"
Without hesitation, Min-jae replied,"Yes... this is the hotel's private casino. And it has a basement underneath.I'm certain... all the missing people will be found here."
Joon Hyunk looked into his eyes."But how can you be so sure?"
Min-jae's face turned serious. His voice held both pain and investigation:"Because ever since Mr. Han started working with us, he took full responsibility for the hotel.And it's been a long time since anyone has gone to that place.So I strongly suspect... he's made it his safe zone."
He continued, each word forming a sharp logical chain, as if layers were unfolding inside his mind:
"Except for the regular hotel customers, no one goes there. So who's left to suspect?And sometimes, the most dangerous place in the world is actually the safest place.Because even if we do suspect Mr. Han, he'll hide in places that seem the hardest for us to search —no one ever suspects their own territory."
He paused for a moment, then a cold but intense anger spread across his face:"But Mr. Han probably didn't think… that this time, the place he plans to take over is the 'Beast's' territory."
His voice was filled with anger, but that anger had a mysterious icy chill.He narrowed his eyes and said:"No one in this city has dared to touch the Beast's area so far.But maybe Mr. Han didn't understand that — despite my warnings, he carried out illegal activities right inside my hotel.…That will be the last mistake of his life."
At that moment, his aura was so powerful that Min-jae himself flinched for a moment. When the Beast was angry, his presence was like a shadow — cold but deadly.
Calmly, the Beast said to Min-jae:"You need to go to our hotel bar tomorrow morning. Work according to the plan.I know Mr. Han well… that greedy man will take you himself to the casino."
Morning had come. Beast's office had turned into a war room.Both Captain and Major were present, their eyes fixed on Min-jae and Joon Hyunk.
Min-jae said directly:"We have found the place."
The Captain asked,"Which place?"
This time, Joon Hyunk answered confidently:"They all… are probably inside our hotel right now."
He spread the floor plan out on the table. Everything was now crystal clear.The Major immediately said,"My team is ready. As soon as you give us the signal, we'll launch the operation."
The Captain handed Min-jae some compact gadgets —small hidden cameras, micro recorders, and lightweight defensive weapons that could easily be concealed in his clothes or pockets.He was also given a special Bluetooth-enabled speaker so the team could hear everything remotely.
Finally, Joon Hyunk said,"Don't go there alone. Take a bag with you — filled with money."
Min-jae asked, surprised,"But why money?"
Beast looked into his eyes and said,"Because you'll have to appeal to his greed to get inside. Show that greedy man the money —he'll take you inside himself."
At that moment, Min-jae didn't fully understand Beast's reasoning,but he prepared everything according to the plan.
Beast gave the final command:"We won't attack today. Only Min-jae will go.He'll see what the situation is like. In what condition are the people who have gone missing.If we rush, their lives could be at risk."
So, first, we need to know what the situation is like there, and then tomorrow we'll launch the attack. Everyone agreed with Joon Hyunk's plan.
Evening had fallen, and Min-jae was ready. He had fitted a small device like a speaker or microphone in a discreet spot on his shirt so the team could hear everything that was happening and help him in case of emergency.
He had hidden weapons all over his clothes, yet at this moment, he looked so handsome and composed that no one could guess he was carrying so many weapons.
He grabbed a bag filled with a large amount of cash. Now, he was completely ready.
Min-jae set out from there on his mission — heading towards the hotel.