Kwon Taek Joo's boat was parked at a corner of the dock. He did not encounter any obstacle
even though he did not have a license because the boat had been previously registered for
official purposes, and he did not need to go through any other procedures.
Kwon Taek Joo took his suitcase and went into a nearby warehouse. When he left there after
a while, he had changed into a neat suit.
Kwon Taek Joo walked through the station where darkness fell. A taxi that he had called
earlier was waiting for him when he walked out onto the main road. He got in the car and
went to Busan station.
The departure announcement of the KTX train departing for Seoul rang out when Kwon Taek
Joo just arrived at the station. He joined the group of people heading down to the station
platform. An early train is waiting. Kwon Taek Joo went through the nearby door, checked
the seat number and sat down. It was late at night so the train carriage was very quiet.
Drrrrr... drrr...
As soon as he sat down, the phone in his pocket rang. It is used for personal purposes outside
of work. As expected, the person calling was his mother. Kwon Taek Joo cleared his throat
and answered the phone as usual.
"Yes mom, I just got on the train. Cleaning up after the event is later than I thought so there's
only the last train left. Even if the train isn't delayed, I won't be there until early tomorrow
morning so Mom, just go take a nap."
Kwon Taek Joo answered as if reading a story by heart. The mother's series of questions
began. When will it depart, when exactly will it arrive, how will Kwon Taek Joo get from the
station to home, etc. Since his mother only sees her son once or twice a year, the times he
comes home again are even more special. He could only end the call after promising her that
he would go home immediately without stopping by anywhere else.
Kwon Taek Joo hung up the phone. The feeling of fatigue that I thought I had
forgotten came rushing back. He suddenly sighed. The train closed and started departing for
Seoul. He leaned back with his head still wet and felt the vibration of the train.
An announcement of stops was made in the quiet train car. After the train driver's voice
stopped at the last station 'Seoul, the light seemed to gradually dim.
Kwon Taek Joo's whole body sagged from the heat of the heater. His wet eyelids began to
become dreamy. Eyelashes also seem heavier because of the sea salt. There are still 3 hours
left before arriving. Should I get some sleep? The moment Kwon Taek Joo compromised
with himself and was about to close his eyes.
Drrrrr... drrrrr...
A vibration sounded in his pocket. The phone he used to talk to his mother was still in his
hand. So the bell ringing at this time is definitely for work purposes. Kwon Taek Joo tried to
ignore it and tried to sleep, but the phone kept vibrating tirelessly. Obviously, they will
definitely call until you receive the call. The noise made passengers in the same train car
begin to feel uncomfortable.
"Ha.."
Kwon Taek Joo finally had to lift his body that was lying on his side and press the button to
receive the call.
-Where are you now?
The person who suddenly asked the question was Chief Lim. As expected. If Yoon Jong Woo
wasn't buried under the sea, he would have received reports on the results of his activities
directly from him. But why did Chief Lim call back? Kwon Taek Joo never felt anything
good came from receiving contact from him.
"Is something wrong?"
-I want to see you for a moment.
So why should I call? What's up?
The only thing Kwon Taek Joo could think about was the spy catching action that had just
been completed. The incident should have been handled quietly, but there were many
witnesses. An innocent citizen was also taken hostage, so high-ranking officials who received
the report may have jumped up. In addition, the Coast Guard is also involved, so it will not
be easy to handle everything. The reporters may have already sniffed out the incident, so it
was not difficult to guess Chief Lim's persistent questions.
Even though he knew it would be useless. Kwon Taek Joo still tried to make excuses.
"That's really the best course of action this time. You know that."
-Alright. So let's come here and talk a little.
Of course. If he hadn't given such orders, he wouldn't have been the great Chief Lim.
Before starting this campaign, Kwon Taek Joo reminded him been the great Chief Lim. many
times that tomorrow was the birthday of the mother who couldn't sleep at night because she
was worried about her only son. So no matter what happens, Kwon Taek Joo has to go home.
What did Chief Lim say at that time? Didn't he promise that even if the Second Korean War
broke out. he would definitely return you to your mother?
Kwon Taek Joo asked if he had forgotten and reminded him of the conversation at that time.
"Chief, have you forgotten? Tomorrow is my mother's birthday.
-I won't keep you for long.
There's no way to refuse anymore. Chief Lim is brazen and even stubborn. Kwon Taek Joo
He stopped for a moment and asked.
"So mom, don't light the candle but wait for me."
The place where Kwon Taek Joo arrived on a prepared helicopter was the National
Intelligence Agency. An employee waiting at the helipad guided him to the office of Deputy
Chief 1. He followed silently and thought. The person I asked to see you earlier was Chief
Lim, but for some reason you were taken to Deputy Chief 1's office and not the Chief's office.
The three Deputy Directors are the top executives of the National Intelligence Agency, each
in charge of an independent job. Each Deputy Head is not allowed to participate in matters
beyond his or her authority. There is an unwritten rule that departments, of which there are
dozens, must obey their immediate superiors. So Kwon Taek Joo and Chief Lim, who were
participating in espionage and intelligence activities under Deputy Chief 3, did not need to
meet at Deputy Chief 1's office.
Is there something wrong here? While a series of questions were still repeating in Kwon Taek
Joo's head, the employee knocked on the office door. Permission was soon given to go inside
but it wasn't Chief Lim's voice. The employee personally
opened the door to let him inside.
Kwon Taek Joo forgot to say hello and just looked at the Deputy Manager 1 sitting across
from him. It was no surprise that Deputy Chief 1 was sitting in his office. But the current
situation he faced was ironic, because Chief Lim, the person who called Kwon Taek Joo over,
was also sitting next to him. He looked straight at Chief Lim as if waiting for an explanation.
Chief Lim just smiled in confusion.
The atmosphere was unusual. Kwon Taek Joo glanced at Deputy Chief 1 and Chief Lim. As
if trying to calm his wariness. Deputy Chief 1 spoke first with a gentle expression.
"I heard you just finished your mission in Busan, right?"
"Yes. I tried my best."
Kwon Taek Joo responded as soon as Deputy Head 1's words ended. Although there was
some commotion, it is clear that Deputy Chief 1's reprimand of Kwon Taek Joo was an abuse
of power. Deputy Chief 1 and Chief Lim looked at Kwon Taek Joo who was defending and
then smiled strangely. This feeling is not very pleasant.
"That's not the reason I called you here, so there's no need to be so tense. Although there was
more commotion than necessary during the operation, it was insignificant compared to the
leak." state secret. Is that right, Chief Lim?"
The implicitly sarcastic way of speaking is typical of an old fox manager, Kwon Taek Joo did
not dispel his suspicions and looked at Chief Lim. He just shook his head with a smiling face,
so for Kwon Taek Joo, things only became more confusing. If it weren't for what happened in
Busan, why would you summon me at this late hour? He thought all the time but couldn't
come to any conclusion
Chief Lim did not stress Kwon Taek Joo any more. He put the tablet he was holding down on
the table.
"What is it?"
"Let's see first."
Kwon Taek Joo shrugged and gently picked up the tablet. He nonchalantly flipped through
the first page. The bored gaze scrolling through the news gradually accelerated. Kwon Taek
Joo pulled down the screen. He held his breath and silently read the information on it and
quickly turned to the next page. Chief Lim watched those movements for a moment then
opened his mouth.
"This is special intelligence information recently obtained. This story has been rumored for a
long time but this is the first time there is real evidence. As you have seen, the main content
is North Korea and Russia began working together three years ago to develop the new
weapon. The weapon boasts firepower that no other country in the world has ever had. It is
said that once completed, the situation will change. Global hegemony will also change. Its
name is Anastasia. I don't know exactly whether that is the name of the weapon or the secret
agreement between North Korea and Russia to produce weapons, or maybe even the name of
the weapon's manufacturer. Right now we don't even know if this weapon has been
completed or not."
It seems that Kwon Taek Joo understood what the combination of Deputy Manager 1 and
Director Lim meant. If North Korea and Russia work together to create unprecedented
weapons of destruction, who will be in trouble? Without thinking too much, I knew it would
be Korea and the United States.
"We need to know what that weapon is, because the lack of information causes an imbalance
of power. If 'Anastasia' is not yet completed, and if possible, we should stop it before it
appears." presently."
"Can't we do something for the peace of the world and humanity? Stealing is not always bad
if that small bad thing is to prevent a big bad thing."
Therefore, it is necessary to find out the identity of the weapons that North Korea and Russia
have cooperated with. This means that, if necessary, the blueprints and related secrets must be
retrieved, and if this is not possible, they must be destroyed so that they have no chance of
ever seeing the light of day. Who will do it? Kwon Taek Joo himself?
Since he started working as a special agent at the National Intelligence Agency, it was very
normal for him to be sent on overseas operations. Rather, the days he spent abroad were more
than the days he spent in Korea. For that reason, business travel directives are nothing new.
But what is worth noting is that this mission was carried out in Russia. That is a land that
Kwon Taek Joo personally has never set foot on, let alone carry out a strategy
But it's not like he's not qualified. Kwon Taek Joo has been trained in Chinese, Persian and
Russian since joining the headquarters. Even if he had to move to Moscow immediately, he
himself would have no difficulty speaking the language.
But that's all. The most important thing for Kwon Taek Joo was that he had no field
experience in Russia. Is there anything more important to an agent than actual combat
experience? This mission is no different than asking Kwon Taek Joo to jump into the middle
of a battlefield without a gun. And he couldn't understand why this task was assigned to him.
Kwon Taek Joo rolled his eyes and looked at Chief Lim with a dissatisfied expression. He
nodded as if he understood everything.
"Strictly speaking, you are not the right person for this action."
"Then you have to find someone qualified."
"Of course I found it, and I sent it too."
"But?"
Chief Lim just scratched his eyebrows without continuing. Deputy Head 1 also smiled wryly.
Kwon Taek Joo didn't know what the answer was because they couldn't spit out anymore.
"Probably not."
Chief Lim nodded again and spread the three photos on the table. The first photo is of
someone's hand with 10 fingers amputated. His bloodless skin was swollen with water.
Another photo shows the body's forehead being covered with a white cloth with a pattern
engraved in the middle of it. Kwon Taek Joo quickly realized it was a tattoo. Judging from
the condition of the body's skin, it seemed that the tattoo had only been engraved not long
before.
Finally, a neat ID photo. Based on a series of details, it can be assumed that this is the
original shape of the body before being damaged. Kwon Taek Joo knows the person in the
photo.
"Dominic Morgan. He was an elite agent sent to Russia by the US intelligence agency. He
was found dead on the banks of the Nara River four days ago. At that time he was in charge.
The only task was to find out the identity of 'Anastasia', and he was a very knowledgeable
person in gathering Russian intelligence, but unfortunately, Russia treated him as an
unknown death case, identity. Since he disguised himself with another identity to go to
Russia, it's only natural. But I wonder if they really consider him an "anonymous" person."
"Because of that, Russia's surveillance has become stricter. what do you want me to do?"
"You understand what I'm saying. Anyway, let's not make this any more complicated. Since it
involves North Korea, our country can also be called a litigant, right? So we can't just stand
by and watch.". That's right, you know Agent Morgan from the last joint Korean-American
training course, right?"
"We've only known each other for about a month at most, to be exact. I happened to be
assigned to room with him."
Everything is clear. Chief Lim grinned. He skillfully attacked Kwon Taek Joo who was trying
not to reveal any loopholes.
"That's why I chose you. Because emotions clouding reason can lead to undesirable things."
There are no other donkeys. Just as Kwon Taek Joo was about to angrily protest, a shaking
sound suddenly rang out. It was Deputy Chief 1's phone. He said "Wait a minute, please
understand" then passed by Kwon Taek Joo and walked out. The door had just opened and
then closed. Chief Lim gave the order as if he had been waiting for a long time.
"On behalf of Agent Morgan, go find Anastasia."
The gentleness from before was no longer there, replaced by a rather serious tone. Kwon
Taek Joo stared at him without answering. Is this really the only way? There has to be
someone more suitable for this action than Kwon Taek Joo. It's obvious that there aren't at
least a few employees in the headquarters... Isn't there even just one person? He racked his
brain, but no character appeared in his mind.
Chief Lim still looked calm as if nothing was so special. Yeah, it's no big deal. Only one elite
agent was found dead overnight, that's all. Kwon Taek Joo was about to speak sarcastically
but then remained silent.
He worked under the direction of Chief Lim immediately after joining the headquarters. Now
the two had become close enough to joke around, but one way or another he was still the
superior. When Chief Lim assigns a task, Kwon Taek Joo is forced to obey. There is no
resistance or refusal here.
Chief Lim smiled with satisfaction at his resigned expression.
"I promise to provide full support. I will arrange the team members according to your
wishes."
"It's more comfortable to act alone."
"It won't be easy this time. Will it? It will be very difficult."
"There's no need to put more people to death when you know that."
Kwon Taek Joo responded gently. Chief Lim smiled as if he knew he would say that.
Immediately after that he produced a thick envelope containing documents. Kwon Taek Joo
snatched it. The unsealed envelope.contained various documents and a fake passport. When
he opened his passport, an unfamiliar face appeared.
"Hiro Sakamoto?"
"I heard that a contract to build an LNG facility was signed between a Japanese energy
company and Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas company. The expected profits alone
are estimated to be in the tens of millions. Tens of trillions of won. For that reason, officials
of energy companies, major banks responsible for cooperative lending, and international
trading companies were invited to Russia to celebrate the signing of the contract between the
two countries and visit the proposed construction site. Major officials including the prime
ministers of the two countries and big men in the business world will all attend the event. I
heard that an international trading company named 'Itochu' played a big role in signing this
contract. Hiro Sakamoto is the officer in charge of the European region. His name is proudly
on the list of those expected to visit Russia."
Will Kwon Taek Joo disguise himself as Hiro Sakamoto and infiltrate Russia? Not a bad plan.
If it is true that North Korea and Russia are developing weapons, then very few people will
be involved or know the secrets involved. They are in leading positions in Russia so it will
not be easy to reach. But if it was Hiro Sakamoto, it would be a different story, because they
would automatically meet without any effort.
Of course, that's only if his identity isn't revealed. Besides Hiro Sakamoto, many other
officials were also invited. If any of them noticed that Hiro Sakamoto was different than
usual, all their plans would be in vain. Although Kwon Taek Joo only imagined it for a
moment, Agent Morgan's outcome still appeared in his mind.
Chief Lim reassured the confused Kwon Taek Joo.
"Relax. Unless another Hiro Sakamoto appears, there is no chance of your identity being
exposed. Hiro Sakamoto is scheduled to leave the country the day before the delegation's
visit. All But in reality, agents in Tokyo will help prevent him from leaving the country."
The headquarters' camouflage skills were good enough to fool even his mother, and it seemed
like there was no need to worry about the Japanese being relatively shorter than him. Tohiro
Sakamoto's height is 180cm. Kwon Taek Joo is about 2 to 3 cm taller than him, but the
average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference. If anyone gets suspicious, just tell them
you're wearing insoles.
If it were normal, Kwon Taek Joo wouldn't have given it much thought. Unless he takes off
his professional uniform, he has no right to refuse orders from his superiors. But he couldn't
bring himself to agree easily. For some reason, Kwon Taek Joo felt an unrelenting sense of
insecurity.
Because the agent Morgan in charge of the mission is dead? It would be a lie to say it didn't
affect him at all, but that wasn't the only reason. Kwon Taek Joo's instinct was to feel vaguely
worried about something that hadn't even happened yet.
"It's about rearranging world hegemony. If this succeeds, your position will change
significantly."
Manager Lim skillfully encouraged determination, Kwon Taek Joo looked straight at him
without saying a word. His eyes were straightforward and resolute. Chief Lim faced him with
his signature smile. No words were spoken between the two for a long while.
Not long after, Kwon Taek Joo stuffed the prepared envelope into his jacket. He also added as
if to clarify everything.
"I don't care about status or power. Those things have an unnecessarily fierce aspect."
"So why did you accept this combat action if you have no interest in it?"
"This is an order from a senior manager. Does a subordinate like me have the right to
refuse?"
"Besides, that is there any other reason?"
"If I refuse this action, my career, which has always been 100% successful, will collapse."
"Anyway, of course it is."
"Can I go yet?"
"Oh, also, there's one thing to note."
"What's up?" Kwon Taek Joo asked with an annoyed look. Chief Lim's attitude has become
rigid. His eyes quietly observed Kwon Taek Joo and seemed quite cautious. The voice that
came out immediately after seemed to calm down a bit.
"Psych Bogdanov."
"Psych Bogdanov? Your name... doesn't seem right?"
Kwon Taek Joo frowned and tilted his head. 'Boedanov' is supposed to be a Russian surname,
but 'Psych' is not a human name no matter how you look at it. What parent would call their
child 'crazy'?
Chief Lim explained as if Kwon Taek Joo hadn't heard wrong.
"People often call him that rather than his real name."
A name that is used more often by another person than that person's real name. Then that
nickname can become the basis for evaluating the litigant. The fact that the Russian that
Chief Lim mentioned was called "crazy man" Bogdanov instead of his real name meant that
he was quite a famous name. Kwon Taek Joo doesn't know what kind of person he is even in
this far away country he is called that.
"In Russia, this man is like 'nuclear"
"If 'nuclear' then nuclear means 'center of gravity'?"
Kwon Taek Joo asked suspiciously. This is due to the ambiguity of the language. In addition
to the meaning of 'core' or 'focus, 'core' also has a completely different meaning. But why
would people compare a person to such a deadly weapon? He looked at Chief Lim
wonderingly, he grinned again.
"That's right, it can be understood that way."
In any case, that meaning seems closer to 'nuclear' which refers to nuclear weapons. Kwon
Taek Joo unconsciously frowned. After all, what kind of person is this who is called "crazy"
more often than his real name, and even symbolizes nuclear bomb?
Thoughts on 'Psych Bogdanov' raise another question. Why was he mentioned in the
campaign whose purpose was to find 'Anastasia' this time?
"Did that person have anything to do with Morgan's death?"
"I'm not sure. There's no concrete evidence, although there's a lot of speculation. If you want
to get close to Russia's big guys, you won't be able to avoid confronting this person. 'Nuclear'
It's not natural, it's 'nuclear'. So damage can happen, so even if we meet. don't confront each
other."
A burst of laughter rang out. The more warnings Kwon Taek Joo received, the more curious
Kwon Taek Joo was about who that crazy person was.
At that moment, a knock on the door rang out. When Chief Lim agreed, the employee who
guided Kwon Taek Joo here also walked in. In his hands was a large bouquet of flowers and a
suitcase. He handed them over to Kwon Taek Joo then silently bowed and went out.
"I've prepared everything you need. To save time and money, you don't have to worry too
much. Is that right? Especially after buying underwear two months ago, you have no
transactions." I don't want to buy anything anymore so I took your preferences into
consideration and replaced everything.
No need to thank me."
"You know the condition of my underwear better than I do, don't you?"
"There's only so much I can do. And bring flowers home. I remember you said today is
mom's birthday, right?"
This man is so cunning.
Kwon Taek Joo swallowed back the words he couldn't spit out and replied gruffly.
"I won't tell Mom it's a gift from the Chief. If she finds out it was sent by a man who took
your son away on his birthday then that will only put a damper on her mood." My mother's
good day just got worse."
"Thank you for thinking about me."
Chief Lim smiled brazenly.
"Don't die!"
Kwon Taek Joo was about to turn around and leave when suddenly a request was made. He
stopped for a moment and nodded absentmindedly.
He walked out into the deserted hallway. Kwon Taek Joo trudged towards the door. The
sensor light turns on and off from behind each place he passes. The lights dimmed and
darkness descended as if to swallow him.
"..."
He suddenly stopped walking and turned to look. The ceiling light finally turned off. Kwon
Taek Joo's silhouette was buried in dense darkness.