Chapter 36: Tangent (1)

Baek Jong-so looked at Chun Yeowun.

'What is he thinking?'

Chun Yeowun had just proclaimed that he would bring the Sky Demon Order back to life.

But since then, he sat still, as if he was meditating.

His dazed eyes were directed somewhere, and Baek Jong-so had no idea what he was thinking about.

Prrr!

Chun Yeowun's augmented reality was activated.

In augmented reality, numerous pieces of information were being organized like a spider web.

'The idiots of the cult are divided into three groups and in conflict. The State Council along with Public Security are trying to control Murim. The three major forces that supported the cult are no more.'

Chun Yeowun was organizing the information.

He was contemplating what to do.

It wasn't difficult to destroy everything and rebuild.

But, that would be a massacre.

Moreover, such a method will result in many other problems.

'What needs to be done right away...'

The most urgent thing right now is resolving the conflict within the cult.

It would be better to deal with the other matters after increasing the cult's power.

Besides, getting accurate information was important. Geum Oh-yeon didn't tell him, but she was not aware of everything that had happened.

'Hmm.'

She wasn't sure how the three groups began to fight.

[The three groups were fighting over stuff like legitimacy and usefulness. But...]

She was told that neither of the Lord's sons would give information to people unless they took their side.

Geum Oh-yeon was disappointed, but she understood it.

If information was given to her, and then the Pure Kick Clan later joined another side, that information would be exposed.

Geum Oh-yeon hadn't been in contact with either of them for over ten years.

A few moments ago, Chun Yeowun had asked her.

[Did they give you a way to contact them?]

[... yes.]

As Chun Yeowun had expected, both of the sons were open for talks.

[24, 32, 94, 83, 13, 52, 62, 103, 26, 49.]

Director Ko gave her an essay book, and within it, was a piece of paper with numbers on it.

It was a number system called a contact number.

It was said that the paper would burn up after the numbers were looked at for 10 minutes.

[A password?]

[I don't know for sure. It just fell out when I was reading an essay book in my house...]

[Essay book?]

According to the woman, it was an improvised password.

If so, there was a high probability that a way to contact them was written in the essay book.

But, there was just one problem.

[Everything suspicious in the house was confiscated...]

And it turned out that there were no books left in the house.

There were some things that didn't disappear no matter how much time passed, books were one of them.

It was because physical texts are still more popular than electronic texts.

'Inside the Public Security Bureau...'

In order to retrieve the book, he had no choice but to head to the Public Security Bureau.

'Hmm.'

Chun Yeowun's gaze turned to Moyong Lee Myeong and Neung Do-myung, who were sitting down.

His gaze then turned to the mobile strikers' bodies.

And finally, he looked at the mother and son.

The two, who didn't understand what Chun Yeowun was doing, just ignorantly looked at him.

Smile.

The corners of Chun Yeowun's lips went up.

Baek Jong-so, who didn't know what the smile meant, asked.

"What is it? Lord Chun Ma."

Tak!

Chun Yeowun got up from his seat and said.

"He's the key."

"Huh?"

His gaze naturally turned to where Chun Yeowun was looking.

He was looking at Moyong Lee Myeong, who was on the ground.

On the 40 inch monitors, multiple CCTV cameras on roads and alleys in Shenyang city were being displayed on 200 screens.

On the monitor, all the officers were controlling the roads and alleys.

When a Gate Warning would be issued, the National Guards would fight and defend the wall. The police officers of the Public Security Bureau would control the citizens to avoid confusion.

"The transfer of 11 students from the academy on route 24 in hwa-pyeong route to a nearby shelter has been completed."

"It is said that police officers found three homeless people who were in the blind spot of CCTV cameras on 10th avenue and are currently moving them to a shelter."

Traffic monitoring reports.

All that was left for the Public Security Bureau was to monitor the people of the transportation department under Director Sang Yu-geun.

In the case of a Gate Warning, all the public security people would get deployed, except for a small number who'd stay in the office.

"Got it."

Director Sang Yu-geun, who received the reports, had a dark expression on his face.

As he was the leader, who had to take care of multiple tasks simultaneously, his concentration was scattered, especially regarding one thing.

'Why haven't they contacted me yet?'

His eyes kept staring at the clock in the room.

It had been quite a lot of time since the operation was carried out, and he was given no news.

Things should have been sorted out long ago. However, he hadn't received any information, so he was bound to worry.

'Did something bad happen?'

If so, it may cause problems for his position.

Originally, the agents of strike teams should be involved in controlling the city of Shenyang.

However, as those people of the Strike Team didn't report back yet, whatever personnel were around had to be deployed.

'I had to say that they were on a special mission...'

The suspicions of the others would grow if they didn't report back anytime soon.

It was frustrating for Sang Yu-geun, who felt like his tail had been stepped on.

'At a time like this, the Gate alarm went off...'

Everything was now twisted thanks to the Gate Warning, which went off three days earlier than expected.

He just hoped that things wouldn't go wrong.

As he was nervous, his phone vibrated.

Drrrrr!

Sang Yu-geun looked anxiously at the phone's screen.

[Neung Do-myung, special task force.]

The long-awaited call.

'Why is he calling from his phone? Ah...'

Come to think of it, he left the personal radio back in his office.

He looked around and then told the people monitoring the screen.

"I am going to the Director's office to check something. If any problem arises, call me. I will come right away."

"Yep!"

Since they were busy, the agents answered without even turning their heads.

Sang Yu-geun came out of the control room, and answered the phone as he took the emergency stairs.

"Go on."

-Director. Cough... cough.

"What happened? Why are you so late?"

Sang Yu-geun asked in a hushed voice.

He was anxious and impatient.

-Sorry. Mission accomplished.

At the positive report, his face brightened.

He was worried if something went wrong.

-Cough... cough...

As he continued to hear him cough, he asked.

"Are you injured?"

-... Sorry. There was a problem.

"Problem?"

-The... man was too skilled... too great. Besides... he didn't have any... nano bombs.

Upon hearing that there were no nano bombs, Sang Yu-geun's eyes turned serious.

If so, the team sent must have suffered some casualties.

In a hushed tone, he asked.

"Wasn't there a special member?"

Special member.

One of the top seven warriors of Public Security.

Originally he was requested to be dispatched to other missions, but Sang Yu-geun asked him to head out to the factory.

-... Jun Ye-myeong too.

"What?"

Sang Yu-geun couldn't hide his shock.

The word 'too' meant there were others.

'Shit!'

-Fortunately, before Jun Ye-myeong officer.... Cough... fell.... And as I was being beaten up, team leader Lee Myeong came in time and saved me.

"What? Lee Myeong?"

-Yes... team leader Lee Myeong even fired a rifle.

Director Sang Yu-geun's expression darkened.

It was a name he wasn't expecting to hear.

'How did that bastard know?'

Was he really always digging into trouble?

Yet, he never expected Lee Myeong to find the factory.

The mission was classified, and no other agent in the Special Taskforce knew about it.

The Director, who organized his thoughts, asked.

"... is team leader Lee Myeong next to you?"

-Cough cough. Yes. Because we have no manpower, team leader Lee Myeong is bringing in two surviving mobile strikers and a person called Mu-seong to the bureau right now.

'They are coming here?'

As if he got a headache, the Director put his hand on his forehead.

According to them, three people survived.

Lee Myeong was one of them.

-... what should I do?

He didn't know how to answer the question.

The reason why he mentioned Lee Myeong must be to let the Director know that their secret was out.

'I told him not to interfere!'

Director Sang Yu-geun, who contemplated, narrowed his eyes.

And said,

"I'll open the back gate of the special task force building, transport them into the 5th basement. Congratulate Lee Myeong for his helpful contribution and bring him along."

-Alright. We will be there in 10 minutes.

"Okay."

The call was cut.

He immediately left the office and headed to the main building.

Once he went there, he immediately went to the 5th floor and turned off all the CCTV cameras.

'Sigh...'

He really didn't want things to turn out this way.

He stopped by his office and pulled out a gun along with a silencer hidden in the safe.

It wasn't a gun that the government gave him.

Click!

He put on the silencer and then placed the gun behind his coat.

He left the office with a heavy heart and entered the task force building.

A place where ordinary detectives were prohibited from entering.

Ding!

The elevator opened.

The elevator could only reach 4 basement floors. Fingerprint recognition was required to go below.

Only those with registered fingerprints were allowed to go down to the 5th basement floor.

Only two fingerprints were registered, his and the other was a mobile strike team commander's.

Ding!

The 5th basement had an hexagonal shape.

With six prisons and a lobby that had a desk and two chairs.

The only place with no CCTV cameras.

Since it was a confidential space, cameras weren't installed.

And if one looked inside a prison, they could see bloodstains all over the place.

Unlike usual prisons, they were full of torture tools.

Tak!

The Director took his seat.

His face, shadowed by the only existing LED light, seemed dark.

He was examining the gun in his hand when he heard something coming from a room, a special prison behind him.

Clang!

When Sang Yu-geun turned around, a dark figure appeared.

Mouth covered with protective gear, wrists and ankles secured with special handcuffs, and naked body full of wounds.

Clank!

The tortured man moved.

He was glaring at the Director with eyes full of anger.

"Tch Tch. You are full of energy."

Sang Yu-geun shook his head and then turned away, as if he wasn't interested.

Right now, there was only one thing he wanted.

Clang! Clank!

"Noisy!"

As the man continued to struggle, he pressed a button on the desk.

Click!

When he pressed it, a shutter came down from the ceiling.

It blocked the prison, making the noise go away.

"Sigh."

The Director sighed and put the gun back in its place.

That was when he saw the elevator sign light up.

They finally arrived.

Ding!

The elevator went up and then descended to the 5th floor.

When its door opened, Neung Do-myung seemed to be in bad condition. He came out along two other mobile strikers who were supporting another person whose face was covered.

"Cough... director."

"You have been through a lot."

The Director got up from his seat.

'This one.'

Director looked at Lee Myeong.

Lee Myeong's eyes seemed to be full of contempt as he looked at him.

"Looks like you have a lot to say."

At Director Sang Yu-geun's words, Moyong Lee Myeong spoke in a low voice.

"Not me. The Director has a lot to say."

At that, the Director pointed to one of the chairs.

"For now, let the superintendent sit, he doesn't seem to be doing well."

As he said, Neung Do-myung seemed to be in bad condition.

Moreover, Neung Do-myung had an expression filled with anxiety, which seemed strange.

'Probably because of the casualties.'

Sang Yu-geun was troubled with it.

Around 60 agents were killed.

He had to come up with an excuse to explain what had happened.

But before that, there was work that needed to be done.

Tak!

Lee Myeong supported Neung Do-myung and seated him.

Then as he tried to turn.

Click!

'!?'

The Director was aiming a gun equipped with a silencer at his head.

Lee Myeong looked at the Director with angry eyes.

"What is this? Director!"

"It must be frustrating. Team leader lee Myeong."

Sang Yu-geun was puzzled when Lee Myeong didn't seem to be shocked at his act.

"Why do you want to kill me?"

"Your fault. I told you not to involve yourself in this."

"... Didn't I also say that isn't something I can just back off from? And what the Director is now doing, isn't the way Public Security would do things."

The Director shook his head at Lee Myeong's words.

"You are so naïve. Do you think justice can be protected with righteousness alone? When you step into mud, you get muddy."

"... you are saying the same thing as the superintendent."

"Because it is simply the truth."

Although he was aiming the gun at Lee Myeong, the Director was smiling.

'He's the director of Public Security?'

It wasn't the face of the honest and upright Director that he'd known.

At that moment, he seemed no different from a criminal.

It was disappointing, and he had never imagined that the Director he looked up to would turn out to be like this.

The Director put his finger on the trigger.

"Even though you were honest, you kept messing around with my work. You get what I am saying?"

"... won't you regret this?"

"Regret? Are you talking about the Yeon Company?"

Moyong Lee Myeong didn't deny it.

Sang Yu-geun, who was about to pull the trigger, stopped and laughed.

"Hahahaa! You are one funny person."

"What is it?"

"You are just a fool running around without knowing the reality."

"Are you making fun of me?"

With displeased eyes, Lee Myeong asked him.

"Do you think that Yeon Company would blink its eyes if you died?"

At that, Lee Myeong narrowed his eyes.

"... what do you mean?"

"The executive director even asked the state and me to never take you into the bureau, didn't you know that?"

At that, Lee Myeong answered with a voice full of anger.

"I am well aware of that. Of course he would get in the way."

It has always been the same.

He would always get in the way.

However, when it came to the police department of Public Security, it belonged to the state council, which was higher than the Murim Association, so he thought that no one did interfere.

He was a special recruit to the department.

As he was a respected and upright person who didn't yield to external pressure, he was taken in on the recommendation of Director Sang Yu-geun.

"I am grateful to the Director for that. But that has nothing to do with this. As a public security officer, how..."

"Hahaha. How can you be so stupid and naïve?"

"?"

"Did you think I chose you because you were outstanding?"

"Huh?"

Sang Yu-geun looked at Lee Myeong and said,

"Initially, our duty was to look after the Murim Association and murim people. No matter how much the company did abandon you, we knew that you could be of some use to us in future."

"... you mean you were trying to use me?"

"I thought I could use you if I had you by my side. But it was just a delusion. The Murim people are cold-hearted. Even if you didn't learn martial arts, how could they kick away their own child and younger brother?"

At the Director's sarcastic words, Lee Myeong's expression was distorted.

From what his Director said, he was using Lee Myeong to either monitor the company or use him as a hostage when needed.

'Ha...'

When he heard that, his anger and doubts were all resolved.

Unlike when he was first commissioned, the Director's attitude slowly changed.

"Was it... because I wasn't useful?"

"So sad. If it hadn't been for this, you would have spent all your life as an ordinary detective earning a pension."

Said the Director with a cold face.

Lee Myeong shook his head.

The upright Director didn't exist at all.

He naively believed the mask that the person was wearing.

'He must have given up.'

Seeing Lee Myeong feeling down, the Director felt bad.

The job required him to be level-headed, and if he showed sympathy for such ones, it would turn into trouble.

"Then, goodbye."

He pulled the trigger.

Phh!

Light flashed, and a bullet was fired.

However, something felt weird.

Ppppp!

The bullet that should have pierced Lee Myeong's head was floating and spinning in the air.

"Wh-what is this?"

Perplexed, Sang Yu-gueun didn't know what was happening.

Lee Myeong said.

"...Is the offer still valid?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

The Director, who was puzzled by Lee Myeong's way of talking, turned his head to see Chun Yeowun, who took off the mask and leaned against the prison wall with his hand stretched in the direction of the bullet.

Like he was holding the bullet.

"Y-you?"

The Director was shocked as he didn't know what to do, but Lee Myeong, who looked at Chun Yeowun with a different expression than before, asked.

"Are you really going to put the Yeon Company in my hands if I follow you?"

"What?"

At his question, Chun Yeowun answered with a smile on his lips.

"You think it is difficult?"

Tak! Crash!

When Chun Yeowun flicked his finger, the bullet spinning in the air was crushed into powder and scattered around.

Hey guys, komuro is back to the nano world! Remember him? Give him some kudos in the comments.