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Chapter 29: Just One Question
TL: Enuma ID
The parking garage held quite a few hearses moving the dead.
The running battles with the Chongqing Society over the past several days had left no small number of Kowloon Society members dead.
While we talked quietly in a corner, several vehicles had already pulled out of the garage.
"Thanks to Agent Crow-nim's consideration, it looks like we can hitch a ride out on one of the hearses."
Е̇nu mа
We were to pose as employees of a Chinese funeral company and handle the transport of remains all the way to Korea.
While Kowloon Society members saw off the funeral procession near the entrance, Crane No. 13's body would slip out along with the convoy.
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Every step of this process and plan had come out of the head of Agent Crow, Yang Mi-ryeong.
Utterly meticulous work.
Not a single flaw to be found.
'Makes me wonder just how much of an elite she was back in her NIS days.'
W̊ ë b̀nо̃ v ѐ l̄ Е ǹ u m̄а
So this was what it took to become the youngest NIS black agent ever and then claim the seat of Kowloon Society Dandong branch chief.
Watching the line of hearses file out one by one, I found myself shaking my head in quiet awe.
"Waited long?"
While Cuckoo No. 1 was inside the car, it wasn't long before Yang Mi-ryeong came down to the parking garage alone.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
She crooked a finger and beckoned me into the shadows.
"I can't let Agent Cuckoo see my face. She probably has no idea who in this hotel is Agent Crow."
Е̇ nŭ m̊ а
"I see."
She'd said she was going to get ready to see me off, and somewhere in there she'd changed clothes.
The off-shoulder dress I'd seen once before.
With so very much on open display, I had no choice but to stare off into the distance for a moment.
Whether or not she knew what was going through my head, she offered her hand first.
"You had a good rest, didn't you?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Of course. Thanks to you, I'm leaving well rested."
"Honestly, it's a bit of a shame. I kept thinking, if I could just keep you tied to this hotel, you'd come in very handy whenever I needed you."
"You say that, but didn't we barely manage to see each other once the whole time I was staying here?"
"Ah. So that's why you said you had such a comfortable stay?"
"...."
"Heh heh."
Е n̈ um̄а . і̆d
Yang Mi-ryeong's lips twitched into a smile at my half-joking reply.
I kept it to myself, but the truth was that thanks to her, I'd eaten well and rested so comfortably it bordered on boring.
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As we released the handshake, she abruptly held something out with her other hand.
"Here, take it."
In her hand was a matte, jet-black debit card.
"It's linked to a nominee account at a Hong Kong bank. Your payment for delivering Jin Hao alive is in there, as promised. You can check the balance at any bank machine in Korea. The PIN is 0722."
We bn оv ê l̂ Е́ n̆ u m̄а
Wondering what those digits might mean, I quietly turned them over in my head.
At that, she added with a smile.
"It's my birthday. You'll be in trouble if you forget it."
I glanced down at the card with an odd expression.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
In trouble if I forget it. What a wonderfully ambiguous way to put it.
"I've actually been meaning to ask. How much is in it, exactly?"
Е̇ n û m̈ а . іd
"Go check for yourself. I'll leave it as a surprise."
Yang Mi-ryeong pressed the card into my hand with a mischievous smile.
From the moment we first met right up to now, she'd been a woman I could never quite pin down.
"Right. Well. I'll go check for myself."
"You've worked hard out here. Once you're back at headquarters, you probably won't be coming to Dandong for a good while."
"How would you know that?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Because I don't need to look to know how the higher-ups think. Not one thought spared for the mental state of their capable field people; they'll spin you from post to post until they've wrung you dry. That hasn't changed one bit, has it, then or now?"
Her voice was heavy with a sigh, that of someone who'd been through it all herself.
Watching me, she flicked her tongue over her full lips.
"Frankly, I'm looking at you right now and thinking the exact same thing. How do I work this man so hard that word gets around I really got my money's worth.... If you'd just say you'll turn and become a Crow, I've got stacks of jobs I'd put you on this instant. I've already been happily agonizing over it, you know?"
She said the most chilling things as if they were nothing at all.
Whether or not it sent a shiver down my spine, Yang Mi-ryeong smacked her lips in genuine regret.
W еb̀ nоv̀е̂l Е̌ńumа̄
"Life as a turncoat Crow isn't all that bad, you know. If they grind you down at headquarters and you change your mind, come find me anytime. And keep in mind that if you work under me, you'll hold far greater wealth and power than you do now."
"We'll see. I'll, uh, think about it."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Just as I gave that half-hearted reply and started to turn away, Yang Mi-ryeong grabbed my shoulder and pulled me in toward her.
A wave of sweet perfume washed over me.
She whispered softly in my ear.
"Even if you never mean to turn, call me anytime you find yourself in Dandong. The position of my cover lover will always be open."
Еnu m̂ a.і̆d
Her eyes crinkled into a silky smile as she stepped back.
I cleared my throat and climbed into the car, trying very hard to pretend I hadn't heard.
'Grandma's old sayings never miss.'
Grandma always warned me to watch out for pretty women.
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Pretty women, she said, are all foxes. Foxes.
*****
Wе b n о̂ v̌ ěl̆ Е ň u m̀ а
The plane that had lifted off from Dalian International Airport cut swiftly through the clouds.
The first-class seat Yang Mi-ryeong had booked for me was more comfortable than I could have imagined.
As I sank into the wide, plush seat, I recalled the face of Cuckoo No. 1, shooting me envious glances as she headed off to economy.
'A luxury that lasted barely an hour, though.'
Sadly, the distance from Dalian to Korea was far too short.
The landing announcement came over the cabin speakers right as I'd reclined my seat and was about to close my eyes; honestly, part of me wanted the flight to last another ten hours.
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'Feels like I've been away forever.'
The first thing I did off the plane was take a deep breath.
The very texture of the air was different from murky, muggy China.
The moment we stepped outside the airport, a mortuary van with jet-black tinted windows was waiting for us.
"You'll be riding in this vehicle!"
The instant we boarded and the door shut, Cuckoo No. 1 sat down right beside me.
W ёb n̊ ōvе̊l̈ Еn̄ ǔ ṁ_а̊
The agent dispatched to escort us had only just started driving.
"...?"
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For some reason, Cuckoo No. 1 began beaming sparkly-eyed looks my way.
She looked like a puppy with something to say welling up to the very top of its chest.
"Is there something you want to ask me?"
"Yes! It's just, I really wanted to say thank you, Agent Sparrow No. 7-nim!"
Ênù m̌ а
"...Sorry?"
Out of nowhere?
"Do you happen to know? A few days ago, a post about the NIS blew up big-time on internet forums and social media."
"I don't do social media at all, so I wouldn't know."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"You'll know exactly what it's about the moment you read it."
While I sat there dumbfounded, Cuckoo No. 1 swiped busily through her phone and shoved the screen right up to my face.
Е́ n̈ ŭm̆а̂ . і̌d̄
"You rescued those three Korean tourists who'd been dragged into the SSD safe house in Dandong not long ago, right, Agent-nim?"
I nodded readily.
It felt like ancient history somehow, but in fact it had only been a few days ago.
"One of the people rescued that day posted the whole story on social media, and it went absolutely viral! Netizens are raving; they're saying they had no idea our NIS was quietly working behind the scenes like this, that they don't begrudge a single won of their taxes!"
"...Is it really okay for our operational details to be floating around the internet like that?"
"Of course, the cyber team at headquarters stepped in and got the original post deleted right away. But there was just no stopping the screenshots from passing from hand to hand. Headquarters is getting headaches over the security issue, but public opinion is so favorable that, honestly, I get the feeling they're quietly letting it ride."
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"Ah...."
"Thanks to you, Agent-nim, motivation and morale among our overseas department agents are running at a full tank these days!"
Cuckoo No. 1 bounced in her seat, her face flushed with excitement.
Her voice was thick with pride she couldn't hide.
"Honestly, it's the same for me. Ever since I joined, I've never been able to tell my friends or family a single word about where I work or what I do, and it always got me down. But reading that post everyone's talking about, I can't tell you how proud I felt!"
As if she couldn't hold it in any longer, Cuckoo No. 1 started reading the netizens' comments aloud for me from the seat beside mine.
Ẃ е̄ḃ n ȯ v̌ е l̆ En umа
Vaguely embarrassed, I just quietly turned to look out the window.
Cuckoo, cuckoo.
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The whole time I listened while pretending not to, she chattered away so fluently that I figured this must be why she was a Cuckoo agent.
She prattled on like that for a good long while, and then.
"Zzzz...."
Her head bobbed once, and she dropped off to sleep.
W ё b̌ n о̊vе̄ l Ë n̈ u ṁа̊
Even an NIS vehicle can't dodge traffic in the heart of Gangnam.
As we stopped and started along the gridlocked road, I settled in for a nap of my own.
"Ssp."
When I opened my eyes, wiping dried drool from the corner of my mouth, pitch-black night had already settled outside the window.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Before long, the vehicle came to a stop deep inside the underground garage of NIS headquarters in Seocho-dong.
Cuckoo No. 1, looking refreshed, saw me off.
Е̂ ň ú mă
"It was truly an honor to escort you all the way here!"
"No, no. Honor's a bit much...."
"See you in the field next time, Agent-nim!"
After seeing her off, I followed the headquarters security officer who'd been standing by for me.
A secretive zone ordinary staff could never set foot in.
We arrived at a blank office with no nameplate.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Excuse me."
I knocked and stepped inside, and a man greeted me with an impassive face.
"Come in. So you're Sparrow No. 7. I'm Kim Jin-taek."
I'd had a feeling this man would be the one waiting for me.
The head of the NIS overseas department, First Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek.
"How do you do, sir. Kang Hae-chan."
Ẁè b̃ n.о.v е̃ l̂ E n ŭ m ӑ
"You've come a long way. Here, let's shake on it."
I knew well through the grapevine that he was a formidable figure in more ways than one.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Since his appointment as First Deputy Director, the overseas department's intelligence capability was said to have improved by leaps and bounds.
And that was possible because he was a field-bred former black agent with extensive experience in North-infiltration operations.
"Hmm. That's quite a grip you've got. I'm squeezing this hard and you haven't even flinched."
"...?"
Ë n̆ ù m̆ а
"People who shake my hand are usually too busy squealing at my grip. No ordinary man indeed."
But bright light always casts a shadow close by.
That the number of Crow agents, once few and far between, had grown considerably since Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek took office was one of the flaws that had quietly made the rounds.
That so many turncoats had emerged under his watch was hardly something one could call excellent leadership.
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Releasing the firm handshake, he smiled gently.
"First, let me say thank you. From Hyon Yong-chol to Ri Chol-jun to So Se-hyok.... Thanks to your month of hard work, our threadbare North Korea department is about to see its intelligence capability grow by leaps and bounds. An achievement fit to be inscribed for the ages in the annals of the NIS."
Е nu m̄ а̇
There was one other person in the room besides Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek.
It was team leader Choi Min-sik, whose face I'd seen once just before deploying to Dandong.
He was working his dry lips with a nervous look, terrified I might commit some blunder.
"I don't consider it my achievement alone. It was only possible thanks to the many fellow agents who endured hardship alongside me on foreign soil."
"Modest. I like that very much."
"And I only hope that the one life sacrificed along the way will be remembered by all of us who serve."
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At my mention of Crane No. 13's death, Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek nodded calmly.
"As you say, this operation came with unavoidable sacrifice. We are all fighting for our nation's interests. I ask you to remember that their sacrifices have all become the bedrock of that greater cause."
"I will."
"Now, sit."
His formal commendations finished, Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek took his seat.
I sat down across from him, spine straight.
W е̌b n о̃ v e l̆ Е ň ũ m̊ а̂
"There's something I always ask black agents the first time I meet them."
He laced his fingers over his knee and studied me steadily.
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An unhurried gaze that seemed to see straight through a man.
"I know nearly everything there is to know about you, while you know almost nothing of me. Hardly fair, is it? So I'm going to give you a chance. Was there anything you've wanted to ask me, personally?"
The offer came so far out of the blue that I found myself blinking.
One precious chance to put a question directly to the head of the NIS overseas department.
Еn_u ḿ а . і d
And then it hit me.
"There's one thing."
A thought that had been knotted in a corner of my mind sprang loose.
As it happened, there was something I'd been wanting to ask.
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"Go on, what is it?"
"I heard the late Crane No. 13 had a family, divorced and living apart. Did you know?"
W̊ е̄ b̆ nо̌ v̊el Е ň ǔ m а̇
At my out-of-nowhere question, Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek arched an eyebrow.
Then, as if turning something over in his mind, he nodded slowly.
"...Yes. He had a wife and a daughter."
"I want to know where that family is."
At that fastball straight down the middle, Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek's expression sank at once.
"That, I cannot allow. You know this, don't you? Private contact between black agents is forbidden as a matter of principle."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"I know."
"Crane No. 13's affairs will be handled according to his own will. Arrangements are already complete for the distinguished-service pension due his survivors to be paid out in installments as child support. Where and how he died must never be disclosed to his family."
"I know that too."
If those are the rules, then there's nothing to be done.
Maybe I just wanted somewhere to pour it all out.
"He said that for Children's Day this year, he was going to buy his daughter, just starting high school, a new phone."
W̃ e b ñovёl̃ Ěnū m̆ a
"...."
"That one thing, I want to do in his place."
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Deputy Director Kim Jin-taek only looked at me in silence.
Did I look that strange to him, throwing away just one question, that golden chance, on this?
After a silence that was not short, he nodded without a word.
"Thank you."
Ė n̂ û ma
Between black agents, no more words were needed.
*****
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