Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Exchange
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The Joint Investigation Headquarters had been formed during the Gangnam Jackal case and was still active.
At the regular meeting, the head of the joint task force said,
"That Cheongpyeong Lake incident... it won't come to us, right?"
The executives attending the meeting handled their own departmental duties as usual while taking on the joint task force's work on top of that. Naturally, they hoped no new cases would come in and the task force could wrap up as is.
A police executive waved his hand dismissively.
"Nah, no way. The narcotics squad is already all over it like white on rice. And it's not just them—the homicide division's involved too, and there are plenty of juicy angles. No need for us to step in."
The task force head let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest.
"Good to hear. I was worried since Na Gang-in was there."
The other executives felt the same.
"Tell me about it."
"We thought we'd rack up some achievements when we first joined for the Gangnam Jackal case."
One executive let out a deep sigh.
"But all the culprits were already caught, so there wasn't much left, and since they were tied up internationally, there was just a mountain of paperwork. Whew."
"Right? Couldn't even go home. Sigh."
The task force head chuckled.
"Since this one's not ours, we can relax and just listen in. What happened?"
"I brought the files since Na Gang-in was involved. We have access rights as the joint task force."
The police executive gave a brief on the Cheongpyeong Lake drug organization takedown.
After hearing even the details not covered in the news, the task force executives spoke in a casual tone.
"Na Gang-in... I thought he preferred dividing and conquering small groups of enemies."
"I figured the same from his old combat logs, but apparently he's good at taking on large numbers solo too."
"Not solo—there were actors behind him, right?"
"Those actors were support, not combat troops."
Someone chimed in knowingly.
"I half-expected it. Dividing enemy forces for piecemeal defeat is basic tactics, but on the battlefield, sometimes you have to go for all-out war even if it's disadvantageous."
"A great commander doesn't let the situation come to that."
"If you have to protect allies or civilians, you might have no choice but to fight even stronger foes. Like this time."
"Stronger foes? From the results, it doesn't look that way..."
The task force head cut in.
"Why get worked up over something we're just hearing about casually? Na Gang-in's not even a military commander."
"Ah, true."
Another executive asked,
"Oh, that bulletproof vest Shin Eun-ha was wearing... wasn't that a Dragon Plate?"
"I saw a photo where it peeked out from her clothes. Looked like it."
"How the hell does a civilian get their hands on Ironclad Engineering's premium gear? I tried to snag one myself but gave up—no way to do it."
"Na Gang-in's the development team lead for Ironclad's Dragon Plate, right? Since he knows Shin Eun-ha, maybe he gifted it."
"A gift? Even as team lead, he couldn't just swipe one."
Another executive said,
"I don't think it came from Na Gang-in."
"Then who?"
"THO Entertainment's president is the second son of Ironclad Engineering's CEO, isn't he? Shin Eun-ha starred in a THO film. So probably Lee Tae-ho gifted it."
"Second son? I haven't heard that at joint task force meetings. How'd you know?"
"My kid's a Shin Eun-ha fan, so I dug around a bit..."
"Isn't your kid in elementary school?"
"Uh..."
"You're the fan, aren't you?"
"Ha, haha."
The executive changed the subject.
"Anyway, where's Na Gang-in now?"
"He's not tangled up in another case, I hope. Probably living quietly."
"I don't even want to know what he's up to or where."
The task force head smiled.
"Alright, the joint task force will wrap up with a bang in a few days and disband. You've all worked hard juggling your regular duties with this—how about drinks tonight?"
"Sounds good. Tonight's booze will taste extra sweet. Haha!"
Yeonji's surgery was over. Na Gang-in had already done everything he could. He'd even handled the unexpected issues in the OR.
Na Gang-in left the hospital. Since he'd kept his involvement in the surgery secret from Yeonji, he slipped out quietly without goodbyes.
He turned on his phone far from the hospital.
"Hm?"
There were a ton of missed calls. All from Shin Eun-ha.
Na Gang-in smirked.
"Can't even relax without me. How does she survive the boredom?"
He called Shin Eun-ha back. It picked up on the other end.
"Just a few hours offline and she blows up my phone..."
- Bora's been missing for hours already!
"What? Not about me?"
- I've looked everywhere—no sign!
Shin Eun-ha's voice was frantic. Na Gang-in realized she wasn't joking, his expression hardening as he asked,
"Explain the situation."
- I invited you to the outdoor art exhibit yesterday, remember?
Na Gang-in had to skip for the surgery.
- But I got there later than planned. Bora said she arrived first, but she's nowhere!
"You had plans to meet Bora there, and she vanished?"
- No, I didn't even know she was coming.
"Then maybe she just wandered off after checking out the exhibit."
- Her car's still in the park lot! And it's been three hours! Last time she vanished like this, it turned out to be a kidnapping! What if it happens again?
"Did you call the police?"
- I couldn't.
"If it's suspicious, report it first."
- Bora's been stressed since the last incident hit the news. If we report and it leaks, her image could tank. What if it's just me overreacting and another story blows up?
If it were a first-time thing, he wouldn't suspect, but Bora had been kidnapped before. He understood Shin Eun-ha's worry.
"I'm heading there now. Send the address."
Na Gang-in arrived at the park where the outdoor art exhibit was in full swing. It wasn't far from where they'd talked, so it didn't take long.
Shin Eun-ha stood there with Kim Yu-chan, both looking anxious.
Na Gang-in approached and asked,
"Where was Bora last seen? Let's start the search there."
"Ah! You're here!"
Shin Eun-ha took the lead.
"This way. Hurry!"
Kim Yu-chan wasn't as worried as Shin Eun-ha. Following her, he said,
"Eun-ha, celebs ghosting with their phones off is common. I do it sometimes. Even non-celebs have spotty service."
"She's like that because she got kidnapped by those creeps last time."
"They're all caught now. And kidnapping's not a habit—you don't get snatched twice."
"Right? She'll be fine?"
Kim Yu-chan saw the positive side.
"Of course. Who'd kidnap Bora? No big payday."
Bora had a black bag over her head and was tied to a chair.
She shivered.
"Wh-who are you? Why are you doing this to me?"
The boss snapped in irritation.
"What am I supposed to do with this one?!"
There were three kidnappers. The squad leader made excuses.
"No choice. You said we had to get that bulletproof vest..."
"I said strip the vest off her!"
"We tried, but she wasn't wearing it. Had to stuff her in the trunk instead."
"Damn it. Doesn't she wear it all the time?"
"Apparently not."
Another underling chimed in.
"Boss, if an actress goes missing, the cops will move."
"I know. This idiot didn't plan for another shot... What was Director Cha thinking, assigning this to me?"
The boss huffed, catching his breath.
"Hoo. First, let's secure what we can. Where's the vest now?"
The squad leader answered.
"We just pulled her from the trunk and tied her up..."
"You morons working like amateurs?!"
"Sorry."
"Forget it. I'll ask her myself."
The boss approached Bora.
"Hey, Shin Eun-ha. We want one thing: the Dragon Plate. Hand it over, and we'll drop you somewhere safe. We don't wanna deal with cops either. Win-win, right?"
Bora cried out desperately.
"I'm not Eun-ha!"
"What?"
"I'm Bora! Bora!"
The boss panicked. He shielded her face with his clothes, then lifted the bag off her head. Her sunglasses and mask caught on it and fell off.
Bora's face was familiar from dramas. Even the boss recognized her.
"You're not Shin Eun-ha!"
He jammed the bag back over her head, turning to his men with a stunned look.
"How did this happen?!"
The squad leader who nabbed her was flustered too.
"This can't be... Weird. Body type matches, especially the shoes..."
"Didn't check her face when you grabbed her? Why?!"
"Some other visitors showed up suddenly, so we bailed without looking. Just bagged her head and ran..."
The boss yelled.
"You idiots! What the hell have you done?!"
"S-sorry."
The boss panted curses.
"Fuck. We took the advance, and you grab the wrong girl? This ain't pocket change. You wanna die?"
The squad leader cautiously suggested,
"Boss, I have a good idea."
"Don't think!"
"How about demanding the Dragon Plate as Bora's ransom?"
"Huh? From who?"
"Shin Eun-ha, obviously."
The boss calmed and asked,
"Elaborate."
"Matching shoes down to the details means they're super close. We contact Shin Eun-ha, demand the Dragon Plate for Bora's release."
The boss's face lit up.
"That could work."
He asked Bora,
"Hey, actress. How tight are you with Shin Eun-ha?"
Bora figured saying they weren't close might get her killed. She answered quick.
"Super close! Besties! Soulmates!"
"For real?"
"We've been friends since daycare!"
That much was true. They fell out after different middle schools.
"Lucky you have good friends."
At the hint of mercy, Bora nodded frantically.
"Yes! Yes! Thank you!"
The boss held out his hand to an underling.
"Get me her smartphone."
Na Gang-in pointed to a secluded grassy spot in the park.
"Someone in women's heels resisted an attack here."
AI Jeon Ji-in reported,
- Matches the footprints and shoes Shin Eun-ha wore at Cheongpyeong Lake.
"These are the same as the heels Eun-ha wore a few days ago—same sole pattern."
Kim Yu-chan jolted at the realization.
"Ah! The shoes Bora wore today! She said she got them from the same custom shop as Eun-ha's. They looked identical!"
"Definitely Bora's prints. Attackers... three of them. Male, by the patterns."
Shin Eun-ha asked anxiously,
"Gang-in oppa, does that mean Bora..."
"Kidnapped from here."
"What do we do?!"
"Eun-ha, no time to worry about headlines. Call it in. Contact Detective Park Ki-jeong—he helped search last time and kept the press out."
"You think it'll be okay?"
"It's confirmed."
"Got it. I'll call..."
Shin Eun-ha's phone rang. Caller ID: Bora.
She lit up at the screen.
"It's Bora! See? She's fine! Must've just had her phone off."
She answered, unleashing her anger.
"Hey! Where the hell are you? You bitch! When I catch you, I'm gonna boil you alive!"
A man's voice came from the phone.
- We have Bora.
Shin Eun-ha froze.
"Wh-what? Who are you?"
- Report to police, and Bora dies.
She blurted desperately,
"N-no! I didn't! Haven't reported!"
- You were asking around, so you were looking for her.
Na Gang-in leaned in close to the phone, signaling her to keep talking.
"Bad press would ruin Bora's image, so even a few hours offline—I wouldn't report that! That's why!"
- Smart. Here's our demand.
Shin Eun-ha figured money, naturally.
- Bring the Dragon Plate. Bora goes free.
She couldn't process it.
"Wh-what? Why the Dragon Plate..."
- Don't you want to save Bora?
"Okay! Fine! I'll give it!"
- Where's the item?
Shin Eun-ha had benefited big time from the Dragon Plate at Cheongpyeong Lake. As insurance, she'd worn it to the outdoor park today.
"I'm wearing it right now!"