Chapter 191
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Negotiation Expert
Na Gang-in wagged a single finger.
"I need more intel to get a read on the situation inside."
Police agent Park Soon-gi displayed the files on his tablet PC.
"I've got everything we've pieced together."
The files contained building blueprints, old interior photos, and basic personal details on the hostages.
Dr. Yuna-rin was listed in AI Jeon Ji-in's initial database as a Nobel Prize winner. No other names registered with the AI.
"These all of them?"
"As far as we've identified."
"Nothing on the perps, huh."
Park Soon-gi explained.
"Right. We've spotted three of them, but they're all masked up, so no faces. We're checking nearby CCTV for any exposures en route."
"Armed how?"
"All three had pistols blatantly tucked in their waistbands."
"Power play. Basically saying if we storm in, the hostages are toast."
"Exactly. We have to assume the others are similarly armed."
Na Gang-in looked up.
"So you're telling me to stroll into this deathtrap unarmed, all by my lonesome?"
Park Soon-gi stammered in a fluster.
"W-Well, yeah? The brass is really pushing it. But in return, we'll step up protection on your info going forward."
"And if this happens again, you'll just use me up?"
"That's..."
"Make it crystal clear to the higher-ups: this is a one-time deal. Handle your own messes from now on."
"Got it."
Na Gang-in flipped rapidly through the interior blueprints, murmuring under his breath.
"Ji-in. Compile the data and render it in 3D."
A translucent holographic building materialized smoothly before his eyes, down to the furnishings inside the structure he was about to enter.
"Update anything that's changed in real time once I'm inside."
There was one more thing he needed to prep before breaching that building.
"Soon-gi. I'm in disguise from a movie shoot, but it's a rush job and already falling apart. Need to fix my hands. Going in as a negotiation expert, so mid-40s should do. Get me the tools for it."
Park Soon-gi replied promptly.
"Not a full film studio, but we've got basics on hand."
"Mind if I borrow some?"
"Use whatever you need."
Na Gang-in stood before a mirror, refining his disguise with brushes and pens. He left his hairstyle as is—no need to change it.
Park Soon-gi held another mirror opposite him. Watching the transformation, he marveled.
"Your disguise skills are unreal... You look exactly 40. How does a quick touch-up age you that much?"
"People judge '40-ish' by common traits. I just sketched those in."
"You make it sound simple."
"Explaining it is the hard part."
"Either way, your speed is insane. Master Na, how do you master even this?"
"Decent handiwork, that's all."
He finished the makeup and glanced at his clothes.
"Suit's fine, so ditch the outer layer and I'm good..."
"Taking off the jacket?"
"Straight from set, remember? Movie prop. You break it, you buy it."
"Huh?"
"What'd they demand?"
Another agent approached with a large crossbody bag.
"Hamburgers and water as requested. Threw in an emergency med kit too."
Na Gang-in frowned.
"Med kit? Who's hurt?"
Park Soon-gi answered.
"Not their demand. We packed antiseptics, antibiotics, bandages, basic sutures—just in case a hostage is injured."
"Worried about Dr. Yuna-rin?"
"Better safe than sorry."
"Even if unfinished, she'd have results by now, right?"
"Gov makes sense to give her special treatment."
His last remark, uttered casually as always, reached Park Soon-gi's ears.
Park Soon-gi asked.
"Master Na, you don't know much about Dr. Yuna-rin yourself—why act like you do?"
"Guess I won't take the job."
Park Soon-gi backpedaled instantly.
"Heard your intel analysis beats even your combat prowess. You got a feel from the files I gave you, huh."
"Disguise done, bag packed—time to head in. Dragging this out won't help the folks inside."
Na Gang-in approached the building. All windows were blinded, blocking any view inside.
As he neared, the front door cracked open. A masked man stood inside, pistol in hand.
"Why are guns floating around Korea like this? Legal?"
"Familiar piece. The ones trying to steal anti-tank missiles in Gapyeong had these."
"That's overseas talk. Korea ain't a gun shop. Same smuggler likely."
The masked gunman addressed Na Gang-in.
"Who you with? Police negotiators?"
"Burger delivery. Move."
"We're here to save hostages. Recon first."
Na Gang-in passed through the front door into the building. A translucent holographic map of the interior floated in one corner of his vision.
But the actual interior differed slightly from the 3D holo-map.
Furnishing icons on the holo-map shifted rapidly. The updates finished in a blink.
"Top-down view for a sec."
The holo-map rotated to an overhead perspective.
"This setup screams defensive against a SWAT rush."
"Not amateur work."
AI Jeon Ji-in hadn't just mapped furnishings. She projected holo-images of the masked men too.
The entrance guard wore a full-face mask. The others used partial ones covering from nose-tip to forehead, leaving mouths and chins exposed.
"Masks like that let them ID each other. Witnesses sketching from mouth shape alone? Useless."
"They planned for that."
Na Gang-in reviewed the masked men's holo-images again, this time focusing not on faces but grip styles.
"Cluster the hand shots."
Translucent hand holos converged.
"Grips all over the place. Not drilled in the same unit."
"Assume all occupiers are mercs. At least one's a fortification specialist—ex-special forces."
His goal here: rescue the hostages.
"Three hostages in the lobby."
The three sat tense on the lobby floor, spaced apart rather than clustered.
"These three are decoys for a SWAT entry. Others deeper in."
A pistol-wielding merc approached—different from the door guard.
"Food here? Set it down."
Na Gang-in placed the bag. The merc aimed his pistol.
"Alert if he fingers the trigger."
The merc said.
"Open the bag. Weapon pops out, one hostage drops."
The three scattered hostages flinched visibly.
Na Gang-in unzipped the bag. It brimmed with burgers and water.
"Told you, burger delivery."
The merc beckoned a hostage.
"Hey, you. Grab three each."
The female hostage approached, taking one burger and water.
"Not the top—bottom ones."
She reached deeper, pulling another. Her hands shook violently.
Na Gang-in reassured her.
"It'll be fine. Nothing weird in there, so no worries."
"Y-You're police, right?"
He'd just turned down the inspector offer, but police had sent him in.
He spoke loud enough for the mercs.
"Yes. Here to negotiate with these clowns and get you out safe."
The merc told the woman.
"Quit yapping. Distribute and eat—one each."
She handed out burgers and bottles to the other two, then they ate. The woman barely managed, but one chewed steadily.
The merc watched, commenting.
"Poison? Hostages eat it first."
A man, mid-bite and sip, hacked up a cough.
"Cough. Hack. Kek."
Every lobby merc swung pistols toward Na Gang-in.
The distributor merc demanded.
"What? Something off? Drugs?"
"N-No. Just went down wrong..."
"Went down wrong? Poison?"
"No, startled—food caught in my throat."
Na Gang-in suggested to the merc.
"Grabbed these from the burger joint up front. Water from the convenience store. Skeptical? Feed the rest."
"That's the plan."
Another merc patted Na Gang-in down for weapons or radios.
Na Gang-in had anticipated and brought nothing.
The merc ordered.
"Grab the bag and follow."
Na Gang-in passed the lobby deeper in. More mercs and hostages there. These mercs had pistols holstered, not drawn.
Pre-loaded hostage profiles scrolled in mid-air. Glowing blue name cards hovered over heads with photos and basics, letting Na Gang-in verify personally.
Pulled from Park Soon-gi pre-entry.
Two cards glowed red—blank profiles.
"Why no intel on those two? Shoddy police work, or not hostages."
A merc had a hostage distribute burgers—to hostages only.
The merc instructed.
"What're you waiting for? Eat up. All of it. Gotta check for drugs."
Hostages ate with anxious faces.
Na Gang-in scanned the room. AI Jeon Ji-in updated the 3D holo in real time with new data.
"No Yuna-rin, though."
"Why segregate her? Identity blown? Or other reason?"
"Roger."
The merc upended the bag, spilling remaining burgers on a desk. A small box tumbled out too.
The merc snapped his pistol up at Na Gang-in.
Other mercs reacted, drawing theirs.
"What's this? Device?"
Na Gang-in shrugged.
"Emergency med kit. Drugs and tools for treatment. Wanna check? Open it."
The merc backed off, pistol steady, then ordered the distributor hostage.
"You. Open it."
The hostage grabbed the box with trembling hands. He eyed Na Gang-in.
"S-Sir, this isn't a bomb, right?"
"Told you no. Don't jinx it—these shooters are backing up scared."