Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: 1st Floor
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Na Gang-in gathered up the pistols scattered across the cafe floor and set them on the table. One magazine was completely empty. Even pooling the bullets from the other two didn't fill a single magazine.
The last guy he'd caught had pulled a spare magazine from his pocket. Na Gang-in checked the others' pockets as well. Both had one spare each.
Jeon Ji-in said.
"How am I supposed to smuggle them with this many people watching?"
He slammed a fresh magazine into one of the pistols and glanced at the cafe's floor-to-ceiling glass.
"Ji-in, can this gun punch through that?"
There was already a bullet mark on the glass.
"What if I hit it?"
Na Gang-in approached the glass and peered outside. Below was a small garden attached to the building.
He glanced up. From this angle, the rooftop was out of sight.
"Wonder what's up top..."
In 2082, there were weapons perfect for that purpose. 2022 wasn't without them either.
"Or maybe a sniper."
"Guess we turn this into a defensive stronghold and push upstairs."
Na Gang-in placed his palm against the glass wall.
"No. We leave this glass intact."
"Shin Eun-ha's still on the 7th floor. The enemy can't know what's happening here. If they find out we've taken the 2nd floor, the people on 7 will be in danger."
"I am pretty wise."
The cafe patrons had dragged the three armed thugs Na Gang-in had beaten into a corner. Someone fetched ropes and bound the unconscious men's hands and feet.
All three wore balaclavas covering their heads completely down to their necks.
Na Gang-in pulled off the leader's balaclava.
"Hmm..."
The leader's face had a slightly exotic look.
"Ancestry from East Asia maybe?"
Hard to judge nationality from looks alone.
He removed the other two's balaclavas as well. Same story.
"These three are from the same region..."
In Korea, most who speak Korean fluently are Korean. But plenty speak it as a native language, look the part, and still hold foreign citizenship.
"If these guys are foreigners who speak Korean well..."
Their intentions clicked into place.
"No wonder they were bold enough to run around with guns in Korea."
Gun incidents in Korea draw full police pursuit. If it escalates to armed insurgency suspicions, the military rolls out.
"They planned to grab whatever here and bolt overseas before the cops catch on. Cops will assume Korean perps. Confident in slipping away, so no hesitation shooting people."
"Civilians?"
"You claim no 2082 memories, but you know that one."
Na Gang-in loaded magazines into two pistols.
He asked the cafe crowd,
"Anyone with pistol experience?"
A few hesitated, eyeing each other.
Four raised hands without pause.
Koreans with military service handle assault rifles fine. Pistols? Even active duty might never touch one.
Na Gang-in picked two and asked,
"Service history?"
"Armored Brigade tanker."
"Discharged as ROTC lieutenant."
Na Gang-in nodded.
"Solid enough."
"Both have kids with them. Terrorists might plant spies among civilians, but dragging kids along? Tough to fake. Kids can't act."
Na Gang-in handed them a pistol each.
"You two defend this stronghold."
They nodded and took the guns.
"We'll hold this place with our lives."
He leaned in close and whispered,
"Never hand these pistols to anyone else here. No one enters except police."
"Understood."
Na Gang-in pointed at the glass wall and raised his voice so everyone could hear.
"That glass won't break easily. After I leave, stick a note on it explaining what happened here."
Someone from the back shot up a hand.
"Even bulletproof glass shatters under sustained fire, right? We're on 2nd floor—smash the glass and jump down."
"My guess? Enemy's taken other floors too. Maybe even the roof. Breaking the glass tips them off, and escaping that way leaves us exposed to fire from above—no cover."
"Ah..."
"Plus, shattering it alerts the other floors to our situation. Makes my moves dangerous. Do not break that glass."
Another piped up urgently.
"Wait—you're saying you're leaving? Can't you stay with us? More people here, safer that way."
"I have to go."
Na Gang-in pointed upward.
"Someone up there needs saving."
Of the three who'd entered the cafe, only the leader had a radio.
"Bought civilian ones and modded them. Range?"
The leader's radio was intact. He'd only had his wrist broken and head smacked—unlike the others, he hadn't been flung into a wall.
Suddenly, a voice crackled from the radio.
"Cafe. Heard some noise from above—what's going on?"
The cafe was on the 2nd floor. Below was obviously the 1st.
Na Gang-in subtly tapped the throat of the unconscious thug.
"Imitate his voice."
Na Gang-in spoke into the radio.
"Punished some idiots who wouldn't listen."
The 2nd-floor cafe patrons' eyes went wide.
Not from the words, but the voice. Na Gang-in's imitation of the armed thug leader was spot-on. Not identical, but close enough for voice acting over poor-quality radio. Plenty to fool the listener.
"Acting on temper, eh?"
"Gotta show these idiots we're not just the three of us. Come up."
"OK."
Na Gang-in finished the radio exchange and glanced at the CCTV.
He asked the cafe owner,
"You manage those CCTVs?"
"No. Building management room installed and runs them all."
If someone checked CCTV, they couldn't miss the 2nd-floor chaos.
"So enemies can't see here? Or seeing and ignoring?"
Whichever, the guy coming up would reveal it.
He headed for the cafe door.
The reserve lieutenant suggested,
"Alone's too risky. I'll go with."
"Then who's holding here?"
"Ah..."
"Stronghold defense matters. You two hold the cafe. No one out the windows—they'll get shot. After I leave, pile tables for a barricade at the entrance."
"Then you can't retreat, and we can't support you."
"I'll manage. Don't worry."
He turned back from the door.
"Anyone got a hand mirror? Small one's good."
A young woman hurried over, hands out. A pink hand mirror with cute characters sat in her palms.
"Use mine."
Na Gang-in grinned.
"Thanks."
Her cheeks flushed.
Na Gang-in stepped out the cafe door.
The moment he did, the others stacked tables and chairs at the entrance.
The reserve lieutenant suggested,
"Leave a narrow passage. Toss tables and chairs to block if needed."
They sealed the entrance but left space for one person.
Na Gang-in stood before the stairs down to the 1st floor.
The building elevators were dead. Enemies climbing meant this staircase.
Grumbling voices rose from below.
"Cafe's got more heads than us, and they can't even control unarmed civvies? Amateurs?"
Na Gang-in gleaned intel from the enemy's mutter.
'Fewer on 1st than 2nd's three, so two down there. He's not solo.'
More intel.
'Doesn't even know if 2nd-floor buddies are pros or amateurs. Not long-time crew. Someone gathered them for this op.'
Na Gang-in analyzed upstairs.
'7th floor's got someone important enough to snatch Shin Eun-ha's reservation.'
His analysis had a glitch. Lee Tae-ho of THO Entertainment had snagged her slot.
Conclusion held.
'Boss is on 7th then.'
A holographic figure—outline only—approached from beyond the wall.
The enemy crested the stairs, rounded the corner—and startled.
Na Gang-in clamped the man's mouth with his left hand and jabbed his throat with his right before a sound escaped.
"Kk..."
Not even a proper groan. The enemy slumped limp.
"Why didn't you stop me from giving two pistols to cafe folks? Should've said one."
"Just testing. Not complaining."
Na Gang-in pocketed the pistol, then dragged the knocked-out enemy back to the cafe and shoved him inside.
The people inside pounced, binding him tight. Cafe had plenty of binding tools.
Na Gang-in exited again and descended the stairs to the 1st floor.
'One left on 1st.'
He slipped the mirror toward the 1st floor, swept left-right for a one-second peek, then pulled back. The reflection caught everything.
The AR lens immediately displayed the 1st floor. Na Gang-in, around the stairwell corner, could see behind the wall.
"Ji-in, this is basically x-ray vision."
"It's showing him moving."
A translucent 1st-floor hologram held one moving figure.
The moving figure on the 1st wore security guard uniform.
"Odds security's with enemy?"
The face of the guard from entry appeared before his eyes. So did the 1st-floor guy's.
Different people.