Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Nakgwi III
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Na Gang-in said to the AI Jeon Ji-in.
"You've really become fully human."
Scarlett asked,
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
Scarlett smiled and said,
"There are a lot of ears around here. Tell me later, in private."
Shin Eun-ha jumped into their conversation.
"Why meet in private later?"
Scarlett made an excuse.
"He fought so hard to save me, so I wanted to thank him?"
"That's not it. Anyone could see he saved me."
"The pirates came gunning for me."
"He took a bullet trying to save me."
Scarlett jumped in alarm.
"What? He got shot? Where? Th-there's a hole in his chest!"
She frantically touched Na Gang-in's chest with her hand. Instead of bare skin, she felt metal.
"Oh?"
She pulled open the hole in his torn shirt a bit. She could see metal inside.
Jessica, standing next to Scarlett, nodded as she saw it.
"His body's made of steel. So he really is a robot, not a person. Makes sense. That's the only way those abilities add up."
Scarlett was the president and chief researcher of OmegaTech. She narrowed her eyes.
"Bulletproof vest?"
Na Gang-in shrugged.
"I did get shot, but as you can see, I'm fine."
"Hold on. This is made of metal. Not even a solid plate. This shape... impact dispersion? Huh? How does it even work like that?"
Suddenly, a thought struck Scarlett.
She turned to Lee Tae-ho. He had come to this yacht party in place of Iron Man Engineering's executive director, Lee Tae-seong. And Lee Tae-ho knew Na Gang-in.
She recalled a recent story she'd heard.
"Is this the new bulletproof vest from Iron Man Engineering? You know, the Dragon Plate?"
"You know about the Dragon Plate, huh."
Iron Man Engineering made mass-produced versions, while this was a reinforced one, but both were Dragon Plates.
She examined the surface of the vest closely.
"Metal structures that shatter to absorb the impact?"
The bullet hole was on Na Gang-in's chest. The way she peered into it made it look like she was burying her face in his chest.
Shin Eun-ha pulled Scarlett away.
"What are you doing? So many people watching."
"Oh. I get tunnel vision when I'm researching. So, shall we go somewhere quiet, just the two of us...?"
"Just the two of you, my foot!"
Na Gang-in gently pushed Scarlett aside and said,
"The fight isn't over yet."
"Huh?"
"You couldn't see from below deck, but the pirate boss escaped."
"What? Where to?"
"The bridge, obviously. That's where his men would be."
A few people who had evacuated below deck came back up. The shot bodyguard didn't.
When Scarlett had been shot in the arm back in the Gangnam high-rise, Na Gang-in had treated her.
Scarlett said,
"Ah! Gang-in. Someone got shot. Needs first aid."
"You should've said so sooner. Grab the first aid kit!"
There was a large first aid kit in the corner of the party area. But no doctors among the guests.
Na Gang-in handed the shot bodyguard's pistol to Lee Tae-ho. He couldn't trust anyone else.
The ankle-injured armed guard came up to secure the deck.
Jang Mi-jeong asked Lee Tae-ho, who held the pistol.
"You were in the Defense Ministry's PR unit. Why'd you take the gun?"
"I've shot at the Iron Man Engineering range. I know how."
Na Gang-in examined the shot bodyguard's wound.
Na Gang-in disinfected around the wound and wrapped a bandage tight enough for hemostasis, saying,
"No threat to life, so head to a hospital for proper treatment. The bullet missed all vital areas, so no lingering effects. Don't worry."
The shot bodyguard said in awkward Korean,
"Thank you."
Na Gang-in looked at the broken radio and said,
"We need to report the situation here first..."
"I reported before the radio broke."
"Coast guard should be coming soon, then. Antibiotics would be nice."
Na Gang-in went back up to the deck.
The people had stacked tables and such from the deck to make cover.
They didn't go below deck. It was too cramped down there, so only those tending the injured stayed.
Na Gang-in took back the pistol from Lee Tae-ho.
No spare mags.
The two bodyguards were on covert protection duty, carrying only compact semi-auto pistols.
Na Gang-in checked the mag.
"Not much."
Shin Eun-ha watched him worriedly.
"Oppa Gang-in. You're not going to fight again, are you?"
"Yeah."
"It's dangerous. Can't you just stay here?"
Na Gang-in pointed to the stern. The propeller spun fast, leaving a wide wake.
"They're speeding up. This yacht's probably at max speed now. Heading toward China."
"Ah... so we're all going to China."
"Gotta stop that. They're not docking at a proper port."
"Eek... wait!"
Shin Eun-ha dashed aside and brought back a container full of chopsticks.
"Oppa Gang-in. I brought lots of weapons."
"Those are for long range. No need in tight spaces."
At arm's reach, chopsticks or fists made no difference—both lethal.
She looked crestfallen.
"Thought it'd help."
"You helped plenty already."
Na Gang-in took one chopstick from the container.
"I'll take this as backup."
Shin Eun-ha's face lit up openly.
"Okay!"
"Got a hand mirror? Small one."
"Huh? Yeah, but..."
Shin Eun-ha pulled a luxury-brand hand mirror from her handbag.
Na Gang-in recognized the brand.
"They make mirrors too?"
"They make everything."
"No cheap one I can break?"
"Just use this."
Na Gang-in lightly jumped and grabbed a fixture on the second-level railing. Then he tossed the mirror upward.
Jeon Ji-in compiled the reflected info from the mirror into a second-level hologram.
Na Gang-in pulled himself up to the upper deck.
Only the guys he'd knocked out with thrown knives were there. No moving enemies.
"Mark the bridge."
Jeon Ji-in put a marker over the bridge.
Options: exterior door, interior door, or roof via smashing the front glass.
Na Gang-in picked the third. He climbed atop the yacht, slid forward, then dropped to the bridge, pistol aimed ahead.
The bridge was empty.
"Hm?"
Na Gang-in looked out to sea.
The high-speed rubber boat the pirates had used to board was fleeing toward China. Fast.
Na Gang-in raised his pistol, aiming at the boat.
"Get that bastard first."
Na Gang-in pulled the trigger. Jeon Ji-in assisted the shot.
Hitting a distant motorboat with a pistol from the yacht deck was tough. Strong wind, boat rocking on waves.
The rounds splashed near the boat.
Na Gang-in fired the remaining four in rapid succession. One grazed the boat. No hits.
"Yeah."
Na Gang-in entered the bridge.
"You know how to drive this thing?"
"Turn it around."
Jeon Ji-in demoed with hologram footage. Na Gang-in followed, turning the yacht.
Shin Eun-ha heard the gunshots and worried.
"Oppa Gang-in didn't get hit, did he?"
Scarlett said,
"You got no faith in Gang-in."
"Faith and worry are different things."
Their bickering didn't last. The yacht began to turn.
Lee Tae-ho raised his fist high and shouted,
"We're heading back to Incheon! We won!"
Jang Mi-jeong scolded him.
"Stop, it's embarrassing."
"Mi-jeong, you not happy?"
"I am."
Lee Tae-ho said excitedly,
"I'll go to the bridge and help. I know how to handle a yacht!"
Shin Eun-ha hurried after him.
"President Lee, wait up!"
"Why you, Eun-ha?"
"To blow on his bruises."
"If it's where Gang-in got bruised..."
A few enemy bullets had hit Na Gang-in's vest. All chest and abdomen.
"Oof. Eun-ha's bolder than she looks..."
Jang Mi-jeong punched Lee Tae-ho in the side.
"Shut it!"
"Gah!"
Seeing them head to the bridge, Scarlett and Jessica followed.
Suddenly, the door below the second deck burst open. Pirate boss Nakgwi leaped out.
Shin Eun-ha was walking at the front.
Nakgwi grabbed her arm and yanked her. He aimed his gun at the crowd.
"All of you, back off!"
The startled group retreated in a bunch.
Nakgwi wrapped his left arm around Shin Eun-ha's neck and dragged her onto the deck.
"Back off! You there! Drop the gun!"
The armed guard's ankle injury made movement hard, but he didn't drop the gun. His protectee was Scarlett, not Shin Eun-ha.
Nor could he shoot Nakgwi from there.
Nakgwi used Shin Eun-ha as a shield, moving aft. A leisure motorboat was there.
Nakgwi suddenly whipped around to the second deck.
Na Gang-in lightly jumped down from the second deck to the main deck, saying,
"So the guy who took the motorboat was in the bridge. Didn't expect your man to bail first, huh?"
Nakgwi snarled,
"That bastard's dead when I catch him!"
Na Gang-in walked toward him, saying,
"Doubt you'll manage that from prison."
"Stop right there! Come closer and she dies!"
"Why not let her go and take me hostage?"
Nakgwi grinned twistedly.
"Heh heh heh. You nuts? She's perfect!"
"Fair enough."
"What?"
Na Gang-in dangled the pistol.
"How about this: swap the gun for the girl. You get the motorboat too. Take off."
Nakgwi's eyes darted, then he yelled,
"Toss the gun first!"
Na Gang-in set the pistol on the deck and kicked it lightly. It slid to Nakgwi's feet.
Nakgwi, gun still on Shin Eun-ha, picked it up left-handed.
Now Nakgwi had two pistols. Na Gang-in had none.
Nakgwi snickered.
"Heh heh heh. Dumb bastard."
He pressed the left pistol to Shin Eun-ha's body, saying,
"Don't move. Move and she gets it first."
Nakgwi was right-handed. He aimed the right pistol at Na Gang-in.
"Stay right there..."
Na Gang-in suddenly threw the metal chopstick.
It flew like an arrow, smacking the pistol. It flew from Nakgwi's hand.
"Urk!"
Nakgwi instantly pulled the left trigger. Barrel right on Shin Eun-ha's torso.
Nothing happened.
"Huh?"
Na Gang-in walked toward him, saying,
"That pistol's empty. When the mag's out, it doesn't just get lighter—the balance shifts. Didn't notice?"
Shin Eun-ha bolted toward Na Gang-in the moment she heard it was empty.
Panicked Nakgwi chased her.
Na Gang-in strode forward, passing Shin Eun-ha. He hooked his arm around Nakgwi's neck mid-stride.
"Gack!"
Na Gang-in dragged Nakgwi backward by the neck.
He shoved Nakgwi over the rail.
"Who sent you?"
Half-hanging on the rail, Nakgwi begged,
"D-don't know. Sp-spare m..."
"Don't know? Then drop in the sea. Good swimmer?"
Nakgwi blurted,
"Broker said big money for the access code! That's all I... no, I know! Save me and I'll tell you who the broker is!"
"Cops'll figure it out."
Na Gang-in pulled Nakgwi back from the rail. Nakgwi sighed in relief.
"Phew. Lived..."
Na Gang-in hoisted him one-handed and slammed him deck-first.
"Grahk!"