Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Hollywood Stunt
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Scene 65. Hollywood Stunt.
Scene 65
Hollywood Stunt.
Yu Han-seong CP's A-Team. The C-Team, urgently dispatched by the director. The Hollywood D and E teams brought in from BIS. And Park Chan-seong PD's B-Team, still reworking the revised script back in Korea. Plus, the script team, consisting of Kim Seong-hui and her supporters.
They began to move busily according to the schedule, as if they couldn't waste a single second, and in the blink of an eye, a fortnight had passed.
*
Seong Ye-rim collapsed onto the sofa, her face etched with exhaustion.
“Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”
As Ye-rim groaned like an old woman, Choi Pil-yeon offered her some vitamins and supplements.
“It’s tough, isn’t it.”
“It is, but I’m not the only one.”
Seong Ye-rim swallowed the pills and opened her script.
“How is Writer Camu-nim doing?”
“Why do you ask about him?”
“It used to be ‘Writer-oppa, Writer-oppa.’ Now it’s just ‘Writer-nim’?”
“Ah. Well, with the atmosphere on set and everything.”
Ye-rim shrugged as if to say it just happened.
“Anyway, why do you ask about him?”
“No reason. He’s just running around so much. I was just wondering if everything was okay.”
“Is there something you want me to look into? You’re not one to just say things like that, uncle.”
“No. It’s just that the writer is overseeing production as well. I was worried if he was doing okay. You must be tired, you should get some rest.”
After Choi Pil-yeon left, Seong Ye-rim tossed the script she was holding and picked up her smartphone.
She entered her password and opened her email, revealing a script completely different from the one that had been distributed.
“When you see things like this, Writer Kim Seong-hui really has a sharp mind. No, wait. Is this why she’s a writer?”
Ye-rim grinned as she read through the email. A scene had been added featuring M and herself, a scene not present in the distributed script.
Seong-hui had used this method to prevent Yu-hyeon’s appearance and M’s identity from being leaked to the outside, but coincidentally, the three women who shared this secret felt something different each time they received an email.
It was as if they were creating a secret between themselves and M, one that no one else knew about.
Ye-rim began to read the secret script with a pleasant expression.
“Ah, so M’s identity is revealed tomorrow.”
Not just Seong Ye-rim, but Lee Ha-na and Jo Seong-hyeon also read through the script with fascinated eyes.
*
There are freelancers known as "Wild Dogs."
This is the common term for wandering fixers who will do anything if the price is right.
It's not as if the fixers and killers who operate in the black market from the start move with any special sense of duty, but the majority often take on requests from the organizations they were once part of.
This is because the work is similar to what they used to do, and thus they can handle it with familiarity.
However, those called Wild Dogs were different in nature.
They were former hitmen from criminal organizations, mercenaries who had wandered through battlefields, or psychopaths addicted to murder.
Among them were three rather famous Wild Dogs, and one of them was a man named Jaden, also known as 'Gray Dog.'
Jaden had a specialized talent for manipulating a target's death to his liking—'natural causes, accidental death, death by illness.'
Perhaps because of this, Jaden was quite picky about the jobs he took. Since he considered himself an artist, he wouldn't even glance at requests that didn't suit his tastes.
But in the last few days, three unusual requests had come in succession, and their contents were a perfect match for his preferences.
Having accepted the jobs, Jaden immediately set out to find his targets.
Due to the tight schedule, he couldn't disguise the deaths as illness or natural causes, but he had still finished the jobs to his great satisfaction.
Was the client also pleased with Jaden's clean work? A new request was added immediately.
“I thought I was pretty crazy, but what the hell are these guys thinking?”
Following a scholar, a professor, and a researcher, this time it was a drama writer.
He was about to reject the job, thinking it trivial, when the target's history caught his interest.
“Ho, the original author of the Urus Murder Case?”
One of his only hobbies was reading novels in the mystery and thriller genres.
He enjoyed breaking the tricks presented in the text and predicting the author's plans.
It was a fitting hobby for Jaden, who pursued the perfect murder that left no evidence.
“Certainly, this one did break my expectations.”
His indifferent expression quickly changed to one filled with curiosity.
“I can think of this as an extension of my hobby.”
As Jaden sent the signal that he would take the job, the target's location was transmitted.
“Let’s see. Filming a drama in Malta…”
At the same moment Jaden was humming and reviewing the data, several others like him were also accepting the job.
Since the target wasn't 'hard'—not in a heavily guarded or special location—many had jumped at the chance to earn some pocket money.
*
Jaden, who had entered Malta thinking it would be an easy job, immediately regretted it.
The environment here was completely different from what he had expected.
He had surveyed the area for over three days, but he couldn't think of a suitable way to approach the target.
The farm was off-limits to outsiders, and the target he needed to eliminate showed no intention of leaving it.
Unlike other Wild Dogs, he wasn't the type to get his hands dirty, so he couldn't just infiltrate with guns and knives.
He would be caught immediately if even one of the guards loitering around the film set spotted him.
“Well, this is getting my competitive spirit up. Alright. Let’s see who wins.”
Jaden began a stakeout. When approaching a target was difficult or staging a situation was hard, he would simply wait until an opportunity arose.
It was a boring and tiring method, but an opportunity always presented itself if he waited long enough.
About five days passed like that. Finally, a change was detected. The target had left the nest and gone outside.
*
Yu-hyeon, wearing black horn-rimmed glasses for his role, looked at the vehicle Marcos had brought with an expression that said, *'Did you really have to go this far?'*
The design looked ordinary, but it was a fully-loaded armored vehicle.
“Do the windows on this thing even open?”
To defend against large-caliber rounds, the thickness of the bulletproof glass had to be nearly the same as the car door. Vehicles made like that usually had windows that didn't open at all.
“Because of that, the side windows are unfortunately limited to handgun rounds. However, the front windshield has been replaced with one that can withstand rifle rounds, and the tires have been changed, so it should buy us some time in case of an emergency.”
Yu-hyeon looked at Marcos as if to ask if he wasn't overdoing it.
“There’s no harm in being careful, is there?”
“Have you identified the enemies?”
“They’ve been confirmed to go by the name of the Borderless Consortium.”
“Borderless? I doubt they’re medical school graduates.”
“We believe it’s a gathering of those who hold the energy hegemony in various countries.”
“Which means American corporations or government officials could be involved.”
“……”
Marcos bowed his head again, as if he had nothing more to say.
“And just in case…”
Marcos pointed towards the trunk.
“We’ve also put in some body armor and a few weapons. It shouldn’t come to that, but it’s a precaution.”
They would handle most things themselves, but they always had to operate assuming the worst.
“Things must be getting urgent, for you to go this far.”
"They... are attempting random assassinations. We're doing our best to block them, but it's not easy when they're determined."
At the words 'random assassinations,' Yu-hyeon frowned. It reminded him of the situation before his regression.
*'Were these the ones who made a move back then too?'*
At that time, he had been killed without even knowing what was happening.
"Dig deeper. I need to know what kind of bastards they are."
"Our agents are doing their best."
Yu-hyeon snorted at Marcos's words.
"You haven't even caught all the moles inside the CIA, have you?"
"....."
"I'd rather not see our information handed over to them while you make a big show of hunting them down."
"....."
Watching the speechless Marcos, Yu-hyeon clicked his tongue.
“If a problem arises, the film crew or the stunt team will…”
Marcos hid his embarrassed expression and spoke again.
“The film and stunt teams here are all our agents. You don’t have to worry about that.”
As soon as Elizabeth had arranged for a Hollywood team, the CIA had immediately replaced the personnel with their own people.
They had been wondering how to deploy more personnel without raising suspicion, and when the opportunity arose, they had seized it.
As the camera mounting team approached, Marcos stepped back to a reasonable distance.
*
Jaden let out a stream of curses.
“Damn it. Why is it so hard to get close!”
It wasn't like they were carrying out some secret operation.
Yu-hyeon had told them to keep it moderate so as not to arouse suspicion, but the CIA, having already suffered from an information leak, couldn't just stand by.
As a result, they had established a security perimeter that was more excessive than usual. This created a defensive barrier that made it difficult for people like Jaden to approach, but it also raised suspicion from the consortium's surveillance team, who were separate from the assassins.
This was immediately reported, and Yu-hyeon's suspicion level was instantly ranked high.
Just as Yu-hyeon had feared, they had tipped their hand.
Recently, the Borderless Consortium had been cornered to the point of desperation.
They were tearing apart anyone even slightly suspicious, but the person holding the master key they were looking for was nowhere to be found.
On top of that, incoming intelligence suggested that the experiment's results were being proven one by one.
As talk of the secretly conducted project potentially going public began to circulate, their impatience grew.
They had to either stop it before it became a public project or get a piece of the action themselves.
They couldn't end up like carriage drivers who suddenly found themselves unemployed due to the abrupt appearance of the automobile. That's why they had abandoned their cautious approach and started using extreme methods.
That was also the reason why Jaden and the other assassins had become so busy.
Jaden, who was surveying the area with his binoculars, let out a sound of confusion.
Two vehicles and several motorcycles came into view about three kilometers from the road.
“What are they doing here?”
He confirmed that unidentified individuals were attacking them and seizing their vehicles and motorcycles.
‘Damn hyenas! How dare they covet my prey?’
Jaden immediately realized that the ones who had attacked the vehicles were people who, like him, had received a secondary contract.
He turned his binoculars back to the scene and saw the long-haired drama writer getting into a car with the women.
“What the. Is the writer acting too?”
*
The action team's director gathered the actors and explained the blocking and special effects.
This was a preliminary notice, as actors sometimes miss their lines or timing when surprised by special effects.
“Seong-hyeon, are you ready?”
“Yes, CP-nim.”
“Good. The three ladies, please get in the vehicle as well.”
This scene was about Seong-hyeon taking the three women on a guided tour of Malta.
While they are enjoying a light drive, Annie's pursuers appear, and M, noticing them, rushes in on his motorcycle to save them.
It was also the scene that contained the reason why Annie falls in love with motorcycles.
"Yu-hyeon-ssi."
"Yes, CP-nim."
"Should we also start filming..."
"No. We decided the Hollywood team would handle the action shots exclusively. Let's proceed as planned."
At Yu-hyeon's words, Yu Han-seong smacked his lips in disappointment.
"You'll be monitoring from here anyway, right?"
"Well, that's true, but."
"This team is veteran when it comes to this kind of filming. Please trust them and leave it to them."
"Alright."
As Yu Han-seong stepped back, Marcos approached again and handed him an earpiece.
-Can you hear me?
Yu-hyeon nodded.
-We'll be communicating through this, not the on-site radio that all our agents in the stunt and film teams can hear.
“Okay. But aren’t you overdoing it? Anyone would think we’re heading out on a spy mission.”
Marcos's laughter trickled through the earpiece.
-If nothing happens, all the better.
“Yu-hyeon-ssi, you’re ready too, right?”
Yu-hyeon, with an action camera mounted on his body, nodded.
Next to him, the stunt double who would be his stand-in stood in the same outfit.
Just in case, Yu-hyeon approached Seong-hyeon and the actresses to say a word.
"We'll proceed according to the script, but keep in mind that things might change slightly depending on the situation on set. Don't be surprised, saying this isn't your line or what have you. When that happens, just be veterans and ad-lib your way through it."
On behalf of the others, Seong-hyeon replied to Yu-hyeon's words.
"Yes, Writer-nim. Don't worry!"
Seong-hyeon nodded with a cheerful expression.
As Yu-hyeon moved away from the car, Yu Han-seong immediately called for ready.
“Alright, let’s begin!”
The conversation between the three gloomy women and the farm owner’s son trying to cheer them up was filmed first, followed immediately by the chase scene.
Since the dangerous parts would be handled separately by the action team, the four of them drove the car without any pressure.
*
As the film crew set off, Marcos got into a van with ‘Malta Food Supplies’ written on it.
“Launch the drone.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
A whirring sound came from the top of the vehicle, and a surveillance drone flew up into the sky.
“Drone status.”
“All clear.”
The agent operating the drone from inside the vehicle nodded as if there were no problems.
Marcos took a seat in front of the monitor and pulled out a cigarette as he watched the high-definition footage from the drone trailing the film crew.
“Team Leader, no smoking inside.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Marcos put the cigarette away as if he had forgotten. Then, he radioed the agents who had been mobilized to assist with the chase scene filming.
These were the agents on standby at the location Jaden had spotted 3 kilometers away.
“Film crew arriving shortly.”
-…
“Jay?”
-…
“What’s going on? Why is the connection so bad?”
When there was no response from the car stunt team, Marcos looked at the equipment manager.
“Team Leader, there’s no problem with the radio.”
“Then why… Dammit!”
Marcos immediately spewed curses and started the vehicle.
He then radioed Yu-hyeon, who was moving with the film crew.
“Professor! We’ve lost contact with the stunt team. Stop filming immediately and…”
-Damn it! It’s too late! What the hell kind of job are you doing!
Yu-hyeon’s rough voice flowed out from the speaker. Marcos’s face turned pale.
“Professor, please fall back for now. Your safety is more important than the actors’…”
-What kind of nonsense are you talking! Can’t you see what’s happening? They’re trying to kill Seong-hyeon, mistaking him for me! And you want me to just stand by and watch?
“Still, you can’t! Please pull back. Your safety is the priority!”
-……
“Professor! Professor! Damn it! Step on it!”
“Sir?”
“Drive faster!”
Did they say that misfortune arrives without warning? The very thing they had feared had happened on the production set, which had seemed to be going so well.
“Contact the security team! Quickly!”
Marcos gritted his teeth as he watched the scene unfolding on the drone feed.
*
Seong-hyeon, who was behind the wheel, wore a startled expression as he saw the car and motorcycle that had suddenly cut in, and he delivered his line.
“What the hell. Why are they driving like that on such a narrow road!”
Elizabeth, who had been staring out the window with a blank expression, stiffened.
Lee Ha-na and Seong Ye-rim also looked at the car that had cut them off with surprised expressions as their vehicle shook.
Seeing the startled women, Seong-hyeon smiled as if it were nothing.
“The local kids sometimes drive recklessly…”
At Seong-hyeon's line, Elizabeth shook her head and delivered her own.
“Get us out of here, now!”
“What? Annie, what’s with the sudden…”
As Seong-hyeon delivered his scripted line with a bewildered expression, motorcycles closed in on both sides.
While Seong-hyeon looked left and right in alarm, the back door of the SUV driving ahead opened, revealing masked men. In their hands were guns that radiated a menacing aura.
*
Director Bae Cheol-su, who was monitoring the shoot, tilted his head.
“What’s this? Are they supposed to come out now?”
As Director Bae Cheol-su looked puzzled, Yu Han-seong CP turned his head to the stunt coordinator who was seated with them.
The coordinator, also quite flustered, grabbed his radio and began yelling into it.
Marcos’s voice came through the stunt coordinator’s earpiece.
-They’re not our team!
The stunt coordinator discreetly turned his head and replied.
“What? Team Leader, what does that…”
-Damn it! It’s not a stunt, we’re under a real attack!
At Marcos's shout, the stunt coordinator’s face turned white.
“Then what should I…”
-What do you mean, what should you do! Film crew! Can you hear me!
-Yes, Team Leader.
-Wrap up the shoot right now and stop those guys!
Yu-hyeon’s voice cut in over Marcos’s shout.
-No! Maintain the formation as it is and slowly pull back! One wrong move could lead to a major accident!
-Professor…!
-If we stop filming here, do you think they’ll stop too? What are you going to tell the production team about this situation!
At Yu-hyeon’s shout, a message immediately came from the film crew.
-We’ll follow them until the support team arrives.
At the film crew’s response, Yu-hyeon called for the stunt coordinator.
“Yes.”
-Make up an excuse so the CP and the director don’t notice anything strange.
“What? But…”
-But what. Are you going to tell them terrorists have crashed the set?
“…”
-What are you doing! Aren’t you going to film!
As Yu-hyeon pressed him, the stunt coordinator managed his expression and grabbed his radio.
“Film crew, M is making his entrance. Don’t miss it.”
-Confirmed.
Since it was a general radio call, not a secure earpiece communication, the film crew calmly acknowledged. To others, it sounded like a simple confirmation of M's entrance for filming, but it was actually a demand to prioritize M's safety, and the film crew's reply meant they understood.
Yu Han-seong and Bae Cheol-su both had expressions that said, ‘Something’s strange here.’ But since the filming was proceeding normally, it was an awkward situation to ask questions, so they quietly focused on the monitor for the time being.
*
When guns suddenly appeared from the back of the SUV, all four of them stiffened.
“Crazy! What is this!”
Seong-hyeon delivered his line and pretended to swerve the wheel sharply. This part was supposed to be filmed separately by the action team, so he was only acting it out.
‘Wow, they’re really filming this realistically.’
Seong-hyeon was inwardly marveling, thinking this was Hollywood for you.
That was, until sparks flew from the muzzles and the car’s front windshield began to shatter.
*Rat-a-tat-tat!*
*Crack! Crack! Thud-thud-thud!*
“Aaaah! What is this!”
Seong-hyeon screamed, his face a mask of terror.
It was the right line for this scene, but it wasn't a line; it was a genuine scream.
‘Damn, I know realism is the trend these days, but isn’t this basically the real thing?’
Since he couldn't believe they were firing real guns, Seong-hyeon thought it was just one of the incredible special effects.
Just then, the driver of the motorcycle riding alongside them pulled a pistol from his jacket. Spotting it, Lee Ha-na shrieked.
“A gun on the side! A gun!”
At Lee Ha-na’s line, Seong-hyeon shouted his next line in terror.
“Everyone, get your heads down!”
At that moment, an off-road motorcycle appeared next to Seong-hyeon’s car with a roar—*Vrooom!*—and its rider kicked the motorcycle driver who was aiming the pistol.
“Wuaaaah!”
The motorcycle driver screamed as he tumbled onto the road, and the riderless bike swerved erratically before breaking through the guardrail and flying far away.
“Holy shit!”
Watching the stuntman roll across the ground and disappear into the distance, Seong-hyeon swore without realizing it. He wondered if anyone could survive that, even if it was a stunt, but at the same time, he let out a gasp of admiration.
‘Fucking Hollywood! Their stunts are absolutely insane!’