Chapter 162
Chapter 162
162.
Overwhelmed and Crushed (1)
KITE's training ground was set up in the basement of the MH Distribution building, just like at the MH Group headquarters. And now, Wen Wei and Meian were engaged in a sparring match that felt like a real battle, surrounded by numerous bodyguards.
Papak— Pak—
"Hey! You're getting impatient again!"
Wei shouted, pushing his body further into the path of Meian's Three-Section Staff, which was aimed at his waist. At the same time, he grabbed her wrist, spun, and swung his left elbow.
Thwack—
Meian narrowly blocked Wei's elbow, which had come flying towards her head, and rolled with the momentum, executing a breakfall to absorb the remaining impact.
"Damn it!"
Meian didn't give up easily. Instead of getting up immediately, she rolled on the floor, aiming for Wei's feet.
Whoosh—
The Three-Section Staff whistled through the air.
Despite this, Wei lightly stepped back, evading the attack, and delivered a kick.
Per-perk— Perk— Per-per-perk—
"Make your feints look like they're never feints!"
Meian tried to counter-attack immediately after her leg sweep, but Wei seized an opening and pressed in, leaving her scrambling to defend.
Then, she spotted an opening near Wei's knee. While he was busy delivering kicks, the defense on his opposite leg was left exposed.
With that, Meian quickly spun her body and swung her heel towards Wei's vulnerable knee.
"Gotcha!"
"No way!"
Wei's leg, which she thought had its weight shifted, lifted lightly, and he lunged towards Meian's torso.
Thump—
Fortunately, she had just enough time to raise her hands. Meian blocked the attack with difficulty and slid across the floor as she fell.
"Kugh!"
"Make your feints look real. Didn't you know?"
To Wei's slightly teasing question, Meian got up with an annoyed expression.
Wen Wei watched her with a condescending look.
"That makes it 49 matches, 49 wins, 0 losses. Just one more and it's a perfect 50 wins. Don't you get anything for reaching that milestone?"
"Am I some kind of coupon for a Chinese restaurant?!"
"I thought you might get sweet and sour pork as a service."
"Ah, screw you—!"
Meian, flustered, threw her Three-Section Staff at Wei. However, Wei caught it casually with his bare hands, spun it, and then slammed it to the ground, folding it.
Chaaak—
"You shouldn't throw your weapon. And your decisive blow earlier had good timing, but you put too much power into it. That's why you leave openings at crucial moments."
"I know that! I hate it!"
"You hate it, but you have to understand. And you were completely fooled at the end."
"What was that just now? I was sure your weight was on that leg!"
She was referring to the technique where Wei shifted his weight to his opposite leg.
"What was it? It's a perfect technique for people like you who pretend to fight brutishly but have clumsy minds."
Meian understood that more than half of his words were teasing.
"What?! Are you calling me brutish?"
"You understood perfectly, so why ask again?"
The two finished their sparring, bickering in Chinese.
Then, Shinwoo walked out from among the onlookers.
"Meian, your skills have improved quite a bit."
"Shinwoo!"
Meian greeted Shinwoo warmly and moved to hug him.
But Shinwoo stopped her, placing his palm on her forehead.
"No more sloppy tricks. And I told you to call me properly."
"Tch—! Alright. Representative Shinwoo."
Even the corrected title didn't come out right.
Then, Wei walked up to Shinwoo and addressed the people around them.
"Don't worry about this place anymore. Everyone, focus on your own training."
The crowd, disappointed that the sparring couldn't continue, dispersed.
After confirming they had left, Wei turned to Shinwoo and said,
"What brings you here?"
"Something important has come up."
"What is it? The atmosphere suggests it's serious."
Shinwoo was indeed serious, as he said. He looked around, then spoke to his colleagues in their code.
"Nafikiri niende Ufaransa sasa. (I think I need to go to France now.)"
"Suddenly?"
"Ahn Deok-chil used a forged passport to go to France. It's definitely not for a good reason."
"You mean Guillotine? That guy is under Kwak Chi-young now."
"That's right. And FEROX is in France. It might be for something else, but if he's moving, it won't be a normal situation."
Shinwoo had come down here after hearing about the current situation from Jang Man-soo.
However, due to Kwak Chi-young's movements in Korea, Shinwoo had other matters to attend to, making it difficult for him to move directly.
"I'll do as the captain orders. But alone?"
"No. With her."
Wei frowned deeply as he looked in the direction Shinwoo's finger pointed.
"...I'll go alone."
Meanwhile, Meian, unable to understand their conversation, felt a sense of displeasure.
"What is it? What are you talking about, looking at me?"
"It's about an important matter, and you need to go on a business trip with Wei."
"A business trip? With him? Why me?"
Shinwoo had actually agonized over this part.
"It's a matter that requires extreme discretion."
"Then why doesn't the representative go with us?"
"I'm busy. And you can quit if you don't want to."
Meian's lips pouted.
"......"
"What do you say?"
"Fine!"
This time, Shinwoo's gaze turned to Wei.
"You have no problem with this, right?"
"Ok—!"
"Man-soo will track Ahn Deok-chil and provide support within his capabilities. Once you find him, just confirm what he's doing there."
"What if he's doing something dangerous?"
Shinwoo's eyes turned cold.
"Handle it as quietly as possible. If the location is secured for concealment, a little noise is acceptable."
At first, he thought he might be overreacting to Ahn Deok-chil's movements. However, there had been few instances where Kwak Chi-young's close associates moved independently.
Moreover, he had confirmed that not only Ahn Deok-chil but also several members of the 666 Unit under Oh Han-sung were moving together.
"I'll handle it. So, should we leave right now?"
"Get your equipment from Man-soo. You too, Meian."
"Understood."
With her reply, Wei took Meian and left the sparring area.
Shinwoo let out a sigh, then felt the vibration of his phone ringing in his pocket.
"Why is this woman..."
With a sense of bewilderment, he pressed the call button, and a familiar voice came through.
[It's been a while, Adopted Grandson.]
The voice belonged to Cheon Hye-rin, the adoptive mother of Im Hee-yeon and the chairman of China's Azure Feather Group.
On the other hand, Shinwoo's expression hardened, as this was an unwelcome call. He walked away from the training ground towards a quiet corridor.
"Chairman Cheon, do you have a reason to call me?"
This was the first contact since he had rescued Im Hee-yeon in China. He had thought there would be no reason to contact her again, as he had intended to cut ties.
[I have a reason to call my Adopted Grandson.]
"Hmm, what is it?"
[Don't be so sensitive. We've caught some information that seems important to you.]
"If you're deliberately stalling, I'm hanging up."
Shinwoo was about to pull the phone away from his ear without waiting.
At that moment, Cheon Hye-rin's urgent voice came from the receiver.
[UAD!]
Shinwoo's hand paused for a moment, then he brought the phone back to his ear. Without much thought, he asked cautiously,
"How do you know about that? Is the Azure Feather Group also connected to the MSS?"
[Oh ho, you even know that information came from the MSS?]
"My intelligence capabilities are not to be underestimated either."
Cheon Hye-rin's light laughter could be heard.
[As expected, my Adopted Grandson's skills are impressive. Truly.]
"I believe I refused that uncomfortable title last time, didn't I?"
[That's up to the adoptive grandmother who's calling. But to think the name used in UAD would actually be yours.]
In fact, Cheon Hye-rin had been half-convinced and half-doubtful when she found Shinwoo's name in the UAD project files.
However, considering his unclear military records and the skills he displayed in the abandoned factory, it felt like she had found the missing piece of the puzzle.
"Are you trying to blackmail me with my records?"
[Of course not. I just wanted to let you know that I helped.]
Shinwoo looked puzzled.
"...Help?"
[We prevented the MSS from making a move. And judging by the content of the files, it was something that couldn't be easily acted upon even in China.]
It was an incident where a Chinese MSS agent was assassinated for leaking South Korean military intelligence to North Korea. Naturally, China would have preferred to operate behind the scenes, as public involvement would be difficult.
"Could the Azure Feather Group be involved to that extent?"
[I've done so much for the Chinese government, wouldn't they allow me this much? What do you think? Isn't your adoptive grandmother quite reliable?]
Whether she was being overly familiar or excessively interested...
Shinwoo felt a mix of relief and a growing headache.
"So, what do you want from me?"
[What do I need to want?]
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have a reason to help me."
[I don't particularly want anything. If my Adopted Grandson isn't safe, my daughter is also in danger. That's why I helped.]
It was difficult to accept her words at face value. In his life, he had encountered countless people who smiled to his face while drawing a knife behind his back.
"Whether indirectly or directly, I dislike receiving without giving anything in return. So, I will provide you with useful information of an appropriate level."
[I can't refuse something you're offering to give. I'll be looking forward to it.]
"...I will hang up if you have nothing else to say."
[Ah, the movements of the TSF China branch have been unusual lately. Do you know anything about it?]
Shinwoo replied with a nonchalant expression.
"Why are you asking me about Chinese corporate information?"
[If it were any other company, but for TSF Investment, I thought you would know more than I do.]
He pondered how much he should disclose in response to such a question.
For one thing, Cheon Hye-rin knew to some extent what Shinwoo had shown in the abandoned factory.
Furthermore, regardless of its meaning, Cheon Hye-rin had even commissioned Triad Eye before Shinwoo's regression.
Considering her disposition, he wasn't sure if she could be trusted more than those connected by blood at the current moment.
"...We are gathering funds."
[Are you planning some massive investment?]
"Something like that. Recently, numerous large corporations in various countries have collapsed, or there have been signs of massive financial movements."
Even with his brief explanation, Cheon Hye-rin seemed to recall a situation in China.
[You don't mean... the Ray Sung Group is involved in that as well?]
As the chairman of the Azure Feather Group, she could easily guess based on Shinwoo's words.
Shinwoo let out a soft sigh and continued his explanation.
"That's right. That's what they did. Of course, there's no evidence to expose it."
Cui Xun had moved meticulously to siphon off the Ray Sung Group's slush funds. He had erased all traces of the money by operating through layers of nominees and complex shell companies.
Of course, it was thanks to Cui Xun's efforts that Shinwoo was able to divert those funds and hand them over to Weisuan.
[If it was them, then yes. I'll have to watch this more closely.]
"That's all I know. Do whatever you want with it. And I will send you the information soon."
[Come visit China sometime later!]
After ending the call, Shinwoo let out a sigh.