Mission Accomplished
Poisonous gas had been unleashed inside the factory, plunging the outlaws trapped within into utter chaos.
"Sh-shit...!"
"Gas masks! Grab the gas masks first!"
But unlike the central district where Baek Se-rin had struck, these outlaws were in a completely different space. The gas spread much slower here than in the center, giving them plenty of time to find and don their masks. Those who managed it slipped them on somehow, while others held their breath and bolted for the factory exits.
However, with the barricade walls that had dropped alongside the raid, the outlaws had only two possible escape routes. And unfortunately for them, both exits were already occupied by four Baek Ya-seong assassins.
The moment the outlaws burst out, a barrage of attacks rained down indiscriminately from the four waiting at each exit.
Tat-tat-tat—!!!
"Hey, everyone having a nice night? How was the poison gas taste?"
"Save your breath and fire another round. There's more of them than I thought."
At the left exit, they were greeted by Kwon Ji-yul armed with drones and firearms, alongside Kim Woo-jin. Countless outlaws were shredded by bullets, turning the area into a field of corpses in seconds.
And if they veered right to avoid them? Waiting there were Lee Kang-woo with his ultrasonic blade and Jeong Yoon-hyuk with his bombs.
Boom-boom-boom—!!!
"Yeah, yeah, come on over here!"
"Quit blabbing about using bombs! You try handling them hand-to-hand without bombs, you bastard!!"
Jeong Yoon-hyuk lobbed grenades into the rear to sweep them away, while Lee Kang-woo sliced through the advancing enemies with his ultrasonic blade. Amid banter like a comedy duo, the two butchered every outlaw swarming toward them.
How much time had passed since they began massacring the outlaws fleeing from the factory's left and right sides?
"Haa... Is that all of them?"
"No more coming out means they either got killed by Baek Se-rin or choked on the gas inside."
After five minutes with no more outlaws crawling out, the four finally regrouped to catch their breath.
"You guys okay? No one's hurt, right?"
"No way we'd get hurt taking down gas-weakened weaklings. Everyone's fine."
"Whew... Man, it's a mountain of corpses. Good thing we ate before coming, or I'd be puking. The stench is nasty."
"If everyone's good, check your gas masks first. We're venting the factory air now."
The chit-chat didn't last long after they linked up. At Kwon Ji-yul's order to inspect masks, she checked her own purifier unit.
The poison gas filling the factory was so lethal that even a small whiff could endanger all four of them. Any glitch in their masks during combat would mean instant inhalation.
At her words, they each inspected their gear. Only after confirming no issues did Kwon Ji-yul grab her pad.
"Alright, restarting the internal systems."
Clank—!
As Kwon Ji-yul manipulated the factory's systems, the barricade walls rose, exhaust fans whirred back to life, and the gas began venting out.
Pssshhhh—
A thick green fog enveloped the factory surroundings as the trapped gas rushed out all at once. From within that haze emerged Baek Se-rin, dragging out four or five people bound with ropes.
"Sss... haa... Clean air really is the best. Poison gas is just too thick."
"That crazy bitch..."
"Hard to tell if she's even human."
Baek Se-rin casually inhaled a mix of gas and night air as she spoke. Kwon Ji-yul and Kim Woo-jin couldn't help but mutter "crazy bitch" in unison at the sight.
By the time Baek Se-rin fully emerged, the execution team was visible in the distance—military vehicles and helicopters speeding toward the factory, fully armed and heading for the now-empty building.
Seeing them approach, Baek Se-rin and the four burst into laughter without missing a beat.
"Ahaha! You guys are way too late!"
Laughter exploded again right after her words. Anyone involved in this joint operation with the execution team would know it well: Baek Ya-seong's five assassins had claimed the biggest slice of the pie.
"All the intel inside is intact."
"Of course it is."
Once the factory's poison gas had fully cleared, we entered with the execution team and recovered every bit of the faction's information—hard drives, documents, everything.
Even a gas that kills in five minutes leaves no residue on objects or in well-ventilated spaces. Plus, when we lobbed those grenades back at them, we'd been careful not to hit bags with hard drives or computers.
So, the intel being perfectly preserved was a given.
"We'll take all the info from this factory to the execution team. Once analysis is done, it'll be forwarded to Baek Ya-seong."
"Sure, go ahead."
Min Si-hyeon said they'd take it all, but I didn't argue about keeping any for ourselves out of pride. Baek Ya-seong's ego was already satisfied by clearing the factory on our own—no need for pointless posturing.
Besides, I knew "once analysis is complete" meant exactly that, so there was no reason to fuss.
I just watched quietly as the execution team gathered it up. My four subordinates behind me did the same.
As most of them filed out with the intel, Min Si-hyeon, who had been standing still, suddenly handed me something.
Slide—
"Could you take this, perhaps?"
"What's this?"
"My business card. I don't usually carry them since there's rarely a need, but... glad I brought it today."
It was a business card with the execution team's name and hers. I took it, eyeing her quizzically—I had no idea what her intent was.
Meeting my puzzled gaze as she slung her weapon over her back, Min Si-hyeon spoke.
"I figured someone of Assassin Baek Se-rin's caliber wouldn't mind a connection. Don't you agree?"
"Well, yeah, sure..."
I had to concede her point. The execution team leader was one of the central direct command's top brass—a seriously high position. No harm in having her as a contact.
So I pulled my wallet from my pocket, fished out my own pristine Baek Ya-seong business card—made for me but never used—and handed it over.
"Never thought I'd need mine either."
"People like us who just take orders usually don't. I get it."
Her lips curved slightly at my words, surprising me a bit. I'd always seen her stone-faced; didn't know she could smile. Her rare grin drew a chuckle from me as we exchanged cards.
Execution team leader's card, huh...
I tucked it into my wallet, wondering when I'd use it, when Min Si-hyeon spoke as if reading my mind.
"If you ever need to move personally, or have something for the central direct command, give me a call. Going through Baek Ya-seong is faster, but if you can't, direct to me will be quicker."
"Got it. I'll call if something comes up."
Personal moves or emergencies where Baek Ya-seong channels were jammed—could be useful, though I doubted it'd happen often. Still, mission support might need it sometime.
As I pocketed my wallet, I added,
"I'm always stuck to the young miss, so I can't promise help anytime... but if you ever want a spar, just say the word. I'll ask her permission."
"A spar... Then I'll hold you to it someday."
I'd guessed someone like her might like the offer, and sure enough, her smile deepened. I nodded.
"We'll head out then. The young miss is waiting for our report."
"Yes, safe travels."
With a nod back from Min Si-hyeon, we stepped out of the factory. Destination: Baek Ya-seong. Time to report our flawless mission success.