Chapter 341
Chapter 341
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Spear and Shield (2)
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I noticed the needle I had wedged in the door crack had shifted position, and immediately smelled something fishy.
A thief had broken into the house.
That much was certain.
Or should I even call the intruder a thief?
For a burglary, nothing had been taken from the house.
The first thing that crossed my mind upon detecting the intrusion was wiretapping and bugs.
‘An intelligence agency wouldn’t have scaled our house wall, but still, you never know.’
First, I checked inside and around the mansion.
I handled the inspection alone to maintain secrecy.
It was also a sweep to see if the ones who planted the bugs were still lurking nearby.
Given the circumstances, I avoided discussing anything sensitive with the Reconstruction Faction or my other subordinates.
‘No obvious signs of listening devices in plain sight.’
Still, when investigating, it was best to be thorough.
After some deliberation, I called in Section Chief Oh, the on-site expert, to check for bugs.
Section Chief Oh visited the house and meticulously inspected inside and out.
In the process, two listening devices turned up.
Experts really were on another level.
“Ah, don’t touch them.”
Section Chief Oh warned me with a note scribbled in his notepad.
‘Right.’
We proceeded with pen-and-paper notes, conscious of the surveillance.
“This is Defense Security Command gear. Never seen one like it before, but the design screams DSC.”
“How do you know it’s theirs, Section Chief Oh?”
“Because I’ve used their stuff in the field.”
The mention of the Defense Security Command made me flinch.
DSC.
They were no pushovers.
To think they’d slipped a knife to my throat without me even noticing.
Once DSC came to mind, another prime suspect popped up.
‘The Presidential Security Service.’
I’d learned about Jang Dong-yoon’s hidden intel outfit, the PSS, when I was promoted to Deputy Director of Intelligence.
They had both the motive and the capability for something like this.
A power player wouldn’t just sit idly by while a dangerous sprout grew at their feet.
“The culprits are either DSC or PSS. That’s how I see it.”
“The PSS?”
“They’ve got the chops for it too.”
I finished assessing the situation and showed Section Chief Oh a written note.
“If it’s the PSS behind this, we should blow it open right now.”
He was right on the money.
The PSS was an adversary who could strangle you with any trick in the book.
First, I met with KCIA Director Kim Dae-gyu and reported the bugging incident.
“You’re saying someone dared to bug and tap the Deputy Director of KCIA Intelligence?”
Kim Dae-gyu was outraged by the report.
I pinned the blame squarely on DSC.
Accusing the PSS without proof would be amateur hour.
“Current indications point to DSC.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A specialist confirmed the bugs in the house are DSC equipment.”
Kim Dae-gyu furrowed his brow at that.
DSC bugging.
This wasn’t a minor issue.
It could turn into a massive scandal.
“Don’t worry, Deputy Director Bae. Whoever’s behind this will face justice.”
Kim Dae-gyu said he’d report it to His Excellency.
I welcomed the statement.
On the surface, it was DSC bugging a KCIA executive, so even the Presidential Security Service would have to cut ties fast and fall back.
‘But DSC won’t just swallow the frame job and retreat.’
I decided to leak some intel to DSC.
My conduit of choice: Jo Dong-myung, reporter at the Daehan Ilbo.
“Reporter Jo, got any defense contacts?”
I asked while flipping through some files.
“Not many, but there’s a junior from the Gokryo Ilbo who covers the Ministry of Defense.”
“Leak a word to the Ministry through him.”
“Consider it done.”
It wasn’t asking for a hit piece, so Jo Dong-myung agreed without hesitation.
The next day, the Gokryo Ilbo reporter casually dropped the rumor to the Ministry’s public affairs officer that DSC had bugged KCIA.
The story quickly piped through to DSC via the officer.
I’d foreseen this unfolding exactly like that.
‘The public affairs guy’s a career diplomat. His direct senior’s a DSC bigwig— no way he doesn’t pass it on.’
I watched to see how DSC would respond.
Soon, word reached me that the DSC commander had met privately with the KCIA director.
A private meeting between the DSC commander and KCIA director.
Their conversation was obvious.
DSC must have handed over proof they weren’t the culprits.
To confirm my deductions, I went to see the KCIA director.
My hunch was spot on.
“Deputy Director Bae, we were wrong. Looks like the PSS is involved after all.”
I feigned surprise.
“The PSS, really?”
“That’s what DSC claims. What’s your take, Deputy Director Bae?”
Me?
Of course I suspected PSS.
But I had no intention of showing my hand.
Scaring the PSS into backing off was victory enough for now.
“I don’t think we need to suspect the PSS.”
To hold someone accountable, you need matching power.
KCIA was formidable, but after a few storms, the agency’s clout had waned— not enough to topple the president’s inner-circle PSS.
Even if we could, going on the offensive would surely irk Jang Dong-yoon.
Stepping back now was the smart play.
“So let’s wrap this up by sticking the blame on DSC.”
From the agency’s interests, this was the right call.
Kim Dae-gyu asked cautiously.
“You sure that’s okay?”
“Absolutely.”
I donned the mask of a loyal executive sacrificing for the organization.
Kim Dae-gyu gripped my shoulder firmly and said with emphasis.
“I’ll repay what you’ve endured someday.”
“Your words alone are thanks enough.”
I thought that settled the matter.
But things didn’t wrap up as I’d planned.
An unforeseen problem reared its head.
“Deputy Director, the Reconstruction Faction’s on a police investigation list.”
I scowled at Section Chief Oh’s report.
“How’d the Reconstruction Faction get exposed?”
“Seems the PSS dug around you and hit a lead.”
The Reconstruction Faction getting flagged by PSS of all people.
This was a disaster.
If Kim Jae-gun and his crew got nabbed by police, our past ops could unravel.
Should I launder Kim Jae-gun’s identity and ship him elsewhere?
Or pressure the police to quash the probe?
‘No, that’s not the answer. Leaving Kim Jae-gun alive is too big a risk for me.’
After agonizing, I summoned Section Chief Eom Ji-won.
“You called, Deputy Director?”
Instead of replying, I wrote in my notepad.
“Section Chief Eom, something’s come up. Can you handle it?”
Only then did Eom Ji-won pull out his notepad and write back.
“What do you need me to do for you, Deputy Director?”
Eom Ji-won, believing he owed me, was eager.
“I got some mud on me doing national service. Now the thugs I used as tools are becoming a problem.”
“What are you saying, Deputy Director?”
“I’d like them wiped clean. Can you manage that, Section Chief Eom?”
This wasn’t a simple request.
It was a kill order.
Such assassination directives weren’t uncommon in intel work.
Eom Ji-won hesitated briefly, then wrote.
“What resources can I draw on?”
“Use as many field agents as needed.”
Just make it quiet.
Eom Ji-won bowed at the waist to my order.
“No worries. I’ll handle it cleanly.”
“Good. Nail this, and I’ll personally push your promotion through.”
“Yes, sir.”
I sent Eom Ji-won off and sank into thought.
Me getting directly involved this time stemmed from exposing my identity while handling the subcontracted Reconstruction Faction.
If I had more trusted underlings, I wouldn’t have made that mistake.
“Section Chief Oh.”
“Yes, Deputy Director.”
“We’ll source a replacement tool for the Reconstruction Faction from Nampo, not Pyongyang.”
“Nampo?”
“Nampo’s crawling with Chinese illegals who’ll kill for ten bucks. Let’s bring some in and use them.”
Subcontracted muscle was perfect at that level.
Section Chief Oh stroked his chin at my words.
“Chinese murder syndicates aren’t a bad pick. But what identity do we use to deal with them?”
KCIA credentials were off-limits.
No repeating mistakes.
“Daemyeong Distribution. Set up a ghost company under that name and run it through them.”
Murder syndicates would do anything for cash anyway.
“That could work.”
I delegated the Daemyeong Distribution setup to Section Chief Oh.
Time for subordinates to handle these chores.
For some air, I opened the window.
The sunset that caught my eye then glowed with an eerily bloody hue, more so than usual.
A fitting vista for the day ten lives vanished.
I stared at the ominous sunset for a long while.