Chapter 88
Chapter 88
-------------------------------------------------
Translator : M.N 1391
Chapter: 88
-------------------------------------------------
Miyeon asked.
“How did you do it?”
“I just demanded that from the National Intelligence Service in exchange for going to Japan.”
Kyung-wan conveniently left out the part about the bribe Japan had given to the NIS. Even a rat will bite when cornered. There was no need to provoke the NIS more than necessary.
“As expected, it was you, oppa.”
When Miyeon looked at Kyung-wan with sparkling eyes and a smile, Kyung-wan waved his hands with a look of distaste. He had no reason to receive that kind of admiration or awe.
“I might not care about wealth or glory, but I can’t work for free, right? So I asked for it half out of spite, just to mess with the NIS.”
If you work for free, people think you’re a slave. The basics of social life are knowing how to refuse, how to demand, and how to cut and run.
What do I mean by cutting and run? It’s the skill of making a clean escape when you realize that staying here any longer will screw you over.
“But thanks to that, a lot of people’s lives changed, you know?”
“That’s just how life is. It changes this way and that.”
“Like how mine changed after meeting you, oppa?”
“Ninety-nine percent of that is your own effort, okay? Why are you being so clingy?”
The two bickered back and forth, yet still chatted animatedly.
They talked about Japan, about superpowers, about culture, society, and politics, and Kyung-wan’s personal views and experiences naturally blended into the conversation. That was probably exactly what Kang Woobin had intended with this interview.
The conversation was endless. Miyeon’s passionate curiosity played a part, and so did the fact that Kyung-wan, having at least some familiarity with her, indulged her with a generous attitude.
If the flight time hadn’t been approaching, they might have talked all night.
“It’s time to go now.”
Jun Kim cut into the interview. Miyeon leaned back against the seat with a regretful expression.
Kang Woobin also spoke up.
“Thank you for your time. Filming ends here.”
“As you know, you’ll need to submit the footage for our review before it airs.”
Jun Kim warned Kang Woobin.
Quite a few sensitive topics had come out of Kyung-wan’s mouth. For example, the superpowered investigative unit of the FBI was one of them. There was no need to let information about them leak out and give criminals time to devise countermeasures.
Kang Woobin nodded.
“Of course. That was part of our agreement.”
As a director, censorship was unwelcome, yet also something he had to grow accustomed to. Even the United States, the so-called guardian of liberalism, was no exception. In fact, their censorship was enforced by capital. No matter how much something was claimed to be for the public good, if it didn’t make money or seemed likely to hurt net profits, it would be cut. It was inevitable that media outlets whose livelihoods depended on advertising would degenerate into corporate lapdogs.
In any case, after the interview ended, Jun Kim and Tom took Kyung-wan toward the airport. Since they had rented a hotel near the airport for the interview, it was close enough to walk.
But then,
“Why are you following us?”
Jun Kim turned back to Kang Woobin and Miyeon, who were trailing behind them.
Kang Woobin replied calmly.
“To film the remaining parts of the documentary, I need to go to Korea.”
Miyeon added,
“I snuck out without any bodyguards. Let me go with you until we get back to Korea. I’m scared.”
Jun Kim looked at Tom. This wasn’t something he could decide on his own.
But the cool-headed Tom casually gave a thumbs-up. The two had verified identities, so it was unlikely they would do anything bad, and protecting innocent civilians was the duty of those working in law enforcement.
Kyung-wan muttered,
“Isn’t something bad going to happen?”
The way things were unfolding felt suspicious.
But his premonition turned out to be unfounded when the plane landed safely in Seoul.
“Mr. Lee. Didn’t I tell you? I said I would make sure nothing like last time ever happened again.”
“Heh-heh! So something did happen after all.”
Miyeon teased Kyung-wan as if she had caught him in something.
But Kyung-wan didn’t budge.
“I’m not a prophet or anything, so I could be wro, ”
Boom!
Kyaaaaaaah!
At that moment, an explosion and screams rang out. On top of that, people were urgently scrambling to one side, panic written all over their faces.
Kyung-wan sighed in admiration.
“Wow. Guess my mouth really is the problem.”
In the meantime, Jun Kim quickly grabbed Kang Woobin’s and Miyeon’s shoulders and pushed them down.
“Get low!”
Tom also lowered his stance and scanned the surroundings. As Kyung-wan cautiously lowered himself as well, Tom tapped Jun Kim’s back and pointed in one direction.
“There!”
Where he was pointing was a door marked as restricted access, perpendicular to the exit everyone else was fleeing toward.
If someone tripped and blocked the path in such a crowded area, it could easily turn into a major disaster, so escaping through a route people weren’t using was safer.
“Let’s go!”
Jun Kim urged the group on.
As they hurried toward safety, Kang Woobin spoke.
“I think I need to move separately.”
“What? Where are you going?”
Miyeon asked in alarm.
“There’s someone I was supposed to meet at the airport, and I’m worried.”
“That’s dangerous.”
Jun Kim warned him, but Kang Woobin shook his head.
“I can take care of myself. Please make sure Miyeon is well protected.”
Kang Woobin looked at Kyung-wan as he made his request.
Kyung-wan nodded and, with a strange expression, gave another thumbs-up.
Just like that, Kang Woobin split off from the group, and Jun Kim, Kyung-wan, Miyeon, and Tom took refuge through the staff-only passage.
Shortly afterward, there were sounds of something collapsing and exploding, and then it all went quiet.
The police and a special tactical unit arrived, evacuated the people, and arrested the culprits who had caused the commotion.
At the time of arrest, the culprits were fast asleep, and according to witnesses, when a man in a suit wearing a brown paper bag over his head appeared, the two people who had been fighting violently with superpowers staggered and then collapsed with a thud.
As a result of this incident, the name Sandman, something the police leadership had worked so hard to keep under wraps, was finally revealed to the public.
= = = = =
10, Build-Up Heroes
The battle between superpowered individuals that took place at Incheon Airport involved foreigners.
One was a Slavic white man, and the other was an East Asian man of Chinese origin.
When asked why they fought, the two claimed that they had simply gotten into a mutual altercation, but there was no way the police would take that at face value.
In the end, Kyung-wan was called in.
“People don’t even let me rest, do they? I’m not even done adjusting to the time difference yet.”
“Then you shouldn’t have gone to the States.”
The detective who had come to ask for Kyung-wan’s cooperation replied curtly. To be honest, even though he was here to ask for help, Kyung-wan had long since been branded a nuisance by the investigative authorities.
Not only had he caused trouble in Japan, but he hadn’t helped with the Death Reporter and Sandman cases either. Before that, he had also refused to assist in the investigation of the perpetrator behind the high-level… castration incident. As a result, the perception had firmly taken root that Kyung-wan was not on the side of the police who upheld law and order.
At the detective’s brusque reply, Kyung-wan shot back just as indifferently.
“If you want to complain, take it up with the Minister of Justice.”
“Ghnngh.”
He never let a remark slide without getting one in return. If only he were more mild-mannered, he’d be less disliked.
Did Kyung-wan actually help, you ask? Well, isn’t it human nature to mistake kindness for entitlement?
Anyway, from the detective’s perspective, it was a relief that he could at least make use of him like this. The order from above had been to finish interrogating the two foreigners as quickly as possible, even if it meant using that dangerous bastard.
So Kyung-wan first came face-to-face with the Slavic suspect.
Apparently recognizing Kyung-wan’s famous face, the man stiffened immediately and repeatedly shouted “lawyer!” at the investigators with a threatening glare. He was demanding a lawyer right away, and judging by his accent, he was clearly Russian.
The investigator said okay, okay, and agreed to call a lawyer. In the meantime, Kyung-wan placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.
The white man tried to shrug it off, but he couldn’t break free of Kyung-wan’s grip, and under Kyung-wan’s lead, the interrogation began.
Name: Mikhail Baskovich. False.
Age: thirty-two. False.
Gender: male. True.
With even his identity being a lie, the passport was obviously forged. But thanks to Kyung-wan’s sharp instincts and the way he fired off questions one after another, he managed to uncover the truth the man was hiding, that he belonged to the Red Mafia.
The investigator’s expression hardened. Now he understood why the higher-ups had urgently ordered them to call in Kyung-wan and proceed with the interrogation.
The funny thing was that the statement about fighting over a mere altercation turned out to be true as well.
The investigator asked why a Red Mafia member had come to Korea, but it was a ridiculous question. Russian mafia money was already flowing into Korea, so why wouldn’t the members come too? The white man’s claim that he was here for business was true.
The interrogation couldn’t go any further than that. A sharply dressed lawyer, who looked expensive at a glance, entered the room, presented documents, and took the white man away.
With no choice but to let him go, the investigator moved on to interrogate the Chinese man instead.
But this one was just as absurd. He turned out to be a member of the Triad.
“Holy shit. Since when did Korea turn into a lawless hellhole?!”
The investigator muttered a curse under his breath. In his line of sight was the back of the Triad member leaving with a lawyer from a famous law firm. Just like the Red Mafia man, this one too was being escorted out by a high-priced attorney.
Kyung-wan chimed in at the investigator’s words.
“Yeah, seriously.”
The investigator shot Kyung-wan a sharp look. It was the look of someone thinking, you bastard are part of what’s turning it into a lawless hellhole, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?
Meeting that gaze, Kyung-wan’s expression turned subtle as he tossed out a single line that made the investigator’s thoughts grow complicated.
“Feels like something big is about to happen, doesn’t it?”
“… Ah, fuck.”
The investigator muttered another curse under his breath. The thought that it really might be true made it all the worse.
= = = = =
While Kyung-wan was traveling back and forth to the United States, there was a second attack by Black Night. Someone’s eldest grandson ended up with both legs broken and confined to a wheelchair, but instead of staying in a hospital intensive care unit, he chose to recuperate at a secluded villa.
A month later, when the bones had somewhat mended, on an evening lit by a bright full moon, black smoke settled in front of the villa.
Parting that black smoke, a hooded man emerged.
And as if they had been waiting for him, searchlights snapped on, illuminating him, and figures that clearly looked dangerous appeared, surrounding him.
Black Night turned his head and swept his gaze over those encircling him.
The silence held, tension steadily rising.
Black Night assessed the disadvantage and tried to retreat, but those surrounding him had gathered to hunt him. There was no way they would let him go easily.
The battle began. Black smoke surged, but the hired mercenaries were no ordinary opponents.
They understood their enhanced bodies and had mastered how to wield them properly, and with their abundant combat experience, even Black Night, who wielded telekinesis, couldn’t easily defeat them.
No, if it hadn’t been a superpower in the form of telekinesis, he might have already been torn to pieces by their superhuman speed and strength. Unlike them, who made combat and killing their profession, Black Night was not a specialist in battle or fighting.