Global Operations (1)
After issuing his directives for the global operations and returning to the room, Choi Eunsu found Song Miju already awake. Youth really was an advantage; her recovery was remarkably fast.
He decided to take her out for a nice meal and some atmosphere at a restaurant run by a famous local chef. As they reached the hotel lobby, Baccara Park approached and handed him a set of car keys.
"Use it as you like and just return it when you're done."
"Hyung must have arranged this. I mentioned earlier that having a car would be convenient."
"Oppa, he's really taking good care of you."
"That he is."
When they stepped out from the hotel lobby toward the entrance, the car was already parked and waiting. Hyung had good sense after all. Choi Eunsu had worried what he would do if it turned out to be a sports car or a limousine.
"This must be it. Let's go."
He drove the midsize Toyota sedan into the city. The Clark he had visited with Cheol-min during the day felt completely different at night. The atmosphere was more energetic, the lighting more glamorous.
"It has a different charm than Seoul."
"Still, doesn't it feel similar to Itaewon?"
"It does. Maybe it's because of the U.S. military base?"
The restaurant he had reserved was a Michelin one-star establishment, and the signature dish was excellent. It was a T-bone steak, but for some reason Choi Eunsu's palate still preferred Korean hanwoo. Of course, watching Song Miju enjoy it so much made the meal even better. She stayed busy taking photos and uploading them.
After dinner they took a drive through the suburbs before returning to their accommodation. They also stopped at an observation deck, but he thought the night views back home were superior. When they returned to their room, a bottle of wine waited at the door with a note saying it was an event prize. Hyung had truly treated them to the full course.
That evening Choi Eunsu gave Song Miju the full course as well. He received his own share of the treatment.
The next morning he left Song Miju, who wanted to sleep longer, and headed down to the hotel lobby. He had a recommended itinerary for the day, so he gave Hyung's name at the desk and asked whether the reserved activity was still available. They asked him to wait, made a call, and soon confirmed it was possible.
"Thank you~"
"Cheol-min, you worked hard yesterday."
Seated in the hotel lobby, Cheol-min received Choi Eunsu's praise for his efforts the previous day. He had accompanied them for the shopping security detail. Having experienced it himself, Choi Eunsu knew it was more exhausting than most training exercises. Or perhaps just following along wasn't so bad?
"Not at all, sir. I met Team Leader Lee yesterday evening. He's the same as ever. The men below are training diligently."
"That's good to hear. I was worried after the way he returned to Korea last time."
"Today we'll be driving far out, so rest up and do some shopping yourself."
"No, sir."
"It's a remote area, so it could be difficult."
"Understood. We'll only go as far as is feasible."
He returned to the room and woke Song Miju, telling her they were going out to play. When she asked where, he said the beach and instructed her to pack a swimsuit and simple change of clothes.
After preparing, they drove for roughly two hours to a pier.
"Miju, hop on."
Pointing at the boat with a playful, old-fashioned swagger, he spoke to her. Song Miju looked flustered.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll find out if you follow."
When he moved to the cockpit and began operating the vessel, she was genuinely surprised.
"Wow, Oppa, you know how to drive this too?"
His confidence was overflowing. Of course he did. He was the man who had conquered the Caribbean.
After about thirty minutes, the destination island came into view. A private beach. Hyung had recommended the spot. He had joked that his own nephew had been conceived here, but said the atmosphere was excellent and it was perfect for a full day of fun.
The emerald sea, pristine beach, and sound of the waves created a flawless scene.
When he docked the yacht near the shore, fish swam over thinking they were being fed. Their bright colors gave the entire place a vivid tropical feel.
"This is the place."
"Wow~ It's so beautiful."
They swam, snorkeled, and played to their hearts' content. Then they enjoyed the food they had brought along with a light beer. It felt like paradise.
When Choi Eunsu lay back on the beach and declared that this was heaven, Song Miju lay down beside him. They had already been intimate the night before, yet today he wanted her again.
The following day was consumed by preparations for departure. They had been so exhausted that when they finally woke, departure time was nearly upon them. The moment their eyes met, both wore expressions that clearly said they were in trouble.
They jumped up and began packing. Doing so in their pajamas made the whole situation so ridiculous that laughter kept bubbling out of them. The hotel didn't chase them out even though check-in time had passed, but they hurriedly finished and reached the lobby where the pickup driver, Baccara Park, was already waiting.
"Sorry for being late."
"Not at all. Please hand over the luggage. Oh, and the items you gave me yesterday have already been shipped to Korea."
What items? The spoils of their shopping war, of course.
They loaded everything in a rush and headed for the airport. After completing the procedures and entering the gate, the duty-free shops came into view. It occurred to him that he hadn't bought any gifts to take back to Korea, so he went on a whirlwind shopping spree. He picked up liquor for his father-in-law and cosmetics for his mother-in-law. Many Koreans seemed to visit; Korean signage was everywhere. He shopped with the same ease he would back home. Even the cashier spoke fluent Korean.
With boarding time approaching, he sat near the gate when a call came from Redflag. The goods had arrived safely. It hadn't been long since he asked the Ocean World team to handle it. Counting the days, it had taken just over two weeks. Was that normal? He had expected a month, but his team members had performed impressively.
The list followed. It was lighter than the first order. The prices remained high, but the items felt more practical—fine tableware, home appliances, that sort of thing. Choi Eunsu forwarded the list exactly as it was to the team leader. The reply came back instantly, as if the man had been waiting by his phone. He told them to work hard and boarded the plane.
A sudden downpour made him think the flight might be canceled. Fortunately, the rain eased just long enough for takeoff. Song Miju held tightly to him throughout the turbulence and slept soundly.
Upon landing in Korea, a message from Gonzales was waiting.
Aren't customers supposed to be in charge? It was strange for the seller to decide the volume and simply ship it, but given the circumstances he couldn't complain and simply asked.
That was a lot. Around sixty million dollars? Still, plenty of dollars remained in reserve.
Smuggling apparently required creativity. After Pancho and Sea Chester, this time the goods were hidden inside automobile components. Since Choi Eunsu had paid the membership fee, Gonzales was offering a refund.
He could have simply accepted it, but the man had discounted ten million dollars. Thank you.
"Are you busy, sir?"
After returning from the Philippines and organizing his affairs, Executive Director Ha contacted him.
"No. Please speak."
"Intelligence has come in. The prosecution is planning to open the cabinet."
What was that supposed to mean?
"Please explain in more detail."
"The exact reason hasn't come down, but I heard the order came from high up."
"Halt the sales division and manufacturing division immediately and have them go dark."
"Yes, that seems necessary."
"Also, take this opportunity to purge the spies I mentioned last time."
"I intend to. I'll keep one or two of the lower-level ones alive and clean up the rest."
Two years after the election ended and the big purge happened, it seemed another issue needed covering up. They were launching a full-scale war. Their intelligence network truly was excellent. Within just a few days, the media began hammering the story exactly as predicted.
The government seemed determined to cover something up; the story dominated the airwaves. It wasn't daily, but new cases kept surfacing at regular intervals. They even touched a chaebol family that was usually left alone, and news broke that a fourth-generation heir had been arrested. The organization had gone dark based on the intelligence they received, yet the South Korean prosecution and police proved exceptionally capable.