Chapter 46: “Who Is This Kid, for the Blue House and the Ministry of National Defense to Get Involved...?” The Identity of the High School Senior Who Left Pyeongtaek Police Station Reeling
Secret conference room at the National Cyber Security Center of the National Intelligence Service.
Poor-quality CCTV footage was playing on the projection screen.
“Wait! Enlarge that part.”
The Director of the Agency for Defense Development narrowed his eyes at the screen.
Something was protruding from the robot’s back.
“What is that?”
“We believe it is a small micro-missile.”
That was the assessment of the head of the NIS video analysis team.
“We expect the explosive payload to be Blue CL-20. At that size, nothing except the recently developed explosive could explain that level of destructive power.”
“So that is why the inside of the factory was destroyed like that.”
The previous night, Ryu Hyesung’s factory had been torn open so badly that the interior was clearly visible from outside, as though it had been struck by a ballistic missile.
“It appears the main AI placed far greater priority on protecting Ryu Hyesung than on preserving the factory facilities.”
The NIS Deputy Director pushed up his glasses and added,
“How much was the damage?”
“The HPM drone mass-production equipment and approximately one hundred humanoid robots. The total value is three hundred billion won.”
“It seems to have concluded that items worth hundreds of billions of won had no value whatsoever.”
At that moment—
Bang.
The door flew open.
“Deputy Director Jang Seokjin.”
The Director of the NIS Counterterrorism Intelligence Bureau rushed inside, breathing heavily.
“What is all this commotion?”
“We have received evidence containing a confession that China... was behind this incident.”
“What? Who sent it?”
“Someone named Li Wei.”
Interrogation room of the Violent Crimes Unit at Pyeongtaek Police Station, Gyeonggi Province.
“No, I mean... it is ridiculous enough that some high school senior owns a factory that big. Honestly.”
Detective Oh from the Violent Crimes Unit tapped the desk as he pressed me for answers.
“Are you some second-generation chaebol heir or something? Seven undocumented foreigners died while working at your factory, didn’t they? Yes or no?”
“No, that’s not what happened.”
Even when I tried to explain, he refused to listen.
“What do you mean, it’s not? You’re some kid who knows nothing about the real world, and an accident happened because you tried running a business. Isn’t that what this is? Huh?”
Detective Oh raised his voice while slapping a file containing bloodstained crime-scene photographs against the desk.
“Tell me the truth before you ruin your life. Huh?”
Crash—
At that moment, the firmly closed interrogation-room door opened, and Secretary Seo Dojin entered hurriedly with a man dressed in a tailored suit.
“Sir, I apologize for being late.”
“Huh? How did you know I was here?”
An elite air radiated from them from head to toe. At the appearance of the intimidating men in suits, Detective Oh, who had been shouting with veins bulging in his neck, faltered and stepped back.
“Who are you?”
“I am Seo Dojin, Presidential Secretary for Defense Affairs at the National Security Office. This is Attorney Park Hyeontak from Jang & Kim.”
Secretary Seo raised the identification card hanging from his neck.
“Oh. Yes... Why would someone so important suddenly come here?”
Detective Oh swallowed dryly.
In more than a decade as a violent-crimes detective, this was the first time a secretary from the National Security Office and an attorney from South Korea’s top law firm had personally appeared over the questioning of an ordinary high school student.
“We came because we heard the police were questioning CEO Ryu Hyesung.”
“Yes. We only need to investigate why seven undocumented foreigners who were not on any immigration records died at his factory.”
“Well, the thing is....”
I was about to explain the general situation in response to Detective Oh’s pressure when—
“Sir.”
Secretary Seo stopped me with a firm gesture.
“You do not need to say anything.”
“What?”
Detective Oh also frowned in disbelief at Secretary Seo’s intervention.
“I don’t know why someone important like you came here to do this, but the incident occurred within our jurisdiction. We have to investigate.”
At that moment—
Bzzzt.
My phone, which had been confiscated as evidence and placed on the desk, vibrated with an incoming call.
“Who is it?”
Secretary Seo glanced at the caller and asked curiously.
“It’s the Minister of National Defense.”
When the words “Minister of National Defense” appeared on my phone, Detective Oh let out an incredulous laugh.
“What the hell is going on here...?”
“Please take the call outside.”
Secretary Seo picked up the phone and handed it to me.
“What? Is that all right? The questioning isn’t over.”
“It is fine.”
At his words, I glanced uncertainly at Detective Oh.
“No, the questioning isn’t even finished yet, so what are you—”
Click!
At that moment, the youngest detective on the team flung open the interrogation-room door and rushed inside, breathing heavily.
“Detective Oh!”
“What is it now?”
“We got a call. Why did you set the extension to unavailable? It’s urgent!”
“What are you talking about? I set it that way because I was conducting an interrogation. What happened?”
“The Blue House called. They said to release the person you are questioning right now.”
“What?”
As the police officers stood frozen by the absurd scale of the situation, Secretary Seo straightened his tie and neatly brought matters to a close.
“CEO Ryu will be leaving. Please discuss everything else with his representative, Attorney Park.”
“No... Who exactly is this student, for the Ministry of National Defense and even the Blue House to get involved...?”
“Can I really leave, Secretary Seo?”
“Of course. I apologize that you were brought here in the first place.”
Detective Oh, who had been acting as though he would have me arrested on the spot only moments ago, had fallen completely silent, meek as a mute who had swallowed honey.
“No... Yes. Take care on your way out.”
Operations Command Room of China’s Ministry of State Security, Beijing.
“Director.”
An employee rushed over with a deathly pale face.
“What happened?”
“That cripple Li Wei... betrayed us.”
“What?”
“South Korea has realized that we were behind this incident.”
“What? Li Wei said they would never find out if we used an El Salvadoran gang!”
The Director of the Operations Bureau asked in genuine panic, veins bulging in his neck.
“That bastard betrayed us. He handed every piece of classified information about the operation over to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service!”
“What? If the Vice Chairman learns about this, we’ll probably—”
At that moment—
Bang!
The sturdy iron door was violently thrown open, and fully armed men stormed inside.
They belonged to the Special Mobile Unit of the Political Security Bureau, which punished traitors within the Ministry of State Security.
“Haa... Why are there always so many idiots causing trouble? Arrest them all.”
The leader of the Special Mobile Unit, known as the Grim Reaper, spoke in a cold tone.
“H-hey! Operations fail sometimes. You can’t just barge in and do this!”
“If you were going to try something, you should have made sure you weren’t caught, Director!”
He grimaced in annoyance and shouted.
“Because of you people, the Vice Chairman is going to have to apologize to South Korea again. He is furious.”
“It was Li Wei! That bastard betrayed us! It was him!”
“Hey. Take him away.”
No. 1 Secret Detention Camp, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
“Open it.”
Rattle—
At the Ministry of State Security inspector’s sharp order, the guards opened the massive inner iron gate.
Step. Step.
“Li Wei. Your operation failed. Forget release—you will now take responsibility... Huh?”
The inspector stopped dead.
Li Wei, who should have been confined behind the bars in his wheelchair, had vanished without a trace.
“Hey, guard! Where is the cripple who was in here?”
“A uniformed man came a little while ago and took him away, saying he was being released.”
“What? Who? Who took him?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know, you bastard?”
He kicked the guard in the shin as he demanded an answer.
The confused guard frowned and replied,
“Well... anyone who comes in here is already a very high-ranking Party official, so we didn’t ask.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Even though the inspector himself had entered without undergoing any meaningful identity verification because of his high rank, he grabbed the innocent guards by their collars and began berating them.
“S-still, the main gate must have verified his identity electronically.”
Without even waiting for the full answer, the inspector sprinted madly toward the main-gate control room and demanded an explanation.
However, the sentry’s answer after checking the monitor was absurd.
“Huh? It says here that you, Inspector, signed the papers and took him away.”
“What kind of bullshit is that? I only just arrived and started asking about him!”
“I-I don’t know either. I have no idea what is happening.”
Every network and camera record had been manipulated in real time.
“Sound the alarm. Hurry!”
“What?”
“It’s an escape! Sound the alarm!”
Li Wei, the most dangerous genius, had vanished without a trace.
The Chinese authorities searched every inch of the detention-camp area, but no trace of him had been found.
People’s Liberation Army Central Military Commission Command Post, Beijing, China.
The Vice Chairman, the most powerful man present, clutched his head with both hands as though suffering a terrible headache.
“Comrade Chairman ordered me to settle this matter properly.”
The atmosphere was so murderous that it was difficult even to breathe. No one dared answer the Vice Chairman’s weighty words.
“The man who forced me to bow my head and apologize to South Korea last time died right here.”
The Vice Chairman growled like a beast.
The Director of the Ministry of State Security’s Operations Bureau, the mastermind behind the operation, was kneeling before him.
“Li Wei... swore that the operation would succeed with a ninety-seven percent probability.”
The Director trembled like an aspen leaf. His jaw shook so badly from extreme fear that he could barely speak.
“It was your mistake to stake your own life on the word of that cripple, Director.”
“Hiiik....”
“Because of one bastard like you, I have to bow my head yet again to that tiny peninsula nation!”
“I-I’m sorry, Vice Chairman! Next time, I will... I will definitely succeed.”
“How? Li Wei has already escaped.”
“What? Li Wei escaped?”
“You did not hear?”
“What? No....”
“Enough. Deal with him.”
At the Vice Chairman’s cold gaze, the Special Mobile Unit officer standing behind the Director stepped forward.
The chilling sound of a pistol hammer being cocked echoed through the room.
“Vice Chairman! Just once! Give me one more chance!”
Bang!
Thud.
The Director, who had been shouting energetically for his life only moments earlier, collapsed like a bundle of straw.
Dark red blood spread across the floor.
“Minister of National Defense.”
The Vice Chairman called while rubbing his furrowed brow.
“Yes, Vice Chairman.”
He was just as anxious.
Although the Director had taken all the blame, the Minister had also attended the meeting where the operation to assassinate Ryu Hyesung was discussed.
Fortunately, the Vice Chairman did not know that.
“What is South Korea’s current military strength?”
“South Korea has completely domestically produced its conventional weapons for modern warfare, and the destructive power of the explosives used in its missiles has also increased dramatically.”
The Vice Chairman let out a deep sigh at his report.
“What are China’s chances of winning in a simulation?”
In the previous simulation, China’s chance of victory had been forty-nine percent, resulting in a narrow loss.
Considering the overwhelming difference in national scale, the result had been shocking, but the margin was still small.
“I regret to report that... it has recently fallen further to forty-two percent.”
“What? South Korea improved its military strength even more in that short time?”
“The current rate of South Korea’s military-technological advancement is... beyond common sense. It is an impossible situation.”
“Haa....”
The Vice Chairman closed his eyes and released a long, drawn-out sigh.
Every possible means and method had been blocked.
Only one option remained.
They had no choice but to beg the Republic of Korea for forgiveness.
“Bring it... the hotline....”