Canary's Song (1)
“Yes…….”
Captain Lee nodded, sweat dripping down his face.
“No matter how cold-blooded he is, once he learns that his bloodline has been severed at that age…… he’s bound to suffer a tremendous shock and grow weak. That’s when the cracks will appear……”
Worried that they might suspect him of lying, Captain Lee glanced sideways at Mingu, who stood directly in front of him. Fortunately, the man didn’t seem to doubt this statement at all. Captain Lee let out a small sigh and added a supplementary explanation.
“I heard the reason they want the immune’s blood is to inject it into his son and attempt a cure.”
“You said it would become Chairman Yoon’s company. Who exactly is this Yoon person?”
Cho Cheol-woong asked. Since the southern region had been divided among the warlords, he had occasionally met with Taeyang Group officials while escorting Lieutenant General Shin, but he knew nothing about their detailed family tree or power structure. In truth, he had never cared. He had always believed such matters were none of a soldier’s business. But now that things had escalated to this point, he had no choice but to learn.
“What Lieutenant Colonel Jeong told me…… was that it’s Chairman Yoon Changwon…… Once this operation succeeds, I too will become a meritorious retainer and get to meet him officially……”
As he answered, tears streamed down Captain Lee’s face. When he had first heard those words, it had sounded so wonderful…… Back then, he had been drunk on dreams of success, imagining himself drinking expensive foreign liquor in a luxurious room salon he could never have visited before. If he had known it would come to this…… he never would have accepted the role of field commander for the secret assassination of Hwang Nayeon…….
At the same time, resentment toward Lieutenant Colonel Jeong surged up quickly. If those bastards hadn’t sweet-talked him with promises of an important position and then dumped all the bloody responsibility on him, he never would have ended up in this spot today. When he thought about it, everything…… was that son of a bitch Lieutenant Colonel Jeong’s fault.
“Yoon Changwon……”
Cho Cheol-woong wrote the three characters “Yoon Changwon” above the name “Yang Jaeyeol” already on the paper and asked again.
“What kind of man is he?”
“He’s the chairman of TKA. I heard he owns several pharmaceutical companies as well. I only learned this at a drinking party recently, so I don’t know the details. Anyway, they said that within the wife’s family of Chairman Hwang, that man holds the most power.”
“So he was the chairman of TKA?”
For the briefest moment, surprise flickered across Cho Cheol-woong’s face when he heard the company name.
TKA…… The association formed by Taeyang Group and KAI.
He hadn’t cared who the chairman was, but he knew exactly what they did. The company had originally manufactured high-end civilian helicopters in partnership with KAI, but after the zombie outbreak, it had taken over military helicopter maintenance in place of the understaffed Army’s own facilities and personnel. He didn’t know the exact figures, but it was likely responsible for forty to fifty percent of all the various helicopters currently held by the five warlords…….
Since all the surviving KAI technicians had been collectively housed and managed there, if they lost TKA’s cooperation, the Army’s mobility would suffer a severe blow from that moment on.
This is quite a sensitive and troublesome issue……
Cho Cheol-woong drew several heavy underlines beneath the words “TKA.” If his guess was correct, what Major General Park and Yoon Changwon were dreaming of wasn’t strengthening themselves, but weakening the rest of the Army’s overall combat power.
If TKA held on to the helicopters that the other four warlords had sent in for repair and maintenance, and Major General Park then deployed an overwhelming number of helicopters…… the resulting gap in military strength would become utterly insurmountable.
“……They said that once Hwang Nayeon’s death is confirmed, they will double the supply volume from that point onward.”
While Cho Cheol-woong was lost in these thoughts, Captain Lee continued his explanation in a slow, steady voice.
“Not only military supplies, but also the issuance of promissory notes will double, which should give them much more breathing room……”
After saying that, Captain Lee’s gaze drifted toward Mingu—more precisely, toward the inner pocket of the suit where Mingu had pulled out a cigarette earlier. He had carefully smoked one all the way down until the filter burned, but the nicotine and tar from a single cigarette weren’t nearly enough to calm this unstable, sorrowful, and terrifying emotion. He needed more.
“Here.”
Sensing what the man craved, Mingu handed him the entire cigarette pack.
“Huu……”
With hands still stained with drying blood, Captain Lee rummaged through his uniform pocket for a lighter. Coughing hoarsely, he continued.
“Cough! Hack! So we just need to enjoy ourselves from time to time…… and steadily prepare the grand operation based on our material superiority. That way, failure is impossible…… That’s what Lieutenant Colonel Jeong told me.”
Huu……!
As he listened to Captain Lee’s answer, Cho Cheol-woong let out a mental sigh. Here they were, unable to even solve the immediate zombie problem, yet they were busy fighting among themselves…… It felt eerily similar to reading about the power struggles inside the royal palace at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.
Yet paradoxically, he could also understand their mindset. After all, Cho Cheol-woong himself had reached the same conclusion—that things could not continue as they were—and had already resolved to eventually bring down Lieutenant General Shin and the other warlords.
“This grand operation must involve striking Chairman Hwang…… but that can’t be all, can it?”
Cho Cheol-woong tapped the paper with his ballpoint pen, his eyes gleaming sharply.
“On the day they strike Chairman Hwang, they probably plan to take out several other corps commanders at the same time. Am I right?”
Otherwise, there would be no reason to double the supplies or interfere with helicopter maintenance. Simply increasing the promissory notes would be more than enough to indulge in luxury.
“Ah…… that is……”
Captain Lee flinched and clamped his mouth shut, following a lifelong habit of trying to hide something. He hadn’t consciously intended to keep any loyalty or faith, but the moment the most sensitive information came up, he had almost lied without thinking. Even though he no longer had any future worth protecting by hiding the truth…….
“They said two will be taken out. Five kings are too many and too noisy, so they should go with the Three Kingdoms division of the realm. That’s what the other side suggested……”
Captain Lee took another deep drag from his cigarette and spoke with a hollow expression. The “other side” obviously meant Yoon Changwon. Cho Cheol-woong kept his eyes fixed on the man and asked again.
“Who exactly are those two?”
“I don’t…… know that much. No matter how much he favored me…… that kind of information wouldn’t be shared with someone of my rank. I’m telling the truth. They simply…… made me a promise. Once this is all over, the number of troops under my command will increase dramatically, and I will receive a two-rank special promotion to become a battalion commander……”
As he claimed ignorance, Captain Lee carefully watched Mingu’s reaction. But Mingu seemed to have decided to believe the statement for now and showed no sign of taking any action yet.
“I suppose that makes sense……”
Cho Cheol-woong nodded in understanding.
“There’s no reason to share such information with a captain. However…… does Major General Park’s side know Chairman Hwang’s exact location?”
Even Lieutenant General Shin, who possessed the largest force among the five warlords, did not know where Chairman Hwang resided. Not only his residence but also his schedule and movements were kept in absolute secrecy. To Cho Cheol-woong, the biggest question was how they planned to eliminate a man who moved like a ghost.
Except for the rare occasions when Chairman Hwang made a surprise appearance at meetings arranged with Hwang Nayeon, no one ever met him face to face. Even phone calls had to go through his secretary, whose own whereabouts were just as unclear as the chairman’s. That was how the man had survived against the warlords for the past several months.
“While others might not know…… they said that President Yang, who used to be his bodyguard, is different. Because Chairman Hwang trusts him quite a bit, he sometimes shares information when managing important schedules…… I heard that’s why this operation was able to proceed.”
Captain Lee exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke as he spoke. Cho Cheol-woong wrote “schedule and movement leak” on the paper.
“So President Yang leaked Chairman Hwang’s schedule in advance, and they set that day as the date of the operation? Then…… when exactly is D-day?”
“It’s the night of January 1st next year. Taeyang Group is hosting a New Year’s banquet and has invited all five corps commanders. Chairman Hwang himself has agreed to attend in person and make an appearance…… They plan to wait along the route to the banquet hall that night and finish it there. Once this year passes, our world…… will arrive……”
If President Yang’s claim was true, it really was the most perfect set of conditions for carrying out the plot. A gathering where Chairman Hwang and all the corps commanders would be in one place. No matter how many escort troops were mobilized, if they jammed communications and deployed multiple helicopters, the situation could be cleaned up in an instant.
This is bad.
Cho Cheol-woong secretly clenched his teeth. January 1st was only a month away. It was an extremely tight timeframe for them to gather more information and prepare countermeasures…… He himself had planned to take action before this winter ended, but Major General Park and Chairman Yoon had moved their operation up by more than a month. Still, he could not simply sit back and watch.
“Hmm……”
Cho Cheol-woong reviewed his notes and asked.
“Let me summarize. Within the scope of what you know, the person who knows the most about this plan to eliminate Chairman Hwang is Lieutenant Colonel Jeong. Of course, excluding Major General Park himself. Correct?”
“Yes. He said the practical work is mostly discussed between Lieutenant Colonel Jeong and President Yang. The photo I was supposed to take today…… was something President Yang repeatedly requested from Lieutenant Colonel Jeong, so he couldn’t ignore it. That’s why we tried to use a stand-in.”
“Separately from that…… it’s already been three days since Director Hwang disappeared. Has Chairman Hwang shown no reaction at all? By now, the entire south should be in an uproar. It would be strange if it weren’t.”
Throughout Captain Lee’s long statement, the part Cho Cheol-woong found hardest to understand was this. Everything else fit together and had some plausible basis, but Chairman Hwang’s lack of reaction made no sense whatsoever.
A major incident had occurred that should have filled the skies across the country with helicopters, yet the only ones that had appeared over Seoul yesterday and today were Major General Park’s Black Hawks.
“There’s talk that the father and daughter don’t contact each other often, so unless they meet at executive meetings, he might not even know she’s gone. And Hwang Nayeon wanted to surprise Chairman Hwang with this sudden achievement, so she kept the fact that she was going up to Seoul using Major General Park’s stand-in a secret……”
Captain Lee, who had been struggling to speak in a trembling voice, let out a long sigh.
“Huu……! That’s everything I know about the matter. Now……”
The deep sigh contained a plea to be given the soju as promised and killed painlessly.
“You did well.”
Mingu, who had finished gathering the knives, lightly patted the man’s cheek twice. As the hand drew near, Captain Lee instinctively shrank back.
“No! Wait…… didn’t you say you would let me have a glass of soju before killing me……”
Facing death with a clear mind like this was too terrifying and regretful. At the very least, he wanted to sip some soju and reflect on his life. And if possible, he hoped they would send him off while he was drunk and unconscious.
“You’ll get your soju. I’ll give you some today, and one more before you go tomorrow. I’m generous that way, so don’t worry.”
Mingu spoke in a tone completely devoid of humor. Captain Lee’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“Tomorrow……?”
“Don’t misunderstand. It doesn’t mean I’m sparing you. It just means I’ll ask you the same questions again tomorrow to verify. I can’t blindly believe everything a stranger says. But if tomorrow your answers differ from what you said today? Then……!”
Mingu made a stabbing motion at the man’s thigh before continuing.
“People often forget what lies they made up. Especially the small details trip them up. So if you told any lies, confess honestly now. If you come clean now, I won’t punish you. How about it? Anything to confess?”
“No…… There isn’t.”
Captain Lee looked at Mingu with eyes full of mixed emotions and slowly shook his head.
“Um…… Please change into this, and give us the clothes you’re wearing now. We’ll wait outside.”
Yubin handed a clothing bag to the stand-in Yoo So-jin and spoke.
“What…… is this?”
The stand-in Yoo So-jin peeked inside the bag with a fearful expression. Yubin quickly explained.
“New clothes. Our people just brought them a little while ago.”
“What about me?”
The makeup artist asked. Yubin smiled reassuringly and waved his hand.
“You don’t need to change. It’s fine.”
“Why do I…… have to do this?”
The stand-in Yoo So-jin pulled out the new sweatshirt, pants, and padding from the plastic and tilted her head in confusion.
“Everyone we manage wears civilian clothes like this. It’s our dress code. Plus, those clothes would be uncomfortable to sleep in.”
Yubin gave a vague answer. The real reason was that a perfectly good new female officer’s uniform with a Yoo So-jin name tag seemed like it could be useful, but there was no point in telling this woman every little detail. It wouldn’t benefit either of them.
“Sleep? So you’re saying we have to spend the night here…… Aigoo, seriously…… This…… I mean…… how long do we have to stay here? I only signed up for a one-day contract. They clearly said the shoot would finish the same day……”
The stand-in Yoo So-jin tore open the plastic on the sweatshirt and began to panic lightly, voicing her grievances. The makeup artist quickly nodded in agreement.
“Yes! That’s right! I only came because they said I could finish in half a day and return to Busan. I have a lot of appointments tomorrow! If I don’t go back, I’ll get fired from the salon and have to work at a military supply factory!”
Yubin could fully understand their position. They had expected to do an expensive one-day gig and go home, but now they were stuck in zombie-infested Seoul. Anyone would feel wronged. However……
“Please don’t feel so aggrieved.”
Yubin first calmed the two women down.
“Just…… think of it this way. If things had gone as planned, both of you would have died today. That Captain Lee would have killed you and taken photos. Compared to that, this is much better, isn’t it? At least you’re alive.”
“Die? Why would that oppa do that? He doesn’t seem like that kind of person? Ah, this is all so weird. Seriously, who in the world would fly people all the way to Seoul by helicopter just to kill them? And even put them in full makeup!”
The stand-in Yoo So-jin shook her head vigorously, unable to believe it. Since she didn’t know the full story, it was a perfectly reasonable objection. Yubin calmly repeated the false reason he had already given them once.
“I told you there are perverts among the higher-ups who enjoy photos of corpses. This Captain Lee’s job is to take such photos and offer them up. There have been previous incidents, which is why we were investigating and caught him in the act like this. You two barely escaped disaster.”
“But…… corpses…… when we landed in the helicopter, I saw bodies lying everywhere outside. They say just across the Nakdong River there are mountains of corpses. So why…… would they go to the trouble of bringing living people?”
“They don’t like ordinary corpse photos. These perverts have a specific formula they enjoy. The background must be Seoul, and it has to be young beautiful women in various occupational cosplays dying painfully on camera.”
“Oh my……! That’s me!”
At the words “young beautiful woman in cosplay,” the stand-in Yoo So-jin immediately empathized and covered her mouth. The makeup artist also widened her eyes and chimed in.
“Then the final kill scene must be nude, right?”
“Pardon? Ah…… yes. That’s correct. And they killed the makeup artist who witnessed the scene as well. We know this because there have been several such cases before.”
Having finally convinced her, Yubin nodded with a solemn expression. There was no need to reveal the entire long and secretive story—from the blood trade to the conspiracy surrounding Hwang Nayeon—to these people. So he had to make them understand at least this much. Only then would they accept the reality.
“Then…… are all the other soldiers who were on the helicopter in on it too?”
“No. Captain Lee tried to lure you two without their knowledge. That’s what our investigation has revealed so far.”
“But why can’t we go back? We’re victims, aren’t we? Can’t we just take the helicopter outside and leave?”
The stand-in Yoo So-jin circled back to the same question. Yubin couldn’t let the conversation get dragged into this loop. He quickly raised his index finger and shook it.
“Didn’t I tell you the customers are very powerful people? If you two return to Busan before we wipe them all out, those men will try to eliminate you.”
“Ah! I get it now. Because we’re witnesses, they want to silence us……!”
The makeup artist demonstrated her own reasoning skills. Yubin praised her.
“Exactly. That’s precisely the reason. That’s why we cannot send you back and must protect you for the time being. You must also keep this matter completely secret going forward. Do you understand? Now, please change your clothes and hand over the uniform. We need to keep it as evidence.”
“Aigoo, seriously…… There are so many crazy bastards in this world. Can you believe it?”
“Right? Actually, it did feel a bit off! Why would they take calendar photos in a place like this……”
Leaving the two women grumbling behind, Yubin stepped out into the hallway.
“Hey!”
Cho Cheol-woong, who had been waiting with Mingu, approached and tapped Yubin on the shoulder.
“I have good news, bad news, and ordinary news. Which do you want to hear first?”
“Hmm…… Shall we start with the good news?”
Yubin shrugged. He wasn’t expecting much. In a world like this, how good could any “good news” really be? He figured the man had simply divided the news into categories for the sake of his unfunny joke.
“Master Sergeant Hong has woken up. Just as you said, he suffered through the night, but now he’s up and talking normally.”
Cho Cheol-woong put an arm around his shoulder as they walked, a satisfied look on his face. This was genuinely welcome news to Yubin as well.
“That’s a relief.”
Yubin let out a sigh of relief. The man who had saved Terra’s life had survived thanks to Terra’s serum…… When he returned to Big Island and told her this story, Terra would surely shed tears.
“Then what’s the bad news?”
“It’s a coup within Taeyang. It seems far more serious than we anticipated. The scale of those behind it is both large and dangerous.”
Cho Cheol-woong spoke with a grave tone.
“To prevent this coup with the minimum amount of bloodshed, I have decided to intervene actively. We cannot afford to spill any more blood than necessary.”
“Is the fact that you, a lieutenant, will be intervening the ordinary news?”
When Yubin asked, Cho Cheol-woong let out a small chuckle.
“No. The ordinary news is that you will be going to Chungju with me from now on.”