“Could you go to Sakhalin for a bit?”
Clear ice cubes clinked inside a whiskey glass with a jingling sound. The top floor of the Blast Corp building. Lee Wooshin had initially intended to postpone all of today’s training to the afternoon and only take care of Seoryeong, but he was suddenly called by the Director. And now, suddenly Sakhalin? His face immediately hardened. Kang Taegon often sent female escorts to Saint Petersburg, and he was also the one who pulled Han Seoryeong into Blast Corp. That annoyed the man more than the corruption issues between the NIS and the company. Damn it, as soon as he saw the wide-open sky in all directions, he immediately thought of an owl. Just thinking about it made his breath feel hot. As he was getting ready to go to work, Han Seoryeong, who had suddenly become disciplined for no reason, stubbornly insisted on coming along. He had briefly considered tying her to the bed, but the sharp and murderous look in her eyes—so beautiful it made his groin throb—made him immediately tell her to get in the passenger seat. Because of that, his entire focus had been on the floor below since earlier. He had warned her to eat first, then come upstairs. But just imagining her being the only woman amidst all the male team members was enough to irritate him. They had been so clingy last night, so she must be chewing with a lazy expression and slowly moving cheeks right now. His brow twitched slightly.
“Looking at your schedule, you still have time before your assignment to Africa.”
Lee Wooshin glanced at the black cane leaning against Director Kang’s desk, then swept the room with a casual gaze.
“This request came from the Sakhalin Monastery.”
“……!”
Damn it. Lee Wooshin reflexively swallowed a curse. The Sakhalin Monastery, wasn’t that a heretical branch of the Orthodox Church? His head immediately felt hot then cold again, but his expression didn’t waver in the slightest. Carrying out a mission at such a base—didn’t give him a good feeling.
“Currently, Russia is holding children of opposition figures inside the monastery. Until negotiations are complete, they want our company to help oversee those children.”
“Children... inside a monastery, you mean?”
As he asked with a frown, the answer he heard was slightly off.
“They’re just children. Should they be put in cramped rooms or prisons?”
“…….”
“Whether you know it or not, there are many Asians at the Sakhalin Monastery. That’s why they requested team members who look similar and can’t speak the same language as the children.”
“Is this an official request?”
“Yes, it is.”
His smile was light and looked perfect. But like the purpose of the special security team, the request still felt strange. It looked simple, but for Wooshin, there were many things that bothered him.
“As far as I know, this is the first time there’s been a request involving children since you led the team, isn’t it? Aren’t all your team members still single? Among soldiers, there are those who are very weak towards children.”
“…….”
“But if you can’t overcome pity, you won’t be able to handle a big task.”
“Just for surveillance, isn’t this too trivial for our team?”
As Lee Wooshin showed his displeasure, Director Kang nodded.
“It is. But the person who made this request is an old client and business partner of mine. He said he would only feel at ease if the special security team handled it. So I couldn’t refuse.”
Lee Wooshin clenched his fist and then released it slowly.
“In that case, I’ll choose just three people to go. The new recruit is on sick leave, so they can’t join.”
“New recruit… you mean Han Seoryeong?”
“……!”
Lee Wooshin gritted his teeth as the name was mentioned clearly. This meant Director Kang hadn’t completely let go of his interest in Seoryeong. He hated the fact that the woman’s name was still being brought up, to the point where he wanted to curse. Just then, Director Kang, who was slowly swirling his glass, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“Wow, but he wanted to invite the entire special security team.”
“Invite... you mean?”
Like an electric wire exposed to current, his nerves immediately twitched. When the head of the Mongolian Economic Development Agency died, there had been reports that the Boogeyman of Sakhalin and Seoryeong had briefly crossed paths at the event venue. Lee Wooshin held his breath, which was starting to quicken, then loosened the tie around his neck. Those who had undergone extreme training never forgot the face of someone they had seen even once. That was how people in this world worked. But what if those two met again at the monastery? Then in an instant, the assassin would store Seoryeong’s face in his memory. Just thinking about that possibility was enough to make him grind his teeth. A feeling of disgust rose like he wanted to vomit. Whether it was a warning instinct, hostility, a man’s instinct, or an agent’s intuition—he wasn’t sure. What was clear was that the uneasy feeling that vibrated at his fingertips felt so strong. Moreover, Han Seoryeong had once been someone heavily guarded by the NIS. Although that mission was now over, Rigai Viktor’s identity was still not fully revealed.
Under these circumstances, there was no guarantee that meeting a fellow Korean-Russian would be safe. His nerves felt like they were on fire.
“In that case, we should call Han Seoryeong back.”
Kang Taegon said with a broad laugh.
“I gave her good information back then. It’s obvious, she must be on sick leave because of the incident at the quantum cryptography seminar yesterday.”
“……!”
So the information came from there... He bit his tongue.
“Don’t be fooled by sick leave, call everyone back.”
Director Kang put down his empty glass and gave the order. Lee Wooshin closed his eyes, which now looked cold, then opened them slowly. He was planting a spyware called Poison Tap on the employees’ phones to siphon all their communication information, and so far his mission was going smoothly. If there were no major issues, this could be his last assignment before he retired from the NIS. It was just a matter of time. So take a deep breath. Don’t provoke Director Kang’s suspicion. Don’t create unnecessary trouble.
“Director, may I ask you one thing... Are you a member of the Sakhalin Monastery, by any chance?”
“……!”
The gaze that had implied a smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, piercing glare. Lee Wooshin didn’t avoid the gaze and simply waited for an answer. In the past, Kang Taegon was merely a thug who smuggled vodka and engaged in transactions with the Russian mafia. With the money he amassed then, he established a small service company, and now he is a fanatical businessman who has dedicated his entire life to growing the largest military corporation in East Asia. There is no information stating that such a person has a religion, but now Lee Wooshin doesn’t trust documents so easily.
“I am not a person who believes in God.”
Kang Taegon smiled, stroking his cane.
“But humans are beings who cannot live without believing in something.”
“…….”
“I do follow them, but more accurately, I follow their money. Isn’t money something that can throw people into the mud or save them? What other god can perform such miracles besides money?”
Money… Is money from Russia, or from the Russian Orthodox Church, flowing in? In the form of political funds, religious donations, or business investments. If so, it means he is expanding his network one by one— A cold light flashed in Lee Wooshin’s eyes. What Deputy Head Joo Seolheon was wary of was not merely an information leak between Blast Corporation and the National Intelligence Service, but something further: a lobbying connection between the National Intelligence Service and Russia.
“――.”
Deputy Head Ju suspected the Director of the National Intelligence Service. If everything went smoothly, the day when that woman would grasp power wouldn’t be far off. It was already within sight. If he just waited, heads would surely roll. The Winter Castle records he had longed for, the guilt that weighed on his breath, everything was nearing its end. However, even if he got out of this field, could he live as a complete human being? He didn’t even know the answer.
“Then, what do you believe in this life, Mr. Lee Wooshin?”
“I don’t believe in anything.”
Kang Taegon’s deep gaze turned to him. Hmm… That look showed interest.
“There is an expression that faith is the evidence of things not seen.”
“…….”
“But your life is a life that has never left even the slightest evidence, isn’t it?”
Lee Wooshin didn’t even blink, his face remaining expressionless. Like a well-sculpted statue, but empty inside. Because he had to live wearing a silicone mask all this time, becoming someone else, Lee Wooshin was a real yet unreal human being. Face, attitude, voice. Also emotions, promises. Everything changed.
Because he himself was such a person, there was nothing in this world he could trust. He was even skilled at disguising his skin color and heart rate to deceive lie detectors. Therefore, he always lived cautiously, vigilantly, and deceptively. He only knew how to live by eliminating dangerous elements one by one. The man who had discarded his beliefs, even in precious relationships, still tried to act in such a way. If the truth stood in the way, then bury the truth. If it was Kim Hyeon, then bury Kim Hyeon. He began to dream for the first time—about a shameless life where he could be with that woman. At that moment, a giggle was heard from somewhere.
“――!”
Kang Taegon abruptly stood up and walked towards the desk, then turned his monitor screen. Perhaps he had been in a video conference before, because what appeared on the screen was a man wearing a black priest’s robe. His gaze was piercing, slick, and clinging like oil. The thought that their entire conversation might have been overheard made Lee Wooshin’s brow furrow unconsciously.
“Oh dear, it seems I’m late in introducing him…!”
Kang Taegon’s wrinkled face looked bright, as if he were introducing an old friend.
“This is the person who gave us the Sakhalin mission this time.”
“……!”
Upon hearing that, the priest with the sharp and gloomy face slowly raised the corners of his lips.
“привет, лжец.”
The gazes of the two men met across the monitor screen. Hello, liar. That’s what the priest said.