**PART 1 — CHAPTER TITLE OPTIONS:**
→ **Option 1:** The Grand Hotel Gambit
→ **Option 2:** Combat Rations and Criminal Conspiracies
→ **Option 3:** Shadows in the Fifth-Floor Hall
→ ✅ **BEST PICK:** *"Combat Rations and Criminal Conspiracies"* — This title captures the wonderfully absurd juxtaposition that defines the chapter: an intense kidnapping plot discussed over reheated military rice, with romantic tension simmering beneath tactical planning. It's intriguing, slightly darkly comedic, and perfectly encapsulates the chapter's unique tone.
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**PART 2 — FULL IMPROVED CHAPTER:**
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# Chapter 90: Combat Rations and Criminal Conspiracies
"Please support me—I want to capture that deputy head myself."
Seoryeong returned from training, made Lee Wooshin sit down, and stated her intention without preamble. She produced a long, worn piece of paper from her jacket—yellowed at the edges, covered in scribbled notes, and bleeding with highlighter marks. It was the draft of a plan she had been secretly developing for weeks, along with a floor plan of the event hall she had visualized hundreds of times in her mind.
Lee Wooshin, who had come home earlier, had been reheating bland combat rations in a pan. Now they sat facing each other across the small kitchen table, the hotel blueprint spread beside a sad mound of yellowish rice. Seoryeong turned her face away from the food—which looked like it would crunch between her teeth from appearance alone—and continued.
"The Quantum-Resistant Cryptography Conference will be held in the fifth-floor hall of the Grand Hotel. Channa has already extracted information from the contractor and obtained the hotel's complete blueprint." She tapped a highlighted route with her fingernail. "This is the path I've mapped out—"
A spoon appeared suddenly in her field of vision, scooping up some of her untouched rice. As she frowned and looked up, Lee Wooshin tapped his own lips with his free hand, gesturing for her to eat.
"It's time to eat now."
"…"
"As you can see, I'm supporting you."
To execute her plan, they needed to complete some initial work inside the event hall, and Seoryeong intended to entrust all of that task to Lee Wooshin. She hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly opened her mouth. The spoon scraped against her teeth as he pulled it out—as if he had been waiting for precisely that moment of surrender.
"We're doing all this to survive, so you need to eat properly."
"Instructor, I'm being serious right now."
She replied while chewing, her tone rising with irritation. The food that had initially tasted like straw no longer made her wince—perhaps her tongue had simply given up after a few bites.
"You do look serious."
Lee Wooshin rested his chin on his palm, studying the blueprint before him. Unlike during work, he wasn't wearing tight training clothes or one of his immaculate suits. Instead, he wore loose sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt—probably a 3XL—that enveloped his large frame with comfortable ease. It was an appearance Seoryeong had only ever witnessed at home.
His wet hair hung just above his eyebrows, still damp from a recent shower. The casual domesticity of it felt almost jarring, a strange contrast to the man she knew could kill without hesitation. _If looking harmless at home while planning violence was a skill,_ she thought, _then it was truly an impressive one._
Although he seemed to be reading the blueprint lazily, his eyes never strayed from the lines she had highlighted. Simultaneously, he scooped up more rice and offered it to her.
"Ugh—"
Not wanting to disturb his concentration, Seoryeong opened her mouth silently and accepted the bite. The experience, strategic acumen, physical capabilities, and fighting skills that Lee Wooshin possessed were resources she could never gather on her own. While chewing the dry rice thoughtlessly, she studied the man across from her.
At that moment, Wooshin tapped his finger on the paper in a slow, deliberate rhythm.
"You really know how to order people around, Han Seoryeong."
"We made a deal, didn't we?"
Lee Wooshin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Do you want to hear my opinion?"
"I would appreciate any advice. There might be something I overlooked."
"For now, I doubt it."
"…!"
The blunt, negative assessment made her face tense. But this was the most refined version of the plan she had simulated countless times in her mind. Every contingency accounted for. Every variable considered. _Was there really a better way?_
"How could you get involved with that loser Hyeon, anyway?"
"What?"
"After everything that happened, that's the only thing you can say to me?" His voice dropped, taking on a dangerous edge. "You let me kiss you, and that's it? Did marriage really make you this dull?"
He tapped the paper again—hard enough this time that his fingernail nearly pierced through it.
"Is kidnapping really the only thing you want to do with me?"
"…!"
"After we kissed that night, are we still just talking about putting people in trunks or sacks?"
"You're the one feeding me combat rations, Instructor." Seoryeong met his gaze evenly. "So you can't exactly claim innocence either."
"…"
"…"
Both fell silent, locked in an unspoken clash of wills. The air between them grew thick with tension—the kind that had nothing to do with kidnapping plans and everything to do with what remained unspoken.
Finally, Lee Wooshin frowned and looked down, examining the small writings scattered across the paper. His eyes narrowed as he read.
"This plan… There's potential for kidnapping, extortion, torture, even attempted murder here." His finger stopped on a particular line. "And what's this? Where did you get propofol?"
His expression sharpened instantly, all traces of lazy amusement vanishing as his gaze cut toward her. Seoryeong quickly averted her eyes.
_The illegal clinic that Taemin had warned her to avoid._
She had gone there anyway and asked for propofol. How many times had she touched the doctor's thigh while receiving the vial and syringe? Once? Twice? No—maybe three times? Stealing the syringe itself had been easy. She had learned all the tricks from the very man now interrogating her.
_When killing someone, he looked like a harmless old man. When running away with community savings, he became everyone's friendly neighbor. And when flirting with lonely bachelors…_
She had watched him do it with nothing but the calculated allure of his body.
"I managed to get it just fine."
Lee Wooshin chuckled—a soft, cold sound—his frozen gaze piercing through her as if he could read every thought she was trying to hide. Seoryeong swallowed nervously but forced herself to maintain a relaxed expression. As she endured the mounting pressure in silence, Wooshin tilted his chin up slightly, offering her a small reprieve.
"Then summarize it for me. Let's hear the full explanation."
"…!"
Seoryeong's face brightened immediately. She grabbed her glass and gulped down the water, then leaned forward, eyes sparkling with renewed enthusiasm.
"My target is indeed the Deputy Head, but I won't go after him directly."
"Why not?" He paused, then added casually, "By the way—are you planning to tell your husband about our kiss?"
"…!"
The question caught in her throat, stealing her voice mid-breath. It was so sudden, so completely disconnected from the tactical discussion, that she genuinely wondered if she had misheard. After tilting her head slightly, Seoryeong forced herself to continue with practiced calm.
"The Director of Cyber Operations from the Ministry of Defense will be present at the conference. So I thought—"
"I don't understand why you're so fiercely protective of your husband, Han Seoryeong."
_So she hadn't misheard._
Seoryeong decided to pretend her ears had suddenly stopped functioning.
"If I attack the Deputy Head directly, he'll definitely become more cautious afterward. That's why I want to take a different approach—"
"You have a tendency toward polygamy, don't you?"
Lee Wooshin cut her off again, his tone infuriatingly conversational.
"I've detailed everything here." She jabbed her finger at the paper, refusing to take the bait. "If you could handle the initial setup, Instructor—"
"In that case, Hyeon will definitely lose." A dangerous smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Until now, I've survived only with my body."
_Ignoring him was the best strategy._
_Stay calm. Stay calm._
Seoryeong bit her lower lip, repeating the words like a mantra. Just as she was about to continue—determined to push past the man who kept smiling at her with that infuriating mockery—she suddenly hesitated.
_Where was I…?_
"Haa…"
Her concentration had completely shattered. Annoyed beyond measure, she slammed her palm against the table and rose to her feet. Just as she drew breath to speak, his voice—calm and steady as a blade sliding into its sheath—pierced through her frustration.
"You don't need to interfere, Han Seoryeong. I can handle this myself."
His face, which could pivot a conversation as easily as breathing, looked flawless. Not a single crack in that composed expression.
"This plan is too troublesome. It would be simpler if I handled it alone."
"How do you plan to capture them, then?"
"I'll arrange a meeting, pick them up, and put them in the car."
"Pfft!"
His arrogance was utterly unimpressive. _Disappointing_, even. At a time like this—when everything hung in the balance—Lee Wooshin was still treating the situation like a minor inconvenience. Like it required no more effort than picking up groceries.
_I'm the only one who's truly serious here._
As her expression began to darken, Lee Wooshin suddenly sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
"Alright. Let's assume we capture them according to your plan." He dropped his hand, meeting her eyes. "But you're forgetting one critical element."
Seoryeong's gaze lowered.
"The interrogation location. A hidden place where you can vent everything without getting caught."
"I've already prepared that."
"Where?"
Seoryeong responded to his raised eyebrow with nothing but a mysterious smile.
The day of the event was now just around the corner.
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## — The Symposium —
**Grand Hall, 5th Floor, Seoul Grand Hotel. Quantum-Resistant Encryption Symposium.**
"In this day and age, computers and keyboards can pose as much of a threat to national security as weapons and bombs. The battlefield of this era is no longer dusty terrain—it is invisible space. If we fail to adapt to these ongoing changes, if we remain trapped within outdated frameworks…"
A man in a crisp military uniform stood at the podium, delivering the opening address. Three-star insignia gleamed on his shoulders; gray had begun threading through his otherwise dark hair. His voice carried across the hall with practiced authority.
A member of the domestic security team from the Blast Agency suppressed a yawn and straightened his posture. The three-day academic competition had attracted graduate students, renowned professors, and researchers from across the country. All listened to the speech from the Cyber Operations Commander with carefully neutral expressions.
The security officers stood like statues around the perimeter, their faces professionally blank. Occasionally, they exchanged glances—subtle signals passing between them.
_Secure._
_Secure._
One man, positioned in a zone with a direct sightline to the Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, kept particularly close watch. Deputy Director Joo Seolheon was scheduled to deliver the next speech, and even now—moments before his turn—he still clutched his manuscript with white-knuckled tension.
The security officer adjusted his stance, fighting a vague sense of unease. He had conducted a thorough inspection with the facilities team since early morning, checking every potential vulnerability to prevent accidents. But something still felt _off_.
Having previously served on the Blue House security detail, he knew the weak points in events like this all too well. In the past, while observing the complacent, pot-bellied head of security waddle through his duties, he had realized an uncomfortable truth: _No matter how elite the team, if they didn't truly understand the equipment and the environment, someone with genuine malicious intent could still slip through._
Preventing everything was impossible.
The only thing that truly mattered was _quick reflexes_.
> "Prepare. The room lights will be dimmed shortly. Do not leave your positions."
The command crackled through his earpiece.
> "A-2, confirmed."
>
> "A-3, confirmed."
>
> "A-4, confirmed."
The security officer banished all unnecessary thoughts and responded immediately. Moments later, the room lights began to dim, and a video flickered to life on the large screen via the overhead projector. It was a promotional piece summarizing the symposium's content—sleek graphics and measured narration.
The words **"Sponsored by NIS"** appeared on screen, held for a moment, then faded away.
And then—
> "Uh—"
A strange sound. Faint. Uncertain.
It crackled through Seoryeong's earpiece like static given voice.
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