November 11th, 2023, 23:30

  The North State, Pyeong-yang, Daesung-ku, Bipa-dong, Bipa Street (The Emperor’s Saloon)

  Park Gi-oong and Youn Tae-jin who got Manager Oh’s promise, left the saloon.

  “Huff, puff.” Oh Hyuck-soo was leaning on the flowerbed near the entrance and breathed heavily. His clothes were torn, and blood was coming out of a gash on his forehead. The 10 large thugs, including the bald thug, were all on the floor groaning.

  “Whoa! Hey! Sorry. We were busy dealing with something inside and we forgot about you.” Team Leader Youn Tae-jin seemed shocked and headed towards Chief Oh Hyuck-soo.

  “God! Sir, you guys forgot about me? How could you guys just use me as bait?” Chief Oh Hyuck-soo started to complain as Team Leader Youn Tae-jin helped him up to his feet.

  “Hey! I told you. No one asked you to cause a scene.”


  “You said you wanted them out of the way!”


  Team Leader Youn Tae-jin started to change the subject after seeing Oh Hyuck-soo glaring in anger. “Hey! That didn’t mean you had to beat them to a pulp! We meant you should buy us some time by distracting them. You overdid it!”


  Oh Hyuck-soo did act brashly thinking the two team leaders had his back.

  “I am going to request for a transfer once this is all over.”


  “Hey! Come on now. I’m sorry, all right? Let’s go back to the motel and get a massage!”


  Park Gi-oong, who was taking the lead, shouted, “Come on! I’m hungry. Let’s grab something to eat!”


  “God! You’re no better, sir!”


  * * *

  November 12th, 2023, 13:20

  The North State, a building in Pyeong-yang, Yongsung-ku, Jungui-dong (the Foreign Intelligence Unit 1’s hideout)

  The agents from Foreign Intelligence Unit 1 went through daily meetings to prepare for Operation Typhoon 16, and they visited the locales they were planning to go to.

  During their planning, the agents received equipment and bombs from Jo Won-jin of the General Reconnaissance Bureau. They were given GPS sensors and monitoring equipment to track each other’s movements, beretta pistols with silencers to protect themselves, and powerful and portable IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device).

  Three teams were tasked with different responsibilities. The first team consisted of Kang Tae-woo, Nam Sang-won, Park Sung-sik, and Gwon Hyuck-gyun who were to conduct the most dangerous part of the mission. The second team with Captain Oh Ji-wan and Oh Gil-soo was in charge of evac. The final team was Goo Sang-sik and Nam Gyu-tae, who was standing by for backup.

  The Foreign Intelligence Unit 1 quickly ate their lunch and started to move. The first and second teams had left the area to survey their locales. Goo Sang-sik started to monitor his comrades’ locations through the monitor and Nam Gyu-tae stood watch over the hideout.

  Goo Sang-sik became bored from the monitoring duty that required him to watch the small screen all day. If this was the actual mission, then the anxiety would have made him less bored, but the fact this was a training exercise made the task mundane for him.

  “Gyu-tae! What are you doing?” Goo Sang-sik yawned and called over Nam Gyu-tae, who was watching the monitor connected to numerous security cameras.

  “What does it look like? I’m standing watch.”


  “What’s the point of standing watch? No one is going to come here. How about you go out and get us something to drink?”


  “Are you nuts? What are you going to do if Captain Oh catches us?”


  “Come on, we’ll just have one drink!”


  “God damn it! You bastard, what’s with you and drinking?”


  However, Nam Goo-tae must have also wanted a drink, so he picked up his coat after getting up. When their stunt at The Emperor’s Saloon after sneaking out of the hideout did not make the news, it made the men a bit lax.

  “I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”


  “All right. Hurry.”


  * * *

  November 12th, 2023, 19:20

  The North State, a street in Pyeong-yang, Yongsung-ku, Jungui-dong

  A group of men in black suits was patrolling the streets and showing pictures to pedestrians and shop owners.

  These men were the thugs under the Jyun-pyo Gang of The Emperor’s Saloon. They called in every man, including those from Seoul, to scour the entire area of Pyeong-yang. They even looked through the dark alleyways as well.

  The thugs had been patrolling the streets since 8 am this morning and they had blisters on their feet and suffered from muscle aches.

  “Hey, hey! I think you should take two guys and handle things from here, Sung-sik. I can’t go on any further,” the large man who was over 100kg sat down on a chair in front of a supermarket and ordered his subordinates.

  “Yes, boss!” The three thugs under him bowed and started to head out.

  “Hey, Hong-tae! Get me a drink from the supermarket too!”


  “Yes, boss! What should I get?”


  “Get me a Coke, and show the owner the picture too, all right?”


  “Yes, boss!”


  The thug named Hong-tae walked into the supermarket, pulled out a can of Coke from the fridge, and walked up to the register.

  “Ma’am. How much?”


  “Twenty dollars.”


  “Man, it must be so expensive because this place is in the middle of nowhere. Hey, do you recognize the men in this picture?” Hon-tae pulled out the photograph while he paid the woman.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them before.”


  “Really? Take a closer look.”


  When the rough-looking man insisted, the owner of the supermarket answered him with a frightened look on her face, “I, I don’t know.”


  “Ah! There’s no need to fear. I am a detective and we are looking for these criminals. Shouldn’t you help us, so the town can be safe with them behind bars?” Hong-tae, who was a college graduate, lied to the owner to calm her down and started walking out. That was when the owner stopped him.

  “Well! I am not certain, but I do think I have seen this man in the picture visit the store a few times.”


  “Really? When was the last time you saw him?”


  “Uh, yesterday afternoon. He bought soju and some snacks.”


  “Yesterday afternoon? Are you sure?”


  “Yes, I remember them.”


  “Do you know where they came from?”


  “They always come from the street a block up from here. That’s all I know.”


  ” Thank you, ma’am!” Hong-tae finished speaking to the supermarket owner and rushed to his boss seated on the chair with his legs spread open.

  “Boss! I think we found those bastards.”


  “What?”


  “The picture! The guys in the picture, boss.”


  “Wait, really?” The thug shot up from his chair.

  “Yeah, boss! According to the lady at the supermarket, this one came here yesterday afternoon to buy soju and snacks,” Hong-tae said as he pointed to one of the men in the photo.

  “So that must mean these sons of bitches are staying around here?”


  “That’s right, boss! The lady said they came from the street up the block.”


  The street Hong-tae was talking about was in the direction where the thug named Sung-sik took two of his men to.

  “Those sons of bitches! Hey! I’m going to contact our boss. You go up there with Sung-sik and search every single corner.”


  “Yes, boss!” Hong-tae bowed and started running up the street.

  “Hello.”
-

  Yeah, is that you Sang-min?

  “Yes, boss! It’s Sang-min. I think we found those bastards.”
-

  What? Where?

  “We’re at Yonsung-ku, Jungui-dong.”
-

  All right. I’ll send the guys over. Make sure to get them.

  “Understood.”


  Sang-min finished speaking to Manager Oh on the phone and started drinking his Coke. That was when a group of rough-looking men walked past the supermarket. It was Oh Ji-wan and his entourage who left their hideout to survey the area.

  Sang-min and Oh Ji-wan’s eyes met as his group walked past him and frowned. Sang-min wanted to subdue them with his gaze alone as any thug would. However, Oh Ji-wan ignored him and continued to walk up the street.

  “Whew! Who the hell is that guy? He looks worse than me, doesn’t he?”


  Sang-min looked at Oh Ji-wan and his entourage and crushed the Coke can with his hand.

  * * *

  November 12th, 2023, 20:30

  The North State, Pyeong-yang, Daesung-ku, Bipa-dong, Bipa Street (The Emperor’s Saloon)

  Park Gi-oong and his men, who had arrived at Pyeong-yang a day earlier to chase after the North Korean agents, were staying at a motel. The next morning, they received the classified information from Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin and decided to use the thugs to search for their targets while they looked for Lee Byung-hoo’s tracks at Pyeong-yang.

  However, they found nothing. The agents looked high and low to find a trace of Lee Byung-hoo, but they always seemed to lose him.

  Park Gi-oong and his crew had found nothing today, so they ate dinner and visited The Emperor’s Saloon once again.

  “Welcome.”


  The thugs who saw them yesterday during their brawl started to bow when they saw Park Gi-oong and his men enter the bar.

  Chief Oh Hyuck-soo yelled at them in a cocky manner, “Hey! Do you think we are thugs? Don’t bow!”


  “Yes, boss!”


  “Anyways, there are not many of you today, huh?”


  There were only three thugs compared to the ten who were standing at the entrance yesterday.

  “The, the thing is. Everyone is busy with something.”


  “Never mind. I don’t care.”


  The waiter who saw Park Gi-oong and his entourage walk in bowed and greeted them.

  Youn Tae-jin asked him a question, “Hey! Where’s your manager?”


  “He’s at the back office right now.”


  “Take us to him.”


  “Yes, of course!”


  They walked into the office under the waiter’s lead. Manager Oh was busy shouting at the phone and did not see Park Gi-oong and his agents enter the office.

  “Manager Oh! Did you find anything today?” When Team Leader Youn Tae-jin walked up to manager Oh, he jumped and dropped the phone.

  “Argh! You scared me.”


  “Why are you so jumpy?”


  “The, the thing is……”


  When Manager Oh started stuttering, Team Leader Park Gi-oong grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

  “What is it? You found something didn’t you?”


  “They found them? Why the hell didn’t you report to us? You son of a bitch!” Youn Tae-jin swore and smacked Manager Oh’s head.

  Smack!

  “Argh!”


  “Talk, you son of a bitch! What is it? Did you find them?”


  Manager Oh walked back a bit and spoke quietly, “The, the thing is, our boys called about finding their location an hour ago, and I sent all of them there……”


  “You sent them, and what?”


  “They just found their hideout.”


  “Really? Where?”


  “Well, I just got a call that the place is a mess……,” Manager Oh pointed to the phone he dropped.

  Park Gi-oong picked it up and shouted, “What the hell happened there?”
-

  These bastards, they have gu- guns. They are killing all of our guys. Boss! We need to call the cops.

  The person on the other side of the line was the thug named Sang-min.

  “Fuck! Call the cops, my ass.”


  Park Gi-oong tossed the phone and shouted at Manager Oh, “Hey, you bastard! Didn’t I tell you yesterday? If you find them, call me first and don’t do anything.”


  Park Gi-oong wanted to beat him to a pulp but stopped himself. However, Youn Tae-jin was different. He jumped over the sofa and kicked Manager Oh in the stomach.

  “Argh! I’m sorry. Those bastards turned the previous manager into a vegetable and I was going to teach them a lesson before calling you.” Manager Oh grasped his head and got on his knees.

  “Damn it! Where are they?”


  “They said 335 Jungui-dong, Yongsung-ku.”


  “Hey Tae-jin, go there with Hyuck-soo! I’m going to ask for backup from the Pyeong-yang branch and join you.”


  “All right, I’m on my way. Come on, Hyuck-soo!”


  “Yes, sir!”


  As Youn Tae-jin and Oh Hyuck-soo ran out of the office, Park Gi-oong pulled out his phone and muttered to himself, “Damn it! I shouldn’t have trusted these thugs!”