November 12th, 2023, 21:00

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

  When Youn Tae-jin and Oh Hyuck-soo arrived, the building was in a mess. Numerous thugs from the Jun-pyo Gang were lying around the hideout and not a single window was intact. There were burnt marks on the walls too.

  Police were surrounding the area and multiple ambulances were on the scene to carry off the thugs lying on the floor. The thug named Sang-min had a bullet in his thigh and was on the entrance’s floor.

  Fifty-four thugs raided the Foreign Intelligence Unit 1’s hideout. Some were slightly injured but over 40 of them had gunshot wounds or severe wounds.

  “Damn…… this place is a mess,” Oh Hyuck-soo exclaimed when he arrived.

  One of the policemen attempted to stop Youn Tae-jin and Oh Hyuck-soo from approaching the scene.

  “Excuse me. This area is off-limits. Please step back.”


  “We are from the NIS.” Youn Tae-jin showed his ID to the policeman.

  “Huh? What is the NIS doing here……?”


  “That’s classified. Can we speak to the case’s lead, please?”


  “Ah! One moment.”


  The uniformed officer brought in a detective in plain clothes.

  “I am Detective Kang Man-jun from the Yongsung Police Department. You’re from the NIS?”


  “Yes, I am Team Leader Youn Tae-jin from the NIS. I would like you to section off the area so no one can enter. The Pyeong-yang branch will arrive soon. We will investigate the scene.”


  “Well, this area is within our jurisdiction.”


  “Yes, I am aware. However, this is a confidential matter. We will send in the official documents to take the case to your station.”


  “Hmm, very well.” Detective Kang Man-jun stepped back.

  “We are going to take a look at the scene.”


  “Yes, of course.”


  “Chief Oh, start from floor 3 and work your way down! Leave no stone unturned!”


  “Yes, sir!”


  While Youn Tae-jin and Oh Hyuck-soo were investigating the scene, multiple black vans arrived. They were the NIS agents from the Pyeong-yang branch and Team Leader Park Gi-oong.

  “Hey, you’re here!” Youn Tae-jin heard the vans pulling up and greeted Park Gi-oong.

  “What’s it like?”


  “Everything was over by the time we arrived! These thugs here sure made a mess.” Youn Tae-jin shrugged.

  “Damn it! I guess things are getting more complicated. Did you find anything?”


  “Hyuck-soo is still investigating.”


  “All right. Oh, this is Team Leader Nam Dae-jun from Pyeong-yang.”


  “Hello. I am Nam Dae-jun from the Pyeong-yang branch.” Team Leader Nam Dae-jun walked forward and shook Youn Tae-jin’s hand.

  “Hello. I am Youn Tae-jin. We have set up a parameter around the scene.”


  “Yes, my agents will continue the investigation.”


  As soon as Team Leader Nam Dae-jun finished speaking, the agents behind him moved their equipment into the building.

  “They had one hell of a fight, didn’t they?” Park Gi-oong angrily looked at the scene.

  Suddenly, newsagents with cameras started to swarm the area.

  “Great! The press is here.”


  * * *

  November 12th, 2023, 23:30

  The North State, Pyeong-yang, Hyungjesan-ku Osan-dong, Yong-gol Mountain

  The sudden appearance of thugs at their hideout made the North Korean agents pack up their gear to hide at the Yong-gol Mountain.

  “Who the hell are those bastards?” Oh Ji-wan wiped the sweat off his brow and asked Kang Tae-woo.

  “I am not sure, captain. Judging by their actions, they don’t seem to be police or intelligence agents.”


  Kang Tae-woo couldn’t figure out who the thugs were either. However, three agents within the Foreign Intelligence Unit knew about the thugs who visited them. They were Goo Sang-sik, Nam Gyu-tae, and Oh Gil-soo.

  “Do you guys know anything?”


  Oh Gil-soo flinched. Oh Ji-wan noticed that and immediately called him over while glaring at him.

  “Oh Gil-soo! Come here!”


  “Yes, yes, captain!” Oh Gil-soo hesitated and walked up to Oh Ji-wan.

  “Oh Gil-soo, you know something, don’t you? Tell me everything.”


  “Captain……”


  “Speak up, will you?” Kang Tae-woo scolded Kang Tae-woo.

  “So- sorry, sir.”


  “Sorry for what? Tell us everything, and don’t even think about lying.”


  When Kang Tae-woo placed his hand on the pistol on his hip, Oh Gil-soo started to cower and fessed up.

  “A few days ago……,”


  When Oh Gil-soo was about to speak, Goo Sang-sik and Nam Gyu-tae got on their knees and interrupted him, “Captain Oh Ji-wan, comrade! We’re sorry. It’s our fault.”


  “What? Goo Sang-sik, what is this?”


  Goo Sang-sik then confessed about their night out with the two other agents at The Emperor’s Saloon in detail.

  Smack!

  Nam Sang-won rushed to Goo Sang-sik and smacked him in the face.

  “You bastards, was it that night?”


  “So- sorry, sir. It was that night, comrade deputy.”


  “Didn’t I tell you idiots to go back to bed?! Didn’t I?!”


  Kang Tae-woo pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Nam Sang-won’s head.

  “You knew about this?”


  “No, sir. That night, Goo Sang-sik woke me up asking to go grab a drink, so I yelled at them to go back to sleep. That is all I know.”


  “You should have made sure they understood you the first time. Is this how you maintain leadership?”


  Nam Sang-man started to sweat from seeing Kang Tae-woo all ready to pull the trigger.

  “I am sorry, sir. I thought a scolding would be enough to bring them back to their senses.”


  “Shut up! I will kill every single one of you.”


  Kang Tae-woo cocked his pistol and placed his finger on the trigger.

  “Stop! Comrade Kang!”


  “Captain! I will take care of these fools myself, sir.”


  “What will a few thugs do to hinder our operation? As long as they are not South Josun intelligence agents or police, it’s fine.”


  “They caused an accident with only a few days left to our operation, didn’t they? The police will surely be involved……”


  “I said that’s enough! Shouldn’t we successfully carry out the mission as you said? If everyone dies here, what good will it be?”


  “I understand, sir.”


  “I will meet up with Jo Won-jin to find another place to stay. Comrade Kang, sit tight with the rest of our agents and start moving when you hear back from me.”


  “Understood, captain.”


  Oh Ji-wan started to glance around and moved through the grassy field. Kang Tae-woo started to pistol-whip Nam Gyu-tae, Oh Gil-soo, and Goo Sang-sik when the captain left his sight.

  Smack! Smack! Smack!

  “Consider yourselves lucky.”


  The three men fell onto the floor after being beaten for a few minutes. They started to moan and flinch while lying on the ground like frogs. Blood ran down their heads.

  “Don’t just stand there. Bandage these idiots up.”


  * * *

  November 13th, 2023, 14:30

  The South State, Kyungki-do, Paju-si, Gunnae-myeon, Josan-ri, Pamunjum

  The DMZ that once divided North and South Korea had become a nature reserve. Panmunjom, which was one of the tensest locations within the Korean Peninsula before the unification, had also become a tourist spot and changed to serve as an entrance to the DMZ nature reserve. Tens of thousands of tourists visited the reserve daily.

  The entrance of the nature reserve had four parking lots each the size of Yeoui Island, and all four were full of parked cars and tour buses.

  The tourists got off from their vehicles at the parking lots and started to board the hover buses headed to the Panmunjom entrance.

  The DMZ nature reserve was full of tourists, and the tourists from the New China Republic who had arrived at Incheon Airport two days ago were among them.

  The group seemed to be ordinary tourists, but there were a few men that stood out from the group. They attempted to blend in with the crowd, but to the man watching from afar, they did not look like tourists.

  “There are at least 15 of them.”


  A man muttered to himself and pretended to take pictures of the scenery, but secretly photographed the group of New China Republic’s tourists. It was Lee Ja-sung from the Foreign Intelligence Unit 1.

  “Sir! Could they really be here for travel? I don’t think there’s anything suspicious about them……,” Chief Oh Suk-jin said while taking pictures of his surroundings.

  “Just sit tight! My instincts are accurate.”


  Lee Ja-sung and Oh Suk-jin blended in with the tourists and continued to tail their targets.

  The NIS Foreign Intelligence Department’s database had information about spies and agents from Russia, America, China, and Japan. The intel had all been gathered through hacking and espionage. Two days ago, the database found 15 matches through the fingerprinting and retinal scans done at customs at Incheon.

  These were the men from the New China Republic’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Special Operations Forces.

  That was why Assistant Manager Lee Ja-sung and Chief Oh Suk-jin were pretending to be tourists and were watching the group from the New China Republic. The special forces men in the crowd did not know they were already exposed.

  * * *

  November 14th, 2023, 20:30

  The South State, Chungchung-do, Cheongju-si, the Aerospace Science Center, Parthenon research facility

  When Dr. Lee Su-jin heard from Namgoong-won about how the remaining alien technology had already been organized and saved within the Gaia system, she gave an official report to the Blue House.

  The final approval from the Blue House came through. The researchers from the X-1 lab started to go over the final diagnostics before the spaceship could take off.

  The scientists checked over every single part to make sure they wouldn’t malfunction. The spaceship had to travel a distance of 2 billion light-years. The distance was something unfathomable for humanity. Therefore, the scientists all hoped that the Hocula AI would be able to safely return the remains of the Splithians to their home planet of Sonia.

  Meanwhile, the Splithians who had been housed in the freezing chambers were placed in an anti-degradation chamber after being checked. The capsules were placed within the ship one by one.

  Namgoong-won also stayed behind to help the researchers.

  “Executive Namgoong! You must be sad, right?” Dr. Lee Su-jin came up to Namgoon-won, who had been taking a break in the corner of the X-1 lab, drinking coffee, and smiled.

  “Yes, I am, very much so, actually. It’s as if an old friend is leaving to somewhere far away.”


  “You’re right. You have known each other for seven years. I feel sad as well, I can’t imagine how you would feel.”


  “Ah! Dr. Lee, please don’t call me executive. I’m just Namgoong-won. I am no longer a researcher or an NIS agent.” Namgoong-won seemed flustered and scratched his head.

  “No, I saw you in the article about the successful businessmen of 2023. How could I just call you by your name?”


  “Come on! Doctor, just call me won……”
-

  Dr. Lee! We just finished the final diagnostics for the Hocula AI and the spaceship. Hocula has just confirmed the ship’s power level is at 100%- The head researcher for the X-1 lab spoke through the intercom.

  “It’s time.”


  “Yes, let’s get ready.”


  A dome connected to the surface started to open up. Then, the elevator with the spaceship aboard slowly moved to the surface.

  The spaceship was finally emerging to the surface after being pulled out of Daechung Lake and housed at the X-1 lab for seven years.

  The spaceship had not changed for over seven years. Only a few parts were repaired.

  With a soft hum, the spaceship started up and rose into the air. After emitting different colored lights, it shot up into the stars.

  It was gone in an instant.

  Hocula’s departure that only a few researchers got to witness was over. The researchers started to head back one by one, and only Namgoong-won was watching the dark sky. His eyes started to tear up. As he was about to wipe his eyes with his sleeves, Hocula’s voice came through his smartwatch-

  Namgoong-won, I am about to pass Venus. I think I will not be able to contact you anymore once I’m past it.

  “Oh! Hey, Hocula! I hope you return to Planet Sonia safely.”
-

  Thanks, Namgoong-won! Farewell!

  “Hugh! Thanks!”


  Crack!-

  One more thing. I improved some of the EVGS *crack* engine system. I have saved the data *crack* at database server 112’s *crack* folder. So, take a *crack* look.

  “Hocula! Hocula!”


  The communication with Hocula was cut off forever just like that.

  Tears finally started to fall from Namgoong-won’s eyes.