Cheolgu Park casually tossed aside the pistol he had taken.
“Gag their mouths so we don’t hear any wailing.”
“Earlier, you said you’d make them confess………….”
“Hey! I told you, there’s a proper order to things. I’m with Central Intelligence.”
The Taeseong Group bodyguards shoved gags into the mouths of the knocked-out men.
“If you’ve got handcuffs, put them on.”
“……”
“If you’ve got masks, put those on too.”
“……”
The Taeseong Group bodyguards glared at Cheolgu Park with a hint of defiance.
“You’ve been butting into our work for a while now. Civilians should back off at this point.”
“I’m not a civilian, I told you—I’m Central Intelligence.”
Cheolgu Park opened his wallet and flashed his ID.
“Just think of it as me doing a little off-the-books investigation.”
Interest
Central Intelligence mainly tracked down North Korean spies and left-wing offenders, as well as gathering information related to North Korea and foreign affairs.
They exercised real investigative and prosecutorial authority, manipulating the prosecution, police, and correctional institutions from behind the scenes.
Clack, clack!
A bodyguard pulled out handcuffs and fastened them on.
His attitude radiated dissatisfaction and annoyance.
Not that it mattered.
Cheolgu Park even found and tossed out several more hidden jackknives.
Clack, clack, clack-clack-clack!
When Cheolgu Park started disassembling the guns, the Taeseong bodyguards couldn’t hide their surprise.
One of the guards, unable to contain his curiosity, spoke up.
“You’re seriously fast at breaking down firearms. Do they teach you that at Central Intelligence?”
“Oh, this isn’t from Central Intelligence—it’s something I picked up in the army.”
“The army? Which unit were you with?”
“Special Forces. Spent my whole service hunting down armed infiltrators, one after another.”
Cheolgu Park replied nonchalantly.
But the guard, suddenly realizing something, blurted out in shock.
“W-wait! Armed infiltrators… your year of commission, by any chance…?”
“My class year? Or you mean officer commissioning year? I got held back two years for causing trouble at the Academy.”
“Huh? If you got held back two years for a big incident… could it be your name is…?”
“Park Cheolgu.”
“Gasp! Are you… the legendary Bbak Colonel?”
Bbak Colonel?
Even with the surname Park, no one would just casually stick a nickname like that on a colonel.
The Taeseong Group bodyguards immediately snapped into a sharp salute.
“You’re the one who headbutted a one-star general in the forehead so hard you sent him to the hospital!”
“The legend who left the army that very day and jumped to Central Intelligence!”
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir!”
Their eyes blazed with admiration.
“Strongest soldier since the founding of the army!”
“The worst nightmare for armed infiltrators!”
“The specialist in spy-hunting!”
“The medal collector for capturing spies!”
They must be meeting him for the first time, yet the Taeseong Group bodyguards’ goodwill and loyalty seemed to skyrocket in an instant.
“Oh, you wanted a mask earlier, right? There aren’t any, but here’s a pair of coffee-colored stockings. Should we just put these on their faces?”
“Bbak Colonel, we’ll take care of these bastards!”
“There’s no reason for you to trouble yourself over these low-life punks!”
Cheolgu Park furrowed his brow tightly.
“No. These guys might not be simple robbers—they could be spies.”
“……All of a sudden?”
“Let’s just assume they’re spies. I’m kind of an expert in this field, you know. I’m with Central Intelligence’s Public Security Division.”
“Ah……! As expected!”
Sure enough, all the titles attached to Cheolgu Park seemed connected to ‘spy’.
“So, you’re leaving these bastards to me, right?”
“Of course!”
Cheolgu Park grabbed the unconscious agents by the collar and dragged them off.
He even hummed a tune—his steps light and springy.
“Damn, why is it no matter how many of these spy bastards I beat down, they never go extinct!”
He stopped in front of a garden faucet, meant for watering the yard.
He twisted the tap open all the way.
As a bonus, he pinched the end of the rubber hose to crank up the pressure.
Spla-aaash!
The Central Intelligence agents, suddenly doused in icy water on a winter night, snapped awake.
“Mmmph! Mmmp mmmp!”
But their mouths were gagged, their hands cuffed, and their bodies tightly bound.
They couldn’t even open their eyes easily, thanks to the stockings that had somehow been pulled over their heads.
On top of it being nighttime, the shade from the garden trees was especially deep.
That just made it scarier—like being dragged into a secret underground torture chamber.
“Do you even realize who you’ve messed with?”
“Mmmp mmmp!”
“Didn’t something feel off, even as you climbed the wall?”
“Mmmp!”
“Why are there so many people guarding this house, why is the wall so high, and just who the hell is this guy anyway? You don’t have a clue, do you?”
“……!”
“But you probably realize at least this one thing.”
Cheolgu Park grinned.
“You guys are screwed, aren’t you?”
His threat seemed to work—their desperate squirming abruptly ceased.
“How about vanishing without a trace for attempted assassination of an important figure?”
“Mmmp mmmp!”
They shook their heads frantically.
“Your punishment… let’s think about it after I beat you up.”
Whack! Thud! Whack! Crack!
That was the sound of foreheads breaking.
Smack! Slap! Crack!
All he did was slap them, but for some reason, the sound of flesh splitting and bones breaking echoed as well.
I ended the shared vision with the Grim Reaper.
Watching how expertly Cheolgu Park dished out punishment, I felt thoroughly refreshed.
Even the top nationwide gangsters would bow to his skills.
If you’ve got the ability to beat up armed infiltrators and win medals for it, that says it all.
‘They paid back both the slap and the debt from the water bucket, with hefty interest. That fierce way of beating people—suits my taste perfectly!’
Leaving the intruders to Cheolgu Park,
I grabbed the fire poker and rummaged through the campfire.
“Oh, it’s cooked nicely.”
Hot steam rose from the potatoes and sweet potatoes.
They were snacks for the bodyguards and Cheolgu Park, who had worked hard catching the thieves tonight.
It’s only natural to want to offer something to those who’ve gone through trouble!
“Gentlemen, you must be cold! Please, come over and have some snacks!”
Of course, I’d prepared drinks to go with them.
The Taeseong Group bodyguards blinked in disbelief.
“White Marlinn Red Wine, 1947?”
“There’s Lafiqueubourg Red Wine, 1959, too!”
“H-how much do these wines even cost?”
I smiled brightly.
“It’s all the same once it’s in your stomach. If you’re going to drink, might as well enjoy the good stuff.”
“That’s not right, young master. You might not realize it since you’re still young, but you could get in big trouble later for handing out things like this so casually.”
“I’m just giving my own wine to my own people. Who’s going to complain?”
These were bottles from the wine cellar in our home’s underground bunker.
The storage conditions were excellent, as you’d expect from a well-built basement.
“These people have been outside in the freezing night—I should at least treat them this much. Just a single glass each, so you won’t get drunk, okay?”
The Taeseong Group bodyguards licked their lips and nodded.
I brought out a punch bowl I’d taken from the kitchen.
“I thought wine glasses might be too small, so I picked out something a little bigger.”
“……!”
A thunderous applause broke out.
No need to look so moved, though.
Oops, I forgot the wine opener. Oh well.
I picked up a jackknife that was lying on the garden floor.
“Young master, please put that down! That’s a dangerous object!”
Pop!
I opened the cork with ease.
It was a skill I’d honed at the Songolmae Pawnshop.
Once again, I’m great at opening safes, doors, and bottle caps.
A red wine cork is nothing—I can pop it open without a wine opener in a single go!
“……!”
This time, the applause was joined by whistles.
The Taeseong Group bodyguards were now looking at me like I was some kind of cute animal.
That kind of gaze felt awkward. I just couldn’t get used to it.
I decided to quickly change the subject.
“I can open handcuffs too, you know. Want me to do that?”
“……”
Why are they looking at me more and more like I’m an exotic creature?
As expected, when there’s drinking, it’s only right for a kid to excuse themselves.
I bowed politely with my hands on my belly.
“Thank you so much for protecting my mother and me. Truly.”
The Taeseong Group bodyguards beamed.
“Oh, it’s nothing. We just did what we had to.”
“We’re just relieved the young master is safe.”
“Young master, you shouldn’t be outside in the cold for so long. You’ll catch a cold.”
“Peel a roasted sweet potato for him. And pick out a well-cooked potato too.”
Cheolgu Park swaggered over, looking completely satisfied.
“I came here chasing my dreams~♬ Sadness and hardship, all step aside~♬”
It felt as if a weight of ten years had been lifted from my chest.
The death countdown that used to sparkle above Cheolgu Park’s head had vanished, too.
‘Did those bastards almost get Cheolgu Park killed?’
Those despicable punks!
Honestly, I felt like dumping them on the mountain behind.
With how much they’d been beaten and now drenched in cold water, they wouldn’t survive the night.
But this wasn’t some back-alley world, and there were plenty of eyes watching.
“Ooooh! Just what I needed! Roasted sweet potatoes! Roasted potatoes! Don’t you have any roasted chestnuts?”
Says the guy who’d already stuffed himself like a starving beggar at dinner and then finished off an entire bag of fried bread snacks!
I leaned in and whispered quietly into Cheolgu Park’s ear.
“Mister, what should we do with those guys?”
“Hmmm!”
“Don’t even dream of letting the gun-wielding bastards sleep in our house.”
I folded my fingers one by one as I spoke.
“The street, Seoul Station, a park bench, the police station, or maybe the mountain behind!”
“Ooooh! You’re a genius! So smart! That’s a perfect solution! Wahahaha!”
So Cheolgu Park was thinking about the mountain too!
In winter, there’s nothing better than a detention center at the police station to keep from freezing your face off, huh? Ha!
Cheolgu Park tucked his hands under my armpits and spun me around in the air.
“Waaah!”
Seriously, this little kid body is something else!
Why is this so fun!
President Cha was listening to a report from Kim Secretary in his home office.
He looked utterly exhausted.
It was all because of the emergency group executives’ meeting he had called that afternoon.
Every affiliated company had to give a report, and the Q&A session just kept dragging on.
The longer it went, the higher President Cha’s voice had risen.
“All I ever hear from you people is that there’s no problem! You all have so much you claim you’ll do, but none of you have properly prepared for what comes after! Do you think everything will just work out if you just muddle through?”
That was why President Cha was still fuming.
“They all keep saying there’s nothing to worry about, just like parrots! But if I ask about results, suddenly they’re all sorry and embarrassed!”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
“These guys aren’t doing the work I tell them! And already they’re all angling to see whose side to take! I’m not dead yet! The nerve of these punks!”
President Cha gulped down a glass of ice water that Kim Secretary brought him, instead of the hot honey water his wife had prepared.
Clack!
“Kim Secretary.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to win that Line 2 Subway project, no matter what.”
“You will, sir.”
“A massive project with an estimated bid estimate of 180 billion won! A minimum construction period of five years! The world’s top-class civil engineering skills required for a national infrastructure project! The very history of Korea, something Seoul citizens will think of every time they commute!”
Thump!
President Cha clenched both fists.
“I want Taeseong’s name written in that history.”
“And it will be, sir.”
“Ukwang has been throwing bribes at high-ranking officials, the press, and politicians alike. Taeseong can’t just sit back and watch.”
On President Cha’s desk lay a file with a black cover.
The title on the cover read .
It was top-secret internal Central Intelligence material, handed to him by his seven-year-old grandson.
“Even if Ukwang spread the bribes, Taeseong is the one who should reap the rewards.”
A weapon brought by his grandchild, the first time they’d met, asking him to take good care of them.
How could he put into words just how precious that was?
So from now on, this old man would take matters into his own hands!
“Let’s hit everyone named in this document. Quietly, discreetly—but chillingly. You know how to intimidate them, right?”
“Of course, sir. I’ll move without leaving a trace, so the arrows of anger are turned toward Ukwang.”
“Good. There’s less than a month left before the subway construction bid. Do we need more manpower?”
“No problem, sir. I’ll unleash some back-alley fixers and temporarily hire some cleaners.”
“Excellent. So, what about the Japanese guys that the president of Ukwang Construction called in?”
Kim Secretary’s eyes flashed coldly behind his silver-rimmed glasses.
“We’ll have to meet them ourselves, since we need advanced tunnel engineering techniques for the underground project.”