How a Salaryman Became an Underworld Boss

”When did you get back from the States, Commissioner Choi?”

As if trying to chase away his fatigue, Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong of the National Police Agency emptied his cup of coffee in one gulp before answering Chairman Yoon Jongu’s question.

”Last night.”

”You must still be exhausted from the flight, not to mention the jet lag. Wouldn’t it have been better to rest for a day or two?”

”I wish I could have. Unfortunately, something came up that couldn’t wait.”

”And what might that be? Let’s hear it.”

”What I’m about to tell you must remain absolutely confidential.”

”Secretary Song, check outside and then come back.”

”Yes, Chairman.”

As if he had read Yoon Jongu’s mind, Chief Secretary Song Dosok answered briefly, opened the office door, and stepped outside. Quite some time passed before he returned.

”Chairman, it’s clear. I’ve taken every precaution. Not even a mouse could slip through.”

”Excellent work. Now then, Commissioner Choi, go ahead.”

Choi Dongyeong instinctively glanced around before lowering his voice.

”I know why the FBI failed to capture Chen Zhihui alive.”

”What? And why was that?”

”The National Intelligence Service and our police secretly extracted him.”

”What?!”

Everyone present, myself included, was struck speechless.

The Korean police and intelligence service had secretly concealed Chen Zhihui. That was practically a crime in itself.

As though he had anticipated our reaction, the commissioner didn’t even blink.

”When you hear why we did it, you’ll understand.”

”Fine. We’re listening.”

”We obtained the Triad’s top-secret archives. They contain detailed maps of their bases and the structure of their intelligence network spread across the entire world. The value of those records is beyond measure.”

Only then did I fully understand the game Commissioner Choi Dongyeong and NIS Director Om Giyeon had been playing.

Chen Zhihui was the Triad’s second-in-command.

That meant he possessed an enormous amount of internal classified information.

If the FBI had captured him first, all the secret intelligence our police had gathered would have instantly lost its value.

Fearing exactly that, the police and the intelligence service had taken an insane risk and snatched him away right under the Americans’ noses.

To confirm my suspicion, I cautiously asked Commissioner Choi about it.

”Your deduction is absolutely correct, Director Cha.”

”I see. Where is he now?”

”He’s aboard a vessel in the Pacific Ocean that was prepared by our intelligence operatives.”

”Isn’t there a chance the American intelligence agencies will discover he was taken?”

”It’s been almost sixty hours since we moved him, and they still haven’t noticed anything.”

”That’s good to hear.”

”Director Cha, what do you think we should do with that bastard?”

I thought for a moment before replying.

”I think the decision should depend on how much information we can squeeze out of him.”

”His son, Chen Shao, already copied all the classified files from his computer.”

That meant whatever Chen Zhihui knew personally probably wouldn’t differ much from what we already had.

Before I could say anything else, Chairman Park Yeongil spoke first.

”Commissioner Choi, if there’s nothing left to get from the little bastard, is there any reason to keep him alive?”

”What does everyone else think?”

”I agree with Chairman Park,” Yoon Jongu said.

”I do as well...”

Even the stern Kang Inhan shared the same opinion.

But I saw things differently.

”I think keeping him alive isn’t such a bad idea.”

”Why?”

”He’s locked in a vicious struggle with his rival, Wei Chen, for control of the Triad. If we dump Chen Zhihui into the Pacific, Wei Chen will take over the entire organization without lifting a finger.”

”And why is that a problem?”

”If Wei Chen succeeds without resistance, he’ll preserve and even strengthen the Triad’s existing power.”

Only then did Choi Dongyeong grasp what I truly meant.

To weaken the Triad, Cha Jiham intended to force Chen Zhihui and Wei Chen into an endless struggle for supremacy.

And for that to happen, Chen Zhihui absolutely had to stay alive.

I asked the commissioner directly what he thought.

”You’re right, Director Cha. But there’s one essential condition.”

”What is it?”

”Chen Zhihui must never learn who actually saved him.”

”Why hide it?”

”Imagine the FBI eventually catches him anyway. What happens if he breaks under interrogation and admits the Korean police and intelligence service helped him?”

Just imagining the possibility made Choi Dongyeong shudder.

”Should we ask Director Om what precautions they’re taking?”

”One moment.”

The commissioner called NIS Director Om Giyeon. After a long and detailed conversation, he finally hung up.

”As a precaution, all the operatives are wearing masks and communicating exclusively in English.”

”That’s a relief. How about we make that bastard pay a hefty ransom for saving his life before we let him go?”

”A ransom?”

”He has more than two billion dollars hidden in secret accounts.”

”Hahaha!”

Choi Dongyeong burst into booming laughter.

Once he calmed down, I continued.

”North America is practically America’s backyard. We’ll have to drop Chen Zhihui somewhere the United States has very little influence.”

”Naturally.”

”That’s all from me. Now you really should get some rest.”

”Haha. Agreed. Well, I still have plenty of work waiting for me, so I’ll be going.”

After seeing the commissioner off, we returned to our previous discussion.

”Director Cha, are you sure Chen Zhihui will willingly part with his money?” Yoon Jongu asked.

”He was kidnapped by armed strangers. His own life is hanging by a thread.”

”Hmm... That makes sense.”

Yoon Jongu nodded thoughtfully before turning to Kang Inhan.

”By the way, Secretary Kang, have you managed to get a photograph of the scam syndicate leader Jeong Sanhak?”

”To obtain his picture, we first need to pressure the Scorpion Gang. But if we move against them now, those con artists may catch wind of it, disappear underground, and vanish.”

”So how do you intend to get his photo?”

”Team Leader Lee Hyeonsol is currently in Macau pursuing the fugitive K&J Bio CEO Go Yeongjun. I forwarded him the materials Director Glenn Nevers of the FBI gave us. Those documents include a photograph of Zhang Silin and his home address.”

”So by watching Zhang Silin, we’ll eventually find Jeong Sanhak?”

”Exactly, Chairman.”

”It would be perfect if we could use this opportunity to get a photograph of Jeong Sanhak.”

Bzzz... Bzzz...

At that very moment, Kang Inhan’s phone vibrated inside his pocket.

Looking at the screen, he said it was Lee Hyeonsol calling and answered immediately.

”Lee, what is it?”

”Chief, Zhang Silin is having lunch with a Korean man at a restaurant in Macau. He looks to be around forty, and his appearance matches the description you gave us perfectly.”

”Take a clear picture of his face immediately and send it to me.”

”I’ll send it the moment I hang up.”

”Understood. Report any changes without delay.”

As soon as Kang Inhan ended the call, his phone vibrated again.

Knowing exactly what it was, he immediately forwarded the photograph to me.

Realizing his intention at once, I promptly sent the picture to Jang Seokcho.

’Now all that’s left is to wait.’

Bzzz... Bzzz...

Before I even had time to catch my breath, my phone vibrated again.

Knowing who it was, I answered immediately.

”Mr. Jang.”

”Th-that... the man in the picture... that’s definitely Jeong Sanhak!”

Jang Seokcho’s voice trembled noticeably.

It was obvious just how much suffering he had endured.

”Whew... That’s a relief.”

”Where did you get his picture?”

”Now isn’t the best time to explain. I’ll tell you when we meet. I swear I’ll make that bastard and the entire Scorpion Gang pay for everything they did to you and recover everything they stole.”

”The money I lost to that swindler... that was my own stupidity, so I don’t expect to get it back. But the money the Scorpion Gang took from me by force... if possible, I’d really like to recover that.”

”If that bastard hadn’t tricked you in the first place, would you ever have lost that hundred thousand dollars?”

”...I can’t argue with that. Still... how much do I owe you for helping me?”

I’d sooner steal crumbs from a sparrow.

”Let’s call it repayment for all the free meals you fed me at your restaurant.”

”...Thank you. Truly.”

”Save your thanks until after I’ve recovered your money.”

After exchanging a few more words, I ended the call.

Chairman Park Yeongil immediately turned to me.

”Send Jeong Sanhak’s photograph to Director Glenn Nevers immediately.”

”I was just about to.”

I forwarded the picture to Glenn Nevers and, about a minute later, called him.

After several rings, his enthusiastic voice came through the receiver.

”Director Cha, is the man in the photograph really Jeong Sanhak?”

”That’s right, Director Nevers.”

”I’ll do everything I can to establish his true identity as quickly as possible.”

”I’m counting on you.”

”Agreed. Since we’re already talking, let’s discuss the situation with the Triad.”

”I’m listening.”

”The high-ranking Triad members are refusing to say a word during interrogation. Do you have any ideas for making those bastards talk?”

The FBI undoubtedly had some of the world’s finest investigators.

Extracting confessions from Triad members should have been well within their abilities.

Director Nevers knew that as well.

I asked him directly what the problem was.

”President Douglas declared that even criminals have rights and imposed an absolute ban on any harsh interrogation methods. Those bastards are taking full advantage of it.”

”I see. Then there’s a simple and effective way to ruin their plans.”

”Please, tell me.”

”China punishes drug-related crimes with extreme severity. What do you think will happen if you threaten to extradite them to China?”

”Hahahaha!”

Director Nevers erupted in booming laughter.

When he finally stopped laughing, he said,

”Director Cha, thank you for the excellent suggestion.”

”Director Nevers, you know what ’one good turn deserves another’ means, don’t you?”

”You want to ask me for a favor?”

”I won’t deny it.”

”First, I’d like to hear exactly what you’re asking.”

”Fair enough. There’s a company called K&J Bio. Korea Investment invested in it...”

I openly explained how Korea Investment had lost 500 billion won because of the fraudulent schemes of the fugitive K&J Bio CEO Go Yeongjun, describing the entire sequence of events in detail.

”...We’ve confirmed that he flew to Macau using a forged passport under the name Oh Yeongjun. Could you help us trace his movements after that?”

”That’s not difficult at all. Can you send me everything you have on him?”

”I’ll send it immediately.”

”Very well. Then I have a favor to ask you as well. Do you have any ideas for luring out and arresting Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui, who’s currently hiding somewhere in San Francisco’s Chinatown?”

My heart skipped a beat.

But even if my life depended on it, I couldn’t tell him the truth.

”Rather than answering directly, I’ll quote an old saying: time heals all wounds.”

”So you’re saying you don’t have a practical solution?”

”I do have one. I simply chose not to mention it because it would almost certainly spark a public backlash.”

”I’d still like to hear it.”

”Completely seal off San Francisco’s Chinatown so that not even the smallest gap remains, then methodically and thoroughly check every single Chinese person.”

”Hmm... I see.”

”And just as I told you last time, consider catching Chen Zhihui nothing more than an added bonus.”

”Understood. We’ll talk again later.”

Click.

After hanging up, I turned to Kang Inhan.

”Send Director Nevers all the information we have regarding K&J Bio and CEO Go Yeongjun.”

”Yes, sir!”

Kang Inhan’s loud, confident reply echoed throughout Chairman Park’s office.