How a Salaryman Became an Underworld Boss

Recently, North Korea has been drifting away from its longtime ally China while maintaining increasingly close ties with Russia.

Perhaps because of that, relations between North Korea and China had grown rather cold.

Even so, Eastern Shipping had somehow managed to import twenty forty-foot containers of North Korean weapons.

I couldn’t help asking Vice Chairman Wei Chen exactly how Eastern Shipping had pulled it off.

”I was curious myself, so I asked Sheng Kou. He told me Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan had called in his connections.”

”That man really does seem to have his fingers in every pie.”

”Ha-ha-ha.”

The current situation was extremely serious.

Vice Chairman Wei Chen understood that perfectly well.

Even so, his laughter was merely an attempt to lighten the oppressively tense atmosphere.

After waiting for him to finish laughing, I continued.

”Vice Chairman Wei, when is the Silver Crystal scheduled to leave port?”

”It’s scheduled to depart on Sunday morning. By the way, couldn’t the United States simply intercept and seize the Silver Crystal?”

At that instant, a sharp pain shot through my temples.

Because I had finally seen through Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui’s plan.

If his scheme worked, the Americans would never be able to seize the Silver Crystal, no matter what they did.

Having already thought of a way to completely destroy his plan, I answered Wei Chen’s question.

”I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

”I’d like to hear why you think so.”

”After leaving the Port of Dalian, the Silver Crystal will sail along China’s territorial waters. To seize the ship, the United States would have no choice but to violate Chinese territorial waters. If that happened, the Chinese Navy would invoke its right of self-defense and simply sink the American warship.”

”But the Silver Crystal will eventually have to leave Chinese territorial waters to reach the Philippines, won’t it?”

”There’s a high probability that the Silver Crystal will sail all the way down to Hainan Island before entering the South China Sea. Since China claims sovereignty over the South China Sea, the United States can’t act recklessly there either.”

”Then what should we do?”

There was unmistakable anxiety in Wei Chen’s voice.

As for me, I wasn’t particularly worried.

I already had several possible solutions.

”There are two approaches—a passive one and an active one.”

”I knew Director Cha would already have a plan!”

Wei Chen’s dejected tone changed almost instantly.

”I have a plan, but it’s far from perfect.”

”I understand. Let’s hear the passive method first.”

”We leak information to the press that the Silver Crystal is carrying North Korean weapons. Once the entire world knows about it, the Chinese government will have no choice but to seize the ship themselves.”

”Hmm... I see. Then what’s the active method?”

I’d expected Wei Chen to agree with the passive approach.

Instead, he asked about the active one with a distinctly dissatisfied expression, as though my first proposal hadn’t appealed to him at all.

Wondering what was really on his mind, I explained the active option.

”Board the Silver Crystal and destroy the containers carrying the North Korean weapons.”

”Which method do you personally prefer, Director Cha?”

”If we choose the active method, we’ll have to deal with several accompanying risks.”

”Tell me about those risks.”

”First, boarding the Silver Crystal itself won’t be easy. Second, even if we successfully get aboard and blow up the containers carrying the North Korean weapons, the neighboring containers will inevitably be damaged in the chain reaction. And third, Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui and Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan won’t simply sit back and watch.”

”What about those two?”

”By now, Vice Chairman Chen has almost certainly learned that Sheng Kou was captured by you, Vice Chairman Wei. If the containers carrying the North Korean weapons are destroyed, they’ll immediately point the finger at you.”

Wei Chen shook his head.

”As a precaution, I arranged for Sheng Kou to remain in periodic contact with Chen Zhihui. He has no idea Sheng Kou has been captured.”

”I see. Then I withdraw the third risk.”

”I’d like to choose the active method. What do you think, Director Cha?”

I had politely explained every risk associated with the active option.

Yet Wei Chen stubbornly ignored the smooth paved road and insisted on forcing his way through a field of thorns.

I cautiously asked why.

”Chen Zhihui is an incredibly stubborn and relentless man. He’ll stop at nothing to deliver those North Korean weapons to Abu Sayyaf. I want to destroy the containers so he’ll understand he can forget about it.”

”But if we choose the active method, we won’t be able to teach Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan a lesson.”

”The North Korean weapons are aboard the Silver Crystal, which belongs to Eastern Shipping, aren’t they?”

”The incident involving the Silver Crystal will take place inside Chinese territorial waters. With Deputy Secretary Zhang’s influence, covering up the fact that the ship was carrying North Korean weapons would be effortless.”

”I understand what you’re saying, but I still want the active method.”

Stubborn people... They’d rather smash their heads into a wall than change their minds.

”I warned you there were too many risks.”

”Even if you try to persuade me otherwise, Director Cha, it won’t make any difference.”

At that moment, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan, who had been silently observing our conversation, finally spoke.

”Vice Chairman Wei, if we choose the active method, how do you intend to deal with the risks Director Cha mentioned?”

”Hmm...”

Wei Chen hesitated as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

We remained silent, giving him time to think.

After quite a while, he finally finished considering the matter and spoke.

”If we board the Silver Crystal while it’s still docked in the Port of Dalian, the first risk can be eliminated without much difficulty.”

”But to board the ship, we’d first have to get into the port itself.”

”We have people working inside the Port of Dalian.”

”Then that won’t be a problem. What about timed explosives? You’ll need them to destroy the containers. Can you get them?”

”If we wanted to, we could even get our hands on missiles.”

”Hmm. I see. Then how do you plan to deal with the damage to the surrounding containers?”

”To be honest, I don’t have an answer for that.”

Just then, Lee Menghong suddenly joined the discussion, as though he had something to contribute as well.

”Vice Chairman Wei, if an accident occurs aboard the Silver Crystal, Eastern Shipping will be responsible for paying all the compensation.”

”Ha-ha-ha!”

Wei Chen burst into loud, booming laughter, clearly delighted by the thought.

Pan Kai also understood the implication and broke into a broad grin, exposing his bright pink gums.

After their laughter subsided, Lee Menghong continued.

”Once the containers carrying the North Korean weapons are destroyed, Eastern Shipping will naturally launch an investigation.”

”Most likely.”

”To make sure neither you nor Sheng Kou come under suspicion, you should place timed explosives on as many containers as possible.”

”Ah... now I see what you’re getting at!”

Having made his point brilliantly, Lee Menghong stepped back, and I took over the conversation once again.

”Vice Chairman Wei, are you really determined to destroy those containers?”

”We have a chance to humiliate both Chen Zhihui and Deputy Secretary Zhang at the same time. Why would I turn that down?”

”Very well. In any case, I understand your position. Now let’s discuss the practical side.”

”What do you mean by the practical side?”

”Do you know the dimensions of the Silver Crystal?”

Wei Chen deliberately turned his gaze toward Pan Kai.

Immediately understanding what he meant, Pan Kai made a brief phone call, exchanged a few words with someone, and hung up.

”Director Cha, the Silver Crystal is a container ship with a capacity of six thousand TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit).”

”I see. Do you know the seal numbers and container numbers of the containers carrying the North Korean weapons?”

”Of course.”

”And do you know exactly where those containers are located aboard the Silver Crystal?”

Pan Kai instantly understood the implication behind my question.

The Silver Crystal could carry up to six thousand twenty-foot containers.

Knowing the exact location of the containers carrying the North Korean weapons was therefore absolutely critical.

Otherwise, searching for them would consume an enormous amount of time.

”I’ll have that information no later than tomorrow.”

”One last thing. Shipping containers are extremely sturdy. An ordinary timed bomb probably won’t be enough to breach them. Keep that in mind.”

Bzzz—

Suddenly, the phone lying on the table began vibrating.

I glanced at the screen.

The caller was Director Eddie Griffin.

After apologizing to Wei Chen and everyone else present, I answered.

”Director Griffin, I’m listening.”

[”I’ve been informed that Vice Chairman Wei Chen and Director Pan Kai have arrived in Dandong.”]

”Yes, I’m with them right now.”

[”I see. What’s the purpose of their visit?”]

Covering the receiver with my hand, I briefly explained my conversation with Director Griffin to Wei Chen.

Wei Chen nodded, indicating that I could tell him everything.

Inclining my head slightly in thanks, I resumed the call.

”Vice Chairman Wei came here to clean up the mess Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui created.”

[”What kind of mess?”]

”Two months ago, Abu Sayyaf, based on the Philippine island of Mindanao, approached him about purchasing another shipment of North Korean weapons.”

I concealed nothing.

I told Director Griffin everything Wei Chen, Pan Kai, and I had discussed.

He needed to know the full situation as well.

”...And just now we were discussing ways to destroy the containers carrying those North Korean weapons.”

[”Do the Triad’s people even have the skills necessary to destroy those containers?”]

”I haven’t had a chance to assess their capabilities yet.”

[”Hmm...”]

Director Griffin fell silent, apparently thinking something over.

Fortunately, the pause didn’t last long.

[”Director Cha, what if our American special forces destroy those containers instead?”]

”...What!?”

[”You know perfectly well that the training of our special forces is on an entirely different level from that of some Triad members.”]

”I agree with you on that, Director Griffin, but isn’t that taking an unnecessary risk?”

[”They’re already going deep into China to destroy the kamikaze drone factory. Compared to that, infiltrating a container ship in port is child’s play. They could blow up those containers with their eyes closed.”]

”I understand your reasoning, but is it really necessary to use them?”

[”You’ll understand once you hear me out.”]

Director Griffin’s voice suddenly became extremely serious.

”I’m listening.”

[”According to our intelligence, an additional eight thousand five hundred Public Security officers and forty-eight thousand Chinese troops have been deployed around Dandong.”]

”That’s an impressive number.”

[”Even after the NIS agents and the American special forces destroy the kamikaze drone factory, not every police officer and soldier will rush to Fengcheng.”]

The owner of Eastern Shipping was Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan.

If anything happened to the Silver Crystal, he’d be informed immediately.

The moment he received the report, he’d place the police and military units stationed in Dandong and Dalian on full alert.

The police and military would rush to the port where the Silver Crystal was docked to deal with the incident.

And if their attention were diverted there, eliminating the North Korean hacking organization and destroying the warehouse storing components for mobile launchers would become much easier.

To confirm my suspicion, I questioned Director Griffin.

[”Your assessment is absolutely correct, Director Cha.”]

”But I can’t unilaterally decide to change who’s responsible for destroying the containers.”

[”Naturally.”]

”I’ll discuss it with Vice Chairman Wei Chen and call you back.”

[”I’ll be waiting for good news.”]

Click.

The moment I hung up, Wei Chen spoke as though he’d been waiting for exactly that opportunity.

”Director Cha, what did Director Griffin say?”

”He proposes having the American special forces destroy the containers carrying the North Korean weapons.”

”Tell Director Griffin that I accept his proposal.”

It was as though an enormous weight had been lifted from Wei Chen’s shoulders. He seized the proposal with both hands, happily casting off a heavy burden.