21st Century Goguryeo

November 18, 2023, 03:00

Lava Street in Yongam-dong, Namil-gu, Kaesong-do, North State

After reunification, the Kaesong Special Economic Zone, which had developed most brilliantly alongside the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone, was transformed into a city as spectacular as any other city in Namju.

As a special economic district, various entertainment industries had developed in Yongam-dong, Namil-gu in the Kaesong area, and it had emerged as a new street for young people. Since then, the 24-hour neon signs along Lava Street where various billboards spread out had drawn the attention of young people, resulting in countless people walking around in excitement.

Although many politicians including Kim Jong-un, the former Chairman of the National Defense Commission, were killed in the terrorist bombing that day, the enthusiasm of the young people in this area could not stop.

Oh Ji-wan was wearing a hat as he walked as naturally as he could on this fancy street. But his eyes were scanning the surroundings with anxiety, like those of a predator looking for prey.

The news broadcast on television drew his attention, so he stopped in front of the shop and began watching the show-unit TV at the window. A 24-hour news channel was airing footage of yesterday's bombings, protests, and President Choo Un-Hee's public statement.

Watching the news had helped him to get a better understanding of the situation after the bombing attacks. Since he was on the run the whole day, he felt curious about it.

For him, the most important piece of information that he needed was the location of Jo Myung-rok. His comrades could be dead by now because of Jo Myung-rok's betrayal. Oh Ji-wan watched the news with a heart filled with rage.

"How long has it been?" He wondered after the news was over and the commercials were rolled out. Oh Ji-wan felt hungry and began looking around.

"There's a lot to eat here."

Oh Ji-wan noticed a Chinese restaurant on the second floor among the many restaurants. Perhaps because he had become accustomed to Chinese food while living there, he naturally gravitated toward it.

He muttered as he ascended the stairs, "Jo Myung-rok! I'm sure I'll get you, wait until then!"

Meanwhile, black vans equipped with hover systems arrived at the Lava intersection, Lava Street's starting point. Soon after, men dressed in regular clothes got out of the van.

Manager Lee Hye-jin stepped out of the van. Furthermore, Manager Lee Ja-sung and Team Leader Park Gi-oong, both members of the Foreign Intelligence Agency, exited the other one. This time, even Manager Lee Ja-sung was participating in the arrest operation.

"Communicator check!"

"Team one, check!"

"Team two, check!"

"Team three, check!"

Manager Lee Ja-sung approached Manager Lee Hye-jin, who was checking the communicator status with the other team leaders, and said, "Manager Lee! We'd better go to the other side and search the station."

"Yes, go ahead."

Team Leader Park Gi-oong, who was about to get back in the car again, said in a worried tone, "Manager Lee! Be careful. He isn't an ordinary guy."

"Yes, I understand. I'll be careful. You too, be careful."

"Okay, see you then."

When the van carrying Manager Lee Ja-sung and Team Leader Park Gi-oong began moving, Manager Lee Hye-jin teamed up with Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man to conduct a full-fledged search on Lava Street.

Around 80 on-site agents from the Anti-terrorism Investigation Bureau and 10 from the Foreign Intelligence Agency began searching for Jo Myung-rok in the shops and alleys along Lava Street.

The police and military forces could have been looking for the main culprits of the bombing, but the two reasons for anti-terrorist agents participating in the search for Oh Ji-wan were that the bloody armed suppression in the Peace Square and the public search operation could cause civilian casualties.

Agents from the Anti-terrorism Bureau and the Foreign Intelligence Agency, who were searching in pairs, marked the buildings on the tablet PCs linked to the database while searching so that their searches did not overlap.

"Manager, don't you think he has already run away?" Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man who had reached the meeting square in the center of the street said while looking at the tablet PC.

"Well, maybe, but even so, we must check! Where's the next building? "

"Alright, that building."

Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man pointed to one of the buildings that had yet to be searched on the tablet PC. It was the first building in the alley leading north from the meeting square.

"It's a five-story building. Assistant Manager Huh, take the elevator to the fifth floor and check floor-by-floor from the top. Meanwhile, I'll start on the first floor. "

"Separate simultaneous search?"

"We don't have time, do we?"

"Okay."

Manager Lee Hye-jin inspected the convenience store on the first floor after entering the building through the front door, while Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man took the elevator to the fifth floor.

Manager Lee Hye-jin entered the convenience store and wandered around the large store, pretending to pick up things while looking for suspicious people.

There were only young men and women who seemed to be college students.

"Have you ever seen someone look like him?" Manager Lee Hye-jin showed a picture to a convenience store employee and asked.

"Oh, no. I've never seen him."

"Okay, thank you."

Manager Lee Hye-jin left the convenience store and took the stairs to the second floor. A 24-hour Chinese restaurant was on this floor.

The unique scent of the Chinese food wafted out as soon as she opened the door. The employee greeted her as she went inside.

"Welcome."

"Ah, my friend said he would be here..."

"You can look for him."

After lying to the staff, Manager Lee Hye-jin looked inside, and a man in the corner wearing a hat eating black bean noodles caught her eyes.

"That looks like Oh Ji-wan."

Manager Lee Hye-jin suspected that man to be Oh Ji-wan. Thus, she sat at the table next to him without revealing her face. She then used her smartphone to text Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man.

"Found him. At Yongamru Chinese restaurant on the second floor. Notify the agents, come down and stand by at the stairs!"

She was cautious since she was afraid that arresting him right now might endanger the guests in the area. As such, she considered arresting him at the stairwell when he left the restaurant. She took out her laser weapon and prepared herself as naturally as she could.

Even though Oh Ji-wan was eating his black bean noodles, he kept aware of his surroundings. While eating, he accidentally touched the glass of water. As a result, it fell to the floor and rolled toward Manager Lee Hye-jin.

"Was it a mistake or did he do it on purpose?" Manager Lee Hye-jin was caught by surprise by the sudden action. However, she pretended to take out her smartphone as if nothing had happened, Meanwhile, Oh Ji-wan stood up and leaned down to pick up the glass.

"Get it!"

Oh Ji-wan was holding the glass, then suddenly he attacked Manager Lee Hye-jin and restrained both of her hands.

It's a mess!

Even though Manager Lee Hye-jin, who fell backward from the chair, was struggling to escape, she was overwhelmed by Oh Ji-wan's strength. Customers were startled by the struggle between Manager Lee Hye-jin and Oh Jin-wan and began screaming. As a result, the restaurant was in chaos.

F*ck! F*ck!

Oh Ji-wan's fist slammed into Manager Lee Hye-jin's face, knocking her out. Then, he drew a silenced handgun from the back of his waist and pulled the trigger.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Oh Ji-wan attempted to escape through the exit door after firing three shots at Manager Lee Hye-jin, but Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man, who had just come down the stairs, jumped inside and aimed a laser pistol at him.

At that moment, gunfire and laser-firing sound intersected.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ack! Ack!

Bullets splattered shards everywhere as customers hid under the table and screamed.

Oh Ji-wan hid behind a square pillar and quickly changed ammunition. Then, he searched around for an escape route. The only route out was through the window because the entrance was obstructed. The distance to the window, however, was five meters, which was neither far nor close. His eyes then saw two women trembling with their heads wrapped under the table.

Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!

Oh Ji-wan fired a series of shots and grabbed one of the female customers who was trembling beneath the table. Then he pulled her up, using her as a shield while pointing the gun at her head.

"Get back, you son of b*tch, or else she'll die." Oh Ji-wan shouted as he slowly walked back until he reached the window.

"Alright, alright, let her go!"

Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man was worried about Manager Lee Hye-jin, who was lying on the floor covered in blood. All he wanted to do was condone Oh Ji-wan's escape and take Manager Lee Hye-jin to the hospital as soon as possible.

Clink!

Hearing the sound of the window breaking, Oh Ji-wan threw himself out of the window at that moment.

Pot!

Oh Ji-wan jumped from the second floor through the broken window, landed on the roof of a car parked in an alleyway, and started to run.

"Right now, Oh Ji-wan is running along alley three. All agents must move immediately to that direction!" Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man confirmed the direction that Oh Ji-wan was taking through the broken window, then immediately informed the agents through the communicator and examined Manager Lee Hye-jin's body.

"Manager! Are you okay?"

To stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound, Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man removed his jacket and pressed it against the wound.

"Please call 119. Please hurry."

Oh Ji-wan ran with all his might through the complicated alleys of Lava Street. Despite this, he was pursued by Manager Lee Ja-sung and Team Leader Park Gi-oong, who had been searching on the opposite side of Lava Street at the time and rushed there after hearing Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man's words through the communicator. They found Oh Ji-wan and started chasing him.

"Gasp! Gasp! Manager Lee had been seriously injured."

While running with all his might, Team leader Park Gi-oong told Manager Lee Ja-sung through the communicator.

"I know. Damn it! How I will be able to face Namgoong-won? If I catch this jerk, I'll tear him to pieces. You turn left in this alley!"

"Yes! I got it."

In the two-way alley, Team Leader Park Gi-oong turned left and Manager Lee Ja-sung went straight.

* * * * *

November 18, 2023, 04:00

LF apartment in Jamsilbon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South State

Beep beep! Beep beep!

Namgoong-won was deep asleep when the phone rang. He mistook it for the sound of the alarm clock, so he moved his body to switch off the alarm.

Beep beep! Beep beep!

As the phone continued to ring, Namgoong-won realized it was the phone ringing, so he picked up the smartphone from the table.

"Hello."

"Chief Nam! I'm Assistant Manager Huh Sang-man."

"Oh no, why is Assistant Manager Huh calling me at this time?" Namgoong-won, who was awakened by ominous thoughts, asked, "No way, did something happen to Hye-jin?"

"Well, you have to come to Kaesong University Hospital right now."

Namgoong-won had been stunned even before Huh Sang-man finished speaking. He dropped his smartphone.

"Oh, no. Hye-jin... No way!"

Namgoong-won absent-mindedly dressed as casually as he could and dashed to the apartment's underground parking lot, where he got into a sports car.

Boo! Boo!

Namgoong-won's sports car soon entered the freeway that connected to Kaesong through the Gangbyeon Expressway. He was driving at nearly 200 kilometers per hour.