21st Century Goguryeo

December 7th, 2023 20:30

External Intelligence Bureau, National Intelligence Service, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Namju (Section 2 Interrogation Room)

Jjang Chun, who had suffered yet another blow by Chief Park Won-ho and who will never forget the number of times he had passed out, was crouching on the floor and moaning.

"Start now!"

Director Lee Young-jin entered the small room beyond the reflection mirror of the interrogation room to watch Jjang Chun being interrogated.

Director Lee Young-jin was sitting in a chair under the guidance of a team member, while Kang Ki-won, director of the Foreign Intelligence Agency, gave instructions through a microphone.

"Let's start."

Under the instruction of Director Kang Ki-won, agents from the second and third teams of External Information entered the interrogation room, helped Jjang Chun up, and sat him down on a chair. On the opposite chair, sat Chief Kim Sung-hyun, the Chief of the 3rd team who was fluent in Mandarin. He placed a document with questions written on it on the table. Then he clasped his hands together and gave Jjang Chun a vicious look.

"Okay! I'm going to start asking you questions now. It would be good for you to say everything you know without holding anything back. Otherwise, you will spend the whole day being beaten tomorrow. Do you understand what I mean?"

Jjang Chun flinched at the words of Chief Kim Sung-hyun. He didn't want to have any more terrible experiences like today. As soon as fear came, he flinched without realizing it. The stronger his mental strength, the more likely he was to face a mental breakdown. If that were to happen, he could fall so far down that he would never be able to get back up. As such, this was the only thought in Jjang Chun's mind as he was helplessly beaten all day long.

"Well, ask me anything. I'll tell you everything."

Jjang Chun, who struggled to open his mouth, seemed to have given up on everything.

"Yeah, you'll have to do that."

Chief Kim Sung-hyun, who looked at the first page of the list of questions, asked the first question.

"Affiliation?"

"The 2nd team of Black Tiger's overseas intelligence team."

"Name?"

"Zhang Yixing. My nickname is Jjang Chun."

"Jjang Chun! Where did you get the details regarding classified information of the plasma core technology?"

"I got it from Black Tiger's Director of overseas intelligence."

"Hey! What I'm saying is, from whom and how did Black Tiger get Woo Jin-gil and his family's information?"

"That's..."

"Why? Don't you want to tell me? Then, should I watch you get beaten again this time tomorrow?"

"Oh, no never mind."

Jjang Chun waved his hand and panicked.

"Then tell me what you know. If you act like you don't know once more, today's interrogation will be over and you'll have a terrible experience again."

"Yes, yes, I know that we received information about Professor Woo Jin-gil from the Korean Intelligence Agency two years ago."

Chief Kim Sung-hyun, who had been asking questions in a gloomy tone with a malicious look the whole time, was surprised on the inside.

"What? Korean Intelligence Agency?"

"Yes, that's what I know."

"If you are telling me that it's a member of the Korean Intelligence Agency, who exactly are you referring to?

"It's not the National Assembly, but I know it's a high-ranking official of the investigation."

"A high-ranking official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation?"

"I'm not sure about that. I'm also a Chief of the field team, so I don't know much about the level above that."

Jjang Chun begged with a look asking for them to believe him.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) had a special potion called the medicine of truth that made criminals confess to their crimes. However, the NIS had refrained from using it due to fatal side effects. For fear of the side effects, the agent chose a conventional method for Jjang Chun, which seemed to be working perfectly.

At that time, Director Lee Young-jin, who was watching everything that was going on from a small room across the interrogation room, asked Director Kang Ki-won with a firm look.

"Who do you think the high-ranking official in the Bureau of Investigation is?"

"Well, I think it's Deputy Director Kim Hyung-chul who was imprisoned in a detention center for national overthrow this time."

"You think the same way as well."

"I don't think anyone but him would do this."

"Yes, as you said, Deputy Director Kim Hyung-chul is the most suspicious. It is pathetic to leak information to the enemy country that will lead to the leakage of state secrets following the terrible crimes against people and national overthrow. However, since we can't confirm that it is Kim Hyung-chul, we need an investigation into the Bureau of Investigation, and Director Kang Hyuk would be in trouble again."

While Director Lee Young-jin was flicking his tongue and looking at the dark ceiling, the interrogation in the room across from him continued.

* * *

December 10th, 2023, 13:30

The Foreign Intelligence Bureau of the National Intelligence Service in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Namju (Meeting Room).

Department 2 of the Foreign Intelligence Agency, which had conducted an intensive interrogation of Jjang Chun for three days, prepared a statement based on the confessed information and had time to report it through a briefing at the director-level executive meeting.

"Well, well, from now on, I'll be briefing you on the information that Jjang Chun confessed to."

Standing in front of a screen installed on one wall of the conference room, Kang Ki-won, director of the Foreign Intelligence Agency, coughed twice and opened his mouth.

"In April 2021, Black Tiger Corps, a direct intelligence agency of the president of New China, received information on Professor Woo Jin-gil, a major researcher in plasma source technology, and his children, from a high-ranking official of the Federal Bureau of Metropolitan Investigation. With that information, they carried out a full-fledged leak operation."

"Excuse me! Did you find out who the high-ranking official from the Bureau of Investigation is?"

Ahn Yeon-woo, director of the Counter-terrorism Investigation Bureau, raised his hand and asked a question.

"Currently, we are secretly investigating who the senior officials of the training bureau are, but nothing has been revealed yet. However, it has been narrowed down to former Deputy Director Kim Hyung-chul, who is currently in detention for overturning the state."

"Who is in charge of the investigation for the Bureau of Investigation?"

Director Lee Young-jin intervened Ahn Yeon-woo's additional question.

"I'll be able to answer your question. It is also the same government agency, so this time, the National Corruption Agency will be investigating it by themselves. It is highly classified information for executives above the level of director, so keep it confidential."

"Yes, I see."

Director Kang Ki-won, whose briefing was put on hold due to questions for a while, continued once again. After obtaining Professor Woo Jin-gil's information, Black Tiger gave a detailed explanation on how they had managed to kidnap his children and grandchildren who were living in Hong Kong and how they had stolen key plasma core technologies for two years.

One interesting thing here was that Jjang chun attracted Qingdao, a drug trafficking organization, to Hong Kong to make some money on the side. He did this while stealing the confidential plasma core technology from Hong Kong for two years and taking care of the gang.

After the successful plasma core technology leak operation, he gambled at various casinos in Macau for a month, spending all the money he had made from Qingdao, and eventually, his personal information was discovered by the first division of foreign information.

After a 30-minute briefing, Kang Ki-won, who received several additional questions from the directors, sat down.

"Good job, Director Kang! As the details of all the incidents have been revealed, from now on, I think it's a thorough disposal if it's not possible to recover the leaked plasma core technology."

Finally, Director Lee Young-jin, who stood up from his seat, looked around at the various directors with a serious look and continued to talk again.

"This is why all executives above the director-general level are gathered to hold such meetings, even though it is an operation dedicated to the external intelligence agency. Under the name of our National Intelligence Service, we hope that all departments become one and will actively support the recovery and disposal of the leaked plasma core technology."

* * *

December 10th, 2023, 17:30 (New China time 16:30)

Black Tiger headquarters in Beijing City Hall, New China

A gloomy report was posted to Black Tiger's Shin Baiqing, who had been happily posted to his new office after being promised a position in the secretary's office of President Wang Jing-wei.

"What does that mean? Zhang Yixing has disappeared?"

"Yes, he has not even been connected to the emergency network for the past three days."

"Why are you only telling me this now?"

When Captain Shin Baiqing jumped from his seat and glared at him, Commander Diao Yi-nan, who was standing and reporting, hesitated with an embarrassed look.

Jjang Chun, whose real name is Zhang Yixing, was the site manager of the plasma core technology leak operation. If there was a problem with his personal affairs, he was a major figure that could directly have a negative impact on Captain Shin Baiqing.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. Because it was judged as a simple loss of contact…"

"Oh, you're so silly. Didn't I say to make sure to manage the agents who worked in Hong Kong."

"I'm sorry."

Commander Diao Yi-nan bowed his head again and again, as he continued to apologise. Shin Baiqing continued to ask questions while looking very displeased.

"Where's the last known location?"

"It is at the Venetian Hotel in Macau."

"So, was any action taken?"

"Yes, agents from the Hong Kong branch have been dispatched to investigate."

"Has there been any progress?"

"It's currently under investigation but four days ago, there was a big commotion in the casino's VVIP room. I think it might be related to Zhang Yixing."

"VVIP room? What VVIP room would Zhang Yixing use? What money does he have? And commotion? What commotion? Tell me what you know in detail!"

When Captain Shin Baiqing continued to ask questions, Commander Diao Yi-nan's face became dark. He then reported in detail on the investigation that he had been researching for the past several days.

"What does that mean? He was in business with drug trafficking organizations during his time in Hong Kong? Was he out of his mind?"

"I think he did it to make money by exerting the influence of the Black Tiger Corps."

"That crazy punk! Are you are saying that he was kidnapped in that VVIP room?"

Out of excitement, Captain Shin Baiqing kicked the pot he had put on the table.

"By bribing the security staff, we managed to confirm that he was kidnapped from the VVIP room of the Venetian Hotel..."

"Who did it?"

"It may have been the work of the Longlai sectors of the Hong Kong branch of the Triad, a rival of Qingdao sectors, but…"

Commander Diao Yi-nan couldn't speak and trailed off nervously.

"But? Is there something else?"

"I think it could be the Korean Intelligence Agency."

When he heard that it may have been the Korean Intelligence Agency, Captain Shin Baiqing collapsed in a chair and briefly panicked.

He had finally managed to get a spot in the secretary's office of the President, but if the South Korean government had discovered that the background of the plasma core technology leak operation was due to the actions of the presidential office of New China, his dream of jumping into politics and fulfilling his ambition could have been ruined and all responsibility that came with his position would be halted.

Commander Diao Yi-nan asked Captain Shin Baiqing, who was mesmerized with a look of dismay for a moment, in a concerned tone.

"Captain! Are you okay?"

"Do, do I look okay now? Where is the evidence that the Korean Intelligence Service could be involved?"

"According to the security staff, the equipment that the kidnappers used was unusual – the fact that he disappeared without a trace after changing to a transparent state or moving to the rooftop of a hotel. Notably, the Korean Intelligence Agency is the only one with such equipment that can turn one transparent."

"This jerk Zhang Yixing is destroying my dream. Commander!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"If the Korean Intelligence Agency kidnapped Zhang Yixing, as you said, this is a very big problem. Lives will be on the line."

Commander Diao Yi-nan also nodded as if he acknowledged it.

"As long as this has happened, the Korean Intelligence Service...what is it called? Is it the National Intelligence Service?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Try to find out what's going on over there! We need to find a way to live. Please contact Jackie Lee who's in Europe."

"Yes, all right."

After a while, Commander Diao Yi-nan left and when he was alone in his room, Shin Baiqing wrapped his head in both hands and felt as if he was in agony. Then he muttered to himself.

"Is this the only way to survive in this situation?"

Captain Shin Baiqing took the USB memory stick from a small safe under his desk. The USB memory stick contained copies of the plasma core technology that had been stolen from Professor Woo Jin-gil.