Chapter 77: Metamorphosis (4)

Chapter 77: Metamorphosis (4)

“I apologize for being late, Chairman. Because I suddenly got an important call.”

Park Miju bowed deeply, a long red line drawn across her left cheek as if slashed by a sharp blade. In addition, her right ring and pinky fingers had splints on them. Despite being able to use basic physical enhancement techniques, the strained ligaments still hadn’t recovered. At least there were no scars that would be visible.

“I didn’t hear you got hurt.”

At my words, her head bowed even deeper.

“It was a minor injury so I didn’t report it.”

“Stand up straight. No need to apologize.”

I had thought about magically healing her wounds but shook my head internally.

‘It’d be weird if her injuries suddenly disappeared.’

Instead, I looked over the four security department personnel who had come with Park Miju. The first duty of the organization’s security department was to ‘actively’ protect me as the head, but they were also in charge of on-site security for key executives and mid-level executives dispatched to dangerous areas.

“I don’t want to suspect you but I still have to check.”Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

At that, Kyung-tae who had come to greet me lowered his head this time.

“There were no cowards, hyungnim.”

“We’ll see about that.”

A procedure to check if there was anyone who had neglected their duties at the scene where Seo Gabsoo died. No need to waste my accurate eyes when something like a polygraph was available. It was also an important means of maintaining discipline in the organization.

I stared at the four very tense men and grasped their shoulders one by one, throwing straightforward questions.

Are you an honest man to me?

The answers that came back were uniformly concise. When the four questions ended, Kyung-tae noticeably relaxed. I lastly tapped the shoulder of the one I asked the question to and returned to my original position.

“Let’s get moving. I’ll listen to the story on the way to Guangzhou.”

“I’ll guide you. This way.”

Park Miju took the lead in guiding me.

The airport revealed a desolate landscape with few passengers but many deployed military and police. What stood out here was the presence of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The PLA blatantly entering an airport must be because of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, which were also gaining momentum amidst the worsening Black Children’s Party situation. On the other hand, it was probably China’s ostentatious response to the all-around pressure from the Western world, led by Britain.

After a short car ride, we arrived at the airport’s east side where there was a pier and passenger terminal. Waiting for me here was a coastal passenger ship with a hull that looked about 100 meters long. The sharp hull shape stood out for a passenger ship. This ship, which would take on no other passengers, had been prepared to serve as a safe house and mobile headquarters while operating around Guangzhou.

“How much did this cost?”

As I boarded the deck and asked, Park Miju answered.

“We signed a 1-year charter contract for 900,000 yuan.”

“900,000? Very economical.”

About 150 million won in Korean currency. A negligible amount compared to the utility of a mobile safe house with helicopter landing and vehicle storage capabilities. It was cheap even compared to the expected profits of this human hunt.

However, Park Miju’s expression darkened at my words.

“I’m sorry.”

“What is it now?”

“With such low demand for ships like this, if I had exercised sufficient negotiating power, I could’ve brought the price down further.”

What Park Miju was referring to was the state of the local tourism industry here, more devastated than Puerto Vallarta. With the unending recession, I couldn’t expect proper cleaning services to be available. But considering the circumstances, whether the ship owners and operators leased the ship out at any price, it was all profit for them. If negotiations had been dragged out to deal with multiple companies, someone eager to get rid of maintenance costs might have even proposed free rental.

However, there hadn’t been time to go through all that this time. Even though I had a casino in Macau and didn’t need to establish a separate corporation, how much could I save hastily concluding a contract in just a few days?

“Don’t blame yourself unnecessarily. We should be glad we at least used bags to pop our corn over the open fire.”

“What’s the reason for setting the anchorage there?”

Replying to Suyeon’s successive questioning, Park Miju slid the laser pointer she had marked the pier with slightly down.

“It’s because Gao Shusen, an important collaborator in this plan, and his subordinates are stationed 10 minutes away by vehicle from the pier. Originally the garrison where the Pazhou Division of Haizhu Precinct of Guangzhou Public Security Bureau was stationed, it’s been upgraded to one of the dispersed on-site command centers of the city security bureau.”

“Upgraded? Is security particularly worse in that area compared to other regions?”

“Yes to some degree, but I also heard it’s a measure to protect the local branch of the Bank of China in the same building. Although just speculation, I suspect there’s also intent to guard the neighborhoods where many party members reside.”

“What’s the equipment procurement plan?”

“For vehicles, we’ve agreed to be provided spare goods from the security bureau, and the concrete delivery schedule is-”

Suyeon’s barrage of questions proceeding swiftly and tightly was, in my eyes, a stress test performing the role of a manager. He was checking if Park Miju was in a state to properly carry out her role. Actually Suyeon herself probably already grasped most of the details from interim reports.

Listening to the ensuing Q&A, when sweat drops were about to form on Miju’s forehead, I slowly raised my hand to take over. It was at the part where that Gao Shusen guy used foreign mercenaries – meaning us – to bet his fate on.

“Is deceit a possibility?”

From the brief report, that typical corrupted bureaucrat’s original plan was to abandon his subordinates and spectate from a safe position. If it went well, he would steal the credit, if it went wrong, he would purge his subordinates and turn it into his achievement.

Those subordinates were precisely the three security bureau executives he had intended to use as puppets.

Replying to my slowly tossed question, Park Miju conspicuously relaxed her shoulders.

‘The one she should really be most afraid of is actually Kyung-tae.’

The security department’s security duties for executives also encompassed close surveillance. As an unofficial inspector general, Kyung-tae had the authority to preemptively neutralize and report any betrayers in the organization. Although it was an authority never exercised.

Anyway, having this one threat helps a lot as the head of an organization. All you have to do is do a decent job as a superior.

“I can’t say it’s completely impossible but the chances of sincerity are very high.”

What Miju was saying.

“That’s because his uncle who had been backing Gao Shusen until now, Gao Ninghui, Chief of the Provincial Inspection Commission, was suddenly impeached this morning.”

“That’s why you were late?”

“Yes, Chairman. The central party is currently handing down corruption crackdown quotas to each local party and ministry, but as you know, since there are no uncorrupted officials in the Communist Party, fulfilling the quota has become a game of hot potato between executives.”

“As Chief of the Inspection Commission, he must’ve held the initiative himself. Since the work he oversees is denunciation and purge. He probably also had the most evidence of corruption.”

Translated in Korean terms, as Chief of a provincial level local government, his actual power was at the minister or higher level of a nation, considering Guangdong Province officially had double Korea’s population and its GDP was almost on par with Korea. The chief of the Inspection Commission was in a good position to keep dirt on other chiefs.

Park Miju nodded.

“Which is why he seemed to have earned the vigilance of everyone else. Looks like executives of all factions combined forces to move the central party’s Inspection Commission.”

“Misfortune of the mighty. So his nephew Gao Shusen also became someone who could lose his head at any moment.”

“Yes. Although the impeachment trial is still ongoing, it’s unlikely his uncle will be able to clear the charges on his own. But that doesn’t mean he’s innocent either.”

I see...

After hearing the circumstances, an idea comes to mind.

Author's Thoughts

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

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