Chapter 230
February 12, 2021, 14:00
Underground bunker at the Blue House National Emergency Situation Center, Jongro-ku, Seoul (President’s Office)
After organizing the contents of Yagumachi Genzo’s interrogation, Secretary Na Bong-il visited the underground bunker of the Blue House and entered the office of the president to report.
“Welcome, Secretary Na.”
Like always, despite his occupation with the overall affairs of the country, the president kindly welcomed Secretary Na Bong-il. He got up from the office chair and greeted Secretary Na Bong-il with a bright smile. The president beckoned for Secretary Na to sit down, pointing to the sofa.
“Thank you, sir.”
“What brought you here today?”
“First, please take a look at this file.”
Secretary Na Bong-il took the file out of his bag and put it on the table.
“This is an additional report about the Pyongyang terrorist incident that happened on August 15th and the organization behind it, the USSC in the United States.”
“Really? Did you find out more information?” The president’s eyes opened wide when he asked in a tense tone.
“Yes, sir. Yagumachi Genzo was escorted in early this morning and is currently imprisoned by the National Intelligence Service. The documents I have just given you are information gathered based on the statements made by Yagumachi Genzo and the intelligence collected by the Cyber Security Bureau of the National Intelligence Service for several days.”
“All right. Let me read it.”
After spending about five minutes reading the report, the president laid it down on the table and sighed deeply.
“Phew.”
The president rubbed the back of his neck, feeling tiresome all of a sudden. As such, the content of the report was quite heavy and intimidating.
“It’s really a big deal. I don’t know how to handle this.”
“Mr. President, you just have to follow the principles.”
“Of course. But I can’t tell how far the aftermath would go.”
The report contained the hidden truth of the terrorist incident, along with rough information about the USSC, the actual organization behind the bombing in Pyongyang on August 15, 2015.
From 2014, peace was established between North and South Korea. A ceremony for the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day was supposed to be held in Pyongyang with the North and South agreements. It was considered a prelude to Korean unification. This prompted the USSC to initiate a bombing by bribing Lee Byung-chul, the previous deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, with an astronomical sum. There were many purposes for this.
First, by using the crisis of war, they wanted to maximize the influence of the United States on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, which had been reduced in both political and military matters. Second, they wanted to rake profit from the war between Korea and Japan, since they would buy a lot of weapons from American companies in the defense industry. So the conclusion was money, which could be called the evil of capitalism.
“That’s ridiculous! Because of money, they incited such a vicious thing that even could cause World War III!”
President Suh Hyun-woo clicked his tongue and shut his eyes tight.
“What would the people of this country think when they learn of the true face of the United States, which had been doing all kinds of dirty things behind the scenes under the name of an alliance? How would the international society react? Wouldn’t there be an all-out war with the United States during the war between Japan and Russia with full-scale controversy? Should I hide this fact for a while and wait?” Thousands of thoughts crossed the president’s mind in a very short time.
“Mr. President.”
“Oh, sorry. I was thinking of something.”
“It’s okay, sir.”
“Secretary Na, do you know how many people in Japan know about this?”
“Yes, sir. According to Yagumachi Genzo, Prime Minister Abe who died in the assassination, the Minister of Defense Shibasaki, and he himself know about this.”
“Is that so? The late Prime Minister Abe must have been thinking that it was a very serious matter and treated it as top secret.”
“By the way, Mr. President, I think the USSC is also involved in the assassination of Prime Minister Abe.”
The president asked again in surprise, “The USSC is involved with Prime Minister Abe’s assassination as well? Are there any grounds?”
“The United States had been acting weirdly as if Japan had something on them. They were supposed to have a neutral stance in the Corean–Japanese war, but suddenly the United States actively intervened in the war. They requested to stop the attack on Japan and threatened to attack us if we don’t.”
“Right. Now, I understand why President Trump suddenly changed his attitude.”
“The USSC wouldn’t spare those who knew this great secret.”
“So are you saying that Prime Minister Abe was assassinated to hide these secrets?” The president asked with an expression that he was convinced by Secretary Na Bong-il.
“Yes, sir. The investigation is still going on, but based on those few pieces of evidence, it is highly likely. There were only three people who knew about it. Among them, Prime Minister Abe was killed by assassination, and Yagumachi Genzo was also attacked after he was captured by the NIS. And it turned out they were not the Russian secret police or intelligence organizations. They spoke English. We are currently conducting additional investigations with evidence obtained from the unknown forces.”
NIS Secretary Na Bong-il took out a tablet PC, not a paper report, and showed several pictures to the president.
“We will report about it soon, but from what we have figured out so far, it has been identified as an assassination organization named Scorpion, operating extensively in all countries.”
“That’s creepy. However, I have one question. The Minister of Defense Shibasaki also knows the secret, but why is he safe?”
NIS Secretary Na Bong-il, who was thirsty at the continued explanation, sipped from the cup brought by the secretary and replied, “I think there are two possibilities.”
“Two possibilities?”
“Yes, I think the Minister of Defense Shibasaki was originally from the USSC or was bought with money like Lee Byung-chul, the previous Deputy Director of the Workers’ Party of Korea.”
“It doesn’t make sense that the USSC, who even assassinated Prime Minister Abe with a sniper, takes such a risk and buy off the Minister of Defense Shibasaki.”
“Yes, I said two options, but I also think the first one would be right.”
“So you think he is originally a member of the USSC?”
* * *
February 12, 2021, 17:00
Basement bunker, prime minister’s cabinet building, Adachi prefecture, Tokyo, Japan
Even in the midst of war, the state funeral for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was being held. Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense Shibasaki sat in his office with a serious facial expression, took out his smartphone from the safe, and made a phone call somewhere.
-This is Samurai.
The Minister of Defense Shibasaki didn’t say his real name, but he called himself using a nickname, Samurai. He smiled a small smile.
-What the hell are you doing? How the hell did Abe figure out that the USSC was behind the Pyongyang bombing?
The voice from the other side sounded very angry.
-I’m sorry. I really didn’t know. It seems like Yagumachi Genzo came into contact with the USSC and learned something.
-Yagumachi Genzo was the man you introduced to us, wasn’t he?
-That is right, Mr. Sphinx. But I really didn’t know how he got to know about that and reported to Prime Minister Abe.
Sphinx was one of 13 USSC members. His real name was Tony Ahn. He was the stepfather of Lizzy Ahn and the senator in the US Congress. He was also the person who planned the entire Pyongyang bombing incident.
-The USSC is currently focusing on you. Also, because of you, I am in a very embarrassing situation.
-Mr. Sphinx, please believe me. It has been 20 years since I joined the USSC. Why would I reveal such a secret? For what? And I even told you where Yagumachi Genzo was.
Minister of Defense Shibasaki pleaded innocence with a sincere voice.
-Anyway, wait quietly for the next instruction, and do not call me first. Okay?
-Yes, sir.
Minister of Defense Shibasaki finished the phone call, turned off the smartphone, put it back into the safe, and sat back on the sofa. Then, he smiled weirdly. It was a very different facial expression than the one he had while he was on the phone call.
He thought, “I have been living as their servant for 20 years. It is time to have my own kingdom. Damn it! If it were not of those Josenjins, my plan wouldn’t have gone this wrong.”
Minister of Defense Shibasaki had graduated from a law school at Meiji University when he was 25. When he had worked as an aide of a politician, he had been invited to join the USSC, and since then, he had been living for the USSC so far. Thanks to the USSC, he was promoted to the Ministry of Defense and had accumulated a tremendous wealth of close to 10 billion yen. However, at some point, Minister of Defense Shibasaki, who was an extreme rightist, got the ambition to be a ruler of Japan and decided to use the USSC to achieve that.
First, he had introduced Yagumachi Genzo to Prime Minister Abe. Yagumachi Genzo was a smart young man who was reputed to have done a good job at the Defense Agency. He had gained Abe’s confidence and had become an aide to him. When Yagumachi Genzo had visited the United States, Shibasaki had released some information about the USSC and the terrorist incident in Pyongyang along with some evidence. Yagumachi Genzo bit the bait and reported about it to Prime Minister Abe.
Minister of Defense Shibasaki put his legs on the table and crossed them. He leaned back on the sofa, smiled as he closed his eyes, and muttered.
“Now, all I have to do is make the United States fight against the Josenjins...”
***
February 12, 2021, 18:00
A hospital ward at Seoul National University Hospital, Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do
“Sir, are you all right? Ha-ha.”
Team Leader Kim Jin-joong, who had been rescued from the Scorpion agents in Russia, had returned to Corea early this morning and underwent urgent surgery for depressed cheekbones and nose at Seoul National University in Bundang.
The six-hour operation had been a success, and Team Leader Kim Jin-joong had been moved to the hospital ward. Chief Park Won-ho, Chief Ahn Ki-cheol, and the youngest agent Yoon Ho-hyun visited him. Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong who had conducted the rescue operation visited as well.
“Oh, you guys came?”
Team Leader Kim Jin-joong saw them through the bandages that covered his entire face and welcomed them.
“Look. He can speak. He is all right,” Chief Ahn Ki-cheol said jokingly.
“By the way, who is that over there?” Team Leader Kim Jin-joong asked, pointing to the man who stood at the far back. Chief Park Won-ho realized that he hadn’t introduced Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong yet.
Chief Park Won-ho said, “I am sorry. This is Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong from the Department of Foreign Intelligence Division 2. He is the one who came all the way to Russia and lead your rescue.”
“Hello. I’m Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong.”
“Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong? Oh! You are the one who worked at my older brother’s department, right?”
“Yes, that is right. I worked under Section Manager Kim Hyun-joon.”
When Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong went to Henan, China with Team Leader Ji Dong-chul to find Kim Soon-hee, there was a gunfight against North Korea’s Foreign Intelligence Operation Unit 1. At that time, the man who died on duty along with Team Leader Ji Dong-chul was Manager Kim Hyun-joon. Manager Kim Hyun-joon and Team Leader Kim Jin-joong were siblings.
“Oh, yeah! Nice to meet you! And thank you for saving me.”
“No, sir. I just did my job. I hope you feel better soon.”
Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong had been suffering from a sense of shame since he was the only one who had survived the gunfight. Then, he heard that Manager Kim Hyun-joon’s brother had been caught by an unidentified force. He immediately ran to the director and volunteered to save him as soon as he heard the news. His guilt was the reason he saved Team Leader Kim Jin-joong.
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