NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 108

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 108. Overpass and Rooftop

– 「Sketch」 receives over 5 minutes of standing ovation at Berlin Film Festival screening.

– Revealing the casting behind-the-scenes story. 「Sketch」.

– Han So-hyeon recommended Seo Ji-eun? Berlin Film Festival 「Sketch」.

– Ryu Yeon-woo directly participated in the production of the movie 「Sketch」.

 

Looking at the flood of articles, LN Entertainment CEO Kim Ju-seong smiled with satisfaction.

 

Officials attending the regular meeting to discuss the domestic screening schedule for the movie 「Sketch」.

 

“What does Golden Media say?”

“Yes. They say screening rooms can be secured starting in two weeks.”

“Oh, that quickly?”

“Well, our actor Ryu is like a cheat key right now. They’re eager to do anything for us.”

 

CEO Kim Ju-seong nodded at Team Leader Yoon Mi-yeon’s words and looked at Manager Im on the opposite side.

 

“Manager Im. How about Fine Enter?”

“Well… surprisingly, they’re more lukewarm than expected. 「Baldur」, which lost money because of 「Stars Beyond Garam」 last time, had quite a lot of investment from Fine Enter. Since then, they’ve been strangely uncooperative.”

 

Golden Media and Fine Enter handle most of the domestic film distribution. Since their combined market share approaches 80%, it’s essential to work with one of them.

 

“Hmm. But surely they wouldn’t act that way for such a reason. It’s not like we sabotaged them; we just had pure box office success. They must lack an eye for good works.”

 

Though he said that, CEO Kim Ju-seong clasped his hands and pondered something deeply.

 

It was true that since then, they had been uncooperative as if checking every work LN Enter touched.

 

Bzzzz─.

 

Just then, CEO Kim Ju-seong’s smartphone rang.

 

“Hm? Is that my phone? Sorry about that.”

 

He picked up the smartphone from the table to decline the call, but his expression changed when he saw the screen.

 

“I need to take this. It’s from actor Ryu.”

 

At CEO Kim Ju-seong’s words, the staff in the meeting room showed interest.

It was natural since he was the main topic of today’s regular meeting and currently the hottest figure in Korea.

 

“Yeon-woo. Isn’t it dawn over there right now?”

– Haha. That’s right. It’s 2 AM. I thought I should deliver good news before it gets reported, so I called at your work hours.

“It’s fine to call at dawn. We’re in the middle of a regular meeting, so the timing is perfect. What’s this good news?”

 

At the words “good news” from CEO Kim Ju-seong’s mouth, the staff in the meeting room held their breath.

Even though it wasn’t on speakerphone, the meeting room became so quiet it seemed like Yeon-woo’s voice could be heard through the receiver.

 

– Yes. It seems certain that our movie 「Sketch」 will win an award. Director Park Chan-hong received contact from the organizers, though we don’t know what award yet.

 

“Ohhh!”

“Yes!”

 

Yeon-woo’s small voice through the receiver was clearly heard by the staff in the meeting room, and the room filled with cheers.

It was like the reaction when the national team scored a goal in the World Cup.

 

CEO Kim Ju-seong couldn’t hide his smile with the corners of his mouth rising, but soon brought his index finger to his lips while looking at the staff to continue the call.

 

“Shh. Ah, Yeon-woo. You’ve worked hard. So what’s the schedule for returning home?”

– Since we’ll have to leave after the awards ceremony, it looks like we’ll need to stay about two more days.

“Understood. You’ve really worked hard.”

 

CEO Kim Ju-seong ended the call with Yeon-woo and looked at Team Leader Jeong.

 

“Team Leader Jeong. Leave right now. The ticket is ready, right?”

“Yes. Of course it was on standby.”

 

Team Leader Jeong Hyeok immediately stood up, bowed, and went outside.

Then CEO Kim Ju-seong looked back at the meeting room with a pleased smile.

 

“Fine Enter was lukewarm? In this situation, they’ll be the ones with regrets.”

 

***

 

Two days before Yeon-woo departed for Berlin.

 

He had called Han Hae-woon separately and given her several instructions.

 

“What? 2 billion to Baek No-ya? I know celebrities make good money, but won’t it be burdensome to pay back later?”

 

Looking at Han Hae-woon who asked in surprise, Yeon-woo stared at her as if asking what she was talking about.

 

“Why would I pay that back? Of course Baek No-ya will spend it. Just deliver it like that and he’ll handle it without complaint.”

“Ah, is that so?”

 

Han Hae-woon, who finally nodded, tilted her head again and looked at Yeon-woo.

 

“But Team Leader. Is there such a thing in Berlin? An information broker from the underworld… I was an intelligence agent too, but this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

 

Looking at such Han Hae-woon, Yeon-woo chuckled.

 

“You need to work for at least 10 years to know about that.”

“Ugh, 10 years in overseas operations? Is there anyone else besides you, Team Leader, who’s been out there that long?”

 

Usually, it’s difficult to work in overseas operations for more than 4 years.

 

Originally, overseas operations require about 10 years of domestic operations experience, and by then you get promoted and assigned to key positions related to counterintelligence.

 

Most agents can’t endure the continuous tension of overseas missions, so they don’t refuse and return home.

 

Even if someone refused an important position and remained overseas like Yeon-woo, once their identity was exposed to another country’s intelligence agency even once, they would be recalled domestically, so it was difficult to find anyone who had been in charge of overseas operations longer than Yeon-woo in his previous life, even including retired personnel.

 

“But sir, wouldn’t it be better to have Baek No-ya’s subordinates handle this operation instead of you taking the risk yourself, Team Leader?”

 

Yeon-woo opened his mouth at Han Hae-woon’s words.

 

“Of course there was my order, but what do you think is the reason Baek No-ya is cooperating with you?”

“Isn’t it because of his granddaughter, as we heard before?”

“Well, of course there might be moral reasons to repay a debt as Baek No-ya said. But who would benefit the most if Baeksol disappeared from this land?”

 

Han Hae-woon answered as if he had realized something from Yeon-woo’s words.

 

“If those Baeksol people are controlling domestic drug distribution as we suspect, then Baek No-ya would take over the power vacuum in the underworld created by their disappearance.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded after hearing Han Hae-woon’s words.

 

“If we open the floodgates for Baek No-ya to deal with information brokers in the underworld, he’ll become increasingly difficult to control. It’s like entrusting fish to a cat.”

 

***

 

Yeon-woo, who had been recalling the conversation he had with Han Hae-woon before departure, put on a hat and mask and left the hotel alone early.

 

– It would be good to handle it today.

 

As soon as he sent the message, Han Hae-woon’s reply came flying back.

 

– Han Hae-woon: The person we recruited locally will wait at the Victory Column inside Tiergarten.

 

After reading the message, Yeon-woo nodded and boarded the yellow subway entering the platform.

 

‘Victory Column… That’s quite a good choice.’

 

Yeon-woo traveled for a while on the subway.

Then he got off at Hansaplatz station and slowly walked toward the Victory Column visible in the distance.

 

Before departing for Berlin, what he had instructed Baek No-ya through Han Hae-woon in Korea was fund transportation.

 

A request to deliver about 1.5 million euros to Berlin.

 

Baek No-ya had cleanly laundered money worth about 2 billion won in Korean currency, and that money was converted to Euro currency and entered Germany across the border, timed with Yeon-woo’s entry.

 

Thinking about this and that while walking, he had arrived near the Victory Column before he knew it.

 

“As expected, that tower is still beautiful.”

 

Above a structure that looked like a circular Parthenon, a golden Victoria Goddess statue shining on top of a tall tower was looking down over Tiergarten Park.

 

The Victory Column (Siegessäule) is a monument erected by Prussia’s Wilhelm I after winning wars.

 

Of course, the broker who chose this location probably selected it because the nearby park would be good for escape in case of emergency, but if one were to assign meaning to it, it was quite a good choice as a place to signal the start of a long fight with ‘Baeksol’.

 

When he went under the Victory Column, numerous tourists were taking pictures, and Yeon-woo quietly walked around the area once.

 

‘Is that the person?’

 

Even among the quite large crowd, he seemed to know who the local person recruited by Baek No-ya’s side was.

 

Yeon-woo approached a middle-aged German man who looked ordinary on the outside and spoke to him.

 

“Are you the person sent by the Professor?”

 

When he asked using the pre-delivered code phrase, the man who had been looking around was startled and looked back.

 

“Yes? Ah! That’s right. H-here are the items.”

 

It was an ordinary-looking black leather bag.

He took the bag the man offered and checked inside.

 

As instructed, there were six bundles of 500 Euro bills, 500 bills each.

 

Even though it was prepared with only the highest denomination bills, the bag felt heavy.

 

“That’s correct. Thank you for your work.”

“Excuse me…”

 

The man cautiously called out to Yeon-woo who was about to turn around after receiving the items.

When he turned around to look, the man hesitantly opened his mouth.

 

“How did you know it was me right away? They definitely said my identity would be kept completely secret…”

 

Yeon-woo chuckled and shook his head.

He seemed like a novice who hadn’t done this kind of work many times.

 

“When you come to the Victory Column but never look up at the tower and keep looking around, it means you came here for a purpose other than tourism.”

 

When he pointed to the golden Victoria Goddess statue shining high up on that tall tower, the man made an expression as if he realized his mistake.

 

Looking around, everyone was either looking up at the tower or taking pictures with it as background.

 

“And you don’t seem to have done this kind of work much, but if you plan to continue in the future, don’t talk to your contact. You’ll get eaten alive someday.”

 

After hearing Yeon-woo’s words, the man whose face had turned pale nodded and quietly turned away.

After watching such a man for a moment, Yeon-woo also quietly turned around and headed to the next location.

 

‘Hmm. As expected.’

 

He felt the presence of someone following behind.

 

It wasn’t the middle-aged German man he had just talked with.

Walking slowly and checking behind through the light reflected on his smartphone’s black screen, he saw two Asian men walking far behind, following him.

 

‘Are they minions sent by Baek No-ya?’

 

From Baek No-ya’s perspective, it would be stranger not to attach surveillance when entrusting funds worth 2 billion won.

They probably don’t intend any harm, just want to find out what he’s doing with this money.

 

When Yeon-woo picked up his walking pace, those following behind also began walking quickly.

 

He looked around at the surrounding buildings to shake off the tail.

 

‘That’s Bellevue Palace. Then if I cross that bridge, ‘that building’ should be there.’

 

He passed the German presidential residence visible to the side and crossed the bridge over the Spree River flowing in front of it.

Then a 5-story building with a tattered exterior wall from its old age appeared.

 

‘The bakery on the 1st Floor of this building was really delicious.’

 

It was dark inside, as if it had closed down.

Yeon-woo entered the building with familiar steps.

 

The men who had been tailing him from a distance quickly ran over when Yeon-woo disappeared into the building, with one guarding the Entrance and the other following into the building.

 

The man climbing the building Stairs while listening carefully, not knowing which floor his surveillance target was on and possibly encountering him coming down after finishing his business.

 

He carefully went up floor by floor, but even after checking up to the 5th floor, he couldn’t see anywhere the surveillance target might be.

 

‘Except for the 1st Floor, they all look like residential villas, so where did he go? Is this building his destination?’

 

Going back down floor by floor to check, only one door on the 3rd Floor had a different color.

It looked like a fire door, so it definitely didn’t seem to be someone’s Home.

 

‘Is there another staircase?’

 

The man carefully approached and turned the door handle.

 

Click!

 

When he carefully opened the door, bright light leaked in.

A small green pedestrian bridge connecting to a Grundschule across the main road behind appeared.

 

“Damn it! What kind of building has its 3rd Floor connected to a pedestrian bridge!”

 

The man shouted to his Coworker waiting outside through the small window in the staircase.

 

“Come up quickly! I think we lost him. Run!”

 

The Coworker who had been watching from outside hurriedly ran up.

 

The two ran at full speed across the pedestrian bridge and split up to different Stairs to chase their lost surveillance target.

 

Yeon-woo was watching the two moving away from the rooftop of that building.

As soon as he entered the building, he had quickly climbed the Stairs and stepped on the railing of the Air Conditioner Outdoor Unit installed on the 5th floor to get up to the rooftop.

 

Yeon-woo quietly came down from the building while watching the two running away panting as if their tails were on fire.

 

After shaking off the tail and moving via subway, Yeon-woo headed to the unmanned storage facility in the basement of Berlin Station.

 

Yeon-woo stored the money divided between two Lockers.

 

He received thin Disposable Card Keys that could open the Lockers and moved locations again.

 

‘This is my first time using it directly…’

 

Before the wall fell, from the time when East and West Germany were separated from each other, Berlin had been a battleground for world Intelligence.

 

Being a country split in two by ideology at the center of Europe, Germany naturally became the front line where they kept each other in check.

 

Starting with the representative CIA and including the Soviet Union’s KGB, Intelligence Organizations from various countries constantly monitored each other.

 

‘When I was assigned there, it was already after German unification so it wasn’t to that extent…’

 

Still, having been the front line of Intelligence for decades, other fields naturally grew as well.

 

That was the ‘underground information dealers.’

 

The Library, today’s destination, came into view.

 

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————