NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 174

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 174. Field Agent Recruitment

 

– That level of stage construction is simple. I’ll request it from a company I know. But back in our day, where were there companies like that? We had to directly assemble plywood, saw it, and nail it ourselves···.

 

 

 

Yeon-woo half-listened to Jeong Cheol-min’s nostalgic stories, letting them go in one ear and out the other.

 

After waiting for a while, it seemed like the old stories were finally coming to an end.

 

 

 

– ···We had to cut everything piece by piece to complete the stage like that. I really thought I was going to die in that blazing sun back then.

 

“You must have really suffered. But it’s fortunate that companies exist nowadays. These people need to make a living too.”

 

– Mm, that’s true. For now, I’ll let you know again when the portfolio comes out for the stage. There might be things that need to be modified.

 

“Yes. I understand. Thank you.”

 

 

 

After requesting the set production for the small theater stage through a company that Jeong Cheol-min knew, Yeon-woo looked at his friends.

 

 

 

“Alright, now the set is taken care of, and the supporting actors we need will come next week. You guys are practicing properly, right?”

 

“Ahem, we are practicing, but.”

 

 

 

Yeon-woo went down to the audience seats and sat down while speaking to his friends.

 

 

 

“Let me see. We should also start assigning roles soon.”

 

 

 

Until now, except for Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han, they hadn’t assigned other roles since they wanted to learn the overall content, but now it was time to get serious.

 

 

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, his friends went up on stage.

 

 

 

A total of 10 characters appear in the play.

 

Excluding the leads Ryu Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han, there are eight supporting characters.

 

 

 

Of course, since a small theater company couldn’t have all ten people on stage, they inevitably had to play multiple roles.

 

 

 

Since most were minor roles without long lines, it would be fine as long as they could quickly change their makeup.

 

 

 

“Is there a role you want to play first?”

 

 

 

Then Woo Seong-sik immediately raised his hand.

 

 

 

“Me! The captain!”

 

“Ah···.”

 

“I was going to do that!”

 

 

 

Seeing his friends’ reactions, Yeon-woo chuckled.

 

 

 

The captain had no lines because he was the first to be killed.

 

 

 

“Really? The captain will be tough though? Okay. Since you volunteered first, Seong-sik can do it.”

 

 

 

At Yeon-woo’s reaction, Woo Seong-sik’s eyes widened.

 

 

 

“Uh, is it difficult?”

 

“Of course. Corpse acting is incredibly difficult. Lying still without any movement is extremely hard.”

 

 

 

While Woo Seong-sik was wondering if he had chosen the wrong role, Kim Jun-su raised his hand.

 

 

 

“I want to do Fisherman 1 and Sailor 2.”

 

 

 

At Kim Jun-su’s words, Yeon-woo flipped through the script.

 

 

 

“Mm, that’s good. There’s no scene where both come on stage at the same time, and there’s enough time to change clothes in between.”

 

 

 

Then Kim Ju-hyeong checked the script and counted the remaining roles.

 

 

 

“Then I guess I’ll have to do Fisherman 2 and the gangster. I can’t play the island resident lady or the female passenger.”

 

“Good. Now that roles are decided, shall we really start?”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“Hmm. I played futsal yesterday morning and practiced theater until late at night in the afternoon, so I’m a bit tired.”

 

 

 

While getting up and doing simple stretching and bodyweight exercises, Yeon-woo’s smartphone rang.

 

 

 

When he answered the phone, Han Hae-woon’s voice came from the receiver.

 

 

 

– Team leader. The final list has been completed.

 

 

 

Hearing Han Hae-woon’s words, Yeon-woo sat on the living room sofa.

 

 

 

She was referring to the list he had ordered with the intention of selecting field agents to have some operational capability.

 

 

 

While talking, he opened his laptop and checked the secure messenger, finding a message from Han Hae-woon with the list attached.

 

 

 

The list had a total of 6 names on it.

 

 

 

“Good work. Hmm. There are fewer people who received suitability approval than I thought?”

 

– I selected them as tightly as possible. The people on this list have zero probability of being connected to Baeksol.

 

 

 

At Han Hae-woon’s words, Yeon-woo nodded. It was an excellent choice.

 

 

 

From the office’s perspective, the most important thing for field agents operating in the field isn’t their job performance ability.

 

The most important factor is ‘reliability.’

 

 

 

“Well done. When are you thinking of starting contact?”

 

– The equipment is all ready, and we have the fake identities you gave us, so it’s possible right now.

 

 

 

At Han Hae-woon’s words, Yeon-woo stroked his chin and checked the calendar.

 

 

 

“Today is the only day I’m completely free, so since we’re talking about it, let’s start right away.”

 

– About three people should be possible today. Then I’ll prepare and contact you again.

 

 

 

After ending the call, Yeon-woo also went up to the 2nd floor and opened the door to the locked room.

 

 

 

When the door opened, a desk with complex equipment on it came into view.

 

Yeon-woo sat in front of it and started operating the equipment.

 

 

 

“To think I’d become an office agent.”

 

 

 

Having lived his entire life as a field agent who went out and ran around directly, it felt awkward to sit quietly in a room, watching transmitted screens and giving instructions.

 

 

 

Bzzzz─.

 

 

 

When his smartphone rang, Yeon-woo checked the screen.

 

 

 

– Han Hae-woon: Ready. We’re proceeding with Sergeant Kim Su-hyeok as the first target. He’s closest to our current route.

 

 

 

After checking Han Hae-woon’s message and completing a final equipment check, Yeon-woo sent a message.

 

 

 

Beep─.

 

 

 

– Proceed.

 

 

 

As soon as he sent the message, Han Hae-woon began transmitting video, and Yeon-woo put on his headset before speaking.

 

 

 

“Can you hear me clearly?”

 

– Reception is good.

 

“Confirmed.”

 

 

 

In the video, Han Hae-woon got into a rental car borrowed under his disguised identity and began driving through the city center.

 

 

 

“What identity did you use?”

 

– I disguised myself as Yang Hyeong-kwon. The beard I attached after so long is itchy.

 

 

 

Yang Hyeong-kwon was the identity of a marine engineer who worked on deep-sea fishing vessels that Yeon-woo had given to Han Hae-woon.

 

 

 

“You said you’re making contact with Sergeant Kim Su-hyeok first?”

 

– Yes. That’s correct.

 

“Kim Su-hyeok is an extremely cautious person. Though his abilities are outstanding as well.”

 

– I’ll keep that in mind.

 

 

 

Kim Su-hyeok was the special forces member who first performed operations together with Yeon-woo when he was deployed to Lebanon.

 

 

 

When a member of the Lebanon peacekeeping force was kidnapped by an illegal armed group in the Tyre region of southern Lebanon, Yeon-woo was dispatched as the rescue mission leader, and Kim Su-hyeok was someone he had personally selected on site.

 

 

 

After driving for a while, Han Hae-woon’s car entered an old, shabby apartment complex.

 

 

 

– Is this a redevelopment site? There don’t seem to be many people living here.

 

“He probably chose such a place on purpose. If the building structure is complex and there are few residents, it’s easier to defend against external attacks.”

 

 

 

Hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Han Hae-woon tilted his head.

 

 

 

– He’s already completed his service, so why go to such lengths?

 

“Well. Looking at the report you gave me, it says he worked with the counter-terrorism unit after returning to Korea, so he probably still thinks he has many enemies.”

 

 

 

Han Hae-woon parked the car in an appropriate spot.

 

 

 

– I’ll conserve words from after I get out. If there are no instructions, I’ll act on my own judgment, and if you give instructions, I’ll follow them immediately.

 

“Got it.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

After getting out of the car, Han Hae-woon entered the apartment building listed in Kim Su-hyeok’s address.

 

Entering the first floor, Han Hae-woon looked around for something and let out a small sigh.

 

 

 

– There’s no elevator. This will be quite a workout.

 

 

 

Yeon-woo’s voice came through his earpiece.

 

 

 

It wasn’t that high a floor, and it wouldn’t really be much of a workout.

 

Han Hae-woon climbed the stairs and stopped at the 8th floor, turning toward the hallway.

 

 

 

The apartment hallway, bent in an L-shape, felt eerie with so many vacant units.

 

 

 

Since Kim Su-hyeok lived in the last unit, he turned the corner and entered the hallway, then stopped as if he had discovered something.

 

 

 

He could see a thin, transparent thread on the floor.

 

 

 

And he whispered quietly.

 

 

 

“There’s a thin thread at ankle height. It looks like it would break if I just walk through. Should I step over it without touching it?”

 

– No. Just raise both hands and advance naturally. He’s probably been watching since the moment the car entered the apartment complex anyway.

 

 

 

Hearing Yeon-woo’s voice, Han Hae-woon nodded and continued walking with both hands raised.

 

 

 

Han Hae-woon reached the end of the hallway and knocked on the iron door of the last unit.

 

Then a voice came from the window of a small room connected to the hallway.

 

 

 

“···Who is it?”

 

– Answer “Alpha Beta.”

 

 

 

Hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Han Hae-woon spoke in a low voice.

 

 

 

“Alpha Beta (αβ).”

 

 

 

Kim Su-hyeok behind the screen seemed to flinch slightly upon hearing that.

 

And he asked again cautiously.

 

 

 

“Do you mean that Alpha Beta from Lebanon?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

 

 

After a moment of silence, another voice was heard.

 

 

 

“Please state the operation code.”

 

– Sierra, Quebec, Tango···.

 

 

 

Hearing Yeon-woo’s voice, Han Hae-woon nodded and relayed it exactly.

 

 

 

“Sierra, Quebec, Tango, Oscar, India, Foxtrot.”

 

“Do you remember what color pants I was wearing that day?”

 

 

 

Han Hae-woon couldn’t understand what kind of strange question this was, but waited quietly.

 

Then Yeon-woo’s voice came through his earpiece.

 

 

 

– Tell him yellow. That guy was a sniper who couldn’t move for two days while positioned on a white roof, so he had no choice but to urinate on his white pants and repeatedly let them dry.

 

“······.”

 

 

 

After hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Han Hae-woon fell silent for a moment before speaking.

 

 

 

“It was yellow. I won’t bother explaining why.”

 

 

 

Then Kim Su-hyeok, lowering his guard, approached the entrance and opened the door, revealing a well-trained, sturdy man.

 

 

 

He saluted Han Hae-woon with military precision.

 

 

 

“Have you been well, Commander?”

 

“It’s been a while, Kim Su-hyeok.”

 

 

 

Han Hae-woon naturally acted as Jeon Su-hwan from Yeon-woo’s past life as he entered the house.

 

 

 

Of course, Kim Su-hyeok didn’t know about Jeon Su-hwan’s existence and only knew him as the legendary field commander Alpha Beta (αβ).

 

 

 

Looking around the house, he could see modest furnishings. It had the distinct feeling of a home where a former soldier lived alone.

 

 

 

Soon after, Han Hae-woon briefly explained to Kim Su-hyeok the reason for his visit.

 

 

 

Of course, he couldn’t reveal the story about Baeksol from the start, so he explained it as a mission regarding spies operating domestically.

 

 

 

Actually, that was technically correct when you thought about it.

 

 

 

Baeksol was a spy who had been hiding inside the National Intelligence Service for decades, eating away at the country.

 

 

 

“For that reason, since we can’t know how much internal information the spy can access, we’re trying to operate a private company away from the government’s eyes. The main activities will be VIP protection, target surveillance, and intelligence gathering.”

 

“In other words, domestic black ops.”

 

 

 

Han Hae-woon nodded at Kim Su-hyeok’s words.

 

 

 

Black ops, or black operations, refers to covert operations.

 

 

 

Originally, black operations meant deploying NOCs (Non Official Cover) like Jeon Su-hwan or Baek Yu-hyeon from his past life to conduct secret intelligence collection or special operations missions to avoid diplomatic friction.

 

 

 

However, in this case, the stage wasn’t foreign countries but domestic.

 

 

 

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

 

“What is it?”

 

 

 

Kim Su-hyeok looked straight into Han Hae-woon’s eyes.

 

 

 

“Is this operation to make the country a better place?”

 

 

 

And Han Hae-woon nodded with confident eyes.

 

 

 

“Of course.”

 

 

 

He could speak with confidence because Baeksol’s existence eating away at the country was something he could stake his life on—no, something he had already sacrificed his life to discover.

 

 

 

Reading that look in his eyes, Kim Su-hyeok nodded.

 

 

 

“Even after discharge, I’ve been training for this day. It’s an honor to work on operations together again, Commander.”

 

 

 

Hearing Kim Su-hyeok’s words, Yeon-woo’s voice, sitting in a corner of the second floor room at home, came through the frequency to Han Hae-woon’s ear.

 

 

 

– The honor is mine too.

 

 

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