NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 201

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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 201. New Yet Familiar

Inside the pension, discussions were in full swing about what to do when they finished filming tomorrow and had to return.

 

“Still, won’t it melt a bit when it becomes daytime?”

“No. If we’re going to leave, morning would be better. It’s better to go before the snow turns into ice while it’s still piled up.”

“No way. The hill slope ahead is quite steep – if the rear wheels slip sideways while going down, it’ll be a major accident.”

 

Producer Joo Hyeon-seok, who had been listening to the staff’s words, spoke up.

 

“Setting aside the staff’s schedule, did you check the actors’ schedules?”

“Seo Ji-eun has a variety show recording in the afternoon, Son Jin-wook has a magazine interview, and Ryu Yeon-woo has a small theater performance in the evening.”

 

Producer Joo nodded heavily at the staff member’s words.

 

“We have to get out somehow…”

 

Just then, a loud noise came from outside.

 

Thud─.

Clank─.

 

At the sound of something heavy being set down and chains clashing, the staff went outside to look.

 

“Yeon-woo?”

 

At the pension entrance was Yeon-woo, who had set down a white sack on the ground and was brushing snow off his shoulders.

When the staff showed interest in the bag Yeon-woo had brought, Yeon-woo acted nonchalantly.

 

“We shouldn’t have any problems returning tomorrow, right?”

“…Excuse me?”

 

To Producer Joo who questioned him back, he opened the sack and showed the snow chains inside.

 

“No, where did you get this?”

“I went to the farm back there and they said they had some they weren’t using, so I bought them.”

“Huh? When you say farm, which direction is it in…?”

 

Yeon-woo shrugged as if he wasn’t sure and shook his head with an innocent expression.

 

“Well, I’m not sure which direction it was since it was dark. I went out to exercise and met a nearby resident who said they had some they bought for their tractor but weren’t using, so I paid full price for them.”

 

In fact, it wasn’t a nearby resident but Han Hae-woon, a Seoul citizen.

At his logical explanation, the staff had no choice but to nod.

 

What could they do? That’s what he said.

 

They just seemed happy that their worry had suddenly been resolved.

 

“Wow, you saved us. A tractor… Why didn’t we think to look around for one? I thought the actors’ schedules would be ruined tomorrow and my head was about to split from worry.”

 

Yeon-woo was equally troubled.

Since Yeon-woo was the actual owner of the agency that managed those schedules.

 

‘I have to make up all these excuses just to deliver a single snow chain.’

 

He couldn’t exactly say he received emergency supply transport using military drones.

So he had no choice but to make up this crude story.

 

However, it was true that he had looked around nearby farms during his break time before it got dark.

 

‘I was going to borrow calcium chloride and a fertilizer spreader to do some snow removal work tomorrow…’

 

Perhaps because of the cold weather, no people could be found at the nearby farms.

 

Leaving the happy staff behind, Yeon-woo went up to the second floor.

Entering an empty room, Yeon-woo took out an envelope from his jacket.

 

The snow chains were something he brought along incidentally – Han Hae-woon had come all this way through the snowy path to deliver a report.

 

No matter how much they used secure messengers with servers abroad, one of the certain lessons Yeon-woo had learned from his previous life was that there was no complete security once information became digitized.

 

‘The most complete security is in one’s head.’

 

Yeon-woo quickly absorbed the contents of the report into his mind.

Then he immediately went outside and threw it into the drum barrel where they burned firewood next to the pension.

 

The report was engulfed in flames and burned up in an instant.

 

Since he was already outside, he sat on a nearby log chair and fell into thought while watching the fire.

 

‘I guess Baeksol also maintained security in the most complete way.’

 

Silencing witnesses through murder.

The most certain way to prevent information from leaking out.

 

It wasn’t yet definitively confirmed whether agent ‘Hwang-geum’ had been eliminated, but looking at the contents written in the report, he had a pretty good intuition about it.

 

The relationship between the triads and Baeksol was like their names black and white – existences that couldn’t mix.

 

‘From Baeksol’s perspective, they’d want to eliminate the very situation of having clashed with the triads.’

 

It wasn’t because they were afraid of the triads.

 

Even just Taiwan’s triads alone were divided into three factions.

China’s triads were divided into even more various branches, so comparing with just one of them wouldn’t put Baeksol’s forces at a disadvantage.

 

‘But the problem is that when one of them starts making enemies with outside forces, even while they’re baring their teeth at each other, they suddenly all unite and make them a common enemy.’

 

That’s the reason why those split into multiple factions can each survive.

 

Therefore, it can be interpreted that they want to eliminate the very situation of Baeksol clashing with the underworld, which is the main supplier of ‘drugs,’ their primary business.

 

‘They probably judged that Hwang-geum, whose knees were shattered, might harbor other grudges against Baeksol’s actions. So there’s a high possibility they disposed of him.’

 

If Baeksol decided to abandon Hwang-geum, they would start erasing all traces beneath him and their connections to themselves.

 

In other words, those managed by Hwang-geum are now like kites with severed strings.

 

‘James Choi, Byeon Hak-gyu from Plus Ten, and veteran actor Jung Tae-seon.’

 

All their connections to Baeksol have been severed.

 

It’s not that he left them alone because he didn’t know about their corruption and dirty deeds.

 

He was just waiting for the right timing, since if they judged that a mysterious force was attacking them, Baeksol would likely hide their heads and go into deeper hiding.

 

‘I should return to Seoul, investigate a bit more thoroughly, then start with Jung Tae-seon.’

 

The time had come to restore An Jun-ho’s honor.

 

***

 

The next morning, all filming was completed, and thanks to the snow chains, the bus carrying the production crew safely descended the hill.

 

And Yeon-woo stopped by home before the small theater performance.

 

“Phew, I was only away for a day, but somehow it feels like I’ve been gone for several days.”

 

For Yeon-woo, who had lived a boring life just lurking in jungles or deserts and shooting guns, the variety show games were far too arduous to handle.

 

“It’s tough, so tough. Should I rest a bit?”

 

Yeon-woo entered his studio and began combining and analyzing various pieces of information based on the reports in his head.

 

After staring at it for a while and checking this and that, Yeon-woo tilted his head.

 

‘Hmm? Why is this like this? On the other hand, there’s nothing much about Hwang-geum.’

 

Beep─.

 

Yeon-woo spoke into the microphone attached to his headset.

 

“I’ve checked all entry and exit records up to today, but there’s no one suspicious enough to be ‘Hwang-geum.'”

– Yes. I also cross-checked with the agents, but there was nothing.

 

Hearing Han Hae-woon’s voice through the headset, Yeon-woo nodded.

 

“What about the information obtained through Baek No-ya? Is there a possibility he left the country through smuggling?”

– There was nothing there either.

“There are no smuggling routes in Korea that can avoid Baek No-ya’s eyes.”

– That means…

 

Yeon-woo continued.

 

“He’s no longer in this world. In the end, a bad guy disposed of another bad guy.”

– When they abandon people like this, what do the organization members within Baeksol show loyalty for?

“Huh?”

 

When Yeon-woo asked back, Han Hae-woon continued.

 

– I’ve always been curious. Though it’s not something I should say as a former agent, don’t the villains in spy movies show loyalty even while dying from gunshots? Back then, I would chuckle watching that, thinking the National Intelligence Service wasn’t a place that did such things, but looking at these guys now, they’re exactly like that.

“Hmm.”

 

At Han Hae-woon’s words, Yeon-woo also stroked his chin and thought for a moment.

Then suddenly, two stories came to mind.

 

One was the content of a script that Ju-hyeong, who dreamed of being a playwright, had written back then in an empty lecture hall at Korea University.

 

“Two things come to mind. First, someone once said that when black things start gathering, at some point they insist they’re gray, and eventually begin to brainwash themselves into believing they’re white.”

– Hmm… What’s the second one?

 

Yeon-woo smiled slyly and said.

 

“It’s something you, who worked as a covert operative, would know well. A quote from Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, Han Hae-woon spoke.

 

– ‘Propaganda can be done with a single sentence, but to refute it requires dozens of pages of documents and evidence. And by the time you refute it, the propaganda is already complete.’ I see. So among those working under Baeksol, there are probably some who believe they are justice.

 

Quietly nodding at Han Hae-woon’s words, Yeon-woo spoke.

 

“That’s also correct. But I was thinking of a different quote.”

– What’s that?

“A lie is first denied, then doubted, but if it continues, it eventually becomes revered.”

 

It was both their method of controlling organization members and the method they used to send An Jun-ho to hell using veteran actor Jung Tae-seon.

 

“Now it’s time to send Jung Tae-seon away.”

– The materials are ready. Speaker has been pestering for work too.

 

Speaker was what Yeon-woo and Han Hae-woon called journalist Oh Seung-hwan, whom they had put on a leash.

 

“One Speaker won’t be enough going forward. Baeksol’s grip on Korea extends to all walks of life. We need to gradually throw them some food and increase the number of journalists we can mobilize.”

– Understood. I’ll scout suitable journalists and compile a list.

 

Yeon-woo nodded and continued.

 

“But while cross-referencing entry and exit records to find whether Hwang-geum left the country, I discovered something peculiar…”

– Something peculiar?

 

The person uncovered while investigating and tracing back the An Jun-ho incident.

Agent Ha Ju-ran, who is disguised as Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vice Minister ‘Jung Chan-suk’.

 

The name that was in the secret information purchased using the Lichtenberg Library in Berlin.

Kim Gye-sik, who was in charge of overseas supply chains at Baeksol.

 

And agent Hwang-geum, who was discovered recently while pursuing James Choi and is currently presumed dead.

 

So far, these three were the main figures of Baeksol whose identities had been identified.

 

Among them, Hwang-geum is presumed to be dead.

 

“While examining Ha Ju-ran and Kim Gye-sik’s past immigration records, there were strangely overlapping movements. Their movements in Okinawa kept overlapping. Their stay periods were only a day or two though.”

– Okinawa. Understood. I’ll investigate that area as well.

 

‘There’s definitely something in Okinawa.’

 

Yeon-woo’s intuition was fiercely pointing toward Okinawa.

 

“For now, I should end today’s work here. I need to head over to Daehangno since it’s almost time for the performance.”

– There are only a few days left for the performance, aren’t there?

“Yeah. Three left. Among the three people who came to the theater with you last time, which one is your sister-in-law?”

 

At Yeon-woo’s question, Han Hae-woon’s flustered voice could be heard.

 

– When did you see them all?

“From when they came in. So who is it?”

– Haha… Who else. The prettiest one among them.

 

Yeon-woo chuckled at Han Hae-woon’s words.

 

“I’m clocking out.”

– Yes. Team Leader.

 

Taking off his headset, Yeon-woo left home to perform.

 

***

 

And a few hours later.

 

After finishing the play “Mirror” and coming up to the office, Yeon-woo had a missed call.

 

‘Hmm? It’s from CEO Jeong Hyeok.’

 

Ring ring─.

 

– Oh, Yeon-woo.

“Yes. CEO. I saw there was a missed call. I was performing.”

– Oh right, I forgot. Today was a performance day. I thought you were resting since the variety show ended. The reason I called is because a director came forward saying they want to direct our sports drama.

 

Yeon-woo tilted his head at Jeong Hyeok’s words.

 

“There’s no script yet and it’s just in the planning stage, so how did a director come forward wanting to direct it?”

– Director Yoon casually mentioned it, and that person said they really want to do it. It’s a director you know very well, Yeon-woo.

 

‘A director I know well?’

 

Various directors came to mind in Yeon-woo’s head.

His filmography had become quite impressive now, so he had met many directors.

 

“Who is it? That director.”

– Director Kim Han-su.

 

Director Kim Han-su, who directed the drama “Summer’s Closet” which was Yeon-woo’s debut work, and also directed the movie “Spring Lover” which was Yeon-woo’s first cameo.

 

Yeon-woo’s face brightened at hearing the name after such a long time.

 

Come to think of it, he was a director famous for directing warm and youthful emotions well, so he was perfect for the genre.

 

“That sounds good?”

 

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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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