NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 70

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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 70. Baeksol

During the company dinner, I heard from the Director that construction of the set for filming episodes 12 and onward of “Stars Beyond the Stream” at a professional video filming special set in Daejeon had been completed.

 

This drama consists of a total of 17 episodes – 16 main episodes plus 1 special episode that would be scheduled if ratings are good.

 

Currently, filming has been completed up to the first part of episode 11, including some of the latter half scenes and the desert racing ending that Yeon-woo filmed in advance.

 

So quite a lot of the remaining content that needs to be filmed will be shot at the Daejeon set.

 

“The Director gave us this vacation because he needs time to go down first and work out the camera angles. Since it’s in Daejeon, I’m thinking of checking it out.”

“Oh, so you’re going in two days?”

“No way, this isn’t even a filming schedule so you don’t need to come. I’m really going alone.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, preemptively striking after seeing through his intention, Min-su laughed and replied that he’d rest well during his vacation too.

 

Yeon-woo nodded at hearing that story, then added more.

 

“Oh, come to think of it, once we start filming at the set, I’ll be commuting from my family home for several days, so Min-su hyung, you can rest during that time too.”

“That won’t do. Not just for commuting, but I’ll definitely come to pick you up to handle emergency situations and other matters.”

 

Min-su shook his head firmly at Yeon-woo’s words.

Yeon-woo smiled, thinking that ever since he first took charge of him two years ago, he’s been someone with such consistent professional consciousness and sense of responsibility.

 

“If you go down to your family home tomorrow and watch the broadcast together with your family, I’m quite looking forward to their reaction. Since the movie hasn’t been released yet, it’ll be the first time your family sees you as a lead actor.”

 

Actually, he hadn’t given it much thought, but after hearing Min-su’s story, Yeon-woo became curious too.

 

When “Summer’s Closet” aired, even though he was the male lead, he was a sub-male lead with relatively little screen time, and at that time his younger sister So-hyeon was going through puberty and would just go into her room and barely come out.

 

“That’s right. Now that I think about it, I’m looking forward to it.”

 

During their conversation, they had arrived at the officetel, and after greeting Min-su, he went upstairs.

 

Before washing up, he plugged his smartphone into the charger and turned it on, but even after showering, Yeon-woo’s smartphone kept ringing continuously.

 

Looking at the screen, dozens of missed calls and messages had arrived.

 

Most were contacts from acquaintances and broadcasting industry people.

 

Among them, he saw an app with a blinking number.

 

It was a message that arrived through the security app he only used to communicate with Han Hae-woon.

 

– Team Leader Ryu. I made contact with Old Man Baek.

– I found a clue about Baeksol’s information.

– There’s also progress on the Plus Ten Entertainment CEO Byeon Hak-gyu matter you mentioned before.

– I’m heading to Seoul to report on the related content.

– Please reply when you check this message.

 

The first message arrived a little over four hours ago, so if he left Busan then, it would be time for him to arrive in Seoul soon.

 

It seemed like sleep would have to be postponed for today.

 

Yeon-woo got dressed again and left the house, sending a message.

 

– Checked the message. Let’s meet at the address below.

 

He sent the address of a quiet park near the officetel, and since Yeon-woo went first to wait, not long after, a silver SUV arrived at the park parking lot with headlight beams.

 

It was Han Hae-woon’s car.

 

As Yeon-woo approached, the driver’s door opened and Han Hae-woon got out.

 

“Good work.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s first words upon seeing him, Han Hae-woon nodded slightly.

 

“He’s definitely not an easy person to meet.”

“Let’s walk and talk.”

 

Walking through the park with Yeon-woo, Han Hae-woon first began talking about his meeting with Old Man Baek.

 

***

 

The time was several hours earlier, when Han Hae-woon was being moved somewhere with a face mask on by Old Man Baek’s subordinate.

 

With his vision blocked, Han Hae-woon was put in a car with two burly men sitting on either side of him, making him unable to move, and a voice came from Old Man Baek sitting in the very back seat.

 

“What’s your relationship with Mr. Jeon?”

“I personally received a favor from him, so I’m helping him.”

 

Having somewhat anticipated this and prepared a scenario with Jeon Su-hwan in advance, Han Hae-woon answered immediately.

Then Old Man Baek’s voice came again right away.

 

“He’s usually the type to move directly, not someone who sends others, isn’t he?”

“Right now he’s in a danger zone, so he can’t easily come in.”

 

As if he hadn’t completely dispelled his suspicions about Han Hae-woon yet, Old Man Baek, whose true thoughts were unreadable, maintained silence after that, and the car drove for quite a long time after that too.

 

‘It feels like they’re not going over 70km/h. Then they’re only using national highways, and judging by the many turns, it’s not that far from the earlier location, but they’re deliberately taking a difficult route because of me.’

 

Though he was in a sense being kidnapped, Han Hae-woon habitually reasoned while calmly recording information in his head one by one.

 

Old Man Baek sitting in the back seat occasionally answered calls with vibrating sounds, listening only to what was said on the other end of the phone receiver without saying anything.

 

Han Hae-woon also tried to listen to the phone conversation, but he couldn’t hear it at all.

 

‘While driving around in circles, is he cross-checking whether I’m lying?’

 

Then at some point the car stopped, and Han Hae-woon was grabbed by the giants sitting on both sides and climbed stairs for quite a while.

 

As he felt himself being brought indoors and his face mask was removed, antique furniture came into view.

It felt exactly like the living room of a chairman’s house that would appear in dramas.

 

Old Man Baek, sitting in the seat of honor in the living room, raised his one remaining arm and offered a seat.

 

“Sit down, my neck hurts from looking up at you.”

 

Han Hae-woon took a seat and began the conversation based on the information and precautions he had heard from Ryu Yeon-woo.

 

“Team Leader Jeon Su-hwan told me to tell you that the time has come to repay the debt you owe.”

 

Old Man Baek’s eyes widened briefly upon hearing Han Hae-woon’s words, then quickly returned to an expressionless state as he nodded.

 

“I see. Finally, I can repay my debt.”

 

Tapping the sofa armrest with his one arm, he fell into thought before Old Man Baek spoke again.

 

“By the way, so that person’s position was team leader? I don’t know where he belongs or what kind of work he does. We just occasionally do business together.”

 

As Han Hae-woon was about to speak, thinking “Oh no,” Old Man Baek cut him off first.

 

“Never mind. I have no desire to know. The reason this old man’s lifeline is still attached is partly because I know a lot.”

 

Old Man Baek continued, raising his one remaining arm.

 

“But I ended up like this because I was too greedy.”

 

***

 

A glint passed through Yeon-woo’s eyes as he quietly nodded and listened to Han Hae-woon’s story.

 

“He talked about his arm? The old man has aged a lot since I last saw him, even bringing up personal stories like that.”

“He seemed too old to just call aged – his presence was overflowing.”

 

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

 

“So did you ask about ‘Baeksol’?”

 

Han Hae-woon nodded heavily at Yeon-woo’s words.

 

“It’s not much, but I got a clue. It was ‘as expected.'”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s related to the National Intelligence Service.”

 

Based on the circumstances deduced from the deaths of Jeon Su-hwan and Baek Yu-hyeon in his previous life, he had somewhat suspected it, but when it became certain, both Yeon-woo and Hae-woon’s faces turned bitter.

 

It felt like their devotion to the country, for which they had given up and sacrificed so much, had instantly become worthless.

 

Then Yeon-woo tilted his head.

 

“But if it’s really related to the National Intelligence Service, isn’t it strange that I don’t know but Old Man Baek does?”

 

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

 

Of course, Old Man Baek might have speculated, but since he had said he didn’t know where or what ‘Jeon Su-hwan,’ Yeon-woo’s previous life, did for work, it was strange that he would know about ‘Baeksol,’ which was even more shrouded in mystery.

 

“But strictly speaking, it’s a bit different.”

“Different how?”

 

After pausing briefly, Han Hae-woon continued.

 

“It would be more accurate to call it the Agency for National Security Planning rather than the National Intelligence Service.”

 

The Agency for National Security Planning.

It was the predecessor of the National Intelligence Service, which served as South Korea’s intelligence agency from 1981 to 1999.

 

 

“So you’re saying the elder knows a person or organization called ‘Baeksol’?”

 

The word that came from Han Hae-woon’s mouth was quite shocking and unexpected, and Old Man Baek, who had been lost in thought, opened his mouth.

 

“I never expected to hear that name again at this point, but if that’s the information he wants, I’ll have to dig up this old man’s ancient memories.”

 

According to Old Man Baek, thirty years ago, when he had just barely shed his newcomer status in the underground world, a massive crime eradication operation known as the ‘War on Crime’ took place.

 

Fortunately at that time, Old Man Baek was already in prison and could avoid the investigation net. When he was released later, all the underground world connections he had known were either half-crippled or had disappeared without a trace.

 

“That’s when I heard the name ‘Baeksol.'”

 

A man came to see Old Man Baek, who was gathering the remaining dregs of organizations to expand his power.

 

The man, who identified himself as an ANSP agent from the agency that could supposedly make even flying birds fall, threatened that he could preserve his life if he lived only according to orders that came down under the name ‘Baeksol.’

 

But Old Man Baek, who had barely shed his newcomer status before going to prison, had been riding high and expanding his power after his release, and intoxicated with confidence, he had turned the man away.

 

“That became both the thing I regret most in my life and possibly the best thing I ever did.”

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Hearing Han Hae-woon’s words, Old Man Baek shook his head as if recalling that day.

 

“They all died. That afternoon, several people came and pulled the trigger without hesitation. I also took several shots to my shoulder and arm that day and barely escaped.”

 

State power was a frightening thing.

With gunshot wounds and unable to go to any hospital, he became a fugitive and had to seek out an unlicensed doctor known in the underground world, where he had his arm amputated to survive.

 

“Since then, I’ve never once stepped to the forefront. But I didn’t live as their slave either.”

 

That’s why he said it was both the thing he regretted most and possibly the best thing he ever did.

 

“To think that the mountains and rivers would change so many times and I thought they had all disappeared into the back alleys of history, yet I would hear that name again from a young person’s mouth.”

 

 

Yeon-woo fell into thought after hearing the entire story from Han Hae-woon and Old Man Baek.

Watching Yeon-woo like that, Han Hae-woon opened his mouth.

 

“It seems like those people Old Man Baek mentioned haven’t disappeared. There’s no telling how they might have changed their appearance now.”

“I joined the year after it changed to the National Intelligence Service, and in the 20 years I’ve worked there since, I’ve never heard of them even once. They must be meticulously hiding their presence.”

 

A whole 30 years ago…

Since it was information from so far in the past, there was no telling how things might have changed in the present.

Still, it felt like he had grasped a clue for the first time and was getting some sense of an outline about his opponents.

 

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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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