Chapter 163 ·Shouldn't You Shut His Mouth

Shouldn't ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍You Shut His Mouth

Since the Organization's UID was a prototype special unit, it held many secrets.

Because of this, UID members not related to the Organization where Im Deok-chang belonged became surveillance targets even after discharge.

However, there had never been any reports of problems regarding this until now.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why? I know about TMT, which you told me, too. Do you still think it's unrelated?"

This was information that the W&W Group's chairman Baek Ji-woong had kept hidden until recently.

Because of this, even within the Organization, there had been speculation that Skull's true identity was Aoshika(青鹿).

Meanwhile, In-hyuk observed the minute changes in Im Deok-chang's expression and movements beneath the mask. Mentally, he seemed very unsettled.

"......"

Im Deok-chang pressed his lips tight. It signaled he would say no more.

Seeing this, In-hyuk reached across and pulled off Choi Dong-hoon's hood, who had been sitting quietly opposite. He, too, looked around before locking eyes with Im Deok-chang.

Having heard the conversation just now, he kept his mouth shut.

"I didn't bring you guys here expecting to get information out of you, anyway."

With that, In-hyuk drew a handgun from his waistband and loaded it.

Click—

Im Deok-chang's face went cold and tense as he carefully spoke up.

"What... what are you going to do?"

If In-hyuk simply intended to kill him, there would have been no reason to bring Choi Dong-hoon along as well.

"At the very least, I should set the stage like I did for Jung Yoon-ju's death. That way, your higher-ups will try to pin everything on you just like before, creating an opening for me."

"... What?"

A faint laugh escaped from beneath In-hyuk's mask.

"Ha. Do you not realize how I managed to get your tail?"

Even then, Im Deok-chang's expression was one of confusion.

"Hwain Techon, Notex, Delta Scourge. And Oruch Al Pasha."

Just those four keywords made Im Deok-chang's eyes tremble violently.

"So that business was your doing too!"

His enraged shout rang out, echoing around them.

It was from that point that Im Deok-chang's standing within the National Intelligence Service began to waver significantly.

"It's suspicious from the start that those guys, who smuggled out a colossal $1.4 billion in domestic funds, got hit by pirates without any precautions. So I just slipped some info to neighboring pirates."

"You bastard...!"

Clatter—

Even with his hands and feet bound, Im Deok-chang thrashed as if to hurl himself at In-hyuk.

"I don't know who the real bastard is. You made hundreds of people jobless, laundering money through legitimate businesses—don't think you're in any position to talk."

"Grrgh."

"Oh, and it's not like I'm doing this out of some pathetic sense of justice. I just don't like what you people are doing."

The exchange was barely a conversation, but then Im Deok-chang sensed something was off.

"You... aren't you just a lackey?"

"That's just what you guys think."

Bang—

With those words, In-hyuk raised the pistol he'd been holding and shot Choi Dong-hoon in the chest.

The force knocked Choi Dong-hoon back, chair and all.

"......"

Im Deok-chang, witnessing the scene, swallowed hard.

In-hyuk raised the gun back to aim at him.

"What I need right now isn't information. I already know more than enough about you all."

At this point, Baek Ji-woong and even the Seunghwa Foundation had already been identified. Of course, there could be more that had yet to be uncovered.

Especially considering the "Aoshika(青鹿)" name that Baek Si-hwan had mentioned the first time they clashed.

Click—

He pressed the muzzle tightly to Im Deok-chang's forehead.

"Tengu—!"

At Im Deok-chang's sudden outcry, In-hyuk paused before pulling the trigger.

It was a word without obvious meaning.

Im Deok-chang watched In-hyuk, eyes shrewd.

In-hyuk instantly understood what he intended.

"Are you trying to test just how much I know?"

"If you spare me... No, if you just get me safely out of Korea! I'll tell you what that word means—everything I know!"

A feeling of hollow amusement escaped him.

"So you're going to sell out your comrades to save your own skin?"

"Comrades? Do you think we're tied together by something like that?"

Jung Yoon-ju had to be dealt with in haste due to the circumstances.

But he hadn't expected Im Deok-chang, considered to be on her level, to blabber so easily.

"So it's more of a master-servant relationship, huh. Still, why should I trust your information? Or, it might already be something I know."

Thinking briefly, In-hyuk adjusted the gun, which had shifted slightly from his forehead.

"That's for you to decide after you hear it later."

"So you're not going to tell me now."

"If I do, I'll have no way to stay alive."

Im Deok-chang's expression showed he was sure In-hyuk had taken the bait.

"It's a waste of time, so I wasn't planning to use this method. But if you're really this talkative, I might have to reconsider."

"... What?"

"Did you think I only knew about TMT and didn't know how to use it?"

TMT: Tactical Murder Techniques, a martial arts technique for killing.

Its essence was to take only the practical techniques from various martial arts and ingraining them through habitual training.

Furthermore, one had to fully know every pain point or vital that threatened a person's life, so they could target them regardless of the specific technique used.

In other words, In-hyuk could inflict the greatest pain a human could feel.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's going to get noisy, so I'd better shut your mouth."

With that, In-hyuk took off one of Im Deok-chang's socks and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Mmmph! Mmph!"

Im Deok-chang, dazed and panicked, began screaming incomprehensible sounds.

"You can really look forward to this. Of all the guys who've experienced this, they died if anything—none ever managed to keep their mouths shut."

With his right hand formed like a knife, he stabbed into Im Deok-chang's left side. For an ordinary person, it would be impossible to stab anything—even a hand, let alone a knife—in there.

Yet In-hyuk pushed three knuckles deep, to the point that Im Deok-chang's ribs seemed about to break through the skin beneath his clothes.

"Uuuuuuugh! Uuugh—!"

At the same time, Im Deok-chang's body froze and trembled, choking screams muffled by the sock.

"It's one of the vital points near the solar plexus. Even if it's not exactly the liver blow point, hitting here is a critical attack."

"Uuugh—! Uuh! Uuugh!"

Im Deok-chang frantically seemed to try saying something, But In-hyuk's hand didn't stop—instead, he twisted it in deeper.

"Uuugh!"

.

.

.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the safehouse, three people clustered together were watching the events on the first floor through a video feed.

Like In-hyuk, Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester wore skull masks and combat attire.

Accompanying them was Jin Jong-man, director of the National Intelligence Service, who had come to the safehouse with In-hyuk.

"Puedo dejar que siga así? Creo que me moriré si hago algo mal. (Should we really let him keep going? I think he'll die if he does something wrong.)"

"Ya hay uno muerto. (One's already dead.)"

Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester murmured to each other in Spanish, showing slight(?) concern.

On the other hand, Jin Jong-man, unable to understand the two, wore a grave expression.

It was because he had now come to know Im Deok-chang's true nature.

'Did I actually approve of putting someone like that as deputy general manager at the National Intelligence Service?'

Not that he'd thought the man was particularly just to begin with.

But he'd assumed that at least some minimal patriotism would remain, having risen to such a high post as an agent.

Yet seeing him now, Jin Jong-man thought he might sell out the country itself at any time.

Suspicion even crept toward the president, since delegation powers extended as high as deputy general manager appointments.

At that moment, Im Deok-chang's voice emerged from the video and stairway—

His mouth was now free, the sock pulled by In-hyuk's hand.

[Huff— huff—! I-I'll tell you anything... please... j-just stop...]

In the end, unable to withstand the pain, Im Deok-chang's pupils were unfocused, drooling as he kept pleading something.

* * *

Around the time office workers started commuting, Baek Ji-woong, chairman of WISE&WIRE Group, left his house and got into his car.

"How long has it been since we lost contact with Hyottoko?"

As he asked, Do Jung-geol replied from the front passenger seat.

"As of now, it's just over four hours."

Baek Ji-woong, looking out the car window, sighed and continued questioning.

"What's the situation in detail?"

"Director Jin Jong-man moved based on intel that there was an attempt to contact the informant regarding Notex and Hwain Techon. During a pursuit near the Hangyeryeong rest stop, he lost them; meanwhile, contact with both Hyottoko and USHI—who were commanding agents inside the National Intelligence Service—was lost, and they've disappeared since."

USHI was the codename of Choi Dong-hoon, who assisted Im Deok-chang.

Do Jung-geol added further explanation.

"In addition, the informant has been identified as Skull."

Baek Ji-woong's expression grew colder at this.

"So it really was a trap. What are the predicted scenarios?"

Do Jung-geol hesitated briefly before opening his mouth.

"First, there's information that Hyottoko may have missed some evidence while investigating the Notex, Hwain Techon incident. If he judged he couldn't cover it up, he might have sent out adjacent agents then escaped."

"And the second?"

"Abduction. The rendezvous with the informant was bait; while agents were focused there, someone could have infiltrated the National Intelligence Service and kidnapped Hyottoko and USHI."

Both scenarios were plausible.

That's how cornered Hyottoko, a.k.a. Im Deok-chang, must have been inside the National Intelligence Service.

Of course, the fact that the informant was Skull was the biggest problem.

Still, it was hard to believe Skull could have infiltrated the NIS to kidnap both men without leaving a trace.

"Is there still no update on the NIS internal situation? Not even from CCTV?"

"The agents pulled into the pursuit, sensing something was off, are on standby outside and haven't returned. And Songchon-affiliated agents were operating on Hyottoko's direct orders, so we couldn't check them on our end."

Even the agents on standby sensed that something was going wrong.

"Anything else?"

"That's all for now."

Frustration welled up, almost choking him.

"If we're assuming it's a trap, then we have to take the latter scenario and act... but since it happened inside the NIS..."

Even if he wanted to make a move right away, there was no clear way.

Still, some kind of action was absolutely necessary.

"For now, mobilize all NIS agents on standby and start searching. Even if it's not just the NIS, dig through every nearby CCTV recording."

"I'll order it immediately."

"And check the location of Director Jin Jong-man's family too. If necessary, we might need to use them as hostages."

"Yes, sir."

The moment the conversation ended, Do Jung-geol immediately took out his phone.

Baek Ji-woong looked out the window again.

If something happened to Im Deok-chang as well, it meant that two elders would already be dead.

Of course, depending on his own perspective, it might not be a bad outcome.

But the pace was much faster than expected.

If he wasn't careful, the entire vortex might sweep up even the plans he'd been secretly preparing.

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