Chapter 156: Blood Is Thicker Than Water

The National Intelligence Service safe house.

After opening the front door and walking into the living room, I found NIS Director Om Giyeon, Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong, CIA Director Griffin, and FBI Director Glenn Nevers deep in conversation.

After greeting them casually, I dropped onto the sofa with an easygoing smile.

"Director Om, aren't we meeting a little too often? At this rate, we're going to become close friends."

"Haha. Take it as proof that we desperately need Director Cha's advice."

"Well... I suppose that was a silly thing for me to say."

After replying with an embarrassed smile, I turned to Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong.

"How did you manage to bring Lee Jonghyeok in?"

"We asked him to accompany us voluntarily, saying we'd received a report involving a hit-and-run accident."

Voluntary accompaniment was a procedure in which investigators asked a suspect to accompany them to the police station.

The problem was that if the person refused, the police had no authority to force them to come.

After mentioning that point, I asked Commissioner General Choi whether Lee Jonghyeok had agreed without resistance.

"We were worried about that as well, but I suppose he has a guilty conscience. He agreed without any objections."

"Are you sure he didn't actually flee the scene of an accident?"

"We can't completely rule out that possibility."

"Either way, what matters is that we brought him in safely. That's fortunate."

Director Griffin, however, still looked unsatisfied.

"Commissioner Choi, we could have simply arrested him. Was it really necessary to resort to a trick?"

"There's a North Korean spy working inside his company."

The identities of fifteen spies, including Lee Jonghyeok, had been uncovered thanks to the list provided by Choi Cheolgyeo.

If all of them were arrested simultaneously, North Korea would immediately suspect that Choi Cheolgyeo had leaked the list.

That was why the NIS and the police had deliberately arrested Lee Jonghyeok first, making it appear as though he had become the source of the leak.

Since there was another spy working at the auto parts factory he managed, they had no choice but to proceed this way.

"I understand your reasoning, but what if he insists he never handed over any list of spies?"

Spies could only be punished through the courts.

In other words, if Lee Jonghyeok stubbornly denied everything during the trial, the situation could become extremely complicated.

"We still have time before the trial, so we'll think it through carefully."

"What if, instead, we persuade Lee Jonghyeok to cooperate with us?"

I immediately understood Director Griffin's intention.

He had brought it up because he wanted to take Lee Jonghyeok back to the United States.

Wanting to confirm my suspicion, I asked cautiously.

"Director Cha is absolutely correct."

"I'm curious why you're so eager to bring Lee Jonghyeok to the United States."

"I believe that while living in America as a defector, he may have recruited additional spies."

In other words, they wanted to take him to the United States to discover whom Lee Jonghyeok had recruited.

"I understand your reasoning. You'll have to discuss that with Director Om."

As though he had been waiting for exactly that moment, NIS Director Om Giyeon spoke.

"Director Griffin, you acknowledge that our country arrested Lee Jonghyeok first, don't you?"

"It sounds like you have no intention of handing him over. Am I right?"

"You are. That said, we're willing to let you question him."

"Well... if that's your position, there's nothing I can do."

Director Griffin answered with an openly dissatisfied expression.

Sensing that the atmosphere was becoming tense, FBI Director Glenn Nevers stepped in.

"Director Cha, what's the most effective way to interrogate Lee Jonghyeok, in your opinion?"

In truth, I'd already come up with an effective interrogation strategy.

I'd simply been waiting for the right opportunity to present it, and Director Nevers had conveniently given me one.

That said, I had no intention of revealing everything immediately.

"I do have an idea, but it isn't fully polished yet."

"We'll fill in the missing pieces ourselves. Just tell us."

"I think Director Om should conduct the interrogation personally."

"Me?"

Completely caught off guard, Director Om Giyeon pointed at himself.

"Yes."

"Tell me why."

"Lee Jonghyeok believes he's being questioned about a hit-and-run accident. How do you think he'll react if the Director of the National Intelligence Service suddenly walks into the interrogation room?"

"He'll obviously be surprised."

"Most ordinary citizens have no idea who the NIS Director is or what he looks like. If he's surprised, he'll indirectly reveal that he's a spy."

"I understand your logic, Director Cha. But what if he simply denies everything and pretends he has nothing to do with North Korean espionage?"

I'd expected that question and already had an answer prepared.

"If that happens, bring Director Griffin and Director Nevers into the interrogation."

I then explained in detail how Director Om Giyeon and the others should proceed against Lee Jonghyeok.

"...If you handle it that way, he'll eventually talk."

"I understand your plan, Director Cha, but what if Lee Jonghyeok refuses to testify no matter what and remains stubborn until the very end?"

"He lived in both our country and the United States for over ten years, so he understands the reality of North Korea perfectly well. I don't think he'll remain stubborn. But if he does, there can only be one reason."

"And what reason would that be?"

"Blood is thicker than water."

Director Om Giyeon immediately understood what I meant.

If Lee Jonghyeok refused to speak until the very end, the reason would undoubtedly be the family he still had in North Korea.

He asked directly whether there was any solution.

"What if we announce that he resisted violently during the arrest and was shot dead?"

"But if we do that, it creates a contradiction regarding how we obtained the list of fourteen spies."

"The NIS can simply announce to the media that it had been monitoring his espionage activities ever since his defection, and that prolonged surveillance led to the identification of fourteen additional spies."

"Ah... Now I understand."

"There are probably more than fourteen spies."

"That certainly seems likely."

Leaving Director Om's reply behind, I turned to Director Nevers.

"Do you have Lee Jonghyeok's complete personal file?"

"I do. Why are you interested?"

"There's something I'd like to verify."

"Give me a minute."

Director Nevers made a phone call, gave a brief instruction, and hung up.

He then ordered a nearby FBI agent to bring over a laptop.

Before long, his phone vibrated.

Apparently, FBI headquarters had already sent over Lee Jonghyeok's file.

He downloaded the attached file onto the laptop's desktop, turned the screen toward me, and said,

"Director Cha, go ahead."

Without hesitation, I quickly skimmed through Lee Jonghyeok's file using the mouse.

After a while, Director Om Giyeon asked curiously,

"Director Cha, what exactly caught your attention?"

"In North Korea, he majored in International Relations and Politics at university, then spent over fifteen years working as a diplomat. I couldn't understand why someone with absolutely no technical background would suddenly start running an auto parts factory."

"Not many people actually work in the field they studied."

"You're overlooking something important, Director."

"What?"

"He's a spy sent by North Korea."

"Don't tell me..."

As though something had suddenly occurred to him, Director Om Giyeon fell silent.

Naturally, I understood exactly what he was thinking.

"Your suspicion is correct. We need to find out which company is buying the auto parts produced by Lee Jonghyeok's factory."

"Agent Choi, did you hear what Director Cha just said?"

"Yes, Director."

The NIS agent answered firmly.

***

Lee Jonghyeok had been told that someone had filed a report accusing him of involvement in a hit-and-run accident.

The police requested that he accompany them to the station so they could verify the facts.

Naturally, since he hadn't caused any traffic accident, he could simply have refused.

Even so, the reason he agreed without protest lay in his hidden identity.

Still, something felt strangely off.

Because the police car he was riding in was heading toward Seoul.

He cautiously asked the officer sitting beside him.

"Mr. Lee, someone reported that you were involved in a hit-and-run in Seoul's Jongno District. We're heading there to reconstruct the incident."

Lee Jonghyeok hadn't been anywhere near Jongno recently.

He sighed in relief, concluding that someone had simply mistaken his license plate.

Even if he explained the truth, the police probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

Since arguing would accomplish nothing, he decided to cooperate.

"I see. Can you tell me who reported it?"

"We're obligated to protect the informant's identity."

In other words, I'm not telling you.

"I understand. But can you at least tell me what the report says?"

"The witness stated that they were waiting to cross at a pedestrian crossing. While your vehicle was making a right turn, it lightly struck a motorcycle before driving away without taking any action. The witness believed you fled the scene and reported it to the police."

"I haven't even been in Jongno recently. Could they have mistaken the license plate?"

"That's certainly possible. But once a report is filed, we're obligated to investigate."

"Naturally. What condition is the victim in?"

"It appears your vehicle was turning at a low speed, so nobody was injured. The motorcycle only sustained minor damage."

"So nothing serious?"

"That's our assessment as well. Sorry for taking up your valuable time."

With that, the officer handed Lee Jonghyeok a drink.

"What's this?"

"I was thirsty myself. It didn't seem right to drink alone."

"Ah, I see. My throat was getting dry anyway. Thanks."

He twisted off the cap and took a few sips.

Almost immediately, an odd sensation washed over him.

An overwhelming wave of drowsiness struck him.

Why am I suddenly so sleepy...

He never managed to finish the thought.

His head slumped forward as he fell into a deep sleep.

The officer watching him immediately dialed a number.

As though the other person had been waiting by the phone, a voice answered instantly.

["Inspector Hong, how did it go?"]

"He just drank the beverage containing a generous dose of sleeping medication and passed out."

["Excellent work. You know where to bring Lee Jonghyeok, don't you?"]

"Of course."

["How long until you arrive?"]

"With rush-hour traffic, somewhere between one and two hours."

***

Click.

The moment Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong ended the call, Director Om Giyeon immediately asked,

"Commissioner Choi, how did the operation go?"

["Completely successful."]

"Phew... We narrowly avoided a major blunder."

Just then, an NIS agent hurried over holding a phone.

"Director, you need to take this call."

Accepting the phone, Director Om Giyeon spoke.

"What is it?"

["The auto parts manufactured by Lee Jonghyeok's factory are exported entirely to China."]

Director Om Giyeon frowned.

Labor costs in China were much lower than in Korea, giving Chinese manufacturers a significant cost advantage.

In fact, Korean automakers even imported some components from China.

Yet Lee Jonghyeok's factory exported its entire production to China?

"What parts does Lee Jonghyeok export?"

["Cooling system water pumps for heavy-duty trucks."]

"Do those pumps require any particularly advanced technology?"

["Not that I'm aware of. But there is one strange detail."]

"What is it?"

["The importing company is located in Dandong, China. Its name is Choson Trading."]

At that instant, realization struck Director Om Giyeon.

He concluded that North Korea was smuggling the water pumps through Choson Trading.

"Immediately conduct a full investigation into Choson Trading."

Director Om Giyeon's sharp order echoed throughout the living room.