Chapter 56: What Foolish Dreams

Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong of the National Police Agency watched the video recording, unable to shake the strange feeling lingering in the back of his mind. The television screen showed no people whatsoever—only the ceiling. Unable to suppress his growing curiosity any longer, he asked the interpreter to pause the simultaneous translation.

Noticing this, Chairman Park Yeongil looked at him in puzzlement.

“Commissioner Choi, is something the matter?”

“Ah, no. I was simply wondering from what position the Korea Investment employee managed to record this footage.”

At that moment, I noticed a flicker of hesitation on Chairman Park's face. To save him from the awkward situation, I quickly stepped in.

“Commissioner, would you allow me to answer on the Chairman's behalf?”

“Certainly. Please, go ahead.”

I decided this was the perfect opportunity to reveal Saho's existence to Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong. After all, he'd already had similar questions while watching the secretly recorded footage from the Chinese Triad's hideout in Korea.

“As far as I know, intelligence agencies around the world use animals for espionage. Is that correct?”

“You don't mean...” Choi Dongyeong trailed off as a sudden realization struck him.

Of course, I knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Your guess is absolutely correct.”

“So my suspicion was right! Then what kind of animal are you using for espionage?”

“A wild forest cat.”

“A wild cat?!”

Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong, Superintendent Hong Ingi, and Superintendent Hwang Dongsok all widened their eyes in astonishment at the same time. It was only natural. The world had heard of birds, dogs, and even dolphins being used for intelligence work, but the idea of a wild cat serving as a spy was beyond anything they could have imagined.

“There was a good reason for it,” I added.

“And what reason would that be? I'm extremely interested.”

“Chairman Park had a close friend, a Buddhist monk. He passed away not long ago.”

I briefly explained to Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong how Saho had become part of our family. Naturally, I omitted or softened all of the sensitive and confidential details.

“...That was how the late Monk Popchin trained Saho to the point where he could understand human speech.”

“Incredible. How could anyone possibly train a wild feline predator like that...?”

“I'm still amazed myself. Besides, he understands things almost instantly, which makes him perfect for assignments like these.”

“So this wild cat personally infiltrated both the Triad's hideout in Korea and the Chinese embassy?”

“That's correct, Commissioner.”

“And you attached a miniature camera to him?”

“Yes. The reason the camera was aimed at the ceiling is because Saho apparently climbed to the tops of display cabinets and wardrobes in order to film without being noticed.”

“I see now. Even so, wouldn't it be more appropriate to return a wild animal to its natural habitat?”

“Before passing away, Monk Popchin entrusted Chairman Park with caring for Saho as though he were a member of the family. We have no choice but to honor that wish.”

“Ah, I understand now. That's quite a touching story.”

At that moment, Superintendent Hong Ingi, who also had a question, spoke up.

“But a wild cat is accustomed to roaming freely outdoors. Wouldn't being confined indoors cause him severe stress?”

“There is a wooded hill directly in front of our house. Saho runs there regularly and works off all his pent-up energy.”

“What if local residents see a wild predator and panic? What will you do then?”

“Unlike others of his species, Saho's entire body is covered in thick black fur. Because of that, my younger sister and all of our neighbors simply assume he's an unusually large house cat.”

“So you're saying it's a rare mutation?”

In reality, Monk Popchin had used Saho as a test subject while creating his unique herbal tranquilizer. During those experiments, a side effect had caused the animal's fur to darken. If I told them the whole truth, the existence of the secret medicine would inevitably come to light, creating countless dangerous complications. Keeping it hidden was the best choice for everyone's sake.

“Yes, that's the conclusion I've reached as well,” I replied.

“And do you intend to continue using him for espionage?”

“I haven't given the matter serious thought yet, however...” I deliberately paused to gauge Hong Ingi's intentions.

“You see, our police would also like to make use of Saho for intelligence work—but only in the most extreme and absolutely unavoidable circumstances.”

I decided to accept Superintendent Hong Ingi's proposal. It was certainly better than letting Saho, who possessed intelligence approaching that of a human, simply laze around at home. Besides, dangerous espionage missions would give the cat plenty of opportunities to bargain for premium-grade beef.

Now that's what I call a mutually beneficial partnership.

That said, I had no intention of accepting his proposal unconditionally.

“If you agree to three conditions first, I'm willing to consider it favorably.”

“Let's hear them.”

“First, before every assignment involving Saho, you must notify me in advance of the purpose and reason for his deployment.”

“No problem. What's the second condition?”

“As compensation for his espionage work, Saho must be fed nothing but the highest-quality premium marbled beef.”

“Haha! That's hardly an issue. We can provide as much of that as necessary.”

“And lastly, Saho must never be sent on any mission determined to be fatally dangerous.”

“Excellent. Then let's agree that the final decision on whether the wild cat participates in any operation will always rest with Department Head Cha personally.”

“In that case, I have no objections.”

Superintendent Hong Ingi turned toward Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong, waiting for his final approval. The Commissioner immediately understood the look and answered without hesitation.

“In principle, I approve of employing Saho for intelligence operations. However, I don't have the authority to make that decision alone.”

“But you're the highest-ranking official in the entire national police.”

“Believe me, there will be quite a few government agencies eager to make use of this cat's unique talents.”

This is becoming much bigger than I expected...

“The other agencies don't yet know Saho's true capabilities. To be honest, even I don't know everything myself. How about this? Once we've arranged a suitable date, we'll gather representatives from the interested agencies and conduct an official closed demonstration of his abilities.”

“I fully agree with Department Head Cha's proposal.”

“Once you've decided on the date, let me know.”

“Certainly. Now then, shall we continue watching the recording?”

As soon as the Commissioner finished speaking, the interpreter pressed the play button on the remote.

“‘These Koreans are definitely going to demand enormous compensation. How should we handle this?’

‘Tear them apart! They killed six of our citizens for no reason at all. If we portray it as an outrageous provocation, we can turn the tables and make them pay us instead.’

‘You think that'll work?’

‘Korea catches a cold every time our country merely sneezes.’”

“Garbage that's not even fit to be recycled,” Chairman Park Yeongil muttered through clenched teeth.

Those few biting words perfectly reflected all of our feelings.

The video continued.

“‘Fine. Then how much compensation should we demand from those Korean dogs?’

‘Personally, I don't intend to keep a single dollar of it.’

‘In that case, let's squeeze every last cent out of them.’”

“That bastard has some incredibly foolish dreams.”

“Haha. You're absolutely right, Chairman.”

After finishing Saho's secret recording, we immediately began discussing our strategy for the upcoming negotiations.

“Department Head Cha, how should we deal with Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan?” Choi Dongyeong asked.

“I don't believe we should confront him head-on.”

“You mean we should tuck our tails between our legs in front of that bureaucrat?” The Commissioner's voice was filled with irritation.

Naturally, I was completely confident that I could convince him, so I didn't feel the slightest bit nervous.

“The hilt of the sword is in our hands, while Deputy Secretary Zhang is standing in an extremely unstable position right on the edge of its blade. Why should we act aggressively under those circumstances?”

“What do you mean he's standing on the edge of the blade? Explain.”

“We possess the complete confidential organizational chart of the Triad. If that chart falls into the hands of the Chinese government, the Triad will suffer a devastating blow and be completely destroyed.”

“That's all well and good, but we haven't actually seen the chart yet.”

“It was securely stored inside the gold chain we confiscated from Chen Shao. What do you think will happen if, during the meeting, we casually mention the existence of that chain?”

“Hahaha! He'll start panicking like a cornered dog!” Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong burst into hearty laughter. Chairman Park Yeongil and everyone else laughed along with him.

Once the laughter subsided, I continued.

“However, Chen Shao's gold chain is a double-edged sword.”

“A double-edged sword? Why?”

“If the Triad leadership realizes that their entire secret structure has been exposed, they'll immediately relocate their headquarters and all of their major bases.”

“Naturally. So how do we handle that?”

“All we need to do is subtly hint to Deputy Secretary Zhang that we already know all of the Triad's secret hideouts. He'll immediately lower his tone and back down.”

“Hahaha. Excellent plan. I understand perfectly.”

At that point, Superintendent Hwang Dongsok raised another question.

“But what if Deputy Secretary Zhang demands to know exactly how we obtained such highly classified information?”

“If he asks, we'll simply avoid giving him a direct answer.”

“And I assume there's a sound tactical reason for that?”

“Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui and Vice Chairman Wei Chen are locked in a fierce behind-the-scenes struggle for the position of the Triad's supreme leader.”

“You want us to make it seem as though Vice Chairman Wei's people leaked the information?”

“Why not let Deputy Secretary Zhang and Vice Chairman Chen come to that conclusion themselves?”

“Ah... now I understand. Brilliant. Commissioner, please continue,” Hwang Dongsok said with a satisfied nod before stepping back.

“Department Head Cha, how much compensation should we demand from Zhang, then?”

“My answer is simple: the more, the better.”

“In that case, you'll personally participate in the negotiations with Deputy Secretary Zhang as well.”

“...Me?” I instinctively pointed at myself, staring at the Police Commissioner in disbelief.

“Of course. You're also one of the direct victims in the accident Chen Shao caused when he ran over your younger sister.”

“That's true, but won't the Chinese side lodge an official protest over my presence?”

“You'll be part of our delegation as the chief operational expert. Not a single bastard will dare stand in your way.”

And so, completely unexpectedly, I found myself added to the delegation that would negotiate with the high-ranking Chinese official Zhang Jinan.

***

At that very same time.

Back at the hotel, Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan and Triad Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui were talking leisurely.

“Brother-in-law, do you think we should have Ambassador Shaofei join the negotiations with the Koreans?”

Chen Zhihui shook his head.

“Ambassador Shaofei has no idea that you, respected elder brother, are personally standing behind me.”

“Ah, that's right. It slipped my mind.”

“So instead of the ambassador, I'll accompany you to the negotiations myself.”

“But won't those Korean investigators discover your true identity?”

“Impossible. I crossed the border and entered Korea using forged documents under another person's name. They won't find out anything.”

“Good. When do you think we should begin the meeting?”

“Why drag it out? The sooner we finish this, the better.”

Zhang Jinan nodded in agreement and immediately made a phone call. He spent quite some time discussing the arrangements in detail, and as soon as he hung up, Chen Zhihui impatiently asked,

“Well? What did the Koreans say?”

“The negotiations are scheduled for tomorrow morning. We'll meet right here in the hotel's business center.”

Chen Zhihui frowned slightly, unable to understand the Koreans' reasoning. Any experienced negotiator knew that the first and most important step was to seize the initiative and gain the psychological advantage. By all logic, the Korean authorities should have insisted on holding the meeting on their own turf. Yet they had readily agreed to meet on neutral ground—the very hotel where the Chinese delegation was staying.

“Brother, what kind of game are they playing? What's their angle?”

“Don't forget, I came to Korea on an unofficial and highly confidential visit. If the local press discovers I'm here, it'll trigger a major international scandal.”

“Ah... so you're saying the Koreans are showing you respect and discretion?”

“That's most likely the case. Well then, let's have dinner.”

***

The following morning.

Support Team Leader Heo Yeongjin looked at me suspiciously as I hesitated in front of his desk.

“So, Cha, what's your excuse this time?”

Naturally, I couldn't possibly tell him the truth.

“My mother is returning to the countryside this morning. I need to see her off and help her with her luggage at the bus terminal.”

“Couldn't your younger sister do that?”

“She left early this morning for her university classes.”

“Well, I suppose that can't be helped. Go see your mother off, but make sure you're back at work by lunchtime.”

The negotiations with Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan were scheduled to begin at exactly ten o'clock, but only heaven knew how long they would last. There was absolutely no way I could make it back to the office before noon.

Seriously... why did Commissioner Choi have to drag me into this diplomatic mess and create so many unnecessary complications?

“I'm sorry, Team Leader, but I also have an extremely important meeting scheduled around lunchtime.”

“Ah, so that's why you're dressed in such a formal business suit today?”

I really had put on my best suit for the negotiations with Zhang Jinan. It felt a little awkward lying to my supervisor, but I had no other choice.

“Yes, you're absolutely right, Team Leader Heo.”

“I see. All right then, hurry along. Don't be late.”

After receiving official permission from Team Leader Heo Yeongjin, I bowed politely and hurried out of the office. Deputy Manager Woo Changhun watched me leave with mild curiosity before turning to his supervisor.

“Team Leader Heo, who exactly is our intern Cha meeting dressed like that?”

“What difference does it make to us? The less you know, the better you sleep,” Heo Yeongjin replied indifferently as he lowered his head back to his paperwork.