novelraw Chapter 75 : Wasn't it fairly realistic
Chapter 75 : Wasn't it fairly realistic
Chapter 75: Wasn't it fairly realistic?
The underground interrogation room of the Namsan KCIA was little more than a vast tomb that sucked the warmth from everything alive.
A single dim incandescent bulb lit the damp concrete walls, and the air smelled of musty mildew, un-dried blood, and the scent of despair all mixed together.
“Are you the Choi who fiddled with dollars in Myeong-dong?”
The voice of Han Tae-seok, Noh Gi-tae’s direct subordinate and section chief, was all the more chilling because it carried no emotion.
He sat at the desk and looked down indifferently at the money changer, who was tied to a chair and trembling.
The money changer’s face was so swollen from being beaten that his lips had split, and his terror-stricken eyes had long since lost focus.
“I… I just… I was doing as I was told….”
“Tell me only where Han Sang-hoon ran off to. Then I’ll send you off nicely.”
“I—I don’t know! Really! How on earth would I know where that old man went? I only….”
Han Tae-seok sighed deeply and slapped the papers on the desk. The monotonous sound tightened the money changer’s heart more than any torture could.
“This is your last chance. In the week before the currency reform, was there any suspicious movement in the black market? Did Han Sang-hoon act differently than usual, or was there an unusually large transaction… anything. Don’t you think you ought to give me at least one piece of information worth the price of your life?”
Of course, Han Tae-seok did not expect to extract major intelligence from such a small fry. The real target was Han Sang-hoon, and since that fox of an old man had already disappeared, it made sense to squeeze whatever the little people had.
Terrified, the money changer groped through his memories desperately. He looked ready to sell his soul if it meant escaping this hell.
Then, like lightning, a rumor flashed through his head.
“I— I heard a rumor.”
“Speak.”
“It must have been about a week before the announcement of the currency reform. Old man Han suddenly hurriedly swept up the dollars from exchangers like us.”
The money changer, trembling, described the situation in detail. Because exchangers had talked a lot among themselves at the time, he still remembered the matter clearly even after some time had passed.
“After that, a rumor circulated among exchangers. Through old man Han, some young fellow exchanged an unimaginably huge amount of dollars.”
Han Tae-seok’s eyes narrowed. He picked up his pen and began to jot notes on the report paper.
“How big a transaction was it?”
“At least one hundred million hwan. No, it was much more than that…. The whole black market buzzed with that story. There were even rumors that dollars in old man Han’s vault had run dry. People kept asking how big a transaction it could be to have swept up the dollars of people like us. Transaction volume had fallen after the securities turmoil because the exchange rate had risen a lot, so this was an exceptional deal at such a time.”
“What did the young man look like?”
“I only caught a few glimpses as he passed by….”
As Han Tae-seok’s eyes narrowed, the money changer nearly screamed.
“B-but there was a rumor that he was connected to Yang Sobo, sir!”
“Yang Sobo? The head of the Chinese-Korean community?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Han Tae-seok’s pen stopped. Yang Sobo. The unexpected appearance of that name made him sit up.
He finished the interrogation and headed straight to Noh Gi-tae’s office.
“Deputy Director. While interrogating black market figures as you ordered, I secured a significant statement.”
Noh Gi-tae read through the report. His brow gradually knit.
‘Just before the currency reform,’ ‘a young man,’ ‘dollar transactions of hundreds of millions of hwan or more,’ and ‘Yang Sobo.’
Those four words circled in his mind. A person naturally came to mind as well.
“Baek Min-woo… could it be him.”
Noh Gi-tae murmured softly. He pictured that brash, inscrutable youngster who enjoyed the patronage of Yang Sobo.
The fearless look he had when he passed along information about Park Geon-sik to me. Even when we met at the teahouse, that kid had not shown any sign of being cowed.
“It’s too precise in timing to just call it luck.”
He frowned and set the report down.
“Any other information come in?”
“We’re collecting that. We’ve identified some illegal exchange activities by several generals and high officials. I’ll organize and report that separately.”
“Secure the testimony and the evidence. It may be useful someday. What about Jeong Tae-soo’s movements?”
“He’s been going around meeting businessmen.”
“Any testimony related to Jeong Tae-soo? Even small things?”
“Nothing has come up yet.”
“So Baek Min-woo knew things even Jeong Tae-soo didn’t?”
“Wouldn’t Yang Sobo have tipped him off?”
To Han Tae-seok’s cautious question, Noh Gi-tae shook his head decisively.
“No. That old fox Yang Sobo was caught off-guard as well. This was not the act of someone who knew in advance. Aren’t we monitoring his every move? Did we see any special activity?”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Did you get any statements from Yang Sobo’s subordinates?”
“We uncovered some illegal circumstances, but we judged that they were insufficient to move directly against Yang Sobo.”
As if expecting that answer, Noh Gi-tae just shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, Yang Sobo isn’t an easy man. Keep investigating thoroughly.”
“Yes. But… Deputy Director. Isn’t it unwise for you to meet Yang Sobo personally at this time?”
“It’s just to meet and hear his proposal that’s not bad for the revolutionary government. If he talks nonsense, I’ll stand up and leave.”
Noh Gi-tae rose from his seat. There were many other matters to attend to besides Yang Sobo, and time was scarce.
“Has Old man Hwang still refused to speak?”
“Yes, Deputy Director. You ordered no torture….”
“Good. That old fellow Hwang could strike back if mishandled. I’ll interrogate him myself. Go.”
Noh Gi-tae headed directly to the special interrogation room where Old man Hwang was being held.
This place was specialized more in probing psychology than in torture. A cold iron desk and two chairs.
In the bare, stark room, Hwang sat motionless, as if he had been there for decades.
Noh Gi-tae, staring at that old man, pulled a chair and sat opposite him.
“Mr. Hwang, sorry to trouble you so late at night.”
At Noh Gi-tae’s polite greeting, Hwang slowly lifted his head for the first time.
“State Security Law…. You attached a charge far too heavy for this old man.”
“Please do not worry overly about that; that matter is procedural. The reason I came to see you tonight was different.”
Noh Gi-tae paused to choose his words and asked directly.
“Give me your client list, Mr. Hwang.”
There was no change in Hwang’s expression. He simply stared at Noh Gi-tae without speaking.
“Listen, General Noh.”
“I am now the KCIA Deputy Director.”
“What difference does that make? Could you handle it? If my mouth opened, half the country would be overturned.”
At those words, Noh Gi-tae’s eyes flickered. Hwang continued with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
“I was just saying. I will not speak of my clients. That is the code of this world, and it is why I have survived until now. Isn’t that so?”
“I respect that code. But this case is a little different. This is a revolution by which the revolutionary government intends to squeeze out the rotten pus that has accumulated in this country.”
At that, Hwang burst into loud laughter. His laughter echoed through the empty interrogation room.
“Revolution? Do you think I would believe that? If I handed over every client’s name, would you arrest them all? No. You would use it to eliminate your political opponents. And I would lose everything and live in perpetual fear of when I would die. Isn’t that right?”
“…I don’t know much about such complicated politics.”
“General Noh is indeed a man of conviction.
But can you say the same about your superiors or subordinates?”
Noh Gi-tae closed his mouth. He couldn’t bring himself to answer no.
“Listen here, General Noh. Torture me all you want, but my mouth won’t open, so do as you please.”
Old man Hwang closed his eyes again, his demeanor implying that the conversation was no longer worth continuing.
“You won’t get out so easily this time, Mr. Hwang.”
“……”
Hwang remained silent, his lips tightly shut. Stubborn old fool. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t give him trouble, one way or another.
Letting out a deep sigh, Noh Gi-tae asked once more.
“Then let me ask one last thing. Among your clients, is there a young man named Baek Min-woo?”
Hwang slowly opened his closed eyes. His gaze was filled with questions.
“Why are you asking about that name in particular?”
“Because his movements are rather suspicious.”
In Hwang’s mind, the face of that bold young man surfaced—the one who had come to him, handed over a large check, and bought gold bars.
“I don’t know.”
Hwang answered curtly, then added,
“But… one who truly knows the value of gold is also one who knows how to read the flow of the times.”
It was both poetry and denial at once. That alone was enough for Noh Gi-tae. He rose from his seat.
“You’ll be staying here for quite some time.”
“Time solves everything, does it not?”
After leaving the interrogation room, Noh Gi-tae’s mind grew even more tangled.
Dollars, now gold bars. Every step Baek Min-woo had taken aligned perfectly, as though he had known about the currency reform beforehand.
“Even Yang Sobo didn’t know. Yet Baek Min-woo, who supposedly operates under Yang Sobo’s protection, did? That makes no sense.”
It could only be called a coincidence.
But if this was truly just coincidence, then it meant that every ounce of luck in the world was blessing that one young punk.
Noh Gi-tae sank into deep thought, unable to untangle the growing riddle.
“Even a civilian like me has long heard of the power struggle between the Counterintelligence Corps and the KCIA.”
“……”
O Chung-seong’s face grew serious.
“I’m saying we should help each other. For you, Chief, it wouldn’t be too difficult to pull one man out when it brings you no real harm, would it?”
He stayed silent, lost in thought. I lifted the bottle and filled his empty glass to the brim.
“I’m not a man who forgets favors. I repay kindness twice over and grudges tenfold. Letting me owe you a small debt may not be such a bad thing for you, Chief.”
I took a thick envelope from my coat, placed it on the table, and set the newly filled glass atop it.
“Surely a day will come when even a man like you, Chief, will need the help of a businessman like me.”
O Chung-seong’s eyes lingered on the glass and the heavy envelope beneath it, then returned to me.
“Tell me in detail, Mr. Baek Min-woo. What exactly did those Counterintelligence Corps bastards ask you?”
“Well…”
I recounted every word of the conversation I’d had with Park Sang-cheol at the Joint Investigation Headquarters—without adding or omitting a thing.
“And is it true? That right before the currency reform, you converted most of your cash into tangible assets like real estate and artworks?”
I nodded lightly, and his eyes narrowed.
“…Did you receive prior information?”
“How could I? I simply read the flow of money and moved accordingly. Of course, I didn’t expect them to suddenly change the currency unit like this either.”
As if my answer amused him, he let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“What if you don’t? How could I possibly know something that even you or Deputy Director Noh Gi-tae didn’t? Or are you interrogating me right now, Chief?”
“No… not at all. I was just curious, that’s all.”
“Then shall I make a prediction about what’s going to happen next? About the fight between the KCIA and the Counterintelligence Corps?”
He stayed silent, but I continued unfazed.
“The next KCIA Director will likely be General Lee Do-hyun, the current head of the Counterintelligence Corps. It’s practically already decided.”
“What do you mean…?”
“General Lee Do-hyun and Director Kang Byung-woo are political rivals, aren’t they? You know better than I do about the vicious factional strife between academy classes in the military, so I won’t elaborate.”
O Chung-seong’s expression twisted bitterly, but I went on.
“When Lee Do-hyun takes the KCIA seat, a sweeping purge of officials appointed by Kang Byung-woo will follow. Why else would the Counterintelligence Corps be investigating large deposit holders while digging into KCIA connections?”
“A prelude to the purge?”
“Yes. It’s only my prediction, but isn’t it quite realistic? The fact that the KCIA was excluded from the current joint investigation team, and that it’s packed with Counterintelligence Corps men—surely that’s the beginning.”
At my words, O Chung-seong fell silent. From any angle—logical or subjective—there was nothing to refute.
He slowly lifted the glass I had filled for him and emptied it in one gulp. Then, without a word, he pocketed the envelope from the table.
That meant he would grant my request—for later.
After tucking the envelope away, O Chung-seong finally asked the main question.
“So, what’s the name of the person you want me to release?”
“His name is Jin Tae-rim. I heard he worked as a delivery man who siphoned off U.S. military supplies and sold them on the black market.”
O Chung-seong’s eyes narrowed briefly. He muttered the name softly.
“Jin Tae-rim… Jin Tae-rim. Sounds like he’s Chinese-Korean.”
“Yes, that’s correct. He’s not someone important enough for you to worry about, Chief. Just a small-time crook, nothing more.”
“Hmmm…”
O Chung-seong didn’t seem to fully believe me, but he didn’t press further.
“I’ll go back and look into it.”
Smiling, I filled his glass again.
“You’ve had enough troubles with government work lately, Chief. Let’s forget these headaches for tonight and just enjoy our drinks.”