Several days had passed since we hired professional investigators to track Eva’s whereabouts. Finally, we learned the identity of the last person she had t.
“The Triad? Why the hell would Eva get involved with a bunch of gangsters?”
“I don’t know.”
The Triad...
Eva’s last words flashed through my mind.
‘I have soone I need to et. They’re supposedly a proxy for a high-ranking Chinese official. Things got complicated during the Peregrine acquisition. I’ll report back after I return.’
I swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape.
“Have we confird her location?”
“The investigators can’t get any closer. In Hong Kong, going after the Triad is as good as signing your death warrant...”
“What kind of organization are we dealing with?”
“I thought President Lee Sanggeun might know better, so I called him here.”
Right. A gangster knows a gangster best.
I nodded, frowning.
Why didn’t she tell ? Why go et such dangerous people alone?
Were the funds that entered Peregrine from the Triad?
The Triad existed everywhere Chinese communities were.
Thanks to Hong Kong movies, they were almost a familiar na even in Korea.
But in reality, they were more ruthless and relentless than any criminal organization in the world.
Eva will be fine... right?
My face must have hardened without realizing it, because Chief Ma stayed silent behind .
Just then, Lee Sanggeun arrived.
“You called, Boss?”
“Sit. Sorry, I didn’t even greet you properly.”
“Yes.”
Noticing my grim face, the smile faded from his.
“You’ve probably been briefed already. Tell about the Triad in Hong Kong.”
I urged him as soon as he sat.
“The Triad in Hong Kong operates a bit differently from those in mainland China. Even before the handover last year, they had strong connections with high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials, so mainland Triads don’t usually interfere in Hong Kong.”
“Save the history lesson. What about Zhang Linfeng? That’s the guy, right? The one from Cho Bang, correct, Chief Ma?”
“Yes, Boss.”
Lee Sanggeun muttered Zhang Linfeng’s na under his breath, thinking for a mont before speaking.
“Among the Triad factions in Hong Kong, they’re mid-tier in size. No sub-groups in Korea. They have deep ties with mainland Chinese black societies. Their boss is soone called i Hong. He runs a legitimate hotel business, but he’s infamous for being brutal. One of the three bosses who ruled Kowloon Walled City back in the day...”
“Kowloon Walled City?”
“Basically a slum, but until the early ’90s it was a major Triad stronghold. During demolition protests, a lot of people were killed.”
“If they have legitimate businesses, that ans we can track them.”
“I’m not sure. This is all I know. Sorry.”
Lee Sanggeun lowered his head.
“No, thank you.”
“I’ll try reaching out to my Hong Kong contacts.”
Catching my eye, Chief Ma stepped out quickly, already pulling out his phone.
“If they’ve captured or killed soone, what would the reason be?”
“Money, most likely. Those bastards care about nothing else. In Korea, at least there’s so notion of loyalty or seniority. The Triad only cares about profit. Money is worth more than human lives to them.”
Lee Sanggeun frowned, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ adding:
“If they suffered a loss, they’ll collect, no matter who’s involved. Family, friends—doesn’t matter.”
So there really had been trouble with Chinese officials during the Peregrine acquisition.
“Damn it, this is getting ssy.”
I clicked my tongue.
* * *
“You stubborn bitch. Still not talking, huh?”
The man spat on the unconscious woman lying on the floor. Eva didn’t move, either unconscious or pretending to be.
As he glared at her impatiently, the door opened. A man with tattoos running down his neck and chest stepped inside.
The thug imdiately bowed his head, and a heavy voice dropped above him.
“How long do you plan to keep the Elder waiting?”
“But... we tried everything. Even drugs won’t make her talk. What should we...”
“Since when did we start making excuses?”
The thug dropped to his knees, trembling.
“Sorry, Brother Zhang Linfeng. Please forgive ...”
Zhang Linfeng looked down at him with cold eyes.
“The Elder is pressuring the boss. If that anger cos to ...”
“That will never happen. I’ll handle it, I swear.”
Zhang Linfeng glanced at Eva, bleeding on the floor, and sighed.
“You said you tried everything. Who’s close to her?”
“She’s close to Peregrine’s CEO. Should we grab him?”
Zhang Linfeng clicked his tongue in disgust.
“You’re insane. Kidnapping Peregrine’s CEO now? Even if the boss covers for us, we can’t risk making this bigger.”
“S-sorry...”
“Did you find anything from her belongings?”
“Nothing.”
“Her sponsor’s probably looking for her too. Give her phone. I need to contact him directly.”
“Well... uh...”
“What now?!”
The thug winced.
“During the kidnapping, she resisted, and the phone was dropped and... stepped on. It’s dead.”
Zhang Linfeng kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling.
“You can’t even kidnap one woman properly? How the hell can I trust you with anything? You didn’t go alone—you had n with you!”
“Sorry, sorry...”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it. If you don’t want to float face-up in Hong Kong Bay tomorrow, get it done.”
The thug nodded frantically, clutching his bruised jaw.
“You grabbed one of her bodyguards, right? Cut off his head and dump it in the sea. That’s ssage enough.”
“Y-yes, I’ll do that.”
Zhang Linfeng gave Eva another glance.
“Leave her alone. She’s no use dead, and judging by that stubborn look, more torture won’t work.”
The next day, a headless body washed ashore in Hong Kong.
* * *
“They found the bodyguard’s corpse? What about Eva?”
“She hasn’t been found.”
A hot, angry rush rose in my chest.
“It’s a signal to , isn’t it?”
“If they wanted her dead, she’d already be fish food. It’s definitely a ssage to you, Boss.”
“Nothing from the investigators?”
“Not yet...”
The longer this dragged on, the slimr Eva’s chances of survival beca.
This isn’t good.
Since losing contact with Eva, the rger between Jesung Bank and Korea Exchange Bank had stalled—or rather, Baek Seongjin was manipulating things freely.
I couldn’t intervene directly because he didn’t know I was behind Eva.
“Run ads. Newspapers, and outdoor billboards in Hong Kong’s busiest areas.”
If I couldn’t find them, I’d make them co to .
“Understood.”
“Make sure the bodyguard’s family is compensated generously. Contact Team Leader Jin to handle it.”
“Yes.”
“And tell him to prepare everyone to move to Hong Kong. Also, call Eric. I want every available team sent there.”
“...Are you planning to start a war?”
“If it must be done, it will be done.”
Chief Ma looked troubled.
“Hong Kong isn’t a place where your influence works, Boss. Even the U.S. might not be able to help.”
He was right.
Hong Kong was a city under two systems. With China behind it, even if the U.S. governnt intervened, it might not work.
In fact, the U.S. would almost certainly refuse to get involved.
“Chief Ma, I don’t like when my people get hurt. Sure, I could replace Eva. I could discard her.”
But how many could do what Eva did? And could I trust a replacent?
Seeing Chief Ma bite his lip, I continued.
“But precedent is dangerous. If people think they can harm my people and I won’t respond—if I throw away my subordinates easily—what happens then? Didn’t I tell you before? If soone stabs first, I won’t just abandon my own.”
“Yes, you did say that when we first t.”
“Eva is no different. She’s in my territory. Even if she betrayed , I’d kill her myself.”
Chief Ma couldn’t respond.
“Do you want to be the kind of person who abandons his own people easily?”
“No, but... it’s too dangerous.”
“If money can solve it, I’ll pay. If I need to use force, I will. But there must be no loose ends. Even if it’s just her corpse, I’ll bring her back.”
“...Understood. I’ll follow your orders.”
Chief Ma stepped out to make calls, while I rubbed my forehead.
I don’t have enough power to clash with China yet.
Common sense?
Law?
Those don’t work in China.
There, the absurd is the norm.
I never intended to clash with China without being fully prepared.
But now, I can’t back down.
Backing down becos a habit.
In my past life, I spent my whole life backing down until it killed .
I wouldn’t leave that kind of regret in this life. Even if it cost dearly.
I gathered my thoughts and called Han Kyungyeong.
“Hyung.”
— Yeah? Muhyuk? What’s up?
“We need more bodyguards for you.”
— All of a sudden? Isn’t Michael enough?
“No, it’s better to be careful.”
Realizing this was serious, Han Kyungyeong asked cautiously:
— Why? What’s going on?
“You’ll find out soon enough. Just call Eric and increase the security.”
— Got it.
“When are you coming back to Korea?”
— Once I wrap things up. Maybe next week?
“Good. The sooner, the better.”
Han Kyungyeong hesitated, then asked:
— Your voice... What’s wrong? What’s really happening?
“Hyung, if sothing happens, don’t keep it to yourself. Promise you’ll tell .”
— Co on, why would I worry alone when I have Problem-Solver Kim Muhyuk? Keeping a cheat code unused would be cheating.
His playful tone made smile faintly.
“See you in Korea.”
— Yeah. Finish quickly, and don’t get too lonely, Kim Muhyuk.
Outside, the sun was setting.
I felt glad I had chosen Han Kyungyeong.
On the third day after the body washed ashore, every Hong Kong newspaper and major outdoor advertising space displayed a single word:
[Eva!]
No ssage. No other text. Just her na.
If they couldn’t get anything from Eva, they’d co to .
“Eva probably hasn’t said a word about . If she had, we’d have gotten a call by now—whether for negotiation or threats.”
That ant she was likely still alive.
And now that the ads were out, if their motive was money, they’d try to negotiate using her as a hostage.
But whether she was in good condition was another matter.
“Everything’s ready?”
“Yes. The U.S. team is in Hong Kong, including Oliver’s unit and the new recruits. They should arrive today.”
Eric had recalled every available team except those deployed in Kosovo.
“And weapons?”
“We have handguns. Other firearms are harder to obtain and difficult to carry openly...”
Black Bear couldn’t operate effectively without sufficient weapons.
“Eric said he’ll handle it. He’s better at that than we are.”
I nodded. With Eric’s connections, he’d find what we needed.
“The Korean team leaves tomorrow. Once they arrive, everyone will regroup at the airport.”
“Good. Now we wait—to see if they call.”
That evening, Chief Ma received a phone call.
It was Cho Bang.
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