Chapter 172: < Protect – Episode 171 – Korea National a.s.sociation [2] >

The executive committee of the Korea National a.s.sociation were all killed.

Lee Ji Heon suspected Ahn Soo Ho, but there was no evidence. Lee Geun Taek died and Lee Kyung Joon went missing. In the midst of trying to resolve the chaos like the one in charge, he saw Ahn Soo Ho’s press conference and almost fainted.

‘Korea National a.s.sociation are traitors just like the Five Eulsa Traitors!’

After the Lee Mi Hyun case, the Korean imperial family tried to escape from the Korea National a.s.sociation and somehow got the funds to go the independence route. The Lee family now refused to continue living such a powerless life. As soon as they became distant from the royal gathering, other regular members who supported them backed out as well.

They weren’t worried about a new executive committee.

That was because they could always recruit more regular members who wouldn’t know the secret. However, the revolt of the royal clan whom they used as their front faces made for a painful hit. Once the chaos subsided, Lee Ji Heon planned on making an example out of the imperial family. He acknowledged that Ahn Soo Ho grew substantially. However, Korea still belonged to Korea National a.s.sociation. They had to be.

“Chairman!”

Behind the chief secretary with a pale face were other secretaries fighting over the phones. He felt a surging migraine. Honestly speaking, the new executive committee were newbies. Whenever something happened, they grabbed their phones and whined. Since they had been taking orders all their lives, they weren’t ready to be in a position with responsibility.

Lee Ji Heon understood that much.

However, the problem was that there were many traitors as well, and what made them that way was Ahn Soo Ho’s paparazzi case. He couldn’t help but be suspicious. Was he aiming for them all along? This conspiracy might have begun ever since Ahn Soo Ho met Lee Jin. There had been a series of circ.u.mstances that aligned with the Korea National a.s.sociation.

“The members are all swarming over to the bunker.”

“Okay.”

They were newbies in deed.

No matter how much the media talked about evidence, they were late for dozens of years already. Most importantly, there was no way there was the right of arraignment to a case that took place before the founding of Korea. Their ethics would probably be criticized, but that could be easily resolved with a little bit of donation, volunteer work, and photos. They already had entertainment and politics-related scandals lined up in order to divide the peoples’ attention.

“Call all of the media editors.”

“Should I tell them to take it down?”

“Don’t be stupid! With Ahn Soo Ho acting up like that, do you really think we can shut anyone up?”

“I… I apologize, Sir!”

Lee Ji Heon raged at the chief secretary’s stupidity.

‘This won’t do. I’ll have to swap him out.’

Lee Geun Taek’s men knew how to suck up, but they were horrible at their jobs. That was why Ahn Soo Ho had them in the palm of his hands.

“Tell them to unleash any celebrity or politician scandal they have!”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Tsk!”

The chief secretary ran out in response to his gesture.

‘The company was now on its tracks.’

It took them almost 1 year to resolve the chaos. It had been a long time since the front of their main building was cleared of all the protesters, and despite the recession of the construction business, their order was being consistently maintained. The honor they built following the country’s independence wasn’t so weak that it could tumble so easily. No matter how many insults they had to take, the worth of their construction business was above that.

‘Ahn Soo Ho.’

Every time he thought of that name, his chest felt stuffy inside.

‘He’s someone that this small country can’t embrace.’

He was an enemy, but he also admired him. If they weren’t enemies, perhaps they could have been friends. Lee Ji Heon shook his head.

‘That doesn’t mean I should keep being his victim.’

In this world, people pounced on what looked weak. Lee Ji Heon was putting on his jacket to head over to the bunker when he suddenly knitted his brows. He thought that his incapable chief secretary was trying to force him in. However, when he turned around, he flinched. The door didn’t open. And he saw an unbelievable figure in front of him.

“Bridal Mask?”

Lee Ji Heon contemplated if he would either scream or fight, but he couldn’t make up his mind.

“Good choice.”

When Bridal Mask saw him give up, he nodded. What Lee Ji Heon was shocked by was Bridal Mask’s fluent English. Wasn’t he Korean? But then again, experts said there were multiple Bridal Masks. So it was possible that one or some of them were foreigners.

“How did you get in?”

“Well. That’s not what’s important here, Mr. Lee. Oh yeah. If you press that b.u.t.ton, everyone dies.”

Lee Ji Heon was creeping under his desk to reach for the emergency bell when he flinched.

“Mr. Lee, I know you’re one of the key members of the Korea National a.s.sociation.”

“So?”

“Please gather all of the veteran members in one place.”

He was also following Bridal Mask’s whereabouts, and s.h.i.+lla Group, which was providing pleasure for the members and Youngjin Group, which scratched where they felt itchy both took a big hit. It was clear that Bridal Mask was hostile toward Korea National a.s.sociation.

“Yeah right!”

“Do you want to die?”

“Nothing will change even if you kill me!”

The veteran members were the core of the organization.

The honor of Korea National a.s.sociation led by the veteran families of Korean leader groups was going to be pa.s.sed down from generation to generation. But for them to all gather in one place? He didn’t know who Bridal Mask was, but he knew what he was trying to do.

“Just kill me!”

Lee Ji Heon raised his voice but looked around him at the same time. Why wasn’t the secretary’s office right next door responding? Something was wrong. Bridal Mask saw Lee Ji Heon’s rolling eyes and smirked.

“Stop bluffing, Mr. Lee.”

What Bridal Mask pulled out wasn’t a gun but a smartphone. He showed Lee Ji Heon his screen.

“Gasp!”

Lee Ji Heon was shocked. Men and women of all ages with gags in their mouths. His heart sank after seeing the video on the phone.

“You! You!”

“Whoa, whoa! Relax.”

“If you do anything to my family…”

“Don’t you do the same thing to other people. How shameless.”

“Ugh!”

Lee Ji Heon’s threat was met with ridicule. Kidnapping families for hostages and threatening them was what Korea National a.s.sociation did all the time.

“I’ll contact you again soon.”

“You! Ugh!”

Once he had the phone taken away from Bridal Mask, he tried to get up in a rage, but he plopped back down when he felt the cold gun on his forehead.

“I don’t need you to see me out, Mr. Lee.”

Bridal Mask talked to him as if he knew Lee Ji Heon could do absolutely nothing and walked out. He then ran out to the secretary’s office and saw his subordinates on the ground. They didn’t seem dead. He then called his wife on the phone.

The number you have dialed is currently busy.

He tried calling his son and daughter as well, but theirs went straight to voicemail, too.

“Agh!”

Lee Ji Heon yelled in rage and slammed down his phone,

Bridal Mask got out of there.

The face that was revealed as soon as he took off his mask in the crowd was none other than Shay Leeper. He looked up at the head office with a smile and then took out his phone.

“It’s me, King. I’ll move on to the next stage now.”

******

“We got a call from Leeper.”

“Leeper?”

“Yes, Sir. He made contact with Soo Ho.”

“Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

Thomas Chenyabin clicked his tongue.

The biggest issue of the black market these days wasn’t the war in Nigeria or the terrorist attacks in Europe. It was the fact that Ahn Soo Ho selected South Korea as a complete neutrality zone. The ones trying to hide and avoid being the victim of a purge as well as the rich who wanted to be free from a.s.sa.s.sination or kidnapping started to focus on South Korea. There was now almost zero possibility that a war would break out in the Korean peninsula.

“He came to an agreement with the king.”

“An agreement?”

“Yes, Sir. It’s related to the Bridal Mask. Just as we expected…”

“He was Bridal Mask?”

“That’s right.”

“Does that mean he’s offering a reward to find him? Haha.”

Most who knew a thing or two probably suspected Ahn Soo Ho was the Bridal Mask. However, suspicion and certainty were two different things.

“What do you think is his objective?”

“Considering how he went to Pyeongyang and Hong Kong… don’t you think he might be trying to eliminate all threats against the Korean peninsula? If Korea National a.s.sociation gets exposed, the Korean leader groups and elites are bound to take a big hit.”

“Dresden File.”

“It’s highly likely that Angelica is somewhere around Soo Ho after all.”

“If Michael finds out, he’ll flip.”

“I’m not sure about that. He probably already knows.”

“Maybe…”

Michel had quite the obsession over Angelica.

“What’s the possibility of j.a.pan getting involved?”

“Fifty-fifty.”

“Hm.”

The beginning of the Korea National a.s.sociation was very pro-j.a.panese. During the j.a.panese colonial era, they became j.a.pan’s informants and robbed the Joseon royal family of their wealth and treasure.

‘Korea is a strange country.’

Was that why weird people like Ahn Soo Ho existed?

After the Second World War, if j.a.pan hadn’t been an island but a country on the edge of China, they would have been the one to be divided. It was a country with an unfortunate fate. They not only suffered through colonization, but they were later faced with ideology-related disputes which led to war.

“Tell Leeper to get away from the king.”

“Is there a point to doing that? It seemed like he had no other choice.”

“Really? Wasn’t he the one who said he was going to train Soo Ho.”

“He was. But you know. Once you get a beating, you come to your senses.”

“I guess I should be relieved about that.”

The king was an important key that would lead them to a new world. As long as they could ascend, they were willing to wait 10 or even 100 years.

‘I’ll play along with the human’s games for as long as they want.’

While everyone proceeded with their own plans, Ahn Soo Ho also moved on to the next step.

The pro-j.a.panese incident is just the tip of the iceberg! Korea National a.s.sociation is a traitor group!

Is there a point in discussing the future based on unsettled past?

Half of the top conglomerates rose based on the wealth of an unknown origin!

How much would that be now? Let’s figure out the wealth of what they stole!

Ahn Soo Ho’s reveal elicited immediate responses.

Only a part of the Dresden File was exposed, but that was more than enough. There were actually many Koreans who betrayed their own people for the j.a.panese, and it was partly understandable that they had to do that to survive. However, there was importance to that kind of viciousness. In the case that they didn’t do it to survive but rather to thrive more than others, they could not be forgiven whatsoever.

The veteran families of Korea National a.s.sociation knew that better than anyone. That was why after they stole and brought down the imperial family, they put them up as their face. Before the country’s independence, they stole the wealth of the royal family and helped the j.a.panese, but after its independence, they pretended they were the self-made company of the people. They probably mocked the people in their heads for falling for it all.

The imperial family, which had nothing left but their image, became a great face for them. Even in 21st century Korea, there were n.o.bles and commoners. That was also why Kim Dae San didn’t go to any gatherings. That was because no matter how much he earned or how reputable the Daesan brand was, Kim Dae San was still a commoner.

This a.s.sembly with such a strong tradition had continuously hidden from the public eye. However, they couldn’t hide from Ahn Soo Ho.

“Ugh!”

A hole went through a Youngjin Securities Consulting uniform then blood trickled out. Ahn Soo Ho left the bleeding guard behind and headed inside. As soon as the old man who was hiding in his study saw him come in, he pulled the trigger. Or at least he thought he did.

“Agh!”

His thumb and index finger broke off.

“Hey! A colt pistol!”

It was an old model from the times of the Korean war. It was probably a colletor’s item.

“Bridal Mask!”

The old man grabbed his thumb and index finger while yelling at Ahn Soo Ho. His shout rang through the study. Considering how old he was, his voice was quite loud.

“Yang Chul Seung.”

“You! Ugh!”

His yelling turned into a shriek. That was because Ahn Soo Ho took the colt and pulled the trigger on him, but it was a dud.

“Too bad.”

“Gasp!”

Yang Chul Seung’s face turned red. He was embarra.s.sed that he cowered as soon as he saw the gun.

“Don’t you get it yet, old man? No one’s going to come here to save you. If you at least had a friendly neighbor, they might have reported you to the police… Tsk, tsk.”

Outside the window was a villa surrounded by hills. That was right. They were in the middle of the mountains.

“He probably came out here to stay safe, but this place is also the best to commit a crime.”

Ahn Soo Ho laughed and Yang Chul Seung showed his rage.

“Who are you to attack us anyway?”

“Us? Are you admitting that you’re Korea National a.s.sociation?”

“Killing me won’t change anything because we’re all over the country.”

“Then I’ll kill all of you.”

“What?”

“Don’t you think I can do it?”

He couldn’t see the face behind the mask, but the voice made him get the s.h.i.+vers. He was confident he met all sorts of people in his 80 years of life, but this was the first time he heard a voice that made him scared.

“Where are the secret ledgers?”

“There’s no such thing.”

Yang Chul Seung flinched while still standing his ground.

“Tsk! You’re making this tiring for me.”

“Ugh!”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho spread his fingers, Yang Chul Seung couldn’t move his body. He then read his memory. After doing this more and more, he became skilled enough that he didn’t have to make any physical contact.

Dongkw.a.n.g Jungmil,

That was the name of a machine part manufacturer. What were they making? Guns. What was ridiculous was that rifles were a stretch, but the Korea National a.s.sociation had the power to at least possess pistols. Gun accidents were rare in Korea, but they weren’t nonexistent. Just like anywhere, there was bound to be an armed uprising in the future.

Ahn Soo Ho went to the corner of the study and kicked the floor. As a result, the wall crumbled down. When he pulled out an old tool kit, Yang Chul Seung convulsed. How did he find that? That was what his face said. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held the tool kit, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

“Hey.”

“It’s me, King. I’ll go on to the next step.”

“Good. But can you stop calling me King? You’re not an Otaku.”

“Then how about Killing Machine?”

“Just go with King then.”

He hung up before having to hear any more of it. After meeting the great Leeper, he realized that the white guys were crazier than the typical otaku. Even without the Ultra program, there were crazy people all over the world.

‘Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.’

Once Ahn Soo Ho achieved his goal, he looked at Yang Chul Seung.

The colt flew back into its owner’s hands, but what was funny was its direction. Yang Chul Seung was now holding the gun, but it was also faced toward him; it was certainly not done out of his will.

“The number of people that died because of your illegal guns is in the three digits, and all of them were against you.”

Even if they weren’t hit by a gun, they were threatened by guns or committed suicide.

“You don’t have any regrets, right?”

“Mmph!”

He screamed as if he did, but Ahn Soo Ho turned around as if he didn’t have any regrets himself. As soon as he opened the door, the colt fired a bullet, and when the door closed, he was suddenly in the washroom. He sent the mask and the old tool kit through his secret pocket.

Ahn Soo Ho flushed the toilet.

“CEO Ahn!”

“Sorry. I have constipation these days.”

“That’s all right! Let’s go!”

The secretary pressed Ahn Soo Ho in a hurry. He pa.s.sed the indoor decorations and arrived at a more vast place.

He was faced with confused and suspicious eyes.

Camera flashes went off.

Ahn Soo Ho walked confidently and stood in front of the witness stand. That was right. He was at the National a.s.sembly building. He was called upon for a national hearing.

‘Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.’

Some coughed and looked away in response to Ahn Soo Ho’s gaze.

“h.e.l.lo, respected members of the parliament.”

His words were polite, but the nuance was not.

‘Hey, you worthless sons of b.i.t.c.hes.’

In any case, Ahn Soo Ho’s first impression was a smiling and mannerly businessman in his younger years. Until he said his next words.

“Are your accounts in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands doing all right today?”

< Protect – Episode 171 – Korea National a.s.sociation [2] > The end.