How a Salaryman Became an Underworld Boss

North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau is the equivalent of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. Moreover, a Major General in the North Korean military is a high-ranking figure comparable to one of our own Brigadier Generals.

And now it turned out that someone of that stature was running a scam syndicate in Macau.

”Director Nevers, is what you just told me really true?”

”I received the information from the CIA, so there’s a very high probability that it is.”

”Then it must be true. But why would someone as important as Jeong Sancheol be living in Macau?”

”To earn foreign currency, North Korea engages in drug trafficking, cryptocurrency theft through hacking, and the export of labor overseas. Our assessment is that Jeong Sancheol operates the scam syndicate to empty the pockets of visiting tourists.”

”Hmm. That certainly sounds plausible.”

”I’ll send you all the supporting documents as soon as we finish this call.”

”I’m sincerely grateful for your cooperation, Director.”

”No need to thank me. Now let’s move on to something else.”

Finally, the moment I had been dreading had arrived.

FBI Director Glenn Nevers had apparently begun suspecting that our police and the National Intelligence Service had secretly extracted Vice Chairman Chen Zhihui.

That didn’t mean I should panic and tell him the truth.

”You wanted to ask me something else?”

”I’ve received information that Vice Chairman Chen has escaped the country.”

Once again, the old saying proved true—bad premonitions rarely fail.

Pretending I knew nothing, I calmly continued the conversation.

”As far as I’m aware, the FBI sealed off San Francisco’s Chinatown.”

”We received intelligence that he never hid there. Instead, he headed straight for the port.”

”I see.”

”How do you think he managed to break through such a tight cordon and leave the United States safely?”

’I have no idea why he’s asking me that.’

”Director Nevers, do you believe someone supplied Vice Chairman Chen with information that allowed him to escape?”

”Director Cha, I’ve already told you that the man is an FBI informant.”

There was still irritation in Nevers’ voice, and his words carried an unmistakable edge.

”I don’t believe that informant was feeding information exclusively to Vice Chairman Chen.”

”Hmm... perhaps. Then who else could he have informed?”

”I’ve heard there are more Chinese spies in America than stones on the ground.”

”Are you suggesting that Vice Chairman Chen escaped with the help of Chinese intelligence agents secretly operating inside the United States?”

”If you have another theory, I’m willing to hear it.”

”Fine. Then where do you think he went?”

Glenn Nevers headed one of the most powerful organizations in the world.

He possessed far greater intelligence resources and operational experience than I did.

Yet he continued asking me about Chen Zhihui’s escape route.

That could only mean he still suspected me.

The best way to dispel that suspicion was to mix truth with lies.

”Let’s imagine I were a Chinese intelligence officer. I’d take Vice Chairman Chen to a country where American influence is minimal, that’s relatively close to North America, and whose capital faces the Pacific Ocean.”

”Only Nicaragua fits all three conditions... We’ll talk later.”

The call ended abruptly.

Apparently, Director Nevers was in such a hurry that he didn’t even bother with a proper goodbye.

I immediately called Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong and told him everything without holding anything back.

”...I felt he suspected me, so I deliberately pointed him toward Nicaragua.”

”...There’s nothing we can do about that.”

”If Vice Chairman Chen is still in Nicaragua, we could end up in serious trouble.”

”Oh, right! We’ll talk later.”

”Commissioner, wait a moment.”

I quickly stopped Choi Dongyeong before he hung up.

”Director Cha, is there something else?”

”We need to discuss something important. Please bring Director Om Giyeon from the National Intelligence Service and come together to Hangang Group.”

”Very well. We’ll be there.”

Click.

Just like Director Nevers, Commissioner Choi hurriedly ended the call.

Chairman Yoon Jongu immediately turned toward me.

”Director Cha, report the current situation.”

”I’ll explain everything in detail once Commissioner Choi and Director Om arrive.”

”Very well. We’ll wait.”

Leaving the disappointed chairman to wait, I opened my phone and forwarded Director Nevers’ email to Kang Inhan.

”Secretary Kang, please print the email I just sent you and gather everything we have on the Scorpion Gang.”

”Is there a special reason?”

”Jeong Sancheol and the Scorpion Gang are closely connected.”

”Understood. I’ll prepare everything immediately!”

Feeling guilty for wasting even a moment, Kang Inhan instantly rose from the sofa and hurried out.

***

About an hour later, National Intelligence Service Director Om Giyeon and Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong arrived.

Chairman Yoon Jongu welcomed them first.

”Director Om, Commissioner Choi, welcome.”

”Thank you for receiving us.”

”We don’t have much time, so let’s get straight to business.”

Once everyone had taken their seats, Om Giyeon looked at me.

”Director Cha, does Director Nevers truly suspect us?”

”He knows Vice Chairman Chen came to Korea intending to retrieve members of the Triad.”

”Hmm... I see.”

”We certainly won’t lose anything by being cautious.”

”Naturally.”

”Now, more importantly... has Vice Chairman Chen already left for China?”

”He’s currently booked on a flight departing tomorrow morning, Nicaragua time.”

”So if we’re unlucky, the FBI could still intercept him?”

Om Giyeon shook his head.

”In one hour he’ll board a flight to Venezuela.”

”I see.”

”Venezuela enjoys excellent relations with China, so he won’t be arrested there.”

”I wonder if Vice Chairman Chen has any idea how much effort our police and National Intelligence Service have gone through for his sake.”

”Considering the amount he paid us, it’s only right that we escort him safely to the very end.”

At that moment, Park Yeongil, who had obviously been curious the entire time, interrupted.

”Director Om, just how much did you charge him for arranging his escape from America?”

”Haha. We collected three billion dollars.”

Park Yeongil knew perfectly well that Chen Zhihui’s personal secret fortune amounted to roughly two billion dollars.

Yet Om Giyeon had somehow managed to obtain three billion.

I asked him directly where the extra billion had come from.

”Vice Chairman Chen traveled to the United States to collect cash from the drug sales conducted by the American branch of the Triad.”

”You mean you accepted the drug money as payment?” Park Yeongil asked.

”Exactly, Chairman.”

”But surely the FBI will try to trace that billion dollars. Won’t that become a problem?”

”That billion has already been transferred into Vice Chairman Chen’s personal secret accounts. Unless he’s captured, there won’t be any problems.”

Since the Director of the National Intelligence Service spoke with such complete confidence, there was little point in worrying further.

”I can imagine how disappointed Director Nevers must be after losing that money.”

”Haha. I won’t deny that.”

Om Giyeon chuckled before looking at me.

”Director Cha, now tell me why you urgently summoned us.”

”After my father died in a tragic accident, my mother had to work at a restaurant to support our family. The owner was Mr. Jang Seokcho. During the hardest years of our lives, he treated my younger sister and me like his own family. But after returning from Macau at the end of January, his life fell apart.”

”What happened there?”

”Mr. Jang was deceived by a scam syndicate and lost one hundred thousand dollars at a casino.”

I briefly explained everything that had happened to him.

”...I requested an investigation into someone named Jeong Sanhak, and about an hour ago I received the results.”

”You could have simply asked me to investigate something so minor.”

”I would have, but Jeong Sanhak isn’t a citizen of our country.”

”Then...”

Om Giyeon’s voice trailed off as realization dawned on him.

”Exactly as you’re thinking, Director. Jeong Sanhak’s real name is Jeong Sancheol, and he’s a Major General in North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau.”

”What?!”

Om Giyeon exclaimed loudly, genuinely shocked.

Naturally, Yoon Jongu and everyone else present were equally astonished.

”Director Nevers believes Jeong Sancheol runs the scam syndicate to obtain foreign currency.”

”North Korea will resort to any means necessary to acquire foreign currency. His assessment is most likely correct.”

”That appears to be the case. The company Jeong Sancheol uses as a front is called Korean Trading, and its revenue is practically zero.”

”So it’s merely a shell company?”

”Exactly, Director. It employs seven North Korean nationals and four Chinese nationals. Its Vice President is a Chinese citizen named Zhang Silin.”

”And those seven Koreans are almost certainly members of the Reconnaissance General Bureau?”

Instead of answering, I handed Om Giyeon the documents Director Nevers had sent me.

After carefully reading them, he looked at me curiously.

”How did the FBI obtain information this secret?”

”Director Nevers told me it came from the CIA.”

Commissioner Choi Dongyeong joined the discussion.

”Isn’t it possible that the leader of the Scorpion Gang is actually a North Korean spy?”

”Secretary Kang can answer that.”

I stepped back and yielded the floor to Kang Inhan.

”Scorpion Gang leader Lee Jeongsu was born in Incheon, so he can’t be a North Korean infiltrator. However, there’s an extremely high probability that he was recruited by Jeong Sancheol.”

”Without question. Then how do you intend to deal with the Scorpion Gang?”

”We plan to eliminate them at the same time we destroy the scam syndicate in Macau.”

”Wouldn’t it be better for the police to take care of the Scorpion Gang instead of Korea Investment?”

”We’d be extremely grateful if you did.”

”In that case, we’ll need all the information you’ve gathered.”

As though anticipating the request, Kang Inhan immediately handed Commissioner Choi a thick folder.

Choi opened it and began reading carefully.

After some time, he noticed something unusual and placed a lengthy phone call.

When he finished, he turned back to Kang.

”Lee Jeongsu is wanted for fraud and illegal gambling operations, so he couldn’t have left Korea. And there are no immigration records showing Jeong Sancheol entering our country.”

”Could Jeong Sancheol have entered under a forged passport?”

”He’s under constant CIA surveillance. I doubt he’d take such a risk personally.”

”That’s it! How could I forget?”

Kang Inhan suddenly slapped his knee.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

”One of Lee Jeongsu’s subordinates is named Choi Dongcheol. He’s a North Korean defector!”

Immediately, every eye in the room—including mine—turned toward Om Giyeon.

Feeling everyone’s attention on him, he answered without hesitation.

”I’m absolutely certain there are concealed spies among the North Korean defectors.”

”So there’s a very high probability that Choi Dongcheol is one of those spies?”

”That’s exactly what I believe.”

”Everything finally makes sense,” Park Yeongil concluded.

Om Giyeon turned to Commissioner Choi.

”I’d like the police to conduct the Scorpion Gang investigation jointly with the National Intelligence Service. Is that possible?”

”Of course. We’d welcome it.”

”Thank you very much.”

”There’s no need for thanks. We’re talking about capturing a spy.”

Choi Dongyeong then looked at me.

”When do you plan to leave for Macau?”

”It’s already too late today. Tomorrow morning should be ideal.”

”Would it be acceptable if operatives from the National Intelligence Service and our police special operations unit accompanied you?”

I had no reason to refuse such a generous offer.

But tomorrow was too soon.

”We’ll arrive in Macau first and assess the situation ourselves. After that, we’ll request your personnel if necessary. How does that sound?”

”I think that’s the better approach.”

He paused before adding,

”And one more thing. I’d very much like you to bring Saho with you this time.”

”Why Saho?”

”Because you won’t find a better intelligence operative than Saho.”

As though he’d been waiting for exactly that moment, Om Giyeon immediately interrupted.

”Who the hell is Saho?”