The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

The place where Ha Yeon-ji spotted her fellow mercenary was a café. As she took her coffee and turned around, she caught a glimpse of a man on his way out, and once she registered how familiar he looked, she became certain of it in the parking lot.

That he was a fellow mercenary.

So Ha Yeon-ji began tailing her fellow mercenary’s car. She wasn’t in a rush. Slowly, but just close enough not to lose sight of it.

In the end, the car the fellow mercenary was driving

-Seoul Gangseo Police Station.

Pulled into the police station, a cluster of large buildings. Seeing that, Ha Yeon-ji had a sudden hunch.

”What the, this guy. He was a cop?”

She gave a small shake of her head.

”No, he might not be a cop.”

He could just be a civilian with business at Seoul Gangseo Police Station. Having muttered that, Ha Yeon-ji slowly pulled into the station too. The fellow mercenary, who’d gone in first, climbed out of his black SUV and headed into the central building. Ha Yeon-ji parked roughly somewhere nearby and waited a moment.

She was being as careful as she possibly could.

’The Commander told me to be careful, too.’

Because Kang Jae-ha had given the order. Not to rush into making contact first, even if she happened to run into a fellow mercenary. To be thorough, Ha Yeon-ji left a little gap, and once a few minutes or so had passed, she put on a mask and got out of the car.

-Swish.

She moved toward the front of the black SUV the fellow mercenary had been driving. Looking at the dashboard in front of the driver’s seat, she saw a single business card lying on it. A card printed with the National Police Agency logo, a department, a name, and a number.

Slightly startled, Ha Yeon-ji scanned her surroundings and then snapped a photo of the card.

’Report to the Commander right away!’

The photo went straight to Kang Jae-ha.

At the same time.

The setting was inside a spacious office. On the walls hung a cross and other religious imagery. The office held a five-seater sofa, a desk, and the like, and over by the five-seater sofa, two men were looking at each other.

The interesting part was the posture in which the two men sat.

One sat leaning back against the sofa, at ease, while the other knelt, looking up at the man on the sofa.

It almost looked like a father disciplining his child.

The man on the sofa was dressed neatly, a dress shirt complete with a tie, his hair combed tidily back. His age, maybe somewhere in his forties? Going by his face alone, he gave off an impression brimming with benevolence. On top of that, he wore square glasses.

Going by appearance alone, the kind of man whose face sent trust climbing fast.

The kneeling man, by contrast, gave off a faintly sleazy, thuggish air. Gray-dyed hair, and a scar on his face on top of that.

Going by image alone, the two men didn’t match in the slightest.

For now, the two were silent.

”......”

”......”

Then the man on the sofa, the one in the square glasses, let out a low murmur and smiled.

”So what you’re telling me is, the distribution route for ’Ice’ has been cut off.”

From the mood of it, the ’Ice’ he mentioned seemed to be slang for drugs. At this, the kneeling, thuggish gray-haired man answered hurriedly.

”Y-yeah. It’s not completely cut off, but...... it’s gotten a little harder, I guess?”

The gray-haired man looked like he was squirming somehow. The man in the square glasses pressed him.

”Why did it come to that?”

”...No, fuck, you know that top actor Woo Jeong-cheol? That bastard got busted hard for drugs, so the police crackdowns went brutal. Clubs, everywhere, they’ve all slapped a ban on ’Ice’ distribution right now.”

”......”

”B-but! If we just keep our heads down for now and let some time pass, it’ll be fine again! Grease the pigs with a little cash and they’ll loosen right back up, fuck.”

The square-glasses man, who’d been wearing a calm smile, spoke up.

”Hmm, I’m quite sure I told you not to sell to the showbiz folk. That if anyone got caught, it would blow up. We can’t surface above the water just yet. We aren’t ready, and we need to stay in the shadows.”

”Yeah, but, I mean, those guys spend good money! And they spread the word real well too! Showbiz folk have been ’Ice’ VIP customers since forever, so I sold them a little. Ah, fuck, sorry, sorry. From now on I’ll never! Neeever sell to them again! We good??”

”Hm. The little slip-ups keep repeating. And you’re dim-witted, besides. Keep that up and you’ll get caught in the end.”

”I won’t, I won’t! I told you I’m done selling to the showbiz folk?? Aren’t you ragging on me too hard over one slip-up?”

”......”

The square-glasses man propped up his chin and changed the subject.

”Your ’Ability’, what was it again?”

”Me? Ah, I can kill the sound of my footsteps whenever I want. Fuck, it’s a shitty one.”

”Ah, right, it was.”

-Swish.

The square-glasses man nodded and rose from the sofa. Then he stepped up to the kneeling man and patted his shoulder a couple of times.

”Your ’Ability’, your competence. Both truly useless.”

He placed a hand on the man’s head and whispered softly into his ear.

”Mind Destruction.”

Soon the kneeling man let out a strange groan.

”Gkk!”

Trembling violently, he collapsed face-down onto the floor. His eyes already showed nothing but white. Watching him convulse, the square-glasses man looked down at his own hand and murmured in a low voice.

”Truly, a fascinating ’Ability’, though it’s a shame the Cooldown runs so long.”

Then he called out to someone outside.

”Over here...”

At that, about three burly men came in. The square-glasses man made his request of them.

”Take this one away, would you.”

The burly men hoisted up the convulsing man and left the office. Alone now, the square-glasses man suddenly closed his eyes, then opened them. Then he took a few steps. The odd thing was that not a sound of his footsteps could be heard now. Idly scratching his chin, he gave a faint smile.

”Hard to say. Will it even be useful, this ’Ability’?”

A knock spread through the office. Soon a man in a dress shirt came in and spoke with a bow of his head.

”Chairman-nim, the preparations are complete.”

The square-glasses man nodded and threw on the worship robe that had been draped over the sofa. Then, after checking his face in the mirror, he left the office, and before long he stepped into a large hall. Inside the hall, a staggering number of people were gathered. Standing at the podium they were all focused on, the square-glasses man murmured into the microphone.

”Welcome again today.”

On the wall behind him a large logo was mounted, and beneath it hung these words.

-’New Light Truth Church’

Meanwhile, a high-end Korean fine-dining restaurant.

In the spacious private room of the high-end restaurant, the kind that looked expensive at a glance, familiar faces were seated. They were the people from the Japanese production company who had recently come over from Japan to Korea, the ones who’d offered An Ji-hee a casting deal for ’Spring at the Borderline’.

About five of them, interpreter included.

Among them was the woman in glasses, the one at the head of this group. Even as they made idle conversation.

”Thankfully we were able to meet.”

”Right? Just thinking about seeing her in person, I’m rather excited, aren’t you?”

”I do wonder how she found our work...”

They were waiting for a certain newcomer actress. An Ji-hee, of course. In particular, in the eyes of the bespectacled woman, the one who’d been the first on the Japanese side to bring up An Ji-hee.

’An Ji-hee, I wonder if she’ll match the look we imagined even in person.’

Anticipation and greed seemed to fill them. Like, how to put it, the look of someone the instant after finally meeting the one they’d long yearned for.

That was when it happened.

-Slide.

The closed door slid open and others appeared. An Ji-hee’s two-person management team came into view first, and the Japanese production company side rose at once. Around then, An Ji-hee entered, her bob worn loose and natural.

”Ah, hello!”

She greeted the Japanese production company right away. The instant they saw An Ji-hee, the people from the Japanese company lit up. More than anyone, the bespectacled woman’s eyes shone the brightest. She gave An Ji-hee a smooth once-over and silently rejoiced.

’That Korean beauty! That aura! She’s perfect, far better than we’d ever imagined!’

Then, as the Japanese production company was exchanging handshakes with An Ji-hee, one more person came in.

-Swish.

It was Kang Jae-ha, his face indifferent.

”......”

He swept an unbothered gaze over the people from the Japanese company. Soon everyone took their seats. Before introductions were exchanged, the bespectacled woman leading the Japanese side worked her eyes busily. She was sizing up the people on An Ji-hee’s side.

’Who is it, which one? That exceptional manager?’

Putting on a business smile, she asked An Ji-hee’s side.

”Which of you is Kang Jae-ha Manager-nim?”

When the interpreter relayed the Japanese into Korean, the placid-faced Kang Jae-ha responded.

”That would be me.”

At once, the bespectacled woman, the head-level figure on the Japanese production company’s side, gave a quick bow and introduced herself.

”A pleasure to meet you. I’m Ogawa Sayaka.”

”Yes. Hello, I’m Kang Jae-ha.”

Greetings and introductions then went around the whole table, and the woman who’d given her name as Ogawa Sayaka spoke again. In Japanese, of course.

A tense An Ji-hee, who by her nature should have answered right away, was for some reason holding her tongue today. Instead she kept stealing glances at Kang Jae-ha beside her. Naturally. Because Jae-ha had told her something beforehand. That he’d do the talking, so she should just dodge answering for now.

And so Kang Jae-ha’s answer came faster than An Ji-hee’s.

”Yes, I’ve read it.”

A somewhat dry, flat tone.

”And how was it?”

Even as she asked, Sayaka guessed inwardly.

Because that was how it usually went. But Kang Jae-ha’s flat reply broke from the usual.

”There were a few things I found lacking.”

Sayaka and the people from the Japanese production company blinked.

’Huh? There are things he found lacking?’

A slightly flustered Sayaka tossed out a question.

”...Things you found lacking, meaning?”

Kang Jae-ha spoke up at once.

”First, I’d like to know just how badly you want Ms. An Ji-hee.”

”......We believe she’s the right actress for our project.”

”If you want Ms. An Ji-hee, I’d like to attach a few conditions.”

”Conditions?”

Kang Jae-ha nodded, cast an indifferent glance at An Ji-hee, then returned it to Sayaka.

”Yes. Honestly, we aren’t in any particular hurry.”

By this point An Ji-hee and her two team members, while pretending otherwise, were watching Jae-ha in shock.

’Can he, can he really just go for it like that??’

’This whole thing’s gonna flip over and collapse, isn’t it.’

It was understandable. Because at a first meeting with the Japanese production company, Kang Jae-ha was being far too brazen. And this wasn’t a domestic contact, either, but a Japanese one that could mean breaking into overseas markets. Yet none of that fazed Kang Jae-ha in the slightest.

”If we take on the project you’ve offered, ’Spring at the Borderline’, Ms. An Ji-hee is going to have to push herself a fair bit. So I’d like to lay out my conditions and lock things down firmly.”

Sayaka turned serious and nodded.

”Understood. Please, go ahead.”

Kang Jae-ha gave off an air of: your work’s good, but we’re not exactly desperate for it.

”......”

It wasn’t some fervent patriotism. It was to deepen the color and appeal of the character offered to An Ji-hee.

”I’d like you to add about twice as much Korean to the lines as there is now.”

Since his very first condition left no room to back down, Sayaka was floored.

’The lead in this meeting...... I think I’ve already lost it.’

About two hours later.

Having wrapped up the meeting with the Japanese production company behind ’Spring at the Borderline’, Kang Jae-ha, An Ji-hee, and her team made their way to the upscale restaurant’s parking lot.

The first to reach the parking lot was Kang Jae-ha.

’That ran longer than I expected.’

The meeting had run longer than anticipated. Perhaps from the stiffness, Kang Jae-ha cracked his neck to the right, then to the left. Still, it hadn’t gone badly, since he’d delivered everything he’d planned to the Japanese production company.

’They’re almost all the way over. If they want An Ji-hee badly enough, they’ll have no choice but to accept all my conditions.’

Then, before getting into the car, Kang Jae-ha checked his phone first. He went through the chat messages, texts, and missed calls that had piled up in the meantime.

Then.

”Hm?”

His expression changed completely. Turning serious, what he’d opened was a message from Ha Yeon-ji, one of his subordinates. A brief note, and along with it.

-Commander! I found one of our fellow mercenaries!

A photo had arrived as an attachment.

’Seoul Gangseo Police Station?’

That Ha Yeon-ji had found another subordinate was unexpected enough, but the business card in the photo she’d sent held even more interesting things.

-Seoul Gangseo Police Station

-Criminal Investigation Division/ Ryu Hyuk

Having examined the business card in the photo, Kang Jae-ha gave a faint smile.

”A detective, huh...”

Because it meant his new subordinate’s job was that of a detective.

*****

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