Chương 123: Chapter 123: Face to Face
A puzzling advertisement hung in the heart of Hong Kong.
But there were those who would never be clueless about its meaning—specifically, Zhang Linfeng.
He was in a mansion in Hong Kong. Laughter echoed through the spacious living room.
"This guy's pretty entertaining. Who is he?"
"…I'm sorry. I still don't know."
On his knees on the living room floor, Zhang Linfeng bowed his head toward Mei Hong, who sat on the sofa. His demeanor was a far cry from when he spoke with the man who kidnapped Eva.
"Still? When will you find out? He must be good at keeping his head above water."
"Please, just a bit more time, Godfather. I'll find out no matter what."
Mei Hong's wrinkled eyes narrowed as Zhang Linfeng instinctively lowered his head even further.
"This was a request made directly to me from China. Don't you know better than I do what state we're in right now?"
After the return of Hong Kong, the major police reforms, bolstered by the People's Liberation Army from mainland China, had significantly reduced the Triad's foothold.
"This is an opportunity—a lifeline for us to survive. A power player from the mainland is extending a hand."
"Yes, I understand."
"I don't know who's pulling the strings, but make contact. We can pay the money if we have to, but we need to show that we're needed by him."
To survive, Mei Hong prioritized establishing connections in the mainland over any organization in Hong Kong.
He had a gut feeling that whether this connection would be a golden lifeline or a rotten rope depended on how this situation played out.
Zhang Linfeng sought Mei Hong's approval and immediately made a phone call.
A strange Korean voice came through the receiver.
Zhang Linfeng didn't understand but spoke in Chinese without hesitation.
"I left a message in the advertisement."
Surprisingly, a response came back in Chinese right away.
I've been waiting. Is this Zhang Linfeng, or Mei Hong?
At that moment, a chill ran down Zhang Linfeng's spine, cold sweat breaking out on his back.
He hadn't even identified his opponent yet, but the other party already knew both his and the Boss's names.
"…This is Zhang Linfeng. Things are moving quickly. We have Eva. We'd like to negotiate in Hong Kong."
Is Eva safe?
"For now? The longer we delay, the less certain I can be."
He feigned calmness, forcing a smirk.
"My guys seem quite interested in the lady."
Please let me speak with Eva. I'll be waiting.
With that, the caller hung up first.
Staring at the disconnected phone with a dazed expression, Zhang Linfeng muttered,
"Who the hell are these guys? What kind of people am I dealing with?"
Only after being prodded by Mei Hong did he snap back to reality.
"I'm sorry. It ended before I could ask anything. They asked to speak with the woman, but… they already knew about us. They mentioned both my name and the Boss's name correctly."
"What?"
Mei Hong raised an eyebrow with a hint of surprise but sat in silence for a while.
However, Zhang Linfeng found that even more frightening.
"I'll keep it tidy myself. If they know who we are, it makes things easier. As long as we have Eva in our hands, they'll have to go along with our conditions no matter what."
"…I wonder about that. The fact they hung up first troubles me. For now, let's summon them to Hong Kong. If the stage is here, we won't be outmatched, whether it's for information or strength. Got it? This time, do it right."
"Understood, Boss."
Zhang Linfeng, who had been kneeling, stood up and bowed towards Mei Hong.
* * *
"This is from Zhang Linfeng."
"Can we hang up first?"
In response, Manager Ma looked at me as if to reassure me.
"If we appear to be dragged along in this situation while already knowing the other side's identity, it could jeopardize the hostage. We must take control of the situation."
"Understood."
"The safety of the hostage comes first. They will likely summon the Boss to Hong Kong. However, going directly poses a risk. I'll go and retrieve Eva myself."
I could trust Manager Ma to handle this.
But I soon shook my head in response.
I needed to at least see how the situation was shaping up.
"No. It's better that I go myself. I brought the Black Bear, and whether I'm there or not wouldn't change much if we lose ground in Hong Kong."
Manager Ma seemed to have anticipated my decision, saying nothing more.
"I suddenly realized that a few things I was thinking about have tangled up at the same time. I'm not sure which knot to untangle first."
Starting from LTCM, things began to unfold differently from what I knew of the future.
I had tried to prevent major changes to the future, but my actions had set off a butterfly effect.
Just as I closed my eyes in contemplation, the phone rang again.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Manager Ma held the ringing phone, staring at me.
I nodded, and he connected the call.
"Hello?"
Manager Ma had pulled the phone slightly away from his ear to ensure I could hear. A voice in Chinese was coming through.
As promised, let me speak with the woman.
"Okay."
…H-Hello?
It was Eva's voice.
I reached out, and Manager Ma handed me the phone.
"Eva?"
Boss? Is that really you?
"Ha…"
The call quality was poor, and her voice was muffled, but it was unmistakably Eva.
She was alive.
Boss… I'm sorry.
"Apologies can wait until we meet face to face. I'll come find you, so just hang on a bit longer."
I didn't say anything. I didn't say a word.
"I told you to talk to me face to face. Pass the phone to the guy next to you."
After finishing the brief call with Eva, I handed the phone back to Manager Ma.
Manager Ma took the phone outside with him.
'…What a relief.'
It hadn't been a short time. She must have been through something rough, yet Eva was still speaking like that. She didn't even beg for her life or cry.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
Moments later, Manager Ma returned after finishing the call.
"We've arranged to meet in Hong Kong in five days."
"Where?"
"They'll tell us the location again on that day."
It seemed they wanted to avoid letting us prepare in advance.
I clicked my tongue and stood up.
Right, worrying won't magically solve anything.
"For now, contact Eric and instruct him to be on standby. We'll decide whether to fight or just pay them off when we meet. Have you secured any weapons?"
"I'll reach out."
"We're departing three days later. Tell Team Leader Jin to have everyone in Hong Kong within those three days. I'll need to handle urgent matters in Korea first, so I'll be busy for a bit."
"Understood."
I had planned to resolve urgent issues in Korea before flying to Russia, but now my schedule was delayed.
"Ah, Manager, have you gotten any word from the Chief of the National Intelligence Service? We're still reporting on the President's condition, right?"
As Manager Ma was about to step outside, he turned around to look at me.
"Yes, we'll be contacted if anything special comes up."
"They've submitted now, but who knows when they might turn aggressive again? People in power will always seek ways to exert their influence. Thankfully, that blade turned toward Yoon Yong-hyun, otherwise, it would have been directed at me without U.S. intervention."
The Kim Hak-gwon I knew was a champion of democracy, the President who overcame the IMF crisis, a politician who earned immense respect even after retirement.
But that was just a well-packaged bait.
Reality was something else entirely.
"I'll keep a close watch."
The legal groundwork was being laid in the National Assembly to seize most of the Cheongpung Group's assets, making it likely that asset confiscation could happen.
They were properties owned by pro-Japanese collaborators. There was plenty of justification for it.
The descendants of those pro-Japanese collaborators who hadn't joined the Cheongpung Group must be feeling the heat behind them.
I spent a busy three days handling urgent business back in Korea.
By the time I arrived at Hong Kong on a private jet, Eric, Oliver, and Team Leader Jin were all waiting for me at the airport.
"Welcome, Boss."
I nodded at Eric as he greeted me and scanned the surroundings.
There were over fifty people lined up, and the public occasionally threw us glances.
"Let's head out for now. We'll discuss the plan on the way."
The mercenaries surrounded us as we slowly began to leave the airport.
"Wait! What's going on here?"
Airport police, alerted by the report, blocked our path.
"I'll explain."
At Eric's words, Manager Ma nodded.
"I'm Eric, Deputy Director of Black Bear. We're protecting an important figure and have already notified the Hong Kong government. Please verify."
"Please wait a moment."
"We're protecting an important person. Please check quickly, or we'll escalate this through the U.S. Embassy."
"Just a moment."
The officer who replied signaled another officer behind him to contact someone.
Soon enough, a response came back.
"I'm very sorry. We're currently undergoing a major crackdown on gangsters, making us sensitive to these situations."
"We understand, but most of them are Westerners, so it's hard to believe these people are Triad members, right? Or is there another intention?"
"No, there was a misunderstanding. Could we properly apologize to the VIP?"
That was exactly what I expected.
I had predicted they'd send someone to assess our situation, but involving airport police was beyond what I imagined.
It was a reflection of the Triad's influence.
"That's enough. We'll take our leave."
"But…"
"I said we're leaving. Goodbye."
But the police insisted on following, apologizing to Manager Ma as they went.
"I'm sorry. This won't happen again."
Unpleasantness was evident on Eric's face.
I hadn't expected such a blatant reaction.
Fortunately, the airport police didn't detain us any longer. We exited the airport and boarded the cars that were waiting for us.
"You were right, Boss. I didn't expect them to react this way. The Triad is deeply rooted behind the famous public safety in Hong Kong."
"There are mafias in the U.S. and gangs in Korea. The underbelly exists in every part of the world. Where there is light, there are shadows."
Most people misunderstand that the government deploys significant power to maintain good law and order.
The peace we enjoy is largely due to the influence of the underworld.
Casinos and entertainment spots would see profit declines if law enforcement failed. For the same reason, they rarely touch civilians.
"If they show up as anticipated, that'll be advantageous for us. Black Bear has probably already figured them out over there."
It would be fair to assume that the fact Black Bear was providing protection for someone from Korea had reached the Chaobang.
"A slight consolation is that they seem to be mistaking Manager Ma for the VIP."
It appeared everyone was deliberately focusing on Manager Ma.
From Eric's greetings to the protective detail, they treated Manager Ma like the protected individual.
Of course, I had to keep my safety in mind as well, but it was sufficient for them to misidentify him.
"All negotiations will be handled by Manager Ma. I'll act as a mercenary from the back."
"Yes, you'll have Oliver and Team Leader Jin around you."
Manager Ma had continuously insisted on being entrusted with negotiations, so I ended up adopting this method.
"We'll decide whether to fight or just pay them off when we meet."
In Korea, I wouldn't have needed to think much about it.
I'd choose war if it came down to it.
"What about weapons?"
"Everything is already armed. Once we determine the location, the sniper team will set up as well."
"Sounds reliable."
I complimented him with a smile, which Eric brushed off as nothing.
"I served in the military for 20 years. I know a few arms dealers, acquired them through China."
Guns are relatively easy to procure, but getting snipers or rifles was challenging, especially in Hong Kong.
"Then I'll finalize the plan, Boss."
Eric began briefing the team leaders, including Oliver, one more time on the plans.
As time passed with tension, finally, Manager Ma's phone rang.
"Got it. I know where we're meeting. See you there. You must bring Eva along."
Manager Ma concluded the brief call.
Everyone turned to look at Manager Ma.
"We've arranged to meet at a warehouse by the harbor."
As soon as Eric confirmed the position, he unfolded a map and started indicating the sniper positions to the team leader.
Let's see how this unfolds.
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