Kuroda had thought long and hard.
How could Japan attack Korea?
He considered ways to pressure Korea within the bounds of legality, without making Japan appear like a shameless country in the international community.
But he could not think of a way.
It was not that he could not think of anything specific.
On the contrary, too many ideas came to mind.
But so did Korea’s countermeasures.
Insurance, finance, trade, diplomacy.
Whatever method Kuroda could come up with, there was no way Korea would be unaware of it.
To be honest, he thought there was no way around the insurance problem.
He had never imagined that Korea would form a reinsurance alliance in an instant.
Kuroda’s gaze returned to the photograph.
Anna stood at the end of it.
No matter how long Kuroda agonized over an operation and devised a plan,
if someone like Anna was designing Korea’s countermeasures, it would be dismantled in no time.
On top of that, Taerim had reportedly made enormous profits by introducing maritime insurance this time.
Not only through the direct profits from the premiums.
It had also demonstrated that the company’s foundations were strong enough to handle reinsurance,
and by using the keyword “independence,” it had become a national company.
A title that could not be obtained even by pouring money into it.
Instead, Taerim had gained it while raking in money by the clawful.
This incident had become a tremendous issue in the insurance industry.
Creating an insurance product and obtaining approval for it in just five days still remained a legend.
As long as Anna, the woman who had written that legend, remained, no operation would work.
Then, naturally, they had to target a field Anna could not touch.
But did such a field even exist?
Among the things that could be done legally?
He had even considered cutting off trade, as they had done last time.
But that would not work anymore, either.
Since then, Korea had developed its technology and diversified its sources of imports.
By cutting off trade, Japan had only lost a customer.
His deliberation dragged on.
He did not want to think about it, but Matsumoto’s words continued to circle in his head.
“When you can’t untie a knot, cutting it is one way to deal with it.”
‘Is this really the only way?’
The more he thought about how to attack Korea, the more everything came back to Anna.
It felt as though everything would proceed smoothly if only she were removed.
After agonizing for a long while, Kuroda finally made up his mind.
He quietly picked up the telephone.
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Yeouido, Seoul.
Taerim Insurance headquarters.
Anna had finished her work and was on her way home.
Anna was currently living in Unity Village.
Unity Village was what they called the townhouse where Alex lived.
It was smaller than Unity Town, but they called it that because it was a space connected by the same philosophy.
Since there were many vacant houses, they had told her to choose any one and move in.
Anna had not refused.
A car was waiting in front of the entrance.
When she came outside, the security guards greeted her with great respect.
The car carrying her started off smoothly.
And someone was watching the scene.
“The target has departed. Following Car One.”
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The foot of Maebongsan.
A road leading to Unity Village.
It was a stretch where there was not much vehicle traffic.
White smoke was billowing up from the road.
[Gas leak. Emergency repairs in progress]
A temporary sign had been placed in the middle of the road.
People wearing work clothes and safety helmets moved busily around the site.
But if one looked closely, no actual construction was taking place.
They were merely repeating meaningless actions.
In truth, they were not a construction crew.
They were a hit team that had come from Japan to eliminate Anna.
The team was called Kagero.
A hit team composed of former Japanese special forces soldiers.
People who did not officially exist.
They had neither nationality nor identity.
Even if they disappeared here, Japan would deny any involvement.
Nevertheless, they had always handled Japan’s troublesome affairs.
The operation was simple.
They would pretend there had been a gas leak and block the field of vision.
They would disable the CCTV cameras with smoke.
They would block Anna’s vehicle from the front and rear, then eliminate the target.
There were no bodyguards.
Only a single driver.
Once Anna’s car entered the smoke,
all they had to do was break the window and eliminate Anna.
It was an easy job.
“Are you ready?”
A radio transmission came through the earpiece microphone.
“Yes, we’re ready.”
The reply was quiet.
“No matter what happens, you must succeed.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The radio crackled again.
“Two minutes until arrival.”
Aoi, a member of Kagero, looked toward the road.
The road was hazy, as though covered in thick fog.
It was difficult to make out even an inch ahead.
There were no other vehicles.
The road was narrow, connected directly to the forest, and offered no room to make a U-turn.
Once trapped, there was no way out.
“Get ready.”
“Yes.”
Aoi checked his weapon once more.
The gun in his hand felt cold.
“I see the target. All operatives, stand by.”
Up ahead, Anna’s vehicle was slowly entering the smoke with its hazard lights flashing.
“Ten seconds to arrival.”
“Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Action.”
At the signal, the vehicles that had been waiting shot forward.
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“This is the only place.”
Allen, the leader of the Obsidian Unit, pointed to a spot on the map.
“Why?”
Team Leader Hwang Onyu asked.
“If I were carrying out an operation, there would be no better place than that.”
Hwang Onyu examined the map and the photographs of the location Allen had indicated.
It was too perfect a place for carrying out an operation.
But if the operation went wrong, there was no exit.
It might be fine if everything went perfectly, but if a problem arose, it would be difficult to respond.
It was a dangerous place where they could trap their opponents, but could just as easily end up trapped themselves.
Hwang Onyu would never choose it as an operation point.
“You can’t exit from here. So this won’t be the place.”
“Heh heh heh. Team Leader, is that the kind of person you are?”
When Hwang Onyu stated it decisively, Allen asked with a sly smile.
“Hm?”
“What exit is there in an operation? When we plan an operation, we only make plans that are guaranteed to be completed. The word ‘exit’ doesn’t exist for us.”
“What are you talking about? Of course an exit plan should be included in an operation.”
“We don’t do things that way. We will succeed no matter what. If we fail, we may die right there. That is the mindset with which we take part in an operation. Running away, escape, exit, Plan B—none of those exist for us.”
Hwang Onyu was taken aback by those words.
‘Why are they being so solemn?’
Things could go wrong in the course of an operation.
Then you avoided the situation for the time being and planned the next operation. What was he talking about?
“We don’t consider our lives a waste if it’s for Alex. Rather, it’s a little regrettable that we only have one life to offer.”
Allen spoke as though whispering.
Hwang Onyu thought he had misheard.
But he had not.
That was exactly what Allen had said.
This was not some kind of cult.
“These guys will try to deal with Anna here, no matter what happens. Honestly, there’s nowhere else they can do it. They can’t stage an incident on the Gangbyeonbuk-ro. This is the only place.”
Allen spoke with conviction.
Even so, Hwang Onyu could not be certain.
It was far too dangerous for an operation point.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Allen added,
“These guys have nowhere to go back to, either. So they won’t plan an escape. They’ll either succeed and walk away casually, or this will be the end for them. It has to be one or the other.”
After thinking for a moment, Hwang Onyu nodded.
“Right. I think you’re correct.”
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We had struck back at Japan through reinsurance.
But no counterattack came from Japan.
It was strange.
They were the kind of people who had been so shameless and reckless that they had even tried to block the reinsurance.
And yet they weren’t striking back?
After taking that hit?
There was no reaction at all?
They weren’t the sort to sit still after being beaten.
It was strange.
Were they perhaps considering another method?
Were they working through a different route instead of insurance?
But nothing had changed anywhere.
Even the yakuza’s information network had nothing else to report.
Then, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Could they be aiming for a direct strike?
A chill ran down my body.
I had not considered that.
A direct strike?
This wasn’t the 1980s.
But when I thought about it, it was the most effective, fastest, and most destructive method.
The thought I had dismissed as impossible gradually began to take concrete form.
I was not a problem.
I was planning to stay in the Philippines for a while.
If anything, I secretly looked forward to it.
I hoped they would choose me as their target.
If they did, I thought I could have some real fun.
But Tian Zihao and Anna were different.
They could not fight.
They were not combat assets.
The one fortunate thing was that they were staying in Unity Village.
Unity Village had the highest security rating.
No one could enter the place recklessly.
Tian Zihao had set up a workshop inside Unity Village and worked there, so there was no problem.
He did not leave Unity Village.
Anna was the problem.
Anna was now Taerim’s CEO.
Her face was well known, and her movements were exposed.
Perhaps Anna was in the greatest danger.
If they were choosing a target, Anna was the most likely candidate.
“How about working from home for a while, Anna? What if these lunatics charge in without a second thought?”
“That would be good.”
Her unexpected answer surprised me.
“What?”
“Would it be better if I became the bait instead?”
Anna asked while looking at me with eyes full of curiosity.
“No. Absolutely not.”
I refused.
“If I simplify my daily routine a little, couldn’t we identify the place where they’ll attack?”
“It’s too dangerous. Don’t do it. You don’t gamble with your life.”
Of course, I could protect Anna.
But there was no telling what might happen at the scene.
There were stray bullets.
No matter how many safety precautions you took, they often became useless once things began unfolding on-site.
That was why I was absolutely opposed.
“You’ll protect me, won’t you, boss?”
“I won’t be here then. I have to go to the Philippines and come back. So don’t think about things like this.”
“Then leave the Obsidian Unit here. You can take only Scott with you. There’s no one in Zamboanga, Philippines, who would dare touch you.”
That was true.
There was no one in the Philippines who would dare touch me.
There was no one who would attack me, but there were plenty of people who would protect me.
There was Simon, Dennis, and I was friendly with both the rebels and the regular army there.
That much firepower was more than enough to protect me.
Anna did not seem to have said it casually.
“Boss. Catching these guys would help us, right?”
Anna asked.
Help?
I did not know how catching them would help us.
Still, I was not generous enough to let the people coming to kill one of my own walk away unharmed.
I was not the sort of person who avoided a fight that came to me.
Instead of answering Anna, I looked at Allen.
“Allen? Can you do it?”
“This isn’t even work.”
Allen answered with a dismissive chuckle.
“Just in case, I’ll have Hwang Onyu attached to you. If a problem arises, she’ll help.”
“Understood.”
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Allen took up position at the highest point in Unity Village.
The sniper rifle in his hands—
the Accuracy International AXMC—
fit snugly into his palm.
A few months ago, Shin Jung-gi had modified it and given it to him as a gift.
It had looked strange at first, but now it moved as though it were part of his body.
Allen had cursed him for attaching so many things to it, but they had turned out to be useful.
He had paid particular attention to suppressing its sound.
Rather than the deafening report characteristic of a sniper rifle, it was extremely quiet.
Perfect for an operation like today’s.
No matter how remote Unity Village was, it was still in the middle of Seoul.
If a shot rang out, people’s attention would inevitably be drawn there.
Even with Hwang Onyu providing cover,
it was better to be cautious about anything that could be anticipated in advance.
Allen surveyed the surroundings from his sniping position.
If they were going to carry out an operation, they would have come ahead of time to prepare at this hour.
Bingo.
They were coming.
They parked their vehicles and dressed the scene up as though construction were underway.
They took up their positions and released the smoke.
Allen watched Kagero as they prepared for the operation.
He notified the Obsidian Unit over the radio to get ready.
‘They must have positioned a sniper somewhere.’
Allen did not focus on the operatives moving around at the site, but on the places hidden from view.
The field team could handle the field operation.
But if they failed to deal with the sniper in advance, there could be needless casualties.
Allen searched for the sniper through his scope.
Snipers did not take up positions just anywhere.
A suitable distance from the road.
High ground.
A location beyond the line of sight of ordinary people.
After moving his scope for some time, Allen fixed it in place.
‘Found you.’
A two-man sniper team had taken up position on the rooftop of a building.
He could eliminate them immediately by pulling the trigger, but Allen held back.
Until the operation began, he had to check their position and condition over the radio at regular intervals.
If the sniper team failed to respond, they could call off the operation and withdraw.
So he had to wait.
Until the operation began.
Anna’s vehicle came into view in the distance.
Allen was not worried about Anna.
The protective capabilities of Anna’s vehicle were not inferior to those of the United States’ presidential security vehicle, “The Beast.”
It had no other special abilities, but its defensive capabilities were the best.
Unless Anna opened the door and stepped out herself, she was safe.
And before that happened, Kagero would already have fallen.
Anna’s vehicle disappeared into the smoke.
Kagero’s vehicle disappeared into the smoke as well.
The operation had begun.
Allen took a deep breath and placed his finger outside the trigger guard.
The sniper team entered his scope.
Pfft.
A bullet fired silently, accompanied by a heavy recoil.
Even though it was a sniper rifle, no sound escaped.
The sniper collapsed.
The startled spotter looked around and reached for his radio.
But before he could say anything—
Pfft.
The spotter likewise crumpled onto the rooftop floor.
“Sniper team down. Sniper team down. Operation underway.”
As Allen’s transmission went out, the operation team lying in ambush began to move.
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Aoi of Kagero entered the smoke with a gun in hand.
The smoke had completely blocked her vision.
She could not see what lay ahead.
But this was Kagero.
As befitted the team’s name, Haze, this was not their first operation using smoke.
She took out and donned thermal imaging equipment.
Only then did the shapes around her emerge.
The engine of Anna’s vehicle was clearly visible.
She headed toward it.
She felt her way along the bodywork with her hand.
The feel of the metal reached her fingers, allowing her to picture the vehicle’s rough structure.
‘This is the side mirror. Then, a little farther… this is the back seat.’
Her hand touched glass.
The rear passenger window.
They had said Anna was sitting in the back.
Aoi gripped her pistol and struck the window with all her strength.
It should have shattered with a sharp crack.
Instead, it bounced off with a dull thud.
Aoi’s eyes wavered.
She struck it again with all the strength she had.
Thud.
It bounced off once more.
She tried attacking the weakest corner, but the result was the same.
Then, from beyond the smoke, a series of popping sounds rang out.
Aoi instinctively looked in that direction.
She could not see properly through the smoke, but—
Human figures were collapsing, one after another.
She could not tell who they were,
but she could see people lying on the ground.
No way.
“Respond. Respond.”
“This is Number Three. We’re under attack—”
“Number Seven. Under attack.”
“Number Twelve. Evacuating.”
Every response reported that they were under attack.
But those transmissions were cut off not long afterward.
“Respond. Respond.”
“If you can hear this transmission, respond.”
Aoi continued calling out, but not a single sound came from the radio.
They had been played.
She had thought Kagero was launching a surprise attack, but they had been the ones hunted instead.
It was not Anna who had been caught.
It was Kagero.
The thick smoke gradually began to thin.
As it cleared, the situation came into view.
Every Kagero agent lay collapsed, bleeding.
Not one of them moved.
It seemed they had died in the thick smoke without even knowing who had killed them.
Unable to bear looking at the sight, Aoi closed her eyes.
An inexplicable rage boiled up inside her.
Even if she was going to die, she felt she had to avenge her comrades.
She felt she had to complete the mission.
She slammed her pistol against the window.
But the window did not even receive a scratch.
There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
She pressed the muzzle against the window and pulled the trigger.
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
Gunshots rang out, but the bulletproof glass deflected every round.
Tap, tap.
She kept firing until the magazine was empty, but the bulletproof glass remained intact.
Inside the vehicle, Anna was looking at Aoi with pity in her eyes.
That only made Aoi angrier.
“Die. Die. I said die!!!!”
Aoi replaced the magazine and fired while screaming.
But Anna continued looking at her without even blinking.
“Why don’t you stop now?”
A voice came from behind her.
Agents holding guns were already surrounding Aoi.
Everything was over.
There was nothing Aoi could do in this situation.
She could neither escape nor resist.
Aoi brought the gun beneath her chin.
Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.
Click.
The magazine was empty.
“This is why you mustn’t get worked up during an operation. You forget how many rounds you’ve fired. What are you waiting for? Restrain her, quickly.”
At Team Leader Hwang Onyu’s command, the Obsidian Unit moved in an instant.
Aoi was subdued.
Her hands were bound, and her knees were forced to the ground.
And so, Kagero was annihilated.