Chapter 109 – Spy [Agent and Agent]

“What business does the National Intelligence Service have with me?”

At her words, the man, Agent Hong, extended his hand with an expressionless face.

Zhou Peiling frowned and tossed her ID card to Agent Hong.

He caught it, put it back inside his jacket, then looked at her and replied.

“Instructions came down from above.”

“Instructions?”

“Instructions to make contact with you.”

“With me?”

“That’s correct.”

The fact that her identity had been uncovered by the NIS was surprising enough, but the fact that an order for contact, not arrest or elimination, had been issued to an agent despite awareness of a spy’s presence.

That fact momentarily confused Zhou Peiling.

Moreover, the skill of the man standing before her, Agent Hong, who looked quite good in sunglasses.

‘There’s a B-Rank agent in the NIS?’

Officially, there were only five B-Rank Superhumans in Korea, and only four of them were active.

There had been a time when the four Mirror One countries mobilized their intelligence networks wondering if there was a hidden B-Rank, but, as if it were only natural, no hidden B-Rank Superhuman was detected.

But today, right now, a B-Rank Superhuman who introduced himself as an NIS agent stood before Zhou Peiling.

‘Were they hiding him?’

Still not calming her mana, she stared intently at Agent Hong and asked.

“What business does the NIS have with me?”

“I merely received orders to make contact with you.”

“Can’t you give me the details now?”

“The order given to me is to make contact with you and coordinate a schedule. The answers to the questions you’re asking now will likely be heard from someone else after the schedule is coordinated.”

“…….”

Zhou Peiling stared fixedly at Agent Hong.

Agent Hong didn’t turn his head, lower it, or raise it, but simply stood there like a stone statue.

From that robot-like appearance, Zhou Peiling couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable sense of pressure.

Yet, on the other hand, she also thought that if she didn’t take any more hostile actions, the other side probably wouldn’t take any aggressive actions either.

“…….”

After staring intently at Agent Hong for a while, Zhou Peiling finally calmed the mana she had raised.

The faintly floating magic circle in her hand disappeared, and the tension that had filled the officetel living room eased.

“What schedule are you talking about?”

At her question, Agent Hong answered.

“The higher-ups wish to meet with you.”

“Who are the higher-ups?”

“That’s all I can say.”

“…….”

“Please choose one day: the 23rd, 24th, or 25th of this month. These are the dates proposed by the higher-ups.”

Zhou Peiling silently watched Agent Hong, who was not coordinating a schedule but rather announcing one.

“……The 25th.”

At her answer, Agent Hong nodded.

“Then we will set the schedule for 18:00 on the 25th. The location will be notified later.”

As Agent Hong assumed a posture as if to leave, Zhou Peiling tried to stop him.

“Wait! I still have things to talk abo…….”

But her words ultimately remained unfinished as Agent Hong’s figure faded away on the spot.

“……Stealth?”

Zhou Peiling raised her mana to its limit once more.

Instantly, her five senses activated, capturing the breathing of all living beings inside the officetel.

But nowhere could she sense Agent Hong’s.

‘He disappeared instantly while using Stealth?’

A Superhuman specialized in infiltration and escape.

They were often broadly categorized as Dealers, but some countries also referred to them as Assassin Types.

‘An Assassin Type B-Rank Superhuman…….’

Zhou Peiling pressed her lips tightly together and glared fiercely at the spot where Agent Hong had just been with shining eyes.

‘First…… I need to inform the ambassador.’

Zhou Peiling immediately took out her phone and called the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, Li Guoping.

After a brief signal, Li Guoping’s voice, full of irritation, came through the receiver.

• What is it?

Ignoring the irritation evident in his tone, Zhou Peiling continued directly.

“I have something urgent to discuss in person.”

• What is it?

“I can’t talk long over the phone due to eavesdropping concerns, but anyway, I have something to discuss in person. It’s urgent.”

The urgency and seriousness felt in her voice brought a period of silence from the other end of the line.

Zhou Peiling waited through that silence.

After a moment, Li Guoping continued.

• Come to the embassy. I haven’t left work yet.

“Understood.”

After ending the call, Zhou Peiling immediately packed her things roughly and left the officetel.

‘…….’

And from a corner of the living room, Agent Hong, Siguk, who had watched it all, also followed her, maintaining his Atomization Skill.

“Hmm…….”

Still unable to leave work, the ambassador’s secretary had brought coffee, but neither Li Guoping nor Zhou Peiling touched it, instead looking at each other with serious expressions.

“The NIS…….”

Li Guoping muttered.

Zhou Peiling added.

“It was an agent, presumed to be B-Rank, and appeared to be of the Assassin Type.”

“Hmm…… Korea was hiding such a person? Without us finding out?”

“I was also quite surprised by that part.”

“Hmm…….”

Li Guoping made a serious expression, hummed, then took a sip of coffee.

Feeling his tangled brain slightly awaken from the bitterness of the black coffee and the strong caffeine, Li Guoping slowly opened his mouth and continued.

“The fact that the NIS, aware of your existence, requested contact rather than arrest or assassination means they have some other intention.”

“I think so too.”

“The cause of the revolution in Korea two years ago was the NIS. Thanks to that, the organization barely survived after the revolution, but it still suffers the humiliation of having its headquarters raided by prosecutors whenever they feel like it.”

Looking down at his empty coffee cup, Li Guoping continued.

“Just look at the news right now; the Prime Minister is attacking the NIS. Naturally, there must be a lot of accumulated dissatisfaction within the organization.”

“…….”

“Perhaps their intention is related to that and they want to use you.”

“You mean they’re dragging me into their internal problems?”

“It’s just a guess…… but if not, there wouldn’t be much reason to meet with you.”

“…….”

With an expression that showed she didn’t understand what was going on, Zhou Peiling momentarily lowered her gaze to the black coffee.

Addressing her as she silently stared at the coffee, Li Guoping continued.

“The contact location will probably only be notified on the 25th itself. Unless they’re setting a trap, that is, if they sincerely want something from you.”

“…….”

“For now, go and hear what they have to say. Anyway, since your identity is blown, you can’t stay in Korea much longer, so try to find out their intentions as much as possible. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

At Li Guoping’s question, Zhou Peiling nodded.

“I’ll report to the Party first. But don’t expect too much. It’s highly likely that no specific orders, like in the Lee Siguk case, will come down.”

“Understood.”

After that, Zhou Peiling and Li Guoping discussed future strategies for about an hour, and only when it was quite late at night did both leave the office.

“For now, proceed as defensively as possible. In the current situation, acting aggressively won’t yield any benefits.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Go on in.”

“Yes.”

After giving a slight bow to Li Guoping, Zhou Peiling trudged off towards her officetel.

Watching her retreating figure, Li Guoping also left in the car driven by the ambassador’s secretary for the official residence.

The place where only darkness and silence remained after both had left.

At that spot, Siguk, wearing sunglasses, appeared like a mirage.

“Huh.”

After letting out a light laugh, Siguk vanished from the spot once more.

18:00, May 25th, 2031.

Hwahwaru VIP Room, a high-end Chinese restaurant located in Jongno.

Two men and one woman sat at a round table before the meal had arrived.

The woman, Zhou Peiling, stared with tightly pressed lips at Agent Hong, who wore sunglasses even indoors, and the middle-aged man wiping his face with a wet wipe, NIS Director Han Changmyeong.

‘So the “higher-ups” were the NIS Director?’

She hid her expression as much as possible, again and again, but she couldn’t conceal the subtle bewilderment revealed in her eyes.

“Let’s order the meal first.”

Director Han spoke in Korean.

Agent Hong looked at Zhou Peiling.

Zhou Peiling nodded.

Agent Hong immediately used the tablet PC provided on the wall to order several dishes.

“Surprised?”

Director Han asked, addressing Zhou Peiling who continued to stare at him.

Zhou Peiling gave no particular answer, merely silently watching Director Han.

Director Han looked at her with an expressionless face and continued.

“Well, it’s understandable to be surprised. It’s surprising that your identity has been uncovered, and it’s also surprising that the ‘higher-ups’ of an intelligence agency wanting to meet with a spy from a semi-hostile, semi-friendly nation is none other than the agency director himself.”

“…….”

“Well, it could be.”

Director Han nodded and poured water into a glass, taking a long sip.

Wiping the sweat on his forehead with a wet wipe, Director Han continued.

“But if you just keep being surprised, today’s meeting itself will become meaningless. Don’t you think?”

“…….”

Zhou Peiling gave no yes-or-no answer.

Part of it was her intention to proceed as defensively as Li Guoping had said, but truthfully, nothing else came to mind.

After silently watching Director Han for a while, Zhou Peiling finally opened her mouth only after the ordered meal was set on the table.

“Why did you want to see me?”

Director Han scooped a spoonful of jjamppong broth, mixed the noodles and seafood with his chopsticks, and spoke.

“There are several complex matters.”

“…….”

“Let’s eat first.”

And with that, he silently and heartily brought the jjamppong to his mouth.

Agent Hong also calmly dipped a piece of sweet and sour pork in sauce and ate it.

But Zhou Peiling was not in a relaxed enough situation to comfortably eat the jajangmyeon placed before her.

She had deployed agents waiting after receiving the promised location both inside and outside this Hwahwaru, but it was obvious that Agent Hong, who could easily block her attacks, would subdue her faster than they could arrive in an emergency.

“…….”

In the end, Zhou Peiling didn’t even touch the jajangmyeon.

Director Han, who had finished a bowl of jjamppong in an instant, pushed the bowl aside, looked at Zhou Peiling and her cold jajangmyeon, and chuckled lightly.

Agent Hong also put down his chopsticks, assumed a proper posture, and silently watched Zhou Peiling.