The Invitation to the Depths

Hae Su, staring at Min Gyu with wide eyes, took the documents he held out.

“……Uh, thanks.”

She forced a smile onto her face.

Setting the papers down at her desk, Hae Su squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, trying to shake off the thoughts swarming her mind.

She steadied her breath and checked the documents.

As she turned the first page, the first name to catch her eye was, as expected, Park Dong Jun—the man known as the core figure of the Korean Party.

She swallowed hard, and just as she was about to flip the page completely.

Thud!

Inspector Hong kicked open the heavy door and burst into the office. All eyes immediately shifted to him. Unable to catch his ragged breath, he scanned the room and barked a question at Min Gyu.

“Hey, whe—where is the Team Leader?”

“Uh…… he hasn’t come in yet.”

“Ha, f—find out where he is. Call him.”

“Yes, sir!”

Min Gyu hurriedly picked up his phone and made the call. It didn’t take long.

“He just stepped off the elevator.”

After reporting Team Leader Ki’s location, Min Gyu lowered his phone cautiously. While everyone’s attention was fixed on the restless Inspector Hong.

The door opened again.

The Team Leader, who had arrived with a fresh expression, widened his eyes the moment he saw Inspector Hong.

“Inspector, what is going on?”

Inspector Hong cleared his throat and caught his breath. After pressing the door shut, he parted his dry lips.

“I just got word from the Korean Party informant. Next Wednesday night at 10 PM. There is a meeting at Myeongilgak between the Korean Party assemblymen and the Cheongun executives.”

Inspector Hong’s voice was heated, proof of how critical this urgent intel was.

“If it is the Cheongun executives……”

“Chairman Lee Ja Cheong will be attending.”

The target had begun to move.

It was time to engage in the operation in earnest.

Myeongilgak.

By day, it was a restaurant famous for traditional Korean courses, but it had long been known to political figures as a secret yotei—a high-end establishment for private entertainment.

Some might call it archaic, but these secret venues have been described as the safest playgrounds for politicians and celebrities.

On days when clandestine meetings took place, even servers and hostesses were not allowed in freely to prevent any leaks. Therefore, a one-time approach was impossible. To succeed in infiltrating, one had to invest time to perfectly deceive them and earn their trust. Only then could one be invited to that table.

“Jae Woong will go in as a server. That okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

Jae Woong, with his easygoing personality and the best social skills on the team, always took charge of missions requiring high interaction.

“In the meantime, confirm the overall structure of Myeongilgak and identify the meeting location in advance. That way, we can make our move beforehand.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Min Gyu, you go in as part of the outsourced cleaning crew and install cameras everywhere.”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

However, the person who could hear their conversation most closely was neither a server nor a grain-sized camera.

It was the hostess.

The person who could stay by their side the entire time. The only person suitable for that role was Hae Su, the only woman on the team.

Yet, the reason the Team Leader didn’t immediately assign her the task was that it was the most dangerous. It was a mission where she couldn’t refuse any advances and would have no protection.

Because the hostesses present at such gatherings didn’t just serve alcohol.

Hae Su was well aware of that fact.

Though no one forced her, it wasn’t a matter of choice.

“……I will go in as a hostess.”

Even if it was an unpleasant task, it was something that had to be done for the operation.

Furthermore, she now had a personal reason why she absolutely had to be present.

At Hae Su’s volunteering, the room turned as cold as if ice water had been poured over it. Team Leader Ki rubbed his face roughly and stood up.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he turned his head away, his lips pressed thin. Turning her gaze from the Team Leader, Hae Su scanned the room.

No one wanted to push a colleague into such a place, but since there was no surer way, they all wore the same conflicted expression, unable to voice their opposition.

The lingering silence was broken by Jae Woong.

“Team Leader, a hostess is too dangerous. And it is not strictly necessary! If Min Gyu and I just install the equipment properly, we can hear whatever those b*stards are babbling inside……”

“We cannot rely solely on machines.”

“What?”

“What if they malfunction or are discovered? Then we have no results.”

“Hey, even so……!”

“We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

“You, a few days ago!”

Jae Woong, staring at Hae Su with wide eyes, couldn’t finish his sentence and just ruffled his hair in frustration.

Whether it was because of her request to keep it a secret, he seemed to be forcing back the words he wanted to say.

Hae Su understood why Jae Woong, who knew what had happened to her, was reacting more sensitively than the others. Moreover, since she had extended her sick leave for several days after that incident, his concern was natural.

Hae Su leaned forward from the back of her chair. Placing her arms on the table, she looked directly at Jae Woong sitting across from her.

“Senior, I am fine.”

At her calm voice, Jae Woong’s eyebrows twitched. He squeezed his eyes shut and then looked at Inspector Hong. It was a clear plea for support.

Inspector Hong, sensing the atmosphere, let out a deep sigh and parted his sealed lips.

“Jo Hae Su, I know you are gutsy and fearless…… but this is not an easy job. Those guys act all dignified on the outside, but in those settings, they are the kind of b*stards who indulge in every dirty deed imaginable.”

He wasn’t trying to scare her; he was stating the raw facts. But Hae Su replied with an unfazed expression.

“I have done this dozens of times during investigations. Even if I see worse, it does not matter.”

At Hae Su’s stubborn refusal to back down, Jae Woong clicked his tongue and muttered a low curse.

Hae Su lifted her gaze, which had briefly dropped, and looked at the Team Leader, who stood with his back turned. After a long silence, he let out a heavy sigh and turned around.

Ruffling his hair, he braced his hands on the table. Looking directly at Hae Su, he asked in a low, gravelly voice.

“Are you…… really confident?”

Hae Su answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Yes, I am confident.”

Even if she wasn’t, it was a task she had to complete. For the operation, and for herself.

Team Leader Ki’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Hae Su. After a moment of deep contemplation, he took his hands off the table and stood tall.

“Inspector Hong.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Contact Madam Song. Tell her we need to get someone into Myeongilgak next Wednesday.”

He had made his decision to trust Hae Su and let her proceed.

Entering a place thick with the scent of cypress, Do Guk walked slowly down the long corridor.

Lee Ja Cheong always enjoyed a hot spring bath immediately before important meetings with government officials. It was a sort of ritual.

“You have arrived.”

With Chief Choi’s greeting, the men standing guard in front of the firmly closed door bowed in unison.

Do Guk shifted his gaze from them to Chief Choi.

“Is the Chairman inside?”

“Yes.”

As soon as he received the answer, he fastened the buttons of his open jacket.

He had received word to stop by here as soon as his official schedule was over. Once Do Guk was ready, Chief Choi gave a slight nod. As the closed doors swung wide, Do Guk stepped forward.

Entering the space filled with humid air, Do Guk bowed his straight back in a respectful greeting.

“You called for me?”

His gaze, which had been fixed on the wet floor, lifted forward. He saw Lee Ja Cheong sitting with his upper body exposed in a bath large enough for dozens of people.

Wiping his face with a wet hand, the Chairman scanned Do Guk with a languid gaze. He let out a soft laugh at the sight of the man dressed in neat attire that didn’t suit the setting.

“Work must be exhausting; why don’t you come in and relax your body?”

Do Guk lowered his gaze.

“……No, thank you. I am fine.”

At the refusal, Lee Ja Cheong arched an eyebrow and leaned back, supporting himself with his arms. Looking up at the high ceiling, he let out a long breath.

“I believe today’s schedule is finished, is that correct?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Nothing planned for the evening?”

Official schedules were reported to him even if he didn’t want them. Conversely, Lee Ja Cheong’s schedule was also shared with all high-ranking executives; the evening he referred to was the scheduled meeting with political figures. Floor Leader Park Dong Jun, other Korean Party assemblymen, and two Vice Ministers from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism were set to attend.

It was a place where discussions regarding the casino business would take place. This was why Lee Ja Cheong intended to bring executives comprised of professional businessmen, rather than those from the Cheongun Gang.

In the midst of that, he was asking about Do Guk’s evening?

Do Guk understood the meaning instantly.

“I have nothing special planned, Chairman.”

Lee Ja Cheong, returning his head to its original position, broke the brief silence.

“It is about time you started making your face known, don’t you think?”

Following those low words, Lee Ja Cheong stood up, causing the once-still water to ripple violently with his movement.