Chapter 554: What’s Going On?

Igor sprinted toward the villa, racing down the hillside with all his might. Behind him, the mercenaries followed closely.

As they passed several guard posts engulfed in flames, smoke billowing everywhere, the combat remained silent.

But they couldn't afford to relax. Beyond the flaming posts, something glinted in the villa's direction.

Moments later, bullets began to fly from the villa.

Igor signaled his followers with hand gestures.

The mercenaries flanked him, splitting to either side. They also returned fire, following their training.

Bang! Bang!

Bullets whizzed past Igor's ears, hitting the ground around him.

Still, Igor didn't stop running.

He couldn't afford to pause until he found cover. Stopping meant death.

Two mercenaries trailing behind him had already been shot down.

After what felt like an eternity of sprinting, he finally reached the towering walls of the villa. Pressed against the wall, he took a moment to catch his breath.

The mercenaries likewise leaned against the wall, waiting for Igor's orders as they regained their breath.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

The sounds of gunfire never ceased, interspersed with shouts that were lost in the chaos.

Snipers from Team 5 were firing nonstop, while Ivan's team continued their skirmish.

"This is Alpha; we're about to breach the villa."

"This is Beta; we're currently engaged in battle."

"We're still sniping; we'll provide cover fire. Move in when ready."

After hearing reports from each team, Igor switched his focus to the entrance.

"Report on the entrance situation."

"All clear; there's no one there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm certain."

"Immediately report any unusual activity. Maintain strict vigilance."

"Understood."

Igor reattached the radio to his chest and surveyed his surroundings.

"We'll secure the entrance first, then proceed to Special Facility No. 1."

"Yes, sir!"

As Igor signaled, Team 1 began to carefully move toward the villa's entrance.

They crept along the wall for about 20 meters before finally reaching the open entrance.

One mercenary cautiously peeked out to assess enemy positions.

At that moment, debris exploded from the wall beside him, showering the area. The mercenary quickly pulled his head back.

"There appears to be a sniper on the second floor of Special Facility No. 1. No visible enemies en route."

"Is that so? What's the exact location?"

"From the center, it's the third window on the left, where I saw sparks flying."

"Second floor, are you sure?"

When the mercenary nodded firmly, Igor issued another command.

"Team 1 will breach first while Team 2 provides cover. Open fire toward the second floor of Special Facility No. 1. We must prevent them from sniping at us."

"Understood."

Having given his orders, Igor communicated with the sniper team.

"This is Alpha. Snipers, prepare to take down the sniper on the second floor of Special Facility No. 1 from Sniper Point 3."

"Affirmative."

After tucking the radio back into his chest, Igor raised his hand to signal the mercenaries.

His fingers moved from three to two, then to one.

With each finger that disappeared, the mercenaries' tension grew exponentially.

Finally, Igor folded his last finger into a fist.

Simultaneously, the mercenaries in Team 1 dashed toward the entrance, while Team 2 unleashed bullets toward the second floor.

Igor too sprinted toward Special Facility No. 1 alongside Team 1.

At that instant, soldiers from the Guard Headquarters burst forth from the left.

"Left! Left!"

Meanwhile, a few mercenaries sprinting past sought cover behind some trees, starting to fire at the soldiers emerging from that direction.

Tat-tat-tat!

Bang! Bang!

The heated chaos of battle made Igor's vision blur.

All he could hear were the gunshots, the mercenaries' shouting, and the sounds of combat boots pounding the ground.

After what felt like an age of running, Igor and the mercenaries finally arrived at the entrance to Special Facility No. 1.

"This is Beta. All enemies in the second facility have been eliminated! Commencing demolition of the underground tunnel now."

"Confirmed."

Igor checked his watch.

The journey here had taken 30 minutes. They had about 30 minutes remaining.

Igor exchanged glances with one of the mercenaries, who nodded. Masked, he and his partner opened fire at the entrance door.

After emptying a full magazine, the entrance door was shattered into a tattered heap.

The other mercenaries kicked the remains of the door aside, watching with caution.

In front of the crumpled door, bloodied soldiers lay groaning in pain.

When Igor signaled them to advance, the mercenaries cautiously stepped through the entrance.

* * *

"What the hell is that noise?!"

Kim Jong-il, savoring his drink while gazing at the dark ocean from the bar on the first basement floor, was jolted upright.

An enormous explosion suddenly rumbled through the air. Kim Jong-il leaped up and yelled.

"What's happening here?!!"

At Kim Jong-il's shout, the soldiers rushed in.

"What's going on?"

"A-a raid!"

"What? A raid? Who are these bastards?!"

"Unknown. Guards at the lookout and security posts have reported…"

Boom! Bang!

Before the soldier could finish, the ground trembled with a thunderous explosion.

"Those damned bastards!"

Kim Jong-il hurled the glass in his hand.

The glass narrowly missed the soldiers, shattering against the wall.

"Gather all nearby troops!"

"Yes!"

"Where's Cheolsu now?"

Just then, Baek Cheol-soo descended to the basement with Kim Jong-il's family in tow.

Alongside him was Jang Seong-taek.

"General! We need to evacuate immediately!"

"What? Evacuate? You said to evacuate?"

"We need to head to the East Sea Fleet Command…"

"Cheolsu!"

Rather than listening, Kim Jong-il bellowed. Jang Seong-taek stepped forward and spoke.

"Chairman, all communications have been cut off. They struck at the communication lines first. Fortunately, our contact with the East Sea Fleet is unaffected, so we were able to reach them. They should arrive via underground tunnel in about an hour."

Jang Seong-taek's calm words made Kim Jong-il's face heat up in anger as he glared at him.

"Why did you move the troops without reporting? Is this treason?"

"…"

"Answer me! Why did you unilaterally move the troops?"

"I'm sorry."

Jang Seong-taek bowed deeply. As Kim Jong-il seethed at him, he barely managed to suppress his anger, letting out a sigh.

"…Huh."

"Father…"

Kim Jeong-un approached Kim Jong-il with a worried expression.

"Hang in there, Jong-un. Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. What about you, Father?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

The explosions that had been shaking the area finally ceased.

"Send someone out to report on the situation. Everyone except Cheolsu, get out."

The soldiers who had entered at Kim Jong-il's order filed out swiftly.

Kim Jong-il took Kim Jeong-un's hand and sat down.

"Everybody sit down."

"General! You must take cover now!"

"Cheolsu, just sit down for now."

Though the explosions had stopped, gunfire continued to echo in the distance.

With no way of knowing the outside situation, staying seated was the worst possible decision.

"General…"

"Cheolsu. I said sit down. Are you ignoring me? Is that what this is?"

"N-no. I just want to prioritize your safety over everything…"

"Hang in there. I know, I know. Just sit down for now."

After a moment of reluctance, Baek Cheol-soo complied and took a seat.

"Manager Ma."

"Yes, Chairman."

"Who do you think these bastards are? Why the hell are they attacking me here when nobody else knows I'm here? Am I wrong?"

At Kim Jong-il's inquiry, Jang Seong-taek answered after a slight pause.

"…I don't know. However, no military movements had been detected until this evening. Isn't the entire command concentrated in Pyongyang at the moment?"

"True. Everyone is gathered here."

"That means it couldn't be troops under the commanding generals. Based on a brief glance through the window earlier, it seems a large-scale force hasn't invaded. No tanks or heavy weapons were visible."

"Is that so? How could you ascertain that in such a short time?"

Doubt deepened in Kim Jong-il's eyes.

"That's not the point. What's most critical is figuring out how they knew I was here. What do you think, Manager Ma? Only a few of us, including you, me, and my close aides from the Guard Headquarters, know of my presence here."

"I don't know."

"You don't know? I have a feeling that I do."

Kim Jong-il smirked slightly as he spoke.

"What?"

Jang Seong-taek replied.

"I have a feeling it's someone close to me who betrayed me. Am I mistaken?"

"N-no! I would never! If that were the case, would I have come here?"

"I thought so too. However, if you didn't betray me, then it would be impossible to explain this situation. Wouldn't you agree, Cheolsu?"

"…"

Baek Cheol-soo remained silent. To respond carelessly in this situation would be counterproductive.

"Father."

Kim Jeong-un called out to Kim Jong-il in a trembling voice.

Kim Jong-il turned to look at Kim Jeong-un, his eyes cold.

"There's no reason for my uncle to want to kill you, is there? Why would he think about that?"

"Jong-un, in this position, I can't even trust my brothers. Understand?"

"B-but…"

Kim Jeong-un shot a nervous glance at Jang Seong-taek.

Kim Jong-il shook his head. Young and still naive, Kim Jeong-un was too trusting.

"Do you have any idea how much blood has stained my hands to reach this position? Father, I've fought power struggles against your own grandfather as well. That's why I'm here. With time, you'll understand the gravity of this place, so remain silent for now."

"Yes."

Finally, with a compliant response, Kim Jong-il patted Kim Jeong-un's head.

"Cheolsu."

"Yes, General."

"If, by any chance… if these treasonous bastards were to infiltrate here, be ready to shoot Jang Seong-taek without hesitation."

"Understood."

Baek Cheol-soo glared at Jang Seong-taek with cold eyes.

"If that measure allows you to trust me, then please do it."

Kim Jong-il scrutinized Jang Seong-taek's face. But he remained impassive.

Kim Jong-il found that blank expression even more unsettling.

"General!"

Baek Cheol-soo called for Kim Jong-il.

"Would it be wise to evacuate to the East Sea Fleet Command? We could calculate the time until the reinforcements arrive and meet them on the way. It might be best to regroup with them before returning here."

Baek Cheol-soo earnestly urged Kim Jong-il, his voice practically pleading.

"Your safety is my utmost priority. Please don't disregard my counsel."

"Hmm…"

After glancing at Kim Jeong-un, Kim Jong-il nodded.

"Get ready."

"Yes. I'll see to it right away."

Baek Cheol-soo stood and bowed slightly before leaving.

"I'll return shortly."

Once Baek Cheol-soo exited, Kim Jong-il lit a cigarette and took a drag.

He inhaled deeply until his cheeks hollowed and exhaled slowly.

"Those damned bastards… I swear I'll annihilate every last one of them."

Kim Jong-il muttered ominously to himself.

Yet no one in the room dared to respond to him.

Kim Jong-il raised the whiskey bottle before his mouth, taking a swig from it.

Each gulp of the high-proof whiskey felt like fire coursing down his throat, but he kept drinking.

Soon, he slammed the empty bottle down forcefully.

"Hah."

He glared at Jang Seong-taek as he spoke.

"This will be the third time, you know. Am I right, Manager Ma?"

"…Yes."

"No matter how many times I kill, these treasonous bastards never disappear. That's why I have no choice but to spill blood. More blood is bound to flow, isn't it?"

A moment passed, long enough to spark a cigarette.

"General! All preparations are complete. You may descend to the basement now."

At Baek Cheol-soo's words, Kim Jong-il and his family, including Jang Seong-taek, all rose from their seats. They then followed Baek Cheol-soo deep underground.

As they climbed into the prepared vehicle, it slowly entered the underground tunnel.

How long had they been driving?

Boom! Bang!

The tunnel shook under tremendous noise, rocks tumbling from the ceiling.