Chapter 27: 2.6 – Twilight – Spying

Kwon Taek Joo became busy as soon as he entered the room. He stood with his back to the door and looked through the overall structure of the room and walked along the wall and looked at the window. He carefully checked the shape of the window frame and the glass material and tried to pull in and push it out. The fixed window does not move. In addition, there is another cliff outside. It's all right as expected. There is no way Seigei can give a good room to a stranger. It seems that it is difficult to move anywhere in the mansion without going through the corridors full of security guys.

Kwon Taek Joo took out the lighter from his pocket. It's a small device that uses high temperature to penetrate glass or thin steel plates. It was also used at the Bogdanov mansion once before. He grabbed the handle and pulled the exposed long tube, then drank and bent it and turned the flint wheel into a circle. Some rays of light appear at the end of the long tube, and soon then a high-temperature flame flares up. With that, Kwon Taek Joo successfully punched a large hole in the glass window on the side of the cliff.

He placed the neatly cut part on the window frame and passed his left wrist through the hole. Kwon Taek Joo stood so close that his head touched the glass door and turned his watch to the sky. When he pressed the time control device on the side, the watch face opened and something was shot. That object flew straight up and quickly disappeared from sight. Not long after, a click sounded in the air.

Kwon Taek Joo removes the watch, opens the inner cover and takes out a micro memory chip. He plugged it into his phone and downloaded the saved file. A cross-sectional drawing of the mansion was played on a mobile phone screen shortly thereafter. He could immediately understand the structure of the building, as if looking at the whole mansion from above. The hidden space between the wall and the floor is also exposed intact.

Kwon Taek Joo sends that cross-section diagram to Zhenya and infers the storage location of 'SS-29'. You can guess 3 or 4 places. Basement, attic, behind the second bookcase in the reading room and space inside Sergei's bedroom.

He tried to contact Zhenya by pressing the contact device in his ear.

"You must search for each place one by one."

"– So I will be in charge of the reading room. The security in that place is particularly strict, so it must be interesting."

"Don't kill innocent people. It will be troublesome to clean it up."

"– I have never touched an innocent person. I'm just trying to defend myself legitimate way.."

'Righteous' is not a word for you to use. Kwon Taek Joo stuck out his tongue and ended the meaningless conversation.

"Then I'll start from the basement. Work hard."

Kwon Taek Joo finished talking and looked back and forth between the door and the bathroom. He quickly decided and headed for the bathroom. The mansion is designed for daily use, so surveillance cameras are not only hidden in corridors and stairs, but also in fire extinguishers, wall frames and flower pots. Now that an uninvited guest has arrived, security will be even tighter. In a situation where 'SS-29' is uncertain, the two cannot recklessly attack directly. When the enemy is outnumbered, it is best to avoid any conflict.

According to the cross-sectional drawing, there appears to be a ventilation fan installed on the ceiling of the bathroom. The vents in all the rooms are connected as one and extend all the way to the spire to release air. And the basement is no exception.

Kwon Taek Joo locks the bathroom door and turns on the water. A stream of cool water poured down. He pulled the translucent curtain to cover the absence.

After completing a series of preparatory steps, Kwon Taek Joo entered the toilet and removed the ventilation fan cover. He poked his head through the ventilation hole and saw a dark passage. Not a large enough space but it doesn't seem like it's hard to crawl through.

Kwon Taek Joo gently climbed to the ceiling. The low ceiling of the ventilation hole immediately pressed against his back. Even the slightest movement created a cloud of dust that made his nose and throat itch. Kwon Taek Joo buried his nose in his arm and coughed for a while.

He turned on the headlights and illuminated forward. Eye level can see clearly about 1m. He took a short breath and folded his arms and began to crawl. Kwon Taek Joo is careful and gentle not to let the ceiling shake.

He crawled through his room and approached the corridor, suddenly a loud voice came from below. They seem to be guards guarding the front of Kwon Taek Joo's room. Leaving that extremely private conversation behind, he held his breath forward.

Finally, a turning road appears. Kwon Taek Joo turned on the phone for a while and checked the cross-sectional drawing again. To get down to the basement, you have to turn left. When he turned to the left, an inclined side appeared. It looks like a road leading downstairs. Until now, Kwon Taek Joo is putting half of his weight on one elbow and straightening his upper body. At that moment, the floor collapsed.

"…"

It seems that he touched the bottom of the old ventilation hole. Kwon Taek Joo quickly clings to the wall to keep his balance. This made quite a loud noise. Just as a guard passing by nearby suddenly stopped walking. He saw him tilt his head below the ventilation hole woven like a net.

He looked somewhere behind him and tilted his head again. His front colleague asked what was going on.

"Did you hear anything just now?"

"Hear what??"

"It seems that something is falling, right...?"

He looked left and right again, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling and discovered when a ventilation hole had fallen. This situation has been going on for a long time but has not been fixed. Because the owner Sergei said that he would finish the important work first and then carry out large-scale repairs to the mansion, but he kept delaying day after day.

"Did a mouse run over?"

"Although I wonder so, the sound I just heard was heavier than that." 

The guard could not let go of the suspicion so he tapped the ceiling with a rifle. If there is nothing on it, it makes an empty sound. Just a slight touch to the collapsed vent caused it to shake violently. By the way he also tries to touch other places that don't detect the existence of something anywhere. "What's wrong with you so much stress?" His colleague complained.

"It's nothing."

"That's it."

"Don't worry. 'It's not uncommon to have a mouse appear in the past day or two.'''

The guard looked at the ventilation hole with a confused expression and was pulled away by his colleague.

Kwon Taek Joo is struggling in the dusty aisle. He held his head, back, buttocks and both hands completely against the ceiling of the ventilation hole, only the tips of his toes touching the floor. His hands were sliding little by little as he began to sweat. If you fall, the ceiling will shake again. He just hoped that the two guards would disappear from the hallway before.

If it's a mistake once, but if there's a second time, they definitely won't ignore it. If the security man decides to search the path, he will have no way to escape. The problem is that that inconvenient posture can't be corrected right away. The accumulated sweat on his forehead fell to the floor. His wet hands kept sliding down. It seems that Kwon Taek Joo can't stand it anymore. That's your limit.

The clinging body fell down with the same sound. The ceiling also shook violently. He held his breath and looked down at the situation below. His heart beat fast. Every minute every second seems endless. Kwon Taek Joo waited for a while longer but saw no sign that someone was running because of the noise.

It seems that the guard has completely left the hallway. It wasn't until then that he could exhale.

"Ha, ha..."

Kwon Taek Joo took a while to regain his breath and began to move again. He crawled, turned around and then crawled along a path that seemed to stretch to infinity. How far have you travelled? Gradually, the smell of mouldy dust and moss rose. It seems that he has finally reached the basement. The ventilation hole in the basement has a vertical shape, cross-sectional like a chimney. The longest height seems to be 4m and the shortest is 2m. Kwon Taek Joo couldn't let his head come out first, so he had a hard time turning around and jumping down without hesitation.

The speed of falling along with the body weight breaks the vent cover. Kwon Taek Joo rolled for a moment to disperse the impact of the fall. The dust rose blindly as soon as he fell to the floor.

Kwon Taek Joo's vision becomes blurry. He stopped the cough that was about to explode with the back of his hand and then brushed it off the dust and looked around. All furniture is piled up in the basement. Among them, what caught Kwon Taek Joo's attention was something covered underneath a thick headscarf. Its size is quite large.

He quickly approached and cleaned up the surrounding furniture. The hijab is pulled out immediately. The dust flew up again. This time Kwon Taek Joo couldn't stop sneezing.

When he opened his reflexively closed eyes, the strength on his shoulders suddenly disappeared. What was covered in the cellar was not the kind of weapon he expected. It's just an old piano. As soon as the lid was opened, the mice with glowing red eyes massively ran out.

He sighed involuntarily. Kwon Taek Joo risked his life to get here but he completely failed. He wanted to deny the truth in front of him. Not only did he search the inside of the piano, but he also searched for all the boxes there in vain nostalgia, but without any kind of firearms or anything like that. He also pressed and knocked on the wall many times but there was no such thing as a second space.

What's even more tiring is that Kwon Taek Joo has to go back to the road that came. He looked up at the ceiling depressed. He came here with a glimmer of hope but now all that remains is difficult, and a challenge from a vertical walkway 3 to 4 metres long. How to climb up there?

Kwon Taek Joo was in a miserable mood, taking out a special device that looked like a camera. He took it with him as a precaution. He pointed the lens area at the ventilation hole in the ceiling and pressed the shutter button. A long wire is immediately fired along with the lens cover entering the ventilation hole. The rope didn't fall down so it seemed to have stuck somewhere on the ceiling. He pulled hard to check but it was fixed tightly and the thread was even tighter.

Kwon Taek Joo climbs on the old piano. The rope fixed in the aisle was connected to his belt. Kwon Taek Joo holds the rope with both hands and kicks his feet to climb. He was used to climbing ropes because he often practised it when he learned Judo.

Kwon Taek Joo safely set foot in the ventilation hole and crawled for a while to return to the room. Whenever he feels signs of movement from below, he will stop for a while and then crawl again. When he slowly approached the room, he felt exhausted. All Kwon Taek Joo wants to do is turn around and lie down.

He had just passed through the corridor leading to his room. Suddenly there was a knock on the door from somewhere. That Zegna never knocked on the door so the visitor was probably Sergei or one of his aides. Kwon Taek Joo was suddenly for a while and then hurried out of the aisle.

The knock on the door sounded again. When Kwon Taek Joo reached the ventilation hole in the bathroom, there was also a sign of the door opening. No more time.

Sergei burst into Kwon Taek Joo's room and looked around inside in a mess. There was a sound of water flowing from the bathroom. He wondered if he didn't even realise someone was coming because he was taking a shower. Sergei considered what to do and decided to come back later. Since he is a guest, it is courtesy.

He turned and walked towards the door and suddenly stopped. After that, he didn't know what he thought, he walked straight to the bathroom. There seemed to be a rush on his rigid face.

Seigei pulled down the doorknob but it was locked from the inside. Usually, the locked door should be the main door of the room and not the bathroom door. A bad hunch. He immediately took out a bunch of keys from his pocket, counted them one by one to find the right one.

At the same time, the bathroom door opened. The water vapour that fills the inside escapes through the opening door. The person who opened the door came out was none other than Kwon Taek Joo. He must have just finished taking a shower, so his black hair looked thick and wet. The curving solid body is also drenched and shiny with water. A body that seems to have dedicated someone to creating.

Sergei stood bewilderedly looking at Kwon Taek Joo. It was Kwon Taek Joo who broke the lingering silence.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, sorry because it's almost time for dinner... Let's eat together..."

Seigei stammered but his eyes slowly glided from Kwon Taek Joo's face to his chest and stomach and down right there. His thick lips opened. Kwon Taek Joo took out the towel and wrapped it around his waist. Only then did Sergei wake up, his appearance seemed to regret losing the taste he had just tasted.

"Do you want to take the meal to the bathroom?"

"Oh, I'm sorry to upset you. Since I called many times and no one answered, I was afraid something unfortunate happened."

Sergei made an obvious Defence. After that, he said that everyone would have dinner together at the restaurant on the first floor and quickly leave the room. The door closed with a "rumble". The sound of footsteps that sounded for a long time and quickly moved away.

Kwon Taek Joo put on his robe as if there was nothing special and then staggered down. He breathed a sigh of relief. He almost hit Sergei in a dusty condition. His heart was pounding uncomfortably. Kwon Taek Joo angrily tangled her wet hair.

"How has the situation progressed? It must not be easy to repair something that has been completely broken. But succeeding in that everyone else has given up is probably a great experience."

"We're just in the stage of editing the design."

"The design really takes a lot of time. That's why it's even more valuable. However, things that have put in a lot of effort will not betray us. It's like sincere love will never be betrayed."

Sergei laughed at that joke. After that, he gently leaned towards Zegna and whispered.

"Okay, when will you announce it to the people in the industry? Everyone is very curious."

"I have to consider it carefully. Over the years..."

Zhenya was answering without hesitation, suddenly stopping to speak as soon as he met Kwon Taek Joo, who was entering the restaurant. Sergei also raised his head to look out of the entrance and raised his hand to greet Kwon Taek Joo, who had now become neat and clean.

"This side."

The restaurant has a long table that can easily accommodate 40 people. But only Sergei, Zhenya and Hong Yeo Wook are sitting there. This is the first time Kwon Taek Joo has officially met Hong Yeo Wook. The eyes of the two met and he just nodded. Hong Yeo Wook was eating quietly, also bowing his head in silence in response.

It seems that the place where Kwon Taek Joo will sit is already designated. It's the chair right next to Sergei. Sure, because that's the only place where the cutlery suit is placed. The waiter who appeared also put Kwon Taek Joo's appetiser there.

Sergei nodded and said 'Hello.' He had no interest but no reason to refuse so he just quietly walked back to his seat and stared at Zhenya sitting opposite. He looked at Kwon Taek Joo while politely eating and cutting meat and not looking at him, but just shaking his head slightly. It seems that Zhenya also wasted time and effort in the first search.

Kwon Taek Joo's eyes were fixed on Zhenya, turning to Hong Yeo Wook. He was not involved in the conversation at all and just focussed on filling his stomach, after quickly eating his food, he quietly left. As Hong Yeo Wook walked around the table, his gaze lightly touched Zhenya's nape.

Even if it's just for a moment, the gaze is quite intense. Have the identities of the two people been discovered? Kwon Taek Joo was suddenly startled.

Sergei said that Hong Yeo Wook is a guest who will stay for a while. He immediately changed the subject as if waiting for Hong Yeo Wook to leave.

"Is the hacking program you mentioned used in both Korea and the United States?"

He seemed very good at hiding the sinister intentions behind his cunning attitude. To hide a lie, it's best to say a little less than to keep repeating about it.

Kwon Taek Joo wiped his hands on the napkin while brushing it away.

"I want to avoid mentioning information related to weapons."

"Ah, that's probably the case. I'm so negligent."

Sergei apologised more confusedly than necessary. Then, as if thinking it would be better to chat normally, he asked very private questions about his interests and concerns. I don't understand why he was so curious about others.

When Kwon Taek Joo is looking for something to reciprocate, he still often makes eye contact with Zhenya. He was leaning his chin against his hand and looking at the two of them, as if watching something interesting. There is no sign that he will change the subject or help Kwon Taek Joo. When Kwon Taek Joo quietly urged him to do so, Zhenya just quietly smiled and slowly got up from his seat.

"I will go first. The long road trip made me feel tired. You two keep talking."

Zhenya left alone, leaving only Sergei and Kwon Taek Joo. It is clear that the way he glanced at Kwon Taek Joo again and teased him was intentional. He was extremely angry but had no choice. All he could do was stare at Zhenya's back shadow that was quickly walking away. That's why he also missed Sergei's question.

"…Are you?"

"Hmm? What did you just say..."

"I asked if you were married? For example, having a lover or something."

Sergei happily asked again with a friendly expression on his face.

"Does the fact that I have a lover or not have any effect on your purchase decision?"

Kwon Taek Joo asked while laughing. It's a pretty happy smile. He could feel the composure in his own voice, facial expressions and gestures.

Sergei's thick lips lagged to unexpected provocation. The old man's ringed hand slowly covered the back of Kwon Taek Joo's hand. He was extremely annoyed by the slow movement of his thumb and hand that was kneading his hand.

"That, it depends on the case."

He ended the sentence cunningly. Meanwhile, his hand slipped into Kwon Taek Joo's sleeve. Kwon Taek Joo had suffered from blatant harassment for a long time, suddenly getting up from his seat. Sergei's hand fell off immediately, his face shameless as if something was amazing.

"Sorry. I have urgent work to deal with."

He showed off his teeth and smiled artificially, then left the restaurant. Sergei was left alone, bewildered.

Soon, the dessert waiter arrived. Is a brownie topped with chocolate mousse. He could see its moist and chewy texture. Sergei looked down at the brownie with hesitation, finally regained his taste and put his fork down to enjoy the cake.