Knife Dance

EP 29

"I'll give you the recipe. And the ingredients."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's a lot of kids on drugs these days, things are getting a little dirty, and I think you should leave Korea."

"What's going on?"

"One of the guys who took my pills got caught driving under the influence. Didn't you see the news?"

I turn on the TV, and the police chief is on, promising to crack down hard on drugs.

"Nowadays," he said, "they're throwing drugs or leaving them at designated dealing locations."

"Some madman did it on the spot, wandered off, got caught driving away."

"I think that's why I'm pretty sure I identified my friend who blew the sales pitch and delivered it."

"Like you used to do my sales calls and deliveries. He was helping me out, and if he got caught, so would I."

"That's not a good situation."

"So how long do you have to be out of the country?"

"I'll be out of the country for a few years at least."

"Is that why you need money so urgently?"

"Yeah. I need to sell the rest of the drugs I have in the country."

"I usually keep money in a secret account or in a second name account, but I might need liquid funds at a moment's notice."

"I know it's not the right thing to do, but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Well, when are you leaving the country?"

"I should be leaving in the next three weeks."

"And what about ingredients and recipes?"

"I can get enough to blow up a building in a week."

"But how are we going to organise it? People will get suspicious if we keep coming in and out."

"I have an idea. Don't worry about funding. I'll give you enough."

"Really? Are you sure you want to end it here?"

"Why don't you just blow yourself up and go overseas?"

"I thought you had a girlfriend. It's not a fair way to die."

"...."

"But, Dean, when you build a bomb, can you also choose the direction in which the building falls?"

"Roughly, if you know where and how much explosive to put and analyse the structure of the building."

"What do you think the energy of the explosives will be?"

"Fifty to a hundred, based on TNT." 

"I can make you a gun if you want. From the way you're talking, it sounds like you need one."

"I do need one. I've been looking into it."

"As long as it's neat. I'll withdraw all the money in my account and give you the bare minimum."

"How much do you think it will be?"

"I'll have to collect as much as I can, but I'm guessing two and a half big ones."

"Actually, I don't need that much."

"No, Dean, it's a thank you for all you've done."

"Well, yeah, I'm building an escape fund."

"It's a simple formula. You pour petrol into cement."

"We should make this together."

"Really? You don't have a finished product, do you, Dean?"

"I have a few, but not enough. You need enough to blow up a whole building."

"It's cheaper to build them."

"If you bring them in and they get caught at Incheon customs, you're screwed."

"Really?"

"And it's safer if we make it ourselves according to our own recipe.

"I've already made one when I was in the Philippines.

"Then do you have a place to make it, hyung?"

"Yeah. My kids have a workshop where they make their own meth."

"Maybe we can make it there and store it."

"Where is that?"

"Busan."

"Well, that's a long way, aren't you mobile?"

"Then we can move it."

He's finally getting the hang of the dialogue. He keeps giving me clear answers. 

"It's floating on water, so we can move around! The workshop is actually underneath the ship." 

"It's really sneaky. That's why the police can't find it."

"I have a question, though."

"What is it?"

"Are you the biggest drug dealer coming into the country?"

"I'm the one selling the safe stuff, properly cleaned, why?"

"There's that gang at the nursery. Their main source of income is child pornography and odd jobs."

"I think they're bringing in drugs and feeding them to the kids. I was wondering about their supply."

"Yeah? Probably only a few routes. You'd have to have good credit to supply them in bulk."

"But if you get revenge on the drug dealer, don't you have to get revenge on me?"

"I didn't mean revenge. I was trying to find out who else was behind it."

"I'll see what I can do. Ask the dealers for the name of the organisation or its director."

"Okay, Dean."

"But what's your plan, exactly?"

"I'll get you the range of explosives you need and the people you need to hire."

"For your information, Jung Min, I want the people I hire and the harmless ones to be less injured."

"Okay. I'll be dead that day, but it'll be a shame."

"If you help me, I'll give you an idea."

"What is it?"

"If you need a getaway fund, buy the relevant surging stocks right before I attack."

"Buy them because few people know about terrorism. When the news breaks, the related stocks will skyrocket, and that's when you dump."

"Then you too. I'll make more money, and I want you to stick some of it here."

"What?"

"For Dahae."

"She's a good dog, but I'm sorry I can't be with her like this."

"Okay, I'll give it to her. Just tell me your plan."

I explained the plan and we talked about our preparations until the second appointment. 

I said I'd get the right amount of cash for the deposit, and he said he'd get the bomb materials and a pellet gun. 

We plan and time flies. 

"Sky Nursery, right?"

"Yes, who are you?"

"This time, the water purifier driver has changed, so I'm calling to let you know!"

Choi Sun-mi's voice is always friendly. It's warm and you can't hear any malice in it. Even when she's doing bad things, her voice is the same. 

"Really? I heard it's meter reading day in a little while."

"Yes. Would it be possible to organise a consultation for two days later, around 11am?"

"Sure, sure."

I gave the water technician in charge of the place a small fortune and called the nursery. 

Thank goodness even he had a shredded sense of morality. 

So I head to the nursery on inspection day with my bug and the camera I use to take mugshots. 

Of course, I also put in the newspaper every morning. 

He deliberately puts today's newspaper in with the previous day's because he writes a message in the previous day's newspaper. 

Do you remember the first time you went to the orphanage to make a donation? 

I said exactly this to the child I met in the bathroom. 

"My brother will get you out of here."

"What?"

"I grew up in this nursery too. I'm going to put the newspaper in, remember, every Tuesday and Friday the previous day's paper will be thrown out with the previous day's paper attached. Check the editorial page of that paper."

"That's where I'll tell you everything I want to say. If I say it now, I'll get caught."

"You can look at it by yourself, or you can show it to your sane friends, but make sure you keep your wits about you. And one of these days, the teachers are going to go out as a group, and I'm going to rescue you, and I'm going to tell you where to hide the money for your future. Watch out." 

"Get out of here. They'll be suspicious. You grew up here, you know everything. I'll get you out."

And the child went out to the scourge he heard outside and asked. 

"What's your name?"

"I'm Park Se-hoon."

Lucky for me. 

Haneul Nursery School probably thought I was just a runaway, living off the land. 

After all, I hadn't reported it, and I hadn't died. 

They're still foolish enough to continue operating there despite the fact that they have the first student to escape their cartel. 

How relieved they are. 

That's why I can remember exactly where the padlocks were, how they tortured me, and even what drugs they drugged me with.