* * *
Na Kang-in stood in front of the stairs leading from the fifth to the sixth floor.
“Wow. Look at this?”
AI Zinji displayed several warning signs through AR lenses. The signs were focused on the stairs.
“There’s a booby trap?”
[It’s a laser-detection type booby trap.]
“The guys I met below were pretty sloppy, but this is something else.”
***
Police counterterrorism units arrived at the scene. The local detective team, which had arrived first to monitor the exits, withdrew to the second line.
The detective team now had a bit more leeway. The detective team leader checked the list of people inside the building again.
A detective approached him and spoke softly.
“Team leader, about this Na Kang-in on the list.”
“Who is it? Someone important?”
“Do you know the movie that Shin Eun-ha starred in that’s a big hit these days?”
“A Sunny Day?”
“Yes, he’s the stunt double for that movie.”
“A stunt double? So?”
“The traffic CCTV in this area captured Na Kang-in riding in a car with Shin Eun-ha.”
The team leader got annoyed.
“Are the police paparazzi now? They could be dating, why should we care about their love life?”
“That’s not it. This guy is that person.”
“That person, who?”
“The master who jumped into a moving car and beat up the kidnappers. We watched that internet video together, remember?”
The team leader’s expression changed slightly.
“Oh? I remember. But how do you know this guy is that person?”
“I didn’t. My friend at the main office told me.”
“Really? Hey, find out more about this Na Kang-in guy.”
***
The head of the armed group was nicknamed Jackal in the industry.
Jackal glanced below through a gap in the blinds he had placed on the window, frowning.
“This situation wasn’t in the scenario.”
He had planned to complete all tasks and leave the country before the police understood the situation here.
There was also a scenario in case things didn’t go according to plan.
If they failed to secure the building and the situation became known early in the operation, the core of Plan B was to escape before the police arrived.
But things were not going as expected.
“There wasn’t any problem…”
When Jackal checked with the subordinates he had stationed on the first and second floors, he received reports that everything was fine.
So he relaxedly threatened Scarlett Kelly. But then the police suddenly stormed in and surrounded the building.
“I don’t know why it turned out this way, but we can’t fight the Korean police.”
The police special forces are elite units. Some detectives are former military special forces. As time goes by, support troops will inevitably increase.
If both sides, armed with guns, clash head-on, Jackal’s side would be annihilated.
“In this situation, Plan C and D are out of the question.”
But he still had a last resort. It was a plan that existed only on paper, but having a plan was what mattered.
Jackal clicked his tongue.
“It’s my first time going to Plan E.”
***
Shin Eun-ha whispered, “Mr. Lee, don’t you think their mood has changed?”
THO Entertainment President Lee Tae-ho also whispered back, “The boss is peeking outside through the blinds. There must be some problem outside.”
Shin Eun-ha’s eyes sparkled, “Could it be the police?”
“Probably.”
“Then we’re safe?”
“I hope so.”
To execute Plan E, they needed someone famous.
Jackal scanned the restaurant guests and pointed at Shin Eun-ha.
“That woman with the big sunglasses over there. She’s the most famous among them, right?”
Jackal’s subordinate had checked the guest list right after they took over the restaurant.
“Yes, she’s the lead actress in a recent hit movie.”
“Pretty, well-known, and young. Perfect. Let’s use her.”
Lee Tae-ho was worried. “Eun-ha, I think the boss is looking at you.”
“Why, why?”
“I don’t know the reason, but you should be careful. Try to avoid his gaze for now.”
“Damn it. This feels really bad.”
***
Na Kang-in was disarming the booby trap set on the stairs between the fifth and sixth floors.
“Am I doing this right?”
AI Zinji replied
[Natural Robotics’ bomb control skills can disarm much more complex devices.]
“That suddenly makes me feel uneasy.”
[I don’t understand the reason for your anxiety.]
“Can I trust the skills made by Natural Robotics?”
[The excellence of Natural Robotics’ technology is evident in me, isn’t it?]
“That’s why I’m uneasy. You make a lot of mistakes.”
[This time, I’m providing proper assistance.]
Na Kang-in disarmed the booby trap while watching the hologram video displayed by AI Zinji.
The AI assisted Na Kang-in to ensure he didn’t make any mistakes.
***
A masked assailant spoke to Lee Tae-ho, “You. Come with me.”
“Me? Why me?”
He looked back at Shin Eun-ha.
The assailant interrupted, “Speak properly, or your girlfriend dies first.”
“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding. This woman is not my girlfriend. We just happened to meet here and decided to sit together.”
The masked assailant sneered, “Are you lying? This restaurant operates on a reservation-only basis. What do you mean by ‘just happened to sit together’?”
Another man beside him sneered as well, “Looks like he’s trying to abandon his girlfriend out of fear.”
Lee Tae-ho was flustered. “No, no, that’s not it.”
Jackal intervened, “What are you doing? Bring him here.”
“Boss, this guy’s trash.”
“Really? Then he should be obedient.”
***
Na Kang-in continued disarming the bomb.
“If this thing explodes and I lose my fingers, I’ll hate you.”
Suddenly, AI Zinji warned, “Enemies are approaching from the upper floor via the stairs. There are five of them.”
Na Kang-in stopped his work and asked, “What’s the status of the disarmament?”
“The triggering mechanism of the booby trap is disabled.”
“That’s enough. Let’s cover the lid back.”
Na Kang-in covered the booby trap and moved to the hallway beside the fifth-floor stairs.
The fire door between the hallway and the stairs was wide open.
Shortly after, five men descended from the upper floor. Four of them were masked.
One of them spoke halfway down the stairs, “From here on, move as I say. Step on any random stair and you’ll lose a leg.”
Lee Tae-ho asked in a trembling voice, “Excuse me, I’m just an ordinary person, so why me?”
“Because you’re the actress’s boyfriend. Go outside and say what we tell you. If you talk nonsense or try to run, she dies. Got it?”
“So, Eun-ha is not my girlfriend…”
“Actually, that doesn’t matter. Whoever the spokesperson is, it makes no difference. Go outside and say what we tell you.”
“Understood. But…”
Lee Tae-ho glanced cautiously and asked, “Should I go down first?”
“Of course. If there’s a problem with the traps here, your ankle should get blown off, not mine.”
“No, that’s not…”
“If you don’t want to get shot, get moving.”
With a terrified look, Lee Tae-ho stepped onto the stairs.
AI Zinji reported,
[Voice identified. It is Lee Tae-ho, President of THO Entertainment.]
Na Kang-in asked, “I know. Why is Mr. Lee here?”
[I do not know.]
“Why do they think Eun-ha is his girlfriend?”
Shin Eun-ha went up to the seventh-floor restaurant to arrange a seat and then lost contact.
Lee Tae-ho owed a lot to Na Kang-in.
[Eun-ha probably asked Mr. Lee to sit together. That’s how they got a seat.]
Na Kang-in didn’t know if the seventh-floor restaurant allowed joint seating, but he judged based on that assumption for now.
***
“Huff, huff.”
Lee Tae-ho breathed heavily as he stepped off the last stair. The booby trap didn’t go off. He sighed in relief.
“Whew, I’m alive.”
Right next to the stairs was an open door leading to a hallway.
From the hallway, Na Kang-in called out to Lee Tae-ho.
“Oh? Isn’t that Mr. Lee?”
Lee Tae-ho quickly turned his head and widened his eyes.
“Oh?”
From the stairs, the enemies couldn’t see Na Kang-in in the hallway. They could only hear his voice.
Na Kang-in spoke to Lee Tae-ho, “Mr. Lee, what on earth is going on? I was taking a nap in the office, and when I woke up, the elevator wasn’t working, and the phone signal was out. Did something happen?”
“That, well…”
Na Kang-In acted as if he had coincidentally seen Lee Tae-ho in the hallway.
The four people descending the stairs behind Lee Tae-ho were initially confused. But after hearing the conversation, they snickered.
As they continued down the stairs, they said,
“There was still someone left? Did we search the building properly?”
“They probably skipped the locked rooms.”
“The way they work is ridiculous.”
“Anyway, all the phones are blocked. It doesn’t matter if there’s one guy left on the fifth floor since it’s not the second floor where escape is possible.”
Another one chimed in,
“Yeah. That’s why the leader placed three people on the second floor.”
* * *
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