Taekjoo hadn’t expected this. SS-29. He’d known that there was an issue—and that it would soon be resolved. What he hadn’t expected was that Zhenya would receive a message like this. Judging from what it said, the recipients were likely to be figures involved with SS-29. Was Zhenya involved in the weapon development?
“Don’t you have better things to do?”
“...!”
Taekjoo flinched at the sudden voice. He hadn’t noticed Zhenya standing in the doorway. A shiver ran down his spine. His scalp prickled with tension. When had he come back? Taekjoo hadn’t detected any presence around him, and it wasn’t because his senses were dull. Zhenya moved like a ghost. Taekjoo was caught red-handed, with nowhere to hide.
“You know you could’ve just asked, right?”
Taekjoo stared in disbelief at his nonchalant response. Obviously, the jerk had no shame, but this was hardly the time for such audacity.
“Explain yourself.”
“I stole it,” said Zhenya.
“What are you talking about?” Taekjoo asked.
“Remember Olga, the woman who gave me a tour of the Bogdanov residence? Before we went our separate ways, she asked me for my number. So, while I was saving my number on her phone, I also installed a cute little app. It’s not ordinary hacking software or a virus. Even experts can’t tell it was installed, and it spreads through text messages to other devices. Lucky for us, Olga happens to be close to her family, considering how we can see every message coming in and out of Bogdanov devices.”
Zhenya explained as he took his phone from Taekjoo and unlocked it before tossing it back. Taekjoo looked at him sourly, then down at the phone. Just as Zhenya said, all messages sent to and received by the members of the Bogdanov family were on the phone. Not only that, but all personal data—such as phone call history, contacts, photos, notes, and calendar entries—was saved in folders. At the very least, the part about hacking into the Bogdanov phones seemed true.
“Information, especially one like this, is a weapon these days—sells better than big, heavy metal scraps.”
The age of traditional warfare is fading. While nations worldwide continue to invest heavily in weapons and defense, these efforts are largely symbolic, rooted in outdated ideologies. Today, the battlefield has shifted to the landscape of intelligence and espionage. In the modern world, securing access to classified information and intel has become the most powerful weapon. Zhenya’s hacking application, in an age like this, was a welcome asset. He also deserved a compliment for picking the Bogdanovs to try it on. That said, it didn’t resolve all of Taekjoo’s suspicions.
“Fine, let’s assume there’s nothing wrong. But why would you keep this a secret from me? When were you planning to tell me this? Never unless I found out first?”
“Just because I’m working with you now doesn’t mean I owe you a rundown of my business strategies.”
Zhenya drew a clear line, smirking with derision. What he said next came out particularly bitter.
“Have you ever thought of me as your partner, to begin with?”
Taekjoo deserved the criticism. Indeed, Zhenya was entirely right in this case. It was hypocritical of Taekjoo to accuse Zhenya of betrayal, withholding valuable information, when he never even considered Zhenya his partner to begin with.
Zhenya was quick at everything—reading people, reading the room. There was no way he didn’t know Taekjoo didn’t trust him. Still, Taekjoo hadn’t expected him to bring it up so openly. Zhenya hit the nail on the head, leaving Taekjoo with no room to defend himself.
Taekjoo handed the phone back to Zhenya, looking a bit downcast. He was about to close the laptop when Zhenya stopped him. Leaning in, Zhenya stared at the screen, his face hovering just over Taekjoo’s shoulder. Taekjoo felt antsy, like prey with its throat laid bare to a predator. He tilted his head slightly and saw Zhenya smirking at the copied data from the phone. Zhenya’s breath tickled his neck.
“It’s temporary, but technically, I am your partner in this mission. And you just hacked me, which says a lot about how little you trust me.”
He mocked Taekjoo, his intense gaze grazing Taekjoo’s cheek and temple. Taekjoo didn’t justify what he’d done, nor did he apologize. He simply closed the hacking software and shut his laptop.
Zhenya continued his protest.
“If you keep treating me like this, I might get my feelings hurt.”
Right.
The statement was so ridiculous that Taekjoo didn’t even know how to respond.
He gave up on reacting altogether. He had to focus on the job at hand. Taekjoo had a stroke of luck and learned that the issue with SS-29 had been resolved. Now, he needed to make his move. But the problem was, he still hadn’t figured out a way to penetrate the mansion.
“They’re about to convene soon. Wouldn’t it be easier for us to get in before that happens?”
“Probably.”
Zhenya nodded, barely listening, then asked Taekjoo.
“When would you like to go? Tonight? Tomorrow morning? Or get some rest first, then later in the afternoon?”
He sounded like they were planning a picnic. Taekjoo found the tone frustrating, and his next question came out in an attacking voice.
“Why is everything so easy for you? I told you, there isn’t even a single rat hole we could squeeze through.”
“Maybe it’s because you keep thinking like a mouse, always looking for a place to hide. Ever thought of just walking in through the front gate?”
Taekjoo couldn’t even laugh at this point. Why, yes, of course, it seemed highly likely that the people in the mansion were just waiting to roll out the red carpet the moment Taekjoo and Zhenya rang the doorbell.
“Easy to say. How are we supposed to do that?”
“Just flip your plan around.”
“Flip it around? You mean my plan?”
“The hacking app on my phone you just saw—it’s not on the market yet. Most people wouldn’t even think something like this exists. Right now, most of the weapons traded in this line of work are still just metal scraps designed to shoot and destroy. It’s time for a change. Think about it—an app that behaves like a virus. It stays in the original host and silently spreads to others, stealing personal information in real time without leaving a trace. Who wouldn’t want something like that?”
Was he suggesting that they pull a scam and gain access to the mansion openly? Set up an official meeting under the guise of being arms dealers. It wasn’t a bad idea. The mansion owner was in charge of SS-29 maintenance, which implied his enthusiasm for weapons.
“But what if he’s not interested in the pitch? Wouldn’t he be too busy preparing for his little event right now?”
“That’s one possibility. But if you mention that the US and South Korea jointly developed the software, he’d at least want to take a look.”
“How can you be so sure? What makes you think he’ll just believe us? Didn’t you say that trust is everything in the arms business?”
“And you’ve got me. So what’s the problem?”
Zhenya reassured Taekjoo.
“You seem to have forgotten it, but I have a solid reputation in this business myself. No one questions the products I bring in,” added Zhenya.
“Your complete confidence makes me feel better—not a lot, just a little bit. And you’re sure you’re okay with the plan? You could take a hit, offering them something you have no intention of actually selling.”
“Nothing costs more than not having Anastasia.”
If that was his stance, Taekjoo had no reason to refuse the offer. With every possible entry into the mansion blocked, this was the only viable plan left.
Zhenya, a reputable dealer in arms smuggling, would be introducing Kwon Taekjoo from the South Korean intelligence agency. Taekjoo would show the mansion owner the hacking app, telling him that it was the result of a joint effort between the US and South Korea. Once he gained the listener’s attention, getting into the mansion would be a piece of cake. Unexpected problems might arise once he was inside, but he would deal with them when the time came.
“Sergey Ilyich Bogdanov—the mansion’s owner and a distant relative of Vissarion.”
Zhenya showed Taekjoo a picture of a middle-aged man, apparently well-known enough in Russia to show up in internet search results.
“He is really into weapons. He is also an idiot who especially fawns over anything made in the US.”
He must be a serious weapon enthusiast. Taekjoo had a good feeling about this.