Chapter 5: So What?
A few days had passed after the regression. Shin-woo, who decided to stay in Korea, had rented a one-room apartment not far from Cheonggyecheon and moved in. Jang Man-soo, who came along with him, sighed as he looked around the empty space.
“It looks too empty… Aren’t you going to buy any other furniture?”
In the 33 square meters room, only a mattress with no cover was placed in the middle of the room.
“I don’t need anything else right now. I’ll buy some clothes later.”
“Don’t you have any clothes because you always wore military uniforms?”
“I didn’t have time to buy any because I was always going on missions. But is the hideout really okay? Won’t the National Intelligence Service find it?”
The National Intelligence Service had detained Jang Man-soo for a long time, just like they did with the LEUCO virus. Shin-woo couldn’t help but worry since it was not a plan they had prepared lightly.
“The only reason they knew about the LEUCO virus was because I uploaded the basic algorithm to an IT journal out of curiosity. I won’t be doing that kind of thing anymore, and the hideout was bought under a different name, so there’s no problem.”
“You’ve come back to the past after living enough, so you must have prepared well.”
Shin-woo said that and hung his few military and civilian clothes in the wardrobe.
“Are you not going to throw away the military uniforms?”
“I have 6-year mobilization training, including reserve forces.”
“Oh— Is it longer for non-commissioned officers?”
“It’s annoying, but it can’t be helped.”
Feeling embarrassed, Jang Man-soo wiped his finger over the kitchen gas stove. When dust came off, he frowned.
“Ugh… But if we’re going to chase the 666th Unit, we need to prepare. Do you have a plan?”
“First, we need to secure funds… I’m worried because there’s no basic capital.”
In the future, Shin-woo had amassed considerable wealth while working as a mercenary. Particularly, missions from Triad Eye were worth billions at a time.
But now, with about 100 million won accumulated from military salaries, hazard pay, and severance pay, there wasn’t much left after renting the house.
“Money? Is that a concern?”
“Do you have a lot saved up?”
“Not much for me either. But where did we come from?”
“…2023?”
“Well, the answer is simple then. Just invest according to the domestic capital flow we know, like in fantasy novels, and it will be money-making.”
Shin-woo scratched his head after a moment of thought.
“Sorry, but I haven’t been back to Korea since I left.”
Jang Man-soo, stunned, looked at Shin-woo with a disbelieving expression.
“Really? Not even once?”
“I didn’t have any reason to come back. I didn’t have any connections worth returning for.”
Thus, he had no idea what his biological mother was doing or how she had lived.
After a moment of hesitation, Jang Man-soo cautiously spoke.
“Actually, I recalled something about the MH Group from the intelligence National Intelligence Service collected in the past.”
“What was there?”
“There was nothing about your mother. Instead, MH Group is expected to face several issues over the next 1–2 years. Then it will be absorbed by a private equity fund called TSF Investment.”
“What about my mother?”
“She’s your mother, so isn’t ‘aunt’ appropriate? Should I too say ‘mother’ instead?”
“Do you want to die? But what’s this TSF company?”
Shin-woo, who was irritated, was knowledgeable about combat but almost completely unaware of corporate matters.
Along with his response, Jang Man-soo used the tablet he had brought to search for TSF Investment and showed it to him.
The site was in French, but Shin-woo read it without difficulty.
Thanks to his long years as a mercenary, he had learned a considerable number of languages while traveling around the world.
“There’s not much information here.”
It only had a company introduction and some descriptions of a few external partner companies.
“It’s a private equity firm that deals directly with only major clients. They’ve acquired and torn apart hundreds of companies up until now. In the original timeline, MH Group couldn’t avoid the same fate.”
“That means Chairman Myung Joong-hwan couldn’t protect it.”
“Chairman Myung Joong-hwan had already died of illness at the time.”
“…What?”
Jang Man-soo continued his explanation in response to the shocked question.
“The news reported it as an acute myocardial infarction. They couldn’t control the media, so MH Group’s stock prices plummeted. At the same time, a mold issue broke out in the products of MH Foods, where the second son Myung Sung-chul was the CEO. Shortly after, MH Electronics faced problems including design plagiarism and unauthorized use of technology patents for various products, including phones and laptops.”
Listening to this, Shin-woo found himself puzzled.
“Why do you remember all of this so well? This happened more than 10 years ago, right?”
Even though Jang Man-soo was a genius, it was hard to believe he could remember something from so long ago in such detail, as if it were yesterday.
“Now that you mention it, yeah. Why do I remember it so well? Maybe it’s because I’m such a mind-blowing genius?”
Jang Man-soo smugly adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses, prompting Shin-woo to shake his head in disbelief.
“You’re talking nonsense. You might be good with computers, but you used to misplace your glasses even when they were on your head… Your memory wasn’t that good.”
“Was it? But seriously, why do I remember it so clearly? Oh, I just remembered that bastard, Deputy Director Ban Sang-won from the National Intelligence Service. He was the one who arrested me and when I asked for seolleongtang, he brought me cheonggukjang instead…”
*Seolleongtang: A traditional Korean soup made from ox bones, brisket, and other cuts of beef. The broth is simmered for several hours until it becomes rich and milky white. It’s typically served with rice and seasoned with salt, pepper, and chopped green onions.
*Cheonggukjang: A Korean fermented soybean paste stew. It has a strong, pungent smell and is known for its bold flavor. Cheonggukjang is made from soybeans that are fermented for a shorter period than doenjang, giving it a distinct aroma and a unique taste.
Watching him, Shin-woo began to entertain a possibility.
“Could this be a side effect of returning to the past?”
“A side effect? Let’s say my memory improved, what about you?”
“Throw this at me.”
He pulled out a folding karambit knife he had bought for self-defense from his back pocket, opened it, and handed it over.
“What? You want me to throw this knife at you?”
The distance between Jang Man-soo and Shin-woo was only about two steps. No matter how skilled he was, it would be hard to avoid at this close range.
“Just throw it.”
“Has your mind no regressed along with your body? You’re gonna get hurt!”
“Shut up and throw it. Not just randomly—throw it properly.”
“Damn it—if you get hurt, it’s not my problem!”
In that moment, Jang Man-soo remembered how Shin-woo had pranked him with his first love, and he threw the knife.
Swoosh—
At the same time, Shin-woo didn’t avoid the spinning knife after it left Jang Man-soo’s hand. Instead, he focused even more intently and reached out his hand.
Snap—
“…W-What? How did you catch that?”
The spinning karambit knife’s handle was now in Shin-woo’s hand, its blade’s tip right in front of his eyes.
“Hey, weren’t you being a little too serious when you threw that?”
“If I could aim and throw like you or the others, this would be another story. But how did you catch that? Don’t tell me… is that part of your return-to-the-past perk?”
“My dynamic vision and reaction speed have improved compared to before. My memory isn’t as good as yours, but I can remember things from a long time ago fairly well.”
Hearing this, something occurred to Jang Man-soo.
“Then maybe my reaction speed has improved as well? Throw that knife at me too.”
“Really?”
“Oh, but aim for my feet, not my head…”
Before he could finish, Shin-woo threw the knife.
Swoosh— Thud!
The rapidly spinning karambit knife just barely grazed Jang Mansoo’s left shoulder sleeve and flew past. Slowly turning his head, Jang Man-soo saw the knife embedded in the kitchen cabinet door and shouted.
“You, you—! You crazy bastard! I almost died of a heart attack!”
“Like I would actually hit you.”
“Are you completely insane? Are you getting revenge because I threw it hard earlier?”
Shin-woo shrugged his shoulders.
“Revenge? And did you see me miss?”
“People can make mistakes! Damn! What if I had moved out of surprise? I could have had a knife stuck in my head!”
“That was obviously factored in.”
It was the same as when he fought the man he had subdued at the cafe where he had met his biological mother.
But now, having returned to the past, there was a lot lacking compared to his peak performance as a mercenary, both in terms of physical strength and ingrained combat habits.
However, those deficiencies were more than adequately covered by the return-special abilities, allowing him to subdue his opponent easily.
“Other guys might be like this too, right?”
“That, I don’t know. Anyway, you’re responsible for the funds?”
“That’s no problem.”
“Then should we investigate the back of Myung In-chul, who might have contracted the 666th Unit?”
Shin-woo muttered, causing Jang Man-soo to recall something he had missed.
“What about the collapse of MH Group? It’s somewhat related to your maternal side. Aren’t you concerned?”
“I’ll think about the issue with them.”
For now, the 666th Unit, which he had dealt with in his previous life as Triad Eye, was more important.
It seemed quiet, so there didn’t appear to be any issues, but since there had been no contact, he had no idea when they might move again.
“For now, I’ll look into Myung In-chul. If it was contracted to the 666th Unit, there might be some records left somewhere. Of course, they wouldn’t have left traces that are easy to find.”
Vroom― Vroom―
Shin-woo’s phone rang with an unknown number.
“Who could it be?”
At this point, only a few people would know his number besides military personnel.
The number for his biological mother had been saved before, so it wasn’t unknown.
“Who is it?”
“Hold on a moment.”
He pressed the call button.
“Hello?”
With the question, an unfamiliar middle-aged man’s voice came through the receiver.
[Is this Baek Shin-woo?]
“Who are you?”
[I’m Park Sang-kyu. If it’s convenient, may I meet you for a moment?]
“For what reason?”
[I’d like to discuss it in person.]
Shin-woo felt displeased with the abrupt request.
“I don’t see any particular reason to meet.”
[It will be brief. I’ll be at your door soon, so please make a little time.]
From Park Sang-kyu’s polite yet chilly tone, Shin-woo felt a sense of unease.
He turned on the intercom.
Outside the door were three men in suits who had just arrived. From the general atmosphere, it didn’t seem like they were there for a quiet conversation.
“Please wait a moment.”
The call ended that way.
Jang Man-soo, who didn’t know what was happening, looked at the intercom screen in surprise.
“Who’s here?”
“A person named Park Sang-kyu. Judging by his tone and manner, it doesn’t seem like he’s here for a pleasant reason.”
“Could it be the 666th Unit?!”
“If that were the case, it would be less of a problem.”
If it were indeed the 666th Unit, it would save them the trouble of finding them.
“Should we let them in?”
“There’s no reason to avoid them. From the atmosphere, it seems like they won’t leave quietly. Just in case, you should stay in the bathroom. Lock the door too.”
“…Understood.”
Jang Man-soo packed his shoes and bag and went into the bathroom, locking the door.
Click―
As he heard the sound of the bathroom door locking, Shin-woo opened the front door.
In front of him stood Park Sang-kyu, the head of security for Myung In-chul, along with his subordinates.
“Please proceed.”
“Since the corridor is narrow, may we discuss inside for a moment?”
“Very well.”
Shin-woo stepped back and let them in.
Click― Click―
As they passed by the tightly shut bathroom door and the sink, they were startled by the Karambit knife embedded in the shelf.
“……!”
“Oh, it’s just for throwing practice. By the way, aren’t your manners a bit impolite?”
The men felt a sense of discomfort for a moment.
Meanwhile, Shin-woo drew the knife and kept his distance from them.
He then observed their shoes, which were still worn.
“Etiquette will depend on how Mr. Baek Shin-woo responds.”
“Haa… So where are you from?”
Then, Park Sang-kyu, with a serious expression, looked at Shin-woo and said.
“We’re from MH Group.”
“What’s the purpose?”
“Mr. Baek Shin-woo, you met Director Im Hee-yeon at a cafe in Namyangju recently, correct? We’d like to know the reason for that meeting.”
It definitely wasn’t a request.
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