103. Five of sixty three
I checked the number 304 on the door and knocked.
smart!
“Can I come in?”
“yes—!”
I opened the door at the sound of a voice coming from inside, and the first thing I felt the moment I opened the door was the smell of bulgogi.
“Five… ! You look good in military uniforms too!”
“… !”
“Long time no see. how have you been?”
It was Kim Jung-soo, the team leader.
A few thoughts ran through my head the moment I saw him.
This is how Incheol and I were assigned to the same unit… This was the work of Team Leader Kim Jung-soo… !
I nodded my head when he asked if I had been well.
“Yes, I am doing well.”
“Don’t stand like that, come and sit down.”
I sat down next to him and said.
“Thank you for taking care of me.”
“what?”
“They were assigned to you here.”
“ha ha ha—! Did you notice?”
“What you always do… Instead of on the top of a mountain like this, why didn’t you arrange it as a building in Jongno, Seoul?”
At my words, Team Leader Kim Jung-soo smiled and said.
“What information do you think the kids at the top of the Seoul building will collect? Such a place… If you do it from above, you have to do a lot of bad things.”
I was just joking… .
Team leader Kim Jung-soo continued speaking with a serious expression.
“When a guy like you goes to a place like that, he comes out with a lot of heartache. Listening to Morse signals here will be the most comfortable for you.”
“yes… .”
“ah… ! I bought some food on the way home, but it’s cold. Let’s eat rice first.”
When team leader Kim Jung-soo opened the packaging, a generous portion of pork bulgogi was revealed.
“You said you like pork bulgogi?”
Can’t you say no to the person who has prepared food like this?
I said with a bright expression on my face.
“haha–! Right. But how did you know that I like bulgogi?”
Team leader Kim answered my question with a natural expression.
“Still, we are known as intelligence agencies, but this is nothing. is not it?”
“yes that’s right. haha–! I will enjoy this food.”
It’s been a long time since I ate outside food.
Although it wasn’t beef bulgogi, I really enjoyed the lunch box.
After the meal was over, team leader Kim Jung-soo said.
“Would you like some candy?”
“Yes, one, please.”
Green grape flavored candy.
Well… But this tastes better than I thought.
“Let me ask you something.”
“yes.”
“How did you know I was in Japan?”
The day I enlist… I’m referring to the phone call to KJ Pharmaceuticals from a restaurant in Nonsan.
However, while waiting for my answer, Team Leader Kim Jung-soo’s expression is very serious.
I changed my mind when I tried to answer in a joking way.
“I heard from Incheol. I saw a person in Tokyo who looked just like Team Leader Kim Jung-soo. At that time, I lost contact with the team leader, so I thought it would be the team leader.”
I can feel the tension release from his face at my answer.
“Perhaps… Did you come all the way here to ask that?”
“haha–! At that time, I wondered if the information that I was in Japan had leaked from inside.”
By the way… Team leader Kim’s tone and expression when answering… .
You’re really coming all the way here to ask this!
As if he had read my thoughts, Team Leader Kim Jung-soo continued speaking with a serious expression.
“It is not a trivial matter that the location of an NIS agent operating abroad is exposed. If the command information only goes in one direction… Agents could be in danger.”
“The command information only goes in one direction… What does that mean?”
“When an encrypted command comes from the NIS headquarters, it means that there is no way to verify that it is a real command. So, at any rate, if cryptographic information leaks from inside the headquarters, the agent is at great risk.”
I think I know what you mean.
This means that when the NIS sends orders to foreign agents, it uses an asymmetric or decryption encryption system such as RSA.
The RSA encryption system is also used to send login passwords to commercial websites, but is also used by intelligence agencies to issue orders to agents.
If we compare it with the login situation of a commercial website… .
The only difference is that the locking key is held by the intelligence service, and the unlocking key is in the possession of the agent.
In other words, if a hacker cracks the RSA password or finds out the value of the locking key possessed by the intelligence agency, the hacker will be able to give orders directly to the agent.
“Yes, I think I know what you mean.”
I nodded, and Team Leader Kim Jung-soo said with a slight smile.
“And actually, I have something to give you.”
“A thing?”
“ah… ! Jung-ho, it’s not your thing… Well, there’s something like that. Oh yeah… ! To In-cheol, the story about me is a secret.”
“Now In-cheol knows. I heard everything that happened in Japan.”
At my words, the manager smiled and opened his mouth.
“Not really. Still, I hope I don’t tell In-cheol that I’m still watching him.”
“Yes, I will. Do not worry.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Team leader Kim Jung-soo looked at my expression and continued.
“But maybe… Is there anyone bullying you in the unit?”
At the team leader’s question, the first private commander (the highest among privates), Private Park, came to mind.
My name is Park Kwang-soo.
Before enlisting, he worked at a theater company in Daehangno, and is said to be an aspiring comedian.
It’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor, but for a person who wants to have a job that makes people laugh, I think he’s a bit rude.
Well, it doesn’t seem like a bad thing… .
“No. All the seniors are doing well.”
Perhaps he noticed my hesitant expression a while ago, the team leader said with a smirk.
“okay? If there are any people who make it difficult in the future, please contact me.”
“Yes I will.”
I opened my mouth to the manager who was about to get up.
“Before you go, let me ask you one thing.”
“haha–! What?”
“There is a sea map that In-cheol hacked in Japan. Even if it was made in the late Han Dynasty.”
When I first heard about the things Incheol did in Japan, to be honest, it was ridiculous and only made me laugh, but after careful thought, it wasn’t.
Team leader Kim Jung-soo followed In-cheol to Japan, and manipulated In-cheol’s enlistment date to June 30, creating a perfect alibi for the hacking incident.
In other words, what In-cheol did in Japan… That means it’s not unusual.
“Perhaps… Does that year change the future?”
At my question, the manager sighed and said.
“I don’t know that either. haven’t we talked about it before? The first thing I remember for sure in my first life was… It’s only a mixed class of middle and high school boys.”
“… .”
“Are you saying this?”
He grinned and continued.
“A lucky man falls over a pile of money, and an unlucky man falls backwards and his nose is broken.”
“What does that mean?”
“I know me, but I am the unlucky one. It’s not that serious either.”
What happened to his second life at his self-help words… .
The collapse of the Dangsan Railway Bridge came to mind.
“I emphasize that you seem to be misunderstanding me, but I am not a person who designs the future. The best thing I can do is… .”
He took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m just protecting lucky guys like Choi In-cheol.”
* * *
the same evening.
The 3rd Squadron of the 523th North Korean Interception Unit.
Private Park Kwang-soo opened his mouth with a bloody look.
“Who is coughing now? Looking at my interests, I see that your head is full of baskets. A basket!”
“… .”
“What do you think? Are you a little bit like that now?”
In response to Private Park’s question, Incheol raised his thumb and said.
“Oh my! Now it’s pretty much the same.”
Corporal Jeong, who was watching from the side, intervened.
“It’s similar, damn it! Gwangsu-ya, now, bully your successors in moderation.”
In response to Corporal Jeong’s words, Private Park said.
“Aww! It’s not bullying. It means that In-cheol will help you first.”
He frowned and said to Incheol.
“Isn’t it? Incheol-ah?”
“Yes, it is.”
“But really, what is the secret? yes?”
In response to Private Park’s question, Incheol opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“When mimicking vocal cords, tone and voice are important, but imitating that person’s expression seems to help a lot.”
“expression… ?”
“Yes, when Gungye speaks, you can see that her lips and jaw muscles are slightly stiff. This means that you are applying a little force around the mouth, so if you say it with a little force on your face like this… .”
In-cheol changed his expression and continued.
“Who are you? Who’s coughing now? What does Manager Yeom do? hit the author I told you to kill the author! That guy is crazy! Hurry up and kill him!”
“nice—! Also!”
At that moment, the door to the office opened, and a soldier called In-cheol.
“Incheol-ah.”
“Illness! Choi In-cheol!”
“The officer is looking for you. Come to the administration right now.”
administrative team.
As In-cheol sat down, the deputy commander, who was a full-time officer, said:
“Tomorrow is the first vacation, are you ready?”
“yes! That’s right.”
“We’ve heard stories of different dates on vacation cards.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“What is the official name of our unit?”
“This is the 131st Air Defense Artillery Independent Company, 123 Regiment, 25th Division.”
“OK! If the military police are bothering you because of your vacation pass, just tell me the unit number.”
“all right.”
The deputy platoon commander said to the regular soldier who was with the administrative team.
“Sergeant Joe.”
“Yes?”
“Go out and prepare the roll call. Everyone had a hard time cleaning up, but today, let’s do a bedtime roll call after a long time.”
“haha–! all right.”
“And when you leave, close the door of the administration.”
“yes.”
When Sgt. Cho closed the door of the administrative group and left, the deputy platoon commander took an envelope from the drawer and held it to Incheol.
The white envelope was folded in half, and at first glance it looked quite thick.
“this… What is it?”
“Let’s check if it’s yours first.”
When Incheol opened the envelope, a black cassette tape came out.
On the surface of the tape, ‘Honjo Police Station’ was written in Japanese, and a smile spread across In-cheol’s face when he checked the tape.
“Mine is right.”
“Well then. Go back to my office and prepare the roll call. Have a good vacation tomorrow.”
“all right!”
* * *
next day.
read at noblemtl.com
Namseo-dong Namseo Apartment Building 105 In-cheol’s house.
“Mom–! Son is here!”
In-cheol’s mother ran barefoot to the front door and held In-cheol in her arms.
“What the hell happened to you? Why did the military suddenly contact the kid who went to Japan?”
“haha–! It was a little complicated.”
In-cheol came into the house and started explaining what had happened to her mother.
Of course, I didn’t even mention the story of hacking in Japan.
When all the stories piled up like that were over, Incheol said.
“Mom, do you have a cassette player in our house?”
“Are you listening to music on tape?”
“yes.”
“Where would you be in a small room… But I don’t know if it still works.”
“Mom, would you like to find it then?”
“Yes, yes.”
Incheol came into his room and took a deep breath and said.
“Hmm—-! How the hell is this? haha–!”
Incheol turned on his computer and accessed the Internet by tapping the keyboard with quick hand gestures.
The first place Incheol checked was the [email protected] email account.
Among the pages full of spam was an email addressed to Robert.
When Incheol clicked on Robert’s e-mail, a total of 17 serial numbers made up of katakana letters and numbers appeared on the monitor.
Incheol checked these serial numbers one by one and muttered in a low voice.
“So… I mean, these are the things that were on the treasure ship… .”