108. Five on Ninety Three
Wow—! finally solved it!
The encrypted text received on July 21st last year was as follows.
＜The 19th target bait touched AAA in the US (?) (past tense verb). Track AAA’s activities in South Korea.>
Target 19 is presumed to be a North Korean defector, and the word ‘bait’ was coined by me.
In terms of content, ‘target 19 bait’ is the person the target 19 needs to meet, or the person the target 19 wants to meet.
This person is staying in China after defecting, and does not appear to be unaware that he is the bait used to track Target 19.
In the deciphered sentence, it is not 100% certain that the nationality of the AAA is the United States.
However, considering that AAA is a name made up of six letters including O and E, it is expected that he is an American.
maybe… Could it be Robert?
The following is the decrypted content of the CW text received on September 10, last year.
＜September 17, Bait boards the Beijing-Incheon flight (future verb). BBB-1242. Investigate the people the bait comes into contact with in South Korea. One (of these) is target #19 (present sentence ending).>
In ‘BBB-1242’, BBB seems to mean flight number in the alphabet.
The third cipher text, received on January 17 of this year, is as follows.
＜Find target number 19. (5 undecipherable names) One of these is target number 19.>
Finally, the full text received on March 19, a month ago, is as follows.
＜Send target 19 information. CCC (end-of-sentence mark). DD EEE 33-157. Watch Target 19.>
CCC consists of 7 consonants and vowels, and is judged to be the name of target 19.
The first letter of the name, the surname, has no consonants and has two vowels.
In other words, it means ‘Choi’, ‘Chae’, or ‘Bae’, one of these.
Also, the vowel in the middle of the name is ‘ㅣ’.
‘DD EEE 33-157’ seems to be an address.
DD is made up of two letters, and EEE is a total of 9 letters.
The vowel of the first letter of DD is ‘ㅣ’ and there is no consonant.
The first places that came to mind were Siheung and Icheon.
If DD means Icheon-si, the middle letter of target 19’s name will be ‘I’, and if it’s Siheung-si, the middle letter of the name will be ‘si’.
I checked the watch.
3:15 p.m.
The deputy platoon commander had a chair attached to the corner of the communication room, and he lay down and slept there.
“I… Vice-Captain.”
“Yes?”
“I solved it. Can I make a phone call to that manager Kim Jung-soo?”
“ah… ! okay?”
The deputy platoon commander jumped up and handed it to me by pressing the call button on the phone.
The voice of team leader Kim Jeong-soo was heard along with the reception sound.
-Yes, Sgt. Park!
“Team Leader Kim Jeong-soo, this is Jeong-ho.”
-uh! yes yes! Jung Ho.
“I found out the full text of the CW.”
-Really?
I explained the contents of the four cipher texts, and the team leader repeated what I said in a loud voice.
Perhaps it seemed to inform the staff around him.
When the explanation was over, the team leader said in an excited voice.
-Jeong-ho, you worked hard. It’s very urgent right now, so we’ll talk about it later.
“yes.”
And just before the phone call was disconnected, someone’s voice was heard over the phone.
– Found it! My name is Lee Soo Choi! defected in February 1995. The current address is Janghowon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do… .
I handed the phone to the deputy platoon commander, and he sat back down and said.
“Since the company commander also knows, let’s kill some time here until the end of work hours. You suffered too, but now sit back and rest.”
I sat down and ate a chocolate bar to quench my hunger.
“By the way, did you solve the V19 random number table with chocolate bars?”
“yes? What do you mean?”
The deputy platoon commander said, pointing his finger at the table in front of me, full of chocolate bar shells.
“look. It’s all chocolate bar shells. I didn’t do any calculations on a computer, and I didn’t even take notes on paper… What the hell did you do?”
Shall we say that we have checked the number of over 2.5 billion cases one by one?
It’s okay because you won’t believe me if I tell you anyway, but you might feel bad for playing a prank on your boss.
I scratched the back of my head and opened my mouth.
“I was just lucky.”
This is true.
I was really lucky.
The deputy platoon commander tilted his head in response to my answer and said.
“There are degrees of luck… . I saw you earlier, I was just keeping my eyes closed, but maybe you… ?”
The deputy platoon commander paused for a moment and continued speaking in a low voice.
“Are you excited? Isn’t there such a thing?”
“yes? It’s amazing… What does that mean?”
“There are shamans. If you close your eyes and memorize a spell, the future is bright! and what you see.”
“Yes?!”
I had to force myself to stop laughing.
Hmm… In this case, it is better to change the subject.
I said, pointing to the communication room wall.
“By the way, deputy platoon commander, what is covered with the black cloth here?”
“ah… ! this? Haven’t you heard from the old people what this room is doing?”
“I asked, but no one seems to know. What kind of equipment is this?”
The deputy platoon commander answered my question with a look of indifference.
“It’s a broadcasting device.”
Broadcasting in this mountain valley?
The deputy platoon leader noticed my puzzled expression and opened his mouth.
“It is less than 30 kilometers from here to Kaesong in a straight line. And from here, there are no obstacles blocking Sariwonsi and Haeju.”
For reference, Sariwon is the provincial capital of North Hwanghae Province, and Haeju is the provincial capital of South Hwanghae Province.
In other words, it belongs to the most populous city in North Korea.
“But what does it mean that there are no obstacles?”
“There is no mountain in the middle. It’s flat all the way to the north of the DMZ. So, if you emit radio waves from here, high-frequency signals reach there.”
The high-frequency signals reach means that radio broadcasting as well as video broadcasting are possible.
The deputy platoon leader pointed his finger out the window and continued.
“You know Hill 523 to the east over there, right?”
“yes.”
“There is a transmitting antenna there, and that antenna is connected to the broadcasting equipment here.”
“… !”
I began to understand what the deputy commander meant.
Just as North Korea broadcasts to South Korea, we also send broadcasts to North Korea, meaning that the communication room here is the place where North Korea broadcasts.
“But now, are you not broadcasting to North Korea?”
“You know the June 15 joint declaration last year?”
“yes.”
“The broadcast was stopped on June 16th.”
I tilted my head and said.
“If it was suspended in June of last year, wouldn’t all the soldiers above the corporal level know?”
At my question, the deputy platoon commander smiled and said:
“If the military broadcasts to North Korea directly, there will be a lot of problems.”
The deputy platoon commander continued with my curious expression.
“Broadcasting to North Korea violates the armistice agreement. That’s why civilians, not soldiers, come and work on the broadcast.”
I nodded, and the deputy platoon commander continued with a smile.
“It’s not because you guys don’t clean up here because you have a great secret. It was done to avoid violating the armistice agreement.”
That evening.
2nd division office.
“It’s Jeongho.”
“Yes, Sergeant Ha.”
“Who are you, are you dying in our office?”
I am a member of Squad 1, and I am asking why you are coming to the office of someone else’s squad.
At Sgt. Ha’s question, I scratched the back of the head and said.
“I came here to see some news.”
Sgt. Ha, the best senior in Squad 2, majored in journalism and broadcasting, and is usually interested in politics and current affairs.
So, since he became Squad King, the 2nd Quarter TV channel has always been fixed on the news.
“really? Why do you want to watch the news all of a sudden?”
“It’s just because I’m curious about the outside world.”
Sergeant Ha said, turning his head toward the TV.
“haha–! Private should not be curious about the outside world already… .”
After the commercials on TV, the 7 o’clock evening news began.
Sweat dripped from his palms, whether news of a murder by a North Korean spy was coming out.
That was then.
The door to the quarter opened, and In-cheol came in.
“Jeong-ho, you were here. after—! I’ve been looking for it for a while.”
“why? What’s going on?”
At my question, Incheol lowered his voice and opened his mouth.
“The privates should gather in the cooking class starting from the 3rd peak. Right Now.”
“Perhaps… Is it Corporal Park Kwang-soo who walked together?”
“what? How did you know?”
I got up from my seat and said.
“Let’s go out at once. I’ll tell you as we go.”
It’s a really stupid method.
I am Private No. 3 Peak, and just below me is Private No. 2 Peak Yu Jin-goo.
If you use Jin-goo as an excuse to gather more than number 3 privates and crave them, then the privates who have been harassed are now harassing Jin-goo one after the other.
I explained what happened between Jin-goo and Corporal Park in the hallway on the 3rd floor today, and In-cheol, who heard my explanation, sighed and said,
“Did you just gather for something like that? Ugh–! I have to do laundry and ironing today… . what the hell is this under—-!”
“ah… ! The day after tomorrow, right?”
Two days later, Incheol goes on a regular leave of 14 nights and 15 days.
In response to my question, Incheol smiled and nodded his head.
“Hey—! envy. men and horses!”
“Ja-shik, so this time, let’s go on vacation together.”
“done. I’m going out in June. At that time, I decided to go on a trip with Youngmi.”
catering class.
After his Japanese speech mixed with swear words, Corporal Park looked around us and said:
“Take care of your successor. okay?”
“all right.”
“under—-! Bastards, get out.”
When Corporal Park left the cooking class, Private Lim, the commander in chief (the highest among privates), opened his mouth.
“Yoo Jin-goo, isn’t this crazy bastard crazy? When I was outside, I exercised a bit, and I think I looked down on Corporal Park.”
“Is that so? Isn’t Jingu so speechless? So, it may be that Corporal Park misunderstood.”
“Jjasik, are you in the same squad as Jin-goo?”
“haha–! It’s not wrapping. Jin-gu was originally speechless, but these days he seems to be quieter.”
“ah… ! Come to think of it… Jin-goo, is there something wrong with this guy? Looking at her these days, she doesn’t look very good.”
At Incheol’s words, Private Lim said.
“What’s the job? I was so addicted that I went on a regular vacation as soon as I got Private, and I still haven’t come to my senses. Sheesh! I need to make sure I hold the flag at this point in time for this child.”
I carefully opened my mouth at Private Lim’s words.
“Private Lim, can’t I talk to Jin-goo about this?
“Jeong-ho, are you? ah… ! will you? Seeing Jin-goo, he seemed to be very kind to you again.”
When I finished cleaning my office and the area in charge, I told Sergeant Kim next to me.
“Sergeant Kim, can you give me one cigarette?”
“tobacco? You don’t smoke.”
“haha–! It’s just because I need it.”
Sergeant Kim took out a cigarette and gave it to me, and I changed my mind and said it again.
“I… Excuse me, can you give me one more cigarette?”
“What? Spicy, bloody cigarettes… .”
Today is the 15th of April, and the day when the cigarette is released is the 17th of every month.
Since 15 packs of supply cigarettes are issued per soldier, around this time every month, the soldiers are forced to quit smoking.
Except for a few sergeants who, of course, picked up non-smokers’ supply cigarettes.
Sgt. Kim smiled and took out another cigarette and held it to me.
“but… Half of this cigarette belongs to Jeong-ho. haha–!”
“thank you! I… Sergeant Kim, some lighters… .”
“under—! this sucks Here you go.”
“thank you.”
I called Jin-goo out of the barracks, and we sat down next to each other in the area where we were washing our combat boots.
“Hey, Jin-goo.”
“Private! Yoo Jin-goo!”
“Dude, don’t give me your official name.”
“no.”
“… .”
“Private Chae, but… What did you call me for?”
“I called for a cigarette.”
As I held out a cigarette, a small smile spread across Jin-goo’s face.
Looking back, it’s Jin-goo’s smile that I haven’t seen in a long time.
But the boy’s face soon turned into a sad expression.
“ah… ! I left the lighter on the stage.”
“Come on, the fire is here.”
Jin-goo lit a cigarette and took a deep breath of smoke, returned the lighter to me and said,
“Thank you, Private Chae.”
“Thank you… .”
“But don’t you have something to say?”
“I mean… . Just smoke a cigarette and go in. It was very hot during the day, but as the sun goes down, it gets a little chilly.”
“yes… .”
When Jin-goo returned from his regular vacation four days ago, his face was very dark, but it was not the expression of regret and resignation typical of returning from vacation.
So I thought at that time that Jingu broke up with his girlfriend.
Yesterday, Jin-goo was having an interview with the company commander in the deputy commander’s office, and the atmosphere of the interview was so heavy that he could feel it even for a brief moment when the door was opened.
read at noblemtl.com
No soldier has an interview with the company commander because he broke up with his girlfriend.
Even if I had an interview, the company commander would not have such a serious expression on my face.
I held out my second cigarette and lighter to Jin-goo, who rubbed his cigarette on the floor.
“Would you like to get another one?”
Jin-goo was given a cigarette and a lighter without saying a word.
By the time the second cigarette was shortened by half… I opened my mouth in a low voice.
“Listen while smoking.”
“yes… .”
“You look very difficult these days, because I am not very good at interpersonal affairs. That’s why I’m comforting you for nothing, and I don’t care to talk about it… .”
I slowly looked into Jin-goo’s eyes and continued speaking.
“It’s not something I can help with, but I was cautious because it seemed like I was going too presumptuous. That’s why I called you to smoke like this.”
That was then.
The cigarette he was holding fell to the ground.
Jin-goo covered his eyes with his hand, and tears flowed down his hand.