PTT - 47

Thanks to Baek Si-heon’s devoted care, the cold medicine—or perhaps even the kiss—Ra-on’s condition improved noticeably within a day. It was possible that her mental stress had peaked far more than her physical fatigue. Feeling both body and mind relax significantly, she arrived at the NIS punctually two days later.

Despite her lighter mood, the truth confronting Ra-on and the rest of Special Team 4 remained as heavy as ever.

Five figures clad in gowns, gloves, and masks stepped into the morgue. The interior temperature was notably lower than outside, likely to slow decomposition. Suppressing a shiver, Ra-on looked down at the steel bed covered with a white sheet.

Beneath it lay the body of Gwak Seon-gi, who had died just days ago. Kim Jae-sung, the NIS forensic pathologist, flipped through the autopsy chart before speaking.

“The cause of death is undoubtedly poisoning. A toxic substance was dissolved in the water he drank. The issue now is identifying exactly what this substance is…”

Adjusting his thin silver-rimmed glasses, he clicked his tongue and adopted a meaningful expression. Si-heon, resting his hand on his chin, tilted his head slightly, signaling him to continue.

“It appears to be a poison called Litocerium. It’s extremely rare in our country, almost unheard of. What’s notable is its lethality—it has nearly a 100% fatality rate. Death occurs within five minutes of ingestion.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“To be honest, I only learned about it recently. It’s not something you’d typically encounter. After some digging, it seems this toxin isn’t commonly used in Asia but circulates occasionally in eastern Russia.”

“Russia?”

Si-heon furrowed his brow, seeking confirmation. Hearing the report, Ra-on’s expression grew serious as well.

Russia. Considering Gwak Seon-gi’s past, there was no way all of this could be a coincidence.

“Yes. You see, we don’t have such potent poisons here, and even if we did, antidotes exist for most of them. But something like Litocerium doesn’t have an established treatment protocol.”

“So they deliberately chose this poison. Damn, how calculated. Who the hell is behind Gwak Seon-gi?”

Mabel rubbed his temple with the tip of his finger, clearly frustrated. Ray, visibly uneasy, kept glancing toward the door. Having just become an adult, witnessing someone’s death up close must have been unsettling.

Silent until now, Ra-on finally spoke up.

“Did Deputy Director interrogate that bodyguard?”

“Oh, right. I was going to mention that. Let’s move somewhere else first. Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Kim.”

After giving a slight nod of thanks to the pathologist, Si-heon opened the door. Ray, unable to endure the eerie atmosphere any longer, bolted out of the morgue first. Removing his gown and gloves, he shivered as goosebumps rose on his arms.

“That vibe was seriously unpleasant… Ugh.”

The team immediately headed to the conference room. As soon as they entered, Si-heon unlocked his personal laptop and projected the screen onto the wall. Everyone sat down, naturally focusing their attention forward.

“To begin briefing on the suspect’s identity in this Gwak Seon-gi case: real name Jeong In-cheol, age 35. He was hired by our company as a bodyguard about eight months ago. He graduated from Seowon University’s security studies program, and it turns out his family resides in Russia.”

“Russia again… Why does the same country keep coming up?”

“Exactly, Mabel. According to Deputy Director’s interrogation, the two had known each other since their time in Russia. They weren’t professor and student but were close enough to call each other ‘brother.’”

Listening intently, Rock turned to Si-heon.

“…It’s hard to believe all of this is a coincidence. So, are you saying Jeong In-cheol deliberately joined our organization? Just to assist Gwak Seon-gi’s suicide?”

On the surface, it appeared to be poisoning, but everyone involved knew the truth: Gwak Seon-gi had chosen his own death. Even as the toxin caused him immense suffering, he wore a chilling smile, seemingly delighted to sacrifice his life.

“We can’t confirm that yet. However, while investigating these two, the counter-terrorism center discovered one common thread.”

Pressing Enter, the screen switched to a panoramic photo of a village. Its scenery blurred the lines between Korean and foreign influences, making its nationality hard to discern. Noticing the team’s confusion, Si-heon quickly elaborated.

“It’s located in eastern Russia. A small neighborhood adjacent to a town called Dorbert, where most residents are ethnic Koreans. Both Jeong In-cheol and Gwak Seon-gi lived there. The problem is, this isn’t just an ordinary Korean enclave.”

As the logo appeared onscreen, Ra-on’s eyes widened. Two capital Vs overlapped in opposite directions with a straight line running through the center. Narrowing her brows, she spoke.

“I’ve seen this before.”

“Where?”

“…Cheonsung-won.”

Ra-on recalled a recent memory. On the day she knocked him unconscious and confiscated his phone, she had definitely seen it.

“He had this tattooed on the back of his neck. At the time, I thought it was just Cheonsung-won’s personal taste and didn’t think much of it…”

Si-heon’s expression turned grave at Ra-on’s testimony. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he stepped in front of the screen and tapped the logo lightly with the back of his hand.

“Interesting. Both Gwak Seon-gi and Jeong In-cheol bore this same tattoo.”

“Whoa… That’s insane.”

“What’s going on? Wasn’t Cheonsung-won connected to the Russian mafia? Did he have ties with Gwak Seon-gi too…?”

The deeper they dug, the more perplexing facts surfaced. Confusion settled heavily over the team. Mabel sighed, pressing his palm against his forehead.

“It seems someone powerful is behind Gwak Seon-gi. This situation is escalating beyond expectations, Team Leader.”

“Indeed. Whatever force it is, leaving them unchecked will only make things worse. First… we need to investigate that mysterious Korean enclave. We’ll collaborate with overseas teams and deploy local agents initially.”

Closing his laptop, Si-heon glanced at Ra-on seated at the far end of the table.

“But direct reconnaissance would yield better results. Once local agents infiltrate, we’ll follow in two weeks. Are you okay with this, Yeon?”

“Just the two of us?”

“Yes. We’ll need someone from headquarters communicating with us. Mabel and Rock will stay behind to provide real-time support.”

“Yes, understood.”

Sending multiple agents would only raise suspicion. Ra-on nodded, organizing the swirling information in her mind.

Why did Cheonsung-won and Gwak Seon-gi, two people who seemed to have no connection, share the same tattoo? Lost in thought, she watched as Si-heon patted Ray on the shoulder.

“Work with the data security team to dig deeper into Cheonsung-won’s alias accounts. Exclude the mafia connections for now and check if funds flowed elsewhere.”

“I got so fixated on the mafia angle last time that I didn’t consider anything else. Got it. I’ll dig until my eyes fall out, Uncle Team Leader.”

“Good work, Ray. Let’s plan a team dinner once this is over.”

Mabel’s eyes sparkled at the suggestion, already looking forward to the gathering.

“Out of Knox’s pocket, right? No spending limit?”

“Right. Whiskey or soju—drink as much as you want.”

“…Not happening, Mabel. Remember how drunk you got last time?”

“Yeah, Auntie. Don’t remind me. The hangover misery belongs to those still sober.”

Amidst the lightened atmosphere, Si-heon’s phone buzzed briefly. Ignoring the casual chatter around him, he checked the message. It came from an unknown eleven-digit number.

Si-heon’s face darkened instantly upon reading it. After staring at the screen for a long moment, he slipped the phone back into his pocket. If the sender intended to irritate him, a single text sufficed.

[This is Mayor Bang Won-gyeol. Can we meet tonight?]