Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 34

He must have inadvertently placed his hand on a deteriorated section of the ventilation shaft floor that had sunk. He quickly grabbed the wall to maintain his balance. That caused a considerable noise. Just then, a guard passing nearby stopped abruptly. Kwon Taekjoo could see him tilting his head below the mesh-like vent. He glanced behind him once, then tilted his head again. His colleague, walking ahead, asked what was wrong.

“Didn’t you hear something just now?”

“Something?”

“It sounded like something clunked…”

He looked around again, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling. Then he found the slightly sunken vent. It had been like that for quite some time, but it hadn’t been repaired yet. The owner, Sergei, had been postponing it, saying he would fix it extensively after finishing more important tasks.

Was it a mouse passing by? But it sounded quite heavy for that. The guard, still skeptical, poked the ceiling with his rifle. If there was nothing above it, it would make a hollow sound. The sunken vent shook greatly with just a light tap. He went ahead and poked other places too. Nowhere did he detect any presence. His already tense colleague snapped, “What is it?”

“There’s nothing there.”

“Indeed.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like mice just started appearing yesterday, is it?”

The guard, with a clearly displeased expression, looked at the vent before being led away by his colleague.

Kwon Taekjoo was struggling in the dust-filled passage. With only his toes barely touching the floor, his head, back, buttocks, and both arms were completely pressed against the ceiling of the ventilation shaft, as he held himself up. As he sweated, his hands slowly slipped. If he fell, the ceiling would clatter again. He could only hope the two guards would disappear from the corridor before that happened.

Even if they dismissed it as a hallucination once, they wouldn’t overlook it a second time. If the guards decided to search the passage, there would be no way out. The problem was that he couldn’t even change his uncomfortable posture right now. Sweat beading on his forehead dripped onto the floor. His wet hands repeatedly slipped. He felt like he couldn’t hold on any longer. This was his limit.

With a thud, his body, which had been stubbornly enduring, plummeted. The ceiling also dramatically swayed. He held his breath, examining the situation below. His heart pounded rapidly. Every second felt like an eternity. He waited for a long time, but there was no sign of anyone rushing to chase the noise. The guards seemed to have completely left the corridor. Only then did he exhale the breath he had been holding.

“Haa, haa…”

He briefly caught his breath and started moving again. He crawled, turned, and crawled again through the seemingly endless passage. How far had he gone? Slowly, the stale smell of dust and moss began to rise. He had finally reached the basement. The basement’s ventilation shaft was a vertical one, plunging down like a chimney. Its height seemed to be at least 2m, and as much as 4m. Unable to dive headfirst, he laboriously turned his body. Then, he unhesitatingly leaped down.

The falling speed and his body weight combined to shatter the ventilation shaft cover. He instinctively rolled his body to distribute the impact of the fall. As soon as he landed on the floor, a cloud of dust erupted.

His vision blurred. He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, suppressing a cough that threatened to burst forth. He slowly surveyed his surroundings, dispersing the scattering dust. The basement was piled high with all sorts of junk. Among them, what caught Kwon Taekjoo’s eye was something covered with a thick tarpaulin. It was quite large.

He quickly approached and cleared away the surrounding items. With a single pull, he threw back the covering tarpaulin. Again, dust scattered. This time, he couldn’t stop sneezing.

When he reflexively opened his closed eyes, his shoulders slumped. What had been covered by the tarpaulin was not the weapons he had hoped for. It was merely an antique piano. As he opened the lid, a swarm of red-eyed rats poured out.

A sigh escaped him. He had struggled tooth and nail to get here, only to come up completely empty-handed. He wanted to deny the reality before his eyes. Out of lingering regret, he searched not only inside the piano but also every single box there, but he couldn’t find anything resembling a firearm. Even pressing and tapping various parts of the wall yielded no second hidden space.

What was even more frustrating was that he had to retrace his exact steps. He looked up at the ceiling blankly. When he came down, there was at least a glimmer of hope, but now, all that remained was sheer hardship. The vertical shaft, about 3 or 4 meters long, was already a challenge. How was he going to get up there?

Kwon Taekjoo, deep in thought, pulled out a special camera-like device. He had brought it along just in case. He aimed the lens at the ceiling vent and pressed the shutter button. A long string, launched with the lens cap, entered the vent. It didn’t fall back down, so it seemed to have properly attached somewhere on the ceiling. He pulled it hard to check, but it was firmly fixed, only making the string tighter.

He stepped onto the old piano. The rope fixed to the passage was connected to his belt. Then, holding the rope with both hands, he repeatedly kicked his legs, ascending the single rope. It was a familiar exercise from his judo training.

Kwon Taekjoo safely landed in the ventilation shaft and then crawled for a long time again, returning to his room. When he felt a presence below, he would stop for a moment before moving again. As he slowly approached his room, he felt exhausted. All he wanted to do was go back and collapse.

It was just as he was passing the point where the corridor connected to his room. Suddenly, there was a knock. Since Zhenya never knocked, the visitor would be Sergei or one of his subordinates. He flinched for a moment, then hurriedly exited the passage.

Again, a knock sounded. By the time Kwon Taekjoo reached the bathroom vent, he even heard the door opening. There was no time.

Sergei, having burst into Kwon Taekjoo’s room, surveyed the messy interior. The sound of water leaked from the bathroom. Was he washing and didn’t realize someone had come? Sergei hesitated, then decided to visit again later. For now, he was a guest, and it was only polite.

As he turned to head for the door, he suddenly stopped. Then, for some reason, he strode directly to the bathroom. His face, which had hardened considerably in the meantime, even showed a hint of urgency.

He grasped the doorknob and pulled it down, but it was already locked from the inside. Usually, one would lock the room door, not the bathroom. A bad feeling washed over him. Sergei immediately took out a bunch of keys from his pocket. He counted each of the numerous keys, searching for the right one.

Just then, the bathroom door opened. Steam, which had filled the interior, billowed out through the opening. The person who opened the door and came out was none other than Kwon Taekjoo. He had just finished showering, as his black hair was heavily saturated with moisture and darkened. His solidly sculpted body was also wet and glistening. It was a body sculpted with meticulous care.

Sergei stared at Kwon Taekjoo, mesmerized. It was Kwon Taekjoo who broke the prolonged silence.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah, it’s almost dinner time, so… I thought we could… eat together…”

Sergei stammered, his gaze slowly sliding from Kwon Taekjoo’s face to his chest, his abdomen, and then lower. His thick lips were parted. Kwon Taekjoo unfolded a bath towel and wrapped it around his waist. Only then did Sergei snap back to attention. The way he licked his lips suggested he was left wanting something.

“Are you inviting me to dinner by coming into the bathroom?”

“Oh, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. You didn’t answer no matter how many times I called, so I was worried something bad might have happened inside.”

Sergei offered a flimsy excuse. Then, telling him to eat together in the first-floor dining room, he quickly left the room. The door closed with a thud. The sound of his footsteps, which had lingered for a moment, soon faded away.

Without showing any particular expression, he put on his robe, then stumbled and collapsed into a chair. A deep sigh of relief escaped him. He had almost encountered Sergei covered in dust. His heart, which had plummeted, now pounded uncomfortably. He irritably ruffled his wet hair.

“How is that matter progressing? It won’t be easy to fix something that’s completely broken. Though succeeding in something everyone has given up on would be a rather excellent experience.”

“It’s still only at the design revision stage.”

“The design itself took a long time, didn’t it? That’s why it’s even more valuable. Still, a diligently crafted item won’t betray you. Neither will a diligently cherished lover.”

Sergei burst into boisterous laughter at his own joke. Then, leaning subtly towards Zhenya, he whispered,

“So, when do you plan to reveal it to the industry? I’m quite eager.”

“I plan to be cautious. For years…”

Zhenya, who had been answering unreservedly, suddenly stopped talking. It was right after his eyes met Kwon Taekjoo, who was entering the dining room. Sergei also lifted his head and looked at the entrance. He brightened at the sight of the now neatly dressed Kwon Taekjoo, even raising his hand to greet him.

“Over here.”

A long table, easily capable of seating forty people, was laid out in the dining room. But the only people gathered there were Sergei, Zhenya, and Hong Yewook. Officially, it was his first meeting with Hong Yewook. Their eyes met, and he merely nodded. Hong Yewook, who had been silently eating, returned the silent greeting.

Kwon Taekjoo’s seat seemed already designated. It was right next to Sergei. Since that was the only place with tableware set, it must be it. The waiter who soon appeared also placed Kwon Taekjoo’s appetizer there.

Sergei gestured for him to come. Though he was reluctant, he had no reason to refuse. He silently went to his seat and gazed at Zhenya, who was sitting opposite him. Zhenya casually sliced his meat, barely acknowledging Kwon Taekjoo. Without even meeting his eyes, he subtly shook his head. It seemed he, too, had come up empty-handed in his initial search.

He shifted his gaze from Zhenya to Hong Yewook. He didn’t participate in the conversation at all, merely stuffing himself. Then, he quickly emptied his plate and quietly left his seat. As he walked around the table and out, his gaze briefly, for just a moment, landed on the back of Zhenya’s head before dropping away. It was a rather sharp look, even for a fleeting moment. Has his identity been discovered? He felt a sudden jolt.

Sergei hinted that he was a guest staying for a while. As if waiting for Hong Yewook to disappear, he immediately changed the subject.

“Is the hacking program you mentioned commercially available in both Korea and the US?”

He seemed adept at concealing cunning intentions behind a smooth demeanor. It would be better to speak sparingly than to ramble if he wanted to hide the truth.

Kwon Taekjoo wiped his hands on a napkin and dismissed it flatly.

“I prefer not to comment on information unrelated to weapons.”

“Ah, yes, of course. I was thoughtless.”

Sergei apologized with excessive deference. Then, perhaps thinking it best to engage in casual conversation, he showered Kwon Taekjoo with extremely personal questions about hobbies and interests. He couldn’t understand why he was so curious about a complete stranger.

Whenever he searched for something to reply with, his eyes would meet Zhenya’s quite often. Zhenya, propping his chin on his hands as if watching an amusing spectacle, observed the two. He showed no inclination to naturally change the subject or help Kwon Taekjoo. When Kwon Taekjoo gave him a silent prompt, he chuckled soundlessly and then subtly rose from his seat.

“I’ll head in first. I’m tired from the long journey. You two continue your conversation.”

He just ran off, leaving Sergei and Kwon Taekjoo alone. The way he glanced back at Kwon Taekjoo with a smirk was clearly intentional. A surge of anger welled up, but there was nothing he could do. He could only stare endlessly at Zhenya’s back as he hurried away. Because of that, he missed Sergei’s question.

“…sir?”

“Huh? What did you just say…”

“I asked if you were married. Or if you had a lover.”

Sergei willingly repeated the question. He even put on a rather friendly expression.

“Does whether I have a lover or not have any bearing on your decision to purchase?”

He chuckled, countering the question. It was a rather bold smile. His tone, expression, and even his gestures exuded leisure.

Taken aback by the unexpected provocation, Sergei’s thick lips drooped. His ring-laden hand subtly covered Kwon Taekjoo’s hand. The way he leisurely moved his thumb, kneading his hand, was utterly unpleasant.

“Well, depending on the circumstances, anything is possible.”

He ambiguously trailed off his words, his hand already slowly creeping inside Kwon Taekjoo’s sleeve. Kwon Taekjoo, enduring the blatant molestation, abruptly stood up. Sergei’s hand immediately fell away. His shameless face, as if nothing had happened, was detestable.

“Excuse me. I have urgent business.”

He showed an artificial smile, revealing his even teeth, and then left the dining room. Sergei, left alone, stared blankly at his retreating figure.

Soon, a servant served him dessert. It was a brownie topped with chocolate mousse. He could visually confirm its moist and chewy texture. Sergei, looking at the brownie with a displeased expression, finally licked his lips and put down his fork.

He stopped, about to enter his room. Zhenya was brazenly occupying his bed. Zhenya, as he had in the hotel before, brazenly invited him.

“Don’t be shy, come in.”

Kwon Taekjoo glared at him with clear disapproval, then closed the door and entered. He immediately lowered his voice and asked, “What happened?”

“What?”

“The thing you went to check on. You said you’d look around the study?”

“Ah, right, I went there. I was personally curious why they had reinforced it so much, in layers. It was just plain safe, really anti-climactic. I didn’t open it myself, but I did scan what was inside. It was mostly just gold bars, cash, and documents, nothing else?”

“Anything else?”

Zhenya shook his head. So it wasn’t in the study either. That left only two places to check: the attic of the spire and the secret space inside Sergei’s bedroom. If they couldn’t find any trace of the ‘SS-29’ in those two places, this operation would effectively be a failure.

The ‘SS-29’ stakeholders would arrive in at least a day. Once its flaws were confirmed to be resolved, the ‘SS-29’ would likely be moved elsewhere quickly. If Psikh Bogdanov was among the visitors, it would only be a matter of time before their identities were exposed.

Of course, the scenario where Sergei spits out the bait and chases them out before that still existed. Therefore, they needed to handle everything as soon as possible tonight, before Sergei changed his mind. If they failed to seize this opportunity, even revealing the true nature of the ‘SS-29’ would become difficult. They had to move fast, yet cautiously.

However, the remaining two locations were also not easy to access. There was only one path to the spire. The ventilation shaft used to access the basement connected to it, but it narrowed sharply towards the top, making it difficult for anyone but a child to pass through. Climbing the exterior wall of the building was also an option, but scaling a dizzying precipice with a biting wind at his back was tantamount to suicide. Evading the CCTV cameras inside and out, and the guards’ surveillance, also seemed impossible. Ultimately, to reach the spire, he would have to use the stairs, but given that even room access was controlled, that wouldn’t be allowed. Even more so if the ‘SS-29’ was stored there.

Sergei’s bedroom was no less challenging. It was already dark, and Sergei would soon be spending time in his bedroom before falling asleep. It was obvious that security would become even tighter. It was highly unlikely that his bedroom would lack security sensors or surveillance cameras. The longer they delayed, the more restrictions they faced.

Kwon Taekjoo, feeling frustrated, blurted out, “How about we just grab Sergei and beat him until he talks?”

“Before that, our bodies will be riddled with holes, you know? We still don’t know how many security personnel there are here.”

On that point, Zhenya was entirely correct. The only information the two had gathered was the mansion’s size and structure. They didn’t know how many people were inside, or what kind of security devices were installed. Boris had allowed for a bold frontal assault because he had lured him outside. This situation was different now that they were inside the enemy’s lair.

No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t think of a suitable method. When he had been circling the mansion outside, the only problem was getting in, but now that he was inside, another obstacle stood in his way.

“Sometimes, soft power can surpass guns and swords.”

Zhenya suddenly let the words slip. Kwon Taekjoo looked at him, bewildered. ‘Soft power’ usually refers to the influence of women, distinct from brute force. The wisdom, persuasiveness, rich emotions, and deep empathy manifested in problem-solving, and of course, the honey trap (beauty scheme). History proved that no matter how steel-hearted a man, he would fall instantly to a woman.

But what good would that do now? Kwon Taekjoo immediately countered, “That old man, he seems like a lecher who’s obsessed with sex. But how are we going to get reinforcements now? The only woman we’ve met on this island is the guesthouse owner.”

Zhenya, who had been listening, smiled strangely. Then, he stood up and slowly closed the distance with languid steps. Kwon Taekjoo stood silently until he was right in front of him. But when Zhenya suddenly reached out, he instinctively pulled his head back. He pretended not to, but his wariness remained.

Zhenya didn’t hesitate for a moment. His outstretched hand finally reached Kwon Taekjoo’s ear. It was just a light brush, but goosebumps immediately rose on Kwon Taekjoo’s earlobes. They were even more visible against his darker skin. Zhenya softly crinkled his eyes and gently brushed Kwon Taekjoo’s hair behind his ear.

“You don’t have to worry about that. According to the rumors Sergei Ilyich is associated with, he enjoys male companionship. And among them, he prefers those with darker skin?”

“What…”

“His gaze on you wasn’t ordinary, was it?”

Kwon Taekjoo pushed Zhenya away decisively. He pointed at him clearly, as if warning him to stop babbling.

“Are you crazy? I don’t have that much enthusiasm.”

“Don’t be so serious and think about it. You can get into Sergei’s bedroom without running, crawling, or rolling around. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even blab about the ‘SS-29’ when he’s caught up in the mood. All you have to do is let him escort you to the bed. After that, whether you beat him to a pulp or actually roll around with him in bed, it doesn’t matter. That’s strictly an internal matter. A story only the two of you inside would know. Right?”

Zhenya’s persuasion continued. Easier said than done. He wished Zhenya would be the one to do it with that perverted old man who kneaded his hands like dough.

Kwon Taekjoo walked towards the window, stubbornly refusing.

“Stop pushing things in a weird direction. Absolutely not.”

“Are you really dismissing it as nonsense?”

Something flew unexpectedly from behind him. He instinctively turned and caught it. It was a location tracker. A red dot indicating the target repeatedly blinked near the origin of the coordinates. It wasn’t perfectly overlapping. It meant the target was lingering near the location tracker.

He gazed at Zhenya, demanding an explanation. Zhenya grinned and asked mischievously, “Who do you think is loitering outside your room?” He must have attached a tracker to Sergei at some point.

Kwon Taekjoo shook his head again. He tossed the terminal he was holding onto the bed.

“Anyway, I won’t…”

“Do you know? The more rivals a female has, the more a male’s desire for conquest burns.”

He was trying to refuse firmly, but Zhenya came closer, bringing up an irrelevant topic. Kwon Taekjoo unconsciously stepped back, but Zhenya had already closed the distance. His back met the windowsill. There was nowhere to escape.

For a fleeting moment, their gazes intertwined tightly. Zhenya stared at Kwon Taekjoo with eyes full of a strange heat. It was unfamiliar.

“The more coveted an object is, the more valuable it feels.”

“What…”

Just then, a knock sounded. Then Sergei’s voice asked, “Are you asleep?”

“No.”

He answered hastily. Frequent or prolonged absences increased the chance of suspicion.

He was about to head for the door when Zhenya suddenly grabbed his wrist. With an immense pull, Kwon Taekjoo was practically thrown back against the window. He immediately tried to push him away, but Zhenya stubbornly held his ground, refusing to move. With both arms propped against the windowsill, he openly trapped Kwon Taekjoo. It felt as if a colossal, sturdy wall blocked his path.

What the hell is he doing?

His teeth ground together. Zhenya’s lips curved into a long arc. He was clearly plotting some sinister scheme. Soon, a zipping sound reached his ears. He was bewildered for a moment by the familiar noise, then horrified. Zhenya’s hand had delved between his open zipper.

“……!”

He frantically grabbed Zhenya’s arm. Despite his strong resistance, Zhenya unhesitatingly pushed past his boxers and grabbed Kwon Taekyung’s penis firmly. The pressure was so intense, he felt momentarily dizzy.

He caressed the soft, still-pliant flesh as if milking it, savoring Kwon Taekjoo’s distorted face. He lingered, rubbing the soft, wrapped penis up and down in his hand. When squeezed, it would flinch in pain, but when gently stroked, it didn’t seem too bad, merely twitching slightly.

“You, crazy…”

He gritted his teeth. Their bodies were too close for him to kick or throw Zhenya. If they were closer, he might have bitten his nose, but even that was difficult. All he could do was grip Zhenya’s lapel as if to tear it.

He irritably pushed Zhenya’s chin away. Zhenya yielded obediently, but continued to knead the slowly heating penis more relentlessly. He even pulled the foreskin back all the way. As the reddish inner flesh peaked out, Zhenya stared at it intently. Clear pre-ejaculate beads at the tip of the urethra. His breathing, which had been ragged from pushing Zhenya away, now grew ragged for a different reason. His eyes, which had glared at Zhenya with the intent to tear him apart, now flickered precariously, as if about to close.