Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 5

The previous lightness was gone, replaced by a serious tone. Kwon Taekjoo stared blankly at him, offering no reply. Was this truly the best option? There might be someone more suitable for this operation than him. Surely, somewhere within the agency, there was at least one… just one… No. He racked his brain, but no one came to mind.

Director Im’s expression was calm, as if this wasn’t a difficult situation at all. Right, it’s no big deal. Only dangerous enough for an elite agent to be found dead overnight, just that much. He wanted to retort sarcastically but decided to keep his mouth shut.

Since joining the agency, he had learned the ropes under Director Im. Though they were now close enough to exchange jokes, he was, after all, his superior. When Director Im gave an assignment, Kwon Taekjoo had to follow. He was not in a position to disobey.

Director Im gave a satisfied smile at Kwon Taekjoo’s resigned expression.

“I promise you full support. You can pick your team members, too.”

“It’s easier in many ways if I go alone.”

“It won’t be easy this time, though, will it? It’ll be quite rough.”

“Knowing that, there’s no need to push more people into harm’s way.”

He replied indifferently. Director Im chuckled, saying he knew he’d say that. Then, he handed over a thick envelope, calling it a “present.” Kwon Taekjoo snatched it. Inside the unsealed envelope were various documents and a forged passport. He opened the passport to reveal an unfamiliar face.

“Sakamoto Hiro?”

“Apparently, a contract for the construction of LNG facilities has been signed between a certain Japanese energy company and Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas company. The projected profits alone are estimated to be tens of trillions of won. To celebrate the successful contract and to explore the planned construction site, Russia has invited officials from that energy company, the large bank responsible for cooperative loans, and an international trading company. Key officials, including the prime ministers of both countries, and major economic figures will all attend this event. I hear that an international trading company called ‘Itochu’ played a significant role in securing this contract. ‘Sakamoto Hiro’ is their European regional representative and is proudly listed on the list of expected Russian visitors.”

The plan was to infiltrate Russia disguised as Sakamoto Hiro. It wasn’t a bad idea. If North Korea and Russia were indeed developing this weapon, only a very small number of individuals would be involved or have access to related secret individuals in high-ranking positions within Russia. Gaining access to them wouldn’t be easy. However, with the identity of Sakamoto Hiro, it was a different story; he would naturally encounter them without much effort.

Of course, this was only if his identity wasn’t compromised. Numerous other officials were also invited besides Sakamoto Hiro. If anyone among them noticed that Sakamoto Hiro was acting out of character, the entire plan would be ruined. Just imagining it made Agent Morgan’s fate flash through his mind.

Director Im tried to soothe Kwon Taekjoo, who still seemed uneasy.

“Relax. Unless another Sakamoto Hiro appears, your identity won’t be revealed. Sakamoto Hiro is scheduled to depart a day before the main delegation. Of course, our agent in Tokyo will ensure he can’t actually depart.”

He added that their disguise techniques were good enough to fool even his mother. There seemed to be no need to worry about Japanese people being relatively short. Sakamoto Hiro’s height was 180 cm. Kwon Taekjoo was about 2 or 3 cm taller, but ordinary people wouldn’t notice the difference. If anyone suspected, he could simply claim he was wearing insoles.

Normally, he wouldn’t have hesitated for long. He had no right to refuse an order from his superiors unless he resigned. Yet, the words “yes, I understand” wouldn’t come out easily. For some reason, he kept feeling a nagging unease.

Was it because Agent Morgan, who was on the mission before him, had died? It would be a lie to say he wasn’t affected at all, but that wasn’t the only reason. His instincts were feeling a vague anxiety about something that hadn’t even happened yet.

“This is about reshaping the global balance of power. If this operation succeeds, your position will change significantly,” Director Im subtly urged his decision. Kwon Taekjoo silently stared at him, his gaze direct and resolute. Director Im met his stare with his characteristic smiling face. For a while, no words passed between the two men.

Before long, Kwon Taekjoo crumpled the prepared envelope into his jacket. He also spoke a single sentence, as if to make things clear.

“I have no interest in status or power. Those things are unnecessarily fierce.”

“If you’re not interested in such things, then why are you accepting this operation?”

“When it’s an order from a high-ranking director, does a mere subordinate have the right to refuse?”

“There must be another reason besides that, right?”

“If I refuse this one, my career, which has always achieved 100% success, will crumble.”

“Of course, that’s true.”

“May I leave now?”

“Ah, before you go, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind.”

With an annoyed expression, Kwon Taekjoo asked, “What is it?” Director Im’s face had hardened. His gaze, fixed on Kwon Taekjoo, seemed quite cautious. The voice that followed also sounded a little subdued.

“Psiho Bogdanov.”

“Psiho Bogdanov? That’s not a person’s name… is it?”

He furrowed his brow and tilted his head. “Bogdanov” would be a Russian surname, but “Psiho” didn’t sound like a human name no matter how he looked at it. What parents would name their child “crazy” or “lunatic”?

Director Im elaborated, as if to confirm he hadn’t misheard.

“He’s generally referred to that way rather than by his given name, apparently.”

A name is inherently used more by others than by the person themselves. Thus, an alias or nickname that replaces it can become the basis of one’s reputation. The fact that the Russian man Director Im mentioned was called “Crazy Bogdanov” instead of his real name ultimately meant that he was indeed such a character. He couldn’t imagine what kind of person he was to be referred to that way even in this distant foreign country.

“In Russia, he’s a man like a nuclear bomb.”

“Nuclear? Do you mean nuclear as in ‘center’?” he asked uncertainly, due to the ambiguity of the word. Besides “core” or “center,” “nuclear” had another entirely different meaning. Surely, they wouldn’t compare a person to such a deadly weapon. But when he cautiously looked at Director Im, he smiled faintly again.

“Yes, it has that meaning too.”

It seemed closer to “nuclear” referring to nuclear weapons. He involuntarily grimaced. What kind of person was he to be called “lunatic” more often than his own name, and even symbolized as a “nuclear bomb”?

His thoughts about “Psiho Bogdanov” led to another question: why was he specifically mentioned in this operation, whose purpose was to find “Anastasia”?

“Does he have any connection to Morgan’s death?”

“It’s not certain. We have no concrete evidence, just strong suspicions. You won’t be able to avoid a confrontation with him if you want to get close to the big players in Russia. He’s not called ‘the nuclear bomb’ for nothing. So, avoid him if possible. Even if you do encounter him, don’t try to engage him.”

A chuckle escaped Kwon Taekjoo. The more warnings he received, the more curious he became about this “lunatic.”

Just then, a knock sounded from outside the door. Director Im said, “Yes,” and the same staff member who had guided Kwon Taekjoo there entered. He held a large bouquet of flowers in one hand and a suitcase in the other. He practically thrust them into Kwon Taekjoo’s arms, then quietly bowed and exited.

“I’ve packed everything you need. It saves time, and you don’t have to worry about packing. It’s a good thing, isn’t it? Especially your underwear you haven’t bought in two months, so I’ve put in all new ones, carefully considering your preferences. No need to thank me.”

“You know my underwear situation better than I do?”

“It’s nothing. And take the flowers home. It’s your mother’s birthday, isn’t it?”

Truly, a cunning old fox.

Swallowing the words he couldn’t utter, he replied curtly, “I won’t tell her it’s from you, Director. Knowing it’s from the man who snatched her son away on her birthday would only upset her on a good day.”

“Thanks for thinking of me,” Director Im replied with a brazen smile.

“Don’t die.”

As Kwon Taekjoo turned to leave, Director Im unexpectedly added this request. Kwon Taekjoo paused for a moment and gave a perfunctory nod.

When he stepped outside, the hallway was empty. He shuffled towards the exit. Sensor lights illuminated his path as he walked, then sequentially extinguished in the distance behind him. The dwindling light and encroaching darkness seemed to creep closer, threatening to swallow him whole.

“…”

Suddenly, he stopped and looked back. While he stood still, the last ceiling light went out, and Kwon Taekjoo’s figure was swallowed by the thick darkness, vanishing from sight.