Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 61

Just as everything was finished, a knock came from outside. Looking through the window, he saw the newly arrived military police gasping for breath. Dr. Jo opened the door without hesitation and fulfilled his duty as a forest ranger.

“You must have had a tough climb, but you’ll have to go back down right away. This is a restricted area.”

Professor Yoon Jinae’s Office, Department of English Language and Literature, Korean University.

He knocked on the closed door, and permission to enter was granted. He opened the door. Professor Yoon’s gaze shifted from her monitor to the doorway. She seemed to have assumed it was a student or assistant, as her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the visitor.

“How can I help you?”

The middle-aged man bowed and greeted her first. “I have a few questions regarding Professor Kim Younghee. May I come in?”

Professor Yoon’s face hardened. “Well. I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I don’t know much about that person either. To think everything I knew was fake, I have nothing more to say. So, I’d appreciate it if you just left.”

She repeatedly showed annoyance and drew a line. But the man did not back down willingly. “Please. It will only take a moment.”

“Who exactly are you? Are you a reporter?”

“Ah, I apologize for the late introduction.” The man pulled out an ID card to the wary Professor Yoon. “I am a prosecutor’s investigator handling the Kim Younghee case. I briefly came out as there are some parts that need to be supplemented for the trial.”

The man who explained this looked exactly like Chief Clerk Kim. But in reality, it was Kwon Taekjoo disguised as him. Both his ID and his appearance were so convincing that even his own family would have difficulty discerning the truth.

Professor Yoon sighed exasperatedly. “Honestly, I really don’t know anything! I only got to know her a few years ago at an academic conference through another professor. I exchanged a few words when a new member joined, and then she was confirmed for a position at our university. That’s why we became close, but we weren’t privy to each other’s private lives. But to think that was all a disguise, what more can I tell you, Investigator?”

It was common for people to live in the same house for decades without knowing their spouse was a spy. It was highly unlikely that a mere colleague would have noticed Kim Younghee’s covert activities. What Kwon Taekjoo wanted to confirm was something much more trivial.

“At the time of her apprehension, Kim Younghee was wearing a ring on her left ring finger. It seemed to be a product with almost no wear and tear. I was wondering if you, Professor, might know what kind of ring it was.”

“I heard she was getting married soon. She had a boyfriend. I don’t know who he was, but I saw her on the phone with him a few times.”

Could that man be the deceased army officer? But he had a family. For operatives, managing social status and reputation is important. From that perspective, she wouldn’t have openly hinted at marrying a married man. If she approached the army officer with the intention of extracting secrets, their meetings should have been more clandestine. At least secretive enough that a colleague wouldn’t notice.

Then, was there really another person? He felt a strong intuition, but he didn’t jump to conclusions. This time, he had to meticulously uncover the truth.

“Do you happen to know where that ring was purchased?”

“Normally, no. The man would have bought it himself.”

“…But you do know?”

“Yes. That jewelry designer is the wife of another member of the academic society.”

Professor Yoon promptly pulled out a business card and handed it over. The words “You can go look for yourself” carried the sincere sentiment of wanting him to leave.

He immediately went to the jewelry boutique Professor Yoon had told him about. The manager greeted him warmly. Seeing Kwon Taekjoo in a suit, she naturally guided him to a consultation desk.

“Excuse me, sir. What kind of product are you looking for?”

“I’d like to look at some rings.”

“Oh, I see. Are you perhaps looking for one to propose with?”

He simply nodded at her guess. Perhaps thinking he was shy, the manager smiled gently and pulled out an order form. “Do you have a specific design in mind?”

“I’m not very familiar with jewelry, so could I perhaps see some other products for reference?”

“Of course.”

The manager readily took out a tablet and showed him the portfolio. She flipped through the product photos one by one, pouring out descriptions that were almost praises. He vaguely listened, carefully examining only the photos.

“Don’t you know your fiancée’s taste? Some prefer flashy designs, while others prefer simple ones. The latter often omit minor details and increase the carat size instead…”

Around that time, a photo caught his eye. There was no mistaking it. It was the exact ring Kim Younghee had been wearing.

“This ring…”

“Oh, you like that design?” The manager, who had been struggling with his consistently lukewarm reactions, brightened. However, after looking up related information, her expression turned troubled. “I’m sorry, but that ring was specially designed by the teacher to give as a gift to an acquaintance. It’s not a regular product but a kind of artwork created with inspiration, so we can’t make an exact replica. However, we might be able to create something with a similar feel, how about that?”

“When was this ring made?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure, but it was a little less than half a year ago.”

“This isn’t a couple’s ring, is it?”

“No. This would be suitable for a proposal or as an engagement ring.”

“Then the man must have purchased it?”

“Well… I suppose so?”

At his incessant questioning, like an interrogation, the manager’s smile faltered. A subtle suspicion also appeared in her eyes. It seemed it was time to make his move.

“I’ll just use the restroom for a moment…”

“Oh, of course. It’s over there.”

He headed in the direction the manager pointed. He felt her steady gaze on his back. Pretending not to notice, he turned into the restroom hallway.

Around that time, his phone rang. The manager finally broke her gaze and went to answer the call. At that moment, Kwon Taekjoo went back into the hall alone. The CCTV he had checked upon entering was mounted in the center of the ceiling. As they dealt with expensive merchandise, it was a camera that recorded all corners of the store in real-time. Even if the internal memory was periodically deleted, there would be backup files.

He occasionally heard the manager’s voice on the phone. She seemed to be dealing with a complaint, repeatedly saying “I’m sorry.” Distracted by that, she seemed to have temporarily forgotten Kwon Taekjoo’s presence.

Meanwhile, he arrived in front of the workshop. He quietly tried the doorknob, but it was firmly locked. He took out the clay stick he had received from Dr. Jo and pushed it into the keyhole. After waiting a few seconds, he carefully turned it, and the lock disengaged. He entered, being careful not to make any noise.

As expected, the computer was there. He turned it on and inserted a USB stick into the slot. Soon, an input window appeared. He entered a specific command to run the hacking program. He set the backup scope to the entire hard disk and pressed Enter. A bar graph indicating the progress of the operation appeared on the monitor.

While waiting, he observed the situation outside the door. The manager still seemed to be on the phone. He felt sorry for her, as she was still repeatedly apologizing.

The copying was quickly completed. He carefully put away the USB and turned off the computer. He also rearranged the mouse to its original position before coming out. He relocked the door with the hardened clay stick and didn’t forget to stop by the restroom to wash his hands.

“I am truly sorry, sir. If you have time to visit us again, we will compensate you as you wish. No, it’s not that. I’m not trying to brush it off, but we have another customer in the store right now… What? Negligence? That’s an absurd thing to say. Yes, of course. I fully understand how upset you must be.”

He returned to his seat, pretended to grab his coat, and took a picture of the ring in the portfolio. Then, he approached the manager, who was still holding the receiver. When their eyes met, she showed a remorseful expression.

“You seem busy. I’ll come back another time.”

“What? No, I…”

Before she could stop him, the customer on the other end of the line raised their voice. The manager’s face was clearly tired. He left the store, leaving her behind, begging him to visit again.

He walked quickly, and his phone rang. The only person who knew that number was Yoon Jongwoo, who had helped him set it up. He answered the phone while continuing to walk without stopping.

Senior, did you succeed?

“Thanks to you. You’ve got quite a talent for causing trouble, don’t you? It didn’t seem like your first time?”

Is that an insult?

“A compliment is what you make of it.”

The ring, did you confirm it? Was it really there?

“Yes. I found the ring. Now I just need to find the person.”

If there was a hidden truth, the clue must be in the USB. He said, “I’ll contact you,” and ended the call with Yoon Jongwoo. His strides grew even larger.

He first checked the sales records among the backed-up files. Quarterly sales data was meticulously organized. According to the manager, Kim Younghee’s ring was produced about half a year ago. He set the search range to the fourth quarter of last year and retrieved transaction details, bank account statements, and credit card sales slips. He then searched for Kim Younghee’s ring model name.

Soon, two results appeared. He clicked on the transaction statement first. It contained the credit card information used to pay for the ring. The cardholder’s name was not the deceased army officer. Yet, the name strangely looked familiar.

“This is…”

Suddenly, a different, completely unexpected person with the same name came to mind. It wasn’t a common name, but it wasn’t extremely rare either. If that person were involved, most of the questions would be resolved. But it was still just a hypothesis. He had to be careful.

To confirm clearly, he retrieved the CCTV recording. Perhaps to prepare for any eventuality, a full year’s worth of footage was stored. He played the video from the date matching the sales slip.

A considerable number of customers came and went from the morning that day. The manager and designer he had just met also appeared frequently. However, there was no one who particularly caught his eye. He fast-forwarded the video at 4x speed. He watched for an hour straight, then paused. He rewound the rapidly moving screen and played it at normal speed.

A man and a woman visited just after lunchtime. The designer personally came out and greeted them warmly. The video quality wasn’t great, but the woman definitely appeared to be Kim Younghee. However, the man remained at the edge of the frame, making it impossible to ascertain his identity. Still, his silhouette gave a strong sense of déjà vu.

He instinctively tried to zoom in on the screen but sighed. Kwon Taekjoo was in a shabby internet cafe. It was impossible to zoom in on the recorded screen, let alone enhance the quality. It seemed he would have to ask Yoon Jongwoo for help.

He uploaded the video to a web hard drive and logged into the shooting game Yoon Jongwoo enjoyed. He left a note with his ID, password, and requests. Before leaving, he completely deleted the computer’s usage history.

As soon as he left the internet cafe, he headed to the main road. The streets were bustling, anticipating the rush hour. He naturally mingled with the crowd and walked.

“……”

How far had he gone? He became aware of something unusual behind him. The streets were overflowing with pedestrians. Among so many people, some could easily have the same destination. But it was strange that someone was clearly following him, staring intently at the back of his head. Just then, in the window of a car turning right, the faces of those following him were reflected. Three in total. All of them were watching Kwon Taekjoo closely.

There was a subway station entrance nearby. He pretended to pass by, then suddenly turned and entered.

“Chase him!”

The pursuers also no longer pretended to be pedestrians and rushed forward. They aggressively pursued Kwon Taekjoo, even pushing aside the surging crowds.

Kwon Taekjoo leaped over the turnstile. Then, avoiding other passengers, he climbed onto the staircase railing. Without slowing down at all, he ran down the sloped railing.

When the pursuers arrived at the platform, Kwon Taekjoo was already gone. The men exchanged silent signals and scattered in various directions. One of them walked around, scrutinizing the faces of the scattered passengers. Meanwhile, more people continued to pour in. Soon, an announcement came that the train had departed the previous station. His heart raced.

The man, looking around frantically, fixed his gaze on one spot. There was someone with a newspaper held high, covering his face. He lowered his footsteps and slowly approached. His hand had already slipped inside his jacket, gripping a gun.

Soon, the train slid in. He suddenly snatched the newspaper. Unexpectedly, the newspaper came away too easily. Before he could wonder, a sharp impact struck his neck.

“…Ugh!”

He kicked the man, who was clutching his neck and staggering. The passengers were thrown into disarray by the sudden violence. The other pursuers, realizing the commotion, quickly rushed over.

Just then, the train doors opened, and people poured out. The pursuers were helplessly swept away by the surging crowd. Watching them, Kwon Taekjoo slowly backed into the subway car. The pursuers desperately tried to push through the crowd and get closer. But the doors closed first. The men, who had lost Kwon Taekjoo right in front of them, took their frustration out on the screen doors.

He leaned his tired body for a moment. The vibrations of the subway running on the tracks were fully transmitted. The men must have called for backup by now, so he had to get off at the next station. He was calculating how to escape the encirclement when his phone suddenly rang. The caller was undoubtedly Yoon Jongwoo.

“Oh. Did you check?”

Senior… this isn’t a composite or anything, is it?

Yoon Jongwoo asked in a bewildered tone. Was the name he found on the sales slip not a mere homonym?

“Why are you asking?”

…It’s better if you see it yourself. I just sent it.

He checked the image that had just been sent. It seemed to be a captured and enhanced portion of the video. The person in it was unmistakably the one Kwon Taekjoo knew. The person who promised Kim Younghee a future was not the deceased army officer. He was merely a deception to hide the truth.

He put the phone back to his ear. “My head is throbbing.”

This certainly fits better. What will you do now? Should I send this material to the prosecutor in charge?

“No, not yet.”

Why? What could be more certain evidence than this?

Meanwhile, they had arrived at the next station. He carefully surveyed his surroundings, then quickly got off.

“This isn’t enough. I need something even more decisive, something they absolutely can’t escape.”

What’s that?

“I’ll have to find it. I’ll contact you again, and until then, Jongwoo, you will subtly investigate that person.”

He was now openly exploiting him. Before Yoon Jongwoo could say anything, Kwon Taekjoo muttered, “I trust you,” and unilaterally hung up the phone.

He was about to pass through the turnstile, mingling with the other people, when his phone started ringing again. He glanced at the screen, and “Caller ID Restricted” appeared. Yoon Jongwoo wouldn’t do that. And there was no one else who knew his number. It was unsettling.

He ignored the incoming call and put his phone away. Soon, the vibration subsided. He tried to dismiss it as nothing, but before he could take another step, his pocket vibrated. Again, the caller was “Caller ID Restricted.”

Who could it be? He glared at the phone, which wouldn’t stop vibrating, then touched the call button. He didn’t say anything in particular. He just held the phone to his ear and held his breath.

…

For a long time, not a single word was heard. He thought the call had been disconnected, but the call duration continued to tick.

He brought the phone back to his ear. Focusing all his senses, he could faintly hear breathing. The other person also seemed to be highly attuned to Kwon Taekjoo’s movements.

“Who are you?”

He growled. Despite his intimidating tone, a chuckle erupted from the other end of the phone. Simultaneously, his heart dropped. It couldn’t be, but the laugh that reached his ears was strikingly familiar.

Was it him?

The vague self-questioning created a huge ripple inside him. His heart pounded wildly, as if it would burst through his flesh. His pulse raced chaotically. A sudden chill ran down his spine, and sweat instantly beaded in the hand holding the phone. Even in such a situation, he couldn’t bring himself to hang up. His thought process had stopped, and he couldn’t do anything.

Soon, the call end tone was heard. He quickly checked his phone, and it had reverted to the standby screen.

Was it really him? How, exactly?

A memory suddenly surfaced. When he was in Irkutsk, he contacted Yoon Jongwoo using the phone Zenia had gotten him. It was to ask him to look into Zenia. And Zenia had a program that could easily spread hacking viruses. If Zenia had successfully transmitted that program to Yoon Jongwoo’s phone, then calling him like this would be possible.

“…Damn it.”

He clutched his throbbing chest. His strong heart, which he had always prided himself on, trembled just at the thought of Zenia. Was it because Zenia was the first person he had ever yielded to by force? Or was he afraid of Zenia’s retaliation?

No, his current anxiety didn’t stem from such simple emotions. It was more complex and deadly. Something that had been constantly threatened while he was with Zenia felt like it would crumble the moment he faced Zenia again. It hadn’t even been a month since he escaped that helplessness.

The chuckle he had just heard lingered in his ears. Suddenly, he felt a persistent gaze and repeatedly looked around. However, people were simply hurrying on their way, and no one paid Kwon Taekjoo any attention. Perhaps it wasn’t Zenia. Maybe it was just his own impatience. He tried to rationalize it that way.

He pulled up his collar to cover his face and quickly left the area.