AGENT 3

Everyone thought Yongnae would spend his time boringly at home, only reading the Myeongsim Bogam and watching the news, but Yongnae did have something that could be called a hobby.

That was watching the crime investigative program, <I Want to Know That Day>. It featured various stories of incidents and accidents that could make Yongnae’s calm and tedious life at least a little bit exciting.

On that show, they had been running a special feature for three consecutive weeks regarding the current Gucheon serial murder case along with a former professor of criminal psychology, and there was a significant amount of information that had not appeared in the news.

First of all, the culprit of this serial murder case, which has been causing a stir in South Korea for over two months, is a very vicious psychopath who kills the victims by striking them in the head several times with a hammer while they are alive, then dismembers the corpses with an axe, puts them in suitcases, and abandons them.

Furthermore, information about the case that did not appear in the news was that the first victim alone might be an unidentified person, a minor, or a foreigner whose identity does not appear even after a fingerprint comparison.

In addition, judging from the fact that the method of crime changed from a disorganized type to an organized type, it was analyzed that the culprit initially committed the crimes impulsively but, after feeling a sense of pleasure from killing, changed to an organized—that is, planned—style in order to continue committing crimes without being caught.

Also, since the killer only murders young men in their 20s, there is a very high probability that he is a man of sturdy build. However, the reason the culprit only kills young men had been analyzed to the point of suggesting he has developed a taste for the “hand-feel” of striking with a hammer and feels more achievement in killing men than women, who have relatively weaker bodies.

As such, Yongnae knew more facts than Dawon did, but he couldn’t talk about such things while eating bright red soft tofu stew, so he merely nodded and pretended to listen intently. In fact, this was also because Dawon had previously told him several times to shut his mouth and stop talking about such disgusting things while eating, so he was staying silent through learned behavior.

[This is the next news. Recently, ‘E8’, a new type of drug, is spreading frighteningly in our country, centered around Seoul. While drug offenders are being arrested in groups, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has declared a war on drugs, vowing to pull it out by the roots this time.]

It seemed as if the country was going to ruin; after serial murders, it was drugs. Yongnae, who had been nibbling and picking out pieces of crushed tofu, raised his head and looked at the TV. On the news, the briefing of the team leader of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency was being shown.

[We have obtained information that this new drug ‘E8’, which looks like ordinary headache medicine on the outside, began distribution in Hong Kong and has now crossed over to Seoul to be manufactured. Since ‘E8’ shows more powerful symptoms of mental derangement than fentanyl when used, our drug investigation unit is currently investigating to find its base of operations in order to root it out. This is the next news. The housing prices of Gucheon New City, which was called the Beverly Hills of Korea and boasted luxurious home prices…]

The whole world is in a frenzy over fentanyl, and now even a new type of drug has appeared. Since the atmosphere must be grim even with the serial murder cases, he thought the citizens must be very worried. Also, since Gucheon was advertised as the Beverly Hills of Korea or a redeveloped new city, and now the prices of those luxurious houses have plummeted… the Korean economy was in a mess because of crime.

“About the drugs…”

Now, Dawon was starting a conversation with a quite serious face, as if she were going to tell a story about drugs she had picked up from somewhere again.

“I think it might have been put in this stew too. No matter how much I think about it, you can’t get this kind of taste by just simmering something like tofu… don’t you think?”

To think that what she said with such a serious face was nonsense. He wondered if Dawon’s frivolous remarks were perhaps the best among the civil servants of the Jeollabuk-do Provincial Office.

“It’s because it isn’t a taste made by simmering tofu. From what I can see, it seems the taste was drawn out by stir-frying red pepper powder, garlic, onion, and pork. The soft tofu was added after that…”

“Ah, Yongnae is so no-fun.”

“I wasn’t making a joke just now, I was explaining the taste of the stew—.”

“Whatever, Yongnae.”

However, those frivolous words made him smile at least a little bit in his boring daily life. To think she used such a childish way of speaking like ‘Whatever’, like a primary school student.

“Forget it, ice cream go?”

“…No. Ice cream has too much sugar. If sugar accumulates and accumulates, it becomes the root of all diseases—.”

“Augh—! Seriously, what do you live for?”

Perhaps if nothing special happened, he would continue like this by Dawon’s side, listening to her frivolous talk and spending a boring and calm daily life.

—That was the day that served as the trigger for the destruction of Yongnae’s smooth daily life, and now, let’s go to the day he faced that face, when Yongnae’s life was completely turned upside down.

The term “developed site” was perfect for the Seoul Research Institute.

Unlike Yongnae’s research institute, which was in the countryside and had limited restaurants and cafes, in front of the Seoul Research Institute, there were not only Japanese, Chinese, and Western food but also Vietnamese and Thai restaurants. There were even vegan restaurants and French restaurants, so Yongnae eventually had to let out an exclamation of admiration.

Since Yongnae’s home was also in Jeonju, which was close to Imsil where the research institute was located, it wasn’t a complete countryside, but Seoul was definitely the capital of South Korea. Tall and glittering buildings stretched out endlessly, and the people walking on the roads were overflowing to an incomparable degree compared to Imsil.

“Researcher. The soft tofu stew is delicious, right? Usually, you have to wait in line here, but for some reason, there’s no line today.”

Still, the soft tofu stew at Daepung was much more delicious. Nevertheless, perhaps because the Seoul Police Agency was in front of it, the number of customers at the dinner hour was three times more than at Daepung. He could guarantee that if the owner of Daepung set up a shop here, there would be ten times more.

“Imsil is better.”

“Ahaha… You’re honest…”

When Yongnae, who was eating quietly while joined among the Seoul researchers who suggested having a simple dinner together near the institute, gave an honest answer, the research section chief who had asked the question laughed awkwardly.

“Oh, right. I heard the narcotics unit at the police agency wants to borrow our collection equipment tomorrow.”

Perhaps he suddenly remembered it because they were eating in front of the police agency, but the research section chief shifted the topic of conversation.

“Yes? Why would the narcotics unit want that?”

“It’s the thing that captures air for analysis, isn’t it? But you know that new drug? Is it E8? Anyway, they said they need to borrow it to use for finding the manufacturing site.”

It was a somewhat bland soft tofu stew, but since he couldn’t leave food behind, Yongnae, who was busily moving food to his mouth, pricked up his ears at the voice of the research section chief, who was speaking in a lowered voice as if telling some secret story.

‘E8’. It was the drug he had seen on the news while eating soft tofu stew with Dawon a few days ago.

“But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Only Mr. Choongsung knows how to handle the ASC—2000, but he’s on vacation right now.”

ASC—2000? Then, as he heard the familiar name of the equipment, he slightly raised his head.