Chapter 23 : Good Deal (3) (Part-1)

The Next Morning, Dongyang Department Store.

There was still an absence of any communication from the siblings as the night continued without interruption, the silence stretching on into the early hours of the morning.

As the clock approached the designated time for opening, CEO Han Sirin took hold of her coat, the fabric clinging to her as she exited the confines of the executive office, stepping into the bustling atmosphere of the business environment.

It appeared that CEO Han Siyeon had endured a sleepless night, her exhaustion evident as she fought to stay awake, her eyes struggling to remain focused as she dozed off intermittently in front of her laptop and phone, the weight of fatigue pulling her down into a state of lethargy.

“Unni, just get some sleep for now. I’ll wait and see if they call.”

“Okay… haah…”

Han Siyeon’s hair was a chaotic tangle, reminiscent of a whirlwind that had swept through it without any regard for order or styling.

She appeared as if she was teetering on the brink of emotional collapse, her demeanor reflecting a profound exhaustion.

With a heavy sigh, Han Siyeon rose unsteadily from her chair, her movements uncoordinated and sluggish, before making her way to the sofa where she finally collapsed onto the cushions, seeking some semblance of comfort or relief.

In the meantime, Han Sirin seamlessly filled the void left by her sister, taking her previous spot in the chair with an air of quiet determination.

Reclining on the sofa, Han Siyeon absentmindedly retrieved her communicator from her pocket, her fingers brushing the cool surface as she contemplated its purpose, but ultimately decided against using it, tucking it away once more into the depths of her pocket.

“Ah, damn it.”

The port at Incheon was still ignoring their calls, an ongoing silence that was both perplexing and concerning.

It had been nearly a month since contact had been lost with the research facility located in Hong Kong, an unsettling situation that left many questions unanswered and increased the anxiety surrounding their operations.

As for the headquarters, reaching out to them would only lead to the unfortunate reality that it would bring more bad news, a prospect that weighed heavily on their minds and spirits.

The more time passed, the worse things got, with each passing day intensifying the urgency and desperation of the situation.

Hong Kong was already completely severed from any connection to the outside world.

This isolation implied that those who were beyond its borders had no means of understanding the events transpiring within — and, more significantly, it meant that whatever turmoil and disorder was occurring inside, it would remain entirely unknown to those on the outside.

Given the reports of newly discovered resources within the region, it was inevitable that covert operatives and mercenaries had undoubtedly infiltrated the area in significant numbers.

But now that the area was sealed off, those people had morphed into something more like a paramilitary unit.

Disarmament? Forget it.

The entire location was infested with individuals struggling with drug addiction — the sound of gunfire had become almost an expected reaction in such an environment.

Only the ports and a select number of regions maintained a semblance of government authority.

The remaining areas existed in a state of near-total anarchy, devoid of any lawful oversight.

Should this situation persist for an extended period, it was inevitable that those regions lacking regulation would be increasingly encroached upon and occupied by operatives from Anglo-American and European backgrounds.

Or worse — what if the entire lab ended up in their hands?

That would be truly catastrophic.

“Goddammit, why does that guy take so damn long to make a decision— Oh! Got something!”

“You did!?”

The moment the phone rang, Han Siyeon shot up.

[Hong Kong. I’m going. Also, instead of the 300 million we agreed on, I’ll need 500 million.]

“Yes. That’s fine. No problem at all.”

[Then let’s meet to discuss the next steps. How about dinner together?]

“That’s not possible. Troops from Geummyeong are stationed right outside the department store. If I step out now, I’ll be tailed immediately.”

[Then I’ll join you at departure.]

Since the last time Chief Yu barged in, the department store had been in a state of heightened alert, with employees and security personnel closely monitoring the situation for any signs of trouble or disturbance.

The same atmosphere of tension and unease extended to the outside surroundings.

The entire Dongyang Department Store area was charged with an air of anxiety; even the thought of a shootout breaking out in broad daylight would not come as a shock to anyone in the vicinity.

If anything were to go wrong by making the decision to leave at this moment, the entire carefully crafted plan could unravel and collapse under the pressure.

[Then how about a remote dinner?]

“…Excuse me?”

It was a phrase she had never encountered or been exposed to at any point in her life.

Before long, news arrived that Min Cheol-woo’s group had successfully retrieved Team Leader Kim Mi-young from the secure location where she was being housed and made their way to a restaurant situated in Majang-dong.

As they powered on the laptop, the display lit up to reveal the bustling scene of a private dining room within the restaurant, which was already filled with the enticing aroma of meat sizzling on a grill.

Gulp — both CEOs, Han Siyeon and Han Sirin, found themselves swallowing hard in unison, the sight igniting an immediate sense of hunger.

Ah— perhaps we should consider ordering two servings directly from the restaurant located on the ground floor beneath us?

Their eyes locked in mutual understanding.

They were clearly thinking the exact same thing.

“Have you read all the materials?”

[Yeah. I mean, the bottom line is, whether they’re addicts or whatever, there’s nothing a 7.62mm round can’t handle, right? That’s enough for me.]

That’s enough?

Half the entire population of Hong Kong has perished, the city has become infested with grotesque monsters, and covert operatives from a multitude of nations are frantically darting about armed with weapons — and that’s all there is to it?

If he has taken the time to read everything, then surely he has also viewed the accompanying photographs as well.

And yet, he remains there, nonchalantly gnawing on meat as if nothing out of the ordinary is occurring?

What kind of resilience does his stomach possess?

The CEO found himself utterly astonished and at a loss for words.

[By the way, do you have a decent knife?]

“A knife? Like… a longsword?”

[Yeah. Something sturdy and durable would be great.]

“I’ll see if I can find one when we get to Incheon Port.”

[Cool. Thanks. And also… four more servings of sirloin, please.]

“Ah, yes, sure. Four more sirloin…”

Wow, they truly had an insatiable appetite and appeared to be enjoying their meal immensely.

Plates overflowing with various cuts of meat were accumulating on the table, reaching towering heights reminiscent of mountains.

They began with succulent ribs, then moved on to the flavorful front leg, followed by the rich chuck, the tender and juicy tenderloin, and now they were savoring the exquisite sirloin — at the pace they were going, it seemed inevitable that they would soon request to sample every item available on the menu.

It certainly looked as if they were devouring their food with the fervor of individuals who hadn’t tasted a morsel in an entire month.

Apparently, they ate like this at every meal…

Next to them, Kim Mi-young was sweating bullets, frantically grilling the meat without a single break — and the two didn’t seem to care one bit.

[So you’re saying there’s an Oriental Group-affiliated research lab in Hong Kong, but since there’s no way to contact them, you have to go there yourself and retrieve the data?]

“Yes. You can just call it a recipe, if that’s easier. Because we’ve lost contact, we can’t be certain how far the research has progressed, but it’s where China’s top researchers and equipment are concentrated. They also have plenty of samples for testing, so by now, we expect they’ve figured out the molecular structure and synthesis method of the Blue Pill.”

[And what are you planning to do with that recipe?]

“I’m going to use it for a deal. China wants to take over Hong Kong and produce the Blue Pill for export, but if the recipe for artificial synthesis gets out to the world, that would be a problem for them, right? So I’m going to propose a deal—destroy the recipe, in exchange for what I want from the Chinese authorities.”

[So you plan to return as CEO through that deal.]

“Yeah, you could say that.”

It was undoubtedly a plan of significant ambition, displaying a level of foresight that many would consider daring or even audacious in its scope and execution.

However, the pressing question remained: Would China genuinely uphold the agreement once the recipe, which held considerable value, had been irrevocably destroyed?

There lingered a troubling thought: What if, once they obtained what they sought, they simply disregarded her, essentially casting her aside without a second thought, as they would have seemingly nothing at stake?

Cheol-woo found himself grappling with these uncertainties and nagging doubts, yet he chose to refrain from expending his valuable time and energy fretting over potential outcomes that were beyond his control.

She was indeed a woman of great cunning and strategic intellect.

She probably had a copy of the recipe stashed away for emergencies, or something like that.

“We’ll be entering Hong Kong by sea. The airport is shut down. Actually, the ports are technically closed too, but I’ve got connections there, so it won’t be a problem.”

[We’re taking the boat from Incheon Port?]

“Yes. The port police and customs officers at Incheon have been paid off—”

[Noona, eat something too. The tenderloin’s good.]

[You go ahead. I’m grilling this batch and ordering more afterward.]

[Ah, okay.]

“—so as long as we get into Incheon Port, we’ll be able to leave safely.”