.jpg)
After the middle-aged man disappeared,
Haejun’s drunkenness vanished completely.
He had just witnessed the ascension of a ghost for the first time in his life—there was no way he could still feel tipsy.
Haejun immediately threw a question at Suho.
‘That thing you were about to say earlier. Say it now.’
In response, Suho took out a scroll, part of the Underworld Code, from his chest.
Just as they had seen before, it read:
- Article 231, Clause 42 of the Underworld Code: Special Provisions for Ascension.
It was clearly written that souls unable to ascend due to deep-seated grudges were permitted to exact “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” revenge.
[It’s hard to believe, but... if we go by this, we just avenged a ghost who couldn’t ascend.]
‘........!’
[Through “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” we saved his son, and as a result, we resolved the grudge of the vengeful soul that was wandering this world, allowing him to ascend... Although it was all by coincidence.]
‘.........’
[Judging by this, it’s clear why the ghosts only left us with the page of the Underworld Code that contained the ‘Special Provisions for Ascension.’ They want us to solve things using the ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ method.]
Haejun nodded without replying to Suho’s words.
Haejun had already surmised as much.
‘...So then, what is this ‘Enforcer’ thing?’
[When we encountered that group of souls earlier, they said I was your guide and that you were the Enforcer who resolves the grudges of ghosts.]
‘.......!’
[I’m not sure if it’s because you’re a living person, but they say the voices of the group of souls that sent us back to the living world don’t reach you.]
‘The voices of the souls don’t reach me...? But I was just talking to that ghost guy earlier without any problem.’
[Unlike the typical ghosts referred to as clients, it seems that group of souls has a different nature. That’s probably why they can’t deliver their messages directly to you. As evidence, when the group of souls appeared in the alley earlier, you couldn’t see them at all.]
‘..............’
[Anyway, that’s likely why they called me a guide. To deliver their voices to you.]
Upon hearing those words, Haejun slowly nodded.
It was the kind of story that would be hard for an ordinary person to believe, but Haejun didn’t seem particularly bothered.
After all, he was a man with an otherworldly cool mindset.
And from the perspective of an otherworldly mercenary, the only difference was that the client had changed from a person to a ghost.
‘I see. But....’
[?]
‘You’re my guide?’
[According to them, yes.]
‘Hmm....’
[Why do you ask?]
‘As a guide, don’t you think you know too little? You’re quite simple.’
At Haejun’s mockery, Suho’s face became a bit resentful.
But he couldn’t argue back.
Even he knew that he didn’t know much.
Moreover, though it was coincidental, this first exorcism was only resolved thanks to Haejun’s strict guidance.
[....Once you start working at the police station, you’ll see my true colors.... Soon, I’ll show you how extraordinary my deductive skills are....]
Suho replied through gritted teeth.
However, Haejun didn’t even pay the slightest attention to his words.
Before long, his interest had shifted to the note left behind by the ghost.
<Gwangju Metropolitan City, Gwangsan-gu, Hanam-dong 32-1789>
<Password 4789>
The address left behind by the middle-aged ghost who had passed away was as follows.
[....But what’s at the address written on that note?]
Suho, apparently curious as well, asked while staring at the blood-red handwriting on the note.
‘Well.... We’ll find out when we get there.’
With that reply, Haejun immediately turned on his smartphone and booked a train ticket.
He thought it best to strike while the iron was hot and planned to uncover the mystery of the note left by the ghost before the night ended.
***
A few hours later.
Before dawn broke, Haejun arrived in Gwangju Metropolitan City with Suho.
They had taken turns riding the train and taxi to get there.
Though the transportation costs had added up to over 100,000 won, Haejun’s wallet was still full.
This was thanks to having emptied the wallets of those deliquents earlier without leaving a single one behind.
[....But considering how much effort it took to get here, there’s nothing here....?]
When Suho said that, there was an abandoned forest area in front of them.
A deserted field overgrown with tall weeds.
Surprisingly, that was their destination.
[Is this really the correct address?]
‘....It is.’
[When you searched this address on Google Earth earlier, it did show a wasteland, but..... now that we’re here, this is really absurd. I never imagined it would be such a completely barren field.....]
‘...Didn’t he say there was a hefty reward?’
[Yes, he did. That ghost said so before disappearing....]
But the current situation seemed far from promising any hefty reward.
There wasn’t even a single shop around.
It was a place devoid of any hint of money.
[.....That ghost didn’t seem like the kind to lie. Didn’t he even bow to us, thanking us for saving his son?]
‘.......’
[So let’s think this through. Maybe this password 4789, written after the address, is a clue.....]
But just as Suho said that...
Pah-aht-!
Suddenly, a bright white pillar of light appeared before Haejun and Suho.
Amazingly, it was pointing right at the middle of the field.
“What is that....?”
With wide eyes, Haejun and Suho approached the pillar of light.
And finally, when they arrived, the perceptive(?) Suho was the first to realize something.
[Dig here.]
‘Dig?’
[There aren’t any weeds here.]
‘.......!’
[Someone seems to have buried something here and covered it up.]
At Suho’s words, Haejun nodded in agreement.
He had also encountered similar situations during his mercenary days while handling various assignments.
Having finished his thoughts, Haejun immediately sprang into action.
Without a shovel, he began digging the ground where the beam of light had emerged with his bare hands.
“Huff... Huff...”
No matter how strong Haejun’s body was, digging with bare hands was still challenging.
Moreover, despite digging nearly a meter deep, nothing had come up yet, making him wonder how deeply it had been buried.
[...If something like this happens again, you should at least bring a shovel...]
It was at that moment when Suho muttered those words.
“!?”
Haejun felt something catch under his hand.
It was the moment when Suho’s suspicion that someone had buried something here turned into certainty.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At that instant, Haejun’s hands moved even faster.
Like a treasure hunter who had finally discovered treasure after long perseverance, a deep excitement flashed in his eyes...!
[This is...?!]
Finally, when Haejun fully unearthed the buried item, Suho’s eyes widened.
In Haejun’s hand was a black 007 case made of a sturdy material.
It was then that both Haejun and Suho realized what the ‘password 4789’ left by the ghost meant.
[The password given by the ghost was meant to open this case....!]
Without hesitation, Haejun entered the password given by the ghost into the dial of the 007 case.
Then,
Click-!
With a satisfying sound, the bag opened.
Next, the expressions of Haejun and Suho turned completely opposite to each other.
[What the...? This is...?]
***
Suho’s face was filled with shock.
In front of him, surprisingly, was a heavy bundle of green bills made up of ten-thousand won notes.
“Ha ha ha! How much is all this?!”
For Haejun, who was obsessed with money, it was only natural to cheer.
But unlike him, Suho looked uneasy.
[Th-this...! This is!]
“Heh heh. Our ghost client sure knows how to reward us properly.”
[This is 100% dirty money! It’s funds used in criminal activities!]
“So what?”
[We obviously have to take it to the police! What if it’s drug money?!]
Suho shouted.
But Haejun, whose eyes were glued to the bundle of bills, couldn’t hear Suho’s voice.
Instead, he sat down and began counting the money.
[Excuse me! Are you even listening to me?!]
“One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred...”
[You really shouldn’t mess with this money!]
“Ah, don’t talk to me. You’re making me lose count. Nine hundred, one thousand, one thousand one hundred...”
[If I’m right, there will be serious consequences!]
At those words, Haejun laughed as if it was ridiculous.
“Consequences? Do you think that’s even possible for someone like me?”
[......!]
“Listen carefully, coward. Everything that has come into my hands so far has been mine.”
[Ha, but what if this money belongs to the victims?! What if it’s the money of the poor grandfathers and grandmothers who were scammed by voice phishing? Of course, it should be returned to those victims!]
Suho’s words were, in a way, obvious.
If this was the money of defrauded victims, it was only right to return it to them. That was the duty of a proper human being.
Moreover, in these times of heightened civic awareness, most people would take found money to the police.
So it was no wonder that Suho, who was full of burning justice, couldn’t approve of Haejun’s actions.
[Please, let’s act like law-abiding citizens! Do you have no basic conscience!?]
Frustrated, Suho directed a sharp binding force towards Haejun.
However, Haejun didn’t even flinch, perhaps because he had already developed resistance, or maybe he was intoxicated by the sudden windfall of money.
“Are you giving me an electric massage? Heh heh.”
[Sigh....]
“If you’re going to do it, aim for my lower back. Make it feel good. Heh heh heh heh.”
But it was at that moment, when Haejun was mocking him like that.
Paaat!
Suddenly, the space in front of Haejun and Suho flashed, and the pillar of light grew even larger.
“What is it this time....?”
When Haejun’s widened eyes turned towards the light pillar,
A holographic image suddenly appeared between the beams of light.
To their surprise, the image revealed the background story of how this 007 briefcase had come into being.
-- On the 17th, the police urgently arrested Kim Kichul, the boss of the Noblesse gang, who mainly operated in the Gwangsan District of Gwangju. Along with Kim Kichul, who was charged with kidnapping, confinement, and threats, 50 other gang members were also indicted...
The anchor in the hologram said.
It was news that had aired just three months ago.
From that alone, Haejun and Suho realized that the original owner of this 007 briefcase had completely lost power and had been dismantled.
Flash!
The next video that appeared further confirmed their suspicions.
Kim Kichul of the Noblesse gang, who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison, was currently rotting away in jail.
In other words, the 007 briefcase that the middle-aged man had gifted them was filled with the hidden funds of criminals, with no strings attached!
“Hehe. Our ghost client is quite considerate, isn’t he? Even if he hadn’t shown us this, we would have taken good care of it, anyway. Hehehe.”
[...........]
“You’re not seriously still thinking about taking this money to the police station, are you?”
[...........]
“This is the dirty hidden money of the criminals you hate. It’s not the money of voice phishing victims or anything.”
[..........]
“So let’s use this money for something good.”
Haejun said with a mischievous smile.
Suho found it ridiculous, but he couldn’t help but agree.
The reason the middle-aged man who had just passed on had prepared that video was probably to tell them to take his reward without feeling burdened.
So, in the next moment, Suho sighed and finally nodded.
[....Alright. Then let’s use this money for something good, as you said.]
If the hidden funds of criminals were used for a good cause that benefits the world, even someone with a burning sense of justice might grudgingly agree.
However, what Haejun considered a ‘good cause’ was vastly different from what Suho had in mind.
“Coward. Have you ever tried caviar?”
