All master of Cyberpunk

Episode 9

9. Agent Haan

After logging onto the network of the intelligence agency’s headquarters, Lee went straight to her office.

It’s where she receives orders from the top and accesses the information and communication network of the Daejeon Green Zone.

 

Of course, the office was an electronic space.

 

It wasn’t a place in the physical sense, but the sensation she felt wasn’t too different from reality.

 

Haan frowned at the sound of words coming from all directions as she entered the Oval Office.

 

 

The collapse of… appears to be imminent, as martial law has been imposed on… under the Green Zone Autonomy Decree.

 

The third is believed to be in place. Regular military forces have been called in.

 

 

The live wiretaps from both military and civilian communication lines were a jumble, and it was hard to make out what was being said.

 

“You’re telling me I didn’t abort the hijack order?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Turn it off.”

 

“I have the order.”

 

The A.I. was assigned by the Intelligence Command exclusively to Haan. The sounds that had filled the virtual space in anticipation of Haan’s command were silenced.

 

There.

 

That’s a relief.

 

“By the way, what’s the response to your urgent request?”

 

“A reply was received three hours and twenty-seven minutes ago. Print out the contents.”

 

At the same time as the AI’s voice, a pop-up window appeared in front of Lee’s eyes.

 

 

[Outgoing] (Urgent) Background Check Request

From: 2056.09.12

 

[Content]

This telegram is a request for a background check for an operation separate from regular reporting.

The subject of the background check was Lee Do-jin, believed to be born in Daejeon. I am currently registered as a D-class Hunter with the Chilgok Guild.

Please conduct a background check on this person and provide us with any special information. Please do so as soon as possible.

 

It was an email that I reported to the higher-ups as soon as I met Lee Do-jin at the soup kitchen.

For her, who was currently conducting a classified operation in Daejeon, Lee Do-jin was an unexpected surprise.

A very serious one, too, who knows everything about her.

Of course, there were not a few people in the Daejeon Green Zone who knew her identity. She was a kind of local helper.

 

The ‘Humint’, who had been contacted by the higher-ups prior to her dispatch, became her eyes and ears.

 

With their help, he was able to find out that the atmosphere in the third-ranked guild, the Daejeon Industrial Union, was unpleasant.

 

However, if she wasn’t a Humint, she would only be the secretary of the Chilgok Guild, which had come down to visit her aunt.

 

There was no reason for her to be found out, much less discovered.

 

But she already knew who she was—if that wasn’t a serious factor.

 

Until today.

 

Lee asked about TechBody in a very casual way.

 

It could be inferred that, as an agent, he would naturally be equipped with a TechBody.

 

The problem was that he seemed to be aware of not only the presence of the TechBody but also its performance.

 

It’s as if they’re convinced they can’t touch it with their underdog bikers’ crappy body jammers!

 

‘They saw nothing wrong with it and let it slide.

 

It’s worth at least a bite, but even that was glossed over, which is confusing to Haan.

 

And the brute force he displayed in battle was nothing to sneeze at.

 

Haan had already gotten information about the Underdog Bikers. Even as an undercover agent, he’s currently living in the North District.

 

It’s never a good sign when new gangs start to nest.

 

So when they grew to be a threat to public safety, the guild was ready to put out a call for help.

 

I cleaned them out in one fell swoop. Even using superpowers.

 

I vaguely suspected that he was a manifestor, since he had single-handedly defeated a gargoyle, a high-level mutant, but I had no idea he possessed such power.

 

‘A B-class Hunter? No, at least an A-class.’

 

It’s just a theory, but maybe he’s a hidden S-class hunter that she’s not aware of.

 

A man where everything is suspicious.

 

That was Haan’s assessment of Lee Do-jin.

 

Force, intelligence, negotiation, and drive.

 

He had no shortage of skills, and the most annoying thing about him was that whenever he tried to pry into something, he would just smirk and shrug it off as if there was a screw missing somewhere.

 

Like a seasoned mercenary or politician who’s been there and done that.

 

It made him feel like he was playing with the top of his head, which made him feel a little self-conscious.

 

However, no matter how suspicious it was, it was impossible to move without orders from above.

 

He could do his own personal background checks, but other than that, he was not authorized to do anything else.

 

However, the answer that came back from the higher-ups was quite different from what Ihaan thought.

 

 

[Incoming] Request denied

Received: 2056.09.13

 

[Subject]

Your request for access to information has been denied.

This is ridiculous.

Even though they say that field agents are not given much autonomy, their access to information is practically equivalent to that of the intelligence commander and his immediate staff.

The fact that the request was denied, not only because it provided only fragmentary information about Lee Do-jin, but because the request itself was denied…?

 

It was a clear indication that his information was being treated better than Ha’an’s within the command.

Just as she’s about to panic, the AI adds another word.

 

“There is an additional directive from the command center. Would you like to confirm?”

 

“Play it straight.”

 

“Caller: Chief of Staff, Intelligence Command. Print that directive.”

 

 

[Incoming] Additional orders regarding the Daejeon Green Zone operation.

Received: 2056.09.13

 

[Subject]

Maintain contact with the individual as much as possible.

Let them use their own judgment, but provide support and cooperation where it is needed.

We need to establish a close working relationship.

Intelligence Command Chief of Staff.

Haan could only stare blankly at the additional directive.

 

Would the General Staff actually intervene directly?

In her mind, the mysterious man from the liberation village who had been coolly emptying his bowl of soup dispersed like a mirage.

That moment.

Lee Do-jin went from being a man who was suspicious of everything to a man who was dangerous of everything.

 

Where does this all lead?

 

What is his real purpose? Does he have something to do with the intelligence agency?

 

My mind raced with questions.

 

Somehow, it seemed like it was all very intentional from the first day he joined the Chilgok Guild. Even his visit to his aunt’s soup restaurant must have had a hidden agenda, and not just to make contact with her.

 

“She seemed to know about my grandmother’s past.”

 

But even if I wrapped my head around it, I couldn’t come up with an answer. For now, I just follow the orders of my superiors.

 

Even if she didn’t like it, she couldn’t count the number of people behind her.

 

Haan was supposed to rely strictly on the superior’s judgment rather than her own curiosity or hunches.

 

Still, the fact that he had been told to work together and not antagonize Lee Do-Jin was a satisfying enough outcome.

 

A hound of the fallen government, endlessly searching for the remnants of his glorious past.

 

Free will was not allowed in the workplace.

 

“Please don’t grab my ankle, Lee Do-jin.”

 

She muttered, covering her face with both hands.

 

She mulled over the name of the man who had appeared out of nowhere.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep.

 

I jerked awake to the loud beeping of my alarm. The clock read 8:00 a.m..

 

Another bright morning. It’s been three days since I entered the world of Seoul 2056.

 

I was slowly getting used to my new routine, but I still couldn’t get used to the broken springs and the sagging mattress.

 

I tidied up the futon and made myself a decent meal of instant noodles. With prices going crazy, instant noodles were the only thing I could afford.

 

Even though it costs 5,000 won per cup, it’s still cheaper than… Jeyukbokki, which costs 30,000 won per bowl, right?

 

After a light breakfast, I took a shower, got dressed, and left the hostel.

 

The distance between the hostel and Chilgok Guild was not close, to say the least.

 

An hour’s walk isn’t exactly close.

 

Of course, there is public transportation nearby, represented by the monorail.

 

It’s usually full, and without the ubiquitous economy chip, I couldn’t even get on.

 

In an age where basically everything is electronic,.

 

Financial services, which have evolved from cash to passbooks, passbooks to cards, and cards to FinTech, have not been far behind, and bioelectronics is no different.

 

By implanting a biochip in my wrist, I can easily make payments anytime, anywhere, without having to hold an electronic device, but that’s not possible for me, a purely organic being.

 

‘This is inconvenient.

 

It was a new feeling.

 

Of course, there were security issues with e-currencies and various adult reasons why cash was still accepted in the market.

 

My wallet was too thin to support the crazy price of cod.

 

No one in their right mind would carry 100,000 won in their pocket for lunch.

 

Only a laborer would do that.

 

Similarly, it’s difficult to secure a means of communication.

 

Most communication devices on the market are implanted in the body. They are commonly known as B-Phones.

 

Unlike an economy chip, which can be replaced with cash, you can never give up a communication device like a body phone.

 

In a world where flying cars are flying around and half of the people are replaced by machines, it is impossible to use a book or a bonfire.

 

In particular, it was necessary to establish a communication network as soon as possible to prevent future disasters in the Daejeon Green Zone.

 

“Let’s see, what time is it?”

 

I checked my old wristwatch that I bought on my way back yesterday.

 

It was now 8:00 a.m. I still had two hours to go before my 10:00 a.m. start time.

 

I thought about going early again today and chatting with Mr. Haan, but it would be better to solve the urgent problem first.

 

“A quick stop in Namgu would be perfect.”

 

Nam-gu, a district of outlaws who disrespect even public authorities.

 

It wasn’t for nothing that the people of Daejeon said that there was nothing they couldn’t do in Nam-gu.

 

He was right.

 

Because there was everything illegal in the world.