Chapter 54.2

Chapter 54.2

“Terrible ones.”

Realizing the fact anew, excitement began to flutter in her stomach. Seoryeong masked her emotions as much as possible and asked, keeping a neutral expression, “Have you ever had to detain someone and move with them out of necessity, sir?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Have you ever fed them and given them water and kept them for a few days?”

“Yes, I have.”

Once again, he didn’t change his expression as he answered.

“What did you do then? Are there any precautions to take?”

There are three deputy directors of the NIS. The first is in charge of foreign national interest intelligence, the second is in charge of counterintelligence, and the third is in charge of scientific and cyber espionage.

With only three weeks left until the end of training, the resolve to endure for just two months had dwindled to almost half. So, any one of the three would do.

Though she regretted not learning as much as the instructor intended, Soryeong hadn’t acquired the mental strength to overcome pain or the attitude to withstand interrogation through past training.

What she wanted to know from the beginning was just one thing.

How do experts torture?

Suddenly, a satisfied and smug gaze passed over Seoryeong’s clear eyes. The core she had gained from experiencing it firsthand was just that.

Thanks to explanations from her colleagues and Instructor Lee Wooshin himself, the repertoire of torture techniques had expanded considerably.

So, one is enough. Of the three deputies, just one-. Properly, happily, and by the shortest distance.

Even if it meant getting just one strand of Kim Hyun’s hair.

Her eyes, awaiting an answer, stubbornly focused on the tightly closed lips of the man before her.

“….”

“….”

But Lee Wooshin only watched her silently with a somewhat suspicious expression.

Did I ask something strange? But they’re all new recruits from the Blast, and they’re instructors, so it’s natural to have conversations, right?

But as his gaze became increasingly inscrutable, Soryeong had no choice but to conjure up a convincing excuse to dispel suspicion.

“As you said, instructor, we never know where or when something might happen. When it’s really urgent, you advised us to think of you, sir. So, when there’s time, I’m just thinking long and hard.”

It seemed like a pretty good answer, but Lee Wooshin’s forehead furrowed. He gently swept his lips with an unreadable expression, then spoke,

“The basic principle applied when performing any operation, whether it’s kidnapping or anything else, is essentially the same. Almost all success or failure depends on how much you can lower the other party’s guard.”

“….”

“Originally, when dealing with predictably low-risk individuals—those without cultural differences, language barriers, or seemingly low crime probabilities—their guard tends to be infinitely low.”

His impassive face suddenly twisted.

“If Agent Han Seoryeong finds herself in a situation where she has to escape using someone, without guns, knives, or drugs. Utilize this human prejudice to approach first.”

“….”

“Sometimes, rather than pointing a gun mercilessly, it’s more effective first to disarm the other party’s trigger.”

It seemed like he had anticipated a desperate moment, but what Seoryeong had in mind wasn’t an escape but a hostage situation. Either way, the instructor’s advice was a helpful story for Seoryeong.

Typically, protectees don’t guard their bodyguards. Furthermore, she was a pretty young woman. She even knew how to be quite kind, so if she could use this well…

At the same time, one thought flashed like a spark. Coincidentally, Lee Wooshin was also adding to the same context.

“So when I kill a person, I take the form of a helpless grandfather. When I acquire money, I take the form of a neighbor, “ He paused before continuing, And when I destroy someone, I take the form of love.”

***

Seoryeong was so busy organizing her thoughts that she didn’t even notice his suddenly chilly voice.

I’m glad I came here.  Seoryeong nodded eagerly. How to thoroughly extract the wisdom of that instructor who had long been in the field, even to the marrow—suddenly, her eyes gleamed with oil.

But the guy sitting next to her kept poking her side with his finger.

The mosquito-like behavior wasn’t funny at all, but as he continued to bother her, she suddenly turned her head sharply. When she quietly stared at him, her colleague firmly grabbed her arm and gave her a meaningful look.

She glanced around and saw that all the men had stiffened their shoulders and annoyed expressions.