Chapter 149 - Busan Trip (6)

When KJ and Hyun Jung reached the hotel, they could not find Ash and Mirae anywhere. 

"Where did they go?" Hyun Jung frowned.

"I don't know," KJ shrugged. "Let me call Ash."

He dialed Ash's number only to find it switched off. He even tried Mirae's number but it was also turned off.

"Their cellphones are off," KJ frowned. "Where could they be?"

"Maybe they went on a date," Hyun Jung teased. "It did seem like they were close enough to take the same room."

He noticed KJ's lips quivered momentarily. Even though he had long suspected Ash and the CEO to have something going on between them, KJ's reaction surprised him more.

"Let's try to open this box," KJ said shortly. 

"We don't know the password," Hyun Jung pointed out.

"We'll just try whatever we can think of," KJ said. "Since this box was specifically stated to be sent to me, I'm sure the password is something related to me. Someone's birthday or previous code. We'll try everything."

Hyun Jung sighed. It is going to take a long time to open the box, he thought. 

He was right. They tried every code they could think of. From KJ's birth date to the ones of his family members, they tried every combination. They also tried the passwords KJ knew of including his bank accounts. Nothing worked.

"There must be something!" KJ exclaimed. It had been almost four hours since they had been inputting all sorts of codes all to no avail. 

"Did you try your grandmother's birthday?" Hyun Jung asked, feeling tired. 

"Yes," KJ answered. "Even tried Yeri and Yura's ones! Hell even Butler Shin's birthdate didn't work!"

"There has to be something," Hyun Jug reasoned. "Maybe an important milestone? Someone's death anniversary? Mixed code?"

"That's gonna take ages!" KJ said rolling his eyes. 

"Let's just ask the CEO for help," Hyun Jung suggested. "She can crack it in no time-"

"No!" KJ said adamantly. "I want to know first what's in there. I will tell her later on but…"

He took a deep breath. Glancing at the box, the urge to fling it open was overwhelming him. The box held the key to his parents' deaths. Whatever was in there, he must get it first. He wanted to hold the evidence which could lead him to his parents' murderer. 

"It has to be me," he said quietly. "I want to hold the evidence first. I want to see it first. Not you, not her, not anyone else. Only me. I want to see his face first…"

The man who started it all. The man who took away his family and even caused Mirae so much pain. He wanted to find that man first.

Hyun Jung did not say anything. There was a quiet determination in KJ's eyes. He had not seen that look in his friend for a long time. 

Wonder what lies ahead, Hyun Jung thought worriedly.

….

Ash and Mirae were driving towards the remote side of the town. SD had sent instructions to search for a post box behind one of the large shopping malls inside the city center. While the main road was busy with people and cars, the backside alley was a different place. Ash stopped the car at the alley's entrance.

"Is that it?" he pointed towards a post box which looked like it was out of place. Unlike the main road, which was two minutes away, the alleyway was completely devoid of any people. It was almost dark and the deserted alley looked dangerous. There was no sound nor any signs of life, which only added to the dread.

"Looks like it," Mirae replied. There were no CCTV cameras around but they did not want to take the risk of exposure. They were still wearing their masks. Getting out of the car, both of them were a little apprehensive. Ash could sense that Mirae did not completely trust this SD. 

"Tell me about this SD," Ash said. "You don't seem to trust him."

"I don't," she admitted. "He isn't someone I'm fond of. If it wasn't urgent, I wouldn't have called him. Unfortunately, he's one of the biggest influencers of the underworld and has first hand information about anything that goes on in there. If there is one person who can tell us what is going on inside the Cartel, then it's him."

"How does he know so much about the Cartel?" Ash frowned.

"He occasionally works for them," Mirae revealed as they reached the post box. Ash was trying to digest the new information while Mirae was scavenging inside the post box. There was nothing but a small, rectangular box. She ripped off the packaging only to find the drawing of a map in it.

"What's this?" Ash frowned.

"A puzzle," Mirae replied. "SD wouldn't just give away his location to anyone. To find him, we'll have to solve this puzzle. His location is somewhere on this map."

Ash looked at it but found nothing. There was no mark nor any trace on it. It was simply a map. 

How will we find him using this?" he frowned. 

"Like this," Mirae said, taking out a small light from her pocket and turned it on. A red light illuminated from it. Pointing it over the map, she scanned it with the light until one particular mark propped up.

"There!" she said excitedly. "We'll find the next clue there."

"Next clue?" Ash questioned. "Is this a treasure hunt?"

"SD doesn't stay anywhere long," Mirae explained. "In case if the wrong person tracks him down?"

"Who?"

"Depends on who he is working for," Mirae shrugged. "SD isn't like other people. He has no sense of morality nor is he interested in choosing camps. In this battle between Abyss and the Cartel, he will side with whoever will pay for his services."

"Isn't that bad?" Ash questioned. "He can betray anytime!"

"If there is one rule SD lives by," Mirae said. "Is customer service. He won't give up the identities of his customers. For money, he will tell the truth. But you gotta be careful when dealing with him. If you don't cover your loopholes, he can sell you out. If you want him to keep secrets, then make sure you're paying him extra."

"He sounds like someone who'd betray people in seconds," Ash commented.

"Only if he is paid," Mirae grimaced.

"But why are we going all over town for him?" Ash asked. "Why is he hiding?"

"He sold out people for money," Mirae said. "Of course he has enemies! He's hiding from them. Not like he needs to, given how he…"

"What does he do?" Ash frowned.

"Let's just say, he has an unusual way to deal with enemies," Mirae said. "You'll see."

They got into the car and drove towards the marked area. After half an hour, they pulled up in front of a small shack. It was a roadside restaurant, which was tended by an old lady. 

The old woman looked up when they entered. 

"Welcome," she greeted. "Please have a seat."

They glanced at each other and took two seats. The old woman came to their table.

"What would you like to have?" she asked. 

"We don't want to eat anything," Mirae said quickly. "We're looking for someone."

"The seaweed soup is excellent here," the old woman chirped, completely ignoring her. "I highly recommend it."

"Ahjumma, we don't want to eat," Ash repeated. "We're just-"

"The seaweed soup is our specialty," the old woman rambled. "I highly recommend it."

"Ahjumma-"

"Ash wait," Mirae whispered. She turned to the old woman. "We'll take two bowls."

"Coming right up," the old woman said. Within a few minutes, she arrived two steaming bowls of seaweed soup. She put the bowls in front of them and said, "Enjoy our special soup."

"What was that?" Ash frowned.

"These soup bowls hold some clues," Mirae explained. "He didn't send us here for nothing."

She scounged the soup. "I can see something written at the bottom," she said. She grabbed a flower vase from the table and poured her soup into it. Ash did the same. Staring at their bowls, an address was scrawled.

"414 Gyeongju Street," Mirae read. "Looks like we found him."