[ D day - 3 ] [ 19 H : 20 M : 40 S ] [ South Korea ]
Choi Yuna walked as fast as she could, on a path decorated with one too many chrysanthemums.
'Damn it ! Would you die if you built a door with no flowers on the bottom? ' she cursed, when she stubbed her toe on one of the wooden flower decorations on the door.
" What is this about the emergency meeting, Choi team manager ?" The NIS director who was probably called from cooking breakfast for his daughter growled.
He is most busy in the mornings, preparing to send his three kids to school.
Director Kim Jinchul is commonly called half cinderella, for he is a capable man, who married way too above his station.
His wife owned three buildings in kangnam, along with the largest hospital. Add to that, she herself was a genius doctor.
God knows how they met, but a 'school's coolest fighter ' Kim Jinchul met school flower Han Seul and married her within a year. That was twenty years ago. Since then, Kim Jinchul was thoroughly reformed by his mother-in-law to be an ideal house husband.
Fortunately, he picked a job that required him to beat up guys, and no one is more ferocious on the field than Kim Jinchul. That is not to mean he is all brawn and no brain. He is a rare guy who had just enough brawn, just enough brain and even Just enough sense.
That is the reason Choi Yuna is informing Kim Jinchul over her own superior about this news.
Yuna began as soon as the entire team assembled.
" This is an excerpt from the morning news on TV asahi. " she played the clip.
Hiroto was on the screen, showing a website address on the TV.
Yuna spoke before the protests could come. Once the director begins scolding about foreigners, he could go on forever.
Thus, she flipped the page immediately and opened the website.
The director looked at her in askance.
Sure, the guy could read English, but he's a little weak on it at times.
" What they say is that one portal opens for a hundred thousand people. Sir, Seoul has the highest number of portals in the world, even more than Tokyo, Newyork, Beijing or Mumbai. " Choi Yuna informed the team leader, as she explained the correlation.
" Even if a third of our people are in Seoul, some of these cities' population is higher than Seoul. Why in the world do they have less portals ? " Jinchul wondered, as he looked at the list Yuna prepared.
" This.. I am not sure about it, but it could be the qualitative difference in the beasts. " the youngest Park Minhwan spoke.
" You! Speak human. " Jinchul snarked at the youngest, who belonged to the X- generation, who grew up on computers and smartphones.
More than that, this Minhwan is a genius who was from national university, which is Jinchul forever sore point.
" The beasts in the dungeons that were identified in all the portals you mentioned - Salt water crocodile in Mumbai, clouded leopard in Beijing, eastern cougar and elk in newyork and black bears in tokyo. All of these are top predators who an average citizen could not face. I think such portals count for more than hundred thousand people. " Minhwan opined.
For a moment, the conference room was silent, as Yuna browsed her research data in front of everyone.
" It does seem to be correct. " she said in astonishment.
" So we are better off than them ? " Jinchul pondered aloud.
" Wait ! That's not the problem here. Choi team manager ! This is something that affects the entire country. Why are you telling this information to 'Small fry' me ? shouldn't you go to your own director ? " Jinchul frowned at her.
Yuna stayed silent, while others looked at Jinchul and sweat dropped.
" Sir ! Stay a little on top of current affairs. Director Kim is the dog of the L group. Do you think he goes to the president or takes any actions that benefit the public in the end ? " the ever sarcastic Miss Oh commented.
Jinchul was in deep thought and he came out with a light bulb moment.
" You want me to inform my wife. After all, she owns the biggest hospital, you want our hospital to prepare for a crisis. You want to jump the ship ?! " Kim Jinchul only threw an arrow in blind regarding the latter part.
After all, Choi Yuna is famous for being career oriented and ruthless.
" I don't want to be the person who sold a country." Yuna said, by way of explanation.
" Your director won't be that bad ! Think how far reaching the consequences would be ! " Jinchul opined, but no one answered.
All of them looked at him like he was the most pathetic guy on the block.
" What ! What ! You guys think director lee would betray the country ? " he asked in shock.
" No. However he would only move the country's resources to help the average citizen after he has helped the rich and powerful. I believe this information must be trusted and acted upon immediately. " Yuna explained, looking pointedly at Jinchul.
" You! Why are you looking at me like that ? " Jinchul exclaimed, looking at Yuna's burning eyes looking at him.
" Minhwan! Let's go get coffee. " Miss Oh called the youngest one out.
The moment they left, Yuna closed the door.
" Sir! Rumor has it you have the weak point of the president. " Yuna told Jinchul.
" That.. how did you know ? Wait ! that's not it. How many people know ? " Jinchul is freaking out. He came by the information about the President's slush fund accidentally. It's enough to shock the country if the amount came out.
" That's not important. I think now that I have confirmed it's presence, we need to have a long conversation. " Yuna said, pulling Jinchul who has gone white with fear looking at her passionate appearance.
After an hour, in the blue house, the secretary of state let out a series of vulgar words that would make a sailor blush.
" You ! Meet the president ? Is he your father or brother ? you think every Tom, Dick and Harry could meet the president just because he wants to ? You …" he would have gone on forever.
" what the f**k do you mean check the mai.. " the secretary's words stopped abruptly as he looked at the attachment he received on his mail.
"Kim Jinchul ?! Do you think you could live happily after doing something like this ? " the secretary whispered angrily into the phone.
" I will get you a twenty minute meeting. Don't you dare speak nonsense with the leader. " he warned the man on the phone.
Kim Jinchul called his wife on the way to Blue house.
He sent an extremely tearful farewell message to his children, and a nicer message to his mother-in-law.
"This better be important, or your monthly allowance is going to be fined. " his wife answered him before he could say hello.
" Darling! It's important ! It's country-changing level important. I am being kidnapped, and blackmailed into blackmailing the president ! I think I won't live long. You must miss me when I die." he said, trying to sound as miserable as possible.
" Speak human. " his wife answered coldly.
" There is new information about portals. The portals contain beasts .. " Jinchul explained.
" In essence you want me to give all my personnel trauma training, and keep almost all the staff I have on standby for tonight ? " she asked in shock.
Sure, their family ran the largest hospital chain network in the country. Until yesterday, it very much looked like only the army was going to be sufficient to take care of the situation. However, if the information her husband gave is true, the chances of common people getting hurt is too high.
Moreover, if such a thing happened, Doctors are in the most vulnerable position.
"No no ! How could I ask my wife for anything at all ? I believe my wife will handle the situation best, with or without my help. " Kim Jinchul answered subserviently. His tone is far more reverent than when he was speaking to the secretary of the state.
" Hmm.. At least you are self conscious. " his wife said, before hanging up the call.
Despite her not agreeing, Jinchul is not worried. His wife is both resourceful and organized. She was not praised as a genius for nothing.
Soon, they arrived in the Blue house. Yuna accompanied him only till the front gate, where she wished him best before running away. Jinchul hardened his heart, and walked forward.
After fifteen minutes, he was standing in front of the president, looking at the man.
The man looked surprisingly affable, like a neighborhood uncle. Only, he was not.
Jinchul first explained the information they received.
" If that is all, you could have very well informed me through proper channels. There was no need to threaten me. What are your demands ? " The president asked calmly.
" I want an army muster, including all reserves. That means calling every able man between sixteen and thirty six to enlist, and every man below fifty who ever served in the army to become active. " Jinchul answered.
The president's face went from peaceful enough to deal with the small fry to utter total shock.
" Tonight determines how we survive as a race sir. If I have gone through proper channels, you would have released this news to people after you have moved away from all the privileged. I merely want you to give an average citizen the same chance you would give to the rich and powerful. " Jinchul expounded
The president was still looking at him like he was seeing Jinchul for the first time.