I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 453

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“Everything on the USB is true. At least within the limits of what she can access.”

“Oh... so even after all this, she still hasn’t forgotten her duty as an agent? She’s tougher than I thought.”

It had been quite a while since the “Park Hyejeong Corruption Operation” had begun.

There had been more than a few points where I thought, ‘This has to be the end now.’

And yet, every time, she managed to evade complete collapse and resume her role as an agent.

Even this time—

She cut off contact with her pair for an entire week. I thought it was really over. But in the end, she got called out again and handed over information.

“That our Hyejeong is resisting so splendidly... If it were any ordinary human, they’d have hit rock bottom already.”

Humans are fragile.

Not just against external attacks—internal factors are enough to break them apart.

But our Hyejeong endured again.

She became an agent again.

“Well, yeah. It takes someone of her caliber to be a member of an organization like Abyss.”

An extraordinary human.

Annoying as it is, that’s exactly why I’m paying so much attention to Hyejeong.

Because she’s not ordinary.

Which means the pleasure of breaking her, the ecstasy of possessing her, and the satisfaction of finally turning her into a trophy—those are worth anticipating.

“She’s something else.”

“Oh, but...”

“?”

“There was a trap.”

A trap?

What the hell, all of a sudden?

After I just got done praising her—

“They can track her location.”

“?”

Location tracking? Out of nowhere?

“What... maybe so they can come save her if she gets in danger or something?”

“If that were the reason, they already have ways of tracking each other. From the start of the mission, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) actually.”

“Then why?”

“Because the existing methods can be blocked. She knows her location can be tracked anytime, so she can disable it herself.”

“Oh, so basically, they can all track each other but they can cut it off anytime?”

“Yes.”

Meaning, if a paired agent suspects something, they can just block it entirely.

Protect their own information from being exposed.

“But if they add a new tracking method?”

Ma Yeonju lifted the USB.

For reference, this one was just a copy.

She said she left the real one in the safehouse that Agents A and B use.

“Even if they disable the old system, this USB would still be traceable.”

“...So basically, it ensures her location can be tracked no matter what.”

“Yes.”

“But you said the data inside is all true.”

“Yes. Within the scope of what she can access, it’s all true.”

Which means...

“This is really the final safeguard, huh.”

That USB was insurance itself.

No matter what choice she made, it guaranteed a clean route forward.

If she decided to keep working as an agent, the USB only contained truth from the Association, so no problem.

But if she chose to completely fall, it could be used to eliminate anyone who knew her true identity.

“But why a USB, though? It’s not like she carries it around every day. Doesn’t that make it inefficient?”

“That much I’m not sure of... maybe that was just the limit of what they could hand off? Or else...”

“Or else?”

“...Maybe from now on, they’ll embed it into every item they give her?”

“....”

Hmm.

That would make sense.

“How about with Agent B? Getting along well?”

“It has reached the stage of near-total collapse.”

“Oh.”

Playing the role of Agent A, Ma Yeonju had said something that cut deep into Park Hyejeong.

And then, with the nuance of ‘We’re suspicious of you too,’ she landed the decisive blow.

Because of that, Hyejeong lashed out in fury, returned with a powerless face, and Yeonju had a huge fight with Agent B.

“Good. Keep going like that. Keep driving wedges between them, make them suspect each other more, make them angrier.”

“Are you not going to work on Agent B?”

“Not yet. For now, just keep at it the way you’re doing.”

“Understood.”

After finishing her report, Yeonju bowed and left the room.

Minji-ah, who had been watching from the side, stepped closer.

“Why... are you going this far?”

“What do you mean?”

“T-to be honest... she’s just some worthless girl...”

She couldn’t understand the whole process of me playing with Park Hyejeong.

“Worthless? She risks her life infiltrating enemy lines. How strong do you think her mentality must be? Breaking someone like that—there’s value, and there’s fun in it.”

“....”

Still not convinced.

“So, what are you planning to do? Use her as a double agent? Or...”

“That depends on Hyejeong’s choice, doesn’t it?”

Minji-ah furrowed her brow faintly, tilting her head.

“The climax is close. Let’s wait and see. If I put the knife in her hand, I should at least see how she swings it.”

++++

We’re already pushing technical limits. Unless the Singularity comes, it’s impossible to create a more perfect artificial disguise. The cognitive filter is already absurdly complex. It’s more than enough for missions. Is there a problem?

What? You want more certain camouflage because you might get caught? So you’re on a mission that dangerous? Hmm... Well, it’s not like there’s no way.

Surgery—there’s potential there. Rip apart your face completely and implant the biometric data used for verification into an implant. Make sure the necessary bio-signs pop first. Then overlay a thin cognitive filter, and the disguise is flawless. These days, some people even use cognitive filters instead of makeup. If you’re careful, you could play the role for a long time.

Of course, the cost and time will be no joke. Keep that in mind.

Oh, and you know I only take cash, right?

“Surgery...”

Hyejeong mulled over the words she’d once heard from an old colleague.

Just on the off chance—

On the faint hope that there might be a way to more perfectly replicate Heo Yewon’s face, she’d asked.

The answer that came back was surgery.

Abandoning the face that belonged to “Park Hyejeong” entirely—

And not just that, even her biometric information would be swapped out for Heo Yewon’s.

That kind of extreme method—yes, it could work.

“If I... throw myself away completely...”

If she threw away Park Hyejeong,

She could live as Heo Yewon.

And if she could live as Heo Yewon,

She wouldn’t need to risk her life on dangerous infiltration missions anymore,

She wouldn’t have to endure the agony of betrayal from people she trusted.

She could seize political and informational power in Incheon, live high and mighty with authority she’d never even dreamed of.

Even that bastard’s ridiculous “impossible” surgery fee could be scraped together easily.

“....”

She bit down on a cigarette, deep in thought.

And lit it.

Ssst.

The flame caught slowly, releasing the acrid stench unique to cigarettes.

“...Yeah. This is... a kind of mercy.”

After two long drags, she set the still-burning cigarette at an angle in the ashtray.

Then she pulled out another, lit it, and put it to her lips.

“A peaceful death—that’s a blessing in our line of work.”

That one too, she stood leaning in the ashtray.

Two smoldering sticks side by side, like incense.

She lit a third and placed it beside them.

“Park Hyejeong—you killed her.”

++++

Late at night.

Agent B received a message from headquarters.

Unusually, it was a reply to a report she’d submitted.

“Th-this...!!”

And it was shocking.

Name: Kwon Chang-sik.

Age: 32.

Assistant to Assemblywoman Oh Hyeji.

He’d been secretly dispatched as an NIS spy, captured by Biotech, and met a horrendous end—or so Hyejeong had claimed.

But the reply from HQ said the man was not an NIS agent at all.

Of course, it could’ve been classified so deeply that even Agents A and B wouldn’t be told.

That happened sometimes.

But in those cases, HQ just stayed vague and never commented, not outright correcting the report.

And this wasn’t even a query. She’d just written, “This happened.”

Yet the response was,

“Said individual has no relation whatsoever to this agency or its parent organization.”

The fact they bothered to send that back meant one thing: it was a blatant lie.

Which meant—for some reason—Park Hyejeong had fed them false information.

But even if she had betrayed them, what reason would she have to lie about this?

Kwon Chang-sik was an NIS spy. He was brutally killed.

What benefit could Hyejeong possibly gain from concealing his true identity?

She said she’d heard the news of his fate at a meeting of Association executives.

And immediately afterward, she’d won immense trust from Minji-ah, even being tasked with rooting out spies.

And now it turned out the intel she’d given was false...?

“A trap...!”

She couldn’t be sure—but it smelled like one.

Worst case, Hyejeong’s cover was already blown.

Of course! She gained their trust way too easily! It wasn’t even a situation that called for it!!!

Agent B hurriedly called Park Hyejeong.

But maybe because of their recent fallout, she didn’t pick up.

Frantic, she called Agent A. But A didn’t answer either.

“Ah...!”

Heart racing, she decided to go straight to Heo Yewon’s house.

She was posing as her mother anyway, so it wasn’t much of a risk.

“Please, pick up, Hyejeong!!”

Even while driving, she kept calling.

But still—no answer.

And then, suddenly— 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

A blinding light flared ahead.

“Ugh...?”

The oncoming car had its high beams on. But even so, its aim was directly—

Kwaaang—!