Success Oriented Guide

It was a printed blueprint of a time bomb design. The instructions for dismantling it and the creator’s notes were densely written like a code book.

Next to the blueprints lay the inside of a real bomb in a briefcase.

[00:18:27]

Go Woo-jin disassembled the bomb and reassembled it as he listened to the woman’s voice. His fingertips, which he had practiced alone throughout his stay on Mentosa Island, separated the wires and metal tubes without hesitation.

– Go Woo-jin. Look at me.

The woman on the screen kept insisting. Her slender face, with a disgruntled expression behind her lenses, gave the impression that she was in her late twenties. Her eyes and demeanor were as commanding as if she were wearing a general’s military uniform, despite her casual attire of a black beanie pulled down to her brows and a hood over it.

Go Woo-jin faced the screen again. He wondered if all people who were born into wealthy families and raised with nothing but love were fond of video calls. The reason he had a sudden idea was that the person’s habit of preferring video calls reminded him of his stepmother.

– Oh. Are you looking at me now?

At first glance, he also thought of Seon Jae-chan. It was because he grew up in a similar condition. Of course, he had never tried anything like a video call before.

“…”

Woo-jin, who had his gaze fixed on the screen, lowered his gaze once more. His lower jaw muscles tightened. He became aware of his thoughts’ illogical and unnatural flow.

This was all because of the guiding the other day. Since then, he had been having a lot of unnecessary thoughts about him.

His thick neck’s bones stiffened. He shook his head as if refusing to think about it. It was time to shake off Seon Jae-chan’s thoughts, just like he had to brush off the dust that clung to his collar no matter how hard he brush it.

– Your stepmom really liked it. A bomb made by our ‘elders.’

The voice on the phone became loud. Perhaps she was lying on the bed, as he heard the sound of the mattress being turned off comfortably over the receiver with the volume turned up to maximum.

– Not realizing it was the bait thrown by his seemingly innocent son. Director Yoon must not have known in her wildest dreams that our ‘elders’ would hold a 30th-anniversary party there.

Go Woo-jin’s fingertips, which were touching the spring wires, stopped for a moment.

It had to have been around the middle of August. Around the time when the guide of Team 5, to which Kim Geun-won belonged, was kidnapped. He learned the true story of the Mentosa Island pirate subjugation mission a few days later.

It was at the dinner table with President Gyeong Jeon-seok.

‘I’m going to hold a 30th-anniversary ceremony on Mentosa Island.’

The President, who turns sixty-nine this year, occasionally called Go Woo-jin separately and told him about private matters. It was because he had a friendly relationship with Go Young-chang, Go Woo-jin’s father, and he cared about Go Woo-jin because having him around would give him double publicity.

The president thought that Go Woo-jin’s mouth was very heavy. He gradually began to confide in the young man, who was in his twenties and was no different than a new chick. Of course, the majority of it was useless. Pathetic comments such as saying that he, the only man in the family, seems to be ostracized by the first lady and daughters.

However, very occasionally, there were times when bold information was inadvertently thrown out. It was such a day then.

‘Isn’t that a wonderful idea? An inauguration ceremony at the recaptured Mentosa Island.’

Only a few political and business figures visit this secret room in a high-end sushi restaurant. President Gyeong Jeon-seok muttered in a hunched posture behind the flowing water screen planted with bonsai. The president picked up his silver chopsticks with his back to the clear sound of babbling water.

Every time the puffer fish sashimi was sucked into his thick lips, a detailed plan as transparent as the thin sliver of flesh flowed from them.

‘It’s using mentosa island as collateral for maximum leverage.’

At the same time, Go Woo-jin devised a plan in his head. Director Yoon was looking for an opportunity to bite Woo-jin’s tail at the time. Hearing the president’s voice reminded him of a feasible plan to keep her under control.

The plan was like this.

Using Chairman Go Young-chang to stimulate Director Yoon’s heart. After making her nervous, he naturally provides her with a way to injure even an S-class Esper.

The way to do this was by using bombs. Go Woo-jin, who was in charge of Mentosa Island, was also aware of a military bunker built beneath the castle. It was like a suitable place has been prepared.

Director Yoon Seo-mi had no idea Go Woo-jin had handed the duty over, so she ordered the bombs supplied by the other party over the phone and relocated to the island. Not even imagining that the bomb had missed Go Woo-jin and was instead aimed indirectly at the commander-in-chief.

– Such a fun family. The mother wants to blow up her son along with the island, and the son uses it against her to send his mother away from politics.

The sarcasm on the other side of the screen shattered his thoughts.

Go Woo-jin, who escaped from the flashback, put a smile on his smooth lips. He didn’t want to hear that from the person on the other end of the line who had disrespected her father by calling him ‘old man’ every time, and who had stolen his secret bomb.

– But you. Why did you go to Siren Village?

“…”

– I’m no stranger to your hero complex. It was reckless, unlike you.

The woman raised her eyebrows. If things had gone according to plan, Go Woo-jin would have skipped the board meeting as if he couldn’t win and headed to Mentosa Island. The destruction of Siren Island was an unplanned event.

She wondered why he do that.

Her languid eyes under the beanie banding became slimmer. He hadn’t realized the size of the enemy, and he’d stormed into a remote island alone.

She knew that his hot-tempered side sometimes popped out, but it was not like Go Woo-jin, who was relatively thoroughly thorough.

What kind of card did Director Yoon Seo-mi come up with that made Go Woo-jin ran so recklessly?

– Why did you do that? Do you have a secret lover? Did your stepmom throw that woman in Siren Village?

A terribly innocent, exciting voice.

Go Woo-jin swallowed a sigh that was like inflammation. Although he knew that the other person always hates serious situations and lives consciously avoiding the dark side of the world. At times like this, he wondered if excessive indifference and ignorance were wrong.

– Are you really not going to tell me?

“Stop it.”

– Cih. Anyway, don’t think about making a mess while taking the old man’s bomb. Director Yoon, send it away properly. Explode Mentosa Island. There is a time limit, so people can evacuate.

“The castle is a cultural heritage.”

– A cultural heritage that’s already covered in concrete and untouchable.

It was then.

[EMERGENCY]

A bright red banner notification flashed on the phone screen. A sign that one of the underground bunker bombs has been activated. He met the startled gaze across the screen that would have received the same notification.

“Call me later.”

He just hung up the phone. After confirming that the bomb in the dorm had completely stopped, Woo-jin immediately prepared himself and went out of the base.

His eyes had cooled in an instant, and they were now freezing cold. Two soldiers silently followed Go Woo-jin as he walked with his black leather gloves pressed close to his hands. They were assistance provided by the bobbed-haired woman on the phone just now. He made his way straight to the underground bunker.

Thud!

He turned off the large power circuit breaker as soon as he entered the shelter. It was to complete tasks without showing his face. The blocker, which would have taken several adult men to rush in, was taken down and covered in darkness in an instant.

Even in the dark, Go Woo-jin was able to locate the soldiers who appeared to be the cause of the situation. Perhaps they discovered the bomb and activated one of them as they fled. It was still too early to alert the rest of the world to the existence of explosives. It was difficult, but they had to keep their mouths shut until the time was right.

He overpowered the soldiers while dodging the fired bullets. The assistants who came after were supposed to clean up. They made it to the bomb warehouse without incident.

The explosives that caused the emergency were discovered quickly. There were cracks in the Styrofoam buffers and scattered boxes. He noticed a row of bright red digital dots biting into each other every second. His fingertips ripped through the explosive’s exposed cable without hesitation. As it had repeated hundreds of times over several days, the countdown was lifted immediately.

It was at that point that he noticed the oddness in the darkness.

…

There was no sign of movement. Rather, it was a trace in the air that was more like a twist of energy.

Go Woo-jin’s shoulders were lifted slowly. He focused on the sensations that touched his tense nerves. The pupils that quietly dilated in the darkness emitted an eye light. After manifesting as an S-class Esper, his sixth sense has never been wrong.

The military boots broke through the darkness without hesitation. Taking one step at a time, Woo-jin loosened the thick neckline. Just thinking that there were more people to deal with with the soldiers.

That was until he found Seon Jae-chan hugging a certain old man.