"Yeah, I'm already here anyway. But why are the Japanese here? Well, it won't take long." Tom Lee said to Sera Shin over the phone.
A Japanese old man with one bulging eye approached Tom Lee and executed a lightning-fast draw, nearly slicing Tom Lee's phone in half.
"Are you Tom Lee of the White Tiger Job Center? I've been waiting," said Fujimori Tokutaro, President of the Kyungsung Association, who had flown all the way from Japan to Korea seeking revenge for Fujimori Yuuki.
A dangerous smile crossed Tom Lee's face. "Nice, nice. Those eyes remind me of that time. Very nice."
---
"Damn... I let my guard down. Who would've thought you were wearing a stab-proof suit with that thin frame of yours? To be honest, I was surprised by the White Tiger forces... So you're composed of people who specialize in covert missions? I'm curious about the other staff members, though." Seo Hwijo, nicknamed the Taoist Monk of Tian Wai Tian, said as he rose to his feet and removed the injection Sera Shin had administered.
He slowly walked toward Sera Shin, grabbed her hand, and pressed several acupuncture points. "But unfortunately, we are not compatible."
Sera Shin's entire body went rigid, and she couldn't move from her spot. Seo Hwijo walked over to the fallen Taehwa and helped him up.
"Taehwa-nim, your jokes are too extreme. Even in this situation, you shouldn't trust me and play games."
Taehwa smiled. "Ah, you had me worried there for a moment. I'm really sorry." He scratched his head. "But seeing these sides of them makes me even more curious about what they're hiding."
He approached the immobilized Sera Shin and grabbed her chin. "Section Chief Sera Shin... of the White Tiger forces. Shall we continue our earlier conversation?"
"Tch! Kid, don't you know you shouldn't touch a lady without her permission?" Baki's voice cut through the tension. Before Taehwa could reply, his body suddenly crashed into a desk.
Baki appeared in front of Sera Shin. "What's this? Are you stuck in some kind of time freeze, miss?"
Seo Hwijo slowly circled behind Baki and tried to strike his pressure points.
But Baki's hand moved faster, catching Seo Hwijo's wrist mid-strike. "It seems you've grown accustomed to backstabbing, old man."
Before Seo Hwijo could react, Baki twisted around, his thumb finding the pressure point on Seo Hwijo's forearm.
Seo Hwijo's eyes widened in shock as his arm went completely limp.
"Acupuncture, huh?" Baki said with a dangerous grin, his other hand already in motion. "I've dabbled in it myself for some time."
His fingers moved across Seo Hwijo's body in rapid succession.
"Hmm... I guess I haven't forgotten it all," Baki continued casually as Seo Hwijo's body began to stiffen.
Suddenly, Seo Hwijo collapsed as blood began pouring from his mouth, ears, nose, and eyes.
Baki turned back to Sera Shin, cracking his knuckles. "Now then, let's get you unstuck from that time freeze, miss."
Taehwa, now bruised and battered, grabbed Jo Gwigwan as a hostage. "I killed Zu Pengguan! Do you think you can stop me now?!"
Suddenly, Tom Lee entered the room. "Hoho~ it seems the adopted child has taken the real child hostage."
Taehwa shouted at Tom Lee, "Who are you calling adopted?! I'm Zu Pengguan's third hidden son!"
Tom Lee leaned toward Taehwa. He was so much larger than Taehwa that the younger man stumbled backward with Jo Gwigwan still in his grip.
"What are you talking about? There's no way he could have another son. He had a vasectomy after having two kids. How could he have another one, especially so young?"
Jo Gwigwan added quietly, "...You aren't... Father's biological child."
Taehwa nearly stabbed Jo Gwigwan with a pen. "Stop spouting nonsense!" But Tom Lee caught his hand.
Jo Gwigwan continued, "For your sake, Father accepted you. Your real father was a friend of mine. He was a brilliant person, but too extreme. He conducted forbidden research that resulted in his death. Father didn't want you to grow up fatherless, so he took you in. To be honest, I only found out recently myself. Maybe that day you killed Father... he was there to tell you the truth."
Realization dawned on Taehwa's face. He collapsed to his knees. "Hehehehe... Hehe... HEHEHE! HIHI, HIHI! Hyung, so you're saying I killed the person who loved me most and appreciated me...? Thank you for telling me the truth. At least now I know!" Tears streamed down his face.
Humans always make mistakes because they hesitate less when it matters most. They would rather hurt someone they love than someone they fear. And unfortunately, parents suffer from this tendency most of all.
Taehwa screamed, "But, Hyung! I can't accept this. I can't accept it at all!" With those words, he grabbed Jo Gwigwan and leaped through the window, shattering the glass.
Tom Lee lunged to save them, but he was too late. Just when it seemed they would truly die, Baki also rushed from the building.
Sera Shin shouted, "What the hell are you doing, Baki?!" But Baki only grinned.
Baki jumped after them.
As they fell, he grabbed both Taehwa and Jo Gwigwan by their collars. Right before hitting the ground, Baki twisted his body and absorbed the impact with his legs, bending deep to cushion the shock. He rolled forward with both men still in his grip, dispersing the force of the landing.
They tumbled across the pavement and came to a stop. Baki stood up and dusted himself off.
"That was close," Baki said, cracking his neck.
Taehwa and Jo Gwigwan lay on the ground, alive but shaken.
Tom Lee laughed from above. "Wooh! As long as my money is safe...!"
Sera Shin looked down from the broken window, stunned.
Baki looked up at her and waved. "They're fine!"