"Richard, let me apply some ointment for you. It's not good to leave scars around your eyes.
Fortunately, I have some good ointment with me. I'll apply it myself."
Richard wiped all expressions from his face and stared at Christoph after seeing such an
innocent and pure smile that even Jeong Taeui was surprised. He stood still as Christoph
approached and examined the small wound near his eye.
Richard seemed like he wanted to say something, but when Christoph seriously examined his
face and the wound, he kept his mouth shut. He probably realized it wasn't the right time to
speak up.
Christoph, unfazed by the atmosphere, opened the ointment jar with a smile after confirming
the wound's location near Richard's eye.
"It must hurt a lot. Hold on a bit. This ointment is very effective."
Even showing a sympathetic tone, Christoph filled his fingertip with the ointment.
At that moment, a familiar smell immediately reached Jeong Taeui, who was sitting nearby.
"...!"
Jeong Taeui quickly stood up to stop Christoph but was a step too late.
Christoph carefully applied the ointment near Richard's eye, while Richard looked at him
with a puzzled expression. It was Tiger Balm.
Richard's expression, who was looking at Christoph suspiciously as if he had eaten something
wrong, changed not long after.
***********************
"In just a few dozen minutes, I feel like I've aged several decades..."
Jeong Taeui lay flat on the bed, muttering as if complaining.
Clearly, he couldn't sit with those full of schemes. It was much easier to talk to those working
with their hands. He wouldn't have to think much about the hidden meanings of words or
consider his own stance, and others wouldn't have to speak politically.
"Why did they drag me to that place?"
Jeong Taeui squinted at Ilay, who was sitting on the bed next to him. Ilay had pulled up a
table and was fiddling with the complicated wires in a large bag.
Ilay glanced at Jeong Taeui and then turned back."They wanted to."
"Did they specifically say they wanted to meet someone named Jeong Taeui?"
"Precisely -
'I heard Mr. Jeong Jaeui's younger brother is here.'
"
"They already know everything, so there's no hiding."
Jeong Taeui licked his lips and turned slightly to lie on his side.
He now felt somewhat grateful to Christoph.
Thanks to him, the uncomfortable conversation ended, and he could come back here to rest.
Otherwise, he might still be sitting in that chair full of needles, staring at a cup of tea.
/Flashback/
Right after applying the ointment near Richard's eye, he stood up without hesitation. His eyes
must have been burning so much he couldn't open them, but he still smiled and said, "Sorry, I
need to go for a bit."
Richard didn't run out immediately. Instead, he asked to take a break, to return to his room
and rest a bit, and promised to meet again at dinner. Only after doing this did he leave.
When Richard left the living room, Christoph would often return to his room, declaring -
"Today's mission is over" - and followed Richard.
When Jeong Taeui asked where he was going, Christoph simply replied - "To watch" - and
quickly left. It seemed he was determined to see Richard's miserable state.
/End Flashback/
"Christoph really is..."
"He has a personality that invites hatred."
Ilay's brief response made Jeong Taeui frown - "Hmm."
"What? Anyway, he's kind of cute."
"That's true from an outsider's perspective."
Jeong Taeui sensed a deeper meaning in Ilay's words. He remembered that Ilay had often
gotten involved with Christoph because of work. Even if not directly, being in the same group
meant inevitable clashes.
These two seemed to get along surprisingly well when working together, but once they had a
conflict, it was hard to resolve.
"I heard you two used to chase and be chased, fight and run away.""That's right."
"Considering the family relationships and playing together as kids, isn't it like you two are
cousins or siblings? Why do you treat each other so badly?"
Right after saying this, Jeong Taeui realized he had asked the wrong question.
This man once pointed a gun at his own brother.
Moreover, in the present, Christoph and Richard, who were actually cousins, treated each
other like lifelong enemies.
Ilay glanced at Jeong Taeui as if his question was silly. He didn't answer but just smiled.
"I guess you've never had a serious fight with Jeong Jaeui. You two seem to get along very
well."
"Not really... I think it's rare to find a brotherly conflict as intense as here..."
Jeong Taeui shook his head vigorously. Then he turned and lay down straight, resting his
head on his arm and looking at the ceiling.
"But the truth is, my brother and I rarely fought. There was no reason to, and I didn't.
Especially since my brother wasn't a competitive or greedy person. Fighting with someone
who has no ambition is hard."
Thinking back, Taeui realized he didn't have any memories of quarreling with Jeong Jaeui.
They didn't have many joyful memories together, but they never argued or conflicted.
"Still, it's a pity that two harmonious brothers haven't seen each other much in recent years."
"Yeah... I rarely call him."
Jeong Taeui scratched his head.
They would only contact each other once a year on birthdays; otherwise, there were hardly
any specific calls. He didn't feel discomfort or loneliness, knowing that the other felt the
same. However, if something serious happened to one of them, the other would be the first to
know. So even without frequent contact, he wasn't too worried. They were quite indifferent
brothers in this regard.
"Jeong Jaeil... He still receives many offers after joining UNHRDO" - Ilay muttered.
Jeong Taeui thought this man probably knew more about his brother than he did and
answered nonchalantly, "Really?"
"Among them are some quite dangerous people. Those who will cause him trouble if related,
and won't leave him alone if not."Ilay added - "Being a genius isn't always good because people like that will always pester
you" - then turned back, Jeong Taeui scratching his cheek.
The idea that such people always pursue geniuses wasn't new to Jeong Taeui. Ever since he
was young, he had seen this.
Jeong Taeui had never worried about Jeong Jaeui. His brother was someone he could trust
anywhere.
"He'll be in Frankfurt soon."
Jeong Taeui muttered, then suddenly looked at Ilay.
He remembered that this man had advised him not to go and to wait for the next meeting.
The day of Jeong Jaeui's arrival wasn't far off, perhaps just a few days away from the
succession day.
"Shouldn't go? I really want to meet him after a long time" - Jeong Taeui quietly said.
The immediate cold response echoed back.
"The timing is not good."
"..."
Ilay was putting something like a headset on one ear, adjusting the device, and then glanced
over as Jeong Taeui remained silent. After thinking for a while, Ilay frowned.
"Do you really want to go?"
"If possible, I want to, but it's not a must. I'm just thinking about the bad timing."
Jeong Taeui sighed, connecting his current events and Jeong Jaeui's visit to Germany.
It was indeed true.
"I don't intend to go if it means endangering myself and others. I'll call, and after finishing
the work in Dresden, we'll quickly return to Berlin" - Jeong Taeui shook his head slightly.
If only he was at risk, it would be one thing, but endangering others was another matter. He
had no intention of taking such risks.
Though it was regrettable.
He had hoped to meet his uncle and brother in one place.
Jeong Taeui shrugged and sighed - "Can't be helped" - he muttered to himself.
"Hmm" - Ilay lightly tapped on the device for a moment and then looked back. His brows
furrowed with a slight irritation."If you really want to meet, then wait. After finishing the work, I'll take you back to Berlin."
Jeong Taeui was clicking his tongue - "Huh?" - Then he suddenly widened his eyes in
surprise and sat up on the bed.
"After the forum in Frankfurt, will there be time?"
If so, Jeong Jaeui could visit Berlin instead of Jeong Taeui going to Frankfurt.
Usually, their schedules were tight, and after finishing the forum, they would leave
immediately or not have time to go to Berlin.
"Yes, but if the forum ends, he can go to Berlin—"
"That's hard. There's a scheduled flight to New York on the night of the forum."
Ilay added that the next day there was a research meeting at the headquarters in the U.S.,
which wiped the bright smile off Jeong Taeui's face. He blinked foolishly and mumbled,
"Well, then taking me to Berlin means... Ah, next time?"
Jeong Taeui convinced himself and nodded.
Still, there was no choice. Despite some regret.
"This time I'll take you there. So stop making that face like you're about to fall."
"Huh?"
"Just block and catch them before they get to the airport after the forum."
Jeong Taeui stared at Ilay, who was speaking calmly. The 'about to fall' expression
disappeared. Instead, it looked like he was standing at the gates of hell.
This wasn't a trip with just one or two bodyguards.
If they caught people before they reached the airport after the forum—especially the most
important ones—this was certainly not the usual way.
"Don't you think being wanted for terrorism is a very serious crime?" - Jeong Taeui asked
seriously, and Ilay just laughed.
"No. Then let's meet next time. A call would be better. Thanks for caring."
Jeong Taeui hurriedly patted Ilay's back. Otherwise, he might soon find himself in an
unbelievable situation.
Then he peeked over Ilay's shoulder, seeing his fingers toggling switches on the device.
"But what are you doing?"Jeong Taeui sat behind him, placing his chin on Ilay's shoulder and looking at the device Ilay
was handling.
Inside the large black metal suitcase were neatly arranged complex circuits. The bottom panel
had small frequency markings, exceeding 400. Next to it was a Ham Radio transceiver.
The headset was connected to the device by a thin wire, plugged into one of Ilay's ears.
Jeong Taeui's expression turned heavy and gloomy as he looked inside the suitcase.
"Wait... This looks like..."
"Quiet for a moment. Someone just came out of the bathroom."
"WHO?! WHO ARE YOU EAVESDROPPING ON?!"
Jeong Taeui panicked and screamed.
Initially, he knew this man was deeply involved with crimes – even wondering how many of
his activities weren't criminal – but seeing the live criminal equipment right in front of him
still felt new.