Ch. 59: The Corrupted
3:56 PM, November 25th, 1924, French Concession, Shanghai.
A small procession of cars could be seen passing through the streets and approaching the Provisional Government building. Once they stopped in front of building, several men wearing suits exited the cars. While most of them were keeping an eye on their surroundings, one of the them opened the passenger door. Stepping out of the car was President Syngman Rhee, who was wearing a business suit and a hat. Rhee and his entourage then proceeded to enter the Provisional Government building.
Kim Gu, Park Eunsik, and the other senior members of the Provisional Government were lined up near the entrance, preparing to greet Rhee. Once Rhee entered the building, they each approached him one at a time and happily shook his hand. Kim Gu, who was towards the end of the line, approached Rhee.
"Welcome back to Shanghai Mr. President. I hope your journey from Honolulu wasn't too bad."
"Actually it was quite pleasant. The ocean was surprisingly very calm during the voyage." Rhee then quickly visually scanned the rest of the room. "Seems like you guys have really maintained this place well despite all the financial problems you reported."
"Well we were quite fortunate more people here in Shanghai and overseas were willing to donate more money. Otherwise we would never be able to maintain the building in its current condition." Kim Gu then looked at the entourage Rhee brought with him. "I see you brought a few friends with you."
"These men are my personal bodyguards. When your President of an entire government in exile, you can never be too careful. Already heard stories of Korean independence activists in Shanghai and other parts of the world finding themselves either behind bars or dead."
"Fortunately members of both the Provisional Government and the Black Army have been warned to keep their guard up when traveling through the city on their own. Luckily there's only been a few isolated cases of that occurring in the past year."
"Speaking of the Black Army Kim, could you please come to my office? I would like to talk to you in private."
Kim Gu nodded his head and followed Rhee to his office.
When then reached his office, the receptionists working inside immediately stopped typing, rose out of their chairs, and slightly bowed their heads. Rhee then instructed the receptionists to sit back down and resume working. Once they reached the door labeled "SYNGMAN RHEE - PRESIDENT OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA", Rhee dismissed his bodyguards and unlocked the door.
Both men entered the office. Rhee walked over to his desk and sat down in the chair behind it. Kim Gu, on the other hand, grabbed one of lone chairs in the room and sat down in front of Rhee's desk.
"So, naturally you know why I am here?" asked Rhee.
"Yes I do." Kim Gu answered. "The Provisional Government has already established an investigation team regarding the embezzlement charges against Zero."
"How much progress have they made so far?"
"We have already looked over and compared our financial records with those provided by Zero. The records didn't match up and showed the Provisional Government was loosing money while the Black Army was gaining the same amount. The money was then relocated to a private account."
"While I was not a big fan of Zero, I still didn't think of him as the type to lower himself to such sleazy, corrupt tactics."
"Me and the others have already discussed on potential motives. One possibility that was discussed was that Zero was planning to bail due to sinking approval ratings and trust amongst the Provisional Government members caused by setbacks in China. Another was that Zero was funding something behind our backs."
"And what of Zero's current status?"
"Due to the enactment of Section 6 of the Shanghai Agreement, Zero's authority and powers as Chairman of the Black Army are suspended. As a result, all Black Army external activities and missions, such as intelligence gathering and military deployments, have been put on hold. In the meantime I have become Acting Chairman and am also overseeing all internal administrative activities within the Black Army."
Rhee then took off his glasses and wiped them off with a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. Once they were wiped, he carefully put his glasses back on and slightly adjusted them.
"Thank you for updating me on the situation Kim. However, I still need to personally review the records and talk to the other members myself."
"Of course Mr. President."
Rhee then dismissed Kim Gu, who proceeded to get out of his chair. Once they both shook each other's hands, Kim Gu headed towards the exit and turned the door handle.
"One more question Kim!" Rhee interjected. "As the one member of the Provisional Government who has known Zero the longest, what are your personal thoughts on this situation?"
Kim Gu took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Out of all the people I have known in my life, Zero is one of the very few I could fully trust without much hesitation. He is a symbol of justice and a fighter for those who are too weak to fight back. As a result, I personally think it's ludicrous that he would resort to petty crimes such as embezzlement just so he could save his own skin.
"But like I told the others on the team, if the evidence clearly points to Zero and undoubtedly shows he is guilty, then I too will hold him accountable to his actions."
"I see." Rhee said as he slowly nodded his head. "Just wondering."
Kim Gu then opened the door and exited the office while Rhee phoned the Provisional Government's Treasury Department.
7:02 PM, December 2nd, 1924, Black Army HQ, Shanghai International Settlement
The Black Army Archives was a large, windowless room that contained many bookshelves and file drawers. Sitting at the long table in the center of the room, Kae, Seo, and Jeong, along with some other clerks, were reviewing countless files and books. The various files and books piled on the table consisted of financial records, schedules, contracts, transcripts, telegrams, and identification papers.
"Man this is tedious and boring." Seo complained. "What exactly are we trying to find again?"
"We're looking at the records and activities of everyone who would've handled the financial records before they were sent out to the Provisional Government." Kae answered. "If Japan did manipulate the records before they were sent out in order to frame Zero, then they would've had to find someone on the inside to do it."
"Ok. Hey Jeong, how long have we been working?"
Jeong raised his arm to look at his wristwatch. "About three hours."
"Great. We've been reviewing all these documents and books for almost three hours and we are still not any closer towards finding out who was behind the changes in the financial records."
"Seo, me, Jeong and the others aren't enjoying this either. However Mr. Kim did order the Zero Division to assist the clerks in the investigation." Kae responded. "If you really care about proving Zero is innocent, you'll stop complaining and resume your work."
"I absolutely do care Kae. It's just reviewing all this information in just a short period of time is starting to give me a headache." Seo said as he clenched his forehead. "Besides, where is Park and Roh? Shouldn't they be here helping us."
"According to what I heard, Park is doing some errands for Dietrich while Roh reported he wasn't feeling well today." answered Kae.
"Well those two definitely got it easy." Seo muttered.
"Look at it this way, in about an hour we get a one hour break. At least we'll have a moment to relax for the time being." Kae replied.
All three of them nodded in agreement before continuing to review the piles of files, documents, and books placed on the table in front of them.
8:12 PM, Shanghai International Settlement
The streets of the Shanghai International Settlement was illuminated by rows of street lamps and buildings, some of which twinkled as the lights on them flickered on and off. Occasionally the sound of a small bell ringing could be heard as a trolley car went by. Even though it was night, people could still be seen walking throughout the city socializing with one another.
At a bar located down a narrow road branching off the main street, an intoxicated Roh could be seen be kicked out by the owner.
"GET THE HELL OUT!" the owner yelled as he struggled to drag Roh out through the door.
"Hey...what do you think...you're doing?" Roh said drunkenly. "I have rights...you know aaaand...you can't do a thing about it!"
"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!"
The owner, mustering all the strength he had, pushed Roh out onto the street. Because of the alcohol, he easily lost his balance and crashed into some nearby trashcans. Once he was down, the owner angrily slammed the door shut.
Roh, regaining his balance, got himself up and brushed off some of the dust and dirt on his clothes.
"C'MON MAN! IS THIS WHAT I GET FOR PUNCHING A GUY? HE AND HIS BUDDY HAD IT COMING!" yelled Roh.
Realizing the owner of the bar was not going to respond, Roh frustratingly kicked one of the garbage cans he fell into before. He then proceeded to slovenly walk down the road that led back to the main street. He then looked at his watch and saw what time it is. Though he was more sober than before, his vision was slightly blurry and as a result had some difficulty reading the time.
"Oh crap it's already past 8:00." a panicked Roh muttered to himself. "The others are already on break. If they find out I faked being sick and snuck out, I'm a dead man."
Roh immediately regained his composure to the best of his ability and sprinted down the road. As he was approaching the main street, he passed a dimly lit alleyway, where he thought saw someone in familiar in the distance. Wanting to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, he slowly peeked his head around the corner.
In the distance was a well dressed spectacled man holding a briefcase in has right hand talking to what appeared to be two intimidating looking men wearing fedoras and suits. Even though they were somewhat far away, Roh could no doubt identify the spectacled man.
"Strange. What's Yun Tae-min doing out at this hour in these parts of the city?" Roh thought to himself.
Using the darkness that filled most of the alleyway to conceal himself, Roh quietly approached the three so he could listen to their conversation.
"Listen, I did everything you asked me to do. Where's the rest of the money I was promised?" Yun frustratingly asked the two men.
"The boss apparently thinks only half the job was accomplished." the first man replied. "Apparently the records wasn't the only thing he requested."
"You never told me that he wanted something else. That was never part of our deal." said Yun.
"Actually it was Yun." answered the second man. "Your job was to replace the records with the fake ones so Zero would be removed from power. As far as we have heard, Zero is only suspended for the time being, meaning your job is not complete."
"This is ridiculous. You guys are just finding an excuse to not pay me completely and..."
It was then Yun was interrupted when the two men drew out their guns and aimed them.
"I would be careful with what you say." the first man said. "People who talk that way to us tend to have shorter lifespans if you know what I mean."
"Uh...uh...um...well..." Yun stuttered with fear in his face.
"Look, the rest of your money as been put on the side for you. Once we hear that Zero is officially gone, we will then give you the rest of your payment." the second man replied.
Both men then put away their guns away as Yun gave out a sigh of relief.
Realizing the importance of what he just heard, Roh quietly turned around and walked away from the three. Because the alleyway was dark, he failed to notice some pieces of glass on the ground. A loud crunching sound immediately echoed down the alleyway as the soles of his shoes slowly crushed the glass pieces.
"What was that?" asked the first man.
"Sounded like it came from down there." the second man pointed.
The both of them then pulled out their guns again and proceeded to walk towards the source of the sound. Realizing that they were getting closer, Roh decided to run as fast as he could. Because his footsteps now echoed down the alleyway, the two men realized that someone was nearby and started to run also.
"Come back here!" yelled the first man as he fired a few rounds.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!" could suddenly be heard as the two men shot their guns.
Roh ducked his head every time he heard a gunshot behind him. The dark alleyway was slightly illuminated with sparks for a moment when the stray bullets missed him and ricocheted against the walls of the surrounding buildings. Roh, still concealed darkness, ran down an adjacent alleyway in hope of loosing the two men. He quietly hid as he saw the two men chasing him pass by and continue their pursuit.
Once the coast was clear, Roh quickly ran down another alleyway in hopes of finding the main street so he could head back to the Black Army HQ.
8:40 PM, Black Army HQ
"He's not in the cafeteria!" Seo yelled.
"No luck in any of the bathrooms either!" Jeong said.
"Asked everyone I could find. Apparently none of them saw him leave the building." Kae answered.
"Damn it! Where the hell is Roh?" Seo asked.
It was then Kim Gu approached the three of them in the main lobby. "I can hear you guys all the way up in my office. I assume the three of you have a reason?"
"Sorry Mr. Kim, but Roh is missing from his room." Kae explained. "He had called in sick today, so we decided to check up on him during our break. However, when we entered his room, he wasn't there."
"Surely he must be somewhere in the building. If he's sick, then he couldn't have gotten far." Kim Gu replied.
"But we've already checked practically every room and still have found no trace of him anywhere." Jeong added.
It was then the entranceway doors bursted open. Standing at the entranceway was Roh, who was panting due to exhaustion. Kim Gu, Kae, Seo, and Jeong immediately stopped talking and turned to face the entranceway.
"Roh! Where the hell have you been?" Kae angrily asked. "We've been looking for you for more than half an hour!"
"Not...now...have...to...tell...important...info..." Roh slowly said as he continued to catch his breath. "Need...to...see...Kim...Gu..."
"I'm right here Roh!" Kim Gu said. "What's so important?"
Roh took a few deep breaths and wiped some sweat from his forehead.
"Was walking through the streets when I saw Yun Tae-min talking to two big guys wielding guns in a secluded alleyway. Managed to overhear parts of the conversation." explained Roh.
"Hold on! Did you just say Yun Tae-min, the Co-Director of the Financial Records Department?" asked a surprise Kim Gu. "You're absolutely sure?"
"There is no doubt it was him." Roh answered. "Apparently the two guys mentioned that they had paid him to replace the financial records. They also mentioned that the rest of his payment will be transferred when they receive word that Zero is officially out of the picture."
"And did you recognize the two other men talking to Yun?" Kim Gu asked.
"No. I have never seen those two men ever in my life."
"I have a question for you!" Seo interjected. "Why were you out at night without notifying anyone? Also why aren't you getting rest? I thought you were sick?"
"Alright I admit it. I wanted to relax at the bar tonight instead of working, so I faked being sick and snuck out of the building while avoiding detection."
"You're telling me you abandoned your duties just so you could get drunk?" Kae asked. "I should have you dismissed from the Zero Division immediately!"
"Wait a minute Kae, before you make any final decisions, I think we should look at this as a blessing for us." Kim Gu said.
"What do you mean by that sir?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"I mean that due to Roh sneaking out when he wasn't supposed to, we were able to identify a potential suspect. Yun Tae-in should be able to provide us information on who exactly these two men were and who they are affiliated with. Therefore I think dismissing Roh for unintentionally helping us in this investigation would be in poor taste."
"So does that mean I'm not going to be punished?" Roh asked.
"Absolutely not Roh." replied Kim Gu. "I said that your actions, which accidentally helped us, didn't warrant your dismissal. However, what you did was still against the Black Army's Code of Conduct. As a result, I am assigning you janitorial duty for one month."
"Damn it! For a moment I thought I was going to get away with it." Roh mumbled under his breath.
"Kae, I assume that punishment will suffice?" Kim Gu asked.
She nodded her head slightly in approval.
"Very well. Jeong and Roh, I want you and the other archivists to focus on all records and documents pertaining to Yun Tae-in. Kae and Seo, I want to discuss plans on how to confront Yun."
The four of them nodded in approval and dispersed. Jeong and Roh went back to the archives while Kae and Seo followed Kim Gu to his office, where they talk about when and how they would approach Yun for questioning.
2:08 PM, December 12th, 1924, Black Army HQ, Shanghai International Settlement
Kae and Seo, wearing regular civilian clothes, were sitting in a delivery truck parked right across the street from the Black Army HQ.
"What time is it?" Seo asked.
Kae reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a silver pocket watch. Pressing the button on the top, the pocket watch opened to reveal the time.
"It's 2:08 PM." answered Kae.
"Are you sure this information we retrieved is accurate? I mean, it's been almost ten minutes and there has yet to be any sign of Yun leaving."
"I'm 99% positive Seo. According to his closest co-workers, Yun is heading to the Shanghai Stock and Commodities Exchange at 2:00 PM. Apparently he wants to review some documents they have regarding money we lent to them to invest in precocious metals."
"Do you think it's possible he has caught on to us?"
"I highly doubt it. If he knew we were keeping surveillance on him, the last place he would want to hide in is the Black Army HQ building."
"You make a point there."
It was then the two spotted in Yun, holding a briefcase, exiting the Black Army HQ building across the street. Yun looked at his watch to read the time before heading to one of the Black Army's parked cars. Using a key in his pocket, he unlocked the car and entered it.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Yun used the key to start up the car. A "PUTT-PUTT-PUTT!" sound could be heard repeatedly as the engine in the car started up. Changing the gear to reverse, Yun backed the car out of its parking spot and drove down the main street.
Kae responded immediately by starting up the delivery truck. Pressing her foot against the gas pedal slightly, she proceeded to follow the car Yun was driving. To ensure Yun wouldn't notice them, she drove slow enough that the delivery truck would not be too close. They continued to follow Yun for the next ten minutes as he drove through the busy streets of Shanghai.
When Yun approached the Shanghai Shock and Commodities Exchange Building, he parked his car next to the curb. He then exited the car with his briefcase in hand and walked towards the entrance of the exchange building. Kae in response drove down a nearby alleyway that was mostly empty.
"Remember the plan?" Kae asked.
Seo nodded in response.
Kae then exited the delivery truck and casually walked towards Yun with both hands in her pockets. Because she was dressed in civilian clothes and he was focused on what he was doing, Yun failed to recognize Kae as she got closer. Eventually Kae allowed Yun to pass them as she continued walking.
With Yun behind them now, Kae quickly turned around and ran towards him. Kae immediately pulled out a pistol from her jacket pocket and pointed it into Yun's back.
"WHAT THE..." Yun briefly yelled as he felt the barrel of the pistol dig into his back.
"If you value your life, you should be silent and not resist." Kae whispered into Yun's ear.
Still aiming the pistol at his back, Kae instructed to Yun to walk back to the alleyway. Not wanting to be shot, Yun complied with Kae's orders and walked. Once the two of them were down the alleyway and out of sight from any potential witnesses, Seo exited the vehicle.
"Look, I don't know who you are, but I don't want to cause any trouble with you!" Yun said as he panicked. "If it's money you want, then I can give you the bonds and stocks I have in my briefcase!"
"Just shut up!" Kae whispered. "Don't make me have to riddle you with bullets."
Seo then approached Yun and pulled out a tiny syringe from his pocket.
"W-W-W-What's...th-th-that?" stuttered Yun as he saw the syringe.
"Just a little something to calm you down." Seo answered as he quickly plunged the needle into Yun's neck.
Within seconds, Yun lost consciousness and his body lost its balance. Kae and Seo immediately held up and supported his unconscious body and escorted him to the delivery truck. They placed him on the ground slowly so they could open the rear door of the truck.
Once the door was wide open, Kae and Seo used all their strength to haul Yun into the back of the truck. With Yun unconscious and still in the back of the truck, Kae and Seo closed the back door, entered the front of the truck, and drove off.
"I hope he's ok back there." Seo said.
"He'll be fine. That sedative should last at least three hours. Besides I'll drive slow and not make any sharp turns." Kae replied as she navigated the delivery truck through the Shanghai traffic.
Author's Note: First of all I would like to take this moment to celebrate this fanfic's 5th Year Anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been five years since I started writing this fanfic and there's still more to come. I also would like to take the time to thank everyone who has decided to follow this story since it's inception over these five years and was willing to be patient enough to wait for more.
As for the story, we now find out the one who has manipulated the financial records in order to make Zero look guilty of embezzlement. Obviously Yun is being employed by an unknown source to ruin Zero's reputation, which would most likely lead to his downfall. Now all Kim Gu and the Zero Division have to do is find out who this unknown source is and the evidence they need to clear Zero's name. If anyone has any predictions so far, please share.