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The mayor of Seoul rubbed his handed together in nervousness as he aids tired to remind him again and again of important points in his speech. He was holding a press conference to introduce the city's new district attorney.
He bade off his entourage as he took the stage. He tested the microphones at the podium before addressing the press assembled before him. His speech went along fine until he was to make the introduction. A flurry of reporters began sputtering out questions and he announced the pick for attourney. "Malcolm Young, is going to be your new District Attorney for the city of Seoul."
"He's not Korean." One of the reporters from the crowd remarked.
The mayor put his hands over his eyes. "Who's talking? What are you . . . he was born in Korea and has a Korean mother like everyone here."
Malcolm walked up to the podium and waved his hand like a pageant queen. He cleared this throat, silencing the roar of questions that had risen. "Yes my father is Nigerian and my mother is Korean. I know there has been a rush of attacks by an unknown assailant. I want to promise that I'll clean up the street and make it a place for families again. To celebrate this we'll be having a museum opening." Young signals to his aids and they unfurled a banner. "This opening will celebrate the rich history of Seoul."
The room burst into a round of applause and some of the reporters stood. The mayor stood behind
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Lee slammed his head onto his desk at the Seoul City Star. The phone on the table rank incessantly as he thought of how he would be making a story out of the facts he did not have. He's been working nights just to cover the superhero attacks and they didn't really have the facts to back up running the story. At this point, the police had succeeded in covering up their tracks in hiding the spider attacks from the public.
He really could use a distraction so he picked up the phone abruptly. "What do you want?"
The voice on the other end was the lady at the front desk, apparently the company needed someone to introduce one of the new paper's photographers around. He checked the time on his watch. Maybe she could be a hot distraction from the mess in his mind. Lee reassured the desk clerk he would behave and got himself down to the lobby.
Gods, she was obviously a former pageant queen. Her hair was curled in a sort of sixties bob that was supposed to make her look matronly, but in fact set off her trim suit even more. He racked his brain for a quip, but remembered his promise to the lady at the front desk.
Lee shook her hand and snapped his fingers. "You're Ray Tae Yeon. I covered you at the Miss Seoul Pageant."
She smiled in her practiced way like he was . . . well exactly what he was . . . a flirty reporter. "That's so nice. I don't recall your name. I spoke to a lot of press that night. You didn't really stand out to me."
Lee returned her smile with a shrug as he began her tour. "I didn't expect you to. So why did you decide to become a photographer all of a sudden. With your body . . . type and entertainment background I thought you would consider being a news anchor or a model instead of wasting time with our lot."
Her hands tightened around her camera bag. "I heard from my friends here that you're reporting on her."
"Who?"
"The woman who's been rounding up criminals. The black widow of Seoul, the underworld calls her."
"What would you know about the criminal underworld Miss Rey?"
She smirked. "I just did some research because I've been assigned to photograph her."
Lee's expression grew hard. He advanced on her, so her back was to the wall. "No one knows her identity not even Detective Kim."
The smirk grew playful. "I implore you to watch more American news. Her face is plastered all over gossip rags. I saw her there when I went to New York City for my press tour. She's like American Spiderman, but a warrior girl. There the Americans call her Silk. You know Commissioner Jeon has a file on her."
Lee hadn't been expecting she already was assigned to someone and he crossed his arms. She was a lot more intelligent and astute than the front she put forth as a beauty queen. She was like a snake, her beauty like a lure for prey. His eyes narrowed. "What do you have in mind? Since this is a combined assignment and I am your senior, I will take the blame for . . . whatever way you have to garner credible information."
"There's a charity benefit hosted by that media magnate, Peter Parker at the COEX Convention Center which is a preview of an exhibit on the history of Seoul as a city. Jeon will be attending and seeing we're partners you're going to accompany me." To punctuate her point she rain her manicured nails down the bridge of his nose.
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In the midst of the slums of the city sat a swanky bar owned by a less than reputable crowd. Most of the patrons going in and out were in business suits which contrasted heavily with the working crowd that resided in the neighborhood.
On top of the bar was a penthouse suite that was shaped like a giant budding lotus flower. Inside the lotus sat an obese man on a couch - Crime Boss Song Hee Choo. A cigar hung out of his mouth which he alternated with a glass of scotch. He was simultaneously watching on four screens - news, drama, surveillance, and stocks. He would remember every detail - which is why he'd maintained this stoop for ten years.
He slammed his glass down on the side table. "There's an African politician who thinks he can outsmart us." All of his associates stood in rapt attention. A couple shrugged their jackets back on. "He's figured out our meddling with the Steinhardt Laboratories."
Jack Park was one of Song's most trusted subordinates. Behind closed doors, many assumed that Choo was training him to be the successor as Song's woman had only produced a brood of reckless daughters and not one son. She was also getting old. But he would never abandon her for another as she held too many secrets and without her he would lose a handle on his precious girls. Jack cleared his throat. "Senior, would it not be a simple task to break into the attorney headquarter to steal the files that would put our activities at risk?"
Song shook his finger at Jack Park. "You're the number one guy for the job!"
Park seemed taken aback by this. "Sir I am your humble subordinate. I have no experience in pulling something of this magnitude off."
"Then, my one-who-is-almost-my-son, you shall learn."
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Lee loosened his dinner jacket, cursing his luck in having let Rey chose his suit. He felt restricted knowing he could burst out of his suit if he moved too aggressively and also belittled in that Rey had probably done this on purpose. He scooped up a glass of merlot and approached Commissioner Jeon who oddly was seated by himself holding his phone.
"Good day, Commissioner."
"I wasn't expecting reporters here. I'm not going to answer any more questions about the vigilante."
"Can you affirm or deny her name is Silk?"
"Off record?"
Lee smiled. "Fine, I'll take whatever tip you'll give."
"She's a female Spiderman who's of Korean-American descent. She hasn't seen her family is over ten years, but she's back in Seoul to meet some of her relatives."
Lee eyes were wide as he understood the implication of the statement. The police were as tipped off by Rey probably in the possession of a file that would corroborate the Commissioner's story. Now if only he could get his hands on it.
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