The Bullet and the Betrayal
Tang-! With a sharp gunshot, the drone overhead shattered into fragments.
Without a moment of hesitation, Je-hyeok aimed at the next drone and pulled the trigger.
Tang. Tang. Tang. Tang.
The reports rang out in rapid succession. Shell casings scattered across the ground with a steady clatter. The shattered pieces of the downed drones scattered like black ash in the air.
For a while, the sound of gunfire never stopped across the vast grassy field. Birds in the dense forest beyond took flight in sudden bursts of wings.
Only when the last round in the chamber had been fired did Je-hyeok remove his ear protectors. Applause broke out right beside him.
“Your skill is truly exceptional.”
He was the person in charge of planning and implementing the drone-shooting business item.
“The difficulty setting we chose is the most challenging level so far, yet you’ve already shattered every record our expert testers ever achieved.”
“Well made.”
It was a short, dry comment for the impressive feat of taking out every prepared drone in the shortest possible time.
Je-hyeok set his gun down and removed his bulletproof vest. The in-charge person stepped forward to take them. The last pair of shooting sunglasses was collected by the young man who looked like a low-level staff member.
“It’s still in development, but the completion rate is quite high. Our research team has poured their hearts into it for more than four years. As you probably already know, we’ve already attracted a lot of buyers from Europe and the Middle East.”
As Je-hyeok crossed the wide lawn, the in-charge person kept pace behind him.
“From horse riding to golf—once the exclusive hobbies of the upper class—everything has become boring now. Because commoners keep posting about imitating the rich on Instagram. The price has dropped a lot, and they’ve popped up everywhere, so it’s easy for regular people to get into.”
“A hobby that costs a fortune, I suppose.”
“Exactly. And not everyone can do drone shooting. That’s also the selling point that’s going to stir the upper class even more.”
The in-charge person continued his passionate business pitch.
“We’ve been collecting drones that have reached the end of their lifespan or been classified as defective due to minor faults, repaired the broken ones, and installed new programs to cut costs. Even so, the production cost is so high that we’ll be going with on-demand manufacturing. The system allows us to set up shooting for your preferred date if you place a reservation in advance.”
“In the brochure it says hunting instead of shooting.”
“Yes, it’s a kind of modern-day hunting concept. Nowadays there are so many environmental groups, animal organizations, and all sorts of groups telling us what not to do.”
Je-hyeok entered the pavilion prepared nearby. Behind the pavilion roof, Mun-kyu was already waiting with a prepared can of soda water.
“By the way, hunting used to be a hobby enjoyed by European nobles and American upper-class people. Even until the 1990s, there were hunting competitions hosted by royalty in some European countries under the excuse of continuing tradition.”
While Je-hyeok sipped his soda water and took in the scenery, the in-charge person’s explanation continued without pause.
“And it’s even more fun, with varied difficulty, and fewer regulations. A new concept of hunting tailored for the coming AI era. One that only a select few can access.”
The in-charge person especially emphasized “only a select few can access.” It was a subtle hint that Je-hyeok, who you were, didn’t fall into that category.
“As for collection…”
“Yes?”
“The collection of drone fragments.”
He had thought they were simply enjoying the beautiful scenery, but the question was surprisingly sharp.
“Ah, yes. We’re currently developing specialized collection machinery.”
“If we’re going to do it like real hunting, the collection range will be vast. It won’t be easy to spot the animals, and if we make it poorly, complaints will come from the environmental groups you mentioned, and regulations will be imposed from the political side.”
Collection of the fragments was already the biggest headache of the entire business. Because even the tiniest fragments were scattered around, handling them was difficult. On top of that, it was planned as a real hunting program with the program set against actual mountains and wide fields rather than the narrow range of the existing clay shooting. It even made horseback riding and dynamic hunting possible.
As Je-hyeok had said, the collection range was wide and the labor was heavy. Development of the program that could perfectly and efficiently handle the collection was still stalled. Therefore, they had to secure Je-hyeok’s investment just to continue the research and complete the development.
But the in-charge person’s hesitant demeanor made Je-hyeok read the situation.
“Send me the collection-related development materials you’ve completed so far.”
He demanded the documents with a rather firm tone. It was a bad sign. Was their investment slipping away like this?
He had heard that this young master from the chaebol family liked to spend money recklessly, born with a silver spoon and enjoying life but living too casually. Yet he turned out to be far more cautious and cold-headed than expected.
The man turned and started walking toward the exit. Je-hyeok’s secretary, who had been standing like an expressionless robot, began walking alongside him. If they let these people go, they would lose their biggest source of funds. The in-charge person’s mouth dried up with anxiety.
Still, one thread of hope remained. With that in mind, he carefully chose his words and hurried after the man who was walking ahead.
“Ah, well… then I’ll think it over a little more and make a decision…”
“I’ll invest.”
“Yes?”
“We’ll decide the scale after reviewing the collection program development materials.”
He was momentarily stunned. He forgot to walk, stood like an idiot staring at Je-hyeok and his secretary’s backs, and only then bowed deeply at the waist.
“Ah, y-yes! Understood. I’ll send the materials right away. Thank you, Representative!”
***
“I didn’t think you’d say no.”
Mun-kyu smoothly turned the steering wheel and spoke. In the back seat, Je-hyeok sat with his legs crossed, gazing out the window at the scenery. It was a highland area in Gangwon Province, so the colors were certainly more vivid than in Seoul.
Across the river beside the road, the mountains were painted entirely red. The tall sky was blue, and the winding river sparkled with green and autumn leaves. A beautiful but short and cool season.
When he could, he should enjoy it fully. With that thought, he leisurely admired the scenery.
“Just for my own fun.”
“…Just for fun?”
Je-hyeok had been sorting through the existing investment cases before joining the company. He had thought that from now on he would focus on Wooshin, so he wasn’t planning to expand personal investment much further.
“It was really fun. It’s good to come and test it and relieve stress when you’re bored sometimes, right?”
Ah, right. Je-hyeok was the kind of man who could make tens of billions in fun money alone.
“Team Chief Choi comes over whenever he wants to shoot me and kill me, and then he relaxes and leaves.”
Then it should be ten times a day, not just once.
If he answered that way, what would the carefree young master say? A dangerous curiosity arose, but Mun-kyu killed it with familiar ease. Whenever he struck back, he had never once received a good ending.
Mun-kyu changed the topic smoothly.
“It seems like there’s someone you want to shoot and kill.”
“I guess so.”
Je-hyeok let out a short laugh. If he had to name one, it would be his father, but what came to mind immediately was Shin Woo-yeon.
Suddenly, he thought that this woman suited the season perfectly. Beautiful, but short and coolly fleeting, like Shin Woo-yeon.
He recalled the cruel gesture that had cast him aside mercilessly. The back view running away in the rain, the merciless farewell glance as she stepped onto the sidewalk—everything flashed through his mind in sequence.
Even while being soaked in the rain, her face had been soft and bright. A pitiful and half-broken face that somehow stirred his emotions.
Some idiots on the road had opened the driver’s window and watched the woman. Even though the rain was pouring down, they didn’t look away from her, their eyes glittering.
He should have jabbed those eyes out, those idiots who had stuck out their tongues and drooled while staring at her. That he hadn’t done so now felt strangely disappointing.
Looking at the brilliantly clear autumn weather, the gloomy sky from that day kept coming back to him.
So where had Shin Woo-yeon gone, turning away in the rain that day? Had another idiot who greased his eyes and clung to her appeared in the meantime?
No, maybe Shin Woo-yeon had been the one to cling to him first. Maybe she would have stared blankly at any random idiot and made another desperate confession the way she had to him.
Je-hyeok didn’t believe in Shin Woo-yeon’s confession. A woman’s face never truly fell in love. More believable was the face that had realized his identity late and desired the money he held.
So even if it wasn’t him, any man with a fat wallet was the same to her. That she could follow any idiot around and stare at him blankly like that. Thinking this way, a quiet irritation stirred.
Yet the insides of that filthy woman had been what he had discarded as worthless and tiresome.
Eventually the car entered the city. When it stopped at a traffic light, Mun-kyu pulled a kraft paper folder from the drawer under the dashboard.
“The materials related to Ms. Shin Woo-yeon from last time.”
Je-hyeok silently took them and tore open the sealed envelope.