“Kim Junsu...” the voice called, a mock present behind its sneer. “Stop being a cry baby and get your here. You still have a few more things to do before you will get your reward.”

“I didn’t ask for any rewards. All I want is for Min Hee not to get hurt,” Junsu’s voice was annoyed and tired. The beer was somehow starting to affect him, but not in its usual way. “Just back off... I’ll get the other things done when I’m ready.”

A chuckle echoed to his ears. “Oh, no, no... Are you forgetting something here? I’m the boss, remember?”

Junsu grunted. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose to help ease the headache. “I haven’t turned stupid yet. And you haven’t been keeping your end of the bargain either. So at least I deserve some freedom to choose.”

Silence followed as Junsu figured that ‘he’ was contemplating.

“Fine,” the man finally decided. “I’ll let this one go on at your pace. But I expect the plan to succeed, or else, Min Hee will be as good as dead.”

“Deal!”

However, the man called out his name before Junsu could cut the line. “Just so you know,” the man began. “It’s true that you haven’t turned stupid, but that’s only because you’re already stupid-”

CLICK

He didn’t need to listen to more of them. He knew that man enjoys the pain and humiliation of others, and Junsu was sure that the bastard would be smiling triumphantly right now, rejoicing Junsu’s failure to endure his mocking. But he couldn’t care less. He was exhausted and all he wished for was that he hadn’t taken that much beer to last him a lifetime. Maybe it’s time for him to go home.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

“Shim Choikang is not in our database, Milord,” his men reported. “He’s not even among the Hidden Files.”

“Impossible. Our archive is the most complete. Who’s in charge?” Changmin’s voice boomed the empty hall as his eyes roamed the room, a hint of anger was visible but it was clear that he was trying to minimise it. He was avoiding the need to create a scene in his current condition.

“Me, Milord,” a short black-suited man with thick-rimmed glasses immediately came forward with a 10-inch portable notebook computer in his arms, not daring to make the boss wait a moment longer. His face was worried for what was to come, but he tried to maintain a straight face. “I’m in the process of hacking a few other databases on the internet. But it seemed as if this person does not exist.”

“How is this possible? He has the same surname as mine. It shouldn’t be that difficult!” Changmin’s tone was rising with each word.

“I’m doing my best, Milord…” the man hunched his shoulders a little to shield him from the blow that might land on him as his voice trailed off in terror. To his surprise, Changmin only snatched his notebook away from him and slammed it on the nearest flat surface before he began typing on the keyboard, entering codes so quickly that the man couldn’t even catch the sight of his finger-nails.

“Dammit.”

“Maybe it’s a code name, Milord.”

“Shut up.”

Changmin ignored his surroundings and continued searching and hacking using all the methods and areas that he knew. People around him could only watch as their bo