"Robert Ryan, you said?"

"That's right, Deputy Director."

"Didn't you say he's a Wall Street big shot?"

"They call him Wall Street's rising Midas."

"Is that so? I see..."

Jeong Guk-jong, the NIS First Deputy Director in charge of overseas operations, sank into thought.

He'd gotten a report on persons of interest entering and leaving the country—people who warranted special protection.

After the change of administration, the staff had been put through ideological vetting and replaced wholesale.

Overseas operations were no exception.

A good share of the overseas intelligence lines had been swapped out too, the North Korea intelligence line included.

Some deep-cover agents had even gone dark.

In the middle of all that chaos, he'd caught a break.

The Third Deputy Director's agents, who'd been tailing the former Third Deputy Director, had been chewed out by their superiors.

A good number of the agents who'd failed to track his movements had been ordered into reeducation.

Pull off something big at a time like this, and he'd catch the eye of the NIS director and the administration's power brokers.

It would make an especially good report for the VIP, who was extremely sensitive about relations with America.

"An investment visit?"

"He entered the country with the CEO of an investment corporation named Jang Tae-san, who's in the report."

"That's the second time."

"We've determined he's an overseas investor in the Ana Group. Jang Tae-san is his domestic partner."

"Jang Tae-san... Pretty rich for a kid that young."

"We've dug into him several times, but he's clean every time. The lines he's holding on to are strong."

"Have to be careful. The kid knows how to spend money."

Samu and Lee & Jang, listed as Jang Tae-san's allies, were organizations even the NIS Third Deputy Director couldn't ignore.

Lee & Jang especially—nobody in Korea had the guts to touch them.

"Put agents on his personal protection. If anybody around him gets cocky, handle it."

"Understood."

"And reach out to this Jang Tae-san. Tell him we should have a quiet meal sometime."

"I'll take care of it."

"Good. Good work, and keep…