Chapter 53. Master Plan – Sunset

Director Park Chan-hong has wrapped up the first round of filming on the boat and is now inspecting the container.

"Hmm, this seems good. Is the tech team ready?"

"Yes, they are."

"Then let's start with the deal scene."

In response to Director Park Chan-hong's words, the staff and extras take their positions.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, Director."

Director Park Chan-hong raises his hand in response to the replies from Jung Hae-gyun and Ryu Yeon-woo.

"Ready, action."

Park Kang-woo managed to scrape together the money by using his company as collateral and even taking out high-interest loans.

It wasn't as if he had blindly taken the bait just because he had a near-death experience and believed a stranger's words.

Through his usual information sources, he obtained information about the Italian mafia attending the meeting and became confident.

However, that information was false, having been pre-planned and intercepted using a SIM chip to hijack the signal.

Park Kang-woo was merely a puppet playing the game set up by Pierre Choi.

Pierre Choi, sitting in the seat of honor with his legs crossed.

"It is an honor for my family to meet the ruler of Sicily again."

Park Kang-woo bows deeply to Pierre, showing as much respect as possible.

He is already overwhelmed by the grandeur of the ship he saw upon arriving at the port.

Pierre Choi smirks at Park Kang-woo's words.

"I don't know where you heard that, but we do not call ourselves the rulers of Sicily."

Pierre Choi, stroking his chin and staring intently at Park Kang-woo, continues.

"We are the protectors of Sicily. How could we oppress the weak?"

Pierre Choi, who used to treat Park Kang-woo like a kneeling man in a wooden box, now uses respectful language.

Despite being intimidated by Pierre Choi's deep, dark eyes that speak of the weak, Park Kang-woo feels a sense of recognition as a business partner and feels good.

"I made a mistake."

"Please, sit down."

Pierre Choi gestures to the chair in front of him.

Park Kang-woo and his subordinate, responsible for the transfer, sit down and place their laptops.

Pierre Choi signals to someone behind him, and a white man with a rifle hands over a slip of paper with a Swiss bank account.

"Deposit the money there. Of course... you have it, right?"

Park Kang-woo, unable to meet Pierre Choi's snake-like eyes, stammers.

"O-of course. But, can I see the goods?"

"Hahaha."

Pierre Choi laughs at Park Kang-woo's words.

"Of course? We still don't have... "

Pierre Choi's fingers tap the table in an irregular, nervous rhythm.

"...trust, you see."

Pierre Choi nods to his subordinate, who walks over and lifts a tarp in the corner of the hold.

Park Kang-woo, entranced, approaches the stacks of white powder bags.

When he lifts one, he sees an RPG-7 rocket launcher in a box without a lid.

Park Kang-woo, who has never seen such a weapon in a country where firearms are illegal, is startled and quickly covers the powder bags, glancing at Pierre.

"I have other clients, you know. I'm busy internationally."

Pierre Choi's respectful tone is gone.

Park Kang-woo hurriedly sits down and urges his subordinate.

"Make the transfer quickly."

"Yes, sir."

Park Kang-woo glares at his subordinate and whispers.

"Call me sir, not sir."

"Ah, yes. President."

The subordinate, typing on the laptop.

"It's done, President."

"Ahaha. Check it, please."

Park Kang-woo, rubbing his hands, speaks to Pierre Choi.

Pierre Choi signals to the white man standing behind him.

The subordinate pulls out the antenna of a satellite phone and makes a call.

He soon confirms and hangs up.

"Ne è sicura? (Are you sure?)"

The subordinate nods quietly in response to Pierre's question.

Squeak—

Pierre Choi pushes his chair back and stands up.

"Haha. Let's work well together. The brothers of Sicily never betray once a trust is established."

"Of course. I look forward to working with you."

Park Kang-woo stands up, bows deeply, and shakes Pierre's hand with both hands.

"Okay. Cut!"

At Director Park Chan-hong's call, the actors and stuntmen relax.

"Now for the big scene."

The tension in the set is palpable as Park Chan-hong continues.

"As you all know, the set is small, and it's difficult to break this scene into multiple shots."

Director Park Chan-hong addresses the staff, actors, and stuntmen.

"The cameras are set up everywhere, so pay attention to your movements and let's do it in one take."

"Let's do our best!"

Ooh!

Jung Hae-gyun, playing Park Kang-woo, leads the cheer, boosting the morale of the actors and stuntmen.

Since the final scene requires filming from all angles, all staff except the actors have moved outside.

Director Park Chan-hong, watching the field monitor outside the container and giving instructions over the radio.

- Alright, get ready. Scene 90, ready, action!

Park Kang-woo, holding Pierre's hands with both hands, bows respectfully.

Pierre pats his shoulder, and Park Kang-woo straightens up.

Suddenly, an urgent radio message comes through the white man's radio.

Beep—

- Run! You've been discovered!

Park Kang-woo, confused by the urgent foreign language, looks bewildered.

Pierre Choi's face contorts as he pulls out a gun from his suit and points it at Park Kang-woo.

"What? You?"

"Y-yes? What do you mean?"

Pierre Choi, frowning, points the gun at the white man who received the radio message.

"Then it's you?!"

At that moment, special agents in black tactical gear burst into the hold.

"Interpol! You have the right to remain silent and to appoint a lawyer. Anything you say can be used against you in court."

The special agents point their guns, and the white men behind Pierre also draw their weapons.

Park Kang-woo and his subordinate, startled by the sudden situation, look around in panic.

"I, I have nothing to do with this."

Park Kang-woo raises his hands and steps back.

"Stop! Don't move!"

Park Kang-woo, who had no idea what was happening except for the word "Interpol," understands this command.

He and his subordinate freeze, their faces pale with fear.

At that moment, a shout comes from the inner passage connected to the hold.

"Dai ragazzi! Muoviti! Forza! (Everyone, move! Hurry up!)"

Masked men in black suits with guns enter.

Pierre Choi, surrounded, points his gun at different directions and shouts.

"What? Who the hell are you?!"

One of the black-suited men, particularly large, removes his mask and points his gun at Pierre Choi.

"It's me, you bastard."

Pierre Choi, recognizing the face, steps back and laughs maniacally.

Hahaha.

"This is too funny. Life is so amusing, isn't it?"

Pierre Choi's expression suddenly turns cold as he stares at Guak Ji-cheol with his deep, dark eyes.

He points his gun at Guak Ji-cheol and pulls the trigger.

Bang—

The red blood splattering from Guak Ji-cheol's chest is the signal.

The Interpol agents, the black-suited men, and Pierre's white subordinates start shooting in all directions.

"Ah!"

Park Kang-woo and his subordinate, covering their heads, run towards the hold's entrance.

They dash out of the ship, their legs trembling.

The men inside the hold, ignoring the fleeing Park Kang-woo, shoot at each other.

The hold turns into a chaotic mess.

Sparks fly as machinery and ceiling lights shatter.

Everyone falls, and the hold is filled with bodies.

The space, once filled with the loud sounds of gunfire, becomes eerily silent in just a few seconds, creating a stark contrast.

After more than ten seconds, Pierre suddenly sits up.

"Hah. This is too amusing."

Pierre Choi, covering his mouth, laughs quietly.

The men who had fallen, bleeding, slowly get up.

Hahaha.

Soon, the men in the hold start laughing quietly.

"Hey, Guak Ji-cheol. What? 'It's me, you bastard?' It seemed emotional. There was no swearing during the rehearsal."

Guak Ji-cheol, putting down the fake gun, stands up from the machinery designed to break at the right moment.

"Ah, you're really good, 'junk dealer' uncle. Everyone, get up quickly."

Guak Ji-cheol, scratching his head, changes the subject and unnecessarily shakes the back of a man who hasn't gotten up yet.

At that moment, Director Park Chan-hong's radio call comes.

- Okay, cut! You are the best actors in the country.

Cheers!

The actors, who successfully completed the most important scene of the film, celebrate.

Not only the actors but the staff also embrace each other, congratulating and encouraging each other for their hard work.

As the actors and staff come out of the container set, the beautiful sunset is setting over the sea.

"Wow, the timing is perfect."

Ma Seok-do, putting his arm around Yeon-woo, approaches.

"Really, the scene we just shot was amazing. It will look great on screen."

Han So-hyun, who had been watching the field monitor next to the director, also approaches.

While the actors are admiring the sunset and discussing the scene they just shot, Jung Hae-gyun is filming his final scene.

Park Kang-woo, running out of the ship in a panic, keeps looking back, his legs trembling.

At that moment, the assistant director shouts.

"Boom!"

The assistant director gives the cue for the explosion, and Park Kang-woo and his subordinate collapse simultaneously.

"Ugh."

Terrified, they quickly get up and run.

Park Kang-woo, who suddenly found himself in the middle of a shootout between the Italian mafia, Interpol, and the large man he thought was the driver for Mr. Roh, is in a dire situation.

Thinking that the bullets might have hit the RPG-7 rockets under the drugs, causing the bridge to explode and everyone to die, Park Kang-woo realizes he has nowhere to turn, whether in the police, the underworld, or anywhere else.

In the game set up by Pierre Choi, he has been played, and now he is left with a 300 billion won debt.

"Okay! Cut."