Snake Venom Ch 49

Chapter 49

What could he possibly do to look at him with such expectant eyes? Cheon Wooshin was momentarily taken aback, enough to forget the urgency of the situation.

Lee Yeonwoo. The true identity of “RatPuppy,” who had swept up money with ingenious and risky plays in Sodom’s hunting ground. The one and only person who had confronted a lawless place with his own sense of righteousness, and the very person President Park had obsessed over to the point of installing several receivers. It was expected that he would come to retrieve him, and that prediction had been spot-on.

However, Cheon Wooshin had never explained to him that there was an inhumane device implanted in his body. Lee Yeonwoo only needed to be used according to his capabilities, and the chip in his body was no different. Information was cut off to prevent any potential variables, and so there was no regret. As long as it was operating normally, they would lower their guard even more, so he hadn’t tampered with it.

When the time came, Cheon Wooshin’s confession was dry and emotionless.

“There’s a tracker implanted in your body, Lee Yeonwoo-ssi. I didn’t remove it.”

Lee Yeonwoo’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even found it while washing, which meant it must be embedded under the skin. He tried to find any traces of it, but soon furrowed his brow and gave up. He had been beaten so often and so thoroughly that he couldn’t pinpoint any specific location. New wounds had covered his body before old ones could heal. It was only natural that he couldn’t find it, and Cheon Wooshin had used that fact to lure President Park.

“……”

So that’s how it was—Lee Yeonwoo’s eyes, filled with quiet resignation, lowered to the floor. Before that silent and accepting demeanor, Cheon Wooshin’s usually expressionless face subtly shifted.

Was it because of the dejected figure he had seen earlier in the elevator? Though all he needed to do was deliver the facts and instructions, Cheon Wooshin found this situation oddly uncomfortable. Just as the feeling of unease began to surface, he chose to dismiss it as bothersome.

“Well then…”

Lee Yeonwoo opened his mouth.

“Should I do what I’m best at?”

The face that had been lost in thought was now suddenly brightened.

“You’ll protect me, right?”

Lee Yeonwoo beamed, revealing his neat teeth.

He was someone who somehow always discarded the unnecessary and focused solely on the intended role, no matter who gave the orders. Cheon Wooshin blinked slowly. In the brief moment that his eyelids lowered and lifted, the surge of complex emotions that had come uninvited were pushed aside as if they’d never existed. Cheon Wooshin curled up one side of his lips.

“Lee Yeonwoo-ssi, will you be the bait?”

That was all Cheon Wooshin said, but Lee Yeonwoo nodded as if he had been waiting for it. His eyes shone clearly, declaring that he believed in no one else but him—without a trace of doubt, disappointment, or resentment.

“Yes.”

If President Park launched a surprise attack, Lee Yeonwoo’s job was to buy time until all of his men fell into the trap. That was Cheon Wooshin’s plan. He handed Lee Yeonwoo a tranquilizer round.

Even though it was a tranquilizer, it was strong enough for semi-humans and would knock someone out instantly upon impact. Cheon Wooshin, who had the authority and ability to determine which of the intruders were important, naturally carried live rounds.

Visual acuity was a critical factor in combat readiness. Blocking out light would give an advantage to Cheon Wooshin, who knew the building’s layout, and to Lee Yeonwoo, whose sense of smell was keen. Once the final breaker was cut, darkness fell on all sides.

Ju Doyoung contacted them again.

– I checked the cameras at the road entrance. Five SUVs have entered. They’re definitely armed.

“I figured.”

Cheon Wooshin replied in a composed tone. A syndicate that trafficked people like commodities would naturally have a stockpile of illegal firearms.

– They’re not just trying to pick a fight. They’re planning to wipe everything out.

If they were retaliating this swiftly after taking a hit, it was likely they had gathered all their remaining forces. Despite Ju Doyoung’s concern, Cheon Wooshin remained calm.

“Tell them to go ahead without me. I have no interest in doing the same.”

His goal was simple: take everything they had, sever all limbs, and ensure any future conversation would be on his terms. The plan was to capture them all at once with the net he had cast. He didn’t want unnecessary killing—there was too much he needed to ask. Cheon Wooshin’s role was to protect the bait: Lee Yeonwoo.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

After ending the call, Cheon Wooshin switched on a small flashlight. He reached out to Lee Yeonwoo beside him and pulled him by the shoulder. He wanted to tighten the bulletproof vest he had tossed to him earlier.

With the small flashlight clenched between his front teeth, he illuminated Lee Yeonwoo’s upper body. He aligned it horizontally so it fit snugly over his chest and zipped it all the way up. He adjusted the holster’s tension to avoid impeding movement and to allow for quick firing. His dry hands brushed over Lee Yeonwoo’s shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

“Team Leader.”

The voice that called him was tense with strain. Of course he would be nervous. But Cheon Wooshin didn’t have the luxury to console him right now. He looked up indifferently.

“What do we do.”

That one phrase, soaked in anxiety, was followed by Lee Yeonwoo pointing under Cheon Wooshin’s ear. That alone was enough for Cheon Wooshin to sense something and check his watch. Heart rate and body temperature were steady. If it weren’t for Lee Yeonwoo, he might have mistaken it for his usual state.

But for someone like Cheon Wooshin, who had already experienced side effects before, even such subtle signs were dangerous. It was as if the countdown on a time bomb had begun.

“The scent has grown stronger.”

The moment the scent spiked was the very point Seolkyung had mentioned as the beginning of side effects. Why now, of all times. Cheon Wooshin furrowed his brow, but soon regained his composure as if nothing had happened.

At most, they had a few dozen minutes. The symptoms hadn’t become noticeable yet. He would deal with the immediate problems one by one. Like locking on to a target with a gunsight, Cheon Wooshin focused solely on the objective.

Meanwhile, Lee Yeonwoo’s mind had gone completely blank. Wasn’t this level of difficulty too high right from the start? What had Seolkyung said to do in times like this? Suppressants. Right, the suppressant first. He was about to reach into his pocket.

Cheon Wooshin grabbed Lee Yeonwoo’s chin and made him look into his eyes. Eyes that blinked rapidly met unwavering, disciplined ones in midair.

“The plan is the plan…”

At that moment, Lee Yeonwoo’s eyes widened further. Though Lee Yeonwoo said nothing, Cheon Wooshin realized even in this brief instant that his scent had grown stronger. It was a sign that the progression was accelerating.

Cheon Wooshin jabbed himself with the injector he had brought. The sharp needle pierced his skin, but his expression remained cold.

Still, the plan was the plan. His mind became colder, but the situation surged forward uncontrollably. Should they revise the plan now? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t foreseen something like this happening, but for it to strike at the most crucial moment—it was as if fate were toying with them.

Whether he died a meaningless death here or went on a rampage as a monster, he had resolved to see this through to the end. What worried him was the aftermath that Lee Yeonwoo would have to endure. As he checked his biometric gear again and clicked his tongue, Lee Yeonwoo’s voice cut through.

“Team Leader.”

The soft-spoken call came with eyes that were steady and resolute. The flustered expression from earlier had vanished, replaced by an astoundingly serious face.

“As far as I know, trackers can’t detect vertical distance—is that right?”

The shooting range had five floors above ground and three below. At Lee Yeonwoo’s question about the tracker’s limitations, Cheon Wooshin nodded.

“You don’t know when the side effects will escalate, and I’m not as competent as you.”

Hearing this brutally honest assessment out loud only made the situation feel more like a mess. Though he had taken the suppressant, it was unreliable. Yesterday’s incident was the only basis for comparison, so no one knew when Cheon Wooshin would become incapacitated or what kind of incident might occur. Lee Yeonwoo continued speaking.

“As long as we don’t attack the enemy, our location probably won’t be exposed for a while. But if we fire even once, that would make you the bait instead.”

Even as the enemy’s perimeter closed in, Cheon Wooshin didn’t interrupt him. In fact, he listened closely.

“If they’re certain we’re close by, but we don’t move or show ourselves, they’re more likely to rely on the receiver signals. That’ll give us more chances to track them back.”

All of this had been deduced from a call he hadn’t even heard properly. Cheon Wooshin looked down at Lee Yeonwoo’s clear, fair cheek.

“So I think it’s better for us to hide together… No, we have to, right now.”

The firm tone that concluded his sentence offered the safest course for them both. In this disadvantaged state, they had no time left to assess or hesitate.

“As long as it’s a place no one can find us, it’ll work.”

As if unable to wait a second longer, Lee Yeonwoo took the lead and gestured with his chin.

“I know just the place.”