30 Minutes Later
Thursday, continued…
About thirty minutes after the immigration officials left Hou Yi’s office, they arrived back at the local immigration department. One of the officials was tasked with entering the office of his superior, Yang Meghwa, to explain the failed mission.
As he entered, Yang Meghwa’s piercing gaze immediately made it clear that the official was in deep trouble.
“Where is that laptop? Which cell is that girl in?” Yang Meghwa demanded, his voice sharp and demanding.
“Supervisor Yang…” the official hesitated, clearly nervous.
“Answer my questions, now!” Yang Meghwa’s tone was icy, leaving no room for excuses.
“I… I have to apologize to you, Supervisor Yang. The woman you wanted me to detain—Anna Jones—was not arrested, and I was unable to retrieve her laptop,” the official admitted, his voice shaking.
“What!” Yang Meghwa screamed, his face turning red with frustration. “You had one task—to make sure she was detained—and you failed!”
“I apologize, Supervisor Yang,” the official stammered. “The woman was able to convince the team leader for the raid that she had valid documentation proving she had the right to remain in the country and work. While I couldn’t personally verify the documents, the team leader was satisfied that everything was legitimate. I tried everything to get hold of her laptop, but I was unsuccessful.”
“Just get out of here,” Yang Meghwa spat, his anger rising. He needed to take this failure to his superior before anything else.
With a deep breath, Yang Meghwa stormed out of the office, heading down the corridor to speak with the team leader responsible for the failed raid.
He entered another office, where the team leader was sitting at a desk, filling out reports.
“Could I speak to the team leader who led the operation at Hou Enterprises? The one who was handling the report about the woman working illegally there?” Yang Meghwa asked curtly.
A man stood up from the back of the room. “That would be me, Supervisor Yang. My supervisor already has the report, and he’s currently discussing it with higher-ups to finalize both cases.”
Yang Meghwa nodded. “That’s fine, but until I receive confirmation, I need to finalize the paperwork. My subordinate told me that you reviewed the documents and confirmed that the woman had the right to remain in the country and work. Can you tell me what that evidence was?”
The team leader paused, clearly uncomfortable. “Supervisor Yang, my supervisor has directed that the specifics of this case remain confidential due to the nature of the woman’s occupation and identity. All I can confirm is that the documentary evidence and other materials I reviewed proved the woman was legally allowed to remain and work in the country. Any further inquiries need to be directed to my supervisor.”
Yang Meghwa’s patience was wearing thin. “Fine,” he snapped, storming back to his office. He realized that the information was being hidden or delayed for reasons that weren’t immediately clear. Whatever games were being played, it was clear that he wouldn’t be getting answers easily. He had to report this failure to Yang Lin and Lu Jinhu, but he also knew he needed more time to get the information they were asking for.
Frustrated, Yang Meghwa grabbed his phone and his cigarette pack. He stepped outside to have a quick smoke, hoping the break would calm his nerves before he called Lu Jinhu.
He dialed the number, and after three rings, Lu Jinhu answered, his voice sharp. “Yang Meghwa, tell me you have that laptop.”
Yang Meghwa took a long drag from his cigarette before speaking. “Lu Jinhu, I’m sorry to report to you and my cousin, but I failed. The tip about Anna Jones came in ten minutes after a tip from Lawyer Mei at Hou Enterprises, claiming that she was working illegally. Since another section of the department is handling those cases, they took over the investigation. The best I could do was send someone from my team.”
He paused briefly, trying to gather his thoughts before continuing, “Somehow, she managed to convince the team leader of the raid that she had valid documentation, and they cleared her. I wasn’t able to get her laptop. I tried everything, but it’s gone now.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and then Lu Jinhu’s voice came through, colder than ever. “You had one job, Yang Meghwa. And you failed. Again.”
“I understand, but we will try to retrieve the information another way. It’s just going to take some time,” Yang Meghwa replied, his frustration evident. “I’ll keep you updated.”
Lu Jinhu’s tone softened slightly, but his anger was still palpable. “You better. If we don’t get that laptop soon, there will be consequences. Let me know the moment you have any news.”
With that, the call ended, and Yang Meghwa was left to figure out his next move. He wasn’t giving up on the mission just yet, but the delay would only make things more complicated for everyone involved. The clock was ticking.
