**Chapter Four**
The next morning, Kio woke up early. He donned the distinctive mask of Leo—a disguise that obscured his facial features, giving him an enigmatic and undefined appearance. After a quick shower, he changed from Leo's usual attire into his own special disguise. Then he paused for a moment to think before leaving his home. He grabbed an apple from Leo's house and headed out toward the meeting point.
The city streets were busy in the morning, filled with the sounds of bustling people and the roar of cars. The old buildings, with their latticed glass windows and multi-story structures, appeared as relics of a bygone era blended with modernity. The harbor lay at the far eastern edge of the city, where the dark waters merged with a gray sky that evoked a sense of gloom. Large barges moored along the docks reverberated with the clatter of heavy machinery and the shouts of laborers loading and unloading cargo.
When Kio arrived at the harbor, he could see boxes awaiting shipment piled haphazardly. The ground was covered in a mix of sand and dust, scattered with remnants of packing materials carried by the wind. The port was alive with ceaseless activity, as workers moved crates with cranes and shouted orders above the noisy hum of machinery.
Kio reached the warehouse—a massive, rectangular building with walls of gray brick. The facade featured huge steel doors tightly secured, with small watchtowers at the corners. Inside the warehouse, a constant clamor resounded from the clanging of metal containers and the heavy boxes being moved. The interior lighting was dim, with scattered low lights reflecting off the damp concrete floor.
Kio navigated the narrow corridors of the warehouse until he reached where Hatze was waiting. Hatze—a young man with European features and an impeccably athletic build—was overseeing the loading with caution. Kio entered the corridor and found Hatze speaking with the guards in a tense tone.
One of the guards said, "Oi, Leo, you're late."
Leo (Kio): "Shut up, you bastard. Don't talk to me. Where's Hatze?"
The guard replied, "He's over there. That scoundrel's whisper hasn't changed at all—if given the chance, he'd kill you."
Leo (Kio) moved among the guards until he found Hatze, who was explaining that today's deal involved receiving arms, and that the smugglers would be accompanied by a group to retrieve the weapons stored in the warehouse. The deal was connected to smuggling people as a means of surveillance against the opposition, and it was absolutely necessary to keep the operation secret to avoid scandal.
Just as matters seemed to be stabilizing, a group of heavily armed men burst into the warehouse, causing utter chaos. They attacked suddenly, and Kio found himself in the midst of the battle. He skillfully used his dagger—stabbing one of the attackers in the chest and then pushing him away before evading another strike.
Kio grabbed a dagger from one of the fallen attackers and plunged it into another man's stomach, leaving him writhing in pain before he collapsed to the ground. He then used his gun to take out enemies at a distance, firing his shots with high precision that felled them one by one. Amid the combat, he cut the supply ropes so that he could use them as decoys for protection, even using the bodies as shields.
While the fight raged on, Kio captured one of the enemies who was bleeding from his leg after Kio had shot him. Kio interrogated the prisoners violently, using his dagger to threaten them. When one of them—named Kim—refused to divulge his information, Kio methodically cut off his fingers one by one until he extracted the required details, then ended the man's life swiftly by driving his dagger into his neck, transforming any glimmer of hope into despair.
Leo (Kio): "Who are you, and who do you work for?"
The man gasped, "I won't tell you."
Before he could finish, Kio quickly slashed the man's shoulder with his dagger, making him scream in pain.
Leo (Kio): "I'm asking you again—who are you, and who do you work for?"
The man retorted, "Go to hell."
Kio continued his assault, targeting the man's hand swiftly and threatening to cut off more fingers.
Kio: "I'll cut off a finger every second you delay."
The guard screamed, "My name is Kim—I work for Yook!"
After extracting the information, Kio drove his dagger into the man's neck to end his life quickly, leaving nothing but hopelessness in his wake.
Hatze spat, "Yook, that bastard!"
Leo (Kio) replied, "Yook, that man is a politician."
Hatze: "Yes, he's one of our enemies."
After the battle ended, Hatze received a phone call from Han, who was furious. Hatze and Kio rushed in a speeding car to Han's palace. The palace was located in an upscale district, surrounded by expansive gardens and high stone walls. The main entrance was adorned with huge bronze statues, and the interior boasted luxurious furniture and traditional decor.
Kio and Hatze entered the meeting room, where Han sat behind a large desk. The slanted light from the tall windows cast shadows over Han's face, which was etched with anger. On the table before Han lay a phone and a message containing explicit threats. Reading the message was alarming—it detailed the sources of Han's wealth and his business secrets.
Han said sharply, "Hatze, go and send our men to kill Yook—make sure he's held responsible. As for you, prepare to move at dawn. We're heading to our other palace, where security will be even tighter."
After receiving the threats, Han decided to quickly head to his other palace, now surrounded by a larger contingent of guards. He had no choice but to leave in haste, yet the threats forced him to rush into making plans to protect himself and to begin preparations for new measures to ensure his safety.
The rapid sequence of events made every step for Kio part of a complex and difficult process, as he faced an unseen enemy and meticulously planned his moves to ensure the success of his mission and his own protection in a world filled with danger and deceit.