Safety Pin Removal

Chapter 02 **The Ghostly Man**

A few weeks ago.

In the meeting room of KBC Broadcasting Station’s documentary production team, where they focus on in-depth coverage of social issues, heated discussions were a weekly occurrence.

Today was no exception.

The team members, gathered around a long table, were debating over recent news of an explosion accident that had occurred overseas.

Eugene, the documentary director, excitedly flipped through her presentation materials.

As she did, Kim Jin-ho, the department head, set down his coffee cup and spoke up.

“How many people actually died in that explosion? There have been so many bomb-related accidents lately. But this one seems like a bit of good news, at least.”

He waved a piece of paper as he spoke.

It was news about an attempted terrorist attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, a world-famous tourist spot.

The terrorists had planted a high-performance IED (Improvised Explosive Device) with a complex structure, capable of causing severe damage to buildings and vehicles within a 300-meter radius, as well as significant casualties.

At the time, the area around the Eiffel Tower was crowded with tourists and locals, raising fears of a massive loss of life.

Fortunately, the incident was caught due to suspicious behavior that had been detected early.

The French police, in collaboration with the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team, quickly arrived at the scene, evacuated everyone, secured the area, and located the explosive device.

They deployed multiple drones and remote-controlled robots to neutralize the bomb, embarking on a high-stakes disarming operation.

The device was designed to react immediately to temperature changes if handled manually, making it extremely dangerous to approach.

After a lengthy process, the EOD team successfully disabled the trigger mechanism connected to the bomb’s internal circuitry, gradually rendering the device harmless.

As the last component was disarmed, the police and civilians on-site breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the disaster was narrowly averted.

This incident highlighted the importance of skilled training for bomb disposal experts.

But what stood out was the presence of a Korean national among the team—a bomb disposal specialist who ran a business back in Korea.

“Isn’t this guy amazing?” someone asked.

“Amazing doesn’t even cover it,” Eugene replied, her creative instincts kicking in.

She felt a sudden urge to produce a new documentary.

“What if we make a documentary about bomb disposal experts, focusing on this kind of issue?” Eugene suggested.

Yoo Young-hoon, the division head, nodded in agreement. “That’s a good idea. We could explore what bomb disposal experts in our country do, how they train, and what their fieldwork is like. It would be fresh for the audience. We’ve never covered this before.”

At that moment, Soo-ah, sitting across from Eugene, raised her hand with a curious expression.

“But isn’t it scary? If we have to do on-site interviews, does that mean we’d have to go to bomb sites?”

Eugene laughed.

“You’re such a scaredy-cat, Soo-ah. Of course! I think we need to see the bomb disposal process firsthand for the documentary to really shine.”

The team’s eyes widened at Eugene’s enthusiasm.

But Yoo Young-hoon chuckled and said, “You know you have to protect your own life, right? If safety measures are in place, I’m all for it.”

Soo-ah interjected, “But what if we die?”

“If we die, I’ll leave you my insurance money,” Eugene quipped casually, earning a glare from Soo-ah.

“Are you serious right now?”

Team leader Choi Ji-hoon, who had been laughing, chimed in, “But are there many companies like this in Korea?”

Soo-ah, who was in charge of research, wiggled her fingers and replied, “There’s one expert who’s considered the best in Korea. He was active in France. I looked it up—he runs a company called Safe Core, with annual revenue of 50 billion won.”

“50 billion won from bomb disposal?” Eugene’s eyes widened.

“That’s pretty impressive,” the team leader added.

“With that kind of revenue, they probably don’t have many employees. It’s not a job just anyone can do.”

Soo-ah continued, “Right. They have less than 100 employees total. There’s the management team, field operations, R&D, training, and support departments.”

“And they make 50 billion won with that few people?”

“Yes. It’s a very efficient company. Over 60% of their revenue comes from government and military contracts, 30% from commercial services, and the remaining 10% from training programs.”

After a moment of thought, Yoo Young-hoon said, “It might be worth reaching out to them.”

Before he could finish, Eugene jumped in. “Yes, if the team leader and division head approve, I’ll contact them right away.”

“That sounds good.”

Soo-ah cautiously added, “If we suddenly ask to film a documentary, they might refuse. What if we invite them to give a lecture on bomb disposal first? We can ease into the idea of a documentary later.”

“That’s a good idea. We’ll invite them for a lecture and subtly persuade them to let us make a documentary, right?”

—

Located in the heart of Teheran-ro, the Safe Core building stood out among the high-rises with its bright red signage.

The company owned the entire building but only used floors 15 to 18 for office space.

The CEO’s office was on the 18th floor, accessible via a private elevator that strictly controlled access.

Employees could move safely between floors without interference from outsiders.

Jae-hyun, the CEO, was going through his daily schedule, anticipating another long day when his longtime friend and Safe Core’s vice president, Sang-wook, walked in with a cup of coffee.

Sang-wook whistled as he entered, glancing at the wall filled with patents, medals, and awards related to bomb disposal.

“Every time I come in here, I can’t believe you got all these with that face.”

“Why are you picking a fight first thing in the morning?” Jae-hyun replied without looking up.

Sang-wook took a sip of his coffee and said, “Hey, how about doing a TV appearance?”

“What are you talking about?”

“KBC reached out. They want you to give a lecture to their news and documentary teams. They said even their CEO might attend, so they’d like the Safe Core CEO to be there.”

Jae-hyun frowned.

“That’s something the training team can handle. You can go. Why do I need to be there?”

Sang-wook shrugged.

“I think this could be the start of something. Maybe they want to make a documentary about bomb disposal.”

Jae-hyun set down his pen and looked at Sang-wook.

“You think they want to make a documentary about us?”

Sang-wook grinned. “Maybe.”

Jae-hyun shook his head.

“You know I don’t like that. Just go, give the lecture, and be done with it. Our work is recognized by the government and our clients. That’s enough. We don’t need the public knowing about us. If we go on TV, it’ll just attract curious people.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sang-wook replied half-heartedly.

Jae-hyun emphasized, “Some kids might even start dreaming about joining the bomb squad because of it.”

But Sang-wook, used to Jae-hyun’s usual objections, barely listened. Instead, his eyes drifted to a small photo frame on Jae-hyun’s desk—a picture of a young girl. Sang-wook sipped his coffee, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

Whenever Sang-wook’s eyes lit up like that, Jae-hyun knew he was up to something. Jae-hyun subtly turned the frame away, hiding the photo of the little girl.