NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

“Sketch” receives over 5 minutes of standing ovation at the Berlin Film Festival.

Revealing the casting behind-the-scenes of “Sketch.”

Was Seo Ji-eun recommended by Han So-hyun? “Sketch” at the Berlin Film Festival.

Ryu Yeon-woo directly participated in the production of “Sketch.”

Kim Joo-sung, the CEO of LN Entertainment, smiled contentedly as he read through the flood of articles. He attended the regular meeting where stakeholders discussed the domestic release schedule for the film “Sketch.”

“What does Golden Media say?” someone asked.

“They said they can secure screening slots starting in two weeks,” came the reply.

“Oh, that soon?”

“Well, our actor Ryu is a cheat code right now. They seem willing to do anything for him,” Team Leader Yoon Mi-yeon commented.

CEO Kim Joo-sung nodded at her words and looked across the table at Manager Lim. “Manager Lim, what about Pine Entertainment?”

“Well… surprisingly, they’re not as enthusiastic as we expected. Pine Entertainment invested heavily in ‘Baldur,’ which got overshadowed by ‘Beyond the Stars.’ Since then, they’ve been oddly uncooperative,” Manager Lim explained.

Golden Media and Pine Entertainment handle most of the domestic film distribution. Together, they control nearly 80% of the market, making it essential to partner with at least one of them.

“Hmm. Surely they wouldn’t be uncooperative just because of that. We didn’t sabotage them; our film succeeded purely on its own merits. They must lack the eye for good projects,” Kim Joo-sung said, though he clasped his hands together, deep in thought.

Indeed, since then, LN Entertainment had faced what seemed like deliberate obstruction from Pine Entertainment on every project they touched.

Bzzz—.

At that moment, Kim Joo-sung’s smartphone buzzed.

“Hmm? Is that my phone? Excuse me,” he said, reaching for the phone on the table. He was about to reject the call when he saw the caller ID and his expression changed.

“I need to take this. It’s from Ryu Yeon-woo,” he announced.

The employees in the meeting room perked up with interest. Given that the main topic of the meeting was the hottest figure in the country, it was only natural.

“Yeon-woo, isn’t it early morning over there?” Kim Joo-sung asked.

Haha, yes. It’s 2 AM here. I thought I should share some good news before it hits the press, so I timed my call for your working hours.

“Calling at this hour is perfectly fine. We’re in the middle of our regular meeting, so this is great timing. What is this good news?” Kim Joo-sung asked.

The mention of “good news” from Kim Joo-sung made everyone in the meeting room hold their breath. Even though the phone wasn’t on speaker, the room fell silent as if they could hear Yeon-woo’s voice through the receiver.

“We just received confirmation that “Sketch” has won an award at the Berlin Film Festival. They asked us to stay until the last day for the award ceremony.”

Kim Joo-sung’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but smile. “That’s fantastic news, Yeon-woo! Congratulations!”

Thank you. It’s a huge honor for all of us. I wanted to make sure you heard it from me first.

“Thank you for letting us know. This will certainly boost our domestic release plans. I’ll share the news with the team right away,” Kim Joo-sung said, looking around the room at the eager faces of his employees.

Great. I’ll keep you updated with any more details as they come in.

“Thank you, Yeon-woo. Get some rest, and we’ll talk soon,” Kim Joo-sung said before ending the call.

He turned to his team, his face beaming with excitement. “You heard it. ‘Sketch’ has won an award at the Berlin Film Festival. This is going to be huge for us.”

The room erupted in applause, the earlier tension replaced with jubilant energy. The team knew that this accolade would not only elevate the film but also solidify LN Entertainment’s reputation in the industry.

“Yes, it seems certain that our film ‘Sketch’ will win an award. Director Park Chan-hong received a call from the organizers, but we still don’t know which award it is,” Yeon-woo’s voice came through the receiver.

“Wow!”

“Yes!”

Yeon-woo’s voice was clearly heard by the employees in the meeting room, and the room erupted in cheers. It felt like the national team had scored a goal in the World Cup. CEO Kim Joo-sung couldn’t hide his smile, but he quickly gestured for silence by placing his finger on his lips.

“Shh. Ah, Yeon-woo, you’ve worked hard. So, what are your plans for returning?” he asked.

We’ll probably have to stay for another two days until the awards ceremony is over.

“Understood. You’ve really done a great job.”

After ending the call with Yeon-woo, CEO Kim Joo-sung looked at Team Leader Jung. “Team Leader Jung, get ready to leave immediately. Are the tickets prepared?”

“Yes, they’ve been on standby,” Team Leader Jung confirmed.

Team Leader Jung quickly stood up, bowed, and left the room. CEO Kim Joo-sung turned back to the meeting room with a satisfied smile.

“So Pine Entertainment is being uncooperative? Well, they’ll be the ones regretting it now.”

***

Two days before Yeon-woo’s departure to Berlin, he had called Han Hae-woon for a private meeting to give him some instructions.

“Twenty billion won for Baek Noya? I know celebrities earn well, but won’t it be a burden to repay later?” Han Hae-woon asked, surprised.

Yeon-woo looked at him as if he were speaking nonsense. “Why would I repay it? Baek Noya will use it. Just deliver it as instructed, and it will be handled without any fuss.”

“Oh, I see,” Han Hae-woon nodded, though he still looked puzzled.

“But, Team Leader, is there really such a thing in Berlin? An information broker from the underworld… I’ve never heard of it, even though I was an intelligence officer,” Han Hae-woon remarked.

Yeon-woo chuckled. “You’d need to be in the field for at least ten years to know about it.”

“Ten years in the overseas division? Is there anyone else besides you who has been out there that long?” Han Hae-woon asked.

Typically, it’s challenging to work in the overseas division for more than four years. Usually, one must serve in the domestic division for about ten years before being assigned to overseas operations. By then, they often get promoted to key positions related to counterintelligence.

Yeon-woo smiled knowingly. “It’s rare, but it happens. Just trust me on this.”

Han Hae-woon nodded, still processing the information. “Understood, Team Leader. I’ll handle it as you instructed.”

As Han Hae-woon left to carry out the orders, Yeon-woo felt a sense of satisfaction. Everything was falling into place, both in Berlin and back home.

Most agents couldn’t endure the continuous tension of overseas missions and preferred to return home without resistance. Even if someone chose to stay abroad like Yeon-woo, if their identity was ever compromised by another country’s intelligence agency, they would be recalled to Korea. It was rare to find anyone who had served in the overseas division longer than Yeon-woo, even among retired agents.

“But, Team Leader, wouldn’t it be safer to have Baek Noya’s subordinates handle this mission instead of you doing it yourself?” Han Hae-woon suggested.

Yeon-woo responded, “Of course, I gave the order, but why do you think Baek Noya is cooperating with you?”

“Isn’t it because of his granddaughter, as you mentioned before?” Han Hae-woon replied.

“Sure, there’s a moral reason to repay a debt of gratitude, as Baek Noya said. But who stands to gain the most if Baek Sol disappears from this land?” Yeon-woo asked.

Han Hae-woon realized the implication. “If Baek Sol controls the domestic drug distribution and they disappear, Baek Noya would take over the unclaimed territory in the underworld.”

Yeon-woo nodded. “If Baek Noya starts dealing with the underworld’s information brokers, it will become increasingly difficult to control him. It would be like letting a cat guard the fish.”

***

Recalling the conversation he had with Han Hae-woon before leaving, Yeon-woo donned a hat and mask and left the hotel early in the morning.

It’s best to handle this today.

He sent the message and soon received a reply from Han Hae-woon.

Han Hae-woon: The contact we arranged will be waiting at the Victory Column in Tiergarten.

Nodding at the message, Yeon-woo boarded the yellow subway train that had just arrived at the platform.

‘The Victory Column… a good choice,’ he thought.

After a long ride, Yeon-woo got off at Hansaplatz station and slowly walked towards the distant Victory Column.

Before leaving for Berlin, Yeon-woo had instructed Han Hae-woon to arrange for Baek Noya to handle the transportation of funds. They needed to transfer about 1.5 million euros to Berlin. Baek Noya had laundered approximately 2 billion won and converted it into euros, which had crossed the German border to coincide with Yeon-woo’s arrival.

Lost in thought, Yeon-woo soon found himself near the Victory Column. “That tower is still as beautiful as ever,” he murmured.

The golden statue of the goddess Victoria, standing atop the tall column, gleamed in the sunlight, overlooking Tiergarten Park. The structure resembled a circular version of the Parthenon, adding to its majestic presence.

The Victory Column (Siegessäule) was erected by Wilhelm I of Prussia to commemorate his military victories. While the broker likely chose this location because the nearby park made it easy to escape if necessary, it also symbolically served as a fitting place to mark the beginning of the long battle against ‘Baek Sol.’

Underneath the Victory Column, numerous tourists were taking photos. Yeon-woo quietly circled the area, scanning the surroundings.

‘Is it that person?’ he thought, spotting someone who seemed to fit the description.

Despite the crowd, Yeon-woo could identify the local contact arranged by Baek Noya. Approaching the seemingly ordinary middle-aged German, Yeon-woo spoke.

“Are you the one sent by the Professor?” he asked, using the prearranged code phrase.

The man, who had been looking around nervously, was startled and turned to face Yeon-woo. “Yes? Ah! Yes, here is the item.”

He handed over a plain black leather bag. Yeon-woo took the bag and checked its contents. Inside were six bundles of 500 euro notes, each containing 500 bills, just as instructed. Even with the highest denomination, the bag was heavy.

“Everything seems in order. Thank you for your effort,” Yeon-woo said.

“Um…” the man hesitated, calling after Yeon-woo as he turned to leave.

Yeon-woo looked back, and the man, fidgeting, spoke up. “How did you know it was me? I was told my identity would be kept secret…”

Yeon-woo chuckled and shook his head. The man seemed like a novice at this kind of work.

“You came to the Victory Column but never looked up at the tower. You kept glancing around, which means you were here for something other than sightseeing,” Yeon-woo explained, pointing to the golden statue of Victoria atop the tall column. The man realized his mistake, noticing that everyone else was either looking up at the tower or taking photos with it in the background.

“And if you plan to continue doing this kind of work, don’t engage with your contact. You’ll get caught eventually,” Yeon-woo advised.

The man’s face turned pale as he nodded and quietly walked away. Yeon-woo watched him for a moment before turning to head to his next destination.

‘Hmm. Just as I thought,’ he mused.

He sensed someone following him. It wasn’t the middle-aged German he had just spoken to.

As he walked slowly, he used the reflection on his smartphone’s black screen to check behind him. Two Asian men were following him from a distance.

‘Are they Baek Noya’s underlings?’ he wondered.

It would have been more surprising if Baek Noya hadn’t assigned anyone to monitor him, given the 2 billion won involved. They likely weren’t there to harm him but to see what he would do with the money.

As Yeon-woo increased his walking speed, the men behind him quickened their pace as well. He scanned the surrounding buildings for a way to lose them.

‘That’s Bellevue Palace. If I cross that bridge, I should reach ‘that building,” he thought.

Passing by the German President’s residence, he crossed the bridge over the Spree River. Soon, he reached an old five-story building with a dilapidated exterior.

‘The bakery on the first floor used to be really good,’ he reminisced.

The interior was dark, suggesting it had closed down. Yeon-woo entered the building with familiar steps. The men following him kept their distance but quickly ran to the entrance when they saw him disappear inside. One stayed at the entrance while the other followed him in.

The man inside carefully climbed the stairs, listening intently, aware that he might encounter Yeon-woo on his way down. He checked each floor but found no sign of him up to the fifth floor.

‘Except for the first floor, these are all residential apartments. Where did he go? Is this building his destination?’ he wondered.

As he descended, he noticed one door on the third floor that was a different color. It looked like a fire door, not someone’s apartment.

‘Is there another staircase?’ he thought.

He cautiously approached and turned the doorknob.

Click!

As he opened the door, bright light streamed in. It led to a small green overpass connecting to an elementary school (Grundschule) across the main road.

“Damn it! How is the third floor connected to an overpass?” he exclaimed, shouting to his colleague through a small window in the stairwell.

“Hurry up! We might have lost him. Run!” he yelled.

His colleague outside quickly ran up. To catch their lost target, they sprinted across the overpass and split up, each taking a different set of stairs.

Yeon-woo watched them from the rooftop of the building. As soon as he had entered, he had quickly climbed to the fifth floor, used the air conditioning unit’s railing to reach the rooftop, and observed them from above.

‘Just as I thought,’ he mused, watching them scramble below.

Watching the two men run frantically, Yeon-woo quietly descended the building. Successfully evading his pursuers, he took the subway to Berlin Central Station and headed to the underground automated storage lockers.

Yeon-woo split the money into two lockers and received thin, disposable card keys to access them. He then moved to another location.

‘This is my first time using this directly…,’ he thought.

Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin had been a hub of espionage, with East and West Germany divided by ideology. As the frontline of mutual surveillance, Germany had naturally become a battleground for intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the KGB, among others.

‘By the time I was assigned here, Germany was already unified, so it wasn’t as intense…,’ he mused.

However, having been a hotspot for espionage for decades, other related fields had also developed. One such field was the ‘underground information market.’

His destination for today, the ‘Library,’ came into view.