GYEONGSEONG CREATURE
ALL TROOPS RETREAT
Finish all preparations to retreat within 48 hours.
Take all the documents and research records back to Japan,
and incinerate everything that cannot be taken.
Yes, sir!
Are we to burn
everything, sir?
Burn everything.
Do not leave a single trace
of what we did here.
That'll be all.
Quickly!
Destroy everything. There's no time!
Hurry up!
-On your feet! -Yes, sir!
-Leave no evidence. Take this. -No time!
All planted, sir.
-Over there! -Okay!
-The serums? -We have secured 12, sir.
-And the Najin? -We have eight of them.
What about the other two?
We didn't have enough time to retrieve them.
Lieutenant Colonel Kato!
There is not enough time. Please hurry!
Ready!
Fire!
Faster!
Hurry.
What are you doing? Hurry up!
Come on! There's no time!
Are we flying?
Traveling by land seems to be the safest path right now.
We'll take the train at Harbin and go to Gyeongseong first.
-Drive. -Yes, sir.
GYEONGSEONG CREATURE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
EPISODE 1 NAJIN
LATE MARCH, 1945 GYEONGSEONG (OLD SEOUL)
Spring was on its way to Gyeongseong unusually quickly that year.
Get your papers!
Shoeshine!
-Papers! -Shoeshine!
-Papers! -Kid!
Thank you.
Boy, I'll take one.
One jeon.
Get yourself some bread with the change.
Thank you, sir!
May you be blessed.
Tell you what,
this here is the real news.
Papers!
JAPAN'S CRISIS! LARGE-SCALE AIR RAIDS WRECK TOKYO
So the rumors were true.
After the Bombing of Tokyo on March 9,
the shadow of defeat loomed over Japan.
In the hopes that Japan may fall, Joseon was quivering in silence.
However…
Insurgents! Arrest them all!
Get them!
Don't move!
Arrest them all!
Let's go.
JAPAN'S CRISIS! LARGE-SCALE AIR RAIDS WRECK TOYKO
-Run! -What is it?
Who is it?
People of the peninsula, rise!
It's your chance to give your life for His Majesty!
Join the unbeatable Imperial Army and enter the shrine of Yasukuni!
Either die in a torture chamber…
or become an honorable soldier.
Make your choice.
Damn it, what do I do?
CONSCRIPTION FORM
You know what they say.
It's always darkest before the dawn.
Admit it.
It… wasn't me.
So, you're going to keep denying it?
I swear…
I don't know anything.
Is he part of the independence army?
You don't know who he is?
That's Jang Tae-sang.
Jang Tae-sang? Who's that?
The master of the House of Golden Treasure.
Golden Treasure?
That's right. The House of Golden Treasure.
Located in the corner that is the prime spot of Bonjeong,
it is, without a doubt,
Gyeongseong's largest and finest establishment.
Yes, it's that pawnshop that everyone is talking about.
It's the famous Waltham watches.
Four won, 50 jeon.
Hey!
This Waltham watch came all the way from America!
Four won, 50 jeon.
Look.
I've lost my factory to the Japanese.
-I might lose my house too. -Oh dear.
I have an elderly mother and four little ones to provide for.
And we're about to end up on the streets…
Here.
That's one more won for you. Take the money or take the watch back.
Next!
These are my dowries. Please take good care of them.
I will come back for them, no matter what.
Fifteen won for the batch.
For the record, this one's a fake.
An Italian suit.
I had it custom-made at a shop…
Two won for used clothes.
I paid quite a lot for this baekja three years ago.
Oh, is that so?
Take it back.
It's a chamber pot.
Stupid man.
-What do you mean? -Kid.
Try stealing from the shop one more time,
I'll cut off all ten of your fingers.
It was just a little prank. Don't be so harsh!
We don't get Walthams often.
Four won would have been enough, but he gave five won and 50 jeon for it.
Manager Gu is being too generous with money that isn't his.
This is good leather.
It's worth the price.
Beom-o, that kid, is also hopeless.
The little brat tries to swipe things every chance he gets.
Have you prepared the tea set and tray for Lady Maeda?
They say that one should avoid bad company for their own good.
Her husband is Ishikawa, and her father is General Maeda.
Her family has this city in the palm of their hands.
Of course I should keep them close, dear.
Still, you should be careful.
Not to worry.
I'm
Jang Tae-sang.
That's right. I'm Jang Tae-sang.
A man of means in Bukchon and an icon of a self-made man.
Oh my goodness!
-Greetings, everyone. -Master Jang!
Calm yourselves.
One, two!
-Good! One more! -A different pose?
Mr. Jang!
Hey!
Nothing scares me. Nothing can stop me.
I'm the master of Golden Treasure, and I can get anything I want.
Everyone. Cheers!
Cheers!
The one and only Jang Tae-sang.
So…
how did I end up in this sorry mess?
He must have secretly funded the independence movement.
Wrong.
Then was he a spy?
Nope.
It was an affair.
An affair?
Why did you meet her at a teahouse about a month ago?
Lady Maeda was looking for baekja teacups and a lacquered tray inlaid with nacre.
What about at the museum six days ago?
To tell her that it's not easy to acquire baekja teacups and lacquered trays.
You sent her a message three days ago.
Because I had a stroke of luck and was able to find
the teacups and the tray.
You even came to my house yesterday.
I had gone through a lot to get them, so…
I delivered them in person.
Don't mess with me!
You pathetic, inferior Josenjing bastard!
How dare you covet my wife?
It seems to me, Commissioner, that there is a misunderstanding.
Cut the bullshit and spit it out.
What the hell did you do with my wife? Tell me now!
You must be crazy…
crazily in love, Commissioner Ishikawa!
Don't tell me you're seriously suspecting your own wife.
How could you doubt an honorable and noble woman like Lady Maeda?
I must definitely say
that this is a great affront and insult to her.
What are you saying?
Would it be okay with you if Lady Maeda found out
that you were doubting her faithfulness?
That's what.
Now, why don't we move on to the actual matter at hand?
What do you actually want from me?
This girl has gone missing.
It's been about a week now.
A missing persons case?
Sounds like a job for the police.
They say you're Mr. Omniscient.
You flatter me.
"You must go through Jang Tae-sang if you want anything in Bonjeong,
whether it be money, property, or a person."
Is that not true?
I catch those who don't pay me back,
not courtesans.
Find the girl.
Find out why she's vanished, where she is, and if she found a lover to elope with.
If she did, then find him as well.
If you fail to find her…
Will I die?
You will lose everything you own.
From the house that you own,
to real estate, cash, cars, and even the House of Golden Treasure in Bonjeong!
You'll lose them all.
And as for you?
You will be sent to war.
How much time do I have?
Until the cherry blossoms fall.
I see.
Okay, sir.
Sir!
What is the matter?
Who beat the crap out of you?
Mrs. Nawol.
How much cash do we have on hand right now?
Cash?
If I put my buildings in Bukchon,
my house, and this shop up for urgent sale,
how long would it take for them to sell?
Maybe a month?
What's going on this time?
Tell me, will you?
You know what?
It seems…
I'm screwed.
What is all this?
Look at the yeot!
It looks so good.
He's making that sound with the scissors so well!
Wait here.
Excuse me.
We haven't opened yet.
I'm looking for someone.
Do you know a Japanese man named Sachimoto who frequents this shop?
I heard that he was a painter.
I've known two Sachimotos in my life,
but they were both soldiers, not painters.
I heard he was a regular here.
I'm not sure.
I've been working here for almost six months now,
but I haven't met such a man.
I see.
Why don't you try the House of Golden Treasure?
Master Jang Tae-sang runs the place.
They say you must go through him if you want anything in Bonjeong,
whether it be money, property, or a person.
He's Mr. Omniscient of Gyeongseong.
What was that?
I asked if that thing outside was for sale.
Oh, that?
It's broken. The engine's busted.
I'll buy it. How much do you want?
Judging by your appearance, you must be from Manchuria, right?
-Say, 200 won? -Hey!
It has a sidecar and everything.
Make it 300 won!
You said it was broken.
It's worthless junk if you leave it like that.
A diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond,
just as a broken motorcycle is still a motorcycle!
Fine.
Make it 280 won, then.
-280? -Yes.
I will buy all of these and the bike
for 250 won.
I don't accept Chinese bills.
Did that kid strike gold or something?
My goodness! I said it was broken, didn't I?
It's been there for over three years, weathering the hail, snow, and rain.
There's no way you can get it to…
Forget it! There's no need to worry.
Hey. Don't look so serious.
I mean, who are you? You're Mr. Omniscient of Gyeongseong.
We'll contact all your sources and look for the girl.
Where else would Myeong-ja of Spring Moon Hall be?
She probably eloped with a guy or--
What man in Gyeongseong would be stupid enough
to run off with Ishikawa's girl?
Wait, could this be another case of the recent disappearances of women?
It's causing quite a stir all over Bukchon and Namchon.
They keep on disappearing, you know.
I've heard some horrible rumors. What if Myeong-ja is a victim?
Gosh, this is bad. Real bad.
What do we do now?
Master Jang,
why don't we take this chance to just sell everything and leave Joseon?
I have a close friend in Osaka--
Stop with the nonsense, Mr. Gu!
Let me talk for once, please!
Why do you shoot me down every time I try to say something?
Because you always spit out mindless drivel. That's why.
I do think before I speak, you know!
I'm not as short-sighted as you think!
Let's say Master Jang does put up his real estate in a hurry.
The rumors will spread like wildfire across Gyeongseong.
So what? Is that such a bad thing?
Then Ishikawa will hear about it.
And when he does,
what would he do to Master?
My bad.
I didn't think it through.
Ishikawa has a lot of eyes on me.
-Mr. Gu. -Yes, go on.
Contact every informant and connection we have,
and look for leads on Myeong-ja.
Find out whatever she did before she went missing.
All right.
Sounds like a good plan.
Let's do everything we can, Mrs. Nawol.
Beom-o.
Go and find Young Master Kwon Jun-taek.
Why do you need him?
He's the only man in Gyeongseong
audacious enough to mess with Ishikawa's girl.
Tell him to come here.
Yes, sir.
Mrs. Nawol.
Start selling the most expensive items in the vault
as quickly and discreetly as possible.
Take gold as well as cash. Secure as many funds as you can.
And look into ships that set sail over the next month.
If need be,
we might really have to leave Gyeongseong.
Yes, Master.
Mr. Omniscient of Gyeongseong, huh?
He gets a lot of attention, indeed.
Jang Tae-sang is on the move, sir.
All of his employees have set out to look for leads regarding Miss Akiko.
All right.
You're dismissed.
Yes, sir.
I think I'm pregnant.
Pregnant?
Yes.
With your child, sir.
Your wife called, sir.
She wishes to know when you will be coming home today.
Tell her not to wait.
I'll be very late due to the missing persons case.
Yes, sir. I'll let her know.
Yes.
I see.
No. Yes.
Bye, then.
Get up, all of you. To your positions!
Hurry up! Move your ass!
What's happening?
Don't make a sound.
Keep your head down.
What?
Will two be enough?
Yes. That will be enough for now.
This one.
-Take her out. -Yes, sir.
Don't kill me.
Please don't kill me!
Tell me about that one.
We brought her from Seodaemun Prison a while ago,
but her condition is a bit…
Let me see.
-Take her out. -Yes, sir.
Heads down!
What shall we do, sir?
Please don't kill me!
Don't do this.
These two will do.
Please don't kill me.
Please don't!
Please!
Let me live.
Please don't kill me!
Don't kill me!
What is it?
Can you give me a ride to Bukchon? I have to meet someone there.
What?
You speak the Joseon tongue.
You must be bored from watching me all day.
Why don't you have some fun by giving me a ride?
You were going to tail me anyway, so let's not make this complicated.
Seriously…
Hey, wait…
Let us go to Bukchon.
Come on. Let's go.
My goodness, are you trying to empty out the secret vault in your shop?
Dear me…
All the items are of the highest quality. No need to check.
Well, that goes without saying. They're from the House of Golden Treasure.
Can you get it done in ten days?
Ten days? That's a bit tight.
It isn't like you to rush things. What's the hurry?
Has Master Jang really decided to leave Gyeongseong?
The rumors have spread all over town!
That he's in a pickle because of Ishikawa's mistress or whatnot.
Shut your trap, or I will sew it shut for you.
Actually, I'm only bringing this up because I heard that sleuths are in town.
They could be of some help to Master Jang.
Sleuths?
Yes, sleuths. They're experts at finding missing people.
In Manchuria, they call them sleuths.
Go on.
I know a friend whose older cousin's daughter
went missing for three years after she disappeared during Dano.
But then those sleuths
went all the way to Southern China and brought her back.
She was forced to be a comfort girl, but they still found her!
They went to Southern China?
Yeah, not to mention every corner of Joseon.
They cover Manchuria, Yanbian, Southern China, you name it.
If the person is already dead, they bring back the bones at least.
Is that right?
Where can I find these sleuths?
Thanks for the ride. It was nice and comfortable.
-Wait… -Don't…
Hey!
Treat yourself to a meal.
I won't tell Ishikawa, so just take it.
What the heck?
Welcome, sir! How many of you are there?
I'm not here to dine.
I need to pass through your back door.
This way, Master Jang.
IDIOT
Who are you?
Why are you following me?
You don't seem like one of Ishikawa's underlings.
Who do you work for?
Tell me who sent you here!
Master Jang of Golden Treasure?
It's bad manners to answer a question with a question.
Not to mention…
that you're carrying such a dangerous item.
Are you here to kill me?
I wasn't planning on it.
But now, I'm rather tempted to do so.
I'll take that as a no.
Lower your knife so we can talk.
Why don't you lower your gun first before you ask?
Okay, fine.
Let's both lower our weapons on the count of three.
Now.
One.
Two.
Three.
I see that you don't trust me.
I could say the same about you.
Are you a hitman?
You must have led quite a shady life
to keep fearing for your life like that.
We live in such times, do we not?
You can't survive without committing a crime.
And even the innocent can die for all sorts of reasons.
What do you want from me?
I heard that you're Mr. Omniscient.
Then you must know that my prices vary depending on the information.
It's quite the range of prices from high to low-level information.
I'm looking for someone.
He's Japanese.
-Occupation? -A painter.
Unless he's a soldier or a high official, his information is considered low-level.
Unfortunately, I don't deal with low-level information.
It takes too much work and barely makes any money.
Sachimoto is his name.
-I don't know him. -He's in his mid-30s.
No clue.
He wasn't fluent in Joseon tongue, which means he hadn't been here for long.
I still haven't got a clue.
I'm looking for my mother who went missing ten years ago.
So,
Sachimoto must be the lover she ran away with.
What?
Ten years is quite a long time.
If she's started a new family, it might be best not to look for--
Rude bastard.
Your crude words tell me that you're not Mr. Omniscient,
but Mr. Trash of this city.
Well, I won't deny it.
I was born trash,
and I've lived a trashy and desperate life to get here.
Watch that mouth of yours.
Your vain words will lead you to die in vain.
What's your name?
You have quite beautiful eyes.
Are you taunting me?
Should I pluck your eyes out?
Either way, it was nice meeting you.
You're crazy.
Till we meet again.
She's looking for Sachimoto?
Sachimoto…
Mr. Sachimoto, you have been summoned.
What's the occasion, my friend? You rarely send word to me.
Do you know where that girl Myeong-ja is?
Myeong-ja?
Myeong-ja, Myeong…
The cheeky courtesan from Spring Moon Hall?
She once professed her love for me while in my arms.
But then she became Ishikawa's mistress and broke my heart.
Why are you asking me?
It's been a week since she disappeared. You didn't know?
I know she's gone missing, but I don't know where she is, silly.
Why? Did you think I kidnapped her and hid her away?
So you don't know.
Why not
take this chance to put your money to good use?
I heard the news.
You're going to lose it all to Ishikawa anyway.
Wouldn't it be nice to spend it on our patriotic comrades?
You will get to be a patriot,
and our comrades will gain a wealthy benefactor.
Who said I'm going to lose it?
I just have to find the girl, that's all.
If she could be found, Ishikawa would have found her already.
It's been a week, but there's still no sign of her.
That's why he dragged you in.
But I'm sure you know that already.
You're drunk.
You should go home.
You may have earned your money like a dog, but don't you spend it like one!
If money
cannot be used to help someone, let alone be spent,
it'll be nothing but a pile of dust.
Don't obsess over the meaningless.
I earned my money like a dog, so I can spend it like one too.
I put my life on the line to earn it. Can't I spend it however I want?
Do you have no place for Joseon in your heart?
No desire to do something for our country?
I've never known the kind of Joseon without Japan!
I was born without a father and a country. What do you want me to do about it?
It's fine if you insult me,
but don't insult my money.
I may have worked like a dog to earn it, but it means something to me.
I don't care if it's a pile of dust or a pile of crap.
My money and fortune made me who I am, and they keep me safe even now. Got that?
I was just about to head home. Can you give me a ride?
Come in.
Test Subject One is showing symptoms.
It's faster than usual.
Would you like to see it?
Help me.
My head…
Please help me.
My head is aching so much!
It hurts so much!
The serum?
Not injected yet, sir.
Another failure, then?
What about Room Two?
She has been quiet so far.
What should we do?
Shall I inject the serum?
Proceed.
Yes, sir.
You've returned.
Mrs. Nawol. You're still here?
Actually, I have been waiting for you.
The broker introduced me to these people called sleuths.
Apparently, they are experts in finding missing people.
So, how exactly do you find the missing people?
It depends on the situation.
But I'm sure there's a process that works particularly well.
A secret method or special approach that only you know…
Nothing?
We do not give up.
We don't give up on the person that needs to be found.
Our method is to track them persistently to the ends of the earth.
How many have you found that way?
If we don't seem reliable, you can find someone else.
I'm about to entrust you with a serious task.
It's only right for me to perform a simple check.
We aren't interested enough to put up with such a thing.
We have taken more than 200 cases over the past ten years.
Of those, we have found about 140.
Including the dead.
You don't have to answer his questions.
He's not Mr. Omniscient of Gyeongseong.
He's Mr. Trash.
Chae-ok.
I refuse to work for such a man.
Just what did you do?
I didn't do anything.
All I said was that her eyes
were quite beautiful.
-Pardon? -Let's go, Chae-ok.
Sachimoto, you said?
A Japanese man.
A painter in his mid-30s.
I thought you didn't deal with low-level information.
In principle, I don't.
But the situation calls for it.
If it changes depending on the situation, that's an anomaly, not a principle.
Let's call it flexibility in dealing with urgent situations.
Maybe you're just being crafty?
That's how desperate I am.
You're also that pathetic, you know that?
In this city,
I'm the man to talk to for Japanese connections.
Be it Government-General officials, businessmen,
doctors, or judges…
I have connections to anyone, anywhere.
If you have that many connections and information,
you can find Myeong-ja of Spring Moon Hall on your own.
If she's still alive, that is.
Most times, when I pull this many strings,
any kind of lead will surface within half a day.
But since I haven't heard anything so far…
Do you think she might be dead?
Whatever the case, please find her.
In the meantime, I will ask around for information on Sachimoto.
You don't have to. We'll take care of our own business.
Aren't you looking for your mother?
I'm sure I can be of help.
I guarantee it.
Let me ask you one thing.
Are you a good man or a bad man?
I'm just…
a man who is determined to survive.
How much time can you give us?
Father.
Until the cherry blossoms fall.
What do I need to draw today?
Go to Room Two.
You may step closer for a better look.
But don't get too close.
It could be dangerous.
Yes, sir.
Excuse me. Can I shine a light for a moment?