The Flash Drive Test

Sergeant Kim looked at Min and then at the flash drive in the officer's pocket. "I can try to read it now," he said. "If it shows what you say, maybe we can let you go." Min felt a small spark of hope. He nodded, his hands still raised.

The sergeant reached into his belt and pulled out a small handheld scanner, the same one he had used on the black box. He pressed the device to the metal case of the flash drive. A faint blue light blinked, then a soft beep sounded. The screen showed a line of text: "FILE ENCRYPTED. NEED DECRYPTION KEY."

Kim frowned. "It is locked," he said. "But I have a backup program in the car. Give me a minute."

He opened the passenger door of the patrol car and placed the drive on the console. The scanner whirred and a series of numbers flickered across the tiny screen. Kim typed a few commands, his fingers moving fast. Min watched the officer's gun never leave its aim, the second officer still whispering into his radio.

The scanner beeped again, louder this time. The screen changed to a folder list. "FINANCIAL_REPORTS" was the first file. Kim tapped it. A new window opened, showing rows of numbers and names. One column was labeled "ACCOUNT" and another "TRANSACTION". The numbers were huge, in the billions.

"These are transfers," Kim muttered. "Look at this—" He scrolled down and the screen highlighted a series of entries that moved money from the Lee family holding company to an offshore account named "Phoenix Ventures". The dates matched the week before the board meeting.

"Who set this up?" the officer asked, his voice tighter.

Kim stared at the screen. "It looks like someone inside the company is moving money. This could be why the board is in trouble."

Min felt his chest tighten. "My sister has proof," he said quickly. "She has documents that show the same thing. She can confirm this."

The sergeant turned to Min. "If your sister can give us the same data, we can prove the board is being sabotaged. That might clear you."

At that moment, the tunnel lights flickered again, then went out for a split second. A low rumble echoed, and the ventilation door at the far end slammed shut with a deafening bang. Dust fell from the ceiling and the air grew colder.

"What the—" the officer shouted, his gun jerking toward the darkness.

Kim raised a hand, signaling the officer to stay calm. "We need to move," he said. "The tunnel is closing. If the ventilation system shuts, we could be trapped."

He closed the car door, still holding the scanner. "We have three options," he said, looking at Min. "We can drive you to the station and wait for a lab to decode the drive fully. We can go straight to the warehouse on the note and see if someone is waiting there. Or we can take you to Seoul right now, to the board meeting, and you can hand over the proof yourself."

Min swallowed. He thought of his sister, waiting with the documents. He thought of his grandmother, who was alone at home. He also thought of the note that said someone was waiting at the old warehouse. The sergeant's words hung in the cold air.

The second officer tapped his radio. "All units, this is Unit 5. Tunnel ventilation door is down. Possible blockage. Requesting assistance. Over."

A crackle answered, "Copy that. Backup on the way. Stay where you are."

Kim glanced at the officer. "If we wait for backup, we could be stuck here for hours. The board meeting starts in two hours."

Min's mind raced. He could try to get to Seoul quickly, but the drive still needed a full decode. He could go to the warehouse, but that might be a trap. He could go to the station, but then he would lose time.

He looked at the note folded in Kim's pocket. The words were still legible: "If you find this, know that I am still alive. Meet me at the old warehouse on the east side. Bring the drive."

A sudden flash of headlights from the tunnel entrance lit the scene. A black SUV rolled in, its engine humming. A man in a dark suit stepped out, his face hidden by a baseball cap. He walked toward the patrol car with purpose.

Kim's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The man lifted his hand. "Sergeant Kim, I'm Detective Lee from the Financial Crimes Unit. I've been tracking those offshore transfers. I need that drive now."

Kim hesitated. He looked at the officer, then at Min. The detective's arrival added a new layer to the already tangled situation.

The tunnel's air grew thicker, the dust settling on the car windows. Min felt the weight of the decision pressing on him. He could trust the detective, or he could trust the note, or he could trust the officer's promise to take him to Seoul.

He took a deep breath, his lungs burning in the cold air. "I want to get to my sister," he said. "She has the proof we need. If we can get her the drive, we can stop this."

Kim stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright," he said. "We'll take you to the station first. We'll get the drive decoded there, then we can arrange a meeting with your sister."

The officer lifted his gun, still pointing it at Min, but lowered it slightly as a sign of compliance. The detective stepped back, watching the exchange.

Kim opened the patrol car door and helped Min step inside. The officer followed, keeping his weapon trained on the back seat. The second officer stayed outside, watching the tunnel entrance.

As the car pulled away from the tunnel, the lights flickered one last time before going out completely. The tunnel fell into darkness, the only sound the low hum of the engines and the distant sirens growing louder.

Min stared out the window at the blackness, his mind racing. He wondered if his sister would be waiting, if his grandmother would be safe, and if the board meeting would be saved. The road ahead was uncertain, but at least now there was a plan.

The patrol car sped toward the station, the SUV following close behind. In the back seat, Min clutched the envelope and rental agreement, the only physical proof he still held. The detective's eyes never left the drive in the officer's pocket.

Just as they turned onto the main road, a sudden screech of tires echoed behind them. The SUV swerved, its driver shouting something indecipherable. The patrol car swerved to avoid a collision, and the driver of the SUV slammed on the brakes, causing a cloud of dust to rise.

Kim grabbed the wheel, his hands shaking. "What the—" he muttered, looking back at the SUV.

The detective shouted, "Pull over!"

The patrol car slowed, its headlights cutting through the early dawn fog. Min felt his heart pound as the SUV stopped a few meters away, its driver still hidden under the cap.

The sergeant turned to Min, his face hard. "We have to decide what to do now," he said. "We could go to the station, we could go to the warehouse, we could try to meet your sister directly, or we could stay here and wait for backup."

The engine of the SUV coughed, then fell silent. The driver lifted his head, revealing a face Min recognized—Park Dong‑won, his former employee, alive but bruised.

Dong‑won's eyes met Min's. "We don't have much time," he whispered. "The board meeting is in an hour. The drive has everything. We need to get it to the board before they sign the deal."

Kim stared at Dong‑won, then at the detective, then back at Min. The tension in the car was thick, the decision hanging like a knife edge.

The tunnel behind them was gone, swallowed by darkness. The road ahead stretched into the sunrise, and the fate of the Lee family hung on a single choice.