peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1527 Spying

Chapter 1527 Spying

On the evening of April 20th, Zheng Caiyuan sat in front of her computer, fully on standby.

Netflix had already logged in, and the homepage was almost entirely dominated by exclusive promotional materials for "Spying." Full-screen top posters, dynamic trailer pop-ups, and special recommendation sections were all densely packed, all demonstrating the immense weight of this exclusive series.

I checked the time; there were still twenty minutes left.

Jung Chae-won is waiting for the broadcast of Ji Kyung-won's new drama "The Spying Machine".

She doesn't feel anything about Ji Kyung-won's idol status or stage presence, but she really likes the dramas he acts in, making her a die-hard fan of Ji Kyung-won's films and television shows.

She's a bit picky when it comes to dramas; she hopes the male lead is handsome but also has to be a good actor, otherwise she'll be pulled out of the story.

Ji Kyung-won is one of the few actors she feels can combine both qualities, and he is her favorite male actor in recent years.

However, unlike most other viewers, Jung Chae-won believes that "Misaeng" is Ji Kyung-won's peak performance. His performance in it is truly impeccable. Shedding all his handsome image and restraining all his sharpness, he portrays the struggles, forbearance, growth, and helplessness of an ordinary person so vividly that it deeply moved her. She even thinks that Ji Kyung-won's performance in this drama is better than Lee Sung-min's.

Of course, "Signal" is also good. A young actor held his own against two award-winning actors and actresses, showing his own style.

As for "Goblin," it's a bit boring. Although it's arguably Ji Kyung-won's most popular drama, she has absolutely no interest in this kind of idol drama.

When she first saw the news of the filming of "The Spy" last year, she didn't pay much attention to it because the content revealed, such as suspense, darkness, and 19+, was not her type.

But since it's Ji Kyung-won's new drama, even though the style isn't her usual or preferred, she still paid for it on Netflix in advance because of the actor. She happened to be on vacation today and even turned down a friend's party, so she decided to watch it tonight.

In the last ten minutes or so before the broadcast, she casually refreshed the page and browsed around. She noticed that Peninsula Netflix now mainly buys the rights to other TV series, but there weren't any good ones.

Ultimately, it was "The Spy" that attracted her the most.

Finally, the page timer redirected.

The page trembled slightly, and all ten episodes were released at once.

"Ten episodes, that's really good."

Zheng Caiyuan was talking to himself.

Compared to the traditional method of filming and airing episodes simultaneously, which drags on and leaves viewers wanting more with only one or two episodes per week, releasing ten episodes at once is much more appealing. It's a large, satisfying meal without the agonizing wait.

Her gaze fell on the TV series' cover poster.

The color palette is cool and somber, the atmosphere is oppressive and tranquil, and the composition is minimalist and sophisticated.

Press play, and the opening sequence slowly unfolds.

The deep, ethereal, and fateful OST flows gently, with the melody building layer by layer, instantly creating a sense of atmosphere.

The camerawork is restrained yet precise, with interplay of light and shadow; the composition, tone, and texture of every frame exude cinematic quality.

"The texture."

She sighed softly.

No need for a proper prelude; these short opening sequences alone are enough to prove that the production quality of this drama is absolutely top-notch among current Korean dramas.

The film opens with a sudden scene change.

In the bright and bustling zoo, the noise of people and the laughter of children create a vibrant and cheerful scene. However, the camera gradually focuses on a five-year-old child with a fair and clean, tender face, but with an unusually lifeless and cold gaze.

Inside the glass case, a black snake was locked in a vicious, bloody battle, its jaws clenched tightly around a rat.

The surrounding children screamed and dodged, their faces filled with fear, but this child stood quietly, expressionless, his eyes indifferent and cold, silently watching this cruel hunt without the slightest panic. Instead, he showed a smile of great interest.

The starkly contrasting visuals immediately create a chilling sense of dread, gripping the audience's attention from the very beginning.

The scene shifts, and time flashes back to 1995.

A series of headless female corpse murders swept across the country, with eighteen unsolved cases remaining unsolved for a long time. The killer's methods were cruel and his whereabouts were mysterious, earning him the nickname "headhunter" from the police.

Panic loomed over the entire peninsula, with everyone feeling insecure and people on the streets filled with anxiety.

To solve the cold case and quell panic, Dr. Daniel, a leading neurologist, was urgently recalled to South Korea, bringing with him a groundbreaking new discovery and a proposed bill.

He discovered a special abnormal gene in the human genome, accounting for one percent of the total population.

Fetuses carrying this gene are unable to empathize with normal people; they lack normal human emotions. There is a 99% chance that such children will grow up to be cold-blooded killers, and only a 1% chance that they can break through the genetic constraints and become unparalleled geniuses.

Therefore, the doctor proposed implementing the "Psychosis Gene Testing Act" to mandate fetal gene screening, and to immediately terminate the pregnancy if abnormal genes are detected.

This concept is truly novel, avant-garde, and cruel, instantly tearing apart the boundaries of humanity and ethics, making all viewers unable to help but fall into deep thought along with the plot.

The atmosphere in Congress was tense and oppressive, with four votes in favor and four against, resulting in a complete tie.

Ultimately, the speaker, who held the crucial vote, cast a dissenting vote because his wife was unexpectedly pregnant and he could not bear to kill the life, thus rendering the highly controversial bill invalid.

"This concept is really too bold."

Zheng Caiyuan leaned forward slightly, watching intently.

Without clichéd romantic entanglements or unrealistic protagonist halos, the story directly tackles profound issues of genes, humanity, ethics, and destiny from the very beginning, clearly elevating its scale and scope to a higher level.

"Ahn Jae-wook is so handsome."

The camera pans to reveal Han Wook-joon, played by Ahn Jae-wook.

With his refined and scholarly features, gentle and composed demeanor, and graceful and generous speech, he exudes a mature charm that comes with age.

He was one of the first generation of Korean wave male gods, and he is still extremely charming even now.

After establishing Han Xujun's warm and harmonious family, the plot naturally progresses, showing Gao Wuzhi's family enjoying themselves, driving to the suburbs for camping, chatting and laughing, appearing to be living a peaceful and idyllic life.

But just when things were at their most joyful, the "headhunter" quietly appeared, cruelly shattering all the happiness.

The camera work is restrained yet extremely impactful. The parents are brutally murdered on the spot, their warm blood staining the grass. The older brother, in order to protect the young Gao Wuzhi, bravely steps forward and is severely injured and on the verge of death right before his eyes.

Desperate cries, biting cold wind, pitch-black night, and broken families—multiple images intertwine and overlap, instantly creating a heart-wrenching and oppressive atmosphere.

Seeing this, Zheng Caiyuan frowned deeply, feeling inexplicably depressed.

Just as she was wondering who this perverted 'headhunter' was, Gao Wuzhi, in a highly coincidental situation at the hospital, identified Han Xujun as the murderer.

"Aigoo!"

Jung Chae-won's pupils contracted slightly, her face filled with astonishment, completely taken aback by the reversal.

She thought this first-generation Korean wave actor was playing a deep and handsome uncle again, but how come he turned into a psychopathic killer in less than twenty minutes?

And how come his identity was revealed in just the first episode?

Police quickly dispatched officers to Han Seo-joon's home to search for evidence, but after searching the entire house, they were unable to find the victim's head or any key evidence, and the case was about to reach a stalemate.

Just as the police were at their wits' end and were about to call it a day, young Gao Wuzhi, filled with hatred, suddenly attacked Han Xujun with a knife. In the ensuing struggle, he accidentally bumped into a huge snowman in the yard.

A muffled boom resounded.

"Bang~"

The heavy snowman head rolled down with a crash, followed by a bloody human head that rolled onto the snow, staining the white snow with blood.

The close-up shots are right up close, revealing the brutal scene without any concealment, and the extreme contrast between red and white is glaringly bright.

"Ugh~"

The snowman hiding its head made Jung Chae-won freeze, a chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively shuddered.

It was already bizarre and bloody enough, and they even gave it a close-up.

I didn't expect the first episode to be so big.

Snowflakes fell heavily, staining the pristine white snow with crimson blood. The police's panic, the crowd's silent gasps, and Kodaka Takeji's despairing sobs—all the sounds and images intertwined.

The extreme fragmentation and horror severely impact both the visual and mental senses.

Despite overwhelming evidence, Han Xujun still managed to exonerate himself perfectly with his meticulous logic, circumventing all direct evidence and ultimately securing his acquittal.

Just as Han Xujun walked out of the courthouse, looking like 'justice will prevail,' and was being interviewed by the media, his wife Cheng Zhi'en stepped forward and took the initiative to report him.

She unintentionally filmed the entire brutal process of Han Xujun building a snowman, mistaking it for a heartwarming family moment.

"Then why did you marry me?"

Cheng Zhi'en was still in shock, confusion, and fear. She never imagined that her husband, with whom she had shared many years of life, was actually the super-psychopathic killer 'Headhunter'.

When his identity was exposed, Han Xujun paused for a moment, his smile disappeared slightly, and he frowned slightly, appearing somewhat calm. He was far from the panic that had been expected, as if his identity as a murderer had not been revealed, but rather that they had just been bickering in casual conversation.

"Perhaps it's to give my great genes an offspring."

"I suppose it's a form of racial reproduction."

Faced with his wife's breakdown and questioning, he smiled and whispered in Cheng Zhi'en's ear, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, calm and composed.

His expression was calm and his posture elegant, as if he were simply having a casual chat.

“I need my child, the second Han Xujun, the headhunter.”

The flat tone, indifferent expression, and self-righteous cruelty completely shattered all pretense of warmth.

Zheng Caiyuan was horrified by what she saw.

Han Xujun's acting is particularly impressive. One second he is a gentle, considerate, refined, and family-oriented perfect husband, and the next second he switches to a cold-blooded pervert who disregards life, takes killing as his talent, and takes the propagation of demonic genes as his mission.

Han Xujun went to prison, but Cheng Zhien was already pregnant with his child. She nervously went to Dr. Daniel for testing to see if her child had any abnormal genes.

The result is affirmative.

The second Headhunter has appeared.

In the hospital corridor, destinies quietly intersected.

She happened to meet another pregnant woman whose fetus had also tested positive for the abnormal gene, who was also the wife of researcher Daniel. The other woman had a firm and gentle look in her eyes. Even though she knew that the child was likely abnormal, she was still gentle and determined: "I will give birth to him. My husband is a good man. He will never let me kill our flesh and blood."

These words deeply wounded Sung Ji-eun, who was on the verge of collapse.

In the blink of an eye, two fetuses burdened with a demonic destiny, two incredibly heavy fates, were quietly left behind.

The timeline jumps to 2005.

The "devil's child" in his childhood fully revealed his cold-blooded nature, which was different from ordinary people.

He remained expressionless while watching a snake eat a mouse, buried his younger brother alive, poisoned his stepfather's fish, and drowned a puppy.

Ruthless and cold-hearted.

however……

Inside the church, the light and shadow were solemn, and a divine atmosphere permeated the air.

The boy sat alone before the statue, his figure thin, his eyes devout, his voice weak and humble, carrying the last struggle and helplessness of a child:

"I was born a monster."

"I prayed to God..."

"Please, please..."

"Don't make me a monster."

This scene made Jung Chae-won feel a pang of heartache.

However, before the sacred prayers had even faded, the camera shifted...

The boy, knife in hand, walked expressionlessly up the stairs.

The camera suddenly zooms out, slowly looking down.

On the ground, all the family members lay dead, blood flowing, without a sound.

The solemn and divine background music flowed slowly, a melody that should have symbolized redemption, but at this moment it revealed an extreme sense of eeriness and desolation.

Bloodshed and divinity intertwine, redemption and destruction clash, and an extreme sense of destiny overwhelms you.

The first episode has come to an end.

Zheng Caiyuan let out a long breath, suddenly realizing that she had been on edge the whole time and had watched the whole thing without even fast-forwarding.

"Wow, this is really tempting!"

She couldn't help but sigh softly, her heart filled with amazement.

But where is the main character? Where is Chi Kyung-won?

She came here specifically for Chi Jingyuan.

But it really is quite beautiful.

The acting of the actors and the pacing of the plot were both excellent, especially Ahn Jae-wook.

Meanwhile, the first episode introduced a core concept: abnormal genes can be detected, which sparked a strong desire for discussion.

At the same time, it also raised the biggest suspense: two fetuses carrying abnormal genes, one destined to be a genius and the other destined to be a demon.

This immediately piqued Jung Chae-won's interest, making him eager to know what would happen next: Who was the second-generation headhunter, born with a wicked nature? Who was the peerless genius who broke through his destiny?

If it were a regular weekly Korean drama, it would probably have to wait until next week.

But Netflix is ​​really good; it clearly displays on the right side of the screen that ten episodes are released, and the remaining nine are all unlocked.

A feeling of happiness instantly filled my heart.

I'm going to watch it all in one go tonight!

Having made a grand vow in her heart, Jung Chae-won immediately clicked on the second episode.

The second episode jumps directly to the next episode. Gao Wuzhi, who survived as a child, has grown up and become a detective who is unconventional, rebellious, straightforward, and impulsive.

This also leads to a new series of bizarre murders, with the victims in extremely gruesome condition. Moreover, each victim points to a cross or church with their middle finger, silently indicating the killer's dissatisfaction with God.

Just then, the male lead, whom countless viewers had been eagerly anticipating, finally made his appearance.

Under the sunlight, the boy was slender and upright, with a neat bowl cut, clean and simple.

To save an injured bird in the middle of the road, he bravely leaped out, narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle, and almost collided with Gao Wuzhi, who was driving by.

A thrilling encounter, a tender beginning.

"Joseon Mida~"

Zheng Balin bowed hastily, his tone sincere and apologetic, his eyes full of pure goodwill and unease.

The gentle sunlight fell on his clean profile, softening all his features.

Seeing Jung Ba-rin constantly apologizing on camera, Jung Chae-won's eyes lit up slightly.

Shi Yan's appearance, which is considered top-notch in the idol world, is not at all shy even under close-up shots.

Moreover, he didn't overshadow her or become a burden. With his simple bowl cut, clean and plain clothes, and gentle and timid demeanor, he didn't look like a top idol at all.

With just one entrance scene, a few lines of apology, and several small gestures of bowing, the image of an innocent, kind, upright, gentle, and benevolent young man instantly takes root in people's hearts and becomes vivid and three-dimensional.

"This little bird seems to have injured its foot. You must have been quite frightened. I'm so sorry."

He bowed sincerely and apologized repeatedly, his eyes clear and pure.

Under the sunlight, Zheng Balin watched Gao Wuzhi's car slowly drive away, still bowing repeatedly, which looked exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight.

Then came another series of scenes that established the relationships between the characters, further highlighting Jung Ba-rin's charm.

However, compared to Ji Kyung-won's previous roles where he portrayed a dashing and charismatic lead, his image in this drama doesn't seem as striking.

With his bowl-cut hair, he is honest, kind, warm-hearted, and sincere, but he also seems a little bit spineless.

The contrast is so great that it's hard to immediately associate them with the same actor.

"Wow~"

"I can hardly recognize him as Chi Jingyuan!"

Looking at Ji Kyung-won on the screen, Jung Chae-won couldn't help but exclaim, "He really can play any role convincingly."

Besides the male lead Jung Ba-rin and the second male lead Ko Moo-chi, more key characters will appear as the plot progresses.

Jung Ba-reum's romantic partner is Oh Bong-yi, played by Lee Sung-kyung, and Choi Hong-joo, played by Kim Ji-won.

There's also Grandma Wu Fengyi, who's very humorous and likable, treats Zheng Balin exceptionally well, and regards him as her grandson-in-law. Then there's Gao Wuzhi's brother, a priest who, despite the massacre of his entire family, chooses to forgive with a kind heart. And finally, there's Cheng Yaohan, a doctor who's jealous of the suspected second-generation headhunter, and exudes a cold, gloomy aura.

The ensemble cast is well-developed, the characters are vividly portrayed, and each member fulfills their specific role.

At the end of the second episode, the gentle and kind Jung Ba-rin and the cold and gloomy doctor Sung Yo-han gaze at each other across the crowd in the hospital lobby.

A powerful and fateful background music suddenly begins, and the two "Headhunters II," each bearing demonic genes and carrying a dual destiny, finally meet face to face.

The clash of destinies and the struggle between good and evil create an intense sense of tension that instantly gives one goosebumps.

"omo!!"

Zheng Caiyuan was completely shocked and deeply moved by this scene.

Combining the genetic settings and the probabilistic game between genius and devil laid out earlier, she instantly figured out all the foreshadowing.

The two pregnant women at the end of the first episode, carrying two children in their wombs, are none other than Zheng Balin and Cheng Yaohan in front of us.

One was destined to be a genius, the other a demon.

Who is feigning kindness? Who is inherently evil?

On the surface, Jung Ba-rin appears gentle and pure, with a kind heart, and she saves the weak. She seems completely harmless, but could she be the most deeply hidden pervert?

This eye contact really feels like destiny.

In that instant, she thought of many things, such as whether genes determine destiny, whether the environment can change one's nature, and whether good and evil are innate.

The script is really good!

Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Jung Chae-won clicked on the third episode without hesitation...

Episode 4...

……

Meanwhile, backstage at KBS television station.

TWICE members have just finished recording, changed their outfits, and are now lining up to head to the parking lot to move on to another location.

At the front of the group, Lim Na-yeon walked quickly and hurriedly, almost running, eager to catch up.

Why is she walking so fast?

Looking at her hurried back, Hirai Momo asked in confusion.

"It seems that Kyungwon oppa's new drama has just been released online."

Sana Minatozaki walked over and whispered, "Hasn't Nayeon unnie been looking forward to this for a long time? She really wants to see it, so she was thinking of leaving get off work early."

"Actually, I'd really like to see it too..."

After saying that, Sana Minatozaki seemed to remember something and habitually muttered to herself, "I'm not usually that interested in this kind of drama, but it's directed by Kyungwon oppa, and I heard it was quite a tough filming process. He even went a bit crazy because of it, so I wanted to see what it was like... Not just me, Dahyun, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon are all planning to watch it, but they're not as eager as Nayeon unnie..."

"..."

After listening, Hirai Momo was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Minatozaki Sana, blinked cutely as if she didn't understand, and asked again in confusion, "Um... I was asking why she walked so fast."

“Didn’t I say that she’s in a hurry to get off work and go home to watch Jingyuan Oppa’s new drama?” Minatozaki Sana blinked as well.

"But……"

Hirai Momo pointed ahead speechlessly, clearly still somewhat confused: "Aren't we supposed to be recording a program at SBS? Even if she walks fast, we won't be able to get off work."

"Um, maybe she thinks..."

"Every second counts."