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Kang Chan slightly smiled at the Foreign Legion members, then walked toward the entrance. Seok Kang-Ho followed him.
Two French agents, who had been waiting for them, politely opened the van. They left as soon as the two got in.
The members getting on the military transport aircraft watched the van leave.
Have a safe way home. And survive.
The van soon turned toward the main gate, preventing Kang Chan from seeing the members anymore.
“Monsieur Kang, there’s a phone call for you.” The agent sitting in the passenger seat handed him a phone.
“Ello.”
- Mr. Kang Chan, it’s Lanok.
“Yes, Mr. Ambassador?”
- Can I see you for a moment?
“Sure. Where should I go?”
- Please come straight to the embassy in that car.
“Understood.”
Kang Chan handed over the phone to the agent.
“Lanok wants to see us. Let’s drop by the embassy for a bit,” Kang Chan told Seok Kang-Ho.
“Alright.”
The van went onto the highway, then headed to the embassy using the bus-only lane.
He saw peaceful, everyday life on the way—people going through their everyday lives and fully filling up the highway without knowing about the horrible tortures or desperate battles happening behind the scenes.
Kang Chan knew that the spite that he had within him hadn’t been relieved. He often felt this way after joining a fight.
If they had lost Gerard, Kang Chan wouldn't have dealt with people for at least two days.
He wanted to get a good night’s sleep. He wanted to relieve the spite that was lurking inside him, even by sleeping.
It didn’t take long for the van to reach the embassy, despite the morning rush hour.
The agents quickly opened the door and guided Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho to the upper floor.
They soon arrived in Lanok’s office.
Lanok’s assistant and Louis had been standing at the entrance. They bowed their heads toward Kang Chan.
Lanok came toward them the moment they went inside the office. “Mr. Kang Chan.”
“Mr. Ambassador.”
After they shook hands, they sat at the spot that Lanok had pointed to. The employees immediately prepared simple cookies and tea.
Click!
Lanok’s assistant and Louis headed outside and closed the door behind them.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Lanok said.
It was difficult to respond to things like this.
“The United States and China and its Intelligence Bureau were thrown into chaos this morning. Not only are they surprised, but their pride has likely been hurt as well,” Lanok continued.
Lanok pointed to the tea, then added, “We have given the best rewards to the Foreign Legion specialized team as laid out by our regulation. Moreover, even though it’s small, we prepared something for the person that worked with you as well. Consider it the Intelligence Bureau of France’s gesture of sincerity.”
Kang Chan didn’t refuse since Lanok was saying that he was giving it to Seok Kang-Ho. Seok Kang-Ho kept munching on a biscuit, unaware of what Lanok was saying.
“Shok Kwang-Ho?[1] We’re going to deposit five hundred million won in cash to his bank account. We’ve already compromised with the Korean government, so you won’t have to worry about problems like taxes.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.”
They had to consider the money as hazard pay.
Kang Chan turned his head and told Seok Kang-Ho exactly what he heard right now.
“What about you?” Seok Kang-Ho asked afterward.
A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.
“He’s only talked about you so far.”
“Am I allowed to take that?”
“He’s saying that France is giving it to you, so I don’t see why not.”
“But it’s too much,” Seok Kang-Ho argued, but he immediately stopped talking after he saw Kang Chan’s eyes.
“He’s saying thank you, Mr. Ambassador,” Kang Chan answered instead.
Seok Kang-Ho awkwardly bowed his head, and Lanok responded in a relaxed and sophisticated manner.
“Mr. Kang Chan, you remember that I was going to give you shares of Gong Te automobile last time, right?” Lanok asked.
“I’ve forgotten about that. Please don’t be pressured to make that happen.”
“I knew you would say that. It took time because it was a large amount, but we’ve managed to convert it into cash through our recent trade with the Korean National Intelligence Service.”
“You don’t have to do that. I already have enough money to live.”
Lanok took a sip of the tea looking as if he thought that Kang Chan was incredible. He then put down the teacup. “You’re probably only saying that because you have no idea how valuable the operation you’ve executed truly is. Europe’s friends, Russia, and a few countries can now breathe easily again because of your success. All of my friends whom you’ve seen at Loriam have passed on their gratitude, and my position has become more solid thanks to you. This outcome is hard to put any price on.”
Just what is he trying to say that’s making him drag it out like this?
“We’re expecting the ‘Unicorn’ to be announced a bit earlier than we had initially thought,” Lanok said.
If things like this were what Lanok wanted to say, then Kang Chan liked it.
“Europe’s friends have also shown their sincerity, little by little. They’re expressing extreme satisfaction with this operation. After all, those friends of ours have always been a target for assassination. The truth is, they’re satisfied because if this operation failed, they would’ve had no choice but to be wary of China’s mood.”
“I went there to rescue manager Kim. You helped us with that. I’m already satisfied with being able to bring all twelve agents back home,” Kang Chan responded.
Crunch. Crunch.
What a tactless fucker!
When Kang Chan and Lanok smiled lightly, Seok Kang-Ho, who had been munching on cookies, smiled along with them without even knowing what they were saying.
“Six countries have expressed their sincerity. All thirty billion won are going to be deposited into your bank account. Of course, we’ve also finished discussing this with the Korean government, so you won’t have to worry about problems like taxes,” Lanok added.
“That’s too much.”
“In addition, twenty billion won will also be deposited into your bank account. It came from the liquidation of the Gong Te automobile shares, and they were converted into Korean won. I promised to give you. Consider this my and my friends’ sincerity, as I had promised to give you this.”
Kang Chan had met Lanok multiple times, so he already knew that there was something else that Lanok wanted to say just from looking into his eyes.
“Europe’s friends will likely ask me—or you, to be precise—to participate in operations,” Lanok continued.
Kang Chan couldn’t immediately understand what he was saying.
“This means that they’re going to rely on me to take care of raids related to the ‘Unicorn’ project.”
They wanted him to continue to participate in more battles like this? Kang Chan couldn’t answer right away.
He did want to repay Lanok for calling the Foreign Legion specialized team for this rescue operation, and he was also willing to participate in operations to rescue his captured allies or if it was absolutely necessary to accomplish the ‘Unicorn’ project. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to keep joining battles of this nature.
“I understand that it’s not something you can decide on immediately. Please take your time thinking about it,” Lanok said when Kang Chan didn’t respond.
“That would be ideal.”
“And Mr. Kang Chan…”
Lanok took out and handed over a USB from the pocket of his vest that he wore inside the suit.
“That contains detailed information related to Woo-Ang Jeon-Woo,”[2] Lanok said when Kang Chan looked at him.
It made Kang Chan unable to stop himself from bursting out with energetic laughter.
“Please rest for a few days. Let’s have dinner together someday,” Lanok told Kang Chan.
“Understood.”
“You must be tired, yet I still took away your time in vain because I wanted to see you.”
“What are you saying? I’m a bit more comfortable now that we’ve met again.”
As he stood up from his spot, Kang Chan thought, ‘Oh shoot! This sly fox got me again!’ Their conversation ended without giving Kang Chan time to refuse the fifty billion won.
Soon after, they left the embassy.
Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho got in the embassy’s van, then headed to the specialty coffee shop that was located in the intersection in front of their houses.
They sat on the familiar terrace, had iced coffees, then smoked.
It felt like Kang Chan had just woken up from a long dream.
“I feel blank,” Seok Kang-Ho commented.
“Same.”
When Kang Chan took a sip of the coffee…
“Since we told everyone that we’ll be back in three days, should we go somewhere first?” Seok Kang-Ho grumbled as if he was disappointed.
“I just want to go somewhere I can get a good night’s sleep.”
“Let’s go to a jjimjilbang[3], have a hot bath, and sleep. We should eat something delicious afterward.”
“That sounds nice.”
Finding Seok Kang-Ho’s suggestion tempting, Kang Chan stood up right away. He wanted to relieve his spite.
He strangely became full of spite after a battle.
***
On top of having restless sleep, Kang Dae-Kyung felt like he got bombarded starting that morning due to Yoo Hye-Sook’s school friends, whom they had seen at the hotel, gathering with their spouses to congratulate the start of their Foundation.
Even if it was called an office, it was just a small twenty square meter officetel.
“Honey, what should we do?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked.
Kang Dae-Kyung comforted Yoo Hye-Sook, who was flustered. He then gathered the visitors to Kang Yoo Motors’ office, which was located in the building right next to the officetel.
“Oh my! Hye-Sook! Congratulations.”
Kang Dae-Kyung was a businessman, so he wasn’t ignorant of the sense of superiority that was in the expressions of the women that greeted Yoo Hye-Sook.
He fully understood the mockery in the strange glances that showed they were thinking, ‘Even if you think you’re all that just because you have a good son, you’re still nothing,’ and ‘I heard that it was a Foundation, but it’s only an office this big?’
That wasn’t all.
“Could I receive an estimate for a car? It’s time for us to change my wife’s car.”
Kang Dae-Kyung also clearly knew the intentions of the husbands that looked down on him by treating him as if he was a salesperson, even though they knew fully well that he was the President of Kang Yoo Motors.
‘I’m this powerful, so don’t act out just because you have a good son. Listen well to what I ask you to do, then I’ll buy a car from you.’
Their gazes and attitudes were so obvious that anyone could fully understand what they were thinking unless they were stupid.
Kang Dae-Kyung gave in for Yoo Hye-Sook, and Yoo Hye-Sook did as well to avoid disrupting Kang Dae-Kyung’s business. Nevertheless, it was dumbfounding that they were acting arrogant even though they walked in here without anyone asking them to come.
Since it was morning, even the sales representatives that didn’t have any appointments had all worked on preparing refreshments and tried their best to entertain the guests, but Kang Yoo Motors was the definition of disordered because the number of people that only a hotel could handle had come into the office.
“Hey! Give me more drinks.”
The second man to receive Kang Dae-Kyung’s business card spoke informally and treated the employees rudely, which was uncomfortable to hear.
The female employee that was selected to work for the Foundation was still young. Right after graduating high school, she was a child that was trying to work hard because of her difficult family circumstances, but they were walking over her just because of her appearance.
“So you’re saying it’s going to be a little over one hundred million won if I pay in a lump sum?” the husband asked Kang Dae-Kyung.
“That’s right, Mr. President.”
“Why are you like this—isn’t there an employee discount? I’m buying this because of you, so shouldn’t you give me a discount? I told you I’m paying in cash. Why is this company acting so cheap when even all German car companies are giving discounts? How are you going to make any sales at this rate?”
The man, who had already received an estimate sheet three times, clearly never had the intention to buy a car. Even so, he still kept loudly negotiating the price.
“I’m sorry, honey” Yoo Hye-Sook apologized.
“For what? This always happens in the car business industry.”
Kang Dae-Kyung comforted Yoo Hye-Sook while pretending that nothing was wrong.
1. Lanok pronounced Seok Kang-Ho’s name incorrectly here, with a French accent ☜
2. Lanok means Yang Jin-Woo here, but says his name with a French accent ☜
3. Jjimjilbang refers to a large traditional Korean bathhouse where people can enjoy different spa treatments. People go there to eat, sweat, socialize, relax, and sleep ☜