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Tuesday.
Waking up at dawn, Kang Chan left the house, much like he always did. The brisk air of morning break was already hinting at autumn.
“Whew.”
He stretched his muscles, which had stiffened overnight. While pulling his right arm with his left and pretending to twist his body, he scanned his surroundings.
Someone was observing him.
He only saw a few people heading to work early, but no one seemed particularly suspicious.
‘I can’t even exercise comfortably because of this son of a bitch.’
He didn’t want to skip his workout, though.
After examining his surroundings a few more times, he warily left the apartment complex. However, the unpleasant feeling made it difficult to focus on running.
Running defenselessly despite knowing someone was out for you was as foolish as jogging in the middle of a battlefield.
Kang Chan slowed down to a walk after running a kilometer.
Choi Jong-Il was somewhere out there, but agents could eliminate him in one strike. Moreover, in this situation, ground-to-air missiles were already being brought into play. His gut feeling meant shit if the game were to end with a single bullet.
He frowned and let out a deep breath. That was enough of his workout for now.
‘I’m using the sidewalk, so I probably won’t get hit by a car.’
However, just as he turned toward the apartment complex’s entrance
 Vrrrrrrrroom. He whipped around at the harsh engine noise, finding a motorcycle sweeping past him.
‘So that’s the punk.’
It was all his gut.
These kinds of things took place during combat too. Enemies opened fire without any specific target, but their purpose wasn’t to kill the opponent. Rather, it was to keep them tense and wear them out.
Only one bastard would do this.
“This is how you’re coming at me?”
He chuckled and went up home.
Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook weren’t up yet. He quietly entered his room and called Seok Kang-Ho first.
The call rang for a bit before Seok Kang-Ho finally picked up.
-What’s wrong?
He seemed to have woken up just now, considering he frantically answered and he still sounded hoarse.
“I think Yang Jin-Woo is after me. Since you participated in the security that day and we meet often, they probably know about you as well.”
-They’re making their move this early?
He sounded so hoarse Kang Chan wanted to make him drink some water.
“Some guy passed by me on a motorcycle, and I think it’s them. Be careful when you’re on the streets. It’s the end of both of us if we get into a car accident or get sent to prison.”
-That son of a—! Ahem, got it. Anything else?
“Who is it?” someone sleepily asked over at Seok Kang-Ho’s side.
“Nothing, aside from the fact that I didn’t get to work out.”
-Okay. Let’s talk later.
Kang Chan hung up and shook off his bad mood. Afterward, he started to exercise in his room. He would shower earlier than normal today.
When he came out into the living room, Yoo Hye-Sook was coming out of the bedroom.
“Son!”
She looked at the clock in the living room, her face flustered.
“I just worked out in my room today.”
“Why? Are you not feeling well?”
“No. I just wanted to take a break for a day.”
He smiled at her, then headed inside the bathroom.
‘I’ll do what you want.’
Since the Yang Jin-Woo still had the Japanese agents and two other organizations like Yoon Bong-Sup’s at his disposal, he probably wanted to exert some power.
Yang Jin-Woo wouldn’t be willing to back out or yield, considering he knew of a method that could provide greater peace of mind. Once this kind of battle began, nothing good would arise from dragging things out.
If he was being targeted, then that meant Kang Dae-Gyung and Yoo Hye-Sook were as well.
After showering, he helped Yoo Hye-Sook prepare breakfast. Afterward, he ate together with Yoo Hye-Sook and Kang Dae-Kyung.
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“Have a good day.”
“Bye, son.”
“See you in the evening.”
When the two left for work, he immediately dialed Kim Hyung-Jung and informed him that he would be going to the office in Samseong-Dong.
***
Kang Chan explained the events that transpired earlier that morning to Kim Hyung-Jung, who brought over some coffee.
“Hmm, since you’re the one saying that, you’re probably right.”
Knowing what happened at the international hotel, Kim Hyung-Jung nodded in agreement.
“You know Yang Jin-Woo has two other organizations like Yoon Bong-Sup’s, don’t you, Mr. Kim?”
“That information was in the materials I showed you during your last visit.”
“Let’s attack them today,” declared Kang Chan.
Kim Hyung-Jung abruptly looked up from his coffee cup.
“The fact that they’re targeting me means they’re prepared and ready. We’ll lose if we spend too much time thinking about this.
Kim Hyung-Jung couldn’t reply.
“How many times have you lost already? Let’s do things my way.”
“Hmm,” mused Kim Hyung-Jung.
Kang Chan pulled out a cigarette. Looking stiff, Kim Hyung-Jung did the same as well.
“They have a lot more men.”
“As long as we have you, Seok Kang-Ho, and me, an organization like Yoon Bong-Sup’s doesn’t stand a chance.”
“What about the aftermath?”
The conversation paused. Kim Hyung-Jung flicked the lighter on.
“You said it doesn't matter if we’re not inside the boundaries of the law. Why else would they not be able to report the incident with Cho Il-Kwon and Yoon Bong-Sup? I plan on making the agents come here, so let’s beat the evidence out of them.”
“All ten of them?” Kim Hyung-Jung asked, “Do you think you can take on that many?”
“It’s easily worth a try.”
Even though Kang Chan grinned, Kim Hyung-Jung’s expression remained solemn.
“Mr. Kang Chan, this could reveal how the surface-to-air missile was acquired. That will be the end of Yang Jin-Woo.”
“That’s done within the boundaries of the law.”
“You’re truly hard to predict, Mr. Kang Chan.” Kim Hyung-Jung sighed as if admitting his defeat. “Let’s call Choi Jong-Il.”
Kang Chan tilted his head at the unexpected proposal.
“I heard he already provided assistance in dealing with Yoon Bong-Sup and Cho Il-Kwon.”
“I thought only you and the director were aware of this.”
“Doesn’t Mr. Seok know as well? That agent of ours went as far as submitting a resignation letter, so he’ll take part this time as well.”
Kim Hyung-Jung lifted his phone and looked at Kang Chan.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll tell him I was tasked with this business.”
“I’m just worried their futures will be ruined after getting involved with something they don’t have to.”
“Choi Jong-Il has been my subordinate for a while now. If he knows I left him out of this mission, he’ll resent me quite a bit.”
“He might say no.”
“Mr. Kang Chan, Kim Tae-Jin and I went around slashing the throats of our enemies at the DMZ. Back then, for every neck I slit, I thought that our country was no longer looked down upon. It’s for our citizens who sent their precious sons to the military. That’s also why I entered the National Intelligence Service.”
Kim Hyung-Jung looked at Kang Chan with determined eyes.
“If there’s anything dirty that has to be cleaned for the benefit of our country, I’ll do it with my own hands.”
“I acknowledge your resolve.”
“I know Choi Jong-Il. I practically taught him. What’s more, this task involves Japanese agents. Our agents will never fall short against them.”
The atmosphere was a little strange, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Go ahead and call them.”
Kim Hyung-Jung dialed a number with a satisfied look.
“Yeah. It’s me. All three of you come on up. Oh! You know that coffee shop out front? Grab some americanos. One for Mr. Kang Chan, too.”
Putting the phone down, Kim Hyung-Jung sipped his now-room-temperature coffee and took in a deep breath.
“This is embarrassing, Mr. Kang Chan, but I’ve been suffering from nightmares every day since I returned from Mongolia. It’s the same dream every time. The moment I step into the mountains, a countless number of wolves dash forward and tear me apart.”
Kim Hyung-Jung fiddled with the lighter.
“I wanted to apologize to the agents who are already gone and kill all the bastards connected to their deaths. If that wasn’t possible, I wanted to at least travel around brutal battlefields.”
He had wanted to die on the battlefield out of guilt. Kang Chan understood how he felt.
“But it seems like my job has embedded laws and regulations into me. I’m trapped inside those limits. If I had orders to assassinate someone from an enemy nation, I would’ve done it in a breath. However, my mind still perceives Yang Jin-woo as a citizen of South Korea who has to be protected according to the law.”
Rap rap rap.
Someone knocked on the door although Kang Chan didn’t hear anyone outside. The room’s soundproof walls were incredible.
Kim Hyung-Jung stood up.
“From now on, I will consider Yang Jin-woo as a spy dispatched by an enemy nation.”
Click.
Kim Hyung-Jung opened the door after he was done talking. Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee entered.
Lee Doo-Hee set five cups of coffee on the table.
Kang Chan grinned, feeling glad to see them.
“Sit.”
The three bowed and, at Kim Hyung-Jung’s order, sat around the table.
“I have a special mission.”
He got straight to the point.
“We’ll be assassinating a key figure, and the country and the National Intelligence Service will not acknowledge the mission as per usual. The figure is so influential that if we fail, the pain it could cause to our families is unimaginable. Make your choice.”
Choi Jong-Il spoke without even a moment’s hesitation.
“Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to my country.”
Did they practice responses beforehand? Kang Chan just watched on.
“Who’s the target?”
“Why aren’t you guys saying anything?”
“We deemed it unnecessary because our team leader has spoken for us,” responded Woo Hee-Seung. Lee Doo-Hee just nodded.
“The target is Yang Jin-Woo.”
“Yes, sir.”
Choi Jong-Il looked satisfied.
“Ranks don’t matter anymore. Let’s speak more casually.”
With that, the mood instantly changed. The men sipped coffee and smoked cigarettes.
The smoke all five of them exhaled was sucked in by the ceiling’s ventilator like a whirlpool.
“Do you have a strategy already?”
“There are two more private organizations like Yoon Bong-Sup’s. We’ll attack them today, collect as much information as we can, and deal with the ten agents who came in from Japan.”
“Are we allowed to kill?”
“It’s not necessary when it comes to the gangsters, but that’s the plan for the Japanese agents.”
Kim Hyung-Jung strode to his desk and brought over a few documents.
“These are Yang Jin-Woo’s remaining organizations. There’s almost no information on them, likely because Yang Jin-Woo himself manages them.”
“They’re houses.”
In Kang Chan’s hand was a picture of a two-story house with a large garden.
“One’s in Seongnam, and the other is in Hannam-Dong. They’ll probably contact the other if one’s attacked.”
“Good.”
Kang Chan’s statement made the others in the room look at him.
“Let’s attack Hannam-Dong first. The Japanese agents will probably join the frontlines when we head to Seongnam. They outnumber us, and they also have pride as agents.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Having fully made his decision Kim Hyung-Jung didn’t back out.
“Why did you leave them alone when you’ve already investigated this much?”
“Yang Jin-Woo would gladly fly to the US and throw a fit from there if we take them by surprise and fail to find anything. If we tried to get him with something small, then he would spout bullshit about how he's being framed or that it's a trap, so we were trying to find decisive evidence.”
That made sense. People would question why a chaebol would do such a thing when he already had everything.
Kang Chan nodded and wrapped up the conversation with that.
“We’ll use a van for transportation.”
Kim Hyung-Jung was fast when he put his mind to something.
“Guns and bayonets should be enough for weapons, right?”
Guns too? Well, it was better safe than sorry since they didn’t know what the Japanese agents were going to bring.
Kang Chan nodded. All they had to do now was execute the plan and one other thing.
After a moment of contemplating what to do about Seok Kang-Ho, Kang Chan picked up his phone.
That damned promise!
***
The license plate of the van parked in the underground garage was changed. On one side of the parking lot were tools needed to change plates along with 20 extra plates.
Contrary to the battlefields in Africa, espionage warfare had a different kind of subtlety to it.
The parking lot was spacious compared to the size of the building.
Three vans, two large and two small passenger vehicles, and one Mercedes Benz and BMW.
“Here, Mr. Kang Chan.”
Kim Hyung-Jung opened the inner section of the parking garage with a key and handed him a revolver and a bayonet.
“What is it?”
“I was just thinking I should loot this place someday.”
“You’ll be shot immediately if you sneak in.”
Really? He looked around but didn’t see any place for security to watch from.
“There are only two entrances to this garage. Anyone who wants to come inside has to send a notification beforehand. Behind the channels, machine guns are waiting in ambush.”
Kang Chan nodded in response. He holstered his bayonet at his ankle and attached his gun to his waist. He was most comfortable with it on his back, behind his right hip.
“Please prepare Seok Kang-Ho’s too.”
“Understood.”
As soon as they finished preparations, tension filled the lot.
“Let’s go.”
Kang Chan climbed into the car at Kim Hyung-Jung’s words.
Lee Doo-Hee, who had an elongated head, did the driving, while Woo Hee-Seung rode in the passenger seat.
Kang Chan and Kim Hyung-Jung rode in the middle, and Choi Jong-Il was at the back.
Kim Hyung-Jung pressed a few buttons on his phone. After the beep sound, they left.
“This place doesn’t seem fit for emergency dispatches.”
“Emergency dispatches aren’t relevant here because we specialize in strategic analysis, agent placement, and special missions.”
There was an exit to the side of the building. It was past the channel from the parking garage.
If it wasn’t for Seok Kang-Ho, they would have eaten some delicious jjamppong before leaving.
Kang Chan pulled out his phone and pressed call.
-Are you on your way?
“Yes. We’ll arrive in about fifteen minutes.”
-Whew. I left work early.
This bastard probably ate nervousness for lunch.
“Come out to the main road.”
-I’m in front of the snack bar. Should I buy some kimbap?
“Hey! Let’s at least eat properly.”
-Okay.
Kim Hyung-Jung made a knowing smile when Kang Chan hung up.
Traffic wasn’t too heavy, so Seok Kang-Ho joined them soon.
While the car zoomed down the road, Seok Kang-Ho exchanged greetings with Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee, and was given weapons.
Seok Kang-Ho’s eyes were already teary from anxiety.
They didn’t know when this battle would end. Some people could ask, “Wouldn’t it be alright to skip a meal since it’s an important fight?” However, those were the ones who didn’t know the feeling of strength leaving your body in the middle of an intense battle.
Rookies couldn’t eat properly because of how nervous they were, and they fell first. They learned the hard way why soldiers stuffed their throats with food during the short breaks they got in front of their dead enemies or corpses of their allies—why they forced food down before an operation or a battle.
There was a possibility that they would have to skip dinner if a fight was drawn out, so to survive, it was wise to eat a good meal when they could.
Lee Doo-Hee turned right after crossing the Hannam Bridge and parked the car in front of a restaurant near the road.
It was a little early for lunch, so it wasn’t bustling yet.
They ordered bibimbap.
The restaurant owner hesitantly brought out their food. It wasn’t common for six men to quietly sit around waiting for the food after pouring their water cups and setting their cutlery.
They finished their meal in five minutes. After paying for the food, they bought coffee at the shop right next to the restaurant, then drank it in front of the van.
At least twenty minutes were required.
Gangsters wouldn’t be able to kill any of them, but the agents from Japan were a problem. Ten against six wasn’t a bad fight.
“The coffee tastes especially delicious when I think of how I’ll beat up those motherfuckers.” Seok Kang-Ho chuckled with glinting eyes.