/
“Mr. Kang Chan, I think the UK is using the energy contained in Blackhead to create earthquakes,” Lanok said, his expressions no longer hidden behind a poker face.
Kang Chan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ambassador, but that’s simply too hard for me to believe at all,” Kang Chan said.
“I fully understand where you’re coming from. Even the DGSE wasn’t certain of this. However, observing Vasili’s actions today answered my question.”
“Does such a machine really exist?” Kang Chan doubtfully asked.
“Our country refers to it as a subterranean shock device. The Blackhead used to contain nine unique energy sources, but two of them were taken by the UK through Sharlan. We suspect that one of them is with you, Mr. Kang Chan,” Lanok answered.
“Do you think that’s the reason why I resurrected?”
“We can’t know for sure. However, considering the energy was discovered in the UK’s satellite and in the biopsy you sent to the United States for examination, its source is clearly somewhere inside your body,” Lanok further explained.
In that case, the other missing energy source was probably Seok Kang-Ho.
Lanok probably thought the same thing, but he didn’t delve into it any further.
“We had intelligence that the earthquakes caused by the UK in the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean were a part of that experiment. As time goes on, the attention of intelligence agencies from various countries will be focused on you.”
“I thought the UK succeeded in their experiment,” Kang Chan said inquisitively.
“Well, who knows?”
Lanok shook his head.
“If their experiment was indeed successful, they wouldn’t be interested in the lost energy, and the United States wouldn’t act this way either. There is clearly something going on behind all this. We have to find and uncover that to match the puzzle pieces that Vasili is so curious about.”
Why did they have to make things so complicated?
Kang Chan gazed at the flames rising from the firewood, then glanced back up.
“Was that why you told me to become a French citizen?” Kang Chan asked.
“That’s one of the main reasons,” Lanok replied, not fully answering the question.
People with hot tempers should never engage in conversation with Lanok because they would probably die from frustration.
“Don’t worry too much, but you keep an eye on your surroundings,” Lanok advised.
“Yes, I will, Mr. Ambassador.”
They didn’t talk about anything special in particular after that. About ten minutes later, Lanok left the restaurant.
Kang Chan took the sedan provided by the National Intelligence Service to head home. It was Friday, so the roads were quite congested.
Kang Chan called Kim Hyung-Jung.
-Mr. Kang Chan!
“I assume you have received a report from the airport by now?”
-I just met with the soldiers from the unit. Thank you, Mr. Kang Chan.
Kim Hyung-Jung’s voice was low, making it seem as if he was trying to suppress his anger.
“Vasili returned to the airport a while back, and I just parted ways with Ambassador Lanok. I’m going to take it easy today, but I’ll call you again tomorrow,” Kang Chan said.
It was difficult to meet up with Kim Hyung-Jung since he was at the military hospital.
After ending the call, Kang Chan rang up Seok Kang-Ho.
-Is it over?
“Yeah. Have you had dinner yet?”
-Of course. Where are you right now?
“I’m actually on my way back. If you’re up to driving, let’s go to Misari and have some tea.”
-Got it. Should I head out now?
“I’ll call you once I’m in front of the apartment. The traffic’s a bit heavy.”
-Okay, I’ll be waiting.
By the time Kang Chan was about to reach the apartment and call Seok Kang-Ho, Seok Kang-Ho was already waiting in front of the building.
Kang Chan immediately hopped into Seok Kang-Ho’s car.
“Good work today,” Seok Kang-Ho greeted.
They drove away from the complex.
“Apparently, there’s some unique energy inside Blackhead,” Kang Chan began to tell Seok Kang-Ho about everything that happened today.
“So you’re saying we both resurrected because of the energy from Blackhead?” Seok Kang-Ho asked afterward.
“Yup.”
They arrived at the cafe in Misari as they continued to talk.
It was Friday night, so there were quite a few customers. Other guests had taken the seats that Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho usually sat in, so they sat under the parasol out back instead.
After ordering coffee and lighting a cigarette, Kang Chan finally felt as if he had returned to his everyday life.
“What do you plan to do?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“I have no idea. I feel numb,” Kang Chan replied.
“True. It’s not like we have any nuclear missiles to shoot, so what can we do?”
Kang Chan glanced at Seok Kang-Ho, who had pulled out a cigarette and was holding it in his hand.
“They haven’t discovered me yet, have they?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“Don’t you think Lanok would have his suspicions, though?” Kang Chan pondered.
“Yeah, but that Vasili guy probably met with you today so he can scare me into coming out.”
Was that really the case? Kang Chan looked at Seok Kang-Ho with awe.
This punk is improving day by day.
‘Those motherfuckers. Nuclear weapons are already awful enough, but they’re even making earthquakes now? What if all of Earth sinks because of them?” Seok Kang-Ho snapped.
“I doubt they’d do anything that would kill themselves.”
“I know, but it’s not like Earth will move according to their will. It’s not something they can quickly glue back together once it cracks.”
“You’re right.”
“Ugh. Let’s just stick our heads in the dirt for now,” Seok Kang-Ho wisecracked.
Kang Chan chuckled.
***
Kang Chan got home at around 11 o’clock. Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook were still in the living room.
“You haven’t gone to sleep yet?” Kang Chan asked.
Kang Chan thought it could be because they saw his admission certificate for Seoul National University.
“Have you had dinner? Want me to cut you up some fruits?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked.
“Sounds good. I’ll come back out after changing,” Kang Chan responded.
When he walked out to the living room in comfortable clothes, Yoo Hye-Sook put some grapes down in front of him.
“How was your day? Was it tough?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked.
“It was fine,” Kang Chan nonchalantly replied.
Kang Chan obviously couldn’t tell her that he had met Vasili and Lanok as the commander in charge of receiving deceased soldiers’ bodies.
Seeing the concern on Yoo Hye-Sook’s face, Kang Chan forced a bright expression.
“Have you seen the admission certificate?” Kang Chan asked.
“I have, but I can’t say I’m entirely happy. I’m worried you’re putting too much on yourself.”
“The kids who study hard to get into college don’t have it any easier either.”
“You’re completely right, son!” Yoo Hye-Sook replied as if they were having a light chat.
“Just think of it that way,” Kang Chan suggested.
“I’m so proud of you.”
Kang Chan picked up a grape after putting Yoo Hye-Sook at ease.
“The drama is really entertaining. I’ve been catching up on all the episodes with your dad. I saw all the actors who came to the hospital, which is pretty interesting.”
“You’re watching it too, Father?” Kang Chan asked in surprise.
“It’s a show produced by the company that my son is the director of. Of course I’m watching it,” Kang Dae-Kyung answered.
If Kang Dae-Kyung said the drama was interesting to watch, Kang Chan would have felt like he didn’t have to be as worried about the production anymore.
“Anyhow, I’m thinking of selling the car company,” Kang Dae-Kyung spoke again.
“Really? Why?”
Kang Chan carefully observed Kang Dae-Kyung’s expression because it didn’t seem as if he broached this subject lightly.
“After you made an appearance on TV, some of the customers started ordering cars with some other purpose in mind. If you end up being assigned an important role related to the Eurasian Rail, I feel like I’ll get offered multiple bribes in return for favors. I’m already getting those kinds of requests right now.”
That wasn’t an issue that could be solved in the immediate future.
Kang Chan wanted to take his hands off of the jobs he was involved in if he could. He wanted to live normally, or at least pretend to live normally, but it would be a while before that could happen.
Should I just move to France after all?
Kang Chan shook his head.
If Kang Chan left by himself to a different country, Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook would be treated like the parents of someone who betrayed his motherland, and if all three of them moved together, his parents would be too lonely in the foreign nation.
“I’m sorry you have to go through that. It must be tough,” Kang Chan sympathized.
“To be frank, I should be grateful to have these kinds of problems. Nobody my age is being troubled with these issues because of how great their sons are. However, when I see people reaching out to me to buy cars after decades of no contact, I can’t help but be worried. It’s not like I’ve already accepted any favors, though.”
Kang Chan couldn’t do anything but smile comfortingly. There was really nothing that could be done about these situations.
“I’ll figure out how to handle it, so don’t worry about it too much,” Kang Dae-Kyung assured his son.
“Got it,” Kang Chan replied.
After their conversation, Kang Chan returned to his room.
He was dead tired, so he headed straight to bed.
He was physically fine, but he felt as if he had been injured and was bleeding mentally… as if he had just spent the day experiencing the type of war that Lanok fought.
That was how exhausted he currently was.
‘Two energy sources disappeared from Blackhead?’
When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
The timing was just spectacularly perfect for him too. Unfortunately, sending his biopsy to the research institute in the middle of this mess further worsened the situation.
Kang Chan smiled dryly.
When it came down to it, information warfare wasn’t all that fancy as he made it out to be. Kang Chan had unwittingly ended up at the center of this whole ordeal, but much to his frustrations, he was unfamiliar with his surroundings.
Pft.
Kang Chan shook his head and tried to fall asleep.
Even if he was facing great perils that put the whole world at stake, he had to get some sleep whenever he could.