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Having finished his meal, Kang Chan sat in his hotel room. He felt as if he was imprisoned.
“We just have to stay inside and not go outside?” Kang Dae-Kyung quietly asked while he was watching TV. He seemed to be saying that staying at home would be more comfortable if they were just going to stay in their hotel rooms anyway.
Yoo Hye-Sook also looked as if she was secretly hoping that they could go home.
Kang Dae-Kyung could only ask that question because he had no idea how fights like this worked, though. They weren’t just using melee weapons in this battle. They were using guns.
Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook wouldn’t be able to avoid it if someone shot at them from the roof of the apartment across from theirs or the window near the stairs.
However, the main reason they couldn’t go home was because the bad feeling Kang Chan had wasn’t going away.
“I guess going home would be difficult, huh?” Kang Dae-Kyung asked again.
“Yes. Just until the end of this week, though.”
Kang Dae-Kyung nodded as if it didn’t matter to him.
It was only natural that Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook were having a hard time. After all, Kang Chan also missed their home.
“It’s hard staying here at the hotel, isn’t it?” Kang Chan asked.
“I just asked because I feel guilty for staying here and not doing anything while this expensive hotel is being paid for. Changing clothes can also be a bit uncomfortable. Anyway, don’t worry too much about it,” Kang Dae-Kyung responded.
The three watched TV again. Today was Monday, so they were thinking of watching the drama that D.I. produced together.
Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—.
Now that Kang Chan thought about it, Seok Kang-Ho was alone.
That fucker is probably bored.
However, when Kang Chan looked at his phone, he learned that it was actually Kim Hyung-Jung calling him.
“Yes, Manager Kim?”
- Mr. Kang Chan, General Choi Seong-Geon was assassinated.
Kang Chan didn’t want Kang Dae-Kyung or Yoo Hye-Sook to see the look in his eyes so he slowly pressed the inner corner of his eyes with his left thumb and index finger.
“Where are you right now?”
- I’m at Samseong-dong.
“I’ll head over.”
- Understood. You can use the van in the basement.
Kang Chan controlled his breathing, then forcibly suppressed his expression as he spoke to his parents. “I have to go to an office in Samseong-dong. If I come back late, I’ll just sleep in the room next door and see you tomorrow.”
“Alright.” Kang Dae-Kyung seemed worried about Kang Chan, but he didn’t say anything about it.
“I’ll be back.”
“Be careful, Channy,” Yoo Hye-Sook said.
“I will.” Kang Chan immediately left the room and went to the room next door.
Kang Chan opened the door and went inside. Seok Kang-Ho—who was leaning back on the sofa—looked at him. Startled, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“General Choi got attacked. I’m heading to Samseong-dong.”
“What? General Choi got attacked? How is he?”
Kang Chan gritted his teeth instead of answering.
“Damn it! Those fuckers!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
By the time Seok Kang-Ho jumped up from the sofa and grabbed his jacket, Kang Chan was already out of the room.
The agents in the hallway also had grim expressions.
It felt as if security was tightened and even more agents were in the hallway and near the elevator.
Kang Chan got in the van. He remained silent until they reached Samseong-dong.
Kang Chan was so enraged that he was having difficulties suppressing his anger.
This was no different than a war.
Executives of the National Intelligence Service died two days ago, and today, the commander of the special forces team was killed.
Their enemies even opened fire in the underground parking lot of an apartment.
Nonsensical things kept happening.
Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho got out of the van as soon as it parked in the basement and immediately went up to the fifth floor.
Kim Hyung-Jung opened the door for them. Jeon Dae-Geuk and Kim Tae-Jin were already in the room.
Kang Chan greeted them, then immediately sat at the table and asked, “What happened?”
“Choi Seong-Geon was just out for a simple visit to Cha Dong-Gyun’s house, but before he could get there, someone hit his car with a truck and killed him with a bayonet. I heard they stabbed him more than ten times just around his neck,” Jeon Dae-Geuk responded.
“Have they caught the culprit?”
Jeon Dae-Geuk pursed his lips, then sighed softly.
“Who sent the North Korean special forces team here?” Kang Chan asked again.
Jeon Dae-Geuk and Kim Hyung-Jung only looked at Kang Chan.
“They say that Wui Min-Gook works at China’s intelligence bureau, but in reality, they would need someone to issue the order for the North Korean special forces team to be dispatched, wouldn’t they? Who would that be?”
“It’s not something you should get worked up about,” Jeon Dae-Geuk said.
“Section chief, I’ll pass off the fact that they tried to kill my parents as a terrorist attack. But killing executives of the National Intelligence and blatantly attacking a commander of the special forces team? I consider that a declaration of war. When it comes to warfare, we’re done for the moment we’re overpowered.”
Kim Tae-Jin looked worried upon seeing Kang Chan’s eyes.
“If none of you can answer me, then I’ll just have France’s DGSE look into it,” Kang Chan continued.
“What are you going to do with that information?” Jeon Dae-Geuk asked.
Kang Chan smirked.
“Don’t do anything reckless,” Jeon Dae-Geuk added.
“Our enemies are causing a ruckus in Seoul. Why can’t we do the same?”
“Kang Chan! Are you really planning to start a war?”
“We’re already at war.”
Jeon Dae-Geuk inhaled loudly, then exhaled slowly. “Our enemies have nothing to lose. It’s currently difficult for us to stay in power, and we’re in tough economic times. Our enemies will thank us if we start a regional conflict. This fight won’t end with just us fighting between ourselves. The United States and China will interfere, and Russia and Japan will also use the battle as an excuse to meddle with the Korean Peninsula. If we launch missiles at each other, then we’ll face even more losses!”
Kang Chan looked straight at Jeon Dae-Geuk. “I only know one thing: if I can’t even protect my people, then I will never be able to protect anything bigger than that. I’ll try to prevent Russia and China from interfering. Please have our government and the National Intelligence Service stop the United States or Japan.”
“You should calm down first,” Jeon Dae-Geuk told Kang Chan.
“Who is it?”
A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.
“Kang Chan, if I could, I would have immediately run over there as well.”
“You won’t be able to go anyway, will you?” Kang Chan brazenly asked Jeon Dae-Geuk.
Jeon Dae-Geuk sat there with a numb expression. He seemed at a loss for words.
“You came all the way to Anseong to ask me for help in going out into the world and executing preemptive attacks. But now that we actually do need to go out and fight with our lives on the line, you want to mull over your thoughts first to calculate and see what would bring the best results?” Kang Chan pushed.
“That’s not exactly true.” Kim Hyung-Jung, who had been silent all this time, finally butted into the conversation. “Before we even start thinking of retaliating against what they did, we have to first consider the fact that this battle could kill or injure the civilians near the Military Demarcation Line.”
Kang Chan shook his head. “If you have even the slightest intention to fight, then you should have already evacuated the civilians living in areas considered dangerous. Just this once, we should show our enemies that we’re prepared to retaliate immediately if they keep acting like this. The enemy shot and stabbed National Intelligence Service executives and the commander of the special forces team to death, so please don’t use the civilians as an excuse! Just this once, let’s take the fight to them!”
No one responded to Kang Chan after that.
Kang Chan’s lips curved into a snarl. “What happens now that General Choi Seong-Geon has been killed? Section Chief, who do you think will be next? I believe I told you some time ago that constantly getting beaten up will eventually turn into a habit. Now, let me tell you one more thing. We can fend off the enemies one, two, three, or even four times, but we can’t keep doing this forever. The moment they breach our defenses even just once, someone will definitely die.”
This wasn’t right. Kang Chan stopped talking, having realized that he went overboard. The sudden silence felt very awkward.
“I apologize if I came across as too blunt and adamant,” Kang Chan finished, then glared at the table. He dropped his gaze not because he felt apologetic but because he didn’t want to see their faces anymore.
Now that he thought about it, Kim Hyung-Jung didn’t bring them coffee yet.
“What has gotten you so worked up?” Kim Tae-Jin asked. He then began to talk as if he was calming down Kang Chan. “I’m going to be honest, so hear me out first before you make up your mind. I’m not a National Intelligence Service executive or even a member of the President’s security service, but I think I roughly know what’s on your mind. However, while it’s possible for you to say that you’ll fend off Russia and Russia, we require at least a little bit of time to prepare for the possibility of a war happening. We also have to calculate our gains and losses.”
Once Kim Tae-Jin was done, a moment of silence passed.
“Mr. President, has the special forces team ever officially gone on an operation before?”
Kim Tae-Jin’s expression turned grim as he waited for Kang Chan to continue.
“They have never gone on an operation with the Korean flag. Every time South Korea sent out the special forces team, they were told that if they ever died or were caught, they should use someone or some other country as an excuse. That’s why I’m not sure why you guys have to make calculations for this fight and why you’re all using the United States and Japan as an excuse to not go out.”
Kang Chan seemed to have rendered the three speechless.
“If this is because South Korea is weak, then use me at times like this. Even if I have to cling to Ambassador Lanok, Vasili, and Yang Bum, I’ll fend off the neighboring countries. In return, please have the president, the section chief, and the director step up to the plate and deal with the United States and Japan,” Kang Chan added.
“And then? What are you going to do after that?” Jeon Dae-Geuk asked.
“I’ll infiltrate North Korea and stab a knife into the neck of whoever dispatched North Korea’s special forces team in South Korea.”
Unable to even make a sound, Kim Tae-Jin just took a deep breath.
“There is one thing that pisses me off, though,” Kang Chan said. He then looked at the three of them in order. “The enemy just killed someone who sacrificed everything they had for their country, but our country just chooses to busy itself making excuses instead of doing anything.”
Jeon Dae-Geuk’s cheek twitched.
Kang Chan didn’t say that in hopes of getting a response anyway.
“Where’s the funeral home?” Kang Chan asked.
“That hasn’t been decided yet since he’s at the field hospital at the moment,” Kim Hyung-Jung responded.
“I’ll take my leave now. Please let me know once they’ve decided on a funeral home.” Kang Chan stood up.
Instead of standing, Jeon Dae-Geuk just stared at the table that Kang Chan was glaring at until Kang Chan opened the door and went out of the office.
Kim Hyung-Jung pressed the elevator button for Kang Chan.
“I’ll have a cup of coffee at the specialty coffee shop across from here before heading back to the hotel. If I return to the hotel like this, I’ll be so frustrated that I doubt I’ll be able to stay there,” Kang Chan said.
“Alright.” Kim Hyung-Jung didn’t say anything else perhaps because he thought trying to stop Kang Chan would be useless.