Kang Chan spent another day at the hotel. Although the room was always clean, he could really see why people often said hotels were different from homes.
He got up from bed, went to the living room, and grabbed a water bottle.
What’s wrong with me?
He opened the bottle and drank while looking out the window. This city was in the countryside that bordered Belgium and Luxembourg.
The bright morning sun disguised itself as peace and made the world look calm. The buildings looked just as they did in Medieval Europe—he could even see a sharp tower among them.
As if he had woken up in a swamp, Kang Chan felt uncomfortable and displeased. However, he began to feel better as soon as he looked at the view outside. It seemed as though the sun was drying up the mud on him little by little.
At times like this, having a cup of sweet instant coffee was the best way to change his mood…
Kang Chan slowly twisted his shoulder, arm, and waist. Like magic, the wound on his chest had already healed to the point where he no longer had to be careful.
Click.
Gérard came out to the living room, looking as if he had just woken up.“Hey, you're up. Here you go,” Kang Chan said.
He picked up a bottle of water next to him and handed it to Gérard. For some strange reason, seeing the fucker made Kang Chan crave coffee even more.
“Order coffee for us,” Kang Chan said afterward.
“Oui.” Du du du Du du du du! Du du du. Du du du Du du du du! Du du du.
Normally, they would’ve ordered breakfast first before getting coffee. Nevertheless, Gérard obediently picked up the phone while drinking water from the bottle.
The man was naturally attractive. He had long eyelashes, a tall and sharp nose, and green eyes that were even more mesmerizing now with the morning sunlight illuminating them. He also had a scar on his cheek that made him look even cooler. However, he was using his mouth to hold the bottle of water. A bit more sophistication would’ve made the fucker look more handsome.
Kang Chan shook his head and looked away from Gérard. Just as he was about to start stretching, the doorbell rang.
Gérard walked to the door with his long legs and crudely accepted the coffee cups and coffee pot, making him look like a Westerner delivering jjajangmyeon.
After pouring coffee into one of the cups, he put it on the table next to Kang Chan. “Drink up.”
“Daye and the special forces team are arriving from South Korea today,” Kang Chan said.
“I heard. At one this afternoon, right?”
Kang Chan picked up his coffee as he nodded. “I have a shitty feeling about this. I’m informing Daye about it as well.”
“I’d find it weirder if an operation involving you were to end without a twist.”
Is that how it usually is?
Kang Chan looked at Gérard, finding him smiling. The scar on his cheek crinkled.
“This will probably be the last fight for me, you, Daye, and even the special forces team. Everyone better fucking live through this, so you better keep your guard up once you’ve finished your coffee.”
Kang Chan had never spoken in this manner before. Perhaps that was why Gérard stopped smiling and focused on what he was saying.
The two were wearing shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt, leaving many terrifying scars on their thighs, knees, chest, and forearms exposed. Kang Chan didn’t know what their scars would look like to others, but to them, they were evidence that they survived a hell-like war together.
Kang Chan drank his nicely cooled coffee and then placed it down on the table.
“You’ll have to stand behind me in a suit during the meeting. We’ll have to see how things go, but if even Daye has to do that with us, then all three of us will have to fight in the war,” Kang Chan explained. “Although the Jeungpyeong special forces team have become world-class soldiers, we don’t know how well they’ll handle the situation if things go awry.”
“Do you think Ziegfeld will target this opportunity?”
Kang Chan nodded.
“Why don’t we take him out the moment we meet him, then?” Gérard asked.
Kang Chan had naturally already considered the idea before. However, it simply wasn’t possible.
“Don't you think that son of a bitch Sherman is mediating for that exact reason? If we take action first, then the United States will request something. What if it’s the opposite?”
“You mean if Sherman sided with our enemies?”
Kang Chan smirked. “We already know that he did. What I mean is what if Ziegfeld’s great plan succeeds and he kills everyone, including us and Sherman?”
“How would that be possible with you there? I’ll be there too. Daye will probably also do his part, albeit barely.”
This fucker always said things that would surprise and anger Seok Kang-Ho as if it was the truth.
“But if Ziegfeld could eliminate me and Sherman at the same time, then he’d have nothing to lose. Considering his wealth, he could probably just open his bag and give the United States something valuable. He’d basically just be investing in an opportunity that could earn him a lot of money anyway, wouldn’t he?”
Gérard downed the coffee that he had been holding and placed the cup on the table. “You really seem like the head of an intelligence bureau now.”
When Kang Chan gazed at him, Gérard continued as if he was making an excuse, “I was actually a bit surprised when we met Uzman yesterday. You talked to him in such a dignified manner that it made me wonder if you’ve worked in this field and talked to the heads of intelligence bureaus before.”
Kang Chan smirked, then shook his head. “You saw him, didn’t you? What would I gain from yelling at a man who acted with dignity? Anyway, let’s put a proper end to all of this with this operation. The three of us should go out and get some rest after.”
After their conversation, Kang Chan headed to the bathroom and decided not to think about this matter any longer. If thoughts were enough to solve this, then they wouldn’t be risking their lives right now.
“Order breakfast for us—let’s have an American breakfast today!” Kang Chan told Gérard.
“Oui!”
A new day was starting.
***
Lanok barely had enough time to put his phone down. He had been continuously talking to not only Vasili, but also Ludwig, Yang Bum, and the heads of other European countries’ intelligence bureaus.
Lanok leaned back on his bed, deep in thought. The head of the bed was elevated upright, like the backseat of a car.
“Would you like a sandwich, sir?” Raphael asked.
“Black tea would be better.”
“Of course, sir.”
Raphael respectfully poured tea for Lanok and placed it on the bed table.
“Thank you. Prepare cigars for me as well,” Lanok ordered. He didn’t even look at Raphael.
Nevertheless, Raphael didn’t look offended or upset. He brought over cigars, a lighter, and an ashtray in an oval tray.
“Hmm.”
Lanok held a cigar in his mouth and lit it up with a lighter.
Chk chk.
The fire from the lighter flickered closer to him whenever he inhaled the cigar. Soon after, its tip finally burst into embers.
“Hooo. So it’s not Africa and Europe. Considering we haven’t found traces in Iran, China, and Russia, does that mean the United States plans to use their troops?” Lanok asked himself.
Even though he had just lit his cigar and had just been served tea, Lanok no longer touched either of them. Instead, he just stared out his window.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Raphael quickly handed the ringing phone to Lanok.
“Vasili. Got anything for me?”
- I searched everyone, from those from the Soviet Union’s special forces team to those involved in NATO, but we found no trace of their troops being mobilized.
“Have you heard anything from the UK?”
- It’s just as the DGSE has reported. Ethan has already backed out of this matter, and he’s only hoping that South Korea will quickly finish constructing the next-generation energy facility.
Lanok looked at the clock on the wall with somber eyes.
“Would Sherman risk everything that the United States owns for this matter?”
- Lanok, Sherman isn’t that different from us; he won’t do such a thing. If the US military makes a move and fights us, then Ziegfeld will get what he wants most: a world war. Sherman knows that as well as we do.
A sharp and heavy silence permeated the call for a moment.
“Do we really have to watch Monsieur Kang and South Korea’s special forces team first before we decide again?”
- Weren’t you prepared to do that when you made him our main character? It seems as though you’re only feeling the woes of supporting characters now.
Lanok smirked.
“Let’s examine everything again for the last time and see how things play out, then.”
- Alright.
The call ended.
***
An hour past noon, the sunlight enveloping the Villeroy Rasch Boch Airport began to heat up. Except for grape vines that had just started growing, it was difficult for anyone or anything to endure the heat.
DGSE agents in black suits and sunglasses had restricted the public from accessing the airport.
Kang Chan stood in front of the runway with Gérard.
The final battle was starting. There was no turning back from it now.
Kang Chan didn’t know who would return to South Korea alive or in a body bag. However, he couldn’t stop this fight anymore.
Brrrrr.
The commercial aircraft touched down on the runway, took a wide turn, and approached Kang Chan.
A truck drove a set of stairs and attached it to the aircraft. Then, the aircraft door opened, and Kang Chul-Gyu climbed down onto Villers-La-Bresse.
When their eyes met, Kang Chan and Kang Chul-Gyu asked each other questions with their gazes.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Did you eat while I was gone?’
Right after, they answered each other by smiling in a way that was difficult for other people to understand.
If they were alone and had a lot of time, Kang Chan would’ve just talked to Kang Chul-Gyu instead of just smirking.
Nam Il-Gyu and Yang Dong-Sik got out of the aircraft after Kang Chul-Gyu. They approached Kang Chan, shouting, “Assistant Director! You must’ve had to go through a lot to get here!”
“Hey, you fucker!”
Oh Gwang-Taek rushed toward Kang Chan and tightly hugged him. Kang Chan hugged him back to show that he was happy to see him, but it made his chest wound hurt a little.
Seok Kang-Ho, Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee headed out of the aircraft next.
“Captain!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
“You crazy fucker!”
Kang Chan was happy to see him. He was always happy to see this fucker.
“You guys went through a lot,” Kang Chan told the others.
Kang Chan shook hands with Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee, then patted their right arm.
He could no longer remember when he had met them and formed this kind of relationship with them, but he genuinely cared about them now. He had also learned to depend on them.
The Jeungpyeong special forces team soon got out of the aircraft as well, starting with Cha Dong-Gyun, Kwak Cheol-Ho, and Yoon Sang-Ki.
“Please put in a good word for us to General Park and Manager Kim,” one of them told Kang Chan.
“What are you talking about?”
“Please tell them that you’ve detained us in the hospital.”
Leaving behind the three and their absurd greetings, Kang Chan shook hands with the other soldiers who had gotten out of the aircraft.
From only having Daye and Gérard, he now had so many dependable comrades.
Among the many emotions he felt were happiness, gratitude, and reassurance.
They split up into the prepared buses and headed to the hotel. Upon arriving at their destination, Kang Chan ordered everyone to head into their respective rooms and get an hour’s worth of rest.
However, some naturally didn’t listen. Instead of going to his assigned room, Seok Kang-Ho looked around the room that Kang Chan had been using and suddenly placed his luggage there.
Kang Chan was with him and Gérard again.
They prepared coffee and cigarettes as they caught each other up. Kang Chan heard about what was going on in Saudi Arabia, and then explained what had happened in France.
“Doesn’t that mean that fucking Ziegfeld will be targetting you? Let’s break his fucking neck as soon as we see him,” Seok Kang-Ho said afterward, proving that his and Gérard's thoughts didn’t differ all that much.
I can’t believe I keep having to watch these bastards argue about how they’re better than the other!
Smiling, Kang Chan relayed what Seok Kang-Ho said in French, making Gérard smile as well.
“Some people might be aiming for this opportunity. They could try to take me and Ziegfeld out at the same time,” Kang Chan said.
Seok Kang-Ho nodded, his face still puffy.
“I’m thinking of deploying tomorrow. I’ll be holding a briefing in a bit, so just rest for now. I need you both ready for combat.”
“Is there something to eat here?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
After ordering a sandwich for Seok Kang-Ho, the three spent an hour hanging around.
Soon, Kang Chan called Hugo, calculated the time it would take them to fly to Cuba, and made an appointment based on when they would arrive there.
***
At 3 pm, Kang Chan asked for coffee and light snacks to be prepared in the hotel's restaurant. All employees were ordered to leave the premises as well.
Kang Chan wasn’t sure if the hotel didn’t just have that many customers or if the DGSE had simply already taken action, but they rarely saw any regular customers.
The expressions, eyes, and aura of those who had gathered in the restaurant made it seem as if the operation had already started.
“There’s something I need to tell you before I brief you all,” Kang Chan opened. He then told them that Uzman had visited the hotel and revealed what they had talked about.
“As a result of our collective efforts, we have finally become a country that cannot be messed with. Using this operation, we will ensure that no one can revolt against that result.”
Afterward, Kang Chan glanced at Gérard. Gérard then unrolled a large map over two tables.
“This is a map of Cuba,” Kang Chan said, then gestured at Gérard to unfold the next map. “And this is Playa Santa Lucia, which is where we’re supposed to meet. It directly connects to the beach, and as you guys can see from the satellite photo, it has a hill at the back.”
Kang Chan looked up from the map to those sitting before him. “I’ll explain this in simple terms—Ziegfeld is the so-called Star of David. Gérard has caught that fucking bastard’s successor.”
People looked at Gérard, then quickly looked back at Kang Chan.
“That son of a bitch has committed grave crimes. He was behind all the terrorist attacks in South Korea, the assassination of our agents in Libya, and the series of events that happened afterward, including the Quds in Africa and the UIS in Afghanistan—all of that.”
Kang Chan noticed the people’s eyes gradually burning up.
“This man has the power to start a world war at any given moment. On paper, he wants to meet me to cooperate with me and acknowledge our next-generation energy facility.” Kang Chul-Gyu smirked, conveying that he didn’t believe that reason one bit. “Honestly, the fact that that stupid little asshole even suggested something like that makes me uncomfortable.”
Kang Chan planted his hands on the map and leaned over it, then slowly looked at every man before him. “One more thing. Others will likely try to use this opportunity to kill me and Ziegfeld at the same time. That should tell you about how dangerous this operation will be.”
At that moment, the eyes on him became even more ferocious.
Finally, Kang Chan nodded. “Gérard, Daye, and Choi Jong-Il. Your team will be going with me in suits.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Jeungpyeong special forces team. You will be in charge of the perimeter. Kang Chul-Gyu, Nam Il-Gyu, Yang Dong-Sik, and Oh Gwang-Taek, you will be moving separately but will be receiving orders from Cha Dong-Gyun. Any questions?”
Cha Dong-Gyun immediately raised his hand “Will combat engagement be at our discretion?”
“Of course.” Kang Chan nodded. “We’re representing South Korea, its National Intelligence Service, and its special forces. It is only proper I leave that decision to you. If needed, you are free to kill anyone and everyone.”
After a brief pause, he looked straight at Cha Dong-Gyun’s glinting eyes. “I’ll take full responsibility for that.”
Kang Chan’s gaze conveyed his intentions as effectively as words.
Since there weren't any more questions, Kang Chan issued his final orders.
“We’re going to leave the hotel at 0900 local time tomorrow and fly out at 1000. We’ll arrive in Cuba at 1700 local time, and the operation will start the next day at 1100. Go get some rest until then. Meeting adjourned.”
Afterward, everyone stood up from their seats.
“Assistant Director,” Kang Chul-Gyu softly called as everyone exited the restaurant.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll follow,” Kang Chan told Seok Kang-Ho, then sat at one side of the restaurant with Kang Chul-Gyu.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Kang Chul-Gyu revealed. “I’m sure you’ve felt it as well.”
Kang Chan nodded.
“I thought I should let you know anyway for everyone’s sake,” Kang Chul-Gyu added before finally looking as if he had said everything he had wanted to say. “I’ll head up now.”
With an awkward expression, he stood up. Kang Chan followed. They walked and rode the elevator to their floor.
On the way, Kang Chan felt the need to thank Kang Chul-Gyu for telling Kang Dae-Kyung that he was alive. However, for some reason, attempting to do so made him feel so bad that it rendered him speechless.
Their relationship certainly was quite awkward.
Kang Chul-Gyu stepped out of the elevator and then immediately headed to his room.
Why is he in such a rush?
Shaking his head, Kang Chan returned to his room as well. Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard stood up and greeted him.
“He just told me that he doesn’t have a good feeling about this. You guys just keep resting. I need to call a few people,” Kang Chan said.
Wearing similar expressions, Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard nodded.
Kang Chan took his coffee and cigarette, then went to one side of the living room.
The first person he called was Lanok. He explained what had happened so far, then told him about his plan.
- Vasili and I are investigating all the possible places they can deploy units from, but we haven’t found any evidence of anyone mobilizing troops. We’ll keep monitoring the United States and let you know right away if anything dangerous comes up.
Is something wrong with him?
Lanok, whom nothing could faze, sounded nervous. Not even the Eurasian Rail Conference incident or Suo Ke kidnapping him made him sound this anxious.
“Mr. Ambassador,” Kang Chan softly called.
“We’re going to win.”
Lanok laughed quietly.
- It seems I have forgotten for a moment that we have the God of Blackfield. I’ll be waiting for the day you return.
The call ended on that note.
Kang Chan put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up.
Chk chk.
Kang Chan blew out cigarette smoke. “Hooo.”
Ziegfeld?
Death’s coming.
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