Chapter 80.1: Let’s Pinpoint Things One by One (1)

On their way to Seoul, Kang Chan made up his mind.

He didn’t know who the people that tried to kill Kang Dae-Kyung were, but letting them get away like this would be stupid. They had stopped those assailants for now, but they would certainly attack again. He had learned this lesson so many times in Africa that he had grown tired of it.

It wasn’t like the order to imprison them had been issued yet.

‘We have to find them fast.’

“Have you had dinner yet?” Kim Tae-Jin asked.

“Yes. What about you?”

“I have. If the police or the prosecution makes a move, then Kim Hyung-Jung will tell us all about it, so how about we go to the office for now? That would make it easier for him and Mr. Seok Kang-Ho to come to us as well.”

“Sure.”

There wasn’t that much traffic past Yongyin. At some point, Seok Kang-Ho called Kang Chan, and Kang Chan told him to come to Yoo Bi-Corp, which was close enough to their houses that they could just run back home if necessary.

Seok Kang-Ho had arrived at Yoo Bi-Corp before them and was waiting for them.

“How’s your arm?” Kang Chan asked Seok Kang-Ho.

“I only needed four stitches.”

Seok Kang-Ho was wearing a cotton shirt. It would've been uncomfortable to go around while wearing clothes torn all over.

Kim Tae-Jin brought over cold drinks and said, “Now, then. Let’s have a drink and watch that video.”

“You haven’t seen it?” Kang Chan asked.

“Things were chaotic while I was deploying the employees to the hospital and the apartment.”

Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho focused on Kim Tae-Jin’s computer screen with their arms on the table.

“Is this it?”

“Kyyaa!”

They clicked on the video, and a nearby woman’s scream rang out.

The shaky video showed two people fighting gangsters. One of them was wearing a suit, and the other was in a casual outfit.

The video was only about forty seconds long, but it showed their outline enough for people that knew Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho to think, ‘Could that be them?’

The video also showed Kang Chan slashing someone from their chest to shoulder with a knife. However, since the video was shot from the driver’s seat, it was thankful difficult to determine what he was doing exactly due to the car covering him.

“Some people are claiming it’s a promotion for a movie, but a lot are asking why it isn’t being reported in the news if so. The National Intelligence Service is steering the public to believe that it’s for a movie for now, but they seem to be having a hard time convincing everyone,” Kim Tae-Jin said.

They returned to the table.

“The situation’s a lot better than it could’ve been since Kang Chan was fortunately on the opposite side of the car and the video mostly only got to capture Mr. Seok Kang-Ho’s back. ” Kim Tae-Jin commented.

Kim Tae-Jin was being optimistic about it. However, bluntly put, the video showed Kang Chan’s face and all of Seok Kang-Ho.

“Anyway, the National Intelligence Service is making excuses to stop it from being reported on the news. If need be, they’re also going to steer the situation to make it appear as self-defense. That’s why we should just wait for now,” Kim Tae-Jin continued.

They were all together, but they didn’t have anything special to do.

It would also be reckless to go anywhere else right now since Kim Hyung-Jung hadn’t contacted them yet since they came here. Kang Chan thought about calling him, but he decided to wait a bit longer for now after wondering how bad the situation had to be to prevent Kim Hyung-Jung from contacting them.

A moment later, Kang Chan’s phone rang. It was Oh Gwang-Taek.

“Hello?”

- Kang Chan, it’s me.

“Did you find out who they are?”

- No, but this is a bit strange.

“What is?”

He didn’t appear to be making excuses for being unable to find out their assailants’ identity.

- I searched high and low, every nook and cranny, but I couldn’t figure out who they are at all. But then I looked at the ‘knife fight’ video on the Internet. I know one of the people in it.”

“Who was it?”

- He used to live with us when we were kids, but he eventually left for China. I think it’s been more than ten years ago. Anyway, he’s the second person Mr. Seok Kang-Ho fought.

“Will you be able to find him?”

- He was with the Japanese gangsters. If he’s on their side now, then even I refuse to leave him be.

“Don’t touch him–no matter what.”

- I get it, I get it. Hey! Why is Mr. Seok Kang-Ho so good with a knife?

“Just find that man quickly. Stop talking nonsense.”

After Kang Chan put the phone down, he told Seok Kang-Ho and Kim Tae-Jin exactly what Oh Gwang-Taek had said.

“If so, then doesn’t that mean those gangsters also got into South Korea through Japan?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“That would be the case, wouldn’t it? They’re like the ones that attacked Lanok recently,” Kang Chan replied.

“That’s a bit suspicious.”

It looked like Kim Tae-Jin thought the same. After thirty more minutes had passed, Kang Chan thought they should just go. However, his phone soon rang.

- Mr. Kang Chan, where are you right now?

“I’m at Mr. Kim Tae-Jin’s office.”

- Understood. I’ll be there soon.

Kang Chan wanted to ask about the three agents’ conditions but didn’t since Kim Hyung-Jung said that he was coming over anyway. After Kang Chan had another drink, Kim Hyung-Jung came into the office. He looked quite tired.

“The gangsters that attacked us today aren’t from a domestic organization. We think they’re from China, but we’re going to get an outline of who they are by tomorrow,” said Kim Hyung-Jung.

Kang Chan told Kim Hyung-Jung what Oh Gwang-Taek had said.

“They used the same method as last time,” Kim Hyung-Jung commented.

“That’s what we think as well. The question is why they targeted my father.”

“If we figure out who those gangsters are, then that question will be answered.”

“What happened to the agents?” Kang Chan asked expecting bad news.

“Fortunately, they’re alive. The agent in the back seat was severely injured, so we were told that he has to be hospitalized for about six months. The other two are suffering from fractures and contusions. However, according to their current medical results, they’re not critical.”

“Whoo,” Kang Chan sighed as he leaned back on the chair.

That was good to hear. He was really happy for them.

“I said you could be imprisoned because the police officers that came to the scene at that time were acting suspiciously. The National Intelligence Service has requested cooperation from the press and the broadcasting companies with the thought of covering up the incident, so you can probably rest easy about that for now,” Kim Hyung-Jung continued.

“A video of the incident was uploaded multiple times, though?” Kang Chan asked again.

“We already took measures against the first uploader, and the phone recording has already been deleted. We’re soon going to sort out the situation by concluding that they misunderstood a fight scene for a movie as a real fight.”

What would’ve happened by now if they didn’t have Kim Hyung-Jung?

“Mr. Seok Kang Ho, is your arm okay?” Kim Hyung-Jung asked.

“Yes–I only had to have four stitches.”

“That’s a relief,” Kim Hyung-Jung said, then chugged his drink.

“Mr. Manager.”

Kim Hyung-Jung looked at Kang Chan while putting down the cup.

“There’s no point in doing just this. If we just let them get away with it this time as well like what happened when they attacked Lanok, then they’ll just keep coming until they succeed. Have we found a connection between those that attacked us today and those that attacked us at the golf club last time?” Kang Chan asked.

“Not yet.”

“Wouldn’t we get a gist of who they are if we catch the troublemakers today?”

“That’s true, but it’s hard to attack their backer with just their testimonies. It also doesn’t help that the current political situation is working against us.”

If so, then Kang Chan could just attack them himself. He thought of doing it as soon as he became sure of their assailants’ identities.

“Mr. Kang Chan, you’re going to lose if you move rashly,” Kim Hyung-Jung warned.

“That won’t happen.” Kang Chan adamantly shook his head. “Those people can do anything while we’re here waiting out of fear of someone from our side getting hurt or killed. Be it Lanok or my father, they would win.”

Kim Tae-Jin shifted his gaze between Kang Chan and Kim Hyung-Jung.

“If someone dies while we’re stuck here, then it’s going to be too late by that point,” Kang Chan continued.

Kim Hyung-Jung exhaled as if groaning, and Kim Tae-Jin only listened with a grave expression.

After a moment of silence had passed, Kim Hyung-Jung said, “Mr. Kang Chan, no matter how angry you get, you should act within the legal boundaries.”

He should act within the legal boundaries even though their enemies fired bullets at them in a golf club and tried to kill them with knives on the outskirts of Seoul? Kang Chan was frustrated, but he stayed silent.

Things like this shouldn’t be forced. He just had to act on his own.

***

Kang Chan left Yoo Bi-Corp in a comfortable mood and dropped by a specialty coffee shop with Seok Kang-Ho at an intersection near their houses.

“Let’s eat bingsu,” Seok Kang-Ho said. A moment later, he brought over two large bowls of bingsu.

“You should’ve just bought one–why did you stupidly order two?” Kang Chan asked.

“You said that I was cheap a moment ago, and now you’re acting like this?”

“You seem to be having fun.”

Seok Kang-Ho stuck a spoon into Kang Chan’s bingsu. “I honestly feel like I can breathe easily again. I was so angry when I was stuck hanging on a tree last time.”

Kang Chan couldn’t blame him for thinking that way. He scooped up patbingsu and ate it.

“Patbingsu is better than drinks,” Kang Chan commented.

“As I said, eating it occasionally is alright.”

Despite having just said that he was angry, he was now eating large scoops of patbingsu. Kang Chan ate patbingsu while laughing.

“Are you going home?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“I should.”

“Don’t do this alone.”

What’s he saying?

“Why are you acting like this? I can obviously tell what you’re going to do based on the look in your eyes. You’re going to run out right away when Oh Gwang-Taek contacts you. I’m saying that you shouldn’t exclude me when you do so.”

“Is that what my expression is showing?” Kang Chan asked.

“How couldn’t I know? Your eyes are burning with anger. Let’s make this clear—are you going to exclude me or take me with you?”

“Aren’t you tired of this?”

Seok Kang-Ho put down his spoon. “Captain, don’t you want hot coffee right now?”

“Can you also see that in my eyes?”

“See? It’s the same thing.”

Seok Kang-Ho answered and went to the counter. What was that? It felt like he heard something amazing, but also like he just got swayed by nonsense. Seok Kang-Ho came back with only one cup of coffee.

“Good job,” Kang Chan praised Seok Kang-Ho.

“See? Don’t you want cigarettes as well?”

Kang Chan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Seok Kang-Ho lit up his cigarette, then said in a serious tone, “It’s not like I miss our life in Africa. I like how it is now. Despite being a teacher, I got to abruptly buy an apartment in Gangnam and give my wife a fortune thanks to you. Even after doing all that, I still have a few hundred million won in my bank account. Still, I want you to recognize me as much as I recognize you, as a man and a member of your crew.”

This fucker had completely gotten rid of his stupidity and was now smarter than before.

“What’s with that expression?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.

“Suddenly hearing something cool got my ears muffled.”

“Phuhu, I have always been a bit cool.”

Smoking cigarettes and sharing hot coffee made Kang Chan feel much better, though it could’ve been because he confessed how he truly felt about the situation to Seok Kang-Ho.

“Let’s attack them as soon as Oh Gwang-Taek contacts me,” Kang Chan said.

“Alright.”

“You packed the kukri last time, right?”

“It’s at home. I should probably sharpen it, shouldn’t I?”

When Kang Chan nodded, Seok Kang-Ho grinned in response.