Chapter 99.1: Strangely, he gets pushed back (2)

After Kang Chan parted ways with Lanok, he called Cecile first because Lanok had asked him to do so twice.

- Hello? Channy?

“Can you talk right now?”

- Of course. I’m sorry for calling you a little while ago when you were busy. I probably just got flustered because I have never dealt with that amount of money except with a few VIP customers in our firm.

“Forget about that. I’m going to place an order for stocks with twenty billion won, and the thirty billion won will be for… futures? I’m going to place orders for that. All of that is possible, right?”

- Oh! You’re going to invest in derivatives? To trade futures, your signature is mandatory. You have to prove that you were notified of its risks as well. Where are you right now? I’ll prepare it right away and come over.

“I’ll call you in an hour or two, then. I might meet Michelle at dinner, so we can just meet over there if you’re okay with that.”

- Okay, Channy! I’m going to empty out all of my future appointments, so call me anytime.

“Alright.”

Just as Kang Chan finished the call, Joo Chul-Bum approached him. “Are you going? How are you going to get home, hyung-nim?”

“I have someone to call and someone to meet, so I’ll take care of it.”

“Alright, hyung-nim. Please take care of yourself.”

If anyone who didn’t know them saw this situation, they would certainly think of Kang Chan as a gangster.

Kang Chan first went into the lobby and ordered something because he had to, then looked for the number that was supposed to be waiting around the clock for his call. He then pressed the call button.

The ringtone only rang once before it got picked up.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

- How may I help you?

Had someone really been assigned to just wait for Kang Chan’s call for twenty-four hours every day?

“It’s Kang Chan.”

- Yes, I know. Tell me what you need, and I’ll take action right away.

The person was polite, but they couldn’t get rid of the somewhat business-like feeling in the phone call.

“I wish to see the Prime Minister as soon as possible. Can you contact him?”

Kang Chan couldn’t help but smirk because he felt the female employee hesitate.

- Is it for an urgent matter?

“Yes.”

- I’ll contact him right away and get back to you.

Kang Chan hung up. He then put down his phone while laughing in a silly way.

How boring and hard could it have been for the employee waiting for Kang Chan’s call? If Kim Hyung-Jung was available, Kang Chan wouldn’t even have dialed that number.

The drink that he had ordered had been served when his phone rang.

“Hello?”

- Mr. Kang Chan, it’s Go Gun-Woo. I heard you have to meet me for something?

“Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. I wish to tell you something in person.”

- Is it for something urgent?

“It’s something related to the ‘Unicorn’ project.”

- Alright. Where are you right now?

Go Gun-Woo suddenly started to speak quickly.

“I’m at the Namsan Hotel. I can go to you, so please just tell me where to go.”

- You don’t have to do that. Hmm…

Go Gun-Woo stalled for a moment, perhaps because he was checking the time, then continued.

- I’ll send a car to the hotel in twenty minutes. See you soon.

“Understood, Mr. Prime Minister.”

Kang Chan stared at the drink while placing his phone on top of the table. He didn’t want to drink it since it hadn’t been long since he had lunch.

Should I have just asked for a cup of water instead?

Kang Chan leaned back against the chair, then saw Lee Ji-Yeon. Considering she was a probationary employee, she was likely at least a high school graduate. She looked young enough to be in middle school, though.

She was obviously nervous, too, and looked flustered. She was stiff, and her movements didn’t seem natural.

Since it wasn’t graduation season, Kang Chan wondered if she had just been staying at home when she got the job.

Kang Chan turned his gaze to the window.

He couldn’t say that the kids that only studied were happier than Lee Ji-Yeon, but Kang Chan thought that she might want a life where she could study.

Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—. Buzz— Buzz—Buzz—.?

While lost in thought and looking outside the window, his phone rang again.

“Hello?”

- I’m contacting you from the Prime Minister’s office. If you come out to the entrance of the Namsan Hotel, you’ll find a car ready for you.

“Alright. I’ll head out now.”

They were also quick—it hadn’t even been twenty minutes yet since their phone call.

He paid for his drink and went out to the entrance, finding a man standing next to a black car. The man opened the back door.

Click.

When Kang Chan got in the car, the man closed the door for him and quickly got in the passenger seat.

“We’re going to the place that the Prime Minister told you about,” the man told Kang Chan as the car drove off.

Kang Chan roughly guessed where they were heading. It was the art gallery where he met Go Gun-Woo.

The man in the passenger seat immediately got out and accompanied Kang Chan inside the building.

Neatly dressed agents and employees were all already waiting with their IDs on their clothes, but no one was on the sofa.

“He’s arriving in five minutes. Please wait for a moment,” someone told Kang Chan.

Kang Chan sat on the sofa. Five minutes was nothing.

While he was slowly looking at the paintings hung up on the walls, Kang Chan wondered what went on in this art gallery.

He had looked at about four paintings when he heard footsteps getting faster. The secretary and an agent had gone inside.

Kang Chan stood up from his spot when he saw Go Gun-Woo coming into the entrance.

“Mr. Kang Chan, I’m sorry for being late,” Go Gun-Woo apologized.

“It’s not a problem. I requested to see you urgently, after all.”

“Let’s take a seat. Get us some tea.”

Kang Chan really wanted to refuse the tea.

Go Gun-Woo sat down, then exhaled. “You have gone through so much this time. I should’ve met you earlier and thanked you, but a lot of things were going on.”

Kang Chan certainly did go through a lot of things, though he did receive a lot of help while he was taking care of Yoon Bong-Sup and Cho Il-Kwon.

The secretary placed the tea on the table.

“Let’s talk after having tea,” Go Gun-Woo continued.

Kang Chan only placed his lips on the teacup and immediately put it down because he was full.

“Mr. Prime Minister, I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could you send out all of the entourages?”

Go Gun-Woo looked around their surroundings, surprised. “Is what you’re going to say that important?”

It wasn’t like Kang Chan didn’t understand Go Gun-Woo’s response, but there weren’t just one or two people around them. Kang Chan thought he shouldn’t tell him about the news in front of fifteen people or so.

“Yes. I apologize, but I think that’s the right thing to do,” Kang Chan replied.

Go Gun-Woo cocked his head for a moment, then answered while looking as if he had made up his mind. “How long will it take?”

“Ten minutes? That should be enough.”

Right after Kang Chan answered…

“Alright. Everyone, please excuse us for a moment.”

The employees and the agents standing along the wall of the art gallery all went outside with a look from Go Gun-Woo.

Only then did Kang Chan start telling him the news. “I had lunch with Ambassador Lanok today. The first thing he told me was that China has the bodies of the Korean specialized team members and that they are going to pressure him and the Korean government by sending photos of the bodies to the press.”

Go Gun-Woo held up the teacup while pursing his lips, seemingly to hide the fact that he was angry rather than just being thirsty.

“Lanok then told me they’re going to announce the ‘Unicorn’ project next week,” Kang Chan added.

Go Gun-Woo, who was holding the teacup, froze like a wax figure.

“He told me to pass on his intention to announce it in South Korea. The people in charge of Europe and Russia’s Intelligence Bureaus are coming here for it, and he also said that they want to take this opportunity to establish ties with our National Intelligence Service.”

Click.

Go Gun-Woo put down the cup as roughly as Lee Ji-Yeon, causing the tea to splatter on the table.

“Mr. Kang Chan, I couldn’t anything properly after you said the ‘Unicorn’ project is being announced next week, so please correct me if I’m wrong. Did you just say it will be done in South Korea, the heads of the other countries’ Intelligence Bureaus are all attending that announcement, and they’re going to exchange information with our National Intelligence Service?”

Even though he seemed excited, Go Gun-Woo still clearly understood what Kang Chan had told him. Kang Chan thought Prime Ministers were indeed different from other people.

“That’s correct. I heard that the people responsible for the ‘Unicorn’ and the heads of the other countries’ Intelligence Bureaus are all coming.”

“Phuhuhu.” Go Gun-Woo was laughing like Seok Kang-Ho. “This is… How should I put it? Phuhuhu.”

Go Gun-Woo organized what Kang Chan had said so neatly only to utter complete nonsense and continue to burst out with strange laughter as if he was crazy.

“I’m feeling very emotional, but it also doesn’t feel real," said Go Gun-Woo. He smiled awkwardly at Kang Chan. “I’ll call you by tomorrow. Of course, this is an issue that our government should fully cooperate with Lanok, but we also have to decide on the staff that’ll be working at the announcement, so we need around a day.”

“Please do what you have to do”

“Haa.”

Since Go Gun-Woo had stood up while exhaling, Kang Chan also stood up with him.

“Mr. Kang Chan.” Go Gun-Woo held out his hand as if they were going to shake hands, but he tightly held onto Kang Chan’s right hand with both of his hands instead. “Thank you. Your name might be excluded from the ‘Unicorn’ project right now, but the President and I are never going to forget about you. Once the announcement has been made, we’ll let the world know of your contributions.”

“No thank you, Mr. Prime Minister! Please don’t do that,” Kang Chan stopped Go Gun-Woo while shaking his head.

Kang Chan would feel annoyed and inconvenienced by that. He thought he would be able to relax more after the announcement, but what Go Gun-Woo was saying would instead only further restrain him.

Go Gun-Woo let out a hearty laugh upon seeing Kang Chan’s expression, then quietly exhaled again. “Let’s discuss this later. Where are you going now? I’m on my way out anyway, so I can drop you off.”

“Mr. Prime Minister, I’m fine with taxis.”

“Hmm, I guess that’s alright. If that’s the case, then let me drop you off by the hotel instead.”

“Thank you.”

Kang Chan left the art gallery with Go Gun-Woo, then went out of the car near the main gate of the hotel. He managed to immediately get a taxi since they were lined up in front of the hotel and were waiting for customers.

On his way to D.I., he called Michelle and Cecile.

He was really busy today.

The ‘Unicorn’ project? Trading stocks and futures with fifty billion won?

He didn’t want this life, but he was thinking of trying his best anyway.

He did feel burdened as well by the constantly increasing amount of money that he kept getting. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it was as if he was being dragged into a pit that was hard to escape from.

Tsk! I’ll just keep earning and see how things go for now. To help those in difficult situations, the more money the better.

Kang Chan smirked while looking outside the window.

The world looked quite unfair.

1. In finance, derivatives are contracts between two or more parties based upon the asset or assets. The underlying assets can be stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies