Chapter 226.1: The Guys That Are In My Heart (1)

The best way to enter the house was for the counter-terrorists to break the glass front door. However, no matter how they entered, it wouldn’t matter if Wui Min-Gook was prepared to take them down with him.

If he were to detonate C-4 like what happened in Ansan, then it would be safe to assume that the people inside the building at the time of the explosion would all be as good as dead. It would also destroy the center of this residential area.

Wui Min-Gook not only killed Choi Seong-Geon but could even kill the agents here as well. Considering the damage he could do, the outcome of this battle would be in his favor either way.

If Kang Chan was in Wui Min-Gook’s shoes, he would’ve done the same.

Son of a bitch!

Kang Chan was certain that the bastard was prepared to blow himself up and spiral the situation out of control. Now that Jang Kwang-Taek was dead, Wui Min-Gook wanted to shake South Korea as much as Kang Chan did to China.

“That fucker’s planning on blowing himself up, isn’t he?” Seok Kang-Ho asked, making Kang Chan look at him. “There’s no way he doesn’t know that we’ve got him surrounded. If we were in his shoes, wouldn’t we have done the same?”

“You think so too, huh?”

“Yes!”

Kang Chan nodded. He held up the sleeve on his left hand and pressed the button on his radio.

Chk.

“Manager Kim, how far will a C-4’s blast radius be?”

The agents could hear everything that was said through the radio.

Chk.

“Please wait for a moment,” Kim Hyung-Jung replied.

Chk.

After about a minute, Kim Hyung-Jung continued, “Assuming the enemy will be using three pounds of C-4 just like in Ansan, then its explosion will put everything within thirty meters of it in danger. It’ll also affect everything within three hundred meters.”

Chk.

“Evacuate everyone inside the danger zone. Make sure there are no civilians left in the area.”

The agents turned to Kang Chan, surprise evident in their eyes. Kim Hyung-Jung couldn’t immediately respond either.

Chk.

“Mr. Assistant Deputy Director, we will have to request cooperation with the Capital Defense Command and the National Police Agency to make that happen,” Kim Hyung-Jung finally explained, having recollected himself.

Chk.

“Wui Min-Gook will do whatever it takes to blow us up with him. He’s just waiting for us to go inside the house. To avoid unnecessary casualties, we have to lure him out by pretending that we’re going to start the raid. That should buy us enough time to evacuate everyone within the blast radius.”

Chk.

“As the head of the counter-terrorism division, you can use your authority to accomplish that. However, let me at least inform you that doing so will most likely cause problems later on.”

Chk.

“The agents’ lives are more valuable than my obligation. I believe you feel the same way,” Kang Chan replied.

Chk.

“Alright.”

After talking to Kim Hyung-Jung on the radio, Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho headed to the van that the counter-terrorism team was in.

“Did everyone hear what we talked about on the radio?” Kang Chan asked.

“Yes,” a soldier wearing a mask quickly answered.

“Good. Like I said, we’re going to stall for time. Did you bring Barretts with you?”

“We have M82A3s[1].”

“‘Prepare two for us,” Kang Chan commanded.

Chk.

As he was issuing orders, Kim Hyung-Jung addressed him on the radio again. “The commander of the Capital Defense Command would like to talk to you.”

Chk.

“I’ll be right over,” Kang Chan answered. Not long after, he headed back to Kim Hyung-Jung’s van with Seok Kang-Ho.

Rattle.

When the two entered, they found Kim Hyung-Jung looking as if he was in a serious predicament. The latter passed over the receiver to Kang Chan, then put his hand on the button.

“Please connect me to him,” Kang Chan requested.

Kim Hyung-Jung was about to say something but chose to press the button right away instead.

- This is the Capital Defense Command.

“National Intelligence Service.”

Since the person on the other end of the call didn’t state their name, Kang Chan matched their attitude.

- I heard that you’re the new assistant deputy director. Since you’ve only just assumed your position, I’m sure you don’t know how things work around here yet. When the military and the National Intelligence Service need to collaborate, they have to get Assistant Deputy Director Jung Tae-Seup’s approval first.

“We don't have time for that.”

- If so, then we, the Capital Defense Command, will be taking charge of this case.

Kang Chan softly inhaled.

“Let’s do this properly. No matter what we do in this situation, the explosives inside the house will still inevitably blow up. If the Capital Defense Command was in charge, how would they respond to such a threat?”

- We can stop Wui Min-Gook before he blows up the C-4!

Suppressing his anger, Kang Chan answered, “Commander, we are also more than capable of taking him down, but we will have to sacrifice agents and innocent lives in the process, which is exactly what our enemy wants. That’s why we’re trying not to rush into the scene blindly. Even if this is the last operation we do, we want to make sure those sons of bitches die discouraged and afraid! We want to accomplish our mission here in a way that would make our soldiers and agents proud! Only the civilians have to evacuate! Can you tell my men, all of whom are willing to lay down their lives for their country, that you can’t even make something so simple happen?”

The commander didn’t answer. Kang Chan could only hear his ragged breathing.

“If you still want to stop him, then I’ll hand over the operation to the Capital Defense Command.”

Kim Hyung-Jung quickly looked at Kang Chan. Seok Kang-Ho gazed out the window with a grin.

- Will the National Intelligence Service’s counter-terrorism team take responsibility for all the problems this operation could cause?

“Yes.”

- Alright. The 35th brigade has already arrived.

“They will be under the command of manager Kim Hyung-Jung.”

Click.

The call ended.

Kang Chan handed the receiver back to Kim Hyung-Jung.

“What about the police?” Kang Chan asked.

“They’re already forcing everyone in the outskirts of the danger zone to evacuate. I heard a lot of powerful people are arguing about this, which is only making things harder than they need to be.”

Kang Chan couldn’t help but smirk.

One’s power didn’t matter here. During both his lifetimes, he had never seen anyone rival the power of a C-4 yet.

Kim Hyung-Jung commanded the 35th brigade to evacuate the surroundings as well.

Chk.

“Our target is at the window at three o’clock on the second floor. We have a clear shot,” someone radioed in, much to Kang Chan’s surprise.

Chk.

“I repeat. Our target is at three o'clock on the second floor. Awaiting orders to shoot,” the same man repeated.

“I’ll get going. Let me know once everyone in the area has been evacuated,” Kang Chan said.

“Understood.”

Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho immediately headed to where the counter-terrorism team was.

“Is Wui Min-Gook behind bullet-proof windows?” Seok Kang-Ho asked Kang Chan.

There was no way for them to know that. However, Kang Chan thought that, at the very least, Wui Min-Gook wouldn’t have stood behind a window without a plan or simply because he didn’t know that they could shoot him.

Chk.

“He’s holding a switch in his right hand,” someone said.

Motherfucker!

Wui Min-Gook had caught onto the situation. He was trying to drag them into the explosion.

How can he act like this just so he wouldn’t die alone?

Admitting that their enemy right now at least had guts, Kang Chan quickly pressed the button for his radio that was hanging on the sleeve of his left hand.

Chk.

“Snipers—remain on standby,” Kang Chan ordered.

Chk.

“Standing by,” someone responded.

Afterward, Kang Chan carefully climbed the wall. Seok Kang-Ho closely followed behind him on his right. The agent who guided them here also accompanied them on his left.

Kang Chan slowly walked away from the wall. The roof of the house soon came to view, followed by the windows on the second floor, which were protruding outward like the canopy of a plane.

The window was about twenty meters away from them.

‘Wui Min-Gook?’

Tilting his head back, Kang Chan looked up.

Wui Min-Gook was holding a square box in his right hand. It was clearly a detonator. He also had his left hand held up, his index and middle fingers straightened out.

That son of a bitch can’t be making a peace sign at a moment like this, can he?

Was he trying to say two guys? Was he telling Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho to come into the house?

The moment their eyes met…

‘I know you want to come in, but can you bring yourself to?’

Wui Min-Gook confidently smiled at Kang Chan. He looked as if he was asking him, ‘Now then, what are you going to do?’

He was provoking Kang Chan.

Kang Chan smirked. Everything was fine now that he knew Wui Min-Gook was right where they wanted him to be.

I’ll blow up that entire building even if I have to bring over not just an Igla but something that doesn’t exist.

Kang Chan momentarily worried about causing an explosion in the middle of Seoul earlier, but he took that back now.

I’ll wreak havoc in the middle of North Korea the same way you’re doing here now! What makes you think we can’t do this much in retaliation? Do you think South Korea’s special forces don’t have the guts or the capabilities to do that? Why don’t you die already and ask Jang Kwang-Taek about it.

Kang Chan held up his sleeve while looking straight at Wui Min-Gook.

Chk.

“Are the Barretts ready yet?” Kang Chan asked.

Chk.

“They are, sir,” someone responded.

Kang Chan cocked his head out of sheer curiosity.

He wanted to talk to Wui Min-Gook to determine what was making him believe that they couldn’t take revenge for this.

“I’ll tear down a building in Pyongyang even if it’s the last thing I do. Tell Jang Kwang-Taek I said hi,” Kang Chan slowly said while staring daggers at Wui Min-Gook.

With his gaze alternating between Kang Chan’s mouth and eyes, Wui Min-Gook looked as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

1. Barrett M82s are recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifles developed by the American company Barrett Firearms Manufacturing ☜