Chapter 247.1: From the Horn of Africa (2)

Their reinforcements brought thirty-three more people into their group. The two groups ate together for lunch, consuming a lot of pork belly and kimchi. However, they didn’t touch the soju.

What surprised Kang Chan the most was the behavior and attitudes of Kim Tae-Jin’s sunbaes. He was expecting them to stand up against authority or act cocky, but they all actually patiently waited and followed orders. Their attitude toward Oh Gwang-Taek was no different.

Even if they were behaving this way out of their sense of duty or because they wanted to express their gratitude for being given this opportunity, it was still difficult to understand.

After the first hearty lunch they’d had in quite a long time, they all left the mess hall. Even the Mongolian border patrol looked satisfied, their mouths glistening with oil from the pork belly.

With a lot of new faces joining their base, Kim Tae-Jin and Suh Sang-Hyun decided to move to the barracks where Kang Chan was staying. Afterward, they assigned everyone to their respective quarters.

“Can we hang the national flag here?” a man with deep eyes asked.

Kim Tae-Jin looked at Kang Chan.

“Sure,” Kang Chan answered.

The man nodded. They seemed to have already talked about doing this before they even got here.

Three men quickly went up the barracks that they were using to keep watch and straightened the pole. They then waved their arms to those below them.

“A-tteeen-tion!” someone yelled, causing everyone to face the barracks.

“Salute the national flag!”

In unison, the agents clicked the heels of their military boots together as they snapped to attention.

Oh Gwang-Taek, who was about to put his hand against his chest, copied the agents instead, awkwardly saluting the flag.

It was already past lunchtime. Kang Chan didn’t know if this followed the regulations, but nobody would blame them for saluting the flag either way.

The national flag fluttered in the wind as it was slowly raised up the pole.

The new agents used to be soldiers until they were kicked out of the military even though they were still young enough for active duty. Kang Chul-Gyu was one of the people who were given that treatment, forcing him to live one of the most miserable lives of them all.

Nevertheless, these men still put the national flag above everything else.

Their determination and passion enveloped the base as they saluted, reaching even Kang Chan.

“At ease!” someone ordered.

Still staring at the fluttering national flag, they put their hands down. At the same time, the man with deep eyes approached Kang Chan’s group again.

“I heard you took care of Kang Chul-Gyu sunbae. On behalf of everyone, I would like to express my deepest gratitude. From now on, you no longer have to worry about this base,” the man said. He then nodded and turned away.

Damn it!

Kang Chan wasn’t expecting to meet passionate people in a base built in the middle of nowhere even though he was the one who made all this possible.

Whish!

The wind blew roughly, seemingly jealous of their relationship. For reasons Kang Chan couldn’t quite understand, he felt emotional. Choosing not to pay any attention to it, he went into the barracks with Kim Tae-Jin and Oh Gwang-Taek.

“An hour from now, those men will take over our security. The workers who will be building the factory will arrive tomorrow,” Kim Tae-Jin explained as if he was reporting to Kang Chan.

“Now! Let’s talk while drinking this!” Oh Gwang-Taek said as he put cups down on the table, having made the most delicious coffee in the world. Like a child who had just come home from playing with marbles out in the winter cold, his hand was covered in windburns.

“I’ll leave with the helicopter that’s bringing the workers here tomorrow, then,” Kang Chan told Kim Tae-Jin.

“Are you planning on heading straight to Africa?”

“No, I’m thinking of talking to Manager Kim first before flying over. I don’t even know which flight I should take.”

“Fair point. Oh, right! I was told that Kang sunbae will be undergoing his surgery tomorrow morning.”

“Good to hear.”

They drank coffee as they discussed every pressing matter at hand.

“Get some rest before you leave. President Oh’s new and old employees will be spearheading the training and the security in pairs, so you can definitely relax a bit now,” Kim Tae-Jin told Kang Chan.

“Alright.”

Since Kang Chan was going to be leaving soon anyway, he thought he should no longer interfere unless absolutely necessary. Hence, he just obediently agreed.

“I heard that people become patriotic when they leave their country. I didn’t expect my fucking heart to beat faster while looking at the national flag, though,” Oh Gwang-Taek commented.

I wonder who’s better at swearing, Seok Kang-Ho or this fucker?

Kang Chan looked at Oh Gwang-Taek as absurd thoughts filled his mind.

“My blood boiled while I was listening to you at the mess hall earlier. I’ll do my best with my training. I’m not going to let anyone stop me from building a factory here, so you better come here with the rail soon,” Oh Gwang-Taek told Kang Chan.

“You’re not going back to South Korea until then?”

“

Hmm

. That doesn’t sound good, does it?”

Kang Chan and Kim Tae-Jin let out a huff of laughter when Oh Gwang-Taek took a step back.

After a while, Kang Chan went into his room and rested, which he hadn’t done in a long time, so he could stop himself from interfering with all the matters related to this base.

Using this peaceful time to call back home, Kang Chan gave Kang Dae-Kyung a call before anyone else.

The dial tone rang twice before it was answered.

- Hello? Is that you, Channy?

“Yes.”

- How are you?

Kang Dae-Kyung immediately bombarded him with questions.

“I’m doing well. What about you and Mother? What have you two been up to lately?”

- We’re doing well. Your mom got very worried when we couldn’t call you. Can you give her a call?

“Yes. I’ll call her right after this.”

Kang Dae-Kyung was Kang Chan’s father. Meeting Kang Chul-Gyu again didn’t change the way he felt toward Kang Dae-Kyung even in the slightest.

Kang Chan’s conversation with Kang Dae-Kyung lasted for about five minutes. When they were done, he immediately gave Yoo Hye-Sook a call.

- Channy!

“Mother! Is something wrong? Why do you sound like that?

- It’s nothing! I’m just happy to hear your voice again.

“You’re not lying to me, are you? Did people come to your office again and harass you?”

- No! People like that don’t even come to my office nowadays.

Kang Chan had such an amazing mother. Just hearing her voice through the phone was enough to warm his heart.

After reassuring Yoo Hye-Sook, he talked to her for about ten more minutes.

- When are you coming home?

“I have to see how things go first, so I might have to stay here a little longer.”

Now that Kang Chan was done with his business in Mongolia, he would soon be heading to Africa. Considering he didn’t know how long he would be staying there, he just made it seem as if he would be in Mongolia for the entire duration he was away from home.

He couldn’t tell his parents that he would be going to Africa now that South Korea had officially announced that it had sent soldiers over there. He wasn’t sure about Yoo Hye-Sook, but he knew Kang Dae-Kyung would have a hard time if he learned that his son was in such a dangerous place.

After talking to Yoo Hye-Sook, Kang Chan plopped down on his bed and stared at his phone.

Should I call Kim Mi-Young? Won’t that just make things difficult for her?

It was strange, but he was making her wait even though he didn’t intend to.

He was hoping to see her smile before going to Africa.

***

The South Korean special forces team arrived at the Berkad base at around eleven in the evening local time. When they disembarked from the helicopters, they were greeted by a local and a staff member sent to the base by the United Nations. They seemed to have been waiting for their arrival.

The base had nine barracks built around an open area. The UN flag and the national flags of France, Russia, the United States, the UK, and South Korea hung above each front door.

“You can use this barracks. We’ll be eating at the mess hall over there. You just have to follow the basic rules that are written here,” the staff member said as he handed them a document. He then guided the soldiers to the building with South Korea’s national flag. “You should rest for today. We’ll officially introduce you to the other teams tomorrow.”

The soldiers walking to the barracks brushed off the heavy atmosphere and the body odor irritating their noses.

“Daye!” Gérard walked over to them, accompanied by a chick from his team.

While Seok Kang-Ho was looking for the soldier who was assigned to interpret, Gérard held out his hand and shook hands with Cha Dong-Gyun and Kwak Cheol-Ho. He then hugged them as he pounded them on their backs.

Soon, the army interpreter quickly approached them.

“Where’s the captain?” Gérard asked Seok Kang-Ho.

“He’ll be here in a few days.”

Gérard nodded. “The Spetsnaz and the SBS are acting unusual. They seem to be waiting for an opportunity to pick a fight. You and your men should keep your guard up for now.”

“Those motherfuckers!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.

“Tell the Korean soldiers about it too.”

“Alright. I’ll head back out after dropping our bags inside.”

Seok Kang-Ho went inside the barracks after closing off their conversation only to be met with a strange atmosphere. Everyone was standing in place and staring in the same direction.

Quickly following their gazes, he soon realized that Park Chul-Su was behind the quiet commotion.

Seok Kang-Ho didn’t know when Park Chul-Su prepared it, but he had put a framed photo of Choi Seong-Geon on the table at one side of the barracks.

“General, these men are being acknowledged as a world-famous team,” Park Chul-Su said. “I’ll watch over them myself, but I hope you can see them as well.”

Seok Kang-Ho didn’t know that Park Chul-Su, who was usually cold and looked as if he was a bad person, had such a side to him.

“A-tteeen-tion!” Cha Dong-Gyun ordered softly.

“Salute!”

Their military boots clicked as they brought their heels together.

Seok Kang-Ho suddenly really missed Kang Chan.

“At ease!”

Seok Kang-Ho grinned as he headed back out.