Chapter 265.1: Looking For a Weakness (2)

Kang Chan smirked.

“We really don’t know!” the UN employee immediately exclaimed. He then held up the document on the table. “They just gave us this guideline for reporting the incident on the news, then ordered us to return to this base and send everyone back to their home country!”

Kang Chan gave the UN employee a serious look.

They seemed to have been on multiple battlefields in Africa but only took care of the paperwork rather than joining the battle itself.

How much would they know about things like this?

Kang Chan looked at the other teams’ commanders, who were on either side of him. “Does anyone have any questions?”

When nobody said anything, he continued, “When is our flight home?”

“We'll have a transport aircraft prepared for you a few days after the announcement has been made.”

“From now on, you are to ask for my permission before leaving the base.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kang Chan slowly slid his pistol back into its holster.

They had probably never expected Kang Chan to behave this way or believed that someone would stop him because they were UN employees. However, if someone had interfered and stopped Kang Chan...

It was better for everyone not to imagine the horrible events that would have transpired in that situation.

Kang Chan left the command center and went into their barracks. He then changed into shorts and a cotton t-shirt.

“You look awful. Maybe it’s because you lost a lot of blood? You should get hooked to an IV,” Seok Kang-Ho suggested.

Kang Chan did feel quite heavy and sluggish. This was his first time experiencing something like this.

“All right. Keep me updated,” Kang Chan responded.

A few soldiers were already on IV in the living room. Seok Kang-Ho peeked outside and yelled, and the army interpreter loudly answered back.

“I’m going to get some rest,” Kang Chan said. “Call me if something urgent comes up.”

“Everything has already been taken care of. What could even happen now?”

A soldier brought over an IV and hung it on the clothes hanger on the wall. They then connected it to Kang Chan’s arm.

“Get some sleep,” Seok Kang-Ho said.

Kang Chan just nodded in response.

Once Seok Kang-Ho and the soldier had gone outside and closed the door behind them, Kang Chan turned his head to the table next to the bed. The now-unreadable letters that he had received from Lee Yoo-Seul, Yoo Hye-Sook, and Kim Mi-Young were inside its drawer.

Kang Chan finally started easing up and relaxing.

***

After his meeting with the President, CIA Director Sherman left the White House and got in the car that was waiting for him. They drove off not long after, passing the barricades behind the White House.

On the road, Sheman took out an old model phone from his chest pocket and dialed a number. The call was immediately answered.

- We’re standing by.

“Take care of him,” he ordered.

- Yes, sir.

As soon as he got their affirmative, Sherman ended the call, finding no reason to prolong it.

Sherman thought of Brandon as he looked out the window.

‘What an idiot.’

Brandon could’ve worked with the Arabs or sent an operation that would specifically target the other countries’ special forces teams. Either way, he should’ve done whatever was necessary to stop the Green Berets from siding with the other special forces teams.

To make things worse, Brandon had also been caught accepting bribes from Abib. As the DIA director, he probably needed secret money for himself.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

‘You should’ve been more meticulous at hiding your tracks—no, you should’ve done things the right way to begin with.’

Brandon made two crucial mistakes—he broadcasted the situation in Afghanistan via satellite and then ordered the Quds to ambush the soldiers in Africa. If even just one of them had been successful, he wouldn’t be in such a bad spot today.

Because of his failures, the United States was left with no other choice but to release a statement that they had absolutely no involvement with the ambush and that it was all a personal action of his. They also had to be subservient to France and South Korea for a short while.

Ring. Ring.

Sherman opened the flip phone and brought it up to his ear.

- The target has been eliminated.

That was the answer that he wanted to hear. Nevertheless, he just closed the phone again, not even bothering to respond.

The God of Blackfield.

The CIA tried their best to investigate everything about him, but they had never encountered anyone as veiled as that man. Despite being a high schooler who hadn’t even graduated yet, he suddenly appeared in the world of Intelligence and became a commander of an exceptionally talented, world-famous special forces team.

The analysis of the CIA regarding South Korea’s most recent Afghanistan operation only dumbfounded Sherman further.

According to their reports, Kang Chan’s French was almost perfect, had the same codename as a Foreign Legion special forces soldier who had been killed in battle in Africa, and had all of the distinct characteristics of Foreign Legion soldiers, including their shooting and close-quarters combat skills.

The US believed that Brandon should’ve used this opportunity to do everything in his power to kill Kang Chan.

Ring. Ring.

Sherman’s phone rang again, interrupting his train of thought. He answered it.

- The twenty Islamic warriors who were headed to South Korea have all been eliminated in China. According to our intel, the DGSE and Russia’s intelligence bureau collaborated with China to take them out.

Click!

Sherman didn’t say anything this time either before he hung up.

Not only was this hard-to-investigate South Korean high schooler working closely with the Eurasian Rail, but he was also working closely with the next-gen energy source. Moreover, Lanok and Vasili were backing him up.

What was even more absurd was that even Ethan—who stood right beside Kang Chan, bearing witness to everything that had transpired in the secret facility for the subterranean shock device—claimed that he had no idea how Kang Chan controlled the subterranean shock device.

Sherman pursed his lips.

Kang Chan was the Deputy Director-General of the DGSE, the Assistant Director of the National Intelligence Service, and someone whom Vasili directly supported and sided with. He also played a crucial role in Yang Bum’s journey to becoming the Intelligence Bureau Director of China—the tiger that had woken up from its slumber.

Hence, Sherman concluded that attempting to get rid of Kang Chan right now wouldn’t be wise. On the contrary, he had to find ways to get on his good side.

‘Do I have to visit him myself, like Lanok or Vasili?’

“This is driving me nuts,” Sherman muttered to himself as he rubbed his forehead.

He couldn’t believe that the CIA director would have to go out of his way just to meet a South Korean high schooler!

Do I have to bring an expensive toy with me and dance for him too?

Sherman shook his head, realizing that Lanok or Vasili’s worth didn’t fall behind his at all.

For the first time in his entire career, Sherman found himself curious about someone’s identity. However, he believed this was only natural. After all, Kang Chan was the only person that the CIA had failed to find useful information about.

***

“Sunbae-nim!” Kim Hyung-Jung exclaimed a little louder than he intended.

It had only been three days since Kang Chul-Gyu regained consciousness, and they had just moved him to a regular room today, yet he was already walking around right next to his bed.

“Welcome,” Kang Chul-Gyu responded as he pushed through the pain to turn toward his bed.

“Why are you moving around so much already? Shouldn’t you still be in bed, resting as much as you can?” Kim Hyung-Jung worriedly complained.

“I needed a bit of exercise.” Frowning, Kang Chul-Gyu sat on the bed. “If let myself rest for too long, it’s going to become a habit.”

“How’s your head?”

“I’m still a little hazy, but I feel much better now,” Kang Chul-Gyu said. He then looked at Kim Hyung-Jung. “How’s the men over in Mongolia?”

“From what I’ve heard, everyone seems to be doing well. They want you to bring them a lot of pork belly and kimchi when you return.”

“I will probably have recovered enough to return to Mongolia in ten days.”

“We won’t even be able to finish the basic examinations in ten days,” Kim Hyung-Jung argued.

Kang Chul-Gyu managed to smile in response despite having trouble too. “I have a good reason to go there.”

“You don’t have to overdo it. The base in Mongolia isn’t in any danger or trouble right now”

“There’s something I haven’t told you yet,” Kang Chul-Gyu replied, making Kim Hyung-Jung look at him. “This could be my chance to be forgiven, so I want to go back there as soon as I can. Knowing that there are things I can do for him has made every second I spend here feel like a year.”

Kang Chul-Gyu smirked as he looked at Kim Hyung-Jung, who couldn’t understand what he was saying.

***

Kang Chan was completely drenched in sweat because of his fever, but he still had a blanket covering him because he felt so cold that he was trembling.

The army interpreter went to the infirmary and told the medical team about his condition. One of their staff injected a few IV medications into Kang Chan, but he didn’t get any better.

“You should get more sleep. We’ll make you some porridge for dinner later,” Seok Kang-Ho said.

Kang Chan nodded weakly.

He had been wounded many times both in his previous and current lives. He had also lost consciousness a few times, but he had never experienced body aches this painful before.

Did I abuse my body too much?

As a consequence of his refusal to let anything stop him, his body seemed to be doing everything it could to make him suffer now.

Drowsy because of the IV medications, Kang Chan soon fell asleep. Seok Kang-Ho went outside soon after.

The other soldiers also looked as if they were having a hard time. The longer they rested and relaxed, the more pain they seemed to be in. Seok Kang-Ho wasn’t any different either. The wound on his shoulder certainly felt more painful than this morning.