Chapter 347: Are You Ready? (2)

The next day, around noon, a staggering amount of information came in from Russia, China, and Germany.

The NIS agents also continued to send a steady stream of information from their respective designated countries.

Kang Chan believed in them. They were paying with their blood and risked their lives to get him this information.

He compared the information that he had received from other countries with the ones that had come from the NIS agents.

“Doesn’t this feel a little strange?”

Gérard wrote names in red on a large map.

This punk! Why does he write like a fucking toddler?

It wasn’t important right now, though.

“The entire UIS leadership and their troops are in Afghanistan. Based on their numbers alone, this is going to be an all-out war.”

That wouldn’t be easy.

Kang Chan tilted his head and stared at the names on the map and the approximate number of troops.

The UIS core leadership and troops seemed to be gathering in a single location.

“I wonder if they’re planning a major counterattack for capturing Abibu?”

“Gérard, it must have cost a lot of money to get those bastards all there. See if you can find their funding source.”

“Yes, sir,” Gérard replied, then immediately went inside.

Kang Chan smirked and looked at the map.

Abibu was most likely the one who funded them before he got captured. Hence, if the organization wanted more funds, they would have to show their loyalty to him first. However, since Abibu was in captivity right now, some other asshole had to be paying for all this.

Kang Chan kept his eyes on the map.

Considering the size of their forces, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they wanted war.

Besides, the UIS was not a national power. Even if they suddenly attacked South Korea, it would be considered a quarrel between South Korea and a terrorist organization, not a war between nations.

This was completely unexpected.

Even with all the Jeungpyeong soldiers, the 606, and the counter-terrorism team, he still wouldn’t be able to guarantee victory.

Kang Chan was doing some calculations in his head when Choi Jong-Il approached him.

“It’s time.”

Kang Chan stood up. “Make sure you get all the information.”

“Copy,” Seok Kang-Ho replied.

Kang Chan then left the office and headed to the underground parking lot. They then drove to the Seongnam Airfield.

More than four vans were traveling with him.

‘Isn’t this too much?’

Kang Chan looked ahead and behind them, then back at Choi Jong-Il.

“We received special orders from the Director. He’s probably more concerned now that the former External Affairs director has been arrested.”

“That must be a lot of work for the special agents.”

“It’s okay,” Choi Jong-Il, who was sitting next to Kang Chan, replied. “Ever since the attack on Director Hwang, everyone has been on high alert, so whenever we’re summoned for an emergency, they’re all rushing to take the job.”

Kang Chan glanced out the window.

He still hadn’t gotten revenge for the unjust deaths of Hwang Ki-Hyun and Song Chang-Wook. He still hadn’t even identified the person who was supposed to get the OTP.

‘One at a time.’

War? Right now, he was more afraid of the UIS causing shootouts and detonating bombs freely within Korea than he was of war.

The roads weren’t too bad.

The intimidating sight of the big black vans and the black sedan in between them caused people on the sidewalks and the drivers to stare.

Twenty minutes before noon, they arrived at Seongnam Airfield.

They were going to have lunch at a restaurant nearby.

They had booked the establishment for the entire day, and Kang Chan had already been informed that the agents had the entrance and perimeter under complete lockdown.

After driving through the airport building and onto the runway, Kang Chan got out of the car.

“Got a cigarette?” he asked.

Choi Jong-Il handed him a cigarette and lighter.

Click.

“

Hoo

.”

The smoke drifted out onto the runway.

A cup of coffee would have been perfect right about now.

Looking ahead, Kang Chan grinned.

Getting involved with Gong Te automobile for Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook had led him all the way here, standing on the runway of Seongnam Airfield.

It felt more strange to be here now than being born again.

Kang Chan slowly looked around.

Agents in black suits and sunglasses stood in a perfect circle around him. Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee stood right next to him.

“Do you need anything?”

“No,” Kang Chan replied.

He had fought so many battles with Choi Jong-Il, and most of them pitted them against terrible people.

The UIS? Were they even aware of the determination in the hearts of the agents? The sense of duty that ran deeper than the blood coursing through the veins of the National Intelligence Service’s counter-terrorism team?

Did they think they could defeat the determination of the 606, who threw themselves into the line of fire at the International Building, and the members of the Jeungpyeong special forces team, who dropped eleven meters upside down just to complete their objectives?

Kang Chan exhaled. He remembered the size of the UIS’ army.

There would be no agent or soldier who would refuse to go, but sacrifices would be unavoidable.

“Sir,” Choi Jong-Il called, cutting through his thoughts. Kang Chan looked up and saw a sleek-looking private plane descending in the distance.

Less than five minutes later, it landed on the runway.

Creaaak! Creak!

White smoke billowed from the rear wheels, followed by a loud engine roar.

Errrrrng.

Upon reaching the end of the runway, the plane slowly turned toward Kang Chan.

If it was a military plane, Kang Chan would have known its model and performance. Unfortunately, he found private planes difficult to recognize.

The airplane creaked to a stop in front of him. After a moment, its door opened.

As Kang Chan walked over, Vasili, wearing a suit, stepped out. He had a sharp expression.

“Welcome,” Kang Chan greeted.

Once off the plane, Vasili looked back. Yang Bum soon followed him out of the aircraft.

Smiling, Kang Chan shook hands with the two. He wasn’t expecting them to fly over together.

While they exchanged greetings, Vasili’s gaze remained on the door of the plane, seemingly still waiting for someone.

Doubting that Vasili had brought a gift or something, Kang Chan followed the man’s gaze and soon looked back at him. Sherman was getting off with a complicated look on his face.

“He’s the extra person I told you might come,” Vasili explained.

Sherman was already here. There was no need to make him uncomfortable, so Kang Chan didn’t question it.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed.”

Sherman’s eyes glinted at Kang Chan’s casual tone, but he didn’t mention it.

“Let’s wait over there.”

Vasili glanced at the agents standing to the side. He then smiled strangely.

The four walked to the car.

If Kang Chan knew they would be coming together, he would have prepared some tea for them.

He wistfully remembered Lanok bringing black tea to the tarmac.

Just then, Choi Jong-Il approached Kang Chan. Quietly, he asked, “Would you like some tea?”

Yang Bum understood Korean, but he didn’t act surprised since it would look tacky.

“You brought tea?” Kang Chan asked in a way that only Choi Jong-Il could hear, making it seem as if he was giving important instructions.

Vasili, Yang Bum, and Sherman looked over, wondering what was going on.

“We have everything in the vans, even instant coffee. Would you like us to prepare some for you and your guests?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Damn it!

Kang Chan thought Choi Jong-Il should’ve mentioned this earlier while he was smoking.

Vasili and Sherman stared at him, seemingly wondering, about what they were talking about so secretively.

Choi Jong-Il turned and nodded. Two agents then brought a thermos and teacups.

“Let’s have some tea, shall we?”

Vasili came forward with a characteristic expression.

Glug.

It was midday. On the tarmac in the afternoon sun, they poured tea into cups placed on the trunk of the sedans.

Kang Chan wanted instant coffee, but the scent of the black tea that Choi Jong-Il had served them wasn’t too bad either.

“Give us some cigarettes too,” he requested.

Choi Jong-Il quietly set down a pack of cigarettes and a lighter right next to the tea cups.

“Cigarette?” Kang Chan offered.

“Absolutely.”

Vasili and Yang Bum held out their hands. Sherman refused.

Click, click, click.

A gust of wind blew past them, making it difficult to light the cigarettes.

However, a man should be able to light a fire even in the face of a typhoon.

After lighting his cigarette, Kang Chan handed it to the next person.

Vasili gave Kang Chan a sarcastic look, then turned away and lit his cigarette with his back to the wind.

Coward!

“

Hoo

.”

Vasili turned back around as Kang Chan blew out smoke.

It was Yang Bum’s turn. Since he was looking at Kang Chan, his back was luckily already to the wind anyway.

They drank black tea and smoked cigarettes, saying nothing in particular.

After about ten minutes, a larger plane descended to the runway.

Five minutes later, Ludwig stepped out of it.

“Monsieur Kang.”

“Welcome.”

As Ludwig hugged him, Kang Chan felt a jab in his heart.

Lanok should’ve been here with them, not in that dark, ominous place in Loriam.

Kang Chan sighed. He then led Ludwig to the car.

Ludwig greeted Vasili, Yang Bum, and Sherman.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Why don’t we head to the restaurant now instead?” Ludwig suggested.

Kang Chan looked at Choi Jong-Il. Soon, a large van, the kind that celebrities usually rode, pulled up in front of them.

“Let’s go.”

There wasn’t anything else to do, so they stepped into the van and left immediately. After leaving the airport, they drove along the main road for a while, then a smaller road, then a dirt road.

Ludwig smiled meaningfully as he looked back at the car moving in front of him and behind him. It was as if he was telling Kang Chan, “You’ve become this important.”

After about ten minutes of driving up the mountain road, the car stopped in a spacious parking lot.

The sign at the entrance read “Flaming Duck.” Kang Chan was glad it was in Korean because it was cringey.

However, he soon remembered that Yang Bum could also read Korean.

Feigning ignorance, Kang Chan guided the group into the establishment.

Armed agents could be seen patrolling the parking lot and the perimeter of the building, which was guarded by agents in suits and sunglasses.

Once inside, Kang Chan glanced at Choi Jong-Il.

The hall was as huge as a sports field, but it only had one large, rectangular table that obviously looked luxurious. There wasn’t any need to go through all this trouble.

Kang Chan felt like a hillbilly who had won the lottery and invited his friends over to show off his money.

Anyhow, the table was already set. There was no point in complaining now, so Kang Chan quietly moved over to it.

“Shall we eat first?”

“That would be great.”

Kang Chan nodded, and Choi Jong-Il gestured at his men.

Three women dressed as restaurant staff brought out some food. Kang Chan could tell by the way they moved and the look in their eyes that they were also agents.

A charcoal grill was rolled over, followed by a duck that looked like it had been bathed in sesame oil.

Hssss

.

These kinds of people usually didn’t have much interest in food, so eating was just a ritual for them.

However, today was different. Ludwig gladly took a portion of the roasted duck, and Vasili moved his fork differently than usual.

While they were eating, they were also served meat broth and kal-guksu.

However, none of them touched the alcohol today.

Once everyone had leaned back in their seats with satisfied faces, the table was cleared, and tea, coffee, cigarettes, cigars, and ashtrays were placed in front of each person.

Everyone in the dining room and the kitchen then quietly left.

Kang Chan drank coffee. Yang Bum and Vasili took cigarettes while Ludwig picked up a cigar.

Soon, Vasili looked at Kang Chan sharply. “Monsieur Kang. As per the information we’ve sent over to you, the UIS have been gathering in Afghanistan, and they number over twelve hundred. Do you still intend to attack?”

The asshole clearly had more to say.

As Kang Chan gazed at him, Vasili added, “If an army of that size moves in South Korea, North Korea and Japan will be the first ones to react. If and when they do, we’ll have an unwanted war on our hands. One more thing.”

Vasili glanced around the table.

“To keep such a huge battle between Korea and the UIS, we need to keep the UN’s eyes and ears closed.”

Kang Chan blew out a puff of smoke and stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray.

“Vasili, the fact that you’ve thought that far means you’ve already come up with a plan, so why don’t you just reveal it instead of stalling?”

Vasil laughed coldly. “You’re making me feel the woes of being a supporting character again.”

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Yang Bum and Ludwig smiled, while Sherman remained expressionless.

“Yang Bum can take care of North Korea, and the UN...”

Vasili looked at Sherman.

Under the four men’s stares, Sherman coughed and glanced at Kang Chan.

“We’ll take care of the UN, but we do have a request.”

Sherman naturally didn’t come all the way here just to have some flaming duck. However, the way they all discussed things first without Kang Chan made him feel displeased.

Kang Chan glared at Vasili.

“Sherman was already going down to the runway when I picked him up. The enemy of your enemy is a friend. In the intelligence world, it’s not uncommon to shake a hand that had once pointed a gun at you.”

Vasil didn’t look too happy to be giving an excuse.

“Monsieur Kang,” Ludwig kindly addressed him.

“We need Sherman’s assistance in eliminating Josh and Romain. Moreover...”

Ludwig looked at Sherman for a moment. He seemed to be saying not to argue with anything he was about to say.

“It’s just as important to get Lanok out of Loriam as it is to eliminate Romain.”

Well, if they could get Lanok out...

Kang Chan slowly turned to Sherman.

“Tell me what you want.”

“Unlike South Korea, we’ve been terrorized in disgrace, so our government wants to show the voters something before next year’s presidential election.”

“Sherman, just get to the point.”

Kang Chan picked up another cigarette and lit it.

Click.

He then put it set it on the ashtray.

“We’ll take out the Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders who fled to Afghanistan.”

Kang Chan looked at Sherman in disbelief.

Given America’s military might and the capabilities of the US Special Forces, there was no need for him to be telling Kang Chan this.

Under Kang Chan’s stare, Sherman, with an awkward expression, added, “We want the maximum effect with the minimum number of people.”

“Spell it out for me.”

“I need sixteen special forces soldiers to make a perfect kill and come back without a single wound.”

Pft.

This crazy asshole wanted Kang Chan to kill the enemy leader, who would be guarded by one thousand two hundred people, and come back in one piece?

Kang Chan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray in disbelief.

“Sherman, asking me to put my men on the line to ensure that not a single US Special Forces soldier is hurt is a ridiculous condition. You either don’t have Special Forces experience or you’ve gone crazy for campaigning.”

“But Lanok...”

“Sherman,” Kang Chan interrupted, causing Sherman to look at him. “If Romain or France lays a finger on the ambassador, France will have the most horrible man in the world as an enemy.”

Kang Chan glanced at Vasili, Yang Bum, and Ludwig. He then continued, “You should also consider how absurd it is to ask a special forces team trying to kill the UIS leadership, who would be surrounded by twelve hundred people, to never get hurt.”

Sherman looked around, seemingly asking for help.

“Mr. Kang Chan,” Yang Bum called him by his Korean name. “I would like to ask you to make a concession.”

His sudden use of the Korean language caused Vasili, Ludwig, and Sherman to glance back and forth between Kang Chan and Yang Bum curiously.

“The key that Sherman holds is very important right now. Most likely, the funds that UIS have amassed in Afghanistan are coming from the Star of David.”

I knew it!

These guys had been following the trail of money as well.

“Perhaps not against Josh, but we’ll also need Sherman’s help in tricking Romain.”

“The DGSE will target Sherman, then.”

“He likely believes that the presidential election is more important than that.”

Yang Bum glanced at Sherman and then back at Kang Chan.

“Sherman aside, I and these two other gentlemen with us have all agreed to follow you. Please try to save Vasili some face.”

Kang Chan wordlessly looked at Yang Bum and then at Sherman.

“I can’t refuse Vasili’s request.”

Vasili quickly looked between Kang Chan and Yang Bum.

“If you can convince our neighbors to allow our warplanes to bomb Afghanistan, we’ll accept your terms.”

Sherman’s expressions hardened, unable to answer.

Vasili, Yang Bum, and Ludwig looked on with amusement.