Clunk!

As the van bounced loudly, the lights outside and the glow from the vehicle’s dashboard pushed back the darkness.

Shit!

Kang Chan couldn’t help but frown due to his aggravated injury. Parthal peered at his expression.

This bastard is the next Star of David?

Kang Chan glared at the man in annoyance just as they passed by the country road, a perfect place to twist the neck of a white-headed carp.

He felt like he was looking at an enemy he couldn’t bring himself to kill. This bastard caused all the recent strange turn of events.

Kang Chan’s original plan was to show up and kidnap Xairo by surprise. The Star of David wouldn’t know what to do, and the world’s intelligence bureaus would be confused. That would be especially true for Sherman, who was always testing the waters before taking a side. That was why Kang Chan took off his mask and walked into the cafe alone.

However, a stupid white-headed carp bit the bait and easily spilled everything he knew instead. Catching him proved worth it since they learned the location of the enemy’s base from him and used him for provocations, but it was still quite unexpected.

As Gérard had said, though, this carp would likely be worth the cost of the fish food if they kept him in a tank and raised him well.

Well, things have already turned out this way anyway.

Kang Chan made up his mind.

“Keep an eye on this guy.”

He stopped the van and stepped out onto the dark country road alone. Judging by the smell of the village wafting through the clear air, there was likely a grazing field nearby.

Stars dotted the night sky above the grassland. Kang Chan couldn’t believe that instead of being with someone he loved in such a romantic place, he was with the key to ending a fight to the death.

Kang Chan pulled out his phone and pressed the power button.

There was no point in confusing the intelligence bureaus when he had already shown his face and learned the name of the enemy’s leader. Moreover, he had already given Lanok a brief word about what was to come.

Beep. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring.

As soon as he turned on his phone, he received a flood of texts and missed calls. The bright light from the screen didn’t quite match the scenery.

Exhaling quietly, Kang Chan watched the caller’s names appear one after another. Kang Dae-Kyung, Kim Hyung-Jung, Park Chul-Su, Cha Dong-Gyun, Kwak Cheol-Ho, and even Kim Gwan-Sik and Kim Mi-Young’s numbers were there.

Kang Chan wondered for a moment if the reward would be worth the pain that he was putting them through, but he soon shook his head. Right now, he had to focus on making the planned calls.

He contacted Lanok first. The dial tone made his heart pound strangely. Wasn’t Lanok supposed to be the one feeling this way?

Soon, the tone stopped, and he heard a voice on the other end.

- Mr. Kang Chan.

Lanok sounded so calm that Kang Chan wondered how that was possible. He felt his anxiety leave him instantly.

“Mr. Ambassador, this is Kang Chan.”

- I saw the magnificent mission your men have completed in Saudi Arabia.

“I haven’t gotten the report for that task yet.”

The conversation went on so naturally that it was as if they had just spoken to each other recently.

With his usual calm tone, Lanok gave Kang Chan an update on the situation in Dubai, which Kang Chan had been curious about.

- Vasili and I have finalized a deal with Uzman, a Saudi Arabian royal. I’ll send you his number. I suggest you give him a call.

Those scary snakes!

The fact that Lanok and Vasili negotiated with Uzman meant they didn’t believe that Kang Chan was dead in the first place.

“Does Vasili know I was alive?”

- He never seemed to have believed you were dead in the first place.

Kang Chan couldn’t help but grin. These snakes completely outmatched him.

- It was a brilliant plan. I only managed to catch on thanks to the reports from satellite offices and a few other hints.

It somehow felt like Lanok was trying to comfort him. Kang Chan let out a quiet sigh.

“Sir, I’m currently…”

Kang Chan immediately began to relay his current location and situation.

- Ziegfeld!

So Lanok knew!

As if trying to explain Kang Chan’s assumption, Lanok provided an explanation.

- The DGSE has some control over Luxembourg. Order the DGSE to cover the incident up before it gets out of hand. You can get all the support you need afterward.

“Copy, sir. Everything will be taken care of if I call Uzman, then?”

-That is correct.

“Thank you, Ambassador Lanok,” Kang Chan said with utmost sincerity.

- Vasili said it was a small gift for you since you’re doing a big job right now.

“I see."

- Now that we know where the enemy is and have Parthal in custody, there’s no need to push yourself too hard anymore.

“Understood, sir.”

After briefly asking about Anne’s well-being, Kang Chan hung up and immediately called the DGSE.

- Hugo speaking.

“This is Kang Chan.”

- We’ll have to verify your voice. Please hold on a minute.

A dead man was calling. How could he analyze Kang Chan’s voice without panicking?

These assholes sure had a different way of doing things.

- Confirmed. It’s good to have you back, sir. We await your orders.

“Can you track my location?”

- Please hit the accept button on the notification that we’ll send you.

“Alright. Anyway, I’m near Garnich, Luxembourg. I want you to send agents over here and cover a fight at a Garnich cafe and the kidnapping of two adult men as quickly as possible. Can you do that?”

- We’ll get on it. Please give me a minute.

Kang Chan glanced at the van.

Buzz.

The short text woke his screen up, lighting up his surroundings.

- It should ask to confirm your location.

Kang Chan immediately pressed the accept button.

Buzz.

Another text arrived. It was a phone number from Lanok.

Kang Chan didn’t expect to become so busy the instant he turned his phone back on.

- I’ve called off the police search. The agents will reach you in about twenty minutes.

Maybe it was because of his close proximity to France, but this was nice.

“Thanks, Hugo.”

- Just doing my duty, sir.

I don’t have much of a bond with these people.

Kang Chan opened the car door and told Gérard about the situation. A glance inside revealed the white carp wrapped in duct tape in the second-row seat.

Should I spray him with water?

Kang Chan smirked at the carp’s predicament. He then turned to Gérard.

“Come on out. Let’s have a smoke.”

Gérard stepped out, and Kang Chan sat down on the step of the van.

Click

.

“

Hoo

.”

The smoke slowly dissipated into the still air.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Kang Chan dialed the number that Lanok had sent him.

The default dial tone rang a few times.

-Allo?

The older man spoke in French with a heavy Arabic accent.

“This is Kang Chan. Ambassador Lanok sent me your number and told me to contact you.”

Kang Chan heard a deep sigh from the other end.

- I headed to Dubai as soon as Vasili and Lanok contacted me, but let us talk about the details in person later, Monsieur Kang. For now, I’d like to express my regrets on behalf of the Royal House of Saudi Arabia for the attack on South Korea’s International Building, the death of two of your directors, and the countless sacrifices of your agents.

The head-scratching polite apology was delivered in heavily accented French.

- I would like to put the matter of Abibu and Jibril behind us. To that end, I will personally take the four Koreans to South Korea. I hope this can be used as an opportunity to improve the relationship between our two countries.

“That is not for me to decide.”

- All I ask is that you acknowledge it and promise not to retaliate any further. I’ll take care of the rest of the diplomatic matters with Lanok and Vasili.

Kang Chan sighed quietly. It was better to tie up loose ends neatly than resort to endless bloodshed.

“Fine. If the four arrive safely in Korea, and Saudi Arabia does not provoke me any further, I will accept your offer.

- Thank you, Monsieur Kang. I’ll be sure to meet with you personally once this is all sorted out.

After hanging up, Kang Chan turned to Gérard, who was standing in front of him. He then told him about the conversation.

***

Crash!

A kick to the chest sent Seok Kang-Ho tumbling backward with his chair.

Click.

The door to the interrogation room opened. An elderly man in a white robe and black gutra, two attendants, and the interrogator’s superior then walked in. At a glance, they looked like they held high positions.

The old man looked around the room, his eyes reflecting his age and experience. He maintained an elegant posture, while the two attendants serving him carried themselves in a way that made them seem overly polite.

The interrogator instinctively stood straight.

“Allow us to introduce to you all Crown Prince Uzman of Saudi Arabia.”

“I thank God for the honor of meeting you, sir.”

Meeting Uzman’s eyes filled the interrogator with a sense of duty. He became even more determined to find out who was behind Jibril’s murder and why—even if it meant tearing Seok Kang-Ho to pieces.

“Can you help this man up?” Uzman asked.

“Pardon?”

Though puzzled, Uzman’s gaze made the interrogator quickly sit Seok Kang-Ho up.

“Please untie him and give us a moment.”

The interrogator looked at his superior, who then gestured with his eyes to quickly follow orders. As urged, the interrogator removed Seok Kang-Ho’s handcuffs and shackles and headed to the door.

“Please call me if you need anything,” the superior said extremely politely. He waved at them and left the room with the interrogator.

Because of his swollen eyes, Seok Kang-Ho had to tilt his head back to look at Uzman, leaving his bloodshot nostrils open for the world to see.

In Arab culture, when someone this high up came, that meant that their life was over. One word from him, and interrogation and torture would be damned; they would go directly to a public execution.

Seok Kang-Hu laughed. He was a little disappointed to die before he could even see Kang Chan one last time.

That realization and Kang Chan’s face made tears stream down his cheeks and mix with his blood.

‘Fuck!’

He swallowed a curse. He felt as if he had just shown a pathetic side of him.

The tears were definitely not shed because he was afraid of dying or of this situation. Back in Africa, when he had no one he longed to see, he couldn't care less about a knife slitting his throat.

Uzman turned around. He took the phone his attendant handed him and pressed the call button.

“Just a moment, Monsieur Kang.”

He held out the phone to Seok Kang-Ho.

‘What kind of trick are they playing?’

Seok Kang-Ho kept on tilting his head back to get a better look at Uzman.

His eyes were swollen, his nose crooked, and his mouth torn and cracked.

“Monsieur Kang wants to speak with you. We’ll talk after your conversation with him,” Uzman quietly said in Arabic.

Kang Chan called? This damn old man!

“He’s dead. That’s why I came to avenge him.”

Uzman shook his head with a weary expression.

Fine, I’ll answer! And I’ll spew a whole bunch of curses! I can see through your goddamn tricks!

Seok Kang-Ho held out his bloody hand and took the phone. He watched Uzman wipe his hand with a handkerchief as he raised the phone to his ear.

“Allo?” he greeted in French out of concern that these assholes would pin something on him for using Korean.

- You son of a bitch.

The Korean curse, spoken by an all too familiar voice, caused a lump to form in Seok Kang-Ho’s throat.

Were they trying to deceive him somehow?

- Are you alright?

Seok Kang-Ho just swallowed dryly.

- Hey! Say something!

That was enough for Seok Kang-Ho to believe. Kang Chan’s accent and frustration made it clear that he wasn’t being deceived.

“Captain?”

- Are you crying?”

“

Phuhuhu

…”

Due to his hoarse throat, Seok Kang-Ho’s laughter sounded like he was crying.

- We’ve reached a deal with Uzman. Take the men back to Korea. We still have a bastard to kill, so don’t even dream about sitting this one out.

After a quick gulp, Seok Kang-Ho replied, “Got it.”

- Daye.

“Sir.”

- You made the right call to kill Jibril and make the tough decision to surrender. Had you chosen differently, you wouldn’t be able to find peace even in death.

“

Phuhuhu

.”

- Recover. I’ll see you soon.

Seok Kang-Ho didn’t want to hang up just yet.

“Captain.”

- What is it?

“Be careful.”

A chuckle came through the receiver. Seok Kang-Ho never knew it could sound so reassuring. However, Kang Chan’s next words made his relief disappear.

- Gérard says you looked so stupid being dragged away.

“That son of a bitch would have died in the elevator!” Seok Kang-Ho growled.

Kang Chan laughed in amusement.

- Let me talk to Uzman.

“Got it.”

Seok Kang-Ho told Uzman that Kang Chan wanted to speak to him and handed him the phone. Uzma wiped the blood off with a white handkerchief before bringing the phone to his ear.

“We will keep our word. I trust you will also honor your promise as Lanok and Vasili assured me,” Uzman spoke in broken French before hanging up.

“Can you move?”

“Of course,” Seok Kang-Ho replied.

Uzman turned around. His two attendants helped Seok Kang-Ho to his feet.

***

A broadcast specializing in overseas correspondence played on the TV.

[This is rare breaking news!]

The reporter’s fast, high-pitched voice conveyed his disbelief.

[The Dubai government has promptly executed the killers of a Saudi royal. Saudi Arabia has also released a statement saying that they are satisfied with the sentencing.]

The screen blurred to show four masked men—Seok Kang-Ho, Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee, lying dead on the ground.

“What…?”

Go Gun-Woo forced his face to stiffen to contain his swelling emotions.

They hadn’t even received any information regarding this sentencing, and he hadn’t met with Lanok yet. To be honest, he didn’t expect the Saudi Arabian government to sentence the four to death so quickly.

Go Gun-Woo became acutely aware of his inadequacies, making his heart ache. If only he was just a bit stronger, if only South Korea and the South Korean National Intelligence Service were more powerful…

***

NIS Samseong-Dong office.

Kim Hyung-Jung stared at the TV blankly.

Although he knew that he should meet up with Go Gun-Woo right this instant, he couldn’t help but need five minutes or even just a moment to collect himself.

Something was strange. Surely the Dubai government wouldn’t have shown the men with their masks on because they didn’t know they were masks…?

Did the French or the Russians have something to do with this?

Ring, ring, ring.

Go Gun-Woo seemed to be calling.

Kim Hyung-Jung cleared his throat and picked up the phone.

There were times when people froze up unexpectedly. This was one such moment for him.

Why on earth would Kang Chan’s number pop up at this time of day, or, for that matter, at all? After clearing his head to collect himself, Kim Hyung-Jung pressed the call button with a thumping heart.

“Kim Hyung-Jung speaking.”

- Manager Kim.

What? How was this possible?

He was suspicious, but for reasons he couldn’t understand, tears sprang to his eyes. His heart heated up, and his eyes turned red.

He had to check if it was really Kang Chan or not. It could be another country’s intelligence bureau trying to distract South Korea or perhaps Saudi Arabia doing this to obtain evidence, but…

- I know this must come as a surprise. I apologize.

Kim Hyung-Jung swallowed dryly again in an attempt to contain the emotions that kept coming over him.

- Seok Kang-Ho, Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee will leave for Korea soon. If the Saudi government asks permission for Uzman to visit Korea, please grant them entry.

Kim Hyung-Jung remained speechless.

The man sounded like Kang Chan! Only he could say something like this!

It made sense that the public execution had been done with the masks on now.

“Assistant Director Kang Chan…? Is that really you?”

Laughter came from the other end of the line.

- Yes, Manager Kim. The very person who saved you in Mongolia.

Kim Hyung-Jung laughed like an idiot. South Korea still had hope. They could continue to run unimpeded like before.

- Seok Kang-Ho will give you a more detailed explanation, but for now, we need to take some action.

Kim Hyung-Jung couldn’t even ask where Kang Chan was or if he was okay. Hence, he simply grabbed a notepad and pen. “Awaiting orders.”

- I need the Jeungpyeong special forces team deployed to a small island two hundred kilometers off Hawk Bay, Bermuda. It's armed with surface-to-air missiles, two submarines, and anti-aircraft guns, so they'll have to approach by rubber boats and infiltrate from the shore.

Kim Hyung-Jung was certain now. Who else but Kang Chan would be willing to take South Korea’s special forces team on such a wild operation?

- I have to ask you to only inform the president or Director Go. If you need confirmation, ask Ambassador Lanok or Vasili.

Yes! This was how easy it was to get to Lanok and Vasili with him!

“Understood, sir. When should they depart?”

Before Kim Hyung-Jung knew it, he was back to his normal self.

- Seok Kang-Ho and his men will probably insist on coming along, so please send the team with those four. Cha Dong-Gyun and Kwak Cheol-Ho are in my office. Please send your agents there and make sure no word gets out.

“Yes, sir. The president and Director Go may want to speak to you directly, though.”

- That should be fine. Please have them call me. Just make sure to keep it a secret from the hospital staff and D.I. employees in the office. On another note, I have one more difficult favor to ask.

Kang Chan told him what it was, and Kim Hyung-Jung firmly replied that he would take care of it.

- It’s nice to hear your voice again, Manager.

Kang Chan hung up right after.

Kim Hyung-Jung checked the caller ID several times. He then looked at his notes again.

“Oh, right!”

Jumping to his feet, he dialed Go Gun-Woo with his left hand and grabbed his jacket with his right.