Chapter 404: I’ll Play Along With You (1)

Everyone heard what Kang Chul-Gyu said over the radio. The moment the transmission ended, Kang Chan drew his pistol and aimed it at Rico, leaving everyone wondering what was happening.

Clink!

“Tie this bastard up,” Kang Chan commanded. As ordered, Yoon Sang-Ki and another soldier rushed in and swiftly subdued Rico.

At the same time, Cha Dong-Gyun sent four soldiers to support the rooftop. The other soldiers didn’t have to be ordered for them to hang by the windows and watch their surroundings. The South Korean special forces’ global standards truly shone in moments of confusion and unexpected situations like this.

“Cha Dong-Gyun, assign men who’ll be heading out with us—”

The door opened, interrupting Kang Chan.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

Kang Chan immediately aimed his rifle at those who were rushing in, and the others quickly followed suit. Just as quickly, however, they identified the group as the one they had assigned to the perimeter.

Crash.

Four soldiers dragged in two others whose necks and chests were soaked in blood. They then collapsed together on the floor. As his men immediately tended to the injured, Kang Chan glanced toward the door.

The last person to enter was Nam Il-Gyu. He had a knife in his hand, and his eyes were gleaming.

“Just as Kang sunbae-nim said, we’ve encountered North Korea’s 8th Special Forces Brigade. These bastards had a lot of grudges against us in the DMZ.”

“How many?”

“I can’t say for sure, but roughly around fifty.”

“Cha Dong-Gyun, send ten soldiers—”

“Assistant Director.”

Nam Il-Gyu interrupted Kang Chan’s command.

“Kang sunbae-nim wants you to be in the best condition for tomorrow's meeting. He also asked us to handle this fight so that our juniors can deal with other enemy traps.”

Despite his urgency to go out and support the remaining two soldiers outside, Nam Il-Gyu conveyed each word carefully and firmly with a look that seemed ready to jump into action at any moment.

“Please, Assistant Director. Those bastards fight like us. They hide in the dirt and jump out, just like during our training in Jeungpyeong. Their combat style will definitely get more of our juniors injured, so please just let me, Kang sunbae, and Dong-Sik handle this.”

Every man would have a terrifyingly intense look in his eyes when putting his life on the line. Nam Il-Gyu was no different. A heavy silence and tension enveloped the first floor.

Do we even have time for this?

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Kang Chan glanced toward the door, but Nam Il-Gyu slightly moved to hold his gaze, seemingly locking him in a staring contest.

“If tonight is already like this, there will be another trap tomorrow. The juniors need to be able to protect you then.”

Every second counted in this critical moment when two men were facing over fifty enemies just outside the door. Kang Chan couldn’t leave the three of them alone.

“We don’t need to have the meeting tomorrow,” said Kang Chan.

Despite Kang Chan’s decision, Nam Il-Gyu did not back down.

“Please do what’s best for Korea. We, the DMZ team and Kang sunbae, have given our lives for our country. Dong-Sik has even committed the grave sin of negligence against his daughter So-Mi because of it...”

“We do not have time for this. Don’t you know what our men are capable of? They’re currently the best in the world; they won’t be easily taken down.”

“I do know that, but it’s difficult to fight together in this kind of battle. Even if Kang sunbae and I can’t handle everything, we’ll at least expose them. You can step in then.”

There were only two options for Kang Chan. Either break Nam Il-Gyu’s will and lead the soldiers out or accept the determination in his eyes.

The brief moment of contemplation was too precious to waste on lengthy thoughts. For now, he needed to watch the situation before deciding.

Kang Chan made up his mind.

“Fine, but we’ll provide cover fire from the rooftop,” he said.

“Thank you, Assistant Director!”

Nam Il-Gyu saluted Kang Chan.

Kang Chan quickly saluted in return. How could he ignore such a gesture?

Creak!

Right after, Nam Il-Gyu disappeared outside.

“Cha Dong-Gyun, position two men at each window and send the others to the rooftop. If you spot even one of them, shoot them in the head. Drag that bastard to the rooftop as well!”

After issuing orders, Kang Chan immediately went up to the rooftop. It had been a long time since he’d seen such pitch-black darkness.

The stars and the moon hid behind the clouds, cruelly concealing their light. Dust continued to sweep across the rooftop.

Clink!

Lee Doo-Hee set up a sniper rifle against the rooftop wall beside Kang Chan, whose eyes had become as cold as ice.

“Rico.”

The man looked at Kang Chan and his surroundings with an indignant expression.

“Ramen and kimchi are hard for a first-timer to enjoy. It’s especially impossible for someone like you. Make a wise choice and answer. How did the 8th Brigade get here?”

“I'm innocent,” Rico replied.

This bastard dares mess around with Kang Chul-Gyu, Nam Il-Gyu, and Yang Dong-Sik’s lives?!

Kang Chan pulled the trigger.

Bang!

When the muzzle flashed, Rico’s left thigh burst open.

“

Aaagh

!”

“How did the 8th Brigade get here?” Kang Chan repeated.

“

Ugh

...”

Bang! Thud!

His right leg was shot through next.

“

Ugh

!

Ugh

...”

“You’re keeping your mouth shut? Fine.”

“

Uugghh!”

Kang Chan took out his phone in front of the man and dialed a number.

- This is Hugo.

“Rico, the local agent in Cuba, has betrayed us.”

Hugo didn’t respond.

“I assume you're already looking into his identity?”

- Of course.

Kang Chan nodded and glared at Rico. Tears and snot were streaming down Rico’s face, but he still looked indignant. He would naturally feel resentful. After all, he probably didn’t expect the North Korean 8th Special Forces Brigade to be exposed so quickly.

“Hugo, this incident, following the betrayal of the guide in China, is a disgrace to the DGSE.”

- We will take decisive action.

Kang Chan didn’t miss the way Rico’s eyes darted around in an attempt to listen to their conversation.

You idiot!

Whether he wanted to or not, as a local leader of the DGSE, he had to be aware of who Kang Chan was.

Information warfare? He probably got greedy from the money coming out of Ziegfeld and got involved with North Korea.

Fine, I’ll play along and give orders accordingly.

You probably don’t know this, but during my training under Lanok, Vasili taught me exactly how to handle situations like this. I just have to make sure you and your associates can't even flip a coin anymore, no?

Kang Chan stared directly into Rico's eyes. In French, he said, “I will ensure the DGSE never faces another situation like this again. Kill everyone who recommended this man, all agents in Cuba associated with him, his family, and everyone in his phone’s contacts within twenty-four hours.”

Only Rico and Gérard could understand what he had said. Kang Chan smirked at Rico, whose face had turned white.

“And seize every single penny from his accounts and assets. If the results are unsatisfactory, I’ll order the execution of all involved staff.”

- Duly noted. We will have it done immediately.

“Assistant Director! That’s...!”

Bastard! You should have listened when I was being reasonable!

“Rico.”

“Yes, Assistant Director, sir. This was something I...”

“If you wanted to hold out, you should have shown some more tenacity.”

“What do you mean...?”

Bang! Thud!

Rico's head snapped back, and blood splattered from his forehead.

“Clean this up!” Kang Chan commanded, then moved beside Lee Doo-Hee.

Although the others could not understand what he had told Hugo earlier, they got the gist of it from the atmosphere.

Clink!

Kang Chan set his rifle on the rooftop’s parapet and glared into the darkness.

***

A muzzle flashed amid the night, followed right after by a gunshot piercing the silence like a knife. Kang Chul-Gyu glanced at the rooftop with fierce eyes, then turned away.

Firing a gun from the rooftop at a time like this!

There was no better word to describe it than “incredible.” The sound of gunfire offered decisiveness to the enemy and reassurance to the allies. It served as a warning to their opponents that they were being watched and a powerful message to their allies that they had strong comrades supporting them.

Kang Chul-Gyu and Nam Il-Gyu found the enemies while they were patrolling the perimeter. Just as they had identified the two Jeungpyeong soldiers and walked toward them, they noticed that the earth behind the two was being displaced. The two Jeungpyeong soldiers whirled around to fire, but in such a fight, guns would always be slower.

They would have been killed had Kang Chul-Gyu and Nam Il-Gyu not rushed in. After slitting the enemy’s throat, they quickly realized that their opponents were from the 8th Special Forces Brigade. The way they carried their weapons was so unique that it was impossible not to notice unless there was another Asian special forces team in the world mimicking the DMZ team by hanging knives on their left shoulders.

Why and how these guys were here weren’t important. All that mattered now was clearing out everyone who had dug into and hidden themselves underground. Moving like a cat, Kang Chul-Gyu gently slipped his left hand into the crumbling soil.

Rustle.

Then, like a snake slithering through the ground, his left hand moved forward.

Did you know that when you cover freshly dug soil, it always leaves a pattern in the direction it was covered? That's why deeply buried bodies resurface with rainwater and why a single footprint can disturb the dust differently in the wind. Especially on a day like today, with the strong sea breeze, it's even easier to spot those trying to hide.

Rustle.

The moment the soil two steps ahead shifted slightly, Kang Chul-Gyu lunged into the darkness.

Whoosh!

Thud!

He plunged his knife deep into the ground.

Crunch! Crack!

As he pulled the knife from the soil, the sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking echoed simultaneously. Like spilled ink, blood soaked the ground, and the metallic smell quickly spread. To disguise themselves this well, they had to have spent at least half a day preparing. In this position, these people would survive even if a machine gun rained down bullets from the rooftop.

Swish!

The sound of Yang Dong-Sik cutting down an enemy came from the right. If there were thick bushes, other ambushes could have been possible, but on this bare ground, hiding in the soil was the best option.

Did these idiots really think they could eliminate Kang Chan with such numbers?

Kang Chul-Gyu moved silently forward again.

They must be panicking. Raising their heads risks being sniped from the rooftop, but hiding means getting killed one by one.

Rustle! Thud!

The soil moved again, and Kang Chul-Gyu moved like a wildcat, plunging his knife into the ground.

Crack!

He heard the sound of muscles and bones breaking against the knife. He was certain that all the hidden enemies around had heard it.

***

Yang Dong-Sik reached into the soil and found the head of the third enemy he had killed.

Thud! Crunch! Crack! Crunch!

After several stabs, Yang Dong-Sik placed the severed head atop the enemy’s buried body. This was what they called

“Showing Them Seoul.” All the hidden enemies must have heard him as well.

The enemies probably knew now that the King of the DMZ and Nam Il-Gyu, the creator of “Showing Them Seoul,” were around. The warning shots from the rooftop ensured they couldn’t even raise their heads. Yang Dong-Sik spotted an enemy hidden a few steps ahead and swiftly approached.

Thud! Crunch!

He plunged his knife into the enemy’s body and then yanked it out.

Since you’re already dead, you might as well take a look at Seoul before you go.

Yang Dong-Sik reached into the soil.

More than ten years have passed. Why haven’t these bastards evolved...?

Yang Dong-Sik’s hand stopped as he pulled out something curious.

Sssss!

It was a wire.

What’s this?

He searched the dead body again.

Did they bring a packed lunch for the Seoul tour?

In Yang Dong-Sik’s hand was a palm-sized block of C4.

It’s like a string of firecrackers for when Dad comes home!

Realizing why the enemies had surrounded the building and moved in the darkness, Yang Dong-Sik quickly rose to alert Kang Chul-Gyu.

I have to warm him!

Click!

Yang Dong-Sik glanced down in surprise.

Thud!

A sharp steel spike shot out from the soil, piercing his chest.

These bastards!

“

Aaagh

!”

He gritted his teeth and twisted his upper body.

Click! Thud! Click! Thud!

Two more spikes shot out, skewering Yang Dong-Sik’s torso again.

“Dong-Sik!”

It was dark, and more enemies were waiting to ambush them, yet Kang Chul-Gyu noisily approached him. Yang Dong-Sik knew he had to warn Kang Chul-Gyu about the C4 and the spikes, but...

“

Kugh

.”

... all that came out of his mouth was a bubble of blood.

Thud! Crack! Thud! Crunch! Thud! Crunch!

Every time Kang Chul-Gyu struck with his knife, the sound of enemies being split open echoed.

Isn’t he a truly admirable sunbae? I’m not just talking about combat skills, either!

Click! Click!

Twice, spikes shot out aiming at Kang Chul-Gyu. Yang Dong-Sik could barely see the soil flying.

Are these something like spring-loaded spikes like the batons used by the police? At least it'll be useful when you can't move a gun while lying down.

Strangely, the noise stopped. Amid this eerily silent world, his eyes remained fixed on Kang Chul-Gyu. He watched as Kang Chul-Gyu plunged his knife into the ground and dragged it, like watching a muted TV.

Hope sunbae-nim is okay...

‘Dad, does it hurt a lot?’

‘No, I’m okay.’

“Dong-Sik! Hey!”

He could see Kang Chul-Gyu shouting and approaching, but he could only hear So-Mi’s voice.

‘How could you come so soon? You should stay much longer.’

‘Right. I’m rather worried about sunbae-nim.’

“Dong-Sik! No! Don’t lose consciousness! Dong-Sik!”

He could clearly see the words on Kang Chul-Gyu’s lips and felt him lifting his upper body.

‘Do you really like him that much?’

‘Yeah, So-Mi. I like Kang sunbae-nim more than anyone in the world.’

Thud.

Kang Chul-Gyu caught Yang Dong-Sik's head as it fell to the ground.

“Dong-Sik! Hey, come on!”

Along with a spatter of blood, Yang Dong-Sik uttered his last clear words.

***

Swish! Whizz! Whizz! Swish! Crack! Whoosh!

It looked like a battle between ghosts and spirits. Just beyond the mound that obscured the view of the two-story building, Nam Il-Gyu, surrounded by enemies, could not find the chance to draw his gun. However, he gave the enemies surrounding him no chance to aim theirs either. Seven to ten enemies rose from the ground, encircling Nam Il-Gyu.

Crack! Whizz! Whizz!

These bastards have no idea who they’re dealing with—I'm the one who created 'showing them Seoul!'

Feeling a sense of urgency, Nam Il-Gyu parried the incoming knife handles and quickly plunged his knife into an enemy’s torso. He now understood why these fuckers were lying quietly in the dirt. Considering the wires connected haphazardly and the C4 strapped to their waists, it seemed they had planned to lure the allies out and eliminate them all here. They never planned on returning alive.

Whizz! Whizz!

In his haste, Nam Il-Gyu got hit in the waist and shoulder.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

He narrowly avoided the incoming knives.

The last knife grazed the bridge of his nose, slicing it horizontally.

These damn greenhorns!

‘Damn it!’

Smack!

Nam Il-Gyu grabbed the wrist of the enemy who had just swung at his face like a viper. He then severed their wrist and plunged his knife into their neck.

Swoosh! Thud!

Meanwhile, he was slashed on his back and thigh. It was terrifying; there were too many surrounding him, and they would do anything to take down at least one person. To make matters worse, they would most likely use him as bait to draw out Kang Chan and the special forces team.

Better to die than become bait. Should I shout? At least Kang Chul-Gyu might hear me.

Whizz! Whizz!

Nam Il-Gyu got hit again on his left side and forearm.

What if I pierced that fucker’s neck and detonated a grenade?

No matter how many knives flew at him, he could at least manage that.

‘Before it’s too late!’

Nam Il-Gyu gritted his teeth.

Swish! Thud! Swish! Thud! Swish! Thud! Swish! Thud!

Gunshots rang out, and holes appeared in the enemies' foreheads.

He thought it was Kang Chul-Gyu helping him, but his sunbae’s shouts were coming from quite a distance.

“Dong-Sik!”

Swish! Thud! Swish! Thud! Swish! Thud!

Is it a ghost? Is someone helping because our situation looks so pitiful and tragic?

The shooting was frighteningly accurate, giving Nam Il-Gyu enough room to have absurd thoughts. The sound of the shots was different from that of a sniper rifle.

Could it be?

Nam Il-Gyu turned his head.

Click!

With eyes blazing with fury, Kang Chan approached.