Chapter 154.1: Watch and Learn (1)
Although Kang Chan had already changed clothes, he couldn’t walk out of his room yet because he didn’t want Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook to see his eyes blazing with so much spite.
“Channy, dear!” shouted Yoo Hye-Sook in such unfortunate timing.
“I’m getting changed, Mother!” Kang Chan shouted back in response, trying to avoid meeting them.
“Okay then! We’ll be heading out now. Have a good day today, and don’t forget to be careful!” Yoo Hye-Sook shouted again so Kang Chan could hear her.
“See you later!” Kang Dae-Kyung bid him farewell.
They didn’t ask him where he was going or what he would be doing today. When other parents told their high school sons to be careful, it was to be careful of the roads or when crossing streets. But Kang Chan’s parents telling him to be careful had a whole different meaning.
I’m going to make sure I become happy in this life.
After rescuing Lanok, he planned to become a powerful, fearsome man if that was what it would take for his enemies to never touch even a strand of his people’s hair ever again.
The moment he heard the sound of the front door closing shut, Kang Chan immediately picked up his phone so he could try to locate where Lanok was. However, the application strangely did not display the ambassador’s location.
What’s wrong with this? What’s the problem?
.
Tsk!
Brushing his irritation aside, Kang Chan called Seok Kang-Ho, then dialed Choi Jong-Il. After the phone calls, about five minutes went by.
-Your parents have just left the apartment complex, sir.
Choi Jong-Il reported to him through the application.
Kang Chan hurried out of his home and headed down. By the time he exited the building, Seok Kang-Ho and Choi Jong-Il were already waiting for him with their cars by the entrance.
“Choi Jong-Il, we’re heading straight to the French embassy,” Kang Chan declared.
“Understood, sir,” Choi Jong-Il replied.
They all drove off as soon as Kang Chan got into Seok Kang-Ho’s car.
“What’s going on?” Seok Kang-Ho asked, clearly concerned.
“Ambassador Lanok has apparently been kidnapped,” Kang Chan bluntly replied.
“What? Jeez!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed in surprise, turning to Kang Chan with wide eyes before quickly looking back to the road again. “How the fuck did that man get kidnapped? The security detail he has around him is no joke. What in the world were his guards doing? Twiddling their thumbs?”
“I don’t know the details yet. I’ll have to learn more about what happened when we get there first. All I know is that Anne called me crying and told me her dad was kidnapped,” Kang Chan informed Seok Kang-Ho.
Seok Kang-Ho looked like he was having a hard time understanding how Lanok could be kidnapped.
They were driving during rush hour, so traffic was slow. Nevertheless, they did their best to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
The agent standing outside opened the doors for Kang Chan upon confirming his identity. He then glared at Choi Jong-Il’s car.
“Let him through,” Kang Chan told the agent. “I brought him along.”
“Understood, Monsieur Kang,” the agent respectfully replied.
Kang Chan, Seok Kang-Ho, and Choi Jong-Il’s group all rushed up to Lanok’s office.
“Channy!” Anne cried in distress. She hobbled over to Kang Chan with her hand over her mouth.
“It’s okay, Anne. Everything will turn out just fine. You know how strong your father is, don’t you?” Kang Chan reassured her. He hugged her and patted her on the back, then took a scan around the office.
He saw agents and aides standing on edge, but he could not see Louis anywhere.
Kang Chan carefully helped Anne sit down and took a seat across the table from her.
“What happened?” Kang Chan asked her.
Anne looked at one of Lanok’s aides, who then began to speak in her stead.
“My name is Raphael, Monsieur Kang. We lost all contact with the ambassador after he said he would have a private conversation with the Chinese ambassador and the speaker of the national assembly following their lunch appointment at the Seoul Hotel,” Raphael said stiffly.
“The speaker of the national assembly? You mean Huh Ha-Soo?”
“Yes, that is correct, Monsieur Kang,” Raphael answered.
“When did that son of a—that guy get back to South Korea?” Kang Chan was having a hard time bottling in his irritation.
“The speaker returned while you were away on your operation, sir,” Raphael responded.
That rat! Son of a bitch!
Kang Chan gritted his teeth.
“You said they were meeting at a hotel. How have you not found the ambassador yet?” Kang Chan asked through clenched teeth.
“We haven’t been able to officially request any assistance because we can’t report him as missing. Moreover, Ambassador Lanok gave us specific instructions a while back for situations like this,” Raphael explained.
“What were they?” Kang Chan asked.
As Kang Chan picked up a cigarette from the table, Raphael glanced at Anne, carefully choosing his words.
“He told us that if something like this was ever to happen, all the staff at the French embassy should follow and listen to your orders. We were to report to you first, and whatever you decided to do, we should comply with your orders under all circumstances.”
Kang Chan exhaled, breathing out a long wisp of smoke.
Damn it!
Kang Chan didn’t know the snake had so much faith in him.
“For now, give me and the agents with me a place where we can remain on standby. If we can stay in this room, then that would be even better,” Kang Chan ordered Raphael. Afterward, he turned to Choi Jong-Il. “Did you bring any weapons?”
“They’re in the car, sir,” Choi Jong-Il replied.
Kang Chan looked back at Raphael.
“Prepare five pistols, each with four magazines, for me and all the agents here,” Kang Chan ordered.
Raphael delivered Kang Chan’s instructions to the agents around them, obeying Kang Chan’s words as if he was really his superior.
“And get me Ludwig, Vant, and Vasili’s numbers. Stat.” Kang Chan ordered again.
“Monsieur Kang, if it’s all right with you, please use Ambassador Lanok’s desk. It has a direct line to the men you just mentioned. I will connect you to them,” Raphael advised him.
Using Lanok’s desk was such an unexpected suggestion that Kang Chan couldn’t immediately reply. Fortunately, Anne quickly nodded in agreement in his stead.
Kang Chan decided to push worrying about invading Lanok’s personal space to a later time. Right now, he had to focus on rescuing him.
Kang Chan rushed to the desk. As soon as he sat down in the chair, he immediately felt as if Lanok was watching him from behind. In the meantime, a few agents carried desks, tables, and chairs into the room so Seok Kang-Ho and Choi Jong-Il could sit down. On the table, they set tea, ashtrays, and the five guns Kang Chan had requested for each of them.
Time was of the essence. Kang Chan couldn’t waste it contemplating the situation.
Was Huh Ha-Soo so influential that he could kidnap Lanok? Absolutely not. That was bullshit. There had to be more to this.
Kang Chan first pulled out his phone to call Kim Hyung-Jung.
-Hello, Mr. Kang Chan. This is Kim Hyung-Jung.?
“Mr. Kim. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to explain. I may need the South Korean special forces team—the same men who went on the operation in Switzerland. Please have them all fully armed and waiting on standby as soon as you can,” Kang Chan requested, urgency in his voice.
Kim Hyung-Jung paused for a moment before finally replying.
-Are you in a difficult position to explain the reason why?
“That’s correct, sir,” Kang Chan replied.
-I will call the director. I’ll get back to you right after.
“Please tell him that this is something I absolutely have to do,” Kang Chan implored.
-I will, Mr. Kang Chan.?
Much to Kang Chan’s gratitude, Kim Hyung-Jung didn’t ask any other questions. After hanging up, Kang Chan raised his head to look at Raphael.
“I want to order another emergency decree to the entire Foreign Legion and have the special forces team who participated in the Mongolian operation head straight to South Korea immediately. Who do I speak to for this?” Kang Chan asked sharply.
“Unfortunately, that would be difficult to do unless it’s Ambassador Lanok’s direct orders,” Raphael replied, his tone conveying how troubled he was.
“I see. Then connect me to Ludwig for now,” Kang Chan requested.
Raphael picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number for him.
Ring. Ring. Ring.?
Kang Chan raised the receiver to his ear and patiently listened to the dial tone.
-Lanok? To what do I owe the pleasure at this hour?
“Ludwig, this is Kang Chan from South Korea,” Kang Chan greeted brusquely.
Based on Ludwig’s lack of response, it seemed he was taken aback.
“I apologize for calling you so abruptly, but I have a request, sir,” Kang Chan continued.
-Did something happen to Lanok?
“That seems to be the case. I require assistance on the matter.
-Hmm, can I ask exactly what you need before I agree?
“An emergency decree issued to the KSK and the command of three of their units.”
-Whew!
Ludwig let out a resonant sigh. It was as if all the sleep in him had suddenly left him.
-Who is the target?
“China,” Kang Chan responded sharply.
-Ha. This is…
Ludwig seemed flustered and astounded by the scale of Kang Chan’s request and target.
-Mr. Kang Chan, do you understand the weight of what you just said?
“Ludwig,” Kang Chan firmly began, his tone lowering enough to silence Ludwig once more.
“Regardless of whether you help me or not, I will proceed with this mission. If anyone dares hurt Ambassador Lanok, I will without question make an example of every single person who gave the command to do so. The ambassador’s safety and well-being are more important to me than whatever political meaning my actions will have among the intelligence agencies,” Kang Chan stated resolutely.
There was still no reply over the line.
“Ludwing, I understand your decision. However, from this moment on, you are no longer my friend,” Kang Chan hung up right after.
These cold-hearted bastards!
He was making slower progress than he anticipated.
Kang Chan looked back at Raphael.
“I trust you know Xavier?” he asked him.
“I do, sir,” Raphael said.
“Let me borrow an agent of yours,” Kang Chan asked Raphael, then glanced at Choi Jong-Il. “Go and bring back this guy named Xavier. A French agent will guide you to him. He’s armed and has received special training too, so be careful. I don’t care if you shoot him or cut off an arm. Just make sure you bring him to me alive,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Choi Jong-Il responded and immediately stood up to leave. As soon as Kang Chan nodded at Raphael, the latter relayed his orders to another agent.
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