Chapter 176.1: I feel better now (1)
It was already past ten that evening, yet Kang Chan still dialed Lanok’s number. It wasn’t that he wanted to request anything from Lanok—he figured a warning was the least he could do to show some respect to his intelligence agencies' teacher.
- Mr. Kang Chan, to what do I owe the pleasure at this hour?
“Mr. Ambassador. I hope I didn’t catch you too late,” Kang Chan greeted.
- Of course not. I was actually just talking about you with Anne.
Damn it!
In other words, he disrupted some quality family time. Nevertheless, he still had to tell Lanok.
“Mr. Ambassador. I apologize for disturbing you. However, I had no choice but to call since I have something urgent to tell you. I just called Yang Bum a few moments ago to ask that he kill Huh Sang-Soo, whom they have arrested in China. He chose to accept the favor,” Kang Chan informed Lanok. He then tilted his head.
Much to his surprise, it sounded as if Lanok was chuckling in amusement.
- What do you have to gain by killing Huh Sang-Soo?
“We lost General Choi Seong-Geon. What I’m about to do will serve as a warning to our enemies. I want to teach them a lesson and let them know that if they touch my people, no one will get away unscathed.
- Are Anne and I also your people?
Does this man think I’m joking right now?
This snake wasn’t the type to take these things lightly, though.
“Mr. Ambassador, I’m obviously going to protect you and Anne as well. On another note, I also want to make South Korea powerful.”
-I see Unicorn has finally found its rightful owner. You should contact Vasili and Ludwig as well, Mr. Kang Chan. What is your next objective?
“I’m going to go to North Korea and stab a knife into the neck of the bastard who dispatched their special forces team here,” Kang Chan answered.
Lanok was silent for a moment, breaking his leisurely pace.
- You never fail to surpass my imagination, Mr. Kang Chan. I do think that the owner of Unicorn should have that much pluck, but I also can’t fathom the idea of so easily angering the beehive that is your surrounding countries and the United States.
Kang Chan didn’t understand what the “owner of Unicorn” meant, but at the very least, it Lanok didn’t seem against it at all.
- Are you confident you can return alive?
“I’m not, but I’m sure that if we just do nothing while everyone keeps beating us up, we’re going to lose everyone someday,” Kang Chan replied with determination.
Kang Chan felt as if air finally flowed into his lungs again.
- I will call Vasili and Ludwig then, Mr. Kang Chan. There are also a few things I’d like to get from the DGSE. At the very least, please don’t leave tomorrow.
Hell yeah! This is the kind of reaction that we should be getting!
Kang Chan once again promised to make South Korea’s intelligence bureau as strong as the French national intelligence bureau. He would make sure that the future directors of the National Intelligence Service could have a relaxed disposition like Lanok.
- Would you like to come for tea tomorrow?
“Yes. That sounds good,” Kang Chan responded.
- Anne sends her greetings. Oh, let me take this time to inform you that Louis has been discharged from the hospital as well.
Kang Chan was envious. He was extremely envious that Lanok could be so calm even though he just told him that he was going to North Korea.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kang Chan said. After hanging up, he told Seok Kang-Ho, who didn’t understand French, everything about their conversation.
“Fuck. Our enemies killed one of our country’s generals, yet France seems to be more dedicated to taking care of this. It’s strange how envious that makes me,” Seok Kang-Ho complained.
“There’s no need to feel that way. All we have to do is become just as powerful,” Kang Chan declared.
Seok Kang-Ho tilted his head upon seeing Kang Chan’s eyes. He had never seen that look from him before.
***
“It seems like Unicorn has finally found its owner,” Lanok murmured.
“Are you talking about Channy?” Anne asked, to which Lanok nodded.
“Yang Bum is indeed worthy of taking over the Chinese intelligence bureau. He has probably come up with a plan to use Huh Sang-Soo’s death in that short phone conversation. If this is how things will play out, I suppose the time has come for me to punish China for kidnapping me too.”
Lanok was on friendly terms with Yang Bum, but he still spoke harshly about taking revenge. Anne couldn’t even dare attempt to guess how adept he was with politics.
“We also have to do everything in our power to make sure the owner of Unicorn returns safely,” Lanok continued.
“Papa, I know Channy is strong, but can he really be a hero who will have influence over the world’s economy and intelligence? For that, the country he was born in isn’t…” Anne trailed off when she saw Lanok’s smile.
“Anne, Monsieur Kang’s in-the-moment judgment, unwavering resilience in any situation, and superhuman abilities and determination that he demonstrates every time he goes on a mission are more than enough to go past what his environment can offer.”
Sitting across from him on the other side of the table, Anne listened closely to Lanok as if she was a student in a lecture.
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the ability to recognize such a person’s potential is half the battle in information warfare. Why do you think Vasili yielded to Monsieur Kang? If you think it’s just because the Spetsnatz lost, you’ll never win against Vasili,” Lanok said.
“But Papa, if Vasili really put his mind to it, South Korea won’t be able to protect Monsieur Kang,” Anne argued.
He smiled as if he was wearing a court jester’s mask.
“If I were to set my mind to it, I could kill Monsieur Kang as well. However, the effort and resources I would have to pour into killing him would leave the French intelligence bureaus spending at least the next ten years trying to regain the power they lost.”
“Can one man really be so strong?” Anne questioned.
“That’s simply the kind of person Monsieur Kang is. If Vasili and Monsieur Kang were to engage in a full-scale battle, I am confident that some countries would stand on Monsieur Kang’s side. Even if South Korea can’t protect him, Monsieur Kang has the capacity to draw people to his side. In the end, even if Vasili were to win, his glory would be riddled with wounds.”
Anne still looked as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Lanok raised his cigar.
“Call Yang Bum and find out when Huh Sang-Soo will be killed. We should have the Aigle dispatched to the waters near the Korean Peninsula around the same time,” Lanok ordered.
“Papa! The DGSE could refuse,” Anne protested.
“Anne.”
Lanok’s firm voice startled Anne. She cautiously raised her gaze and saw the cold and sharp look in his eyes.
“There is nothing more insulting than implying that the DGSE could refuse to follow my orders,” Lanok continued.
“I’m sorry,” Anne replied.
A short moment of silence enveloped the room as Lanok put his cigar in his mouth and puffed out the smoke.
“The intel that people create can determine whether someone lives or dies. Always keep in mind that those who make the judgment can dictate what happens to a person’s life,” Lanok warned.
When Anne nodded, Lanok held his glass out.
“If Monsieur Kang isn’t the owner of Unicorn, then France will be able to maintain its power if I step down from this position. It’s another stroke of luck for me that you’re the one who will be taking over the role.”
Clink.?
Anne hesitantly clinked her glass with his.
***
After finishing his meal with Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook, Kang Chan hurried to the other room, which was where Seok Kang-Ho was.
Although he felt at ease now that he made up his mind, he still couldn’t do anything about the glint that lingered in his eyes.
It was around half past eight in the morning.
He poured himself some coffee and lounged around with the news on the TV.
How should I take care of Yang Bum?
Deeply contemplating, Kang Cha stared at his cup of coffee when a sound interrupted his train of thought.
“Huh?” Seok Kang-Ho seemed surprised by what he saw.
What is it??
Kang Chan quickly turned to the TV.
“Take a look at that,” Seok Kang-Ho told him.
“Breaking News” was flashing in large text on the screen that Seok Kang-Ho pointed at.
[Chinese authorities have sentenced South Korean Congressman Heo Sang-soo to death in a trial held today at Nine AM in our local time. This is being evaluated as an unprecedented event not only diplomatically but also within China itself. I repeat, China has sentenced Congressman Heo Sang-soo to death. The government has not yet issued an official statement.]
“I bet that has made the son of a bitch furious,” Kang Chan said with a smirk.
“I feel a little better now,” Seok Kang-Ho replied.
They finally felt as if they were fighting back properly. Now that Kang Chan thought about it, he realized that he wanted to meet the bastard if opportunity allowed him. He turned to Seok Kang-Ho with a pleased expression.
“Phuhuhu,” Seok Kang-Ho cruelly laughed with a gleam in his eyes. Nervous tension was beginning to rise inside him.
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