Chapter 265.2: Looking For a Weakness (2)
After eating dinner, Seok Kang-Ho headed outside. Gérard approached him.
“Interpreter!” Seok Kang-Ho gruffly called.
The army interpreter brought over two cups of coffee and handed them to Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard.
“How’s the captain doing?” Gérard asked.
“He hasn’t been doing well since he left the command center.”
“He lost too much blood and has severe wounds. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve already collapsed,” Gérard replied, then offered him a cigarette. ”Want one?”
Seok Kang-Ho took the cigarette and lit it up. Afterward, he looked at the Spetsnaz’s barracks.
“Why are those fuckers so quiet?”
“They left shortly after the meeting with the UN employees. They haven’t returned since.”
“Where did they go?”
“Considering they know we went back to the pit, wouldn’t they check it out as well? That’s the only place I can think of that can attract their attention right now,” Gérard answered with a smirk.
After a while, they heard vehicle engines turning off from the entrance.
“Seems like they’re back,” Gérard commented. He then turned his head toward the entrance, finding Andrei and four other soldiers entering the base.
Seok Kang-Ho cocked his head, a look of surprise on his face. “Huh?”
An elder and a child with albinism were with the Spetsnaz soldiers.
Click. Clank.
Andrei walked over to Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard. “Call the captain.”
The army interpreter immediately relayed what he said.
In response, Seok Kang-Ho told him that they couldn’t and explained why.
“I’m not weak enough to require your permission,” Andrei replied.
For some reason, he looked furious.
Gérard understood what Andrei said without needing the army interpreter to relay it in French. However, he couldn’t say anything because Seok Kang-Ho—the person that Andrei was talking to—chose to remain silent.
“Can you bring over the soldier who can speak Somali?” Andrei asked Gérard.
After contemplating what to do, Gérard answered, “The captain is severely wounded. If it’s not urgent, we should take the day off. We can just listen to what the tribespeople have to say when the captain comes out tomorrow.”
“Can you bring over the soldier who can speak Somali?” Andrei repeated.
“I’ll call him when the captain comes out tomorrow.”
“Gérard?”
Gérard stood up from the bench, the scar on his cheek twitching. Silence immediately enveloped their surroundings.
“Don’t test me. You’re not the only commander who lost their men,,” Gérard warned.
Unlike Andrei, who was stupid and simple-minded, Gérard gained integrity from his wealth of experience.
‘Between these two, who would win in a fight?’ Seok Kang-Ho wondered. He took a sip of his coffee with a look of excitement.
The two refused to look away from each other.
“I’ll return after dinner,” Andrei said, finally breaking the silence. “You better be here with the interpreter by then.”
“I’ll leave that decision to the captain,” Gérard answered.
Andrei’s cheek twitched. Turning away, he walked back to their barracks, his rifle clicking with each step.
“Where did they find those tribespeople?”
“I’m more curious about why that fucker went back to the pit in the first place,” Gérard replied as he sat back down.
“I wonder how only those two survived.”
“We can look into that with everyone once our captain wakes up.”
Changing the topic, Seok Kang-Ho asked, “What are we having for dinner?”
“The UN seems to be preparing a meal for us.”
“I’m just going to have ramyeon in our barracks.”
Gérard just shrugged in response, seemingly telling Seok Kang-Ho to feel free to do what he wanted.
“Do you think that fucker will cause another commotion once he’s had dinner?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“Hmph! It’s not like this is our first time meeting someone like him here in Africa. If I can’t tolerate him anymore, I can just beat him up.”
“Good luck with that,” Seok Kang-Ho said with a short laugh. He then stood up.
Gérard looked at him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to have dinner. I also have to check how our captain is doing.”
Gérard nodded. He then stood up as well.
When Seok Kang-Ho entered the infirmary, he found Kang Chan sitting on the bed.
“Whoa! Why are you sweating so much!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
Under the sunlight seeping in through the window, Kang Chan was completely covered in sweat.
“You should get some more sleep,” Seok Kang-Ho suggested.
“I’ve already had enough sleep. I’m already feeling better anyway.”
Kang Chan glanced at the IV that was connected to his arm.
“We should remove that,” Seok Kang-Ho said.
“Yeah.”
Seok Kang-Ho walked over to Kang Chan, removed the bandages and gauze, then pulled out the needle. He then sat to help put the bandages and gauze back over the area of the injection.
“We think Andrei went back to the pit,” he commented afterward.
Kang Chan smirked.
“You know why he went there, don’t you?” Seok Kang-Ho asked.
“I was the one who goaded him into it. I told him I think I saw the Blackhead inside the pit.”
“Did that bastard search the entire fucking pit? Is that why he was so full of spite when he got back?”
“I’m not sure, but he would have definitely gone through a lot of trouble if he searched through the piles of corpses in that place.”
Seok Kang-Ho’s grin disappeared, his expression turning serious. “Oh, right! That fucker Andrei brought back an elder and a child with albinism! They probably hid in the area and waited until the entire battle was over. Andrei told me to call you. When I said I couldn’t, he started throwing a fit. He even told Gérard to call the guy who could speak Somali before returning to their barracks.”
“Did they fight?” Kang Chan asked.
“Almost, but Andrei walked away before anything could happen. We should teach that bastard a lesson so he can start getting his shit together.”
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
Grinning, Seok Kang-Ho stood up.
After grabbing a pair of shorts and a cotton t-shirt, Kang Chan walked into the bathroom and took a shower. He didn’t worry about the water soaking the bandages since he had to have them replaced anyway.
By the time he was done, the soldiers were already preparing dinner.
“I’ll eat after getting my bandages changed,” Kang Chan told Seok Kang-Ho.
“I’m going to make ramyeon, so don’t take too long.”
Does this fucker never get tired of ramyeon?
Kang Chan left the barracks and headed to the command center.
He didn’t need to say anything. The medic immediately went to work, meticulously disinfecting his wounds and carefully changing his bandages.
“Did you use other medications on your wounds?” the medic asked.
“No.”
The medic treating Kang Chan cocked their head. At times like this, pretending not to know anything was the best thing to do.
Upon leaving the infirmary, Kang Chan had ramen, instant rice, and kimchi, all of which Seok Kang-Ho had prepared for dinner.
“Are you sure you’re okay now?” Seok Kang-Ho asked Kang Chan afterward.
“Yes. Sweating a lot has made me feel better.”
“That’s good. Let’s go. I’ll make delicious coffee.”
“Are you sure you’re not just going to order someone else to do it for you like last time?”
“Hey! I swear I’m making it this time!” Seok Kang-Ho exclaimed.
“Make one for Gérard too, then.”
“I was already planning to.”
After their conversation, Kang Chan slowly made his way out of their barracks.
All the special forces soldiers were now sitting on the benches in the middle of the base, seemingly having already finished their dinner at the mess hall. They were all smoking and drinking coffee.
Gérard was the first to approach Kang Chan. “How are you feeling?”
“It seems I was just sleep-deprived. I feel a lot better now that I’ve got plenty of rest.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“I heard Andrei kicked up a fuss.”
Gérard just smiled in response, the scar on his cheek twitching.
Where is that fucker, though?
As Kang Chan glanced at the Spetsnaz’s barracks, Seok Kang-Ho walked out carrying three mugs.
“You brought Korean coffee!” Gérard exclaimed.
Gérard walked over to Seok Kang-Ho and took one of the mugs. Seok Kang-Ho handed one over to Kang Chan as well. The three took a sip.
Just as they were about to light their cigarettes, Andrei walked out of the Spetsnaz’s barracks and made his way to Kang Chan.
“I went back to the pit earlier today,” he began.
With the sky already getting darker, the moths were starting to buzz around. They had to finish their coffee as quickly as they could even though it was still hot. Otherwise, the insects might fall into their mugs first.
Slurp!
Seok Kang-Ho audibly drank his coffee.
After briefly glaring at him, Andrei continued, “We didn’t find anything in there.”
He then looked at Kang Chan, annoyance evident on his face. It seemed as if he found this situation unfair.
Kang Chan lit up his cigarette before looking Andrei in the eye.
“On our way back, we found two tribespeople at the ridge below the huts. You should meet with them with the army interpreter who speaks Somali,” Andrei said.
“I’ll finish my coffee before we go. Are they in your barracks?”
“Yes.”
“Have they had dinner yet?”
“I already handled it.”
Kang Chan smirked at Andrei.
People could pass on emotions through the look in their eyes, their expressions, and their body language. Kang Chan thought that this fucker had the potential to be dependable, but he was also the type to make a rod for his own back and ask people to beat him up.
Seeing Kang Chan’s smirk, Andrei turned around and walked back to their barracks. Kang Chan couldn’t believe he dared cross the line even though he was definitely being careful.
With most of the sun already below the horizon, their surroundings were almost completely dark now.
Kang Chan quickly finished his coffee and called Roberre—the French soldier who interpreted Somali for them. They then headed to the Spetsnaz’s barracks with Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard.
Opening the door and entering the building, they found the elder and the child with albinism sitting on the sofa. The two turned their heads toward them in surprise.
“Surkard!” the elder yelled at Kang Chan. With only two teeth at the top and one tooth at the bottom, he couldn’t quite pronounce the word properly.
I’m so sick and tired of this! Why do they have to keep making things awkward?!
The elder was saying something when Kang Chan heard a commotion outside. A few moments later, the door of the barracks swung open.
“We need you outside!” a soldier said.
What’s going on?
Kang Chan, Seok Kang-Ho, Gérard, Andrei, and the Spetsnaz soldiers quickly ran out.
Most of the soldiers were already outside and staring in the same direction. A few of them even stood on the bench as they watched the sky.
“It’s over there!”
Kang Chan looked at where the French soldier was pointing.
“What the hell is that?” he asked.
A part of the dark sky was tinged with red light, making it look as if it was soaked in blood.
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