God of Blackfield

"Yeah. Instant, please," Kang Chan requested.

"Got it."

Shortly after, Seok Kang-Ho came back with two large mugs of instant coffee.

"Where\'s Gérard?" Kang Chan asked.

"He\'s with the agents manning the satellites."

Kang Chan took a sip of his coffee. As he set down the mug, Seok Kang-Ho offered him a cigarette.

This guy really knows what I want in situations like this.

They both lit up cigarettes.

"Call Gérard over," Kang Chan said.

"Alright.”

However, before Seok Kang-Ho could leave, they heard someone shout.

"Captain!"

As if overhearing their conversation, Gérard appeared from the room further inside the office even though no one had called for him yet.

"I\'ll be back with some coffee."

"Sure."

They weren’t in a rush anyway.

Long legs, a body that looked good in a shirt, brown hair, and blue eyes with hints of green—it was somewhat absurd seeing such a man dumping two packs of instant coffee into a mug and stirring it with the wrapper.

Gérard soon walked to the table and took a seat, a cigarette already in his mouth.

Kang Chan had initially planned to explain what he had heard from Abibu to these two. They could then put their heads together to figure out what to do next. However, although they were reliable in a fight, Kang Chan had always had doubts about their intellectual abilities. Hence, he decided to call Kim Hyung-Jung first instead.

- Assistant Director.

"Can I see you for a moment? I’m at the office."

- I\'ll be coming from Samseong-dong, so I\'ll be there in ten minutes.

"Okay. I’ll wait."

After ending the call, Kang Chan leisurely told Seok Kang-Ho and Gérard that he had roughed up Abibu. Telling the whole story took quite a while since he had to do it in both Korean and French.

"Ah! Damn it! I should have been there."

As Seok Kang-Ho was expressing his regrets, Kim Hyung-Jung entered the office. After exchanging pleasantries, he took a seat at the table. A mug of instant coffee was already in front of him.

"I asked you to come over because there\'s something we all need to discuss,” Kang Chan said. “Doo-Hee! Bring over that whiteboard please!"

As instructed, Lee Doo-Hee dragged over the whiteboard in the corner.

Afterward, Kang Chan ordered, "Jong-Il and Hee-Seung, come over here! Bring chairs!"

The two soon brought over three chairs to the table.

Kang Chan walked to the whiteboard and picked up a pen.

"My thoughts are all jumbled up right now, so I need your help organizing everything and figuring out if I missed anything."

He then quickly relayed the same information to Gérard in fluent French. Ironically, even though he was in Korea, he felt as if his French was improving. Kang Chan first wrote “Abibu” at the top left of the whiteboard.

"This bastard\'s deeds..."

Afterward, in order, he wrote “Hostage kidnapping in Afghanistan - Josh,” “Assassination of South Korean agents in Libya - to cover up the incident in Afghanistan,” and the rest of Abibu’s confession.

"Look. This is the sequence. When the agents we had sent to Libya realized that the kidnapping in Afghanistan was orchestrated, our enemies decided to kill them.”

Kang Chan then moved on to the revenge operations.

"They likely attacked our base in Mongolia not only to destroy it but also to obtain denadite and cetinium samples for their new next-generation power facilities."

By the time he was done recounting and documenting everything that Abibu had revealed, including what the UIS had intended to broadcast, he had already completely filled the left side of the board.

"That fucking bastard!" Seok Kang-Ho cursed on Kang Chan’s behalf.

"We’re not done yet. Next is Director Hwang\'s death. According to Manager Kim, he left coordinates using a phone number, and that’s likely the reason DGSE Director Romain decided to kill him with a terrorist attack.”

Kang Chan first wrote “Hwang Ki-Hyun” and then “Romain” below it. He then connected the International Building terrorist attack, Hwang Ki-Hyun, Romain, and Abibu with lines.

"After that, one of our agents obtained coordinates from a Greek-Egyptian naval intelligence officer, which led us to a ship transporting the OTP device of a nuclear warhead. The crew aboard the ship were presumed to be of Greek military origin."

Seok Kang-Ho nodded in response. After Kang Chan said the same thing in French, Gérard nodded as well.

"Lastly, Ambassador Lanok got locked up in Loriam\'s underground prison. Pierre, the head of the Nifles branch of France’s intelligence bureau, has replaced him."

After his monologue, everyone stared at the whiteboard with serious expressions.

"Think about the connections. There has to be something here. Even if there isn\'t, we need to find one. How and where Director Hwang obtained the coordinates, where the Egyptian naval officer got the coordinates to the ship carrying the OTP device… there’s got to be something we can work on."

Looking at the people seated before him, Kang Chan added, “Considering there were no other ships near that area, those who were supposed to receive the OTP device were likely in a submarine. If so, then the missing nuclear warhead was likely aboard it."

Silence enveloped the spacious office.

"Can I smoke?" Seok Kang-Ho asked.

"Go for it," Kang Chan replied.

Using their brains definitely intensified their craving for cigarettes.

However, that was simply how it was when it came to smoking. Once someone had reached out to bum a cigarette, the other people in the group strangely extended their hands out too. Eventually, Kim Hyung-Jung nodded, permitting Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee to smoke as well.

The smoke from their cigarettes swirled toward the ceiling vent.

"Captain," Gérard called. "How about we try getting an informant in Egypt? They might have some other information routes connected to the senior officers."

Kang Chan wrote “Egyptian informant”on the whiteboard, then relayed Gérard\'s suggestion in Korean.

"Wow!"

Seok Kang-Ho looked at Gérard in surprise. His expression then filled with the determination to come up with an even more amazing suggestion.

"Assistant Director," Kim Hyung-Jung called, causing everyone to turn to him.

"There are only a few countries that could have sent a submarine there. As Mr. Gérard suggested, we should start by looking for an informant in Egypt and trying to find a submarine equipped with missiles that require launch codes."

As Kang Chan interpreted Kim Hyung-Jung’s suggestion to French for Gérard and wrote \'Submarine-owning countries\' on the whiteboard, Seok Kang-Ho\'s face grew increasingly anxious.

Why is this bastard so enthusiastic about using his brain?

Kang Chan felt a bit sorry for Seok Kang-Ho, but there was no other choice at the moment.

***

Jo Seok-Do sat facing the road on the terrace of a coffee shop. After some time, someone walked over to him.

"Sorry, I’m late. Have you been waiting long?"

Jo Seok-Do stood up and greeted the person. "Not at all."

"It\'s been a while."

"It has, hasn’t it? Please, have a seat."

Once his companion had sat down, he took his seat again.

"How have you been?"

"Terrible. You know how it is, don’t you, sunbae-nim?"

"Yeah. We’re on the same boat, then."

A moment of frivolous conversation passed.

"I’ve got a scoop for you, but can you handle it?"

"What is it?"

"The main culprit behind the recent International Building incident is a Saudi Arabian prince."

Jo Seok-Do quickly looked around.

"Seriously?"

"I wouldn’t spout nonsense."

Jo Seok-Do opened his notebook and swiftly began to take notes.

"The prince was arrested at the Park Hotel in Samseong-dong during the incident. Cross-referencing the hotel records should reveal everything to you.”

As his companion spoke, Jo Seok-Do just kept taking notes.

"I’ve got something even more shocking for you. The assistant director of the National Intelligence Service has tortured the prince and his attendant. They are now in critical condition."

Jo Seok-Do stopped writing and sharply looked up. "W-what?"

"Even though the prince was behind the terrorist attack, it’s still hard to forgive the emergency arrest of a foreign dignitary, especially since they were tortured almost to death to force them to confess."

"Do you have evidence?"

His companion shook his head.

"The moment I bring out evidence, everyone will know who did it, and I\'ll immediately be..." he made a slitting gesture across his throat.

"Hmm."

"No need to ponder. Just announce the arrest first. That alone would be a scoop, wouldn’t it? Just say that the person identified as the perpetrator is now in critical condition due to torture. If he\'s alright, he\'ll appear on TV soon, and if the official announcement is delayed, your article will validate itself."

Jo Seok-Do pressed his lips together and stared at his notes.

"Are you sure it was the assistant director of the National Intelligence Service who tortured him?"

"Yes, the very person who led the counter-terrorism team."

Jo Seok-Do tilted his head in disbelief. "Haaa."

"What is it?"

"He\'s currently a national hero. Writing that he tortured someone without evidence won\'t get past the desk."

"Is that so? Forget I said anything, then,” his companion nonchalantly replied.

"Sunbae-nim, why are you giving me this information? To the National Intelligence Service..." Jo Seok-Do looked around before continuing, "You\'re not exactly low-ranked."

His companion scoffed. "Hmph. I can’t tell you everything, but because of the assistant director, our country might go to war."

Jo Seok-Do didn’t seem all that surprised. Perhaps it was because he found the claim absurd.

"I know. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I’m the one who handles the information, yet I’m just as baffled. Try to connect the dots, though. The Eurasian Rail conference terrorist attack, past military deployments, the recent assassination of two of our directors, and now the International Building incident. It’s not impossible. We are in a dire situation."

"So you\'re doing this to prevent a war? No other intentions?"

His companion scoffed again. "I’ll let you be the judge of that, but get back to me within two hours. You’re the first person I gave this info to since you\'re my junior. There wouldn’t be any hard feelings if you were to refuse."

The person stood up and left the coffee shop without looking back.

"Hmm."

Jo Seok-Do silently stared at his notebook.

***

"Captain," Gérard called once more.

"How did the agents in Libya find out that Josh ordered the kidnapping of hostages in Afghanistan? If they were killed to cover it up, does that mean Josh and Romain were aware of the entire operation?"

"We still don\'t know. They’ve killed all agents who knew the details."

Kang Chan wrote Gérard\'s question on the whiteboard again and relayed the gist of his idea in Korean. Once written, it felt more objective to look at it one by one. While lost in thought, Kim Hyung-Jung took notes about everything written on the board.

Choi Jong-Il raised his hand. "What about our fight with the Quds in Africa? Is that unrelated to this situation?"

Kang Chan and the others blankly looked at him.

"The Quds seemed to be trying to annihilate all of the special forces teams, including us. There has to be a reason for that too, especially since they’re of Arab descent..."

That\'s it!

Kang Chan snapped to attention.

How could I have missed that?

While telling Gérard what Choi Jong-Il had just said, Kang Chan turned to Choi Jong-Il. He looked as if he had just realized something.

Only Seok Kang-Ho\'s gaze, filled with a strong determination to blow something up, was different from the others

Staring intently at the whiteboard, he called, "Captain.”

Kang Chan wanted to stop him, concerned that what he was about to say would be so farfetched that it would only upset him… He honestly hoped Seok Kang-Ho would just suggest grabbing a snack instead.

Instead, with a grave expression, Seok Kang-Ho asked, "You said the hostages in Afghanistan weren\'t just kidnapped for ransom, right?"

"That\'s right."

Kang Chan was so nervous he almost couldn’t hear what Seok Kang-Ho was saying.

This bastard makes me tense up over nothing.

"You also said that our agents in Libya were killed because they have discovered the true objective of the kidnappings in Afghanistan.”

"Yes."

Is he actually onto something...? Maybe he found a clue?

Seok Kang-Ho met Kang Chan’s gaze, then turned around with a somewhat arrogant expression. Meanwhile, Kang Chan relayed his ideas to Gérard.

"Oh!" Gérard exclaimed.

That was the exact reaction Seok Kang-Ho had been hoping for.

"Think about what happened in Africa. The non-existent Somali government and the UN tried to annihilate the tribe. Even the Quds showed up with around six hundred men."

This guy?

Kang Chan felt a chill run down his spine due to Seok Kang-Ho\'s development. At the same time, he felt something tickling him.

What? What is it? Hurry up and get to the point already!

Choi Jong-Il swallowed dry saliva while intently listening to Seok Kang-Ho.

"Everything I\'ve mentioned so far involves Muslims."

"So?"

Seok Kang-Ho looked over at Gérard as if to say, “Bet you didn’t think of this.”

Afterward, he finally concluded, "Let\'s beat up Abibu one more time."

"What?"

Everyone’s reactions were no different from Kang Chan’s.

"That bastard knows something, doesn\'t he? We should beat him up and get more information out of him."

Although he made it sound like a great suggestion, it was actually nonsensical. He should have kept it moderate instead of going overboard.

I shouldn\'t have expected anything from this bastard!

Seemingly completely misunderstanding Kang Chan\'s profound gaze, Seok Kang-Ho said, "Phew. Let\'s go. I’ll beat him up myself this time. I don\'t need an interpreter.”

Kang Chan quickly turned his gaze toward the whiteboard in an attempt to stop himself from cursing in front of everyone.

***

Smithen followed Sharlan\'s movements with his head like a sunflower would keep looking at the sun. His restraints were undone, and he had been moved to a sofa. Although his thighs were now covered with burn dressings, his face still showed a bit of pain.

"Think, Smithen. Even if you find your parents, meeting them will be difficult if you keep behaving like this."

Sharlan crossed his legs and took the chair that Smithen had just vacated. Men with stern expressions surrounded them.

"Can you find them?" Smithen asked.

"Stop worrying about that and focus on how you\'ll meet them once we do find them. In your current condition, you can\'t even make a direct phone call!"

While Smithen kept sneaking glances at Sharlan, a brief silence fell.

"Give me the injection first," he asked.

"No."

"If the pain goes away, I might be able to think of a way. Please."

Sharlan laughed cruelly. He then nodded at one of the men. With a pleased expression, the man inserted a thin syringe into Smithen\'s outstretched arm.

Smithen sighed in relief. “Haaa.”

He then leaned back on the sofa, his lips curving into a smirk.

After throwing away the empty syringe in a trash can, the man asked, “Can we really use this guy?”

"We\'ll have to observe the situation until tomorrow morning. The International Building incident has quieted down, so we might meet that kid as he said."

After seeing the man’s meaningful look, Sharlan continued, "Give this guy a strong shot and send him out with a bomb, and that kid is done."

Sharlan glanced back at Smithen with a villainous smile.

"It doesn’t even have to be him. There are plenty of other people around him whose deaths could break his heart just as much as his parents. That’s why, for now, keep giving him the drugs regularly until tomorrow."

When the man nodded, Sharlan stood up.

Click.

He opened his briefcase, took out a different syringe, and injected it into his own arm.

"God of Blackfield!"

Sharlan smiled at the ceiling, a satisfied expression on his face.