Chapter 52: < Protect – Episode 51 – Comradery Association [2] >

Maxim Evanovich Djorkaeff, a Russian tycoon’s body was unable to return to his home country. No, it was more like his death wasn’t revealed to the outside world.

“Was he in pain?”

“There shouldn’t have been.”

“Thank you.”

Djorkaeff’s window thanked him with a calm face. It seemed as though she knew this day would come. Vitali kept this secret. Djorkaeff’s family was transferred to Korea, and it didn’t seem like there was any torture or abuse.

‘Of course not.’

Since it was no longer the Soviet Union, they couldn’t force them into labor camps. The political members must have had some conscience.

“Do you like the house?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Please let me know if you need anything.”

When it was the Soviet Union, there were elite courses among the communist party. During the 40s and 50s when there were wars, the military was popular, and from the late 50s to early 60s, secret police received a lot of attention, and during the 60s of the Cold War, KGB was given special treatment. The key to the propaganda depended on secrets that other people didn’t know.

Djorkaeff was among the KGB, so he knew many secrets that other people didn’t know. The reason why he was put through purges was clear. He knew too many fatal secrets.

“Did Maxim leave anything?”

She stared at Ahn Soo Ho after he asked that question. She didn’t seem to be angry though. She was just wondering if she could trust him.

“All he left was the word, Warsaw.”

After Arina left, Logan approached.

“Warsaw? Is that Polish?”

“I’m not surprised that that’s the first thing that came to mind.”

“There must be another meaning.”

Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

“People believe the States made the flower of capitalism bloom, but I’m not sure about that. The way I see it, the Soviet Union was the top beneficiary that sucked up all that honey.”

“Pardon?”

Logan didn’t understand so he asked back, but Ahn Soo Ho tapped the armrest as if he didn’t have anything else to say.

“Warsaw.”

When people thought of the Soviet Union, they would think of Moscow, but the truth was that the Soviet Union had a complicated composition of power.

‘How interesting.’

The reason why Vitali Andropov tripped over Red Sea Trading Company could have been because of the strange political climate in Russia. Did the political members change their minds? No one dared to underestimate the potential of Russia, which had the biggest land in the world. But the reason why Russia couldn’t be a developed country was because of the Slav’s ethnicity which was ever so cruel.

There was a slight difference in the patriotism they talked about. It was foolish to trust that all civilized men would make rational decisions. Djorkaeff was just one of many mutants that were born from extreme confrontation, and there were countless monsters who surpassed them.

Someone rushed in without knocking.

“I found a target.”

“Already?”

“Yes. They didn’t even hide.”

The Korean police weren’t stupid.

The NIS was always called crazy, but they weren’t stupid, and neither was the command, which was the best in air intelligence. Korea wasn’t that sloppy. They might be slow due to certain restrictions, but when it came to intelligence combats within Korea, they didn’t fall behind.

‘The land is small too.’

No matter how far a person flies in the Korean peninsula, he or she could only get so far. Ahn Soo Ho looked at a building taller than the Star Tower and then made a command over a communication device.

“Cause a disturbance.”

“What about tactical deployment?”

“Tactical deployment? Why do you think I called you. I didn’t expect physical help, that’s for sure.”

“I understand.”

Alexa and the Kosino team weren’t agents who were specialized for the scene. On the contrary, they were strong in psychological and intelligence warfare. The human civilization of the 21st century was dominated by 0s and 1s, and a cyber war was already on their doorstep.

Lee Geun Taek’s whereabouts were easily secured.

He didn’t intend on hiding to begin with. Since he was strong enough to switch the president of a country, he wasn’t going to be easily threatened. However, Lee Geun Taek didn’t know him. He didn’t know why he was called the Magician, and he would never do.

– How could anyone not see that?

– I couldn’t believe it.

No one tried to stop Ahn Soo Ho from walking straight into the head office. They weren’t ignoring him. They just didn’t notice him. In a simulation made by a gaming company in the States, there was a sneaky unit that dropped a nuclear bomb after becoming transparent.

– Ghost…Is it really a ghost?

Without caring about the communication channel of the noisy forces, Ahn Soo Ho went on the lift and went to the highest floor of the head office. The chairman’s office was consumed by tension, and the 3 executive members including Lee Geun Taek were having a discussion.

“Let’s make a protective custody request. No matter how powerful they may be, they can’t look down on governmental authority.”

“That’s what’s hard. It’s not just the central department that’s avoiding us. It’s the police and prosecution too. If we expose another embarrassing secret, we might not be able to turn back.”

“What about the mercenaries?”

“It’s absurd but all the mercenaries are demanding contract cancellations.”

“Contract cancellations? The cancellation fees are no joke.”

“They’re saying it doesn’t matter.”

“Ha!”

“This might be for the best. We have enough men as it is. Unless they’re crazy, no one will be able to use guns in our country.”

“But what do we do? I’m a crazy person.”

“Gasp!”

The members who were startled by the sudden voice raised their bottoms. Lee Geun Taek pressed the emergency button on his earphones, but no one came inside.

“How?”

“How did I come in? That’s not what’s important right now.”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held up the gun with a silencer, the old men’s complexions changed.

“You’re all here.”

One person was missing, but the rest were there. It was true that birds with the same feather flock together. Did the self-righteous, hypocritical, and greedy old men think of themselves as movie characters who could dodge bullets? People who lived privileged lives had a habit of thinking they would always be okay.

“Hey, let’s come to a settlement…”

The member who tried to shamelessly came to a settlement got a hole blown through his head and collapsed. That was just the beginning. Every time Ahn Soo Ho pulled the trigger, someone went down.

“This punk!”

Lee Geun Taek, who was the last one remaining, shouted angrily, but in contrast to his contorted face, his feet didn’t go anywhere. His body, which was frozen due to fear, was being truthful.

“You won’t get away with this!”

“That’s not for you to worry about since you’ll be dead.”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held up his gun, fear could be seen in Lee Geun Taek’s eyes. In Korea, where guns were illegal, a crime involving guns would draw a lot of attention. Was he not afraid at all? He heard that he was fairly high up, but he didn’t know he was so high up that he could do anything he wanted.

“When you get to hell, you’ll see your child there.”

“You little…”

A bullet was blown through Lee Geun Taek’s head before he could finish talking. It was a futile death for a man who had such influence over the Korean society for decades. He didn’t feel very much, just like when Lee Kyung Joon died before his eyes.

He snuck out just like he snuck in.

The bodies of the four men who didn’t even had the time to worry about how Lee Kyung Joon went missing was going to either cause a sensation or get buried. It didn’t matter which one it was, but the meaning of the warning was clearly delivered.

– General.

He heard Logan’s voice from the earphones.

– The wanted list had been updated.

How were mercenaries and assassins differentiated? They both get paid to murder. If the unwritten law of mercenaries was contracts, the unwritten law of assassins was secrecy. That was because it was possible for assassinations to fail. And when it did, the revenge battles that broke out were concealed usually with the excuse of national security.

“Who?”

“J-Law is on the list.”

“What about First Order?”

“One of the guys from Intelligence Company is in charge of that. One moment…”

Intelligence Company was a detective agency. It was a little unfamiliar in Asia, but private detective agencies had been working as government advisors in places such as the States and Europe.

– Grey Head under Pinkerton.

“Bulldog?”

Pinkerton Detective Agency was a private business and pioneers of the West that was similar to the private military company. They had so much power that there were rumors of them having more agents than the police. Even though their powers shrunk quite a bit due to militia legislation, if the military that was a part of the Indian war was excluded, then they really were one of the strongest armed forces if not the strongest.

“Look into it in detail.”

– Yes, Sir.

Ahn Soo Ho headed to the charnel house near Seoul that he visited before. It was where the queen grandmother was resting. Actually, it was a shrine that people made so that they could admire her.

‘I’m sorry, Granny. I came empty-handed again.’

He broke his promise to not get into trouble in his homeland today.

‘I had no choice.’

Over 10 years was quite a long time.

‘But I feel like I’ll continue to feel sorry.’

That was why he came in advance to apologize.

– General, I found the last target.

“Good.”

It was time to face the last punk whom he must take responsibility for on this land. The vacation home located in the mountains of Gangwon Province was near a military base, and it was clearly an illegal house that used state-owned land. The very large vacation home wasn’t something that could be hidden with the strength of one or two people.

As soon as he got to the gates, it opened automatically, and the guys were under the control of Logan and his underlings. None of them were dead. It didn’t matter if they died, but he tried to take care of it quietly as if he liked Korea. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho came in, Logan approached wearing a bandana.

“We have them under control.”

“Any casualties?”

“Our forces are fine, but around 20 of their men are hurt.”

“Did they have guns?”

“None.”

“How complacent of them.”

No matter how rare gun cases were in Korea, for those leading Korea, they were careless about their own safety.

“Comradery Association.”

It was an interest group that could only be joined by generals of high rank whether they served in the past or were still serving. They were similar to the Korea National Association, but the difference would be that their behavior was surprisingly just. The problem was that there wasn’t a proper internal investigation.

All power was corrupt.

Even if they talk about protecting their own land, as soon as changes occur with profit, they were no different from thugs that used violence. Just the fact that they held extravagant banquets at such a huge vacation home made their so-called justice a lie.

An agent wearing a mask had the vacation home under control. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached the entrance, one of them opened it as if they were a doorman. It was a mess inside. The broken table and scattered food startled his nose. No matter how fancy the food was, it all smelled the same once it rots.

The men who were on the ground were of decorated backgrounds.

They were elites including a former congressman, a CJCS, a top official of the Ministry of National Defense, and the president of a military organization. The legal circles that got together were nothing compared to this group. The CEO of Aegis Agency, which was famous as the top PMC, frowned as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.

“Hey! Listen to me…”

His head fell to the ground before he could finish. That was because Ahn Soo Ho didn’t want to hear any excuses. He pulled the trigger on him and turned around. The screams that followed could be heard from the next room. He didn’t care and left through the entrance.

“Don’t you want information?”

“There’s no point.”

Logan approached and offered his lighter.

“Phew. Evacuate.”

“What about them?”

“Let them go.”

“They could seek revenge though.”

“Then should I kill all of them? Collateral damage can’t be helped, but as for other killings, this isn’t Somalia, Logan.”

It was very likely for the capable men to seek revenge in order to restore their pride. When else would they be treated like dogs again like they were today? Ahn Soo Ho left the men on their knees and smirked.

“Well, I’d like it if they sought revenge.”

His voice was neither loud nor quiet. Those who thought they were on top of the law were capable of doing all sorts of things to justify their violence. Currently, it was hard to punish them with the law alone. Ahn Soo Ho didn’t care for the law either. When it came to being nasty, he was in first place. Accuse? Charge? Trying to use evidence on the Magician was a stupid and crazy thing to do.

He blew out the last puff he took from the cigarette.

“Phew. I’ve never lost in a dog fight before.”

As Ahn Soo Ho expected, no one talked about the gun violence the next day or the day after that. No one mentioned it as if it never happened. Instead, Star Tower was graced by the visits of the president and the Minister of Defense. They used the excuse of wanting to deliver a plaque for the smooth execution of the military performance and whatnot, but they just wanted to have a face-to-face talk.

Jung Il Young was the first Minister of Defense who didn’t have a military background. Lee Joong Hyun hated the Comradery Association just as much as he hated Korea National Association. Moreover, it was hard to understand how they passed the confirmation hearing. Just like the close ties between the political world and the financial world, there were quite a few former officers who were congressmen. For that reason, the Ministry of National Defense hadn’t been quiet lately.

“It must be difficult for you, Minister.”

“You’re not completely unrelated to the military.”

“The National Defense Institute is a military organization as well.”

Jung Il Young laughed bitterly to what Ahn Soo Ho said. He heard about him from the president, but he wasn’t a normal fellow at all. He’s never seen someone like this in a country where people always bow down to their superiors.

“No matter how corrupt he was…resolving this required a lot of trouble, Mr. Ahn.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

When Ahn Soo Ho shrugged, Jung Il Young knitted his brows nodded.

“If it’s uncomfortable, I won’t mention it again.”

“I really don’t know, but sure.”

On the outside, Korea definitely looked like an advanced country, but on the inside, they still weren’t able to escape from their fixed ideas from the military dictatorship days. From the attacker’s point of view, saying this would be funny, but organizations that didn’t protect their members would run into trouble later down the road. No matter the reason, they had to protect their troops.

“I’m sure you didn’t come here just to give me a plaque. Please get to the point, Minister.”

“You must be busy. Have you heard of Hanbit Troops?”

“The reconstruction support organization in the Republic of South Sedan?”

“That’s right.”

People didn’t know about this, but Korea also managed dispatched troops abroad. Most did simple tasks such as supporting reconstruction efforts, but they sometimes dispatched military cooperation troops. Korean weapons sold well in South America, Central, and South Africa, and South East Asia and Hanbit Troops, which was dispatched to support the reconstruction of South Sedan, provided medical support, and Sudan, which was in an uncomfortable relationship with South Sedan didn’t like that one bit.

“A problem arose a month ago.”

Africa was bad no matter where they went. Once a person left the South African region where Caucasians were protected, gunshots could be heard everywhere. Harlem in New York was like Heaven compared to Africa.

“There are many other countries that dispatched troops to help them with reconstruction and cooperation. There are countless agencies that sent cooperation troops to the point of not even needing UN. The problem was that the weapons we sold are aimed at us.”

“It must have gone to the black market.”

“That’s right. We traded with the regional government, but our weapons somehow went to the terrorist groups.”

“Did you talk to them about it?”

“They’re saying they don’t know anything about it.”

“I’m sure. That neighborhood doesn’t take contracts seriously.”

They might have done it because they looked down on Korea as well.

“The bigger problem is…”

“China and Japan, right?”

“Oh, did you know?”

Jung Il Young who was trailing off was startled by what Ahn Soo Ho said.

“China probably sent leftover men instead of troops, and since Japan couldn’t send any troops, they probably sent private cooperation groups. Since a long time ago, at that.”

“You’re right.”

China’s high population was a great weapon no matter where they went. Just by gathering people by giving them compensation and sending them to Africa to build a China Town, they became very influential in that country. It was an ignorant plan, but it was very effective. And then the triad naturally butted in.

Then what about Japan?

Before the bubble was burst, Japan was the only rich country that threatened the States. Koreans treat Japanese like crap, but from the perspective of the rest of the world, Korea couldn’t catch up to Japan. It was a lot more relaxed now, but Japan’s weapon export was prohibited and even if they could, they had to go through the States. As a result, Japan’s diplomatic strategy always depended on the trade agreement.

If China was overflowing with people, Japan used their money as their weapon. However, as a result of China’s reform and growth, Japan’s capital superiority, and when the bubble burst and the economy crashed, they needed a better diplomatic strategy. The States felt a big threat to China’s sudden development. That was why Japan went into weapon development research and reformed the mutual defense treaty to keep China in check.

“The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have gone into the countdown, Mr. Ahn.”

“Do you think the peace treaty will be reformed soon?”

“It’s just a matter of time before it’s passed.”

It might be called the UN Peacekeeping Troops, but the UN troops in Africa had a close relationship with NATO, and the ones controlling NATO was the States. The dictatorship countries and Islam didn’t look down on the UN Peacekeeping Troops for no reason.

Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

“How much has the proxy war progressed?”

“They’ve already started.”

“They have? Oh!”

He punched his hand with his fist.

‘Ultra Program.’

Aragon Company had been conducting human experiments in South America. But could Africa let them be? No way. They conducted human experiments where it was easier and more vast.

‘They apparently sold it all over the world.’

Did Korea buy the Ultra Program too? They probably wouldn’t have answered that question. Ahn Soo Ho showed a vague expression.

“So? What do you want from me?”

“Please mediate an agreement with North Korea.”

“Who?”

Ahn Soo Ho didn’t expect that tone.

“We need you to go to Pyeongyang.”

< Protect – Episode 51 – Comradery Association [2] > The end.

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