CH58 | MCT

Let’s Go, Back to Korea (2)

“Hands up. Move, and I’ll shoot.”

“Captain? Why are you here…?”

The assassin was caught off guard.

At the captain’s signal, armed men stormed into the room.

It was Song Jin-gu, the loan sharks, and the miners.

“Damn it!”

They were faster than the assassin.

Pfft.

Song Jin-gu’s gun fired.

It was a hunting rifle, powerful enough to take down a beast.

“Nothing personal. Sweet dreams.”

Song Jin-gu wished him a good night’s sleep.

The assassin staggered as the tranquilizer round struck his thigh.

“Get some good rest. When you wake up, you’ll be in Korea.”

“No worries about getting airsick. Haha.”

The situation flipped in an instant.

The assassin was quickly restrained and disarmed.

A gag was shoved into his mouth, and he was tightly bound.

The drug was already taking effect—his vision blurred.

“Throw this bastard into the next room and stand by again. Change the sheets.”

“Yes, sir.”

They dragged the assassin toward the next room and opened the door.

‘What the…?’

Three men, dressed in night gear and bound just like him, were already fast asleep.

The captain sighed as he shoved the assassin into the room.

“That’s why I told you to go to bed early. I have no idea how many more idiots will keep sneaking in.”

Song Jin-gu smirked, shaking his tranquilizer gun.

“For insomniacs, a sedative is the best medicine.”

The captain turned to Tae-soo.

“Impressive. I didn’t expect such a flawless setup. Chief Cha’s concerns were unnecessary.”

Tae-soo recalled the note the captain had passed to him.

It was from Cha Ki-beom.

One of these men is an assassin sent by Han Cheong-ho. That’s why I deliberately delayed your departure. Find an excuse to stay away until our agents return to Korea. Even now, you still won’t thank me?

Cha Ki-beom had known there was a spy among the bodyguards.

But he hadn’t been able to pinpoint who.

The spy had been discreetly bribed, passing on information and subtly interfering with operations.

That had been enough to unsettle Cha Ki-beom.

“Chief Cha wanted to minimize the time you spent in contact with the assassins. It was his way of reducing risk.”

“But he couldn’t delay the schedule forever. Ignoring His Excellency’s wishes would’ve been difficult.”

“Exactly. That’s why he contacted the embassy in advance and arranged for me to pass you the note.”

When Cha Ki-beom handed the note to the captain, he also gave Tae-soo one more piece of information:

The captain is one of Cha Ki-beom’s most trusted men.

That’s why Tae-soo had deliberately given the note to the captain—

To pull him into the plan.

The captain grinned.

“Chief Cha expected you to find a way to avoid them, but you had a different idea. Instead of dodging the threat, you turned it into a trap. That takes guts.”

They had known all along that Han Cheong-ho would send assassins.

And with Cha Ki-beom tipping off the captain, preparations had been completed in advance.

There was no room for failure.

“How did you come up with such a brilliant trap?”

The captain recalled the note Kang Tae-soo had handed him.

Assign them private rooms and give them free time early. The rats will be lured in by the scent of cheese and willingly step into the trap. All we have to do is make sure the trap is sealed tight.

Below that, Tae-soo’s lodging details were written.

“It happened just as you said, Mr. Kang. The rats threw themselves into the trap. Even watching it unfold, I could hardly believe it.”

The urgency of their return to Korea had worked in their favor.

Impatience always leads to reckless decisions.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You volunteered to be the cheese, didn’t you? When I first heard this plan, I thought it was far too reckless.”

Tae-soo grinned.

“Calculated risk is different from recklessness. It’s something you have to accept.”

“You waved that cheese around so boldly, the rats had no choice but to come running. And you pulled it off perfectly.”

The captain gave a knowing smile.

“All of this will be reported to Chief Cha.”

“No, I’d rather you didn’t.”

“What? Why…?”

The captain looked puzzled.

“This is the perfect opportunity to prove your worth to Chief Cha.”

It made no sense.

Cha Ki-beom was the Presidential Security Chief—a man of power.

Everyone wanted to get on his good side.

Yet Tae-soo was willingly passing up that chance.

“What would I gain from that? You might as well take the credit instead.”

At the mention of a promotion, the captain’s eyes flickered with emotion.

Money could be refused.

That was likely why he had never fallen into Han Cheong-ho’s web of bribes.

But Tae-soo knew that men like him desired something else—honor.

“Mr. Kang, are you saying… you’re handing this achievement over to me?”

“Would you rather I didn’t?”

Tae-soo smiled warmly.

“You came all this way to the Middle East. With this, you’ve secured a medal from the president. But if you’re going to get a medal, wouldn’t it be better to make it a prestigious one?”

“A better one, you say…?”

“Since we’ve uncovered the spy within the security team, Chief Cha will surely reward you with something even greater.”

In other words, Cha Ki-beom wouldn’t forget this achievement.

Ambition flickered across the captain’s face.

“Opportunities like this don’t come often. Take it.”

Tae-soo extended his hand toward the captain.

With a grin, the captain took it.

“I’ll accept it, shameless as it may be. After all, opportunities don’t come often.”

“Of course. You made the right choice.”

“I won’t forget this favor.”

“It seems we’ve built a valuable connection.”

The captain studied Tae-soo.

He’s no ordinary man. Most people are desperate to exaggerate their abilities beyond what they truly are…

But Tae-soo was the opposite.

How much do I report to Chief Cha? How far do I take this? That’s my new dilemma.

He could claim full credit for the operation.

Even Kang Tae-soo was practically pushing him to do so.

And the assassins’ testimonies would support that claim.

After all, when they were subdued, only the captain had been visible—none of them had seen Tae-soo take charge.

The type of medal changes based on the achievement. Chief Cha will value me even more because of this.

The captain made up his mind.

I’ll follow this man’s lead. One day, when I rise even higher, I’ll repay this debt.

At the same time, back at the embassy, Song Chang-jun was sending a telegram to Cha Ki-beom.

It was a message Tae-soo had prepared in advance.

— I will root out every last spy Han Cheong-ho planted among your security team.

— Even after this, do I still owe you my gratitude?

Cha Ki-beom took the telegram handed to him by his subordinate.

— I will root out every last spy Han Cheong-ho planted among your security team.

— Even after this, do I still owe you my gratitude?

He couldn’t help but laugh the moment he read it.

This was beyond his expectations.

Kang Tae-soo… You’re truly something else.

Cha Ki-beom was well aware that Han Cheong-ho was operating right under his nose.

But his methods of bribery were so subtle, even the most trustworthy men had, at some point, turned into spies.

He didn’t know exactly who had been compromised or how far their betrayal extended.

The only person he could trust completely was Captain.

I sent the ones I suspected of being spies… and it turns out they actually were.

Even after years at his side, he hadn’t been able to uncover them.

Rats, feeding off his proximity to the president, stealing classified information.

And yet, Kang Tae-soo had flushed them out.

What kind of trick did he pull to make that happen?

He was curious.

Just then, his subordinate handed him another telegram.

This one was also from the Saudi embassy.

— The special agents have successfully completed their mission.

— They boarded a flight back to Korea at 7 a.m.

— Captain is carrying the mission report, including photographic evidence and the identities of the rescued individuals.

Perfect.

They set foot in the Middle East only to wrap up the mission and return immediately. Not just avoiding the threat but flushing out spies as well. My warnings seem almost pointless now.

Kang Tae-soo.

He was truly remarkable.

Cha Ki-beom spoke to the subordinate who had brought him the telegram.

"Call every major news outlet."

He would make sure the press gathered at the airport.

The Supreme Leader's image-revamping campaign had to continue here as well.

"Tell them heroes are returning on a flight from Saudi Arabia to Korea. They were dispatched under the Supreme Leader’s orders to rescue abducted citizens in the Middle East."

Cha Ki-beom rose from his chair.

He’ll be pleased when he hears this news.

Then, he gave another instruction to his subordinate.

"One more thing. Send a telegram to Kang Tae-soo through the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"What should it say?"

"Tell him, ‘Cha Ki-beom says thanks.’"

Now that the thorn in his side had been pulled, it was time to repay the favor properly.

"Tell him he’ll get whatever he wants."

***

The airport was in chaos, packed with reporters.

Then, the special agents from Saudi Arabia appeared first.

Behind them, the executives of Samwon Construction, whom they had rescued, emerged.

Click, click, click, click.

Camera flashes exploded, and a barrage of questions followed.

"How did you obtain information about the abducted citizens?"

"Was this the work of Middle Eastern terrorists?"

"Who planned and led the operation?"

Captain raised his hand.

As agreed beforehand, he stuck to the script.

"The Supreme Leader received intelligence about the abducted citizens and immediately dispatched us to rescue them."

Click, click, click, click.

"If even a single citizen is in danger, the nation has a duty to bring them home safely! Those were the Supreme Leader’s words."

Click, click, click, click.

"Were there any difficulties in carrying out such a dangerous mission?"

"Saving the lives of our people is our top priority. Any risks involved are ones we must gladly accept."

Captain concluded.

"The rescued individuals are suffering from severe exhaustion. They need rest and stability. For further details, please refer to the official statement from the presidential spokesperson."

Click, click, click, click.

Under Captain's command, the special agents and Samwon Construction executives swiftly exited the airport.

The reporters scrambled to follow them.

"The media frenzy is intense. Park Jung-hwan will be pleased."

Watching from a distance, Tae-soo also strolled out of the airport at a leisurely pace.

The first thing he did upon stepping outside was take a deep breath.

"Hmm, Korea really is the best. Perfectly clear and sunny weather."

While he had been away in the Middle East, spring had quietly arrived in Korea.

May 8, 1973.

Today was Parents’ Day.

"My stay here will be brief. The schedule is tight if I want to head back to the Middle East soon."

Tae-soo had three main objectives for his visit.

"First, I need to meet Jang Mal-dong. I’ve brought him two tasks, so the old man is going to be extremely busy."

There was another person he needed to see.

"Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan. I have to thank him—and ask for another favor."

And one more thing.

"I need to send Han-soo to the U.S."

Han-soo had an important mission to handle there.

The molybdenum mine, limestone mine, and cement factory would be well managed by the former cement factory owner.

Not to mention, he had a trustworthy accountant overseeing operations.

"If I want to take the same flight back to the Middle East, I’ll have to move at a ridiculous pace."

There was no time to waste.

"If I want to take down Cheongil Refinery during the oil shock, I need to start making my moves now."

Even if he couldn’t take them over completely, he was determined to crush them.