God of Blackfield

The meal ended when Kang Chan and Lanok lowered their forks and knives with a click, and a lightly frozen ice cream was brought out as dessert.

“The greatest advantage you have in information warfare is your animalistic instinct,” Lanok complimented, scooping the ice cream with his spoon as if he was carving it. “While your lack of experience in this type of fight and South Korea’s lack of national power may be a weakness, your decisions and actions could change the outcome.”

“So you’re saying I need to demonstrate my abilities?” Kang Chan questioned.

“It will not be easy, but it’s the best course of action for now,” Lanok replied.

Kang Chan pushed his ice cream aside and pulled the coffee in front of him.

“Is there still a chance I can remove myself from the information war?” Kang Chan asked with some hope.

Lanok tilted his head as if Kang Chan had given the wrong answer.

“As long as South Korea requires a person to covertly carry out business until the Eurasian Rail is built, the country will not stop relying on you and will continue to request your service. If you decide not to be involved with the information war, I won’t force anything on you. However, please don’t recommend someone else to me to replace you in your position,” Lanok declared.

Kang Chan nodded.

“Haah! Well, Mr. Ambassador,” said Kang Chan, letting out a loud sigh, which Lanok observed with a questioning smile. “Can I ask you for a favor? Will you assist me by recruiting French mercenaries?”

“You’re my friend, Mr. Kang Chan. And I have never refused a friend’s request for something that is within my ability,” Lanok said surely.

So I really will be doing this, then. I’ll take any help I can get. 

Since Kang Chan was going to fight this war anyway, he didn’t want to give up and step back, especially since succeeding meant he could protect those special to him.

Seeing Kang Chan’s expression, Lanok gave him a mysterious smile.

“Does this mean you’ve made up your mind?” Lanok inquired.

“To some extent, yes,” Kang Chan responded.

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Lanok extended his wine glass toward Kang Chan. Although it made him uncomfortable, Kang Chan couldn’t refuse this one considering the meaning behind it.

The sound of glasses clinking echoed in the room.

“I will show you my abilities at their finest,” Lanok announced.

“Should I be scared?” Kang Chan asked jokingly.

“Of course not,” Lanok replied with a twinkle in his eyes, clearly amused. “Intelligence agencies across the world are nervously awaiting your formal debut. The greater your name becomes known, the higher my reputation will climb in turn. So, perhaps I should give you a gift instead.”

Lanok slightly raised his index finger and signaled at his secretary.

His secretary, who had brought out the cigars, cigarettes, and the large paper file previously, cleared everything away from the table with the exception of the coffee cups.

“The brothers Huh Ha-Soo and Huh Sang-Soo are currently in China. They will return to South Korea in a week, and the Korean National Intelligence Service should be able to get the exact date of their arrival. There are already rumors that the brothers have cooperated with the British intelligence agency and sold Korean military secrets to the United States. This should be enough to make a fancy debut, Mr. Kang Chan.”

Lanok prepared all of this in advance? What would he have done if our conversation never headed in this direction and I never mentioned it?

Lanok studied Kang Chan’s expression as if asking what the matter was.

“You truly are a scary person, Mr. Ambassador,” Kang Chan said exhaustedly.

“Hahaha,” Lanok laughed out loud as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Lanok’s secretary quickly glanced over as if he was seeing a miraculous spectacle.

“I can’t believe the very man who made Vasili bring the corpses of the soldiers is saying that to me! Mr. Kang Chan, at your age, I traveled around the world to make myself familiar with the people at the grassroots level of various intelligence agencies,” Lanok said as he stopped laughing, looking Kang Chan straight in the eye. “Don’t underestimate your power. If you were to ask Vasili right now, the Russian would probably even hand over a nuclear warhead to you.”

What? Why would Vasili go so far as to give him a nuclear warhead?

“Before a world that revolves around you arrives, people will want to do either one of two things. They can become friends with you…” Lanok trailed off, glancing at his cigar before looking back at Kang Chan. “Or they can get rid of you.”

Pft. 

Lanok seemed to be satisfied by Kang Chan’s smirk.

“Mr. Kang Chan, am I really your friend?” Lanok suddenly asked.

It was a horrifyingly cringy and goosebump-inducing question, but Lanok looked serious.

“You’re like a mentor to me, Mr. Ambassador.”

Therefore, Kang Chan genuinely replied with an embarrassed answer.

Lanok just stared at Kang Chan without budging. Not longer after, however, he suddenly took a deep breath and slowly began to speak with a determined expression.

“Mr. Kang Chan. In this case, like you did Anne, I hope you can help France,” Lanok stated firmly.

“Mr. Ambassador?” Kang Chan asked, not quite sure what Lanok meant.

“Until the day comes when you have established yourself and gained your footing, I will put everything I have on the line. To be honest, I had already made up my mind to do so since the Mongolian operation ended, but I’m only telling you this now. Starting now, you’ll be on the path to building a solid career among intelligence agencies. If something happens to me in the meantime, please protect Anne and the country of France.”

Kang Chan felt as if the conversation was moving too fast and too far out of his grasp.

“And just as I helped you, please find and mentor a talented individual in France. If you can promise me that, I believe I’ll be able to go to sleep peacefully starting today,” Lanok finished with a smile.

Lanok’s sparkling eyes were awaiting Kang Chan’s answer. Not only Lanok but also his secretary and Louis were watching him with anxious expression.

“I promise, Mr. Ambassador. However, as long as I’m alive, you won’t have to worry about being killed. You already know how my instinct is exceptionally sensitive and sharp,” Kang Chan asserted.

“Hahaha! I see! That instinct of yours momentarily slipped my mind!” Lanok chuckled goodnaturedly.

This was a first. Lanok had laughed out loud in front of Kang Chan a few times before, but this was the first time he was laughing so wholeheartedly.

Kang Chan stayed for about an hour longer before saying goodbye, so their lunch appointment lasted a whopping three hours.

Lanok got up from his seat and extended his arms to Kang Chan from next to the door. However, he didn’t say anything.

Seriously, is something going on with him?

Kang Chan was bothered to see Lanok acting differently from how he usually did.

“Mr. Ambassador,” he said, stopping Lanok in his tracks as Louis opened the door. “I’m a very simple-minded person and can’t control my emotions very well. Promise me that you will come to me first if you are ever in danger.”

Kang Chan’s expression hardened when he saw Lanok’s pupils clearly shaking from his statement. Lanok was definitely not the type to betray such a wavering gaze.

“I promise,” Lanok replied.

“Please don’t turn me into a killer,” Kang Chan firmly asserted.

Kang Chan finally realized why Seok Kang-Ho had used that expression, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

Kang Chan glanced at the secretary and Louis, gesturing that they should quickly call him if something were to happen to the ambassador.

“Au revoir, à demain.”

With that French goodbye uttered impressively, Lanok left the room.

Is it okay to let him go like this? Should I have grabbed him and forced him to swear on Anne’s name to call me if he finds himself in danger?

It occurred to Kang Chan that the strange bit of anxiety that had suffocatingly followed him around since yesterday could have been caused by Lanok.

Kang Chan shook his head.

However, even if Kang Chan were to implore and plead that of Lanok, Lanok would never change his decision if he had already made his mind up.

Since it was too late now, the wisest choice Kang Chan could take was to quickly make his name known among intelligence agencies. No matter who or which country it was, anyone who touched his people would forever have to suffer the consequences and beg him to stop.

God of Blackfield.

The name his enemies had given him would naturally have to be accepted across all intelligence agencies. This was the fastest and wisest way to protect those around him, including Lanok.

When Kang Chan arrived at the first floor of the hotel, it was already four in the afternoon. He was striding into the lobby with two folders in hand when he stopped and smiled.

Oh Gwang-Taek was staring back at him from the hotel lounge. Joo Chul-Bum was standing at his side.

“Hey, dog! Kang Chan!” Oh Gwang-Taek shouted.

That dumb gangster bastard!

The hotel was busier than normal and was filled with people because it was Sunday, but Oh Gwang-Taek just had to bellow Kang Chan’s name as if he was a long-lost family member.

It was nice to see him. Kang Chan suppressed the laugh that threatened to escape and walked toward the lounge.

“Hey! Punk!” Oh Gwang-Taek greeted. He grabbed Kang Chan’s hand tightly.

Kang Chan didn’t know he would receive this kind of passionate welcome. As a matter of fact, Kang Chan’s thumb was twisted so enthusiastically that he almost threw a punch at the idiot.

After the dreadful handshake, they sat down in the lounge.

“You already had lunch, right? Then have dinner with me,” Oh Gwang-Taek insisted.

“Hmm. All right,” Kang Chan agreed.

“Right, man! Do-Seok is back up.”

“I heard earlier. I’m planning on visiting soon too.”

“He said something weird, though,” Oh Gwang-Taek mused.

“What is it?” Kang Chan asked.

Although Kang Chan never ordered anything, the server brought out some coffee for them.

“The fight that day. We thought it was the parking lot gang that was behind it. But apparently, it was some foreign guys,” Oh Gwang-Taek said.

“What?” Kang Chan asked in surprise.

“You beat some French guy back then, right? Do-Seok said that seemed to be why they were attacked.”

“Really?” Kang Chan asked disbelievingly.

“Yeah, punk!”

What was going on? Were the gangsters including Do-Seok attacked after Kang Chan took care of Sharlan?

Either way, Suh Do-Seok shouldn’t have been swept up in that incident.