Chapter 210: Back in Dandong

Minister of State Security Peng Yuxiang was flying to Dandong together with his closest aide, Department Director Tang Chao.

"Minister, why do you think Deputy Minister Dmitriev isn't returning home and is staying in Dandong instead?"

"He's simply trying to squeeze kamikaze drones out of our country, that's all."

Until last month, Russia had dutifully paid in dollars and taken delivery of batches of drones. However, because the war in Ukraine had dragged on, their foreign currency reserves had been depleted. Citing their difficult circumstances, the Russian side proposed paying in oil instead. Naturally, China understood their situation and had no objection to such a barter arrangement.

However, the two sides couldn't agree on the price of the crude oil. Russia offered a 3% discount off the global market price, while China demanded a full 7%.

To resolve the disagreement, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitriev had come to China as a special envoy. But, as luck would have it, disaster struck on the very night of his arrival: Ukrainian intelligence operatives destroyed the kamikaze drone factory.

As a result, China was simply no longer capable of supplying them to Russia.

"Minister, isn't this Dmitriev being a little too shameless?"

"What do you mean?"

"If they'd accepted our terms sooner, they could've taken delivery of the drones before the sabotage happened."

"You're right, of course, but to be fair, our demands were also excessively high."

"How do you plan to deal with his requests?"

"For now, we'll have to give them drones from the People's Liberation Army's stockpiles. Naturally, that's only if the Russian side agrees to the pricing terms we set."

"I see! By the way, don't we need Vice Chairman Tang Guochang's approval?"

"You know as well as I do. Vice Chairman Tang is a fallen man now. Everyone has turned their backs on him."

Director Tang Chao immediately understood the implication behind Peng Yuxiang's answer.

The Dalian naval base had been reduced to ruins in an attack by an unknown enemy. After receiving the report on the incident, President Xi Jinping had flown into an indescribable rage.

And now, he was clearly planning to use that failure as a pretext to remove Tang Guochang from office.

Wanting to confirm his guess, Director Tang Chao cautiously asked Peng Yuxiang about it.

"You're absolutely right."

"What a shame..."

"A shame? What do you mean?"

"Vice Chairman Tang is my second cousin once removed."

"I see... I didn't know you were related."

"I never told you, so how could you have known? Still, who could have attacked the naval base?"

"I suspect the Americans, but strangely enough, Vice Chairman Tang suspects North Korea."

Director Tang Chao tilted his head in confusion.

Although sparks had recently been flying between their country and North Korea, no one could deny that historically they had remained loyal allies.

Moreover, without China's economic assistance, North Korea would be pushed to the brink of survival.

Kim Jonghun understood that perfectly well. Why would he take such an insane step and turn China into an enemy?

Vice Chairman Tang Guochang had to understand that as well.

And yet he was pointing the finger at the North.

"Minister, do you know why Vice Chairman Tang specifically suspects North Korea?"

"All I know is that he's investigating it. Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I'll call him as soon as we land in Dandong and find out."

"Do that. Now let's change the subject. What about the task I gave you?"

Director Tang Chao recalled what had happened several days earlier.

Minister Peng Yuxiang had ordered him to uncover the real reason Commander Kwak Taesu had fled North Korea. He had mobilized his entire intelligence network and thrown every available resource into finding the answer.

"We've received reports that Kwak Taesu had long expressed dissatisfaction with the three-generation dictatorship of the Kim Ilsung family. Unfortunately for him, rumors of those sentiments reached Kim Jonghun himself. Feeling that his life was in danger, he fled on the spur of the moment."

"I see. And where is he hiding now?"

"NIS and CIA operatives have all rushed to Shenyang."

In other words, Commander Kwak Taesu was hiding somewhere in Shenyang.

"You understand that we can't allow him to escape to a third country, don't you?"

"Of course. But I have a question for you as well, Minister."

"Ask."

"Is Kim Jonghun really going to hand power over to his daughter?"

At that awkward moment, a flight attendant approached Minister Peng Yuxiang and quietly reported,

"Minister, we'll begin our landing approach in ten minutes."

***

Meanwhile, I was also heading to Dandong together with NIS Director Om Giyeon and the others.

"Director Om, don't you think you've been running me a little ragged?"

"I sincerely apologize for that," Om Giyeon replied guiltily.

"If you put it like that, there's nothing I can say."

"Still, why are Vice Chairman Wei Chen and Director Pan Kai following us?"

Vice Chairman Wei Chen and Director Pan Kai had come to Dandong to sink the container ship Silver Crystal.

However, because of me, they had ended up getting dragged into the operation to destroy the Chinese naval base in Dalian.

For that brilliant piece of work, the Triad had received a colossal reward of two billion dollars from the United States government.

On top of that, they had been given the opportunity to establish perfectly legal (?) channels for supplying drugs to the United States.

After hitting such a jackpot, they should have been celebrating and heading back to Macau.

But no.

Instead, they were following us around with their pack of gangsters.

"I was curious too, so I asked Wei Chen. Apparently, he still hasn't signed the contract to supply drugs to the United States."

"Vice Chairman Wei really is a meticulous bastard."

"That just proves how enormous the American drug market is."

"Haha, now I understand. By the way, shouldn't our country compensate the Triad?"

The Triad had provided enormous assistance in evacuating Commander Kwak Taesu to the Republic of Korea.

That was what NIS Director Om Giyeon was referring to.

"I rewarded them generously."

"How?"

"I sold Vice Chairman Wei Chen the golden Buddha statue we seized from Politburo member Liu Peiqi's villa at a 10% discount from the global LBMA price. He's planning to add another 500 kilograms of gold to it, melt the whole thing down into a reclining Buddha, and sell it to President Du Zhiguo."

"How much profit will he make from that?"

"At least 150 million dollars in pure profit."

"I see. By the way, we'll reimburse you for the three billion dollars you gave Vice Chairman Tang as a gift as soon as we return to Korea."

"The five billion dollars we received from selling the Americans the interrogation footage of Liu Peiqi and Dandong Public Security Bureau Chief Pu Zhenghua was unexpected income. So there's no need to pay anything back."

"But that's an astronomical amount of money. Don't you regret giving it away, Chief Cha?"

"Let's just say I'm also a citizen of the Republic of Korea, and that answer should be enough."

"If you put it that way, I'll gratefully accept your generosity."

Sensing that the conversation was becoming a little too sentimental, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan decided to change the subject.

"Director Om, where did Director Griffin and Director Nevers go?"

"They said they had business to take care of and headed to Shenyang."

"So they rushed there to track down Commander Kwak Taesu, who fled North Korea?"

"You're absolutely right, Director Kang."

"And it's not like we can tell them to stop wasting their time. What a shame."

"Hahaha! Exactly!"

Bzzzz!

While NIS Director Om Giyeon was laughing cheerfully, the phone in my hand vibrated.

I quickly glanced at the screen and saw the name: Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Tang Guochang.

After asking everyone to be quiet, I answered the call.

"Vice Chairman Tang, have you already arrived in Beijing?"

"[I arrived a while ago. In fact, I came out of my meeting with President Xi Jinping ten minutes ago.]"

"That quickly?"

"[I flew on a private plane, after all.]"

"Ah, I see. And how did your audience with President Xi go?"

"[Hahahahaha!]"

Tang Guochang's thunderous laughter answered my question more thoroughly than words ever could.

"I have to admit, I was worried. I'm glad everything went well."

"[Thank you for worrying about my hide, Chief Cha.]"

"Not at all. Could you tell me the details of the meeting?"

"[Of course! President Xi agreed with the theory that North Korea destroyed the base.]"

"What a relief."

"[To retaliate against the North, this week we'll destroy the railway lines, freight trains, and cargo ships connecting North Korea with Russia, as well as North Korea's port of Rajin and Russia's port of Vladivostok.]"

I had indeed given Tang Guochang the idea of destroying North Korea's railways, trains, ships, and ports.

But he'd gone even further and decided to wipe out Vladivostok too!

"Vice Chairman Tang, won't that cause an international scandal?"

"[As you suggested, Chief Cha, we'll make it look as though Vladivostok was attacked with Russian torpedoes and weapons. Incidentally, President Xi personally gave the order to eliminate the port of Vladivostok.]"

"Can I take that to mean President Xi isn't happy about North Korea and Russia growing closer either?"

"[Exactly, Chief Cha! What's more, President Xi enthusiastically supported the idea of destroying North Korea's nuclear weapons storage facilities.]"

"I understand."

"[Thanks to your idea, I've completely regained President Xi's trust!]"

"I'm sincerely happy for you."

"[Haha, of course! Now, let's talk about something else.]"

It seemed as though the only pressing subject between Tang Guochang and me should have been his audience with Xi Jinping.

However, he unexpectedly made it clear that there was something else he wanted to discuss.

"Vice Chairman Tang, is there something else you need from me?"

"[Yes. I have a second cousin once removed named Tang Chao. He's a department director in the Ministry of State Security. Right now, he's on a business trip to Dandong with Minister Peng Yuxiang. I just spoke with him and gave him your number.]"

There was nothing good about Director Tang Chao getting my contact information.

Tang Guochang should have understood that, and yet he'd personally handed over my number.

I cautiously asked him why, trying to find out the reason.

"[With his help, it'll be much easier for you to kidnap Minister Peng. That's why I gave it to him.]"

A bad feeling began creeping over me.

Tang Guochang had previously promised to take responsibility for kidnapping Minister Peng Yuxiang himself.

But judging by his tone now, it sounded as though he was simply washing his hands of the whole affair.

I asked him directly.

"[You're right, Chief Cha.]"

"And why did you make that decision?"

"[Minister Peng rushed off to Dandong, and the whole situation went sideways.]"

'Just how many people am I going to have to kidnap in this damn country?!'

"All right, I understand. But can this Director Tang Chao really be trusted?"

"[I'll stake my life on him.]"

If Tang Guochang himself was that confident, there was no point in doubting him.

"All right. What should I do?"

"[He'll call you soon. Meet with him in Dandong.]"

Just then, an unfamiliar number appeared on my screen.

Guessing who it was, I said goodbye to Tang Guochang and switched over to the other call.

"Hello, Cha Jiham speaking."

"[Hello. I'm Tang Chao, Director of the International Intelligence Department at the Ministry of State Security. Vice Chairman Tang just told me about you, Chief Cha.]"

"Yes, I also just spoke with the Vice Chairman."

"[He mentioned that you came to our country as a tourist. Would you happen to have time to meet so I can pay my respects?]"

"I'm actually on my way from Dalian to Dandong right now."

"[That's perfect! I'm in Dandong as well. When do you expect to arrive?]"

"Judging by our current speed, it won't be until this evening."

"[In that case, why don't we have dinner together?]"

"Sounds good. Where should we meet?"

"[Call me an hour before you enter Dandong, and I'll come straight to wherever you choose.]"

"All right. See you this evening."

Click.

The moment I hung up, NIS Director Om Giyeon immediately leaned toward me.

"Chief Cha, what's the situation?"

"Give me a moment. Director Kang, contact Vice Chairman Wei Chen and tell him to meet us at the nearest rest area."

"Understood."

After answering briefly, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan called Wei Chen, relayed Cha Jiham's instructions, and hung up.

"Chief Cha, there's a rest area ten kilometers from here. We've agreed to meet there."