Chapter 228: Ah, What the Hell

When I arrived at the safe house whose address NIS Director Om Giyeon had given me, I tilted my head in confusion.

The taxi had stopped in front of a luxury residential complex—the very place where Deputy Director Jo Ilcheol lived.

The moment I got out of the car, Agent Hong Jongsu approached me as though he had been waiting for my arrival.

“Director Cha, welcome.”

“Agent Hong, is Commander Kwak Taesu staying in the same safe house as Deputy Director Jo Ilcheol?”

“No. Commander Kwak is in an apartment on the same floor.”

“Ah, I see. Lead the way.”

After going down to the third underground parking level, we took the elevator straight up to the fifty-first floor.

The moment we stepped out, NIS Director Om Giyeon greeted us.

However, I had a bad feeling about this. And no wonder—his expression was as gloomy as a storm cloud.

“Director, did something happen?”

“It seems so, but I don’t fully understand the situation myself. Commander Kwak is waiting. Let’s hurry inside.”

Following Director Om, I entered the safe house. Commander Kwak Taesu, Deputy Director Jo Ilcheol, and Major General Lee Cheolseung were sitting on the sofa.

When they saw me, they rose and warmly greeted me.

After exchanging handshakes with each of them, we sat down on the sofa and got straight to business.

“It feels rather strange to meet the people who effectively run North Korea here.”

“Director Cha, that may have been true before, but now we’re nothing more than kites with broken strings.”

Deputy Director Jo’s answer spoke not of the present, but of the past.

However, my opinion differed slightly from his.

“There are vast numbers of subordinates in North Korea who believe in you and Commander Kwak and are ready to follow you. So I don’t think you can be called kites with broken strings.”

“Commander Kwak and I are in a position where we can’t give orders to the subordinates we left behind even if we wanted to.”

I deliberately turned my gaze toward Major General Lee Cheolseung.

As though reading my thoughts, he shook his head.

I nodded to show that I understood and continued my conversation with Jo Ilcheol.

“You know that the hackers who were working at Politburo member Liu Peiqi’s villa defected to our country, don’t you?”

“I heard about it from Major General Lee.”

“Then this will be easier to explain. The NIS, CIA, FBI, and the defected hackers will form a special task force to conduct cyberwarfare against North Korea. Through that task force, you and Commander Kwak will be able to command your people in the North.”

Hearing this, Jo Ilcheol turned to Lee Cheolseung in confusion.

“Major General Lee, is it even possible to wage cyberwarfare against North Korea?”

“It is, if we establish an internet network.”

“But North Korea can block internet access, can’t they?”

“Of course, but we’ll find ways around that.”

To dispel Deputy Director Jo’s doubts, I had to join the conversation.

“Deputy Director Jo, the U.S. government intends to put specialized wireless internet satellites into orbit over North Korea.”

“Why would the U.S. government go to such lengths and spend that much money?”

“Because overthrowing Kim Jonghun’s regime is necessary for peace in East Asia.”

“China and Russia are also threats to peace in East Asia.”

Jo Ilcheol and the others were inside an NIS safe house.

Therefore, it was safe to say that they had no way to pass any information to the outside world.

Still, there was no harm in being cautious.

“Let everything I’m about to say go in one ear and out the other.”

“All right. Go ahead.”

“First, China. You know Vice Chairman Tang Guochang, who effectively commands the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Vice Chairman Tang is planning a coup d’état with the support of our country and the United States.”

“Whaaat?!”

Jo Ilcheol and the others were utterly shocked, their reactions bordering on disbelief.

I had expected that response, so I ignored it and continued.

“Because of Chairman Xi Jinping’s string of disastrous decisions, public discontent in China is reaching a boiling point. If we pour oil on that growing fire, the situation will become uncontrollable.”

“They’ll surely take emergency measures to prevent that.”

“At present, China’s economy is being sustained solely by exports. However, the United States and Western countries are imposing high tariffs on Chinese goods. So any emergency measures he takes will be useless.”

I deliberately paused to shift everyone’s attention before continuing.

“When the Chinese people are given an outlet for their anger, Chairman Xi will deploy the police to suppress the protests. But if the demonstrations erupt with such force that the police can’t handle them, what will he do?”

“He’ll have to deploy the military.”

“Now imagine what will happen if Vice Chairman Tang Guochang, who controls the military, sides with the protesters.”

“Ah...”

Deputy Director Jo trailed off, fully understanding where that would lead.

“Vice Chairman Tang has already begun laying the groundwork for the coup. As his first step, he managed to remove Xi’s closest associate, MSS Minister Peng Yuxiang.”

“How?”

“NIS and CIA agents, along with employees of our company, abducted him and sent him to the United States.”

“Chairman Xi must be absolutely furious.”

I shook my head in response to Jo Ilcheol’s question.

“Chairman Xi believes he simply disappeared. The fact that he fled to the United States will remain a secret forever.”

“Ah, now I understand.”

“Vice Chairman Tang also plans to remove two more of Xi’s close associates—Politburo member Liu Peiqi and Deputy Secretary Zhang Jinan.”

“And he’ll be able to get rid of those two?”

“Of course.”

When Cha Jiham, who had yet to suffer a single defeat, displayed such confidence, further doubt was simply an unnecessary luxury.

“I understand about China. What do you intend to do about Russia?”

“Russia has exhausted a tremendous amount of its national strength in the war with Ukraine. In addition, China and the United States reduced the naval base in Vladivostok—Russia’s main gateway to the Pacific—to ruins.”

Jo Ilcheol frowned in confusion.

Relations between China and Russia were relatively good.

And yet China had joined forces with its greatest enemy, the United States, to destroy a Russian naval base?

Realizing that China had gone to such extremes, he directly asked Jiham for the reason.

“Chairman Xi Jinping is extremely displeased that North Korea sent troops to Russia.”

“But then shouldn’t he have punished North Korea rather than Russia?”

“China destroyed the railway and freight trains connecting North Korea and Russia, as well as key facilities at Rajin Port.”

“So many major events have happened in China, North Korea, and Russia in just a few days...”

At that moment, Commander Kwak Taesu joined the conversation as though an important question had been troubling him.

“Director Cha, after taking a blow like that from China and the United States, are North Korea and Russia really going to sit back and do nothing?”

“Ukrainian Military Intelligence Director Vlad Volasky announced that Ukraine was responsible for destroying the North Korean and Russian naval bases and provided evidence to the press.”

“Dumping the blame on Ukraine... Isn’t that a little shameless?”

There was a sharp edge to Commander Kwak’s voice as he asked the question with obvious displeasure.

But I was confident I could persuade him, so I paid it no mind.

“Russia and North Korea are at war with Ukraine, so Ukraine has every right to destroy their military bases. Incidentally, the Ukrainians actually expressed tremendous gratitude to us for what we did.”

“Whatever the case, I understand. Now let’s return to practical matters for a moment.”

“I’m listening.”

“For Deputy Director Jo and me to overthrow Kim Jonghun’s regime in North Korea, we’ll need an enormous amount of military funding. How are we going to solve that problem?”

Instead of answering, I turned my gaze toward NIS Director Om Giyeon.

Catching my intention, he immediately spoke up.

“If you succeed in overthrowing Kim Jonghun’s regime, we’ll provide you with unlimited funding.”

“Is that true?”

“I don’t make empty promises.”

“Very well. We’ll trust your promise, Director Om.”

“Please provide the task force with your full cooperation and leadership so that the cyberwarfare operation succeeds.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Understood. Now tell me why you asked to meet with Director Cha and me.”

“Haaa...”

Commander Kwak Taesu let out a heavy sigh, as though in deep anguish, before speaking.

“Director Om, I have one son, born to me late in life. He attends university in Bern, Switzerland. As soon as I fled North Korea, I contacted him and told him to leave Switzerland.”

“You were worried North Korea might harm him?”

“That’s right, Director Om.”

“And what happened afterward?”

“My son told me not to worry and said he would hide in the Swiss town of Interlaken. I thought everything would be fine, but yesterday afternoon, I suddenly lost contact with him.”

“Don’t tell me...”

As though seized by an ominous premonition, NIS Director Om Giyeon trailed off.

But I had a different thought.

“Director Om, nothing has happened to Commander Kwak’s son.”

“I’d like to hear why you think so.”

“North Korea is desperate to capture Commander Kwak. So if they want to use his son as a hostage, they need to capture him alive.”

“But couldn’t agents from North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau have captured him?”

Commander Kwak spoke before Director Om could.

“If that were the case, North Korea would already have called to blackmail you.”

“But they don’t know my phone number.”

“Your son does.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Most likely, contact with your son was lost for some other reason.”

“Then should we simply wait until he contacts us himself?”

“Agents from North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau have almost certainly swarmed into Switzerland to capture him. So simply waiting isn’t the best option.”

“Hmm...”

Commander Kwak thoughtfully stroked his chin, sinking into contemplation.

Fortunately, he didn’t think for long.

“Director Cha, what if we ask the U.S. government to help find my son?”

To find Commander Kwak’s son quickly, assistance from the U.S. government would be the best option.

However, the U.S. government didn’t know that he had defected to the Republic of Korea.

Revealing our cards now was certainly an option, but it would create an awkward situation.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was only one solution.

“How about we deploy NIS agents first, and if that isn’t enough, then ask the U.S. government for help?”

“Why make things complicated and take the long way around?”

“The U.S. government doesn’t know yet that you defected to our country.”

“Ah, so that’s the problem...”

At that moment, Director Om Giyeon joined the conversation with a question.

“Commander Kwak, do you have a photograph of your son?”

“Of course.”

“Understood. Do you know where his hideout is?”

“Yes, I have the address.”

“That makes things easier. Do you think he left any belongings behind at the hideout?”

“If he simply disappeared, then most likely.”

“I understand. Director Cha will find your missing son.”

“...Me?”

Completely caught off guard by this turn of events, I pointed at myself and asked Director Om again.

“If we use Saho, won’t we be able to find him?”

Saho possessed not only phenomenal eyesight, smell, and hearing, but was also a sacred animal capable of understanding human speech.

He would therefore be an enormous help in searching for Commander Kwak’s son.

However, there was still one obstacle to getting Saho to Switzerland.

“Director, Saho can’t fly on a regular passenger plane.”

“We can arrange a private jet.”

“Do we really need to go that far?”

“If agents from the Reconnaissance General Bureau capture Commander Kwak’s son, the situation could become much more complicated.”

‘Ah, what the hell. I’ll take this opportunity to visit Switzerland.’

“All right. I’ll do everything I can to find Commander Kwak’s son.”

And just like that, I unexpectedly found myself heading to Switzerland on another business trip.