Chapter 191: < Protect – Episode 190 – 25000 vs 1 [1] >

The Korean emba.s.sy that relocated to the US military base was bustling with people for the first time.

“No! I’m serious! Why don’t you believe me? Wow! This is so annoying!”

As soon as Kim Kyung Soo escaped to safety and obtained accommodation where he could live, the first thing he did was charge his phone. Just because he had roaming didn’t mean he could 100% get a signal, but with the help of the Korean emba.s.sy, he was able to make a call to his family. At first, he resented the Korean amba.s.sador to Nigeria for withdrawing their official residence, but how could he hate the people that didn’t give up on finding him until the very end? And he had heard of the name, Han Kyung Il before.

‘The hero diplomat!’

He read about the Korean diplomat that even tried to negotiate with a mafia in Italy to find Koreans that went missing. He didn’t think much of it back then, but once he got involved in an incident, he finally felt the emotions. It was a miracle to have a diplomat he could trust and rely on in a foreign country.

“It’s true!”

As soon as life became a little easier, he got a hold of the internet and opened a chatroom full of former cla.s.smates and friends who wanted to know about Nigeria’s situation. His initial fear of dying in the war disappeared and was replaced with bluff and showing off. The number of Koreans working in Africa was just as low as that of the Middle East.

“I really saw CEO Ahn Soo Ho!”

Kim Kyung Soo’s chatroom was full of ridicule and laughter.

Did you eat something bad in Africa!

I think he might have Ebola! Oh no! Hahaha!

You’re back to bluffing again now that you’re better!

Hey! Are there pig tribes there! What about bushmen? Or Coca Koalas?

If you come back alive, you’ll be hated at your work!

Why?

They’ll have to give him extra pay, vacation, and even a promotion!

Oh yeah!

His friends were happy that he was alive, but they ignored his claim of seeing Ahn Soo Ho. What made it impossible was that he was in Korea just yesterday. It didn’t make sense.

“Ha! I’ll prove it to you guys, once and for all!”

Kim Kyung Soo exited the chatroom on his computer but stayed in the one on his phone. He could have asked his colleagues to testify, but he wanted to capture Ahn Soo Ho on his camera himself. Kim Kyung Soo saw diplomats running about as soon as he got out and tilted his head.

“Did something happen, Chief?”

The middle-aged man that had his arms crossed shook his head.

“Some crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d told people in Korea that CEO Ahn is in Nigeria. Because of that, the foreign office is busy answering countless calls. Who’s the crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d anyway? Tsk, tsk! They really don’t listen.”

Kim Kyung Soo’s heart sank.

‘Gasp!’

Come to think of it, there was an announcement for all the diplomats earlier.

‘Only send your greetings and don’t reveal any details! If you need to disclose anything, consult your team leader first!’

A superior got off the phone. He turned to Kim Kyung Soo and then frowned. The chief noticed the atmosphere and then kept some distance between him and Kim Kyung Soo. They all looked at him with accusing eyes which made Kim Kyung Soo cuss his friends out in his head.

‘Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! They said they didn’t believe me!’

That was how rumors worked. Whether they believed it or not, if it was a hot issue, they spread it first. As soon as Kim Kyung Soo said he saw Ahn Soo Ho in his chatroom, his friends ridiculed him while also sharing the news to others.

“Councilor!”

The superior was about to scold Kim Kyung Soo when his subordinate called him just in time.

“Let’s go!”

Kim Kyung Soo let out a sigh of relief before he got smacked over the head.

“Agh!”

“You dumb idiot! You should have been careful!”

“Ugh, this is so not fair! They didn’t believe me, so I didn’t think they would tell anyone!”

“You call those your friends? You should make some better ones.”

“Yes, Sir…”

Kim Kyung Soo kept his head down in regret while looking at the diplomats running about.

“What’s going on?”

“How would I know? What’s up with them?”

The chief asked a contractor that he quickly got close with. Not all employees of emba.s.sies were government workers. The employee who was struggling on the phone smirked and answered,

“Your colleagues have been saved.”

“What?”

“The group that never arrived before you has been saved.”

“Gasp!”

The chief ran out as well.

“What are you doing? Doctor! Doctor!”

“Don’t differentiate them by country and just send them to the hospital! Actually, tell them to come here!”

“Do you have a permanent residency? Or citizens.h.i.+p?”

“Can anyone speak the Burundi language here? Or French?”

The military training ground and heliport were chaos.

The insured and deceased men of all skin colors who were arriving were in a worse state than when Kim Kyung Soo’s group arrived. Some were crying out of relief and Han Kyung Il couldn’t help but grieve over it. As he looked down upon the bodies covered with a white cloth, his eyes filled with both pain and apologetic feelings.

“Kyung Il!”

“Oh, Councilor Yoo.”

Councilor Yoo Jung Geun hesitated before running over to him.

“What happened?”

“We saved four of them. But one person is…”

“Too late, huh?”

Foreign Minister Kim Hyung Il was strongly opposed to dispatching a team for the kidnapping incident in Nigeria. And as a result, the Korean amba.s.sador to Nigeria followed orders by withdrawing the Korean diplomats in Abuja and planned to move the Lagos base to Liberia. However, diplomats with a good sentiment such as Yoo Jung Geun and Han Kyung Il held hands and opposed together.

This was a coup d’etat.

“You probably know already, but once you return home, there will be a disciplinary action meeting.”

“I don’t care, but what about you? Will you be okay?”

“I did it while knowing that.”

Han Kyung Il thought that Yoo Jung Geun was the true hero diplomat. There were countless incidents in America where many Koreans lived, but in comparison, there weren’t many diplomats that wanted to help. Han Kyung Il acknowledged that there were many things foreign offices were doing wrong, but that didn’t mean they were all indifferent and irresponsible.

“Tell CEO Ahn that I said thank you.”

“You should tell him in person.”

“He’s a busy man.”

“I heard on the way that Korea is in chaos right now.”

“Yeah. Some b.a.s.t.a.r.d revealed that he was here. Countless calls are coming in at that comment. We didn’t know either, but Korea, which really didn’t know anything… is screwed.”

No one knew that Ahn Soo Ho was in Nigeria. Even the administrators managing his trips abroad only just realized that Ahn Soo Ho left Korea through an American plane. It was a crime to cross the border without reporting it, but this was also a small problem that could be resolved easily.

Han Kyung Il went deep into thought.

‘He said that he could make this situation work to his advantage.’

Ahn Soo Ho always said that life was like a war.

‘The last one standing wins.’

There were battles that were won and battles that were lost.

What was important was to not cling onto the result. The reformation committee that Ahn Soo Ho left was in trouble and the government was getting a lot of insults for the Bridal Mask and reporter kidnapping incident. Therefore, the Blue House, the National a.s.sembly, and the rich all wanted an issue that they could hide behind.

Han Kyung Il touched the body cam attached to his bulletproof vest.

‘Good. This is it.’

******

With only 7 hours remaining in the time limit given by Bridal Mask, Korea was going crazy over the Nigeria rumor. However, the rumor was confirmed to be true only 30 minutes afterward.

Ahn Soo Ho is in Nigeria! ‘I’ll just save them if you won’t?’

What’s the Korean government doing while a civilian goes to Nigeria?

Shocking! Ahn Soo Ho! He’s currently trying to save the reporters who were kidnapped by a criminal organization!

‘We didn’t know!’ Nigerian government tries to pull out! A celebration for Ahn Soo Ho!

The real conditions behind the Nigerian war were revealed.

As soon as it was revealed that people got kidnapped and demanded compensation for their lives, the world went into shock. The human rights groups and progressives that criticized Caucasians of America and Europe that ridiculed Africans were at a loss for words. As soon as a battle meant for human rights ended with kidnapping, threats, torture, and rape, all countries criticized the Nigerian government.

China was also criticized for knowing about the countless citizens that went missing in Nigeria but weren’t doing anything about it. Since the Chinese government kept a strong stance, there was no hostage negotiation. That was why when they found out that someone was Chinese, they just killed them right away.

The climax of the shocking reveal was the bodycam footage filmed by a Korean diplomat at the scene. Since they disobeyed anyway, they decided to go all the way. The video, that showed the rescue operation from beginning to end, stopped anyone from criticizing the US military. It was true that the US military stepped up to eradicate the cruel crime.

Is that Black Hawk or C Hawk? Any militarists here? #NigerianRescue #KimKyungSoo #h.e.l.lJoseon

That’s not what’s important here! Listen to the conversation! The man in the sungla.s.ses is Ahn Soo Ho for sure!

I think you’re right! I’ll upload a comparison photo!

Kya! A Korean leading the US military!

Someone else is directing them.

Anyway, Soo Ho’s directing that person, too! That means Ahn Soo Ho was in charge!

But how is that possible? The US military doesn’t put a man in charge without following proper procedures even if they have four stars!

What does that mean?

I’m saying only the squad commander can give orders even if a commander with four stars showed up! The Americans follow those traditions like crazy! They’re not like our country where people can have command just because they’re old!

Kya! Look at that dodge! How does that make sense? #SniperElite # Matrix

Han Kyung Il! That b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Look at him trembling!

Veterans with prior battling experience are different! It feels like another bullet might fly over!

Huh? s.h.i.+t! I think we’ve got a pro-j.a.p in the house!

Wow! The bell tower blew up! That’s crazy!

That’s Joseon! They just wipe them out if there’s any threat at all!

A cigarette right on the battlefield! Kya! It’s like a scene from a movie! That’s sick!

The conversation is even better! ‘Don’t even hang out with guys that quit smoking!’ So true!

Come to think of it, Korea should reduce cigarette prices! s.h.i.+t! Don’t they have a conscience?

Ew! f.u.c.k! What’s all that? That’s blood all over the floor! #MosaicPlease #HumanFlesh

Mosaic that s.h.i.+t! That’s ridiculous!

Wow! You’ve got to be kidding me! Those Nigerian black b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! Did they sell out Boko Haram in the forefront while working with them behind everyone’s backs?

They not only did it to Whites and Yellow but to Africans, too! So scary!

Are the human rights activists watching? No matter how much you support Africa, all you do is extend the amount of time they can live in that h.e.l.l hole!

There’s really no hope for Africa!

All countries in Africa are doomed! There’s no patriotism whatsoever! Why, you ask? Because all they care about is looking out for their own families!

Isn’t Nigeria an oil-producing country?

Yeah! They are! If not, America wouldn’t have sent troops for Boko Haram!

“Kyung Il used his brains for this one.”

Ahn Soo Ho returned Logan’s tablet and mumbled to himself.

“Is that why you brought him?”

“That’s half the reason.”

“I don’t know the reason, Soo Ho.”

“I’ll leave it as a last gift.”

Logan just shook his head in response.

Ahn Soo Ho had made up his mind to renounce his citizens.h.i.+p, but he had yet to make any formal arrangements. However, most people in the intelligence world already knew and the Koren government was going to find out soon enough. Once that happened the 8-member group was bound to pressure him. He didn’t want to be disappointed by his homeland anymore, but they probably thought different. Would it change in 10, 20, or 30 years?

‘No one can really say.’

The 8-member group was now a 7-member group. The possibility that they would fail wasn’t zero. What was for certain was that he didn’t want to suffer anymore dealing with the public’s prejudices.

Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch.

02:03:15

There were only two hours left. As soon as the hatch of the transport opened, Ahn Soo Ho gave his final command.

“Wait for my signal, Logan.”

“Yes, Sir!”

He jumped out of the hatch into the night sky over Nigeria.

‘I want the final step to be vibrant.’

< Protect – Episode 190 – 25000 vs 1 [1] > The end.