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“How are we going to proceed with the investigation if he’s coming tonight? They won’t just stay quiet if we arrest him,” Lee Seung-Ryul inquired. He looked a lot more timid than before he set out for Kang Dae-Kyung’s arrest.

“Even the reporters that you spoke about were gone, sir. I think maybe you should evaluate this case from the ground up…” Lee Seung-Ryul trailed off upon noticing Kim Seong-Woong’s piercing gaze.

“What was Kang Chan like?” Kim Seong-Woong asked.

“He was no pushover,” Lee Seung-Ryul replied.

“He’s still a high school student at best, though,” Kim Seong-Woong said.

“You shouldn’t underestimate him just because he’s a high schooler, sir. To be honest, I thought that the National Intelligence Service might have faked his age to give him a false identity,” Lee Seung-Ryul responded.

‘It’s that serious?’

Kim Seong-Woong looked at Lee Seung-Ryul with a much more surprised face than before.

“What was even more shocking was how the agents treated Kang Chan. They interacted with him without any pretense, acting like perfect subordinates to their superior. I couldn’t make sense of it,” Lee Seung-Ryul said.

“Who on earth is that punk?” Kim Seong-Woong cursed, annoyance evident in his expression.

He had been certain he had grabbed onto something good. Under normal circumstances, the government or ruling party would have already presented some sort of negotiation for cases like this. In return for him dropping the investigation, they would have proposed a deal to release Chairperson Huh Ha-Soo or offered some other suitable compensation. But there was nothing.

“What am I missing here?” Kim Seong-Woong murmured to himself.

He thought of Huh Ha-Soo with a creased forehead. Was it possible Huh Ha-Soo really engaged in espionage? What could the powerful chairperson of an entire country’s national assembly have to gain from that?

It can’t be true!

Kim Seong-Woong firmly shouted the words in his mind.

Huh Ha-Soo and Huh Sang-Soo had given him this position. If Kim Seong-Woong backed down now, he might never be able to play a role again.

‘I’m seeing this to the end!’

Kim Seong-Woong’s ambition was to become the Minister of Justice. He couldn’t stop here.

***

“Mr. Kang Chan is the only one who can resolve this matter,” Hwang Ki-Hyun said in the firmest tone he had ever used.

It was usually Jeon Dae-Geuk who mainly spoke while Hwang Ki-Hyun just listened silently, but Hwang Ki-Hyun’s eyes were burning with intensity right now.

“The information is consistent with the demands that Chairperson Huh Ha-Soo made to North Korea. An attack on North Korea is undoubtedly an opportunity for the United States to unload its old weaponry and revitalize its domestic market through its military industries. It has also been almost twenty years since the Gulf War and the conflict in Afghanistan, so the US military-industrial complex has reached its limits. To top it all off, if a war breaks out in North Korea, the Eurasian Rail will naturally be put to a halt as well.”

“There’s no end to the problems.” Moon Jae-Hyun sighed.

“It’s because they know the South Korea being connected to the Eurasian rail will alter the future significantly,” Hwang Ki-Hyun said.

Moon Jae-Hyun shook his head.

Hwang Ki-Hyun continued, “Russia, China, and South Korea need to unite and put pressure on the United States, but only Mr. Kang Chan can handle this matter.”

The look on Moon Jae-Hyun’s face made Hwang Ki-Hyung quickly bow and apologize.

“No need for apologies. However, we’re not internally unified right now. The National Intelligence Service and the prosecution are fighting over Mr. Kang Chan’s case, and I have no idea where to begin to solve that. How is North Korea reacting?” Moon Jae-Hyung asked.

“It seems Chairperson Huh Ha-Soo has agreed to transfer about two trillion of our won to them. Because he made the promise as the Chairperson of the National Assembly, not as an individual, North Korea is refusing to speak with us unless the agreement is fulfilled,” Hwang Ki-Hyun replied.

“Then North Korea has no way to survive. They don’t have a way to defeat the United States either.”

“If the United States attacks North Korea, China will immediately intervene. North Korea’s plan, should they find themselves in the worst-case scenario, is to use their nuclear weapons. Of course, the US will be unharmed, but the Korean Peninsula will be completely destroyed, making it nearly impossible to turn back. Plutonium has a shelf life of twenty-four thousand years and takes about a hundred thousand years to completely dissolve.”

“Another brinkmanship tactic. I wonder how long Earth will last at this rate,” Moon Jae-Hyun joked, but Hwang Ki-Hyun and Jeon Dae-Geuk’s expressions didn’t brighten up in the slightest.

“The United States will gain something either way, considering the worst-case scenario results in a significant portion of the Eurasian Rail collapsing. This aligns perfectly with Japan’s demands as well,” Hwang Ki-Hyun added.

Their list of problems was growing, but they still couldn’t find any answer in sight.

“Mr. President, to make a flower bloom, you must first get your hands and feet dirty. The just, right path and fair attitude won’t have anyone pointing fingers at you, but they should only be used when teaching students at school,” Hwang Ki-Hyun reasoned.

“What about Mr. Kang Chan?” Moon Jae-Hyun asked.

“He said he would go to the prosecutor’s office tonight.”

Moon Jae-Hyun let out a quiet sigh.

“Yes, Mr. Kang Chan did run into conflicts with Sharlan and crime organizations. However, aside from Sharlan, everything else was an act of self-defense. While I’m still in charge of the National Intelligence Service, I will do my best to defend him. Doing so is no different from protecting the whole of South Korea,” Hwang Ki-Hyun firmly declared.

Moon Jae-Hyun skimmed through the documents on his desk before looking back up.

“This may easily become a political conspiracy,” he warned.

“If it will help Mr. Kang Chan develop an affection for South Korea and save the Korean peninsula, I will willingly get my hands dirty.”

“The request from the United States’ ambassador to see me isn’t about discussing this issue, I’m sure.”

“From what I’ve gathered, they will probably request the release of Chairperson Huh Ha-Soo. The United States needs the information Chairperson Huh Ha-Soo holds and his connections to North Korea. If any problems arise, they can use him as a scapegoat and lay all the blame on him as well.”

Moon Jae-Hyun nodded.

“Mr. President. You said we should nurture talented individuals. Then at the very least, please provide the space for the National Intelligence Service to operate with peace of mind,” Hwang Ki-Hyun pleaded.

“Can you promise me that it won’t be used as a tool for maintaining power?” Moon Jae-Hyun questioned. “That is what I fear the most. Right now, it will be used to protect the nation, but I worry that it may become nothing more than a means for holding onto power in the future."

“Mr. Kang Chan once said that if you make a habit of getting beat up, it will become an expected occurrence. I firmly believe that even if it’s the last thing we do, we have to prevent any actions that threaten national security for personal gain.”

Moon Jae-Hyun sighed quietly again. After a while, he finally declared, “I understand. I will leave the National Intelligence Service to handle all subsequent matters. I will appease the ruling party and meet with the opposing party’s representative.”

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Hwang Ki-Hyun replied, expressing his gratitude.

Turning to a different matter, Moon Jae-Hyun asked, “Director, I trust there aren’t any issues with the oil development rights with Russia?”

“Please just continue what you’ve been doing, sir. We are coordinating the remaining follow-up actions with the Russian mafia.”

“Well, they’re quite the astonishing country, aren’t they? To think negotiating with the mafia requires approval from the government.”

“That’s the way to live for KGB agents who have retired. These days, I heard that when you ask for a nuclear-powered submarine, the first thing they’ll ask is if you want missiles aboard it or not.”

“That seems to be a funny joke that shows what happens if an agent’s pride in their position wanes.” Moon Jae-Hyun grinned.

“Apparently, it wasn’t a joke.” Hwang Ki-Hyun responded.

Moon Jae-Hyun laughed in disbelief.

***

After having lunch, Kang Chan went to see Lanok.

“Mr. Kang Chan!”

It had only been a few days since they last saw each other, so Kang Chan didn’t expect Lanok to be so delighted to see him.

“On behalf of all of Europe, thank you.”

“You don’t have to, sir,” Kang Chan responded.

Lanok showed Kang Chan his rare, real expression—one that wasn’t hidden behind any mask.

“How did things go with the prosecution?” Lanok asked.

“I managed to prevent my father’s arrest for now, and I plan to visit them in the evening,” Kang Chan replied.

“I see,” Lanok said with a nod as he poured them some tea. “The National Intelligence Service is prepared to be criticized for political manipulation to protect you. Its director seems bolder than I thought.”

“Political manipulation?” Kang Chan repeated, setting his teacup down after just a sip. He had no idea what Lanok was talking about.

“The United States is calculating a war with North Korea, but the probability is less than twenty percent. The National Intelligence Service plans to use that situation to suppress the individuals related to Huh Ha-Soo in one go,” Lanok replied.

Can that really be done?

Seeing Kang Chan’s expression, Lanok nodded in confirmation.

“I’m sure touching you was the pivotal reason.”

What happened with Sharlan was a personal matter, and he had no excuse for his actions. It was ridiculous that the National Intelligence Service would have to suffer condemnation as a consequence.

“There are a few steps to state matters. You start off with not knowing any better. You’ll then experience betrayal or disappointment, then learn not to be fooled again in the future. They say it’s the three-stage process of agent growth,” Lanok said.

“Does that really exist?” Kang Chan asked out of doubt.

“You can ask the National Intelligence Service. They’ll tell you the same thing.”

Huh. Interesting. I wonder what step I’m at.

Kang Chan quietly sighed.

***

Just as Kang Chan headed out of the embassy, Woo Hee-Seung called him.

“Hello?” Kang Chan answered.

- Mr. Kang Chan. Hwang Ki-Hyun speaking.

“Yes, Director,” Kang Chan responded as the car he was in headed to Gangnam.

- I heard you intend to go to the prosecution later today. It would be best to go with Manager Kim.

“Can I do that?” Kang Chan asked.

- Of course. I’ve already prepared everything for you, so you just have to stop by Samseong-Dong and take him with you. I apologize for making things even more troublesome.

“It’s okay, sir. I know it wasn’t intentional on your part,” Kang Chan reassured him.

Kang Chan politely ended the call. When he arrived at Samseong-Dong, he found Kim Hyung-Jung waiting for him at the entrance.

Kang Chan looked at his surroundings. There was an almost unbearable number of agents standing around them.