《Soho》


 Chapter 1: < Protect – Prologue – >

    <h4>Chapter 1: < Protect ¨C Prologue ¨C ></h4>


    When I was young, I lived in a house that had a stream flowing in front of it. It was perfect for a young child to y in since the water was only as deep as my knees. That might have been why all the kids in the neighborhood could be found there every summer. I was no exception. I was always the first one there and thest one to leave since I lived so close. But then one day, my close friend Kyung Ho and I noticed something half-submerged in the water.


    It iled around like the seaweed in the soup my mom cooked for me on my birthdays. Its pale face reminded me of a mannequin, and I was uncertain what emotion was hiding behind its frowning face. That¡¯s right. That was the first time I felt afraid of another person. I felt my chest grow cold.


    What is fear?


    I started to ask myself that question.


    As a child, my mom gave me the most fear. There was a time when I stole money out of my mom¡¯s wallet to go to the arcade and got kicked out of the house naked. I could endure the embarrassment of how the adults would look at me, but I would have wanted to die if the kids at school found out.


    There was even a girl I liked, so I couldn¡¯t let any of the kids find out that I strut the neighborhood streets naked. So I ran into the stream in front of my house. It may have been getting warmer around that time, but it was still the beginning of spring. I thought it¡¯d be freezing, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought.


    There! This way, I don¡¯t look weird for being naked!


    However, that turned out to be the worst mistake my foolish brain could make.


    Even in the scorching heat, it¡¯s hard to y in the water for longer than 30 minutes. So it was especially cold on that spring day in April. Even though it was partly my fault for angering my mom, she really didn¡¯t have to strip me naked.


    I didn¡¯t understand the concept of losing body heat.


    In other words, that means you¡¯re starting to lose your life, but I wasn¡¯t very smart or wise as a child. Before I knew it, I lost sensation in my submerged body, and as my vision started to blur, my thoughts stopped with it. Maybe I¡¯m wrong. It was my surroundings that stopped, not me. Or time had slowed down drastically. In any case, I was trapped. I couldn¡¯t move my body. It was all in my head.


    I was okay for a day.


    But after two days, three days, one week, one month, and then one year, I realized something wasn¡¯t right. Maybe I should have realized it earlier. Is Buddha punishing me for my sins? Then is this my afterlife? At least I¡¯m not hungry or have to pee.


    But if I didn¡¯t understand the concept of losing body heat, how did I know about Buddha and the afterlife? It¡¯s because of the grandmothers. Our neighborhood is a very strange ce. There were shrines and shamans as well as churches and priests. You may think the countryside is full of only elders, but our neighborhood had many young men and women as well.


    It¡¯s because of the grandmothers.


    And one of those grandmothers shouted at me for being in the water.


    ¡°You there! You little scoundrel! Get out of there!¡±


    How?


    ¡°Pray to the Heavens.¡±


    How do I do that?


    ¡°With all your heart.¡±


    What kind of nonsense is that? That was no different from a top student saying his secret to getting good grades was to study very hard. God damn it! I give up.


    The grandmother clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Don¡¯t you want to participate in Sports Day?¡±


    Oh yeah! Sports day! I trained my ass off to take back the throne of the 100-meter race.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go, I¡¯m going to eat all of your mother¡¯s kimbap.¡±


    No way! Mom¡¯s oyster seaweed soup might be horrible, but her kimbaps are the best!


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to confess your feelings to Joo Hee.¡±


    Huh? How did she know that?


    ¡°T-Tsk! There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She¡¯s definitely the queen of all grandmothers.


    ¡°Come out, little boy. Open your eyes.¡±


    When I opened my eyes to the queen grandmother¡¯s faint voice, I could see my crying mom in front of me. Why is mom crying? I wanted to yell at her not to cry, but I was unable to open my mouth.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    I see a white ceiling. Wait, it¡¯s not just the ceiling. All the people are wearing white, too. This must be one of those big general hospitals.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡±


    My father, who was normally very serious, embraced another man in a white gown and sobbed. I can see my family, friends, people from our neighborhood, and grandmothers. Why are they always together? Did they get into a gang fight with the next neighborhood? The queen grandmother from my dream walked over, patted my head, and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Atta boy. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. But don¡¯t confess your feelings to that Joo Hee girl.¡±


    Wait, why? That¡¯s why I woke up.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s been dating Kyung Ho sincest month.¡±


    What? No! That bastard! How could my best friend stab me in the back like that? As my heart started pounding, I heard the sound of beeping, and I saw sexy nurses in white uniforms busily running around.


    ¡°Wow, this is unreal! I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. Okay, fine. I¡¯ll forgive my best friend just this once.¡±


    But I still couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter. Does the bitter taste of betrayal make a person more mature? Maybe this is why the older kids smoke all the time.


    ¡°If I want to be an adult, I might have to get used to this bitter taste...¡±


    My eyelids suddenly started to feel heavy.


    I had another dream.


    I looked down upon myself submerged in the water. I was trapped under there for a whole year. Am I wrong? I¡¯m confused. But one thing¡¯s for sure. I talked to the queen grandmother down there. But how did the queen grandmother move within stopped time? How interesting.


    ¡°Is it interesting?¡±


    Huh? Queen Grandmother?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to it. That was simply our fate that was blessed upon us by the Heavens.¡±


    Come to think of it, the shrine is the queen grandmother¡¯s house. Even though the people of our neighborhood feared her, I feltfortable around her.


    ¡°Protect.¡±


    The literal trantion is ¡°Water Tiger.¡±


    That¡¯s the name the queen grandmother gave me. She named everyone in our neighborhood. I didn¡¯t like it at first. What the hell is a water tiger? But once I learned that it was a wrong expression of ¡°Killer Whale,¡± I let it go. The apex predator of the sea! Wow! It¡¯s known as the king that consumes both sharks and whales.


    I managed to get up and participate in Sports Day, but I was unable to participate in the 100-meter race or anything that was straining to my body. I was just happy I could taste my mom¡¯s handmade kimbap. And then toward the end of the event, I found out the truth.


    ¡°I died and then came back to life?¡±


    I was reminded of what I saw with Kyung Host summer.


    It wasn¡¯t the horribly pale face, but the pain and fear behind that person¡¯s frown that frightened the kids. Did my expression look like that? There¡¯s no way. I didn¡¯t die. The uneasiness made my heart pound. I ran out of the school before the event was over. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt like I had to.


    I only looked straight and ran as fast as I could.


    I was running out of breath, but I didn¡¯t stop. I saw the shrine. However, there was just as many people there as well. Is an exorcism taking ce? I didn¡¯t hear any spells or sounds of swords, but I did hear shrieks and cries. As soon as I appeared, the startled adults reached out to catch me, but I managed to dodge them with my swift movements. I immediately ran inside, but my feet stopped.


    This is just likest time.


    This is just like when I thought it would be cold in the water, but it wasn¡¯t, and thought time had stopped. The only difference is that it¡¯s not my time, but the queen grandmother¡¯s time that stopped. She was wearing white, but they were formal mourning clothes, unlike what the sexy nurses were wearing earlier. Why is she lying down when there are so many people here? Is she tired?


    Something is definitely wrong here.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    That¡¯s when I realized it.


    I realized what a horrible sin I hadmitted. I wasn¡¯t sure of the details, but I realized that I made a big mistake, and the queen grandmother was paying the price. It appears that the water I was trapped in wasn¡¯t the stream in front of my house.


    River Styx.


    In the ce between life and death, the queen grandmother in my dream urged me to get out.


    Drip¡ª


    Tears dripped down my face.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Did she cross the river of no return in my stead?


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    After that day, I hated my name all over again.


    < Protect ¨C Prologue ¨C > The end.

 Chapter 2: < Protect – Episode 1 – Kim Dae Chan [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 2: < Protect ¨C Episode 1 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [1] ></h4>


    ¡°Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You have quite a unique background. Treasure hunter and wilderness survival expert?¡±


    The personnel manager of Daesan Group had a peculiar look on his face. Besides having a bulky andrge build, the man in front of Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have any special characteristics. He did have the advantage of being tall, and could therefore be considered handsome in Korea. After all, Koreans liked everything big besides a big head.


    As a personnel manager, he was strangely shocked by his interviewee.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember your face.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho felt awkward. Both him and the manager had already met each other when he submitted his documents the week before, so why did it seem that they had only met for the first time? Did he make a mistake? But how? For a personnel manager known for his good memory, it was quite astonishing.


    ¡°You dropped out of the Naval Academy... May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°I just woke up one morning and didn¡¯t like the uniform I was wearing.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because most Korean men don¡¯t like the military.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The personnel manager justughed. It was the truth, though. Most Korean men didn¡¯t like the military. There was so much distrust regarding the front-line forces that they would rather volunteer themselves as a conscripted policeman. But did that mean conscripted policemen had it easier? Well, every Korean man thought their military experience was the worst.


    ¡°Since you dropped out when you were a senior, you only have half a year left to serve.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should be relieved.¡±


    ording to the Military Service Act, if a cadet dropped out of the Naval Academy, they must join the military with the rank they had before entering the academy or serve as a public service member. However, if they dropped out after a year of training, they could be appointed as an active duty officer. That meant the duration of their training in the Naval Academy would be counted to shorten their period of service. Therefore, if they were a senior cadet, the duration of their training exceeded the mandatory period of service, meaning they must only reenlist for six months.


    With a past like that, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s background headed toward a stranger direction. The personnel manager has met many interviewees before. It might sound silly, but even if he was sopetent that he could be an executive 10 or 20 years from now, he was nothing but a newbie at the very moment. To simply put, he waspletely useless.


    ¡°He¡¯s not intimidated at all.¡±


    He was a type that was hard toe by in the Korean society where rank was very important. He wasn¡¯t even born in another country, meaning he was just another Korean on paper. But then again, ten years was a pretty long time to be abroad.


    ¡°The vice-chairman strongly rmended you... How do you know each other?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who was a second generation executive and the only son of Kim Dae San, the founder of Daesan Group, was set to be the heir. With a connection like that, it was no surprise that the personnel manager was called upon to conduct this special interview.


    ¡°I met him in Buenos Aires three years ago for matters regarding Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Three years ago in Buenos Aires?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure a man of your rank would know.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to the hostage incident?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you call it here?¡±


    ¡°Then what do they call it there?¡±


    ¡°They consider it a terrorist attack.¡±


    The personnel manager was startled. That wasn¡¯t the answer he expected to a formal question.


    ¡°What did you do there?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows. With all that has happened in thest three years, it was hard to remember anything in detail. He might be the interviewee, but this was not something to chat about with a stranger. So he kept it short.


    ¡°I resolved an issue.¡±


    ¡°What issue? The hostage incident?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The personnel manager muttered to himself.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian?¡±


    While managing arge corporation, setbacks and a number of issues were bound to appear. And if one was influential enough to lead the Korean economy like Daesan Group, those issues would not be restricted to within the country¡ªhaving an alliance with foreign forces was a necessity.


    Ahn Soo Ho giggled.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually not what my name means.¡±


    It was clear that many differences existed between the alphabet and hanja. However, he didn¡¯t correct him because he hated his real name. Thanks to the stupefied personnel manager, the interview ended just like that. As soon as he walked out, Kim Dae Chan weed him with a big smile on the face.


    Seeing Kim Dae Chan apanied by staff reminded Ahn Soo Ho of his general in the military.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°This is a lot of work just to be a vi caretaker... I don¡¯t feel like doing this anymore.¡±


    ¡°I might be the vice-chairman, but we still have to follow the procedure.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan dismissed his staff. The top floor of the head office had restricted ess, so it wasn¡¯t that crowded, but that meant more eyes were on him.


    ¡°How¡¯s the old man?


    ¡°As good as ever.¡±


    ¡°Is he going to remarry?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d put up with his horrible personality?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Young women these days are all about the money.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bring that up unless you want a cane chucked at you. Oh yeah! My father said he wants to see you. Can you make time?¡±


    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want toe back to Korea. What does he want to bother me about this time?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan showed a bitter smile. How many people would be able to treat the great Kim Dae San like any old man? Even the mayor of Seoul and the members of the National Assembly treated him with care.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    ¡°Fine, Dae Chan. Don¡¯t give me that pitiful face.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only person who could see me as pitiful, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you think people like me make life more interesting? It¡¯s not fun to bow your head down all the time.¡±


    ¡°That takes skill.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Haha. Does that mean I¡¯m skilled?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, the only son of the great executive, Kim Dae San, was known to be just as malicious as his father. For that reason, not even his aides had seen him smile so brightly until then.


    ¡°Vice-Chairman.¡±


    If the chief secretary hadn¡¯t jumped in, they would have chatted andughed all day long. Kim Dae Chan nced at his watch, smiled, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere far, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay around Seoul today.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give my father a call.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who saw off the waving Kim Dae Chan and his staff members, ran into a slim and beautiful woman.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Ahn. My name is Oh Joo Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Did they force you into this?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung widened her eyes to the random response.


    ¡°Did they make you escort me against your will just because you have the lowest rank?¡±


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m the youngest in the office, but it wasn¡¯t against my will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that. Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t need an escort, but it¡¯ll probably be good for the both of us to quickly get it over with.¡±


    They took the elevator down to the first floor. Seeing how it didn¡¯t stop a single time from the fortieth floor, it must be an exclusive elevator for private use. Since she was the vice-chairman¡¯s secretary, all eyes were fixed on her as soon as she entered the lobby.


    ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho strongly declined thepany car Oh Joo Kyung offered him and hailed a taxi. As soon as the taxi disappeared and she finished her bow, the executive from the information desk approached.


    ¡°Who was that, Deputy Oh?¡±


    ¡°He was the vice-chairman¡¯s guest. He¡¯ll be joining our team very soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the one I¡¯ve heard rumors about?¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    After the executive looked around for any eavesdroppers, she whispered, ¡°The chairman¡¯s love child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? That¡¯s what everyone else thinks.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to get their act together if they don¡¯t want to be scolded.¡±


    The rumor was bound to be misinterpreted.


    ¡°He¡¯s... not a lovechild.¡±


    If that was the case, he couldn¡¯t have been so close to the vice-chairman.


    The taxi that picked up Ahn Soo Ho from Daesan Group stopped at a charnel house near Seoul. With Korea¡¯s changed funeral culture andck ofnd, burials were no longer feasible. He didn¡¯t buy any flowers. He believed she would rather have a ss of rice wine over any kind of flowers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Queen Grandmother.¡±


    Jung Mi Ja


    1905. 3. 25. ~ 1989. 5. 1.


    Ahn Soo Ho only found out the queen grandmother¡¯s real name after she passed away. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t interested before then. Who would go around to ask about the neighborhood grandmothers¡¯ names? If she lived until past eighty years old, he would say she had a long and fulfilling life. Did that mean she passed away without any regrets? He was not sure about that. He wasn¡¯t curious about anything else, but if he could meet her again, he would ask her this one question.


    ¡°Why did you save my life, Granny?¡±


    The memories were way too vivid to call dreams, so he wanted to ask her. Why did she sacrifice her life to save his? Thanks to her, he got to live an enjoyable life, but another part of him always felt indebted to her.


    ¡°I wish you had a family of your own...¡±


    Then he wouldn¡¯t have felt such a heavy burden. However, she had no one else. As Ahn Soo Ho nkly stared at the urn, someone approached him.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho observed the man before him. He looked oriental on the outside, but his pronunciation made it obvious that he had lived abroad.


    ¡°Can we talk for a moment?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured for him to rify.


    ¡°Empire Konzern would very much like to recruit you.¡±


    ¡°A broker?¡±


    The man passed him his business card.


    ¡°Brian Yoon? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve never heard of that name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t. It hasn¡¯t been long since I started. To be honest, they only sent me because I¡¯m of Korean origin.¡±


    ¡°Did you do a background check on me?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Then you must know that what you¡¯re asking is impossible.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you just sign with Daesan Group?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been misinformed. It¡¯s not a long-term contract. It¡¯s just a temporary position for one year.¡±


    ¡°Then if I offer you better conditions...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut Brian off before he could finish.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very firm.¡±


    ¡°I tend to stick to my word.¡±


    He had returned to Korea on a sabbatical trip. It was only a verbal agreement made over a few drinks, but his promise with Kim Dae Chan was important.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to return with better conditions, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re persistent.¡±


    After exchanging nods, Ahn Soo Ho nced at the distancing man before he picked up his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Look into Empire Konzern. Yeah. Don¡¯t go in too deep, though.¡±


    He only said what he wanted to say and then hung up. Then, he looked at the urn one more time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember to bring you rice wine next time. Don¡¯t be mad, Granny.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 1 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [1] >

 Chapter 3: < Protect – Episode 2 – Kim Dae Chan [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 3: < Protect ¨C Episode 2 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [2] ></h4>


    Seoul seemed like it changed a lot, but it hasn¡¯t. As a man who had seen many chaotic cities around the world, Ahn Soo Ho felt that Seoul didn¡¯t have any unique characteristics. Seoul wasn¡¯t a very attractive tourist attraction. One could say the Han River made up for many of the city¡¯s downfalls. It was notmon to see such a big river prating a capital city. Not even the Seine River, the Rhine River, or the River Thames seemed as big inparison.


    After he left the charnel house, he arrived at an alley in Itaewon. As he pointed out earlier, Seoul was a chaotic city with lots of people everywhere, unless one was in some remote alley. The fact that he missed that scene and felt bitter about it proved that he had gotten a lot older.


    Ding-


    As soon as he opened the door, a bell rang.


    ¡°Hello... Huh?¡±


    The woman who was ready to serve a customer saw Ahn Soo Ho and opened her eyes widely.


    ¡°Soo Ho? Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Someone popped out of the kitchen in response to the loud noise.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hey, man!¡±


    Despite the fact that their meeting looked as violent as a dropkick, the two men smiled and embraced each other. The other man also had a healthy frame just like Ahn Soo Ho. The woman wiped her tears before she started pping.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Hye Jung, let¡¯s close for the day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. Sit down.¡±


    Jung Hye Jung flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSE.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I worked on a new recipe for you!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho put on his apron, sat Ahn Joo Ho in front of the table, and started preparing the food. Meanwhile, Jung Hye Jung set up a few bottles of soju and beer. Seeing how they had great teamwork, they were obviously a couple. Ahn Soo Ho just sat there and watched them with a smile.


    Delicious sounds could be heard from the boiling pot and the sizzling fry pan. From the smell of it, one would think they were at a five-star restaurant, but it had only been less than three years since Do Kyung Ho got his Korean cooking certificate. Did three years sound like a long time? It wasn¡¯t. If one wanted to be treated like a professional cook, one must have at least 10 years under their belt.


    Not everyone was a genius.


    ¡°Is your business doing well?¡±


    As soon as Jung Hye Jung sat down with some side dishes, Ahn Soo Ho asked her the most basic question.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Oh yeah! Were you the one who talked to Donald?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    The reason why they opened the shop near Itaewon was because it would be easier for Ahn Soo Ho to help them out. Even though location didn¡¯t matter too much, since foreigners were more trustworthy than Koreans, it was less likely that they had suddenly vited the agreement. Do Kyung Ho and Jung Hye Jung got married seven years ago. The groom was 30 years old, and the bride was 27 years old, which were the ideal ages to get married in Korea.


    The problem was that their parents were very against it.


    ¡°Are you still avoiding your family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jung Hye Jung had an awkward look on her face.


    Luckily, Kyung Ho¡¯s parents gave in and forgave them as soon as grandchildren came into the picture. Sure, both of them made an effort, but it wasrgely due to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s long efforts to convince them. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho started to take care of the queen grandmother¡¯s death anniversary, he became the most influential man of the entire town.


    Ahn Soo Ho nced side to side, and then put a white envelope in Jung Hye Jung¡¯s hands. Before she could raise her voice, he shook his head telling her not to. Jung Hye Jung knew Do Kyung Ho would tell her to give it back, so she had no choice but to be careful. Ahn Soo Ho used a small voice to whisper,


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you. That¡¯s for my niece and nephew. Okay?¡±


    Thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, or Kyung Ho will get suspicious.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Will it look like we¡¯re having an affair?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I have higher standards than that.¡±


    Jung Hye Jung wiped her tears away and snorted.


    ¡°I was pretty popr in Gangnam back in the day, you know.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use in talking about the past? You¡¯re just a mother now.¡±


    The reason why Kyung Ho¡¯s parents were against her was because she used to work in the red-light district. Most of them hid their pasts, just as any woman with an unfavorable past would. However, Jung Hye Jung didn¡¯t hide any of it. That was how much she loved Do Kyung Ho.


    To be honest, Jung Hye Jung was still pretty.


    She was probably not lying when she said she was popr back in the day. ording to Donald, whenever she went out by herself, a lot of guys asked for her number. If Do Kyung Ho knew that, he would be startled. They say a man¡¯s behavior depends on how the woman treats him. Seeing how she made that ill-tempered pig into a sheep, they must be a match made in heaven.


    ¡°So you are you not visiting them this year?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I get cursed at... but I can¡¯t stand to watch Kyung Ho get trash dumped on him.¡±


    The reason why Jung Hye Jung¡¯s parents were against Do Kyung Ho was because he used to be in a violent gang. It was true, though. Kyung Ho didn¡¯t try to hide any of it.


    ¡°You live a difficult life.¡±


    What was true love anyway?


    Ahn Soo Ho thought these two were living difficult lives. If they had hidden their pasts from each other¡¯s parents, they could have been just fine. Was it really that bad to lie out of good will? He felt like it was wise to keep quiet about things other people didn¡¯t want to know. Still, being able to sincerely love someone was a very beautiful thing.


    ¡°Ta-da! This is the recipe I made for you!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho enthusiastically presented the food.


    ¡°This is spicy seafood noodle soup.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the excitement? This isn¡¯t just any old spicy seafood noodle soup. I poured my heart into it!¡±


    ¡°I bet you just wanted to eat it with some drinks.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Do Kyung Houghed half-heartedly as he nced over at Jung Hye Jung.


    ¡°Sit down, you immature child. I¡¯ll let it go just this once.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so lenient today!¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Even though they looked nothing alike, they did have one thing inmon.


    ¡°You both drink too much.¡±


    They had amazing tolerances, but the mother of two decided to stay out of it and left the room.


    ¡°There¡¯s no woman like her. Be good to her, Kyung Ho.¡±


    ¡°I know, you punk. I know she¡¯s too good for me.¡±


    ¡°How are the kids?¡±


    ¡°The older one goes to kindergarten, and Hye Jung looks after the younger one.¡±


    ¡°What about Mr. Do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m getting along with my father just fine.¡±


    Even though they made up because of the grandchildren, that didn¡¯t mean they could stop fighting overnight.


    ¡°Are you not going home either?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s no buffer zone there.¡±


    In contrast to the Do family that reconciled for the sake of the grandchildren, there was no room for any flexibility in the Ahn family. After he dropped out of the Naval Academy, he had never had a normal conversation with his father.


    ¡°Be good to them. Mr. Ahn probably doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯ll probably live until he¡¯s in diapers. He¡¯s not the type to pass away easily.¡±


    Do Kyung Soo sighed in response to what Ahn Soo Ho said. The Do family may not be very normal, but the Ahn family was much worse.


    ¡°Why did Mrs. Ahn have to have an affair?¡±


    Soo Ho¡¯s mother got a divorce when he entered middle school and married another man. Since she remarried only six months after the divorce, there was no question about it. Her neighborhood treated her as if she was a slut. Even though they didn¡¯t live in the same neighborhood, it still left his childhood friend with a big trauma.


    ¡°How are your parents?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho giggled at his quiet question.


    ¡°You sound pretty curious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking. So how are they?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s beenining that her and my father just go around drinking all the time.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They might actually live until they¡¯re in diapers just like you said.¡±


    As soon as it grew quiet, they clinked sses.


    ¡°Kya! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    A ss of soju and a spoonful of spicy seafood noodle soup was the most perfectbination.


    ¡°Any hardships these days?¡±


    ¡°No, not really...¡±


    Do Kyung Ho had something to say, but he failed to spit it out and hesitated instead. Ahn Soo Ho, however, knew what his friend was trying to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking. Cheers!¡±


    Whenever they clinked sses, they were able to forget about all of their worries. After quite a few drinks, Do Kyung Ho found the courage to finish what he was saying.


    ¡°Thanks, man.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For everything.¡±


    Was he drunk already? It looked like even a crazy pig like Do Kyung Ho became weak after bing a father and the head of a household. He was no longer the drunkard that drank for three to four days straight.


    ¡°Thanks, Soo Ho. I owe you one.¡±


    ¡°Just drink.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Thanks, Soo Ho.¡±


    Jung Hye Jung looked after the drunk Do Kyung Ho as she saw off Ahn Soo Ho, who was surprisingly sober.


    ¡°Hey! I told you not to thank me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right to forget a person¡¯s kindness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me out, okay?¡±


    He pushed her back into the shop to stop her from following him out.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn.¡±


    As soon as he turned to the corner of the alley, he was stopped by a high-end sedan and a familiar face. She was one of Kim Dae Chan¡¯s secretaries. Her name?


    ¡°Ms. Oh Joo Kyung?¡±


    ¡°The vice-chairman sent me here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask how she found him. He knew she wouldn¡¯t answer, and sitting in the throne of Korea¡¯s business world mustn¡¯t havee for free. As soon as the car took off, he saw escort cars in front of him and behind him.


    ¡°Empire Konzern asked for our cooperation.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung acted like she was his secretary as if she was ordered to do so from above.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°They wanted us to send you over.¡±


    ¡°And how did the vice-chairman react?¡±


    ¡°He turned them down without any hesitation.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re telling me this after he had already turned them down, the brains beneath him must think differently. What conditions did Empire Konzern offer?¡±


    She hesitated before opening her mouth.


    ¡°They offered to increase Daesan Group¡¯s import of rare earth elements by five percent.¡±


    ¡°Wow! They came on strong.¡±


    ¡°The resource team leader of the business strategy division requested for your background check.¡±


    ¡°A team leader is trying to change the decision that the vice-chairman has already made?¡±


    ¡°His actual rank is executive director.¡±


    ¡°Then the director of the business strategy division...¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Gil.


    Daesan Group had three vice-chairmen. The power structure may seem weird, but they used the system of checks and bnces to function in a smooth matter.


    Kim Dae Gil¡ªthe founder, Kim Dae San¡¯s younger brother.


    Daesan Group wasn¡¯t like a crazy drama where family members fight over the inheritance. From what he remembered, Kim Dae Gil was just as cheerful as Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan. Even though he was known as a yer, he has exhibited great performance with his sociability ever since he entered the field.


    ¡°He can¡¯t be eyeing the throne after all this time... What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Daesan Group¡¯s transfer of power has already taken ce, and Kim Dae Chan was expected to be the chairman within the next few years. While Ahn Soo Ho thought about it, the car arrived in a residential area of Seoul. The grand residence was in the middle of the most well-known neighborhood of the rich. An elder with a cane could be seen as soon as they passed through the gates.


    ¡°You punk!¡±


    Even though his mouth was scolding, his face was smiling.


    ¡°You must have gotten a lot of insults in your life to live so long.¡±


    ¡°You little punk! I¡¯m not even eighty yet. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I guess dying isn¡¯t easy these days with how much medicine has advanced.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Kim Dae Sanughed like crazy in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s jokes regarding death. He hasn¡¯tughed like that in a long time.


    ¡°You crazy punk.¡±


    Kim Dae San had known Ahn Soo Ho for longer than Ahn Soo Ho thought.


    ¡°I wonder what she saw in you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the only one who had been saved by the queen grandmother. He had also been graced by Jung Mi Ja¡¯s kindness a long time ago. The young and old strolled shoulder to shoulder through the garden.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you just used my promise with Dae Chan as an excuse... Why did you call me here? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Hm. I guess there is.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    They stopped at a small gazebo. Kim Dae San sat on the guardrail.


    ¡°What do you think a businessman needs the most?¡±


    ¡°Luck?¡±


    Even though that was a random answer to a random question, he seemed pleased.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Luck is the most important thing when ites to business.¡±


    Even if one used big data to market their product, the trend would change day by day, and it had be difficult for one person¡¯s authority and responsibility to decide on apany¡¯s future when such a wide variety ofpanies were thriving.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I need right now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean I need your luck.¡±


    ¡°My luck?¡±


    ¡®Does he think I¡¯m a lucky rabbit¡¯s foot or something? Unless he¡¯s be senile, he means what he says.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to make a rotten face like that, you punk. You don¡¯t have to do anything in particr.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°One year. Just stay in this country for one year.¡±


    Since he was on sabbatical, that wasn¡¯t a problem, but he still felt suspicious. ¡®Why does it feel like I¡¯m being tricked?¡¯


    ¡°Hey! I told you not to make that rotten face.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just be honest, old man.¡±


    His name meant water tiger, but people think it meant to protect. That was because when he made up his mind to protect something, he would always see it through. Many white employers he has worked with referred to him as a guardian angel by calling him Mr. Guardian.


    ¡°What kind of trouble did you get into?¡±


    ¡°Trouble?¡±


    ¡°Come on now! You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho imitated Kim Dae San¡¯s way of speaking and swung his hips back and forth.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about a premarital pregnancy!¡±


    A cane came flying in.


    ¡°You punk!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 2 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [2] > The end.

 Chapter 4: < Protect – Episode 3 – Kim Dae Chan [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 4: < Protect ¨C Episode 3 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [3] ></h4>


    One might think the chairman of Daesan Group would have fancy French food all the time, but Kim Dae San actually had cheap taste. What appeared on the table was fish cake soup and Japanese sake. It wasn¡¯t because he loved Japanese food, but because the food he ate as a child was from Japan before the liberation.


    ¡°Are you ever going to get married?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? Do you want to set me up?¡±


    ¡°If you want.¡±


    ¡°Come on, old man. You only know rich businessmen and politicians. I¡¯m not suited for that kind of suffocating lifestyle. Oh, I¡¯m not talking about you or Dae Chan though. You may be rich, but you have cheap taste.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up a fish cake skewer andughed.


    ¡°You boring punk. Okay, fine. What are you going to do for a year?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m going to have a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only fun for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Only for workaholics like you, old man. I¡¯m a pro at having fun.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t having fun tiring too?¡±


    ¡°Haha. What are you talking about?¡±


    His outspoken remark made the butler flinch, but not Kim Dae San.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me, old man? Shouldn¡¯t you be retired by now?¡±


    Even though the grandfather¡¯s generation deserved to be respected for their devotion and efforts in the miracle on the Han River, they had the Korean chronic disease of not being able to enjoy their retirement. It was true that beautiful people are beautiful even as they leave this world. Since retirement and old agee for everyone like death, it was an inevitable fate.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really think of yourself as the country¡¯s king just because people call you the king of Korea¡¯s business world, do you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that¡¯spletely untrue.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. That¡¯s a disease, you know.¡±


    Ever since the old man said he needed luck, Ahn Soo Ho saw what wasing. Koreans and Japanese have an overly strong sense of responsibility, and it was a custom or fixed idea that most Koreans fail to realize. Some people might say a strong sense of responsibility was good, but from Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s perspective as a man who had lived abroad, foreigners often see strong sense of responsibility as arrogance. That was because a strong sense of responsibility would cause one to stick their nose into everything.


    In contrast to Asians who value responsibility, Westerners liked to draw a clear line. Taking responsibility for everything by yourself was simply impossible. The West had a hard time understanding why the East saw the future of apany as an individual¡¯s responsibility.


    ¡°Old man, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re the king of Korea. You don¡¯t have to take responsibility for this country¡¯s future. You¡¯re just an old man with a lot of money. If you¡¯re that worried, make a donation or start a charity. Or why don¡¯t you run for president?¡±


    Kim Dae San giggled. No one else around him had been so frank with him. They all just said he was right and bowed down to him.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯m home.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan came in and greeted Kim Dae San, and Ahn Soo Ho responded with a wave.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve already had a drink, Father.¡±


    ¡°Haha. I¡¯d like a drink poured by my son for a change.¡±


    The rich liked alcohol, but they tend to avoid it for the sake of their health. The three men sat quietly and drank. Perhaps being in goodpany and having good alcohol made words unnecessary. As soon as the drunk Kim Dae San was escorted to his bedroom, Kim Dae Chan loosened his tie and sighed.


    ¡°That old man is still a good drinker. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Are you saying the great Kim Dae Chan can¡¯t even handle a few bottles of sake? You must be getting old too.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m forty-five years old, man!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t real life start at sixty?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t. Just wait until you¡¯re forty. You¡¯ll be looking for Viagra.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m still in my thirties.¡±


    ¡°Time will pass faster than you think.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan swapped out the food and drinks with the flick of a finger.


    ¡°Did you hear from Father?¡±


    ¡°Hear what? That he needs luck?¡±


    ¡°Is that all he said?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ha! He didn¡¯t say the most important thing.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged to his friend¡¯s dumbfounded response. After Kim Dae Chan swirled his ss of whisky, he showed a bitter smile and opened his mouth.


    ¡°You know how unique our country is, right?¡±


    ¡°After Japan, China, and Russia knocked us down, our country is divided with a dictator on the other side... You could say we have quite the history.¡±


    ¡°From the outside perspective, Korea isn¡¯t the best ce for an investment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Get to the point already.¡± Ahn Soo Ho butted in as soon as it seemed like the conversation was going to drag on.


    ¡°You cold bastard!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let our personal rtionship get in the way of business. So what¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s be a custom to get rid of one or tworge corporations in order to gain poprity every time the government changed.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. The presidential election took cest year. Did they threaten to ruin our old man¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just staying alert.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s going to happen. Hm. This isn¡¯t something the president can do himself... Is the States involved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The question wasn¡¯t for Kim Dae San, but for himself.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Has Daesan Group interfered with the States gain? It has. Since Daesan Group wasn¡¯t an American corporation. Daesan Group¡¯s gains benefited the Korean economy, which meant they put the American economy at a loss. One could say that it was the truth, but assuming a foreign country¡¯s gain meant the local country¡¯s loss was a one-dimensional way of thinking. If Daesan Group¡¯s stock prices rose, American investors would be happy, so any hidden losses could stay hidden.


    ¡°Did yourb develop something useful?¡±


    ¡°Something useful... I can¡¯t really say.¡±


    ¡°Has yourpany been in good terms with China?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re actually frustrated because of a Chinese corporation.¡±


    ¡°Then what could it be? You must have gotten on a white man¡¯s bad side.¡±


    Even if the States looked like the were being stubborn, it has always been thoroughly calcted. If Daesan Group brought them profits, they would do everything they could to protect them and maintain a good rtionship.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t give you a discount though, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    The two men smiled and clinked sses.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the wife and kids?¡±


    ¡°With my wife¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Who were they again? Jinsung Group?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You remember.¡±


    The Ahn Soo Ho Kim Dae Chan knows didn¡¯t give special treatment to rich people. But then again, rich families of Korea were nothingpared to the royal family abroad.


    ¡°You were always smart.¡±


    To know the direct numbers of each country¡¯s influential people was a very big deal.


    ¡°Did Jinsung¡¯s side catch on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It was even hard for us to find out.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t number one in Korea¡¯s business world, they wouldn¡¯t already have a traitor on the president¡¯s side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If the States is really involved, they probably know that you found out the truth. If not, they¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    ¡°Will they use an intelligence agency?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Thepany has always made good use of economic assassins.¡±


    ¡°Company¡± was code for the CIA.


    ¡°If you look at Iran and Central and South America, economic assassins are much more effective than the military if you want to turn the government around. I guarantee there¡¯s a spy within your staff, too.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hold on.¡±


    He excused himself to answer his vibrating phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Yeah. Yeah. Really? Okay. Yeah, put a stop to it. Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Ahn Soo Ho neither smiled nor frowned and looked at Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It looks like Empire Konzern is involved too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He sighed like Kim Dae Chan did a little earlier.


    ¡°Apparently, a hedge fund has made their first move. You probably know them too. They¡¯re called Prause.¡±


    ¡°Prause International?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged, and Kim Dae Chan pped himself in the cheeks with both hands to sober up.


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made a toast for Kim Dae Chan as he hurried away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he can handle it.¡±


    In contrast to the Ahn family, Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan of the Kim family were not to be underestimated.


    *****


    The next day, Ahn Soo Ho went to Jejudo.


    As the only Korean ind with exotic vor, it has been getting more and more Korean and foreign tourists every year. Someone was waiting for him as soon as he got to the airport.


    It was a familiar face that he had seen two times before.


    ¡°Ms. Oh?¡±


    ¡°Wee to Jejudo, Director Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Director?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to check?¡±


    After looking through the files Oh Joo Kyung handed over, he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°That old man is very meticulous... Tsk.¡±


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho followed her to the parking lot as if he had given up. It was the same driver, and he had seen the security team before as well.


    ¡°This is really excessive for someone like me.¡±


    ¡°It was the chairman¡¯s orders. You¡¯re getting a lot of attention these days, Director Ahn.¡±


    ¡°You sound unhappy about that, Ms. Oh.¡±


    ¡°You can call me by my name or position from now on.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll be out of here in a year.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then please call me whatever you like.¡±


    When he said about being out of here in a year, Oh Joo Kyung made a very peculiar face. Was she doubting him? Well, it didn¡¯t really matter if she believed him or not.


    ¡°Would you like to go to your residence?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Daesan Group had built pensions and resorts all of over the country for their employees, but it expanded so much that it became its own operation division. Daesan Group¡¯s hotel franchise opened seven branches in Korea, three braches in Japan, and two branches in China, with a total of 35 branches all over the world. That meant the Daesan brand could be found in almost every tourist destination.


    The Daesan Hotel Resort in Jejudo had the biggest facilities, and therefore had many guests as well. But that didn¡¯t mean it crowded like a flea market. The recreational facilities were for stress relief, not for getting pushed around by mobs of people. Beside the hotel resort was a vacation home just for the chairman¡¯s family.


    ¡°He¡¯s just swimming in money, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    In contrast to the unique and castle-like exterior, the interior was very practical. Wasn¡¯t this more like a banquet hall? Well, they did say they hold parties from time to time.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me and tend to your own matters.¡±


    ¡°But the chairman requested that I...¡±


    ¡°So a grown woman is going to follow a man everywhere he goes? Do you like me, Ms. Oh?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was taken aback by the random remark.


    ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Has it been a day since they¡¯ve met? It was too short of a time to discuss such feelings. And above all, as an employee of thepany, she didn¡¯t have the courage to turn down her superior.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple question. What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I... I do.¡±


    ¡°Did everyone hear that? Ms. Oh likes me.¡±


    The housekeeper and employees were taken aback by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ridiculous announcement. Oh Joo Kyung found out that he was teasing her only after she saw his grinning lips.


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°I can leave you alone as long as I¡¯m able to contact you.¡±


    ¡°Great! Is there anything else I should know, my beloved Ms. Oh?¡±


    ¡°Director! Oh, I apologize.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung yelled, and then immediately apologized.


    ¡°I must have crossed the line with my joke. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. There will be a weing ceremony tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    She epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s quick apology and continued to speak with a calm face.


    ¡°A weing ceremony? For me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Cancel it.¡±


    ¡°But whenever an executivees down...¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s such an eyesore. Don¡¯t you think we should stop these customs that are only meant for the people on top? You must all be tired. It looks like you even cleaned this ce extra well because of me.¡±


    He rubbed the window with his index finger. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of dust just as he expected.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your superior or a guest you have to serve. I¡¯m just an employee of Daesan Group. So please don¡¯t make this tiring.¡±


    His self introduction and expression of his stance ended there. Even if they continued to bow down to him, it was no longer Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s responsibility. As soon as he was left alone, he skipped unpacking his bags and went out onto the terrace. Jejudo was in Korea, but it didn¡¯t look like it. Ahn Soo Ho noticed his vibrating phone and answered it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The kiosk is ready. What¡¯s the budget?¡±


    ¡°Start with five million.¡±


    ¡°Is that in won?¡±


    ¡°In US dors.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    The call ended there, and the most urgent matters were wrapped up.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    It¡¯s time for an eating adventure.


    The saying that eating was the most important thing was an eternal truth.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 3 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [3] >

 Chapter 5: < Protect – Episode 4 – Kim Dae Chan [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 5: < Protect ¨C Episode 4 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [4] ></h4>


    Jejudo wasn¡¯t a small ind.


    Assuming one was following the traffic rules, it would take at least two hours to get from one side of the ind to the other. Daemado wasn¡¯t a small ind, either. Most people thought it was all uselessnd since it was so mountainous, but nond was ever useless. Besides the time when Russia sold ska for dirt cheap, the international society did all sorts of things to try to get one more inch ofnd.


    Ahn Soo Ho only went to Daemado because someone even sent a helicopter to pick him up.


    ¡°Shiba!¡±


    It may sound like a curse word, but it was actually a name. Shiba Yaos smirked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my name sounds like a curse word in Korean?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered confidently, but he didn¡¯t believe him. Daemado was full of mountains and beaches, making it very scenic, but it wasn¡¯t very suitable for young people with ambition. Even though Yaos¡¯ family, the Shiba family, wasmunity leaders of Daemado, they were weakpared to those of the maind. But that didn¡¯t stop him from winning the general election nine years ago when he was only 32 years old.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°I heard you signed a contract with Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been bothered by everyone on this so-called vacation. But why do you ask? Is this a white man¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°The States isn¡¯t the only country involved with Daesan Group. Japan is in on it too.¡±


    The CIA had been keeping up with what Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan had been doing. Since it was ufortable to contact him, they were using Japan to keep an eye on them. Shiba Yaos was simply unlucky.


    ¡°If China gets involved too, things will get reallyplicated... How involved is Japan?¡±


    ¡°The States promised to support our diplomatic rtions.¡±


    ¡°What? Is this about Dokdo andfort women problem?¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be bad, either...¡±


    ¡°A revision of the peace constitution?¡±


    Yaos shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Japan and the States will always be alliances as long as it¡¯s against China and Russia.¡±


    ¡°What do you get out of it? Chief Cab Secretary? Or Minister of Foreign Affairs?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too early for me to be a minister.¡±


    ¡°Then it must be the Chief Cab Secretary.¡±


    Instead of opening his mouth, he just smiled.


    ¡°Chief Cab Secretary in your early forties... You might be the prime minister by fifty at this rate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice, but you never know.¡±


    Japan was a strange country that despised change.


    Even though they liked sincerity and diligence, they didn¡¯t like innovation. The Japanese DNA, which pursued stability by nature, distrusted the thinking processes of the outside world. The Japanese strongly believed that the ones born and raised in Japan were the best. People often call that the artisan spirit, but Ahn Soo Ho thought they justcked flexibility.


    ¡°As you already know, I¡¯m not a patriot.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a traitor either.¡±


    Even though it would be sad if Daesan Group went down, associating that with Korea¡¯s future was a dangerous way of thinking. Despite liking Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan as people, he couldn¡¯t live their lives for them.


    ¡°Shiba.¡±


    Yaos gulped in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s grave tone. Even though he was able to disguise his smiling face, he couldn¡¯t put off his nervousness.


    ¡°Whether this is about economical logic or something else, I have no interest in getting involved in your struggle for rights.¡±


    Because that matter had nothing to do with him.


    ¡°But remember one thing, Shiba.¡±


    Yaos tensed up to the sound of his name.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cross my line.¡±


    ******


    His trip to Daemado interfered with his initial ns to go on an eating adventure.


    Jejudo at night showed off a different vibe from the day, and the quiet country roads outside of the city center was filled withplete darkness. One could call it two faces of Jejudo. The underdeveloped parts didn¡¯t lookforting, but rather frightening. If one watched ¡®Korean Ghost Stories¡¯, picking up a hitchhiker in Jejudo at night was simply a stupid thing to do.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re ghosts from the underworld. Boo!¡±


    Emily and Rachel were at a loss for words.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smacked his lips at the lukewarm response as he drove in the driver¡¯s seat. No matter how long he has lived abroad, he was still Korean by nature. The night drive was quite pleasant, and finding two lost sheep in the middle of the roads brought him enjoyment. Emily and Rachel were Australian high school students who were visiting Korea during their vacation..


    Two underage girls traveling on their own in foreign countries might sound fine in other people¡¯s perspective, but that wasn¡¯t true at all. Emily¡¯s uncle ran an orchard on Jejudo, but it was still wrong for two young girls to go aroundte at night. Even though Korea was rtively safe, wandering around remote alleyways and entering quiet forest trails would simply be asking for a crime to happen.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s hard to pronounce, you can call me Jason.¡±


    ¡°Your English is great, Jason.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fluent in English, French, and German. Just like Jason Bourne.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Are you bragging?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help being so great.¡±


    The two high school girls enjoyed his non-Korean response.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    The grim face of a middle-aged white man could be seen in front of them. His long beard made him look even rougher. However, his expression turned into a smile as soon as he looked toward Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was no problem.¡±


    He was surprised by the white man¡¯s fluent Korean.


    ¡°You seem surprised.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so fluent. You must have lived here for a while.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been over twenty years.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded. If he has been in Korea for over twenty years, he must be more unfamiliar with English instead. David Cox. His Korean name was Lee Chul. He was naturalized in Korea because of a woman. His wife, who was scolding the two troublemakers, looked like she was quite popr among men when she was younger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Just like that? Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner?¡±


    He was definitely different from a Korean. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t decline his offer. As soon as Emily and Rachel went inside with drooped shoulders, Lee Mi Hyun expressed her gratitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble they caused you. My name is Lee Mi Hyun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho. And it was no trouble at all. They actually saved me from a very lonely drive home.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you live in Jejudo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here on a business trip vacation.¡±


    Seeing how Lee Mi Hyun took a census as soon as they met, she was undoubtedly a Korean. The house on the orchard was more spacious than it seemed. The living room window was connected to a well-decorated terrace where a barbecue grill, cooking utensils, and ingredients wee set up.


    Ahn Soo Ho quickly started to help.


    ¡°You¡¯re our guest...¡±


    ¡°This is the least I can do for a free meal. Please let me help.¡±


    Lee Mi Hyun didn¡¯t seem to hate it, and Lee Chul just smiled brightly. They must have liked his initiative. They started eating as soon as Emily and Rachel arrived after washing up and getting changed. He had no idea that he would enjoy a Western barbecue in Jejudo, so he felt lucky and fascinated.


    They used abination of Korean and English, and had a great time.


    People might think they were old friends, but they only met for the first time today. That was what made it that much more incredible. It had been like that since he was little. He was able to see through people whom no one else could read. He would just see it. He could see what they were thinking, how they felt, and how they would respond.


    ¡°What kind of work do you do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±


    Toward the end of the meal, he became friends with Lee Chul, and Emily and Rachel called him by his name. Besides Lee Mi Hyun, who kept her guard up, no one else felt suspicious of him.


    ¡°I work at Daesan Hotel Resort.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re an elite!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a vi caretaker. Oh, Emily and Rachel. You two shoulde visit before I go back.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You and your wife are always wee.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Do you mean that?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like the type to say empty words?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    The tipsy Lee Chulughed loudly to everything he said. There was usually a special connection among middle-aged men. While Ahn Soo Ho was enjoying dessert and tea time, he felt his phone vibrating. He excused himself and answered it in a quiet corner.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°The winning bid is twelve million dors. Are we doing it?¡±


    ¡°Pay via bank transfer, and don¡¯t leave any records this time.¡±


    ¡°Deputy Director Eaton was looking for you.¡±


    Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare was an influential man leading the CIA.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Things have gotten reallyplicated after Empire Konzern. Africa¡¯s side is looking suspicious, and the embargo is dying the announcement regarding the many people that have been kidnapped. Sealy and Delta have been dispatched, but I heard they might have failed. Anyway, it¡¯splicated.¡±


    ¡°It looks like only the brokers will strike it rich.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard the catch is so big that all the brokers are cautious about gulping the whole thing down.¡±


    Powerful nations like Ennd and France preferred to use external contractors for delicate matters. The reason was because they could pass on the responsibility to someone else as long as they paid well enough. The Pentagon and the CIA, for instance, paid astronomical amounts of money to countless external contractors and brokers.


    ¡°Use the Deep Breath guys.¡±


    ¡°Henry won¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just bring me what I want by noon tomorrow even if it means you have to sweet-talk a bunch of the Chinese.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±


    After he ended his call, Ahn Soo Ho said farewell to Lee Chul and his family. Was it possible to be like family in just a few hours? He believed that all rtionships depend on how much effort one put into it. There were people who were just ufortable to be with even after 10 or 20 years, and there were also people who would be part of the family after just a few hours.


    When Ahn Soo Ho returned to his residence, he was greeted by someone he didn¡¯t really want to see. To him, he was someone who would make him feel ufortable even after 10 or 20 yearster. He was his Naval Academy ssmate who caused Ahn Soo Ho to drop out.


    ¡°Lee Kyung Joon?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Is it appropriate for us to be this friendly with each other?¡±


    He noticed a lieutenant colonel badge on his naval uniform. Lieutenant Colonel at 37 years old? He was promoted very early. Lee Kyung Joon didn¡¯t seem happy about the poor treatment as if he didn¡¯t want toe either. He got straight to the point.


    ¡°I want you to back out of Daesan Group. I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. We¡¯re not trying to bring Daesan down. We¡¯re just trying to eradicate corruption and restore a healthy corporate culture.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know which part tough at.¡±


    Heughed due to the absurdity.


    ¡°Soo Ho. Haven¡¯t you experienced how scary real power can be?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about when I got kicked out of school? Yeah, I have.¡±


    Everyone thought Ahn Soo Ho dropped out, but the truth was, he was kicked out. After that day, he didn¡¯t think he could ever be a patriot.


    ¡°Piss of while your legs are still intact.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Security!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho called security, Lee Kyung Joon backed off with a mixed expression on his face, but he didn¡¯t stop his nonsense.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been too reckless.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you ever again.¡±


    Lee Kyoong Jun left after that, but the unpleasant feeling lingered for quite a while. After nkly staring out the window, Ahn Soo Ho suddenly took out his phone.


    ¡°Dae Chan. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°I heard Lee Kyung Joo went to find you.¡±


    ¡°Was it their doing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Lee of Jeonju.


    Even though Korea became a country after the fall of Joseon and the Japanese colonial era, the elite ss that ruled the society still served the ns that descended from the days of aristocrats. Even though there were many coteral lines of Lee, they believed they were the only true sessors of the name. They dwelled on past glory without anyone knowing.


    ¡°The president is of that n, right? This is getting interesting.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s getting annoying.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just smiled. Actually, he might have thought he was smiling, but other people would have been startled by his twitching lips and sharply raised eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rewrite the contract, Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He¡¯s going to relieve his sh*tty mood and repay an old debt all in one go.


    ¡°You¡¯re not having any fun, are you? I¡¯ll make it fun for you.¡±


    But, it would surely have the opposite effect on someone else.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 4 ¨C Kim Dae Chan [4] >

 Chapter 6: < Protect – Episode 5 – Park Ok Nam [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 6: < Protect ¨C Episode 5 ¨C Park Ok Nam [1] ></h4>


    Kim Dae Chan¡¯s body boiled up at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s request to rewrite the contract and caused him to fly down to Jejudo using an inspection as an excuse. The Jejudo affiliates of Daesan Group stiffened up upon the vice-chairman¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°That was really quick, Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°I have to stamp the contract as soon as possible so you won¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, tsk. I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t been in the right mind these days.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who was sitting on the sofa, leaned his head back.


    ¡°I keep getting anxious.¡±


    ¡°What about the old man?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not worried at all.¡±


    ¡°Then it must be okay.¡±


    If a man like Kim Dae San was rxed, that meant things were okay at the moment. Inparison to his father, not only was Kim Dae Chancking in experience, but he also needed to adapt the winning attitude hidden beneath his father¡¯s cold rationality.


    Kim Dae San was confident that no external threats could bring him down, and above all, Daesan Group¡¯s status as number one in the business world was strong enough to sway the public opinion.


    With the staff, subcontractors, and their families put together, Daesan Group¡¯s family wasprised of five million people. In Korea, almost all business men were somewhat connected to Daesan Group. When people called Korea ¡°Daesan Empire¡±, there was actually some truth to it.


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯re trying to destroy Daesan. It¡¯s not realistic.¡±.


    ¡°That¡¯s true... But I heard the National Tax Service already wants to conduct a tax investigation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll probably just end with a small fine. The Financial Supervisory Service is what we need to worry about. Once they start looking for slush funds and look through your overseas funds, your stock prices will plummet. It¡¯ll probably affect the patent litigation too.¡±


    ¡°Because of that, our legal department is hectic these days.¡±


    Even though a major corporation like Daesan Group was used to dealing with all sorts ofwsuits, they were currently on a fierce battlefield.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who leaned his head back, said somethingpletely irrelevant.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who yed along, wasn¡¯t very normal either.


    ¡°Should we eat something?¡±


    ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    ¡°I have a good ce in mind.¡±


    The security team leader wasn¡¯t sure about Kim Dae Chan and Ahn Soo Ho heading out on their own, so they agreed to go with two security guards. It might sound unbelievable, but the team leader seemed to trust Ahn Soo Ho. The two security guards in their everyday outfits looked like any old tourists. Ahn Soo Ho scanned them with an unsatisfied expression.


    ¡°What is this? Do you consider looks when you hire security guards too?¡±


    They were tall and good-lookin, and they could almost be mistaken for models. In any case, the four of them got into one car. With a director of Daesan Group in the driver¡¯s seat, the vice-chairman in shotgun, and the two security guards in thefy back seats, it was a sight hard to imagine. As one would predict, the security guards were restless.


    ¡°We... we¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°Just get in.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho dominated the good-looking guys¡¯ defiance, he started the car.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Wherever this car takes us.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought you had somewhere in mind.¡±


    ¡°That ce is only open for dinner.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan smirked at his watch, which indicated that it was only ten in the morning. That meant he wanted to be together until dinner time. For the vice-chairman who spent every minute wisely, hanging out was catastrophic.


    ¡°Chief Kim grits his teeth every time he sees you, you know.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you ruin schedules.¡±


    ¡°Really? Haha. I wish I could have seen that old maid¡¯s contorted face. Too bad.¡±


    The vice-chairman¡¯s chief of secretary, Kim Jung In, was a capable woman, and people were predicting that she would join the board of directors when Kim Dae Chan became the chairman. Since she valued time very much, she hated Ahn Soo Ho, who did whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat that.¡±


    The car stopped in front of a kiosk on the side of the road. They didn¡¯t even have time to get out of the car because they someone had alreadye to the window as soon as they rolled it down.


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Four, please.¡±


    The grandmother spoke informally with a distinct dialect.


    ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    After exchanging blessings, the car took off. Kim Dae Chan took turns ncing at Ahn Soo Ho and the object in his hands with a confused face.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? It¡¯s fruit juice.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. But why did you buy food like this?¡±


    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re such a newbie! Street food is the most delicious food there is.¡±


    He cut off the grumbling Kim Dae Chan and lectured him.


    ¡°Let me tell you about this fruit juice.¡±


    The frozen juice made with Jejudo¡¯s oranges was a staple in any traveler¡¯s itinerary. Actually, it was delicious for just about anyone.


    ¡°Wow! Wind power generators! How?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who was at awe at the dozen wind power generators, received a pitiful look and a head shake from Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Yourpany made those.¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The vice-chairman couldn¡¯t really know every business that their group was managing. Ahn Soo Ho stopped the car in the middle of the wilderness. There were no high-rise buildings. The house with a blue, orange, and green rooftop was no higher than three stories high. It was not the most beautiful view in the world, but it had the power of giving the viewersfort.


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    Even though enjoying the ocean winds with three other men was not his preferred activity of choice, Kim Dae Chan was just happy to have escaped his cutthroat work life. The pressure he has to bear as someone who must take responsibility for the business his father established and the countless families under it was unimaginable for most.


    Rich people didn¡¯t have as much freedom as people thought. As the head of a household and apany, as well as the leader of Korea¡¯s economy, Kim Dae Chan was always full of worries. Was he happy? He probably was. But his standard of happiness was at a whole different level. At times, he dreamed of abandoning everything, but that was all in his imagination.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be okay for just a day?¡±


    ¡®If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Kim Dae Chan couldn¡¯t help butugh at Ahn Soo Ho who was indifferent to the security guards and the group¡¯s vice-chairman. The best escapes would be with people one mashed well. The son had a cheap taste just like his father. The way he snatched other people¡¯s kimbap looked all too natural. The two security guards, however, looked nk. Seeing the vice-chairman of Daesan Group eating 3000 won kimbap on the streets made them very confused.


    ¡°Where are we going next?¡±


    ¡°Since we had lunch, let¡¯s get some coffee. What was it called again? Sunrise Peak. Have you been there before, Dae Chan?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in making lots of money? You should go on more vacations with your wife and kids.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been to Europe a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right! I bet you were just there for business.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t say that¡¯s not true.¡±


    He did go abroad with his family quite often. The problem was that it was mainly for business. And Kim Dae Chan was well aware that such visits didn¡¯t count as a real vacation.


    Jejudo Sunrise Peak


    It was a legendary scenic spot that every tourist must visit when they go to Jejudo. Maybe that was why it was so crowded. Statistics said over 13 million tourists visited Jejudost year, so the destinations have already been predetermined. After Ahn Soo Ho sipped his iced coffee and looked around, he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Jejudo has as many rocks, wind, and women as they say. Well, I guess there are a lot of rocks and wind, but as for women... What do you think? You probably see beautiful women everywhere you go.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth. I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rich people sleep around like they do in movies and dramas?¡±


    ¡°Those damn movies and dramas. That¡¯s not true, but you probably don¡¯t believe me. Where the hell do the writers get these ideas? I¡¯ve never met another rich person with secrets behind their birth.¡±


    ¡°The viewers love it, though.¡±


    He had heard about affairs from time to time, but they were nothing inparison to the stories in movies. Most of the Asians roaming about in Jejudo were Chinese. The Chinese were imitating what Japan did in Europe and the States during the rapid growth period. The funny thing was that Korea thought China was more disgraceful than Japan.


    ¡°When ites to group tours, Korean men and women are horrible too.¡±


    One should never point a foul finger, but when it does ur, people tend to look at their own side with great bias. After Ahn Soo Ho stirred his ice around in his empty stic cup, he talked to the security guard, who still had his guard up.


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 29 years old?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great age. Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    His response was a slightly dyed. Ahn Soo Ho smiled brightly and looked at the other security guard.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 28 years old... and I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Heughed loudly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I wasn¡¯t making fun of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right. You were.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who was also stirring his ice around in his stic cup, jumped into the conversation.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one misunderstanding. These two aren¡¯t single because they can¡¯t find anyone. My security guards aren¡¯t allowed to date.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. That¡¯s total bullsh*t. What kind of rule is that? Do you want them to die single?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a safety regtion.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got angry at the absurd regtion, the security guard exined further.


    ¡°If I do date someone, I have to report it just in case.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Just in case of a honey trap?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It has happened before.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. If they can¡¯t get to the target directly, the next ones to approach would be the security guards.


    ¡°Dae Chan, do you trust these two?¡±


    ¡°With my life.¡±


    ¡°That must mean you¡¯re really picky when you hire them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The security team leader stood closest to the vice-chairman, and they conducted thorough interviews in hiring the other security guards. Frankly speaking, they were loyal to Kim Dae Chan, not the group. Along with the secretary¡¯s office, the security service had to be a trustworthy army.


    ¡°From this point forward, let everything I say enter one ear and exit through the other.¡±


    After chewing on the remaining ice, Ahn Soo Ho threw his empty cup into the garbage can. Kim Dae Chan also returned to his serious self.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty expensive, though. Are you okay with that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about money. Tell me.¡±


    12 million US dors would be 15 billion won. With the brokerage rate and fees, it would be over 20 billion won. No matter how much money Daesan Group had, 20 billion won was still a lot of money.


    ¡°You established a corporation in Venezu three years ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Venezu? Yeah, we did. We established a corporation in almost every South American country back then.¡±


    Three years ago, Daesan Group announced a South American investment n, and with the cooperation of many leaders, they proceeded with their projects. At that time, however, the hostage incident took ce. The gang, Charate, which dominated Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, kidnapped Daesan Group¡¯s inspectors and asked for money in return for their safety.


    ¡°Is the States involved?¡±


    ¡°I considered that possibility too. No matter how strong that gang was, it mustn¡¯t have been easy to kidnap inspectors surrounded by security guards. There must have been an insider.¡±


    ¡°That must mean Aragon knew about it from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Aragon? You¡¯re right. They must have known.¡±


    Aragon, which was a paramilitary group that dominated South America, was in charge of guarding the group¡¯s inspectors as a multinationalpany based in the States.


    ¡°The CIA probably led the kidnapping. They were probably ck ops who had formally denied any connections with it.¡±


    ¡°Why would the CIA do all of that?¡±


    ¡°Why? The reason is important. Take a deep breath and listen to me carefully.¡±


    The States¡¯ South America strategy was simple¡ªtorment them or let them fight among themselves. They made sure to give them enough hope while making sure they would never be an advanced country. The wider the gap between the rich and poor, the better. They instigated crimes such as drug trade, prostitution, human trafficking, and the sale of weapons and human organs while protecting the American corporation¡¯s economic predators.


    ¡°The States probably didn¡¯t like Daesan Group¡¯s investment n.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan sighed deeply. He remembered being advised by the Korean government to defer any investments on economically unstable countries.


    ¡°From what I remember... the mediabor union sh*t on them for draining national wealth.¡±


    Even though the hostage incident was resolved without any sacrifices, Daesan Group was met with a headwind by the media.


    ¡°How did you resolve something that the CIA was involved in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s apany secret... so I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you ask about Venezu?¡±


    ¡°When you go back to Seoul, you should report the person in charge of South America.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a spy.¡±


    ¡°Of the CIA?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°No, Russia.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    ¡°Do you see what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to go!¡±


    Their enjoyable time ended there. Ahn Soo Ho, who watched Kim Dae Chan vanish with his security guards, frowned at what came to mind.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    How was he supposed to get back?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 5- Park Ok Nam [1] >

 Chapter 7: < Protect – Episode 6 – Park Ok Nam [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 7: < Protect ¨C Episode 6 ¨C Park Ok Nam [2] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯te down to Jejudo only for its fame as a popr tourist destination in Korea.


    Eunhye Snacks.


    One may ask why there was a snack shop in a tourist destination, but not all businesses in Jejudo were for the tourists alone. In contrast to the visitors, the residents live their everyday lives on the ind. The beautiful sunset upon the ocean unfazed who lives here. Being moved by its magnificence of the view vanishes once they get used to it.


    Ding-


    As soon as the door opened, the wind made the bell rang harder.


    ¡°Hello. How many?¡±


    Thedy who started her formal greeting stopped midway.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wondered what sort of expression he¡¯s making.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    They both had a lot they wanted to say to each other, but it had been over 20 years since theyst spoke. The mother he remembered was full of energy, so why does she look so old in front of him now? Time is cruel. Kyung Ho knew he would hate her before he even went there. But he had never hated the woman by the name of Park Ok Nam for a single second.


    Why? Because he understood.


    ¡°Father crossed the line.¡±


    When he died and came back to life with the queen grandmother¡¯s help, his father med his mom for it all. Since arranged marriages weremon back then, they were never affectionate with each other, to begin with. If anyone¡¯s at fault for his parents¡¯ divorce, it would be his foolish behavior. The people in their neighborhood called her a slut.


    ¡°Koreans are so nosy...¡± Why were they so interested in other families¡¯ affairs? If one crossed the line, it would harm them.


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Good. What about you, Mom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good too.¡±


    His mom sacrificed her custody of him because of his father¡¯s threats. He felt sad even though it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t love him. It¡¯s because a child without a mother is much more noticeable than a child without a father.


    ¡°Sob.¡±


    ¡°Why are you crying? Mom, I didn¡¯te here to talk about the past. People will think I¡¯m a loan shark that came here to collect.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in our store?¡±


    A girl in a school uniform red at Ahn Soo Ho with a mop in her hand. She had a few friends with brooms and dustpans in their hands. She felt her forehead with her hand. Why does he have a sad feeling about this?


    ¡°Hey,e on. Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho called for his mom because he wanted help while the confused girl wearing a school uniform called for her mom. Park Ok Nam, who was in the center of it all, tore up. The other female students backed off thinking it was none of their business.


    ¡°Did you call her mom?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho realized something when he heard that. The little sister he only knew through papers reminds him of when Mrs. Park was younger.


    ¡°Did you call her mom?¡±


    It surprised Lee So Hye for a different reason. She remembered a photo hidden in her mom¡¯s wallet.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hey! How dare you call your older brother by his name? Were you always this cheeky?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She put down her mom and bowed to apologize.


    ¡°Come here andfort your mother, little sis.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why are you crying?¡±


    She went to Mrs. Park andforted her. Whether it¡¯s a man or a woman, that one drop of tear weighed a great amount of power. Even though it¡¯s awkward, it got rid of the cold vibe and made the other person curious. As the girl observed her older brother whom she had never met before, she proimed an explicit statement.


    ¡°We have no money!¡±


    It was obvious she was attacking him with her gaze.


    ¡°Wait, are you calling me the creditor? At least debtors can stand dignified.¡±


    This is not a great start.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to collect anything...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? I recorded that.¡± Lee So Hye took out her phone from under the table and cheered. ¡°I recorded it, so you better not go back on your word!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s illegal to record without the other person¡¯s consent, little one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. What do you want? Agh!¡±


    She crouched down after getting hit over the back of his head by Mrs. Park.


    ¡°Don¡¯t treat your big brother that way.¡±


    ¡°Agh! That¡¯s hurt!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Did you have dinner?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    As she pulled Lee So Hye¡¯s cheeks, she looked back at Ahn Soo Ho. It was no longer awkward with the son she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Ahn Soo Ho just smiled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Wait here. You girls wait too.¡±


    The female students in the corner sat down in response to what Mrs. Park said posthaste.


    ¡°Are you really So Hye¡¯s big brother?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? She never had such a tall brother.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Your surnames are different!¡±


    ¡°What is this? Is there a secret behind your births? Oh, my god!¡±


    Damn it! He had a secret behind his birth when not even rich people had those in real life.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°His voice is so deep! He¡¯s a real grownup.¡±


    ¡°Tall guys are so good-looking! You¡¯re so tall!¡±


    ¡°He is! Forget all the guys under 180 centimeters!¡±


    It was madness.


    ¡°Be quiet! Do you want free food or not?¡±


    The female students quieted down in response to Lee So Hye¡¯s authoritative voice. Ahn Soo Ho gave her a thumbs up without even realizing it. That was the best threat one could make in a capitalist society.


    ¡°Capitalism for the win!¡±


    Nothing is impossible when you have money. Lee So Hye, who made the uniformed sisters quiet down, went right into a census.


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°37 this year.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You look young for your age.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were in your twenties.


    The female students noticed their financial backer¡¯s re and quieted down again.


    ¡°Are you married?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then are you divorced?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been married.¡±


    Lee So Hye rested her chin and asked thest and most important question. Just like the discussion of Hamlet¡¯s life and death, she thought every other question was meaningless inparison.


    ¡°What¡¯s your sry?¡±


    ¡°Hm, in the one hundred millions?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at the way Lee So Hye rolled her tongue.


    ¡°What a cheeky little sister.¡±


    But he¡¯s not sad about it.


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho had known Mrs. Park Ok Nam moved to Jejudo after her remarriage for quite some time. The reason isn¡¯t anything special. He found her while he looked into what could be his weakness. It¡¯s true. A family was something that could be a person¡¯s biggest weakness. He had to bribe Lee So Hye and her friends to get away from them to finish talking with his mom.


    ¡°Aw, you must have no luck with men. Are you Mrs. Park because you¡¯re unlucky?¡±


    Sheughed out of absurdity in response to his joke.


    ¡°I can¡¯t change my fate.¡±


    His mom¡¯s new husband was a good person. That was probably why she could rely on him even though she had a lot of painful baggage. But like how too much affection is bad between neighbors, great people had a clear w. They can¡¯t turn people down. In the end, he was unable to refuse his rtive¡¯s request and got himself into trouble.


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you going to pay it off for me?¡±


    Mrs. Park became daring after having a ss of soju for old time¡¯s sake.


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred million won.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone and called Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Ms. Oh, you know where I am now, right? Then bring me five hundred million won in cash. Yes. Oh, the weing ceremony? Hm, okay. You have yourself a deal.¡±


    As soon as he hung up, his mom urged him with a sobered face.


    ¡°What did you do? Are you a loan shark?¡±


    ¡°A loan shark? What do you take me for? You know you can¡¯t deposit the cash right away, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. What on earth are you doing these days?¡±She didn¡¯t forget to ask her hearts out while answering each question well.


    Meanwhile, the store closed early, and a knock came from the locked door. Oh Joo Kyung came in as soon as Ahn Soo Ho unlocked the door. She nodded at him and bowed down to his mother.


    ¡°The five hundred million won is in fifty thousand won bills.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get it from the bank, did you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave the bag to Mrs. Park.


    ¡°Here! This is your birthday present for thest twenty years I missed.¡±


    She stumbled while receiving the bag. Five hundred million won in cash was heavier than she expected.


    ¡°Oh yeah! And just in case you misunderstand...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho signaled Oh Joo Kyung with a nod to pull out a business card from her handbag and hand it over to Mrs. Park. It was the card Daesan Group made for him.


    ¡°Director of Daesan Group? You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What? Okay...¡±


    What mother wouldn¡¯t feel shocked after knowing the son whom she hadn¡¯t seen for over 20 years gave her five hundred million won in cash? He loved his mom, but he neglected her during her hardship. Even though he could have lectured her about her new husband¡¯s foolish behavior, he remained a spectator. A high-end sedan, a driver, and a few bodyguards line up before him as soon as he got out of the store. Ahn Soo Ho entered through the door the driver opened for him and sat in the back seat.


    His mom still had a twinge of doubt in her eyes.


    ¡°Go inside, Mom. Tell So Hye I said sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°You must be busy. Get going. Are you reallying tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll drop by in the afternoon.¡±


    She stared until the car left and was no longer visible. She sighed.


    ***


    ¡°I guess I have to attend the bothersome weing ceremony since I received the five hundred million won.¡±


    ¡°It may be bothersome for you, but it¡¯s an opportunity for me.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung and Ahn Soo Ho showed faces of joy and sorrow.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go through the bank? Then you wouldn¡¯t have had to contact me.¡±


    ¡°Have you yed a real-time strategy game before?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho said something unrted in response to Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Was that unexpected?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You look like the type to look through fashion magazines.¡±


    She had such an outstanding beauty and figure for a secretary.


    ¡°Anyway, in real-time strategy games, sometimes you can see your opponent¡¯s weakness. What do you do when that happens?¡±


    ¡°I attack it.¡±


    ¡°Right? That¡¯s what most people do.¡±


    ¡°But what does that have to do with my question?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his beard that grew out within half a day.


    ¡°Family is a weakness for just about anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So we... Hm, ¡®we¡¯ sounded weird. So on this side, there¡¯s one unspoken rule. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°To not mess with anyone¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know it sounds corny, but that¡¯s the rule.¡±


    Not even the most reckless psychos messed with family. However, since the world is overflowing with crazy people, someone could sacrifice family for another person¡¯s motive even today.


    ¡°Are you thinking someone messed with your family?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my family they messed with.¡± He hadn¡¯t thought about Mrs. Park¡¯s new husband as his family even once. It¡¯s a shame his parents got divorced. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had to treat Mrs. Park and her new husband as his parents. ¡°But the problem is...¡±


    Could it be a coincidence?


    ¡°That man¡¯s surname is Lee too.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 6 ¨C Park Ok Nam [2] > The end.

 Chapter 8: < Protect – Episode 7 – Park Ok Nam [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 8: < Protect ¨C Episode 7 ¨C Park Ok Nam [3] ></h4>


    When Ahn Soo Ho looked into it, he realized how unfortunate his mom¡¯s life was. The men she met after divorcing his father were sweet at first, but they turned out to be nothing but loud yet empty vessels.


    ¡°Lee Hyo Geun.¡±


    He may have been a ¡°Lee¡± of Jeonju, but he was far from a capable man considering his impressive background. Mrs. Park Ok Nam, who remarried Lee Hyo Geun, gave birth to a son named Lee Jung Hoon and a daughter named Lee So Hye five yearster when she was 40 years old. It was a pregnancy at ater age. He doesn¡¯t know why she made that risky choice, but the little sister he met today was one cheerful girl.


    ¡°Something¡¯s going on here.¡±


    His brain had never betrayed him ever since it fully matured.


    ¡°Do you have to do this?¡±


    ¡°A promise is a promise, Director.¡±


    Daesan Hotel Resort was more crowded at night. Since it was a business in the service industry, the hours were always uncertain, but today their workload was full in particr because of a weing ceremony held for an executive who got in through his connection with the vice-chairman. The hotel had no connection or association with anyone in the banquet hall.


    An ocean developmentpany, a wind power generation team, Daesan Channel Broadcast Station, a newspaperpany, and a Security Service were there, as well as a giveaway event and an entertainment agency. Large corporations sure had a lot of connections. It would be faster to look for what field they haven¡¯t entered yet.


    ¡°Wee, Director Ahn. I apologize for myte introduction.¡±


    ¡°This is General Manager Jang Geun Young of Daesan Hotel Resort in Jejudo.¡±


    If Oh Joo Kyung hadn¡¯t whispered in his ear, he would have made a mistake during their first meeting.


    ¡°Are you the general manager?¡±


    ¡°I am, Director.¡± The man shifted towards him in an awkwardposure. ¡°I actually have a favor to ask you...¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a littleter.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t him, but Oh Joo Kyung who dragged him around to introduce him to the Daesan family. People might think she¡¯s his wife. They said they got a famousedian to host the event, but as someone who doesn¡¯t watch Korean TV much, he does not understand what¡¯s so funny about the entire thing.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m the only stupid one here.¡±


    He decided to justugh along.


    The event dedicated the middle of the ceremony to make way for people to give their speeches. Ahn Soo Ho, who stepped up onto the tform, had countless gazes directed upon him. There were curious leers and immature ones. There were few familiar gazes, with most of them being ambiguous. They have deferred their judgment of him.


    ¡°What a beautiful evening.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    As soon as he did a parody of a famous line from an actress, his peers left out a quiet chuckle.


    ¡°I got this position through my connection with the chairman. But as some of you know, I¡¯m not a permanent employee, so I have little power. There¡¯s no need to be tense around me. If you want to make a good impression, I suggest you go to Deputy Oh over there.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho whispered into the mic.


    ¡°She¡¯s the actual person of influence.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± This time, theyughed a little louder.


    ¡°To the bright future of the Daesan family!¡±


    ¡°To our bright future!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    As soon as he chanted followed by a burst ofughter, everyone raised their sses. Oh Joo Kyung, who met Ahn Soo Ho as he got down from the podium, had a mysterious look on her face.


    ¡°You were better than I expected, Director.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that apliment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. One moment.¡± She must have received important news from her earphone.


    ¡°Director... your mother is here. What would you like to do?¡±


    ¡°Direct her to the guest room.¡±


    Even though Oh Joo Kyung was taken aback, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t very surprised. He headed toward the guest room. The guard opened the door as soon as he greeted him with his eyes. Ahn Soo Ho stopped Oh Joo Kyung from following him in.


    ¡°Wait out here.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She gave in and backed off. It had been two hours since they parted, but his mom was in a horrible state. Even though she had no visible wounds, her clothes told him she was in a scuffle.


    ¡°Did he take it from you?¡±


    The mom couldn¡¯t speak in response to his straightforward question.


    ¡°Just divorce him.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, I¡¯m...¡±


    ¡°This is your life no matter what other people think.¡±


    Mrs. Park Ok Nam may not have wanted a second divorce, but Ahn Soo Ho wanted that for her. Handing over five hundred million in cash was all nned out. But he didn¡¯t know he would take the bait so soon.


    ¡°Is he only pretending to be a good person?¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun, whom they thought was a good person, wasn¡¯t a good person after all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s So Hye?¡±


    ¡°She went to the library.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho called Oh Joo Kyung over from afar.


    ¡°Yes, Director?¡±


    ¡°Bring So Hye here. Actually, let¡¯s go to her. Get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Seeing how she didn¡¯t ask where she was, Daesan Group kept a close eye on my mom.


    ¡°What about Kyung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the States.¡±


    He already knew that too.


    ¡°Stay here and rest. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When she grabbed his shirt as he turned to leave, he felt her hands shaking. She couldn¡¯t help being startled by the sudden shock. Even though her mouth said she was okay, something scared her instincts. Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue in his head.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho, do you really love me?¡±


    It¡¯d be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t see thising. He hugged Mrs. Park Ok Nam tight. Her shaking got even worse. His mom¡¯s embrace, which felt big when he was little, felt tiny today.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. It¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    He would do everything to make this happen.


    ******


    ¡°Dad! How could you do this?¡±


    Young Lee So Hye wasn¡¯t crazy about money because she had a weak mentality. Ahn Soo Ho knew that too. She became cheeky because of her father, Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s nosiness. Lee So Hye, who lied to her mom about going to the library, was in the middle of a part-time shift when she got a call from a friend saying there was a fight at Eunhye Snacks.


    She knew what was going on. Her older brother didn¡¯te to borrow money, but he came to lend it instead. Her na?ve mom probably told her dad about it, and it bound her dad who hadn¡¯t gotten his act together to do something foolish.


    ¡°Wow! Look at you!¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun looked at Lee So Hye who was worked up with anger like a madman.


    ¡°So Hye, let¡¯s talk about this at home.¡±


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m not going anywhere until you hand over the money! I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call the police, Mom. That girl needs to learn how the world really works.¡±


    The former wife and her son scoffed at Lee Hyo Geun and Lee So Hye¡¯s scuffle.


    ¡°Look here! If you had a conscience, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do this! Wasn¡¯t tricking my dad and making him your surety enough? What makes you think you can take the money my mom got? That money was to pay off our debt!¡±


    ¡°Wow, you sure have a lot to say for a little wench. You should know when not to butt in. Tsk, tsk. How badly do you have to raise someone to get a wench like that in our Lee family? What happened, Father?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that to your little sister.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my little sister. We have different moms.¡±


    The dad who was trying tofort the jerk looked very pathetic. Lee So Hye hated the current situation. If one remarried, stay loyal to that new family, but Lee Hyo Geun kept seeing his former wife and son behind her mom¡¯s back. At first, she liked his warm nature, but as time went by, she frowned at his excessive kindness.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trick me.¡±


    The surety incident involved his former wife and his side of the family. Her mom was the only one who knew nothing. The only reason she couldn¡¯t expose her father¡¯s betrayal was because her past hasn¡¯t freed her mother yet either. The photo hidden inside her mother¡¯s wallet made her pity her father.


    But this isn¡¯t right.


    He can¡¯t take the money her former husband¡¯s child gave her and spend it on his former wife and son. There was no way her mom would have consented to that, so she became sick and tired of Lee Hyo Geun, who tried to seem like a good person.


    ¡°Take care of your own family first, Dad!¡±


    What a crazy son of a bitch. She suddenly tore up. She wanted toin about how ridiculous it was, but there was no one around to listen.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the noise?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, uncles.¡±


    Even though the son called them uncles, they were not rted. Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s former wife, who opened a shop here just like Park Ok Nam, had a talent for leaching off of men. Even though she lost her enchanting touch due to old age, she was still popr among the seniors.


    ¡°Madam Kim, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°This little wench is causing a scene.¡±


    ¡°Really? My son is a police officer. Do you want me to call him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that famous Superintendent Oh? I know him well.¡±


    ¡°Haha. My son is pretty famous in Jejudo.¡±


    That was their indirect way of saying piss off before they call the police.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun grabbed Lee So Hye¡¯s arm, but she shook it off.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! You should listen to your elders.¡±


    ¡°Kids these days don¡¯t listen. Thosemies ruined our kids¡¯ education. Back in our day, no one dared to talk back to their teachers!¡±


    ¡°At least our governor isn¡¯t amie.¡±


    ¡°That governor is really educated. Didn¡¯t he graduate from Harbard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Harbard. It¡¯s Harvard.¡±


    ¡°Whatever!¡±


    While the old men chatted, they lost interest in Lee So Hye. The former wife¡¯s son approached her and whispered, ¡°Just get out of here. We¡¯ll pay off your debt, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why would you pay off a debt you passed on to us?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, seriously. You really need to learn how to shut up.¡±


    He picked his ear as if it had an insufferable itch. Lee So Hye panted with an angry look on her face.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re just asking for it now.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Let me teach you a lesson...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    The son was about to raise his hand when he heard the loud and clear voice making his heart sink. He felt like he could die if he didn¡¯t stop what he was doing.


    ¡°It looks like your hand habits took after your father.¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t yelling, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s voice filled the room and quieted everyone down.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Lee So Hye ran into Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arms as soon as he opened it.


    ¡°Sob!¡±


    Even though they just met, her crying makes his heartache. Does this mean step-siblings are family too? After he scanned his surroundings with his cold gaze, he met eyes with Lee Hyo Geun.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Lee Hyo Geun.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho. My mother inconvenienced you greatly.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho? Ahem.¡±


    He shifted his expression with an ufortable groan. That¡¯s because it reminded him of the scuffle that took ce a few hours ago. Park Ok Nam, who was obedient, rebelled against him today. Everyone had already hurt Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s pride because of the surety incident, so he lost control of his temper and smacked her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The jerk son found the courage to butt in. But, there was no such thing as a home advantage here.


    ¡°My name is Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m So Hye¡¯s older brother.¡±


    ¡°Older brother?¡±


    He tilted his head. The Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s son he remembered didn¡¯t look like him. Or is he a cousin? He couldn¡¯t remember if they had rtives with the surname Ahn living in Jejudo.


    ¡°So? Are you here to fight too?¡±


    ¡°You should watch your manners.¡±


    ¡°Not to bastards like you.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I guess I can¡¯t win with words. You win.¡± Ahn Soo Ho shook his head as if he had given up.


    ¡°That¡¯s no way for a young person to behave in front of elders.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? The maind people have no manners.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Look how mannerly Madam Kim and his son are.¡±


    The customers, pimps, or whatever the elders were, smirked at them.


    ¡°Sirs.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tended the elders with respect because of the queen grandmother. Kim Dae San is an exception. But today, these elders got on his nerves.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to smell what¡¯s behind the folding screen, shut your trap. Or just leave while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°This son of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°This bastard.¡±


    The elders reeked of the foul odor of their mouth panted and cussed. The former wife¡¯s jerk son joined in.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get lost, I¡¯ll call the police. One of these uncles has a son who¡¯s a police officer.¡±


    That¡¯s like saying his inws¡¯ third cousin is the top of his ss. Ahn Soo Ho smirked again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. I already called the police myself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It surprised them as if they were a Chihuahua facing an skan Mmute. As soon as the door opened, police officers filed in, one of which was Superintendent Oh Jin Hwan, they mentioned earlier.


    ¡°Jin Hwan. That punk...¡±


    The underling did not finish cursing at Ahn Soo Ho. That¡¯s because the officer went to Ahn Soo Ho and sucked up to him.


    ¡°You know the charge, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll arrest everyone. What are you doing? Handcuff them immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The police moved in an orderly fashion to handcuff the former wife, her jerk son, and Lee Hyo Geun as an add-on.


    ¡°You¡¯re arrested for tax evasion, fraud, ckmail, theft, and assault! You have the right to remain...¡±


    To them, the Miranda warning probably sounded like a scream from hell, but to him, it sounded sweeter than a love song.


    ¡°What is this? Jin Hwan?¡±


    ¡°Jin Hwan? You punk! What do you think you¡¯re doing to Madam Kim?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, Father! What are you doing? Get everyone else out of here!¡±


    The strong affection that exists among neighbors of the samemunity was useless this time. The police had swept the ce clean. Ahn Soo Ho left the exhausted Lee So Hye with Oh Joo Kyung and approached Superintendent Oh Jin Hwan.


    ¡°That must have been difficult.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing for you to apologize for, and I¡¯m not the one who should hear an apology either.¡±


    Oh Jin Hwan¡¯s head ached. Why did they have to mess with an executive of Daesan Group of all people? If it was a subsidiarypany, he could have tried something, but executives of the head office were more powerful than the CEO of any subsidiarypany. On top of that, he was someone the chairman and the vice-chairman valued, so he got his act together. This isn¡¯t something even the chief of police can handle.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    He saluted to Ahn Soo Ho without even realizing it. Oh Joo Kyung, who was waiting with Lee So Hye in the car, passed him the phone from which Kim Dae Chan¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Hey! Is this why you went to Jejudo? You used the sabbatical and me as an excuse.¡±


    ¡°The first step to any big deed is controlling the household. What about you? How did it go?¡±


    ¡°We got him. I got a call from a Russian ambassador as soon as we caught him.¡±


    ¡°By Russian ambassador, do you mean... Vitali?


    ¡°Why? Do you know him?


    Even though they knew each other from shooting each other in the buttocks that still counts as knowing each other.


    ¡°He¡¯s from KGB.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If Russiaes off strong...¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled brighter than he had all day long.


    ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 7 ¨C Park Ok Nam [3] > The end.

 Chapter 9: < Protect – Episode 8 – Kim Dae Gil [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 9: < Protect ¨C Episode 8 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [1] ></h4>


    The high school students of the 20th century were crazy about a real-time strategy game an American developer released. As a result, their academic performance had a rapid decline and the educational authorities argued that the white people were plotting to bring Korea down.


    The truth is much beyond that.


    Ahn Soo Ho also fell for the white people¡¯s spell and skipped school every day to spend his time in front of the PC. He even formed a team like The Fellowship of the Ring and went backpacking through all the PC rooms. It¡¯s fascinating how he got into the Naval Academy.


    ¡°I hate theke and I hate the ocean too.¡±


    He hated water, but he couldn¡¯t live without it, which made him conflicted. When did his hate for water start? He thinks it started when he died and came back to life. When he submerged in Styx and time stopped. A glimpse of a dead person nketed his old memories.


    He had memories inside his head.


    ¡°Very old memories...¡±


    Inside the museum of those memories, he was the Australopithecus, the Homo Sapien, and the ape-man discovered in eastern Ethiopia, and another primitive person outside of his collection is now in front of him


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Lee So Hye couldn¡¯t close her jaw after looking around the vacation home.


    ¡°Close your mouth, or a fly will get in.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    She listened to Ahn Soo Ho and closed her mouth, but it opened again in less than 10 seconds.


    ¡°Can I really use any room I want?¡±


    ¡°Do what you want, younger sister.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The shouting primitive girl stomped upstairs. The employees showed straight faces, but his senses told him it all bothered them.


    ¡°That¡¯s my little sister. So please treat her as you treat me. Do you understand?¡±


    The employees realized something when Ahn Soo Ho emphasized that request. However, there was no problem with their response. If she disappears, the employees will have to get a scolding from Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°You can achieve perfection without a little rough treatment.¡±


    That¡¯s how it is in the service industry. Japan is a well-recognized country all around the world for how well they bow down. It feels like you¡¯ve be a king. Japan¡¯s hotels, hot springs, and lodgings elevated their national brands. Then what about Korea? Even though Daesan Group tried their best, they didn¡¯t stand a chance against Japan and China.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs. Park?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung brought out a whiskey instead of coffee. How did she know he was craving alcohol? Can she look through people too? Ahn Soo Ho held his ss and smirked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    If his abilities were thatmon, he wouldn¡¯t be here right now.


    ¡°Was she hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°She has a few bruises, but it¡¯s nothing serious. Should I book her for a thorough examination?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that. Oh yeah! Book one for So Hye too.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I already contacted her school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I gave them a reasonable excuse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quick on your feet. Your future boyfriend will definitely love you.¡±


    She was immune to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s jokes, so she just nodded and dismissed herself.


    ¡°Vitali Andropov.¡±


    As a Russian ambassador and former KGB agent, he was a key member in the country¡¯s revolution. Even though he opposed Gorbachev and the reform by forming a revolution and got arrested for treason, they reinstated him after many rotations of those in power.


    ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    Vitali¡¯s personality was like a strong vodka. Even though he was a former KGB agent, he didn¡¯t like plots and conspiracies. People thought his big stature meant he was foolish like a bear, but bears were actually the smartest and the most agile predators onnd.


    ¡°An honest bear.¡±


    The next day, after Ahn Soo Ho sent his mom and So Hye to the hospital, the Russian ambassador visited him. It was an honor for the hotel to have such a guest, and in the business world, entertaining a man of his level was a good way to earn extra points. Regardless of why he was visiting Ahn Soo Ho, the employees responded with a warm reception.


    ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me by that embarrassing nickname.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not calling you a guardian angel.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to be the potbellied white man¡¯s guardian angel. As Vitali Andropov got older, he fell from a sharp man to a neighborhood man who anyone could find at a bar in Moscow.


    ¡°I heard you signed with Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling everyone it¡¯s not a formal contract, but no one will listen.¡±


    ¡°People doubt by nature.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Are you testing me?¡±


    Vitali, who drank his vodka as if it was coffee, either smiled or frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Too bad we can¡¯t formally confirm anything with you.¡±


    ¡°What about informally?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t talk easily, my friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you promise not to tell Mr. Kim.¡±


    ¡°Which Mr. Kim? The old one or the young one?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    What was there that Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan mustn¡¯t know about? Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and shook his head.


    ¡°Hm. Even though it¡¯s not a formal contract... I think it¡¯d be better if I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Just hear me out.¡±


    Was his response unexpected? Vitali asked topromise and talked before Ahn Soo Ho could answer.


    ¡°Have you heard about the kidnapping incident? Why am I even asking? You probably know all about it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Empire, I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just them. It involved the United States, Japan, China, France, Ennd, Germany, and pretty much all major countries right now. Do you remember? Three years ago, the Amnesty International made an announcement regarding abuse of power and a survey report on human rights in third world countries including Central and South America.¡±


    ¡°The Orion Report?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The president of Venezu insisted the Amnesty International and the International Human Rights Watch, and countless non-government organizations had severe prejudices. So the UN and NATO criticized them for favoring the whites.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°From another perspective, the International Criminal Court wanted funding to maintain prosecutorial power over mass crimes caused by the country... but they didn¡¯t get it.¡±


    The International Criminal Court might sound powerful, but they had no substance. The reason is that the country with the most chargesst year was the States. In contrast to the International Criminal Court, which was like a civil court, there wasn¡¯t a single government official or civilian in the Statespliant with a criminal summon. The States, which was active on the international stage, opposed the ICC, and no matter how impressive the court of justice and Interpol seems, the number of wanted criminals they caught is low.


    The tycoons could do nothing either.


    ¡°Ironically, if we apply ICC¡¯s standards, they could assume all high-ranking officials of each country are criminals.¡±


    If an American government official imposed sanctions on apany supplying AIDS medicine, does that made him a mass murderer? Would Iraq and Africa have to arrest that American for making that mistake? The reason the States was against the ICC was that they know they were not perfect. However, the States¡¯ justice had to be perfect.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the States that wants perfection. Us, China, and France want no errors taking ce either.¡±


    ¡°But... it¡¯s bound for people to make mistakes.¡±


    If there were no mistakes, then they were dealing a machine.


    ¡°To be honest, I want no one finding out about our weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°You want global profits but you also want to handle losses individually? That¡¯s a load of bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    What¡¯s scary was that he knew it was bullshit, but he had to say it, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Why are they pressuring Daesan Group?¡±


    ¡°So they can use the property they spread all over Central and South America and Africa.¡±


    ¡°Now that the person in charge of South America is gone, the under the table stuff must be finished.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Was it toote? All that¡¯s left was for this to spread all over the media.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the headlines will say in the media all around the world.¡±


    The leaders of powerful nations were only in office for a limited time, but in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and South-East Asia, dictators called the shots. How should they deal with this? Since the States started multiple wars and pressured their opponents with their leading economy, they had sent assassins over numerous times. The problem was that when one died, another appeared on the throne and ridiculed the leader of the powerful nation.


    So the powerful nations agreed to change their method.


    ¡°A Korean corporation¡¯s unreasonable business expansion? Daesan Group¡¯s astronomical bribe to the president of Venezu or a group executive who provided illegal prostitution to the president of Tanzania? Throw in smuggling, illegal weapons trafficking, and moneyundering in there too.¡±


    The president of Venezu and the president of Tanzaniamitted a tremendous amount of crimes, but there was nothing decisive enough to take them to the International Criminal Court.


    ¡°Why Daesan of allpanies?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re well-recognized around the world while being easy to manipte...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got angry as soon as Vitali trailed off.


    ¡°Easy to manipte?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no country more useful than Korea these days.¡±


    As mentioned earlier, Ahn Soo Ho could not be a patriot ever since he dropped out of the Naval Academy. But such mockery ignited a wave of anger in him nheless.


    ¡°Vitali.¡±


    He still had no interest in bing a patriot.


    ¡°I want in.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Aren¡¯t you on break?¡±


    He looked at his watch. Has it been around four days since he nned his break? It hasn¡¯t even been 100 hours. But this was the longest break he had since he started this job. Ahn Soo Ho showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°Unfortunately, my break just ended.¡±


    The proposition annoyed him yet it amused at the same time.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 8 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [1] > The end.

 Chapter 10: < Protect – Episode 9 – Kim Dae Gil [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 10: < Protect ¨C Episode 9 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [2] ></h4>


    There were many conspiracy theories in this world.


    Some of the most popr ones were about aliens, freemasonry, and secret organizations taking over the world, none of which could be confirmed. If you divide the world¡¯s poption by skin color, pure white people take up around 5%. But one could not deny that they had power over the entire world.


    ¡°Let me make this clear. The states aren¡¯t our enemy. Ennd, France, and Russia aren¡¯t our enemies either.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who visited Kim Dae Chan at the head office, stood in front of arge whiteboard. He drew ck and red lines on the world map.


    ¡°What about Japan?¡±


    ¡°Once the States backs out, so will Japan. Where else...¡±


    There¡¯s only one area they haven¡¯t marked yet.


    ¡°China.¡±


    ¡°China.¡±


    The two men mumbled at the same time. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t tell him about what he talked about with Vitali of Russia. In this field, trust was everything.


    ¡°If we move China, we can change the public opinion.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know who has the power to decide.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t. But... like any game, we have to attack the head to end the whole thing.¡±


    Looking back, there was no way of finding evidence of a president or a head of state¡¯s involvement. The ones that targeted Korea and Daesan Group were the middlemen and had no power in policies. The so-called think tanks or brain groups always sought efficiency and rationality. The head does not control corporate groups. The head just sorted things out and decided what they must do. The rest were up to the people below, and management of state worked the same way.


    ¡°The process of achieving national matters might seemplicated, but it¡¯s really not.¡±


    Someone had to either stamp or sign the papers.


    ¡°How do you n to find them?¡±


    ¡°I told you. We just have to attack the head to end the game.¡±


    Ahn Soo Hoo smiled brightly and picked up his phone. He then spoke fluent Chinese.


    ¡°Long time no see, Premier Wei.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan held his breath as he watched in awe.


    ¡°I knew you were smart and all... but I underestimated you.¡±


    This happened three years ago in Argentina as well. When his father brought him there, he took care of the hostage negotiation when the elites of the task forces couldn¡¯t even do it. Since he could speak Korean well, he must be Korean. But he also did unbelievable things, which made him seem far from normal


    ¡°Dae Chan?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was staring at Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Someone from the Chinese Embassy wille tomorrow. ept whatever they give you. Only let someone you trust ept it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan stopped Ahn Soo Ho from getting up.


    ¡°Why are you in such a rush? This isn¡¯t something you can do overnight. Since we dealt with it, it¡¯ll be okay for ten days or so.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    He was afraid saying no would hurt him. Ahn Soo Ho pointed his finger.


    ¡°Arrange a meeting with Dae Gil. How about tomorrow at lunch?¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°I told you not to rush things. Being anxious won¡¯t solve anything.¡±


    Who else could warn Daesan Group¡¯s vice-chairman like this? In hostile situations, acting in a hasty manner could make things worse. The tit-for-tat approach didn¡¯t guarantee a resolution. As the fearless vice-chairman of Daesan Kingdom or the Kim Dynasty, he didn¡¯t know how to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that worked in Korea though.¡±


    Jejudo could feel Daesan Group¡¯s power. If the police¡¯s authority was from the States, it would have been unimaginable. No matter how much wealth and power may be, for the States where they value social justice, governmental authority came first. That means if one disobeys a patrol officer, they would arrest them on the spot.


    Oh Joo Kyung was waiting as soon as he got out.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Did you find him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and walked forward.


    ¡°Lee Jung Hoon... that punk.¡±


    Even though his mother believed her son was studying in the States, Jung Hoon had been living in Seoul for thest year. After all the hardship she went through to send him off, he had returned in secrecy.


    ¡°This society¡¯s obsession with studying abroad is the problem.¡±


    In Korean society, studying abroad was a necessity if you wanted to be an elite. And attending one of the few prestigious universities locked it down. The problem was enduring studying abroad was harder than going in the first ce. Language barriers and culture shock were an existing problem. Having your lifestyle changed in a snap was harder than one could imagine. No matter what country you¡¯re from, half of all foreign students quit midway.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s car stopped in front of the Gangnam Office Station, which had the highest soaring poption in Seoul. It was too much of a hassle to bring a line of security guards along. So only Oh Joo Kyung and one security guard apanied him.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I have an appointment with the CEO.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Are you from Daesan Group? Right this way.¡±


    The tenant of therge building was one of the top advertising agencies in Korea. The advertisement scene was the only business Daesan Group did not involve themselves in, and the reason was simple. When Kim Dae San¡¯s younger sister, Kim Na Hee got married, she took thepany with her. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho walked into the CEO¡¯s office, Kim Na Hee gave him a hug.


    ¡°Long time no see Soo Ho. You should have called me as soon as you returned to Korea. I¡¯m a little sad.¡±


    Her firm skin made her look like she was in her forties, but she was actually fifty-one this year. She was 23 years younger than her older brother, Kim Dae San, and only six years older than Kim Dae Chan. Kim Na Hee, who received a lot of love as ate child, was the topic of conversation when she got married to an average man.


    ¡°Sorry, Na Hee. I didn¡¯t want to bother you though.¡±


    ¡°What a sorry excuse.¡±


    Kim Na Hee and Ahn Soo Ho had known each other for longer than Ahn Soo Ho had known Kim Dae Chan. The two of them had known each other for 10 years after Kim Na Hee heard about a so-called guardian angel while meeting well-known people all around the world in the fashion, beauty, and show business.


    The field of advertisement and fashion had a stiffpetition, and whether the methods were legal or illegal, didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was bringing thepetition down. There were many strange ideas, but it was possible for anyone toe up with the key points. The ones who kept their imagination to themselves would make it to the end.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t havee here for no reason... What¡¯s it about?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Shinhwa Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°The entertainment agency? Yeah, I do. Why? Do you want to sleep with one of them?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho waved his hand at Kim Na Hee¡¯s explicitment. ¡°It¡¯s not that...¡±


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯ve never heard you trail off before. Who¡¯s the girl?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a girl.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then...¡±


    ¡°Na Hee!¡±


    Kim Na Hee stopped teasing him as soon as he lost his temper. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    ¡°If you kept going, you would have turned me gay.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I need you to include someone in one of your advertisements.¡±


    ¡°Is this... a special favor?¡±


    Kim Na Hee frowned out of surprise rather than difort. Ahn Soo Ho asking for a special favor? That wasn¡¯t something possible in her mind. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have much to say, so he shrugged and handed her the profile.


    ¡°Lee Jung Hoon? Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°You know my mom?¡±


    ¡°Oh! The divorced... Ahem. So what about her? I thought she didn¡¯t really meddle in your life.¡±


    Kim Na Hee wasn¡¯t the type to butt into other families¡¯ affairs, but her curiosity won over her.


    ¡°It just turned out that way.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to take care of them yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well... we are half-rted.¡±


    ¡°Does that matter to you now? I guess you¡¯re getting old. Oh yeah! Seol Hyun will go crazy when she finds out you¡¯re back. You haven¡¯t called her yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! You won¡¯t be young for long. Enjoy it while you still can.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun is a top star acknowledged by everyone in Korea. She and Ahn Soo Ho met after she conquered Asia and went to challenge Hollywood two years ago. The result? She gave the States a try, but it didn¡¯t end so well. There was as much prejudice against Asians as there were for ck people.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even. Seol Hyun, that wench bothered the hell out of me after you disappeared.¡±


    Kim Na Hee was a good drinker even by male standards, but Jang Seul Hyun was a heavy drinker who blew her out of the water. ording to the bar owner, they order a whole box of alcohol for themselves.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll call her.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho surrendered, and Kim Na Hee looked satisfied.


    ¡°Great. Then I¡¯ll set up a date.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even called her yet.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re two different meetings.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡± He couldn¡¯t beat her with words. She picked up the profile Ahn Soo Ho handed her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get him in if he¡¯spletely underqualified.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was his choice to quit school... so do whatever you need to.¡±


    ¡°Wow! If we went to Columbia, he must have done really well in school! And you were at the Naval Academy!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably noparison. I bet he¡¯s much smarter than me.¡±


    ¡°No way! That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Columbia University was an Ivey league university in New York. Kim Na Hee shook her head. Lee Jung Hoon was brilliant, but why did she have topare him to Ahn Soo Ho? There were countless smart people in this world, but only a few could make history.


    ¡°The younger can never be equal to the older.¡± An example would be how Kim Dae Gil is no match for Kim Dae San. ¡°I can¡¯t trust photos. I have to see him myself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him about me. I haven¡¯t met him in person yet either.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is between guys.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Kim Na Hee doesn¡¯t seem to understand.


    A brotherhood differed from a sisterhood. He won Lee So Hye over, but it won¡¯t be as easy with Lee Jung Hoon. It was possible their rtionship would get even worse. The Lee Jung Hoon he knew was much more calcting than his father. A calction wasn¡¯t always bad. He also thought about the result before doing anything.


    ¡°But... the boundary between stranger and family needs to be clear.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the type to be lenient to family. He wasn¡¯t a pushover when it came to those. As Ahn Soo Ho left Kim Na Hee¡¯s office, he had to stop. The familiar monitoring form called the diamond flip was a monitoring technique they teach in the CIA. The Daesan Group security guards must have noticed because they look nervous.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at the white man waving at him. He was swinging with both hands, so it was hard to miss. He signaled his men to dismiss and stood in front of the white man.


    ¡°Eaton.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare, the deputy director of the CIA, called Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name in Korean, even though his ent sounded awkward.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach you, so I had no choice but toe here myself.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t avoiding you on purpose though.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    Daesan Group and the CIA observed them.


    ¡°Shall we walk?¡±


    Jeremy, who epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s suggestion walked beside him through Seolleungno. The crowd today was exceptional than ever. Is there some kind of event going on? In the end, they had to escape to an alleyway.


    ¡°Every time Ie to South Korea... I find Seoul suffocating. It¡¯s not rxing at all.¡±


    Jeremy hates high-rise buildings. So even though he¡¯s American, he didn¡¯t like New York City.


    ¡°Democracy? Equality? Freedom? There are many problems underlying pleasant words such as world peace and integration, but it¡¯s just a matter of time before mankind sees the Tower of Babel copse.¡±


    ¡°How poetic.¡±


    It sounded very emotional for something a CIA deputy director to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I¡¯m against this mission.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because South Korea is one of the few allies we can trust.¡±


    ¡°But everyone else thought differently?¡±


    ¡°Those dimwits like Japan better. Such dirty bastards. Those fools need to see Pearl Harbor happen again to wake the hell up.¡±


    ¡°I heard Japan is on the sidelines.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. The Okinawa branch was where the proposal was made. Have you heard of Karl Raider?¡±


    ¡°Cranky?¡±


    After the 21st century came around, IT technicians were the most important external contractors the CIA had. They had always prepared for a Cyberwar by recruiting skilled crackers and hackers. Cranky was one of the world¡¯s top 3 hackers and a pro-Japanese within the Cyber strategy headquarters.


    ¡°I found a lot of interesting things in his proposal.¡±


    With his belief that East Asia was more threatening to the States¡¯ national interest and security than the Middle East, he gave rise to a new line of tension while stressing the importance of differentiating our side and their side.


    ¡°The States, which is being tormented by the Middle East and Central and South America alone, needs a new line? Did I understand you wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s right. You heard me correctly.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    Jeremy let out a bitterugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the men at the top want.¡±


    ¡°They want a war?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. They don¡¯t want an intense battle. They want an opposition they can destroy with no effort.¡±


    He had no choice but to give up the top cop position, so he ns to step on all the punks he hates before he leaves.


    ¡°Why are you going so far?¡±


    ¡°You probably can¡¯t understand since you¡¯re not American...¡±


    Jeremy minded Ahn Soo Ho, which was unlike him.


    ¡°To us, China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea are all full of yellow-cheeked gibbons. Oh, but not you. You¡¯re special.¡±


    That makes him even angrier.


    Even though there was this unrealistic hope that everyone in the world could be friends, beneath it was deception and hypocrisy. What Ahn Soo Ho learned during his time abroad was that white people and Asians were on two different teams. Rather than waiting for racism to go away, it could be faster to wait until everyone on earth bes of mixed blood.


    ¡°How entertaining.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho ignored Jeremy¡¯s confused face and continued talking.


    ¡°Deliver this message to Cranky for me.¡±


    He needs to see the face of this white man who loves sushi, samurais, and cosy events.


    ¡°Tell him we¡¯ll meet very soon.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 9 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [2] > The end.

 Chapter 11: < Protect – Episode 10 – Kim Dae Gil [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 11: < Protect ¨C Episode 10 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [3] ></h4>


    Kim Dae Gil, the other vice-chairman of Daesan Group, seemed to change a lot, but he was still a yboy. Since before Ahn Soo Ho returned to Korea, he went around stirring up Japan, China, Russia, and the States. Kim Dae Gil, who had returned to Korea after his business trip, visited Ahn Soo Ho in his big brother¡¯s stead.


    ¡°I knew this day woulde.¡± Kim Dae Gil talked as if he was sneering at himself. ¡°I¡¯m sure my big brother knew too. He just didn¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    Kim Dae San is a detached person. Since the chairman of Daesan Group was the star responsible for the miracle on Han River, no one could say anything if he looked down on the supporting roles.


    That was the case until yesterday.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know already, but my father is a man of national merit who¡¯s acknowledged for the Korean independence movement. Many people hate us because they think we used money to be here, but that¡¯s not true. My father was an impressive man with a tform.¡±


    His father, Kim Dae Myung went in and out of prison for opposing the name changing program and forcedbor. The liberated him soon thereafter, but because of an illness he contracted in jail, he passed away before he could see his youngeste into the world. He was only forty at the time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as capable or personable as my father or big brother.¡±


    Kim Dae Gil could not be like an elegant crane. However, even crows have special talents they hid within themselves.


    Korea was a strange country from the start. They didn¡¯t win their independence. It looked as if the world spoon-fed it-fed to them. As a result, the Korean Penins suffered humiliation after feeling victorious for defeating Japan.


    ¡°I was young at the time too, but you can¡¯t imagine the chaos after Korea¡¯s liberation. The Korean war was even worse. And what about the military coup? That¡¯s not something people these days can understand.¡±


    The young ones couldn¡¯t understand the hardships our grandmothers and grandfathers faced while searching for hope from the horrible ruins. They went to school then, but books couldn¡¯t teach you about how the world functions.


    Ahn Soo Ho, who listened in silence, opened his mouth.


    ¡°What did your friends say?¡±


    ¡°They said they can¡¯t help me.¡±


    Kim Dae Gil didn¡¯t go traveling to have fun. He asked all of his former lovers for help, but they turned him down. Unfortunately, that was his way of finding out what the world had reduced his capabilities into. Kim Dae Gil, who chugged soju out of frustration, looked at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Since I already signed the contract... I must prevent damage.¡±


    ¡°Can you resolve the entire thing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You never liked to make guarantees.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t like the terms ¡°100%¡± or ¡°perfection.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    ¡°I need to have another drink. Go ahead without me.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink too much at your age. Please take it easy.¡±


    ¡°You punk. I¡¯m two years younger than my big brother, you know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both getting old.¡±


    ¡°This punk!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho vanished in response to Kim Dae Gil¡¯s rage. He dropped his raised hand and smirked. The other door opened and a few men came in.


    ¡°Is that man really Mr. Guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he can keep secrets.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have manners either.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He was rude to you too.¡±


    They went along with everything the vice-chairman said. Kim Dae Gil smirked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s all an act.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    He didn¡¯t care to exin further, so he continued to murmur to himself while sipping his drink.


    ¡°He¡¯s a cute-looking killer whale...¡±


    It was best he didn¡¯t assume he¡¯d be weaker than a shark.


    ******


    ¡°I came back from talking to Dae Gil.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I should have gone with you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho exited the high-ss restaurant and got into the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say what you don¡¯t mean. Did you receive it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But what is it?¡±


    ¡°Just keep it for now.¡±


    The guest from the Chinese Embassy handed over something which fascinated Kim Dae Chan. Ahn Soo Ho ended the call and looked at Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°What happened with the divorce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going smoothly. Thewyer is in the middle of the consensual divorce procedure, so they would resolve the hearing by the end of this month.¡±


    ¡°This month... Can you make it any faster?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s divorce was processed by Daesan Group¡¯s legal team. Even though it could cause issues within the group, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°What about the test results?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both in good condition.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Mrs. Park and Lee So Hye had no illnesses needed tending to. After Ahn Soo Ho sighed, he fell deep into thought of the promise he made with Kim Na Hee. Things would get bothersome once he called Jang Seol Hyun. He was afraid ignoring her would cause future problems, and though there was a big age difference, it was clear Kim Dae San and Kim Na Hee were siblings because of how stubborn they both were.


    ¡°I hate the prejudice against women.¡±


    Don¡¯t Korean men still look for a good wife and a wise mother in women? To be honest, most men thought intelligent women were tiring. It¡¯s not the military talk or the women-only subways and housing that¡¯s important. The problem was people deluded the gender equality movement into thinking discriminating against discrimination was the way to establish equality.


    ¡°Ms. Oh, aren¡¯t you ever going to date?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. ¡°Why are you asking about my personal life again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I can¡¯t help asking. It¡¯s weird that a young and beautiful woman just works all the time.¡±


    His seriousment made her speechless, but she talked with aposed manner


    ¡°Work and love is a difficult topic. Especially for a woman who wants a career for herself. How many female executives do you think Daesan Group has?¡±


    ¡°You mean the top executives?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hm, five? Or six?¡±


    ¡°There are two. Among the thirty-five affiliates, there are only two.¡± The ss ceiling was too high and sturdy in Korean society. ¡°It¡¯s not just here. There is a lot of short-term female politicians, but few made it for the long haul.¡±


    ¡°Is your goal to be a CEO?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve given up on love?¡±


    ¡°Meeting the one isn¡¯t something you can force.¡±


    ¡°The one? I didn¡¯t take you for a romantic. Thank you for sharing. I won¡¯t ask you again.¡±


    Treating a subordinate however you want does not differ from sexual harassment. By talking to Oh Joo Kyung, Ahn Soo Ho could determine where he had to draw the line.


    ¡°Women areplicated...¡±


    Entertainment was now a legit industry.


    ¡°In all honesty, is Jung Hoon so talented that no one else can rece him?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so.¡±


    There are plenty of other trainees who were just as good-looking withparable acting ability.


    ¡°Then this won¡¯t affect the uing drama. If a problem arises, please don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡±


    Since Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t seem like he would exin himself, Lee Seon Mi could no longer persist. He¡¯s an executive from Daesan Group, and they can fire anyone no matter how well Shinhwa Entertainment was doing. However, she was still curious.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho swirled his cup of cold coffee. Why was he doing this? To be honest, he was jealous. Unlike himself, Jung Hoon received his mom¡¯s support and got into an Ivey league school, but he refused to study hard and dreamt of bing a celebrity instead.


    ¡°I guess we all have a right to dream.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care about him having a dream, but he didn¡¯t agree with his ways. He tricked Mrs. Park. He fooled her into thinking her son was studying hard in a foreign country and did everything she could to wire him money. Her husband was a crazy pushover, and her son was an unrealistic dreamer. Park Ok Nam¡¯s life sure was unfortunate.


    ¡°Why am I doing this?¡±


    If the agency canceled Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s contract, he would get desperate. But what if a top Korean advertisement agency contacted him right at that moment? How he would respond was obvious.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s in entertainment or any other field, there¡¯s nothing scarier than a difficult client.¡±


    That¡¯s why he signed no contract without thinking it through.


    ¡°I want to know what that punk is thinking. Without proper determination... you can¡¯t achieve anything no matter what field it is.¡±


    He was curious if Lee Jung Hoon loved this job so much it was worth quitting school his mom worked so hard for. Lee Seon Mi nodded at his seriousness but continued to resist.


    ¡°What if the board of directors or our CEO refuses? Then what?¡±


    Since this was too difficult for a team leader to aplish, she would perhaps report this to her superiors, but if the CEO refuses, there isn¡¯t much else he can do.


    ¡°His permission... doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go this far... but if your boss refuses...¡± Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to buy yourpany.¡±


    All it takes was a different CEO and board of directors.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 10 ¨C Kim Dae Gil [3] > The end.

 Chapter 12: < Protect – Episode 11 – Do Kyung Ho [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 12: < Protect ¨C Episode 11 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [1] ></h4>


    Lee Seon Mi left and Ahn Soo Ho remained.


    Since they had rented the entire 2nd floor of the caf¨¦, he could contemte in peace.


    As a secretary, Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s capabilities were like no other, and she had very quick wits. She was so skilled that she didn¡¯t lose to his ability to look through people.


    ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±


    After Oh Joo Kyung notified him, she went off into a corner. He could see someone¡¯s head soon thereafter. How is going around fully clothed from head to toe help conceal the fact she is indeed a famous person? Jang Seol Hyun sped up as soon as she spotted Soo Ho.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t gotten up to receive her hug, he would have gotten stuck. If one of her fans saw the way she hugged him, their mouths would foam. After pushing himself out of her grasp, she observed her refreshingly beautiful appearance.


    As a twenty-six-year-old this year, she¡¯s living through the best years of her life.


    Jang Seol Hyun, who debuted as a high-teen star, was active as a Korean actress since she was a teenager. Once she his adulthood, her fame spread across Asia. If she hadn¡¯t failed in Hollywood, her filmography would have been perfect. In contrast to what the rumors said, Jang Jeol Hyun thought she was very fortunate to have had that experience in the States.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t gone to the States, we never would have met.¡±


    That¡¯s what she said when Ahn Soo Ho asked her if she didn¡¯t regret attempting to work in Hollywood. If a man said they don¡¯t love Jang Seol Hyun, there¡¯s something wrong with their head. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care if rumors were to spread about her or if she retired from the entertainment industry altogether, that¡¯s why he isn¡¯t fond of a lovable girl like her.


    The fact that that¡¯s how he sincerely felt left him more perplexed.


    ¡°You will stay for ramen today, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho was behind on Korean humor because of his time abroad, he wasn¡¯t clueless. Jung Seol Hyun, whose seductions became more explicit over time, shared a few parodies andedic repertories every time they met, which made him sigh. He noticed his sighing was increasing these days.


    ¡°Be honest, Seol Hyun. I¡¯m not that good-looking.¡±


    ¡°But you have a good physique.¡±


    ¡°There are tons of celebrities with good physique and handsome faces though. Pick any of them of them instead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like kids.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to kids... Ugh, I don¡¯t know. Do what you want.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    The reason Jang Seol Hyun adored Ahn Soo Ho so was not at all special nor was it triggered by a chart-topping phenomenon. It was because he turned a cocky, white Hollywood celebrity into a half eunuch... No, more like Van Gogh.


    ¡°Why do you think I failed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just how I feel.¡±


    ¡°How you feel?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Western people don¡¯t like women just because they¡¯re young and pretty.¡±


    In Asian countries such as Korea and Japan, being young was the ultimate weapon, but not in the States. The States had stricter standards for the under-aged, and it was a little harsher towards those who just became of age.


    ¡°There¡¯s a stereotype that young ones aren¡¯t good at anything.¡±


    They often looked down upon young adults in their early to mid-20s, but that doesn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t like child geniuses.


    ¡°Critiques told me my problem is the fact that I¡¯m Asian.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are lots of Asian actors in Hollywood. The difference between you and them... might be the nationality.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s because I¡¯m Korean?¡±


    ¡°Our country isn¡¯t as acknowledged as China or Japan. That¡¯s the sad truth.¡±


    If you stop random Americans on the streets and ask them if they know Korea, one or two out of a hundred might say yes. Americans didn¡¯t have much interest in international affairs. Why else would an educated professional speak on live television how Disney Channel and MTV were ruining the younger generation? Same goes for adults. Not all Americans had pride and passion for American democracy.


    ¡°What we think is discrimination doesn¡¯t register as discrimination in their minds. What would you call it? Tradition? Custom? On the contrary, what they think is discrimination rarely registers as discrimination in our minds either.¡±


    As a result, the chaos in multiracial countries was indescribable. This is the sole reason why the States wanted their government to achieve dominance over their citizenry. It was to nip riots in the bud. The States had extreme violent incidents the Koreans wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the States though.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who has traveled all around the world, felt there was a big difference in opinion. Would a twenty-six-year-old understand even if he tried to exin it? He let out a bitterugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m no different from white men.¡±


    She¡¯s twenty-six, a respectable young woman whom the world shouldn¡¯t treat like a little child. Jang Seol Hyun tilted her head at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s strange expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What are you up to these days? Filmingmercials?¡±


    He changed the topic.


    ¡°A lot of projects areing in, but I don¡¯t like any of them.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re running out of fuel.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    No one can work hard for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. People who worked hard needed breaks. It¡¯s not her body that¡¯s tired, but her mind.


    ¡°But don¡¯t rest for too long. You might never get back to work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Manager Kim said too.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Did he take responsibility for your failure in Hollywood?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured his fingers cutting his throat.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen. If thepany fires Manager Kim... I told them I¡¯d leave with him.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so loyal.¡±


    He saw Team Leader Kim Woo Junge up the stairs right at that moment. He frowned as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho. It looked as if he was her father who saw a man trying to steal her precious daughter away. He understood what was happening, but that didn¡¯t he mean it didn¡¯t ruin his mood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to... Can we cancel my interview?¡±


    ¡°You made a promise. If you keep acting like this, I¡¯ll quit.¡±


    ¡°... Fine.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun got up with a pout on her face. She turned around to look at Ahn Soo Ho now without a pout, but with a heartwarming smile. Kim Woo Jung noticed her incredible skill in changing her expressions and shook his head thinking there was no use raising a child like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call youter. You¡¯d better not disappear on me again. Okay, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Promise me! You¡¯d better not ignore my calls again!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun looked back 3 times while going down the stairs. She left without covering her entire body the way she did when she came in, so the chaos outside ensued. He can hear their yelling from where he stood. Oh Joo Kyung, who was hiding, approached him.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in that kind of rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What rtionship are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about what you¡¯re imagining.¡±


    She shrugged as if she felt wronged.


    ¡°But if the world found out, it¡¯d get very chaotic.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°How do you say so?¡±


    ¡°Because I won¡¯t let them.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung couldn¡¯t help but smirk at his overconfidence, but she could not make fun of his bluff. That was enough private talk. Her face turned serious again.


    ¡°The chairman wants you at his house.¡±


    ******


    ¡°The tile-roofed house called.¡±


    A tile-roofed house is, as the name implies, a house with a tile roof. Common houses had dark tiles as their roof while houses of high-flown people had blue tiles. During the Joseon era, only noblemen lived in tile-roofed houses. Sure, it was pricey, but it was also a way to differentiate people of various ranks. It¡¯s ironic how the Korean President, who¡¯s a symbol of democracy, was living in a house called the Blue House.


    ¡°They expect me to make a sacrifice for the good of this country and the future of the people.¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice? Did you actually use that word?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan, who was listening for his father¡¯s next words frowned in anger.


    ¡°This son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself! How dare you use such words to the chief executive?¡±


    ¡°How can you say that right now? Father! You have to show them we¡¯re not that easy!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Dae Chan. So what are they offering?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho asked Kim Dae San as he tried calming Kim Dae Chan down.


    ¡°They¡¯re offering to give my father an Order of Merit for National Foundation.¡±


    ¡°Thete Kim Dae Myung?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    People considered Kim Dae Myung a man of national merit, but his achievements aren¡¯t great enough for historians to note his name in textbooks. All he did was to go against the name changing program and forcedbor. Even though he was more of an example than any of them, it wasn¡¯t enough for the Korean people to sing his name.


    ¡°What are your thoughts, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I got a response as soon as I contacted Russia and China.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean they are on our side now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always been on the side that¡¯d bring them profits.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and lips while contemting, the rich young man shut his mouth to prevent being a disturbance. Soon, Ahn Soo Ho smiled and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Can I spend some money, old man?¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°More the better.¡±


    ¡°Only up to a billion dors.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that much. I just need one hundred million.¡±


    100 million US dors is equivalent to 125 billion won, but Kim Dae San frowned. In such a capitalist society, money can be scarier than a nuclear bomb if given to the right user.


    ¡°Would that be enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough in a small country like this. I¡¯d probably even have leftovers.¡±


    If it was the entire world he was facing, it wouldn¡¯t be enough, but if they have to restrict the fight had to Korea alone then it¡¯s more than enough.


    ¡°What do you think is the easiest way to turn the tables around?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Bringing in morepetition?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good method too.¡±


    ¡°Attacking the boss?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good too, but it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Causing amotion.¡±


    Winning might be hard, but tying is easier than expected.


    ¡°As the situation bes more uncertain, more people will try to pull out. Once one person pulls out, the rest will scramble around to do the same. So you have to ept the medal from the president.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we need to pull the president needs to out of the chaos.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t advisable to corner someone in power.


    ¡°Won¡¯t he get yed by those punks in the national council or whatever it¡¯s called?¡±


    ¡°Do you even know why the group got into this situation today?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed and Kim Dae Chan stared at the other two with a nervous gaze.


    ¡°Are you saying it was my fault?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know this, I¡¯ll be very disappointed.¡±


    Kim Dae San let out a bitterugh.


    ¡°Dae Gil said this a long time ago. He asked me if I was living in this world alone... But I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it at the time. I didn¡¯t like how theypare my achievements on paving the way in establishing this country to foreign informants.¡±


    During the establishment of Korea, the victorious country set up scarecrows, and it didn¡¯t matter if they were national traitors. All that mattered was whether they were useful puppets or not. He, who was a Japanese informant back then, tried to guess who¡¯d get the power between the States, China, and the Soviet Union. Is it true no fish live in clean water? Kim Dae San thought nonsense like that were excuses he made up to make himself feel better.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Dae Gil was right. We don¡¯t live in this world alone. The thing is, I didn¡¯t want to ept it. I¡¯d rather destroy everything myself before I let the disloyal bastards get at it.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan was shocked by his father¡¯s violentnguage.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to do... but if I let my greed get the best of me, it will hurt many people.¡±


    The fall of Daesan was at a whole different scale than otherpanies who filed for bankruptcy.


    ¡°Daesan is no longer just mypany.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Dae Chan. You¡¯d better brace yourself.¡±


    Even though Kim Dae Chan red at Ahn Soo Ho to stop the nonsense, Kim Dae San just nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Dae Chan. If you¡¯re not capable enough, I won¡¯t hesitate to find another executive to take my ce.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Kim Dae San, who ignored his son¡¯s defiance, stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you need one hundred million or a billion. You do what you need to do, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Okay! There¡¯s no turning back now, old man.¡±


    Kim Dae San is a detached man.


    And Kim Dae Chan inherited that same character.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m not a Kim or a patriot.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 11 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [1] > The end.

 Chapter 13: < Protect – Episode 12 – Do Kyung Ho [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 13: < Protect ¨C Episode 12 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [2] ></h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to contact me first, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    Brian Yoon, Yoon Kyung Min looked puzzled by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s hospitality.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re both busy, let¡¯s get straight to the point... Who from the Empire is connected?


    ¡°Director Navarros.¡±


    ¡°Daniel Navarros?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It¡¯s clear from the name of Empire Konzern that they¡¯re a corporation on a simr level to the major yers in the country. In contrast to Korea where the head has half of the influence over thepany, they carried out most decisions with the board of directors. Empire Konzern operated in a simr fashion wherein the board of directors determined the future of the corporation.


    Daniel Navarros is the CEO of Instack Chemical.


    ¡°Arrange for a meeting.¡±


    ¡°I can call him right now if you want.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d like to be polite and arrange a formal meeting.¡±


    Yoon Kyung Min tried to figure out Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s real intention.


    ¡°Are you talking about a meeting in Korea?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Navarros isn¡¯t someone we can call over just like that.¡±


    That¡¯s what he said, but it sounded like he still expected him toe here.


    ¡°Give me ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As soon as Yoon Kyung Min took his phone and went outside, Oh Joo Kyung, who was listening until now, spoke out what¡¯s on his mind.


    ¡°Are you testing the States?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m testing Japan.¡±


    ¡°Japan? But Empire Konzern is... Oh.¡±


    She eximed in the middle of her sentence.


    ¡°They don¡¯t use the word ¡°konzern¡± in the States.¡±


    ¡°It must be true that a Japanese financialpany has a good grasp of the stockholders.¡±


    ¡°Empire Konzern is a puppetpany modeled after the Empire of Japan.¡±


    In the 1980s, Japan went through an economic revival, threatening the States as the entire nation experienced an economic boom. They needed a few years of grace period before the za ord influenced the market, but Germany and Japan plunged as drastically as they rose.


    The Yankees are scary bastards.


    As soon as Japan and Germany revived, one side knocked down a wall and implemented unification costs while the other side burst a bubble and started a recession. What about Korea where the miracle of the Han River took ce? In the 90s when Southeast Asia rose, Korea went through a currency crisis.


    ¡°That couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence.¡±


    There¡¯s no way that was a coincidence. As long as the US currency is the key currency, the States will never go down.


    ¡°Do you think the States started it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just you who misunderstands that the States has multiple faces.¡±


    Those faces would preach about peace and justice for a minute, and dere war the next, and at times, they would wear dark masks to hide their real identity. The States has multiple personalities one could not categorize under just one.


    ¡°They call Washington D.C. as the center of world politics because that¡¯s what the Yankees want to hear.¡±


    China and Russia always pretended like they didn¡¯t see or hear anything while staying alert for Washington D.C.¡¯s movements.


    ¡°The Congress uses other methods aside from lobbyists to win over regions and popr sentiment with money.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying foreign countries should also use lobbyists when they¡¯re in the States?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though it¡¯s the donations that determine the results, the Congress of the States is like the Congress of the world.¡±


    Whether it¡¯s the lower or upper chamber, meeting the Congress of the States became as difficult as paying a visit to the leader of a foreign country.


    ¡°Then what about this case?¡±


    ¡°It might seem like the States is leading it, but that¡¯s not the case. All they did was lent out their lobbyists and set up the ying field. They¡¯re just there to sit back and enjoy the ride, really.¡±


    ¡°How scary.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    The States has always been like that since the 20th century. Whether it was a positive or a negative issue, they always expected the conclusion to take ce in the States. The door opened a little before 10 minutes after Yoon Kyung Min made the proposal.


    ¡°Is tomorrow afternoon okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow afternoon? Sure.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    He said a bunch of words in English into the phone. Yoon Kyung Min ended the call with a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°The meeting will take ce the day after tomorrow at Daesan Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best, Mr. Yoon.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up and shook hands with Yoon Kyung Min.


    Oh Joo Kyung, who saw him off with a nk face, took out her phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Look into Daniel Navarros.¡±


    ¡°Navarros? Daniel Navarros of Instack Chemical?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°Hm. There are quite a few rewards attached to that head of his.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was startled. Rewards?


    ¡°Who?


    ¡°Agnes.¡±


    ¡°MS-13?¡±


    MS-13, which they refer to as Mara Salvatrucha, is an American criminal organization from El Salvador. It was a rising criminal organization that had hostile rtions with major organizations including traditional mafias, drug cartels, and the yakuza.


    ¡°After Navarros took office, rumors went around regarding a Mexican drug cartel. Since there was talk about how they produced the drugs at an Instack factory, Agnes has been looking for an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about yakuza, but cartels? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Since it came from the FBI, it¡¯s credible.¡±


    ¡°Do they know such rumors are going around about them?¡±


    ¡°Probably not.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho weighed his own interests.


    ¡°There¡¯s a new chief of police at the Ministry of Justice, right? Esmeralda O¡¯Dell? I heard they¡¯re expanding into a national department that will transcend jurisdiction.¡±


    ¡°A joint investigation headquarters.¡±


    The many judicial authorities of the States fought over jurisdiction, and they wasted too much time and effort on it. Chief Officer Esmeralda O¡¯Dell revealed they¡¯d be an organization that would eradicate the crimes undermining the States.


    ¡°It¡¯s the ambitious chief officer that¡¯s ransacking thepany, right?¡±


    ¡°Did you meet with Deputy Director Eaton?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer, but he knew what the answer was.


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, look into Navarros.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung came back as soon as the call ended.


    ¡°Director. Do Kyung Ho is here.¡±


    ¡°Really? Send him in.¡±


    A heavy-bodied gentleman came in and weed Ahn Soo Ho into his arms.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call beforehand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just stopping by.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really dressed up to be just stopping by.¡±


    The ck suit and the white shirt he was wearing was funeral clothes. Seeing how he was trying his hardest to conceal this suggests something must have happened. Ahn Soo Ho is reminded of something.


    ¡°Did you visit Hye Jung¡¯s family without telling her?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. What do I have to do to be forgiven?¡±


    In response to Do Kyung Ho¡¯s sigh, which was abination of sneering andining, Ahn Soo Ho frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything wrong. What did you do wrong?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Get a hold of yourself, you punk. They¡¯re looking down on you because you¡¯re bowing down as if you¡¯re a sinner.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do? Should I use my fists? Should I threaten someone?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho spit out words out of frustration, but after thinking about it, he wanted to take it back.


    ¡°Sorry, man. Pretend like you didn¡¯t hear that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re foolish too, but I don¡¯t know why that family thinks they¡¯re so much better than you. Are they royalty or something?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took his side. He didn¡¯t look like the type, but he wanted to hear nder about his wife¡¯s family. Do Kyung Ho allowed such sphemy as long as he didn¡¯t direct them to his wife or children.


    ¡°Do you feel better?


    ¡°A bit... Nice office.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment and proceeded to a different subject.


    ¡°No one would believe my friend is a director of Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to run around and brag like a kid?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    They were both troublemakers when they were in school. However, Ahn Soo Ho got good grades, so he got away with it, while Do Kyung Ho didn¡¯t.


    ¡°How are your brothers?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you to ask.¡±


    Contrast to him who was an only child, his friend had three brothers. The Do family has four sons. Ahn Soo Ho saw how brothers fight and thought that was the worst environment to live in. Four dirty boys in one room? The odor must be suffocating. Do Kyung Ho, Do Dae Ho, Do Min Ho, and Do In Ho. Since there¡¯s a three-year, six-year, nine-year, and twelve-year difference respectively, the oldest is thirty-seven and the youngest is twenty-five.


    ¡°That Domino punk was the funniest.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The third oldest, who was a prodigy since his youth became aedian, and they regarded him as the most sessful within the Do family.


    ¡°What¡¯s Mast doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like my field. He¡¯s running a food cart.¡±


    Mast, Do Dae Ho¡¯s nickname, was the second oldest.


    ¡°How¡¯s his business going?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    That means it¡¯s neither well nor was it terrible. The only unmarried brother in the Do family is the third oldest, Do Min Ho. The youngest got married a year earlier than the oldest, but he had no choice but to rush because of a certain incident.


    They would have had to have the baby before the marriage otherwise.


    ¡°There will be so many kids during the holidays.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually good. Take this opportunity to meet a woman and get married. My mom is determined.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Han?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked troubled.


    The person who took care of him the most after his parents¡¯ divorce was Mrs. Han Hye Ja. She had a warm and plentiful impression among her connections, and she even got her real estate license while raising four sons. The only reason the head of the household could go around having fun was that Mrs. Han was very diligent and hardworking.


    She¡¯s a respectable Korean woman.


    ¡°Is the youngest still in school?¡±


    ¡°They discharged himst year and went back to school this year.¡±


    ¡°Seoul National University, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯ll really seed one day.¡±


    Even though the pregnancy was an ident, both families weren¡¯t against their marriage. Being at Seoul National University¡¯sw school was like a nk check for the adults.


    ¡°This must be thest round of the judicial examination.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s really worried.¡±


    ¡°Since he got his wife pregnant in one go, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll pass the exam in one go too.¡±


    ¡°Are you dissing my brother right now?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m dissing you. You should have taught your little brother better.¡±


    No one talked about it, but Do Kyung Ho was the first one tomit a premarital pregnancy.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Mast is a honeymoon baby, isn¡¯t he?¡± Was he really conceived on their honeymoon?¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Do Dae Ho also had a daughter in the same year they got married.


    ¡°Look at you. You cheeky little things. This won¡¯t do. You need a beating.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who are you to refuse your big brother? How arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not below you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are! I was born a month and ten days before you!¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho counted the days on his fingers, Do Kyung Ho looked as if he thought it was unfair.


    ¡°Kyung Ho, when you were born, I had already consumed a few liters of breast milk.¡±


    ¡°Stop being arrogant about being born only a month before me!¡±


    ¡°What is this man saying? Only a month? And what happened to the ten days?¡±


    ¡°Hye Jung is having a hard time because I¡¯ve been out the whole day.¡±


    ¡°Hey, shut up! Whether you respect or offend your wife has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped Do Kyung Ho¡¯s whining in one go.


    ¡°You¡¯re below me.¡±


    No exceptions.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 12 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [2] >

 Chapter 14: < Protect – Episode 13 – Do Kyung Ho [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 14: < Protect ¨C Episode 13 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [3] ></h4>


    The things a group of men can do in Korea is limited. Men couldn¡¯t walk down the streets holding hands, and it didn¡¯t look favorable to hang out at a caf¨¦. What about the movie theatre? It¡¯s better to go alone than with a bunch of guys. The only thing men can dofortably is go out for food and drinks.


    ¡°Big Bro!¡±


    ¡°Yo! Bro.¡±


    The brothers resembled each other, but they were different too. If you only look at the outer appearance the four Do brothers look nothing alike. But once you start talking to them, there¡¯s no doubt that they share the same blood.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your clothes? Did you rejoin a gang?¡±


    ¡°You punk! Watch your mouth.¡±


    ¡°I saw you in the newspaper. Why did you have to mess with the popr ones? You probably have thousands of anti-fans.¡±


    ¡°Mino¡¯s always a had a problem with his mouth. Men need to be careful with their dicks and mouths.¡±


    ¡°Why? Whates out of our mouth is whatedians live off of.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re crossing the line. And hey! Stop making fun of your family.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re going too far. Only the oldest and the youngest had premarital pregnancies.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t the second oldest have one too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Honeymoon baby, my ass! Don¡¯t lie, you bastard! You¡¯ll get yourself in danger.¡±


    The three married brothers formed an alliance without the single Do Min Ho, but they divided once the sensitive topic of premarital pregnancies came up. There¡¯s no such thing as loyalty within families. If only Soo Ho wasn¡¯t an Ahn, they would have been known as five brothers since he had a simr name.


    ¡°Soo Ho, if you lived abroad for so long, you must have dated white people and ck people too.¡±


    ¡°Domino, shut your mouth before I make you into a pizza.¡±


    ¡°Shit! You¡¯re such a middle-aged man!¡±


    ¡°The pizza was too much, Big Bro.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho raised his ss, so did everyone else.


    ¡°Since Mast seeded too, Domino, if you get it done, we¡¯ll have the all crown!¡±


    ¡°Come on! I said mine was a honeymoon baby!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho who stopped Do Dae Ho¡¯s defiance in Do Min Ho¡¯s stead and started the toast again.


    ¡°Cheers to an all crown!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Since it was already rowdy inside, it didn¡¯t matter if they cheered or beat each other up. Do Min Ho¡¯s fans who went up to him for autographs and pictures gave them more enjoyment. Once there¡¯s enough alcohol in their system, everything bes fun. The alcohol they consumed with good people were not only sweet but good for the body too.


    Once the brothers finished the first round, they headed to a nice bar with expensive alcohol for the second round. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar ce for Do Kyung Ho who went around with stiff shoulders and Do Min Ho who was a sessfuledian, but Do Dae Ho who had only tried soju and beer or Do In Ho who had only sold books with his wife looked around like country bumpkins.


    ¡°You bumpkins. Stop looking around like that.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Isn¡¯t this ce crazy expensive?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Is this okay, Soo Ho?¡±


    Do Dae Ho gave Ahn Soo Ho a side nce and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a director of Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Daesan Group is huge.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Soo Ho. Show him your business card.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho asked his friend for help out of frustration, but Ahn Soo Ho ignored him and talked to the bartender.


    ¡°Rmend these guys some drinks that suit their looks.¡±


    ¡°Sure. The regr for you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The white man¡¯s fluent Korean ent surprised the four brothers. Among them, Do In Ho was the only one who could speak foreignnguages.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re very fluent for a foreigner.¡±


    ¡°My name is Soo Chan. Ahn Soo Chan.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Chan?¡±


    As soon as Do Kyung Ho took turns looking at him and the bartender, Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°He can pick whatever name he wants.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I thought he was super global.¡±


    ¡°Him? His foreign face would make anyone freeze up.¡±


    Cocktails had a different vor than soju and beer, which people only drink to get wasted.


    ¡°How do you know about a ce like this when you¡¯re not even in Korea that often?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my bar.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s dirty.¡±


    ¡°Your bar?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s registered under someone else¡¯s name, but it¡¯s still mine.¡±


    The second oldest bumpkin and the youngest bumpkin thought the same thing.


    ¡°Tax evasion.¡±


    ¡°Tax evasion.¡±


    It¡¯s possible that Mast might report it to the National Tax Service in order to get a reward. It¡¯s not easy raising a child these days. You mustn¡¯t say you understand the feeling of being the head of a family if you¡¯ve never been one before.


    Ahn Soo Chan opened his mouth to help.


    ¡°He donates all of his profits.¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Around eight billion a year?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you dirty bastard! Cover your mouth!¡±


    ¡°N... not eight hundred million, but eight billion?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho took the disregard he received from Ahn Soo Ho and returned it to him while staring at Ahn Soo Chan.


    ¡°We carry a lot of expensive alcohol for our many wealthy customers.¡±


    ¡°Still, how much do you have to sell to get a profit like that?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho leaned his ear to Ahn Soo Chan¡¯s finger gesture. After a bit of whispering, Do Kyung Ho looked at Ahn Soo Ho with loving eyes.


    ¡°Piss off, you gross bastard!¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho...¡±


    As soon as the grown man clung onto him, a fist swung his way. It seemed as though the brothers had the least ss in the bar. Luckily, thanks to the soft lighting and alcohol, not many customers are looking this way. The youngest got startled and hit the third oldest with his elbow.


    ¡°Big Bro! Isn¡¯t that Mi Na? Kang Mi Na.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me. Is this your first time seeing a celebrity?¡±


    There were quite a few famous people at the bar. It was simr to a social gathering of the elite.


    ¡°I see the bumpkins are enjoying themselves... but why did you call us here?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho, who was throwing a fuss, calmed down and looked at his friend. He¡¯s not a total roundworm, but he¡¯s not a good friend either. He didn¡¯t believe that this meeting was an impulsive decision. Ahn Soo Ho finished his cocktail and smirked.


    ¡°Take a good look. You might have to deal with them from now on.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to set us up with bars like this?¡±


    ¡°If you want.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho showed a straight face. The other brothers also frowned instead of smiling, which made Ahn Soo Ho feel sad. Is this why they can never be five brothers?


    ¡°Do you think of this as charity? If you really thought of me as family, you wouldn¡¯t have interpreted my kindness as cheap. Aren¡¯t you being more careful because we¡¯re not family?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m saying that¡¯s a given. In any case, we¡¯re not a real family.¡±


    ¡°Who says we¡¯re not a family? You?¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you pointing at me? I think of Soo Ho as my real brother!¡±


    ¡°Then you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I love Soo Ho.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho made shameless remarks out of embarrassment, and the three brothers showed a fussy response. In contrast to Do Kyung Ho, who seemed to want to apologize, Ahn Soo Ho looked serious.


    ¡°Think about it carefully, Kyung Ho. Your past will catch up with you one day.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho! Don¡¯t cross the line.¡±


    The uneasy atmosphere made the brothers uncertain if the alcohol was going in through their mouths or nostrils. Ahn Soo Ho and Do Kyung Ho was as close as real brothers. However, Do Kyung Ho had a secret inferiorityplex about Ahn Soo Ho. Actually, only Do Kyung Ho thinks his inferiorityplex is a secret.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my own matters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worrying about you. I¡¯m worrying about Hye Jung and the kids. I know you¡¯ll be fine... but what about your family?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho¡¯s frown turned evil. Regardless, Ahn Soo Ho has no interest in stopping.


    ¡°Do really believe your past can be erased? If that¡¯s what you think, you¡¯ll be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been seven years. Nothing has happened for seven years, and it never will.¡±


    ¡°I heard Park Sang Goo is the boss now.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho took a deep breath.


    ¡°When ites to people, kindness can be forgotten easily, but resentment goes on for ten to twenty years.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knew of Do Kyung Ho¡¯s inferiorityplex. He could be more than half responsible for why he started using his fists. That¡¯s why he did everything he could to get him out of there.


    ¡°He¡¯lle looking for you. I guarantee it.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho clenched his fists to what Ahn Soo Ho said. His shoulders are moving up and down from his harsh breathing. Who is he mad at? Ahn Soo Ho? Or Park Sang Goo? It¡¯s neither. He¡¯s mad at himself. Do Dae Ho and Do In Ho followed Do Kyung Ho as he turned around without a word.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay andfort you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Do Min Ho¡¯s cheeky response.


    ¡°Do you think I went overboard?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Do Min Ho had heard things too.


    Even though he¡¯s nine years younger, he ends up hearing the name, Do Kyung Ho quite often when he does shows. He was pretty legendary in that field. He wasn¡¯t like a lynx and took on 40 on his own, but he was able to take around fifteen or so. There was no such thing as a good mob. Everything they do is painful for everyone else.


    ¡°But who¡¯s Park Sang Goo?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of Chilsungpa?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what was it again? Oh yeah! Lob Ears. Was that Kyung Ho?¡±


    Do Min Ho frowned and then pped his hands.


    ¡°Do you know what Kyung Ho¡¯s nickname was over ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°Hm. One-Punch Three?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only what he said it was.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Do Kyung Ho were avid lovers of art.


    ¡°Ear Tray.¡±


    ¡°Ear Tray? They didn¡¯t get that from ¡®ashtray¡¯, did they?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Crazy middle-aged men.¡±


    Do Min Ho shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to believe it. Van Gogh should really thank them. Thanks to their passion for art, even the worst pieces of trash will remember him.


    ¡°When he was in his twenties, he went around collecting ears instead of fingers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    The entertainment world and gangsters are still inseparable. There isn¡¯t as much exploitation or repression involved, but reality hit the many ss C¡¯s, who are not ss B¡¯s, let alone ss A¡¯s and went into prostitution which paid well. This worked the other way, and a fair number advanced into the major leagues.


    ¡°I know all about it. I know quite a few celebrities who used to be in prostitution.¡±


    ¡°What about Dae Ho or In Ho?¡±


    ¡°Dae Ho knows too, but no good wille out of In Ho finding out.¡±


    For Do In Ho, who¡¯d work inw one day, his big brother¡¯s past could have gotten in the way. The Do brothers knew that. Do Min Ho understood what Ahn Soo Ho meant when he said their pasts would catch up with them one day.¡±


    ¡°Kyung Ho¡¯s a new man now, but that doesn¡¯t mean he erased his pastpletely, but Kyung Ho really did his best. That¡¯s for sure.¡±


    But it doesn¡¯t look like Do Kyung Ho¡¯s past has any interest in letting him go.


    ¡°Soo Ho, you have to help him.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho messed up Do Min Ho¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Ugh, seriously! I¡¯m going to be thirty the day after tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°You son of a bitch. You¡¯ll always be a crybaby to Kyung Ho and me.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Do Min Ho mumbled to himself, but still raised his ss as soon as Ahn Soo Ho did so.


    ¡°To Kyung Ho.¡±


    ¡°To Kyung Ho.¡±


    That was theirst ss. Ahn Soo Ho, who sent Do Min Ho home with a manager, was left alone. Actually, there was a doll beside him that made him scared to be alone.


    ¡°Why are you ying the victim, Mister?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun sat down, and the bartender gave her her favorite without a word. Ahn Soo Ho twirled the empty ss. When Ahn Soo Chan asked if he wanted more with his eyes, he showed him his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s your secret to being loved by everyone?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Come on. There¡¯s no way to be loved by everyone.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun showed a nd face to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Not even God can be loved by everyone.¡±


    ¡°Not even God, huh?¡±


    But he only wanted to be loved by the people around him. He didn¡¯t have interest in being loved by everyone. When his phone started to vibrate, he excused himself and answered the phone.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Watch the news.¡±


    Ahn Soo Chan immediately brought out aptop as soon as Ahn Soo Ho gestured for one with his hand. They were reporting the breaking news on public TV.


    ¨C The prosecution has started a sudden seize and search of Jinsung Group.


    Jinsung Group was Kim Dae Chan¡¯s inws.


    ¡°The international press has already started to report on the seize and search of Jinsung Group.¡±


    Even though they¡¯re both groups, their statuses are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Their status was so low that people would wonder whatpany that was when they saw it on the news. Until just now, that is.


    ¡°How interesting.¡±


    The other side behaved the way he expected. Ahn Soo Ho made it hard to attack Daesan Group, so Jinsung Group went down instead.


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°Just wait.¡±


    ¡°Jinsung might go down at this rate!¡±


    Kim Dae Chan impatiently talked back. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have a contract with Jinsung Group, so he didn¡¯t have much interest, but there was no need to ruin his mood by saying anything unnecessary.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Just trust me.¡±


    It¡¯s time to wait.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 13 ¨C Do Kyung Ho [3] > The end.

 Chapter 15: < Protect – Episode 14 – Lee Hyo Geun [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 15: < Protect ¨C Episode 14 ¨C Lee Hyo Geun [1] ></h4>


    ¡°You look busy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Listening to Kim Dae Chan¡¯s whining required his utmost attention. Jang Seol Hyun sat next to him without aint. It was past midnight, but the customers kept oning. It seemed like there were plenty of theming in now than earlier. Some who passed by to greet her looked at Ahn Soo Ho carefully.


    ¡°How was the interview?¡±


    ¡°They asked so many unnecessary questions... They were just asking random questions that the producers probably didn¡¯t agree upon. I wanted to get up, but I endured it at the thought of Manager Kim¡¯s frown.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to overlook things like that.¡±


    ¡°He made a big scene afterward.¡±


    ¡°That manager is a fighting dog.¡±


    ¡°Why? I like it.¡±


    Rumor has it Kim Woo Jung¡¯s hysteria got worse aftering back from Hollywood, but seeing how he¡¯s not getting fired, he must have great abilities. One couldn¡¯t count the number of stars he trained with all ten fingers. The most sessful one was Seol Hyun, but the others also brought in a lot of profits, so the CEO and shareholders worried Seol Hyun would go off on her own.


    The star¡¯s manager gets just as much attention.


    ¡°Is he outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I told him to go back, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    At Kim Woo Jung¡¯s level, he was more of an overall manager than someone who trained celebrities. No one likes intensive situations, but the ones who knew how to enjoy it stood out whether it¡¯s at the scene or at a desk.


    ¡°What a good manager. People like that don¡¯t easily betray you.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I will stay with him until I retire.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be over eighty by the time you retire.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I could retire tomorrow.¡±


    As soon as Jang Seol Hyun showed a subtle smile and leaned on him, Ahn Soo Ho gave her a bitter smile but didn¡¯t push her away. Is he the bad one for not epting her feelings? He had always thought about that ever since he matured.


    ¡°Is anyone capable of being passionately in love?¡±


    This differs from loving your family.


    ¡°There are tons of guys who like you. Choose one.¡±


    ¡°Not this again. Do you hate me, Mister?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that... I feel like your fans would kill me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hate women at all. He didn¡¯t want love to give him a weakness. The reason he needs a troop is that he has many enemies. Do Kyung Ho wasn¡¯t the only one whose past was catching up to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not any different.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun became talkative after drinking. No matter how high her tolerance is that doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t feel it.


    ¡°Jang Seol Hyun?¡±


    She turned around toward them and looked delighted.


    ¡°Oh, my! Director Jang? Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Seol Hyun.¡±


    In contrast to a middle-aged man¡¯s stiff expression and sharp face, his gaze and voice were soft. It wasn¡¯t just his directing skills that got Jang Ik Hyun to where he was, but his acting skills too. They both had the surname, Jang, and she starred in both movies that surpassed ten million at the box office, so they were like lucky charms to each other.


    ¡°We should work together again. I¡¯m willing to work on any movie or drama as long as it¡¯s with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to, Director Jang.¡±


    ¡°Really? Oh no. I should have recorded that.¡±


    Jang Ik Hyun expressed his regret with his exaggerated gestures before he gave Ahn Soo Ho a side nce.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°My boyfriend.¡±


    Jang Ik Hyun¡¯s pupils dted to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s bombshell.


    ¡°Re... really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Come on, Seol Hyun! You almost gave me a heart attack.¡±


    She responded by naturally making a joke. No matter how famous she is, business is cold-hearted, and the advertisers who invested a lot of money into Jang Seol Hyun wouldn¡¯t want romance rumors to get out.


    ¡°He¡¯s the boss here.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Even though he¡¯s not Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s boyfriend, Bar Lafargue was a famous ce for celebrities who enjoy drinking. That¡¯s because no one knew the identity of the bar¡¯s owner despite its poprity.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jang Ik Hyun.¡±


    If they were in business, they would have exchanged business cards, but neither of them was that kind of people. Jang Ik Hyun thought he was so famous that any Korean would be happy to see him. Wasn¡¯t it true? All the Korean actresses and movie directors gathered around them like flies.


    Ahn Soo Ho got out of his seat.


    Jang Seol Hyun looked at him as if she was asking where he was going, but once people rounded up, she had to maintain her image. Manager Kim noticed and got rid of the swarming flies. She had one good manager. As soon as they escaped into the kitchen, the employees greeted them with smiles.


    They were sincere smiles.


    ¡°This is the power of capital.¡±


    The reason he¡¯s managing a high-end bar in the middle of Seoul is to have a safe house. Even though the somewhat famous bar had a light image, as soon as it¡¯sbeled as high-end, it became moreplicated. The word ¡®bar¡¯ also contains the meaning, ¡®hideout¡¯. Even though it recently became a leisurely ce where people gathered to have a drink and a meal, back in the day, it reminded people of spies.


    The break room followed the kitchen, and at the end of the changing room was an office that only the manager used. There was someone inside.


    ¡°Hey, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°You look good.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook hands with his old friend.


    Yoon Chul


    He wasn¡¯t the only one who dropped out of the Naval Academy at the time. A few others who sympathized with Ahn Soo Ho had to leave too.


    ¡°Did you end up getting involved with Kim Dae Chan?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The Korean National Association is talking about dealing with Daesan.¡±


    ¡°Have the higher-ups of the police known about it too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird if they haven¡¯t.¡±


    After Yoon Chul dropped out of the Naval Academy, he became a police officer, where was now working as a chief superintendent. People might wonder why his promotion only came twice since his inception, but being the chief superintendent in his 30s means he dedicated the entirety of his life to his job, and since Yoon Chul had wasted time in the Naval Academy, he focused even more on his work.


    ¡°Jinsung Group is just the beginning. They will go after all thepanies rted to Daesan.¡±


    ¡°Why are they going so far?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? But there are rumors going around about Chairman Kim getting on the Federation of Korean Industries¡¯ bad side and secretly donated funds to a pro-Japanese biographical dictionary. People called him an anti-Japanese CEO.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    In 1965, the diplomatic trades with Japan resulted in losses for Korea. In the 60s and 70s when Korea was oveing the wave of the economic boost, they had to rely on Japan for their materials and parts industry. They may now belong to China, but the Korean economy was still unstable.


    Even Daesan Group had no special capabilities.


    ¡°Daesan orders a lot from Japan. If youbine the affiliatedpanies too, it¡¯s a veryrge amount.¡±


    ¡°Hm. But no one should do business with emotions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes no sense about it.¡±


    Kim Dae San had never said he hated Japan. The ones he hated were the Koreans that looked up to the Japanese.


    ¡°In other words, people can hate Koreans who look up to the Chinese or Koreans who look up to the Americans. But does that make them anti-Chinese or anti-American? It doesn¡¯t. That¡¯s not possible. It¡¯s all an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Even if it is...¡±


    Yoon Chul shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°People don¡¯t want to know, Soo Ho. What they want to know is how luxurious the Kim family¡¯s lifestyle was, how much sh funds they hid in a Swiss bank, what the heads¡¯ rtionships are like, and if there are any extramarital children.¡±


    ¡°How cynical.¡±


    ¡°The world made me this way. What about you?¡±


    This time, Ahn Soo Ho was the one shrugging his shoulders. Yoon Chul threw away his hopes and dreams just like how he couldn¡¯t be a patriot.


    ¡°Lee Kyung Joon came to find me a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Lee Kyung Joon? What for?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to make him into a cripple, but I stopped myself.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho can¡¯t fear a mere lieutenant colonel...¡±


    ¡°Making one mistake was enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were young back then. We didn¡¯t know the ways. What do you think would have happened if we behaved more objectively? Would we have ended up differently? What do you think, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all useless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It is. I got too sentimental there.¡±


    Yoon Chul smoothed his face.


    ¡°I became the chief superintendent, but no one could achieve this by working hard alone once you¡¯re past senior superintendent.¡±


    ¡°Was it a screening instead of an examination?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They call it a performance assessment, but it¡¯s all about what cliques you¡¯re in.¡±


    The police were more political than the district office. They had way more numbers, and in terms of systematic organizational power, it could not follow them.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d better help out.¡±


    ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Sure, blood, connections, and education dominates the Korean society, but there¡¯s something that has power over all of that. The rich.¡±


    The rich families of Korean had to be overthrown for the Korea to develop, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen anytime soon.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of using Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Before I do that, I have to prolong Daesan¡¯s length of life. So I need your help.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t refuse that.¡±


    Yoon Chul showed a bitter smile. It¡¯s hard to refuse an offer that will lead to a promotion. The feeling of revenge he kept buried inside was too big to swallow down. What filled the void after his hopes and dreams disappeared was a feeling of rage and hatred.


    Knock, knock-


    They heard a knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you have toe out here.¡±


    An employee peeked in with a troubled face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Wow, this son of a bitch... Tell that... Who I am...¡±


    He caught on to what was happening after hearing the distorted yelling. The hall wasn¡¯t inplete chaos, but it was a troublesome sight.


    ¡°You peasant bastards! Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is?¡±


    The drunk man shook his finger all around him. Seeing how people were careful in trying to calm him down, they must be his subordinates, not his friends.


    ¡°Let go of me, you sons of b*tches! Jang Seol Hyun! Do you have gold rims around your vagina? Why are you ying hard to get all the time? Shit! I said I¡¯d get you whatever you wanted!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun tried to step in with a frown, but Kim Woo Jung stopped her. It wasn¡¯t advisable to go against a man of such stature. The bystanders watched the entertaining spectacle.


    p, p, p-


    A sudden pping refreshed the room.


    ¡°Wow! Who knew this kind of stuff happened in real life?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped like a seal. He had never seen a rich person power tripping like that outside of a movie or a drama. Reality is a fantasy after all.


    ¡°Who are you, you son of a bitch?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m the boss here.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re the boss here?¡±


    His tongue wasn¡¯t that twisted. That meant he was half acting.


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re drunk. Please go home and sleep. I know you won¡¯t agree, but if you don¡¯t make it to work tomorrow, your dad might beat you.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The man could hear smallughter around Ahn Soo Ho, who talked to him as if he was in kindergarten. His face reddened in shame.


    ¡°You. Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the second son of the vice-president of Sungil Electronics.¡±


    The one who answered was Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Sungil Group run by an Oh family?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Vice-President Park Chan Young isn¡¯t family.¡±


    ¡°What? Then you¡¯re not even an heir. This is ridiculous.¡±


    Theical talk made theughter grew louder.


    ¡°You. You!¡±


    ¡°Chief Superintendent Yoon, can I report this as obstruction of business?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this an exclusive? Does anyone work in media or broadcasting? Newspapers are fine too!¡±


    As soon as Yoon Chul replied with a smirk, Ahn Soo Ho waved and out a job ad. The unnamed man and his group ran away.


    p, p-


    He pped once more at the messy bar.


    ¡°I guess anything can happen in life. All snacks are free tonight.¡±


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    ¡°Not enough? Ugh, seriously! You like free stuff with as people of high rank. Fine. Everyone¡¯s on me tonight!¡±


    ¡°Woo!¡±


    He normally wouldn¡¯t have responded in such a gentle manner, but abination of alcohol and mob psychology gave him a strange feeling. The quiet bar turned into a loud club. The boss of Bar Lafargue, who treated the famous people of influential families, will hopefully leave a strong impression.


    ¡°I¡¯m off.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho saw Yoon Chul off. After staring at his back as he walked off, he took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Release it.¡±


    The headlines spreading all across the Korean penins the next day was all about Korea National Association, and no Korean has ever heard of them.


    ¡°Exclusive! What kind of organization is Bohemian Club¨CKorean National Association?¡±


    ¡°In-depth coverage! 70 percent of the rich in their 30s are descendants of anti-national agents!¡±


    ¡°Inside scoop! The vestiges of Joseon that surrendered to Tenno!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 14 ¨C Lee Hyo Geun [1] > The end.

 Chapter 16: < Protect – Episode 15 – Lee Hyo Geun [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 16: < Protect ¨C Episode 15 ¨C Lee Hyo Geun [2] ></h4>


    Daniel Navarros arrived at Daesan Hotel in Seoul at the prearranged time. Seeing how he came with a group of security guards, he must know there¡¯s a reward for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Really?


    Ahn Soo Ho responded with a sharp remark instead of a greeting.


    ¡°I know... my situation isn¡¯t that great.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t want a war with Agnes, it¡¯d be better to put you out as our scapegoat.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Navarros responded to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s forthright statement with an ufortable sound. As soon as a sensitive topic arose, he made his security guards step back. His initial posture died out, and he loosened his necktie while ordering a strong vodka.


    They could see Seoul za from outside of Daesan Hotel, and they covered it in red candles at the moment. The foreign news had spread all over Korea in a matter of seconds, and the evil deeds of the rich flooded out like a dam as if they didn¡¯t know about it before. If there was only one victim, they would have given up to the reality of the situation, but with so many sympathizers, they all gathered at Gwanghwamun Square.


    ¡°Reform of the rich... Mr. Guardian, did you cause this mess?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged without an answer. Navarros continued to talk as if that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Was spreading it in the foreign news just a skill of God? Now, the people would doubt the media neutrality of all countries.¡±


    Not all American journalists believed in journalism. People assume the media is impartial, but since they¡¯re just sried employees, they had no choice but to listen to the higher-ups. However, there are journalists who feel a sense of duty and principle, but just one journalist¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud enough.


    ¡°But Koreans have unbelievable acting power.¡±


    It was two days ago when the foreign news came out, but there were at least 100,000 people outside the window. That¡¯s not all. The numbers keep growing as time goes on.


    ¡°When will we stop being just spectators of absolute power?¡±


    ¡°Onew for the rich, and another for the poor! Is Korea really a democratic country?¡±


    ¡°The rich in their 30s earn more than half of the GDP!¡±


    Who knows which rich person would the investigation authorities pick and attack? That would end up as a targeting controversy.


    ¡°Mr. Navarros, I¡¯m a busy man. Let¡¯s get to the point.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s straightforward remark, Daniel Navarros let out a dry chuckle while ying with a ss in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re as firm as I¡¯ve heard you are.¡±


    ¡°To the point?¡±


    After he finished the rest of his drink, he talked with a stern expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m a triple... no, quadruple spy.¡±


    Daniel Navarros was born in Guatem to an American father and a Mestizo mother. Even though his nationality was American, he was Mestizo due to his upbringing. The problem started when his parents divorced and he followed his father to the States.


    ¡°My uncle is from El Salvador. He¡¯s a cruel man. My mother avoided him by going to Guatem, and that¡¯s where she met my father. But... their rtionship ended.¡±


    Even though he followed his father to the States, he loved his mother.


    ¡°My uncle held my mother hostage and threated me.¡±


    As the surname ¡°Navarros¡± suggests, his father wasn¡¯t a pure white man. He has an American father and a Japanese mother. It excellentlybined the East and the West.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they have on him, but my father has something to do with a yakuza. And ironically, I¡¯m a part of MS-13, which is their rival. The ones who butted in are...¡±


    ¡°CIA?¡±


    The world Daniel knew came crashing down overnight.


    ¡°They wanted to team up with a criminal organization from the west part of the States. They wanted to reach a cartel after a yakuza and Agnes. I¡¯ve found a lot of information for thest twenty years, but I couldn¡¯t keep it a secret just because I was a part of the CIA.¡±


    Not even the CIA could avoid the congressional informationw.


    ¡°Empire Konzern might look like a normalpany, but there are countless organizations involved. They¡¯re like a grey area.¡±


    If the yakuza, Mexican cartel, and MS-13 were criminal organizations, the CIA and FBI were a state-certified gang.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Ten days ago, they kidnapped one of the national cooperation agencies in Sao Paulo. They think it was the PCC¡¯s doing... but it¡¯s just a struggle for power within the Empire. The problem is that it involves many organizations in Central and South America. That means there¡¯s absolutely no system. The yakuza, cartel, and Agnes, and this took the CIA aback.¡±


    ¡°Then why did Agnes put a price to your head?¡±


    ¡°Because my uncle started all of this. They probably don¡¯t want that embarrassing truth to get out.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at Danel Navarros with a strange gaze.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask the CIA for help?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t protect me.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because one of the kidnapped is the president of the United States¡¯ nephew.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising. From what Deputy Director Eaton shared, the kidnapped victims are undoubtedly high-flown people. The point is the real intention of the actors dancing on the game board that the States set up.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Guaranteed protection.¡±


    ¡°For what price?¡±


    Daniel Navarros pulled out a USB and put it on the table.


    ¡°This is all of me. There¡¯s no other copy.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin.


    ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s sign.¡±


    ¡°Th... thank you!¡±


    He, who was nervously looking at him, sprung up from his seat and shook both hands. As soon as Daniel Navarros stopped his fuss and left, Ahn Soo Ho took the USB and reached out his phone.


    ¡°Start on David Navarros.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you sign? Agnes won¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t go around telling anyone. Take my word for it.¡±


    ¡°Well, then... But it¡¯ll cost a lot of money to get rid of the reward, you know.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung approached as soon as he ended the call.


    ¡°The vice-chairman is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    There was a special VVIP room in Daesan Hotel unavable formoners and the like. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho came in, Kim Dae Chan greeted him with a flushed face.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Why does it look like you already finished drinking?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Kim Dae Chanughed aloud to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s criticism. His face was a lot brighter than when he was whining. That was because the demand for the reform of the rich weakened the seize and search of Jinsung Group. The authorities could no longer kick out Jinsung Group alone. If they used Jinsung as their scapegoat, a bacsh could have hit them back


    ¡°Bringing everyone down! How did I not think of that, but how did you control the foreign press?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just any foreign press. As soon as Ennd, France, Germany, as well as China, and Japan made their move, Korean media had no choice but to follow their lead.


    ¡°All I did was collect the seeds I¡¯ve spread until now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan patted Ahn Soo Ho on the shoulder in a good mood. No matter how powerful Daesan Group is, it¡¯s tough to influence the foreign press. Public confidence has nothing to do with money.


    ¡°If we let time go on, the stock prices will plummet. Then wouldn¡¯t they step back?¡±


    ¡°Maybe... But that¡¯s not a solution. That¡¯s just a temporary fix. They bound the wound to split it open again.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Oh! We have to show them we could all die at this rate.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the item from China?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Secretary Kim!¡±


    When Kim Dae Chan cried out, the secretary came in with a locked bag. Inside the bag was another small bag. The bag unlocked to an electronic passcode.


    ¡°USB?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured for Oh Joo Kyung to bring theptop.


    ¡°This is a chance for you to know how scary the Chinese really are.¡±


    The Koreans and Japanese often look down upon the Chinese, but his long experience abroad taught him that none should undermine the power China holds. They never hesitated to sacrifice one for the entire group. That¡¯s different from patriotism.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±


    There was no state secret or trade secret within the USB, but it had records of the daily lives of the employees that worked for important sectors of the government. It included who and where they met, what they talked about, as well as parking tickets and small crimes, apanied by video clips or pictures.


    Extravagant treatment, taking secret payments, and evidence of affairs followed. The drunk acts they have been doing looked cute inparison. They often did illegal businesses then got out of it with money and used internal information to ask for more cash. However, there were no state secret or trade secret within it. They were just embarrassing pasts of unsightly people.


    ¡°People wrongly think conspiraciese from the top.¡±


    Betrayal always starts from the bottom. Daesan Group isn¡¯t that clean either. They also have an information team, and they had an investigation team that looked into people¡¯s weaknesses, but a finding this extensive was impossible for evenrge corporations.


    ¡°China might have made more of an effort, but they weren¡¯t the only ones that investigated us. The States, Japan, Russia, and even Korea looks into its own country.¡±


    ¡°But still. They look into every single employee?¡±


    ¡°As I said, China¡¯s kind of an exception. They have incredible manpower we can¡¯t beat.¡±


    Is there any country without a Chinese living abroad? The Chinese had infiltrated every ce on earth.


    ¡°Are you going to reveal this to the media?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. That¡¯s the worst n possible.


    ¡°I have to send it to the Korean National Association, or whatever they¡¯re called.¡±


    ¡°Why? If they know, they¡¯ll prepare themselves.¡±


    ¡°Prepare? That doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    At a time like this, the smallnd space Korean had was very helpful. It was fascinating how 50 million people could live on such smallnd. It¡¯s hard to beat China in overall manpower, but the speed of implementing manpower was the fastest in Korea.


    ¡°With a hundred million dors... I can get a million people.¡±


    Public sentiment followed the prize that¡¯s in front of them.


    ¡°Once they think we could actually all die together, they¡¯re bound to be traitors.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 15 ¨C Lee Hyo Geun [2] > The end.

 Chapter 17: < Protect – Episode 16 – Lee Hyo Geun [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 17: < Protect ¨C Episode 16 ¨C Lee Hyo Geun [3] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho returned to Jejudo.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Director. There¡¯s a problem with the division of property.¡±


    In the middle of Mrs. Park Ok Nam¡¯s divorce process, they ran into an unexpected obstacle. Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s former wife¡¯s son, Lee Jung Hoon, and Lee So Hye¡¯s half-brothers had submitted an objection to the division of property. Ahn Soo Hofelt nothing but disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who¡¯s the worst one.¡±


    They were being very dirty. After it prosecuted them for misceneous charges, they tried to contact Daesan Hotel Resort in Jejudo through theirwyer, but he didn¡¯t want to deal with them. Since he told his mom not to answer their calls either, they targeted Lee So Hye, who just went back to school. Is blood really thicker than water? Even though Lee So Hye hated Lee Hyo Geun, she went to visit him, anyway.


    Ahn Soo Ho knew beforehand but didn¡¯t talk her out of it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t forcefully cut ties between people of blood rtion.¡±


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho hated his father too that didn¡¯t mean he no longer had a father.


    ¡°Does she have to give up everything?¡±


    ¡°That would make things a lot easier.¡±


    The problem would be over if she gave up on the division of property.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do that. I¡¯ll tell my mother myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped the secretary from leaving.


    ¡°What happened with Shinhwa Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°They still haven¡¯t responded.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    It¡¯s likely that they¡¯re keeping an eye out with all the noise about the reformation of the rich. But it was still strange. Are they antagonizing a director of Daesan Group just because of a newbie actor with potential? Or did they think they¡¯d be better off holding onto Lee Jung Hoon for now? If not, they¡¯re just being bold.


    ¡°Bring me the CEO¡¯s profile.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Director.¡±


    The documents came in no time.


    ¡°Kim Yoo Seon.¡±


    It might sound like a woman¡¯s name, but he¡¯s a man in his fifties. In the photo, he looked hardworking? There wasn¡¯t anything special. Even though he didn¡¯t start from the bottom, the fact that he¡¯s managing a reputable entertainment agency is proof of his capabilities. Besides a few summary indictments, hemitted no crimes, and the biggest w was that he had divorced twice.


    ¡°Maybe he has high standards because all he sees are celebrities.¡±


    Few CEO¡¯s of entertainment agencies have married one of their celebrities. No shareholder of a corporation would ever be happy about the marriage between a CEO and one of his celebrities. A manager dating one of these celebrities? That¡¯s very taboo. Even in Hollywood, people despise rtionships between managers and their celebrities.


    ¡°Business should always just stay business.¡±


    Blind love makes all of it very messy.


    ¡°How¡¯s his reputation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad? Tell me in more detail.¡±


    ¡°Many agencies fool around with the contract. Compared to ces like that, the contract duration and distribution ratio is fair. They don¡¯t exploit their celebrities as far as I know.¡±


    ¡°Any sexual favors?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to sponsors, I confirmed that thepany doesn¡¯t provide that.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean they do that themselves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it can monitor them 24 hours a day.¡±


    In the entertainment world, the amount invested determined the results. Finding a star with outstanding talent was like finding a needle in a sandbox. Management did not differ from gambling. Shameful conduct such as sexual favors or prostitution were like not being able to leave the gambling casino at the thought of the principal.


    ¡°I need to meet him.¡±


    The rational thing to do was to meet at least once before bringing the coercive. No matter how big, one should avoid causing resentment.


    ¡°Director, David Cox is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Send him in.¡±


    David Cox, also known as Lee Chul, didn¡¯te in alone.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Emily and Rachel¡¯s eyes shot out hearts as soon as they saw the vacation home. Ahn Soo Ho shook Lee Chul¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Whoa... you weren¡¯t just a regr employee, Soo Ho.¡±


    As soon as he escorted them to the vacation home next to the main building, he heard he was a director which surprised him quite a bit. Even though he didn¡¯t look too young, how could he be a director in his 30s? At first, he thought he could be an heir, but Lee Chul knows the Kim family owns Daesan Group despite his naturalized foreigner status.


    ¡°I knew it from the start. You¡¯re an elite.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Lee Chul¡¯s pleasant character didn¡¯t change no matter what his position was.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    The girls changed into their bikinis and t-shirts and urged Ahn Soo Ho. Even though they¡¯re underage, if Jang Seol Hyun finds out about this, things will get out of hand.


    So he talked about something else.


    ¡°What about your wife?¡±


    ¡°She went to pick up a guest from her side of the family.¡±


    ¡°Oh. When will Emily and Rachel return home?¡±


    Despite Lee Chul¡¯s efforts, he couldn¡¯t hide his sadness. He must have some kind of family matters that even he can¡¯t talk about. So he tried to change the subject, but Lee Chul talked first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Soo Ho. I¡¯m not in that bad of a mood. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no racism in Australia.¡±


    Even though Australia and Canada were the top countries to live in for Koreans, racism still existed. It hadn¡¯te to the surface, but there was an aspect more violent than the Bible Belt. The governments of Australia and Canada even advised tourists of color to not visit certain areas.


    ¡°Did her side of the family oppose your marriage?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been twenty years, and it still hadn¡¯t changed.¡±


    Lee Chul¡¯s situation was like Do Kyung Ho¡¯s while being different at the same time. Ahn Soo Ho suddenly had a question. Whose problem is it they still don¡¯t have children after 20 years? He tried to see through him.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault. It was just... fate.¡±


    Do you believe in the teachings? Lee Chul might be a white ascetic. Ahn Soo Ho put down his work and spent time with his guest. As soon as they walked out of the vacation home into the main building, the atmosphere changed to a morous one. How can the atmosphere be so different? The architect of this building was very impressive.


    Emily and Rachel ran into the pool.


    Even though he was older, Lee Chul¡¯s body was solid from farming fruit, and Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t fall behind. Lee Chul could only rx after he saw his nieces having fun, at which heid on the sunbed with his sunsses on. In every country, men pretty much only went to pools to see exposed women.


    ¡°Seventy points.¡±


    ¡°Fifty points.¡±


    ¡°Fifty? You¡¯re so stingy.¡±


    ¡°She ruined it with the rash guard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Is she even a surfer?¡±


    ¡°I heard that¡¯s the trend these days.¡±


    Since everyone worn rash guards, the trend changed to not wearing them. As soon as Emily and Rachel took off their t-shirts to expose their bodies, all eyes were on them. If they were adults, it wouldn¡¯t matter if they did a one-night stand or not, but until they returned to Australia, Lee Chul was their only guardian.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it cheating to be a Westerner?¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    The difference of aesthetics between the East and the West came into view. A few of the more confident Korean men approached them. When Lee Chul sighed and got up from the sunbed, they backed down to to the big Western man. Emily and Rachel pouted as they walked toward Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Ugh, seriously! That won¡¯t happen, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°All men are animals, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right. They all look weak.¡±


    ¡°They do. They¡¯ll probably fall over after one hit.¡±


    Despite how they looked, they were both masters of Jiu-Jitsu. Is that why they want to roam around at night?


    ¡°This isn¡¯t our first time here. We know what it¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°Korea may be pretty safe, but don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    When they were little, they visited Jejudo with their parents, and after they turned 15, they traveled on their own. The two girls sat on the sunbed applying sunscreen on each other as they grumbled.


    ¡°Dictator!¡±


    ¡°Old man!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Cute kids.¡±


    These days, the number of children joining gangs are increasing. It connected the kids who wandered through the slums to the area¡¯s criminal organizations one way or another, and the average age at which they joined was twelve. That¡¯s kids in grade 5 and 7 joining a mob. Compared to kids like that, Emily and Rachel are innocent.


    ¡°Another type of child soldiers.¡±


    The reality of the average age going down did not differ from underdeveloped countries of Africa drafting child soldiers. The elites of the criminal world were like human shields that survived.


    ¡°Director, you have a guest.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung approached and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°A guest?¡±


    If it was Kim Dae San or Kim Dae Chan, she wouldn¡¯t have referred to them as guests. Same with Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye. Is it Kyung Ho? However, what she said after that surpassed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s representative.¡±


    ******


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Ahn. I¡¯m Lawyer Jeon Sung Joo.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was the one to ept the business card Jeon Sung Joo handed over. He continued to smile despite how it would have looked.


    ¡°He¡¯s from thew firm, The NC. They¡¯re within the top tenrge-scalew firms of Korea... but they¡¯re a bunch of hyenas.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded at Oh Joo Kyung and looked at Jeon Sung Joo.


    ¡°Did Lee Kyung Joon send you?¡±


    ¡°Who? Lee Kyung Joon? I¡¯ve never heard of that name before. We considered all the unfair treatment given to Lee Hyo Geun.¡±


    ¡°Unfair?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Unreasonable use of public power mentally harmed him. The world is noisy these days with the demand for a reformation of the rich. Daesan probably doesn¡¯t want their name to be in the media because of your personal matters.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re willing to cooperate at a fair price.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Hahaha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed while smacking his forehead. Heughed so hard, everyone in the caf¨¦ turned to look at him. If Oh Joo Kyung wasn¡¯t there, the caf¨¦ manager would have told him to quiet down. Ahn Soo Ho wiped his tears away and looked at his cold gaze.


    ¡°That guy is such an ipetent fool.¡±


    ¡°Please watch your words.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    It¡¯s taboo to be a hundred percent certain, but Lee Kyung Joon is an exception. It¡¯s unlikely he dealt with this situation in such a sloppy manner. Even in the States, it wasmon forwyers to sit around at a prison, look for clients, and advice awsuit. Thatwyer wouldn¡¯t have had any interest in suing Daesan Group if it wasn¡¯t for the national uproar for a reformation of the rich. He could have well collected a lot of settlement money from those who fell for it.


    ¡°Thew...¡±


    He thought the judicial system existed for the rich rather than the poor. That¡¯s because, under the current constitution, it¡¯s hard for them to acknowledge a private prosecution. Back in the day, when revenge prevailed, all people were equal in front of death. But today? There¡¯s a gap between the rich and the poor even regarding death.


    ¡°They call it legal justice and whatnot, but they¡¯re stingy when ite to catching the big criminals.¡±


    Even as thew gets moreplicated, there¡¯s always a hole to escape from. If a rich and a poor fought in a legal battle, who¡¯d win? You may think thew is clear, but it¡¯s actually very ambiguous. He would cooperate if the consensual divorce went forward smoothly. He expected just the slightest bit of conscience from those who shamelessly tricked Mrs. Park.


    ¡°I guess I kind of saw thising.¡±


    He slicked his face. This was a scenario he hated the most.


    ¡°See you in court.¡±


    ¡°Wa... wait!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stood up, his actions took Jeon Sung Joo aback. Huh? This isn¡¯t right. He believed he wouldn¡¯t want to taint thepany¡¯s reputation with his personal matters. The executives of otherpanies got nervous and made a settlement. Now that the lit candles in the center of Seoul have made the CEOs sensitive, even the smallest mistakes can get you on their bad side.


    ¡°Do you have more to say?¡±


    ¡°Haha. When ites to settlements, it¡¯s all about the push and pulls. Please listen to my proposal.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stuck out his middle finger. His smile was so big that Jeon Sung Joo thought he was seeing things.


    ¡°F*ck you.¡±


    The end.

 Chapter 18: < Protect – Episode 17 – Lee Jung Hoon [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 18: < Protect ¨C Episode 17 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [1] ></h4>


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a superb mood.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink, Chul.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho returned to the outdoor pool and ordered two cocktails from the server. Even though it¡¯smon for Koreans to drink at pools and water parks, it¡¯s prohibited by thew for safety measures. However, in foreign countries, alcoholic beverages are more often seen than water, so they didn¡¯t understand why Koreans would say things taste like water. It¡¯s because they don¡¯t always have clean water avable to them.


    ¡°They¡¯re the same price, anyway.¡±


    Actually, alcohol is often cheaper than water.


    ¡°Korea¡¯s drinking culture¡¯s weird. Everyone drinks like crazy atpany dinners, but drinking by yourself makes you a freak. It¡¯s as if everyone has to associate our work and hobbies with our peers. It¡¯s funny how this country finds it bizarre to see someone doing anything alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably because the country¡¯s so small.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to do anything by yourself in Korea because the country¡¯s too densely popted for one to enjoy a leisurely time alone. Citizens do most vacations through group tours, and wherever they might go, they must expect a huge number of other vacation-goers to crowd the ce. If you picked a ce with no people, that wasn¡¯t a time for healing as what most vacations are for, but survival.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that small.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s definitely smaller than Australia.¡±


    ¡°By a lot.¡±


    There¡¯s a saying about a frog in a well. The real world is bigger than we can imagine. Many Koreans go abroad for work, school, or vacation, but few experienced the real world. Most people just went to all the tourist attractions in major cities. That¡¯s not where the real world was. In ces that showed its true beauty, there was no such thing as a souvenir shop.


    ¡°Do you hate your hometown?¡±


    ¡°I love Korea, but I don¡¯t like the government.¡±


    ¡°Haha. None of us do.¡±


    Lee Chulughed about it, but Ahn Soo Ho made a crooked smile in his head. The two troublemakers who were sunbathing disappeared as soon as the monitors got distracted. Lee Chul and Ahn Soo Ho knew but pretended they didn¡¯t. They¡¯re probably dreaming of meeting someone great as a sort of plot twist like they were in a drama, but that kind of thing doesn¡¯t happen in real life.


    As soon as the phone on top of the table vibrated, Lee Chul checked the caller and became serious. After he excused himself and went to a corner, he tried to smile, but Ahn Soo Ho saw it as a forced smile. Everyone¡¯s living hard lives. Or is he the weird one? Lee Chul, who finished his call and came back, put his hands together with an apologetic face.


    ¡°Sorry. Can I leave the kids with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    After seeing off Lee Chul, Ahn Soo Ho called his manager.


    ¡°You know who I¡¯m looking for, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve secured their location.¡±


    He gestured for him to lead the way.


    Daesan Hotel Resort in Jejudo was divided into 3 divisions: the main building, the water park family resort, and other separate buildings. The separate buildings are very expensive and always overbooked. That¡¯s because many celebrities came to Jejudo for their photo shoots. They had to differentiate themselves to lead the trend. The view from a building that looks like a famous vacation spot in the South Pacific was beautiful in anyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Kya!¡±


    There they saw a building, inside they saw a humongous amount of cheering people.


    ¡°That¡¯s the star marketing the hotel¡¯s PR team nned.¡±


    The manager who was minding Ahn Soo Ho quickly responded.


    ¡°Is it effective?¡±


    ¡°As soon as the building became known as a photo shoot location, many rtedpanies have been calling, and more fans have beening to see the stars.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amonmercial spirit.¡±


    ¡°The family resort isn¡¯t that expensive. If you book as a group, there are good discount options, and there are many event giveaways, so there won¡¯t be a big increase in profit. This is all for the betterment of Daesan brand¡¯s image.¡±


    The manager rushed to exin himself. Did it sound like a rebuke? It appeared as if the wave of the reformation of the rich had reached Jejudo. He could spot Emily and Rachel with ease. Is it a modeling agency? A few men in suits got into a heated argument over the two white girls. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho frowned, the manager sent employees to resolve it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t do this here.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡±


    The men in suits hesitated after seeing the uniformed employees.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°What is it? Are they casting you?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re asking if we want to be models in Korea. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Your uncle wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Emily and Rachel pouted again at the thought of Lee Chul.


    ¡°Dictator!¡±


    ¡°Old man!¡±


    It was normal of them to think it was unfair since they were at the age when looking cool and showing off felt relevant in building social stature. Reasoning didn¡¯t work with rebellious youth. All they want is for people to sympathize with their thoughts.


    ¡°There is a way though.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    They immediately took Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bait.


    ¡°You can go to college ande to Korea as an exchange student.¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    He continued to talk through all the booing.


    ¡°Another method would be me.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed at himself. Emily was the first one to figure that out.


    ¡°You will help us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re a smart one, Emily.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    He shook his index finger to Rachel¡¯s wide-eyed question.


    ¡°I want to check something first. What¡¯s your dream? You¡¯ll graduate high school next year, but you have no ns for your future, do you?¡±


    Both went silent in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s counter-question. There was a stereotype which entailed how blondes are dumb, but neither Emily nor Rachel looked or act dumb. However, Koreans had this grand illusion about their romanticized view of education methods abroad. The people of the country believed their education system failed them. Seeing how they couldn¡¯t open their mouths in retaliation to their oppressors, they seemed to hold their failed local education ountable for their inability to protest. Ahn Soo Ho let out a bitterugh. He wasn¡¯t a meddler, but he really liked Lee Chul¡¯s first impression.


    ¡°Why are people unable to be free?¡±


    Their family, significant other, and social responsibilities shackled a metaphorical lock around their necks.


    ¡°Think about it.¡±


    He could see a familiar face beyond the silent girls¡¯ shoulders. Seeing how she seemed surprised, she mustn¡¯t have expected it one bit. Team Leader Lee Seon Mi of Shinhwa Entertainment couldn¡¯t refuse Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gesture to approach.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from you, Ms. Lee. Did you deliver my message?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then should I take this as a decline?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in the position to give you a definite answer.¡±


    Lee Seon Mi took a step back with a vague smile. There was no way for her to know what was in CEO Kim Yoo Seon¡¯s heart. He could keep a distance from Daesan Group to protect himself from having his reputation take a negative effect on his career with the blossoming of the candle me affairs. However, what made Lee Seon Mi nervous was the background and the process leading up to this asion.


    ¡°Is today¡¯s photo shoot...?¡±


    Did that question show on her face? Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t one hundred percent intentional. Maybe just fifty percent? The rest is a coincidence.¡±


    During the process of the consensual divorce, Lee Jung Hoon had no choice but to butt into it. It was certain that Lee So Hye would be on Mrs. Park¡¯s side. Then what about Lee Jung Hoon? Who knows? Ahn Soo Ho wanted to confirm that today. So he threw the bait by calling over all the rising stars of the entertainment industry to Jejudo. One might ask why he made it so troublesome when he could have just arranged a meeting with Lee Jung Hoon alone, but there¡¯s a n.


    ¡°The entertainment tabloids are just as interesting as stock tabloids.¡±


    Whether it¡¯s positive or negative, having your name mentioned results in increased awareness. Lee Jung Hoon wouldn¡¯t believe it, but Ahn Soo Ho gave him a big help.


    ¡°Is he inside?¡±


    ¡°Do you have to meet now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you looked into it yourselves... You can¡¯t deny that we¡¯re really brothers, can you? I won¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll harm him.¡±


    Lee Seon Mi was at a loss for words.


    They confirmed Lee Jung Hoon had another brother through a detective agency and Lee Jung Hoon himself. The problem was the agencies who heard Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name terminated the contract without another word. It wasn¡¯t just a few agencies but a dozen of them refused to look into him. Something was going on. Something was, but it wasn¡¯t something that someone at her level could figure out.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t use the excuse of the area being off limits to persons not concerned.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, okay.¡±


    Lee Seon Mi surrendered. After leaving Emily and Rachel with the manager, Ahn Soo Ho went inside the building. There are individuals focusing on the photo shoot, critiques discussing the day¡¯s theme, and other members of the event either fixing models¡¯ makeup or just taking a break. It looked like everyone had their own worlds. The senior editor heard something from Lee Seon Mi and greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Wee, Director. You¡¯re just as handsome as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m liking the sweet talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. Are you ufortable in any way?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great. But... I¡¯m not pleased with their level of quality.¡±


    The senior editor didn¡¯t like a few of the rookie models. The unripe recruits didn¡¯t live up to the Daesan brand, but he didn¡¯t care. To be frank, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t even know the name of the person he was talking to. So he offered formal words offort.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cast better models next time. Please understand just this once.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±


    As soon as they released an effeminate-looking man, the team leaders of other entertainment agencies swarmed over. Despite the talk about a reformation of the rich no one thought there would be a problem with Daesan Group.


    ¡°Please look favorably upon our models, Director. They have all the star qualities.¡±


    ¡°No way! Our models are way better!¡±


    ¡°Yeah right! Check ours out!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Enough!¡±


    Lee Seon Mi returned and dealt with the swarm of fighting flies. Ahn Soo Ho nodded at her and went inside. He could see Lee Jung Hoon from the pictures. He was tall. A hairstyle could really make or break a man¡¯s image. As long as they were not ugly, entertainment agencies could transform them with advanced hair techniques.


    ¡°Does he think he¡¯s an actor?¡±


    As someone who hadn¡¯t even been in one film, he pretended like he¡¯s celebrity while the female staff members surrounded him.


    ¡°Lee Jung Hoon.¡±


    The busy room stopped in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s deep voice. They felt like they had to. He looked up to the calling of his name.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your big brother.¡±


    The impactful phrase that would remind you of a movie from the 20th century made Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s face change. It was just like when Luke Skywalker found out the truth about Darth Vader.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. I won¡¯t cut off your hand or anything.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°But you need a beating.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 17 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [1] > The end.

 Chapter 19: < Protect – Episode 18 – Lee Jung Hoon [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 19: < Protect ¨C Episode 18 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [2] ></h4>


    There¡¯s an effective technique used to beat people up just like how there¡¯s an effective one for dating too.


    His military life was a big help in learning how to hit someone so it hurts but doesn¡¯t leave a wound. One might ask if the military academy was easier than serving in the military, but it was far from it. The strictmand and discipline and the brainwashing of the order of rank made for a cliquey and single-minded culture.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sociability wasn¡¯t bad. What he couldn¡¯t stand wasn¡¯t the illogicality, but the foolishness of it all. The future generals who passed this difficult exam were fools. Did they really pass the exam? He thought maybe they got in through illicit admissions. When Ahn Soo Ho troubled over it, someone said this.


    ¡°The exam process isn¡¯t important.¡±


    Even though he had already known about it, his shock exceeded his expectations. That meant the world wasn¡¯t being led by the smartest people. The first steps toward the real world was a society governed by rank. The military was no different. Tests they had used for multiple times were still the most democratic method to promote their rank. However, could the inability to seed no matter how hard they tried was the essence of exams?


    Studying hard and getting good grades.


    Getting a good job with those good grades.


    With a better jobes a better sry.


    That¡¯s where the contradiction begins. Everywhere people might go the world always faced them with the reality that good jobs were scarce. Sincepanies do not possess an unlimited job offering but the demand was always on the rise, thepetition was stiff. They needed one poor person for another to be rich because the quality of life was rtive. It¡¯s impossible for everyone to live a good life. That might be why exams scores were the only way to measure a person¡¯s future worth.


    The fortunate continued to be fortunate, the unfortunate continued to be unfortunate, men in power who didn¡¯t want people to have suspicions about democracy created a never-ending inheritance of poverty, and the bombastic propaganda about all of it. There¡¯s no point in studying hard. That¡¯s because working hard doesn¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll do well on the exam.


    Just like how there¡¯s a technique to dating and violence, there was a technique for exams too. The rich didn¡¯t pass down money, but rather the techniques to passing all the tests life offered. As long as they don¡¯t fail the tests, it was natural for power to follow.


    ¡°What you did was run away from the exam that¡¯ll determine the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s body ached. He was beaten up like crazy, but he had no wounds or bruises. His joins just ached a lot. ¡°What a baby!¡± If he goes to the hospital that¡¯s what the doctor would say.


    ¡°You dropped out of the Naval Academy too!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s defiance.


    ¡°Did you hear from Mrs. Park?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I looked into it myself because I was curious.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Not bad.¡±


    During a sensitive time of his life, he learned the shocking truth about having a big brother from another father. On top of that, there was a fifteen-year age difference, so it was hard for him to ept.


    ¡°So what? You quit school to rebel against Mom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just didn¡¯t think that was my path.¡±


    Hisck of formality sounds way too natural.


    Lee Jung Hoon met Ahn Soo Ho for the first time today. But for some reason, they felt close. Is this the power of blood rtion? He felt like getting beat up was unfair, but he didn¡¯t really want revenge either. He felt like all of his anxiety went away.


    ¡°Hm. Not your path, huh? Okay. Let¡¯s say that¡¯s true, but it wasn¡¯t right for you to make that decision on your own. You don¡¯t think you raised yourself, did you? And why did you trick Mom when you¡¯ve been back in Korea sincest year?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon could not answer. Was it because preparing to debut kept him busy? That¡¯s not true. As long as he had fingers, he could make a quick phone call. This was all his doing, and it¡¯s an inexcusable mistake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think the family will understand what you do.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Ugh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked him on the head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should apologize to. Who should you be doing it to?¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°So Hye?¡±


    The questions and answers revealed that Lee Jung Hoon wasn¡¯t fond of his father either. Then again, what child would like a father who caused so much trouble?


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably hear about it soon... but they will get divorced.¡±


    ¡°Did he fall for another scam?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡±


    This news did not faze Lee Jung Hoon at all. He didn¡¯t hold his father with high regards; instead, he views him as a gullible fool. He studied hard because he didn¡¯t want to be like his father, which he unfortunately ended up quitting.


    ¡°Do I have to testify or something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯ll try to steer away from that. Our So Hye¡¯s still too young for that.¡±


    ¡°Our So Hye? She¡¯s my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Undutiful children have no right to be a big brother.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon felt angry, but he had nothing to say in retribution. It¡¯s true he tricked his family for the past year. First, he had to find Mrs. Park Ok Nam and beg for forgiveness. He had to clear his conscience before he could say anything to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Excuse me...¡±


    A coordinator from a corner called the two brothers.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the shoot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Please get back to work.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho apologized and backed away, the room became busy again. Lee Seon Mi, who was watching from the door, approached with a sigh.


    ¡°I thought you would kill him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho beat Lee Jung Hoon, someone tried to call the police, so she ran all over the ce trying to stop it. Gossip about an assault would be the worst of its kind. It would be a matter of time before the reporters noticed their different surnames, which would lead to rumors about the secret behind their births.


    ¡°I want to avoid noise marketing...¡±


    Lee Seon Mi thought Lee Jung Hoon was more than capable enough to be a star. He had a good-looking face and tall stature. Come to think of it, Ahn Soo Ho was tall too. Are they really brothers after all?


    ¡°Bad rumors might go around because of you.¡±


    ¡°About what? An assault?¡±


    ¡°Maybe...¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°You sound confident again.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Deliver my message to CEO Kim Yoo Seon or the board of directors. Tell them I will proceed with mergers and acquisitions if they don¡¯t respond within forty-eight hours.¡±


    ¡°Our CEO has more than half of the shares. That won¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s whatmon sense would tell us.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Lee Seon Mi gulped after seeing a cruel smile on his face.


    ¡°Common sense doesn¡¯t always apply to this world we live in.¡±


    ******


    ¡°What an irrational punk!¡±


    Lee Geun Taek, who was the chairman of the board of the Korea National Association and the CEO of a constructionpany, threw the documents onto the floor. His face was so red it looked like he was at risk of having high blood pressure.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that name before.¡±


    ¡°He used to know Kyung Joon.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Lee Geun Taek eximed. Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t the only one who received help from Daemo. Not everyone who received help felt thankful. A man like Lee Geun Taek doesn¡¯t want to see any morepetition.


    ¡°That punk.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The one we cut the wings off of was him.¡±


    ¡°That arrogant punk... So? He seeded abroad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard, but there¡¯s no definite proof.¡±


    ¡°Did our side take our eyes off of himpletely?¡±


    ¡°We probably didn¡¯t think it was worth it, but that was a bad move...¡±


    Lee Geun Taek looked at him and let out a bitterugh.


    ¡°What if we remove him now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It won¡¯t be easy. That punk¡¯s a whole different type than Mr. Kim.¡±


    ¡°Ha! The great Lee Ji Heon is reluctant? Did I hear correctly?¡±


    Lee Ji Heon continued tough bitterly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know if you look out the window.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Candles and chants of wanting a reformation of the rich filled the center of Seoul. The rich weren¡¯t so happy about this, and Korea National Association had an ufortable view on the executivemittee after what they did to Kim Dae San. Daesan Group¡¯s firm stance on their willingness to die together rather thaning to a settlement was a big surprise to everyone.


    ¡°You¡¯re not willing topromise one bit, huh, Kim Dae San?¡±


    It¡¯s true. Daesan Group represents Korea as a nation, but they detached Kim Dae San thus he didn¡¯t get along with other groups. Kim Dae San didn¡¯t hesitate to treat others in power as insects as if he was a white heron among ck crows.


    ¡°You can¡¯t live in this world alone. You have to realize that.¡±


    Has Dae San Group never been a part of corruption? Lee Geun Taek didn¡¯t believe that. People had to be a part of groups in life, and Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t elegant like a white heron either. He was a crow too.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t things die down after a while?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible... That¡¯s why they sent us these documents.¡±


    Lee Ji Heon picked up the documents Lee Geun Taek threw on the floor. There was no important state secret or trade secret within. However, if the information got out, people on their side wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their head in public. It would be okay if they could settle the case in court, but someone would bind people to use ethical corruption to earn sympathy from the public and burn up more candles in the city¡¯s center.


    ¡°They¡¯re telling us not to drag it on.¡±


    ¡°What if we use the media to make this look like a lie?¡±


    Lee Ji Heon shook his head.


    ¡°This... is probably not all of it. If we deny it, they¡¯ll bring even more definite evidence.¡±


    They wouldn¡¯t send such evidences to them, and them alone.


    ¡°Does Kyung Joon know?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve probably met already. Seeing how I have heard nothing, it probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant meeting.¡±


    Lee Geun Taek clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Tsk! I should have stomped all over him when I had the chance.¡±


    There was no point in having regrets. Lee Ji Heon went outside and took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Stop attacking Jinsung Group and halt the guys on Daesan¡¯s side from doing anything further.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as he hung up, the phone vibrated, so he picked up.


    ¡°Hey. What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°A problem?¡±


    Lee Si Heon¡¯s frown turned into sharply raised eyes as soon as he heard the rest.


    ¡°It looks like Ahn Soo Ho has reached out to the princess.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Jejudo monitoring team lost his whereabouts quite a few times... but they confirmed that he¡¯s with Lee Chul at Daesan Hotel in Jejudo.¡±


    This reminded Lee Ji Heon of something. The private information Ahn Soo Ho sent to Korea National Association didn¡¯t imply a civilian inspection. Was that why he went down to Jejudo? He clenched the phone and screamed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you use coercive methods! Iste Mi Hyun!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon bit his fingernails.


    ¡°Does he really know the secret?¡±


    Only the outer shell of the Korean imperial family remained, but that¡¯s where the Korea National Association¡¯s cause came from. Princess Lee Mi Hyun was a blemish on the imperial family. That¡¯s because the executivemittee couldn¡¯t allow a foreigner with blue eyes as the son-inw of the king. The reason the couple couldn¡¯t have children for 20 years wasn¡¯t that of fate.


    ¡°Mixed blood? That¡¯s preposterous.¡±


    Lee Ji Heon stopped biting his fingernails and took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me! Book a meeting with Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Right now!¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho really knows the secret, and he tells Lee Mi Hyun, Daesan Group, and the reformation of the rich won¡¯t be a problem. Korea National Association might justbust from the inside.


    ¡°Tell him we¡¯ll give him whatever he wants!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 18 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [2] > The end.

 Chapter 20: < Protect – Episode 19 – Lee Jung Hoon [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 20: < Protect ¨C Episode 19 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [3] ></h4>


    Lee Mi Hyun hated living as a noble who held onto past honors. They¡¯re incapable humans full of authority, bluff, and vanity, who¡¯ve achieved nothing themselves. She wanted to escape the life of pretending to be noble yet everyone unacknowledged this wish of hers and having no choice but to deny reality. She wanted to be free of her family, who were always butting into every aspect of her life.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Long time no see.¡±


    When Lee Mi Hyun announced she was marrying David Cox, also known as Lee Chul, the n was adamant to oppose this decision. They threw a fuss about not wanting a white man with an unknown background as the son-inw of the king.


    ¡°You look well.¡±


    ¡°Because I am.¡±


    Lee Jin sighed. He¡¯s not on edge, but he¡¯s notfortable either. The little sister he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time still had resentment within her.


    ¡°Do you still hate the adults?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever like them.¡±


    ¡°I understand. They only live in the past.¡±


    Even though they had disappeared from the public, the Korean imperial family still existed on the Korean penins. During the vestiges of the Joseon imperialism, the empire of Japan helped them stand out to the Western culture of the noble which resulted in the economic sess of many royals.


    ¡°What is it you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to offer me some coffee?¡±


    After Lee Mi Hyun went straight to the point, she heard Lee Jin sit down, so she went to the kitchen. Her only big brother took her side despite the family¡¯s opposition.


    ¡°Make three cups.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I asked Chul toe too.¡±


    Lee Mi Hyun stopped pouring water into the coffeepot.


    ¡°You called him?¡±


    ¡°I have something to say that both of you need to hear.¡±


    Soon after, Lee Chul walked through the door. He approached Lee Jin and bowed. Even though it was a humiliating posture in the west, Lee Chul had be more Korean than any real Korean around.


    ¡°How have you been, Sir? I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t kept in touch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my fault for not taking proper care of my little sister.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Lee Mi Hyun stared at them as if she was watching a historical drama. It was clear that they were conspiring behind her back.


    ¡°Stop making that face and sit down, Mi Hyun.¡±


    ¡°What are you two conspiring?¡±


    Lee Jin and Lee Chul looked at each other andughed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t live like this forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... true.¡±


    Lee Jin wanted to free herself from the illusion of being an emperor¡¯s descendant just like how Lee Mi Hyun wanted liberty from her family. Since Korea didn¡¯t have a constitutional monarchy, the imperial family didn¡¯t need to exist. So the reason there was a princess, and a descendant was that someone still needed the imperial family. It shocked Lee Jin when he saw the will his father left before he died.


    ¡°Korea National Association isn¡¯t loyal to the imperial family, so you mustn¡¯t ever trust them. Same with the royal family. They¡¯re informants of a foreign power, so you must make the imperial family¡¯s discipline upright again.¡±


    After the defeat of the Japanese imperialism, many royal families left the Korean penins. They didn¡¯t think they had a future on their homnd. However, through collectivism and capitalism that arose through the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the Korean penins revived from the ruins.


    ¡°Father didn¡¯t trust them.¡±


    The royal family, who returned once things got better, was quiet for some time until their ambition came out in the middle of the 1960s. The more definite title of Korea National Association was the Restoration of the Korean Imperial Family or Korean Establishment Preparation Committee. Not only did the imperial family gather back in the Korean penins, but they received secret funding from foreign governments.


    Japan was especially enthusiastic.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s free in life.¡±


    ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but they staged a coup d¡¯¨¦tat, expressed support to an illegitimate military, and got involved with Korea and Japan¡¯s diplomatic rtions.¡±


    Back in the 50s and 60s after the Korean empire went through the Japanese colonial era, people perceived the imperial family as an impressive symbol of their emancipation. Before the press could do a proper job, the imperial family was the best sycophant for those who wanted power.


    ¡°We have to cut those ill ties.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that part.¡±


    Lee Mi Hyun turned toward the unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yoon Chul. And this is who I am.¡±


    Yoon Chul passed her his business card.


    A police officer and Section 1 Chief, Yoon Chul.


    After parting with Ahn Soo Ho, he immediately went to Lee Jin. He had found information on Korea National Association through his work. Of course, he immediately passed it on to Ahn Soo Ho. That¡¯s because he knows how long Ahn Soo Ho could hold a grudge.


    ¡°Factionalism is the physiology of organizations... I think that¡¯s true.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho found a weakness in Korea National Association.


    ¡°The monarchs have no choice but to feel dissatisfied with that organization for not being treated well enough.¡±


    That¡¯s what they said. How could the emperor¡¯s descendant, who¡¯s the symbol of Korea National Association, hate them? He couldn¡¯t believe it at first.


    As organizations grow, they divide into factions. In the police¡¯s case, everyone had a fierce fight for that one policemissioner position. Not everyone would have had the same thoughts about the Korea National Association.


    A police siren went off.


    As soon as they could hear screaming and swearing, Lee Mi Hyun held onto Lee Chul¡¯s arm out of anxiousness. They do not understand what¡¯s going on. Lee Chul, who wasforting his wife while looking out the window, sighed out of relief. What Lee Jin said was true. Korea National Association had been watching the couple as an organization.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    What are they trying to get out of monitoring a powerless woman and her husband? The police came in and looked for Yoon Chul.


    ¡°All nine of you are under arrest.¡±


    ¡°Good work. Take them to the nearest police station.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Even if he¡¯s an officer, section chief, and a superintendent, this is Jejudo. Without the branch office¡¯s cooperation, arrests were difficult to make. Since they mobilized without reporting to the higher-ups, they would punish all involved officers once they get to Seoul, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    Yoon Chul took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I expected, Soo Ho. I caught them, but it won¡¯t be easy to get them to talk... What should we do?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to open their mouths. All we need is the truth about a coercive situation aimed at Lee Mi Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably get a call soon. Oh! Just in time. I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho hung up, Yoon Chul put away his phone and looked at the three of them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know what Daesan Hotel¡¯s suites look like?¡±


    ******


    All people have weaknesses, and family is the mostmon one. A family was a weakness, even for Ahn Soo Ho. Whether they were a royal or a bugle, a family is a weakness. There are weaknesses in all human rtionships, and in ns like the imperial family, there were tons of issues. Just like the documents sent to Korea National Association, Lee Mi Hyun¡¯s problem wasn¡¯t that special or serious either.


    Not having children and not being acknowledged by inws might be serious to the couple, but in the Middle East, where they even honor killings, it was nothing. After experiencing many cultures, Ahn Soo Ho realized one thing. It was unnecessary to get through a million guards and sneak through all the monitoring to kill a rich person.


    ¡°People with a lot of self-pride obsess over fame and reputation.¡±


    Even if they did a lot of dirty things in secret, it didn¡¯t matter as long as they didn¡¯t get caught. However, if they ever get caught, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.


    ¡°Has it been fourteen years, Mr. Lee?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was a little nervous as he held the phone.


    ¡°Has it been that long already? I heard you¡¯ve seeded abroad, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho? I don¡¯t think we have that kind offortable rtionship. You and Lee Kyung Joon both have thick skins.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there was a problem with your behavior?¡±


    ¡°If you think the strong should harass the weak... then sure. I admit it, but what do we do? I think I¡¯m the stronger one now. Now! Are you ready to reveal it all?¡±


    It¡¯s an obvious provocation. Lee Ji Heon gulped.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯ve never wanted was peace.¡±


    ¡°If you want an apology andpensation... you¡¯ve got it.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you clean up your own sh*t first? You don¡¯t think those are reasonable conditions, do you?¡±


    To resolve the reformation of the rich, someone had to take a hit. To satisfy the fierce sympathy of the public, at least half of the rich in their 30s had to take legal responsibility.


    ¡°Daesan and Jinsung can¡¯t avoid taking responsibility either.¡±


    They should sacrifice to expect something back. That means they have to make a reasonable settlement. The key was who will lead that settlement process?


    ¡°Is it money you want?¡±


    ¡°Money? Can you give me quadrillion?¡±


    He would back out if it was around quadrillion won.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be realistic.¡±


    ¡°Do you even have the power to decide, Mr. Lee?¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    It¡¯s true. Even though Lee Ji Heon contacted Ahn Soo Ho, he had no power to give him a definite answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable for a Korean to refuse a foreign son-inw, but coercing infertility to keep your pure bloodline is a grave crime.¡±


    ¡°How... did you know?¡±


    He expected denial, but he easily acknowledged it. That was very unexpected. If Lee Ji Heon had seen Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s evil smile, he would have fainted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about me, but you disregarded my siblings.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Yoon Chul were not the only ones who dropped out of the Naval Academy because of Lee Kyung Joon.


    ¡°The one who threw the punch sleeps well while the one who got hit remembers it forever, right?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be the opposite?¡±


    ¡°No, what I said is right. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have forgotten us.¡±


    That was because they never considered that they weren¡¯t able to recognize a weakness as a weakness. Small cracks always copse an entire dam. They were so focused on judges, prosecutors,wyers, doctors, presidents, generals, congressman, and rich people, that they didn¡¯t think about a blue-eyed son-inw or an emperor¡¯s descendant.


    ¡°I suggest you try nothing on us. China, Japan, and the States all know about your weaknesses. They¡¯re just looking for a good opportunity to use it.¡±


    It was Korea National Association who tried to shake up Daesan Group, but the ones behind it were patriotic royal families who had returned to revive the Korean imperial family. Ahn Soo Ho saw all of them as spies.


    ¡°If not money, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°The fake sons of bitches who are pretending to be patriots.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I need the name of the first one to suggest all of this.¡±


    There are more ck-haired beasts pretending to be Koreans than you¡¯d expect.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I never said I hated money.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    It¡¯s not right to refuse in the courteous country of the East.


    ¡°So how much are you offering?¡±


    But he would refuse a small sum.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 19 ¨C Lee Jung Hoon [3] > The end.

 Chapter 21: < Protect – Episode 20 – Jang Seol Hyun [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 21: < Protect ¨C Episode 20 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [1] ></h4>


    The group of people gathered at the building beside Daesan Hotel in Jejudo gave awkward nces at each other.


    Lee Jin, Emily, and Rachel, who were apanying Lee Chul and Lee Mi Hyun were being friendly while using abination of Korean and English. Yoon Chul was on the phone with either a smile or a frown, and the most awkward ones were Lee Jung Hoon and Lee Seon Mi.


    What resolved Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s awkwardness was Lee So Hye, who ran over in her school uniform. He, who was happy to see his little sister after such a long time, almost got kicked on his private parts and crouched over as a result. That situation was so ridiculous that all Emily and Rachel could do was tough.


    ¡°Agh! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Lee So Hye could not hide her sadness after the failed attempt. As soon as Mrs. Park Ok Nam arrived, she smiled at the two siblings, and Lee Jung Hoon hesitantly approached.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    She could not lift her head to the nuance of having known what he didst summer. Why is it that there¡¯s a feeling of relief and sorrow at the same time? If he made the mistake why would he feel sorrow? It¡¯s possible that his body was mature, but his mentality was not.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    But Mom is always on my side. During the mother and son¡¯s reunion, someone interrupted by pping.


    ¡°The food is ready. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung led them to a ce as big as the banquet hall. They can see a huge rectangr table. Being attended by individual maids felt more awkward than familiar, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling since it was a clear feeling of being served.


    ¡°Is Soo Hoing?¡±


    ¡°Director will be here soon.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung gave Mrs. Park a sincere answer. Since the first meeting, Mrs. Park thought she was a lovely woman. She seemed like a woman raised in a good household, and she even worked at Daesan Group. These days, both couples need to bring in the bread. She was definitely a top prospective bride.


    ¡°Wh... what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung felt a cold sweat after exchanging nces with Mrs. Park¡¯s glistening eyes.


    ¡°What have you been doing, Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve been chasing my dreams this whole time.¡±


    ¡°Do you think anyone can be a celebrity? There are tons of good-looking people with nice bodies out there. Stop dreaming and get back to studying.¡±


    Lee So Hye looked at Lee Jung Hoon with a pitiful look. He gestured for Lee Seon Mi¡¯s help with a look that expressed the unfairness of the situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, So Hye. Jung Hoon is talented enough to...¡±


    ¡°Wow. Don¡¯t try to trick me, little girl.¡±


    ¡°Li... little girl?¡±


    Lee So Hye cut her off and Lee Seon Mi felt hurt by the attack at her age, but she was clearly a mature adult. She might have thought she was smiling, but other people saw an evil face.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re too young to know this. Shinhwa Entertainment...¡±


    ¡°Do I look young? I look more mature than you, little girl.¡±


    Lee So Hye cut her off again. As soon as she twisted her upper body and positioned herself assertively, she won. It was as beautiful as when the tes of Eurasia collided and created the Himyas.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Lee So Hye¡¯s ridicule made Lee Seon Mi feel defeated.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°You little brat.¡±


    Lee So Hye, who was destroying her out of the desire to win, screamed at the sudden impact against her head. Ahn Soo Ho exchanged gazes with Lee Chul and kissed Mrs. Park¡¯s cheeks. The mother, who was awkward at first, was now so familiar they could exchange kisses. It¡¯s a hug filled with an apology for not having done it earlier.


    He took his seat and smiled at the surrounding people.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we have a lot to talk about... but let¡¯s eat first. We do everything so we can eat and survive, right?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger, food came in. There were no formalities. Korean food, Chinese food, and any food they wanted the staff served to them. Ahn Soo Ho noticed Lee So Hye wriggling about, which made him tilt his head.


    ¡°What? Do you have something to say?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Can I bring a friend over tomorrow?¡±


    He messed up her hair following her careful request.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me for my permission. Do as you please, little sister.¡±


    ¡°Really? Really, really? Can I go to the water park with my friends?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t follow guys you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I promise!¡±


    Lee So Hye would have talked back if it was Lee Jung Hoon who was treating her like a kid, but she felt no resistance against her other big brother since they had only met a few days ago. After that, she led the conversation. She talked about what happened at school, who¡¯s dating who, and which idol groups are popr these days.


    The meal ended an hourter.


    Lee Jung Hoon and Lee Seon Mi had to return tomorrow for a shoot. For an unknown reason, Mrs. Park harassed Oh Joo Kyung. Lee So Hye bonded with Emily and Rachel. Ahn Soo Ho invited the Lee couple, Lee Jin, and Yoon Chul.


    ¡°You look like you have a lot of questions. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Did you approach us on purpose?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But this is too much of a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°I understand that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let out a bitterugh. There was something Lee Ji Heon was misunderstanding. The main reason he came to Jejudo was Mrs. Park Ok Nam, and the minor reason was to take a break.


    ¡°You happened to get caught up in my life.¡±


    It¡¯s probably hard to believe the truth. So it was more convenient to exin it in another way.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°As Chief Superintendent Yoon said... It¡¯s up to Lee Jin whether Korea National Association is reformed or left alone.¡±


    ¡°You will not get involved?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho signed with Daesan Group, not them, so their matters are none of his business. However, since turning them cold-heartedly doesn¡¯t look so good, he would give them a little help.


    ¡°Lee Ji Heon offered me fifty billion won. I¡¯ll hand that over to Lee Jin.¡±


    ¡°Fi... fifty billion won?¡±


    ¡°Is that too little?¡±


    ¡°No way! Not at all!¡±


    Lee Jin shook his head from side to side. He has never heard of such an amount in his life. Despite their titles in the imperial family, the money they received wasn¡¯t very much.


    ¡°Think about what you¡¯ll do with that money.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Lee Jin walked outughing, but Lee Chul¡¯s face still looked stiff. Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chul.¡±


    ¡°They say you can never read a person... I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho apologized.


    ¡°Exin yourself.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let out a bitterugh. There was something Lee Ji Heon was misunderstanding. The main reason he came to Jejudo was Mrs. Park Ok Nam, and the minor reason was to take a break.


    ¡°You happened to get caught up in my life.¡±


    It¡¯s probably hard to believe the truth. So it was more convenient to exin it in another way.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°As Chief Superintendent Yoon said... It¡¯s up to Lee Jin whether Korea National Association is reformed or left alone.¡±


    ¡°You will not get involved?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho signed with Daesan Group, not them, so their matters are none of his business. However, since turning them cold-heartedly doesn¡¯t look so good, he would give them a little help.


    ¡°Lee Ji Heon offered me fifty billion won. I¡¯ll hand that over to Lee Jin.¡±


    ¡°Fi... fifty billion won?¡±


    ¡°Is that too little?¡±


    ¡°No way! Not at all!¡±


    Lee Jin shook his head from side to side. He has never heard of such an amount in his life. Despite their titles in the imperial family, the money they received wasn¡¯t very much.


    ¡°Think about what you¡¯ll do with that money.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Lee Jin walked outughing, but Lee Chul¡¯s face still looked stiff. Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chul.¡±


    ¡°They say you can never read a person... I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho apologized.


    ¡°Exin yourself.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°What do they see in you to trust you like that?¡±


    It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be understood.


    ¡°Are you going to shake up Korea National Association by using Lee Jin?¡±


    ¡°Once the situation bes vague, a traitor is bound toe out.¡±


    Even though 50 billion won isn¡¯t a small sum of money, it¡¯s not arge amount when if they took the scale of Korea National Association into ount. However, if it¡¯s 50 billion won all in cash, that¡¯s a different story.


    ¡°Lee Ji Heon could overturn the settlement if we find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not he overturns it, it¡¯s up to Daesan Group and Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan now. The old man probably doesn¡¯t want you taking part either.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    This was like the hostage situation 3 years ago. It was Ahn Soo Ho who started the whole thing, but he avoided all the attention. Ahn Soo Ho changed the subject.


    ¡°Did you say Soo Jung is a producer at a broadcasting station?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with Korea Broadcast¡¯s culture division.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung was a ssmate from the Naval Academy. When the Naval Academy¡¯s culture changed in 1998, the first 21 female cadets entered for the first time in history, and Ahn Soo Ho and Yoon Chul were in the center of that history.


    ¡°Are you going to call them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It¡¯s been way too long.


    ¡°Has it been nine or ten years?¡±


    Time has flown by since theyst saw each other.


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho followed Lee Jung Hoon and Lee Seon Mi to Seoul after their shoot.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Yoo Seon.¡±


    Shinhwa Entertainment¡¯s CEO Kim Yoo Seon looked as hardworking as he did in the picture. He has the face of someone who doesn¡¯t attempt schemes, but working hard and having a good heart are two sides of a coin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the preamble.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon and Kim Yoo Seon¡¯s faces changed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark. Kim Yoo Seonughed while monitoring the man in front of him.


    ¡°If you quit an Ivey league school toe back, you should work your ass off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not all about working hard here. You don¡¯t even know anything, ugh!¡±


    ¡°You bastard.¡±


    He took out his hands and grabbed his little brother by the lips.


    ¡°Ah, ptooey!¡±


    ¡°I warned you to be careful of what you say.¡±


    ¡°I am being careful.¡±


    ¡°You two are brothers after all.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon looked at the two brothers with a face of surprise. From what Lee Seon Mi told him, they¡¯ve only met a few days ago for the first time, but seeing their behavior proves they¡¯re real brothers.


    ¡°What do you think of my proposal, CEO Kim?¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s a difficult question.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sent over a new proposal through Lee Seon Mi before he came to Seoul.


    ¡°You will surpass GS Entertainment...? Are you in your right mind?¡±


    GS Entertainment was the top entertainment agency in Korea. He expected him to be a third generation heir or a foolish upstart, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s first impression was unique. He was confident he had a keen eye for people.


    ¡°But... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t know if he likes it or hates it, or if he¡¯s happy or sad.


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me.¡±


    ¡°Mm. It¡¯s not that...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone since he kept changing the subject.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me, Seol Hyun. I need your help. Okay, cool. Come here as soon as you can.¡±


    After ending the call, he gave Kim Yoo Seon a meaningful smile.


    ¡°Are you ready to sign with Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Wh... who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know Jang Seol Hyun? Asia¡¯s Star.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon threw a fuss.


    ¡°Soo Ho! How do you know Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so tacky.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat on the couch and lifted his head with confidence strong as steel. The others thought the tip of his nose was as high as Mount Everest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all know at least one superstar?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 20 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [1] > The end.

 Chapter 22: < Protect – Episode 21 – Jang Seol Hyun [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 22: < Protect ¨C Episode 21 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [2] ></h4>


    ¡°An exclusive contract? She still has two years left at FNB.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager, Kim Woo Jung opposed.


    It was already ridiculous that Ahn Soo Ho was asking for an exclusive contract, but it was even more absurd that it was with Shinhwa Entertainment. They weren¡¯t a smallpany, but they werecking in scale and reputationpared to FNB. This was no different from asking her to move from arge corporation to a smaller one.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s being treated like leftover rice.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Even though what came out of his mouth was negative, Kim Woo Jung had no choice but to consider it. It was true that after she failed in Hollywood, she wasn¡¯t treated as well by thepany. They did their best to hide it, but it still showed. There were exactly 1 year and 9 months left in her contract so thepany should be talking about renewing her contract already, but seeing how there was no word, they were in the process of weighing their options.


    Kim Woo Jung was offended by that.


    ¡°How could they treat her like a has-been when she had just started?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was still only in her mid-20s.


    Technically, she didn¡¯t fail in Hollywood. That was because Hollywood was no easy ce to seed in, and there were countless actors who were still going from audition to audition. In the Hollywood Walk of Fame, very few star owners took off from the very beginning.


    ¡°We have been considering going off independently... but it¡¯s too early.¡±


    Above all, paying a cancetion fee and moving to another agency would taint her image.


    ¡°If she transfers in the middle of a contract, bad rumors will spread. That can¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho proposed amon ground.


    ¡°Buy FNB and merge it with Shinhwa Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Kim Woo Jung and Kim Yoo Seon couldn¡¯t hide their surprised faces. They were unable toprehend how this man thought, who was talking about M&A as if he was working with two small shops. Was it an illness? Or was he going insane?


    ¡°Sigh. As you know, acquiring and mergingpanies is no easy task. It takes a long time to get a team together, and in terms of thew...¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut Kim Yoo Seon off with his waving hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. So are you in or not?¡±


    Kim Woo Jung and Kim Yoo Seon went into contemtion again.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like a joke, and he doesn¡¯t seem incapable either.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung met Ahn Soo Ho for the first time in Hollywood 2 years ago. At the time, he thought he was just an Asian guard that the agency hired, but he turned out to be a lot more than that. If Kim Woo Jung thought about it with experience in mind, Kim Yoo Seon looked like an executive of Daesan Group. He also wondered if he was a hidden son of Chairman Kim Dae San.


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s good to have a sturdy connection with Daesan Group.¡±


    Whether it worked out or not, just having a connection with Daesan Group was good enough. Kim Yoo Seon talked first.


    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll try to convince the shareholders.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m already purchasing shares that are in the market. I¡¯ll take care of the takeover process, so please don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho proposed wasn¡¯t topletely merge thepanies. It was more simr to a group system where it would look like one on the outside, but they were actually two differentpanies.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon figured out that he was not asking for their permission. Kim Woo Jung¡¯splexion changed.


    ¡°Then FNB too?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t Seol Hyun told you?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already secured arge number of their shares two years ago.¡±


    Even though Jang Seol Hyun was only in her early 20¡¯s 2 years ago, she knew how things worked better than anyone else. So she also knew that she wouldn¡¯t seed in Hollywood right away. If one wanted to be acknowledged in Hollywood, looks and talent were important, but the most important thing out of all was persistence. Americans liked people who started from the bottom and seeded with an extensive amount of effort.


    ¡°An agency that was too scared to try it the first time probably won¡¯t let me try it for a second or third time.¡±


    It was true. Koreans who were not fans just wanted to see the end result. They have no interest in how hard they tried. So it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand the agency¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you arepensated ordingly. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho exited the office, he could see Jang Seol Hyun surrounded by fans who wanted autographs and pictures. Ahn Soo Ho waved his hand and approached her.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    ¡°It seemed like Manager Kim wanted to talk to CEO Kim about something.¡±


    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun pulled Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arm. As soon as they got down to the parking lot, a celebrity van awaited. After he thoughtlessly opened the door, he frowned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yo, bro!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon, who he had sent off when Kim Woo Jung arrived, was sitting inside. Jang Seol Hyun pushed him to get inside. The road manager in the driver¡¯s seat was someone Ahn Soo Ho had seen before. When he nodded and greeted him with his eyes, he responded with a smile. There was a certain way men acknowledge each other without having to say anything.


    Meanwhile, Jang Seol Hyun sat next to Lee Jung Hoon and asked about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s personal life. Even though she probably knew more about him than he did, she made witty remarks and went with the flow.


    To have the conversation summed up...


    ¡°He beat me up as soon as we met.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Really? What a mean brother.¡±


    ¡°It hurts here and here. Wah. Hehe!¡±


    ¡°You must have had a hard time. Treat me as if I¡¯m your sister-inw from now on.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho separated the two.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    They weren¡¯t too far from being registered for marriage behind his back. Lee Jung Hoon gave Ahn Soo Ho a challenging look.


    ¡°I¡¯m against this marriage!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! If you say such horrible things, you¡¯ll regret it. Hoho.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon backed down to Jang Seol Hyun, who threatened him with a smile. After taking control of her future brother-inw, she looked at Ahn Soo Ho with confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your brother from now on, Honey.¡±


    ¡°Since when was I your ¡®Honey?''¡±


    ¡°Starting today.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    It was hard for a dad to be called ¡°Honey,¡± but it wasn¡¯t hard for a ¡°Mister¡± to be called ¡°Honey¡± or for ¡°Honey¡± to be ¡°Sweetie.¡± There was no change in Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s shameless character. Could she act after all? When Ahn Soo Ho shook his head, her smile got even bigger.


    ¡°I should have known that targeting the surroundings was the way to go.¡±


    In the world of dating, a family was known to be the weakness in both fraud and love. They also say that if the headquarters was solid, one should step back and attack the exterior to show off their flexibility. Jang Seol Hyun, who went from Rakshasa to Avalokitesvara, treated Lee Jung Hoon with affection.


    ¡°You must be hungry. There¡¯s a really good ce that I eat at all the time. Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung hadn¡¯te down, but no one cared.


    ¡°They say there¡¯s no use in raising a daughter... Our So Hee¡¯s not like that, right?¡±


    He was surprised by the remark about his daughter. Ahn Soo Ho was in no ce to badmouth others. As soon as the car took off, it was a forest of buildings. Since they were in a van that only celebrities could use, many people were staring, wondering who was inside. Lee Jung Hoon enjoyed the feeling of being a superstar, and Jang Seol Hyun sat next to him and egged him on.


    ¡°That must be gics.¡±


    Whether he liked it or not, Lee Jung Hoon had Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s gics, which could be a big problem in the future.


    ¡°There¡¯s no answer.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon has no choice but to be reborn through intense education. If not, he would have his soul taken away by scammers just like his father did. The ones who got scammed would get scammed no matter what.


    ¡°Will you be okay?


    Jang Seol Hyun had no trouble understanding Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°I told you. The entertainment world is a cold-hearted ce. There¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll be popr tomorrow just because I¡¯m popr today. The public¡¯s interest is more unpredictable than kids in puberty.¡±


    In any case, it looked like she was stabbing the agency employees¡¯ in the back, but she didn¡¯t think that way.


    ¡°The CEO and the board of directors only care about profits, so they don¡¯t take care of the employees at all.¡±


    It was about ten years ago when FNB was just a small agency. It was Kim Woo Jung who brought FNB to the top, but the executives kept him in check and didn¡¯t treat him properly. If Kim Woo Jung wanted, he could have taken one of those positions.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep your promise, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho used the good old ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t helping him for free. Love is love, and business is business.


    ¡°Vice-President Kim Woo Jung...¡±


    That title suited him.


    ******


    Seoul was still surrounded with candles and demand for a reformation of the rich.


    The government, National Assembly,panies, and people could do nothing but adhere to their own stances since there was no answer as to when any of this would end. The prosecution and police had no idea where to put their men. A new rumor came about, that made them scared to report that there were more than a million people there.


    ¡°The reformation of the rich and the candle protest are just schemes created by powerful rebels who want to divide this country!¡±


    The wholemie theory went out of the picture. That was because the powerful rebels were not the North Koreans but the Japanese.


    ¡°Is it true? Is Japan the force behind it?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking as a producer or a friend?¡±


    ¡°Off the record.¡±


    The broadcasting producer, Kim Soo Jung pulled out her most powerful card. The one supporting her was Yoon Chul.


    ¡°Tell me, Soo Ho. I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who looked at Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung in a meaningful way, moved his gaze to others at the table.


    ¡°Are they dating?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they¡¯ve been flirting for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d the old maid and the old bachelor met... Just get together already.¡±


    He looked at Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung and smirked.


    They acted like they were going to be single for life, but in reality, they were just like normal people. Han Kyung Il, Kang Joon, Kim Min Shik, Choi Jung Yeon, Jung Sol Ji, as well as Yoon Chul, Kim Soo Jung and him added up to 8 people. Everyone at this gathering dropped out of the Naval Academy. Even while talking about flings, they were still looking at Ahn Soo Ho. They must have been curious too.


    ¡°You¡¯re half right.¡±


    ¡°Then that means we¡¯re half wrong too.¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon, who seemed like she would be the least interested, started talking first. He didn¡¯t think she had much interest in international matters since she was working to be a professor at a university hospital.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean only one country is behind it?¡±


    ¡°I feel like our country just got pulled into the States and China¡¯s power battle.¡±


    ¡°Russia¡¯s probably on China¡¯s side, and Japan¡¯s probably rimming the States.¡±


    ¡°Ew!¡±


    The frank expression of Han Kyung Il, who had be a diplomat, made the girls jeer. But Han Kyung Il didn¡¯t care and kept going.


    ¡°Does our country look normal to you? This wasn¡¯t our people¡¯s doing. Something much bigger is behind it. A reformation of the rich? That¡¯s total nonsense in our country.¡±


    ¡°The rich need to be reformed in order for our country to develop.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that won¡¯t happen today.¡±


    Han Kyung Il wasn¡¯t against a reformation of the rich, but he was certain that wouldn¡¯t happen today, and Kang Joon didn¡¯t think it should be pushed off untilter. Kang Joon, who transformed into a businessman from a promising IT employee, was a living witness who has experienced the status of Korea¡¯s wealth.


    ¡°Our country¡¯s GDP is abnormal. The Korean economy is surely improving every week, but the economy that the people are feeling has frozen over. It¡¯s obvious why that is.¡±


    ¡°The rich are the problem? Then do you think getting rid of them will make the world better?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be chaotic for a while, so the thing would have to settle down over a period of time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Han Kyung Il shook his head to what Kang Joon said.


    ¡°The world might get better in five or ten years from now, but do you think the politicians will even think about that while the winners and losers get swapped overnight?¡±


    ¡°The people who conduct that kind of politics are the bad ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reality, my friend. This is the real world.¡±


    It was not easy making an idea into reality.


    Everyone knew what was right and wrong, but no one could speak out about it. That was only possible with more brainwashing than that ofmunism. In the diplomat, Han Kyung Il¡¯s eyes, there was no such thing as justice in the world. Only the powerful had the right to im authority.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped their emotional battle, but Han Kyung Il continued.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of a gathering like this? I don¡¯t want to live in the past anymore. That¡¯s what I came here to say. I hope you guyse to terms to reality and realize what would benefit you more.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°When the situation bes vague, a traitor is bound toe out.¡±


    Korea was no exception to that saying. ¡°The Oath of the Peach Garden¡± which says you shouldn¡¯t forget the past when we were controlled by unjust power, faded as time passed. Ahn Soo Ho looked at every single person and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Anyone who agrees with Kyung Il... can leave now.¡±


    Three people left as if they were waiting to do so. The diplomat, Han Kyung Il, the secretary, Kim Min Shik, and the aide, Jung Sol Ji, left without hesitation. Yoon Chul turned toward Ahn Soo Ho with a stiff face.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Knew what?¡±


    ¡°That they¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°All things change through time.¡±


    Han Kyung Il and Kim Min Shik passed their exams and made it to the big leagues, and Jung Sol Ji made it to be the aid of a congressman. It was natural for perspectives to be changed. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to me them for anything.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    He smiled brightly to Yoon Chul¡¯s sudden question. His friends¡¯ change of heart gave him no inspiration, but there were worse and more ridiculous situations in the Styx.


    ¡°The boundary between life and death.¡±


    His memories of the bodies crossing Lethe only umted over time, and there was only one thing he could do in a world where time stopped.


    ¡°I have my old memories to count on.¡±


    In those memories, he was the king, the ve, the adult, and the murderer. They were all too vivid to call a dream. And within them was one very important secret.


    ¡°The dead weren¡¯t all from Earth.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 21 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [2] > The end.

 Chapter 23: < Protect – Episode 22 – Jang Seol Hyun [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 23: < Protect ¨C Episode 22 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [3] ></h4>


    Her name is Anna Anne.


    She was born in Solemn Kingdom.


    She has never been married.


    She¡¯s...


    ¡°A great, great wizard.¡±


    He was sad as soon as he found out that there was a wizard greater than the great wizard. The memories of Anna Anne that Ahn Soo Ho looked into was full of scenery different than that of earth. What was even more surprising were the me-throwing old people. He then realized that Gandalf¡¯s were actually real.


    ¡°Maybe our imaginations aren¡¯t just delusions.¡±


    Knights, wizards, dragons, and monsters.


    He wondered if stories about heroes were true. Ahn Soo Ho had seen many unbelievable things on the boundary between life and death. It was a ce where all of the memories in the universe gathered. Could it be that the muses that stimte our imaginations and inspirations were just remnants that failed to flow down the Lethe? The ones who pursued art as a profession gaved shape and form to the old memories with their imaginations, but a very important part had been left out.


    ¡°They knew magic was real, but they didn¡¯t know how it materialized.¡±


    Since that part was known as delusion, it all sounded absurd. Anyone could set up their imagination, but no one knew why it was being set up that way. But he was different. He had the memories of a wizard named Anna Anne from the day she was born to the day she died of old age. He remembers the moments when she ate, pooped, dressed, slept, and learned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it for today. It¡¯s probably best if you all thought about your positions. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t criticize you for not joining me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho dispersed today¡¯s meeting. Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji¡¯s change of heart didn¡¯t faze him, but the rest of the guys were really shocked by it. After Kang Joon and Choi Jung Yeon left, the only ones left were Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung.


    Yoon Chul¡¯s face looked stiff.


    ¡°If they changed their minds... they could side with our opponents, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°If they know me, they can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Yoon Chul let out a small exmation. If you knew how Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s persistence and grudges, you wouldn¡¯t make such a choice. Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji were very old friends.


    ¡°They don¡¯t want to suffer a side blow in the fight.¡±


    It was probably very stressful for them to adapt to the organization¡¯s rules. When reality collides with the ideal, one should stick to their beliefs, but that was not easy to do.


    ¡°Family is a huge weakness.¡±


    Was that why? All leaders had crazy family affairs that were hidden behind their great achievements.


    ¡°I respect their choice.¡±


    ¡°But do you think them backing out, means the other side will quietly sit and watch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Since it had already begun, dering neutrality wouldn¡¯t make the other side go, ¡°Oh, really?¡± and forget it never happened. Dering neutrality was useless unless you had the power to protect it, it could be more dangerous than choosing sides.


    ¡°I heard Lee Ji Heon surrendered.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung, who had been listening quietly, threw in a sudden question.


    ¡°Surrendered? No, he¡¯s not the type to give up so easily. He¡¯s probably waiting for the right opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just bring him downpletely?¡±


    ¡°Bringing Lee Ji Heon down won¡¯t bring the rest of them down. It¡¯s better to have Lee Ji Heon so we can use his weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°You could just aggravate the situation though.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho exchanged gazes with Yoon Chul and smirked.


    ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t have the time to worry about me right now.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Yoon Chul answered Kim Soo Jung¡¯s question.


    ¡°We nted a Trojan horse.¡±


    Even if they knew Lee Jin would step forward., nothing could be done. That was because the justification for Korea National Association came from the Korean imperial family, and the descendant, Lee Jin was the center of that imperial family. It was uneptable for anyone to insult a monarch.


    ¡°If three out of eight had a change of heart...¡±


    The other side would easily get into the double digits.


    The next day, Ahn Soo Ho went to Incheon International Airport to go to Okinawa. The travel time was simr to going to Tokyo at just around 2 hours. Okinawa might have been a part of Japan now, but 130 years ago, they were their own country called Ryukyu. It had a different vibe from Osaka and Tokyo.


    Was it the appeal of being in a foreign country?


    ¡°That¡¯s all bullshit.¡±


    The ne seat was set up with a book about Okinawa, as if it wasn¡¯t obvious that they were headed there. Ahn Soo Ho, who flipped through it out of boredom, clicked his tongue. It made it seemed like some kind of fantasy ind, but from what he remembered, there were only three things about Okinawa.


    ¡°Yankee, Yankee, Yankee.¡±


    It started and ended with Yankees.


    There were things to see there, but it was best not to have high expectations. Even though all popr tourist destinations were over exaggerated, Okinawa was much worse. People visit expecting what they saw in professional photos and, they would be disappointed once they arrived because there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between Jejudo and Okinawa.


    ¡°Wee to Okinawa!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung, who had departed one day before Ahn Soo Ho, greeted him at the airport. Until now, she was just a stiff career woman, but today, she was a bubbly woman in her 20s.


    ¡°You must have had a fun day yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I did. I realized a good break is needed in order to be efficient with work.¡±


    Whether it was a bigpany or a smallpany, Koreans tend to have too much work on their hands. Since people who y well work well, enjoying a nice break was a skill that was required in the workce.


    ¡°Would you like to go to the hotel?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m looking forward to being guided around by you, who obviously had a fun time yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung wasn¡¯t taken aback.


    She guided him to a soba noodle ce in Okinawa. The natives of Okinawa loved soba, but they weren¡¯t made of buckwheat, but flour instead. If one would think of Japan, they would be reminded of sushi, udon, and ramen, but Okinawa was heavily influenced by the U.S. troops since World War II, just like China and Southeast Asia.


    ¡°How¡¯s the vibe?¡±


    ¡°A task force has been created under the chairman¡¯s direct control.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question was vague, but Oh Joo Kyung immediately understood.


    ¡°I think the tax investigation is approaching... Will that be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Our country¡¯s National Tax Service isn¡¯t capable of investigating all rich people in their 30s at the same time. It¡¯s probably just a formality.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan is taking care of it himself.¡±


    In order to calm down the candle protest, someone had to be punished, so every rich person in their 30s woulde up with a scapegoat. The victims would probably feel wronged, but they couldn¡¯t insist their innocence since they took a slice of the pie as well.


    ¡°Daesan¡¯s no different.¡±


    They didn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice one person for the good of the group. It was natural for the corrupt to pay the price. However, was that really true? The clever ones didn¡¯t always report the corruption. They weighed how they could use that to their advantage. Since they couldn¡¯t escape, they would be used as a scapegoat to change the case to their advantage.


    ¡°What do you think about the reformation of the rich, Ms. Oh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something I can carelessly talk about.¡±


    Daesan Group was known to be free of a CEO who threw ashtrays and swings baseball bats. But as organizations got bigger, It was unavoidable to have more insane people. The truth was that most of the bad things that happened with the rich were caused by unrted executives or their family. They used another¡¯s authority to hold their head high.


    ¡°It¡¯s also a crime to not control your employees properly.¡±


    It wasmon sense to fire or charge the subordinate at fault, but the rich didn¡¯t do that. They used their influence to do everything they could to bury it. Why? Because those who were corrupted would make their fate and the fate of the group coincide. One could call it a wrong sense of loyalty.


    ¡°The group is a kingdom, and the owner is the king.¡±


    Since the king covers for all his mistakes, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do for the kingdom. Even though it was criticized by the public, their mentalities were still in the Middle Ages despite being in the 21st century. The names might have changed, but kings and ves were still among them.


    ¡°Very few monarchs would kick out a loyalist who devotes himself to the king.¡±


    They would probably deny it, but businessmen who established a sessful family business had a lot of pride. Even Kim Dae San thought he was the one who propped up the Korean economy.


    ¡°That belief is the same as thinking you¡¯re better than everyone else.¡±


    Kim Dae San would deny what he said. They both finished their meals and left the shop. There were tons of events that existed to draw in the tourists in such a tourist attraction.


    ¡°This is... Kokusaidori.¡±


    She stammered as if something came to mind. After the empire copsed, the States managed them, and Okinawa was the center of it all, where most of the U.S. military was situated. Of course, Kokusaidori was rebuilt faster than any other region. Okinawa¡¯s Myeongdong? Or Apgujeong or Cheongdamdong? Whatever you want to call it, it was the most developed area with Omoromachi shopping town.


    Ahn Soo Ho picked an open caf¨¦.


    This was the one thing that set Okinawa apart from the rest of Japan. In Japan, where people detested being a hindrance to others, they couldn¡¯t put tables out on the streets. In contrast to Europe, the open cafes of Japan tend to buy thend for the outside area as well. In this country, unless there was a separate street for open cafes, it wasn¡¯t eptable to do such a thing that would stand out too much.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a beer. What about you, Ms. Oh?¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    Even though they were on a business trip, it was still early and they were still within working hours. So when Oh Joo Kyung confidently picked a beer, Ahn Soo Houghed quietly.


    ¡°You seem to like Okinawa.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a foreign country. I don¡¯t have to worry about what other people think here. Isn¡¯t this why people like business trips?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Heughed at her ambition to screw around. She wanted to know if the beer was ready so Oh Joo Kyung lifted her head to the approaching shadow. It wasn¡¯t a smiling employee, but a furry animal.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    In contrast to Oh Joo Kyung who flinched, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t fazed at all. The furry animal sat down in a chair without asking for permission.


    ¡°Order another beer for me. The biggest size there is.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The furry animal nced at Oh Joo Kyung, who was shocked at what Ahn Soo Ho said, and showed a meaningful smile.


    ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡±


    ¡°Stop the bullshit.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t, introduce me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at the repeated nonsense and stuck out his middle finger.


    ¡°Because of you, the Pacificmand went into full alert, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Deputy Director Eaton shat on Cranky.¡±


    As soon as the CIA deputy director, Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare arrived in Okinawa, he went around digging through the U.S. military base and the Office of Strategic Services.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He expects you to back off at this point.¡±


    ¡°What about Cranky?¡±


    ¡°He was dismissed and sent to a safe house.¡±


    It was iffying from a white man who liked sushi, samurais, and cosy events. He couldn¡¯t trust the leader who put faith in that bastard¡¯s ns. The furry animal noticed that and sighed.


    ¡°This might sound like an excuse, but many veterans retired because of the administration. So the gap between the field and the superior office is big.¡±


    ¡°What happened with Empire?¡±


    He let out another deep sigh.


    ¡°They dispatched Ranger, Delta, and Cill... but the rescue operation failed. And our side had over ny casualties.¡±


    ¡°Delta and Cill got wiped out by a South American gang?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but it¡¯s true.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped the table and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡±


    ¡°In this shitty situation, anything you ask for, really. Why? Do you have an idea?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single external contractor that seeded, and as the difficulty level rose, the rest backed out. Some even suggested announcing it to the public and proceeding in a formal manner but sending a regr army to South America where they hate American¡¯s could lead to what happened in the Middle East.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The furry animal almost let go of his beer out of surprise.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But money isn¡¯t my condition.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho showed an evil smile.


    ¡°Cranky.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    He didn¡¯t intend on killing him.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That quickly?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Whatever you ask for, Soo Ho. One person is a cheap price in return for you. Just promise to keep him intact.¡±


    Hackers would only need a working head and both hands for the keyboard.


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    They both smiled as they clinked sses.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 22 ¨C Jang Seol Hyun [3] > The end.

 Chapter 24: < Protect – Episode 23 – Kim Soo Jung [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 24: < Protect ¨C Episode 23 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t help Daesan Group because of Kim Dae Chan or patriotism.


    ¡°Eaton should have told you already that we¡¯d be meeting soon.¡±


    ¡°I... I think I¡¯ve heard. Please hear me out.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe him, did you?¡±


    Cranky Carl Raider, who was escorted by the U.S. military, looked at Ahn Soo Ho with an awkward smile. There were many jargons referring to Weeaboos who were obsessed with Japanese culture. If Cranky wasn¡¯t caught up with the cyber strategy headquarters for his hacking skills, he would have been a naturalized Japanese by now.


    ¡°Where should we start? Your toes? Or your fingers?¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°Haha. Pl... please calm down. What is it that you want? I can even get you the Wi-Fi password to the White House if you want.¡±


    ¡°I already know that.¡±


    ¡°You know their Wi-Fi password? Haha. Th... then what about the Kremlin?¡±


    ¡°I know theirs too.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Cranky was surprised that Ahn Soo Ho knew everything.


    Some might ask why it was so surprising, but having the key to the White House or the Kremlin was a pretty big deal. It would seem like the cyber world was extensive, but figuring out the patterns humans came up with was pretty simple. Anyone could figure out a consumer¡¯s taste as well as their future purchasing patterns by using big data. What that means was quite surprising.


    ¡°The next steps of humans can be predicted.¡±


    What would happen if the future of mankind could be drawn up with numbers? What if we could prevent certain events and idents before they even happen? Preparing for a cyber war wasn¡¯t the only reason why the Ministry of National Defense was interested in cyber strategy. They predicted that beyond making future wars a button war, they would one day be able to look into people¡¯s minds.


    ¡°The mindreading program. That¡¯s what I want to know.¡±


    Mindreading, but it didn¡¯t refer to finding out a person¡¯s feelings through expression, telepathy, or a sixth sense. There was a new cyber mindreading that existed in the 21st century.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I don¡¯t want the source code. That¡¯d be treason against your own country.¡±


    Cranky who had stopped breathing, let out a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°Whose mind do you want to read?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho handed him a slip of paper.


    ¡°There¡¯s a total of a hundred and forty-five people.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡±


    Cranky saw him grin, to which he sighed again. He had a feeling he would lose both his arms and legs if he said no.


    ¡°If I want to monitor more than a hundred people, I have to report it to the superior officer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was overly chill.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it. But!¡±


    Cranky threw in his own condition while he pretending to surrender.


    ¡°Please make it so that I¡¯m not responsible for any issues that arise.¡±


    ¡°You want to be pardoned? Okay. That¡¯s not hard. What else?¡±


    ¡°I want to stay in Japan.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    He was confused about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s request. Cranky looked sincerely restless.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let them take me back. There¡¯s an animation festival in Tokyo in a few days...¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cracked his knuckles again.


    ¡°You need a beating first.¡±


    This white pig.


    ******


    ¡°You¡¯re an unpredictable man.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung made a sound that sounded like a moan or an exmation. An executive of Daesan Group would be expected to be a businessman, but the guests that came to visit Ahn Soo Ho in Okinawa were all in military uniforms. They were generals with shiny badges on their uniforms at that. Thest person they met for the day was amander of the Pacific Command.


    She didn¡¯t know much about how ranks worked in the military, but she knew more badges meant higher rank. She had never met anyone with more than four stars. If they were any higher than that, wouldn¡¯t they be the Secretary of Defense or the President?


    ¡°I did drop out, but I used to be in the Naval Academy back in the day.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t in the U.S., but in Korea, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh! You knew.¡±


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have a reason to exin.¡±


    That was true. There was no reason to exin to Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Ms. Oh. There are things you¡¯re better off not knowing in life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sad.¡±


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s written all over your face.¡±


    She lost her smile and went back to having a firm expression that seemed to signify sadness. Ahn Soo ho changed the subject.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n for today?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special. Your ne leaves at four o¡¯clock this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°We have five hours. Hm. Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡±


    Traveling around the world and enjoying different foods was the greatest happiness in life. If he ever got married and had a child, he wanted to rmend traveling the world. Most things could be seen through the inte, but food could only be experienced in person. No one could beat the original no matter how hard someone tried.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have Korean food in Okinawa.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not run by Koreans. They took Korean food and put a Japanese twist to it. It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Japan is good at that sort of thing.¡±


    The curry Koreans ate was like food that Japan reinterpreted. Ahn Soo Ho was shocked when he first tried curry in Ennd a few years ago and, was surprised how the curry there tasted so different with what he used to eat. His shocked face looked like Kevin in the movie Home Alone when Kevin was shocked after putting on his dad¡¯s skin lotion. Korea was unable to get rid of all of Japan¡¯s influence even after the liberation. And it was that much clearer once he went abroad.


    It was quitemon to see a foreigner who loves Japan as much as Cranky. It was alsomon for lovers of Japanese culture to hate the neighboring countries like Korea and China. Was it possible to understand how people who knew nothing about Asia could hate Korea and Korean people? Frankly, Japan would win over foreigners with just their sushi.


    ¡°Korea will forever be a second-ss nation as long as they don¡¯t value national branding.¡±


    There were people who didn¡¯t know Korea, but everyone knew the States. They stirred up both positive and negative issues until they became the most powerful country in the world.


    Ahn Soo Ho and Oh Joo Kyung, who were having coffee after lunch, saw a strange sight. Was it a parade? The lion mask looks like something that would havee from China. Okinawa was Japan, but it wasn¡¯t like Japan. It wasmon to see protests against the Japanese government or the U.S. troops. They were full of emotional expression.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    As soon as a gigantic gold boat appeared, flower petals flew everywhere. The theme of the festival was uncertain, but seeing how there were uniforms everywhere, it must be field trip day all over the country. It was almost as if they were watching a school uniform fashion show.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you staring too much?¡¯


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat school uniforms.¡±


    ¡°ng, ng!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung rubbed both wrists together and made a weird sound. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho onlyughed once she put on an awkward expression. Oh Joo Kyung realized that she was tricked once again.


    ¡°Not all men like young women, you know.¡±


    ¡°But most do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    That was the case, especially in Japan.


    They tend to be obsessed with craftsmanship as well as tradition and culture, but in the countryside, there was still a caste system that differentiated the warriors from themon folk. No matter what kind of country Ahn Soo Ho visited, the world was hung up on bad habits and old customs. Was it bad to like younger women? It doesn¡¯t sound like a problem at first. However, there was a clever pun hidden within.


    ¡°Ms. Oh. The world isn¡¯t as civilized as you think.¡±


    Only 20% of the 7 billion people on earth live with modern conveniences.


    ¡°So Korea¡¯s a decent country to live in.¡±


    Compared to Syria, Somalia, and Honduras, Korea was Heaven and evenpared to countries in North America and Europe, Korea was a decent ce to live. Only Koreans call Korea Hell Joseon. As long as they didn¡¯t have capabilities that were superior to the average, Koreans were the happiest on the Korean penins.


    ¡°Of course, there are many irrationalities and problems. But think about it. It¡¯s delusional to think that countries with strong welfare such as Norway or Sweden will ept us as immigrants with big happy smiles.¡±


    Racism was harsher than any of them could imagine.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about whether or not we¡¯re capable enough to immigrate.¡±


    In a capitalistic society, it was true that money could get you everything you want. But even the rich were discriminated because of race. If everyone was rich, you couldn¡¯t deny that the rich white person had an advantage over the rich ck person.


    ¡°If you take a good look at China¡¯s irrational policy, you can see why they insist on it.¡±


    In the internationalmunity, China¡¯s image was closer to thugs than gentlemen.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see how different their approach is when ites to diplomatic issues with the East and the West.¡±


    The countries in the States and Europe thought of diplomacy as an agenda for negotiation, but China assumed a war would follow. For the States, where they stress civil control, appropriate restrictions to rights, and legal responsibility, they saw following proper procedures as a must. So if there was a problem and the proper procedure was followed, they wouldn¡¯t be at fault. In other words, they could propose a shitty n and carry it through, but as long as they followed the procedure, they didn¡¯t have to pay for the consequences.


    ¡°Even if you were subjected to racism if you can¡¯t prove it, it never happened.¡±


    Ethics and thew were twopletely different things. The key was the true intention of China¡¯s leaders, who overissue the out-of-body technique. They knew that they were pushing the limits too, it was just that they didn¡¯t think humanity and justice were important in carrying out of a war.


    ¡°We think China is really pushing it, but they think they¡¯re just fighting to protect their rights.¡±


    ¡°Was their invasion into our country¡¯s territorial waters their right too?¡±


    ¡°They probably think so.¡±


    If the world functioned based onmon sense, there wouldn¡¯t have ever been a war.


    The sudden sound of a bell made the seriousness disappear. Oh Joo Kyung checked the caller and minded Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Answer it. It seems important.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    She answered it, and a heavy voice followed.


    ¡°Vice-President Kim Kang Woon of Daesan Consulting has passed away.¡±


    Kim Kang Woon was the one in charge of South America, whom Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan took by the neck after hearing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s advice. He must have been holding the key to a case. Whoever it was, they must have been pressed for time.


    ¡°Yeah. Now we¡¯re talking.¡±


    The world was far frommon sense.


    ¡°The dead can¡¯t talk.¡±


    The fastest and most definitive method was killing, but if done incorrectly, things could get messy.


    ¡°Did they say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan would like to see you at the head office.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 23 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [1] > The end.

 Chapter 25: < Protect – Episode 24 – Kim Soo Jung [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 25: < Protect ¨C Episode 24 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [2] ></h4>


    Kim Kang Woon¡¯s body had been left alone in Daesan Group¡¯s safety house in Seoul.


    ¡°Report it to the police.¡±


    ¡°But!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who went to the house without Oh Joo Kyung, gathered the men who were protecting the ce.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about exposing it before we know the truth...¡±


    ¡°Are you the police?¡±


    ¡°No, but it could lead to misunderstandings.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue and looked at them pitifully.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡±


    Kim Dae San and these people had a big misunderstanding.


    ¡°What are you going to do after you find out the truth? Are you going to arrest the suspect?¡±


    ¡°If Vice-President Kim Kang Woon was murdered, that¡¯d be proof that someone¡¯s trying tonder our group.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯re not judicial authorities.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho hoped for when he told Kim Dae Chan about the sky was for him to follow standard judicial procedures. However, it all went off the rail. Daesan Group¡¯s illegal retribution involving kidnapping, confinement, and threatening came back in the form of a body. There was a strict order for the scene to be left alone, so the body was left on the couch. It was difficult to find any traces of beating or torture, but nowadays, professionals could make something into murder or suicide.


    ¡°How many people approached after Mr. Kim was confined?¡±


    ¡®Hm. Twenty-two people? Around there.¡±


    ¡°What about the chairman or the vice-chairman?¡±


    ¡°Well...:


    ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    He looked distressed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sharp questioning, but he didn¡¯t throw a fit.


    ¡°Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan visited. But Vice-President Kim Kang Woon was still alive after their first meeting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. You¡¯ll have to testify who approached Mr. Kim.¡±


    ¡°Ev... even the vice chairman?¡±


    He was stuttering as if he was really taken aback.


    ¡°Then did you think you were going to conceal it? You¡¯ve watched too many movies and dramas, everyone.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone with a frown. The man in front of him didn¡¯t seem to have more to say, but he gestured for him to back off. Soon afterward, Kim Dae Chan¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°How did it go, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°The situation is serious.¡±


    ¡°Is it murder?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know without an autopsy. Report it to the police.¡±


    ¡°How much of it?¡±


    ¡°All of it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tell them everything.¡±


    Trying to hide it could have easily led to a headwind. A candlelight protest was taking ce and the government wanted a scapegoat. If a murder scandal breaks out at this point, the situation could take an unexpected turn.


    ¡°We have to avoid any misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, Dae Chan. Maybe this is for the best. We can connect this with the hostage incident from three years ago.¡±


    ¡°The hostage incident?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°We have to drag a Yankee into this.¡±


    The reason why the deputy director of the CIA visited Korea and kicked out Cranky was because he was worried Daesan Group would bring the States down with them. The States never gets involved with doubtful deaths or ufortable situations, but every time they were criticized for sacrificing innocent people for the good of Pax Americana¡¯s honor, there was a limit to how long staying silent would work for.


    ¡°Prepare for a press conference. Also, it¡¯ll be more effective if you or the old man step up yourself.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°We need that kind of impact.¡±


    If the States, who just sat back and enjoyed the show, was brought out onto the stage, it would most likely lead to nothing. That was because the nation¡¯s gains and justice couldn¡¯t bebined into one.


    ¡°Is there a way to avoid reporting it to the police?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, Dae Chan.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered firmly to Kim Dae Chan¡¯s careful voice.


    ¡°I think you and the old man are having a misunderstanding. The group isn¡¯t a kingdom. And even if it was, do you think you can control every one of your subjects? No way.¡±


    Maybe if there wasn¡¯t a candlelight protest going on, but right now, there were too many eyes that were difficult to avoid.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to ept it and let it go.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to go to the police station.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not like you can send the old man. And they¡¯ll like it if you step up and get some attention. It¡¯d be good to show off a little and lead a negotiation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is for my own good... but fine.¡±


    ¡°This press conference has to look grim. Just like a general on a battlefield.¡±


    There was a need to exaggerate the fact a hostage was kidnapped, a spy was nted, and an executive was bribed and threatened for the purpose of preventing Daesan Group¡¯s development. That was because people didn¡¯t know how vicious the fights for rights between famous corporations were. Top-rankingpanies above a certain level had to gain national power rather than improving their quality and service in order to grow.


    ¨C Vice-President Kim Kang Woon of Daesan Consulting found dead!


    ¨C A police investigation has begun! No one knows if it was a murder or suicide!


    ¨C He could have been a whistleblower who sympathized for the reformation of the rich!


    ¨C Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan voluntarily appeared at the police station? Why?


    ¨C Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan holds a press conference in front of the police station!


    The press conference led by Kim Dae Chan, who was the heir and future leader of the Daesan Group and the Korean economy, received a lot of attention, and he was quite shocked as well.


    ¨C The hostage incident 3 years ago was a conspiracy to harm Daesan Group!


    ¨C Was it true or false? The fierce corporation war didn¡¯t leave out murder or kidnapping!


    ¨C Were economical wars really gun-free? No way! Guns had to be involved!


    ¨C There were countless people who went missing without a trace!


    There were countless people who went missing due to corporate litigations and disputes. They eventually exceeded the level of simple conspiracies, so they had to act on a criminal


    organization level. The problem was that there was no evidence, so it couldn¡¯t be proven. Even if there was a 99.9% chance that it was true, without the 0.1% proof, they couldn¡¯t be punished.


    ¡°Is thew just?¡±


    The world from a long time ago was a lot simpler. People thought it was uncivil, but victims had the right to get revenge on the assant. Since a certain time period, personal revenge became prohibited. The question was whether or not thisw was for the good of the people. If a rich person and a poor person fought in court, who would thew side with? Ny-nine percent of the time, the side with the richwyer would win.


    Thew had been optimized for capitalism.


    Thew used the logic behind politics.


    The judicial system was not fair at all.


    ¡°But democracy has been historically fairer than anything.¡±


    ¡°Then is this a probability issue?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the word ¡°universal¡± is so scary. No matter how angry and wronged I feel, I still have to follow the world¡¯s standards. Even if forty-nine people hate it, if fifty-one people like it, there¡¯s no fighting it.¡±


    That was how majority votes and statistics came about.


    ¡°Are you saying majority votes are bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about whether or not we like it. That depends on the person.¡±


    Most people thought democracy brought about freedom and equality, but that wasn¡¯t the truth. Mankind had be vertically integrated. The Kim Dae Chan that Ahn Soo Ho knew wasn¡¯t a good person, but he wasn¡¯t a bad person either. Differentiating good people and bad people was always subjective.


    Kim Dae Chan¡¯s press conference was a new turning point for the candlelight protest. Conspiracy theories spread like wildfire, and as the focus of the powerful nations¡¯ secret deal was pinpointed, the embassies of each nation suffered. Everyone was focused on whether or not Vice-President Kim Kang Woon of Daesan Consulting killed himself or was murdered.


    In contrast to Seoul City Hall and Gwanghwamun Station, which was chaotic due to the political world, Hongdae and Apgujeong Rodeo Street were full of young energy. Even though the news conveyed Korea as a country that flipped upside down, a few kilometers away was still booming. The vibe was so different that it seemed like a whole different country.


    ¡°Ms. Oh, do you think Vice-President Kim Kang Woon was murdered?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the security service thinks.¡±


    ¡°Who do they think did it?¡±


    She opened her eyes wide and answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°The killer?¡±


    ¡°No trace was left behind. How did they kill him?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they used some kind of poison.¡±


    He shook his head with a bitter smile. People were too influenced by movies and dramas. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a poison that would kill a person in one go. It was likemitting suicide using pesticides. There were very few people in this world who were that skilled at killing like in the movies and dramas.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to kill with a knife or gun. But it¡¯s very difficult to kill someone without leaving a trace.¡±


    Themon trait among the professionals was that they declined work that would put them at the center of attention. Not all killers were like Jason Bourne.


    ¡°Do you think it was a suicide?¡±


    ¡°What about disease?¡±


    ¡°A disease?¡±


    ¡°The vice-president wasn¡¯t that young. Even though he wasn¡¯t confined for long, it¡¯s possible that he had a cardiac arrest due to the stress.¡±


    In contrast to whoever wrote the famous saying about suddenly dropping onto the desk and dying, Kim Kang Woon wasn¡¯t that young. Someone suddenly jumped into Ahn Soo Ho and Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°There will be a lot of spection until the autopsyes out.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung sat across from Ahn Soo Ho without asking for permission.


    ¡°Sigh. One 50 of beer, please!¡±


    Some might think she was rude for ordering a beer like that in a Japanese restaurant, but no one cared since she was a regr.


    ¡°This is Oh Joo Kyung, and this is Kim Soo Jung.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kim Soo Jung. Wow. You¡¯ve got game, Soo Ho.¡±


    After shaking hands with Oh Joo Kyung, she showed a meaningful smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even. We¡¯re just working together.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so serious? Are you...¡±


    ¡°Kim Soo Jung.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±


    She tried to loosen up the mood with a joke, but as someone who was pressured by Mrs. Park Ok Nam, a joke didn¡¯t cut it. Kim Soo Jung could have received secret orders from his mom.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to continue working in the culture division, are you?¡±


    ¡°I do want to go back to the newsroom... but why? Do you have a case?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the full story about the hostage incident?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho looked at Kim Soo Jung¡¯s beaming eyes, the CIA headquarters in Virginia faced the bitter reality of the hostage incident, also known as Operation B,ing back up to the surface. Deputy Director Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare of the CIA pushed his hair back.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. This isn¡¯t good at all.¡±


    ¡°Vice-Chairman Kim yed a very strong card.¡±


    ¡°Kim? No. This is someone else¡¯s doing.¡±


    Jeremy looked back at his subordinate who didn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do we have to let him drag us around like this?¡±


    ¡°Who? Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s nothing but a citizen of South Korea.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an honorary citizen of our country too.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Mr. Guardian?¡±


    Jeremy didn¡¯t think it was necessary to answer.


    ¡°Is he warning us not to just sit back and watch?¡±


    Whenever the States started anything, Japan was dispatched to do the work. The rtionship between Korea and Japan had always been bad, but the agents who had one foot in the States¡¯ political world might have wanted Daesan Group to go down.


    ¡°That way, they¡¯ll get some crumbs off the table.¡±


    Whether they seed or fail, the States had nothing to lose. That was until what happened yesterday.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t send them, did we?¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Jeremy wasn¡¯t the only deputy director of the CIA. There were a total of five deputy directors in charge of domestic intelligence, foreign intelligence and operations, support, and more. He was ranked 4th in all of Asia, India, and Oceania.


    ¡°Look into whether he died of murder or a disease.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The States was always ready to ept Ahn Soo Ho as a citizen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we usually get rid of them if we can¡¯t control them?¡±


    Jeremy wanted to apud his spirit. Since 8 years had passed already, it was about time they set things aside. Jeremy changed the subject.


    ¡°Are you aware that our security system changed eight years ago?¡±


    ¡°I know there was a lot of controversies back then, but everyone¡¯s pretty satisfied now.¡±


    ¡°It was a big business that cost forty billion dors. Many were opposed. They asked why we were fixing a protocol that worked just fine.¡±


    Since it was a time when the national defense budget increased and a National Assembly hearing opened as a result, proposing to change the security system obviously caused amotion. But it was surprisingly passed without much difficulty.


    ¡°There were rumors about them lobbying the assembly regarding the DCMA... but that¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to him.¡±


    ¡°Then it was because of Mr. Guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    8 years ago, Ahn Soo Ho participated as an infiltration agent that tested the States¡¯ newest security system. With the goal of presenting the States¡¯ superb counter-terrorism abilities and security technology, they gave a demonstration to honored guests every year. On that day, one infiltration agent saw the White House, the Pentagon, the National Assembly, the CIA, and all military establishments get their security breached.


    ¡°That was kept a secret.¡±


    They had actually made it to thest steps of initiating Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s murder but before they could do it, a threat report made the CIA nervous. The supeputer made a calction regarding the murder, and it said it was almost impossible.


    ¡°The rich called him the guardian angel.¡±


    The ones with a lot of money called Ahn Soo Ho their guardian angel. However, after seeing him incapacitate the States¡¯ security system overnight made the agents a little ufortable.


    ¡°We call him a magician.¡±


    He still hasn¡¯t revealed how he infiltrated the White House. Everyone was possessed as if he really was a wizard.


    No one could kill whoever Ahn Soo Ho was protecting.


    In other words, the ones he goes after would die.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 24 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [2] > The end.

 Chapter 26: < Protect – Episode 25 – Kim Soo Jung [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 26: < Protect ¨C Episode 25 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [3] ></h4>


    If someone would ask what the motive of the hostage incident was, the answer was money. It was nothing more and nothing less. Even though the States¡¯ motive and Central and South America¡¯splicated politics could have been involved, the end objective was money. This was a fact that would never change.


    ¡°The one who spiced it up was General Ashford.¡±


    ¡°General Ashford?¡±


    ¡°We call him Crime Instigator or Crime Suspect Zero.¡±


    Criminal organizations of bigger scales needed more maintenance than a regr corporation. If they acted like gangs and mafias, they were bound to be exposed by the investigation authorities. Criminal techniques had advanced as quickly as time and trends.


    ¡°Hm. He¡¯s like Moriarty, who goes against Holmes.¡±


    ¡°No. General Ashford doesn¡¯t refer to only one person.¡±


    ¡°No? Then?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re like a nning group. In Korea, you¡¯d call them... a club?¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung gasped at what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°Are you saying crimes can be a hobby?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of crazy people with money in this world.¡±


    Collecting luxury goods and focusing on beautiful partners and sex in order to disy wealth could only be done for so long. The ones who had already enjoyed all the luxuries in life were into more stimting interests.


    ¡°They bet on the crimes they¡¯ve nned and got points based on how close they get.¡±


    ¡°Crime Gambling?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s simr. The only difference is that lives are in stake because of it.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastards!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung covered her mouth with both hands. As someone who worked with many brutal cases in the newsroom, she thought she was pretty brave, but she got chills as soon as she heard what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°And the FBI and the CIA don¡¯t know this?¡±


    ¡°The high-ranking officials know.¡±


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you catching any of them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no proof. Above all, since there are many non-Americans, they¡¯re probably careful about not creating a diplomatic issue.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense for an international gangster to worry about what other people think.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung wasn¡¯t an anti-American, but she didn¡¯t like them very much.


    ¡°So they were the ones who nned the hostage incident?¡±


    ¡°Maybe around thirty percent.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s not a lot... and there¡¯s no proof, right?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have it, but our country does.¡±


    She tilted her head to his vague response and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°Korea National Association?¡±


    ¡°There are no borders when ites to strange hobbies.¡±


    The powerful always want to show off what they were capable of, and the Korean society was the perfect testing location since it was numb to overuse of power. Kim Soo Jung shook her head again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about anything else, but our country¡¯s public order is the best. A perfect crime? It¡¯s possible, but maybe not in a country small as Korea. The rumor should have already spread by now.¡±


    If it was not even something minor like tax evasion, but a violent crime like murder or theft, it was a whole different vibe. No matter how reckless a rich person was, they couldn¡¯t do such a thing and conceal it so well.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s hard to n and carry out a high-risk murder. However, the punishment for violence or sexual assault is a lot weaker.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about swapping or group sex?¡±


    Even though prostitution was illegal in Korea, it was like an open secret. The reason why this country¡¯s corruption perceptions index was so high was that illegal dealings had more influence than bribes. There might be people who have never engaged in an affair or prostitution before, but no one had only engaged in it once and once only.


    ¡°Our sexual culture might look conservative on the outside, but everyone does everything you can imagine while judging others.¡±


    ¡°I heard prostitution was made illegal so that it could be used against people as a weakness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡±


    Asmon sex scandals were among political scandals in the States, the personal lives of famous people received a lot of attention from the public. If one would pinpoint the oldest and most loved profession, prostitution was either 1st or 2nd ce. Other professions might disappear in 100 or 1000 years from now, but prostitution would exist as long as reproductive organs exist.


    Ahn Soo Ho passed a folded piece of paper to Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A name and an address. Start there.¡±


    She put the paper in her pocket without a word. Kim Soo Jung, who finished her beer in one chug, patted Ahn Soo Ho on the shoulder, exchanged nces with Oh Joo Kyung, and left. That was all there was to their goodbye. Oh Joo Kyung, who had only been listening to them all this time, showed a strange expression.


    ¡°What a broad-minded person.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a man with breasts.¡±


    He was just asfortable with Kim Soo Jung as he was with Yoon Chul. So he wished their dating situation would work out. He didn¡¯t really care if they broke upter, but if they did, they would have no choice but to avoid each other, which would make Ahn Soo Ho tired.


    Ahn Soo Ho heard his phone ringing, so he pulled it out. Seeing how the number was restricted, it was a secured line. Or was it? When he answered it, he heard Cranky¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°It looks like target C5 is trying to approach A7... but I don¡¯t think the intention is so great.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re nning to attack in two hours.¡±


    That was all for that phone call. Ahn Soo Ho got up and looked back at Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Please go back to thepany building without me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When she saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stiff face, she willingly nodded. She left the Japanese restaurant and got into the driver¡¯s seat in one of the security service¡¯s cars. Even though the new SUV Daesan came out with wasn¡¯t as fuel efficient as Koreans wanted, it was quite popr. As soon as she stepped on the gas pedal, the not-somon V8 engine pushed the vehicle forward with incredible force.


    ¡°Park Sang Goo.¡±


    He used Cranky Carl Raider to monitor the objective of the Korean penins, and it was not just enemies that were on that monitoring list. There was his father, who hadn¡¯t seen for years, as well as Mrs. Park Ok Nam, Lee So Hye, and Lee Jung Hoon. In the index, TA-7 was Do Kyung Ho, and TC-5 was Park Sang Goo.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    When he heard that Park Sang Goo seized Chilsungpa, he knew this day woulde. Kyung Ho might have wanted to believe that he left all of his bad memories behind, but the past had always caught up to them. It would pounce as soon as they put their guard down.


    Ahn Soo Ho, who arrived near Jung Hye Jung¡¯s shop, stopped the car and took out his phone. The reason why he helped them open the shop near Itaewon was that of today. There was no way the police would not worry about a case rted to the U.S. forces.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Henry. I need some help here.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Near the shop, I told you about earlier.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Is seven enough?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Soon after, foreign men in ordinary clothes approached Ahn Soo Ho. Their big muscles looked very coercive. He recognized the ck man at the front.


    ¡°Jimmy?¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    The ck man saluted and then opened his arms for a hug.


    ¡°How long has it been, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°What brings you to Korea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we can turn down orders. The high-ups sent me here.¡±


    His awkward smile told him that he was lying. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a bad liar, Jimmy.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He shook hands with the rest of the group.


    ¡°What are we here to do, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°In just a moment, some people will assault innocent civilians. When that happens, pop out of nowhere and beat them up. But you have to act naturally as if it was a coincidence... Jimmy, you should stay out of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! I can¡¯t stay out of serving justice!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at the determined ck friend with a doubtful gaze.


    ¡°Report it to the military police.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    They were professionals, so they didn¡¯t need detailed instructions. After waiting in their positions for an hour, they saw two cars with tinted windows approaching. The cars cautiously stopped in front of the shop, and six very big men with masks on popped out.


    Crash-


    The sound of ss breaking was apanied by swearing and screaming. The people outside were confused by the suddenmotion. Some of them took out their phones to call the police. The action movie in broad daylight caught everyone¡¯s attention. Do Kyung Ho had to take all the punching and kicking in order to protect Jung Hye Jung.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    It was just 2 minutes. Themotion changed within 2 minutes, and the unidentified assants backed out before it got more crowded. However, a white man and a ck man blocked the entrance.


    ¡°In the name of justice, you mustn¡¯t be forgiven!¡±


    Such an auditory hallucination could almost be heard.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Were these white men crazy? The unidentified assants picked the wrong opponents. Was it possible for a bunch of thugs to leave a scratch on the Special Forces?


    ¡°Ugh! Ugh! Agh!¡±


    If the human body was an instrument then people would be hearing various sounds today. People cheered. Even though the U.S. forces started it, it was clear that the masked men who came to destroy the shop were the bad ones. It became more chaotic once the police and U.S. military policemen showed up with noisy sirens. The police saw the Koreans on the ground and frowned at the guess that the U.S. forces caused amotion again, but once he understood the situation, he sighed out of relief.


    People showed up and started taking pictures of the Korean police and the U.S. military police, which turned Jimmy and the other soldiers into heroes fighting for justice. Ahn Soo Ho, who was watching from across the street, pressed a speed dial number.


    ¡°Soo Ho? You¡¯ve put me in an embarrassing position.¡±


    The person on the phone started the conversation with aint.


    ¡°I heard you agreed to find the guys that got kidnapped in Brazil.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t signed the contract yet.¡±


    ¡°If you agreed verbally, the deal has been made.¡±


    Everyone knew that when Ahn Soo Ho says something, he always follows through.


    ¡°I actually have a favor to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a criminal organization called Chilsungpa that¡¯s roaming around Seoul... Take care of them.¡±


    ¡°Chulsung, what? If they¡¯re in Seoul, they must be a Korean gang.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll send you the materials.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    He watched the police take them in with cold gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see them ever again.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 25 ¨C Kim Soo Jung [3] > The end.

 Chapter 27: < Protect – Episode 26 – Vitali [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 27: < Protect ¨C Episode 26 ¨C Vitali [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have any personal feelings about Park Sang Goo. If he wasn¡¯t so greedy, they wouldn¡¯t have had to interact with each other. Do Kyung Ho, who was taken to the ER, received treatment and testified to a police officer. Park Sang Goo wasn¡¯t the only part of Do Kyung Ho¡¯s past that was catching up with him. That was because he had quite the reputation among the police as well.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t know them at all?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw them for the first time today. Are they a gang?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho asked the police officer questions while heid in bed. The police officer scratched his head with the corner of his notepad.


    ¡°They¡¯re not associated with a particr organization... A half gang maybe? They¡¯re kind of like violent thugs. Think about it carefully. I¡¯m sure someone you know has a grudge against you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been retired for seven years, Officer. I¡¯ve nevermunicated with them, I swear.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know that!¡±


    The police officer was at a loss for words. Do Kyung Ho was famous, but that was because of his entric behavior more than his evil reputation. There were many police officers who actually liked him. The police station that was in charge of the area where Do Kyung Ho set up his shop didn¡¯t have a bad perception of him.


    ¡°Okay. Please get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jung Hye Jung saw the police officer off in Do Kyung Ho¡¯s stead. Thanks to her husband¡¯s protection all she had was a little wound. Jung Hye Jung, who was taking out her phone to ask her parents-inw for help with the kids, was surprised when someone grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°I sent some people to the kindergarten, so all you have to do is confirm.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Soo Ho?¡±


    She was relieved to know that it was Ahn Soo Ho who grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°How did you know we were here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. When the kids get here, follow that person to the hotel.¡±


    A man in sunsses approached from the corner as soon as Ahn Soo Ho made a hand gesture.


    ¡°I have to talk to the guards...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as Jung Hye Jung followed the man in sunsses out, Do Kyung Ho came out of the ER room with a frown on his face. His frown got worse as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in rough shape.¡±


    ¡°They all came at me at once.¡±


    They walked side by side out of the hospital. They had already paid the hospital fees, so they could have just left if they wanted to. They sat down on a bench in a garden that was decorated for the patients¡¯ mental well-being.


    ¡°Is it Park Sang Goo?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho asked in a heavy voice as soon as he sat down.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I should have listened to you... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, do better for Hye Jung and the kids.¡±


    They sat without a word for quite some time. Do Kyung Ho¡¯s frown didn¡¯t go away as if he was still in pain or like he was suffering from anxiety. Was it 10 minutester? Jung Hye Jung approached with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting Yoon Ah and Yoon Ki at the Daesan Hotel. Thank you so much, Soo Ho.¡±


    The expression on the husband¡¯s face as he watched his wife disappear right after that was quite the sight.


    ¡°She¡¯s mad, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have to beg for forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    After Do Kyung Ho let out a virtuousugh, he looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a serious gaze.


    ¡°This won¡¯t stop, will it?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho clenched his teeth. He didn¡¯t care about his pain. The problem was what his beloved wife and children would have to go through.


    ¡°But that was reckless. Even if they used neighborhood thugs, I can¡¯t believe he did that... Has he changed?¡±


    ¡°Everyone changes over time.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled bitterly.


    The times when he shed tears of longing for his mom and the times when he faced unfair judgment were long gone after so much time had passed. Time changed everything. There wasn¡¯t anything that didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry about the shop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He patted his friend on the shoulder and called the man in sunsses with his chin. Ahn Soo Ho stood there until he could no longer see Do Kyung Ho¡¯s broad shoulders.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so unyielding, Joo Kyung.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Director.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung suddenly appeared and stood next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Has something changed?¡±


    ¡°Lee Kyung Joon would like to meet you.¡±


    ¡°That persistent bastard.¡±


    ¡°Should I turn him down?¡±


    ¡°No, book him for a meeting in four days.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He would probably babble on about the military connection. It was the military authorities that caused Korea¡¯s abnormal democratization. Just like how the States was obsessed with civil control, the authority and responsibilities of the militarymand were thoroughly dispersed. However, Korea used North Korea¡¯s threats as an excuse to stiffen the military as if it was sacred ground. They had only ever pretended to be a regime, and never actually reformed the military. The military was highly influenced by connections, almost as much as the legal world.


    ¡°If the public finds out the truth about the Korean military, they¡¯ll be appalled.¡±


    No matter how screwed up the Korean political world might seem, it was noparison to the Korean military. They were an enchanted hall with nomon sense.


    Ahn Soo Ho went to Gimpo Airport. When Emily and Rachel, who were finishing off their trip to Korea, and Lee So Hye saw him waving, they ran into his arms. The jealous gazes of many could be felt as he hugs three pretty youngdies.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Even though they were all skinny, all three of them added up to quite the weight.


    ¡°Wow! You look good in a suit!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going toe back to Korea after I graduate, Soo Ho. Then you won¡¯t be able to avoid me just because I¡¯m young.¡±


    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ming back this winter too!¡±


    It was chaotic to hear a mixture of Korean and English from the three girls. It was an adult woman who settled them down.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    They had already met in Jejudo. In contrast to the kids who got close quickly, Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s guard was still up. The chatter continued in the car leaving Gimpo Airport. Where should we go and what should we eat? The main topic of conversation was food. Seeing how they were still skinny with how much they eat, talking must burn a lot of calories.


    ¡°I want stir-fried Korean sausages in Sinrim-dong!¡±


    ¡°I want pork ribs in Mapo!¡±


    ¡°I want spicy rice cakes in Sinsa-dong!¡±


    Everyone responded to Lee So Hye¡¯s suggestion with a weird expression.


    ¡°Spicy rice cakes in Seoul...?¡±


    ¡°You really are the daughter of a snack shop.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s¡¯ the difference between stir-fried Korean sausages and spicy rice cakes? And we ate a lot of pork in Jejudo already. So we have to eat Sinsa-dong rice cakes while we¡¯re in Seoul!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So I can prove that my mom¡¯s spicy rice cakes are the best in the country!¡±


    One might ask why she had so much pride in her spicy rice cakes as if she was Kim Jeon Il talking about his grandfather, but she had a unique dream of bing the next owner of Eunhye Snacks. She had a very simple dream for someone who got good grades. It was not even a famous restaurant, but amon snack shop. What was more astounding was that it wasn¡¯t a joke.


    ¡°Should we go to Sinsa-dong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Woo!¡±


    Lee So Hye pped with happiness, but Emily and Rachel booed Ahn Soo Ho for taking his family¡¯s side. He was surprised by how she couldmunicate in English without much difficulty. He knew she was somewhat good since she was doing good in school, but he didn¡¯t know she would be this fluent. For someone who had never been abroad, her pronunciation was very simr to those of natives.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    He felt proud for some reason.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go to college, So Hye?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to at first, but I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the tuition.¡±


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t going to go. But I changed my mind.¡±


    So Hye stuck out her tongue and smiled. It means she would go to college as long as she had his financial support. She was not even thinking about it. It seemed as though the clever girl had already nned to mooch off of her brother. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t hate it. He would have scolded her if she was indulged in luxury, but she was very frugal with her money just like her mom.


    He was thankful she grew up well.


    ¡°But Jung Hoon on the other hand...¡±


    Sure, most boys in their early twenties were like that, but he showed off way too much. He wanted to be a celebrity so he could show off to even more people. However, since it seemed like he had some potential, he ns to keep watching over him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get an answer within the next few years.¡±


    In the entertainment world, youth could only be used as a weapon for a set period of time, and it was just a matter of time before another rising star appeared. Having talent was important, but background had a big influence. However, having a good background didn¡¯t mean someone with no talent could seed, so there had to be a good bnce of the two.


    It was uncertain if the merchants worked together or if the public officials thought of it, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s first impression of the Sinsa-dong rice cake town was government control.


    ¡°I have no idea what the characteristics of this street... No, I do.¡±


    White girls in Hanboks walked by speaking Russian, and a sexy ck woman in a one-piece Hanbok made an exmation in French.


    ¡°Spicy rice cakes must be popr in Seoul these days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The kids were surprised too.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know this, but a tour package of Namsan Tower was popr these days. It was funny and sad at the same time that foreign tourists joining or watching candlelight vigils were starting to be a trend. As it wasmonly said, it was like people watching from their point of view, it was surprising that there wasn¡¯t a riot with so many people in one ce.


    It took 30 minutes to get settled in the spicy rice cake shop.


    ¡°Huh? It looks like they¡¯re filming something.¡±


    ¡°I just thought it was crowded because this ce is popr. I guess it was because they were filming something.¡±


    As soon as they went up to the 2nd floor, they saw the spicy rice cake town in a single nce. The shop on the other side of the street had more spectators than customers. The asional screaming were actually sounds of cheering.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho handed the employee fifty-thousand won and asked the question. Even though the tip was a little much, the Korean bought into it.


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re filming a variety show, and the guest is Kang Mi Na.¡±


    ¡°Kang Mi Na? I¡¯ve heard that name before...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know Yesterday¡¯s Mi Na?¡±


    The employee, who was surprised by what Ahn Soo Ho said, carefully asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re Korean, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    He didn¡¯t understand how a Korean didn¡¯t know Kang Mi Na. It seemed as though he was a real Mi Na fan. It was deplorable that such a young guy was a huge fan. He looked as if he would have poisoned his food if he hadn¡¯t received a tip, which made Ahn Soo Ho thought.


    ¡°Should I move shop or not?¡±


    Thankfully, the food arrived before the Mi Na fan disappeared.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    But why does it feel like the cheering was getting closer? The stairs to the 2nd floor got noisy followed by a team with cameras and lights. What were they doing? A celebrity acted cutely and then was fed spicy rice cakes from a couple near the door.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That was when he understood. It was like a mission game. A different celebrity went to different tables, and one arrived at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s table. Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel found it enjoyable, but he just thought it was bothersome.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Seeing Kang Mi Na¡¯s face reminded him of who she was. When he went to Bar Lafargue with Jang Seol Hyun a few days ago, they passed each other. She gave a suspicious gaze then, but today, it seemed as if she was saying she knew who he was.


    ¡°The thing is, I like you.¡±


    Kang Mi Na, who confidently stepped up to pass the mission, would have made any other man die with her cuteness, but not this man.


    ¡°This much, this much, this much, this much.¡±


    This b*tch! Where the hell did her tongue go? As the dance routine and song continued, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face turned so sour that they couldn¡¯t keep filming. If it was for variety, he should have thrown a fuss and treated her like a goddess, but he was the first andst great, great magician.


    ¡°The truth isn¡¯t beautiful.¡±


    The pursuit of truth was always tiring.


    As soon as everyone¡¯s focus turned to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lips...


    ¡°Failed!¡±


    He dered a failure as he stood in the center of the world¡¯s attention.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 26 ¨C Vitali [1] > The end.

 Chapter 28: < Protect – Episode 27 – Vitali [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 28: < Protect ¨C Episode 27 ¨C Vitali [2] ></h4>


    Mi Na¡¯s agencybeled her as the post-Seol Hyun and actively supported her. Many talked about how she failed in Hollywood, but Seol Hyun was still the star in the eyes of the public and advertisers. Whether it was intentional or not, Mi Na did many things because of Seol Hyun. She wore the clothes she wore, used the makeup she used, ate the food she ate, and even filmed simrmercials in order to look like rivals.


    One might wonder how that doesn¡¯t hurt a person¡¯s pride no matter how new they were to the industry, but Mi Na was a huge fan of Seol Hyun. She always called herself a fan that seeded, so there were female fans of Seol Hyun who also supported Mi Na. In the hypocritical entertainment world, her words and deeds as a pure fan rather than a jealous rival were very unique.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    When Kang Mi Na saw him with Jang Seol Hyun at Bar Lafargue, she was reminded of a picture. Kang Mi Na, who collected all of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s interviews, and articles, saw Ahn Soo Ho passing by. At first, she thought he was an American security guard. However, they were still meeting after leaving Hollywood.


    ¡°It¡¯s no ordinary rtionship.¡±


    She believes that a man and a woman could be friends, but the Jang Seol Hyun she saw that day looked like she was in love. When Kang Mi Na ran into Soo Ho at the spicy rice cake shop, she wanted to tease him a little bit. That was why she begged the producer to act cute in front of him, which was not necessary for her to do.


    ¡°All men are the same.¡±


    They had a weakness for girls acting cute. However, that wasn¡¯t the case this time.


    ¡°Failed!¡±


    Time stopped. The cheering, the sketching, and the instructions all stopped, and all that could be heard was the sound of spicy rice cakes cooking.


    ¡°Cu... cut!¡±


    How shocking was it that the youngest PD shouted ¡°Cut!¡± The producer talked to the main writer and then shook his head.


    ¡°Damn it! We can¡¯t use this!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just edit it in a favorable way?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to fix this? Not even the god of variety can fix this. And Manager Yoon¡¯s expression...¡±


    Thest words the producer said was almost a whisper. The main writer nced at Mi Na¡¯s manager but quickly turned away. He looked like he was saying he would kill him if they released anything that would degrade Mi Na. Ahn Soo Ho, who started this whole thing, shamelessly chewed his spicy rice cakes.


    ¡°Why did you do that, Soo Ho?¡±


    People¡¯s gazes made Lee So Hye feel like she was sitting on a cushion of thorns. She quietly asked her brother why he had to bring down Kang Mi Na like that. Ahn Soo Ho, who was cracking an egg with his spoon, smirked.


    ¡°That little girl was provoking me.¡±


    ¡°Provoking?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to know.¡±


    Kang Mi Na was obviously a fan of Seol Hyun. Why does she have so many fans? The future of Korea was bleak.


    ¡°Look here.¡±


    General Manager Yoon Ki Woo of JT Entertainment, which Yesterday was with, approached Ahn Soo Ho with a stiff face.


    ¡°Did you have to tell her off when she was obviously being filmed? Do you hate our Mi Na or something?¡±


    Bad emotions got in the way of his talking. He looked like he would have punched him if the cameras weren¡¯t around. As usual, it was Oh Joo Kyung who resolved the situation. When a woman who was as beautiful as a celebrity gathered everyone, no one could say a word.


    Ahn Soo Ho saw that and clicked his tongue.


    The power of beauty was as strong as capital power. Whether someone was a man or a woman, beauty was a powerful weapon, and if used correctly, it would make life a lot easier. As a woman with aspirations, Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t hesitate to use her weapon. She handed over her business card with a smile on her face to the one in charge.


    ¡°I¡¯m Deputy Oh Joo Kyung of Daesan Group¡¯s secretary¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Daesan Group?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The broadcasting producer thought of using petty tricks after realizing that she was an elite. That was when he realized that Ahn Soo Ho was wearing a high-end suit made by an Italian craftsman.


    ¡°Then is he...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a director at the head office.¡±


    If a person was an executive at the head office, that person was already equal to the CEO. If a man that young was an executive, he could be blood-rted. The producer in charge was surprised while Yoon Ki Woo turned pale.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The one he bullied was an executive at Daesan Group¡¯s head office. JT Entertainment wasn¡¯t a smallpany, but they were noparison to Daesan Group¡¯s worst-performing branch. Above all, a few of JT Entertainment¡¯s celebrities had advertising contracts with Daesan. Oh Joo Kyung attempted tofort Mi Na¡¯s manager, who went pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Director doesn¡¯t get work and personal life confused.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I must apologize...¡±


    He shook his head to his sudden change of behavior.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    Meanwhile, the writers gathered and talked about how it would be quite a sight if the dark man was excluded from the picture.


    ¡°All four of them are beautiful. I feel like this would make for a great picture. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... but will they allow it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    They smelled a very masculine scent from Ahn Soo Ho, who failed Kang Mi Na in one go. It was a scent that reminds them of a tough guy that one could only see in Western movies. Was he not into a beauty like Kang Mi Na because he was an executive of Daesan Group? Kang Mi Na, who was the cause of all of this, was beingforted by the cast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Mi Na.¡±


    ¡°Did she do that to draw attention to herself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Look. His level is... Oh, sorry.¡±


    Chae Rin hit Andy on his side for babbling on in an insensitive manner.


    ¡°But why are we still here? She failed the mission.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The producers probably have some kind of idea.¡±


    Meanwhile, Andy, a cast member that was gone for a while came back and gave them a thumbs up.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That Fail Man... Sorry, Mi Na. Anyway, that man is an executive of Daesan Group.¡±


    He pointed at Ahn Soo Ho, who already earned the nickname of Fail Man.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡±


    There was poison found inside thete Vice-President Kim Kang Woon¡¯s body, but whether it was a suicide or murder was uncertain. However, the fact that a high-ranking executive was bribed to be a spy and was threatened made the conspiracy regarding the hostage incident spread more and more, it made more people to encourage Daesan. It seemed as if Daesan Group was fighting for the Korean economy against foreign capital.


    Moreover, more and more people started to wonder if the candlelight protest was a plot with an impure intent, drawn up by someone in power. The people who were demanding economic justice and a reformation of the rich couldn¡¯t let the public opinion to move toward an unfavorable direction. In a way, the candlelight protest started to be more violent and aggressive.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I might get indigestion.¡±


    In contrast to Lee So Hye, who cared about what people thought, Emily and Rachel enjoyed the attention. In the States and Australia, parents focused on raising their children¡¯s confidence. To them, modesty wasn¡¯t a virtue. They weren¡¯t embarrassed to show off their bodies, money, cars, or whatever surpassed the average standard. Since they already paid, there was no need to waste time in front of the entrance. Oh Joo Kyung who cameter didn¡¯te alone. Yoon Ki Woo looked pitiful as if he was ready to kneel and ask for forgiveness, to which Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be like that. People will think I¡¯m bullying you.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have no ill feelings toward you, so you don¡¯t have to waste your energy. Did you exin thoroughly, Ms. Oh?¡±


    As soon as the me was pointed toward Oh Joo Kyung, she awkwardly smiled and shrugged. That made Yoon Ki Woo surprised once more. The interaction between a deputy and an executive didn¡¯t seem awkward at all. This was a difficult sight to see in Korea, where rank was very strict and important.


    ¡°Is it because he¡¯s young?¡±


    Then that would be a relief. Even though he was just a general manager at an entertainment agency, he graduated from a reputable university in the States.


    ¡°Was it Mi Na? Please tell her I said sorry for ruining the show.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! Not at all!¡±


    ¡°But honestly... I really didn¡¯t like the way she talked.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Yoon Ki Woo justughed.


    Seeing how Kang Mi Na¡¯s cute act didn¡¯t get through to him, he was probably not easy to please. Most people get overexcited when they go on television. Most celebrities were attention-seeking and self-absorbed. That was why they wanted to be treated in a special way.


    ¡°Good luck with the show.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Yoon Ki Woo saw them off as they left the spicy rice cake street and walked to digest their food. Namsan Tower might look like it was close, but it was not. In the middle of walking toward Namsan Tower from Sinsa-dong, they were stopped by Jangchung-dong¡¯s pigs¡¯ feet street. The three girls start salivating.


    ¡°Glutton!¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho looked at the girls who were staring at the pigs¡¯ feet, he was reminded of Marshmallow Man¡¯s partner, Glutton. Where does all the food go in such small bodies? After eating pigs¡¯ feet in Jangchung-dong, they ate kimbap in Chungmuro, went window shopping in Myeongdong, passed Namdaemun Market, and then entered the food street in Bukchang-dong.


    It was an excessive eating adventure.


    The taste was important too, but what the girls wanted wasrge amounts. Oh Joo Kyung tried her best to walk in heels, but he bought her running shoes at Namdaemun Market. He couldn¡¯t stand the sight of her pain.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    A rally was taking ce today as well. After reaching the 1 million mark, it seemed to decrease over time, but it seemed like there were more than 500,000 people today. Emily and Rachel were so fascinated that they started taking selfies. There were many Korean reporters, but there were quite a few foreigners with mics as well.


    Oh Joo Kyung was following the three girls around and Ahn Soo Ho was apanying at a distance, when someone showed up beside him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The shape of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mouth changed after hearing a random voice out of nowhere.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sick of the freemasons? Rumors about Bratva being involved would be much more believable.¡±


    ¡°If you want to make the public take the controversy seriously, you have to use a familiar group that rings a bell.¡±


    The Russian ambassador, Vitali Andropov used to be a KGB agent, and currently one of the most powerful in Moscow. He was originally nominated for Russian ambassador, but he volunteered to be appointed as the Korean ambassador.


    ¡°Chilsungpa will be dealt with soon, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I owe you.¡±


    It might seem weird that a Russian was controlling the fate of a Korean gang, but the red mafia had been rooted in the Korean penins for quite some time.


    ¡°You could have taken care of it yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see any blood in my homnd.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Your homnd should be forfort and rest.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Moscow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s noisy as always. You¡¯re expected to visit soon.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The president is nning a visit to Europe and Africa.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll visit once I wrap up the matters with Brazil.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. That¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±


    Vitali shed a sincere smile and exchanged a hug. The guard, who was highly alert in such a crowded ce, sighed out of relief once Vitali got into the car.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to ces on an impulse, Ambassador.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡±


    As soon as the car departed, Vitali gotfortable in his seat. He was just as nervous as his guard. The aide, who was holding the car phone, carefully opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s Moscow, Ambassador.¡±


    ¡°Hand it over.¡±


    Vitali took the phone and smiled in a meaningful manner.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to make their move within the next few days. Yes, yes. Not even the Amazon jungle can stop them.¡±


    There were ranks within the embassy, and the ambassador of the United States was in the front lines. However, he picked the Korean embassy. That was because it had to be of service to only one important person. The Yankees call him a wizard, but the one Vitali knew wasn¡¯t putting on a fancy performance.


    ¡°The traitor will be eliminated soon.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 27 ¨C Vitali [2] > The end.

 Chapter 29: < Protect – Episode 28 – Vitali [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 29: < Protect ¨C Episode 28 ¨C Vitali [3] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho, who returned to Daesan Hotel before midnight, put the three girls in a suite room and talked to Do Kyung Ho privately. They were supposed to meet tomorrow, but he couldn¡¯t wait. He didn¡¯t realize this earlier, but the bruise had darkened on his face, which reminded him of that animal that inhabits China.


    ¡°Panda?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care if he got mad, and went through his minibar fridge.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°A canned beer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten weak, my friend.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who handed his friend a beer, drank whisky out of the bottle.


    ¡°What about Hye Jung and the kids?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Did you beg for forgiveness?¡±


    It was evident that he failed from Do Kyung Ho¡¯s bitter smile.


    ¡°Just bow down to her for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    They clunked their drinks and drank without a word. The view outside the window wasn¡¯t so bad. The busy employees of the big city had no time to look up at the sky. The city life was a lot more convenient, but modern conveniences didn¡¯t guarantee happiness.


    ¡°Modern conveniences don¡¯t guarantee happiness.¡±


    Happiness was all about a person¡¯s view.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Park Sang Goo. He¡¯ll be taken care of soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Stay at the hotel for a few days.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho stared at his friend without a word.


    Someone had to disappear for it to end. There must be people who cherish and love Park Sang Goo, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care about that. It might sound selfish, but in order to prevent future trouble, he must eliminate all the people he had grudge against. Do Kyung Ho, who chugged his beer, might have been either drunk or excited because he opened his mouth again with a red face.


    ¡°I... I thought that as long as I lived honorably, other people would eventually acknowledge me.¡±


    Even when he was harmed while trying to liquidate his past and became a new person, he still continued to work hard.


    ¡°But as time goes on, people treat me even worse. And I was okay with that since I thought it was a debt I had to pay.¡±


    He thought it was the price he had to pay for making other people shed tears of blood. However, as time went on, he became scared. He felt suffocated at the thought that his wife and children could get hurt because of him.


    ¡°How nice would it be if we could change the past? If I could, I¡¯d go back to the day you talked me out of it. You were always right, Soo Ho. You always were.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho¡¯sst words sounded like groaning. His condition wasn¡¯t normal. Ahn Soo Ho, who took his drunken friend on to the bed, took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°You were right, Soo Ho. It¡¯s not just the States that¡¯s behind Japan. Russia pretended to hold hands with China, but they actually had a connection with the States too. Moscow has thirty percent of Red Sea Trade Company¡¯s shares. This isn¡¯t something a middle manager can do. It must have been at least a director.¡±


    ¡°Look into the Russian ambassador.¡±


    ¡°Vitali?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your friend?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only friends when we need each other, so it¡¯s just business.¡±


    The next morning, Ahn Soo Ho shared a meal with Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Have you heard? There was a gathering with Korea National Association and rich people in their 30s yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday? It¡¯s not something that can be settled overnight... They must have different views.¡±


    ¡°The retion policy the government proposed was ridiculous. They shifted the me on a national project that needs thirty trillion won. I don¡¯t know if you can call itpensation, but they offered to pretend like the investigations and the National Assembly hearing never happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put the sandwich down from his hands.


    ¡°What did we offer?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to use thepany reserve to invest in the country. They¡¯ll probably say they cooperated with the government policy for job creation.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who wiped his mouth with a napkin, put both of his hands over his mouth. If he hadn¡¯t, he would have said something harsh. All they did was waste time talking about useless topics in a setting that was difficult to arrange. Even if the first negotiation was for testing the waters, they should have decided on a guideline that was understandable.


    ¡°When¡¯s the next negotiation?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Should I participate?¡±


    ¡°My father would hate that.¡±


    ¡°He probably wants you to lead it... but if the tile-roofed house actively gets involved, the situation will get crazy. They probably have a connection with Daesan. What did they say?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the president has braced himself for the worst.¡±


    ¡°Is the president and Lee Ji Heon in different cliques?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s still the beginning of the term, so the president¡¯s power is really strong.¡±


    Among elected officials, it wasmon for them to peak in power in the beginning of their term but as they approach the end of their term, they were faced with a power vacuum. That was where the term, me duck¡± came from.


    ¡°What¡¯s the president¡¯s name again?¡±


    ¡°Lee Joong Hyun. How do you not even know our president¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! What¡¯s the point in voting? The country won¡¯t change as long as the young aren¡¯t interested in politics.¡±


    ¡°Which part should I beughing at?¡±


    In democratic societies, votes among the youth in their 20s and 30s were very low. Compared to the older generations, the younger generations didn¡¯t care if there was an approval rating or not. A person having an interest in politics, discussing it, and going out to vote was voting action at its highest level.


    However, they talked about and differentiate conservatives and progressives in such a trivial manner, and when someone uninterested in politics ran for office, they acted like the whole world was going to end. The progressive changes that the press and inte talked about were more like delusions. That was because no one knew what was going to happen until the voting results came out.


    The predictions of election professionals werepletely useless. The majority of the younger generations were progressive. It was true. However, the younger generation might have awakened and changed after opposing the older generation, but making their actions into reality was a whole different story.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some interesting things in the secretary¡¯s office, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What did you hear?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting along well with Deputy Oh, huh?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a good woman. Oh! I¡¯m talking about her as a secretary. Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s actually a very talented woman. I¡¯m not just saying that because she works for me. I¡¯m cheering you guys on.¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s already making me feel anxious. Why do you have to be like this?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan smiled brightly to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sining. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t an appropriate prospective bride in the Kim family to introduce to him. Kim Dae San had always been sad about that, but even though Oh Joo Kyung wasn¡¯t a Kim, she wasn¡¯tpletely unrted to the family either.


    ¡°Are you really not going to get married?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe if I find the one... but that¡¯d just be an inconvenience.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s life was that it wouldn¡¯t be weird even if he died somewhere. It wasn¡¯t respectful to pursue love with such a risk.


    ¡°What happened with the entertainment agency? I thought I heard it wrong.¡±


    ¡°My little brother wants to be a celebrity. So I¡¯m buying a fewpanies here and there.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°Does it sound weird?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. What¡¯s the real reason?¡±


    A cup of tea was the perfect way to end a meal.


    As soon as Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan visited the hotel, the entire staff looked nervous. They knew the kind treatment and bowing makes the rich feel ufortable. The rich may have a lot of money, but they were people too. The rich couldn¡¯t avoid a bullet or be invincible to a stabbing.


    Ahn Soo Ho put down his ss and sighed.


    ¡°Do you know why I wanted to be on sabbatical?¡±


    ¡°Hm. It wasn¡¯t just so you could take a break, was it?¡±


    ¡°The people who know me outside of this country think it¡¯s weird but feel relieved that I insist Korea as my country.¡±


    There were many countries who wanted Ahn Soo Ho. The States, Ennd, France, Russia, and even China and Japan wanted him.


    ¡°But one thing¡¯s for sure. It¡¯s not out of patriotism.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I had a feeling.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Korean nationality had nothing to do with patriotism.


    ¡°Do you know the reason?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s vague?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Close.¡±


    He mainly works as an arbitrator. If the States and Russia got into a war, it wouldn¡¯t matter too much if the ones involved came to a settlement, but if not, the problem would get serious. In cases like those, what they needed was a trusted arbitrator on each side.


    ¡°My homnd isn¡¯t a strong country, but it¡¯s not a weak country either.¡±


    No matter the circumstances, Korea was an indecisive country that was not this or that. It was a pitiful country that got pushed around between the States, China, Russia, and Japan. However, it was not always good to be a citizen of a powerful country.


    ¡°Among the kidnappings that happenedst year, sixty percent of them were American.¡±


    That means six out of ten kidnapped turn out to be American.


    ¡°And then it was France, Ennd, and Japan. What does that tell you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a connection between economic power and kidnapping?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Then national power and kidnapping is rted?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan raised both hands as if he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°If you just look who is getting kidnapped, China and India are in first and second ce. But countries who don¡¯t pay to retrieve those bodies don¡¯t know who¡¯ve been kidnapped. Why? Because kidnappers don¡¯t ask China or India for money. The bodies just went missing.¡±


    The kidnappers knew that there was a slim chance of getting paid by China and India for a kidnapped body. So the victims¡¯ families had toe to a settlement since the country didn¡¯t do anything about it.


    ¡°Where do you think our country stands?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan didn¡¯t answer and waited for him to continue.


    ¡°Case-by-case.¡±


    ¡°Case-by-case?¡±


    ¡°It differs case by case.¡±


    Whenever a Korean got into an ident or went missing in a foreign country, the Korean government didn¡¯t apply any diplomatic pressure. Of course, there were times when they got actively involved, but they usually just gave it to the investigation authorities and watched. Even though they were recognized as the courteous country of the East, on an international stage where a fierce war was taking ce, no one cares to acknowledge a courteous country. Frankly, Korea was ranked even lower than North Korea.


    ¡°They also knew that Korea could not provide me with any kind of help. But imagine if I allied either with States, Russia, or France. What would happen then?¡±


    ¡°There would be a disturbance. So you¡¯re trying to take overpanies in order to prove that you have no interest in leaving Korea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in the country, and the Korean government couldn¡¯t make use of him.


    ¡°As long as the Korean penins stays in the gray zone, they¡¯ll let their guard down with me.¡±


    That was the driving force behind all his rtionships with Yankees, Muslims, and brown bear friends. He must have Korean businesses in someone else¡¯s name, in order for him to be acknowledged. No matter how much he goes around telling people he was not going to change his nationality, people wouldn¡¯t believe it. But he couldn¡¯t manage an industrialpany either.


    ¡°I already set up a bar... Businesses regarding people are the easiest.¡±


    ¡°Just stay with the group. Do you know how hard the old man is trying to get you to stay?¡±


    ¡°Is he senile? Tell him I¡¯m going to resign as soon as my contract ends.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    How many people in the world would be able to treat Kim Dae Chan like a senile old man? Kim Dae Chan realized his time was up after he exchanged gazes with the chief secretary. It was time to go back to his busy schedule. Before he got up, he called another secretary.


    ¡°This is my gift to you, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan left after that. Lee Joo Hwan didn¡¯t like that the vice-chairman said something that could easily be misunderstood.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand, Director. He didn¡¯t mean I was the gift.¡±


    ¡°Right? I almost misunderstood.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smoothed his chest and almost kicked the pretty boy with his foot.


    ¡°Does thispany only hire people with good-looking faces and bodies?¡±


    He concealed his grumbling with a smile and offered Lee Joo Hwan a seat.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the gift?¡±


    ¡°Here it is.¡±


    The document Lee Joo Hwan brought out had a lot of legal jargon in it, but this was the gist of the message.


    ¡®I¡¯ll buy both FNB Entertainment and Shinhwa Entertainment for you.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho stuck both of his thumbs out.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s my rich man! Oh yeah!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 28 ¨C Vitali [3] > The end.

 Chapter 30: < Protect – Episode 29 – Do Min Ho [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 30: < Protect ¨C Episode 29 ¨C Do Min Ho [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho decided not to get involved in Kim Dae Chan¡¯s negotiation.


    ¡°Since the old man will hate it, there¡¯s no point in going through all that trouble.¡±


    From a broad perspective, when yielding was necessary for a negotiation, it was always the one with less authority who did. Ahn Soo Ho was having a private conversation with CEO Kim Yoo Seon. Shinhwa Entertainment had beenpletely bought, and the negotiation with FNB Entertainment had started, so all that was left for them to do was surrender. Since he was going to add a premium too, they shouldn¡¯t be sad about it.


    ¡°No, they have plenty of reason to be pissed.¡±


    They felt insulted and anxious that an external person was going to buy their perfectly goodpany.


    ¡°How are you going to manage it?¡±


    ¡°Even though I¡¯ll be the CEO, I¡¯ll get someone else to do the management. Why? Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always willing.¡±


    ¡°Then please take care of that with Kim Woo Jung.¡±


    ¡°Kim Woo Jung? Oh, Team Leader Kim? He¡¯s... not bad either.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager, Kim Woo Jung was very famous for his skills in the harsh entertainment business, but most people thought of him as a psycho. Kim Yoo Seon was showing an awkward smile. It hurt his pride to think about discussing management matters with a team leader, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words would be thepany¡¯s rules and orders soon.


    Kim Yoo Seon, who got all the profits from selling premium stocks, didn¡¯t want to lose this opportunity. He was ready to lick the foot of even a newbie to the entertainment industry. The reason why rich people didn¡¯t invest everything in the entertainment market wasn¡¯t because of uncertain profits, but because of the image.


    Shinra Group got rid of that stereotype.


    But Shinra Group didn¡¯t manage the entertainment agency themselves. They first invested in subcontractors rted to management and borately expanded their business over time. They invested in cable broadcasting, radio, movie theatres, festivals, concerts, music streaming services, drama productionpanies, and film academies, and before they knew it, Shinra group was in full control of Korea¡¯s entertainment industry.


    Kim Yoo Seon thought Ahn Soo Ho was an advanced guard who was employed to suppress Shinra Group¡¯s ambitions. Everyone knew that Shinra and Daesan were on bad terms.


    ¡°Is it going well with Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡±


    ¡°Please work hard on him. I¡¯m worried because he¡¯s still too clueless about the world.¡±


    ¡°Team Leader Lee will take good care of him. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He might think his request was a joke. After that, they had a briefing session about the business¡¯ current state of affairs and vision, which he hadn¡¯t even asked for.


    ¡°Typical businessman.¡±


    A good way of putting it would be that he had a good spirit, and a bad way of putting it would be that he was a thorough opportunist. He had no attachment to the business, nor was he interested in people who were managing it, philosophy, welfare, support, or social activities. One couldn¡¯t judge if Kim Yoo Seon was a good person or a bad person. He had a rational point of view that allowed him to see his celebrities as justmodities.


    ¡°He¡¯s theplete opposite of Kim Woo Jung.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager, Kim Woo Jung treated every employee like family. It was hard to judge whether Kim Yoo Seon or Kim Yoo Jung was better. That was because FNB and Shinhwa hadpletely different standards and ns for their stars.


    ¡°They¡¯re two extremes.¡±


    In contrast to long-term careers like acting and singing, idols were very short-lived. So there was the pressure of always needing toe up with new groups. Shinhwa Entertainment were always casting models who had looks, and they did everything they could to raise their profits.


    They didn¡¯t have a top Korean star like Seol Hyun, but they still had many solid stars. That was how they were able to build apany building in Gangnam. Whether an entertainment agency was doing well or not was evident by whether or not they had a building in Gangnam or not. Shinhwa Entertainment was able to build a 5-story building in Apgujeong while FNB had been an influentialpany in Cheongdamdong for over ten years.


    Ahn Soo Ho, who finished his matters in Apgujeong, headed to Cheongdamdong. FNB Entertainment had an 8-story building and another 5-story annex. In terms of scale, it was 3 times bigger than Shinhwa Entertainment. He didn¡¯t know how to take over and mergepanies in Korea, but he wasn¡¯t interested in finding out either.


    ¡°I can just ask professionals to take care of that.¡±


    Besides, Vice-Chairman Kim Dae Chan was making it so that Daesan Group¡¯s legal team was going above and beyond to follow Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Park Ok Nam and Lee Hyo Geun are now legally strangers.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    How they dealt with Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s bastard son was a mystery, but the consensual marriage had finally taken ce. A bigger charge could have made things moreplicated, but Daesan was the absolute best. While he listened to Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s exnation, the head of FNB appeared.


    Ahn Soo Ho was reminded of when they passed each other back when he went to Hollywood to cheer Jang Seol Hyun on.


    ¡°Long time no see, CEO Shim.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the CEO... I¡¯m going to be unemployed soon. Mr. Ahn...oh, should I call you Director Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re morefortable with.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon talked with a smile, but there were thorns in his words.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s first impression of him was a yellow-spotted serpent, simr to CEO Kim Yoo Seon. Well, only people like that could survive in the entertainment industry. And as they climbed higher to the top, it was more beneficial to not reveal what they were really thinking inside. It was noparison to Daesan Group, but FNS was very high up in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re both busy, let¡¯s get straight to the point. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to merge us with Shinhwa Entertainment after you take over. I want in.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon decided not to fight Daesan Group. He could have used her connections to fight back, but they didn¡¯t stand a chance anyway.


    ¡°You want in?¡±


    ¡°I want to participate in the equity.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I¡¯m going to delist it as soon as I get all the shares.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Shim Il Kwon was stunned. What did he just hear? The reason why FNB and Shinhwa did so well was because they floated theirpanies in the stock market. Of course, once Ahn Soo Ho bought all of it, it was up to him whether or not he delists it or uses it as toilet paper, but it was difficult to understand why he would do such a crazy thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know what the rich are really thinking.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon thought he was hiding it, but Ahn Soo Ho could clearly see what he was thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not rich.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡®Am I supposed to believe that?¡¯ That was what Shim Il Kwon¡¯s eyes were saying.


    A bell rang. Since he received business calls through Oh Joo Kyung, it had to be a personal call. Ahn Soo Ho, who took out his phone and checked the caller, looked puzzled as he excused himself to answer the call. Yoon Chul¡¯s unhappy voice could be heard.


    ¡°What nonsense did you say to our Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Our Soo Jung? You¡¯re just going to preserve her with salt, huh?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense! What did you say to make her dig dirt on people in power?¡±


    The fact that Kim Soo Jung was digging dirt on powerful people which Yoon Chul was surprised about means she was going in the right direction.


    ¡°Do you remember the serial rape and murder incident in Namsan-dong?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yoon Chun groaned to what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    Namsan-dong Serial Murder Incident


    The arrest rate of Korea¡¯s crimes was at 90%, and that was an rming number. However, the police tried to stay quiet about many cases, and when it came to dreadful crimes, the arrest rate really depended on the area. When the Namsan-dong serial murder incident was happening, Yoon Chul worked in the investigation headquarters.


    He kidnapped, confined, and killed 9 women over the course of three months, which received a lot of attention in the media, and the public rebuked over the fact that the police couldn¡¯t catch him. There were police officers who couldn¡¯t handle the stress and pressure and killed themselves, as well as those who resigned from their posts.


    ¡°Some incidents are nned out for one huge objective.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying not everything is as it seems.¡±


    Yoon Chul wasn¡¯t very surprised.


    During military dictatorship, the police and prosecution frequently fabricated and concealed incidents. The issues that were nned ording to what the ones in power wanted blind the public¡¯s eye and prevent them from knowing what was right or wrong. It was verymon to carry out political maneuvering, targeted investigations, nt traps, and made up evidence that fits the rest.


    ¡°Do you think Korea National Association dominated this country overnight? With the little money they have? No way. They have a secret that must never be revealed. And they¡¯d probably even kill to keep that secret hidden.¡±


    That was why Korea¡¯s democracy had no choice but to be abnormal.


    ¡°On the outside, Korea is very democratized. But if you look closely, you see a lot of rotten areas.¡±


    That was because the mistakes that were made in the past weren¡¯t properly judged and dealt with in a careless manner. The bad guys were still living great lives as they always had.


    ¡°It¡¯s be easier to divert the public¡¯s attention by using celebrities and entertainment through the inte and media. Then what method do you think they used back in the day?¡±


    ¡°Crimes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The considerate number of violent crimes that made the public shocked was nned out from the very beginning.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just our country. It¡¯s not umon for the crime rather than the profit to be the end objective.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous idea.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    If one went a little further out from crimes, it would be terror.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a blessing that globalization and the inte developed so much. Now, anyone can hide a truth within a lie.¡±


    ¡°Did you ask Soo Jung to do that knowing it¡¯d be dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t¡¯ get hurt.¡±


    Since Cranky was monitoring Kim Soo Jung, anyone who tries tomit a crime against her would be detected. Yoon Chul didn¡¯t like it, but he didn¡¯t argue anymore.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s an inside story like you said.¡±


    Yoon Chul dug up dirt on Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji. No matter how split the group was, it was not favorable to dug up dirt on friends. But the circumstantial evidence they found surprised them.


    ¡°All three of them are involved in something weird.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it yet. That¡¯s just how it seems. The way I see it...it wasn¡¯t Lee Kyung Joon or Lee Ji Heon¡¯s doing. If it was them, I wouldn¡¯t have found something so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Keep digging. I¡¯ll do some digging too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho folded his hands.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t aiming for me.¡±


    If that was the case, they wouldn¡¯t have been so sloppy that Yoon Chul caught them. However, it was too borate to call it a coincidence. It didn¡¯t seem like they were going to say anything even if he went to them in person. But he couldn¡¯t bully his friends either, so he had no choice but to wait for Cranky¡¯s call.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho returned from the special guest room and hesitated. Jang Seol Hyun and Kim Woo Jung were sitting across from Shim Il Kwon. Jang Seol Hyun saw him and shed him a refreshing smile.


    ¡°Oh my! When did you get here?¡±


    Others might see her smile as refreshing, but Ahn Soo Ho only saw it as a ticking time bomb. Sure enough, she confidently confronted Shim Il Kwon.


    ¡°I really like Soo Ho.¡±


    A girl in her 20s was much scarier than a killer troop sent from the enemies.


    ¡°So please let us pursue our love.¡±


    Was she filming amercial? Huh?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 29 ¨C Do Min Ho [1] >

 Chapter 31: < Protect – Episode 30 – Do Min Ho [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 31: < Protect ¨C Episode 30 ¨C Do Min Ho [2] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho justughed at Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s bombshell announcement.


    ¡°Haha. What a jokester.¡±


    ¡°Right? It¡¯s a joke, right?¡±


    Shim Il Kwon, whose heart was about to pop out of his mouth, smoothed his chest at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s natural response. No matter how much Hollywood influenced her, she was still the face of thepany. Thanks to her clean history with no rumors about men, advertisers had very high faith in her.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t...¡±


    Shim Il Kwon seemed relieved, but he quickly went into thought. If they were actually in that kind of rtionship and Ahn Soo Ho got into the entertainment business for Jang Seol Hyun, that was a different story. It was surprising that he suddenly appeared as Daesan Group¡¯s executive, but he was someone who would have a strong influence even in Hollywood.


    ¡°Is there something between them that I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Shim Il Kwon was FNB Entertainment¡¯s founder and CEO, but he only had 18% of the shares. Of course, if he includes the amity shares, it was over half, but if Daesan wants to buy thepany, there was no way of winning. Above all, if it was not Ahn Soo Ho but Jang Seol Hyun who was nning it, he had to reconsider his ufortable rtionship with Kim Woo Jung.


    ¡°I¡¯d better look into it.¡±


    In contrast to Kim Woo Jung, who was a good person, Jang Seol Hyun was very maniptive for her age. He hated Kim Woo Jung for always bringing up the fact that there hadn¡¯t been any talks about a resigning, and the older executives didn¡¯t like the way other employees and celebrities worshiped Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°Dumb old people.¡±


    As a major shareholder, he passed out seats here and there, but thepany was in a tough spot. He would like to reshuffle things, but what could he do? In corporations, shares determined power. Especially in the entertainment field where connections were important, being self-willed could easily backfire. However, Daesan Group was different. Shinra Group breaking themonw and getting into this business was simr to giving up a fight against other rich people.


    ¡°It¡¯s more preferred to share appropriately than fight among the rich.¡±


    People of high society liked to look refined. No matter how much someone seeded, sellingughter in front of other people looked pathetic.


    ¡°Would you like to take a look around, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why are you ignoring me?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun, who threw out a bombshell but got ignored and had no fun, looked dumbfounded Jang Seol Hyun and Shim Il Kwon left the room. The main 8-story building of FNB entertainment was an old building, and the 5-story annex was a newly built building on expandednd. The fact that the two buildingsbined were worth 70 billion won proved how expensive Gangnamnd was.


    ¡°We don¡¯t train idols like Shinhwa does.¡±


    ¡°Why not? K-pop is doing well abroad these days.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to gamble.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon and Shim Il Kwon had simr tendencies, but the two of them had very different objectives. Shinhwa Entertainment¡¯s method, which was to sell amodity even if it only had one strength and a dozen weaknesses, was specialized to make a top idol in a short period of time. Kim Yoo Seon¡¯s idol training system was material superiority.


    In contrast to Shinhwa Entertainment, who charged forward, FNB liked the more old-fashioned method. They thought it was wiser to only sell one talent at a time, whether it was singing, acting, oredy. The pictures of their top stars in their hallway was thepany¡¯s pride.


    ¡°What do you think? Aren¡¯t we better than Shinhwa Entertainment?¡±


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be what Shim Il Kwon wants to say?¡¯ Ahn Soo Houghed on the inside.


    ¡°This punk is still deluded.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon and Shim Il Kwon were both misunderstandings something. He wasn¡¯t trying to gain profits from the business. When the employees saw the rarely-seen CEO guiding him through thepany, they stared as if they wanted to remember his face.


    It was a short distance from the main building to the underground parking lot in the annex.


    ¡°Thank you for your wise words today, CEO Shim.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you enjoyed it. Our next meeting will probably be the signing, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon watched his behavior. Even if he wasn¡¯t an executive of Daesan Group, he was a difficult person to deal with. How many Korean people would have been able to make Steven Baker of Hollywood a tyrant? Not even Kim Daesan of the Daesan Kingdom could do that.


    ¡°Until next time.¡±


    ¡°Please get back safely.¡±


    Besides not bowing down 90 degrees, Shim Il Kwon was seeing off someone who was above him. Ahn Soo Ho, who got into the car that the driver opened the door to, sighed without meaning to.


    Jang Seol Hyun was already in the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk so carelessly like that. You surprised me.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. Really? Did I?¡±


    It became natural for them to talk to each other informally. In response to her natural touch of stroking his chin, he was too tired to scold her. Did he make the right decision? Was it better to take over a few clubs instead? The reason why Ahn Soo Ho got pushed around by Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t because he loved her to death.


    ¡°Granny, your great-granddaughter is doing well.¡±


    The neighborhood people didn¡¯t think the queen grandmother had a family, but only Ahn Soo Ho knew. Every time Jang Seol Hyun smiles, the granny¡¯s wrinkles could be seen at the same time. Considering Korea National Association or Kim Dae San made him realize that the queen grandmother was no ordinary elder.


    ¡°What¡¯s Manager Kim going to do?¡±


    As soon as talk about Kim Woo Jung, who was following in a van behind them, came up, Jang Seol Hyun knit her brows.


    ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t want to stab anyone in the back.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. Did he get mad?¡±


    Seeing how she was pouting, they must have fought. Ahn Soo Ho was actually relieved. That was because if he immediately epted it, everything else would have been a lie. One could call it inflexible, but people who change their words were hard to get along with.


    ¡°We failed to make Kim Woo Jung the CEO. Then let¡¯s move on to the next n.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to drag CEO Shim into it?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like an incapable man.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. When Manager Kim was getting scolded, all he did was watch.¡±


    At times, she was clever, but this time, she was just throwing a fuss like a kid.


    ¡°Since the governance was weak, the CEO can¡¯t do whatever he wants either.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I understand how they could kick out the founder so cold-heartedly.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun unexpectedly stood her ground. It didn¡¯t seem like she intended to back out from this one.


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho surrendered.


    As soon as she switched over to the van, he headed toward Incheon International Airport. Today was the day when Emily and Rachel would go back to Australia. It was Lee Chul and Lee Mi Hyun¡¯s job to see them off, but since they trusted Ahn Soo Ho to take care of them in Seoul, this was his job.


    ¡°See you again, Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°See you again!¡±


    The two white girls kissed Ahn Soo Ho on the cheek and continued to wave until they disappeared through the gates. Lee So Hye jabbed him on the side.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in kids.¡±


    ¡°Are you a eunuch?¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Agh! I surrender!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho put her in a headlock she hit Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arm in surprise. This time, it was Lee So Hye¡¯s turn to get on a ne for Jejudo. It wasn¡¯t favorable for her to go around having fun when everyone else was taking supplementary sses. Mrs. Park called at least a dozen times a day telling him to send Lee So Hye back to Jejudo.


    ¡°When are you going to visit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t me and Mom juste to Seoul and live with you?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind... but you should talk to Mom about that first. Since you have to enter school, I should probably talk to her. Prepare her before I do.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Was it possible that the country girl¡¯s dreams changed aftering to Seoul? No one could foretell. As Ahn Soo Ho and his little sister waved to each other until the gate closed, someone approached. He faced the person who stopped the guard from running over and approached.


    It reminds him of something.


    ¡°Naegok-dong?¡±


    ¡°Yes...that¡¯s right. Can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They entered one of the many cafes at the airport.


    ¡°I¡¯m Han Joo Young.¡±


    ¡°Do agents hand out business cards these days?¡±


    ¡°Not to everyone.¡±


    It was a very simple business card with just a name and number.


    ¡°You met with the Russian ambassador a few days ago, didn¡¯t you, Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What did you talk about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s personal.¡±


    ¡°Please cooperate.¡±


    She didn¡¯t sound forceful. It was more like pitiful? It seemed like she did a background check on him. It was evident that she took extra caution since she wasn¡¯ting on strong.


    ¡°Han Joo Young...? Are you their promising ace?¡±


    The NIS did tend to waste a lot of time, but not all agents were stupid. CIA also wasted their time with unnecessary matters, but no one underestimated them. No matter how small the department, government organizations have a great deal of power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your job is, but this isn¡¯t something one agent can deal with, Ms. Han. You can get hurt.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about Korea National Association... we know about it too.¡±


    ¡°You do? No, you don¡¯t. Take my warning seriously. There¡¯s nothing you or the person you sent can do.¡±


    Just like how the NIS and the military authorities were inseparable, those with evil influence had been rooted with the NIS for quite a long time.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous. I also knew that the government received secret funds during every election.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho groaned and shooked his head.


    ¡°You have no idea who you¡¯re dealing with, Ms. Han.¡±


    In the midst of the candlelight protest, Korea National Association was mentioned here and there in the media, but it didn¡¯t go on for long. Argumentative articles regarding conspiracy theories started pouring out from all four directions.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t some kind of social gathering of retired people in power.¡±


    Kim Dae San and Korea National Association weren¡¯t totally unrted. Even though there were cliques depending on faith, at the end of firm kinship, regionalism, and school rtions, where special regtions meant for the top 1%.


    ¡°They have vested rights to this nation.¡±


    No matter the circumstances, this was their league, and the power had not once been in the hands of the people. Every time Ahn Soo Ho returned from abroad, those in power trembled in fear. But they didn¡¯t do anything in particr. Why? Because it was a waste of time to try to get revenge? That was not it. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho left Lee Kyung Joon and Lee Ji Heon alone because of his promise with the queen grandmother.


    ¡°Give everyone at least one more chance.¡±


    He always gave everyone at least one more chance. No matter how much he hated them. That was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rule. It was possible that he wants Lee Kyung Joon and Lee Ji Heon to provoke him first. If that happens he would step on them without any hesitation.


    ¡°This is too much for you. Please inform that to your superior.¡±


    It was good that there was an agent with patriotism and sense of duty, but the opponent wasn¡¯t good at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you forget the whole thing.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Was it the NIS?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung questioned him about the meeting as they returned to Seoul.


    ¡°Do you think Korea National Association did that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If that was the case, they wouldn¡¯t have only sent one agent.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone in an organization thinks the same way. Whether it¡¯s good or bad, there¡¯s always someone who thinks differently. Loyalty and doubt are two different things. Please remember that.¡±


    Dposition didn¡¯t take ce in an instant. Self-purification didn¡¯t either. The biggest evil of bureaucracy was theck of desire to find a problem. The reason why they avoid the responsibility was because they knew that there was no answer in the organization they were a part of.


    ¡°Time solves everything.¡±


    If there was no solution, they believed that forgetting about it would make the problem go away. They hoped that dragging it on would make the one who brought up the problem go away.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho arrived at the most expensive area of Gangnam, Cheongdamdong.


    Daesan Star Tower


    Daesan Consulting and the department in charge of South America used to utilize the building, but as a result of Vice-President¡¯s group structure reform, everyone had to empty their offices. The 20-story building went for 280 billion won, and the Daesan sign was in the process of getting erased. Ahn Soo Ho looked up at the building and smiled bitterly.


    ¡°This is why everyone wants to be rich.¡±


    The rich didn¡¯t have to worry about money.


    ¡°The ownership transfer registration will bepleted next week.¡±


    ¡°What about the tax?¡±


    ¡°The general affairs department will deal with that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked around the emptying building, saw a familiar backside in front of the entrance, and then looked at his watch. It was still an hour before the agreed upon time. He left Oh Joo Kyung and his guards behind and walked toward him.


    ¡°Domino.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Soo Ho!¡±


    Do Min Ho, who looked serious as he looked at his phone, smiled as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°You¡¯re really early.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait after hearing that you became the owner of such a tall building. But I had no idea that building would be Star Tower. I was so surprised.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I heard FNB and Shinhwa will be merged into Star Tower...Huh?¡±


    Do Min Ho, who hadrge eyes because of his double eyelid surgery, blinked and then dropped his jaw.


    ¡°Was that you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always respected you as if you¡¯re my real brother!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, you bastard.¡±


    People could misunderstand two men hugging on the streets. After he got Do Min Ho off of him, he got to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Kyung Ho to manage the building.¡±


    ¡°Kyung Ho? Come on! He wouldn¡¯t agree to that.¡±


    ¡°So convince him.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    Ahn Soo ho shooked his index finger.


    ¡°You need a bigger building in order to seed.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! I¡¯ll be loyal to you for life!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 30 ¨C Do Min Ho [2] > The end.

 Chapter 32: < Protect – Episode 31 – Do Min Ho [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 32: < Protect ¨C Episode 31 ¨C Do Min Ho [3] ></h4>


    Do Min Ho didn¡¯t think he could convince his big brother by himself. So he called Do Dae Ho and Do In Ho for help. The n was to use Dae Ho¡¯s strong persistence and In Ho¡¯s tough but moderate tactics disguised with logic and reason to target their big brother. However, Do Kyung Ho said something before Do Min Ho could say anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Soo Ho told you, but I¡¯m going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Re... really? Do you mean that? You¡¯d better not change your word!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, you punk.¡±


    As Do Min Ho leaned back out of relief, he noticed the shop¡¯s state.


    ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Something happened. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The three brothers moved on in response to Do Kyung Ho¡¯s natural response. They heard drunk people causing a fuss. After Do Min Ho rxed, he started sharing what Ahn Soo Ho told him.


    ¡°Hosoo Entertainment Group? That¡¯s Soo Ho¡¯s name backward is it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Everyone but Do Min Ho responded in a surprised manner. Howzy could he get with naming thepany? It was obvious.


    ¡°What else should we expect from Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    He was living proof of howzy a person could get. But for someone who yed and slept well, he always ced 1st or 2nd ce, which proved that he was talented since birth.


    ¡°An entertainmentpany? How big.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Soo Ho did while he was abroad, but he must have made a lot of money. He owns a building in Gangnam of all ces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still noparison to Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Ha! If you put it that way, what would stand a chance against a big corporation? Do you still have an inferiorityplex with Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten over that a long time ago.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho shooked his head with a bitter smile in response to his little brother¡¯s unrestrained questioning.


    ¡°Anyway, it looks like Soo Ho¡¯s trying to settle down, so we should help as much as we can.¡±


    ¡°Get it right, Domino. We¡¯re not helping him out. We¡¯re mooching off of him.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to be like that? Stop it. If you¡¯re going to do it, just be quiet and do it! If you just listen to me, we won¡¯t have to worry about money. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Do Min Ho, who already took the lead, strongly pressured the newly married man who had gotten weaker after getting married.


    ¡°And mooching off of him? We¡¯re just helping a brother out. Who are we? Ho!¡±


    ¡°Brothers!¡±


    After the three brothers crossed arms, they stared at Do Kyung Ho. After the Seoul Olympics in 1988, they had epted Ahn Soo Ho as their real brother. Of course, Do Min Ho and Do In Ho hadn¡¯t been born yet, and Do Dae Ho couldn¡¯t remember. However, after that day, the Ho Brothers managed to be the top-spinning champions of both the upper and lower neighborhoods.


    ¡°Who are we? Ho!¡±


    ¡°Brothers!¡±


    As soon as six eyeballs pressured Do Kyung Ho, he put his arm in and mumbled.


    ¡°Brothers.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ahn Soo Ho was flying over the Pacific in a ne that AFUS provided. Even though this trip waspletely for them, it was difficult to expectfortparable to a first-ss seat.


    ¡°A few days ago, Monata Defense dispatched a tactics team for the hostage operation...but they failed.¡±


    The person who was talking into his headset next to Ahn Soo Ho was the furry animal from Okinawa. James ck, also known as ck Fortune, was a special operations supervisor of the US Department of Defense.


    ¡°Monata Defense? Are you saying they used Canadians?¡±


    ¡°No one else wanted to do it.¡±


    ¡°What about thepany?¡±


    ¡°Langley has been quiet since Deputy Director Eaton returned.¡±


    Seeing the CIA so quiet when they usually threw a fuss about taking charge of everything made the external contractors spare themselves.


    ¡°I know the Pentagon is busy with their political matters, but this kidnapping should be an opportunity to the retired guys.¡±


    ¡°The lobbyists are watching by too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I heard Jimmy Aaronson is insisting on sending out a fleet to the southern Antic.¡±


    ¡°The future Secretary of Defense wants a war?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    The U.S. Military was always being used of wanting to start a war. However, the high-levelmanders wanted to put off signing the documents for war as much as possible. Many would often think that the president hadplete authority when it came to starting a war, but what really controlled the U.S. Military was the White House¡¯s advisorymittee.


    The ne that was headed straight to the States¡¯ maind changed their ns andnded in Hawaii. A middle-aged woman with red hair was waiting for Ahn Soo Ho upon arrival. The woman with the cool sunsses was obviously a career woman wearing an expensive suit.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Pam?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who epted her handshake, showed an odd expression. The person who suddenly showed up was the chief of the Ministry of National Defense¡¯s legal office, Pam Uz.


    ¡°How long has it been? A year? I heard about your sabbatical. You still shouldn¡¯t have disappeared without a word.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But everyone was busy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... true. But I¡¯m still sad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy a drink next time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    The noise of the departing ne passed by both of them. Ahn Soo Ho and Pam walked along thending strip. After a few steps, a security car started following them at their walking pace.


    ¡°Since we don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. We expect you to save and protect the president¡¯s nephew as your first priority.¡±


    ¡°By us... do you mean the Ministry of National Defense?¡±


    ¡°You could say, unofficially.¡±


    ¡°Then it must have been Minister Cameron¡¯s idea.¡±


    Paul Cameron is an American Minister of Defense.


    ¡°What about the White House?¡±


    ¡°The White House doesn¡¯t matter, Soo Ho. I was hired to protect the Ministry of National Defense. My opinions are realized through the Ministry of National Defense and the Minister of Defense.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re awyer, not a soldier. It¡¯s not like you to only ask me to get the president¡¯s nephew out. Where¡¯s the Pam Uz that I know?¡±


    Pam sighed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s doubtful face. The way she shrugged also seemed tock confidence.


    ¡°Have you heard about Monata Defense?¡±


    ¡°James told me. No matter how urgent it was, they shouldn¡¯t have used Canadians...¡±


    ¡°There was no other choice. After the kidnapping incident, we attempted to rescue them five times but failed every time. If webine all the technicians and support, the number of casualties is in the three digits.¡±


    The States had a strong presence in the world of information in addition to the military. CIA was hidden in the shadows, but NSA, the State Department of information investigation, the DIA, and many more, struggled to protect the States¡¯ security.


    ¡°The fact that we keep failing the same mission means there¡¯s a problem with us.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you sent Canada? To guess how big the hole is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The States preferred Canada as an ally opposed to Ennd or Israel. Even if there was a border between Canada and the States, Canada was still a country that would do anything for the States.


    ¡°We confirmed that there¡¯s a huge hole in our intelligencework.¡±


    ¡°Did you find the cause?¡±


    ¡°A part of it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho suddenly pped his hands.


    ¡°Oh! Do you think I did it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel insulted by it, but yeah. We suspected you the most.¡±


    Since he knocked down the States¡¯ security 8 years ago, it was not surprising that they were suspecting him.


    ¡°And it must have been Henry who got Daesan Group involved.¡±


    ¡°To be honest... Well, you might have already known, but wemunicated with Russia. It might sound like an excuse, but they proposed it first.¡±


    ¡°The Red Sea Trading Company?¡±


    ¡°Since Vitali was a big part of the revolution, he probably looked into the secret fund routs.¡±


    That was when Ahn Soo Ho understood the whole situation.


    ¡°Returner Group.¡±


    In other words, the retired.


    It was moremon for patriots who gave and sacrificed for the country to end up in a pitiful state. Many became drug addicts or alcoholics, and most just disappeared without a trace. The ones who changed everything were patriots, but there were tons of traitors who couldn¡¯t get rid themselves of temptation.


    ¡°Those agents are the best of the best, Soo Ho. If they rearm with a dictator or the military, they¡¯ll be hard to handle.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re retired, they probably continued to do basic monitoring.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But if they¡¯re doing everything they can to hide, we won¡¯t find them.¡±


    ¡°They have to either expect for patriotism... or retire forever.¡±


    An agent once said this.


    ¡°The best patriots were the ones who died.¡±


    It was a sad saying that was based on what to said, but many agents thought the same way. If someone found out a dirty secret, that person would be a burden to both sides. The ne was refueled and ready to go. Ahn Soo Ho, who walked back to where he was initially, received documents from Pam.


    ¡°This is everything we found out so far. I made it so that you¡¯ll be updated in real time once yound on the maind.¡±


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Brazil had always been a mess, but it got worse in recent days.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t signed the contract yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it.¡±


    ¡°I can trust you, right, Pam?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know me, Soo Ho? I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    As soon as a soldier gestured for him to get in, Ahn Soo Ho walked backward while waving to Pam. After the necessary procedures, the ne got back up into the sky. As she watched the ne went off, she took out her phone.


    ¡°He left. Yes, yes. Of course. It¡¯ll be resolved as soon as possible.¡±


    Pam took off her sunsses and squinted at the sun in her eyes, but her eyes were actually smiling.


    ¡°Trust me. If he can¡¯t do it, no one can. Yes, yes.¡±


    Codename, Wizard.


    ¡°He¡¯s a wizard who creates miracles.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 31 ¨C Do Min Ho [3] > The end.

 Chapter 33: < Protect – Episode 32 – Jina Davis [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 33: < Protect ¨C Episode 32 ¨C Jina Davis [1] ></h4>


    The International Cooperation Agency kidnapping incident was released to the public after 40 days, and the backfire was tremendous.


    ¨C The entire world was unyielding to the kidnapping of the Americans!


    ¨C The International Cooperation Agency kidnapping ident! Washington State knew, but everyone kept quiet!


    ¨C ording to a high-rank official, they attempted to rescue them but failed!


    ¨C The militarypany, Aragon Company, ¡°It would be difficult to pull out the roots of the cartel in Central and South America!¡±


    ¨C Exclusive! The president, Allen Davis¡¯ niece, Jina Davis had been kidnapped as well!¡±


    The one who was in the most difficult situation wasn¡¯t the White House but the Brazilian government, which was making efforts to attract foreign capital. There were rumors about how a corrupt bureaucrat-led the kidnapping with a gang. The Brazilian police normally wouldn¡¯t have acted on a regr kidnapping incident, but as soon as the Brazilian president heard the kidnapping news, he dispatched the military.


    He had nowhere else to back up to.


    If the people who got kidnapped didn¡¯t return to their home country and died on Brazilian soil, especially if the U.S. president¡¯s niece, Jina Davis was subjected to horrible acts, the situation would get much worse. If it was revealed that the kidnapping took ce to get revenge on the U.S. president for dering crimes and war, it was highly likely that the threats would lead to a real war.


    ¡°Jimmy Aaronson is using this situation.¡±


    ¡°Politicians... Then does the Ministry of National Defense agree with Minster Cameron?¡±


    ¡°You heard something from Ms. Uz, haven¡¯t you? Soo Ho, we don¡¯t care about the president and his niece. All we care about is the fact that she¡¯s American.¡±


    The impressive characteristic of the U.S. military was their principle of civil control. Ahn Soo Ho thought the States was the most impressive in that aspect. This explicit violent organization had to be controlled, or else no one would know what other trouble they would cause. That was because the belief of patriotism couldn¡¯t always be right.


    ¡°We begged Carlos Costa for this kidnapping incident.¡±


    ¡°Dell Este¡¯s ghost?¡±


    The border of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay had always been a prevailing area of business. In South America, where thew wasn¡¯t so established, there was no way of stopping criminal organizations from getting involved. Especially Paraguay, which depended on the trade with Brazil and Argentina, had many internal wars.


    ¡°But how did Empire Konzern get involved with South America?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho. You said you¡¯re protecting Daniel Navarros, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then you must know he¡¯s a quadruple spy.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded in silence.


    ¡°If you know that, then this will be quick. Empire invested eight billion in the ck marketst year and this year, and half of that went through a South American ser club, went through Africa and Europe, and returned to the States.¡±


    ¡°Moneyundering?¡±


    ¡°The parliament passed aw that blocked all American routes of moneyundering. But do you know what¡¯s funny? They know the movement of the money, but they can¡¯t impose sanctions on it. The money lenders are fooling around with them.¡±


    They call it Uruguay Round or the Geneva Conventions.


    It was a general agreement, GATT, regarding tariffs and trade that was made by 23 countries in 1947 in Geneva. Before it was substituted by WTO in 1995, 120 countries around the world were involved, and Korea had been a full member since April 1st, 1967. The foundation would lead trade agreements such as Geneva Round, Anshira Round, Tokira Round, Dillon Round, Kennedy Round, Tokyo Round, and Uruguay Round, and the seventh agreement, GATT, came to an end.


    ¡°People call the WTO the States¡¯ puppet, but that¡¯s not true.¡±


    The one controlling the world trade agenda wasn¡¯t the States, but the capitalists with American citizenships. One might wonder what the difference was, but there were more Americans who didn¡¯t represent their country¡¯s profits than as one would think. All they needed was thebel of the world¡¯s most powerful country.


    ¡°I wish I could catch them and send them to Guantanamo... but that¡¯d be hard.¡±


    The American dream stands on unlimited freedom.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap set by oneself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Korean. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    James¡¯sining stopped when he ran into an American task force stationed 6500km southwest in Hawaii. A small carrier task group that set up anding craft, supported a variety of military operations for the States that focused on Central America. It was a national project that had already been working on a drug war for 20 years.


    Since the transport couldn¡¯tnd on anding craft, the men inside would need to use a parachute. The two of them made a cleannding on parachutes. They were originally going to move through Florida to Central America, but since they trust the Brazilian government, it was better to move alone. Ahn Soo Ho picked the Gpagos Inds in Ecuador as his first destination.


    ¡°Drop me in the middle so that I won¡¯t have to run into the Ecuadorian navy.¡±


    ¡°Are you going alone?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was morefortable alone.


    The helicopter, which lifted them up from thending craft, was flying towards the Gpagos Inds. They were still on open waters, so it didn¡¯t matter, but if they enter the Ecuadorian airspace without warning, a problem would ur. As soon as they opened the doors, the open sea could be seen. All Ahn Soo Ho had to equip himself with was a diving suit.


    ¡°Wait for my call, James.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as James gave him a thumbs up, Ahn Soo Ho jumped into the water. People didn¡¯t think there was an impact when jumping into the water, but that was not true. For those who didn¡¯t receive proper training, it was possible to faint upon entering the water. Even for veterans with extensive training, the ocean was unknown territory. Even the Amazon jungle had a higher survival rate than the ocean.


    But Ahn Soo Ho moved through it with no trouble.


    He didn¡¯t need a diving gear. That was because he produced the oxygen himself. As soon as he was on his own, he disregarded the descending current and swam at a very high speed.


    ¡°Anna Anne is the stationmaster.¡±


    Since the great, great wizard in his memory flew through the skies, the ocean¡¯s no different. A shark of the South Pacific noticed Ahn Soo Ho and tried to follow him, but he became distant. He couldn¡¯t get to the other side of the earth in the blink of an eye, but the fact that he could outswim a shark with his bare body was impressive.


    The fact that he could swim through the ocean without equipment would put Ahn Soo Ho on the cklist. The reason why he came up to the surface was because he arrived at the Santa Cruz Ind. This ce wasn¡¯t a top tourist destination, but it wasn¡¯t the middle of nowhere either. They had a famous Darwin memorial hall and they did their best toe up with a tourism program, but it didn¡¯t do so well. But the Santa Cruz Ind was still popr among people of specific professions.


    Ahn Soo Ho took off his diving suit, put on a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals, and walked through the city of Puerto Ayora like a tourist. To him, it wasn¡¯t a city but just a town. The relieving part was that he didn¡¯t encounter the little touts that he often saw in South American destinations. He entered one of the many open bars with a fancy sign.


    ¡°A tequ.¡±


    The bartender heard Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fluent Ecuador-style Spanish and poured him a ss. He put 20 US dors on the counter.


    ¡°Is Rapa still the boss here?¡±


    The bartender took the bill in a discrete way and nodded. This time, he pulled out 40 dors.


    ¡°Where can I find him?¡±


    The bartender took the 40 dors quickly and pointed at the back of the bar with his eyes. Seeing how the interior was exclusive and there were many guards around, whatever happens inside wouldn¡¯t be bright and warm. Ahn Soo Ho, who chugged his tequ, walked toward where the bartender pointed.


    The man who was guarding the entrance scanned Ahn Soo Ho, but didn¡¯t stop him from entering. He must have thought of him as an easy Asian tourist to rip off. There were police on the Santa Cruz Ind, but the due to its 1000 km distance from the maind, the safety was really up to the natives.


    Inside was an assortment of casinos, a boxing ring, and women with pretty much no clothes on. It was not easy to see gambling, violence, and sex all in one ce, so this could be a lucky thing. Compared to this ce, Las Vegas was mild. In contrast to the open space, the hallway toward the innermost room was blocked by scarier looking men. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached, one of them stopped him.


    ¡°Turn back.¡±


    He spoke in a rude manner.


    ¡°Tell Rapa that Soo Ho¡¯s here.¡±


    The frowning man was surprised by the Asian¡¯s fluent Ecuador-style Spanish, and he was surprised again by the name ¡°Soo Ho¡±. Did he know his name? But then again half of the cases he handled yesterday had to do with Central and South America. Even the tough Mexicans were scared of Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Pleasee this way.¡±


    The rudeness disappeared and he escorted him in. He put him in the VVIP room without permission. The innermost room past the hallway was the ce of decadence and pleasure. The unpleasant smell and sounds bothered his nose and ears.


    ¡°Oh! Soo Ho!¡±


    Soon after, a middle-aged man wearing gold nes, gold bracelets, and gold rings hugged Ahn Soo Ho. He was so friendly that people would have thought they were family that hadn¡¯t seen each other for over ten years. His name was Raphael, but his surname was unknown. Raphael might not even be his real name.


    ¡°You still love gold, huh, Raphael?¡±


    ¡°People change, but gold doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that diamonds?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡±


    Raphael shook his index finger and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°The unrealistic prices of diamonds were made up by sneaky Dutch people. The foam will settle one day.¡±


    He had the blood of Germans who fled before the copse of Germany, so it was a given that he didn¡¯t have good feelings toward the Dutch. After the 20th century, there were many Germans who immigrated to Central America, but so did many Italians. It wasn¡¯t just the States that was a country of immigrants.


    While exchanging drinks, Raphael was the first one to get to the point.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re on sabbatical. What brings you here? If someone went to grill you...San Paulo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The smile that was always on Raphael¡¯s face when they met disappeared.


    ¡°Can I give you a warning, my friend?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged as if he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If you dig deeper, it has nothing to do with money. It¡¯s a matter of pride.¡±


    What people misunderstood was that the two strongest nations of South America, Brazil, and Argentina were white countries. It was not just here. Even in Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Columbia were dominated by white people. Frankly, Central America was mainly in the hands of white people.


    It would be quicker to count the number of the natives. People feel proud of Brazil¡¯s national treasures, but ser yers were just ser yers, and it wasn¡¯t right to judge that country¡¯s vested rights based on what was seen on TV.


    The reason why the States was trying to get involved with Central and South America by using excuses of war and crimes was because they wanted to stop the mischief of white alliances who had different standards from Pax Americana.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think all Germans will apologize about the past. There will always be people who worship Hitler and believe in Nazism. They won¡¯t show it on the outside though. The reason why Yankees are scary because they instinctively feet it. Do you think the U.S. troops can¡¯t be pulled out of Germany because of Russia? That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Most na?ve people believe that wars arise from the States¡¯ ideology and the battle betweenmunism and capitalism, but those who saw the true face of international order saw through that.


    ¡°Fanatical patriots.¡±


    Acts of dividing countries became meaningless.


    Those who believed in conspiracy theories believed that there was a secret organization controlling the world. No, even if they didn¡¯t believe conspiracy theories, they thought the power of each field got together and talked about the future.


    Birds of the same color flock together.


    However, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know of any secret organization of the sort. But if someone wanted to make one, it was possible. There were six or seven gatherings that were not of grand scale but had a good amount of influence and power.


    Raphael spoke in a serious tone.


    ¡°Someone must want to change South America into the Middle East.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 32 ¨C Jina Davis [1] > The end.

 Chapter 34: < Protect – Episode 33 – Jina Davis [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 34: < Protect ¨C Episode 33 ¨C Jina Davis [2] ></h4>


    The International Cooperation Agency acted quickly under an borate n in Sao Paulo. And they hid outside of the city before the Brazilian police caught on. Brazil, which became more serious than just the gap between the rich and the poor, suffered from incidents that Koreans wouldn¡¯t be able to dream of.


    It wasn¡¯t just theft and gangs but things that even the police had to be careful of. Brazil¡¯s economy was in the top 8, but most of that belonged to the top 1%.


    The fact that the boundaries of slums were clear means that the economic caste system was firm. In a country where corruption was part of most people¡¯s daily life, it seemed like hell where only bad things happened, but there were normal people who still dreamed of the next life.


    Jina Davis was dispatched to investigate violence against under-aged children as a member of the UN. Sao Paulo¡¯s international cooperation agency wasn¡¯t just a simplepany. That was because, in order to attract foreign capital, an overall report of the working environment was needed, and the hottest topics were wage equality andbor environment inquiries, among women¡¯s rights groups.


    The decision Jina made after seeing Sao Paulo was firm.


    ¡°Prostitution is as serious as it is in Rio.¡±


    Rio de Janeiro was a popr tourist destination in Brazil that was up there with Sydney, Australia, and Napoli, Italy. But in contrast to Rio¡¯s beauty, it was recognized as one of the biggest sex tourism destinations in South America. Rio¡¯s explosive carnivals and sex businessbined with corruption made Rio the perfect tourism package.


    The States was also very big in the porn industry, but they at least didn¡¯t exploit under-aged children. A grown adult indulging in sex was their personal preference, but physically suppressing under-aged children was a clear crime. The problem was that this kind of things wasmon in Brazil.


    ¡°An absence of public security and universal ethics.¡±


    Their standard of right and wrong was very different from the States.


    She didn¡¯t think of the States as some incredible and advanced country. The States was also widespread with sexual discrimination and assault. However, most Americans were able to get angry at unjust circumstances by applying universal ethics. Real justice wasn¡¯t that far off.


    UN¡¯s child welfare investigators didn¡¯t only check and deal with childbor and exploitation in Brazil but in all of Central and South America. At the same time, the Amnesty International released a statement criticizing the quiet undemocratic procedures. And the next day, the Sao Paulo International Cooperation Agency got mysteriously kidnapped.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a coincidence.¡±


    That was what Jina believed.


    The Davis¡¯ were a prestigious family even before her uncle was elected president. She had met many well-known people since she was little, and she saw the world from a point of view that couldn¡¯t see the average people. In other words, she wasn¡¯t pure. Jina had no desire to be an immature rich girl chanting about love and peace.


    ¡°You want to meet the one responsible, Miss?¡±


    The man in a mask spoke in a natural American ent. She almost sneered when he called her ¡°Miss¡±. He was definitely an American or he at least lived in the States for a long time.


    ¡°I want to know how far along the settlement has gone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s progressing well thanks to your active cooperation, so don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll hear good news soon.¡±


    ¡°I heard the same thing a few days ago.¡±


    There were people who were more experienced and reputable than her among the individuals who got abducted., but the fear paralyzed her reasoning. Jina had received training in preparation for a situation where she would be kidnapped.


    ¡°Can I make a proposal?¡±


    ¡°A proposal? What is it?¡±


    The man in the mask crossed his arms as if what Jina said amused him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pay for our own bodies.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He made an exmation.


    All of the abducted individuals were all high-ranking officials, all of them had a lot of money. The problem was that if they process the payments, they would be tracked down. No matter what precautions they took, if the States really wanted to, they could trace them down. The vibe was good until the exmation, but the man in the mask shook his head and Jina exined further.


    ¡°Use the ck market and choose what it is that you want.¡±


    ¡°The president¡¯s niece is going tomit an illegal act?¡±


    ¡°I just want to live.¡±


    Her life was not guaranteed just because she knew a leader as powerful as the American president. What Jina saidst got the man¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Okay. Then who are you going to use as the middleman?¡±


    He was interested, but his sneering didn¡¯t disappear. He spoke as if he was looking down on her because he didn¡¯t think a girl like her could do anything with a ce as big as the ck market.


    ¡°Can I borrow a paper and pen?¡±


    The man in the mask passed her a paper and pen. As she wrote word by word on the piece of paper, she remembered what her parents told her.


    ¡®Remember this number for when you¡¯re in real danger!¡¯


    Her mother and father stressed it over and over again.


    ¡°This is my middleman¡¯s number.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow. You have a middleman to clean after your mess, huh? What a convenient world.¡±


    He pressed the number as he made sarcastic remarks. A voice could be heard on the other line.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Whatnguage was that? When Jina tilted her head at the voice that came from the speakerphone, the man in the mask was taken aback.


    ¡°Hello? Moshi Moshi? Dinghoa? Why aren¡¯t you talking? Shit. Who are you? You son of a...¡±


    The man in the mask stared at Jina Davis with serious eyes.


    ¡°Wh... what¡¯s your middleman¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is that important?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She flinched and opened her mouth to his rage.


    ¡°Soo Ho. Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    As soon as the man in the mask punched the desk, brave Jina and to spare herself.


    The phone suddenly rang. Jina and the man in the mask both flinched, but he remembered someone telling him that no one could trace that number, so he picked up the phone.


    ¡°You? You¡¯re 608, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Were you the kidnapper? These Deep Breath bastards! How far did they fall? I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t reach you. You were busy being scumbags in South America, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Let me talk to Mr. Tong.¡±


    ¡°The chief and I work separately.¡±


    ¡°Where is he then?¡±


    He tried to rebel by keeping his mouth shut.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re going to stay quiet, huh? Our 608 is all grown up! Do you need a beating?¡±


    ¡°Ahem! He¡¯s in Campos.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you soon.¡±


    The call ended, but the man in the mask stared at Jina with resentment while still holding onto the phone.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what that look meant.


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho, who finished off his business in Santa Cruz, he took his new identity card and guide, passed Ecuador and Peru, before he arrived in Bolivia, Santa Cruz. The ID of the call that came in was Shallot Davis. He thought about it and realized it wasn¡¯t Shallot himself.


    ¡°Jina Davis.¡±


    It¡¯s obvious.


    He didn¡¯t know how she got them to fall for it, but as long as the code was retrieved, the location could be easily obtained. This was why spiritual energy was scary. The secret dial number that Ahn Soo Ho only provides for special clients was abination ofmunication frequency and spiritual energy, and therefore an impressive coboration of science and magic. The problem was that the international group, Deep Breath transformed into kidnappers.


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Look into the CIA. All the undercover and ck-ops agents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a scary thing to say. Why thepany?¡±


    ¡°I think Deep Breath is involved in Sao Paolo.¡±


    ¡°The Oral Group?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    One of Deep Breath¡¯s nicknames is Oral Sex Group.


    ¡°Sao Paulo is a big problem, but what about Red Sea Trading Company? Soo Ho, it looks like Vitali is intending to take all the hidden secret funds for himself.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he go that far?¡±


    If one didn¡¯t want to drink radioactive tea, it was instinctive for politicians topromise and share their profits. No matter how favored Vitali Andropov might be, the congressmen were capable of bringing him down for treason.


    ¡°He withdrew five million dors in one quarter alone. Where do you think all that money went?¡±


    ¡°Where did it go?¡±


    ¡°Gaius.¡±


    ¡°The pharmaceuticalpany?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    The Russian ambassador was investing in an international pharmaceuticalpany? It was something public officials of the States could never dream of, but considering Russia¡¯s circumstances, it wasn¡¯t an impossible scenario. Would anyone believe that the Russian government flung around 300 million dors a year in bribes? Brazil was horrible, but Russia was worse.


    The real thug country was Russia, not the States. Why else would the Spanish prosecutors have pointed out the Russian president as the mastermind behind a foreign criminal organization that was active in their country? The unbelievable and unrealistic incidents took ce in Siberia.


    ¡°Seeing how Moscow is disturbed, they must be handing the power to the next generation.¡±


    ¡°Is Vitali on the winning side or the losing side?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s iffy. Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s going for the secret funds.¡±


    ¡°Those with only evil left within are dangerous... Should we keep our distance from Moscow?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to visit the president.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±


    That was true. It was only said in passing, but he did promise to visit Moscow. Ahn Soo Ho hung up and called another number.


    ¡°Shallot. This is Soo Ho. I¡¯ve heard the news. How unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! I was going to call you, but there was opposition. I know it¡¯ste, but can you help me?¡±


    Shallot Davis told him that Allen Davis didn¡¯t make any promise to his sister. It was uncertain if the American president was devoted to his duties or if he didn¡¯t care whether or not his niece would die. Allen Davis¡¯ first impression wasn¡¯t good, but he was bing worse and worse over time. From his point of view, there was no difference between Muslims and Christians.


    ¡°Did you tell Jina about me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I told her to call you if anything happened. Did you get a call from her?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness! Thank you, Lord! Is she hurt? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Shallot! Shallot! Calm down and listen to me. Jina will be okay. You trust me, right?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho calmed her down from overreacting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Deliver a message to Scott for me.¡±


    The truth was, An Davis didn¡¯t be president because he was great. The Davis¡¯ family¡¯s son-inw, Scott Allen put him in that position. Scott Davis was a kingmaker. The politicians in Washington D.C. whispered among themselves calling him the ghost president.


    ¡°Dokdo is Korea¡¯snd, and it¡¯s not the Japanese Sea but the East Sea. Oh! Thefort women negotiations are invalid.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Is that what you want me to deliver?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll understand.¡±


    He had to spend a long timeforting Shallot, but once Ahn Soo Ho ended the call, he looked satisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be quite the headache, Yankee.¡±


    After hearing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s message, Scott tried hard to figure out the meaning, but what he said wasplete nonsense, so there was no way there was any hidden meaning behind it. If there was a reason, it was because he was unlikable. In any case, changes would be made to the diplomatic guidelines for Korea and Japan¡¯s rtions. It was not possible to expose the truth about the Cab of Japan trying to screw Daesan Group over with Korea National Association, so this was the next best way to relieve the anger.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    ¡°Who should I screw over next?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 33 ¨C Jina Davis [2] > The end.

 Chapter 35: < Protect – Episode 34 – Jina Davis [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 35: < Protect ¨C Episode 34 ¨C Jina Davis [3] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t in a rush. In the current situation, it wasn¡¯t about the truth behind the kidnapping incident, but how that could benefit him. It was difficult to see Deep Breath as kidnappers, but no matter what great mercenaries they were, going against a military with government support was like running into a fire.


    ¡°There has to be a story behind it.¡±


    Even if they were not the CIA if one trusted what the Yankees would say they would regret it a lot. Lying was a basic skill that all agents need. Everyone in this field was liars. It was a ce where peoplepete to see who could bluff the best.


    He felt the air change as he became distant from the Andes. Just like Africa, the border surveince in South America was soid back that the natives weren¡¯t even sure what their nationality was. It was almost as if they were stateless. Not all countries had resident registration systems like Korea.


    The reason why human trafficking was somon in Africa, South America, and India, was because even if someone goes missing, no one could find them. If one would think about it, selling people was the most profitable business. The issue was whether or not it was legal. If entertainment and porn were legal,ws regarding prostitution differed by country, and any such acts with minors were crimes no matter what.


    As Ahn Soo Ho passed the Paraguay border that connected to Bolivia, his phone rang.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Operation Third Eye.¡±


    ¡°The assassination program?¡±


    ¡°Langley stayed quiet about it, but many prevention methods were performed against political maneuvering, sabotage, terror, assassination, etc. of the Central and South American leaders. But they underestimated their opponents.¡±


    The leaders of Central and South America were aware that there would be retaliation so they prepared ordingly. It was not just the States that specializes in bribery and using weaknesses to get what they want. There were many Americans who were born and raised in the States but didn¡¯t support the country. They were always ready to switch sides as long as there was something in it for them.


    Even the report of the States¡¯ vocational ethics and government discipline that was releasedst year made the Americans shocked. That was because half of the police officers, firefighters, charity workers, and union workers said they would take bribes if they wouldn¡¯t be exposed. They also didn¡¯t think to amodate for sessful CEOs and politicians with great influence.


    ¡°Just like how Russia threw around a lot of money for bribes, the States is no joke either. If you look at the numbers, they might actually be worse than Russia.¡±


    Foreign countries have to go through the trouble of getting US dors, but not for the States. They didn¡¯t have to since their currency was the US dor. Above all, since it was legal to use lobbyists, using high-rank officials and politicians to invest in themunity was a legal way of bribing people.


    ¡°As long as you have the election money, the States¡¯ council is pretty easy to control. Of course, contributions from a foreigner is illegal, but there are many ways out of it.¡±


    The public didn¡¯t know this, but it was not just the States that contributes to the States¡¯ election. And every time they talk about reforming thew, there was only one reason why the Democrats and Republicans strongly oppose. Once they got to the origin of the funds, they were met with an interest group.


    ¡°Since the number of fallen soldiers and agents due to the rescue mission are in the three digits, the National Assembly can¡¯t dodge it. The Davis administration will be met with a very big crisis once they¡¯re established.¡±


    In the States, if a problem urred, someone had to take the responsibility. As strong as the supervisor¡¯s authority was, so was their responsibility.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think someone in the National Assembly hopes for the rescue mission to fail?¡±


    ¡°Because they want to be the star of the hearing?¡±


    ¡°Politics is a monster.¡±


    Politics was a monster. Actually, only monsters could do well in politics.


    ¡°But if they know the details of a military mission...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either the upper house or the lower house.¡±


    ¡°Or both.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking it¡¯s more than one person, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you the opposite question. Would only one person be able to spill this kind of information?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, but his deep moan meant he agreed.


    ¡°Can you cover the assembly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... but it¡¯ll cost a lot.¡±


    ¡°Get started on it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    This was the States¡¯ power battle taking ce in South America. After ending his call, Ahn Soo Ho looked out the window. The endless forest of trees looked very ufortable today.


    ¡°The abandoned.¡±


    Even now, someone was probably being used and thrown away because of a man in power. They would treat them as if they were valued but then throw them away once they were all used up. The guys in Deep Breath once used to be patriots, but they turned into mercenaries chasing money.


    In the battlefield where lives were at stake, gender, age, and race didn¡¯t matter. The weapon in a person¡¯s hand and theirrades were everything. If a person would die, theirrade with him would die as well, The trust betweenrades were decided based on skill.


    ¡°Who will point them out?¡±


    Those who were unaware of that hideosity would forever saw the world as beautiful. He arrived in the area near the Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay border right before sundown. If a person took one step from Ciudad del Este that person was in Brazil already.


    The true colors of this so-called city of pleasures would show at night. Prostitutes filled the streets, and when a fight broke out, people responded as if it was a boxing match. It was not just dangerous at night, but governmental authority was non-existent.


    Ahn Soo Ho went into a night club. Someone came to greet him. His arm was covered in tattoos that symbolized a gang. In order to be a key member of a gang that preyed on tourists, one would have to be ready to kill a member of an opposing gang.


    The street gangs of South America were well-built and were much more violent than those of Korea. Using guns was basic, and if they step it up a notch, one could see rockets flying everywhere in a real war. The new president didn¡¯t mention the crimes and wars as a metaphor, because in order to weed out criminals, he had to use so much force that it would beparable to war. They were always in the middle of a civil war.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Carlos.¡±


    The ghost of del Este, Carlos Costa was a gentleman dressed in a clean suit.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re on sabbatical.¡±


    ¡°How far have the rumors spread?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho never went around telling people he was on sabbatical, but most people knew.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s keeping an eye on you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to be the center of attention in a ce like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have many challengers. But you probably don¡¯t care who that is.¡±


    ¡°I want to avoid unnecessary conflict.¡±


    If one would consider his evil reputation, that was a rational response. But Carlos thought Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation had been reduced quite a bit.


    ¡°The angel of death.¡±


    Before he knew it, his name was apanied with words such as ¡°blood,¡± ¡°death,¡± ¡°destroy,¡± and demolition,¡± so cartels and gangs avoided him. A guardian angel for one person was an angel of death for another.


    ¡°Do you know that the States pointed you out as the one behind the kidnapping, Carlos?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°The ones after the reward money will be on your tail.¡±


    ¡°I dare them. They¡¯ll find out why I¡¯m known as the ghost of del Este.¡±


    Ciudad del Este was a territory reigned by Carlos Costa. As long as the States doesn¡¯t siege warfare, this ce would be imprable, and even the president of Paraguay had to receive Carlos¡¯ permission to leave after a visit. The influence of the criminal organizations wasn¡¯t so different from that of governmental authority.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯te here to just chat... Did you ept the job?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s moreplicated than I thought. Do you know anything that can help, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Hm. ording to the PCC guys, there are rumors that it was Brazil¡¯s self-fabricated scenario.¡±


    ¡°Self-fabricated? What will they get out of that?¡±


    The kidnapping incident made Brazil¡¯s state credit go down.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a corrupt public official worrying about their country? It¡¯s all a poker game. There¡¯s a field that grows the more Brazil and Argentina gets dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the top one percent battle about how skilled their guards are.¡±


    Just like trophy wives, trophy guards were on the rise, and private militarypanies were bing more active.


    ¡°The Brazilian government probably can¡¯t bear it. If they want public order they have to expand their police force, but since half of the police are corrupted, funds that are given to those corrupt policemen will just end up in their pockets. But if they just leave it the gangs will multiply and lead to a war. The ce that arrived in such a crisis...¡±


    ¡°Aragon Company.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Them.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Brazil, but also Argentina, Columbia, Venezu, and Bolivia who were interested in the civilian police business. It was a n to trust mercenaries to establish public order in a ce flooding with violent crimes. They trusted that international mercenaries wouldn¡¯t fool around with their funds.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°They¡¯re leaving a cat with a fish shop.¡±


    ¡°How would office workers know anything about mercenaries? Anyway, there are many politicians who were won over by Aragon.¡±


    Organized corruption that went after rights was hard to get rid of without a widespread situation. The problem was that insisting on justice to a government like that could lead to getting killed. Not even the president could magically dodge a bullet.


    ¡°From their point of view, it¡¯s better for the kidnapped to be killed in a cruel manner.¡±


    ¡°Deep Breath might have sunken to a new low, but they don¡¯t kill innocent civilians.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why Aragon signed a contract with Deep Breath.¡±


    ¡°They signed a contract? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Soo Ho. No matter how skilled Deep Breath is, will they be able to beat the top special forces of the States?¡±


    ¡°There are many variables in an open battle. The U.S. military isn¡¯t invincible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re not. But about that Cill and Delta. Not even the Deep Breath grandfather could beat active soldiers.¡±


    Countless movies and dramas morized and exaggerated it a bit, but the States¡¯ special forces were very scary in real life as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the States wants to cover up their embarrassing failures. Aragon is looking for that crack. To them the best scenario is to make sure no one survives at the end of their battle with the States¡¯ special forces.¡±


    The States¡¯ who was probably getting fed up with their multiple failures would give everything they had in a final confrontation.


    ¡°If you keep a foot on both sides, get information, and use them, you¡¯ll lose both sides. That¡¯s a dangerous n... If the States finds out, Aragon won¡¯t be safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need a lobbyist. Once the National Assembly hearing begins, the White House will burn to the ground. You know that. The truth isn¡¯t important. It¡¯s all about face.¡±


    That was true. The Pentagon could bury the full story regarding the mission with the excuse of protecting their status and authority.


    ¡°How much of this should I believe, Carlos?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, call him.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°James.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Soo Ho! You finally called.¡±


    ¡°Is the U.S. military starting a new mission?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was against it, but the higher-ups pressured us.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    James sounded like he had more to say, but he hung up and typed in another number. His business with Carlos Costa ended. Ahn Soo Ho handed him a note with his bitcoin ount and password and walked outside.


    ¡°Not answering?¡±


    It was ringing, but no one was picking up. Instead of heading toward the entrance, he took the lift to the top floor. He saw a door to the roof as soon as he exits the emergency exit. The handle wouldn¡¯t turn, so he kicked the door open. A view of Ciudad del Este unfolded in front of him. He didn¡¯t hang up the phone and waited. The phone had been ringing for 2 minutes but the other line was still not picking up, so Ahn Soo Ho decided to hang up the phone.


    ¡°Hm. This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    He tried to refrain from armed intervention.


    ¡°This is getting tiring.¡±


    In an instant, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s body disappeared with the light.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 34 ¨C Jina Davis [3] The end.

 Chapter 36: < Protect – Episode 35 – Aragon Company [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 36: < Protect ¨C Episode 35 ¨C Aragon Company [1] ></h4>


    ¡°I talked to Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡±


    ¡°One of the people we brought is a client of his.¡±


    ¡°Should I... be relieved?¡±


    ¡°He gave us a meeting ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The man in the mask, also known as Seo Jung Wook, turned off his walkie-talkie and entered a shabby shack. Jina Davis stared at his weird behavior in a subtle way. What went wrong? There was no way for her to know without mindreading. The one certainty was that Seo Jung Wook could no longer do whatever he wants to Jina.


    After the call with Ahn Soo Ho, Jina visited Seo Jung Wook often.


    ¡°You have a scary man as your middleman, Ms. Davis.¡±


    ¡°A scary man? Oh, are you talking about Soo Ho?¡±


    Jina noticed that his way of speaking changedpletely, but her sneering disappeared. She thought about what she was missing.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think much about it when her parents told her about him. She just remembered that there was a man like that. It was superhuman powers that helped her remember his number in her time of need. In any case, he made her kidnapper more cautious, which made her interested in his name. So she said his name in a warmer tone.


    ¡°That clever wench.¡±


    Seo Jung Wook clicked his tongue in his head.


    Did most Americans act like people were close even when their not? He realized Jina¡¯s lie in an instant. If she knew who Soo Ho really was, she wouldn¡¯t have taken so long in mentioning his name.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not make this difficult. What do you want to hear, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Is the negotiation still going on?¡±


    ¡°As I already said, with your cooperation...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid!¡±


    Jina cut off Seo Jung Wook.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be getting mad at me...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We should have killed all of you and more by now.¡±


    Hearing him talk about killing as if it was nothing reminded her that he was a vicious killer. No one had died yet, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to use violence.


    ¡°You must have really looked down on us to start a mission in the middle of a negotiation. I¡¯m saying I have the right to execute at least a few of you right now.¡±


    She was at a loss for words.


    Just like he said, if the rescue mission failed, she wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything to them executing a few of them. Jina realized how generous the kidnappers had been. And there was no need to exin any of this. Seo Jung Wook sent Jina back, took off his mask, and smoothed his face.


    ¡°I... hate this.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single thing that was favorable in this mission. When he was abandoned by his homnd, he decided to be a scumbag that only goes after money. After that, he focused on staying alive and good money followed. The problem was that as time goes on, he felt more and more empty. It was as if there was a hole in the bottom of his chest.


    ¡°Team Leader, an armed vehicle and five other buses are approaching.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s their ID?¡±


    ¡°Aragon.¡±


    ¡°Those bastards are finally here.¡±


    People thought the ones who led the kidnapping were the ones who attacked the States¡¯ special forces, but the truth was, Aragon Company intercepted and got rid of the internal information. There was only one thing they were after.


    ¡°A civilian police force.¡±


    They invested everything in trying to pass aw that would make a civilian police force possible so that they could control the brutal reality of South America, which even the U.S. military was scared of. In order to do that, a shocking incident was needed to change the minds of the public, and the kidnapping incident brought all the attention of South America.


    ¡°Those thugs.¡±


    Deep Breath also did a lot of horrible things, but Aragon weren¡¯t mercenaries, but a real criminal organization. Seo Jung Wook, who took out his phone to call the team leader who would wait at the meeting ce, had a weird feeling. Why wasn¡¯t Aragon headed toward Campos? In any case, the one in charge of the contract between Deep Breath and Aragon was the team leader, and it was also him who called the shots.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When there was no answer, he looked at the phone and noticed that the phone had no reception.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    It was more likely to get struck by lightning than to have a phone to break so suddenly.


    ¡°Collin! Call...¡±


    Before Seo Jung Wook could finish, the barracks exploded. And then the guns started firing.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    In contrast to Seo Jung Wook who dodged it, Collin¡¯s body got shredded and was flung off by the explosion. Seo Jung Wook did his best to get up, but he couldn¡¯t help but wobble. His ears were ringing. He felt like he was standing upright, but the sky and ground were twirling. He touched a flowing liquid and realized it was blood.


    Ting, ting-


    They were ambushed. They were definitely those Aragon bastards.


    When he peeked out of his barracks, he could see the progress of the battle. Even though they were ambushed, they were fighting back hard. They never put their guard down. Mercenaries had a gun in their hand even if they ate, slept, or had sex.


    Du, du, du, du-


    When the machine guns arrived, they were clearly inferior.


    ¨C There bastards!


    ¨C Jo and Silva are down!


    The long-distancemunication was disturbed, but the nearbymunication was still fine.


    ¡°Clear out! Immediately! Clear out!¡±


    If the Aragon really tried, clearing out wouldn¡¯t be easy, but mercenaries were known to do whatever they could to survive. But he still ran into the battlefield. He didn¡¯t care if the people they kidnapped died or not, but he had to save one of them.


    ¡°Jina Davis.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t lose her in this chaos. It wasn¡¯t because of loyalty toward Ahn Soo Ho, but because he needed some insurance. The barracks confining the kidnapped individuals was chaotic too. The explosion could be heard a few seconds after they saw the smoke.


    Kaboom-


    Jina tried her best to get up, but the dizziness caused by the explosion made her eyes saw obscure images in front of her.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    She covered her nose and mouth, but her throat stung.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The burned and damaged body was grotesque. The ce was full of smoke and fire. When masked men with guns came in, she tried to ask for help, but gunshots fired before she could. The gunshots created a mixture of blood and dust that turned into fog.


    There was no time to even scream.


    The guns were not hesitant to st through human flesh, burst arteries, and crush bones. People turned into pieces in just a few seconds as if they were in a meat shop. Jinaid t. The fear made her lose her rationality and she lost feeling in her legs.


    Was this the end?


    Her heart told her to be brave, but her brain screamed that there was no way. Was this how people on death row felt? She had read it before. As deep despair took over, people only remembered their good memories.


    ¡°Lies!¡±


    Jina screamed inside her head. She peed herself instead of remembering good memories.


    Ting, ting-


    The good part was that she wasn¡¯t shot. The masked men who fired all those shots became the next targets.


    ¡°Jina Davis!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    She struggled to take off the hand of the person who was grabbing her, but the familiar voice made her look up.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°If you want to live, run!¡±


    Jina was unfamiliar with Seo Jung Wook¡¯s unmasked face, but she didn¡¯t forget his voice. Since they couldn¡¯t differentiate who was on which side, it was best to see everyone as enemies. He pretty much dragged Jina out. The ce Deep Breath used as a safe house wasn¡¯t flooded with people, but it was not empty either.


    Once Brazil dispatched an army to do a search, they were going to get caught. This ce was so dirty that not even the poor people went there. When he opened an emergency exit, there was an underground tunnel.


    ¡°Go, Jina!¡±


    Seo Jung Wook, who pushed her into the tunnel, turned around and pulled the trigger. A person¡¯s head exploded.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Jina ran for her life. She didn¡¯t think about anything but running. Her knees were cut and her hands were muddy. She was running out of breath. As she crawled out of the underground tunnel, her hair got grabbed and she rolled onto the ground.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    It was a muddy ser field in the slums. These people were like hyenas who were unfazed by the gunshots and only cared about whether or not they could get at her. The way the men were dressed screams the slums. A man got on top of Jina and ripped her clothes off.


    Jina who suddenly ended up in a nude show didn¡¯t have time to resist. It was all like a dream. She didn¡¯t think things could get any worse than being kidnapped, but if escaping gun fires and getting raped by a hobo wasn¡¯t hell, what else could be? Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have been subjected to such degradation if she was just killed in the butcher house.


    The men looked at her andughed as she cried in silence. Her breasts were exposed as soon as the bra came off. The excited males were ready to pounce as soon as they saw Jina lying there without even covering herself. Before a gun was aimed at his head, that was.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    They all froze to the voice that wasn¡¯t loud or quiet. Ahn Soo Ho used his skills to beat up the horny bastards. If he wanted, he could suffocate all of them too.


    He kicked the man who was on top of Jina.


    ¡°Jina?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Jina Davis?¡±


    The loss of focus in her eyes made him realize that she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer any time soon. Ahn Soo Ho gestured for people toe out. They were tactical agentspletely armed with theirbat uniform and weapons.


    ¡°Take her to the medical team.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho entered the underground tunnel.


    It was a small tunnel that was made without much care. The gunshots have stopped for quite some time now. Brazil¡¯s public order was so messed up that the police didn¡¯t even show up to a gun battle. But then again this ce was just as bad as Rio de Janeiro. Both the police and military avoideding here.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    He was weed by hazy smoke. The ce was mashed up that even the bodies didn¡¯t look like bodies anymore. It was a brutal battle. The ones who showed up after the gunshots stopped weren¡¯t the police or the ambnce, but hobos of the slums. The way they looked through the bodies reminded him of hyenas.


    The tactical agents that followed Ahn Soo Ho secured the perimeters. As soon as big ck mercenaries approached, the hobos ran off. Ahn Soo Ho saw a survivor near the underground tunnel. Was it? He was barely alive.


    ¡°608.¡±


    ¡°Did you... find... Davis...?¡±


    Seo Jung Wook spat out blood every time he breathed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... good.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you clear out, 608?¡±


    Seo Jung Wook answered with a look that looked like a smile or a frown. He was definitely in pain, but he was still smiling. Ahn Soo Ho was able to see so much from that smile.


    ¡°You wanted to die.¡±


    Contradictory feelings.


    Even though he made up his mind to be a bastard who was only after money, he was unable to let go of the hope of putting the puzzle pieces back together. Seo Jung Wook was a good person. But the reality wasn¡¯t so amodating for good people to live in.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho went on his knees and put his ear to Seo Jung Wook. The quiet voice faded into silence. Ahn Soo Ho closed his eyelids. When he got back up, a mercenary approached.


    ¡°There are no other survivors.¡±


    ¡°What about Deep Breath?¡±


    ¡°They failed to clear out.¡±


    ¡°They cornered them on purpose, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it looks like Aragon set a trap.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t him, Jina Davis would be dead.¡±


    If Seo Jung Wook didn¡¯t put her through the underground tunnel, she would have died. Aragon probably had no idea that there was a secret path.


    ¡°Tell James that we secured it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at the mercenary, who didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Aragon crossed the line.¡±


    ¡°Crossed the line?¡±


    He smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Logan. This is the life of mercenaries. If you kill others, you should also be ready to get killed. Betrayal? Conspiracy? The victims are the fools.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sneered. Even though Seo Jung Wook¡¯s death was tragic and sad but that was it. Mercenaries were cold-blooded killers, so a couple of seconds were enough for them to mourn for the dead.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as justice for killers.¡±


    ¡°Aragon made a double contract! They vited the unwrittenw!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... not right. But so what? Are you going to report it to the police? Just like how there¡¯s no justice, there¡¯s now for us either.¡±


    ¡°But... but you¡¯re Mr. Guardian.¡±


    The soldiers that lived on the battleground didn¡¯t want to meet Ahn Soo Ho as an enemy. But if he was an ally then that would be a different story. In the end, mercenaries could follow the contract and be loyal to each other and trust each other with their lives. There was no mercy or forgiveness. All they do was use as many bullets as they were provided. But even in such a cold-hearted world, there were still standards.


    Mr. Guardian.


    He was the guardian angel for all. It was true.


    Making a double contract was a hostile action that goes against the rules of trust and good faith. When the phone inside his pocket vibrated, Ahn Soo Ho raised his hand and stopped Logan from talking.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Aragon will attack the U.S. military soon.¡±


    ¡°Send me the location.¡±


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡±


    He thought about it carefully and then smirked.


    ¡°The full package.¡±


    ¡°The full package? Are you going to start a war?¡±


    ¡°Aragon crossed the line, Charlie. If war is what they want, I¡¯ll bring it to them.¡±


    When Logan heard what Ahn Soo Ho said, he blinked his eyes. In response to his gaze that asked what the point of their dispute was, he just shrugged.


    ¡°Deliver this message for me.¡±


    When he thought about it, this made him furious. That was because putting people through hardship and screwing them over was his job.


    ¡°I¡¯ming for you.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 35 ¨C Aragon Company [1] > The end.

 Chapter 37: < Protect – Episode 36 – Aragon Company [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 37: < Protect ¨C Episode 36 ¨C Aragon Company [2] ></h4>


    The powerful press of the States, Washington Post released an investigative report a few days ago.


    ¡°Aragon Company, who gains profit through blood and death, is a devil incarnate.¡±


    While the expenditures of national defense were stirring up the media, the leaders who controlled the American economy had a secret meeting. Aragon Company, who was based in the States but had their foundation in South America, dreamt of a civilian police force as well as a civilian intelligence service.


    ¡°I think Mr. Guardian is involved.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I apologize. He is involved.¡±


    No one could lead or pressure Aragon¡¯s agenda.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t one of Cruze¡¯s fools say he could fool them?¡±


    ¡°Did you really believe that?¡±


    ¡°No, but... this is too quick. I thought we could have them captured in a month or two. What do we do? Are we going to negotiate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... We know their rules.¡±


    In the world of mercenaries, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s word was the rule. No matter how much money Aragon Company had, it didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t have the mercenaries to do the deed.


    ¡°Scrap the secret mission.¡±


    ¡°The members will hate that.¡±


    ¡°If you want to fight with them, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that! We¡¯d be lucky to have empty hands of grain. In any case, the secret mission¡¯s evil reputation is partly on us too.¡±


    Just like the Russian doll where a smaller dolles out of the bigger one, a shellpany couldn¡¯t be kept hidden forever. They were nning to deal with Aragon Company¡¯s dirty secret mission department, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s involvement just sped things up.


    The civilian police force could be set up with PMC even if Aragon was out of the picture.


    ¡°What if Mr. Guardian keeps digging?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Soo Ho. He¡¯s not doing this for justice. He¡¯s actually pretty much like us. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°A lonely wolf. Wait, is he a lonely killer whale?¡±


    ¡°A killer whale?¡±


    ¡°If you stick out your hand at the cute thing, he¡¯ll pull you down into the water.¡±


    The so-called meeting ended in no time. The vice-president of Genesis Quantum, Michael Tobal talked to his friend, Thomas Chenyabin, who was the vice-president of United Aircraft.


    ¡°The remaining issue... is Vitali.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Is it necessary to deal with him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to keep irritating the Russians.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But internal transactions are legal in Moscow.¡±


    ¡°The political members will use them as hunting dogs. After the fall of the Soviet Union, their new ideology is money.¡±


    Modern Russia, which shed the past of a celibate society, put blind faith in capitalism. They were reborn aspletely different people.


    ¡°In contrast to Soo Ho, Moscow can be negotiated with.¡±


    ¡°In the end, all variables conclude with Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Just because he won¡¯t negotiate doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s out of line or stubborn. It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s more trustworthy than anyone. If I have to call someone when my life is in danger, I¡¯ll call him without any hesitation.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who didn¡¯t know that people were talking behind his back thousands of kilometers away, sat across from James back at the American conste in Sao Paulo. Due to the special operation director¡¯s strict orders, thest special forces to be dispatched were held at a camp. No matter how respected the one in charge was, halting an operation midway was like suicide in politics.


    James quivered at the pressuring phone call.


    ¡°General, are you threatening me? I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not your subordinate. Go to the White House and get a signature from the National Security Advisor. Yes, yes. I¡¯ll listen if the president makes the order himself.¡±


    He hung up the phone forcefully.


    ¡°Those damn old men!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t believe me when I say Aragon is up to no good!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we have any proof or witnesses. Since they¡¯re one of the top defense contractors, there are probably many departments and generals involved. I bet plenty of people are willing to lick their assholes.¡±


    Aragon, who secured tens of billions of dors¡¯ worth of defense contracts, gave preference to reservists, generals, officers, and soldiers. It became normal for these connections to look the other way as long as it wasn¡¯t breaking thew.


    ¡°We have a witness. Jina Davis.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. She can¡¯t testify, James. We can¡¯t do that to a hurt woman.¡±


    ¡°Are you making me the bad guy?¡±


    The kidnapping was bad enough, but after running away and almost getting raped, how could she be in her right mind? Jina Davis was going through a hard time. If she doesn¡¯t recover now, she could be gone forever.


    With Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fast actions, Aragon¡¯s sneak attack became something that never happened. The problem was that the International Cooperation Agency got hurt along with the kidnappers. It was vague whether it was a shootout between kidnappers or if they were gunned down by armed groups from the slums.


    ¡°The Brazilian government won¡¯t do an investigation or cooperate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t.¡±


    If one would look at the series of events following the International Cooperation Agency¡¯s kidnapping incident, there were more than a few police officers and cooperators who helped Aragon with their crazy stunt.


    ¡°Even if we make them negotiate through threats, they¡¯ll leave the important ones and sacrifice the small fries instead.¡±


    Just like an earring that could be used for both the nose and ears, they were able to make it fit depending on the situation. But the big problem was with Jina Davis, who was the only kidnapped to survive. The fact that only the niece of the president survived was surely going to stir up some controversy. If people suspect that she only survived because she was the president¡¯s niece, that would make a fatal blow on Allen Davis.


    Also, since all the American soldiers and kidnapped individuals died except for one survivor, it was a very humiliating situation. It was obvious that the American media would see it as a mistake on the Davis¡¯ administration¡¯s part.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they went so far. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re short on money.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Greed can never be satisfied.¡±


    If someone was in possession of something valuable, they would be asking more of it. After having more it, they would still ask for more.


    ¡°They did all this just to make more money?¡±


    ¡°Mercenaries are simple. It¡¯s just that their current situation isplicated. Ennd and France are just as screwed as the States now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    James let out a bitterugh.


    Even though they were able to save the president¡¯s niece, half of the kidnapped individuals were members of the UN from Ennd and France. The American president was screwed but the same could be said for the English prime minister and the French president as well. Everybody sucks! If one would have to pick who was the most screwed, the States was a little further ahead.


    ¡°The States will be okay, James.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯sforting, Soo Ho.¡±


    The States definitely made a mistake. But since the system would keep running, the wounds would heal themselves over time.


    ¡°It¡¯ll get noisy with all the investigations and what not.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the truth wille out?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head. If he stepped up, finding evidence wasn¡¯t very difficult to do.


    ¡°But why should I?¡±


    He has no reason to do what the Yankees should be doing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m fighting for justice.¡±


    Jina Davis was saved, the American troops that were supposed to be annihted were rescued, and it was notified that Aragon was behind the kidnapping. It was up to the States whether they believe it or not. Ahn Soo Ho bet that the States would just bury the whole thing about Aragon. No matter how much they want to rip the White House to shreds, they would try to cover up anything that would hurt National Security and taint their image.


    That was because government contracts need to go through a process with the assembly, so there had to be quite a few congressmen who were involved with Aragon Company like they were with the military. Even though Aragon was a powerful force in the international world of mercenaries, since they were being managed by Americans, they were considered as an Americanpany. And the fact that an Americanpany kidnapped, threatened, and murdered people would be a nightmare for the American Government if the world found out.


    ¡°Neither the White House or the assembly would want to acknowledge it.¡±


    Compared to this, the president¡¯s sex scandal is nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up to the soldier¡¯s message. He was escorted to the special operations headquarters. He was weed by Lieutenant Hawthorne when he went inside. Ahn Soo Ho responded with a smile.


    The inside of the special operations headquarters was deste.


    Normally, there would have been three or four soldiers taking care ofmunication, but the video conference wasn¡¯t going to be protected with just average security. Ahn Soo Ho could recognize many of the faces on the screen. The first one to open his mouth was a typical middle-aged man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be direct, Soo Ho. What¡¯s your solution?¡±


    ¡°Are you getting right to it?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡±


    The American president, Allen Davis looked at the camera with a serious face. If anyone but Ahn Soo Ho had pointed at Aragon as the ones behind the kidnapping, they would have justughed. But due to his achievements in the world of mercenaries, he had more confidence than that of the White House.


    ¡°Whoa, calm down, Allen. I don¡¯t want you to copse of a heart attack.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho calmed him down and scanned the faces.


    ¡°Since everyone started investigating, I¡¯m sure the truth wille out soon. The problem is that you¡¯ll be put in harm¡¯s way when it¡¯s released to the public. That¡¯s one hundred percent certain.¡±


    One would think that top politicians could change the world however they want but that was not always the case. Once a person climbed to the top, they would age quickly. Why? Because they would have to deal with shitty situations and be stressed all the time. The line presidents would use all the time was,


    ¡®So tired¡¯


    Politics was tiring in every country.


    ¡°I have two solutions to offer, everyone. First, expose Aragon and establish an international investigation team. Pull out their roots.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    The response was immediate.


    ¡°Aragon is an international civilian-militarypany. They¡¯re mainly active in South America, but they¡¯re pretty powerful in Africa and the Middle East too. They¡¯re a bigpany that provides security services to NATO. They know a lot of sensitive information.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There¡¯s no one, more experienced in nting agents in troubled areas than Aragon.¡±


    It was the English prime minister who went with the French president¡¯s opinion and gave supporting statements. Ahn Soo Ho, who took turns looking at everyone, just shrugged.


    ¡°The first solution won¡¯t work. Then let¡¯s go on to the second one.¡±


    The first one was something that was used when serving justice. He knew they wouldn¡¯t ept it.


    ¡°There would be too much coteral damage.¡±


    This was why they were saying that the belly button was bigger than the stomach. Or the saying, that fish didn¡¯t live in water that was too clear? They all had different standards of justice. Some didn¡¯t allow jaywalking, and others turned the other way to urinating on the streets. The standard depended on whatever they werefortable with. Rather than justice, it was the profits that came out of it that matters most.


    That was what most elite politicians were doing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to weed out the rotten apples.¡±


    Everyone turned serious to what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°Oh! Is that possible, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, and it¡¯ll cost a lot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how much it costs. We¡¯ll set you up with a team in every country.¡±


    Seeing how they were unanimous, they had to be involved with Aragon as well. That might be the reason why Aragon did such horrible things. People said power was more addicting than drugs, and that wasn¡¯t wrong. Once people got a taste of power, they couldn¡¯t turn back.


    And it was best for them to stay that way.


    ¡°Sounds good. I feel motivated by all of your support.¡±


    He looked happy, but no one smiled. The States, Ennd, France, Germany, Russia, and even China and Japan supported Ahn Soo Ho. Now that he had the support of the greatest leaders, he felt ready to create a bit of amotion. This was like an international pardon simr to having an international driving license.


    It was not necessary, but it was good to have.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±


    He stopped everyone from concluding the meeting.


    ¡°I forgot to mention one more thing.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho thought he shed a nice smile, but he was obviously smiling in an evil way.


    ¡°It¡¯s ten million dors per head.¡±


    ¡®Stupid... I mean, respected clients.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 36 ¨C Aragon Company [2] > The end.

 Chapter 38: < Protect – Episode 37 – Aragon Company [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 38: < Protect ¨C Episode 37 ¨C Aragon Company [3] ></h4>


    After Ahn Soo Ho finished negotiating with the stupid or our so-called world leaders, he went straight to Rio de Janeiro. If the administrative capital of Brazil was Brasilia and the economic capital was Sao Paulo, the crime capital was Rio de Janeiro.


    Brazil was a weird country.


    The status order and connections made by the gap between the rich and the poor was very clear and explicit. It was as if there was another country within the country on the samend and under the same sky. If the Nazis¡¯ built istion camps to lock people up, the Brazilian hobos acted as if they didn¡¯t want any foreign interference in theirnd.


    If the purpose of politics was to unite the people for the country¡¯s development, the Brazilian politicians were neglecting their duties. That was because Brazilian politicians hadpletely given up on the poor. Their policy was that the unfortunate would always be unfortunate and the ones who were well off should just live their great lives.


    It sounds ridiculous, but it was normal for Brazil. Why? Because they were Brazil. It wasn¡¯t easy to define a country and a country¡¯s poption. But 80% of Brazilian citizens focused on the present rather than the future, and that number was very meaningful. Calling Brazil the country of passion wasn¡¯t always a good thing.


    They called criminals who didn¡¯t realize that they were criminals as psychopaths. ording to that standard, half of Brazil were mental patients. In a ce wheremitting a crime was normal, it was weirder to notmit any crimes. Calling the slums ¡°hell on earth¡± was an understatement.


    Ahn Soo Ho went to find Pabe in Rio de Janeiro. One might think the grass field and the hobos have nothing to do with each other, but the ones maintaining this ce were criminal organizations. Most people thought of drugs and guns when they think about gangs, but they also had to keep up with the changing times in order to survive.


    Pro sports was a great business model.


    ¡°Are you still managing the sports gambling ring, Gospel?¡±


    ¡°Business has taken a hit because of what happened in Sao Paolo.¡±


    Alejandro Gospel,


    He started pickpocketing at the young age of seven years old and became the head of the top criminal organization after 40 years. The Brazilian criminal organization that first came to mind was probably PCC, but Vermelho CV near Rio de Janeiro was no joke either.


    ¡°But it¡¯s better than Sao Paulo.¡±


    ¡°Better? You¡¯re kidding, right, Soo Ho?¡±


    90% of Brazil¡¯s industrial foundation was situated in the southeast. They picked Brasilia as the capital with the excuse of developing the country¡¯s bnce, but the center of this country were the cities, Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro.


    ¡°Do you know how many tourists we lost after the Yankees caused thatmotion? If they wanted to do that, they should have done it quietly. The rumors have spread everywhere. This is why I hate amateurs.¡±


    ¡°Carlos said a criminal group gave them help.¡±


    ¡°Carlos Costa? Do you still talk to that bastard?¡±


    ¡°He told me to say hi.¡±


    Gospel frowned. Brazilian organizations hated the bystander organizations of Paraguay and Uruguay as much as they hated Argentina.


    ¡°Hm. It¡¯s true that the Marchinianu side helped them out. But I drew a clear line. Negotiating with a bunch of no-good mercenaries never ends well.¡±


    ¡°Did Marchinianu provide the smuggling route?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Noment.¡±


    Brazil was one of the top 3 ces powerful people ran off to if they were wanted by the police or if they lost a power battle. Brazil, where the safety and living standards were two extremes, was able to get a good taste of capitalism.


    The ironic part was that frencing guards and security businesses in Brazil sign property contracts with their enemy gangs. They agreed to install demilitarization zones to avoid getting into gunfights in certain areas.


    Not even contracts matter when they weren¡¯t satisfied, but they at least pretended to follow it. As the criminal market became more globalized, they had no choice but to bring in more outsiders, and not long ago, it was said that an area of Rio was handed over to a yakuza. There were many Japanese-Brazilians. They had a good hold of the property development business. Since they invested quite a bit in Thand and Brazil when the Japanese economy was booming, their rtionship was still harmonious.


    ¡°I want them.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not...¡±


    ¡°A million per head. I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re alive or dead.¡±


    ¡°US dors?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gospel¡¯s attitudepletely changed as soon as the amount of money was mentioned.


    ¡°In what form?¡±


    ¡°Cash.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    Gospel reached out his hand asking for a handshake, and Ahn Soo Ho shooked it without any hesitation. Logan, who took a few steps back in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nod, sent a message on his walkie-talkie. Soon after, a transport vehicle backed up and stopped. When the back of the vehicle opened, a pile of cash wrapped in stic was seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s my deposit.¡±


    ¡°You sure know how to deal with people, Soo Ho.¡±


    Gospel took the car with the money in it and took off before his subordinates could see.


    ¡°Give me six days.¡±


    ¡°Four days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too tight...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the proposal to PCC too.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Okay, fine!¡±


    He grumbled, but he didn¡¯t say he couldn¡¯t do it. As Gospel went off while riding his Sedan, Logan approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Sao Paulo epted the proposal as well.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a war, it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    It was bothersome to try to find safe houses of Aragon, one by one, and there wasn¡¯t enough time either. Since he created a bidding war between the criminal organizations, the rumors would spread through Brazil in no time.


    Ahn Soo Ho saw dirty little kids in the alleyways. Both the boys and girls looked grungy. There were kids of all age groups including kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    It was difficult to judge a person¡¯s age by their appearance in a different country. Just because it was the slums it didn¡¯t mean that there were no shops. There were shops selling food that looked like hot dogs as well as ice cream shops, clothing shops, and a supermarket.


    There were hobos who were looking to rip off outsiders, so Gospel left him with a few of his subordinates. So Ahn Soo Ho, who was guarded by Commando Bermello wasn¡¯t harassed by anyone.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho called over the kids who were ncing at him. They would have normally begged him for food already, but they just nced over because of all the guards, which he found to be cute.


    ¡°They probably go around using guns and selling their bodies.¡±


    Wanting to escape poverty while living a normal life wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t... Oh! Thank you.¡±


    The hungry hobos all gathered around in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gesturing.


    The store owner was shocked at first, but once she saw the bills in his hand, she changed her attitude. He couldn¡¯t handle all the kids by himself, so he asked the CV members to help out by borrowing the entire restaurant.


    After spending hundreds and thousands of won to rent out the store, the street turned into a festival. Brazil was indeed the country of passion after all. Ahn Soo Ho joined them soon after and made a toast. He put a skewer in the hand of Logan, who was looking around with a stiff face.


    ¡°Rx, Logan. No one¡¯s paying attention to us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how Deep Breath got into trouble.¡±


    Being stiff could look professional, but too much tension could get in the way of moving quickly when they have to, so it was good to have bnce. He noticed the difort behind Logan¡¯s straight face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious about something, just ask.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this useless act is about.¡±


    He just spent hundreds of thousands of Brazilian real. If converted to Korean won, that was hundreds of millions of won. What was the point of spending that much on dirty little kids? Logan didn¡¯t understand. After eating everyst piece of his skewer, he shook the stick as if it was his finger.


    ¡°Do you know how many kids are used as soldiers every year?¡±


    Logan silently shook his head to the sudden question.


    ¡°Around a million in the world. But what¡¯s funny is the standard of child soldiers. Logan, what do you think a child soldier is?¡±


    ¡°An under-aged soldier?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, yes. They train underdeveloped kids to be soldiers. I think kids who enter gangs are the same as child soldiers, do you think so too??¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Right? You think so too, right? But the UN report excluded countries with governments that run on tax money. What that means is that as long as you¡¯re not like Somalia, under-aged gang members aren¡¯t child soldiers. ording to the great UN Secretariat, the only child soldiers are the ones in the areas with wars going on.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho threw the skewer stick into a tree.


    ¡°Logan. If we both grew up with normal households, went to proper schools, and entered the world of mercenaries after the military, we became mercenaries voluntarily. We started to use guns on our own will, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But some are forced into it without having to experience freedom.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had seen many child soldiers. ording to a UN study, there were over a million child soldiers entering the force every year, and not even half of them survive until the next year. And in the span of 10 years, the survival rate was less than 1%.


    Most of them died before they became an adult.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about why Aragon is focusing on South America?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. We already know the answer.¡±


    Logan thought about it, and then let out an exmation.


    ¡°Oh! Child soldiers? Did they raise soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go around telling anyone though.¡±


    As mentioned earlier, the survival rate of child soldiers was drastically low. But the ones who did survive became skilled professionals and killing machines.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea? To be honest, I¡¯m a very expensive man. You¡¯re pretty expensive too.¡±


    From a capitalist standpoint, Ahn Soo Ho was far from being cost-effective. But the reason why they still looked for him was because he guaranteed sess regardless of the difficulty level of the mission.


    He was the symbol of absolute sess.


    ¡°Okay, then I have onest question for you. If PMC is managed like a gang, are they a gang or are they PMC?¡±


    Logan raised his eyes to the thought, but he was so surprised, he dropped his jaw. Ahn Soo Ho smiled brightly.


    ¡°The bad guys know how to use their brains.¡±


    Aragon yed around on the boundaries between legal and illegal.


    If their influence was alive and well, the secret would have been kept hidden. The reason why the White House couldn¡¯t do anything even after their illegal acts had been exposed was because they did all the dirty work even the CIA didn¡¯t want to do. If they decide to die together by revealing their secret, that could shake up the States.


    As soon as the phone rang, Ahn Soo Ho checked the caller and then tilted his head. It was Alejandro Gospel.


    ¡°Gospel?¡±


    ¡°I already found one... but he hid in an iffy ce. It¡¯ll be hard to move him.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at what Gospel said next.


    ¡°Rio Federal Police Station.¡±


    The federal police station? Ahn Soo Ho saw iting. The wackos of Brazil sure didn¡¯t disappoint. This was why the stupid or rather the world leaders¡¯ support was needed. A person couldn¡¯t just go around destroying police stations of other countries.


    Ahn Soo Ho ended the call and gave Logan an instruction.


    ¡°Arm our guys.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 37 ¨C Aragon Company [3] > The end.

 Chapter 39: < Protect – Episode 38 – Returner Group [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 39: < Protect ¨C Episode 38 ¨C Returner Group [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho gathered the Brazilian president, Minister of Public Order, Minister of Justice, and the Secretary of Defense.


    ¡°I¡¯ll control the police!¡±


    They were unable to hide their shocked faces, but they couldn¡¯t interrupt Ahn Soo Ho, who had the leaders of the world backing him up. If it was just the States, it would have been different, but Ennd, France, China, and Russia were in on it as well. They couldn¡¯t do anything but hold up both hands to their threat of isting Brazil.


    Ahn Soo Ho mobilized Brazil¡¯s military police and even the police special forces, BOPE. If people would ask which of the organizations in Brazil people could trust, it was them. Ahn Soo Ho team joined by disguising themselves as the police special forces. Even if they were pardoned, foreigners causing amotion in their country would have ruined the negotiation if it ever got to the media, but Ahn Soo Ho decided to go with the forced attack.


    ¡°The ones who resist will be considered as enemies.¡±


    Their order made the eyes of BOPE glisten.


    They didn¡¯t talk back to the order to control Rio¡¯s federation police station because even though they were a part of the police, there was a lot of conflicts. It was not just a simple power battle but a link of corruption. The ones with their pride, Soo Ho on their side scorned the normal police for being scattered by bribes. But that didn¡¯t mean that BOPE was 100%, a clean organization.


    A region of Rio turned into chaos due to the police and soldiers who enclosed the federation police station. The area near the federation police station was in the center of the city and in between a wealthy vige, so the nearby shops had many tourists bustling by, and they were fascinated by the sudden action scene likes those in the movies.


    Ahn Soo Ho wore the special forces uniform and put on a mask.


    It was possible to fabricate pictures and videos, but the bare eyes of countless people couldn¡¯t be tricked. Colonel Ademar of BOPE had a personal rtionship with Ahn Soo Ho. This wasn¡¯t his first time in Brazil. He didn¡¯t visit frequently, but he had visited Sao Paolo and Rio at least thirty times for work.


    ¡°This is my first time attacking a federation police station, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Are you taking the police¡¯s side because you¡¯re one of them?¡±


    Ademar shooked his head.


    ¡°There are tons of police officers who should be eliminated.¡±


    Corruption within Brazil¡¯s police has always been existent. The Rio street gangs were vicious, and they were a whole lot crazier than mafias, Im terrorists, and yakuza. In the Brazilian slums, it wasn¡¯t weird to carry around heavy machinery weapons down the streets.


    Could the police dodge bullets? There was no way.


    In a gun battle, if a gang died, the police died with them. The victory depended on the weapon and skill of a person, but one side couldn¡¯t be unterally superior. So it was hard to find a brave police officer who patrolled the slums with justice and a sense of duty. The police have family and death was scary for everyone. So neither the gangs or the police want a full-on war.


    Corruption grew like mushrooms within that loose tension. It was all good as long as people were okay. They kept a safe distance, they were walking close to each other in a single so they could defend each other for any iing attacks. Colonel Ademar was actually an honest police officer. He was at a high enough status to not have to ept bribes so he stuck to his principles, but if he wasn¡¯t, he would have taken money that was soaked in blood and semen.


    A bulletproof SUV of the special forces went through the front gate with all of their members and their sirens silent. As soon as the siege began, the regr employees and the demilitarization agents started their introductions. They didn¡¯t want to get involved in something so harsh, so they escaped the building.


    ¨C Enter the lobby...Go!


    ¨C The first floor is clear! Search the second floor!


    ¨C Check the armory!


    The suspect had already taken over the police station jail next to Rio¡¯s federation police station. They should bemended for thinking of such a clever idea. Since that would have been impossible without the police¡¯s help, the Brazilian federation agents nned to catch the chief.


    Even though this attack operation was carried out by Ahn Soo Ho, the Brazilian politicians opened a police corruption investigation to make this into their achievement. During the madness of the Sao Paolo kidnapping incident, politicians pledge to pull out society¡¯s corruption from the roots would always be well epted by the public.


    ¡°They¡¯re piecing it together however they want.¡±


    Whether they use this incident to hold the Rio Carnival earlier or hold the World Cup Olympics again wasn¡¯t any of his business. A police SWAT team stopped us in front of the halls connecting to the jail. As federation agents, police, and military fought over jurisdiction, the scene turned into a riot.


    In any case, Ahn Soo Ho gave the tactics team the signal to start their formation. They were ready to not only sweep the jail but the White House as well. The final winner of the riot was BOPE. Ahn Soo Ho showed the order signed by the president and made the other organizations shut their mouths.


    ¡°You have a cruel side to you, Amal.¡±


    ¡°Your crazy political games areing to surface. Are you going to turn yourself in?


    ¡°No. You know my rule.¡±


    ¡°Picking between a clean death or a painful life, right? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s crueler, Soo Ho.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho got through the States¡¯ security system and humiliated the White House, he was invited by various presidents, prime ministers, royals, as well as dictators. They all wanted one thing. They want their security systems to be checked too.


    If the presidents and prime ministers were wondering if they could profit from national security, the royals were worried about the possibility of being assassinated. Ahn Soo Ho was currently the national security advisor of pretty much all developed countries. He was at a higher rank than most vice-ministers.


    Ahn Soo Ho walked the halls toward the jail by himself. He normally would have to pass security devices around the bars, however, this time the waiting room inside was only being defended by chairs and tables that were piled up. Were they asking for a fight? As he approached the obstacle, he saw a rifle.


    ¡°Andre! Can we talk?¡±


    Andre Cruchek. He was the only one from Aragon¡¯s South American headquarters who would hide in the Brazilian police station in such a sneaky manner.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Andre.¡±


    He didn¡¯te out alone. They had a gagged woman as a hostage, and he even put a gun to her head. Not even a bullet was worth this bastard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go the easy route. Surrender.¡±


    ¡°Surrendering isn¡¯t hard, but I don¡¯t n on being punished by thew either.¡±


    ¡°You can talk about that with the next person you meet. If you give the names of people that took the bribe, they¡¯ll probably go easy on you.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, you know how things work around here. Me opening my mouth will make things messy.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°If we hide out for a few months, people will forget.¡±


    He was telling him to let him go. Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head.


    ¡°Andre, Andre. I¡¯m going easy on you already. Don¡¯t make me mad.¡±


    ¡°Are you doing this because of Deep Breath? That was just business, Soo Ho. There were no personal feelings involved.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took off his suffocating mask and helmet.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We¡¯re just mercenaries who are after money, and this business is cold-hearted. But no matter how much of a scum you are, there¡¯s a line you mustn¡¯t cross. Hey! You probably don¡¯t know since you just hide out and give orders! You brown-nosing son of a b*tch!¡±


    As the vibe changed, Andre became nervous and pushed the hostage toward him.


    ¡°Do you know what I hate hearing the most?¡±


    The sight of a big man like him hiding behind a woman wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.


    ¡°Everything is settled with business, you son of a b*tch! Yeah, I epted it too. But so what? What are you going to do, you son of a b*tch?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden outburst made Andre taken aback.


    ¡°Business? Business?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! Soo Ho!¡±


    Andre called his name over and over again in an attempt to calm Ahn Soo Ho down. But Ahn Soo Ho had no intention of stopping. In the world of mercenaries, gender, age, nationality, and past acquaintances didn¡¯t matter. The employment contracts were sacred in this field more than any other. Therefore, the word ¡°business¡± wasn¡¯t a word that should be used so easily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you five seconds, Andre.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Five!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me!¡±


    ¡°Four!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡±


    Instead of saying ¡°three¡±, Ahn Soo Ho pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger. Bang! The loud bullet left the gun and flew past the hostage¡¯s neck and went through the right side of Andre¡¯s neck.


    Ta-tang, ta-tang-


    That was the signal. Logan¡¯s tactics team got the hostage and killed the remaining suspects in a matter of seconds. 15 seconds? Or 20 seconds? The incredible speed kept the mighty BOPE from being able to close their mouths. Ahn Soo Ho walked through the mess, grabbed Andre by his throat, and looked down upon him.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He spat out blood every time he breathed just like Seo Jung Wook did a few days ago.


    ¡°Protect your asshole while you¡¯re in hell, you bastard. 608 will be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Andre stopped breathing.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Colonel Ademar brought his subordinates, medical team, and other federation agents and police officers with him. Seeing how red his face was, he had to be furious right now. Ahn Soo Ho held up both of his hands.


    ¡°I had no choice, Amal. He kept pissing me off.¡±


    ¡°You shot the hostage. The hostage! Why did you shoot the hostage?¡±


    ¡°Hey! It went past her!¡±


    The ungagged female hostage only has a slight cut on the side of her neck. It would heal in a few days. Ademar, who took turns looking on the woman on the gurney and Ahn Soo Ho, grabbed his forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know who you just shot?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Miss Brazil!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You shot Miss Brazil!¡±


    Huh? Why is Miss Brazil suddenly involved?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know why the SWAT team hesitated to go in?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a jurisdiction issue?¡±


    ¡°It was because Miss Brazil was captured as hostage today!¡±


    That was an information that should have been disclosed to Ahn Soo Ho. Did they think he was a mind reader? Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t know Miss Korea, let alone Miss Brazil. Miss Brazil, who was getting carried out on a gurney, stopped in front of Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tried to pass it with augh when a hard p hit him across his face. The people who were dealing with the mess were startled to hear a very loud pping sound.


    ¡°Yeah. Since you almost died, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    When he let his guard down, a second hit came flying in.


    As soon as he caught her hand, he regretted it. Should he have let her hit him one more time? If Miss Brazil told the media about the mission, everyone involved would get into trouble. But in contrast to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s worry, her following act was not a p but a kiss.


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    The passionate kiss made the hearts of even the bystanders flutter. It stood a good chance against the first sweet kiss he had when he was little. It was the country of passion after all.


    ¡°See? This is Brazil!¡±


    It was true.


    Brazil was a weird yet beautiful country.


    ¡°What a great ce this is!¡±


    If the paramedics hadn¡¯t pulled her away, their kissing wouldn¡¯t have ended. As he wiped his lips with his hand, he felt strange gazes on him. Many people including the police, medical team, and other hostages looked at him with jealousy.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked as if he felt wronged.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the victim here, you sons of b*tches.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 38 ¨C Returner Group [1] > The end.

 Chapter 40: < Protect – Episode 39 – Returner Group [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 40: < Protect ¨C Episode 39 ¨C Returner Group [2] ></h4>


    Jina Davis couldn¡¯t remain silent about her being the sole survivor.


    No matter how powerful Allen Davis might be, he couldn¡¯t shut the mouths of everyone in the world. And especially the Brazilian government couldn¡¯t be silenced by buying more time with diplomatic rtions with the Brazilian government.


    That day eventually came.


    ¨C The full tragic story of the forced rescue mission!


    ¨C The worst rescue mission where only the president¡¯s niece was saved!


    ¨C Would the Senate hearing call upon the president?


    No matter how hard they tried to dramatize it, the fact that Jina Davis was alive was an unfavorable factor to the White House. The memorial rally for the brave soldiers, skilled agents and employees turned into a protest for the president¡¯s impeachment. Ahn Soo Ho looked at a page of USA Today and smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this many times before.¡±


    It looked just like the Korean that upied Gwanghwamun square until not long ago. He wonders what happened to that. He took out his phone and looked through his numbers.


    ¡°Hey, Steel.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling me?¡±


    Yoon Chul¡¯s voice sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Brief me.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Even after clicking his tongue, he started to tell him everything that happened while Ahn Soo Ho while he was gone.


    ¡°As soon as thepanies with the rich people in their 30s decided to donate their internal funds to the nation, the investigation stopped in an instant. The president is currently releasing a public service announcement to make it look like it was his achievement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Is it? They¡¯ll revolve the capital.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic, my friend. In any case, if the money goes to the government, it¡¯s good for the people.¡±


    If all of the rich stepped up to invest in the nation, that would have a direct effect on people¡¯s lives. Whether that boom bes long-term or short-term was up to the rich, but through Daesan and Korea National Association¡¯s trouble, they gained valuable experience.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust politicians!¡±


    The adhesion of politics and business was unavoidable, but if one would ask them if they could go on forever, they would all disagree. The rich being able to get rid of their n business and the politicians sticking to their obsolete party interests was a great example of how hard it was to trust someone.


    ¡°What about Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the same as always.¡±


    Even Ahn Soo Ho acknowledges Kim Soo Jung as a tough and spirited woman. It would have been great if she was born as a man, but God decided to have her shackled. He still remembered what Kim Soo Jung said when they were in school¡ª¡±It¡¯s getting in the way of my shooting. I want to take it off.¡±¡ªIn the country of the courteous people of the East where their body was their parents¡¯ body, how could she say such a such a rude thing? When she dropped out, it wasn¡¯t just her ssmates but her seniors and juniors who were also sad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are people guarding her, so nothing will happen. Anyway, it¡¯s time to start pruning.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to talk about. Lee Kyung Joon¡¯s going to retire.¡±


    ¡°Lee Kyung Joon? But he was just promoted.¡±


    ¡°He might be going into the political world since he finished serving the minimum term. Politicians with military backgrounds start expecting it once they¡¯ve achieved that much.¡±


    There were many politicians with military backgrounds. Especially the high-ranking officers were wee everywhere, but the national defense enterprises with serious monopolization were especially inviting. The public looked down upon that, but the status of the military was very high in the eyes of the Korean industrial world.


    ¡°It seems like therade association is pressuring the national association.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird, right? I thought so too. So I looked into it, and Kyung Il¡¯s guys were definitely involved.¡±


    Therade association was theyman¡¯s term for Defense Comrade Association.


    As the name implies, they had close connections with the military. It was an interest group at the peak of Korean military power where only the ones above the general rank could join. The new army group, who received public criticism for being an organization of past generals, were nothingpared to these guys. That was because therade association weed armies of all categories.


    ¡°Do you remember the Anthology National Defense Foundation that¡¯s under therade association? The reputation welfare association or whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°The memorial fund?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The ones who talked about a fundraiser for the veterans. They came when we dropped out of the Naval Academy too.¡±


    The ones who dropped out of the Naval Academy were great manpower. And even though a lot of people wanted to join the military every year, a lot of them leave as well. And the military was a violent organization where themander could train the soldiers however they want. When they said people came back from the military a changed person, there were just as many negative issues as there were positive ones¡ª¡±The military ruined people¡¯s lives!¡±¡ªThat was not just a rumor.


    They came up with a slogan that pitched the idea of providing veterans with job retraining which would benefit society, but that was all a bunch of nonsense. That was another form of human trafficking. The only difference was that instead of prostitution,bor, or organ extraction, they would be providing skilled killers.


    It was uncertain how that was any different from raising child soldiers. If Aragon Company ran a killer curriculum for South American kids in the slums, the Defense Comrade Association used Koreans unique characteristics to train soldiers or exported substitute workers depending on the international need.


    ¡°While Kyung Il traveled around the world as a diplomat, he looked into the truth behind the overseas Koreans with military experience. And the messages asking for that manpower is mostly...¡±


    ¡°The States.¡±


    In the South Korea-United States alliance, Korea was always the weak link. After the Vietnam war, the States continued to send love calls to Korea. That means they thought that the ones with military experience were familiar with the field, so they could be easily used and then thrown away.


    ¡°Was that their aim?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho hung up and got into the helicopter on top of the hotel roof that was headed to Sao Paolo. It was China that liked to unt their big cities, but they were just central areas. If one had to pick the top three cities that were actually big, Sao Paolo was in the top three.


    Aragon Company¡¯s South American headquarters was also in Sao Paolo. Rather than putting Aragon on the cklist, the American government selected a scapegoat and sped along the corruption investigation of the Brazilian government. The first objective of the investigation group formed by the White House and the assembly was the hostage incident that took ce 3 years ago in Argentina, which was quite absurd.


    As soon as the internal document of the security service brand, Commando was exposed, another corporate war washed over Korea and Daesan Group¡¯s story came back up to the surface. In global business, it was not all about making good products with good skills and selling them.


    In a battlefield full of plotting and conspiracies, the lives of people weren¡¯t important. As soon as the true face of globalization came out, the States was the first one to go down. It was as if they poured oil on a fire that had already started due to the repeated rescue attempts.


    ¡°The employees and mercenaries are turning themselves in after hearing Cruchek¡¯s killing. What¡¯s funny is that it¡¯s not Aragon Leadership, but Commando Agency who¡¯s being dogmatic.¡±


    Ever since Brazil began their military dictatorship in the 60s, their military authorities became strong, and even as a democratic country in the present, their influence didn¡¯t weaken. The minister of public order, Leandro was a sessful informationmander and a legendary person in the world of mercenaries and information.


    ¡°Organizations like the DEA, ATF, FBI, and CIA were all involved. They strongly asked for them to repatriate the Americans by using national security as an excuse... but they can¡¯t send them back that easily.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like everyone¡¯s angry.¡±


    ¡°Since they meddled in domestic affairs.¡±


    Brazil¡¯s National Assembly was currently angry at the most recent situation. Since the international society was out to get Brazil, there was no way for them to not be insulted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Soo Ho. I don¡¯t have any grudge against you.¡±


    ¡°Should I tear up and say thank you? So when will you stop screwing the States over? You could get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t have called me just to talk nonsense.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho ushered him to get to the point, Leandro pressed a button to make the ss transparent. His facial hair was so long that he looked like an unidentifiable hobo, but Ahn Soo Ho recognized him immediately.


    ¡°Djorkaeff?¡±


    ¡°We caught him near Rogers.¡±


    ¡°More like he turned himself in.¡±


    ¡°I...can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    The man was a famous agent who was famous since the Soviet Union. Even if tigers lose their teeth, it still couldn¡¯t be a cat. Ahn Soo Ho went into the interrogation room and sat across from Djorkaeff. The man in handcuffs smiled with his eyes as soon as he saw him.


    ¡°Chucky.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! This is no way to treat an elder. Hey! Take off his handcuffs!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue, the guards came in and took off Djorkaeff¡¯s handcuffs. His eyes turned into the shape of a moon. He was smiling.


    ¡°You should havee to me if you were having problems, Chucky.¡±


    ¡°It was impossible. Vitali¡¯s eyes and ears were all around you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse. It was because of your family, right?¡±


    ¡°You know.¡±


    Maxim Ivanovich Djorkaeff was the third best agent of Moscow before Vitali was reinstated as the key member of the Russian government. If CIA had known his existence, they would have dispatched their best team to kidnap him. That was how valuable Djorkaeff was as an agent.


    ¡°Did you join Aragon?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m like a special advisor. I gave them overall advice about various topics.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    He stared at Ahn Soo Ho without a word. His eyes were asking this question¡ª¡±What are you going to give me for my answer?¡±¡ªIt was a very simple question.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    But whether Djorkaeff answered or not, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t stop thinking. He understands it now. The reason why he looked for him while he was on sabbatical and discussed a South American issue.


    ¡°Sell sensitive information so that Moscow will get ufortable.¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t appeared, the kidnapping incident in Sao Paolo would have gone the way Aragon intended, and Djorkaeff, who hid in South America, wouldn¡¯te out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s something I want from you too, you don¡¯t have to apologize, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you want guaranteed safety?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯d be greedy.¡±


    Russia had decided to get rid of him a long time ago. That could change if Ahn Soo Ho strongly insisted, but the brown bear with hurt pride was going to overlook Djorkaeff and target the people around him.


    ¡°Can you keep my family safe?¡±


    Djorkaeff epted the fact that he had to die in order for Russia¡¯s search to end. But he couldn¡¯t choose to die so easily because he was worried about the difficulty his family would have to go through. Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t use a person¡¯s family as a means of transaction. You know that.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I trust you, Soo Ho. I¡¯ll tell you everything if you protect my family.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to nod to Djorkaeff¡¯s earnest voice. He finally loosened up and leaned back on his chair.


    ¡°Have you heard of the Ultra Program, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Ultra?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an American spy program that was running before mindreading.¡±


    The mind-reading program was a 21st-century cyber technology that the American military and the American information association were operating together. Beyond analyzing information that was recorded with wiretapping and hidden cameras, they aimed to predict human behavior. More funding was starting to go toward expanding theputer servers than training spies.


    ¡°Ultra is a monster that the Cold War made. If a fancy performance by the space program was able to catch the attention of the world, a hidden spy game was just as intense.¡±


    The reason why the U.S. military¡¯s Ultra program was top secret wasn¡¯t only because of national security. It was because that program was anti-human and was strongly against universal vocational ethics.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. The original form of Ultra Program came from Nazi eugenics.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Which one should I be surprised at?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Djorkaeffughed loudly as soon as Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°Anyway, it wasn¡¯t just the Americans who took the German scientists. We brought a lot of German scientists to Moscow and started a program simr to Ultra. The Cold War turned everything into a war. We even battled over who was the most horrible.¡±


    ¡°Mutant X?¡±


    ¡°Oh! You know it too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors... but I didn¡¯t know it was real.¡±


    With their research called Mutant X, the Soviet Union quickly got ahead of the States. That was because the Soviet Union didn¡¯t care about human rights or vocational ethics as long as they got their results. They didn¡¯t care if thousands of people died for their research¡¯s sake.


    ¡°The Soviet Union leaders were all crazy bastards.¡±


    The results produced by a society that encouraged the use of fear was shocking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the American values are, but the Yankees discarded Ultra. But they poured their heart and soul into strengthening their spies. The birth of CIA...It¡¯s true. It could be all thanks to there being too many crazy bastards in this world.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point, Chucky?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made him cut to the chase.


    ¡°Aragon conducted human experiments in South America.¡±


    ¡°Gaius Pharmaceuticals?¡±


    ¡°If you know who they are, this will be a lot quicker. They applied more developed drugs and procedures than what was used in the Cold War.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re crazy, but they¡¯re not stupid. They knew monopolizing on such appalling technology would bite them in the ass. So they sold it as soon as they could. Think about it, Soo Ho. What if you had a subordinate who did whatever you asked? That¡¯s tempting for those in power.¡±


    If one would brainwash a person with drugs and program them using cutting-edge procedures, could they still be called human? For soldiers whock humanity, receiving orders and following through were the reasons and goals of their life.


    ¡°Who do you think Aragon contacted first?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled bitterly to Djorkaeff¡¯s question.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? The CIA?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Thanks to the firm principle of civil control, the Ministry of National Defense was subjected to continuous inspections which means they didn¡¯t have secret funds to manage such a crazy program. However, the CIA was different. They had sufficient funds to invest in a ck ops agent.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. They bought whatever got in the way. FSB, MI6, DGSE, Mossad, Germany Federal Intelligence Agency, China Public Safety, Japan Internal Investigative Service, Saudi Information Bureau, Iran Intelligence Agency, and even cartels and mafias.¡±


    He finally understood what Vitali meant by everyone having been dragged into it.


    ¡°What a mess. What a dirty mess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just want to get out of the sewer and live in freedom.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who looked at Djorkaeff¡¯s piercing eyes, sighed as he left the interrogation room. Leandro was on the phone with an excited look on his face. Since he overheard what they were talking about in the interrogation room, Brazil might be getting ready to get in on it too. Ahn Soo Ho, who went back onto the roof to get in the helicopter, took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Send him off in the least painful way.¡±


    After he hung up, he got in the helicopter and looked at downtown Sao Paolo as it grew distant. An hourter, Maxim Ivanovich Djorkaeff was found dead in the interrogation room.


    His face looked serene.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 39 ¨C Returner Group [2] > The end.

 Chapter 41: < Protect – Episode 40 – Returner Group [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 41: < Protect ¨C Episode 40 ¨C Returner Group [3] ></h4>


    How were agents trained and managed before they retire? People mistakenly thought that people who work with the CIA became killing machines like Jason Bourne, and people who work with the MI6 got beautiful women and nice cars like James Bond. 99.9% of agents started working in the office and finished their careers as agents, working in the office. Only 0.1% of agents became like Jason Bourne and James Bond.


    Ahn Soo Ho held a secret meeting in the slums of Rio that was also known as the City of God. If this ce wasn¡¯t a temple of drugs it could have easily looked like a high school reunion. But the ones Ahn Soo Ho invited were big shots with reputations of their own.


    There was an information line in the West under CIA¡¯s Deputy Director Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare consisting of the MI6, DGSE, BND, and FSB, and there was also another Asian line consisting of China, Japan, Iran, and Pakistan. One would think Mossad would fall under the United States-Israel alliance of the West, but they were not wee by either side.


    Same goes for the United States-Japan alliance.


    The diplomatic rtions between China and Japan might have seemed to be the worst, but China and Japan actually had a friendly rtionship. The China-Japan opposition was just created by the media. It was almost a miracle for the influential people of the information world, the mercenary world, and the criminal world to be gathered in one ce. That was because they included people who were wanted by the FBI, those who were fighting with their lives at risk, as well as those being chased down by the international court of Interpol. Ahn Soo Ho cleared the air by pping his hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not brag about whose guns are bigger.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Theyughed quietly at his joke.


    ¡°We know your guns are the biggest and strongest, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Sucking up won¡¯t get you anything. I¡¯ve been investing too much money in my hometown these days.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do you want some help?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want dirty money.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being like that? We only do legal businesses these days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    All of them were people who had the mindset that they could do anything as long as they didn¡¯t get caught. They weren¡¯t normal.


    ¡°What¡¯s today¡¯s topic? Aragon?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head.


    ¡°Returner Group.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    They sounded ufortable.


    All the organizations had problems regarding retirement reversal, and it was very rare for it to be resolved properly. Especially the States and Russia¡¯s Returner problem was very serious. The defects could just be killed, and the agents who reached their retirement age or got into an unfortunate ident had to be respected.


    Just like how retired generals worked as lobbyists, retired agents got involved in all sorts of national security. Of course, most of them kept their patriotism and enjoyed their retirement in peace. But there were still quite a few who couldn¡¯t give up the thrill and pleasure of the power of finding the opponent¡¯s weakness and shaking them down.


    The problem was that if a retired agent loses his ways, he could be a terrorist in an instant. If one would look into those who were hired by Returner, they were very fishy troublemakers. The first time was hard, but the second and third time was easy. The agents who lost their belief of patriotism transformed into monsters.


    ¡°If Aragon had kept Returner under control, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. The thing is, there isn¡¯t much we can control since they know too much of our strategy.¡±


    ¡°Are you an amateur? You know that if you use your underlings, there¡¯s always a way.¡±


    There was not a single person there who didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Chucky¡¯s no longer here. So it¡¯s less likely that you¡¯ll get caught up in a scandal.¡±


    ¡°What about Leandro?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t prove anything.¡±


    Brazil¡¯s Minister of Public Order was a great man, but not a single person here was afraid of him. Ahn Soo Ho immediately got rid of the recording of the conversation that took ce in the interrogation room. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s job was done. The only thing left was for the others to fight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved any further.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you make a promise with POTUS, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°What? Jina Davis? I did more than enough by sending her back alive.¡±


    POTUS was a ng way of addressing the president of the United States.


    ¡°What about Aragon?¡±


    ¡°Why would I clean up after your mess Eaton? I¡¯m only overlooking it because you¡¯re crazy. If you weren¡¯t, I might have flipped DC upside down. Shut the hell up while I¡¯m being reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Jeremy coughed and backed off.


    In order to keep stupid customers stupid, one would need to turn the other cheek to sensitive topics. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger, the curtains opened to present tied-up people on their knees. Seeing how their lips and eyes were injured, there was fighting involved.


    ¡°Aragon South American Division? Commando Agency? Whatever you call them, they¡¯re the ones involved. Feel free to do whatever you want with them.¡±


    ¡°There are fewer people than I expected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I only brought the ones who were still alive.¡±


    ¡°Where are the rest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho, Gospel answered in his stead in a funny posture with both of his arms curled in. He wanted to leave PCC and CV, who carried out Aragon¡¯s sneak attack, in their living states, but it was tabooed to expect too much from thugs. He wanted tomend them for at least keeping half of them alive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start talking about our political affairs, everyone.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped his calctor.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be around two billion won.¡±


    ¡°Do you ept goods?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho prefers cash because the calction was clean and simple. There were people who were working for him, friends who helped, and contractors like Gospel whom he made deals with. Ahn Soo Ho believed that payments should be clean and simple regardless of what the rtionship was.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°A private jet. It¡¯s a Boing 747.¡±


    ¡°747? That costs a lot to maintain. I¡¯m toozy for that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do all of that for you forever. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Deduct a billion.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? I could get three 747s with that money.¡±


    Even though CIA¡¯s deputy director, Jeremy was holding the gun, the cost was obviously going toe from various countries. In all honesty, 2 billion wasn¡¯t even that much for Ahn Soo Ho to ask for. Even after excluding the tactics team, information team, and the nning team, the cost of supplying contractors, middlemen, and smugglers, it would cost at least 1 billion dors.


    Did they want a discount because they were poor? No way.


    ¡°Just tell me the reason.¡±


    ¡°Your name was mentioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Fitzgerald.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue at the mention of the Senate.


    ¡°How involved are they?¡±


    ¡°K-Street¡¯s lobbyists are getting angry with Fitzgerald taking the lead.¡±


    K-Street was a term that referring to the lobbyists and interest groups of Washington D.C. They judged that the White House¡¯s power was weakening because the lobbyists were attacking the assembly. Since the fiscal year was almost over, they were probably strictly managing their money. Even if it was the White House, it was hard to give Ahn Soo Ho such a big amount of money in the current situation.


    ¡°Fine. But I need to get everything the Ministry of National Defense owes me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Pam will handle that. That has nothing to do with us.¡±


    The CIA didn¡¯t care if the Ministry of National Defense got all their money taken away. As soon as the funds with the States was wrapped up, the other countries advanced quickly. Thest one to join the negotiating table was very unexpected.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Soo Ho.¡±


    The Russian ambassador, Vitali Andropov started off with an apology, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t particrly interested.


    ¡°What about Chucky¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already being moved to South Korea. We¡¯ll pay for all of their settlement costs.¡±


    The brown bear¡¯s quick and unexpected adtion made him smirk.


    ¡°You must be very anxious, Vitali.¡±


    ¡°I know the politicians made Maxim into their scapegoat.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s very likely that you¡¯ll end up like that too. Do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. That¡¯s why I¡¯m preparing.¡±


    ¡°By using the Red Sea Trading Company?¡±


    Vitali didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re investing in Gaius?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho squinted at his vague answer.


    ¡°The honest brown bear has turned into a clever fox.¡±


    ¡°Time changes everyone. I¡¯m still patriotic to my country, but I¡¯m very suspicious of people.¡±


    ¡°I hope you survive until the end.¡±


    The transaction ended there. Ahn Soo Ho nned to leave Brazil before someone went back on their word. The goods Jeremy offered was already ready to take off at Rio International Airport. Even though he didn¡¯t enter Brazil through a normal procedure, since he was a VVIP, there was no departure screening. There were people who tried to stop him from getting into the private jet.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re from Pearson and Watson.¡±


    ¡°Lobbyists?¡±


    Pearson and Watson was a top lobbyist group of K-Street. Ahn Soo Ho took a note from them and showed a peculiar expression.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our sincerity. None of our clients want to go against you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They appeared as if they didn¡¯t expect Ahn Soo Ho to approve so easily.


    ¡°So is this an overall approval, Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But bring anyone who¡¯s responsible for the double contract to me.¡±


    ¡°Responsible?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He got rid of the bothersome lobbyists and got in the private jet.


    The beautiful and friendly flight attendant caught his eye more than the dark pilot, after all, he was just like any other man. However, he couldn¡¯t be too careless. That was because the ones who gifted the private jet was the CIA. Logan and his entourage finished their cabin inspections before Ahn Soo Ho and enjoyed the first-ss service of the ne.


    ¡°What about the check?¡±


    ¡°There are no abnormalities. Anyway...¡±


    ¡°I told you to ask me if you have any questions, Logan.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about the double contract issue?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go there. I¡¯m going to make theme to me. Don¡¯t worry. Someone will pay the price.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you, Soo Ho.¡±


    Logan nodded to what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    As soon as take-off was announced, everyone got into their seats. The seats had been designed to be veryfortable since it was such an expensive private jet. Was this why the rich prefer private jets? Ahn Soo Ho closed his eyes. He was headed home. It was a short mission that was barely 2 weeks long, but it felt like itsted longer that.


    Until a few months ago, Korea didn¡¯t give him any inspiration. But this time, he was excited to go back. Why was that?


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of Mom and So Hye.¡±


    And then the Ho Brothers came to mind. Yoon Chul, Kim Soo Jung, Choi Jung Yeon, as well as Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji came to mind. There weren¡¯t that many people who he could call friends and family.


    ¡°Am I getting old?¡±


    If someone heard what he was thinking, they would have gotten mad saying and that he was still young. However, he started to feel sick and tired of blood and death. Sabbatical years existed for a reason. However, once the private jet arrived in Incheon, they had to face another undesirable situation.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn.¡±


    They were dressed up in suits, and they carefully but confidently approached and showed their IDs.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to escort you to the Blue House.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    He identally told the truth. The men were taken aback. He wanted to say¡ª¡±F*ck you¡±¡ªbut there were too many eyes watching. So he smiled brightly. But he was just only pretending to.


    ¡°Tell them toe to me.¡±


    The evil smile hidden behind a human face didn¡¯t discriminate.


    ¡°It¡¯s ten million won a minute for my consultation, and I don¡¯t take cards. Only cash!¡±


    ¡®Time is gold, my friends!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 40 ¨C Returner Group [3] > The end.

 Chapter 42: < Protect – Episode 41 – Lee Joong Hyun [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 42: < Protect ¨C Episode 41 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [1] ></h4>


    People who knew Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to like him. That was because everytime Ahn Soo Ho would do something, it would involve a lot of money. He was a one-manpany. A good one that had so many sales that even globalpanies would show him their business cards.


    The mercenary business and business consulting that revolved around Ahn Soo Ho, consisted of the best of the best, so he was worth a lot, and his results were always the best.


    ¡°Hire them! Then you¡¯ll get it!¡±


    In this world, signing a contract with Mr. Guardian was like getting another life.


    ¡°Wee back, Director.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Oh.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho arrived at Daesan Hotel in Seoul, he was weed by Oh Joo Kyung and the hotel employees.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m tired today. I¡¯ll hear the briefing tomorrow. Nothing¡¯s urgent, right?¡±


    ¡°The vice-chairman would like to have dinner with you.¡±


    ¡°Postpone that for tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When he frowned out of fatigue, Oh Joo Kyung backed off.


    ¡°Oh yeah! If I get any calls from the tile-roofed house, ignore them.¡±


    ¡°The tile-roofed house? Are you talking about the Blue House?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Is it hard to ignore them?¡±


    It might be possible for Ahn Soo Ho who had guts, but most average Korean people couldn¡¯t turn down their own country¡¯s president. Even if she was a great career woman, it was hard to refuse an invitation from someone with power.


    ¡°If you get a call, direct it to me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung excused herself. When he came out of the hot shower, Logan and his entourage were already getting ready to drink. The mercenaries without missions often indulge themselves in pleasure by throwing crazy parties. If that didn¡¯t satisfy them, they would take drugs or get drunk with alcohol. The truth was that mercenaries were criminals in training.


    ¡°Have a fun time.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to go on sabbatical, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was kidding?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho joined them with a can of beer.


    ¡°Do you think anyone will leave you to rest?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not going to do it, I won¡¯t, Logan.¡±


    He only got involved with the South American issue because it would have been helpful for Daesan Group and his future business. If the White House asked the Blue House for a favor, they were in a position to ept it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a break too.¡±


    ¡°You? How many days will thatst? You¡¯ll probably feel fidgety after only a week.¡±


    ¡°Give me a guide so I can go sightseeing. Who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll settle down in South Korea.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave Logan his middle finger and stepped out onto the balcony. Thete afternoon of Seoul looked no different from any busy city¡ª¡±The States will get revenge.¡±¡ªAs soon as they saw the terrors of the kidnapping incident, the hearing would very likely rule it as a military retaliation. There was no way the quick-witted lobbyists would miss this opportunity. Wars were rich mines. Actually, even if it didn¡¯t go that far, as long as the U.S. military had their guard up, it gave them flexibility with the national defense business including the introduction of new weapons and defense contracts.


    That was one well-nned scenario. When one gains, another had to lose, and regardless of how developed a country was, it was normal for them to have a profit model that only benefits the minority. Why did the majority had to sacrifice for the minority? In order to know the answer, one had to know the principle ofw. Judges,wyers, and juries all said the same thing. The judicial system¡¯s cruel duality meant that ignorant citizens wouldn¡¯t be protected.


    ¡°Director.¡±


    ¡°Is it important?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung returned with a serious face.


    ¡°Lee Hyo Geun assaulted your mother and got arrested by the police.¡±


    ¡°Is she badly hurt?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho came to his senses.


    ¡°No. She just got pped in the face. The guard got control of him right away.''¡±


    He smiled bitterly. He could picture what happened in his head. The guards treated Lee Hyo Geun as someone on the cklist, but Mrs. Park was probably too nice to dismiss him after all they had been through. The fisherman was probably mad that he let off a fish that was already caught, and she was probably insulted by the pity act put on by a middle-aged man whose true identity had been revealed.


    ¡°People make mistakes over and over again.¡±


    It was difficult to restore a marriage that had already been ruined. Ahn Soo Ho got his men to bring Mrs. Park and Lee So Hye to Seoul. Their snack shop was immediately sold and So Hye had to transfer schools, but it didn¡¯t matter since there were people who would take care of that. The next day, he had ate breakfast with Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Did you resolve the external case?¡±


    ¡°Are you curious?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But you¡¯re not going to tell me.¡±


    ¡°There are times when you¡¯re better off not knowing.¡±


    ¡°That makes me even more curious.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan whined like a little kid and Ahn Soo Ho changed the subject.


    ¡°What made you decide to y a role in a national project led by the president?¡±


    ¡°As businessmen, what else can we do?¡±


    ¡°What about the national association?¡±


    ¡°The president isn¡¯t dumb or loyal enough to stay in a sinking ship.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name again?¡±


    ¡°Lee Joong Hyun. I told youst time.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±


    He remembered and nodded his head.


    The president of Korea, Lee Joong Hyun.


    He turned fifty-seven years old this year, so he was the youngest president in history¡ªSomeone who rose from a humble family!¡ªThat phrase described him perfectly. But the¡ª¡±Make Lee Joong Hyun into President¡±¡ªproject was a daring n that was nned for a long time. The impressive characteristic of Korea National Association was that they were able to walk on a tightrope in the midst of the public¡¯s anticipation and wariness toward politics. Politics was a skill.


    ¡°He sent someone to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard. So are you going to meet him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t make the president into your foe if you want to run a business in this country, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°That only applies to people who go into debt for their business. That¡¯s not me.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to pull out of the stock market?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re really not doing it to make money.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan mumbled in a dejected voice. If he had known about the money that was with Ahn Soo Ho in the past 2 weeks, his jaw would have dropped.


    ¡°What about the tax issue? If you bring in foreign currency, the National Tax Service won¡¯t just idly watch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have my ways.¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho worked in this field, he became close with bankers and smugglers who were very skilled in dodging the National Tax Service¡¯s eyes. A big part of themunicationwork created by leading bankers was a ck market for moneyundering.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay the taxes on the money I make through mypany.¡±


    Even if Hosoo Entertainment became sessful in the overall in the Asian market, it didn¡¯tpare to what Ahn Soo Ho made on his own. Money wasn¡¯t a problem. After their breakfast, he went to the high school that Lee So Hye would enter tomorrow.


    Was it possible to transfer from Jejudo to Seoul overnight? The answer was yes. Daesan Group¡¯s influence made all of this possible. Some might criticize because of the special treatment, but in this world, it was all about the influence people made on other people.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The school was so good in every aspect that an exmation came out of Lee So Hye¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I feel like my grades will go up!¡±


    ¡°Will you be able to make friends? Don¡¯t be an outcast.¡±


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s the same everywhere you go.¡±


    The bright girl flexed her biceps to show her confidence. He didn¡¯t know where she got it from, but she was a strong girl. And she wasn¡¯t the type to go around getting beat up either.


    ¡°She could be the one beating up others though...¡±


    When he took a good look, he realized they were siblings after all. Lee So Hye, dragged Ahn Soo Ho to another Seoul adventure after she toured around her new school. She wanted to go to a lot of ces, to eat a lot of food, and to see a lot of things as any girl would. This time, Ahn Soo Ho drove himself.


    ¡°How¡¯s Mom?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? Ask her yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really hate your dad. I¡¯m sorry, but if I see him, I¡¯m going to beat him up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I hate him too.¡±


    Lee So Hye hated her father more than he expected. He thought Lee Hyo Geun cheated on her mom. Among females, if it was about adultery and affairs they felt the same way regardless of who it was.


    ¡°Should we visit Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Jung Hoon? Hm.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯tpletely get along.¡±


    ¡°You should be, like real siblings. Haha.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re different from him.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re taller than him, have more money than him, you¡¯re caring, decisive, and good-looking. You¡¯re my ideal type.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at herpliments because she waspletely cold when they first met, but he didn¡¯t dislike it. It was quite the contrary. He knew she was being clever, but he wanted to fall for it. Was this why fathers want to raise daughters? Ahn Soo Ho parked in a parking lot in Cheongdamdong. The Star Tower was decorated nicely, and the M&A process was still yet to bepleted.


    The reason why he brought Lee So Hye to Cheongdamdong was to see the house that had been bought through Oh Joo Kyung. Since he brought them to Seoul, he couldn¡¯t just make them stay at Daesan Hotel. Someone was waiting at the entrance of the alleyway.


    ¡°Are you Director Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Director Jung Hyun Jin of Daesan Construction!¡±


    As soon as the big man with a deep voice bowed down, other people couldn¡¯t help but notice them.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Director Jung. Shall we go inside?¡±


    ¡°Pleasee in!¡±


    Seeing how he didn¡¯t lower his voice, he was either slow-witted, or he was doing it on purpose. How could a director of Daesan Construction not have any wits? If it was true, he didn¡¯t get his position by climb up from the bottom of thepany but got through by manipting his connections.


    ¡°Was there a Jung in the owner¡¯s family?¡±


    Among those who were selected to give their lives to the Daesan Kingdom, only a few were able to join the coteral line. They were the true Daesan men that assisted the direct line by doing all the dirty work.


    ¡°What about the lot area?¡±


    Jung Hyun Jin, who was going to exin something in front of the expensive house, stopped talking when Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear the details. So when can we move in?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He turned to Lee So Hye.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Are we going to live here now?


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay at the hotel forever.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hard to set up a snack shop in this house?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was surprised thenughed his head off.


    ¡°Haha! Hahaha! Wow, seriously! Thanks for making meugh.¡±


    ¡°Was that funny?¡±


    Lee So Hye tilted her head. Ahn Soo Ho justughed instead of answering, she was clever yet innocent. His little sister¡¯s dream of bing the second boss of Eunhye Snacks hadn¡¯t changed one bit.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    She raised a queer voice to her big brother¡¯s sudden hugging and patting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever change, So Hye.¡±


    His heart, which was frozen over from seeing blood and death in a world controlled by conspiracies, found a little bit of warmth. After being sent off by Jung Hyun Jin, Ahn Soo Ho and Lee So Hye walked the streets of Cheongdamdong. It only took 20 minutes to get to Star Tower from the house.


    ¡°Ta-da! This is mine.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re a Gangnamndlord!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Praise me more, Little Sis.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who danced and put his hands on his hips, saw his nose growing longer than that of Pinhio, but that was probably a delusion. Lee So Hye went with the mood and pped for her big brother. People might have frowned at his immature behavior, but there were people who were greeting Ahn Soo Ho in front of the Star Tower.


    ¡°Director Ahn.¡±


    ¡°You look better than before, Ms. Kim.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I wanted to thank you.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung, who was Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager and team leader, ran three or four flights of stairs and barged into the board of directors¡¯ meeting. The M&A of Shinhwa Entertainment and FNB Entertainment had been wrapping up, and the task force dispatched by Daesan¡¯s legal team already began to form new management and organization.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°My little sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh! She looks like she¡¯ll grow up to be a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you used ttery.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad if used moderately.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed in response to Kim Woo Jung¡¯s dramatic change. For people who had tasted power, they had no choice but to change whether it was good or bad. An unfamiliar voice jumped in.


    ¡°Oh my! Director Kim? What are you doing here?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t like Oh Joo Kyung, but her aura screamed¡ª¡±I¡¯m a career woman!¡±¡ªas she approached.


    ¡°Come here, Mi Jin. I mean, Team Leader Kim.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung dropped the formalities as if they were close, but once he noticed Ahn Soo Ho, he addressed her differently. Kim Mi Jin, who tilted her head to that behavior, saw Ahn Soo Ho with sparkling eyes. The variety show from yesterday was enough to make her group, Yesterday a hot issue. But there was one undisclosed clip that made the editing producers contemte. He had brutally rejected their rising star, Mi Na, who was carrying her girl group, Yesterday.


    ¡°Agh! Fail Man!¡±


    Yesterday, who followed Kim Mi Jin, shooked their fingers at Ahn Soo Ho.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 41 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [1] > The end.

 Chapter 43: < Protect – Episode 42 – Lee Joong Hyun [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 43: < Protect ¨C Episode 42 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [2] ></h4>


    Whether it was big or small, the reason why agencies prefer girl groups and boy groups was so that they could divide their risk. If they make one member seed, the rest of the group were bound to follow. The extreme fan culture was also a part of it. Yesterday was a girl group that JT Entertainment ambitiously debuted, and Mi Na was working hard as the second Seol Hyun.


    The reason why Yesterday visited Hosoo Entertainment was so that they could practice the Seol Hyun and Mi Na coboration for the pop culture awards. The saying, row when the wateres in, applies to the entertainment industry as well. In order to capture the hearts of the unpredictable people, they had to keep up with the quickly changing trends.


    Seol Hyun was an actress, not an idol. However, people liked to bring up her age andpare her to other idols. As a celebrity, she was born with acting skills, singing skills, dancing skills, and variety show skills. That was why there were many juniors who looked up to Seol Hyun as a role model. These days, idols have to be good at everything.


    ¡°Agh! Fail Man!¡±


    In response to Yesterday member, Joo Ah¡¯s remark, Mi Na, who had been nk as a zombie for thest few days, came back to her senses.


    ¡°Huh? It is!¡±


    ¡°The badass man!¡±


    ¡°That was definitely just an act!¡±


    It was crazy with all 4 members talking at once. Kim Woo Jung had to escort them inside the building. The big deal of FNB Entertainment and Shinhwa Entertainment was the topic of conversation between all those involved in the entertainment industry.


    FNB, which was known to be specialized in acting with top, high-ss singers, and Shinhwa, which followed the trends to strategize for their idols, had clear strengths and weaknesses. They didn¡¯t seem to go together, but once they were merged, they showed great synergy.


    ¡°Wow! Thepany building is so nice!¡±


    ¡°How many floors are there? This doesn¡¯t evenpare to ours!¡±


    ¡°I heard the new president is a third generation heir!¡±


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t CEO Shim the president?¡±


    ¡°Apparently not.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung, who was discussing the schedule with Kim Mi Jin in front of the elevator, sighed and responded to the chattering voices.


    ¡°You guys haven¡¯t changed one bit.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re really sessful these days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re stars now too! Woo!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little embarrassing, Joo Ah.¡±


    Joo Ah, Sae Ryung, JD, and Mi Na were the four members of Yesterday, whom Kim Woo Jung discovered. But why did they went to another agency? The reason why he was respected by his juniors and seniors was because he always thought about what was actually the best for the celebrity.


    Kim Woo Jung judged these four to be great idols. The problem was that FNB Entertainment wasn¡¯t the right agency to be training idols, and if caught by the eyes of Shim Il Kwon, it was highly likely that they would be cash cows like Seol Hyun from an early age. He didn¡¯t like them debuting at a really early age. That was because if they weren¡¯t lucky, they would be disbanded.


    People often make fun of having a celebrity disease, but it was possible for it to develop into a serious illness. It wasn¡¯t something that people should beughing about. It wasn¡¯t easy to live a life of being hated as much as they were loved. When the three members smiled at Kim Woo Jung after not seeing him for a long time, it got on Kang Mi Na¡¯s nerve. She saw the man who rejected her, smiling and talking with girls younger than her. She gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Forget what?¡±


    In response to Kim Mi Jin, who jabbed Kang Mi Na on her side, abruptly answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s the owner of this ce.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the rumored third generation heir who merged FNB and Shinhwa.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When her high soprano voice got people¡¯s attention, Kang Mi Na waved her hands.


    ¡°It... it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°This wench! Lower your voice!¡±


    ¡°Mi Na¡¯s our main vocalist. Are you really surprised?¡±


    ¡°You wench! I told you not to talk like an elementary school kid!¡±


    They started chattering all at once. It was strange for whoever was with them. Kim Woo Jung, the celebrities, and the managing team all minded Ahn Soo Ho, but he just ignored them. On the other hand, Lee So Hye, who hadn¡¯t seen celebrities that much, nced over in fascination. Yesterday felt a deep desire to look into the Fail Man, but when Kim Mi Jin red at them, they had no choice but to postpone it. The lift stopped on the 7th floor and every single person got off. Star Tower was currently only using the building up to the 7th floor, but the area of each floor wasrge, and he didn¡¯t n on looking around FNB and Shinhwa¡¯s original buildings.


    ¡°Wee, Director Ahn.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon, the former president of Shinhwa Entertainment, hesitated at the sight of Kim Woo Jung, and then smiled at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°What¡¯s their group name again?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho pointed, Kim Yoo Seon and Kim Woo Jung looked at Yesterday as they walked off together.


    ¡°Are you talking about Yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yesterday. Are they with us too?¡±


    ¡°No. JT Entertainment ambitiously debuted them.¡±


    ¡°Then why are they here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably visiting for their coboration with Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Coboration?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho showed a vague expression. It wasmon for free mercenaries to change sides depending on their contract, but it was impossible forpany mercenaries to change their employer. As it was seen with Zero Nemo and Bottle Land, the top 2 mercenarypanies in North America, as soon as profits got involved, there was no such thing as a war out of good faith.


    ¡°Who executed it?¡±


    ¡°Director Shim Il Kwon.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho squinted his eyes. Was the former FNB CEO trying to protest? Or was it just a wicked joke? He immediately realized that Shim Il Kwon was nning something.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Even if it was a selfish n that was only for himself, if it brings profits to thepany, he was capable of overlooking it. Actually, he didn¡¯t even expect profits. It was okay as long as he didn¡¯t cause harm.


    ¡°This is my little sister. She¡¯s also Jung Hoon¡¯s little sister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss. I¡¯m Kim Yoo Seon.¡±


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Lee So Hye.¡±


    Lee So Hye, who was looking around in fascination, smiled brightly. Kim Yoo Seon admired that both Lee Jung Hoon and Lee So Hye had good foundations in their image. Considering the fact that she was not wearing any makeup, she had the potential to be called beautiful. Kim Woo Jung¡¯spliment wasn¡¯t just empty words.


    ¡°Is Jung Hoon here?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Jung Hoon is busy with filming preparations these days.¡±


    ¡°He actually got a role?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Jung Hoon¡¯s abilities, Director. We didn¡¯t choose him only based on looks.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? What do you think, So Hye?¡±


    ¡°He is a scary one. How else would he have gotten into Columbia University without a single tutoring lesson?¡±


    Even though Lee So Hye hated Lee Jung Hoon, she had to give it to him. He had crazy self-love. He was a son of a b*tch who left his family behind and put everything into his future and sess. He thought mothers were there to sacrifice themselves for their children. But did that made Lee Jung Hoon a viin or a criminal? No way.


    ¡°He must have thought he wouldn¡¯t have seeded by studying.¡±


    That was true. Even though Lee Jung Hoon managed to study hard and go abroad, he realized that it was just the beginning. And he saw endless darkness where he couldn¡¯t see where he was going.


    ¡°It¡¯s foolish to abandon stability and embark on an adventure.¡±


    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t know he¡¯d be close to you. If I didn¡¯t know you, I probably wouldn¡¯t have considered college either. So I¡¯m sometimes wondering if I¡¯m dreaming. I¡¯m really happy...but it would be disappointing if it was a dream.¡±


    Lee So Hye let out a bitterugh that didn¡¯t suit her age. Everyone could dream, but in reality, life wasn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He went into contemtion.


    ¡°I wonder what I did to deserve all of this.¡±


    He shooked his head. He was always someone who gave bullets and pain instead of flowers and happiness. The only ones who could be happy with him were 608, who died not long ago, and Logan, who was a crazy bastard. Kim Yoo Seon and Lee So Hye kept quiet to let Ahn Soo Ho think. After ten minutes Ahn Soo Ho awakened from his deep contemtion.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a littlete, but let¡¯s hold a foundation ceremony.¡±


    ¡°A... a foundation ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon thought something was wrong with his ears. However, Ahn Soo Ho firmly gave his answer.


    ¡°Right now!¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s foundation ceremony took ce in a very sudden manner. People in lower positions wondered what was going on, because work, concerts,mercials, broadcasts, variety shows, and interviews rted to the M&A were halted.


    He would have to pay the cancetion fees and thepany¡¯s credibility would go down, but he didn¡¯t care. He invited all the celebrities, employees, guards, and subcontractors to Daesan Hotel for the banquet. For grand foundation ceremonies, entertainment officials, reporters, and famous personnel of all levels were usually invited, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to make it so tiring.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Apparently, the president called everyone.¡±


    ¡°He even sent a helicopter to the ones who went to Busan for an event.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°He sent one to Daejeon and Daegu too.¡±


    ¡°Wow! No way.¡±


    All sorts of people were at the banquet. Including the clerical workers, trainers, sound technicians, managers, coordinators, stylists, security guards, dance teams, choreographers, and even trainees participated, which made it very crowded. Yesterday only joined because everyone else did.


    ¡°What kind of carelessly nned foundation ceremony is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s refreshing and fascinating though.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely the king!¡±


    As people shared their surprise ufortable-looking Shim Il Kwon and smiling Kim Yoo Seon stepped onto the tform. But it wasn¡¯t them who held the mic, but Kim Woo Jung.


    ¡°Testing, testing. Attention, everyone.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung was smiling on the outside, but he was actually very nervous. The canceled meetings,mercials, and broadcasts would cost a lot of money.


    ¡°The reason why we gathered you here today is to unite for the establishment of thispany...¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Kim Woo Jung¡¯s formal speech. He felt the warmth of everyone¡¯s gazes once he took the mic, but it was nothingpared to what he faced on the battlefield.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m the one who called you here today.¡±


    Some of the singers and actors who were urgently called looked just as ufortable as Shim Il Kwon.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering what this son of a b*tch is all about.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    There was smallughter in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s self-diss.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself...I¡¯m rich.¡±


    He looked shameless. Lee So Hye¡¯s shamelessness as she ttered her big brother was nothingpared to the thickness of his.


    ¡°I heard some people were calling me the third generation heir, but that¡¯s not true. That¡¯s all bullshit, everyone. Woof, woof.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Theughter grew louder.


    ¡°I¡¯m rich. I¡¯m probably richer than you think. Isn¡¯t that right, Red Spicy?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The famous modern rock band, Red Spicy came up to Seoul in a helicopter right after their performance in Daegu.


    ¡°To be honest, I have no interest in making money with thispany.¡±


    Theughter immediately faded. Since he wasn¡¯t talking passionately about thepany¡¯s future, but rather joked about it, they were suddenly concerned.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t go down. Why? Because I¡¯m rich.¡±


    He continued to stress his wealth.


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe it until you see it...so I will give all of you a fifty percent raise. I might give you an even bigger raise if you negotiate, so please feel free.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    They wondered if they heard it wrong, but when Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t correct himself, they all cheered.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The joy in their cheers was real.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to provide helicopters to the artists who have events in other regions.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°I also bought a private jet.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The truth was, he got it as a spot good, but so what? As soon as Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger a picture of the beautiful Boeing 747s at Incheon International Airpot was shown on the projectors.


    ¡°If the broadcasting producers boss you around, I¡¯ll buy the broadcastingpany. If there¡¯s no concert hall, I¡¯ll build one. If you want to star in a movie or a drama, let¡¯s start our own.¡±


    People were unable to stay sane as he went on. The scale became too big to consider him a third generation heir. And they had no idea that all of the money he was spending, was just a small amount of his overall wealth. Compared to Hollywood, Korea was very small.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about visions and what not. But I¡¯ll promise you one thing.¡±


    Someone who attacked Ennd with oil money said this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what real wealth is.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 42 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [2] > The end.

 Chapter 44: < Protect – Episode 43 – Lee Joong Hyun [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 44: < Protect ¨C Episode 43 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [3] ></h4>


    The kidnapping incident in Sao Paolo became a secret story about a rare political scandal. Especially the States was going through a lot of trouble because Jina Davis was the only one who survived. It might sound cruel to ask a survivor why they survived, but Allen Davis¡¯ political opponents made sure not to miss this opportunity.


    ¡°In the end, it was a hearing for Fitzgerald.¡±


    The hearing led by the upper house gradually heated up to nder and exposure of one another.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking forward to the next presidential election?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t think Allen will go down so easily.¡±


    ¡°Because of Scott?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a talented campaign manager.¡±


    In other words, they called it a political strategy. In the 21st century, many thought of prediction as a superstition, but there was no one who wanted to see the future more than politicians. But there was one thing to be cautious about.


    ¡°Willful negligence is a wrong political action.¡±


    Politicians didn¡¯t only y dumb when they want to dodge legal responsibility. Everything on their agenda had hidden intentions behind them. That was also why the deals made with political strategies were always interdependent. How sad was it that people could only trust each other if they knew their weaknesses?


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Guardian is only human too.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°Think about what he¡¯s doing on his homnd. He found his long-lost family and he¡¯s taking care of them now. That must mean he¡¯s nning to retire or...¡±


    ¡°Hiding a weakness?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s no longer the invincible man we¡¯ve been afraid of.¡±


    ¡°Tom. If that¡¯s what you really believe, he¡¯ll seed.¡±


    Michael Tobal, the vice-president of Genesis Quantum, shooked his head at what was said by Thomas Chenyabin, the vice-president of United Aircraft.


    ¡°Are you saying all of this is fake, Michael?¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask you this. Why do you think Soo Ho decided to go on sabbatical?¡±


    ¡°Is there another reason?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Because as an arbitrator and an arbiter, he needs to maintain his identity.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s aplishments were his special skills, but his vague nationality of being Korean helped a little as well. If he was from a powerful country like the States or China, he would have been stepped on from the very beginning. Luckily, they underestimated Korea, which gave Ahn Soo Ho some time to build his power and reputation.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho became a tycoon, no one was able to mess with him. However, as if they had forgotten, people started to test Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s immortal reputation.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho is an experienced hunter. He exposes his own weaknesses while pulling out those with malice out of the darkness.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t there a bigger problem?¡±


    The biggest advantage that maintained Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation today was his location. Whenever something happened, he was always on an advantageous position as he took down his opponents. But this time, he exposed his location on his own volition.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he takes the challenges against him seriously.¡±


    Michael didn¡¯t say anything to Thomas¡¯ sarcastic remark.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re still hung up about the past.¡±


    As a wealthy man who led the international aviation industry, Thomas was degraded by Ahn Soo Ho at a party a few years ago. As soon as Thomas noticed Michael¡¯s face stiffening, he smirked.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m mad at Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°You have strong pride.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    Thomas shooked his finger as if that was nonsense.


    ¡°Hating someone and conducting business are two different things. I¡¯m just worried, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°About Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m worried about him.¡±


    Thomas acknowledged it and handed Michael a file.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Rev gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Alex?¡±


    As soon as Michael flipped through the first pace, he distorted his face and mumbled.


    ¡°Salgado.¡±


    What were the people with money and power afraid of the most? Professional killers. People couldn¡¯t survive poison and dodge bullets. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho got his immortal reputation was because he fought against professional killers. That was when he got the nicknames, Mr. Guardian, and Wizard.


    ¡°If Ahn Soo Ho shows his weaknesses, Ang will very likely attack him.¡±


    The secretive professional killers never form alliances. But after the bloody battle, they didn¡¯t face Ahn Soo Ho, but rather avoided him. That made the assassins that reigned over fear a little bothered. However, the fact that they couldn¡¯t face Ahn Soo Ho alone hadn¡¯t changed.


    That was when the unwrittenw that professional killers didn¡¯t form alliances shattered. Ang was a special force that was prepared for Ahn Soo Ho, but they suddenly realized something. They realized how effective and productive forming groups was. Ang transformed into a professional assassinationpany, but the rich foes were always going to be rich, and the powerful were always going to be powerful.


    ¡°He mustn¡¯t go down. He mustn¡¯t grow weak.¡±


    At least as long as they were alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re worrying about him with a very selfish reason.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried, Michael? We all put ourselves first.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was kind of like a safety insurance for the pleasant and extravagant lifestyles of the rich all around the world. If it wasn¡¯t for buffer zones like him, the world would have been more saturated with blood and death.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho is our Maginot line.¡±


    The Hosoo Entertainment foundation ceremony remained a legend. The stories of him bringing up his helicopters and private jets blew up into over-exaggerated rumors about him coveting Hollywood. The first victim of these rumors was Jang Seol Hyun, who had attempted to work in Hollywood before. During a fashion magazine¡¯s fall shoot interview, she answered an unexpected question without any hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy if he sent me.¡±


    It was a very carefree answer that Jang Seol Hyun would say. Hosoo Entertainment, which was the topic of conversation in the entertainment world, prepared for an even bigger bomb, and as they wrapped up the M&A and opened the shareholders¡¯ meeting, they requested a delisting. The organizations involved with the stock market probably felt like they got stabbed in the back. A portion of the foreign currency Ahn Soo Ho brought in was used for a treasury bond, and another portion was used for a press arbitration alliance.


    One might wonder how much money a civic group could squeeze out of the nation, but there were countless publicly funded groups that were livingfortably like aristocrats. Because they didn¡¯t pay taxes? That¡¯s not it. The money that was handed out, in the beginning, swelled up like a snowballter on.


    ¡°The press is being friendly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are. We sure paid them enough.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled bitterly at Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Draw a clear line with Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re done for the morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! Have you thought about my proposal, Ms. Oh?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho offered Oh Joo Kyung a job at Hosoo Entertainment. Even though she was the secretary of the great Kim Dae Chan of the Daesan Kingdom, there were plenty of talents in Daesan Group that could rece her.


    ¡°Give me a little more time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°One week. If you don¡¯t answer in a week, I¡¯ll ask someone else.¡±


    He set a clear date. Even though he wanted an immediate answer, moving from Daesan Group to apany that was just starting out could look like a downgrade. That wasn¡¯t easy to do for Oh Joo Kyung, who dreamt of breaking the ss ceiling as a businesswoman. But even if she declined, they were still going to see each other. As long as Ahn Soo Ho was a director at Daesan Group, they would continue to see each other. Once he was left alone, he looked out the window.


    ¡°I need to settle it with Navarros.¡±


    As the American senate hearing progressed, Empire Kozern was pushed to a corner. It would have been more normal for Aragon Company to be put down, but the backup scenario was quite well thought out.


    ¡°They made Fitzgerald into the star of the hearing.¡±


    Alexandro Stanish Fitzgerald might remind poeple of aedian¡¯s nickname, but that was his real name. It wasparable to the name, Kang Meong Goo in Korean. It was quite a ridiculous name. It wasn¡¯t like all words made sense just because someone wrote it down. His alone time ended in no time. Do Kyung Ho wore a clean suit as if he wanted to look like an average employee, but he obviously looked like a gangster. Ahn Soo Ho sighed as soon as he saw him.


    ¡°Did you use a whole bottle of hair grease?¡±


    ¡°Why? Does it look weird?¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have been Hye Jung¡¯s doing. Who did it?¡±


    ¡°A hair salon called Reverse Salon...¡±


    Seeing how it looks tacky, he might have went to a massage parlor disguised as a hair salon. He sighed again.


    ¡°Who manages it?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember Kyung Taek?¡±


    ¡°Ahn Kyung Taek?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the only Ahn in the neighborhood he lived in. It was not a family of great notable power, but his father¡¯s other rtives in his family tree were fairly high up. Ahn Kyung Taek was one of the underlings that followed Ahn Soo Ho and Do Kyung Ho around. In contrast to Ahn Soo Ho, who went to the Naval Academy, Do Kyung Ho started throwing fists right out of high school, and that was when they became friends.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but Kyung Taek washed his hands off of this a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°A retired man is managing a massage parlor?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho had nothing to say to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sarcastic remark.


    ¡°Do Kyung Ho. Don¡¯t you know what kind of people I despise the most?¡±


    ¡°Pimps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I hate pimps.¡±


    Even though prostitution was illegal in Korea, Korea was apetitive republic of sex that was quiteparable to the well-known sex tourism country, Thand. On the outside, the Korean society was very conservative, but on the inside was crawling with uncontroble desire.


    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes, Soo Ho. Isn¡¯t it too cruel to be punished forever for one mistake?¡±


    ¡°Listen to you!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho red at Do Kyung Ho, who took Ahn Kyung Taek¡¯s side.


    ¡°It sounds like there¡¯s something you need from him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    Do Kyung Ho, who hesitated with his mouth closed, lifted both his hands as if he couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t that many guys who found proper jobs after leaving the field, and the one who helped them making a living was...¡±


    ¡°Ahn Kyung Taek?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Kyung Taek had to put his foot back into the organized society in order to make money.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How many scumbags are hanging on to you with their mouths open hoping for food to drop?¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho got angry at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s explicit expression. No matter how horrible his life was, he believed he at least kept his loyalty. However, it would not help to be angry when he was the one who needs help. Do Kyung Ho cooled down and then felt relieved.


    Even if loyalty was important, as the head of a household, he was burdened by his brothers who went astray. Do Kyung Ho opened his mouth with a lighter heart.


    ¡°Twelve people.¡±


    ¡°Are they all unemployed?¡±


    ¡°Only six of them. The rest are working asborers and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°At least half of them have their shit together. Okay. Bring them to me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Do Kyung Ho, who threw a fuss with his butt shaking. He might be happy now, but only time could tell if they would like the job or not. Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling me first? You¡¯re not telling me to get lost, are you?¡±


    Logan and his entourage were busy going sightseeing around Korea.


    ¡°No, I have a favor to ask you. Actually, let¡¯s call it short-term employment.¡±


    ¡°Employment? You said there wouldn¡¯t be any missions for a while.¡±


    ¡°There will always be work to do. And this isn¡¯t a mission.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Teach a few guys a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Who should we beat up?¡±


    ¡°No, not that kind of teaching.¡±


    It was embarrassing, but mercenaries weren¡¯t different from thugs.


    ¡°French Foreign Legion.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    He eximed as if he understood what Ahn Soo Ho said. Among mercenaries, there were many who used to be soldiers or police officers, but there were also former gangsters, criminals, and lunatics who liked guns. For crazy bastards like that, their bodies or their minds had to be remodeled to transform them into reliablerades. Mercenaries called that being reborn.


    Not metaphorically, but literally. In that aspect, the French Foreign Legion was a great example. Even though they were shadowed by the States, they were also an immigrant country, and there was nothing that brought generations closer together like military training. If a person would think of France they would be reminded of positive things like liberal democracy and equality, but they had more respect for force than any other country.


    ¡°You can cripple them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho watched in fascination as Ahn Soo Ho spoke in foreignnguage on to the phone. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho hung up, Do Kyung Ho opened his mouth to ask him a question, but the door swung open before he could.


    ¡°Director!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung barged in with agitation.


    ¡°Hey, calm down, Ms. Oh. What is it?¡±


    She managed to calm her breathing, but she was unable to hide her red cheeks.


    ¡°The president ising to Star Tower! They said the advance team has already departed!¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Right now!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t surprised, and clicked his tongue instead.


    ¡°This man has great showmanship.¡±


    His start might have been as Korea National Association¡¯s scarecrow, but as soon as he gets a grasp of living power, he would open his eyes to the hidden truth. The separation of legal, administrative, and judicial powers in Korea was an abnormalposition of power formed by the administration, and depending on how it was used, the president¡¯s influence was as powerful as those of any country¡¯s dictator.


    ¡°Lee Joong Hyun...¡±


    ¡®I hope he¡¯s a man ofmon sense.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 43 ¨C Lee Joong Hyun [3] > The end.

 Chapter 45: < Protect – Episode 44 – Dresden [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 45: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 44 ¨C Dresden [1] &gt;</h4>


    Unless they had no interest in politics or the politicians were not the ones they voted for, people were busy criticizing what on earth they were doing. However, even the city council members were really busy. One could say that once someone became a president, they wouldn¡¯t a personal life anymore. For presidents, their schedules were divided by minutes and they were nned from a month to three months ahead of time.


    Since where a president would go, who he would meet, what he would wear, and what he would talk about were all going to be evaluated and exposed in public, it would be difficult for the mentally weak to handle. The Korean president, Lee Joong Hyun that Ahn Soo Ho evaluated had a first impression that wasn¡¯t too light or too heavy, but right in between.


    ¡°My name is Lee Joong Hyun, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Mr. President.¡±


    Even though he greeted him first and introduced himself, Ahn Soo Ho drew a line.


    ¡°You¡¯re just as strict as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard, but the rumors were probably exaggerated quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Really? I feel like the rumors werecking...You¡¯re modest, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t good to believe what politicians would say. They were more talented in acting than actors themselves, and they were highly skilled in ttering others. They were sociopaths who didn¡¯t feel guilty about tricking others, and if they did something, it was good, but if other people did it, it was bad.


    The truth and great politics that Ahn Soo Ho knew of only existed in textbooks. But did that meant he was hopeless and cynical? Not at all. He was just afraid of people. They were usually afraid of strong and deadly weapons, but what they really had to be careful of was the intentions behind the people holding those weapons.


    ¡°What is it that you want, Mr. President?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just as feisty as I heard. I like it. Well, I want to cut ties with the national association.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And I want your help.¡±


    It was an abrupt thing to say, but his intention was clear.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very serious.¡±


    ¡°Mr. President. You could lose your entire political base. Are you aware of that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    It was the Korean National Association that led Lee Joong Hyun to his presidency, and they also yed a pivotal role in the vested interests that made the party in power support the conservatives. In other words, they were a group that was like a symbol of Korean union for the rich.


    ¡°The advisors won¡¯t allow that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bring them.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single advisor or guard present. Once a person became the president, at least one guard would follow the president to the washroom due to security protocols or whatever they call it. Since the president visited Ahn Soo Ho at Star Tower for something that wasn¡¯t even a secret meeting, Ahn Soo Ho might attract some attention. No, he would.


    ¡°What¡¯s your reason?¡±


    ¡°Vice-President Kim Kang Woon of Daesan Consulting.¡±


    There was still a lot of attention on Vice-President Kim Kang Woon of Daesan Consulting, who died mysteriously. As soon as Hosoo Entertainment moved into Star Tower, their connection to Daesan Group stuck out, and there were even suspicions of it being a trick to bury Kim Kang Woon¡¯s suspicious death as entertainment news.


    Ahn Soo Ho narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You know the culprit, don¡¯t you, Mr. President?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the president of this country. No matter how much criticism the NIS gets, they¡¯re one step ahead of the game in Korea.¡±


    ¡°If this is about Daesan, it might be better to make a deal with the chairman.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s another way. But I want your skills as an arbitrator, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun meant what he said.


    He became suspicious of how charming Ahn Soo Ho seemed as time went on. Howe a great man like this wasn¡¯t known in Korea¡¯s high society? That was when he saw a file on Ahn Soo Ho from the NIS. He found out the horrible reason why such a promising student at the Naval Academy dropped out.


    ¡°He¡¯s simr to me!¡±


    He rose from a humble family! An ordinary president! As many propagandas announced, Lee Joong Hyun wasn¡¯t from a well-off family. He started off as a poor student that went to Seoul National University¡¯sw school, passed the bar exam, became a military judicial officer, a prosecutor, a human rightswyer, and a congressman before he became the president. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t Lee Joong Hyun who nned all of that.


    Even though he made a lot of effort as well, Korea National Association was the one who created Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s sess story. For 40 years at that. If Ahn Soo Ho had cooperated with them, he could have be another Lee Joong Hyun in 20 years.


    ¡°The national association thought they could preupy and win over future leaders, and in the end, they seeded.¡±


    The establishment, which formed their own league with the power they possessed, didn¡¯t expect another strong person to appear. So they found the so-called promising inferiors and managed them. The n was very simple. Since they raised the ones who surrendered and cut off the ones who turned them down, Ahn Soo Ho turned them down, and Lee Joong Hyun surrendered.


    ¡°I respect your decision, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°I just acted on foolish bravery. If I had to do it again...¡±


    ¡°No. I think you¡¯d still turn them down.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t hide the fact that he knew more about Ahn Soo Ho. Ahn Soo Ho decided to step back and watch. Lee Joong Hyun was the type to keep holding on even if he turned him down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a decision I can make within today.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m just d we talked today.¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho saw off the president, he suddenly remembered something, looked at his watch, and pped his hands.


    ¡°Oh, yes! That was 52 minutes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun who tilted his head at what Ahn Soo Ho said reacted to what followed with a fading smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s 10 million won per minute, so that¡¯s 250 million won, Mr. President. And I don¡¯t ept card.¡±


    The Blue House guards went to a nearby bank and withdrew cash from Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s bank ount, but more importantly, the fact that the president visited him, took over the inte news in real time.


    - What¡¯s the connection between Hosoo Entertainment and the Blue House?


    - Why did Lee Joong Hyun visit a start-uppany?


    - What did Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s delisting due to the market?


    - President Lee Joong Hyun sent a love call to Daesan Group!


    - The president of Hosoo Entertainment is Chairman Kim Dae San¡¯s love child!


    - The rich heir manages a private jet and helicopters!


    One would think Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s identity would be revealed at this point, but seeing how the media didn¡¯t mention his name or upload any pictures, it was quite fascinating. However, the fan sites that cheered on celebrities of FNB and Shinhwa uploaded shabby picturesbeled as a badass third generation heir.


    - His height is that of a celebrity but his face? Not so much. #HosooEntertainment #BadassHeir #PrivateJet


    - I don¡¯t think he¡¯s wearing makeup. Makeup makes men good-looking!


    - Why would a president wear makeup?


    - Are heirs trying to enter the entertainment industry now?


    - Shinra Group has already entered.


    - By Shinra, do you mean JNC and Personal Media?


    - Dongmyung Studio and Green Forest Fashion Brand are Shinra Groups too!


    - They also have six sessful cable channels!


    - Daesan can destroy Shinra in one day if they really wanted to!


    - Are you looking down on Shinra?


    - If you talk about Shinra beating Goguryeo and Baekje, I¡¯ll kill you!


    - I hate old man jokes!


    - It¡¯s not a old man joke.


    - He was the one who turned Mi Na down at the spicy rice cake shop in Shindang-dong! #SpicyRiceCakes #YesterdayDoom


    - Is he that Fail Man?


    - Mi Na¡¯s broke!


    - I¡¯m not surprised. Imagine how many beautiful women this heir has dated before.


    - Are you looking down on Mi Na?


    - Our Mi Na!


    - I heard he went around with two white chicks.


    - 3P?


    - I heard there was an Asian in there!


    - 4P?


    - That¡¯s legendary!


    - People are so two-faced! They all talk shit about rich people, but they want to live like that! Hypocrites!


    - If I was born into a rich household, I¡¯d be living like them too!


    - So are they going ahead with the reformation of the rich or not?


    - Seeing how Lee Joong Hyun went to them first, he must have surrendered to Kim Dae San.


    - What does Hosoo Enteratainment have to do with Daesan Group?


    - You dumbass! The president of Hosoo Entertainment is Kim Dae San¡¯s love child!


    - That¡¯s just a rumor, dumbass!


    Regardless of the chaos in Korea, Ahn Soo Ho finished his talk with the president andnded in Japan.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Shiba.¡±


    It might sound like a curse word, but it was a name. Shiba Yaos waited for him at Haneda Airport. As a young member of the House of Representatives, he was an idol in the political world. He received a lot of attention from young women, and he was good-looking and eloquent.


    ¡°Long time no see, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It hasn¡¯t even been a month yet.¡±


    Since they met on Daemado 3 weeks ago, it hadn¡¯t even been a month yet.


    ¡°Seeing how things turned out, the chief cab secretary position must be out of the question, Shiba.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wanted to thank you.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head at Shiba Yaos¡¯ appreciation, and then nodded, while Shiba continued to talk with a bright smile on his face.


    ¡°The Sao Paulo scandal weakened the Davis administration. So the American president is desperate for our help.¡±


    The political scandal made the Davis administration scatter in all four directions. The political experts predicted that it would take between six months to a year to resolve it, and the weakened government had a strong influence over the alliances as well. The main beneficiary country was Japan. The Ministry of Trade and Industry and economists of the Davis administration took a step back from attacking Japan about imported goods. In that sense, Japan achieved their goal.


    ¡°Since we sent a positive message regarding revising the peaceful constitution, the cab is in a superior position.¡±


    Japan was more fascinated by nepotism than Korea.


    In addition to the ridiculous stereotypes and restrictions that existed regarding status, bad habits and old customs dominated Japanese society. If people would look through Japaneseedies, anyone would be able to see a vague longing for a hierarchical society. Modesty and excessive consideration could have been the resignation of a tree that couldn¡¯t be climbed.


    Ahn Soo Ho, who left Haneda Airport with Shiba, unpacked his bags in a hotel that looked down upon Tokyo. Even though Daesan Group¡¯s hotel chain was recognized for being international, it wasn¡¯t established in Tokyo, Japan. It exists in Osaka, Okinawa, and Sapporo, but not Tokyo.


    Shiba took Ahn Soo Ho to a fancy restaurant.


    Even though it was unsightly for two dark men to sit at a restaurant enjoying a course meal, he was still a guest. He had questions to ask, so he went along with it. Just like Koreans, Japanese people often consider Western food as fine cuisine.


    ¡°When will the cab be reshuffled?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°Does that include the public safety intelligence agency?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s probably up to the prime minister.¡±


    Japan¡¯s intelligence service was divided into two, with Naicho being in charge of international matters, and with the public safety intelligence agency being in charge of national matters. Japan¡¯s intelligence agencies might not be as famous as the CIA or MI6, but they were still very strong. They were ten times better than the NIS.


    ¡°Then Nakayama will keep raking it in.¡±


    ¡°Probably. As long as no big problems arise.¡±


    Director Nakayama Soichiro of Public Safety Investigation was an intelligence agent, originally from the Japanese self-defense forces. Ahn Soo Ho had met him before, but it wasn¡¯t very pleasant.


    ¡°Tell him toe to me if he wants to resolve the Empire Konzern issue.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how it sounds.¡±


    ¡°Hm. If the public safetymission finds out, they could throw a fit.¡±


    ¡°Involving greedy old men would only make the problem moreplicated.¡±


    Ostracizing the national public safetymission and discussing the yakuza issue was understandably difficult from Shiba Yaos¡¯ stance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that the States is going at Empire Konzern , do you, Shiba?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s an underlying intention?¡±


    ¡°I almost overlooked it too. You see, someone devised an incredible script.¡±


    Among the ones who were in charge of that backup scenario was definitely a Japanese.


    ¡°The USB Navarros gave me contained some very interesting content, Shiba. I¡¯m sure you knew. Every politician of this nation probably knows.¡±


    There was an organization like the Korea National Association in Japan, and they thought of the emperor as a god-like being. The Emperor of Japan¡¯s humanity deration advocated that sphemy stressed by U.S. informants had to be retracted.


    ¡°Revival of the Cherry Blossoms.¡±


    Sakura didn¡¯t lose.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 44 ¨C Dresden [1] > The end.

 Chapter 46: < Protect – Episode 45 – Dresden [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 46: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 45 ¨C Dresden [2] &gt;</h4>


    The next day, Ahn Soo Ho visited an office in Shinjuku. Shinhwa Entertainment was a local subsidiary until recently, but it was currently in the process of canceling it.


    ¡°In the case of foreign branches, the delisting needs be announced again, so it takes a bit of time.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°If the branch does well, they could let you be independent. That¡¯s why most subcontractors ask for shares when they sign their contract.¡±


    ¡°But since we delisted, that¡¯s not an option anymore?¡±


    ¡°No country likes a foreigner raking in big profits in their country.¡±


    Since the singer and actor agency, FNB employed agencies to promote movies and dramas, they didn¡¯t have to worry about such cooperative rtions. However, in the idol business, where they had to attack Japan¡¯s domestic market,ck of proper support by a subcontractor could lead them stranded.


    ¡°They treat you well if they need you, but once they feel that their profits are being taken away, they¡¯ll try to bring you down.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho moved on from the branch manager¡¯s unfortunate words andforted the employee who was busy preparing for the evacuation. But it was thanks to the rise that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t all that bad. Today¡¯s reservation at a fancy Japanese restaurant brightened up the mood, and Tokyo¡¯s prices were just as high as that of Seoul. No one would turn down expensive and delicious food.


    Ahn Soo Ho left the office and entered a sedan.


    ¡°Is it necessary to evacuate all foreign branches, President Ahn? You¡¯ll lose a hard-earned market and personal connections in an instant.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t contemte for long before she transferred from Daesan Group to Hosoo Entertainment. He didn¡¯t offer her a great vision. He just promised to give men and women equal opportunities. It was a simple condition, but it was also one that was difficult to keep.


    ¡°Market? Personal connections? Those things aren¡¯t important.¡±


    When Oh Joo Kyung decided to transfer and epted the chief secretary position, Ahn Soo Ho no longer used formalities.


    ¡°Reputation is what¡¯s really important.¡±


    ¡°Reputation?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment Group decided to evacuate all foreign branches. Well, the only branches there were in Asian countries such as Japan, China, Thand, and the Philippines that were centered around Korean wave marketing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not in my nature to go and beg. I have to make theme to me.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°Worrying about that is my job.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s position might just be the chief secretary, but she would soon be involved in management in the president¡¯s stead. One may ask what makes him trust her so much after just a month of knowing her, but he conducted such a thorough investigation that he even knew what sanitary pad brand she used. Unless they were some kind of legendary spy, information was bound to surface.


    ¡°Are you really nning to buy a broadcasting station or a productionpany?¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°I saw the private jet in person, so I believe you. But as for a broadcasting station... it¡¯s not money but politics that might get in the way.¡±


    ¡°I can use my president card for that.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was surprised by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response. Did he really have connections with the Blue House? That was what her eyes were asking.


    ¡°I told you. What¡¯s really important is your reputation.¡±


    It was probably difficult to understand as of yet.


    The car arrived at the Meiji Shrine Yoyogi Park that wasn¡¯t too far from Shinjuku. Since it was the weekend, there were many visitors, and there were many booths that werebeled as the flea market. The charming handiwork of Japan caught their eyes. There were amateur actors, aspiringedians, magicians, and musicians performing with joy.


    ¡°Japan seems to be open-minded when ites to choosing jobs.¡±


    ¡°But they hate their defense forces.¡±


    There was someone who responded to what Ahn Soo Ho said to himself as he stopped walking to the charming sights of the square. The middle-aged man with cool sideburns looked as good in his trench coat as Western people did. His high nose and big eyes hinted that he was of mixed blood.


    Right before World War II ended, Nakayama Soichiro brought his family back from Hawaii to Japan. Those who returned from the States imed that they wanted to bring their homnd back to life, but the truth was that racism against the Japanese was worse than that against the Africans in the States.


    ¡°How dare a civil servant look down on a national.¡±


    ¡°You probably deserve it. Don¡¯t you know? Most Japanese people are dumb.¡±


    ¡°A top official¡¯s foolishment about the Japanese...the press would flip upside down if they knew.¡±


    The public security intelligence agency wasn¡¯t the police. And they certainly didn¡¯t have the authority to conduct a forced investigation. However, they were able to deal with terrorist groups, illegal organizations, and pseudo tforms. Depending on how it was used, it was simr to the Patriot Act of the States, which no longer exists.


    ¡°You can resolve the Empire problem, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°What did Naicho say?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho responded to Nakayama¡¯s question with a question.


    ¡°They¡¯ve taken their hands off of it. The Minister of Foreign Affairs seems to be watching eagerly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn¡¯t want to increase the friction with the States, nor do they want to reveal their weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Are they just abandoning it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s less than two months left until the G7 Tokyo meeting.¡±


    There were less than two months left until the Group of Seven gathered in Tokyo. The States might have dropped in rank due to the political scandal, but the States was still the States. As Japan, who was going against strong opponents such as China and Russia, they weren¡¯t willing to ruin their alliance with the States.


    ¡°Shiba was happy that the States took a misstep.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just politicians who care about poprity. We have to worry about our country¡¯s future. It¡¯s detrimental to us in the long run if we pressure the Davis administration. Clinging onto Empire would be an act of retaliation.¡±


    Empire Konzern, which was built by a yakuza alliance, was the king ofundering money, but due to the sudden PRS bill, most moneyundering paths were shut down.


    The amount of loss couldn¡¯t be described in words.


    ¡°Above all, it looks like there will be resistance between the factions regarding the distribution of profits and responsibility of loss.¡±


    Yakuza¡¯s had better vertical integration than any other criminal organization. The problem was that if the middle bosses got greedy, reaching an agreement could take longer.


    ¡°Whether Empire Konzern goes down or not isn¡¯t what¡¯s important. Even if we shut down the business, we have to at least get back the principal. If not, a war will break out to reim the losses.¡±


    In contrast to the loyalty, Yakuza¡¯s talked about, when there was a loss, they were busy trying to put it on other people.


    ¡°As I said, there¡¯s less than two months left until the G7 Tokyo meeting. What if a yakuza resistance takes ce at a time like this? Thepromised old men won¡¯t just sit back and watch. After that would be a war. So Soo Ho, if you can resolve the yakuza problem... you can do whatever it takes in our country for the time being.¡±


    Even though Nakayama didn¡¯t like Ahn Soo Ho, his reputation was unbeatable in the criminal world.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t like you, Nakayama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how serious the situation is, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was going to leave after resolving the Navarros problem, he knitted his brows and flicked his finger.


    ¡°Fine. But under one condition.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s something I can do, name it.¡±


    Nakayama was ready to offer his own organs.


    ¡°Bring Kumiko.¡±


    ¡°The apanist? Why?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to exin why?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who had the power, couldn¡¯t help butugh, but there were times when breaching was found in unexpected ces.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of the Dresden file, is it?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to answer that. If you want to make a deal, bring Kumiko. If you don¡¯t, forget this talk ever happened.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho brushed off his hands as if he was done talking, Nakayama let out a big groan.


    ¡®The Dresden file.¡¯


    It was time to get back at those who inconvenienced him.


    Thepany dinner that Ahn Soo Ho announced started in the evening.


    He rented out an entire fancy Japanese restaurant for the staff. It wasn¡¯t just Koreans there, but Japanese employees of Japanese agencies and subcontractors as well. There were even those who shared friendships and love across borders after sharing their joys and sorrows. The boy group, Annex, who were ready to take off, couldn¡¯t hide their restlessness. It seemed like they would take off if they waited a little longer, but thepany heartlessly decided to evacuate. They would be able to feed themselves even if they went back to Korea. That was because they acquired a good fan base before they gave Japan a go.


    ¡°Aw, I¡¯m so sad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get another opportunity.¡±


    ¡°We debuted five years ago. There are so many newbies taking off. If we let our guard down, we¡¯ll lose everything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think thepany would have a n?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone in this industry.¡±


    What did it mean to be an idol? There probably weren¡¯t many people who were purely in it because they love to sing and dance. Once they got famous and started earning a lot of money, they had conflicts with their agency or ended up in bad terms with fellow members.


    Same goes for Annex.


    Even within a popr group, there was a member who was more popr than the rest. That was how the conflicts start. Being a celebrity didn¡¯t solely depend on how hard a person worked. The na?ve boys who once chased after their dreams soon amodated to the reality.


    ¡°Guys!¡±


    Just like Annex, who was pushed to Japan by Shinhwa Entertainment, Baby Angel was in the same situation. They debuted 3 years ago, and they were known as top idols with quite the fan base in Korea as well.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    When beautiful women showed up, the atmosphere usually brightened up, but Annex didn¡¯t respond that way. Fans might see them as beautiful, but as fellow trainees who ate together for over 10 years, they were just women they knew.


    ¡°Why do you look so miserable?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m annoyed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to go back home.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t even been in Japan for two months. We¡¯ve been here for a year, and this is what we get for our hard work!¡±


    ¡°Hey, quiet down. We¡¯re not the only ones here.¡±


    ¡°Aw! Who cares?¡±


    It was possible for men to pretend to be all cheerful in front of the camera and fans, but in reality, it was impossible for them to not fight. Baby Angel didn¡¯t care whether or not Annex fought and just focused on eating the sushi. If not today, when else would they be able to have expensive sushi in the middle of Tokyo? It was too expensive for them to pay themselves.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Lee Joo Min. I heard she came to Japan to promote her movie...¡±


    Annex, who were fighting about who was better, stopped and whispered as soon as they spotted the actor. It finally hit them that Shinhwa Entertainment and FNB Entertainment merged. In contrast to their agency which was full of sweaty kids, it was fascinating to see an actor from movies and dramas from so up close.


    ¡°Wow, Anna¡¯s here too.¡±


    ¡°Anna¡¯s drama really took off in Japan. I heard she¡¯s getting tons ofmercial offers.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? We¡¯re celebrities too. Keep your head up.¡±


    ¡°Then go say hi, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know her though...¡±


    ¡°Idiot.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Even though their agencies merged, the idols and actors still felt distant from one another. But there was one person who broke down that wall.


    ¡°Why are you minding each other so much? Let¡¯s gather! Kleenex and Senior Demon, this way!¡±


    Do Min Ho called over Annex and Baby Angel as if he was an instructor. He briefly appeared in Lee Joo Min¡¯s movie as a cameo, but it was such a memorable scene that it blew up, so he joined the promotional activities as a result.


    ¡°Aw, Mino! That¡¯s why the inte calls us toilet paper!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re not demons, but angels! We¡¯re angel idols!¡±


    ¡°Stop the bber ande here!¡±


    Being aedian meant their persistence could also beughed about and looked over. They felt awkward sharing a table, but Do Min Ho¡¯s talking made themugh in no time.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but many top stars are homebodies. Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s a homebody too.¡±


    ¡°Seol Hyun? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°No way! How do you know Seol Hyun? You¡¯re not at her level.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but I¡¯m from a royal family.¡±


    ¡°Royal jelly?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! That¡¯s such ame joke! I¡¯ve sworn brothers with the president. That means I¡¯m from a royal family.¡±


    ¡°Why would the president be sworn brothers with you? Stop lying. You might offend him and get kicked out.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Not something that ridiculous.¡±


    Do Min Ho hit his own chest out of frustration. At that moment, an employee approached and made a remark.


    ¡°The president has arrived.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was busy greeting all the employees at the entrance. Do Min Ho stood in an arrogant way and led the way. As soon as he saw his target, he shook his fist like a gangster.


    ¡°Yo, bro! What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this psycho?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 45 ¨C Dresden [2] > The end.

 Chapter 47: < Protect – Episode 46 – Dresden [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 47: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 46 ¨C Dresden [3] &gt;</h4>


    Do Min Ho crouched in the corner and let off a depressing aura.


    ¡®Psycho? Psycho?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care and gathered employees in executive positions as well as actors and idols who brought in high profits.


    ¡°We¡¯ll return together in my private jet in four days.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    A hand stopped them from eximing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll also get a vacation bonus, so please enjoy some sightseeing. Oh, the dispatched employees will also get severance pay or a bonus.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all that.¡±


    When the branch manager tried to oppose due to the strain it could put on thepany, Ahn Soo Ho shut him up with his hand again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the entertainment industry that costs a lot in personnel expenses. All industries are like that. In an industry where it¡¯s all about people, it doesn¡¯t make sense to be stingy about personal expenses.¡±


    ¡°President Ahn.¡±


    The nonsense put a hopeless face on Oh Joo Kyung and Ahn Soo Ho just shrugged.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. If there¡¯s a dispatched employee you want to hire, tell me now.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that?¡±


    It was the general affairs team leader who carefully let out his opinion.


    ¡°Do you have anyone you want to rmend, Team Leader Yoon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are many, President Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Hire them all.¡±


    ¡°All of them? Are they going to Korea with us?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head, Oh Joo Kyung stepped up.


    ¡°The Japanese corporate body will be gone but we¡¯re still going to keep an office of contact. They¡¯ll analyze changing trends and market trends, and they¡¯ll also support our artists with Japanese promotions.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I like that.¡±


    A discussion began between Oh Joo Kyung and the executive employees. Ahn Soo Ho turned his attention to the actors and idols. It was so awkward that they didn¡¯t even know if the sushi was going up their noses or down their throats.


    At a time like this, funny guys were the best.


    ¡°Domino.¡±


    The depressed Do Min Ho ran over to Ahn Soo Ho like a puppy as soon as he was called.


    ¡°You were kidding, right, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and tell me who you¡¯re dating.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Do Min Ho was very surprised.


    ¡°Ho... how?¡±


    ¡°You know you can never trick me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... true.¡±


    He sighed.


    It had always been impossible to trick Ahn Soo Ho. Even if he thought he tricked him, heter found out that he pretended to be tricked. Do Min Ho sprung up, walked off, and brought over someone by their wrist.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Jeering and shouting could be heard. There must have been people who knew about it and people who didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡°Min Ho?¡±


    ¡°This is Kim Yoo Ri. She¡¯s my girlfriend. Say hello. He¡¯s someone I respect more than anyone else in this world.¡±


    Do Min Ho, who pulled over the grumbling woman in a tough manner, revealed the truth about his dating life. There were those who sincerely congratted him as well as those who were jealous and forever single.


    ¡°Oh, hello. My name is Kim Yoo Ri.¡±


    ¡°Please sit over here.¡±


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho treated her nicely with a smile, she was restless as if she was sitting on thorns.


    ¡°Thank you for dating such acking man, Yoo Ri.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m morecking than he is.¡±


    ¡°Lacking? I¡¯m not...¡±


    ¡°Be quiet. When did you start dating?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Eight months ago?¡±


    ¡°That was when you were filming the movie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s the assistant of the writer who¡¯s in charge of dramatization.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you got the cameo role.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... you could say that.¡±


    ¡°You kept your girlfriend a secret? Your brothers might kill you if they find out.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! I don¡¯t care about the youngest, but my older brothers can¡¯t find out... Can¡¯t you help me out, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You only treat me nicely when you need something.¡±


    ¡°No way! I¡¯ll always be below you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Stop being gross, you punk.¡±


    He kicked Do Min Ho in the ass and continued his conversation with Kim Yoo Ri.


    ¡°Is Mino good to you, Yoo Ri? If not, I¡¯ll deal with him for you.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s great.¡±


    She spasmodically waved her hands.


    Ahn Soo Ho noticed that she felt very small. She must have felt nervous among such top actors and idols, but the bigger problem was her slow-witted boyfriend. If he identally revealed their dating secret, he should have taken care of her until the end, but he was too busy receiving congrattions from colleagues and friends.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. No one thinks you¡¯recking. Are you a writer?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes.¡±


    No matter how many times he told her to feel at ease, she wouldn¡¯t have listened to any of it. If that was the case, it was wiser to change the subject. Even though he was not the type to question other people¡¯s dating lives, it was better to do it when things were chaotic.


    ¡°How did you start dating?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Do Min Ho and Kim Yoo Ri¡¯s love story was one that would put people to sleep. After graduating from creative writing, she aimed to start a career in that field, but sheter realized how difficult that was. The connections in the literary world were just asplicated as that of the political world.


    She naturally changed her path to broadcast writing.


    But she realized that that path wasn¡¯t easy either. It was bearable to work as someone¡¯s assistant, but what was more difficult was main writers using her work as if it was their own. The bear did the tricks while they raked in the money.


    She tried subcontractor productionpanies, movies, dramas, and variety shows, but only the people changed while the environment stayed the same. Kim Yoo Ri was about to give up when she met Do Min Ho.


    ¡°I thought he was a stalker at first. Like... amoner killer?¡±


    ¡°Oh. People who choose non-famous people to date?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that.¡±


    It wasical to divide normal people and celebrities, but that was how it was in Korea. They liked to talk about ranks and draw lines.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the prettiest, so when he said he liked me, I put my guard up. I wondered if I looked that easy. I was pretty angry.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty. Have confidence, Ms. Kim.¡±


    ¡°No way! You¡¯re good at lying. I guess sworn brothers are alike, huh?¡±


    After having a few drinks, Kim Yoo Ri had be confident all of a sudden. Or did she got drunk on purpose? She didn¡¯t refuse any offers and kept drinking them.


    In the end, she got wasted.


    ¡°Domino! You horrible piece of shit! If you dump me, you¡¯re dead! Got it? Come over here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Once Do Min Ho returned from receiving congrattions from colleagues and friends, Kim Yoo Ri was wasted. He held up the mumbling woman and looked back at Ahn Soo Ho hopelessly.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    After handing over Kim Yoo Ri to his boyfriend, Ahn Soo Ho looked around the tables that seemed less awkward. A few drinks made the vibe a lot better, and once Do Min Ho and Kim Yoo Ri left, someone raised their hand and looked at Ahn Soo Ho. Was that what they did when they were training?


    ¡°I¡¯m not your teacher, so you don¡¯t have to raise your hand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are you rich?¡±


    That was the mostmonly asked question, and it was a controversy that wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°What does that even mean? How much money do you have to have to be rich?¡±


    ¡°Around... 10 trillion won?¡±


    10 trillion won was only 8 billion US dors. The kids looked at things at a small scale. Distinguished families of Europe, American conglomerates, and royal families of the Middle East who have oil money thought in the range of 10,000 trillion. Ahn Soo Ho had never dreamt ofpeting with them but if he tried, 10 trillion won was no problem.


    ¡°Then you are rich.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The eyes of envy from the idols put Ahn Soo Ho in a strange position. There wasn¡¯t a single warm nce among them. They were either scared or thinking of how to use him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all made a lot of money for your age too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    It was true. Sessful idols had good ies. That was why so many people try to seed as idols. As a result, parents went crazy about it too. Since even the wealthier kids tried to be celebrities, the entertainment market grew bigger by the day.


    The generation that only favored judges, prosecutors, and doctors were over.


    ¡°You can no longer seed with only star qualities and natural talents. In this society, you have to be ahead of everyone else in order to survive. I don¡¯t think the entertainment industry¡¯s any different.¡±


    Having seeded in one industry was proof of how persistent a person was. Putting more effort wasn¡¯t a choice, but a requirement. A little bit of luck was a cherry on top. Ahn Soo Ho excused himself in response to Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s hand gesture.


    He heard Nakayama Soichiro¡¯s voice from the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°When will I see the results?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow? That¡¯s fast. I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    After ending the call, he left the fancy Japanese restaurant and returned to his hotel. He brushed Oh Joo Kyung off and went up to the suite room. He heared indicators of people. The woman holding a drink at the small bar either smiled or cried at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Kumiko.¡±


    On the outside, Kumiko looked like a small girl. She looked like an underdeveloped kid, but she was actually over forty. Her case wasn¡¯t something as simple as having her growth stunted when she was in her teenage years, she was just an unfortunate woman that contracted an incurable disease.


    ¡®In return for herck of body growth, another part of her developed abnormally well.¡¯


    The ignorant ones attributed that to prophecies and superpowers, and made Kumiko into a guinea pig. However, she was a very intelligent woman. She knew exactly what she had to do.


    ¡°Has it been four or five years, Soo Ho? I¡¯ve heard the news. You¡¯re on sabbatical, huh?¡±


    ¡°But I feel like I¡¯m working even more now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re desired.¡±


    It was strange to see a child tilting a ss filled with alcohol.


    ¡°Seeing how Nakayama desperately came to find me, you must be scheming something interesting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me, but you who¡¯s scheming, Kumiko.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Empire Konzern.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡±


    Kumiko denied it but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe her.


    ¡°I was confused too. Until I saw this, that is.¡±


    He pulled out a USB and shooked it in front of her. Kumiko put down her ss andughed bitterly.


    ¡°Daniel Navarros... I told them to deal with him or else he would be a problem, but they didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Them?¡±


    ¡°You know.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho gently looked at her, she surrendered.


    ¡°Okay! Fine! I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Kumiko filled her empty ss and started talking.


    ¡°My first job was to destroy Daesan Group. So I induced a Yankee. He probably doesn¡¯t even know that he was controlled.¡±


    ¡°Cranky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He had that ridiculous nickname. Anyway, as soon as I finished the initial design, everything else fell into ce. Things only changed once you came into the picture, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you consider the rtionship between Daesan and me?¡±


    ¡°I did. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It was beyond my predictions.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think we¡¯d join forces?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it seem that way? Even though Daesan is a bigpany, they¡¯re nothingpared to thepanies that offered you positions. Even the States offer you hundreds of billions of dors. South Korea is too small.¡±


    After finishing her ss, she grabbed for the bottle.


    ¡°My second job was to dy you.¡±


    ¡°Park Sang Goo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing worse than old resentment. Once I made him into the boss, Do Kyung Ho? His resentment toward him came out. But this situation turned out differently from what I expected too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d use Vitali. Wait, I guess it was Vitali who waited for the opportunity.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho no longer worried about any country¡¯s legal system. But in his homnd, he tried his best not to get into any trouble. That was why it was predicted that he would deal with Park Sang Goo in a legal way. But a sound procedure required time.


    ¡°What about your third job?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t n out the third job, Soo Ho. There¡¯s no rtionship between me and Deep Breath. The Japanese government might be crazy, but they¡¯re not stupid enough to trick me and sign a double contract.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. He felt like something was out of ce.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the ultimate winner?¡±


    There were more people who were losing than people who came out with profits. This definitely had nothing to do with profits. He tossed Navarros¡¯ USB at Kumiko.


    ¡°Anything else you have to tell me, Kumiko?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how far they are, but Ang is on the move. I¡¯m sure of it. Because of that, the elders are terribly anxious. If the uing G7 Tokyo meeting is ruined... Boom! Blood will be shed.¡±


    ¡°Whether the meeting gets ruined or not has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Kumiko, who heard what she just said as a d¨¦j¨¤ vu, distorted her lips. She was being sarcastic.


    ¡°The Dresden file.¡±


    ¡°No. You promised not to reveal it.¡±


    ¡°Let me finish. Spread a rumor about me having the Dresden file.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kumiko tilted her head.


    ¡°Just spread the rumor.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed coldly.


    ¡°Have you fished before?¡±


    Pain was difficult and patience was a virtue.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 46 ¨C Dresden [3] > The end.

 Chapter 48: < Protect – Episode 47 – Audition [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 48: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 47 ¨C Audition [1] &gt;</h4>


    The Dresden file


    In the information world, there was a story that was passed down until it became a legend. It was an unconfirmed rumor that there was an FBI director that used the weaknesses of powerful people to control the States. However, Ahn Soo had seen the Dresden file before. A file that a young girl reorganized. But of course, the young girl wasn¡¯t actually a young girl.


    Kumiko


    He didn¡¯t know her surname. People just called her the Apanist.


    ¡°You must be crazy, Soo Ho. The Dresden file? That¡¯s just a myth.¡±


    ¡°Henry. Rx.¡±


    ¡°The Dresden file? Are you serious?¡¯


    ¡°Henry.¡±


    The voice on the other line was going crazy.


    ¡°Calm down! You might get a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°Good God!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s efforts failed to calm him down. That was how serious the existence of the Dresden file was.


    ¡°Do you really have it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°But I know where it is.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Henryughed as if there was no difference between the two.


    ¡°So you went on sabbatical so you can cause this trouble. If this gets out a lot of eyes will monitor you.¡±


    ¡°They already are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Soo Ho! You¡¯ll have ten times more eyes on you!¡±


    ¡°I can get out of it.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll make them even angrier!¡±


    Spy games might remind people of the Cold War between the States and the Soviet Union, but spy agents go way back before that.


    ¡°The Dresden file deals with the most sensitive cases from the 20th century, Soo Ho. If even one word of it gets out, the world willpletely flip upside down. I don¡¯t even want to think about the damage that would do.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot for someone who¡¯s never seen it, Henry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about it. Fine... Did Hitler reallymit suicide?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Henry¡¯s question.


    ¡°Are you curious?¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Pretend you didn¡¯t hear that. Anyway, be careful. If the Apanist is in on it, the rumors will spread quickly.¡±


    After hanging up, he called over Logan with a hand gesture.


    ¡°Why did you call me to Japan?¡±


    ¡°Summon Alexa and the Koshino team.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there wouldn¡¯t be any missions for the time being?¡±


    ¡°Are you being sarcastic?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Logan enthusiastically shooked his head and hands.


    ¡°I just like South Korea, that¡¯s all. I was fascinated by howfortable I was about the fact that possession of firearms is illegal. This is my first time being so rxed.¡±


    Logan and his team truly let loose and enjoyed their time off in Korea. They normally would have rotated for emergency standby, but they didn¡¯t feel the need. Since they could deal with punks that fling around knives and a piece of wood, all they had to worry about were con artists and gold diggers.


    ¡°What about the retraining?¡±


    ¡°Hire whoever you think is appropriate.¡±


    The curriculum designed for Do Kyung Ho¡¯s underlings would take ce as nned. The day after Ahn Soo ho met with Kumiko, he went to a hostess bar. Japan¡¯s localization didn¡¯t discriminate against any fields. Cabarets used to be wholesome gatherings where art and performances were discussed, but once it came over to Japan, it changed andbined with the club culture to have a corrupted image.


    A connection that shows how close Korea, China, and Japan was in the pleasure department. The three countries¡¯ sex industries formed a very intimate rtionship, and the order of development went from Japan to Korea to China. In conservative societies, sex-rted business was avoided. However, what was contradicting was that the ones with the most power and money strongly sought out prostitution.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the old days. The appearance and numbers improved...but romance has disappeared. Capitalism makes the society convenient, but a little lonely.¡±


    Yakuza¡¯s got their name from ¡°Japanese criminal organization¡±, and they had a veryplicatedposition of power. What was important was that people didn¡¯t view Yakuza in a negative light. Necessary evil? The Japanese weed their own country¡¯s criminal organizations more than any other country. There were countless movies, dramas, andics about Yakuza, and they were still being mass produced to this day.


    ¡°Friendly criminals... That must have cost a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°They used the media. When ites to the public, there¡¯s no difference between criminals and politicians.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some serious reasoning.¡±


    ¡°You know how it is. If it yields a good oue, it¡¯s eptable in this world.¡±


    The Yakuza image that was shown in movies and dramas was a hot-blooded and spirited man. They were cold yet humane, and their decadent vibes resonated with kids and young viewers who dreamt of tough men. However, the reality was much worse than that.


    ¡°Is your wife and kids doing well?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so busy with lessons and whatnot that they have less time than I do. When we were little, we just ran around ying. Are you still single, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I remember you brainwashing me about how marriage is like digging your own grave.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I was having a hard time back then.¡±


    Tokyo was full of criminal organizations, but there was only one at the top. Kawabuchi Kentaro was the third group leader who only managed areas of substance such as Ginza, Roppongi, Ebisu, and Shibuya.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you came here to y. Is it because of Navarros?¡±


    ¡°That, and another reason.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I heard your finances aren¡¯t doing so good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary problem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. But in order to regain your credit, it¡¯ll take a really long time.¡±


    Empire Konzern might look like a normal investment firm on the outside, but it was actually a lower branch of the Yakuza thatundered dirty money. Yakuza liked to camouge their business in what looked legal, and in a country like Japan, that method worked well. However, the States was different. In contrast to Japan, where the ones in power kept on racking it in, the States put stress on thorough protocols.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to get Empire¡¯s funds back. You know that, right, Kentaro?¡±


    ¡°I know. But I can¡¯t just give up on sixty billion dors that easily.¡±


    Empire Konzern followed a 99% legal business procedure with only 1% being illegal, while the States kept 1% a secret and put 99% on scapegoats.


    ¡°Yankees are serious sons of bitches. ording to mywyer, a whistleblower probably already gathered evidence, so it¡¯ll be hard to get out of it.¡±


    ¡°Even if the head office is in the States, the major shareholder is Japanese. They probably see them as a foreignpany that should be monitored.¡±


    ¡°How much of the taxes were give to them? This is why you should never associate with big nosed elephants.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho epted Kawabuchi Kentaro¡¯s grumbling, he got straight to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯llpensate you.¡±


    ¡°Ha! The sixty billion dors?¡±


    ¡°In return...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s condition made his butt stop shaking and gulp instead.


    ¡°Sign over all the shares rted to Empire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to, but frozen assets can¡¯t be...¡±


    Kawabuchi stopped talking in response to the note he was given.


    ¡°Shawn Rnd? That banker?¡±


    ¡°But there will be fees. You know that, right?¡±


    Trading goods for cash came at a high fee, but it was better than being penniless. Kawabuchi excused himself and took out his phone. He couldn¡¯t make the decision on his own. A few minutester, he returned with a smile as if he took a nice big poop.


    ¡°They all agreed.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Soo Ho. The situation isn¡¯t so good right now. You put out an urgent fire.¡±


    ¡°Does someone have to take responsibility for it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. It¡¯s the rules.¡±


    The criminal world was a cold-hearted ce where blood and tears didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°If you guarantee it, the Navarros problem will be resolved too.¡±


    ¡°I promise he¡¯ll continue to live quietly as if he died.¡±


    The two men held up their sses to celebrate establishing a win-win deal. Kawabuchi had emptied his ss and sought the bartender, he pped his hands as if he suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯ve been hearing some weird rumors.¡±


    ¡°Weird rumors?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho responded with a peculiar expression.


    ¡°Yeah. I heard the Dresden file really exists and that you have it.¡±


    ¡°The Dresden file?¡±


    President Lee Joong Hyun, who thought strangely of the Korean National Intelligence Agency¡¯s Director Lee Gook Jin who appeared and spoke suddenly, made a weird face to what he had said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a story that is going around the information world like a myth or a legend.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I found this information while monitoring Ahn Soo Ho as I was asked. I heard he has the Dresden file.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun didn¡¯t get it no matter how Lee Gook Jin exined it.


    ¡°Director. So what¡¯s the Dresden file that you say is so important?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. I should have exined that part first.¡±


    The director exined everything he knew about the Dresden file, and the president¡¯s facial expression continued to change. The changes in his facial expression continued for about 10 minutes until Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s face turned really red.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no person or group who confirmed that the Dresden file actually exists. It¡¯s just that rumors have been going around in Japan.¡±


    ¡°Why Japan?¡±


    ¡°There are many hypotheses...but after World War II, in contrast to the battle between the States and the Soviet Union that divided Europe, Japan was soundly taken over by the States. They were hit by a nuclear bomb, but at least they didn¡¯t burn to the ground as much as Germany and Italy.¡±


    The Axis powers,


    It refers to the opposition of Allied Forces such as the States, Ennd, and the Soviet Union that fought in World War II. The key roles were taken by Nazi Germany, Italy of Mussolini¡¯s Fascists, Japan with the Emperor of Japan. When Germany and the Soviet Union entered into a nonaggression treaty, Japan retaliated by withdrawing, but in 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance once again.


    As most people knew, World War II ended with the Axis powers being defeated. And the two winners, the States, and the Soviet Union went into a Cold War which was a close tug-of-war.


    ¡°The rumors are saying that not even ten percent of the war criminals who supported the Axis powers were punished. They somehow got themselves off the list.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Since the media and inte weren¡¯t as developed back then, anything was possible with a little negotiation between the ones in power.¡±


    It was quite simple. The historical greed and repeated mistakes were so serious that human civilization and the state system couldn¡¯t be unconditionally trusted. There was no such thing as justice there.


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a list of war criminals that weren¡¯t omitted in the Dresden file. It¡¯s just a rumor though. But if it¡¯s true, it¡¯ll create a huge sensation.¡±


    ¡°Is that how valuable it is?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s priceless.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun thought hard and then flicked his finger.


    ¡°Can we use this for something, Director?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The president clicked his tongue because the director failed to understand it right away.


    ¡°For example, we can ask Ahn Soo Ho to change the file information so that it works in our favor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Lee Gook Jin put on a straight face.


    ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have told him.¡¯


    He regretted getting overexcited and telling him without thinking it over. Lee Joong Hyun had no idea how dangerous the Dresden file was. It was so valuable that if there was even a 1% chance that it existed, it was capable of bringing the Cold War spy game back to life.


    ¡°Impossible? You said Ahn Soo Ho has it.¡±


    Lee Gook Jin clicked his tongue at the president¡¯s pathetic assumption that Ahn Soo Ho would listen to him just because he was Korean. If the President didn¡¯t like the director, then he didn¡¯t like the president as well either.


    ¡°Mr. President, he¡¯s a dangerous man.¡±


    ¡°I know that too, Director. He¡¯s a very capable man.¡±


    ¡°No. You have no idea how dangerous he really is.¡±


    Lee Gook Jin watched over Ahn Soo Ho ever since he popped up. At first, he was going to try to win him over, but when he wasn¡¯t paying attention, Ahn Soo Ho had already climbed to a ce that was too high for them to reach. Ahn Soo Ho became someone that not even the American president could mess with. That was why he had no reason to bow down to Lee Joong Hyun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything. That¡¯s the best thing we can do right now.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to stick his head into a tiger¡¯s trap.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 47 ¨C Audition [1] > The end.

 Chapter 49: < Protect – Episode 48 – Audition [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 49: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 48 ¨C Audition [2] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°Let¡¯s break-up.¡±


    On the day of his 25th birthday, he went through an unexpected break-up. He feels unfamiliar with himself as he unknowingly agrees.


    ¡°I wish you happiness.¡±


    He was unable to hold onto her. Even though he was in pain, he was unable to reach out his hand. He would regret today¡¯s decision one day. However, no matter how many times he asked himself, his answer didn¡¯t change.


    ¡®Can we ever be happy?¡¯


    He found out about the world too soon.


    The breakup might have been something nned all along. He felt embarrassed about the hand he hid behind him. The girl who used to smile at even just a single rose would no longer smile at him. He tried to dispose of the rose, but was it because he was unable to let go? Even though there was no one to give it to, the bright rose was too beautiful to put in the garbage. When he thought about the money he wasted, he just smirked.


    ¡°Am I this cold-hearted?¡±


    Did they really love each other? No one could be certain of that. The memories that remained after the breakup remained empty. Looking back on it, it was just vague. No tears were shed. The air he inhaled turned into a white breath.


    ¡°Okay! Passed!¡±


    ¡°Really? Really?¡±


    The two people who were hugging and hopping were full of vibrant life.


    ¡®This is unfair.¡¯


    A horrible day for someone could be the best day for someone else. Did they take away his share of happiness? Heughed bitterly at the ridiculous suspicion.


    ¡®How servile.¡¯


    The best way to forget about misery was to resent and hate someone else. He gagged at the pathetic excuse. He approached the people who were hugging in happiness. Did people shed tears when they were too happy?


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    What would they think if an utter stranger handed them roses on the streets? They would probably think that he was crazy. It didn¡¯t matter. He tried to put on a bright smile, but it was uncertain how it would actually seem. Who cares? It wasn¡¯t like they would see each other again.


    ¡®Not bad.¡¯


    He felt a little less frustrated. He disappeared into the crowd. Where should he go? If he goes home too early, someone would catch on. He was afraid of facing his family who would sigh with worry. He didn¡¯t want any sympathy.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just walk.¡¯


    If he kept wandering about, wouldn¡¯t the road end sooner orter?


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    In contrast to the friend who was dumbfounded, Soo Jung was following the person¡¯s shadow with a possessed face.


    ¡°Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Ye...yeah?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No...nothing. Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s on me today!¡±


    She pulled her friend by the arm, but she couldn¡¯t forget the backside of that person. His face was smiling, but his eyes looked very sad.


    ¡®He was crying inside.¡¯


    That was her first time seeing someone crying on the inside.


    ¡°Cut! That was great!¡±


    When the producer called cut, Lee Jung Hoon pped his hands and bowed to everyone.


    ¡°Good work! Good work! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Jung Hoon, your acting is great. Who¡¯d think you¡¯re a rookie?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Sir. I¡¯m stillcking in many ways.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a drink sometime.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Please let me know.¡±


    ¡°I like your attitude. Don¡¯t lose it.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon, who received praise from staff and actors and returned to the break room, sat in a chair as if he was copsing.


    ¡°Was I okay?¡±


    ¡°You were unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Following his first si role, hended himself a role in a one-act show as the younger version of the main character. Even though it was just a short part, the many famous actors that were a part of it made the show the topic of conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s shoot. Go home and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯ve been working too much these days.¡±


    ¡°The team leader took your stamina into consideration when he made the schedule, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Should I say goodbye one more time?¡±


    ¡°That will give them a good impression.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to be a newbie.¡±


    Even while grumbling, Lee Jung Hoon got up, went around the break room, and said goodbye to the staff and fellow actors. Lee Jung Hoon, who was leaving to the parking lot with his manager and stylist, was stopped by some people.


    ¡°Are you Lee Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    His manager instinctively stepped in front of him.


    ¡°We¡¯re the police, Mr. Lee. You muste with us.¡±


    ¡°You should tell me why first. You can¡¯t just expect me to follow you.¡±


    The manager looked at the stylist and acted in aposed manner. The stylist made a call.


    ¡°We received a report about a sexual assault.¡±


    ¡°By our Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how does that make sense? He¡¯s never been charged before. You should need a warrant. Show me your warrant.¡±


    He pulled out a piece of paper as if he expected that.


    ¡°This is the arrest warrant.¡±


    The manager was startled. Even if he would take a look at the arrest warrant, he wouldn¡¯t understand what it said. The manager let go of Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s arm and watched. He even wondered if Lee Jung Hoon really got himself in trouble. He was at his prime, and the team leader said a sponsorship came in, so he probably felt on top of the world. However, he also trusted his own actor.


    ¡®Jung Hoon isn¡¯t the type to do that though...¡¯


    He was a greedy kid, but he wasn¡¯t reckless.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Just follow them, Jung Hoon. And you call the team leader.¡±


    The manager talked Lee Jung Hoon out of throwing a fit. It was obvious from his face that he was innocent. Lee Jung Hoon was about to go crazy. Sexual assault? What kind of nonsense was that? It chased away his tiredness.


    Creak-


    The sound of the tires against the concrete rang throughout the parking lot. As soon as Lee Jung Hoon and his manager got into the car, two SUVs stopped in front and behind them. No one was able to react to such a quick urrence. Men in ck sunsses got out and surrounded the car. They didn¡¯t leave any room for responses. The police officer from the driver¡¯s seat got out and shouted.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Let me see your warrant.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let me see your warrant and ID.¡±


    The police officer rolled his eyes in response to the men in sunsses who looked ready to fight. At that moment, the man in front of the driver¡¯s seat threw a punch through the car window.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡±


    That was how it started. The so-called police officers tried to make a run for it, but it was toote to dodge the men in sunsses.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    They moved swiftly, but to those who survived the battlefields, they were so slow that they elicited yawns. They were helplessly dominated after some struggle. One of the men in sunsses walked toward Lee Jung Hoon and his manager who were frozen still.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. The president employed us.¡±


    ¡°The president? Our president?¡±


    ¡°Yes, one moment.¡±


    He ignored the manager who wanted to say more and took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Yes, they¡¯re safe. Yes, Sir.¡±


    After hanging up, he called one of his subordinates.


    ¡°Get the CCTV footage.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Keep working hard.¡±


    After hanging up, Ahn Soo Ho looked at Logan.


    ¡°Did you hear from them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Did you trace them?¡±


    ¡°They have nothing to do with those we¡¯re monitoring. They¡¯re just a bunch of thugs.¡±


    ¡°Why did they try to kidnap my little brother?¡±


    Someone tried to kidnap Lee So Hye too. But in Lee So Hye¡¯s case, they were blocked before they got anywhere near her.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking into the details...but it¡¯s likely to be connected to Kim Min Jung.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Kim Min Jung?¡±


    ¡°Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s ex-wife.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that damned ex-wife?¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s ex-wife, Kim Min Jung was a temptress of men. Shallow Lee Hyo Geun could possibly be pushed around by her forever. It was even questionable whether or not the kids they had were actually Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite the maneater. Even after her divorce with Mr. Lee, she had rtionships with quite a few men. I heard among them are pimps and gangsters from Gyeonggi-do.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s a matchmaker.¡±


    ¡°She must have been taking care of the young women who were under the pimp.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there are strings that can be pulled?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re limited to fraud... but yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly. Neighborhood thugs wouldn¡¯t have heard about his name or reputation.


    ¡°Even thugs have family members.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an errand boy for the fourth organization in Myeongdong.¡±


    ¡°Fourth organization? That¡¯s so low in the food chain. How does he make a living?¡±


    ¡°Contract violence, illegal monitoring, fraud, theft, and anything that makes money, really.¡±


    Most good people insist that they had nothing to do with crimes. However, in cases where all existingws were applied, not many could slip out. In particr,ws regarding money were often broken without him realizing it. Financial authorities could charge anyone for tax evasion if they really wanted to.


    ¡°I smell something fishy.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s not Kim Min Jung?¡±


    ¡°She might be greedy, but I don¡¯t think she would have ignored Daesan Group and my name and employed thugs. That¡¯s too farfetched.¡±


    ¡°But their attempts were really pathetic. Professionals would have nned it a lot better.¡±


    ¡°Logan. Not everyone is like us.¡±


    If everyone were geniuses about crimes, this ce would have changed into hell already.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Ironically, they were having a serious conversation at a show. The colorful stage outfits look a little embarrassing, but they were Girls Roofed, who was pretty popr in Japan these days. When a famous producer and GTV saw potential in a street band, they turned them into a project girl group.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got the chills when he saw fans covered in fancy goods. He felt as if he ran into Im fanatics ahead of their suicide bombing. Crazy people always have a lot inmon.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m surrounded by Muslim terrorists.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at what Logan said. He wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way. Thanks to the dark seats, no one was able to see his rotten face. Producer Oda, who split the Japanese idol world into two with ris 11¡¯s Eyes 10 after helping Girls Roofed grow, was in the middle of giving an exnation.


    ¡°As J-Pop leaders, Girls Roofed is verypetitive in Asia. We opened official shops in China, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, and Thand, and their albums are bringing in steady profits. Each member has secured activities such as movies, dramas, andmercials, and we cultivated a tar line that will be trusted by any advertiser.¡±


    Oda raised his voice while sweating buckets. There was a reason why he couldn¡¯t miss out on the Korean investor. Money was important too, but it was mainly because the person who introduced him to Ahn Soo Ho was from Japan¡¯s Ministry of Health.


    ¡°Thank you for the exnation, Mr. Oda. But I have one question.¡±


    Oda was surprised by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fluent Japanese. He almost felt wrong for using his broken English until now.


    ¡°Japan¡¯s future stars. How do you pick promising aspirants?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about casting? We pick them throughpetitions and auditions.¡±


    ¡°What about street casting?¡±


    ¡°We do that too, but it¡¯s hard to judge based on only good looks.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There were more than 125 million people in Japan. In numbers, they had 2.5 more than Korea. Having a big poption meant there was a big pool of talented people.


    ¡°May I sit in on one of your auditions?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s one happening today. Would you like to join?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When they got out of the performance, Logan asked a question with a confused face.


    ¡°Why do you want to sit in on an audition?¡±


    ¡°Where would you find pretty and na?ve girls? On the streets? Or in front of a girls¡¯ school?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°There are only a few clean agencies. The rest are dirty human trafficking rings. And they y a role in building a worldwidework.¡±


    ¡°Broker?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger and stuck out his thumb.


    ¡°The pleasure world is very secretive.¡±


    They didn¡¯t rust outsiders easily.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 48 ¨C Audition [2] > The end.

 Chapter 50: < Protect – Episode 49 – Audition [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 50: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 49 ¨C Audition [3] &gt;</h4>


    How did government heads and politicians umte achievements? First, they would go into development and redevelopment before they received support to carry out national projects. In particr, things that other local governments avoid such as nuclear energy, dams, waste disposal sites, and sewage might receive bacsh from the residents, but it would lead to positive influences in regional development.


    In the political world, creating a bigger world couldn¡¯t be done with just one person. Someone had to push and someone else had to pull. The tricks this ce used werepetitions and events using regional specialties. They received funding by using the excuse of developing the region, but if people would look closely, it was nothing more than provocative beautypetitions.


    If Korea had sounddiesparable to peppers, pears, and apples, Japan had women of all sortsparable to peppers, pears, apples, rice, barley, and mackerel. If the regional residents knew how much money was going into the region¡¯s mascots, they would have been astonished. Themunity business in Japan was nothing but government controlled administration.


    ¡°In thepetitions held at regional festivals, there aren¡¯t age restrictions. Actually, someone even advertises it as apetition for minors. Whether they¡¯re male or female, being young is a weapon. I guess what they say about age being influential is true.¡±


    Producer Oda spoke what he truly thought. People often curse about people in the entertainment industry looking one way and thinking another, but today, he showed his true self as if he was confessing his love. Why was that? That was because the spirit Ahn Soo Ho emitted was captivating and made him likable. People liked him because of the profit as well as his charm.


    ¡°The ones that stand out get picked up by the regional office. If not, they¡¯re picked for a fashion magazine to test the waters.¡±


    ¡°The region can verify that?¡±


    ¡°This may sound like bragging, but our country is a big one with a good system. Especially when ites to the regional broadcasting industry. Have you heard of basement idols?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like an idol minus league. There are many small stadiums in every city, so it¡¯s not difficult to put on individual concerts. However, only a limited number of candidates receive the support to do that.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what basement means.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    By basement, they meant under the ground. He realized how big the Japanese idol market really was. Since all he saw on the news were about Korean idols and K-Pop, he underestimated them. But the truth was that Korean singers weren¡¯t the only ones who were popr. Japan¡¯s music industry wasn¡¯t the second biggest in the world for no reason.


    ¡°The office receives hundreds of thousands of profile postcards a year. That happens every year. It¡¯s not just us. Osaka Eyes 10 also receives hundreds of thousands of applicants a year. Even though it requires a lot of confidence to even apply, most get dropped at the document stages.¡±


    ¡°Do you just send them back?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly...¡±


    ¡°It must be apany secret.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret. Hm. Isn¡¯t the Korean entertainment industry also connected to mobs?¡±


    Oda, who initially trailed off, decided to talk about everything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I heard it was in the past, but I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Anyway, it¡¯s embarrassing, but most Japanese entertainment offices are connected to a Yakuza. Everyone knows, but keeps quiet about it.¡±


    ¡°Do they get involved with the business themselves?¡±


    ¡°Since a lot of eyes are watching, they try not to. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you this. There are scouts who are looking for people who are not good enough to be real celebrities, but have some kind of potential.¡±


    Just like Korea, it wasn¡¯t easy to seed as an entertainer in Japan. One had to have talent and luck, but the most important was background. These days, the offsprings of famous politicians and businessmen went the furthest.


    ¡°You can no longer expect to seed just because you dragged yourself up to Seoul and worked hard. But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s impossible either. However, it¡¯s more likely for those with better backgrounds to seed in the entertainment business.¡±


    The entertainment offices¡¯ standards for picking new recruits started changing as well.


    ¡°Most people will sumb to a bag full of cash. The ones without a good background get lured quite easily.¡±


    Oda¡¯s audition was held at an outdoor venue. It was usually used as a parking lot, but it transformed into an outdoor venue today. He didn¡¯t know what the Japanese trafficws were like, but it seemed like they pulled some strings. Anyone who had driven in Japan before knew how strict the Japanese trafficws were. It was highly likely for any rally application to get rejected because it would cause traffic disturbance.


    There was a variety of contestants at the audition.


    There were contestants who preparededy, song, dance, Japanese traditional theatre, and even magic. What was more surprising was the age group. Even though it was an idol audition, seeing how there was a grandmother in her 70s, it must be a regional festival after all. There was even those conducting business for the spectators of the audition, so their standards weren¡¯t as strict as that of a major agency.


    ¡°Is he one of the scouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s from Kanemoto Production.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gesture, Logan gave his subordinates a look. Ahn Soo Hoo went to shake hands with Oda with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll positively consider investing in you, Mr. Oda.¡±


    ¡°Th...thank you.¡±


    Oda was taken aback by the sudden goodbye since he had even booked a fancy restaurant for them, but he couldn¡¯t pressure him to stay for a meal. So he had no choice but to let him go.


    Ahn Soo Ho went to a nearby caf¨¦.


    He rented out a 7th floor caf¨¦ that looked down upon a crowded shopping district in Ebisu. After making the barista, servers, and manager leave, it was just Ahn Soo Ho and his men. The coffee that Logan made was actually edible.


    ¡°40 points.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stingy, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I was being generous.¡±


    Mercenaries were just as obsessed with coffee as they were with alcohol. Since one would have to drink boiled water on the battlefield, it wasmon to mix it with something. So caffeine addiction was just as big of a problem as alcohol addiction. Someone got flung in front of Ahn Soo Ho, who was enjoying coffee in front of the window.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    It was the scout from Kanemoto Production that Producer Oda pointed out earlier.


    ¡°Wh...who are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Mister?¡±


    ¡°Anja¡±


    ¡°Mr. Anja? If you answer my questions, there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    Anja was intimidated, but he didn¡¯t surrender either. Ahn Soo Ho looked for fear within his eyes. However, he noticed that he wasn¡¯t scared of him at all. Making him surrender with fear wasn¡¯t the right thing to do.


    ¡°Call your superior.¡±


    When Anja hesitated, Ahn Soo Ho nced at Logan to bring the 007 bag then made him open it. If one bundle of 10,000 yen was 1 million won, there was more than 30 million won.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    The money made Anja¡¯s eyes roll. Was it not enough? When he hesitated, another 007 bag was added.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    60 million won changed the situationpletely. Anja excused himself and took out his phone. After speaking with an obvious superior, he passed the phone to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The person on the line asked who he was.


    ¡°Just pass along this message to your boss. I have something to tell him about cherry blossoms. Oh, and if you don¡¯t take this request seriously, things will get tough for you. I¡¯ll be waiting for a call at this number.¡±


    He said what he wanted to say and hung up. Anja walked off with his two 007 bags and no one stopped him.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll get a call?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll call out of curiosity.¡±


    The phone rang just in time. Ahn Soo Ho shrugged at Logan and answered the phone.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    A different voice asked the same question that was asked earlier.


    ¡°My name is Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    His heavy groan told him that he wasn¡¯t a small fry.


    ¡°Are you in a position that can take responsibility? Mister?¡±


    ¡°Kurosawa.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kurosawa.¡±


    In what was called Cherry Blossom Revival or Cherry Blossom Association, Kurosawa took up one of the highest ranks of merit.


    ¡°What is it that you want, Mr. Guardian?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still maintaining a close rtionship with Korean National Association, aren¡¯t you, Mr. Kurosawa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He trailed off as he answered.


    ¡°Give me the ck box.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    He let out another heavy groan.


    ¡°Or have a war with me. But I¡¯m warning you. A Yakuza won¡¯t be helping you with this one.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    He answered with another groan.


    He didn¡¯t find them the least bit pitiful for being cornered with a checkmate move. Cherry Blossom Association was so dirty that the Korea National Association was nothing inparison. Cherry Blossom Association¡¯s way of dealing with this was to conspire and use their opponent¡¯s weakness, and the Korean faction that was categorized as pro-Japanese were fools inparison.


    Cherry Blossom Association lured capable men of Korea and got them to help them maintain their affairs with their lovers and to have mistresses. There was a high chance of getting caught in their own country since there were many eyes watching, but if they had organizational support abroad, it didn¡¯t matter what they did there. It was rare nowadays, but there were many politicians and businessmen who had households in both Korea and Japan in the 70s and 80s, and those mixed bloods went back and forth and worked as lobbyists.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10 minutes to agree.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Kurosawa continued to reply with groans.


    ¡°What¡¯s a ck box, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°A dirty bomb.¡±


    ¡°A dirty bomb?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a metaphorical expression. Or is it an ambiguous expression? You can interpret it literally as a dirty bomb.¡±


    If China obtained information through kidnapping, confinement, threatening, and secret observation, Japan did it in a softer manner. They made an effort to make them cooperate willingly rather than forcefully getting the information.


    ¡°Do you know why Japan can¡¯t get rid of Yakuzas?¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason?¡±


    ¡°During World War II, Yakuzas even took the lead of greater East Asia and worked for the military as colonies. They were kind of like intelligence agents. And after the defeat of the Japanese imperialism, they used the reconstruction to dominate thebor market.¡±


    Since the Japanese government wanted shipshapebor at the time, they wanted to bury anyints that came from theborers in poor conditions. Yakuzas used that as an opportunity to train the civilians with violence and suppression.


    ¡°Cherry Blossom Association is simr to Yakuzas, but not exactly. Their ranks are different.¡±


    If Yakuzas had dominated thebor force, Cherry Blossom Association put their energy establishing stratification of knowledge.


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled at the sound of his ringtone.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the ck box. But under one condition.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the position to do that. Tsk! Okay, what is it?¡±


    Cornering them too much could cause an unexpected situation, so he had to avoid it.


    ¡°I want to meet with the Korean president.¡±


    ¡°Why? You can just make a request to the Korea National Association. Oh, do you want a formal meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want a Korean Japanese summit meeting.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. Seeing how he was asking him to do it instead of going through the foreign affairs department, he must have had a cunning n, but he didn¡¯t want to worry about that.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll send it to you right away.¡±


    After going into deep thought after the call, he got out from his seat and looked back at Logan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°To the hotel?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho showed a relieved smile.


    ¡°Home.¡±


    The private jet heading from Japan to Korea was quite noisy. That would have been a problem on a normal ne, but it was okay on a private jet.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°The seats are sofy!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s morefortable than my bed!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. Wait, it is!¡±


    How many people would ever be able to sit in first-ss? Business seats weren¡¯t cheap either. Japan and China were quite close, but it was very expensive to fly from Korea to the States or Europe. Ahn Soo Ho, who was reading a newspaper in the very front seat, smiled while flipping the pages.


    - A list of politicians who lead foreign sex tourism in Japan, China, Thand, and the Philippines had been released!


    - National embarrassment! Fallen national prestige! A ripple had been caused in the sex tourism industry!


    - An emergency talk with President Lee Joong Hyun! Corrupted officials would be eradicated! Support the pan-nationals!


    - Was there a dark connection between the national defense foundation and the welfare association? Was it another national defense corruption?


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up the cabin phone and dialed a number.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Chul.¡±


    ¡°Was that you, Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    Yoon Chul¡¯s voice could be heard over the phone.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I know you¡¯re the type who doesn¡¯t talk much...Okay, why are you calling?¡±


    ¡°How much has Soo Jung dug up?¡±


    ¡°The national defense foundation and the welfare association are already on the news. Isn¡¯t it too dangerous?¡±


    Oh, did Kim Soo Jung reported that? Then that would make it easier.


    ¡°Call Lee Kyung Joon.¡±


    Was it 14 years since theyst saw each other? It sure took a long time.


    ¡°Tell him to crawl over here.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 49 ¨C Audition [3] > The end.

 Chapter 51: < Protect – Episode 50 – Comradery Association [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 51: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 50 ¨C Comradery Association [1] &gt;</h4>


    Along with Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Japanese evacuation, the return of the employees via private jet was all over the inte news. Even though it wasn¡¯t intentional, that led to a flood of contract requests for thepany¡¯s celebrities. It wasn¡¯t just the celebrities who were touched. Following Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s remark about showing what true wealth was, their organizational system changedpletely.


    The ranks, pay, welfare, and services of thepany as well as their direction and motto took a 180-degree turn. This Mansour-like attack made theirpetitors made more of an effort to keep their top talents.


    ¡°I heard they¡¯re paying their road managers and new recruits a sry of 25 million a year.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯m switching to thatpany!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go just because of their money.¡±


    ¡°I heard they also bought a fitness center and pool just for their artists!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m switching to thatpany!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s unting of money didn¡¯t end there. Some might have thought of him as a pushover, but the money he spent was nothing to him. He bought an entire building and rented it out to his employees for cheap, and he provided more benefits regarding family, education, and car insurance.


    Let alone providing schrships that only bigpanies could provide, they made a big impact with their announcement of providing a 5-day work week. As a result of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s crazy announcements, theirpetitors continued to get annoyed and made criticisms. However, it just ended with sarcastic remarks about tradition being demolished and one loach dirtying the waters.


    The problem was that it wasn¡¯t illegal, so there was no way to do anything about it. They could use the media to taint their reputation, but the reporters responded in a suspicious manner. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t work on the media first for no reason.


    ¡°We were told not to put them down.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°Is something going on?¡±


    It was normal for big mediapanies to mind Daesan, but it was unexpected for the smaller tabloid agencies to be so calm. The pseudo reporters and paparazzi had gathered the courage to speak up, but the legal team of Hosoo Entertainment was veryrge for an entertainmentpany.


    ¡°They could be called aw firm.¡±


    ¡°Why does an entertainmentpany need a legal team?¡±


    The entertainment reporters thought it was absurd and felt very angry.


    Entertainment agencies used to be like feed what they could chomp down on. It didn¡¯t matter if they defamed their reputation, because they were on top. However, they still didn¡¯t mess with huge celebrities andrge agencies.


    Hosoo Entertainment stirred up a lot of news. The producers and casting managers who always asserted their dominance by threatening to buy broadcastingpanies and agencies had no choice but to be careful. For unknown reasons, the government departments andmittees in charge of broadcasting regtions clearly didn¡¯t want anything to do with Hosoo Entertainment.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Please keep it up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who returned from Japan and attended a weekly meeting, received a briefing and ended the meeting quickly. Even though he was free from the Yakuzas pursuit, Navarros couldn¡¯t leave the Korean penins and ended up being employed as the CFO of Hosoo Entertainment Group. There were only two people who remained in their seats after the meeting.


    Oh Joo Kyung and Daniel Navarros.


    Daniel Navarros looked as if he was a dog who needs to poop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Danny. They¡¯ll be here via an afternoon ne tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    Daniel Navarros decided to hide in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shadow. Even though the Yakuzas backed off, his record as a quadruple spy made all intelligence agencies and criminal organizations salivate. No matter how much Ahn Soo Ho assured him, hisbel wasn¡¯t going anywhere. That was why he called his family who was in hiding to Korea.


    ¡°Oh, did you introduce yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ll be leading thepany from now on. So I hope you get along.¡±


    Daniel was a capable CFO who led Empire Konzern. Career-wise, he was a sessful businessman who was no match for Oh Joo Kyung. However, Daniel went through all sorts of troubles that got him down, but it was still hard to look down on her.


    ¡°Any other schedules?¡±


    ¡°The chairman would like to see you at his house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll...take care of that. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and exited the meeting room. He stopped Oh Joo Kyung from following him out with a hand gesture. When he got back home, Lee So Hye was rolling around on the living room sofa.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at school?¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s my Saturday off.¡±


    ¡°Saturday off?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s every other week.¡±


    Since when did that exist in high school?


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting themter.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to raise one.¡±


    ¡°Are they pets or something?¡±


    ¡°At least pets are cute. Boyfriends are just bothersome.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue in his head in response to Lee So Hye¡¯s serious face. She had a habit of subconsciously avoiding men. It wasn¡¯t favorable for a human being to live alone for the rest of their lives.


    ¡®Lee Hyo Geun, that son of a bitch.¡¯


    Her father ruined her.


    ¡°Where did Madam Park go?¡±


    ¡°She went to a real estate agency.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho changed into a ck suit with the door open. Lee So Hye, who was watching TV in the living room, naturally looked over at her big brother.


    ¡°Are you going to a funeral?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Whose?¡±


    ¡°A friend of mine.¡±


    A friend of his? Heughed bitterly at what he just said. All he knew about him was that his father passed away early and he had a mother and a sister who got married.


    ¡°Are you going to bete?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait up.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to stay out, call Mom. She¡¯ll wait all night.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered by waving his hand from the entrance. Ever since she bought her a makeup set as a Japanese business trip gift, she became interested in makeup. She might not had a boyfriend, but it was instinctual to want to look good in front of men. As soon as he took off to his destination, his phone vibrated. He put it on speaker and answered it.


    ¡°Dae Chan?¡±


    ¡°If you came back to Korea, you should have told me, Punk.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan¡¯s criticism made Ahn Soo Ho smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop by for dinner. I¡¯ll see you with the old man. What about the negotiation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in its final stages. But it sounded as if you and the president exchanged a few words.¡±


    ¡°He wants to be freed from Korea National Association.¡±


    ¡°Does he want to be on our side?¡±


    ¡°For the time being.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust the president?¡±


    ¡°No. You never know when politicians will go back on their word.¡±


    No matter how sincerely Lee Joong Hyun wants to be freed from the Korea National Association, the situation wouldn¡¯t pan out the way he wants. The support groups that helped him became president would want to squeeze a lot more out of him.


    ¡°But don¡¯t put him down too explicitly.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. I think Jinsung¡¯s going to go down.¡±


    Jinsung Group, who became the first target to shake down Daesan Group, couldn¡¯t recover from the fall. The investigations were put to a halt, but due to the share prices and family feuds, the shares had to be split up.


    ¡°What¡¯s your wife¡¯s share?¡±


    ¡°The department store and apparel.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Not bad.¡±


    A department store and apparel was a goodbination. After talking about this and that, 30 minutes went by.


    ¡°I have to get going. See you tonight, Soo Ho.¡±


    At that moment, Ahn Soo Ho stopped his car.


    There weren¡¯t many people who were at Seo Jung Wook¡¯s mortuary at the hospital funeral home. He, who wasbeled as a traitor after reporting a superior for corruption while working as a naval officer, wandered abroad after being discharged. The founder of the mercenary group, Deep Breath was Royal Guard¡¯s Hans Cruger, but the one who made it famous was Ahn Soo Ho.


    It took a long time for Seo Jung Wook¡¯s family to check his body after he died during a mission. There were many reasons, but the biggest one was the States¡¯ involvement. Those who tried to conceal Aragon¡¯s mistake had to be on the same page.


    Ahn Soo Ho stood from afar and scanned the mortuary.


    He didn¡¯t know Seo Jung Wook or 608 very well. He didn¡¯t know what Seo Jung Wook thought of him, but Ahn Soo Ho just felt bad that anothercking and pitiful Korean died. This thought crossed his mind at times. Why did he insist on being somewhere that was tactically disadvantageous to him? If he immediately left, not even a top agent would have been able to find him easily.


    ¡®In order to save Jina Davis?¡¯


    There was no way. If he was like that, he wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped her in the first ce.


    ¡®Maybe he just wanted to end it all.¡¯


    That was the life of a mercenary. If someone else didn¡¯t end them, they were highly likely to end themselves sooner orter.


    ¡°Seo Jung Wook was a good person. But...he was a good person and nothing else.¡±


    Who was he talking to? Someone showed up beside Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Seo Jung Wook, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Sorry...? You probably want to say you¡¯re not responsible. But I know better than anyone that that¡¯s not true, Kyung Joon. You pushed a good person off a cliff.¡±


    The superior whom Seo Jung Wook reported was an officer who was receiving support from the Korea National Association, and connections were used to make the internal audit vague. And Seo Jung Wook, who wasbeled as a traitor wasn¡¯t able to get any job in the military.


    ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself.¡±


    They forced their justice on other people, and if they refused it, they stepped on them however they could. There was no real justice there.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re at the final stages of negotiating with Daesan Group, I¡¯ll review the methods ofpensating Seo Jung Wook too.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed as if what he said was absurd.


    ¡°Do you think this is about money?¡±


    ¡°How much would be satisfactory...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Lee Kyung Joon immediately became quiet in response to the wild beast¡¯s growl.


    ¡°You bastards sicken me.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do? Beg on our knees?¡±


    He let it all out as if he couldn¡¯t hold in his anger anymore. Ahn Soo Ho smiled. Well, he thought he smiled, but anyone else would have thought he looked evil.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to beg on your knees. Just...¡±


    ¡°Just?¡±


    ¡°Die.¡±


    As soon as a crack was heard, Lee Kyung Joon¡¯s neck twisted like that of a broken doll. Logan appeared in no time and caught the body. This sight would have reminded anyone of what wasmonly seen among sad families at funerals. Logan, who passed the body to his subordinate, stood in front of Ahn Soo Ho with a trifling expression.


    ¡°We have the guards under control and we also secured the CCTV footages around the building, Soo Ho.¡±


    Lee Kyung Joon died.


    He ended way too quickly for a resentment thatsted for over ten years. He thought it would feel great, but he didn¡¯t feel that inspired. If he really wanted to, he could have killed him a long time ago. He only let him be because of a promise he made with the queen grandmother.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get into trouble in your homnd, you punk.¡¯


    He feels as though he could hear the queen grandmother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cranky?¡±


    ¡°Among those being watched in South Korea, there are only six, no five people who know about Deep Breath¡¯s double contract.¡±


    ¡°In South Korea? Are there more outside of Korea?¡¯


    ¡°There are twenty-five people around the world.¡±


    Since Lee Kyung Joon died, there were only five Koreans remaining who were involved in Deep Breath¡¯s double contract. The contract used terror and kidnapping and caused a stir in the economy, and was secretly carried out among Korea, the States, and Japan, but it failed before it could be passed.


    When he looked through the ck box, he saw that Lee Kyung Joon¡¯s father was Korean and his mother was Japanese. He was a lobbyist who either lived as a Korean or a Japanese while hiding the truth behind his birth, as well as a symbol that was apuded by the Korea National Association and Cherry Blossom Association.


    The superior who took the body brought over Lee Kyung Joon¡¯s ringing phone. He checked the caller and answered the phone.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard anything?¡±


    The person on the phone scolded him.


    Half of the senior executives of the Korea National Association were either locked up or being investigated due to the sex tourism scandal that was spreading on the inte. They were standing on shaky ground since their government connections were on the verge of copsing.


    ¡°Kyung Joon?¡±


    ¡°Kyung Joon¡¯s not here, old man.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget me? That makes me sad, Lee Geun Taek.¡±


    Lee Geun Taek, who was the chairman of the board of Korea National Association and the chairman of a leading constructionpany, was Lee Kyung Joon¡¯s cousin as well as a love child who was born to a Japanese mistress.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have Kyung Joon¡¯s phone? You didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re next.¡±


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    The thought of Lee Geun Taek dying in front of him made himugh.


    ¡°I warned you. Why did you have to rebel and cause this mess?¡±


    He always stayed true to his words. No matter how long it took.


    ¡®Don¡¯t make me mad.¡¯


    He clearly warned him.


    What happened to them today was something they brought upon themselves. He didn¡¯t want to continue talking with screaming Lee Geun Taek, so he gave the phone to Logan. The GPS and the call recordings would all be erasedter.


    ¡°Alexa and the Kosino team have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Put them in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho left Seo Jung Wook¡¯s mortuary.


    ¡®That was all I could do for you, 608. It¡¯ll probably be hard to rest well in Hell, but what can you do? That¡¯s your fate. Anyway, you worked hard. See you.¡¯


    For mercenaries, pride and honor were luxuries. Prostitutes were just ves that strip or kill if they were told to do so. But just like how they couldn¡¯t offer their assh*les, there were limits that shouldn¡¯t be crossed. Those who fooled around with contracts wouldn¡¯t be kept alive regardless of their race, gender, age, nationality, or rank.


    That was the unwrittenw in the world of mercenaries.


    ¡°Contracts with mercenaries connected to Korea National Association shall be canceled within 48 hours. Anyone who doesn¡¯t will be our enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Report what I just said on all dark sites and ck marketmunities.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s promise to bring a war wasn¡¯t just empty words. The twenty-six, no, twenty-five people associated with the double contract would have prices put to their necks.


    ¡°Hunt them down.¡±


    Starting with the closest ones in Korea.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 50 ¨C Comradery Association [1] > The end.

 Chapter 52: < Protect – Episode 51 – Comradery Association [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 52: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 51 ¨C Comradery Association [2] &gt;</h4>


    Maxim Evanovich Djorkaeff, a Russian tycoon¡¯s body was unable to return to his home country. No, it was more like his death wasn¡¯t revealed to the outside world.


    ¡°Was he in pain?¡±


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t have been.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Djorkaeff¡¯s window thanked him with a calm face. It seemed as though she knew this day woulde. Vitali kept this secret. Djorkaeff¡¯s family was transferred to Korea, and it didn¡¯t seem like there was any torture or abuse.


    ¡®Of course not.¡¯


    Since it was no longer the Soviet Union, they couldn¡¯t force them intobor camps. The political members must have had some conscience.


    ¡°Do you like the house?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Please let me know if you need anything.¡±


    When it was the Soviet Union, there were elite courses among themunist party. During the 40s and 50s when there were wars, the military was popr, and from thete 50s to early 60s, secret police received a lot of attention, and during the 60s of the Cold War, KGB was given special treatment. The key to the propaganda depended on secrets that other people didn¡¯t know.


    Djorkaeff was among the KGB, so he knew many secrets that other people didn¡¯t know. The reason why he was put through purges was clear. He knew too many fatal secrets.


    ¡°Did Maxim leave anything?¡±


    She stared at Ahn Soo Ho after he asked that question. She didn¡¯t seem to be angry though. She was just wondering if she could trust him.


    ¡°All he left was the word, Warsaw.¡±


    After Arina left, Logan approached.


    ¡°Warsaw? Is that Polish?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that that¡¯s the first thing that came to mind.¡±


    ¡°There must be another meaning.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°People believe the States made the flower of capitalism bloom, but I¡¯m not sure about that. The way I see it, the Soviet Union was the top beneficiary that sucked up all that honey.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Logan didn¡¯t understand so he asked back, but Ahn Soo Ho tapped the armrest as if he didn¡¯t have anything else to say.


    ¡°Warsaw.¡±


    When people thought of the Soviet Union, they would think of Moscow, but the truth was that the Soviet Union had aplicatedposition of power.


    ¡®How interesting.¡¯


    The reason why Vitali Andropov tripped over Red Sea Trading Company could have been because of the strange political climate in Russia. Did the political members change their minds? No one dared to underestimate the potential of Russia, which had the biggestnd in the world. But the reason why Russia couldn¡¯t be a developed country was because of the v¡¯s ethnicity which was ever so cruel.


    There was a slight difference in the patriotism they talked about. It was foolish to trust that all civilized men would make rational decisions. Djorkaeff was just one of many mutants that were born from extreme confrontation, and there were countless monsters who surpassed them.


    Someone rushed in without knocking.


    ¡°I found a target.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They didn¡¯t even hide.¡±


    The Korean police weren¡¯t stupid.


    The NIS was always called crazy, but they weren¡¯t stupid, and neither was themand, which was the best in air intelligence. Korea wasn¡¯t that sloppy. They might be slow due to certain restrictions, but when it came to intelligencebats within Korea, they didn¡¯t fall behind.


    ¡®Thend is small too.¡¯


    No matter how far a person flies in the Korean penins, he or she could only get so far. Ahn Soo Ho looked at a building taller than the Star Tower and then made amand over amunication device.


    ¡°Cause a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°What about tactical deployment?¡±


    ¡°Tactical deployment? Why do you think I called you. I didn¡¯t expect physical help, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Alexa and the Kosino team weren¡¯t agents who were specialized for the scene. On the contrary, they were strong in psychological and intelligence warfare. The human civilization of the 21st century was dominated by 0s and 1s, and a cyber war was already on their doorstep.


    Lee Geun Taek¡¯s whereabouts were easily secured.


    He didn¡¯t intend on hiding to begin with. Since he was strong enough to switch the president of a country, he wasn¡¯t going to be easily threatened. However, Lee Geun Taek didn¡¯t know him. He didn¡¯t know why he was called the Magician, and he would never do.


    - How could anyone not see that?


    - I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    No one tried to stop Ahn Soo Ho from walking straight into the head office. They weren¡¯t ignoring him. They just didn¡¯t notice him. In a simtion made by a gamingpany in the States, there was a sneaky unit that dropped a nuclear bomb after bing transparent.


    - Ghost...Is it really a ghost?


    Without caring about themunication channel of the noisy forces, Ahn Soo Ho went on the lift and went to the highest floor of the head office. The chairman¡¯s office was consumed by tension, and the 3 executive members including Lee Geun Taek were having a discussion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a protective custody request. No matter how powerful they may be, they can¡¯t look down on governmental authority.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s hard. It¡¯s not just the central department that¡¯s avoiding us. It¡¯s the police and prosecution too. If we expose another embarrassing secret, we might not be able to turn back.¡±


    ¡°What about the mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s absurd but all the mercenaries are demanding contract cancetions.¡±


    ¡°Contract cancetions? The cancetion fees are no joke.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°This might be for the best. We have enough men as it is. Unless they¡¯re crazy, no one will be able to use guns in our country.¡±


    ¡°But what do we do? I¡¯m a crazy person.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    The members who were startled by the sudden voice raised their bottoms. Lee Geun Taek pressed the emergency button on his earphones, but no one came inside.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How did Ie in? That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held up the gun with a silencer, the old men¡¯splexions changed.


    ¡°You¡¯re all here.¡±


    One person was missing, but the rest were there. It was true that birds with the same feather flock together. Did the self-righteous, hypocritical, and greedy old men think of themselves as movie characters who could dodge bullets? People who lived privileged lives had a habit of thinking they would always be okay.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯se to a settlement...¡±


    The member who tried to shamelessly came to a settlement got a hole blown through his head and copsed. That was just the beginning. Every time Ahn Soo Ho pulled the trigger, someone went down.


    ¡°This punk!¡±


    Lee Geun Taek, who was thest one remaining, shouted angrily, but in contrast to his contorted face, his feet didn¡¯t go anywhere. His body, which was frozen due to fear, was being truthful.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about since you¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held up his gun, fear could be seen in Lee Geun Taek¡¯s eyes. In Korea, where guns were illegal, a crime involving guns would draw a lot of attention. Was he not afraid at all? He heard that he was fairly high up, but he didn¡¯t know he was so high up that he could do anything he wanted.


    ¡°When you get to hell, you¡¯ll see your child there.¡±


    ¡°You little...¡±


    A bullet was blown through Lee Geun Taek¡¯s head before he could finish talking. It was a futile death for a man who had such influence over the Korean society for decades. He didn¡¯t feel very much, just like when Lee Kyung Joon died before his eyes.


    He snuck out just like he snuck in.


    The bodies of the four men who didn¡¯t even had the time to worry about how Lee Kyung Joon went missing was going to either cause a sensation or get buried. It didn¡¯t matter which one it was, but the meaning of the warning was clearly delivered.


    - General.


    He heard Logan¡¯s voice from the earphones.


    - The wanted list had been updated.


    How were mercenaries and assassins differentiated? They both get paid to murder. If the unwrittenw of mercenaries was contracts, the unwrittenw of assassins was secrecy. That was because it was possible for assassinations to fail. And when it did, the revenge battles that broke out were concealed usually with the excuse of national security.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°J-Law is on the list.¡±


    ¡°What about First Order?¡±


    ¡°One of the guys from Intelligence Company is in charge of that. One moment...¡±


    Intelligence Company was a detective agency. It was a little unfamiliar in Asia, but private detective agencies had been working as government advisors in ces such as the States and Europe.


    - Grey Head under Pinkerton.


    ¡°Bulldog?¡±


    Pinkerton Detective Agency was a private business and pioneers of the West that was simr to the private militarypany. They had so much power that there were rumors of them having more agents than the police. Even though their powers shrunk quite a bit due to militia legition, if the military that was a part of the Indian war was excluded, then they really were one of the strongest armed forces if not the strongest.


    ¡°Look into it in detail.¡±


    - Yes, Sir.


    Ahn Soo Ho headed to the charnel house near Seoul that he visited before. It was where the queen grandmother was resting. Actually, it was a shrine that people made so that they could admire her.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Granny. I came empty-handed again.¡¯


    He broke his promise to not get into trouble in his homnd today.


    ¡®I had no choice.¡¯


    Over 10 years was quite a long time.


    ¡®But I feel like I¡¯ll continue to feel sorry.¡¯


    That was why he came in advance to apologize.


    - General, I found thest target.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    It was time to face thest punk whom he must take responsibility for on thisnd. The vacation home located in the mountains of Gangwon Province was near a military base, and it was clearly an illegal house that used state-ownednd. The veryrge vacation home wasn¡¯t something that could be hidden with the strength of one or two people.


    As soon as he got to the gates, it opened automatically, and the guys were under the control of Logan and his underlings. None of them were dead. It didn¡¯t matter if they died, but he tried to take care of it quietly as if he liked Korea. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho came in, Logan approached wearing a bandana.


    ¡°We have them under control.¡±


    ¡°Any casualties?¡±


    ¡°Our forces are fine, but around 20 of their men are hurt.¡±


    ¡°Did they have guns?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Howcent of them.¡±


    No matter how rare gun cases were in Korea, for those leading Korea, they were careless about their own safety.


    ¡°Comradery Association.¡±


    It was an interest group that could only be joined by generals of high rank whether they served in the past or were still serving. They were simr to the Korea National Association, but the difference would be that their behavior was surprisingly just. The problem was that there wasn¡¯t a proper internal investigation.


    All power was corrupt.


    Even if they talk about protecting their ownnd, as soon as changes ur with profit, they were no different from thugs that used violence. Just the fact that they held extravagant banquets at such a huge vacation home made their so-called justice a lie.


    An agent wearing a mask had the vacation home under control. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached the entrance, one of them opened it as if they were a doorman. It was a mess inside. The broken table and scattered food startled his nose. No matter how fancy the food was, it all smelled the same once it rots.


    The men who were on the ground were of decorated backgrounds.


    They were elites including a former congressman, a CJCS, a top official of the Ministry of National Defense, and the president of a military organization. The legal circles that got together were nothingpared to this group. The CEO of Aegis Agency, which was famous as the top PMC, frowned as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Hey! Listen to me...¡±


    His head fell to the ground before he could finish. That was because Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to hear any excuses. He pulled the trigger on him and turned around. The screams that followed could be heard from the next room. He didn¡¯t care and left through the entrance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want information?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡±


    Logan approached and offered his lighter.


    ¡°Phew. Evacuate.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°Let them go.¡±


    ¡°They could seek revenge though.¡±


    ¡°Then should I kill all of them? Coteral damage can¡¯t be helped, but as for other killings, this isn¡¯t Somalia, Logan.¡±


    It was very likely for the capable men to seek revenge in order to restore their pride. When else would they be treated like dogs again like they were today? Ahn Soo Ho left the men on their knees and smirked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like it if they sought revenge.¡±


    His voice was neither loud nor quiet. Those who thought they were on top of thew were capable of doing all sorts of things to justify their violence. Currently, it was hard to punish them with thew alone. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care for thew either. When it came to being nasty, he was in first ce. use? Charge? Trying to use evidence on the Magician was a stupid and crazy thing to do.


    He blew out thest puff he took from the cigarette.


    ¡°Phew. I¡¯ve never lost in a dog fight before.¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho expected, no one talked about the gun violence the next day or the day after that. No one mentioned it as if it never happened. Instead, Star Tower was graced by the visits of the president and the Minister of Defense. They used the excuse of wanting to deliver a que for the smooth execution of the military performance and whatnot, but they just wanted to have a face-to-face talk.


    Jung Il Young was the first Minister of Defense who didn¡¯t have a military background. Lee Joong Hyun hated the Comradery Association just as much as he hated Korea National Association. Moreover, it was hard to understand how they passed the confirmation hearing. Just like the close ties between the political world and the financial world, there were quite a few former officers who were congressmen. For that reason, the Ministry of National Defense hadn¡¯t been quiettely.


    ¡°It must be difficult for you, Minister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re notpletely unrted to the military.¡±


    ¡°The National Defense Institute is a military organization as well.¡±


    Jung Il Youngughed bitterly to what Ahn Soo Ho said. He heard about him from the president, but he wasn¡¯t a normal fellow at all. He¡¯s never seen someone like this in a country where people always bow down to their superiors.


    ¡°No matter how corrupt he was...resolving this required a lot of trouble, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho shrugged, Jung Il Young knitted his brows nodded.


    ¡°If it¡¯s ufortable, I won¡¯t mention it again.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, but sure.¡±


    On the outside, Korea definitely looked like an advanced country, but on the inside, they still weren¡¯t able to escape from their fixed ideas from the military dictatorship days. From the attacker¡¯s point of view, saying this would be funny, but organizations that didn¡¯t protect their members would run into troubleter down the road. No matter the reason, they had to protect their troops.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯te here just to give me a que. Please get to the point, Minister.¡±


    ¡°You must be busy. Have you heard of Hanbit Troops?¡±


    ¡°The reconstruction support organization in the Republic of South Sedan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    People didn¡¯t know about this, but Korea also managed dispatched troops abroad. Most did simple tasks such as supporting reconstruction efforts, but they sometimes dispatched military cooperation troops. Korean weapons sold well in South America, Central, and South Africa, and South East Asia and Hanbit Troops, which was dispatched to support the reconstruction of South Sedan, provided medical support, and Sudan, which was in an ufortable rtionship with South Sedan didn¡¯t like that one bit.


    ¡°A problem arose a month ago.¡±


    Africa was bad no matter where they went. Once a person left the South African region where Caucasians were protected, gunshots could be heard everywhere. Harlem in New York was like Heavenpared to Africa.


    ¡°There are many other countries that dispatched troops to help them with reconstruction and cooperation. There are countless agencies that sent cooperation troops to the point of not even needing UN. The problem was that the weapons we sold are aimed at us.¡±


    ¡°It must have gone to the ck market.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We traded with the regional government, but our weapons somehow went to the terrorist groups.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to them about it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying they don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. That neighborhood doesn¡¯t take contracts seriously.¡±


    They might have done it because they looked down on Korea as well.


    ¡°The bigger problem is...¡±


    ¡°China and Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you know?¡±


    Jung Il Young who was trailing off was startled by what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°China probably sent leftover men instead of troops, and since Japan couldn¡¯t send any troops, they probably sent private cooperation groups. Since a long time ago, at that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    China¡¯s high poption was a great weapon no matter where they went. Just by gathering people by giving thempensation and sending them to Africa to build a China Town, they became very influential in that country. It was an ignorant n, but it was very effective. And then the triad naturally butted in.


    Then what about Japan?


    Before the bubble was burst, Japan was the only rich country that threatened the States. Koreans treat Japanese like crap, but from the perspective of the rest of the world, Korea couldn¡¯t catch up to Japan. It was a lot more rxed now, but Japan¡¯s weapon export was prohibited and even if they could, they had to go through the States. As a result, Japan¡¯s diplomatic strategy always depended on the trade agreement.


    If China was overflowing with people, Japan used their money as their weapon. However, as a result of China¡¯s reform and growth, Japan¡¯s capital superiority, and when the bubble burst and the economy crashed, they needed a better diplomatic strategy. The States felt a big threat to China¡¯s sudden development. That was why Japan went into weapon development research and reformed the mutual defense treaty to keep China in check.


    ¡°The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have gone into the countdown, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the peace treaty will be reformed soon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time before it¡¯s passed.¡±


    It might be called the UN Peacekeeping Troops, but the UN troops in Africa had a close rtionship with NATO, and the ones controlling NATO was the States. The dictatorship countries and Im didn¡¯t look down on the UN Peacekeeping Troops for no reason.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°How much has the proxy war progressed?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve already started.¡±


    ¡°They have? Oh!¡±


    He punched his hand with his fist.


    ¡®Ultra Program.¡¯


    Aragon Company had been conducting human experiments in South America. But could Africa let them be? No way. They conducted human experiments where it was easier and more vast.


    ¡®They apparently sold it all over the world.¡¯


    Did Korea buy the Ultra Program too? They probably wouldn¡¯t have answered that question. Ahn Soo Ho showed a vague expression.


    ¡°So? What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Please mediate an agreement with North Korea.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t expect that tone.


    ¡°We need you to go to Pyeongyang.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 51 ¨C Comradery Association [2] > The end.

 Chapter 53: < Protect – Episode 52 – Comradery Association [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 53: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 52 ¨C Comradery Association [3] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho suddenly felt annoyed. It was called a favor, but it was pretty much amand. He talked as if he was saying the answer was already there.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Whenever he felt annoyed, he swore or said no without meaning to. Saying no was so impactfulpared to other phrases or no in othernguages. Jung Il Young knitted his brows as if he heard it wrong.


    ¡°Did you just turn me down, Mr. Ahn? We can charge you for murder. You need to repay us.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and pped to Jung Il Young¡¯s threat.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s how you shoulde off. Why act like you¡¯re a gentleman?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    His intimidating way of talking made him frown as if he was shocked. Ahn Soo Ho pushed the tablet PC that was on the table.


    ¡°Jung Il Young, born in 1961 in Chungnam, second born, information like this can be found on the inte so I¡¯ll pass. Oh! You have a lot of ounts under your family and rtives¡¯ names. If youbine them all, it¡¯s probably over five billion. You¡¯ve also engaged in a lot of prostitution.¡±


    Jung Il Young¡¯s eyes shooked like candlelight.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re doing it all over the ce! Japan, China, Thand, the Philippines, the Nethends, oh! Since the tulip country is legal, we¡¯ll pass that one. But it¡¯s illegal in the States.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Because the brokers who provided you with this pleasure left a record. You didn¡¯t actually trust them, did you?¡±


    Ahn Soo yed a sex tape of Jung Il Young panting on the tablet PC.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s free in this world.¡±


    People often thought what they received through lobbyists were free, but nothing came for free. Whether a person was in the national association or theradery association, no one would provide free services for no reason. In this dog-eat-dog world, the only person that could be trusted was one¡¯s self.


    ¡°You¡¯re close with the current president, you¡¯re partially in theradery association, and you have some shares with the national association...¡±


    His whereabouts told him that he wasn¡¯t pro-Japanese or pro-American, but more like pro-Chinese.


    ¡®Would you look at that?¡¯


    As soon as Alexa and the Kosino team went through Jung Il Young¡¯s information, many illegal things arose. If Korea National Association was pro-Japanese and Comradery Association was pro-American, the force behind the governmental department was surprisingly close to China.


    ¡®Does Lee Joong Hyun hate Korean National Association and Comradery Association because he¡¯s pro-Chinese? Or did he hold hands with China in order to free himself from their influence?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t have much interest in the Korean president¡¯s tendencies.


    ¡°Mr. Jung.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Jung Il Young made a heavy sound in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s calling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend not to know each other. If we get involved with each other, you¡¯ll be at a loss, so let¡¯s just go our separate ways.¡±


    If the Minister of National Defense hade with an entourage, Ahn Soo Ho might have been in for trouble, but luckily, there were only two people in the office.


    Jung Il Young knew the president, the national association, and theradery association, which made him a neutral zone. A negotiator? A representative? He didn¡¯t know what it took for him to approach him, but he didn¡¯t have the least bit of interest in swaying him with nationality.


    Ahn Soo Ho, who gave Jung Il Young the middle finger as he left, received a briefing from Logan.


    ¡°Alexa found that theradery association, the national association, and the president had a secret meeting where they made the negotiation.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. But why are they getting me involved?¡±


    ¡°Because they think you might be useful.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re still being greedy after all the deaths...are they crazy?¡±


    The punishment of viting the unwritten rule of mercenaries could have been left for a subordinate to take care of. So taking care of it himself was like a warning message to the powerful people of Korea.


    There was no order when it came to death.


    ¡°What about Pinkerton?¡±


    ¡°The private detectives disappeared in Moscow. The board of directors dispatched Grey Head, and they pointed at Zero as the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t sound right.¡±


    J-Law was an apparent assassin, but he had never been on the wanted list. That was because he had a rule of not killing them if they weren¡¯t evil. Justice-Law shortened to J-Law. He was an assassin, but he wasn¡¯t an unlikable man.


    ¡°What should I do? Should I dig further?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    J-Law wasn¡¯t unlikable, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to watch out for him.


    ¡°Look into Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s connection with China. Oh, leave it to Kosino. He¡¯s just fooling around, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°He needs to have a gun to his head to get some work done. If he gets caught fooling around, throw him out the window.¡±


    Logan tried tough it off, but it was difficult. There were mercenaries like Alexa who carried out their duties well, but there were also countless ckers like Kosino. As soon as Logan left, Oh Joo Kyung came in.


    ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where?¡±


    She sighed in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you for a few days now. The Dream Concert.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But do I have to go?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be an outcast.¡±


    He didn¡¯t think it mattered since the one with the most money had the power, but he had to go along with Oh Joo Kyung so that she wouldn¡¯t lose face. Since the Dream Concert was arge concert attended by many agencies, many things were done to make their own stars stand out, and since this was Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s first attendance, they had to mind how they were viewed. With Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s strong remarks, they weren¡¯t the axis of evil, but they weremon enemies.


    ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s so crowded!¡±


    The outside of the Olympic stadium where the Dream Concert was being held was crowded since the day before, and on the day of the concert, there were crazy hoards of people. It was no longer fascinating to see the security guards getting into tussles with the fans.


    ¡°What about our safety guards?¡±


    ¡°We signed a contract with Youngjin Security Consulting.¡±


    ¡°Are they good?¡±


    ¡°Scale-wise, they¡¯re the third best in the country.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho inserted an in-ear walkie-talkie, he heard noisy conversations.


    - Did they all get surgery from the same hospital?


    - They were a bunch of Gangnam beauties.


    - She looked like Jung Shik¡¯s girlfriend. Was she...


    - I¡¯ll kill you, you bastard.


    - Be careful, you punk. There are many chicks that leave for a Gi bag.


    - Min Kyung isn¡¯t like that.


    In response to the noisy conversation, the employee from Youngjin Security Consulting knitted his brows and apologized to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Let them be. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do their jobs.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to be on ufortable terms from the beginning.


    ¡°Where are the facility guards from?¡±


    ¡°Most of them are from International Guard, and the police have been dispatched as well.¡±


    ¡°International Guard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a security guardpany formed by retired police officers that has great connections. It¡¯s considered argepany.¡±


    As soon as he went inside, he saw many people moving busily. What he was sure of was that they weren¡¯t fans.


    ¡®They say one well-trained star keeps the entirepany fed...¡¯


    At this rate, one couldn¡¯t look down on the celebrity¡¯s employees either.


    ¡°Get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What about you?¡±


    ¡°I told you. I¡¯ll show my face around, but it¡¯s your job to manage thepany. I¡¯ll get there in time. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    She made it seemed like she just went along with the suggestion, but Ahn Soo Ho knew Oh Joo Kyung was happy. Women were prudes regardless of their age. It was best for men to just pretend like they didn¡¯t know anything. He shooed away all the employees, put on a VIP pass and went off to explore on his own. After going through aplicated path, he reached the stage.


    The back of the stage was surprisingly quiet. There were many singers and dancers getting ready to perform, and there was a familiar face among them. What was her name? He didn¡¯t know. He realized that the only stars he knew at Hosoo Entertainment were Jang Seol Hyun and Do Min Ho. Even if he didn¡¯t care, it was pathetic.


    ¡°What brings you, oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The safety guards stationed all over the Olympic stadium approached Ahn Soo Ho and then backed off once they saw his VIP pass. The gold VIP pass was the highest rank among the VIP passes. One of the managers with a Hosoo Entertainment ID card met eyes with him, tilted his head, and then flinched.


    He whispered something to someone beside him who seemed like his superior. He flew over.


    ¡°CEO Ahn! Did youe here alone? Why didn¡¯t you call us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    He didn¡¯t remember the name or face of the person who ran over.


    ¡°Everyone! Say hello!¡±


    That was the beginning. What followed were a bunch of idol-like introductions.


    ¡®Wh...what is this? Are they all going through puberty? My hands and feet smell! Get lost, you smelly bastards!¡¯


    That was what he wanted to say, but he put his image first. Ahn Soo Ho saw the well-dressed girls and smiled. That was right. Beauty was the truth.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Seeing how the cheering started, they must have started their entrances.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a separate VIP seat close to the stage. Since this wasn¡¯t a ssical concert, if people got carried away, the safety guards couldn¡¯t stop them. If a bunch of civilians came in big numbers, they were also strong. That was why riots were scary. There were around 400 VIP seats. If it wasn¡¯t on a separate level, it would have been embarrassing to call VIP seats.


    Besides thepany people, reporters, and family, he saw celebrities and personal guards. With such a big concert that gathered so many agencies, it was a relief if there was no deficit. One could call it a pride contest. The order and stage effects changed depending on a celebrities poprity, so this was where the ranks were decided.


    The key person that Hosoo Entertainment sent was an idol from the old Shinhwa Entertainment. That didn¡¯t mean FNB didn¡¯t measure up, but their lineup of great singers was at a whole different level. There were countless entertainment officials who criticized Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s idea that money could get everything while also being jealous.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, CEO Ahn. I¡¯m Seo Joo Kyung from JT.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung, who was working on making connections in the VIP lounge, introduced Ahn Soo Ho to Seo Joo Kyung as soon as he appeared. Was it because she had the same name? Oh Joo Kyung put other agency CEO¡¯s aside and put Seo Joo Kyung in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably false rumors.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Most of what I heard turned out to be true.¡±


    People assumed people in the entertainment business lived exciting lives full of parties, but the reality was that they worked irregr hours and unbelievable workloads. In particr, the singers had to go from event to event, and actors had to travel long distances, so they spent most of their time in the car.


    The reason why Hosoo Entertainment Group was still talked about by entertainment officials was because of their groundbreaking transportation system. They bought buildings in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Jeonju, Wonju, and Gangneung with helicopternding pads. There were remodeled amodations attached to the office so that they could go to events and shoots from there. The helicopter would transfer them to these buildings and then cars were used to get them to their final destinations.


    And the result? It was very convenient.


    The problem was that the tail was wagging the dog. In order to make the helicopters operate, they needed to establish an airlinepany, and the prices and maintenance fees of the employees, inspections, and parts needed were astronomical.


    ¡°I heard you have multiple private jets.¡±


    ¡°Yes...It turned out that way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t only have helicopters, but they also had Boing nes and business jets. It might seem like they made an enormous investment, but they actually got it from the CIA and the Pentagon. Scale-wise, the airlinepany was so big that it made the entertainment business seemed like a hobby.


    ¡°Hosoo Entertainment will only go up from here. I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Hearing Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s ttery made him felt like his nose was getting higher. He didn¡¯t know if it was instinctive or intentional, but she used the skills of a maneater. When Ahn Soo Ho looked to Oh Joo Kyung, their eyes met. Seeing how she nodded, Seo Joo Kyung must have made a proposal.


    ¡®If Oh Joo Kyung is pushing for it, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t like to test the waters.


    ¡°Do you need money?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just as broad-minded as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to waste any energy. Please get to the point.¡±


    He spoke in a rude way, but in the entertainment world, Ahn Soo Ho was perceived as a 3rd generation heir. To put it nicely, he was a scary young master, but if one would put it badly, he was a rich pushover.


    ¡®This doesn¡¯t feel so bad.¡¯


    In a dark world full of blood and death, he was put at a distance as a monster who didn¡¯t die. No one dared to approach him, let alone treat him like a crazy person. Unlike Hollywood, the Korean entertainment world didn¡¯t fall for his scary reputation. The only thing that worked here was money. He used a lot already, but they only wanted more.


    ¡°I want to enter Hosoo Entertainment with my artists.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a director?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the figurehead, but I¡¯m only a director.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyungughed bitterly. No matter the industry, it wasn¡¯t easy for a woman to be an executive or amittee member.


    ¡°How much do you need?¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to give it to me?¡±


    She was surprised. In order to take out celebrities currently under a contract, cancetion charges had to be paid. When Seo Joo Kyung and Oh Joo Kyung looked at him with surprise, Ahn Soo Ho smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not even that much money.¡±


    The transfer window of Korea would be destroyed!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 52 ¨C Comradery Association [3] > The end.

 Chapter 54: < Protect – Episode 53 – Kim Na Hee [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 54: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 53 ¨C Kim Na Hee [1] &gt;</h4>


    The Dream Concert ended in great sess.


    ¡®It¡¯s probably because of Joo Kyung.¡¯


    Oh Joo Kyung finally realized his intentions and began to act on it. Should she date, she would probably be very cautious and thoughtful. He said he would buy everything, and he wasn¡¯t kidding. If he needs a broadcastingpany, a productionpany, or a stadium, he would buy it all.


    Forw-rted issues, that was for hiredwyers to take care of. Since many rights were involved, they would probably run into many obstacles, but that was for the subordinates to take care of. Hosoo Entertainment left a good impression on both the rted persons in business as well as the fans.


    - The heir works hard and then goes home! Wow! #helicopter #hosooentertainment #eurocop


    - Does he take a helicopter to work? He¡¯s at a different level! Wow!


    - But is he really an heir? What about the high school photo that¡¯s been floating around?


    - The tabloids are saying he¡¯s Chairman Kim Dae San¡¯s lovechild.


    - Huh? They have differentst names though.


    - Don¡¯t get tricked by the rumors! They¡¯re from Daesan Group!


    - You could ruin your life by pointing at the wrong person just once!


    - Jang Seol Hyun takes another attempt at Hollywood? #seolhyunhollywood #airportfashion #spottedinLA


    - Don¡¯t rush! Establish yourself in Korea first!


    - What else does she have to establish? She¡¯s Asia¡¯s top star!


    - That¡¯s an exaggeration! What about our Akane?


    - Get lost, Japan!


    - That¡¯s right! Go and shoot your AVs!


    - Seol Hyun¡¯s ss even eats up the Korea ban in China!


    - Hong Kong is filled with Seol Hyun¡¯s advertisements!


    - Shouldn¡¯t you be talking about the concert in the Dream Concert messaging board?


    - We¡¯re in the middle of talking about big changes in the entertainment world!


    - You can¡¯t buy tradition and history with money!


    - Yes, you can! Bullshit! Money can buy everything in entertainment!


    - I wish our Nine Fry would move to Hosoo Entertainment too!


    - Stop the nonsense! Our Shybo is better suited for them!


    - No, it¡¯s TGC.


    - Let¡¯s stopparing!


    The Korean society, which went through the chaos of reformation of the rich, the different age groups were split in what they were interested in. The Daesan scandal, the Korea National Association scandal, and the sex tourism scandal was all over the ce, but the movies and dramas kept on rolling and the music programs were still full of idols.


    Were we really living under the same sky?


    Seeing how some people were demanding justice and other people were pretending like they didn¡¯t see anything, people must be living in different worlds. What the generation was demanding needed national interest and the will of the people could only be pulled by actions. The biggest difficulty of democracy was the standardization that resulted from there being too many different opinions. If everyone insisted that their justice was correct, there would never be a negotiation.


    In contrast, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s justice was simple


    ¡®Make the more desperate onee here.¡¯


    That was reasonable and touched many people.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a pep rally.¡±


    The day after the Dream Concert, Ahn Soo Ho attended the monthly meeting. The executives and artists excluding the employees who had more minor roles had to participate.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to depart in ten days, and we¡¯ll adjust your schedules, so you can¡¯t back out.¡±


    Just like at the foundation ceremony, only the people at the bottom died off. But there were fewer bacshes because the location of the pep rally was in Boracay in the Philippines. They were originally going to go to Hawaii, but many people didn¡¯t want to travel so far. The celebrities and employees doubted what they heard.


    Going abroad for a pep rally?


    After merging and establishing Hosoo Entertainment, it became very big. There were 851 registered employees and over 7000 people that had to be transferred to Boracay even with the minor roles excluded.


    They didn¡¯t have enough private jets, so they have to use chartered nes too. No matter how much money they had, they wouldn¡¯t be gaining profits this year at this rate. Even though Oh Joo Kyung knew his strong ties with Daesan Group, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about staying afloat.


    ¡°Will ourpany be okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be at a loss. A huge loss.¡±


    Despite the seriousness of the topic, Daniel said it as if it was no big deal.


    ¡°So is that okay or not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Saying that a huge loss was fine was very contradicting. Oh Joo Kyung tilted her head, and he continued to exin.


    ¡°If we were any otherpany, we would have went bankrupt already, but ourpany is at a whole different capital scale.¡±


    She also heard that after Shinhwa and FNB were merged, all of their debts were paid for.


    ¡°A whole different capital scale?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way of outsiders to know the financial scale of a privatepany. It¡¯s a secret, but what CEO Ahn brought into thepany is fifty million dors. That¡¯s sixty trillion won.¡±


    ¡°The financial authorities must know of such arge sum of money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯d think...but there are ways.¡±


    The banks that did money transfers were no different from con artists. When it came to trading credit that wasn¡¯t visible to the eye, public confidence was more important than anything, but those organizations were verified by the States. That was why they were able to be confident after doing illegal things to the world.


    ¡°The money that CEO Ahn spends don¡¯t leave a trace.¡±


    The capital scale that Daniel secured after epting Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s offer and joining Hosoo Entertainment was sorge that it didn¡¯t matter if there were any sales or not. What was exposed as an entertainmentpany was an image that was used to hide something else.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t have to worry about money from now on.¡±


    ¡°Is it legal?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    When Oh Joo Kyung was worrying about thepany¡¯s future, Ahn Soo Ho was meeting with the US ambassador, David Copal.


    ¡°I heard you turned down the South Korean government¡¯s request, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Ha. I knew they couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut, but this was quicker than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too insulted. I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t want to gamble with the lives of the dispatched soldiers abroad.¡±


    ¡°If they want to help, they can mobilize the States¡¯ military. Or they can hire a friendly gueri. Do they have to bring North Korea into this?¡±


    ¡°Nazik is involved.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was showing an apathetic attitude to what the ambassador said, was surprised.


    ¡°Nazik? Nazik Muhammad?¡±


    ¡°The leader of the Palsaek Line, Nazik Muhammad is involved in this. Actually, he might be the one who set the trap.¡±


    ¡°What about the CIA?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re formally denying it, but the African base...is a mess.¡±


    If it was just a mess, that was a relief.


    If the Returner Group was involved, they need to be involved for a shit show. The Davis administration was a mess already with the South American issues rted to the Sao Paolo incident, and while that was being dealt with, all of State¡¯s foreign policy was stopped. The reason why Japan was looking forward to the G7 meeting was because they want to take this chance to push the peace treaty while they were weak. While the States expected Japan to keep China in check, they didn¡¯t want topletely let them free from their leash and cor.


    ¡°Since Japan is a useful asset that will keep China in check, we can¡¯t let them out of our control.¡±


    The peace treaty was reformed, but in the meantime, Japan was nning to cause big pain. Yankees were selfish sons of bitches. The justice they believed in had always benefited the States first, so what they said about world peace was all a lie.


    Ahn Soo Ho went back to his apathetic attitude.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We needed an overseer to mediate the Africa problem, and we thought you were well-qualified.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He shooked his head. In contrast to the rude Minister Jung Il Young, David remembered his manners and tried to exin things as honestly as possible, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to get involved.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pay you generously.¡±


    ¡°Money isn¡¯t the issue, David.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shooked his head once more.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t help but to feel disappointed.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only the CIA¡¯s fault that the Sao Paolo incident and the South American problem grabbed the Davis administration by their ankles. The States currently faced the same kind of societal chaos and evil that the former Soviet Union faced.


    ¡°Our country has this kind of saying, my friend.¡±


    Being weary of dictatorship while also using national security to justify the dictatorship system.


    ¡°Too many cooks could spoil the broth.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    David made a heavy sound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get up. You don¡¯t have to see me out.¡±


    After leaving the pained US ambassador behind, Ahn Soo Ho left the US embassy. The car that took him away took him to Chairman Kim Dae San of Dae San Group¡¯s house. The crazy Daesan scandal was in the middle of calming down. The reports that imed that the investigations of the Kim family were certain were buried and the news started reporting that the investments ofrge Korean corporations would unfreeze the economy.


    The protests for the reformation of the rich continued, the voices quieted down. Ahn Soo Ho, who climbed the tall stairs, smiled as soon as he saw who came out.


    ¡°Hey, why haven¡¯t you contacted me even once?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Na Hee.¡±


    Kim Na Hee and Kim Dae San have arge age gap, but they were obviously siblings.


    ¡°Is Jang Seol Hyun controlling you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s with the entertainmentpany?¡±


    ¡°Just something I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Kim Na Hee, who was one of the top pioneers of Korean show business, was a tycoon whether it was good or bad. She whispered to Ahn Soo Ho before they went inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after.¡±


    As soon as he nodded and went inside, he was escorted to the library. When he went inside, he smelled something old-fashioned. Was this what old books smelled like? The paintings on the wall were probably art that cost a lot of money. The rich people Ahn Soo Ho came to know all had the hobby of collecting antiques.


    ¡®But it¡¯s probably not just a hobby...¡¯


    They own them because it could make people gasp by how expensive it is, in addition to bragging about having an eye for art, they were investment techniques as well.


    ¡°Do you collect antiques as a hobby as well?¡±


    ¡°Antiques? Oh, these are my works.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Your works?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do they look expensive?¡±


    Kim Dae Sanughed as if he was in a good mood.


    ¡°You stillck a discerning eye. You need to age to get more insight.¡±


    ¡°You must be happy that you¡¯re old.¡±


    ¡°You damned punk!¡±


    Despite the old man¡¯s criticism, Ahn Soo Ho sipped his tea as if this was just the beginning.


    ¡°I heard thest negotiation took ce yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    The negotiation between the Blue House, the national association, and theradery association came to an end. The reputation of Kim Dae Chan, who would have the role of a leader, could be of great help to him as he leads Daesan Group.


    ¡°What do you think about Lee Joong Hyun?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an opportunist.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. He is. However, he¡¯s no ordinary opportunist. It¡¯s not easy to endure more than 20 years to get what you¡¯ve wanted.¡±


    He was certain that Lee Joong Hyun picked the pro-Chinese route. The problem was that there were many capable men who didn¡¯t like the president sending love calls to a foreign country.


    ¡°If you look into thew that bans Korean culture in China, it¡¯s a sensitive issue involving politics and finances.¡±


    The Chinese Communist Party couldn¡¯t remain a spectator to the continent being enthusiastic about Korean art. As a major country that had led Asia since the olden days, they were expected to be at the top in every aspect. They were confident that they were above Japan when it came to the economy or science, but when it came to art, they weren¡¯t so certain. Many criticized that it was due to their dark past when they killed all their artists, but the Communist Party couldn¡¯t ept that. They strongly believed that they would be the leader in art, just as they were in finance and science. But no matter how much money they put into it, the results were shabby.


    ¡°Lee Joong Hyun will use thatw against Korean culture to his advantage.¡±


    Thatw had an influence on Korean politics and economy as much as it did on art. If China could shake the States influence in the Korean penins, they were more than willing to get rid of thew against Korean culture in China.


    ¡°And they¡¯ll try to get you involved, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho thought he delivered his warning clearly, but Kim Dae San believed it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Instead of answering, he smirked and took out his phone.


    ¡°Oh, Sir. I received the gift you sent through the embassy. Of course. Oh! I have a favor to ask. BRICS is being held in Shanghai this year, right? Please send me an invite.¡±


    Just like how Japan was holding the G7 meeting, China was nning the BRICS Summit.


    ¡°Is Korea attending as an observer? Yes. Yes, sure. See you then. Goodbye.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put away his phone and looked at Kim Dae San who looked very curious.


    ¡°When you deal with stupid people, acting rashly is the best way to go.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 53 ¨C Kim Na Hee [1] >

 Chapter 55: < Protect – Episode 54 – Kim Na Hee [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 55: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 54 ¨C Kim Na Hee [2] &gt;</h4>


    Kim Na Hee lit her cigarette.


    ¡°Phew. Do you want one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying my best to quit, but it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    If a person over consumes chocte, it would be harmful, but for cigarettes, it would be harmful no matter how much a person consumes.


    ¡°Everyone else is trying to save money. Why are you going around throwing away cash? Invest in me instead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can take your money to your afterlife. Just manage what you have well.¡±


    ¡°The more money you have, the better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Having a lot is just bothersome.¡±


    ¡°Money is bothersome? You better not go into business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave a thumbs up to Oh Joo Kyung who somehow found him here as if he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? It doesn¡¯t seem like that Seol Hyun is controlling you...why are you causing such a disturbance?¡±


    ¡°Why? Hm.¡±


    ¡°I know you. You¡¯re not the type to do such a thing without a reason.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan met Ahn Soo Ho for the first time 3 years ago, and it hadn¡¯t been that long with Kim Na Hee either. However, he knew of her name and face for as long as he knew Kim Dae San.


    Jung Mi Ja.


    That woman who was known as the queen grandmother was now known as a talented shaman. It wasn¡¯t logical to depend on a shaman to make big business decisions, but in the past, that was how it was. These days, people could now rely on science, but 30 to 40 years ago, if a person had cancer, that person would die. Until the middle of the century, superstitions couldn¡¯t be denied.


    ¡°Granny, you told me I¡¯d be a really bad person when I grew up. Well, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m a bad person.¡±


    He didn¡¯t go around killing everyone, but he did get rid of quite a fewpetitors and threats. Those who were saved by him called him a guardian angel, but he had just as many enemies as allies.


    ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure. I can¡¯t be a great and respected businessman.¡±


    Everything Ahn Soo Ho did had something to do with business, but he was far from an average businessman.


    ¡°But then one day, a business model built after me suddenly came into this world! Isn¡¯t that funny? My name was being used for absurd and shameless acts all over the world.¡±


    ¡°Impersonation?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°But what does that have to do with spending a lot of money?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wonder if money and reputation are proportional?¡±


    Wealth became a way of measuring a person¡¯s worth. How should people with money be treated? The biggest counterforce of democracy was rich people with capital power. The vested rights that people talked about belonged to people who had power.


    ¡°At one point, my wealth was around 110 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Kim Na Hee eximed in an innocent way.


    Who would believe that he made that kind of money from scratch before he hit forty? That was a lot of money for even Bill Gates, who had seeded in life. However, he took over Empire Konzern and spent 60 billion dors, and depending on the assembly hearing results, it was highly going to be disintegrated.


    How much would he be able to walk away with?


    He pretty much threw 60 billion dors in the air. On top of that, the remaining 50 billion dors were routed to Korea through the ck market and used to prevent the Korean stock market from crashing due to multiple scandals. External forces managed to shake up Korea and Daesan Group, but it didn¡¯t do anything to the stock market.


    She then tilted her head.


    ¡°At one point? That¡¯s past tense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m poor now.¡±


    Even if a person could pull off a one-man business, if a person was registered, that person had to follow a procedure. Someone couldn¡¯t just spend it whenever he or she wanted. The key to the business model centered on Ahn Soo Ho ultimately depended on whether he was alive and well. Since the money that wasundered could be easily traced, it had to be used carefully.


    To be honest, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s situation was no different from being bankrupt. Hosoo Entertainment, which invested in national debt, marketable securities, and real estate, was on strong level ground. What was for certain was that he had no intention of misusing it for himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re...crazy.¡±


    That was an obvious reaction from Kim Na Hee.


    ¡°People might turn on you if they find out you have no cash. I might distance you first.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it as a joke and listen to me!¡±


    She got angry at his neglectful attitude.


    ¡°Who else knows?¡±


    ¡°People will find out eventually.¡±


    Kim Dae San knew how to look into the far future while Kim Na Hee had a way of reading the current trends. The advertising world, which was show business, was a battlefield. She dreamed of luxury goods and fashion, so she went to Mn, and she witnessed the cruel struggle that hid behind the morous shows.


    Moreover, it was difficult to conduct business in Italy without getting involved with mafias. Kim Na Hee, who looked around Paris, London, and New York couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. There was nothing sacred about it. It was only full of greed.


    ¡°Do you think you cane down from the throne easily?¡±


    ¡°I know there are a ton of people who want to kill me. But I¡¯ve had enough of arbitration. Rather than the step-mother who¡¯s doing the beating, people hate the person who¡¯s talking her out of it more. So when people find out I¡¯m poor, they¡¯ll get lost.¡±


    For someone who was holding their breath, chaos was another opportunity.


    ¡°What if they do? Then what are you going to do then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go on a vacation.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Kim Na Heeughed at the absurdity. After being speechless and clicking her tongue, Ahn Soo Ho remembered why he was here.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me over for a reason?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But not anymore.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have to talk to me about anything anymore?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re losing your power in the mercenary and criminal world, you¡¯re just a bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, that hurts. But if you need something, I can do it.¡±


    Kim Na Hee sighed deeply.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    After contemting whether to say it or not, she shut her mouth. It was snobbish, but also the right thing to do. After parting with Kim Na Hee, Ahn Soo Ho went to pick up Lee So Hye from school. After sending a text, he sat at a park bench with Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Did you satisfy your curiosity?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knew Oh Joo Kyung talked to Daniel.


    ¡°Thepany will lose a hundred million dors a year.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the capital needs to be used. I have my reasons, but it¡¯s hard to exin. We have to be at a deficit for around ten years.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He thought she would oppose, but she just went along with it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to reform the board of directors this year. I¡¯m going to back out and let the board of directors do the work. You go after your dreams. But first, you have to prove your abilities.¡±


    ¡°Will you give me full authority for the pep rally?¡±


    ¡°I like your motivation. Okay.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s n wasn¡¯t original. She was just going to go to Boracay and conduct the pep rally from beginning to finish. They could use a professional camera director, or a celebrity could film it themselves.


    ¡°They¡¯ll hate it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all professionals. Since it won¡¯t be for the whole day, they should put up with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Try it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up from the bench while waving his hand.


    He saw Lee So Hye waving from across the street. Oh Joo Kyung took the guards and disappeared. Did the school uniform look good on her because she was young? Just like how adults had their outlooks in life, so did the students in middle and high school. Adults clicked their tongues at kids getting bullied, but it was a fierce war. It might be a problem to be overly lenient to an underage person.


    ¡°Why is it so hard to see you these days, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Are you dating? If you are, introduce me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Mom has pretty high standards.¡±


    They went to a nearby ice cream parlor.


    ¡®I always liked vani best...¡¯


    It seemed as though that kids these days were obsessed with 31 different vors. It was the end of the world. A lot of people got milk and dairy products confused, but just like everything else, too much was bad for one¡¯s health. Especially with ice cream, if someone consumed it without restraint then they could highly likely develop obesity and diabetes. The poor countries starve to death, and the rich countries die from an illness.


    ¡°How¡¯s school? If it¡¯s hard, get a tutor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a waste of money. I ced tenth ce in the whole school for midterms!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too high? You should aim for around thirtieth ce.¡±


    ¡°I heard you were good in school too.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Do said you¡¯re a genius.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho was in charge of managing the buildings owned by Hosoo Entertainment. It was typical to outsource that job, but he purposely formed another department in order to establish a deficit in their ie. Mobs were organizations too. Kyung Ho conducted all of his duties well, his past experiences was helping him quite a bit.


    ¡°Is the cooking departmentpetitive?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all the same. Oh, can I work at Daesan Hotel during winter vacation?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that against school rules? Don¡¯t get caught and make me have to meet with your principal.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as the ce doesn¡¯t sell alcohol. There are times when the school rmends it too. Usually for those with bad grades though.¡±


    Just like getting into university, getting an out-of-high school job was also of interest, and depending on how it was packaged, it was also an exemry case of whole-rounded education.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Is this article true?¡±


    Lee So Hye showed him an article about Hosoo Entertainment and the pep rally abroad. The promotions department was working hard too. With the current state of affairs, they could be sold, so they changed it to a volunteer retreat and workshop.


    They did whatever they could to make it into an impressive story.


    ¡°You¡¯re good. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Lucky! You get to go on a vacation abroad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you on a vacation around the world once you graduate.¡±


    ¡°Really? Okay. But I¡¯m scared to go alone...¡±


    ¡°You can go with Mom or with a friend.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You promised!¡±


    He wanted to warn her that it was hard leaving home, but there was no way she would hear him out as a girl who dreams of meeting her love on a romantic vacation. Lee So Hye, who even finished Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ice cream, wanted more, so she ordered an ice cream cake.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop by the store, Soo Ho.¡±


    The biggest grocery store near Cheongdam-dong was in Yeoksam-dong. When someone was going to a supermarket, it was only right to drop by at all the sample stalls. What did they have today? It was mini pork cutlets. He couldn¡¯t turn down his sister¡¯s gaze after trying the deliciously crispy cutlet and ended up buying five packs.


    ¡°Pork belly! Let¡¯s buy pork belly too!¡±


    Lee So Hye became a food monster and swept up the whole supermarket. If she could eat so much while being so skinny, she must have been working really hard behind closed doors. Or maybe she was just born that way. She had the taste buds of a kid in elementary school. That was probably why she liked pork more than beef. She was too young to appreciate the taste and scent of a medium rare steak.


    ¡°Do you talk to Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Lee So Hye and Lee Jung Hoon had a lukewarm rtionship. She would probably deny it, but she had hidden rage against him. One would think siblings understood and forgave each other, but that wasn¡¯t always the case. The feeling of disappointment was stronger between family.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate him too much. He¡¯s a poor kid.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel sorry for him?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let out a bitterugh. Lee Jung Hoon was an outcast in thepany. Why did they did that to him? That was because a request from the former president of Shinhwa Entertainment was misinterpreted. Rumors about aplicated family life involving a brother from another father were going around. It was to the point where popcorn was very much needed to watch the drama.


    The phone inside his jacket vibrated. Ahn Soo Ho excused himself, checked the caller, tilted his head, and answered it.


    ¡°Henry?¡±


    ¡°The First Order has been ceased, Soo Ho. Over half of the managers refused to pay the deposit and cut off contact.¡±


    ¡°What about the wanted men?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be renewed anymore. The board...disappeared. You know the reason, right?¡±


    People found out about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bankruptcy.


    ¡°Throw Empire to the American assembly and the White House.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to throw away 60 billion dors?¡±


    ¡°They all like free stuff, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Empire Konzern was the perfect feed for hyenas who were desperate for money.


    ¡°If you want toe down from the throne, I wouldn¡¯t stop you...but there will be a storm.¡±


    ¡°Do you want my position, Henry?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched you from close, Soo Ho. I don¡¯t have the kind of skills and connections that you have, and they¡¯re not things humans should do.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to endure 1 year, let alone 10 years. Not everyone could be arbitrators.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you to wrap it up for me...but I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll have to offer a reward from my personal ount.¡±


    ¡°Do you have money left?¡±


    ¡°I have enough for that.¡±


    The punishment for the double contract had to be given. Whether he came down from the throne or not, reputationsts forever.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d better finish my final job as the inspector.¡±


    Since the board was gone, Henry no longer had anything to do.


    ¡°The retirement grace period is one year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s long.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make that rule. Don¡¯t get mad at me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Wizard¡¯s code name will be discarded from this point forward. Do you consent?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He answered in a bittersweet voice.


    He had be a real unemployed man.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 54 ¨C Kim Na Hee [2] > The end.

 Chapter 56: < Protect – Episode 55 – Kim Na Hee [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 56: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 55 ¨C Kim Na Hee [3] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re unemployed.¡±


    ¡°This neighborhood is seriously...I¡¯m hanging up, you son of a bitch.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho officially announced his retirement, he received calls from all over the ce. There were those who felt bad for him, as well as those who were displeased or annoyed. He knew it was this kind of neighborhood, and the responses weren¡¯t surprising either.


    There was an even weirder response.


    ¡°We¡¯re retiring too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Logan announced his retirement. No, not just him. It was also his underlings, Alexa, as well as Kosino. It was strange for Kosino, who was obsessed with money, to follow the faithful Alexa into retirement.


    ¡°Kosino, you too? I thought you were going to stab me in the back and run away.¡±


    ¡°Come on. He loves Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?


    Logan asked as if he was surprised that he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Why do you like me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what Koreans say? Bad affection is affection too?¡±


    ¡°What kind of bullshit is that?¡±


    Zumba Kosino, who was half Filipino and half Japanese, was so hurt in the past that he didn¡¯t trust other people. In some aspects, he was overly suspicious. In any case, since Ahn Soo Ho backed out, a battle in the information and mercenary world was inevitable. The war for the throne had begun.


    ¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t want to get involved with them, he didn¡¯t care if they beat or killed each other. From the outside, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s life didn¡¯t change. After he came back from his morning run, he took his sleepy little sister to school.


    ¡®It¡¯s hard to be a student.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had a fascinating technique to pass the exam without much effort, but the Korean entrance exam was very difficult. After that, he read English newspapers while drinking coffee. Mrs. Park was pretty busy these days. She went to cooking sses and enjoyed herter years. When there was any kind of leisure, the first thing most people looked for were their buried dreams. It was possible that his mother¡¯s dream was to learn, like it was for most parents.


    He got ready for work at around 11 and then arrived at work at lunch time. At first, he was pestered by Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s nagging, but in recent days, he got a good grasp of his position. Being the chief secretary and the executive director was quite absurd, but she was certain that she wanted to be the president, so every day was enjoyable and rewarding.


    He had lunch in the cafeteria.


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho was the CEO and president, he wasn¡¯t the authoritative type. With just four days before the pep rally, the employees had very favourable feelings toward the owner. That was why he nned it.


    ¡°Any problems?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir! Thank you!¡±


    The boy groups and girl groups had the courage to approach him first, but the solo celebrities like actors and singers had to be approached by Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Are there any problems?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    Actors and singers had a tendency to look down upon idols. What they didn¡¯t¡¯ know was that outside of Korea, idols were somewhat more famous than they were. Unless they were like Jang Seol Hyun, they were all the same.


    Before lunch time ended, he met Daniel on the roof and listened to his difficulties. Daniel cursed in Korean about his dissatisfaction with Korean public officials and ounting firms, and whoever taught him did a good job. After reuniting with his family, he applied to be naturalized to Korea. Did he had no interest in going back to the States? That was unknown. But there was one more thing he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown to like South Korea.¡±


    Logan and his underlings applied to be naturalized too.


    Since they made the decision, it was up to them on what they would do. The problem was that they boughtnd near Cheongdam-dong with premiums which made the housing prices skyrocket. They could be misunderstood for spection in real estate. There were tons of people who wanted to harass him with things that were legal.


    Once a star was well established, they didn¡¯t go to the agency building very much. That was because they were morefortable where they didn¡¯t have to mind others. But recently, 99% of the Hosoo Entertainment celebrities stamped their attendance cards every day. It was crazy for Ahn Soo Ho to order things that wouldn¡¯t profit hispany, but it wasn¡¯t normal as well that Oh Joo Kyung and Daniel were obeying and carrying it out without second thought.


    Hosoo Entertainment Town Program


    There were rumors that 10 trillion won was being assigned to building aplex around Star Tower just for Hosoo Entertainment, but it hadn¡¯t actually been officially announced. 10 trillion won was more than what national projects cost to carry out.


    ¡°Ms. Oh has quite the temper as well.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did she turn you down?¡±


    ¡°Is dating within thepany prohibited?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    As it sounds, Alexa wasn¡¯t a male but a female. The faithful mercenary was a woman. A woman getting turned down by a woman?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? That means she¡¯s lesbian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sexual discrimination, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much has changed, but the Korean society that I know is very conservative. Don¡¯t feel hurt just because it¡¯s about your star.¡±


    The problem was that Alexa, who had a good reputation unlike Kosino, was getting treated unfairly because of her unique taste.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no connection between the South Korean president and China. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It seems as though China, South Korea, Russia, and even Japan havee to some sort of agreement with North Korea.¡±


    As soon as the reason why the Korean Minister of Defense advised going to Pyeongyang came to mind, he was reminded of someone¡¯s face.


    ¡®Cha Jong Oh.¡¯


    The presence of the Joseon Democratic People¡¯s Republic was nonsense in the 21st century. From North Korea¡¯s point of view, they were just relieved that they weren¡¯t close to them physically. If they were, they would have turned out like Cuba. Despite the help of China and Russia, their economic system went to shit, and they were using fear as theirst resort.


    The reason why North Korea was still alive was all because of their assassination squads and drug businesses. Especially for heroine and meth, North Korea was in the top 3 of all of Southeast Asia. They were the drug kingdom.


    The problem was that due to their opium war experience with China, they were very strict about cases rted to drugs. The suppliers were sentenced to death no matter what. Foreigners were no exception. And when it came to drug problems China wouldn¡¯t help North Korea. Therefore, North Koreapeted against Russia¡¯s Red Mafia and created a drug cartel called Red Mask, and the CEO of that organization was Cha Jong Oh.


    ¡°Did Red Mask betray their own country?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always seemed suspicious.¡±


    Since he tasted the fault of democracy once before, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to go back to his past of poverty.


    ¡°How did Korea get involved?¡±


    ¡°As soon as China blocked North Korea¡¯s route, they were left with Tumen River and...¡±


    ¡°Gaeseong Industrial Complex.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Did you bribe the employee from the Minister of Unification?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his exact whereabouts. Should I look into it?¡±


    ¡°No, leave it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t advisable to dig into something and expect to not get involved with it. Ahn Soo Ho let out a bitterugh, and then he thought in the way he had always thought before retiring, which startled him. This was why habits were scary. After drinking the tea and coffee that his secretary got for him, it was four o¡¯clock in no time. If he leaves now, he could pick up his little sister.


    ¡®What should we eat for dinner tonight?¡¯


    Living with a mom and sister who liked cooking made him interested in cooking too. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho left the office, the secretaries stood up from their seats. He waved his hand and greeted them.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Please don¡¯t follow me out, and go home as soon as you can as well.¡±


    It was impossible to go home early in the entertainment business, but if one hated that, one just had to be the president.


    ¡°Lu-lu.¡±


    What a fun day it was.


    ¡°You¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you feel discouraged?¡±


    The subordinate¡¯s discouraged voice made the CIA Asia Director, Lydia smirking. In recent days, they spent their time leisurely ording to when Ahn Soo Ho came and left work.


    ¡°Why are you focusing so much manpower and money on a man who announced his retirement?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°I agree that Mr. Guardian is impressive...but he decided on the bankruptcy for himself. He can no longer have influence over the information and mercenary world.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Lydia showed a strange face to what her subordinate said. Someone once asked a simr question.


    ¡®It¡¯s me.¡¯


    Lydia was the main character of thest question. Ten years ago, her predecessor said this.¡ª ¡°If you should keep your enemies closer than friends, where should the monsters be?¡±¡ªLydia needed a few years to understand that.


    She looked at her subordinate.


    ¡°How long has it been since you entered thispany?¡±


    ¡°Six years.¡±


    ¡°Six years? That¡¯s a long time. Back in my day, you were a veteran after six years. But these days, there are tons of you.¡±


    The information world was quiet for a pretty long time. The reason was because of a mediator named Ahn Soo Ho. If someone was proven to be a spy, they usually would go missing or die. But the countries that weren¡¯t fond of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s involvement habitually just ended it with an agreement.


    ¡°Have you heard of Kadeshi Morken?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the assassin family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They were once a strong organization with more than 5000 assassins. We couldn¡¯t mess with them either.¡±


    There were a few groups that not even the States could mess with.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t really interested when a middleman showed up in this world out of nowhere. That¡¯s because countless of them appear and then disappear right after. But he was different. He tended to act alone. That¡¯s a ridiculous thing to do though.¡±


    For high-risk operations, it was unlikely for even the aces toe back alive.


    ¡°But he managed toplete over twenty special operations all on his own.¡±


    ¡°Is that Mr. Guardian?¡±


    ¡°At the time, it wasn¡¯t a tacky name like ¡®Guardian Angel¡¯. He was more like the death angel. And when he ran into Kadeshi Morken, we were sad that another promising rookie was going to disappear.¡±


    5000 vs. 1 wasn¡¯t a proportion that was in his favor.


    ¡°However, he didn¡¯t run or hide. A fight broke out at sundown and ended before sunrise. What do you think happened?¡±


    The subordinate gulped as if this was his first time hearing about this.


    ¡°He was the only one that survived. On top of that, he sent Kadeshi¡¯s head via DHL to Langley...which remains a legend.¡±


    She still couldn¡¯t forget the white face of the CIA agent that she saw when she opened the box. She even tried to kidnap Ahn Soo Ho to get her on her side.


    ¡°How can one person kill 5000 people overnight? No one helped him, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    The subordinate didn¡¯t say anything, and Lydia smiled as if she expected that.


    ¡°The Magician. That¡¯s when we started calling him The Magician.¡±


    His code name was Wizard. Anyone under his influence had to find sanctuary. But looking back on it, there weren¡¯t many people who didn¡¯t want the peace that came after.


    ¡°People realized it. ¡®Oh, a monster shouldn¡¯t be left alone.¡¯ That¡¯s when we realized that the best thing to do was to leave him where we could see him. We were the ones who gave him his reputation as a middleman. It turned out that way after we repeatedly started disputes and asked for his help. You¡¯re probably wondering why.¡±


    It was a simple reason.


    ¡°Because everyone wanted to be close to him.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if his strength was called a superpower or magic. The important thing was to be close with this man who was either a superhuman or a wizard. So that no one would monopolize on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s skills.


    ¡°We did him a favor by boosting his reputation. In the end, he didn¡¯t end up hiding in the dark, just as we intended.¡±


    ¡°Is that what¡¯s important?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Not hiding. That¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±


    Just knowing his location was good enough.


    ¡°If he tries to hide, no one will be able to find him.¡±


    When he knocked down the information system of the American government and went into hiding, the States took a hit that was unrecoverable.


    ¡°If the final momentes...¡±


    Only one thing could protect the pride that remained.


    ¡°A hack missile will be used to kill him.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 55 ¨C Kim Na Hee [3] > The end.

 Chapter 57: < Protect – Episode 56 – Anna-Anne Karusis [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 57: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 56 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [1] &gt;</h4>


    After he picked up his little sister, went grocery shopping, and then came back home, Mrs. Park and Seol Hyun were there. What kind of situation was this? The two women started a fuss as soon as they saw him.


    ¡°Oh my! Son, if you had a girlfriend, you should have introduced me. How could you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Right? He really should have.¡±


    Who would be able to imagine the star of Asia to be sitting next to her and say nice things? This wasn¡¯t a scene from a movie or a drama. It was real life. If a paparazzi saw this, they would have gone crazy.


    ¡°Seol Hyun! Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Hey. How have you been?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho saw Jang Seol Hyun leave Mrs. Park Ok Nam and hugging Lee So Hye with augh, he grabbed his forehead with his hand. When he heard a lisp, he was suddenly reminded of Kang Mi Na from Yesterday. Was it a trend to have a lisp these days? He went into his room to get changed.


    Jang Seol Hyun boldly followed him to his room. The dressing room was separate from the bedroom, so no one would be able to see them.


    ¡°What about your schedule?¡±


    ¡°I only had a pictorial shoot. I¡¯m free until next week!¡±


    He got a glimpse of her feet when she jumped onto his bed.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°You smell good.¡±


    ¡°Geez.¡±


    Who would see her as a woman in her twenties? She was young when he first met her, but she seemed to get younger by the day. His first impression of Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t all that great. Since she worked in the entertainment industry where she had to separate her outer appearance from her true feelings, she was used to having rtionships that weren¡¯t too close but not too distant either.


    Ahn Soo Ho thought that was refreshing.


    He also heard that he was like an old man, but the way Seol Hyun acted was worse than that of a politician. But when she took off her thick mask, she was soft. She was a tender woman behind her strong act.


    ¡®She¡¯s not just tender. She¡¯s clever too.¡¯


    But it wasn¡¯t the kind that made people feel insulted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re pushing yourself too much?¡±


    Her random question made him stop in the middle of changing his shirt.


    ¡°Pushing myself?¡±


    ¡°Yourpany. The pep rally and the town project...you¡¯ll be at a deficit.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    In response to his calm answer, Seol Hyun just looked up and stared at him with an absurd look.


    ¡°Why are you acting like this is someone else¡¯s problem?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not the one managing it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll go bankrupt if you don¡¯t be careful.¡±


    After he finished changing, he came out and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Even if I do, I won¡¯t be in debt.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Listen to you.¡±


    She showed an exaggerated attitude, but she was actually very apologetic. The way Jang Seol Hyun dragged Ahn Soo Ho into this was like her having a tantrum. It was also a resistance with the hope of having her feelings reciprocated by the one she liked.


    ¡®I¡¯m not a little kid!¡¯


    She was upset and tired of having one-sided feelings. When she just stared at the ceiling with a nk look, Ahn Soo Ho sighed. He knew. Who wouldn¡¯t? But he didn¡¯t have the time to leisurely date someone. But that didn¡¯t mean Ahn Soo Ho was always single either. When a charming woman crossed his path, he had a one-night stand.


    Heid next to Seol Hyun and stared at the ceiling with her.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°A middle-aged man is giving me a hard time.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at being called a middle-aged man. Being addressed that way felt more familiar than how she normally addressed him. So he thought about it carefully. Did he hate her? No. Then did he like her? He did. He did have interest in her. And since Seol Hyun was an adult, she was allowed to date. Even though Ahn Soo Ho was much older, if they liked each other, it wasn¡¯t going to be a problem.


    ¡°Why do you like me?¡±


    It was a cringy question, but he had to ask.


    ¡°Just because.¡±


    ¡°There are tons of good-looking guys around you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all hair and makeup. Oh! There are tons of guys with a lot of stic surgery too.¡±


    If one would try to find ws, there would be no end to it. Seol Hyun¡¯s justification made Ahn Soo Ho feel better. He even lent his arm to her. If someone saw them, people would misunderstand them as a couple.


    ¡°This is the first time you let me rest on your arm since Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She attempted Hollywood with passion, but unless a person was Caucasian, it would be hard to be treated fairly there. Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t acknowledged for her good experience in Korea and Asia, which meant she had to start over like the rest of the newbies. Even though she felt hurt by it, she refused to give up.


    ¡°That Donald son of a bitch. He looks just like Donald Duck. Who is he to tell me to start off with a role of a teenager?¡±


    ¡°Westerners do have better proportions. Ugh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho screamed at the jab he received on his side.


    ¡°I have a good body too, Mister.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey.¡±


    Seol Hyun hugged Ahn Soo Ho and rubbed herself on him as if she wanted to show off her body. This behavior was so clear that it didn¡¯t need an exnation. But why was a sad prediction never wrong?


    ¡°Soo Ho! Seol Hyun! Mom said food¡¯s ready!¡±


    What strange timing. She was taken aback and tried to get up, but Ahn Soo Ho grabbed her by her neck.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    He thought he might as well do some dating while he was having fun. It wasn¡¯t bad to date a top star that everyone wants. The next day, Kim Woo Jung wasn¡¯t against their dating, but he said revealing it wasn¡¯t right. He didn¡¯t want to go around telling everyone either.


    ¡°I knew this day woulde.¡±


    Didn¡¯t he say this before? He looked sad as if he was her dad sending her off for marriage, but then he switched back to his businessman face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided on the project name. Comma. It¡¯s Project Comma.¡±


    ¡°Comma?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think it suits the project perfectly.¡±


    The pep rally in Boracay, Philippines would be broadcasted live on the inte, and it would also be edited as a documentary and broadcasted on cable. Depending on how it was edited, it could be a variety show too.


    ¡°The theme is a modern man who goes on a volunteering vacation to heal.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll be interesting?¡±


    ¡°We have to make it interesting and touching at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Then do that. Oh yeah! What is Director Shim doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s been a lot of changes for the actor...so he¡¯s probably very busy.¡±


    ¡°Is it a problem with JT?¡±


    JT Entertainment was having a hard time due to Seo Joo Kyung. As soon as Hosoo Entertainment paid for the cancetion charges and took away all of their talents, they went crazy. The other agencies trembled in fear and the ones who profited watched the show with interest.


    ¡°There are no legal issues, right?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°But let¡¯s not let our guard down. Oh! Please send Director Kim in.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The former president of Shinhwa Entertainment, Kim Yoo Seon became the director of singers. It might seem like a downgrade, but scale-wise, Hosoo Entertainment was 10 times bigger than what Shinhwa Entertainment was. It was a burden to be the president, so he enjoyed his new position.


    ¡°Did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. I have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to step down from the CEO position this year. And from now on, everything will be mediated by the operations team.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°I know why you¡¯re worried, but I¡¯m only stepping down from the position. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to take my hands off of the business. My reason is...I¡¯m at the age where I should get married, and I should rest. You understand. Mothers don¡¯t like their sons aging without a family of their own.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon nodded as if he understood. His circumstances pushed back his marriage date, but whether if a person was a woman or a man, once a person reached forty, he or she would start feeling anxious. Ahn Soo Ho was thirty-seven years old, so he wasn¡¯t young in the marriage department.


    ¡°If you ever have questions, you can talk to Daniel or Director Oh Joo Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As soon as Kim Yoo Seon left, Ahn Soo Ho tapped the desk with his finger. His work concluded there. As long as problems don¡¯t arise, he won¡¯t have to worry about thepany.


    ¡®All that¡¯s left is Father.¡¯


    There wasn¡¯t a single person who had the guts to stop Ahn Soo Ho from leaving work early. After a fairly long drive, he arrived at a residential building near Seoul. It was just a country house. The elder who saw him drive in greeted him with a lukewarm face.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te empty-handed, did you?¡±


    When he pulled out liquor, Ahn Dae Man ran over. Even though he was over sixty, he still loved alcohol and women. After he got a divorce, Ahn Dae Man roamed about. When he was young, his behavior made him angry. However, after all these years, he just pitied him.


    Ahn Dae Man looks happy as he opened the bottle of liquor.


    ¡°Drink it with food. It¡¯ll be delivered soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    He felt like the world was very convenient since food could be delivered anywhere around the country. At that moment, a motorcycle dropped by and left Chinese food including spicy seafood noodles and sweet and sour pork. The father and son sat on the bench and clinked sses without a word.


    Ahn Dae Man spoke first.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Did Kyung Ho drop by?¡±


    ¡°He dropped by with his father a few days ago.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho was a troublemaker, but he was good with parents.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to stay in Korea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not young anymore.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    The father scolded him for saying such a thing in front of an elder.


    ¡°When you were born, the queen grandmother said you had itchy feet.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He said you would do great things. That¡¯s why we even had a party to celebrate having such a capable baby.¡±


    ¡°That was a lie though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure...The queen grandmother had never been wrong.¡±


    The vige liked and respected the queen grandmother. It wasn¡¯t just because she was talented in guessing people¡¯s fortunes. She was the vige¡¯s mental pir, and she was also a capable woman who received protection from the Korean government at the time.


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Ahn Dae Man put down his ss, disappeared somewhere, and then came back with a wooden box.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°When you were born, she gave me this and told me to give it to you one day. When I asked when that would be, she said I¡¯d know when the timees. She was right. I knew.¡±


    He had forgotten after all this time and just remembered.


    ¡°Open it. I¡¯m curious about what¡¯s inside.¡±


    Ahn Dae Man didn¡¯t tell him that he actually did all sorts of things to try to open that box. It might just look like just a wooden box, but hammers and drills didn¡¯t make a single dent on it. He was worried he would receive a divine punishment for it and forgot about it until now.


    Ahn Soo Ho received the box in surprise.


    ¡®Is this...¡¯


    This object shouldn¡¯t be here. It should be in the afterlife.


    ¡®A stone?¡¯


    In other words, it was a box for memories of souls.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 56 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [1] > The end.

 Chapter 58: < Protect – Episode 57 – Anna-Anne Karusis [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 58: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 57 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [2] &gt;</h4>


    The great, great magician, Anna-Anne Karusis.


    The surname, Karusis was added only afterward. Karusis, which was the deadnguage of a solemn kingdom, represented stigma, and it was also a warning that was put upon criminals. That was right. The great, great magician wasn¡¯t respected but rather put at a distance, and after she died of great jealousy, Anna-Anne¡¯s reputation was severely damaged.


    Ahn Soo Ho got a look at Anna-Anne¡¯s life in the afterlife.


    He still thinks about it from time to time. The memories of the dead that flowed into oblivion between life and death seeped through. They were things that people would never believe, and things that he would have to take to his grave. The reason was because he didn¡¯t want to go to a mental hospital.


    ¡°CEO Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Keep going.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung called for Ahn Soo Ho who sat nkly.


    ¡°The Comma Project will be led by Right Hand Media, and we won¡¯t be receiving any support. Right Hand Media will be working independently.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Skip the details.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to know about Right Hand Media or whatever it was called.


    ¡°What about the Boracay schedule?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re nning to board directly through the ramp. We¡¯re going to hire safety guards in order to abide by the airport¡¯s ident prevention regtions.¡±


    ¡°Treat them well. We¡¯re going to keep working with them from now on. Does this count as a bribe? Or an airport development donation? Do that if you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for a way.¡±


    The situation escted so much that even Philippine¡¯s tourism bureau was interested. They received an offer to receive a shooting location, amodation, and transportation.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of talk about the town project.¡±


    No matter how much of a deficit the management wanted, 10 trillion won was too much.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long-term n that¡¯ll be carried out for the next ten years. And ten trillion won...is a rumor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then...but we should be careful. There are tons of people who¡¯ll swarm in if they find out that we have money.¡±


    What was scary about politicians was that no matter who the money belongs to, they would manage to find a way that could fulfill their own achievement records. Besides not having a weapon, they were no different from robbers.


    ¡°Make sure to talk to Daniel about anything rted to money.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    By the time the briefing was finished, the secretary came in.


    ¡°CEO Ahn. Seo Joo Kyung is here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Send her in.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s first impression was a refined city girl, but she also had good fashion sense, and if Oh Joo Kyung was an intellectual, she had a vibrant impression.


    ¡°Thank you for the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. It was Director Oh who saw something in you.¡±


    The two Joo Kyung¡¯s looked at each other and nodded. Having the same name gives one a strange sense of kinship. They were alsopetitors who both dreamt of bing top business women. It might seem like Oh Joo Kyung made a mistake, but that was not true.


    ¡®She might be trying to even out the gender ratio among the members...¡¯


    There were times when people of the same gender have a connection. The reason why people made cliques within thepany was because they couldn¡¯t handle it alone. Since people brought in all sorts of connections, the two Joo Kyung¡¯s had no choice but to team up. Oh Joo Kyung was very good with her brain. Since she had only worked at Daesan Group, she needed someone to consult about the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Did you wrap up the negotiation?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The trustworthy JT Entertainment fell apart and Hosoo Entertainment obtained an evil reputation as a result.


    ¡°We convinced the advertisers as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Since taking it to court would have made it noisy...Hmmm. You¡¯re promoted to director.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why not? If you feel burdened by it, I won¡¯t force you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung, who was going to back out depending on the mood, immediately changed her mind. After speaking to the two Joo Kyung¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho ran out of thepany building. He headed to a hill near Seoul. He sensed a bunch of cars following him on the way, and he normally wouldn¡¯t have cared, but this time, he slipped out.


    ¡®It¡¯s probably chaos right about now.¡¯


    The ones who lost him would probably be taken aback and go crazy trying to catch him. Ahn Soo Ho stopped midway up a hill. There was no path, so there were no hikers, but there were a few elders who were there to pick herbs.


    The dungeon was made deep underground.


    It was a historical project that was made only by hand. Ahn Soo Ho kept these dungeons all over the world. There was no way of getting caught unless they knew the exact location to dig. Even though all dungeons were important, the one in Korea was the most important, and that was because of the bookshop of records that was in front of him.


    Ahn Soo Ho had looked into the lives of many dead people at the crossroads between life and death. However, could he remember all of them? If he had, his head would have exploded. So he started to write and draw them and once they were recorded, he tried to forget them.


    ¡®Stone, stone...here it is.¡¯


    He pulled out two items from in between the file and sketchbook.


    ¡®Chamobeth.¡¯


    It was thenguage that Anna-Anne used. If it was tranted to Korean, it was parallel pressure. In English, it¡¯s called equalizing.


    ¡®How can an item from the afterlife exist in this world?¡¯


    The living had dreamt of the afterlife for a very long time. Ahn Soo Ho believed it to be the Styx, but there was no way of knowing. All he knew was that the memories of the dead washed away with the river. In the afterlife, material things could not exist. But powerful beings like Anna-Anne could cause a miracle to happen.


    But that didn¡¯t mean they woulde back to life.


    They could simply turn their memories and will into something else. Why? Did they fail to ept their death and hung around both worlds? It was because of lingering attachment. People with more regret tended to have a lot of lingering attachment.


    ¡®I expected you to be delivered to me, Granny.¡¯


    Was his fate with Anna-Anne to go on past the afterlife? The answer was probably inside the box in his hands. But he still hesitated.


    ¡®This could be a possessed secret.¡¯


    The difference between shamans and magicians was their will. Ahn Soo Ho made a decision. As soon as he twisted the wooden box in his hands, time stopped again.


    ¡°You still can¡¯t contact him?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t gone home either.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung frowned at what the secretary said. It was already been 40 hours since she lost contact with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Should I report him missing?¡¯


    There was a time when they lost contact, but he at least kept in contact with other people. This time, no one knew his whereabouts. The ne to Boracay had already left and the private jet had been on standby for an hour. The airport continued to pressure them to cancel or postpone their flight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s depart...CEO Ahn?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung stopped what she was saying and screamed. She saw Ahn Soo Ho walking over in a calm manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Am I reallyte?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As soon as the private jet finally took off from Incheon International Airport, people took off their seatbelts and wandered around. The ones who had never been on a private jet before were busy taking selfies. While they were having a fun time, Ahn Soo Ho had a hard time on the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Yes, I won¡¯t do that again. Yes, yes.¡±


    After calming down Mrs. Park, he still had Lee So Hye to deal with. Since she was still in ss, he texted her.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Since Ahn Soo Ho had his special seat, no one coulde in to bother him or hear the conversations that he had, but Jang Seol Hyun crept up beside him. She was pretty even though she was mad.


    ¡°Do you know how worried I was?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    It was best to be modest at a time like this.


    ¡°What¡¯s your excuse?¡±


    ¡°I met with my father.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Half of the excuse that he said was a lie, but it worked. Seol Hyun knew exactly how his parents got divorced. Even though it was far in the future, she had even worried about how to seat their guests at their wedding. She really got ahead of herself. They just started dating, so marriage? That was an exaggeration.


    ¡°How¡¯s your father doing?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy drinking. Don¡¯t think about visiting him. He¡¯ll probably go around telling the whole town.¡±


    ¡°But I still should.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together one day. How are your parents?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, seriously...we¡¯re dating in preparation for marriage, right?¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun acted, unlike her usual self by bending down.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Should I make you believe it?¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    As soon as he pulled her in by her waist, she couldn¡¯t help but to sumb. They were so close that they could hear each other breathing. Jang Seol Hyun couldn¡¯te to her senses in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s unexpectedly aggressive behavior. She was happy but scared. Jang Seol Hyun fell asleep to the sound of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s heart.


    It really did seem like she was worried sick. He put a nket over her and stared at her face. When he saw a flight attendant, he put his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. As soon as he left the private room, he saw Alexa in a flight attendant uniform.


    ¡°Alexa?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t contact you, so I looked for you everywhere, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°But this is too...¡±


    ¡°I dressed up as a Hosoo Airlines employee. Anyway, I have important news to tell you.¡±


    She looked sexy and charismatic in her uniform, which showed off her figure and amazingly trained body.


    ¡°Do you remember Sorren?¡±


    ¡°Masquesa?¡±


    The reason why the States and their military couldn¡¯t end Aragon Company was because they nted men in ces where the Western intelligence agents couldn¡¯t go. Southeast Asia was a troubled area due to China¡¯s military power and influence, as well as a regr customer of criminal business. After the American military was removed from the Philippines, Australia became the front line of South Pacific defense, but it was almost impossible to clear up the pirates and terrorists of Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asia didn¡¯t have any interest in resolving it to begin with.


    ¡°Frencing mercenaries held hands with the pirates and fortified Borneo. After you backed off, ship kidnapping became rampant. China dispatched their destroyer with the excuse of protecting their citizens, and Australia listened to the States and intensified their patrolling by sending the marines. Thand reinforced their marines as well.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms. Since he was retired, this had nothing to do with him. Alexa wasn¡¯t surprised by his reaction. She actually smiled bigger.


    ¡°Ang¡¯s executivemittee butt in.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Did they partner up with terrorists?¡±


    ¡°Not this time.¡±


    She shooked her head.


    ¡°They decided to rescue the kidnapped merchantmen and crew members.¡±


    ¡°What? No way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. They decided to step out of the shadows ande into the light.¡±


    Ang¡¯s executivemittee was also called ¡°Deception¡±.


    ¡°They¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They might have thought they stood a chance if you were out of the picture.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t dere war with Kadeshi Morken because they were the bad guys.


    ¡®I¡¯m not the only one who returned from the dead.¡¯


    The asional stories about reincarnation were mostly delusions, but some of them were true. If expressed in the Anna-Anne way, Kadeshi¡¯s head was an alpha organism with amazing capabilities. He couldn¡¯t make fire or ice from his hands, but he was capable of emitting electric signals via psychokinesis.


    ¡®That¡¯s why no one was able to see him and not even a single picture remains.¡¯


    Since he could break all the electronics around him, there was no way a record would have been left. Ahn Soo Ho made a guess. There were those with special powers leading the groups that lead the world. But that didn¡¯t mean they could dodge bullets. In contrast to people who insisted that there was reincarnation for the sake of entertainment, the meticulous exploited these special abilities and tried to stand above others.


    ¡°What does that have to do with me? I¡¯m retired.¡±


    ¡°Everyone wants your acknowledgement. Same goes for Ang.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. They can be greedy amongst themselves.¡±


    ¡°Hm. It¡¯s like a coronation.¡±


    Those who analyzed data thought Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence came from money and connections, but those who ran into him in person were at awe at his outstanding force.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±


    Alexa showed both palms of her hands as if she expected that response.


    ¡°Is this the important news you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll get to the real important news now.¡±


    She shooked her index finger yfully.


    ¡°Jina Davismitted suicide.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 57 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [2] > The end.

 Chapter 59: < Protect – Episode 58 – Anna-Anne Karusis [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 59: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 58 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [3] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°Wee to the Philippines!¡±


    A fairly high-up person from Philippine¡¯s tourism bureau came to say hello. When the ne that left first arrived in Man, there were hoards of fans waiting to see the stars. They came to say hello even though no one asked them to.


    ¡°Look over here!¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    As soon as the celebrities heard not so fluent Korean, they waved without realizing it.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The screaming was so loud that it could have knocked down the airport. There were over ten limousine buses that transferred them under the police¡¯s protection, but where they arrived at wasn¡¯t the hotel, but a cruise. They rented a cruise that fits 3000 people, and it was better than a hotel in many ways.


    ¡°Since today¡¯s the first day, let¡¯s get some rest.¡±


    No matter how crazy the Philippines was, famous tourist destinations like Man, Cebu, and Boracay were fairly safe. Since the risks were all pretty much the same whenever people were outside their homes, all they could do was be careful.


    ¡°Put two guards on each one and tell them which areas to avoid.¡±


    Just like how Alexa dressed up like a flight attendant, Logan took on the role of leading the security guards. He was fluent in English as well as Korean. Since many of the celebrities had already been to the Philippines, they had more fun looking around the ship.


    Since there were no other guests, they could do whatever they wanted without being disturbed.


    ¡°There¡¯s really a movie theater inside the ship!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a waterpark on the roof!¡±


    ¡°There are lots of shops too.¡±


    The idols had already started pulling out their camcorders and filming. Since there was no image they had to maintain, they didn¡¯t hesitate to show their daily lives. The interactions between idols and actors were refreshing too.


    ¡°It¡¯s big news, just as we expected!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the top search right now!¡±


    The promotional department was having a hard time. It wasn¡¯t easy to make something go viral in the 21st century. But just the fact that they all went somewhere together attracted a lot of attention.


    - They took a private jet! #volunteering #HosooEntertainment #Man


    - Isn¡¯t that how state guests are treated?


    - You¡¯re exaggerating! But it¡¯s pretty crazy that they have all those police officers!


    - The director of the Philippines¡¯ tourism bureau went to greet them himself!


    - They¡¯re staying on a cruise ship instead of a hotel? They¡¯re crazy!


    - Is Hosoo Entertainment hiring? I want to join!


    - They probably only hire experienced people!


    - Mina started her broadcast! Wow! A cruise adventure! #PrettyGirls #YesterdayFlowerRoad


    - It looks like she really bloomed after transferring!


    - JT really mistreated her! They sent her to a cheap variety show!


    - I wish the best from now on! I¡¯m cheering for you!


    - Awaken the evil empire!


    - Is this the Yankees of the entertainment world? Bullpener1


    - Who¡¯s Mariano Libera? Bullpener2


    - The country is in rough shape. Isn¡¯t a group vacation abroad a little inappropriate? #CandleWin #ReformationoftheRich


    - You¡¯re the only oneining!


    - Here he is, everyone!


    - Can you even eat when our country¡¯s in such bad shape?


    - Can you even go to a motel with your girlfriend when our country¡¯s in such bad shape?


    - Our country¡¯s in such bad shape...


    - Stop!


    The person in charge of Right Hand Media heard this proposal and was taken aback.


    ¡®Just film.¡¯


    He was told to film anything without a single script or itinerary. The synergy between the lively idols and good-looking actors was incredible. Just filming them could ruin the image that was created for them, but top stars were people too. They were all normal people with all the same emotions.


    One of the camera-man was in awe.


    Each celebrity shined when they were filmed with the beautiful Man sunset in the background.


    Stars were stars no matter what they did.


    The prepared party began.


    The party on top of the ship was a new experience for everyone. The executives were against this party. That was because no one could predict what the celebrities would do after a few drinks.


    ¡°We stopped filming. If we broadcast the party, we could get a lot of backfire.¡±


    ¡°Just from this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Our country¡¯s broadcasting regtions are very strict.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t enjoy watching TV.


    However, the programs he watched abroad showed a lot of explicit content. Especially in Venezu, he remembers seeing a dance show where both dancers stripped naked. They didn¡¯t have any body paint on either. They dancedpletely naked. He wonders how many of the mercenaries he watched that with was still alive. As soon as Oh Joo Kyung excused herself, Jang Seol Hyun approached.


    ¡°Why are you hiding around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just being careful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you tell.¡±


    ¡°If people find out we¡¯re dating, all sorts of rumors will go around about you.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Reporters are great story writers.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at her exaggerated face and way of speaking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They probably can¡¯t write whatever they want about me.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because the old man won¡¯t stand for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun had also heard about the rumors about Daesan Group¡¯s Chairman Kim Dae San and Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Are you really?¡±


    ¡°Me? Haha. It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Hm. You¡¯ll find outter. Don¡¯t rush.¡±


    If they didn¡¯t break up, she would find out his secret sooner orter. What kind of reaction would Jang Seol Hyun have?


    ¡®Will she call me a bad guy? Or will she continue to love me?¡¯


    What she knew about him was very little and it was the nicer part of him. Ahn Soo Ho sometimes felt a distance from reality. There were times when his desire to settle for a peaceful life conflicted with his greed to be an outstanding individual who transcends thew.


    ¡®I have an illness inside my heart.¡¯


    It was true. He had a mental illness. So he even had some consultations with a psychiatrist. He didn¡¯t get better, but just letting it all out made him feel better.


    ¡®It¡¯s a side effect from being in the afterlife.¡¯


    When he came back from the head, the word was ruined.


    Pang, pang-


    The party ended with fireworks.


    This event was prepared by the Philippines¡¯ tourism bureau.


    ¡°Apparently, the president of the Philippines is a huge fan of mine. Take a picture with him before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Are you selling off your significant other?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that, and business is business.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The next day, the drunk celebrities went to the restaurant while Ahn Soo Ho went to a vacation home nearby. Seeing how there were many security guards, it was either a nice person or a high official. But he was neither. This was one of the foreign operating sites of Japan¡¯s Naicho.


    ¡°Murakami.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    The middle-aged man who came out in a Hawaiian shirt was the officer in charge of CIRO Asia.


    ¡°I heard you retired. It¡¯s too bad, but I¡¯m sure you had your reasons. Anyway, now that the Empire problem is solved, the government is very thankful.¡±


    ¡°Since it was a fair deal, you don¡¯t have to thank me. Why did you want to see me first thing in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Since you retired from the scene, consulting must be okay, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking any requests.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m asking you as a friend.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was entertained by how the prideful Japanese elite wasing off.


    ¡°As a friend...okay. But this is the first andst time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Murakami put on a straight face.


    ¡°Do you know Sorren, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Masquesa?¡±


    This was his second time hearing this name today.


    ¡°Of course, you do. Nine days ago, the chairman of the board of a Southeast Asian energy consortium and another man were killed in Ho Chi Minh.¡±


    ¡°You think Masquesa did it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Vietnamese think.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they found out who the client was.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed. Since the killer wouldn¡¯t have revealed the client, it must have been the investigation authorities or an information division.


    ¡®Or it was a trap.¡¯


    In this world, betrayal was verymon.


    ¡°The problem is the client¡¯s identity.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Chen Mao.¡±


    ¡°Wangtang Group?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The overseas Chinese, Chen Mao set up Wangtang Group in Thand, which was verypetitive with the conglomerates of Korea when ites to scale. Such a monopolizingpany reigned over thew in countries with political instability.


    ¡°Did you know Jina Davismitted suicide?¡±


    ¡°She was too young.¡±


    It was unfortunate news. She must have not been able to endure the guilt of being the only one to survive.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t actually a suicide. A family member of someone who didn¡¯t survive in Sao Paulo hit her with a car.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she confine herself to her home?¡±


    ¡°She still went to church to pray.¡±


    ¡°Then why do people think it was a suicide?¡±


    ¡°Because the one who hit her works at the White House.¡±


    ¡°What aedy.¡±


    It might not stay concealed forever, but it was still known as a suicide.


    ¡°After the Sao Paolo scandal, Washington D.C. burned to the ground. The system is so ruined that it can¡¯t be revived, and the public institutions are being distrusted. The States is on the edge of a cliff.¡±


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re having fun, Murakami.¡±


    ¡°To be honest...I¡¯m happy that I won¡¯t have to see the Yankees being cocky from now on.¡±


    Whether it was the chairman of the board of the energy consortium or Jina Davis, what did either of them had to do with Japan? After reading Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s confused face, Murakami looked around him and whispered it to him.


    ¡°A gold depository has been found.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    What gold depository? When Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows, Murakami whispered in a quieter voice.


    ¡°Rumor has it that it¡¯s called Yamashita¡¯s Treasure or Yamashita¡¯s Gold.¡±


    ¡°That urban legend?¡±


    It was an urban legend that was spread to all mediums. Rumors that imed that Japanese soldiers buried their treasure somewhere in the Philippines after they were defeated.


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not clear, but there is a record.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed once again. Since even an elite agent was going around looking for treasure, Japan¡¯s future didn¡¯t look so bright.


    ¡°I called their country, so they¡¯ll send men soon. The problem is...¡±


    ¡°The horrible rtionship between the Philippines and Japan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Murakami crinkled his face.


    ¡°You want me to build a bridge between you and the Filipino government, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you signed a guarantee, but that¡¯s too much to ask, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m retired.¡±


    ¡°Then just arrange a meeting for us.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What do you want in return?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho continued to smile and shooked his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to deliver a few words. It¡¯s not even that hard. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re really retired after all.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed along with Murakami, but they were thinking about totally different things.


    ¡°I might look weird for chasing an urban legend, but I didn¡¯t believe it either until now. But now that there¡¯s evidence, I can¡¯t help but believe it.¡±


    ¡°Evidence?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The exploration team employed by the Southeast Asian Energy Consortium discovered an underground cavern on Mindoro Ind. They think the chairman of the board¡¯s murder had to do with that.¡±


    He was shocked by the picture Murakami showed him as evidence.


    ¡°Huh? This is...¡±


    He failed to notice Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reaction and spoke passionately.


    ¡°The booby-traps that were nted to block out intruders were there, but the structure wasn¡¯t natural. But it looks too old to be from World War II too. What do you think? Do you recognize it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho awkwardlyughed.


    ¡®Of course, I recognize it, you bastard!¡¯


    That was his dungeon.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 58 ¨C Anna-Anne Karusis [3] > The end.

 Chapter 60: < Protect – Episode 59 – Asia Tour [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 60: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 59 ¨C Asia Tour [1] &gt;</h4>


    Whether it was nature or nurture, those who survive the information world were liars. Ahn Soo Ho only half believed what Murakami said. Yamashita¡¯s Treasure? What crazy agent would use the agency¡¯s resources to chase after an urban legend? In that sense, Kosino was more objective than Alexa.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the urban legend, but it¡¯s true that Japan has a lot of interest in Southeast Asia.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of resources?¡±


    ¡°Superficially, yes. However, what they¡¯re thinking is different. Japan surprisingly sent a lot of immigrants. I feel like that Yamashita or whatever it¡¯s called is an excuse, and they¡¯re actually after something else. It¡¯s also possible that the evidence picture he showed you was just a picture from World War II.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t true, but he couldn¡¯t tell him the truth.


    ¡°Look into it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you retired?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the type who can hold back curiosity.¡±


    It was Alexa who answered Kosino¡¯s question.


    ¡°Soo Ho can¡¯t stand to see someone else do well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Ones who hit only like to hit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve to talk smack about someone right in front of them.¡±


    They didn¡¯t care if he was listening and continued their conversation as they disappeared. Logan smirked.


    ¡°They¡¯re happy to be working again because they were bored this whole time.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they retire with me? We all know they¡¯re not the type.¡±


    ¡°Because they like you.¡±


    ¡°Reflect.¡±


    He showed both of his palms and said,


    ¡°reflect¡±.


    ¡°Should I contact the president of the Philippines?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. While you¡¯re at it, bring Seol Hyun and take a picture of them. We should give him the full fan service.¡±


    ¡°Are you selling off your significant other?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just business.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment had a lot to do in the Philippines. The most profitable countries were probably China and Japan, but the governments were very restrictive in those countries. If he used his influence, he could probably do most things by himself, but the Philippines was much easier to deal with.


    ¡®There are also many uninhabited inds which could be good for training camps.¡¯


    It was difficult to do firearms training in Korea. Even retired mercenaries had to practice at least a few times a year to keep their touch. There were tons of uninhabited inds between Luzon Inds and Mindanao Inds. Cebu and Boracay were also just a few of the gatherings of inds, after all.


    The Comma Project set in a cruise ship all dispersed. Some went sightseeing, some went to volunteer, and others enjoyed the services avable on the ship. All the celebrities and employees were more than satisfied with their circumstances.


    ¡°You¡¯ll record another outstanding deficit today.¡±


    ¡°Everything costs money.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung looked suspicious as if this was all normal.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worrying about making money?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They¡¯ll probably earn money regardless.¡±


    He continued to talk about deficits, but they weren¡¯t all useless expenses. He merged two top entertainmentpanies and received a big building called Star Tower for free. Until this point, he received Kim Dae Chan¡¯s unteral help. And since the nes and helicopters were taken from the white people abroad, half were free.


    ¡°If I think about it, it¡¯s not a big deficit.¡±


    It was true that the ones who had eaten meat before ate well, and the ones who had spent money before were good at spending money.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. But make sure to differentiate investment from waste.¡±


    ¡°So we need to make thoughtful deficits? That¡¯s a hard request, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yourpany too.¡±


    There was no need to stress ownership. Since Oh Joo Kyung kicked Daesan Group to the curb, she was more determined than anyone.


    ¡°How¡¯s Ms. Seo Joo Kyung?¡±


    ¡°She has the greed and capability.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not just going easy on her because she¡¯s a woman, are you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not. It¡¯s probably what you¡¯re thinking. Right now, I need someone from the board of directors on my side. In contrast to Director Kim, Director Shim has been uncooperative.¡±


    ¡°Think about his age, Director Oh. He has no choice but to hate you. It¡¯s instinct.¡±


    She wanted to ask if skills were all that mattered, but it was actually far from it.


    ¡°Shim Il Kwon is a sly man. He could have screwed over Kim Woo Jung for stabbing him in the back, but he¡¯s being quiet. It¡¯s a skill to realize that you¡¯re in an unfavorable situation.¡±


    ¡°Despite his position, he was quite motivated.¡±


    ¡°A scared dog tends to bark a lot more.¡±


    He was the one who made FNB grew. Ahn Soo Ho and Oh Joo.Kyung didn¡¯t stand a chance when it came to connections in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Putting the employees and rted persons on your back is also an impressive strategy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Look at the big picture. Who¡¯s your superior?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Oh!¡±


    She frowned and then let out an exmation.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your strategic superior is me.¡±


    As long as Ahn Soo Ho was there, Shim Il Kwon couldn¡¯t do anything to Oh Joo Kyung, Seo Joo Kyung, or Kim Woo Jung.


    ¡°But don¡¯t put me in the frontlines. I don¡¯t want a grown maning to me crying.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyungughed quietly and then left the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand Korean, but she¡¯s a solid young woman.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I picked her.¡±


    She pushed the curtain aside and came in wearing a flight attendant uniform.


    ¡°Sorren, I mean, Masquesa. Did youe here to die?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! I¡¯m not here to fight. I just dropped by because I heard you were in the Philippines.¡±


    ¡°Just?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Hm. I do have a reason.¡±


    Sorren might be a woman¡¯s name, but the person in front of him was a transgender. The reason why she did it was because it was morefortable to be a female assassin than a male assassin.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware that you¡¯re being chased, but here you are in the Philippines.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re the CIA. I won¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°It was Vietnam who screwed over the States.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Sorren answered in an insincere way. His habit as a male remained with the way he sat with his legs spread open.


    ¡°I want to retire too, but the ones above me won¡¯t let go of me.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Your temper is still the same. Okay, fine.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho red, Sorren rushed to the point.


    ¡°If J-Lawes to find you, please send him back.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but there was an internal conflict in Ang.¡±


    ¡°I saw thising ever since they talked shit about an alliance. They¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be like that, Soo Ho. They¡¯re just trying not to end up like Kadeshi.¡±


    ¡°They must have struck rich when I said I was retiring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re going to run out into a sunny spot?¡±


    J-Law probably joined the opposition. He had a belief about assassinations, so he had opinions about how an assassin should act as an assassin just like how assholes should act like assholes.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a frence mercenary or us, we all get paid to murder. The only difference is whether we kill them openly or secretly.¡±


    ¡°That sounds weird.¡±


    Mercenaries might be the worst but they didn¡¯t kidnap or torture anyone.


    ¡°Of course, there are some with perverted tendencies. But isn¡¯t that the same with mercenaries? Even Alexa is a les... Ugh!¡±


    Sorren fell over backwards. Her skirt went up exposing her underwear. Ahn Soo Ho looked down at the choking person and looked at her coldly.


    ¡°Be careful with what you say.¡±


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give second chances.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single mercenary or assassin who didn¡¯t know that Ahn Soo Ho gives people at least one more chance.


    ¡°If you tell us about J-Law, the executivemittee willpensate you ordingly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. J..¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sorren, who put his hand into his pocket, got a hole blown through his head and fell over. The first guy came out of the curtains and the second guy came out from under the bed. They sure did a good job hiding.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Issac betrayed me.¡±


    ¡°They said you betrayed them first.¡±


    ¡°Hm, maybe. We both betrayed each other.¡±


    Betrayal wasn¡¯t unexpected between people who tried to swallow each other whole.


    ¡°He failed to fulfill his duty of being devoted in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did he sell a client out?¡±


    J-Law clenched his jaw in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lighthearted question. The joke like question made him go quiet, he blinked multiple times.


    ¡°Have you heard about Chen Mao, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Did Issac do that?¡±


    ¡°He nned it with Masquesa.¡±


    It was questionable that a top assassin like Masquesa would expose a client, but if the executivemittee of Ang was involved, it made a little more sense.


    ¡°They have to pay arge penalty fee if they expose a client.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when the client is still alive.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    No matter how great Chen Mao of Wangtang Group might be, once rumors about an assassination went around, he was bound to be in a tight position.


    ¡°This all happened after you got involved. Don¡¯t you feel responsible?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    He was busy enough living his own life, so he didn¡¯t have a duty to take responsibility for other lives too.


    ¡°Soo Ho. One day, you¡¯ll realize the value of justice that longs for the light from the darkness.¡±


    Justice? J-Law said a lot of nonsense and then disappeared. Ahn Soo Ho looked at the body on the ground and frowned.


    ¡°This son of a bitch! Who¡¯s going to clean this up?¡±


    He should have worn a sailor uniform!


    ¡°Soo Ho? You don¡¯t look so good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t tell her that it was because of a dead body.


    ¡°Did you meet the president?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We took a picture together too.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho walked along the beach in Boracay together. The filming crew and the manager didn¡¯t tag along. The good thing about being the president was that no one could tell him what to do. The way they were wearing big hats and sunsses while walking on the beach made them look like they were on their Honeymoon. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, it was hard to recognize that it was Seol Hyun.


    It wasfortable to rent a transportation tricycle or even a motorcycle to travel past the shops, restaurants, and massage parlors.


    They decided on a tricycle.


    They were worried about a typhoon, but the weather in the Philippines was pretty peaceful for thest few days. Famous tourist destinations were booming with people no matter what. He expected a lot of Koreans to be there, but there were actually a lot of white people.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to Boracay many times, right?¡±


    ¡°For a few shoots, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is there anywhere you haven¡¯t been?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun fell deep into thought.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to India or Africa. Oh! South America as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t go there. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I want to go to Africa though. I know a lot of people who went there to volunteer.¡±


    ¡°For volunteering, you go as a group, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Just don¡¯t go alone.¡±


    What was foolish about Koreans was that they didn¡¯t take the dangers of being abroad seriously. If they bravely embarked on a solo trip after going on a group tour, they were bound to get into some trouble. The tricycle stopped where the white beach ended.


    ¡°Should we eat something?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was thinking of going into any restaurant, but Jang Seol Hyun grabbed his arm and led the way. He saw a sign that indicated a seafood restaurant. Did women think they wouldn¡¯t gain weight if they eat seafood?


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat chili crabs!¡±


    ¡°This must be a Singaporean restaurant.¡±


    ¡°The chili crabs here are delicious.¡±


    When he saw the menu, that wasn¡¯t the case. Didn¡¯t it seem weird that they also had hamburgers, seafood ramen, and udon? Since seafood ramen had seafood in it, that one could pass, but how could someone make burgers and udon into seafood? He didn¡¯t understand their standards.


    ¡®Are they like crab burgers?¡¯


    Jang Seol Hyun ordered like a regr customer.


    ¡°But is it okay that I¡¯m skipping out of work?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want to work?¡±


    ¡°No...but I feel bad for the others.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re doing more than filming themselves have fun. There¡¯s no filming easier than that.¡±


    Making money sure was easy.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why they all like you.¡±


    ¡°Do they like that I¡¯m a pushover?¡±


    ¡°No way! You¡¯re not a pushover.¡±


    ¡°People in this field all call me a pushover.¡±


    The evil head of an empire was the evil pushover!


    After Hosoo Entertainment appeared, the FA market was a mess, and the sry system and welfare system went down. There were tons of employees who were waiting to enter Hosoo Entertainment. The increase in personnel expenses aggravated their financial situation, and the smallerpanies couldn¡¯t handle the pressure and went down. However, that was because they kept cutting down on their experienced personnel to cover their losses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the entertainment world, but I know this much. Neglecting people in a business that sells people is a stupid thing to do.¡±


    Same went for the mercenary world. Those who dyed payments had to pay with their lives.


    ¡°Pushover? Upstart? unting money? They can curse all they want.¡±


    Normal people would have feared even one failure, but Ahn Soo Ho felt confident. The good thing about the entertainment world was that there were no regtions about monopoly. Culture and art weren¡¯t industrial products, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just buy their big mouths.¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s see if they can keep pping their traps then.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 59 ¨C Asia Tour [1] > The end.

 Chapter 61: < Protect – Episode 60 – Asia Tour [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 61: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 60 ¨C Asia Tour [2] &gt;</h4>


    Empire Konzern, which Ahn Soo Ho tossed to the American assembly, disintegrated in midair. While the hungry hyenas pounced, his retirement passed quietly. They knew they were each other¡¯s bribes. Since 60 billion dors were deposited, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about profits for the time being.


    ¡°Is this a list of broadcastingpanies?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The list starts with thepanies that we can most likely take over.¡±


    ¡°No public TV?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard because of regtions.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s cable? Then how much will it cost? Actually, just let the legal team handle it.¡±


    What else were the expensivewyers for? This kind of thing could be left to the professionals.


    ¡°How¡¯s the project going?¡±


    ¡°The Comma Project is going smoothly.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head and tapped the desk with his finger. It was good to volunteer and heal, but something impactful was needed. Moving stories get tiring after a while.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hold a concert.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°We have a lot of singers. Let¡¯s hold a concert.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not that easy...¡±


    When it came to concerts abroad, hiring a local promotionpany was the most important thing. If they got scammed though, they would end up with huge losses and it could make their image suffer.


    ¡°What¡¯scking? Will it be possible if the Philippine government helps?¡±


    ¡°I guess so...¡±


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho called Logan¡¯s name, he nodded and made a call.


    ¡°The choreography team is here too. Or put the trainees on stage. Okay, since we rested up, let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    The trainees still in school couldn¡¯te, but the adult trainees tagged along. Since most of the volunteers were actors, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the singers¡¯ stamina. Since Korean dramas were popr in the Philippines, they could also liven up the mood by bringing the actors onto the stage.


    ¡°Are you allowed to do this, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Please stick to one title, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°No! I like both.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Do what you want. Anyway. It¡¯s all in the contract. It says you have to do whatever I say. You¡¯re not being treated well for no reason.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a tyrant!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun scoffed as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making you do bad things. And if we make profits, they¡¯ll be donated to the Philippines under your names.¡±


    ¡°You should ask us first. Some of us might not want to donate.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll get your profits. It¡¯ll be thepany who¡¯ll give them the money.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Huh? That¡¯s a huge deficit!¡±


    The Hosoo Entertainment employees were curious as to how thepany managed to afford everything. Since thepany was 100% owned by Ahn Soo Ho, no one could look at thepany¡¯s finances besides him and the finance director. There was an ounting firm, but that didn¡¯t help much either.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deficit.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Because I have toe to the Philippines often from now on.¡±


    If they donated their profits from the concert, the Philippine government would be weing and the citizens would like it too.


    ¡®I¡¯d better build the training grounds not too far away from the dungeon.¡¯


    The Philippines was the perfect ce for firearm practice and survival training. The areas near the ocean where active volcanoes exist were almost always uninhabited. Ground facilities that weren¡¯t underground were bound to stand out to people. And if Ahn Soo Ho had built the camp with his old identity, a ton of suspicious people would have swarmed over.


    ¡®What a useful figurehead.¡¯


    Management waspletely different from businesses that sold products. They didn¡¯t have to worry about spies or getting defective items recalled. Scandals and drinking while driving really didn¡¯t count inparison.


    ¡®As long as you don¡¯t kill someone, I¡¯ll resolve it.¡¯


    He would protect them until the end as long as they weren¡¯tplete sons of bitches. The singing department went crazy in response to the president¡¯s orders. A sudden concert? However, there was no reason to just be surprised. Even though it was ast minute decision, the preparations were moving along pretty well. Since they were going to donate the money, the Philippine government gave their permission, and the government workers stepped up and cast the people for the concert.


    The stylists who didn¡¯t prepare proper outfits from Korea went around Man looking for outfits at clothing shops. They caused such a fuss that people talked nonsense about them preferring the Philippine fashion.


    ¡°This frillce is not bad.¡±


    ¡°That swishy one? Hm. Will it look good?¡±


    ¡°Since Mi Na has a good body, she can pull of anything.¡±


    ¡°But our Kwang Shik has short legs...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he got some lifts in his shoes.¡±


    They brought a whole pile of clothes back to the banquet hall. They brought pretty much everything that looked decent. They were in a war to fight for things they would give their own celebrities.


    ¡°Hey! I bought that one!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! It¡¯ll rip!¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon saw the scene and let out a hollowugh.


    ¡°Is this some kind of street market...?¡±


    ¡°I like the energy.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung looked around with a satisfied face. It wasn¡¯t just the stylists who were busy. The choreographers were discussing what to do for the performance and many employees yed the role of promotional agents to make up for the team that stayed home.


    ¡°What about the actors¡¯ parts?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll all say hello together and then we¡¯re going to send up confident actors in between the performances.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we decided on such a performance and put it in action over night...is our president amazing? Or is he just scary?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s both.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung saw Ahn Soo Ho as a scary person.


    ¡®He was like that in Hollywood too.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t feel like they were working in Hollywood, but the leaders of movies, dramas, and music showed up. He had also looked into Ahn Soo Ho. The problem was that all the detective agencies shooked their head and said they didn¡¯t know much.


    ¡®He¡¯s not just your typical rich person.¡¯


    Since they even put down the American president if they didn¡¯t like something, there was no way people would bow down just because they had money.


    ¡°Not like that! Like this! Gather your chest and bounce.¡±


    ¡°The hips and bust move separately. Do it rhythmically!¡±


    The banquet hall of the cruise ship was bustling with idols practicing their choreography. They remembered their team performances, but they had to learn the collective dance performance from scratch.


    ¡°Aah! I only took a few days off, but my body is already hardened.¡±


    ¡°You have to do stretches every morning. If you don¡¯t, your pelvis will harden.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t talk about my pelvis!¡±


    ¡°Yeo Hyun, you have a big ass, so you¡¯ll probably have no problems giving birth.¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Ooh! Look at that flexibility!¡±


    The girls wrestling with each other brought more color into the scene.


    ¡°You bastards! What do you think you¡¯re looking at? Learn your steps! How are you going to do the drills in the military? Huh?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯tplete your service either. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Haha! You haven¡¯t even shot a gun before! I¡¯m an expert, you know.¡±


    ¡°Then enter the military already. Don¡¯t lie about going and then run away to the States.¡±


    ¡°If I go now, I¡¯ll be an active-duty soldier. Who¡¯d want that?¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡±


    The girls finished their fight and made up, but the boys were still busy arguing.


    ¡°Guys! I have an announcement!¡±


    Someone came and yelled.


    ¡°If weplete this concert sessfully, we get to go on a cruise tour!¡±


    ¡°Send back the actors who have a movie, drama, or amercial to shoot. Contracts should be followed. And clear the uing month for the rest.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As soon as the employee left, Oh Joo Kyung looked at him with concern.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t an Asian tour too much when we¡¯re not prepared?¡±


    ¡°Prepared? Who needs preparation?¡±


    ¡°For the concert.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Director Oh, they¡¯re not as amateur as you think. They¡¯ve trained anywhere from a few years to ten years.¡±


    Even if they were mercenaries, they would be veterans.


    ¡°But a foreign tour is...¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about them getting tired? That¡¯s why I got us a cruise.¡±


    Therge cruise ship was slower than a ne, but it was stable and cozier than a hotel.


    ¡°I called it an Asian tour...but we¡¯re going to go back after stopping by only four ces.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an Asian tour but a dungeon tour.


    The locations Ahn Soo Ho decided on were Jakarta in Indonesia, Ku Lumpur in Mysia, Bangkok in Thand, and Shanghai in China, where the dungeons were located. China put a pan on Korea, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t worry about that. No one was crazy enough to mistreat him when the premier invited him. He was curious as to how the Korean president would look at him at the BRICS Summit.


    ¡®If he keeps poking around, I¡¯ll just destroy him.¡¯


    Those who value their reputation could lose their strength once their reputation was destroyed. Oh Joo Kyung probably didn¡¯t understand, but she followed along anyway. There wasn¡¯t so much trust between them that they could discuss all the details.


    ¡°Has Ang been notified?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re saddened. They said they¡¯ll pick up the body soon.¡±


    Ang was notified of Masquesa¡¯s death. They asked who did it, and he told them that it was J-Law.


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±


    ¡°Issac has the best strategy. J-Law has always been alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Issac, who dominated the executivemittee of Ang, was capable of mobilizing thousands of assassins. And one elite assassin was capable of eliminating an entire division without making a sound.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still giving J-Law more points.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just smiled.


    As an assassin who preached about justice, he had a lot of enemies. Ahn Soo Ho had very little enemiespared to J-Law. That was because he didn¡¯t stress the value of justice upon others. It was possible to control punks who were obsessed with money and women, but those who were obsessed with their beliefs couldn¡¯t be controlled.


    So the reason why he¡¯s still alive was because of...


    ¡®Sharp shooter.¡¯


    He was an amazing sharp shooter who could even aim at a flying missile.


    ¡®Alpha organism.¡¯


    Anna-Anne thought of talented beings as those who transcend human beings, but Ahn Soo Ho thought differently.


    ¡®They¡¯re just...monsters.¡¯


    If he didn¡¯t have power, he would have just been one of the countless maniacs.


    ¡®Will your justice make a miraclee true, J?¡¯


    When he fought 5000 vs. 1, no one rooted for him except for himself. That was how he came to establish himself as a middleman. The rich people made bets, and he blew all of their minds.


    ¡°Bet 10 million dors in J-Law¡¯s oue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s left in your ount.¡±


    If he wins, that was good, and if he doesn¡¯t, he would just have to close down the ck market ount.


    ¡°What an entertaining battle.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 60 ¨C Asia Tour [2] > The end.

 Chapter 62: < Protect – Episode 61 – Asia Tour [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 62: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 61 ¨C Asia Tour [3] &gt;</h4>


    The performance began.


    Even though they only had little time to prepare, the lineup and the quality of the show was very good. The Philippine government must have felt generous because they booked an outdoor park instead of an indoor arena. Since guns were easily essible in the Philippines, they had to be careful of terrorists, but the event was being guarded by the military and the police, so they were well prepared.


    ¡®No matter how crazy the rebels are, it¡¯ll be difficult to make a terrorist attack in Man.¡¯


    And Ahn Soo Ho wouldn¡¯t allow that.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    While he was meeting the VIPs of the Philippines, he sensed that something was wrong with the dungeon. And it wasn¡¯t just a trespasser but some kind of strong force.


    ¡®How interesting.¡¯


    He built a bridge between the Philippines and Japan three days ago.


    But it failed.


    Japan was Philippine¡¯s development assistance nation, a trading country, and they devoted their efforts into creating a negative image of the invading army during World War II. It was obvious why they wanted to explore Mindoro Ind by using the Yamashita Treasure as an excuse.


    ¡®Dessified troops.¡¯


    It was because of the first rule of the CIRO, which was also known as the secretive destruction troops. If China had the Northeast Project, Japan was busy trying to bury all of the crazy things they did during World War II. As soon as they failed to negotiate with the Philippines, they dispatched the special forces to make sure they wouldn¡¯t discover the underground cavern.


    That was because there was nothing more humiliating than having evidence surface that proved their criminal activity during the war.


    It appeared that Murakami mistook the underground cavern for a majormand or a secret archive. Then why did Wangtang Group instigate Masquesa¡¯s murder? It was possible that they really believed the Yamashita legend. That was understandable since they had always exploited the invading army. Korea also got a lot taken away during the Japanese colonial era.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Mr. President.¡±


    The Philippine president looked like the boss of a drug cartel.


    Since the country had an unstable government, it was hard to find a high official who wasn¡¯t corrupt. This country¡¯s bribes were at the scale of the written contracts in Korea, and they knew what was illegal, but they didn¡¯t really care. Once a person became a president, he or she would have probably already pocketed quite a bit of money.


    ¡°Thank you for the enjoyable performance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for putting extra care into it.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you. Haha.¡±


    He smiled as if he was a good person, but he was very rotten inside.


    ¡°Is it okay that you go astray from Japan?¡±


    ¡°Since it wasn¡¯t official, it was okay to refuse. Shouldn¡¯t they be thankful that we¡¯re letting their agents squandering about?¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡±


    As long as one weren¡¯tplete enemies like the States and the Middle East, it wasmon sense not toy a finger on their country¡¯s agents that were active in their respective countries, but these days, that would be hard to guarantee.


    ¡°Do you think the Yamashita Gold is real, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Isn¡¯t that just an urban legend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about it as a kid too. There are still con artists looking for the gold now. It¡¯s not just our country. Since this ce has been screwed over by Japan before, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll cooperate.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯ll receive help, but they won¡¯t cooperate?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t refuse what is insisted on being given. Haha.¡±


    It was a scammer¡¯s method, but it was very effective. That was also another reason why Japan was hung up on the peace treaty. China¡¯s illegal acts in the South China Sea also depended on whether or not military power could be invested. As long as Japan didn¡¯t threaten them with military power, the Philippines wasn¡¯t going to stop protesting.


    Same goes for Korea.


    The reason why the Koreans were exposed to murder, kidnapping, and crimes in the Philippines was because Korea¡¯s diplomatic power wascking. The only ones who could bring up humanitarianism within international rtions were those who had more power.


    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±


    As soon as someone came to the smiling president and whispered something in his hear, he excused himself. Ahn Soo Ho saw that and smirked.


    ¡®It looks like he finally found out.¡¯


    The Philippines was nning to look into it themselves after turning down secret contact with Japan. If they got the treasure that would be good, and even if they didn¡¯t, they could tease Japan, so they thought they were the ones in power of the negotiation.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The spectators cheered.


    Ahn Soo Ho had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡®Would they know that there are sounds of gunshots and screaming on the other side?¡¯


    The CIA director, Jeremy O¡¯Hare gathered the top analysts and started a task force.


    ¡°What did Lydia say?¡±


    ¡°There was no notable movement. She said it just seemed like he was enjoying his retired life.¡±


    ¡°But Logan, Alexa, and Kosino retired with him. Isn¡¯t that weird?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to regte if theye off in a rebellious manner. Maybe they just acknowledged that it¡¯d be hard to work with another middleman.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But they could have had an objective. There¡¯s an objective with the Philippine case too.¡±


    ¡°I confirmed that he made contact with Murakami.¡±


    ¡°What did they talk about?¡±


    ¡°There was a secret negotiation between the Philippines and Japan after that, but it didn¡¯te to a conclusion.¡±


    ¡°Did they meet because of the Yamashita Gold or whatever it¡¯s called?¡±


    ¡°On the outside, but it was actually a destruction troop. As soon as the negotiation didn¡¯te to a conclusion, they dispatched the special forces to destroy the objective.¡±


    ¡°Those dumb bastards!¡±


    The intelligence method that Japan usually used was nting an agent in a nationalpany and dispatching them to a foreign branch as a non-official undercover agent. In contrast to the CIA agents who were being watched by many Americanpanies due to their evil reputation, Japan wasn¡¯t as bad. That was why the CIA used multiple Japanesepanies.


    ¡°If this gets out, we¡¯ll get hurt too.¡±


    ¡°Pull out.¡±


    ¡°From everything?¡±


    ¡°Report it to the operations team and seek help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the CIA that was disordered.


    Due to the murder of the chairman of the board in Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Chen Mao of Wangtang Group who was suspected to be the murderer, Thand and Vietnam were in a war of nerves. The Thai government insisted that the evidence couldn¡¯t be trusted, and the Vietnamese government threatened to seize Wangtang Group¡¯s funds until they cooperate with the investigation.


    While the information world was ovee with waves after over ten years of peace, the Hosoo Entertainment Asia Tour team left the Philippines and headed to Indonesia. Jang Seol Hyun and some other actors, unfortunately, had to head back to Korea first. They got rid of the Comma Project and just called themselves tourists.


    ¡°The events in the Philippines were sessful.¡±


    They donated all of their profits, and due to all of thepany donations and volunteering that Hosoo Entertainment provided, they even received an award from the president. To be honest, it was a bit forced.


    ¡®Japan¡¯s shoveling is turning things in a strange direction.¡¯


    His dungeon located on Mindoro Ind waspletely abolished. Even if they dig underground, they wouldn¡¯t be able to excavate anything. Japan didn¡¯t leave any evidence, but a firm belief was all the Philippines needed. The tax investigations and national restrictions were all just a part of getting revenge.


    It was very unlikely that Japan would make a counterattack.


    It would probably end as just a letter ofint. If not, the Japanese ambassador would be summoned to the Philippines.


    ¡°We already sent an advance group to Jakarta who has started working on it. As you know, Indonesia has a lot of Muslims, so we have to be careful about how we dress and behave.¡±


    ¡°I know Muslims to be very worldly.¡±


    ¡°We should still be careful.¡±


    When the employees were talking about Indonesia, Ahn Soo Ho was already walking in Jakarta. Since Jang Seol Hyun went back to Korea, there was no one to scold him about roaming about by himself. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dungeon was 80km south of Jakarta. Since it was a volcanic ind, the families were unstable, and they had no choice but to depend on mining to pay for their daily needs.


    Moreover, due to the poption density, it was difficult to build one dungeon. So he left a keeper with this dungeon. The vige on the hillside was disguised to hide the fact that 150 families were living off of funds provided by a paperpany.


    ¡°Riento.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    The boy who spoke English in an awkward ent ran over to Ahn Soo Ho and hugged him as soon as he saw him.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been well.¡±


    ¡°We were. We¡¯re all well.¡±


    The vige was diverse. What was interesting was that there weren¡¯t many elders. It might be hard to imagine for kids living in healthy families, but there were countless children starving to death in this world. Seeing how there were many noisy kids, families with dependents must have increased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. We can get more.¡±


    The way he minded others reminded him ofmon orphans that minded others when they ate. Ahn Soo Ho smirked and patted Riento on the shoulder. He then smiled brightly.


    ¡®I¡¯d better increase the support funds.¡¯


    Even though he had no money left in his ck market ount, he could always make more money. The estimated poption was 260 million, but the way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, adding the ones who were registered resulted in more than 300 million people. Indonesia had a veryrge poption.


    The ones living in the blind spot ofw.


    They weren¡¯t all criminals, but the children realized the reality early on and either adapted or found hope and roamed around the world. If Ah was real, he wouldn¡¯t have let six-year-olds y with guns in order to get a scrap of bread.


    ¡°Does the enlisting officer visit?¡±


    ¡°No, Soo Ho. They¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    The Im terrorist groups kidnapped small children, brainwashed them, and then made them into soldiers. There were many crazy regions where the concept of human trafficking didn¡¯t exist. The world wasn¡¯t so beautiful that one could say they were just unlucky.


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him a backpack.


    After seeing the cash inside the backpack, Riento smiled brightly.


    ¡°I love festivals! I love Soo Ho!¡±


    After seeing off the happy boy, he headed toward a building in the vige. It was kept fairly clean. After passing the kitchen, he saw a door that led to the basement. It looked like an ordinary brick wall, but as soon as he twisted a pole, the wall slid to the side and a metal door appeared. As soon as the metal door opened to the passcode, the sight that appeared didn¡¯t match the secluded wallpaper.


    There were well-made rifles and countless explosives that could blow up cities. The portable missiles and machine guns were the best of the best. However, Ahn Soo Ho just walked past them as if that wasn¡¯t what he was there for.


    A ce filled withputer servers appeared. A venttor kept running due to the dust and temperature, and he felt a chilly breeze due to the automatic temperature adjustment. Ahn Soo Ho typed on the keyboard in the central control room.


    Vroom-


    He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair in response to the lightly vibrating servers.


    Beep, beep- Beep, beep, beep-


    The printer made a loud noise and printed a long piece of paper.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows.


    In his over ten years as a middleman, his wealth wasn¡¯t all in the form of capital. He also had hidden connections, information, as well as safe houses around the world. He had countless paperpanies and proxies so that he could avoid being traced. Thework that Ahn Soo Ho created got him everything he ever wanted.


    The bulletin board disappeared.


    However, the users became ustomed to convenience and started making multiple bulletin boards. The problem was that the managers mixed up the truths and lies to cover up the true nature. That all depended on conscience, so the results were fatal.


    Beep, Beep- Beep, beep, beep-


    The printer printed out another long piece of paper.


    The bulletin board¡¯s search results were shocking. In thest few days, 600 agents and civilian contractors either disappeared or died. It was as if revenge after revenge was taking ce. No one knew how many people would kill and die from this point onward. He started to understand why J-Law was whining.


    As soon as he came out, his phone vibrated.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem, CEO Ahn!¡±


    ¡°A problem?¡±


    At this point, they should have escaped Philippine¡¯s influence and entered the Strait of Macassar.


    ¡°Pi...pirate ships are on our tail! There are so many of them!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 61 ¨C Asia Tour [3] > The end.

 Chapter 63: < Protect – Episode 62 – Shanghai Express [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 63: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 62 ¨C Shanghai Express [1] &gt;</h4>


    People all around the world thought of Somalia when they heard about pirates, but Indonesia was no joke either. It was hard to dispatch military force in the ocean near Somalia since there were so many doomed countries there, but since China and Australia were near Indonesia, making a sneak attack on a cruise ship was a crazy thing to do.


    ¡°$^%&^#@&^!¡±


    They saw a pirate ship with something being shouted through the inte and guns being fired.


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pirate ship!¡±


    ¡°Stay away from the banister! Go inside!¡±


    The captain stopped the engine and sent out a warning. If they tried to run away out of panic, the pirates could set off their rocketunchers and start a biggermotion. There were security agents as well as emergency protocols on board. However, there were those who got ahead of themselves.


    ¡°What a joke.¡±


    ¡°Did theye to die?¡±


    Logan and his underlingsughed and hid their weapons. There was no such thing as a weapons drill for mercenaries. The guns in their hands weren¡¯t just objects but beings that were as precious as family. Logan and his underlings got so armed that the crewmen thought they were the actual pirates.


    - Position snipers on the roof, exhaust pipe, and spire.


    - What about the passengers?


    - Where can we hide them?


    - A ce where they can escape quickly would be the function room.


    - Put all of them there.


    - Heeya!


    The employees and celebrities were surprised to see that the guards who were smiling like fools this whole time transformed immediately. Logan and his underlings looked so scary that no one could approach them.


    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    The friendliest one of the underlings, Jesus smiled and spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, so don¡¯t worry, pretty ones.¡±


    They normally made fun of him for being cheesy, but he seemed trusty this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Jesus!¡±


    ¡°I knew you were no ordinary man. Look at your muscles.¡±


    ¡°Just trust me!¡±


    Jesus felt encouraged by the pretty girls¡¯pliments.


    ¡°Jesus, what about us?¡±


    ¡°Men should protect each other.¡±


    ¡°Come on! That¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Jesus tried to give the male idol a gun when he got shut down by Logan.


    ¡°You crazy bastard! How could you give a civilian a gun?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re civilians too.¡±


    Jesus felt wronged so he argued back, but he just sat back down after getting hit. The one who directed the people was Alexa, who was dressed in a crewman uniform and holding a veryrge gun.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, everyone. Please follow me.¡±


    A few of the passengers got excited that the sexy crewman was actually a security guard.


    ¡°She¡¯s a secret security guard?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    They went wild at her strong warrior image.


    - What about a rescue signal?


    - The captain sent one. I¡¯m sure the marines wille. They seemed to patrol a lot because of the pirate ships.


    - Not even the Somalian ones mess with cruise ships. Are they crazy?


    If this was a cargo ship, they could just steal all the goods, but if they came here to hurt people then things would getplicated. They weren¡¯t stupid just because they lived in Somalia.


    - I see one with an RPG. Should I shoot him?


    - Stand by!


    - I think they¡¯re hesitating too. They might just run away if we counterattack!


    - Don¡¯t even think about making the first attack!


    Logan had a hard time talking to his excited underlings out of something crazy.


    ¡°If you want to shoot guns, you shouldn¡¯t have retired. Don¡¯t you dare cause an ident here!¡±


    The weapons in their hands vited nationalws, so if they go into battle they would have to deal with a lot of issues afterward.


    Beep, beep ¨C Vroom ¨C Beep, beep ¨C Vroom ¨C


    They could see a vessel rushing over with their sirens on. Were they the marines? It doesn¡¯t matter. Once the helicopter arrived, the pirate ship made a run for it.


    - What¡¯s going on? This isn¡¯t fun.


    - Good thing our pretty ones didn¡¯t get hurt.


    - South Korea¡¯s so safepared to this.


    The patheticments made over the walkie-talkie made Logan yell.


    ¡°You idiots! Hide your weapons!¡±


    Since the marines of Indonesia got involved, they had to testify about what happened. Or did they? The Indonesians in uniforms came on board with adder.


    ¡°Logan!¡±


    He turned his head to his name. One of his colleagues handed him a satellite phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Testify correctly. Just report your weapons.¡±


    ¡°They could make a big deal out of it.¡±


    ¡°Give them some money.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    The Philippines was bad, but Indonesia was worse. Was there anyone in power who wasn¡¯t corrupt? Their total output increased, but Indonesia¡¯s living standards and ways of thinking were still those of an underdeveloped country.


    ¡®We¡¯re even running into pirates now.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho hung up and thenughed bitterly.


    He heard that ship kidnappings were on the rise. But since it actually happened, he couldn¡¯t just look over it easily. If the Indonesian government doesn¡¯t get this under control, other countries were bound to get their men involved to protect the trade route.


    Riento grabbed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Soo Ho! It¡¯s starting!¡±


    A vige festival opened to wee him. But they didn¡¯t do it out of good intentions. If they had fun today, could they die a happy death tomorrow? No way.


    ¡®We just live on.¡¯


    Until this life ends, that was.


    The soul memory storage box that Anna-Anne Karusis left behind gave Ahn Soo Ho some homework. He thought he looked into all of the great, great magician¡¯s life, but he must have missed something. Come to think of it, how did Anna-Anne die? Herst memories were hazy.


    ¡®How did Granny get an object from the afterlife in her hands?¡¯


    And who were the shamans anyway? He had countless questions.


    ¡®Something feels empty.¡¯


    When Ahn Soo Ho stared at the fire of the festival, his eyes didn¡¯t focus on anything. He felt like he wasn¡¯t actually a part of this world. A mercenary once said this.


    ¡®Peace is simr to death.¡¯


    He thought he was just a crazy person in the middle of war, but it was possible that he was just looking for the meaning of life. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have such a belief. That mercenary also said this.


    ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a person without belief. Belief is like breathing. So you believing that you don¡¯t have a belief is your belief.¡¯


    That was a bullshit philosophy.


    It definitely was, but it sounded like something useful.


    ¡®Am I being too snobbish if I want the world to forget me?¡¯


    He got into this world on impulse. It was like the greed of wanting his experience from his naval academy to be a stepping stone for his career. Things worked out which was how he got this far, but as he saw more death, he realized how meaningless power was. The murderous dictators, the bosses of criminal organizations and even saints died in the end.


    ¡°Riento.¡±


    He stopped dancing in response to the calling of his name and sat next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep living like this?¡±


    He just blinked as if he didn¡¯t understand the question.


    ¡°What¡¯s your dream?¡±


    ¡°Dream?¡±


    He smiled as if he finally understood.


    ¡°To live together in happiness!¡±


    He meant he wanted to bring more orphans and live happily together. It was a small dream. No, it was a Riento thing to say. When he first met Riento, he was walking into the city hall while wearing a suicide bomb vest. He tried to kill him. However, once he saw his eyes, he couldn¡¯t pull the trigger.


    ¡®He¡¯s just like them.¡¯


    He had dead eyes like the eyes of the roaming souls in the afterlife. People couldn¡¯t be called alive just because they were breathing.


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    ¡°I love Soo Ho! Good!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho said ¡ªgood¡ª, Riento repeated after him.


    They looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Riento! Riento!¡±


    A pale boy came running toward Riento while calling his name. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care at first, but when Riento started screaming, he turned around.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Soo Ho! Help!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nattab! Kidnapping!¡±


    He wanted to say it right away, but his English wasn¡¯t fluent enough. Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to use his tranting magic.


    ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Soo Ho?¡±


    Riento was surprised by his fluent Indonesian, and put on a serious face.


    ¡°Nattab didn¡¯te back from school, Soo Ho. I think he got kidnapped by an enlisting officer.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know who Nattab was, but he knew it must have been a young child. The boy who ran over with a pale face was Nattab¡¯s older brother. She had been gone for 10 hours already. When her brother didn¡¯t see that she hadn¡¯t returned, he asked around and found out that she wasst seen in front of the ice cream truck.


    He headed toward that area with Nattab¡¯s older brother.


    It was 10km away from the vige. Since the closest school was here, the kids had to walk all the way here for school. Ahn Soo Ho stood where the ice cream truck was and closed his eyes.


    ¡®Hm.¡¯


    As soon as he unleashed his site memory capabilities, countless people and scenes came into his mind.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t an enlisting officer. He¡¯s more of a professional than that.¡¯


    They were bad people who kidnapped kids by using an ice cream truck. And the ones who were captured via human trafficking were killed if they weren¡¯t satisfactory. Seeing how noisy this vige was, many kids were kidnapped already.


    ¡°Go back, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You trust me, right, Riento?¡±


    Riento nodded his head.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Riento dragged Nattab¡¯s brother back to the vige. After confirming that their doll went missing, Ahn Soo Ho went into full pursuit. The ice cream truck moved via the national high way, and he saw that a truck always followed behind it in the ground memories he read.


    After passing multiple viges, the ice cream truck stopped 120 km east of here. Seeing how the truck wasn¡¯t there, the ice cream truck could be really selling ice cream when it was on the move. Ahn Soo Ho checked their faces. There was a watchman, the joker, and a big strong one. They clearly had weapons on their belts as well.


    Kids gathered around to buy ice cream.


    Even though Indonesian alleys were dangerous after the sun went down, the ones who were born and raised here weren¡¯t fazed by the crimes. Ahn Soo Ho crossed the street and put a silencer on his gun. Shouldn¡¯t people be surprised by the sight of his gun? However, the people just walked down the street without worrying much about it.


    People might have thought he was holding a toy gun.


    After silencing his gun, he held it up and started surprising a few people. As soon as the silent blows knocked down the men, people started to scream and run. He blew holes into the two watchmen who were being hesitant to the madness. He also shot the hand of the punk who threw his ice cream and pulled out his gun, which made the gun fly off as well.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    He blew a hole into the thigh of the staggering punk.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    He held onto his shot hand and crawled on the ground. Ahn Soo Ho stepped on his bleeding thigh.


    ¡°Agh! Agh! Stop it! It hurts!¡±


    When he stepped harder, his mouth started foaming. He eased his foot. But instead, he put his gun to his head.


    ¡°Where were you sending the kids?¡±


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t¡¯ know! Agh!¡±


    He screamed again when he stepped down harder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time. Where did you send them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t...Agh!¡±


    The punk¡¯s eyes rolled over as he flipped over. That was because his five fingers prated his mind in a vicious way. The ground memory magician didn¡¯t only read memories from the ground. As soon as he took his hands off of the twitching punk, he fell over.


    He died immediately.


    He didn¡¯t even wipe off the blood of his hands before he took out his phone.


    ¡°General Sutan.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Guardian?¡±


    The Indonesianbatantmander, General Sutan didn¡¯t sound happy to answer Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s call.


    ¡°Did you know IBCK was hunting people?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, they¡¯re hunting women and children.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a very violent group. They¡¯re a headache for us too.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure you still take all of their bribes.¡±


    Where could they be selling the women and children? It wasn¡¯t within the boundaries of Indonesia, that was for sure. That meant they were sent abroad and without a high official looking over it, they were bound to get caught.


    ¡°Regte Smarr as well as the police, military, media, and civilians.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of all your debt.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Okay.¡±


    He immediately changed his mind.


    In the human trafficking method that he read in the ground memory was another transportation n. They made bribes to use the harbor so that they could formally carry out human trafficking. It was a crazy country that was being ruled by crazy people. Most Indonesians were Muslims, but there were many other religions as well. The problem was that the value of religion depended on whether they were rich or poor.


    Poor Muslims were no different from heathens.


    ording to somebody¡¯s bullshit logic, that was.


    It was rare for things to be loaded and unloaded in the middle of the night. They said that the harbors usually run for 24 hours every day, but this harbor wasn¡¯t that great. Anyone who could see it would be suspicious because the guards were holding illegal weapons.


    ¡®I found them.¡¯


    Nattab and the other kids were already in a container ready to deport. Should he just rescue those kids and get out of there? No. That wasn¡¯t his style. If he leaves it alone, this would just happen again in the future. He had to get rid of everyst one of them. When he fought 5000 vs. 1 he confidently chose his battleground.


    Shitty countries had to be dealt in a shittier manner.


    ¡®This has nothing to do with the fact that I¡¯m retired.¡¯


    When he gets pissed, this was what happens.


    Whee Ooh-


    Seeing how the sirens were going off, General Sutan must be doing his job. He threw grenades at the punks that showed up in response to the siren.


    Boom-


    He threw as many grenades as he could. He didn¡¯t have a great title, but he had a load of grenades inside his secret magical pockets. He had so much that he could throw them until he died.


    Boom, boom- Boom- Boom-


    He had no interest in fighting like the other magicians in Anna-Anne¡¯s world. Continuous confinement? They would die of suffocation.


    ¡®Guns and grenades are better than throwing mes.¡¯


    Unlimited coal! Unlimited grenades! How effective was that?


    ¡°Agh! Ugh!¡±


    As soon as a grenade was put to a wounded punk, he cried. Ahn Soo Ho looked at his eyes of fear and smiled. The pain was scary to the one being victimized.


    ¡°This is what you call a divine will, right?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He pulled the pin and threw himself toward the punks running toward him.


    ¡°Inshah, you crazy sons of bitches!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gun lit up on fire.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 62 ¨C Shanghai Express [1] > The end.

 Chapter 64: < Protect – Episode 63 – Shanghai Express [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 64: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 63 ¨C Shanghai Express [2] &gt;</h4>


    A lot of people were addicted to first-person shooting games but no matter how realistic the graphics were, there was no way it could be the same with reality. It was almost impossible to aim at a person and shoot at them in real life. If a person was a veteran, he or she would probably survive any battle, but asking thugs that only target the weak to show good strategy was too much to ask.


    Bam, Bam- Bam-


    When an explosive sound went off, the ones guarding the pier were frightened out of their senses.


    ¡°#&$^&#@!¡±


    No matter how magical he was, it was hard to trante a dialect of a differentnguage. Ahn Soo Ho shot his gun at the ones who were rubbing their eyes out of tiredness and running away. His physical ability was out of this world. If one didn¡¯t protect their bones, vessels, and muscles, his strength would break it all.


    The power of the bullet that came out of the big gun was like that of an assault rifle. It was impossible to shoot with one hand, so seeing him shooting one with each hand would have surprised anyone. The only one who could see in the dark pier was Ahn Soo Ho.


    He didn¡¯t need night vision.


    The opponents advocated a war, but he couldn¡¯t just start a war for free. Human trafficking of heathens was very profitable. But there were times when they caught them and thenter found out that they were actually Muslims. Then did they let them go? No way. However, they pardoned those who participated in human trafficking.


    They made holy sacrifices for Ah.


    ¡®What are you calling God¡¯s divine will?¡¯


    They were just parasites who only cared about profit. They simply used the faith of the people to their advantage.


    Boom-


    The fire that lit the oil tank exploded. Shouldn¡¯t all harbors had no mmables allowed? The idiots didn¡¯t even maintain the facilities properly.


    ¡°@%^^&$!#!¡±


    But one of them must have been thinking because their troops made a barricade. They didn¡¯t even have that many men, but they should still get credit for that.


    He didn¡¯t want to bother shooting them one by one.


    He yed with gravity to get thousands of grenades in the air. It appeared as if a volcanic eruption went off into the sky. What was different was that there was no sound. As soon as the grenades fell back down, he was reminded of an old German city that was once bombed.


    Boom, Boom- Boom- Boom-


    One mustn¡¯t underestimate grenades.


    Ahn Soo Ho quickly got onto a container that was set to take off. Big ships couldn¡¯t just leave in a few minutes because it wants to run away. They were normally apanied by smaller boats that pulled and pushed it. If it happened to lose its direction in a small pier, they were bound to get into an ident.


    ¡®Crazy bastards continuing to do crazy things.¡¯


    Who would be crazy enough to steer a big container ship in a rush as if it was a fishing boat? Ahn Soo Ho headed toward the bridge. There was plenty of time for the ones who wanted to run away to just run away. So if they still remained that meant, they either liked money more than their lives or they were brainwashed by a crazy belief.


    ¡°Call the headquarters! We¡¯ve been attacked!¡±


    ¡°Apparently, Smarr and the military and police are being regted!¡±


    ¡°What did the chief say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure! Apparently, it¡¯s an order that came from the central government!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    They were talking amongst themselves when he got to the bridge.


    Boom- Boom, boom-


    He pulled his trigger without needing to watch any more.


    He turned off the engine and broke the connection board so that it couldn¡¯t be controlled. The boat proceeded forward. If it was left alone, it would run into the pier, but since it was going at a slow pace, it wouldn¡¯t harm anyone. The other crewmen ran toward the bridge. Ahn Soo Ho went down the stairs and killed every single man he passed.


    Did they not knew about human trafficking? Yeah right.


    Even if they were threatened, they trafficked thousands and thousands of weak children and women into hell. If there were levels on how sick of a crime a person hadmitted then they were equal to trash that couldn¡¯t be recycled.


    He heard sirens from afar.


    He saw patrol ships with lights oning his way. He also saw fireman focusing on taking out the fire that took over the harbor. What would General Sutan say about this? In advanced countries, concealment couldn¡¯t take ce, but in a country where there were countless Im organization protests, there were countless excuses to use.


    ck-


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho opened the door to the container, he saw scared eyes directed his way. He was able to find Nattab easily with the picture he was shown earlier.


    ¡°Nattab. My name is Soo Ho. Do you recognize me?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know him, but Riento hung up pictures of him in people¡¯s houses. It wasn¡¯t like he was Mao Zedong. Why put his pictures everywhere? That was his way of expressing his appreciation, but it was too much. But it was very effective in this situation.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    The small girl ran over and hugged him. She held his clothes and trembled. How scared she must have been. He hugged Nattab. Ahn Soo Ho said something to the rest of them before turning away.


    ¡°You can go home now.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Sob!¡±


    They finally eximed out of relief.


    As soon as he left the ship, he saw countless policemen getting onto the boat. The policemen pointedmps and guns toward Ahn Soo Ho. The man who disregarded their lights and guns and approached him was dressed in a suit.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Guardian. I¡¯m the national security advisor, Bazril.¡±


    Sutan wasn¡¯t so gutsy that he could act independently without reporting it to the president.


    ¡°Do you have some time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m retired.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Bazril looked around the mess and then looked at him in a questioning manner. It was as if he was asking why a retired person would do all of this.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t put you in a tough spot.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll resolve this as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But...¡±


    Bazril was happy about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s answer, but he closed his mouth when he saw his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished here yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with whatever you need.¡±


    He left Nattab with Bazril, got into a helicopter, and went to the headquarters where the leader would be. The Indonesian government already knew everything there was about this violent organization. But they pretendeded not knowing anything about them because they were both Muslims. It was possible that the ones who didn¡¯t show interest were the real bad ones.


    The helicopternded not too far from Bali.


    Even though Im dominated Indonesia, since the poption was high, there were many other religions as well. In particr, Bali was famous for having many Hindus. Ironically, the Imic violence organization headquarters was right across from Bali.


    In contrast to how he flipped the pier upside down, he snuck in quietly. The reason why he thinks Indonesia was a weird country was because there was no backbone or regtions. Surprisingly, Indonesia had a king. It wasn¡¯t just one, but multiple. The central region and the suburbs were so different that it was hard to call it all a single country.


    The reason why the Indonesian government knew about the terrorist group but couldn¡¯t do anything about it was because the pir of the regions had their back. Even though religiousw and secrw were differentiated, faith always prevailed.


    He found the leader quite easily.


    If he had ears, he must have heard about what happened at the pier.


    ¡°What happened? What about an emergency call?¡±


    ¡°We lost contact after they said they were attacked. We¡¯re looking into it.¡±


    ¡°Any other secret agents nearby?¡±


    ¡°I heard the police and military were dispatched...but no word about any secret agent.¡±


    ¡°Was it a betrayal?¡±


    ¡°If someone wanted to betray us, they would have just stolen goods instead of causing this bigmotion. This was no betrayal.¡±


    ¡°Make bribes to find out more. I don¡¯t care if you announce it as terror.¡±


    ¡°What about the goods?¡±


    By goods, he meant the ones they kidnapped.


    ¡°Get other organizations involved via social media. We can¡¯t take all the me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just them who were involved in human trafficking.


    ¡°How are our finances? Since this happened already, let¡¯s just...¡±


    The leader¡¯s neck got snapped off. The neck that seemed like it was on the verge of falling off looked like a loose screw. The twisted head separated from the body and went up into the air.


    That was the signal.


    The other executives also lost their heads as if they were hit by a hammer. There were small sounds but no screams. Ahn Soo Ho appeared from the darkness and walked around the bloody floor. The reason why he didn¡¯t use noisy guns was because he was worried they would say their dying words. He put their phones,ptops, and safes in his secret pocket. He might not need it now, but he could need itter. He even took pictures of the dead bodies. He then uploaded them to the leader¡¯s social media, and it seemed as though there were many terrorists who were obsessed with social media.


    He added various hashtags.


    reallifejacknterns #afterhumantrafficking #Iwillfindyou!


    As Ahn Soo Ho left, he heard a scream behind him.


    The one who checked the incident right after Indonesia was not the CIA, but the MSS.


    ¡°I checked all of the information, and the God of Death was definitely involved. We should do an analysis of the pictures and videos thate up...but I¡¯m certain.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I don¡¯t think it was a request from anyone. It was probably personal.¡±


    ¡°Who destroys an organization for personal reasons?¡±


    ¡°Because...he¡¯s the God of Death.¡±


    God of Death.


    If the States viewed Ahn Soo Ho in a strictly business manner, China was a little moreplicated. The politicians kept a good distance from him, while the rich tried to be all friendly with him. The current Chinese premier also interacted with Ahn Soo Ho in an open manner. So the Ministry of State Security was friendly too, but after he retired, they changed and endured a bit of a headache while receiving updates from a secret agent in Indonesia.


    ¡°That Imic violence organization is one of the top ones. He wiped them out all on his own?¡±


    ¡°Not all of them. He just went to the harbor and the headquarters and only killed the leader and executives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all of them.¡±


    An underground organization with a dead leader might as well be gone.


    ¡°The ones who¡¯ve been belittling him won¡¯t be doing that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This proves that he didn¡¯t retire because he¡¯s old and weak.¡±


    One analyst let out a bitterugh.


    The current China liked to make everything into a state-led national project. In particr, the n involving sports and entertainment set Asia as their goal, and theirpetitor was Japan. When Ahn Soo Ho started Hosoo Entertainment, the skilled men of China who had always hated him brought up the ban of Korean culture in China and took credit for it.


    ¡°Whether he has money or not, he¡¯s still the God of Death.¡±


    The premier wasn¡¯t friendly with Ahn Soo Ho for no reason.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be humiliated like the punks from a few years ago, prepare the meeting properly.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the premier is really trying to ask for an inspection?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the States that was shocked when Ahn Soo Ho brought down the States¡¯ security system. China was taken aback too. So they had been meticulously conducting inspections of their security for thest few years.


    ¡®If the God of Death approves it...¡¯


    They could be a powerful nation.


    ¡®It¡¯s a funny situation though.¡¯


    The Korean president and the political world looked at Ahn Soo Ho as if he was a cow or a chicken.


    But it seemed as though that one person had the key to China bing a powerful nation. That could have hurt their pride, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s past was way too strong. Kadeshi Morken¡¯s 5000 vs. 1 incident and the Sicillia resistance were just the beginning of his experience.


    ¡°The legend wille to Shanghai soon.¡±


    The masters would gather in China, where people were obsessed with martial arts, military force, and fighting.


    ¡°This will be quite the show.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 63 ¨C Shanghai Express [2] > The end.

 Chapter 65: < Protect – Episode 64 – Shanghai Express [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 65: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 64 ¨C Shanghai Express [3] &gt;</h4>


    The Indonesian president didn¡¯t ask for anything in particr.


    Even if he did, it wasn¡¯t like he was going to grant it, but what he wanted was his personal number. He obviously looked like he sifted a lot of money. He didn¡¯t know what the rumors were, but very few people in this world knew his number. Seeing how he was minding others, General Sutan was definitely on his side.


    The Asia Tour team, which arrived a day after the ordeal that Ahn Soo Ho was evolved with, was weed warmly. And the battle at the harbor just ended as something that became known as a rebels¡¯ terrorist attack.


    ¡®This is the reality.¡¯


    The media and public opinion were just illusions. They would be created and would vanish depending on the situation. The tour team was limited to touring Jakarta, and they were better off trusting the people on the streets than the Indonesian police. They just had to hope they wouldn¡¯t run into any crazy person, but no one could really say for sure.


    They performed, volunteered, and donated just like they did in the Philippines. Some of them uploaded pictures of the pirate ship on social media and caused amotion, and thanks to the media and fans, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s website was shut down.


    ¡°It was a very interesting experience for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they scared?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t face-to-face with them.¡±


    They were pirates, but they only passed by on their ship. Oh Joo Kyung made it sound like it was no big deal, but it wasn¡¯t that simple. Korea¡¯s foreign office advised that they canceled the rest of their ns and returned immediately. Just like all government workers, their advice was more like an order.


    ¡°So we¡¯re going back?¡±


    ¡°Just me.¡±


    She decided to return on her own.


    ¡°Do you have to listen to them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not you. I thought it¡¯d be better to exin our situation and show my face for the sake of our future ns.¡±


    Even though Oh Joo Kyung used to work at Daesan Group, she experienced how horrible it was to be the victim of a public institution.


    ¡°Once they start nitpicking, there will be no end to it.¡±


    ¡°Are you speaking out of experience?¡±


    ¡°The secretary¡¯s office is like an errand center.¡±


    Even though she was treated as an elite for being with Daesan Group, she was nothing more than someone who cleaned after other people¡¯s messes. There wereints to be made about Daesan group too. It was a secretary¡¯s skill to get anything done, even if they had to get on their knees. Ahn Soo Ho wanted to tell her to abandon her way of thinking as a secretary, but that was something she had to learn on her own.


    ¡°Do what you want.¡±


    ¡°What about a contact...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shooked his hand.


    He didn¡¯t like having someone on him all the time as if he was the heir of some royal family. He was fully capable of looking out for himself. However, Oh Joo Kyung shooked her head. That was because she remembered something that happened before leaving Korea. Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s status came from the owner¡¯s crazy spirit. To her, Ahn Soo Ho was a magical goblin bat that could do anything.


    ¡°The tour team will be controlled by Director Seo Joo Kyung from now on.¡±


    ¡°Not Kim Woo Jung or Kim Yoo Seon?¡±


    ¡°Director Kim Yoo Seon went back.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Please have more interest, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon went back with the actors and Shim Il Kwon.


    ¡°What about Kim Woo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Director Kim Woo Jung doesn¡¯t know much about idols.¡±


    ¡°He probably still felt insulted.¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯re both acquaintances, so Director Kim suggested it first.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter who was in charge as long as nothing bad happened. As soon as Oh Joo Kyung left, Seo Joo Kyung came in. The two Joo Kyung¡¯s were already known as the powerful big sister team. Seo Joo Kyung was in charge of the scene, and Oh Joo Kyung was in charge of thepany duties. Seo Joo Kyung was probably happy to receive Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s support since she was known as the owner¡¯s close associate.


    ¡®How long will this go on for?¡¯


    They probably wouldn¡¯t let go of each other as long as they could both profit, but that muste to an end sooner orter.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow at 2 p.m., and the advance team has already left for Ku Lumpur.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re always working so hard. Are wepensating them ordingly?¡±


    In contrast to Oh Joo Kyung, he spoke formally to Seo Joo Kyung. She was older than him, and one who had betrayed someone once would betray again. Ahn Soo Ho knew that she must have used tricks to get out of JT Entertainment. But Oh Joo Kyung and the other executives didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡®She¡¯s a dangerous wench.¡¯


    Shim Il Kwon was greedy too, but he had a lot of affection for hispany. Since that affection had turned into a passion in the actor sector, he was better off. However, Seo Joo Kyung was using Hosoo Entertainment as a tool to pursue her greed. If that greed yields good results, that was good, but the problem was being too greedy.


    ¡°What should I do? Should I hand out gift certificates?¡±


    ¡°Customs will catch that.¡±


    ¡°There are ways.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was good at doing what was in front of her while Seo Joo Kyung was good at creating new tasks. In some ways, her way of seeking new things was good for the entertainment world. However, if one tended to step on others to get higher, their bound to make a lot of enemies.


    ¡°I wish to sign another contract with Right Hand Media.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because as the ones providing the content, we¡¯re on top. Once we go back from our tour, ourpany¡¯s status will change.¡±


    If Lee Joong Hyun was the type to use China¡¯s ban of Korean culture at BRICS to break through the situation, Seo Joo Kyung was the type to use her connections to up her status within thepany. Was that a bad thing to do? No. A person should use their strengths to get to an advantageous level and this behavior should always be encouraged.


    ¡°Did you discuss it with the executives?¡±


    ¡°Director Oh agreed, and the other directors didn¡¯t oppose either.¡±


    ¡°So the baton is in my hands now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    From what he heard, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Asia Tour was still a hot topic of discussion in the entertainment media. It was the destructive power of social media. Luxury goods were a very popr topic on social media. People might feel deprived looking at it, but they had a desire to feelpensated orforted from other people¡¯s sess.


    While they went around Southeast Asia on their private jets and cruise ship, the tour team¡¯s social media blew up the Korean inte. The advertisers and broadcasters were on top while the agencies were at the bottom, and the stars that people liked were even lower in the Korean entertainment world. Top stars could maybe convince their agency, but they couldn¡¯t win over the advertisers and broadcasters.


    - Hosoo Entertainment receives favorable responses from their Asia Tour! #donationangels #stateguest #pushoverentertainment


    - They flourished in Man! The response was explosive!


    - Look at the pictures and videos! I love Korea!


    - They¡¯re elevating our national prestige.


    - All they did was make a donation!


    - If you dig the ground, maybe 1 won wille out. If you¡¯re going to donate then donate to our country!


    - Didn¡¯t you see the news? They donated just as much to Korea too!


    - That¡¯s our Ahnsour!


    - What does the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment do anyway? There¡¯s no description on the inte.


    - I was curious, so I looked into it too, but there was no information. I heard he¡¯s not an heir.


    - Isn¡¯t he Chairman Kim Dae San¡¯s love child?


    - Don¡¯t say his real name! You might get sued by Daesan Group¡¯s legal team!


    - He just does business as a hobby! His specialty is unting his money!


    - The other agencies are staying quiet. Did they get outcasted because of JT Entertainment¡¯s situation?


    - Isn¡¯t it natural to move to an agency that treats you better?


    - What¡¯s the point of loyalty? The broadcasters are never loyal.


    - Worrying about celebrities is a waste of time! Worry about your own futures!


    Even famous andrge agencies would be blown over if heirs in the 30s decided to knock it over. However, once Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s financial capabilities became known, investments naturally followed.


    - My brother works in finance, and he said Hosoo Entertainment deals with trillions of won. Apparently, they have all the blue-chip stocks!


    - Anyone who knows a bit about stocks already knows that!


    - So what¡¯s your point?


    - You bastards! I¡¯ll settle this for you! The advertisers and broadcasters usually enforce their power on the agencies and the celebrities, right? Then think about it the opposite way. Advertisers and broadcasters don¡¯t stand a chance against the major shareholders. With the listedpanies, once someone obtains more than a certain amount of stocks, they¡¯re automatically announced. Hosoo Entertainment has invested in more than 500panies and that alone exceeds 20 billion US dors.


    - How much is that in won?


    - Isn¡¯t that 25 to 26 trillion won? That¡¯s crazy!


    - I heard they have a lot of national bonds too. Wow! Aren¡¯t they more like an investmentpany than an entertainment agency? They¡¯re crazy!


    - So who¡¯s that CEO?


    - I don¡¯t know! No one knows!


    - Someone get a picture of him! I can¡¯t find him on Google either!


    - There are some in Seol Hyun¡¯s fan caf¨¦. But if they were blocked by Google, that means Google did that themselves. If they have influence over Yankeepanies too, he must be an incredible man!


    - Is that incredible?


    - Our portal sites are nothingpared to Google! They don¡¯t listen to Koreans when they make requests!


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at the summary of Korean responses that Seo Joo Kyung gave him and smirked.


    ¡°Are you trying to sell me off, Director Seo?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. But it¡¯s important to keep up an image.¡±


    ¡°Evil Empire? That¡¯s not bad. It sounds badass.¡±


    ¡°A negative image is more sensitive for female fans than male fans. It¡¯s true that females are drawn to bad boys, but they want their own to be kind and pure.¡±


    ¡°Howplicated.¡±


    In Hollywood, it was moremon for the stars to write illments about themselves than for the agency or the manager to do so. Since business and personal life was clearly differentiated, the agency and stars weren¡¯t viewed under the same light.


    ¡°Okay. Go forward with it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They followed the same schedule in Ku Lumpur, Mysia. After a few times of repeating the same schedule, the celebrities and employees didn¡¯t need any directions. Ahn Soo Ho joined them for theirst location, Shanghai.


    As one of the 5 major cities of China, Shanghai was probably the first city someone would think of when they hear about China. However, just like how New Yorkers didn¡¯t represent all Americans, the people in Shanghai didn¡¯t represent all Chinese people either.


    In particr, the people of Beijing hated people in Shanghai.


    ¡°They think all they do is unt money.¡±


    ¡°People of Shanghai?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And the people of Beijing are known to bezy and too talkative.¡±


    There were always likes and dislikes regarding other regions of a country. It could be historical, or just for no reason. In China, it was partly historical, but it also had to do with the big gap between the rich and the poor. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho arrived in Shanghai, the one who weed him was the State Council Prime Minister, Lehighdung.


    ¡°Wee, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Lehighdung¡¯s rtionship had never been good since the day they first met. It was Lehighdung who criticized Ahn Soo Ho for his capitalist ways, and he also threatened that if he ever harms China, he would bring Korea down with nuclear weapons. Therefore, Ahn Soo Ho felt apathetic toward him.


    ¡®It¡¯s usually the scared dog that barks the most.¡¯


    Lehighdung was the 2nd most powerful person in China, but it wasn¡¯t possible to make decisions about nuclear weapons in an independent manner in that country.


    ¡°I never had personal feelings about the things that went down between us. I had no choice but to attack someone who was close to the premier.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Politics was a sensitive and difficult thing. It wasmon to be looked down upon without knowing a person¡¯s opinion even if it was important. Party interests had nothing to do with personal opinions. In any case, the democracy that they were advocating for was a healthy and growing war.


    ¡°You¡¯re not attacking me anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so bad that I¡¯d attack a retired person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just change my stance.¡±


    Even in the game of go-stop, there was such a thing as reputation. Ahn Soo Ho had a feeling that he knew what he wanted and gestured that he was listening.


    ¡°Kurshenbai.¡±


    The horseman¡¯s descendant?¡±


    Asian martial arts and bare-hand wrestling was like the national g for China. The martial artspetitions that include using the body had as manyponents as a school curriculum. Thanks to Hong Kong¡¯s action films, the Shaolin temple was pretty well-known, but Kurshenbai was a teacher, member of the Communist party, and a great master.


    ¡®There¡¯s a horseman on top of the triad!¡¯


    They made it seemed like a big deal, but he was nothing more or less than a thug boss.


    ¡°He wants to meet you.¡±


    ¡°So he went to the prime minister...? I have to hand it to him for his authority.¡±


    In such a dictatorship country, normal procedures were difficult, and different routes had to be taken in order to avoid monitoring. The Westerners thought it was fascinating that the country hadn¡¯t split yet. It was difficult for the Europeans to understand the logic and values of Chinese people.


    Why was China still not getting torn apart yet?


    China had once been divided. However, the continent always had a leader to ovee that and pushed ahead. That was the future that the leader had to dream of, and it was their fate. The leaders of China had always pushed forward for unification, and not once did they even speak of independence.


    ¡°But who is he to tell me toe and go? The one who has the request should move their ass.¡±


    He meant the one who was more desperate should travel. Lehighdung sighed as if he knew he would say that.


    ¡°He knew you¡¯d say that, so he¡¯s in Shanghai right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    That was unexpected.


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting at Jin Mao Tower.¡±


    The 88-floor Jin Mao Tower recently had the Grand Hyatt Hotel came in, and the building next to it was where the BRICS summit would take ce.


    ¡°Okay, fine. But...¡±


    Lehighdung was tense, but he scoffed at what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°Put me as close to the Korean president as possible. Right next to him, if you can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cruel, Soo Ho. Are you going to degrade him?¡±


    Lehighdung also knew about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s game with Korean politicians.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    They would only know if it was sweet or bitter once he shoved it down their throats. What was for certain was that the taste was determined by the one consuming it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when I meet him.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 64 ¨C Shanghai Express [3] > The end.

 Chapter 66: < Protect – Episode 65 – Shanghai Express [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 66: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 65 ¨C Shanghai Express [4] &gt;</h4>


    After the reform of the Chinese Communist party, the master caused quite a change for the people, but he shed and secrized his abstemious stance. After the Cultural Revolution, the monks were differentiated into two categories and treated differently, and the horseman led by Kurshenbai took the lead to build great power.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe in strength.


    He knew how to foster a great warrior through various practical training that builds muscle, but he was unable to create a perfect human that would transcend all of humanity. In contrast to machines, human stamina had their limits. Despite the fact, veteran mercenaries were more fatal and effective than any weapon. As long as an android that could rece humans was invented, the need for mercenaries would continue to grow.


    ¡°We have the potential of 1.3 billion people.¡±


    The monks led by Kurshenbai were realistic and had an innate respect for authority. The use of their bodies was simply their ultimate method. In contrast, those who stressed letting nature be preferred figuring out the mind before the body.


    ¡°Desire isn¡¯t a bad thing. Wanting to aplish something is what makes this world abundant.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the revolution prohibit thought and reason?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big misunderstanding. It¡¯s true that the Reformation had bad effects, but that foundation was the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution didn¡¯t necessarily fail. It actually became the stepping stone to whole new thoughts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way of looking at it.¡±


    The Cultural Revolution fell through so badly that even the Chinese Communist Party thought so, but Kurshenbai thought differently. Or was it just that a man of martial arts had a different opinion from a politician? But one couldn¡¯t call him a stupid muscleman, because he led China to what it was today.


    ¡°Outsiders probably see it in a negative light. It¡¯s true.¡±


    Just like Kim Dae San, people who survived those times had strong beliefs of their own. Kurshenbai was an old man. But he was different from ordinary elders who survived on pride alone. He survived because of his flexible way of thinking.


    ¡°I heard you retired...what are you going to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to travel. I went all over the ce all my life, but this time I¡¯m going to actually enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened in Indonesia must have been personal.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Just as Ahn Soo Ho expected, the Indonesia incident awakened those who were watching him. They probably felt a sense of crisis.


    ¡°I respect that you don¡¯t pick sides, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho epted Kurshenbai¡¯s handshake and smirked.


    ¡°Did I pass the test?¡±


    ¡°Test? There¡¯s no test. I just want what is toe to be handled properly. We might run into unwanted situations while we¡¯re in Shanghai. When that happens, please don¡¯t kill them for my sake.¡±


    The horseman¡¯s heir was a living legend, and in the world with almost 1.4 billion people, there were rebel forces everywhere. They didn¡¯t follow a vertical chain ofmand, but there were more like franchises.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Kurshenbai yed music.


    The Grand Hyatt Hotel situated at the top of Jin Mao Tower was regting normal guests just for the attendees of the BRICS summit. Among the police and information agents, there were many who trained under Kurshenbai. The title of being a teacher was the biggest honor for one who took pride in using fists and kicks. It was the same as a good student aiming to go to top university.


    ¡°Oh. Soo Ho.¡±


    The man who approached after Kurshenbai left was the Head of State of China.


    ¡°Did you have a good talk, Brother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But aren¡¯t you on bad terms with the prime minister?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Many outsiders misunderstand. The different regions don¡¯t hate each other. We¡¯re just in a rtionship where we can¡¯t get rid of each other. If we really want to build our country¡¯s power, we should learn how to deal with little inconveniences.¡±


    The Republic of China was going through another generation change, and in the center of it was a group that prioritized the citizens of China. China¡¯s leadership tended to cover small errors and problems in order to be a powerful nation. It was an absurd rationalization and those victimized couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless, but there were few countries that could restrict sanctions with China.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I made a lot of preparations for you.¡±


    Yuhaipung dragged Ahn Soo Ho everywhere and introduced him to important people. This was their first time meeting, so how affectionate they were being made him realize how importantworking was in China. The loyalty that Koreans and Chinese thought of was very simr yet different.


    When the Asia Team of Hosoo Entertainment entered Shanghai, they got a taste of how powerfulworking could be. In contrast to those who were sent back due to the ban, they were weed with open arms. In addition, the broadcasters announced Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Shanghai Tour and made it sound very important. It was a big deal in Korea as well. Since Hosoo Entertainment was the only one to get past the Korean culture ban in China, there were all sorts of guesses and stories being made up about it. Some said the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment was actually an overseas Chinese or that he had some mixed blood in him.


    And near Star Tower, there were countless reporters and fans wanting to know more. The promotional team was dying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! We released a press release! Why do you keep saying other things? Reporter Jung! If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll delete your number!¡±


    ¡°The CEO isn¡¯t avable to interview! That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll get you an appointmentter, so please calm down! Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Where? Oh, we don¡¯t tamper with the portal profiles! Make this part clear! We don¡¯t want to sue you!¡±


    ¡°Who did this? Who released CEO Ahn¡¯s family photo? I¡¯m going to kill all of them! If you don¡¯t take this down, you¡¯re all going to die! I¡¯m not kidding!¡±


    ¡°Open recruitment? I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ll check with the personnel team, Reporter Yoon!¡±


    ¡°Ministry of Culture? Oh, yes. But what do we do? CEO Ahn is still in China so he can¡¯t be contacted! Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t do talk shows! That¡¯s right! He doesn¡¯t do them, PD Kim!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung, who was watching over the chaos, turned around in response to a tap.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some tea.¡±


    She followed Shim Il Kwon back to the office, but someone was already there. Kim Yoo Seon greeted her with his eyes. Come to think of it, besides Kim Woo Jung, the executive team was gathered in one spot.


    ¡°The situation has be strange.¡±


    ¡°What situation?¡±


    ¡°You know we¡¯re outcasts, right, Director Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    After the JT Entertainment incident, Hosoo Entertainment became known as an evil empire.


    ¡°Rumors went around about how CEO Ahn will conquer the entertainment world with his money. Because of that, people are looking at ourpany in an unfavorable light.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung wanted to tell him that that was true, but she kept it to herself instead.


    ¡°Our country always says nasty things about China, but we can¡¯t overlook China. They have much more national power.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Among the elders, there are quite a few who studied in China and Japan back in the day. I don¡¯t want tobel them as pro-Japanese or pro-Chinese, but they tend to rank Chinese and Japanese literature above that of Korea. The fact that it¡¯s all under the East Asian cultural sphere makes it conclusive.¡±


    ¡°What does literature have to do with entertainment? Broadcasting and text are twopletely different things.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon shooked his head.


    ¡°No, Director Oh. It may seem like broadcasting and literature and art have no connections. However, the force behind the Korean culture and art world are the ssic veterans. We also made associations of our own, but the government tends to favor the groups with the refined and ssic image they have.¡±


    From their perspective, the ones dancing and singing looked cheap, while they acknowledged the ones in the field of the ssic art.


    ¡°We got an invitation.¡±


    ¡°The Night of Korean Culture and Art? Oh!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung epted the invitation, tilted her head, and then eximed that she had heard of it before because Daesan Group sponsored that event in the past.


    ¡°They have so much pride that average people of the entertainment world didn¡¯t get invited. And even if they do, they usually get looked down upon.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve been there before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I felt insulted.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon managed to get an invite by sucking up to a rich friend and getting a rmendation as a result. However, he didn¡¯t get the warm response he expected. He sensed some sort of disregard or mockery.


    ¡®You can¡¯t buy art with money!¡¯ That¡¯s what the eyes were saying.


    ¡°I felt insulted, but it was effective.¡±


    The way they viewed her changed. In other words, her level of ss went up a notch. Oh Joo Kyung nodded.


    ¡°ss? That might be what we need most right now.¡±


    ¡°You catch on quick, Director Oh.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do, Director Shim?¡±


    ¡°Please tell CEO Ahn. If he can¡¯t attend, I¡¯ll attend in his stead.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. You may go now.¡±


    He was very busy as it was. After wrapping up, Shim Il Kwon went out, and Kim Yoo Seon spoke up.


    ¡°What a wicked person. I can see right through him. Don¡¯t you agree, Director Oh?¡±


    ¡°I have no choice but to willingly be tricked.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung answered whileughing bitterly.


    That was because the reason why Shim Il Kwon was looked down upon in the past was vague. Even if people would suck up to their rich friends to get an invitation, very few people would acknowledge them. However, it was different this time. Since they sent the invite first, it was very unlikely that they would get looked down upon again.


    ¡°What are you going to say to CEO Ahn?¡±


    ¡°He probably won¡¯t say much about it. He¡¯ll probably tell us to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung waved the invitation and smirked.


    ¡°This is too important for only one person to handle. We¡¯ll all go together, You too, Director Kim.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seonughed loudly. He knew she was a strong woman, but he didn¡¯t expect this. Thinking about Shim Il Kwon¡¯s red face made him happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sess, CEO Ahn!¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung, who arrived in Shanghai with the tour team, immediately found Ahn Soo Ho and caused a fuss. She honestly felt anxious when she found out that China would be theirst tour destination. China¡¯s ban against Korean culture was so strong that it made Korea¡¯s entertainment world tremble. The agencies that focused on Chinese marketing couldn¡¯t handle the aftermath and went bankrupt.


    The agencies that supposedly closed because of Hosoo Entertainment simply couldn¡¯t endure the wave of the ban against Korean culture. It was wrongful me, but the employees of Hosoo Entertainment were just like Ahn Soo Ho so they didn¡¯t care much. The employees had always been powerless, so they wanted to cheer on their owner and his spirit.


    ¡°What about the venue?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re giving us the Shanghai Main Stadium.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Will we be able to fill the seats? If they look empty, that¡¯ll be embarrassing!¡±


    Tens of thousands of people would be needed in order to fill the Shanghai Main Stadium. In order to fill that stadium, they needed to promote as well as be popr to begin with. Seo Joo Kyung answered confidently.


    ¡°We can! Despite China¡¯s ban, their people still love Hallyu!¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was about to proceed, but then he stopped. Logan and his underlings also sensed something and went on full alert. Ahn Soo Ho, who stopped Logan from taking another step, found out the root cause of it.


    A slim woman came into view.


    As soon as the woman in a Chinese dress met eyes with Ahn Soo Ho, she greeted him in a unique way. He had to read her lips because she spoke so softly.


    ¡®The original heir, Shun May? She¡¯s kidding, right?¡¯


    What was this? Was this a street fight? He now understands why Kurshenbai said what he said. China¡¯s passion for martial arts was way above what Ahn Soo Ho imagined. He had no idea someone would ask to fight in a public ce. If he was anywhere else, he would have thought it was a prank.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in Shanghai of the Jogye era...¡¯


    It looked like they would film a Bruce Lee movie in the 21st century. As soon as she took her stance, Ahn Soo Ho stepped back.


    ¡°Come at me.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 65 ¨C Shanghai Express [4] > The end.

 Chapter 67: < Protect – Episode 66 – Shanghai Express [5]>

    <h4>Chapter 67: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 66 ¨C Shanghai Express [5]&gt;</h4>


    China¡¯s stance in the BRICS summit could be understood by looking at the Olympics that was opened in 2008. Anyone that gets in their way was removed. Since they were even willing to detain foreigners, it was difficult to mess with them if one wanted public peace.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho and Shun May went into battle mode, public peace enforcement also appeared. However, it seemed as though they were suggesting that they fought somewhere else instead. It didn¡¯t seem like Kurshenbai was the only one with connections with the public institution. Seeing how they were making it seemed like a martial arts show, they made it clear that they were going to use it to their advantage if stopping it was too difficult.


    It probably seemed like a movie was being shot or a street event to other people. Kung Fu and martial arts were still known as mysterious, magic, and oriental to those from abroad. Bruce Lee was a legend. In Hong Kong, at least. Whether it was intentional or idental, the talents of the Hong Kong movie business went to China after Ennd took Hong Kong.


    ¡°Eeyap!¡±


    Shun May chose to kick first.


    Her legs were long. The way she kicked made her legs looked like they could extend far into the sky. Bare hand fights without the use of weapons were fully capable of leaving the fighters wounded. Chinese martial arts included more standing blows than ground skills, so it was very exciting to watch. That was why foreigners often called martial arts a sport rather than a skill, capable in murdering people.


    The repeated attacks following the kick were very sharp. Ahn Soo Ho was busy blocking the blows. They said Superman didn¡¯t exist, but he was capable of bing one. He was able to transcend all human abilities and exert fatal blows of explosive power.


    He was able to kill the other person with just one punch. However, there were many eyes watching, so he controlled himself. They should be indebted to him for being so cooperative.


    ¡°Heeyap!¡±


    Shun May made an elongated attack.


    How could one call it a sport when she was only attacking his pressure points? All fighting techniques assumed murder as the final result. They bring up thew of the universe and whatnot, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe in such a refined truth. To him, it seemed like nothing more than a heightparison.


    There were limits to a person¡¯s stamina.


    He started to see Shun May¡¯s moves slowing down. Ahn Soo Ho went into contemtion. Would he be able to win this fight without embarrassing himself or her? The way Ahn Soo Ho was blocking her moves without moving a single inch overpowered Shun May¡¯s attacks.


    His effortless moves looked like a scene from an action movie. He heard whistling and pping. The viewers probably thought the fight was over. Shun May gathered herst remaining strength and gave a good kick, while Ahn Soo Ho leaped up. How far was a person able to jump with average human muscles?


    He added vor with some gravity magic.


    He flew like a butterfly 4 to 5 meters into the air. People were at awe by his jump, which wasn¡¯t assisted by a crane. Shun May watched him with big eyes. He didn¡¯t use a wall, but simply jumped into the air to that height. It was truly unbelievable.


    p, p, p-


    As soon as one person started pping, an apuse came from all four directions. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached, Shun May fixed her posture. He responded.


    ¡°Shall we go for some tea?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun would have thrown a fit to that, but he didn¡¯t have an ulterior motive. They followed the path to a tea shop. Shun May didn¡¯t say a word until then, and a man apanied them.


    ¡°My name is Chang Ming, Master.¡±


    In China, calling someone Master was a sign of respect. However, if they really respected and looked up to someone, they called them Boss. Come to think of it, Yuhaipung referred to Kurshenbai as Master. He looked over it thinking it was a way of protecting his dignity, but it didn¡¯t seem right.


    ¡®The Chinese sure areplicated.¡¯


    The Communist Party probably didn¡¯t all have the same beliefs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I don¡¯t want to get involved.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just as straight forward as I heard. I wasn¡¯t going to make a difficult request.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you start a fight in broad daylight? You obviously did that with an objective. I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯d rather not be used.¡±


    He said it softly, but it was a strong warning. Chang Ming was taken aback, so Shun May spoke up.


    ¡°How much do you know about the Cultural Revolution?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I know it was a rare and crazy thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is that what South Korea thinks in general?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged instead of giving an answer. She nodded.


    ¡°Ever since the Communist Party took over after the Chinese Civil War, the martial artists also split up into two sides. They used to help the Nationalists, but some switched over to the Communists. The reason why he backed up the Nationalists is quite simple. The Communists ranked us with the bourgeois.¡±


    Kurshenbai¡¯s teacher was the first to switch over to the Communists after the Chinese Civil War. The Communist Party was worried that if they continued to go against the martial artists, they would get severely hurt, so they gave preference to the ones who came to their side.


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re saying you¡¯re loyal to them now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t win over reality.¡±


    There were many fighters that fled to Taiwan after the civil war, but there were more that remained. There was the reason of not being able to leave home and move their headquarters, but there were those who faced degradation in order to make aeback. The suppression of those who didn¡¯t cooperate became more severe, and it reached its peak during the revolution.


    ¡°In the end, we surrendered, but we can¡¯t let Kurshenbai dominate us forever.¡±


    The Communist Party weed their surrender, but that didn¡¯t mean that they would just watch as Kurshenbai became more powerful.


    ¡°They expected Kurshenbai to have opposition. They didn¡¯t make it obvious, but that¡¯s what they thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that too.¡±


    It suddenly came to mind.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard of the training camp before...¡¯


    He remembered it to have a lot of Chinese soldiers as well. And in the private guard sector, there were many more Asian sergeants with martial arts abilities.


    ¡°Jang Jin Min?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fellow pupil under the same teacher.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho scoffed.


    ¡°Did you hear about me from him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you must also know that I always keep my word.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m retired. Do the Chinese call it washing off the gold dust?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    When he saw the pain in her eyes, he tilted his head again.


    ¡°If he has a request, why didn¡¯t hee in person?¡±


    ¡°He died.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Logan.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jang passed away in Ethiopia two months ago.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°In the midst of training a prime minister¡¯s guard, he was attacked by rebels.¡±


    ¡°Rebels in Ethiopia? Their politics is a mess, but they should have good control.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but a democratic revolution group showed up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and didn¡¯t ask anymore. It would be sad for them to be informed of the death of someone they knew. However, that was all.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. So what is it that you want from me?¡±


    ¡°He was in charge of introducing alliance sectors to foreign countries. But...¡±


    Shun May trailed off, but he knew what she was meaning to say.


    ¡°Did anyone help Jang Jin Min?¡±


    Most middlemen didn¡¯t work alone. They couldn¡¯t once they expanded their scale. Ahn Soo Ho was special for working alone from beginning to end.


    ¡°They did, but they went off on their own as soon as he died.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    He shouldn¡¯t haveughed, but he did.


    ¡®Yeah. It would have been weirder if he didn¡¯t betray him.¡¯


    By snatching Jang Jin Min¡¯s ledger, he could keep all the profit for himself. That was how the world was.


    ¡°So money is the problem.¡±


    It was difficult toe to this point.


    It was frustrating to talk to Chinese people. They could just straight up ask for help, but their dignity was more important to them. In the end, it was a money-rted problem. They formed an opposition group and attempted to prate the military working under the party.


    It was a mercenary¡¯s job to provide gifts and bribes and obtain their funding. And the Chinese Community Party probably encouraged them for bringing in foreign currency. Was this the potential of 1.4 billion that Kurshenbai was talking about?


    It was possible that he was jumping into the world of mercenaries. It wasn¡¯t really loyalty toward the party but more like local patriotism. The reason why overseas Chinese were scary was because of their pride that drives them to protect their tradition and culture. If even just 1% of the 1.4 billion left the continent, it could be a problem in many ways.


    ¡°So how much do you need right now?¡±


    Shun May and Chang Ming both hesitated at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. Were they still trying to protect their pride? As soon as Ahn Soo Ho sighed and opened his lips, the door smashed open.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho! Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    What was this? Was this the clich¨¦ bloody battle that everyone always saw in action movies? These crazy bastards! They should just open a fightingpetition. How about that?


    ¡®A fightingpetition...That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡¯


    Attempts were made before. However, true prestige doesn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere. Ahn Soo Ho looked at the man who broke the door and got up.


    ¡°First...¡±


    He needed a good beating.


    There was no mercy for men.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mi Na.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was smiling at his fighting memories, smiled at Kang Mi Na of Yesterday as soon as she approached. The Shanghai Main Stadium was turned into a concert hall in no time. He normally wouldn¡¯t have attended such an event during the BRICS Summit, but Ahn Soo Ho made it happen.


    The world¡¯s interest in Hosoo Entertainment and their connection to China was hot as ever, but Korea was especially interested. President Lee Joong Hyun, who attended as an observer to get rid of the ban against Korean culture, was degraded for being less effective than an entertainment agency.


    ¡°Something good happened.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s apany secret, so I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    The way Kang Mi Na stuck out her tongue would have won over any man. They were busy rehearsing for the performance that would be held the next day. They were all wearing casual wear, so it looked like they were on a school trip, and they all looked tired from their month-long tour.


    The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, there were going to be dating rumors going around amongst the fans. He made an order as the CEO. Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t rmend dating, but it wouldn¡¯t forcefully get in the way either. It was true that dating was fatal to those who were just starting out as an idol or actor.


    Kang Mi Na sunk down next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    It wasn¡¯t a private location, but a ce where many people could walk by. Did she have no interest in other people¡¯s eyes? That wasn¡¯t true. She wanted people to see this because this was how rumors were started.


    ¡°Thank you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For taking us in.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung brought over four groups from JT Entertainment. The idol group, Yesterday, the solo singer, Yoon So Hee, and actors Jang Geon Woo and Jung Cha Hee. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know if any of them were popr or not.


    ¡°I invested in your potential.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to admit that he didn¡¯t know, so he beat around the bush.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it Yesterday¡¯s turn soon?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Kang Mi Na stumbled as she got up and ran off. People would have expected her to smile at her own klutziness, but she walked off with ease. The other Yesterday members swarmed in.


    ¡°Hey! What happened?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Tell us. Is CEO Ahn single?¡±


    ¡°Women aren¡¯t crazy. Who¡¯d leave him alone to be single? He probably has someone. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°He could be single. Women feel burdened by men in high positions.¡±


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s single.¡±


    ¡°I thought he wasn¡¯t your type.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like handsome facesst anyway. And he has a good body.¡±


    ¡°He does.¡±


    The members squealed and caused a fuss.


    ¡°Yesterday! Come up!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    When the production staff called them, they turned into professionals. Kang Mi Na received a microphone and went up to the stage, and then stared at Ahn Soo Ho who was seated with a phone to his face.


    ¡®Slowly, a little bit at a time.¡¯


    There was no need to rush.


    ¡°How scary.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Of what?¡±


    ¡°Kids these days are scary.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Houghed into the phone while receiving Kang Mi Na¡¯s strong gaze. Did she sense it? Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s voice turned sharp.


    ¡°If you cheat on me, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. But I don¡¯t trust the countless wenches around you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had tofort her so that she wouldn¡¯t fly over to China.


    ¡°You should be the one to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. But I don¡¯t trust the countless bastards around you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! What was that?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun eased off in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mockery.


    ¡°Oh! The director is here. I¡¯ll call you backter.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Get back to work.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho hung up, someone sat down next to him. This time, it was a man.


    ¡°Henry.¡±


    ¡°Why did you have to call over a busy person to China?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re jobless. What are you talking about? And all your money is going toward your divorce.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Henry got married three times up until the age of forty-eight, and all three ended up in divorce. And it was the woman who initiated every time. He didn¡¯t understand why he kept on getting married if he was going to get divorced anyway.


    ¡°Are you telling me to work under you again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho handed over the business card he got from Shun May.


    ¡°Officer Hong?¡±


    ¡°Call him. It seems like he needs someone who knows the mercenary world well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is this rted to Jang Ji Min?¡±


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to gain trust as a Chinese broker in this world. Jang Ji Min...was a good friend. But I won¡¯t thank you, Soo Ho. It was partly your fault that I ended up jobless.¡±


    Henry got up and thenughed bitterly as if he remembered something.


    ¡°A war has started between J-Law and Ang. Europe is in chaos. Friends have been discretely asking me if you could help them out. Any interest?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Kiss my ass.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 66 ¨C Shanghai Express [5] > The end.

 Chapter 68: < Protect – Episode 67 – Shanghai Express [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 68: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 67 ¨C Shanghai Express [6] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho raised his middle finger without hesitation.


    How happy they were about his retirement was as pathetic as someone who would call their ex when their drunk. Once reality hit, it didn¡¯t seem right. They thought they overpaid him this whole time, but that wasn¡¯t true. The longer that chaos persists, the more harm would be afflicted, and they were the ones who had to pay the price.


    ¡®Reality sucks.¡¯


    He threw his hands up in the air. His identity had been leaked out into the world, and Ahn Soo Ho could no longer be a middleman who cleaned after other people, and he had no interest either.


    ¡®The rank should be decided among the ones who want to be a part of it.¡¯


    He hoped there would be no fools who would im that the bloodshed incident was his responsibility. Because he would have ripped their mouth to shreds.


    ¡°The head of foreign affairs and national security is here, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Chief Hong Sang Chul.¡±


    ¡°Did he say he was the head of foreign affairs and national security?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes.¡±


    ¡°He must have been desperate.¡±


    Including the involved countries and observers, the BRICS summit was a gathering between 9 different countries. They were likely observing each other to see what people were wearing, buying, and saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Wee, Chief Hong.¡±


    Even though this was their first time meeting, since everyone was patriots when they were traveling abroad, Hong Sang Chul treated Ahn Soo Ho warmly.


    ¡°Our country¡¯s image has improved thanks to the donations you made to the Philippines, Mysia, and Indonesia. I¡¯m very thankful to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Hong Sang Chul put on an innocent face. Ahn Soo Ho was able to read an expression on his face that was not pride. That either meant he was a psychological expert who could even trick Ahn Soo Ho, or that he really didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡®I¡¯m impressed.¡¯


    They sent someone who didn¡¯t know him as the errand boy? He didn¡¯t know if that was President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s n, but it was an excellent move. In any case, Ahn Soo Ho was a businessman of Korea. In the middle of chatting with Hong Sang Chul, he saw Logan approach with a stiff face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The apanist has died.¡±


    Kumiko. He didn¡¯t know herst name. The expert of code-breaking and the expert operation nner was a VIP that Japan was protecting.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but Japan thinks it was murder.¡±


    ¡°Was it the States?¡±


    ¡°I need some time to confirm it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no expression on his face.


    When the Dresden file was released, the ones who were deleted from the list of criminals weren¡¯t very pleased. He only half believed that Kumiko was dead. A specialist like her was more than capable of camouging her own death. So he couldn¡¯t believe it until seeing the body for himself.


    ¡°They must have expressed their pity for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it seemed like.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly. Time had passed, but since this happened after he requested for Kumiko, it was no wonder they suspected him.


    ¡°Find her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Logan didn¡¯t question Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s order to find a dead person. If he was asked for something, he would do it.


    ¡®What are you conspiring, Kumiko?¡¯


    When they met not long ago, she talked as if she was revealing everything, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe her. It was impossible that a great analyst like Kumiko wouldn¡¯t catch on to his involvement.


    ¡®Maybe...¡¯


    Wasn¡¯t it her who wanted the truth about the Dresden file to be released out into the world? The next day, Ahn Soo Ho participated in the keynote address of the BRICS Summit. Since it was the only cooperation that stood a chance against the G7, it made for great news, but the G7 Summit in Japan was no joke either.


    The attention of the world was focused on Asia.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, CEO Ahn.¡±


    President Lee Joong Hyun sensed cameras, so he shed a smile, but he was very conflicted on the inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s nicer to see you at such a great event, Mr. President. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He had no choice but to respond to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s showy remark.


    ¡°I received your greeting quite well.¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    The secretary of defense came to represent everyone, but the one who induced him was none other than Lee Joong Hyun. The Comradery Association had a hard enough time dealing with the aftermath of what Ahn Soo Ho did, and as for the Korea National Association, Lee Geun Taek and a few others were exterminated, so this was the president¡¯s one and only opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept that apology.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho epted the apology, Lee Joong Hyun frowned at what followed.


    ¡°But let¡¯s make it even.¡±


    If the president didn¡¯t be unruly, he wouldn¡¯t have had to waste money on an Asian tour. He would have just focused on taking over broadcasters as originally nned. In the end, the Asian tour ended well, but he had a feeling he would get nagged by his younger sibling when he got back to Korea.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great to have another broadcaster in Korea in order to strengthen the development of Hallyu?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s notpletely up to me, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°What can¡¯t be solved with money in this world? You¡¯re just not trying.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun didn¡¯t know how much money Ahn Soo Ho was spending on the media.


    ¡°Even if I helped, what will you do about the rich people of the broadcasting field?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very close to the boss of all of them.¡±


    ¡°Th...that¡¯s true.¡±


    The president was taken aback.


    Kim Dae San and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rtionship was a mystery to the Blue House as well. They didn¡¯t understand how Hosoo Entertainment could have such power over Daesan Group. There were rumors about Ahn Soo Ho being Kim Dae San¡¯s love child, but those who knew anything didn¡¯t believe that. The vice-chairman, Kim Dae Chan acted like he was nice, but he was actually cold and ruthless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it, Mr. President.¡±


    The keynote address ended just in time.


    Ahn Soo Ho got up without hearing Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s answer and pped. Since everyone else stood up to apuse, the president did so as well. He was going to refuse the request, but Ahn Soo Ho slipped out before he could.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed as he got into his car.


    ¡°Are you happy about something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Something great happened.¡±


    He wished he had captured his crinkled facial expression on camera.


    ¡®I guess I could watch the keynote address footagester.¡¯


    The Chinese probably poured their heart and soul into filming it for promotional purposes.


    ¡°A photo of you with the president is trending in Korea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no big news.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, CEO Ahn. The response is no joke.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung showed him the news page on her tablet.


    - Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho and President Lee Joong Hyun enter side-by-side.


    - CEO Ahn Soo Ho of Hosoo Entertainment was weed by the head of state.


    - CEO Ahn Soo Ho, who even slips through the ban against Korean culture, sits next to President Lee Joong Hyun.


    - Look at his suit fit! Which suit brand does CEO Ahn Soo Ho wear?


    Thest article was strange, but the rest of the articles were quite favorable.


    ¡°Did you have something to do with this?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir! It¡¯s all natural.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung said it wasn¡¯t her, but she probably did do something. He read some other articles while he was at it.


    - I was wondering why the president¡¯s photo was up on this board, but it¡¯s all because of Hosoo Entertainment! Wow! Look at his pose!


    - Who knew we¡¯d ever see the president¡¯s photo in the entertainment news?


    - Who¡¯s CEO Ahn anyway? Does he want to run for president?


    - It¡¯s not like his entertainment agency represents our country. Isn¡¯t this an embarrassment?


    - Not even Kim Dae San can be invited there, you punk! Stop your nonsense!


    - Then how did the CEO of an entertainment agency get an invite? Did he do sexual favors?


    - Watch your mouth, you bastards! Whatever you write here will never disappear! Do you want to get dragged to the police?


    - Are you looking down on him? He just does business and politics as a hobby!


    - How much money do you need to participate in something like that?


    - There are romance rumors about Pretty Girl¡¯s Jane and Jang Geon Woo. They¡¯re both under Hosoo Entertainment. Do you think he¡¯s putting on a show to cover this up?


    - You crazy bastard! He participated in a summit to cover up a romance rumor? That¡¯s ridiculous.


    - A piece of crazy news has arrived! Do you have any idea what BRICS actually is?


    - I don¡¯t! Is that a problem! I only know about bras!


    - What about garter belts?


    - What about lingerie?


    - That¡¯s the same thing!


    - What about Kimochi?


    - Stop it, you losers!


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s car stopped at the indoor gymnasium located across from the Shanghai Main Stadium. As soon as he entered, he felt sharp gazes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, everyone. I don¡¯t have to introduce myself, right?¡±


    There was no answer.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank everyone who made this gathering happen.¡±


    After Shun May and Chang Ming gave their introduction, they stepped down.


    ¡°The reason why we¡¯ve gathered you everyone here is because you¡¯ve retired. So you are no longer active. I wouldn¡¯t dare topare myself to seasoned veterans such as yourselves, but I have quite the reputation as well.¡±


    There were times when modesty was better than bragging.


    The ability to lower one¡¯s self in front of other people was a matured way of living. In particr, those who did martial arts for a living in China enjoyed quoting the ideas of others. It was like an approval of something worthy. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation was widely known in the world of martial arts as well. The way he hid and fought with his bare hands was a shock to the Chinese who did martial arts.


    Some looked down on Ahn Soo Ho and view him as just a mercenary who used guns, but there was no martial artist in history that had the kind of influence he had. He was truly on top.


    Just because he was retired didn¡¯t mean he had to hole himself in his room.


    ¡°I probably won¡¯t touch a gun with this hand ever again.¡±


    That was a lie. He was ready to shoot if needed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve felt how undervalued martial arts is around the world. Some Westerners still insist that Kung Fu is a sport and not a technique for murder.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    People coughed ufortably. Ahn Soo Ho stressed that they were in it together.


    ¡°Guns are scary weapons. But martial arts isn¡¯tpletely hopeless in the face of guns. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s luring magic even worked on stiff martial artists and grandfathers. All he had to do was talk about China¡¯s greatness and suck up to them a little.


    ¡°As those in martial arts, we¡¯re like fellow alumni! We¡¯re family! And family should help each other!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Just like the battles that happened in the era of the Roman Empire, fights were as just as addicting or more addicting than gambling. The sessful mercenaries, soldiers, and boxers even got scouted into the ck market. Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in running a secret boxing ring. But he was nning to send a strong message to the sports associations run by the West.


    ¡®This will be easier than I expected.¡¯


    With J-Law and Ang¡¯s war, the information agencies didn¡¯t have the leisure to worry about him too. The CIA might have had the manpower, but it would be hard for countries of Europe. China couldn¡¯t dig too deep out of consideration for his rtionship with the premier, and the Red Sea Trading Company had internal problems to deal with. All that was left was Japan, but it was unlikely that a problem with Empire could get in the way.


    It was possible that everyone here would go home and kick in their beds thinking of this day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be the top with our own will, without the involvement of Westerners!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 67 ¨C Shanghai Express [6] > The end.

 Chapter 69: < Protect – Episode 68 – Show Me the Money [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 69: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 68 ¨C Show Me the Money [1] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s sophistry.¡±


    Kurshenbai clicked his tongue at the speech Ahn Soo Ho gave at the indoor gymnasium.


    ¡°Many agreed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They were quite passionate.¡±


    Was he a natural born instigator? Kurshenbai shooked his head. The Ahn Soo Ho he met wasn¡¯t the type to lead. That means he was after something. But he couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°A worldwide martial arts association...do you think they¡¯ll seed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It depends on how much he intervenes.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    There was already a worldwide martial arts association. Not just one, but hundreds. There were countless associations rted to martial arts in one way or another. It was alsomon for the court to get involved in whether or not it was legitimate, but the winner and loser were not easily decided upon.


    ¡°They all endured it with pride, but they put it all down? That¡¯s hard to understand. What¡¯s their rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Jang Ji Min and Ahn Soo Ho knew each other.¡±


    ¡°I know that too. But I don¡¯t think they were that close.¡±


    ¡°It could be a pity.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s possible...but that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Jang Ji Min died, and Ahn Soo Ho could have helped just out of respect. But a worldwide martial arts association was too random. He had no reason, and it was very unlikely to seed. He might have got them to agree for now, but it wasn¡¯t easy to collect the opinions of martial artists.


    Associations were no joke.


    ¡°Keep an eye out.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was just as troubled as Kurshenbai.


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    There had already been 142 people who approached him and then backed off. Martial artists had as much pride as secret agents, but as soon as Shun May and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s battle became known, many people started to request battles. He had to make sure that the beginning was wellid out in order to avoid problemster on.


    ¡°This is tiring.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do something so stupid, Soo Ho?¡±


    His assistant today was Alexa instead of Logan. People couldn¡¯t help but stare at them since a thin Western beauty was following him everywhere.


    ¡°Whatever. Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Even if we get support, there are too many people who¡¯re eating away from the bottom to make it possible to expand. Or we¡¯ll have to ept our losses and start from scratch.¡±


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho was close to a high official of the Communist Party, he had to do some greasing for the middleman. In particr, the Chinese entertainment world was very likely to have a connection with Chinese criminal organizations. The problem was that it was difficult for a foreigner to set up a business in China alone.


    ¡°How about we give our support?¡±


    ¡°I acknowledge Jang Ji Min...but I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not good to irritate Kurshenbai too much, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°The premier really hates him.¡±


    ¡°Kurshenbai?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yuhaipung wanted Ahn Soo Ho to keep a safe distance from Kurshenbai. Ahead of what would determine the future of the parties, the BRICS Summit was thest chance to decide the premier¡¯s diplomatic abilities.


    ¡°This might sound ungrounded, but Korea, China, and Japan likes to talk about martial arts and the warrior¡¯s code. They think those beliefs actually exist.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Think about how the Americans went crazy for Spaghetti Western.¡±


    Those ouw series were masterpieces in the international movie world.


    ¡°Criminal organizations always start off as vignte groups. They used the excuse of protecting themselves so they could steal other people¡¯s rights and freedom. Haven¡¯t you heard of that before?¡±


    The military was like that and so was the intelligence agency. Also, security was the rationale of entire nations.


    ¡°We all prefer the profit of ourselves and the ones around us. We¡¯re all the same.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you egg on the martial artists?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re weaker individually.¡±


    Kurshenbai expressed his hope to advance into the world of mercenaries in front of Ahn Soo Ho. The reason why he kept the opposition alive was probably to get some of the pressure from the political party off of him. However, as long as he wanted to advance forward, he didn¡¯t have much reason toy low.


    ¡°China is scarier than the States thinks. They think they¡¯re the most powerful nation while putting down everyone else.¡±


    ¡°They probably know that much.¡±


    ¡°No. They don¡¯t. The rtionship between the Eastern countries isn¡¯t asid back as you would think.¡±


    The perception of ethnic groups and unification waspletely differentpared to the Western world. Ahn Soo Ho arrived in front of a famous club. In the midst of men and women of beauty, there were silver spoons and diamond spoons showing off their supercars.


    They were openly showing off their ability to spend countless millions of yen in a single day. Maybe it was the current address of the corrupt Communist Party. No matter how much the premier Yuhaipung wanted to eradicate corruption, it was impossible to get rid of such hardened habits.


    ¡®Foolish punks.¡¯


    All departments of China belonged to the party. The rich might have thought they could live like that forever, but it was possible to be poor overnight depending on which party was in power. The reason why they transferred their funds abroad was because they could have their money taken away depending on the party.


    The rich in China was an illusion.


    The night in Shanghai was crazy. No matter what kind of regtion threats were made at the summit, the rich always found a way out. The irony that capitalist China ran into was the division of financial ranks. In just 10 years, the word ¡°people¡± would probably be forgotten.


    There was a long line in front of the club.


    Since famous clubs were always crowded, they tried to keep up their reputation with quality checks. VVIPs went inside without waiting, but the average people had their looks evaluated. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho headed for the door, a big man stopped him.


    ¡°The line...¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence as soon as Ahn Soo Ho pulled out his gold card. When he stepped aside, Ahn Soo Ho slipped a few 100 yen bills in his pocket.


    The inside of the club was vibrant.


    The reason why many Chinese went to Shanghai was to make money. But the upper ss of Shanghai only preferred those who were originally from Shanghai. They had pride in their home just like Hong Kong and Beijing had theirs.


    ¡°What¡¯s the gold card?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a membership card.¡±


    Prostitution was illegal in China as well. However, if there was money then illegal dealings were most likely involved. There were levels in the sex industry as well. The ones with money enjoyed bookings at high-end clubs, or they had their own party and invited men and women of their taste. They had no reason to go to a brothel and risk getting caught.


    ¡°The performance will start soon. Is it okay that the CEO is at a club?¡±


    It was almost time for Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Asian tour to start performing in Shanghai Main Stadium. Luckily, the tickets sold out, so they weren¡¯t humiliated by the Korean press. As soon as he sat down in a room that looked down onto the club, expensive drinks came in.


    Across from him were people opening a bottle of champagne. This ce held opportunities for those wanting to boost their reputation. It didn¡¯t matter if they got married as long as they got money. Ahn Soo Ho ate his fruit with a fork.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Alexa, who was wasting time away in an unfamiliar face, looked at him with a confused face.


    ¡°Wait here. I have to introduce you to someone.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Someone came in just in time.


    ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m so tired!¡±


    She sat down without saying hello, chugged a bottle of expensive champagne, and then made a remark that made her sound middle-aged.


    ¡°Kya!¡±


    ¡°Who drinks champagne like it¡¯s beer?¡±


    ¡°Champagne? Oh!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung swallowed down her fruits and then stared at Alexa.


    ¡°Your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No. Say hello. This is Kim Soo Jung and this is Alexa.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Kim.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Alexa.¡±


    After exchanging greetings, they both looked at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to meet in a quieter ce?¡±


    ¡°No. If I meet you at a hotel, Chul will give me crap.¡±


    Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung finally started dating. She was one of the top journalists of Korea. She was lucky to trip over information Ahn Soo Ho gave her, but in any case, she aplished a position in the newsroom.


    ¡°Come on. Chul is too reserved for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t know how daring he is. In any case, you¡¯re probably on the cklist now.¡±


    ¡°cklist?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A list of people messed with vested rights and need to be monitored.¡±


    Reporters who exposed corruption rted to vested rights were put on a cklist. They wouldn¡¯t outwardly attack Kim Soo Jung, but they could start to make small dents at her reputation.


    ¡°Do you think Chul is on there too?¡±


    ¡°He was on it since a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°Not me.¡±


    When Kim Soo Jung tilted her head, Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°If they dare to roam around my surroundings, they¡¯ll get killed. It looks like the pressure has started seeing how you were sent to Shanghai.¡±


    ¡°BRICS is under the newsroom¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±


    ¡°What about the Shanghai employees?¡±


    ¡°They said they need more help, so I had no choice.¡±


    ¡°Who did you dig dirt on for this to happen to you?¡±


    ¡°Lee Bum Hak and Jeon Min Kyu.¡±


    ¡°Ha! The Chairman of the National Assembly and the party delegate? Aren¡¯t they too big?¡±


    She just shrugged in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s criticism.


    ¡°There¡¯s no end no matter how much I dig.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the desk hated it.¡±


    No matter how scary media¡¯s power could be, the ones she was dealing with were politicians who went all sorts of dirty things and still survived. Kim Soo Jung was at a disadvantage to win.


    ¡°She needs your help, Alexa. Work together.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Do something that will really stop them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but how?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at the people partying across from him. Unless they were professional soldiers, there were very few politicians who served their full military service. It wasical that such people talk about security. Then what about the kids of those politicians? They were just like their parents.


    ¡°Kids can¡¯t be controlled by their parents no matter what country it is.¡±


    If the rich were China¡¯s current problem, Korea had many heirs leaving Korea since way back. There was the candlelight protest regarding the reformation of the rich, but that didn¡¯tst long either because of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance. He covered social media all over the world with hashtags such as #realwealth, #mrahn, #luxuryprivatejet, and #luxurycruise.


    The rich kids who enjoyed receiving jealous gazes from people had their pride hurt, so they tried to buy more expensive things. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho was seen at the BRICS summit, the rich kids also visited the UN or shared pictures with politicians.


    When a picture of the Hosoo Entertainment celebrities at Shanghai Main Stadium was shared, they shared pictures of themselves with Hollywood stars. When photos of him at a high-end club surfaced, they uploaded photos of their own parties.


    Ahn Soo Ho of luxury cruise.


    Ahn Soo Ho of luxury private jets.


    Ahn Soo Ho of luxury clubs.


    Ahn Soo Ho with famous politicians.


    Ahn Soo Ho with famous celebrities.


    The rich people all around the world started a war about who was richer. What poured oil over the fire was a short post uploaded by someone.


    - I¡¯ll rank the rich kids by countries! Middle East=America=China>Ennd>Germany>Russia>Brazil>Brunei Royal Family>>Big Wall>>>Korea. The rich kids of Korea aren¡¯t even rich! But Mr. Ahn is an exception! He¡¯s not a 2nd generation heir!


    That was how it started.


    The silver spoons and diamond spoons of Korea started unting their money again. Pictures of them buying out luxury shops, pictures of them with tubs full of cash, pictures of scenery from hotel royal suite rooms, as well as the good old supercar pictures.


    unting money wasn¡¯t a crime.


    However, it was going to be a problem if the source of that money was uncertain. People thought cash couldn¡¯t be traced, but that was incorrect. The bank ATM¡¯s these days used the numbers on each bill to precisely check their routes at all times.


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    ¡®So they do exist.¡¯


    Those who throw wads of cash.


    ¡°Stupid sons of bitches.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 68 ¨C Show Me the Money [1] > The end.

 Chapter 70: < Protect – Episode 69 – Show Me the Money [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 70: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 69 ¨C Show Me the Money [2] &gt;</h4>


    In the mercenary world, Ahn Soo Ho went bankrupt.


    Since hisst ck market ount closed, it was difficult for him to employ specialized mercenaries such as Logan and Alexa. One could ask about the 50 billion dors he invested in Korea, but money in stocks and real estate were hard to cash in. In addition, it was illegal for him to take personal action onpany funds.


    After sessfully ending their tour in Shanghai, Hosoo Entertainmentnded in Incheon in their private jet. It was obvious that the airport was hectic. Other celebrities who enjoyed getting attention for their airport fashion didn¡¯te to Incheon today. No matter how good they looked, they would have been overshadowed today.


    Due to the fans and reporters disrupting airport operations, they had no choice but to arrange a press conference and a fan meeting forter. They rented out Daesan Hotel¡¯s convention hall for the press conference. At the same time, they held a fan meeting at the banquet hall, and the celebrities and employees were so used to the busy lifestyle that everything progressed smoothly.


    In the midst of busy employees, Ahn Soo Ho sat across from Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see Father tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You should say hello if you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Not tonight. Let¡¯s see him tomorrow morning. I¡¯m going to get a scolding from my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Who? So Hye?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows as soon as Kim Dae Chan called Lee So Hye¡¯s name in a friendly way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. Your little sister is my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about bringing that girl into the upper ss. Unless she wants to, that is. No, even if she wants to, I can¡¯t stand to see that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about doing that, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan turned him down with one phrase, but it was possible for the opportunists around him to try to use Lee So Hye.


    ¡°Are you messing with the inte and media on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What happened to mysticism?¡±


    ¡°Ignorant punks are fussier than dumb ones.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s evil reputation didn¡¯t work on the average people. It was morefortable to increase his awareness among the public.


    ¡°But if youe off as too rich, you¡¯ll get a fair amount of hostility too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get everyone to like me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The gap between the rich and the poor had always been a dilemma.


    Most historical incidents were started by a fight between the rich and the poor. This might be oversimplified, but there wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t have some kind of desire. In order to seed, they had to step on someone, and battles were always cruel.


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung appeared with a conflicted look on her face. He excused himself and went to a corner.


    ¡°I told you not to bother me.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    She had a hard time spitting out the words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what I hate the most?¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Since Seo Joo Kyung didn¡¯t normally act like this, Ahn Soo Ho smiled instead of getting angry. She gathered the courage because she either trusted him or because there was no other solution.


    ¡°Apparently, my sex tape got out, CEO Ahn.¡±


    It was an embarrassing thing to say as a woman.


    ¡°A sex tape? Oh, you used to aspire to be an actress, didn¡¯t you? Hm. That¡¯s really unlucky.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response was lukewarm like an opened can of c.


    Seo Joo Kyung was surprised by his reaction. Sex tapes were enough to elicit expulsion in the Korean business world. However, it was still hard to seed if actors or actresses didn¡¯t have a good background. Their debut date would keep getting pushed, and younger and prettier girls keep popping up, so it wasn¡¯t an easy industry to survive in.


    ¡°It was a bad decision...but I had to do anything I could.¡±


    ¡°Were you unaware that you were being filmed?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    What did that mean? Seo Joo Kyung looked up from the ground and looked at him. Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Cranky. You know about sex tapes, right? Ugh, stop the nonsense. I know you¡¯re monitoring me. Look for the origin. That¡¯s not too hard, right? Right? Okay, good. Deal.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho hung up and looked back at Seo Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Is there anyone you suspect?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The president of JT Entertainment. He used to be my manager.¡±


    ¡°I see. Okay. It¡¯s best that you stay out of sight for the time being. Do you have somewhere to stay? If not, you can use thepany¡¯s apartment.¡±


    He purchased multiple high-end apartment buildings for his trainees, idol groups, and unmarried employees.


    ¡°Thank you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho calmed her down from crying and sent Logan with her. The paparazzi even followed average people if it made money. The two Joo Kyung¡¯s received a lot of attention for being beautiful executives after resigning from JT Entertainment.


    Ahn Soo Ho came back to his seat and smirked at Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°Did you know about this? No, that¡¯s a stupid question.¡±


    Prostitution with celebrities was done the most often by heirs. Kim Dae Chan wasn¡¯t the type to do that, but there were probably many brokers lurking around Daesan Group.


    ¡°They call it sponsoring. That¡¯s how the entertainment world is. Since you get briefed on everything that happens, you¡¯re bound to know the most about it.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not like she¡¯s a celebrity either...this is too much.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung didn¡¯t have much of a filmography that she could brag about. She did have some minor roles in a few movies, so she was technically a celebrity.


    ¡°This will be a huge blow to your image. Will you be okay?¡±


    ¡°If we lose advertisements, help us out.¡±


    ¡°You have to talk to my aunt about that, not me.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan¡¯s aunt was Kim Na Hee. A month ago, she was going to say something to Ahn Soo Ho, but she stopped herself.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Does she have some kind of problem?¡±


    ¡°Problem? When does she not?¡±


    Kim Na Hee married an average person. People might think of it as a beautiful Cindere story, but reality was cruel. They were happy and in love when they were starting off their marriage. However, since they were from such different backgrounds, their problems started to surface, and it had been a rough ride for over twenty years.


    ¡°My aunt loves my uncle very much...but there are many times when a marriage is difficult because of their families.¡±


    It was a big deal for an average person to have Chairman Kim Dae San as an inw.


    ¡°My aunt¡¯s inws were actually honest about that.¡±


    ¡°Money?¡±


    ¡°People are all the same. In any case, my aunt was in a good position. She shared what she could and took care of her inws pretty well. But the problem starts when even third cousins get involved.¡±


    The reason why Kim Na Hee focused on her own advertisementpany and fashion brand was because she was worried that her inws¡¯ greed would start a family fight. It seemed like Kim Dae San was warm towards his family, but if it had to do with heirs, he was very coldhearted.


    ¡°Using Daesan¡¯s name tomit fraud and threatening the public office weren¡¯t even the half of it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to forgive that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, my aunt begged for forgiveness and dealt with it well...but they really crossed the line this time.¡±


    Using someone else¡¯s power to show off was called ass on a lion¡¯s skin. It was good to be happy and sad all together, but pretending like someone else¡¯s possessions were one¡¯s own was a horrible thing to do.


    ¡°She killed someone abroad.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°My uncle¡¯s, little brother¡¯s eldest daughter. What was her name? Oh, Chae Kyung. Han Chae Kyung. She was studying in Italy where she stabbed her boyfriend to death. The reason why the media¡¯s being quiet about it is because Daesan and my aunt haven¡¯t been mentioned yet.¡±


    ¡°What was her motive?¡±


    ¡°The police called it blind love, but what¡¯s funny is that she¡¯s pleading innocent.¡±


    ¡°Is there a possibility that she is?¡±


    ¡°Since she was holding the knife when she got arrested, she was arrested as the prime suspect. It doesn¡¯t matter what evidence there is.¡±


    She must have went to Italy by using the excuse of Kim Na Hee¡¯s Mn fashion week.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like your family has a good rtionship. Does she have to worry about it that much?¡±


    ¡°She treated her like she was her own daughter.¡±


    ¡°Han Chae Kyung?¡±


    ¡°Since she even sent her abroad, she must have had her eye on her to be the heir.¡±


    Kim Na Hee didn¡¯t have any children.


    ¡°She probably wanted to see you because she believes she¡¯s innocent. But the problem is that you retired.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably no way even if I go to Italy myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Even the Foreign Office gave up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped on the table with his fingers.


    ¡°Are you asking me to step up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to take the lead. That old man pretends like he doesn¡¯t care, but he actually worries a lot about my aunt. I know you¡¯re retired...but please help, Soo Ho. Think about it and give me your answer tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan left Ahn Soo Ho alone.


    ¡®The first button has been fastened...¡¯


    Hosoo Entertainment got settled down as the face of the group. There were many things that were said about his transformation from mercenary to an entertainment business owner, but that was about it. That was as high Korea¡¯s status could get from the perspective of the world. They were useful, but not so much that they had to worry about Ahn Soo Ho. Whether they eat up the country or not, it wouldn¡¯t have much of an influence on the world.


    ¡®Should I be happy or sad?¡¯


    Only Koreans failed to admit that Korea was just a weak nation.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was startled by Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s sudden appearance, but he got up and hugged her. She didn¡¯t reduce her speed and ran into his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re going straight home, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So Hye seemed determined. Will you be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Did you prepare a gift?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed at the corner. They were various gifts from the Duty Free Ship. Jang Seol Hyun dug through the pile of gifts.


    ¡°Women know women best. Just trust me!¡±


    Seeing how she was speaking formally, her concept of the day must have been a good wife and a wise mother. This wasn¡¯t Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s first rtionship. She received special training from her close female friends, and she read countless dating books that gave her lots of confidence.


    ¡®I¡¯m going for the innocent image today!¡¯


    She was at a loss since she loved him more, but she was just happy that Ahn Soo Ho was with her at all.


    ¡°For teenagers, functional makeup works better than expensive luxury brands.¡±


    ¡°She wears makeup already?¡±


    ¡°Not the heavy type that celebrities wear. There¡¯s a transparent look that¡¯s trending these days. What do you think about mine?¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡±


    Her makeup was close to no makeup at all.


    ¡°You look pretty.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that monotone voice?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    His voice might have been monotone, but it felt different depending on whose voice it was. Ahn Soo Ho grabbed Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s cheeks and pulled on them. It felt good to touch her soft cheeks. She normally would have gotten mad for being treated like a child, but a deep kiss shut her up.


    ¡°Huu.¡±


    She breathed out as soon as their lips parted.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You can stop now.¡±


    She was always called pretty, but she felt shy for some reason. Ahn Soo Ho hugged Jang Seol Hyun and rubbed his chin on her head. Ahn Soo Ho felt like he could get drunk off of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s scent.


    They whispered to each other.


    ¡°What about your parents?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they said to visit whenever you¡¯refortable...¡±


    She addressed him differently again.


    ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow. Should I go tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell your mother first?¡±


    ¡°My mom? Okay. I will.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    They weren¡¯t getting married. They were dating for the purpose of getting married, so he just wanted to reassure Jang Seol Hyun. She was happy but often anxious. She didn¡¯t know if that was normal, but Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to be absent sometimes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He didn¡¯t confess his love or anything, but what he whispered made her feel drunker than drinking alcohol. When Ahn Soo Ho got home, she saw his mother, Mrs. Park, and an unexpected guest.


    ¡°Oh! Hey.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s father, Ahn Dae Man saw Jang Seol Hyun, he yfully made a gesture with his hand. She must have visited him beforehand. On top of that, the four Do brothers and their children were there too, so the house felt cramped. Jang Seol Hyun ran over to Mrs. Park and Ahn Dae Man and sat between them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re back, we decided to have a gathering. And you shouldn¡¯t be surprised by something as little as this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The door opened to Lee Jung Hoon and Lee So Hye¡¯s entrance, and Logan and his underlings followed behind them. It was madness.


    p, p-


    Do Kyung Ho cleared the air by pping his hands.


    ¡°Okay! Please sit down. Soo Ho, sit over there.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho pointed at a chair that was far away from them. Since his parents were there, he just listened. The way they were seated looked like a courtroom, but the others sat around him.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s start Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s investigation hearing! If you have a question, raise your hand!¡±


    People raised their hand regardless of whether or not Ahn Soo Ho was surprised. Do Kyung Ho picked Lee Jung Hoon, probably because he expected a strong question from him. Lee Jung Hoon didn¡¯t let them down.


    ¡°When did you start dating...I mean when did you start liking a younger woman?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    When people jeered, Do Kyung Ho summoned Jang Seol Hyun as a witness.


    ¡°Since when did you know Ahn Soo Ho, Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°When I made an attempt at Hollywood. We met in the States.¡±


    ¡°Did he like young women back then, too?¡±


    She red at her lover and then smirked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho dropped his jaw. Jang Seol Hyun turned her head. She wanted to get revenge for how he didn¡¯t acknowledge her feelings for so many years.


    ¡°Please exin in more detail, Seol Hyun. What did he go around doing in the States?¡±


    The friends and family that gathered had no idea what Ahn Soo Ho went around doing. That was why they decided to hold this hearing.


    Jang Seol Hyun thought back.


    When she was in Hollywood, she faced both despair and hope. She was hurt by the prejudice that existed against Asian people, but she also met a Korean who was powerful beyond all the disadvantages. She still felt like that was a dream.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Her memories of it were still fresh.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 69 ¨C Show Me the Money [2] > The end.

 Chapter 71: < Protect – Episode 70 – Show Me the Money [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 71: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 70 ¨C Show Me the Money [3] &gt;</h4>


    Jang Seol Hyun was the queen grandmother¡¯s descendant.


    When Ahn Soo Ho found her for the first time, she was raising the stock prices of the entertainment world as just Seol Hyun without a surname. People enjoyed making children into geniuses, and Jang Seol Hyun got the reputation of a genius child actress, which allowed her to go from an aspiring actress to a sessful one in a short period of time.


    Since she was acknowledged in all of Asia, her body was worth quite a bit of money. Since she was a top star who couldn¡¯t bepared to other celebrities, the agency was very excited.


    Actors who had always had a luxurious reputation were rare.


    Once she became the top actress in Asia, Hollywood became her next goal. People thought that the States was more progressive and rational, but they were actually the most conservative. The Oscars were made by the whites for the whites, and as one climbed higher exceptions were more and more unwanted.


    Jang Seol Hyun was fairly marketable.


    If she was from an American background, she would have been treated differently. If she was at least Japanese, she would have been given one more chance. Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s failure was simply because she was Korean. Without some kind of push from a big Koreanpany, it was difficult to even pass the first round.


    The Americans perceived Koreans as hardworking fools who manage Laundromats. The way they judged Jang Seol Hyun was no different from how they looked at country girls from Montana.


    There were way too many girls like that.


    ¡°I felt stuck. I didn¡¯t know where to start.¡±


    The agency that Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s agency hired to help her activities in the States were half scammers. Jang Seol Hyun was also partly responsible for signing without reading properly, but the agency was in the wrong, too.


    ¡°Just when I was about to give up and go home, I met Soo Ho.¡±


    It was a dramatic first meeting.


    She signed a contract after failing dozens of auditions and being told to give up by the agency. When she found out that it was half a scam, she tried to terminate the contract, but that came with a penalty fee. So she endured it with tears, but they all of a sudden said they didn¡¯t need it and disappeared.


    That was the beginning.


    Things started working out and she finally passed an audition. The Korean media trash talked her for only having a minor role, but it was impressive to pass an audition with her skills alone. Even the top Hollywood stars went to hundreds of auditions when they first started.


    It was umon to get not just a minor role but a major role after only a few months. As a result, agencies started paying attention to her. She was just an aspiring actress from Asia until yesterday, but she was now someone who had a chance in the States. The movie wasn¡¯t the most sessful, but it did decently, but the Korean media still talked about it as if it was a failure.


    Koreans think a movie was a failure if it didn¡¯t be a blockbuster. However, blockbusters were only a small part of the movie world in the States. It was actually all sorts of B-list actors who were keeping Hollywood alive. In particr, with porn and adult movies excluded, the market wasn¡¯t very big at all.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t fail, why did youe back to Korea?¡±


    In response to Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s keen question, Jang Seol Hyun looked at Ahn Soo Ho and then whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go around spreading rumors, everyone. There are many crazy people among the rich in the States.¡±


    Despite the Korean media who wanted her to fail, she was determined to make it. In the middle of preparing for a second project, she got a good opportunity of a meeting with a private investor. They could be misunderstood as bad sponsors, but in the American movie world, it wasmon for actors to get investments on their own.


    The fancy life was normal in the entertainment world.


    When it came to fancy things, the States was on top. The standards for the rich were at a whole new level as well. They went on extravagant shopping trips and partied all the time. It waspletely different from Korea where celebrities were expected to be modest. As long as it wasn¡¯t criminal, Americans could do whatever they wanted with their money.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was knitting his brows, stepped up in Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s stead.


    ¡°There was this rich guy and his hobby...was to sleep with actresses of his taste. It didn¡¯t matter how much it cost.¡±


    Those who understood it as a one-night stand were astonished and those who understood it a littleter eximed.


    ¡°Most neers can¡¯t resist that temptation. Most Americans have their first during their teens anyway. They don¡¯t feel like sex is that big of a deal. However...once you get a taste of the money, you end up forgetting about your dreams to chase rich people.¡±


    There were many agencies who only targeted party girls. They called them models and celebrities, but they were no different from high-ss prostitutes. Those who went there with aspirations ended up going down a bad path. Jang Seol Hyun was a star in Asia, but in the States, she was just a neer. The problem was that the white men saw her as a cheap Asian girl who was easier than others.


    ¡°So what happened next?¡±


    They were very interested in the story and urged Ahn Soo Ho to continue.


    ¡°I received a simr proposal. And I refused. But after that, weird things started happening.¡±


    ¡°Weird things?¡±


    ¡°Hm. For example, my manager got robbed, we got into small idents, and people started changing or cancelling our meetings and schedules.¡±


    She could say it with a smile now, but back then everyone was scared out of their minds. Kim Woo Jung did what he had to do as her manager, but the embassy refused to help. That was because it was difficult to use rich people of a crime without any evidence. The States always took their own citizens¡¯ side, not that of foreigners.


    If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t gotten involved, Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s activities in the States would have ended there. She was excited to tell more. She made up an exaggerated story about how Ahn Soo Ho took those rich punks down one by one. It sounded like some kind of an ouw series. It was absurd, but they were still focused on the story.


    ¡®That could have been possible if it was Soo Ho.¡¯


    They would have believed anything Ahn Soo Ho did.


    ¡°If it was resolved, why did youe back?¡±


    In contrast to everyone else who I owe, Lee Jung Hoon threw him another sharp question. Jang Seol Hyun was eitherughing or crying.


    ¡°Because I got tired.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wanted to scold them for eximing as if they knew anything about the entertainment world, but he kept it in. When the mood settled down, Do Kyung Ho pped.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s end it here and enjoy the rest of our time!¡±


    Their house party began. Ahn Soo Ho escaped to the 2nd floor to get changed. There were already more than 10 people who knew about his rtionship with Jang Seol Hyun. He had a bad feeling about a possible revenge article against him.


    ¡°Soo Ho, are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun spoke through the door.


    ¡°Did I make things difficult for you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They would have found out eventually.¡±


    Since Kim Woo Jung was getting ready to put her back in Hollywood, it was bound to get out.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun reminisced and spoke in an emotional voice.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    She only said that and ran back downstairs in embarrassment. He was worried she would trip and fall. After getting changed, Ahn Soo Ho went back down to the noisy living room. Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s memories were a little exaggerated, but they weren¡¯t wrong. However, there was one thing she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t going to get any more involved than that.¡¯


    He was just going to end it with bringing the scam agency down and helping her establish a foundation. If she wasn¡¯t the queen grandmother¡¯s descendant, he wouldn¡¯t have meddled so much. That was as much as he was going to help. He didn¡¯t n on helping her with the auditions and casting.


    ¡®If her life wasn¡¯t in danger...¡¯


    The rich white man she turned down wouldn¡¯t give up and a gang tried to kidnap her. If he didn¡¯t keep an eye on her, she would have gotten into trouble. Ahn Soo Ho got revenge. He gave him a chance to back off, but it was the white man who turned that opportunity down.


    His revenge was quick and cold-blooded.


    Not even the president of the United States could go against the rules he decided. The reason why that punishment was possible wasn¡¯t just the strong military force. He understood theplicated politics of the States well, and the persuasion process was key. Apany who had the same goals had the same rights and interests.


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped in the middle of going down the stairs. He took out his phone, checked the caller, and then answered it.


    ¡°Kosino?¡±


    ¡°I looked through all the ounting firms in Korea. After looking through all of the documents of Lee Bum Hak and Jeon Min Kyu from over thest decade...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It was ounting fraud.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    That was an unexpected result. ounting fraud wasn¡¯t something that could be easily looked over. It was a serious problem that could be fatal politically. How could such crafty politicians not know that? It was something that any ountant could find out easily.


    Kosino didn¡¯t find the documents by using a normal process. But financial statements had to be revealed right after the audit. Unless the countless analysts in the country closed their eyes to it on purpose, there was no way they wouldn¡¯t have known.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Sales figures can always be manipted in Korea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, Kosino.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°How much was omitted?¡±


    ¡°113 billion won.¡±


    ¡°Did it go into the political funds?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±


    113 billion won was a lot of money in Korea.


    ¡°What about the other one?¡±


    ¡°The congressman omitted twelve trillion won.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t believe it. He wasn¡¯t one to talk after throwing away 60 billion US dors, but it was serious to move around trillions without anyone noticing.


    ¡®This is serious.¡¯


    Before Hong Kong and Macau were returned to China, the two cities were a currency exchange, but now it was in Singapore. But the problem was that they were uncooperative about the upper ss¡¯ slush funds and tax evasion. Same went for Japan.


    Honesty was the best policy, but there was no one in power who didn¡¯t use tricks. Those with power were always trying to make it big. And the ones who suffered were countlessmoners.


    The Korean economy had grown consistently.


    Many were surprised by the Miracle on the Han River, but they weren¡¯t sure if that miracle would continue into the 21st century. They did everything to make up for theirck of resources, but there were limits. Despite all of that, Korea still developed. What could the reason be? Those not in finances wouldn¡¯t understand, but since over ten years ago, the States, China, and Japan made big investments.


    Most of the nonmary institutions went over to Japan, and even the mary ones had capital inflow from the States, Japan, and China. That was why not even the heirs in their 30s could be at ease. There were no banks that were free of major shareholders who were foreign.


    ¡®Are they trying to use Korea as a moneyundering hub?¡¯


    China and Japan¡¯s tricks were like a broken record.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Kosino woke Ahn Soo Ho up from his thoughts.


    ¡°Make me a list.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the standard?¡±


    ¡°China and Japan¡¯s fund concealment. If possible, only the ounts that have existed for more than ten years.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to empty them?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll talk to them first.¡±


    He smiled in an evil way.


    ¡®Show me the money.¡¯


    He was ready to use some kind of a cheat again.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 70 ¨C Show Me the Money [3] > The end.

 Chapter 72: < Protect – Episode 71 – Show Me the Money [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 72: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 71 ¨C Show Me the Money [4] &gt;</h4>


    What awaited Ahn Soo Ho the day after his house party was a huge pile of documents that needed approval.


    ¡°I had a feeling Director Seo had a lot of enemies, but this is a big case we¡¯re dealing with here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who this is, but Director Seo has been screwed over. Anyway, what about the deletion request?¡±


    ¡°The legal team is on it...but it¡¯s difficult to delete if the server is abroad.¡±


    ¡°Abroad? I¡¯ll resolve that.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s sex tape spread like wildfire. The relieving part was that people couldn¡¯t really tell who was in the video. There were many rumors about it being a celebrity, but she was only in the entertainment field for a short period of time. On the other hand, there were many female celebrities under suspicion.


    ¡°Will we be able to get over this?¡±


    ¡°If someone released it to target her...that¡¯ll be hard. The employees are also talking about it as well.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung shook her head.


    The public would probably just suspect other celebrities, but it was just a matter of time before the employees of Hosoo Entertainment recognized her. It was also suspicious that Seo Joo Kyung suddenly disappeared. No matter how strong she was, this one was a hard case for a woman to handle.


    ¡°Say she¡¯s on a business trip abroad.¡±


    ¡°Will they believe it?¡±


    ¡°Who cares if they don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    Would there be any paparazzi that stands a chance against Hosoo Airlines, which had a huge private jet along with 10 to 20 business jets and helicopters?


    ¡°What about open recruitment?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re preparing it.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment was getting ready for an open recruitment. They initially had to ask people to join, but as thepany became more famous, talented people were begging to join.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too picky. We¡¯re not a major corporation.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree with that, CEO Ahn. We may not be that big, but our working environment and welfare is better than that of a major corporation. Talented people will swarm in.¡±


    Young people cursed at rich people while hoping to get a job at a major corporation. The reason was simple. Because the sry was high.


    ¡°Did you get any scolding from the Ministry of Employment and Labor?¡±


    ¡°They told us to avoid it since too much employee welfare hurts the financial integrity.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung recently met with self-governing groups and other organizations. She didn¡¯t go there willingly. It was them who asked her toe. There was only one issue surrounding Hosoo Entertainment.


    ¡®The new employees are getting paid too much.¡¯


    The new employees in their 30¡¯s were getting paid 36 million won and the regr employees who entered Hosoo Entertainment this year were getting paid 52 million won.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something wrong with the standards?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since the experienced employees were being treated like new employees.¡±


    ording to their standards, all experienced employees who entered Hosoo Entertainment counted as new employees. It was a simple numbers game that ignored the difference between the experienced and the inexperienced ones. The average sry of those in their 30¡¯s in major corporations was 74 million won. Their im didn¡¯t make sense when taking their employee welfare into consideration.


    ¡°How malicious. What about the media?¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly, not many mediapanies are interested besides a few tabloids.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t put your guard down. The hyenas looking out to pounce need to be kept under control.¡±


    At the BRICS summit, they got the Korean president good, but the diplomatic rtions between Korea and China advanced forward. How that was packaged and used depends on the abilities and choices of the Korean government.


    ¡®If they have brains, they probably realized that antagonizing me won¡¯t be good for them.¡¯


    Lee Joong Hyun, who was testing out both the Korea National Association and Comradery Association, either wanted to make himself stronger by using Ahn Soo Ho or became free of both influences. The important part was that Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in getting involved in his games.


    ¡°The broadcastingpany will take longer than expected.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the legal team thinks?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They said it¡¯ll take at least a year.¡±


    ¡°Since they¡¯re professionals, let¡¯s trust them.¡±


    If that was what thewyers insist, that was how it was. Ahn Soo Ho, who was busy at his desk signing documents even after Oh Joo Kyung left, was only freed once Lee So Hye came to thepany. He was ready to hear a lot of scolding but all she did was wiggle her fingers. Was she minding someone?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have a favor to ask you, Big Brother.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! You¡¯re giving me the chills.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had shivers from being addressed that way, so he rubbed his hands and flicked Lee So Hye on the head.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and say it.¡±


    ¡°Can you give a lecture at my school?¡±


    Lee So Hye rubbed her head and asked him the favor after gathering the courage.


    ¡°Lecture?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. With a sessful CEO...¡±


    She trailed off but what she meant was obvious.


    ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s speechless response made her stick out her tongue. There must have been a lot of pressure from the school.


    ¡°When did you get the request?¡±


    ¡°Hm. A month ago?¡±


    A month ago, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Asia Tour was just beginning. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name was all over the news, his family also became an issue. Why were those known to be his siblings of different surnames? The thirsty reporters made up their own stories.


    The fact that Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s former wife and her son of a bitch son appeared wasn¡¯t even a shocking case. The tabloids pounced at the shocking family story that would only show up on morning shows. The problem was that the witnesses were all only cursing at Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s former wife and her son of a bitch son.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t the picture I wanted.¡¯


    Once the elders of Jejudo turned their backs on them too, they became the worst of the worst. Ahn Soo Ho smirked in his head.


    ¡®They deserved it.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Why are you sorry? We¡¯re the ones who are sorry.¡±


    Every time their father went on TV and pped his mouth, the siblings felt terrible.


    ¡°The reporters must havee to your school. The school must have scolded you for disturbing the studying environment.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Soo Ho, are you a mind reader?¡±


    The truth was, he got a briefing from the guards that were secretly looking out for her.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like what they¡¯re doing...but I have no choice.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t like that the school seemed to propose a deal for Lee So Hye¡¯s education, but he couldn¡¯t say it was wrong either.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll lecture.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do you mean it?¡±


    She bounced around in happiness. Her expression showed that she wasn¡¯t in an unpleasant situation. His guards also notified him that she was being treated like a princess there. No one hates being treated well by others. It was different from vanity. Seeing how Lee So Hye was wriggling her fingers again, she must have had another favor to ask.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    The second favor was simple. She wanted signed albums from the male idol groups of Hosoo Entertainment. That was easy to fulfill.


    ¡°Do you like idols?¡±


    ¡°No, but my friends do.¡±


    ¡°You could have asked for signed albums from just about anyone.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single employee at Hosoo Entertainment who didn¡¯t know that Lee So Hye was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s little sister.


    ¡°While you¡¯re at it.¡±


    She answered casually, but her eyeballs were moving quickly.


    ¡®Is she obsessed with male idols these days?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho wondered. Since teenage girls tend to change their minds all the time, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she fell for an idol. That was also the sales point and marketing strategy of male idols.


    ¡°Joo Kyung!¡±


    Lee So Hye dashed over to a woman and ran into her arms. Oh Joo Kyung pat Lee So Hye¡¯s head.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    ¡°Did you meet CEO...Oh, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung then noticed Ahn Soo Ho. When did they got so close? But then again, she took care of his family ever since they were in Jejudo, and before he started dating Jang Seol Hyun, Mrs. Park pushed him to marry her. Since she aplished her mission with Ahn Soo Ho, she abandoned her brother and whispered with Oh Joo Kyung.


    They were obviously conspiring, but he pretended not to notice. He then saw Do Kyung Ho who got off the lift. He was going to say hi, but he saw someone in a suit behind him, which made him knit his brow. Ahn Soo Ho remembers meeting him at Incheon International Airport. What was this name? It was Han something.


    ¡°Hello, CEO Ahn. I don¡¯t know if you remember me, but I¡¯m Han Joo Young.¡±


    ¡°I remember you, Mr. Han.¡±


    He remembered him as an ace from the National Intelligence Service. Ahn Soo Ho greeted Do Kyung Ho with his eyes and then relocated with Han Joo Young.


    ¡°First off, I¡¯d like to thank you. Thanks to your advice, we overcame our crisis.¡±


    He said he was thankful, but he was half sarcastic.


    The end of Korea National Association, the dispersion of Comradery Association, and President Lee Joong Hyun ying his games in between made it for a sensitive situation. In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bitter words of saying he didn¡¯t know who the other person was, Han Joo Kyung took a step back from thepany politics, which turned out to be a good decision.


    It wasn¡¯t just the National Assembly and the government department that were harmed due to the sex tourism controversy. The military and the intelligence agency were also hit hard, and half of the high officials handed in their resignation letter.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not really thankful. Why are you here?¡±


    Since their ranks changed since their meeting at the airport, Ahn Soo Ho could have gotten worked up due to his sarcasm, but he didn¡¯t seem interested. Han Joo Youngughed bitterly and then got straight to the point.


    ¡°An anti-espionage department has been formed just to deal with you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°On the surface, it seems like a notice from the Minister of National Defense, but it¡¯s actually a threat from the Comradery Association.¡±


    The military¡¯s civilian inspection had been a problem for quite some time.


    ¡°Did themand request cooperation from the Ministry of National Defense?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But they refused.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed again.


    Wasn¡¯t it funny to hear about the negotiations taking ce about him? Even though he dropped out of the Naval Academy, he was still known as a former Naval Academy student. It wasn¡¯t something that made no sense. The reason why the Comradery Association sympathized with Korea National Association was because it was the Lee¡¯s such as Lee Geun Taek and Lee Kyung Joon who was responsible for Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dropping out of the Naval Academy.


    ¡°It seems like they perceive you as a dangerous person.¡±


    ¡°They still haven¡¯t woken up.¡±


    The incident that Ahn Soo Ho caused were buried. Seeing how such murders were covered up so easily, organizational powers must be behind it. No matter how much corruption was exposed through the media, as long as the key powers were okay, they believed they could be revived again.


    Would Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung be able to reach the key powers?


    ¡®That¡¯ll be hard.¡¯


    Quite a few corrupted politicians and government workers were weeded out, but the ones who really needed judgment were a few that died in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s hands. The rest threw scapegoats to the thirsty public and hid out in a safe ce until the storm passed by.


    ¡°So what is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°Justice.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed.


    ¡°Justice?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want justice.¡±


    He stared at Han Joo Young.


    He wasn¡¯t the type to be so frustrating or say frustrating things, so why was he saying such nonsense? Something sparked in his mind. Did he visit Hosoo Entertainment because of someone else¡¯s will? Ahn Soo Ho used his view expansion magic. It was meant for looking afar, but the magic gives him the ability to look through people.


    ¡®I¡¯m not interested in looking at people naked though.¡¯


    It was a magic that he often used while he worked as a guard.


    He had a lot of pride, and he had more body hair than most Asians. It seemed like he exercised a lot, and he also had a small gun. A jackknife? He must have watched too many White movies. Or he had a fantasy about secret agents.


    ¡®Hm.¡¯


    He also had a wiretap.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho was done scanning his entire body, Han Joo Young froze up. Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. What would Han Joo Young do if he just told him that he knew about the wiretap? He smiled and offered a handshake. But what came out of his mouth was very contrasting.


    ¡°You eavesdropping son of a bitch. If you have something to say, say it yourself.¡±


    He was startled and tried to take out his hand, but Ahn Soo Ho held him down so hard that he shed cold sweat. The response came instantly.


    When the phone rang, Ahn Soo Ho let go of the handshake and stuck out his hand. He rubbed his hand and then handed over his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, CEO Ahn. This is the Senior Secretary of the President of Civil Affairs, Park Young Hwan.¡±


    That meant he was a very influential man.


    ¡°I apologize again. I only used the wiretap because I didn¡¯t know your tendencies.¡±


    ¡°Get straight to the point.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut him off, but he was stubborn, too.


    ¡°Please hear me out.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point!¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Okay. I¡¯ll get to the point then.¡±


    His firmness made Park Young Hwan sigh.


    ¡°The president has appointed you as the special inspector general.¡±


    ¡®Lee Joong Hyun, this bastard! Should I kill him?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 71 ¨C Show Me the Money [4] > The end.

 Chapter 73: < Protect – Episode 72 – Show Me the Money [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 73: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 72 ¨C Show Me the Money [5] &gt;</h4>


    The reason why the Americans preferred democracy and aw-governed system wasn¡¯t because they all had strong wills and ideals. It was just a great example of how an evil authority could make people into malicious beings. The States was a country where most tax evasions took ce, it had the most gun-rted identspared to the country¡¯s poption itself, and it was a country full of kidnapping, theft, rape, and murder.


    It was a battlefield that was contrasting of its freedom image.


    However, the States made themselves look like a bright and happy ce. But was this problem only happened with the States? Not at all. All developed countries suffered due to power corruption and the cruelest crime of democratic countries were tax exclusion and evasion. There was so much tax money leaking out to those in power.


    Last year, the States evaded 300 million US dors in taxes. That was 35 trillion won. However, as far as Ahn Soo Ho knew, the tax evasion marketbined with the ck market was twice the size at 70 trillion won. Followed by the States were Brazil, Italy, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, China, and Ennd, so it was difficult to know the exact scale of it.


    When someone in power was punished, gathering evidence was difficult too, but the process of proving it wasn¡¯t easy at all. Since it took months or years in court, the prosecution was at a disadvantage. That was because the prosecution was limited in terms of talented men as opposed to their opposition who could always employ an army ofwyers.


    As a result of the media, countless corrupt politicians and government workers were prosecuted, and many were continuing to get raked in with intense investigations. However, the fight was only beginning. Even if the nation caused them to get convicted, they were bound to appeal, and as the process went on, they believed that the media would slowly start to lose interest.


    Just like how the two former Korean presidents who received the death penalty for anti-democratic acts were eventually pardoned, there was always an opportunity. The elites that led the Korean society had amon belief beyond what was good or bad.


    ¡®Large groups of stones are seldom captured.¡¯


    Byrge, it didn¡¯t mean much but that saying was directed to the elites. They might get fingers pointed at them from the public, but that was about it. Thew? Even if they get imprisoned, it was obvious that they would be in a cell isted from all the other prisoners with unlimited ess to the reception room.


    If that was the result of just judgment, those who run around without rest were working hard in vain. Who were thew and justice for? The Korean society was currently going through a serious conflict. They asked for a reformation of the rich, but they also didn¡¯t want to go into another recession. In the same way, they wanted the top officials reced while wanting the government administration unshaken.


    ¡®Should I kill that Lee Joong Hyun, son of a bitch?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho knit his brows. The reason why he kept getting him involved was probably because he didn¡¯t think he could kill the president of his own country. On the other hand, he also saw it as an opportunity.


    ¡®If I use the special inspector team, I¡¯ll be able to get the secret funds easily.¡¯


    Once a criminal charge was made, a screening of the wealth they umted with corrupt methods would take ce. That was why moneyundering exists. With the normal process, not even 1 won could be hidden.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a confirmation hearing, will there?¡±


    ¡°No...no, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s smooth way of speaking caught the senior secretary off guard.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one inspector general. Do they have to all gather in one ce?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. The special inspector generals are specialists from all walks of life, and beyond the party¡¯s interests...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a detailed exnation. Okay, I ept.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I ept your appointment.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. The president will be pleased.¡±


    Seeing how Park Young Hwan was taken aback, he must have expected a rejection. He handed the phone over to Han Joo Young and smiled.


    ¡°You look like you ate crap, Mr. Han.¡±


    ¡°What made you ept?¡±


    ¡°For justice?¡±


    Han Joo Young frowned even more at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s joking-like expression and way of speaking, but he had no choice but to ept his handshake.


    ¡°You must have picked the senior secretary as your connection. I¡¯m impressed. I hope it works out for you, Mr. Han.¡±


    His words of blessing sounded more like criticism to Han Joo Young¡¯s ears. As soon as Han Joo Young returned, Kosino came in with a bugging device.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Did you look everywhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Find the building map and check the insides of the walls.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as Kosino left, Ahn Soo Ho picked up the phone.


    ¡°Alexa, look into the special inspector team. Find out who the members are and what they¡¯re up to without leaving anything out.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been appointed as special inspector general.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Wait.¡±


    He heard objects getting rummaged before he heard Alexa¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh! Civil Participation in Criminal Trials and the National Inspection System, right? That sounds like a scheme to build poprity.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the president cleverly used his head or if the National Assembly failed to act first. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Kosino is the best with messy things like politics.¡±


    ¡°Kosino is busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy too because of Ms. Kim.¡±


    Alexa was helping Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°But this is connected to what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung¡¯s in-depth coverage of the chairman of the National Assembly and party delegate were rted to politics. She tried to pull out to prevent more work on her te, but she had no choice but to workte. What Ahn Soo Ho could do for Alexa was to pay her appropriately and a gave her a vacation.


    ¡®I¡¯ll take what I can get...and then I¡¯ll take care of Lee Joong Hyun.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t feel threatened by losing face.


    The president had a lot of tenacity for starting a fight with the Korea National Association and the Comradery Association. He would have apuded him if he didn¡¯t drag him into it too, but he already took it too far. The elite had a strange belief that they wouldn¡¯t die or get hurt on their own. That might be because guns haven¡¯t been legalized.


    If one throws eggs, one could just dirty clothes, and it was difficult to get through guards just by getting close with a knife. If anyone could get their hands on guns in Korea, the ones in power wouldn¡¯t underestimate others either. That was because congressmen and heirs didn¡¯t have the superpower of dodging bullets.


    ¡°CEO Ahn, you got a call from Daesan.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    In response to the secretary¡¯s message, Ahn Soo Ho halted his thoughts and went to Daesan Hotel for dinner with Kim Dae San. When he arrived, he was greeted with a big wee at the entrance of the building. Daesan Hotel was now known as the Korean hotel that gets the most foreign guests out of all luxury hotels.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    In the lobby were many white agents disguised as guests. After the Indonesian incident, he put people on especially high alert. With J-Law and Ang¡¯s all-out-war, they were already running low on agents, so even with their reorganization, it was difficult for their team to function properly.


    The foreign woman Ahn Soo Ho met eyes with immediately looked away. She looked like someone from Europe, but her features didn¡¯t look like that of Eastern Europe. Her skin was darker as if she was Spanish or Arabian. When Ahn Soo Ho met eyes with all of the agents, they were all busy looking away.


    Kim Dae San considered security and rented out the entire floor of the royal suite room. The guards of Daesan Group were quite skilled. However, there were no guards brave enough to search Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s body. Once he entered the room, Kim Dae San came out.


    ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡±


    ¡°The only job I have is to sign papers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an easy job, you know.¡±


    ¡°Is there a machine that can do it for me?¡±


    ¡°Haha. You must be getting sick of it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head and Kim Dae San headed toward the table.


    ¡°Long time no see, old man.¡±


    ¡°Come.¡±


    He listened to the old man¡¯s sturdy voice as he sat down. The table looked like it was at a restaurant, but the food that came in were all traditional foods.


    ¡°You got into a big ident out there.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t...I really held back, you know.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a humanitarian side to you.¡±


    ¡°No matter how horrible mercenaries are, they should never touch children. I don¡¯t know about when it¡¯s a matter of life or death, but they shouldn¡¯t do things that bother your conscience.¡±


    Since there were so many crazy lunatics out there, one couldn¡¯t guarantee that there were no pedophiles among them.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t murder bother your conscience?¡±


    ¡°Well, dying and living is a matter of luck.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged.


    ¡°Are you stepping down as the chairman now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Dae Chan sure is in for a ride.¡±


    Kim Dae San was a respected owner who was acknowledged by leaders and businessmen, and once he steps down, the stock market would be frantic. There were no investors who would want to see the stock market became unstable.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a major shareholder with arge share of Daesan Electronic stocks.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just shrugged in response to Kim Dae San¡¯s criticism.


    ¡°It¡¯s only three percent.¡±


    ¡°You still have a lot of influence over the group with that.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in doing that.¡±


    ¡°No, I want you to.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was eating smelly soybean paste stew, had a confused look on his face.


    ¡°I know Dae Chan will do a good job, but I want a backup n just in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°Am I a babysitter? Dae Chan isn¡¯t a little kid.¡±


    ¡°A director should do that much.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll return them.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The reason why people were suspicious of Daesan and Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s rtions was because Ahn Soo Ho had the title of director at Daesan Group. In the middle of their argument, it was Kim Dae San who ran out of energy first. He sighed deeply and then changed the subject.


    ¡°Did you hear about Na Hee?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s answer was simple and Kim Dae San¡¯s response was clean, too. But it was Kim Dae Chan who was startled.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use forcing someone who doesn¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°But Aunt...¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    He yelled at him to stop talking back and then looked at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure if something dangerous happens, he¡¯ll step up without being asked. Right, you punk?¡±


    ¡°You use more tricks as you get older, old man. Are you secretly eating really nice foods without us?¡±


    ¡°You bastard! Are you making fun of an elder?¡±


    He didn¡¯t n on sitting back and watching if something dangerous happened to Kim Na Hee.


    ¡°What do you think will happen?¡±


    ¡°If she was caught at the scene, doesn¡¯t she have no other choice?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not the type to kill anyone though...Tsk, tsk. How unfortunate.¡±


    The Italian prosecution prosecuted Han Chae Kyung for murder, and the first trial was set to begin soon. The entire country was being perceived as corrupt, but Italy was just as confident in their judicial system as the States. In the fashion world, Kim Na Hee was a reputable businesswoman, and she had quite awork in Italy as well.


    If she used those connections, she could have lessened the charge, but not even bribes worked for this case. That was because the man who was murdered was a pro ser yer of Italy¡¯s first division league. The media had their focus on this case, and even Korea woulde to know about it.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯ve been appointed as special inspector general.¡±


    ¡°Who? You?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two Kim¡¯s dropped their jaws to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shocking news.


    ¡°The president must have gone mad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right Father. Being humiliated in Shanghai must have done something to his head.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho continued to smile despite the negative response.


    ¡°Why is everyone so negative? Think about it in a positive way. Positive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Lee Joong Hyun overestimated you...but he must have no idea how irrational, unprincipled, and abnormal you are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Father. If Soo Ho enters the public office, the country could go down overnight.¡±


    ¡°What? What are you talking about? I have such integrity!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Kim Dae San clicked his tongue and Kim Dae Chan scoffed.


    ¡°You must know that Lee Joong Hyun is trying to use you. Why did you ept?¡±


    ¡°If I say it¡¯s for justice...would you believe it?¡±


    The two Kim¡¯s responded with faces that didn¡¯t believe it. Ahn Soo Ho told the truth.


    ¡°Do you know that I¡¯m poor now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve heard. But you still have stocks.¡±


    Kim Dae San had also heard that he used tricks in order to retire.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to manage capital that¡¯s out wide in the open. It can be easily traced, too.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his index finger. The rules that existed in the ck market wasn¡¯t set in a piece of paper. In the ck market, power was trust. Even though he was bankrupt, there was a clear reason why no one came to collect.


    ¡°Let me show you how the ck market operates.¡±


    He got to build his image with what big-mouthed punks call justice while making some money. Wasn¡¯t this what people call killing two birds with one stone?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 72 ¨C Show Me the Money [5] > The end.

 Chapter 74: < Protect – Episode 73 – Show Me the Money [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 74: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 73 ¨C Show Me the Money [6] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho just hated the States, not all Americans. If the majority of Americans worked toward justice and righteous beliefs, he would have cheered them on rather than make fun of them. The States was the worst criminal country, but on the other hand, they always made their best effort for the next generation.


    ¡°Hwang Min Wook, sixty-six years old, and a former criminal.¡±


    The source origin of Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s sex tape came out.


    Just like she predicted, it was JT Entertainment¡¯s president, Hwang Min Wook, and many CEOs of the entertainment world that had criminal records. He didn¡¯t be a criminal because he was evil, but because once a person operated an entertainmentpany, being sued bes a regr thing for them to encounter. However, being charged for 10 times was a bit much.


    ¡°Apparently, a bad rumor has been going around for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Is he rted to a mob?¡±


    ¡°Not a Korean gang but a yakuza.¡±


    The report that Cranky and Kosino worked hard for, had some shocking information.


    ¡°Instablue.¡±


    It might sound a lot like Instagram, but it waspletely different. In this dark site, when a person inputs the information of attractive individuals that clients dreamt of, it woulde up with a suitable partner. It might sound like a decent service at first, but as the clients became more creative with their fantasies, the rate of violence also went up.


    ¡°It seems like a simple supply chain with a separate broker.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s just a servant.¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are quite a few other people who are in the same position as Hwang Min Wook.¡±


    It was possible that Hwang Min Wook was just a scapegoat used by the broker. However, whether he acted on his own will or not didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re nning to dispatch the monitoring team and use wiretaps and secret cameras.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was the broker¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. Hwang Min Wook acted on his own.¡±


    If the broker attacked Hosoo Entertainment while knowing that, then they either had a lot of guts or they had no idea who he was. Kosino excluded the possibility of the broker¡¯s involvement. There was no one stupid enough in the dark sites to not knew of the broker, Wizard.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for us to step up.¡±


    The brokers who didn¡¯t want to antagonize Ahn Soo Ho were likely willing to bring Hwang Min Wook¡¯s head as an apology.


    ¡°We can just wrap it up on our own, but using a special inspector team could yield better results.¡±


    ¡°For example?¡±


    ¡°Chief Superintendent Yoon Chul¡¯s advancement and Kim Soo Jung¡¯s newsroom.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded in satisfaction.


    The one who made the request to the senior secretary was Yoon Chul. It was hard to stand out because there were so many of them, but just participating in a special inspection was helpful in their career. If they make arresting the powerful people possible, their promotion was in the bag.


    ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡±


    As soon as Kosino disappeared, Logan came in.


    ¡°How¡¯s Director Seo?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. She¡¯s a strong woman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she is. She¡¯s not the type to be phased by this.¡±


    Average people were unable to endure such an exposed scandal. Even the employees found out that it was Seo Joo Kyung in the tape. And they didn¡¯t try to stop her past from being exposed to theizens. It wasn¡¯t possible to stop. If they were going to find out sooner orter, sooner was better.


    They would have been suspected of trying to shift the attention with the sex tape for political reasons. Seo Joo Kyung earned sympathy, and Hosoo Entertainment gained a positive image. That was because they didn¡¯t kick out an employee for being involved in a sex tape scandal.


    ¡°You must go, CEO Ahn.¡±


    As soon as the secretary said that, Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch and then got up. He agreed to give a lecture for his little sister today. It was just a lecture for a bunch of high school seniors, but as soon as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name was included in the special inspection team, things went nuts.


    Since there was an entertainment CEO among well-known people from all walks of life, it was no wonder it was fascinating. Just like at the BRICS Summit not long ago, there was something about the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment that the public didn¡¯t know about. The chairman of Daesan Group was an impressive figure as well, but the American president and the Chinese premier were at a whole different level.


    The Blue House received as much worry and criticism as they receivedmandment regarding the reveal of their national inspection system. They couldn¡¯t avoid the criticism of pushing an unreasonable policy just for poprity. But they received enough support to counteract that. ¡ªThose who ridicule our people will not be forgiven!¡ª was a slogan that could give the inspector team strength or keep them in check.


    If a person looked carefully, the inspector team were elites of the legal circle.


    sh, sh- sh, sh-


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got out of his car, camera shes went off. Logan and his underlings were so big that none of the microphones could reach him. As soon as he entered the school, the reporters went away. The chairman of the board and principal guided Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. Please take good care of So Hye.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Of course. I see who So Hye took after to be so upright and smart.¡±


    That was a useless remark, but he justughed along.


    The assembly hall was already crowded. Since he was the CEO of an entertainmentpany, he brought some of his celebrities to perform. The chairman of the board normally would have said it disrupted the school environment, but when the photos started getting uploaded to the inte, he turned the other cheek.


    Ahn Soo Ho headed toward the waiting room to wait for the performance to end. The employees who waited to do his makeup seemed nervous. Why were they nervous? Was he that scary? Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head and then Logan whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Try to smile a little, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh.¡±


    As soon as he looked in the mirror, he screamed.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The face in the mirror had a vicious expression.


    ¡®Am...am I nervous?¡¯


    That was a line he often heard in dramas. He thought about it and realized this was the first time he was speaking in front of strangers since grade school. This was different from the foundation ceremony. As soon as the employees finished his makeup and ran off, Ahn Soo Ho breathed in and out.


    ¡°Why are you nervous, Soo Ho? You¡¯ve smirked at many more enemies than that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was going to kill them. But if these high schoolers diss my lecture, I can¡¯t just kill them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    Logan nodded in understanding.


    ¡°CEO Ahn, the performance will end soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    In response to the secretary¡¯s message, he forced his butt off the chair. The lecture was originally just for the seniors, but it soon became all grades including their parents. What was funny was that Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s promotional department saw this as an opportunity and decided to live stream it on the inte.


    The stage was heated.


    The celebrities didn¡¯t go back to thepany and sat down to watch him with glistening eyes. He could also see the cameras for the inte broadcast. Everything in this world was open after all. This was the 2nd part of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s life that he must live.


    In other words, this was his hot debut.


    ¡®This reminds me of that time.¡¯


    The day he debuted as a lobbyist in America.


    p, p, p- Whistle-


    When Ahn Soo Ho appeared on stage, he could hear pping and whistling.


    He smiled and waited for it to quiet down.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, everyone. I probably don¡¯t have to tell you who I am. Many things happened in thest few days. If you¡¯re interested in current events, you¡¯ve probably heard of the national inspection system.¡±


    People started talking a lot about Ahn Soo Ho bing the special inspector general.


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s something you can do without needing to get cursed at. I¡¯ve never expected gifts either. All I have to do is feed myself like I always have. But the reason why I epted the president¡¯s appointment is because I still believe justice is alive on Koreannd.¡±


    It was a shameful thing to say, but it sounded that way because he tried to sound charming.


    ¡°The topic of today¡¯s lecture is justice. What is justice? That¡¯s a hard question at your age, isn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s hard for me too. No, it¡¯s hard for everyone.¡±


    When he clicked the remote, a picture of Spiderman went up on the screen.


    ¡°Spiderman is a famous movie. There¡¯s a famous line in it. Can you guess what it is?¡±


    ¡°With great poweres great responsibility!¡±


    When someone shouted the answer out loud, peopleughed. Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. With great poweres great responsibility. But does it only apply to great power? Not at all. It also applies to people with minor power. Then what do you think is your responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Studying!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Studying is your biggest responsibility. But just because you¡¯re not good at studying doesn¡¯t mean your future is over. What is a student? Someone who learns. Studying isn¡¯t only from books. Our teachers probably won¡¯t like this, but there¡¯s a lot to learn outside as well. And I¡¯m not just saying that because I manage an entertainment agency.¡±


    When he clicked the remote again, the Enter Academy information came up on the screen. They founded an academy forposing, dance, vocals, and broadcasting in the buildings Shinhwa Entertainment and FNB Entertainment used to use. It could be called a private academy, but students didn¡¯t have to pay a single won.


    Hosoo Entertainment Academy was free.


    But they had to pass through an evaluation from the field¡¯s experts. They were different from other trainees because even if they trained with the academy, they weren¡¯t forced to sign with Hosoo Entertainment. They could sign with anyone they wanted. When they first announced this, no one believed it. However, when this actually happened, people were shocked.


    ¡®How do you make any money?¡¯


    No matter how much money they had, operating an academy would cost tens of billions of won. No matter how much money Hosoo Entertainment had, they were going under. However, as soon as people heard Ahn Soo Ho had dozens of trillions of won, people stopped being suspicious.


    ¡°People of this field, reporters, and even employees ask me this. They ask why I put myself at such a loss. Then I say this. If it were you, would you think spending a few hundred won is a waste?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The audience cheered and jeered to his badassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some would think it¡¯s a waste. But most people don¡¯t worry about a few hundred won. The loss that others talk about is nothing but a few hundred won to me.¡±


    They would have normally thought he was arrogant, but they looked at him with glistening eyes.


    ¡°My speech at my foundation ceremony became big news once. I said I¡¯d show you what true wealth is. After that, a lot happened. I mergedpanies, bought buildings, and even went out on a tour. We indulged in luxurious things, but we didn¡¯t spend that much money. This goes to show how stingy the entertainment industry is.¡±


    It seemed vibrant and fancy, but the Korean entertainment world was falling behind. They weren¡¯t falling behind in terms of their stars but in terms of job creation and maintenance capability.


    ¡°You might ask how this has anything to do with justice, but justice is simple whileplicated at the same time. What students are trying to learn is how to act ording to responsibility and justice. The ones who teach you to do that are just people as well. Celebrities working hard to sing and dance are impressive, too. All who their best to do their job while following their conscience are just.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s charm magic worked on the ones watching it on live stream as well.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s justice for the rich? This is simple, too. To earn and spend their money in a good way. People might call that unting money, but I¡¯ve never spent my money in the wrong way.¡±


    Wow! He found that embarrassing to say, too. There were probably those who thought,¡ªHuh? That¡¯s not what justice is¡ª but it wasn¡¯t the right time or ce to attempt a tackle.


    ¡°As someone who hopes that justice still exists on thisnd, I¡¯d like to give you one advice.¡±


    In order to use the special information that Alexa and Kosino gathered on broadcast, he needed an alibi.


    ¡°There are probably many who knows about a corrupt matter but pretend to not know about them. Don¡¯t be shy. Because that¡¯s normal. But if you don¡¯t make it right now, it¡¯ll be toote. Be courageous ande out right now! Everyone, we can make a better future for ourselves! We can make this world better for our children!¡±


    No matter how much he pleaded, almost no one was expected toe out. So he used a cheat that only he could use.


    ¡°Whether youe out anonymously or by name and give us important information...¡±


    ¡®This is how you unt money.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 1 billion won!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 73 ¨C Show Me the Money [6] > The end.

 Chapter 75: < Protect – Episode 74 – Fan Meeting [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 75: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 74 ¨C Fan Meeting [1] &gt;</h4>


    By the time his lecture or promotional speech ended, the inte went into pandemonium.


    - This heir is badass!


    - CEO Ahn is basically ridiculing everyone else!


    - You can¡¯t buy justice with money! The freedom and justice group should speak up!


    - Here goes another controversy! What¡¯s the possibility of a Korean Sherlock Holmes?


    - Is an intelligence agency equal to PMC? It¡¯s all being hidden!


    Ahn Soo Ho was a very unique case in Korean society where modesty was key. The words he spat out and the behavior he exhibited made quite the impact. The call center that he mentioned went into pandemonium. It was a relief that they were prepared beforehand.


    Hosoo Entertainment quickly made their announcement.


    Since this was a private event, they made it clear that this had nothing to do with thepany, but a few civilian groups started to protest about how he should be kicked out of the inspection group. But on the other hand, many were supporting him. ¡°The reason why Korea has whistle-blowers is because there¡¯s no system to protect them! That¡¯s why CEO Ahn¡¯s proposal and the reward is very rational!¡± That was what they were saying.


    While people were arguing whether it was legal or illegal, the first one to respond was the Blue House. The spokesperson expressed his stance in a short manner. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not illegal, a country can¡¯t interfere with how one uses their money!¡± They made Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s behavior as an act of donation.


    The Blue House¡¯s announcement led to a controversy.


    People of the legal world such as the police, prosecutors, and judges, thought his behavior was an obstruction of justice. But once the Blue House spoke up, there were many who shut their mouths. Most couldn¡¯t help but to mind what those in power think.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho questioned Logan¡¯s bitterugh as he put down the newspaper. Since when could he read Korean newspapers? It was more likely that it was an English newspaper.


    ¡°Does the foreign press know?¡±


    ¡°They have more interest in you after BRICS. What if our past gets out, too?¡±


    ¡°What if it does? I¡¯m not embarrassed by my past. Are you, Logan?¡±


    ¡°No, but you know how people can be.¡±


    It was obvious that they wouldn¡¯t respond well to the fact that they used to butcher people.


    ¡°What about Kosino?¡±


    ¡°He got back to work.¡±


    Alexa preferred information itself while Kosino liked to dig in deep with a goal in mind.


    ¡°We can start as soon as Chief Superintendent gets his position.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go off and do your own thing though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Since it was thewyers who were controlling the inspectors, they wouldn¡¯t just sit back and watch Yoon Chul running about.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    One of his underlings called Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name.


    He was at an abandoned factory near Seoul. It was so empty that they could have shot their guns without anyone noticing. There were only a few regions that seeded in starting a new town business. If they just started building apartments and factories without doing anything else then they were bound to fail.


    A few people with their faces covered with a bandana were seated in chairs and waited for Ahn Soo Ho. They were obviously kidnapped. Their suits were all crinkled and ripped, but they looked expensive. When Ahn Soo Ho made a gesture with his chin, their bandanas were taken off. Their mouths were gagged so they couldn¡¯t scream, but their faces looked terrified.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s unfortunate that we have to put you in such an unpleasant situation.¡±


    The men in suits had ck hair, red hair, and blonde hair.


    ¡°My name is Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    They all gasped through their gags. Ahn Soo Ho was currently a well-known individual in Korea, but they were surprised for a different reason. That was because they didn¡¯t remember him as the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment.


    ¡°Do you have an idea why you¡¯ve been invited here?¡±


    They were bankers or at least people rted to banks.


    They were a part of financial institutions that had both Korean and foreign banks and ranged across types of financial institutions. They weren¡¯t at the very top, but they were high enough to be able to peek into the movements of all organizations. It might be hard to believe, but most big banks were rted to the ck market one way or another.


    ¡°I won¡¯t waste your time with useless exnations. Please deliver this message to the ones who work for you.¡±


    Most of the ones pretending to be Korean were foreigners with fake identities and nationalities. In the case of China, they selected the most loyal agents to go to Korea, and Japan targeted Koreans living in Japan or Koreans who were studying there.


    Being Korean didn¡¯t change anything.


    Trying to bribe people for additionally hidden profits were just the basics. Bringing foreignpanies to Korea with the use of a global business bait and appointing foreigner CEOs by using their business experience as an excuse all became routine. People alwaysin that it was hard to run a business in Korea, but there was no country more lenient than Korea.


    ¡°Know when to stop.¡±


    What was more unfortunate was that there were many traitors who were actually Korean but benefited from foreign funding. These kidnapped men needed to learn a lesson.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can¡¯t take out the funds right away even if we wanted.¡±


    No matter how flexible the Chinese Communist Party was, they probably wouldn¡¯t cover for someone who leaked private information. Corruption was seen as being just as bad as illegal drugs in China. So it was very contradicting that the Chinese premier had an outstanding sh fund andmitted corruption. However, that was how it was in China.


    The strong could do whatever they want.


    He heard the phone rang, so he checked the caller and then picked up.


    ¡°Alexa?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Kim got something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Extramarital children. It¡¯s being released right now.¡±


    What Kim Soo Jung found out about the chairman of the National Assembly was a love child. Having an extramarital child wasn¡¯t illegal. No one was punished for it in the past either. And in a man-centered world, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising.


    - Two faces on a famous politician! #extramaritalchild #lovechild #adultery


    - Having concubines weremon back in the day!


    - That¡¯s right! My grandfather did it, too!


    - In the newspapers from the 60s, he promised to fire those with concubines! What is this?


    - He still lives in the Joseon era. Ptui!


    - It¡¯s not just politicians. Heirs are probably worse. I¡¯ve already heard of so many!


    - Don¡¯t most somewhat sessful celebrities have sex with heirs?


    - Please don¡¯t be so explicit!


    - There are many who advanced from B-ss to A-ss after getting sponsored! Look it up!


    - Kim Soo Jung will probably get kicked out soon! #journalist #KoreanPulitzer #externalpressure


    - Didn¡¯t she expose the national defense corruptionst time?


    - Yeah! She¡¯s the one!


    - Where is she getting this stuff? She could be a private detective!


    - If the entire country starts exposing internal corruption, this country could actually turn around!


    - If we can really stay anonymous, it¡¯s tempting! It¡¯s like a lottery!


    - I know this is a new era, but standing up to those in power...


    - Don¡¯t be weak! This is our only chance to change Korea!


    - That¡¯s right! Koreans! Stand up!


    Paparazzis were originally known as something negative, but after Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s proposal, they looked like positive figures that watched over those in power. No matter what people said, having more voices of criticism was a good thing.


    The one that started this controversy leisurely took a trip to the broadcastingpany. He dismissed those who came out to greet him and asked for the newsroom producer, Kim Soo Jung. He did that to start rumors. She tried to smile for all those who were watching, but when they whispered, she clenched her teeth.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t hide our rtionship forever.¡±


    ¡°What about our rtionship?¡±


    The strange nuance in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words made those who were monitoring them feel excited. Kim Soo Jung¡¯s face flushed up. She wasn¡¯t embarrassed but furious.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Just hear me out.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung calmed down and then red at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Sigh. Okay, talk.¡±


    ¡°This is for your safety.¡±


    ¡°What safety?¡±


    They avoided people¡¯s eyes and ears and went to a quiet ce. This time, he whispered.


    ¡°Someone hired an assassin to kill you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    That was a lie. But without a reason like that, Kim Soo Jung would be impossible to convince.


    ¡°Make it known that you¡¯re close to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use my friend¡¯s authority.¡±


    ¡°If you get hurt, Chul will resent me.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    She stopped talking when she heard her boyfriend¡¯s name. No one likes their lover putting themselves in danger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so weak that I need protection from someone else.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Until Kim Soo Jung dropped out of the Naval Academy, she was an elite. Her records required true skill and ability.


    ¡°If you know that...is it that serious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung thought she knew Ahn Soo Ho well, and he wasn¡¯t the type to joke about something that was a matter of life and death.


    ¡°An assassin...Lee Bum Hak doesn¡¯t act that quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you this already? There are lots of rich and crazy people in this world.¡±


    ¡°Crime Suspect Zero?¡±


    ¡°You remember.¡±


    This crime nning group called General Ashford tend to bet on all the incidents and idents around the world. The ck market could be seen as something derived from betting and gambling.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ck market in every country.¡±


    There was a ck market, even in the hellish country of Somalia.


    ¡°The currency that works in the ck market isn¡¯t dors or euros. It¡¯s not diamonds either. That¡¯s just a token of the promise. If you don¡¯t fulfill the conditions, a piece of metal or paper doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    In the ck market, money was just an illusion.


    ¡°Conditions?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that much.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned on the TV.


    It was a disy TV, so it wasn¡¯t possible to operate it, but his ability to hack electronics was outstanding. He set the news to the G7 Summit that took ce after the BRICS Summit. They were originally going to hold it in Tokyo, but they had to relocate for terror risk reasons.


    ¡°You once asked me what I went around doing. Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I remember.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung nodded her head.


    She wanted to know where he got the money, connections, and influence that even made the president nervous and scared. There were more hidden than were exposed. Yoon Chul still trusted him anyway, but not her. The power he had wasn¡¯t something one could acquire in a normal way.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch.


    There was no time difference between Seoul and Tokyo. There should have been a few hours difference, but weak countries couldn¡¯t even control the time. That was the global trap.


    ¡°Five, four, three, two, one, boom!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung looked at Ahn Soo Ho strangely for counting down, but then she looked at the shaking screen and got startled. The correspondent, as well as the cameraman, almost fell down. There was screaming in the midst of the smoke. Actually, the screaming wasn¡¯ting from the screen.


    The broadcastingpany was in chaos.


    ¡°This is one of the things I was doing out there.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung¡¯s mouth was opened wide due to her shock, but the feeling of her phone vibrating woke her up. The newsroom gave her an emergency call. Ahn Soo Ho shrugged at her. Kim Soo Jung ran off while shouting at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere! Wait here!¡±


    She looked as if she had to find out how he knew that the bomb would go off before it happened. As soon as Kim Soo Jung disappeared, Logan approached.


    ¡°Soo Ho! The hotline of every country is on fire!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer.¡±


    They believed that the world could be peaceful without him.


    Didn¡¯t they know that once Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement became official, a bunch of psychos would start pouring out? However, once they confirmed that he wouldn¡¯t change his mind, they started a big fire, and it was way beyond any government¡¯s expectations.


    The terror had just begun.


    ¡®You deserve to rot, you sons of bitches.¡¯


    He heard the news as well as a music recording of a famous song from a nearby studio through the TV. Ahn Soo Ho started dancing with his shoulders.


    ¡®Our love is a game of fire!¡¯


    My love was on fire!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 74 ¨C Fan Meeting [1] > The end.

 Chapter 76: < Protect – Episode 75 – Fan Meeting [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 76: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 75 ¨C Fan Meeting [2] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°They¡¯re on standby.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Japan is in chaos right now.¡±


    In response to what Baby Angel¡¯s leader, Ye Seul said, the other members in the waiting room felt discouraged. They were excited for the first music program in a while, but a bomb went off in Japan all of a sudden. The right thing to do was to give their sympathy, but they were still little kids who were barely over twenty.


    The youngest was just born during 9.11 in the States. Moreover, the 21st century Koreans were clueless about bomb terrorism. Actually, they were clueless about terrorism in general. After decades of the pro-democracy movement, thisnd put an end to the history of violence. It was unimaginable for people to strut down the streets with guns with their hands.


    Bombs were even worse.


    Even when Japan went through a Tsunami a few years back, Koreans just lived their lives as usual. Was that weird? The Westerners, who made a big fuss out of natural disasters and terrorism, could see the unresponsive Koreans as weird. However, most of the drug cartels of the Central and South America were Catholic, and what about the States which was mostly Christians? Too much freedom was like poison.


    Just like how the Westerners were fascinated by Asians, Asians couldn¡¯t understand how contradictory the Westerners were.


    ¡°Ugh! I want to go back to my dorm...¡±


    ¡°They said to wait for now.¡±


    The manager came along and cut off the members¡¯ining in one go.


    ¡°What does Japan¡¯s bombing have to do with us?¡±


    ¡°You thoughtless wench! This is your chance to win points! Hey,e over here! You, too.¡±


    Ye Seul got the members together and took a group photo.


    ¡°The title would be, ¡®We¡¯re cheering for you, Japan.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it good to gain at least one more Japanese fan?¡±


    ¡°Wow! Good idea!¡±


    ¡°This is why you¡¯re our leader.¡±


    ¡°The problem is that we¡¯re probably not the only ones with this idea.¡±


    She looked through the current issues on the inte. And like she predicted, there were stars who were cheering on their Japanese fans through social media. Even though Baby Angel were top idols, it was hard topete with those who started the Hallyu Wave.


    ¡®We need something impactful.¡¯


    They needed something that the reporters would pounce at. While the leader contemted, the other membersughed and gossiped with the coordinators and stylists. Since they were all females except for the manager, they had a lot to talk about.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Annex making aeback, too?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°But is that okay? They usually don¡¯t make theebacks ovep in order to profit.¡±


    ¡°Since when did ourpany cared about that? And if we all take turns, we can only release one album each this year.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see.¡±


    There was a total of eight groups in Hosoo Entertainment, and if they only put out one group at a time, they would make very slow progress. Since idols were easily forgotten, they had to release at least 2 new songs a year. As soon as the broadcasting was postponed, the halls filled with managers, employees, and idols.


    Baby Angel¡¯seback received a lot of attention just from Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s rising stocks. People filled the waiting room until there were no more seats left.


    ¡°Did you give up on entering the Japanese market?¡±


    ¡°Maybeter? I¡¯m not sure. We don¡¯t know either.¡±


    The 6-member girl group, Ada, which debuted the same year as Baby Angel, had a leader named Yoon Ji who was close to Ye Seul on a personal level. Before they were cast by different agencies, they went to the same vocal sses, and even after they became trainees, they graduated from the same high school.


    ¡°Did you upload a photo?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Apparently, thepany will make a donation in our name, too.¡±


    ¡°Wow, N Star is quick.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°They take care of it on their own.¡±


    Ada¡¯s agency, N Star specialized in idols just like the old Shinhwa Entertainment. They weren¡¯t in the top 4, but they had a good reputation. Ada wasn¡¯t the agency¡¯s front group. The current representing group was N Star¡¯s boy group, ster.


    ¡°Do you like yourpany?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed much. The building and dorm got bigger though. Oh yeah. I still haven¡¯t invited you after our move. Come over some time.¡±


    ¡°Can I go over any time?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Let me check. Manager!¡±


    Her manager was on the phone, so he only turned his head to her call.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can I invite my friend over to my dorm?¡±


    ¡°Hm. You¡¯re in Complex B, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Unit 503.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t be too noisy. Oh, hey, Yoon Ji.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Her manager saw Yoon Ji and immediately got up to greet her.


    ¡°But tell me in advance. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will.¡±


    Her manager went back to talking on the phone.


    Ye Seul shook her pinkie at Yoon Ji while making sure her manager didn¡¯t see. It was her way of saying he had a new girlfriend. Fans would be disappointed, but idols also dated. Some actually liked the thrill of dating behind the fans¡¯ backs.


    ¡°You seem to be cruising through life.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Ye Seul was startled by the sudden voice she heard, but she said hello followed by Yoon Ji. They were faced by their 7-year senior in the girl group industry, who didn¡¯t seem impressed at all.


    ¡°Back in my day, we went around greeting all our seniors. But I guess it¡¯s the other way around now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    That was weird. They weren¡¯t on the sheet of the day. They still bowed and apologized. When the other members started approaching, she stopped them with her hand.


    ¡°Who cares if yourpany is great when your character sucks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ye Seul kept her head down in response to the sarcastic remarks given to her.


    ¡®This senior¡¯s agency is Oreo, right?¡¯


    Oreo had an alliance with JT Entertainment and was famous for harassing the newbies of Hosoo Entertainment. Baby Angel wasn¡¯tplete newbies, but they were noparison to a 7-year senior. She had heard that they go around asserting their dominance, but she didn¡¯t think they would actually show up like this.


    Her manager contemted stepping in, but Ye Seul signaled him to stay out of it to not make things worse. The senior¡¯s manager looked like he really wanted to start a fight. Seeing how he was much bigger, he would have sent her manager to the afterlife.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what happens when a bad rumor gets out in this industry? I¡¯m going to keep my eye on you.¡±


    She became feistier in response to Ye Seul¡¯s apology, so her manager couldn¡¯t help but step up.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t disturb a senior from teaching her junior. Are you a noob?¡±


    The other manager jumped in as well.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of teaching our kids, so you focus on teaching yours.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey! You son of a bitch! How old are you? Huh?¡±


    He went to grab him by the throat, but he wasn¡¯t able to do so. He wanted to scream and snatch away from the hand that grabbed his wrist, but the pain of his breaking bones prevented him from making a sound.


    ¡°Our manager told you to stop. Why don¡¯t you listen?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho twisted his wrist and pushed him away.


    Other people would have thought he didn¡¯t stand a chance, but he was someone that normal people couldn¡¯t handle due to his experience on the battlefield. The big manager got on his knees in pain, and the senior idol was taken aback.


    ¡°CEO Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Wow, CEO?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance elicited various responses. He only went there to take care of his Hosoo family, but he ended up seeing a strange sight.


    ¡®Do people still fight like this?¡¯


    He believed that one shouldn¡¯t meddle in such situations, but something like this should have been reported.


    ¡°What happened, Manager?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, CEO Ahn. This is all my fault.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to question you. How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Following what happened with JT Entertainment, pathetic fools got together and engaged in acts of conspiracy. He heard that there were conflicts. However, such behavior could be seen in almost every field, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    ¡®This is very organized and vile.¡¯


    But the scene was different from what he imagined. Ahn Soo Ho took turns looking at the big manager on the floor and the awkward girl.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Ye...yes?¡±


    The big manager immediately got up and stood up straight. His behavior told him that he made a living off of using his fists. There was only so much an athlete could do after failing to represent the country in the Olympics.


    ¡°If you try something like that again, I¡¯ll really teach you a lesson.¡±


    The big manager just nodded like crazy. He didn¡¯t know why, but his instincts told him to just nod and agree. Ahn Soo Ho looked at the senior idol and knit his brows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your name, but who are you to criticize Ye Seul¡¯s character as someone who¡¯s picking a fight with her over nothing, you crazy wench?¡±


    As soon as the girl who was humiliating Ye Seul got humiliated back, her face turned pale.


    ¡°If I hear about this happening to my kids ever again, I¡¯ll ruin your life. Got it?¡±


    She nodded with a pale face. Ahn Soo Ho shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    ¡°Piss off.¡±


    The two of them disappeared without looking back. He was so taken aback that he lost his temper, but despite the sharp looks he received, heughed bitterly inside. He had a feeling more rumors would start after today.


    ¡°So refreshing!¡±


    ¡°Wow! CEO Ahn is so awesome!¡±


    ¡°That cured my constipation!¡±


    ¡°Please sit over here!¡±


    He just sat down while the Baby Angel members egged him on. It wasn¡¯t just Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s people in the waiting room. There were other agencies who didn¡¯t get involved. In the entertainment world, A person couldn¡¯t waste energy hating on other people when one couldn¡¯t even take care of his or her own future.


    Even dating a sessful person was a skill.


    These kids had no fear.


    They must have had a lot of fascination with a CEO who didn¡¯t have a bulging belly but rather a very handsome and tall gentleman instead. After a few questions, it turned into a small meeting centered on Ahn Soo Ho. They almost couldn¡¯t tell who was the celebrity and who was not. They sat around and bet on ice cream through a game.


    p-


    ¡°27!¡±


    ¡°28!¡±


    The section of hell began.


    p-


    p-


    p-


    p-


    p-


    She got it wrong. She had to p twice, but she only pped once.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Min Jung!¡±


    ¡°Min Jung has been chosen!¡±


    In response to the older members who were ready to tear her apart, Min Jung looked at Ahn Soo Ho for help with desperate eyes.


    ¡°Volunteer! Volunteer!¡±


    ¡°Volunteer!¡±


    ¡°The youngest will grant your wish!¡±


    However, who was that? It was the upromising guy that disqualified Yesterday¡¯s Mina on national television.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in minors.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    They jeered at his immediate rejection, which he made with a straight face.


    ¡°Why? Why? Am I the bad one? What about Logan?¡±


    ¡°White men are difficult...¡±


    ¡°White men?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head, and thenughed as he took out his card from his wallet.


    ¡°Here! I¡¯m in a good mood today.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re the best, CEO Ahn!¡±


    ¡°Stop saying stuff that makes you sound like the ARS.¡±


    ¡°I want mint chocte chip!¡±


    ¡°Ice cream should always be vani!¡±


    ¡°I want Melona!¡±


    In the midst of the rowdy surroundings, Ye Seul trembled with the ck card in her hand.


    ¡®Is this the ck card that only the richest can own? These can buy houses, too?¡¯


    The topic of a variety show a few days back was credit cards. That was when she first learned that there were ranks to credit cards. She didn¡¯t have much interest, and she had only used debit cards all her life.


    While Ye Seul felt emotional, someone grabbed her by the shoulder.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of running off with it, are you, Leader?¡±


    ¡°Oh...oh.¡±


    Even though Ye Seul was the leader, she was one of the youngest in the group. The two other members took her by each arm.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to send you off alone. Let¡¯s go together, Ye Seul.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay...¡±


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not good to be greedy. Stop being foolish!¡±


    They recited lines from a historical drama and dragged Ye Seul away. The vibe in the waiting room wasn¡¯t bad following the mini meeting and the game they had. The idols made friends with other idols, the managers made friends with other managers, and the employees made friends with other employees. And the coordinators and stylists who were interested in marriage showed interest in Logan.


    The phone inside his pocket started vibrating.


    He checked the background screen and raised his eyebrows. The number was restricted. They even used 2nd and 3rd locking devices to secure their privacy. At this point, their location couldn¡¯t be secured. Ahn Soo Ho went outside and left through the emergency exit. When he answered the phone, he heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°What took you so long to pick up?¡±


    She spoke in a persistent tone.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Just as he thought.


    She couldn¡¯t die that easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m in Korea right now.¡±


    ¡°Was Japan your doing?¡±


    ¡°Mm, I didy a hand on it, but not enough to put my name on it.¡±


    ¡°There must have been a lot of bottled up feelings.¡±


    ¡°Well, they treated me like an object. If they at least treated me like a person, I wouldn¡¯t have gone that far. I would have just screwed a few people over.¡±


    As soon as rumors about the Dresden File went around, the Japanese government locked her up. There were lots of war criminal enterprises in the States and Europe, but they couldn¡¯t bepared to that of Japan. Rather than negotiating, most Japanesepanies were ready to go to war for Tenno. But due to the chaos after the war, it became hidden. What made that possible was the fact that the States led how Japan dealt with it before and after, which allowed a secretive agreement possible.


    ¡°I won¡¯t cause you any harm, so don¡¯t worry, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, Kumiko?¡±


    That was right. The person on the other end of the call was the Apanist, who was dered dead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one who came to Korea.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Anya, Gizzling, Margo, D-Rabbit, B-Arc, Antesini.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastards!¡±


    They were followers who kept Ahn Soo Ho on top before he retired. They were simr to passionate fans who followed their favorite celebrities everywhere. He had already met Henry, who managed the bulletin boards and was the president of the fan club, when he was in China.


    He heard Kumikoughing over the phone.


    ¡°You have to hold a fan meeting, Soo Ho.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 75 ¨C Fan Meeting [2] > The end.

 Chapter 77: < Protect – Episode 76 – Fan Meeting [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 77: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 76 ¨C Fan Meeting [3] &gt;</h4>


    After Ahn Soo Ho hung up, he took the opportunity to secretly observe the broadcastingpany. No one could recognize him once he used his magic to blur any recognition of him. If he could trick the eyes of people, he could trick the camera lens too. Since no one had a reason to trace Ahn Soo Ho and no one else could do so, he was able to go all over the ce and listen in on interesting stories.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Ahn Soo Ho is really cocky for something who¡¯s not even forty yet? All he does is manage an entertainmentpany, but he goes around making new rules in the industry and trying to teach the citizens when he¡¯s not even a politician.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Even if he has a lot of money, he can¡¯t get anything done without knowing our country¡¯s situation first. How long does he think his connection to the Chinese premier will work in Korea?¡±


    ¡°How dare a leech without any family tree here show up and ruin the entertainment industry?¡±


    ¡°If the upper people have any thoughts, they¡¯ll probably pressure Hosoo Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy. People are saying he has connections with the president, too.¡±


    ¡°Phew, Daesan is a headache too, but now it¡¯s the Blue House? Who is that Ahn Soo Ho anyway?¡±


    This was pretty minorpared to others.


    ¡°Can¡¯t the newsroom help to get rid of Hosoo Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I wish...but don¡¯t you know Kim Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°I heard she went to the same Naval Academy as Ahn Soo Ho. If we mess with this, we could get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Was CEO Ahn the source who gave Producer Kim all that insight?¡±


    ¡°I was suspecting that too, but he¡¯s way too strong. If we mess with him, we could get ourselves into awsuit. You know what happens when not just a few but countlesswyers get involved.¡±


    ¡°Phew, when will we be able to stop worrying about an entertainmentpany?¡±


    ¡°Just hang in there. There¡¯s nothing we can do right now. We just have to stay low until the typhoon passes.¡±


    He also saw some who were advising others to stay low until it all blew over. But it was something else that got Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What? Did it fall through? What a waste!¡±


    ¡°The assistant director backed out from helping us.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I told you to never trust these broadcasting people.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°What about the medical certificate?¡±


    ¡°I left it in a hospital I¡¯m familiar with.¡±


    ¡°Good. Once thates out, get a few witnesses together and sue for assault.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Will it be okay? I heard he¡¯s close with the president...¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter? That might even help us! This is aw-governed country!¡±


    Listen to these guys. Ahn Soo Ho used his magic to record what he was seeing in front of him as his mouth turned into a grin. The middle-aged man talking to the big manager was JT Entertainment¡¯s president, Hwang Min Wook. He went around other broadcasting stations and lobbied, and he used his connections to spread horrible rumors about Hosoo Entertainment.


    ¡®That¡¯s why he started a fight so willingly...¡¯


    No matter how bad their rtionship was, it wasn¡¯t normal to start a fight out of nowhere. If Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t there, the manager would have shifted the me. In the Koreanw system, self-defense wasn¡¯t really epted. That was why most fights end up as two-sided or percentages were used like how it works with insurance.


    ¡®Is he trying to pull us into the mud pit?¡¯


    The truth wasn¡¯t important.


    It seemed like the media had Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s back, but depending on what the public wanted, they could turn their back at them any time. Hwang Min Wook kept Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s weakness for all that time so he could use it at a time like this. If she didn¡¯t have Ahn Soo Ho, she would have just surrendered.


    ¡®There were many like Director Seo who had weaknesses used against them.¡¯


    Once the big manager left, Hwang Min Wook was left in the room alone.


    ¡®He¡¯s too much of a headache to just leave alone.¡¯


    Those who had seen the worst didn¡¯t care about what method they use to aplish their goal. Hwang Min Wook was a piece of trash. He was the kind of trash that couldn¡¯t be recycled.


    Ahn Soo Ho made a decision.


    The schedule said he had a meeting with the director of variety entertainment. He held onto Hwang Min Wook¡¯s arms and legs. Hwang Min Wook tried to scream out of surprise at something invisible holding on to him, but his voice wouldn¡¯te out. His eyes were filled with terror. The door opened just in time to the director of variety entertainmenting in.


    ¡°President Hwang, I¡¯m sorry I kept you waiting...¡±


    As soon as the director started apologizing, Hwang Min Wook through himself out the window. Everyone who saw it just watched in surprise. It wasn¡¯t bulletproof ss, but it was thick enough for people to just bounce off of it, but his body shattered it.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    A person jumped from the 4th floor. Most people would have just had a broken leg, but he fell onto his head.


    ¡°Call 911! Call 911!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho left the scene and took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Stop what you were doing for Hwang Min Wook and rule him as suicide. Yeah, just make it seem like hemitted suicide because he was overwhelmed by guilt for the bribery, embezzlement, sex tapes, sexual favors, and threats he made. Okay, good.¡±


    The news channel that was originally talking about the bombing in Japan immediately shifted their focus onto the JT Entertainment presidentmitting suicide. Why did the president of JT Entertainment end his life by throwing his body out the window? The reporters who remembered what recently happened to JT Entertainment focused on Hosoo Entertainment, but what appeared to be Hwang Min Wook¡¯s will surfaced on the inte and turned everything around.


    - The one who spread the sex tape was JT Entertainment¡¯s Hwang Min Wook?


    - The entertainment world is rampant with embezzlement, bribery, and sexual favors? Is that what needs to be done to seed?


    - ¡°Don¡¯t forgive me!¡± What does the will of someone who killed himself mean?


    - The broadcastingpany and producer took it too far when asserting their dominance and asking for too much from entertainment agencies!


    - The hideous truth is hidden behind all the mour. Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list must be investigated!


    Hwang Min Wook was immediately taken to the hospital, but he passed away. Aside from his death, the will and list he left behind caused quite the stir. Before their reputation could be recovered after the sex tourism incident, the famous politicians, businessmen, professors, and artists had fingers pointed at them all over again.


    Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list.


    The list, which included other entertainment agencies as well, included broadcastingpanies, producers, directors, advertisers, film studios, and more. This wasn¡¯t created by Kosino. It was a hand that Hwang Min Wook held all along.


    Hosoo Entertainment held a press conference and Oh Joo Kyung stepped up to speak.


    ¡°We send our sincere condolences to Hwang Min Wook¡¯s family and friends.¡±


    She took a step back and then stepped forward again.


    ¡°The rumors saying ourpany had something to do with the sex tapes are under investigation at the moment. Also, there is no basis to the rumors iming that Hosoo Entertainment is responsible for Hwang Min Wook¡¯s death. As the will said, the treatment culture in the entertainment world doesn¡¯t help with the development of this field. To be honest, ourpany has not once treated anyone with extravagant favors since we were established. As a result, we left a bad impression as well.¡±


    They had never taken out producers, advertisers, or government workers to nice meals and drinks outside of work. To those who believe that treating others in the business was how it should be done, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s stance seemed rude.


    They held back since there wasn¡¯t much they could do with how much power Ahn Soo Ho had, but they were determined to retaliate. Even now, they had a tendency to give Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s celebrities the short straw.


    ¡°Celebrities are not objects. What ourpanies are selling is their charm, not them.¡±


    Reasonable arguments work best at times like this.


    It wasn¡¯t just politicians who were strapped by Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list. There were many well-off families among people who aspired to be celebrities, so entertainment agencies had a lot of bacsh from parents following this incident. It was only Hosoo Entertainment who was avoiding the typhoon.


    ¡°Companies value making a profit the most, but there¡¯s something else we must make clear.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung breathed in and out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s protect our duty and loyalty!¡±


    She wanted to hide if she could.


    Ahn Soo Ho pped andughed his ass off. When the camera focused in on Oh Joo Kyung, she looked like she ate something strange.


    ¡°Please stop making fun of me, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Oh, sorry.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t like how she looked on camera.


    ¡°If we stress duty and loyalty, we¡¯ll get a lot of people telling us to make donations.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with making some more donations as we did on the Asia tour?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    She gave up on trying to exin that it wasn¡¯t easy to make big donations in Korea. As soon as she left, Logan came in.


    ¡°Kosino used multiple ounts to make reports to Chief Superintendent Yoon Chul.¡±


    ¡°What about Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fighting with the desk. She said it¡¯ll be hard.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    It would have been easier if Kim Soo Jung was a newspaper reporter, but public TV broadcasters couldn¡¯t just do random things due to their impact. And broadcasters that were funded by the government had more strict rules and regtions.


    ¡°There¡¯s a meeting for inspectors in four days.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the inspector in charge?¡±


    ¡°A civilwyer named Jeon Kwang Joon.¡±


    The Blue House made the special inspectors sound like a secret weapon, but none of the inspectors had particr strong points. However, the cases that the group voted on were powerful.


    ¡®He used his head.¡¯


    It was more possible that it wasn¡¯t the president but his assistant who came up with the idea. But it was also a skill for a leader to use his underlings properly. The special inspectors who were civilwyers or conducted citizens¡¯ campaigns didn¡¯t do it for justice, but they did it to attain power.


    This was the perfect time to get rid of the silence as Lee Joong Hyun wanted, but on the other hand, he didn¡¯t know how some of the special inspectors would think. They were just national inspectors who spoke in a slick manner.


    ¡°What about the bankers?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The ck market bankers who were kidnapped a few days ago were in a confusing situation. Who would have to talk? There wasn¡¯t any kind of military organization in the ck market, but if a problem urred, the client could hire mercenaries to take care of it. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bankruptcy led to a loss of influence in the mercenary world, and there was no way those in the ck market didn¡¯t know about it.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he could just send out an SOS. Not following Ahn Soo Ho and being hostile toward him were two different things. They could refuse to agree with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinions, but they couldn¡¯t start a fight with him. No matter how crazy mercenaries were about money, they weren¡¯t crazy enough to walk straight into the afterlife.


    A dilemma, they couldn¡¯t do either.


    ¡°Hm, is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°We went a little overboard. It doesn¡¯t mean much to be a ck market dealer in Korea.¡±


    Inparison to other countries that had weapons and drugs, Korea¡¯s ck market centered around secret funds.


    ¡°Then we have to change our method.¡±


    This time, instead of kidnapping, he sent an invitation.


    The faces that gathered in Seoul Daesan Hotel¡¯s banquet hall weren¡¯t different from before. Seeing how they were minding each other, they weren¡¯t acquaintances despite working in the same ck market. Their job was to clean after the mess of powerful men, so they were always worried they were going to get killed once their job was done.


    ¡°I will guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°I want a notarized document.¡±


    There was no use for papers in the ck market, but he had no choice but to agree.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He should have done this from the start.


    ¡°We received all the ount information of the clients in China and Japan.¡±


    ¡°How much is it in total?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I¡¯d have to check...but it¡¯s around 80 trillion won.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve hidden a lot of money on such smallnd.¡±


    The biggest beneficiary of Korea¡¯s democratization was the Chinese and the Japanese.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one trillion won in cash, and the rest are unregistered bonds. That¡¯s weird. There¡¯s less cash than expected.¡±


    ¡°How is it managed?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in safe-deposit boxes of the main banks.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho obtained 80 trillion won in an instant. It was so easy that if anyone saw it, they would have been dumbfounded.


    There was another banquet hall at Daesan Hotel.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho appeared, everyone got up. They all had different hair color, and how they looked and what they wore was all different, too. There was a braided hippie beside an elder with a long beard, and there was a girl in a school uniform beside a man in leather pants. The most normal looking person was the man in a suit up front.


    ¡°Long time no see, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fan meeting, so don¡¯t expect an introduction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for showing up out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    The personughed bitterly in response to his disdainful treatment.


    ¡°J-Law and Issac started a full-out war.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Thepany mercenaries are on the move, too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    The ones that were gathered here weren¡¯tpany mercenaries, but frencers. They were free to take on and refuse any project. However,pany mercenaries were in master and servant rtionships. Another monster that was created by the capitalist society were globalpanies with uncertain nationalities and identities.


    ¡°Are you trying to fight with globalpanies? Who are you to fight for justice?¡±


    ¡°Well, you abandoned your throne. Soo Ho. They won¡¯t just sit and watch the empty space you left behind.¡±


    Even amongst globalpanies, a portion of them found just one country sufficient enough. For over ten years, they were pushed down by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s authority, but now that they were free of it, they were determined to get ahead in making the most profits possible.


    ¡°If you want tomit suicide, there are many other ways.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to lose easily.¡±


    It was an answer full of determination.


    Ahn Soo Ho knew why they came to Korea without them telling him. There was only one way of frencing mercenaries to ovee their disadvantages. To put weapons in their hands that would prevent thepanies from acting harshly.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out a small hard case from his jacket.


    Dresden File.


    That was what it was. It was the secret document of the 20th century that was reformed by Kumiko. Most of the globalpanies were formerly in warm criminalpanies. Ahn Soo Ho threw the hard case, and the men pounced at it. He carefully put the case in his jacket and talked.


    ¡°I received a request when I snuck into Korea. The other guys did, too. Is there no way for you to cancel your retirement, Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his middle finger.


    ¡°The clients will be very disappointed.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hand them the Dresden file because he liked them. Just like how he realized it in Sao Paulo, thepany mercenaries were already prepared for war.


    ¡°Tell them to clean after their own crap.¡±


    He just wanted to enjoy the show with some popcorn.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 76 ¨C Fan Meeting [3] > The end

 Chapter 78: < Protect – Episode 77 – Open Audition [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 78: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 77 ¨C Open Audition [1] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°He reallymitted suicide?¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung, who he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, looked wasted away. She couldn¡¯t believe that Hwang Min Wook killed himself. That was because she knew how cruel he really was. But all the newspapers said he killed himself because he wouldn¡¯t stand the power-hungry producers and directors.


    ¡°There were multiple witnesses. Since he jumped in front of people, the police ruled it as a suicide. So you don¡¯t have to hide anymore.¡±


    Because of this, the director of variety entertainment of the broadcasting station was devastated. The public started to get worked up once they heard rumors that the broadcasting station that operated on licensing fees often used lobbied and provided extravagant treatment. The other broadcastingpanies were worried that they would get dragged into it too, and the ripple extended as far as the drama and news departments.


    ¡°I know what Hwang Min Wook was like though...I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung shook her head out of disbelief and then looked at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Did you...¡±


    ¡°Me? What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    She took back her suspicion. That was right. That was a ridiculous thought. No matter how powerful he was, there were a lot of obstacles to ovee before making Hwang Min Wook looked like hemitted suicide.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Is it really okay for me toe back?¡±


    ¡°Then are you just going toze around?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir! I¡¯ll return immediately.¡±


    Seo Joo Kyung caused thepany a lot of trouble with her sex tape. If the media weren¡¯t busy with other things, they would have ripped Hosoo Entertainment to shreds. What was funny was that it was the total opposite of when an entertainment issue was used to cover up a political conspiracy.


    As soon as Seo Joo Kyung left, Oh Joo Kyung came in.


    ¡°Is Director Seoing back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Try to avoid exposing it to the media.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be possible, but I¡¯ll try. Oh, JT Entertainment went into legal management.¡±


    JT Entertainment and other entertainment agencies that were suspected of being involved with sexual favors dropped in stock value.


    ¡°The police found that there was stock price maniption, internal dealings, and embezzlement of money.¡±


    ¡°They turned from victims to con artists.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Evil deeds are starting to turn up one by one.¡±


    The public opinion that sympathized with Hwang Min Wookpletely flipped over. As soon as the rumors about how he made sex tapes to manipte new celebrities, those who rose to fame thanks to Hwang Min Wook ran into a lot of trouble. They were also being suspected of having sex tapes.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t all film a sex tape, did they?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. I think he only targeted those who were uncertain and desperate for their debut.¡±


    ¡°What a piece of trash.¡±


    ¡°There are more where he came from.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t brag that he was the one who got rid of that trash.


    ¡°How about we take over JT?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to weed some of them out, but we need more men anyway.¡±


    Even if they hired new employees, it still took a long time for them to get good at their job, so they still needed talented and experienced individuals.


    ¡°Request for a delisting with the condition that we¡¯ll take on all their liabilities.¡±


    ¡°There are probably many hidden issues...never mind.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung, who was going to mention how much it would cost, stopped herself midway. She kept forgetting that Hosoo Entertainment Group was just as financially capable as Daesan Group. An entertainmentpany was surprisinglypetitive with a major corporation that represented Korea.


    ¡°Tell Director Seo to go ahead with it. Since she used to work there, she¡¯ll know their internal circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    He was going to boost Seo Joo Kyung¡¯s determination, save her face, and cause another controversy. If it became known that Hosoo Entertainment was going to save JT Entertainment, the reporters were going to make up all sorts of stories.


    ¡°Then Director Seo won¡¯t be able to avoid the media finding out. Hm. Is there a way to package this nicely?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Anything else?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured to ask if she had anything else to report. Oh Joo Kyung turned around without a word. Ahn Soo Ho was left alone when his phone rang just in time.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°I made ns with the inws.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered awkwardly.


    His father, who enjoyed drinking, meeting women, and fooling around, suddenly matured. Was it Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s influence? His father wanted to be respected as her father-inw, and when he saw the Do brothers from the city, he came to some realization.


    ¡°Buy me a house in Seoul.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    He had never asked him to buy him anything besides alcohol. He must have felt awkward too, because he hung up immediately after. Others would 100% insult Ahn Dae Man for living an idle life, and he had a love hate rtionship with him as well. But for some reason, it was hard to hate himpletely.


    Knock, knock-


    He heard a knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The person that came in was just as unexpected as his father¡¯s call.


    ¡°Kumiko?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Soo Ho.¡±


    Even though uniforms weren¡¯t required at Hosoo Entertainment, each department provided uniforms depending on the job. The information desk in the Star Tower lobby wore clean blue uniforms.


    Kumiko appeared wearing that uniform.


    ¡°I got a job.¡±


    ¡°Not at mypany though, right?¡±


    ¡°At yourpany.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho grabbed his forehead with his hand.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to cause a mess and expect me to clean it up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good as I don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re underestimating your country?¡±


    Japan did a lot of crazy things, but they were once a very strongpany that was a threat to the States. They were always growling at China, but they were still one of the strongest in Asia.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    He wondered if he should sell her off. But no. He couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do with that temper of hers. Killing her was the easiest way, but he had a very deep history with Kumiko that no one else knew about.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    ¡°Okay, fine. But who hired you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You know.¡±


    He scanned Kumiko from top to bottom. She still looked like a kid on the outside. She was ady in her forties, but to most people, she appeared to look like an under-aged girl. As someone who stopped growing by the time she hit puberty, the uniform she was wearing was too big for her.


    As soon as it got noisy outside, Logan broke into the room. He looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a stiffed face and then reached for his waist as soon as he saw Kumiko. She didn¡¯t stay still either. She took a small gun and pointed it at Logan.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Step back, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Logan!¡±


    Logan red at Kumiko and then left the room.


    ¡°Phew! That old man is still scary.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s younger than you.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s so hard to guess white people¡¯s age. I like that they have big dicks though.¡±


    She snickered.


    He was used to seeing her make crude jokes while looking like a teenager. As a result of the pain she received from people, she didn¡¯t trust men even though she was continuously exploring all sorts of them. She must have had some kind of superfluous charm because she had a different boyfriend with her every time they met.


    ¡°Did the fan meeting wrap up nicely?¡±


    ¡°I told you to just spread rumors. Who told you to get involved?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that, Soo Ho? Since J-Law and Issac went into war, you knew this would happen. Once the major corporations start mobilizing their mercenaries, the world will turn into a battlefield.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hand the file over to apany, did you?¡±


    Kumiko shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. The file wasn¡¯t intact. And I didn¡¯t give it away for free either.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bitch!¡±


    ¡°In order to give the Dresden File¡¯s power, they have to know that it¡¯s true.¡±


    She was right.


    Once they confirmed that the secret document containing fatal information really exists, they wouldn¡¯t be able to act rashly. But Japan, which was Kumiko¡¯s mothend that recruited her, knew this truth way back in the past. If Kumiko was just an ordinary analyst, she would have gotten kidnapped and tortured to death a long time ago.


    ¡°The G7 is a good opportunity, Soo Ho. The power vacuum that you left behind will lead to a new paradigm. But that also means the system failed. The belief that the system purifies the society, what do you think would happen to a believer who loses that belief?¡±


    ¡°Anarchism?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Anarchism. They will resist all that¡¯s in power.¡±


    Even while talking about a difficult topic, she pulled out clothes from her backpack and got changed. She exposed her body to Ahn Soo Ho, but he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed or awkward. They had no sexual feelings for each other or whatsoever. They were like siblings.


    He smirked.


    Did she take off her uniform just to change into a school uniform? What was more absurd was that it suited her. Kumiko had the transformative power that all spies were envious of. How many people could suspect that this girl in a student¡¯s uniform was actually a spy?


    Beep-


    As soon as the inte rang, he pressed the button.


    ¡°CEO Ahn, Director Kim Woo Jung is here.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Tell him toe back in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Um...he said he wants to talk to you about Ahn Da Sol.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Ahn Da Sol.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who thought about who Ahn Da Sol was, looked at Kumiko who was pointing at herself and blinked.


    ¡°You? When you said you got a job...¡±


    ¡°Why? You thought I got a job as an information girl?¡±


    Since she came in in an information desk uniform, he assumed she got an office job. After getting permission, Kim Woo Jung came into the office, saw Kumiko, and smiled brightly.


    ¡°Haha! Here you are! So you are close with CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho asked that question, Kim Woo Jung spoke with a confident expression.


    ¡°Trust Ahn Da Sol with me, CEO Ahn! She has a great talent! I¡¯ll take responsibility for her and make her into a top star!¡±


    The absurd situation didn¡¯t end there. The door opened to someone entering with a troubled look on their face. It was Kim Yoo Seon, who was in charge of the singers.


    ¡°CEO Ahn! Ahn Da Sol has the talent to be a top idol! If you leave her to me, I¡¯ll make her into Asia¡¯s number one idol!¡±


    ¡°No way! Da Sol is a genius actor! She must go into acting!¡±


    ¡°No way, Director Kim! Da Sol is a born singer and dancer!¡±


    Wow, these crazy bastards! They probably wouldn¡¯t even dream of her as a woman in her forties. Ahn Soo Ho was astonished by Kumiko¡¯s perfect transformation. Women were capable of changingpletely just from getting some work done and putting on makeup. But tricking people into thinking their an innocent child was a whole different level.


    ¡°Hey, you liar...¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Uncle!¡±


    Kumiko linked arms with Ahn Soo Ho and jabbed him on his side. She gave him an evil look while Kim Woo Jung and Kim Yoo Seon weren¡¯t looking.


    She whispered to him, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°My uncle loves me so much that he said I can do all of it. I want to act, sing, and dance.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked serious, but to others, it just seemed like he was overly worried about his beloved niece.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    In contrast to theirughter, Ahn Soo Ho wiped his face.


    ¡®Whatever! Even if she looks like a teenager, once she starts singing and dancing, her true identity wille out!¡¯


    A 40-year-old idol? That was uneptable. But a few dayster, Ahn Da Sol was said to make all the trainers of Hosoo Entertainment Academy surrender, which made Ahn Soo Ho groan.


    ¡®A charismatic trainee? But then again, the power struggle between kids is no match for a real crazy woman.¡¯


    Kumiko used to study the best methods for killing someone. So the way she acted, sang, and danced among a bunch of lively teenagers and receiving great marks as well was suspicious.


    ¡®Are you...?¡¯


    An alpha organism?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 77 ¨C Open Audition [1] > The end.

 Chapter 79: < Protect – Episode 78 – Open Audition [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 79: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 78 ¨C Open Audition [2] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°Yo!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Kumiko visited the CEO¡¯s office again by using her family rtions as an excuse. For thest few days, she was so busy as if she was working with ten bodies. However, she showed so much talent that people stopped talking about how she got in through her connections. Ahn Soo Ho was taken aback. He thought Kim Woo Jung and Kim Yoo Seon were exaggerating, but there was a reason for that. On one hand, he was certain about one thing. Kumiko was an alpha organism.


    ¡°A disease that prevents you from aging...I¡¯m a little suspicious of that, tsk!¡±


    Theymonly call it the hignder syndrome, but it wasn¡¯t a formally registered disease. It was rare to see a person aging slowly, but it wasn¡¯tpletely unheard of.


    ¡°Is reproduction your skill?¡±


    ¡°To be more exact, it¡¯s cell activation. You could see it as reproduction, but there¡¯s a bit of a difference.¡±


    Kumiko admitted it doubtlessly.


    ¡°So it¡¯s notpletely external.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d have a hard time avoiding theb as ab rat.¡±


    She was dangerous just by being able to slow down her aging process. The obsession people had with staying young was never going to die down.


    In the end, everything that happened was just an excuse for her. The Dresden File, the G7 Summit, and thepany mercenaries were all just excuses to Kumiko.


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°Are you really only forty?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! You can¡¯t just ask a woman her age.¡±


    He was suspicious by the way she tried to pass the subject. It was possible that she had lived for a very long time. It was not eternal youth, but she had surpassed the average lifespan of a human being.


    ¡°What a monster.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a monster? You¡¯re not human either, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kumiko looked at Ahn Soo Ho in an absurd way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can dodge bullets.¡±


    That was true. She was able to dy aging, but she could still die.


    ¡°So why are you hanging around with me, Kumiko?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the safest ce to be right now, and...¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I was suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    She stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe that you actually retired. I suspected that you were devising something in secret.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe that he gave up the throne so easily. It was difficult for those who obtained great powers to give it up easily. It was just as addicting as sex and drugs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been observing you for thest few days...but you really retired. Who¡¯d believe that the great Ahn Soo Ho gave up everything just to manage this small business? But it was true.¡±


    It was hard to believe, but it was true. The Ahn Soo Ho she saw was truly enjoying his retirement.


    ¡°But why? All you had left to do was build an empire through all that you¡¯ve acquired. Why did you just leave? I thought I knew you...but I guess I didn¡¯t, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I once loved power.¡±


    The reason why he entered this world was because he knew that he needed great power in order to get revenge against those in power.


    ¡°I started from the bottom and conquered the huge mountain that was power. World unification? It¡¯s not impossible as long as there¡¯s enough time.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Kumino that was curious. It was everyone. Ahn Soo Ho looked as if he was either smiling or frowning.


    ¡°When was it? Three years or four years ago? I visited France because of work. They were booming because of a film festival. If I think about it, after I conquered the acquisition of power, I just got bored of my repetitive life. I didn¡¯t run into much trouble and everything went smoothly.¡±


    People might think he was just spoiled, but Ahn Soo Ho felt a big emptiness at the time. He didn¡¯t know the difference between living and dying.


    ¡°After a long time of just wandering about, I ended up in a small theatre.¡±


    During the film festival, there were many theatres clustered together that were ying movies from all over the world.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t enjoy the movie. I didn¡¯t even understand what they were saying.¡±


    Artistic movies were a genre that was difficult for him since he didn¡¯t have an eye for that sort of thing. However, when the ending cut rolled around, he shed a tear which startled him. The person who pulled him out after that was an unknown person who was sitting beside him.


    ¡°That friendly French man was a professor who was teaching French literature at the time. When I asked why he was being so kind to me, he said seeing someone cry to a movie left a deep impression.¡±


    The movie definitely wasn¡¯t so touching that people would cry at it. Then why did Ahn Soo Ho cried? That was what was fascinating.


    ¡°So we talked. We talked about all sorts of things other than movies. And then when we parted, he said this. Modern civilization including movies is indebted to humanities...I would have scoffed if this happened back in the day.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho thought humanities was useless.


    What was feeding the people of today was science, and he knew that scientists changed the world, but he wasn¡¯t so sure of those people who worked in humanities. What was the use of spreading art and culture in countries suffering from AIDS? He couldn¡¯t agree that pens were more powerful than knives.


    The professor of the ss he was required to take in the Naval Academy also said this. That mankind was indebted to humanities. He scoffed at it at the time. Discussing art on a cruel battlefield full of gunshots? How pathetic was that?


    ¡°I used to hate those who talked and did nothing else.¡±


    He hated great schrs. He despised how they participated in discussions that only raised their self-worth in anguage that only they could speak. It wasical that they talked as if they were important when a single gunshot could end their lives.


    ¡°Did you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    He still hated those who only just talk. But he stopped looking down on humanities. He didn¡¯t know if mankind was indebted to humanities, but he did realize that literature, history, and art was the basis of human civilization. That was when he realized why he shed those tears.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I was able to face my past. Thecking me, the foolish me, the powerless me.¡±


    The synopsis of the movie he was watching was simple. A man who lost his memory in a car crash went through a process to regain his lost memories. In that story, there was no dramatic obstacle or a great message that the director was trying to convey. The main character¡¯s process of regaining his memory was pretty dull.


    ¡®Just like me back then.¡¯


    The countless memories, sadness, happiness, misery, and joy that was sent into the oblivion always resulted in regret. What if it was like this? What if it was like that? There was no changing the past, but the thinking of today could change what happens tomorrow.


    ¡°You¡¯re a philosopher now, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel like I¡¯m an even worse of a person now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think affectation is hypocritical anymore.¡±


    He just did what he felt was right. Kumiko stared at Ahn Soo Ho without a word. She had a lot to say, but she couldn¡¯t open her mouth to do so. It was fascinating that he was restraining himself while having godly powers. She would have done much more to this world if she had powers like his.


    She looked at the clock on the wall and then got up.


    ¡°Sadly, my break is over.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep training as a trainee?¡±


    ¡°Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°Someone might recognize you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯llpletely be Ahn Da Sol in just a few weeks.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to be a trainee if she was nning to stay by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s side. Kumiko smirked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know either that I had such talents.¡±


    She was half trying to irritate Ahn Soo Ho. But when she tried it out, she was well-suited for it. Acting? It wasn¡¯t hard for Kumiko to yield passionate responses from people. Singing and dancing? Due to her cell activation, she had great physical capabilities and sang so high people couldn¡¯t believe it.


    As soon as she showed off her talents, she received endless praise.


    It was a new feeling for her since she had lived in darkness until then. She didn¡¯t mind the young kids being friendly with her either. There were times when other trainees pulled pranks on her, but they were nothingpared to the life-threatening booby traps she had to deal with before.


    ¡®It¡¯s not bad.¡¯


    She was enjoying every day.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be watching over you, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kumiko turned around in a prim manner. Ahn Soo Ho was left alone with a serious look on his face.


    ¡®I feel like she has been alive for a long time before we met...¡¯


    Then how old was she?


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think it was that important, but the fact that Kumiko got chosen as a trainee as Ahn Da Sol elicited big responses from everyone. The fan caf¨¦ that raved about the trainees that hadn¡¯t debuted yet went crazy over Ahn Da Sol.


    - Wow! Ahn Da Sol is so pretty! #workDaSol #TraineeQueen #charisma


    - She¡¯s already in the debut ss even though she entered less than a month ago! What is this?


    - It probably helps that she¡¯s rted to the CEO!


    - Hosoo Entertainment isn¡¯t like that! Didn¡¯t you see the test film? Her singing and dancing were amazing! She¡¯s like Beyonce!


    - You¡¯re exaggerating! Maybe Shakira!


    - No way!


    - How can she be so pretty without makeup? This is cheating!


    - Wow! She¡¯s really curvy for a teenager!


    - There are 5 goddesses at Hosoo Entertainment! Seul Hyun, Mi Na, Ye Seul, Joo Ri, and Dae Sol! You can refute if you want!


    - I agree with Seol Hyun, Mi Na, and Da Sol, but not Ye Seul and Joo Ri!


    - What¡¯s wrong with Ye Seul? Are you looking down on Baby Angel and Angel Voice? Do you want to fight?


    - Mi Na isn¡¯t that pretty either. And Da Sol needs to debut and get some work done first. So Seul Hyun is on top!


    - There are 3 goddesses at Hosoo Entertainment! Seol Hyun, Mina, and Joo Kyung!


    - Who¡¯s Joo Kyung?


    - Don¡¯t you know the pretty director? Director Oh Joo Kyung of Hosoo Entertainment!


    - The one in her 20s? Is she an heir, too?


    - Ahn Da Sol¡¯s test film is up on YouTube! It¡¯s crazy!


    - No way! How can she do all of that live?


    - She¡¯s good enough to go solo! If she debuts with a group, the group will die!


    - Wow! Hannah Richardson posted a link to the video via Twitter!


    - Who¡¯s that?


    - Don¡¯t you know her? She¡¯s a top country singer in the States!


    - She¡¯s the godmother of the country genre who sells over 5 billion albums in a year!


    - That¡¯s because she¡¯s American! That¡¯s not much considering their poption!


    Trainees of famous agencies received so much attention before debuting that they even have fan clubs. At first, Ahn Da Sol received attention for being rted to Ahn Soo Ho, butter on, it was her incredible skills that were talked about. At this point, Hosoo Entertainment decided to announce an open audition and made another impact.


    It wasn¡¯t an open audition for office workers such as managers and stylists, but for aspiring stars. The amount that they invested in it was phenomenal. However, Ahn Soo Ho went around looking into special inspectors instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    There weren¡¯t any that epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s greeting. Today was the first day that the 30 inspector generals gathered in one ce. But the reason why it wasn¡¯t that awkward was because they were all well-known people of their own fields.


    Compared to them, Ahn Soo Ho was just like a new student who didn¡¯t know anyone. He felt the difort of others around him. Since they were all pompous and well-educated individuals, it was expected that they would avoid him. But they didn¡¯t make it obvious if they had a connection to Korea National Association or Comradery Association.


    ¡°Since everyone is here, I¡¯ll introduce the topic of today¡¯s meeting.¡±


    Special inspectors worked hard at their jobs, but prosecutors and judges who were dispatched to the team-minded others and postponed the prosecution. They worked hard at their investigations due to the public¡¯s anger, but it was the prosecution that had to confirm the charge. If they lose awsuit due to insufficient evidence, they had to take responsibility for the fall. They had no choice but to be passive and conservative.


    ¡°The bribery charge that Inspector Yoo Won Young proposed is being suspected for being unreasonable and aimed toward a political advantage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s serious to make such usations without sufficient evidence. I think the inspector should exin themselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. If there¡¯s any suspicion, shouldn¡¯t it be investigated?¡±


    ¡°Korea is aw-governed country. No matter how much people hate a person, they can¡¯t be charged for a crime that they didn¡¯tmit.¡±


    ¡°You keep talking about evidence, but Lee Bum Hak is a rtive of Ham Young Chul. Do you really believe there¡¯s no rtion?¡±


    ¡°Then the evidence should be put forward. Once the evidence is provided, the prosecution will do with it what they will.¡±


    ¡°In order to find evidence, an opportunity needs to be given. Why try to put a leash on from the very beginning?¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You went to the same university as Lee Bum Hak.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Once a group of pompous individuals got together, a ruckus would definitely break out. Ahn Soo Ho quietly lifted his hand. No one decided on who would lead the discussion, so the former foreign minister, Kim Hyung Il lead it.


    ¡°CEO Ahn?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho justughed at the attention he suddenly received.


    ¡°Is evidence all that¡¯s needed?¡±


    ¡°Ye...yes. For now...¡±


    Someone was taken aback and stuttered as a result.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°As you already know, I spent a lot of money to obtain substantial information. I even confirmed them. And I¡¯ll hand the documents over to the special inspector team.¡±


    He forgot to say that he would do that soon. Ahn Soo Ho pulled out a bunch of papers from his bag. It was as thick as twow books. What particrly drew their attention was the silver letters that were written on the front cover.


    Death Note,


    Those who didn¡¯t know Ahn Soo Ho was displeased and those who knew him turned pale.


    Swish-


    He went through the alphabetically organized names and found Lee Bum Hak. He then crossed out his name in red.


    ¡°Okay! Who¡¯s next?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 78 ¨C Open Audition [2] > The end.

 Chapter 80: < Protect – Episode 79 – Open Audition [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 80: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 79 ¨C Open Audition [3] &gt;</h4>


    The busiest department at Hosoo Entertainment was the legal team.


    Due to the owner¡¯s many idents, the team of 250 employees was all busy trying to resolve them. Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s legal team was definitely not normal. The recent paparazzi incident included many things that could run into legal problems, so it was quite the headache.


    But what could they do? They had to do their jobs. With so manyw students graduating these days, the kind of treatment Hosoo Entertainment provides was rare. And one other thing that was amazing at Hosoo Entertainment was that there was no 2nd generation heir poking around. No one liked to be taken advantage of.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the scoop!¡±


    ¡°Lee Bum Hak! Jeon Min Kyu! Han Jae Sung! Kim Yoo Taek! Kang Ji Seon! Oh Tae Gyun!¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn caused a big ident! Will he be okay?¡±


    ¡°There will be a counterattack for sure...¡±


    The reporters who were watching the special inspectors¡¯ meeting caught a good one. Since not all of the inspectors¡¯ team had a strong sense of duty and did a lot of things just for their own profit, there was no way the secret could be hidden.


    There was a lot of talk about the information that Ahn Soo Ho revealed.


    Even if they received voluntary internal information, the prosecution andwyers didn¡¯t know what to do with something with an unknown source of origin. Even the court took a step back in response to the public that criticized the Korean society for not protecting whistleblowers. If they asked Ahn Soo Ho for the exact source of origin, they were bound to get a bacsh for sure.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they messing with vested rights too much?¡±


    ¡°Vested rights...who decided on that anyway?¡±


    When a person looked at vested rights which were another word for power, the standards were very vague. There wasn¡¯t even a manual for where the line should be drawn.


    The truth was, there was no such thing as vested rights.


    Power was always challenged which either led to it being maintained or shut down. Ahn Soo Ho attempted many challenges as he climbed the mountain to power. And he was wiped out countless times on his way to the throne. A person had to have sufficient skills to even attempt the challenges, and to step on all of his or her opponents with outstanding capabilities.


    ¡°This makes us look like the bad guys.¡±


    The ones that gathered near Seoul were Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ssmates from the Naval Academy. What changed was that they were 8 people then, but they were only 5 people now. In response to Kang Joon¡¯s grouchy words, Choi Jung Yeon, who recently became a professor at the Seoul University Hospital, smirked.


    ¡°We were bad ever since the Naval Academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Lee Kyung Joon spread horrible rumors about us.¡±


    ¡°I like being a bad guy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a police officer.¡±


    When even Yoon Chul praised being bad, Kang Joon had no choice but to surrender.


    ¡°These days, there needs to be bad guys to catch the real bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Like Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Why is Soo Ho a bad guy? He¡¯s an angel.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re very happy about the scoop you received, Soo Jung. Be careful not to cheat on your boyfriend.¡±


    As soon as Kim Soo Jung jumped in with praise, Yoon Chul showed his jealousy. However, Kim Soo Jung was a strong person known as a man with breasts.


    ¡°You need to grow up. Should we break up?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    Everyoneughed at how Yoon Chul didn¡¯t stand a chance against Kim Soo Jung. Choi Jung Yeon stared at Ahn Soo Ho. She was concerned that he hadn¡¯t said a word.


    ¡°Why? Are you worried about something?¡±


    ¡°Do you still talk to Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, from time to time.¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon shared how Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji were doing. Kim Soo Jung was too progressive to be approachable, and Yoon Chul was a police officer, so he was harder to get in touch with. As a professor and doctor, Choi Jung Yeon was the most neutral.


    ¡°Have you heard anything recently?¡±


    ¡°Kyung Il is nning to transfer to Italy next month, and Min Shik has no reason to transfer.¡±


    ¡°What about Sol Ji?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well...¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon raised her eyebrows. Since Jung Sol Ji was an aide to a congressman, she couldn¡¯t be free from politics. And it wasn¡¯t just the congressmen who were divided in respect to constitutional ideas due to the arrest motion.


    ¡°It must have to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Not everything works in a rational way in this world. In any case, we¡¯re ssmates. They must have been nning to use Sol Ji as the messenger.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho became a billionaire of the Korean society, those with thick skin came to find him at the main office. They were determined to get some money out of him since they shared some good times back in the day. Since Jung Sol Ji was a friend who consistently met with Ahn Soo Ho since the Naval Academy, she was a useful person.


    ¡°Since she has a lot of pride, she probably refused...but that probably bothered the old men.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Will she get mad if we help her?¡±


    ¡°One hundred percent.¡±


    Most women who went to the Naval Academy had strong personalities. Jung Sol Ji was just as tough as Kim Soo Jung, and the average age of the National Assembly was the highest. In other words, it was a ce where one had to argue with old men. In the Korean society where age matters, it was difficult for women to survive in political circles.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep antagonizing the politicians.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It didn¡¯t really matter, but he went along with Choi Jung Yeon¡¯s rhythm.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll set something up.¡±


    ¡°I thought she would get mad if we help her.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! You don¡¯t know women, do you?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked confused.


    ¡°There are times when no doesn¡¯t mean no with women. As such, there are times when yes doesn¡¯t mean yes either. Gentlemen should be able to differentiate between the two.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. So are we supposed to help or not?¡±


    ¡°We have to help without anyone finding out.¡±


    After frowning with his eyes, he finally nodded. If Ahn Soo Ho made it known that he was trying to help his friend, Jung Sol Ji was bound to end up in a tough spot.


    Ahn Soo Ho scoffed.


    ¡°Did you spend all your time at the hospital doing political work?¡±


    ¡°Stop acting na?ve. The world is based on politics, Mr. Ahn. Professors don¡¯t get their position just for being skilled. It gets tougher as you keep climbing thedder.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t women have an upper hand?¡±


    ¡°But the positions are still limited and they look at family backgrounds as well, so it¡¯s tough.¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon looked at the clock then got up with her jacket and backpack.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get going. My kids are waiting.¡±


    ¡°It must be hard being a married woman.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s rewarding, too. You guys should get married, too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at her expression that looked like she was saying she didn¡¯t want to die alone. After Choi Jung Yeon, Kang Joon also said he had a date and left. The only ones remaining were Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°Should I just resign? Who cares if I have a scoop? The ones at the top will cut it out altogether.¡±


    He wanted to give Kim Soo Jung words offort, but he just shook his head because of Yoon Chul who looked angry.


    ¡°What about you, Chul?¡±


    ¡°They keep asking who provided the information, so I almost got worn out trying to hide it.¡±


    Yoon Chul¡¯s informant was Ahn Soo Ho.


    It was a fierce battle, but Kim Soo Jung and Yoon Chul had to keep their positions for at least 2 to 3 years. It was for the good of all three of them. Since he knew the properties of power better than anyone, he didn¡¯t want the aftermath of his retirement to hurt his homnd.


    Koreans thought the things that judged politicians and government workers was a positive revolution. However, Daesan Group incident that started the candlelight vigils was like a small conspiracy that surrounded Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s position. If he hadn¡¯t stepped down from the throne, there wouldn¡¯t have been candlelight vigils, and countless politicians and government workers would have lived peaceful lives.


    The chaos that ensued this country today was a part of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s softnding in the Korean society. Those who oppose would be kicked out, those who were quiet would be left alone, and those who wee it would be rewarded. Hostility should be responded with hostility and kindness should be responded with kindness.


    Ahn Soo Hoforted his two friends, got out of there, and then met with Jang Seol Hyun. They now feltfortable sitting across from each other and kissing. It appears that it was true that the woman a person loves bes prettier.


    ¡°I¡¯m crazy busy these days, Mister.¡±


    ¡°Should I tell them to reduce your work load?¡±


    ¡°No. I should work hard to reduce the deficit.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Are you worrying about me?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something tough about.¡±


    Come to think of it, Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t know how much money he had. Analysts predicted that he had around 28 billion US dors which were 34 trillion won. In contrast to those who split their wealth with their family, this money was entirely in his possession, which made him the richest of Korea.


    But this estimate wasn¡¯t a result of a proper investigation. It was just a rough estimate of what he could have. The wealth that Daniel reported a few days earlier was 70 trillion won. He made a lot of donations and spent a lot, so why did his wealth grow even more? Daniel attributed that reason to stocks.


    Stocks were directly rted to international credibility, and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence spread all over the world outside of the mercenary world. As a result, Hosoo Entertainment Group couldn¡¯t be assessed in a stingy manner. Ahn Soo Ho saw the 70 trillion won that Daniel reported as foam.


    ¡®All it is is paper at the end of the day.¡¯


    He had no interest in transferring the Hosoo Entertainment stocks to anyone. So all he had in cash was around 10 trillion won. He also had to report his expenditures so that he didn¡¯t get caught for embezzlement. He stole China and Japan¡¯s hidden funds, but he had no interest in cashing them any time soon.


    ¡°Okay. Work hard so you can keep me fed.¡±


    ¡°Ahem! You can depend on me.¡±


    The couple was visited by Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°The preparations areplete.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then tell them to begin.¡±


    He and Jang Seol Hyun were in a VIP room that looked down on an exhibition hall. The ce was booming with countless people who were waiting for the open audition. There were many who signed up, were invited, as well as spectators. The open recruitment list looked like this.


    Trainees (Actor, singer, model, etc.)


    General employees (schedule manager, road manager, etc.)


    Professional employees (MBC, ounting, data, foreignnguages, etc.)


    Skill specialists (Stylist, makeup artist, etc.)


    Numbers 2, 3, and 4 were nothing special. And since Hosoo Entertainment Academy was performing well, there were those who wondered if an open audition was necessary. They had rented out an entire exhibition hall and hired judges and set up for broadcast.


    All in one week at that.


    ¡°Wow! There are many foreigners, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was surprised by the foreigners that attended, but Ahn Soo Ho was surprised for another reason.


    ¡®This is more than I expected. How many people are there?¡¯


    They nted agents without even trying to hide it anymore. It appears that Russia sent all of their agents in the form of models. Korean genes weren¡¯t bad, but this made the contrast too big.


    ¡°This is total defeat.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 79 ¨C Open Audition [3] > The end.

 Chapter 81: < Protect – Episode 80 – Open Audition [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 81: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 80 ¨C Open Audition [4] &gt;</h4>


    Hosoo Entertainment group currently had three subsidiary groups, and their worth which was evaluated by Daniel was as follows.


    Hosoo Investments ¨C 63 trillion won


    Hosoo Airlines ¨C 6 trillion won


    Hosoo Entertainment ¨C 900 billion won


    Hosoo Guards ¨C 90 billion won


    The money that Hosoo Entertainment could mobilize was only 10 trillion won. On top of that, billions of won went intopensating for Hosoo Airlines¡¯ deficit. Hosoo Entertainment was simply a private airport for the use of Hsoo Entertainment Group and Soo Ho.


    The yearly deficit of Hosoo Airlines was 370 billion won which was around 300 million dors. No matter how much the board of directors unted their money, it was difficult to even spend 50 billion won. That was how expensive it was to operate an airline. It was unreasonable topare an entertainmentpany with an airline, to begin with.


    Following the settlement and reorganization of Hosoo Entertainment, they were on their way to a great surplus. As long as the CEO didn¡¯t do anything crazy, thepany would be able to end with profits. However, Ahn Soo Ho was Ahn Soo Ho.


    The budget for Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s open audition was 100 billion won. Since it was the group¡¯s event, Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t have to take on all of the costs, but they did. Since they spent lots of money in the region, tradespeople liked Hosoo Entertainment best, and the surroundingnd went up in value, so if Ahn Soo Ho decided to run for office, he would get the votes.


    The fans who visited the exhibition hall for the celebratory performances, short fan meeting, and fan signings, were very excited. The attention that was initially set on the candlelight vigils and political scandals shifted to Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Group.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this is a festival or an open recruitment.¡±


    Since there was a congrattory performance every few hours, the audience and reporters were hyped up. The peak of the audition was on the third day when L, the fairy of pop, made a surprise appearance. The ones who saw her didn¡¯t believe it at first and then screamed in excitement. Even those who weren¡¯t interested in pop would have heard her name at least once.


    ¡°This is crazy! How much money did they spend?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s next? Rock Spirit?¡±


    The performers of the fourth day were the heavy metal legend, Metallica. At this point, people had no choice but to acknowledge Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s power. It was impressive that they got such big stars to agree to perform at this event. On the first few days, Korean celebrities visited the exhibition hall, and then after that, it was stars from Japan and China who held fan meetings and fan signings.


    The reason why they could keep it a secret was because of Hosoo Airlines as well as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Hollywood connections. On the first day, Ahn Soo Ho entertained the audience by dressing up as Mansour. And on thest day, he entertained the audience once again by making themugh.


    He went onto the stage dressed up as jacked Steve Jobs. The audience pped,ughed and whistled. Ahn Soo Ho did his best to imitate Steve Jobs. There was lots ofughter and cheering. He waited until they quieted down.


    ¡°What do you think? Do I look like an innovation icon?¡±


    His facial expression made peopleugh once more.


    ¡°I had a good time, everyone. Did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯d like to hire everyone, but unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Aw.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m nning to hold an open audition every year.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    They cheered again so he waited for them to quiet down.


    ¡°Just like Director Oh Joo Kyung said, my management policy is duty and loyalty!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho threw his fist in the air and talked about loyalty, Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s face popped onto the screen. It was a sneak attack. The look of her embarrassment made everyoneugh.


    ¡°Then how about my second policy? It¡¯s the enjoyment that you showed today. What¡¯s the duty of entertainmentpanies? To give people enjoyment. But in order to do that, we have to enjoy it first. Work stress? Of course, that can¡¯t be avoided. But if there¡¯s enjoyment involved, that stress can be a driving force.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s employee welfare was just as good as those of major corporations. But since Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t running a charity, they had to consider the deficits as well.


    ¡°People ask if I¡¯m beingzy as a special inspector, but I don¡¯t agree with them. Politics is politics and entertainment is entertainment. Most importantly, I think I did my part.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Cheering swept over the news screen that switched to a bunch of politicians and government workers.


    ¡°I spent a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    The way he rubbed his finger was referring to the paparazzi.


    ¡°I should make sure that this doesn¡¯t happen again. But in order to do that, society must change. As I said, I spent a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank everyone for gathering the courage to make reports.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho bowed and the crowd apuded.


    ¡°People call it Hell Joseon, but our country is a good country. There are definitely things that could be improved. But Korea can definitely get better.¡±


    When the vibe became serious, he changed the topic.


    ¡°Some of you probably noticed something about this look. That¡¯s right. Jobs is the icon of innovation. There¡¯s a reason why I climbed so high despite the opposition of directors.¡±


    The words VISION 2030 shed up on therge screen.


    The dozens of long-term projects that Hosoo Entertainment Group nned toplete by 2030 went up on the screen. It included the Star Town n that was talked about as well as the n to buy broadcasting, production, and filmpanies in order to produce movies and dramas. There were also ns to coborate with other Asian countries and restructuring foreign branches to improve their marketing strategies.


    ¡°2030? It might sound like a long time from now, but it¡¯s really not. It¡¯ll already be 2020, which Wonder Kiddy talked about, three years from now.¡±


    Those who knew Wonder Kiddy were probably middle-aged men.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a promise to you before 2030 rolls around.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Ahn Soo Ho shouted in confidence.


    ¡°Ourpany will surpass Disney!¡±


    Since he wasn¡¯t the one doing the work, it didn¡¯t matter.


    - The 2030 vision that Hosoo Entertainment revealed! They¡¯re challenging the entertainment empire, Disney!


    - Wow, So badass! Disney? They¡¯re challenging Disney?


    - Koreans only think of animations when they hear Disney, but they¡¯re the biggest in the American entertainment business!


    - The icon of this generation, Mickey Mouse!


    - But Hosoo Entertainment and Disney are two different industries.


    - So they¡¯re saying they¡¯re going to invest in another field as well! I¡¯m cheering them on!


    - That¡¯ll cost so much money. Can they afford it?¡±


    - It¡¯s a waste of time and energy to worry about Mr. Ahn¡¯s wealth!


    - They¡¯re going to take over broadcasters, productionpanies, and build a multiplex? Can they do it?


    - If they monopolize on theatre businesses, they could cause a lot of harm!


    - Monopolize? Aren¡¯t you getting ahead of yourself?


    - If the price goes down due to thepetition, that¡¯s good for customers!


    - By broadcasters, does that mean they¡¯ll buy a cablework?


    - Isn¡¯t our country¡¯s public TV super strict? I heard SBS wouldn¡¯t have received permission if it wasn¡¯t for democracy. But how much profit can they get from a poption less than 100 million? I don¡¯t know about this!


    - You can¡¯t ignore the power of poption! But at least there¡¯s China and Japan nearby!


    - CEO Ahn finished off their Asian tour in Shanghai and met with the Chinese premier all for this project! It¡¯s the perfect big picture!


    - That makes more sense. Wow, this is why not everyone can run a business!


    - But Japan was left out of the Asian tour.


    - They can go to Japan whenever they want. They¡¯re our country¡¯s turf.


    - Hallyu isn¡¯t as popr in Japan as it used to be!


    - Hallyu! The Japanesedies like it!


    - At least Japan doesn¡¯t go as far as to ban Korean culture.


    - You¡¯re wrong. Japan is so much more shameless than China!


    Hosoo Entertainment hired 1000 people from the open audition, and Hosoo Entertainment had around 900 people in total. Among those 900 people, 200 were trainees to be actors, singers, and models. Model trainees? Models just train on their own, right? It was kind of a new job group, but the foreigners that were selected were new to the Korean industry.


    ¡°You¡¯re fresh out of college.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Ed, who was 23 years old, entered the CIA through a program that gathered top students. They wereplete noobs. Were they so understaffed that they had to dispatch newbies as well? That wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°What¡¯s your assignment?¡±


    ¡°To seed as a model at Hosoo Entertaiment.¡±


    That as all.


    ¡®He¡¯s Friendly.¡¯


    Most people understand ¡®friendly¡¯ as being nice and approachable in personal settings, but in this world, it was more simr to a token of amity or a voluntary hostage. He was a hostage, but since they could help each other as needed, he wasn¡¯t a typical hostage. He was more of a liaison officer. But he didn¡¯t expect them to send a guy in his twenties.


    They didn¡¯t want to suspect a veteran of having other ns up his sleeve. It was like they surrendered and then let their bellies out and ran around like fools. They seemed to have no pride left. Did the Sao Paolo incident hurt them that badly?


    ¡®This must have been Eaton¡¯s idea...¡¯


    It seemed like Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare was involved in this. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t just the CIA that sent an agent. Seven out of 200 trainees that were selected were agents, and there was a total of twenty-five in the entire group. He could have dropped them in the documents stage, but they didn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t have formal experience as agents.


    They were all noobs.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t see this as a difficult situation. He was capable of dodging monitoring whenever he wanted, so he preferred having a bunch of newbie agents around than veterans.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you monitor or not, but it won¡¯t be free.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide you with the information you want.¡±


    Information from the CIA was pretty valuable.


    Following the States, Russia, Ennd, France, China, and Japan meddled as well. Ahn Soo Ho was quite pleased. And then not long afterward, an opportunity came up. Kim Dae San denied, it, but blood was thicker than water.


    Kim Na Hee was still in Italy.


    ¡°I need Han Chae Kyung¡¯s case file.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 80 ¨C Open Audition [4] > The end.

 Chapter 82: < Protect – Episode 81 – Scandal [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 82: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 81 ¨C Scandal [1] &gt;</h4>


    Crimes against Koreans or rted to Koreans were still happening all around the world. It was just that the Korean government wasn¡¯t interested. It was a relief if just one article was published about it. Because of this vibe, the diplomats were supposed to be taking the lead were sparing themselves.


    It wasn¡¯t that there were no diplomats who had a passion for their job. But they were petty and crafty, and only cared about their ambitions and aspirations. Democracy definitely led to a generation of decent people, but there were still lots of crazy people as well. It wasn¡¯t Korea that was having issues with incapable diplomats who failed to protect their country.


    If Ahn Soo Ho had to pick the most incapable organization, he would have picked the diplomats. He might have been underestimating them, but their organization¡¯s future was hopeless.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    The case file of Han Chae Kyung was aplete mess.


    ¡®Italian investigators, political circles, gambling brokers, mafias... Sigh! She¡¯s involved with all of the above.¡¯


    The upper-ss foreign exchange student and the pro-Italian ser yer ended on a bad note. Was it even romance?


    ¡®A pro ser yer who was more popr for his looks than his talent?¡¯


    But if he was ying in the first division, he must have had some talent. But the league wasn¡¯t so easy that he could seed when he was all about parties and girls.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t the first time a win was fabricated.¡¯


    Many people were screwed over by the ser scandal that put Italy in chaos back in 2006. Ahn Soo Ho only heard stories about it. What was more of a problem was that a simr scandal took ce in 2012 as well. Experts predicted that such fabrication with wins had been happening for quite some time and would continue to ur in years toe.


    ¡®Just like diplomats, this isn¡¯t only specific to one country.¡¯


    Illegal gambling in pro sports was different in each country, but the scale was phenomenal. The truth behind Han Chae Young¡¯s case file was that she had low standards and was in the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    ¡®Han Chae Kyung is innocent.¡¯


    But it didn¡¯t look like she could get out of it easily. The Italian government preferred sacrificing one foreigner than to be humiliated nationally, so in order to get rid of the evidence, gambling brokers and mafias worked together as an ensemble.


    Ahn Soo Ho closed the file.


    It was too big a fight for Kim Na Hee. They could have a better chance if the Korean government or Daesan Group stepped up, but it didn¡¯t seem like the government was willing to do that. What else could he expect from them? The current Italian and Korean ambassadors were trash.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho handed Logan the documents.


    ¡°She was very unlucky. The mafia could try to shut everyone¡¯s mouths.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy, even for the mafia. The Italian investigators aren¡¯t dumb.¡±


    The Italian investigators once made huge sacrifices to root out the mafia. They still existed today, but there were much less than before.


    ¡°If a scandal breaks loose, a lot of heads will be chopped off.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t let someone be framed.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to get involved, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯ll make things moreplicated.¡±


    He could set Han Chae Kyung free with one phone call. But so what? There was too much to be bothered with by getting involved with someone he didn¡¯t even know. Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. It was unfortunate for Kim Na Hee, but all they could do was hope for a light sentence by the Italian court.


    Logan changed the subject.


    ¡°The basic training ended yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Can they start working then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Hosoo Guards dispatched to the securitypany solely meant for Hosoo Entertainment Group. Since guns were illegal in Korea, being a guard wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, but it was different for bodyguards. Do Kyung Ho was in charge of guarding the facilities in Star Tower while Logan was in charge of being a bodyguard.


    ¡°The celebrities aren¡¯t in any particr danger.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t one of them have a stalker?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s prettymon.¡±


    They were capable of creating evidence that never existed. As long as they weren¡¯t vicious stalkers, they could just make up some evidence and hand them over to the police. The managers at the scene were the most excited at the Hosoo Guards¡¯ appearance because they worked as the guards up until this point. It was physically demanding and they had a hard time fulfilling the jobpletely.


    ¡°It looks like Kosino is having fun.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always like that.¡±


    Korea had the fastest inte speed. It was the best yground for Alexa and Kosino¡¯s team, who yed around with information. TV and inte were overflowing with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name, but not many people recognized him on the streets. It was actually Logan in his white t-shirt and jeans with a ripped body who got more attention.


    ¡°This is making me mad.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tried to deny it. He thought he had be more famous than the average star, but he was sad that no one recognized him.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself, Logan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always giving you work though.¡±


    ¡°At least they¡¯re new things.¡±


    Since he had always held a gun, he probably never worked a normal job before. Retirement didn¡¯t mean that a person would have to hide out on a deserted ind. They arrived at a rooftop caf¨¦ in the middle of Hongdae. The outdoor caf¨¦ had a very captivating idea. The problem was the not so good air of Seoul.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    A foreigner who was just as big as Logan waved his hand as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho. Two Westerners and one Asian wouldn¡¯t have been a strange sight in Itaewon, but there were those who were ncing over at him who spoke fluent Korean.


    ¡°Is this Logan?¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Cox.¡±


    ¡°Mister? Just call me David.¡±


    David Cox, whose Korean name was Lee Chul. He was the husband of princess Lee Mi Hyun.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be famous for controlling this country in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other. What happened?¡±


    ¡°No one recognizes me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Lee Chulughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s whining.


    ¡°Is your wife doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. I¡¯m sorry and thankful to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    The Korean imperial family was no longer the Korea National Association¡¯s puppet. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s financial support helped, but it was the absence of Lee Geun Taek that did the job.


    ¡°Come to Jejudo some time. I¡¯ll host your entire stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    That was it for their greetings.


    ¡°The reason why I came to see you... Sigh.¡±


    Lee Chul suddenly sighed in the middle of talking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Chul.¡±


    ¡°I have no shame. Tsk! Come out, you punks.¡±


    Lee Chul called them over after clicking his tongue. Ahn Soo Ho was wondering who he kept ncing at, and the people who came over looked familiar to him. It became even clearer once they took off their hats and sunsses.


    ¡°You guys?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Soo Ho.¡±


    They were Lee Chul¡¯s nieces, Emily and Rachel, who went back to Australia after their trip to Korea.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You should have called. I would have picked you up.¡±


    The way Lee Chul was looking at Emily and Rachel suggested that they were in a situation. But isn¡¯t this the middle of a high school semester? Lee Chul sighed once more.


    ¡°Soo Ho, I¡¯m sorry...but can you watch them for a few months? I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    They applied for exchange student programs without him knowing.


    ¡°Is that possible for a minor to do?¡±


    ¡°In Australia, kids can live alone once they¡¯re sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and then tilted his head.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they just pass through if they¡¯re exchange students?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly...their family is pretty well-off, too.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that money can¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Since they had their grades transferred, all they have to do is graduate. You don¡¯t have to do much, and I¡¯ll drop by from time to time...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lee Chul was ready to exin further, so when Ahn Soo Ho nodded, he had his eyes wide opened.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close enough to do things like this. So Hye will be happy, too. But if they¡¯re in senior year, aren¡¯t they a year older than So Hye?¡±


    ¡°They skipped a grade.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m impressed. Anyway, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡±


    Lee Chul looked relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Soo Ho. We don¡¯t have any connections in Seoul. And as for rtives...Lee Jin is a good person, but we¡¯re not close to anyone else.¡±


    Lee Mi Hyun¡¯s older brother, Lee Jin took the money Ahn Soo Ho gave him and seized the Korean Imperial family. Did he have what it takes? If it was back in the day, he could have been known as a wise king. Emily and Rachel, who weren¡¯t that fluent in Korea, just blinked and looked around.


    ¡°What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    The two girls addressed him in broken Korean. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Why did you want to leave a ce with such clean air ande to this dirty city?¡±


    ¡°Because we missed Korea.¡±


    ¡± You probably just want to be celebrities.¡±


    When Lee Chul snorted, Emily and Rachel minded Ahn Soo Ho. It was clear what that meant, and it didn¡¯t feel insulting. Connections were a skill.


    ¡°We want to be idols!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Help us, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to nod in response to their earnest gazes.


    ¡°Okay. But you still have to take a test.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We prepared.¡±


    Lee Chul was just shaking his head.


    ¡°Can I take them to take a test right now?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I should get back to Jejudo. Mi Hyun must be scared by herself.¡±


    He had a lot of curse words he wanted to say, but he kept them down. He was another submissive husband.


    ¡°Please say hi to your wife for me.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Lee Chul, Ahn Soo Ho felt his phone vibrating, so he checked the caller and then answered it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What trouble?


    But it really was big trouble.


    - This just in! Seol Hyun is dating her CEO!


    - Exclusive scoop! Seol Hyun is dating her CEO!


    - Hosoo Entertainment is surrounded by all sorts of rumors! Could this be political retaliation?


    It was obvious where the origin was.


    Politicians never sat back and did nothing, and since they were screwed overpletely, their counterattack was 99.9% expected. People were most frightening when they had nothing else to lose.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like I tried to stop them...but they¡¯re trying hard.¡¯


    They refused to go down alone.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 81 ¨C Scandal [1] > The end.

 Chapter 83: < Protect – Episode 82 – Scandal [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 83: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 82 ¨C Scandal [2] &gt;</h4>


    As soon as rumors about their dating came out, Jang Seol Hyun acknowledged it as if she had been waiting for this. She wasn¡¯t the one who revealed, it, was she? She was so quick that that suspicion also came to mind. Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s main office was busy with calls from advertisers, reporters, and fans. The two of them were the ones who caused the trouble, but other people were busy cleaning it up. But they didn¡¯t feel that they did something wrong since they were beingpensated well.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho entered Star Tower, Oh Joo Kyung greeted him, but she didn¡¯t seem that surprised.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯sing in right now.¡±


    ¡°Did she really acknowledge it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Since they turned off their phones to block out the noise, they had no choice but tomunicate through managers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that surprised.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we sent out the article.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed. Oh Joo Kyung and Jang Seol Hyun must have spoken ahead of time.


    ¡°Last night, we received a call saying a dating rumor article was going to be released. So she told them to make it big if they were going to do it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Who? Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    They definitely talked about it ahead of time. Heughed bitterly in response to the sound of a knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun poked her head in andughed.


    ¡°Next time, tell me before you cause an ident.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Agh!¡±


    She screamed when Ahn Soo Ho pulled her cheeks.


    ¡°Do we have to hold a press conference?¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    He frowned and went deep into thought in response to Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s response.


    ¡°We should tell both parents so that they don¡¯t get surprised.¡±


    ¡°I already did that.¡±


    ¡°Should I be proud?¡±


    He patted Jang Seol Hyun on the head who looked like she was proud of herself.


    ¡°What does the public think?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°Tell me in more detail.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung opened her tablet in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho, that son of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Anything good?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Not at all?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    After asking, again and again, all he could do was to let out a sigh. Since Jang Seol Hyun was over a decade younger, he couldn¡¯t say anything in response to the insults, but it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t a catch either.


    ¡°In the Western world, there are plenty of couples with big age gaps. Why are they being like that?¡±


    ¡°Because this is Korea. The advertisers are angry as well.¡±


    ¡°Are they pulling out?¡±


    ¡°No...but they have something on us now.¡±


    They were like hyenas who tried to pounce at whatever they could get. As many people Hosoo Entertainment had on their side, there were many against them as well.


    ¡°How are we going to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°How about we hold a press conference and then appear on a talk show?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Jang Seol Hyun. This didn¡¯t seem like something that coulde out of Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s head. Jang Seol Hyun quickly exined.


    ¡°If we consider what happened in Hollywood, isn¡¯t it normal that we¡¯re dating, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dramatic, but people will only continue to curse...Hm, let¡¯s give it some time. Did you book a ce for the press conference?¡±


    He looked back at Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°At Daesan Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too obvious?¡±


    It was his rtionship with Kim Dae San that was special, not Daesan Group and hispany, but Oh Joo Kyung used her formerpany to their advantage. When the interphone rang, he pressed the button to answer it.


    ¡°Chairman Kim Dae San is on the line.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pressed the blinking number 3 button and then answered the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You thieving son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Old man, go to sleep if you have nothing else to do.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Kim Dae Sanughed as if he was in a good mood.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been scheming behind my back.¡±


    ¡°It turned out that way.¡±


    ¡°Did you greet each other¡¯s families?¡±


    ¡°Dating doesn¡¯t mean that we...we¡¯ll get married.¡±


    He changed his words as soon as he saw Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s re.


    ¡°What is this about, old man?¡±


    ¡°You need to help Na Hee.¡±


    ¡°Na Hee? Didn¡¯t we agree to just watch over her?¡±


    ¡°Things have gotten worse. You knew, didn¡¯t you? You turned it down because you knew it wasplicated, right?¡±


    It was just a guess, but he didn¡¯t deny it. It seemed as though Daesan also sent men to look into the truth of Han Chae Kyung¡¯s case. Seeing how they found out the truth quickly, they must have employed a famous detective agency.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be bothered...¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re interested in broadcastingpanies.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Hoined, Kim Dae San came swinging in with an offer.


    ¡°I told youst time. I¡¯m interested. But there are too many things to deal with first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yourself?¡±


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    He noticed a sense of desperation hidden beneath his youthful way of talking because Kim Dae San was really worried about Kim Na Hee. Blood really was thicker than water. After ending his call, Ahn Soo Ho looked at Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Daesan will be helping with the broadcastingpanies. Since the old man is handling it himself, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll happen.¡±


    ¡°By old man...do you mean the chairman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I¡¯d better tell the task force right away.¡±


    In Korean society, Kim Dae San still had more influence than Ahn Soo Ho. As soon as Oh Joo Kyung left, Jang Seol Hyun snuck into his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad, are you, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Mad? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I acknowledged it without talking to you first.¡±


    He kissed her forehead.


    ¡°This will be more detrimental to you than me. You might lose all your sponsorships. Will you be okay with that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to keep me fed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun looked troubled, but then she smiled.


    Daesan Hotel became a regr ce for Hosoo Entertainment to visit. Only Korea and Japan showed a lot of interest in the top stars¡¯ news and depending on the top stars¡¯ level, the press conference was different as well. Luckily, there wasn¡¯t too much bacsh from the fan¡¯s clubs, but among the Korean men, he was treated like a traitor.


    The press conference was no big deal.


    Ahn Soo Ho dressed inly as possible and sat with Jang Seol Hyun while holding her hand. Dodging all sorts of questions from reporters was her specialty. However, there were also questions they couldn¡¯t avoid.


    ¡°When do you n to marry?¡±


    ¡°As early as next year, the year after that at thetest.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun sounded vague, so Ahn Soo Ho spoke up first. He held her hand as she showed surprise.


    ¡°Did you greet each other¡¯s families?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve set a date to do so.¡±


    ¡°When is that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret. Why would we tell you?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Quietughter could be heard. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held the mic, the vibe of the press conference livened up again. Since Jang Seol Hyun was a celebrity, she would have more opportunities to speak in other interviews, but Ahn Soo Ho was hard to meet in such a setting.


    ¡°Do you n to have children?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not even married yet. Should we be having some?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made themugh once more.


    ¡°What do you think about the rumors iming that you set up yourpany in order to date Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me even if I deny it. Well, it turned out this way.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list and celebrity sponsoring?¡±


    ¡°That was his personal choice, but that¡¯s not allowed in mypany.¡±


    ¡°We heard you have a lot of Hollywood connections.¡±


    ¡°But none with females starting today.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s interview skills weren¡¯t bad.


    He answered each question in a witty way. It was difficult for public TV channels, but cable channels managed to get the press conference live on air. The producer smiled brightly in response to the viewers¡¯ bulletin board.


    They look better together than I expected.


    Isn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho too good for her?


    He¡¯s tall, has money, and his face wouldn¡¯t be bad with makeup.


    Who are you to evaluate Mr. Ahn? Go to the washroom and look in the mirror, you bastards!


    At first, everyone treated him like a thief, but now, they were acting like Jang Seol Hyun was the one who stole him away. No matter what they were saying, the two of them went up to the suite room of Daesan Hotel after the press conference.


    They changed their ns to greet each other¡¯s families while they were at it. The parents of both sides already got acquainted with each other before they visited. Ahn Dae Man showed off his sociability by bing close to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s parents.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    The pre-marriage greeting was pleasant.


    Ahn Soo Ho saw a different side to his father. He was definitely bluffing half of the time, but he was good at lifting the mood. After a few drinks, both sides got drunk, relocated, and talked about all sorts of things. Since they rented out the entire floor, it was big enough for all family members to stay the night.


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was looking out the window with Jang Seol Hyun in his arms, expressed his satisfaction. Since they formally greeted each other¡¯s parents before actually starting to date, the order was all wrong, but they were still happy.


    The next day, he had a meal with Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°I should have gone to greet your parents yesterday. I feel bad.¡±


    ¡°You can see them at the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, congrats.¡±


    ¡°You look happy, Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°Your life is over once you¡¯re in the married club. Wee to hell!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not married just yet.¡±


    ¡°If you get divorced, your positive image will be done for, and you¡¯ll be the country¡¯s son of a bitch. This is why open dating is scary, you punk.¡±


    He was exaggerating, but he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°I heard from my father. Public TV might take some time, but cable is easy.¡±


    ¡°I should probably start with cable, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Public TV producers have a lot of pride, so they¡¯re hard to deal with.¡±


    The conversation didn¡¯t go on for long because Kim Dae Chan was busy as well as Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink sometime.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Someone approached him as he sat at the table alone. Seeing how Logan didn¡¯t stop them, they either had an appointment or they knew each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to die here!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung sat across from him and yelled.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°They do say pretty girls sleep a lot. What did you do to her that she¡¯s still not getting up?¡±


    ¡°You know my stamina.¡±


    He responded to the witty question with a witty answer.


    ¡°If you¡¯re taking medicine, share it with Chul, too.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. What is it? Do they want an interview?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She confidently took out a question sheet and pulled out her recorder.


    He had to push back his meetings by an hour for this. Jang Seol Hyun and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dating rumors were hot, and the government probably wanted this issue to go on for a long time. He didn¡¯t want to go along with it, but this was good for Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s awareness as well.


    As people came down to eat breakfast, more and more people recognized Ahn Soo Ho. When Kim Soo Jung was finished, she took off right away. Seeing how rude she was, Yoon Chul must have been having a hard time. She wasn¡¯t just a bad personality but a total p in the face. But that didn¡¯t mean she was a bad person. She was just the opposite of feminine.


    Despite the line between men and women being more blurred, definitions of masculinity and femininity still existed, which was separate from gender equality.


    When Ahn Soo Ho got back upstairs, Jang Seol Hyun was sitting on the bed. Her eyes had no focus. He looked at his watch. Since he waste by an hour anyway, he thought he might as well take his time. When she saw Ahn Soo Ho, she opened her arms wide. She really liked to be hugged.


    After entertaining Jang Seol Hyun all morning, he greeted both sides of the family in their respective rooms and then went to work by noon. When he got there, Kim Yoo Seon was waiting. The way he was overexcited reminded him of what he looked like a few days ago as well.


    ¡®D¨¦j¨¤ vu?¡¯


    This is how he looked when he brought Kumiko, who he knew as Ahn Da Sol.


    ¡°CEO Ahn! Please give Emily and Rachel to me!¡±


    ¡°People aren¡¯t objects.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon showed a sour look in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sme joke, but then he changed his expression.


    ¡°They must be pretty talented.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not just pretty talented! They¡¯re ready to debut as singers!¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t speak Korean that well.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Or target them for the English speaking countries.¡±


    ¡°Hm, wouldn¡¯t that be difficult?¡±


    If Emily and Rachel debuted in the States, it wouldn¡¯t look awkward at all.


    ¡°The biggest problem is that the American music market is different from that of Korea.¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t even have a base.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And above all, their dream is to be idols...¡±


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know much about the entertainment world, he knew that the trends were different in all regions. If a person would go to the States and acted cutely as people do in Korea, they could get dragged away. Americans thought that stars had to be cool and confident wherever they went.


    ¡°Start giving them lessons.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone as soon as Kim Yoo Seon left.


    ¡°Alexa.¡±


    ¡°You finally got involved in a scandal, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°What can we do? What¡¯s done is done.¡±


    Alexa was sarcastic, but he got out of it.


    ¡°How many of her articles did the desk get rid of?¡±


    ¡°Over twenty.¡±


    ¡°What about Yoon Chul?¡±


    ¡°They probably halted over ten investigations from up top.¡±


    They started to keep Kim Soo Jung and Yoon Chul in check. Since they were doing things ording to the regtions, they couldn¡¯t really do anything. The Death Note that Ahn Soo Ho rolled out was very impactful.


    ¡°Spread it all over the inte.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Kim and Mr. Yoon might be suspected.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? Spread the ones that they haven¡¯t touched.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll suspect you.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°What¡¯s good aboutw-governed countries...¡±


    Since he got hit once, he was ready to hit them back a hundred or a thousand times more.


    ¡°Is that something that can be done with belief alone?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was happy to use exposure tactics.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who goes down first.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 82 ¨C Scandal [2] > The end.

 Chapter 84: < Protect – Episode 83 – Scandal [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 84: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 83 ¨C Scandal [3] &gt;</h4>


    The modern society was like an explosive furnace of knowledge.


    The amount of information on the inte created a new level of knowledge in the current generation, and the world never ceased to change. The reason why the public started to protect the weak minorities was because the appearance of wars changed. There were no more honorable duels and no one shot their guns around, so they no longer looked for chivalry and romance.


    Following the Geneva Treaty, the superiority regarding wars and humanity wasmonly predicted to be the cause of progression, but human brutality was only getting worse. Faster and more explosive weapons only lead to bigger massacres.


    Cutting someone¡¯s legs and arms off wasn¡¯t the only brutal act. The most brutal thing was the killing fields where people have no idea how people died. After the bombing of Hiroshima, wars were redefined and small deaths didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    It was probably possible to sympathize for a short moment. And it was also possible tomemorate their deaths every year and shed a tear and say a prayer. It was good to see people get back up after experiencing hardship, but by the time a month had gone by, most people would just forget.


    Thanks to the information of the 21st century, they encountered shocking cases every moment of the day. And by the next day, worse things would await. No person was free from the barbarism that tested human limitations.


    - This just in! Hwang Min Wook¡¯s List and the sex tape have been leaked!


    - Shocking news! He conspired a murder to hide his adultery!


    - Exclusive! 20 years as a person born out of wedlock! ¡®I don¡¯t have a father!¡¯


    - Urgent news! Corruption regarding military, tax evasion, and real estate! Korea is full of corruption!


    - In-depth coverage! Is there really no solution to the injustice in our society? Asking all schrs!


    The more they revealed, the more advantageous it was for Ahn Soo Ho. The establishments including the politicians who didn¡¯t fully believed his identity didn¡¯t know who they were going up against. Alexa, Kosino, and the information team started to actively engage both on and offline.


    ¡°Should we set up an inte?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal in Korea?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way around it.¡±


    Intes weren¡¯tputers made by Intel, but a detective agency on the side of the intelligencepany. The detective agencies abroad weren¡¯t like Korea where they took on small jobs. They consisted of former agents, police, and soldiers, and they needed a separate license.


    In Korea, private detective work was illegal. Then what were detective agencies? They were just called that when they actually just did document work and things rted tow.


    Ahn Soo Ho got briefed by Alexa and Kosino.


    ¡°They¡¯re making Soo Ho and Soo Ho¡¯s family a bigger issue.¡±


    ¡°Did you find the origin?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly detective agencies.¡±


    ¡°Did you tail them?¡±


    ¡°If you catch them and teach them a lesson, they usually give up.¡±


    Punks who do illegal things don¡¯t go to the police just because they got beat up a little.


    ¡°It¡¯ll getplicated if we get mixed up with a gang. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re experts. Do you think we would actually get caught by a Korean gang?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the same thing in Turkmenistan two years ago?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Alexa frowned but she didn¡¯t have anything to say because it was true.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    She ran away with her ears covered as if she had enough of his nagging. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Kosino.


    ¡°How much has been revealed so far?¡±


    ¡°That your parents got divorced and that your father has other children?¡±


    The fact that Ahn Soo Ho and Lee Jung Hoon had different fathers was a secret that they were not really trying to hide.


    ¡°Did Lee Hyo Geun take the mound again?¡±


    ¡°There are a few who are lurking around, but due to his past record, he¡¯s being careful.¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun was once on TV and got charged for defamation and spreading false information. Koreans had a lot of interest in other people¡¯s affairs. They tended to get a lot offort from the unfortunate circumstances of others. Seeing how Lee So Hye was being optimistic and cheerful despite what other kids said about her, she was praiseworthy.


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s not getting bullied.¡±


    ¡°You always say that... But she¡¯s a strong girl despite being young.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smacked his lips at Kosino¡¯s sigh and response.


    ¡°Be understanding, Kosino. She¡¯s like my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    He really did understand.


    The way Ahn Soo Ho looked at Lee So Hye was different from how he looked at Alexa and Kosino. On the outside, it didn¡¯t seem like they were close at all. In contrast to Alexa¡¯s warm personality, Kosino was rougher around the edges. But Ahn Soo Ho knew how much she cared for his colleagues.


    Kosino, who was half Japanese and half Filipino, went through ups and downs, but so did Alexa. After the Soviet Union¡¯s copse, the North Europeans struggled to not drown in the democratic waves. Alexa was not very different from how she was over ten years ago.


    ¡°Did you meet with Kumiko?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s weird too, right?¡±


    Kosino didn¡¯t say anything, but his silence said it all. Due to the terror that ensued Tokyo, the G7 Summit was canceled, and Japan endured international humiliation. They began investigations to find the terrorist while some of the media med China, which angered the citizens of both nations.


    As soon as China expressed itsint by summoning its ambassador, Japan also summoned theirs. The ones who were suffering due to their battle were thepanies of both countries who were tangled up in the mess.


    ¡°When someone suffers a loss, other gains.¡±


    ¡°Do you think those with power participated, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out once we conduct our investigation. Any announcements yet?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    Terrorist organizations didn¡¯tmit an attack and then hide that they were responsible. Seeing how no one came forward after a few days, this was done by a 3rd party with power who couldn¡¯t let anyone find out who they were.


    Kosino changed the subject.


    ¡°The courthouse where Han Chae Kyung¡¯s trial will take ce in Mn.¡±


    ¡°Not Rome? Why are they handling a foreigner¡¯s case outside the city?¡±


    ¡°From what I heard from Alfredo Hatchmen¡¯s side...it seems like they¡¯re trying to set an example.¡±


    Alfredo Hatchmen was an investigation agency located in Switzend and Italy.


    ¡°It appears that the ser yer that died was trying to be a whistle-blower.¡±


    ¡°Whistle-blower? Didn¡¯t you say he was a scumbag?¡±


    ¡°Just because he loved parties and women doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t love ser.¡±


    Both men and women loved ser in Europe.


    ¡°Then is the gambling broker the culprit?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°How much do you trust them?¡±


    ¡°Alfredo Hatchmen is a reputablepany.¡±


    The European intes that Ahn Soo Ho remembered were mostly in Ennd, France, or the Nethends. Switzend was mainly known for finance, and Italy was heavily controlled by mafias.


    But Italian mafias were hard to find nowadays.


    During the Balkan conflict, many refugees went to Italy and settled down in the northern region. In order to protect themselves, the refugees of Switzend, France, and Italy established a civil militia, which turned into criminal organizations.


    ¡°Employ another and confirm your findings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust it with Aegis.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Aegis was an information agency in Ennd.


    Ahn Soo Ho left the office with Kosino and went their separate ways. There was a server room for Alexa and Kosino on the top floor of Star Tower. He got tired after receiving all the greetings while he waited for the lift. Kids these days tended to ask for selfies, and in the entertainment field, the average age was quite young. Even Oh Jo Kyung was still in her 20s.


    Ahn Soo Ho visited Hosoo Entertainment Academy.


    Emily and Rachel adjusted better than he expected. There was a separate dorm for trainees who came from far away, but Ahn Soo Ho let them stay with Lee So Hye at home. Due to their connections, the ones who evaluated them were very careful.


    ¡°Are they doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re expecting big things.¡±


    In contrast to Ahn Da Sol who also trained under Shim Il Kwon, Emily and Rachel were solely under Kim Yoo Seon¡¯s care.


    ¡°You can¡¯t treat foreigners like Koreans. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve told the other trainers as well.¡±


    After the open audition, they got a lot more foreigners. There were multiple cases of misunderstandings due to the difference innguage and culture. Ahn Soo Ho, who was secretly watching Emily and Rachel practicing, pped as soon as they went on break.


    ¡°Huh? Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    The two foreigners who were morefortable with informal speech sprung up as soon as they saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    ¡°Buy us food.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no way to greet someone.¡±


    ¡°They all say this to superiors, especially male superiors.¡±


    He was proud that they tried to speak Korean despite theirck of fluency. But he was mad at whoever taught them this rude phrase.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t need to diet.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho scanned them up and down.


    They had the faces and bodies that would stir up the media. With their distinct facial characteristics, they could express a lot of emotions with their face.


    ¡°Ugh, exercising is hard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Squats are especially hard. I¡¯d rather do yoga.¡±


    The employees looked restless seeing them use both formal and informal speech with Ahn Soo Ho. There were those who asked him for selfies and numerous employees who were familiar with the ranks of Korean society. But the way Emily and Rachel asked him for food was notmon.


    ¡°How were your first few days as a trainee?¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of inconveniences, but we can¡¯t justy out the disadvantages from our standpoint.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But the uncivilized customs should be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°Uncivilized customs?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head, a female trainer exined further.


    ¡°They¡¯re talking about how we measure their bodies every week, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°We measure them every single week. Since they have great bodies, to begin with, it¡¯s not really needed, but it¡¯s regtion...¡±


    When he nodded in understanding, an unweed guest butted in. When Kumiko, also known as Ahn Da Sol heard Ahn Soo Ho was at the academy, she sprinted over. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know, but there was a strange vibe around Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel.


    Ahn Da Sol, who¡¯s backed up by Shim Il Kwon.


    Emily and Rachel, who were backed up by Kim Yoo Seon.


    They ended up in a power battle.


    ¡®This is interesting.¡¯


    In Hosoo Entertainment, Shim Il Kwon, who worked with top actors and singers had the upper hand. Even if Oh Joo Kyung and Kim Woo Jung backed up Kim Yoo Seon, the baton would go to whoever worked with the most popr celebrities. Jang Seol Hyun hated Shim Il Kwon, but she didn¡¯t doubt his skills.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Buy me food.¡±


    The Korean teacher was the enemy of returning students. Ahn Soo Ho smirked and then put his hand on Ahn Da Sol¡¯s head.


    ¡°Okay. You should eat more.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol was good at acting, singing, and dancing, but she wascking in one thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about size, but resilience, Uncle.¡±


    In response, Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue and shook his finger.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡±


    The lingerie technology of Korea was the best in the world. Seeing it and touching it still couldn¡¯t predict what it actually was. That was until they take it off. Making A into C and C into E was just like magic.


    Not even the great, great magician could do it.


    ¡°Stop squishing them together, everyone.¡±


    Were all the women in the world magicians?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 83 ¨C Scandal [3] > The end.

 Chapter 85: < Protect – Episode 84 – Scandal [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 85: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 84 ¨C Scandal [4] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°Stop squishing them together, everyone.¡±


    The ones who got the jokeughed and the rest just blinked with confusion. Ahn Soo Ho pped to get everyone¡¯s attention. In an internal fight within thepany, he had no interest in taking someone¡¯s side. This made him feel like his ancestors who were in cliques with leaders.


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms.


    Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel didn¡¯t look so bad together. They were all smart, so they were all able to speak a fewnguages each. And since Ahn Da Sol was actually Kumiko who was a monster with outstanding capabilities, she was even better. What was surprising was that Emily and Rachel could both sing and dance really well.


    People with brains could do anything.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look bad either. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°The three of them?¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon was startled. He looked at them and then nodded his head.


    ¡°Hm, not bad. I like it.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment was nning to give Ahn Da Sol a solo debut before Emily and Rachel showed up. If they put her in a group, she would have killed the group, but a talented person like her was too good to be a trainee. Celebrities became what they were after painstaking training, but real stars were born with natural talents.


    Emily and Rachel had strong auras as well.


    ¡°Since Da Sol studied abroad, she won¡¯t have problems withmunication, and all three of them are very talented... But will they resonate with our country? Don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll be against it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these three myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon¡¯s face slightly stiffened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll steal the ball away from you. I just don¡¯t want to waste any time.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon immediately bowed and apologized. He wasn¡¯t so slow-witted that he didn¡¯t catch on to what he meant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Director Shim myself, but I don¡¯t care if a fight breaks loose or not. Let¡¯s just make sure we do our work properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work with the acting department and yield optimal results.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you with that.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon bowed deeply and then stepped out. Ahn Soo Ho seemed like he was uninterested in thepany, but he didn¡¯t miss anything important. When Emily and Rachel left to get washed up, Ahn Da Sol was already ready to head out.


    ¡°You sure have a thick face.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Don¡¯t say anything people might misunderstand, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Be honest with me. You¡¯re over a hundred years old, right?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Sheughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden question.


    ¡°If you can control your aging process and change how you look, you could just disappear quietly. Why are you lurking around me instead? And don¡¯t say it¡¯s because it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°What do you think will happen in the future?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged at the future-rted question.


    ¡°How would I know? Can you see the future?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    If Ahn Da Sol could see the future and that truth got out, a blood bath would ensue. If that happened, Ahn Soo Ho would kill her or hand her over. Why? Because he never promised to protect her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. But if you don¡¯t tell me the truth... I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°I meant it when I said it¡¯s safe around you, Soo Ho. South Korea has be the DMZ of the world. That doesn¡¯t mean I stopped working in intelligence, but I can¡¯t do anything violent anymore.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about all the dispatched agents from other countries being newbies?¡±


    ¡°I saw. They made it pretty obvious.¡±


    Since they weren¡¯t going to do anything in secret and their identity had already been exposed, they didn¡¯t see the need to use veteran agents.


    ¡°That¡¯s how intense J-Law and Issac¡¯s war was. Africa had taken their hands off of it, and northern Europe is also a blood bath. And the CIA, which wanted to take back the throne after your retirement, gave up after the Sao Paolo incident, and as the terror and crime organizations and multinationalpanies¡¯ fraud went up, it¡¯s turned into chaos. And it¡¯s too dangerous to stop now that they¡¯ve already started.¡±


    Her Korean really improved. Despite Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s admiration, she kept going.


    ¡°Even if the entire world turns into a battlefield, it won¡¯t happen next to you. No one¡¯s crazy enough to pull a gun in front of you. The truth is, the terrorist attack in Japan was nned by Issac.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if Ang is going to crawl out of the darkness, they need a good opportunity.¡±


    For Issac, which was trying to go from a military corporation to an inte, needed a chance to show off its capabilities. Returning a stolen ship wasn¡¯t enough to touch anyone.


    ¡°How rude.¡±


    Bad guys were bad guys until the end.


    ¡°If they help resolve a terrorist case, they¡¯ll be more well-known.¡±


    ¡°Did they already decided on the culprit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re full of tricks, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Even if it seemed like a simple n, they used all sorts of tricks to protect their secret. Since they thought about every possible oue, it was unlikely for anyone to catch them. As long as someone didn¡¯t be a whistle-blower, that was.


    ¡°Did Issac tried to kill you?¡±


    ¡°They induced it. They think it¡¯s better to eliminate anyone who knows their secret.¡±


    She disguised her own death and then snuck out of Japan.


    ¡°Do they not know about our rtionship?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know we¡¯re this close. I hid it well, and you¡¯re pretty cold yourself, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Cold?¡±


    Emily and Rachel, who finished getting ready to go out, cut off their conversation. It seemed like Emily felt a sense ofpetition against Ahn Da Sol.


    ¡°Cold. As in not friendly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Soo Ho¡¯s friendly.¡±


    ¡°You should call him CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t Korean guys like being addressed like this?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head to her missing English and Korean to convey her thoughts. As soon as they got to the parking lot, Lee So Hye was seen waving in her school uniform.


    ¡°You finished early.¡±


    ¡°Heh. I skippedte night studying.¡±


    It was more fascinating that such a thing still existed. Back when he was in high school, there was no such thing as a student¡¯s human rights. Back then, teachers hit their students to punish them, but that was no longer viewed as a good thing to do, which Ahn Soo Ho disagreed with.


    There were quite a few punks who don¡¯t pretend to listen until they get hit.


    How nice would it be if everything could be solved with words? There were teachers who didn¡¯t have the right to be an educator, but there were also students who were out to use their status as the weak to screw adults over. Those with such ill intent were just bad people regardless of whether they were the teacher or student.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that mandatory?


    ¡°Nope. But if my grades drop, I¡¯ll be sent to the solitary room.¡±


    ¡°Solitary room?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The special maintenance room.¡±


    The reputation of high schools depended on how many students they could send to top universities. Since he was walking with four pretty girls, people were bound to stare. Before they got into the van, they were captured by countless cameras, and they were bound to spread on social media in no time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Daesan Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The driver took off in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s instructions. When he went around alone, no one noticed if he used his magic or not, but now that he was with four beautiful women, more were bound to notice him. It was a little ufortable, but he also enjoyed the attention.


    ¡°Is the academy fun?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard. I respect Koreans.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because you¡¯re trying to learn everything at once. You need to have an easy-going personality, Emily.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just irresponsible?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like an elementary school student.¡±


    ¡°You always talk that via text!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just texting.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, whatever!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you two? You learned so many weird things!¡±


    No matter how Emily and Ahn Da Sol¡¯s rtionship was, they were both close to Lee So Hye. It was understandable for her to be close to Emily and Rachel because of Jejudo, but it was impressive that she was already close to Ahn Da Sol, too. He wondered if she used brainwashing techniques, but he didn¡¯t find any trace of it.


    ¡®She¡¯s a good actress.¡¯


    The way Ahn Da Sol talked and acted was like a high school student. But inside, she was over a hundred years old.


    ¡®There must be alpha organisms among those who were born human and revered as a god.¡¯


    Most of the characters in mythological stories could have had superpowers. But it didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t realize their own abilities and used it to their advantage.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Lee So Hye snapped Ahn Soo Ho out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Soo Ho, a weird article came out.¡±


    When he saw the article on his sister¡¯s phone, he immediately instructed his driver.


    ¡°Turn the car around.¡±


    ¡°How dare a newbie get in a producer¡¯s face? Is he a thug? How dare he use his fists?¡±


    ¡°What did the agency teach him? This is why those who get in through connections are a problem!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a silver spoon. Why would he not have any manners?¡±


    ¡°Celebrities need to be tested to know if they have good character!¡±


    The set of a si show turned into chaos. Since it wasn¡¯t a secretive ce with many broadcasting employees walking in and out, rumors spread fast, and it was released in the news in no time. They normally talked to the agency first, but this time, they didn¡¯t bother.


    ¡°Shit! What did I do wrong?¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon was relieving his anger in the waiting room.


    ¡°In any case, you used violence, so this is a big problem. You might have to go to the police.¡±


    ¡°That son of a bitch made fun of me and said I got in through my brother¡¯s connections.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can hit someone. What a headache!¡±


    The chief and other managers were on their phones trying to prevent matters from getting worse, so the only one avable to hear Lee Jung Hoon¡¯sining was the road manager.


    ¡°He insulted my family!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I heard you.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon felt deeply wronged. He finally understood how it felt for Zidane to smash heads in the World Cup.


    ¡°Hey, this is a big problem. We can¡¯t stop the articles from getting out.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°What else? We¡¯ll have to talk to the promotions team and...huh? CEO Ahn!¡±


    Team Leader Lee Seon Mi, who was in charge of Lee Jung Hoon, was surprised when she saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face. Lee Jung Hoon was just as excited.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! What happened, Team Leader Lee?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shut Lee Jung Hoon up and then looked at Lee Seon Mi.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    As Hosoo Entertainment caused a lot of issues and thrived, broadcasting and productionpanies became colder.


    ¡°The script was modified for him to have less screen time. It would have been understandable if his acting was bad, but the inte responses were quite good. Some filmpanies sent him scripts, too.¡±


    ¡°Is the broadcastingpany the only producers of the si?¡±


    ¡°No. Most dramas are outsourced. If you¡¯re not a top star but just a newbie, it¡¯s right to just go along with what they say. That¡¯s what we¡¯ve always done, and that¡¯s what we¡¯ll always do. The problem is that their requirement is too severe and sudden.¡±


    Lee Seon Mi had worked in the entertainment world for a long time. She already expected for newbies to not be treated well to an extent. However, modifying the script without a word was crossing the line.


    ¡°Did that happen to everyone or just Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Jung Hoon especially.¡±


    Since Hosoo Entertainment caused amotion in the entertainment industry, he expected the higher-ups of the industry to be jealous and retaliate. There was no use worrying about every single case. He was nning to just overlook them if possible. But not all celebrities of Hosoo Entertainment were at the same level.


    Or top stars such as Jang Seol Hyun, Jeon Mi Sook, and Kang Young Gil, maltreatment was unheard of. So a newbie who was said to have gotten in through connections was an easy target. He was able to ignore small rumors back in high school, but rumors about sleeping around, going to clubs all the time, or bing a drug addict when he studied abroad were too much for him to ignore.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t make any replies, just as we were told by the board of directors.


    It was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s order, but everyone else thought it was the board of directors.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be this bad... Did I underestimate them?¡¯


    What made the situation worse was the thought that no one could do anything since he was so much stronger. He assumed that catching the big ones would scare the little ones away, but that wasn¡¯t what happened.


    He didn¡¯t let his guard down.


    If he had, he wouldn¡¯t have known any of this, but he actually knew most of what Lee Seon Mi told him. The only thing was that he didn¡¯t feel the heavy air at the scene. When people heard the rumors that Ahn Soo Ho appeared, they all ran over, and even the executives and producers came to Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s waiting room.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    When the producing director offered a handshake, Ahn Soo Ho just stared at it.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    The director coughed out of awkwardness and embarrassment. In the entertainment world, he had quite a bit of power, but it didn¡¯t work with Ahn Soo Ho. Ahn Soo Ho sought out the producer of the si. His face was pale, and it didn¡¯t seem like he thought the CEO would visit himself.


    ¡°Please tell the si producers, actors, and managers toe here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just tell all of the actors toe here...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was a capable man, but he didn¡¯t think he could tell everyone where toe and go. And that was true. He wasn¡¯t a superior to the producers and actors.


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    It seemed as though he treated his home country with too much care. He made them think that he would be afraid of a scandal like that.


    ¡®This was definitely my own mistake.¡¯


    And all he had to do was fix that mistake.


    ¡°Then please deliver this message for me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face, which was emotionless until now, suddenly washed over with an expression.


    ¡°If they don¡¯te here in a minute, you can forget about Thirties Group advertisements. If you think I¡¯m joking, I dare you to ignore me and see what happens.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 84 ¨C Scandal [4] > The end.

 Chapter 86: < Protect – Episode 85 – Taken [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 86: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 85 ¨C Taken [1] &gt;</h4>


    When the politicians were struggling due to sex tourism, murder instigation, and bribery, the entertainment world was hectic because of the Hwang Min Wook List. Those who actually knew Hwang Min Wook didn¡¯t believe what they read and simply apologized. That was because they knew how despicable he really was.


    Then why did Hwang Min Wook confessed andmit suicide? Those who knew about the Korean society and how things worked predicted that there was someone bigger behind this who wasn¡¯t on Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list. They believed that that person used Hwang Min Wook as a scapegoat and made it seemed like suicide.


    The president of a sessful agency was talking about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s badass remarks at the open audition to an executive of Disney when he heard something surprising. Besides nicknames such as Wizard and Killing Machine, what gave off a warning in his head was Godfather.


    The American entertainment world was 100 times greedier than that of Korea. Just because it was America, did thatw enforcement was fair? Not at all. The criminals with big heads couldn¡¯t be arrested, let alone charged. For just average thugs, it didn¡¯t matter if they were put away for 10 or 20 years, but the big criminals¡¯ usedwyers to mock and ridicule thew.


    They knew who was bad and how bad they were, but they couldn¡¯t punish them due tock of evidence. As soon as Kim Seok Chan heard Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name, he shook, which made the Disney executive suspicious. If Ahn Soo Ho was a businessman known in America, why didn¡¯t the media talk about him? That means his reputation wasn¡¯t made by the media, and he could only think of one reason for that.


    ¡®A tycoon of the underworld.¡¯


    He finally understood how he got top stars to visit Korea. On one hand, he got goosebumps. How bad was he that he was even close to the Korean president and that Chinese premier?


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t just a rich man.


    After the JT Entertainment situation, people of the entertainment world started harassing celebrities under Hosoo Entertainment, and Kim Seok Chan was aware of that. He normally would have ignored it, but since he found out the truth, he had to warn his employees to maintain their celebrities properly.


    And today, what he was worried about happened.


    ¡®I knew this day woulde.¡¯


    It was the work of God that he happened to visit the set that day. If it wasn¡¯t Kim Seok Chan but just the manager who was there, he would have scoffed at the order to run over in one minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Seok Chan of Yerang Entertainment, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the president of Yerang Entertainment.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho offered a handshake after what he heard from Lee Seon Mi.


    ¡°I did tell the president toe, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actuallye.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did. You¡¯re an important man.¡±


    It sounded like he knew who he really was. Ahn Soo Ho scanned the people mumbling around him and then looked back at Logan.


    ¡°What about the list?¡±


    ¡°I secured it, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Who didn¡¯te?¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few, Sir.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t mentioned Thirties Group, half of them wouldn¡¯t have gathered.


    ¡°Make a call.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    It was obvious where he had to call. He had to prove that he wasn¡¯t just bluffing when he brought up Thirties Group. Was it 5 minutes afterward? The mumbling started up again, and new faces started to appear. And when the superior who fought with Lee Jung Hoon appeared, the noise got even louder, and the peak was when the president of the broadcastingpany showed up.


    p-


    He pped his hands once.


    After the mumbling quieted down, everyone focused their attention on Ahn Soo Ho. Whether he liked it or not, today would feed the existing rumors and make things worse. Someone could even report him to the police for threatening.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping the ones that camete now know that I¡¯m not kidding around.¡±


    When else would he use the stocks that Hosoo Entertainment had been holding on to? Corporations didn¡¯t have the guts to ignore a major shareholder just because they were a major corporation. In the Korean advertisement market, Thirties Group took up a big portion, so if they pulled out all of their advertisements and switched models, it was hard for any entertainment agency or broadcastingpany to survive.


    It was definitely a way of asserting dominance.


    But so what? Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in making his assertion look nice. What happened today was definitely going to turn into a scandal. However, there were still clear rules to follow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been briefed about this, so I had an idea of what happened today. But I didn¡¯t do anything to deal with it. Why, you ask? Because this happens in every industry. I tried to think of it as hazing.¡±


    Some nodded as if they sympathized with what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°I thought time would resolve it eventually.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t umon to keep apetitor in check and give them a hard time. It happened abroad, too. In the upper ss of the States, hazing rituals were even worse than this.


    ¡°But it¡¯s even dirtier on site than I expected. I was going to tolerate it once or twice, but I won¡¯t tolerate you harassing our newbies over and over again. You must have really looked down on me to do this. This is all my fault.¡±


    Some were surprised by what he said while Lee Seon Mi and the others seemed like they felt a lot better.


    ¡°I never thought that the leaders of this country¡¯s trends would do this. Not even the thugs on the streets stoop this low. You should be ashamed of yourself.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho noticed Jung Gyo Min, who wasn¡¯t able to hide his bitter face. He was the one that Lee Jung Hoon punched. When he met eyes with Jung Gyo Min, he quickly looked away.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m a very reasonable person.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made a hand gesture to Lee Jung Hoon.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon wobbled around after suddenly getting hit on the face.


    ¡°Stand up straight.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon fixed his posture in response to what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    p-


    When the second hit came around, he couldn¡¯t even scream. After wobbling about, Lee Jung Hoon got back up, and Ahn Soo Ho hit him for thest time. This time, his lips cracked and bled.


    ¡°Apologize.¡±


    ¡°I apologize!¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon bowed at 90 degrees. Lee Jung Hoon stayed down for a while, so Ahn Soo Ho pulled him back up.


    ¡°As men of noble stature, we can resolve problems with our words. So you have to stop using violence. But if you really have to... do it with the intent of killing them. That¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Since he was the one who just hit his little brother, this was just like a ckedy. What he meant was that if a person used violence, it shouldn¡¯t end with just a fist fight.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time for me and my brother to receive apologies this time. Mr. Jung Gyo Min?¡±


    Jung Gyo Min got startled and looked at his manager.


    ¡°We won¡¯t charge you...¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Jung Gyo Min¡¯s manager stepped up to say they wouldn¡¯t charge him, but Ahn Soo Ho stopped him with his hand.


    ¡°You shut up. What I want to hear is Jung Gyo Min¡¯s apology to me and my brother.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. I didn¡¯t insult anyone!¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Hm, since we don¡¯t have any evidence, I can¡¯t prove anything.¡±


    Jung Gyo Min and his manager felt hopeful at what he said but was shocked by what followed. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Logan and said something.


    ¡°Take over DS Entertainment.¡±


    DS Entertainment was Jung Gyo Min¡¯s agency.


    As the situation became weirder, more people started to look anxious. Ahn Soo Ho knew that how Lee Jung Hoon was treated wasn¡¯t simply because of jealousy. Some of them probably received orders from someone else to harass him in a nned and systematic manner.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone mistreat my employees, actors, singers, and my family.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at everyone and gave them a warning in a scary voice.


    ¡°If I hear something weird starting tomorrow, I will take it as a personal insult and a deration of war.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho said on set went viral on the inte.


    Wow, he¡¯s so badass! Only Mr. Ahn could say all that! I¡¯ve been noticing that the Hosoo Entertainment rookies have been mistreated!


    But isn¡¯t this a threat? Does anyone know more about thew than I do?


    He didn¡¯t use any force, so it¡¯s fine. You can¡¯t really call this an assertion of dominance.


    His threat to pull out the advertisements could cause quite a controversy.


    Then shouldn¡¯t the ones that maltreated Hosoo Entertainment be punished, too?


    Who in the entertainment industry could possibly like Ahn Soo Ho? Personnel costs skyrocketed because of him!


    Our country doesn¡¯t treat theborers fairly! I don¡¯t know about a reformation of the rich, but the minimum wage should at least be adjusted!


    I can¡¯t believe this entertainment agency pays as much as major corporations! I want to work at Hosoo Entertainment, too!


    Didn¡¯t you see thepetition at the open audition? They¡¯re already a major corporation!


    What Ahn Soo Ho said was problematic, so the legal team had to start working overtime again. However, it wasn¡¯t all negative. The promotions team used Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ¡°My employees, actors, singers, and my family¡± as a way to prove his loyalty and improve thepany¡¯s image.


    In any case, since Ahn Soo Ho started a scandal, he announced that he would be resigning from his position as special inspector. People probably thought that was his way of taking responsibility for his actions, but he simply didn¡¯t have any more to gain from being there. No matter what the world was saying about him, he tried to keep his promise to buy Lee So Hye and the three other girls food by holding the academy dinner at Daesan Hotel.


    ¡®Should I just take over a hotel?¡¯


    Since he went to Daesan Hotel all the time, it felt like home.


    ¡°Managing a hotel will probably be bothersome, right?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep getting free food from here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat across from Kim Dae Chan. Who would have thought the chairman of Daesan Group would sit in the middle of a bunch of academy students at a buffet? But no one approached his table easily.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even cost that much. You can use this ce every day if you want to.¡±


    ¡°The hotel executives won¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just fire them.¡±


    The Kim family showed Ahn Soo Ho a lot of sincerity. It would have been nice if the Kim family had a daughter of marriageable age, but they lost their timing and Seol Hyun was hard to beat.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    The meaning behind Kim Dae Chan¡¯s question was obvious.


    ¡°What is it that you want me to do? Make her innocent or make a deal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like her to be innocent...but we can¡¯t let my aunt¡¯s name get exposed.¡±


    The media was currently busy with a lot of events, but it was just a matter of time before they sniffed out this case. Daesan Group didn¡¯t care if she was innocent or not as long as it got resolved quickly. If the case had been ruled out then they could bury the case, but while the trial was still going on, the case was going to be talked about from time to time.


    ¡°A plea bargain can be made with just one phone call. But if your sister doesn¡¯t ept it, a bigger problem might arise, Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°Is it impossible to convince her?¡±


    ¡°Can the old man do anything?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already backed out of this.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t good for Daesan Group and for Chairman Kim Dae San toe back into the limelight. Everything had to be dealt with by his heir, Chairman Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to find you a really good broadcastingpany.¡±


    ¡°Can I look forward to it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Once the takeover of a broadcastingpany was resolved, the number of unpleasant cases were definitely going to decrease.


    ¡®Then I have no other choice.¡¯


    If it wasn¡¯t for Kim Na Hee, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to Europe where J-Law and Issac were having a full-on war.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho decided to go to Europe.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 85 ¨C Taken [1] > The end.

 Chapter 87: < Protect – Episode 86 – Taken [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 87: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 86 ¨C Taken [2] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho got on a ne to Europe by himself.


    Since he didn¡¯t have an entourage, he didn¡¯t need to go in a private jet. Since J-Law and Issac were in the middle of a war in Europe, he didn¡¯t want to bring Alexa, Kosino, or Logan to Europe. In movies and dramas, there were scenes of men in 1st ss seats luring the stewardesses, but that was all bullcrap.


    There was no such thing. If a person would try to make a move on one of them, that person would be locked in a solitary room for the rest of the trip. The flight he booked wasn¡¯t headed straight to Italy, but it went through Dubai with the destination being Napoli. The city that was built by Ancient Greece became one that wasn¡¯t excluded from Italy¡¯s history for hundreds of years toe.


    Italy was a developed country that was included in the G7, but the difference between the poor and the rich was so drastic that the north and south seemed like two different countries. The Italian government worked hard to target mafias, but just like it had always been, thew was far and fists were near in reality. Camorra, which didn¡¯t care about what was legal or illegal, went after rights and interests and maintained strong rtionships with those in politics.


    They pretended they didn¡¯t know anything, but it was hard to find any powerful person who wasn¡¯t rted to the mafia. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho went to Napoli before Mn was because he needed to find out the identity of the broker involved. It was simpler to get Alexa or Kosino to do it, but considering the chaos that might ensue on sight, it was wiser to get friendly with those in power here.


    The nearby countries of France, Germany, Spain, and Ennd were going through all sorts of terror incidents. Simr events urred in North America as well, but Europe inevitably lost a lot of tourists as a result. Despite that fact, Italy was still booming.


    Following the Roman Era, Italy was full of pride due to the fact that they led the arts of Europe. When Ahn Soo Ho came out of customs, the airport police was waiting for him. Those passing by nced at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°What a grand way to wee someone.¡±


    ¡°We should have brought an army, but we toned it down.¡±


    ¡°So are you going to arrest me?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    A man in a suit pushed through the police and stepped up to the front. He didn¡¯t seem friendly, but it didn¡¯t look like he was going to do anything by force either. This was his way of disying his authority. And that mood turned into a more favorable one in no time.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t given up, Roberto.¡±


    ¡°Give up? That word doesn¡¯t exist in my dictionary, Soo Ho.¡±


    Roberto Aqun was a prosecutor who had been making a lot of effort to prosecute Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°When will the powerful men of all countries stop helping you? Your poprity won¡¯tst forever.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? One thing¡¯s for sure. I¡¯ll live longer than you, Roberto.¡±


    He was fifteen years older than Ahn Soo Ho. When they got to the taxi stop, Roberto called over the police.


    ¡°Is Alexa doing well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you should have said, my friend.¡±


    Roberto probably rushed over just so he could hear about Alexa.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. She¡¯s actually very bright and cheerful now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, you should have visited.¡±


    He shut his mouth in response to what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    His face suddenly looked guilty. Roberto wanted to send Ahn Soo Ho to trial, but due to those in power who also needed him, it didn¡¯t work out every time. The Ahn Soo Ho that Roberto knew was a cruel murderer who needed to be punished, but the world needed him.


    They first got to know each other over ten years ago during a human trafficking case in northern Europe. Roberto was working with the UN at the time, and Ahn Soo Ho received a job from the EU asking him to chase down those who were involved. Then what about Alexa? She was one of the victims of that human trafficking case.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    Justice didn¡¯t exist to protect just one person. That was why Roberto believed. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t hate him. He tried to get in the way every time, but it wasn¡¯t anything personal. In some ways, they knew each other better than anyone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin it to me.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Roberto let out a bitterugh. There was a boundary line between them, so it was difficult to describe their rtionship as more than what it seemed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m always watching, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho responded in a yful manner to his threat and hailed down a taxi. After seeing the taxi took off, Roberto took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Yes, yes. It seems like he¡¯s just here for personal matters. Even if we put a guy on him, he¡¯ll get away. It might be better to just use a drone. Yes, Sir.¡±


    After ending the call, Roberto sighed deeply.


    ¡®I hope it works out this time.¡¯


    He had always been on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s tail, but due to the current events of Europe, he didn¡¯t have time to worry about that. Roberto didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. But Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement definitely had a negative effect on the world.


    ¡®He¡¯s necessary evil...¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s taxi headed toward northern Napoli. After hearing the destination of the foreigner that got in his taxi, the taxi driver tried to dissuade him from it. That was because that region was crime-ridden and not even the residents of Napoli wanted to go there. As soon as the taxi driver dropped him off, he took off quickly. In order to avoid any conflicts, he used his power to not be acknowledged.


    The eyes of the people were easy to trick.


    Even though this was a crime-ridden region, there weren¡¯t drug addicts shooting guns everywhere like Brazil. Shooting someone right until they die wasn¡¯t a dignified thing to do. Mafias didn¡¯t just go around killing everyone. They actually followed a strict procedure.


    The legendary Al Capone of Chicago was actually looked down upon in Northern Europe where he was originally from. Al Capone¡¯s disloyal methods toward his members were looked down upon by the traditional mafias that stressed the importance of family.


    It was true that the mafias were extorting protection tax. However, there were times when mafias held hands with small businesses and stopped policies that harmed them in any way. They weren¡¯t just using fear, but they also did image-making to make themselves needed.


    ¡®They know how to use their heads.¡¯


    The currently most famous mafia in the entire world was a Russian gang called Red Mafia, but it was internally unstable, and there was no telling how it would change. But it was different for Italian mafias. They had respect and traditions to uphold, so no matter how rich a leader was, they had to be more loyal than anything.


    People might ask what was the point of tradition and respect in mafias, but there were rules in the criminal world as well. It was especially wrong to cause an ident in someone else¡¯s region. Unless they wanted to stay at war, they steered clear of other organizations¡¯nd.


    Ahn Soo Ho found a shabby caf¨¦.


    It almost didn¡¯t need a sign since there were no tourists or neighborhood customers. Even before he opened the door, he smelled the scent of espresso. Italians habitually insisted that Americano wasn¡¯t a real coffee.


    Ding-


    The old bell on the door made a clear sound. Since there weren¡¯t many Asians in this area of Napoli, a lot of people looked his way. The barista, who was cleaning sses, either smiled or frowned and greeted the Asian guest.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s best that you leave before something bad happens to you.¡±


    The barista spoke English in a way that wasn¡¯t fluent but easy to understand. He was just trying to do the right thing, but he didn¡¯t know that the tourist wasn¡¯t just an ordinary man.


    ¡°An espresso.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and get me an espresso.¡±


    The barista was startled by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s clean Italian ent.


    ¡°Are you an immigrant?¡±


    Italy also became a major immigrant country with over 5 million immigrants. So it wasn¡¯t weird for an Asian Italian to exist. Ahn Soo Ho just smiled. Was that his answer? The barista no longer told him to leave. Thanks to his fluent Italian, people started to pay less attention to him.


    If he was Italian, he would have known the currency, so they probably judged that they couldn¡¯t rip Ahn Soo Ho off. But there were always exceptions. A man with his hair pushed back approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°My name is Alfonzo. My friends call me Al.¡±


    The big-eyed man got close to him.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Korea.¡±


    ¡°Korea? North or South?¡±


    It was already impressive that he knew that Korea was separated into north and south. Koreans didn¡¯t know this, but there were more people in the world who didn¡¯t know Korea than those who did. When a person asked Europeans about Asia, China was the first country to pop up, and the second was Japan since they were a major country during World War II.


    After that was either North Korea or South Korea.


    Was that embarrassing? Not at all. Korea should actually be proud of it. That was because Korea hadn¡¯t been known to Europe for a long time. On the other hand, when Koreans were asked about Europe, they knew Ennd, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece, but they didn¡¯t know Andorra or Liechtenstein.


    ¡°Korea song? K-pop? I like K-pop.¡±


    ¡°Really? You have a unique taste.¡±


    What he noticed in Europe before his retirement was that not many liked K-Pop here.


    ¡°I even went to a K-Pop concert in Paris. I want to visit that country one day.¡±


    The way he dressed made him look like a thug, but he acted like a close friend. It wasn¡¯t easy to do this during the first meeting. The northern Italians were cold at first, but once they got close to a person, they were willing to do anything for that person.


    ¡°Did you immigrate here from Korea then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? But you just...¡±


    ¡°That man just assumed.¡±


    The barista was simply fooled by his fluent Italian. Ahn Soo Ho chugged his espresso and wrapped his arm around Alfonzo.


    ¡°You work for Camorra, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Alfonzo was startled by what Ahn Soo Ho said. His eyes lost their focus as a result.


    ¡°Take me to your base.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t here to fight.


    He was trying to resolve everything with words. The base was located at a massage parlor located at an inn. Tourists who enjoyed adventure and thrill liked to go to brothels where anything was possible as long as they paid money. The ones in Rio, Brazil looked horrible from the outside, but the one here looked like a simple residential building.


    ¡°Al?¡±


    ¡°We have a guest. Where¡¯s our leader?¡±


    ¡°Upstairs.¡±


    The man in front of Ahn Soo Ho stepped aside after receiving a signal from Alfonzo. The 1st and 2nd floors were a bar, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors were a brothel. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head while heading upstairs. The Camorra he knew didn¡¯t have such arge brothel.


    ¡®Probably because there were many crackdowns and it¡¯s perceived to be dishonorable.¡¯


    In Italy where most were Catholics, they looked down on prostitution more than drugs. They were better off managing a high-ss escort service rted to a motel agency than operate a brothel. As a result, the Italian prostitution market got handed over from northern Europe to immigrants.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    Did their rules change? He found out once he met the leader.


    ¡°Luca?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Why was the number 3 of Camorra¡¯s opposing criminal organization, Ndrangheta here? Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s surprise didn¡¯t end there.


    A man was a total mess and tied to a chair.


    A bunch of women was trembling in the corner.


    He didn¡¯t know the women, but the beat up man looked familiar.


    ¡°Han Kyung Il?¡±


    Han Kyung Il, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Naval Academy ssmate and a member of the sworn brothers. He heard from Choi Jung Yeon that he transferred to Italy.


    ¡®What is a diplomat doing here?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 86 ¨C Taken [2] > The end.

 Chapter 88: < Protect – Episode 87 – Taken [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 88: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 87 ¨C Taken [3] &gt;</h4>


    The assumption that white men were all educated, and therefore reasonable, was a huge misunderstanding. There were countless of foolish white men. The education system in the States had more failure cases than sessful ones. There were a lot of people who didn¡¯t even graduate middle school, and even if they got a high school certificate, there were many cases where it was barely deserved.


    That was why for bothborers and criminals, without proper education, it was hard for them to climb anydder. The generation of blind loyalty to an organization was long over. Ndrangheta¡¯s number 3, Luca had aw degree, so it was hard to imagine how he became a criminal. However, Ahn Soo Ho knew him to be someone who loved crimes so much that he couldn¡¯t live withoutmitting them.


    In other words, he was a psychopath.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Why is Ndrangheta¡¯s number 3 in Napoli?¡±


    ¡°For business, of course. Then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°For business.¡±


    They questioned each other while hiding their own intentions. Ahn Soo Ho continued to look around him during their conversation, and then he arrived at a conclusion.


    ¡®A lot has changed with Camorra and Ndrangheta.¡¯


    Due to the influence of films, thinking of Italy reminded most of Cosa Nostra. However, the most influential in Italy were Camorra, Ndrangheta, and Sacra Corona. One might think the north would be free of their influence since they were in the south, but they were still under their influence whether it was Genova, Mn, or Venice.


    ¡°Did youe to Napoli to pick up that diplomat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°It must be because you¡¯re both Korean. I can¡¯t believe you found him already... You¡¯re just as quick as I remember, Soo Ho.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the case, but there was no need to rify his misunderstanding.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you retire?¡±


    ¡°It was a request from a friend, so I couldn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s life. Well...okay. What¡¯s your offer, my friend?¡±


    Luca¡¯s misunderstanding continued and they went into a negotiation.


    It was likely that the embassy didn¡¯t even knew that Han Kyung Il had disappeared. He didn¡¯t know why a mafia had to kidnap a diplomat, but if he hadn¡¯t visited today, he would have heard the sad news about his friend a few dayster. If a diplomat was found near a brothel, they would have buried the truth in order to avoid humiliation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spare you, Luca.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s condition made himugh like crazy. His absurd remark made the other members of the organization frown. However, in contrast to them, the leaderughed loudly.


    ¡°You still have a sense of humor, I see. We¡¯re close enough that we don¡¯t need conditions. Let him go.¡±


    Luca lifted his chin at his underlings. Once Han Kyung Il was freed from the chair, he plopped onto the floor. The nurses rushed in to proceed with treatment. Ahn Soo Ho nced over at the trembling women in the corner. Luca noticed him and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Are you thinking of taking them, too?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s too bad. They¡¯re pretty decent...¡±


    Luca clicked his tongue out of disappointment. Their faces were smeared with makeup mixed with their tears, but beneath it was pretty decent-looking faces. Did Han Kyung Il get beat up because of them? He didn¡¯t know his friend still had such a strong sense of justice.


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯


    It was possible that he underestimated his friend.


    ¡®But then again, he was the most passionate one back in school.¡¯


    He just couldn¡¯t easily ept that a friend like that turned so cold in just a few years. When they decided to leave the group, Soo Ho understood while also feeling betrayed. They didn¡¯t know this, but Ahn Soo Ho secretly supported his friends toward sess.


    Without even bringing up a gambling broker, he arrived at a hotel in Napoli. They snuck through the back door to avoid being seen, and the sight of the women with makeup smeared faces and Han Kyung Il¡¯s beat up face was no joke. They must have hit him strategically because he wasn¡¯t injured in any major way.


    Luca booked them the biggest suite room at the hotel. After leaving his friend who was in recovery, he sat across from the women who washed off their messy faces. He thought all four of them were Korean, but they weren¡¯t. Only two were Korean and the other two were Japanese.


    It was a strangebination.


    ¡°Can one of you speak up?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke in English, and one of the Korean¡¯s, Yoon Eun Ji responded back in English. They were all foreign exchange students studying in London. They went to Italy for a trip following the end of their semester.


    ¡°There was a terror incident in London, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid, so our parents were very worried.¡±


    ¡°Then you should have gone back to your countries. Why did youe to Italy?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°You just wanted to go on a vacation, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    They all went silent in response to what Ahn Soo Ho said. He clicked his tongue inside his head. If their families sent them to London for school, that meant they were fairly well off, and since they studied hard since they were little, they dreamt of a getaway in Europe.


    When one of them went missing, they called the police, but they were no help. They then looked for the embassy, but they weren¡¯t any help either. Until Han Kyung Il showed interest, that was. They couldn¡¯t go to the Japanese embassy since it wasn¡¯t a Japanese who went missing.


    ¡°So we followed Mr. Han from Rome to Napoli.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    Did he think this was some kind of a detective game? Han Kyung Il was crazy to embark on an investigation soon after his transfer, but the women who followed him to Napoli weren¡¯t in their right minds either.


    ¡°Stop being so merciless. Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Han!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Han!¡±


    The four women got up in response to Han Kyung Il getting up. Most people would have been jealous that he was surrounded by beautiful women, but Ahn Soo Ho just shook his head.


    ¡°What a fool.¡±


    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t a dream. I survived.¡±


    Han Kyung Il, who looked up at Ahn Soo Ho while in pain, felt relieved and confused at the same time. He didn¡¯t know why Ahn Soo Ho was there.


    ¡°What brings you to Italy? Moreover, how did you save me?¡±


    ¡°It was a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe it was inevitable.¡±


    It might have been the Heavens saying it wasn¡¯t time for Han Kyung Il to die yet. Ahn Soo Ho smirked at his confused-looking friend. It required a lot of time to take in the sight of the women surrounding Han Kyung Il andughing. It was awkward once it was just the two of them, and it was Ahn Soo Ho who spoke up first.


    ¡°If you go back to the embassy like this, you¡¯ll be fired, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t know this would escte so much.¡±


    ¡°Why did you go poking around for a missing person? Did you think mafias were just a joke? Did you think you¡¯d be saved?¡±


    ¡°No, ugh!¡±


    He screamed loudly when he tried to get up a little more. Ahn Soo Ho had to help him out.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it. I thought I was going to die today.¡±


    Despite his swollen face, he could still recognize his facial expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m mad, Soo Ho. I¡¯m mad at you, my friends, and the world. And I¡¯m mad at myself for dealing with so much irrationality.¡±


    The purpose of their former group was to make the world a more beautiful ce. Han Kyung Il dreamt of a just world that revolved aroundmon sense where those who worked hard could seed. But the society he saw all depended on those with power.


    There was no justice in that world.


    ¡°You told us to get ready, but it didn¡¯t seem like we couldn¡¯t change the world even if we had ten to twenty years.¡±


    ¡°So you just got up all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I was going to start by changing small things. But in the end...it was just reckless. Ugh.¡±


    Han Kyung Il¡¯s lip cracked as heughed bitterly. Ahn Soo Ho feltforted by his friend¡¯s true thoughts. The reason why Han Kyung Il left the group was so he could actually try to put it in action.


    ¡°Do Min Shik and Sol Ji feel the same way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We agreed to walk our own paths, but don¡¯t we all want the same thing?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked again.


    ¡°You¡¯re all fools.¡±


    ¡°If we were smart, we wouldn¡¯t have dropped out of the Naval Academy, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    That was true. If they had surrendered to power, they would have been sucking asses on their way to sess.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to beg.¡±


    He caused a big ident soon after transferring. If the full story became known, it was possible that he would be punished and sent back to his own country to be expelled.


    ¡°Will begging solve it?¡±


    ¡°Then what else can I do?¡±


    Even though he didn¡¯t find the broker, he was satisfied enough that he found his friend.


    ¡°You little punk. Let me show you just how powerful I am.¡±


    He took out his phone with a yful look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mr. President. How have you been?¡±


    Han Kyung Il¡¯s issue was resolved in no time.


    There was a process, but since it was a diplomat looking for a citizen of his own country, it was right for him to bepensated. However, Han Kyung Il and the governments didn¡¯t want this to blow up any bigger. They also had to convince the one who was kidnapped, but that wasn¡¯t difficult. She wanted to erase the incident from her memory.


    ¡°That¡¯s was too easy. I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Do you respect me even more now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Good for you. You should have told me earlier that you had this ability.¡±


    Han Kyung Il, who arrived at the airport in Mn with Ahn Soo Ho, justughed. His problem was resolved with just one phone call.


    ¡°What are you doing going around out there?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really say...just watch over me.¡±


    He told his friends to be ready, but he didn¡¯t exin the details of his vision. He wanted to give Han Kyung Il a new objective. Han Kyung Il had also heard that he was close to the Korean president and that he had met the Chinese premier. He had heard that he was seeding abroad, but he didn¡¯t know he had this much power.


    ¡®That¡¯s embarrassing.¡¯


    Han Kyung Il was embarrassed that he talked about reality and whatnot in front of him at theirst meeting. He must have thought he was pathetic. He wanted to hide in a hole. Han Kyung Il, who was beaten up badly by the mafia, got up without much trouble. He did receive expensive treatment, but it was mainly the magic.


    The victims including Yoon Eun Ji rested in a safe ce for the time being. For that reason, they had to hire a guard, so he called one of the veteran mercenaries who was active in Europe.


    ¡°Director Ahn!¡±


    As soon as hended at the airport in Mn, someone was there to greet him. It was probably someone who was sent by Daesan Group¡¯s Mn headquarters.


    ¡°Let me escort you to your residence.¡±


    Since Mn was a city of fashion, there were many fashionistas everywhere. Kim Na Hee was residing in a ce that wasn¡¯t too far from the city center. She had a ce in most fashion cities where she coulde and go.


    Business was all about connections. Especially in the fashion world, a person couldn¡¯t say a word if he or she didn¡¯t know the right people. Kim Na Hee was the only Korean who had the golden ticket to fashion week. Kim Na Hee, who came out to greet him, looked wasted away.


    Ahn Soo Ho hugged her without a word.


    ¡°This is Diplomat Han Kyung Il, who¡¯ll be helping me out.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    After the short greeting, Han Kyung Il was sent upstairs. No matter how powerful the magic was, it was hard for his injuries to be treated in just a few days.


    ¡°Wine? Whiskey?¡±


    ¡°Just water.¡±


    He waved his hand at her offer of beverages.


    ¡°Did you hear the results of the trial?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Ten years for murder is not that bad.¡±


    At the trial that took ce yesterday, Han Chae Kyung was sentenced to 10 years in jail. The attorney appealed right away, but since both the prosecution and court made the sentence, the chances of a reduced sentence were low.


    ¡°I heard from Dae Chan that politics is involved, so it¡¯s hard to pull her out as innocent. Do you think the same way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. But it¡¯ll take a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay as much as it takes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°Money is a secondary issue, Na Hee.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to give up fame and reputation that you built until now.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I have to give up my brand?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Kim Na Hee knitted her brows. She was having a dilemma. She wasn¡¯t so sure if that could really make a person innocent.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it¡¯ll take, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Is Han Chae Kyung that precious to you?¡±


    ¡°I raised her as if she was my own daughter.¡±


    ¡°What about your husband? Will he consent?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Sheughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who made thispany seed! Who is he to say anything about my decision.¡±


    ¡°Okay, calm down. I understand.¡±


    It seemed as though a divorce suit wasing their way. They were only a lovey-dovey couple a long time ago. Kim Na Hee was probably always guilty for not having a child, and since she made their inws a lot of money, they couldn¡¯t really say anything to her. That might be what caused his emotional explosion.


    ¡®Love isn¡¯t forever.¡¯


    But when they got married, they probably couldn¡¯t live without each other.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? I have to start building our army.¡±


    The reason why Yoon Eun Ji and the other 3 girls came to Italy was because they were aspiring fashion designers. So theirst destination was Mn. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s way from the airport to his residence was full of city vibes. There were fashionistas as well as streets that were picture-worthy.


    Mno collection


    It was already the middle of October, but in the city of fashion, it was finally spring and summer.


    ¡°I have a good excuse, too.¡±


    Roberto Aqun would rush over if it was about human trafficking.


    ¡°And I have a capable informant.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 87 ¨C Taken [3] > The end.

 Chapter 89: < Protect – Episode 88 – Taken [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 89: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 88 ¨C Taken [4] &gt;</h4>


    Many people criticize Italy for their corruption, but it was actually a virtuous country. Thanks to the Catholic influence, most of Italy invested in education regarding art, culture, and science. But the gap between the rich and the poor was something Italy had to keep working on.


    If Italy had an impressive education with a good bnce of art, culture, and science, why were they known to be corrupt?


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the social culture. Italy has the most simr tendencies to that of Korea. They don¡¯t think of bribery as bad, and they cultivate affection where people share what should be shared. Italians cherish their own more than anyone.¡±


    Han Kyung Il, who had been to many countries as a diplomat, realized the difference in the idea of corruption between different regions and people. The countries that once used to be developed engaged in all sorts of silly behavior. No matter what other people said about corruption, there was no point since they had no interest in changing themselves.


    ¡°The definition of justice differs too much between people.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about something happier?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho felt like he was getting indigestion because of Han Kyung Il¡¯s depressing talk.


    ¡°Something happier...the kids are all cute no matter what country they¡¯re from.¡±


    ¡°Lowry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, how did you trace them down from Rome to Napoli?¡±


    Han Kyung Il didn¡¯t want to think back on his near-death experience, but Ahn Soo Ho wanted to know how he found the missing person. If he was someone who traced people down for a living, he wouldn¡¯t have asked. But it was hard for any agent to find a girl who was kidnapped by human traffickers.


    ¡°I got some help from the U.S. Embassy.¡±


    ¡°The State Department?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve umted quite thework over the years.¡±


    Whether they liked it or not, Korea¡¯s biggest ally was the States. There was nothing bad about making connections with the politicians of the States. Han Kyung Il was very close to being pro-American.


    ¡°At first, I thought they were helping me out too easily. But now that I think about it, they must have done that because of you. Right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe...but they won¡¯t ask anything of you.¡±


    If they have a favor to ask, they would ask Ahn Soo Ho instead.


    ¡°Did I make things difficult for you?¡±


    ¡°Saving you was a total coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Haha. That means I used up all of my luck for this lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    There was no way of exining how Ahn Soo Ho showed up at the ce at that time. The Korean conste general was in Mno, and Han Kyung Il had to meet with him and get a good scolding. He got off easy. He almost had his career in Italy blew up right in front of his eyes.


    The president instructed Han Kyung Il to assist Ahn Soo Ho for the time being. It seemed strange for a government worker to follow around an average person, but the conste general didn¡¯t say anything as if he had been briefed beforehand.


    ¡°This was unexpected, but let¡¯s do well together.¡±


    ¡°Will you be okay? You¡¯ll have a hard time once rumors of the president taking care of you gets out.¡±


    No government worker would turn down the president, but when it came to power, it was problematic if it was too close or too far. Since the Blue House got involved, Han Kyung Il was pretty much set for the rest of President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s term. But the chances of him getting targeted by others got a lot higher.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I was bound to run into this as I climbed higher sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°I thought your temper died down, but maybe that wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    Han Kyung Il waspromising with reality. If he had lived with his temper, he wouldn¡¯t havee this far. They both didn¡¯t dress like models, but they looked decent. It wasn¡¯t necessary for them to wear designer clothing to look ssy. Han Kyung Il went around with a smile that looked friendly and Ahn Soo Ho unleashed his luring magic.


    What would Italian people like?


    Number one was ser, number two was F1, number three was a significant other and a family, number four was cooking, and number five was fashion. Italy was the city of fashion. Prada, Versace, Ferragamo, Gi, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana all originated here.


    Fashion Week in Mn turned the entire city into a fashion show. The streets were filled with sexy supermodels, which attracted a lot of tourists and buyers. Even the mafias were intimidated. If they got caught causing a ruckus, it didn¡¯t matter what kind of political connections they had.


    ¡°How vibrant.¡±


    Han Kyung Il whistled quietly.


    The Versace show that took ce at an opera house was more vibrant than ever. Putting supermodels on the stage wasn¡¯t enough, so they called all the Hollywood stars and famous people they could call. Fashion didn¡¯t only refer to clothes. Countless makeup products, shoes, bags, essories, and underwear were included.


    The grand fashion show ended with apuse.


    The real business started after the show at the private after party. The ce was like a battlefield where only the VIPs had invitations to. Knives were hidden behind theirughter. They all knew each other through other people, so they probably recognized one another, but Han Kyung Il and Ahn Soo Ho lookedpletely foreign.


    ¡°Fashion functions based on changing trends. That means everything changes very quickly. The public always wants something new, and they want to participate in the current trends. However, as you know, most things aren¡¯t that new.¡±


    They talked about highly specialized topics regarding the changing trends of fashion, and what leaders in the industry need. It was so specialized that those without a background in fashion couldn¡¯t participate. But Han Kyung Il tried to butt in anyway. Diplomats were generally respected, after all.


    The evening parties that were held during fashion week were ces that spent excessively for the purpose of social gatherings. During the Mn collection, the fashion models didn¡¯t really get pointed at. That was because they all went around looking like that, so it wasn¡¯t even that special. Just like France, Italy was very tolerant of issues regarding men and women.


    After parting with his excited friend, Ahn Soo Ho looked around the banquet hall. He didn¡¯t particrly feel any refined city vibes. But those who called themselves artists loved the ssic features of these streets. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t understand it. Art was difficult for regr people.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned around in response to his name. There was a woman standing there with her eyes opened wide. The princess of pop, American Idol, and Princess Disney were a few of her nicknames, and she was a beloved pop star whom all men in their teens and 20s loved.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡±


    L came running over. She smiled out of relief that she could escape the old and boring men who talked about art and life.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you after the show!¡±


    ¡°I had no choice. I¡¯m not a free man anymore.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Are you really dating Seol Hyun? I thought it was just a rumor.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dating rumors were only a thing in Asia. In the States, not a single tabloid wrote about it. That was to be expected. Not many Americans were curious about the Korean entertainment world.


    ¡°I heard you manage an agency in Korea. Are you interested in fashion now?¡±


    ¡°What brings you to Mn? You used to feel bothered about going to Fashion Week in New York.¡±


    ¡°For this.¡±


    L rubbed her thumb and index finger together, which she had learned from Ahn Soo Ho a few years earlier.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you earned enough by now?¡±


    ¡°I might be independent soon.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why? Is Scott not good to you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...this is for your ears only.¡±


    She trailed off and then whispered in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Ha! How many times has it been now?¡±


    ¡°This is his fourth one, I think.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s going to keep on getting divorced, why does he bother getting married? He must be paying tons of alimony every time.¡±


    ¡°The divorce itself costs him a fortune every month.¡±


    L continued with excitement.


    She must have been bottling it up inside. There were many agencies in the American entertainment industry, but most tended to work with individual managers. Scott¡¯s Holly Corporation was one of the biggest agencies in Hollywood where L was since she was a trainee.


    ¡°Did you divide your individual assets?¡±


    ¡°We might have to sell thepany...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    There must have been no way for one person to get everything. He might have had an eye for choosing good music and stars, but his eye for wives needed more work. He didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or be sad. Since they helped him out when Jang Seol Hyun was attempting to work in Hollywood, he didn¡¯t know how to react.


    ¡°If you have a lot of money, why don¡¯t you buy ourpany too, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for the American system.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. You prefer dictatorship. When you used to be my guard, you liked to boss me around. You¡¯re like a fascist Nazi.¡±


    Mentioning the word ¡°fascist¡± could sound like mockery in Italy. However, she whispered it, so no one else could hear. A number of people tilted their heads at how naturally close L got to Ahn Soo Ho. They were curious to know what their rtionship was.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to take over, you can invest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being very pushy.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not easy going off on my own. But that doesn¡¯t mean I want to go off and work with someone else who¡¯s not Scott.¡±


    When L decided to go to Korea due to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s request, L had already calcted everything. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head. Scott Warren had a clean image for such a tycoon of the entertainment industry. One might ask how getting divorced for the 4th time could be a clean image, but in contrast to other CEO¡¯s all of his marriages were out of true love.


    ¡®He has good business luck but bad dating luck.¡¯


    He worked hard at dating, but he kept failing his marriages. It was quite serious for a famous director of the entertainment world to have no luck at dating. In Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinion, it was just better to be alone than to get divorced four times.


    Thanks to the vibe Ahn Soo Ho created, L enjoyed the party. She was past the age of being called a princess, but the princess of pop kept bbing away. He went along with it and looked around him with a sharp gaze.


    During Fashion Week, criminal organizations slow down. The Italian government dispatched a lot of men, and the mafias preferred not to get involved either. But some of the organizations remained unyielding.


    ¡®Instablue.¡¯


    The high-ss escort service of the dark sites had a simr organizational structure as human traffickers.


    ¡®I found him.¡¯


    Not many knew that the CEO of a top modeling agency in Europe was actually a pimp. They met eyes. Ahn Soo Ho sent him a friendly smile.


    ¡°Hello, my friend.¡±


    But he responded the same way a female character in a movie responded when she heard, ¡°Hello, Sydney.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    He fell to the ground.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 88 ¨C Taken [4] > The end.

 Chapter 90: < Protect – Episode 89 – Taken [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 90: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 89 ¨C Taken [5] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation that only the select few knew varied from region to region. The Americans knew him for being a security specialist while Europeans knew him as some kind of detective. The criminals that Ahn Soo Ho went after were better off giving up. If they resisted, they were 100% going to end up on a train to hell.


    Most people would think that there were no cold cases in developed countries, they were mistaken.


    Europe¡¯s biggest headache was kidnapping and people going missing. It was a relief if a person that went missing, had his or her kidnapper to ask for money in return. There were those who lived their entire lives not knowing where their family, significant other, or friend went. And for Ahn Soo Ho who had superpowers, finding missing people was way too easy.


    He had been using his earth memory magic, and since he was able to figure out the features of the suspects just by going to the scene of the crime, the investigators always came to Ahn Soo Ho for help. To those who had no idea that magic existed, he just seemed like he had incredible reasoning power. Thanks to his Sherlock Holmes abilities, even those who hated him like Roberto had no choice but to cooperate with him.


    ¡°Hello, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Eric Rufi, who was talking to a bunch of fashion tycoons, fell to the floor as if he saw a dead body. Ahn Soo Ho mumbled in an obvious manner and helped Eric up.


    ¡°Hey, did you miss me that much? Why are you on the floor?¡±


    Since the guards were stationed outside the building, there was no one to stop him. The chances of an unidentified assant crashing the evening party were less likely than getting hit by lightning. They took extra care in stationing the outside guards, but they didn¡¯t really bother for the ones inside. He pretended to help Eric and put him on a couch in the corner.


    ¡°Breathe. In, out. Come on now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him a water bottle and tried to help him calm down. He was very cruel toward his enemies. But that was just at war, and he often gave people a second chance. In a world rampant with betrayal, he was pretty merciful.


    ¡°Long time no see. You¡¯ve grown a lot, Eric.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    Eric finally came to his senses and tried to understand the situation. He couldn¡¯t call the guards. Even if he had, he knew there was no use. Over ten years ago, Ahn Soo Ho destroyed an entire human trafficking organization that put Europe in fear.


    ¡®Killing machine.¡¯


    There were tons of so-called killing machines in the criminal world, but the man in front of him was at a whole new level. Killing a few people made one a bad person, but Ahn Soo Ho managed to kill thousands of people in his career.


    ¡°Instablue is you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho still got straight to the point. Eric just nodded. There was no point in denying it when he came knowing everything. It would have been wrong for him to assume that he wouldn¡¯t torture him just because there were a lot of eyes watching. He once watched how his boss and executives died, one by one.


    ¡°Since you were just an underling, I will give you a chance. But it doesn¡¯t seem like you learned your lesson.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Sir. I don¡¯t kidnap people for no reason anymore. I don¡¯t confine anyone or force them into things either. I only take those who are willing.¡±


    ¡°Willing? It doesn¡¯t count if you used their weakness to make them consent.¡±


    Eric tried to make up excuses but Ahn Soo Ho sneered.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    When he said that, Eric¡¯s face regained its color.


    ¡°If I was all about justice, I would have done something, but you know me, Eric.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, I do.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t act unless there¡¯s a contract.¡¯ This was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rule. There were exceptions, but he didn¡¯t want to mess with anything and make enemies. It was right to avoid natural disasters.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Just tell me what you need...¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not how I do things. Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head and cut Eric off.


    ¡°If you insist...¡±


    ¡°My favor isn¡¯t even that big. You know about the ser yer murder case, right?¡±


    ¡°Murder case? Oh, I do. The suspect was a Korean woman, right? Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then was it a request from someone else?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho nodded, Eric thought about it. He didn¡¯t tell him any details, but he got the gist of it.


    ¡°Will dealing with the judge and prosecutor be enough?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me your process. I just need the results.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But...¡±


    When Eric trailed off, Ahn Soo Ho shrugged as a way of telling him to go on.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to go to the prime minister?¡±


    ¡°I suppose...but I feel like getting their help will get us involved with Europe¡¯s problems. I¡¯m not liking the vibes these days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The police have been on my case, so my business is being affected, too.¡±


    Because of the war between J-Law and Issac, incidents masking terror started urring, causing for the government and investigators to die out. If a person were unlucky, that person could be used to set as an example, so it was safer to stay low.


    ¡°There¡¯s no quieter way of handling things than the married man¡¯s lower body incident, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho smirked, so did Eric.


    Back when human trafficking put Europe in terror, it wasn¡¯t because they kidnapped women and children and did horrible things to them. Kidnappings and people going missing wasn¡¯t anything new. Then why did Europe ask Ahn Soo Ho to get rid of them? There were circumstances that only married men could understand.


    ¡®Getting married is easy but getting divorced is hard.¡¯


    It was simr to how getting into college was easy but graduating was hard. In North America and Europe, divorces caused by the man¡¯s mistake was most likely going to end with his money and soul stolen away. That was why Scott Warren was impressive for going through a fourth divorce.


    Among the men who snuck around their wives and went to trafficked prostitutes, there were many in power. As more and more umted, they controlled those in power who didn¡¯t want to go through a divorce suit and have their soul stolen away, too. That was why Europe asked Ahn Soo Ho to get rid of them.


    ¡°But don¡¯t be too harsh. You don¡¯t want it to turn out likest time.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t forget the warning. Too much threatening could very well have the opposite effect of what was intended.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for my conditions. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you mer.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m going to turn it down.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After finishing their talk, he abandoned him and went back to L who was watching. When Ahn Soo Ho showed up, the flies around her left.


    ¡°You know Mr. Rufi, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before.¡±


    ¡°You seemed pretty close.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want me to introduce you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    L violently shook her head and then whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Be careful. Bad rumors go around about that guy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s involved with the mafia.¡±


    No matter how careful one was, it was impossible to block all information. Ahn Soo Ho predicted that Eric would be arrested in a few days. He would probably think that it was due to his past mistakes, but as businesses grew and became more sessful, he was bound to make mistakes.


    Han Kyung Il returned from his greetings and chats. At first, he didn¡¯t recognize L. He thought she was just one of the models, but when he realized who she was, he was startled.


    ¡°L? Princess of Pop?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But I¡¯m too old to be called a princess now.¡±


    While Han Kyung Il greeted L once more, Ahn Soo Ho received a note from a server. After checking the note, he quickly stopped the employee from leaving.


    ¡°Who is this from?¡±


    ¡°Someone left it at the lobby.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho used his magic.


    His senses spread all over like a ball of twine. Every person felt different. His permeating powers was very good at finding whatever it was looking for. In the end, those with simr tendencies bunched together.


    Ahn Soo Ho walked toward the washroom and when he turned the corner, his body disappeared into the darkness.


    Gasp! Where did he go?


    He¡¯s not in the washroom!


    He disappeared!


    The radio channel went crazy. The ones who were watching Ahn Soo Ho were taken aback. The security bureau who were monitoring him from nearby were taken aback, too. He did it to see how they would react, and it yielded unexpected results.


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯s mad, do you?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! This is why I was against it! We should have been more careful.¡±


    ¡°Against what?¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Stefano gasped at the voice he heard from behind him. The agents also got up from their seats, but they got hit and flew across the room.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    They flew above the table and fell on the ground. As trained professionals, they pulled out their guns as soon as they got up.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Put your guns down!¡±


    Stefano lifted both arms and stepped in front of the agents.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian! We didn¡¯t mean to be rude!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology. Just tell me what you were against.¡±


    The person who snuck into the base of the information security agency of Italy was Ahn Soo Ho who had suddenly disappeared. They probably felt like a ghost popped up. It wasn¡¯t a base that was so essible that someone could enter in a few minutes.


    ¡°Did you see the note?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t, he would have just ignored them. He couldn¡¯t believe that people were monitoring him since he arrived in Napoli. And it wasn¡¯t too hard to tail Ahn Soo Ho either.


    He opened the note.


    ¡°A terrorist attack will take ce in Monaco in 72 hours? But that¡¯s something France should worry about, not you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°After Monaco, they will attack, Nice, Marseille, Genova, and Mn.¡±


    Their next target was Monaco as well as famous cities in Southern France and Northern Italy. Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We need someone to collect the dispersed information.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking for Alexa and Kosino? You have lots of good analysts, too.¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    ¡°What about the CIA?¡±


    ¡°Tripoli, Benghazi, and Cairo are in trouble, so they don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Since the true human nature exploded all over the world, it was to the point of being uncontroble. If it was the old days, Ahn Soo Ho would have worked as the arbitrary.


    ¡°We¡¯re all retired.¡±


    ¡°But I heard you¡¯ve received a personal request.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡±


    He clicked his tongue and shook his index finger.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re friends and family. But you¡¯re not either. So clean up your own mess.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed coldly, turned around, and then looked back at them.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t even think about using Han Chae Kyung to try to control me.¡±


    As soon as he returned to the party, Han Kyung Il pulled him in. He realized that the vibe of the party wasn¡¯t normal.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He immediately thought about what was written in the note.


    ¡°Rome was bombed. There were many casualties.¡±


    ¡°Rome?¡±


    They got it wrong. Once he left the party and returned to Kim Na Hee¡¯s residence, Ahn Soo Ho had to face another unexpected situation.


    ¡°Han Chae Kyung attempted suicide and has been transferred to the hospital.¡±


    An employee told him the news.


    He wiped his face. This was what he was afraid of. It was easy to save her body. But it was impossible to recover a broken mind, even for Ahn Soo Ho. Even Jina Davismitted suicide after she was saved in Brazil.


    ¡®This is difficult.¡¯


    She must have been miserable being treated like a murderer who killed her boyfriend when she was just an ordinary girl in her 20s. He somewhat understood why she attempted suicide.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 89 ¨C Taken [5] > The end.

 Chapter 91: < Protect – Episode 90 – Taken [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 91: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 90 ¨C Taken [6] &gt;</h4>


    There were many defendants in the middle of appeals who attempted suicide. There were those who did it because it was unfair, because they were afraid of being in prison, or what the society would perceive them as. There was a clinic in the detention center, but since she was a foreigner and Kim Na Hee hired an expensive attorney, she was sent to a private hospital.


    Since there was a terrorist bombing attack in Rome just 1 hour before, there were countless police officers all over the ce. The exciting vibes of the Mn collection quickly quieted down. When he arrived at the hospital, he was greeted by a Daesan Group employee that he met at the airport.


    ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°She got treated on time, so she¡¯s stabilizing.¡±


    In foreign countries, it was rare for hospital beds to all be next to each other. That was why hospital fees weren¡¯t cheap. Han Chae Kyung stayed in a VIP room. As soon as Kim Na Hee saw Ahn Soo Ho, she cried and walked out of the hospital room.


    Ahn Soo Ho hugged her and calmed her down.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°She cut her wrist. Thankfully, she was discovered early, so she¡¯s not in danger.¡±


    ¡°How did she have a sharp object with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    He made Kim Na Hee, who kept looking toward the hospital room, sit down on the couch.


    ¡°Anyway, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been resolved. When¡¯s the next trial?¡±


    ¡°Hm, in a month, I think.¡±


    ¡°Tell the council to make it as soon as possible.¡±


    She stared at him as if she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Just trust me. Don¡¯t you want to take her back to Korea as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    If Eric did his job properly, she was going to be ruled innocent at the next hearing. This was his first time seeing Han Chae Kyung in person. She slept as if she was Sleeping Beauty. It was true that a person would never know what might happen in life. Who would have guessed that a silver spoon like Han Chae Kyung would be framed for murder and then attempt suicide?


    ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never met Han Chae Kyung¡¯s parents before.¡¯


    Both parents were supposed to be alive, but they were nowhere in sight.


    ¡®Maybe they¡¯re ashamed of her murderer daughter.¡¯


    There were all sorts of parents just as there were all sorts of children


    If Kim Na Hee was to get a divorce, she would have no rtion to Han Chae Kyung. Despite considering her as her heir, things could get veryplicated regarding the family register. Even though he didn¡¯t know Han Chae Kyung personally, it didn¡¯t look like Kim Na Hee was a bad judge of character.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    There were many besides Ahn Soo Ho who could take care of Kim Na Hee. As soon as he went out into the parking lot, he saw the white man from the safe house.


    ¡°My name is Stefano.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a persistent one. But then again, without that kind of will, you might as well quit your job as an agent.¡±


    They sat down at a bench on one side of the parking lot.


    As soon as Han Kyung Il came out, he gestured him to stay away. He understood the signal and turned back. Stefano looked like someone who could be prepared to use his men to make a move.


    ¡°Is there more about Han Chae Kyung that I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    ¡°You probably know this, but her school life wasn¡¯t very smooth.¡±


    ¡°But that goes for all foreign exchange students.¡±


    They wished there wasn¡¯t discrimination, but that was too much to ask.


    There was Caucasian-dominated racism all over Europe. They would probably deny it, but it was hard for them to control their subconscious instincts. So the foreign exchange students who weren¡¯t from wealthy households had to smile and keep their heads up high to get through it. That didn¡¯t mean the students from wealthy households didn¡¯t hold it in. It was actually those from rich households that acted tougher.


    Han Chae Kyung was just as open-minded as Kim Na Hee, so she fit in better abroad than she did in Korea. But the idea that women should be modest existed in Europe as well. People misunderstood Europe to be rational and open. They didn¡¯t call white people foolish for no reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s to be expected for rich students to have jealousy pointed toward them.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re both Korean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. But she had many on her side as well. The problem is that the fashion world is a cruel ce.¡±


    The fashion world, where people had the greed to make the beautiful seed, and there were plots and conspiracies that made it into a vicious battlefield.


    ¡°Who would like someone who partied and dated a pro ser yer if they were too busy just finishing their school projects?¡±


    Just like Ennd, Italy was full of women who wanted to marry pro ser yers. Wives and Girlfriends, known as WAGs for short were so popr that they had paparazzi on them all the time.


    ¡°The testimonies that the prosecution secured were either lies or exaggerated truths.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve always known that Han Chae Kyung is innocent.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Did the higher-ups tell you not to do anything?¡±


    ¡°Many people would get into trouble if Mn¡¯s fabrication schemes got exposed.¡±


    Even after the Juventus fabrication incident, a few others followed. But they weren¡¯t as powerful as the Juventus incident. But AC Mn was different. If AC Mn was involved in a win fabrication incident, they would be banished from thepetition.


    ¡°They wanted to sacrifice a foreigner to bury the whole thing. But they didn¡¯t realize who Kim Na Hee was.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know Isabe Kim would be so active in being their attorney either.¡±


    Kim Na Hee was a pretty sessful businesswoman in the fashion world.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like knowing would have changed anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    No matter how great she was, she was a foreigner. They looked down on Koreans and had the nerve to do whatever they wanted to them. If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t butted in, they would have sacrificed a foreigner and went on with their happy lives.


    ¡°This is pissing me off.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the victim, but he was still angry. The reason Han Chae Kyung attempted suicide might not have been just because it was unfair.


    ¡°We could try to do something to help...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He cut off Stefano¡¯s offer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forjudge my decision.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll give you a chance to make an effort. Bring me a list of the ones who harassed Han Chae Kyung.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up without hearing his answer. He left the parking lot and went back toward the hospital. Kim Na Hee was both happy and suspicious to see Ahn Soo Ho again. He told her what he talked about with Stefano. As she listened to the things that Han Chae Kyung went through in Italy, she nodded and frowned.


    As he finished up, she held her niece¡¯s hand and sighed. Kim Na Hee also understood the difficulties of being a foreign exchange student.


    ¡°I thought Chae Kyung was a strong girl.¡±


    She believed she was strong enough to ovee the hardships of studying abroad.


    ¡°Was I being too greedy when I¡¯m not even her parent?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say tofort her. It was actually Han Chae Kyung whoforted her once she woke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, this is all my fault.¡±


    The way they hugged each other and cried made them looked like mother and daughter. After a while of crying, she noticed Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re Aunt¡¯s little brother, that makes you my uncle.¡±


    She was kind of forcing it, but she wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. He imagined her to be gloomy since she attempted suicide, but she was pretty lively. It was evident that she was trying hard to be though.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go back to Korea soon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho yed along. There was no need for him to be serious when she was trying to be friendly. Kim Na Hee didn¡¯t say anything, but she seemed thankful. When the mood settled down, he got to the point.


    ¡°Do you want to get revenge?¡±


    Han Chae Kyung and Kim Na Hee knew exactly what he was talking about.


    ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    Han Chae Kyung asked in a careful manner.


    ¡°If it was impossible, I wouldn¡¯t have even brought it up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t bring up forgiveness or tolerance. Those who talked about how revenge was useless had clearly never gotten revenge before. It was possible that Han Chae Kyung¡¯s wounds would heal over time. But it was hard to get over being framed even if she was freed as innocent.


    ¡°I want to get revenge.¡±


    She looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a decisive gaze in her eyes.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Just sit back and watch.¡±


    Electronic equipment was prohibited in Italian hospitals as well, but the VIP rooms were an exception. Ahn Soo Ho instructed Han Chae Kyung¡¯s hospital room to be transformed into the monitoring base that he had seen earlier. This was particrly a special treatment, but the police couldn¡¯t say anything because the security bureau was involved.


    It had been a long time since the sun went down, and Ahn Soo Ho was dressed in a strange outfit and went to the school that Han Chae Kyung had gone to. Since it wasn¡¯t the White House or anything, it wasn¡¯t difficult to get in. The CCTVs were already removed and the night guards were put to sleep with magic.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    The footage captured by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s camera was sent to Han Chae Kyung in real time.


    ¡°Anthony, Anthony. I found it.¡±


    If he knew the ss and name, it was easy to find their locker. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho broke the lock with his hand, Han Chae Kyung cheered into the earphone.


    ¡°A yboy magazine, condoms, and birth control pills? Is this weed?¡±


    His belongings were very immature for those of a man in his twenties. Ahn Soo Ho messed up the inside of the locker. He wanted to throw poop water into it too, but just mop water would do. This was just the beginning of his locker exploration. Han Chae Kyung was excited as she watched him destroy the belongings of these bastards.


    His next destination was the staff room.


    There were teachers who gave foreign students bad marks because they were racist. He messed up their desks and then threw garbage on top. He felt bad for the janitor, but chaos was going to happen for sure at the school the next morning.


    After the school of design, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s next destination was a club. The vibe of Fashion Week died down a little due to the terrorist attack in Rome, but the clubs were still booming. Italy was known for showing off cars, so the clubs held motor shows, too.


    But it was toned down due to the current events today.


    There were supercars loved by Italians such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but Porches, BMWs, and Benzes were surprisingly not popr. They rushed everyone to stop bragging and go on home, so the valet employees were the busiest there. At that moment a Lamborghini slowly drove in. A valet employee ran over and then stopped when a man in a rabbit mask got off. He also recognized the Lamborghini.


    ¡®Huh? This is Lorenzo¡¯s.¡¯


    He was right.


    Ahn Soo Ho in the rabbit mask brought the car of someone who spread bad rumors about Han Chae Kyung after she turned him down. He was probably inside the club having a fun time. When the valet employee was taken aback, the bigger men from the back came toward Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Who are you...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made them all faint in a single moment. He violently shook the air around their heads to make them pass out. As soon as a fight broke out, the people waiting in lines started cheering and took out their phones.


    He lifted both hands as if he was a winner.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    He then started to smash the Lamborghini.


    Boom- Boom-


    The sounds that his fists and feet made against the car made the people fascinated. The yelling got even louder as the supercar got turned into a car that belonged in the junkyard.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho ran off as soon as he heard police sirens.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The rabbit mask¡¯s parade throughout Mn continued through the night. He broke the window and rang the window of one the house and broke the fuse of another, which wasn¡¯t as serious as destroying a car in front of a club. Even a flyer exposing someone¡¯s secret got spread, and one person¡¯s social media got hacked, so they had toe out of the closet.


    But Mn didn¡¯t think this was funny. If the Italian foreign intelligence agency hadn¡¯t contacted them, they might have reported these as terror attacks. Stefano returned the next day looking as if he had aged by 10 years.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    He wanted to punch this shameless guy, but he held it in. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed overnight. Stefano aged while Han Chae Kyung became lively again. Ahn Soo Ho, who was looking at her smile from outside the hospital room crossed his arms.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lend you Alexa and Kosino.¡±


    Stefano was disappointed at first, but he lifted his head to what Ahn Soo Ho said next.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll find it for you.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m the type to talk nonsense? In return...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had a condition.


    Han Chae Kyung¡¯s revenge stopped there. It was right to stop a normal person¡¯s revenge at this point. It was hard to endure truly cruel revenge unless one was full of rage. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to leave any room for trouble. Especially regarding that unnamed gambling broker.


    ¡°Wrap it up well.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Wait.¡±


    He stopped Stefano before he turned away.


    ¡°This was your request that I¡¯ve taken on, which means you¡¯re still responsible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Stefano¡¯s next promotion was in the bag. The private trial nine dayster ended with Han Chae Kyung not being guilty. In contrast to the attention it received before, the media was now focused on the terrorist attack in Rome. After seeing off the two women, Ahn Soo Ho and Han Kyung Il headed to Mocano, but L tagged along, too.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I feel like lots of fun things happen around you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bitch.¡±


    There were many crazy people among the top stars and artists Ahn Soo Ho had met.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You once ripped open a guy¡¯s anus with your shoe heel.¡±


    ¡°When did I do that?¡±


    ¡°You kicked him to the ground. He wet himself because you burst his dder. He became known as the pisser after that.¡±


    He remembered kicking, but he didn¡¯t remember any anus ripping.


    ¡°Watch your mouth.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    His head started hurting.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 90 ¨C Taken [6] > The end.

 Chapter 92: < Protect – Episode 91 – FIFA [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 92: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 91 ¨C FIFA [1] &gt;</h4>


    While Ahn Soo Ho got on the ne headed to Monaco, Korean social media outlets went crazy because of him. Many Koreans were interested in the Mno collection, to begin with, and many fashion reporters even went there themselves to cover the topic. Mn was a ce that most Koreans loved.


    To be honest, Ahn Soo Ho had amon face that was easy to pass by. However, since there weren¡¯t many Koreans here, it was easier to be noticed. But only Koreans knew who he was.


    - Ahn Soo Ho and L Mile? Isn¡¯t this adultery? #mnfashionweek #versace #bombterror


    - He¡¯s not even married yet.


    - I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the camera angle, but they do look too close! Poor Seol Hyun!


    - I knew it ever since L had a concert in Korea! She wasn¡¯t just here for the money!


    - What are you saying? Then are you suggesting that she has something on CEO Ahn?


    - Maybe there¡¯s an Ahn Soo Ho list!


    - A prince on a white horse!


    - ???


    - Stop it with theme jokes!


    - 19 people dead and 121 injured due to the terrorist attack in Rome! #travlert #koreanembassyinrome


    - Europe is in chaos! It¡¯s crazy everywhere!


    - I was thinking of going to Greece and Turkey in two months. Should I cancel?


    - Greece is crazy, but Turkey is even crazier these days!


    - Who was it again? That crazy wench who went hitchhiking and then went missing.


    - A lot of people dream of going to Europe. But once you get out of the tourist destinations, it¡¯s madness! So much for developed countries!


    - You should all just go to Phuket where it¡¯s cheaper and more beautiful!


    - I don¡¯t like it there because there are too many Chinese and Japanese people there!


    - There are lots of Koreans there, too.


    - If Mr. Ahn gets a social media ount, he would have so many followers. Why doesn¡¯t he get one?


    - His wife will probably make one soon!


    - He¡¯s not married to Seol Hyun yet.


    - They already announced it, so it¡¯s game over!


    - You obscene sons of bitches! What¡¯s so weird about lovers having sex?


    - It¡¯s still hard to ept in the Korean entertainment industry.


    - That¡¯s why our country can¡¯t be a developed country! Worrying about celebrities is the biggest waste of time!


    - Mr. Ahn isn¡¯t a celebrity.


    - If the entire country knows who he is, that makes him a celebrity.


    The terrorist attack in Rome became known all over Asia, and Han Kyung Il became famous. The parents of the 3 other girls besides Yoon Eun Ji who went to Italy contacted him through the Korean and Japanese embassies in Rome. After trying to exin the situation in a favorable way, Han Kyung Il ended up bing known as a hero.


    ¡°The symbol of diplomats of this generation?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me.¡±


    ¡°This is a good thing.¡±


    After arriving in Nice via ne and then in Monaco via helicopter, he unpacked his bags at the hotel. Han Kyung Il had a tiring time dealing with the phone¡¯s ringing all this time. The 3 other girls besides Yoon Eun Ji probably think he helped them, but that wasn¡¯t true. Phone calls asking him why he was acting gloating and why he didn¡¯t consult his superiors beforehand were fine, but thoseplimenting him and worrying for him made him feel burdened.


    ¡°What about the reporters?¡±


    ¡°The embassy is going to conduct the interview themselves.¡±


    ¡°Not through a spokesperson?¡±


    ¡°They want to get in on it, too. I don¡¯t want any more of the attention either.¡±


    The Korean embassy in Italy was being active while the Koreans were focused on the terrorist attack in Rome. They were probably dreaming of entering the political field after retirement.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I go back to Rome?¡±


    ¡°Since the president¡¯s orders are superior to the minister or embassy, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°I guess if I went back now, I¡¯d die of work overload.¡±


    ¡°Haha. That too.¡±


    The aftereffect of the terrorist attack in Rome was sweeping Italy. Since it happened near the Vatican, the Catholic church was probably raging as well. This was simr to the Ma of Ims getting attacked.


    The Italian government stressed their ipetence while the people demanded they find out who the terrorist was. The terrorist organizations were actually quiet. It was expected that they would brag that they did it, but they were actually trying to stay out of it.


    ¡°But why did youe to Monaco?¡±


    ¡°To hang out.¡±


    After giving him a joking answer, Ahn Soo Ho noticed Han Kyung Il¡¯s gaze and raised both his hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Han Chae Kyung¡¯s case got resolved.¡±


    ¡°Did that Eric Rupi from the evening party helped out?¡±


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I have ears, too, Soo Ho. I¡¯ve heard that there are bad rumors around him.¡±


    ¡°If a French person ising and going from Italy to conduct big business, there¡¯s no doubt that the mafia is involved.¡±


    There was no reason to tell him that his main business was the mafia.


    ¡°Did youe to Monaco because of the mafia?¡±


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s just say the Italian government made an unofficial request.¡±


    ¡°The Italian government? The intelligence agency?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They want to know more about what might happen in the future regarding these terrorist attacks.¡±


    ¡°Do you have that information?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But I have a way of finding out.¡±


    Just as before, he had no interest in cleaning up after other people¡¯s messes. But in order topletely wrap up Han Chae Kyung¡¯s case, he needed help from those in power. Since things could get messy if the politicians got involved, it was better to get the help of the Italian security bureau.


    ¡®What¡¯s important is that they made the proposal first.¡¯


    In the information world, the ones who showed their cards first was the most important.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    L returned dressed in her swimsuit and beachwear on top. When she arrived at the airport in Nice, the airport went into chaos. She followed Ahn Soo Ho to escape, and employees of Holly Corporation trekked through Mn looking for her. So they were taken aback when she arrived at the airport in Nice.


    She was an absolute troublemaker.


    Her manic-depressive tendencies and only drinking Evian water was not a big dealpared to other top stars. Some singers even transported their own mattress on tour. There were also those who had to party on the night before a concert and demanded cocaine.


    If she wasn¡¯t a top star, she would have just been a crazy wench.


    The luxury suite with an outdoor pool attached was probably an act of kindness. Han Kyung Il was awkward with L at first, but after getting adjusted, they had some good conversation. Was it possible to be friends with someone over a decade younger than one¡¯s self? Even for Han Kyung Il who spent a great deal of time abroad, it was a fascinating experience.


    L soon got bored and whined to Ahn Soo Ho for some new entertainment.


    Grand Casino.


    It wasn¡¯t Monaco without this ce.


    The oldest part of the Grand Casino was designed by Garni, who was a famous designer of Paris¡¯ opera house. The hall was splendid and the floor, walls, and chandelier created such a harmony that made the ce look brilliant.


    The Grand Casino wasn¡¯t a ce that was just for games. All famous people visited this ce at least once a year. Even during the madness caused by terrorist attacks, Monaco was booming with tourists.


    L, who got tired of the wall Ahn Soo Ho put up, felt morefortable, but she still dragged Han Kyung Il along to strut the casino. Ahn Soo Ho headed toward the security area of the casino. Normal visitors didn¡¯t know this, but there were many disguised guards near the path connecting to the restaurants.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of a disguised guard, he got out of his way. He didn¡¯t know his name, but he knew his name. As soon as he entered the halls, he was greeted by a cleanly-dressed man.


    ¡°Louis?¡±


    ¡°You recognize me. Long time no see.¡±


    They took the lift down to the 5th underground floor. Ahn Soo Ho epted a rabbit mask from Louis andughed bitterly. Whoever the idea came from, it was very satirical. Despite the terrorist attack in Rome covering it up, the rumors about a rabbit mask were being spread.


    He put on the rabbit mask.


    The 5th basement floor didn¡¯t feel stuffy. The high ceilings and the shared space of multiple floors proved its scale. Ahn Soo Ho received a ss of alcohol offered by a server and leaned on the banister. An auction was taking ce on a stage decorated like an opera. All the customers aside from the employees were wearing a mask.


    ¡°700,000! 700,000! Going once, going twice, sold for 700,000 won!¡±


    A small vase got sold for 700,000 euros.


    ¡®They¡¯re just unting their money.¡¯


    What would they do with a vase that costs 700,000 won? It wasmon for items of the ck market to not be avable in a normal auction. The next item was an ancient body suit. Even though they were all wearing masks, they still probably had an idea of who everyone was.


    The battle-like vibe only heated up further, and the only ones smiling were the hosts since the fees kept going up. But that didn¡¯t mean they could just leave it alone. The host of the ck market started an event and calmed down the vibe.


    ¡°Here are the results of the assassination betting results you¡¯ve all been waiting for!¡±


    The war between J-Law and Issac was a tragedy for some but a source of entertainment for others. Ahn Soo Ho bet 10 million US dors on the results of the war. What decided the results of such a war was death for a specific objective or a sum of the harm done both sides in a set period of time.


    The final objective was for either Jw or Issac to die, but if this dragged on, the betting duration would extend as well, a time limit was bet on as well. Since Jw and Issac were both alive, the final result didn¡¯t take ce, but since there was a time limit the winner could still be decided.


    ¡°The winner...¡±


    The standards of the bets and countless charts went up on the screen.


    ¡°Jw!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any cheering in response to the announcement that sounded like that of a pro-wrestling match. But pping filled the room. Most expected Issac to win, which meant the money would be allocated between many people.


    Ahn Soo Ho went to a nearby booth.


    A female employee smiled. He passed her a q-card from his jacket. After inputting the numbers into the reader, she was absolutely startled. The reason why she was surprised despite her training not to do so was the sum that came up on the screen.


    $2,828,592, 463


    It was nearly 2.8 billion US dors.


    There was no personal information on the q-card. ording to the information, he bet 10 million dors, which meant he earned 2.8 billion dors. No matter how well she was trained, she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise.


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Exchange it to Euros.¡±


    ¡°One moment, please. I need to check something first.¡±


    Before she could finish, the screen in front of Ahn Soo Ho showed 3,015,813,851 euros. The value of euros went down quite a bit.


    ¡°Would you like to open an ount?¡±


    ¡°No, no need. The ck market bulletin board still exists, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Post a memo for me. ¡®I¡¯m willing to buy terror information besides that regarding Jw and Issac for 3 billion euros.''¡±


    The female employee dropped her jaw.


    ¡°I want the money deposited into my Mocano Bank ount.¡±


    ¡°You want 3 billion euros put into your deposit ount?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    She said something in French into the phone. Her superior showed up 1 minuteter.


    ¡°You want to deposit 3 billion euros into a deposit ount, Sir?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°One moment, please.¡±


    He called someone else, and the person who showed up was someone he recognized.


    ¡°Louis? I¡¯m seeing you a lot today.¡±


    ¡°I knew it was you, Soo Ho.¡±


    He was the employee that saw him in. Louis sent the other employees out and sat across from Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°If you¡¯re only depositing 3 billion euros, what about the rest?¡±


    ¡°You can keep it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The remaining 16 million was a tip for the employees.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bet on the second war?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Since we know how skilled Jw is, there¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still very skilled. Why did you retire?¡±


    ¡°I was just lucky today.¡±


    Making 2.8 billion dors with just 10 million was luck? Louis clicked his tongue in his head.


    ¡°Did you ept Italy and France¡¯s request?¡±


    ¡°Not France. They¡¯ll probably ask soon, though. Why? Do you have some information? I¡¯ll buy it if you do.¡±


    ¡°You know internal dealing is strictly prohibited...our information team might visit you soon. Are you staying at Monte Carlo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up and offered a handshake.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to see you again, Louis.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    He just shrugged his shoulders to Louis¡¯ big smile and left. One of the other employees came back in.


    ¡°The post is flooding withments.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s 3 billion euros....all the agents in Europe will pounce. It¡¯s possible that the terrorist groups might see some traitors, too.¡±


    ¡°Is he that strong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you who he is?¡±


    He could have said more, but he held back. In this world, people felt proud to just know someone like Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®There¡¯s going to be a blood bath in all of Europe.¡¯


    While he worried about that blood bath, another blood bath blew over Ahn Soo Ho once he returned to the main building.


    ¡°L? L?¡±


    ¡°No, just listen to me, Seol Hyun. Please? Rx.¡±


    The sound of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s voice on the phone gave him the chills that he never got even when he fought thousands of people by himself. Everyone who was at the private Versace evening party did live coverage of the whole evening. And footage of L being close and intimate with Ahn Soo Ho was captured as well.


    Rumors of L getting a divorce because of an Asian man went around like wildfire. And after Koreanizens spread that all over social media, Ahn Soo Ho got caught up in a love triangle with Jang Seol Hyun and L.


    ¡®Everyone! You know this is all a lie, right?¡¯


    One president said this before he was elected.


    ¡®That¡¯s exactly how I feel!¡¯


    In contrast to the president who denied things that were true, he really felt like he was wronged. He tried tofort Jang Seol Hyun, but a bigger struggle was waiting for Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s all a lie. Don¡¯t you believe your one and only son-inw?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 91 ¨C FIFA [1] > The end.

 Chapter 93: < Protect – Episode 92 – FIFA [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 93: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 92 ¨C FIFA [2] &gt;</h4>


    Despite all the chaos about terrorist attacks, Monaco was still booming as always. Each city had a different vibe, and the vibe that Ahn Soo Ho felt in Monaco was chic. In contrast to the airport in Nice, people didn¡¯t swarm in just because there was a celebrity. They wanted to, but they couldn¡¯t because of their environment.


    Since there were so many stars around, it was hard to get attention unless that person was a huge star. Ahn Soo Ho, Han Kyung Il, and L sat at a caf¨¦ with a view of the ocean and enjoyed the sun. L must have been tired from all the shopping in Monaco because she remained seated quietly.


    ¡°What about your manager?¡±


    ¡°I resolved it.¡±


    ¡°More like you bullied him.¡±


    L answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s questions as if they were no big deal, but it was obvious what was going on. The only person who could yell at her within Holly Corporation was the CEO, Scott. Since there were countless makeup artists, stylists, managers, and guards that followed around her everywhere, it wouldn¡¯t have been a lie to say that she was keeping them fed.


    He saw a guard working hard as they spoke.


    He was technically employed by herpany, but it was L who paid him. So when she fled Mn, the guards and managers didn¡¯t report it to thepany. One might ask, why? It was because her employer didn¡¯t want them to.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even a princess anymore. Stop causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I have such a clean reputation.¡±


    That was true. The reason why she was so loved all around the world was, of course, her talent, but it was also because she didn¡¯t get into any controversies.


    ¡°I think I heard you were dating someone from L.A. Dodgers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    She might have had a clean reputation, but she was still involved in dating scandals. In the photos taken by the paparazzi, it did seem like they were being especially intimate.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably sticking closer because you don¡¯t date enough.¡±


    ¡°Dating is tiring.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You sound like a middle-aged man!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t something one would hear from a girl in her 20s. Ahn Soo Ho looked over at Han Kyung Il who was enjoying the ocean breeze and sunlight without saying a world.


    ¡°Are you dating anyone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d give them a hard time since I¡¯m never in one ce. And long distance is too hard.¡±


    ¡°They would probably pounce at a sessful diplomat.¡±


    Since he was elite, he was bound to attract women wherever he went.


    ¡°There was some talk about it. I¡¯ve even had strangerse to me and try to set me up.¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a woman you liked, was there?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How do they date in Korea?¡±


    L suddenly jumped in.


    ¡°They date well. Whoa, whoa.¡±


    She almost threw mango juice at Ahn Soo Ho for being annoying.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious...do stars only date other stars?¡±


    ¡°It does seem that way. They have no choice because they go to a lot of parties with other stars. When you spend a lot of time with someone, you naturally be close, which could lead to dating.¡±


    ¡°The social circle must be pretty small.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful not to get scammed.¡±


    L looked sad.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been scammed before, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°By a really close friend.¡±


    Just like Korea, in the States, people pounced looking to scrape up something if someone looked like they seeded.


    ¡°Enough of this depressing talk! What are you going to do now, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go shopping?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of it now.¡±


    Most people in their 20s got tired of things very quickly.


    ¡°Go to a spa then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of spas and massages, too.¡±


    ¡°Then go home.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re mean! You pig! You dumbo!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho sounded bothered by L, she punched the table with both fists. In the States, most would have thought she was high on something, but Koreans saw this as cute. Han Kyung Il almost choked. For a Western girl who didn¡¯t know what it meant to be cute in Korea, she was pretty adorable.


    Ahn Soo Ho just stared at her.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Huh? This is weird. Seol Hyun said all Korean guys fall for this stuff...¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t wrong, but don¡¯t do that in the States.¡±


    They would have looked at her strangely.


    Since Monaco was getting out of summer and entering fall, it was a time period that Koreans would have loved. The first customer toe at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s 3 billion euros was Heritage, who was a leader of the ck market. He had connections with Monaco¡¯s royal family.


    It might have looked like the king was engaging in illegal acts, but Monaco had always survived off the backs of powerful countries since a long time ago. That was their family¡¯s temperament and wisdom. The royal family fell following the freedom of the 20th century, but reputable families didn¡¯t root from money andnd alone.


    ¡®They still dominate Europe.¡¯


    Even though people had to do business and politics to be the president or prime minister, power still belonged to a small number of families. Today, plutocracy paired with mass media made for a favorable result. Heritage only brought a few names and numbers, but when Ahn Soo Ho paid him with 1 billion euros.


    He immediately handed the information over to Stefano.


    If someone asked him if spending 1 billion euros on Italy¡¯s security bureau was worth it, he wouldn¡¯t have had anything to say. In Korean won, he just spent 1.2 trillion won just for information, which was out of this world. But Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t really care.


    ¡®I got the money unexpectedly anyway.¡¯


    It was too much work tounder the money to transfer it to another ount, so it was easier to spend it all here. The Korean Tax Service wasn¡¯t to be underestimated. While they sat at the caf¨¦, their surroundings suddenly became noisy. He just thought it was because of L, but he turned around when he heard Korean.


    ¡®Korean?¡¯


    Was it a Korean tour group? That wasn¡¯t it. Their equipment suggested that they were filming abroad. The scale of it eliminated the possibility of a movie or a drama shoot. It looked more like a star¡¯s vacation vlog. The girls dressed up in front of the camera looked like celebrities, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t recognize any of them.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Jung Ah Young.¡±


    ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Ha! How do you not know Jung Ah Young as the CEO of an entertainment agency?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged at Han Kyung Il¡¯s criticism.


    ¡°She must be famous.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s more famous than Seol Hyun in China.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t called the star of Asia for no reason. She was a superwoman who could speak Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. Stars who were able tomunicate in theirnguage receive more attention.


    ¡®Chinese and Japanese is a requirement these days.¡¯


    If a person wanted to work in Asia, that person had to know Chinese or Japanese. While Ahn Soo Ho and Han Kyung Il watched the filming crew, they noticed them as well.


    ¡°Hey...isn¡¯t that Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn of Hosoo Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t he in Mn right now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you watch the news? He went to France with L. The States is in chaos because of that news.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    As soon as this became known the filming crew started lurking around Ahn Soo Ho who was wearing sunsses. When the vibe went out of control, the producers decided to take a break. The main writer and the producer came to the table themselves.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you CEO Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello. I¡¯m Producer Yoon Seok Joong of JTV. This is Writer Ahn Hye Kyung.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ahn Hye Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho invited them to sit down. The producer and writer who sat down ufortably, became startled when they noticed the blonde woman across from them. There was no broadcaster who didn¡¯t recognize the princess of pop. They were wondering if it was really L before they sat down, but once they sat across from her, the aura waspletely different.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Producer Yoon Seok Joong froze up in response to L¡¯s cheerful greeting. If the writer hadn¡¯t jabbed him on the side, he would have stayed that way.


    ¡°The broadcastingpany allowed us to film here despite the chaos in Europe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why our filming location changed from London and Paris to the Mediterranean.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen after the terrorist attack in Rome.¡±


    The north was dangerous, so they came down south, but this time, the east was in trouble. The producer and writer didn¡¯t approach him just to say hello. They eventually got to the point.


    ¡°Is it okay if we interview you?¡±


    ¡°Who? L?¡±


    ¡°No! No! We couldn¡¯t ask of that.¡±


    The producer shook his hands, but his face looked like he would be happy if she could. Ahn Soo Ho pointed at himself.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯d like to interview you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not, but don¡¯t you have a schedule to follow? Oh, are you asking me to join you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The producer and writer were ecstatic that Ahn Soo Ho understood right away.


    ¡°Then I should greet the cast.¡±


    ¡°Are you agreeing to do it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re strangers. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Hey, go over there.¡±


    Yoon Seok Joong sent over the writer to bring the cast over. The girls who looked over were pretty, but not as much as Jang Seol Hyun. Since he didn¡¯t have much time, he didn¡¯t intend on staying with them for long. He was going to y along and then get going soon afterward.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    When Han Kyung Il whispered in his ear, Ahn Soo Ho smirked and whispered back.


    ¡°I have to resolve the misunderstanding about L and me. I¡¯m sure the rumors will die down if I go on this show.¡±


    ¡°It might make things worse.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not.¡±


    He just needed his future mother-inw to know where he wasing from.


    The filming began. L should have asked Holly Corporation first, but she just overlooked it. Neither Ahn Soo Ho or L had any intention of getting paid for this. They introduced themselves and even talked about Han Kyung Il, and as soon as the talk about saving his own people came up, the producer and writer looked happier than ever.


    It was suspicious that Han Kyung Il was with Ahn Soo Ho in Monaco when he should have been in Italy. Han Kyung Il thought quickly. It only took a second to go from a hero to a viin. He used his speaking skills to dazzle the filming crew.


    ¡°You could say Korea¡¯s future depends on CEO Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s business. That¡¯s why our government decided to provide CEO Ahn with support.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then are you saying you were in Mn and Monaco for some big business?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is all an investment for Korea¡¯s future.¡±


    While Jung Ah Young and Han Kyung Il talked, Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t hide his expression that asked what on earth was Han Kyung Il doing.


    ¡®A business? What business?¡¯


    Han Kyung Il noticed his expression and changed his posture to hide Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face and then signaled for help. That was because he couldn¡¯t tell them that the president told him to tag along with an average person.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t turn him down.


    ¡°Entertainment isn¡¯t restricted to singing, dancing, movies, and dramas. As Mn proved, businesses rted to fashion and tourist destinations like Monaco fall under entertainment as well.¡±


    As Han Kyung Il broke out sweat from dodging a scary question, L was fascinated by all the cameras around her and started asking an English-speaking employee question. For L, who had never been on a variety show before, everything was fascinating.


    They relocated after their greetings.


    The unexpected meeting and filming all went along with what L wanted. And since the producer and writer were just happy to capture L on camera, they let her do whatever she wanted. They rented a yacht and had a party on the ocean. When an employee went pale after seeing how expensive their expenses were, Ahn Soo Ho paid instead.


    The producer approached.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Haha.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He forgot what kind of man he was. He was the richest in Korea, and despite thepany being worth less than Daesan, Kim Dae San didn¡¯t stand a chance when it came to cash mobilization.


    After the luxurious yacht tour, their next destination was AS Monaco¡¯s home game. They got a VIP room. Ahn Soo Ho soon left the room to go to the VIP room next door.


    Big men blocked the door, but they didn¡¯t stop him from entering. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho entered, he shook hands with a man with dark skin and very white teeth.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wsi.¡±


    Ndeke Al Walsi was one of the six vice-chairmen of FIFA and a very skilled African politician. People thought ser federations were only involved with ser, but they actually had substantial power and influence over international organizations. At the level a FIFA vice-chairman was at, they had more connections and agents than any intelligence agency.


    ¡°Let me hear it.¡±


    He wanted to see if it was worth the money.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 92 ¨C FIFA [2] > The end.

 Chapter 94: < Protect - Episode 93 - FIFA [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 94: < Protect ¨C Episode 93 ¨C FIFA [3] ></h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    How much could someone really trust another person? Trust didn¡¯t just arise out of thin air. Despite Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement, his reputation actually improved even more. People finally realized that he had more power than they realized. However, it was toote to turn things back.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s saying Europe is a mess, but I can¡¯t agree. Africa¡¯s much more urgent.¡±


    As soon as Ndeke Al Wsi saw Ahn Soo Ho, he grumbledints. Ndeke was known to be from Burundi, but there was no way of finding out if he was born there. That was because, in contrast to developed countries, it was too easy to cross Africa¡¯s borders, which meant most people didn¡¯t know whichnd they were standing on.


    There were instances when someone thought there were living in Kenya, but they were actually living in Sudan. Since everyone was spread all over the ce, many had a faint sense of patriotism. Europeans and Americans thought of Africans as uneducated, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t actually think that way.


    ¡®Africans aren¡¯t dumb. They¡¯re actually smart and determined.¡¯


    Determined could easily be interpreted as uncivilized. Africans were na?ve yet determined. Since they were at war for so many years, they knew how to differentiate allies from foes. That was hard to understand from the point of Westerners who cooperated as long as there was a profit. But for Africans enemies would always be enemies for life.


    In that sense, they were more like Ims than Christians.


    Ims wanted endless solidarity, which was the best ruling method for a dictator. Suspicion was a big crime, and betrayal had to be unpunished. Since all went well as long as they used Ah¡¯s name, what a perfect dictatorship system that was.


    ¡°I heard you gave Heritage 1 billion euros, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have to pay 1 billion or 2 billion euros as long as the information has worth. Now show me what you¡¯ve got to offer.¡±


    If someone else had said that to Ndeke, he wouldn¡¯t have tolerated it, but Ahn Soo Ho was different. Regardless of whether they hated him or not, they always believed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s promises.


    ¡°Allen Smith has started to transfer his funds. There are rumors going around iming he invested 280 billion dors in India, China, and Russia through world banks.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    ¡°They can be trusted. Since Pitchstone confirmed it, it¡¯s guaranteed to be true.¡±


    The investment banks had no choice but to pay special attention to the actions of world bank groups. Depending on the privileges and loan ns of rich and poor countries, it would be used to operate funds. In other words, investments without governmentpensation never took ce. Some experts stressed the risks of investments and warned that people could lose all their money in one go, but the big yers used private investors to use all the options avable on the table.


    ¡°What was the objective of the mission?¡±


    ¡°For thest month, Red Sea Commercial Fund sold off 55 billion dors. That a substantial amount.¡±


    As a result of the terrorist attacks in Europe, the US dor rose, but the fall wasn¡¯t that substantial. The reason was that someone sold off arge amount of US dors.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Why did the Red Sea Tradingpany do something that the FRB and the American government should have done instead?


    ¡°Is Vitali controlling the Red Sea Trading Company?¡±


    ¡°I heard the board of directors has been dominated.¡±


    Russian ambassador Vitali Andropov embarked on a mission to attack Moscow due to Djorkaeff¡¯s death in Brazil. As a result, the capitalist Russians no longer had the capability to withstand Vitali¡¯s material superiority.


    ¡°The problem is¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it Chechen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Russia¡¯s problem has always been Chechen.¡±


    The Chechen terrorists used Moscow¡¯s struggle for power as an opportunity to rip Russia to shreds. But as Vitali, who was loyal to his country, he couldn¡¯t put aside his power and allow Chechen¡¯s revolt to take ce.


    ¡°Vitali tried to solve this issue with money.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°He bribed all the impure Muslims who had something against Chechen. He incited the terror with his money.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be okay if this truth gets out.¡±


    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to get involved since Moscow will be the winners and take over Russia.¡±


    He nodded to what Ndeke said. He was right. If he put Moscow in his hands, he didn¡¯t have to worry about any other country. On the contrary, they would have to worry about Vitali instead.


    ¡°What a bold n.¡±


    ¡°Partners of the Middle East are worried about Vitali¡¯s aggressive behavior.¡±


    ¡°Then they should have exposed the truth and asked the States or Europe for help.¡±


    ¡°Would anyone believe them if they exposed the truth?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded once more. He was right once again. Trust didn¡¯t arise out of thin air.


    ¡°Did Africa get dragged into this?¡±


    ¡°Their hidden motive is to teach the white pigs a lesson.¡±


    The power battles and religious fights were fierce within big international organizations such as FIFA. So how would the UN be? International politics was a scary world where only the monsters and wicked people would survive.


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled bitterly.


    ¡®I¡¯d better not deliver this part.¡¯


    If he delivered this news to Stefano, the Italian government would have wanted to fight with Russia immediately. That was how sensitive the topic of terrorist attacks was. He didn¡¯t care if Russia and Italy fought, but he didn¡¯t want to make things more tiring.


    Ndeke handed Ahn Soo Ho a USB.


    ¡°The information I know are all in here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put the USB in his pocket and took out his phone, and then paused to what he had to say next.


    ¡°Make a donation to FIFA.¡±


    ¡°Donation? All of the 1 billion euros?¡±


    ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, donate it into the African Ser Development Fund.¡±


    The operation funding for the international ser union went through various routes such as the ser association¡¯s donation fund and the government donation fund. The scale of the World Cup¡¯s rights and interests were astronomical, so the international ser union engaged in fierce battles over the business budget.


    If 1 billion euros was donated into the African Ser Development fund, Ndeke¡¯s future was set. He could even be the secretary general of the UN.


    ¡°Are you going to attempt the secretary general position?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my ultimate goal¡­but I need to make good connections within FIFA first.¡±


    ¡°Hm. If it¡¯s a donation, I can¡¯t give it to you all at once.¡±


    ¡°I understand that.¡±


    Handing over 1 billion euros to FIFA all at once was bound to cause a stir. He had to donate them in small increments over the span of a year. But each portion would still be a substantial amount. Ndeke and Ahn Soo Ho smiled in satisfaction and parted ways.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho returned, the game had already ended.


    The only reason why a Korean star wouldn¡¯t enjoy a ser game would have been because of too many empty seats in the audience. Ser games in Europe were overwhelmed with the enthusiastic audience. It was hard not to get sucked into the game with that kind of vibe, even if they didn¡¯t know much about ser.


    The girls were chatting away about the good-looking ser yers on the exciting field. Ahn Soo Ho took the filming crew back to his hotel and treated them to dinner. The suite room in the Monte Carlo hotel looked dazzling to the average person.


    As they enjoyed dinner, Ahn Soo Ho participated in the interview they agreed upon. The cast including Jung Ah Young showed a lot of expression in their eyes.


    ¡°You must have a lot of friends in Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°It would seem that way since all Americans act friendlier than people of other countries.¡±


    ¡°Seol Hyun¡­Oh, I apologize. Then you must have known Ms. Jang for a long time now.¡±


    It sounded as though Jung Ah Young knew Jang Seol Hyun herself.


    ¡®Since they¡¯re top stars, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising.¡¯


    He thought about it. Seol Hyun wouldn¡¯t have gone around telling everyone before they started dating, and if Jung Ah Young was a close friend of hers, she would have heard about it already.


    ¡°Not long. Maybe three to four years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long time. But from what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯ve been turning Ms. Jang down until recently.¡±


    Was she trying to make him unlikable? Ahn Soo Ho held it in and just smiled.


    ¡°I thought she was just being immature. Doesn¡¯t this kind of thing exist? There¡¯s a halo effect when someone suddenly saves you from danger.¡±


    ¡°You never know when a woman will fall in love. But it¡¯s surprising that a smart woman like Ms. Jang was involved in one-sided love.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho justughed.


    The image of Jang Seol Hyun that the public remembered was a cute child actress who grew into a polished adult actress. Cutie sexy? Her dreamlike vibe was capable of making any photographer go mad.


    ¡°As you know, there¡¯s quite an age difference between us. For that reason, I hear a lot of insults. But once they found out about my money, people started criticizing her for being a gold digger.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to say that¡¯s not true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. She had made a lot of money as well. Why would she date a middle-aged man just for his money? Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! I would!¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho justughed as if Jung Ah Young made a joke.


    ¡°It¡¯s important to make money, but it¡¯s more important to spend it wisely.¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re in Europe at the moment because of a new business. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s definitely not the best time, but I¡¯ve gained a lot of inspiration from Mn and Monaco. It¡¯s not unrted to the ser game we watched together as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you mean to say¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±


    He cut off Jung Ah Young before she could finish. The traveling vlog somehow turned into an interview, but no one was dissatisfied about that. It was lucky to run into Ahn Soo Ho, who was the center of attention at the moment, and they enjoyed going on a luxurious vacation with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here.¡±


    It was a one-sided decision, but no one could argue. Yoon Seok Joong and Ahn Hye Kyung were sad, but he was someone who was powerful enough to fire them from their jobs with the flick of a finger. While Ahn Soo Ho and L bickered, he felt his phone vibrating, so be checked the caller ID and answered the phone.


    ¡°Director Oh?¡±


    ¡°Get ready, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Get ready?¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯


    ¡°Seol Hyun has left for France.¡±


    ¡°What? When?¡±


    ¡°17 hours ago.¡±


    ¡°Why are you only telling me this now?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sprung up. If she had left 17 hours ago, she would have arrived in Monaco by now.


    ¡°I just found out through the management team. Seol Hyun must have hidden it from us on purpose.¡±


    As soon as the suite room entrance became noisy, he got a strongly bad feeling. And his bad feelings were never wrong.


    ¡®Winter is¡­I mean, she ising!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 93 ¨C FIFA [3] > The end.

 Chapter 96: < Protect – Episode 95 – The World’s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 96: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 95 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [1] &gt;</h4>


    Alleyas Frovesa sounded like some luxury fashion brand, but they were actually no different from a chicken or snack food restaurant. What Olivia said sounded convincing, but there was one weak point. It was definitely possible that they would try to make it look like Ahn Soo Homitted suicide. But there had to be a precondition.


    ¡®Therge fortune paid by the client must be guaranteed by a bank or a money lender.¡¯


    The world of punks living off killing was smaller than expected. In contrast to the third-rate assassins who swung a bat or a knife as long as they were given a few bucks, the professional assassins never left a trace. The way they made their assassinations look like something else was different from third-rate assassins who left traces all over the ce.


    The top ss assassins didn¡¯t use guns very often.


    Did that mean they were bad at shooting? Not at all. They were almost as good as Olympic gold medalists. The assassins of Alleyas could be divided into two categories. The group that nned ahead of time due to their disabled bodies and those who abandon the thought of surviving and just go in on their own. The ones who wanted to avoid scandals preferred the first option and those who wanted an act of clear revenge preferred thetter.


    Alleyas was somewhere between the mercenaries and assassins, so they were not weed by either. And it was easy to trace those with physical ws. Since peoplebeled disabled people as weak, they rarely perceived them as an assassin. However, if one looked for a specific person in that group, they were very easy to spot.


    ¡°I doubt you actually worry for me. What is it that you want?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stared at Olivia. She smiled as she drank her mango juice.


    ¡°Arrange a meeting for me and Eric Rupi.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s something personal.¡±


    Eric Rupi¡¯s high-ss escort service was active all over Europe. He probably tried his best to be careful, but the state security was not to be underestimated.


    ¡°Are you trying to nt an agent on a call girl?¡±


    ¡°Well, men don¡¯t keep their distance with prostitutes.¡±


    France had an open-minded view on love which meant they were also open to adultery. Calling prostitutes uneducated was all in the past. Beyond just satisfying people¡¯s sexual urges, thefort and mental care they provided wasn¡¯t something an uneducated woman could do.


    There was so much interest surrounding this that ¡°sex therapy¡± became a word. And since the leaders of society were seduced by so many, they didn¡¯t differentiate genders and ages. People with money, power, and poprity stood out anywhere they went.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t use a high-ss agent properly, you¡¯ll be the first one to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    It didn¡¯t sound like an order from above.


    ¡°If you want to win over Eric, it won¡¯t be easy without immunity from prosecution.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much authority yet. But I can perturb Roberto¡¯s investigation.¡±


    ¡°Have you been targeting me all along? How entertaining.¡±


    Roberto Aquin was a tenacious character.


    ¡°There must be at least one w. If you want, I¡¯ll get rid of him for you.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sternly shook his head.


    Who would that benefit? Roberto Aquin wasn¡¯t just chasing after him. He was busy 24 hours a day digging for politicians and businessmen with dirty pasts. There could be more people wanting to kill him than Ahn Soo Ho. Seeing how he was still alive, it wasn¡¯t wise to try to go at him.


    ¡®A bnce has been established.¡¯


    He had a good sense of politics as much as investigations.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting for you and Eric soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Olivia didn¡¯t forget to make one more request before leaving her seat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble in our country.¡±


    ¡°That makes me want to do it even more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Themissioner might be stopping them for now, but the leaders of the government have a lot of regrets. So please stay quiet from now on.¡±


    For those in intelligence and diplomacy, Ahn Soo Ho was like trusty insurance, bur for other politicians and government workers, he was like a natural disaster. Even after Olivia left him, he just sat there watching peoplee and go. The dry season had ended, but it still felt hot for a Korean.


    Most Koreans didn¡¯t know how blessed they were to have all four seasons of the year. They probably wished it was warm all year long, but they wouldn¡¯t like that. Ahn Soo Ho got up from his seat as soon as the sun rose to the middle of the sky. Those who had traveled abroad before, knew that most ces didn¡¯t take credit cards unless they were famous tourist destinations.


    Not many ces took credit cards everywhere like Korea. Even in Japan, they used cash more than cards. The trends have been slowly changing, but even 10 years ago, it would have been a struggle to travel with just cards. Even in Europe, it had to be a famous mall or restaurant to ept cards. In street cafes and restaurants, it was possible to get pped if a person would pull out their card when paying.


    Did that mean it was good to use credit cards? That depended on each country¡¯s situation. Contrary to popr belief, self-owned businesses didn¡¯t reject cards just because of tax evasion issues. It was hard to find another country like Korea that stressed the use of credit cards, but if a person did the same in the States, that individual was bound to get cursed at.


    The cause of Korea¡¯s excessive use of credit cards was due to the benefits given by credit cardpanies as well as high fees from franchises and trying topensate them with events. The foreign credit cardpanies tried to leach off of both the customers and franchisers. The mindset was that both credit cards andpanies should be paid the fair price.


    ¡®In reality, the customer is not the king.¡¯


    If a person tried to use Korean habits of using Korean businesses in a foreign country, that person was bound to be sent to their afterlife. Ahn Soo Ho put on his sunsses.


    ¡®All that¡¯s left for me to do is wait.¡¯


    Since he promised to pay both Italy and France 500 million euros each, they were bound to contact him soon. No matter how much funding the intelligence agencies had, it was not enough. Some could have been suspicious of Ahn Soo Ho, but he didn¡¯t have any particr intention. It was basically a donation out of pity.


    When he got back to his hotel, he was greeted by Oh Joo Kyung who should have been in Seoul. It wasn¡¯t just her but Daniel, too, who didn¡¯t want to leave Korea.


    ¡°What brings you two to Monaco?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung grabbed her forehead and Danielughed bitterly and handed him his tablet PC.


    ¡°Huh? Ha!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh at the inte news.


    AS Monaco! Will Hosoo Entertainment take over?


    Ahnsour! He¡¯s challenging Mansour!


    Ahn Soo Ho! Secret meeting with the vice-chairman of FIFA!


    He could take over AC Mn!


    He must help Korea¡¯s ser league first!


    The articles in front of him made it sound like he was going to take over a sports team. Thements were arguing about how he should have bought the Ennd team instead of that baseball was better than ser.


    ¡°Did JTV release these?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It looks like it came from there.¡±


    Since they never signed a confidential agreement, there was no legal vition, but seeing how the articles came up within 24 hours, they must have had bigger mouths than Han Kyung Il.


    ¡°They have big mouths.¡±


    ¡°Did you trust the broadcasting punks?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you must have really thought about taking over a sports club.¡±


    Instead of answering Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s question, he looked back at Daniel.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Can I take over both the broadcastingpany and ser club at the same time?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    They didn¡¯t mention the exact numbers, but they both got the idea. They understood each other very well. The reason why they came to Monaco was to give an overall briefing on Hosoo Entertainment Group. He wasn¡¯t gone for long, but a lot had happened. As soon as Daniel¡¯s funding n briefing ended, Oh Joo Kyung presented a chart.


    ¡°After getting an assessment from a professional group and consulting the board of directors, I put JTV as first on the list to take over.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    Yoon Seok Joong and Ahn Hye Kyung were producers and writers of JTV. Then what kind of broadcastingpany was JTV? Korea had a lot of television channelspared to the overall poption. What most people didn¡¯t know was that SBS wasn¡¯t a national broadcaster. The only national broadcasters were KBS and MBC. Then how did SBS became known as a national broadcaster? They used localmercial broadcasting and transmission contracts to broadcast.


    ¡°The major shareholders of broadcastingpanies are unable to possess more than 30 percent of the shares.¡±


    ¡°30 percent? That¡¯s weird, Director Oh. From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s 40 percent.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll check this one more time. Anyway, it¡¯s impossible to possess 100 percent due to current regtions.¡±


    In response to Daniel¡¯s tackle, Oh Joo Kyung said she¡¯d look into it again and then continued. A bunch of graphs and charts popped up on the projection screen.


    ¡°With terrestrial stations and channels working with major corporations excluded, most broadcasting stations are at a deficit. It¡¯s fascinating that they haven¡¯t gone bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°There are support funds, but they¡¯re mostly in debt...the debt ratio is substantial. Even JTV has eaten away at their capital.¡±


    Since many jobs were at these broadcastingpanies, just one shutting down would lead to many unemployment.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I want it to bepletely mine.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment was solely Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s. That wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to share profits but because he didn¡¯t want anyone butting into his business.


    He was like a dictator.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible unless you can change thew, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°There must be a way.¡±


    ¡°You could have apany make lump participation in the stocks.¡±


    It was possible for a bigpany like Daesan Group to make lump participation and yield voting rights. It was a shortcut, but it wasn¡¯t illegal. Most broadcastingpanies operated that way.


    ¡°If Daesan Group did that, there would be no problem with management rights.¡±


    ¡°That means I don¡¯t have full control of who I pick as the directors.¡±


    ¡°If another major shareholder participates...yes, it could be a pain.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped the armrest of his chair.


    ¡°We could use the broadcasting market to make a deal with the government. For example, we could offer an employment buyout if we can take over all the broadcasting stations who are at a deficit, offer to improve working conditions, or make a wide-scale investment. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the media oppose?¡±


    ¡°Who would hate getting a higher sry? It doesn¡¯t matter even if they don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Ever since cable TV was established, the unwritten rule of not merging with newspapers and broadcasting ended. Broadcasting was the 4th power. At times, they were number one. It was a mountain that heirs had to conquer, and Ahn Soo Ho nned to walk on the flower trail that they had already paved.


    ¡°If you attempt to make a change with cable...you¡¯ll have to make a lot of investments to quiet things down after the takeover.¡±


    Movie, drama, music, and variety broadcasting were easy. But with news channels, their method of training professionals was different. In response to Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s worried way of speaking, Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Daniel.


    ¡°What¡¯s live ammunition we can use right away?¡±


    ¡°Thepany¡¯s retention money...¡±


    ¡°No, we have that thing!¡±


    He cut off Daniel. Oh Joo Kyung tilted her head at the sudden mention of ¡°that thing¡±.


    ¡°Oh, that thing? Hm, we can spend 1 trillion right now, and maybe even 3 trillion in a month.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    From the hidden funds that they stole from China and Japan, it was okay to use the cash right away. It still required a n, but that was for Daniel to handle.


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and then smiled.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 95¡ªThe World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [1] > The end.

 Chapter 97: < Protect – Episode 96 – The World’s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 97: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 96 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [2] &gt;</h4>


    If a person had to pick the most mysterious job, he or she wouldn¡¯t leave out being a political activist. What on earth was it that they do? There were many professionals such as doctors, nurses, andwyers among these activists, but most of them were just popr people.


    What people need to spread the word wasn¡¯t expertise but poprity. Come to think of it, makeup artists didn¡¯t need to be makeup-creating scientists. However, for the group organizations that seek public interest, they preferred to pick goodwill ambassadors rather than just anyone with high poprity.


    It wasn¡¯t just diplomats who were on the international stage. No matter what people said, superstars had more influence. People knew Justin Bieber more than the Canadian ambassador. And there were countless international events that were shown around the globe. The G7 and the BRICS summits were a few examples.


    Technological shows such as motor shows and game shows took ce every year in different countries. Then what about academia? Forums and seminars took ce on a regr basis as well. Of course, there was another event that was more prestigious. If Ahn Soo Ho had to pick the most useless event, he would have picked this one.


    ¡®World Beauty Pageant¡¯


    What does beauty have to do with world peace? If global leaders would send pretty women to the battlefield, would the bullets stop in midair? If they were sent to Africa, would their hunger end? That was ridiculous. All they could do was pose in front of a camera and look pretty.


    It was a business that had nothing to do with public interest. It was pretty much a human advertisement. Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth were the world¡¯s top 4 beauty pageants, and in order to advance to that level, contestants had to win their regionalpetitions first. It was the biggest event that the world with luxury brands and the world beauty industry.


    It was just Eric Rupi and the Italian intelligence agency¡¯s threat that helped wrap up Han Chae Kyung¡¯s case. Ahn Soo Ho told Kim Na Hee to put down the reputation that she had umted over the years. Since she was in the fashion world, telling her to let go of her brand was like a death sentence. However, that was the only way to satisfy the stakeholders.


    No one liked to be put at a loss.


    ¡°A L¡¯Oreal scouter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They asked if I wanted to be a model.¡±


    ¡°Haha. That¡¯s hrious.¡±


    The person that Ahn Soo Ho met at the outdoor caf¨¦ told him funny stories. She was particrly proud that a scouter from L¡¯Oreal offered her a modeling job. Could makeup be the determining factor for a top star¡¯s value and recognition? However, it was still funny.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t recognize Jang Seol Hyun, how could a L¡¯Oreal scouter not recognize L? Didn¡¯t that mean they were a scam artist? Maybe once the filming crew left, they couldn¡¯t even imagine that she could have been a celebrity.


    ¡°You keep calling yourself a world star, but it looks like you¡¯re only famous in the States, L.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not true!¡±


    L got mad at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mockery. She also felt a little embarrassed. They thought the caf¨¦ only sold coffee or beverages, but as soon as night came around, they started selling alcohol. But then again, Monaco was influenced by France, so they considered alcohol as just regr beverages. But that didn¡¯t mean drinkingws were less strict.


    People thought high schoolers abroad partied, did drugs, and had sex, but that stereotype was made up by the media. American dramas made it look like the police and gangs shot at each other all the time, but it was just like how public order depended on what area a person lived in. In that sense, Monaco was one of the few cities in Europe where it was safe to walk around at night alone.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s weird. There were so many paparazzi here before. But once you showed up, they disappeared.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. What happened, Soo Ho?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun and L looked around in fascination. It was surprising because there were dozens of paparazzi buzzing around like flies earlier.


    ¡°You taught them a lesson, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The truth was, he used magic to get rid of them, but he would have sounded crazy if he said that.


    ¡°Wow! Those persistent bastards listen to Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, L? Back in the States, he totally destroyed some of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Stanley Howard. That¡¯s right. He got his asshole ripped, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Stop talking about assholes while we eat.¡±


    Did thate out of the princess of pop¡¯s mouth? All Americans were being scammed. While the two women talked andughed, Ahn Soo Ho got out of the conversation and patted Han Kyung Il who just sat there nkly.


    ¡°Was that hard?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I see why they say that when three women get together, tes break.¡±


    ¡°My Seol Hyun isn¡¯t the type to harass anyone though.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not too bad. But L...¡±


    It was just a few days ago when he said he was blinded by the princess of pop, but he appeared to have snapped out of it.


    ¡°The filming crew left because they couldn¡¯t handle her anymore. They were originally supposed to be on her all day.¡±


    ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even say it.¡±


    Han Kyung Il had a fair bit of experience abroad, so even if he shook his head, that meant she did something crazy. He knitted his brows and looked back at L.


    ¡°What on earth did you do?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Did you pee on a man¡¯s back again?¡±


    Her face turned pale and red. L liked to drink, but she didn¡¯t have a high tolerance. She was overall pretty good in her private life, but she wasn¡¯t so good when she got drunk. One time, she got so drunk that he had to carry her, but she must have had to pee because she peed on his back.


    ¡°Wh...what are you talking about, Soo Ho? What if people actually believe you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. That was my first time getting peed on by a woman.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°And you were heavier than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m light for my height, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your delusion.¡±


    ¡°Fascist!¡±


    ¡°Pisser!¡±


    Han Kyung Il seemed restless, but Jang Seol Hyun just watched the fight with her eyes opened wide. She didn¡¯t miss Hollywood. But while she was away from Korea, she had a brief time of freedom. She knew she was loved by her fans, but she also often wanted to run away.


    ¡®But, I¡¯m a pro broadcaster.¡¯


    She sometimes heard of rookies being arrogant, but that kind of pride was all useless. If a top star showed off but didn¡¯t want to stand in front of the public, it was all downhill from there. Jang Seol Hyun took out her phone to take a selfie as well as a photo of the fight.


    She thought about what to title it.


    ¡®What a beautiful night in Monaco.¡¯


    She typed in all of their names for the hashtags. As soon as Jang Seol Hyun updated her social media,izens went crazy all over again.


    Seol Hyun is the best! She¡¯s assisting Ahnsour!


    She must be really close to L. Look at their chemistry.


    Is the man mentioned in L¡¯s interviews Ahn Soo Ho?


    You have a keen eye. I think so, too.


    Huh? Isn¡¯t that the diplomat, Han Kyung Il? He¡¯s so handsome!


    They¡¯re so untrustworthy. The national inspectors resigned, too!


    Geez! Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?


    Here we go again!


    I¡¯m against this! Let¡¯s go for a premium league!


    What a bunch of bullshit. Get out of here!


    Didn¡¯t they say they filmed something in Monaco? When will that start?


    Regardless of whether it was Producer Yoon Seok Joong or JTV¡¯s doing, the news about Jang Seol Hyun, L, and Ahn Soo Ho being gusted on their show leaked out in the public. The bulletin board was bombarded with messages telling them to air it as soon as possible, but the program, producers, and JTV¡¯s recognition skyrocketed.


    In order to ride the wave, they started the airing 2 weeks before the nned date. What strongly influenced the broadcaster¡¯s decision was that they had all the advertisements set for the first episode, as well as the ones for episodes 2, 3, and 4 increased in cost. The editing team was going to die, but they had no choice but to push ahead.


    Even though Ahn Soo Ho was drawing all the attention, the leads of the program were still Jung Ah Young and the cast. Jung Ah Young was often criticized for getting by with just a nice face and body but no talent, but her face was very nice indeed. The other cast also received positive responses for not acting and being natural on the show.


    The responses of the first episode were shared in live.


    I guess Ahn Soo Ho isn¡¯t in the first episode?


    This isn¡¯t just a one-day show! The lead usually shows upter!


    The leads are Jung Ah Young and the cast though.


    Are you crazy? JTV is only getting all the advertisements because of Ahnsour!


    Jung Ah Young is cute. I thought she was just chic, but she¡¯s kind of clumsy!


    Women like that are scary! Be careful!


    Ahn Soo Ho and L showed up right at the end of the first episode. Many viewers criticized it for using such trickery, but JTV avoided too much criticism by announcing that the second episode would air the next day. What made them more excited was L¡¯s appearance and broadcast media from abroad. In particr, the States responded favorably.


    They were helping each other out.


    However, an official document poured cold water over the heads of the management. Both Hosoo Entertainment and Holly Entertainment send them official documents stating that they weren¡¯t asking for appearance fees, and selling the program abroad would vite portraitws. Most would have pushed ahead anyway. But JTV was going against a huge foreign corporation that could knock them over in one go. In contrast to the broadcaster¡¯s troubles, the impatient viewers went crazy as soon as the second episode began.


    So this is why everyone¡¯s crazy about Monaco! They have everything!


    That¡¯s nothing! In the next episode, they¡¯ll be in supercars, yachts, and beautiful women!


    It looks great and all, but it¡¯s crazy expensive there!


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not as bad as Seoul. This ce is expensive without the pretty women!


    Are you looking down on Gangnam girls? There are tons there!


    Yeah right! That¡¯s funny!


    The peak was a meeting that took ce on their yacht. Among the women that hopped over from another yacht was a world-famous star.


    Oh my god! Michelle Martin? Am I seeing this right?


    Who¡¯s that?


    Are you crazy? She¡¯s the Miss Universe from France!


    How would I know that? I don¡¯t even know Miss Korea!


    Martin? Isn¡¯t that an alcohol brand?


    Hahahaha! You crazy bastard! Soju is the best!


    The more surprising part was that Ahn Soo Ho ignored her.


    Oh! That¡¯s our Mr. Ahn! You can do better!


    Give her to me! Damn it!


    Miss France? Ha! He¡¯s only good to his woman!


    I¡¯m disappointed. He probably just did that because of Seol Hyun.


    The bigger controversy happened the next day. Some crazy Yankee impersonated a reporter and got ament from Michelle Martin.


    He¡¯s a cool man! I¡¯d love to get to know him better!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 96 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [2] > The end.

 Chapter 98: < Protect – Episode 97 – The World’s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 98: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 97 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [3] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°What a horrible editing job. Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Do you call that an excuse?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got hit by Jang Seol Hyun. It was definitely an exception for a variety show to broadcast every other day as if it was a drama. After leaving the first episode with a cliff hanger, the second episode exploded in viewer ratings the next day. With 21.3%, one could say they set a historical record of all TV channels.


    There was suddenly a lot of talk about what Hosoo Entertainment Group, as well as their various businesses, were all about. What was certain was that they were capable enough of having Daesan Group as a partner. Some experts criticized them saying they had nothing to do with the improvements of the job market, but Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s worth and brand power rose in just a few months.


    The one leading was the young CEO, Ahn Soo Ho.


    The fact that he was young was refreshing, and refreshing things led to passion. However, Ahn Soo Ho hated people getting paid so little for passion. In contrast to the intelligence industry that stressed patriotism, the mercenary world functioned on abilities and results alone.


    ¡®You get paid as much as you work.¡¯


    That was the precondition of their contracts.


    ¡°Stop hitting me. It hurts.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The second episode cut off when Jang Seol Hyun appeared. It wasn¡¯t surprising that all the viewers raced to the show¡¯s bulletin board right afterward. The board was filled with people asking if the third episode would be aired at the same time the next day and why they had to cut it off at such an important part.


    Ahn Soo Ho only found out about the Michelle article a few dayster. He had no interest in her and as a result, he didn¡¯t know if she was Miss France or Miss Universe. The producers including Producer Yoon Seok Joong also just thought of her as a beautiful foreign woman. They had no idea she was from the world beauty industry.


    ¡°If she¡¯s Miss Universe, wouldn¡¯t she be most active in the States?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They go to Africa a lot for AIDS and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Will she be just an average person again after one year?¡±


    ¡°They will have a lot of work as models or hosts in their home country afterward. But our country prefers Victoria¡¯s Secret over Miss Universe.¡±


    ¡°Underwear model?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Men are crazy about that stuff. Soo Ho¡¯s probably the same.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He heard Jang Seol Hyun and L babbling away on their own.


    ¡°Stop teaching her weird things.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Seol Hyun is two years older than me, you know.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed at L¡¯s surprised reaction. He thought about it and realized Jang Seol Hyun really was two years older.


    ¡°But you look older.¡±


    Thatment made L tilt her head. It looked like he was teasing her, but what he said was apliment. In contrast to Korea, Americans preferred to look more mature than younger.


    ¡°Are you making fun of me orplimenting me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s apliment.¡±


    ¡°Really, Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She asked Seol Hyun as if she didn¡¯t believe him. However, instead of telling the truth, Jang Seol Hyun just winked at her.


    ¡°This is suspicious. You sneaky wench!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Stop it!¡±


    She tried to tackle her, but Jang Seol Hyun was stronger than she looked. It wasn¡¯t all that bad to see two beautiful women fighting. They spent the next few days touring France, shopping, walking along the beach, eating at restaurants, and going to the spa.


    The vice-president of Holly Corporation even came and tried to convince L, but it failed. She had an American touring up in three months, but she just went around having fun instead of training. In that sense, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t cut out for the American entertainment world.


    ¡®Those who don¡¯t listen should get hit regardless of gender.¡¯


    Every time he thought this way, he realized he was still Korean. Oh Joo Kyung and Daniel didn¡¯t go back to Korea. They were busy resolving the mess Ahn Soo Ho caused in Italy and France, and in contrast to Daniel, every minute of her experience there was new to her.


    She realized that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s status was even higher abroad. Most people in power wanted to be close to him. When she was working on Kim Na Hee¡¯s brand, she received countless business cards. Many proposed to use models and actors from Hosoo Entertainment for advertisements, and if she just used his name, she was able to get in with Prada and Armani.


    When Daniel saw her plop onto the couch in exhaustion, he pulled out two bottles of beer from the fridge.


    ¡°Are you tired, Joo Kyung?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Danny.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung epted the beer and thanked him. Since they spent so much time together, they grew close. But Daniel was a married man with a loving wife, so they weren¡¯t on romantic terms. And if his first marriage hadn¡¯t failed, he would have had a daughter her age.


    ¡°What kind of person is CEO Ahn? I still seem to have no clue.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. He had been living a different life before this. You¡¯ll just have to find out little by little. Be patient.¡±


    ¡°Since CEO Ahn hired you himself, aren¡¯t you close to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve only heard his name before we started working together.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have met Ahn Soo Ho if Empire Konzern hadn¡¯t gone down in mes. As soon as Daniel thought of that unpleasant memory, heughed bitterly. His life was already over ever since he got involved with the CIA. If he hadn¡¯t met Ahn Soo Ho, he would have been a corpse by now.


    ¡°As I said before, ourpany is capable of a lot more than you think. For pushing ahead foreignpanies, CEO Ahn is more influential than the president of any country. One thing to note is that he doesn¡¯t like an unnecessary expansion. He loathes stealing someone else¡¯s bowl of food.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t he stolen a lot already?¡±


    ¡°Haha. I can¡¯t argue.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment came about through taking over otherpanies.


    ¡°Believe in yourself, Joo Kyung. Think about your age.¡±


    They say that age was just a number, but executives in their 20s were young in the States. It was hard to be an executive in their 20s unless their venture hit it big in Silicon Valley. In the business world, even Mark Zuckerburg was treated like a baby. It was a world filled with old men.


    ¡°When ites to territoriality, Europe and the States are worse than Korea.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t they have more female executives?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also because they have countlesspanies. That¡¯s not something we canpare. All you can do is show good results so that people can¡¯t criticize.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard, Danny.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not understanding me, Joo Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you¡¯re in a very advantageous position right now. You have an upper handpared to the two Mr. Kims and Mr. Shim. They¡¯re just entertainment veterans. They¡¯re not actual executives. The scale of ourpany is different from that of an old entertainment agency.¡±


    Kim Yoo Seon, Kim Woo Jung, and Shim Il Kwon were restricted to the Asian entertainment world.


    ¡°The connections you made with Daesan is very important.¡±


    The Korean society that Daniel saw valued connections just as much as they valued hard work. It wasn¡¯t just for the Korean culture. It also applied to other Asian countries as well. Korea, China, and Japan all worked very hard, that was for sure.


    She had to get up from drinking her beer once she got the message that Ahn Soo Ho wanted her. Ahn Soo Ho, who was looking down at the ocean by the banister, waved his hand as soon as he saw Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Were you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Are you in a rush or something? Here, order something.¡±


    After ordering drinks from the server, they talked about personal matters. She answered all the questions Ahn Soo Ho asked. He asked about her family as well as her friends. The most sensitive topic was about her sexual rtions and rtionships. Since he asked knowing it was rude, she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. She had a feeling it was important today.


    ¡°What kind of presents do women in their mid-20s like?¡±


    Of course. Oh Joo Kyung sighed as soon as he mentioned the term mid-20s.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask Seol Hyun yourself? She knows what she wants better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°But that would be too senseless. I read that women like men who just know...¡±


    ¡°Where did you read that?¡±


    ¡°Women¡¯s Journal.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    She sighed once more.


    Women¡¯s Journal was one of the countless women¡¯s magazines in Korea. There were many reputable magazines with licenses as well, but women¡¯s magazines were mostly found in salons, banks, and public offices. People who read magazines on the inte were bing lesser, but the status of women¡¯s magazines remained unchanged.


    ¡°You should just ask L.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an American though. She has a different taste.¡±


    It was a trivial question, but since he asked, she couldn¡¯t help but ponder. Oh Joo Kyung asked him a question after her pondering.


    ¡°Does Seol Hyun like luxury goods?¡±


    ¡°No, she just wears the stuff she¡¯s sponsored for. But I¡¯ve never seen her buy any herself.¡±


    ¡°Then what about a vacation?¡±


    ¡°She likes them, but she hates to walk. She especially hates trekking and extreme sports.¡±


    ¡°What are her hobbies?¡±


    ¡°Hobbies? She just stays at home.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t do anything but scoff.


    ¡°Just go on a vacation. I think that¡¯d be best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fun. What about some kind of event?¡±


    After some thought, Oh Joo Kyung suddenly pped her hands. Men didn¡¯t like to watch men, but women enjoyed watching women. One of the few business models solely targeted towards women was the fashion and beauty industries.


    ¡°What if you hold a fashion show and a beauty pageant?¡±


    ¡°A fashion show and beauty pageant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms. The most useless event in the world was world beauty pageants. It might be different from a business perspective, but they always used their beauty to talk about world peace and whatnot. What did beauty have to with world peace? If he ever opened a beauty pageant, it wouldn¡¯t involve any of that crap.


    All about face, body, and visuals!


    ¡®But no criminals...¡¯


    It was okay if they were just bad girls in the past.


    ¡°They call it a world beauty pageant, but the truth is, the panel is dominated by Caucasian people. It¡¯s time for that to end.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho agreed.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because if you want to surpass Disney, we¡¯ll have to get rid of the current standards of the west.¡±


    As she kept talking, she became surer of herself as well.


    ¡°Okay. But make sure they don¡¯t talk about any crap like world peace or saving the environment. A beauty pageant should just pick the prettiest person.¡±


    ¡°But standards of beauty differ depending on the person.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°The judging will be based on inte votes alone.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Wouldn¡¯t that turn people off from participating?¡±


    He smirked.


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want 10 million dors in prize money?¡±


    10 million US dors was capable of making them run over even if they were picking Miss North Pole.


    ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    This began with him thinking of a present for his girlfriend, but he was now enjoying it himself.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 97 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [3] > The end.

 Chapter 99: < Protect – Episode 98 – The World’s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 99: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 98 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [4] &gt;</h4>


    The director general of foreign security of France and the intelligence director of Italy came to see Ahn Soo Ho at the same time. He took turns looking at each one and whistled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know France and Italy were this friendly with each other.¡±


    ¡°What terrorists misunderstand is that the more they apply pressure, the more people gather together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Violence can¡¯t be a means of resolution.¡±


    If someone heard them talking, they would have thought France and Italy were saints. However, in this world, France and Italy were both known to be very violent. When ites to crazy lunatics, the Russians were more famous, but France and Italy weren¡¯t too far behind.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re all busy people here, let¡¯s get straight to the point. Are there really no ulterior motives, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Just trust me. If there was something I wanted, I would have told you already.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... Sorry, but I just had to check.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s hard to trust anyone these days. So are you epting my proposal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands and headed to the fridge.


    ¡°You can¡¯t forget wine on a nice day like this.¡±


    All special suite rooms provided expensive wines. They looked at each other¡¯s sses being filled and chanted cheers in their heads.


    ¡°Stefano and Olivia are good people. Are you training them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You know that won¡¯t be the end of it. They should climb up on their own.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably both get a promotion.¡±


    The three of them drank expensive wine while grumbling about life.


    ¡°That Scott character is still in the middle of divorce by agreement.¡±


    ¡°Is this one his fourth? It must be costly. How impressive. If I were him, I would have changed my name and ran away.¡±


    ¡°Scott probably goes after young women because he knows he¡¯s financially capable. How are the kids?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine. The problem is they don¡¯t recognize their father¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. How about you retire, too?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The two directorsughed it off, but they couldn¡¯t hide their sadness. Italy didn¡¯t protect workers as well as France did, but they still valued the leisure of life more than work. But threats toward national security didn¡¯t care about work hours. In the intelligence world, there was no difference between night and day.


    ¡°Did you meet with Felton yet, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be sad.¡±


    ¡°If he really wants to talk, he cane to me. Not that I had any intention of listening.¡±


    ¡°Alleyas Frovesa has epted the request.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°90 percent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a different percentage from Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Well, the head and the director can¡¯t be on the same level.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the client?¡±


    ¡°Georgio Fonseka.¡±


    ¡°It must be Gaius Pharmaceuticals.¡±


    He was one of the punks that had a reward to his head. It wasn¡¯t just the States that was harmed by the Sao Paolo scandal. The people with the most shares to Gaius Pharmaceuticals were American, but other leading countries were in on it as well.


    ¡°How much money is on my neck?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, 30 million euros.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cheap. Is that what Alleyas put the fate of their organization on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something you must know. This was reported by Alleyas themselves.¡±


    ¡°Themselves? Were there internal conflicts?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The ones who epted the request were the ones who escaped the organization. I heard the Alleyas side is chasing them down.¡±


    ¡°And you want me to sit back and do nothing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just telling you to give them a chance.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin.


    ¡°Will they be able to handle it?¡±


    ¡°Alleyas are crazy punks, but they probably don¡¯t want to run into you in the least bit.¡±


    He showed a peculiar look on his face. Two tycoons of the intelligence world would protect him? That meant France, Italy, and Alleyas Frovesa came to some kind of agreement. Ahn Soo Ho took some time to think. If he dug further, it would have made everyone ufortable.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll just watch for the time being. But!¡±


    He still had to rify who was responsible.


    ¡°If a problem arises, I¡¯ll go to you first.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, Soo Ho.¡±


    Certainty was taboo but so was meddling too much. As soon as his guests left, Daniel came in.


    ¡°Do you still have great connections, Danny?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡±


    ¡°You have to check, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Even though Empire Konzern went down in mes, there were still many people who remembered Daniel Navarros. Some even scouted him to this day due to his outstanding ability. Those who didn¡¯t know how he was tangled up with the CIA didn¡¯t understand why Daniel was trapping himself in Korea.


    ¡°How much do you know about Gaius?¡±


    ¡°The pharmaceuticalpany?¡±


    Daniel knitted his brows and thought about it.


    ¡°There were bad rumors about the medical sector.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the development of illegal medicine, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It had been revealed that the defense contract ordered by the Pentagon turned out to be inhumane and illegal medicine, which caused quite a stir. That¡¯s why they changed their name to Gaius. But why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Gaius is deeply rted to the fall of Empire Konzern.¡±


    ¡°Is that...so?¡±


    Daniel hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would get angry or not. If Empire Konzern hadn¡¯t gone down, he would still be a puppet for the CIA. So with that in mind, he preferred his current circumstances much more. Daniel was satisfied with his life.


    ¡°Do you want to get revenge?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    He shook his head without hesitation. He didn¡¯t have that much loyalty, to begin with anyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get revenge, but I¡¯m still curious, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°The CIA can¡¯t touch you.¡±


    ¡°I know that. And I¡¯m thankful. But I still don¡¯t want to go to the States right away.¡±


    The CIA¡¯s hideous reputation was more well-known to the Americans. They were patriots. But not all acts of patriotism were forgiven. Just like how some things that had to be done could be disgusting, there were many national security cases that were better off not knowing.


    ¡°Anyway, what about the thing I asked you to look into?¡±


    ¡°Here it is.¡±


    Daniel gave him some forms.


    He couldn¡¯t hold a beauty pageant right away just because he wanted to. In order to get contestants, they had to do some promotions, and in order to make thepetition valid, they had to work with fashion and beauty industries. He hadn¡¯t named it yet, but he already knew he was going to ask Kim Na Hee to manage it.


    ¡®With this, she¡¯ll be able to make up for losing her brand even if it¡¯s just a little bit.¡¯


    Actually, it was possible that she coulde out with an even better reputation.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to use a lot ofmercials.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to have the winners be decided through online voting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°They might call it a cheap beauty pageant.¡±


    ¡°Director Oh said the same thing. Is the reason the same, too?¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°That crazy people hidden behind online masks will leave meanments.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. But a bigger problem is that the server might not be able to handle so many people voting at once.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Not all portal sites can handle that much traffic. You have to be like Google, at least.¡±


    If they were really going to use online voting as the means to decide the winners, then anyone from 10-year-old kids to 80-year-old grandmothers might vote. That would lead to a lot of inte traffic.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably be difficult to set up apany like Google right away, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Then what else can we do? Call Google.¡±


    They had no choice but to cooperate with Google for their first pageant, but he didn¡¯t want to use them again. He nned on asking Alexa and Kosino to work on an ITpany.


    ¡°What about a broadcastingpany?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re negotiating with JTV.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t lump liquidation and employment buyout a good deal?¡±


    ¡°I guess so...but if you also want the localmercial broadcasters, 3 trillion dors won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know our broadcasting market was that big.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised, too. There are more channels than that of the States.¡±


    That was all because of the low cost of hiring personnel.


    ¡°Have China and Japan yet to respond?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    3 trillion dors converted to won was 80 trillion won, which was a lot of money.


    But the Chinese and Japanese politicians who had their secret fund in Korea didn¡¯t respond. Did they give up? It wasn¡¯t that. They either thought trying to negotiate with Ahn Soo Ho would be a waste of time or they were waiting for Hosoo Entertainment to formally enter the Chinese and Japanese markets.


    ¡®It¡¯s probably thetter.¡¯


    They say even mutts were confident in the front yard of their own house. While Ahn Soo Ho discussed future strategy with Daniel, Oh Joo Kyung, Jang Seol Hyun, and L¡¯s friend were eximing at the television. Watching Korean shows in France was entertaining in a different way. L, who was a beginner at Korean, got the help of Jang Seol Hyun and Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s trantions.


    ¡°This is why Korean dramas are fun.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to hit people like that? Won¡¯t they get sued?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a drama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°In American dramas, they shoot people. That¡¯s even scarier.¡±


    L trembled at the sight of a fight between the mother-inw and the daughter-inw. When she asked if that was how it was done in Korea, Jang Seol Hyun responded by talking about the gun problem in the States. It was better to get hit by kimchi than get shot by a gun. But when they changed the channel, they saw an even scarier fight.


    ¡°Telenovs are legendary.¡±


    In Mexican dramas, it wasmon for love and betrayal to be followed up by bloody weddings.


    ¡°Martin must have been a fan of telenovs.¡±


    ¡°Huh? When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue at the dramatic show that the three women were watching. But these dramas were powerful enough to draw everyone in despite the cursing that it received. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t normally watch dramas or movies, so the only one he remembered was Game of Thrones. That didn¡¯t mean that Game of Thrones was a crazy drama, but in some ways, it transcended the typical crazy drama.


    ¡®You have to apud those bloody weddings.¡¯


    He wanted to look into the mind of R. R. Martin who liked to kill every single character in the story.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun, who was slowly collecting her things, looked back at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°He had to go to Nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Joo Kyung can go too, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go, Director Oh.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t decline.


    They went to the most expensive restaurant in Monaco. They were here for a few days, so they felt at home now. Ahn Soo Ho actually didn¡¯t know the difference between expensive and inexpensive foods. He didn¡¯t have much of a sense of taste. But it wasn¡¯t so bad that he thought bad tasting foods tasted good.


    He talked about his ns while slicing his steak.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°To Korea?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Get ready. As for L, get lost on your own.¡±


    ¡°Can I go to Korea, too?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re touring the States. Hannah came and begged me to save them. Please help.¡±


    Hanna Erickson was the vice-president of Holly Corporation.


    ¡°All they care about is money.¡±


    ¡°Think about everyone who works under you. Be understanding.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho only recently realized that a celebrity fed countless people below them. And for a world star like L, there must have been hundreds of people working under her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the States next time.¡±


    ¡°Are you going toe?¡±


    She brightened up in response to his proposal.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s best for you?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho asked Jang Seol Hyun in response to L¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start filming next month...so maybe next spring?¡±


    ¡°Sure, okay.¡±


    That was a few months from now. But L was not happy.


    ¡°That¡¯s during my tour!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. It¡¯ll be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hey, watch your manners.¡±


    Once they finished their meal, they left the restaurant. Ahn Soo Ho, who paid and came outter, saw a strange sight. L was being pushed into a van by the waist. There was a guard trying to stop it, as well as Jang Seol Hyun and Oh Joo Kyung who was pushed off to the side.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    As soon as he heard Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s voice, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s body cut through space.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 98 ¨C The World¡¯s Top 4 Beauty Pageants [4] > The end.

 Chapter 100: < Protect – Episode 99 – Hosoo Entertainment Channel [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 100: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 99 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [1] &gt;</h4>


    It was Ahn Soo Ho who was setting the trends of Korea following the chaos that resulted from the candlelight vigil. He was admired as the young businessman even though that wasn¡¯t what he intended. In the eyes of a society that stressed modesty, Ahn Soo Ho was something else.


    His ability to push ahead with his ns and to make everything possible made him stand out even more. This caused hostility in the establishments but also fueled hope in those who were originally skeptical about whistleblowing.


    If Ahn Soo Ho had really been an heir, he wouldn¡¯t have received this kind of response. His father was a yboy and his parents got divorced when he was young, so he lived separately from his mother all his life. So the fact that he became rich before the age of 40 despite his upbringing was very impressive.


    ¡®Who¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho, really?¡¯


    What happened between the time when he dropped out of the Naval Academy and when he founded Hosoo Entertainment Group? The public was curious about Ahn Soo Ho and the media didn¡¯t hold back. They put friends, cousins, and neighbors who knew him in front of the camera, but they all said nice things about Ahn Soo Ho.


    That was because they learned from the Lee Hyo Geun case.


    Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s ex-wife said a lot of nonsense on television and ended up getting a lot of bacshes and wasbeled as a crazy wench. As a result, Park Ok Nam was seen as nothing but a victim. It was crazy for Lee Hyo Geun to be controlled by his ex-wife even after getting remarried.


    Ahn Soo Ho became Korea¡¯s trendsetter in no time. As a result, people wanted to know more about him. They wanted to know what he ate, who he met, and what they talked about. A few dozen out of the 100 paparazzi in Monaco was there for Ahn Soo Ho, not L or Jang Seol Hyun.


    Among those, Jang Il Ho didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal to the public that he received 1 billion won as a reward for the paparazzi case. As a result, he quit his job and worked as a blogger while following around Ahn Soo Ho as his biggest fan. As of the moment, he was doing a live stream in Monaco.


    ¡°You know Michelin, right? This restaurant has three Michelin stars making it a very expensive restaurant. You can see L and Seol Hyun, too. Oh! There¡¯s Oh Joo Kyung, too. And ta-da! Ahn Soo Ho! Mr. Ahn is sitting in a cool posture. Nice! If he wasn¡¯t Korean, you would have mistaken him for European royalty.


    In the chat room attached to the screen, viewers leftments in response to his broadcast.


    Il Ho, you son of a bitch! You look like you¡¯re willing to give him your ass!


    He bought your ass for 1 billion won! You undutiful child!


    You gay bastard! Don¡¯t go after Mr. Ahn¡¯s ass!


    Jang Il Ho, you¡¯re not married yet?


    If he had, that would be even worse!


    He¡¯s revealing the feelings he had been hiding all this time!


    I don¡¯t see L! Do your job, you son of a bitch!


    Who¡¯s L?


    You¡¯re kidding, right?


    I thought you were talking about Lara Croft!


    Tomb Raider? Who¡¯ll get the GOTY this time?


    ¡°Oh! Mr. Ahn and L must be very close. They look like their siblings.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and L came into the screen.


    How did he be close to L?


    I heard he used to be a sessful guard.


    A guard? You can earn that much money being a guard?


    He probably managed a guard business.


    No, no! He worked for the national defense! Don¡¯t you know Pentagon?


    Yeah, but how did he make all that money?


    Don¡¯t you know, Jang Il Ho?


    Yeah, answer us!


    Are you gay, too?


    Shut up!


    ¡°I heard he used to work as a consultant rted to national defense. A contractor who¡¯s known all around the world. Like a Korean middle man. Something like that. It hasn¡¯t been revealed as to exactly what he did, but there are rumors that he worked in between different countries. Oh, they must have finished eating. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re headed next, but I¡¯ll keep following them! Please follow my... Gasp!¡±


    Jang Il Ho was startled.


    He saw someone get jumped while Ahn Soo Ho was paying. And it wasn¡¯t just one person. Someone who was sitting at one of the caf¨¦ tables grabbed L by her waist and a guard tried to stop him. But other men from the table joined and stopped the guard.


    Crash-


    Oh Joo Kyung, who tried to protect Jang Seol Hyun who fell, also fell over with her. Jang Il Ho froze up. This was clearly an emergency and they needed help, but his feet wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Screech-


    As soon as the van screeched in, Jang Seol Hyun let out a scream.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    Jang Il Ho turned the camera to see Ahn Soo Ho flying over before a man got kicked to the ground, another one flew into the air. However, once they got L in the car, they took off without all of their men.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Jang Seol Hyun.


    She signaled for him to go chase them since she was okay. It didn¡¯t seem like Oh Joo Kyung was badly hurt either. While the guards rounded up the rest of the culprits, an agent ran over. Seeing how he looked taken aback, this must have been totally unexpected.


    ¡®They¡¯re not professionals.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho walked toward the banister while thinking about what to do. They weren¡¯t any kind of professional let alone Alleyas Frovesa. If they were professionals, they wouldn¡¯t have done it in public and in broad daylight. Monaco was rtively safe, but it was hard to avoid traffic.


    As soon as he stood by the railing, he saw a van that couldn¡¯t go very fast. They tried to use the space between the sidewalk and the road to escape. He could have flipped the van over with his magic, but he didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble.


    ¡°Gun!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stuck out his hand, the agent handed him a gun with a troubled look. Once he received the gun, he shot the front and back tires of the van.


    Bang, bang-


    It was impossible for an average person to aim at the tires so urately with that gun. But since Ahn Soo Ho used his magic, he was capable of stopping more things than just a moving car. Once the tires went out, the van lost its bnce and ended up on the sandy beach.


    Luckily, no person was hit, but it was close.


    Ahn Soo Ho handed the gun back and ran from the banister. Since it was 5 to 6 meters high, people screamed from left to right. However, there was nothing to worry about. Normal people would have injured their legs, but Ahn Soo Honded safely. The police siren then went off.


    Ahn Soo Ho approached the van and threw his fists as soon as the door opened. He gave it to them good and then got L out and checked if she was okay. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have any major injuries.


    Jang Il Ho saw all of this and cheered in his head.


    ¡®Amazing! Ahn Soo Ho did yet another good deed!¡¯


    Pictures were fine, too, but videos were even better. Jang Il Ho¡¯s YouTube channel andment section exploded.


    What is this? What happened?


    Is this for real? Hey! Gay man! Say something!


    Are they filming a movie or something? Ahn Soo Ho just shot a gun, right?


    L almost got kidnapped! Hey! Is this for real! Someone tell me!


    It¡¯s not on the news yet!


    CNN! CNN! IT¡¯s on the news! It¡¯s being called Monaco terror!


    Was it a kidnapping or a terrorist attack? Who¡¯s right?


    While the media blew up, Ahn Soo Ho brought her to the hospital. She didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries, but she still needed an inspection. Hannah, the vice president of Holly Corporation fainted at the news and was transported to the same hospital. And since it was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯spanion that was attacked, even the French politicians freaked out.


    ¡°They¡¯re not a human trafficking or terror group. They¡¯re not Alleyas either.¡±


    ¡°Then who are they?¡±


    After Olivia interrogated the ones that they caught, she went to the hospital herself.


    ¡°They¡¯re stalkers.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    They reeked of amateurs, but what kind of stalker moves as a group?


    ¡°It was just like a car ident, Soo Ho. They didn¡¯t have any objective. They just really love L and lost their reasoning. It¡¯s hard to make this into more than just an ident.¡±


    ¡°A car ident...¡±


    It was difficult for normal people to understand crazy people.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°We have to let the media know that they¡¯re not terrorists.¡±


    France¡¯s dignity was depending on this.


    ¡°But don¡¯t put L out in the limelight.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Just leave the injured girl alone.¡±


    Olivia smacked her lips. Putting L in front of the cameras would have calmed everything down quicker, but she didn¡¯t want to deal with the monster across from her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stalkers usually act alone?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to conduct a psychological test, but they¡¯re different from the average stalker.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°In Korea, you call it bullying. Bullying has been a serious societal problem for dozens of years. In cases like this, victims band together and form awork.¡±


    Bullying was a problem that had existed for a very long time.


    ¡± They¡¯re all in their early 20s and what they have inmon is that they¡¯re all a huge fan of L.¡±


    ¡°A fan? What were they going to do once they kidnapped her?¡±


    ¡°They were trying to save her from you.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    They were delusional.


    Ahn Soo Ho finally understood why those amateurs did what they did. They misunderstood the situation as a just act of saving Princess L from a capitalist monster. But why did it have to be today? That was some coincidence.


    Thinking back on it, there were some death threats after they revealed that he was dating Jang Seol Hyun. There were a lot of crazy people who thought stars were their lovers. Sending threat letters and digging out the eyes out of a picture was nothingpared to what could really happen. Since L was 10 times more famous than Jang Seol Hyun, there was no telling how many crazy lunatics were disguised as her fan.


    ¡°But why today of all days?¡±


    ¡°The media stimted it.¡±


    ¡°The media?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you watch the news?¡±


    Olivia scoffed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response. She took out her phone and showed him the article.


    Pop star L! A secret marriage in Monaco!


    L and Miss France? What a yer!


    Princess of pop! Is she finally settling for a man?


    Who¡¯s the man that stole her heart?


    There was not much to say about this.


    The Korean media was in on it, but the States started it. The articles without even 1% of truth did whatever they could to get the clicks. And those who wanted to criticize got baited in, and those who were bullied or were against society believed the gossip to be true.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked on an article that had especially many views.


    Ahn Soo Ho should be chosen as the shooting representative of Korea in the Olympics!


    The article with a link to a YouTube video already had more than 20,000ments.


    Did he shot the moving wheels of a car from 70 to 75 meters away?


    And it was just a regr handgun! How is that possible?


    Is this a movie preview? I can¡¯t believe it!


    Did ¡®Mission Impossible 6¡¯ alreadye out?


    Go to the gun fan sites in the States! It¡¯s madness!


    Why?


    Someone¡¯s talking nonsense about how all Koreans are good at shooting because of the mandatory military service! Apparently, if Koreans fought Japan and China, they would win!


    Ahn Soo Ho was either smiling or frowning.


    ¡®Maybe we need to hold a shootingpetition before we even think about a beauty pageant...¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 99 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [1] > The end.

 Chapter 101: < Protect – Episode 100 – Hosoo Entertainment Channel [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 101: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 100 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [2] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°You¡¯re all fired! All of you!¡±


    The vice-president of Holly Corporation verbally fired L and the guards as soon as she woke up from passing out. For guards, the results were everything. Nothing else mattered whether or not they seeded or failed. The one who calmed Hannah down was Holly Corporation¡¯s president, Scott Warren.


    ¡°Stop it, Hannah.¡±


    ¡°When did you get here, Scott?¡±


    ¡°Just now. How¡¯s L?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. No major injuries.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    There were many stars who had mentalities weaker than ss. L wasn¡¯t that weak of a girl, but one could not really know until something horrible happened. She would never forget the incident of getting pulled into a kidnapper¡¯s car, so the media would understand if she decided to retire right then and there.


    ¡®The tour¡¯s probably not happening anymore.¡¯


    Unless L decided she wanted to do it, it was best to give up on the North American tour. It was too bad for the sponsors who already advertised, but the star needed to be prioritized first before the cancetion fees. Most importantly, this wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved by stressing the contract. That was because, in contrast to the kidnappers, there were many fans who wished her the best.


    A good example was Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan though.¡¯


    Not even customs or the immigration officers dared to challenge him. For foreigners visiting the States for the first time, they were bound to experience a very unpleasant process. This wasn¡¯t Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s first time in the States, but for many of her staff, it was.


    That was where Ahn Soo Ho came in. A disturbance normally leads to getting dragged away by security at pretty much all airports, but he was so influential that he even had those in charge came and apologized to him. This was hard to see in the States where everything operated on systems.


    ¡°Thank you for looking after L, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you implement preventative measures for stalkers?¡±


    ¡°We do, but L doesn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s notmendable to push the responsibility on someone else. Are you just being careless because you¡¯re busy focusing on your divorce?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t reallyment on that. Sorry.¡±


    All Scott could do was smile bitterly to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s attack. He knew that no matter what he said, it would be treated as mere excuses.


    ¡°There will be a press conference in front of the hospital in an hour.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking me to join you, I¡¯ll decline.¡±


    ¡°Aw!¡±


    He was being hopeful.


    ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t seen the YouTube video yet. You¡¯ll have to prepare for the press conference soon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a top pop star like L. Why should I be at the press conference?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? We¡¯ll just see about that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just scoffed as if it was no big deal, but Korea was already in chaos. There were all sorts of rumors about how he didn¡¯t drop out of Naval Academy but was rather picked to be an agent of a secret force. The others gathered in L¡¯s VIP room and watched Scott¡¯s press conference through the TV. L woke up and embraced Ahn Soo Ho naturally.


    But she was worried about what Jang Seol Hyun would think. However, Ahn Soo Ho nor Seol Hyun really cared. L was relieved that they were okay with hugging a poor girl who was a part of a big ident. And everyone else focused on Scott¡¯s press conference.


    ¡°Luckily, L wasn¡¯t badly hurt, and the kidnappers had no intentions of hurting her, so they¡¯ll receive favorable treatment from the investigators. This incident was unfortunate for all of us. So we¡¯ll do our best to make sure nothing more unfortunate happens after this.¡±


    He gave power to the police while not badmouthing the kidnappers. The French intelligence agency had an awkward rtionship with the police in Monaco, but this was under Monaco¡¯s jurisdiction. As one of the best ces for rich people to live, Monaco wanted to wrap this up so that it wouldn¡¯t taint their reputation.


    ¡°L still needs more rest. Sure, they didn¡¯t actually go as far as kidnapping her, but this was still no minor incident. Also, Mr. Ahn and L are just good friends, which means they¡¯re not dating. If the media continue to make up stories about it, Holly Corporation will take legal action.¡±


    L puffed up her cheeks and Hannah pped with joy.


    Hannah wasn¡¯t racist, but she didn¡¯t like the idea of her getting involved in a scandal with an Asian man. She knew Ahn Soo Ho had great influence. But since L¡¯s sales point was the teenagers and young adults in their 20s, she had no choice but to consider the racism aspect of it all. That was because bullying based on race was more severe at younger age groups.


    As soon as he started taking questions, everyone raised their hands. However, he already had a list of what kind of questions woulde from whom. The reporters asked their questions, and Scott answered them normally. What made the peaceful press conference into chaos were the Chinese reporters who waved their Chinese g around.


    ¡°If China and Korea went into battle, who do you think would win?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If Japan and Korea went into battle, who do you think would win?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°If China and Japan went into battle...¡±


    ¡°Fucking crazy!¡±


    This time, Hannah knitted her brows and L pped her hands with joy. The highlight of the press conference was ¡°Fucking crazy!¡± What was said before that didn¡¯t even matter. Even though it was just ¡°Fucking crazy¡± it was likely to be a viral parody. Why did the Chinese media ask such a random and rude question? It resulted from a difference in point of view. While the States and Europe focused on L¡¯s kidnapping, Asia focused on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shooting skills.


    The topic that suddenly came up was Korea¡¯s service system.


    ¡®With nuclear weapons left out, Korea had the strongest military force after the States! If North and South Korea merge back together, China, Russia, and Japan will be in trouble! Since Korea is the country with the most martial arts, you can¡¯t be relieved just because they don¡¯t have guns!¡¯


    Nonsense like that was rampant.


    In Japan, they held a broadcast where peoplepeted to see how urate they could shoot, and in China, they simply had a military parade. Korea just stayed quiet to prevent any stimtion, while Koreanizens took that time to make parodies of Ahn Soo Ho shooting and spread it all over the inte.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shooting against Rambo and Commando.


    Ahn Soo Ho fighting against Ali and Tyson.


    Ahn Soo Ho fighting against nuclear weapons.


    Ahn Soo Ho fighting in space.


    Before it was taken down for profanity, there were even ones of Ahn Soo Ho fighting Ah and Buddha. They were all made for fun. But when it came to parodies,edy programs couldn¡¯t be excluded. Hosoo Entertainment could have easily felt ufortable about their CEO being inedy skits, but they actually used their own celebrities to make parodies of their own. Employees making fun of their own CEO. That was unheard of in otherpanies.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡±


    ¡°Why? I think it¡¯s cute.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who got into his private jet headed back to Korea, was confused by Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s strange request. A battle yer, and charismatic team leader, a dark middleman, or a codename wizard were the names he were called. So the pink bear costume didn¡¯t seem right especially with the society watching.


    ¡°Ted! That¡¯s so cute!¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    The other woman getting in on dressing up Ahn Soo Ho was none other than L. Why was she taking a ne headed to Korea? The answer was simple. She canceled the North American tour. L used the incident to get Scott to give in, and since he was already stressed with the divorce, he ended up surrendering.


    ¡®That¡¯s probably not the whole story.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t seem like she got on the ne just so she could have fun. He saw darkness hidden within L¡¯s eyes. It was fear that she didn¡¯t realize herself. The Korean media was bound to say all sorts of things about her visit to Korea.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to wear one too, so don¡¯t worry, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t look so bad on you guys. But I¡¯m too big for this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Bears are supposed to be big!¡±


    He almost threw a punch at L¡¯s mouth. They had their own costumes prepared, but it was unpleasant to see a big dark man wearing a pink bear outfit. That would definitely be captured for the inte, and it would harass him for as long as he lived.


    Hosoo Entertainment established the Hosoo Entertainment channel. The channel began with various live channels of the agency¡¯s celebrities. The response was favorable. Especially for Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s channel, constant calls came in every time a preview was aired. If it was like this just in Korea alone, a worldwide beauty pageant with an online voting system would have made the inte server explode.


    Thement section was already on the verge of explosion.


    Wow! Is he really wearing that? He looks like the Buddhist saint!


    Look at his expression. Looks like we¡¯ll get the best shot of him today!


    They say having a pretty wife makes a man put his best foot forward. This is why they say men depend on their women!


    Does that innocent face turn sexy at night?


    Don¡¯t say that!


    The private jet arrived at Incheon International Airport.


    They normally didn¡¯t have to go through customs, but this time, they came out with their carts through all the shes and yelling. It was super blinding, so the women were impressive for not frowning without any sunsses on. On the contrary, they were waving and smiling.


    Oh Joo Kyung lined everyone up like a pro after all the press conferences she held. They were in power anyway. She was still getting used to using such power that was given to her. Jang Seol Hyun knew very well how to deal with the Korean media. As soon as the mic came to Ahn Soo Ho, an annoying question was asked.


    ¡°Do you have any interest inpeting in the Olympics for shooting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be 40 soon. I have no interest in taking food away from children.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Then please tell us how you feel about returning to Korea after such a long time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see this costume?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted both arms so they could see. The bear paws left a very strong impression.


    ¡°There are rumors saying you¡¯re a secret agent. What do you think about that?¡±


    ¡°Should I show you my discharge papers? I worked my ass off for months for this paper. Are you looking down on the reserve forces?¡±


    The reason why Korean men were standing by Ahn Soo Ho had to do with the fact that he was an active duty soldier. They went through the same military life he did. At this point, Oh Joo Kyung could have wrapped things up, but she was busy whispering something. In order to stop the questions froming in, Ahn Soo Ho used a cheat method.


    He gave the mic to L.


    ¡°I love you, Korea!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 100 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [2] > The end.

 Chapter 102: < Protect – Episode 101 – Hosoo Entertainment Channel [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 102: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 101 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [3] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°There¡¯s more than I thought.¡±


    After ending the press conference at Incheon International Airport, Ahn Soo Ho sent L to Daesan Hotel and went home with Jang Seol Hyun to Cheongdamdong. Mrs. Park prepared lots of food as if something grand had happened. Did the Ahn¡¯s always have this many rtives? There were numerous cousins that he had never seen before.


    Ahn Da Man, who naturally visited Seoul from time to time, sat his bottom down. His mother didn¡¯t say anything about it, but it didn¡¯t seem like she hated it. When they were younger, she hated that her husband spent all his time outside the house, but she now understood that he just didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings properly. Rather than Lee Hyo Geun who had two faces, she preferred Ahn Dae Man who always stayed the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Is my eldest grandson here?¡±


    Since when was he a grandson? It wasn¡¯t wrong, but it wasn¡¯t something he was used to hearing in his household. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t impressed, but he tried his best to y along for Park Ok Nam and Ahn Dae Man.


    ¡°How have you been? If you run into any hardships,e to me or go to my secretary¡¯s office.¡±


    Despite him telling Oh Joo Kyung to abandon her secretarial mindset, but there was no secretary better than her. Oh Joo Kyung continued to keep her position as secretary. Ahn Soo Ho preferred not to train an underling. So as the group¡¯s scale gotrger, it was morefortable for him to appoint a president or vice-president under him.


    One of the negative side effects of being more recognized in Korean society was false assumptions. When a con artist imed that they knew CEO Ahn Soo Ho, some actually believed them. And on top of that, if they mentioned any kind of blood rtion, it was even more effective.


    Ahn Soo Ho never had too much interest in his rtives. But his parents were old-fashioned. For them, big families probably didn¡¯t feel very unfamiliar. It could be seen asical nowadays, but both Park Ok Nam and Ahn Dae Man longed for such a big family gathering.


    ¡®Or maybe they just want to brag...¡¯


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to brag about their son¡¯s sess? All parents felt the same way. But due to their guilt for not having done very much for him, they felt both happy and heavy in their hearts.


    ¡®Time will solve it.¡¯


    Saying it was okay wasn¡¯t going to work one bit. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stared at all the people, Jang Seol Hyun approached him and linked arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I had no idea the Ahn household had these many people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as a bad thing. They¡¯re all just proud of you.¡±


    Come to think of it, Jang Seol Hyun probably had more experience with this. When she became the star of Asia, she probably had a million Jang¡¯s at her doorstep. Adults thought Ahn Soo Ho was difficult to approach, but the kids just crept up to him and asked for selfies.


    The garden party continued even after the sun went down. Jang Seol Hyun still went around smiling as if she wasn¡¯t tired one bit. It was best that they have a party for the Jang¡¯s soon as well. He sat on a random rock in a corner to rest with a confused look on his face.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m an Ahn, too.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol, who¡¯s actually Kumiko, casually answered back.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be training hard for your debut? Did they actually let you go?¡±


    ¡°They said okay when I said it was a family gathering.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment Academy, as well as their trainees, had a big role in establishing Hosoo Entertainment Channel. Since the trainees were still better than average people, the trainee channel didn¡¯t do so badly either. Dancing and singing took up most of the content, followed by ssical performances,edy, and one-act ys.


    Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s system didn¡¯t only train people to be celebrities. This wasn¡¯t intentional, but there was anticipation that the entertainment agency, broadcastingpany, and the training academy would get great synergy together. As soon as a productionpany and a cinema were added on top, they would be a true entertainmentpany.


    ¡°Okay! Cheese!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol took a selfie with Ahn Soo Ho and uploaded it on social media.


    ¡°Smile more.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    He was certain that this woman was older than the queen grandmother. How long had she lived for? He couldn¡¯t believe she was Japanese either. If cell regeneration was possible like that, she could have changed her looks as well.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time that you tell me the truth?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    She just made it sound like she didn¡¯t feel like telling anyone, but there could have been very painful circumstances that were difficult tomunicate with another person.


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s prize money for your neck.¡±


    ¡°How do you hear all of this when you¡¯re a trainee?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still a former spy, you know.¡±


    ¡°When was that? During the Cold War? Or during World War II?¡±


    ¡°I told you not to bring up my age!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol put him in a headlock, but Ahn Soo Ho easily flung her onto the grass. Those who were subtly watching were surprised. This was an uncle throwing his niece onto the ground.


    ¡°Haha, we¡¯re just ying around.¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and brushed the dust on Ahn Da Sol¡¯s shoulder. She alsoughed and got up. But she quietly clenched her teeth.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t treat your beloved niece like that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Were there any problems while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t know, go back to Japan. Should I call the Japanese prime minister for you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    The reason why Ahn Soo Ho epted Kumiko was not only because she was an alpha organism, but also because he needed a dog to guard his house. Logan and his underlings were capable friends. Alexa and Kosino were talented, too. But they were simply human, which came with limits.


    ¡°There was no particr problem. Since you go around causing chaos, they try to spare themselves.¡±


    ¡°What about the National Korea Association or the Comradery Association?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re quiet.¡±


    There was no need to add the word ¡°yet¡±. The vested rights ss were tangled up in all sorts ofplicated ways. They always talk about up-anding rich people, but in reality, there hadn¡¯t been a newly rich person toe up for a long time.


    ¡®Lee Joong Hyun is more capable than I thought.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t all greed after all.


    President Lee Joong Hyun just epted the humiliation he experienced at the BRICS summit as a personal problem. In return, he used Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rtionship with the Chinese head of state to get rid of the Korean cultural ban in China. And when the third ally of North Korea was brought up, it was the States who got targeted. Japan was a sworn enemy of China, so it didn¡¯t matter for them, but Korea was in a more vague situation.


    ¡®But it¡¯s not good to irritate the States too much.¡¯


    They got a pretty big blow recently, but the States were still the most powerful country in the world, and it would take China over 100 years to be able to catch up to them. China would probably insist otherwise, but in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinion, the States were above all evenpared to the Nazis. There was no question about it.


    National events were always cruel and unfair.


    ¡°What about my family?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Park is busy with the rtives, and Ahn Dae Man is busy with friends.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho called his mother Mrs. Park so many times that Ahn Da Sol started doing the same.


    ¡°What about Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°He seems to be getting more of the spotlight now... but I think he has a new girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°A new girlfriend? Like a scandal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think his manager knows though.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, that foolish punk.¡±


    He was already dating someone who would make his name more known. But then again, it must have been hard trying to resist all the pretty girls around him. He understood, but seeing how hecked self-control, he wasn¡¯t cut out to be a top star after all.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small problem with So Hye, too.¡±


    ¡°What is it? You should have told me that first.¡±


    Korea National Association, the Comradery Association, the Blue House, China, and the States weren¡¯t as important as this. The peace within his refound family was much more important. And above all, his little sister who was almost 20 years old worried him most.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°There must have been many requests from agencies. But when she turned them all down the kids started calling her proud. Unlike her big brother, she cares a lot about what others think.¡±


    She didn¡¯t grow up poor, but So Hye was used to being frugal. She had such a small dream that when Ahn Soo Ho asked her what her dream was, she said it was to be the boss of a snack shop. In good terms, she was smart, and in bad terms, she was cheap. And those habits weren¡¯t just going to go away because she suddenly got a rich brother. She even tried not to go to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯spany too often because it might inconvenience him.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t thepany going to give out tickets and goods to her ssmates?¡±


    ¡°That was the n, but So Hye must have turned it down. She can¡¯t give it to some and not to others.¡±


    So Hye preferred to treat everyone equally. It was human nature for a person to want to be special. And that feeling was more fascinating to those of younger ages. Lee So Hye was closer to being just an average bee than the queen bee, but those around her wanted her to act like the queen bee.


    If she had always refused everything and acted cold, people would have epted it more. Why? Because she was always like that. But if she acted like a best friend and then turned something down, people were bound to think of her as fake.


    ¡°This is a hard one.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t just tell his sister to be a bitch.


    ¡°Is she getting bullied?¡±


    ¡°No. There are just some rumors going around. But who knows where the rumors will lead?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked for Lee So Hye with his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Ahn family that was at the party. It was also Ahn Dae Man¡¯s side of the family as well as that of Park Ok Nam. She was probably morefortable with the Parks¡¯ side since she was more familiar with them. They said that So Hye¡¯s way of smiling and talking didn¡¯t give off a hint of sadness. But that pained Ahn Soo Ho even more.


    ¡°Any solutions?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for adults to get involved in children¡¯s problems.¡±


    ¡°But So Hye can¡¯t be a queen bee even if she tried.¡±


    ¡°Someone definitely has to help.¡±


    ¡°Who...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped when he saw the sparkle in Ahn Da Sol¡¯s eyes. She crossed her legs and showed off a sensual pose.


    ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    ¡°You crazy wench. You can¡¯t be a student. You¡¯re old enough to be the principal.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol frowned as if she was offended. But then again, if it meant his sister could have a better time at school, he was ready to make a deal with a transsexual if that was necessary.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll ask Director Oh to make the transfer.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol went to an international school. In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s proposal, she shook her head.


    ¡°A queen bee needs multiple bodyguards. I can¡¯t do it alone.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you propose?¡±


    ¡°Send Emily and Rachel, too.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in different grades though. They¡¯re graduating soon.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to repeat a year. The curriculum here is different than that of Australia, so they should do that anyway.¡±


    She was really crazy. But she sounded pretty convincing.


    ¡®That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡¯


    Ahn Da Sol on the left and Emily and Rachel on the right didn¡¯t seem so bad in his mind.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He then considered buying a school while he was at it.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 101 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Channel [3] > The end.

 Chapter 103: < Protect – Episode 102 – Kid Fight [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 103: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 102 ¨C Kid Fight [1] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho was busy after the first day of his arrival in Korea. The reason why he set up Hosoo Entertainment Group was so that he could take in Logan and his underlings so they could have an easy time making money, but it felt like he was getting busier and busier. After meeting with Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan, he went to the conglomerate of which Kim Na Hee was CEO. It was the Daesan Group of the beauty industry that all aspiring beauty experts of Korea wanted to work at.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Kim Na Hee greeted Ahn Soo Ho at the entrance and linked arms with him while calling his name. She was happy to see him, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to make good publicity. Business definitely wasn¡¯t for everyone. Both of them had business smiles on their faces until they got up to the office away from the public¡¯s eye.


    ¡°How¡¯s Chae Kyung?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Did her parents say anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m going to adopt Chae Kyung.¡±


    ¡°What? Then what about her parents?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to foster her instead.¡±


    She must have been setting everything up so that she could make Chae Kyung her heir.


    ¡°Are you going to get a divorce?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°The old man will hate that.¡±


    He was talking about Kim Dae San.


    ¡°I have no choice. We¡¯vee too far already.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Did you catch on?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You were so madly in love before, but now you¡¯re always alone. But if you get divorced, your rtionship with your niece will getplicated. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure I split my wealth properly.¡±


    ¡°Will there be anything left after you split up the stocks? Oh, after you sell your brand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still in progress.¡±


    When Kim Na Hee seemed to hesitate, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even contemte it. If you agreed to give it to them, you have to do it to avoid any headachester on.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Fine.¡±


    It would be a lie if she didn¡¯t feel sad about her loss. She clicked her tongue but then smiled as if something came to mind.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re buying a broadcastingpany.¡±


    ¡°Who told you?¡±


    ¡°Dae Chan.¡±


    ¡°What a bbermouth. He can¡¯t just talk about another person¡¯spany information to other people like that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re like family, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Manners should be kept even among close people. That¡¯s how you make the rtionshipst longer.¡±


    Just like how Ahn Soo Ho wanted something from Kim Na Hee, it seemed like she wanted something from him as well.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can you take care of Chae Kyung for just a year?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My life¡¯s going to be a little noisy for a while.¡±


    He nodded. The entire divorce process was hard on the couple as well as the family. They didn¡¯t have to go through the trouble of negotiating what to do with children, but even if one of them got a little greedy, they were both going to end up in the pits. The scale of divorce among the rich was on a whole different level.


    ¡°Okay. Can I leave it to Director Oh?¡±


    ¡°I can trust her.¡±


    As Hosoo Entertainment Group became a hot topic, the young and pretty director in her 20s also became newsworthy. Some even wondered if she came from a rich family, but the truth was that she grew up in an average household just like CEO Ahn.


    ¡°Is it my turn to ask for a favor this time?¡±


    ¡°A favor? You?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m getting old.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t used to asking for favors.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold a beauty pageant next year. The prize money¡¯s going to be 50 million dors, and I have a budget of 100 million dors for advertisements and operation. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Is it going to be a worldwide pageant?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hm. If this is the first time, you¡¯ll need a lot of advertisements. 100 million dors won¡¯t be enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about advertisements and branding.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. You visited France after Italy, didn¡¯t you? Is it because of that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t true, but he let her think that way.


    ¡°I¡¯d actually love to manage the pageant.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for asking. You¡¯re probably busy with your divorce.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t think I can do it alone. Can I make a notice beforehand?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if that¡¯s what you want. But are you sure? I heard there will be a lot of conflict with Miss Korea and whatnot.¡±


    All associations depended on winning the rights and interests.


    ¡°Ha! They¡¯re always going around begging for money, but that¡¯s not a problem for you. You have so much money that you could give me 100 million dors right now. Who¡¯d mess with that?¡±


    Kim Na Heeughed. She was on top of the fashion industry, but she didn¡¯t have the guts to invest 100 million dors in a beauty pageant that could either fail or seed. Once Ahn Soo Ho received Kim Na Hee¡¯s approval, Ahn Soo Ho headed to his next schedule.


    Korean pro sports were no different from an advertisement board for majorpanies. That meant their market scale was so small that they needed the support. Unlike Ennd where people were crazy about sports, Korea didn¡¯t have many people cheering on the teams of ser, baseball, basketball, or volleyball.


    The sports marketing expert that Oh Joo Kyung invited put ser and baseball above basketball and volleyball. Most just returned for the World Cup or the Olympics, but ser and baseball still had arge number of supporters within Korea.


    ¡°Manchester United is worth 3 billion euros and the LA Dodgers is worth 2.8 billion dors, but the Korean ser league isn¡¯t cheap either.¡±


    ¡°I said money¡¯s not an issue. I just want to know how much I can buy them for.¡±


    ¡°Clubs affiliated with major corporations aren¡¯t even being sold, and the stock rtionships areplicated and kind of like public property, so you have to consider the public¡¯s opinion as well.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the association and the parliament have the key.¡±


    F*cking Korea! This was the problem with Korea¡¯s associations. Politicians were basically involved in everything. Pro sports were a ce where all sorts of corruption took ce.


    ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t waste time with public hearings and whatnot and just build a new city instead. What do you think, Director Oh? How about we build a Sim City?¡±


    ¡°There are no sites that can be used if we exclude nationalnd and national parks. And if we try to go for privatend, we won¡¯t have enough money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    But it didn¡¯t sound like a joke. Oh Joo Kyung wanted to yell, but she held it in. Beside Hosoo Entertainment or Hosoo Investments, there wasn¡¯t a singlepany that followed the regtions.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t take over, we¡¯ll have to establish a new one. Will we be able to find good enough yers?¡±


    ¡°It definitely can¡¯t be done overnight.¡±


    She made it clear that he had to be patient. Whenever he said things without thinking, the ones under him slowly died inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do the official negotiations after we take over the broadcastingpany.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed in relief in her head.


    They managed to hire a lot of people through the open audition, but because Ahn Soo Ho kepting up with new things, they were always understaffed. It was wiser for them to reduce their workload at this point. That was because once they took over the broadcastingpany, they were going to be 10 times busier. It was a little too early to move the newly hired people up to Hosoo Entertainment Group.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho finished everything on his list, he went home as soon as the sun started to go down. The Hosoo Entertainment he knew didn¡¯t stress the importance of working overtime. Sure, there were night filmings and events, but when it came to regr work, they paid overtime for those who stayedter than regr hours.


    He made ns with the Do brothers. Do Kyung Ho, who received training from Logan and his underlings, changed the gangster ways that he and his underlings were used to. Since they used to be physical, they had the right build for it. Once all the gangster vibes were washed out, he looked like an admirable guard.


    But he still hadn¡¯t fixed one thing.


    ¡°Say hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, CEO Ahn!¡±


    They greeted people by bowing. Logan and his underlings were fascinated and entertained by this.


    ¡°You finally look like decent human beings. Did you learn a lot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We almost died though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Do Kyung Ho¡¯sint. The dissatisfaction they had for society were gone and the void it left was filled with confidence and pride.


    ¡°Drink as much as you want. It¡¯s on me today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡±


    In order to make subordinates morefortable, it was important to step out when needed. Ahn Soo Ho took the Do brothers and went to a different room.


    ¡°Is it not too hard for you?¡±


    ¡°No, Soo Ho. Thank you for the opportunity.¡±


    The second eldest, Do Dae Ho didn¡¯t have any special talents, but he knew how to keep secrets and had a serious personality. He didn¡¯t talk much, so he didn¡¯t seem friendly, but he actually had a big heart and looked up to Ahn Soo Ho since he was little.


    ¡°Congrats to the youngest. Sorry I didn¡¯t say this earlier.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Soo Ho. This is all thanks to you. I should be the one bowing to you.¡±


    The youngest, Do In Ho recently passed the judicial exam. Since the 3rd round of interviews was easy to pass, the Do family finally had awyer in the family.


    ¡°Is your goal to be a judge or prosecutor?¡±


    ¡°No, awyer. Hehe. So will you...¡±


    ¡°You annoying little punk.¡±


    The sight of Do In Ho rubbing his hands together was both cute and gross to Ahn Soo Ho. Were all married men like that?


    ¡°All that¡¯s left is for Domino to get married.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be hard this year. Maybe next year.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The only unmarried brother, Do Min Ho smacked his lips, and Do Kyung Ho answered instead.


    ¡°Something bad happened in the inw¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Seeing how they were hesitating, he didn¡¯t want to dig into too much. Ahn Soo Ho held up a ss to turn the awkward vibe around.


    ¡°Since I helped you out this time, you¡¯d better all stay loyal to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Turn off the local station, please.¡±


    He then led the chant.


    ¡°Hurray!¡±


    ¡°Hurray!¡±


    They all chugged their drinks.


    ¡°When are you going to get married?¡±


    ¡°Me? I could do it tomorrow, but I have a movie filming next week that I¡¯ll be busy with. I¡¯ll probably get married next year, too.¡±


    Whenever men got together, they had to talk about women. It didn¡¯t matter what ages or stages of life they were in. And what made men bluff more was definitely the size of their junk. There wasn¡¯t a single Korean man whom this didn¡¯t apply to. If it didn¡¯t, then that was probably a foreign man with a Korean mask on.


    ¡°Domino, if you don¡¯t get her pregnant on the first night after you get married, I¡¯m taking you off the family¡¯s register.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not up to me!¡±


    ¡°The youngest did it.¡±


    The Do family was praised for how easily they got their women pregnant. The Do family¡¯s parents even received an award from someone high up. Ahn Soo Ho, who was busy teasing Do Min Ho, left as soon as he saw a secretary peeking in.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The secretary that Oh Joo Kyung sent looked awkward.


    ¡°Miss. So Hye is at the police station.¡±


    ¡°The police station? Did she get hit?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite the opposite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    That meant she was the one that hit them first. Ahn Soo Ho felt a little more relieved. The secretary seemed surprised by his reaction. Ahn Soo Ho asked her another question.


    ¡°So how are you handling it?¡±


    ¡°We sent the legal team. We¡¯re still confirming what exactly happened, but it sounds like she got in a fight with someone she was passing by.¡±


    There was no way Lee So Hye started that fight first.


    ¡®So Hye¡¯s too nice to do that.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know who this was, but they chose the wrong opponent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 102 ¨C Kid Fight [1] > The end.

 Chapter 104: < Protect – Episode 103 – Kid Fight [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 104: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 103 ¨C Kid Fight [2] &gt;</h4>


    Do Min Ho and Do In Ho took after their mother, Mrs. Han, so they had friendly faces and gentle eyes, but Do Kyung Ho and Do Dae Ho took after their father, which meant both their faces and bodies looked masculine. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t that sort either, but he looked average when he stood next to Do Kyung Ho or Do Dae Ho. The one walking behind the eldest and the second eldest brothers who looked like Mike Tyson visited a Gangnam police station.


    Most people wouldn¡¯t have had to talk to a police officer for as long as they lived. When both Do Kyung Ho and Do Dae Ho walked into the police station, the officers flinched. They wondered if they were terrorists trying to make a sneak attack.


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Lawyer Park Jong Chan who was leading the legal team of Hosoo Entertainment ran over as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Team Leader Park. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, nothing happened. Miss So Hye was just released with a warning.¡±


    ¡°I heard she used violence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not exactly what happened. Miss So Hye didn¡¯t hit anyone herself. She was there trying to stop a street fight. But in the process, there was a bit of a struggle.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked confused.


    ¡°A street fight?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are some rebellious kids at her school. They call them bullies nowadays.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°A fight broke loose in the middle of the streets during school. And as I already said, Miss So Hye was just unlucky and got involved in the whole mess.¡±


    ¡°Then why was she brought to the police?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that.¡±


    Students with higher-up police officers as parents were behind it. The Do brothers who originally stormed in confidently lowered their tails. Ahn Soo Ho was guided to a Chinese restaurant nearby by Park Jong Chan. The carefree kids on one side minded him while eating when one man wearing a police uniform approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°My name is Seo Kyung Seok.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho. Superintendent?¡±


    He noticed that he was the superintendent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we had to meet under such unfortunate circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I agree. May I hear the details of what happened?¡±


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    Seo Kyung Seok led him into a room full of men dressed in kitchen wear or suits. There were five of them including Ahn Soo Ho and Seo Kyung Seok. The one dressed in kitchen wear was the owner of this Chinese restaurant, and the others werepany employees who seemed to know Seo Kyung Seok.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re here with a tycoon, Kyung Seok.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and say hello.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, CEO Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    The topic of this gathering was the ident that their daughters caused. They talked about how they held gatherings as parents of students who were in the same age as Lee So Hye¡¯s. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head in his mind.


    ¡®I thought those who attended these gatherings were all women.¡¯


    It was moremon for mothers to attend these gatherings, but they were all men here.


    ¡°No matter how well-off their parents are, isn¡¯t this too much?¡±


    ¡°I agree. How about we expose them and humiliate them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the vibe is in our favor these days, but once time passes, they¡¯lle back at us. And if they use the power of the media, there¡¯s no telling what could happen. If they do everything they can to put our kids at a disadvantage at school, there¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    There was a continuousint about the rebellious circles.


    But the reality was that the ones who started all the idents had parents who had substantial power. If this was back in the day, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to say a word, but after the candlelight vigils and whatnot, this was their opportunity to speak up. There were too many instances like this that were buried without a peep.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I apologize, CEO Ahn. You probably don¡¯t know since this is your first time here. Let me exin.¡±


    There were bullies at the top of the high school that Lee So Hye went to. It might soundical to adults, but there were tradition and order in the world of kids. Targeting and attacking weaker kids was a bad thing to do, but if they held back, they could easily be the target themselves.


    ¡°Our kids got targeted after they tried to help the kids who were getting bullied.¡±


    ¡°What did the school say?¡±


    ¡°They insisted that there was no such thing as bullying at their school.¡±


    Transfer student Lee So Hye didn¡¯t get any attention at first, but as soon as Hosoo Entertainment Group became an issue, she started to receive the spotlight. But she felt ufortable getting so much attention. In spite of it all, she tried her best to keep smiling, but some didn¡¯t like the sight of it one bit.


    Kids weren¡¯t stupid.


    The reason why they couldn¡¯t act on their hate was because they knew how powerful Ahn Soo Ho was. They didn¡¯t want to mess with her and get into an unfavorable situation. The problem was that kids didn¡¯t have full control of their emotions. There were times when their head said no but their hands and feet wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Your little sister is a very kind girl.¡±


    Seo Kyung Seok sincerelyplimented Lee So Hye.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for her, the situation could have been much worse. It was a kid¡¯s fight that could have be as nasty as an adult¡¯s fight.¡±


    With the college entrance exam right around the corner, all schools were on edge.


    ¡°Were they released with a warning as well?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to call those who were hostile towards Lee So Hye, so he just referred to them as kids.


    ¡°No. They didn¡¯t even bring them to the police station.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°The reason why they brought our kids to the police station was kind of like an armed demonstration.¡±


    He probably said it backwards, but this was right.


    Power was always rtive. The owner of a Chinese restaurant, a chief of a big corporation, a fund manager, and a police superintendent was definitely not powerless by any means, but they were at an iffy ce to im that they have power. Ahn Soo Ho thought of when he was in the Naval Academy. Not all of them were patriotic model students like people thought.


    There were definitely some who protected the country, but there were also those who entered with political agendas. Lee Kyung Joon was like that. Despite his act of harassment to other female students, the school still couldn¡¯t punish him, why? Because he had power behind him.


    Power was definitely inherited.


    ¡®How amusing.¡¯


    Power was definitely rtive.


    If the owner of a Chinese restaurant, a chief of a big corporation, a fund manager, and a police superintendent was going against normal people who were earning just an average sry, they would have behaved the same way as the ones they were going up against. The people who thought that they were always right and others were wrong were very self-contradictory.


    When they started rmending their parental gathering, Ahn Soo Ho gave them a vague answer and left. Once he got out, he was faced with Lee So Hye who seemed guilty. He just sighed and dragged his sister to a nearby convenience store. She finally loosened up after getting ice cream.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    In response to the suddenpliment, Lee So Hye just blinked her big eyes.


    ¡°They say you shouldn¡¯t get involved with anything bad, but there are times when you have to face it. Good job.¡±


    ¡°Just like with Dad?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate your father too much. He¡¯ll always be your father.¡±


    Lee Hyo Geun¡¯s name suddenly came out. Could it be that she had some kind of trauma from her father?


    ¡°What are you going to do? Once you get involved with bad kids, you¡¯re bound to get tangled up in it again.¡±


    ¡°How was it when you went to school? Were there any bullies?¡±


    ¡°I fought all the time.¡±


    When he thought about it, he was really young back then.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he meddled without a reason. Ahn Soo Ho only got involved in things that were rted to himself. Since he hung around Do Kyung Ho, he got into a lot of fights. Once he knocked one down, two came, and once they were knocked down, twenty more came running in. The numbers just kept growing and growing.


    ¡®I also wasn¡¯t very skilled.¡¯


    He should have just targeted the bosses instead of the small fries, but he didn¡¯t know that back then.


    ¡°But I was a guy, and since things were different back then, I can¡¯t really say who was right.¡±


    ¡°Should I fight, too?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯ll end up on the cover of newspapers.¡±


    If Mrs. Park Ok Nam were to see that, she would faint.


    ¡°I¡¯m bad.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    Lee So Hye crinkled her nose.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think anyone was clearly good or evil. If a bad guy did something good today, did that mean he wasn¡¯t bad anymore? If someone who was good did one bad thing in the end, were they bad? Not at all. Just like how a good person could be a bad person tomorrow, a bad person could be a good person tomorrow as well.


    Good and evil coexist.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you this, So Hye? Do whatever you want, except...¡±


    ¡°Murder and remaining single?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you can do anything except for that. I¡¯ll give you as much help you need.¡±


    She probably still had no idea how much support and power he had.


    ¡°Is it still hard for you to understand? Hm, okay. Let me show you then.¡±


    If Lee So Hye had a hard time understanding, he just had to show it to her. The next day, Ahn Soo Ho went to his sister¡¯s school. He normally would have arrived quietly, but since he was there to show her something, he came looking showy. This was the first time all students gathered in the assembly hall since Teacher¡¯s Day.


    ¡°Hey, kids! You know who I am, right? I¡¯m one of the enemies of Korea. But remember this, kids. The ones with courage...¡±


    ¡°Get all the beautiful women!¡±


    The teachers listening to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opening couldn¡¯tugh or cry, but the students chanted along loudly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a boy or a girl. The ones with courage get beautiful men or women. I know this is random, but with low birth rates these days, don¡¯t you think people should date from when they¡¯re teenagers? That¡¯s what I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Also instead of banning under-aged part-timers, they should also make it so that they¡¯re protected from bad bosses and adults. The prices are too high for kids to rely on their parents alone. It¡¯s not your fault you have to ask your parents for money.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    They were random remarks, but the kids liked it.


    ¡°But what we have to pay attention to aren¡¯t materialistic things. You need to learn proper manners. You have to learn how to respect people in order to be real adults. Okay, here¡¯s a question. Are there any outcasts at this school?¡±


    The random question made both the students and teachers look nk.


    ¡°It¡¯d be a lie if you said no. That¡¯s because it was frequent back in my day, too. I¡¯ve been bullied by kids, too. Why? Because I was super cool.¡±


    ¡°Aw.¡±


    His sudden bragging received exmations of adoration.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the type to get depressed because I was bullied. That¡¯s because I was that cool.¡±


    ¡°Aw.¡±


    The continued bragging lightened up the mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m so cool that I¡¯m strong, too. So I didn¡¯t get that hurt by it. Not all people are cool and strong like me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked down from the tform and smiled once he met eyes with Lee So Hye.


    ¡°My name is Ahn Soo Ho and my little sister is Lee So Hye. You¡¯ll probably gossip about how her father¡¯s different. But it¡¯s true. Our father¡¯s different. So what?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made it sound like it was no big deal, but he should have been more considerate to his younger siblings. So it was best to announce the back story.


    ¡°I really love my little sister. So to those who are trying to date her, you should think again. I¡¯m going to shoot the ones who¡¯ll make her cry. You know how good I am at shooting, right?¡±


    When he gestured the shooting of guns, kids started tough.


    ¡°What I¡¯m sad about is that So Hye is so nice and cool that she doesn¡¯t ask her big brother for help when she needs it. I hate that.¡±


    His speech sounded like a joke to the kids.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I came today. I might be cool and strong, but I¡¯m not a mind reader. So speak up in my sister¡¯s stead. What would So Hye like?¡±


    ¡°A YB fan meeting!¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s your wish!¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    The courageous female student didn¡¯t back down so Ahn Soo Ho held up both his hands.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll hold a YB fan meeting. Next!¡±


    ¡°A girl group festival!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Everyone got up and cheered in response to the male student¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Okay! Next!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to work part-time as a manager at Hosoo Entertainment once I finish my college entrance exam!¡±


    A student who seemed to be a senior got up and made his suggestion. Ahn Soo Ho showed a meaningful expression on his face and pointed at the boy.


    ¡°Do you have courage?¡±


    ¡°I get all the beautiful women!¡±


    He gave him a thumb¡¯s up. Many other requests were made after that. Once things got quiet, Ahn Soo Ho held the mic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember all your precious opinions. Regarding what we just talked about, you¡¯ll be notified through Hosoo Entertainment channel.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    This was a promise.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some will talk about special treatment and what not. So what? If I want to help out the school that my little sister goes to, that¡¯s my business! Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°This is where you say, ¡°So what?¡±


    He pushed the mic in their direction.


    ¡°What do you say?¡±


    ¡°So What!¡±


    ¡°Yo! Say that again!¡±


    ¡°So what!¡±


    The whole auditorium was excited. Ahn Soo Ho winked at his little sister who was avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment and whispered hisst words into the mic.


    ¡°Now if you bully my little sister after all that I¡¯m going to do for you, I¡¯ll kill you all.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 103 ¨C Kid Fight [2] > The end.

 Chapter 105: < Protect – Episode 104 – Adult Fight [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 105: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 104 ¨C Adult Fight [1] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°Whenever you open your mouth, it turns into a controversy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard being popr.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re enjoying it.¡±


    He had to unleash the innermost thoughts that he held back because of his little sister¡¯s ordeal a few dayster. For someone with an impatient personality like Do Kyung Ho, the life of a famous person was more tiring than enjoyable. As a result, he no longer felt jealous of Ahn Soo Ho.


    The lecture that he held at Lee So Hye¡¯s school became a controversy. He used ng from beginning to end and he supposedly corrupted the puberty-stricken kids with stories about rich celebrities. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t try to exin himself. He just said one thing.


    ¡®So what?¡¯


    This phrase spread outside of his little sister¡¯s school to students all over the country. That, along with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s easygoing image spread like wildfire. As soon as other schools expressed their intimidating stances on the matter, the head of the Ministry of Education jumped in.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re talking about founding a specialized school instead of shutting your mouth... This is like robbery in broad daylight.¡±


    ¡°This is how you make a deal.¡±


    Most would have sumbed to the pressure or request of the government, but Ahn Soo Ho just challenged him with the ¡°So what?¡± attitude. This was why a person¡¯s image was important. He was innovative, rebellious, and capable, but he also had an image that was threatening to another person¡¯s existence.


    Ahn Soo Ho nned 10 to 20 years ahead.


    If the establishments didn¡¯t want to be friendly to him, he had no choice but to change them or establish one himself. Since he already had one foot in the entertainment world, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to try out this industry as well. An agency¡¯s power certainly depended on how many popr celebrities they had, but if they wanted real influence, they had to focus on the person that created those stars.


    The broadcasting system was very capitalist.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time that the flies start swarming in. Any news?¡±


    He sat in amon restaurant with Do Kyung Ho who had be the head of maintenance at Hosoo Entertainment Group and chatted away. Oh Joo Kyung graduated from a prestigious university and worked at Daesan Group, so it was understandable, but people thought of Do Kyung Ho as someone who got in through connections since he used to be in a gang.


    Despite being retired, as soon as Do Kyung Ho started seeding, more and more people tried to get a slice of the pie by loitering around him. Do Kyung Ho didn¡¯t have any interest in helping them, but a bunch of trashy losers didn¡¯t think that far.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I changed their way of thinking, so they won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about them... I¡¯m worried about you, Kyung Ho.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Did you hear anything from your inws?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho scratched his cheek as if he remembered something.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho became well-known in Korean society, everyone connected to him became the focus of attention. There were many who viewed Do Kyung Ho negatively, but he was still happy since he was able to find his wife¡¯s family.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get remarried.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! They say all women dream of wearing a beautiful wedding dress once in their lives. Your first wedding wasn¡¯t so great.¡±


    ¡°We had no choice back then.¡±


    Since he suddenly got her pregnant and both sides of the family opposed their marriage, they had no choice but to elope.


    ¡°Let me know if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Do you know a good wedding nner? Oh, it¡¯s for a friend of mine, not me. Yeah, book an appointment for me. Thanks.¡±


    As soon as he put down his phone, Do Kyung Ho leaned in.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you. I booked an appointment, so talk to them when they visit. This isn¡¯t a one-man job. Does Hye Jung know?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t told her yet.¡±


    ¡°You dumb bastard! Go and call... No, just go home. I¡¯ll book you a nice restaurant so you can propose to her again. Do you have a ring?¡±


    ¡°A ring?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Poor Hye Jung.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.


    This bastard was really bad at dating. Ahn Soo Ho chose not to date anyone before Jang Seol Hyun, it wasn¡¯t that he was bad at it. The thing that couldn¡¯t be left out in a proposal was a diamond ring. The diamond industry was dirty and corrupted, but women liked it. Ahn Soo Ho made Do Kyung Ho leave so that he could look into the size of his wife¡¯s ring.


    He looked at his watch.


    It was 2:44 PM. It was a bit too early to go home, but he was the CEO there. He left a message telling the secretary not to look for him and then left. Ahn Soo Ho was famous now so most Korean people recognized him, but he used his magic so that he could roam about freely.


    He sat on the 2nd floor of a caf¨¦ in Gangnam and looked out onto the busy streets. Since Ahn Soo Ho had traveled all over the world, he could figure out a country¡¯s vibe just by looking at the people¡¯s expressions. Korea was a very dynamic country even in his eyes. This generation was sensitive to external changes, so they were like chameleons always adapting to new conditions.


    The upside to that was that the rapid industrialization led to a rich abundance of materialism, but the mindset was frozen in the Joseon era. The high suicide rate, prization, a big difference between the rich and the poor, and the low academic achievement were just a few negative aspects of the society.


    ¡®There are limits to making changes here and there.¡¯


    Korea¡¯s economic boost relied on the sacrifice of another. That really didn¡¯t make any sense. They tried to make it sound better than it was, but the truth was, some had to be sacrificed for the good of the rest.


    ¡°What will happen to Korea? Will it be better tomorrow than it is today?¡±


    The person who responded to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mumbling was the white man across from him.


    ¡°Korea has economic power. It has China and Japan on each side.¡±


    ¡°That means it can¡¯t get up on its own.¡±


    ¡°On its own? There¡¯s no country that can seed on its own, Soo Ho. Not even the Yankees can survive on their own. That¡¯s why they get involved in everything they can. They send the Marines with the excuse that it¡¯s for the gain of the entire world.¡±


    Vitali Andropov maintained his position as the ambassador of Russia.


    ¡°How¡¯s Moscow?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this when I was in Korea, but my homnd is really cold.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep hanging around me?¡±


    ¡°I know this sounds funny, but Korea is the safest country right now.¡±


    The safest country in the world was right beside North Korea? Anyone else would haveughed at this, but some who understood would have nodded.


    ¡°Well, congrattions.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    Vitali Andropov took over Moscow and became the newest most powerful man in Russia. The quiet coup d¡¯etat ended sessfully. The media¡¯s demand that every leading figure of Moscow got switched out was like a win for the people of Russia.


    ¡°Are you going to keep your position as ambassador?¡±


    ¡°For the time being.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not advisable to leave Moscow when you just seized power.¡±


    ¡°As I said, Korea is the safest ce to be.¡±


    That meant an assassination request had already been made.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to. Just don¡¯t kick me out.¡±


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    Another white person jumped into Ahn Soo Ho and Vitali¡¯s conversation. But she was a woman. The red-headed woman used to work at the Ministry of National Defence but was now an American ambassador in Korea by the name of Pam Woods. Herst meeting with Ahn Soo Ho was in Hawaii, and she participated in bringing down the Pentagon in exchange for him solving the issue in Brazil, which led to her being hated by the Secretary of Defence.


    ¡°Did you get kicked out of the Pentagon?¡±


    ¡°Tell him I got a better job, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Is this your first time meeting Vitali? Say hello.¡±


    Pam and Vitali smiled and shook hands, but the States and Russia were on very bad terms. But of course, their rtionship had nothing to do with the rtionship of their countries. When an ambassador moved, their guards would get closer, leading to a re war between the guards of Russia and the States.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡±


    ¡°How embarrassing.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue, Vitali frowned and Pam scratched her cheek out of embarrassment.


    ¡°We should relocate because of you two.¡±


    They relocated to a fancy restaurant. In the middle of eating side dishes on the table, Ahn Soo Ho stopped as if he remembered something.


    ¡°What happened with Jina Davis whomitted suicide?¡±


    ¡°The public understood that she must have been in a difficult situation while also criticizing her for her irresponsible behavior. The current government is getting criticized, most of that criticism was because of Jina Davis.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Many people died to save her life... The military must have opposed big time.¡±


    ¡°The Davis administration is judged to have the least influence on the military. This is fatal when ites to solving international problems.¡±


    ¡°By the way, why did you ept the ambassador position?¡±


    ¡°People like me have to umte experience when everyone else is sparing themselves. And working in South Korea looks especially good because of North Korea. If I do a good job here, I could have a chance at bing a member of the upper house.¡±


    ¡°How clever.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho noticed Pam had great ambitions from the first time they met. She was like the female version of Vitali.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure neither of you came here to just say hello. Get to the point already.¡±


    Pam and Vitali looked at each other. It looked like they were telling each other to talk first. When no one talked, Ahn Soo Ho made another proposal.


    ¡°Since Pam is new, Vitali, you go first.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was probably the only person who could treat Pam like a newbie. Vitaliughed and opened his mouth.


    ¡°A new situation has arisen in J-Law and Issac¡¯s war.¡±


    ¡°A new situation?¡±


    ¡°A third-party power that doesn¡¯t listen to J-Law or Issac has appeared. They¡¯re iming to be the ones who¡¯ll restore tradition and order. The ones who left Ayas joined them, too.¡±


    ¡°That sounds predictable... Aren¡¯t they the anti-wizards or whatever they¡¯re called?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Not everyone in the world liked Ahn Soo Ho. He walked the path of blood and as a result of his violence, countless organizations and human rtions were totaled. Anti-wizards were those who were going against Ahn Soo Ho, and a portion of the criminal nning group, General Ashford wasn¡¯t just an anti-wizard, he totally despised Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Pam, are you here to talk about my antis, too?¡±


    ¡°Out of the internal documents that were revealed during the Sao Paolo scandal and the Senate hearing, most of them were rted to the CIA. I don¡¯t think the anti-wizards are just people who hate you. I think they¡¯re nning on an organizational level.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue and shook his head.


    ¡°Pam, Pam. Don¡¯t you know me yet? I can kill all of those anti-wizards singlehandedly.¡±


    No one could escape his grasp without leaving the earth.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t kill them was because they weren¡¯t a threat. The anti-wizards were like mosquitos. The mosquitos that fly around a person¡¯s house were usually killed, but there was no need to go outside in order to kill those who were outside or in other people¡¯s houses.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they hate me. That¡¯s their right. But if theye to me and p their traps, I¡¯ll have to beat them to a pulp.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no intention of treating those who came to him to curse him as civilized people. The one who added to it in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sughter wasn¡¯t Pam, but Vitali.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the target of the anti-wizards, Soo Ho. If you were their target, we wouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stoppedughing.


    ¡°Their target is your fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like that.¡±


    Vitali didn¡¯t want to joke and then die. Ahn Soo Ho remembered his manners with Pam.


    ¡°I apologize, Pam.¡±


    He then changed his gaze to a scary one and looked at them both.


    ¡°So what¡¯s their n?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 104 ¨C Adult Fight [1] > The end.

 Chapter 106: < Protect – Episode 105 – Adult Fight [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 106: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 105 ¨C Adult Fight [2] &gt;</h4>


    Top stars were busy.


    The public often misunderstood that because stars show up on the television screen all the time, they must be having a lot of fun. Top actresses like Jang Seol Hyun were actually very busy. Being an actress was very difficult for Korean women in their 20s, and it was uneptable for them to date no matter what their image was.


    Most just dated secretly, but if their advertisers found out, they were pretty much done for. That was the reason why the sponsors were more unyielding than the entertainment industry. The middle-ageddies of Korea were no different from Eric Rufi. Rather than call girls, they were more often called office girls.


    It wasn¡¯t that Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t receive any sponsorships.


    She was never a part of any scandals, and since there weren¡¯t even any rumors about her either, which might have actually worked against her. She was a very high mountain that young men were determined to conquer. Being able to say that they dated Jang Seol Hyun was like an amazing aplishment.


    ¡°Very nice! Very nice! I like that chic expression!¡±


    The photographer was busyplimenting her. They were busy taking photos in Gangnam for a famous fashion magazine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a 10-minute break, Seol Hyun. Good work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun bowed to the staff then went to the waiting room. It was actually an open-concept waiting room, so she could see the studio from the inside. Since they had many shoots going on, they couldn¡¯t give the closed waiting room to everyone. If she was a sensitive actress, she would have thrown a tantrum, but Jang Seol Hyun once had a shoot in an African desert, so she didn¡¯t really care.


    The next one up was Jung Ah Young and she greeted Jang Seol Hyun warmly.


    ¡°Good work, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re next, right, Ah Young?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it looks like the writer is in a good mood today. I wonder if something good happened.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, his girlfriend is having her preview show today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s dating a theatre actress, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the European vacation program that aired on JTV, her value went up drastically, so she became in demand. Despite being pretty, she was known for being a little rough around the edges, so she used to get criticized for not being a versatile actress, but she was able to show off her various charms this time. The program normally would have ended with just a few lines in the tabloids, but Ahn Soo Ho, L, and Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s appearance made the show legendary.


    They got a viewer rating of 35.8 percent which was hard to beat for a cable TV show. Jung Ah Young and Jang Seol Hyun weren¡¯t very close at first, but they recently became very close. It was a friendship with an objective, but that was verymon in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Hey, that guy¡¯s totally looking at you.¡±


    In the middle of talking about the theme of the shoot, they started whispering about the guy that kept roaming about. Jung Ah Young took turns looking at the male model and Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why would you be? You¡¯re dating the great Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°He is pretty great.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! I can¡¯t believe you admitted it.¡±


    In contrast to Jung Ah Young who was known to be rough around the edges, Jang Seol Hyun was known as the boring girl who was too proper. As soon as the two women startedughing, one of the men who was roaming about approached them.


    ¡°Hello, Seol Hyun. You know who I am, don¡¯t you, Ah Young?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, CEO Kim.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You do remember me.¡±


    He was delighted that Jang Seol Hyun epted his greeting. She was initially the star of Asia who was very popr, but she was now so high up that no one could dare to look at her in the eye. Kim Kyu Sang¡¯s Dell Pictures was a pretty sessful film producingpany in Chungmuro.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re working on another project. Is it going well?¡±


    ¡°The preparations are always perfect.¡±


    ¡°I hope it turns out well.¡±


    If it was just a few months ago, Jang Seol Hyun wouldn¡¯t have been spoken to with formalities by Kim Kyu Sang. But she was now also the future wife of the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment Group. Ahn Soo Ho was worth trillions of won. There wasn¡¯t a single Koreanpany who could survive if they made him mad.


    In contrast to other heirs, Ahn Soo Ho was straightforward and open-minded. Just by seeing how he made Hosoo Entertainment Group seed, it was obvious how direct he was. To him, no superior in the same industry was that important. Most importantly, he also had the support of the great Daesan Group, so it was no wonder everyone minded him.


    The fact that Kim Dae San¡¯s son, Kim Dae Chan had Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s back was nothing to pass over lightly. Daesan Group treated Hosoo Entertainment as if they were equal partners. Jang Seol Hyun realized that his objective wasn¡¯t her. It didn¡¯t make sense that he was trying to recruit her for a movie that was going to start filming in just a month.


    ¡°It looks like he wants to talk to you, not me.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m here to talk to Ah Young.¡±


    It was fascinating that the CEO came instead of the casting director, but if it was Jang Seol Hyun, that shouldn¡¯t have been surprising. However, Kim Kyu Sang wasn¡¯t there for her. Jung Ah Young, who thought he was there for Jang Seol Hyun, opened her eyes wide in surprise.


    ¡°Please work with us, Ah Young.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jung Ah Young was obviously taken aback in response to CEO Kim who suddenly asked to work with her without even showing her a script. If he was just a CEO of an average productionpany, she would have just scoffed, but Kim Kyu Sang had a good eye for scripts. There were many actors who became sessful after working with him.


    Jang Seol Hyun leaned in with curiosity as well.


    ¡°Did you bring the script, CEO Kim?¡±


    ¡°Haha, of course, I do. Here you go.¡±


    Kim Kyu Sang confidently handed her the script, but break time was already over.


    ¡°Get ready, Ah Young.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jung Ah Young put the script down and got up from her seat. As Kim Kyu Sang watched her walk away, she asked Jang Seol Hyun a question.


    ¡°Is Hosoo Entertainment going to take Ah Young in?¡±


    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t F Entertainment good, too? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that... Tsk. Don¡¯t tell anyone you heard it from me, Seol Hyun.¡±


    Kim Kyu Sang looked around and then whispered in her ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Many of my colleagues were hurt by it.¡±


    Unlike many others, Jang Seol Hyun knew some of the truth. Within the secrets that Ahn Soo Ho told her was the truth behind the candlelight vigil, Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list, and the paparazzi incident. Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list was a big case that was buried in a way because only the people in their teens and 20s who were interested in the entertainment industry talked about it.


    ¡°There are rumors iming that there¡¯s a second and third Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list.¡±


    ¡°At F Entertainment?¡±


    Kim Kyu Sang just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve worked in this industry for quite a while, you should know how vicious this world is. Once they seed, they¡¯ll start to be busy looking at other top stars nearby, and there are many who are willing to use short cuts.¡±


    Since Jang Seol Hyun started as a child actress, she had more experience than most. Despite Kim Kyu Sang being in his 40s and Jang Seol Hyun being in her 20s, they had simr levels of experience.


    ¡°I know this sounds bad, but the film industry is one of the ces where sexual favors are the most rampant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about it as well.¡±


    Kim Kyu Sang was being careful about how he was going to open up such a sensitive topic to Jang Seol Hyun since she was a woman, but she wasn¡¯t bothered by it one bit. When he realized that she wasn¡¯t bothered, he looked around once more and then whispered in her ears.


    ¡°The CEO of F Entertainment got his hands on a sponsorship and there are rumors saying it¡¯s for Jung Ah Young.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor... but I think it can be trusted.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say you wanted to work with her... Oh.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun eximed and nodded her head. Her former manager, Kim Woo Jung once said this. ¡°Noise is also marking!¡± Whether the issue was good or bad, it was good to be involved. It was mostly luck, but in any case, Jung Ah Young received the spotlight in a short period of time and became well recognized.


    ¡°A scandal will take ce in about 6 months.¡±


    ¡°During the filming?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    If a sponsorship or sexual favor scandal broke loose again, the politicians would have been like, ¡°I told you so!¡± and would point the arrows at the entertainment industry. The director who would work with Jung Ah Young would hate it, but the productionpany would be promoted without paying a cent, so they didn¡¯t care. It didn¡¯t matter if the actress got hurt or if the director would suffer as long as they were on point with their filming schedule and captured high-quality shots.


    ¡°If I tell this to Ah Young, wouldn¡¯t that be a loss for you?¡±


    ¡°Come on, neither of us is newbies here. Ah Young has no choice but to row through whateveres her way.¡±


    Kim Kyu Sang answered with confidence on his face. He couldn¡¯t tell Jang Seol Hyun what to do, but he thought he could still control Jung Ah Young.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As soon as Jang Seol Hyun asked, Kim Kyu Sang, looked behind him and then froze up at who he saw. Behind him was Ahn Soo Ho looking at him as if he was pathetic. Kim Kyu Sang was so intimidated by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s demeaning stare that he had no choice but to run away. As soon as he ran off, Ahn Soo Ho gave Jang Seol Hyun a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Why were you talking to a scumbag like that? You should¡¯ve just ignored him.¡±


    ¡°I was with Ah Young just now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    To Ahn Soo Ho, Miss France and Jung Ah Young were just one of many women. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden visit made the studio rowdy. But Jung Ah Young and the photographer continued to work like professionals.


    ¡°Do you still have work left to do?¡±


    ¡°I still have an interview to do with the editor-in-chief after the shoot.¡±


    ¡°With the editor in chief?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? I¡¯m Jang Seol Hyun.¡±


    She looked dazzling in her makeup and outfit.


    ¡°But what brings you here, Mister? I thought you had dinner ns.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was happy to see him, but she acted prim. She was a little mad that he put off their date because of some prior engagement. She also didn¡¯t like how calm they were when they were still in their honeymoon phase.


    ¡®I feel like I¡¯m the only one crazy about him.¡¯


    Jang Seol Hyun wondered if she should y hard to get from what she heard from her close friends. But as soon as she saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face, all the resentment flowed out of her.


    ¡°I came because I missed you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun turned back into a girl in love. At that very moment, the phone in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s pocket started to ring. Ahn Soo Ho then left Jang Seol Hyun which had made her sad because he didn¡¯t even give her a hug, she then went to the corner of the studio.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I found it.¡±


    He heard Kosino¡¯s voice on the line.


    ¡°Where was it?¡±


    ¡°It was hidden in a stock firm¡¯s server. It seems like they were nning to go through a stock tabloid using analysts.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took the advice of the American and Russian ambassadors and traced down the rumor regarding Jang Seol Hyun through Alexa and Kosino.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mutual fund of oil money. It¡¯s a foreign investment firm located in Korea. It¡¯s possible that this is retaliation for the Indonesian incident.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down just because I retired.¡±


    But then again, Ahn Soo Ho turned one of the harbors of Indonesia into ashes. People would have been startled if they heard that. He then looked at Jang Seol Hyun. Did they think she was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s weakness?


    ¡®Maybe...¡¯


    Jang Seol Hyun began her interview with the editor-in-chief and continued to wave back throughout the whole thing. There were only three people in this world whom Ahn Soo Ho would lose to. His mother, Mrs. Park, his little sister, Lee So Hye, and Jang Seol Hyun.


    But Jang Seol Hyun was convinced that she loved Ahn Soo Ho more.


    Ahn Soo Ho waved back at Jang Seol Hyun.


    If this was just an anti-wizard, he would have justughed and forgotten about it. But now that his objective had changed, it didn¡¯t matter if he was retired. Someone had to pay for this. Not even a European royalty could dodge Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rage.


    ¡°Work on it.¡±


    ¡°Until when?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke in a cold voice that didn¡¯t match his smiling face.


    ¡°Until it¡¯s over.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 105 ¨C Adult Fight [2] > The end.

 Chapter 107: < Protect – Episode 106 – Adult Fight [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 107: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 106 ¨C Adult Fight [3] &gt;</h4>


    Just like how those who hated Koreans were usually Korean, most of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s anti¡¯s were people of Korea. Most of them just hated the businessman that was Ahn Soo Ho, but there were also ¡®anti wizards¡¯ who hated Ahn Soo Ho, the middleman.


    The life of Ahn Soo Ho with two faces was just like that of a celebrity. The one that the public remembered was a rich man who was dating a top actress named Jang Seol Hyun, but the impression that left in many others was aplete killing machine.


    When Ahn Soo Ho retired, those who didn¡¯t like him very much gave him words offort while secretly cheering on the inside. In particr, Prince Hashim of Saudi Arabia pped like a seal. He had been on bad terms with Ahn Soo Ho for over 10 years.


    Prince Hashim, who was smart but cocky, went all over the world showing off his wealth. He invited party people every day and threw parties. Since cars and women were his favorite hobbies, he went all over the ce from New York to Los Angeles in the States and held events that were ideal for those who sold their bodies for a living.


    Hashim wouldn¡¯t agree to this, but the parties he held were no different from Eric Rupi¡¯s escort service. Those who enjoyed having one-night stands with beautiful women waited for the prince to invite him, and those who wanted to change their lives around in just one night willingly stripped their clothes.


    ¡°Thirty percent of the capital of mutual funds is owned by Hashim Nagir.¡±


    ¡°Hashim? The Hashim that I know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    ¡°What a persistent man.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mind the persistence of Robert Aquin, but Prince Hashim¡¯s persistence offended him deeply.


    ¡°So this all happened because of L... I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m just unlucky or if this is fate.¡±


    ¡°Indonesia probably had some influence as well. My guess is that Indonesia is the justification and he poured his resentment onto it.¡±


    ¡°Sneaky little bastard.¡±


    Just like how not all Catholics were Puritans, not all Muslims were fundamentalists. The Muslims of South East Asia waspletely different from that of the Middle East. Some said that the Muslims of South East Asia were failures.


    ¡°Our ns are progressing in a secretive manner.¡±


    ¡°What are your predictions about the results?¡±


    ¡°Baseless rumors will spread.¡±


    ¡°I know that, too. What I want to know is how much harm it¡¯ll do.¡±


    Kosino went deep into thought. Political schemes and assassinations were her specialties.


    ¡°The public probably now has negative news on Miss Jang. And the rumors that already spread will probably expand or reproduce into a vicious cycle... In the end, Miss Jang¡¯s image will probably plummet. That¡¯s fatal to any celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Is that a likely scenario with an analyst¡¯s trend alone?¡±


    ¡°Stock tabloids are influential in more markets than you think. Analyzing business trends looks cool and fancy in the eyes of those who don¡¯t know much about stocks. I¡¯m guessing Hashim is trying to humiliate Miss Jang to bring down your influence or make things worse for you. With North America and Europe being chaotic, it¡¯s obvious what the Middle East is trying to do.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s not only Hashim that¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to dig further... but yes. If they prepared this much, it¡¯s probably not just Hashim who¡¯s involved.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows. There was a question that had been bothering him since the beginning.


    ¡°Did they really think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you wondering if this could be a trick Hashim¡¯s ying?¡±


    ¡°That makes more sense to me.¡±


    If Jang Seol Hyun got humiliated, Ahn Soo Ho would look into why things happened the way they did and would figure out that there was a conspiracy. That could either be a real conspiracy or just something to ridicule him with.


    ¡°That¡¯s not impossible. Should I look into it further, Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and Kosino left the room right afterward. When Ahn Da Sol opened the door, Kosino knitted her brows. Even though she was half Japanese, she hated Ahn Da Sol, or more like Kumiko.


    ¡°She res at me every time she sees me.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go after her and tell her the truth? Tell her that you¡¯re not a Japanese but a 100-year-old grandma.¡±


    ¡°Stop making fun of me. If you keep doing that, I might just have toe out of the closet.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged and Ahn Da Sol plopped onto the couch.


    ¡°Are things not going as nned? Do you want my help?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. How did it go?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned down Ahn Da Sol¡¯s proposal and asked her a question in response.


    ¡°Hey, did you forget who I am? I¡¯m Ahn Da Sol. Yeah, it¡¯s resolved now.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel transferred to Lee So Hye¡¯s school. It was rare for foreign students to transfer from an international school to a regr school. But Emily and Rachel used their optimism to adjust quickly. Having those three surrounding Lee So Hye put him a little more at ease.


    ¡°But your other sibling still hasn¡¯t gotten his act together.¡±


    ¡°Jung Hoon? What did he do this time?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors going around saying he¡¯s fooling around with a female trainee.¡±


    ¡°What about his new girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they broke up or something. I don¡¯t know. Are you going to leave it alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for boys his age to be interested in girls.¡±


    ¡°He might end up in handcuffs at this rate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all his responsibility. I can¡¯t meddle in a grown man¡¯s adult life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty cold-hearted toward your brother.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol showed a strange expression on her face.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cold attitude towards Lee Jung Hoon was nothing new but after the new girlfriend incident, Soo Ho got rid of all expectations he had for Jung Hoon. The only solution for him was to take his brain apart and put it together properly. He was considering putting him in the hell training program that Do Kyung Ho and his underlings went through.


    ¡®Come to think of it, he never went to the military.¡¯


    These days, male celebrities would wait until they were thirty before they enlisted in the military as entertainment soldiers. Some entered as active-duty soldiers, but that was rare. As a superior in life, Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t watch him go the easy route. Getting it over with was more convenient in various ways.


    ¡®I¡¯d better send him off soon.¡¯


    Many would say that the military sucks but the world viewed those who had gone and those who hadn¡¯t very different.


    ¡°I doubt you only came here to rat out Jung Hoon. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make So Hye into a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°What? I already told you no.¡±


    This was nonsense in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ears.


    ¡°She has talent.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s not interested herself.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. This is why I¡¯m always telling you that you don¡¯t know girls, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a trainee. I¡¯ll beat you up.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho raised his fist, Ahn Da Sol hid behind the sofa. She continued.


    ¡°She has lots of talent, it¡¯s just that she never had a chance to show it off.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it toote to start learning?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    ¡°Hm. She has to do it on her own will though.¡±


    ¡°Of course! So Hye and I are like honest blood sisters.¡±


    In response to Soo Ho¡¯s protests, Ahn Da Sol softened up her tone.


    ¡°Just think about it. There¡¯s no way Ahn Soo Hoo¡¯s little sister can ever live an ordinary life. Trust So Hye with me. I¡¯ll make her into a really cool woman.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to give in that was because when he wasn¡¯t around, Ahn Da Sol protected Lee So Hye. As soon as the noisy woman left, it wasn¡¯t long before his peace was broken once more. Ahn Soo Ho felt his phone on vibrate so he took it out and answered it.


    ¡°Alexa.¡±


    ¡°I found it, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Send me the address.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡®Okay?¡¯ Alexa was Korean now.


    A few examples of Konglish that Koreans used included ¡°ck consumers¡± and ¡°after service¡±. But more than that foreigners really didn¡¯t understand Koreans on social media. Koreans¡¯ go-to social media sites were Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and most foreigners didn¡¯t understand Koreans on those sites.


    Just how Koreans thought people of South East Asia had horrible English pronunciation, Americans felt awkward hearing Koreans speak English. Alexa wasn¡¯t from North American but actually Europe, but her Korean-style English pronunciation became much better. Ahn Soo Ho walked out of Star Tower and headed to Buchon Hanok Vige. Since it was a popr tourist¡¯s destination, there were many white people dressed in hanboks.


    He went and hid in a pretty big hanok house furthest from the entrance. He swept in like smoke, so none of the guards noticed him. He didn¡¯t understand why there were so many guards there. He walked into the library with a smile on his face. There, a familiar face was thinking hard with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Lee Ji Heon.¡±


    Lee Ji Heon was startled by Soo Ho¡¯s calling.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    ¡°Quiet. No one wille for you no matter how loud you scream. So just shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat backfortably on the sofa.


    ¡°I know you weren¡¯t very happy with me in the Korea National Association. Well, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. But I don¡¯t think this is fair. You guys were the ones that messed with me first. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if Lee Ji Heon would answer or not.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to read the opposing party.¡±


    ¡°The process of selecting members of the executivemittee isn¡¯t smooth.¡±


    No one knew that it was Ahn Soo Ho who split up the executivemittee. Ahn Soo Ho grinned.


    ¡°How much do you need, Lee Ji Heon? How much do you need to seize the Korea National Association?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s way of talking smoothly made Lee Ji Heon felt conflicted. It was Ahn Soo Ho who made Korea National Association into what it was today. It was like he was giving medicine to an injury he himself caused. However, Soo Ho couldn¡¯t turn down the offer because after losing the executivemittee, Korea National Association was on the verge of being disintegrated.


    ¡°1 trillion.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He boldly called out 1 trillion, and when Ahn Soo Ho immediately epted, he was very surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re... not kidding.¡±


    ¡°Why would I be? Buying Korea National Association for 1 trillion won is a great deal. Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I have no interest in meddling in your operations. But in return, convince the opposing party so that I won¡¯t have to get involved.¡±


    Lee Ji Heon surrendered. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t someone any of the Lee¡¯s could handle. That might have been why Lee Geun Taek and Lee Kyung Joon disappeared. Ahn Soo Ho then met with the Comradery Association, made the same offer, and yielded good results.


    Hisst visit was to the Blue House. The dark Blue House was quiet. Ahn Soo Ho frequently visited the White House, so the security guards of the Blue House was noparison. President Lee Jong Hyun, who liked to enjoy some tea and meditation in his library, was very surprised by his appearance.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a ghost.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s face looked like he had just seen a ghost.


    ¡°Oh, and no one will hear you no matter how loud you scream, so don¡¯t even waste your energy.¡±


    ¡°Did you seize the security room?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun severely misunderstood. All Ahn Soo Ho did was eliminate their sound.


    ¡°Hm, since you¡¯re the president, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard things about me. Like how I¡¯m a supernatural being.¡±


    The president was startled once again.


    ¡°Do you really have supernatural powers?¡±


    ¡°Oh! So I guess that rumors going around after all. Since we¡¯ll have to keep working together, I¡¯ll give you a hint. I use a power that you guys call supernatural powers. The States is probably suspicious of it, too.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s attitude changed at the sound of supernatural powers.


    ¡°The States already tried to kidnap me and dissect me over 10 years ago. They failed though... But if I let my guard down, they¡¯ll probably pounce again, since that¡¯s how white people are.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rtionship with the States wasplicated, and it had its good days and its bad days.


    ¡°So I want to hear an answer from you, President Lee Joong Hyun.¡±


    He stressed the word, ¡°President¡±.


    ¡°What if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯d just erase your memory of this night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you mean with your powers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you understand things quickly, Mr. President.¡±


    As soon as Lee Joong Hyun heard supernatural powers, he understood everything that happened up until this point.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t even 3 years left of my term.¡±


    ¡°Then have yourself reappointed.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to agree until there¡¯s something in it for me.¡±


    The president became very open at this point. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t mind this kind of greed. What determined whether or not a politician seeded or not all depended on achievements left in history.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say you¡¯re an amazing president in an interview.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Should I invest 100 trillion won in a new business?¡±


    ¡°Ha! What kind of business would you invest 100 trillion won in?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to know.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho offered his hand, Lee Joong Hyun thought about it and then made up his mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They shook hands and smiled. Ahn Soo Ho was satisfied. This agreement took ce in the span of a day, but it put him at ease. All that was left was to put it into action.


    ¡°Hashim Nagir.¡±


    Whether he was serious or not, he deserved to be tortured.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 106 ¨C Adult Fight [3] > The end.

 Chapter 108: < Protect – Episode 107 – Adult Fight [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 108: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 107 ¨C Adult Fight [4] &gt;</h4>


    This happened a few days ago.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Soo Ho. I always inconvenience you.¡±


    After Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s interview, Ahn Soo Ho took her and Jung Ah Young to a restaurant. He knew what the precocious girl was really like on the inside, but it seemed like Jang Seol Hyun was pretending not to know even though she knew already, so he yed along. Jung Ah Young was definitely a star, but if one asked if she was at Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s level, many would tilt their heads.


    ¡°So did you agree to do the movie with CEO Kim, Ah Young?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Give it a good thought. It¡¯s only two months away. Will you be ready?¡±


    The script that CEO Kim Kyu Sang gave her was a romantic historical thriller. She wasn¡¯t the main female lead, but her character had a fair bit of bed and action scenes. The problem was that she wasn¡¯t known as an action actress.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t prepare ordingly, you¡¯ll get hurt. And if you get hurt, the filming will be dyed causing you a lot of embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s really hard, I¡¯ll just have to get them to reduce my screen time.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? You should be fighting for every single minute you can get. Okay, fine. I have an action movieing up, too. Let¡¯s train together.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m in my thirties. Go easy on me.¡±


    As soon as Jung Ah Young acted like an olddy, both of them looked at each other andughed. Their rtionship started for business, but they connected in many ways. Jung Ah Young was known to be rough around the edges, which other women didn¡¯t like, but if one got to know her better, she was actually easy-going like a guy. Jang Seol Hyun was reminded again that celebrities were different in real life from how they seemed on TV.


    ¡°Oh, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    As soon as her phone vibrated, Jung Ah Young excused herself and went outside of the room, and once Jang Seol Hyun checked that the door closed, she whispered to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°Me? Why would I be?¡±


    ¡°Having dinner with Ah Young wasn¡¯t a part of the n.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about useless things like that.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the sensitive type.


    Ahn Soo Ho was someone who had breakfast, lunch, and dinner while there were gunshots and bombs going off everywhere. He was the my-way type. He wasn¡¯t into fancy restaurants, but he knew women liked it, so that was why he chose to go there. He preferred cheaper ces where he could pig out.


    ¡®I can never be an epicure.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho acknowledged this much.


    ¡°I won¡¯t see you for a while once you start your movie.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Aren¡¯t you going to send me a helicopter?¡±


    ¡°Who was the one talking about establishing a social harmony?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho offered his girlfriend a helicopter to save time, she immediately turned it down. No matter how much of a star she was, riding a helicopter as if it was a car was bound to get hate from the public. It might have been different if they were married, but she was still just an average celebrity.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t people understand if I only rode it once in a while?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    That was a cute excuse. After that, Jang Seol Hyun led the conversation. She told him everything that happened that day without leaving anything out. Ahn Soo Ho listened and responded ordingly. Ten minutes had already passed but Jung Ah Young still hadn¡¯te back.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll...¡±


    ¡°No, stay here. I¡¯ll go look for her.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun stopped Ahn Soo Ho from getting up and left the room with her phone. He used his senses. He was sad that he couldn¡¯t tell her that she didn¡¯t have to leave the room to check. But it would be a waste of time if he was to exin all of his secrets to her.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Jung Ah Young, who had left the room 10 minutes earlier with her phone was at the end of the hallway talking to her manager. That was because she heard that her agency was trying to turn down the movie.


    ¡°Why did you turn that down?¡±


    ¡°Because the president said so.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°Is he out of his mind?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth.¡±


    It was against the contract to turn down a project that an actress got for herself without the agency¡¯s help. Her manager, who was looking at Jung Ah Young¡¯s very red face, answered his phone as soon as it vibrated.


    ¡°I changed my phone, Boss. Yes. Yes, Sir. Yes, don¡¯t worry. Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll hang up now, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Was that the president? What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, he wants you to call CEO Kim Kyu Sang yourself and tell him you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Hey! When did I ever say I won¡¯t do it? Why do I have to apologize?¡±


    ¡°Quiet down, you punk. He¡¯s probably going to give you a better role. Why would he do anything to harm you?¡±


    Her manager did everything he could tofort her, but she was so furious that everything sounded like excuses.


    ¡°What did the agency ever do for me anyway? All they ever did was push me aside while taking care of all the idols instead.¡±


    ¡°Ah Young, you¡¯ve got it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°Forget it!¡±


    People started looking over in response to their raising voices. Since it was a fancy restaurant, the customers were well-off, too. Many Koreans didn¡¯t even know a ce like this existed, which was a fusion restaurant of Japanese and Western influences.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    When someone who looked like a server or a security guard approached, the manager waved his hand as if nothing was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please lower your voices.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He nced over at Jung Ah Young as if he recognized her before he walked off. However, the problem was elsewhere.


    ¡°I can¡¯t digest my food because of all this noise. Is it supposed to be eptable for actresses to be so noisy in public?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so...¡±


    Jung Ah Young¡¯s manager got knocked over in the middle of his apology.


    ¡°Move! The one who should be apologizing is Jung Ah Young, not you! Wow, nice rack! Are those the ones that cost you 100 million won?¡±


    Jung Ah Young froze up in response to the sudden sexual harassment she got. She finally got to check out who this was, and seeing how he was wearing expensive clothes, he definitely came from money. But then again, he wouldn¡¯t have been at this restaurant if he wasn¡¯t. It also seemed like he had too much wine.


    Jung Ah Young¡¯s manager stood in front of her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jung Ah Young! You¡¯re acting so pompous these days! I heard you turned down ourpany¡¯s advertisements calling it cheap! Who do you think you are? You¡¯re quite picky for someone who sells her body for a living.¡±


    At this point, this was aplete disturbance. But the employees just stood there dilly-dallying and the manager caught on that this person must have been from a powerful background.


    Her manager yelled ¡°damn it¡± in his head.


    More and more people started watching. People of such high status probably haven¡¯t seen such a ruckus before in their lives. No matter how refined a person was, the most fun things to do in life were watching fires and fights. The restaurant manager ran over as well, but he didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°Ah Young?¡±


    It was Jang Seol Hyun who saved Jung Ah Young. When she went out looking for Jung Ah Young, she saw a big crowd which turned out to be surrounding her.


    ¡°Seol Hyun!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s appearance shocked everyone. Jung Ah Young was a bit famous, but Jang Seol Hyun was a top star with over 10 years of experience, so she earned quite the respect. So when the future wife of Hosoo Entertainment Group appeared, it woke everyone up. They couldn¡¯t believe that both of them were there.


    ¡°We live in a big world full of crazy people.¡±


    He was fed up with that phrase now. When Ahn Soo Ho appeared after Jang Seol Hyun, things got a lot more interesting. The crowd was excited.


    ¡°Soo Ho? I told you not toe out.¡±


    ¡°I noticed the noise, and I was worried you¡¯d get hurt.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun asked why did Ahn Soo Ho came out but it didn¡¯t seem like she hated it.


    ¡°So who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the third son of Chairman Oh Chang Jin of Esther Group.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun shook her head and the restaurant manager stepped up.


    ¡°Esther?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a distribution group who are also 22nd on the financial rank.¡±


    Was the restaurant manager familiar with finance, too?


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at him and wondered if his face was red because of the alcohol or if he was embarrassed. He pointed his index finger at the security guards who stepped back from feeling threatened. The guards flinched and stood still in response to his warning to stay out of it.


    ¡®Is he like the Prince Hashim of Korea? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s only like this around me or if reality is like a fantasy.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had encountered many crazy situations like this after he went on sabbatical. Was this what happened around people with money no matter their nationality or race? The first time was when he went to the bar he owned with Jang Seol Hyun. He remembered resolving that thanks to his friend Yoon Chul.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your name, but apologize to Ah Young, her manager, and the employees here.¡±


    It was Jung Ah Young and her manager who raised their voices in a public ce, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care. The rich man kept his mouth shut and looked around him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t served in the military, have you? Same goes for Jung Hoon. Guys need to serve in the military to be real men. Hey, listen up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s random question put nk looks on everyone¡¯s faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call the chairman of Daesan Group right now. I¡¯m going to ask him for Esther Group¡¯s Chairman Oh Chang Jin¡¯s number.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Once I call your father, what do you think I¡¯ll say? I¡¯m going to tell him to send you off to the military or else we¡¯ll fight. Do you want to make a bet? Let¡¯s bet whether Chairman Oh Chang Jin will fight me to protect his third son or if he¡¯ll just make you go to the military. What do you think will happen?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho said it as if it was a joke, but it didn¡¯t sound like it. With his image, he was definitely going to call Kim Dae San and Oh Chang Jin. It wasn¡¯t just Chairman Oh Chang Jin but any Korean businessman wouldn¡¯t want to pick a fight with Ahn Soo Ho. If Chairman Oh Chang Jin would have to choose between Ahn Soo Ho and his son, he would choose Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I-I apologize!¡±


    After finally apologizing, he ran off in a sh. The rest returned to their rooms, but one more person joined. It was Jung Ah Young¡¯s manager.


    ¡°Thank you, Soo Ho and Seol Hyun.¡±


    Jung Ah Young was sincerely thankful. Besides her ring at Ahn Soo Ho all the time, she was a nice girl. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at her manager.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Kim Choong Jae... Ugh!¡±


    He got hit on the stomach and fell to his knees. The two women opened their eyes wide.


    ¡°Mr. Kim Choong Jae, don¡¯t you know what managers are supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, pardon? Um, no.¡±


    He alternated between yes and no while being in pain.


    ¡°There¡¯s a manager named Kim Woo Jung who used to work for Seol Hyun back in the day. He even broke two of his ribs fighting against a ck man while trying to protect Seol Hyun in the States. He also stood guard outside a house in LA trying to catch a coyote but got bit by a wild dog and almost died. Mr. Kim Choong Jae, do you understand what I¡¯m getting at?¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°You should be apologizing to your celebrity, not me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ah Young. I was wrong.¡±


    Kim Choong Jae apologized as told.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad guy...¡¯


    It felt different when he hit bad guys. Kim Choong Jae wasn¡¯t as skilled as Kim Woo Jung, but he had a simr personality. Jung Ah Young¡¯s manager¡¯s apology made her feel a little better.


    ¡°Please wait outside, Manager Kim.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Kim Choong Jae listened to Ahn Soo Ho very well. People would have thought he was an employee of his.


    ¡°Thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop addressing me that way?¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t men like being addressed like this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a stereotype.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    Jung Ah Young fell back into her seat as if all her nervousness left her body. She didn¡¯t have an appetite anymore either. Then the dessert came out, and it seemed to make her appetitee back.


    ¡°This is on the house, Sir.¡±


    The restaurant manager came out himself and greeted Ahn Soo Ho. What happened today had never happened in his over ten years of being a restaurant manager. She calmed down after engulfing the sweet food. Jang Seol Hyun spoke up first.


    ¡°Why? Is there a problem with the agency?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The president turned down my movie.¡±


    ¡°The one with Dell Pictures?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sigh, this is so annoying.¡±


    Jung Ah Young ate the rest of the dessert as if she got furious again. Jang Seol Hyun looked over at Ahn Soo for help, and he nodded as if he understood.


    ¡®It¡¯s not difficult to say a few words.¡¯


    But whether Jung Ah Young¡¯s president would listen or not was uncertain.


    ¡°Give me the president¡¯s number.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took the number and texted him.


    [If you don¡¯t want to end up like Hwang Min Wook, don¡¯t mess with your celebrities. Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t tell you who I am. If you¡¯re curious, call me, you son of a bitch.]


    < Protect ¨C Episode 107 ¨C Adult Fight [4] > The end.

 Chapter 109: < Protect - Episode 108 - New York Festival [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 109: < Protect ¨C Episode 108 ¨C New York Festival [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t particrly a spokesman of justice.


    The reason why he couldn¡¯t be was because if there was a contest for the biggest viin, he would have won. If there were sses of viins, Ahn Soo Ho would have been somewhere up in the Heavens. He went all around the world and saw all sorts of bad things. There were those who cursed at the U.S. president, as well as those who called the Pope a bastard.


    What drew the line between good and evil ultimately depended on where they were at the time. There wasn¡¯t a line for pure evil either. Despite that fact, there was a sin that Ahn Soo Ho hated the most. Confining those without power and submitting them to very which still existed in the 21st century despite not many being aware of it.


    ¡®Those damned pimps.¡¯


    They didn¡¯t have to work in the red-light district to be pimps. Hwang Min Wook and other scums of the entertainment industry were no different. The darkness of sponsors and sexual favors hidden behind the glitz and mor was a secret that no one talked about. And since there was probably a direct connection between that darkness and people in power, the media didn¡¯t want to mess with it either.


    Those who were aware revealed that both developed and under-developed countries couldn¡¯t escape from sex scandals. In other words, the hidden circumstances of celebrities were more vibrant than their own lives. A man and a woman falling in love was a natural thing, but for others, sex was a type of business.


    One would ask how did the president of F Entertainment respond to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s text. He called him back. But Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer it.


    ¡®I¡¯m not that easy.¡¯


    Since it wasn¡¯t going to be a friendly call, there was no reason to answer it right away.


    ¡°Your phone¡¯s vibrating.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned his phone to silent.


    Jang Seol Hyunforted Jung Ah Young, but she didn¡¯t tell her to movepanies. There was a thin line between being friendly and being nosy. She had a cold-hearted side to her. Jang Seol Hyun did signal for Ahn Soo Ho to help, but she didn¡¯t bring up what would be the easiest solution. Hosoo Entertainment had the money to afford cancetion fees. But she knew better than anyone that business wasn¡¯t all about being friendly.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Kim Choong Jae came back in to say something.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Our president wants you toe back to thepany with Ah Young.¡±


    ¡°Did you report what just happened to him?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t that clueless.


    As soon as his phone rang, Kim Choong Jae looked troubled. It seemed like the president was pressuring him to make them return as soon as possible.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho reached out his hand, Kim Choong Jae handed him the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long to answer my calls? Call CEO Kim and turn down¡­ No, never mind. Just bring Ah Young back here.¡±


    As soon as he answered the phone, the president of F Entertainment started babbling away.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me? Hello?¡±


    ¡°If you have something to say, youe here.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    He cautiously asked in response to the deep voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Kim Choong Jae¡¯s phone?¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s me.¡±


    The president hung up first. Ahn Soo Ho strongly believed that the president would call him back. Just as he thought, the phone rang after a minute.


    ¡°If you have something to say,e here yourself.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°I told you to call me if you¡¯re curious.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hm.¡±


    The president was surprised and then moaned in response to the familiar way of speaking of the man that he was talking to. He knew who Jung Ah Young met today through the news in the inte.


    CEO Ahn Soo Ho went to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s photo shoot!


    Jang Seol Hyun and Jung Ah Young¡¯s coboration! The goddesses have returned!


    Will Jung Ah Young transfer to Hosoo Entertainment?


    Will the super dinosaur of the entertainment industrymit another ident?


    The president also heard from Kim Choong Jae that Jung Ah Young was having dinner with Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡®Then the person who sent me the text¡­¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho was sad that he couldn¡¯t see the face of F Entertainment¡¯s president rotting away. Among the staff of entertainment that raised and protected stars of hope, there were many devoted people like Kim Woo Jung. However, the CEO of Jung Ah Young¡¯s agency was no different from Hwang Min Wook.


    ¡°There are bad rumors going around about you.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°A misunderstanding? Haha. Yeah right. Even Hwang Min Wook died doing stupid things. Who says that won¡¯t happen to you, too?¡±


    ¡°Look here, CEO Ahn! Don¡¯t you dare drop the formalities with a superior just because you have some money!¡±


    The president seemed to have gotten really mad at what Ahn Soo Ho said. Regardless of whether he was mad or not, Ahn Soo Ho smirked with a calm voice.


    ¡°If you hate it so much, why don¡¯t you drop the formalities, too? Stop talking nonsense about customs since even the sponsorships are done for your sake. So stop acting like you¡¯re being all good to me, you son of a b*tch.¡±


    Everyone looked surprised at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden cursing.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you mess with Jung Ah Young¡­ Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    In contrast to how the president had yelled at Ahn Soo Ho earlier, he was unable to give any kind of response as of the moment.


    ¡°Oh yeah! If you¡¯re thinking of using a recording of this call to threaten me, forget about it. Your phone¡¯s being hacked right now. Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and then hung up. He gave the phone back to Kim Choong Jae and looked at the two women¡¯s faces who looked nk.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just make things worse?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was unable to hide her surprise. She asked Ahn Soo Ho to solve the problem, but it seemed like he made things worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. If you don¡¯t like what the president¡¯s doing, give it to him straight.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Sheughed and then shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen.¡±


    This happened a few days earlier. And before leaving the country, Ahn Soo Ho checked the Jung Ah Young case one more time. Arabian names were very long, and Prince Hashim¡¯s, in particr, was so long that it would sound like somebody was trying to rap if one would try to say his whole name.


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up his phone and called Hashim Nagir himself.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Guardian?¡±


    Prince Hashim sounded ufortable.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re not friends or anything, just get straight to the point. If you¡¯re nning to screw me over, just tell me now, Hashim.¡±


    Was that too explicit? Hashim didn¡¯t talk for a while.


    ¡°Are you or not?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Prince Hashim moaned heavily in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has no way of building the horrific atmosphere, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Horrific?¡±


    ¡°After J-Law¡¯s counterattack, Issac¡¯s position has be more narrow. It appears that Macron wants to be the second Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°No. No matter how hard he tries, he¡¯s not invincible unlike you.¡±


    Just as Ahn Soo Ho went at the world, there were many who made attempts at him as well. Before Ahn Soo Ho arrived, no one believed a single person could win over an entire country. Who would have imagined that a person would start a war against a country? The reason why the States was afraid of Ahn Soo Ho was because it was just a matter of time before he abolished the American army.


    ¡°Then is the subject of this conspiracy Macron?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Hashim gave Ahn Soo Ho a jumbled answer.


    ¡°Did you forget who L¡¯s godfather is, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Jenkins?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Rosa¡¯s Peter Jenkins.¡±


    Half of L¡¯s blood came from the Protestants of Europe and the other half came from native North Americans. Whether it was north or south, her poprity was unparalleled on the American continent, and half of the reason was because of her mother who was Miss Argentina.


    ¡°Jenkins has his eye on you as L¡¯s partner.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­ But since Jenkins wants to build his empire in North America, he won¡¯t be able to give you up.¡±


    A few years back, Ahn Soo Ho got Peter Jenkin¡¯s help in resolving the hostage situation of Daesan Group employees in Argentina. And he was the one who introduced him to L in the first ce.


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t like that, right, Hashim?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. L has to be my third wife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still a scumbag, I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡±


    One might think that polygamists had dozens of wives, but these days, it was hard for Muslims to even have one wife.


    ¡°Jenkins is nning to humiliate your fianc¨¦ to ruin your rtionship with her. He thinks that will make you get closer to L. It¡¯s a pretty stupid n if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you help Jenkins?¡±


    ¡°Because I knew he¡¯d fail. It¡¯s too bad that this time, it failed even before it started.¡±


    Hashim Nagir, who enjoyed cars and women despite already having two wives, enjoyed having parties every day as well, but he wasn¡¯tpletely stupid. He was actually an expert in finance.


    But to Ahn Soo Ho, he was one of the countless assholes of this world.


    ¡°Are you sad? Consider yourself lucky, Hashim. If you had gone through with it, we would have started off with me grabbing you by the throat.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Do you really love your fianc¨¦? It¡¯s not a political scheme?¡±


    ¡°No. I chose her as my woman.¡±


    Hashim was startled by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sharp response.


    Hashim must have thought about their sudden dating scandal as a political scheme. After all, arranged marriages weremon in Imic society. Hashim thought Jang Seol Hyun was going to be Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s trophy wife.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you call an excuse, I¡¯m disappointed. Do you have any original bullshit? Or just barking might be better.¡±


    ¡°Woof, woof!¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    He really barked. Hashim¡¯s response was half a joke and half an effort to lighten up the heavy mood.


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends, Soo Ho. I know that. There¡¯s no way we can ever be friends. But I mean it when I say this. I¡¯m sorry. Miss Jang? I had no intention of insulting her. That¡¯s Jenkins¡¯ intention, not mine.¡±


    Hashim felt that the situation was getting weird, so he pulled out all sorts of excuses. His real n was to guide Ahn Soo Ho back to Jenkins once he got furious at Jenkins¡¯ failed conspiracy.


    ¡°Where are you right now? Riyadh?¡±


    ¡°I love my homnd, but Riyadh is a boring city. I¡¯m in New York right now.¡±


    ¡°Fashion Week is over though.¡±


    Fashion Week was the only event that was worthy of the party people¡¯s love in New York, which never slept 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.


    ¡°No, no! I¡¯m not always looking for supermodels, you know. I¡¯m at an advertising festival. It¡¯s boring me to death.¡±


    ¡°Why are you at an advertising festival? Seeing how you¡¯re talking like a normal person, you must have gotten scolded by your dad.¡±


    In Saudi Arabia, they didn¡¯t look favorably upon a son who neglected his family and roamed around partying. Even though the status of women was low in Saudi Arabia, the family of the first wife still had substantial authority.


    ¡°Also, Jenkins is in New York, too, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Then get ready to hold hands as I beat you both to a pulp.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 108 ¨C New York Festival [1] > The end.

 Chapter 110: < Protect – Episode 109 – New York Festival [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 110: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 109 ¨C New York Festival [2] &gt;</h4>


    ¡°She decided to do the movie again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess it somehow worked out.¡±


    After receiving training at an action school for her uing action movie; Jang Seol Hyun returned and talked about Jung Ah Young. It seemed as though things were already resolved¡ªbut to Ahn Soo Ho¡ªit seemed like a bomb that could explode at any moment. However, for Jung Ah Young who received the support of Hosoo Entertainment Group; she gained more than what she lost.


    ¡°Are you going to be friendly with her outside of business?¡±


    ¡°I like her personality.¡±


    They had different backgrounds, but the two women had simr personalities. Jang Seol Hyun had probably just gone off from action school because she was wearing leggings and a short yoga pants.


    ¡°We only have three hours left. Hurry up and get ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s scolding made her rush to get washed up. The two of them were in a suite at the Daesan Hotel. They were not in their house, but they soon felt just asfortable in their hotel¡¯s suite as they did at home. Living in hotels was probably hard to understand in the eyes of Koreans. However, staying in a hotel was normal for Ahn Soo Ho since he had been to hotels all over the world.


    Should a person decide not to stay in a ce for a long time; there wasn¡¯t a better ce to stay than in a nice hotel. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s house wasn¡¯t that bad either. However, he didn¡¯t want Logan and his underlings visiting all the time and making Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye ufortable. All men needed their own workspace.


    ¡®I¡¯d better get myself another building.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho did have a safe house. However, Alexa and Kosino used that house a lot. There would be a time when Ahn Soo Ho would have to tell Jang Seol Hyun everything¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t going to happen today or tomorrow.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s schedule looked like this.


    Visiting inws.


    Signing the take-over contract for JTV.


    Visiting Kim Na Hee and talk to Han Chae Kyung before going to New York.


    He had quite the busy schedule ahead.


    After Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s call with Prince Hashim; it was possible that Jenkins had already caught on and ran away. However, he was certain that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Peter Jenkins wasn¡¯t going to leave New York. That was because Ahn Soo Ho was with L.


    ¡®This was an unintended strategy.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho and L dide to Korea together, but they didn¡¯t mind each other. It was Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s job to take care of L. The story of a pop star¡¯s vacation in Korea was a good story to tell for the promotion of Hosoo Entertainment. However, giving L a package tour wasn¡¯t going to be exciting. So Oh Joo Kyung made up an itinerary of her own.


    ¡®Director Oh sure is shameless.¡¯


    Since L was just in her early 20¡¯s she had never taught of teaching anyone before. So employing her to be a teacher at Hosoo Entertainment Academy was quite shocking. However, Oh Joo Kyung¡ªthe one who made the offer¡ªdidn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually ept. L thought teaching was fun though.


    ¡®Raising someone while seeing them get better is pretty fun.¡¯


    The feeling of being epted by the world? Teaching another person was an honorable thing to do, and it was beyond the poprity and money. L enjoyed teaching for the first time, and that caused a huge change in the future she imagined for herself. This wasn¡¯t Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s intention, but L matured as a human being.


    L¡¯s mood was so great that she wanted to do something for her students, so she took them on a trip. If Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t own their own airline; getting seats for dozens of students wouldn¡¯t have been easy. L probably didn¡¯t know how much it would cost to use a private jet either.


    ¡®How would she know when she went on tour all the time?¡¯


    Oh Joo Kyung probably thought she was using L to make Hosoo Entertainment look better¡ªbut the way Ahn Soo Ho saw it¡ªL was ripping Oh Joo Kyung off instead. She knew exactly how much she was worth. The inte¡¯s news was focused on L¡¯s whereabouts. However, the economic columnists focused on Hosoo Entertainment and Holly Corporation.


    Scott Warren of Holly Corporation is in the middle of a divorce suit!


    The executivemittee must put their foot down! If they don¡¯t want thepany to split up¡ªthey must bring new investors in!


    Is Korea¡¯s Big money targeting Hollywood? What¡¯s CEO Ahn Soo Ho thinking?


    CEO Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s base is actually America, not Korea!


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡ªwho was looking through his tablet PC¡ªgrabbed Jang Seol Hyun by the waist and gave her a short kiss.


    ¡°That¡¯s an article about L.¡±


    ¡°Do you meet up with her these days?¡±


    ¡°Even if I ask, she says she¡¯s too busy. She must be having fun teaching.¡±


    The hotel staff had already brought Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s clothes, shoes, makeup, and other belongings into their suite. This was another service that was offered by the hotel, and this kind of service was only offered to special guests. Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s stylist and hairdresser showed up and fixed her hair and makeup. They finished in no time since there were multiple people working on one person.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t bother to put on an extravagant makeup and clothes since the party that she was attending wasn¡¯t that fancy. Jang Seol Hyun arrived at an outdoor restaurant that they rented out¡ªthe restaurant was called¡ªThe Garden.


    ¡°Is our son-inw here?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho said hello to his future mother-inw;


    Ahn Soo Ho greeted his future mother-inw and everyone in the party. He was being sociable today which was very different from his usual self. Jang Seol Hyun was also busy greeting everyone as well.


    It was great that there were no unpleasant rtives that came¡ªor maybe¡ªtheir rtives hadn¡¯t revealed their true colors yet


    ¡°Is he good to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course! He¡¯s so caring.¡±


    ¡°What about the articles about him and L in the States?¡±


    ¡°That was a false report.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful of men with lots of money. You don¡¯t know when the young girls might pounce.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was surrounded by some of her female rtives that were jealous of her. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t well-off, but Jang Seol Hyun had more. It was normal for a person to feel that other people had more. Of course, the party wouldn¡¯t beplete without Jang Seol Hyun giving out favors.


    ¡°If you run into any trouble call this number. Tell them your name and they¡¯ll treat you well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. But where is this?¡±


    ¡°The group¡¯s secretary room.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that makes you sound like the wife of the owner.¡±


    The status of heirs in Korean society was astronomical. People cursed at heirs while still wanting to get close to them. Ahn Soo Ho seeded so much in his life that he was at the same level as heirs if not higher. If he was just sort of wealthy; people would have said that Jang Seol Hyun could do better. However, since he was now the richest man in Korea¡ªno one could say anything.


    However, someone did dare to say something about him. Jang Seol Hyun still checked on Ahn Soo Ho from time to time while she entertains their guest. She looked at her watch three times¡ªexcused herself¡ªthen approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Dad, uncles. I¡¯m sorry, but may I borrow Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Seol Hyun. Are you choosing him over us now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. He squeezed this party in his schedule despite having an important contract signing today. So please let him go.¡±


    ¡°Well, how can we argue with that? Okay, Soo Ho. It must have been hard dealing with us old folk. Go on and do your work.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ll treat you to delicious food next time.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho bowed and apologized.


    ¡°We should be the ones apologizing for calling over a busy man. But are you going to be alright? The highways in Seoul are probably full of traffic as of the moment.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked. At that moment, he saw his employees on the grass making some room. There was a reason why he booked an outdoor restaurant for the Jang family¡¯s gathering. When a helicopternded; all eyes were on Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I apologize, everyone. I must get going. Seol Hyun, take care of the elders, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Soo Ho.¡±


    The way he leisurely took a helicopter to leave looked like a scene from a movie. The kids were busy taking photos, and the adults were very pleased to see him taking a helicopter as if it was a car.


    They felt great.


    In Korean families, there was a tendency to stress the word¡ªus. Ahn Soo Ho realized early on that rather than rejecting it, it was better to use it to his advantage. Blood ties were both easy and difficult. One couldn¡¯t abandon any of their family members because of a single mistake.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure Seul Hyun was doing a good job though...¡¯


    Since showing off was crucial in society; Jang Seol Hyun had to be respected as Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s future wife.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The distance that would have taken over an hour by car only took less than 20 minutes by helicopter. All preparations for the transfer of JTV waspleted by Oh Joo Kyung, who waited for Ahn Soo Ho to arrive. Once he arrived, he shook hands, signed the papers, and then it ended there.


    He left the press conference to Oh Joo Kyung. Ahn Soo Ho got into the helicopter and took off again. Thest ce he arrived at was a parking ramp in the corner of Incheon International Airport. There, he met Kim Na Hee and Han Chae Kyung. This was the one thing that Ahn Soo Ho agreed to take on by himself.


    ¡°You sure put a lot of care into it. Is she your daughter? I did hear about a surrogate being a thing... People even donate eggs.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense!¡±


    Kim Na Hee shook her head at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nonsense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t learn that from him, Chae Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Why not? He¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you know what cool is, Chae Kyung. You¡¯ll seed for sure. No, I¡¯ll make sure you do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle!¡±


    Han Chae Kyung epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s jokes with a bright smile. The pilot informed them that they were ready for take off, and they let Han Chae Kyung get on first. Ahn Soo Ho and Kim Na Hee went for a walk. There were many signs with warnings on them since they were in a restricted area.


    ¡°Did you start thewsuit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He must be pretty sad.¡±


    ¡°Are you meeting him without my knowledge?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was never close to Kim Na Hee¡¯s husband.


    ¡°Why are you going to New York? As for me, it¡¯s best that I keep my distance from Korea, but you just got here. Didn¡¯t Seol Hyun want to go with you?¡±


    ¡°She has a movie filming starting next month, so she can¡¯t go with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. She¡¯s working with Director Yoon, right? She must have hated that even more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nned to be gone for just a week. He then asked about Han Chae Kyung.


    ¡°Did you go to a doctor? What did they say?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s so strong-willed that there probably won¡¯t be much of an issue. He said I should make her work instead of letting her stay in her room all day.¡±


    ¡°Really? She seems to be doing fine. She reminds me of you when you were younger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still young, you know. But then again, I¡¯ve been so stressed these days that my skin¡¯s been suffering... Do I look old?¡±


    ¡°Olddy, you¡¯re in your fifties already. Think about your age. If this was the Joseon era, you¡¯d have great-grandchildren already.¡±


    However, she looked young for a 50-year-old woman. She looked like she was in her early 40¡¯s. The expensive makeup and massages she got helped her look 10 years younger.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to age, too, Soo Ho. Just you wait.¡±


    ¡°But until then, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho enjoyed making fun of Kim Na Hee. The flight attendant waved at them again so Ahn Soo Ho walked Kim Na Hee to the entrance.


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag on thewsuit too much. If you don¡¯t have money, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Aw, thanks for saying that.¡±


    Kim Na Hee grumbled and hugged Ahn Soo Ho while also being thankful and sorry to him. They both waved at each other as they parted. Another exclusive news about Hosoo Entertainment Group took over Korea while Ahn Soo Ho was away in his private jet that was headed to New York.


    The first big deal in broadcasting history! KBS, MBC, SBS, and even HBS!


    A coboration between ground wave and cable? The first goal is to catch up to SBS!


    First, it was a newspaper, and now a broadcastingpany? What¡¯s CEO Ahn¡¯s next objective?


    Hosoo Entertainment Channel is getting wings! Are they dreaming of a true andplete entertainmentpany?


    They¡¯re pushing to change Hosoo Entertainment Academy! New education policy is underway!


    Korea National Association? Comradery Association? What¡¯s next, Soo Hoo Association? Who¡¯s the freemason of Korea?


    What¡¯s President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s honest thoughts on the building of a new city?


    Secrets hidden behind the power system that¡¯s tangled up with the candlelight vigil will be revealed!


    The Korean penins became noisy all over again.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 109 ¨C New York Festival [2] > The end.

 Chapter 111: < Protect – Episode 110 – New York Festival [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 111: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 110 ¨C New York Festival [3] &gt;</h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho¡ªthe head of Hosoo Entertainment¡ªwent to New York in order to participate in the advertising festival. Advertisement and entertainment industries were industries that had always stood side by side; just like how makeup techniques were crucial to the fashion industry. The advertisements his celebrities got was just as important as their movies and dramas.


    That was because there were more stars that made it through advertisements than movies or dramas. Newspapers, magazines, and other advertisements where celebrities had to leave strong impressions during a shortmercial or one photo needed a great deal of creativity.


    The public liked predictable things just as much as they liked new things. If an advertisementpany tried to be overly creative by using fat or ugly models, they were bound to fall in the eyes of the public and advertisers. Respect and praise for beauty was something that was never going to change in the generations toe.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s fashion or electronics, anything that people consume depended on branding. You have to show it to them one more time for it to sell well. There is no other reason why they spend so much on holding fashion shows. It¡¯s all for the advertisement.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you majored in fashion design?¡±


    ¡°To be more exact, fashion business administration.¡±


    Was there a major like that in Italy? But then again Kim Na Hee wasn¡¯t just the trendsetter of beauty; she also cultivated the best advertisementpany in Korea through brand promotion. Even though Daesan Group wasn¡¯t an affiliatedpany, Kim Na Hee¡¯spany took most of their advertisements. Other advertisingpanies criticized her for using internal dealings. However, at the end of the day, Kim Na Hee was the queen who made Daesan Group¡¯s image into what it was today.


    And Han Chae Kyung¡ªthe one chosen to be the sessor of the kingdom¡ªwas bound to bepared to the originator. The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, Han Chae Kyung was proud in a different way from Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡®They¡¯re both intelligent... but she¡¯s more voluptuous.¡¯


    Was she just born that way? Or was it acquired? The way Han Chae Kyung smiled with her eyes had a way of making men misunderstand her. If she didn¡¯t have the refinement that Jang Seol Hyun had as well, people would have thought she was just easy. Ahn Soo Ho and Han Chae Kyung talked about all sorts of things during their ten-hour flight.


    She was very enthusiastic for a girl who was framed for murder and went to court for it. It was possible that she was trying to forget her pain by living a busy life. However, they were apanied by emergency personnel and a psychiatrist just in case. No one could really say how mental illness could escte.


    They finally arrived at JFK International Airport in New York.


    If they had used a normal airline, they would have gone through a lot of trouble getting through, but they both had American visas and they were also led out by ambassador Pam Woods. So for them, getting out of the airport was no problem.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Adam?¡±


    A bald man in a suit.


    When a person has distinct characteristics, they were bound to remain in a person¡¯s memory even if there was no reason for it. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho remembered Adam Laroche wasn¡¯t because he was the deputy director of the FBI or was formally in the delta forces. It was because Ahn Soo Ho noticed that Adam¡¯s head would get red along with his face whenever he got overexcited. The bald police officer with rage? Ahn Soo Ho remembered hearing that Adam dreamt of entering politics.


    ¡°Go on without me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung nced at the bald man and then left as Ahn Soo Ho told her to. Since she had an entourage, she was pretty safe. Ahn Soo Ho and Adam sat on a bench that overlooked the beach.


    ¡°Is that the woman that got framed in Italy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The FBI didn¡¯t only focus on domestic matters. After the twin tower incident in New York went down, they focused more on foreign affairs than the CIA. The friction between the FBI and CIA were always tense, but it got worse after that.


    ¡°You were a lot of help in Europe. Thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    Adam Laroche was indeed an American. However, his surname was French. His rtives lived in France too. Patriotism and love for the family were two different things.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t wait for me just to say hello.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°There are always problems. This country is like a tree with lots of branches.¡±


    In Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinion, the States¡¯ problem was that they thought they were managing the entire world and meddled in just about everything. They weren¡¯t just meddlesome, but cocky as well. Most American citizens thought that their president and civil control were firm, but that wasn¡¯t actually the case.


    Among the military operations that underwent secretly behind the motto¡ªAmerica¡¯s enemy was the world¡¯s enemy¡ªincluded those that not even the parliament could mess with. There were many secrets that were capable of making America disappear if they were used incorrectly. The former director of FBI had also once misused his power under what they called national security.


    ¡°About the Empire Konzern case... thank you once again, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t thrown the feed, I would have gotten dragged in too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    It took half a year to rip apart apany with 60 billion dors in market value. The FBI started to get involved after almost everyone got ripped to shreds and there was nothing left. The Davis administration was criticized by the public, but they got through it quietly in the political and financial world.


    Except for one person.


    ¡°Fitzgerald is probably the only excited one.¡±


    ¡°He was the star of the hearing, after all.¡±


    Alexandro Stanish Fitzgerald sounded like the name of aedian, but that was his real name. He was also a respected American senator.


    ¡°Is he going after the next election?¡±


    ¡°As a Republican, he can¡¯t lose this opportunity.


    In contrast to his funny name, no one could look down on his political ability and ambition. Republicans campaign about putting the public¡¯s interest first; it worked well on foolish white people. Were there lots of ck ghettos in America? Or were there more white ghettos? In reality, there was reverse discrimination against the whites.


    ¡°There are only two choices for a white trash that never graduated high school. Jail or...¡±


    ¡°Military?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. One-third of the American military is from the ghetto. The reason why they have degree programs in the military is to cultivate more capable officers, but it¡¯s also to make the soldiers feel motivated to study. As you already know, dumb soldiers are needed more in their own forces.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just once or twice that a soldier fired at their own on a crazy battlefield.


    ¡°Jina Davis¡¯ suicide must have been the trigger.¡±


    ¡°There are lots of soldiers who believe the military is loyal to the country, not the government. In particr, special forces even risk their own lives for their fellow soldiers. But since that sacrifice was done in vain, it¡¯s no wonder they¡¯re going nuts. President Davis made a big mistake.¡±


    The American special forces were known for charging in even for the sake of one American citizen. They took pride in that. Even if they lost their lives during the mission, they felt proud to die for the sake of the country. Their officers and men were active in society, and since they took pride in the fact that they led their country to be a leading country, the current American president had put himself in danger by harming that pride.


    Many cases of terrorist attacks were actually led by anti-government activists and anarchists. If for some reason the military got involved with terrorists as well, that would be political suicide for the Davis administration.


    ¡°That¡¯s why New York has been alert since Fashion Week.¡±


    ¡°Are they expecting a terrorist attack?¡±


    ¡°They believe there¡¯s a new leader in Moscow behind the terror attacks in Europe.¡±


    ¡°Vitali.¡±


    ¡°No one thought an ambassador would take over the Kremlin. The CIA was surprised too.¡±


    ¡°They all probably think he¡¯s a foolish bear... but he¡¯s actually a scary guy.¡±


    KGB¡ªa group that suddenly disappeared in history¡ªwas a powerful intelligence agency more than anyone knew. They possessed a scary spy program that was capable of obliterating mankind.


    ¡°Our national securitymittee is deeply sorry to you about Djorkaeff, Soo Ho.¡±


    The Brazilian government ruled Maxim Ivanovich Djorkaeff¡¯s death as suicide, but the States didn¡¯t believe it. That was because the person who saw him the day before he died was Ahn Soo Ho. It was likely that there was some kind of negotiation between the two. What did they talk about? If Maxim was someone else, Ahn Soo Ho would definitely catch Maxim and conduct the interrogation himself.


    ¡°There are people suspecting that you got Vitali¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°It is, but there are quite a few in the national securitymittee that believes it, too.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to find that out from me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I have a request for you, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer your two questions right now. No and no.¡±


    Adam nodded in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stern refusal. It was as if he had already expected to hear that kind of answer.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood even though I turned you down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually happy you¡¯re retired, but don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not saying that because I hate you Soo Ho. You¡¯re an incredible negotiator. I admit it, but the reason why the States is superior is because they respect the system and follow the procedures. That¡¯s one of our country¡¯s values.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unfair... just like a cheat sheet. That¡¯s considered a vition in the eyes of Americans.¡±


    Adam believed that in order to achieve an objective, a personal or societal sacrifice had to be made.


    ¡°Terror is a bad thing. It¡¯s horrible. Just think about what it does to women and children. But in America, whether the terror can be stopped or not, we go through the process of oveing the pain to understand each other Soo Ho. And for over ten years, you eliminated that process. Now we¡¯re experiencing the consequences of it.¡±


    It was possible that Sao Paolo was one of those side effects.


    During that time, there were terror attacks and hostage negotiations that took ce but was not revealed to the media because Ahn Soo Ho secretly took care of it. Even wars were resolved pretty quietly. To those in power in each country, they liked that he could yield any result as long as he was paid well. The problem was that since they were relying on one person, they had no way of knowing if they fooled around in the middle of it.


    The greed that was used to be suppressed had exploded in all four directions as soon as Ahn Soo ho retired, and that was normal. Greed should have always existed. However, the greed of countless monsters was being suppressed when Ahn Soo Ho was around. This was not expected by America¡¯s national securitymittee, who thought they could keep it under control even without an arbitrator.


    J-Law and Issac¡¯s war was just the beginning.


    There were conflicts regarding religion, humanity,merce, and more. The rate of human trafficking increased dramatically. Letting that greed free caused a huge quarrel all over the world. Again, this was how it should¡¯ve been from the very beginning.


    ¡°You¡¯re dragging it out for too long. Make it short, Adam.¡±


    ¡°We got a report that a huge attack is going to take ce in New York within the next 48 hours. This is a national security emergency.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful right now though.¡±


    If it was an emergency, the ports and airports would have been closed down first.


    ¡°This happened during the 911 too. A terror attack was reported, but it wasn¡¯t announced to the public. A bigger problem would have probably urred if it was announced.¡±


    New York was inhabited by over 20 million citizens, not including all the tourists. If a terrorist attack was reported, no one could say what would happen next.


    ¡°Come to think of it. You¡¯re a Republican, aren¡¯t you Adam?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stared at the bald head in front of him.


    Adam Laroche.


    He had the blood of France, but he was just some white trash from Brooklyn. He chose to enter the military instead of going to jail. He was well-suited for it, so he climbed his way up to the FBI. He was ate bloomer.


    ¡°Are you in on it with Fitzgerald?¡±


    Adam wasn¡¯t asking Ahn Soo Ho for help like Italy or France. He wanted to stress it to him that the States would handle their own matters without him.


    ¡°In order to be reborn as a strong America.... we need a strong leader.¡±


    ¡°You expect the president to take the hit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we should just watch the terrorist attack happen. But there¡¯s nothing we can do about coteral damage.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wanted to ask him how that trashy belief was any different than that of terrorists, but this was none of his business. All he could do was to convince himself that he visited New York on a bad day. Adam was beating around the bush to tell him not to get involved.


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and keep doing what you were doing.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had to finish everything and get out of there by the end of the day.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 110 ¨C New York Festival [3] > The end.

 Chapter 112: < Protect – Episode 111 – New York Festival [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 112: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 111 ¨C New York Festival [4] &gt;</h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    After parting ways with Ahn Soo Ho, Han Chae Kyung took her entourage and went to her residence. Kim Na Hee¡ªwho owned properties all over the world¡ªmade a huge effort in acquiring residences in New York, London, Paris, and Mn because those ces were the top 4 fashion destinations of the world. Owning a residence in New York cost a crazy amount of money. However, A house party was a must in order to debut in New York¡¯s society.


    After greeting her American employees, Han Chae Kyung looked for Kim Chang Hee, whom Kim Na Hee put on her. Kim Chang Hee¡¯s name sounded like a man¡¯s, but she was a woman in her early 30s.


    ¡°How much do you know about Uncle, Chief Kim?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about CEO Ahn?¡±


    She was taken aback by Han Chae Kyung calling Ahn Soo Ho her uncle. She had no blood rtion to Ahn Soo Ho. But then again, she had no blood rtion with Kim Na Hee either.


    ¡°The chairwoman relies a lot on CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Do they have a deep rtionship?¡±


    Kim Chang Hee didn¡¯t understand Han Chae Kyung¡¯s question at first and just tilted her head.


    ¡°What you¡¯re presuming won¡¯t happen, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like that, Chief Kim.¡±


    While studying abroad, Han Chae Kyung experienced a dating culture with more freedom. In any country, the upper ss tended to be more conservative. However, when it came to the art world, it was a little more disorderly. Han Chae Kyung liked this at first. She enjoyed the freedom of their society and even participated in protests for protecting animals and nature. She even stripped in the middle of the streets while using art as an excuse.


    But life involving alcohol and drugs should be avoided.


    No matter how much freedom she had, she couldn¡¯t erase the values and habits she learned while growing up in Korea. Dating a pro ser yer in Italy was probably the most extreme thing she did, and the consequences of that remained as a scar that would never be erased.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a directmitment, but I believe there are hidden intentions about my mom¡¯s decision to send me with CEO Ahn.¡±


    In personal settings, Han Chae Kyung called Kim Na Hee her mom and Kim Chang Hee called her the chairwoman.


    ¡°A hidden intentions?¡±


    ¡°Yes, think about it.¡±


    After tilting her head once more, Kim Chang Hee opened her mouth in surprise.


    ¡°Do you understand it now, Chief Kim?¡±


    ¡°But CEO Ahn is already engaged to be married.¡±


    ¡°A goalkeeper doesn¡¯t always block goals from getting in, and it¡¯smon for rtionships between an heir and a celebrity to go wrong.¡±


    There were many actresses and announcers who became wives of heirs, but it was rare for their marriages tost forever.


    ¡°Making a living off your face onlysts for a little while. Most importantly, celebrities tend to be looked down in society as well. After all, people get more conservative as they climb the ranks in our country.¡±


    It was possible for Jang Seol Hyun and Ahn Soo Ho to get married as nned. However, it was obvious that she was in for an intense fight as soon as she debuted in society as an heir¡¯s wife. People might question the consideration of ancestry in the 21st century. However, from what she experienced while following Kim Na Hee around, the women of the upper ss were very cruel.


    ¡®She is a top star, but will she be able to endure it as a mere celebrity?¡¯


    It was a waste of time topare the viciousness of the financial world and the entertainment world. Han Chae Kyung wasn¡¯t sure if Jang Seol Hyun could survive the cruel world of the upper ss after being served all her life as an entertainer.


    Kim Chang Hee showed a strange expression on her face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what the chairwoman¡¯s thinking... would you ept this arranged marriage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung answered in a calm manner.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not saying I fell for him at first sight or anything. I don¡¯t know if I love him either. But if I had to marry him... I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t.¡±


    After being framed for murder, her outlook on dating and marriage changedpletely. She used to prefer freedom more than getting involved in strategic marriages that considered political backgrounds, but not anymore.


    ¡®People are better off dating someone who¡¯s simr to them.¡¯


    Meeting someone with a different background was probably more fun, but they didn¡¯tst long. And for Koreans, it was best for them to marry another Korean. After going through a big ordeal, Han Chae Kyung became more conservative without knowing.


    ¡®Things just got a little moreplicated.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was listening to their conversation from outside the door, wondered if he should go in or not. Was Kim Na Hee really thinking that way? If he didn¡¯t ask her himself, he was never going to know. This didn¡¯t sit well with him, but he pitied her more than feeling disgusted.


    ¡®Something¡¯s wrong here.¡¯


    She seemed okay, but she wasn¡¯t.


    Han Chae Kyung¡¯s heart was ill in some way. In what sounded like a calm voice, it seemed like she lost her emotionspletely. Ahn Soo Ho turned around. If he went in now, things were bound to get awkward. He signaled the employee to keep their mouth shut. He left the residence, then pulled out his phone.


    ¡°Hey, Chae Kyung. This is your uncle. Yeah, I actually have an appointment to go to right now. Sorry about that. Enjoy your lunch, and maybe I¡¯ll see you for dinner. Okay.¡±


    He set out to explore New York for the first time in a while, and not much had changed. There were many people and cars passing by as well. New York, which was filled with people of all races, was often called the capital of the world. However, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t agree with that.


    ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a great America.¡¯


    Americans used the word ¡°great¡± very often when describing people, cities, and countries. The use of that word was especiallymon among politicians. Their speeches usually started and ended with the word ¡°great¡±. But if Ahn Soo Ho had to pick one thing that was actually great about New York, he would have chosen this.


    ¡°One shrimp taco, please.¡±


    In New York, there was nothing one couldn¡¯t eat. He couldn¡¯t acknowledge it as the capital of the world, but he admitted that it was the food capital of the world. There were lots of people, cars, and food there. Another thing that wasmon in New York was their love for the American g 365 days a year. Americans loved their g.


    One of New York¡¯s symbols¡ªTimes Square¡ª was a showroom of people. It was actually fun to just go there and watch people take photos of themselves. People who still dreamt of the American dream. It wasn¡¯t as intense as before, but there were still people all over the world who longed for America.


    Those who still had faith in the States thought Hollywood, pop stars, the Oscars, and the Billboard charts were at the top of the world. Korea¡¯s influence over the broadcasting market of the world was stronger than anyone knew. But without knowing American English, they had no chance at business.


    ¡®Language is power.¡¯


    If the rest of the world tried hard to learn Korean, the Korean media would have cheered in celebration. The two reasons why Americans were superior was because theirnguage was universal and because the US dor was strong. No matter how many financial crises they went through, they would never go under.


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped at Central Park. There were all sorts of peopleying on the grass, doing yoga as a group, taking their kids out for walks, dancing to songs, painting, and putting on creative performances.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it peaceful?¡±


    The person who started talking to Ahn Soo Ho as he watched the people while sitting on a bench was the hairy man that he worked with in Brazil.


    James ck.


    He was often called ¡°ck Fortune¡± and was the superintendent of national defense special operations, or at least he used to be. The harmful effect of bureaucracy was that it never acknowledged the faults of the system. The Davis administration¡¯s biggest mistake was that they punished the soldiers as a way to relieve their own dissatisfaction. It would have been better if they fired a general, but punishing a veteran like James was bound to draw criticism.


    ¡°I heard the news, James. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost way too manyrades. Someone must take responsibility for this.¡±


    Thest rescue operation was messy in many ways. The White House thought that sending the special forces would solve everything, but they weren¡¯t Supermen who were invincible to bullets.


    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go down to the countryside and continue our family business.¡±


    ¡°Family business?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Our family¡¯s in farming.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it.¡±


    ck Fortune? Farming? It made more sense for a lion to eat grass.


    ¡°Did you meet Deputy Director Laroche, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He told me not to get involved. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Why should I care? I¡¯m unemployed. I¡¯m just wondering if I can help if something does happen. I was too far away during the 911 so I was only able to watch it happen. I want to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we can stop it.¡±


    ¡°No, we might be able to, but there will be coteral damage.¡±


    It was impossible to not get hurt while fighting enemies that were ready to die. Did that mean that New York would evacuate? The ipetent American president and the New York Mayor were incapable of doing such a thing. And James, who loved Americans more than anyone, didn¡¯t think to let the media know. He knew better than anyone about what could happen once terror information got leaked out into the public.


    Liberal democracy without governmental authority didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Since things turned out like this, let¡¯s do this together, James.¡±


    ¡°I thought he told you to stay out of it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up from the bench and smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in forcefully getting involved. But if a problemes my way, I have no intention of dodging it either.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Jamesughed loudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Soo Ho I know.¡±


    People thought Mr. Guardian was a great resolver who resolved international disputes, but he perceived Ahn Soo Ho as a troublemaker who mocked the world.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I need to meet Hashim Nagir.¡±


    ¡°Hashim? The prince of Saudi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Looks like you¡¯ve lost your touch ever since you became unemployed, James.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird that the prince of Saudi isn¡¯t leaving New York ahead of a terrorist attack?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What about during the 911?¡±


    ¡°Hm. You¡¯re right.¡±


    James understood. The day before the twin tower toppled over, Wall Street was in chaos. That was because the Middle East capital was pulled out immediately. That was one of the evidence. There was no way the prince of Saudi wouldn¡¯t know about a terrorist attack.


    When something big happened, it was rare for it to be truly sudden. Most of those in power had an idea of what was going to happen beforehand. The only ones who became victims with no idea were the average citizens.


    ¡°If those Arabs have a brain, they won¡¯t pull out all their money this time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The important people of their country could be avoiding suspicion regarding the target of the terror attack.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t an absurd n. But James was surprised because of something else.


    ¡°Target? Do you know the target of the terrorist attack, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing rted to Hashim.¡±


    Advertising an advertisement was a predictable situation and a predictable n.


    ¡°New York Festival.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 111 ¨C New York Festival [4] > The end.

 Chapter 113: < Protect – Episode 112 – New York Festival [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 113: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 112 ¨C New York Festival [5] &gt;</h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    Hashim Nagir didn¡¯t run away or even try to hide.


    The New York advertising festival, which was being held one month before they normally opened in previous years, was introduced through multiple exhibition centers and art halls around New York. New York loved art, especially modern art, ssic, advertising art, and Broadway musicals. Writing and drawing were different modes of expression, but whether they used tools or just their bodies, art was art.


    What¡¯s art anyway?


    If someone asked Ahn Soo Ho that question, he would have said this.


    ¡°Art is being hungry.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that an immature answer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What¡¯s the point of disying Picasso¡¯s 30 million dor painting? You must as well spend that money on food. I agree that art has a way of diversifying human civilization. But what¡¯s the use of that to people who are starving to death? If you talk about art in front of them, you might get killed.¡±


    Advertising copies which were like a sex symbol to conservative artists who thought there were different sses of art were an embarrassment. In that sense, New York¡¯s Museum of Art put on unconventional exhibits every year. Today¡¯s topic was the question of if there¡¯s a difference between alcohol, cigarettes, sex, and drugs.


    Was it a matter of using and misusing? Or did it have something to do with progressivism and conservatism? Themon trait was that they all draw a lot of interest among all nationalities and genders. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.


    ¡°But then again, I¡¯ve heard of one crazy artist who stayed up for 120 hours just to gain artistic inspiration.¡±


    ¡°So what happened? Did they make a masterpiece?¡±


    ¡°No, they died. They probably took stimnts to stay awake. Come to think of it, there¡¯s no difference between famous artists and mad people. Gogh even cut off his own ear. They weren¡¯t as crazy as Gogh, but Rene and Dali weren¡¯t normal either.¡±


    Surrealism was a type of art that was trending at one point and something that normal people couldn¡¯t understand. What was art anyway? If someone asked Hashim Nagir this question, he would have said this.


    ¡°Art is for the public.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The public doesn¡¯t own the art, but it¡¯s not likemoners can use the Sotherby¡¯s.¡±


    The worth of an art work was determined by mankind, but the person who won the bidding for that art was the one who actually owned it. Ahn Soo Ho and Hashim met at a museum in New York. He must have been expecting him because he wasn¡¯t very surprised.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No. Why? Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Hashim shook his head violently at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°What about Jenkins?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to need to learn a lesson.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not some psychopath that goes around killing everyone, okay?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    A man the size of a bear came out from the corner. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t a small man, but the guy who just came out was over 2 meters tall. Even Do Kyung Ho was smallpared to him.


    ¡°Peter.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! Haha! Nice to see you!¡±


    With added excitement, his voice couldn¡¯t help but get louder. Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows at Peter, who didn¡¯t follow basic etiquette of being in public ces.


    Peter Jenkins.


    He was L¡¯s uncle, the king of Rosa, and a refreshing man. Many people perceived his ¡°my-way¡± behavior as cool and confident. However, he just looked like a scared dog to Ahn Soo Ho. Peter was so crazy about his niece that there were even stories about how he tracked down every single person who left meanments on her Twitter and fought them all.


    ¡°How¡¯s L?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve put your men on her. You should know better than me.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Heughed off at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s criticism. It was true though. Half of L¡¯s staff were brought in by him.


    ¡°I just want her to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Happiness is something she should find herself.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s still young and na?ve, so I should help her as her uncle.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re from Argentina?¡±


    Peter could have been a Korean disguised as a white guy. No matter how much Latinos valued family, it was rare to see someone¡¯s uncle meddling in their niece¡¯s married life.


    ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. You need a serious beating.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, Hashim, and Peter left Manhattan and went to a boxing center in the Bronx. If one had to pick one sport that North America was crazy about it, it was definitely ser. But what would the next one be? In contrast to Brazil who was crazy about ser. Argentina had a lot of interest in boxing.


    Peter invested as much money in American boxing as he did in Argentina since he visited the States often. The boxing gym that the three of them visited was one that he financially supported. The director weed him but tilted his head when Peter asked to borrow the ring. Peter wasn¡¯t just an ordinary sponsor. He was a boxing mania who was good enough to be an amateur athlete of his own.


    After all, he was over 2 meters tall with a strong punch.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Peter had put on all his protective equipment. Ahn Soo Ho, on the other hand just put on a glove and went in. Shouldn¡¯t it be the opposite? The director agreed to be the referee. As soon as the director felt that Peter was nervous, he tilted his head once more.


    ¡®He¡¯s not from the Philippines... Is he from Japan?¡±


    The Philippines and Japan were famous for Asian boxing. As soon as they were told to begin, Peter stepped back. In contrast to Peter who had his guard up, Ahn Soo Ho slowly approached his opponent. He approached Peter as if he was just taking a walk in the park.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Peter, who threw the first punch, wobbled after his fist bounced back. He got hit by his own punch.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Short exmations could be heard from here and there. This wasn¡¯t possible without an amazing vision and great reflexes. Since the gym was filled with athletes, those who were watching were amazed. After that, it was simply Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stage. He threw a punch that his opponent couldn¡¯t possibly handle.


    Despite wearing a mouthpiece, a scream came out from in between his teeth. Peter wanted to surrender, but his pride wouldn¡¯t let him. He then saw stars in front of his eyes and then passed out.


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡±


    It all happened so fast that the referee didn¡¯t even have a chance to stop him. Ahn Soo Ho was instructed to go back to the corner. He just nkly stared at Peter who fainted on the canvass. People might think he was just being a baby with his big size, but if Ahn Soo Ho wanted to kill someone, he was capable of doing so with just one finger.


    As soon as their friend and sponsor lost the match, they all red at Ahn Soo Ho. But Ahn Soo Ho just smirked.


    ¡®Is this some kind of a teenage boy¡¯s cartoon or something?¡¯


    However, Ahn Soo Ho provoked them even further. He shook his hand that had a glove on it.


    ¡°Come on, baby.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho heard some cursing that started and ended with ¡°f*ck¡±. The director tried to calm the people down, but a ck man suddenly entered the ring and was ready to fight Ahn Soo Ho.


    Pow-


    Just one blow.


    That was how it ended. He K.Oed the ck man after just one punch. That was only the beginning. Boxing came with strict rules, but since this wasn¡¯t an official match, they had a little more freedom. Each one came in one by one, and whether it was one punch or two, none of themsted past the first round.


    ¡°Do you want to die or something?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s punch had no mercy.


    The gym only regained its peace once all the amateurs got punched to the ground. Pros were pros because they didn¡¯t let their emotions control them. The director begged him to debut at his gym. He was charmed by his strong fist, but he wasn¡¯t sure if there was enough reason for him to fly all the way to the States to box.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby.¡±


    That was what Ahn Soo Ho said to Peter, who woke up with a groan.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alive now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Peter¡¯s face was all swollen. He was never good-looking, to begin with anyway. It didn¡¯t really matter. Ahn Soo Ho thought that he actually looked better now. Hashim hadn¡¯t said anything since earlier because he was afraid he would be called to the ring, too.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch.


    It was 6 o¡¯clock in the states. The sun had set earlier than he expected. The three of them returned to Manhattan. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t consider Hashim and Peter as his friends. He had no interest in having friends who were all about partying and had perverted natures.


    ¡°I¡¯ll end it here this time, but I won¡¯t let you off easily next time.¡±


    The oue was somewhat lukewarm. Hashim must have felt less tense now because he finally spoke up.


    ¡°Is this really how we¡¯re ending it?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want me to really kill you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about things like that!¡±


    Hashim sprung up.


    If anyone else had said this, he would have taken care of him however he could, but Ahn Soo Ho was someone that even he was afraid of. He should have ignored Peter¡¯s request from the very beginning. Looking back on it, it was just out of his obsession over L. Since Ahn Soo Ho took care of the Jang Seol Hyun matter, he was suddenly curious about something.


    ¡°Is this New York terrorist attack rted to Saudi in any way?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    Hashim flinched but answered calmly.


    ¡°You already know that there¡¯s going to be a big attack on New York.¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    In response, Hashim and Peter looked at each other.


    ¡°This one has nothing to do with us. This was actually started by the Yankees. It¡¯s a disgusting seed that they nted.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting seed?¡±


    ¡°You can think of it as an extension of the Sao Paolo scandal.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and then mmed his fist into his other hand.


    ¡°Ultra?¡±


    Djorkaeff insisted that many countries and organizations bought the brainwashing soldiers program.


    ¡°Dumb bastards think those monsters can be controlled, but what controls a monster is a bigger and stronger monster.¡±


    ¡°So when did it start?¡±


    ¡°Did you receive a request?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho denied it.


    Hashim and Peter looked at their watches. It was getting close to 7 o¡¯clock. New York was already dark, and the beautiful view of the city that never sleeps was like a whole different world.


    ¡°When is it going to start?¡±


    Hashim showed a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As the lights went out, the bulbs exploded. The fancy neon sign lost its light. The ckout washed out the entire city like a wave. Some cars had crashed into each other as soon as the streetlights went out. After that, a siren could be heard.


    Wee-woo! Honk! Honk!


    New York was swallowed up by darkness.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 112 ¨C New York Festival [5] > The end.

 Chapter 114: < Protect – Episode 113 – Code Name Wizard [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 114: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 113 ¨C Code Name Wizard [1] &gt;</h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    Jang Il Ho, who transformed into a blogger and YouTuber, really hit it big after L¡¯s kidnapping incident in Monaco. He actually started the whole thing as a joke. He simply went to go on vacation and go to ces that Ahn Soo Ho had been to in order to copy Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lifestyle, but he ended up gaining many viewers as a result of it.


    Jang Il Ho¡¯s sess led to many copycats.


    There were bloggers like Jang Il Ho who went to ces that Ahn Soo Ho went to. There were many tourist destinations that wanted Ahn Soo Ho to visit as well. All they did was put Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name on something unrted to him. Koreans would surely watch it once they saw his name though.


    When an article said Ahn Soo Ho was visiting New York, travel bloggers, professional bloggers, as well as average travelers who were in New York had put Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name on their content. They just did it for fun, but they would have hit it big if they really did run into Ahn Soo Ho on the streets of New York and got a picture with him.


    When Koreans went to the States, they either went to LA or New York. There were definitely Koreans who visited other cities. However, LA and New York were the ces that Koreans often visit first if it was their first time visiting the states. How many Koreans visit America every year? With business and student trips aside, there were hundreds of thousands of Koreans who visited the states every year. Most people didn¡¯t believe that number, but it was true.


    Twin college students, So Jung and So Mi worked part-time for a year in order to save up for a trip to America. Their mom didn¡¯t allow them because they were two young girls, but their father backed them up. They spent quite a long time at customs, but they finally arrived at the Big Apple with loads of excitement.


    After experiencing it themselves, they realized Seoul was morefortable than New York. They were bothered the most by the washroom culture, and the tipping culture made their heads hurt. The streets were noisy, and they got ripped off just as much as tourists did in Korea. New York turned out to be below their expectations, so they felt disappointed. What seemed like a cool ce turned into something that was just so-so.


    They didn¡¯t feel that much inspiration from Times Square, which their superiors rmended. They preferred the Lotte World. They were at least satisfied with the decent pictures they took. After all, traveling was all about eating and taking pictures. When the two sisters arrived at a caf¨¦ for a short break, they were very surprised.


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡±


    They were confused at first.


    ¡°That¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wait... Yeah, he is.¡±


    After they searched up the inte, they confirmed that it really was Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°But who¡¯s with him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Are they famous?¡±


    The other person definitely looked like an Arab, but they weren¡¯t sure about the rest. It wasn¡¯t just the two sisters who recognized Ahn Soo Ho. They only realized just now how many Koreans there were in the States once they arrived themselves.


    ¡®Chinese or Korean. If not, Japanese?¡¯


    They actually wanted toe during the Fashion Week. However, they would have had to skip sses if they did because it wasn¡¯t their vacation yet. It still wasn¡¯t their vacation now, but they still managed to go on a trip since it was a holiday in Korea. Once they became college students, they were strangely more busy during their vacations than their school semesters.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a picture.¡±


    They turned their backs on him and pretended to take a selfie while also including Ahn Soo Ho in the background. The responses came flooding in as soon as they uploaded it on Twitter and Facebook.


    We spotted CEO Ahn Soo Ho in Times Square! #JungSisters #AhnSooHoNewYork #TimesSquare


    No way! How did you find him! It¡¯s like Find Wally!


    Why is there an Arab? Didn¡¯t he go to New York for an advertising festival?


    Ha! That¡¯s Prince Hashim!


    Prince? Does he have oil money?


    That¡¯s Hashim Nagir or whatever his name is! He¡¯s that Saudi prince who¡¯s famous for partying! I heard he has a yacht worth 100 million dors!


    Both his wives are more beautiful than the Miss Universe!


    Is he richer than Mansour?


    They were probably the same in terms of wealth. I heard he ranked lower than Mansour, but he has more money!


    As soon as the spotlight went back on Ahn Soo Ho, photos that were previously hidden spread all over the inte. Ahn Soo Ho getting off his private jet at JFK International Airport. Ahn Soo Ho admiring art at a New York museum, and Ahn Soo Ho talking to someone on his private jet.


    The focus of the photos was Ahn Soo Ho, but what thements talked about was the people he was photographed with. Netizens not only found out who the Saudi prince was, but they also dug up the identity of the other man who had a swollen face.


    That¡¯s Peter Jenkins! Right? #FightClub #LBadComments #FightIncident


    Oh! The Rosa family!


    Family? Are they some kind of a drug cult?


    No! They¡¯re like the Jackson 5!


    Isn¡¯t L¡¯s mom Miss Argentina? Don¡¯t you know? Peter Jenkin¡¯s is L¡¯s uncle!


    Then why is he known as the fighting king?


    Because he chased down all the bastards that wrote badments about L and beat them up! I think he even went to jail for it!


    He didn¡¯t go to jail! He was released!


    What an interesting little bastard! Wow! But look at him! The ones that got beat up must have peed their pants!


    Peter Jenkins¡¯ dark past became exposed all over Korea. However, the Koreanizens mostly just cared about the beautiful Korean woman that was photographed talking to Ahn Soo Ho on the ne.


    I know who that is! That¡¯s my former high school ssmate, Han Chae Kyung! #ss31 #DaesanFamily #RosetteGroup


    Aren¡¯t you fed up by your ssmates?


    That really is Han Chae Kyung! I heard she was studying abroad in Italy! When did shee back to Korea?


    Who¡¯s Han Chae Kyung?


    Don¡¯t you know Rosette Brand New Group? The little sister of the Daesan Group¡¯s chairman is the CEO. Kim Na Hee.


    Okay, but who¡¯s Han Chae Kyung?


    She¡¯s the heir of thatpany.


    But herst name is Han, not Kim.


    No one knows the details behind it! No one!


    So Jung and So Mi looked at all thements flooding in until the phone froze up. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that confused them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A ckout swept New York. Times Square lost all of its bright neon lights. Everyone froze as soon as darkness took over. shlights lit up from here and there. There was a lot of mumbling, but no screaming. That was until a car crash happened.


    Screech! Bang!


    Many people fell over as soon as a car crashed into the sidewalk after it blew its tire and ran into a fire hydrant. That was just the beginning though. The music all over the city was reced by sounds of gunshots. It only took a few seconds for New York to be a battlefield.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Desperate screams filled the night sky.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t surprised by the ckout that urred simultaneously with what Hashim said. The ones causing a fuss were the security guards.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move! We¡¯ll escort you out!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. Just stay where you are.¡±


    Hashim and Peter calmed their guards down. Ahn Soo Ho put down his cup and asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Hashim shrugged his shoulders when more gunshots were fired.


    ¡°No matter how well the Yankees do with this gun control policy of theirs, the fact that guns are all over the ce makes things very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°The American police are skilled. Even if the streets turn into a battlefield, it won¡¯tst more than a day.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of people will die within that time.¡±


    ¡°Indiscriminate attacks will only feed the States¡¯ rage.¡±


    They didn¡¯t know how well they were trained or how many soldiers were dispatched, but the FBI and the special forces weren¡¯t going tost long. If they wanted to reenact the copse of the twin tower which caused 3000 people to die, they needed a clear objective.


    ¡®Or?¡¯


    They could get rid of countless famous people.


    The impact of 100 famous people dyingpared to 3000 civilians dying was different. He didn¡¯t understand why they passed up the opportunity of doing this in New York¡¯s Fashion Week.


    ¡®That¡¯s not true.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho just realized that they didn¡¯t pass up on the opportunity.


    ¡°Who rescheduled the advertising festival to be earlier?¡±


    ¡°Svenson.¡±


    ¡°Mossad?¡±


    For quite some time, there were rumors going around saying Israel was responsible for 9/11. It was suspected that Israel was trying to make themselves stronger using the States.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    James ck approached and handed him a big phone.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Michael was attacked.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Who got attacked? What did that mean? Ahn Soo Ho immediately got up.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone, Boss. Michael... is dead.¡±


    Life was unpredictable indeed.


    As soon as the city went dark, their true colors came out. There was no freedom or democracy if there was no governmental authority. Since the States knew that all too well, they couldn¡¯t afford to lose the people¡¯s trust in the police. There were many police officers who were under qualified. But the City Hall, State Government, and the Federal Government couldn¡¯t withdraw their support behind the investigative authority.


    ¡®If governmental authority loses their confidence, everything else will copse.¡¯


    If the people no longer trusted the police, a civil war would break out. The one rule of the States¡¯ leaders was for national security to put the people¡¯s freedom first. They couldn¡¯t give up on even one American, but depending on the situation, there was the possibility of withdrawal.


    Many people were busy looking for a ce to hide when the gunshots could already be heard from everywhere. The people who lived nearby rushed into their houses, and the tourists rushed to their hotels and motels. The residence that Kim Na Hee had bought was located in the Upper East Side, and it was considered quite safe.


    On top of that, there were American guards as well as Korean entourage there, so safety wasn¡¯t a concern. Han Chae Kyung brought a lot of people in contrast to Ahn Soo Ho who only brought three. Michael, Ricky, and Samuel were the ones with the most experience in the States out of Logan and his underlings.


    The surrounding area was filled with chaos when Ahn Soo Ho got there. There were fires emitting smoke, and loud sirens ringing. Seeing how there was an emergency vehicle destroyed on the streets, there must have been a riot. He saw a pair of feet below a white fabric when he went up to the yard.


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Since Michael was already dead, the next one in charge was Ricky. His face was hardened.


    ¡°It was a boy who was about 10 years old. The boy pulled the trigger when Michael turned around.¡±


    ¡°What about the boy?¡±


    ¡°He ran away.¡±


    ¡°And you let that happen?¡±


    ¡°He disappeared... Ugh!¡±


    Ricky screamed and rolled on the ground. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Samuel.


    ¡°What about the CCTV?¡±


    ¡°We got it.¡±


    ¡°Report it to the police.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I said, report it to the police.¡±


    ¡°But... Yes, Sir.¡±


    Samuel was about to protest, but he immediately changed his mind when he saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gaze.


    ¡®What is this? A coincidence? Fate? Or a joke by God?¡¯


    Michael managed to get out of the battlefield full of gunshots, but he ended up dying to a gunshot in the end. He was overwhelmed with an unexinable feeling caused by Michael¡¯s bad luck. Heughed, felt sad, and felt angry at the same time. If he had died on the battlefield instead, he would have at least received praise. However, he ended up getting shot in the back in the rich neighborhood of New York.


    He died in a way that was not fitting of a veteran.


    ¡°Someone exin this to me. Who let the boy inside anyway?¡±


    ¡°Let me exin.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t see a single thing when the ckout swept the city and gunshots started to go off. Then a mob showed up. They broke all the cars and lit the houses on fire.


    ¡°Michael was being kind to the little boy.¡±


    ¡°Doing things you usually don¡¯t do get you killed. If this was Iraq, he would have just shot him. That¡¯s what he should have done this time, too.¡±


    ¡°Boss! That¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this already? You¡¯re all just average people! If you get shot by a gun, you¡¯ll be nothing but dead trash!¡±


    So he always stressed to them that they had to keep their guard up when he wasn¡¯t around. On top of that, this country didn¡¯t restrict guns. After scolding Ricky and Samuel, Ahn Soo Ho parted with Michael¡¯s body underneath the white cloth then left. He was met with Hashim and Peter when he got out. Both of them also had very stiff faces.


    ¡°Michael Lee Devon.¡±


    A punk who was supposed to be raising cows in the countryside ended up dying in a house of the Upper East Side.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t called me here, he wouldn¡¯t have died.¡±


    As Ahn Soo Ho kept talking, their faces turned paler.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll do anything to you since I already made a promise.¡±


    ¡°Th... thank you, Soo Ho!¡±


    He gave them one more chance, but he wasn¡¯t going to give them another.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? He retired and there was supposed to be no reason for him to face a bullet ever again... If there really is a God, he must be an asshole.¡±


    How did Ahn Soo Ho have the courage to diss God in front of a Muslim and a Catholic? Ahn Soo Ho was willing to believe in Jesus if Michael came back to life, but that didn¡¯t mean a miracle was going to happen.


    In the end, the ones who had to take responsibility were the ones who were still alive.


    ¡°If there wasn¡¯t a ckout, Michael wouldn¡¯t have died. And if people hadn¡¯t started a riot because of the ckout, he would still be alive. In the end... if that boy didn¡¯t have a gun... No, if that boy didn¡¯t exist, that would have been nice.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to exin this to Logan and his underlings. He couldn¡¯t tell them that his kindness was repaid with a bullet. This was a death in vain. It was a story that wasn¡¯t even good enough to be aedy or a tragedy.


    He saw James approaching him.


    ¡°Did you deliver the message?¡±


    ¡°He went nuts. He said he can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho went through James to tell Director Adam Laroche of the FBI that he was going to get involved.


    ¡°Tell him to try to stop me if he can.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was going to consider anyone who got in his way as his enemy whether they were the FBI or the New York police.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find the one who caused the ckout, the one that started the riot, the little boy, and the person who sold the little boy the gun, once and for all.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho would knock down the rebuilt twin tower if that was what it took to find them all.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 113 ¨C Code Name Wizard [1] > The end.

 Chapter 115: < Protect – Episode 114 – Code Name Wizard [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 115: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 114 ¨C Code Name Wizard [2] &gt;</h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    Michael¡¯s death was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s responsibility.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what to say to his family.¡¯


    Michael¡¯s parents and siblings still lived in Arkansas. Among the mercenaries Ahn Soo Ho brought around, Logan was the only one that gained his reputation in a normal way. The rest were allcking in one way or another. Mercenaries were individualists. But one day after theypleted a mission and looked up at the moon, they all talked about their own uninteresting lives.


    It was like apetition of who lived a harder life. But then again, if they lived normal lives they wouldn¡¯t have been mercenaries, to begin with. Every person had their own story. Then what was Michael Lee Devon¡¯s story? Before his ancestors moved to Louisiana, they were people from France. After that, they settled down in Arkensaw and started farming.


    The reason why Michael decided to hold a gun wasrgely because of the 911 terror attack. When he entered the Marines, he was outstanding in terms of physique, but he was deemed unfit mentally. In military society, getting worked up over a little bit of blood was fatal. When Michael failed to enter the Marines, he entered a private militarypany.


    ¡°When I first met Michael... he seemed nice. He was so nice, I wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever hold a gun. But once he went in there, he changedpletely.¡±


    ¡°Like the Hulk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like the Hulk. Just like crazy Dr. Banner, he became brave as soon as he saw real blood. The problem was...¡±


    ¡°He was too brave for his own good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    No one wanted to trust their own backs with a crazy person. Michael was fired from PMC. And it was 2008 during the Sudan war when he met Ahn Soo Ho. South Sudan had be independent now, but back then, Arabian militia swept the entire nation.


    ¡°I was wondering if a white man came to the battlefield to die, but he turned out to be a war mercenary hired by South Sudan.¡±


    Not even the States who had the best police force want to get involved in African civil wars. Same went for private militarypanies. Mercenaries liked money, but none of them liked to go where they were guaranteed to die. That was how dark the Sudan civil war was. The reason for the severity of African wars was because of the country¡¯s harsh natural conditions, but child soldiers were another major reason.


    ¡°Michael was a crazy little bastard, but he didn¡¯t do it to shoot little kids.¡±


    ¡°No one wants to shoot kids.¡±


    ¡°No, some people are crazy enough to do that.¡±


    There was no such thing as a clean and mannerly war.


    All wars were messy. Brutal things happened, especially in hidden ces. Compared to the African civil war, the Vietnam war, which was considered one of the worst war caused by the States, was nothing. Because of the war correspondents who were trying to expose the truth, the American military controlled themselves, and in Africa where there were no reporters to be found, people couldn¡¯t say a word of protest even when they were being ughtered like livestock.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Michael yed well with kids despite not looking like the type.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he also donated to UNICEF every year.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Did he die to a kid because he loved them so much? While Ahn Soo Ho thought about Michael and tried tofort himself, James came back.


    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, but we received a definite answer for a special agent, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°The president¡¯s special advisor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the highest rank that can be made out of the blue. But we have priority.¡±


    ¡°By we... do you mean to say you¡¯ve returned?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re switching needles, shouldn¡¯t the thread follow it? Haha.¡±


    Jamesughed loudly.


    ¡°Stand by.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    He saluted as a joke. James ck was a patriot, but seeing how he was being silly while New York was being attacked, he wasn¡¯t a normal man either. Once Ahn Soo Ho got in the main building, he looked for Han Chae Kyung, and Kim Chang Hee followed him with a set menu.


    ¡°Did I startle you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing.¡±


    No matter the reason, Michael stayed behind to protect Han Chae Kyung.


    ¡°That was his fate. What can we do? There are no warnings in life. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung remembered getting dragged away by the police as a murder suspect. She was more surprised than feeling wronged. She got to experience first hand what it felt like to be so angry that she felt calm. Ahn Soo Ho took a good look at her. Normal women would have been crying like crazy, but she acted like it was just an average day.


    She definitely had a problem with emotional expression.


    ¡°I want to send you back to Korea, but I can¡¯t do it immediately. Did you contact your family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Sam helped me call.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    The New York terrorist attack was probably being live broadcasted all over the world. Since another horrible incident took ce in New York after the 911 attack, everyone except those in America were probably jumping in their seats. Ahn Soo Ho also called his family, girlfriend, and friends to tell them that he was okay. At the same time, he told Logan and his underlings about Michael.


    Han Chae Kyung hesitated and then started talking.


    ¡°I have a proposal for you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can we make this house a shelter?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows. Not because he didn¡¯t like the idea, but because he contemted how to handle the security. He knew he couldn¡¯t talk her out of it, and it was up to the owner of the house whether she wanted the house to be a shelter or not.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ufortable though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Everyone¡¯s having a hard time right now.¡±


    He was proud of her, but she probably wasn¡¯t doing it out of pure intention either. If they made their house into a shelter, rumors were bound to spread not only about Han Chae Kyung but about Kim Na Hee too.


    ¡°Okay, then. Oh yeah. Are you only going to ept Korean people?¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. We¡¯ll ept whoeveres. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about the supplies. There¡¯s lots of food that¡¯s been stocked up for parties.¡±


    She was the kind of woman who knew how to handle her own work. Ahn Soo Ho nodded and then went outside. He saw Ricky and Samuel.


    ¡°You know, right? Don¡¯t fail this time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever it takes to find that kid, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll trust you with it then.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his hands and then left the house. As soon as he got onto the helicopter, James ck handed him a headset.


    ¡°Some of themunicationworks have been restored.¡±


    ¡°What about electricity?¡±


    ¡°Just some of it.¡±


    The areas that the terrorists targeted were lower Manhattan and midtown Manhattan. In the end, the entire city was affected, but the center areas of Manhattan were a lot more concentrated. The biggest difficulty of street battles was finding the enemy. If they did the best they could at hiding, they had no choice but initiate arge-scale siege attack.


    ¡°Apparently, New York¡¯s police went in but all got killed. Their firepower is like...¡±


    ¡°The military?¡±


    ¡°How could they bring military equipment to the streets of New York? They not only have automatic weapons, but they have stinger missiles, too. The ATFs don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°Stingers, too? How did they get their hands on missiles as well?¡±


    ¡°They might have gotten them from the ck Market. But the way I see it, they probably took them from the discarded pile.¡±


    There were expiry dates to weapons, so the American military discardedrge amounts of weapons. People might wonder why they throw them all away, but if they hadn¡¯t, it would have affected the production numbers. The biggest buyer of weapons was definitely the American forces.


    ¡°I have a friend at DOD Inspection, and apparently, there¡¯s been a lot of weapons going missing at the disposal site.¡±


    ¡°I bet the hearing had something to do with that.¡±


    ¡°A lot of necks are on the line because of this.¡±


    As soon as the helicopter took off, they were able to see New York on fire. The situation got worse as the night drew on. And it wasn¡¯t just the terrorists that caused a fuss in New York.


    ¡°Apparently, President Davis just proimed martialw.¡±


    The time hade.


    ¡°The national guard will be dispatched first.¡±


    ¡°What about Homnd Security?¡±


    ¡°The national security aide doesn¡¯t trust the rtionship between organizations. They think of NSA and CIA as their enemies. That just makes it difficult for NIS who¡¯s stuck in the middle.¡±


    The conflict between America¡¯s intelligence agency and the other investigation organizations weren¡¯t going to change for 100s and 1000s of years unless the country went under.


    ¡°There are three areas that are suspected to be hosting our enemies. They dispatched the most police on Wall Street, so it¡¯s stable there, and there was an explosion at the UN office, but it hasn¡¯t been upied. Lastly... Macy¡¯s is left.¡±


    ¡°The department store?¡±


    The northeast corridor that connected the major cities of the East Coast was one of the busiest railways, so it was naturally very popted as well. And Macy¡¯s was a department store that was located right in front of it.


    ¡°A street battle is taking ce at Macy¡¯s and Pennsylvania Station. But there¡¯s an even bigger problem.¡±


    James pulled out aptop that was very thick. There were men wearing Jihad warrior uniforms and talking about something.


    ¡°They¡¯re not just any old hostages. They¡¯re famous people who were invited from various countries.¡±


    ¡°Why were they at a department store? Did theye to shop as a group?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, Macy¡¯s and Victoria¡¯s Secret spend quite a bit of money this time.¡±


    ¡°That happens during Christmas time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how did you know that? You¡¯re right. But they pulled it back around the time when the advertising festival was happening.¡±


    Of course, he knew. There were actually many mercenaries who were obsessed with lingerie fashion shows.


    ¡°So it was intentional.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to investigate everything that seems suspicious even though it¡¯s not my job.¡±


    The fact that those famous people weren¡¯t brought to shelters despite knowing that a big attack in New York was going to happen proved that those famous people didn¡¯t have much power despite being well-known to the public. In other words, they were cheap. But no matter how cheap they were, they were still famous people, and their deaths were going to be as impactful as a Tsunami.


    The helicopter dropped Ahn Soo Ho off at Times Square. At central park was a shelter made for those who managed to escape the endangered areas, and the inside of the building that stopped James¡¯ steps was no different from a battlefield despite it being quiet. As soon as he was about to get grabbed by the throat, he pulled out his gun and shot it.


    Bang, bang-


    Those around him either crouched over or put up their guns as well. He didn¡¯t care and just put his gun back on his belt. James looked at the people around him and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know who I am!¡±


    Special operations that required the military couldn¡¯t leave out James ck.


    ¡°Homnd Security? NSA? DEA? DIA? NYPD? Lastly, that damned FBI and CIA!¡±


    James called out each organization and then stuck up his middle finger at those from the CIA and FBI. Despite it being a serious situation, some peopleughed.


    ¡°Old men will probably join us soon but until then, I¡¯m in charge here! So please!¡±


    Since martialw was put forward, many men were going to be dispatched soon. But for now, James ck was the one in charge.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡±


    He once again stuck up his middle finger at those from the FBI and CIA. As soon as it became quiet, James was satisfied. At that very moment, a report came in.


    ¡°There¡¯s a signal!¡±


    It was footage from someone¡¯s body cam.


    ¡°As a former government official, I¡¯ll warn you! Please listen carefully!¡±


    James ck liked to stress the word ¡°former¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯re capable of resolving our own problems. However, it¡¯s highly likely that you were called to the Senate hearing or was fired. Why, you ask? Because that¡¯s our system. What can you do?¡±


    He looked at Adam Laroche¡¯s frowning face and continued.


    ¡°So if a problem arises that you don¡¯t think you can solve, please look for that person who¡¯s filming that footage. Then your problems will be solved. I guarantee that. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just one or two necks that are on the line. Am I right?¡±


    The people¡¯s gazes immediately turned to the body cam footage, and someone mumbled.


    ¡°Code name, Wizard.¡±


    That name had been banned in American intelligence agencies.


    ¡°James?¡±


    James put on his headset as soon as he heard Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s voice over the speaker.


    ¡°Hey, friend! We¡¯re all set!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    The body cam footage moved in between buildings. The horrible sight made one person cover their eyes and another shriek. The surrounding areas of Macy¡¯s were as tense as it could ever be. The police, who gave up on entering the department store because of the hostages, put up a wall and confronted the terrorists.


    Ahn Soo Ho then said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 114 ¨C Code Name Wizard [2] > The end.

 Chapter 116: < Protect – Episode 115 – Code Name Wizard [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 116: &lt; Protect ¨C Episode 115 ¨C Code Name Wizard [3] &gt;</h4>


    Trantor: None Editor: ????


    Dakona despised the States.


    He, who was originally from South Africa thought all white people were in it together. Apartheid was gone a long time ago, but the pain caused by racism wasn¡¯t something that could be healed so easily. The world was still ruled by the whites. Thanks to China¡¯s rising and Japan¡¯s recovery, East Asia was evaluated highly, but the world was still dominated and controlled by white people.


    ¡®African problems should be solved by African hands!¡¯


    The slogan that was put forward by Dakoma and the others in the front line of the revolution was quite controversial, but it also received a lot of support. They kidnapped white employees from foreignpanies and demanded ransom money for their lives or totally destroyed their facilities.


    In Africa, they were the kings, but Dakoma wanted an even bigger victory. It wasn¡¯t just the States that couldn¡¯t forget the 911 attack. Paris? London? Berlin? They could always attack, but they didn¡¯t think they could make enough impact. In order to shock the world, they needed a bigger objective, and the Big Apple also known as New York where the UN office was situated was the first love of all of America¡¯s enemies.


    ¡°Wall Street took a big hit, but a lot of them survived, and as for the UN... they couldn¡¯t get out, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The main hall, which was getting ready for broadcast, was full of crying and shrieking of hostages. Dakoma thought it was a good idea that he targeted the department store. The famous people who gathered for the New York Fashion Week still hadn¡¯t left the city. Since it was the weekend, security wasn¡¯t very high in New York either, and even though a few Yankees caught on in thest minute, it didn¡¯t pose many difficulties for Dakoma.


    ¡®Arrogant Yankees.¡¯


    The most powerful nation in the world? The liberal democracy that white people talked about was built on the tears of Africans. And modern history was used however the white people wanted it to be used. However, the media of today and tomorrow would be full of America¡¯s downfall and death.


    ¡°Tell them to start the second n.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Since the sneak attack was over, they had to start gueri warfare and split up their enemies¡¯ attention. Their n was to dispatch small troops of 3 to 4 people and snipe them or perform suicide attacks if need be. They had no intention ofing out alive in the first ce.


    Dakoma looked around at his faithful soldiers.


    There was a substantial amount of items stolen from an American pharmaceuticalpany that was active in Africa 3 years back. He no longer had any reason to doubt the child soldiers¡¯ loyalty. White people were vicious indeed. On the outside, they pretended to provide AIDS treatments, but the truth was they were using poor Africans as their testing subjects.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    Dakoma paused his thoughts in response to his subordinate¡¯s calling.


    He relocated andughed. He couldn¡¯t understand the logic behind Americans who sold a piece of cloth for hundreds and thousands of dors. How did wearing expensive clothes change anything anyway? The base of human civilization should have only been farming. Other industries besides farming were solely for exploitation.


    There were all types of famous people who were invited to Victoria Secret¡¯s fashion show. There were those from Hollywood as well as those who were fashion designers. There were even businessmen, anchors, reporters, famous athletes, as well as politicians there.


    No matter how open-minded the States was, an old politician watching a lingerie fashion show was bound to cause misunderstandings. If a bad photo got out, it could have posed negative influence on their career. It wasn¡¯t umon forpeting politicians to use such tactics to bring their opponents down.


    As soon as someone who appeared to be a terrorist approached the main hall, the New York deputy mayor as well as the rest of the hostages gathered their courage and tried to negotiate. They were fully equipped with weapons and protective gears, but seeing the dark skin of their hands, they were definitely ck people.


    ¡°My name is Tyrone Forgue. As the New York deputy mayor...¡±


    The brave New York deputy mayor couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. That was because he was shot right through his head.


    Bang!


    The deafening noise of the gun was followed by the thud of his body hitting the ground.


    ¡°Who else is stupid enough to step up?¡±


    Dakoma spoke in English that was inarticte but good enough to understand. Once he entered the States, he was forced to remember the little English he had to learn to survive in America when he was just a kid. The hostages quieted down once more at the sight of the New York deputy mayor¡¯s body getting dragged away as if it was an object.


    Dakoma stood in front of the camera.


    ¡°To our fellow Americans. We¡¯re now witnessing a new history within this country. The 911 is nothing but an honor that happened in the past. Today, you¡¯ll all be liberated from that freedom of yours.¡±


    He then turned away from the camera and looked at his trembling hostages. He then pulled out one of them from the group.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The man causing a fuss had a face that was smeared with makeup, so it took a while to recognize who he was.


    Jay Ileus.


    He was famous for his face in Boston¡¯s gaymunity, and he was also the creative director of the advertisingpany¡ªJB Corporation. What Dakoma despised the most was homosexuality. Most Muslims thought of homosexuals as the biggest sinners who needed to have their roots pulled outpletely.


    ¡°You gay?¡±


    ¡®Are you gay?¡¯


    That was a question Jay Ileus got a lot, but he wasn¡¯t able to answer it so easily this time. Considering how confidently he always revealed himself, his hesitation to answer that question was embarrassing to him.


    ¡°You gay?¡±


    Dakoma asked one more time.


    ¡°Ye... yes!¡±


    That was it. He got a bullet to his forehead just like the New York deputy mayor did. And that was just the beginning. The terrorists brought models wearing nothing but underwear in front of the camera. There were some who were trying to protect the women. However, Dakoma shot them in their heads without any mercy.


    The gorgeous women all lined up on their knees was quite the sight. The men who liked these kinds of women would have liked it, but they would have thought twice once they saw the fear in these women¡¯s eyes. Dakoma spun his knife around.


    ¡°Bunch of prostitutes.¡±


    Women had to find themselves a nice husband. The white women with tears in their eyes all looked like nothing but prostitutes in Dakoma¡¯s eyes. He was looking at the models when he saw a woman who wasn¡¯t wearing an underwear but a dress instead. The color of Dakoma¡¯s eyes changed by what he saw.


    ¡°No! No!¡±


    There was a desperate woman among the crowd who appeared to be one of the models¡¯ mother. Dakoma suddenly got an interesting idea.


    ¡°Drag her out.¡±


    They dragged out the middle-aged woman who was begging to be killed.


    ¡°Is that your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is! So please!¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s even better.¡±


    Dakoma approached the younger looking girl and swept her hair aside. She was definitely young. The girl froze up when Dakoma started sniffing her.


    ¡°American smell.¡±


    The nuance of his incorrect English was full of ridicule.


    ¡°I smell a rotting smell on that freedom of yours. How horrible is it that a little girl like this isn¡¯t a virgin either? Don¡¯t you agree, Mother?¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Dakoma looked back at the young girl¡¯s mother as he ripped the poor girl¡¯s dress. Her pale skin was then exposed while wearing nothing but underwear.


    ¡°Prostitutes should strip no matter what.¡±


    Whether they looked young or old, they were all prostitutes to Dakoma. He handed her to a big ck man. The girl who was held down struggled as hard as she could, but there was no use.


    Dakoma looked into the camera.


    ¡°Only Ah is superior!¡±


    The knife was raised high in the air.


    The young girl¡¯s mother was crying like crazy.


    The girl was on the verge of a horrible death.


    ¡°The death of America...¡±


    The knife then fell to the ground. The knife was meant for the girl¡¯s neck, but it simply fell to the ground. The people there were wondering what had happened. It was because the big ck man¡¯s head was shot right through his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho snuck into the department store without anyone realizing it.


    All he had was one gun with a silencer.


    To those who didn¡¯t know what a secret pocket was, this was definitely not enough equipment for the job. But he slowly moved and spied on his enemies. They seemed to be active, but he saw an unnatural movement from somewhere.


    ¡®They¡¯re brainwashed soldiers.¡¯


    But how did they enter the States? After the 911, America¡¯s customs became a lot more strict making it hard for any terrorist toe through.


    ¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t that... an explosive?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took a look at the things attached to the poles in response to what James had said through his earphone.


    ¡°Yeah, it is. This is enough to blow the whole ce down.¡±


    It was fortunate for them because there was no timer on it.


    Bang-


    Ahn Soo Ho broadened his sensor in response to the gunshot. It came from the main hall.


    ¡°Shit! The New York deputy mayor just died! Those damned terrorists are doing a live broadcast!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out the phone that James gave him. They were doing a live broadcast of everything that was happening inside the Macy¡¯s department store. The American government tried to cut off the transmission, but since the server was in a 3rd world country, there was nothing they could immediately do.


    ¡°What about our side?¡±


    ¡°Delta is ready, but we still need time! Ah!¡±


    Another gunshot went off while Ahn Soo Ho was talking to James.


    ¡°Another person was executed! What do we do, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, James. Calm down.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho calmed James down while he was going down the stairs and killing each terrorist one by one. The highlight was using the wireless channel to report the situation between terrorists. He used their voice and nuance and gave the signal. Those who were watching through Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s body cam probably got chills.


    He only had the main hall left.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The high-pitched scream got Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s attention.


    He saw a terrorist ripping someone¡¯s clothes off. He scanned the area. There were around 200 hostages. Among those, the famous ones in front of the camera were around 50, and the rest were just normal people and employees who failed to escape in time. Seeing how they pulled out the underwear models to stand up front, they must have been men after all. Ahn Soo Ho contacted James again.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the attack drone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on stand by!¡±


    ¡°Get it ready.¡±


    ¡°But Delta still needs time!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want an American girl¡¯s head to be chopped off live on TV, we have to do something.¡±


    ¡°Shit! When should I shoot?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put on a Captain America mask that was hanging nearby. He lifted his gun and pointed it towards the terrorist.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 115 ¨C Code Name Wizard [3] > The end.

 Chapter 117: < Protect – Episode 116 – Code Name Wizard [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 117: < Protect ¨C Episode 116 ¨C Code Name Wizard [4] ></h4>


    Han Chae Kyung made Kim Ne Hee¡¯s house into a shelter.


    They didn¡¯t receive official permission to do so, but as soon as word went around throughmunicationworks, Korean tourists who had nowhere else to go gathered at the house. And when Korea Town in New York turned into a dangerous area, sisters So Jung and So Mi came to the house as well. Central Park¡ªwhich was the official refuge¡ªwas already bustling with people, and so was the Korean embassy located in New York.


    The two sisters made the right choice in going to Kim Na Hee¡¯s house. By doing so, they were able to put their parents and friends at ease, and since they left all of their belongings at their hotel, the house was like a treasure chest for them. Han Chae Kyung not only provided beds and food, but she provided clothes as well.


    So Jung looked around as people moved in camp beds into the house and suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°How much would it cost to buy such a big house in New York?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°This house. It¡¯s probably not cheap, right?¡±


    ¡°This is the Upper East Side. The one from Gossip Girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Gossip Girl was a drama series that was a little bit old, but it was also a favorite among Americans. They didn¡¯t like Sex and the City because it was a little too old, and they didn¡¯t like how exaggerated the high-teen dramas on Disney channel were. Gossip Girl was a little exaggerated too, but it was better than the rest.


    The reason why the sisters weren¡¯t very satisfied with their New York trip was because of those dramas they watched. They thought they could live like the actors in those dramas if they came to New York, but that didn¡¯t happen. The two sisters were nothing but two tourists among countless of people bustling around the Big Apple.


    ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    The ce was filled with refugees, but it was good enough to help the two sisters imagine a posh life in New York. Seeing a bunch of maids walking around the house made them feel like they were a part of the upper ss for a minute.


    ¡°Huh? I got a signal.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    So Mi, who was ying around with her unconnected phone, became serious as soon as she found a signal.


    ¡°First...¡±


    The refugees weren¡¯t in the mostfortable situation to call as of the moment, but they started to be busy making phone calls as soon as the signal was up. It was rude for a person to call someone in front of many people, but it was okay to do so if everyone else was doing it. So Mi called her parents first to tell them not to worry. She was probably bound to get a beating from her mom as soon as she returned to Korea, but this was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


    Terrorist attacks weren¡¯t anything happy to talk about, but the charm of traveling was the things that were unexpected. What happened today was something incredibly umon and rare. Once she reassured her parents, she went into a group chat.


    Are you alive?


    Why?


    Look at this website! Hurry!


    What?


    Just do it!


    When she clicked on the link that was sent to her, a screen popped up. It was a live channel site that even allowed real-time chatting. The chat room was filled with people from all over the world, but the most usednguage was English. So Jung and So Mi were Koreans who could read and write English perfectly but couldn¡¯t speak it at all.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The two sisters screamed as soon as they looked at the screen. But they weren¡¯t the only ones who screamed. The refugees looked all over the ce for information as soon as the signal came back, and what they all discovered was the department store¡¯s incident and the live broadcast that was put on by the terrorists.


    The New York deputy mayor¡¯s head went flying off and a famous art director died too. They then called an underwear model a prostitute and harassed a female teenager. The camera then turned to the teenage girl¡¯s mother who couldn¡¯t stop it from happening.


    The chatroom exploded.


    What are those bastards doing?


    Those damn sons of bitches!


    Ahu Akbar!


    Those crazy bastards! What¡¯s the States doing?


    America sucks!


    Let¡¯s pray for the New York citizens!


    The American dream is over! It¡¯s time for China to take over the world!


    If the States and China fought, who¡¯d win?


    So Jung and So Mi didn¡¯t pay attention to thements. They were just focused on the screen itself. When one of the terrorists grabbed a girl¡¯s head and pulled out a knife, they turned away. However, what they were worried about didn¡¯t happen. Surprisingly, the one holding the knife went down. Then the camera fell over and stopped.


    US special report! The American military has finally arrived!


    Don¡¯t look down on this country, you Arabs!


    Captain America is here!


    Delta? Seal?


    There¡¯s no way Delta and Seal would put on a Captain America mask. I bet it¡¯s Ghost Recon!


    That¡¯s a game, you idiot!


    The live channel was cut off, but thest scene was clear. The hostages were getting saved. It was probably settled immediately. There weren¡¯t that many anonymousizens who left meanments. People all over the world hoped that the hostages would be okay, and the media of various countries held memorials in New York.


    The world was awake tonight.


    ******


    ¡°Now.¡±


    The E-8 JSTARS had two methods of action.


    The first method was to emit strong pulses to destroy the machine entirely, and the second method was to use radio frequency interference. The EH-60 that was dispatched to New York had a different tactical system frombat nes operated by the US Marines. The marine¡¯s attack nes didn¡¯t disturb an entire area, but it was just specialized for aerial dogfights, and the one that was dispatched to New York covered an entire block.


    Whoosh-


    The bullet of a gun with a silencer went through the forehead of a man holding a knife.


    Whoosh! whoosh!


    ¡®One shot, one kill!¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho entered the main hall without hesitation and shot a bullet through the terrorist¡¯s head. Each bullet killed a man. In the end, there was only one terrorist left alive.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Dakoma immediately grabbed the closest underwear model and put her in front of him. He then rolled his eyes.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    Their defenses were perfect. There were CCTVs watching every corner, they checked the patrol guards every 5 minutes. They even set up a system to make the department store blow up just in case anything happened.


    ¡®It¡¯s not toote!¡¯


    Dakoma remembered the hand gear inside his jacket.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any signal for the next 10 minutes.¡±


    Dakoma came to his senses when he heard a low ringing sound.


    It was way too quiet for this to be an ambush by the American special forces. He looked at Captain America, who showed up all on his own. Just one person? Did this mean that a dozen of his underlings got killed in the main hall just because of this one person? And how did he get past their defenses?


    All Dakoma could do wasugh.


    ¡°Delta? Seal?¡±


    ¡°No. But I¡¯m sure that you know me.¡±


    ¡°I do? Then what about the mask?¡±


    ¡°There are too many eyes watching here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped his mask with the gun he was holding.


    ¡°Long time no see, Jacob.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Da gasped.


    ¡°Jacob Smith.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    As soon as the true name of the vicious terrorist who killed people as if they were insects was found out, he was shocked to the core. Ahn Soo Ho showed a strange facial expression behind his mask.


    He first met Michael in Sudan.


    He also met Jacob Smith for the first time during the Sudan war. The only difference was that his enemy wasn¡¯t child soldiers. If this was a joke by God, then God wasn¡¯t making anyoneugh this time. The reason why he kept him alive was for one reason only.


    ¡®He¡¯s not a brainwashed soldier.¡¯


    That meant he was either the one in charge of this terrorist attack or probably one of the leaders of a terrorist group.


    ¡°Mkal, Sudan.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Jacob¡¯s body froze up. After being requested to enter the war by North Sudan, he took the child soldiers that were kidnapped in South Sudan and made them into an army. The child soldier training camp in Mkal, Sudan was like a nightmare for Jacob.


    ¡®Wizard!¡¯


    He swallowed what he was bout to shout.


    ¡°D-didn¡¯t you retire already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why am I here? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m obligated to tell you that, but since we¡¯ve met before, I¡¯ll tell you. Michael died in New York today. And that¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    He swallowed his saliva. He knew Michael¡¯s name. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s team was quite famous in the world they were in.


    ¡°Is this for him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You never know where life will take you. Who knew he would die in vain like that? Take my word for it, Jacob. This isn¡¯t for America. I have to getpensated for what happened.¡±


    ¡°Barbara Huxley.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°Ransel Straussmow.¡±


    Two names came out of Jacob¡¯s mouth.


    ¡®Barbara Huxley, Ransel Straussmow.¡¯


    The queen of finance in London and the French African ambassador? It was a strange mix, but he wasn¡¯t that surprised. It was actually funny. He thought all white people were in it together but did he get help from an English woman and a French man? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Do you want to do it alone? Or do you want my help?¡±


    ¡°This is it for me, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Jacob smirked at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s proposal and pushed one of the models in front of him. He then pointed his gun at his temple and pulled the trigger. Jacob had already begged for one more chance back in Sudan.


    He knew what kind of man Ahn Soo Ho was.


    Hypocritical liberals just fought amongst themselves and fell into pieces, but this man had never gone back on his word before. He was sad that he couldn¡¯t blow up the department store, but the States suffered another terrorist attack like the 911. Jacob wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but he was afraid of Ahn Soo Ho.


    The American military and the CIA couldn¡¯t find the rtives that he had hidden in African, but Ahn Soo Ho was different. If Mr. Guardian would put his mind to it, he could make his whole family disappear. As soon as the remaining terroristsmitted suicide the special forces came in.


    That was when the hostages finally felt relieved and sighed as a result. One of the underwear models who were on the move while receiving help from the paramedics ran over to Ahn Soo Ho and hugged him. She then lifted his Captain America mask and kissed him passionately.


    He couldn¡¯t coldly turn it down. The kiss continued until one of the special forces officers handed him a satellite phone.


    ¡°James?¡±


    ¡°Captain America? Haha.¡±


    ¡°That was the first thing that was within reach.¡±


    ¡°Well, good job. The White House is happy, too.¡±


    ¡°Let me make this clear. I didn¡¯t do this for you, James.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t take down Da¡¯s team for the good of America. He was just cleaning some dirty garbage that happened to be in front of him. This was how his memorial for Michael began.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not finished yet. I need authority so I could have ess to all records in New York.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already permitted to ess them, so feel free...¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about both public and private records.¡±


    He cut off James in the middle of his sentence. When it came to records of organizations such as the FBI and NSA, authority was needed.


    ¡°Oh! Okay. I¡¯ll work on it.¡±


    James couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no. At that very moment, photos that were taken by CCTVs around Kim Na Hee¡¯s house were sent over. There were a total of 5 suspects that were gathered by Ricky and Samuel. They were all wearing masks, so that made things difficult, but what they knew was that they were all ck.


    There was a lot of white trash and ck trash that took advantage of the terrorist attack and wreaked havoc in New York. There were lots of criminal organizations trying to take over the night of New York as well. They messed with the senior members of Italy, Russian mafias, the Latin cartels, and even took on the triad of China Town as one of the top criminal organizations of Harlem called 125 Core Street.


    ¡®If you¡¯re looking for a ck person, it¡¯s best to use a ck person to do that.¡¯


    Harlem improved a lot as a result of efforts made by the city of New York, but it was still a crime-ridden district at night.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t been in Harlem in a while.¡¯


    The exciting night in New York hadn¡¯t ended yet.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 116 ¨C Code Name Wizard [4] > The end.

 Chapter 118: < Protect – Episode 117 – Code Name Wizard [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 118: < Protect ¨C Episode 117 ¨C Code Name Wizard [5] ></h4>


    Irena Pevanova¡ªthe only survivor of the terrorists¡¯ hostage-taking and a Victoria¡¯s Secret angel¡ªoverheard Ahn Soo Ho and Jacob Smith¡¯s conversation but didn¡¯t say anything about it. She was out of her mind, and when she thought about it on her way to the hospital, she realized that talking about it wouldn¡¯t end well. That was because if the word got out, the rtionship between the terrorist and Captain America would look suspicious.


    ¡®Since I couldn¡¯t thank him properly, this is the least I can do.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t care what nationality that hero was. She didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening, but she knew that after getting captured as the terrorists¡¯ hostage, she was bound to be called from all over the ce. Her agency would have been happy if the news would say more words about her, but the one who was going to be troubled was not her manager, but her herself.


    As she expected, the first person that she met other than the doctor was a government official that was in charge of media measures. They called it a terrorist investigation, but what they were actually doing was trying to cover up the deaths of the New York deputy mayor and the gay activist. The American government did the best they could to resolve the incident, and they wanted to stress the fact that they could save lives by dispatching the American special forces. However, the one who caused a miracle wasn¡¯t them, but just one man.


    It wasn¡¯t multiple people, but just one person who got rid of the terrorists who made New York into a battlefield. Even the most foolish soldiers knew just how hard that was to do. It wasn¡¯t just hard, but nearly impossible.


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to change in your testimony, Miss Pevanova?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as her testimony with thewyer that her agency sent ended, Adam Laroche, who was watching through a camera knitted his brows.


    ¡°She¡¯s hiding something.¡±


    ¡°It seems that way.¡±


    ¡°What could it be?¡±


    ¡°After analyzing the other hostages¡¯ testimonies, Captain Amer... I apologize.¡±


    The FBI¡¯s deputy director seemed displeased, so he immediately apologized after realizing that.


    ¡°The Wizard and Dakoma had a short conversation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that much. But what did they talk about?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    As soon as he hesitated, Adam clicked his tongue.


    The funds supporting the behavior analysis team was 10 times that of other departments, and the one who was supporting the future investigation program was him, who was going after the position of FBI director. If he seeded, he would be able to beat hispetition and obtain that position.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t needed, but abat ne was requested right before the attack.¡±


    If one thing was suspicious, everything was suspicious.


    The reason why Ahn Soo Ho requested abat ne was to be prepared just in case the explosives went off, but in Adam¡¯s eyes, it just seemed suspicious. The fact that Mr. Guardian visited New York out of the blue when a terrorist attack was expected didn¡¯t seem natural to him.


    ¡®There¡¯s definitely something going on here that I don¡¯t know. But what is it?¡¯


    Just in time, the right-hand man came back from his call with a White House high-ranking official.


    ¡°What did the White House say?¡±


    Instead of opening his mouth to answer, he just shook his head.


    ¡®How foolish. Everythinges with consequences. Do they think they can use him for free? A huge price is bound to follow.¡¯


    The White House had Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s back once again. Since the American administration was looking out for him, it wasn¡¯t just President Davis who was odd.


    ¡°Put Irena Pevanova on the monitoring list.¡±


    ¡°Her? Is that really necessary?¡±


    The team leader of the behavior analysis team looked worried. What happened today was going to be inspected, and someone from them would even have to testify. If one asked why the hostage who was also a model had to be put on the FBI¡¯s monitoring list, there wasn¡¯t really a good answer to it.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a hearing, I¡¯ll testify. From now on, I want the analysis team to take charge of Irena¡¯s every move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    He had to do whatever the deputy director asked. He could have gone to themittee and protest the orders that were given to him, but that would put his career in danger. As soon as the team leader left, Adam called his right-hand man with his hand.


    ¡°Look into James ck.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about ck Fortune?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Mr. ck might have been the sacrifice of this scandal, but he¡¯s a respected veteran who gave up his life for the military Sir.¡±


    Adam shook his head at the protest of his subordinate, who was close enough to him to call his right-hand man.


    ¡°By looking into him, I didn¡¯t mean to look for all of his dirt.¡±


    They said that everyone had some kind of dirt in them, and it could be seen if one would look close enough. Even Adam Laroche had taken care of countless speeding tickets for himself and his friends. If someone really tried to get dirt on even the FBI deputy director, they were going to find quite a few things.


    ¡°Then what did you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look into what he¡¯s doing now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    Adam¡ªwho was looking at his subordinate¡ªleft after resolving the misunderstanding and clicked his tongue. The truth was, that misunderstanding was correct. He wanted to find James ck¡¯s ws. However, James had a strong influence over FBI agents. Adam was also from the military, but he was noparison to the great ck Fortune. He remembered the saying that military power came from guns. But then again, that wasn¡¯t something that the FBI with a history of fighting with the Commies had the right to say. James ck was a famous person that was known by those in the field, and Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t that well recognized all over the world. However, he was friends with very influential people.


    That was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s scariest strong point.


    ******


    ¡°The FBI put Irena Pevanova on the monitoring list, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Irena?¡±


    ¡°The one you passionately kissed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho finally knew who that was. After being freed from Jacob, she was handed over to the paramedics, but she somehow found an opportunity to give him a passionate kiss. Since her face was a mess from her mascara, it was likely that he wouldn¡¯t recognize her if he saw her again.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You should be the one telling me why. This was done by Deputy Director Laroche... Did something happen during the rescue operation?¡±


    Something did happen.


    ¡®He heard some names.¡¯


    Barbara Huxley and Ransel Straussmow. Most models knew Barbara¡¯s name since she owned countless of luxury brandpanies. Then what about Ransel Straussmow? Unless one had an interest in politics, it was hard to recognize the ambassador¡¯s name.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t erase Irena¡¯s memory. The names were going to be revealed sooner orter. But if she was put on FBI¡¯s monitoring list, does that mean she kept her mouth shut? The FBI was allowed to interrogate all the suspects of the terrorist attack, but they couldn¡¯t force a victim to talk. That was why they put her on the monitoring list.


    ¡°Jacob said that they were the ones who helped him when he entered the States.¡±


    ¡°Can we trust him?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t trust him, then trust me, James.¡±


    James stayed quiet for a while and then spoke up.


    ¡°Are those names the conditions of this deal?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t make deals with things like this. Don¡¯t you know me yet? I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    In response to what Ahn Soo Ho said, James immediately hung up, and then called him with a different number.


    ¡°This number is secure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be tapped by NSA anyway.¡±


    ¡°But this will buy me some more time.¡±


    He nned to take the names Ahn Soo Ho would give him and make a negotiation with the government, the parliament, or the investigationmittee. James was a patriot, but he still put himself first. Wasn¡¯t that what American patriotism was? Ahn Soo Houghed, but this was none of his business.


    ¡°Barbara Huxley.¡±


    ¡°The money queen?¡±


    Barbara Huxley was so famous that even James knew who she was.


    ¡°Ransel Staussmow.¡±


    ¡°Sahel¡¯s lion!¡±


    James screamed out of surprise. A name like Randal? That was a ridiculous name in France. However, in the mercenary world, Ransel Straussmow could not be looked down upon.


    Sahel¡¯s lion


    He was a savage beast who ruled over the Sahel area in North Africa. He was a French soldier who got destroyed by the Germans during World War II. But when he recovered, he dreamt of rebuilding a powerful republic. However, Ennd and France couldn¡¯t adjust to the changes led by America in the 20th century. They wobbled around attempting to be independent.


    He epted that independence was inevitable as time went on, but France¡¯s property rights was an exception. Since he sent out troops in order to protect France¡¯s precious wealth while building a powerful republic, they were bound toe out at a loss.


    Even North Africa, who got screwed over in South East Asia and Indo-China, started to take their hands off. Despite that, France and Africa still had a lot more influence than the States.


    ¡°Do you really think they should be held responsible, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Ennd and France probably wouldn¡¯t agree... but I¡¯m going to find both of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll cause chaos.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ransel¡¯s an old man who should have retired long before me and Barbara... Yeah, there will be somemotion.¡±


    Ransel put forward the title of being a French African ambassador, but in reality, he was treated like a sheepdog who guarded French property in Africa. Then what about Barbara? This olddy with a lot of money had just as many enemies as allies. Seeing how she talked about wanting to live longer than Queen Elizabeth, she was still as cynical as ever.


    Ennd¡¯s ckedy was very hard to understand.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What was that?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing. Anyway, investigate them both.¡±


    James tilted his head at the scream he heard over the phone, and Ahn Soo Ho quickly wrapped up his call. Once he put his phone in his pocket, he kicked the ck man that screamed. This time, he rolled around without being able to make a sound. Ahn Soo Ho was in a creepy storage space in Harlem.


    It appeared that there was a big fight amongst the ones who were moaning. What was fascinating was that the only person standing was him. Ahn Soo Ho stepped on someone who looked like the boss and showed him five photos.


    ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Ptooey! Agh!¡±


    The mouth that spat out saliva got stepped on by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s foot.


    He could have just used his magic to get information, but this time, he wanted to beat them up good. The big organizations stayed low on days like this, but the amateurs and rookies roamed around like fish in the water. The ones that didn¡¯t know when to step up or back down simply died. Ahn Soo Ho had to beat all seven of them up a little before he got his answer.


    ¡°Th... they¡¯re the Braves!¡±


    ¡°Braves?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes! They manage a strip club on Sugar Hill! They¡¯re also known as the Nigger Army!¡±


    Harlem was full of cheap bars, struggling prostitutes, and strip clubs that were being run by ck people. All criminal organizations in New York had their own beliefs. The ind gangs protected people from the inds, and Italy put stress on their family and friends. There were tons of negros who used little kids as delivery men for the good of Latinos and ck people who were drunk and drugged up.


    What Ahn Soo Ho heard while obtaining information on Sugar Hill was a bunch of people talking about who had sex with who and who beat up who in the middle of the chaos of the New York terrorist attack. They were especially proud of the riot they caused in rich neighborhoods.


    The Braves were a new organization that just started out.


    For that reason, they wanted to gain a reputation, and the New York terrorist attack was the perfect opportunity for them. While most organizations were busy worrying and controlling their underlings, The Braves nned out a way topletely flip the Upper East Side upside down.


    Ahn Soo Ho made one conclusion.


    ¡®They¡¯re scumbags.¡¯


    Despite there being a lot of bluffs, the crimes theymitted were horrible. They trafficked drugs, assaulted, robbed, raped, and then even killed sometimes.


    He took out his phone.


    ¡°Did you finish the analysis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. The malignant code that the terrorists nted is still activated.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave Kosino the information he found at Macy¡¯s department store. Dakoma¡¯s army was able to shut down all of New York because of aputer virus they nted. It sounded easy, but it probably wasn¡¯t. But as the electrical grid started to be restored, the city was able to regain its light.


    ¡°Shut it down.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Shut it back down.


    Just over ten secondster...


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    New York became even darker than before.


    There was no point in trying to figure out which one of the five was the main culprit of the riot. And handing them over to the police was even more meaningless. The heads of each riot suspect then started twisting off one by one.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Dirt went back to dirt, ashes went back to ashes, and dust went back to dust.


    Scumbags didn¡¯t even deserve bullets.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 117 ¨C Code Name Wizard [5] > The end.

 Chapter 119: < Protect – Episode 118 – Code Name Wizard [6]>

    <h4>Chapter 119: < Protect ¨C Episode 118 ¨C Code Name Wizard [6]></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have any kind of fantasy about life or death. Among the many regrets that he looked into the afterlife, there were many beautiful sacrifices without any greed as well. But there were those who regretted their sacrifice.


    ¡®A single mom who went through hard times trying to raise three children. A father who ran in front of a car to save his daughter. A police officer who fought for the safety of the citizens. A firefighter who yed around between life and death.¡¯


    Their actions shined brightly in this cruel world.


    ¡®Oh, maybe the world is worth living in after all!¡¯


    Whether it was big or small, doing something for others required a great deal of courage. Even if that other person wasn¡¯t a family member or a close friend, sacrifice meant a lot. It was obvious why the States especially liked heroes. That was because, in real life, they knew all too well that those whomitted heroic acts were rare.


    The New York terrorist attack brought forth many heroes.


    Aside from soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, there were hidden heroes within a neighborhood as well. No matter how antigovernment the media was, they all became nationalists today. If America didn¡¯t exist, the media wouldn¡¯t exist either. In the midst of America¡¯s relief operations, a second ckout put New York back into panic.


    Fire in District 14! Dispatch!


    A car ident in the midtown tunnel! Someonee down here!


    People have been trapped in the Rockefeller elevators for 5 hours! Can someone help?


    What are the national guards doing? Don¡¯t just roam around Manhattan ande to Brooklyn and Queens!


    What Ahn Soo Ho was going for wasn¡¯t the disordered chaos that Dakoma caused, but the chaos that was being orchestrated. Since the relief operations were disorganized, dangerous areas such as Harlem, Sugar Hill, and Upper Manhattan were being excluded. As a result, the New York police and the FBI didn¡¯t pay much attention to those areas either.


    In the darkness that fell upon New York once again, Ahn Soo Ho walked around as if everything was normal.


    ¡®Here it is.¡¯


    He found the Braves¡¯ headquarters after beating up a ck man for its location. Was it a strip bar? The neon sign was off, but he noticed women who were half naked. As soon as he got inside, he heard a very loud noise. Were they ready for a disaster? There were a fewmps on and thenterns and candles were lit as well.


    ¡°Those government workers don¡¯t do any work, do they?¡±


    Both Koreans and Americans liked to talk trash about government workers.


    ¡°The New York deputy mayor croaked, and that gay guy croaked, too. Who¡¯s next? Us?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Even though the situation wasn¡¯t funny, they made it into a joke. In New York¡¯s criminal world, every single day was another challenge for them. If they didn¡¯t beat those challenges, they would disappear. If they did beat them, it meant that they were able to aim for bigger and better things.


    The Braves were challengers.


    White people thought all ck people were the same, but those from Africa and those from Latin America had slight differences. The ck people who came straight from Africa were the authentic ck people of America while the ones who were scattered among Cuba, Central America, and South America were considered 2nd generation immigrants.


    The ck people who went to America before President Lincoln¡¯s emancipation of ves, and those who arrived after keeping a safe distance from one another. If one had to differentiate gangs, the Braves were an African ck gang. And in order to be true members, they had toplete an introduction ceremony.


    Murder.


    They had to kill people.


    They surprisingly were against killing members of an opposing gang because they didn¡¯t want an unnecessary war to break. They preferred killing normal people who had nothing to do with gangs. Why did they glorify murder so much? Because they wanted fear and weakness. The fear resulting frommitting an irreversible crime as well as solidarity became a weakness that gang leaders used against their members.


    The biggest criminals were able to make deals with judicial authorities. So if there was no other alternative, they chose to sell off one of their members in order to save their own asses. There was no such thing as loyalty among criminals since even a gang leaders¡¯ subordinate would screw around them all the time as well.


    Michael¡¯s death was kind of like an introduction ceremony. How regrettable was it that a veteran like him got killed by a little boy? No one lived thinking they would get into an ident. For that reason, it happened when he least expected it.


    ¡°Anyway... are you sure there won¡¯t be any problems?¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°The Upper East Side.¡±


    A ck man sniffing cocaine shook his hand.


    ¡°Of course not. Why¡ªyou ask? Because there¡¯s no evidence! Unless there¡¯s a police officer in disguise in here, that is.¡±


    While the bigger organizations hid out during the New York terrorist attack, The Braves changed their ns to attack East Harlem to the Upper East Side instead. A criminals reputation came from evil on top of amendable experience. When people put fear in theirpetitors, they were capable of doing much worse than murder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about damage to property, but initiating a fire is a bit...¡±


    ¡°Those dumb police officers are so busy with the terrorist attack that they probably won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    The word about a riot in the Upper East Side had been spread around, and that would naturally improve The Braves¡¯ reputation. Of course, it would also get the attention of investigation officials, but as organizations grew, they were bound to run into them.


    ¡°Then did Jamie pass through?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He did kill an unlucky rich guy.¡±


    ¡°Rich? He just looked like a regr guard to me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever he was, he lived in a rich house¡ªdidn¡¯t he? Why are you bringing that up and making me lose my appetite anyway?¡±


    He threw his ss and got mad. As soon as he calmed down, a stripper offered him another ss of alcohol. When he took out a 100 dor bill, she immediately stuck out her breasts. The dor bills causedughter that lightened up the mood. But at that very moment, an unfamiliar voice could be heard, ruining the mood once again.


    ¡°Jamie? Tell me more about him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Following the New York terrorist attack, the stripper immediately closed their business. Therefore, no stranger was able to enter. Instead of the regr bartender, an unfamiliar person was standing behind the bar¡¯s counter instead.


    ¡°You...¡±


    As soon as the surprised ck man took out his gun, Ahn Soo Ho shook his hand. The many guns then got stuck onto it like mas.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    When one was too surprised, it was hard to scream. What put them in a panic was a door closing by itself, and a table flying over by itself and blocking the entrance. Were they just seeing things because of alcohol and drugs? No way.


    The gang leader was groping a stripper¡¯s ass when he suddenly flew over and was sat in a chair as a result of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gesture. He stared at Ahn Soo Ho as if he saw a ghost.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Jamie?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    It was him, who gave that answer who was more freaked out. And his bad feeling about what was going to happen next was right.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    A bartender¡¯s knife went through his hand into the bar. When the other startled ck men got ready to fight, Ahn Soo Ho put a dozen alcohol bottles in the air. The sharp edges of the bottles were as dangerous as a knife.


    ¡°I dare you to move and see what happens.¡±


    One of the bottles that Ahn Soo Ho flicked hit a pole and shattered into pieces. He looked back at the gang leader who was screaming because of his stabbed hand.


    ¡°White people always say the same thing at a time like this. That they want theirwyers.¡±


    But it looked like he needed a doctor more than awyer. Ahn Soo Ho went inside the bar. What he made once he got there looked more like a soup than a cocktail. He owned many bars not just in Korea, but in other countries as well. Alcohol and cocktails differed depending on who made them.


    ¡°Bullshot.¡±


    It was awyer¡¯s cocktail that was called ¡°Damn It¡±.


    ¡°Okay, now that we have awyer, start talking.¡±


    It wasical to talk to a Harlem trash about cocktail names, but he did him a favor of getting him awyer. Ahn Soo Ho took out five pictures. He burnt one and took out another. The one in the photo that he burnt was already dead, and the other was right in front of him.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a part of the five suspects, but the little boy who shot Michael was Jamie. He put the boy aside for the time being. The gang leader looked to the side when he saw the photo of a person with their eyes covered with a bandana. As soon as someone flinched while looking at the boss in the eyes, a dozen bottles flew back into the air.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    What would it look like to see a person get stabbed by multiple pieces of ss? The person got ripped up like a rag.


    ¡°Next.¡±


    The gang leader looked for the next target as if he was possessed by something. A ck man tried to dodge by impulse, but the ss ripped him to shreds as well. His skin got ripped up as if he was a piece of meat getting cut up at a butcher¡¯s shop.


    ¡°Who else?¡±


    Once Ahn Soo Ho burned two out of three photos, he only had one left. The person in the photo took out his gun, but as soon as he did, a pole dancing pole went right through his chest.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Such horrific deaths made them terrified and lose their reason.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care about what just happened and just made his own cocktail. His leisure gave off a different seriousness from death. He liked alcohol, but he didn¡¯t like the drinking culture that told people to drink until they die. One person once asked Ahn Soo Ho why he owned so many bars.


    This was what Ahn Soo Ho answered.


    ¡®When people drink, they be honest.¡¯


    Men thought of alcohol as something thatforted a hurt soul. A drink of alcohol was used to see off a friend who was leaving for a long trip. He couldn¡¯t say that alcoholpanies didn¡¯t have even 1% skill, but there weren¡¯t much men could do amongst themselves. Crying didn¡¯t suit mercenaries.


    Aberdeen Angus.


    Ahn Soo Ho made a lukewarm cocktail that wasn¡¯t cold or hot. It had the taste of a tough man. When Ahn Soo Ho first had this drink, he didn¡¯t mind it at all. It wasn¡¯t delicious, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. It was just so-so.


    He didn¡¯t have any fantasies about life or death. That was because he had already seen the end of both life and death. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s experience at Styx changed himpletely. It wasn¡¯t because he was a magician. He felt like he lost a lot as a human being. He loved Jang Seol Hyun, but he felt like he could let her go if necessary. He cherished Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye, but he felt like he could give them up too.


    Michael¡¯s death was sad.


    However, he wasn¡¯t in that much pain that he wanted to die. This was different from being cold-hearted. He didn¡¯t have any hope or despair. Sometimes, he had no idea what he even wanted. Did he just have to do whatever he wanted to be satisfied as if he was a 7-year-old child? Michael¡¯s death was definitely his responsibility. However, he wanted to push it on someone else.


    ¡°I know that revenge gives birth to another type of hatred. Even these trashy bastards are probably precious friends and family to someone else.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho grumbled.


    ¡°You really never know with life. So I¡¯m more often annoyed than having fun. How nice would it be if we knew what will happen in the future?¡±


    Was he drunk? Not at all. The cocktail that Ahn Soo Ho made wasn¡¯t for himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Michael. I¡¯ll take care of your family from now on.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was giving Michael somest words offort. He raised his ss for Michael and then drank it for him. He then grabbed the knife in the gang leader¡¯s hand and stared at him right in the eyes.


    ¡°Deliver this message to Michael for me.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Michael...¡±


    The gang leader¡¯s head twisted off. He was no longer in pain. Ahn Soo Ho led the remaining dregs out of the burning bar and just stared at it nkly. Would this have made Michael feel less wronged? He didn¡¯t know.


    He answered his vibrating phone.


    ¡°Alexa.¡±


    ¡°I found weapon dealers on Sugar Hill, Soo Ho. But there are many of them. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Send the biggest one first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The little boy wasn¡¯t his responsibility, but the one who gave him a gun had to pay the price. Ahn Soo Ho lifted his head and looked at the drone in the sky. It was so high up that no average person would have seen it, but he wasn¡¯t just an average person.


    ¡®Is it the National Reconnaissance Office?¡¯


    NRO was a military reconnaissance organization. Once Ahn Soo Ho appeared in the picture they dipped their fingers in drones as well. Whether the White House and Ahn Soo Ho were friendly or not, the States made sure to keep their eye on him.


    ¡®This is why the States is scary.¡¯


    They would do whatever they could to be superior.


    ¡®Whatever.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho stuck up his middle finger into the sky.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 118 ¨C Code Name Wizard [6] > The end.

 Chapter 120: < Protect – Episode 119 – Phillygun [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 120: < Protect ¨C Episode 119 ¨C Phillygun [1] ></h4>


    When Ahn Soo Ho pointed up his middle finger to the sky, the people who were watching from hundreds of kilometers awayughed bitterly. They often felt that the man they were monitoring didn¡¯t seem human.


    ¡°What about the call records?¡±


    ¡°I asked the NSA. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get it soon.¡±


    ¡°Why am I surprised? Their defense is solid.¡±


    The Outerspace wasn¡¯t supposed to be used for military purposes, but all the powerful countries owned military intelligence satellites. The spy satellites only saw and heard what they wanted to see and hear for their own advantage. When the national police decided to use drones, there was a lot of internal resistance.


    That was because within intelligence agencies which had their foot in both the military and the civilians, there were conflicts that involved illegal acts. Unless something extreme happened like a terrorist attack, drone monitoring was definitely illegal. Americans stressed the importance of privacy, and the NSA was entirely illegal.


    There was a wise phrase used among agents.


    ¡®It¡¯s okay as long as you don¡¯t get caught!¡¯


    That meant they just had to get away with it. Illegal actsmitted for profit gradually developed into a national mutual assistance system. And if the corruption within intelligence agencies was to get out, there was no way it would end with just a few heads cut off. That was because corruption within an organization with a strict protocol wasn¡¯t being caused by just a single agent.


    Not even the system that Americans trusted was able to get rid of corruption. One of the soldiers who left his seat to go to the washroom went to the end of the hall and took out his phone. It wasn¡¯t his own but a pre-paid phone that anyone could buy.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. That¡¯s right. I sent you the ess code. Sure.¡±


    The soldier ended his call right away and then disappeared.


    The New York terrorist attack kept the whole world awake, but no city was as busy as Washington D.C. After the Davis administration¡¯s Sao Paolo incident, the presidential election 2 years from now looked promising for the Republicans. Seeing how the public, media, and the lobbyists were actively supporting the Republicans, they were definitely at an advantage.


    After the Sao Paolo senate hearing, Senator Alexandro Stanish Fitzgerald held a press conference about the National Assembly before flying over to New York. The election had already started and if they wanted to keep their poprity, they had to keep the risks in mind.


    ¡°No matter how much our enemies harass our country, we will get back up no matter what! We always have, haven¡¯t we? Lastly, I¡¯d like to ask all of you to help New York and its citizens! God Bless America!¡±


    The most searched phrase on the inte within the first 24 hours was ¡°Pray for New York¡± and ¡°God Bless America¡±. Fitzgerald waved his hand at his supporters who were still present even though it was alreadyte at night. He then walked quickly in response to what his aide told him. He still kept a smile on his face, and then he frowned once he got into his car.


    ¡°Say that again?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Guardian is flipping New York upside down.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°One of his men died during the chaos in New York.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Fitzgerald yelled while plopping down in his chair. Ahn Soo Ho was famous for how much he loved his subordinates. There was even an interesting story going around about how when one of his watchmen in Venezu got assaulted, he destroyed one of the cartels in all directions. What was funny was that the hostage negotiation still went through after that.


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Michael Le Devon. He was from Arkansas and used to be in the marines.¡±


    ¡°Is that also why he freed the hostages at Macy¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. After checking the ess code, my analysis tells me he¡¯s going to get revenge on everyone responsible for today¡¯s terrorist attack.¡±


    ¡°ess code? Did he call the NRO?¡±


    ¡°They called first...¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Fitzgerald screamed loudly.


    ¡°Destroy all rted evidence!¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir.¡±


    With his presidency approaching, he had to be wary of corruption. He became the star of the Senate hearing, but that also led him to make many enemies. Even the smallest abuse of his authority could call upon political bacsh.


    ¡°I¡¯m banning any kind of contact with an organization for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Aides with loyalty werecking in skill and those with skill had too much ambition. It was impossible to be satisfied with both. Since Fitzgerald first entered as an aide, he understood how intense their league was. Only one or two out of a hundred aides might have a chance to be a member of the assembly.


    ¡®If greed gets ahead of everything else, you¡¯ll fall before you get to run.¡¯


    He wasn¡¯t overconfident about those below him.


    ¡°What about the turn of the handle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been taken care of.¡±


    Fitzgerald¡¯s aide cautiously looked at the driver and the guard before he quietly whispered. Fitzgerald nodded.


    ¡®The New York terrorist attack is important, but so is this.¡¯


    One of the campaign managers got too greedy and caused an unwanted issue, but it ended surprisingly in a favorable manner.


    ¡®Who knew Gina Davis would die like that?¡¯


    Most people thought shemitted suicide. But if one would dig deeper into it, she was actually murdered by a soldier¡¯s family member. But what was funny was that before she took the call from that family member and got hit by a car on her way out of the church she was in, she had already written a will.


    ¡®They say it¡¯s a good method of oveing sadness.¡¯


    In therapy, writing a will was one of its steps. It had something to do with looking at death right in the eye or something like that. President Davis couldn¡¯t openly punish the culprit who killed his niece. That was because if he punished a soldier¡¯s family member, his reputation and influence were bound to go down even further.


    This case was concealed for the good of national security.


    Fitzgerald knew about this for a pretty simple reason. The one who incited the soldier¡¯s family member to take revenge was his own campaign manager. Fitzgerald had never given an order to do that, but for the Republicans who were aiming to tear down President Davis¡¯ reputation, they were ready to do anything. But the campaign manager didn¡¯t incite the murder directly. He just wanted to expose Gina Davis¡¯ unsightly side to the media and put shame upon the White House.


    ¡®It was Pandora¡¯s Box.¡¯


    It was fatal for the White House who concealed it, but it was also fatal for Fitzgerald who ultimately ended up inciting the revenge. This was something that could never get out. He didn¡¯t hate Ahn Soo Ho for no reason. America had enough to deal with because of the CIA, he wanted the throne of the intelligence world to stay empty.


    His aide gave him the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s the White House, Sir.¡±


    Fitzgerald smiled bitterly.


    The president that he was just thinking about called, and he had no choice but to cooperate with him. If Scott Davis¡ªThe Shadow President¡ªfound out that his niece was murdered, they were going to see their allies turn into enemies.


    Same went for Fitzgerald.


    ¡®Scott Davis.¡¯


    He was the one who could help him win. He recently put down everything because of his daughter¡¯s death, but making a skilled strategist into an enemy wouldn¡¯t benefit him whatsoever.


    ¡°Hand it over.¡±


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho left New York and went to Phdelphia.


    Once he received the authority to ess America¡¯s surveince system and judicial system, he managed to find a secret weapon dealer with the help of Alexa. The number of illegal weapons with no serial numbers exceeded the number of those that were initially collected by 100-fold. For that reason, the scale of illegal weapon trade in America also expanded.


    If one asked how many guns there were in America, only a few were able to answer it. Not even the ATF agents knew how many guns Americans had. The reason why it was hard to regte the gun industry wasn¡¯t just because of the money that gun lobbyists threw around. It was also because even if they created gun regtions, they knew that it would take forever to put them in action.


    No one wanted to start something that would be doomed.


    And even if someone had the right beliefs, they couldn¡¯t do anything without political power. The reason why those who wanted to regte guns couldn¡¯t do so was because new politicians weren¡¯t capable enough to handle the political struggles that came with it, while the more experienced politicians were too busy minding others and worrying about issues that were more important to them.


    Most importantly, Americans loved guns.


    ¡°Guns is what made America seed.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho left New York, James left Central Park. It was hard to leave certain boundaries under the Martial Law, but his special rank as a member of the advisorymittee in the White House was useful this time around.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to restore central power?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m done with all that frustrating bureaucracy.¡±


    Seeing things from the outside helped him see clearer.


    ¡°What a sight it was.¡±


    Enforcing Martial Law was a mess from the very beginning. Since each organization and department was busy looking out for themselves, there was no way it was going to go smoothly. If the middlemen hadn¡¯t made a negotiation beforehand, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to restore anything.


    ¡°But who are you chasing?¡±


    In response to James¡¯ question, Ahn Soo Ho handed him a file.


    ¡°Tuvalo? He¡¯s a weapons dealer in Washington Heights. Huh? An internal FBI agent?¡±


    Investigative agencies put a blind eye to people¡¯s crimes as long as they could use them as internal agents. Drug dealers, drug addicts, prostitutes, hackers, and gangsters were caught using these informants.


    ¡°If he¡¯s an internal agent, he was probably the first to escape.¡±


    Before the terrorist attack in New York, the very first gang to run was an illegal weapons dealer. Since the terrorists probably didn¡¯t bring weapons in a legal manner, the investigation authorities already knew where to dig first. However, there was no way a small fry weapons dealer in the works could supply something as powerful as stinger missiles.


    There were many weapon dealers in New York who snuck out to a nearby city outside of New York before going through California or Texas to hide in Mexico. They had to avoid being caught by the authorities before they could do anything else. Tuvalo was able to escape pretty easily thanks to the support of the FBI, but he was pretty much saying that he was an informant.


    Phdelphia was just as messy as New York. The long night ended before dawn finally arrived. One day was way too short to figure out how destroyed New York was and how much damage they took. In the midst of all sorts of volunteers entering New York, the rest of the world held a memorial.


    ¡®Pray for New York!¡¯


    ¡®God Bless America!¡¯


    This could actually be an opportunity for the Davis Administration. In the midst of such a crisis, not many were going to think about the Sao Paolo scandal. If President Davis could disy some proper showmanship at this time, he could earn enough points to redeem himself.


    ¡°Are you going to keep following me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see or hear anything.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho was nning to do was illegal, but James was going to pretend like he didn¡¯t hear anything. If this was before, he wouldn¡¯t have done this.


    ¡°You used to hate the CIA, but now you¡¯re acting just like them.¡±


    ¡°I realized that there are different types of patriotism.¡±


    ¡°An unemployed man¡¯s realization... How disgraceful.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho kept making fun of James, but he just shrugged his shoulders. When they arrived at a motel near Phdelphia, a guest was already waiting for them. She was wearing a uniform that said FBI on it. Ahn Soo Ho gave James a side nce, but he just made a gesture expressing the feeling of being wronged.


    ¡°Agent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m special agent Emily Karen.¡±


    She had the same name as someone he knew in Korea. But the one in Korea was Australian and looked about 10 years younger. They didn¡¯t ask to see her ID, but she showed it to them anyway. As soon as he heard her name, he knew why she was there.


    ¡°You¡¯re the agent in charge of Tuvalo.¡±


    ¡°We received a strange report from Sugar Hill. Something about a ck-haired devil going around killing gangsters.¡±


    Emily talked about something else.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about your reputation, Mr. Guardian. Or should I call you Code Name Wizard?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho is fine, Special Agent Karen.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Emily.¡±


    Americans always acted too friendly with each other.


    ¡°Emily, did the deputy director send you here to monitor me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s half the reason why. I came here on my own will.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Tuvalo is a pretty good agent.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave James another side nce, and he just looked wrong again.


    ¡°I needed Adam¡¯s help to enter the judicial system. I had no choice.¡±


    The FBI was a bigger organization than people imagined, and no one could exin America¡¯s surveince system besides the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you something in return for Tuvalo.¡±


    ¡°You want to make a deal, huh? Was it Adam¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°No. This is 100% my own will.¡±


    ¡°Adam won¡¯t like this if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°Whether he likes it or not, he doesn¡¯t care about my career anyway. So I¡¯m going to take care of myself from now on.¡±


    She was a strong woman.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to make special agent Emily Karen sympathize with him. He also wanted to make a fair deal. In the middle of thinking about what to ask for, his phone started vibrating. Ahn Soo Ho excused himself and answered.


    ¡°Alexa. Yeah. Really? Okay. You can stop there. Great. Good work.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho hung up and looked at Emily¡¯s sparkling eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s a group that supported the New York terrorist attack.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the IS, we can...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    ¡°Among the targeted regions of the New York terrorist attack, trace if there are any buildings or art with insurance that hasn¡¯t been renewed or has been put off in thest three months. For example... Manchester House?¡±


    Emily tilted her head and then nodded with sparkling eyes. Ahn Soo Ho shook her hand and then stopped her from leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Emily. There¡¯s no such thing as a bigger line. Your enemy is just your enemy, and bad people are just bad people.¡±


    No matter how many agents like Tuvalo they used, the world wouldn¡¯t get any better. Emily dropped her head and then left.


    ¡°Manchester House? Credit House? That Huxley Group¡¯s insurancepany?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    In response to James¡¯ question, Ahn Soo Ho answered while walking over to the motel. Manchester Credit House was a worldwide insurancepany based in Ennd.


    ¡°People gather around where they can profit, and where people gather is where incidents happen.¡±


    The information that Alexa obtained wasn¡¯t that significant. However, depending on how one would look at it, information differed just like a woman with her makeup off. And that clean face was always covered up by a makeup artist and that¡ªwas profit.


    ¡°Once you be the money queen, you can not only obtain investment information, but you can fabricate it, too.¡±


    That¡¯s how money controlled the world.


    ¡®The queen of finance, Barbara Huxley.¡¯


    Not even the best investment programs could invest a hundred times and have it alle out with a profit. But Barbara Huxley could do just that. Was she just that talented? People believed that, but not Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Alpha organism.¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t the magician, but she was able to do things that looked just like magic. It had been a long time since he dealt with someone with advanced capabilities.


    ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 119 ¨C Philligan [1] > The end.

 Chapter 121: < Protect – Episode 120 – Phillygun [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 121: < Protect ¨C Episode 120 ¨C Phillygun [2] ></h4>


    While Ahn Soo Ho was flipping America upside down, Korea was in a chaotic situation of its own. If the 911 was a warning for the 21st-century war, the New York terrorist attack on November 9th was a way of announcing the peak of the war. In the first round of counting, there were 2900 deaths and 5500 injuries. On top of that, there were also a lot of missing persons who weren¡¯t counted.


    The government announced that there was a total of 289 terrorists and 281 of them died at the scene and the remaining 8 was being investigated at the police station. They had so many missiles and explosives that they could possibly stand a chance against the army, so people were certain that they had some kind of support backing them up.


    The live broadcast that the terrorists put on at Macy¡¯s Department Store was their way of confessing that they were Muslims. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia denounced the New York terrorist attack and sent their sympathies to America and New York. Even Russia, who never left America alone sent their sympathies, and NATO decided to engage in a group operation as soon as the culprits were uncovered.


    However, Korea was in chaos for another reason.


    Hey! Isn¡¯t this Ahn Soo Ho? #CaptainAmerica #VictoriaSecret #MacysDepartmentStore


    Wow! That¡¯s what I thought, too! That¡¯s definitely Ahn Soo Ho!


    Who else could go in there with just one gun except for Mr. Ahn?


    That¡¯s nonsense! How could an average person meddle in all of that?


    A friend who works with the Ministry of National Defense told me that Ahn Soo Ho used to be a mercenary.


    Mercenary? Like for war?


    Yeah! Apparently, they call him The Guardian or something like that!


    So he really is a guardian angel! Haha! That¡¯s so cringy!


    Didn¡¯t you see him use a gun in Monaco? He¡¯s different from any old mercenary!


    I saw Mr. Ahn back then when I used to work with the UN! Ask me any questions if you have any!


    Not you again. If you worked at the UN, I work at the Pentagon!


    Then I work at the White House!


    I work at the Blue House!


    No! The Blue House is nothing inparison, you bastard!


    Are you looking down on Korea?


    Whatever! Why was Ahn Soo Ho at the UN?


    Is he the security advisor for the U.S. President? I¡¯ve attended one of those meetings before!


    A Korean man as the security advisor for the White House? That¡¯s hard to believe.


    I promised to keep quiet, but I¡¯d like to say something as Soo Ho¡¯s ssmate! The reason why Ahn Soo Ho dropped out of the Naval Academy was because of this damned country¡¯s vested rights! The old men don¡¯t acknowledge people who aren¡¯t like them! Korea isn¡¯t somewhere you can seed with skills alone!


    Hell Joseon! It¡¯s called Hell Joseon for a reason!


    Those who say it¡¯s a great country are all old!


    All the young people are having a hard time, little ones! We suffered back in the day, too!


    I hate that old man mindset! Old people need to die so that we can live!


    That¡¯s all you ever talk about! You¡¯re getting old, too!


    Everyone over 70 years old should lose their right to vote!


    Hey! When we were young...


    Any discussion that started with ¡°when we were young¡± wasn¡¯t capable of ending even after 50,000ments. It would probably go on forever. Yoon Chul, who was looking at his monitor knitted his brows. He didn¡¯t upload the post hoping for this kind of response. Kim Soo Jung, who was across of him drinking an Iced Americano, just smiled.


    ¡°I told you not to post it.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this... a little too much?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! That¡¯s just the beginning. You should see the broadcast station¡¯s bulletin board.¡±


    The viewer bulletin board of broadcast stations was no different from trashcans.


    ¡°What the hell is Ahn Soo Ho doing out there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already said that a hundred times.¡±


    Yoon Chul pretended not to be, but he was actually very worried about Ahn Soo Ho. It had been like that since the Naval Academy. He called him stupid for defying the vested rights while also not letting go of his hand. Kim Soo Jung liked Yoon Chul for having that kind of loyalty.


    ¡°I asked to see you today... because I wrote my resignation letter.¡±


    ¡°Resignation letter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to switch broadcasting stations.¡±


    ¡°To where? HBS?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The big deal that screwed over Korea before the New York terrorist attack. Hosoo Entertainment had taken over a broadcast station and started their engines in the real entertainment industry. The ones who felt threated by this tried to find any w they could, but all of their attempts failed.


    Hosoo Entertainment started off with a fake-sounding name, but as it became more official and reputable, the transition team appointed Director Oh Joo Kyung as the chief director. It wasn¡¯tmon for a woman in their 20s to get such a position, but she was definitely more than capable.


    ¡°Why? Is Soo Ho going to make you president or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He was just joking so he was taken aback by her response.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Not right away. He told me to start as the news director first.¡±


    ¡°Wow! No way, Kim Soo Jung! Don¡¯t forget about me, okay?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    She went from a producer to a director in one go. That kind of thing was unheard of in Korea.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a lot of internal bacshes though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so they told me toe up with a new n.¡±


    ¡°Who? Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No, Director Oh.¡±


    Since Oh Joo Kyung¡ªwho was also Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s chief secretary¡ªwas involved in pretty much all of his affairs, she was friends with his friends as well. Yoon Chul thought Kim Soo Jung was minding what he was thinking and doing. As long as she didn¡¯t leave him for another man, he didn¡¯t care. But it was true that she had another man. And he recognized his face.


    ¡°Han Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Chul.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Soo Ho asked me to.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung apologized with both her hands together.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re forgiven though.¡±


    Yoon Chul still acted cold, but Kim Soo Jung who knew him better than anyone noticed that he had already forgiven him.


    ¡®That damned pride...¡¯


    The only person who Yoon Chul gave way to no matter what was Ahn Soo Ho. The 8 of them were very close friends, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t any shes of pride.


    ¡°Congrattions on your promotion.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Thanks to his reputation as a heroic ambassador, Han Kyung Il officially got promoted. For a man who¡¯s 37 years old, being a fourth-grade official was a big deal. As a result, many things were being said about him. Some people wondered if he was given preference because of Ahn Soo Ho, but the press conference held by Yoon Eun Ji and the other three girls¡ªonce they returned¡ªcaused a whole another sensation.


    As a result, all the negativements about Han Kyung Il disappeared.


    ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re not Soo Ho, Han Kyung Il. Are you trying to die?¡±


    ¡°Stop scolding me. I already got cursed at by Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Did he hit you?¡±


    ¡°I was too injured already to get hit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Yoon Chul finally loosened up and joked around with Han Kyung Il. Kim Soo Jung just stared on as if she was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t understand what they wereughing about because their conversation wasn¡¯t that funny.


    ¡°What are youughing at? Anyway, tell me more about L¡¯s kidnapping incident.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much to it. Soo Ho stopped it.¡±


    ¡°Were they just stalkers? Not some kind of conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°Do you think they were targeting Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Seeing what he¡¯s been doing out there, he probably has a bunch of enemies.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Han Kyung Il hesitated to answer.


    ¡®He probably has more friends than enemies though.¡¯


    Because there wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t cherish their own life. During the days he spent with Ahn Soo Ho, he started to view the world in a different light. The world was big, and the Korean Penins was too small for Ahn Soo Ho.


    It was true that the world was noisy because of the New York terrorist attack.


    But in Korea, people were busy arguing if the person behind the Captain America mask was really Ahn Soo Ho or not. Those who usedmon sense thought it was all nonsense, and those who were all for itpared the live broadcast footage with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s footage to back their im.


    ¡°What do you think, Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°Why are you dwelling on it too much? Just ask him.¡±


    Once he decided to trust Ahn Soo Ho, everyone who used to harass him somehow disappeared.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like one person¡¯s worrying can solve the world¡¯s issues.¡¯


    So he decided to resolve all the issues that he was facing one at a time. As soon as he resolved himself in doing that, things seemed clearer. It wasn¡¯t necessary to think about things in such aplicated way.


    He took out his phone and looked for Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s number.


    The phone started ringing.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    In response to the t voice that just got straight to the point, all Han Kyung Il could do wasugh.


    ¡°Are you Captain America?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you that Captain America at Macy¡¯s Department Store?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m busy. I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    The call ended there. Han Kyung Il looked over at Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung andughed awkwardly.


    ¡°He asked what I was talking about. I guess it¡¯s not him.¡±


    ******


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m busy. I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    When James heard him scream in Korean, James looked at him with a confused look on his face.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°A crazy bastard I know.¡±


    A crazy bastard who messed with the mafia just to find some missing girls.


    ¡°Anyway, I think we got screwed over by that wench.¡±


    While Ahn Soo Ho and James was held back by special agent Emily Karen, Tuvalo made a run for it. The truth was, he was let go on purpose.


    ¡®Birds of the same feather flock together. Bad guys are close with bad guys.¡¯


    Illegal weapon dealers were always at war with each other, but on a day like this, it wasmon for them to help each other in hiding. Tuvalo ran off and hid in a slum in Phdelphia. All big cities had both light and darkness. Just like Harlem in New York, Phdelphia had a slum of their own.


    It was a clear example of what capitalism could do.


    This slum located in between rich neighborhoods was America¡¯s reality that Americans didn¡¯t want to face. They were those who had the American dream but failed to achieve it. And the ones who had no way to leave the country created their ownmunities.


    ¡°This friendly city sure is friendly. Even the bad guys are friendly toward each other.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ridicule, James had nothing to say. The ce that they arrived at after chasing down Tuvalo was a building that maintained the railroads. Phdelphia was a city of railroads and portborers. Thanks to the strong sports culture arising from the toughborers of Phdelphia, ¡°Phillygun¡± had had an evil reputation for quite some time.


    But there was another meaning to Phillygun.


    Most people thought the name came frombining Philly with ¡°hooligan¡±. However, in the mercenary world, Phillygun had another meaning. Just as ¡°gun¡± suggests, Phdelphia was home to the biggest weapons group on the East Coast.


    ¡°They need more weapons in order to dispose of weapons? What a horrible cycle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. America¡¯s freedom came from the use of guns. I don¡¯t want to deny that fact.¡±


    People talked proudly about the establishment of the country and freedom it provides, but in reality, it was a revolutionary force that seeded in rebelling. What if they failed? They would have stayed in Ennd. Then where did they get their weapons from? Did they steal them? Or trick people? They could have done that for the first few, but it was impossible to get as much as they had using those methods.


    The illegal weaponsing from the ck market were called illegal, but 99% were produced with licenses. The only difference was that they were intentionally produced without barcodes. It was the kind of bribery that was legal, and it took ce between countries. The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, America had three national defense strategies.


    First, economic subordination.


    Second, information raid.


    Third, military mobilization.


    Economy wise, it was enough to have the dor currency. The spy strategy of digging up scandals among the powerful people of each country only worsened the CIA¡¯s reputation. And ahead of military dispatch, America provided the locals of the opposing part with weapon loans. While talking about liberal democracy and world peace, they were handing out weapons all over the world.


    To those with sense and conscience, this was uneptable. So in order to avoid controversy, they secretly provided weapons with no barcodes on them. Were they all U.S. made weapons? Of course not. As long as countries such as the Soviet Union, Nethends, and France had licenses, they were able to make guns anywhere in the States. The biggest weapons dealer in the whole world was America as a whole.


    There were no way regtions could be enforced on a national project.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho entered the building, someone was there to greet him. Seeing how he was in a suit, he wasn¡¯t just aborer. He recognized his face but didn¡¯t remember his name.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Everyone moves so fast these days.¡±


    More people started to monitor him when he announced his retirement. As soon as he got inside, he saw multiple armed guards. But it didn¡¯t seem like they were there to apply pressure. It just looked like they were there to stop people from running away. When he got further inside, he noticed a table and chairs. The middle-aged man sitting in the head chair got up and approached him.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Jack.¡±


    ¡°You should have told me you wereing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be seeing you.¡±


    Jack Spader. He was the head of Phillygun.


    ¡°I heard about Michael. I¡¯m sorry Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Then you must know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    As soon as Jack flicked his finger, people who were tied up by a rope came out. Tuvalo was one of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the partner¡¯s rule?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the American government.¡±


    There was a partner¡¯s rule that applied to anyrge-scale search by the authorities, but it didn¡¯t apply this time.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    In response to his question, Ahn Soo Ho looked at another dealer from New York besides Tuvalo and then shook his head. That was the signal. Jack Spader¡¯s guard pulled the trigger without any hesitation. The two of them didn¡¯t even flinch at the body that fell after getting its head blown off.


    ¡°Why are you being so friendly, Jack?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met many shooters in my life.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question, Jack changed the subject.


    ¡°There are great shooters who don¡¯t miss their target and the foolish ones that are full of bluff. But even the best shooters didn¡¯t get 100% of their targets. That¡¯s impossible for a human being.¡±


    Even the best shooters missed at least one out of 1000 targets.


    ¡°Except for you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°ttery won¡¯t get you anything.¡±


    ¡°No, no! I don¡¯t want anything from you. All I want is for you to remember my kindness next time we meet.¡±


    Jack Spader knew many shooters, but he had never met a monster like Ahn Soo Ho before. If there were eyes on bullets, those bullets probably belonged to him. The bullets he shot pretty much chased after their targets. Was that how it felt to not be able to run away from death? There was something special to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shooting.


    ¡°So I prepared one more gift.¡±


    Jack pushed a thick file forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m a patriot who loves his country.¡±


    He changed the subject once again. Ahn Soo Ho, who was shaking his head, looked through the file and thenughed.


    ¡°Stinger?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a patriot.¡±


    He repeated that he was a patriot as if he was a parrot. Ahn Soo Ho handed the file over to James. He finally understood the horrible series of events. The finance queen of London and the French African ambassador were too powerful for Jacob Smith to control.


    ¡°Soo Ho! This is...¡±


    After looking through the file, James couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    ¡°Check the president and Fitzgerald¡¯s schedule for today.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    James rushed to take out his phone. Ahn Soo Ho stared at Jack.


    ¡°Was I tricked?¡±


    ¡°You were.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I got stabbed in the back while trying to make a connection.¡±


    ¡°Who would have known?¡±


    At that moment, James turned around.


    ¡°The president and Fitzgerald are both in New York! They¡¯re about to give a speech!¡±


    ¡°Why are they crawling into that chaos? Those damned politicians!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    New York wasn¡¯t going to calm down in just a few days. Their advisors probably strongly rmended against it. It was impossible to have perfect security in that chaotic region. Fitzgerald crawled into New York in order to maintain his poprity as the star of the Senate hearing, and the president also left the White House and headed to New York in order to restore the points he lost because of the Sao Paolo incident.


    ¡®With how unstable New York is, anything can happen.¡¯


    This was thoroughly nned out by someone.


    ¡®Scott Davis.¡¯


    He had known the truth about his daughter¡¯s death from the very beginning.


    ¡®Did he want to take revenge that badly? So much that he¡¯s willing to end his own country?¡¯


    The death of the president¡¯s niece shouldn¡¯t have been concealed. Fitzgerald and his campaign manager shouldn¡¯t have used the poor girl for their political gain. However, the biggest issue was that America lost its sense of justice.


    ¡°I prepared the helicopter! We have to go back to New York, Soo Ho!¡±


    In response, Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly.


    ¡®I wonder if I¡¯m any different from Scott.¡¯


    Everyone had the right to seek revenge.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 120 ¨C Phillygun [2] > The end.

 Chapter 122: < Protect – Episode 121 – New York Catastrophe [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 122: < Protect ¨C Episode 121 ¨C New York Catastrophe [1] ></h4>


    The ghost of elections


    Shadow President


    Popr Culture Strategist


    Scott Davis had many nicknames.


    In order to know more about him, the Davis family had to be asked. The current President Allen didn¡¯t have any blood rtions with Scott. That was because Scott was his brother inw. He used to be a Darrell but changed his surname to Davis instead. It was true that he had a lot of ambition, but he mainly did it because he loved his wife¡ªCharlotte¡ªso much.


    Jina Davis was given birth to after two difficult miscarriages. He still remembered how touched he felt when she was born. In addition to that, she grew up in the most beautiful and proud way. He had a beautiful heart and dreamt of achieving world peace.


    ¡®You¡¯re a gift given to me by God.¡¯


    An angel bestowed by the Heavens.


    He was willing to do anything for his daughter.


    ¡°Thank you, Scott. You¡¯ll be a great help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d, Mr. President.¡±


    Scott smiled at An. He was currently in the same car as the American president, who was on his way to New York. The security team was against him visiting New York. After being traumatized by his daughter¡¯s death, Scott visited the White House as soon as the New York terrorist attack took ce. He then exhibited great leadership and led An to go to New York.


    ¡°This country will be born again after today, Mr. President. So you need to show your confidence and ss to the world as the American president. We need a strong message if we want to intimidate a hostile country.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the assembly hate this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what they¡¯ll think. This is a state of emergency.¡±


    ¡°What about the media?¡±


    ¡°No one will worry about the Sao Paulo scandal for the time being. If we stress the fact that another free country is being attacked after the terrorist attack in Rome even the Americans will agree.¡±


    In response to Scott¡¯s calm exnation, the president just nodded. An smiled as if he was relieved. It was hard to meet another amazing advisor like Scott. He wondered how better things would have been if he followed his advice during the Sao Paulo scandal as well.


    New York Central Park was very tense.


    It wasn¡¯t just the president¡¯s security team that was busy, but other agents as well. In contrast to the press conference that imed that they would end the terrorists, they hadn¡¯t finished anything just yet. They had never looked into who was responsible, to begin with. They were just talking the talk. But it was already toote to do anything now.


    ¡°Five minutes until the eagle arrives!¡±


    It was 5 minutes before the president¡¯s arrival.


    While the secret service team inspected their security ns, the others dispatched agents over divided districts. Half of New York police was dispatched to Central Park, which was at the highest risk, and the national guard bureau protected New York from the skies.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to check people¡¯s belongings!¡±


    ¡°We need to at least tape the surrounding areas!¡±


    ¡°Use the heat detector!¡±


    ¡°What do we do about the speaker¡¯s stage?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the president who was visiting New York. All sorts of powerful people with ambition such as senators, governors, and mayors all swarmed in. And what determined their worth was how close they could sit next to the president.


    In the end, politics was a war of seating.


    ¡°If the president butts in, we won¡¯t get a good picture, Sir.¡±


    Fitzgerald¡¯s aide expressed his disappointment.


    ¡°Be careful of what you say. You could get a bacsh for saying bad things about the president here.¡±


    Fitzgerald¡ªwho greeted other attendees and sat at his assigned seat¡ªcalmed his aide down. His seat wasn¡¯t close or far from the president. He was considered a presidential candidate, but the election hadn¡¯t started yet, and he had made a lot of enemies at the Senate hearing as well. Fitzgerald was at a disadvantageous position.


    ¡°You¡¯re here early, Fitz.¡±


    ¡°Nancy.¡±


    The woman sitting next to Fitzgerald was a Caucasian woman. She was also a senator who was aging well for her age.


    Nancy Brown.


    A person whose 50 years of age was considered young for senators. She had strong political influence, but she was elected in Virginia. Virginia was originally dominated by the Republicans, but they switched to being Democrats before changing to Republicans again following the Sao Paulo scandal.


    The reason why she was able to be a senator was that the senator of the democratic party was used of corruption. And it was quite difficult for a newly-elected candidate to win the election. So after she aplished that, she had a lot of bacshes as well.


    If Fitzgerald was the star of the Senate hearing, she was popr for being a female leader who used to be a prosecutor. During her years as a prosecutor, she had put many big criminals in jail. Among those were criminal organization heads, terrorists, as well as influential politicians. It was actually surprising that a feminist with many enemies was nominated by the Republicans, and it was almost a miracle that she was elected.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bad rumor going around, Fitz.¡±


    ¡°Rumor?¡±


    ¡°ording to my friend inw, there¡¯s a rumor going around iming that you have something to do with a murder incident.¡±


    ¡°Rumors are just rumors.¡±


    Fitzgerald made sure to keep a straight face. She was still going around being on top of things as a former prosecutor. The concealment that the president and senatormitted was an illegal act that even a grand jury would agree upon. It was buried under the word ¡°national security¡±, but the suspicion would chase them until they died.


    ¡®Do I have to give up the presidency...?¡¯


    If she knew about it, that meant all hispetitors knew too.


    ¡°The president has arrived! Please rise!¡±


    The president¡¯s arrival made them stop their stressful conversation.


    p, p-


    In response to the Americans who were pping for the president who was visiting New York for its citizens, President Davis responded with a smile. The president was even apanied by his wife and children. It was as if he was stressing that the terrorist attack was no big deal. He took over 20 minutes to rise to the podium.


    In response to the continuing apuse, President Davis looked very pleased. Central Park was filled with people. Among them were refugees who were hiding out as well as Americans who were volunteering to help.


    ¡°Thank you, America! Thank you!¡±


    Following the president¡¯s loud voice, the pping quieted down.


    ¡°New York and its citizens will not fall because of this! Also, our strong nation will not surrender to evil!¡±


    He managed to make their enemies into viins! What the Americans wanted was clear revenge against their enemies. They wanted to use America¡¯s strongest weapons to attack them, and they also wanted to send the special forces to hunt them down like animals.


    America longed for revenge. They no longer cared about the Sao Paulo scandal. That was because if a war broke out, casualties were bound to happen. Since America rose due to gunfire, they knew better than anyone that sacrifice was needed in order to win. Whether they liked it or not, the ones who were sacrificed were going to be presented as patriots.


    An Davis felt the heightened vibe. Today¡¯s disaster was going to make Americans band together, and he would lead that America and write a new history. The clear solution was always war. After their domination following World War II, America started a war at least every 10 years.


    The Korean war was like that, so was the Vietnam war, and Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well. War never ended in America. That was their essence.


    ¡®Okay! It¡¯s now time to give them hope!¡¯


    It was time to talk about how superior and strong America was, as well as talk about their shining future.


    Bang-


    It was the sound of a gunshot.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Something that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen took ce. Central Park, which was surrounded by security and the military, was like an imprable fortress. However, it was the president¡¯s security guards that dominated the president¡¯s security guards, and it was the FBI agents who threatened the FBI agents.


    ¡°Back off! Back off!¡±


    Once the gunshots went off, the whole ce turned into chaos. At this point, the secret service should have risked themselves to take the president to a safe ce, but he was already taken by unidentified assants.


    The politicians, businessmen, and other influential people were scared because of the gunfire.


    Those who couldn¡¯t run away from what happened almost instantaneously were seized by agents who were either in disguise or had switched sides. Before they could take a few breaths, everything ended.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    What surprised President Davis even more, was the calm face that he saw.


    ¡°Scott?¡±


    Scott Davis frowned when he heard his name.


    ¡°You despicable bastard.¡±


    He then raised his gun at the president and something unexpected happened once again. The unidentified assants¡¯ heads started to get blown off. They all fell over as if they were dominos. The agents who were looking for an opportunity tried to make a move, but James suddenly stopped them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    When people were going crazy at the shocking events, the person who stopped Scott¡¯s gun was none other than Captain America. The mask was a little different, but everyone knew that he was the same person from Macy¡¯s Department Store.


    ¡°What are you doing? Shoot that traitor! Shoot... Ugh!¡±


    Fitzgerald gathered up the courage to yell at the top of his lungs, but his showmanship didn¡¯tst long. Instead of shooting Scott, Ahn Soo Ho shot Fitzgerald in the foot.


    ¡°Shut up, Fitz. Before I shoot you in the mouth.¡±


    As soon as Fitzgerald sank to the ground, Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Scott.


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡±


    He changed his voice a little bit, but Scott still recognized who was behind the mask. As far as he knew, there was only one person in the whole world who could kill dozens of agents all by himself.


    ¡°Why? Do you really have no idea?¡±


    ¡°Was it because of Jina?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Those hypocrites killed my daughter!¡±


    His screaming rang through Central Park through a loudspeaker. Did Jina Davis notmit suicide? People started to mumble. Ahn Soo Ho suddenly pulled his trigger multiple times. James didn¡¯t see where it was pointed at, but he had a feeling. He grabbed those responsible and oppressed them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, you bastards! Put down your guns right now!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Scott.¡±


    They didn¡¯t know which direction, but they tried to pull the trigger. It was impossible to catch a sniper using a regr handgun. In case of strange circumstances, the VIPs were supposed to be taken to safety, but no one could lead the president away.


    ¡°Jina... was heartbroken that she was the only survivor. And then, when I heard that she ran in front of a car... yeah. I thought that could have been possible. However, I knew right away that Jina didn¡¯tmit suicide.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°In her will, there wasn¡¯t a single word of goodbye. My daughter wasn¡¯t a girl with no manners.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded. He first met Jina in Brazil, but from what he heard, she was a kind-hearted girl.


    ¡°Did you investigate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! And that¡¯s how I found out! That incapable president and a greedy political scumbag used my daughter as a scapegoat!¡±


    Scott waved his gun and pointed it at An Davis and Fitzgerald.


    ¡°You fucking assholes! I made you into the president, and I helped you enter politics, but you both targeted my daughter and killed her! Go to hell, you sons of bitches!¡±


    He was swearing at them with all his rage and hatred.


    ¡°After I made them into politicians, they insulted my daughter! Do you know how that feels? Huh?¡±


    Scott¡¯s rage and hatred were pointed at them as well as himself.


    ¡°In my life, I¡¯ve participated in many elections and seed too! Scandals, negative rumors, ckmail... Imitted all sorts of lowly things in my life! But I wasn¡¯t embarrassed to do them! That¡¯s because democracy does include evil! Freedom teaches us those horrible things are also our right!¡±


    Elections were the final decisions of those horrible things. Scott showed the people the end result of ambition and stressed choices that leaned toward evil. It didn¡¯t matter if people picked good or evil. Under democracy, all that mattered was if one were selected by the public or not.


    ¡°Dumb Americans! Rich people don¡¯t pay taxes! You know why? Because the politicians who take all the bribes made thews that way! Democrats? Republicans? Liberal? Conservatives? Those things don¡¯t matter if you have money, you stupid fools! The American Dream is dead!¡±


    Scott ridiculed all Americans in front of American television.


    ¡°The White House? The National Assembly? Those punks in DC aren¡¯t asking for your thoughts or opinions! They just want your checks, damn it! Don¡¯t you get it? They evade all those taxes while taking all of yours! ¡®We can do it? Let¡¯s change America?¡¯ That¡¯s bullshit that even my old mom can say!¡±


    How great would it be if people could change the world with words alone?


    ¡°And I¡¯m the one who put those assholes at the top in the first ce!¡±


    Scott despised politics while also believing that the essence of politics could win over evil. He believed that if he could look into evil, he could make sure that justice would prevail. However, he acknowledged his own failure today.


    ¡°I failed! I... was wrong.¡±


    And he was so ashamed that he couldn¡¯t handle it.


    ¡°Sacrifice... Sacrifice can¡¯t beforted with amemorative event. I found that out way toote.¡±


    He found out after he lost his beloved daughter.


    ¡°My daughter... Jina. She was a blessing that I didn¡¯t deserve. I thanked God for her.¡±


    She was a precious treasure that he got after two miscarriages.


    ¡°Sacrifice... Sacrifice isn¡¯t a given. It¡¯s wrong for society to think that¡¯s a given. The American way of living was over when the Vietnam War broke out. Racism? Antiwar movements? Protecting animals and the environment? Gender equality? We needed a new way of living after that. And we found it. The new rule of terrorist attacks.¡±


    The system of gaining profit from burning the world down in mes.


    ¡°Greedy capitalists! They always started wars! 911? The New York attack? Look around! This all has to do with money! Today, we fight over oil, and tomorrow, we¡¯ll fight over water! I guarantee it! One day, we¡¯ll even fight over air! And even then, we¡¯ll get tricked by the politicians and go to war for it!¡±


    The precondition of the strongest country in the world was the power to start wars.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed. I¡¯m so embarrassed. And you should all be embarrassed, too.¡±


    Scott not only pointed at the politicians but at the public as well.


    ¡°Fucking America! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡±


    Americans were no longer superior.


    Scott took a breath and looked at Captain America who was just listening. ¡®Fucking America¡¯ and Captain American was paradoxical. Ahn Soo Ho smirked behind his mask.


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I feel like I¡¯ve been born again.¡±


    Scott smiled brightly for the first time in a while.


    ¡°Do you still want to kill those two, Scott?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho pointed at President Davis and Fitzgerald with his chin, Scott shook his head.


    ¡°No. Maybe living on with the shame is better than just dying. It¡¯s too bad I can¡¯t see theirst moments though.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the people at Central Park who were watching. Since the cameras kept rolling, everyone was watching and hearing this shocking sight.


    ¡®The American Dream is dead!¡¯


    There wasn¡¯t a better headline for a newspaper¡¯s front page.


    ¡°Did you have to do all this?¡±


    ¡°I... can¡¯t live without my daughter.¡±


    ¡°What about Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know anything. Can you take care of her for me?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders, and Scott¡ªwho took that as a yes¡ªsmiled brightly once more.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Hisst words couldn¡¯t be heard because along with his smile, he pulled the trigger on himself.


    Bang-


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    As soon as people screamed, the secret service pulled the president and others off the podium and pulled them to safety. It was as if time had stopped, and it had started again.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The world was awake, and it was shocked once more.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 121 ¨C New York Catastrophe [1] > The end.

 Chapter 123: < Protect – Episode 122 – New York Catastrophe [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 123: < Protect ¨C Episode 122 ¨C New York Catastrophe [2] ></h4>


    ¡®I¡¯m going crazy here!¡¯


    This was what the Americans were saying in their heads.


    What happened in Central Park in New York was the biggest catastrophe in history. All the Americans who were watching TV or listening to the radio probably felt like passing out. And it wasn¡¯t anyone else but Scott Davis, who put President Davis in the White House, who made the usations. On top of that, the star of the Senate hearing¡ªFitzgerald¡ªwas also mentioned as a part of the conspiracy, which was even more shocking than the Sao Paulo scandal and the New York terrorist attackbined.


    How low could politics get? As soon as the corruption within the White House and the National Assembly got out, the rted persons who were keeping their mouth shut finally started to speak. In this storm, nothing could be stopped anymore.


    Jina Davis didn¡¯tmit suicide! She was killed! The Ministry of Justice was silenced with money!


    What¡¯s even more shocking is that the ones responsible are the family of a soldier who fought in Brazil!


    Evidence has been found that Fitzgerald¡¯s advisor instigated the whole thing! The FBI and CIA were also involved in concealment!


    Did a thing such as justice even exist that night?


    An Davis resigned from his position as the president.


    The FBI and the prosecutor¡¯s office charged the former president with obstruction of justice and abuse of power. Senator Fitzgerald was charged with all of the above as well as perjury. While those who were involved were being summoned, the federal grand jury scheduled a hearing. Fitzgerald was set to be the star of the hearing once again, but what was funny was that he would be the one answering the questions this time instead of the one asking them.


    Scottmitted suicide in front of everybody.


    Whether the president was good or bad, people thought he should have been considered a terrorist for attacking the president, but most thought he was more of a whistleblower. Scott was called a patriot for his disobedience. They thought that in order to stop the crime of someone as powerful as the president, he had no choice but tomit an illegal crime.


    America and its citizens were very shocked.


    They probably had no idea that their system fell to such a new low. Those who were supposed to be monitoring the politicians were busy sucking up to them at their feet. What could such a corrupt monitoring system do at this point? The Democratic Party who held the power, as well as the Republican Party, didn¡¯t know what to do with this case. That was because no matter what people said about An Davis, he was a president chosen by the Democratic Party, and Fitzgerald was a Republican senator who was a candidate for the presidency.


    ¡°Did you mean to just let Scott talk, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just wanted to show that I have manners too. Scott Davis... was a good friend.¡±


    They weren¡¯t actually that close. But on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s client list wasn¡¯t Scott, but his wife¡ªCharlotte.


    ¡°What do you think will happen next, Nancy?¡±


    ¡°Our country doesn¡¯t have the guilty-by-association system... but Charlotte will probably have a hard time. Somebody is bound to try to put the responsibility of the New York tragedy on Scott.¡±


    Nancy Brownughed bitterly and sipped her wine. If the Democratic Party had abandoned An Davis, the Republican Party would have abandoned Fitzgerald as well. If he hadn¡¯t resigned from his post, the impeachment process would have begun, and 99.9% would have been impeached. That was a political risk that no one could handle.


    ¡°What if I decide to protect her?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to stop them from calling witnesses?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Scottmitted suicide.


    If he had been arrested instead of dying, the situation would have been much worse. It was not right to do this to a woman who lost both her daughter and husband, but the American government probably would have ripped the Davis family to shreds. That was because depending on how they view it, it could very well be perceived as a family fight within the Davis household.


    ¡°Rumors about the Davis family will probably starting out. They¡¯ll ruin Scott¡¯s reputation and make him into a viin. The fact that he was an election strategist will probably not look very good to the public.¡±


    ¡°He confessed that he had failed right in front of the cameras. There¡¯s no better source than that. Did the Republican party get to work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did.¡±


    The Republican Party already started to kill off Scott.


    ¡°Since they obtained medical records of his depression and psychiatric consultations, they will suspect that he was a mental patient. That will be the beginning.¡±


    If many people worked together, making a person into a mental patient was not a hard task. They would probably have interviews with schools that he went to as well as his past business partners and obtain information that would benefit them. Since creating scandals, negative rumors, and using ckmail was Scott¡¯s specialty, this situation couldn¡¯t have been any more ironic.


    ¡®What goes aroundes around.¡¯


    Or this could just be how things work in politics.


    ¡°Not Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I made a promise.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made a promise to Scott that he would take care of Charlotte.


    ¡°The public wants a scapegoat.¡±


    ¡°Was Jina Davis¡¯ wrongful death not enough?¡±


    ¡°Her death was unfortunate... but Scott definitely went too far.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed quietly, but his smile was big as ever.


    ¡°If I were him, I wouldn¡¯t have stopped there.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Nancy groaned loudly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. I¡¯m being very generous to America right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that and thankful for it.¡±


    The reason why he got involved in this was that he loved his subordinate, and his job wasn¡¯t over just yet. He was just taking a break. Logically speaking, one might have wondered if he was taking it too far, but he was someone who could kill snipers with a regr handgun. It was highly likely that the rumors going around about him were true.


    ¡®A person with supernatural powers.¡¯


    The rumors about him having supernatural powers helped him out this time around.


    ¡°Leave Charlotte alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deliver the message.¡±


    ¡°You can use my name if you want, Nancy. Just make it happen.¡±


    She smiled brightly. This might have been what she was hoping to hear. If she could be Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stand-in, that would help her as a newly-elected member of the National Assembly. Since the powerful Senator Fitzgerald was out of the picture, the power structure within the party was bound to change.


    ¡°Then what about the Democratic Party?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, here hees.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped talking and pointed behind Nancy with his chin. The person who showed up dressed in a suit was none other than James ck. However, he had shaved off all his facial hair and looked like a middle-aged man.


    ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°No, this is our first time meeting.¡±


    ¡°Then say hello.¡±


    The way his muscles protruded out of his suit would make anyone feel nervous. James ck said hello to Nancy Brown.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go through you two to speak with and make negotiations with the American government. But just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m not your superior. We¡¯re kind of like business partners.¡±


    ¡°Will other people see it that way, too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for you and Nancy to worry about. Okay, then. Let¡¯s start with our first matter of business.¡±


    ¡°Not the Charlotte issue?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I want to have free ess to the US Armed Forces facilities in Korea.¡±


    It was possible that the vibe in Korea was partly responsible for Michael¡¯s ridiculous death. Even if he had no reason to use guns, he shouldn¡¯t have cked off. He was going to make a training camp in the Philippines, but it didn¡¯t make sense for him to fly all the way there just to practice his shooting.


    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s possible to just give it to you but not other civilians.¡±


    ¡°I called you two so that I can make that happen.¡±


    ¡°What do we get out of this?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you want, show me what you¡¯re capable of first.¡±


    ******


    After the New York terrorist attack, Han Chae Kyung¡¯s name became very well known. At first, she was called the private jet girl after she got on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s private jet, but after she provided a safe house for the refugees of the New York terrorist attack, she became known as an angel who was beautiful both inside and out.


    As a result of the New York catastrophe at Central Park, America was going through the same candlelit vigil situation that Korea went through a few months earlier. Despite the resistance of thew enforcement authorities, the vigils kept on going, and one Koreanizen introduced the vigils as a Korean export on YouTube and became a hot topic of conversation.


    One anti-American even said Korea and America were very much alike when it came to corruption. On the inte, America was being ridiculed more harshly than ever before. The true enemy of the world wasn¡¯t the Imic terrorists, but the capitalists who took the citizens¡¯ money.


    There were many posts criticizing capitalists before the incident as well, butpared to that, it had really exploded this time. Everyone who hated the States pounced at the opportunity. When one extreme thing happened, it was expected that other extremes would follow. In contrast to those who were anti-American, there were also those who were iming that the Americans¡¯ belief was correct and understandable.


    Those who were on America¡¯s side and stressing nationalism were extreme Christians. Those who were against America were the antichrist, and the Imic terrorists were the evil forces trying to overturn Heaven. But an even bigger problem was the autochthonic terrorists also known as the lonely wolves, and these guys were rarely caught even by the intelligence agencies.


    That was because instead of being in an organization formed by a religion or awork, they were lonely terrorists who acted alone. What if a person wanted to go to a shopping mall one day and shoot a gun? Or what if a person wanted to go to a school and shoot them down? What if a person wanted to blow up a workce that fired him or her unjustly? A white person who wants to burn down Harlem and a ck person who wanted to burn down Wall Street. There were many people who wanted to blow up City Hall because they didn¡¯t want to pay taxes.


    Scott Davis¡¯ terror failed.


    However, his failure that was broadcasted on TV made the American government anxious while making the lonely wolves more inspired and courageous. ¡®Fucking America! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡¯ The New York catastrophe was still taking ce. Among a candlelight vigil, someone set a bomb and killed and injured dozens of people.


    The martialw restricted freedom, but with the president resigning and the White House being full of criminals, there was no way the country could function normally. As soon as the incapable vice-president took power, the country went out of control. It was uncertain whether Scott should have been praised for putting such fools in the White House, or if the Democratic Party and the Americans should have been insulted for being so easily fooled.


    Whether America was on the edge of a cliff or not, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care.


    He was busy participating in an interview held at Kim Na Hee¡¯s cleaned up residence in New York. They were Korean reporters who wanted to speak to Han Chae Kyung. KBS, MBC, SBS, Yeonhap News were a few of them, and there were many newspapers as well. What was funny was that the star, Han Chae Kyung was pushed to the back while Ahn Soo Ho got all the questions.


    Q: There are rumors iming you¡¯re Captain America. What do you have to say about that?¡±


    A: Nonsense.


    Q. What about the rumors iming that you and Han Chae Kyung are in a rtionship?


    A: Bullshit.


    Q: What about the rumors iming that you caused the New York terrorist attack with a Middle East rich man?


    A: That¡¯s absolute bullshit.


    Q: There are also rumors iming that Hosoo Entertainment Group will be buying Holly Corporation.


    A: Oh! That¡¯s a new one!


    That was generally how the interview went.


    When Ahn Soo Ho was told that a guest arrived, he left the busy living room. They weren¡¯t there to interview him in the first ce. He was just caught at the wrong time. They smacked their lips at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s exit and then put their focus back on the star of the interviews.


    ¡°Why is it so noisy?¡±


    ¡°Reporters are here.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are we having a formal press conference?¡±


    ¡°No, not the Yankees. They¡¯re from Korea.¡±


    If James ck was a muscr man even in his middle years, Scott Warren was a dandy man who was aging well. People wondered if his style was that of any Hollywood producer. However, in Ahn Soo Hoh¡¯s eyes, he just looked like a cheater.


    ¡°What about your divorce?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bring it up. It¡¯s annoying me like crazy.¡±


    Scott lied down on the couch.


    ¡°I knew this would happen since you only looked for young women.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You¡¯re dating Miss Jang.¡±


    ¡°Our love is real.¡±


    Scott scoffed and then chugged a bottle of liquor that was beside him.


    ¡°How much are you going to give me.¡±


    ¡°How much do you need?¡±


    They both got right to the point.


    ¡°Seven bills.¡±


    ¡°700 million dors? You lost that much?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to make a new investment.¡±


    ¡°Is there a ce where Holly Corporation could grow more?¡±


    Holly Corporation was a very bigpany worth 500 million dors for market capitalization alone. One out of five sessful stars of the American entertainment industry was under this agency. Seeing how they had a system of mainly using personal managers, they had always been a distinct group.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not telling you to invest in Holly Corporation. The old men of the Academy and Grammy Awards mighte with a lot of money, but they hate any investor who¡¯s not American.¡±


    ¡°Because of Japan?¡±


    During the 1980s, half of America¡¯s industries were attacked by Japanese brands and Americans who didn¡¯t know very much jolted away at the sound of Japan. They sessfully put a leash on Japan with the za Agreement a few yearster, but that was after the Japanese capital swept North America a few times already.


    Hollywood received a big blow as well. If one looked through movies made in the 1980s, one could see the cities in those movies being swarmed with Japanese neon signs and street food in the future. This was what made people scared, that all of America would be overflowing with Japanese products in the near future.


    ¡°Yeah. Sony, for example.¡±


    In America¡¯s entertainment industry, Asian corporations also took up a portion in music and film. Foreigners thought that the actors, singers,edians, and producers of Hollywood were very progressive, but the American entertainment industry was more conservative and suffered the most racismpared to any other profitable groups. For that reason, Sony¡¯s appearance was like a rebellion.


    ¡°But the old men are out of their minds right now. This might be the right time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing some impure intentions.¡±


    After going to court for his consensual divorce, Scott had to cough up a lot of money for alimony.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°How much did you lose?¡±


    ¡°One and a half.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    150 million dors? No matter how rich Scott was, losing that much meant he had to sell his stocks or something of that nature. American banks didn¡¯t let their clients keep their cash, but rather made them ¡°invest¡± it by selling all sorts of financial products. In contrast to Korea, where any money you kept at a bank umted interest, America charged extra money to set up the ount as well as keep them open. That didn¡¯t apply to the VIPs, but most civilians could only open ounts with a minimum.


    ¡°What new investment can you make with 700 million dors? You can¡¯t do anything in the film industry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s invest together and make apany, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to leave Holly Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there some kind ofpetition prevention use?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave something like that in my contract. Holly Corporation is apany that I made.¡±


    What was sad was that it was no longer his, due to his divorce. Ahn Soo Ho nodded. If Scott wanted to leave thepany, he was ready to wee him with open arms.


    ¡°Then what about L?¡±


    ¡°I already took care of that. She can just stay in Korea. If you let her enter Hosoo Entertainment, there shouldn¡¯t be any legal issues with that either.¡±


    ¡°You must be really mad at those old men, Scott.¡±


    ¡°I found out that she was instigated to approach me with intent.¡±


    ¡°Who? Your fourth wife?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed his finger andughed at him.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Heughed for a very long time.


    He hadn¡¯t had much chance tough so freely in a long time, but this time he could. He wiped his tears away and pat Scott on his shoulders.


    ¡°Will 700 million dors be enough? I¡¯ll invest 70 billion.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    In response to what Ahn Soo Ho said, Scott almost choked.


    ¡°Cough! What? 70 billion? 70 billion dors?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a coward, Scott.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±


    When converted to Korean won, that was 80 trillion won.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go bankrupt or have some kind of liquidity problems? How are you going to get so much money?¡±


    He tried to talk around it, but when Ahn Soo Ho announced his retirement, there were rumors that he went bankrupt.


    ¡°Barbara Huxley.¡±


    ¡°The money queen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯ll give it to us.¡±


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his ss and whispered.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to die, she¡¯ll hand it over.¡±


    70 billion US dors.


    That was how much Barbara Huxley¡¯s life was worth ording to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s calctions.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 122 ¨C New York Catastrophe [2] > The end.

 Chapter 124: < Protect – Episode 123 – New York Grand Festival [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 124: < Protect ¨C Episode 123 ¨C New York Grand Festival [1] ></h4>


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How did I get in here? They just let me in.¡±


    She was wearing big sunsses and a huge floppy hat, but he wasn¡¯t so slow that he didn¡¯t recognize his own girlfriend. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Jang Seol Hyun and sighed.


    ¡°What about your movie?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even started shooting yet.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Did something go wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s how movies are. The smallest problems lead to postponement. It¡¯s not something you or thepany should worry about.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but how did youe to New York? Do nes evene here?¡±


    After the New York terrorist attack, it was almost impossible to get a flight flying into the city. That wasn¡¯t a problem with the airlines, but rather the administration who didn¡¯t give permission for flights.


    ¡°I took a private jet.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m... Never mind.¡±


    There was no point in asking her about all the details. Since she took the private jet here, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to just let it be. The problem was that Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯te alone.


    ¡°Yo!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°She said she had toe.¡±


    ¡°America is my home country!¡±


    L also showed up in big sunsses and a floppy hat.


    ¡°So what? Are you going to have a concert in New York or something?¡±


    ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You crazy wench.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho identally spoke his mind. New York was currently in a pandemonium. It was the definition of chaos as a result of dissatisfaction of yesterday, worry for tomorrow, and madness of today. After the New York catastrophe, the city was receiving words such as ¡°Pray for New York¡± and ¡°God Bless America¡±, but that also slowed down.


    They were previouslyforting New York, but they were now talking about the harmful effects of democracy. Newspapers started to cover their front pages with ¡°End the American Dream!¡± and in the frontline of it all was China.


    Future forum! If air starts being taxed, the final objective is China!


    Another expression for air tax is a carbon tax. The air war has already begun!


    Great China! 1.4 billion Chinese can dominate the world!


    America¡¯s next war opponent will be China or North Korea!


    The revolutionary Scott Davis made the image of capitalists even worse than before. The gap between the rich and the poor was a problem that existed all over the world. The biggest problem of prization was going to be division, and the gap between the rich and the poor ultimately led to civil wars.


    What rich people feared the most were poor people who could hop over the fence with a knife or a bat. Illegality and nows might look the same, but the precondition waspletely different. People whomitted illegal acts could be arrested and punished, but not the ouws. That was why the ones with money and power wanted political power that led to making a judicial system.


    If there was no governmental authority, there wouldn¡¯t be rich people either. Why? Because people were formed by jealousy and envy. Without the power to control thew, rich people were just victims of the poor. If one rich person went down, 10,000 poor people could live on.


    ¡°I want to heal people with my music.¡±


    ¡°Are you Minmay or something?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho was young, he was watching a Japanese cartoon and almost kicked the TV. Lynn Minmay was the start of frustrating heroines. Come to think of it, Minmay was Chinese. The reason why Japan had fantasies about the continent back in the 1980s might have been thanks to Hong Kong movies.


    From the 80s to early 90s, Hong Kong movies were at their prime. Once China came back, they became forgotten for some reason, but there were fantasies about Chinese actors and singers. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t a major fan, but at one point, even he thought Wang Jo Hyun was beautiful.


    ¡°Minmay?¡±


    ¡°No, never mind.¡±


    ¡°Did you find a new girlfriend already? Seol Hyun, he must have had another woman... Agh!¡±


    He quickly grabbed L and choked her by the neck. It was a skill that soldiers and police officers used. Jang Seol Hyun left the two alone and said hello to Han Chae Kyung.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m older, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Since Han Chae Kyung and L were the same age, Jang Seol Hyun was two years older than her.


    ¡°I enjoyed your interview... Chae Kyung. You did a good deed.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I could only do it because of Uncle¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Do you... call him your uncle?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s face softened up. Even though her movie got postponed, she still had a lot of ces to go to and things to do. So the only reason why she came all the way to the States was because of Han Chae Kyung. Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t suspicious of Ahn Soo Ho. The ones she didn¡¯t trust were the hyenas who were after her man.


    p, p¡ª


    The person who calmed down the chaos was someone unexpected. It was Scott Warren who came in pping his hands.


    ¡°Scott!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! You got so heavy... Ugh!¡±


    After getting out of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s grip, L ran into Scott¡¯s arms. He was the one who made L into the star she was today. Scott joked around, got hit by L, pretended it hurt, and then let her back down.


    ¡°You seem healthy.¡±


    ¡°Did you break up with that bitch?¡±


    Scottughed at her unexpected words. L often called his fourth wife a bitch. Before the divorce, she often got mad. It appears that even L had instincts that allowed her to read the nature of other women.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the ending stages.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough money, ask Soo HO to lend you some.¡±


    ¡°I already talked to him actually.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    As soon as L nced over, Ahn Soo Ho stuck up his middle finger.


    ¡°Why are you back?¡±


    ¡°Because I heard L came back.¡±


    Scott was just about to leave New York after meeting up with Ahn Soo Ho when he heard that L wasing back to America. There were many stars that he raised, but L was special.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°We have to hold a concert in New York.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at L with a dumbfounded face. The star and management were on the same page. But in contrast to L who wanted to do it for pure intentions, Scott was doing it for darker reasons.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I need you to protect her.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Scott smacked his lips because of the quick rejection he got. He had already seen thising and made negotiations with the authorities.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous even with security though... Will anyone want to participate?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on our citizens, my friend. We might end up getting defeated, but that won¡¯t make us back down.¡±


    Scott believed that American didn¡¯t know how to surrender before putting up a fight.


    ¡°Even if people point at us and curse, we¡¯ll get back up, Soo Ho. In the end, we¡¯ll win like we always have.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some impressive confidence you got there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re America, after all.¡±


    It was possible for the American Dream to end, but it was impossible to kill the Americans¡¯ pride. It was possible to cut down a reputation, but the reputation that had already been built throughout history were immortal. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t try to talk him out of it. He wasn¡¯t the type to listen anyway, and he was a true American who thought America was great.


    Scott had a good sense as a producer.


    He knew what Americans liked. Despite being gathered in thest minute, technical staff, broadcasting teams, dancers, and many others gathered in New York in no time. Ahn Soo Ho was sincerely in awe. Was this why America was America? He thought they would still be scared, but they confidently stepped up in front of all the guns.


    ¡®Pray for New York!¡¯


    ¡®God Bless America!¡¯


    As if those two slogans weren¡¯t enough, Scott added a third one.


    ¡®We are the world!¡¯


    Depending on the situation, a strong person¡¯s weak side was capable of winning sympathy points. America¡¯s weapons weren¡¯t weapons and money alone. The influence of America¡¯s Hollywood controlled countless stars and the public was easily swayed by what the celebrities said and did. In contrast to journalists who criticized America, the star power that Scott mobilized quickly rose up.


    Prayer for peace in the world!


    The stars have gathered! New York Love & Peace!


    Stars holding candles have all gathered in New York!


    Humanism won over terror! Here¡¯s the lineup! This is L¡¯seback!


    The media that enjoyed disputes the most was the American media. Their patience while getting attacked by their external environment onlysted a few days. The counterattacks of the American media weren¡¯t against politics, but it rather started with Hollywood. The messages or encouragement started up again once producer Scott Warren announced his ns to hold a grand concert.


    The performance wasn¡¯t only opening in New York.


    The performance somehow expanded to cover all of America, and for the Americans who couldn¡¯t be in New York, performances were also being held in Houston Texas, Seattle Washington, Denver Colorado, Miami Florida, Chicago Illinois, Los Angeles California, and Washington D.C.


    Scott who was in charge of it all excluded support from sponsors. In addition, the musicians and dancers who were performing weren¡¯t going to get paid, and he was only going to pay for setting up the stages. The participants epted that. Money wasn¡¯t important. Following the Watergate Scandal and the political scandal, the American president resigned. That left a painful scar in not just New York but all of America.


    And the American government lifted the martialw.


    The performance ns somewhat went against the policy, and that was kind of like a victory for the citizens. People gathered on the streets. The stage wasn¡¯t perfect. Even the waiting room and the broadcasting environment was poor. Everything was a mess, but everyone was cheering instead ofining.


    Scott gave all of the security guards Captain America masks. It was like a performance that said Captain America was protecting the performance. As a result, some of the citizens also dressed up as heroes and attended the performance.


    ¡°Everybody, scream!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The festival started as soon as the sun came up.


    The festival advanced to something that even spread to London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and even Rome where the terrorist attack took ce. Whether they were famous or not, magicians participated by singing and dancing, and even actors andedians performed.


    All Scott Warren did was prepare the base.


    All he did was lead people who were tired of all the terror, scandals, and depressing news. What did this mean? The young people who rejected boredom won over terror with their energy. That was because people instinctively looked for fun. Entertainment wasn¡¯t rationality but rather instinct and in a world ruled by fear, it was even more effective.


    The climax of the festival began once the sun went down.


    The no-name stars performed during the day and once the sun started to set, the superstars started toe out. It all began with rappers who were dominating the American hip-hop scene. On a day like this, there weren¡¯t any dissing battles. The messages in their raps were simple. ¡®If you want to shoot your gun, go ahead. If you want to throw bombs, go ahead. But we¡¯re just going to dance and sing.¡¯


    The camera zoomed in on the VIP seats which were filled with actors and other famous people. Broadcasters, supermodels, athletes, and famous people of many other industries. It was finally time for the princess of pop, L to perform, but they held a break right before her performance. If this was a normal concert, they would have entertained the audience with a newbie singer, but this time, the person who got up on stage was none other than Scott Warren.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    He was a producer who was just as popr as the stars. He was a producer who pretty much had his own brand. The pioneer that all Americans loved. The producer¡¯s appearance made everyone go wild with apuse. Scott picked up the mic but continued to enjoy that scene.


    ¡°Thank you, America! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    As soon as the pping quieted down, Scott made a silly face to parody someone else, and the audience immediately recognized it.


    ¡°Hello, New York, Rome, and all the other cities as well as their citizens!¡±


    There was a short tribute.


    ¡°As you all probably know, I¡¯ve divorced my fourth wife.¡±


    Scott whispered the word ¡°bitch¡± but that went through the mic and everyone ended up hearing it.


    ¡°Oops!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°Please pretend you didn¡¯t hear that. Mywyer can¡¯t find out about this.¡±


    The audience burst intoughter.


    ¡°A few days ago, someone with a simr name said ¡®fucking America¡¯ right here.¡±


    The New York performance was purposely arranged to take ce in Central Park.


    ¡°I agree with that actually. Because I hate the divorcews here. And I¡¯m not just saying that because I got ripped off.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Scott started off with humor, but his face quickly turned serious.


    ¡°Fucking America is right! Our country has a lot of problems. However, I can¡¯t agree with one thing. America isn¡¯t great? That¡¯s not true. It is. Why, you ask? Because anyone can say ¡°fucking America¡±. Okay, everyone together! Fucking America!¡±


    ¡°Fucking America!¡±


    ¡°Fucking America!¡±


    Scott Warren understood Scott Davis while also not agreeing with some of the things he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable to hate politicians. Despite our politics being a vicious cycle, it¡¯s still the best thing for America. And there¡¯s one solution for these problems. We just have to monitor our politicians better. It¡¯s true. Money can¡¯t solve all our problems. However, it can solve many.¡±


    America¡¯s foundation¡ªwhich was democracy¡ªwas attacked. His opinion as someone who wasn¡¯t in finance or economics was less credible but more powerful than if it was said by a Nobel prize winner.


    ¡°I like money!¡±


    Scott pointed the mic at the audience.


    ¡°I like money!¡±


    His yelling rang through New York.


    ¡°But what did I do? I went bankrupt after putting on this performance.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Scott took out his pockets and made a silly face.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m no ordinary person. I might have divorced four times, but I haven¡¯t died just yet. So I went to an investor and asked for 700 million dors. But do you know what he said in response?¡±


    Scott paused for a moment before he continued.


    ¡°Heughed at me and asked what I would do with such little money. Heughed down at Scott Warren. So I asked him how much he could give me. Do you know what he said?¡±


    This time, he didn¡¯t pause.


    ¡°That¡¯s... a confidential secret!¡±


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    ¡°As a hint... it¡¯s a number that none of you could imagine. Are you really curious?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then let me invite the investor to the stage right now!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The camera and lighting pointed at the VIP seats. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t frowning because of the strong light. He was taken aback by this unexpected situation. If Jang Seol Hyun hadn¡¯t pushed him, he would have just left the performance. As soon as he went up, Scott smiled at him.


    ¡°He looks familiar, right? He¡¯s the guy who was in a scandal with L!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Everyone cheered at the introduction.


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    In response to Scott¡¯s question, he took the mic.


    ¡°Fucking America!¡±


    What started with ¡°fucking America¡± led to what people call nigger English from Harlem. After that, the ck rappers stormed out and started dancing.


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been born again.¡±


    He felt like this was d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Once he got the cue that the preparations wereplete, Scott yelled at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Laaaaaa!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 123 ¨C New York Grand Festival [1] > The end.

 Chapter 125: < Protect – Episode 124 – New York Grand Festival [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 125: < Protect ¨C Episode 124 ¨C New York Grand Festival [2] ></h4>


    Princess of Pop


    10 idols


    20 wannabes


    L was an icon that resonated with all races and gender, and as a result, she was a walking advertisement who could sell anything just by wearing it. As expected, advertisers came looking for her with lots of money. With the ticket money from the canceled North American tour excluded, she made 30 million US dors with just advertisements alone, which stirred up the media.


    ¡°Laaaaaa!¡±


    Not a single person looked down upon L¡¯s skills just because she was young. Even the anti-fans acknowledged her singing and dancing ability. She was a born singer who had a voice that could seduce just about anyone. She didn¡¯t have a particr technique. She just sang from her heart.


    ¡°When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary.¡±


    The lyrics of ¡®You Raise Me Up¡¯ made everyone go silent. She had a sweet voice, but the audience could sense the power behind her singing. Did allmemorative songs have to be reverent? Scott Warren¡¯s performance was enjoyable from beginning to end. The family of victims might have been displeased by it, but he wanted to bring his country back up.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to insult those who lost their lives. There were many divas who couldfort the damaged, but he believed that L was the only one who could move all Americans regardless of their gender or age.


    ¡°You raise me up... To more than I can be... Come on!¡±


    When people thought the song would stay calm, L called upon dancers in short shorts and tank tops. November was usually cold. But the heat of the performance didn¡¯t know how to calm down.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    What appeared between the pping American g was none other than a circus. A circus that should have been in Las Vegas showed off beautiful acrobatics which made both the cameras and people very entertained.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    After that, soldiers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, taxi drivers, and electricians appeared. They were just dressed up dancers, but the dancers were a diverse group of people which proved that they were representing the America of today. The climax of the show was the appearance of Arabians wearing traditional clothes.


    The priest standing at the very front took a step forward. Did they fight? Not at all. They looked at each other and then hugged. After that, the American g pped once more. Revenge was going to take ce. However, one couldn¡¯t hate all Muslims. L put her arm around a Turkish singer on stage and sang together.


    ¡°How impressive.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped with sincerity. No one stood a chance against the Yankees when it came to showmanship. Even if that was hypocrisy, the Americans¡¯ endless effort to turn ideal scenarios into reality was something that had to be praised.


    ¡°If you make all of Im into your enemy, you can¡¯t do business.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s different from China?¡±


    ¡°For China... it¡¯s okay as long as the Communist Party is under control. Our superiority isn¡¯t just with finance and the military, after all.¡±


    No matter how powerful China was, it was all okay since the Communist Party was under coaxed. Scott minded Ahn Soo Ho and then asked him a question.


    ¡°Are you really going to invest 70 billion won, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°I do! But... I just want to make sure.¡±


    The reason why Scott turned down all the sponsors was that he trusted Ahn Soo Ho. Wall Street was in the process of escaping panic and Ahn Soo Ho somehow became the white knight who would recover the crashed stock market. He hadn¡¯t moved any funds just yet, but the announcement of Scott and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s coboration caused a positive effect, and within a few days of the terrorist attack, the market started to recover.


    Was that why? Ahn Soo Ho became the cover of the New York Times, and the public showed favorable responses to the rich foreign man. He was epted by American society in an instant. That was different from the secret gatherings of the upper ss. A person who was only famous in Asia suddenly became a worldwide superstar.


    Korea was the most excited of them all.


    ¡®He¡¯s Ahnsour no more! He¡¯s now Ahnfeller or Ahnchild!¡¯


    Whenever they mentioned rich people of global scale, they always used Rockefeller and Rothschild as parodies. That meant Mansour was no longer effective. Some even raised the question of where he got all his capital. Since someone who wasn¡¯t even from a rich family had money in the trillions, it was normal to be suspicious.


    Some Korean people even reported Ahn Soo Ho to the National Tax Service asking them to expose any kind of tax evasion. Ahn Soo Ho, who got a Korean newspaper delivered in New Yorkughed bitterly.


    It¡¯s highly likely that hemitted tax evasion!


    Is Hosoo Entertainment staying quiet to CEO Ahn¡¯s tax evasion?


    National Tax Service is preparing an exnation!


    There are reports iming that they have connections with Ahn Soo Ho!


    Jang Seol Hyun stole the newspaper and threw it in the trash.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that nonsense.¡±


    ¡°You sure do a good job ignoring bullshit.¡±


    ¡°You get used to it. It¡¯s kind of cute if you think about it.¡±


    Trash news was cute? The media¡¯s tendency to report on anything even if it wasn¡¯t true had been a problem for a really long time. After the performance the day before, New York was vibrant once again. It was almost like magic. Magic that even got the least motivated people to work. The way it wasn¡¯t cold or hot was the same vibe that New York had before the terrorist attack.


    ¡°Director Navarros will take care of the tax evasion issue, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded in response. He trusted Daniel with it. That was why he hired him in the first ce. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯splicated asset structure wasn¡¯t something that could be handled by any financial consultant. Ahn Soo Ho, who was nning to leave America soon asked Jang Seol Hyun about her schedule. Her movie was postponed, but that didn¡¯t mean she had free time.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to follow L around for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Not for tourism but for a concert? That¡¯ll be tiring.¡±


    L¡¯s canceled North American tour came back to life. Her strong will to give courage and hope to Americans, as well as Scott Warren¡¯s business skills, created an impressive result. And it wasn¡¯t just an independent concert. She was going to work with other musicians for an epic coboration.


    ¡°I feel like this might be myst vacation before we get married...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so modest. Mrs. Park isn¡¯t that inflexible.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°Just trust me. She¡¯s a pretty feisty character.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t making fun of his mother. Ahn Soo Ho perceived Mrs. Park Ok Nam to be a fairly open-minded mother. A lot of things have changed, but 10 years ago were no different. There were many negative stereotypes about celebrity daughters-inw.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to take care of her?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at the secretary. As Hosoo Entertainment and Ahn Soo Ho became more famous, more attention was put on Jang Seol Hyun as well.


    ¡°A total of 15 security guards will operate in a three-shift system to take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Which management?¡±


    ¡°If the men from our group are pulled out, Holly Corporation will help.¡±


    ¡°Make sure it¡¯s handled well... Sorry, but what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was staring at the secretary this whole time, asked for her name.


    ¡°Ahn Mi Young.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before, haven¡¯t we, Ms. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have.¡±


    He changed his tone in response.


    ¡°Are you Chul Hyun¡¯s daughter, Mi Young?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Mi Young acknowledged it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown very beautiful, Mi Young. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    Ahn Chul Hyun was his cousin, and he was higher up in the family tree, but Ahn Chul Hyun was much older in age. He remembered hearing that his second daughter entered a foreign university a few years back. Did she not get stic surgery? She still had the same face she had when she was little.


    ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my cousin, Ahn Chul Hyun¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then I guess I can follow you around. You¡¯re older than me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Ahn Mi Young, who was 28 years old this year, mumbled her answer. The truth was she partly wanted to be recognized. However, a new employee being close to the owner was something that could cause a bacsh. She knew that. But the fact that she wanted to depend on her blood rtions was also true.


    ¡®Did she put her in on purpose?¡¯


    There was no way Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t know this.


    Since Hosoo Entertainment Group was beginning to open its doors to blood rtions, friendships, and academic ties, she should¡¯ve been cautious since she was the chief secretary. If Jang Seol Hyun became the CEO¡¯s wife, other Ahn¡¯s and Jang¡¯s were bound to start joining. That was something that couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    After taking care of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s schedule, he went to City Hall to resolve two more things. The current mayor of New York was a Democrat. The northeastern States was the traditional field of the progressives. But with the New York catastrophe, it was finally possible for things to turn over to the Republicans.


    ¡°Shirley.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    New York¡¯s mayor was surprisingly a ck woman.


    ¡°How was the funeral?¡±


    ¡°It went fine. Thanks for asking.¡±


    Her expression of gratitude meant a lot of things. After the vice mayor¡¯s death, many famous people of New York died with him. Considering what they went through, City Hall was surprisingly calm. The New York grand festival was partly responsible for that, but the one whose most responsible was Wall Street¡¯s chaotic recovery. However, what Ahn Soo Ho was here for was far from the stability of New York.


    ¡°How¡¯s Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°Hm. How much do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me the truth, Shirley.¡±


    She tapped her desk with her fingers and then asked her secretary and advisor to leave.


    ¡°The leader of the Democratic Party wants to make Scott into a viin.¡±


    He had seen thating.


    ¡°They were nning to summon Charlotte as a witness. Until you got involved, that is.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to pay for it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that... Some of the leaders think you should be summoned by the grand jury.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    The New York mayor shook her head violently.


    Putting Ahn Soo Ho out as the grand jury¡¯s witness? She didn¡¯t want to imagine what horrible thing could happen next. It was best to keep a ticking time bomb as far as possible. At times like these, she was relieved that he wasn¡¯t American. If he was, there was no way he would have been able to avoid being summoned.


    ¡°Are you willing to meet Charlotte, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. In any case, I just let Scottmit suicide. She probably won¡¯t forgive me. Not right now, at least.¡±


    ¡°How ironic.¡±


    The person Charlotte couldn¡¯t forgive was mobilizing the huge ship that was America and threatened both political parties. The New York mayor suddenly changed topics.


    ¡°A few days ago an FBI agent came here and told me something interesting. What was her name again? Karen?¡±


    ¡°Special Agent Emily Karen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°She told me to freeze all New York funds under Huxley Group.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped with joy.


    ¡°So what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I kicked her out. Huxley Group? I filed aint to the FBI. But while she was getting dragged away, she mentioned your name, and that bothered me. Did I make a mistake, Soo Ho?¡±


    If all Huxley Group funds in New York were to freeze, Barbara Huxley was bound to get rid of all her traces and hide. The only reason why Ahn Soo Ho stayed in America was so that he could see what kind of reactions the English bitch and the French hypocrite would show.


    They both acted like nothing happened.


    Did Jacob Smith lie?


    ¡®Just because he was an African ck man doesn¡¯t mean he was stupid.¡¯


    For the white people, Africa was still thend of death, but for Ahn Soo Ho, it was a field that he yed in when he was bored. Even Jacob, who butchered everyone else, cherished his own flesh and blood.


    ¡°A mistake? No, Shirley. But I have a warning for you...¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho hesitated, the New York mayor pulled in her chair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust Huxley Group¡¯s reputation too much.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°Call Agent Karen and ask her.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders and got up.


    After being seen off by the New York mayor, he got into his car and took out his phone. Huxley Group¡¯s funds in New York probably exceeded at least 30 billion dors. That was nothingpared to Wall Street investment firms, but Huxley Group was an Englishpany, not American.


    The New York mayor probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s warning. It was possible that she could freeze Huxley Group¡¯s funds in New York tomorrow. But he wasn¡¯t too hopeful. That was because the New York Mayor Anna Shirley Baker was one of the shits that Scott Davis took in. When people said that the elections of the 21st century were a beauty pageant, that wasn¡¯tpletely false.


    Ahn Soo Ho speed dialed someone. He was going to catch Barbara Huxley himself. However, it was more convenient to leave the French African ambassador with someone else. After ringing for a long time, somebody finally picked up.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yo! Vitali!¡±


    Mother Russia, which even took on bears with their bare hands had done things for Ahn Soo Ho as well. Rather than feeling ashamed of doing things without thinking, they rather felt proud of it.


    ¡®Sahel¡¯s lion? Ha!¡¯


    There was no one better to face off with a French hypocrite than a v.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 124 ¨C New York Grand Festival [2] > The end.

 Chapter 126: < Protect – Episode 125 – London Protocol [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 126: < Protect ¨C Episode 125 ¨C London Protocol [1] ></h4>


    It had been 2 years and 3 months since Ahn Soo Host visited London. As a result of the terror attacks in both Rome and New York, the airport was crawling with soldiers. Since he was famous and had his own private jet,nding there was pretty easy for him. Since he was famous for another reason, it didn¡¯t really matter, but the aftereffects of the terror attacks affected the tourist industry greatly.


    It was obvious that there were significantly fewer tourists.


    And that probably wasn¡¯t just a problem of London. There was no way even developing countries were okay with losing one tourist. In particr, the tourist groups from Asia spent a lot more money than those who went backpacking. A European traveling within Europe wouldn¡¯t rake in that much money. They would offer Asian tourist groups discounted package deals, but they still made a lot of money off of that. Once Ahn Soo Ho got out of the airport, someone was waiting for him. He always felt like someone would suddenly attack him on his way to the parking lot.


    ¡°Go and get ready.¡±


    Aftermanding the person, he walked through the path connecting the airport and the parking lot with a cool man in a trench coat.


    ¡°I heard you went through a lot in the States, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I just went with the flow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Michael. He was a good friend.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know the real name of the man in the trench coat, but Ahn Soo Ho called him John. This man had his pastpletely erased and lived on as a ghost for the good of Ennd and the royal family.


    ¡°Why did youe to London?¡±


    ¡°Barbara Huxley.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him an honest answer.


    ¡°Barbara Huxley? The money queen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, John. She¡¯s an alpha.¡±


    John grumbled.


    ¡°How much do you know, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I know that Barbara Huxley has supernatural powers and is in negotiations with the powerful families of each country.¡±


    ¡°In return for safety, she provides investment information.¡±


    ¡°What about the royal family?¡±


    ¡°The Queen doesn¡¯t know. Sheffield did everything.¡±


    In all European countries, the royal families hid more things than they revealed. After the second world war, people thought that Ennd went down because of the States, but after 200 years of prosperity, they were bigger than people imagined.


    ¡°I have to meet with Barbara Huxley. I might even have to kill her depending on the situation. So allow me to enter the pce.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head in response.


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t know the reason, I¡¯ll be really disappointed in you, John.¡±


    ¡°We were all tricked by Mr. Davis.¡±


    He told the truth after hearing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s disappointed voice since it was highly likely that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s disappointment would escte to something bad or even horrible.


    ¡°My reputation has nothing to do with my retirement.¡±


    Not many dared to look down on Ahn Soo Ho or attack him just because he retired. Almost no one actually. That was because they all knew what kind of consequences they would face.


    ¡°I only promise my people two things. Money and safety. Money is good. Money could be a great motivation. However, that alone can¡¯t draw out honesty.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had never seen anyone who hated money. In order to enjoy the benefits of life, money was crucial.


    ¡°Michael is dead. A person whom I promised safety to¡ªdied. So the reason isn¡¯t important.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re trying to get rid of Barbara Huxley?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to me properly, John.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue, John thought about their past conversation and then eximed.


    ¡°Depending on the situation?¡±


    ¡°In contrast to the ones I took care of in the States, that woman didn¡¯t do it herself.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head in response.


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Huxley Group is what keeps the British Empire up. No homeowner will let their pir go down.¡±


    ¡°What I want to see is Barbara Huxley, not the British government.¡±


    ¡°If you guarantee to keep me alive, I¡¯ll make it so that you can meet her right away.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood, John. I¡¯m the one who gets to decide if I meet her or not. Not you.¡±


    Each country had been researching the sixth sense, the third eye, and the supernatural sense for the longest time. People said there was no such thing as aliens while also nning their future battle against them. The fact that they were researching supernatural powers while saying it didn¡¯t exist was contradictory, but what they said didn¡¯t make it false.


    ¡°Don¡¯tpare me to that ATM machine.¡±


    It was obvious where they got their confidence from after leaving the European Union, and they were going to use Barbara Huxley to build a financial empire.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying, don¡¯t make me mad.¡±


    He was capable of blowing up Buckingham Pce at this point.


    ¡°Okay, calm down, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°One hour.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one hour. If you don¡¯t bring her in front of me in an hour, I¡¯m going to tell the Queen what happened. Then things will get very interesting for you and Sheffield. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled brightly, tapped John on his shoulders, and then flicked his finger.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Do you know where I¡¯m staying?¡±


    He frowned and sighed; he then answered.


    ¡°Dorchester.¡±


    ******


    The Dorchester,


    If there was a hotel brand that stood out the most, it was probably Dorchester. No one took better advantage of global business influences than the hotel industry. If the hotels in top vacation spots lowered their prices to increase turnover, ces like New York and London aimed to respond to the businessmen¡¯s ss by focusing more on the restaurants. In business, meals weren¡¯t just for enjoying a nice meal.


    When Ahn Soo Ho arrived at Dorchester, the first person who greeted him was the hotel manager. He had kept many safe houses all over the world and there were even times when he needed more than just a safe ce. There were fools wherever he went, and when he made negotiations in a high-ss hotel, his sess rate would increase by at least 30%.


    This was why Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s asset structure wasplex. In contrast to cash and bonds, transfers of just stocks were vague in terms of notarization. That was because of the ck market¡¯s limits. When he closed down his ck market ount, allpetitors thought that his influence weakened dramatically.


    They were half right and half wrong.


    Cutting off his ck market connections was just for show. But on the contrary, the vague transfer got notarized by the governments and banks of each country. Even if he had an astronomical amount of money in the ck market, no one but him could check it or use it. In other words, if the owner of the ount died, the money would disappear with him.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Sit down, Simon.¡±


    Simon Dorne was one of the people who were managing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s European fortune.


    ¡°Is your daughter growing up well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. She¡¯s going to King¡¯s College this year. She was selected for a major schrship.¡±


    ¡°You must be proud.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my one and only joy.¡±


    ¡°No interest in getting remarried?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... still scared of women.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho first met Simon, he almost died after being tricked by a gold digger. He and his daughter thankfully survived, but the wife died in the chaos. It was weird to try giving a grown man some dating advice. Even after 8 years, a pain that deep wasn¡¯t going to get better even after 10 or 20 years.


    Ahn Soo Ho changed the subject.


    ¡°Open the ount and prepare for a transfer.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the ck market ount?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll hear the details from Danny soon.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it... you managed to talk him into it.¡±


    ¡°Desperation makes people weak. Don¡¯t you know what that¡¯s like, Simon?¡±


    ¡°I see. I guess people naturally forget.¡±


    As soon as Simon found out that he was caught by a gold digger, he got framed for killing his wife. All the evidence were fabricated to leave him with no way out. He was in a simr situation as Han Chae Kyung, and it was Ahn Soo Ho who got him out. The mostmon crime in Europe was murder motivated by adultery.


    ¡°What should I set as the ount¡¯s limit?¡±


    ¡°100 billion.¡±


    ¡°100 billion pounds?¡±


    ¡°Pound, Euros, or US dors. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Simon dropped his jaw. 100 billion pounds, Euros or US dors could buy an entire hotel.


    ¡°Huxley Group will request ess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Simon was still dumbfounded. Ahn Soo Ho chugged his ck tea then went back to his suite room on the top floor. The lift that directly connected to the suite room went all the way up without stopping. He sent out a text to announce his safe arrival in London. Soon afterward, he felt his phone vibrate.


    ¡°Did you arrive safely, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m unpacking right now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho left the big private jet in the States for Jang Seol Hyun and took the smaller one to cross the ocean. If he wasn¡¯t going to fly across the continent, a swifter business jet was more convenient.


    ¡°You¡¯re not reading the Korean news, right?¡±


    ¡°No, why? What are they saying this time?¡±


    ¡°Never mind!¡±


    She just told him to forget it in response. She then talked about how L grabbed another pop star by the throat and things like that before they hung up at the helicopter¡¯s arrival. After that, she sent a photo taken from the sky.


    ¡®That¡¯s Phdelphia.¡¯


    He knew that it was Phdelphia just by the look of its skyline. Was that their next touring city? After giving Holly Corporationrge funds resulting from the canceled North American tour, he left. That was his final act of loyalty.


    Ahn Soo Ho called his secretary.


    ¡°What is the Korean media saying about me this time?¡±


    ¡°Well, um...¡±


    ¡°You can just tell me.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho sat back on the couch, the secretary finally started talking.


    ¡°They¡¯re calling you a psychopathic serial killer.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Who said that? The newspapers and the broadcasting stations?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. It started on a blog as nothing but a conspiracy theory. And once it started gaining attention, the inte news spread the word.¡±


    ¡°Blog?¡±


    The secretary brought him aptop and showed it to him.


    ¡°Alien? Time machine?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at the rumors about affairs and whatnot before he stopped at a ck and white photo. The 20th century or the end of the 19th century? A woman who looked the furthest from being modern reminded him of the times in Europe when women weren¡¯t allowed to wear pants.


    People were looking at something through a ss.


    What they were looking at just looked like a small box, but the people looking at the box looked very serious. What was it? Considering the blog¡¯s reliability, this could have just been any old story. However, one person on this earth knew what that was.


    ¡®Chamobeth?¡¯


    A stone that also stored memories of souls.


    ¡®There¡¯s another one?¡¯


    Does that mean there¡¯s another one besides the one the Queen Grandmother left behind? The box in the photo looked different from the one he received from his father. It was tabooed to be certain. However, his trusty instincts whispered in his ears.


    ¡®Oh! My precious!¡¯


    It sounded like Gollum¡¯s whispering.


    ¡°Look into the origin of this photo.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Yes, sir.¡±


    As soon as the secretary left with theptop, the suite room turned quiet. What broke that silence was a woman dressed in ck who walked out of the curtains.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°John does do good work.¡±


    ¡°John? Oh, are you talking about Seven Load, Mr. Guardian?¡±


    The sound of her high heels sounded especially loud. But once Ahn Soo Ho waved his hands, the noise stopped instantly.


    ¡°Stop the nonsense, Barbara Huxley. Or should I say...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho red.


    ¡°Witch?¡±


    Witches existed. But they weren¡¯t bad-tempered monsters who ate people¡¯s hearts and cooked up little children. But it was true that they were refined career women who were very sexy.


    ¡°Witch, huh...? I haven¡¯t heard that in a while.¡±


    Barbara Huxley¡¯s vague expression turned serious.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re willing to negotiate, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. As long as we cane to an agreement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide you with the cost of my life. Is the limit of your new ount... 100 billion pounds?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is that too little?¡±


    She was a crazy woman indeed. Her reputation wasn¡¯t exaggerated but quite the opposite.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll add one more thing on top. What you were just curious about... Ugh!¡±


    Barbara couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because Ahn Soo Ho grabbed her by the throat. She was now floating in the air.


    ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°Wait... Cough, cough!¡±


    In response to her desperate eyes, Ahn Soo Ho let her back down. She then continued to cough some more. She red at him after that, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care. He had no reason to be nice to her since she wasn¡¯t his woman.


    ¡°Cough! The power that we have is a gift sent from above, but some people do more than just plea in hopes of having it. Unfortunately, no matter how much they want it, it¡¯s all up to God. And then one day, what started to appear in front of these people was...¡±


    ¡°Chamobeth.¡±


    ¡°Chamobeth? That¡¯s not Korean... Is that what you call it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer, and Barbara red at him; she then continued.


    ¡°Some people believe it to be the devil¡¯s temptation of stealing souls, and others believed that it was a test sent from God. That¡¯s because it can go either way. It can either bestow wisdom upon the world or people could lose their lives.


    Ahn Soo Ho felt like this was d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡®Anna Anne Karusis? How did you die?¡¯


    That was the only thing he couldn¡¯t remember.


    < protect=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± episode=¡±¡± 125=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± london=¡±¡± protocol=¡±¡± [1]=¡±¡±> The end.

 Chapter 127: < Protect – Episode 126 – London Protocol [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 127: < Protect ¨C Episode 126 ¨C London Protocol [2] ></h4>


    ¡®Anna Anne Karusis.¡¯


    What was contradictory was that Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe in supernatural powers despite being a magician himself. Well, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe supernatural powers. It was more like he didn¡¯t believe in god-like abilities. Ahn Soo Ho had no desire to be a God, but it might have been different from the great, great magician.


    ¡®Did you... did you resent the world?¡¯


    Hurtful scars and memories that couldn¡¯t be erased.


    ¡°We called that ck rock or box a soul stone or a wizard case. The ck rock at the Ma is pretty simr.¡±


    ¡°But that rock is real.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they put a rock on disy. The real thing is inside.¡±


    If a Muslim heard this, they would have gone crazy.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a gift in the first ce, it¡¯s impossible to call upon your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°And who decides who has the gift?¡±


    ¡°Our tradition, order, and history.¡±


    This country was very unpredictable. They talked about being rational on the outside, but behind the scenes, there were mystical cults. And those who hide in the darkness and controlled the world didn¡¯t want their mystical powers to be known to the public. Power always wanted to monopolize.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. A few hundred years ago, we were charmed by mystery. We couldn¡¯t prove a noble¡¯s nobility with blood alone, and science tried their best to solve the mystery. So we needed more intuitive evidence.¡±


    ¡°Evidence? You studied superpowers?¡¯


    ¡°But there are all kinds of superpowers. That could be magic, charm, or alchemy. If not, maybe physical strength? There were too many cultures and civilizations that we didn¡¯t know of in this world.¡±


    ¡°Is that why so much cultural assets were stolen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was a war to prove one¡¯s nobility.¡±


    During the age of exploration, people looted up all the cultural assets because of one clear objective.


    ¡°Rome tried to put a stop to that war. So we went with the national church instead of Catholicism. There¡¯s nothing more romantic than changing religion for love... but there¡¯s nothing more stupid either.¡±


    History tried to find the source of Anglicanism in Henry the 1st or session problems.


    ¡°The world was tricked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best to keep the agonizing truth a secret.¡±


    ¡°What about the witch hunt?¡±


    ¡°You could call that Rome¡¯s resistance.¡±


    Ennd¡¯s stubborn behavior toward Rome put the European royal society in shock. After being loyal to the church¡¯s orders, they felt like they were stabbed in the back. That was because Ennd wasn¡¯t punished after that.


    ¡°The empire¡¯s colonization struggles wasn¡¯t just because they wanted to increase their wealth. That was an endless war against a mystery that maintained power. Once they established that they covered allnd, they finally looked toward each other.


    ¡°Did you go after each other¡¯s spoils of war?¡±


    ¡°That was the easiest and fastest solution.¡±


    War was the simplest economic strategy.


    ¡°The second world war had nothing to do with ideology. If the first one arose because they couldn¡¯t estimate each other¡¯s power, the second one started because Hitler wasn¡¯t fully understood. He was obsessed with the mystery and even established a secret organization. You probably know more about it than anyone, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho finally had one of his questions answered.


    ¡°Dresden.¡±


    Until now, he didn¡¯t understand why it was called the Dresden file. Was it because it was discovered in Germany? That wasn¡¯t it. It was true that the information in the file had to do with a war criminal organization. However, the nature of it had nothing to do with war crimes.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a secret file that aimed to out the war criminals, was it?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. That was an index of countries, organizations, groups, and people who were rted to supernatural power research.¡±


    In the Dresden file were organizations that were world-famous brands even to this day.


    ¡°Also, it wasn¡¯t Germany who first created the Dresden file. There¡¯s an original version. And the name of that is...¡±


    Barbara smiled brightly.


    ¡°London Protocol.¡±


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t kill Barbara.


    He didn¡¯t take the 100 billion pounds from her either. Instead, he proposed having a three-way talk between them and Scott, and they both agreed to it. Scott took care of the field business, and Barbara provided the necessary funds. As for Ahn Soo Ho, he was warned of what would happen after the New York terror. An FBI agent and maybe even the New York mayor were probably keeping a close eye on Huxley Group.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Soo Ho.¡±


    John showed up a day after Barbara Huxley left the hotel alive and well.


    ¡°London Protocol.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho said made him smile bitterly.


    ¡°We need approval from the royal family.¡±


    ¡°I guess this country¡¯s top boss is the Queen.¡±


    ¡°The Dresden file is probably more detailed. Do we have to look for other things?¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to get the approval?¡±


    John¡¯s efforts to convince him was in vain.


    ¡°The royal family has to approve it, but themission of national security needs to agree as well. It¡¯ll take at least four days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day.¡±


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t do it in time?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do it by tomorrow, the ones at the top will want to kill you alive, John.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    If anyone else had threatened the British Empire, they would have died quietly. But he was the top dog of all the alphas. He was someone, not even the British Empire stood a chance against.


    ¡°Sigh, okay. I¡¯ll try.¡±


    John sighed deeply as he left, then Simon Dorne entered right afterward.


    ¡°Should I close the ount again?¡±


    ¡°No, just leave it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Simon, who lowered his head and got ready to leave, focused on the in-ear device in his right ear.


    ¡°An employee from the Russian Embassy is here. Should I let him up?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Simon proceeded to make his way out. Not even a minuteter, a big man appeared. He had never seen his face before, but his general type seemed familiar.


    ¡°The GRU?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a man of great insight, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    The GRU wasn¡¯t as well-known as other information organizations, but in some aspects, they had more of an evil reputation than the KGB. He then gave him the phone without a word and walked off as if that was all he came to do. There was only one number on the phone, so he pressed call.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Did you change the secured line?¡±


    ¡°There was an assassination plot a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°Seeing how you changed the line, it must have been pretty dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I almost died.¡±


    Vitali sounded quite calm for someone who almost died, and Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t all too worried either. If Vitali had really died, he probably would have just been a little sympathetic.


    ¡°What about the job?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in progress. But there is one thing. I think DGSE is chasing him down too.¡±


    A French intelligence agency was chasing down the French African ambassador? The situation was changing quickly. He had to confirm this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk again in an hour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho hung up and left his suite room. He minimized the number of mening from the States to Ennd, but there were still many with him. He looked for the security head in the lobby.


    ¡°You¡ªand only you, follow me.¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his index finger as if he wasn¡¯t going to hear any of it. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho took the lead, the head of security quickly ordered one of his subordinates to do something and then ran over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured to be a security guard.¡±


    ¡°But if someone at the top finds out...¡±


    ¡°Ricky or Sam has no interest in this.¡±


    One of the new security guards selected as a result of Ricky and Samuel wanting to find the boy who shot Michael was Kim Yoon Seok. 70 percent of their security team were Korean. Ahn Soo Ho left the hotel and walked toward Hyde Park. The same festival that took ce in New York Central Park also took ce at Hyde Park in London. This park was close to Buckingham Pce and it was a hot spot for the protestors of the city. Just like France, Ennd also had a tendency not to agree to things too easily.


    Cherishing the deceased and criticizing were two different things.


    As if the New York Grand Festival never took ce yesterday, they were busy holding a protest that criticized the States. Which country would the Yankees of the States attack next? Whether the corrupt American president resigned or not, America still suffered a huge blow, and Americans wanted revenge which was disguised as justice. Regarding war breaking out, both political parties probably thought the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that the New York terrorist attack was something that they brought upon themselves! That¡¯s the truth! If the Yankees decide to make another country of Africa or the Middle East into their enemy, that¡¯s definitely the most embarrassing thing in history!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Ennd cannot agree with such unreasonable actions!¡±


    It sounded like the person was an English politician or at least an aspiring politician.


    ¡°Both the EU and NATO must withdraw! That¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll escape from the States¡¯ dominance! If Ennd wants to be great, we must learn how to stand alone!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    A segregationist and a disbarment activist?


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was standing at the very back started pping. If there was something that the terror attacks changed, it was that they finally realized that the future of Europe wasn¡¯t all rainbows and sunshine. No matter how progressive a system was, everything operated under the hands of people. The harmful effect of the European Union directly led to harmful effects on bureaucracy. The society of government workers all hated taking responsibility no matter which country they were in.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in saying all this? Talking about this at a park won¡¯t change anything. Only those who act will change the world. That¡¯s the truth, you fools.¡±


    The radical protestor was met with a cynical smile and ridicule.


    ¡°Issac.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    The person who shut down the protestor was none other than Issac, who was one of the two involved in the assassination war.


    ¡°I have a feeling Russia is on the move because of you, Soo Ho. What¡¯s your objective?¡±


    ¡°Ransel.¡±


    ¡°Sahel¡¯s lion?¡±


    Issac was startled.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°Because a request came in. Ransel Straussmow for half a billion euros. The dealers of organizations as well as self-employed ones are on the edge of their seats right now. But what¡¯s funny is that the origin is DGSE.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly.


    The half a million euros that DGSE bet was Monaco money that flowed into France. It waspensation for the agents who sacrificed their lives for their country, but unlike Italy, France put it right back into their assassination fund. But it wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s business on how someone should use their own money.


    ¡°Why is DGSE chasing him down?¡±


    ¡°From my experience, the reason is obvious. Sell-out.¡±


    The rtionship between the French government and Ransel had been bad for a long time.


    Unlike the ambassador who thought Africa needed tougher policies, the country looked for diplomatic solutions. They shouldn¡¯t have left him with such a heavy responsibility in the first ce, and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement was hisst opportunity.


    ¡°Sahel¡¯s lion is a man who aspires to be the second Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°What happened with Dakoma?¡±


    ¡°Jacob? That¡¯s simple. While Ransel worked as an ambassador, he won over many warlords. While he was busy chasing the throne, he used Dakoma as bait to confuse the Yankees. France¡¯s mistake was releasing such a savage beast in Africa. For 20 years at that. If it were me, I would have built my own kingdom already.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had already known that Ransel pretended to negotiate with warlords while actually training their soldiers for his own gain.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already told you, Soo Ho? Your absence was like pulling the trigger... Compared to the war that will begin, my fight with J-Law is nothing.¡±


    Competitors all chased after the throne.


    ¡°World War III has already begun.¡±


    But it was a war with a different method from the past.


    < protect=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± episode=¡±¡± 126=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± london=¡±¡± protocol=¡±¡± [2]=¡±¡±> The end.

 Chapter 128: < Protect – Episode 127 – London Protocol [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 128: < Protect ¨C Episode 127 ¨C London Protocol [3] ></h4>


    Ahn Da Sol, Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel.


    The F4 of Cheongdamdong made all the male students¡¯ hearts flutter. The most famous one was Lee So Hye. That was because she was the younger sister of Ahnfeller or Ahnchild. Ahn Da Sol was the second most famous, and once it was revealed that Emily and Rachel were chosen by CEO Ahn himself, they received attention as well.


    Even just a few months earlier, Lee So Hye lived the life of an ordinary high school student, but she suddenly turned into Cindere overnight, which even caught her off guard. At such a sensitive age, excessive attention could easily lead to poison. But she was definitely Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s blood. He didn¡¯t know this before, but once they were faced with the situation, she boldly waved her hands at the paparazzi and answered any question with a smile.


    Once Lee So Hye started getting taken cared of by the top beauty professional of Korea, her beauty bloomed. Her face somehow turned from ordinary to that of a model. So she started to wear more makeup. And through camera lenses, her beautiful expressions and gestures shined brightly.


    Kim Na Hee pushed the F4 to be the cover girls of a fashion magazine, and once they did, they leveled up to be sessful high teen stars. Despite it being before their debut, the casting requests started rolling in, which caught Hosoo Entertainment off guard. Since Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel were trainees of the agency, management could make some arrangements, but Lee Soo Hye was also the little sister of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s CEO.


    ¡°CEO Ahn is a busy man. We can¡¯t make so many requests. What did she say? That it¡¯s okay? Then go ahead with it. Yes, I¡¯ll take responsibility for it.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed as she hung up the phone. One of the secretaries waiting for approval gave her a file.


    ¡°You can sign here.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of the F4 of Cheongdamdong?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung signed the papers and then stared at the secretary as she asked the question.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I have.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you brief me on them?¡±


    ¡°Well... you seemed to be busy with the broadcasting station issues...¡±


    She sighed once more in response.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already? No matter how busy I am, brief me on everything that has to do with her. And deliver it to the other teams as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I apologize.¡±


    The secretary took the file and ran off. It wasn¡¯t just Oh Joo Kyung in the office. Logan, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossedughed as he approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to control everything, Joo Kyung.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do if someone iscking in ability, but I¡¯d rather not ruin things just because we were careless.¡±


    ¡°Our boss is generous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to disappoint him.¡±


    Logan shook his head in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about your health, Joo Kyung. Koreans tend to get too obsessed with work. Mary loss? Our boss probably doesn¡¯t even care as long as thepany doesn¡¯t go down. But if you overwork and get sick, he¡¯ll go after me first.¡±


    ¡°Why you?¡±


    ¡°Because I promised him that everything would be the way it was when hees back. If you pass out from overworking, I¡¯ll actually die, Joo Kyung. So please save my life by taking a break.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung couldn¡¯t help butugh at such a big man rubbing his hands together while begging.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m overworking myself?¡±


    ¡°Look in the mirror.¡±


    She took out her mirror and then got startled. It had been more than a day since she fixed her makeup. In the past, she used to fix her makeup every few minutes. Did she getzy? Not at all. She was just too busy to care about her appearance. Oh Joo Kyung flinched once more.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Sheughed again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me the secretaries, Joo Kyung. You don¡¯t make it easy for them to tell you these things.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you came here yourself? To tell me that I look horrible?¡±


    Logan shrugged his shoulders. It was true. Since he didn¡¯t work under Oh Joo Kyung, he had no reason to be extra careful.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing better than our boss¡¯ expectations. I¡¯ll tell you that.¡±


    That didn¡¯tfort her very much.


    Beep-


    Oh Joo Kyung answered the interphone.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Director Oh. The National Tax Service sent us the documents. Should I send it to the legal team?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Oh, give me a copy, too.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Also...¡±


    Logan saw that she was busy on the phone so he left quietly without saying goodbye. She was smart enough that she caught on to his true intention. Hosoo Entertainment was still located at Star Tower, but they were working on building a new one. Once the new building wasplete, Star Tower was going to be just for Hosoo Entertainment.


    The security office of Hosoo Entertainment Group moved to a different building. Logan and his underlings trained their security guards and made them useful for half a year. In their eyes, they still weren¡¯t good enough, but in Korea where guns weren¡¯tmon, martial arts defense was usually enough. He believed that the rest would catch up in time.


    He thought of the words that Ahn Soo Ho always mumbled.


    ¡®The ones who should live¡ªlive, and the ones who should die¡ªdie.¡¯


    In other words, fate was somewhat decided for us. No matter how well he thought them, the rest was simply up to luck.


    ¡°Logan!¡±


    The person who got through security and met Logan on the top floor was the temperamental Neski.


    ¡°Are you really just going to leave it to Ricky and Sam?¡±


    ¡°The field work will be taken care of by the ones on the field. That¡¯s our rule.¡±


    ¡°Both of them already failed? What could guys like that do anyway?¡±


    ¡°Neski!¡±


    People thought mercenaries were free to do whatever they wanted, but insulting their colleagues was uneptable. As soon as Logan yelled at him, he apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. But I¡¯m against leaving it to those two!¡±


    There was only one way to make Neski shut his mouth.


    ¡°It was the boss¡¯ decision.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho made the decision, it was game over. However, Neski had a hard time backing down because Michael was his best friend.


    ¡°Then send me!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Logan!¡±


    Logan clicked his tongue at Neski¡¯s raging face.


    ¡°Are you trying to steal Ricky and Sam¡¯sst chance to regain their honor?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir! I¡¯ll respect this decision, Sir!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to go against a direct order! And I can¡¯t allow something like that!¡±


    Neski going to the States would be against Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s decision. There were ranks in the forces, and Logan was at the top, Michael was in the middle, and Neski was below both of them. As for Ricky and Samuel, they were aids to the toon leader.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept any punishment you give me!¡±


    Neski had already made his own decision. After ring at each other, the person who backed down first was Logan. He sighed and then cursed like crazy.


    ¡°Get out of my sight!¡±


    Neski took that as a yes. He saluted Logan then he left. Logan, who shook his head and entered the break room saw people gathered around the table. They were drinking whiskey in broad daylight.


    ¡°What a sight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Come sit down.¡±


    There were ranks, but in personal settings, they were all just friends.


    ¡°I saw Neski running out crying. Did you talk to him?¡±


    ¡°I told him to get lost to the States.¡±


    As soon as Logan joined in on the drinks, they allughed. After filling all the sses with whiskey, they all chugged together.


    ¡°Nice! I love Johnny Walker Blue!¡±


    There were tons of expensive alcohols on the market, but for mercenaries, Johnny Walker Blue was expensive enough. They had another few rounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Ricky and Sam.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Neski will leave them alone.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it our rule to leave the field work to those on the field?¡±


    ¡°I warned him, but Neski isn¡¯t the type to listen.¡±


    ¡°Not that fool...¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    They looked at each other andughed.


    ¡°Our Boss was very respectful about this. To be honest... Michael did a stupid thing. He deserved to die.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Michael was stupid.¡±


    ¡°Stupid Michael.¡±


    They all dissed Michael, but they didn¡¯t have any hard feelings. Once the mood settled down, Logan talked about his thoughts.


    ¡°Our boss not only killed all the terrorists in New York, but he even got rid of a Harlem gang and made a weapons dealer take responsibility. He did everything he could. But now he¡¯s in Ennd going after an English bitch and a French hypocrite. For what?¡±


    Logan raised his ss.


    ¡°For Michael.¡±


    ¡°For Michael.¡±


    His underlings joined in and emptied their sses.


    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person he is. He¡¯s fighting the world for a fool who died for being stupid. What do you think, Jesus?¡±


    ¡°If I tripped over a sidewalk and died, Soo Ho would probably go after those managing the sidewalks and throw a fuss. That¡¯s the kind of person he is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He is.¡±


    He was more stubborn than rational.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Ricky and Sam.¡±


    Logan mentioned Ricky and Samuel once more, and everyone knew what he wanted to say. He tried to convince him from going, but it was Logan who wanted to fly over to the States more than anyone. As soon as some of them got up, Logan drank hisst ss.


    ¡°For Michael.¡±


    ******


    There wasn¡¯t much to the London Protocol.


    ¡®Newton had supernatural powers?¡¯


    Conspiracy theories would have loved this information. This was a family tree that recorded the blood rtions of those with special abilities. The right to enter the secret club of those in power was proof of one¡¯s nobility. Rome couldn¡¯t ept their status of being outside the church¡¯s influence, and that was how the witch hunt began.


    ¡°Just because a person has supernatural powers doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not human. There¡¯s no gic difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you did human experiments back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately... yes. We used Africans and Asians to do human experiments.¡±


    There had always been something called human rights, but the only ones they treated as humans were white Europeans. The rest were just animals. The London Protocol was a deration of the white Europeans that they would begin supernatural power research.


    ¡®Only the white Europeans are Jesus¡¯ children!¡¯


    Therefore, killing other two-legged humans didn¡¯t count as murder. If this deration¡ªthat was full of signatures¡ªwere to get out in the 21st century, it was obvious what kind of response it would get. Advanced research like that definitely existed in this world.


    ¡°However, ns to make supernatural powers optional failed. The research was ended, and the records were eliminated. Until Hitler came into the picture... we paid a high price before we could find peace again.¡±


    Thepanies back then were different from those these days. Thepanies set up by powerful families were one with the families themselves, so a bigpany was no different from an empire. They were always on top of thew. The harmful effects of privatization were worse than what people imagined.


    ¡°Peace? Haha! That was the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Guardian, do you feel differently?¡±


    The chairman of Ennd¡¯s National Security Bureau was eitherughing or crying, and Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response.


    ¡°From my experience... we¡¯ve never controlled the situation even once.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°The situation always controls us instead.¡±


    The stupid thing that many smart people believed was that they were on top of everyone else. At that very moment, a security guard ran over and whispered in the chairman¡¯s ears. Ahn Soo Ho felt the phone that the Russian ambassador gave him vibrate, so he took it out and answered it.


    ¡°Vitali.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! Ransel isn¡¯t in Africa! He nted a decoy!¡±


    Rumble- Bang, bang-


    The building suddenly shook. Were this thunder and earthquake? That made no sense. Ahn Soo Ho was able to make a guess from the face of the Ennd National Security Bureau¡¯s chairman.


    ¡®This old lion, Ransel is no joke, is he?¡¯


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he was brave, dumb, or confident. But Ransel Straussmow made the biggest bet of his life.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I have to go, Vitali. I¡¯ll treat you to a drinkter.¡±


    He threw the phone into the trash can. There were three major ways to obtain the empty throne. One was to get rid of all thepetitors, and another was to be acknowledged by the previous ruler. And the third...


    ¡®He could kill me.¡¯


    If he killed Ahn Soo Ho, he could get what he wanted.


    Whee-oo, whee-oo-


    The outside of the museum was in chaos. ck smoke was everywhere as if a bomb went off. This was definitely nned before the New York terrorist attack. Were this Barbara Huxley and Ransel Straussmow¡¯sbined efforts? He didn¡¯t know just yet. But if they tricked him, they weren¡¯t going to die a peaceful death.


    The patrol car stopped in front of Ahn Soo Ho. As soon as two police officers got out, they had bullets to their heads. The people around them went crazy in response to what they saw. The chairman of the Ennd National Security Bureau and his guards were shocked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Look carefully.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho kneeled and took out a French gun from the police officer¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°Do London police officers carry French guns these days?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    He threw the gun at the chairman and then grabbed a mask he saw nearby. A big fireworks event was set to take ce in Ennd on November 5th. November 5th was a while back, but trends had nothing to do withmemorative dates.


    ¡°Are you going to go around in that mask?¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m the hero of Ennd.¡±


    The States had Captain America while Ennd had Guy Fawkes. He was famous for being the symbol of a worldwide hacking group, but today, he held a gun and not a keyboard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re the police or the military. Don¡¯t get in my way. If you do, I¡¯ll shoot you all.¡±


    < protect=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± episode=¡±¡± 127=¡±¡± ¨C=¡±¡± london=¡±¡± protocol=¡±¡± [3]=¡±¡±> The end.

 Chapter 129: < Protect - Episode 128 - London Protocol [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 129: < Protect ¨C Episode 128 ¨C London Protocol [4] ></h4>


    Barbara Huxley was a witch.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she went around on a broomstick, made people into toads and control people¡¯s minds. However, she was stronger than an average woman with better eyesight and aged really well, but most importantly, she had a sense of what could happen in the future.


    She knew something bad was going to happen in New York before it even happened. Once Scott Davis made the proposal after the New York incident, Huxley Group¡¯s board of directors weed Barbara¡¯s opposition. The money queen? That name was pretty deceptive. It was true that she had great influence over Huxley Group, but the final decision went to the Ennd National Security Bureau.


    When Ahn Soo Ho went around causing trouble in New York, the National Security Bureau was surprised and used Barbara as their scapegoat. She was angry at the fact that she was being used as a locked up ATM, but in contrast to her sexy looks, she was a woman with a tender heart.


    ¡°How¡¯s the cooperationing along?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the mediation process. Following this tour, Mr. Warren will leave Holly Corporation and he¡¯ll probably take the stars that look up to him with him. We¡¯re in the process of preparing documents for the dispute that might ur with Holly Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Make sure it doesn¡¯t end up in awsuit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°What about New York?¡±


    ¡°Not much has changed as of yet. Do you think the information might be incorrect?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Barbara strongly refuted.


    ¡°The information is 100% trustworthy. The fact that you can¡¯t confirm it just goes to show that you¡¯re thoroughly tied down by security.¡±


    ¡°The New York police and the FBI are showing no signs of movements¡­¡±


    ¡°Look into it further.¡±


    Everyone dispersed after the meeting, but one person remained. Jane Huxley was also a witch. Huxley Group as a whole was a group with supernatural powers that were being monitored by the British government.


    ¡°The board of directors must have wanted you to get hurt pretty badly, Barbara.¡±


    ¡°It seems like it.¡±


    As more members started viewing those with supernatural powers as inhumane, Barbara¡¯s status started to decline. The reason why she epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s proposal without hesitation was that newws that would suppress her was proposed at Huxley Group¡¯s board of directors meeting. They were willing to use the witch to build a financial empire, but they still wanted to limit the human rights of individuals with supernatural powers.


    Barbara was angry.


    But every time she got the temptation to flip the world upside down, she thought of the devastating aftereffects and controlled her anger. In the end, she had many precious friends and family in Ennd. Despite her strong opposition, the board of directors still supported Scott Davis and hid out as soon as Ahn Soo Ho showed up in London. No matter the circumstances, Barbara was still the head of Huxley Group.


    ¡®Was he the bad feeling I had?¡¯


    When Barbara connected the bad feeling she had to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden arrival in London, it kind of made sense. But why did she felt so iffy about it? In order to confirm it, she gathered her witchwork including Jane. The ones who started arriving at the meeting room looked very different from the typical witch image. Some were wearing school uniforms while others were doctors, career women, police officers, and even military soldiers.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re all busy, so I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Is Ahn Soo Ho our enemy?¡±


    Barbara looked at Jane, who was the closest to her, and she shook her head in response.


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    The next person was a woman in a white doctor¡¯s gown.


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    Next was a career woman just like Jane.


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    Then it was the police officer and military soldier.


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    Lastly, Barbara looked at the girl wearing a checkered schoolgirl uniform.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to defer my answer.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Unlike all of you, I¡¯ve never met him before. I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to meet him face-to-face.¡±


    The student put both of her hands in her pockets and looked dissatisfied.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe he could be the prince on a white horse who¡¯ll get me out of this shitty world.¡±


    She was at that age where she wanted freedom. But even so, her situation was different from most teenagers.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m more drawn to dangerous men.¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around. I¡¯d like someone to get me out of this world! I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re Muslim! I¡¯m ready to be converted, damn it!¡±


    Everyone became quiet in response to the student¡¯s roaring. Witches were the English government¡¯s best asset. The London Protocol was discarded, but the ones remaining with supernatural powers were used as the government¡¯s equipment.


    ¡°I know you all feel the same. You all want to blow up this country, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Melissa!¡±


    ¡°Hypocrites! All adults are hypocrites! Agh!¡±


    As soon as Melissa¡¯s yelling ended, the meeting room¡¯s door broke open. After that, all the furniture flew around the room. Melissa¡¯s school uniform flipped upward before falling, and the rest of them ended up in a simr situation. The first person to get a hold of herself was Barbara who was standing the furthest away from the door.


    ¡°Security! Security! Security?¡±


    She screamed into the interphone, but all she could hear was static, which made her realize something was wrong. As soon as she helped Jane up and turned around, an incredible sight came into view.


    London was burning down outside the window.


    There was smoke everywhere as well as the sounds of screaming and sirens. What was even scarier was the sound of guns inside the building, and it got closer and closer over time. She saw a security guard walking backward toward the broken door. There were some who were even bleeding already. The unidentified assants dressed in ck were fully armed military professionals.


    Bang-


    After getting shot to the ground, the security guard struggled to pick up the gun he dropped. The person standing above him pushed the dead security guard aside and walked toward the meeting room. Barbara stopped the female police officer from pulling out her gun. The man looked around the room and then smirked.


    ¡°Witches.¡±


    The man sounded like an English man with a French ent. He made eye contact with the surprised witches and smirked once more.


    ¡°Bitch.¡±


    Barbara whispered.


    ¡°Ransel Straussmow?¡±


    ******


    London, which was currently known for its antique vibes, was dreaming of bing the city of the future. Whether it was called Europe¡¯s charms or romance, Europeans thought of culture and history as the same and didn¡¯t destroy buildings in a careless manner. For that reason, it wasmon for redevelopment businesses to be different in old sections of the city. It was possible that the reason for the States¡¯ fast development was that they started with nothing.


    The city of London was no different from the worldwide financial hub that connected Europe to North America. The top stock market in the world was still Wall Street. However, in contrast to the States which avoided oil money, Ennd lured funds of the Middle East and produced great results.


    ¡°The targets are gathered in one ce, Boss.¡±


    A man who was enjoying an afternoon tea at a caf¨¦ received the report and got up.


    ¡°The money queen must have been in a rush. She had a meeting despite the board of directors hating it.¡±


    ¡°That just goes to show Mr. Guardian¡¯s status.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Compared to the terrorist attacks that urred in the past 10 years, the ones that urred within this year was far superior. There were countless reasons for that, but many were aware that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s absence was the trigger. The Davis administration, which was supposed to fill the vacant spot was out of the picture from the very beginning, and the EU was busy with their bankruptcy followed by Ennd¡¯s withdrawal.


    Could there be justice in China¡¯s stubborn actions over the seas surrounding Southeast Asia? In Russia, where constant assassinations were taking ce following the chaos in Moscow, a new leader named Vitali came into the picture, but it was still chaotic. Japan, which had a bombing during the G7 Summit, was internationally humiliated, and both the Pacific and the Mediterranean were invested with pirates and thieves.


    The number of kidnappings on ships, nes, of famous people, as well as children, increased dramatically, and in the fierce global business battle, frence trouble-shooters were in more demand than ever. At this point, kidnapping insurance was more lucrative than life insurance. And how many people would have known that all of this started with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s absence?


    ¡®We all have our own individual ns.¡¯


    Was Ahn Soo Ho an impressive person? Probably. However, his absence didn¡¯t mean the world was doomed. Someone was bound to take over his position, and the world was going to keep on rolling. But there were many people who were enduring hard times because of the struggles resulting from the power vacuum.


    ¡°Competitors thought the power vacuum would onlyst a year tops. But just like how the States failed to fill the vacant position, the chaos was a lot worse than any of us expected.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just one or two wolves that were being suppressed by Ahn Soo Ho until his retirement.


    ¡°That¡¯s why this world needs a second Mr. Guardian.¡±


    Two men stopped in front of a high-rise building. It was a famous tourist destination for having the best view of London. There were many tourists as usual, and there were also many men and women wearing suits. It was a strange mix of leisure and business. The sight to see in big cities were the people in it.


    One man pulled out a cigarette.


    At a certain point, smoking in public ces became illegal. Considering smoking was no big deal back in the 70s and 80s, this new change was sad to those who missed those days. When he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, people looked at him with knitted brows. But none of them talked to him about manners.


    The saying that goes ¡®to not look evil in the eyes¡¯ wasn¡¯t something that was only popr in New York. As a result of more citizens due to urbanization, there were endless incidents and idents. There were very few who wanted to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs and cause trouble. As soon as he started smoking, a security guard from the high-rise building approached.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t smoke¡­¡±


    The security guard fell over backward before he could finish. The guard suddenly pulled out a gun and shot the man down.


    Bang-


    The gunshot made everyone scatter in panic. Some of them were so shocked that they plopped to the ground. Despite what happened, the man holding the gun continued to focus on his cigarette. He looked as calm as someone who was smoking hisst one.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Then begin.¡±


    He took hisst puff and then flicked the butt on the ground. His surrounding was in chaos. In response, the security team pulled down the security shutter. People ran away in panic as the sirens started to wail. As soon as the man started walking toward the high-rise building, a me burned behind. Him.


    Rumble- Boom, boom-


    Were those thunder and earthquake? That wasn¡¯t it. It was the impact resulting from a big explosion, and the destruction wasn¡¯t at a scale of a few buildings being demolished. The men who got out of the wailing police car weren¡¯t police officers, but unidentified assants wearing ck.


    Were they assured once the security shutter was lowered? The people behind the half-transparent ss didn¡¯t seem too scared. That was before the assants pulled their missiles. As soon as they spotted the missiles, the building¡¯s security team turned pale.


    It wasn¡¯t just one but multiple missiles that targeted the same ce. No matter how good the security shutter was, it wasn¡¯t capable of withstanding that many missiles. At the same time, multiple trucks ran into the building and crashed through the security shutter.


    Crash-


    The remaining ss, metal, and concrete all came crumbling down.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    In response to the continued attack, the people trapped inside started to run away. In the midst of the struggle, people started to get injured. However, the unidentified assants had no interest in the civilians. The lobby was seized in no time. The man grabbed the key card hanging on the dead security guard and tossed it to his subordinate.


    ¡°Install it at the observatory.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    What they pulled out of their truck was an air cargo that gets loaded onto nes. The cargo filled up the liftpletely. The man who dispatched the advance party looked at a female employee trembling in a corner of the lobby and gave her a wink. Since it was an expensive building, even the information desk employee looked like a supermodel.


    ¡°You cane up now, Boss!¡±


    He stopped ncing over as soon as he received a walkie-talkie message. When he got on the lift, he saw all of London below him. If it was yesterday, he would have admired the beautiful view, but today, London was on fire with the sunset in the background.


    ¡®It¡¯s burning down well.¡¯


    The British were probably sad, but he was French.


    Ding-


    Once he got off, he was met with cameras and lights.


    ¡°Are we in the middle of a broadcast?¡±


    When he got a signal that they were, he nodded. His bare face was being broadcasted live on the inte.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m¡­ We¡¯re terrorists, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably from the viewers¡¯ perspective.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re terrorists. Haha. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m a terrorist¡­ This feels weird.¡±


    He wondered how to introduce himself and then asked his subordinate who answered with a shrug. He felt pleased butughed bitterly at the same time.


    ¡°My name isn¡¯t important. What¡¯s important is that I was the French African ambassador until recently. For 23 years at that. I¡¯m not lying. If you go into the French government¡¯s website, you can find my profile.¡±


    When he started walking, the camera started moving with him. The hallway was in chaos with traces of gunshots. The way he stepped over dead bodies suggested that he was not normal.


    ¡°Look outside the window. London is on fire. And we¡¯re in Huxley Tower in the city of London right now. You know Huxley Group, right? The group that Limeys are crazy about. You don¡¯t? Then¡­ do you know Premier League¡¯s official sponsor?¡±


    His voice was very calm considering the dead bodies that were being filmed on camera.


    ¡°Not long ago, we saw an assassination attempt on our American president on live television. A bold n took ce right in the middle of New York. That¡­ was a very shocking incident. No one would have ever imagined it.¡±


    Some culture critics called that the greatest art of the 21st century. A story based on a true story has a scenario that couldn¡¯t be matched with any kind of imagination. That probably inspired many artists.


    ¡°Why do you think a patriot like Scott Davis tried to assassinate the president? The answer is simple. He wanted to call out in a voice of truth.¡±


    Americans had mixed feelings about Scott Davis. Some Americans thought he was an incapable criminal who tried to assassinate the president, and others thought of him as a hero who attempted to restore justice by revolting against the government.


    And those on the outside viewed him as a patriotic martyr.


    ¡°What¡¯s the truth? The truth in this world is that only those with money can live a good life.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t something for him to say as someone who always advocated firm action regarding Africa, but the viewers didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Saving humanitarianism? Donation? Charity? That¡¯s all bullshit. Do you really think the donations that go over to Africa are really free? That¡¯s ridiculous. Everything that happens including terrorist attacks is nned with an objective. That¡¯s the rule of strong nations. They don¡¯t allow attempts. That¡¯s because the ruling system moremonly known as international order isplete.¡±


    For nations that wanted tost forever, there was no such thing as pure intentions and nning.


    ¡°In order to maintain public order, I did all sorts of things that I can¡¯t even bear to talk about. I¡¯m not proud of myself. But I wasn¡¯t embarrassed either. I know that I look like a bad person. After all, I didn¡¯t lose a daughter as Scott Davis did. Then why do you think I¡¯m here? Not even in Elysee Pce but at Huxley Tower?


    He went around Africa for over 20 years for his home nation which was France, but the country that he loved pressured him to die a lonely death and turned his patriotism into hatred.


    The camera lens shot the burning city of London.


    ¡°Limeys have always called us French hypocrites. It¡¯s true. I somewhat agree with that. There are times when even French people think it¡¯s too much. However, Iter found out that all British people are thieves, and they were afraid of people knowing that, so they withdrew from the union. You probably won¡¯t understand what I¡¯m trying to say in one go.¡±


    The truth was, he didn¡¯t know everything either.


    ¡°The reason why the financial system isplicated.¡±


    The gunfight was nearing its end.


    ¡°Cheating.¡±


    People hoped that the rules and society were fair, but that wasn¡¯t possible. The gunfight ended. The man noticed a security guard struggling for his life, so he ended it for him right then and there. The way he saw it, freeing them from their pain was the best he could do for them.


    ¡°The government scams us day in and day out by hiding under the word ¡°national security¡±. They¡¯re the best at discovering the most unimaginable and unbelievable methods and solutions. And no one is able to disobey that.¡±


    The meeting room on the top floor with a view of the burning city of London came into the camera lens.


    ¡°Let me introduce to you what the British thieves use as their secret weapons.¡±


    As soon as he noticed a female student on the floor with her panties exposed, he whistled and looked around him.


    ¡°Witches.¡±


    He made eye contact with the most famous women in the city of London.


    ¡°Bitch.¡±


    ¡°Ransel Straussmow?¡±

 Chapter 130: < Protect – Episode 129 – Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 130: < Protect ¨C Episode 129 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [1] ></h4>


    Following Rome and New York, London was on fire as well.


    After a discourteous awakening during the previous terrorist attacks, the advanced nations of the west were determined to put up a perfect defense, but they were left with another irreversible scar. The attack was simr to that of New York, but what was more serious was that a great number of old buildings, museums, and galleries were also blown up with everything else.


    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Rome, which hurt the least amount of people, lost the most amounts of properties. Since there were even investment firms that went bankrupt, the worth of culture and humanities was something that couldn¡¯t be calcted with money. The first attack that the London police recognized was at Huxley tower, but due to the explosion that arose near the British Museum and the Pce of Westminster, the Padilly Circus and the Trafalgar Square was under surveince.


    Block the road connecting Downing to Saint James!


    Who¡¯s controlling Waterloo and Summerset?


    RTB! All patrol cars must return to base!


    What¡¯s going on? Why are the police shooting guns?


    They¡¯re terrorists dressed up as police officers!


    Avoid Guy Forks!


    What?


    In the midst of the police radio conversation, the most confusingmand was to avoid Guy Forks. Who was Guy Forks? The police who were watching over the St. Paul Cathedral was wondering if they heard it wrong. However, there really was a Guy Forks.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    A red two-story bus was being driven at an rming speed by someone in a mask.


    ¡°Move! Move! Get out of the way!¡±


    Whether the stroller blocked the roads or not, not a single police officer was trying to stop it. The London police must have acted fast because the roads connecting to the older parts of the city were closed off first. The police squad, which was getting ready for a riot, nkly stared at the two-story bus speeding by.


    No matter how well the London police or government workers led the citizens and tourists, there were still lots of fools wandering about in dangerous areas. The problem of big cities was clear. That there were just too many people. It was too hard for them to control the situation smoothly and wlessly. The thugs robbing small street shops were probably roaming around with a smile.


    The London terrorist attack was different from that of New York, but what was simr was that they were managing gueris. Ahn Soo Ho elerated toward assants holding a missile. People usually avoided those with a gun, but Ahn Soo Ho sped toward them. It was the assants who were taken aback.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    No matter how well the bus was built, it wasn¡¯t invincible, but the car that the bus hit flew off as it was paper. Then what would it have done to a person? One could only imagine. The final destination of the speeding bus was Huxley Tower. In front of the tower were many bodies lying around. He saw smokeing out of one section of the building, and he also saw multiple assants holding guns.


    Ahn Soo Ho charged toward them with the bus.


    Bang, Bang- Bang-


    This time, the bus didn¡¯t protect the driver. The bullet sted through the ss and tires of the bus, but it kept on going.


    Crash-


    The bus ran through the security shutter and destroyed the concrete with it. The bus then slid across the lobby and fell over to its side. Then a fire started which led to the whole lobby being filled with smoke. After that, the bus exploded.


    Bang, Bang- Bang-


    One shot, one kill!


    It was Ahn Soo Ho who killed one guy after another with his gun. The gunfight ended quickly. Since he saw the many boobie traps beforehand, he acted as if there were no troops present in the lobby. While they looked at Ahn Soo Ho strangely, a building-wide announcement was made.


    ¡°Wee, my friend. I¡¯m on the 65th floor enjoying a date with a bunch of women. Come up.¡±


    ¡®A date?¡¯ What a joke.


    He used the stairs instead of the lift. Even if they exploded the lift or cut the wires, he probably wouldn¡¯t die, but he still didn¡¯t want to be harmed in any way. It took an average person over an hour to go up 60 flights of stairs, but for Ahn Soo Ho he got up in no time.


    ¡®Is he working with Barbara?¡¯


    But it seemed like she got ambushed. That could have all been for show, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s intuition told him otherwise. If that was the case, that meant the London terrorist attack was Ransel Straussmow¡¯s independent action.


    ¡®I can¡¯t understand it.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho annihted Kadesh Morken all on his own. He probably knew that there was no use using hostages against someone like that. And if he wanted hostages, it made more sense for him to use his family back home.


    The 65th floor was in chaos.


    The bodies in the hallway were mostly Barbara¡¯s security guards. Ennd couldn¡¯t help that she was famous, but the fact that she was a witch wasn¡¯t supposed to get out. Yet Ransel exposed it to the world. After realizing that he really was a French ambassador, the world got lit up once more thanks to the London scandal.


    ¡°Wel...¡±


    Ransel, who started greeting him after seeing his shadow, immediately shut his mouth. Ahn Soo Ho shot up the room as soon as he got in. The assants holding cameras and lights were a total of nine people, and they all fell in an instant. The female police officer and female soldier picked up guns from the floor and pointed them at Ransel. Barbara let out a sigh of relief and approached Ahn Soo Ho before she was stopped by his hand.


    ¡°You prepared some interesting things, Ransel.¡±


    Despite the turnaround, Ransel wasn¡¯t surprised but just smiled instead.


    ¡°Do you like it? This is an option that no one else has put into action until now.¡±


    ¡°How did you get them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to North Korea¡¯s ck market. As long as they open a route, nuclear weapons can be made easily.¡±


    The drugs and illegal weapons circting in Asia were mostly from North Korea, and even some nuclear facilities were provided by them as well. North Korea yed a big role in the ck market of international weapons.


    Barbara dropped her jaw.


    ¡°Ha! Nuclear weapons! How can you talk about that so calmly?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! You¡¯re such a coward.¡±


    Ransel clicked his tongue and ridiculed her while Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you... Ransel! Give me the unlock code right now!¡±


    Barbara looked at them both in absurdity and yelled at Ransel. The female police officer and the female soldier both kept their guns in their hands. They were ready to pull the trigger.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. It¡¯s connected to me.¡±


    Ransel lifted his wrist. On it was a heartbeat checker that looked like a watch.


    ¡°If I die, boom! It¡¯s all over.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting hearing that from a crazy bitch. What do you think? Are you willing to negotiate with me now?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just smirked.


    ¡°The nuclear weapons weren¡¯t bad. Any other fresh conditions?¡±


    ¡°Hm. If I die, a fatal secret will be revealed on the inte.¡±


    ¡°A secret?¡±


    ¡°The horrible things that the so-called powerful nations were doing in Africa.¡±


    The military policies that Ransel advocated weren¡¯t for the powerless Africans.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I just want to be acknowledged.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can get away after doing this?¡±


    ¡°As long as you acknowledge me, everything else will resolve on its own.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°Then we all die.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t Ransel¡¯s original n.


    Since Europe suffered thanks to J-Law and Issac, he didn¡¯t have to do anything there, and if Scott Davis had sessfully killed the American president, the American military¡ªwho would probably be in shock¡ªwould have be more passive. Ransel was nning to use that opportunity to appear as the new troubleshooter of international conflict. The problem was that the New York terrorist attack didn¡¯t go as nned.


    ¡®Who would have imagined Mr. Guardian would get in the way?¡¯


    As soon as France knew the situation, they abandoned Ransel and even put him on the assassination list. Ransel¡¯s n to attack London was for next year, but he had to make it earlier than expected.


    ¡°Your secrets will be revealed as well.¡±


    ¡°My secrets?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a merchant who sells death. The public won¡¯t react favorably to that.¡±


    The public always had a negative view of mercenaries. If Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s past as the king of mercenaries happened to get out, it was bound to cause controversy.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re dumber than you look. Do you really think you¡¯re the only one who came up with that idea?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. But the others were probably too scared to actually try it. I have nothing to lose.¡±


    With the nuclear weapons and the scandals waiting to happen, Ransel¡¯s confidence was higher than ever. Every country also believed that even the ones with supernatural powers were powerless in front of nuclear missiles. Ahn Soo Ho also believed that he could be obliterated with a nuclear weapon in the future. So Ransel believed that he possessed the best hand possible.


    ¡°America¡¯s not stupid.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that Yankees are dumber thugs than you think. Do you really think they¡¯ve never tried using a nuclear weapon on me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He had already broken the cameras, but he didn¡¯t take off his mask. He couldn¡¯t trust Ransel, and Barbara was crazy, too. He didn¡¯t want them to know any more than necessary.


    ¡°Ransel Straussmow, you na?ve little bastard.¡±


    Was it possible for America to not have shot a nuclear missile at Ahn Soo Ho? As mentioned before, national security wasn¡¯t noble or ethical in any way. All they cared about was obliterating their enemies.


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Africa¡¯s justice? The second Mr. Guardian? Terror ns? Did you really decide to do them all on your own?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The way his eyes shook made him grow suspicious.


    Ever since the brainwashing program began that was almost as powerful as magic, international order started to show some changes. Some people might have been hoping for the copse of white supremacy.


    ¡®It¡¯s not China.¡¯


    China was known as the G2, but they had to ovee many obstacles to be superior. Then what about Africa? They weren¡¯t capable enough either. South America really didn¡¯t stand a chance, and despite Russia having bad rtions with the States, they were a part of white supremacy. Then the only ones left were the Middle East but when it came to confrontations, Ims were at a disadvantageous position.


    So there was only one ce left.


    ¡°General Ashford.¡±


    Criminal nning group, General Ashford.


    ¡°No way! This was all my...¡±


    ¡°Then press the firing mechanism.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Make the nuclear weapon blow up.¡±


    Ransel was taken aback by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve! Do you seriously think you can survive a nuclear missile?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Your life and death have nothing to do with the nuclear weapon. And the explosive has already been removed. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask them.¡±


    ¡°Jeno! Answer me! Jeno!¡±


    Ransel desperately called into his walkie-talkie, but no one answered.


    ¡°There are no problems at the observatory, Boss.¡±


    A perfectly changed voice came out of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Ransel was shocked by his chillingly simr voice.


    ¡°Do you really think I would have missed such dangerous objects? Seriously? But thanks to you, I now have some nuclear weapons added to my collection.¡±


    Even if he had exined how he took those nuclear weapons, he probably wouldn¡¯t have understood. Ransel¡¯s face turned red as he desperately stepped on the pedal. However, the nuclear weapon didn¡¯t go off.


    ¡°Are you sick? You don¡¯t look so good, Ransel.¡±


    In contrast to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s friendly face, Ransel was grabbed by an invisible hand and flew in midair.


    ¡°You should get some fresh air!¡±


    ¡°St... stop it! If I die, your secrets... Agh!¡±


    After hanging in the air for a bit, he flew out of the window while screaming. No human being could survive after falling from the 65th floor. Once the cold air from the outside hit Barbara¡¯s face, she finally came to her senses.


    ¡°Is it okay if your secrets get out, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll pose more problems for you than me, Barbara.¡±


    Whether Ransel was crazy or not, the French ambassador exposed the head of Huxley Group as a witch, and as soon as he died, lots of secret documents were going to be spread on the inte. It was impossible to stop itpletely without having to destroy everyputer on the face of the earth.


    ¡®General Ashford.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s beliefs stiffened after that.


    ¡®They¡¯re not just smart criminals.¡¯


    It was clear that at the core of this crime nning group were alphas or those with supernatural powers. If not, they were some kind of cult that believed in supernatural powers.


    ¡®What do they want?¡¯


    ******


    ¡°The nuclear weapon...didn¡¯t go off.¡±


    ¡°So it failed.¡±


    The vice president of Michael Tobal¡¯s Genesis Quantumughed bitterly. Across from him was the vice president of Thomas Chenyabin who looked like he saw iting.


    ¡°We should have seen iting ever since the New York incident didn¡¯t go ording to n. Since Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s involved now, we can¡¯t expect anything to proceed as nned. But I don¡¯t see this as a failure, Michael.¡±


    ¡°Because the witch got exposed to the public?¡±


    ¡°Ransel was pretty useful. I didn¡¯t expect him to attack London, but the results are positive. Both Ennd and France will be in trouble which will speed up the copse of the EU.¡±


    ¡°I see. But there could be more misgivings, Tom.¡±


    Michael looked ufortable.


    ¡°Alphas are all smart. And they¡¯re more...¡±


    ¡°They are. I agree. They could have caught on to us already. But so what? As long as we don¡¯t cause harm and stick to the rules, we won¡¯t have to meet in the near future. And it¡¯s just a matter of time before Soo Ho stands on our side, too.¡±


    Since humans were born with jealousy and envy, they wouldn¡¯t ept those who were superior but try to suppress and control them instead.


    ¡°People will betray him. Trust me.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 129 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [1] > The end.

 Chapter 131: < Protect – Episode 130 – Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 131: < Protect ¨C Episode 130 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [2] ></h4>


    Even if a bomb went off in Rome, even if New York got attacked with a nuclear missile, even if London went down in mes, there was no way the world would end. The media acted like something huge happened, but there was no way Koreans could hear the gunshots and screams that were going on on the other side of the world. The working people were busy going to work, the students were busy going to school, the farmers were busy farming, and the fishermen went out to sea as usual.


    News about terror and whatnot were just stories of other worlds on TV. Just like how the States were watching Europe with popcorn during the World War, war had never happened on American ground. Some might ask if Pearl Harbor wasn¡¯t American ground since it was an ind located 9000 kilometers away from Americannd. With that distance, they might as well have been a foreignnd.


    No matter how much media and inte developed, there was no way Tokyo residents or Koreans could step into the shoes of New York citizens. While being alike, they were all living inpletely different worlds.


    ¡°Even if New York goes down, there¡¯s Phdelphia, D.C., Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, LA, and San Francisco. There¡¯s only one New York, but there many cities that can rece it. Same with Rome and London. The inte and media make it sound like the world ising to an end, but there are more people who don¡¯t even know it happened or don¡¯t care.¡±


    In particr, the natives of the Amazon didn¡¯t care about what happened on the outside. What was funnier was that when Japan suffered an explosion attack, Spain held a tomato festival. Would Brazil cancel their samba festival just because there was a terrorist attack in Spain? During the World Wars, human civilization was flourishing. Just like how the war was war and living was living, terror and festivals were two separate things.


    ¡°Memorials could be a business. A very expensive business.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re an American, Scott?¡±


    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m a patriot.¡±


    Seeing how he loved capitalism, he must have been an American after all. Ahn Soo Ho talked to Scott Warren on the phone while going back to Korea on his private jet.


    ¡°Soo Ho, you have no idea how much money goes into funerals. In America, it costs three times more to die than to be born. Oh! But that excludes childcare costs.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and get to the point.¡±


    It was tiring to listen to a scam artist babbling on.


    ¡°Hosoo Entertainment America.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to work under me?¡±


    ¡°In order to ept foreign investment offers, this would be more of a coboration... But yeah. I guess I¡¯d be working under you.¡±


    ¡°Under what condition?¡±


    ¡°I want autonomous power.¡±


    ¡°Within reason.¡±


    As long as he wasn¡¯t out to destroy thepany, he didn¡¯t want to pose any restrictions, but he also didn¡¯t want to be an investor who just watched on without doing anything. The right person to manage Hosoo Entertainment America was probably Seo Joo Kyung.


    ¡®She has a lot of ambition.¡¯


    Hosoo Entertainment was going to be much bigger than the original. He was okay with Seo Joo Kyung going in and giving Scott a hard time. After ending the call, he looked at Jang Seol Hyun who was sleeping next to him. She was originally following L around, but once she heard about the London terrorist attack, she immediately flew over to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®What a foolish woman.¡¯


    Who would fly over to London where a terrorist attack was taking ce? If he was on a battlefield, would she be there, too? While criticizing her for being foolish, he also got a weird feeling. He covered her back with a nket that slipped off of her.


    ¡°CEO Ahn. It¡¯s Director Oh Joo Kyung.¡±


    In response to the secretary¡¯s whispering, he left the private room to let Jang Seol Hyun sleep. Ahn Soo Ho stopped one of the employees from getting up and sat in another chair to take the call.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The National Tax Service changed their stance, CEO Ahn. They¡¯re going to enforce the tax investigation.¡±


    ¡°For what reason?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Ransel Straussmow, who fell from the 65th floor, actually kept his promise. Following the witch scandal, Africa¡¯s secret mission scandal, as well as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s identity, was exposed.


    Code Name, Wizard! What does an international dispute mediator do?


    Mercenary King, Ahn Soo Ho! The man who sentences people to death!


    Mr. Guardian! The guardian angel for the rich!


    There were more secrets that weren¡¯t exposed than those that were, but even that small amount of information shocked the public. Some protesters called Ahn Soo Ho the living devil and others called him a psychopathic murderer. As a result, ridiculous rumors about him being a serial killer surfaced once more.


    ¡°Is this normal?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. Korea is quiet. But the outside is very noisy. America is particrly fussy right now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. It had only been a few hours since he shaved, but he already felt some hair. Could it be true that gravitation affects the speed of hair growth?


    ¡®I feel like this is revenge.¡¯


    After the American president¡¯s assassination was prevented, everyone in the world wanted to know more about Captain America who was seen talking to Scott Davis, but the American government couldn¡¯t reveal that. Captain America had to be remembered as an American. The problem was that it was good that he stopped the president¡¯s assassination, but he failed to stop Scott¡¯s mouth from bbering which led to humiliation. So the American media¡¯s criticism of Ahn Soo Ho was someone¡¯s revenge.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can avoid the press conference.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Get it ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as he hung up the phone, Jang Seol Hyun approached while rubbing her eyes. She opened her arms wide as she approached, and Ahn Soo Ho hugged her while still sitting down. Since they were all first ss seats, it was big enough to amodate two people, but it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight for those who were single.


    ¡°Why did you abandon me?¡±


    ¡°I did? Where?¡±


    ¡°In my dreams.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s mumbling.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much I can do about that.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t abandon me, Mister.¡±


    She mumbled and then fell asleep in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arms.


    ¡®She must be tired.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t easy touring around. Meeting strange people in strange ces easily made one irritated. Leaving home was hard work, and the romance and enjoyment of traveling onlysted a few days. As soon as he arrived at Incheon International Airport, he understood Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s worries. Many people were gathered at the airport, and they weren¡¯t Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s fans, but men who were calling Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name.


    Once he escaped the airport with the help of the police, he headed to Daesan Hotel to hold a press conference. There weren¡¯t many questions about Jang Seol Hyun. There were easy questions such as how the States was doing, or if L was okay, and various things about the North American tour. However, once Ahn Soo Ho held the mic, things turned ugly.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on the ims that your coboration with Scott Warren is simply an investment strategy that¡¯s taking advantage of their crisis?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that I wasn¡¯t the one who asked for his help first.¡±


    ¡°The London terrorist attack took ce as soon as you arrived in London. Do you see this as a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I wasn¡¯t in Berlin or Rome when attacks happened there. I was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time. It was a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Why does the terrorist who was also the French ambassador have a file about you? Are you also involved in Africa¡¯s secret operation?¡±


    ¡°Noment.¡±


    The questions slowly changed into ones appropriate for a hearing. Thest one to speak up was a reporter from CNN. So the question was in English.


    ¡°ording to the file that Ransel Straussmow revealed, you were involved in the death of a tribe leader of Hakunda people. Did you kill them when you failed to win the African natives over?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked. It was almost a scoff. The vibe settled down, but Ahn Soo Ho looked the reporter right in the eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Tod.¡±


    ¡°Tod? Nice to meet you, Tod. Can I ask you a question?¡±


    The reporter didn¡¯t say no so Ahn Soo Ho asked him a serious question.


    ¡°Have you ever seen hell before, Tod? Wait, let me rephrase that. What do you think hell is like?¡±


    The reporter had a hard time responding to his serious voice. Ahn Soo Ho leaned in and answered.


    ¡°Most Americans think of hell in the exact same way. New York¡¯s Harlem? Detroit¡¯s slums? Miami¡¯s red-light district? People who¡¯d endured worse than that might think it¡¯s like a battlefield in Afghanistan. It¡¯s true. The battlefield is hell. But there¡¯s another hell out there.¡±


    In a world where cameras even reached the Amazon forests, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think there wasn¡¯t a single ce where cameras couldn¡¯t reach. However, there was a ce like that in Africa.


    ¡°Eight years ago, I was asked by the UN to work as a guard for the African human rights research group. The location of the research group was not even Congo, but a more internal area that not even the rebels could reach.¡±


    The Amazon forests were nothing inparison to this ce.


    ¡°What do you think happened there, Tod?¡±


    The reporter kept his mouth shut in response.


    ¡°The investigators all went crazy. Why, you ask? Because they had to face cruelty that they never even imagined. If you want to know the details make a request to the UN. The records are all there. The point is... the leader of Hakunda was a pedophile. He looked for little children, especially little girls under 10.¡±


    He started to hear groaning.


    ¡°The research group discovered that the Hakunda people and their leader were deeply involved in human trafficking and kidnapping. However, the research group isn¡¯t an investigation organization. So the person in charge notified the UN. What do you think happened after that?¡±


    The human rights research group thought they would do something about it, but they were being very naive.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Do any of you know how the UN¡¯s human rights investigations take ce? Anyone?¡±


    Half of the reporters were in the entertainment industry, some were in the local news department, and the rest were from other industries. And among the others, there wasn¡¯t a single journalist. They were just a bunch of people who flew in looking for a scoop.


    ¡°The investigator goes to the scene and writes a report. In that process, he gathers all sorts of evidence. And using that report, the organization begins its evaluation. Localws, internationalws, as well as their country, and their rtionship with the UN are conserved. And the corrective rmendation from the UN doesn¡¯te fast. They all usually end as armchair arguments. Why, you ask? Because the UN isn¡¯t about justice.¡±


    The UN wasn¡¯t Sailor Moon who fought evil.


    ¡°It takes at least three years for the final human rights report toe out. And at the courts, you all know, only 0.01% of the cases are human rights cases. They have to be approved by them as well. So in order to prosecute the Hakunda people and their leader, it takes at least five years. Five years. Can you imagine how many girls and boys will suffer in that time frame?¡±


    The top organizations only focused on the big picture and didn¡¯t care for the small things. The tribal chief knew that, too. If he was a huge tycoon, the media wouldn¡¯t have left him alone, but he was simply the leader of a tribe who had a unique sexual preference. For the politicians and diplomats working for the UN, this wasn¡¯t an issue worth talking about.


    ¡°He knew that.¡±


    The leader of the Hakunda people knew that there was nothing the UN could do in the near future.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the leader graduated from Harvard Law School. So he¡¯s a professional in the field ofw.¡±


    The mumbling got louder in response.


    ¡°People think all African ck people are dumb and uneducated. That¡¯s so wrong. Just like the rest of the world, Africa has changed. The heads leading the militaries and tribes are just as educated as the white elites. And they have more resources than those in the Middle East. However, in contrast to their growing knowledge, their ethical beliefs are still stuck at 1000 years ago.¡±


    A century ago, the Europeans shred Africa to pieces, but they didn¡¯t go as far to annihte the tribal identities themselves. Just like how not all Congo people were alike, not all Africans weren¡¯t the same either.


    The tribal wars were a dilemma that was never going to end.


    ¡°The States, the UN, and the EU don¡¯t have any resolutions for the African civil war. That¡¯s how it always was and will be.¡±


    Nothing was going to change just because they investigated and talked about human rights.


    ¡°At one point the research group asked me if there was another way of stopping that tribal leader. So I suggested going to them and making a negotiation.¡±


    Did they do what Ahn Soo Ho intended? The research group went to the Hakunda people and made some threats, and those under the leader from Harvardw school were simple-minded. They assaulted and detained the research group.


    ¡®In the case that the employees of the UN are kidnapped or threatened, they are allowed to do whatever it takes to defend themselves.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho and his security team wiped out the Hakunda people. That didn¡¯t mean they killed everyone. That day, the research group saved 490 kidnapped girls ledgers including 10,000 cases of human trafficking and got the pleasure to kill the leader during the rescue.


    ¡°What was your question, Sir? Did I kill them once we failed to win them over? If we killed them, we wouldn¡¯t have left a report. I¡¯m not that stupid.¡±


    The Korean reportersughed in response and the Yankee reporter turned red.


    ¡°What else did you ask? Was I involved in the tribal leader¡¯s death?¡±


    He smirked again. It was another scoff. While Ahn Soo Ho was in Africa, he saved 115,821 people from human trafficking and kidnapping. The reason why he remembered the exact number was because he was still supporting them now. The money he earned in Africa was left in Africa.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to tell you, Tod.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his middle finger.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Go home, Yankee!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 130 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [2] > The end.

 Chapter 132: < Protect – Episode 131 – Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 132: < Protect ¨C Episode 131 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [3] ></h4>


    Once it was established, Korea developed significantly.


    After crawling out of the Korean War, the country aplished the miracle on Han River as well as a sessful opening of the Olympics. Well, there was the IMF, but it was resolved rtively well in the end. Following the World Cup, it appeared that the country was really taking off again, but Korea in the 21st century had the same problem as Japan.


    Absence of leadership from the young.


    Both politicians and businessmen were most often sixty and older, and even ones in their thirties and forties were hard toe by. So leaders who were in their 20s were almost non-existent. What was clear was that what people could do when they were old was different from what they could do when they were young. What was in between stability and challenge were beingpletely ignored. Politics and society couldn¡¯t help but remain unchanged.


    How many young businessmen from a few decades back would still be alive today? Kang Joon, who was a part of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s 8-member group pped while looking at the TV.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    What kind of Korean businessman in their right mind would say ¡°fuck you¡± in front of the camera and reporters? On live television at that.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Soo Ho I love! I¡¯m so proud of my friend!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a KCC vition?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Soo Ho¡¯s a professional broadcaster. And even the president¡¯s scared of him, so who¡¯s going to get in the way of Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, he still has a bad temper after all these years.¡±


    Aside from Ahn Soo Ho, the 8-member group got together during Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s press conference. They might have felt ufortable about their awkward fall-out, but that didn¡¯t matter today. They were actually happy to see each other. That was why the friends one goes through hardships with were one¡¯s true friends.


    ¡°When are you getting married?¡±


    ¡°Next year?¡±


    Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung had finished their formal greetings between families a few days ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally making your tiresome rtionship official.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Our rtionship¡¯s more like noble and pure.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Since they started dating at the Naval Academy, it had been a long time. If Yoon Chul had been more enthusiastic or if Soo Jung was more easygoing, they would have either gotten married or had broken up a long time ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s controversial press conference came to an end. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s friends only needed another minute to see his face again. The group was at Daesan Hotel as well.


    ¡°That interview was a killer, bro!¡±


    Kang Joon bumped shoulders with him with exaggerated movements.


    ¡°What about Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°She went to the banquet first.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing a good job as your future wife.¡±


    ¡°We have no intention of dating for over a decade like you guys.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I told you this is a noble and pure rtionship.¡±


    Yoon Chul¡¯sst remark gotpletely ignored. Even his girlfriend Kim Soo Jung turned her head. Ahn Soo Ho looked over at Jung Sol Ji.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°If you be a politician, you can¡¯t pull stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I don¡¯t want to be one. What are you up to these days? I heard you¡¯re unemployed now.¡±


    Jung Sol Ji red at Han Kyung Il, and Han Kyung Il avoided her gaze in response.


    ¡°I worked hard until now, so I¡¯m taking a break.¡±


    ¡°Then now that you got some rest, you should start working again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Jung Sol Ji tilted her head at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s peculiar nuance and then burst intoughter.


    ¡°Run for the National Assembly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard without an agency.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°I said that wrong. Even if I get elected, there isn¡¯t much I can do alone.¡±


    ¡°Then form a party.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think Ahn Soo Ho was joking about this. So she was even more surprised because entering politics in Korea was no easy matter.


    ¡°You¡¯re... not joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t joke about a friend¡¯s future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thankful and all, but I have no interest in entering politics right now.¡±


    Jung Sol Ji recently suffered from something that left her with a scar that got in the way of her entering politics.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to write a book.¡±


    ¡°A book?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to write about the truth of you and us.¡±


    ¡°That would stir up a controversy.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho showed a strange expression on his face. Jung Sol Ji didn¡¯t have any interest in returning to the political world just yet, but that didn¡¯t mean she was going to leavepletely. It seemed as though her experience was going to lead to her writing a controversial work from the point of view of a victim. And Kim Soo Jung joined in.


    ¡°Once the bookes out, I¡¯m going to make a drama or a movie out of it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the rights to do that.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for? Huh?¡±


    ¡°Agh! My eyes!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    In response to Kim Soo Jung¡¯s sneak attack, he gestured the cutting of his throat and said, ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± Ahn Soo Ho watched over his chatty friends and then pped to clear the air.


    ¡°We all have our own ns. This could actually be something we might not finish even until we die. But...¡±


    He stressed thest word.


    ¡°If we do it together, we can do it. There will be times when we get into conflicts. But I don¡¯t think differences in opinions is a bad thing. Besides, people grow closer once they fight. Who here hasn¡¯t been hit by me before?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s joke that wasn¡¯t so much of a joke made everyone smirk. It was true. Kim Soo Jung, Jung Sol Ji, and Choi Jung Yeon had all been hit by Ahn Soo Ho before.


    ¡°Friends... We¡¯re only standing at the starting line. There¡¯s a long way to go.¡±


    He dreamt of being the national hero. He did have apromising past, but he wasn¡¯t ashamed of it. He actually missed those old days when he was full of courage.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s change this damn Korea.¡±


    He wanted to make a better future with his own hands.


    ¡®But I have no interest in standing at the front.¡¯


    If the 8-member group could look into Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s head, they would have called him a traitor. Why go into politics when it was so frustrating? There was always someone else who could do it. ¡®As long as it¡¯s not me!¡¯ He had to abandon that way of thinking.


    ¡®It¡¯s foolish to think that I¡¯m the only special one.¡¯


    In modern society, anyone could be reced.


    The first Hosoo Entertainment year-end meeting was held at the annex of Daesan Hotel. The name sounded grand, but it was just a year-end party where they ate and partied. There were departments that were awkward because members and employees were all mixed together, there were departments who were drinking and chatting away, and there were those who were busy taking selfies for social media.


    In contrast to the outside, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s status in Korea only became more stabilized. Korea felt like they finally had someone who was known worldwide. There were also puberty-like responses, and the official fan club name was finalized as ¡®Guardian Angel¡¯. When Jang Seol Hyun heard that, sheughed like crazy.


    At this point, there was an Ahn Soo Ho syndrome going on.


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung called for Ahn Soo Ho, who was surrounded by family, employees, and friends. They stepped to another side of the banquet hall and caught their breath.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    He emptied an entire bottle of water.


    ¡°You should have paced yourself.¡±


    ¡°Who knew things would turn out like this? But where¡¯s Director Seo?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s busy with year-end events.¡±


    ¡°Year-end events?¡±


    ¡°This is the season for year-end public TV awards ceremonies.¡±


    Public TV awards ceremonies were like a pride battle between broadcast stations, but it was also a way of measuring each agency¡¯s power. The celebrities under Hosoo Entertainment were regr visitors of award ceremonies. However, since they only had one body, each broadcast station fought for the celebrities. Oh Joo Kyung handed Ahn Soo Ho a schedule for the awards ceremonies.


    ¡°Why are there so many award ceremonies? Can¡¯t they just make it into one?¡±


    ¡°Well, awards go to both actors and singers.¡±


    The awards given by broadcasters were like a performance-based bay. For viewers who only cared about their favorite celebrities, the producers didn¡¯t matter, but the year-end award ceremonies were like a legal party where they could issue bonuses.


    Ahn Soo Ho got straight to the point.


    ¡°Scott Warren will set up a Hosoo Entertainment America soon.¡±


    ¡°Like an American branch?¡±


    ¡°On the outside, yes... But it¡¯ll be an independent corporation. I¡¯m thinking of sending Director Seo. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Hm. She¡¯ll be happy about that.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was on board. Since Seo Joo Kyung was all about expanding the business abroad, she was going to volunteer even before he asked.


    ¡°Chairman Ahn. It¡¯s ready.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded in response to Kim Woo Jung. People in the group didn¡¯t know if they should call him CEO or Chairman. Kim Woo Jung called him chairman. As the status of the group increased, he thought it was only right, and many employees agreed. On the other hand, Oh Joo Kyung didn¡¯t see a particr reason on why people should change how they called Ahn Soo Ho.


    As soon as Oh Joo Kyung got up on the podium, everyone went quiet. Ahn Soo Ho was always a popr CEO. What kind of employee wouldn¡¯t like a boss who paid a lot of money? He was a rich man who said what was on his mind. Some thought of him as immature, but the public generally saw him as a refreshing young man.


    And after the London terrorist attack, even the ones in their 40s and 50s showed passionate responses. He even had the support of many men. Men tended to be quitepetitive, but once the ranks were decided, they stayed loyal. It wasn¡¯t just women who were drawn to strong men. Men respected strong leadership as well.


    In Korea, even those who talked the talk in the Korean penins became useless once they stepped out


    of the country. But Ahn Soo Ho said ¡®f*ck you¡¯ to all the strong countries, and he was still fine. And that had nothing to do with the fact that he had a lot of money. Only real leaders could make international order happen.


    Heughed at the sparkling eyes of his employees.


    ¡°You can give me that look all you want... But if you want a raise, you¡¯ll have to talk to human resources.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Theyughed quietly.


    ¡°Many things happened this year, but it looks like it has finally reached its end. Let¡¯s have a moment of silence for those who are working today.¡±


    They stayed silent for 5 seconds.


    ¡°Are you having fun, everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. On that note, let¡¯s not do a closing ceremony or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    In contrast to the members, the employees cheered.


    ¡°We can¡¯t really avoid thepany dinner, but let¡¯s just forget the rest of the formalities. What do you think, Director Oh?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung picked up the mic as if she was waiting to speak.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just saying that because you¡¯rezy?¡±


    ¡°You caught me!¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Everyoneughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s yful expression and surprise.


    ¡°It looks like I raised a baby tiger! Damn it... I guess women have to date to be softer. Can someone date Director Oh, please? Or marry her if you can.¡±


    ¡°Ooh.¡±


    People jeered. Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders and waited for them to quiet down.


    ¡°When I was on the ne back to Korea, I read a very shocking report. There was a survey iming that our employees were either avoiding dating or postponing marriage. Why, you ask? Because there are disadvantages thate with dating within thepany or taking maternity leave.¡±


    The members finally understood why Ahn Soo Ho teased Oh Joo Kyung like that.


    ¡°Does that make sense? Does it, Director Oh?¡±


    This time, Oh Joo Kyung shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I believe ourpany won¡¯t have to suffer such ridiculous beliefs. I believe Hosoo Entertainment Group will work towards building young and fresh ideas. However, you all betrayed my belief.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put on a serious expression this time, but due to his silly face not long before, this just looked funny to most.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should date, marry, and have children right away. That¡¯s probably not even possible. You need to make a lot of money from now on.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    He pointed at an employee and teased him, making everyone else burst intoughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week, everyone. If the members can¡¯te up with a good solution by then, none of you will get a raise next year. I guarantee that that will lead to a very ufortable situation. I should know.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stuck up his middle finger, people could neitherugh nor cry.


    ¡°But not today. Please have fun today and leave the worrying for tomorrow.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung brought the champagne and opened it.


    ¡°Pour it!¡±


    The employees chanted along with him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s die!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 131 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [3] > The end.

 Chapter 133: < Protect – Episode 132 – Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 133: < Protect ¨C Episode 132 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [4] ></h4>


    The problem with Korean media was that they weren¡¯t critical of the arguments taking ce outside of the country. But at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s return press conference, it was 180 degrees different. If it was back in the day, they would have taken the side of the media, but this time, they pointed out CNN¡¯s wrongdoing and criticized the external sources.


    A press conference without ss? CNN tried to find the enemy of the States outside their own country!


    China, Japan, and the Asian media are all criticizing CNN and BBC! It¡¯s time for the West to suffer!


    And the broadcastingpany let it air just like that!


    Ahn Soo Ho, the international conflict troubleshooter! The giant that this generation needs!


    In contrast to America, Europe, and Africa that we¡¯re dealing with the chaos of terror, Asia was pretty quiet besides the bombing in Japan. Japan was used to getting earthquakes, so a few bombs didn¡¯t faze them too much. China was weird, but Japan was weird, too. In contrast to the advertisement and news in the States that always stressed national unity, Korea always talked about how the country was Hell Joseon.


    Kya! Fuck you! So refreshing! This is why we¡¯re addicted to Ahn Soo Ho! #AhnSooHoReturns #FuckYouYankees #CNNHumiliation


    Conspiracy!


    You shouldn¡¯t look down on US like that.


    Why not? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re dependent on them. The memorial and their mistakes are two different things!


    It¡¯s not like the CNN represent the US. It¡¯s just that that white bastard tried to get at Ahnfeller and got taught a lesson!


    White bastards are trouble no matter which country they¡¯re from!


    Huh? Are we looking down on the States now?


    Korean independence for the win!


    But is Barbara Huxley really a witch? #LondonTerror # WitchScandal #SexyCEO


    The sexiest female CEO in the world! Barbara Huxley!


    Isn¡¯t Huxley Group that huge conglomerate that works with fashion, hotels, airlines, cars, and everything in between? Compared to that, Daesan Group is nothing!


    I think you¡¯re mistaken. She¡¯s just someone who possesses stocks! Her nickname is money queen!


    Money queen? What a nickname!


    Gasp! She¡¯s so sexy!


    Doesn¡¯t she look like Eva Green? But Eva is French while Barbara is British.


    Eva? Barbara? Ebarbara?


    Hahaha! You bastard!


    The first year-end meeting of Hosoo Entertainment is taking ce at Daesan Hotel! I¡¯m taking questions!


    Are you a hotelier?


    I¡¯m a college student for now. I¡¯m just working here to earn money for college before I go to the military.


    Year-end meeting? Is it like a stockholder¡¯s meeting?


    No, it¡¯s a drinking party. They¡¯re dancing and going crazy. It¡¯s pretty much like a Christmas party.


    They¡¯re partying when the rest of the world is doing memorials? Can they do that?


    It¡¯s unfortunate, but what does the London terrorist attack or the New York terrorist attack have to do with us? Even on their day off, all the young men and women were at clubs in Gangnam. Isn¡¯t it weird to act like you care now when you were partying all along?


    Is it fun?


    All the celebrities of Hosoo Entertainment are here. Daesan Hotel doesn¡¯t usually rent this ce out for anyone else but Daesan Group, but they turned it into a club. They¡¯re partying like there¡¯s no tomorrow.


    Whatever Ahn Soo Ho did turn into a controversy.


    Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s first year-end meeting wasn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s idea. What started as a social gathering for the members turned out to be a lot more fun. Hosoo Entertainment Group was a youngpany. They grew a lot since they were first established, but the members were at an average age of 35.6 and the employees had an average age of 29.1.


    ¡°Are you the only one left, Logan?¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Fools.¡±


    All his underlings went to the States. Why? For Michael. It didn¡¯t matter what they could or couldn¡¯t do. What was important was for them to at least try. No one knew how long it would take, but they had to see it to the end.


    ¡°What about the funeral?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bringing Michael¡¯s parents over to New York. It¡¯ll take ce as soon as the corpse is identified.¡±


    ¡°Will the New York police investigate properly?¡±


    ¡°If we put pressure, they¡¯ll at least try to look like they are. But... it¡¯ll take some time.¡±


    New York was in the process of a quick recovery. But even before the terrorist attack, there were many criminal investigations. It didn¡¯t seem like the American government was willing to give way that much for Ahn Soo Ho whom they had sympathy for. He¡¯d just be thankful if they didn¡¯t interfere.


    ¡°Let me make this clear, Logan. I don¡¯t want to meddle anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, Soo Ho. We couldn¡¯t expect any more.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go?¡±


    ¡°As I said, someone needs to take responsibility.¡±


    Disobeying direct orders was enough to be fired.


    ¡°Responsibility... How are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll volunteer for free for a year.¡±


    A mercenary not gettingpensated was a big deal. That was just how much he valued Michael. However, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. Just... tell them not to get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t in such a sensitive situation.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to bet on it, Logan?¡±


    ¡°Um, no, thank you.¡±


    Logan immediately withdrew his opinion. There wasn¡¯t a single police officer who liked a civilian chasing after a criminal. Not just ordinary civilians but veteran mercenaries at that. It was obvious that a problem was going to arise during the investigation.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get awyer ready.¡±


    ¡°Should I call Smith & Heard?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Smith & Heard was arge Americanw firm that also had a branch in New York. Logan looked back on his way out.


    ¡°Did you hire ck Fortune?¡±


    ¡°James? Notpletely. It¡¯s just a temporary contract. Why? Do you feel like he¡¯s apetition?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a legend.¡±


    Every soldier of the American special forces had heard of James ck¡¯s legend at least once. Logan was also from the American special forces.


    ¡°I might as well just leave the wrap up to him...¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    As soon as he gave off the vibe that he was going to let James ck look after the underlings in the States, Logan immediately protested. While looking at him disappear in fear of hearing anything else from him, Ahn Soo Ho simply smirked.


    ¡®That¡¯s what I thought.¡¯


    Who was he to act like he didn¡¯t care? Men with balls had to get into a fight in order toe to a conclusion. Reputation was important, but in the mercenary world, it was all about skill.


    ¡°What are you doing in the corner, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m getting old. It¡¯s tiring to have fun.¡±


    Was love really that strong? Jang Seol Hyun somehow got through the tent that the Magician put up. With the tent up, no one could listen or see Ahn Soo Ho, but it didn¡¯t work on Jang Seol Hyun. And of course, Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯te alone.


    ¡°Long time no see Soo Ho, or Should I call you CEO Ahn now?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Soo Ho in personal settings. But has it been that long? I don¡¯t think it has been.¡±


    It was Jung Ah Young who hit it big thanks to the travel vlog that was filmed not long ago. On top of that, she transferred to Hosoo Entertainment so her situation got much better overnight as if she was Cindere.


    ¡°Really? Maybe you¡¯re right. I guess I¡¯ve been too busy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good for an actress to be busy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that time.¡±


    Jung Ah Young nearly whispered herst words. She whispered it so that Jang Seol Hyun wouldn¡¯t hear. She was probably referring to the incident that took ce with Esther Group¡¯s Chairman Oh¡¯s third son. She had a chance to see an heir¡¯s shenanigans that one could only see in movies and dramas. With that considered, Chairman Kim Dae San did a pretty good job with his children.


    ¡®I forgot to call him¡¯


    He clearly heard the old man¡¯s voice in his head. He believed he would live until 100 at the very least.


    ¡®He must¡¯ve gotten cursed at a lot when he was younger seeing how long he¡¯s living.¡¯


    Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t evil, but he wasn¡¯t good-hearted either. No businessman was 100% kind.


    ¡°Chairman Ahn.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung looked for Ahn Soo Ho everywhere, but it took him a while because of the magic he used to hide himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The government is asking you to keep it under control.¡±


    ¡°Keep it under control? What do you mean?¡±


    Kim Woo Jung pointed at the board members with his eyes. Ahn Soo Houghed. Someone who cared about what the States thought probably worried that this was disrespectful to the memorial vibe that was taking ce all over the world.


    ¡°Government workers have nothing to do, do they?¡±


    ¡°Should we wrap it up?¡±


    ¡°Why should we? We¡¯ve just begun.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho walked to the middle of the banquet hall.


    ¡®These bastards... still, haven¡¯t learned their lesson.¡¯


    Did he have to stuff it down their throats himself? As the time approached midnight, the party started to die down. So Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance livened up the mood again. As soon as he appeared on what looked like a club stage, the members paused and focused their attention on him.


    What was a mercenary without an operation?


    Some became drunkards, frequented the red-light district, or got addicted to drugs. The mercenaries that Ahn Soo Ho employed received mental treatment even before their skill training. Alcoholics were better than drug addicts, and he didn¡¯t care if they liked women, but they couldn¡¯t prey on little children.


    The reason why he possessed many entertainment facilities all over the world was simple. He had to manage the war crazies who knew about nothing but shooting guns. However, he despised pimps, so he didn¡¯t possess any red-light districts, but he did have many bars and clubs. This was also half of the reason why he was interested in Hollywood. Because partying hard was also a skill.


    Ahn Soo Ho held the mic and kept it short.


    ¡°Dance.¡±


    He then threw the mic.


    He was not so good at dancing, and it made everyone¡¯s eyes go wide. As soon as a 190 centimeter-tall Ahn Soo Ho went from doing shoulder dances to hip dances, he almost looked crazy. The most important part of dancing was confidence, and Ahn Soo Ho was full of confidence. What was even more amazing than his expressionless face was his belief that he could show off the best dancing in the world.


    ¡®Wh... what is this? He looks crazy, yet he still looks good doing it.¡¯


    He was really at a whole different level. ¡®Where am I and who are we?¡¯ As soon as the people started to lose their minds a little bit, the DJ turned on some good music. What he turned on was ¡°Uptown Funk¡± which was trending at number 1 for quite some time.


    ¡®Good job, DJ.¡¯


    The exciting music made people crawl in one by one, and the stage filled up before he knew it.


    ¡®Girls hit your hallelujah, woo!¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    ¡®Cause uptown funk gon¡¯ give it to you!¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t believe me just watch,e on!¡¯


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The party didn¡¯t end there.


    The only reporters present at Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s year-end party were from the Korean media. Ahn Soo Ho shunned everyone from the outside. When the Korean reporters asked him if that was okay, he gave a very easygoing answer.


    ¡®Coboration with Scott Warren? I don¡¯t care if it falls through!¡¯


    American investors? Who cares? There were tons of Americans who would resent CNN if a 70 billion dor deal fell through. It was possible that angry analysts and fund managers would rip CNN stocks to shreds.


    The idols were busy taking selfies and uploading them to social media, and as soon as Ahn Soo Ho started dancing, they made sure to broadcast it live. In particr, the other members dancing to ¡°Uptown Funk¡± on stage was especially entertaining.


    This is the work culture we all want! Work is work and y is y!


    I love the way they sing ¡®Girls hit your hallelujah¡¯ and ¡®Don¡¯t believe me just watch¡¯! Now that¡¯s a real party! The otherpanies in our country don¡¯t know how to party properly! They¡¯re too stiff!


    It¡¯s not easy being like this during a worldwide memorial period... That¡¯s our Ahnchild!


    Why do we have to have memorials for white people anyway?


    It¡¯s okay to do it, but it¡¯s not right for society to push it on us!


    To be honest, what happened in New York and London happen all the time in Africa and the Middle East! It doesn¡¯t make sense for us to have memorials for them! This is a problem!


    That¡¯s because those countries are weak! Let¡¯s send Ahn Soo Ho to the Blue House!


    Please cheer on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s official fan club, ¡°Guardian Angel¡±!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 132 ¨C Hosoo Entertainment Group Year-End Meeting [4] > The end.

 Chapter 134: < Protect – Episode 133 – Talk Show [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 134: < Protect ¨C Episode 133 ¨C Talk Show [1] ></h4>


    ¡°Are you in your right mind?¡±


    The next day, Ahn Soo Ho was greeted with his mother¡¯s scolding for the first time in a while. Had it been over 20 years? He hadn¡¯t been scolded like this since he stole money to go to the arcade back when he was in elementary school.


    ¡°Oh my goodness. What¡¯s this?¡±


    Mrs. Park Ok Nam was taken aback by her son¡¯s sudden hug. She wasn¡¯t actually mad, but she just wanted the best for her child. But she gave up on scolding him. As soon as Lee So Hye joined in on the love giving, everything turned around.


    ¡°Wow! Me too!¡±


    As soon as she butted in, Ahn Ye Sol, Emily, and Rachel who were staying with them also joined in and made everything weird.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    If a paparazzi took a picture of Mrs. Park hugging four students in uniforms, it was bound to end up on the front page of the newspapers. Ahn Soo Ho, who was eating the Pock soup that his mother made, and looked at an unfamiliar face sitting at the dinner table.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! This is Bobby Cox, Emily¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°I should have greeted you first. I apologize.¡±


    Greeting someone for the first time while sitting at a dinner table was a strange thing.


    If it was just men at the table, it would have been really awkward, but thanks to the four noisy girls, they were able to get over it quickly. Ahn Soo Ho knew that foreigners didn¡¯t like soybean paste or hot pepper paste so he thought it was too much that Mrs. Park Ok Nam took out the spicy stir-fried pork along with soybean stew, but what was funnier was the foreigners¡¯ response.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Emily and Rachel used their chopsticks quite well and Bobby Cox even put his rice in the stew and showed off high-level skills. ¡®Isn¡¯t he just a Korean that had a different eye color?¡¯ He was a natural. Bobby sensed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shocked gaze and smirked in response.


    ¡°I like Korean food. I ate a lot because of my older brother.¡±


    ¡°Brother? Are you talking about Chul... I mean, David?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lee Chul, who was the husband of princess Lee Mi Hyun and left Emily and Rachel under the care of Ahn Soo Ho, had a real name which was Davis Cox, and he had blood ties with Bobby Cox. Before going out for some air after breakfast, he saw off the girls in their school uniforms. He contemted whether he should drop them off or not but getting photos taken together by the paparazzi was another promotional method.


    As soon as the girls in uniforms left, Mrs. Park also left. The women of the house were all busy. Ahn Soo Ho bought some coffee and sat across Bobby.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His first impression was quite different from that of Lee Chul.


    ¡®He¡¯s a thoughtful man.¡¯


    He heard that he was quite a sessfulwyer back in Australia. Being awyer was quite a big deal in Korea, but back in Australia, just about anyone could earn the title if they really wanted. There were lots ofwyers, but there weren¡¯t that many good ones. Even in the States where they bragged about the bestw system in the world, skilledwyers were hard toe by.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Bobby nodded to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question, which contained many meanings.


    ¡°I was a little perplexed because our country has a different concept of the entertainment business... but I liked it. It was to my satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°Is Australia also like Hollywood?¡±


    ¡°All English-speaking countries are simr. Ennd is probably simr to us as well.¡±


    In Hollywood, each actor and singer tried to do things on their own rather than going with agencies like Korea. In the West, they liked geniuses who were outstanding in skill and talent. No matter how hard one worked and practiced, passion alone wasn¡¯t enough to be the star in the night sky.


    ¡°Emily and Rachel have the potential to be stars.¡±


    ¡°Their managers and trainers said the same thing. However, stars don¡¯t seed from effort alone.¡±


    ¡°Is it like that forwyers as well?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same all over the world? Only the ones born to seed end up seeding.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho admired him in his head. Bobby had a simr way of looking at sess.


    ¡°Do you know about Emily¡¯s biological mother, Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now.¡±


    Emily¡¯s biological mother passed away in a car ident when she was little. So her current mother was her step-mother, but that didn¡¯t mean she was an evil step-mom like in Cindere.


    ¡°Lily wanted toe, too, but she wasn¡¯t in the right condition to do so. She¡¯s...¡±


    Bobby trailed off. Ahn Soo Ho was unable to say anything as his blue eyes were on the verge of tears. Love made people stupid. No sessfulwyer was capable of curing an incurable disease. It was true that Emily dreamt of bing an idol since she was little. And the person who taught her how to sing and dance was none other than her step-mother, Lily.


    ¡®I want to stand on stage for Lily who¡¯s sick!¡¯


    This almost sounded like a youthic from back in the 80s, but Emily¡¯s fierce passion came from her step-mother. She wanted to be remembered as a sessful daughter in Lily¡¯sst moments. She wanted to make the dream that her step-mother had to give up on toe true. Bobby was proud of her daughter for that, and he also felt angry that he couldn¡¯t do anything to help her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Bobby apologized for being modest.


    ¡°Emily will stand on the stage soon.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re saying that out of sympathy, I¡¯ll decline, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho strongly denied it.


    ¡°Emily is talented. And the synergy between her and her group is outstanding.¡±


    He felt anxious because one of them was actually a granny, but it was a miracle that all four of them were together.


    ¡°You and your wife should be proud of her.¡±


    Because they were going to swallow the whole world soon enough.


    But instead of swallowing the world, Ahn Da Sol, Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel were swallowing burgers on their way to school. In response to the eating fest that went against their diet, even the security guards gave up.


    ¡®They always fight when ites to food.¡¯


    The paparazzi liked to photograph them in the beginning, but theyter got tired of it. At this rate, they should debut as food fighters instead of idols. But what was more fascinating was that they didn¡¯t gain any weight no matter how much they ate. One of the online discussion boards got into a heated argument over it.


    Is that the upside of being white? Such gorgeous figures!


    If they eat that much and don¡¯t gain weight, they must exercise a lot!


    I hate people who can¡¯t tell one thing apart from another!


    Ha! What are you saying?


    So when are they going to debut? This year? Next year?


    Gasp! I¡¯m ready to worship them!


    Rumors about Ahn Da Sol, Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel debuting as a group started to circte. Lee So Hye had arge influence over bringing Ahn Da Sol into the group when she was set to debut as a solo artist, and she was also the only one who could keep the rest under control. Was that why? Simrly to her older brother, she was often called the mediator of girl trainees and girl groups.


    The hamburgers mustn¡¯t have been enough for these girls, because they went to a pizza ce for more food before heading to the academy. Hosoo Entertainment upgraded to not only amodate idols but other artists as well. They didn¡¯t hold back on investing in various curriculums in the buildings that once belonged to Shinhwa Entertainment and FNB Entertainment.


    ¡°Why are you sote?¡±


    Lee Sun Mi started being treated like a director.


    She was still a team leader, but it was as if she got promoted. She wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with it one bit. There weren¡¯t many agencies where female employees could climb up and produce their own content with their name. That was how narrow the female position was.


    ¡°I apologize, Team Leader Lee.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Sun Mi.¡±


    Being able to call the team leader by her name might have been a special benefit that only foreigners got. They normally just greeted each other and practiced. But today, they were all called to the meeting room.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to film amercial.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Didn¡¯t you say you normally reject interviews and advertisements before debut?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... But we can¡¯t turn this one down.¡±


    ¡°Where is it from? Daesan?¡±


    Daesan Group was the only ce that came to mind.


    ¡°No, Quantum Series.¡±


    ¡°Quantum? Are you talking about Quantum Bluesky?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Emily and Rachel were surprised while Lee So Hye just blinked cluelessly, and Ahn Da Sol knitted her brows.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know Quantum Bluesky? Oh, do you guys only use Daesan¡¯s icon, So Hye?¡±


    ¡°The phone?¡±


    Daesan Electronics Icon Series took up 50% of the market in Korea. That meant that among the 40 million smartphone users in Korea, 20 million people used Daesan¡¯s phone.


    Ahn Da Sol tilted her head.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the people at the top saying anything?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some controversy... But it¡¯s not like we¡¯re affiliated with Daesan Group. So we decided to do it.¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment and Daesan Group were famous for having a close rtionship. It was more often Daesan who sent out love calls, but if they filmed amercial for apetitor, things could get ufortable in many ways.


    ¡°Does CEO Ahn know?¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn? I¡¯m not sure. But a report did go to him. Why?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol just dismissed her question in response to Lee Sun Mi¡¯s answer. The meeting ended quickly. Even if they decided to do it, there was a negotiation process to go through, so they couldn¡¯t set the filming date just yet. Ahn Da Sol excused herself to a ce with fewer people. In order to avoid negativements, the agency prevented the female idols from using their phones, but of course, the F4 girls were an exception once again.


    Ahn Da Sol took out her phone.


    She punched in the number and waited for an answer. She normally wouldn¡¯t have wanted to contact them first. Thest time she called, he was absorbed in a conspiracy that would shake the world upside down. He was a real psychopath who didn¡¯t see humans as human beings. He was so cold-hearted that he was capable of even abandoning his own family if there was an objective.


    ¡°Angelica?¡±


    She heard a voice over the speaker phone.


    ¡°I thought I saw the number wrong. Long time no talk, Angelica.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t use that name anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really? What should I call you then? Kumiko? Or Ahn Da Sol?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol got shivers from his smallugh as he called her name. She tried to hide it, but he knew.


    ¡°Or should I call you Jung Mi Ja?¡±


    The name that Ahn Soo Ho would have despised also came out.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would have hidden the original ck box in the countryside of Asia. You gave it to me good.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to stress the importance of possession, Michel?¡±


    ¡°No, no! I have no intention of turning an alpha into an enemy. Also, I¡¯m Michael. Just like how you¡¯re not Angelica, I¡¯m not Michel anymore either. I¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty much the same name but with a totally different vibe. Isn¡¯t this world interesting?¡±


    Whether he was Michael or Michel, the vice president of Genesis Quantum snickered to himself as if something was funny.


    ¡°I know why you called... But themercial is just a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell would believe that?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol wasn¡¯t going to believe anything that woulde out of his mouth.


    ¡°Whether you believe me or not, the world is focused on him right now. Anyone who wants change will try to drag Ahn Soo Ho into the center of attention.¡±


    ¡°Does everyone want to die? You might be better offmitting suicide.¡±


    ¡°Haha! If a copse is what this generation wants...we have no choice but to make that our duty.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in dying any time soon. We¡¯re old and tired, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re stupid. Human beings don¡¯t like to acknowledge change. Change is perceived negatively, so they¡¯ll try to fight it. There wille a time when the world will push him away.¡±


    He was just waiting for the day for the power bnce to establish itself naturally.


    ¡°What choice will he make?¡±


    He was waiting for that day.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 133 ¨C Talk Show [1] > The end.

 Chapter 135: < Protect – Episode 134 – Talk Show [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 135: < Protect ¨C Episode 134 ¨C Talk Show [2] ></h4>


    The National Tax Service, which warned Hosoo Entertainment about a tax investigation, reduced its scale as soon as Ahn Soo Ho returned to the country. They excluded the airline and investment firm and only conducted an investigation on the entertainment agency, and many media outlets were busy creating columns and broadcast specials on this matter.


    ¡°This seems like a desperate countermeasure to improve their image despite the popr opinion worsening. The government is probably in a dilemma. If they leave Hosoo Entertainment alone, it¡¯ll look like they don¡¯t take the politicians or government workers seriously, and if they just do what they have always done, things could blow up in a bad way. It wouldn¡¯t just be a bomb but a ticking time bomb.¡±


    ¡°Did CEO Ahn Soo Ho ever look down on politicians or government workers?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Seeing how he¡¯s close with the current president and what kind of businesses they have, he¡¯s going along with what the government officials like.¡±


    ¡°Then why are they talking about this now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the absence of young leadership.¡±


    The newspapers thought the tax investigation was just a simple happening that would end soon enough while the broadcastingpanies focused on using talk shows to predict Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rtionship with politics, his influence on the financial world, what he could do outside of the country, as well as his ns as the head of Hosoo Entertainment Group.


    HBS¡¯s appearance hinted at a revolutionary change in the Korean broadcasting industry. Just like always, customs and manners didn¡¯t work on Ahn Soo Ho, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t havemon sense either.


    ¡®Young people! Let your voice be heard!¡¯


    The younger generation, which felt discouraged due to the current job market was very satisfied by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bold actions, which were made despite strong resistance. It was predicted that if he ran for president, he would get 99% of the votes from citizens in their 20s and 30s. Since the inte was full of younger generations, Ahn Soo Ho was more popr than any superstar online. Just like how Koreans liked tobel Korean stars with the word ¡°national¡±, Ahn Soo Ho got a new nickname, ¡°National CEO¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s a syndrome. The Ahn Soo Ho syndrome. This syndrome arose because the citizens are tired of the same old politicians, businessmen, and government workers.¡±


    ¡°Some experts are saying this phenomenon is quite overheated. What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    ¡°The truth is, syndromes aren¡¯t good for democratic societies. For example, this is how Hitler gained poprity. Pretty much all dictators in history arose with the desire of the citizens, but please keep in mind that this is just my personal opinion.¡±


    When the PD and the host¡¯s faces turned into a frown, he realized that he made a mistake. If hepared Ahn Soo Ho to Hitler, the discussion boards were bound to explode big time following the broadcast.


    ¡®I¡¯d better quit the inte for the time being.¡¯


    It was going to be filled with all sorts of insults. And as the panel predicted, the discussion boards really blew up. In the News Group¡¯s thread were all sorts ofments regarding the influence one person had on an entire country.


    Do people only prefer Ahn Soo Ho? Of course! He¡¯s special!


    That¡¯s the problem. One person changing the world only happens in movies and dramas. What causes change in democratic societies is the various opinions of many people, not just one person¡¯s belief!


    If the people in their 20s and 30s are so obsessed with one man, maybe that¡¯s a testament of how hard it is for the young generation in Korea.


    It¡¯s annoying to hear you say something so obvious in such an obvious way! This country doesn¡¯t give chances to the young! Instead of change, they chase after stability! The self-preserving ways of the ones at the top make me want to vomit!


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for this kind of syndrome to exist! Because Ahn Soo Ho has already established himself as a rich person of Korean society! No matter how much he climbed to get to where he is, that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s not filthy rich right now! The rich are in their own league!


    I agree! The reason why the reformation of the rich isn¡¯t taking ce is because we¡¯re all being dominated by them! President Lee Joong Hyun has to understand that this is more serious than he thinks! The reason why we¡¯re not impeaching him isn¡¯t because he¡¯s doing a good job leading the country!


    Lee Joong Hyun is a fighting dog! He¡¯ll probably rip the rich into shreds during his term!


    I don¡¯t trust politicians! They don¡¯t know what honesty is! They¡¯re all busy looking out for themselves!


    Lee Joong Hyun is different! He¡¯s already put a knife through a corruption scandal! Our country¡¯s military is even more frustrating than the rich, so I want to praise the president for at least trying to reform the military!


    That¡¯s right! The military is a crazy organization! They¡¯re not even patriots! Some of them still think we¡¯re living under a military dictator! It¡¯s impossible to understand the minds of old men!


    The sound threads were having productive discussions while some of the other ones were busy cursing at each other.


    Ahn Soo Ho needs to use a tank to seize the Blue House! He needs to get rid of all the corrupt politicians and kill the Pyeongyang pig while he¡¯s at it!


    Ahn Soo Ho needs to be careful, too! If not, he could get sniped by a CIA assassin!


    An assassin? Is that really necessary? A cruise missile would take him down easy.


    America knows what they¡¯re doing, okay? No bullet or missile can kill the Ahnminator!


    How can any person survive a bullet or a missile?


    Didn¡¯t you see the secret documents revealed by Ambassador Ransel? They¡¯ve already tried to assassinate him! 100 times at that! So seeing how he¡¯s still alive, that means 100 assassination attempts all failed!


    Is that even surprising? Castro¡¯s assassinations failed multiple times, too!


    Castro was stuck in Cuba with no reason toe out. You can¡¯tpare that to Ahn Soo Ho who¡¯s just out and about!


    You¡¯re all forgetting something! The secret documents that Ambassador Ransel revealed expose how the bastards of the West exploited Africa and Asia! And witches? This is a total vition!


    I don¡¯t know. Do you think they were the only ones? I bet Ahn Soo Ho has supernatural powers just like Barbara Huxley!


    Hm, I can¡¯t disagree with that one!


    Right? It doesn¡¯t make sense that he made all that money in just a few decades! It¡¯s not like he¡¯s Zuckerberg!


    You idiots! Learn to use those brains of yours! People who mediate and resolve international issues get paid the big bucks! Don¡¯t assume they make the kind of money that you do, you fools!


    No matter what people call it, didn¡¯t he make money from killing people?


    Ha! I don¡¯t know what to say anymore! Do you know how many people Ahn Soo Ho saved in Africa? Go to the African homepage! It¡¯s full of messages of gratitude for Ahn Soo Ho! He¡¯s not the type of mercenary who¡¯s only after money!


    Murder is the worst crime a person canmit! He must repent! He¡¯s a criminal! Hallelujah!


    A Jesus man has arrived!


    That man is not a Christian, everyone! Don¡¯t be fooled! They¡¯re all conspiring to nder the Christian church!


    ¡°Ugh, those bastards!¡±


    Yoon Chul punched his chest with rage and Kim Soo Jungughed at him while remembering that she had seen this before.


    ¡°I told you not to use the inte.¡±


    ¡°Why are they all judging Soo Ho? They don¡¯t even know him!¡±


    ¡°Sir Ferguson is an amazing director and superior philosopher.¡±


    SNS was a waste of life and even the inte discussions were a waste of time. Even on talk shows where people face off face-to-face, it was hard to convince the other person, so discussions that only used words were most likely to end up with sarcastic remarks and ridicule. They were visiting Star Tower with an appointment.


    In contrast to the noisy Korean society, Ahn Soo Ho was busy having a fun time. If he didn¡¯t have ns today, he would have flown over to Jejudo. Ahn Soo Ho was interested in recreational facilities these days. As soon as a secretary approached, the two entered the opening doors. And once they got inside, they saw Ahn Soo Ho sitting in his chair.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is that how you¡¯re going to greet us?¡±


    ¡°We know each other too well for that. Why? Are the wedding invitations out already?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung elbowed Yoon Chul to speak up.


    ¡°I quit the police force.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    His tone got higher.


    ¡°Because I got sick of it.¡±


    ¡°Are they trying to make some connections with me by using you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It was obvious what the upper officers of the police were doing. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t talk him out of it. He wished he had stayed there for 2 or 3 more years, but he wasn¡¯t interested in pushing him.


    ¡°Do you still get a pension if you quit midway?¡±


    ¡°No... I came because I trust my wealthy friend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both gonna stick your straws in this, huh?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Yoon Chul justughed it off, and Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands.


    ¡°This is good. I actually needed someone to take care of the guards.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your friend, Dae Ho in charge of that?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Do Dae Ho wasn¡¯t capable enough to do the job.


    If he left it to him, he probably wouldn¡¯t have done horribly, but he wouldn¡¯t have made any improvements either. Hosoo Guard Team¡ªwhich was in charge of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s security¡ªwas the number 1pany in the eyes of anyone with great athletic ability or athletic background. Even if they went off to the Olympics and won a medal, their retirement didn¡¯t look so bright without enough poprity. The hardships of Olympic medalists have existed for a very long time.


    ¡°The ranks of those who use their bodies are pretty clear and an employee getting in through connections is bound to cause criticism. I don¡¯t like the power game...¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Yoon Chul changed his word as soon as Kim Soo Jung elbowed him.


    ¡°Join our guards as soon as you wrap it up with the police. I¡¯ll let them know ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Go on a talk show, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°We need a big one to make HBS take off.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to Director Oh about it?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯ll get it ready as long as you give us consent.¡±


    The task of connecting all the different broadcasting stations was in the final stages of the process, but the amount of work was still immense. There was a lot of bacshes when it was announced that a young woman in her 20s would be in charge, but it cooled down after a few months. Oh Joo Kyung exceeded Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s expectations.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a bad idea to give her a little more support.¡¯


    Despite being capable enough, her gender and age kept her back. Korean society stressed the importance of age, gender, and rank way too much.


    ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m going to put Director Oh in charge of casting.¡±


    ¡°That Shim Il Kwon will hate that.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Do you understand the power structure already?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Just because she worked in a broadcasting station for so long didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t understand politics. The reason why she kept her job despite being on the higher-ups¡¯ bad side was all because of this.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s his downfall?¡±


    ¡°His academic record?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Shim Il Kwon looked like a gentleman on the outside, but his downfall was his academic record.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually not a big deal, but him thinking of it as a weakness made it into one.¡±


    ¡°In our country, academia is just as important as blood rtions.¡±


    ¡°He respects rich people, so he also wants to be one.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he once got humiliated at some cultural art event. Oh, it was different this time, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better ask Director Oh about this one.¡±


    The story about how Shim Il Kwon attended a cultural event for the rich and got humiliated was quite famous. Old men who only valued ssical music and looked down on pop art also didn¡¯t acknowledge entertainers as real artists. However, thest event was very different. First of all, Daesan Group, who was the main sponsor, supported Hosoo Entertainment, so the other rich people couldn¡¯t treat Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s deputies, Oh Joo Kyung, and Shim Il Kwon in a careless manner.


    No matter how many distinct species there were in art, the rich were still afraid of him. There wasn¡¯t a single person who wanted to risk being hit by a storm. Just because they were old didn¡¯t mean they were dumb. They were actually more sensitive to the direction of power.


    ¡°Did you cast Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°If you do it, she¡¯ll follow.¡±


    The thread always followed the needle.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Go for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to have dinner tonight?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch. It was 3 o¡¯clock. It was an iffy time, but after a bit of wandering, it was going to be dinner time in no time.


    ¡°How about we invite Seol Hyun and ask her while we¡¯re at it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s interphone rang, he answered it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Ahn Da Sol is here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho opened the door.


    ¡°See you downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once he sent Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung off, he called Ahn Da Sol over with his hand. As soon as the door closed, he told her to get straight to the point.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you know that we got an advertisement offer from Genesis Quantum?¡±


    ¡°Quantum. I think I¡¯ve seen a report about them somewhere. But why?¡±


    ¡°Michel... I mean Vice President Michael Tobal of Genesis Quantum... has supernatural powers.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made an exaggerated expression as if he was surprised, but he didn¡¯t feel much. He had already predicted that many alpha organisms were dominating the authoritative positions that controlled the world. Huxley Group was just the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°They could be approaching with intent.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But so what?¡±


    ¡°They could be trying to use you.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed loudly and Ahn Da Sol crinkled her face.


    ¡°You remind me of someone sometimes. She... also worried a lot. Why are you saying something so obvious in such a serious way? Of course, they¡¯re approaching to use me. Why would they help us? The only person who¡¯s kind to us without intent is our mothers.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about how brutal his plot might be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tiring to worry about all of that. And the intent of my enemies isn¡¯t important to me.¡±


    ¡°Then what is?¡±


    ¡°The result.¡±


    No matter what their intent was, if he got hurt in any way, that meant something bad was going to happen.


    ¡°What¡¯s my motto?¡±


    ¡°That the ones who¡¯ll seed will.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol mumbled.


    The ones who were supposed to die on the battlefield would die, and the ones who were supposed to live would live on. Just like that, what mattered the most was the results. If the results were bad, it didn¡¯t matter what the intent was. The reason why people made all sorts of excuses for their small mistakes was because they imagined there would be a better day tomorrow.


    But there was no such thing.


    ¡°Michel? Or Michael? I don¡¯t care who he is. If he thinks he can use me, he should try. But if that ends up with a bad result, I¡¯m going to make sure he pays.¡±


    In a world where witches existed, no one could say that there wasn¡¯t an angel either.


    ¡°Responsibility for results.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho believed that the current judicial system disregarded taking responsibility for the results and provided a way for criminals to escape. The way they stressed that punishments needed to be reduced since the future couldn¡¯t be predicted were all nonsense. However, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rules had a contradiction as well. It was true that everything he did, resulted in some kind of victim.


    Who would they get back at in revenge?


    That was why Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t avoid revenge. If he had a right to get revenge, so did other people. But it was his responsibility to take responsibility for the results. For that reason, the strength that allowed revenge to seed was justice.


    ¡°Strength is justice.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 134 ¨C Talk Show [2] > The end.

 Chapter 136: < Protect – Episode 135 – Talk Show [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 136: < Protect ¨C Episode 135 ¨C Talk Show [3] ></h4>


    The movie that Jang Seol Hyun was preparing for was a spy action film that required a change in image. Compared to Hollywood, it wasmonly perceived that Chungmuro was incapable of producing big gun fights, street battles, or explosions. Beyond the issues of governmental permission and technical aspects, they just didn¡¯t have money to smash everything to pieces.


    The film ¡°Nuremberg¡± was about a father and daughter who were spies trying to expose the corruption and betrayal within the intelligence agency. The father was charged for betraying his country, and as a result, the daughter devoted herself to the organization in order to rid of any suspicion due to their blood rtion.


    But she then realized that her father was framed by someone who was higher up in the system. As a result, the daughter started a fierce battle against the top executives in order to uncover the truth behind their betraying her father.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s about. Wow!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a typical spy movie.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho went to find Jang Seol Hyun, who was busy getting fit for her role.


    The reason why he took over the fitness center in Apgujeong was for his employees and celebrities who needed to exercise. Even though Star Tower had more than enough room for a fitness center, they still couldn¡¯t make a pool. Swimming was the best way to work out all the muscles in the body. But this fitness center didn¡¯t take anyone as members besides those of Hosoo Entertainment.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°More! More!¡±


    There was wailing all over the ce. Since Ahn Soo Ho was there, the trainer couldn¡¯t tell her to keep going, so in the end, both of them were left alone. She got rid of the smile she had on her face this whole time, leaned on exercise equipment, and stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m pooped.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to survive?¡±


    ¡°I have no other choice. I have to look like a female warrior.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t the smallest, but she wasn¡¯t 180 centimeters tall like a model either.


    ¡°Do you want a piggy back ride?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sweating.¡±


    She wanted the piggyback ride, but she didn¡¯t want Ahn Soo Ho to ruin his clothes. After seeing her take off to the shower room, he looked for her manager. Even though Kim Woo Jung was promoted to be a director, he still worked as Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager, but that didn¡¯t mean he could still follow her everywhere she went.


    ¡°Are they going to start filming?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Tell me exactly what¡¯s going on.¡±


    30 billion won for production wasn¡¯t so much that it broke any records, but it was a lot without any foreign funds involved.


    ¡°The investments are still there... but the bank that needs to carry out the payment is in the process of checking with an insurancepany...¡±


    ¡°Insurance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. They can¡¯t start filming until the insurance passes through.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know anything about the movie industry but as soon as he heard the word ¡°insurance¡±, he nodded. Hollywood was the same way. Not just because Americans loved insurance, but because any product with risks automatically needed insurance. In the case of action movies, actors could get hurt or filming equipment could get destroyed or lost.


    ¡°Just like the candlelight vigil and the terrorist attacks, many things have been happening these days. Since this movie is going to be filmed abroad, the evaluation is pretty tricky. The bank wants to increase the amount of insurance while the insurancepany wants to leave out as many options as possible.¡±


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all about money.¡±


    ¡°In simpler terms... yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    In modern society, many problems began with money and ended with money as well. When Jang Seol Hyun came back out, he saw her manager¡¯s serious face and tilted her head.


    ¡°What is it? Is Soo Ho harassing you?¡±


    ¡°No... no! No way!¡±


    Her manager was so surprised that he spoke in a strange way that was abination of formal and informal. He didn¡¯t feelfortable speaking informally to her as he always had in front of the chairman. Ahn Soo Ho smirked. Was this the fear that the public had of the rich? Koreans possessed instinctive fear depending on a person¡¯s identity.


    Jang Seol Hyun linked arms with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°You can go.¡±


    She sent off her manager first. She told him to go home, but he probably went back to the office to work some more. Maybe he didn¡¯t care since he got paid for overtime. He tried toe up with all sorts of ideas regarding dating, marriage and having children, but he hadn¡¯te up with even one good idea.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to meet up with my friends. You know Chul and Soo Jung, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know Soo Jung.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung was already close with Jang Seol Hyun. Since they were both in broadcasting, they had many chances to meet. The car that they rode arrived at a fancy restaurant. Both Jang Seol Hyun and Ahn Soo Ho had so many people following them around these days that it was crazy.


    The entrance of the restaurant was in chaos.


    Jang Seol Hyun just waved without showing any surprise while Ahn Soo Ho just ignored them. If he was anyone else, he would have been called pompous, but this was Ahn Soo Ho they were talking about. They were all used to it by now.


    As soon as they entered the room, Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung got up and greeted them.


    ¡°What amotion. Hello, Seol Hyun. Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Hello. I couldn¡¯t greet you properlyst time... I¡¯ll treat you to a meal sometime...¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t! I¡¯ll die.¡±


    They were talking about the incident that happened at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bar when he first returned to the country. Jang Seol Hyun just said that to be mannerly, but she was actually minding both Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t stay standing forever.


    Since it was a fancy restaurant, the employees were different from the fans. But then again, since this restaurant had many celebrity customers, they educated their employees well and made sure they didn¡¯t spread rumors. Without the need for Ahn Soo Ho to check, the guard team had already checked the whole ce for any wiretapping.


    ¡®They¡¯re all adjusting well.¡¯


    What the Hosoo Guard Team needed were experience and time.


    ¡°The star of tonight isn¡¯t Soo Ho, but you, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Go on a talk show.¡±


    In response to Kim Soo Jung¡¯s direct request, Jang Seol Hyun looked at Ahn Soo Ho to which he shrugged.


    ¡°Do what you want.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I... agreed to do it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it, too.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung looked as if she expected that answer.


    ¡°I knew it! Why wouldn¡¯t the thread follow the needle? Good choice, Seol Hyun. I¡¯ll make you look really good.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one doing it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What if it turns out like shit?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung opposed to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s negative assumptions.


    ¡°If you keep being like that, I¡¯m going to reveal your dark past!¡±


    ¡°Dark past? Does Soo Ho have such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have a great story.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s eyes sparkled as if she was waiting to hear more. The reason why she was good to the Do brothers was because they were family, but also because she wanted to hear more about Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Let me tell you...¡±


    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s nothing, Seol Hyun. Haha.¡±


    Yoon Chul covered Kim Soo Jung¡¯s mouth as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s knitted brows. Even though they still weren¡¯t married yet, he still didn¡¯t want to see his wife get beat up by another man. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the type to go easy even to a girl.


    ¡°Anyway, what are we going to talk about on the talk show?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was deep in thought. She was sad that she couldn¡¯t hear about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dark past, but there would be opportunities toe as well.


    ¡°Can I talk about when I first met Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That... could make things difficult for many people.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s question made Ahn Soo Ho stop eating.


    ¡°Why? What is it?¡±


    Kim Soo Jung expressed her curiosity. The love story between Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun was as in demand as that of the Monaco king and queen. On top of that, there wasn¡¯t anything as interesting as the dating life of another couple.


    ¡°Gary Peznoble.¡±


    ¡°The boxing promoter?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Kim Soo Jung who responded to the name Ahn Soo Ho mentioned, but Yoon Chul instead. Right at that moment, their food came out. For a while, they were busy looking at the food with their mouths shut. For Yoon Chul, who was still in the process of leaving his job, he had to pay for his meal as his personal expense. If not, someone looking for an opportunity to attack could use him of providing favors.


    As soon as the servers left, Kim Soo Jung spoke up.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Gary Peznoble?¡±


    ¡°A boxing promoter from Las Vegas. He¡¯s a giant in the world of boxing.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because I like boxing.¡±


    Besides Korea, many people all over the world enjoyed watching boxing. Even in Japan, boxing was a huge sport.


    ¡°Wait, did he retire because...¡±


    ¡°All American industries are rted. You might wonder what an actor and a boxing promoter might have inmon, but theirplicated investment system makes their Texan farm owner into the major shareholder of a Wall Street insurancepany.¡±


    Gary Peznoble was the most famous American boxing promoter as well as the pimp that Soo Ho despised the most. Yoon Chulughed bitterly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a sponsor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a problem within the Korean entertainment industry.¡±


    Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list made the entire Korean entertainment industry tremble. They weren¡¯t the type to leave beautiful women and men alone. What the most powerful especially enjoyed were connections in the entertainment industry. They couldn¡¯t invite ugly men and women to their parties now, could they?


    ¡°This is a dangerous topic... but it doesn¡¯t sound bad.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t reveal the whole truth. I few will do, we¡¯ll run into diplomatic issues.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Kim Soo Jung, she used her thumb and index finger to make a circle.


    ¡°Okay! Got it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful with it, you might have to deal with the KCC right after the first episode.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a newbie, you know. Just trust me.¡±


    Was Kim Soo Jung always this kind of confident career woman?


    ¡°So did you get into conflict with that boxing promoter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But when I dug up his past, he turned out to be nothing but a puppet.¡±


    Boxing promoters could only get to a certain point, and the real giant that Ahn Soo Ho was looking for was someone else.


    ¡°Jack Toms.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! The casino king?¡±


    There were all sorts of kings in this world. However, every reputation had two sides.


    ¡°But Jack Toms doesn¡¯t stand in the forefront. He¡¯s more like an urban legend. A ghost. There isn¡¯t a single person who can say they saw Jack Toms in person because...¡±


    After pursuing Jack Toms, Ahn Soo Ho found out the truth.


    ¡°He never existed in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no Jack Toms. But there is a General Ashford.¡±


    ¡°That crime nning group?¡±


    Yoon Chul mumbled.


    Ahn Soo Ho had mentioned his name before. As someone who never left Korea before, the world that his friend lived in sounded way too foreign. It just didn¡¯t sound realistic to him. Even the food they were eating was at a cost that he had no proper grasp of.


    ¡°Did you fight with them, too?¡±


    ¡°No, as soon as I started chasing them, they backed off.¡±


    It was a strange incident indeed. Such a renowned crime nning group backed off without any conditions. He just epted it for what it was back then, but looking back on it, it seemed suspicious in many ways. Ahn Da Sol had some kind of connection to General Ashford. He could have made her talk right away, but if he wasn¡¯t ready to kill them right away, it wasn¡¯t advisable to irritate an alpha organism.


    Yoon Chul had a hard time understanding. If he didn¡¯t exist, who was Jack Toms that was roaming around Las Vegas?


    ¡°If Jack Toms isn¡¯t real, who¡¯s the person getting mentioned all the time in Las Vegas?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... Who could it be?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked. People thought that the information the French hypocrite exposed was a lot, but that was a very small proportion of the truth. He was the only one who knew everything about the inside, and the fewer people knew about the truth, the better.


    The great, great magician was an old person who was thorough with preparations.


    They did have a dark personality, but the dungeonwork they built all over the world was just a part of their thorough preparations. They had much more prepared than that, but nothing was 100% perfect. There was no end to preparations. Rome, New York, and London were devastated due to terror, but Ahn Soo Ho was very satisfied with his trip abroad.


    ¡®It¡¯s not the best, but I now have a nuclear bomb in my collection.¡¯


    Now, he could fight with the entire world and be able to win.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 135 ¨C Talk Show [3] > The end.

 Chapter 137: < Protect – Episode 136 – Talk Show [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 137: < Protect ¨C Episode 136 ¨C Talk Show [4] ></h4>


    All broadcasts had scripts.


    Talk Shows in particr covered sensitive topics, so it was important to rify the stances of both the hosts and guests. Rumors about HBS¡¯s new talk show started to spread and drew a lot of interest from the public before it even started.


    Hidden stories of CEO Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun!


    HBS, a direct investment, and marketing? Is this the beginning of a broadcast war?


    HBS, their biggest shareholders are Hosoo Investments and Daesan Media!


    HBS, is Chairman Ahn Soo Ho their owner?


    In the midst of many investment offers being made to Hosoo Investments, Korea¡¯s stock market saw a boom for the first time in a long time. Wall Street was also happy to hear about a coboration with Ahn Soo Ho from Scott Warren¡¯s lips, and after going through a hard time with the scandal, Huxley Group decided to invest 63 billion UK pounds in Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe.


    The stock markets of Europe and North America might have been happy about this, but the media wrote negative and critical articles about it. They were stressing that despite not being harmed by the terrorist attacks, the Asians and their funds were trying to win over white superiority.


    Bibimbap is more popr than Sushi!


    Is Hosoo Entertainment recing Sony Entertainment?


    Are the Korean monsters taking over the Japanese samurai?


    Will CEO Ahn make his dream of beating Disneye true?


    Regardless of what they were saying on the outside, Ahn Soo Ho was enjoying a leisurely time with Jang Seol Hyun. His subordinates would have cursed at him if they knew, but that was why he paid them the big bucks. The more the paparazzi saw Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun together, the more they became unyielding. In contrast to the Ahn Soo Ho syndrome taking over, he hadn¡¯t done any broadcasts after the traveling program he was on a while back.


    So the public wanted to know more about Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Talk show? I just have to go on and babble away, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be best to avoid sensitive topics.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because anything you say will be a controversy. That¡¯s why top stars don¡¯t go on talk shows.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head in response.


    ¡°Then what about you?¡±


    ¡°Well, in my case... I have you.¡±


    It would have been a problem if she went alone, but as long as she went on with Ahn Soo Ho, she could strip and dance if she wanted to. In the morning, Jang Seol Hyun had to meet with all the staff of the movie she was preparing for. The casting wasplete, but the filming was postponed for a whole month due to insurance issues, which caused quite a loss.


    The producers must have tried really hard because they had their meeting at Daesan Hotel. When the two appeared, the manager came to greet them. And the movie staff followed them out.


    ¡°Hello. Hello. Oh! Long time no see. How have you been?¡±


    As soon as Jang Seol Hyun got in, she was busy greeting everyone. She was busy trying to take care of people who were unfamiliar with this gathering while Ahn Soo Ho was shaking hands with the producers, distributors, presidents, and investor group¡¯s CEOs. The actors and staff sat around and introduced themselves as well as their roles. Most of them knew each other already, but this was a custom.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jang Seol Hyun, and I¡¯m ying the role of Cha Seol. My character¡¯s name has ¡°seol¡± in it, too. This is my 25th movie, but I¡¯m still nervous. I worked hard to get fit, so please look forward to my performance. Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s cheer and flexing lightened up the mood. It was hard for the staff not to like a lead actress showing such enthusiasm in even such small matters. Even knowing people needed a lot of experience.


    ¡°Our staff was a little confused today, but Ms. Jang sure is a great actress.¡±


    The director, Jang Ik Hyun had met Ahn Soo Ho before. Jang Ik Hyun was a director acknowledged by Chungmuro. Many people attributed it to the actors, but in the end, movies were all about results. While Jang Seol Hyun talked to all the staff, Ahn Soo Ho was surrounded by middle-aged men. He didn¡¯t like this situation, but he tried to make the best impression for his girlfriend.


    ¡°We¡¯re forever indebted to you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t know this, but it was thanks to Ahn Soo Ho that the filming started up again. He resolved the conflict by offering both the insurancepany and bank with a carrot that they couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°I hope you keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Of course, CEO Ahn. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    It was obvious he was going to go around telling everyone. Didn¡¯t he have a choice? He didn¡¯t care about negativements, but he just didn¡¯t want people to talk about how Jang Seol Hyun caught a great man. Up until the veryst minute of the meeting and their meal, Jang Seol Hyun kept a bright smile on her face.


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed in his head.


    ¡°She really is a pro.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t have done that himself. He liked what he liked and hated what he hated. Never stop smiling? It was probably easier for him to frown all the time.


    ¡°Sigh, this is why... not everyone can be a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°This is all I do anyway. It must have been harder for you.¡±


    He learned once more that Korean celebrities don¡¯t have a personal life, but American celebrities weren¡¯t that much better. Korea had its difficulties and so did America.


    ¡°Oh yeah! L called and asked why she wasn¡¯t invited to the talk show.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even filmed it yet. What is she talking about?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯ll adjust her tour schedule. She begged you to invite her. If you don¡¯t...¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun swiped her neck with her finger.


    She was full of energy as if she wasn¡¯t the same person who was dying from exercise. Her manager looked especially energetic while driving the car. When Jang Seol Hyun said something, Ahn Soo Ho responded. As soon as the van stopped, Ahn Soo Ho looked at the driver¡¯s seat. The secretary who was listening to his walkie-talkie turned around.


    ¡°Director Oh Joo Kyung would like to join.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung got into the car before he could even finish. The car took off again.


    ¡°I thought you were busy. What is this?¡±


    ¡°I was looking around the broadcast stationnd when I heard you were passing by. I have something to report as well.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung greeted Jang Seol Hyun with her eyes and passed Ahn Soo Ho a file the size of a sketchbook.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first bird¡¯s eye view.¡±


    Afterbiningmercial broadcasts from here and there, their symbolism wasckingpared to their scale. So they decided to build the main branch of the broadcast station right next to the group¡¯s head office. The reason why thend was especially pricy in Gangnam was because there were rumors about how Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s head office was going to be in Apgujeong, Cheongdamdong, Nonhyeondong, and Sinsadong.


    And they weren¡¯t just rumors.


    They finished off the purchases quickly before any real estate coulde in. Since they paid a lot for it, everyone was satisfied. The change of ownership, as well as construction, was a little tricky but that wasn¡¯t for Ahn Soo Ho to worry about.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need around 60 billion won to get the right prospects.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not even building a 100-floor building though.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s Gangnam.¡±


    In Gangnam, even the street vendors were rich.


    Were all street vendors poor? Not at all. If they could be a street vendor in Gangnam, they at least had an apartment building as well as a luxury car. Street vendors called themselves businesses, but they didn¡¯t pay corporate tax or any other tax for that matter. However, whenever there was a bust, they suddenly called themselvesmoners.


    ¡°Hmph. No.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t agree to it and just do it ording to thew.¡±


    ¡°You might get a bad image of having supremacy overmoners.¡±


    ¡°Commoners? Are they reallymoners?¡±


    ¡°I guess not, but... Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung attempted to protest but ended up surrendering.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The National Tax Service began its tax investigation.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re really doing it.¡±


    ¡°The Blue House asked for our cooperation.¡±


    The smallest affiliate of Hosoo Entertainment Group was Hosoo Guard Team followed by Hosoo Entertainment. Why was Hosoo Entertainment the second smallest when it was the face of the group? Hosoo Investments, which worked with stocks of 500panies, and Hosoo Airlines, which had its own private jets and helicopters were not at the scale of hundreds of millions of won but trillions. Then what about the new broadcast station, HBS? Fixed assets such as broadcasting facilities worth the most.


    ¡°When will it be finished?¡±


    ¡°Probably around four days. That¡¯s quick for a tax investigation.¡±


    ¡°Then pass. What else?¡±


    ¡°Barbara Huxley wants toe to Korea and meet you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was surprised. There was no way the British government would allow that unless they got shot in the head. He showed the palm of his hand to Oh Joo Kyung and took out his phone. As soon as he pressed the speed dial, the line started ringing.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to visit Korea?¡±


    It was Barbara Huxley¡¯s number.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard? Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What about the British government?¡±


    ¡°The government hates the idea, of course. So I used your name. You¡¯re not mad, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. But why are you trying toe now?¡±


    ¡°So that I can see you and meet Angelica.¡±


    ¡°Angelica?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think you know her by a different name. I think it was Kumiko?¡±


    He knitted his brows as soon as Ahn Da Sol¡¯s old name came up.


    ¡°Is she... just like you?¡±


    ¡°No. But since a long time ago, any woman with ability was called a witch. This world forgives beautiful women, but not women who are more capable than men. Things might have changed quite a bit, but that part is still true today. Overly smart women are always excluded.¡±


    For a very long time, the world despised women with insight. That was because the world was always ruled by men. Being a hero was an honor that only men were capable of receiving, and beautiful women were nothing but decoration that made heroes stand out.


    ¡°How do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... a long story. But the point is...


    People who believed inmon sense thought the witch scandal was nonsense, but those who were suspicious of how much money Huxley Group had¡ªasked questions about it. They requested for Barbara Huxley exin it herself. An investmentpany would be crazy to reveal the algorithm to their own investment program, but Huxley Group couldn¡¯t do it even if they wanted.


    ¡°She was the one who created Huxley Group¡¯s investment program.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was at a loss for words. The continued silence put her in a fret.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening. The three of us need to talk. Let¡¯s meet soon.¡±


    As soon as he hung up, he felt a strong gaze upon him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was looking at him as if she was wondering how he knew such an admirable CEO while Jang Seol Hyun looked at him as if she was wondering how he knew such a sexy CEO. Come to think of it, he had never told them who he met up with in Ennd. It appeared that instead of the real nuclear bomb, another one exploded instead.


    ¡®Did I just dug my own grave?¡¯


    ******


    The secretive filming of the talk show approached closer. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t look at the script beforehand. He was the type who had to say what was on his mind. However, he regretted not looking at the script when he arrived at the studio.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was taken aback by the hip-hop style greeting that came from an old man who was almost eighty. His eyes looked for Kim Soo Jung. He then saw his friendughing with a cue card over her mouth.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start filming soon! Final checks, everyone!¡±


    She made an excuse to get out of there.


    ¡°Stop throwing a tantrum and get back over here.¡±


    Was this what they called a rich man swag? It was strange that Chairman Kim Dae San of Daesan Group was there, but it was even stranger that he was going to appear on television.


    ¡°Old man. Are you really going to be on the show with me?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be scared? I¡¯m just worried you¡¯ll get cursed at such an old age.¡±


    ¡°Hm, do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Kim Dae San smiled in a peculiar way, and the reason was revealed soon afterward.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Russian Ambassador, Vitali Andropov.


    ¡°Hello, Soo Ho.¡±


    American Ambassador, Pam Woods.


    ¡°Hi, Soo Ho.¡±


    Japanese Cab Minister, Shiba Yaso.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Soo Ho.¡±


    And a Chinese ambassador he had never met before. Was this a ¡°not so nice to meet you¡± special? However, that was just the beginning.


    ¡°Right on time! Phew!¡±


    L ran over in the middle of her American tour.


    ¡°Is this how South Koreans film their broadcasts?¡±


    The sudden appearance of Money Queen, Barbara Huxley made even the broadcasters surprised. The climax was the group that Jang Seol Hyun brought along.


    ¡°One, two! Hello, we¡¯re Fantastic Four... Hey! Why aren¡¯t you guys chanting with me?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, this is embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°This is so embarrassing!¡±


    Cheongdamdong¡¯s F4, Ahn Da Sol, Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel, as well as all of their friends hoarded in. Ahn Soo Ho dropped his jaw. Even the Do brothers except for the third eldest, Do Min Ho showed up in ck suits as if they were at a funeral.


    ¡®Is this aedy show, not a talk show?¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s going on here? I¡¯m scared!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 136 ¨C Talk Show [4] > The end.

 Chapter 138: < Protect – Episode 137 – World Class [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 138: < Protect ¨C Episode 137 ¨C World ss [1] ></h4>


    It took 30 minutes for the noise to settle down and for the talk show to finally begin. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s personal connections were diverse and included everyone from politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and foreigners, to former gangsters and high school students. The show that Kim Soo Jung was doing was different from a lot of other shows people were used to. First of all, there was no famous host. That was because Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the guest, but the host.


    Once he finally read the script, he was shocked.


    The first guests were Chairman Kim Dae San of Daesan Group, Russian ambassador Vitali Andropov, American ambassador Pam Woods, Japanese cab minister Shiba Yaos, Chinese ambassador Zhou Baihong, and Huxley Group¡¯s Barbara Huxley.


    When Kim Soo Jung signaled that the cameras were rolling, Ahn Soo Ho let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°What kind of talk show is this?¡±


    ¡°A unique one.¡±


    It was Kim Dae San who replied to him.


    ¡°But this is interesting.¡±


    The old manughed like a little kid. When was hisst interview? 20 years ago? 30 years ago? The higher the Daesan Group climbed in Korea, the more difficult his position got. It was taboo for him to meet with people however he wanted.


    But Ahn Soo Ho was an exception.


    He was still unafraid of Daesan Group, and he felt totallyfortable with Kim Dae San. There was quite an age difference, but they were just like friends. They were no different from a family. Kim Dae San thought that people were capable of kindness, but at the same, they were no different from animals.


    ¡®Half of Daesan isn¡¯t mine.¡¯


    Jung Mi Ja yed arge role in getting Daesan to where it was today. And since she cherished Ahn Soo Ho more than her own life, it was his job to take responsibility for him.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here, aren¡¯t we? Okay! What should we talk about?¡±


    Everyone but Ahn Soo Ho had Bluetooth earpieces in their ears and on one side of the studio were a group of interpreters. He wasn¡¯t sure how this was going to be edited, but he was curious to see how the viewers would react to a show in English, Russian, and Japanese.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just pass over the topic of our world¡¯s unstable circumstances. The international society is currently suffering due to various scandals and the UN isn¡¯t exactly doing their job. In our current state, is there a point to the international organizations?¡±


    Pam was the first to speak.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t America all for the UN? I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the States that got the most out of UN¡¯s activities until now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t agree with that. Do you have any idea how much money we use for international aid?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get it backter anyway. If you put it that way, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Japan who spends the most on international aid.¡±


    The debate between America and Russia was fierce. If this was an official diplomatic broadcast, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to be so honest.


    ¡°America is in a vegetative state right now. It¡¯srgely America¡¯s fault that there have been terrorist attacks in Europe and North America. They created NATO but can¡¯t use it properly. As a result of the American military bing helpless, it¡¯s the NATO nations that are getting screwed over. You asked if there¡¯s a point to the international organizations, right? What about NATO?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. NATO is a military pact that was created to keep the Soviet Union in check.¡±


    Vitali shrugged his shoulders in response to Pam¡¯s question.


    ¡°And it was Russia that seeded that Soviet Union. It¡¯s true. NATO is keeping Russia in check. And that¡¯s because your explicit behavior of trying to get involved with Europe again really crossed the line. Just like how you can see it with Ukraine, such an extreme military dispatch is incited by Russia¡¯s new imperialism.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, isn¡¯t American the one trying to stress freedom and democracy all the time? It shouldn¡¯t be the Yankees who will decide what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°We at least try to make it so that the citizens can pick the leader. We don¡¯t just let anyone rule at the top.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s nonsense. Do you really think that people who have been oppressed have the ability to engage in proper debates? Human capability doesn¡¯t work that way. Look at the case of America with the freedom they forced on people. What do Ukraine and Afghanistan look like now? Is that all? The Middle East, South America, and Africa are all suffering in the hands of the American army.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Let stop it here.¡±


    It was Ahn Soo Ho who calmed down the Yankees and vs.


    ¡°What are you fighting for? I think both sides are bad. Both America and Russia are just doing whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Everyone but the countries mentioned enjoyed the clean wrap-up.


    ¡°What do you think, old man?¡±


    ¡°There are two sides to national events.¡±


    ¡°Two sides?¡±


    ¡°What should a country put first? Protecting the citizens, of course. But nations end up using national security as an excuse to suppress and monitor the citizens. Suppressing and monitoring the citizens to protect them? In order for proper democracy to take ce, the governmental authority needs to be minimized and they have to be thoroughly monitored.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think about our country being called the Daesan Empire?¡±


    Even the producers flinched at the very sensitive topic.


    ¡°The rich Koreans... need to be reformed.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Would that be okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Just worry about yourself. Dae Chan isn¡¯t as small-minded as you think. We both think that if the world changes, the rich have to change with it. There¡¯s too much vertical integration in thepany culture of Korea when ites to redistribution of profits. There are so many punks taking from in between that there¡¯s a lot of corruption as a result.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the rich who made it that way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Kim Dae San acknowledged it quickly, and then Shiba Yaos interrupted.


    ¡°The reason why Japanese Korean rtions can¡¯t be cut offpletely is because they exchange culture with each other. Japan and Korea are like siblings that don¡¯t get along. They fight a lot, but they can¡¯t split up either. Just like how Japan can¡¯t exclude Korea in its future, Korea can¡¯t talk about the future without involving Japan either.¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask you this. Who does Dokdo belong to?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Heughed in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do you agree, old man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Korea can¡¯t exclude Japan when talking about the future. Our country is connected to Japan a lot more than people think. A lot of Koreanpanies are involved with Japanese funds and the other way around. That¡¯s why a mutual understanding of that is needed when discussing the future rtionship between Korea and Japan.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for us, China.¡±


    This time, Zhou Baihong joined in.


    ¡°It¡¯smon that our country, Korea, and Japan rely on each other. Without each other, we don¡¯t stand a chance against the West. They talk about freedom and democracy, but white people think they¡¯re the most superior. So Asians have to stick together.¡±


    ¡°With China in the center?¡±


    ¡°All three countries are equal.¡±


    The Chinese ambassador answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question with a calm smile. Barbara, who was just listening quietly, knitted her brows.


    ¡°China is not rational. In that sense, Japan might be different on the inside than what they look like on the outside, but they¡¯re better. And as for Korea, the culture is so fast that they often try to ignore custom procedures. If you ignore the procedures, problems are bound to arise. There¡¯s definitely ack of rationality in the Asian work culture. It¡¯s uncivilized.¡±


    He dissed Korea, China, and Japan all at once.


    That was just the beginning. They started to talk about politics, economy, society, and culture within Korea, America, China, Russia, and Japan. Some started off as politicians and others started off as businessmen, so they brought different points of view and insight into the conversation.


    They talked about everything from why presidents age quickly, why China badger on the international stage, and why the Japanese society was stiff on how to improve Korea¡¯s national branding, and if there was a way to resolve the battle between America and Russia. The interpreters were nearly dying to try to trante Korean, English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. That was because they used many expressions that were hard to interpret.


    Kim Soo Jung shouted at the interpreters looking back at her with troubled faces. They were going to face off with the KCC anyway. If that was the case, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to cause a big broadcast ident while they were at it.


    ¡®Okay! Let¡¯s do this!¡¯


    There was no reason for the news or a talk show to get hung up over formalities. The Korean broadcasting culture needed to let loose, be free, and try out new things. They all tried to keep the talk show a secret, but the rumors got out and the inte news started to talk about Ahn Soo Ho again.


    Is Hosoo Entertainment trying to make F4 popr even though they haven¡¯t even debuted yet? That must be how much CEO Ahn loves his little sister!


    A talk show that transcendsmon sense? They summoned ambassadors from America, China, and Russia, as well as the Japanese cab minister!


    They somehow managed to hold a meeting with ambassadors! How influential is Ahn Soo Ho?


    Chairman Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t the main star, but just a guest!


    What the public imagined was a variety talk show they were used to, but this was close to a 100-minute long debate. However, that wasn¡¯t all. One part of the talk show was about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s business, while the other part showed off his personal rtionships. Kim Soo Jung prohibited mentioning details of the content, but she gave off hints of who was there.


    Are Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s love story at a Hollywood scale?


    ¡®I¡¯ll protect my own woman!¡¯ Hollywood racism controversy reignites!


    The light and darkness of Hollywood we didn¡¯t know of! There¡¯s an American Hwang Min Wook list!


    Sexual favors! Sextapes! A trap that lured in aspiring stars!


    People knew that light always came with darkness.


    The Korean entertainment industry changed a lot due to Hwang Min Wook¡¯s list, and they were still urring to this day. As soon as the shameful truth started toe out, what tried to hide first were political rtions. The Korean society offered a warm reception to the government officials as always, but no countermeasures or legal punishments were given to the ones responsible. The candlelight vigils that took ce not long ago were in vain.


    But did that mean they would take ce again? There was nothing saying that a terrorist attack wasn¡¯t going to happen in this country as well. Just thinking about a bomb going off or a shooting taking ce made anyone feel scared. So for the government, the citizen¡¯s anxiety and fear was a great excuse.


    The views of Christmas Eve were different. Normally, the day would have been noisy with all sorts of marketing wars betweenpanies, but all the Koreans¡¯ attention was focused on a broadcast. Considering the fact that shows usually took at least 2 weeks to air after filming, the fact that they aired it only 4 days afterward was unexpected.


    At 6 o¡¯clock in the evening, Gangnam was supposed to be bustling with people, but it was quiet as if it was in the middle of the night. Some stores even took the day off, and those that stayed open had everyone sitting in front of televisions instead of trying to run a business.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s starting!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 137 ¨C World ss [1] > The end.

 Chapter 139: < Protect – Episode 138 – World Class [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 139: < Protect ¨C Episode 138 ¨C World ss [2] ></h4>


    People used the word ¡°realistic¡± a lot.


    If that was the case, what did reality and the real world actually mean? Was a just world ruled by studies and truth a realistic goal for society? People who thought of themselves as realistic didn¡¯t believe in god or justice. They stressed that fantasies about belief were what led to corruption.


    ¡°Freedom? Democracy? That¡¯s all good and all, but the solution to the problems we have can¡¯t be found in such beliefs. If everyone was given the same amount of freedom, that means they have just as much freedom to choose injustice. Of course, breaking society¡¯s promises is a crime, and they should be the ones to take responsibility for the consequences. However, the question is whether or not the weight of the responsibility is the same for everyone. That¡¯s our biggest problem right there.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about the weak points of the judicial system?¡±


    ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s just think about it with the results in mind. If a rich person and a poor person stood in court for the same crime, what do you think the court results would be?¡±


    In most cases, the rich was ruled innocent and the poor was ruled guilty.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that depend on the crime?¡±


    ¡°No, this is 100 percent. What¡¯s more surprising is that the percentage of the crime of having no money is the same in America as it is in Bandesh. Why, you ask? Because while America is known for having the best legal system in the world, Bandesh has a legal system that¡¯s the definition of problematic and wed.¡±


    It was true that the two extremes had things inmon. The w of the American legal system was that they knew too much, and the w of that of Bandesh was that they made it all wrong. Theirw didn¡¯t protect the weak.


    ¡°In the end, the poor can¡¯t get proper legal aid no matter what they do.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying America and Bandesh are on the same level?¡±


    ¡°The two extremes have things inmon.¡±


    In capitalist societies, people couldn¡¯t get proper services without money. And in interim governments without proper foundations in ce, they didn¡¯t know anything about the importance of human rights, and as a result, the nation was entrusted to its citizens.¡±


    ¡°Does a country be a better ce to live the stronger they get? That¡¯s a virtuous cycle. That¡¯s what we want the most, and that¡¯s the win-win scenario which was the most ideal. But in reality, in the real world, there¡¯s always winners and losers. With sess alsoes failure. But in the rtionship between nations and their citizens, why do the citizens always have to sacrifice for the nation?¡±


    Many people thought this was just, but it was just what many people wanted, and not an absolutemand from God.


    ¡°Power is cruel.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not power that¡¯s cruel, my friend. It¡¯s the people with power that¡¯s cruel. Power can¡¯t be cold or hot or happy or sad. Power has no emotions. It¡¯s just a matter of action. You know what the European nationalists like to say about state control.¡±


    ¡°The involvement of the nation and governmental authority must be minimized? But that... causes another problem.¡±


    ¡°ns?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s embarrassing, but the power behind what supports European independence is aristocratic capital. They were heavily influenced by feudalism. In the case of the countryside, the influence of this is really strong.¡±


    ns were powerful enough to recover cities and receive both respect and fear from the citizens; nothing had changed in the 21st century. Regionalmunity culture was deep-rooted in every country.


    ¡°I think the rich people of Korea is the same as the aristocrat capitalists. They have a lot of influence over regional society, and the Confucianism culture and the aristocratic culture of Korea is not too different from a feudalistic idea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s another way of putting the elites in the center.¡±


    ¡°They have their own league no matter where they are.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a rich person, too, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°The rich hate me. Don¡¯t you agree, old man?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked and looked at Kim Dae San.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Most rich people hate you. How could they? You¡¯re threatening the order that they¡¯ve kept for a very long time.¡±


    It was hard for the Korean rich people to understand Ahn Soo Ho, who had no interest in getting the most profit possible. A man like that was usually knocked down as soon as they appeared, but they couldn¡¯t do that this time. And it wasn¡¯t just because he was protected by Daesan Group. The rich viewed Ahn Soo Ho as the most powerful.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the type to make extra work for yourself though... What made you jump into business?¡±


    Kim Dae San asked him a question. It was a question that many had been curious about. If he had ambition, he would have been popr a long time ago. Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin.


    ¡°Well... it¡¯s not that I had a strong calling, and it wasn¡¯t because I wanted to make a lot of money either.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have a philosophy that made him want a just society or feel responsible for it.


    ¡°Just because.¡±


    ¡°Just because?¡±


    Heughed like a jokester.


    ¡°Who were you trying to screw over?¡±


    This was the part that had the most views of the talk show.


    Kya! Was it rich people he wanted to screw over?


    Probably not just the rich. The government workers were screwed over, too!


    It¡¯s impressive that he¡¯s still well and alive after making so many enemies in Hell Joseon!


    I thought a 100-minute interview would be boring, but it was so entertaining! Especially when the Brown bears and the Yankees fought! Is it okay for ambassadors to be like that? They¡¯re funnier thanedians!


    Worrying about politicians is just as useless as worrying about celebrities! That¡¯s all a show, you know! They¡¯re probably allughing about it in the waiting room!


    I can¡¯t believe the Japanese cab minister was there, too!


    Who is he?


    He¡¯s a legend! A very important position!


    The Chinese ambassador was interesting, too! ¡®The white guys?¡¯ ¡®The Western empire?¡¯ What century is he from?


    That¡¯s actually how the real Chinese people think! For the Chinese, white people are forever their enemies!


    With the European Union going down, shouldn¡¯t Asia think twice before banding together?


    Why isn¡¯t anyone talking about Barbara or Pam? They¡¯re both so sexy! They have a mesmerizing charm to them!


    Look at Barbara¡¯s gaze... It¡¯s so addicting!


    Everyone¡¯s getting entranced by her magic!


    After the 1st part of the talk show, the viewers joined debate discussion boards, looked up inte news, and expressed their thoughts on social media. Other broadcasters would have aired it one weekter to get the most expensive advertisements possible, but Kim Soo Jung didn¡¯t do that. As soon as the weather news forecast ended, she immediately aired the second part. The 2nd part started with Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s radiant smile.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Jang Seol Hyun.¡±


    All she did was say hello, but both the studio and viewers brightened up in response.


    ¡°This is my first time hosting, so it¡¯s quite awkward. Please forgive me if I¡¯m a little rough around the edges. Okay, shall we begin with the star of today¡¯s show? Mr. Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    He kept silent in response. Jang Seol Hyun followed the script and acted cute to get his attention.


    ¡°Soo Ho! My beloved Soo Ho.¡±


    The reason why her singing and dancing was stiff was because she was nervous. She had never acted cute like this before on any other broadcast. It was so extreme that it gave her goosebumps. In contrast to the producers who loved it, her face turned tomato red.


    ¡°Pleasee out!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was embarrassed out of her mind.


    ¡°She¡¯s a pro.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho walked out in awe. Jang Seol Hyun often acted cute around him, but she had never done it live on television. In contrast to Kim Woo Jung who was devastated, Kim Soo Jung smiled with her fists clenched.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Are you hosting this whole thing?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The first part was hosted by you, and the second part is hosted by me ording to the script! And please keep your formalities when speaking to the host.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun stressed the word ¡°script¡±.


    ¡®I don¡¯t feel good about this.¡¯


    That was why broadcasters couldn¡¯t be trusted. The talk show started off with a strong punch.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn. How many times did you date in your lifetime?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The vibe was more like a hearing than a talk show.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee some witnesses in order to prevent any lies.¡±


    Witnesses were called forward before Ahn Soo Ho could answer. The Do brothers then entered wearing ck suits as if they were at a funeral. Except for the third eldest, the brothers had never been on TV before. They wereplete amateurs. The way their hairstyle was fixed was just as extreme as their outfits which reminded him of Kim Mousse.


    ¡°Please introduce yourselves.¡±


    In response to Jang Seol Hyun, Do Kyung Ho yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°The...¡±


    ¡°Do...¡±


    ¡°Brothers!¡±


    The brothers¡¯ exaggerated cheering made everyone forget about Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s cute act. The guests waiting by the side all pped like seals.


    ¡°The Do brothers? Like the term used in the Seoul Olympics?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±


    The third eldest, Do Min Ho responded to the enthusiastic response.


    ¡°There are actually five Do brothers.¡±


    ¡°Five? There¡¯s only four of you.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho is also one of us. We¡¯ve gone through everything together as kids. Before we matured, we thought he was actually our big brother. I know it¡¯s ridiculous, but I thought he was Kyung Ho¡¯s twin.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is that ridiculous?¡±


    The youngest brother unexpectedly intercepted.


    ¡°Your face is a life sentence!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t call it a death penalty! I¡¯m going easy on you since we¡¯re rted.¡±


    ¡°Is this how you¡¯re going to pay me back for supporting you during your exam?¡±


    ¡°Come on! Your wife was the one who supported me, not you!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Do Kyung Ho was speechless when his wife came up.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s call her.¡±


    As soon as Do Min Ho suggested it, the camera pointed at Jung Hye Jung who was sitting in the audience. She was surprised by the sudden attention given to her, but in contrast to her stiff husband, she naturally epted the mic.


    ¡°Be honest, Hye Jung. Is Kyung Ho handsome?¡±


    ¡°My husband? He¡¯s ugly.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Everyone burst outughing in response to her unhesitant response.


    ¡°But in my eyes, he¡¯s just as lovable as Won Bin and Kang Dong Won.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Her husband regained his confidence.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s ask Seol Hyun!¡±


    The ending of the appearance war was unfortunate. What started as ¡°He¡¯s not that good looking¡± and ¡°What matters is his heart¡± climaxed at Ahn Soo Ho being mentioned as he wasughing at the Do brothers.


    ¡°Soo Ho! You don¡¯t have the right tough like that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re on the same boat!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re in charge of being the ugly one, Soo Ho!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stood up with an absurd look on his face.


    ¡°How dare you? Domino, if you didn¡¯t be aedian, do you really think you¡¯d be making a living right now? Kyung Ho and Dae Ho, if you didn¡¯t talk, people would have treated you like apes. And as for the youngest, fine, I admit it. But the rest of you should apologize for your faces! You¡¯re so ugly, you should apologize to the nation!¡±


    ¡°Wow, are you serious? Seol Hyun, what do you think?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡ªwho was justughing with her script covering her mouth¡ªwas surprised when she was suddenly called out.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Soo Ho might be better than Kyung Ho, but he¡¯s not handsome, right?¡±


    Unlike her usual way of being confident, she rolled her eyes in hesitation.


    ¡°My Soo Ho is handsome. The whole world has acknowledged that.¡±


    ¡°Wow, what a scamming couple!¡±


    The Do brothers went crazy, and Jang Seol Hyun smiled as she looked around the audience and producers.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he good-looking, everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! So handsome!¡±


    ¡°Woot!¡±


    In contrast to the audience¡¯s cheering, the producers chanted that the chairman was the best. After all, Ahn Soo Ho was the owner of HBS. Yoon Chul then got up from his seat.


    ¡°This is corruption!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked around at the husbands around him one by one.


    ¡°You bastards. It must have been hard living with those faces. I understand though. I should at least have a conscience.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho! Your face needs to be reformed before the rich!¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho! You son of a bitch!¡±


    The men all rose up, and Ahn Soo Ho epted it calmly.


    ¡°Fine! Then let¡¯s ask our viewers and everyone else in the whole world who the uglier one is!¡±


    That¡¯s how the Ugliest Man Competition began.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 138 ¨C World ss [2] > The end.

 Chapter 140: < Protect – Episode 139 – World Class [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 140: < Protect ¨C Episode 139 ¨C World ss [3] ></h4>


    In Korean society, looks were power.


    But it was uncertain if that was only the case in Korea and why it was a problem in the first ce. Was there anyone who didn¡¯t like pretty and skinny people? Every country and race had different views on beauty, but there wasn¡¯t too much of a difference between them. People that Korean people thought were ugly were usually perceived as ugly by Americans as well. Then what were the standards that determined beauty?


    Fine! Then shall we ask the viewers as well as the rest of the world about who they think is the ugliest?


    Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s talk show stirred up quite the controversy, but if viewers were asked what was the most memorable, it was probably the appearance war. Those affiliated with higher knowledge, the media, and politics were more interested in the debates of part 1, but they were only a minority in the overall Korean poption.


    The second part was just a free talking show.


    When it was mentioned once more that Ahn Soo Ho and Han Kyung Il, who was known as the heroic diplomat, both dropped out of the Naval Academy, the military was embarrassed. The reason why the president tried to reform the military was because of the cliques formed between those from the Naval Academy. However, the military reformation failed. But on the bright side, the effort drew in a lot of attention from the Korean citizens regarding military culture.


    CEO Ahn shouldn¡¯t be saying anything about other people¡¯s looks.


    But was it Do Kyung Ho? He was actually ugly!


    He was wearing makeup, so imagine what he really looks like!


    His wife is pretty though!


    He probably has a lot of money like Ahn Soo Ho!


    The Do brothers! That¡¯s so funny!


    Please stop cursing in the discussion board!


    CEO Ahn is the idol of those born with nothing, but his connections suggest otherwise!


    Since he said it himself that he isn¡¯t Chairman Kim Dae San¡¯s lovechild, will that rumor die down soon?


    Who would admit that they¡¯re a love child? When ites to the rich, everything isplicated!


    Even Kim Dae San said that there are lots of problems with the rich in Korea! I like that he¡¯s honest!


    Rich swag!


    Kim Dae San is different from other rich people!


    Someone¡¯s finally being honest? How¡¯s he honest? That¡¯s just a broadcast! Who would speak the truth in front of the camera? You¡¯re all so na?ve!


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s kind of like an old person, too!


    Aren¡¯t real men an old men at heart?


    The talk show was entertaining! I thought I¡¯d end up crying at the topics of growing up without nothing, but it was refreshing! They dealt with the international matter well in the first section, and the second part was just awesome!


    Members of the Guardian Angel fan club! You mustn¡¯t be here!


    Don¡¯t you people get it? Ahnfeller¡¯s diss of the Do Brother¡¯s looks was his way of referring to how Korean society only cares about looks!


    Yeah right! If he doesn¡¯t care about looks, why is he dating a top Korean actress?


    Who says Jang Seol Hyun is top? I disagree!


    Since Ahnchild picked her, she¡¯s top!


    This is why people need to seed!


    While the inte news, bulletin boards, and social media all went crazy about looks, the HBS homepage, Hosoo Entertainment, and all fan pages posted an event notice.


    The ugliest manpetition! It¡¯s not shameful to be ugly! Show off a charm that the world hasn¡¯t seen yet!


    Some were ufortable with the topic of looks, but thanks to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s positive twist, there were more positive responses than negative.


    ¡°The ugliest manpetition? Isn¡¯t that too explicit?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not only selecting the ugly ones.¡±


    They weren¡¯t only selecting the ugly ones, but it was a part of thepetition. Ahn Soo Ho was with Kim Na Hee, who led the fashion and beauty industry, in preparation for the beauty pageant. The problem was that there was no name for it. They had the funds to hold a world beauty pageant, but as for status or prestige, it was uncertain. Since they were still in the nning stages, it could have been seen as inevitable.


    ¡°The beautiful and the ugly... Those are the two extremes. There will be controversies about how we¡¯remercializing gender. Why do you always have to cause controversies?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged in response to Yoon Chul¡¯s criticism.


    He formally left the police force. But he had yet to join the Hosoo Guard Team since he was only recently on the talk show. At this point, it wasn¡¯t just Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s family, but his friends who were at the center of attention.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Since I quit the force, it¡¯s harder for me to gather information.¡±


    Korea didn¡¯t have weak governmental authority.


    People called them weak because they didn¡¯t have guns, but it was all nonsense. Despite not being able to shoot guns, the Korean police force was even stronger than that of America. If American police investigated like the Korean police, they would have ended up at court faster than any other suspect.


    ¡°You were right. The more I look into it, the more suspicious it gets. Sol Ji and Min Shik fell into a trap. Kyung Il caught on quickly enough to get out of it himself, but the other two ended up taking the fall for a superior.¡±


    ¡°Do they still have a hold of their tail?¡±


    ¡°If need be, they could get you involved, too. Corruption of those around a person is a useful negative strategy.¡±


    The 8-member club might have gotten rid of their past baggage, but as long as Han Kyung Il, Kim Min Shik, and Jung Sol Ji were involved, he couldn¡¯t free himself from conspiracy and betrayal. Jung Sol Ji and Kim Min Shik were especially vulnerable to those in power, and there was only so much Ahn Soo Ho could block out.


    ¡°What about Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°The effect of being the heroic diplomat has almost worn out. The embassy must be trying to send him somewhere outside of Europe. He said he¡¯ll probably receive his new post soon... and it¡¯s likely going to be in the States. That¡¯s a total elite course for a diplomat. Apparently, America has requested for him themselves.¡±


    ¡°As hostage?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as a negative thing. White people just want to get closer to you.¡±


    No matter Han Kyung Il¡¯s circumstances, he knew how to take care of his own future.


    ¡°The problem is Sol Ji and Min Shik.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jung Sol Ji was currently busy working on a script with Kim Soo Jung, but she was bound to return to politics sooner orter. And in order to make her safer, she needed a party of her own.


    ¡°Five years.¡±


    ¡°Five years?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how long Sol Ji needs to prepare a political party.¡±


    ¡°Will five years be enough when she¡¯s starting with nothing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not doing this alone. I¡¯m going to help.¡±


    ¡°How? Our country¡¯s rules on political funding are very strict.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    Due to the concern of a cozy rtionship between politics and business, if apany was allowed to provide political funds to a party of their choice, all legal bodies includingpanies were banned from providing funds to political parties.


    ¡®I¡¯d better meet with him soon.¡¯


    She might have been shadowed by Scott Davis the political strategist, but Charlotte Davis was also a go-getter herself. It probably won¡¯t receive good responses, but the tangled ball of yarn had to be untangled.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Min Shik say anything?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s different from you and Kyung Il... He¡¯s an honest punk.¡±


    Kim Min Shik was a stereotypically traditional man. He acted before speaking, and he was thoughtful enough to think three times before acting. But he was also not an opportunist who let things slide. For that reason, he was really not suited for the central office group. If he wascking in ability or didn¡¯t have Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s protection, he would have been demoted a long time ago.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything about this either, Soo Ho. After all, what he did was illegal.¡±


    There was evidence suggesting that Kim Min Shik received some of the bribes that his superior got from an organization that he gave special treatment to. Most people felt thankful when their superiors paid for the meals they enjoyed in business settings, but nothing came for free. What was scarier than tax dors leaking into official expenses was personal expenses with unknown origin.


    ¡°Did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I did, but he didn¡¯t give me much of a response.¡±


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t respond, that means he¡¯s decided already...¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly. The idents caused by quiet people were the biggest and the most serious ones. And as expected, Kim Min Shik caused a big ident as a whistleblower of the government.


    All the corruptions! Special treatment, entertainment, bribes, and lobbying!


    Some of the residents that got rich from holdout have false ounts!


    Assault against the residents by refusing toe topensation settlement!


    The police and government workers neglect the citizens!


    Kim Min Shik, who confidently revealed his identity, got arrested for breaking the rules regarding secret protection. Korea¡¯s political situation was suffering, to begin with, thanks to the terrorist attacks in North America and Europe, and with the corruption ordeal, the country lit up once more. The prosecutors and the police wereining about how troublesome it became, and as soon as it was revealed that Kim Min Shik was best friends with Ahn Soo Ho, he let out a sigh of relief.


    There were rumors going around suggesting that he only did that because of Ahn Soo Ho, but that was all nonsense. The police began their investigation without much expectation, but Ahn Soo Ho showed up as if he had been waiting all along. The police had to deal with hoards of reporters as a result. It appeared that every single person making a living off of the country¡¯s news was there.


    ¡°CEO Ahn! Over here!¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn!¡±


    The way Ahn Soo Ho smiled made it look like they were at a fan meeting. How many people would smile in front of a police station? He didn¡¯t intend on having a press conference, but he was worried about what would happen if he didn¡¯t answer any questions, so he had no choice but to pick up the mic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick. What I¡¯d like to say is that our country has taken a step forward towards bing a more developed nation.¡±


    A lot of courage was needed to point out a fault in the same organization that one worked in.


    ¡°Everyone wants to avoid stepping on thorns. It¡¯s human instinct to want to only walk along a flower path.¡±


    No one intentionally took a long way around if they didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°What I ask of the media is that you don¡¯t cover up any problems.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished, the reporters immediately raised their hands, and he pointed at a random reporter at the front.


    ¡°Can we see this as an extension of the Korean paparazzi that you stressed, CEO Ahn?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re not the ones who received the report.¡±


    ¡°Then do you mean to say there was nopensation?¡±


    ¡°As you all know, Kim Min Shik is my friend. There are no conditions for a friend helping out a friend.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to break the rules?¡±


    ¡°Rules? What rules? Compensation funds for the paparazzi are not public funds. They were all from my personal funds. I even paid the gift tax myself.¡±


    It was as if he was asking how this was their business when he paid all of his taxes. Some of the reporters heard this and knitted their brows. The cold atmosphere led to some sensitive questions.


    ¡°There are rumors iming that there were pressure and lobbying by Hosoo Entertainment in response to the tax investigation. What do you think about this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Are you denying any external pressure?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just smirked in response.


    ¡°The only rich people I like in our country are Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan. To be frank, are there anypanies in this country that would be okay after a tax investigation? If not even household ledgers can be kept properly, how do you expect business ounting to be proper?¡±


    Reporters in economics smirked while those in politics and society were d they heard what they heard.


    ¡°So you think all rich people are immoral.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled, but it looked more like a scoff.


    ¡°Do you remember the Enron incident?¡±


    The Enron incident was that of ounting fraud worth 1.5 trillion won that put America into shock back in 2001.


    ¡°Everyone thinks about Enron when ites to ounting fraud, but there was a case that was even bigger than that.¡±


    This case wasmonly known among not only economic reporters, but those who had any interest in the Korean economy.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Daewoo Group. How much was it? 40 trillion? 41 trillion? It doesn¡¯t evenpare to Enron. In contrast to Americans who were raging after Enron went bankrupt and their corruption getting exposed, how did we react?¡±


    There were countless citizens who were harmed after Daewoo Group went down.


    ¡°I know this is my country, too, but Korea¡¯s way of thinking seems very strange from the outside. On the outside, everyone chants for equality and democracy, but once they obtain the position, they¡¯re no different from their predecessors. And the way society views blue cors and white cors is very different as well. Did anyone even get punished after blowing over 40 trillion?¡±


    The head of Daewoo Group, Chairman Kim Woo Joong got a special pardon after just a year. On the other hand, when blue corsmitted a crime, they got punished more severely than white cors. Was the sentence lighter for white cors because they get better legal aid than blue cors? That was true. However, what was scarier were the ranks that were determined depending on education and how their society viewed it.


    ¡®Those uneducated bastards!¡¯


    ¡®Those with better education are so different!¡¯


    It was true. Worse things happened when those with education became evil. Since white cor crimes involved more money, they seemed less vicious, but besides not using knives and guns, they weremitting mass crimes as well. How was a businessman who made a civilian¡¯spany go bankrupt any different from a thug trespassing property with a weapon?


    ¡°If you earned a lot, pay back a lot. Are you going to take all your money into the afterlife or something?¡±


    The reporters were astonished by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark. This wasn¡¯t something anyone from the upper ss of Korea would have liked to hear on TV. Ahn Soo Ho then said his final words.


    ¡°I¡¯m a handsome man. That¡¯s a fact that no one can deny.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 139 ¨C World ss [3] > The end.

 Chapter 141: < Protect – Episode 140 – World Class [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 141: < Protect ¨C Episode 140 ¨C World ss [4] ></h4>


    There weren¡¯t many questions that were asked to Ahn Soo Ho.


    They just asked a few questions. Since he came all the way to the police station himself, there wasn¡¯t much they could do. It seemed as though he received orders from the Blue House, and that was why power was strong. The rtionships between powers that went from friendly to vicious wereplicated, to say the least.


    Ahn Soo Ho asked to speak with Kim Min Shik. A testifier meeting with the defendant was against the rules. However, they allowed him to see him for just 15 minutes. This was an example of corruption.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so bad.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Did you expect me to be all beat up? Our country isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°It depends, case by case.¡±


    It was still hard to im that there were absolutely no police officers forcing people to make fake confessions and testimonies.


    ¡°You should have said something.¡±


    ¡°Then I would havee with a bunch ofwyers. I believe people should know their ce.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply in response to Kim Min Shik¡¯s heavy response.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of appointing a public defender, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If I use an expensivewyer, how would I be any different from the rich? I didn¡¯t make the charge to screw the government over. I only did it to prove whether or not the governmental authority really makes an effort for the citizens.¡±


    ¡°Just like Kyung Il... you made a difficult choice.¡±


    Yoon Chul thought Han Kyung Il was cunning, but the way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, he was a revolutionist who was going after a difficult dream. If something went wrong, he was very close to going from efforts for peace to a violent activist trying to topple the government. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s secret efforts to help his friend might not have beenpletely pure.


    ¡®Without my help, I don¡¯t know what he might do.¡¯


    If he didn¡¯t have a tendency to be unyielding, he wouldn¡¯t have quit the Naval Academy. All 8 members of the 8-member group were dumb. And when a bunch of dumb people got together, it was more likely for them to act rashly. And with all things considered, whistleblowing was the only thing that Kim Min Shik could do on his own in a quiet manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to butt in, Soo Ho. The more you say, the moreplicated things will get.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Kim Min Shik had a n of his own. Before leaving the room, Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Kim Min Shik one more time.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t immediately leave the police station. Since the police usually held onto people and investigated them for a long time, people wouldn¡¯t have looked favorably upon Ahn Soo Ho leaving after just an hour. Yoon Chul¡ªwho followed along and dressed up as a secretary¡ªspoke with Ahn Soo Ho in a waiting room.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He told me not to get involved.¡±


    ¡°Because of his pride?¡±


    ¡°No, I think Min Shik has a n of his own.¡±


    People always had their own n of getting justice.


    ¡°Are you really just going to sit back and watch?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°The government officials are minding everyone right now, but in the end, they¡¯ll end in a vague way after pressuring the court. If that happens, only Min Shik will be screwed over.¡±


    Yoon Chul was in the police force in Korea once, so he knew just how difficult whistleblowing was. The whistleblowers who did it because of their conscience always regretted itter. Many things changed after Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s paparazzi incident, but that was in the case of anonymity for Kim Min Shik who revealed his identity; it was hard for him to be protected.


    ¡°Is it the government who¡¯s keeping the public interested?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Because as soon as the media turn their backs, Min Shik will get the death sentence.¡±


    When big corruption scandals took ce, most people remembered that the scandal took ce, but they rarely knew how it ended. The more people got involved, the longer it got, so people who were watching eventually got tired and stopped showing interest. They could probably show interest multiple times, but if one thing continued for 3 to 5 years, it was hard for them to keep focusing on it.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s party left the police station 6 hours after the press conference. In the meantime, he became the headlines of many portal sites, and they responded well to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinion that loans and investments should be heavily regted.


    What was the most responsible for the gap between the rich and the poor was that the rich kept on getting richer. Most citizens got 95% of what they earned through working while the top 0.1% received all sorts of benefits from the financial system. Simply put, they got money for just breathing. They always said this. That if one wanted to be rich, one would have to study hard and chase after opportunities.


    ¡°In our country, getting a job is harder than entering the foreign legion.¡±


    If there was an interviewer iming that a person wascking in effort, that person had the right to give them the finger.


    ¡°People are talking about how you visited the police station. Did you meet with Min Seok?¡±


    After leaving the police station, Ahn Soo Ho and Yoon Chul met with Chio Jung Yeon. Seeing how the person who was the most against men got married the fastest, she must have been into misandry. She might have been a loving wife and mother as well as a doctor, but Ahn Soo Ho and Yoon Chul were surprised since she changed so much.


    ¡°He told me not to butt in and to just stay still.¡±


    ¡°Min Shik is right, Soo Ho. You¡¯ve been too reckless these days. The medical association has been talking about you.¡±


    ¡°The medical association?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°No one has anymon sense around here.¡±


    ¡°All rights associations are the same. They¡¯re all about cutting the heads of those who get in the way.¡±


    ¡°What can the medical association do anyway? They¡¯re not even connected to anypanies.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s something Ahn Soo Ho doesn¡¯t know. This is why people need to keep living. Listen to me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly to Choi Jung Yeon¡¯s cocky yet yful way of speaking.


    ¡°The health field is smaller than you think. Their influence is not only in hospitals but in fire stations, police stations, and everything that has to do with sanitation. Chul should know about that. Disease control, airports, ports, and quarantine stations are all under us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Doctors are more powerful than we think.¡±


    Yoon Chul nodded.


    Police was most often insulted and rarely respected while doctors were most often respected and rarely insulted. What led governmental authority were life-or-death authorities. There probably wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t go to the hospital when they were sick. What truly controlled all industries of Korean society was the medical association.


    ¡°Who do you think inspects the safety of high-rise buildings? Ministry of Land? Building maintenance? The fire station? They¡¯re partly responsible, too... but Disease Control is at the top. If they im that there¡¯s a disease in star tower, the building would close down. Something that extreme probably won¡¯t happen, but they could do it if they wanted.¡±


    When it came to national disaster countermeasures number 1 was natural disasters, number 2 were diseases, and number 3 was war. A natural disaster couldn¡¯t be prevented by humans. However, number 2 and 3 could be prevented and controlled by people.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know diseases came before war.¡±


    ¡°In the case that a disease breaks out, people don¡¯t have to worry about war. That¡¯s why it¡¯s not the military that keeps the chemical weapons. They don¡¯t have the ability to keep them safe either.¡±


    Come to think of it, the chemical warfare division wasn¡¯t just a part of the US Navy. People often looked down on the military hospital, but the military doctors were the best of the best in terms of skill. What could also be added to this was microbiology. Chemical and biological weapons were so powerful that people often called them nuclear bombs of the poor.


    ¡°Do they get special education?¡±


    ¡°As a divided nation, of course. If Korea ever goes to war with North Korea, half of Seoul will blow up in less than an hour.¡±


    Just like how the reserved forces got training, the doctors also received education about chemical warfare. What most of Korea didn¡¯t know was that North Korea¡¯s real threat was biological weapons and that nuclear weapons were just a backup.


    ¡°Soo Ho, you don¡¯t have any intention of soothing the medical association, do you?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to bow my head as I walk in.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s only one way.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho urged Choi Jung Yeon to continue with a shrug.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make a new hospital and medical school.¡±


    ¡°The medical association wouldn¡¯t stand for that.¡±


    ¡°Not all doctors are obsessed with money. There are lots of real doctors in our country as well.¡±


    ¡°There are real police officers, too.¡±


    Yoon Chul senselessly butted in, but Ahn Soo Ho ignored him and asked Choi Jung Yeon another question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say we do as you say and build a medical school and hospital. How long would that take?¡±


    ¡°Maybe 6 to 7 years? In order to start with a strong and healthy root, we need some time.¡±


    ¡°You just want to be a hospital director as soon as possible, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°To be honest... yeah. I want to be a hospital director. That¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll get to stop the unchanged ways in the medical field.¡±


    She shared her aspirations and dreams.


    ¡°If we bring some people from the university hospital I¡¯m in right now...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    Was it a hospital after a broadcastingpany? He could clearly see Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s knitted brows in his head.


    ¡°Okay. You know Director Oh, right?¡±


    ¡°I contact her more than I contact you.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been tricked.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll tell her while you push forward with it. Don¡¯t overdo it though.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t forget to give thest warning. On his way back after parting with Choi Jung Yeon, he saw Yoon Chul looking like a dog that needed to poop.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What about the police?¡±


    ¡°Police welfare is pretty decent.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not! There are so many in trouble!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Yoon Chul¡¯s reaction. When he was with the police, he was busy trying to bring them down, but now that he was out, he was actually protecting them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take our time in thinking about that.¡±


    ¡°But then again if we donate to the police welfare now, people will say crap about how it¡¯s bribery.¡±


    Just like how not all doctors were obsessed with money and politics, not all police officers were about power and authority. There were 100 times more good police officers than bad ones. The next day, she came prepared with all materials rted to hospitals and medical schools when Oh Joo Kyung called her over. She felt like she was tricked, but she didn¡¯t feel bad about it either.


    The reason why the 8-member group was from all different fields was in order to use each one when the time was right. Since Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t need to convince Choi Jung Yeon if she came on strong, he actually preferred it. A press conference opened a few dayster, and Oh Joo Kyung took the stand.


    ¡°Not only will we take responsibility for the societal responsibilities of thepany, but our CEO would like to help out the difficult job market of Korea by making a big donation for hospital facilities.¡±


    Reporters raised their hands, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions a littleter.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was known for having a strict personality that didn¡¯t suit the age of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s right-hand woman. There was even the famous story of how someone from a broadcastingpany fooled around thinking they were powerful enough but ended up going to jail.


    ¡°We don¡¯t n on earning profits from the medical school, nursing school, and hospital. Our CEO has stressed that the profits will be turned towards society.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung then pointed at the closest reporter.


    ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t care if your business is in a deficit?¡±


    ¡°Since this is for the good of our country¡¯s medical field, a deficit is okay with us.¡±


    ¡°How much are you investing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you the most important part. I apologize.¡±


    She naturally apologized, but she intentionally left it out to make it look dramatic.


    ¡°We will donate 500 billion won every year for 20 years which totals to 10 trillion won.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Some reporters were in awe while others gasped in surprise. Hostility would start to pour down on Ahn Soo Ho who humiliated rich people in front of the police station. If 70% of the citizens were supporting him for dissing the sses with rights, 10% were calling him out for being rich thanks to the rich.


    % might have seemed small, but that wasn¡¯t really the case.


    CEO Ahn says to pay taxes, but does he do that himself?


    ording to a tax informant, Hosoo Entertainment has also collected a lot of money.


    People must report all the money they earned in a foreignnd and in their own country.


    ording to an investment informant, Ahn Soo Ho also has mineral rights under his name.


    There were lots of rumors going around about Ahn Soo Ho and taxes. People talked about how he had corrupt support, that he was an assassin for a financial cartel, as well as those talking about how he was a legend in the international government. At the same time, the announcement of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s tax investigation was also held. It was rare for the director to speak at the press conference himself.


    There wasn¡¯t much to the beginning of the speech.


    ¡°Our investigations showed that some reports were omitted. Therefore, we have rmended measures as well as charging Hosoo Entertainment with 78 million won in penalty fees.¡±


    The reporters who were friendly with rich people other than Daesan had sparkles in their eyes. 78 million won was less than they hoped, but what it meant was that tax evasion existed. If theybined this with other rumors about Ahn Soo Ho, something good was bound toe out of it. However, their hopes were crushed by what the director said next.


    ¡°The total amount that Hosoo Entertainment and Mr. Ahn Soo Ho paid in taxes so far as well as this year is... Ahem, I apologize. This includes some personal information, so I¡¯ll just tell you the grand total. The total is 23 trillion won.¡±


    ¡°Ho... how much?¡±


    The reporters asked in surprise.


    ¡°23 trillion won. Of course, they were founded this year, so there was particrly a lot. It¡¯s predicted that it¡¯ll be less next year.¡±


    The reporters couldn¡¯t hear anything else.


    23 trillion won. All Daesan Group paidst year for taxes was 7 trillion won. How much money did Hosoo Entertainment have that they have to pay taxes worth 23 trillion won?


    ¡®We were wrong!¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t bepared to the typical rich person in Korea. His wealth level was world ss. He was pretty much at the same level as the Arabian king. At that moment, the reporters came to their senses. They had to hop over to a different side from now on.


    ¡®He¡¯s not just rich, but crazy rich!¡¯


    They weren¡¯t kidding when they called him Ahnfeller and Ahnchild.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 140 ¨C World ss [4] > The end.

 Chapter 142: < Protect – Episode 141 – Angola [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 142: < Protect ¨C Episode 141 ¨C Ang [1] ></h4>


    ¡°Why is it always in the trillions? Does he really have that kind of money?¡±


    While the Korean society was going crazy over yet another bomb Ahn Soo Ho unleashed, he roamed around without any worries. Kang Joon, who was a part of the 8-member group as an IT expert, wasn¡¯t so happy about his issue-making friend¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Why are you so cranky?¡±


    ¡°Because I have a lot of things to worry about because of you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked you to lend me money.¡±


    ¡°They swarmed in like dogs.¡±


    As soon as the human rights groups, civic groups, and religious groups couldn¡¯t get their hands on Hosoo Entertainment, they changed their target to Kang Joon, who was rumored to have some money. As someone who was operating a multitform portal for inte users, he couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed.


    ¡°Are you in the stock market?¡±


    ¡°Are you looking down on me? We might not stand a chance against Naver, but we¡¯re still pretty sessful.¡±


    ¡°Naver? I only know about Google.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Good for you, you bastard.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho really only knew about Google. He only started using Kakao Talk once he started dating Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the type to visit just to say hi. What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so stiff. What if I dide to just see my friend?¡±


    ¡°You saw my face plenty during the talk show.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands andughed. The biggest beneficiaries of the talk show weren¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho or Jang Seol Hyun, but it was actually the Do brothers and the 8-member group. Of course, the fantastic 4 including Ahn Da Sol got some exposure as well, but not as much as the Do Brothers and the 8-member group.


    ¡°You should do your business and the broadcasting work at the same time. It¡¯s good for marketing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    Kim Soo Jung wasn¡¯t a star producer, but she was still pretty famous, and Han Kyung Il¡¯s face was quite well-known as the heroic diplomat. And for Jung Sol Ji, she had always been sessful as the aide to a member of the national assembly, and Kim Min Shik was a hot topic in Korea for his whistleblowing incident. The reason why the beautiful doctor, Choi Jung Yeon, the former police, Yoon Chul, and the final puzzle, Kang Joon was being mentioned in the news so often was because of their impressive experience but mainly because of Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°You might be busier, but I¡¯m a busy person, too, Soo Ho. Get straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°The point? Okay. I don¡¯t know the details either, but I need a professional to help me put on a worldwide voting on the inte.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡±


    Not many people actually believed that Ahn Soo Ho was going to ask the world who was uglier. However, Kang Joon was sure he knew him well. Ahn Soo Ho was the type of person who meant what he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Korea, but the whole world...? Maybe you should just ask Google.¡±


    ¡°That was my initial n, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯ll be necessary anymore.¡±


    Whether it was now orter, he was bound to run into doing a trial-and-error. If that was the case, there was no reason to postpone it forter.


    ¡°Are you going to leave it to us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll cover all of the expenses.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him a USB containing the business n, and Kang Joon took it and took a look at it on theputer. This wasn¡¯t just any ordinary event. He was nning to hold a variety ofpetitions and maintain long-term marketing around the whole world.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need a server expansion, and in order to connect it to the rest of the world, we¡¯ll need base facilities. Who¡¯s going to pay for that?¡±


    ¡°Will 10 billion be enough?¡±


    ¡°Dors?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bastard.¡±


    The curse words came out automatically. Traffic wasn¡¯t just about expanding the server in Korea. But 10 billion dors was more than enough to resolve the problem. He did hear that he paid more than 20 trillion won in tax dors, but even as a friend, he had no idea just how much money Ahn Soo Ho had.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like he has a cash-making machine.¡¯


    Did no finance professional in Korea have any idea that Korea was overflowing with money like this? As a stock trader himself, Kang Joon just shook his head.


    ¡°Aside from infra, what about security? If you¡¯re going to open a big event, there will be all sorts of crazy hackers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    He had Alexa and Kosino, and if they weren¡¯t enough, he could get help from Cranky, too.


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    Kang Joon sank deep into thought.


    ¡°Are you asking me to work under you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°I feel like there will be a lot of talk about special treatment though...¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    There was a lot of sensation surrounding the positions and scale of Hosoo Entertainment. The broadcasting industry was especially excited, and since even the cleaningdies were given full-time jobs, Ahn Soo Ho was being showered with praise. From the citizens¡¯ point of view, lots of money was a good thing, but there were downfalls as well.


    Kang Joon had no idea what Ahn Soo Ho was nning. If he increased the scale so quickly in such manner, something was bound to go wrong. It was good when they lend a person a lot of money, but once there was a liquidity issue, everything could fall down like dominos.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked after seeing his face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always talked about how the rich need to be reformed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So how are you going to do it? The government? The politicians? Thebor groups? It¡¯s not like the rich will volunteer to do it unless they lose their minds.¡±


    ¡°Will popr opinion not be enough?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say poweres from the citizens themselves.¡±


    It was obvious but not so obvious at the same time.


    It was the politicians¡¯ job to take this ufortable truth and package it in a nice way. Ahn Soo Ho thought it was almost impossible for the reformation to take ce with just an agreement alone. People were unable to put away what they already have. If that was possible then they would have been proimed as saints a long time ago already.


    ¡°Since the start is wrong, it¡¯s foolish to expect the ending to be good.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to reform the rich in Korea, but people talked about it as if it was an easy thing. They thought the country would be much better to live in if the rich just disappeared.


    ¡°You can¡¯t obtain anything without pain.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the rich are the foundation of the Korean economy, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No, but if the rich disappear, someone else will take their ce.¡±


    Whether that was having more rich people or not was up to the will of the government and the citizens.


    ¡°But don¡¯t think that there won¡¯t be any pain or chaos while getting rid of the rich, and those who end up in pain because of it will want to kill those who asked for the reform. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s for the better or not. No one wants to lose their own job and make their family miserable. There¡¯s no such thing as logic and rationality to those with rage and hatred.¡±


    Was it fair to push pain upon some people in order to do something right? That was why it was impossible to get a perfect justice. The standards of good and evil were vague. Korea thought of Doctor Ahn Joong Geun as an amazing political activist, but Japan saw him as a terrorist.


    ¡°The rich are smart and cunning. If they were dumb, they wouldn¡¯t have be rich in the first ce. They¡¯ve always believed that they could control Korea as long as they had 10% of the citizens¡¯ support, and it has worked for them until now.¡±


    The rich didn¡¯t care about the poor. People in the middle ss and above took up a small portion of the poption, but it was enough to control the country.


    ¡°You think the reformation of the rich will fail.¡±


    ¡°If nothing changes, that is.¡±


    ¡°Changes?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho pointed at himself, Kang Joon tilted his head.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t the so-called ¡°great rich people¡± attacking me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Because you¡¯re close to Chairman Kim Dae San maybe?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an international superstar?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°Because they don¡¯t want to die hideously.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want to die hideously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a simple reason.¡±


    There was no guarantee that their money, thew, their connections, and their guards could stop Ahn Soo Ho. If he really wanted to, he could kill them while shitting or having sex with a woman. No one wanted to die in a hideous way.


    ¡°My friend is really a psychopathic serial killer.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his middle finger in response.


    ¡°Are you going to do it or not?¡±


    ¡°I guess I should do it if I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    He was partly joking. The 8-member group didn¡¯t ask any questions, but they knew that Ahn Soo Ho was behind the downfall of the Korea National Association as well as the Comradery Association.


    ¡®Does Soo Ho want to be a dictator?¡¯


    Kang Joon asked himself that, but the answer was no. If Ahn Soo Ho wanted to be a dictator, it was more useful for him to be friends with the rich than keep the 8-member group around.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The two shook hands.


    ******


    It was the start of a new year.


    The end of a year was filled with lots of talk and stress, family and friends gathered to talk about their regret as well as their resolutions. The fact that they were able to diss each other about being able to fulfill it proved just how close they were. Ahn Soo Ho stepped back and looked at everyone chatting.


    There were Koreans, foreigners, friends¡ªwho weren¡¯t invited, and business-rted persons. There was no point in what kind of rtionship was best. It was possible for a business rtionship to turn into the best friendship.


    ¡®My wealth is not money or reputation.¡¯


    The people in front of him was his real wealth. People who would follow him off a cliff until the very end.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    In response to Logan¡¯s calling, Ahn Soo Ho looked at Jang Seol Hyun who was taking care of the family. She was looking at him too and ended up meeting gazes. Ahn Soo Ho nodded and Jang Seol Hyun gave him a look that was acknowledging him.


    They turned around and went down to the parking lot. The only reason why no one noticed the star of the party disappear wasn¡¯t just because of the magic. As the wife-to-be of Ahn Soo Ho, Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s status became elevated, and at this gathering of family and friends, it didn¡¯t really matter if Ahn Soo Ho disappeared.


    They got into a car and took off.


    ¡°It takes around 12 hours to get to Little Rock, Arkansas, and the helicopter will take off in just over 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°What about the funeral preparations?¡±


    ¡°The funds have been deposited through the US government.¡±


    Money wasn¡¯t a problem.


    The money that Michael had until his death was going to be split up between his parents and siblings. They were probably going to be surprised by how much it was. In contrast to mercenaries who got involved with women, gambling, drugs, and alcohol, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s team provided stable funding.


    Some might ask what kind of mercenaries work while worrying about their retirement, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s team was different. He didn¡¯t think of mercenaries as suicide bombers standing at the edge of a cliff. Michael¡¯s death was an unlucky ident. The government normally didn¡¯t care for a mercenary¡¯s death, but the White House and New York City advertised his death as that of a hero.


    New York City confirmed that he sacrificed his life while helping refugees and little kids seek shelter during the terrorist attack. There were probably lots of heroes that outshined him in New York, but in Arkansas, Michael was the best. One man who was not too special suddenly turned into a hero overnight.


    American funerals were Christian whether people liked it or not. There were more funerals than weddings at churches to the point where people said they made most of their money from death.


    ¡°One poet said that humans are not inds. Will we be able to find the meaning of that today? Michael Lee Debon¡¯s death was tragic, but he proved that there¡¯s still justice on thisnd. Michael wasn¡¯t a sessful politician or a businessman with a vision. However, Michael¡¯s death had the ability to unite everyone as one.¡±


    The priest didn¡¯t bother reciting a line from the bible.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know him in person. Unfortunately, I never got the chance. However, from seeing everyone here today, I can tell that he was a great man.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was standing way at the back, thought thest line was the most memorable.


    ¡®He lived as a hero and died as a person.¡¯


    He first wondered if it was backward, but in America, the electricians, fund managers, and football stars all thought they were the best. But once the prom queen and king got out of high school, they were just one of many people. Living as a hero and dying as a person was historic and a praise in the democratic society.


    The burial began.


    The ones holding Michael¡¯s coffin were rtives he didn¡¯t know. Michael¡¯s father¡¯s name was also Michael. It appeared that the Michael they knew was Michael Jr. He saw Ahn Soo Ho standing way at the back and knitted his brows. However, it wasn¡¯t out of negative feelings.


    ¡°What are you doing back here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin the lovely funeral.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t resent you, you know.¡±


    His parents were just thankful that Ahn Soo Ho let their son live like a proper human being. As soon as he exited the church, there was a grand spectacle. In the funeral procession, there were more people from the outside than local residents. The way the mercenaries wore their own national uniforms and paid respects made the other people tear up.


    As soon as the police siren led the funeral car, many other cars followed. There were also residents sprinkling flower petals to make sadness into happiness. Everyone was holding American gs. Ahn Soo Ho was jealous of this part about America. He didn¡¯t step forward even when the coffin was being buried. Other mercenaries stood a distance away and saw off Michael for the veryst time.


    ¡°That was a beautiful funeral, Soo Ho.¡±


    James ck approached and started the conversation first.


    ¡°Yeah. It was.¡±


    ¡°The White House invited you. They want to see you as soon as possible.¡±


    He minded him but didn¡¯t forget to say what was on his mind.


    ¡°Is it a problem regarding Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    He needed to control the political world of Korea from now on, so Ahn Soo Ho wanted her experience and expertise.


    ¡°Has it been a long time since you were in DC?¡±


    ¡°Probably around 5 years.¡±


    After he destroyed the security system that the American army and citizens were proud of, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t too keen about visiting Washington D.C.


    ¡°Should I go there secretly again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You¡¯ll make people die of a heart attack.¡±


    If the White House would get breached again, then someone¡¯s neck was going to be sliced off.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Charlotte was invited to the White House, too. Along with the Democratic party and the Republican party.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to put an end to this, huh?¡±


    Starting from Allen Davis¡¯ abuse of authority to Scott Davis¡¯ terror, all the newspaper articles started negative discussions about them. They were seeing Scott in the same light as the assassin who killed Kennedy. James looked around and then whispered in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ears.


    ¡°The American army is preparing to invade Nigeria soon.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 141 ¨C Ang [1] > The end.

 Chapter 143: < Protect – Episode 142 – Angola [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 143: < Protect ¨C Episode 142 ¨C Ang [2] ></h4>


    America was a very big country.


    Arkansas was just a little bit smaller than Korea. And since the size of it was simr to that of Korea which had over 50 million people, that was pretty surprising. It was possible that Arkansas had more farnd in Korea. In contrast to the mountainous Korea, North America was quite t. Once Michael¡¯s funeral ended, he headed over to Tahassee, Florida.


    Many people thought of Miami, Ondo, Jacksonville, and Tampa when they thought of Florida, but their capital was actually Tahassee. Since Florida was home to many cks, Hispanics, and Spanish Americans, he was able to see dramatic changes in lifestyle throughout the area. America was still struggling with racism, particrly with ck people.


    ¡°Florida is like the Jejudo of America.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t America¡¯s Jejudo, Hawaii?¡±


    ¡°But Hawaii is way too far from the maind. And it¡¯s the north that governs America, not the south.¡±


    ¡°Are you from Hartford, Logan?¡±


    ¡°No! Connecticut!¡±


    For someone who wasn¡¯t very American, he had a strong sense of its regions. New York and Phdelphia had always been famous rivals, and not only were cities up against each other but also put states as well. New Yorkers might have said Hartford didn¡¯t stand a chance against New York, but the life Logan lived in Hartford was different. All the cities around New York saw New York as their rivals.


    And just like how Korean high-schoolers went to Jejudo for their school trip, American students normally went to Miami, Florida for theirs. In contrast to Korea, who always stressed that their kids were underage, America let their kids leave the nest and face real life as soon as they graduated.


    Tahassee wasn¡¯t as crowded as Miami.


    Actually, no famous American tourist destination was always bustling with people. New York, LA, and Las Vegas were exceptions. What made Tahassee unique was the fact that the city was right beside a forest. It wasn¡¯t umon for wild animals to crawl out and roam around the residential houseste at night. It was almost hard to tell dogs and coyotes apart.


    A skyscraper could be seen from afar, but everything else around it was just trees. There were also manykes around the forests, and that was where many homeless people could be found. They lived in trailers that they parked nearby. That was definitely illegal.


    This was proof of the double-sidedness of Americans.


    Since there was a slum in the city, people just hoped that the homeless, drug addicts and cons would just hide out in the forests. It was no different from the New Yorkers who didn¡¯t want to see or hear about any evil. There were crackdowns at times, but they only did it for formalities.


    ¡°There was probably a time when they dreamt of their bright futures, too.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people who were homeless since birth. Most of them were sessful businessmen, professors, or employees who made a mistake and let it get the best of them. How did they be this way? In a capitalist society, not having money was a sin.


    The homeless noticed Ahn Soo Ho and Logan, but they couldn¡¯t approach. They were so big that they didn¡¯t think they could stand a chance. The homeless weren¡¯t stupid. Unless they were crazy from all the drugs, they would always think before they stole money.


    As soon as they saw a worn-out trailer, Logan stepped up and knocked on the door. What stuck out of the door was not a person¡¯s face but a gun. Logan lifted both his hands to let him know that he didn¡¯t have any weapons. The bearded man then put his gun away and peeked out, and he only showed a noticeable response as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, old man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really. You still have that dislikable face, I see.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Are you going to keep us standing out here like this?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho followed him into the trailer, but Logan couldn¡¯t take a single step. That was because as soon as he took a step, he saw the gun being pointed at him again.


    ¡°Not you.¡±


    Logan looked at Ahn Soo Ho for help, but he just ignored him. In contrast to how it looked on the outside, the trailer looked quite nice inside. The smell was weird, but that was because an old man was living there by himself. It would have been weirder if it smelled like flowers.


    Ahn Soo Ho sat down on the broken couch. The man poured alcohol into a broken ss. Ahn Soo Ho put his lips to the ss and thenughed bitterly. It was alcohol, but it wasn¡¯t normal.


    ¡°Is this moonshine?¡±


    ¡°Not the cheap kind though. It¡¯s the good stuff. A guy named Greinke stole it off a truck on the high way.¡±


    ¡°How did he not get caught?¡±


    ¡°The highway patrol system in Florida is pretty screwed up.¡±


    In America, a lot of distribution relied on trucks more than boats and trains. That was why so many transport trucks could be seen at rest stops. If one messed with a truck driver on a highway, something really bad could happen.


    ¡°What brings you here after over 10 years?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m retired, too.¡±


    He had an absurd look on his face.


    ¡°A man wearing Armani saying he¡¯s retired? Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m here to keep our promise.¡±


    ¡°Our promise...? Really?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders in response.


    ¡°Back then, I thought of it as just a kid¡¯s foolishness, but I was wrong. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°I ept.¡±


    After looking at him, he clicked his tongue.


    ¡®I knew he was from a life of money... but he¡¯s really no joke.¡¯


    In this world, retirement meant death, losing one¡¯s mind, or hiding out. He had lived all alone ever since going into retirement over 10 years ago. He distanced himself from his family and friends to protect them and he distanced himself from the world to protect himself.


    Hector Garcia


    He was the man who managed an empire before Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s time. They were only together for half a year, but they left strong impressions on each other which remained till this day. Strictly speaking, Ahn Soo Ho was partly responsible for Hector Garcia¡¯s retirement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been wondering, how did you annihte Kadesh Morken?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him a careless but a very Ahn Soo Ho answer. And Hector just smirked in response.


    ¡°Well? Haha. That¡¯s something you would say.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep living like this?¡±


    ¡°Then how else can I live? There are countless hyenas looking for my ass.¡±


    ¡°As I said before, your mistake was reigning with fear alone. No king can rule over an empire with fear alone.¡±


    ¡°How could I make friends when I had no idea when I¡¯d be betrayed next?¡±


    Who was right or wrong wasn¡¯t what was important.


    ¡°Do you hear anything about what happens on the outside?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the New York and London terrorist attacks?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re notpletely in the door.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have cable, but I do have the radio.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho felt sad the more he talked to him. As a skilled man who ruled the dark world once, he was living a shabby life now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Soo Ho. You¡¯ll get sick and tired one day, too.¡±


    They both lifted their sses and chugged. It was bitter in a bad way. He said it wasn¡¯t moonshine, but how good could alcohol have been from the hands of a homeless person? But then again, alcohol was alcohol.


    ¡°Enough of the nonsense. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep living like this?¡±


    ¡°You already asked me that. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°There are lots of other people who will visit you soon.¡±


    ¡°This old man?¡±


    ¡°Your reputation is immortal.¡±


    His body might have been old, but the experience he had ruling this part of the world never disappeared.


    ¡°The internal conflict in Ang must be more serious than I thought.¡±


    ¡°J-Law and Issac crossed a line they shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°This fight will only end once one of them dies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°But the problem is that you don¡¯t know when that war will end, and if it doesn¡¯t end soon, those in power will feel restless. Then they¡¯ll need all the mercenaries and assassins they can get, and in order to meet their budget, are they looking for all the retired ones, too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart man.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands. He might have looked like the KFC man, but Hector Garcia still had it.


    ¡°Is it already in the works?¡±


    ¡°Very much.¡±


    ¡°There are probably those who are refusing.¡±


    ¡°Their will doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯ll probably make everyone do it no matter what it takes.¡±


    ¡°By using their weaknesses, like family?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to break the unwrittenw?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders in response. No matter what, families should not be messed with. That was the unwritten rule of this world. However,ws existed in order for it to be broken.


    ¡°If the unwritten rule is broken... it¡¯ll be awless district. Doesn¡¯t anyone know that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What happened has already happened.¡±


    Hector hated that Ahn Soo Ho spoke so calmly about such a horrific scenario.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like you from the start.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You never had the desperation of a raw human being. You¡¯ve always treated war as if it was a game.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was pretty serious but maybe that was just my misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°You little bastard.¡±


    Hector realized that Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t just any old crazy person. He was the craziest of the crazy. Many called him the human butcher, but Ahn Soo Ho was a perfect killing machine who was designed to murder.


    ¡®Killing machine.¡¯


    The rich who received his protection called him ¡®Guardian Angel¡¯, but those who despised him called him a nightmare. The person who was actually ruling with fear was Ahn Soo Ho, not Hector. There was a new order ever since he annihted Kadesh Morken all on his own.


    ¡®Retirement can¡¯t change that. Yeah right.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement was different from that of Hector.


    ¡°What do you want, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°A bnce.¡±


    ¡°Bnce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a bnce between light and darkness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s random.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response to his confused face.


    ¡°Look at yourself, Hector. Isn¡¯t your life too pathetic for someone who used to rule the darkness?¡±


    ¡°Many would say it¡¯s what I deserve.¡±


    His response contained bitterness and grief.


    ¡°You¡¯re really an asshole, Soo Ho. But there¡¯s something you once said that I couldn¡¯t deny. Until now, we¡¯ve never controlled the situation.¡±


    ¡°The situation has always controlled us.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut Hector off.


    ¡°As you said before, we¡¯ve never controlled the situation, Soo Ho. If I had controlled the situation properly, I wouldn¡¯t have ended like this. However, I¡¯m not dissatisfied with where I¡¯m at one bit. I¡¯m actually at peace now.¡±


    Surprisingly, many homeless people liked their new lives. Aside from the fact that Hector had a ce to escape the wind and rain unlike many other homeless people, he was actually enjoying the hardships of being homeless.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Just like how you agreed with what I said, I agreed with something you said as well, Hector.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°When I wiped out Kadesh, this is what you warned me.¡±


    Hector moaned as soon as he remembered. He did warn Ahn Soo Ho after he annihted Kadesh Morken by himself. He mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Our past will always be on our tail.¡±


    That was the warning he gave him. He said it to imply that since he made a lot of enemies in his life, his life wouldn¡¯t be all rainbows and sunshine. Was it a little bit of jealousy? He was embarrassed thinking back on it. Ahn Soo Ho mentioned a promise, but he didn¡¯t n on making a proposal right away. So he got up from his seat. Just before leaving the trailer, he looked back at Hector.


    ¡°Your past will chase you down in the very near future.¡±


    They were going to pull the sick and old lion out from the safety of the cage. That wasn¡¯t all. They were going to do whatever it took to get any veteran to work for them.


    ¡°Call your family first, Hector. If you miss this opportunity, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    ******


    ¡°We found Hector Garcia.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Tahassee, Florida. He lives by the national park with a bunch of homeless people.¡±


    ¡°Homeless people? That¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t find him.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Issac shook his head as soon as his subordinate trailed off.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°He met with Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Pull out the monitoring team.¡±


    ¡°Pull them out? Then we could get the men taken by another group.¡±


    Issac knitted his brows. He wouldn¡¯t have talked about it in the old days, so this was proof that his organization was getting weak. There wasn¡¯t much he could do, but he was still sad. The military dictators and terrorists who used to use all sorts of assassins showed negative responses, but just because Ang disappeared didn¡¯t mean assassins would die off as well.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to draw his attention. Pull them out.¡±


    ¡°If he gets Hector Garcia on his side, he¡¯ll get many more retired...¡±


    Issac¡¯s subordinate stopped himself. That was because his neck snapped off. Issac coldly stared at the broken man while turning on the interphone.


    ¡°Come in here and clean up after this mess.¡±


    The body was cleaned up in no time. He had a bitter taste in his mouth. He had to fix his habit of being violent whenever he got mad.


    Beep-


    He answered the interphone as soon as it rang.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the CEO of Boeing, Vice-President Chenyabin.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Issac, also known as Vice-President Thomas Chanyabin of United Aircraft, picked up his phone and answered.


    ¡°Has it been one month since our yearly aviation gathering, Jake?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 142 ¨C Ang [2] > The end.

 Chapter 144: < Protect – Episode 143 – Holly Corp. [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 144: < Protect ¨C Episode 143 ¨C Holly Corp. [1] ></h4>


    People who knew about the assassination alliance of Ang either had power, money, or both. After the best of the assassins, Kadesh Morken got wiped out, the entire industry went crazy. Most people thought killers were psychopaths who murdered for a living, but it was impossible for people to realize the real professional assassins. The person who weed Ahn Soo Ho to Washington D.C. wasn¡¯t a high official from the Pentagon or a top advisor of the White House.


    ¡°Issac.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we just met yesterday, but quite a long time has passed, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the new year.¡±


    Since they met right before the London terrorist attack, it had already been over a month. The fact that the head of an assassination organization could go in and out of the heart of the United States was a funny thing in reality. But then again, since he visited London as if it was his front yard, Washington D.C. shouldn¡¯t have been any different.


    In the famous tourist destinations of Washington D.C., there were more protesters than tourists. This couldn¡¯t bepared to the 60s and 70s when the hippies protested, but once Americans here and there started demanding introspection from the politicians, they became an entire army.


    In contrast to New York, which was mourning for the reconstruction of the city, Washington D.C. was full of protests addressing the egotism in America. They caused problems by doing illogical things while using the regtions to get away with it and then avoided being punished by saying they followed the procedures. They took the democratic mindset of being loyal to the process and used it in an evil way.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s about to harm them, they¡¯re alling out with picket signs and holding protests. They¡¯re interesting people indeed.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason to criticize those who want to reim their rights? Maybe it¡¯s the ones who are staying quiet that should be criticized.¡±


    ¡°Staying quiet can be a way of expressing one¡¯s opinion as well.¡±


    ¡°Staying quiet is staying quiet and nothing else. If there¡¯s no action, they¡¯re agreeing with them.¡±


    Issac was a reformer who was all about action.


    If he was in politics, he would have been known as a left-winged progressive. That didn¡¯t mean he supported the Democrats, and he didn¡¯t believe that politics changed history. In that sense, he had a simr belief as J-Law. In contrast to most assassins who killed people to make more money, they murdered in order to lead change in the world.


    ¡°Did you know about the London Protocol, Issac?¡±


    ¡°That was the biggest sin that the arrogance of mankind caused.¡±


    He caught on that Issac had supernatural powers. If he wasn¡¯t, it would have been impossible for him to lead Ang. After all, it was also the alpha organisms who governed Kadesh Morken. The ones with a lot of power were all supernatural beings.


    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing General Ashford has a connection to you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡±


    ¡°What about Ultra?¡±


    ¡°That was the result of an unfortunate sacrifice.¡±


    There were more supernatural beings than average humans who got sacrificed in the experiments of the Ultra program.


    ¡°What are you devising?¡±


    ¡°Devise? If anyone heard that, they¡¯d assume we¡¯re devising some kind of conspiracy. This is... how it¡¯s supposed to be. The world was supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to create some kind of mutant empire?¡±


    ¡°Mutant is a belittling way of addressing us. We¡¯re superior to the rest. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s natural for the strong to lead the weak and lead everyone to a better future, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous way of thinking.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Maybe it is. Since not all of mankind are enemies. So I¡¯ve never taken it to heart. But I suddenly changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I met you, Soo Ho.¡±


    His heart would have fluttered if she was a girl, but he wasn¡¯t happy to hear such a thing from a fellow man. Issac didn¡¯t believe that a small number of supernatural beings could win over such arge poption of mankind. So he controlled his petty abilities and hid his true identity from the world.


    ¡°Kadesh Morken was like a symbol. They were a great performance that gave off light in the darkness. They were just... people who lived in the present. That¡¯s why they weren¡¯t afraid of dying.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t afraid of dying? They were all so servile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want, Soo Ho.¡±


    What would happen to the war that began with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement? Issac didn¡¯t think the public had to know the truth.


    ¡°The truth about the witches came out, but instead of demanding the truth, they were busy getting amusement out of it. The amount of feed that¡¯s needed to control the public is endless. Instead of asking the opinions of others, all they want to do is prove that they¡¯re right. If Goebbels had Facebook and Instagram, the Third Reich wouldn¡¯t have lost.¡±


    When Logan signaled to Ahn Soo Ho that time was almost up, he nodded and talked to Issac.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you gather the supernatural beings and start a war, start a coup d¡¯¨¦tat, or create a shadow administration, Issac. I¡¯m just here to warn you that you¡¯d better not try to drag me into it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get on your bad side either. That¡¯s why I took my hands off of Hector Garcia, too.¡±


    He made it sound like he had other options.


    ¡°There are many others besides me who are interested in him.¡±


    As soon as they got to the door of the White House, they were searched before entering. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Issac with fascination. The head of an assassination organization was getting into the White House without any problems. Besides Ahn Soo Ho being angry that their security system was prated, the entire system was just problematic at the roots.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t anyone know you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect system.¡±


    It was harder to fool the White House¡¯s background check than to hide out from everybody. He looked at Issac¡¯s name tag.


    ¡°Thomas Chenyabin?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the vice-president of United Aircraft.¡±


    ¡°Is that your cover?¡±


    ¡°No, he really exists. If he hadn¡¯t the FBI would have caught on a long time ago.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly at Issac who shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Tom!¡±


    ¡°Jake?¡±


    Once they got inside, they had to go through another search. As soon as they got through, someone recognized Issac.


    ¡°You¡¯re here early, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s good to get stuff like this over with early. But who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is the CEO of Boing, and this is... Mr. Guardian. Do you know who he is?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Issac couldn¡¯t remember the proper introduction for Ahn Soo Ho and just called him Mr. Guardian, and this elicited a surprising change in attitude.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m meeting such a legendary figure here!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, calm down, Jake.¡±


    ¡°You sure have extensive connections, Tom.¡±


    Just like the American stereotype, they finished their introductions and then acted like close friends. After talking about this and that, they moved on to the topic of the invitation event. In the midst of rumors regarding the US Navy invading Nigeria, the fact that many military-rtedpanies were invited to the White House was a sign that a war was about to take ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Scott Davis is a bad guy, but the ones who burned New York into ashes are the African Ims who backed the terrorist group, Dakoma. Those who backed them must be punished.¡±


    The CEO of Boing was all for the start of the war.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this tragedy the result of President Davis¡¯ abuse of power?¡±


    ¡°You could say that. However, the Im terrorists were going to attack the States from the very beginning. That¡¯s the undeniable truth.¡±


    Since Scott Davismitted suicide, he couldn¡¯t take responsibility. And trying to make Allen Davis, who almost died, into the evil person wasn¡¯t politically sound. So the following hearing was to find out just how much Charlotte Davis knew. If she had conspired in the New York terrorist attack, she would likely take the fall for Scott¡¯s crimes as well.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn.¡±


    The chief secretary entered and looked for Ahn Soo Ho. He shook hands with Jake and Issac. He felt the strong grip of his handshake.


    ¡°The war isn¡¯t far ahead, my friend. We have no intention of fighting with you, but as for other people... I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    After his interesting way of speaking andughing, he followed his guidance. He felt familiar with the president of the United States¡¯ office. Was it because it was often in movies and TV shows?


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s nice to see you, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    The not-so-well-known vice president became the president all of a sudden. The reason why he couldn¡¯t think of his name was because Scott purposely gave him the image of someone who was weak. He thought that a vice-president who stood out too much would only burden the president.


    ¡®His name...¡¯


    They often selected a strong candidate to be the vice-president, but this time, they picked someone who devoted himself to the party for a long time in order to make a touching story. So the fact that he even became the president afterward was very lucky.


    He then remembered his name.


    ¡°I give you my deepest sympathies, President Olsen.¡±


    Henry G. Olsen was a Swedish American.


    ¡°Wee, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Deborah.¡±


    Deborah Stuart, who was a member of the upper house for 15 years, was selected to be the representative of the Democratic party following the fall of the previous representative due to the Davis scandal. The Democratic party was currently in a very unstable ce.


    ¡°Wee, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Frank.¡±


    The representative of the Republican party was the king-maker, Frank Harnell, who got two presidents elected. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes then focused on someone who was far away. In response, Charlotte Davis greeted him with a straight face and a nod.


    ¡°Since everyone is here, let¡¯s move on to today¡¯s topic. Both parties think it would be best to defer summoning Davis¡¯ wife to the grand jury.¡±


    In response to Deborah and Frank¡¯s opinion, Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows.


    ¡°Defer? Not cancel?¡±


    ¡°In order to calm down the anxiety within the parties, we need a better option.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to keep going after Charlotte then?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood... There¡¯s no guilt-by-association system in the States, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good enough excuse. You should very well know what the family of the woman you¡¯re going after has gone through.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about that.¡±


    Families of serial killers or pedophiles couldn¡¯t live a day without pain, and organized harassment fell under permitted inmunity customs.


    ¡°I want her to bepletely exempted from criminal responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Everyone besides Ahn Soo Ho and Charlotte was perplexed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call myself an expert, but if you¡¯re curious about something, ask me. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Is Barbara Huxley a real witch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    President Olsen was shocked while Deborah and Frank weren¡¯t that surprised. Ahn Soo Ho added a key point.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the States who was pocketed from Ultra. Look through the coboration programs between the CIA and MI6.¡±


    Again, besides Ahn Soo Ho and Charlotte, everyone else was puzzled. How could they use this to their advantage? The stances of the American president and the two party representatives were bound to be different. They were probably going to fight over private gain and public gain.


    The States and Ennd were close yet far away from each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a day, Soo Ho. The Ministry of Justice needs at least a day for this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as President Olsen got up whileughing, Ahn Soo Ho also got up and shook hands with him. He then shook hands with Deborah and Frank as well. Once Ahn Soo Ho and Charlotte got out of the meeting room, they just looked at each other. It was Charlotte who acted first.


    p-


    The sound of the ps didn¡¯t end there.


    p-


    He was capable of stopping her, but he chose not to.


    ¡°Do you feel...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because of the third p. Right after the huge p, Charlotte¡¯s face loosened up and turned into a smile.


    ¡°Better.¡±


    An elegant woman using violence was quite sexy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t go to the funeral.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. If you came, it would have been too chaotic.¡±


    Scott¡¯s funeral was broadcasted live on television, and it was really no joke. There were protests ridiculing the death of the man who was the hidden traitor behind the New York terrorist attack, and there were also many insults directed at the church and the priest. He ended up getting a bad reputationparable to that of Benedict Arnold.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°We have to protect Davis¡¯ wealth.¡±


    The Davis family was prestigious, and the reason why they stayed prestigious for so long wasn¡¯t just because they did good things. It was all about the poprity and recognition by the public.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to endure all of this and then rid my husband and my daughter of their disgrace. I believe that day wille. I have to hold on until then.¡±


    Seeing how she didn¡¯t mention Allen Davis, she must have cut him off. Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t get to the point. If he had proposed it now, he would have gotten another p across his face. The person who greeted Ahn Soo Ho on his way out of the White House was Scott Warren.


    ¡°Why do you look so down, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy dealing with people.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Are you talking about your dating life? Is your rtionship with Ms. Jang not going well?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head, but Scott didn¡¯t believe him.


    Whether he believed it or not, he didn¡¯t want to waste energy on trying to convince him. The two of them headed over to a big filming set nearby. For all the broadcasters and producers, they had a base in every city with the only variant being its scale. Not all filmings could take ce at Hollywood Studio.


    And if the setting was Washington D.C., the famous streets and buildings had to be shown in at least 10% of the content so that the viewers could be satisfied. But since the natives of the city wouldn¡¯t like filmings to take ce 24/7, they set up a separate set nearby.


    ¡°There¡¯s one here, there¡¯s one in New York, there¡¯s one in Miami, and there¡¯s one in Hawaii, too. Our outstanding infrastructure is really our strong point.¡±


    This was only possible because their country had a lot ofnds. A filming was taking ce, so the ce was bustling. Whether there was a terrorist attack or if the political situation was horrible, filmings still needed to take ce.


    ¡°Wait here, Soo Ho.¡±


    Americans didn¡¯t all stop what they were doing and gathered because of an important person¡¯s visit. If they were asked to, they probably would have, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the type to want that. While Scott excused himself, he used that opportunity to look around. The ce was as big as Evend, but it was on the small side of America.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    What caught Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eye was the kids getting ready for their auditions.


    Didn¡¯t Disney film at Disnend? This studio was usually where the dramas were filmed. People thought American parents were better, but there were parents who had high expectations for their children in every country.


    ¡°What¡¯s that over there?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped an employee and asked. The employee noticed the VVIP sign on his neck so she immediately turned friendly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the regionals for American Idol.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    She was willing to help further, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t interested. As soon as he stood in front of them, a security guard nced over, but as soon as he saw his gold pass, he looked away.


    ¡®People want to be celebrities all over the world.¡¯


    Since America gathered people from all over the world, it seemed like there were even more. Did American Idol only pick those with American citizenships? Hollywood was like ast attempt for many stars who were popr in their own countries.


    ¡®Whoa! Look at their growth!¡¯


    The sign said 15 to 16 years old, but the boys and girls looked like fully-grown adults. When it came to white people, they had a totally different vibe to them. And in this ce, regardless of how talented they were, they had to be good-looking to have a good chance.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned around in response. It was the vice-president of Holly Corporation, Hanna Erikson.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    < Protect- Episode 143 ¨C Holly Corp. [1] > The end.

 Chapter 145: < Protect – Episode 144 – Holly Corp. [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 145: < Protect ¨C Episode 144 ¨C Holly Corp. [2] ></h4>


    In America, most stockpanies were more public than being like individual proprietorships. Putting a sessfulpany that had plenty of investments into the stock market was a way of stopping the founder from deciding the fates of thepany and its employees on their own. And that was because it wasn¡¯t just theirs, but everyone.


    Whether apany belonged to one person or an entire family depended on how the profits were recognized and epted, and the founder ignoring the business philosophy and discussing the distribution of profits was closer tomunism than democracy. The reason why Scott Warren founded Holly Corporation was to protect the weak artists who were being flung around by those with power.


    Freedom was an impressive thing.


    Freedom was a good thing.


    However, in greedy Hollywood where all responsibility was put to individuals, things got very dangerous. Not even thebor union could protect everyone. Contrarily, the ones who couldn¡¯t enter the union were pressured and discriminated against.


    Scott always felt proud of being American and loved the justice that America stood for. He thought that justice came from looking out for those with less power. He strongly believed that Americans needed to resist unfair things and fight for justice.


    He used all of his money to hold an American tour tofort those who were hurt by the New York terrorist attack and the Davis scandal, and some ridiculed him but no one called him foolish. Because those who looked up to stars also looked up to the producer, Scott Warren.


    A person who was working for someone he or she could trust would give that person a great sense of satisfaction. And in the entertainment world where betrayal was rampant, being able to trust someone was a wonderful thing. That was because Hollywood was a ce where a person couldn¡¯t even trust his or her family. Celebrities who got famous off of one movie or song had to be more careful of their own family than their manager and friends.


    Holly Corporation¡¯s board of directors took Scott Warren¡¯s resignation very seriously. He had already dealt with his shares, and he was ready to part with Holly Corporation as soon as the tour ended. They knew what disappointed the Midas of the entertainment industry. In contrast to the founder¡¯s dream of taking the dreams of poor artists and making them bloom, Holly Corporation only cared about the shareholders¡¯ profits the bigger thepany got.


    The businessmen from the outside only nned strategies to increase the sales and butt heads on every single thing with Scott. As someone who approached art with a warm heart, he didn¡¯t stand a chance against the graphs and numbers disguised as rationality and logic.


    ¡®If it was going to turn out like this, I should have just left it as a privatepany!¡¯


    The point of listing thepany was to share the profits in a fair manner, but there were always those who went against it and used the system in a negative manner.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve done a better job!¡¯


    Vice-president of Holly Corporation, Hanna Erikson med it on the board of directors. 99% of the reason why Holly Corporation was where it was today was because of Scott Warren¡¯s reputation. Without it, the biggest stars were going to leave the agency or transfer over to Scott¡¯s newpany.


    If that happened, everything would be over.


    Once the North American tour ended, all would go downhill from there for Holly Corporation. In order to convince Scott to change his mind, Hanna followed him all the way to Washington D.C. He was wondering why he went East instead of West, but she understood as soon as she saw one person.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    The tall Asian man couldn¡¯t help but stand out in the studio.


    ¡°Hanna?¡±


    ¡°Did youe here with Scott?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s meeting with someone right now.¡±


    However, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know who. Hanna wasn¡¯t as famous as Scott, but she was still famous. All aspiring celebrities in America knew about Holly Corporation. The participants in the American Idol preliminaries showed interest in Hanna, and some of them figured out Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Bruce Lee!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The Asian man who often appeared on L¡¯s Instagram caused quite the scandal. Foreigners had a hard time pronouncing Korean names. In Korea, Ahn Soo Ho was famous for his shooting, while in America, he was more famous for his street fight in Shanghai. For that reason, he started to be known as Bruce Lee among teens and adults in their 20s.


    In contrast to Korea, where people swarmed over as if he was a superstar, Americans just stared at him as if he was a monkey in a zoo. They looked at their phones, scanned Ahn Soo Ho, and then giggled to themselves. Hanna disregarded them and shook hands with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Things must be hard for you these days.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I would die.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just change jobs?¡±


    Hanna shook her head.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Unlike Scott, there¡¯s a use in my contract preventing me from working forpetitors.¡±


    Since she was a board member, that use certainly existed. Scott was an exception since he was the founder.


    ¡°Your heart has already left. It¡¯s not like they can keep you then.¡±


    ¡°I should probably pretend anyway.¡±


    ¡°If Holly Corporation goes down, just leave.¡±


    ¡°Even if it goes down, I can¡¯t transfer for two years. And if Scott really leaves, the board of directors will probably file a civilwsuit.¡±


    ¡°This is so messy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how business is.¡±


    America was full ofwsuits, so this was a likely scenario. If they filed awsuit, thewyers would probably take care of it. That was why they got paid so much. In cases like this, it certainly seemed like America had the best legal system in the world.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Where did you... Huh? Hanna?¡±


    When Scott spotted Hanna after running over to see Ahn Soo Ho, he knitted his brows.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least pretend to be happy to see me? I¡¯m not here because I want to be.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Rather than answering, she handed him documents.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°This is the best proposal the board of directors can give you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they can give me 70 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Are you really going to invest 70 billion?¡±


    Hanna ignored Scott and looked over at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a lie?¡±


    ¡°The board of directors thinks you¡¯re just bluffing to get the best negotiation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie or a bluff.¡±


    ¡°Seeing Soo Ho... makes me believe that. Ha! I¡¯m doomed.¡±


    Hanna grabbed her hair with both hands in frustration. 70 billion dors was enough to buy 10 Holly Corporations. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t on the first page of the Wall Street Journal for nothing. She put on a serious face and looked at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Will you pay the cancetion fees if we transfer?¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s four times our sry... so around 8 million dors.¡±


    ¡°You only get paid 2 million dors a month?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the celebrities.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was shocked. Even though Hanna Erikson was strict, she was known as a business consultant and a talented agent. So it didn¡¯t make any sense that she only got paid 2 million dors a month.


    He looked back at Scott.


    ¡°How much do you get paid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve never properly received a sry during my time at thepany.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you held too many parties. All those expenses were probably taken from thepany¡¯s dividends, too.¡±


    Hanna butt in with more information.


    ¡°No wonder the board of directors hates you.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t embezzle any money, I swear!¡±


    A sense of economy didn¡¯t matter, but fantasies often caused negative influences in business. Seeing how Scott Warren got divorced four times, he was more about emotion than rationality. And if he was left alone, he was bound to make the wholepany go down.


    ¡®What? The Midas of Hollywood? Wasn¡¯t he just lucky? I don¡¯t think the board of directors should be insulted.¡¯


    He thought about just going for it. Since the money wasing out of Barbara¡¯s pockets, it had nothing to do with him, but he still didn¡¯t want to be resentedter on. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Hanna.


    ¡°How much is the cancetion fee again? 8 million?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Vice-President Erikson.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho offered her a handshake and Hanna responded with a smile.


    ¡°Hey! What is this? You never asked me for my opinion!¡±


    This was why you had to know someone for a long time before making a decision. Was he an American version of Kim Woo Jung? He might have been good at recognizing stars, but he sucked at business.


    ¡°Arrange a meeting with the board of directors of Holly Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So we can take more people.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t bad for apany to look for the best profits possible. Hanna expressed her worry.


    ¡°Then something like what happened today might happen again.¡±


    ¡°What if Barbara Huxley was a member of the board of directors?¡±


    ¡°Chairwoman Huxley?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    If Barbara was in charge of the board of directors, she could control and suppress the cliques. Hanna nodded in response.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Use your judgment to form a transition team. Oh, I¡¯ll make some calls regarding the transfer, so call this number.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured Logan to run over and hand her a business card.


    ¡°Lauren Smith? From Smith & Heard?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s a goodwyer.¡±


    Smith & Heard was a top American firm with offices all over the world, and Lauren Smith was the representingwyer there. If Barbara Huxley was the Jeanne d¡¯Arc of the financial world, Lauren Smith was that of the legal world. However, Barbara Huxley¡ªwho was British¡ªprobably wouldn¡¯t have liked a French hero sharing her title.


    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tapped Hanna on her shoulders, gave Scott a thumbs up, and then disappeared. She was about to turn around when she flinched.


    ¡®I came here to convince him.¡¯


    But she was the one who got convinced. She felt like she was tricked, but she didn¡¯t mind it. Hanna was just as frustrated as everyone else about how Holly Corporation losing its way.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t bad.¡¯


    Her heavy footsteps turned light, and she started humming out of her nose.


    ******


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you convinced that witch so easily... I¡¯m impressed, Soo Ho.¡±


    Scott patted his chest after parting with Hanna. He thought there was going to be a noisy discussion, but things worked out for his side so easily and even shut up the board of directors.


    ¡°You always know what your celebrities and the public want, but you have no idea what your subordinates and colleagues want.¡±


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t. As soon as different interests get involved, my sentiments change.¡±


    ¡°So you understand the public that you don¡¯t even know in person, yet you have no idea how your colleagues feel?¡±


    ¡°If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have divorced four times.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response.


    ¡°You should just live alone.¡±


    ¡°No! Everyone should love before they die! That¡¯s the purpose of life!¡±


    ¡°What a romanticist.¡±


    His Italian roots must have made him crazy for love. Scott slowly got to the point.


    ¡°I want to introduce you to someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, okay?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head in response.


    His friend was definitely too care-free at times, but he was responsible when it came to business. Ahn Soo Ho was guided to the control tower attached to the studio. This ce was originally a theme park, so there was a building that looked down on the entire area.


    ¡°Wow! IT¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Ahn!¡±


    The hairy man was talking to someone and then ran over to Scott as soon as he saw him before hugging Ahn Soo Ho. He asked Scott for an exnation with his eyes.


    ¡°Peter Elliot Mcqueen.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had heard of his name before.


    ¡®A film director?¡¯


    Why was he introducing him to a film director? Peter spoke up first.


    ¡°I saw the Shanghai street fighter footage on YouTube, Mr. Ahn! You¡¯re really an oriental kungfu fighter! What do you think about making a masterpiece with me?¡±


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 144 ¨C Holly Corp. [2] > The end.

 Chapter 146: < Protect – Episode 145 – Guardian Angel [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 146: < Protect ¨C Episode 145 ¨C Guardian Angel [1] ></h4>


    ¡®What? Film a movie together?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho was shocked and amused at the same time, and Korea¡¯s enthusiastic response was closer to awe than excitement. There was a sense of distance in the way the public viewed rich people. No matter how hard he tried, there were some gaps that couldn¡¯t be reduced. However, white people reacted in a different way. The more famous Ahn Soo Ho got, the friendlier they got.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive! He was born for action!¡±


    Peter Elliot Mcqueen hugged Ahn Soo Ho and touched him all over.


    ¡°Peter! Peter!¡±


    If Scott didn¡¯t talk him out of it, there could have been awsuit. The three of them sat at a table. After getting Peter to stop, Scott looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously, Soo Ho. This is just a proposal.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Scott? I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Look, Peter. Like I told you before, my Soo Ho is a very busy man! He doesn¡¯t have time to film a movie!¡±


    ¡°My Soo Ho?¡¯ Is Mr. Ahn under your agency or something?¡±


    ¡°No, but I should take care of my best friend.¡±


    The two fought over Ahn Soo Ho. Scott, who was just happy to get rid of Hanna, had to deal with another rival. As soon as things calmed down, Peter looked at Ahn Soo Ho who was just sipping his coffee.


    ¡°What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re stern.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in selling my face.¡±


    A bnce between light and darkness was good, but he didn¡¯t want to be an entertainer. That didn¡¯t mean he looked down on stars. He just didn¡¯t have the right personality to go around smiling and providing fan service.


    ¡°That¡¯s really too bad.¡±


    Peter clicked his tongue. His body was born for action. Most Hollywood action relied onputer graphics and filming techniques, but if they didn¡¯t have the right material, to begin with, it was bound to stand out.


    ¡®There¡¯s still time.¡¯


    Most Hollywood blockbusters took over 2 years to film. Filming the actors didn¡¯t take that long, but in order to fit in nning, budgeting, securing filming sites, CG work, and editing, 2 years was often too short.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re very rich.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    Peter pointed at Scott with his chin in response.


    ¡°How much have you been saying about me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say... Holly Corporation was made by me, but the board of directors aren¡¯t pushovers. So it¡¯s easy making someone into a fool.¡±


    If they got into a civilwsuit, the opposing party was bound to use Scott¡¯s divorce history and make him look like a cheater.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of scandals, you never should¡¯ve gotten divorced.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the jury I¡¯m afraid of. The public is open but conservative at the same time. They might like sex scandals from the stance of a viewer, but the jurors make the verdict. They have no choice but to care about their own reputation and face as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The public is wishy-washy and hypocritical.¡±


    Peter agreed with him as if he sympathized as a fellow divorced man. Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows. He didn¡¯t know if the divorce alliance was because they were in the entertainment industry or if they were white.


    ¡°If you were going to divorce so easily, why did you even get married?¡±


    ¡°Because I loved them. But then again... even grannies look pretty when I¡¯m drunk. Haha.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the grannies. Even the fat girls look like the Kardashians.¡±


    ¡°The Kardashians aren¡¯t fat though. They just gave big breasts and ass.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not natural though.¡±


    ¡°Those who¡¯ve touched them would know.¡±


    Whenever men got together, they always made dirty jokes. Even respected producers and directors were still men. Peter Elliot McQueen still wasn¡¯t one of the greats, but he was still a loved director of Hollywood. Actually, it was the Hollywood film studios that really loved him. That was because he had a sense that brought them more profit than they invested.


    ¡°I have a friend who films pornos, and apparently, the filming vibe is fantastic.¡±


    ¡°Because he loves it?¡±


    ¡°No, because he¡¯s sick of it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sick of it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is for everything. Let¡¯s say you ate at a Michelin star restaurants every day. After a while, you probably wouldn¡¯t even know. It¡¯s the same with pornos. It¡¯s good at first, but after a while, watching other people have sex is boring.¡±


    After talking about the porn industry, they started asking each other about the call girls they had called.


    ¡°What do the kids call it these days? Party girls? There are services that call young women for you.¡±


    ¡°They call themselves model agencies, but they¡¯re all a bunch of scammers. They round up all the decent-looking girls, offer them modeling jobs, and then take weird pictures of them instead.¡±


    ¡°A lot of them end up in the porn industry. Because after a while, they can¡¯t make a proper living.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with that. Even restaurant waitresses can make a living. They just don¡¯t want to work hard for their money. How do they expect to live with mindsets like that?¡±


    ¡°Scott, as someone who parties all the time, you have no right to say that.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I don¡¯t mess with the ones who sell their bodies for a living.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho poured cold water over the strange pride battle.


    ¡°What a thing to brag about.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Korean men often took pride in the military while the sessful white men liked to brag about their girlfriends. That was where the term ¡°trophy wife¡± came from. If they didn¡¯t date great people, they were treated as if they were lesser. People believed that if one seeded in society, one should also be dating someone morous.


    ¡°You say that, but you have a Korean superstar as a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Really?¡±


    Peter responded to Scott¡¯s sarcastic remark.


    ¡°Which Korean superstar?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Seol Hyun Jang. She¡¯s a famous Korean actress. Right? She¡¯s famous in all of Asia.¡±


    ¡°Sseol Lyun Chang?¡±


    ¡°Pronounce it properly or you might get beat up.¡±


    Scott minded Ahn Soo Ho when Peter butchered her name.


    ¡°Korean pronunciation is hard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at pronouncing ¡®Soo Ho¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because...¡±


    ¡°Do you think of Sukhoi when you say it?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no energy to get mad at the white men¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Can we reinvest the money we got in the film industry?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Not that much money is needed to create a system that fosters stars. Actually, let me rephrase that. 1 billion is more than enough to create an agency.¡±


    It was estimated that the process of turning Barbara Huxley¡¯s pounds into dors would take at least 10 years. If 70 billion won moved all at once, there was bound to be a bacsh. The New York and London terrorist attacks brought the nations together, but in the upper ss, the governments of each country became cold in terms of their rtionships.


    ¡°Hollywood is the tabloid edition of Washington D.C.¡±


    The current Hollywood wasn¡¯t about the American film industry. It also wasn¡¯t Los Angeles¡¯ exclusive property.


    ¡°Rights get involved where funds are moved around.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the parliament would get involved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t going to set up a small shop, they needed support regarding policies or connections with a politician.


    ¡°If you know the problem, you¡¯ve probably thought of a solution as well.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t make any funds.¡±


    ¡°For whom?¡±


    ¡°For artists. Oh, and I don¡¯t just mean actors and singers. It also includes ssical performers and pop artists. There are countless jobs in the field of art.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of running for office?¡±


    ¡°Not now but maybeter.¡±


    He might have underestimated Scott¡¯s ambitions. If he was dreaming of bing a politician, it was true that Hollywood was the tabloid edition of Washington D.C.


    ¡°In our country¡¯s democracy, it¡¯s not all about making a lot of money. If technology and product are good, it can sell well for the first few years. However, if you make a lot of money without contributing to society, there is bound to be retaliation.¡±


    ¡°Are you stressing the importance of donation?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Scott who shook his head to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question, but Peter instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say... the mindset of the upper ss hasn¡¯t changed much from the Western age, my friend.¡±


    ¡°The Western age? A bonanza would be an exaggerated expression. It¡¯s more urate topare it to federal integration.¡±


    Scott changed Peter¡¯s remark a little.


    ¡°So if you want to make an investment, follow our rules? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Are you pushing your own rules on me?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but it¡¯s not like you can kill everyone.¡±


    Peter only met Ahn Soo Ho for the first time today, but he had heard of his great reputation. Major films weren¡¯t squeaky clean either. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Why do you think I can¡¯t kill everyone?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Both Scott and Peter groaned loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Right? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°That was a scary joke though. Haha.¡±


    They looked at Ahn Soo Ho and smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Talk to Barbara about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about consulting a Limey about it...¡±


    Limey was a derogatory way of addressing British people. Did they like British capital while hating the British people? No matter how progressive they were, racism still existed.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood, Scott. I¡¯m the one who employed you. If I tell you to talk to the Somalians, you do it.¡±


    Both of them were Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s underlings. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho gave Scott his support wasn¡¯t because he liked him. It was because there was no better way to exert influence on Americans than through the entertainment business.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, just forget it.¡±


    ¡°When did I say that? I was thoughtless. I¡¯ll cancel what I just said!¡±


    Scott reacted with shock. They beat around the bush, but what the two of them wanted to say was simple. Just like how Romans do as the Romans do when one was in America, do as the Americans do. That was what they wanted to say. If they really knew Ahn Soo Ho, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to say that. If they acted solely based on how he looked on the outside, Scott¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡®He probably thought of me as an upstart from a weak country.¡¯


    There were many in power who didn¡¯t know that much about Ahn Soo Ho, and their judgments of him weren¡¯t going to change anytime soon. Regardless of education, North America and Europe had a tendency to look down on Asia. In Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s years as a mercenary, he saw countless people in power be born and go down right in front of their eyes.


    In a war for power, nationality, race, gender, and age didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®I won¡¯t be like Hector Garcia.¡¯


    The king who once had the world under his feet.


    He had money he couldn¡¯t spend, he had family whom he couldn¡¯t find, and he was alive but didn¡¯t live a proper life as a man living a pitiful life in hister years. Why did Hector Garcia turn out like that? He said that it was just a blessing that he was still alive, and it didn¡¯t take long to figure out the reason.


    ¡®Absence of bnce.¡¯


    As a man who ruled with fear, Hector had more enemies than allies. He didn¡¯t mediate but rather pressured, and he made an effort to put the opposing party at a loss. What changed history only took ce where the public couldn¡¯t see. The really important issues weren¡¯t reported on the news.


    The next day, Charlotte was exempted from criminal responsibility.


    The day after that, Scott formally announced Hosoo Entertainment America.


    One weekter, the White House decided to invade Nigeria.


    One monthter,


    Ahn Soo Ho held a mass fan meeting.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 145 ¨C Guardian Angel [1] > The end.

 Chapter 147: < Protect – Episode 146 – Guardian Angel [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 147: < Protect ¨C Episode 146 ¨C Guardian Angel [2] ></h4>


    ¡°I said I hate acting like entertainers, but that¡¯s exactly what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it in such a negative light, Soo Ho. They all like you.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun calmed down Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s grumbling.


    It was thepany that scheduled the joint fan meeting, but the one who pushed for it was Jang Seol Hyun. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fan club, Guardian Angel grew to have more than 450,000 members. Only 1/3 of those were passionate fans but 150,000 wasn¡¯t a small number either. Fan clubs of superstars were like firepower. In addition, there were even more independent fan pages and fan cafes that weren¡¯t a part of the official fan club.


    The joint fan meeting opened in Jejudo.


    There was dissatisfaction regarding the fact that it was a small event with only 200 people invited, but when Jang Seol Hyun revealed that she would hold one every quarter, things calmed down. Most fan meetings took ce in big stadiums, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fan meeting was like a luxury tour. Fans met up at Star tower, took a limousine to Incheon International Airport, and then went to Jejudo on a private jet.


    Daesan Hotel truly felt like his home.


    Some might wonder how they could schedule a water park as an activity in the middle of winter, but the waterpark actually had hot water, but young people in their 20s and 30s didn¡¯t care about the cold. The chairperson of the fan meeting, Do Min Ho had his own opinions on such recreation. They made it so that those who wanted to rest could rest, those who wanted to y could y, and those who wanted to shop could shop. It was uncertain whether this was a fan meeting or a vacation in Jejudo.


    Ahn Soo Ho joined in with the fans and his girlfriend.


    If it was just him, he would have been stiff as cardboard, but Jang Seol Hyun knew exactly how to deal with fans. They took photos together, chatted, shopped, and enjoyed everyday things together. And photos from the fan meeting soon took over social media and the inte news. Avoiding the paparazzi and hiding everywhere was a new experience for the fans.


    Once night fell, they gathered at the outdoor banquet hall at Daesan Hotel. The space between buildings wasrge enough to fit 200 people. With Do Min Ho¡¯s guidance, they yed games, showed off their talents, but the highlight was when Ahn Soo Ho took the mic.


    Do Min Ho immediately stepped up.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably sick of this segment, but let¡¯s take some time to answer questions. Would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    They enjoyed sitting around a fire under the sparkling stars. Once the night hit, the temperature got cold. Jejudo¡¯s winters weren¡¯t really that terribly cold, but without enough clothing, one could easily catch a cold.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Everyone shouted their answer in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Then why do you all have red noses?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    The girl at the front covered her face in embarrassment.


    ¡°Thank you for taking the time to participate in this for me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke to his fans informally. Whether it was a coincidence or not, none of his fans were older than him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a celebrity or an athlete. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having a fan meeting...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cool!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook both his hands as if he was expressing his understanding.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m handsome.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are! Yes, you are!¡±


    They almost sounded like a cult. He shook his hands once more to calm them down, but someone was bound to disobey.


    ¡°The most handsome in the world!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! It sounds like you¡¯re making fun of me now!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fit of rage made everyone burst intoughter.


    ¡°Anyway! Once the ugly manpetition begins, vote for the Do brothers, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho gave Do Min Ho a thumbs down, the fans followed along.


    ¡®Not bad.¡¯


    After roaming all over the world dealing with horrible people with guns, it felt strange to be epted by strangers. Was this why everyone wanted poprity? It felt addicting to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started with the first question.¡±


    After ring at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fans Do Min Ho got back into his chairperson mindset.


    ¡°Haha! What humorous fans you have. How am I ugly?¡±


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    He ignored the fans and read the questions.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the first question. How do you be a mercenary?¡±


    ¡°Who asked that question?¡±


    Someone raised their hand. Most people expected the person to be a man, but it was actually a beautiful woman.


    ¡°You want to be a mercenary?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want to be a war mercenary.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯d be better than being a guard.¡±


    She was wrapped up in a winter jacket, but she talked and looked like a woman who worked out. Most women didn¡¯t speak like her. Only those who worked in the military did. However, seeing from her appearance, she didn¡¯t make a living off of being a soldier.


    ¡°Do you work out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. I do Taekwondo.¡±


    ¡°Do you represent the country?¡±


    ¡°I won silver at the Asian Games and won bronze at the Olympics.¡±


    The crowd cheered and pped for her, but she didn¡¯t look happy; she looked sad.


    ¡°If you¡¯re an Olympic medalist, you probably have a lot of offers.¡±


    If not, she could have be a coach.


    ¡°I have to make a lot of money. It¡¯s hard to do that as a guard or a Taekwondo teacher.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t ask any detailed questions. He thought it would be better to talk to her in private. If he hadn¡¯t seen her gaze, he would have thought the question was just a joke.


    ¡®Desperation.¡¯


    She looked as desperate as a suicide bomber wearing an explosive jacket. They put the first question behind them and Do Min Ho picked more cheerful questions to proceed to.


    Q: I want to date a celebrity!


    A: You¡¯d better make a lot of money then.


    Q: Give me a job!


    A: Graduate from school first.


    Q: How do I get better at a foreignnguage?


    A: Go to ss.


    Q: I want to be taller than 180 centimeters!


    A: Then you¡¯ll have to be born again.


    The half joking and half serious answers made the vibe a lot lighter. Do Min Ho found the right opportunity to wee the guest, Jang Seol Hyun. As someone who made the time to be there despite her busy filming schedule, she was her boyfriend¡¯s official supporter. If her fan club had seen this, they would have certainly raged, but the truth was, half of the fans that were there were actually her fans.


    ¡°Wee, Ms. Jang Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun showed a strange expression in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s formal way of speaking. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°How many times have you dated, Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He was getting revenge for what she did to him at the talk show. Do Min Ho stepped in to help Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad manners to ask about a woman¡¯s past. A real man should be easy-going about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a past.¡±


    Do Min Ho was just trying to help but Jang Seol Hyun refused. That was because people could have misunderstood it as her having a vibrant past.


    ¡°You¡¯re the first man I ever dated.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun made an easy-going confession.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±


    She shouted back at Ahn Soo Ho, who didn¡¯t believe her. She even started to tear from the feeling of it being unfair. Ahn Soo Ho was taken aback.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He hugged Jang Seol Hyun and calmed her down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She cried so much that her mascara ran before she smiled again. She was definitely an actress. Min Ho continued with the questions.


    ¡°When do you n on getting married?¡±


    ¡°Once the filming ends... Hmm... Maybe this fall?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun answered the questions and Ahn Soo Ho just nodded.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad that you only dated for a little while?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! If I don¡¯t catch him now, I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life. It¡¯s not just the brave that gets beautiful women. Brave women get handsome men. So if a decent man shows up, you have to pounce.¡±


    In response to her enthusiastic response, the men jeered and the women giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m a true fan of Soo Ho. But to be honest, he¡¯s not handsome.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s frowning elicitedughter from the fans.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep the person anonymous for their safety.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Do Min Ho¡¯s humorous response made everyoneugh even louder. Jang Seol Hyun held the mic and gave a serious answer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the standard of beauty? Is it just in the face? I look at a person¡¯s overall proportions. They call it an aura. You can¡¯t judge people with their face alone.¡±


    ¡°So answer the question with a yes or no. Oh, and if you lie, your mother is a...¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t understand Do Min Ho and tilted her head, so Ahn Soo Ho whispered it to her. She was absolutely shocked.


    ¡°How could you say such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, rx. That¡¯s what it says on the question sheet.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°In order to protect their identity...¡±


    ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Do Min Ho tried to beat around the bush, but he couldn¡¯t avoid Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gaze. As soon as Do Min Ho tried to run off, Ahn Soo Ho used his legendary kick that he showed off in the Shanghai street fight.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    This is the legendary kick that will be passed on in fan meeting history! #AfterMathOfUglyMan #DoBRothersK.I.A. #DominosPizza


    Isn¡¯t that an assault?


    I think it was a joke. If he really meant it, that guy would be crippled!


    They provided free ne rides, vacation, food, and hotel! Hey, what kind of heavenly fan meeting was that?


    He¡¯s bragging about his money!


    If you want to put a negative twist on it, there¡¯s going to be no end to it! Do you know how many employees there are at Hosoo Entertainment Group? There¡¯s more than 11,251! They have more than 10,000 just half a year of being founded!


    It¡¯s impressive that they have that many when they don¡¯t even have any manufacturers!


    It¡¯s because of the broadcasting station! Are most of the people there their staff members?


    But HBS isn¡¯tpletely an affiliatedpany.


    Hosoo, Daesan, and where was it? Rosette Brand New Group? They¡¯re the ones with most of the shares! The fact of the matter is that the Daesan family owns the broadcastingpany!


    Isn¡¯t Hosoo Entertainment Group and Daesan Group different though?


    The reason why Kim Dae San has Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s back is because he considers him as a part of the Daesan family!


    The fan meeting didn¡¯t stop people from taking photos and uploading them on social media. With Kim Min Shik raising suspicions of cozy rtions between business and politics, Ahn Soo Ho received endless love calls from politicians. In contrast to the Blue House, which was maintaining distance from Hosoo Entertainment Group, the newly-elected members tried to make connections with Ahn Soo Ho.


    Kim Min Shik¡¯s whistle-blowing was a great opportunity.


    The newly-elected visited Kim Min Shik and stressed the importance of a thorough investigation, which received a lot of spotlights. In contrast to the media¡¯s prediction that he would help his friend, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t do anything. For that reason, political and societal columns pushed their own standards.


    The political bulletin boards were on the verge of paralysis.


    Is CEO Ahn Soo Ho yielding to the opposition?


    You can¡¯t say for sure just yet. Maybe he¡¯s preparing something.


    It wasn¡¯t long ago that he was saying whatever to the press. Did he surrender to power? You can¡¯t look down on the rich in our country!


    The fact that he was holding a fan meeting in Jejudo while his friend is in jail says a lot about his character!


    Ha! Is everyone from the stone ages? Justice also needs to keep rules and procedures, you fools! No matter how much CEO Ahn wants his friend out, there are rules and procedures in this country!


    Yeah, but why have a fan meeting now?


    This is why Korean people are a problem! Hey! Who are you to judge if Ahn Soo Ho wants to dance naked? Is having a fan meeting a crime? Are people not allowed to go on vacation if their friend¡¯s in jail? Differentiate work from personal life! Change your mindsets!


    Public figures should be careful about how they act!


    How is Ahn Soo Ho a public figure? He¡¯s just a businessman!


    Come on! He¡¯s not just a businessman!


    People were busy criticizing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s qualifications.


    A citizen of Korea! Is this the end?


    Stop stating the obvious! I¡¯m talking about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence on the world!


    I¡¯m from Japan and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s pretty famous here! The news is always talking about how it¡¯s good or bad that he was on that Korean talk show. The chief cab secretary from the show was pretty handsome, wasn¡¯t he? Such handsome politicians never existed before in Japan. Thanks to him, the young men and women of Japan are suddenly interested in politics!


    Was his name Shiba Yaos? I¡¯d hate to admit it, but he¡¯s good-looking!


    Shiba! Shiba!


    I¡¯m on short-term dispatch in China! Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s really famous here, too!


    Where in China?


    Shanghai!


    The Korean culture ban doesn¡¯t even work on Hosoo Entertainment!


    Isn¡¯t that ban gone now? Isn¡¯t that what the president said?


    The party got rid of it, but it takes a while for it to really take effect. But they couldn¡¯ty a finger on the Hosoo Entertainment celebrities! Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s close with the Premier!


    I¡¯m from Canada, and he¡¯s famous here, too! Not because of Jang Seol Hyun, but because he¡¯s a kung-fu master!


    Kung-fu master?


    Yeah! If you type in Bruce Lee on YouTube, he pops up!


    Oh! Because of the Shanghai street fight?


    Yeah! Even the ck guys shake their heads! He¡¯s not even human!


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s pretty big for an Asian guy, but is it so much that even the ck people are shocked?


    Haven¡¯t you seen the video? It could be possible with a beat board, but not even Michael Jordan can jump like that without any help!


    Jordan is nothing! The ck American footballers are the real deal! They¡¯re real monsters! If you¡¯ve never watched the NFL, you don¡¯t even know!


    It then proceeded withparing him to others.


    If he fought with the bear man, who would win?


    Has the bear been in an actual fight before?


    Not a sudden death! A survival match!


    Oh! But be careful! Survival abroad really means survival!


    If he fought with Fyodor, who would win?


    Fyodor from when?


    If he fought with Ali, who would win?


    My drill can attack your butt hole!


    Stop it, you idiots!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 146 ¨C Guardian Angel [2] > The end.

 Chapter 148: < Protect – Episode 147 – Guardian Angel [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 148: < Protect ¨C Episode 147 ¨C Guardian Angel [3] ></h4>


    ¡°Her name is Kim Yeon Ji, she¡¯s 22 years old this year, and she goes to Hanchae University.¡±


    Hanchae University was a shortened way of referring to Korea Sports University. National schools founded for the purpose of fostering talented athletes were highlypetitive, and since Korea was centered on sports more than clubs, they were even more obsessed with entering.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Her situation is difficult.¡±


    That was the situation of the woman who wanted to be a war mercenary. As a result of her parents¡¯ business going bankrupt, their family lost all their money, and then their parents passed away due to a car ident. She could deal with their debts by giving up their inheritance, or they could gather money from their rtives; doing that might ruin their rtionship with their rtives though. There were countless rtives who cussed and even used curses.


    ¡°Once I gave up my inheritance, my rtionship with my rtives suffered, and then I had to support my three younger siblings.¡±


    ¡°That must¡¯ve been hard.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Korea might be known for having the worst welfare among OECD countries, but besides having poor service, their institutional programs are pretty extensive. The only downfall is that you have to go there and beg. So I went all over the ce and received all the welfare benefits I could get.¡±


    ¡°Young kids these days are smart.¡±


    He sounded like he was in his 60s. Ahn Soo Ho gestured her to keep going with his chin.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s a young adult who¡¯s a medalist and a national representative, she¡¯s able to feed herself, but her three younger siblings still needed legal guardians. Most of the time, rtives are next in line, but as you know...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And since her parents¡¯ friends all drifted away because of debt, she was in trouble. If she were to take care of them herself, she was worried because she was not home most of the time. On top of that, the youngest is ill.¡±


    ¡°Is it a rare disease?¡±


    ¡°Leukemia.¡±


    The families that suffered more and more.


    ¡°Luckily, they have cord blood stored up, so they can do treatment, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there any child specialized government workers?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about America¡¯s child welfare, no, there isn¡¯t.¡±


    Over 20% of the world¡¯s child poverty took ce in America. A lot of it had to do with illegal immigrants as well, but even with that aside, America¡¯s true face was more like hell than Heaven.


    Numbers don¡¯t lie.


    ¡°Even with government workers looking for children in broken homes, there isn¡¯t enough manpower or money.¡±


    Money was always the problem.


    ¡°But why does she want to be a military mercenary of all things? That¡¯s not easy either.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    The secretary trailed off so Oh Joo Kyung stepped in.


    ¡°Because of you.¡±


    ¡°Because of me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s more interest in mercenaries than ever. A news report even said that increased numbers of Koreans are signing up for the PMC.¡±


    Koreans always had a tendency to copy others who seeded, and the same thing happened this time around. ¡®If Ahn Soo Ho can do it, maybe I can, too.¡¯ The younger generations with no experience with war suddenly started knocking on doors to be war mercenaries in hopes of seeding. What happened on the outside was a mystery, but students who dropped out of elementary school, middle school, high school, and mercenary school reentering the military life became a consistent feed for the media. There wasn¡¯t anything special about it, but since Ahn Soo Ho became a worldwide rich man, they had no choice but to obsess over the profession.


    ¡°They think participating in a war as a mercenary is a way of bing wealthy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But not everyone can be a mercenary. Especially in the American military.¡±


    It was true that fighting as a mercenary was a sure way of making lots of money. The problem was that until they could, there were all sorts of evaluations they had to pass. They weren¡¯t going to send just anyone to the battlefield just because they were desperate for men.


    ¡®National representative for Taekwondo? A medalist?¡¯


    That kind of experience was of no help.


    The first criterion was experience in the military, and all other experience didn¡¯t matter. Then some might have asked if Korea was beneficial since they had a draft system, but no matter how skilled they were,ck ofmunication made them useless. How could they work together withoutmunication?


    ¡®Those foreignnguages are the problem.¡¯


    Even those from the special forces were disqualified if they couldn¡¯t speak a foreignnguage. With such qualifications considered, mercenaries were naturally elites. They were able to make good money even if they didn¡¯t put themselves in danger. If men like that happened to leave the country, they got conned by middlemen or got employed at strangepanies doing weird things.


    ¡®They really be bullet bait.¡¯


    International thugs disguised as military organizations. If they kissed work ethic goodbye and used violence all the way, there was no solution.


    ¡°Tell her toe in.¡±


    The secretary called in Kim Yeon Ji. She came in hesitantly and then sat across from Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Ms. Kim Yeon Ji.¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at her military response.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I¡¯ve heard about your situation. I¡¯m sorry about your parents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth... there¡¯s no immediate way to be a mercenary.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Kim Yeon Ji showed her disappointment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding when I say it¡¯s probably harder to be a mercenary than to get a job in this country.¡±


    She knew that as well. But she wanted to check anyway. She was disappointed, but from the look on her face, Ahn Soo Ho saw that she was somewhat expecting this answer. In contrast to the belief that athletes were dumb, brains were very much needed in order to do pro sports. And independent sports were even harder than team sports.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t just call you in here to tell you that. As your superior in Taekwondo, I¡¯d like to offer you some help.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Oh.¡±


    Kim Yeon Ji eximed at the word ¡°superior¡±. He didn¡¯t know how it was these days, but back when Ahn Soo Ho served in the military, Taekwondo was a requirement. Whether they liked it or not, they all had certifications.


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide you with a schrship, living expenses, and medical fees. I don¡¯t have any other condition. Just continue training hard.¡±


    Kim Yeon Ji was shocked.


    She actually somewhat expected this. She was embarrassed and her pride was hurt, but she wondered if opening about her situation would elicit help from Ahn Soo Ho. However, when it actually happened, her mind went nk. She then bit her lip. Talking about how she would repay his kindness was even more humiliating. She sprung up and bowed at 90 degrees. Oh Joo Kyungughed at how she came in crouched over but left with strength in her shoulders.


    ¡°She¡¯s like a boy.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen a female athlete before?¡±


    Whether they were amateurs or pros, women who worked out talked and acted differently.


    ¡°Unfortunately, all I did was study during my school days.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you did. You went to a prestigious university as a result. I understand.¡±


    Korea¡¯s education system of sitting at a desk for a dozen hours a day was a dark one. All it did was make people dumb; it didn¡¯t create any talented beings. The talents of Korea were created by education, so instead of maturing, natural talent was what caused their germination. Society was unable to produce great leaders.


    ¡°I¡¯d better invest in it.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about sports?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no better way to win people over than sports. Athletes aren¡¯t dumb. And favor and spite are clear in that field. Those who work out have a strong sense of fellowship.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s create a baseball or ser club...¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut Oh Joo Kyung off.


    ¡°Tell the ones who need advertisements to do pro sports.¡±


    There was no need to get into fights with existing unions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to experts regarding the n. Create a think tank regarding sport for life.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all probably connected to Korea Sports Association already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this country is crawling with thieves. There¡¯s got to be a younger group we can target.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    The next day, a lunch buffet was thest activity of the 1 night and 2 days fan meeting in Jejudo. Ahn Soo Ho then saw off Jang Seol Hyun who was back to focusing on her filming and then looked for the F4.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Being able to call Ahn Soo Ho by his first name was a skill. As soon as Emily and Rachel spotted him, they swarmed over and babbled away in English. They talked about how hard dieting was, how gross chicken breast and vegetables were, and how annoying the dance trainers and managers were.


    Ahn Da Sol greeted him with a wave while Lee So Hye was busy wrestling with a pile of books. Mrs. Park Ok Nam wasn¡¯t against her daughter¡¯s debut, but she wouldn¡¯t allow her to give up on her education either. The new manager of the F4 was someone Ahn Soo Ho recognized.


    ¡°Team Leader Lee?¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Lee Sun Mi responded with a smile. As soon as training began, they relocated to a different spot.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll seed?¡±


    ¡°The directors sure think so.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t debuted as singers yet, but the F4 was already a hot issue in the industry. Since they broke the typical way of including foreign members from China or Japan by picking those with more diversity, people had no choice but to show interest. The sales point of the F4 was the fact that they all had a connection to Ahn Soo Ho.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s little sister


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cousin


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s friends, nieces


    It almost seemed like they all got through connections, but once people saw their training videos, they all gave them a thumbs up. It was true that Lee So Hye was the mostcking in skill, but she actually had the most fans. Was it because of her older brother? Maybe or maybe not.


    Ahn Soo Ho was truly shocked. His little sister through his eyes and through the camera was totally different. He always thought she was cute, but with full makeup and the right poses, she wasn¡¯t the Lee So Hye that he knew.


    ¡°I have something to tell you, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho, who was watching his little sister through the window, turned around in response to Lee Sun Mi¡¯s calling.


    ¡°Have you been briefed on Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°About his scandal?¡±


    He had already been briefed about how he was crazy about girls. He responded in a calm manner as if that was expected of a man in his 20s, but when Lee Sun Mi shook her head, Ahn Soo Ho tilted his.


    ¡°Is there another problem?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s hanging around bad friends.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not in charge of him anymore.¡±


    She showed a sad expression to his criticism. Ahn Soo Ho wondered if there was a problem he didn¡¯t know about.


    ¡°Team Leader Lee, this doesn¡¯t count as whistle-blowing. I¡¯m still thispany¡¯s CEO, and this is something I need to be briefed on.¡±


    Not many people talked about it, but Lee Jung Hoon was bing more and more audacious. He understood. No matter what the rules were, no one was going to mess with the CEO¡¯s little brother. The problem was that he used that power in a maniptive way.


    ¡°He used your name to use facilities connected to Daesan Group.¡±


    ¡°Which facilities?¡±


    ¡°Hotels and resorts. Mostly foreign clubs.¡±


    Daesan Group¡¯s hotel chains didn¡¯t manage night clubs in fear of obtaining a cheap image, but they believed that their foreign hotels needed adult entertainment establishments. Middle-aged men liked to go to bar lounges and restaurants while young men liked to go to clubs.


    If that was the only thing he did, then it wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s women, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°They found marijuana in some of the rooms as well.¡±


    ¡°Did they smoke them?¡±


    ¡°No. But the friends he were with did.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon wasn¡¯t a top star, but he was a rising star with a face and name known to the public. Ahn Soo Ho stopped Lee Sun Mi with his hand and took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, old man. Yes. Have you heard about my little brother? Yes, not the youngest, but the guy. Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make sure this never happens again. Yes, Sir. I¡¯ll visit you soon.¡±


    He hung up and then called speed dial.


    ¡°Director Oh, it¡¯s me. Gather the board of directors immediately.¡±


    This was the first time the owner of Hosoo Entertainment called an emergency board meeting. They normally scheduled the board meetings for at the beginning or the end of every month, and Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t even attend. So there were executives he knew and those he didn¡¯t know. The owner¡¯s straight face made the vibe of the meeting room heavy.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho propped up his chin with both his fists.


    ¡°Raise your hand if you knew about what my little brother¡¯s been up to these days.¡±


    No one raised their hands.


    ¡°I can do an investigation to find out.¡±


    A few people raised their hands in response.


    ¡°Then how did I not know?¡±


    The information was cut off mid-way.


    If they wanted toe up with excuses, there were plenty. His own guards constantly followed his mother and Lee So Hye around so he was briefed on them right away, but he left his father and his little brother with the group¡¯s guard team, so they were a whole another connection away. Some of them tried to wrap it up nicely while some others kept them a secret to use as weaknessester on.


    ¡°I clearly told you that I am strict about the rules.¡±


    A few of them gulped.


    ¡°Did you bring it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho reached out for Oh Joo Kyung to hand him Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s contract. He then ripped it up.


    ¡°Let him know that his contract¡¯s been terminated. Actually, I¡¯ll tell him myself. Where is he?¡±


    ******


    ¡°Cheers to Jung Hoon!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Emperor Renaissance was a hot club in Gangnam. The stage was filled with men and women dancing, and the 3rd-floor room wasn¡¯t somewhere people could book out with money alone. Lee Jung Hoon rubbed up against sexy women and drank the alcohol that his friends poured for him.


    He was in a good mood. He liked that he was served wherever he went, but the one thing that bothered him was that he didn¡¯t achieve the sess himself. It was all thanks to his great older brother. With fans came anti-fans. Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s anti-fans criticized him for seeding just because he was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s brother. People insisted that he would have been an ordinary trainee if it wasn¡¯t for his brother.


    That wasn¡¯t false. Lee Jung Hoon knew it, too. If Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t exist, his sess would have been put off untilter. But he didn¡¯t think that meant he had no talent. However, he hated that he would have been as useless as dirt if he didn¡¯t have his brother. That might have been when all his amusement started.


    Friends that praised him.


    He knew that they would have ignored him if he didn¡¯t have money or poprity. They probably thought of him as a pushover since he spent a lot of money on their trips abroad and clubs, but he had never thought of them as real friends. He just wanted to show off that he had seeded.


    ¡®I¡¯m not the old me anymore.¡¯


    As the son of a snack restaurant owner, he studied hard and got into an Ivey League, but his life and reputation didn¡¯t get better there either. He resented the fact that he wanted to live a cool life but was held back by his not so cool parents. So Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance was like weed rain. However, too much rain made even the farms wither away.


    ¡°Oh, you have a nice body!¡±


    In the middle of touching a woman¡¯s body, he suddenly grabbed her breasts. If he had done that in public, he would have been reported for sexual assault, but only those with such desires were gathered at this ce. They all had partners they were sucking on. As they were approaching the climax, the door suddenly opened.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue at the sight. What would have happened if they put a bunch of horny men and women in one room? If sex was a natural thing, swapping was not.


    p-


    He pped one of the men who crashed onto the floor.


    ¡°Piss off.¡±


    The wild beast¡¯s growling made all of them sober up. They all gathered their things and left the room in less than a minute. Ahn Soo Ho then stared at Lee Jung Hoon. Lee So Hye was thankful for what she received while this bastard was jealous and resentful about the things he didn¡¯t have.


    ¡°You crazy son of a bitch.¡±


    He had no right to diss rich people. If one person seeded, there were always others who sucked their blood out. The evil reputation of rich people came from mosquitos that all swarmed in for some blood. Machiavelli once said that one must be perceived as evil to truly be a powerful man. Anyone could make money, but not everyone could make a lot of money.


    ¡®What do I do about this?¡¯


    If he really beat him up good, Mrs. Park would have resented him forever. After all, Lee Jung Hoon was her son. Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows in thought and then took out his phone.


    ¡°Logan, your men are still in the States, right? Yeah, okay. When you go over, bring one more with you.¡±


    After going over for Michael¡¯s incident, Logan¡¯s underlings were busy looking all over for the culprit. They looked into anything that had to do with guns, drugs, and gangs. The authorities were looking closely at their act of secretly invading criminal organizations, but they couldn¡¯t find them since they disappeared like ghosts.


    ¡°Okay, do that.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 147 ¨C Guardian Angel [3] > The end.

 Chapter 149: < Protect – Episode 148 – Guardian Angel [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 149: < Protect ¨C Episode 148 ¨C Guardian Angel [4] ></h4>


    Kim Yeon Ji¡¯s story was soon exposed to the public.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t brag about it to the media, but since she was a member of the Guardian Angel fan club, the rumors got out in no time. Some criticized Kim Yeon Ji for pretty much begging for money, but once they found out about her little sibling¡¯s leukemia, they shut up about it.


    The club president of Guardian Angel was none other than Jang Il Ho, who got famous after identally filming L¡¯s incident in Monaco. He was out of his mind trying to juggle his personal page as well as the official fan caf¨¦. He did hire some executives, but there were so many members waiting to get in that it was a war every single day.


    The total number of members reached 500,000 people in no time.


    But many of them just signed up because it was the trend. The fact that a non-celebrity had more than 500,000 fan club members was an impressive thing. Some wondered if even Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s employees and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s family signed up to support.


    ¡®It¡¯s possible.¡¯


    There probably were some Hosoo Entertainment Group employees as well as family members. If this was any other rich person, people would have used him for bribing people, but Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s image offset any negative outlook.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Jang Il Ho was going through countless messages when he came across an interesting title.


    Is Il Ho gay? I¡¯m Soo Ho. Level up this ID.


    There were many people pretending to be Ahn Soo Ho. So he texted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s number that he got at the fan meeting just in case.


    Soo Ho! Would you like me to level you up?


    Yup.


    He answered in a careless way, but Jang Il Ho was just touched that he responded right away.


    Okay! I¡¯ll do that for you right now!


    Thank you!


    He went into the settings and leveled up Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ID. But his ID seemed strange.


    ¡®Dummy Magician Anna-Anne?¡¯


    Dummy Magician? Anna-Anne? Was that his gaming ID? Jang Il Ho texted him back.


    Soo Ho! Did you spell your ID correctly?


    Hm, is it weird?


    It is. Dummy Magician sounds a little...


    I¡¯ll change it.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ID changed soon afterward.


    ¡®Great Great Magician Anna Anne.¡¯


    In the inte world, ¡®magician¡¯ was a word with a sad tale. Not just a great magician, but a great, great magician? It was deplorable. He felt a rush or pain washing over him, but the fact that Ahn Soo Ho signed up for his fan caf¨¦ was a big deal.


    Jang Il Ho posted an announcement.


    Ahn Soo Ho has joined the fan caf¨¦! He¡¯ll soon post proof that it¡¯s him, so watch your manners!


    As soon as the announcement was posted, something crazy came up. While Jang Il Ho stared at it, his phone¡¯s notification went off.


    Where should I upload my posts to?


    Post it to announcements! That¡¯s the easiest!


    Okay!


    A momentter, a photo was posted along with a caption. The photo showed Ahn Soo Ho smiling awkwardly with the Star Tower office in the background. The amateur selfie made people feel even closer to him.


    It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.


    Wow!


    I can¡¯t believe this!


    You must be busy dealing with the media!


    I like your greeting!


    When¡¯s your next fan meeting?


    A businessman should focus on business.


    Seol Hyun said he would though...


    That wasn¡¯t in her ce to say. They¡¯re not even married yet.


    You crazy bastard! You can¡¯t diss Seol Hyun here... (message deleted)


    That¡¯s what happens!


    There are too many fake members! Let¡¯s get rid of them!


    Ahn Soo Ho was smirking at thements when he heard a knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung was busy following Oh Joo Kyung around running all sorts of errands.


    ¡®Come to think of it, they all have simr names.¡¯


    Oh Joo Kyung, Seo Joo Kyung, and Han Chae Kyung all sounded simr. They were the women power representing Hosoo Entertainment Group. Team Leader Lee Sun Mi was being treated like a director, but she wasn¡¯t as powerful as these three. Actually, since Jang Seol Hyun controlled Ahn Soo Ho, she might have been the most powerful of them all.


    ¡®Not even. The mother-inw has control over the daughter-inw.¡¯


    The final winner might have been Mrs. Park Ok Nam.


    ¡°Mr. Logan and Lee Jung Hoon have left Incheon International Airport.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho told his mother about Lee Jung Hoon. Once she heard, she took a broom and beat up her son. He had never seen Mrs. Park so angry before, and it was likely that she broke one of his bones.


    ¡°How¡¯s the broadcastingpany?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going smoothly.¡±


    Once HBSpleted their test broadcast, they went right into work.


    ¡°Are broadcastingpanies connected to fashion?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t study fashion but fashion business instead. Did you forget already?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d it¡¯s going smoothly. What¡¯s Director Oh doing?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho changed the subject in response to Han Chae Kyung¡¯s criticism.


    ¡°She¡¯s getting ready for the construction bidding.¡±


    ¡°Are the negotiations with the governmentplete?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯s almost all set.¡±


    He predicted that there would be a long administrative procedure ahead of a construction that was nned to go on for 10 years.


    ¡°But there are many protests going on about how it will increase the cost ofnd.¡±


    ¡°Gentrification.¡±


    That term wasn¡¯t entirely true since Gangnam¡¯snd was always expensive, but the rich and the poor were always rtive. The difference between Ahn Soo Ho and a typical rich person in Gangnam was like that of a child and an adult.


    ¡°How ironic.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this, CEO Ahn. The politicians will handle it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have said anything if they were living paycheck to paycheck, but if they could do business in Gangnam, that meant they made enough for a living. It was more possible that this was a strategy they devised. There were all sorts of interest groups fooling around with the price ofnd.


    ¡°Do you talk to Na Hee often?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I call her at least once a day.¡±


    ¡°Visit her at least once a week. She sacrificed a lot for you.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Kim Na Hee¡¯s sacrifice, Han Chae Kyung would have been framed for another person¡¯s murder. The sacrifice she made wasn¡¯t easy, especially for someone who didn¡¯t give birth to her herself. But from the outside, Kim Na Hee was known as the dictator of the fashion industry who was cold as ice.


    ¡®People change over time.¡¯


    The pain of not being able to bear children was probably beyond words. Kim Na Hee certainly loved Han Chae Kyung, but there was some obsession to it as well.


    ¡°Have you heard of the World ss Project?¡±


    ¡°I have. That¡¯s what you¡¯re working on with my aunt, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    They createdmittees for the world beauty pageant, the world martial artspetition, the world shootingpetition, and the ugliest manpetition. The ugliest manpetition was half a joke, but he decided to go through with it since it was original and fresh.


    ¡°Once you wrap up your work with the broadcastingpany, move on to that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    She immediately realized that Ahn Soo Ho was doing her a favor.


    Once Han Chae Kyung left, he turned hisputer back on. Even though he wasn¡¯t gone for long, there were over 10,000ments. He passed through all the uselessments and then stopped at one in particr.


    Hello, Mr. Ahn Soo Ho. I¡¯m a mother of two from Sangye-dong. I¡¯d like to express my admiration for you after seeing Kim Yeon Ji¡¯s story on the news. I¡¯m quite jealous of her good fortune. I wonder what could have happened if I had the courage to speak to you as well. Then would my children be able to receive help?


    The age was hidden, but she was definitely not in her 20s. Ahn Soo Ho tapped his desk with his fingers. Helping Kim Yeon Ji wasn¡¯t difficult. She wasn¡¯t useful at the moment, but he felt like he made an ally who would back him up in the future. How many Koreans were there who trusted him without believing all the rumors?


    ¡®10,000?¡¯


    Even 10,000 was a lot of people. Being a fan and trusting someone were two totally different things. There probably weren¡¯t many Hosoo Entertainment Group staff or family members that truly trusted Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Only those who are desperate know the value of loyalty.¡¯


    The rule of the battlefield was to never kill an enemy who has surrendered.


    It was hard to actually get up close to an enemy in modern wars, but the way soldiers treated captives had always been thorough. That was because a soldier never knew when they would be a captive one day. Ahn Soo Ho always gave people a chance, and that made Ahn Soo Ho into a model for even those who hated him.


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up his interphone.


    ¡°Tell Director Navarros toe up.¡±


    He put down the phone and then pulled out his mobile. He didn¡¯t mind being a pushover this time. If he could buy loyalty with money, it was more than fair.


    ¡°Jeong Yeon? Let¡¯s meet up today.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Rich people should act like one.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still young, so he must¡¯ve really wanted poprity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of having so much money when he doesn¡¯t know the rules here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how young people are. When he gets older, he¡¯ll understand.¡±


    It sounded like the people clicking their tongues at Ahn Soo Ho on the news were people from a famous corporation, but they were actually just from a small to medium sizedpany.


    ¡°We want to raise our wages to, but if we did, ourpany would go bankrupt! If that happens, our employees would have no jobs!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing everything we can! But what? Win-win management? The workers¡¯ rights? That¡¯s bullshit!¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡±


    Deputy Kim Sung Gil was in the middle of making coffee when he started cussing in his head at what he was seeing on TV.


    ¡®What is that crazy guy saying? Is that why they change to a new Benz as soon as ites out? And most of them don¡¯t even golf! What are they doing with so many golf memberships? They say they don¡¯t have money, but then their kids go off and get their own departments! Those bastards!¡¯


    The president and executive director were often rted. Manypanies were run by families, and thepany that Kim Sung Gil worked at were run by people with the samest name. An entire family run thepany together as if they still lived in the Joseon era.


    Kim Sung Gil looked at his watch.


    It was 7 o¡¯clock meaning he should¡¯ve finished work a long time ago. Since the president and executive director were still at work, the other employees couldn¡¯t go home. He thought about his wife who was at the hospital for thest few days and raged on the inside.


    ¡®I have to go there so she can rest...¡¯


    Why did he have to work overtime when there was no work to do?


    ¡°Hey, Deputy Kim. I heard your son is sick.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Young people are so weak these days! Back in our day, we even ate rocks! That¡¯s what¡¯s wrong with the kids these days. You have to raise them to be strong. Look at my kids. They grew up so well.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Sir!¡±


    When the executive director bragged, the section chief yed along. Kim Sung Gil was smiling on the outside, but on the inside, he wanted to throw coffee in his face. He then presented his president with coffee.


    ¡°Ugh! What¡¯s wrong with this? Don¡¯t you know how to make coffee?¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! You uneducated little...¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ms. Lee! Bring me a new coffee!¡±


    Kim Sung Gil apologized with his head down, and the executive director asked a young woman to bring him another one. He felt bad for Lee Kyung Hee who did nothing wrong, but he actually made the coffee bitter on purpose.


    ¡®You son of a bitch!¡¯


    Once he escaped the president¡¯s sight, his section chief pushed him to leave.


    ¡°Go. You have to go to the hospital, right?¡±


    ¡°Section Chief...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like you have any work to do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Kim Sung Gil ran out the door with his uniform still on. He reached into his pocket to get his employee card when he flinched. He felt an envelope in his pocket. And inside were 10,000 won and 50,000 won bills. When he turned around, he saw his section chief waving.


    ¡®Thank you, Section Chief...¡¯


    Despite working under a bastard of a president for 20 years, the section chief was kind. As soon as Kim Sung Gil got out of the building, he hailed a taxi. He normally wouldn¡¯t have paid for a taxi, but every minute was important today. When he arrived at the hospital, he was about to send a text but then stopped himself. That was because his wife, who was supposed to be in bed, was balling her eyes out while holding onto someone.


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    He felt suffocated at the thought of a family he didn¡¯t want to think about. He approached step by step. In the meantime, Kim Sung Gil had all sorts of thoughts going through his head. Deep regret, despair, fear, and many more.


    ¡®My baby! My son! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡¯


    When he was young, he didn¡¯t know being poor would cause so much misery. Why didn¡¯t he think of a way to make money when he relied on his parents and even graduated university? He also regretted that he asked his parents for money when he got married.


    ¡®I wish I could afford a better hospital and better doctors!¡¯


    He hated himself from 10 years ago.


    He despised himself.


    ¡°Honey!¡±


    As soon as the wife recognized her husband, she ran into his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    After wiping her tears away, she looked at her husband and then smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! Our son will live! He¡¯ll be okay!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kim Sung Gil looked as if he had been pped on the face.


    ¡°They helped us!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sir.¡±


    He looked at the man handing him his business card and flinched.


    ¡°The third Do brother?¡±


    ¡°Ahem! My name is Do Min Ho!¡±


    Theedian, Do Min Ho was now gone and reced with Do Brother number 3.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Sir. We¡¯ll pay for all of the medical and surgery fees.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Kim Sung Gil¡¯s face was so red that his wife bowed in his stead.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t the one who did it, Do Min Ho felt good, and he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt good. The celebrities of Hosoo Entertainment went around hospitals all over Korea and helped out families with hardship.


    And the reporters were certainly on their tail.


    Director Choi Jung Yeon of Hope Medical Association raised 100 billion for children!


    It¡¯s on Ahn Soo Ho! He donated 100 billion won for children!


    The celebrities of Hosoo Entertainment are giving back!


    Is it Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mission to save sick children?


    Some criticized Ahn Soo Ho iming it was a stratgety to gain poprity, and an anonymous source imed that he nned on bing a member of the national assembly. However, Ahn Soo Ho decided not to take action this time.


    And a monthter, the Guardian Angel fan club surpassed more than a million members.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 148 ¨C Guardian Angel [4] > The end.

 Chapter 150: < Protect – Episode 149 – Korea Shock [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 150: < Protect ¨C Episode 149 ¨C Korea Shock [1] ></h4>


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s daily tasks were simple.


    He woke up early to work out, ate breakfast, saw off Lee So Hye and Mrs. Park Ok Nam, and then read the paper and watched the news. If anything happened, Oh Joo Kyung contacted him first, so he was free to go to work at the designated time or enjoy his leisure. If a problem urred it was always up to his subordinates to take care of it.


    As always he sat in the living room and read the paper. He got in the habit of reading more foreign papers than Korean ones. It wasn¡¯t that he was interested in international affairs; he just felt obligated to do so. At around 10 o¡¯clock, he received a call from Jang Seol Hyun who was in the middle of filming. What was different between Chungmuro and Hollywood was their filming schedules. In Hollywood, no director could make their actors do whatever they told them to do.


    ¡®Then the union would do something about that.¡¯


    The filming schedule had to be previously agreed upon in the contract. Then what about Chungmuro? They did agree on a schedule ahead of time, but they almost never followed through. Depending on the actors, producers, and anyone else, it kept changing and even became extended.


    ¡°Okay. That must be hard. I sent over a food truck, so let everyone know. Okay, work hard.¡±


    An hour of venting went by in a sh.


    ¡°Sir, you have a guest.¡±


    ¡°Yo!¡±


    It was Alexa who showed up shortly afterward.


    ¡°What brings you here all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I was busy visiting home.¡±


    ¡°Are the kids doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all doing well. They told me to thank you.¡±


    She went toward the fridge and opened a can of beer.


    ¡°Why are you drinking first thing in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Yusef.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly at the name that came out of Alexa¡¯s lips. He knew she would find out about this one day, but he had no idea that today was the day.


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sipped his coffee while she asked him a question.


    ¡°Did you expect me to find that punk?¡±


    ¡°One day.¡±


    ¡°I was in charge of Yusef, Soo Ho.¡±


    He shook his head at Alexa¡¯s groaning.


    ¡°I warned you when I got you out of there that I¡¯d get rid of everyone that was involved.¡±


    Kosino lived an unfair life because she was half Japanese and half Philippino. As a result, she was full or rage, and Ahn Soo Ho made her channel that on the battlefield, and the appearance of the very skilled hacker only added wings to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s already powerful strength. However, Alexa was just as talented as Kosino.


    ¡°Is Aqun after you because...¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is probably the right answer.¡±


    ¡°I have to make a call!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho grabbed her by the wrist and sat her back down.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Roberto is crazy persistent. If something goes wrong...¡±


    ¡°Wow! Are you worrying about me?¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding around!¡±


    Alexa got bad at his carefree attitude.


    Roberto Aqun


    He was a prosecutor who was looking for an opportunity to indict Ahn Soo Ho. From Alexa¡¯s point of view, Yusef was someone who deserved to die more than 100 times over and over, but the world knew him as a proper businessman. Under the current judicial system and justice, the worth of death was the same whether they were good or evil.


    Ahn Soo Ho saw deep worry within Alexa. She often did crazy things and got into idents here and there, but she was like a cute little sister to him. However, she was different from Lee Jung Hoon and Lee So Hye. He pulled her head into his chest. As a lesbian, she didn¡¯t like men, but family didn¡¯t count as men.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I always have a n.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know just how cruel you can be. But Aqun is like a cockroach that never dies, Soo Ho.¡±


    Those in power hated Aqun but left him alone because he was useful. Were all people equal in the court ofw? In order to prove that, Roberto worked harder than anyone, but whether it was for procedural reasons or political reasons, it was difficult to find such tycoons.


    ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sniffed loudly on purpose.


    ¡°Your perfume changed. That means...¡±


    Alexa left his embrace in surprise.


    ¡°Do you have a new girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    She felt like they had this conversation before.


    ¡°Kosino¡¯s gonna flip shit if she finds out.¡±


    ¡°That damned Kosino! She¡¯s such a cyber-terrorist!¡±


    Every girlfriend she ever had were hacked by Kosino. Hacking Facebook and Instagram ounts didn¡¯t count as a crime so it had to go as far as clearing a bank ount or filming illegal footages to be charged.


    ¡°Try to hide everything well... But you¡¯ll probably get caught soon.¡±


    Kosino was always overprotective of Alexa.


    ¡°Run, sister.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you!¡±


    ******


    Since Ahn Soo Ho made a lot of money, he spent a lot, too. In particr, the money he earned in a specific region was reinvested back to the ce. The only person who knew how much money he spent in Africa, South America, South East Asia, India, and the Middle eat was Ahn Soo Ho himself.


    He built schools and hospitals under the localmunities¡¯ names.


    He made underground water and roads, if they needed food, he gave them food, and if they needed education he gave them education. There were countless people who needed help. What would happen if those at the bottom got an opportunity to rise to the top? There was no better motivation than desperation.


    ¡°Network.¡±


    ¡°Network?¡±


    Deputy Director Jeremy O¡¯hare of the CIA stood in front of a wall covered with photos.


    ¡°This is how much we know about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s connections thus far.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about politicians and businessmen, but how do taxi drivers, ount inspectors, and portborers do for us?¡±


    ¡°Think about human intelligence.¡±


    Human intelligence referred to usingworks to obtain information. The world was ruled by the digital age, but the final step still needed the human touch.


    ¡°I am, but it¡¯s still hard to understand, Deputy Director O¡¯hare. Is it possible that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯swork is this vast?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. That¡¯s why the people we have to be careful of are...¡±


    Jeremy grabbed the remote and put up a photo of a person on the screen.


    ¡°Alexa, Kosino, and Henry.¡±


    ¡°Duple?¡±


    They were also called the Crazy King¡¯s Landing.


    During the airing of HBO¡¯s Game of Thrones, Alexa and Kosino terrorized the homepage and transmission line. That was because they were both big fans of Lord of the Rings. All well-known hackers had crazy cyber terrorist stories of their own, just like how Cranky once hacked the server of Gainax because he was that curious about the new work.


    ¡°Alexa and Kosino make sense, but Henry? Is he a hacker as well?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Jeremy zoomed into Henry¡¯s profile.


    ¡°Henry Michaelson. He has the same name as our president.¡±


    American president, Henry G. Olsen¡¯s leadership was going to be tested for the first time as soon as the war begins. Henry Michaelson shared the same name, but he was a man from California with no political experience. Ahn Soo Ho first met him back when...


    ¡°11 years ago when his daughter got kidnapped.¡±


    Since a real estate agent from California suddenly became the PB manager of a mercenary king, it was fascinating indeed. Then how did Henry of the middle ss in America suddenly enter the underworld? Jeremy grabbed the remote and put up a picture, but all it showed was a question mark.


    ¡°Jack Toms.¡±


    ¡°The casino king? Cool Jack?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The king of the Las Vegas nights.¡±


    He was a legendary figure of whom not even the CIA had a photo of.


    ¡°I have my suspicions that they¡¯ve been making exchanges.¡±


    Countless intelligence agencies from countless countries dispatched analysts, and they pointed out Ahn Soo Ho as the one responsible for an impossible victory of 5000 vs. 1. It was true. Jeremy also acknowledged some of it. When he defeated the assassination world of Kadesh Morken all by himself, the whole world was shocked.


    ¡®That was when the rules of the ck market changed.¡¯


    No matter how powerful America was, they couldn¡¯t just forcefully open the safes of a Swiss Bank. That was a different issue from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Nigeria, which they were going in invade next. Even if there were American rich people at the Swiss Bank, that didn¡¯t mean they could touch anything they wanted. Those with power needed absolute authority in order to protect their own.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny is that in this world, another power is needed to protect the power that you already have. And they acknowledged Ahn Soo Ho as the owner of the throne as if they had been waiting.¡±


    And the chaos that ensued as soon as that owner disappeared was right in front of their eyes.


    ¡°Taylor.¡±


    A ck man stepped up in response. The profile changed but the question mark remained.


    ¡°Andrew McKurchin, Zabi Ultawa, Abu Al Asiad, Beio Coras, Lucy Chenyang, Nakajima Sho, and...¡±


    The final screen returned to the photo of Jack Toms.


    ¡°Jack Toms. What these ¡°Kings¡± have inmon is that there are no photos of them whatsoever.¡±


    Was it because the CIA was incapable? That could have been it as well. However, if not even America knew about it, no one else did. But they did exist. That was because businesses centered on the tycoons existed. If they were all made up people, their businesses that were worth hundreds of billions of dors couldn¡¯t have been maintained.


    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t a photo or a recording exist? Because they¡¯re the best at camouging? Because we¡¯re stupid?¡±


    Taylor shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t exist. But!¡±


    He stressed thest word.


    ¡°Someone is using these fake identities to their advantage. And we have to find out who that is.¡±


    As soon as everyone started mumbling, Jeremy pped his hands and stepped up.


    ¡°The reason why we gathered all of you is because this is a very important matter. The superior office thinks that power with secretive influence is the one that started the New York terrorist attack.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it wasn¡¯t Nigeria¡¯s rebels?¡±


    He shook his head to the expected question.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Boko Haram isn¡¯t responsible at all.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As I said, we haven¡¯t even uncovered a shadow of the secretive gatherings. We have to find real evidence. That¡¯s the only way to move on to the next step.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Ahn Soo Ho? Is he the host of those secretive gatherings?¡±


    ¡°No! Absolutely not!


    Thoughtful analysts rarely used that expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true... but the reason why we have to learn more and analyze him is because he could be at the center of all of the incidents. Okay! Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    As soon as Jeremy pped his hands, the analysts split up into their own groups. Taylor then expressed his worry.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell everyone a little more about General Ashford?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? I only made this task force to get a new viewpoint. If we mention an old method, it¡¯ll only bring us back to where we started.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for security purposes?¡±


    ¡°That too.¡±


    When the media pointed their fingers at the failure of democracy following the New York terrorist attack, Jeremy saw a bigger picture. It was true. America became weak, and the White House wanted to reim its influence by starting a war. However, he wasn¡¯t so sure about that. The international society ridiculed America¡¯s dogmatism.


    ¡°How about you ask Ahn Soo Ho in person?¡±


    ¡°He sticks very closely to agreements.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the type to answer questions just because he asked.


    ¡°But there¡¯s something you can offer in return.¡±


    ¡°Hm, are you talking about the civil militia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Couldn¡¯t you make a deal if you promised him safety?¡±


    The investigative authorities were frustrated because of Logan and his underlings, but they got support from the media thanks to the wave caused by Captain America. It was always the hero¡¯s job to catch the bad guys. The local police couldn¡¯t catch them, but the CIA and the FBI knew. He didn¡¯t like Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s underlings causing a ruckus, but if they wanted to keep Captain America as an American, it was good to leave Ahn Soo Ho alone.


    ¡°Hm, I¡¯d better talk to my superiors.¡±


    ¡°Deputy Director O¡¯hare!¡±


    Another subordinate came running over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem!¡±


    ¡°What problem?¡±


    ¡°North Korea fired a missile!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it?¡±


    North Korea showed off missile tests here and there when they were bored, but Jeremy was shocked by what he heard next.


    ¡°Itnded on Yeonpyeongdo Ind!¡±


    ¡®Again?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 149 ¨C Korea Shock [1] > The end.

 Chapter 151: < Protect – Episode 150 – Korea Shock [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 151: < Protect ¨C Episode 150 ¨C Korea Shock [2] ></h4>


    A missile fell on Yeonpyeongdo ind.


    In contrast to the outside that caused a fuss about a second Korean war happening, domestic media calmly talked about its possible influence on the market as well as its influence on the travel industry. It was true. Koreans didn¡¯t worry too much about it. The only ones who did were foreign militaries.


    As soon as the reports got out, Ahn Soo Ho headed over to Star Tower.


    ¡°All of the military events are canceled.¡±


    ¡°All of the outdoor events excluding the filmings that couldn¡¯t be postponed were halted.¡±


    He received reports of many ceases and cancetions. If North Korea really wanted a war, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped with just one missile. Most importantly, after his 22 visits to Pyeongyang in the past, this was like a yearly message they were sending.


    ¡®They¡¯re asking for money or rice.¡¯


    Since Americans wanted their country to be stronger, the White House enforced stronger diplomatic policies, but the State Department and the Diplomatic Mission disapproved. A country¡¯s diplomatic policies didn¡¯t exist to gain poprity, so if it changed overnight, they were throwing all the trust they built over the years. No one knew if it would take 10 or 20 years to regain that trust back.


    ¡®But then again, North Korea doesn¡¯t have much credibility either.¡¯


    Koreans couldn¡¯t visit North Korea without permission from the government. However, for Ahn Soo Ho, he visited North Korea many times in secret, so he was free from legal responsibility.


    ¡®Something smells fishy about this...¡¯


    Why did they fire a missile now? Because Europe was in chaos? Or because America got weaker? If not that? Was it because they wanted to start a war? He excluded the first two possibilities. So the one that remained was an expected sequence following America¡¯s downfall. Also, China and America¡¯s confrontation put a hole in North Korean sanctions, so this could have been North Korea¡¯s resistance during a break from drugs and illegal weapons.


    ¡°What about the schedules abroad?¡±


    ¡°Nine teams including pictorial shoots, variety, fan meetings, and awards shows are abroad at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Anything we can¡¯t get a hold of?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    While managing apany what Ahn Soo Ho worried about wasn¡¯t to run a normal business with good profits. The first thing he took care of was awork of emergency contacts. People might have asked if hispany was a military, but as soon as thatwork waspleted, the employees were able to see its effects right away.


    ¡®Huh? This is amazing.¡¯


    No more time was wasted due to scheduling.


    There was actually a lot of time gone to waste due tock of goodmunication between the celebrities and managers. With Alexa and Kosino¡¯s scheduling application system, their productivity increased by 1000%. Just like how Ahn Soo Ho used Henry Michaelson to manage his schedules, he made it a requirement to have amunications expert close by at all times.


    ¡°I halted the investment program.¡±


    Daniel, whose face was hard to see without calling him personally, came running over.


    ¡°Has it affected the market?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Hosoo Investments didn¡¯t have a variety of options like amercial bank, but it worked with quite a bit of fund.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t run over just because there was a bit of a loss... What is it?¡±


    ¡°I think a vulture fund of a substantial number is being managed.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any proof just yet.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t an economics expert, but he did know what a vulture fund was.


    ¡°The possibility of military action is...¡±


    ¡°100%.¡±


    ¡°Does North Korea¡¯s provocation have anything to do with it?¡±


    ¡°It is a fascinating coincidence.¡±


    Every time Korea¡¯s stock market suffered, the one thing that always appeared was the risk of a war breaking out. The threat of North Korea always kept South Korea back from being able to develop and leap forward.


    If establishments and foreigners turn their backs, the market could crash. After all, Korea highly relies on a state-led nned economy.


    Not many Koreans realized that Korea only switched to a free market economy system only 20 years ago. Up until thete 90s, the country had a nned economy led by the government. So how much had changed 20 yearster? The way Daniel saw it, not much had changed at all.


    Centered on the rich


    Centered on exports


    The system could be divided into these two major categories because no matter the policy, the rich and exports were always at the center. When it came to household debt, there was a tendency to put everything into real estate. Daniel was shocked by that.


    ¡®Do they think the economy gets better the more expensivend gets?¡¯


    Koreans had a lot of greed for obtainingnd.


    ¡°How much foreign exchange did we rake in?¡±


    ¡°In US dors... 90 billion dors.¡±


    It was originally just 50 billion US dors, but after investing it here and there, they reached almost 100 billion dors. The Korean bank¡¯s foreign exchange possession had already reached its limit. If he continued to put it all in government-run banks, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from the pressure of foreign debt.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°We paid a lot of taxes for it, too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response.


    ¡°Are you still dissatisfied about that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not always good to pay a lot of taxes, Soo Ho.¡±


    People thoughtpanies paying a lot of taxes was a good thing, but that wasn¡¯t always the case. Maximizing apany¡¯s profits wasn¡¯t the only target of paying reduced taxes.


    ¡°Since North Korea fired a missile, the international credit rating agencies will start to be mobilized.¡±


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°No matter what the president insists, his participation in BRICSst year makes him look friendly with China more than America... so a negative report will probably be submitted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very political.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Despite what their name suggests, they¡¯re no different from a political group.¡±


    Same went for IBCA, MUDIS, and S&P, which controlled the world¡¯s financial market. Did Ahn Soo Ho have no idea? No way. Strictly speaking, those threepanies were his biggest customers. Evaluating a nation¡¯s credibility and the worth of a market orpany was the same as having their lives in the palm of one¡¯s hands.


    It would have been nice to give everyone a good score, but in the market, everything was rtive. If some received good evaluations, some had to receive bad ones. Among those who couldn¡¯t ept their results, some went to serious extremes. Since they were doomed without a better score, they put their lives on the line to change it.


    Mr. Guardian was a nickname that was given by rich people whose lives were being threatened. In the current capitalist society dominated by the financial system, the status of those evaluating and those being evaluated were two extremes. The expression, openpetition of the market economy made it sound like it was just and fair, but as long as America and Europe were in charge of the financial system, the results could be flipped at any point.


    ¡°Native Koreans are quite strange.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No one thinks a war¡¯s going to break out even though a missile justnded here.¡±


    Daniel was tired of trying to calm down his wife and children over the phone. If Logan and his underlings were in Korea, they would have been busy shooting their guns in excitement, but Daniel was someone who had never been in the military.


    ¡®In that case, aren¡¯t the drug cartels scarier?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t understand how one could be afraid of themies while not being afraid of druggies and moneyunderers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be a war.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because...¡±


    If Pig Kim used that little brain of his, he wouldn¡¯t be able to start a war.


    ¡°I¡¯m still the civil defense.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t even 40 years old yet.


    ******


    KOSPI plunged in just a day following the foreigners¡¯ selling of shares!


    The tourist industry was looking to get Chinese and Japanese tourists over the break!


    The limit of foreign holdings has been reached! The Ministry of Economy and Finance are confident for a reason!


    Hosoo Entertainment Group invested 1.8 trillion in the first quarter? That¡¯s a crazy amount of cash!


    Is the Korean shocking? The international credit rating agencies are having a meeting! They¡¯re revising the Asian economy report!


    In contrast to the current chaos in the political world, the Korean economyst year was thriving, and the one responsible for that was Hosoo Entertainment Group. Even though they didn¡¯t have any manufacturing businesses, Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s working environment and satisfaction rate were at the top of the nation. What fell behind was HBS. They weren¡¯t fully stabilized just yet, and it wasn¡¯t easy getting a board of directors together either.


    Ahn Soo Ho visited HBS for the first time in a while.


    ¡°There must have been a lot of retaliation from other broadcastingpanies.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is disturbing the entire broadcasting ecosystem. Ew! Is this even food?¡±


    Kim Soo Jung tried some chicken sd and then spat it back out. She was a full carnivore, so vegetables were a no for her. Seeing how she was able to maintain her figure by just eating meat, she must have exercised a lot.


    ¡°How is it being the director of the news report?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡±


    ¡°By the way, why are you eating sd?¡±


    ¡°In order to sign the members¡¯ contract, I had to undergo a physical checkup. So I did.¡±


    ¡°The results must have been shocking.¡±


    Once a person went past 30, that person would look fine on the outside. However, that was not the case on the inside. Their diets were a problem and so were theirck of exercise, but the working environment was the biggest problem of all.


    ¡°You should rest once in a while. Go on some dates, too. Oh, has the date been decided yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you greeted each other¡¯s families though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,st year.¡±


    Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung¡¯s marriage got postponed once again. They used work as an excuse but seeing the expression on her face led him to believe that they fought.


    ¡°What is it this time? Chul isn¡¯t the type to cheat... Is it the expenses?¡±


    ¡°No, just listen to me, Soo Ho. No matter how much he cherished this friend, he didn¡¯t have to pay for his hospital expenses. He paid 70 million won!¡±


    ¡°How severe is his friend¡¯s condition for the hospitalization to amount to 70 million won?¡±


    As mentioned before, the country¡¯s health insurance system was fairly good. He had no idea what needed to happen to get a hospital bill of 70 million won.


    ¡°Apparently, they got burned.¡±


    ¡°Is that not covered?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°If they got hurt during work, that falls under an industrial ident.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into it now. I have to do an in-depth coverage on it. If something went wrong, I have to make it right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho held back hisugh. He understood why she was so mad at Yoon Chul.


    ¡°This is all because of you!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was probably inspired by you helping all those children.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to help others.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t. But donations should only be made if you¡¯re in a situation to do so.¡±


    Kim Yeon Ji took time off school.


    In her case, the excessive attention she was getting actually harmed her in a way. There were many who cheered her on, but there were those who called her a beggar. So while Ahn Soo Ho was helping her, he put her in the Hosoo Guard Team while he was at it. People asked if he was giving her special treatment, but once he announced that he would hire anyone who won a medal at the Olympics or the Asian games, they shut up.


    In response to Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s celebrities going around helping hospital patients, some criticized them for putting on a show. If this was before, they would have been bothered by the criticism, but after a certain point, the employees and celebrities became just like their CEO.


    ¡®So what?¡¯


    ¡®Have you ever donated before? If you haven¡¯t then shut up!¡¯


    Once Hosoo Entertainmentshed out, they were the ones who were shocked. But where there were strengths, there were also weaknesses. Back in the day, actors who dated would have hidden it from everyone, but these days, they just let everyone know.


    But when it came to idols, that was still not rmended.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He saw chaos across the window in the report room. At that very moment, the door mmed open and the producer working under Kim Soo Jung yelled.


    ¡°North Korea fired a missile! This time, it fell in the East Sea!¡±


    ¡®Again?¡¯


    However, that wasn¡¯t what was important. Ahn Soo Ho heard his phone notification so he took it out.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know why the civil defense emergency call had toe not a month but just four days before. Was there a problem with the mail? He had to ask Mrs. Park about it once he got home.


    ¡®Do I have to kill that Pig Kim in order to get rid of civil defense?¡¯


    Should I make my way to Silmido Ind?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 150 ¨C Korea Shock [2] > The end.

 Chapter 152: < Protect – Episode 151 – Korea Shock [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 152: < Protect ¨C Episode 151 ¨C Korea Shock [3] ></h4>


    ¡°Again?¡±


    The Chinese head of state, Yuhaipung was enjoying his tea when he knitted his brows at his secretary.


    ¡°It fell in the East Sea.¡±


    ¡°Why do they keep firing?¡±


    ¡°The reports im that it¡¯s to bring America to the table... but it appears that Chairman Kim has lost control.¡±


    ¡°He must want to be remembered as a foolish dictator.¡±


    After inheriting histe father¡¯s power, he had more greed than ability. Even though he spent some time in Europe, his way of thinking was still from the Middle Ages. That might have been why he was obsessed with ruling harshly. China and America were always battling over world power, but the possibility of war breaking out between them was very low.


    Why? Because there wouldn¡¯t be enough profit. However, the possibility of war between North Korea and South Korea wasn¡¯t that low.


    ¡®Mr. Guardian¡¯s force only works on those who know his true identity.¡¯


    The North Korean ruler, who was humiliated in Pyeongyang even when his father was alive, didn¡¯t know Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s true identity. It was possible that what he was doing was a type of revenge against him.


    ¡°What about our men in Pyeongyang?¡±


    ¡°There are a few military authorities in Seonyang.¡±


    ¡°Can they exert some power?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    Yuhaipung stroked his chin.


    ¡°What if Chairman Kim suddenly dies?¡±


    His secretary flinched.


    ¡°Are you talking about... an assassination?¡±


    ¡°No, what if he died naturally while eating or sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s no heir, their hereditary monarch would end.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    The first thing that the third dictator did after taking the throne was to purge. They didn¡¯t let any extended family members who they saw as a threat to live on. If any escaped abroad, they sent an assassin to kill them, and within the country, they used all sorts of excuses to execute them.


    In contrast to America who criticized them for this, China just stayed quiet. As long as they listened to the Chinese Communist Party, what they did to their own people was none of their business. However, once North Korea obtained some power, they talked back. The Chinese Communist Party was bewildered by this.


    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if that dumb Kim fires a missile on Seoul.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Then that would start a war.¡±


    Yuhaipung shook his head in response to his secretary¡¯s worrying.


    ¡°America¡¯s probably hoping that would happen, too.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean war?¡±


    He was frustrated that his secretary was slow, but he didn¡¯t get mad.


    ¡®This is interesting.¡¯


    How would Ahn Soo Ho respond to North Korea¡¯s provocation? It wasn¡¯t just China who was curious about that.


    ¡°Does the chairman of the National Defense Commission know about Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°He probably does. Mr. Guardian has visited Pyeongyang over 20 times already.¡±


    ¡°Since he studied abroad, maybe they never met. Where did he study again?¡±


    ¡°Switzend.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Maybe they ran into each other.¡±


    Between the American government departments, they would often make negotiations and then butt heads. In recent years, they butt heads more than negotiating. After all, the White House¡¯s deration of war was done without consulting the State Department. So it was understandable that the Secretary of State was furious. Many relevant authorities were dissatisfied with President Olsen¡¯s behavior of not being understanding with the cab, which could be of great strength to the White House.


    ¡®Is it because he didn¡¯t appoint them himself?¡¯


    Since he was a vice-president before bing president, it was true that he didn¡¯t sympathize with the cab.


    ¡®This could be his way of telling them to resign.¡¯


    The problem was that Americans no longer had faith in the Democratic party. At this rate, the owner of the White House was going to change very soon. That was how it was possible for the Republican party to take over. However, did that mean they would give up? In politics, there was a loss, but not forfeit.


    ¡®If he¡¯s rebuking them just because they¡¯re not his people, President Olsen isn¡¯t cut out to be the president.¡¯


    If the Democratic party didn¡¯t resolve this right away, something serious was bound to happen.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to make a critical statement about North Korea¡¯s missile at the White House.¡±


    ¡°Are they telling us to just sit back then?¡±


    ¡°It appears so.¡±


    The Secretary of Stateughed bitterly.


    ¡®So they want the spotlight all to themselves.¡¯


    One¡¯s greed for power was the same regardless of age.


    ¡°Connect me to Ambassador Woods.¡±


    The Secretary of State¡¯s facial expression was mixed. Pam Woods wasn¡¯t an authentic diplomat. She was actually a militarist with deep connections to the Ministry of National Defense. National defense and being diplomatic might have sounded very different but they both shared themon characteristic of putting America¡¯s profits first.


    ¡°Pam, it¡¯s me. I need you to meet with Mr. Guardian. I know he¡¯s retired. I¡¯m only asking after thinking of it for a long time. This is a sensitive issue rted to America¡¯s gain. Please.¡±


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho visited Kim Dae San as he promised, but when he got there, there was a business meeting going on. Did he schedule it like that on purpose? Kim Dae San nced over, and it wasn¡¯t hard for him to read the old man¡¯s mind.


    ¡°As you all know, this is CEO Ahn Soo Ho, who will be leading the next generation. Say hello.¡±


    In response to the overwhelming introduction, the rich and their heirs smiled as they approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°You look even better in person. Haha. My name is Park Chan Soo .¡±


    ¡°What a talented young man. I feel like I¡¯m looking at my younger self. My name is Jung Moon Young.¡±


    ¡°You bastard! Who do you think you¡¯reparing yourself to? I¡¯m more like him than you are. Haha. My name is Oh Chang Jin, CEO Ahn. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you.¡±


    The older men approached him while the younger men kept their distance. Even the third son of Esther Group¡¯s Chairman Oh Chang Jin, whom Ahn Soo Ho taught a lesson, was there, but Ahn Soo Ho still didn¡¯t know his name. What was memorable was that his whole head was shaved. When he met eyes with Ahn Soo Ho, he flinched, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any ill feelings.


    But as for Chairman Oh Chang Jin, he was known for having a temper.


    As soon as he heard about his son, he put him in the military right away. This wasn¡¯t a normal decision to make, and that was how scared people were of Ahn Soo Ho. Most people knew by now. The scale of foreign currency brought in by Hosoo Investments was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. What was known was just the tip of the iceberg, and with the entertainment agency just being a shell, they had a fund of 100 billion US dors.


    It was umon for a person to be just fine with just being the tip of the iceberg. Money meant nothing to Ahn Soo Ho. That was because he was able to control people who were capitalists.


    Ahn Soo Ho relocated.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Chairman Oh Chang Jin¡¯s third son tried to be brave, but he kept gulping down his saliva at the thought of his memories with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Are you on military leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°You look good.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t making fun of him. He meant it. And Oh Joong Geun wasn¡¯t so stupid that he didn¡¯t realize that. Since praises even made whales dance, he felt confident all of a sudden.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened that day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re young. I got into a lot of idents when I was young, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve seen you on TV.¡±


    ¡°TV?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°I saw the documentary about how you grew up with the Do brothers.¡±


    ¡°Those producers must have nothing to do if they made a documentary about that.¡±


    Oh Joong Geun didn¡¯t feel like telling him that it was on HBS¡ªwhich was a good thing to do.


    ¡°How¡¯s the military? Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡±


    They naturally changed the subject to the military. There were lots of things to talk about such as what happened when they waited to enter, what happened during training, the horrible trainers and training, overtime training, Choco Pie, and how they adjusted to the environment. There were lots of heirs who wanted to talk to Ahn Soo Ho, but the only one with military experience was Oh Joong Geun.


    Oh Joong Geun and Ahn Soo Ho had a good time chatting.


    ¡®How sad.¡¯


    He purposely picked Oh Joong Geun and started talking about the military. But why couldn¡¯t anyone else say a word about it? That was the sad part. There were very few Korean men who actually wanted to go to the military. Actually, it was more like they didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡®If they could, they would all skip the military.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had no desire to cuss at the rich for it. Does the Noblesse oblige? That was bullshit. Not a single rich person had perfect ethics and conscience. If there was someone like that, they would have been appointed as a saint.


    ¡°The military isn¡¯t that bad. If you think of it as a waste of time, that¡¯s what it¡¯ll be, but if you think you can learn from it, you will.¡±


    The military¡¯s rank culture wasn¡¯t all bad. One could only find out about a person¡¯s true nature once they had been pushed to extreme hardship. By forcing young men into the military and keeping them confined, their true patience would be tested. The kind of things that was absurd in the outside world took ce inside the military.


    People weren¡¯t that rational.


    And people weren¡¯t that reasonable either.


    War was the most irrational thing a person could do. And Korea¡¯s military, who was always preparing for war, was the most irrational of all. It wasical to expectmon sense from a violent group that was created for barbarism. Not having a war was the best case scenario, but if they had to, they had to do whatever it took to win.


    That was what Ahn Soo Ho believed.


    Oh Joong Geun was in the middle of a fun conversation when someone poked him on the side. A woman who normally would have avoided him as if he was a bug stood there with a smile.


    ¡°You look good, Joong Geun.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Hello, CEO Ahn.¡±


    She pretended to greet Oh Joong Geun and then went right to Ahn Soo Ho. She wasn¡¯t the pretty type, but her face that had light-makeup had beautiful Asian features.


    ¡®She¡¯s the second daughter of Shi Group. Was her name... Lee Yeon Jin?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho managed to remember the name of the woman. As someone who didn¡¯t know many rich people besides Kim Dae San, this was a special case. The reason behind it was simple. Before Hosoo Entertainment came along, Shi Group controlled the entertainment industry of Korea. So they werepetition.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ms. Lee Yeon Jin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you know my name.¡±


    ¡°I should know the names of mypetitors as a businessman.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a scary thing to say. We have no interest inpeting against you. We just want to coexist.¡±


    There were many intentions hidden behind the word ¡®coexist¡¯. The first was cooperation between Shi Group and Hosoo Entertainment Group, the second was a new rtionship between the rich and Ahn Soo Ho, and third was the resentment of why he could coexist with mere employees and not them.


    ¡®This bitch is fresh.¡¯


    Heughed without meaning to.


    ¡°Yo! Soo Ho!¡±


    Kim Dae Chan found Ahn Soo Ho just in time.


    Since he became the chairman of Daesan Group, he was above the heirs, but he wasn¡¯t the type to care about that. If he was the type to keep face, he wouldn¡¯t have be friends with Ahn Soo Ho in the first ce. Daesan¡¯s reputation never suffered.


    ¡°Hey, Yeon Jin. Seeing how Chairman Lee isn¡¯t here, you must havee in his stead. I¡¯m sorry, but I need to borrow him for a second.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan pulled Ahn Soo Ho out and put his arms around him.


    ¡°You almost got in trouble back there.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That bitch might look nice, but she¡¯s a total devil.¡±


    He smirked in response. They then arrived at a gathering with much older people. The rich including Kim Dae San weed Ahn Soo Ho with open arms.


    ¡°I was wondering where Chairman Kim went. He went to kidnap CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to die alone.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan was very young for a chairman. There were some presidents and vice-chairmen in their 40s, but the big captain of Daesan Group was Kim Dae Chan, not Kim Dae San. He was confident he would do well, but he wasn¡¯tpletely sure just yet.


    Kim Dae San had a strange look on his face.


    ¡°Yeah. Since CEO Ahn was mostly active abroad, he might know better than we do.¡±


    The person who responded was none other than Chairman Oh Chang Jin of Esther Group.


    ¡°I see! You¡¯re right. Look here, CEO Ahn. Us old folk have a little bit of an issue. Can you answer our question?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho willingly nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of thosemies. Every time they cause a fuss, us shareholders can¡¯t deal with it. Is there a way to resolve this?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about North Korea... what kind of solution are you pertaining to?¡±


    ¡°To incapacitate Pyeongyang.¡±


    The fact that they only pointed out Pyeongyang meant they didn¡¯t want a war to break out.


    ¡°There are lots of ways.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Tell us.¡±


    Their eyes sparkled.


    ¡°First, mobilize the American carrier strike group and make a sneak attack. America has an attack n ready for Pyeongyang already.¡±


    They caused a fuss about the missiles, but since the possibility that they would actually get involved with the war was low, they just needed enough courage to handle the fingerpointing from the international society. A lot of peoplepared China and America these days but that was ridiculous. If America decided to start a war, China wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. As of right now, the US army was 10 times stronger than that of China.


    ¡°Second, China can destroy Pyeongyang from the inside.¡±


    North Korea was much friendlier with China. Pig Kim had been provoking China a lot in recent days, but if they really got irritated, China was capable of mobilizing their agents in North Korea and start a coup d¡¯¨¦tat.


    ¡°Third, America and China can hold hands and act together.¡±


    If the first and second options took ce, China and America were bound to fight. If America attacked North Korea, China wouldn¡¯t have held still, but if China decided to attack North Korea, the UN was going to dispatch the US military by using liberal democracy as an excuse.


    ¡®If we pick sides, that¡¯s it for all of us.¡¯


    Whether they picked America or China, the end scenario wasn¡¯t going to be good. The best way was for America and China to work together.


    ¡°But the problem is... those three options have a low probability of actually taking ce.¡±


    Since politics, international diplomatics, national pride, and history were all tangled up with it, it wasn¡¯t going to be resolved with just a few peopleing to an agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, is it, CEO Ahn?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed in response to Kim Dae San¡¯s question. The old man had been waiting for a specific answer from the start as if the answer was already there.


    ¡°There is one more option.¡±


    ¡°Oh! What is it?¡±


    The old men urged him like little kids. Kim Dae San must have wanted to make Ahn Soo Ho an army of the rich.


    ¡°Me.¡±


    If they were worried about the aftermath of threatening North Korea, he could just wipe them all out. However, Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in putting in all that effort to...


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He saw someone running over.


    ¡°North Korea did it again!¡±


    And this time, people were harmed.


    ¡®Is this pig out of his mind?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 151 ¨C Korea Shock [3] > The end.

 Chapter 153: < Protect – Episode 152 – Korea Shock [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 153: < Protect ¨C Episode 152 ¨C Korea Shock [4] ></h4>


    Once he got back from visiting Kim Dae San, he ran into an unexpected guest in front of his house.


    ¡°Pam?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Soo Ho.¡±


    Since they brought around a lot of people, they couldn¡¯t help but stand out. Ahn Soo Ho led her to the yard. Mrs. Park Ok Nam wasn¡¯t into gardening or horticulture, but she liked potted nts. The two sat on the swing in the front yard.


    ¡°This is my first time on a swing since I was 10 years old.¡±


    ¡°And when on earth was that? When the tiger smoked cigarettes?¡±


    ¡°Tiger?¡±


    Pam was reasonably fluent in Korean, but she didn¡¯t know the old sayings and idioms. It was obvious why she came to find Ahn Soo Ho in secret.


    ¡°North Korea?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why are they being so sensitive about a yearly custom? If they just make one critical statement, they¡¯ll back down again.¡±


    ¡°They usually would have.¡±


    Following the terrorist war against the States in the early 21st century, North Korea became another foe along with the Im terrorists. What was funny was that despite the sanctions, the States insisted North Korea as a tourist destination. The wave of capitalism that hit in thete 20th century changed the lives of those living inmunist countries, and the world¡¯s economy no longer depended on the politics and block logic.


    ¡°If North Korea continues to provoke, the White House might order a preemptive strike.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because President Olsen is old-school.¡±


    Whether it was the Democratic party or the Republican party, old-school politicians were simr. And it was different from the old state of things.


    ¡°To be honest with you, the president hates you. His family might be Swedish, but the president himself is a Texan at heart.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s tiring every time the one in power changes.¡±


    Humans not only had a lot of doubt, but they were selfish as well.


    ¡°So? Are they trying to screw me over with the North Korean problem?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t go that far...¡±


    ¡°That means they do want to screw me over.¡±


    ¡°Just know that a capitalist has been mobilized.¡±


    ¡°Vulture fund?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You knew?¡±


    Pam pretended to be surprised, but her acting was awkward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever try acting, okay? You suck.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Pilgrim Heyward.¡±


    ¡°K-Bank?¡±


    K-Bank was short for Casa nca Neuro Bank. Many people got Casa nca confused with an extraordinary yboy, but it actually referred to a North African economic union based in Moro. In contrast to a tribal nation like Central Africa and a ck-and-white conflict-ridden nation like South Africa, North Africa had been receiving benefits from Europe for quite some time.


    It was also where the assassination group, Ang was based as well. People would ask why a group called Ang wasn¡¯t located at Ang? However, there was no logical answer to that.


    ¡®Barbarism that has been reasonably civilized.¡¯


    When both concepts ovepped, it made for the most optimal environment for assassins to be. Strictws and regtions, as well as safety, only restricted the assassins¡¯ movements.


    ¡®Another name for K-Bank is Blood Bank.¡¯


    Ang¡¯s moneyundering went through multiple international banks, but they especially used K-Bank quite a bit. The mistake that the executivemittee of Ang made was handing over some shares to an outsider in hopes of making a little more money.


    ¡®United Industries could be the oue of that.¡¯


    Thomas Chenyabin, also known as Issac¡¯s United Industries was highly likely to be Ang in disguise.


    ¡°Does the president know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure actually.¡±


    ¡°Thomas Chenyabin.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You should pay sharp attention to United Aircraft.¡±


    After that, they chatted about various topics. Pam didn¡¯t make any requests of him, but Ahn Soo Ho already knew. Once he was left alone, he sat on the swing by himself.


    ¡®He wasn¡¯t at the White House for no reason.¡¯


    It was hard to see the visit of the vice president of United Aircraft as well as the head of the assassination group¡ªAng, also known as Issac¡ªto the White House as just a coincidence. He couldn¡¯t exclude the possibility that the series of events were nned and predicted. Even if Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t interfered, Scott Davis could have still failed and Allen Davis could have still lost his position.


    ¡®But that wouldn¡¯t be any fun...¡¯


    He felt like someone was fooling around with him.


    ¡°What are you doing over there, Soo Ho?¡±


    The three besides Lee So Hye, who got back from their schedules spotted Ahn Soo Ho on the swing. It was right for them to find their own ces to live, but they downright refused.


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the verge of death!¡±


    They started toin.


    Most of them were insults towards their trainers and manager. Ratting on them probably wouldn¡¯t have changed anything, but they weren¡¯tining out of ill intent either. What men had a hard time doing was sympathizing. Rather than trying to reason, just going along with it was enough for an issue like this. Once Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel finished ranting, they went inside, but Ahn Da Sol remained outside.


    ¡°Scary face.¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol sensed a peculiar vibe with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I feel like someone¡¯s fooling around with me.¡±


    ¡°The missile fired from North Korea?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, but she knew his answer.


    ¡°North Korea... doesn¡¯t like to give up, but it¡¯s not like anyone can get rid of them. However, letting them be isn¡¯t ideal either. Soo Ho, aren¡¯t you close with the director of the Ministry of National Defense?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. I heard you were.¡±


    ¡°Me and that pig? There isn¡¯t anything I want from him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but if you consider the bnce of East Asia, North Korea can be useful in a lot of ways.¡±


    The four countries surrounding Korea which included America, China, Russia, and Japan were always fighting in a fixed manner with no one country winning. He didn¡¯t know about North Korea, but it was a good thing from South Korea¡¯s point of view. There was still the issue of how the political and cultural differences could be resolved between North and South Korea, but both sides agreed that they wanted to avoid war.


    ¡°They want to avoid war? That¡¯s a question I need to ask myself.¡±


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho built safe houses and dungeons all over the world. There were ones in the countryside, one in the Himyas, one in the African desert, and one in the Amazon jungle as well. He even made them in ces that people couldn¡¯t step foot on, and there was no reason to not build one in Pyeongyang.


    Pyeongyang was 200 kilometers away from Seoul.


    ¡®Has it been 2 years and 8 months now?¡¯


    Pyeongyang hadn¡¯t changed 10 years ago or even 2 years ago. Pyeongyang operated through the privileged ss, but there was a big gap between the rich and the poor within that ss as well. Ahn Soo Ho visited the Mansudae apartments. The economic superiority nowpletely belonged to South Korea. The only thing that North Korea had an upper hand with was their ess to the world¡¯s ck market.


    The younger generation of Korea currently believed that North Korea was on the verge of doom, but the profits they made from their business in the ck market were astronomical. And they had the perfect slush fund that wasn¡¯t on any map or statistics. The people of North Korea might have been uneducated and poor, but the upper ss was the total opposite.


    In that sense, perhaps ideologies and system didn¡¯t matter. That was because whether they were capitalists ormunists, the top 0.01% had more than half of the country¡¯s assets.


    And neither socialists nor Democrats could 100% resolve inequality. It was possible that the 21st century was the most unequal era of all.


    Among the scenery of Pyeongyang, there was one that was the best of all.


    Being able to live in the Mansudae apartments meant that a person seeded as an upper-ssman of North Korea. Lee Yong Hee studied at Berlin University and Beijing University before being put in charge of a project for earning foreign money. The Rising Up Against the Revolution gathering was simr in status to the Crown Prince Party of China.


    ¡®The Republic shall be an advanced civilization!¡¯


    The reforms always believed that they would lead North Korea to its copse. In all honesty, thinking this way in North Korea was no different from treason.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Lee Yong Hee, who was on his way into his apartment, heard someone¡¯s voice in the dark which made him flinch.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    Once he confirmed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face, he let his guard down and took off his tie.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°You lost a lot of weight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having a hard time because of someone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not talking about me, are you?¡±


    Lee Yong Hee shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not just here to say hello... Is it because of the missile?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for various reasons.¡±


    ¡°South Korea wouldn¡¯t have ordered you to do this... Was it America?¡±


    He was misunderstanding the situation, but he didn¡¯t try to rify. Lee Yong Hee took out two beers and handed one to Ahn Soo Ho. Asahi beer. They were drinking Japanese beer in Pyeongyang? Considering their anti-Japanese independence movement, this was something tough about.


    Lee Yong Hee read Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes and tried to exin.


    ¡°Tsingtao doesn¡¯t suit my taste.¡±


    ¡°What about Daedongkang beer?¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    North Korea also made a beer called Daedongkang, and it didn¡¯t taste half bad.


    ¡°There¡¯s aplicated story behind the missileunch.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it ordered by the highmand?¡±


    Lee Yong Hee shook his head.


    ¡°Political director Kim Tae Sun ordered it. He doesn¡¯t like the idea of South Korea and China getting friendly. He also doesn¡¯t want South Korea¡¯s advancement to speed up.¡±


    It was human nature to want what others wanted.


    ¡°Would shooting a few missiles make Korea and China distant though? China will probably be more against North Korea for throwing a fuss.¡±


    ¡°From the outside, it may look that way. But think about it. Do you really think Kim Tae Sun acted alone?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t asking expecting Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s answer. Lee Yong Hee continued to talk to himself.


    ¡°If there wasn¡¯t a person in power in China who supported it as well, it would have just ended with a few gunfights.¡±


    North Korea¡¯s military wasn¡¯t so wealthy that they could shoot missiles as if they were having a yearly event.


    ¡°Who of China?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho started thinking about China.


    It wasn¡¯t the Chinese premier, Yuhaipung. He had no intention of getting involved with North Korea¡¯s crazy behavior and getting in trouble with America. Even with the Davis scandal making America¡¯s image suffer, the US military was still strong. With China¡¯s current way of operating the premier couldn¡¯t just do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°They might have suffered under the Western powers, but they¡¯re still a strong nation, Soo Ho. Have you ever thought about how many talents are hidden all over the continent? Not even the revolution could drag all of them out.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just the case for China. Even in Korea, elite gatherings such as the Korea National Association and the Comradery association had the most power. The invisible hand that controlled the world behind the curtains. Among them, one of the most famous ones was Rosechild.


    ¡°Whether a war breaks out or not, whether there¡¯s another recession or not, and whether or not the world gets more dangerous or not, the capitalists will keep getting richer.¡±


    ¡°What about North Korea?¡±


    ¡°Us? We¡¯re in the same boat just with a different title. A system that uses up the public is very different from socialism.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like the words of a true traitor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying this to you.¡±


    He felt like it was just yesterday when the struggle for sses was overthrown. However, once that mentality had gone for a while, they thought it truly ended the caste system that was revived once again. Was he unable to acknowledge it? It had nothing to do with democracy or socialism.


    ¡°The caste system is back. Actually, it never disappeared, to begin with, Soo Ho. What changed about our money?¡±


    He felt like he had heard this before. Even North Korea, who fiercely attacked the concept of capitalism couldn¡¯t be freed from money.


    ¡°Kim Taek Sun didn¡¯t act with some kind of grand vision, but he was simply employed by someone with money. And it¡¯s possible that whoever hired him was hired by someone else with more money. In the end, it¡¯s all about money.¡±


    Even this year, there were all sorts of protests all over the world against inequality in capitalism and demanding a resolution as a result. But how many rich people would have actually listened to the peace protests under the titles¡ªconstitutional government and democracy? One of the methods of controlling the public included testing their limits under one of the rules they set down. And as soon as they lost control and exceeded their limits, they were punished with a revolution. Among the thoughts and ideologies that ruled the 20th century, it wasn¡¯t people who were in the center, but money instead, and it wasn¡¯t that different in the 21st century either.


    The extreme followers of capitalism didn¡¯t like the idea of linking equality with societal justice. Why? Because they didn¡¯t understand why the rich had to be responsible for why they couldn¡¯t be educated enough, fed well, or dressed adequately. Because they were sociopaths? Not at all.


    ¡°Bothmunists and capitalists have the premise and ideology of wishing their people to prosper... but it¡¯s the people who are using them, and people make mistakes. So it¡¯s hard to avoid any kind of inequality. Even in amunist rule where all wealth is redistributed, there was inequality.¡±


    If the price to pay for prospering was inequality, then who was the civilization developing for? There was nothing people could do about inequality in talent, but if there was inequality in opportunities given, inequality was going to exist no matter how hard people tried. Tax dors were spent in order for the country to operate. If there was no tax revenue or if the standards were not met, it meant that they were being irresponsible and telling people to survive on their own means.


    And North Korea was already headed toward its end.


    ¡°This country will soon stand at an important crossroads. They have to either get out or die. And I¡¯m certain that there won¡¯t be a fourth hereditary monarch.¡±


    No matter how much they suppressed people with fear and how much they brainwashed them, they couldn¡¯t force them to have the will to survive. Once Ahn Soo Ho finished listening to Lee Yong Hee¡¯s venting, he finally spoke.


    ¡°Where does Kim Taek Sun live?¡±


    Lee Yong Hee pointed upward at a higher level without a word.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 152 ¨C Korea Show [4] > The end.

 Chapter 154: < Protect – Episode 153 – Korea Shock [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 154: < Protect ¨C Episode 153 ¨C Korea Shock [5] ></h4>


    Mansudae Apartments were a nice ce to live in, but it wasn¡¯t appropriate for amodating the most talented people of North Korea. The only reason why Kim Taek Sun used Mansundae apartments was because he wanted to do things that he couldn¡¯t do in a house, and that was to chase after women. As much as he was skilled, he was also a yboy.


    ¡°Huff, huff! Ugh.¡±


    He took pretty much everything that was supposed to work, but nothing changed. He left the naked woman in his bed and walked out to the living room.


    ¡°Damn it!¡¯


    The man¡¯s dignity hit rock bottom. Did he have to take Viagra again? Once Kim Taek Sun chugged some water and turned around, he dropped the water bottle in surprise as soon as he turned around.


    ¡°Oh, you set up an ount in Hong Kong?¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho looked through Kim Taek Sun¡¯sptop while sitting on the couch, he discovered his slush fund. However, what was unique was that he used a Hong Kong bank instead of a Swiss bank. Whether it was inside or outside the country, people mocked the Chinese government forying down harsh punishments for offshore tax evasion. Or it was possible that someone from Hong Kong supported Kim Taek Sun from behind the scenes.


    ¡®This is interesting.¡¯


    The people of Hong Kong endorsed independence, so they didn¡¯t like the Chinese Communist Party. The liberal system was a bit iffy, but they still managed to live over 100 years in freedom, so it was understandable that they were mad about the government switching to dictatorship overnight. Hong Kong people argued that they were Hong Kong people and not Chinese people. They might have looked simr, but their identities refused to be Chinese.


    ¡®Are they trying to disperse the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s attention on Hong Kong to others around them?¡¯


    Lee Yong Hee thought that a Chinese person was the one who gave Kim Taek Sun the support he needed. As a North Korean, he probably perceived Hong Kong people and Chinese people as the same. However, the gap between Hong Kong and China was far and wide.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Kim Taek Sun sat down on the couch across from Ahn Soo Ho. And of course, magic was used. He had visited North Korea over 20 times before, but this was his first time meeting Kim Taek Sun. He was a go-getter who ended up at the center of power. Besides being obsessed with sex, he had very few weaknesses to be used against him.


    ¡°Exin to me why the missiles were fired south.¡±


    ¡°It was Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s request.¡±


    ¡°Anne & Everick Investments?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We received a request to fire a missile and provoke America so that they would work with China to resolve it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got some guts.¡±


    Anne & Everick Investments was a joint investment firm of Ennd and Hong Kong that was often called the Hong Kong Dinosaurs. While K-Bank posed a strong influence in Africa, A&E ruled all over South East Asia. A&E, which had major corporations in Hong Kong and Singapore, was famous as a senior member of the City of London, and over 30% of the spective capital going over from China and Ennd went through thispany.


    ¡®These bastards.¡¯


    Since they needed to divide the attention of the Chinese Communist Party in order to support Hong Kong¡¯s independence movement, they wanted to use North Korea and a vulture fund and collect profits while they were at it. This was an international fraud that included K-Bank. A&E, as well as other investment groups.


    ¡®Something like this happened during the foreign currency crisis as well.¡¯


    Back then George Soros¡¯ hedge fund and another spective force acted together.


    ¡®But their original intent is none of my business...¡¯


    Since Korea possessed a lot in foreign currencies, they weren¡¯t going to go down easily. He did have financial ns in mind with Korea as a target, but as long as no one attacked him, he had no intention ofmitting any chivalrous acts. Contrarily, for Ahn Soo Ho who had huge amounts of cash, a foreign currency crisis was an opportunity.


    ¡°Transfer it.¡±


    He pushed theptop toward Kim Taek Sun, and he donated a portion of his slush fund to UNICEF. That was it. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho disappeared, Kim Taek Sun fell on his face. A few powerful men of Pyeongyang didn¡¯t wake up that morning, and as a result, the North Korean government flipped upside down.


    As soon as rumors started going around that Kim Taek Sun died while having sex, they tried to conceal it immediately. Then rumors that he was killed in a purge started going around. Kim Taek Sun was the right hand of the king, but since the right hand got cut overnight, those who were watching couldn¡¯t help but stay low.


    Even the owner of the assembly hall was shocked by Kim Taek Sun¡¯s death. There wasn¡¯t a single piece of evidence that pointed toward an assassination. North Korea never needed evidence in the first ce, but that was why it was even scarier. If people were really on an assassination mission, anyone in the upper ss could be the next target.


    The North Korean government thought this was America¡¯s response to the missiles. They could have pushed the responsibility to America, but if they admitted to the fact that they snuck into Pyeongyang and assassinated the political director, their system would have tumbled down.


    They just went with Kim Taek Sun¡¯s death being a part of a purge.


    ¡®So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be, huh? But then again, if America¡¯s not satisfied, they¡¯re more than capable ofmitting assassinations.¡¯


    America always talked about freedom, democracy, and legal justice, but they had ordered assassinations before. And everything was for the profit of the nation. Ahn Soo Ho who got in a Hong Kong private jet only found out about Kim Taek Sun¡¯s death a weekter. And after that, there were no more missileunches. However, North Korea continued with their provocative media games, but since they did that 365 days a year anyway, all they had to do was let it enter one ear and exit through the other.


    He talked to Daniel on the phone.


    ¡°Some of the hedge fund positions are weird. It¡¯s as if...¡±


    ¡°There was a fumble?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes, exactly!¡±


    Daniel Navarros, who was born in South America, lived like an American, and then moved to Korea, was obsessed with ser. It was in his blood.


    ¡°In the process of the spective forces going over to vulture funds, there are other investors who are collecting funds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a sign that they want to pull their foot out before they suffer a loss in the case that the stock prices don¡¯t end up as they nned.¡±


    ¡°Was that why there weren¡¯t any missileunches in thest few days...?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°What about the Hope Medical Foundation?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re money-eating hippos.¡±


    Daniel shook his head as if he had enough of them. Hosoo Entertainment Group nned to invest 10 trillion won over the span of 20 years to the Hope Medical Foundation. Whenever they announced anything, it was in the trillions, but 10 trillion won over the course of 20 years wasn¡¯t that burdensome. The problem was that the Korean taxw required them to pay a lot of taxes.


    ¡°Trying to be certified as a non-profit organization is too vague. To be honest with you, it¡¯s always possible for us to evade taxes.¡±


    ¡°There are many ces in our country that were solely created to avoid taxes. That¡¯s how mostrge corporations are.¡±


    ¡°Does the National Tax Service stand for that?¡±


    ¡°Well, America is even worse. Whether it¡¯s America or Ennd, people learn the worst things from developed countries.¡±


    The rich acknowledged tax evasion as a skill than something illegal. Whatever they did themselves wasn¡¯t wrong to them. But what could anyone do? The rich people of any country had less ethical sense than the average human being. The rich weren¡¯t sons of b*tches. But most rich people were.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t change anything, we¡¯ll have to pay... 4 trillion won in taxes.¡±


    ¡°4 trillion? It¡¯s been reduced by quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°We just paid an unrealistic amountst year.¡±


    He paid 23 trillion won in taxes. He wasn¡¯t sure if anyone was going to break that record in Korea.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to try so hard to reduce our taxes, Danny.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no reason to give them all our money either. I¡¯ll try my best to reduce it this year.¡±


    ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho backed off this time. Since he gave so muchst year, there was no way anyone would tackle him about taxes this time around. As soon as he ended his call, Kim Woo Jung approached and handed him a bottle of beer. It seemed like he was always surrounded by women, but the truth was, most businessmen and secretaries were male. All the talk about harems were just nonsense.


    ¡°What brings you to Hong Kong?¡±


    ¡°I have to meet someone. What about you, Director Kim?¡±


    ¡°Even if they were taken over by China, Hong Kong¡¯s film and entertainment industry have a lot of potential. In order to attempt at China¡¯s market, it¡¯s best to use Hong Kong first. If they use the ban against Korean culture again, there won¡¯t be an answer.¡±


    The celebrities and production team of Hosoo Entertainment were doing well in China. However, their current activities weren¡¯t direct investments but were cooperative projects. In order to analyze the markets of China and Japan, they had a liaison office, but when they took over Shinhwa and FNB, the foreign branches were all shut down.


    Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe had the same name, but their method of operation waspletely different from the main branch. As soon as Hollywood producer Scott Warren started working under Ahn Soo Ho, the businessmen of the main branch suddenly becamepetitive, and Kim Woo Jung focused more on management than business.


    ¡°Hong Kong people are very different from Chinese people. They¡¯re more cold-hearted.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung had an urate perception of the rtionship between Hong Kong and China.


    ¡°Taiwan is actually more simr to China.¡±


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t say that to Taiwanese people.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    The way China and Taiwan acted was very simr. Since China had arger poption, they stood out more, but if Taiwan had the same poption, they would have acted the same way.


    ¡®Their proud nature that took over Asia for thousands of years doesn¡¯t just disappear.¡¯


    China wasn¡¯t going to change in a 100 or 1000 years. Once Ahn Soo Ho arrived in Hong Kong, he parted ways with Kim Woo Jung and headed over to a skyscraper. It was China, but it didn¡¯t look like China. Hong Kong was going through a dramatic change.


    The 80th floor was surrounded by clouds. Other people needed binocrs to see, but his eyesight allowed him to see the people¡¯s faces on the ground from above. The people gathered around as if they were in the middle of a protest.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    The person who sat across from him was a woman.


    Barbara Huxley


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t make the gesture of pulling out her seat, and she didn¡¯t expect such a thing from him either. She ordered a ck tea and then stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Is... something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Your face looks scary.¡±


    He smirked in response to what Ahn Da Sol said as well.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m in a pretty bad mood.¡±


    ¡°Angeli... Oh, my bad. Da Sol said you flipped North Korea upside down.¡±


    ¡°It was a warning.¡±


    ¡°A warning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A warning that if they roam around in front of me, I¡¯ll kick their ass.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t able tough or cry.


    ¡°Anne & Everick.¡±


    ¡°Is that the target?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho called Barbara to Hong Kong because he needed her help. That was because he didn¡¯t have a point of contact with A&E. There was no use in just demanding that he meet with the chairman, and if he used his reputation and fame to get what he wanted, there was bound to be retaliation.


    The pride of Hong Kong people was as high as Mount Everest.


    He was soon able to meet with Chairman Hwang Chi Rin. One of the reasons was because there was a lot of British capital with A&E, but it was also because Barbara¡¯s status was very high. He heard that he was slightly bald, with a bit of a belly. Countries that suffered from greater poverty tended to prefer bigger bellies.


    ¡®There¡¯s an incredible gap between the rich and the poor in Hong Kong.¡¯


    No matter how high their GDP was, the crazy cost of living in Hong Kong couldn¡¯t be dealt with. In particr, the cost of houses there was literally a killer.


    ¡°I¡¯m Hwang Chi Rin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your reputation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a retired man. But I have heard that you¡¯re an impressive businessman.¡±


    ¡°Haha. That¡¯s just what my reputation says.¡±


    Once theyplimented each other a few times, they became quite friendly. On the outside at least. Neither of them talked about the death of the political director or North Korea, and it was Hwang Chi Rin who got straight to the point first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll halt the operation.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    He tilted his head in response to Ahn Soo Ho shaking his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted, Mr. Ahn?¡±


    ¡°I may be a Korean, but I¡¯m also a businessman, Chairman Hwang. I have no intention of getting in the way of capitalistic reasoning.¡±


    Korea¡¯s foreign capital was at its highest limit and being maintained. Even if K-Bank, A&E, or another investment firm initiated an operation, they weren¡¯t going to go through a foreign currency crisis.


    Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s eyes opened wide in curiosity.


    ¡°However, bringing North Korea into this was a rash decision.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for that.¡±


    He put his strong pride down and apologized sincerely. This was Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s first meeting with Ahn Soo Ho, but he knew very much about his reputation. He didn¡¯t like that he was close with premier Yuhaipung, but since he had even America and Russia in the palm of his hands, he didn¡¯t think China was any different.


    Hwang Chi Rin looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a cold gaze.


    ¡®They say he¡¯s a master in martial arts.¡¯


    As someone who got to where he was through martial arts, he was very active in martial artspetition and the world¡¯s martial arts association. After the reform of the Chinese Communist Party, they weren¡¯tpletely suppressed, but nuns, monks, and religion were still under repression. The Falun Gong was proof that China was still barbaric. Hwang Chi Rin and James Hwang, who were proud to be Hong Kong people, treated ck people as if they were dirty foreigners.


    In that sense, they were racists. But they probably just thought of it as Hong Kong pride.


    ¡°What is it that you want, Mr. Ahn?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho chugged his expensive tea and then gave him a friendly smile, but the people who could see him would have had cold sweat dripping down their backs.


    ¡°How much is your life worth?¡±


    Barbara, who was just listening, smiled as if she was entertained, and Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s peace was then shattered. The next day, the credit rating organizations all over the world lowered the nation¡¯s credit by two levels. Korea didn¡¯t receive any warning beforehand, so they felt like they were hit with a bomb.


    Did North Korea¡¯s continuous provocation increase Korea¡¯s investment risk?


    Our economy is crashing! Is this the start of the Korean shock?


    Pressure the US forces in Korea to be mobilized!


    The reformation of the rich cannot be put off any longer!


    The real impact that shook up Korea wasn¡¯t the fall of the nation¡¯s credit score.


    Jungil Group, which is currently ranked 5th out of all conglomerates, has been caught with ounting fraud of 3.5 trillion won!


    Once Ahn Soo Ho saw the front page of the newspaper, he picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. Reveal the list of secret agents.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 153 ¨C Korea Shock [5] > The end.

 Chapter 155: < Protect – Episode 154 – Korea Shock [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 155: < Protect ¨C Episode 154 ¨C Korea Shock [6] ></h4>


    The number of spies that were mobilized in Western Berlin during the unification of Germany was around 6000. If that was the case, how many North Koreans spies were there in South Korea? There was no reason to only count the spies that came from North Korea as secret agents. Those who were dissatisfied with Korean society and tried to cooperate with foreign countries could also be counted as spies.


    Counterintelligence was a key topic for each country¡¯s intelligence agency.


    In particr, Korea worked day in and day out at obtaining information from both the military and the public. That was because there was no issue better than that ofmies when trying to bury a sensitive topic, and there was no academic standard to how they approached it. They just raised the controversy of whether someone was amie. The problem was that the victim that was being used as a shield was a real secret agent. What was worse was that the secret agents didn¡¯t hesitate to act like the victim whatsoever.


    Wolves disguised as sheep.


    The reason why the wolves were shameless during such an act was because there were countless politicians who tried to judge such a serious security crisis based on factional interests. It wasn¡¯t just that they were numb to it, but beyond rtionships with various countries, they were willing to sell out their own country if it meant they would profit themselves.


    The list of Korean agents who sold out their own country to benefit a foreign country such as America, China, Japan, or Russia was spread by Alexa, who was ordered to do so by Ahn Soo Ho. If he had just revealed their names and photos, people might have said it was fabricated, but what made the reveal fatal was the fact that he also revealed videos and sound recordings.


    As soon as the list of more than 2899 agents were revealed, Korean citizens were shocked. It didn¡¯t matter if the media talked aboutmies. Why? Because the list of names disregarded political ideas and the gap between the rich and the poor.


    Congressman Oh Jin Eon got elected after receiving political funds from a Chinesepany!


    An executive stole a leading but smallpany¡¯s technology after being ordered to do so by an Americanpany!


    Is he Japanese or Korean? This businessman earns his money in Korea and then only pays taxes in Japan!


    An assassin who only targets North Korean defectors? They disguise the deaths as an ident or a person gone missing! Behind him is a North Korean assassination group!


    It wasn¡¯t specific to a certain profession or ss. Politicians, businessmen, and even government workers were involved in this scandal. And in response, the Korean citizens were miserable beyond words. The rich were just the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡®Where do the problems actually begin in this country?¡¯


    They no longer had the energy to even hold up a candle.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lowered the newspaper in response to Barbara¡¯s interrogation. On the first page of the newspaper was ¡°Korea Scandal¡± in big English letters.


    ¡°Who else would be okay after bringing down a humanwork of just one or two, but 25 countries?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged and changed the topic.


    ¡°Do you think Chairman Hwang will keep his promise?¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°I did ask him how much his life is worth, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a murdering psychopath.¡±


    Barbara looked as if she was speechless.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really know your own reputation, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you know it somewhat, but not exactly.¡±


    America treated Ahn Soo Ho as if he was just strategic arms.


    Ennd knew him as the king of supernatural abilities.


    Russia didn¡¯t think much of him.


    And Japan?


    ¡°Japan thinks you¡¯re Japanese.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Korean penins colonized following the annexation, so they think many Japanese men went to Joseon and spread their seeds. They think you have Japanese blood within you.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed out loud. It wasn¡¯t out of joy but out of absurdity.


    ¡°You¡¯re not kidding... are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. China and Japan are the same. China also thinks you¡¯re Chinese.¡±


    Korea, China, and Japan were intertwined for thousands of years. If they tracked down their roots, it was bound to getplicated. However, there would probably have been more hatred than love.


    ¡°China thinks of South Korea as their subordinate state just like North Korea. And since Japan had once taken over the Korean penins, it¡¯s true that the blood of Korea, China, and Japan are all intertwined.¡±


    ¡°Correction. It wasn¡¯t Joseon but the Korean empire. And annexation? That was an invasion, not a negotiation. And mixed blood, huh? If you put it that way, the French and Limeys are the same.¡±


    In response, Barbara knitted her brows and then nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean toe off that way, but what I just said is a universal sentiment throughout China and Japan. They can¡¯t ept Korea to be a nation that rules the world.¡±


    Koreans wouldn¡¯t have liked to hear this, but Korea¡¯s national branding was far from that of China and Japan.


    ¡°What do they get out of insisting that I¡¯m one of them?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go into entertainment so that you would be more recognized?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny it. But so what?¡±


    ¡°The custom of conducting strategic marriages still exists to this day. China and Japan talking about blood descent is their way of asking about your true intention.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed again out of speechlessness.


    ¡°They must be out of their minds.¡±


    ¡°They might omit the option of getting married.¡±


    ¡°Option?¡±


    ¡°That means they just want your sperm. There are families who just want to have children without getting married.¡±


    They really weren¡¯t in their right minds.


    ¡®This reminds me of something that happened a long time ago.¡¯


    He was once offered 10 billion dors to sell his semen to a biotechnology research center in America. He justughed it off at the time, but there were multiple agents who went through his hotel rooms looking for hair, fluids, or skin fragments. That was why he used his magic to leave no traces of himself from that point onward. What if they asked a beautiful woman to seduce him with 10 billion dors? Would she have been able to refuse? She would have gotten paid just by bringing some of his semen back.


    They looked through all of his belongings, garbage can, poop, and even the air that he breathed out. So he always cleaned everything up with his magic. The magic didn¡¯t simply mobilize a space, but it worked with the cause and effect of all matter in the environment. He could literally kill someone with his gaze alone.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s curious if your abilities are gic, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°So they want to use my child as ab rat?¡±


    Barbara got goosebumps in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cold response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m against it, too.¡±


    ¡°But then again... since you¡¯re known as a witch now, too, you probably know my pain pretty well.¡±


    Regardless of the money queen¡¯s status, Barbara Huxley was the British government¡¯s asset. Her freedom was limited as long as she produced benefits for the British government.


    ¡°Thomas Chenyabin.¡±


    The name that came out of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mouth made Barbara flinch.


    ¡°Did Da Sol tell you?¡±


    ¡°No, she told me a name that was either Michel or Michael.¡±


    ¡°Michael Tobal... and Thomas Chenyabin are in the same organization.¡±


    ¡°United Industries Alliance.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°You knew.¡±


    ¡°They made it way too obvious. Are they a subordinate office to Aragon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The fact that the great Aragonpany of the mercenary industry was just a puppet for someone else was a surprising secret.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the other leaders of other countries who also have supernatural powers are just leaving you alone.¡±


    ¡°Because unlike me, they don¡¯t have a safety mechanism. It¡¯s a type ofpromise.¡±


    ¡°A safety mechanism?¡±


    Barbara lifted the lower part of her blouse. The sudden strip show made Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes jolt. On her skin was a peculiar figure and writing.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    It was a shabby skill, but she made an effort to imitate magic.


    ¡°This is the great end result aplished by the British empire.¡±


    In contrast to what she was saying, she was speaking in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a carved seal.¡±


    ¡°Did you know? You!¡±


    Barbara¡¯s eyes jolted open.


    ¡°Was the person who wrote those letters ck and had no left hand?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    She eximed in surprise. This was half a century ago so she had no idea how Ahn Soo Ho knew while only being 40 years old. But instead of asking anything, she just looked at him with eyes wide open.


    ¡°Do you want it gone?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s possible... I¡¯ll stay loyal to you for life.¡±


    ¡°No need to go that far.¡±


    It was illogical to ept another confinement in order to be freed from something else. Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Before he even finished, the restaurant shook. It wasn¡¯t a strong vibration but there was a ripple in the tea that was set on the table. Was it an earthquake? Not at all. However, those who were startled hid beneath the tables or ran toward the exit. It was so sudden that even the restaurant manager and employees ran away.


    In the end, it was just Ahn Soo Ho, Barbara, and their entourage who were left. Once Barbara opened her eyes, she stared at Ahn Soo Ho deeply. Her eyes shook with delight. She touched the cold tea on the table as she looked at the broken ss and dirty table with a bitterugh.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°You should try to avoid being monitored for the time being.¡±


    If not, people would have found out that the restriction had been lifted. Even though their sses were empty, there wasn¡¯t a single employee filling it back up. She signaled for some of her entourage to head to the kitchen.


    ¡°Are you going to get revenge?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Not right away though.¡±


    Ennd made the person they feared the most into their enemy. What was scarier was that Ennd didn¡¯t know that the end of Barbara¡¯s de was faced toward them. Once they found out, it was going to be toote.


    ¡®It looks like Ennd is screwed.¡¯


    To be frank, Enndmitted many atrocious things. They heard a siren. Someone must have reported them. They heard all sorts of radio noise about building safety and terrorist threats.


    ¡°We should go before things getplicated.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have enough time to enjoy theirst tea.


    It looked like Barbara had more to say, but the reason why he lifted her restriction was because of A&E. Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in helping Barbara and the other witches with their troubles. She hesitated while knowing that, and in the end, she didn¡¯t say a word.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho parted with Barbara, he headed to the streets of Hong Kong.


    Hong Kong people didn¡¯t care about what Koreans did, so they had no idea about any scandals or a second Korean war. Could anyone curse at them for theirck of interest? People dying from war and diseases was a sad thing. However, both Koreans and Hong Kong people didn¡¯t care about the horrible things that happened in Africa and the Middle East.


    Humans had pity.


    Everyone had an urge to help when they saw someone in need. However, not many turned their thoughts into action. Where there no homeless people in Hong Kong? Considering 90% of Hong Kong¡¯s economy revolved around the service industry including finance and tourism, without proper education they fell to the lower ss in an instant.


    Hong Kong¡¯s true face wasn¡¯t that beautiful.


    Despite that fact, the famous tourist destination was full of all sorts of skin and hair colors. Regardless of the terrorist attacks in New York and London, they enjoyed their vacation full of shopping and eating. As long as it didn¡¯t happen in front of their eyes, it was none of their business. He was able to easily spot the Koreans on the streets.


    However, they didn¡¯t recognize Ahn Soo Ho.


    No matter how famous Ahn Soo Ho got, he didn¡¯t have the stunning looks that people immediately recognized. On top of that, he covered his face with big sunsses and used some magic to conceal himself. If he used his magic 100%, he was likely to bump shoulders with people every time he took a step. Ahn Soo Ho was already troubled by the crowded streets of Hong Kong.


    ¡®Is it a protest?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t. It was a broadcast.


    Seeing how they were talking in Beijing Chinese, they weren¡¯t from a Hong Kong broadcaster. Just like the booming Chinese economy, the Chinese entertainment industry wasparable to Hollywood. However, it was not guaranteed to be fun every time. Ahn Soo Ho looked at the cast and then tilted his head.


    One of the guests had ck hair, but her body didn¡¯t look like that of an Asian woman. Even the Mongoloids of the 21st century were pretty and handsome. So anyone could look good as long as they took good care of themselves.


    ¡®But that one...¡¯


    Not even Faker could win this round.


    ¡®Where have I seen her?¡¯


    The Western girl with ck hair was smiling, but her eyes looked bored. When he took a better look, there were quite a few Western people. Wasn¡¯t it a Chinese broadcast? Once Ahn Soo Ho spotted a banner, he nodded in understanding.


    ¡®Oh! Miss Universe.¡¯


    It was one of the 4 major world beauty pageants. He finally understood.


    ¡®The Chinese market is pretty big, too.¡¯


    Both Chinese people and Americans were obsessed with beauty.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    He then met eyes with the Western woman with ck hair. Even though his sunsses got in the way, they both recognized each other right away. The funny part was that she tilted her head after seeing Ahn Soo Ho as well.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    She then remembered and pointed her finger at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Once he got a look at her thick lips that let out an exmation, he remembered as well.


    ¡®Miss Brazil?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 154 ¨C Korea Shock [6] > The end.

 Chapter 156: < Protect – Episode 155 – Hong Kong Noir [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 156: < Protect ¨C Episode 155 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [1] ></h4>


    Miss Brazil, Alice Rima was bored.


    She managed to beat Miss USA to be Miss Universe, but as a result of the New York and London terrorist attacks, the response wasn¡¯t so good. And for that reason, she started her world tour earlier than usual. They called it volunteering for peace, but in the end, all the events were for sales. Contrarily to the reputation of the world beauty pageants, they weren¡¯t run by an international organization.


    The feminists didn¡¯t like this, but the world beauty pageants were like thest resort for a woman to elevate their status. It was true that the better their hair, the higher their chances of winning thepetition, but beauty was something people were born with. There were many idents that took ce at this year¡¯s Miss Universepetition, and the fact that Miss Venezu was disqualified in the preliminaries let alone win thepetition was a huge shock to everyone.


    ¡®After all, Venezu is a mess right now.¡¯


    The Miss Universepetition was strictly business. Miss World, which was run by a Britishpany, focused on beauty, while Miss Universe strongly focused on talents that could sell well. If they didn¡¯t have outstanding visuals or a stunning figure, they had no choice but to consider sponsorships and support from their country.


    The oil nation, Venezu was in so much trouble that they were faced with a civil war. Even though there was just one contestant, that contestant had a team of staff as well as multiple sponsors. Worldpetitions didn¡¯t only look at the contestant¡¯s abilities. If nationality yed a role, people might ask if developed countries such as America, Ennd, and France had an upper hand, but the upper ss who had the capabilities to be sponsors were quite conservative. There were many famous people who evenpared Miss Universe and Miss World to lowly porn stars.


    The reason why beauty pageants were especially popr in Venezu was because it was like a national project. As much as there were jokes about how the only things that the country could sell were oil, baseball yers, and beautiful women, Venezun woman obsessed over their looks. The South American men obsessed over sports while the South American women obsessed over their looks.


    ¡®I¡¯m sick of this.¡¯


    A Chinese man was speaking in Chinese, and if it wasn¡¯t for the interpreting through her earphones, she wouldn¡¯t have understood a thing. To her, it all sounded like bugs buzzing about.


    ¡°Smile a little.¡±


    The former Miss Universe, Michelle Marten of France whispered in Alice¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Do you think this is fun?¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not? This is all in your contract.¡±


    After China¡¯s reform, its growth was explosive in every industry. If it was before, China would have been looked down upon, but now, the luxury brands from all over the world tried everything they could to enter the Chinese market. Since beauty pageants depended on luxury brands, they had no choice but to listen and satisfy their requests.


    ¡®This is boring.¡¯


    She was failing as a professional who should have been doing her best in everything. Most importantly, she also looked down upon Chinese people. However, the reason for it was also the Chinese people. All the Chinese people she met at the parties that the Chinese sponsors set up all had upstart mindsets.


    She didn¡¯t want to be racist, but they made it hard for her to be otherwise.


    ¡®They¡¯re a bunch of monkeys with money and no honor.¡¯


    If they wanted to meet women, they should have made red-light districts.


    It was crazy to think that they could do anything as long as they had money. Even the trashy Brazilian president and the members of the national assembly obsessed over money. She heard that China had democratized quite a bit, but the Asian people she met so far were no better than the Venezuns who were on the brink of war.


    ¡®Good thing we¡¯re finishing off in Hong Kong.¡¯


    This was her first time in Beijing and Shanghai, but she had been to Hong Kong before. Her first impression of China wasn¡¯t the worst. That was because she thought China would be just like Hong Kong.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    While looking around the scenery in boredom, Alice noticed a particrly tall man and tilted her head. She couldn¡¯t see his eyes because of his sunsses, but she had seen him before.


    ¡®Is he an athlete?¡¯


    His frame was different from that of the other Chinese men. He also had broad shoulders as if he was a football yer. If he didn¡¯t have ck hair, she would have mistaken him for a white man.


    ¡®Where have I seen him before?¡¯


    They met eyes. She then remembered something.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    She shook her finger without meaning to.


    Her sudden behavior made everyone look at her. Even though she didn¡¯t have much will during the filming, Alice¡¯s visuals were so outstanding that the producers couldn¡¯t say anything. When else would they have an opportunity to film a variety show with Miss Universe?


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    Alice immediately apologized. After that, she actively participated in the filming, but she couldn¡¯t help but continue to look around her. It was finally their break time.


    ¡°Ally?¡±


    When Alice¡¯s manager noticed her heading over to the crowd instead of her limousine, he ran over to her in shock. In contrast to Chinese fans, Hong Kong people didn¡¯t try to touch a star or anything like that. She was friendly toward the people who wanted pictures and autographs, but she was still looking through the crowd.


    ¡®Am I just seeing things?¡¯


    There was no way. He had a strong personality, to begin with, and when upper-ss Brazilians tried to shut her up from telling anyone about the hostage incident that she knew about at the Sao Paolo police station, even they had a hard time with him.


    ¡®Soo Ho.¡¯


    He was the nameless hero of the hostage incident, and her meeting with him was purely coincidental. If she hadn¡¯t seen his picture on the New York Times, she wouldn¡¯t have recognized him this time around either. She looked up his name on the inte to get more information, but she just tilted her head.


    ¡®Why is such a rich and famous man going around resolving hostage incidents?¡¯


    Why did people make money? For most, it was to live safely and well. However, he goes around looking for danger? In Brazil, when people got rich, the first thing they did was sign up for kidnapping insurance and hire security guards. Rich people instinctively kept their distance from danger. That was apletely different issue from adventurers who enjoyed extreme sports.


    Once Alice finished off her fan service, she headed back into her limousine.


    ¡°What was that about? Are you sick?¡±


    Her manager couldn¡¯t help but ask. She acted weird during the filming and then she acted even weirder by providing random fan service afterward.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Aliceid down as if she didn¡¯t want to talk anymore.


    Her manager just sighed and backed off. Ahn Soo Ho, who she was looking everywhere for, was in the middle of walking through the shopping heaven of Hong Kong. Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye didn¡¯t make it obvious, but they expected gifts whenever he went abroad. They weren¡¯t crazy about designer items, but the things that were pretty and good quality were all designer.


    ¡®If the design and quality are good, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s a no-name.¡¯


    That part was obvious.


    If it was big or heavy though, he was better off buying it in Korea. That settled it, Ahn Soo Ho headed over to a perfume shop. Lee So Hye was too young to use perfumes, but Mrs. Park was the type to be sensitive to the air and scents around her. As such, she enjoyed potted nts, which was a hobby that didn¡¯t suit how she was in the past.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a perfume for my mother. Any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Right this way, Sir.¡±


    He sniffed some of the suggestions the employee made and then picked a pretty simple one. More subtle scents suited Koreans better than stronger ones. White people tended to give off more body odor while Asians did not. It was true that white people smelled if they didn¡¯t shower for a day. Just like how they hated the smell of fermented bean paste, Koreans hated the smell of their body odor.


    Next, Ahn Soo Ho headed over to a jewelry shop.


    The top jewel was definitely diamonds, but it wasn¡¯t something people could wearfortably. It was no big deal for people to wear diamond rings in Korea, but if they wore it in South America, they were at risk for getting their fingers chopped off. And carrying a phone outside of their house was like asking for it to get stolen.


    When he asked what was in these days, the employee rmended diamonds as well as tinum essories. Some might have asked how there were any trends to jewelry, but when looking into the investors of gold and diamond, there was indeed a trend. Ahn Soo Ho asked to see some of their tinum essories.


    1 ounce cost 900 US dors.


    Considering 1 ounce of gold cost 1200 US dors, tinum was no joke either. The prices were inted, but it was undeniable that diamonds were a safe way to keep funds, and there was a surprising reflective interest in the jewelry industry when the stock market was unstable. Chairman James Hwang prepared more than just a vulture fund. Under A&E¡¯s greedy n of swallowing Korean corporations when they were unstable, he also dipped his hand into the jewelry industry of gold and diamonds.


    If a currency war was to take ce against Korea, the rich were going to go into their crazy amount of funding saved in theirpany reserve. As a result, the subcontractors and smallpanies living off of exports would probably die off, but it would be foolish to me all of that on the society. In order for apany culture to stabilize, both major corporations and smallpanies had to go bankrupt at least once.


    ¡°This one.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho bought three tinum nes of a different design. He refused their offer to engrave initials into them.


    ¡°Mr. Ahn.¡±


    As soon as he got out after shopping, he was met with Shunmay and Henry. They had agreed to meet beforehand, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. The three went to a nearby caf¨¦.


    ¡°I was going to visit you anyway, so when I heard you wereing to Hong Kong, I ran over immediately.¡±


    Beijing was actually closer to Seoul than it was to Hong Kong. So it was just an excuse.


    ¡°I heard the party is cooperating. So what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to inquire and ask you about something... Does that burden you?¡±


    The way she addressed him so formally reminded him of a Japanese cartoon.


    ¡®Mr. Ahn! I want to y basketball!¡¯


    If he changed it a little more...


    ¡®Mr. Ahn! I want to learn martial arts!¡¯


    That was what he was hearing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Did you... already have an idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure not all party members share the same ideals and beliefs.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the premier, the authorities are being pretty amodating...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it from here.¡±


    Henry jumped into the conversation.


    ¡°How much do you know about autonomous regions, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Autonomous regions? Are you talking about Tibet or Uigur?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin.


    The China that most people knew was a very small part of the big picture. Most of China¡¯s major cities were located in the East. Was America like this before the remation of the West? When experts evaluated China¡¯s potential for development, the part that was always mentioned was the difference in potential between the East and the West.


    In particr, Tibet, which was connected to India, and Uigur, which had a point of contact with Central Asia were selected as key points of interest. China had all sorts of races, cultures,nguages, and religion, but its difference from America was that they didn¡¯t respect diversity. Ethnic conflict was always a problem in China.


    ¡°Since China hasn¡¯t received many benefits of civilization, they¡¯re not only exclusive to foreigners, but they¡¯re barbaric.¡±


    ¡°Barbaric? The ones I¡¯ve met were all friendly.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had visited Tibet and Uigur multiple times. It was true that they were exclusive, but in order to protect their families and survive, they had to react that way. As long as visitors proved that they had no ill intent, they were the friendliest people in the world.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were there to resolve a problem for them. But martial arts associations and theirpetitions are run based on fights. So they¡¯re easily mistaken for the central party.¡±


    ¡°Is there a need to forcefully try to convince those regions? What if you just let them be and proceed with the other districts?¡±


    ¡°There are many secluded masters there.¡±


    This time, Shunmay jumped into the conversation. He clicked his tongue in his head.


    ¡®How good can they be?¡¯


    In Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes, no matter how good they were at martial arts, they were all pretty simr in skill.


    ¡®So are the Hong Kong people looking down on maind Chinese and the maind Chinese are looking down on those in autonomous regions?¡¯


    Since even Korea had regional pride, China had to have it as well. They even had it in North Korea. Those from Hamheung hated everyone who was from there.


    ¡°I think we already found the solution.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Shunmay and Henry tilted their heads to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response.


    ¡°You said it yourself, Henry. They have received almost no benefits of civilization.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°The problem is...¡±


    ¡°Money.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    They all answered at the same time. Ahn Soo Ho thought about it and then pped his hands. He then took out his phone.


    ¡°Hi, Director Kim. Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s a film party today? I have a favor to ask you. Open up three more seats. Yes, three. Thank you. See youter.¡±


    He put away his phone and looked at Shunmay.


    ¡°Do you like ¡®Yes, Madam¡¯?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 155 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [1] > The end.

 Chapter 157: < Protect – Episode 156 – Hong Kong Noir [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 157: < Protect ¨C Episode 156 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [2] ></h4>


    Hong Kong movies were doomed.


    There were those who thought China swallowed them right up, but on the other hand, they lost their individuality. They tried to copy Hollywood, or put capital first which resulted in not so outstanding blockbusters. What really brought down the Hong Kong film industry was the actors and producers leaving Hong Kong, and that could have been for financial reasons or something institutional.


    In Korea, the cklist exposed the injustice and caused a societal ripple, but in China, celebrities who criticized or disobeyed the party were not left alone. As a result, such restrictions made the messages of films and dramas disappear with nothing but beautiful scenes to look at. The problem was that those scenes were no better than action CG that was used back in the 90s.


    ¡°The problem with Hong Kong movies? The key to Hong Kong movies is action. Nothing can catch the attention of viewers except for action. In the end, even Hong Kongedies include action. Without action, nothing else works.¡±


    ¡°Bruce Lee was dead, Jackie Chan was old, and Jet Li... Phew. We can¡¯t speak ill of the sick. Donnie Yen might be the best one, but even he¡¯s turning 60 soon.¡±


    ¡°The young actors who act like divas need to reflect. If they use stand-ins and CGs just because it¡¯s hard, they¡¯ll never improve.¡±


    The Hong Kong Film Night, which was one of the symbols of Hong Kong, took ce at the International Commerce Center. Ahn Soo Ho felt like there was a big difference between the Hong Kong entertainment world and the Chinese entertainment world.


    ¡®It¡¯s as if they¡¯re killing the Hong Kong entertainment business on purpose.¡¯


    Even if theck of producers, engineers, writers, and filming crew were due to mary restrictions, celebrities were being treated differently depending on their origin. In today¡¯s Hong Kong, there weren¡¯t even three or four top stars who were in their 20s or 30s. Considering their sessful past, that was a sad reality.


    There were a surprising number of mixed people in Hong Kong, and that led to apletely different aura. As someone who grew up in the martial arts industry, Shunmay had no interest in taking care of her own looks. However, she couldn¡¯t attend a party without dressing up, so she hired a professional to make her look up to par. And the results weren¡¯t bad with her changed eyes, plump lips, and healthy figure.


    ¡°You¡¯re mixed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my grandmother was from the Soviet Union.¡±


    Once she put makeup on, she no longer looked Chinese. How could someone change so drastically? Makeup was almost magical.


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung was shocked by how good Shunmay and Henry looked.


    ¡°Wow! You look great!¡±


    Henry, who was a middle-aged white man who aged well, looked like Sean Connery, while Shunmay just looked... beautiful. Kim Woo Jung escorted them to greet other guests. When did he learn Chinese anyway? Kim Woo Jung¡¯s Beijing was very good. The worry that Hong Kong people would hate a Korean person speaking in Beijing Chinese was unfounded.


    ¡®His business level is higher than that of a native.¡¯


    He heard Chinese and English as well as French and Japanese at times. The party was for the film artists, but there were also group leaders and investors at the gathering as well. There was definitely a difference between Chinese funds and Hong Kong funds, but the Chinese Communist Party had no interest in leaving Hong Kong alone with their desire to be independent.


    As long as they filled Hong Kong¡¯s political positions with pro-Chinese personnel, the fields of economy and education naturally followed. During Ennd¡¯s return of Hong Kong to China, they stressed that there wouldn¡¯t be any economic transformation until 2047, but that was not to be trusted.


    The reason why the Hong Kong rich people hesitated to invest in maind China was because the system made it so that property could be forfeited at any time. They could work hard all they wanted, but if they were ready to spend their money and the Chinese Communist Party thought otherwise, they could be left penniless. China always imed they would maintain their one country, two systems approach, but there wasn¡¯t a single Hong Kong person na?ve enough to believe that.


    With the maind invading with purchases and threats, Hong Kong¡¯s future was uncertain. They probably weren¡¯t going to be doomed overnight, but once the young generation born after 1997 started to actively participate in society, there was going to be chaos. At that point, they had to either im independence or autonomous right.


    ¡°Chairman Hwang.¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn.¡±


    Hwang Chi Rin shook hands with Ahn Soo Ho with a smile on his face. But in contrast to his smiling lips, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. He was just being mannerly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this beautifuldy?¡±


    ¡°Shunmay.¡±


    Shunmay almost gave him the Chinese greeting. Hwang Chi Rin already knew that Ahn Soo Ho had a fianc¨¦, so he looked at both of them with a strange look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tried to exin, but he just smiled as if he was telling him he understood. A&E was a bigpany in Hong Kong as well, so he had a vastwork. The four of them followed Hwang Chi Rin and greeted more people. Ahn Soo Ho recognized some of the businessmen.


    ¡°Long time no see Soo Ho. I heard you¡¯re doing well for yourself in your country.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Did you really retire? I have a lot of requests for you... Let¡¯s talkter.¡±


    They eitherplimented him, greeted him, or asked for favors. That was when Henry¡¯s art of conversation began. His sales skills as a former real estate agent were good enough to make an Armenian rich person open their wallet. Back in the day, he even sold 100 shabby condos in Las Vegas to the king of Saudi Arabia.


    Just with his words alone.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do a good job.¡¯


    As long as Hwang Chi Rin had his back, Henry¡¯s words would probably make any Hong Kong rich person open their wallet. And even though Shunmay was from maind China, as long as they had the same enemy, there was no reason for her to be uncooperative. Premier Yuhaipung was a fan of Soo Ho with a vastwork of connections, but he was also an expert of conspiracy with a dark soul.


    ¡®I don¡¯t even expect a division.¡¯


    He wanted Hwang Chi Rin and Shunmay to work together and harass the Chinese Communist Party a little, but that wasn¡¯t going to make them tumble down. Ahn Soo Ho snuck out, and the only person who noticed him was Barbara Huxley. Once Ahn Soo Ho saw Barbara who followed him out, he smiled.


    ¡°Did you get caught?¡±


    ¡°Just because they monitor people doesn¡¯t mean they have supernatural powers. And there¡¯s also no such thing as a machine that measures force.¡±


    ¡°Force?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you call this kind of strength?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho saw Barbara move her hand to distort the air, he just smirked.


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you must have a lot of interest in China.¡±


    ¡°Well, they are our neighbors. We¡¯re bound to give and receive influence from them.¡±


    Keeping China, Japan, and North Korea in line was easy and hard at the same time. It was a contradictory expression, but there was no other way to exin it.


    ¡°What is it that you want to do, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re being pretty active for a retired man... Who would believe you?¡±


    Those with power from all over the world tried to figure out what Ahn Soo Ho was up to.


    ¡°Are you saying I should just stay at home if I¡¯m retired?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it so harshly.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m doing this?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Barbara groaned and then opened her lips.


    ¡°For freedom.¡±


    She didn¡¯te up with that answer with any kind of evidence. It also wasn¡¯t something a businesswoman would say, but it was just a feeling.


    ¡°Complete freedom.¡±


    ******


    In contrast to Miss Brazil, even though Alice Rima had stunningly good looks, she was actually amoner. Just the fact that she wasn¡¯t born and raised in Fav was a miracle. It would have been a lie to say that her skin tone didn¡¯t help her out. The poor white people and the poor native people were treated differently.


    Pretty women with money were praised while pretty women with no money endured misery. Not all South American countries were like that, but most of their national characters were happy-go-lucky, especially Brazil, the country of festivals and ser. Brazil was a strange country. Alice was from there, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to love it. With their outstanding tourist destinations coexisting with the slums, they should have been supporting their citizens with underground resources of the Amazon, but the corruption of the government made the gap between the rich and the poor even wider.


    Racism


    Regional discrimination


    Organized crime


    Drug crimes


    Could a country with democracycking in fairness and legal justice be called a democratic nation? Alice believed that if she was less beautiful, she would have been a political activist. And if she had a little more money, she would have chosen to go to school.


    ¡®I was too na?ve.¡¯


    She thought that ranking high in a beauty pageant could give her the power to do something great afterward. Whether it was luck or skill, she became Miss Brazil, and she thought that she had more influence the more people knew her, but her position in society didn¡¯t get better. She was actually facing more oppression than before. That was because running for Miss Universe wasn¡¯t her choice.


    ¡®I was a monkey, too.¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t even insult the rich people.


    In return for wearing more expensive clothes, eating more delicious food, and earning more money, she lost her freedom. She had to entertain viewers as a monkey trapped in a cage. It was the same now. If the sponsors of Miss Universe wanted her to, she had to wear a nice dress andugh along with the rich people.


    ¡°Haha. One moment, please.¡±


    Michelle Marten excused herself to go to the washroom and then pulled Alice out with her. If she hadn¡¯t pulled her out right then, Alice would have poured champagne on the rich people¡¯s faces. They went inside the washroom and checked if no one was there. Michelle finally got rid of her fake smile.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but try to smile, Ally. Don¡¯t make any wrinkles on your face.¡±


    In response, Alice made a face that looked like she was either smiling or crying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be like you, Michelle.¡±


    ¡°I know how you feel.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    Michelle pulled out an electronic cigarette from her pouch. When Alice knitted her brows, she just smirked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t smoke when I was a teenager. Phew. And I¡¯m doing my best to hold back these days.¡±


    Michelle only started smoking once she entered the beauty pageant.


    ¡°What do you think is the best dieting method? Phew.¡±


    In response, Alice just tilted her head.


    ¡°Just smoke 10 packs of cigarettes a day. Then you¡¯ll lose lots of weight. Do you think I¡¯m kidding? 99% of ballerinas are heavy smokers. It¡¯s hard to stay skinny otherwise. It¡¯s hell.¡±


    Michelle then put away her cigarette and proceeded to fix her makeup and spray some perfume. She talked like she was old, but she was actually only four years older than 21-year-old Alice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to keep entertaining them. Ugh!¡±


    She moved her facial muscles as if she was stretching them. It wasn¡¯t easy making physical contact even to those people one were close to, but Michelle pulled Alice¡¯s arm once more. Strangers could have easily mistaken them as sisters.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Alice stopped and tilted her head. She then noticed someone and raised her eyes.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    She had only met him once at a beach in Monaco, but he left a strong impression.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I told you I met a cool Asian man.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Michelle asked back in response.


    ¡°I told you. Someone saved me when I was caught as a hostage.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    They looked at each other and blinked multiple times. They had no idea they were talking about the same man. Michelle smiled first.


    ¡°Shall we get going?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho noticed two beautiful women walking over, heughed bitterly. He did see Miss Brazil on the streets of Hong Kong, but he didn¡¯t think he would see her here as well. He considered using his magic to erase his presence, but he felt bothered to do that.


    ¡°This is bothersome.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Barbara also noticed someone approaching and turned her head.


    ¡°Miss France and Miss Brazil? Do you know the former and current Miss Universes?¡±


    ¡°We just passed by each other in the past.¡±


    ¡°They might have thought that was a fated meeting...¡¯


    Barbara trailed off as Michelle and Alice arrived.


    ¡°Hello. We¡¯ve met before, haven¡¯t we, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Michelle. Hello.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho greeted Michelle back and then looked at Alice.


    ¡°I had a hard time because of you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    He immediately understood what Alice was trying to say. If the whole story of the hostage incident at the Sao Paolo police got out, the Brazilian government was bound to face humiliation. So they threatened Miss Brazil to keep it a secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think of it that far.¡±


    There was nothing he could do now, but the least he could do was apologize.


    ¡°You saw me earlier today, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hm. You noticed.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho felt the need to change the subject.


    ¡°Oh yeah! Where are my manners? This is...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Barbara Huxley. You¡¯re both so beautiful. How is that even possible? I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Alice and Michelle were shocked.


    Barbara Huxley


    That name was often mentioned when discussing female leaders of the world. Winners of beauty pageants were noparison to her. She had the power to get rid of their sponsors with the flick of a finger. No rich person had enough guts to look down on her.


    They wanted to approach, but couldn¡¯t.


    Their footsteps were stopped by Ahn Soo Ho and Barbara¡¯s reputations. Alice looked relieved. Was it because there was no longer any men roaming about? She feltfortable.


    Ahn Soo Ho felt his phone vibrate, so he excused himself to answer it. It was Logan.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    ¡°I found our target.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡±


    ¡°No. The citizens are iming their right to self-defense and arming themselves.¡±


    His underlings were doing it to get revenge for their colleague, but their behavior elicited a bacsh from Americans leading to militia activity. The new situation wasn¡¯t citizens vs. the government, but it was rather the citizens vs. criminal organizations.


    ¡®We will protect our house, family, and our vige!¡¯


    The wave of Captain America swept the nation.


    Since more superheroes arose after Captain America, they started to fight each other. The investigative authorities couldn¡¯t help but get a headache. In the Bible Belt of America, fighting between criminal organizations and the citizens became more and more frequent.


    ¡°The American citizens are demanding another presidential election following the resignation of the former administration. If their request doesn¡¯t get fulfilled...¡±


    The Nigeria invasion card that the White House and President Olsen put forward while expecting good results all went downhill.


    ¡°Civil war?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 156 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [2] > The end.

 Chapter 158: < Protect – Episode 157 – Hong Kong Noir [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 158: < Protect ¨C Episode 157 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [3] ></h4>


    The one concept that was never left out of conversations regarding American society was diversity. There were few countries that were as diverse in terms of race, culture, andnguage. So what were the values of a chaotic society filled with conflict and division?


    ¡°Respect. The ability to ept the other person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Isn¡¯t it all about the survival of the fittest in America? They only acknowledge the strong and leave the weak to die.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like America, but they¡¯re at the top when ites to foreign aid. I think they¡¯re better than other countries that are all talk.¡±


    From the point of view of Ennd, France, and Brazil, America was a rude country, but they couldn¡¯t deny that they were the most powerful. It was true that America was humiliated as a result of the Sao Paolo scandal, the New York terrorist attack, and the Davis scandal. However, not a single person believed that America was going to be doomed.


    Ahn Soo Ho returned just in time.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The change that resulted from America¡¯s invasion of Nigeria. What do you think about it, Soo Ho?¡±


    Just like a real French person, Michelle was very straightforward. Just because she won a beauty pageant didn¡¯t mean she was a dumb blonde. Even Alice got into a top university while she prepared for the beauty pageant. It was true that they were beautiful, but without their education as well, their aplishments would have been impossible. They were probably frustrated by the fact that they couldn¡¯t continue their studies right away.


    Michelle was fluent in French, English, Spanish, and Chinese, while Alice was fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Japanese. At a certain point, all Miss Universe winners were fluent in at least 4nguages. Even Barbara spoke 8nguages. She was certainly aided by her supernatural powers, so an average person speaking 4 was very impressive.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way America will be doomed. They might actually use this opportunity to improve their rtionship with Africa. But of course, China and France would hate that. Oh, wait. Japan would hate that, too.¡±


    France had its focus on Africa since the era of imperialism. Their influence went downhill following the two world wars, but the Frenchnguage became almost as powerful of anguage as English. The reason why China also built various schools in other countries was because they knew the power ofnguages.


    After the copse of the Soviet Union, China rose to be a global leader. Africa, which became the fruit of imperialism, had a lot of trouble with borders, but as a result of their national self-determination, civil wars continued to break out, and after trying to exclude foreign power from the matter, they naturally adoptedmunism.


    Africa had the formalities ofmunism, but they were actually closer to democracy. They held elections to pick a leader, but they all thought they were dictators and not presidents, which led to corruption after corruption. Thecking society they had back then hadn¡¯t disappeared even in the 21st century. In contrast to their im that they got rid of the caste system, the people there continued to suffer.


    ¡°China did grow rapidly, but their national branding still doesn¡¯t stand a chance against Japan.¡±


    In both Africa and South East Asia, nine out of ten cars were from Japan. The status of Japan fell drastically after the bubble burst, but during the 70s and 80s, they were powerful enough to threaten America.


    ¡°Was America¡¯s influence in Africa weak? From what I heard, they controlled them with just AIDS treatments alone. Where was it again?¡±


    ¡°Gaius Pharmaceuticals.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Gaius. Weren¡¯t they crapped on at thest hearing?¡±


    Michelle pped her hands.


    The ng that came out of Miss France¡¯s mouth was funnier than insulting. The brutality of Gaius Pharmaceuticals was buried in the dark. They were protected by those in power, and as Michelle said, pharmaceuticalpanies were especially powerful in less developed countries with weaker medical systems.


    That was also why America couldn¡¯t reduce its foreign aid.


    ¡®If they do, their influence will be reduced as well.¡¯


    In some ways, international order was simple.


    It seemed like America was giving and giving, but there were calctions behind it. China also improved its aid in Africa, and Japan was right behind America, to begin with. Nothing came for free in this world. Were Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and other international welfare organization purely there to help others? Some might have believed that, but from the standpoint of policy makers and leaders, they couldn¡¯tpletely eliminate international interests.


    ¡®Even if there were rules against it.¡¯


    No matter how good the original intentions of a medical group was, they couldn¡¯t avoid third-party conflicts. Anyone was capable of having a noble will, but there were few who carried those beliefs to their grave.


    Henry and Shunmay returned with one more person.


    ¡°This is Alexander Chung.¡±


    Alexander Johnny Chung was a living legend of the Hong Kong film industry. He entered the field as a teenager and then went on to im great sess. Once he hit his peak as an actor, he even went into producing. However, that was all in the past now.


    ¡®cklist.¡¯


    Alexander Chung was a filmmaker who was on the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s cklist. Actually, the Chinese Communist Party never imed that, but everyone else did. Since Hong Kong¡¯s filming budget deteriorated, the producers and actors couldn¡¯t help but mind the Chinese Communist Party.


    ¡°You want to invest in Hong Kong films?¡±


    Alex Chung emphasized the word ¡®Hong Kong¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the production that I want to invest in.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°The people.¡±


    ¡°People? Are you talking about the actors?¡±


    He asked back with an amused look on his face. But Ahn Soo Ho asked another question in response.


    ¡°What do you think is the problem of Hong Kong films?¡±


    ¡°The Chinese Communist Party.¡±


    He replied without any hesitation.


    ¡®This is why he¡¯s on the cklist.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue at his hostility toward the Chinese Communist Party. It wasn¡¯t wise to let his Hong Kong pride take over. Was he just being a carefree artist? All the stars Ahn Soo Ho met had a tendency to be unpredictable. To put it nicely, they were full of emotion, and to put it bluntly, they were thoughtless.


    ¡°If you already know the problem, you¡¯ve probably thought of a solution as well.¡±


    ¡°If I had, I would have acted on it already.¡±


    ¡°No, you do have a solution. But you¡¯re hesitating.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head and Alex knitted his brows. He heard it as a rebuke.


    ¡°Do you also think I need topromise?¡±


    ¡°No one can tell you what to do. But if you keep going at this rate, Hong Kong films might disappear in 10 or 20 years. Actually, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    He made an unpleasant im, but Alex couldn¡¯t deny it. Back in the day, Hong Kong films represented China, but now, they were all made in maind China. It was natural for the smaller side to get sucked up by the bigger side, but Alex Chung thought of Hong Kong films as a rebellious art of China. Films that just imitated democracy were no more or less than propaganda.


    Whether it was oriental fantasy, Bruce Lee¡¯s martial arts, crimes, and bloodshed, or noir, Hong Kong films were always original and innovative in terms of their ideas. So they couldn¡¯t ept the Chinese Communist Party trying to make Hong Kong films into whatever they wanted. However, art wasn¡¯t something that one could n and push forward for good results.


    ¡®Mr. Guardian.¡¯


    Alex Chung had also heard of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation. He was more interested since they were both Asians, but when he heard that he even dominated America and Europe, he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    Was he able to fight against his country and win? The stories conveyed him as some kind of monster, but the Ahn Soo Ho he just met didn¡¯t seem tockmon sense. He actually seemed pretty calm and logical.


    ¡°Not a single Hong Kong person believes the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s im that the one country, two systems approach will live on forever. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re more active in attracting foreign capital, Mr. Chung?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    That was where the truth became a lie.


    When Hong Kong was returned to China, its constitution was reestablished. Ennd imed that Hong Kong would be a democratic nation until 2047, but depending on the constitution, that could change at any moment. A country like Switzend with direct democracy was heavily influenced by the people¡¯s opinion, but under representative democracy, one could dominate with just a manipted election.


    The upper ss of Hong Kong who was disgusted by China¡¯s behavior looked for a solution, which reminded them of the Shanghai Settlement. They couldn¡¯t acknowledge extraterritoriality like back then, but the countries ofpanies with capital investments had no choice but to worry about Hong Kong in a diplomatic and political sense. During the revolution, the reason why the Chinese Communist Party couldn¡¯t run the protests down with tanks was because not even they could control the media.


    The problem was that the foreign capital that they were going to use as a shield didn¡¯t care if Hong Kong was democratized or not. On the contrary, they were ready to switch sides if the Chinese Communist Party could offer more profit. That was when it started. That was when thepanies friendly with China started to take off. Once Hong Kong was handed over to China, the native capital of Hong Kong copsed and dispersed. James Hwang and Hwang Chi Rin rallied against the Chinese Communist Party ever since.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t bring them down, we have to use them.¡±


    Alex Chung wasn¡¯t so closed-minded that he didn¡¯t understand the true meaning of what Ahn Soo Ho said. However, Chairman Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s leadership wasn¡¯t so great that he could bring all the Hong Kong people together. He was the chairman of A&E, but they were at risk of falling off a cliff if Ennd ever decided to back out. The way Alex Chung saw it, Hwang Chi Rin was partly responsible for making Hong Kong¡¯s economy weak. It wasn¡¯t just Chinese capital that went through A&E before going over to Ennd and Europe.


    ¡°May I make a proposal, Mr. Chung?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Alex looked at Ahn Soo Ho with anticipation in response.


    ¡°As I said earlier, I¡¯m going to invest in people.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho signaled for Henry to step up.


    ¡°We¡¯re nning to set up Hosoo Entertainment China in Hong Kong. The n is to secure outstanding talents in the film industry.¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡±


    Alex failed to hide his disappointment. He was disappointed that he was going to manage a small entertainment agency. However, what he said next offset his disappointment.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with an investment of 10 billion.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was the only one who saw Barbara¡¯s face crinkle. She yelled at Ahn Soo Ho with her eyes.


    ¡®Are you serious right now?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho answered with his eyes in response.


    ¡®ATM.¡¯


    He possessed the best ATM in the world, named Barbara.


    ******


    Everyone had ambition.


    Even martial artists who trained day in and day out dreamt of bing famous. There was no one else who wanted to be famous as much as martial artists, and the only way to go from the bottom and fly up to the top was to be an action film actor. After Hong Kong was handed over to China, the number of actors reduced big time, but there were still countless martial artists in Hong Kong who dreamt of bing an action film actor.


    The motto of the world¡¯s martial arts association was probably to poprize China. After all, China was in charge of the association that was going to be set up with its focus on Chinese people. The top teacher of the Chinese martial arts world named Kushenbai had to be kept in check. Premier Yuhaipung, who hated Kushenbai, was probably going to help him out, but since he couldn¡¯t make it obvious, it waspletely up to who put in the most capital.


    China¡¯s astronomical poption was certainly a strong point.


    ¡®Shunmay would probably hire the action talents while Alex Chung worked on the film production side.¡¯


    And Henry was going to watch over the entire process. Barbara grumbled about being his ATM, but whether he had to roast or threaten the Hong Kong businessmen and Hwang Chi Rin, he was going toe out with capital.


    Ahn Soo Ho secretly snuck out of the party.


    Since he used his magic, no one noticed him leaving. Once they noticed something was off, the party probably would have been over. After a while of walking down the Hong Kong streets at night, he could see an apartmentplex. To him, they looked oddly like Pepero snacks. Hong Kong was definitely a beautiful city, but from a Hong Kong citizen¡¯s point of view, the environment was unstable.


    They all wanted to be born in the middle ss or higher and receive a proper education, but a crazy number of them got pushed to the bottom and got added to the crazy scale of Hong Kong¡¯s less fortunate ones. Hong Kong¡¯s gap between the rich and the poor went beyond just a societal issue and was a matter of life or death. Surprisingly, arge proportion of Hong Kong¡¯s poor people supported the rule of the Chinese Communist Party because their ideology was friendly with the working ss.


    ¡®What a dilemma.¡¯


    Democracy was the most developed societal model, but no matter what the government did, there were always those who were dissatisfied. Even if they lived in Heaven, there was bound to be someone withints.


    A chicken coup or a dog house.


    There were many sights in the slums that would shock a foreigner who visited for the first time. The slums of America, Japan, Korea, and even countries in Europe were all the same. But the way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, Hong Kong¡¯s slums were one of the worst.


    The gazes of the poor people changed when they saw Ahn Soo Ho walking by dressed in an expensive suit, but they were unable to approach him. People were often scared that they would just attack, but they had strategies of their own. They neverid a hand on a man who looked the least bit dangerous.


    When he entered the biggest chicken coup, there was a man sitting in front of the elevator. He was a tax collector. But he wasn¡¯t from the government but just from a slum organization. There were some other pairs of shoulders in the corners ncing over. Their formation was shabby, but their monitoring strategy was quite good.


    ¡°20th floor.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark, the man frowned. He epted the wad of cash, and then pressed the elevator button.


    ¡°Is ckie here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He flinched as he responded to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. Was he so close to his leader that he could call him by his nickname? He was just relieved that he didn¡¯t try anything on him. They got into the elevator as soon as the doors opened.


    ¡°We¡¯re going up to the 20th floor.¡±


    He spoke into his walkie talkie. And as expected, there was no equipment inside the elevator. Once the doors closed, the elevator went up.


    Ding-


    As soon as the doors opened, he saw shiny guns in front of him. The guy holding the gun backed off when Ahn Soo Ho started walking without hesitation.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    If the voice didn¡¯t call out, he might have pulled the trigger. Ahn Soo Ho was very tall at 190 centimeters, but the man was at least a head taller than him. His dark skin made him look like a ck man, but he had the hair and eyes of an Asian. He ran over and hugged Ahn Soo Ho. Anyone who saw them would have mistaken them for a separated family, but Ahn Soo Ho justughed bitterly.


    ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You cold-hearted bastard!¡±


    ckie or more like Chang Wei Bo threw a fuss and escorted him inside. Contrarily to the other floors, the 20th floor wasn¡¯t a chicken coup or a dog house.


    ¡°What brings you to Hong Kong, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You should know.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Because of Chairman Hwang, right?¡±


    In contrast to Chang Wei Bo¡¯s mumbling, Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the broker?¡±


    ¡°The crazy bastard from the southeast.¡±


    ¡°Oh Chang Ik?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He was a soldier who was the only survivor under Kim Il Sung. North Korea was an exclusive country, but they made appropriate preparations to keep up with the changing world situation. However, who could stay loyal through the bloodshed that took ce every time the ruler changed? Once Kim Il Sung passed away, Oh Chang Ik left North Korea and cultivated his own power.


    Southeast cks


    They were disguised as a triad branch, but they were actually an armyposed of North Koreans who escaped.


    ¡®Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s not kidding around.¡¯


    Chang Wei Bo minded Ahn Soo Ho and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Were you the one who got rid of Kim Taek Sun and the others, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°You catch on quick, ckie.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s my job!¡±


    Chang Wei Bo understood Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response as apliment andughed loudly. However, he wasn¡¯tughing on the inside.


    ¡®I knew it!¡¯


    There was no way a North Korean leader could kill his right-hand man and bepletely okay. So the rumors about how Kim Taek Sun was killed in a purge made no sense.


    ¡®Firing missiles like crazy was just asking to be killed.¡¯


    Things were okay until the year before thest when Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t in South Korea. But now, South Korea was full of international terror and crimes as well as war and armed provocation. So firing missiles toward it and expecting to live would have been too much to ask for on Kim Taek Sun¡¯s part.


    ¡®Seeing how Chairman Hwang hasn¡¯t died yet... he must have begged for forgiveness.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho was famous for giving everyone a chance.


    ¡°Do you keep in contact?¡±


    ¡°With who? The crazy dog? Of course. But... are you going to kill him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Give him a chance, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Tell him toe.¡±


    ¡°right now?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho nodded, Chang Wei Bo picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. You know the crazy dog of the southeast? Yeah. Tell him toe here within an hour. Tell him he¡¯s dead by tomorrow morning if he doesn¡¯t. Haha! This is Chang Wei Bo! Chang Wei Bo! War? Bring it on!¡±


    Chang Wei Bo boasted as if he trusted Ahn Soo Ho. The crazy dog of the southeast, Oh Chang Ik showed up 10 minutester. If they were really hostile against one another, he wouldn¡¯t havee empty-handed. Chang Wei Bo and Oh Chang Ik were quite close.


    ¡°Hey, you bastard!¡±


    Oh Chang Ik kicked the door open and started pointing at Chang Wei Bo when he noticed Ahn Soo Ho on the couch and dropped to his knees. As someone known as a crazy dog, that was not normal behavior for him.


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    He was so startled that he even hupped. Ahn Soo Ho approached Oh Chang Ik and looked down at him.


    ¡°Oh Chang Ik.¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Have you been living like a decent human being?¡±


    ¡°Of... of course, Sir!¡±


    Back when Ahn Soo Ho brought down a human trafficking organization in Myanmar, he met Oh Chang Ik for the first time. He then spared him and his underlings.


    ¡°Then what do you call helping the firing of a missile toward my home?¡±


    ¡°Th... that¡¯s not what happened!¡±


    Oh Chang Ik felt like this was unfair. All he did was introduce Chairman Hwang Chi Rin to Political Director Kim Taek Sun. He had no idea that they would fire a missile toward the south.


    ¡®Those crazy bastards!¡¯


    Even though they escaped North Korea, the Southeast cks couldn¡¯t free themselves from the country. They maintained a distributionwork using their connections to help smuggle illegal weapons, drugs, and counterfeit money produced in North Korea, and they sent North Korean defectors to whoever offered more money. If the North Korean Defector Organization offered more money, they sent them there, and if the North Korean Communist Party offered more, they reported them. That was a horrible thing to do, but the Southeast cks weren¡¯t a charity.


    Oh Chang Ik gulped.


    Ahn Soo Ho just stared at him for quite some time. ¡®What should I do? Should I kill him or spare him?¡¯ Ahn Soo Ho knew North Korea well, but he was in no position topare himself to Oh Chang Ik, who was born and raised there. He did fool around with North Korean defectors, but he wasn¡¯t as vicious as real human trafficking organizations. However, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯tmit any sins.


    ¡°Do you want to live?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe in North and South Korea¡¯s unification. North Korea and South Korea were already different in terms of lifestyle, culture, andnguage.


    ¡®We¡¯re not all one people anymore.¡¯


    The reason why North Korea was still of use to Ahn Soo Ho was because they spoke simrnguages. It was important to connect in terms ofnguage.


    ¡®If we canmunicate, we¡¯ve already achieved half of the educational objective. And if we add a little malice to that, it¡¯s even better.¡¯


    With the Ultra Program having spread all over the world, the battle for soldiers was going to get even fiercer. Ahn Soo Ho felt the need to prepare. Even though he was immortal, his family and friends were not. Ahn Soo Ho, who was staring at Oh Chang Ik, finally spoke.


    ¡°From now on, bring all the defectors to me. Oh, and I won¡¯t make you work for free, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Businesses could only be sustained for a long time if payments were being made fair and square.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 157 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [3] > The end.

 Chapter 159: < Protect – Episode 158 – Hong Kong Noir [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 159: < Protect ¨C Episode 158 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [4] ></h4>


    Everyone wanted freedom, but no one was truly free. Even the coldest of people couldn¡¯t ignore their family and friendspletely. Even business rtionships influenced a person¡¯s personal life in the end. If a person really didn¡¯t care about the change of emotions in society, they either had a mental disorder or had a special power that allowed them to ignore everything. However, even that power couldn¡¯tst forever.


    Money and politics


    Politics and money


    In order to have a good understanding between these two, one had to know a lot about power. What determined the superiority between a businessman¡¯s money and a politician¡¯s power was surprisingly the public opinion. A lot of Koreans thought rich people and the members of the national assembly didn¡¯t care about the people, but they cared about popr opinion more than anything.


    What¡¯s wrong with our country these days? There¡¯s corruption everywhere we look! Reformation of the rich isn¡¯t the issue here! It¡¯s the spies trying to sell out our country!


    Let¡¯s resolve one thing at a time! We have to start with the reformation of the rich!


    Stable jobs are bullshit! The members of the assembly are bullshit! The heads are all bullshit! It¡¯s all bullshit!


    That¡¯s because the people¡¯s mindsets are at rock bottom! As long as the Koreans¡¯ mindsets aren¡¯t changed, corruption will never go away! What¡¯s responsible for this country¡¯s state is how we overlook everything! There¡¯s no such thing as a professional mindset!


    Is the cult mindseting back to surface? The pro-Japanese are taking this chance to crawl back out! The problem is with the rich! As long as they¡¯re eradicated, a lot of problems would be solved!


    Eradicated? You¡¯re all a bunch ofmies, aren¡¯t you? Do you really think you could live well if all the rich people died? Do you seriously think you¡¯d be fine if the country went down? If you want to earn money, make some damn effort!


    Listen to these old geezers! Do you really think we can¡¯t make money because we don¡¯t try?


    Anyone over 70 shouldn¡¯t be allowed to vote!


    You crazy bastards! This just proves how democratized our country has be! Don¡¯t you agree?


    Earn money and escape Hell Joseon! But then again, if you earned a lot of money, I guess that means it¡¯s not Hell Joseon anymore!


    Ahn Soo Ho was smart about it! He escaped early and made lots of money abroad! You bastards should do the same! There¡¯s no solution in this country!


    Don¡¯t you think there hasn¡¯t been a reform because President Lee Joong Hyun is incapable?


    Most presidents don¡¯t have power in the first ce!


    This is when Korea should stand up! Let¡¯s go to Gwanghwamun with candles!


    Hey! Do you really think the members of the national assembly will stand around while they get knives to the throat? They¡¯re not stupid!


    People should stop voting for those foolish members of the national assembly! Too many people vote for those iming they¡¯ll raise thend prices! Tell them to stop specting real estate prices! What¡¯s the point in exporting so hard if all the profits go to thendowners?


    Can¡¯t the subsidies be stopped? It¡¯s not like all the country folk are homeless! Is farming a government job or something? Why are there so many funds being given to farmers? Are there courses on farming in universities, too?


    If you can¡¯t enter district 8 of Gangnam, it might be wise to just go to the countryside and go for a specialized screening!


    Getting into college is also all about obtaining the right information!


    Private schools should be reformed, too! There¡¯s probably a lot of corruption in schools, too!


    Ahead of that, get rid of the youth protectionw! The kids these days are clever as hell! Middle school kids should count as adults!


    That¡¯s because teachers are worried about politics more than education! Both students and teachers these days are crazy!


    Even if they reform the rich, Daesan Group should be left alone!


    Why? Because they¡¯re 1st in the nation?


    Then shouldn¡¯t we look into them further?


    They¡¯re the descendants of independence patriots! And there are also additional points given to college entrance candidates who are rted to independence patriots!


    Isn¡¯t that sexism? Awsuit should be filed against that.


    I was wondering when someone was going to say that! There were lots ofwsuits filed against that, but Chairman Kim Dae San said this! ¡°If you hate it that much, you start your ownpany!¡± Kya! So refreshing!


    Women¡¯s activist groups shit on them so hard, but then they found out that Daesan Group and Chairman Kim Dae San have been donating the most funds to female causes since 30 years ago! Respect!


    Daesan Group is also in the top 30panies with the most female employees! No one¡¯s messing with Daesan these days!


    Are you sure about that? I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Hosoo Entertainment Group that has the most female employees!


    What? Since when was Hosoo Entertainment Group a top 30pany?


    It was announced yesterday! I¡¯ll send you the link! Take a look!


    Whoa! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! They¡¯re already in the top 30 after just one year?


    Since they¡¯re a private enterprise, no one knows their scale, but experts are putting them above Daesan Group in terms of future potential!


    No way! How much could an entertainmentpany make? They don¡¯t even have any affiliatedpanies that make and sell products!


    That¡¯s why they¡¯re looking at the future potential! Haven¡¯t you seen the announcements for Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe? Apparently, they¡¯re in the middle of business with Hong Kong, too! The Chinese market is huge!


    If they¡¯re going to expand abroad, they should go to Japan, too! Kawaii!


    While Korea was going crazy over the scandals, Ahn Soo Ho was still in Hong Kong. The day after the filming party, he got a surprise attack that he was expecting.


    ¡°How could you disappear without saying goodbye, Soo Ho?¡±


    Michelle and Alice soon acted like old friends. It wasn¡¯t mannerly to leave guests outside the door. He scratched his head and then let them inside. Since he was in a suite room in a five-star hotel, the view and the size of the room were amazing. It was unimaginable for those living in the slums of Hong Kong.


    He then headed into the kitchen and looked for a coffee maker when he suddenly saw takeout cups in front of him. The two women didn¡¯te empty-handed, and Starbucks was the most popr brand in Hong Kong.


    ¡°How did you know where I was staying?¡±


    ¡°Henry told us.¡±


    ¡®How dare he?¡¯ But then again, he was another white man. The fact that he sent the two women over when he knew he had a fianc¨¦e meant he wanted to screw him over. As a former real estate agent of condos, he learned how to use a gun in thest few years and became a total thug.


    ¡°Is it okay for you to roam around without bodyguards?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not little kids. Besides, Hong Kong is pretty safe, and wee pretty often, so we know our way around.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    How would their expressions have seemed if they saw the slums of Hong Kong? After chatting for a bit, it sounded like both Michelle and Alice were interested in social campaigns, but the cruel reality was too much for women in their 20s to handle. It might have been possible for Barbara, who was a lot older though.


    ¡®Maybe Miss Brazil is different...¡¯


    The slums of Brazil were also no joke.


    ¡°Why are you here first thing in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t most people like it when beautiful women visit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about France, but our country¡¯s not about free dating. As you already know, I have a fianc¨¦e.¡±


    If Jang Seol Hyun knew about these two women, she would have ditched her movie and flown over to Hong Kong. In most cases of older men and younger women couples, it was the men who chased after the woman, but it was the opposite for Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun.


    People wouldn¡¯t have understood her.


    Why was she so obsessed over an older man when she was a young, beautiful, and popr woman? That was another mystery of love. He was fascinated by Jang Seol Hyun at times. Since she was all over him without the use of magic, he felt pretty proud. Just like many narcissists, Ahn Soo Ho believed that he was quite an attractive man.


    Michelle looked at him with an absurd look on her face.


    Ahn Soo Ho was an attractive man, but to date him? She wasn¡¯t desperate enough to go after a man with a woman. Same with Alice. She was interested in him, but she wasn¡¯t going to try anything. They were actually more curious than anything. After all, he showed unique behavior for one of the richest people in the world.


    ¡°Are you in love with yourself, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Everyone loves themselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. I¡¯m talking about the actual disease.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is something a beauty pageant winner should be saying.¡±


    ¡°You should differentiate business with personal taste.¡±


    Michelle didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡®This is why French women are tiring.¡¯


    Not all French women were like that, but all the French people Ahn Soo Ho met liked to engage in disputes. They didn¡¯t agree to the other person¡¯s opinion easily, and it was mostly due to their education, but it also had to do with their viewpoint regarding philosophy. When Koreans were asked about philosophy, most found it difficult, but most French people believed that philosophy was how civilization began.


    Not asking questions meant they were agreeing.


    ¡°Let me make this clear, Soo Ho. This is just business.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put onion juice and pear juice that Jang Seol Hyun packed for him and just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I want to sign with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He looked surprised.


    ¡°Us? Why?¡±


    ¡°I heard from Laura that it¡¯s a good ce.¡±


    ¡®Not L but Laura? Who¡¯s that? A new employee?¡¯


    ¡°What about your manager?¡±


    ¡°I fired him.¡±


    The entertainment agencies in North America and Europe were kind of like pro sports.


    They normally signed non-exclusive contracts by project, so if they didn¡¯t like how things were done, they could always fire their agencies. In the midst of firing agencies being a norm, Holly Corporation¡¯s management system was quite unique. So it was a given that Scott Warren, who created that agency, received a lot of attention from top stars of Hollywood. The problem was that they appointed nameless Hosoo Entertainment Group as their front sign, but the suspicions quickly subsided.


    ¡®Soo Ho.¡¯


    There weren¡¯t many in Hollywood who knew about the power of this name. However, there were still some who knew, and that was enough. Even the old white men of the American entertainment industry crawled in front of Ahn Soo Ho. Since even the casino king of Las Vegas stepped down to him, there was not much more to say.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to y in a big pond.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Universe a big enough pond?¡±


    ¡°The limits are too clear in this industry. Most importantly, I don¡¯t want to get dragged around by sponsors. I¡¯m sick and tired of being the campaign girl.¡±


    ¡°So you want me as your financier?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel insulted. Since Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe are just starting out, having Miss France, Miss Brazil, and former Miss Universe sign on could be effective.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. Actually, she was putting forward quite a tempting offer. Scott was confident in his sess, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡®Holly Corporation won¡¯t just sit around and watch.¡¯


    They weren¡¯t going to make it obvious, but they were surely going to keep him in check. It was Scott who was actually in love with himself.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not consenting to it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. Whether you have marketable worth or not is up to the experts.¡±


    While pretending not to be, they were actually quite confident in their beauty. Michelle was extroverted while Alice was pretty reserved. Seeing how she was careful about the words she used suggested how mature she was for her age.


    ¡°Michelle, I understand where your ambition is at... But what about Miss Brazil?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to study more.¡±


    Alice fired her previous agency because of a simple reason. It was because they only booked her for lowly workpared to her standards. But from Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s standpoint, Alice had a great misunderstanding.


    ¡®She shouldn¡¯t think she¡¯s some great person just yet.¡¯


    Honestly speaking, beautiful women like Michelle and Alice weren¡¯t impossible to find. It seemed as though they knew that and wanted to polish another charm of theirs, but that wasn¡¯t that easy. Ahn Soo Ho was going to give them a warning when his phone started vibrating on the table. So he excused himself and answered it.


    ¡°Henry?¡±


    ¡°Turn the TV on right now!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Turn on the TV!¡±


    He turned on the TV on the wall. On the screen were the words ¡°Breaking News¡±.


    This morning at 9 a.m., Chairman Hwang Chi Rin was on his way out of his parking lot...


    The cameras turned to investigators with white masks over their faces.


    ¡°Did he die?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it was a sudden death. Do you think North Korea found out about Chairman Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s movements?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure Hwang Chi Rin is dead? Check one more time.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But...¡±


    ¡°It was in North Korea.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke in a certain voice in response to Henry who was hesitant.


    ¡°Was it that assassination unit being talked about in those rumors?¡±


    ¡°100%.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the possibility that China was involved?¡±


    ¡°Zero.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was certain that China wasn¡¯t involved. There was no reason to light a fire in Hong Kong, where it was chaotic already. In any case, since Hwang Chi Rin was one of the powers behind the Hong Kong independence movement, if something bad happened to him, it was going to be the Chinese Communist Party that would be put under the radar. Once he finished his call with Henry, he received a call from Oh Chang Ik.


    ¡°Was it you?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir!¡±


    He sprung up in objection.


    ¡°How many North Koreans entered Hong Kong?¡±


    Besides North Korean defectors, there were many North Koreans who came to Hong Kong from China. Many roamed around abroad while using business as an excuse, and some others got the help of China to camouge themselves as Chinese.


    ¡°There is a vige... but I don¡¯t know the exact number.¡±


    ¡°Give me the address.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°The address now.¡±


    Oh Chang Ik gave him the address in response. Before Ahn Soo Ho hung up, he gave him onest warning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one hour. If you want to save your underlings, evacuate everyone from that vige you mentioned.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 158 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [4] > The end.

 Chapter 160: < Protect – Episode 159 – Hong Kong Noir [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 160: < Protect ¨C Episode 159 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [5] ></h4>


    After Hong Kong was returned to China, many routes within the continent were eased and many used this to their advantage to gather in Hong Kong. As a country that was China but not really, their economics made it appealing for the countries nearby. The Philippines, Indonesia, Mysia, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwanloved Hong Kong for a very long time.


    No matter how financially powerful Hong Kong was, they still neededbor power, so they were a great alternative for them. Of course, once they got enough work out of them, they deported them soon afterward because there were lots and lots of illegal immigrants there. As a result, they were repeating both the eptance of illegal immigrants and deportation in an implicit manner.


    When people gathered, groups naturally formed.


    In Asia, people of each country stuck together quite closely, like how Vietnamese people stuck together, how Filipino people stuck together, and how the natives stuck together. In no time, North Korea was also one of them. Hong Kong was Chinesend, but Chinese people were discriminated against. Strictly speaking, it was themoners who were discriminated against while the rich were weed with open arms.


    Ahn Soo Ho left the center of the city.


    The poption of Hong Kong was a killer, but they still didn¡¯t reduce their park sizes. Rather than plowing down all the mountains and forests to build more buildings, they restricted construction that was insensitive to the environment. Hong Kong¡¯snd value was astronomically expensive. So there were many illegal immigrants who were too busy trying to make money rather than touring around before they got deported.


    Goreo Vige was at the very border of Hong Kong, and even though 95% of Hong Kong¡¯s industries were in service, the remaining 5% of the manufacturing industry couldn¡¯t be disregarded. That was because, among the household items that Hong Kong people used, they produced what couldn¡¯t be imported. For those who couldn¡¯t speak English or Chinese,bor was what they mainly pursued. The only jobs illegal immigrants could have were either to be janitors or factoryborers.


    ¡®Wait, was there one more?¡¯


    Criminal.


    Whether they were thugs, minor criminals that engaged in organizations that murdered each other, or major criminals that engaged in human trafficking or organ trafficking were all simply criminals. The only thing they produced to make a living was pain. A light industry clustered with factories. The region, which was a mix of residences and factories, looked like a true slum. Ahn Soo Ho stopped in his tracks. He then took out his vibrating phone and answered it.


    ¡°Henry.¡±


    ¡°Chairman Hwang is alive!¡±


    He was certainly not someone who would die easily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think even China knew about North Korea¡¯s provocation this time. The Chinese intelligence agency managed to find Chairman Hwang.¡±


    ¡°Did Hwang Chi Rin do a shabby job?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I think the Chinese intelligence agency just didn¡¯t¡¯ give up this time.¡±


    Hwang Chi Rin was never shabby at his job. On the contrary, it was likely that they would have failed to track him down if it wasn¡¯t for Ahn Soo Ho. Who would have had the guts to look for the person involved and forced them to talk? He was the only one who could use that method.


    Ahn Soo Ho caught on to the full story of the Hwang Chi Rin terrorist attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of me.¡±


    ¡°Premier Yuhaipung does always have his focus on you.¡±


    There was no way China didn¡¯t know about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s visit to Hong Kong. Unless the Chinese intelligence agency was stupid, they likely got the whole picture after analyzing North Korea¡¯s provocation.


    ¡°Did Hwang Chi Rin agree to go through with it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full details, but I think so. China wants to send North Korea a strong warning while also making Pyeongyang responsible for the cold rtionship between America and China. It¡¯s highly likely that Chairman Hwang agreed to stay low on the independence movement in return for digging up the truth.¡±


    ¡°If Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s shameful truths get exposed, Hong Kong¡¯s independence movement will wither away.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that way, Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response to Henry¡¯s question.


    ¡®Hong Kong¡¯s independence movement is just an illusion.¡¯


    On the outside, it seemed like many Hong Kong people were chanting for Hong Kong¡¯s independence, but from a closer view, both the Chinese Communist Party and the leaders of Hong Kong needed each other.


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t die, his survival will be on the news soon.¡±


    ¡°And on top of that, North Korea will probably make Kim Taek Sun take responsibility for their provocation. They¡¯ll probably pull their feet out as if they already punished the one who was responsible.¡±


    ¡°Is that the story that China wants?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ll probably make it look like the political director ignored his leader¡¯s orders and provoked South Korea.¡±


    ¡°What about Hwang Chi Rin?¡±


    ¡°The crime of bribing Kim Taek Sun for mining rights in North Korea? They¡¯ll probably im that as things unfolded, Kim Taek Sun¡¯s underlings terrorized Chairman Hwang.¡±


    It was a well-nned scenario.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°Are you still going to go to that Goreo Vige even though Hwang Chi Rin is alive?¡±


    He hung up without answering.


    If Hwang Chi Rin was still alive, there was no need to judge the North Korean assassination group, but he already came all the way here. So it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to check out Goreo Vige anyway. He used his magic so that no one could see him. Goreo Vige looked like the beginning stages of the Kowloon district.


    They did anything as long as it made money.


    They were willing to work with smuggling, prostitution, and drugs.


    The illegal immigrants from Vietnam were mainly working in the garbage industry while the ones from the Philippines were involved in violent activities. In terms of scale, Goreo Vige was the smallest, but no one could mess with them. Why? Because North Koreans weren¡¯t afraid to fight to the death.


    The madness of having one¡¯s wife, children, family, and lover captured as hostages were something that couldn¡¯t be dealt with by an average thug.


    The people working for such evil were more devoted to their work than anyone. Every single person in the slums had tragic circumstances of hating their country but not being able to leave would make anyone want to tear up.


    The two faces of one country, two systems.


    Hong Kong and Macao were like stress outlets for the maintenance of the daily wage system. No matter how many reforms they enforced, countries based on socialism never changed. However, a Chinese who got a taste of capitalism couldn¡¯t escape from temptation that easily.


    ¡®More! More!¡¯


    Before their greed got the best of them, they needed an escape to deal with their suppressed desires.


    ¡®What¡¯s scary about China is that they think it¡¯s a given that an outstanding leader leads a dull public.¡¯


    This was something that couldn¡¯t happen under orthodox socialism, but in the process of the cultural revolution, they were unable topletely rid themselves of traditional customs. It was impossible even if Premier Mao returned. The current super China of the 21st century was all about the group rather than the individual, and it was impossible to deny that Orientalism had a strong effect on that.


    When the economists of North America and Europe discussed the developments of Korea, China, and Japan, the one topic that always came up was nationalism. They believed that the nationalist way of thinking was the best in producing optimal results. The problem was after the achievement of the economic growth objective.


    A battlefield of the past, present, and future. The countless problems that America faced during the 20th century were all hitting China in the span of just over 10 years. And this was something that couldn¡¯t be controlled by just the Chinese Communist Party alone.


    Strong against strong.


    The patriotic Chinese citizens might have wanted war against America, but the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party had no interest in starting a war. The reason why China put up all sorts of small disputes against other countries was so that they could avoid the ultimate fight.


    That was also the reason why they didn¡¯t let go of North Korea despite the international pressure. If they didn¡¯t put North Korea in the forefront to block all the bullets, they might have had to really fight with America.


    They had no chance of winning.


    So China was looking 100 years into the future rather than trying to beat the white people now. And in order to make the futuree a little faster, they had to put the entire continent in their hands.


    ¡®Asian unification.¡¯


    If they conquered all of Asia, they would stand a chance against America.


    The chicken coups were lined up side by side to each other.


    This was not a ce where people should be living. Compared to this, the slums of Korea were half decent. It looked like they were being raised rather than living. Ahn Soo Ho stopped in his tracks. It was morning when everyone should have been at the factories, so it was suspicious that someone was roaming around a residence building.


    ¡®Four? Five?¡¯


    He had guns on his belt. He looked behind him. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who was dragged here to work. Or maybe he adjusted to hell pretty quickly. Seeing how he was avoiding all the people that were passing by, he was definitely a special agent from North Korea.


    Ahn Soo Ho followed him while keeping a safe distance. The man went into the biggest building in theplex. He sensed at least 200 people in there. After sneaking in after him, he finally expressed an emotion.


    Disgust.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face was full of disgust. They weren¡¯t raising pigs, but they were poking at humans who were trapped in the pens. The reason why they didn¡¯t scream or cry was because they didn¡¯t have the energy to do so. Once Ahn Soo Ho saw real people trapped within the chicken coups, he remembered a rumor.


    ¡®Organ factory.¡¯


    In a softer sense, people also called them organ banks. The organ trafficking market didn¡¯t needbor. What they needed were humans themselves as their products. Once a person¡¯s organs were all judged to be useful, that adult person¡¯s worth was between 800,000 to 1 million US dors in the ck market.


    In the eyes of criminals, all people looked like wads of cash. He went throughptops and books. There were many North Korean defectors, just as he predicted. They were mostly North Korean defectors who were caught in the middle of their escape, and there were also little kids and women. Inside the fridges were bodies that were already killed.


    ¡®This is weird.¡¯


    At a scale thisrge, there was no way the Chinese government wouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡®If they get caught, Hong Kong¡¯s reputation would go down in an instant... Oh, was that the objective?¡¯


    Rather than cracking down the foreign illegal immigrants, were they neglecting the crimes they weremitting? That was a dirty method, but this was a scandal that could taint Hong Kong¡¯s image.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Oh Chang Ik... did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The organ factory.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not involved in that whatsoever!¡±


    Oh Chang Ik was quick to defend himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s an organization directly managed by the guys in Pyeongyang! They judged that it was a waste of money to bring them back and make them work! So instead...¡±


    ¡°They decided to sell them off.¡±


    That was an absurd way of thinking. North Korea was a trash of a country that was absolutely uncivilized, and all those who were living in Goreo Vige were criminals. Their excuse about their wives, children, family, and lovers being held as hostages was brutal in itself.


    ¡°Did you also sell off your North Korean defectors to this ce?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir!¡±


    ¡°You better not have.¡±


    Once Ahn Soo Ho hung up, he took out a gun from his secret pocket.


    ¡°Haha. Huh?¡±


    A man who wasughing at the TV turned around after feeling something cold on his head, but his head blew up before he could see.


    Bang, bang-


    The guy next to him got shot in the temple, and the one next to him got shot in his heart.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    He shot the lock and opened the door to the chicken coups and dog houses, but the response of the people inside was slow. The reason why they didn¡¯t run right away meant that they endured so much fear and pain that they were brainwashed. He then took out the guns and bullets in his secret pocket and created a pile.


    He heard mumbling from outside the building.


    It was time to monitor the people in the pen and members responded to the sound of the gun. Ahn Soo Ho took his gun and left the pig pen, and then threw it to the man who was still hesitant.


    ¡°Pick it up.¡±


    He picked it up as if he was possessed.


    ¡°Get up and fight.¡±


    That suddenly woke the suppressed rage within him. The men, women, and children all picked up a gun. They heard the ruckus getting closer.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the shooting? Did you damage our goods...¡±


    A woman shot the man who just entered and opened the door.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Get your revenge.¡±


    Their hatred turned them into soldiers.


    ¡®The Ultra Program is a piece of trash.¡¯


    ¡®Kneel in front of the superiority of magic.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 159 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [5] > The end.

 Chapter 161: < Protect – Episode 160 – Hong Kong Noir [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 161: < Protect ¨C Episode 160 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [6] ></h4>


    The magic that draws positive interest from others is difficult, but the magic that put people in a daze really depended on one¡¯s experience. As a magician who specialized in space and destruction, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t that outstanding. However, when it came to those who were out of their minds due to fear or rage, they were weak even without the use of magic.


    The reason why the people of the great, great magician, Anna-Anne¡¯s world wasn¡¯t because they were afraid of her throwing balls of fire. Those who could rule over a person¡¯s mind were called something along the lines of zombie masters. Even fellow magicians didn¡¯t like magicians that caused problems by controlling people, and they weremonly regarded as an enemy. Ifpared to the earth, they could beparable to war criminals being chased by the international criminal court.


    5 minutes.


    That was how long Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s magicsted.


    As soon as the 5 minutes was up, those with weak minds fainted, and those who were stronger plopped down and trembled. 5 minutes was more than enough. Among those who escaped the chaos, the ones holding weapons were the real enemies. Ahn Soo Ho looked down from the roof of the building.


    He could have used his gun, but the enemies and civilians were all mixed about.


    He sensed that there were no CCTV cameras.


    ¡®See you, friends.¡¯


    The long chant that sounded as if it came from a white-bearded man from a movie wasn¡¯t anything spectacr. All it did was make perfectly okay people copse. There was something that people misunderstood. Magic was a secretive skill, and the fewer people knew about it, the better. In Anna-Anne¡¯s world, not a single person eximed, ¡°I¡¯m a magician!¡±


    Assassin.


    Wouldn¡¯t magic be best when ites to assassinations? But the way he destroyed the harbor in Indonesia was different. Once Ahn Soo Ho put down dozens of people, he took out his phone.


    ¡°Take care of it.¡±


    That was it.


    Not even 10 minutes afterward, a row of big trucks arrived. And the person who got out was Oh Chang Ik with a disgusted look on his face. That was because among the dead bodies were some people he knew. They weren¡¯t so close that they were friends, but they did business together.


    Oh Chang Ik got down from the roof and found Ahn Soo Ho sitting on a rock.


    ¡°The Hong Kong police will be here in 30 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Clean up as much as you can. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oh Chang Ik gestured for his men to separate the bodies from the survivors. Despite the fact that there was a gunfight, the Hong Kong police took their sweet time. Was it because this ce was a slum far away from the capital? That might have had something to do with it, too. However, the minister of administration was pulling a trick as well.


    Like Oh Chang Ik said, the Hong Kong police arrived. The only difference was that they arrived an hour afterward. On top of that, the person in charge wasn¡¯t wearing a police uniform, but a suit instead. He walked toward Ahn Soo Ho. For most gunfights, the special forces were dispatched, but not this time.


    ¡°Are you from public safety?¡±


    ¡°The fifth bureau.¡±


    ¡°Home inspection department?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    He took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Ahn Soo Ho, but he shook his head.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    His deep sigh was paired with cigarette smoke.


    ¡°My New Year¡¯s resolution was to quit smoking... but I failed again today.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho apologized. There was no subject, but he had a feeling who was responsible for the failure.


    ¡°My name is Wang Cho Shan, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Was it the premier¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t even make it up that far. The lower government decided to deal with it.¡±


    Seeing how they were being so active about a strategy put forward to tame Hong Kong, it must have been Guangdong which was located nearby. Not even the national premier knew everything that happened in China. Even under dictatorship, the cases of countryside regions were divided and given to regional groups.


    ¡°I need more of an exnation.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re increasing the number of illegal immigrants and foreign criminals to worsen Hong Kong¡¯s public safety while making negotiations with the criminal organizations to make protestors such aspanies, educated people, and students into criminal targets.¡±


    He revealed information that could be considered as China¡¯s shame without any hesitation. If he was a reporter, he would have been happy to get the scoop, but he had no interest in exposing the truth.


    ¡°What about the Hwang Chi Rin terrorist attack?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was an order from the central district. They¡¯re trying to get rid of the organ banks in Hong Kong while they¡¯re at it. I guess... the fact that you acted first should be considered a relief. Thank you for giving us an excuse.¡±


    ¡°There are other ces?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just North Korea, but Vietnam and the Philippines who will also do anything that can make them money. As for maind... since we regte it, they don¡¯ty their hands on the organs. The triad is quite cooperative, but the others have to taste bitterness to get the message.¡±


    Today¡¯s headlines in China¡¯s news was set to be about the organ banks active in Hong Kong. On top of that, they were going to make it look like violent crimes and add experts¡¯ input that it had a negative influence on the Hong Kong economy. It was highly likely that the Hwang Chi Rin terrorist attack was going to be framed as an illegal actmitted by a capitalist.


    ¡°But I have something to receive from him.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s an investment, we can resolve it for you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not about money. It¡¯s more about trust.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan put out his cigarette and showed an intolerable look on his face.


    ¡°Are you trying to collect the leaders?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked. The word he used directly tranted into red bats.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of them that you¡¯re trying to get Hong Kong to surrender?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan groaned deeply.


    There were over 7 million Korean residents abroad. Then how many Chinese residents were there abroad? This was not an exact number, but it was around 50 million. Among them were Chinese people with ambiguous identities as well. However, what was for certain was that they had Chinese blood and that they were strongly influenced by Sinocentrism.


    That was where one question arose.


    ¡®Are overseas Chinesepletely devoted to China?¡¯


    There was no way. It was actually them who criticized the Chinese Communist Party the most. There was a difference between sticking with other Chinese people and actually liking China. In particr, the Chinese who seed in society attacked the corrupt government even more strongly.


    At this point, they were making an effort to develop the country withbor productivity, but as long as they had no certainty that they could protect lives and funds, the outflow of talents and capital was only going to speed up. The reason why they didn¡¯t want toe back home in glory was clear.


    ¡°Even if the overseas Chinese¡¯s capitales back to China, will it not go back through Hong Kong anyway?¡±


    ¡°So you know.¡±


    Most of the Chinese capital that left through Hong Kong¡¯s financial corporations were overseas Chinese¡¯s capital that wasundered into the Chinese currency. They used China¡¯s fixed currency to see a profit, and once they made profits from the risingnd costs in China¡¯s real estate market, they took the money and went back abroad.


    There probably wasn¡¯t going to be a big hit any time soon, but overheating of the real estate market wasn¡¯t good for the Chinese economy¡¯s future. Even though allnd belonged to the Chinese Communist Party, the rise in rent only increased the gap between the rich and the poor. The government officials that knew what was going on predicted that if they just left it alone, something bad was bound to happen.


    ¡°But they couldn¡¯t force it, right?¡±


    ¡°The damned foreignerw grabbed them by their ankles.¡±


    The foreigner investment restrictionw that was enforced to protect the domestic industries was what caused a problem. The Chinese Communist Party was confident that Chinese people would gather in their superiornd, but for the Chinese foreigners who had a taste of capitalistpetition, China was no more than food that they could feed off of. Actually, they never even considered themselves as Chinese in the first ce.


    ¡°We think of that as the white people¡¯s hoax. That¡¯s what¡¯sing between the overseas Chinese and us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a foolish judgment.¡±


    ¡°The truth is not what¡¯s important. What¡¯s important is how we use that belief.¡±


    ¡°What you guys are aiming for is none of my business.¡±


    That was the limit of a nationalistic country¡¯s patriotism.


    ¡°Enough with the introduction. Get to the point now, Mr. Wang.¡±


    In response, Wang Cho Shan looked around and then whistled. The reason why the Chinese Communist Party left Goreo Vige alone was because of their rtions with North Korea as well as their intention of making Hong Kong¡¯s public safety a mess, but it was also because they knew that if there was a battle against armedbatants, it would result to many casualties. Ahn Soo Ho ended it all too quickly though. There were no CCTV cameras, so he couldn¡¯t check, but some of the photos really made it look like magic was involved.


    ¡®Nice and clean.¡¯


    In a mix of civilians and hostages, only thebatants were the one¡¯s that got killed. This could not be done with good shooting skills alone. Among the Chinese intelligence agency, there were even jokes about how it was done by a magical serpent.


    ¡°We ask that you help us deal with Hong Kong.¡±


    ¡°For what price?¡±


    ¡°We received orders to give you whatever you ask for.¡±


    ¡°Then leave Hwang Chi Rin alone.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan immediately epted.


    ¡°One more thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°Participate in the sanctions against North Korea.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s...¡±


    Negotiations regarding North Korea between America and China was a battle of pride.


    ¡°Not right away. Just let your superiors know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. But are you interested in North Korea?¡±


    He got into the SUV Oh Chang Ik was driving and lowered the window.


    ¡°If you shoot my way next time... I¡¯ll blow Pyeongyang out of the waters.¡±


    ******


    The triad was the mostmonly known criminal organization in China, but they weren¡¯t a unified organization. They were like a franchise that operated around certain regions. Hong Kong¡¯s public safety was at the top level. This wasn¡¯t because of the Chinese government¡¯s effort but because of the Hong Kong police¡¯s constant efforts as well as ICAC.


    The police and corruption mentioned in the old Hong Kong Noir were only possible during the times when tigers smoked cigarettes. That was because, after the 21st century, organized crime in Hong Kong was decreasing, and there was no room for moneyundering or financial crimes to take ce. The reason why Hong Kong dreamt of creating an international city of finance was because of how strong the Chinese government¡¯s influence was getting.


    Hong Kong people were proud of ICAC.


    Thud-


    Director General Raymond Woo of ICAC mmed the desk.


    ¡°Say that again! What? They want us to terminate our investigative ns?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Did the minister of administration really say that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. He said every word.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He saw iting but seeing it actually happen filled him with rage. Since the minister of administration was friendly with China, it was obvious that he was going to put forward policies that were public interests first, and that was exactly what happened.


    ¡®In just two years! He went back to the old days in just two years!¡¯


    He spent 25 years fighting the thugs, corrupted government workers, and greedy businessmen toplete his duties. As a result, Hong Kong had to be remembered as the most upright ce. However, things started to go wrong when the new minister of administration took office.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe the thugs are roaming about again! So much corruption!¡¯


    The triad and other thugs that disappeared from Hong Kong were starting to resurface. As a result, the ICAC had a strong will to regte it. The only answer was to sweep up all the leaches and get rid of them from the very beginning. However, their superiors put a restraint on it. They thought that a rmendation from the investigative authorities soon after the revolution would only cause anxiety in the people.


    The excuse was somewhat understandable.


    ICAC was highly trusted but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t crazy at times. They once made a victimmit suicide with too much pressure, and they even convicted innocent people with shabby indictment and evidence. In any case, they couldn¡¯t refuse ICAC¡¯s orders. The problem was that as they procrastinated, the trash piled up too big for them to handle.


    ¡®Do we have to have another war against crime?¡¯


    Dealing with crime with such strong will was bound to cause harm on both sides.


    Beep-


    Raymond Woo answered his interphone.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the minister of administration.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He breathed deeply before picking up the phone.


    ¡°Director-General Woo! Push forward with the criminal organization countermeasure! Dispatch the special forces and agents to the center of the city! If needed, restrict the traffic and notify the other countries!¡±


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ In response to the minister of administration¡¯s rant, Raymond Woo was speechless. What he was talking about were the criminal organization countermeasures they had been consistently proposing. Did Sherayhuh got shot in his head or something? However, he couldn¡¯t stay silent for long.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Does it sound like I¡¯m joking? Get on it!¡±


    ¡°But the maind...¡±


    ¡°This is an order from above!¡±


    Raymond Woo was initially trailing off, but after he heard what the minister of administration added, his facial expression loosened up. This was at a bigger scale than what Sherayhuh could handle on his own.


    ¡®Who cares?¡¯


    Did those Chinese Communist Party bastards finallye to their senses?


    ¡°Oh! Wait.¡±


    Raymond Woo was about to hang up when he stopped in response to Sherayhuh¡¯s urgent voice.


    ¡°A special agent will be dispatched. All you have to do is support him, Director General.¡±


    ¡°A special agent?¡±


    ¡®What kind of nonsense is that?¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... It¡¯s probably begun already.¡±


    ******


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho opened his eyes in response to Oh Chang Ik¡¯s words. Being a zombie master was definitely not for him. It took a lot of mental energy. Oh Chang Ik rolled his eyes like a crazy dog. That was because he was surrounded by dozens of police officers.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a dog that was killed after the hunt ends.¡±


    Oh Chang Ik was very traumatized about that because of the power battle that took ce in North Korea after the passing of Kim Il Sung.


    ¡°You earned a lot of money. Now live like a decent human being.¡±


    ¡°But there are lots of hungry mouths that are depending on me.¡±


    He was an evil person nicknamed the southeast crazy dog, but he took good care of his own people.


    ¡°As long as you fulfill the exchange, you won¡¯t have any trouble feeding yourself from now on.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He was agreeing with words, but he probably wasn¡¯t able to obey right away. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t believe he would follow along from the start either. As soon as they got out of the car, Wang Cho Shan was waiting. He red at Oh Chang Ik and then smiled at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°You¡¯re going around with a weird guy by your side.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s of use to me.¡±


    ¡°May I ask how?¡±


    ¡°He knows me well.¡±


    He passed Wang Cho Shan¡¯s confused face and headed toward the slums that were seized by the police. There was a simple reason why he kept ckie and Crazy Dog alive. It was because they both knew Ahn Soo Ho well. Both of them at least knew how to keep their dignity, and those who didn¡¯t know him would evetually know him soon enough.


    ¡®Is it because of Anna-Anne¡¯s memories?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t have much love for humans, but the act of selling people was lower than trash. It was despicable.


    Bang-


    Lower than trash was a harmful beast.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Someone lost their hand and screamed.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    Every time he pulled the trigger, another bastard would scream.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡®Keep barking, wild animals.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 160 ¨C Hong Kong Noir [6] > The end.

 Chapter 162: < Protect – Episode 161 – Ultra [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 162: < Protect ¨C Episode 161 ¨C Ultra [1] ></h4>


    While Ahn Soo Ho flipped the slums upside down, the Hong Kong police dealt with internal conflicts regarding rebellion suppression.


    ¡°Random shootings? Do they think this is maind?¡±


    ¡°We have to stop this madness!¡±


    ¡°This is Hong Kong! Hong Kong!¡±


    The one who poured cold water over condemning the special agent¡¯s brutality was none other than Director General Raymond Woo of ICAC. He threw a pile of documents to the police executives in front of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Read it.¡±


    Multiple people gasped as soon as they flipped through the first page.


    The triad and foreign criminal organization working in Hong Kong.


    The new drug route is through Guangzhou, Macao, and Hong Kong.


    Human trafficking and organ trafficking.


    Hong Kong prostitution business.


    The route of children sales


    Each page contained shocking material.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we seen this before?¡±


    Hong Kong from the 70s and 80s was much worse. After staring at the executives who were gasping, Raymond Woo stared at the director of the police.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not stupid, you¡¯ve probably realized how much danger Hong Kong is in right now. In contrast to the external index, the internal situation is on the verge of explosion. We have to put off trying to me someone for it and look for a solution immediately.¡±


    They all went silent as soon as he mentioned the word ¡°solution¡±. Police executives weren¡¯t incapable. However, after Hong Kong was returned to China, the Chinese Communist Party made constant efforts to make the Hong Kong society friendlier with China. The police couldn¡¯t overlook such efforts. They still put the effort first, but favorable treatment was added on top of that.


    The pro-Chinese influence enforced their power in various industries once they established their position. The police and government workers were just the tip of the iceberg. The politicians had gone over the maind a long time ago. Thepanies with many knowledgable people such as professors were still opposing, but no one knew how long that couldst. If Raymond Woo had run for office after Hong Kong was returned to China, he could have be pro-Chinese as well.


    ¡®I¡¯m not saying pro-Chinese is bad.¡¯


    What was bad was forgetting one¡¯s own goals and behaving irresponsibly.


    ¡°From this point forward, you must follow Hong Kong¡¯s autonomyw and follow my directions.¡±


    The special agent¡¯s shootout made Raymond Woo angry as well, but once he thought about it, desperate measures had to be taken to put Hong Kong back in its ce in such a short time. He decided that if he couldn¡¯t stop this from happening, he might as well use it to his advantage.


    ¡°My first order is...¡±


    Maind started it first.


    ¡°The police may use live ammunition.¡±


    ******


    Whee-oo, whee-oo-


    More paramedics went around Hong Kong than the police. The gunfight that started in the slums soon started to spread to the capital. Ahn Soo Ho thought that he used as less force as possible, but no one would have been able to understand how he took everyone down with just one gun. However, that didn¡¯t mean they all died by bullets.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As soon as his foot touched his chest, he destroyed the furniture and flung backward. He then mmed another guy¡¯s face into a desk which led to him breaking his nose and front teeth. Chairs and knives were flung around, but Ahn Soo Ho dodged them all.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho barged into the office so suddenly, that they thought Ahn Soo Ho was a fellow member. In any case, he beat all of them up to a pulp.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Once he got away from the groaning punks, he looked through theptops and books. There were traces of police and government collusion. No matter how anti-corrupt someone was, everyone was weak in front of money. It held more power than any kind of magic. Ahn Soo Ho collected important information. The police were in the midst of straightening out their messy office, but there was no way the truth was going to surface.


    As soon as he got out, police officers walked by. If he decided to suppress anyone, the Hong Kong police had his back. That was the key to today¡¯s operation. Of course, the special forces were also dispatched to carry out the mission, but due to strong resistance, people were harmed. In response, the Hong Kong media didn¡¯t hesitate to criticize the government and police for the crime and war that began. They also tied it to the Hwang Chi Rin terrorist attack and created rumors to circte on social media.


    The Im terrorist group! Are they invading China now?


    As a result of the Hong Kong terrorist attack, there are now travel warnings in South East Asia!


    The terror of Chairman Hwang Chi Rin was caused by the Chinese government!


    Anti-government leads to violence which is bad for the Hong Kong economy!


    The reason why the revolution stopped midway was because anti-government protesters knew that it posed negative effects on Hong Kong¡¯s economy. This time, they were iming that the independence movement leading to more crimes. ording to the media, once the police started focusing on the anti-government protestors and him, they didn¡¯t have enough manpower to take care of the organized crimes.


    ¡®They¡¯re full of tricks.¡¯


    This scenario hit its peak when it was announced that North Korea was responsible for the Hwang Chi Rin terrorist attack, and Pyeongyang yed along by sending their sympathies to China while putting all the me on Kim Taek Sun. In the end, they made it seem like in the midst of briberies that took ce between Hwang Chi Rin and Kim Taek Sun, a North Korean middleman identally caused the terrorist attack. As a result, Chairman Hwang and A&E were unable to avoid prosecution investigation.


    ¡°The investigation is just for formalities.¡±


    In response to the news about Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s investigation, Wang Cho Shan made excuses. Since Ahn Soo Ho said to leave Hwang Chi Rin alone, the Chinese Communist Party wasn¡¯t going to try anything. However, Chairman Hwang¡¯s enemies were not only in maind China. There were tones of greedy executives in A&E who wanted to find the top businessman¡¯s w.


    ¡®But that¡¯s for the person directly involved to resolve.¡¯


    He looked out for Hwang Chi Rin, but he wasn¡¯t responsible for his position.


    ¡°How is it wrapping up?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be deported or imprisoned depending on the severity of their crimes, and the only organizations that can be regted will remain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that for the Hong Kong police, but ICAC shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.¡±


    ¡°As long as the minister of administration is in our hands, the ICAC doesn¡¯t have anything on us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so confident.¡±


    ¡°Once the education policies are modified, Hong Kong will be assimted to the maind.¡±


    The Chinese government realizedter on that the overseas Chinese individuals couldn¡¯t bepletely regted. They were no longer Chinese. As soon as they acknowledged that, they were able to approach it in a more objective manner.


    ¡®This is something the Koreans should learn as well.¡¯


    China and America were different in every way, but they had this one thing inmon.


    ¡®They¡¯re cold-hearted and are willing to do anything for their country¡¯s profit.¡¯


    Just like how there was no eternal ally, there was no eternal enemy either.


    Ahn Soo Ho headed over to his final destination of the day. While the Hong Kong police dealt with the remaining dregs, Ahn Soo Ho was going to meet someone that even the Chinese Communist Party avoided. Because he had a lot of money and power? Not at all. It was because his reputation heavily relied on rumors, and his reputation was just as dirty as those rumors.


    In Hong Kong, one-on-one prostitution was legal, butrgepanies were illegal. As such, some of the foreign women that went to Hong Kong used their own means or a broker to start their own prostitution business. Did the illegality of prostitutionpanies mean they didn¡¯t exist? Not at all. Hong Kong and Macao were home to the biggest prostitutionpanies in Asia.


    Jamie Bricks International


    JBI sounded like some kind of investment firm, but it was actually the biggest matchmakingpany in Asia. The demand for matchmaking in China was huge, and the number of members on dating sites were explosive. This was a famous trend in China.


    ¡°It¡¯s a name that I didn¡¯t even think about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how well they¡¯re hidden.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan had no idea that prostitution was at the center of a marriage informationpany.


    ¡°They use all sorts of methods to lure people in and then trap them so that they can use them to their advantage.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone reporting them?¡±


    ¡°Because getting involved in a sex scandal is fatal.¡±


    Compared to before, sexual issues were more discussed among the public, but sex scandals were still avoided.


    ¡°Since there are branches in South East Asia, Japan, Korea, and Australia, they¡¯re all probably involved.¡±


    ¡°The number of members... is astronomical.¡±


    ¡°But only some of them probably engaged in prostitution.¡±


    They made enough profit with normal operations alone, but it didn¡¯t stand a chance against the money that prostitution brought in. There was a simr organization in France as well, but the only difference was that younger women were lured in by fraudulent job offers.


    ¡°Does that mean they didn¡¯t start with the n of human trafficking?¡±


    ¡°JBI grew drastically in thest few years, and it hasn¡¯t been long since they entered human trafficking.¡±


    It was around the same time the Chinese Communist Party tried to screw over Hong Kong. Wang Cho Shanughed bitterly.


    ¡°This is a variable I didn¡¯t predict.¡±


    ¡°How nice would it be if everything went our way? ns can always change course.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t trying tofort anyone. He was just answering his own question.


    ¡®No matter how well you prepare, changes always happen.¡¯


    For that reason, back-up options were needed.


    ¡°Do you really think your superiors had no idea about JBI¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    It was actually something that could have been found out at Wang Cho Shan¡¯s rank.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know for sure once we meet him.¡±


    The police and investigators arrived at the JBI headquarters at the center of Hong Kong and began their search. In contrast to the slums, most of the people there were JBI employees who were working hard. So there was no reason to hit them down with sticks. Contrastingly to the noisy lower floors, the office on the highest floor was pretty quiet.


    As soon as Wang Cho Shan nodded, an agent opened the door.


    ¡°The person in charge is finally here.¡±


    There was someone in the president¡¯s office wearing an expensive suit and looking rxed. It was as if he saw thising.


    ¡°Go on and pretend to do an investigation and then evacuate my building.¡±


    He ordered Wang Cho Shan around, and Wang Cho Shan wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would ept that kind of treatment.


    ¡°As a scumbag criminal, did you damage your head or something? Do you want to be executed right here?¡±


    ¡°Ha! This young friend looks overexcited. Look here. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving my name to a scumbag like you.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    In response, the old man¡¯s face showed no hints of fear or worry.


    ¡°Young man, my name is Zhouxun Bao. Have you heard of me before?¡±


    ¡°Zhouxun Bao?¡±


    Wang Cho Shan tilted his head upon hearing that name and then was surprised upon realizing something.


    ¡°Khan Taegeuk?¡±


    ¡°Oh! My reputation is still alive! That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Khan Taegeuk, Zhouxun Bao.¡±


    The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ cruelty was exposed during the Tiananmen incident. After that, the Chinese human rights activists were suppressed which led to the constant mentioning of it, and the foreign press that heard about the brutality of the Tibetan uprising was shocked and fearful. Khan Taegeuk was a legend from those times.


    Wang Cho Shan unknowingly nced at Ahn Soo Ho, but he just stuck out his tongue in a carefree manner. Wang Cho Shan gulped. The person who was talking the talk was an unexpected tycoon.


    ¡®I think Mr. Ahn knows something about this...¡¯


    He definitely knew that there was a tycoon behind JBI.


    ¡°Please exin, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±


    Zhouxun Bao found Wang Cho Shan¡¯s changed response cute and decided to be warm toward the youngd.


    ¡°As you know, it¡¯s been 15 years since I retired.¡±


    Once he retired, he received another offer from the standingmittee. His job was to monitor Hong Kong and Macao. So he willingly epted and began his duties only to face difficulties soon afterward.


    ¡°Hong Kong and Macao were different from the maind.¡±


    He was fully prepared for something different, but once he actually started the job, the reality of Hong Kong and Macao was beyond his imagination. It was a whole another world. He dedicated decades to his party and the people, but he had never experienced such a crazy city.


    He had to visit Beijing often as a part of his job, but he only visited Shanghai once for a vacation before his retirement. However, Hong Kong was a busier city than any of them. Once he made up his mind, he contemted how he would monitor Hong Kong and Macao. Should he have used the corrupt ones that were dissatisfied with the Hong Kong government just like they did in other regions? Or should he have bribed government officials? Or should he have created a recon team? He contemted many methods, butpared to the maind, the police, government workers, knowledgeable people, and average people¡¯s education levels were much higher.


    After many failures, Zhouxun Bao pulled out a traditional trap. He was able to quit drugs and alcohol with his own will but not sex. Unless one was willing to cut themselves off from the world, dating and marriage were inevitable. Before JBI was born, he went through many trial and errors with other dating sites and matchmakingpanies.


    ¡°Hide the 1% lie within the 99% truth. Those are some wise words.¡±


    He used the excuse of international matchmaking to build branches in each country in Asia, and as a result, JBI¡¯s monitoring system expanded vastly. The problem was that the Chinese intelligence agency didn¡¯t know about JBI¡¯s existence. That was because they were like an information team that only some of the legitive members knew about. Not even Premier Yuhaipung knew of their existence.


    It began with obtaining information regarding trends ofpanies connected to China. They weren¡¯t looking for national top secrets, but the sex industry skyrocketed in no time which led to more information at a higher quality. In the intelligence world, the more secrets one knew, the more professional one had to be.


    From a certain point onward, they only picked the most qualified candidates, and people like that were rare. What kind of beautiful and smart women would have wanted to sell her body? That was absolute nonsense. Once they started to work with higher quality information, the members dealing with Zhouxun Bao were more careful with him. Since he got a taste of how it felt to control the world with the power of information, he had no intention of going back, and in order to grow JBI even more, he started to dip into immoral industries.


    ¡°Ultra.¡±


    Zhouxun Bao showed interest in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s whispering.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°How dare you skip on formalities in our first meeting, you son of a bitch?¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°You?¡¯ Am I your friend? You little bastard. Learn some damn manners. How can you not know who I am when you work with such great information? But then again, how urate could information obtained in bed be? You¡¯re just a pervert obsessed with voyeurism, you crazy bastard.¡±


    % of men bluffed in bed. But more than that, it wasical that he didn¡¯t know who Ahn Soo Ho was as someone who dreamt of being the leader of an intelligence agency.


    ¡°Did you have fun brainwashing women and children? Huh?¡±


    ¡°I did it for the future of ournd.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. In just words alone, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a patriot and a hero.¡±


    Zhouxun Bao red at Wang Cho Shan while hearing this, but he backed off. And that gesture meant that he knew Ahn Soo Ho was above him.


    ¡°You little! Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pulled out a high kick on one of Zhouxun Bao¡¯s subordinates¡¯ temple before he could get up. Ahn Soo Ho then kneed him and broke his nose with his elbow. At the sound of a crash, three or four people rolled and screamed.


    ¡°Huh? If you hurt me, I won¡¯t leave you alone!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho raised his foot on the table and smiled at Zhouxun Bao who was trying to get back up.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    He then shoved the lighter on the table down his throat.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    For a boss, he died in a vain way.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 161 ¨C Ultra [1] > The end.

 Chapter 163: < Protect – Episode 162 – Ultra [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 163: < Protect ¨C Episode 162 ¨C Ultra [2] ></h4>


    ¡°This is... troublesome.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan looked puzzled after seeing the retired tycoon¡¯sical death. Since he didn¡¯t see what happened to Goreo Vige himself, that didn¡¯t matter, but in contrast to the investigative officials of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s repressive operations didn¡¯t lead to a single casualty. Even in the midst of a crazy gunfight, there was no sign of a life being endangered.


    ¡®That¡¯s fascinating.¡¯


    Getting hit anywhere by a bullet was dangerous, but getting hit on the chest or abdomen area was especially risky. It was better to just get shot in the head and die immediately, but the death that Zhouxun Bao suffered was a lighter down his throat which was much worse.


    Ahn Soo Ho brushed off his hands and then looked back at Wang Cho Shan.


    ¡°Are you going to arrest me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see or hear anything.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see or hear anything.¡±


    Wang Cho Shan nodded in response.


    The secret that Zhouxun Bao exposed was China¡¯s shame that was better off buried away. In reality, there were countless dirty truths that were hidden away. There was no ce with a bigger scale than the standingmittee, and even the regional offices had dirty secrets that kept them from keeping their heads up. No matter how shameless they were, they couldn¡¯t dare to be confident about terrorizing themon people.


    ¡°Zhouxun Bao strongly resisted, so he inevitably died. Is that how it should be reported?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho patted Wang Cho Shan on the shoulder and got out of there. Wang Cho Shan sighed and then flinched.


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    Did he kill Zhouxun Bao to get him involved in it? He shook his head. He was just a public officer. In other words, he was just a material part that made up a bigger machine.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got out of the building, he was faced with Oh Chang Ik.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the seizing stages.¡±


    The vacant spots of the organizations that got swept up by the Hong Kong police¡¯s crackdown were soon filled again. That was because people like Oh Chang Ik got involved. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t give off the protector nuance, but Oh Chang Ik and ckie used his name to their advantage.


    ¡°You guys sure are stubborn.¡±


    Telling such criminals to live nicely was like telling a drug addict to quit drugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of trouble you get into in Hong Kong, but once I hear that you¡¯re selling people... You know what¡¯ll happen then, right?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned down Oh Chang Ik¡¯s offer to drive him back to the hotel and walked through the noisy streets of Hong Kong. This was the first time a gunfight broke out after Hong Kong was returned to China. He heard an announcement telling everyone to refrain from sightseeing and shopping and to go back to their amodations. He stopped at the International Commerce Center. He then followed a woman who appeared to have been waiting for him.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    ¡°You look just fine for someone who was victimized by a terrorist attack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you earlier.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat on the couch across from Hwang Chi Rin. He was offered tea, but he refused.


    ¡°Let me hear it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡±


    ¡°Predictions and the truth are different.¡±


    Hwang Chi Rin frowned. He wasn¡¯t particrly insulted by what Ahn Soo Ho said, but nothing had been going his way during the madness in Hong Kong. This was the first time he felt powerless.


    Hwang Chi Rin sighed and then started talking.


    ¡°Premier Yuhaipung called me himself.¡±


    The Chinese intelligence agency managed to find Hwang Chi Rin after a long pursuit ofte Kim Taek Sun¡¯s trace, and if Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t gotten involved, it would have just ended with a warning or money.


    ¡°If you want to live, prepare to be disgraced.¡±


    He did have the stance of supporting Hong Kong independence, but he wasn¡¯t so devoted that he was willing to give up his life and wealth. Pride was only worth anything when one was alive.


    ¡°What are you going to do now, Chairman Hwang?¡±


    ¡°A prosecution investigation has been scheduled.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Oh.¡±


    Hwang Chi Rin blinked and then eximed.


    ¡°Then is the war that the Hong Kong police proimed against crimes...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled in response, and that was a clear enough answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m still thankful.¡±


    This was no more than a deal.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that... What about the preparations?¡±


    ¡°We can begin anytime.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it now.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    In contrast to Hwang Chi Rin¡¯s dignified stance during their first meeting, he was being submissive now. He felt instinctively afraid of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence, which scared even the Chinese Communist Party. Hwang Chi Rin picked up the phone. He spoke in Chinese and then looked back at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Tell me your target.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled.


    ¡°Shi Group.¡±


    ******


    Shi Group was Korea¡¯s toppany in media and entertainment. From the perspective of the upper ss, they were just as unique as Ahn Soo Ho. Shi was originally a clothingpany before they branched out to department stores, duty-free shops, home shopping, newspapers, TV channels, multiplexes, music, productions, sports, and entertainment management.


    Shi Group was especially unrivaled in the entertainment industry. They had many connections rted to movies, dramas, variety shows, and music, and they established multiple channels to lead the trends. Just by getting on Shi Group¡¯s good side, people became stars, and if they got on their bad side, they would be third-rate forever.


    ¡°What kind of bullshit report is this?¡±


    Executive Director Jeon Joon Shik mmed his desk and expressed his anger.


    ¡°We have to evacuate right now? Those crazy bastards! We invested so much money in Chungmuro and the broadcastingpanies! What on earth is the problem?¡±


    When a normally quiet person got mad, it was even scarier.


    ¡°We have to report this bullshit to the chairman? Do they want to see me die?¡±


    The department stores and home shopping was where Shi Group made the most sales, but the most profits madepared to the money invested were actually movie dramas, variety shows, and music.


    ¡°Why would our profits suffer?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°Because of Hosoo Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Jeon Joon Shik groaned in response.


    Hosoo Entertainment Group


    Just 1 year after being founded, the new group was growing exponentially in the Korean economy. Some thought that they were going to be doomed in the near future, but the ones who actually knew thought otherwise. Capitalism was going to be doomed before Ahn Soo Ho ever went bankrupt.


    ¡®This is driving me crazy. If we fight with money, we won¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯


    Since broadcastingpanies put them down, they bought a broadcastingpany, since the producers put them down, they bought a productionpany, and since the stadiums turned them down, they built their own. From the financial world¡¯s standpoint, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s behavior was beyond shocking.


    ¡®The CEO is crazy, but so is everyone working for him.¡¯


    It was already cheating that they had Daesan Group behind them, but the live ammunition that Hosoo Entertainment had was enough to make everyone nervous. That included Shi Group. That was because 10.3% of their holdingpany, Shi Media Holdings stocks belonged to Hosoo Investments.


    Hosoo Entertainment established their own music site.


    Hosoo Entertainment made their own movie and drama productionpany.


    Hosoo Entertainment nned their own performance facilities.


    Hosoo Entertainment created their own music broadcast.


    Hosoo Entertainment trained their trainees through their own academy.


    ¡®This makes no sense... but they keep seeding.¡¯


    What determined the sess of a celebrity managementpany was who had better control of the stars that the public wanted. Shi Group controlled the trends by using their designer brands, newspapers, and broadcasts, and even manipted their music channels and sites to control the music industry as well.


    Shi Group was thew of the entertainment industry.


    But once Hosoo Entertainment appeared, those rules shattered. They didn¡¯t think much of it when they first popped up. But as time went on, they took over theirpetitors and even took over a broadcastingpany. Even until that point, they didn¡¯t feel too threatened by them. It didn¡¯t matter if they came from money or not. They believed that once anyone joined the upper ss, they would have had to follow by their rules.


    In most cases, rich people didn¡¯t attack other rich people. That was an unwritten rule followed by even Daesan Group. However, Ahn Soo Ho was a rebel who defied all of that.


    ¡®Psycho.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s way of charging head-on startled hispetitors and made them stop the schemes they were in the middle of devising. In all honesty, both Shi Group and Hosoo Entertainment Group had a way of using violence to stop anything from getting in their way. But Shi liked to use their connections and weaknesses to threaten while Hosoo Entertainment simply used money to get their way.


    On the outside, it just looked like overpaying or panic buying, but they actually bought cheappared to their future worth. The old men looked down on Oh Joo Kyung of Hosoo Entertainment Group, but she was actually quite skilled in business and negotiation.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave this alone. We have to keep Hosoo Group in check. Is there a good way to do that?¡±


    ¡°If we mess with them the wrong way, they could try to take over ourpany as well.¡±


    ¡°I know. So we have to think of a way that they won¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°What if we use the media? Let¡¯s create some kind of negative scandal regarding their celebrities.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already doing that. What else?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably needing more employees for their new broadcastingpany. Let¡¯s nt some informants.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already doing that, too. What else?¡±


    ¡°How about we buy some treasury stocks just in case?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t beat them with money.¡±


    No matter how hard they tried, all of the methods they could think of only elicited disappointments.


    Beep-


    As soon as the interphone rang, he reflexively picked up the phone.


    ¡°Executive Director Jeon! Rushinbo Group put a halt to the multiplex operation! I¡¯ll reexamine the negotiation!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    That meant that the multiplex project that they invested 15 billion into could all go down the drain. That was just the beginning. The interphones of the other executives in the room started ringing as well.


    ¡°Close the department store in Shanghai due to hygienic issues?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? giarism? Awsuit?¡±


    ¡°I thought China¡¯s ban against Korean culture was over!¡±


    All of their businesses connected to China fell through. The climax of the neverending nightmare came through Executive Director Jeon Joon Shik¡¯s phone.


    ¡°Our stock prices are plummeting? Why?¡±


    All of Shi Group¡¯s affiliatepanies were suffering in the stock market.


    ******


    ¡°It has begun, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to bring Shi down?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was on his private jet from Hong Kong.


    He kept an eye on how the hedge fundbining the capitals of Hong Kong, Ennd, China, and Japan would harass Shi Group with an amused look on his face. The vulture fund that was created just in case the South Korean market was to get shaken up due to cold American-Chinese rtions were all pushed forward. As long as the analysts weren¡¯t stupid, they probably realized that an M&A begun.


    ¡°How many people do you think go missing every year in Korea?¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s random question, his secretary shook his head.


    ¡°Around 100,000.¡±


    But of course, some of them returned within a week while 20% disappeared forever without a trace. These kinds of numbers could only be obtained in Korea. South Africa, Africa, China, and India had no idea how many people went missing in their respective counties.


    ¡°Among those who go missing, the only ones society cares about are the underaged children. No one cares about young adults or fully-grown adults.¡±


    How could the Korean police, which imed to resolve 99% of crimes, be so careless about missing people? Because theycked manpower? Or because theycked the skill?


    ¡°Did you know our country has thergest child export in the world?¡±


    Just like how the matchmakingpany, Jamie Bricks International was the biggest human trafficking organization, no one knew the darkness that truly existed behind the masks ofrge corporations.


    ¡°The quick-witted ones have been providing something very basic to the powerful people of thisnd.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words, his secretary¡¯s face grew pale.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking. I just found out, too.¡±


    While Ahn Soo Ho looked through JBI¡¯s head office, he found out that the human trafficking organization¡¯s roots were deeper than he expected.


    ¡®Some of the missing people are given to Ultra.¡¯


    JBI had a cooperatingpany in each country, and they not only conducted human trafficking in South East Asia but in Korea and Japan as well.


    ¡°Do you mean to say Shi Group has been kidnapping people?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. For many years.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Shi Group was JBI¡¯s cooperatingpany in Korea.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 162 ¨C Ultra [2] > The end.

 Chapter 164: < Protect – Episode 163 – Ultra [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 164: < Protect ¨C Episode 163 ¨C Ultra [3] ></h4>


    Among the North Korean and kidnapping victims of Hong Kong, Ahn Soo Ho sent 121 of them who wanted revenge to a secret facility in the Philippines. Since half of the kidnapping victims of human trafficking were Chinese, that was for the Chinese Communist Party to deal with, and some of them went through their embassies to go back to their home countries.


    For those North Korean defectors who wanted to go back to Korea, he tried to send them to Seoul, but when it came to Korean diplomatics, the process wasn¡¯t very speedy. It was possible that they would use the excuse of the North and South Korea rtions to dy the process. However, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t meddle in the affairs too much. They had to experience how hard it was before they realized how good his proposal was.


    ¡®I¡¯m not mad or anything.¡¯


    He wasn¡¯t a kid anymore.


    He really wasn¡¯t mad...


    ¡°Since they¡¯re all recovering quickly, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Keep your eye on them anyway. They might look okay on the outside, but they can¡¯t be normal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the doctors about it as well.¡±


    The secret facilities in the Philippines were a training ground, but it was also a vacation spot. In order to take over an ind, there was no need to convince the authorities. The gap between the rich and the poor was so extreme in the Philippines, that the government was practically begging people to take it. Investments weren¡¯t properly taking ce and most people were concentrated in the metropolitan areas more so than Korea, and the public safety of the countryside areas was so bad that there were always revolts taking ce.


    Ahn Soo Ho took over a no-mansnd the size of Ulleungdo and bought the best security organizations in the Phillippines to create an Alcatraz of his own. It was hard for anyone uninvited to enter the ind, and it was even harder to get out.


    ¡°Under the current circumstances, around 3000 people can endure it here.¡±


    ¡°Food and clothes are the most important.¡±


    ¡°We have enough food, clothes, and medicine. The problem is...¡±


    ¡°The women?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly men.¡±


    Gender-rted issues were sensitive.


    ¡°You got rid of those with a past history of sexual assault, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. But... you still can¡¯t prevent some things.¡±


    ¡°What can we do about it?¡±


    ¡°The closest tourist destination is an hour boat ride. It¡¯s even faster by helicopter.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t let them go off and get STDs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to negotiate with the authorities.¡±


    They decided to put out the biggest fires first.


    ¡°Do you think the students will adjust okay?¡±


    ¡°Those with a clear goal won¡¯t stray far.¡±


    ¡°Good. But make the rewards and punishments very clear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho arrived at Incheon International Airport, he was greeted by Yoon Chul who should have been getting ready for his wedding.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®yo¡¯ me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you getting overexcited? You should calm yourself down before your wedding, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Phew. Forget it. Just get in.¡±


    They would have normally taken a car with a designated driver, but Yoon Chul was the one driving this time because he had something important to say. As soon as the car took off, security guards followed.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Youngjin Association, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Before that, I have one question for you. North Korea was you, right?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged and Yoon Chul understood.


    ¡°Thanks for not asking Soo Jung for favors, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°A new bride should only look and hear good things. The bad things should be taken care of by bad guys like us.¡±


    ¡°Why am I a bad guy?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you know.¡±


    A person with a weak mind couldn¡¯t be a police officer for long. And without a sense of duty, it was difficult to keep one¡¯s work ethic until the very end. Those tainted by power became more like viins than the criminals themselves, and at one point, Yoon Chul rebelled big time. However, he didn¡¯t harm any innocent people.


    ¡°No matter how faithful Batman is to justice, he¡¯s still a criminal whomits crimes.¡±


    Yoon Chul harassed the scumbag criminals who couldn¡¯t be punished byw.


    ¡°Was I wrong to do that?¡±


    ¡°No. I want tomend you for it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s refreshing. Wasn¡¯t it fun?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    No matter how impressive it was, using his profession as a police officer to harass others was abusing one¡¯s authority. However, the ones who were targeted deserved it. He was just sad that he couldn¡¯t harass them further.


    ¡°Soo Jung might not know this, but you and I can¡¯t be saints. Chul... we¡¯re not good people.¡±


    They looked at each other and smirked.


    Both Ahn Soo Ho and Yoon Chul got goosebumps when people talked about cause and victory. That was because they both needed to do whatever they wanted to feel relieved. But in contrast to Ahn Soo Ho, Yoon Chul knew the limits of his abilities and learned to control himself. To put it nicely, he knew his ce, and to put it bluntly, he was a born opportunist.


    ¡°Tell me more about Youngjin Association.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about Youngjin Securities Consulting?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head and then nodded.


    ¡°It does sound familiar. Aren¡¯t they the third biggest security servicepany in the country? They worked for the dream concert, right?¡±


    ¡°You remember. Youngjin Association has affiliates such as Youngjin Securities Consulting, Youngjin Insurance, Youngjin Fire, Youngjin nning, and Youngjin Construction for a total of 15.¡±


    ¡°So are they Youngjin Group?¡±


    ¡°But their stocks are unlisted. They¡¯re more like a Japanese cartel. What¡¯s scarier is that no one on the outside knows much about them.¡±


    Something smelled fishy.


    It was almost impossible to have apany in Korea with its stocks unlisted. Ahn Soo Ho suspected the Comradery Association and Korea National Association. They were being quiet for now, but that didn¡¯t mean their evil reputation was gone. In order to lead vested rights for dozens of years, they needed more than just money and power.


    ¡®No betrayal would have been allowed.¡¯


    Just like how the initiation of gangs is to kill...


    ¡®It¡¯s taboo to make unfounded predictions, but...¡¯


    If what he was predicting was true, the spy scandal was nothing.


    ¡°Provide everyone above the team leader level with guns and give all the guards tasers and police batons.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you overreacting?¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    If they knew that JBI-Hong Kong was raided, they were probably going to attempt concealment at the other cooperativepanies in each country. Since he used his magic, they probably wouldn¡¯t find out that it was him, but it was possible that rumors would get out about how he was involved in the Hong Kong incident.


    ¡®How ironic.¡¯


    In contrast to how active he was in America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, he didn¡¯t ept many requests from Asia. That was because requests from Asia had no choice but to be connected to Korea. As someone who wanted to keep his distance from Korea, he consciously or subconsciously avoided it.


    The car sped through the highway leading to Seoul.


    ¡°How¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°So-so.¡±


    Yoon Chul officially started working with the Hosoo Guard team not long ago. Kim Soo Jungined about how he became a boss first, but she had no ill feelings. Since she waspetitive with her beloved husband as well, people could see her as cunning, but she also had innocent passion within her as well. Since Ahn Soo Ho arrived in the middle of the night, he wasn¡¯t able to call Mrs. Park Ok Nam or Jang Seol Hyun.


    The car stopped in front of the Daesan Hotel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get out.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took documents from Yoon Chul and tapped the car as if he was telling him to get going. Yoon Chul leaned down and said goodbye.


    ¡°See youter.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was seeing off his friend when he noticed a man in a suit. It was a familiar face, also known as NIS agent, Han Joo Young. Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to gesture for him to follow him in. They got into the elevator headed to the suite room. Ahn Soo Ho seriously felt the need to either take over Daesan Hotel or build his own.


    ¡®It¡¯s great that I have a home to go back to... but I need a workce.¡¯


    He owned many buildings, but there were many that couldn¡¯t be revealed to the public. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to group all the hotels he bought in all the different countries and create a hotel brand of his own. Hotels with a high floating poption were useful for another reason besides a safe house.


    ¡°Come in, Mr. Han Joo Young. Would you like some coffee?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡±


    He took out a bottle of water from the fridge and sat across from Han Joo Young.


    ¡°Since it¡¯ste, let¡¯s just get straight to the point. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you... take care of North Korea?¡±


    ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡±


    Han Joo Young hesitated before telling the truth.


    ¡°We¡¯re suspecting if it has a connection to America.¡±


    ¡°Is it because I met with Ambassador Woods?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no connection. Or is there? We know each other, but she has nothing to do with this.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave an honest answer, but whether he believed it or not was up to him.


    ¡°Is that all, Mr. Han?¡±


    ¡°I want to know the truth about the Hong Kong incident.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a difficult question.¡±


    In contrast to his words, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem troubled at all. He answered with his eyes. It said that if he wanted to know, he must pay a price.


    ¡°Some from the Korea National Association is ying with the media. If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll stop that for you.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re also working on tainting your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to frame Hosoo Group employees for drinking and driving, assault, and epting bribes.¡±


    It was a simple yet effective strategy. There were tons of bastards who would do anything for money. He brought down the executivemittee, but if he chopped one head, two was bound to grow.


    ¡°That¡¯s why governmental authority is so desired.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s crucial.¡±


    Han Joo Youngughed bitterly.


    He made the Korea National Association and the Comradery Association be evil, but if he got rid of both of them, Korea was going to go back to the Stone Ages. This proved just how important power was. Justice was good and all, but what use was there if the country went down? The president was revolting against vested rights, but the government officials, politicians, and businessmen didn¡¯t want their existing order to be shattered.


    ¡°Even if the president wants to do something, it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you support Lee Joong Hyun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    Through multiple attempts of reforms, Lee Joong Hyun received the support of many citizens, but it still wasn¡¯t easy managing the administration.


    ¡®It was all an exaggeration.¡¯


    He was initially elected through the help of the Korea National Association. If he wanted to escape them, he didn¡¯t have a political foundation anymore. He tried to im his power by using Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s takedown of Korea National Association as his opportunity, but it was clear that he reached his limits.


    Korea¡¯s public mindset was more capitalistic than free.


    ¡®Social justice doesn¡¯t mean much in the face of money.¡¯


    There was no country more insensitive to sacrifice than Korea. It sounded cold-hearted, but a Korean¡¯s justice was still the victor¡¯s justice. Most thought that those who didn¡¯t seed had no right to express their opinions and that if they didn¡¯t have status, they had no worth. They often imed that authoritarianism had to be overthrown, but while they said that, they were busy seeking authority.


    ¡°I think I helped enough.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°If multiple scandals didn¡¯t take ce, the Blue House would have been pressured from both the political and media sides.¡±


    The multiple scandals that took ce were favorable for the president. Even with the recent spy scandal, he protested against the Blue House¡¯s steps to stimte the economy and strengthened his offense.


    ¡°Then is Hacker Try Net...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination.¡±


    The hacker organizations of the 21st century were pretty much national tasks, and in order to rank the skills of Korea¡¯s cyber operations, it was easier to find them at the bottom than the top.


    Han Joo Young stopped talking and went back.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have enough patriots.¡¯


    There were many Koreans who loved and were devoted to Korea. However, the reason why there wasn¡¯t a proper purification system was because most in power passed down their positions to their offspring.


    ¡®Is this simr to the Japanese invasion?¡¯


    The citizens tried very hard to keep the country up from tumbling due to the upper ss. Koreans had weaknesses but many strengths as well. In particr, they were so hard working that they made everyone else tremble in fear. Korea was the only country that looked down upon both Japan and China.


    His phone vibrated in his pocket.


    Ahn Soo Ho checked the caller and answered it.


    ¡°Chairman Hwang.¡±


    ¡°Shi Group is in a groggy situation, Mr. Guardian. Shall we end them once and for all?¡±


    ¡°No, just stop it there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The next day, the media reported on Shi Group¡¯s situation.


    Their unreasonable attempts at foreign businesses havee back to bite them in the ass! Their Chinese multiplex has fallen through!


    Shi Department Stores in China are closing due to hygienic issues! How horrifying!


    Despite China¡¯s ban against Korea being lifted, the duty-free shops take a direct hit!


    Shi Group¡¯s affiliatepanies are all suffering in the stock market! They bought treasury stocks to protect themselves! The rumors about how international capital are out for Shi Group has frozen the stock market.


    ¡°Is it here?¡±


    During the chaos of the North Korean provocation, spy scandal, and Shi Group¡¯s incident, Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of Youngjin Association¡¯s headquarters. In contrast to most major Korean corporations being in Seoul, Youngjin Group was in Asan next to Cheonan.


    Ahn Soo Ho recognized the building as soon as he saw it.


    ¡®Ultra?¡¯


    Some of the guards were not normal. How could someone in such a small country have the guts to foster their own soldiers?


    ¡°How interesting.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 163 ¨C Ultra [3] > The end.

 Chapter 165: < Protect – Episode 164 – Ultra [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 165: < Protect ¨C Episode 164 ¨C Ultra [4] ></h4>


    ¡®I have to acknowledge it.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had to acknowledge it.


    There were many things they could do as people who monopolized the power of one country. The level of consciousness within the citizens was improved, and SNS received powerful enough responses to get ahead of the media, but the borate maneuvering of the upper ss was still taking ce. And he wasn¡¯t a human rights activist, a political revolutionist, or aw professional who demanded legal justice. On the contrary, he was also in the upper ss himself.


    ¡®But there are still lines that shouldn¡¯t be crossed.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had no business in how they used all sorts of social skills to make money and establish power. After all, finding their enemies¡¯ weaknesses and threatening them was a method that was used pretty often. However, the skilled people of Korea honestly thought of the citizens as a tool. This was a problem that was not aboutw or justice but about the limits that a person¡¯s conscience shouldn¡¯t cross.


    Having no conscience was more serious than most thought.


    There was no way the sins of politicians, businessmen, and leaders with no conscience at all wouldmit crimes of the average level. Those who shamelessly had no conscience had no right to talk about public interests. What Ahn Soo Ho found out after looking through Youngjin Group¡¯s affiliates was theirplicated governance.


    ¡®A group that rules over other groups... Smart.¡¯


    The affiliatepany before Youngjin Group was an unlisted corporation, but that didn¡¯t mean there were no exchanges of stocks. He used his magic to hide and then went through theirptops and books to uncover their financial structure. On the outside, it seemed like they developed in many markets, but in reality, they had no department that was in charge of developing new products, and most jobs were simply given to subcontractors of subcontractors.


    ¡®Did theymit moneyundering for Korea National Association by using life insurance and fire insurance?¡¯


    This sounded like insurance fraud, but as long as the insurancepany didn¡¯t object, it really didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®They transported it...through smuggling.¡¯


    % of Youngjin Group¡¯s employees did legal work, but the remaining 1% was the problem. As someone said, 1% lies were hidden beneath 99% truths.


    ¡®If a problem urred, they just cut the tail off... like a subcontractingpany.¡¯


    If Youngjin Group was listed, they wouldn¡¯t have been in the top 30, but they would have at least been in the top 50panies. A hunting dog that Korea National Association was raising with some of their funds grew to be this big. It was highly likely that they formed the presidential board with connections from their own clique.


    ¡®Did they band together with the police and prosecution as well?¡¯


    Asmon as police collusion was, love calls from the rich to the legal field was just as rampant. Since the rich obsessed over connections, they preferred sons-inw who were judges and prosecutors. So they used schrship foundations to catch the ones with potential early and then won them over to their side. After 10, 20, and 30 years, the rich had connections in practically every field.


    ¡®The old man yed a big part in why the gap between the rich and the poor didn¡¯t get bigger.¡¯


    To be frank, Kim Dae San was different from other rich people. Rather than making unfair domestic deals to increase his wealth, he focused on strengthening hispany influence in the entire world. The reason why the Daesan brand became acknowledged as the representing name of Korea wasn¡¯t because of the Koreans but because of the foreigners instead.


    ¡®A bunch of frogs stuck in a well.¡¯


    There were less than 10 Koreanpanies that stood a chance in the world¡¯s market. Among those 10, Daesan Group was on top. The reason why Korea National Association red at Kim Dae San but didn¡¯t mess with him was simple.


    ¡®If Daesan goes down, we all go down.¡¯


    The reason why the rest of the rich survived in the Korean domestic market was all thanks to the Daesan Brand. After his espionage, Ahn Soo Ho made a visit to Kim Dae San. He went without notifying him beforehand, but Kim Dae San weed him with a smile.


    ¡°You sure do get around.¡±


    ¡°How are you still alive, old man?¡±


    Once they greeted each other in their own ways, they sat under a gazebo on the side of the garden. The air within the garden was clean for Seoul air. Air Curtain? He didn¡¯t know the exact term, but he heard that the garden¡¯s airflow and purifying mechanism was better than most. He thought about installing it at his house as well.


    ¡°Was North Korea fun?¡±


    ¡°I thought you just stayed stuck in your house... I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not dead yet, old man.¡±


    ¡°Lots of people are annoyed because of you, you bastard.¡±


    Most Koreans perceived North Korea¡¯s repeated provocation as threats, but some of the investors saw it as an opportunity. Since they predicted that it wasn¡¯t going to result in war from their past experience, it was an opportunity to make profits from the changes in the market. If it was like this for investors, how would it have been for major corporations? Every time North Korea threatened South Korea, they utilized the media to rake out more profits from specialized industries such as the defense industry.


    War was also a business.


    ¡°What happened with Hong Kong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as it was reported.¡±


    ¡°Did Hwang Chi Rin really bribe Kim Taek Sun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was a bribe, but he gave him money.¡±


    North Korea did not only make Kim Taek Sun into a reactionary, but they turned him into a traitor as well. They pointed fingers at him for being a ve to a capitalist and calling him a bourgeois pig. If he was alive, he would have felt that this was unfair.


    ¡°The public peace that helped get rid of the criminal organizations in Hong Kong are bing more popr. On the contrary, the Hong Kong police and government that received help from the maind are being heavily criticized. On top of that, the anti-government protesters are receiving more hate for stealing away all of the police force. I feel like there are some false usations though... What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of Beijing¡¯s techniques of Hong Kong assimtion. Isn¡¯t that something that our government did during the 70s and 80s as well?¡±


    ¡°Premeditated murder?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. They just caused safety anxiety and harmed the Hong Kong economy. It¡¯s a big loss in the short run, but in the long run, it will help them be friendlier with China.¡±


    Kim Dae San shed him a peculiar gaze.


    ¡°And how does that benefit you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So you helped China without receiving anything in return? You?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no benefit that can be seen with the eye.¡±


    In order for the Hong Kong film business that Alexander Chung, Shunmay and Henry were going to manage together to take off, they had to ovee many obstacles. In the same way, it was going to take Hosoo Entertainment China many days to show their face.


    ¡°In return, I gave a clear warning to someone who was getting in the way. They¡¯re probably having quite the headache right now.¡±


    ¡°Shi Group?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Rich people don¡¯t go down easily.¡±


    ¡°Daewoo and Hyundae went down, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Thepany group might go down, but those in the management would be fine. Doesn¡¯t that remind you of a certain white guy?¡±


    ¡°Rockefeller?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simr. After all, a stockpany¡¯s poweres from the stocks it possesses. People demand the reformation of the rich, but they don¡¯t know how that needs to happen. Stopping cross-shareholding isn¡¯t going to solve the problem.¡±


    If they got rid of a major corporation rashly, they were just bound to increase the number of the rich. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head then clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Are you nning to divide the affiliates?¡±


    ¡°I have to leave the main force and get rid of the rest.¡±


    ¡°There will be a lot of backfires.¡±


    Both the young and the oldughed bitterly together.


    As soon as they dispersed the affiliates, the ties within the group were going to be vague. That was bound to lead to the worsening of their management. In other words, restructuring was going to be inevitable. The working ss was guaranteed to prepare for the big hit resulting from the dispersion by demanding job security, but in reality, there was no way of stopping unemployment from happening following the restructuring process.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way of reforming or getting rid of the rich without shocking the market. The ones taking the hit wouldn¡¯t want to acknowledge this... but no matter how skilled the economist is, miracles can¡¯t happen. If they¡¯re going to get hit anyway, it¡¯s better to get it over with.¡±


    Just like Ahn Soo Ho, Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t capable of being a saint.


    As the leader of the rich, he wanted to say this.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this what you all wanted?¡¯


    Daesan Group was nning to push forward with the dispersion disguised as reformation and re-establish their image as pioneers. It was possible that they were trying to get ahead of the reformation of the rich to publicize themselves as righteous people.


    ¡°I agree that the rich need to change, but it¡¯s not right to give a chance to all of them. Some of them deserve to die, especially the ones who were money-obsessed bastards.¡±


    Kim Dae San expressed his dissatisfaction in how exaggerated the negative responses of the public were.


    ¡°The demands of killing all the rich is pretty worrisome in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°So is that why you¡¯re trying to shock the public?¡±


    ¡°They need toe face to face with the gap between reality and fantasy at least once.¡±


    They needed to see the reality of what would happen if the rich were reformed or gotten rid of.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as change without sacrifice.¡±


    Thinking that only they would be okay was arrogance.


    ¡°We all have some responsibility in this.¡±


    ******


    Shi Group barely managed to ovee its crisis.


    China¡¯s shortage of funds isn¡¯t only Shi Group¡¯s problem!


    Additional loans just managed to save Shi Group from their liquidity crisis!


    Now that China¡¯s ban against Korean entertainment has been lifted, is it finance¡¯s turn? China troubles never end!


    Jeon Kyung Ryun, ¡°The government needs to step up in resolving foreign trade with China!¡± Criticism against the Blue House!


    Just as Kim Dae San predicted, Shi Group didn¡¯t go down.


    However, they didn¡¯t improve much either. That was because Hwang Chi Rin attacked Shi Group with not only his hedge fund but with the influence of his funds as well. Not only did their Chinese multiplex business went down, but distribution businesses including films, dramas, variety shows, department stores, and home shopping went down as well.


    ¡®He¡¯s persistent. That dirty bastard.¡¯


    It appeared that Hwang Chi Rin took out his anger of getting stabbed in the back by the North Korean Communist Party and then getting on the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s bad side on Shi Group instead.


    ¡°Why are you so focused on the news?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was on his way to the filming set with Jang Seol Hyun in a van. She instantly refused his offer to take a helicopter instead. Aside from wanting to maintain harmony with everyone, there was no proper ce tond a helicopter there. If Ahn Soo Ho knew what Jang Seol Hyun was really thinking, he would have told her to stop worrying.


    ¡°How¡¯s the filming going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard as usual. On top of that, the spy scandal started a bunch of other rumors. It¡¯s pretty burdensome.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be talked about among the people?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want them to expect too much and then feel disappointed.¡±


    The film she was filming was a Korean spy action blockbuster. There weren¡¯t that many female actresses in their 20s in Chungmuro, but the ones who could do action were even rarer.


    ¡°But what¡¯s she doing here?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Alexa sleeping in the backseat and knitted his brows.


    ¡°She¡¯s my acting coach.¡±


    ¡°Acting coach?¡±


    ¡°Yup. For action.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    If Logan heard this, he would have protested about how bullsh*t that was. Logan and his underlings were known for their bodies while Alexa was known for her brains, but that didn¡¯t mean Logan and his underlings had brains made of muscle. They were still able to do some simple hacking, and Alexa was also fairly skilled in tactics.


    ¡°Hey, hey.¡±


    ¡°F***!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho shook her awake, she screamed the F word. So he opened a bottle of water and poured it on her face.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    ¡°Get up, bitch.¡±


    She chocked on the water that Ahn Soo Ho poured on her and then threw a punch at his face, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t one to ept that. He twisted her arm and put her in a headlock.


    ¡°Ugh! You smell! How much did you drink?¡±


    ¡°Agh! I surrender!¡±


    She was hung over enough already, so being in a headlock was too much to handle. Ahn Soo Ho let her go. After chugging down some water, Alexa finally realized the situation.


    ¡°Are you filming today?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I drank too muchst night.¡±


    Alexa ignored Ahn Soo Ho and talked to Jang Seol Hyun, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t stand for it.


    ¡°Why did you get so wasted?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°You got dumped, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business!¡±


    She called herself a lesbian, but most Koreans looked negatively upon homosexuality. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t a psychiatrist, but he knew that Alexa¡¯s behavior wasn¡¯t normal.


    ¡®She doesn¡¯t really love women.¡¯


    The reason why she was so obsessed with women was because she despised men. She was once gang-raped when she was young, and that traumatized her for life. As a result, she called herself a homosexual.


    The car stopped.


    Alexa followed Jang Seol Hyun out of the car to get some fresh air when someone grabbed her by the wrist.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put a hangover drink in her hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She smiled and waved as if nothing happened before that. Just as she was before, she was still a troublemaker. He then saw Jang Seol Hyun talking to her road manager while waiting for him and Alexa stretching while joining in on the group.


    He expanded his sensors.


    ¡®I have a bad feeling.¡¯


    He monitored the atmosphere both inside and outside the set. There were some informants ofpeting film studios as well as entertainment reporters, paparazzi, and obsessed fans.


    ¡®Security gets weaker in ces with many eyes watching.¡¯


    Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye were safe, and his father and little brother weren¡¯t threatened either. However, it was hard to 100% guarantee Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s safety even if Logan and his underlings were close by.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Go on without me. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone and pretended to make a call, Jang Seol Hyun understood what was happening and left. Ahn Soo Ho then closed the van¡¯s door and flung his phone down since he didn¡¯t really have to make a call.


    ¡®Where... Here it is.¡¯


    He disappeared with the light.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 164 ¨C Ultra [4] > The end.

 Chapter 166: < Protect – Episode 165 – Ultra [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 166: < Protect ¨C Episode 165 ¨C Ultra [5] ></h4>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The man watching the footage gasped.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°He disappeared.¡±


    ¡°What?¡¯


    ¡°Our target disa... Ugh!¡±


    The man was unable to finish his sentence. That was because Ahn Soo Ho pushed him down from above.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The other man tried to throw a punch, but it was so slow that he almost yawned. As soon as he pushed him with his foot, he mmed into the wall. Just after two breaths and 3 seconds, both men rolled on the ground.


    ¡®They were monitoring me.¡¯


    Considering the prices of their magnifying cameras, they weren¡¯t any ordinary people. He went through the two men¡¯s clothes, but he couldn¡¯t find a single identification card. All he found was an envelope containing 3 million won, some change, and car keys. Didn¡¯t they carry phones with them either? He did find a note pad, but what was written inside were random.


    A bunch of random numbers and letters.


    ¡®A code.¡¯


    They hid their identities so well that a Western person who didn¡¯t know Korean would have mistaken them for Chinese or Japanese.


    ¡®They¡¯re not from an intelligence agency.¡¯


    If they were after Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s surroundings, they wouldn¡¯t have monitored him so closely in such an obvious manner. There were lots of skilled people who could have uncovered them besides him. He used his phone to take photos of each page of the note pad, and as soon as he sent them over, he received a text.


    It was Kosino.


    What is this?


    Decode it.


    Their texts were always simple. Once Ahn Soo Ho wrapped it up, he tied the two men in a chair and woke them up. When they woke up and saw Ahn Soo Ho, they looked shocked.


    ¡°Ho... how?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one asking questions.¡±


    Seeing how their shocked faces disappeared quickly, they must have received some intensive training.


    ¡°Who do you work for?¡±


    Of course, it was hard to get an answer from them after only asking them once. If he tried to control the mind of the ones who were already brainwashed by Ultra, they were bound to turn into morons.


    ¡°Think about it carefully. If you know who I am, you should be able to predict what¡¯s about to happen to you.¡±


    They gulped loudly in response. A person¡¯s mind was not onlyplicated, but it had many variables. The Ultra program provided groundbreaking spy missions, but they couldn¡¯t control every variable. There were very few people who were actually aware that they were brainwashed.


    ¡®They probably want to raise obedient hunting dogs, but humans aren¡¯t that simple.¡¯


    The difference between humans and machines were how they responded to orders. Furthermore, in contrast to the child soldiers of South America and Africa, adults were more difficult to brainwash. In order for the effects to take ce properly, it took at least 1 or 2 years. The reason why they particrly brainwashed children wasn¡¯t because of how easy it was to control them alone.


    For the winner to be determined in the midst of a fight between instinct, brainwashing, greed for survival, and programming, 5 minutes was a long time. They nced at each other and then decided to spill.


    ¡°We¡¯re from X-Com.¡±


    ¡°X-Com?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a civilian intelligencepanyposed of former military soldiers.¡±


    People thought that the Korean penins was distant from spies, but that wasn¡¯t really the case. The strategies of both North Korea and South Korea were based on information. While America observed North Korea with a monitoring system, South Korea put all their efforts into secret agents. The spy scandal that Ahn Soo Ho exposed was just the tip of the iceberg.


    ¡®It¡¯s the Comradery Association.¡¯


    Things were getting interesting.


    The two sides that led Korean history was the military and the rich. They negotiated and kept each other in check in order to establish a bnce of power. Following the democratization and the currency crisis of the 80s and 90s, the military suffered, but thepanies were going to be doomed before the military was. The military corporation was going to exist forever in Korea.


    ¡°The superior office put you, your family, and your friends on the protection list.¡±


    ¡°Protection? More like monitoring.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t deny that. But the superior office wants you, your family, and your friends to be safe, CEO Ahn.¡±


    It didn¡¯t sound like a lie. Or maybe they were brainwashed to believe that. However, there was a way to check. Ahn Soo Ho suddenly disappeared with the light and made them drop their jaws in surprise. However, their surprise didn¡¯tst long. When Ahn Soo Ho returned with the light, he didn¡¯te alone. He came back with dumbfounded men.


    ¡®You¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re...¡±


    They looked at each other in embarrassment. It wasn¡¯t just one or two people who were monitoring Ahn Soo Ho. He disappeared again and returned with more dumbfounded men. The number of dumbfounded men started to increase until the room was filled with them.


    ¡°Say hello.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho brushed his hands and casually spoke. There was a total of 27 people who were monitoring him. Among them, those influenced by Ultra were 9 people, and the rest were bullet baits who were ready to get exposed.


    They allughed bitterly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know each other, so let¡¯s skip the introductions... You¡¯ll end up telling me everything you know today.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to interrogate us?¡±


    ¡°What do you think would happen if a person fell from 100 meters above?¡±


    In response to the person¡¯s protest, Ahn Soo Ho smiled and changed the subject.


    ¡°They¡¯d probably die.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    They finally remembered how they got here. In fear of being discovered, they were all monitoring from hundreds of meters away with telescopes. They were all caught though. They heard that he was like a ghost, goblin, or a monster, but experiencing the legend himself made their hands and feet tremble.


    ¡®His supernatural powers are real!¡¯


    Seeing how not even America, China, or Russia could mess with Ahn Soo Ho, he really did have something, and the stories of his supernatural powers had been circting for over a decade. Finding out that the rumors were true was a great discovery, but it was also a crisis for them.


    ¡®He could kill us!¡¯


    If one wanted to keep something a secret, it was obvious that any witnesses should be killed. They didn¡¯t know what other powers he had, but knowing that he could teleport was more than enough. As long as he made the witness fly 100 meters in the air, the evidence was going to disappear in no time. Ahn Soo Ho looked at their pale faces and whispered.


    ¡°I hope you tell the truth so that you¡¯d survive.¡±


    As soon as he flicked his finger, the 27 people disappeared. He then collected the equipment in the room.


    Ding-


    He heard his phone¡¯s notification and checked his phone.


    What¡¯s all this? Why did you send them here?


    Lock them up and interrogate them.


    Okay.


    What about the code that I sent you?


    010-47*-****


    Kosino found out a phone number.


    I tried to trace the number, but it keeps redirecting to a cloned phone.


    That¡¯s it?


    Thest number I connected to was 02-72*-****, I¡¯ll send you the address.


    Kosino sent over a map.


    ¡®Seoul, Yongsan, Itawon-ro?¡¯


    There was only one military facility that could be there.


    ¡®Korea¡¯s Ministry of National Defense.¡¯


    ******


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost touch with monitoring team 3.¡±


    ¡°Monitoring team 3...? Was that Jang Seol Hyun? What about the security team?¡±


    ¡°We checked through the closed circuit and a resident¡¯s witness information, but...¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t see a single shadow, did they?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. Nothing was seen or captured.¡±


    Themander nodded to his subordinate following his briefing. He was signaling him to leave. Once he was left alone, he scratched his head. He put on his hat and then left his office. Before entering the meeting room, he tidied his clothes. He then looked at the multiple secretaries standing by in front of the meeting room.


    They were all field officers.


    ¡°Please go inside.¡±


    He walked inside in response. Star, star, star. There were countless stars even though it was broad daylight.


    ¡°Commander Oh Won Hee?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    General Oh Won Hee, who was in the very front row, immediately saluted.


    ¡°I heard you have an urgent report for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯s about the sixth man.¡±


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    He received permission from another general and lit up the screen. The big screen showed Premier Yuhaipung wearing sunsses and whispering with Ahn Soo Ho. The second screen showed Ahn Soo Ho smiling with Shiba Yaos, and the final screen showed Ahn Soo Ho looking serious between the ambassadors of America and Russia.


    ¡°The team in charge of the sixth man has confirmed that our target has recently visited Pyeongyang.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Do you mean to say the sixth man was involved in the purge of Kim Taek Sun?¡±


    Korea¡¯s Joint Chief of Staff¡¯s General Choi Han Rim interlocked his fingers and supported his chin.


    ¡°Commander Oh. As you already know, it¡¯s illegal to monitor someone without being charged for espionage.¡±


    ¡°But he visited North Korea many times without the government¡¯s permission. Wouldn¡¯t that alone count as...¡±


    ¡°Hey! Watch your mouth.¡±


    Choi Han Rim cut off Oh Won Hee.


    Since Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s visit to North Korea was simr to international cooperation through the UN, there was no legal problem. If they really wanted to find something, they could have, but it was impossible for the Ministry of National Defense to mess with someone that even the Blue House found difficult. The NIS took their hands off the team in charge of the sixth manpletely. They wanted to get out before they pissed off Ahn Soo Ho¡ªwho flipped Korea National Association upside down. However, the Comradery Association expanded its manpower to increase the scale of the team, the key was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ssmates from the Naval Academy.


    ¡°Commander Oh, let me say this again. Don¡¯t approach him. As people responsible for the development of this country, we have the responsibility to protect CEO Ahn. Our goal isn¡¯t to cause any friction against him. Don¡¯t forget why I put you in your positions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as Oh Won Hee reflected, Choi Han Rim smiled. However, his smile didn¡¯tst long. That was because he was briefed that monitoring team 3 which was roaming around Jang Seol Hyun went missing.


    ¡°Did they get caught?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re assuming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. The first button was put on wrong...¡±


    He judged that it was too early to approach Ahn Soo Ho, so he transferred the civilian agents. The majority opinion was that they should pretend they didn¡¯t know anything until the current government ended. The president¡¯s first attempt at military reformation failed, but it was possible that he would try again.


    ¡°Sir, our team¡¯s not the only one that went missing. Youngjin¡¯s men went missing as well.¡±


    ¡°Youngjin...? Do you mean Korea National Association? They must¡¯ve been frustrated about NIS backing out. And if they were trying to monitor CEO Ahn, they probably sent their best men.¡±


    ¡°All of Group 9.¡±


    ¡°Group 9? Oh.¡±


    Choi Han Rim tilted his head and then eximed in response to the whispering of the general sitting next to him. Youngjin Securities Consulting¡¯s Group 9 was often called rehabilitation troops. They gathered up all the troublemakers of the military and turned them into civilian intelligence agents. Unlike most from Korea, they were just as rough and violent as the American troops.


    ¡®Those crazy bastards!¡¯


    Choi Han Rim cursed in his head.


    When secretive information regarding the Ultra Program got out many years ago, the intelligence agencies of each country tried hard to find the source. Modern wars started with the press of a button, and it was true that the most cutting edge technology was what decided the winners and losers of the war, but the worth of one well-trained soldier was more than a nuclear weapon. What allmanders wanted was not a nuclear missile button but a training program that produced the most superior soldiers.


    In particr, Ultra was a very attractive product for its price. The problem was that the Ultra Program spread through the ck market which meant even the terrorist organizations got their hands on the most skilled veterans. As a result, the Korean military judged that they couldn¡¯t fall behind and put the Ultra Program in their hands as well without reporting it to the Blue House.


    The intelligence agencies, militaries, criminal organizations, andrge corporations of each country all began cultivating their own soldiers. The drastic increase in world terror that startedst year was a tragedy resulting from the arms race.


    ¡°If they cause an ident... that could be an opportunity for us, Commander Oh. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to arrange a meeting before Youngjin or Korea National Association.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Choi Han Rim liked that Oh Won Hee always understood. Once Oh Won Hee saluted and stepped out, he saw the first lieutenant and called him over with his hand. Why was a secretary who should have been in his office out here? However, his question was soon answered.


    ¡°Commander. Someone named Ahn Soo Ho called and left his number. He said that if you don¡¯t call him back within an hour, he¡¯ll blow up the Ministry of National Defense...¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    It was a scary joke, but he thought he could really do it, so it didn¡¯t sound like a joke to him. As soon as Oh Won Hee received a note, he smirked. The number written beneath the phone number was something that kids these days wouldn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡®Pager.¡¯


    It was a ng that only those from the pager generation could recognize.


    79337 -> Cheer up, friend!


    Would the ones that went missing have given up information? He didn¡¯t know. However, thinking that Ahn Soo Ho would have gotten it out of them put him at ease.


    9977 -> We have a lot to talk about!


    That meant he wanted to talk. Then what about 1414? Oh Won Hee inputted the phone number into his phone. He heard a click along with an ARS recording.


    This is the Chinese restaurant, Beijing Spot, which always does its best to...


    It was the phone number of a Chinese restaurant.


    ¡®1414.¡¯


    That meant ¡°let¡¯s have a meal together¡±.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 165 ¨C Ultra [5] > The end.

 Chapter 167: < Protect – Episode 166 – Bridal Mask [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 167: < Protect ¨C Episode 166 ¨C Bridal Mask [1] ></h4>


    The more Ahn Soo Ho got famous, the more people there were who were embarrassed. Those people were from the Naval Academy. Since it was a long time ago, those who were there when he dropped out were no longer there, but that didn¡¯t mean the media was going to overlook it. If the multiple scandals that put Korea in shock didn¡¯t take ce, the Naval Academy would have been suffering in the hands of the media.


    Lee Kyung Joon, who was the decisive person responsible for making the 8-member group drop out, was currently missing. That meant an active-duty soldier was absent without leave, but people rted to the military were actually happy. They hoped he would never return. That was because under the current circumstances if the truth about their concealment happened to get out, it wasn¡¯t just going to be one or two necks that were going to be chopped off. As long as Lee Kyung Joon wasn¡¯t around, they were able to make him into a scapegoat.


    ¡°The military is still very closed-minded.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s moreical to expect the military to be flexible.¡±


    Oh Won Hee who was dressed in a military uniform was cursing the military while Ahn Soo Ho who was wearing ordinary clothes defended them. They met up at a Chinese restaurant overlooking the ocean.


    ¡°Commander, huh...? You advanced quick.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to a certain someone.¡±


    That, someone, was Ahn Soo Ho. Once Oh Won Hee finished off his bowl of ck bean noodles, he spoke with a shameless face.


    ¡°Let our guys go.¡±


    ¡°Our guys?¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°You still have that shameless face. You son of a bitch.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care as long as they were honest, but Oh Won Hee didn¡¯t have the guts to drop out of the Naval Academy as Ahn Soo Ho did. Korean people couldn¡¯t defy power and ended up obeying them instead. Just the fact that he wasn¡¯t sympathizing with power meant he was keeping his loyalty.


    ¡°Are the rest of our ssmates doing well?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks to someone who caused a fuss and walked out, they had a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like they¡¯re doing well.¡±


    He gave an irrelevant answer, but he sounded affectionate.


    It was tiring when people were too upright. Since Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have to worry about survival, he didn¡¯t have to worry. However, a 20-year-old newbie was scared to deal with even the least bit of power. Korea¡¯s history with democracy was much too short, and the military was still irrational as ever. As soon as they finished their ck bean noodles, the spicy deep-fried chicken and chili shrimp came out.


    ¡°So what order did you receive from up top?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? They want to use you to develop the nation.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been long since Oh Won Hee was sucking up to them, but he was now pretending not to know them.


    ¡°What a foolish n.¡±


    ¡°It is. You¡¯re an explosive that should be kept at a distance.¡±


    ¡°An explosive...? You¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯m sure the Comradery Association is pretty divided now. Is the Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff...¡±


    ¡°General Choi Han Rim. He¡¯s the one who poured cold water on the family tree of Joint Chiefs of Staff.¡±


    Choi Han Rim was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a background in the Naval Academy. While Ahn Soo Ho took down the executivemittee of Korea National Association, the Comradery Association lost half of its leadership. Choi Han Rim was the go-getter who took the opportunity and stopped President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s attempt at military reform.


    ¡°The Blue House left him alone?¡±


    ¡°He did revolt against the military reform, but the president didn¡¯t getpletely screwed over. Since he was also the one who resolved the crazy things the Minister of National Defense did, he couldn¡¯t just swap him out... And if he did, he would have risked the entire military being disobedient.¡±


    Generals opposing the president was the same as a betrayal but that was just how much of a joke the Blue House was bing. So Lee Joong Hyun had no choice but tofort the generals.


    ¡°That was the limit of the president. That Lee Joong Hyun must have some kind of lust over the military. The truth is, it¡¯s full of corruption. The president was rash in messing with them.¡±


    ¡°Defense corruption?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like they were waiting for it.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun was imagining a simple cancer operation with a high rate of sess, but when he opened up the stomach, the cancer had already spread all over the body.


    ¡°I think there are lots of crazies in the military. But if the military weakens, the kind of corruption that would arise are huge.¡±


    ¡°What a dilemma.¡±


    ¡°At least our president¡¯s not some kind of radicalist with no sense of reality.¡±


    If the president hadn¡¯t epted his failure with the military reform and kept going at it, a general dreaming of bing a traitor would havee out. Some might say a coup d¡¯etat in the 21st century Korea was ridiculous, but the possibility was always there.


    ¡°The Comradery Association has many necessary evils.¡±


    As a result of coup d¡¯etats in modern Korean history, the military organizations were perceived in a negative light. However, the beliefs of the Comradery Association received the support of both former and current generals.


    ¡°99% of them are innocent. The problem is the remaining 1%.¡±


    If everyone were political soldiers who were corrupt, Korea would have been doomed a long time ago. They might have been ridiculed for being watchdogs, but there were more soldiers who simplypleted their duties as diligent soldiers.


    Sacrificing oneself.


    A true soldier¡¯s spirit shouldn¡¯t be criticized.


    ¡°Soo Ho, didn¡¯t I tell you? A world where soldiers are cursed at is a happy world.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°A world where soldiers are praised might as well be hell.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t desirable for a soldier to have a lot to say. That was because the military was initially formed in order to kill. So there was no way anything could be good when they were magnified. That was ridiculous.


    ¡°The Comradery Association wants to cooperate with you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head and then smirked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a big monitoring team.¡±


    ¡°The president¡¯s attempt at a military reform might have failed, but the military still wanted some kind of change. They don¡¯t like the horrible image that they have.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in being their face.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not trying to get you to promote them. The truth is... they want to copy DEVGRUV.¡±


    ¡°DEVGRUV?¡±


    DEVGRUV was the US army¡¯s number one terror specialized troops.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since the number of Koreans abroad has exceeded 7 million. There are countless Koreans trying to make Korea known to the world. This is embarrassing to say, but Korea has been unable to protect its citizens. We couldn¡¯t be as active with the military like the US, so we had to do our best to consistently foster secret agents.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you put your hands on Ultra?¡±


    Oh Won Hee shut his mouth in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. Ultra was confidential.


    ¡°This might sound like an excuse, but we don¡¯t train child soldiers. And we only take volunteers.¡±


    There was actually no good and evil in the training program.


    Drugs and brainwashing gave off a negative vibe, but the effect varied depending on how the program was initiated. But no matter how good the initial intention was, no good came out of trying to control a person¡¯s mind. The training effect of Ultra was fully verified, but the effect of drugs varied from person to person, and in the worst-case scenario, they were capable of turning into crazy terrorists.


    ¡°The soldiers who participated in Ultra improved their fighting power by 30%.¡±


    Their abilities in fighting, shooting, tactics, and adaptability all improved. This was certainly encouraging to themander. However, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re blinded by the numbers.¡±


    The reason why the Ultra Program yielded such good results was because tactics were programmed into the soldiers. Just as it sounds, as soon as they went into battle, they eliminated all judgment and feelings and acted to resolve all threats. When robots faced a threat, they judged and reacted instantaneously. Why? Because they were designed that way. But people didn¡¯t judge and act in 0.1 seconds as robots did.


    ¡°For people, their past, present, and future are all mixed in with their decisions. However, under Ultra, there¡¯s only the present.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Even when we¡¯re at war, there should always be humane aspects in our behavior.¡±


    What Ahn Soo Ho was trying to talk about wasn¡¯t humanism.


    ¡°When we pull the trigger, rage, fear, hatred, sympathy, and pity always influence our decision.¡±


    Our firm decisions were never firm. But under Ultra programming, soldiers truly became firm. That was because while they were in battle, all humane characteristics were eliminated. What if a war we started couldn¡¯t be stopped by us? The danger of the Ultra Program wasn¡¯t all about responsibility.


    ¡°What do you think would happen if humans became robots and robots started having desires?¡±


    ¡°Hell?¡±


    Ahn Soo Hos smirked in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to stop immediately.¡±


    So far, they only acted to certain keywords, but no one knew when they would fully act like robots. While each country engaged in the arms race, they unknowingly mass-produced psychopathic killing machines.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider the offer after Ultra has been disposed of.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho drew a clear line.


    ******


    ¡°This is serious.¡±


    The person who was waiting for Ahn Soo Ho at a safe house outside of Seoul while shaking her head was Kosino.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, to be honest, when you stressed that the Ultra program is dangerous, I didn¡¯t take it too seriously. I just thought they trained spies using drugs... but it turns out, they make humans into robots.¡±


    The Ultra Program was able to make a person do anything by using keywords. For example, what if the sound of gunfire was sealed into a soldier¡¯s mind? What does the sound of guns remind one of? Attack? Snipe? In any case, it reminded people of the battlefield. No matter how well-trained a soldier was, they were bound to be bewildered when thrown onto a battlefield.


    For that reason, the Ultra Program used medicinal brainwashing to get rid of the fear and hesitation that got in the way of their response speed. The problem was that when such signals were eliminated from a person¡¯s brain, negative side effects arose.


    ¡°Even before the circuit is fully stabilized, many adverse effects arise.¡±


    Among the spies that were roaming around Jang Seol Hyun before getting caught by Ahn Soo Ho, 9 of them were a part of Ultra. In addition, 3 of them were connected to the military and 6 were connected to Youngjin Group. Oh Won Hee said that they only took volunteers, but less than half probably actually wanted to do it. If the soldiers felt that way, what about the regr people? They offered whatever reward to get them to agree to it first.


    ¡°The keywords are probably something like secret, security, or loyalty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡±


    ¡°All thugs are the same. So what did you find out?¡±


    Kosino was an outstanding hacker, but she was a good interrogator as well.


    ¡°There are three groups that were monitoring Ms. Jang.¡±


    ¡°Three? Not two?¡±


    ¡°Yes, three. The first is the Korean military, the second is Youngjin Securities... They even tried to wiretap Ms. Jang¡¯s van and residence.¡±


    ¡°What about the third?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho understood the military and Youngjin Securities Consulting, but he didn¡¯t imagine there was a third.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gang. Korean mafia? Korean gang? What do they call them in Korea?¡±


    ¡°Mob.¡±


    ¡°Mob? Well, they¡¯re nning to kidnap Ms. Jang.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho questioned what he just heard.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re nning to kidnap Ms. Jang.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if they seed, you¡¯d pay them a lot of money. There were even mentions online about trying to kidnap your sister and mother. But we took care of that.¡±


    Kosino showed a strange expression.


    ¡°Soo Ho, your reputation isn¡¯t that powerful in Korea.¡±


    ¡°I know. I haven¡¯t really done much in my own country.¡±


    ¡°So Korean politicians, businessmen, and mobs underestimate you.¡±


    Money was a great strength, but that was it. However, it wasn¡¯t his money or connections that made the powerful people all over the world tremble in fear at his name.


    Outstanding power!


    Unmatched force!


    All who used violence for a living kneeled before Ahn Soo Ho.


    Besides Korea that was.


    ¡®Irony.¡¯


    A side effect resulting from keeping his home country at a distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to just watch by, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°If you have a n, tell me, Kosi.¡±


    Kosino smiled and handed him something.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°There was Captain America in the US and Guy Fawkes in Ennd. Then what about Korea?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly. She brought up the masks that he wore to conceal his identity.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Kosino handed him a pretty-looking bridal mask.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 166 ¨C Bridal Mask [1] > The end.

 Chapter 168: < Protect – Episode 167 – Bridal Mask [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 168: < Protect ¨C Episode 167 ¨C Bridal Mask [2] ></h4>


    Korea¡¯s public safety was on the high side in terms of statistics with 95% of the violent crimes being resolved, but there was a trap in this. The trap was the numbers. The standard of whether or not they resolved a crime was up to the investigative authorities, but the victims and their families had no say. Was it okay for the investigative organizations to close a case when the victims didn¡¯t feel like it was over?


    ¡®They could do that. If they didn¡¯t, there wouldn¡¯t be an end.¡¯


    They expected the victims and their families to ept the investigative reports, but that was beyond them. Then why did the investigative authorities ignore the victims¡¯ unfortunate circumstances and close the case? The answer was simple.


    ¡®Because it costs a lot of money.¡¯


    Just how the quality of legal and medical services differed depending on ie, same went for public safety. The bigger the country got, the more manpower and funding they needed to keep its citizens safe. Those who were dissatisfied with the services already provided by the country spent their own money to give themselves convenience. Beyond bigw firms andwyers, they hired their own secretaries and security guards.


    Most people believed that the rich were more susceptible to crimes. They imagined that since they had a lot of money, a lot of people would be after them. However, rich people didn¡¯t hesitate to spend money on their safety, so they were actually less likely to be victims of crimes. To be frank, ordinary citizens were victimized more often.


    ¡°Hey, get ready. They¡¯reing.¡±


    Lee Dong Gi, who was chewing his gum, noticed the school uniform from afar and got his subordinate to get ready. This was where they chose to do the kidnapping. The reason why they chose to do it here was because there were no CCTVs or witnesses there. Lee Dong Gi had hundreds of ces like that noted in his list of kidnapping locations.


    ¡®It¡¯s easy to get caught you if you follow people around, but if you just stay in a particr ce, you can kidnap anyone without leaving any evidence behind.¡¯


    Human trafficking was the best business that could be done without any capital. The dumb ones followed people around and ended up being captured on CCTV cameras or getting seen by witnesses, but he had already kidnapped hundreds of people around the country without leaving a single trace.


    Lee Dong Gi had a rule.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mess with elementary school kids.¡¯


    It might sound funny, but that was a rule that had to be kept. Korea wasn¡¯t very active about missing people, but when it came to kids under 14 years old, they were likely to invest a lot of manpower and funding into the search. Surprisingly, searches for middle school and high school students, as well as adults, were less active because the rate of student suicide, as well as jobpetition, was so high that many were just assumed to have run away because of stress.


    The Korean police deemed most missing people as runaways.


    ¡®There¡¯s some truth to that though.¡¯


    It wasmon to see people running away from home due to family troubles. As soon as Lee Dong Gi saw two girls in school uniforms walking over, he licked his lips.


    ¡®Top-grade products.¡¯


    He was able to get 20 million won for them. As soon as Lee Dong Gi signaled with his eyes, the big men standing by looked at each other. As soon as the two girls turned the corner into the alley, they got snatched into the car before they could let out a scream. They then tied them up with tape as if they had done this many times before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They finished the job in less than 5 seconds. The struggling girls only calmed down when they saw the knife. They liked the scared expressions on the girls¡¯ faces. The car, which they were going to throw away since it was evidence, was cozier than a Benz.


    When the lights turned yellow, the car stopped.


    The most dangerous thing before arriving at the next destination with their new products was getting caught by the police for a traffic vition. The reason why they made the car look like a delivery truck was in order to draw as less attention as possible. While they waited for the lights to turn green, they saw something fascinating. They saw someone cross the street with a mask on.


    ¡®Is he some kind of performance artist?¡¯


    Lee Dong Gi used to be good in school, but he didn¡¯t go to college. That was because he was really poor. He was still regretful about that. Why did he have to live like that when dumber people with better parents ended up making good money? Even if he had been born in a middle-ss family, he could have be a prosecutor.


    ¡®Art, my ass!¡¯


    Once parents paid for their kids to go to college, they got busy drinking and partying.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    The man in the mask stopped and turned in the middle of crossing the street. He couldn¡¯t see his eyes, but he was convinced that they met eyes. Come to think of it, why wasn¡¯t anyone giving him weird looks for wearing a mask? Lee Dong Gi got shivers up his back.


    ¡°Hey, do you see that guy...¡±


    In the middle of asking his subordinate who was drinking, he felt a warm liquid substance pour over his face. He used his hands to wipe his face. He saw a familiar red color and a disgusting smell.


    ¡®Blood?¡¯


    It was definitely blood. When he lifted his head, he saw his subordinate with a hole in his forehead. Lee Dong Gi reflexively undid his seatbelt and tried to get out when he felt pain in his shoulder.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    It was a bullet.


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked this tongue at his fast reaction. He was certainly a scumbag for being involved with human trafficking, but he had survival instincts that were better than that of a cockroach. He was aiming for his neck, but it hit his shoulder. It was rare for him to fail like that. The traffic lights changed, but no car or person was able to move. They were all frozen still in response to the sudden gunfire.


    Ahn Soo Ho slowly approached the car, and the man who was just shot stepped out of the car. The men who came out holding knives flinched when they saw a gun with a silencer on it. That was thest thing they were able to do in their life.


    Thud, thud-


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t wait or hesitate.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The guy that got out afterward ran like crazy. As soon as he saw the two men got bullets through their heads, he decided to book it. However, his fate had been decided ever since he looked Ahn Soo Ho in the eyes.


    Pow-


    The others had it to their foreheads while another one had it on the back of his head. He fell over on some random car¡¯s hood. That was when the people around the ce realized the seriousness of the situation. They all started to scatter in madness while others made sure to capture the scene on camera.


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders.


    The door of the car opened to Lee Dong Gi plopping onto the asphalt. He was pale as if he had lost too much blood. He tried to get up and run, but all he could do was crawl. Ahn Soo Ho ignored him and got the two female students out of the car.


    The people around were confused as to what was going on until they saw the school uniforms. Other people helped them out of the tape, and the two hugged each other and cried. Ahn Soo Ho then approached Lee Dong Gi who was crawling. He was about to ask for help when his back got stepped on.


    ¡°Agh! Ugh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flipped him over.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked around. There were those who were ignoring them and those who were watching with interest, but someone even risked their lives by approaching with their phones. However, boundaries should be made. Ahn Soo Ho called over the closest one who was holding up their phone.


    ¡°Me... me?¡±


    He approached with trembling legs, but he didn¡¯t stop filming.


    ¡°Keep filming.¡±


    ¡°Ok... okay!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stepped on Lee Dong Gi¡¯s chest.


    ¡°How many have you kidnapped so far?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t... Agh!¡±


    He shot a bullet through his thigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask again.¡±


    ¡°Fo... four hundred? Ugh.¡±


    ¡°And what happened to them?¡±


    ¡°I... I sold them.¡±


    ¡°And what happened after?¡±


    ¡°Th... they get sent to another city or country depending on their gender, and some are remodeled ording to the clients¡¯ taste.¡±


    ¡°Remodeled?¡±


    When Lee Dong Gi shut his mouth, Ahn Soo Ho held up his gun again.


    ¡°In order to get them to cooperate, alcohol and drugs are the easiest and fastest.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then did you only kidnap women?¡±


    ¡°No, I kidnap men, too depending on the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°What circumstances?¡±


    ¡°Fo... for selling their organs.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The guy holding the camera eximed in shock. Sirens could be heard from afar. Kosino tried to put off the police as long as possible, but they were in the middle of Seoul. When Ahn Soo Ho looked straight into the phone, the guy sprung up. That was when his mask could be clearly seen.


    A beautiful mask at that.


    ¡°The police and prosecutors might have given up on you, but not me.¡±


    Who was he talking to?


    ¡°I have no interest in dealing with you through thew.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho waved his gun in front of the phone cameras. He then shot Lee Dong Gi who was barely holding on.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    He emptied his gun.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    People screamed in response to that horrific sight. Even the guy filming almost dropped his phone. Ahn Soo Ho cleared his throat for hisst line. He felt like he became an actor.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll find you.¡±


    ******


    Bridal mask.


    It only took a day for the bridal mask to cover the front pages of portal sites and social media. The police and prosecution were being criticized by the media, and what was hidden behind the mask of a safe country was something very scary. They made people misunderstand by using numbers.


    It was true that the prosecution rate of violent crimes in Korea was high, but not all major crimes were murder and theft. On the contrary, the prosecution rates of white-cor crimes in Korea were much less than the average OECD countries. That wasn¡¯t all. The investigative authorities didn¡¯t seriously consider crimes against women, children, and the weak. That was why the recent shooting was even more shocking.


    Gunfire in the middle of Seoul! What¡¯s even more shocking is that there were female students who were kidnapped!


    The CCTV dra of Seoul! There¡¯s no such thing asplete crimes? The preventative maintenance system is wed!


    Tens of thousands go missing every year! But it only took 3 seconds to deem them as runaways!


    The most stable ie of Korean criminal organizationse from human trafficking and organ trafficking! How¡¯s that for you?


    There wasn¡¯t a single Korean person that wanted to acknowledge how rampant human and organ trafficking was in their country. However, the footage floating around the inte showed the real face of Korea. The human trafficking confession they got while saving two female high school students spread all over the world. It was at the point where people were saying Korea had no right to criticize North Korea. Unrted to that, masks were selling out in Korea.


    Just like how Captain America took over America and Guy Fawkes took over Ennd, the bridal mask took over Korea. And that was just the beginning. What was funnier was that people were bing more cautious as a result of the terror.


    ¡®I will protect my country, city, vige, and family!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 167 ¨C Bridal Mask [2] > The end.

 Chapter 169: < Protect – Episode 168 – Bridal Mask [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 169: < Protect ¨C Episode 168 ¨C Bridal Mask [3] ></h4>


    A gun terrorist attack was so taboo in Korea that no one even imagined it could ever happen. The appearance of the bridal mask with a gun just went to show that the firearm restriction that people so praised was no longer in ce. The investigative authorities soon began looking into weaponry, and as long as they dug without everything they got, there wasn¡¯t much they couldn¡¯t find.


    If they invested their national power into resolving the issue, no country would act so irresponsibly. They didn¡¯t want to face criticism that they were using it on some and not on others. The foundation of democracy was that rights and responsibility had its limitations. There had to be negotiations and checks happening by the authorities within the system, and if some kind of power took ce within it, that wasn¡¯t a democracy but dictatorship.


    This was what a constitutional schr once said.


    ¡®One must not ignore thew that already exists! In a constitutional state, making rulings that are not based on thew cannot be allowed!¡¯


    The legal schrs said this during the highpoint of the candlelight vigils. Socrates never said this, but it wasn¡¯t all wrong to im that unjustw was still thew. It should be the one who created the unjustw that should die. The ones who follow it did nothing wrong. Anyone was capable of pointing out problems in thew, but the citizens weren¡¯t able to resolve those issues themselves.


    If people were going to give up their jobs because they were fed up with politics, why did they elect members of the national assembly? The reason why Korea¡¯s political system was so stiff was because of how the people perceived the members of the national assembly. In some ways, they were privileged. Why? Because they were able to do many things that others couldn¡¯t. However, the fact that there were terms meant that no one was supposed to monopolize that power.


    The people always criticized the assembly for fighting and nothing else, but as expected in Korea, the members had killer workloads. The National Assembly did a lot more work than people knew. It was normal for members of the national assembly to get cursed at, but it was especially serious in Korea.


    There weren¡¯t many Koreans who would say they respected the members of the national assembly. If all politicians took bribes and got drunk off of power, this country would have been doomed already. In the midst of getting ridiculed for being ves to power, there were lots of patriots working hard due to their sense of duty. It was just that no one else knew.


    Why?


    Because the media liked provocative material. People instinctively liked criticisms more than praise.


    Do you think President Lee Joong Hyun will postpone his statement?


    The nation¡¯s credit score will plummet! This is the second time this month! Are we looking at a second foreign currency crisis?


    The bridal mask incident was definitely nned! There were traces of hacking policemunications and CCTVs!


    How did the Bridal Mask know of the kidnapping? How do we resolve the ws of the criminal resolution system?


    The government even created a special unit to catch the Bridal Mask. Experts predicted that he would be caught soon, but he was on the move more actively than before. Once there was a report of him being spotted in Seoul, there was another report of him being spotted in Busan.


    Busan Gwangmyung killed by Bridal Mask! The police started investigationter on!


    Busan Gwangmyung exposed for human and organ trafficking! Busan people are in shock!


    Mokpo Youngsan killed by Bridal Mask! They forced kidnapped women into selling their bodies!


    Mokpo Youngsan built an illegal prostitution and gambling rink on no man¡¯snd! The coast guards are in on it!


    That was when people started believing there was more than one Bridal Mask. It didn¡¯t make sense for one person to move from one ce to 300 kilometers away in just a few minutes. Some of the media imed it was North Korea while others stressed that he was a CIA agent.


    While the Korean society was heating up, Bridal Mask was busy catching his breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you crossed the line, Soo Ho? How could you act so foolishly?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was contemting hanging up to stop listening to Kosino¡¯s scolding.


    ¡°This was your idea, Kosi.¡±


    ¡°I just said you should quietly find them and scare them away... When did I tell you to face off with the nation?¡±


    ¡°Same thing.¡±


    The ones who avoided Ahn Soo Ho or were against him were the ones with power. Kosino eventually got tired of scolding him and changed the subject.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll get a response?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably taken aback since I boiled the hunting dogs that were working hard for their enjoyment in a pot.¡±


    ¡°Then are you just going to wait now?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to keep going. I¡¯m going to boil more dogs. There are lots more assholes where they came from.¡±


    Whenmitting high-risk crimes such as human trafficking or organ trafficking, it was hard for them to do big jobs without protection. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s target was Shi Group, but he nned to take care of Youngjin Group first. Ultra was soon going to go down.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to raise a headache in my front yard.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t care about other countries going down because of Ultra, but he nned to live in Korea for a long time. Since he spoke with the military through his Naval Academy ssmate, the only other obstacle left to take care of was Youngjin Securities Consulting. Countless criminal organizations went down in thest week. They weren¡¯t just put in jail or dispersed, but not even a trace of them remained.


    Bridal Mask


    The Korean government deemed him as a terrorist, but the people thought it was refreshing that he only took down criminals. There were those with principle who didn¡¯t ept any excuses, but many praised him for the killings.


    Koreans were ustomed to justice.


    They worked hard to hold candlelight vigils, but the country hadn¡¯t changed much. The vicious cycle of the rich living well and the poor living miserably continued. Was the opportunity fair? It was as if nothing was certain and heartless justice was turning its back on everyone.


    A country where the citizens were the owners. How exciting was that? However, the Korea of today was under the control of power and capitalism.


    ¡®Can we really change the world?¡¯


    If not even the huge protests could change the world, what needed to be done? In the midst of that worry, Bridal Mask¡¯s appearance caused quite the impact. Hemitted a sin that was the worst of the worst.


    Murder


    No one knew how refreshing a crime could feel. Perhaps they felt less burdened because they weren¡¯t the ones whomitted them. However, at that moment, Koreans had a little bit of suspicion in their minds.


    ¡®Why can¡¯t we do it though?¡¯


    They were able to see the worst crime with their own eyes, but was it ethically incorrect? However, there were lots of people dying all over the world at this very instant. It was true that murder was bad, but a premise was needed.


    ¡®All members of the nation must respect and treasure life.¡¯


    People asked others to cherish them as much as they cherished others, and what stressed that belief was thew. But how much did Koreans respect thew? Nine out of ten did not. There was some influence from the military dictatorship thatsted 30 years, but the real problem was Korea¡¯s very short democratic history.


    It hadn¡¯t even been 30 years since Korea¡¯s democratization. This country was still standing in between democracy and dictatorship. The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, there was something that Koreans were mistaken about which was that their homnd needed a fight more than stability.


    It wasn¡¯t logical to think that Korea could establish something in 30 years that took America and France over two centuries to reach.


    ¡®The democratic history of Africa and Korea aren¡¯t that different.¡¯


    The progressives wouldn¡¯t have liked this, but the reason why the Korean penins didn¡¯t end up like Africa was thanks to America¡¯s help. This was an example of the close rtionship between politics and the economy. If America didn¡¯t help so much in the 60s and 70s, today¡¯s Korea wouldn¡¯t have existed.


    No matter how much one hated America, that truth couldn¡¯t be denied.


    ¡®Until now, we imitated technology from America and Japan.¡¯


    When it came to imitation, there was no imitation to stress the mother of creation.


    It was clear that the rise of Korea¡¯s industry was thanks to the blood and tears of the people, but the problem was that not all people could be responsible. They called it an export industry fostering policy, but the government stepped up andpeted against otherpanies in ways thatckedmon sense.


    The result of that mistake was the harmful effect it had on the economy controlled by the rich. There was a simple reason for why most rich couldn¡¯tpete in the world market besides the top few brands. It was because they weren¡¯tpetitive. Since those who were used to monopoly had to start over from ground zero, they had no idea of what to do. The global industry waspletely different from domestic.


    ¡®Large groups of stones are seldom captured.¡¯


    Daewoo and Hyundae might have gone down, butrge groups wouldn¡¯t die easily. They simply changed their sign to dodge public rage, so they were still rich. The reason why that was possible was thanks to the strong punishments given for economic offense. Korea was way too lenient on white-cor crimes.


    The national debt was continuing to increase while those whomitted economic offenses were released. The reason was to revive the Korean economy. Lee Joong Hyun couldn¡¯t dodge this either. The president¡¯s power to pardon was more used by the rich than themon people to change their identities in society.


    ¡°Pleasee on in, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was invited to the Blue House.


    Of course, he was invited as the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment. If the public knew that he was the one who put the Korean society in chaos while wearing a mask, they would have been shocked. Everyone had to be checked before meeting the president, but not a single guard approached him.


    ¡°Wee, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun lost a lot of weight. Actually, he just aged. Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly at how fast he aged. Lee Joong Hyungughed and pushed back his hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look so good, do I?¡±


    ¡°You should take care of your skin.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that. Please sit.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat on the sofa.


    ¡°Would you like some tea?¡±


    ¡°No thank you.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun only asked to be mannerly.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re both busy, I¡¯ll get straight to the point, CEO Ahn. I¡¯d like you to take a position in the group for the reformation of the rich.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t making me into an inspector general enough?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you for another favor. Please volunteer one more time for our people, CEO Ahn.¡±


    While Ahn Soo Ho worked as an inspector general due to the president¡¯s orders, he hit a row of home runs. He weeded out quite a lot of rotten eggs, but it was impossible to get rid of corruptionpletely. As long as mankind didn¡¯t go extinct, cheating and corruption were always going to exist.


    ¡°What made you think the reformation of the rich would work when not even the military reform worked out?¡±


    ¡°The media has my back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for the numbers, Mr. President. The media is just an illusion, and they can always go back on their word.¡±


    ¡°The media favors me very much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯srgely thanks to Chairman Kim Dae San.¡±


    ¡°Then you should talk to the old man about this first. That¡¯s quite a headache.¡±


    Kim Dae San was surprisingly for a reformation of the rich. It was also because of his pride, but the old man thought he was in apletely different category from the other rich. He despised those who picked the safe route out of fear of hopping over a tall wall.


    No matter how much they seeded in Korea, they were simply frogs in a well.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to bring Chairman Kim into this, but as you know, Daesan Group is rich as well. They are the most influential group in our country. They¡¯re different from you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m one of the rich as well.¡±


    ¡°But Hosoo didn¡¯t seed with Korean capital. You¡¯re different from the others.¡±


    Come to think of it, analysts put Hosoo Entertainment Group under America or Europe. Ifpanies had nationalities, Hosoo Group would have been a foreigner. However, the man who possessed all the shares besides HBS was definitely of Korean nationality.


    After a certain point, he became known as the symbol of a self-made man.


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll think about it optimistically.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho avoided giving a direct answer. He didn¡¯t hate the idea, but he didn¡¯t have enough trust in Lee Joong Hyun as a politician to ept it easily.


    ¡®He¡¯s good as an agitator, but as a politician...? I¡¯m not so sure.¡¯


    As it was made clear in China, he was a president who was obsessed with poprity. So he couldn¡¯t erase the question marks over his potential in government operation. Operating a nation wasn¡¯t as easily as people thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely not an easy man, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyunughed bitterly while Ahn Soo Ho shrugged. How could Korea¡¯s citizens dilly-dally when their president came off this way? Kim Dae San would have had a hard time as well. However, Ahn Soo Ho was easy-going.


    ¡°Tell me what you want, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun was not only bowing, but he was lying t on the floor.


    ¡°What I want, huh...?¡±


    There couldn¡¯t have been anything.


    ¡®Oh!¡¯


    Actually, there was. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho smirked, the president got shivers up his back.


    ¡°The Secretary of Defense. Deal?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 168 ¨C Bridal Mask [3] > The end.

 Chapter 170: < Protect – Episode 169 – Bridal Mask [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 170: < Protect ¨C Episode 169 ¨C Bridal Mask [4] ></h4>


    Lee Joong Hyun was the president of Korea.


    For public figures like the president, there was no such thing as personal lives. Everything from what he wore to what he ate to who he met were reported on in real-time. So the truth about the CEO of Hosoo Entertainment meeting with the president at the Blue House was announced at arge scale. And of course, it drew a lot of attention, and although both men were famous, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence was bing more and more powerful. One hour after the conversation, the president made an announcement to the public.


    He addressed his strong will in starting a reform of the rich, which was only a rumor until now. After the military reform, unfortunately, fell through, the Blue House went at the legal circles, but they were met with powerful resistance. That was because the legal professionals were just as tight and sturdy as the political groups. Since he first became president with the help of Gangnam elites including the rich and the media, when Lee Joong Hyun started to be interested in reformation, many were taken aback.


    ¡®Is our president crazy?¡¯


    The ones that responded in the most sensitive manner to Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s change was the group of government workers. But in response to the Blue House¡¯s sneak attack, they had no time to retaliate and simplyid down t. If it was Lee Joong Hyun alone, he wouldn¡¯t have had much power, but Ahn Soo Ho the national inspector general used his own money to encourage whistle-blowers, and the effect of that was astronomical.


    He wiped them all out.


    Anti-corruption Sniper


    Ahn Soo Ho got a new nickname.


    A part of the reason why he wasn¡¯t recognized as a rich in Korea was because a man in their 30s was considered very young in Korean society. However, Ahn Soo Ho was different. Korea might have been a difficult country to live in as a genius, but for pioneers who already seeded above and beyond, they were warmly weed.


    No inheritance.


    A self-made man from abroad.


    Not a silver spoon.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s poprity was huge, especially among the younger generations. The support of the younger generations who ran the inte was more important than anything to the president in driving the force of reform, so he couldn¡¯t give up on them regardless of their unpredictability.


    Lee Joong Hyun desperately needed Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°For that reason, we¡¯re going to form amittee in order to carry out the reform.¡±


    The president was making a deration of war against the upper ss. The reporters only expected a reform of the rich, but Lee Joong Hyun took it a step further. Their hands became faster at typing away at the reports. The climax of the whole event was when the chairman was introduced.


    ¡°Let me introduce him right now.¡±


    As soon as Lee Joong Hyun took a step back and pped, others pped along with him. The man who appeared in the midst of the apuse shocked the reporters. Ahn Soo Ho shook hands with Lee Joong Hyun to create some good photos.


    ¡°I believe in you, CEO Ahn. I mean, Chairman Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you keep your promise, I¡¯ll keep mine.¡±


    They looked like they were smiling at each other from afar, but their conversation was meaningful. Once they posed for long enough, Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of the podium.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all.¡±


    The ce was filled with confusion and shock.


    Despite the chaos, the reporters typed away like crazy. ¡®Exclusive scoop!¡¯ It was controversial when he became an inspector general, but this was way beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. The fact that the president appointed a young businessman in his 30s was surprising enough, but Ahn Soo Ho willingly epting the position implied that he wasn¡¯t in his right mind either.


    They looked like two crazy men.


    ¡°You must all be surprised. The truth is, I¡¯m surprised, too.¡±


    The reporters were astonished once more.


    It took guts to address everyone in such an informal manner at an official press conference. Ahn Soo Ho continued to read the speech that someone wrote for him. At the very least, he was required to respect the president as well as the Blue House. The reporters caught on that he was reading a script.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for my speech.¡±


    As soon as he finished, reporters sprung up their hands. Ahn Soo Ho showed a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take questions with the busy president standing by.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Some peopleughed here and there. Ahn Soo Ho stepped down from the podium and held hands with Lee Joong Hyun for some more photos. He looked like the president¡¯s supporter. As soon as Lee Joong Hyun left, he stood in front of the podium again.


    ¡°Since the obstacle is gone now, shall we begin?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    The reporters shook their heads at how he addressed the president. Ahn Soo Ho pointed at the reporter at the front.


    ¡°If you reform the rich, who would your first target be?¡±


    ¡°Daesan.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Daesan Group would be the first.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    When they asked questions, they usually knew what to expect. Even before this reporter asked their question, they expected what he would say as well.


    ¡®The first target of the reform is Hosoo Entertainment Group!¡¯


    However, Ahn Soo Ho lived to screw over reporters.


    The press center mumbled.


    How could the first target of the reform be Daesan Group? They thought they heard wrong. It was hard to believe since Kim Dae San adored him and took care of him so well. Was he repaying his kindness with revenge? But Ahn Soo Ho looked all too peaceful. Some of the veteran reporters caught on.


    ¡°Have you already talked to Daesan Group about it.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Many of the reporters seemed relieved.


    ¡®This is Daesan¡¯s country.¡¯


    There were many modifiers for Daesan Group, but Ahn Soo Ho particrly sensed the Daesan brand¡¯s power today. The reason why the Korean media, Korea National Association, nor the Comradery Association could mess with Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t just because of his money.


    ¡®The Daesan family rules over the media.¡¯


    The reason why the media approached Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s announcement in a cautious manner was because of Daesan¡¯s help. The scale of the private schools and schrship businesses operated all over Korea by Daesan Group was one of the biggest in the world.


    ¡®It¡¯s important to foster talents and win them over to our side.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho could learn a thing or two from Kim Daesan. That was partly what influenced him to start Hosoo Entertainment Academy.


    ¡°Chairman Kim Dae San... Sigh, that sounds awkward to say. The old man said this. A reform of the rich can¡¯t be avoided. It¡¯s true that the major corporations are what made Korea¡¯s economy develop, but their roles need to change for the future.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be suspicions if Chairman Kim Dae San¡¯s close friend leads their reform?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see once the resultse out.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there won¡¯t be any special treatment?¡±


    ¡°As you already know, many people call this country the Daesan Republic. That¡¯s how influential they were in Korea. To be frank, who would be able to step up in the reform of Daesan Group?¡±


    If they made a mistake and messed with Daesan Group the wrong way, they would have to immigrate to another country.


    ¡°Do you mean to say you¡¯re the only one who can do it?¡±


    ¡°To be honest... yes. No one else can do it.¡±


    People sighed, but it was true. Ahn Soo Ho was so close to them that he called Kim Dae San ¡°old man¡± and Kim Dae Chan ¡°hyung¡±.


    ¡°You might make all the Korean rich into your enemies, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Enemies? No way. They¡¯ll bow down to me in gratitude.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t back down.


    The reporters continued to ask their questions. They asked about the conflicts of interest as a current CEO, what Jang Seol Hyun thought about this, how he felt being in this position as a young man in his 30s, and if he had any interest in running for office. The most important question was saved forst.


    ¡°Why did you ept his proposal?¡±


    ¡°At first, I was going to refuse, since I¡¯mcking in many ways.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was going to put off giving Lee Joong Hyun an answer, but when he agreed to make him the Secretary of Defense, he changed his mind.


    ¡®He¡¯s desperate.¡¯


    He sensed the president¡¯s desperation. The media was useful to the Blue House, but the political situation was uneasy.


    ¡®I need an alibi.¡¯


    In order to continue his affairs with the bridal mask, he needed an alibi so that no one would suspect him, and if he had a public post with cameras always on him at all times, that was the best-case scenario. The more Ahn Soo Ho put himself in controversies, the less likely the Bridal Mask was going to be exposed.


    ¡°But just like before, President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s will to help the people was so strong that I just had to give in.¡±


    If Lee Joong Hyun had heard this, he would have called him out for bullshit. Even after the press conference ended, the ce was heated up more than ever, and their eyes said this.


    ¡®More! More! Tell us more!¡¯


    Since he highlighted the paparazzi incident during his time as an inspector general, they wanted him to give them something else this time. That was why the media was always tiring. They were never satisfied.


    ¡°They say the bridal mask is the trend these days. Is that true?¡±


    The passion of the public toward the terrorist made the investigative authorities confused. It resulted in copycat crimes, and what was more serious was the increase in caution. Back in the day, people just overlooked bad things, but high school students who smoked got into fights and thugs were getting attacked by regr citizens.


    Violence was on the rise.


    If they just made theme to a settlement or dealt with the cases half-heartedly, the police were at risk of getting attacked by the people as well. The media¡¯s provocative articles made it sound as if the people started the fights. The stabbings and explosions have yet to ur, but if the dissatisfaction within the Korean society wasn¡¯t resolved anytime soon, it was going to escte to bloodshed.


    Was the Bridal Mask a hero or a viin?


    For those who were saved by him, he was a hero, and for the criminals that were killed by him as well as their family, he was a viin. In response to the hyena-like reporters¡¯ questions, the government workers, prosecutors, and police kept their mouths shut. The way the Bridal Mask only targeted criminal organizations once more proved the police and prosecution¡¯sck of capability.


    The reporters who had their hands raised up high slowly put them back down.


    ¡°Bridal Mask is clearly a criminal. No matter how good his intentions are, murder is wrong. However...¡±


    The reporters focused on what he was going to say next.


    ¡°I want to give him a round of apuse.¡±


    ¡°Do you see Bridal Mask as a hero rather than a viin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ll just have to see. But if something goes wrong, our country will also turn out like America.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Everyone nodded in response.


    America was currently under triple distress. The first one was a political scandal, the second one was a random war, and the third was the union segregation movement. The third was caused by Captain America¡¯s wave that increased the number of vignce movements which stressed that since the politicians couldn¡¯t be trusted, everyone should protect their own cities, viges, families, and themselves.


    In some ways, Bridal Mask and Captain America were simr.


    ¡°Korea is a constitutional state. Not even justice can break the societal promises that have been made under democracy.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stuck out his thumb.


    ¡°This is my proposal to the people. If you provide essential information in capturing Bridal Mask, I will pay you ten billion won.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡®Exclusive scoop!¡¯


    ¡°And that money wille out of my pockets.¡±


    ******


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you promised your own money... Are you crazy? 10 billion won is a lot of money. That¡¯s enough for all the detective agencies to show interest. What are you nning to do?¡±


    Kosino scolded Ahn Soo Ho as soon as they met up, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°What about the public?¡±


    ¡°They love it, of course.¡±


    The responses to the Korean president¡¯s announcement of a reformmittee were split. There were lots of criticism about why they were expanding instead of leaving the Board of Audit and Inspection to just sit around. Regarding Ahn Soo Ho as well, there were insults iming that he was trying to get rid of hispetition, and how he was an ill-mannered son who was repaying kindness with revenge.


    ¡°Daesan made their remark pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°They weed it. But... the family might think differently.¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s more than one person in the Daesan family, the old man can¡¯t lead the reform on his own.¡±


    While Kim Dae San and Kim Dae Chan were the pirs of Daesan Group, there were other family members who were in the family as well.


    ¡°But a bigger problem is...¡±


    ¡°Ms. Jang left countless messages.¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    He sighed deeply.


    ¡°You should have at least pretended to consult her. Women hate one-sided decisions...¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I wonder why you¡¯re still single.¡±


    Kosino irritated Ahn Soo Ho so Ahn Soo Hoshed out. It wasn¡¯t the media or the rich that scared Ahn Soo Ho the most. It was Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡®Dating is hard...¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t easy to respect the other person. Men and women had very different ways of thinking. Dealing with a life partner was different from dealing with friends and colleagues.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kosino was sarcastic until the very end. While the phone rang, countless excuses ran through his head.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Her voice was brighter than he expected. She was very excited.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho almost disturbed the space around him with magic. That was how shocked he was. He canceled all his ns and searched for Jang Seol Hyun. She waited for him at home, and she was calmer than her regr confident self.


    She hugged him as soon as the door opened.


    His stiff shoulders finally loosened up. He then calmed down, but Jang Seol Hyun was crying. Was she scared? She was happy but scared at the same time. A couple having their first child was a blessing, but it was also horrifying. That was because it was a world different from people who didn¡¯t have children was used to, and it was going to be a lot to handle for an emotionally sensitive actress.


    Ahn Soo Ho held Jang Seol Hyun and didn¡¯t let her go.


    She wasn¡¯t on the small side for a Korean woman, but Ahn Soo Ho had such a physique that she looked like a cicada on a tree. He carried Jang Seol Hyun andid her down on the sofa. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t show it, but he was surprised as well. He couldn¡¯t exin his emotions.


    ¡®Is this how Anna-Anne felt when she woke up as the great, great magician?¡¯


    Anna-Anne was born as a lowly ve and went through many hardships before she woke up as the great, great, magician and had all the power in the world. Ahn Soo Ho, who watched over her painful life really wanted to ask her this question. ¡®After all that, why didn¡¯t you get revenge on the world?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know then, but he knew now.


    ¡®She didn¡¯t want to pass down hatred.¡¯


    Unfortunately, the first thing he felt in response to the news wasn¡¯t happiness but worry. ¡®How will my child live on in this vicious world? Would my enemies leave my child alone?¡¯ He was faced with many worries. Ahn Soo Ho looked down at Jang Seol Hyun who fell asleep. He felt bad for the shock she must have felt today.


    Heid her down on the bed and used his magic to put her in deep sleep. He felt a familiar person around him, but he didn¡¯t turn around. Jung Ah Young went from a business rtionship to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s best friend. She was coy, but she didn¡¯t forget kindness.


    ¡°Did you hear?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Jung Ah Young nodded in response.


    ¡®Does she trust Jung Ah Young that much?¡¯


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s pregnancy was the most exclusive news. Inparison to this, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s offer to pay 10 billion won was nothing.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She left her smiling face behind and left the house. Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Kosi. Change of ns.¡±


    Up to this point, Bridal Mask only attacked those rted to human trafficking.


    ¡°Warn all the clients online. I won¡¯t allow any kind of warfare in the Korean penins.¡±


    Before Ahn Soo Ho retired, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t in the neutral zone, but the number of mafias and fighting between global corporations reduced big time. However, they weren¡¯t 100% gone either. The local wars continued, but he didn¡¯t mind that much. However, things were going to change starting today.


    Complete neutrality!


    It was hard for him to predict how much of a sensation this was going to cause.


    ¡°All the fugitives around the world are going to gather, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    The fugitives of mafias and corporate wars were going to gather in the Korean penins. That was because fighting in the neutral zone would be to oppose Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Do you think Korea can handle it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it can.¡±


    There was no need to make Korea into the most powerful nation, but they couldn¡¯t fall behind either.


    ¡®Switzend. That¡¯s the goal.¡¯


    He would be satisfied if Korea became the Switzend of Asia.


    ¡®But in order to do that...¡¯


    Many changes were needed.


    ¡°First, I have to get rid of Korea National Association.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put on his bridal mask.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 169 ¨C Bridal Mask [4] > The end.

 Chapter 171: < Protect – Episode 170 – Korea National Association [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 171: < Protect ¨C Episode 170 ¨C Korea National Association [1] ></h4>


    The crime nning group¡ªGeneral Ashford¡ªhad one rule.


    ¡®Don¡¯t stand against the mutant king.¡¯


    It was a cruel rule since the members of this crime group were bloodthirsty bastards. However, when they were faced with Code Name K, they weren¡¯t willing to help each other. No matter how genius the members of General Ashford were, there were limits. If they wanted to live long, they were best off being active at least 500 kilometers away from the mutant king. There was always that crazy guy that wanted to test his luck though.


    The rising star of this field¡ªShay Leeper¡ªcouldn¡¯t understand the decision of the high masters.


    ¡®The mutant king is still human, so he must have a weakness.¡¯


    They acknowledged that he had superpowers that made him more powerful than an army. But if it was a strong army like the US army, wouldn¡¯t they stand a chance? Once Code Name K retired and returned to his homnd, Shay Leeperpleted requests in China and Japan. However, his eyes didn¡¯te off of the Korean penins that was situated between China and Japan.


    ¡®The mutant king... has grown weak.¡¯


    The true face of K that the members were afraid of was strong enough to go beyond the best criminal ns. However, once K retired, he didn¡¯t use his force. He did use some of it in Indonesia and Borth America, but he kept it to a minimum. Shay Leeper reported this to the superior office numerous times that they now stood a chance against Code Name K. However, their response was always the same.


    ¡®Never face off against the mutant king!¡¯


    The high masters were still afraid of K.


    ¡®Those frustrating old men!¡¯


    Nothingsted forever in this world though.


    No one was forever strong or forever weak. Time had the power to make the weak strong and the strong weak. Shay Leeper decided that this was their opportunity to strain the feared king or make him weaker. So he secretly hid between the small country squeezed in between China and Japan.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe 50 million people live in this small country.¡¯


    His first impression of the small country wasn¡¯t too bad.


    ¡®Gangnam? Is this the capital of this country?¡¯


    He had to scout out thend before looking for K.


    Shay Leeper went all over Korea. As soon as he pretended to be a na?ve blue-eyed foreigner who tried to speak some Korean words, Koreans soon let their guards down. ¡®Who are these fools?¡¯ They were too na?ve themselves. While he went around, he tried Korean food, and he liked it more than he expected.


    When he first tried the rich soybean paste stew, he thought they put poison in his food. He still wasn¡¯t used to the smell or taste, but after eating it more and more, he grew to like it. He felt like he was getting healthier. He couldn¡¯t help but eat a lot of meat and bread, but he also started to look for more stews and wraps.


    ¡®I love you, earthen pot bulgogi!¡¯


    Shay Leeper fell in love with earthen pot bulgogi. It was so good that it couldn¡¯t be described with words. Despite being racist against Asians, he grew to love Korea. It wasn¡¯t Koreans he liked, but the country as a whole. Inte was fast, and thanks to the ban on guns, it was pretty safe.


    ¡®This country has the nightlife that we all dream of!¡¯


    Not even New York¡¯s nightlife stood a chance against that of Gangnam.


    ¡®But there¡¯s probably more beautiful women in New York...¡¯


    Korea was definitely safer than America. It wasical for a criminal professional to talk about safety, but it was even difficult for a criminal mind to dodge or block bullets. Supernatural powers weren¡¯t almighty. Unless an individual was like K, guns would still kill or wound that person.


    ¡®Even the king himself uses a gun.¡¯


    J-Law was the best sniper in the world, but K was still the best gunman. The more Shay Leeper got to know Korea, the more he understood why K retired there.


    ¡®Korean gangs are trash.¡¯


    The way he saw it, the Korean organizations were weak.


    There were some drugs circting in the ck market, but they were in limited amounts. This ce was nothing more than a pit stop for drugs between South East Asia, Japan, and Russia. Even in the fights that took ce between organizations, the only weapons that were used here were knives. Since only the bosses carried guns, they probably looked like pathetic thugs in the eyes of the international mafias.


    Shay Leeper was suspicious about something.


    Korea was actually a rich mine with substantial buying power. So why weren¡¯t the international mafias and global corporations taking advantage of Korea¡¯s market? They weren¡¯t even a socialist nation like China. Was it because they were afraid of K? Only a few knew his true power while most just saw him as a rich man.


    ¡®It was a miracle that he took over an entertainmentpany.¡¯


    Shay Leeper was marveled by K¡¯s behavior.


    In this field of work, retirement meant to live in solitude. That was because grudges against him that were created during his years of service were going to bite him in the ass. As a result, people even said that it was hard to live for even a year after retirement. Retirement meant death. It was different for K though. Once he retired, he lived more actively, and more people grew to know him.


    ¡®But only a select few know his true identity.¡¯


    Shay Leeper admired that. However, exposing oneself meant that there would be more weaknesses to take advantage of. Shay Leeper managed to find a decentdy at a Gangnam club to have a one-night stand with, so he was whistling with joy and headed to the parking lot when he heard a text notification from his phone.


    The phone that was linked to the ck market bulletin board was 10 times more expensive than a regr phone, but it was worth it. As soon as he entered the bulletin board, many announcements popped up.


    Mr. K is setting up a neutrality zone in South Korea!


    Patching up clients! All members below A rank will be withdrawn!


    Combat will not be allowed! That will count as hostile action!


    Advising breach of contract with everything rted to Korea! Withdraw in 48 hours!


    Shay Leeper was shocked.


    ¡®Aplete neutrality zone?¡¯


    Then why did he retire in the first ce? Wherever Ahn Soo Ho was at, that ce tended to be a half-neutral zone automatically, so there were only two times that he deredplete neutrality.


    ¡®And they were usually just small cities...¡¯


    This was the first time he dered an entire country as neutral.


    ¡°What is this? Is he thinking about war?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Shay Leeper pulled out his gun as soon as he heard a voice responding to his rhetorical question, but his wrist got twisted at a strange angle.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up the gun that he dropped.


    ¡°A Luger, huh? You have interesting taste.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He plopped down while grabbing his broken wrist, he still managed to use his head.


    ¡®How?¡¯


    He hadn¡¯t done anything in Korea to draw any attention. So how did he find him? Ahn Soo Ho looked at Shay Leeper¡¯s suspicious gaze and smirked.


    ¡°Cranky.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He understood immediately. The prestige of the top three hackers in the world was not to be taken lightly. Alexa, Kosino, and Cranky established a monitoring system in the Korean penins, and it was more precise than anything else.


    ¡°Leeper. The only reason why I let you off was because I didn¡¯t feel threatened by you.¡±


    Shay Leeper felt cold sweat on his back.


    ¡°But don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m not here to kill you, but you have to do something for me. Think of it as a deal.¡±


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Do you want to refuse?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho smiled and tapped his Luger back and forth, Shay Leeper changed his attitude.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled brighter.


    ¡°Put on a mask for me.¡±


    ******


    The national reformationmittee that President Lee Joong Hyun announced was still at the beginning stages. However, Ahn Soo Ho acted independently. It was possible that Lee Joong Hyun wanted Ahn Soo Ho to do this in the first ce.


    ¡®I¡¯ll break up the country¡¯s attention just like you wanted.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho had a good sense of the Blue House and the president¡¯s inner thoughts. Wanting to volunteer for the people was all bullshit. Lee Joong Hyun was probably in the middle of looking for weaknesses in his opponents. There were very few Korean presidents that remained pure until the end.


    When Ahn Soo Ho opened another press conference only hours after the previous one, the reporters looked at him with sparkling eyes. The fact that he held it at Daesan Hotel made it into a ckedy.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again. I¡¯m starting to get attached.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Since they already got quite the scoop earlier, the reporters were pretty easy-going. And that made them very understanding.


    ¡°I asked all of you back here because I have a question.¡±


    He saw invisible question marks over the reporters¡¯ heads.


    ¡°How much do you know about Korea National Association?¡±


    ¡°Korea National Association?¡¯


    The reporter at the very front epted his question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Korea National Association... They stirred up an issuest year, didn¡¯t they? What was the headline again?¡±


    ¡°Korea¡¯s Bohemian Club.¡±


    The reporter that answered was actually Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s informant. He heard mumbling. Another reporter held up their hand so he gave them the mic.


    ¡°Do you believe that conspiracy theory, CEO Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Conspiracy theory...? Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    When the candlelight vigils hit Korea, the country was swept over with unconfirmed rumors, and what followed was a coverage attempting to uncover the truth behind the group that ruled over Korea following its independence. The reporters mixed in rumors that were more believable and then imed that they didn¡¯t know what they exactly were.


    The public was uncertain and soon forgot once other reports covered it up, but veteran reporters knew the truth. Korea National Association truly existed, and they had influence over almost every part of the country. Just like how Daesan Group invested in private schools and schrships, Korea National Association invested in education as well.


    But in contrast to Daesan Group who used their own Daesan Brand, Korea National Association fostered their own talents through multiple private schools and schrship foundations. There were probably some reporters here who finished school with the help of the Korea National Association. Both the Daesan Group and Korea National Association were deep-rooted in Korean society.


    Ahn Soo Ho saw a few of the reporters looking away.


    ¡®Could it be?¡¯


    History was not to be ignored.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Korea National Association is just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Do you have proof?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger, the room dimmed and a projector shed a screen onto the wall. The profiles and photos that came up as well as the names that apanied them were enough to shock the reporters.


    ¡°What do you think business is? Producing talents that engage in innovate research in order to produce fresh products that will sell on the market? That¡¯s true, too. But in my opinion, global businesses actually...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho made eye contact with all of the reporters.


    ¡°Steal.¡±


    They stole.


    ¡°Original talents? You can steal them by offering better conditions. Innovative research? As long as you pay for the patent, it¡¯s yours. Fresh products? Nothing ispletely new in this world. What¡¯s truly important is good marketing.¡±


    What survived in the world¡¯s market wasn¡¯t the content but the wrapping. Functionality and quality were just the basics and in order to get the public¡¯s attention, they needed publicity. Image strategies was a very profitable business. Ahn Soo Ho turned around and pointed at the profiles and photos on the screen.


    ¡°You probably know some of these faces.¡±


    There was abination of ck-and-white photos, lesser quality colored photos as well as good quality colored photos. They even saw Lee Geun Taek who was now dead. The key members of the Korea National Association were all capable people.


    ¡°The most important thing in business is knowing what I have. Then whates after that?¡±


    No reporter answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Knowing what yourpetitors have. Oh, but don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t put together what you¡¯re looking at right now. If you want to know where it came from... then let¡¯s just say it was from a nosy neighbor.¡±


    They groaned about suspecting it was China and Japan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure none of you believe that all battles are legal. What the public misunderstands is that there is no power with vested rights that we always talk about. That¡¯s because differentiating sses really depends on what your standards are.¡±


    Individuals who were earning 20 million, 40 million and 80 million won a year were the ones who had vested rights. In a nutshell, people who were earning better were the ones with vested rights.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to go off-topic... Anyway, following our country¡¯s ruin from war, the miracle on the Han River happened. Look around you. Korea is now a pretty decent country. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    What he was saying was apliment, but it sounded like ridicule.


    ¡°There¡¯s a veryrge trap in this. Think about it. Is it possible to make something out of nothing?¡±


    When they talked about the economy, they always talked about dept. The country, its corporations, and its shops all had dept. Why? Because the capitalist system functions based on debt. Without debt, Korea¡¯s current market couldn¡¯t exist. In order to revive from the ruins of war, Korea had to be in debt.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a question! Who did we have to be indebted to? America? Japan?¡±


    There was one record that wasn¡¯t recorded in Korea¡¯s modern history. Did anyone believe that the rich people of today actually became what they were today with nothing to start with? That was why there were Koreans who dreaded the Dresden File as well.


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured for the screen to change.


    ¡°The Five Eulsa Traitors sold out the country and Korea National Association...¡±


    The image was of a Korean who robbed the Joseon Dynasty¡¯s wealth and fortune 500 years ago. The Joseon royals were certainly noparison to that of Ennd, but there had to be a fair amount of wealth and fortune that were maintained for 500 years.


    ¡°They¡¯re the thieves that robbed the royal family. They¡¯re the traitors.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 170 ¨C Korea National Association [1] > The end.

 Chapter 172: < Protect – Episode 171 – Korea National Association [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 172: < Protect ¨C Episode 171 ¨C Korea National Association [2] ></h4>


    The executivemittee of the Korea National Association were all killed.


    Lee Ji Heon suspected Ahn Soo Ho, but there was no evidence. Lee Geun Taek died and Lee Kyung Joon went missing. In the midst of trying to resolve the chaos like the one in charge, he saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s press conference and almost fainted.


    ¡®Korea National Association are traitors just like the Five Eulsa Traitors!¡¯


    After the Lee Mi Hyun case, the Korean imperial family tried to escape from the Korea National Association and somehow got the funds to go the independence route. The Lee family now refused to continue living such a powerless life. As soon as they became distant from the royal gathering, other regr members who supported them backed out as well.


    They weren¡¯t worried about a new executivemittee.


    That was because they could always recruit more regr members who wouldn¡¯t know the secret. However, the revolt of the royal n whom they used as their front faces made for a painful hit. Once the chaos subsided, Lee Ji Heon nned on making an example out of the imperial family. He acknowledged that Ahn Soo Ho grew substantially. However, Korea still belonged to Korea National Association. They had to be.


    ¡°Chairman!¡±


    Behind the chief secretary with a pale face were other secretaries fighting over the phones. He felt a surging migraine. Honestly speaking, the new executivemittee were newbies. Whenever something happened, they grabbed their phones and whined. Since they had been taking orders all their lives, they weren¡¯t ready to be in a position with responsibility.


    Lee Ji Heon understood that much.


    However, the problem was that there were many traitors as well, and what made them that way was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s paparazzi case. He couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. Was he aiming for them all along? This conspiracy might have begun ever since Ahn Soo Ho met Lee Jin. There had been a series of circumstances that aligned with the Korea National Association.


    ¡°The members are all swarming over to the bunker.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They were newbies in deed.


    No matter how much the media talked about evidence, they werete for dozens of years already. Most importantly, there was no way there was the right of arraignment to a case that took ce before the founding of Korea. Their ethics would probably be criticized, but that could be easily resolved with a little bit of donation, volunteer work, and photos. They already had entertainment and politics-rted scandals lined up in order to divide the peoples¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Call all of the media editors.¡±


    ¡°Should I tell them to take it down?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! With Ahn Soo Ho acting up like that, do you really think we can shut anyone up?¡±


    ¡°I... I apologize, Sir!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon raged at the chief secretary¡¯s stupidity.


    ¡®This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll have to swap him out.¡¯


    Lee Geun Taek¡¯s men knew how to suck up, but they were horrible at their jobs. That was why Ahn Soo Ho had them in the palm of his hands.


    ¡°Tell them to unleash any celebrity or politician scandal they have!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    The chief secretary ran out in response to his gesture.


    ¡®Thepany was now on its tracks.¡¯


    It took them almost 1 year to resolve the chaos. It had been a long time since the front of their main building was cleared of all the protesters, and despite the recession of the construction business, their order was being consistently maintained. The honor they built following the country¡¯s independence wasn¡¯t so weak that it could tumble so easily. No matter how many insults they had to take, the worth of their construction business was above that.


    ¡®Ahn Soo Ho.¡¯


    Every time he thought of that name, his chest felt stuffy inside.


    ¡®He¡¯s someone that this small country can¡¯t embrace.¡¯


    He was an enemy, but he also admired him. If they weren¡¯t enemies, perhaps they could have been friends. Lee Ji Heon shook his head.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I should keep being his victim.¡¯


    In this world, people pounced on what looked weak. Lee Ji Heon was putting on his jacket to head over to the bunker when he suddenly knitted his brows. He thought that his incapable chief secretary was trying to force him in. However, when he turned around, he flinched. The door didn¡¯t open. And he saw an unbelievable figure in front of him.


    ¡°Bridal Mask?¡±


    Lee Ji Heon contemted if he would either scream or fight, but he couldn¡¯t make up his mind.


    ¡°Good choice.¡±


    When Bridal Mask saw him give up, he nodded. What Lee Ji Heon was shocked by was Bridal Mask¡¯s fluent English. Wasn¡¯t he Korean? But then again, experts said there were multiple Bridal Masks. So it was possible that one or some of them were foreigners.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡±


    ¡°Well. That¡¯s not what¡¯s important here, Mr. Lee. Oh yeah. If you press that button, everyone dies.¡±


    Lee Ji Heon was creeping under his desk to reach for the emergency bell when he flinched.


    ¡°Mr. Lee, I know you¡¯re one of the key members of the Korea National Association.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Please gather all of the veteran members in one ce.¡±


    He was also following Bridal Mask¡¯s whereabouts, and Shi Group, which was providing pleasure for the members and Youngjin Group, which scratched where they felt itchy both took a big hit. It was clear that Bridal Mask was hostile toward Korea National Association.


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°Nothing will change even if you kill me!¡±


    The veteran members were the core of the organization.


    The honor of Korea National Association led by the veteran families of Korean leader groups was going to be passed down from generation to generation. But for them to all gather in one ce? He didn¡¯t know who Bridal Mask was, but he knew what he was trying to do.


    ¡°Just kill me!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon raised his voice but looked around him at the same time. Why wasn¡¯t the secretary¡¯s office right next door responding? Something was wrong. Bridal Mask saw Lee Ji Heon¡¯s rolling eyes and smirked.


    ¡°Stop bluffing, Mr. Lee.¡±


    What Bridal Mask pulled out wasn¡¯t a gun but a smartphone. He showed Lee Ji Heon his screen.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon was shocked. Men and women of all ages with gags in their mouths. His heart sank after seeing the video on the phone.


    ¡°You! You!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Rx.¡±


    ¡°If you do anything to my family...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you do the same thing to other people. How shameless.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon¡¯s threat was met with ridicule. Kidnapping families for hostages and threatening them was what Korea National Association did all the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you again soon.¡±


    ¡°You! Ugh!¡±


    Once he had the phone taken away from Bridal Mask, he tried to get up in a rage, but he plopped back down when he felt the cold gun on his forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to see me out, Mr. Lee.¡±


    Bridal Mask talked to him as if he knew Lee Ji Heon could do absolutely nothing and walked out. He then ran out to the secretary¡¯s office and saw his subordinates on the ground. They didn¡¯t seem dead. He then called his wife on the phone.


    The number you have dialed is currently busy.


    He tried calling his son and daughter as well, but theirs went straight to voicemail, too.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon yelled in rage and mmed down his phone,


    Bridal Mask got out of there.


    The face that was revealed as soon as he took off his mask in the crowd was none other than Shay Leeper. He looked up at the head office with a smile and then took out his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, King. I¡¯ll move on to the next stage now.¡±


    ******


    ¡°We got a call from Leeper.¡±


    ¡°Leeper?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. He made contact with Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    Thomas Chenyabin clicked his tongue.


    The biggest issue of the ck market these days wasn¡¯t the war in Nigeria or the terrorist attacks in Europe. It was the fact that Ahn Soo Ho selected South Korea as aplete neutrality zone. The ones trying to hide and avoid being the victim of a purge as well as the rich who wanted to be free from assassination or kidnapping started to focus on South Korea. There was now almost zero possibility that a war would break out in the Korean penins.


    ¡°He came to an agreement with the king.¡±


    ¡°An agreement?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯s rted to the Bridal Mask. Just as we expected...¡±


    ¡°He was Bridal Mask?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean he¡¯s offering a reward to find him? Haha.¡±


    Most who knew a thing or two probably suspected Ahn Soo Ho was the Bridal Mask. However, suspicion and certainty were two different things.


    ¡°What do you think is his objective?¡±


    ¡°Considering how he went to Pyeongyang and Hong Kong... don¡¯t you think he might be trying to eliminate all threats against the Korean penins? If Korea National Association gets exposed, the Korean leader groups and elites are bound to take a big hit.¡±


    ¡°Dresden File.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that Angelica is somewhere around Soo Ho after all.¡±


    ¡°If Michael finds out, he¡¯ll flip.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. He probably already knows.¡±


    ¡°Maybe...¡±


    Michel had quite the obsession over Angelica.


    ¡°What¡¯s the possibility of Japan getting involved?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-fifty.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    The beginning of the Korea National Association was very pro-Japanese. During the Japanese colonial era, they became Japan¡¯s informants and robbed the Joseon royal family of their wealth and treasure.


    ¡®Korea is a strange country.¡¯


    Was that why weird people like Ahn Soo Ho existed?


    After the Second World War, if Japan hadn¡¯t been an ind but a country on the edge of China, they would have been the one to be divided. It was a country with an unfortunate fate. They not only suffered through colonization, but they wereter faced with ideology-rted disputes which led to war.


    ¡°Tell Leeper to get away from the king.¡±


    ¡°Is there a point to doing that? It seemed like he had no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Really? Wasn¡¯t he the one who said he was going to train Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°He was. But you know. Once you get a beating, youe to your senses.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should be relieved about that.¡±


    The king was an important key that would lead them to a new world. As long as they could ascend, they were willing to wait 10 or even 100 years.


    ¡®I¡¯ll y along with the human¡¯s games for as long as they want.¡¯


    While everyone proceeded with their own ns, Ahn Soo Ho also moved on to the next step.


    The pro-Japanese incident is just the tip of the iceberg! Korea National Association is a traitor group!


    Is there a point in discussing the future based on unsettled past?


    Half of the top conglomerates rose based on the wealth of an unknown origin!


    How much would that be now? Let¡¯s figure out the wealth of what they stole!


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reveal elicited immediate responses.


    Only a part of the Dresden File was exposed, but that was more than enough. There were actually many Koreans who betrayed their own people for the Japanese, and it was partly understandable that they had to do that to survive. However, there was importance to that kind of viciousness. In the case that they didn¡¯t do it to survive but rather to thrive more than others, they could not be forgiven whatsoever.


    The veteran families of Korea National Association knew that better than anyone. That was why after they stole and brought down the imperial family, they put them up as their face. Before the country¡¯s independence, they stole the wealth of the royal family and helped the Japanese, but after its independence, they pretended they were the self-madepany of the people. They probably mocked the people in their heads for falling for it all.


    The imperial family, which had nothing left but their image, became a great face for them. Even in 21st century Korea, there were nobles andmoners. That was also why Kim Dae San didn¡¯t go to any gatherings. That was because no matter how much he earned or how reputable the Daesan brand was, Kim Dae San was still amoner.


    This assembly with such a strong tradition had continuously hidden from the public eye. However, they couldn¡¯t hide from Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    A hole went through a Youngjin Securities Consulting uniform then blood trickled out. Ahn Soo Ho left the bleeding guard behind and headed inside. As soon as the old man who was hiding in his study saw hime in, he pulled the trigger. Or at least he thought he did.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    His thumb and index finger broke off.


    ¡°Hey! A colt pistol!¡±


    It was an old model from the times of the Korean war. It was probably a colletor¡¯s item.


    ¡°Bridal Mask!¡±


    The old man grabbed his thumb and index finger while yelling at Ahn Soo Ho. His shout rang through the study. Considering how old he was, his voice was quite loud.


    ¡°Yang Chul Seung.¡±


    ¡°You! Ugh!¡±


    His yelling turned into a shriek. That was because Ahn Soo Ho took the colt and pulled the trigger on him, but it was a dud.


    ¡°Too bad.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Yang Chul Seung¡¯s face turned red. He was embarrassed that he cowered as soon as he saw the gun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it yet, old man? No one¡¯s going toe here to save you. If you at least had a friendly neighbor, they might have reported you to the police... Tsk, tsk.¡±


    Outside the window was a vi surrounded by hills. That was right. They were in the middle of the mountains.


    ¡°He probably came out here to stay safe, but this ce is also the best tomit a crime.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and Yang Chul Seung showed his rage.


    ¡°Who are you to attack us anyway?¡±


    ¡°Us? Are you admitting that you¡¯re Korea National Association?¡±


    ¡°Killing me won¡¯t change anything because we¡¯re all over the country.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill all of you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I can do it?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t see the face behind the mask, but the voice made him get the shivers. He was confident he met all sorts of people in his 80 years of life, but this was the first time he heard a voice that made him scared.


    ¡°Where are the secret ledgers?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    Yang Chul Seung flinched while still standing his ground.


    ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re making this tiring for me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho spread his fingers, Yang Chul Seung couldn¡¯t move his body. He then read his memory. After doing this more and more, he became skilled enough that he didn¡¯t have to make any physical contact.


    Dongkwang Jungmil,


    That was the name of a machine part manufacturer. What were they making? Guns. What was ridiculous was that rifles were a stretch, but the Korea National Association had the power to at least possess pistols. Gun idents were rare in Korea, but they weren¡¯t nonexistent. Just like anywhere, there was bound to be an armed uprising in the future.


    Ahn Soo Ho went to the corner of the study and kicked the floor. As a result, the wall crumbled down. When he pulled out an old tool kit, Yang Chul Seung convulsed. How did he find that? That was what his face said. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho held the tool kit, his phone vibrated in his pocket.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, King. I¡¯ll go on to the next step.¡±


    ¡°Good. But can you stop calling me King? You¡¯re not an Otaku.¡±


    ¡°Then how about Killing Machine?¡±


    ¡°Just go with King then.¡±


    He hung up before having to hear any more of it. After meeting the great Leeper, he realized that the white guys were crazier than the typical otaku. Even without the Ultra program, there were crazy people all over the world.


    ¡®Crazy bastards.¡¯


    Once Ahn Soo Ho achieved his goal, he looked at Yang Chul Seung.


    The colt flew back into its owner¡¯s hands, but what was funny was its direction. Yang Chul Seung was now holding the gun, but it was also faced toward him; it was certainly not done out of his will.


    ¡°The number of people that died because of your illegal guns is in the three digits, and all of them were against you.¡±


    Even if they weren¡¯t hit by a gun, they were threatened by guns ormitted suicide.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any regrets, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmph!¡±


    He screamed as if he did, but Ahn Soo Ho turned around as if he didn¡¯t have any regrets himself. As soon as he opened the door, the colt fired a bullet, and when the door closed, he was suddenly in the washroom. He sent the mask and the old tool kit through his secret pocket.


    Ahn Soo Ho flushed the toilet.


    ¡°CEO Ahn!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I have constipation these days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The secretary pressed Ahn Soo Ho in a hurry. He passed the indoor decorations and arrived at a more vast ce.


    He was faced with confused and suspicious eyes.


    Camera shes went off.


    Ahn Soo Ho walked confidently and stood in front of the witness stand. That was right. He was at the National Assembly building. He was called upon for a national hearing.


    ¡®Crazy bastards.¡¯


    Some coughed and looked away in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Hello, respected members of the parliament.¡±


    His words were polite, but the nuance was not.


    ¡®Hey, you worthless sons of bitches.¡¯


    In any case, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s first impression was a smiling and mannerly businessman in his younger years. Until he said his next words.


    ¡°Are your ounts in the Bahamas and Cayman Inds doing all right today?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 171 ¨C Korea National Association [2] > The end.

 Chapter 173: < Protect – Episode 172 – Korea National Association [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 173: < Protect ¨C Episode 172 ¨C Korea National Association [3] ></h4>


    A parliamentary hearing wasn¡¯t something a person could choose to do or not do. The controversies began ever since President Lee Joong Hyun announced the foundation of a national reformationmittee. Even if he was the country¡¯s president, in order to have the authority to go past the Board of Audit and Inspection, they had to get permission from the National Assembly.


    That was how it was for any governmental organization.


    The media didn¡¯t let Ahn Soo Ho, the new chairman, alone. His background had already been sucked up dry, but he was under a second round of attention once more. His former ssmates, distant rtives, and neighbors all reappeared to say the same thing over and over again like parrots.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s hometown was talking nonsense about creating a road under his name or even a memorial hall, but the ones leading it were leaders from the local and provincial assembly. It was unfortunate to look down on the mayors and governors, but in Korea, most of the groups in the countryside were incapable and pathetic.


    It had been a year since Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement.


    While he ordered Alexa, Kosino, and Cranky to monitor the key persons of Korea and expose their identities to the public, which led to a shocking report. The report that the three hackers reported contained the corruption and abuse of authority of hundreds of high officials, politicians, as well as the rest of those leading the country of Korea.


    In other words, this country was a nation of corruption.


    Bribes were basic with utilizing connections being a routine, and the ones with power were treated well while the ones without it were treated harshly. Those with criminal records had their past follow them around for life. However, for the National Assembly and the rich, it was just a useless lesson. Most normal people were ashamed of their criminal records, but members of the national assembly and the rich bragged about it.


    Since they weremoners who were afraid of the court ofw, they weren¡¯t the types to tremble in front of prosecution. They actually talked the talked and asked if they knew who they were. Were the prosecutors unable to put them in jail because they were submissive to power? Not at all. Of course, there were those who were worried about their power, but if all prosecutors surrendered to power, Korea wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape from dictatorship.


    ¡®The reason why Korean prosecutors are weak to high officials and the rich is...¡¯


    Because thew was crap.


    The public made simple judgments only based on results, but the high officials, politicians, and rich were certain that there was always a way out because they were the ones who created the system. Compared to before, Korea was very democratized. But they were still unable to escape from some characteristics of a dictatorship country.


    It wasn¡¯t easy fixing thew.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was impossible either.


    ¡®It¡¯s all a matter of will.¡¯


    The constitutionalwyers¡¯ criticism toward the controversy made sense as well, but it also meant that thew was so crappy that a lot of effort was needed to get anything done. And today, Ahn Soo Ho started a new controversy.


    ¡°Are your ounts in the Bahamas and Cayman Inds doing all right today?¡±


    In response to his question paired with a smile, 1/3 of the members were shocked, 1/3 were angry, and the remaining 1/3 had no thoughts in particr.


    ¡°Look here, CEO Ahn! What nonsense are you spewing out right now?¡±


    One of the long-termwmakers pointed his finger at him with a very red face.


    ¡°You¡¯re just here to answer the questions that you¡¯re asked! Not to give us that kind of nonsense!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so angry, Sir. I was simply worried that some of you might be involved in the im that¡¯s being made on the inte right now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The member of the national assembly was going to call him out again when his colleague tugged on his sleeve to stop.


    ¡°Hey! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense to leave Ahn Soo Ho alone and let him talk nonsense in a public hearing. If he didn¡¯t shut him up, the politicians were going to take a big hit. However, when he saw the expressions on his colleagues¡¯ faces, he was even more shocked.


    ¡®Come to think of it... You¡¯re all...¡¯


    Their eyes were shaking like crazy. Seeing how even the reporters were losing their focus, something must have happened.


    It was true. Korea found itself in shock once more.


    People wondered if it was possible for there to be another scandal following the spy scandal and the scandals of the past, but what woke them up from theircency was the Asia profile that the three hackers exposed. The sh funds of the upper ss in China, Japan, Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thand, Mysia, Indonesia, and more were revealed.


    The tax haven was convinced that no information was going to be given even if America threatened them. Honestly speaking, the White House was capable of doing anything if they decided to use threats, but in order for them to use strength to threaten a foreign country, the president had to put their political career on the line. Most importantly, half of the clients of the tax haven were American, and it was an Americanpany.


    If they hadn¡¯t limited things in just Asia, Cranky wouldn¡¯t have cooperated. And the list of the VVIPs was hidden. The slush fund list exposed on Hacker Try Net wasn¡¯t sound. The problem was that neither a political party nor the rich or middle-enterprises could secure transparency.


    Since they weren¡¯t a domestic bank, even with the slush fund list exposed, it was difficult for Korea¡¯s National Tax Service to pressure the tax havens in the Bahamas or the Cayman Inds. They probably weren¡¯t going to confirm the already exposed list of the slush fund history either. There were suspicions, but no evidence to prove it, so it was impossible to punish them byw. As a result, in the case that the party wanted to recover their image, they often strategized to make the most suspected member into their scapegoat.


    ¡®Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now!¡¯


    If they wanted to continue tasting the sweet vor of power, they had to get on the right side. The leading congressman listened to the whispering of his assistant before he spoke up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here for today! The next meeting will be announced in the near future!¡±


    They normally would have cheered, but this time, both the members and reporters were not entirely present. They all left the room with only Ahn Soo Ho remaining. This was the first time he was so ignored after his presence in the media, but he wasn¡¯t that sad about it.


    Once he got out of the assembly hall and got into his car, he epted the tablet that Kosino handed over.


    Former Congressman Yoon Chang Ryul had tens of billions of slush funds in the Bahamas!


    Former prosecutor General had over 8 billion in the Cayman Inds!


    Current Commissioner-General built a residence of over 1000 pyeong in Mysia!


    Is there a dark connection between the members ofrge corporations?


    Considering the high officials had tens of billions in slush funds, the scale of that of the businessmen were at a whole another level.


    IOSpany in the Virgin Inds is actually a paperpany of Sunil Group! A slush fund of over 680 billion!


    Daemyung and Jungjin Group also created paperpanies tounder money! A total of 850 billion in slush funds!


    Koreaes in 6th as the country with one of the most slush fundspared to its poption!


    A nation of corruption and slush funds! Korea has a dark future ahead!


    Suspicions were simply suspicions.


    Just because a list was revealed didn¡¯t mean there was going to be a trial anytime soon, and it probably wasn¡¯t going to happen sometime in the future either. However, the reason why Ahn Soo Ho decided to expose it was in order to gain sympathy from the public as Bridal mask. Bridal Mask, who punished evil that couldn¡¯t be punished byw, was a hero among the public, but also a criminal.


    ¡°What about Cranky?¡±


    ¡°He said he can¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    ¡°I understand... Okay. Tell him he can stop.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Cranky was still his otaku, but he had to worry about America¡¯s profits first. No debt remained following this incident. So Ahn Soo Ho let go of Cranky in an easy-going manner.


    ¡°What about Alexa?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s busy having fun.¡±


    Kosino didn¡¯t sigh as if she pitied anyone, but as if she was relieved. Cheongdamdong¡¯s F4, Fantastic 4 debuted as Ahn Da Sol, Lee So Hye, Emily, and Rachel, and they took off as soon as they started. In particr, Lee So Hye, who was the least talented in terms of singing and dancing, really took off in poprity, and that made Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s strategy team, promotions team, and managers very taken aback.


    Experts predicted that Ahn Da Sol was going to be the most popr, but every member ended up being pretty simr. Some in the industry tried to undermine them by iming that it was all thanks to Soo Ho, but Fantastic 4 became the most popr girl group in the country within just months of debuting.


    The strong big sis and killer rapper, Emily


    The all-around talent, Ahn Da Sol,


    The sexy and charismatic girl, Rachel


    The cute Korean leader, Lee So Hye


    The synergy between the girls with blue and brown eyes was astronomical. Alexa decided to work as Fantastic 4¡¯s manager, and she also became famous in the media for her stunning good looks.


    Kosino wanted Alexa to take his hands off of the criminal world, but she loved Ahn Soo Ho as a family and her savior, so she couldn¡¯t do that. She liked Ahn Soo Ho while also hating him at the same time. That was because Ahn Soo Ho was the onlyfortable home where Alexa could rest.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just confess your feelings?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Are you just tonic? You¡¯re half Japanese, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m insulted, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kosino was half Japanese and half Filipino. She hated Japan, but she didn¡¯t consider the Philippines her home either. She hated both. Just like all mixed people, it wasn¡¯t that easy for her. Especially after the Second World War and the economic revival in the 70s, the mixed-blood problem of Japanese and Southeast Asian people became serious.


    Japan was still repulsed by immigrants. Those with mixed blood couldn¡¯t step into the country, and those who were born in Japan and grew up with its culture but weren¡¯t of full Japanese blood were never treated like their own. Japan wasn¡¯t the only country that was like that.


    ¡°Once Korea settles down, please take care of Japan as well.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°When you do it in Japan, you should wear the Hannya mask...¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Kosino.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dragging me into this, Kosi. And take it easy with the cyber attacks.¡±


    ¡°Did you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy ying dumb.¡±


    The ones who caused the G7 terrorist attack were Issac and the other hardliners, but the ones who let them go through with it was Kosino¡¯s hacker organizations. The Philippines was on its way to its doom without the need to do anything, but Japan was once a strong nation that threatened America, so they weren¡¯t going to go down easily.


    Kosino didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°If you get rid of Korea National Association, that will be in conflict with Japan. Don¡¯t you know that Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    The reason why past scandals were still existent in this country was because its traitor behavior wasn¡¯t settled yet following its liberation.


    ¡°The pro-Japanese of today are different from that of the past. Do they call them Jap Fans? It¡¯s not right to treat them as viins. There aren¡¯t that many pro-Japanese people from the past that are still alive. It¡¯s shameful that they didn¡¯t pay the price for their sins, but it¡¯s wrong to point at people who like Japan and im that they should be killed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how Koreans think, Soo Ho. Shouldn¡¯t all pro-Japanese be killed?¡±


    It sounded like Kosino was siding with Koreans, but she actually mocked them for being foolish. If she transferred just 1% of Koreans¡¯ hatred into action, Japan wouldn¡¯t have insisted on iming Dokdo for themselves. Even with America as a shared ally, it wasn¡¯t normal for Japan to be so ambitious toward a friendly ally. Where did Japan get such confidence?


    ¡®They must have some of the Dresden File.¡¯


    Before Kumiko became Ahn Da Sol, she was active in the development of Japan. People who didn¡¯t know her probably believed she was held hostage by Japan and treated her like a ve, but Ahn Soo Ho knew as soon as he saw her.


    ¡®This woman... is dangerous.¡¯


    His first impression of her was simr to Barbara, but Ahn Da Sol¡¯s situation was different. It wasn¡¯t Japan that used her, but she used the Japanese government to her advantage.


    What was the Dresden File?


    He thought he knew, but he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.


    It was first revealed to be documents containing secret information regarding Hitler. However, Ennd used that to learn more about those with supernatural powers. And what about Japan? They used it to threaten pro-Japanese people scattered all over Asia. Japan certainly lost that war, but looking back on it, they might not have been losers after all.


    Was this all because of America who sided with japan?


    ¡®Maybe.¡¯


    Seeing how Japan wasn¡¯t reflecting on their past actions, America might have settled their past crimes for them. And that was true. They must have had some kind of influence over it. However, there was no certainty that that was all there was to it.


    ¡®For permanent neutrality to take ce, I have to make sure neither China, Japan, or America act up.¡¯


    Premier Yuhaipung wasying on his belly and rolling around. America was also minding the situation. And Russia? It had already been a long time since the most powerful offered a handshake. It was just Japan that didn¡¯t make any kind of gesture. The chief cab secretary did appear on Korean television and make it look like the rtionship between the two countries were better, but that wasn¡¯t the reality. Justst year, Ahn Soo Ho had taken countless won in slush funds that Japan hid in Korea.


    ¡®If Japan wants to counterattack, this might be the time.¡¯


    Korea National Association was cornered, and a mouse with nowhere to run tended to bite the cat. It was possible that Korea was in too much chaos to act ordingly. The hunting dog was on the loose, and it was barking in celebration of finding its prey.


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up the phone.


    ¡°Leeper.¡±


    ¡°King!¡±


    He sounded excited.


    ¡°Jabs dispatched arge-scale army to catch Bridal Mask.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°187 men!¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯


    Considering he wiped out 5000 all by himself in one night, 187 was nothing. But then again, Japan suspected Ahn Soo Ho to be Bridal Mask, but they weren¡¯t sure. They couldn¡¯t dream that Ahn Soo Ho could teleport here and there while he was starring on television.


    As soon as Leeper attacked the leaders of the Korea National Association, the responses came almost instantaneously. They couldn¡¯t believe Youngjin Group lost it all many times because of Bridal Mask and put out their best hand. There was no point in differentiating the pro-Chinese from the pro-Japanese. The upper-ss elites of all three countries were strongly united in the 21st century.


    Ahn Soo Ho dered Korea as aplete neutrality zone. Yet Japan sent overbatants? That was a deration of war.


    ¡®Hey! I was getting worried that this would end in a boring way!¡¯


    He was hoping someone would rebel.


    ¡°They¡¯re ignoring my warning.¡±


    In contrast to his words, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Kosino flinched beside him. She wanted Japan to go down, and it seemed like that was going to happen, but she still felt chilly. Ahn Soo Ho had many nicknames until now, but there was only one that wouldn¡¯t leave Kosino¡¯s head.


    ¡®Satan!¡¯


    The King of ughter, who was born to kill!


    < Protect ¨C Episode 172 ¨C Korea National Association [3] > The end.

 Chapter 174: < Protect – Episode 173 – Korea National Association [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 174: < Protect ¨C Episode 173 ¨C Korea National Association [4] ></h4>


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    Nobuhisa wasn¡¯t so happy about stepping on Korean soil these days. He was d his neighboring country was in chaos, but he didn¡¯t want to get too close to the beast either. However, what else could he do? That was the sadness of a man working on a sry.


    ¡°Shall we contact Hosoo Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°They probably already know.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Nobuhisa sincerely wanted to cry when his subordinate asked how they knew they were in Korea with his facial expression.


    ¡®They have no idea how dangerous Mr. Ahn is. But then again... they¡¯ve never experienced him in person.¡¯


    It had only been a year since Ahn Soo Ho retired.


    But in the intelligence world, 1 year was quite a long time. Europe, North America, and the Middle East suffered drastic changes while South America and Africa simply suffered. And as for Asia, it was starting to look hazy with China and Japan acting up. Nobuhisa was a proud Japanese who looked down on Koreans, but there was one he couldn¡¯t dare to look down on.


    ¡®It¡¯s true that subsidiaries are important influences, but if something goes wrong, the maind can be dangerous, too. But the leading members don¡¯t know that.¡¯


    Japanese influences connected with Korea National Association referred to each other as brothers. In the midst of their reconstruction following their downfall, the powers of Japan didn¡¯t look away from Korea for a single second.


    ¡®There are many in the Korean penins who are still friendly with Japan!¡¯


    The Empire of Japan still had arge influence over Asia. The Chinese Communist Party put the anti-Japanese and anti-Americans forward to pull out the roots, but once the Korean penins was split into two, they were unable to straighten out their past. On the contrary, it was the pro-Japanese groups with Americans on their backs that rose to power.


    Since studying in America was hard, the Korean elites of the 60s and 70s studied in Japan instead. America was certainly number 1. However, it was not easy to go over there. During the times when ck people were being discriminated against, it was unrealistic for Asians to go and expect an education. That was why many of the upper ss purposely chose to study in Japan.


    ¡®In any country, the conciliation between the elites is pretty much game over.¡¯


    Japan¡¯s strategy was simple but effective.


    ¡®People are endlessly greedy, and it¡¯s all fine as long as you¡¯re living a good life on your own.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯tmon to run into leaders that stay loyal to the historical missions and beliefs. During the pro-independence movement, there weren¡¯t many figures that were politically bright. Many people didn¡¯t realize that there was a difference between being good at pro-independence movements and being good at politics.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact Hosoo Group. Tell everyone to refrain from engaging in external activities and stand by.¡±


    ¡°But!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order!¡±


    Nobuhisa cut off his subordinate. He knew what he was going to say. The superior office ordered them to get rid of Bridal Mask, and in order to do that, they had to understand Korea¡¯s situation and trends. It didn¡¯t make sense to find Bridal Mask without going outside, but Nobuhisa couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡®As long as Korea is aplete neutrality zone, any inappropriate external activity can be a good excuse for them.¡¯


    Just because Ahn Soo Ho was on TV a lot didn¡¯t mean he was less vicious. That would be ridiculous. Just like he did in Indonesia and Hong Kong, he was someone who was capable of getting violent if anything happened. The superior office half-doubted the person behind Bridal Mask, but he was sure.


    ¡®He¡¯s definitely Bridal Mask.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know how, but he believed there must have been a way to go from Seoul to Busan in a few minutes. Nobuhisa thought that Code Name Wizard could have been a real wizard. While he contemted how he could contact Ahn Soo Ho, the NIS was faced with another headache. Han Joo Young, who was pushed to be in charge of the team monitoring Ahn Soo Ho, rubbed his face out of frustration.


    ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡±


    There was a lot of resentment from the people regarding how they failed the civilian inspection and wiretapping, but NIS was still the intelligence agency representing Korea. And an organization working for a country¡¯s profits was bound to be dirty. If it was for the good of the nation, they didn¡¯t hesitate to bribe, assassinate, andmit political maneuvering.


    All countries were criticized when their intelligence agencies carried out civilian inspections, but no agents thought of it as a fault. Why? Because once something happened, it was already toote. People criticized that illegally obtained personal information could be misused, but it was all fine as long as they didn¡¯t get caught. Han Joo Young believed that the NIS needed to be as secretive and persistent as the CIA.


    After Snowden exposed America¡¯s illegal monitoring system, the US president made illegal information activity illegal, but did that mean they really took their hands off of it? Not at all. They changed the name and created another illegal monitoring system. When it came to some things, even the public just wanted to be left in the dark. Ignorance was bliss.


    ¡®Security isn¡¯t a beautiful thing.¡¯


    If one hated injustice, they were better off not being an intelligence agent.


    ¡°What about the guys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all standing by at multiple hotels.¡±


    ¡°Any movements?¡±


    The subordinate shook his head in response to Han Joo Young¡¯s question.


    ¡°No movements, huh...?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much information regarding the suspicious Japanese organization that came from Japan. The only truth that was confirmed was that they were trash disposals that were secretly raised in Japan.


    ¡®It¡¯s highly likely that the Japanese government doesn¡¯t know.¡¯


    Japanese public security was just as cruel as Chinese public security. They were dressed up as police officers, but they were different from police officers wemonly knew.


    ¡°What¡¯s his objective?¡±


    ¡°Seeing how he was called by Korea National Association, he¡¯s probably trying to get rid of Bridal Mask. Not even Youngjin Group has been able to do anything about it.¡±


    The NIS wasn¡¯t a simple organization that the public could understand right away. Korea National Association knew the NIS and vice versa. The reason why they were waiting was because there was no guarantee that either side would win if they fought. In contrast to the public that always dissed the NIS, the ones with power knew just how scary information could be. That was why they tried to nt their men in the NIS.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a lot of blood in Naegok-dong.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re pretty safe inparison.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the oneining that we dispatched too many men just for one person?¡±


    ¡°Come on! Why are you bringing up the past?¡±


    The initial number of men on the team in charge of Ahn Soo How was 50, but Han Joo Young took the ovepping organizations into consideration and estimated there to be hundreds. There were many expressions of dissatisfaction about how he invested too much funding into monitoring one man. Han Joo Young, who was considered to be promising in the organization, was frustrated in the beginning that he couldn¡¯t fast-track to sess.


    ¡®Whether they¡¯re enemies or whatever, what¡¯s important is that they knew Ahn Soo Ho.¡¯


    In this world, Ahn Soo Ho was a living legend.


    ¡°Team Leader Han!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Someone who seems to be the head is moving! He¡¯s calling someone!¡±


    ¡°Who did he call?¡±


    ¡°Hosoo Group!¡±


    Was he trying to meet Ahn Soo Ho? And why weren¡¯t they using a secured line? The team in charge must have thought the same thing because they frowned. They felt as if it was true that Japan was looking down on Korea, but that didn¡¯t mean it was a good idea to face off with Japan either.


    ¡®If Bridal Mask is really Ahn Soo Ho...¡¯


    If Korea National Association really went down because of Bridal Mask, there was going to be a huge power vacuum. Youngjin Group was just Korea National Association¡¯s puppet, but most of the employees were just regr people. Aside from the top 1% that ruled over thepany, the remaining 99% were just diligent employees.


    Only 1% knew the horrible truth. How many people would have turned down an offer of a sry exceeding hundreds of millions of won? Prostitutes didn¡¯t deserve to be insulted. There was no difference between a prostitute selling her body on the streets and an elite who got his Ph.D. with a high school diploma alone and working for hundreds of millions of won.


    In that sense, Korea was controlled by the 1% elites, and that 1% wasposed of high officials, politicians, and rich people. As long as rights and interests were guaranteed, there were tons ofmoners who were ready to devote themselves to their greed. It was easier to hop over to the bad side than the good side.


    ¡°Team Leader Han! The government department has requested another update!¡±


    ¡°Give them whatever they want.¡±


    The fact that the NIS was monitoring Ahn Soo Ho was a secret, but most government departments knew about it. When Bridal Mask first appeared, most with quick sense suspected Ahn Soo Ho. However, the updated location information of Ahn Soo Ho that the team in charge obtained proved that he had nothing to do with Bridal Mask. Why?


    ¡®Because it¡¯s not physically possible.¡¯


    It was impossible to go from Seoul to Busan in a matter of minutes.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like he teleported like in Dragon Ball Z.¡¯


    If that was possible, Ahn Soo Ho was always capable of creating the perfect alibi.


    The key members of the Korea National Association who were full of anxiety all gathered in the bunker.


    ¡°How could he have killed President Yang when he was in the middle of a hearing at the National Assembly?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s suspicious, but there¡¯s no way Ahn Soo Ho is the culprit going around killing people!¡±


    ¡°Since he was once in the mercenary world, maybe he hired an outstanding assassin! Why don¡¯t we hire one, too, and...¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth! We¡¯re not criminals!¡±


    ¡°And even if we wanted, would anyone take on the job? Even the international mafias fear Ahn Soo Ho! They¡¯d have to be some lowly group from South East Asia or something.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was only Korean on the outside, with the power and background of somethingpletely unrted to Korea. The same went for Hosoo Entertainment. The funding was 100% from foreign sources. If they had debts, they could have threatened the banks to impose some influence, but there was no way they did. Or they could have mobilized a high official toy down an institutional regtion, but after the paparazzi scandal, allpanies and government departments were fearing whistle-blowers.


    ¡°What did the Comradery Association say?¡±


    ¡°The military is in political neutrality.¡±


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s ridiculous! They¡¯re a bunch of political soldiers! But what? Political neutrality? That¡¯s not even funny!¡±


    ¡°There are Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s former ssmates, but they¡¯re hard to approach as well. This is all because of that Lee Kyung Joon.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Lee Geun Taek, who led the previous executivemittee, might have died, but there were still many key members. And they instinctively minded Lee Ji Heon¡¯s gaze. When they saw Lee Ji Heon with his eyes closed, they had no interest in joining the conversation. Lee Ji Heon¡¯s friend and right hand, Nam Tae Gook spoke up first.


    ¡°Chairman Lee. Since we¡¯ve gathered already, shouldn¡¯t we set up measures on how to deal with Bridal Mask?¡±


    ¡°I agree, Chairman Lee. We asked the maind for help, but they only sent over 200 men.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t 200 enough?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, do you?¡±


    As soon as Nam Tae Gook noticed them tilting their heads, he put up a screen using a remote control. The new CCTV¡¯s quality was quite good. A man wearing a mask took on 30 guards armed with guns and took them all down.


    No other words were needed.


    They were all wiped out.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Heavy groans filled the room.


    ¡°What are they called again? Aren¡¯t they the guys raised by Ultra?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they all went down? Were they trained properly?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the most superior in terms of skill.¡±


    ¡°Then... why did they... Sigh.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask because he didn¡¯t know.


    The expensive Ultra program yielded great effects. He knew that, but strength was a rtive thing. The Korea National Association guards who were a part of the special forces were all wiped out. There was barely even a fight. What was scary was that they lost despite having used guns.


    ¡®He can dodge bullets?¡¯


    ¡®Is Bridal Mask human? Does he have supernatural powers?¡¯


    ¡°Is he human?¡±


    It was a ridiculous question, but it also came from their hearts.


    ¡°The reason why Bridal Mask is being hostile towards us must have something to do with Ahn Soo Ho. First, we must meet with him and...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Everyone was frightened after suddenly hearing an unfamiliar voice. The person who showed the strongest response was none other than Nam Tae Gook.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    He fell over backward in aical way, but no one was in the mood tough. Ahn Soo Ho whistled. He didn¡¯t know how Leeper talked Lee Ji Heon into it, but the key members of Korea National Association, as well as veteran members, were gathered in the bunker.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°How did I get in? That¡¯s not what¡¯s important here.¡±


    The bunker could only be essed by those of Korea national Association. Not even the security guards could enter. They all ran towards the door. Across the heavy door were heavily armed men who were on stand by. However, they forgot one important fact.


    Ahn Soo Ho used his hand to whip all of them to the wall. They screamed because of pain. Those who flinched took a step back from him if they could.


    He then winked at Lee Ji Heon when no one was looking.


    He liked the rotten look on his face.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the face I wanted to see. Why were such criminals being so proud?¡±


    If onemitted a crime, it was only right for them to fret their guts.


    ¡°You stepped on innocent people in the cruelest way to be where you are now. Oh, and don¡¯t even try making excuses. I already finished the investigation. You¡¯re a bunch of scumbags. You¡¯re such trash that you can¡¯t even be recycled. But did you know? I¡¯m stronger than the weak, but I¡¯m even stronger than the strong. And when I see assholes like you, I can¡¯t hold back.¡±


    If there was justice in the world, it wasn¡¯t right for people like them to seed. But in reality, the sly ones kept winning while the fair ones kept losing. The winners of the game had been decided from the start. But not today. This time, it was their turn to be losers.


    ¡°Just...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho scanned all of their faces. Only Lee Ji Heon was worth something while the rest were just useless bluffers.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows, the sounds of something breaking was paired with people plopping onto the floor like broken dolls. Lee Ji Heon, who was the only one left standing, just stood in silence. 38 key members of the Korea National Association just died all at once.


    ¡®This... this is such a shameful ending!¡¯


    He was about to scream but gulped it back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m only keeping you alive because I might be able to use you, Lee Ji Heon. It¡¯s wrong to defy a living power. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    That was the same warning that Lee Ji Heon threw at young Ahn Soo Ho over a decade ago. Ahn Soo Ho turned on the TV with the remote. He changed the channel until he arrived at a screen of a baseball field. Despite the scandals and Bridal Mask, pro sports was still happening as nned. Come to think of it, Ahn Soo Ho was also wearing a baseball uniform and cap.


    ¡°But if you¡¯re going to live on, you¡¯d better remember today. Forever.¡±


    When Lee Ji Heon blinked, Ahn Soo Ho was no longer there.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Was he possessed by ghosts? The dead bodies in front of him didn¡¯t seem like an illusion.


    Wow! The person who will open the game today is...


    Lee Ji Heon, who unconsciously turned toward the screen in response to the noise, plopped down onto the ground. In the screen was Ahn Soo Ho, who was headed toward the mound with a bright smile on his face.


    ¡®How could he smile like that after killing 38 people?¡¯


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Lee Ji Heon screamed in horror.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 173 ¨C Korea National Association [4] > The end.

 Chapter 175: < Protect – Episode 174 – Korea National Association [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 175: < Protect ¨C Episode 174 ¨C Korea National Association [5] ></h4>


    Once Ahn Soo Ho came back from making the first pitch, he was met with Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s peculiar facial expression.


    ¡°I heard you can throw it 100 miles.¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Then why...¡±


    But the speed that was recorded was 133 kilometers. Since he wasn¡¯t a pro athlete, this was considered fast. The crowd even cheered loudly because of how fast he pitched it.


    ¡°Think about it. Since I¡¯m not an athlete what do you think would happen if I throw it at 100 miles per hour?¡±


    ¡°People would go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    It normally would have been Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s turn to pitch, but Ahn Soo Ho talked her out of it. She had to be careful in her first weeks of pregnancy. They both headed over to the VIP lounge. When they got there, they were met with the Daesan family. He saw Chairman Kim Dae San, his child, Vice President Kim Dae Gil¡¯s child, Kim Na Hee, as well as a bunch of people with thest name, Kim.


    Ahn Soo Ho naturally tried to sit next to Kim Dae San, but the old man greeted Jang Seol Hyun first.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Chairman Kim.¡±


    ¡°People will mistake her for your wife.¡±


    Kim Dae San ignored Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s grumbling until the very end. Jang Seol Hyun pushed Ahn Soo Ho aside and sat next to Kim Dae San. They were so friendly that people probably did mistake them for a married couple. So he ended up next to Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°It must be hard for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have a harder time than me from now on.¡±


    If the national reformationmittee was to form, Daesan Group was going to be their first target. Even their meeting today was vulnerable to attack, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Are the preparations going well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to disperse the construction or heavy industry first.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to focus on electronics and finance?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re going to take care of the defense industry once you¡¯re done with themittee, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You know. So are you going to wrap up the heavy industry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not seeing any growth potential. And the president mentioned that bloodshed was going to happen in the military soon.¡±


    ¡°Ha! That man.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun didn¡¯t have very heavy lips.


    ¡°Anyway... are you Bridal Mask?¡±


    Kim Dae Chan looked around and asked cautiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°So you are.¡±


    ¡°Think about what you want.¡±


    ¡°Seeing Korea National Association suffer like that reminded me of you. But what are you going to do from now on? Once they¡¯re cornered, they¡¯re all going to pounce.¡±


    He was worried about Kim Dae Chan, who didn¡¯t know that all of the key members of the Korea National Association died. They might have been weak against Ahn Soo Ho individually, but it was a different story if they grouped together.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    If Lee Ji Heon was truly wise, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. It would have been nice if he could get the Korea National Association in his hands, but it was okay even if he didn¡¯t. And if the offspring of the killed went past Lee Ji Heon¡¯s control and tried to get revenge, he could just kill them, too. Ahn Soo Ho decided that his home country was no longer special to him. He stopped trying to prevent bloodshed in his homnd.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just take the quick and easy route.¡¯


    There was no need to consider second and third alternatives.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You look good, Aunt.¡±


    Kim Na Hee was weed with a smile from Kim Dae Chan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ call me that! Call me Noona.¡±


    ¡°Then Father will scold me.¡±


    They only had a 10-year age difference. He remembered calling her Noona when he was little. But the bigger a family got the more important ways of addressing was. Back in the day, he called Kim Na Hee Noona and got beat up by Kim Dae San. After that, he didn¡¯t drop his formalities with her in formal settings. However, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response was different.


    ¡°Yo! Did you wrap up your divorce?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s all done.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like he didn¡¯t try to mess with your stocks.¡±


    ¡°But they did take a lot of real estates and cash.¡±


    In Korea, most divorces ended with splitting up the man¡¯s wealth, but it was the opposite for Kim Na Hee. She gave his former husband lots of real estates and cash. The reason why they didn¡¯t get into awsuit was because she gave way. Because if the situation got messy, Daesan Group wouldn¡¯t have stood for it either.


    Kim Dae San had always adored his little sister. Since their parents passed away early, he was like an older brother and parent to Kim Na Hee. She might have been a charismatic queen in the fashion world, but in front of Kim Dae San, she was just a cute little sister.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been stopping by after investing so much money?¡±


    Kim Na Hee nced over and scolded Ahn Soo Ho. In a world-sspetition held by Rosette Group and Hosoo Group, the firstpetition was going to be a beauty pageant. Kim Na Hee was the most confident in this field, and she didn¡¯t have much interest in minor fields like sports.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything to say anyway. I¡¯ll leave it to the experts.¡±


    ¡°The owner has to stop by from time to time to prevent any burrs.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡±


    The person who answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question was Kim Dae Chan, not Kim Na Hee.


    ¡°Miss Korea, Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International? Ha! There sure is a lot. Their associations areing in with a tackle.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that, Dae Chan?¡±


    ¡°Because we support a lot of organizations ourselves.¡±


    He made it sound underwhelming, but Daesan Group supported over 2000 associations and spent over 1 trillion won. It wasn¡¯t easy to spend 1 trillion won a year even for Daesan Group. The reason why Ahn Soo Ho was still unable to surpass Kim Dae San was because of the history that he built over decades.


    ¡°They¡¯re criticizing the fairness.¡±


    ¡°Fairness? What¡¯s wrong with opening my ownpetition with my money?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense from a rational standpoint, but there¡¯s no way logic would get through to them.¡±


    ¡°So in other words, they want money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    In front of sessful shops was a sign that said ¡°no soliciting¡±, but solicitors loitered around Daesan Group from time to time as well. Their objective was a donation. They were so shameless that they were insisting they had to help them. So what was different about Hosoo Group? Nothing. Oh Joo Kyung was in the middle of a fight against them.


    ¡°The more you show your face on TV, the more they think it¡¯s beneficial to them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a public figure. That means we have no choice but to give in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a public figure yet.¡±


    ¡°But you will be.¡±


    If he really went forward with the reformationmittee, Ahn Soo Ho was going to be a public figure. He had no choice but to worry about face.


    ¡°Korea National Association isn¡¯t the only threat. The weak will fight in their own ways, and it¡¯s tiring to deal with every single one of them.¡±


    The prince and the pauper both had their own ways of living. Ahn Soo Ho got the feeling that Kim Dae Chan wanted to give him a warning but was hesitating.


    ¡°Dae Chan, if there¡¯s something you want to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want to say?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response to Kim Dae Chan¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°The reform has to stop with Daesan.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The rest don¡¯t have any immunity to you, so they¡¯ll all topple over like dominos. And after that, they¡¯ll just be doomed.¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe the rich keep this country up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the corporations but the people who keep the country up. The country won¡¯t be doomed if the rich go down. I know that. But the Korean economy will go back to the 20th century and many will be unemployed. And to them, you¡¯ll be the one they want to kill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can be loved by everyone.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no need to purposely make more enemies either.¡±


    ¡°Enemies?¡±


    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? The weak will fight in their own way.¡±


    Kim Dae Chan also acknowledged Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s abilities, but if he fought against average people, it was like believing he was better than the rest. It was best to not fight in the first ce, but the rich and the poor were always going to be conflicted.


    Wow!


    Their conversation was interrupted by sudden cheering.


    A baseball yer had just hit a home run. The camera then turned to the VIP lounge, so they all stood up and apuded. It was ironic that a shot of the Daesan family was being broadcasted on a sports channel and not an economy channel. Ahn Soo Ho also got up and pped before whispering in Kim Dae Chan¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. But...¡±


    He suddenly got curious.


    ¡°How much does a baseball team cost?¡±


    ******


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s movie was in the wrap up stages.


    Whether they used CG or stand-ins, he made sure they didn¡¯t make her engage in any more hardcore action. He started rumors about an injury, but the director couldn¡¯t be fooled. Director Jang Ik Hyun sincerely congratted them. The problem was that they had to have their wedding before her belly grew too big. No matter how much times had changed, it wasn¡¯tdylike to proceed too quickly.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Lee So Hye shed a thumbs-up as soon as she heard the news.


    ¡°My brother is talented in that sense, too! Agh! Why are you hitting me?¡±


    ¡°Go to your room!¡±


    Mrs. Park Ok Nam scolded Lee So Hye into her room on the 2nd floor.


    ¡°What about the others? Isn¡¯t it their day off?¡±


    ¡°Emily and Rachel went to the department store, and Sol left with Soo Hee.¡±


    Soo Hee was Alexa¡¯s Korean name.


    ¡°I thought they were tired, but I guess shopping is a whole different matter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is for women.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho! Let¡¯s go out!¡±


    He heard his little sister¡¯s voice. Lee So Hye changed clothes and stomped down the stairs.


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t make it obvious, but he was looking for a way out of there, but his little sister allowed him to leave more naturally.


    Mother-inw,


    That was a very hard rtionship.


    Mrs. Park offered mixed instant coffee. She preferred to drink coffee shop coffee more than using a coffee machine at home. It wasn¡¯t easy changing a person¡¯s taste. Jang Seol Hyun was more careful today than usual. Since she didn¡¯t know how Mrs. Park would react to the pregnancy, she was instinctively being more careful.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother.¡±


    ¡°What for? For having a child?¡±


    ¡°We should have been more careful...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about things like that.¡±


    Park Ok Nam held both of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s hands and rubbed them.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything for my son, my baby. I really haven¡¯t.¡±


    She had resented not being able to see her son grow up her whole life. The son that she parted with when she was just a teenager grew up well. That made Mrs. Park proud and embarrassed at the same time.


    ¡®Is it okay for me to be happy?¡¯


    She hadn¡¯t given him anything, but he gave her everything because she was his mother. It should have been the opposite, but despite living a difficult childhood because of his parents, he didn¡¯t show a single sign of resentment.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as my son¡¯s happy. And to you...¡±


    Mrs. Park continued to rub Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you for loving my son, and thank you for having his child. I¡¯ll repay you for the rest of my life. Wait! You should have told your parents about it first!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun burst into tears and hugged Mrs. Park Ok Nam.


    Ahn Soo Ho was sitting in his car with Lee So Hye when he heard everything with his powers. He tried very hard not to smile. His little sister looked at her brother who wasn¡¯t taking off after starting the car.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    He stepped on the pedal.


    When Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s phone started ringing, Lee So Hye answered it for him.


    ¡°Hello? Yes, this is So Hye. Oh, okay. Sure.¡±


    She put the phone down and ryed the message.


    ¡°You have a guest at the main office.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°She said you¡¯d know if I said they were Hosakawa Seibu... Do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better stop by.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll be in the waiting room.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned the car around.


    ¡®Hosokawa Seibu.¡¯


    He hadn¡¯t heard that name in a really long time.


    Just like how Korea had Korea National Association and the Comradery Association, Japan had Fidelity Association. The name almost sounded like a political support association, but it was different. He had heard that trash disposal hade from Japan. The reason why Hosokawa Seibu was mentioned was probably to make a negotiation.


    ¡®Maybe her tail grew.¡¯


    Kumiko, also known as Ahn Da Sol was confident in concealing her identity, but Japan was a strong nation. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t trust her. He only half trusted her. Just like General Ashford, that woman was hiding something.


    ¡®Who¡¯s the better liar?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 174 ¨C Korea National Association [5] > The end.

 Chapter 176: < Protect – Episode 175 – Korea National Association [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 176: < Protect ¨C Episode 175 ¨C Korea National Association [6] ></h4>


    ¡°The chairman will be visiting.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    ¡°A guest is here.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho, who was hanging out at Star Tower with the excuse of an inspection, showed a suspicious look in response to his subordinate. Before the announcement of the national reformationmittee, Ahn Soo Ho promised him something. That he would keep some distance with Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s events. So he was told to report to the board of directors from now on.


    ¡®Is it an important guest?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho usually never went back on his word.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s a foreigner who speaks Korean.¡±


    ¡°Did you do a background check?¡±


    Once apany made it to a certain point, hyenas looking for prey started to loiter around. The entertainment business had especially a lot of scam artists, but thanks to Do Kyung Ho¡¯s great reputation, Hosoo Entertainment had been pretty quiet. There were tons of scumbags that sucked up to them pretending to be producers and casting managers.


    In the Korean world, Do Kyung Ho¡¯s evil reputation was stronger than that of Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°They deferred it from up top.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The way Do Kyung Ho saw it, Kosino¡¯s intelligence team was like a magic bat. What usually took a month at the best detective agency only took a day with them, and in addition to domestic background checks, they did international checks as well.


    ¡®They¡¯re very skilled.¡¯


    Based on past experience, Do Kyung Ho knew that it was hard to find a person. And more importantly, the government didn¡¯t disclose personal information so easily.


    ¡®If they deferred it at the top... this person must be powerful.¡¯


    Or dangerous.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho got up and stretched. His stable financial status made him morefortable. This was all thanks to his friend, and seeing how he met someone so powerful, he might have saved a country in his past life. As soon as he went out to the lobby, he saw Oh Joo Kyung, who was normally hard to see unless it was a meeting.


    Do Kyung Ho showed a strange look on his face.


    ¡®Ahn Soo Ho, this bastard...¡¯


    Did a man have to be skilled to have women around him? Even while he dated the great Jang Seol Hyun, he was still surrounded by women. Of course, Ahn Soo Ho was never the first one to throw a nce. That was why he was even more jealous.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    ¡°Director.¡±


    They never would have met if it wasn¡¯t for Ahn Soo Ho. Do Kyung Ho had a hard time with smart women. Was it an inferiorityplex? Perhaps. For that reason, his wife had been pestering him about getting a degree, but his brain was just not what it used to be.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just live this life and go.¡¯


    People might have said something about how he had no ambition when he was barely 40, but Do Kyung Ho knew his ce.


    ¡°Are you waiting for the chairman?¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed in response.


    This was a very rude behavior, but no one made an issue out of it. That was because they knew why she was sighing. The matter of what to address everyone at thepany was still in the works. Everyone was uncertain whether to call Ahn Soo Ho Chairman or CEO.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see the results.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    The female employees preferred to call him CEO while the male employees preferred Chairman, and the reason for the women¡¯s preference was because Chairman was outdated while CEO sounded more fashionable. On the other hand, the men thought CEO sounded too light and that a chairman was needed to give thepany stability.


    ¡°A man should be Chairman!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sexist!¡±


    ¡°As a henpecked husband, how could I be... Ugh, forget it.¡±


    Do Kyung Ho admitted to his situation. How could such a manly looking man be a henpecked husband? It was scary and funny at the same time. As soon as the rumor got around that Ahn Soo Ho wasing, Kim Woo Jung, Kim Yoo Seon, and Shim Il Kwon all showed up. The lobby got crowded in no time.


    ¡°This... isn¡¯t good.¡±


    Lee Sun Mi, who had a grasp of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nature, expressed her worry first. The other leaders might have enjoyed having people on their side, but not him. The employees chose to stay in order to find out what all the fuss was about. The fans outside who were looking for celebrities showed fascination to the crowded lobby inside, and the entertainment reporters started to move their fingers while hoping to scoop something up.


    This just in! Hosoo Entertainment is having an executive meeting! What¡¯s happening at Star Tower?


    Exclusive Scoop! Female businesswoman, Oh Joo Kyung is wearing a see-through outfit!


    Most agencies served the reporters while the reporters contemted on writing an article for them or not, but it was different with Hosoo Entertainment. It was actually the reporters who were asking for any little scoop they could get. To be frank, even a celebrity¡¯s yawn was going to get an article, so the chaos in the lobby was a huge exclusive. The one that responded the most sensitively to this was Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s fan page and the free bulletin board.


    This just in! The key members of Hosoo Entertainment Group have gathered in the lobby! What could it be? #OhJooKyungSeeThrough #LeeSunMiBitch #ATBFTW


    What could it be?


    From what I¡¯ve heard, apparently, Chairman Ahn Soo Ho summoned them.


    That¡¯s nonsense! Our Mr. Ahn isn¡¯t the type to go by that dumb culture!


    Seeing how all the key members have gathered, Ahn Soo Ho must have summoned them.


    Fuck! Was Ahn Soo Ho an old man, too? I hate that summoning culture!


    The hip-hop culture?


    Hahaha, you dumbass!


    Hosoo Entertainment doesn¡¯t need that crap!


    But isn¡¯t Hosoo Entertainment ignoring hip-hop too much? #AnnabelleSwag #HipHipMindset #GangsterColor


    Fuck that! You dumb bastards!


    Do hip-hoppers even make any money?


    The sessful ones just brag about money! They¡¯re obsessed with Instagram!


    I hate their tattoos! Come to the sauna! We¡¯ll teach you a lesson!


    Aren¡¯t you banned from the sauna if you have tattoos?


    Stop your nonsense! What¡¯s Bridal Mask doing? He should kill all the gangsters with guns!


    The ck Americans are the real hip-hoppers! Fuck! How could any Kimchi man be in hip-hop? Swag? They¡¯ve never used a gun before so how can they do gangster rap?


    Seriously!


    But what¡¯s the national reformationmittee anyway? #AhnMarquee #Ahnbereta #AhnSoup


    This bastard. Seeing from your tags, you must be a pro at this. You work for the NIS, don¡¯t you?


    Hahaha! Is the NIS still doing this bullshit?


    The intelligence agency is full of amateurs! Just close down, damn it!


    Crazy bastards! How do we catch spies without the NIS?


    They still can¡¯t catch the spies!


    Hey! There¡¯s nopromise with security! If there is, our country is done for!


    Are they selling security now? Heree the politicians!


    I want Mr. Ahn to buy this whole country!


    After leaving the car with the valet, Ahn Soo Ho and Lee So Hye were about to enter when they paused.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s with all the people? Are they protesting?¡¯


    There were fans and reporters behind them and executives in front of them. Ahn Soo Ho went into a dilemma. It was Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s job to resolve anymotion. It seemed like he had to make a speech in front of the executives, reporters, and people.


    Ahn Soo Ho grabbed the mic andughed bitterly.


    ¡°Having so many press conferences makes me feel like a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Quietughter filled the room.


    ¡°The country is in chaos right now. Ridiculous incidents are happening in this society as we speak. I think that means we should devote ourselves more to the duties we¡¯ve been given. But I¡¯m not saying you should work overtime. As you know, ourpany pays a lot for overtime. So there are employees who work overtime on purpose, and I heard those without significant others especially work a lot of overtime. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Someone randomly yelled yes. As soon as everyone turned to the senseless employee, Ahn Soo Ho shed him a cynical smile.


    ¡°Hey! You should keep working hard! You need money so you can get married one day.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Louderughter filled the lobby once more. He then remembered another employee who was teased in a simr way in the past.


    ¡°I also know that people have been criticizing me for ignoring thepany while dealing with the reformmittee. However, thepany is functioning just fine without me. Our President Oh and the directors are doing a wonderful job.¡±


    He worked hard to pull a good team together from the beginning.


    ¡°Business should be run by experts, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to worry about thepany from now on.


    ¡°Just like how there¡¯s a perfect actor for a certain role in a movie, all families,panies, and countries have roles that need to be filled by certain people.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your role, Chairman Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Me? For me...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled and twirled his index finger around.


    ¡°To wreak havoc?¡±


    ******


    ¡°How do you do, Mr. Guardian?¡±


    Once he wrapped up the random press conference, he dropped his sister off at the waiting room and met up with his guest. Was he in histe 20s or early 30s? Hosokawa Seibu looked younger than he expected.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nobuhisa.¡±


    ¡°What about your surname?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Nobuhisa.¡±


    He had a lot of fake names, and there was only one who could call him by his real name. Nobuhisa was just a nickname. Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch and then offered him a seat.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°I want to live.¡±


    ¡®He wants to live?¡¯


    He gave him a look that told him to keep going.


    ¡°Our country ordered us to get rid of Bridal Mask.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Bridal Mask... Ugh!¡±


    Nobuhisa hung in mid-air before he could finish. An invisible hand was holding him up by his neck.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, young man. Many ears are listening.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He was let down onto the couch. He rubbed his neck while minding Ahn Soo Ho. He was scared of him, but he wasn¡¯t startled. That meant he already had an idea of his magical abilities.


    ¡°The superior office wants us to protect friendly Koreans and get rid of the enemies, and we¡¯re the troop that carries out their orders.¡±


    ¡°By superior office, who do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have a name.¡±


    They made it look like they didn¡¯t exist just in case they were exposed or they failed a mission. It wasn¡¯t just Japan that had such a secretive organization. There was no such thing as legal operations and rational processes. In the end, national security was just about the results.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to betray your own country?¡±


    ¡°They were the one who stressed betrayal.¡±


    Whether Bridal Mask was Ahn Soo Ho or not, since Korea deredplete neutrality, mobilizing spies was the same as dering war. There was a difference between a job with a high likelihood of death and a job that guaranteed death.


    ¡°Do you have a family?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Lover or friends?¡±


    Nobuhisa shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m no ordinary Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m from somewhere in South East Asia.¡±


    He was simr but different from Kosino.


    Nobuhisa spoke Japanese, learned Japanese culture, and stayed loyal to Japan, but he was unable to be Japanese. He listened to his story and then nodded. All Yellows seemed the same, but they all had slight differences. Among any race of the same color, there were various physical differences in characteristics.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t find out from up top.¡±


    ¡°I found out coincidentally. After that, I looked for a good opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Their recruiting methods are below the standards of humans. They remove human feelings and make them into killing machines. There were countless soldiers who couldn¡¯t withstand the brainwashing and died. They died for nothing.¡±


    ¡®Compared to them, the Korea National Association and the Comradery Association are child¡¯s y.¡¯


    It was foolish to believe that Japanese people were friendly because of how they looked on the outside. Behind their smiles was a killer knife.


    ¡°How did you escape their brainwashing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a side effect from Ultra. I think the original method and Ultra¡¯s drugs are conflicting. It¡¯s not for certain, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    ¡°There probably isn¡¯t that many specimens.¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. It¡¯s a problem that can¡¯t be checked carelessly.¡±


    It was dangerous to go around asking who escaped brainwashing.


    ¡°Does no one know of your change?¡±


    ¡°If they had... Bang!¡±


    Nobuhisa pointed at his head with his finger.


    ¡°Microbomb? Haha! Hahaha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed loudly. Once he was finished, he showed a straight face. If the Japanese nted bombs in their heads, they definitely weren¡¯t in their right minds. But thinking back on Troop 731, this didn¡¯t sound all too familiar.


    ¡°So you want to live...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his legs and got straight to the point. This was interesting and all, but how much could he trust him?


    He organized his thoughts and said,


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe everything you¡¯re saying. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Then prove it to me.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    How could he prove it? Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°You be the Bridal Mask.¡±


    He was going to wreak havoc just as he promised.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 175 ¨C Korea National Association [6] > The end.

 Chapter 177: < Protect – Episode 176 – Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 177: < Protect ¨C Episode 176 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [1] ></h4>


    The deal with Nobuhisa was only half honored.


    Ahn Soo Ho released him from the brainwashing and turned off the explosive switch in his head, but there was no more than that. Their rtionship was simply based on need. He just had to believe him as much as he wanted and use him as much as he needed.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that just life?¡¯


    Many people asked this to Ahn Soo Ho.


    They asked what he lived for.


    And his answer was always the same.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡®Nothing?¡¯


    Some might have perceived this asck of responsibility, but Ahn Soo Ho really didn¡¯t have a specific goal in life. Some chased after power while others sought peace or unity, but he didn¡¯t wish for a life with a clear objective.


    Why? Because he had already experienced it before.


    ¡®I¡¯ve already lived countless lives.¡¯


    The memories of this world that flowed in him in his way through Hades.


    People imagined hell in a vague way. However, in every life was both heaven and hell. Some man thought living with his horrible wife and children was hell while some woman thought the continued sexual harassment was hell. Among the criminals behind bars, some liked being in jail while others didn¡¯t. There were those who hated being distant from the real world while there were those who feltforted.


    ¡®People without certainty.¡¯


    But people always said to have goals and dreams in life.


    Why? Because people believed that that was the best way to achieve a better future. However, it was even worse to press one to have an uncertain dream or objective. Most humans lived in a society. However, there were people who just weren¡¯t cut out for society.


    People who didn¡¯t want to talk to other people.


    Even 1% of a poption of 7 billion people was still 70 million, and among those, 1% of them denied society. They wanted the convenience of civilization but also live the way they wanted. If a normal person was like that, they were a naturalist, but if it was a person with a strong passion, they were considered anarchists. And on top of that, if they had power, they were capable of bing terrorists or revolutionists.


    As soon as Nobuhisa left, Lee So Hye came in.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°A business partner.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lee So Hye was showing interest in her brother¡¯s business these days, but it was possible that her goal was to meet lots of celebrities. If she showed potential, he could leave her with a business. After all, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care if she made it go bankrupt or not. However, that didn¡¯t mean he would leave a business to a president with no skill.


    ¡°Is there anywhere you want to go?¡±


    ¡°No, not really...¡±


    She was fumbling with her fingers as if she had something to say.


    ¡°Tell me. As long as it¡¯s not about you getting married, I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even say that!¡±


    She didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend yet. Lee So Hye sprung up and then realized his true intentions.


    ¡°Are you really going to listen?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Come on! What does that suppose to mean? Yes or no! Give me a straight answer!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, but mom might.¡±


    For Ahn Soo Ho, he was going to be on Lee So Hye¡¯s side no matter what she did, but it was a different story for Mrs. Park. Their mom was on the strict side. It might have been a universal feeling. There was a philosophy behind justice.


    ¡®The truth is, everyone has their own philosophy.¡¯


    Just as the prince had his life, the pauper had his own, and it wasn¡¯t just the most educated that had their own philosophies.


    ¡°Mom can¡¯t find out...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret as long as it¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    Lee So Hye stuck out her pinkie and Ahn Soo Ho stamped it on top.


    ¡°Do you remember Joo Yeon?¡±


    ¡°Joo Yeon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s a friend I was close to in Jejudo...¡±


    ¡°Oh. The mudt sisters?¡±


    It sounded like pearl, but it was actually mudt.


    It had only been a year since he got reunited with his family, but it felt like it had been a long time. When he found Mrs. Park in Jejudo after 20 years, he also met his little sister for the first time. The way Lee So Hye swung a mop around in front of him still left a strong impression. While his little sister held a mop, her friends were holding a broom and a dustpan.


    ¡°You must still be keeping in touch.¡±


    ¡°Of course! The ones that stay by your side during the hard times are your truest friends!¡±


    How was it that she thought in such a mature way? Ahn Soo Ho was proud of Lee So Hye while also feeling bad for her.


    ¡°So what about her?¡±


    ¡°She ran away from home. I don¡¯t want to meddle in someone else¡¯s personal life, but her dad tends to be abusive.¡±


    There were many runaway youths in Korea. Since there were many ces to stayte at night, they feared running away a little less. Many youths ran away due to family troubles or school stress, but some of them ran away due to violence or sexual abuse. And once they ran away, they were exposed to even worse threats such as getting into statutory rape or prostitution.


    ¡°If it¡¯s abuse, she should have reported it to the police first.¡±


    ¡°In the countryside, the police and government workers are even more dangerous.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. Since many of the police officers from the rural regions were natives, they grouped together and stuck with the wrong crowds.


    This was also another version of vested rights.


    ¡°Where is she now? Seoul?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yeah.¡±


    ¡°How did she get a ne ticket? You don¡¯t get paid yet. Wait a minute.¡±


    He remembered that ne tickets weren¡¯t that expensive from Jejudo to Seoul.


    ¡®It probably wasn¡¯t Oh Joo Kyung.¡¯


    It might have been possible before, but she was way too busy now. Kim Woo Jung? No way. There was no way they asked a man for help, and there was no one else with a personal rtion to Lee So Hye who had enough time to help. He then thought of one more possibility.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go to Chairman Kim Na Hee, did you?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that went to her! She contacted me first!¡±


    Lee So Hye immediately made excuses. ording to her, Rosette Group was the one who called Lee So Hye and protected Kim Joo Yeon before sending her over to Seoul. He tilted his head. Rosette Group was leading in the fashion and advertising industries, but they weren¡¯t known for obtaining information.


    ¡®Was it Daesan?¡¯


    Daesan Group tended to take care of things they didn¡¯t have time for.


    ¡®They should be taking care of their own group first...¡¯


    Kim Dae Chan was probably more interested in Ahn Soo Ho because of his new reputation. He didn¡¯t care how the public interpreted his actions, but Kim Dae Chan did. To put it nicely, he was meticulous, and to put it frankly, he was timid. Whether they were rich or not, Korean people were overly sensitive about what other people thought. Many people didn¡¯t understand that honor and face were two different things.


    Ahn Soo Ho pressed the interphone button.


    ¡°Call Kosino for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Ahn.¡±


    He smiled in response to being called chairman.


    Did the secretary office decide to go with chairman? Come to think of it, once Oh Joo Kyung left the secretary¡¯s office, Han Chae Kyung was in charge. She used Ahn Soo Ho as a bomb shelter. Kim Na Hee¡¯spetitor could have used Kim Na Hee¡¯s divorce and her heir¡¯s mistake to bring Rosette Group down, but since they were connected to Hosoo Entertainment Group, it was hard to cause any trouble.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Kosino greeted Lee So Hye and then stood in front of Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Do you know about my sister¡¯s friend¡¯s problem?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Kosino nced over at Lee So Hye and then nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty obvious story.¡±


    It really was amon story. Kim Joo Yeon¡¯s father went bankrupt and as someone who turned into a dog when he drank, he took out his anger on his family. The patriarchal family system was abolished, but society¡¯s mindset still hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°What a horrible man.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho, he¡¯s only two years older than you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s 40?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    If he had a teenage child at 40, that meant he married very early.


    ¡°Was it a strategic marriage?¡±


    ¡°No... he just married early.¡±


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t look into it that far.¡±


    ¡°That would have been a waste of resources.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have that many resources that they could look into Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sister¡¯s friend¡¯s family.


    ¡°Why is Rosette Group looking into Kim Joo Yeon?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Jang is the key member of a gathering.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him about that.¡±


    Lee So Hye cut Kosino off.


    ¡°Ever since you two started dating, the women who knew you used to gather.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was more devoted to Ahn Soo Ho than he imagined. She believed that if a problem arose in the Ahn family, it wasn¡¯t going to be because of Ahn Soo Ho but because of someone around them.


    ¡°Ha Na Hoe.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a name that sounded good.


    ¡°Seol Hyun is the chairman, Chairwoman Kim Na Hee is the vice-chairman, Joo Kyung is the general affairs manager, Ah Young is the assistant administrator, and the rest are members.¡±


    ¡°A vice-chairman, general affairs manager, and an assistant administrator? How big is this gathering?¡±


    ¡°Um, maybe 100 people?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t believe that. He didn¡¯t know there were 100 Korean women that knew him. He went deep into thought. He definitely didn¡¯t know that many.


    ¡°Has she already taken on the job as my wife?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho apologized, but he still had a cynical smile on his face.


    ¡°if there are so many capable members, why ask me for help?¡±


    Aside from Kim Na Hee, Oh Joo Kyung was powerful enough to control Korea. She was in a position where she could take care of domestic violence with just one phone call. That meant that running away wasn¡¯t the key point of this request. Ahn Soo Ho looked at his little sister and then let out a sigh.


    ¡°She wants to be a celebrity, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    This time, Lee So Hye apologized.


    ¡°If she has talent, she could just audition. Did she not make it through?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that... Since she¡¯s a minor, she needs the consent of a parent.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    Her father must have been uncooperative, but there was still one question left. This was still something the team leader could handle. He stared at his sister.


    ¡®What is it? Something¡¯s not right.¡¯


    If she was a stranger, he would have read her mind.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°But if there¡¯s no hope, just give up.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Thank you!¡±


    Lee So Hye jumped up and down. She then hugged him; she kissed him all over and then ran out to tell her friend. Heughed bitterly and Kosino had a look of amusement in her face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a teenager that can control Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be like the other fathers crazy about their daughters, but this isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    There were many married men among the mercenaries Ahn Soo Ho worked with. The fathers were crazy about their sons, but it was at a whole another level when it came to their daughters. They were willing to fight against the American troops if it was for the good of their daughters.


    ¡°Look into it.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Oh yeah!¡±


    Kosino eximed and paused.


    ¡°We got a call from Leeper.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He wasining that he couldn¡¯t reach you.¡±


    ¡°What an annoying jerk.¡±


    There was a need to train the pompous rookie.


    ¡°But he does good work.¡±


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t, I would have killed him already.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cold words, Kosino suddenly had to pee. There were times when his words terrified her. She was afraid that he would one day announce he was going to kill the American president.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Since Korea National Association lost its executives twice now, they won¡¯t be able to withstand it. The problem is...¡±


    ¡°We have no choice but to trust Nobuhisa.¡±


    ¡°How much do you trust him?¡±


    ¡°About 30 percent, maybe?¡±


    In response, Kosino smirked; she shook her head and went outside.


    Ahn Soo Ho got up and looked out the window.


    He saw the busy streets of Gangnam below him. The sight of the buildings rusting away wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. His construction ns of Hosoo Town took off, but it still had a long way to go. Once buildings started to go up, there were bound to be many protesters springing up.


    ¡°What kind of fate is this?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol came in with her arms crossed and clicked her tongue at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Alexa?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s talking to So Hye. I heard you¡¯re doing your sister a favor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then do me one, too!¡±


    ¡°Piss off.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave her the middle finger.


    ¡°What did you two do out there?¡±


    ¡°Look around Seoul. Alexa has a bad sense of direction.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty famous now. Didn¡¯t you get caught?¡±


    ¡°Camouge is my specialty.¡±


    ¡°If the fans found out the truth, they would be astonished.¡±


    If the public knew Ahn Da Sol was a granny who was over 100 years old, there would have been a riot.


    ¡°You just have to keep your mouth shut, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... Have you heard of Nobuhisa?¡±


    ¡°Nobuhisa? Altu?¡±


    ¡°Altu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a pretty useful one among the garbage disposal group of the Fidelity Association. Is he in Korea? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe your informationwork has an issue.¡±


    She then expressed her surprise.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I was the one who nted an explosive in his head, and it¡¯s also a kind of detection equipment.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit of magic to it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Should I get rid of it?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed with interest and Ahn Da Sol asked him for permission to attack.


    ¡°Not Nobuhisa.¡±


    She was sad at first, but when she realized what it meant, she smiled again.


    ¡°So everyone but Nobuhisa?¡±


    ¡°Do what you want.¡±


    As soon as he shrugged his shoulders, Ahn Da Sol shed her sparkling eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll finally get to see some blood.¡±


    The Apanist was known to be weak when it came to force, but that wasn¡¯t true. She suddenly turned into a hungry lynx and Ahn Soo Ho handed her the bridal mask.


    ¡°When you fight, make sure you wear this mask.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 176 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [1] > The end.

 Chapter 178: < Protect – Episode 177 – Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 178: < Protect ¨C Episode 177 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Hmph, hmph!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol was making strange noises through her nose when she noticed Alexa talking to Lee So Hye and walked toward her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m thinking of how to get the most out of my brother.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to buy you a house.¡±


    ¡°Come on! That¡¯s too much. Anyway, were you just talking to him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°I actually have other ns. Go on with Alexa.¡±


    ¡°What ns? Do you have a date?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe?¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    Lee So Hye was startled by Ahn Da Sol¡¯s unexpectedly serious response.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a serious rtionship. Just a fling.¡±


    Just like Ahn Da Sol who lived abroad for a long time, Emily and Rachel weren¡¯t hesitant about having casual boyfriends either. In most cases, Korean idols weren¡¯t allowed to date or at least a few years after debut, but that rule didn¡¯t apply to Fantastic 4. However, that didn¡¯t mean they liked to date around. In contrast to their image as foreigners, they were quite conservative.


    ¡°Be careful not to get photographed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not opposing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well... that¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol clicked her tongue at her leader¡¯s easy-going response.


    ¡®This is why blood runs thicker than water.¡¯


    Lee So Hye and Ahn Soo Ho were certainly brother and sister. Ahn Da Sol then walked off while humming once again.


    ¡®A date? I guess it¡¯s something like that.¡¯


    However, it was likely going to be a meeting of two bullets. While she lived as Kumiko, she endured all sorts of humiliation. Perfect camouge was a major part of her life, and it wasn¡¯t easy living as a skilled Japanese woman. Japan hosted both racism and sexism more than any other powerful nation in the world.


    In Japan, they considered rape as the woman¡¯s mistake.


    The reason why they kept quiet about rape was because they didn¡¯t think of it as a crime. Does it make sense for the culprit to be confident and for the victim to be criticized? However, that was what happened. They had no right to diss Ims and their honor killings. In Japan, the customs were always more favorable for men.


    ¡®But there is one condition.¡¯


    When it came to men with money and power, they were allowed to have multiple women without being criticized. On the contrary, they considered it an achievement. Despite what people said, Japan was still a country with many rich people. Since they valued cash more than credit cards, they had quite the underground economy, and their private money market was especiallyrge. Japan¡¯s main export wasn¡¯t Toyota or ystation.


    It was loans.


    Money lendingpanies were Japan¡¯s main export. There wasn¡¯t a single country without Japanese funding. Even the great China had a lot of Japanese yen going into their country. Many even joked about how 1/3 of Shanghai belonged to Japan following China¡¯s reformation because that was how powerful Japanese money was in all of Asia.


    Was it because the Japanese financial system was superior? Not at all.


    The reason why Japanese funds were superior was because after the 20th century, it sat and was passed down for a long time. In that sense, there was a difference between pro-Japanese and those knowledgable about Japan. Koreans and Chinese didn¡¯t like this, but since the 19th century, Japan was the only Asian country that stood a chance against the West. They were the first to modernize in Asia, and they were certainly in the lead.


    Learn from Japan!


    Emte Japan!


    Japan¡¯s n of modernization in the 20th century spread to schrs all over Asia. Many countries of Asia used Japan as a model to develop their nations, and many schrs and businessmen of Japan used the world as a stage.


    And America was no exception.


    Countless Japanese crossed the ocean and settled down in America. There were positive economic effects suiting of the hard-working image of the Japanese, but considering the Caucasian¡¯s perception of colored people at the time, they were probably treated like working ants. In today¡¯s world, they were at a simr level as China, but in the 20th century, Japan was a strong nation representing all of Asia.


    After the fall of the Japanese empire, the Chinese Communist Party thought they got rid of Ennd, Japan, and America¡¯s profits, but they were just waiting their time. That was because if China hadn¡¯t rushed their reform, they would have been eaten alive by Hong Kong. Hong Kong¡¯s economic power at the time was a good way of pressuring the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.


    Most thought that the Chinese Communist Party put the golden egg in the hands of the goose in return for Hong Kong¡¯s return. However, those who knew the truth couldn¡¯t say that. The reason why public safety couldn¡¯t catch Chairman Hwang Chi Rin even after he tricked the maind and fired missiles was because they needed capital.


    ¡®Today¡¯s Chinese economy wasn¡¯t brought about with just the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s efforts alone.¡¯


    The influence of Hong Kong capital on the Chinese economy was bigger than what analysts predicted, and some of that influence came from Japan. There was talk about how overseas Chinese controlled South East Asia¡¯s economy, but those rumors were exaggerated.


    ¡®Among the overseas Chinese we know, there are many with unknown origins.¡¯


    They were likely to be Chinese traitors who escaped the Chinese Communist Party¡¯s purge following the downfall of the Japanese empire. They were Chinese on one hand, but not really on the other hand. The Chinese Communist Party probably wanted to hide this, but there were actually many overseas Chinese who were going against China.


    China¡¯s stamina was weakpared to its weight.


    They said they were as strong as America, but if the White House decided to beat them up to a pulp, Beijing had no choice but to surrender. The reason why the Chinese Communist Party insisted their supremacy in North-East Asia but couldn¡¯t act on their words toward America was because whether it was regarding economy, military, or diplomacy, they stillcked confidence.


    ¡°Hmph, hmph!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol went to the secret house she had near her ce. As someone who was an expert in camouge, creating a new identity for herself was a piece of cake. For women, just changing up their makeup transformed their image. Ahn Da Sol, who transformed from a pure and sexy high school student to a woman with a hot body, put on some sharp heels and stood in front of the mirror.


    ¡°Hm, not bad.¡±


    She liked the youthful school uniform, but she didn¡¯t mind getting the gazes of thirsty men either. Just as Ahn Soo Ho predicted, her supernatural power was muttion and deformation. However, that didn¡¯t mean she could change genders either. Kumiko looked like a girl, Ahn Da Sol was a middle school student, and this time, she transformed into a woman with a killer body sexier than that of Miss Brazil.


    If a beautiful woman with a killer body walked by, it was hard for people of any gender to not stop and stare.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The exmations came out naturally.


    Some even took out their phones and took photos. Ahn Da Sol didn¡¯t mind. She actually enjoyed the attention. Even the cars were starting to pass by more slowly. Ahn Da Sol ignored all of this and took out her phone.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡±


    She only said a few words. 5 minutester, a fancy sports car arrived and she got in.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    This time, people eximed in disappointment.


    ¡®Shit! All beautiful women are already taken!¡¯


    ¡®How much money do you need to date someone like that?¡¯


    That was a clear misperception.


    That was because the Lamborghini she got into was hers. The man in the driver¡¯s seat was just her driver. The sports car made a loud noise and drove off into the distance. Ahn Da Sol put out her hand as soon as she got in, and the driver handed her a thick pile of documents.


    ¡°I heard Altu is in the country.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I was going to brief you on that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯tpare me to Kosino. Not only does she have Mr. Guardian¡¯s support, but they have Cranky on their side, too.¡±


    Heined in a very sad voice.


    ¡°Okay, fine. What about the Bridal Mask Corps?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the first page.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol went through the documents.


    ¡°Shay Leeper?¡±


    ¡°It appears that Mr. Guardian won him over.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he... an anti-wizard?¡±


    ¡°People usually realize something great when they¡¯re on the brink of death. Oh, and I think the high master is connected as well.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Issac.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Does Soo Ho know?¡±


    ¡°He must. It¡¯s possible that deringplete neutrality was a way of sending them a warning.¡±


    United Industries Alliance often explicitly tempted the queen of mutation.


    ¡°Why did he suddenly create Bridal Mask? I don¡¯t think it was to just get rid of Korea National Association and the Comradery Association.¡±


    ¡°Probably not. If Mr. Guardian wanted them gone, they would have been on the same day.¡±


    Just getting rid of the middle management alone made it hard for them to avoid copse.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he wants them to surrender to their fears. Leeper wiped out the executives but kept Lee Ji Heon alive. That¡¯s a very special case. Even though he deeply humiliated Mr. Guardian when he was young, he wasn¡¯t killed.¡±


    Korea National Association and the Comradery Association didn¡¯t know this, but they were quite famous among the foreign intelligence agencies. They were famous for being foolish and not selecting their men properly.


    ¡°So why is that?¡±


    ¡°Angelica, do you see him as someone with some superior fate? He just happens to have more strength than others. In other words... he¡¯s just human. There¡¯s no reason for him to run amok.¡±


    Nichs Cha, also known as Cha In Tae didn¡¯t understand Angelica. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s abilities were shocking, but the thought that he would win in a fight against the world all by himself was a delusion.


    ¡®I get why Mr. Guardian is treated like strategic arms, but the results of war don¡¯t depend on one strategic arm. The reason why the world is leaving him alone is because they don¡¯t want to take responsibility.¡¯


    If Ahn Soo Ho fought against the world, he would lose everything, and his opponents would lose even more. Heritage, which rules over the ck market, didn¡¯t want to run into Ahn Soo Ho. Why? Because if they faced off, they knew they would lose much more than he would.


    ¡®Keeping face doesn¡¯t put food on the table.¡¯


    As soon as the sports car stopped, Ahn Da Sol got out. Before closing the door, she popped her head in and whispered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him.¡±


    She mmed the door shut without hearing his answer. She heard grumbling behind her, but she didn¡¯t mind it. As soon as a stunning woman appeared in front of the hotel, men were instantly riled up. Ahn Da Sol went inside the hotel and got on the lift. When the door opened, she saw a carpeted hallway.


    Room 1210,


    She knocked on the door. Then a man resembling a monkey poked his head out.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He scanned Ahn Da Sol up and down and then shouted toward the inside of the room.


    ¡°Hey! Did someone call a call girl? Just admit it already!¡±


    ¡°Not me! Did the team leader call her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Nobuhisa sure is nice, but why is the whore so hot?¡±


    They threw all kinds of insults about Korean women at her, but she didn¡¯t bat an eysh. The snickering monkey stared at Ahn Da Sol once more and then closed the door to unlock it. As soon as he opened it again, it wasn¡¯t her big breasts but a cold piece of steel that poked through.


    ¡°Gasp, ugh!¡±


    The knife went right through his neck, so he couldn¡¯t even let out a scream. Blood then flowed out like water. Ahn Da Sol pushed him back and entered the room.


    ¡®Three, four, seven?¡¯


    Seven people staying in one room? As soon as she pulled out the silencer gun from her shopping bag, the men in the living room were right in front of her. It didn¡¯t even take a single breath for the bullets to go through their eyeballs.


    Thud, thud- Thud, thud-


    They all died instantly. Ahn Da Sol was looking at the dead bodies on the ground when she remembered something.


    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot.¡±


    She put on the mask that she brought, and before she hopped over to the next room, she faced the CCTV camera and blew a kiss.


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 177 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [2] > The end.

 Chapter 179: < Protect – Episode 178 – Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 179: < Protect ¨C Episode 178 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [3] ></h4>


    As an average Japanese visiting Korea for fun, Nobuhisa was meeting with the ambassador at the Japanese embassy in Korea.


    ¡°Why did you ban all foreign activity?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in Korea right now. There¡¯s no harm in being careful.¡±


    ¡°The ones at the top want results as soon as possible.¡±


    Nobuhisa smirked.


    ¡°You must all want to die.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    He was about to nag him and then stopped. In contrast to how young Nobuhisa looked, he was actually a killing pro who had murdered hundreds before. Not even a messenger of Fidelity Association wanted to mess with him. However, he felt differently.


    ¡®Crossbreed!¡¯


    The trash disposal group weren¡¯t average Japanese people, and seeing how the diplomats knew a secret that they didn¡¯t even know about themselves, they mustn¡¯t have been any old monitor. Nobuhisa was unable to read minds, but he felt the unpleasant vibe in the air.


    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s always been like this.¡¯


    He always felt like he was treated in an unfair way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    Nobuhisa said goodbye and left the embassy. He looked back at the Japanese embassy in Korea and got rid of all lingering feelings. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t be Japanese. Once he turned around and walked away, his footsteps felt lighter.


    He took out his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept the deal.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    e back to the hotel you¡¯re staying at.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    What did it mean to go back to the lion¡¯s den?


    ¡°You need to do some cleaning up, Nobu.¡±


    ¡°Cleaning up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He was no longer brainwashed, but it took a while to get rid of his habit of following orders. He epted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯smand without much thought. This was probably the first time Fidelity Association mobilized 200 men. Even during the Yamashita Gold incidentst year in the Philippines, they only dispatched 50 men.


    ¡®That was a huge failure.¡¯


    The Yamashita treasure that Naicho brought over buried hundreds of lives in the ground and ended just like that. When they detected a facility hidden underground, they thought they hit the jackpot, but it wasn¡¯t easy finding an entrance. In the end, during some friction with the Filipino government that lost their patience, the passageway they managed to find caved in.


    ¡®Come to think of it, the ones in charge said they met Ahn Soo Ho.¡¯


    They used Ahn Soo Ho as an arbitrator to mediate with the Filippino government.


    ¡®I wonder...¡¯


    Nobuhisa¡¯s thought got interrupted. Once he got out of his taxi, he was faced with police and ambnce cars in front of his hotel. Nobuhisa quickly hid and took out his phone. He tried calling his subordinates, but no one answered. He proceeded to the underground parking lot and hid from the police.


    ¡®This is the way to the maintenance room.¡¯


    The best spies were thoughtful in choosing their hotel. They even had the design of the hotel in their heads. The police were in the maintenance room as well, but he stole a police vest and shamelessly entered.


    ¡°Ha! Looks like we have to stay up all night.¡±


    ¡°This time, Bridal Mask is a woman. And she¡¯s a hot one.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and make the copies.¡±


    The officers watching the CCTV footage were sighing and aweing at the same time. When the police got to the hotel, they were shocked by the pile of bodies. They were used to seeing bodies from Bridal Mask, but this was the first time they saw so many at once. This was mass murder.


    They lost blood and went into shock as a result of gunshots.


    The way each head had a bullet through it just went to show how skilled the shooter was, and when they pulled out the knife from one of the victim¡¯s throat there was a clear hole. A bigger problem was that all of them were Japanese tourists.


    ¡°The special division said they¡¯ll send over the one in charge of Bridal Mask. Did you notify the Japanese embassy?¡±


    ¡°They said they¡¯ll leave it to the diplomats. Moreover, why did Bridal Mask kill a bunch of Japanese tourists? This is a horrible diplomatic incident.¡±


    Dozens of Japanese people were murdered at a hotel.


    It was just a matter of time before the media found out, and the Korean Japanese rtion was bound to suffer as a result. Until now, all of Bridal Mask¡¯s victims were horrible criminals or corrupt capitalists that misused their power, and they were all Korean. This was the first time they killed foreigners.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe this was a copycat crime.¡±


    ¡°Watch the footage. Where could a copycat criminal have gotten a silenced gun? And seeing how skillfully they used the gun and knife... it was 100% them. The dead Japanese might actually have some kind of connection to Korea National Association.¡±


    ¡°Japanese people connected to Korea National Association...? Do you think the rumors are true?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reveal, the Korea National Association wasbeled as pro-Japanese. However, the Korean government chose not toment on that matter.


    ¡°There are rumors that there are more members of the Korea National Association than exposed on the list.¡±


    ¡°The rumors that there¡¯s another list?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s been revealed could just be the tip of the iceberg.¡±


    If that was the case, Bridal Mask¡¯s objective was bound to be something more than just justice.


    ¡®Maybe they¡¯re using justice as an excuse to bring down the ones in power... CEO Ahn Soo Ho is definitely connected to this.¡¯


    Behind the friendly mask¡ªthat he was wearing on television¡ªwas a scary monster.


    ¡®Or did the president and the Blue House really create the Bridal Mask?¡¯


    Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t something the police could mess with.


    ¡°Her movements tell me she¡¯s had military training. Ha! That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    The way the beautiful woman wore a mask and mass murdered everyone was kind of like art. It should have looked scary and horrible, but she was surprisingly engaging.


    ¡°This is no time for admiration.¡±


    The more Bridal Mask did, the more the police and prosecution got criticized. People said this was only happening because they didn¡¯t do their job properly. The investigative authorities felt like this was unfair because not even the most powerful organizations had superior rights. The police dra tightened around Korea National Association, but it had been long since the key connections went off in hiding, and as a result, Koreans were ranging even more.


    They must have really looked down on the people to form an association and monopolize power. Every time the familiar names of organizations, groups, and famous people were mentioned, the rage heightened even further. The human rights organizations criticized Bridal Mask¡¯s uwful conduct, but most of the public cheered on Bridal Mask for bringing down the viins with money and power. The court should never have been a ce of hiding the truth.


    After listening in on the officers¡¯ conversation, Nobuhisa slipped out quietly.


    ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯


    He was no CIA agent, but his skills as someone trained as a member of the trash disposal group was not half bad. In particr, his skills were strengthed by Ultra, which made himparable to a special agent. Among the female mercenaries that worked with Ahn Soo Ho that came to Korea with him, the only one he knew of was Alexa Ivananof.


    ¡®But she¡¯s not that short.¡¯


    Alexa wasn¡¯t abat agent. He was speechless about the situation that just unfolded. Once Nobuhisa left the hotel, he checked all of the bases secretly set in the Korean penins and then knitted his brows.


    ¡®They¡¯re all gone.¡¯


    The trash disposal groups standing by at all the hotels, motels, and secret bases were all wiped out. There were only 7 survivors remaining at thest base.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive, Team Leader.¡±


    They showed straight faces in response to Nobuhisa¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Are these all the survivors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°What about the emergency line?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been blocked.¡±


    ¡°And the contact agent at the embassy?¡±


    ¡°The number no longer exists.¡±


    They had already started to cut off the lizard¡¯s tail.


    The monitor disguised as the diplomat was likely to be more active toward the end. The Japanese embassy was probably very busy at the moment due to those Japanese deaths. The Japanese embassy in Korea didn¡¯t know why Bridal Mask and the Japanese tourists conflicted. This was probably going to make the vibe in Japan a lot tougher.


    ¡°No rescues?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. Unless we¡¯re exposed to the outside, our existence will strongly be denied.¡±


    They didn¡¯t see Bridal Mask¡¯s attacking, and the old men really didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it because they looked down on Ahn Soo Ho. And those who still missed Showa still called Korea Joseon. Who in the world made such a foolishmand?


    ¡®We shouldn¡¯t have set foot in Korea in the first ce.¡¯


    Whether they were brothers with the Korea National Association or not, they should have just given up.


    ¡°I surrender.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Before the subordinates could even blink after jolting their eyes open in shock, holes formed in their foreheads. He looked down at the dead bodies and then put down his gun.


    ¡°How stern.¡±


    He picked the gun back up when he heard an unfamiliar voice speaking Japanese, but he didn¡¯t pull the trigger. She was definitely the woman he had just seen in the CCTV footage wearing the Bridal Mask. Nobuhisa asked with his eyes. How did she find him here?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing the magician doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol took off her mask. Luckily, or unfortunately, he didn¡¯t recognize the woman that nted the explosive in his head.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... Ms. A. That¡¯s what you can call me.¡±


    Was she talking about Ms. A, B, and C that came up in gossip magazines? Nobuhisa looked at Ahn Da Sol with a shocked face. She looked awfully bright for someone who just killed dozens of men.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Nobu. I promised Soo Ho that I wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Seeing how she addressed himfortably, she was definitely one of his monsters.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian asked me to clean it up.¡±


    ¡°Did I make too much of a mess?¡±


    ¡°Since Japanese men were just murdered, this will be a diplomatic issue.¡±


    200 Japanese people getting murdered at once had never happened before since the Pacific War besides ne and ship idents as well as natural disasters. Same went for Korea, as Korea had never seen so many foreigners die at once in the Korean penins since the Korean war. The investigative authorities instigated an embargo, but they couldn¡¯t control the photos and videos of Bridal Mask that were being spread on the inte.


    ¡®I love you!¡¯


    Following the cool Bridal Mask, the dignified Bridal, Mask, the humorous Bridal Mask, and the Cynical Bridal Mask, it was a sexy Bridal Mask this time. Ahn Da Sol looked at Nobuhisa as if she was asking to see his skills.


    ¡°Do you have a solution?¡±


    ¡°I do have a scenario.¡±


    It was true that Fidelity Association was controlling Japan from the background, but they couldn¡¯t step out of the dark. If their identities were to be revealed to the public, the bacsh was going to be huge. For that reason, they had many ns ready to go. What was funnier was that there were more ns for the scenario that they would get exposed than the ns they had for facing off with enemies.


    ¡°The dead will be camouged as yakuzas. They¡¯ll say Bridal Mask killed the yakuzas formitting crimes in Korea.¡±


    ¡°The Japanese are going to diss their own people?¡±


    ¡°The political world of Japan doesn¡¯t like unpleasant vibes. Most importantly, we have no rtion to Japan. There¡¯s no reason to care about the dead¡¯s honor.¡±


    If they were disguised as yakuzas, everyone besides their family, friends, and lovers weren¡¯t going to say anything. And if someone did, the Fidelity Association was going to conceal it themselves. Sending an entire troop to get revenge? They would have considered it if Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t around, but it was impossible now. The agents that they sent this time were also sent with a lot of determination.


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol took out her phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Soo Ho. I have a proposal... Private loans. Let¡¯s do it. Yeah. The list is probably at the embassy, don¡¯t you think? Okay.¡±


    She ended the call and smiled at Nobuhisa.


    ¡°Will you escort me to the Japanese embassy?¡±


    ******


    ¡°That crazy bitch.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked down at his phone with a shocked expression and mumbled to himself. Was she suppressing a lot of things as a trainee? She really blew up.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    When Lee So Hye turned around, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head to say nothing was going on. Him, his sister, and Alexa were taking a look around the broadcastingpany. When Ahn Soo Ho asked where she wanted to go, Lee So Hye said she wanted to see HBS. They were still using the old building, but the broadcastingpany had the manpower and supplies of a beast.


    He didn¡¯t bother revealing his identity.


    If he did, they were very likely toe out and try to escort them around and act bothersome. He used his magic to give themselves some freedom, and when the news got out that there was a mass murder of foreigners in the middle of Seoul, the broadcastingpany went into chaos. Actually, it was just the reporting headquarters that was in chaos.


    Stories of Bridal Mask shook up the country in the beginning, but then people started getting used to it. People tend to always put their own lives first. If Bridal Mask agreed to speak in an interview, that would have caused a wave, but who would have imagined the truth? Those monitoring Ahn Soo Ho weren¡¯t his shackles, but his alibis.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see at the broadcasting station? Youe here all the time anyway.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between starring in a broadcast and producing one. I want to be a producer or reporter one day.¡±


    It was obvious who gave her the idea.


    ¡®Kim Soo Jung! You little!¡¯


    Once he put her in charge of the reporting department, she went at the government, protesters, major corporations as well as small and medium-sizedpanies.


    ¡®Fair media? That¡¯s fine, but you should at least put advertisements to it!¡¯


    Herbative coverage and revealing reports only gave the legal team a hard time. She even attacked a cult which made a bunch of believers protest in front of the broadcastingpany, and when she exposed a constructionpany, they came and threatened with dump trucks.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how I put up with her temper all this time.¡¯


    Kim Soo Jung was always crazy, but he didn¡¯t know Choi Jung Yeon was going to be like that, too. The medical welfare foundation she was in charge of created a huge conflict between the Korea Medical Association and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He didn¡¯t know that the evaluations for welfare foundations were trickier than that of schrship foundations.


    ¡®If there were problems, they should have convinced them slowly. Why did they charge in like that? Are they copying me?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho only went at it because he was capable of resolving the issue, but it was different for other people. He didn¡¯t want to call them an ass in a lion¡¯s skin, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore it either because they were his friends. Ahn Soo Ho left his sister with Alexa. There was 1 minute until the surprise show. Ahn Da Sol was a crazy bitch, but she wasn¡¯t an average person, so she nned it all out in 20 minutes.


    ¡°Kya!¡±


    Someone screamed at the news desk.


    The anchor who was delivering the news froze and Bridal Mask who was captured on camera conveyed a strong impression. Shay Leeper nced over at Ahn Soo Ho in the corner and then opened his chest. The Bridal Mask¡¯s appearance while wearing an explosive vest turned the news desk into chaos. Kim Soo Jung ran out with a frozen face and stared at Bridal Mask who was holding a female anchor hostage.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°You need to watch your mouth, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What else would I want here? A broadcast, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible, you terrorist son of a bitch?¡±


    ¡°It will be. As long as that man over there allows it.¡±


    As Kim Soo Jung turned to where Bridal Mask was pointing, she became more shocked than when he first appeared.


    ¡°You?¡±


    He was pointing at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Soo Jung. Get ready to hold the broadcast.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He passed Kim Soo Jung and sat across from Bridal mask.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m here now, why don¡¯t you let her go?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bridal Mask immediately let the female anchor go. The broadcastingpany¡¯s security team surrounded the area in no time, but they were unable to approach due to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gesture. Kim Soo Jung and the other reporters discussed whether they were going to do the broadcast or not. In any case, the cameras started rolling and the footage was being shared.


    ¡°Okay, the cameras are on, Mr. Bridal Mask. What is it that you want to say?¡±


    Shay Leeper wasughing behind his mask. On one hand, this was a well-scriptededy. Ahn Soo Ho was definitely a criminal with no righteousness or conscience.


    ¡®He¡¯s the progenitor of evil!¡¯


    That was what he was saying on the inside while other words flowed out of his lips.


    ¡°Will you give me 10 billion if I turn myself in?¡±


    He said it as a joke, but no oneughed. Leeper snickered before turning back to his serious voice.


    ¡°Those with no crimes don¡¯t have to fear us. Why, you ask? Because we¡¯re the protectors of the people.¡±


    He switched from Korean to English to French to German, and that was not all that changed. He took off his Bridal Mask to reveal a Fawkes mask followed by a Captain America mask.


    ¡°We¡¯re not only in Korea. We¡¯re everywhere.¡±


    Everyone dropped their jaws to the changing of his masks.


    ¡°And wherever there¡¯s evil, we¡¯re there with them.¡±


    Leeper pointed at the camera.


    ¡°I want you!¡±


    Uncle Sam?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 178 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [3] > The end.

 Chapter 180: < Protect – Episode 179 – Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 180: < Protect ¨C Episode 179 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [4] ></h4>


    There was a famous saying that followed ¡°I want you¡±.


    ¡®For the U.S. Army!¡¯


    Uncle Sam¡¯s recruitment poster from World War 1 was still a famous parody 100 yearster. However, what followed Bridal Mask¡¯s ¡°I want you¡± was ¡°for justice¡±. Bridal Mask no longer belonged to Korea only. They were Bridal Mask, Guy Fawkes, as well as Captain America. And after that, the number of masked heroes increased dramatically all over the world.


    What started as the wave of Captain America led to a wave of Guy Fawkes, and now it was Bridal Mask¡¯s turn. As a result, both Japan and China were looking for their own masked hero. The mask legends of each country started springing up like mushrooms.


    When the mask chaos went down at HBS, the Japanese embassy in Korea flipped upside down as well. Since they were an embassy, as long as they kept quiet inside, there was no way for anyone else to know. The Japanese ambassador to Korea, Kataoka Mashiro was out of his mind due to the mass murder incident, but he still had guests to greet, and an organization name that he had often heard of was the Fidelity Association. Average people didn¡¯t know about them, but since he was ambassador, he certainly did.


    ¡°You came from the main group?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kumiko.¡±


    The Main Group was another way of addressing the Fidelity Group.


    In contrast to the gloomy mood of the Japanese ambassador, Ahn Da Sol was cheerful and using her past name, Kumiko, quite often. If Ambassador Kataoka just checked with his country, he would have found out about her in no time, but he probably wasn¡¯t going to make such a fuss. As someone who lived as a Japanese for quite some time, she knew themon habits of government officials. They considered themselves to be kind and considerate to others, but that wasn¡¯t the case. They just gave up on their jobs.


    ¡®The Japanese government officials have been corrupt for a long time.¡¯


    Japan was loyal to the caste system.


    The standards of Japanese politics was the worst of the worst. Compared to Japan, Korea¡¯s rtionship between politics and business was child¡¯s y. Even China, who insisted on pulling the roots of corruption, were secretly copying Japan¡¯s way of having close rtions between politics and business.


    In countries heavily influenced by Confucian culture, there was less resistance against dictatorship. That was because they idealized the idea of kings and emperors. While the west tackled their problems from a realistic perspective, the east still believed that someone with outstanding force and power could resolve all of their problems. And that hero they believed in was naturally in the form of a king or emperor.


    Korea, China, and Japan always dreamt of the most powerful ruler. They wanted someone strong but sensitive, cold but warm, in other words, a perfect ruler. However, no human was capable of being perfect. More importantly, a strong ruler went against democracy. Democracy functioned under average citizens, not some superman with superpowers.


    There was a difference in how the East and West viewed leaders.


    If reputation and skill were what made leaders, they couldn¡¯t just have one or the other. The most outstanding leaders needed both reputation and skill. But the three countries of Asia put reputation over skill, and rather than nurturing their intelligence, they were going around rubbing their hands.


    ¡®Kataoka Mashiro.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t have a good enough understanding of Korea to be the Japanese ambassador to Korea, but the reason why he was chosen anyway was because he was from Japan¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Japan, government worker positions were inherited as well, and foreign affairs along with judicial affairs had the strongest interest group out of them all.


    ¡°Did you get a call from the stand-in prime minister, Ambassador?¡±


    ¡°Not yet...¡±


    ¡°Then let me tell you what I know. There¡¯s going to be some political maneuvering regarding this incident.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This is for your ears only. Korea will make the dead Japanese into yakuzas.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Also, strong countermeasures will be taken as well.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Korean government protest against that?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably send a letter, but they won¡¯t take any strong measures.¡±


    The reason why it wasn¡¯t strange that the ambassador was trusting the words of a civilian was the amount of trust bureaucrats had toward the Fidelity Association. Ambassador Kataoka trusted Ahn Da Sol¡¯s wordspletely. Nobuhisa, who was hiding behind her, clicked his tongue. He normally wouldn¡¯t have been so careless, but the situation made Ambasaddor Kataoka¡¯s judgments hazy.


    ¡®How daring.¡¯


    When Ahn Da Sol asked the Japanese ambassador to lead the way, Nobuhisa saw bloodsheding, but he guessed wrong. She was tricking the Japanese ambassador into thinking she was a Fidelity Association informant and tried to talk him into what she wanted. She must have had real guts to do that.


    ¡°If they make them into yakuzas... wouldn¡¯t that worsen the rtionship between the two countries?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Since yakuzas came here and caused a problem, the Korean government could protest against Japan. But so what? What could they do? On top of that, the suspect is a terrorist. Take this opportunity to criticize Korea¡¯ investigative authorities for being ipetent. This is the best time to spread the idea that Japan is the safest country in Asia, not Korea.¡±


    ¡°Su... sure.¡±


    In response to her strong remark, the ambassador wiped his sweat with his handkerchief. Heavily criticize the Korean investigative authorities? If he was a typical Japanese citizen, he would have apuded, but the Japanese government hated changes, so they were likely to frown upon it. If they weren¡¯t going to run for the election, they were better off keeping face in their department than gaining the public¡¯s poprity.


    As a Japanese government official, doing anything that stands out wasn¡¯t going to help his career. It was better to follow orders than to try to do something on their own. While he tended to his guest, some of the men that entered the embassy proceeded to collect information.


    They installed wiretapping devices, collected secret documents, and hacked into whatever they could. Nobuhisa monitored the embassy for a different reason, and he was able to confirm that the informants the Fidelity Association nted in Korea were withdrawn. As soon as they sensed danger, they pulled out. Seeing how they acted as if they knew that was going to happen, it was possible that the trash disposal group were simply thrown in as scapegoats.


    ¡®They don¡¯t care if we live or die.¡¯


    He felt angrier the more he thought about it.


    She talked to Ambassador Kataoka for 30 more minutes before heading out. Once Ahn Da Sol got into the car, her smile disappeared, and she stared at the driver¡¯s seat with a straight face.


    ¡°How does it look?¡±


    ¡°The secret equipment is unlocked, but the rest of the secret documents will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Is that it for the trash disposal group?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. I bet there are lots of other spies that were in Korea for quite some time. Here¡¯s the information.¡±


    Nichs Cha handed her a small pouch from the back seat. When she opened the zipper, she found many USBs. She handed the pouch to another man in the car.


    ¡°Look into it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    They were no match for Alexa and Kosino, but Ahn Da Sol had a pretty trustworthy intelligence team of her own. The only thing she was interested in at the moment was the list of 50,000 Japanese people living in Korea, being maintained by the Japanese embassy in Korea. Compared to the 900,000 Koreans living in Japan, 50,000 weren¡¯t very much, but the two situations werepletely different.


    The man exined further.


    ¡°There¡¯s a total of 195 Japanese high-rank businessmen that are active in Korea. Half of them are operating a legal business while the other half...¡±


    ¡°Private loans?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly in private loans and underground financing. They seem to be connected to Korean financial gangs, but they might be connected to prostitution as well. They introduce young Korean women with debt to the Japanese adult entertainment district.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not violent about it.¡±


    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am. Using strength is an old method. These days, they all sue usingw firms. There are even collector specializedw firms these days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same everywhere you go.¡±


    The mindset that bodies could be used if one didn¡¯t have money took ce all over the world. In particr, women were more vulnerable to temptation and danger. Even if they didn¡¯t have any debt, there were lots of recruiters all over Gangnam. Japan¡¯s sex industry was the best in Asia. There were no detailed statistics, but the international society imed that Japan¡¯s prostitution was 10 times that of Thand and 20 times that of Hong Kong.


    ¡°The truth is... China beats Japan in that sense, but people don¡¯t know that.¡±


    Following China¡¯s reform, they tried to pursue Japan in every aspect. Same went for the sex industry. They kept quiet about it, but sex was the best and easiest way to make money. What was funny was that China had the highest gender equality index among Korea, China, and Japan.


    Why? Because of the gender equality use. From a broader perspective, China wasn¡¯t that high up on the list either, but it was higher than Korea and Japan. However, Ahn Da Sol didn¡¯t like gender equality.


    ¡®Because gender is only equal from the point of view of men.¡¯


    There were no female politicians in the Chinese Communist Party. It wasn¡¯t much different in the present either, and even if there were one or two, they were just there to show face. They might have had the highest gender equality index out of the three Asian countries, but their ss ceiling was the lowest. The average Chinese woman might have been more equal than that of Korea and Japan, but the Chinese women with skill were at a disadvantagepared to the skilled women of Korea and Japan.


    The leaders of China were all men. The patriarchal culture of families might have died out, but the nation still put men first. They had a strong belief that men were better at politics. The saying that when a female hen cries, the household goes down existed in different ways in Korea, China, and Japan.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    As soon as the car stopped, Ahn Da Sol took off her kimono. The way she pulled down the mini dress that rode up was a sight that no man could resist. Nobuhisa shyly looked away. Her big breasts, her thin bodyline, and the high heels made for quite the sight.


    ¡°Give me my bag.¡±


    When the trunk opened, Ahn Da Sol took out a pretty carrier. Nobuhisa made an effort to keep up with her fast walking.


    ¡°May I ask where you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Was it Lucky 7?¡±


    Pawnshops and loanpanies were so prevalent that they issued lottery tickets. In response to Ahn Da Sol¡¯s response, he quickly looked through the list and thenughed bitterly.


    ¡°Shimura Banking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Japanese name. In Korea, they call them Daerim Industries. I don¡¯t know about anything else, but it¡¯s true that Koreans are ves to Japanese money. These guys are serious pro-Japanese.¡±


    After the real-name financial system, there were reports of the Korean loan market being doomed, but experts shook their heads. It was partially correct. ¡®Korean¡¯ loanpanies were doomed while ¡®Japanese loanpanies were not. They often called third-party financial institutions as loanpanies, but the real loanpanies were unregistered underground financial entities that only worked with cash.


    The ce that Ahn Da Sol entered with her carrier wasn¡¯t a creepy alleyway that many people imagined. The adult entertainment district was full of young life, and it wasn¡¯t guarded by thugs with tattoos like before. The employees dressed in suits made them look like elites that worked at a major corporation.


    When Ahn Da Sol appeared with a carrier, the agents nearby showed light in their eyes. She looked like she could be a super ace no matter whichpany they took her to. As soon as the most influential agent approached her, the less popr agents stepped back, but they still looked on for an opportunity.


    ¡°What do you need, Miss?¡±


    As soon as he opened his mouth, he didn¡¯t seem as ssy anymore. He wasn¡¯t a total thug, but he wasn¡¯t able to get rid of his trashy nature.


    ¡°I need money.¡±


    ¡°Money? Money¡¯s great. Should I introduce you to a good ce?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    If Ahn Da Sol was a rude woman, things would have gone differently.


    ¡®He would have done a credit check.¡¯


    But she didn¡¯t question it. Nobuhisa clicked his tongue from afar.


    ¡®She¡¯s using her womanhood to her advantage.¡¯


    In society, women had a disadvantage in some ways, but they had advantages in other ways. But of course, she had more advantages because she was a beautiful woman. The agent escorted her to a unique looking building. Normal buildings typically took up its own space, but the building Ahn Da Sol entered had many hidden and crooked spaces.


    ¡®It¡¯s a fortress.¡¯


    It definitely wasn¡¯t an average office building. Once they passed the security room on the 1st floor and took the lift to the 3rd floor, it looked like an office. Since it would have been ufortable if they were all male employees, they nted some female employees as well. As soon as she sat down in the office, a more trustworthy face appeared.


    He had a business smile on his face.


    ¡®Completed with the utmost effort.¡¯


    Even in organized crimes such as pawnshops, loanpanies, and gambling houses, only those who kept their professionalism survived. The man secretly admired Ahn Da Sol¡¯s body before smiling and offering her some coffee.


    ¡°Are you here because you need money, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°1 trillion won?¡±


    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re funny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol looked at him with an innocent face, but her voice was serious. He still took it as a joke though. She picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and then spat it back out.


    ¡°Ptooey! This is... GHB! Do you drug women, make them go into debt, and then sell them off?¡±


    GHB was amonly used date rape drug. He didn¡¯t put too much into the coffee, but she tasted it all right. They made it so that her judgment would be hazy.


    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re funny...¡±


    The man frowned and then tried to pass it off with a smile, but he was unable to finish his sentence. Why? Because Ahn Da Sol took out a gun and shot him. Once she got a bullet through his head, he fell backwards onto his chair. But thanks to the silencer, there wasn¡¯t much noise.


    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot again.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol took out her mask and put it on. She then put her gun away and took out a bigger one.


    Steyr MPi69!


    The legendary gun from Austria!


    Not Australia but Austria!


    ¡®Since the money¡¯s not even registered anyway...¡¯


    A mini dress, a machine gun, and a bridal mask.


    ¡°It belongs to the first one who gets to it!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 179 ¨C Ahn Da Sol vs. Trash Disposal Group [4] > The end.

 Chapter 181: < Protect – Episode 180 – Six-Party Talks [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 181: < Protect ¨C Episode 180 ¨C Six-Party Talks [1] ></h4>


    Just like how Ahn Soo Ho had his own people, so did Ahn Da Sol. Just as Nichs Cha¡¯s name implied, he moved from the West to Eastern Europe. To be more exact, his grandfather was a North Korean partisan while his father was an agent that went between North Korea and the Soviet Union before their copse.


    As someone who watched over Pyeongyang and the copse of the Soviet Union, Nichs Cha went to Japan and became a Korean resident residing in Japan. It had already been over 25 years since he met her. Her boldness that didn¡¯t match her looks resembling a middle school student even made him surprised.


    ¡®Kumiko... Wait, is she Ahn Da Sol now?¡¯


    The Japanese government simply viewed her as an information analyst, but Nichs Cha was certain that she was aplete monster. The Soviet Union also created many monsters. They constantly engaged in human experiments in order to beat the Yankees, and Nichs Cha happened to be in the end results of those experiments.


    Problems regarding Returner Group had been raised for quite some time. Since it was hard to retire in this field of work, there were many agents thatundered their own pasts just like him. If they could disappear just like that and live a good life, that was a relief, but it wasn¡¯t just spies that wanted to forget their pasts. What controlled today¡¯s world was information.


    Fatal information that could bring down the ones in power.


    The ones in power who wanted to sleepfortably at night had to focus on cleaning after themselves. The reason why spies lined up behind power was to be sessful, but it was also for the sake of their survival. Most people who enter the intelligence world begin with patriotism, butter on, they simply wanted to be promoted for greedy reasons.


    They had to survive somehow.


    Clean it up.


    As soon as Nichs Cha heard Ahn Da Sol¡¯s voice through his earpiece, he got out of his car. At the same time, other men with different eye colors got out as well.


    ¡°Clean it up.¡±


    Nichs¡¯ men dispersed in response. He took out a cigarette andughed bitterly. His New Year¡¯s resolution was always to quit smoking, but he had yet to aplish it.


    ¡°Huu.¡±


    The cigarette¡¯s smoke filled the air around him.


    Team Leader Cha.


    Nichs grabbed his keys in response to the radio call.


    ¡°What ?¡±


    -You need toe up here.


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    He put out his cigarette and walked up the stairs heading outside of the underground parking lot. Following Ahn Da Sol¡¯s gunshots, the police were going to be dispatched soon. Considering Shimura Financial... or more like Daerim Industries¡¯ connections, 8 to 10 minutes was the longest their dispatch could be postponed. Nichs Cha was walking past his subordinates getting rid of all the CCTV evidence when he smelled something fishy and frowned.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The body was a wreck.


    It had been a long time since the designer suit was made into rags. He was butchered.


    ¡°Huh? Why did youe up here?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol, who was holding a machete covered in blood tilted her head at Nichs¡¯ appearance. Was it already time for the police to arrive? Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°We still have time.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Look at yourself, Boss.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol and Nichs were close, but since there were other people around, he kept his formalities.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    She looked down at her bloody mini dress and then stuck out her tongue. She got so into shooting and stabbing that she ended up covered in blood.


    Nichs looked at his watch.


    ¡°Three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    As soon as he turned around, Ahn Da Sol looked at the man handcuffed to the desk.


    ¡°If you lie again, I¡¯ll really cut off your wrist.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! I don¡¯t know! I swear!¡±


    For thest few decades, the CIA had been sending over economic assassins to theirpeting organizations. In some cases, they even sent some to those of allying countries. The reason why America was at the top of the world was because of their economic power. Without strong economic power, there was no strong US military or military power.


    Economic assassins were experts that could be hired to kill an economy. Some considered them as spies, but in a broader sense, they also counted as businessmen with the support of the government. The reason why Korea was at the bottom of the totem pole in the intelligence world was because they were too ethical when it came to considering national profits.


    Koreans called the Japanese weak.


    Koreans thought the Chinese were stupid.


    But was that really true? Not at all. Just like how China hid their hacker and criminal organizations behind that image, Japan also possessed the strongest lobbying groups as well as criminal organizations called yakuzas.


    China¡¯s potential in a cyberwar wasn¡¯t far too behind that of the States. And in the same way, Japan¡¯s lobbying capabilities waspetitive with that of Washington D.C. The number of funds and manpower both countries invested for their own national profits were astronomical. If it was for the good of their nation, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t do. But on the other hand, Korea still had an amateur mindset.


    ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as fair y in international society.¡¯


    While Korea was sweeping its underground banking with economic assassins, the Korean government¡¯s hands were tied. Despite their opposition using illegal and cheating ways to do the deed, they just talked about fair y and watched. While Ahn Da Sol lived as Kumiko, shemitted all sorts of evil acts as a Japanese citizen. It might have sounded like an excuse, but she did it all for the benefit of Japan¡¯s profits. And from now on, she nned to live diligently as a Korean.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even asking for that much. Just tell me the names you know.¡±


    There was a top economic assassin sent from Japan to Korea that she didn¡¯t know of.


    As soon as she put the machete against his wrist, he screamed with a pale look on his face.


    ¡°Ma... Masmura Sosuke!¡±


    ¡°Masmura Sosuke? I¡¯ve never heard of him before.¡±


    ¡°He has a Korean name, too!¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    He gulped and then responded.


    ¡°Han Young Jin!¡±


    ¡°Han Young Jin? Youngjin Group?¡±


    Youngjin Group wasn¡¯t just Korea National Association¡¯s puppet after all.


    ¡°How interesting.¡±


    ******


    The Korean governmentbeled Bridal Mask as a terrorist.


    Seeing from the murder cases, it was easy to misunderstand that the safety had gotten worse in Korea, but besides the murders, the number of crimes decreased drastically. However, there were some side effects. There were many copycat crimes that put the me on Bridal Mask, and Bridal Mask somehow found them and made them pay. After that, even the copycat crimes stopped.


    Not only were they more capable than the police, but the victims of crimes who were fed up with the slow and shabby investigations were ready to sign a petition as a group. The citizens no longer had any trust in governmental authority. What started as a candlelight vigil led to an explosion of scandals, provocation of North Korea, as well as a threat to public safety. However, the responses of foreigners looking in from the outside weren¡¯t so bad.


    They were actually looking for where to invest their money. In response to the chaotic changes in the market, the economic experts were bound to be shocked. But despite a criminal attacking the newsroom and sending out a report and countless foreign tourists dying on Koreannd, the external responses were quite calm.


    Even Japan was busy cussing at the yakuzas formitting crimes in Korea. There were still protests, but there was absolutely no sweet talk about the murder case by the protestors or politicians. Korea¡¯s diplomats in both Korea and Japan were puzzled as well.


    ¡®Masked terrorists. Who are they?¡¯


    Following the broadcast on HBS, people no longer associated them with Korea. Also, they were no longer called Bridal Mask alone. In the case of Captain America in New York and Guy Fawkes in London, they didn¡¯t get much support in the beginning. However, when Bridal Mask mentioned their names and showed the mask swapping performance,izens all over the world got worked up.


    I want you!


    For justice!


    It was a simple phrase that caused a sensation.


    The wave of masked heroes in America, Europe, South America, and Africa all had themon destination of Asia. But the police had a headache following the societal movements against evil. There was a steep rise in violence cases. And the problem was that they were no longer manageable as before.


    The sudden change in popr opinion shocked the investigative authority. For example, they normally looked over the inappropriate conduct of underage kids, but that was no longer the case. The inappropriate behavior of underage kids led to physical fights, and not even the adults that were passing by held back. If it was yesterday, the student would have been in favor, but not anymore.


    In thest month, the amount of violence increased by 3000% and it was still on the rise. They realized the truth that thew was far from them and fists were closed, but following the seeking of justice, it was to their disadvantage. No matter how righteous something seemed, it didn¡¯t always resonate with thew. Despite the fact, it made those who were passionate about justice act in a loud manner.


    ¡°Reformation of the rich! Get rid of the rich! Abolish the rich!¡±


    ¡°Reformation of the rich! Get rid of the rich!¡±


    ¡°Reformation of the rich!¡±


    However, they didn¡¯t hold any candles.


    As a result of Hacker Try Net¡¯s reveal, the Korean economy went down, and the public didn¡¯t even let the powerful politicians off the hook. The members of the National Assembly were immune to it, but it didn¡¯t apply to those who were involved with bribery, tax evasion, and abuse of power. This was the first time a general assembly was crippled due to so many members of the national assembly losing their jobs because they were connected to crimes.


    In every party was illegal and cheating ways. As a result, each partymitted itself to gain popr sentiment once more and put the bridal mask issue to the background. They had to put out the big fire first. A by-election was a crisis as well as an opportunity.


    The beginning of a national reformationmittee didn¡¯t need the National Assembly¡¯s confirmation. Ahn Soo Ho spoke about how the reformation of the rich was going to take ce and what effects it would have in interviews, and everyone who had some money in Korea swarmed in.


    ¡°In the case of the affiliates, wouldn¡¯t the division make them lesspetitive? Then their business performance will worsen leading to fewer profits, so they¡¯ll have no choice but to restructure their organization andy off a lot of employees.¡±


    ¡°Daesan Group is working on how to resolve that.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re not responsible for it whatsoever?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the dissolution of the rich what you all wanted?¡±


    He made it sound like he was asking why they were causing a fuss when he was doing what they wanted.


    ¡°Regarding the system istion, Daesan Group already decided on their internal stance. Besides, Chairman Kim Dae San and Chairman Kim Dae Chan are good businessmen. They both believe that n management needs to end in order to make themselves morepetitive.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there isn¡¯t any special treatment?¡±


    ¡°Special treatment? The former employees of Daesan will hate me. I¡¯m scared about staying at Daesan Hotel now.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    He loosened up the mood. The 300-seat discussion meeting had a lighthearted atmosphere. It was an open event that even average people could attend as long as they signed up beforehand. Ahn Soo Ho had a discussion meeting every few days in order to help the Korean citizens understand, and he allowed both television and inte broadcasts to take ce.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there an unpleasant event at HBS recently, Chairman Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Unpleasant, yes... I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, there were no casualties.¡±


    Bridal Mask, who put on a very short broadcast at HBS, disappeared as quickly as he appeared. And he had already hidden by the time the police arrived.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it scary facing a terrorist face-to-face?¡±


    ¡°Since he was wearing an explosive vest, I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How did that happen? Please tell us in more detail.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with reformation though.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded in response.


    ¡°I ran into Bridal Mask in the middle of monitoring the broadcast station. Since one of our employees was captured as a captive, I had to take responsibility as the man in charge.¡±


    That night, Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Jang Seol Hyun got so angry that they hit him over the back.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on Bridal Mask¡¯s remark?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°For justice.¡±


    ¡®For justice!¡¯


    This was a phrase that wasforting. Shay Leeper put on a better act than he expected. Smart criminals that dreamt of perfect crimes were narcissists as well as perfectionists. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t trust him. Those with higher IQs tended to be more arrogant.


    ¡®Arrogant narcissists are exhibitionists.¡¯


    If a person would egg him on, he felt ttered, but there was a limit to everything.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Bridal Mask, Guy Fawkes, or some masked hero, they¡¯re not serving justice. What they doing is an injustice. Korea is a constitutional state. No matter how unfair it may seem, it¡¯s not right to ignore thew.¡±


    ¡°The citizens love it.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the people are not right?¡±


    The reporters showed sparkling eyes in hopes that they got a scoop.


    ¡°The reason why they cover their faces is because they don¡¯t¡¯ feel honorable. The reformationmittee doesn¡¯t have investigative authority, but we can urge the police and prosecution.¡±


    Was the justice of the unfortunate and the fortunate different?


    In terms of justice, what Ahn Soo Ho did was unjust. However, the people were so disappointed in Korea¡¯s upper ss, and their leadership that they loved the injustice. After all, it was refreshing to see.


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed at the camera.


    ¡°I need you.¡±


    Every listener probably sensed something different from that phrase.


    ¡°For justice.¡±


    It was time to end his game of justice.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 180 ¨C Six-Party Talks [1] >

 Chapter 182: < Protect – Episode 181 – Six-Party Talks [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 182: < Protect ¨C Episode 181 ¨C Six-Party Talks [2] ></h4>


    ¡°You tanned a lot.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon, who returned from the States with Logan and his underlings, was very tanned. To put it nicely, he looked manly, and to put it frankly, it was evident that he worked hard. He thought he would use his foot before his words and fist, but Lee Jung Hoon just stared at his big brother and then passed by him. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Logan¡¯s face and the back of Lee Jung Hoon with a shocked look on his face.


    ¡°Did he just ignore me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable, Soo Ho. He had to experience the military before he even got a notice for his mandatory service.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he can just ignore me.¡±


    ¡°If he can¡¯t win in a fight, I think it¡¯s wiser to just ignore that person.¡±


    ¡°He only learned bad things.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head and headed toward the exit with Logan by his side.


    ¡°What about the guys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a lot calmer now.¡±


    It was always sad to lose a colleague. And in the military, they were more than just business partners with mary rtions. Ahn Soo Ho did his best to perceive them as contractors, but he thought of them as more than family.


    ¡°Make the key members return to work and let the rest of them rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Any tackles?¡±


    ¡°As for the Military of National Defense, ck Fortune took care of it. He¡¯s a very skilled man.¡±


    The cautious acts beingmitted as a trend in America came to an end.


    ¡°What about Nancy?¡±


    ¡°Senator Brown was busy with her election.¡±


    ¡°You still took care of her, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    After Senator Fitzgerald went down due to the Davis Scandal, it was Nancy Brown who rose to be the presidential candidate. As a former prosecutor, her nature and abilities were a perfect fit. Fitzgerald, who was once the star of the hearing, became a scapegoat for yet another star of a hearing, Nancy Brown.


    ¡°How¡¯s President Olsen?¡±


    ¡°That incapable vice-president? He¡¯s still just as incapable. Scott took a really bad shit this time.¡±


    He might have been with Ahn Soo Ho now, but Logan was an American citizen. So there was no way his old habits were going to go anywhere. Henry G. Olsen was selected to serve the rest of the term as president, and ratings of the White House went down by 20% as a result. Their efforts to increase their ratings with a war backfired on them.


    Americans no longer trusted the US forces who were working on attacking Nigeria, and at this rate, President Olsen was at risk of getting impeached.


    ¡°Do you know a special agent named Emily Karen, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Of the FBI? I do. Why?¡±


    ¡°She resigned after getting involved in the scandal.¡±


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡±


    In return for resigning, he gave a small hint regarding Huxley Group. If Emily Karen waspetent, she probably took the lead and found evidence regarding the corrupt businesses being run by the British government on American soil. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t just the British who were involved in the crimes.


    ¡°We messed with a beehive.¡±


    ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°Laroche.¡±


    ¡°The deputy director of the FBI?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors that he didn¡¯t like Special Agent Karen from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Figures... He¡¯s very small-minded.¡±


    Deputy Director Adam Laroche of the FBI was like an old man who believed he was always right. He probably didn¡¯t go around making it known, but he was definitely a sexist.


    ¡°Did Huxley Group act through Laroche?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that... Why don¡¯t you ask Ms. Huxley yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    He had no interest in making an effort for that woman, but he felt bad. If American judicial authorities pressured the British Government, Barbara could have a wider radius of working space.


    ¡®I should tell herter.¡¯


    Barbara wanted revenge, but it was still too early. Ahn Soo Ho arrived at the parking lot right after Lee Jung Hoon left the taxi.


    ¡°He must be really mad.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lee will be all right.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°To put it in a Korean way, he¡¯s much more mature now.¡±


    The first thing Lee Jung Hoon did in States was to visit the war veteran hospital. There, he saw sights that were unheard of in Korea, and he even saw people with no limbs whatsoever. Where did they get motivation when their future was so uncertain past rehabilitation?


    ¡°Friends and family. The only reason to live on in a horrible world is that family and friends are there with you.¡±


    All countries were indebted to the war veterans. And in that sense, America made an effort to take societal responsibility. They were stillcking in many ways, but it was praiseworthy that they weren¡¯t ignoring the war veterans altogether.


    ¡°Once you realize the value of your friends and family, you mature quickly.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll resent me?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious, Soo Ho? Of course, he will. He will, 200%. You were the one who made him see something that he never would have wanted to see. Isn¡¯t it obvious that he resents you? But...¡±


    Logan sensed that Ahn Soo Ho treated Lee Jung Hoon differentlypared to his other brothers. He acted more like a strict father to him.


    ¡°He¡¯ll get through it well.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll realize your sincerity one day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if he does or not as long as he treats his mom and sister well.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care how he acted with him as well as he was good to Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye. As soon as they approached their destination, Logan cautiously asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Bridal Mask, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I was just sick of how things were dragging on. I was being too timid in Korea.¡±


    ¡°Did Kosi incite you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sort of. But I was the one who made the decision.¡±


    Logan didn¡¯t hate Kosino at a human level, but he just didn¡¯t like the negative image of how she handled her jobs.


    ¡°Secrets don¡¯tst forever.¡±


    ¡°No one will disclose it as long as I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Logan held back from adding, ¡°If they don¡¯t want to die, that is.¡± Ahn Soo Ho dropped off his underlings at their destination and then headed over to his. The U.S. army base in Yongsan was relocated to Pyeongtaek, and they were in the process of restoration. However, it was still a civilian ess zone. He headed to themand control center hidden deep within and met with his guests.


    ¡°Sorry. Am I thest one to arrive?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho arrived, they got up from their seats.


    ¡°No, we just got here, too.¡±


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    The 5 men weren¡¯t famous in the public eye.


    Compared to the Six-party talks held between Korea, America, China, Russia, Japan, and North Korea, their faces were that much more unfamiliar. However, these 5 receivedmands from their countries to discuss the peace of North-East Asia.


    Lee Yong Hee was unable to hide his stiff face. On the day he met Ahn Soo Ho in Pyeongyang, dozens of politicians including political director, Kim Taek Sun died. Lee Yong Hee had no interest in dancing on top of a sharp knife that was power.


    ¡°The chairman¡¯srade said he¡¯ll abide by your opinion no matter what.¡±


    ¡°I doubt Pig Kim came to his senses... Whose advise was it?¡±


    ¡°Defense Head Chae Myung Seon.¡±


    Calling someone a pig was one of the worst insults. Koreans probably didn¡¯t know this, but North Korea had a supply that depended on the world¡¯s mercenary market. Ahn Soo Ho also acknowledged North Korea¡¯sbat abilities. There were many workers being sent abroad to make money, and the money that they deposited into their ounts in North Korea was fairlyrge.


    ¡®Chae Myung Seon.¡¯


    He had never met him before, but he had met his daughter before.


    ¡®Chae Soo Hyang.¡¯


    Alexa chose her Korean name to be Soo Hee because of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence as well as Chae Soo Hyang. When they met her in Switzend, her impression was so strong that it made them forget all of the stereotypes made about North Korean women.


    ¡°Is she doing well?¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    No name was mentioned but Lee Yong Hee knew who he was talking about. Following North Korea, America, China, Russia, and Japan tried to greet each other, but the greetings ended there. Ahn Soo Ho got straight to the point.


    ¡°Six-party talks... The excuse was pretty good.¡±


    The six-party talks reopened following North Korea¡¯s provocation, and it put on quite the show in the Korean penins. In contrast to the vibrant show though, they had a different hidden intention; that was to be envoys of their own secret missions.


    ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°The true intention of theplete neutrality zone.¡±


    It was China who spoke up first. Deputy Head Soonming was put in a difficult position by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sudden deration. That was because, after the reformation, China put in the most effort in their partnership with Korea. Since Korea was America¡¯s ally, they were naturally allies as well, but their rtionship wasn¡¯t that solid.


    Since China wanted power in Asia, Japan was more theirpetitor, and they saw Korea as a useful feed they could use to bring North Korea to the negotiation table. So they made a lot of political, economic, and cultural efforts for thest 20 years, and it was finally time to bear the fruits.


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at Soonming¡¯s stiff face.


    ¡°I have no intention of interfering with battles between nations.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you take down the Korean government or swallow up the Korean organizations.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Soonming¡¯s face finally loosened up, and a few others sighed in relief.


    ¡°Did you put on these six-party talk show because you thought I was going to give Korea a special treatment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say this... but yes.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Did you think I was going to try to reunite North and South Korea? Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want to stop any customs.¡±


    No one could deny him.


    The rtionship between the north and the south wasn¡¯t just their problem alone. There were many political tactics hiding within it, and it was an international issue with many countries involved. If he messed with that unterally, Ahn Soo Ho was going to be in a tough situation as well. Business was a two-sided exchange. One-sided pressuring led to failure.


    ¡°But Japan went too far. They cheated way too much this time. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The friendly vibe went cold. Minister Maruyama looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Regarding Fidelity Association, we don¡¯t have anything to say either, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Is it because the old men are hard to control?¡±


    ¡°There are limits with new bureaucrats. In any case, the stand-in prime minister is on your side. Along with Chief Cab Secretary Shiba, he¡¯s working on making Japan be born again as a new country. But there are parts that can¡¯t be changed.¡±


    ¡°Yakuza?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yakuzas are hard for us to control. Their influence is huge both in Tokyo and even more so in rural areas.¡±


    Tokyo was at the center of Japan, but the decentralization of the police and governmental authority worsened toward the rural areas. The rural areas were so different that people doubted they were still in Japan, and in many cases, thew didn¡¯t apply as they should have.


    ¡°If the old men can¡¯t be controlled, I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Maruyama groaned, but he didn¡¯t protest. They knew as well that Fidelity Association was going to lead Japan to its doom. However, no one wanted to arm themselves and run into the battlefield, so it had been put off until now.


    Japan¡¯s public opinion was divided into two.


    Fidelity Association established a strong foundation in the rural areas using bribery, connections and politics while newer bureaucrats and politicians led Tokyo, and at the center of it was Chief Cab Secretary Shiba. Japan of the 21st century was still in a tug-of-war between democracy and feudality.


    Russia didn¡¯t have much to say.


    That was because the Russian ambassador to Korea controlled Moscow, but he attended anyway just for show. The deputy head from Russia didn¡¯t say anything after the greetings. Lastly, the one America sent was unexpected.


    ¡°I know I told you to stand behind D.C... but since when did you lick the president¡¯s ass hole, James?¡±


    ¡°Haha! This is embarrassing.¡±


    ck Fortune, also known as James ck seemed embarrassed. Ahn Soo Ho sent him to speak for him, so he didn¡¯t know they would send him back to represent them. Were they still after him? Since this was his choice and responsibility there was no point in saying more.


    ¡°Did Nancy change her stance as well?¡±


    ¡°No, Soo Ho. We didn¡¯t change our stance.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this?¡±


    ¡°We just want a win-win scenario.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms.


    ¡°I thought was generous enough to not revise SOFA.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Korea and America¡¯s Status of Forces Agreement weren¡¯t just about the military. There were times when American spies caused an ident in Korea but got out of it using SOFA. When America really tried to get someone out, not even Ahn Soo Ho could stop them.


    Soonming watched by hoping that the conversation would intensify. Today¡¯s meeting was informal, but if Ahn Soo Ho said ¡®Get out, US Military!¡± they would have had to pack up and leave. From China¡¯s stance, if the US military left the Korean penins, they might as well give North Korea to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°The US military won¡¯t get into any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m going to get involved in any of that... But if the CIA or the DIA butt in, it¡¯ll be a headache. I¡¯m having a hard enough time taking care of the people in my house.¡±


    The number of spies that entered Hosoo Entertainment through the open audition was in the two digits, and the reason behind only sending rookies instead of the veterans was obvious.


    ¡°What are they going to do after finding my whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°Your worth didn¡¯t decrease just because you retired, Soo Ho. The world is still full of problems and no one knows when another one¡¯s going to happen. The ones at the top just want insurance. The kind of insurance that only the Guardian Angel can provide.¡±


    .9% of the countries weren¡¯t after information about Ahn Soo Ho because they wanted to go against him.


    ¡°I¡¯m retired though.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to those who are desperate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Since the 5 men had different opinions, they didn¡¯t reveal everything to each other. China was ufortable with America and Japan, so he reserved his words, and in the same way, America and Japan weren¡¯t sure about China, so they reserved their words as well. On the other hand, Russia was just watching by while North Korea had no power to lead in the first ce.


    ¡°When will these six-party talks end?¡±


    Soonming answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°We were going to wrap it up as soon as we resolve your case.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the scenario?¡±


    ¡°An agreement proposing a peaceful resolution to the North Korean issue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an annual event.¡±


    Many negotiations about North Korea and human rights took ce until now, but the ns were never sessfully carried out. Lee Yong Hee carefully asked.


    ¡°Is there something you want, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t care if North Korea makes nuclear weapons or not.¡±


    He held back from adding, ¡°Because I can just destroy you all.¡± Ahn Soo Ho had a secret pocket with unlimited space.


    ¡®Oh! Should I get rid of their nuclear waste in return for rights? That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡¯


    He was able to preserve nuclear waste and then send them out to space. He thought of a great business idea, but he was unable to finish. James ck was anxious to hear Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Allow us to use Captain America, Soo Ho.¡±


    This let China, Japan, Russia, and North Korea find out about Captain America¡¯s identity, but James didn¡¯t care if they found out.


    ¡°That was yours anyway. Why are you asking for my permission?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    James simply called his name in response to his shameless remark.


    ¡°Fine. Do what you want. But in return, put on the bridal mask, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Bridal Mask wasbeled as a terrorist by the Korean government, and in contrast to Captain America, Bridal Mask killed civilians. In that sense, Bridal Mask was very different from Captain America.


    ¡°Forget it then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    James gave in and Ahn Soo Ho put away his yful face and looked at the 5 men with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Deliver this message for me. I¡¯m not that flexible. Just because it¡¯s aplete neutrality zone doesn¡¯t mean you should have your guard down. Everyone has a right to protect themselves. However, if anyone enters with a clear intention and causes an ident, I¡¯m going to consider that hostile behavior and act ordingly.¡±


    Letting Ahn Da Sol overkill in a bridal mask was also his way of sending them a warning. Fidelity Association and Yakuzas that entered Korea could be the triad next time as well as the red mafia of the North Korean spies.


    ¡°Since one month is too soon... Let¡¯s go with half a year.¡±


    The Korean mafia would probably go after that vacant seat and cause a ruckus, but that was for the Korean police to resolve.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 181 ¨C Six-Party Talks [2] > The end.

 Chapter 183: < Protect – Episode 182 – Shotgun[1] >

    <h4>Chapter 183: < Protect ¨C Episode 182 ¨C Shotgun[1] ></h4>


    Korea¡¯s organized crime functioned quite well. Just because they didn¡¯t shoot guns like the Yankees or was seen to the public eye didn¡¯t mean they disappeared. Koreans¡¯ responses to foreign organized crime were lukewarm, and with all things considered Korean police¡¯s marketing skills weren¡¯t too shabby either.


    Korea¡¯s safety was on the high side, and there was no intention to jeopardize that. However, there were cases where certain figures were fabricated. In particr, when It came to murder and missing cases, many adjustments were made. Also, Korean police avoided investigating organized crimes of foreigners.


    If they ended up investigating foreigners, they would have to work with the embassy, and not a single government wanted to confront a diplomatic problem. Korea¡¯s politicians and government workers shrunk in front of diplomatic issues. This country was very afraid of foreigners.


    While there were police officers dedicated to making the country safe, there were also those trying to avoid troublesome cases. This was more rampant as they elevated in rank, and they wanted to be promoted without any trouble more than anything. Therefore, they avoided the words ¡®organized¡¯ and ¡®foreiner¡¯.


    Was that why? It wasn¡¯t just the civilians who were cheering on Bridal Mask. The police were also angry at the criminals that got away with crimes due to theirwyers orck of evidence. Some of the media even questioned if Bridal Mask had to be caught because of the gap between the rich and the poor when it came to thew.


    Despite the many incidents and scandals, President Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s ratings were at 60%. The remaining 40% weren¡¯t opposed but rather wanted to watch the situation, so the results of the reformation of the rich were going to yield the final results. The media also criticized whether the current president was Lee Joong Hyun or Ahn Soo Ho, but the Blue House continued to work hard at establishing a reformation.


    ¡°Watch out for Lee Joong Hyun. He knows how to use Ahn Soo Ho well. Seeing how he can do that, he must have quick wits.¡±


    ¡°But why did Soo Ho ept his unreasonable request?¡±


    ¡°Unreasonable request? Do you think epting the chairman position was too much?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! He had already talked to Daesan Group, and since Soo Ho has nothing to do with vested rights himself, he¡¯s more than suitable.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with vested rights? What about his Naval Academy ssmates?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t he seed by effort alone? Of course, it really depends on how you define vested rights. What¡¯s for certain is that you can¡¯t say Soo Ho grew up in Korea.¡±


    A group of students was talking about Ahn Soo Ho as if they were his friends. Ahn Soo Ho became someone with a name that was mentioned all over the country. His Hosoo Entertainment Group was a part of the reason why, but it also had to do with the fact that his celebrities were close with their CEO.


    People were infatuated by him, who kept good rtions with his employees making Oh Joo Kyung and the other executives give him scoldings. This was a great example of good cop, bad cop. Since even the most famous celebrities imed Ahn Soo Ho was a good person, all Koreans believed it. After all, being rough with words and being a good person were twopletely different things.


    ¡°So evil!¡±


    Once Jang Seol Hyun heard about the n that Ahn Soo Ho was going to unfold, she was shocked by how wicked it was. Even though she wasn¡¯t the female lead that only found out about the true identity of her lover after everything was done, she was still happy.


    The fact that he shared a secret was a great thing.


    However, the truth that Ahn Soo Ho was Bridal Mask made her worry.


    ¡°What if the resentmentes back to bite us?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun also knew that the world of the upper ss wasn¡¯t all that beautiful.


    The upper ss was rampant with illegal and cheating ways. She wasn¡¯t so weak that she would tremble in front of it though. If she was, she wouldn¡¯t have be a top celebrity in the first ce. Just like the upper ss, the entertainment world was also full of jealousy, betrayal, and exposure.


    Considering that fact, Jang Seol Hyun was no ordinary person either.


    ¡°I want to be a woman that suits you. I¡¯ll work harder.¡±


    ¡°Stop that nonsense. The only woman I¡¯ll ever love is Jang Seol Hyun. I just want you for you. So don¡¯t make any useless effort.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho... you really don¡¯t understand women, do you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect him to be touched, but she wanted to hear apliment, but Ahn Soo Ho scolded her instead. She was a little sad. But on the other hand, she was relieved that he was still the same. Jang Seol Hyun pretended like she didn¡¯t care about the women around Ahn Soo Ho, but she did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know women? What are you talking about? I was Giovanni at one point!¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    ¡°Wow! Too many people underestimate me these days.¡±


    He pounded his chest out of frustration.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    After a long dispute, they started looking through the wedding catalogs. It was a Korean custom to leave the wedding preparations to the groom¡¯s mother, but he didn¡¯t want topletely be out of it either. Jang Seol Hyun was stressed about wedding preparations. He had a hard time adjusting to her way of speaking that switched back and forth between formal and informal.


    ¡± Why is it so expensive here?¡±


    ¡°Just change it.¡±


    ¡°We should probably get a big bed, right?¡±


    ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy having someone get angry with her and agreeing to everything she liked, but his friends told him to go along with it. The climax was making the decision for their wedding venue.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to rent a chartered ne all the way to Hawaii?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t put them all in the private jet. Should I just buy another one?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? That¡¯s too expensive! No way!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun pped Ahn Soo Ho on the arm. Even when they told their parents that they were going to get married in Hawaii, both parents seemed hesitant. As people of an older generation, they felt ufortable seeing a bunch of Yankees. It wasn¡¯t about thenguage barrier but just their physiological rejection to them.


    It was easier to get married in Korea, but it was likely going to be crazy no matter how hard they tried to keep it a secret. So they were better off just going abroad. Some would probably still stalk them there, but if they acted how they acted in Korea, they were going to end up in jail.


    ¡°If we invite all our friends and family... Yeah, there isn¡¯t enough room.¡±


    There was no guarantee that she was only going to get married once, but women had fantasies about their weddings. Just because Jang Seol Hyun was luxurious didn¡¯t mean she wanted an extravagant wedding. She just wanted to be congratted by a lot of people.


    ¡°But what about your public career?¡±


    ¡°My public career?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a chairman of something like that now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    What most citizens didn¡¯t know was that the chairman of the reformationmittee wasn¡¯t a public figure, but he wasn¡¯t a public official that needed to report his wealth and personal information. That was how he could tell that President Lee Joong Hyun was a clever man.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t a hands-on-staff.


    If he was, he would have resigned. There was no way he would volunteer to bury himself in documents. The proposal that he received only required him to be the face of themittee, but it was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s job to be in charge of Daesan Group. However, the huge tsunami called the reformation of the rich hid what was really taking ce behind the scenes.


    ¡®Power with an expiry date fears retaliation.¡¯


    Same went for Lee Joong Hyun. The reason why the president was messing with the NIS was because he knew the power of information. The only way he could control the hyenas that will be lurking around even after his resignation was to hold on to the opponent¡¯s weakness. There wasn¡¯t a single Korean president that ended up well after resigning from their post.


    Lee Joong Hyun was a fairly upright head of state.


    However, what about his friends and family? Was it possible that he received support in an upright manner? Corruption wasn¡¯t only about the acts that hemitted. Behind the mask of the reformation of the rich, Lee Joong Hyun was actually going toward obtaining more information. The reason why not much could be done about Bridal Mask was also due tock of information.


    Ahn Soo Ho and Lee Joong Hyun


    A businessman and the president


    This was also a rtionship between business and politics.


    Everyone was sensitive when it came to their own profits. Unless they were some saint with morals and wisdom, they were always going to interpret things in a way that it would benefit them. That was normal. Jang Seol Hyun finished filming her film, but it hadn¡¯t premiered yet. Considering the post-production processes, it was going to take between 6 months to a year before it was released.


    ¡®We should have a wedding before her belly shows.¡¯


    He had no intention of hiding the pregnancy. It was something to be congratted and nothing to be embarrassed about. If anyone decided to mess around about Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s pregnancy, he was going to send them straight to hell. He didn¡¯t care if he was acting childish and immature.


    The secretary entered and looked for Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Chairman Ahn.¡±


    Seeing how he interfered despite the do-not-disturb notice, it must have been important. He excused himself and left the room. When he got out, he was faced with the troubled face of someone from the government. Today was a weekend which meant government workers had the day off.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Chairman Ahn. We received orders to escort you to the Blue House immediately.¡±


    ¡°For what reason?¡±


    ¡°All I can tell you... is that the NSC has been summoned. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Ye... Yes, Sir!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho led the way.


    NSC


    Short for National Security Council. Since the six-party talks were in the works, he didn¡¯t consider North Korea¡¯s provocation as a possibility. If this was really Pig Kim¡¯s doing, he was ready to go to Pyeonyang and cook him alive.


    He thought about looking into it himself, but since he didn¡¯t get a call from Alexa or Kosino, that meant it didn¡¯t have anything to do with Bridal Mask. He arrived at the Blue House and went through a quick search before heading to the bunker. He heard that the bunker wasn¡¯t open unless there was an emergency.


    ¡®Alexa! Kosi! Where are they?¡¯


    Were they cking off somewhere?


    ¡°Chairman Ahn!¡±


    President Lee Joong Hyun, who was talking to the NSC members, spotted Ahn Soo Ho and ran over.


    ¡°Did I startle you? I¡¯m sorry for the sudden call.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay that I¡¯m here? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m qualified, Mr. President.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. The information will be revealed soon anyway. Right, this way.¡±


    The ce that the president escorted him to was filled with influential people who began to stare at him. Some looked at him favorably while others looked at him with curiosity or puzzlement.


    ¡°Please brief us again, Minister.¡±


    The minister of National Defense nced over at the officer beside him to which he began the briefing.


    ¡°One hour ago, dozens of war correspondents along the border of Nigeria and Niger were kidnapped.¡±


    The U.S. military¡¯s n to invade Nigeria didn¡¯t pass through the UN, but on the outside, they made it seem like the US Navy got the permission from the Nigerian government to bring down the rebels who weremitting terror. No matter the reason, there was no way the residents of Africa would be happy to see the US military. Since it was possible for a country¡¯s government to not be able topletely control a region, they wanted the US military to take down all its reactants.


    However, in the 21st century where everyone had phone cameras, it probably wasn¡¯t easy to wipe everyone out with a tank. Most importantly, the diseases that were going around in Africa reminded the American soldiers of their nightmares from the Vietnam war. However, even that was a difficulty that themand expected.


    ¡®The problem is that the base of the terrorist group, Boko Haram isn¡¯t certain.¡¯


    This was a war, but it wasn¡¯t a simple war where it was over once one side imednd. In other words, upation didn¡¯t mean anything. Boko Haram invaded Niger, Chad, and Cameron and harassed the US Military and Nigerian government. They probably wanted to trace them down and kill them, but the US military was unable to go against the rules for any reason.


    ¡®Dilemma.¡¯


    There was nothing a superpower thug nation couldn¡¯t do. However, if the allied forces of America and Nigeria passed the borders of Niger, Chad, and Cameron, it was no longer going to be a rebel sweep. At that moment, it would be an African war or an Imic war. The American assembly was so worried that another ck hole would form in Africa that they were busy putting pressure on the White House.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho raised his hand, the officer nodded.


    ¡°What is it, Chairman Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Is the US military being protected?¡±


    ¡°The Marine Corps escorted them, but they were annihted.¡±


    ¡°What about the US military rescue unit?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the middle of negotiating a n.¡±


    Negotiation? As someone educated as him, he somehow didn¡¯t know how the military worked. If the kidnapping happened 1 hour ago, the US military should have gone in to rescue operation and yielded results already. But the US military and the Pentagon had no reason to put Ennd and France aside to yield to the Korean National Defense.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked through the list of kidnappees.


    ¡¯85 kidnapped, most of them are Americans while some of them are French, British, German, Spanish, Italian... and a lot of Japanese, too.¡¯


    There were only 3 Koreans. Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head. Did the Korean government suddenly feel a mission to protect the lives of Koreans abroad?


    ¡®What a joke.¡¯


    There had been quite a few kidnapping cases abroad, but this was the first time the Blue House summoned the NSC in under an hour.


    ¡°There must be a pretty important person among the kidnapped, Mr. President. If not, why were such busy men summoned like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say this, but you¡¯re right, Chairman Ahn.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyunughed bitterly in response. The president gestured for the officer to put up a profile on the screen.


    ¡°Choi Ye Won.¡±


    She was pretty, but she had the sharp eyes and stubborn lips of Kim Soo Jung. Did all female journalists turn into fierce lions? If so, he was going to stop his little sister from bing one herself. What woke him up from his thoughts was hearing a familiar name.


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Chairman Choi Han Rim.¡±


    ¡°Choi Han Rim?¡±


    He remembered the name. He heard it from his ssmate not long ago.


    ¡°Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff?¡±


    Chairman Choi Han Rim of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s head naturally turned sideways. There, he noticed a 4-star general sitting with a miserable look on his face. There were many who looked down on the joint chiefs of staff, but no one could look down on Chairman Choi Han Rim.


    Ahn Soo Ho got up and saluted him in respect.


    The other soldiers wouldn¡¯t be surprised by his random act and got up to salute him as well. He dropped out of the Naval Academy, but the habits he got there remained for life. After his ssmate mentioned Choi Han Rim, Ahn Soo Ho looked into the name as well. He first became amissioned officer in the 80¡¯s and naturally gained stars by not making any errors. Some might have criticized hiscency, but he was the most respected man in this whole ce.


    ¡®The number one mission ofmanders should be to return all military personnel safely to their family.¡¯


    That was what Ahn Soo Ho believed when he was a mercenary.


    No matter what kind of military, it was difficult to be inmand. There were many horrible things that had to be done. By concealing incidents and pushing the me of mistakes on his underlings, Choi Han Rim stayed loyal to his duties as a military officer.


    ¡°Let me make a promise to you, Chairman Choi.¡±


    He hated being overly patriotic, but he followed his true feelings this time.


    ¡°Your daughter will be safe.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 182 ¨C Shotgun [1] > The end.

 Chapter 184: < Protect – Episode 183 – Shotgun [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 184: < Protect ¨C Episode 183 ¨C Shotgun [2] ></h4>


    The reporters covering the Nigerian war sent out breaking news on that same day.


    Reporters of CNN, BBC, Roiter, Madrid CH1, Fox News and other international news media have been kidnapped!


    A joint statement has been made requesting that they return the reporters safely!


    The humiliation of the US military! The annihtion of the troops proves how unprepared they were for war!


    The evil Boko Haram! Rumors that he might rape the female reporters before decapitating them!


    Ahn Soo Hoter found out that the entire Marine Corps weren¡¯t annihted. It was Nigeria¡¯s military that was annihted. If that was the case, why was it reported that the US Marine Corps was annihted?


    ¡°Boko Haram exaggerate for propaganda, but what¡¯s funny is that the US military didn¡¯t strongly dispute it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the whole toon that was annihted, but a squad.¡±


    What Kosino found out was that the Nigerian war wasn¡¯t going the way the US military expected. The Pentagon looked down on Boko Haram¡¯s abilities. Since America¡¯s Ministry of National Defense and the White House thought the US military was the most powerful, they didn¡¯t consider the possibility of losing. The most capablemanders always put aside a n B no matter what.


    ¡°The US military isn¡¯t stupid. If they achieved their objective, they have no reason to linger around in Nigeria.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The US military isn¡¯t stupid. However, civil control ispletely in America¡¯s hands.¡±


    Themanders of the US military continued to maximize its efficiency. Their system was different from that of the Chinese Communist Party, but the US military also had a top advisory board. There were many at that. The organizations were so outstanding that they were also called the key think tanks of the US military.


    ¡°The military research institute, Samuel Beecher stressed that this war must be ended within 6 months.¡±


    War wasn¡¯t determined in an instant.


    There were countless organizations and research institutes rted to America¡¯s national defense policy, and they provided so many reports that a single person couldn¡¯t read all of it in their lifetime. Not all policy organizations or institutes weed war. In the case of the Afghanistan war, most of the organizations opposed to it because they predicted that they would use more money in sunk cost than what they would make.


    And their predictions were correct.


    People thought that the US military¡¯s Iraq-Afghanistan war was over, but that wasn¡¯t true. America poured an astronomical amount of funds and materials to the Middle East. It was difficult to take back a national policy that was already set, and the businesses that made an agreement with the nation didn¡¯t want to give up something that made them money.


    That was where lobbyists came in.


    This was also why the Middle East was called the ck hole. It was right for all military action to cease once the objective of the war was achieved, but to capitalists who saw war as profitable, it was just business. On top of that, political logic went abovemon sense.


    Then what was the biggest side effect of a privatepany controlling a military? It was right for a violent organization to be strictly monitored. It was right to put a leash on them so that they wouldn¡¯t act as they please, but there were times when privatepanies needed to exert more control over their military.


    ¡°The US military gave the reporters a strict warning. They told them that the border was dangerous and that they should stay at their post, but the problem was their passion as reporters...¡±


    ¡°You never know what reporters will do next.¡±


    ¡°Well, the media industry does have a way of inciting fiercepetition between one another.¡±


    Once they started living in the world of journalism where their careers depended on inside scoops and urgent reports, they quickly forgot about their own safety. As a result, they got into one ident after another.


    ¡°The reporters convinced the Nigerian army into leaving their post behind the US military¡¯s back. It¡¯s possible that...¡±


    ¡°Money was involved.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Reporters of journalism ignoring the processes and resorting to bribery? That was pretty ironic, but that was the reality. Not all reporters had the same belief of intensity and justice.


    ¡°What about the early countermeasure team?¡±


    ¡°A squad of the US Marine Corps was dispatched, but...¡±


    ¡°Was that how the squad was lost?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. They were ambushed.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin.


    ¡°Boko Haram¡¯s strategy was bold. Kidnapping the reporters and then ambushing the US military... I smell something fishy. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a spy, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the US military, but can we trust Nigeria¡¯s security?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Nigeria was once a Britishmonwealth nation. They were no longer a part of us, but considering how their mainnguage was still English, their influence must have been quite strong. When America decided to invade Nigeria without the UN¡¯s permission, the first to oppose was Ennd.


    America and Ennd


    Ennd and America


    Yesterday, they were friendly like two siblings, but today, they were growling at each other like monkeys. They were so tight when there was a terrorist attack in both New York and London, but when America insisted on making the terrorist take responsibility, Ennd strongly opposed.


    ¡°It was the Yankees that instigated the New York terrorist attack in the first ce, and the ones who used the rage of the Yankees were the Limeys and French.¡±


    The terrorist attacks in New York and London were a tragic result of internal conflicts between the British and the French. To be more exact, Africa was just a victim that got used in the process. And when the Yankees, Limeys, and the French should have taken responsibility, they raged instead. In Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes, the Nigerian war was like a ckedy.


    Scott Davis was the main lead


    A.K.A Dakoma-Jacob Smith supporting lead


    Then would the American president be a minor role while Ransel Straussmorrow was the filming director? Come to think of it, the only key person involved who was still alive was Barbara Huxley. The ones standing in between wealth and power thrived for thousands of years while others died and got hurt. As a result, they didn¡¯t feel threatened by small crises and suspicions. They didn¡¯t see the public as pigs, but as soon as they got in the way of their profits, they started acting like one.


    ¡°Any way to get Choi Ye Won out?¡±


    ¡°Just her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The first one to respond was Logan.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t one call do the trick, Soo Ho? Boko Haram wouldn¡¯t turn down your request.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. If the US finds out, that¡¯ll get tiresome.¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t retired, he would have received countless calls from the Pentagon. The Sao Paolo rescue operation was to save the American president¡¯s niece, and Sharlotte Davis was an important client who knew his secret number, so he couldn¡¯t turn them down.


    ¡°They¡¯re denying it, but the amount of monitoring around me has probably intensified.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably hard topletely get rid of NSA.¡±


    Following the Snowden incident, America put everything into creating a monitoring system that would watch the world. No matter how much the American president resisted and the assembly threatened them, they had no intention of slowing down. When it came to national security, half of it involved dirty things.


    Kosino carefully asked.


    ¡°Are you getting involved in this... in order to win over the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff? Or are you trying to win points from the military authorities?¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reformation road map was simple.


    He nned on attacking the rich, information, military, and diplomats in that order, but once President Lee Joong Hyun started to look into information, he had to change the order. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had some grand scheme. Just relieving some personnel congestion allowed the corruption to revolve. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t hoping for Korea to be the cleanest country in the world.


    ¡®If you want heaven, go to church.¡¯


    People had to make their own change.


    ¡°Did I tell you the president promised me the position of Minister of National Defense?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. You told me to find someone qualified.¡±


    ¡°Did you find someone?¡±


    Kosino shook her head.


    ¡°Were my standards that strict?¡±


    ¡°Since they prefer someone from the military to take that position, it¡¯s pretty difficult. On top of that, if we look for a civilian, it¡¯s nearly impossible. Do you know what¡¯s even more ridiculous? Despite the anxiety regarding the North and South, military research is going at baby steps. They surprisingly don¡¯t have an interest in the military. Is it the Koreans that are weird? Or am I the weird one?¡±


    ¡°Our country is pretty weird.¡±


    ¡°Why is there no interest in national defense when war could break out at any moment?¡±


    The reason why Korea¡¯s militarycked proper control of civilians was because it had always been someone from the military in the position of Minister of National Defense. They preferred someone from the military for their military expertise, but regardless of how well they knew the military, there was no guarantee that they would defend the nation properly. It was actually because they were from military backgrounds that corruption existed.


    Not even the most wokemanders could escape from the standardized countermeasures that they were trained to use. So the belief that military problems had to be resolved within the military was a dangerous belief. The military had to be monitored by people other than the military. If not, idents were going to be concealed and mistakes were going to be covered up.


    Without proper responsibility taking ce, the incidents and idents within the military were going to be forever repeated. Whether they were intelligent or dumb, people turned into a part of a big machine as soon as they entered the military. In the Korean military where they put stress on the importance of standards, groundbreaking strategies were not needed.


    ¡°No interest, huh...? There are manyplicated reasons, but first of all, our country doesn¡¯t have a culture of respecting the military. Why would they have an interest in something they don¡¯t respect? They just scorn them.¡±


    ¡°Because of the coup d¡¯etat?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one reason. But the biggest reason might be the failed armed struggle against Japan. It¡¯s true that our independence was given rather than stolen.¡±


    If the Japanese empire hadn¡¯t struck Pearl Harbor and irritated America, the Korean penins still could have their rule to this day. However, it wasn¡¯t right to look down on the armed struggle against Japan.


    ¡®What would have happened if it wasn¡¯t thrown into the whirlpool of ideologies?¡¯


    Korea might have been the biggest victim of the Cold War.


    ¡°Our country¡¯s probably the only nation that gets annihted with our opponents right in front of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many times that North Korea and South Korea are one. Many believe that we¡¯ll be reunited one day.¡±


    ¡°That was back in the day. No one cares about that anymore. They¡¯re busy arguing how unification would bring them any profits.¡±


    In about 30 years, there would be no more talk about reunification.


    Ahn Soo Ho made his decision.


    ¡°Kosi, get more information about the Comradery Association.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Logan, strengthen our defense against the leaders.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    By leaders, he was referring to the ones who demonstrated the most violence within the triad. As soon as the two left, Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone. The Blue House called, so he ran out without being able to greet Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Yeah. Sorry. I can¡¯t make it to dinner. Yeah. The reports? No. I have nothing to do with it. I¡¯m sure the diplomats will take care of it. Yeah.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun thought Ahn Soo Ho had something to do with the breaking news, but he pretended otherwise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go home as soon as I can. Yeah. Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was astonished. Did she have superpowers, too? He put his phone away and moved quietly, and by that, that meant he moved on his own without any apaniment. Ahn Soo Ho broke into Lee Yong Hee¡¯s hotel.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Lee Yong Hee was on his way out of the shower when he gasped. It was amazing that he didn¡¯t actually scream.


    ¡°We meet again.¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t do this, Soo Ho. My heart¡¯s weak.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys hate exercise when you eat all that greasy food? That¡¯s why you all look like pigs. Seeing how the head of state has a triple chin... If you want to live long, you should exercise.¡±


    Lee Yong Hee disregarded his insulting remarks. That was because Ahn Soo Ho called him a pig before.


    ¡°Is the proposal still valid?¡±


    ¡°What proposal?¡±


    ¡°The one about agreeing to whatever I say.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then I have a request.¡±


    Lee Yong Hee stood up straight in response. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s requests also required deep consideration. In North Korea¡¯s political world, his guarantee was just like a pardon that spared his life. No dictator would have been able to hold back anger if he didn¡¯t keep a promise made with Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°How many soldiers do you have that can be dispatched to North Africa right away?¡±


    ¡°By Africa... are you talking about the reporters?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We could probably prepare 100 in a day or 300 in four days.¡±


    ¡°Then dispatch as many as you can. I¡¯ll make sure to pay you for it.¡±


    ¡°No, just...¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡±


    Lee Yong Hee was going to refuse his money when Ahn Soo Ho cut him off.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you what I hate the most?¡±


    ¡°Hm, fooling around with lives?¡±


    ¡°If you know that, why are you being like that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    In response to Lee Yong Hee¡¯s apology, Ahn Soo Ho just waved his hand.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be too much danger. They just have to deliver a message to Boko Haram for me.¡±


    ¡°A messenger? Wouldn¡¯t calling be a lot faster?¡±


    ¡°There would be too many ears listening if I called.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lee Yong Hee understood.


    North Korea also had a headache regarding America¡¯s monitoring system. Yankees had been known for ripping off even allies for quite some time. If North Korea hadn¡¯t been so closed off, they would have been ripped off as well. What was ironic was that the only ce America couldn¡¯t prate with their monitoring system was North Korea. Lee Yong Hee received the note that Ahn Soo Ho handed him and put it in his pouch.


    Ahn Soo Ho leaned backfortably on the couch.


    ¡°Now finish what you were talking about.¡±


    The talk that they couldn¡¯t finish because of America, China, Russia, and Japan.


    ¡°The chairman¡¯srades want to normalize Gaeseong Industrial Complex.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that hard when this side is willing to give you anything? Just exchange it for closing down nuclear weapon development.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that that¡¯s impossible, Soo Ho?¡±


    North Korea was never going to stop developing nuclear weapons. That was the only weapon that North Korea could use on the negotiation table.


    ¡°So you want help during the negotiation?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°They want to leave Gaeseong Industrial Complex with a partner they can trust.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t so slow that he didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do manufacturing businesses.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯ve misunderstood me, Soo Ho. By partner, I¡¯m not saying you have to create a factory.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped hisughter in response.


    ¡°We want to lease you all of Gaeseong Industrial Complex.¡±


    He was speechless.


    If people found out that he was apart of this conversation, people were going to call him amie for sure. Pig Kim wanted to give himnd. All of Gaeseong Industrial Complex, at that. His intention was obvious.


    ¡°He wants to use me as bullet bait? Is Pig Kim crazy?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It¡¯s not like you¡¯d lose anything. The main agent of this deal would be you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I hate the most.¡±


    As Lee Yong Hee said, no harm would go to his wealth. However, that was why he felt even more insulted.


    ¡°And the party officers agree to this?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the chairman who was shocked by the mass killing. They all think seriously about this.¡±


    ¡°So they want to get on my good side?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Was he supposed to find this funny or consider it a serious matter? It appeared that even North Korea was minding someone. He didn¡¯t know Kim Taek Sun¡¯s death would be that effective.


    ¡°Will there be no interference at all?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to physically iste us or anything, right?¡±


    ¡°No one wants to die.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. That was what he did every time he went deep into thought. His thoughts concluded sooner than he intended.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 183 ¨C Shotgun [2] > The end.

 Chapter 185: < Protect – Episode 184 – Shotgun [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 185: < Protect ¨C Episode 184 ¨C Shotgun [3] ></h4>


    ¡°Hey, hey! Lee Jung Hoon! Did you...¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon hung up the phone. The manager in the driver¡¯s seat nced over and asked.


    ¡°Was that Ha Sung Jin again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was that crazy bastard.¡±


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s okay to curse, but do it in front of people you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    The manager was surprised by Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s easygoing answer.


    ¡®Did he mature?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t just his manager that was surprised. The assistant manager, as well as the coordinator, were shocked. They tried their best not to make it show, but they were unable to fool an actor.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°So... sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    It was Lee Jung Hoon who was embarrassed by the apology he received. He then let out a deep sigh.


    ¡®I must¡¯ve done wrong after all.¡¯


    He finally realized how much he hurt the people around him after bing famous.


    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll forgive that bastard, Soo Ho!¡¯


    He called him Soo Ho out of respect but added ¡®bastard¡¯ to emphasize his rage, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted him to die. Since he still had some affection for him, it was hard to describe how he felt. Some might have cussed at him calling him a spoiled pig, but he wasn¡¯t fond of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s dark shadow.


    ¡®But what can I do? He¡¯s still family...¡¯


    Lee Jung Hoon, who faced the cruel reality, saw just how important family was.


    ¡®What if it was me?¡¯


    Just thinking about living life with a disability made him feel hopeless. How would he have epted it himself if he became a cripple? Would he be able to ept the cold truth? Lee Jung Hoon shook his head.


    ¡®I¡¯d probably justmit suicide.¡¯


    The easiest way to escape the pain of reality was to end life. This was the first time Lee Jung Hoon ever thought about suicide. Until now, he thought of people whomitted suicide as mental patients. However, some just didn¡¯t have enough courage to live on, and that was a heavy burden and disease that Lee Jung Hoon wouldn¡¯t imagine.


    He witnessed people with demolished hearts.


    ¡®There are very few who are strong enough to get back up from despair all by themselves.¡¯


    If they could, that was something extraordinary, but average people weren¡¯t that strong in their hearts and bodies.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As soon as the car stopped and the door opened, Lee Jung Hoon thanked him. After spending many days with Logan, he learned to appreciate the smallest things. That was a surprising change for him. He used to just assume someone opening the door for him was obvious. Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t have salons they regrly employed. Thepany already had all of the beauty departments necessary with hairdressers, dermatologists, and nurses working within the agency, and it wasn¡¯t just dermatologists, but dentists, optometrists, and orthopedic doctors. As a result, the beauty industry of Cheongdamdong and Apgujeong weren¡¯t happy, but what could they do? After that, all the top stars waited to be called upon by Hosoo Entertainment. In the Korean entertainment industry, Hosoo Entertianment¡¯s celebrities became the top stars.


    ¡°Long time no see, Jung Hoon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Wow! Did you just ask me that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been very immature until now. Please forgive me.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon bowed down. The rumors about him being rude were probably still going to remain for a while, but he intended on changing it one step at a time. The salon employee was pretty pleased and talked a lot more than usual as a result.


    ¡°I understand. We all make mistakes when we¡¯re young, but did you go to a temple or something? I haven¡¯t seen you around.¡±


    ¡°I went on a vacation.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good. Men need to face the world to realize life. Back in the day when I went to Paris...¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon listened to her story about her studying abroad days in France. If this was before, he would have told her to shut it. However, he recently learned how enjoyable it was to listen to others, so listening in on her story made him feel better. Time that was lost would never return. So the manager interrupted the employee for him.


    ¡°Please use your scissors instead of talking so much.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! You seem to be in a good mood today, Manager.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Before Lee Jung Hoon came to his senses, they would have talked about what a jerk he was. Salons weren¡¯t just for hair and makeup. If that was the case, they wouldn¡¯t have bought another building next to Star Tower just for that. Salons were there for celebrities to socialize, gossip, and obtain information on theirpetitors.


    Most tabloid gossips traced back to a salon. The reason why Hosoo Entertainment managed their own salon was to invest on their celebrities, but it was also to control the rumors and gossip that went around. The effects of Alexa¡¯s proposal could be seen almost immediately and in terms of scale and everything else, Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s salon was a giant, and people liked and trusted anything big and huge.


    The entertainment bulletin boards didn¡¯t care about the truth behind the rumors. Alexa used the people rted to the beauty industry to control the information and rumors that flowed through. They controlled fashion and advertisement through Kim Na Hee and Rosette group, news through Kim Soo Jung and HBS, and the back alleys through Do Kyung Ho¡¯s dark reputation.


    Hosoo Entertainment Academy¡¯s aspiring celebrities and broadcasters gave Ahn Soo Ho and Hosoo Entertainment a favorable image. Whether the owner cared or not, the people below him were working hard to build an entertainment empire. There was a clear reason why Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want to put his hands on manufacturing.


    ¡®It takes a long time to be acknowledged!¡¯


    The most effective way to make his name famous was to use famous people who already had reputations of their own.


    ¡°Oh! Jung Hoon!¡±


    Kang Mi Na approached with only half of her makeupplete. Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Yesterday took 1st ce recently, and as a result, Kang Mi Na was starting to be just as popr as Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls? Are you ignoring me?¡±


    ¡°No. Sorry. I was busy.¡±


    For the time being, he had to apologize to pretty much everyone.


    ¡°Where are your other members?¡±


    ¡°In the next room, but where did you go that you couldn¡¯t contact me?¡±


    ¡°America.¡±


    ¡°America?¡±


    One of the biggest issuestely was Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s disappearance. He was being talked a lot in a negative light because such a rookie was threatening big names of the industry. He was talented and worked hard, but he acted so arrogantly as a result of his sudden poprity that he ended up getting insults left and right. No matter how friendly Ahn Soo Ho was to him, he was the owner of Hosoo Entertainment group as well as a tycoon that controlled Korea¡¯s entertainment industry.


    They were just half-brothers, but they were still brothers.


    There were many people around Lee Jung Hoon trying to get to Ahn Soo Ho. Once he got used to getting sucked up to, he just assumed that was a given, and when that happened, he naturally became entitled.


    ¡°Do you have time today?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What kind of response is that?¡±


    Kang Mi Na was taken aback by Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s cold response. After his debut, Lee Jung Hoon lived a vibrant life as a celebrity and a party people. Just because he was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s brother, he received invites to pretty much all events.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to Ha Sang Jin¡¯s party, are you?


    ¡°Yup?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Kang Mi Na had question marks in her eyes, but Lee Jung Hoon was unable, to tell the truth.


    ¡®I can¡¯t tell her he¡¯s a piece of trash...¡¯


    Chairman Lee Tae Goo of Shi Group had three daughters, and he also had a little sister with arge age gap just like Chairman Kim Dae San. Just like Chairman Kim Dae San, he pretty much raised his little sister. If one were to look for a difference, it was that in contrast to Kim Dae San, Lee Tae Goo kept his little sister close even to this day.


    Ha Sang Jin was the son of Chairman Lee Tae Goo¡¯s little sister, and before Ahn Soo Ho appeared, he was known as the crown prince in the Korean entertainment industry. There was a myth that he could make any no-name celebrity into a top star with the utterance of a few words, and that was half true.


    ¡°I have no interest in getting involved with him. You should keep your distance, too.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a drug addict.¡±


    She heard her answer from behind her


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon and Kang Mi Na were just surprised while the hairdresser and manager were absolutely shocked. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s appearance caused a fuss. Since meeting Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s owner was unheard of, the regr employees were ecstatic. As soon as the secretary escorted the hairdresser and manager out, it was just Lee Jung Hoon, Kang Mi Na, and Ahn Soo Ho inside the room.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    Kang Mi Na stuttered in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s greeting. Back during the Asia Tour, she was the one trying to screw the CEO over, but the situation had changed drastically. He wasn¡¯t just a rich man with a lot of money. He was an issue maker that controlled Korea as well as the star of a national syndrome.


    ¡°If it¡¯s all right, I¡¯d like to speak to Jung Hoon alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    Kang Mi Na nodded at Ahn Soo Ho. She waved at Lee Jung Hoon and then left. When it was just the two of them remaining, it was awkward. If he wasn¡¯t surrounded by salon equipment, he would have followed Kang Mi Na.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid, you know.¡±


    ¡°But you sound like one.¡±


    ¡°Then did you expect me to smile and hug you?¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon understood his brother while also feeling angry. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could have done the same thing to his younger brother. He matured, but he was still in his 20s. In contrast to his internal maturity, he still had 10 years until he was physically at his prime.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°Did you learn lots?¡±


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m thankful for that part.¡±


    He was thankful that he made him face reality.


    ¡°But don¡¯t learn any crazy dating tricks from them.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, women are instinctively drawn to strong men.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be a white guy even if you tried bulking up. Don¡¯t waste your time and just work out normally. Photoshop has gotten pretty good these days.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much to Logan and his underlings¡¯ dating technique. It was all about stripping. Since they were well-built as a result of training, all women thought they were attractive. But for a mercenary, dating onlysted one night. If one thought about it, his underlings might have been partly responsible for Lee Jung Hoon¡¯s yboy ways.


    ¡°What do you want, Soo Ho? I have an interview today. I have to get my hair done.¡±


    Lee Jung Hoon knew that Ahn Soo Ho was here to make amends. Was he caring about him? He didn¡¯t mind it. He realized just how sly people can be.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be good to me, but be good to your mom and sister.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you came here to say?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I was going to do that anyway.¡±


    ¡°But do even better.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up from the table he was leaning on and flicked his brother on the forehead.


    ¡°Agh! Don¡¯t use violence!¡±


    ¡°Then sue me. Sheesh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho opened the door to leave and then turned around toward him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever hang out with Ha Sung Jin.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He asked just like how Kang Mi Na asked him earlier.


    ¡°Grrr! If you hang out with him, the tigers will get you.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Is that bastard Lee Jung Hoon ignoring my calls?¡±


    Ha Sung Jin growled and threw his expensive phone against the wall. And of course, it broke.


    ¡°Does he think he¡¯s just like us because we yed with him for a bit?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a ve. We hyped him up too much. Should I call my uncle and start a scandal?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? Don¡¯t you know who¡¯s behind Lee Jung Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho busy being the chairman of that reformationmittee or whatever?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has some kind of dirty past. I bet Ahn Soo Ho has things we can expose, too!¡±


    The young men and women gathered in a suite room overlooking a view of Seoul were the children of the most powerful people of the country.


    ¡°My old parents freak out whenever they hear Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Mine, too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his deal anyway? Seeing how China, Japan, and America are keeping quiet too, he must have been skilled as a mercenary.¡±


    ¡°America is scared of a mere mercenary?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s like Jason Borne.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a movie.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe there¡¯s one in real life...¡±


    ¡°But Ahn Soo Ho was born in Korea. He only worked in America for 10 years. If America was scared of him, wouldn¡¯t he have made him into an American to win him over?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s impressive! He¡¯s not someone that could havee from Hell Joseon!¡±


    ¡°Are you Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fan or something?¡±


    ¡°Come on. He¡¯s impressive. That¡¯s the truth! Dissing him won¡¯t change reality.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Good for you, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Ha Sung Jin screamed once again and threw a beer bottle against the wall. And of course, that broke, too. The one who calmed him down was Chairman Lee Tae Goo¡¯s second daughter, Lee Yeon Jin.


    ¡°Why are you in such a bad mood, Sung Jin?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad, too? Hosoo Group or whatever they¡¯re called is stepping all over Shi!¡±


    Lee Yeon Jin was a direct line while Ha Sung Jin was just a coteral line to the family, but he was the crown prince of the entertainment industry because he was favored by Shi Group¡¯s head.


    ¡°So do you have the courage to face off against Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    His anger cooled down as soon as he thought about Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with his brother and get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m in the wrong?¡±


    ¡°Well...it¡¯s not a bad strategy to target his weakness, but it was never the method that was the problem.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say that he was in the wrong.


    ¡°Shit! I¡¯ll get back at Ahn Soo Ho and Lee Jung Hoon one day!¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be cheering you on, Sung Jin.¡±


    Lee Yeon Jin pped for him butughed at him on the inside.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    In response to the sudden scream, people looked out for which rich person was harassing a woman this time. However, the person that caught their eye was wearing a mask.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    To themoners, it was a symbol of hope.


    To the rich, it was fear and a monster.


    To criminals, it was despair.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Bridal Mask¡¯s appearance made all of the famous people, celebrities, and industry people scatter, but within the suite room with its own swimming pool, there was nowhere else to run. What made them even more scared was that the servers who were serving them until now all had masks on. That meant there were dozens of Bridal Mask, not just one.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve done nothing wrong, there¡¯s no reason to be afraid. But...¡±


    The head Bridal Mask grabbed a woman¡¯s hair and smelled it.


    ¡°Gasp! I smell something rotten.¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The woman struggled and fell into the pool. The people didn¡¯t suspect that the guns the Bridal Masks were holding were fake. So they were unable to make any sudden movements.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Party time!¡±


    The cameras were set up.


    ¡°Three! Two! One! Go!¡±


    The red light turned on meaning they were on air.


    ¡°One, two. Mic test. Mic test! Hello, citizens of Korea! Also, the police who dispatched a result of a report! Let me give you a warning! Don¡¯t irritate me by calling this suppression or whatever. If you do anything, I¡¯ll make it explode.¡±


    The cameras pointed at the explosives located on the walls. Shay Leeper was ecstatic. He was also known as a psycho, but Ahn Soo Ho was the true monster.


    ¡®How did he think of such an amusing idea?¡¯


    He grabbed a stuttering man by the throat.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ha... Ha Sung Jin.¡±


    Ha Sung Jin felt a cold gun on him, so he just talked.


    ¡°Ha Sung Jin? Are you an heir?¡±


    ¡°No... no.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let me ask you again. Are your parents rich?¡±


    ¡°No... Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Kids who lie must be punished. Now answer carefully, Ha Sung Jin.¡±


    ¡°I... I am! I¡¯m an heir!¡±


    ¡°Of which family?¡±


    ¡°Sh... Shi Group!¡±


    ¡°I see. Then is everyone else here rich as well?¡±


    Ha Sung Jin looked at his cousins and other people in the corner before gulping.


    ¡°Gulp! Yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for your cooperation, Ha Sung Jin. I¡¯ll call you again when I need you.¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Bridal Mask pushed Ha Sung Jin into the pool as well.


    ¡°Now! I only have one request!¡±


    The camera zoomed in on Bridal Mask¡¯s face.


    ¡°Save the Korean citizens that were kidnapped in Nigeria within 72 hours!¡±


    Bridal Mask waved his gun around.


    ¡°If my request doesn¡¯t get fulfilled, one person will be killed every hour following the 72-hour mark!¡±


    Bridal Mask asked the Korean citizens.


    Is there such a thing as ranks when it came to human lives?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 184 ¨C Shotgun [3] > The end.

 Chapter 186: < Protect – Episode 185 – Shotgun [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 186: < Protect ¨C Episode 185 ¨C Shotgun [4] ></h4>


    The group of Bridal Masks seized the top floor of a 5-star hotel.


    Due to the police that was called, the entire hotel was sieged.


    The announcement that Bridal Mask made on TV heated up Korea as a whole. This was the first time hemitted something so extreme. On top of that, having explosives along the walls was something that had never happened in the entirety of Korean police¡¯s history.


    The inte got fired up.


    Wow! I never thought an explosive hostage situation would happen in Korea! #BridalMask #CenturionPce #C4


    Repeat after me! Bridal mask!


    Do you know Bridal Mask?


    I don¡¯t care about the rotten rich, but the innocent employees...


    Same thing. Everyone that attended the private party all know each other somehow!


    No, I¡¯m talking about the entourage! The guards and secretaries were probably just there to do their jobs!


    They all lick the assholes of the rich! Don¡¯t worry!


    The stupidest thing you can do is worry about celebrities and rich people!


    Hey! The government is making an announcement!


    The Korean government heavily criticized Bridal Mask¡¯s behavior while also making it known that they were going to rescue the hostages, and that made the inte fire up even more.


    Those damn government workers! They¡¯re ignoring the hostages abroad while saving the rich in Korea? Does this make any sense? #RescueOperation #NigeriaHostages #JustSociety


    Well, Africa is far while Centurion Pce is right here!


    Yeah! Not even mutts stray too far from their home!


    To be honest, there isn¡¯t much our country can do in Nigeria!


    Isn¡¯t that a realistic decision? To be frank, if they get hurt, their rich parents won¡¯t just sit back!


    All Koreans are equal in front of thew! The government has a duty to save the ones in Nigeria!


    America doesn¡¯t make negotiations with terrorists! In that sense, Korea shouldn¡¯t either!


    If you put it that way, we should give up on the ones in the hotel, too.


    That¡¯s not true! Bridal Mask and Boko Haram are different!


    As a result of the controversy, the government made another announcement about how the National Security Council got together to discuss countermeasures to the Korean hostages in Nigeria. That was their way of iming they were working hard and telling people to stop insulting them. However, this made the controversy grow even further. It was revealed that the only reason why the NSC gathered was because one of the hostages was the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff¡¯s daughter.


    That¡¯s why they gathered the NSC? Wow, you¡¯re kidding, right? #HellJoseon #IncapableDiplomats #FuckingMilitary


    Isn¡¯t that paranoia? This is the first kidnapping incident of this kind...


    But, everyone! That¡¯s not the issue here! There are hostages surrounded by explosives right in this very city!


    No one cares about the lives of the rich! Hahaha!


    Hahaha!


    There¡¯s a philosophy to Bridal Mask¡¯s behavior. They won¡¯t attack regr civilians for no reason!


    Then what about the hostages that aren¡¯t rich? What did they do wrong?


    They¡¯re at fault for associating with the rich! Yeah! They¡¯re just like the Koreans that got friendly with the Japanese in the past!


    Come on! You¡¯re exaggerating! You shouldn¡¯t treat the rich like the pro-Japanese! Stop it already!


    President Lee Joong Hyun, who was enjoying high ratings, got hit by a bolt of sudden lightning. In politics, no matter how well they led the country, one incident was capable of bringing them down. Even with America, the Davis Scandal brought down the US president, and the democratic party suffered as a result.


    The Blue House and President Lee Joong Hyun attempted a frontal breakthrough.


    They broadcasted Nigeria¡¯s actions live on television. The opposition party criticized that this was just a political show and that no good was going toe out of sharing the actions of NSC to the public. Of course, they also considered the reportingpetition and limited it to KBS and MBC. When that happened, SBS protested, but the Blue House held their stance.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the main building of the Blue House.¡±


    Even if they opened it up to the public, they couldn¡¯t let too many people into the Blue House. Only 10 people were allowed including those in broadcasting. So a reporter, producer, cameraman, and a few other staff of each broadcasting station were allowed in. However, that didn¡¯t mean they could film the meeting either. They were put at a distance as they captured the government workers, soldiers, police, and firemen moving about from afar.


    ¡°Over there! Film that!¡±


    The cameraman followed the producer¡¯s orders.


    ¡®No way!¡¯


    What the lens captured was Ahn Soo Ho surrounded by the national defense and foreign ministers. The sight made it seem like something big was going to happen. Soon afterward, headlines went out through countless televisions.


    The US military¡¯s mistaken bombing ruin the areas of the refugees!


    Is it retaliation? Or is this their n to make the most beneficial negotiation?


    The White House and Pentagon are both staying silent! The innocent natives will be sacrificed once more!


    We don¡¯t negotiate with terrorists! America¡¯s rule is still unchanged!


    The main agent of the invasion of Nigeria was the US military, and the ones Boko Haram was trying to pressure was also the US military. However, among the kidnapped were non-Americans as well. France heavily criticized America and imed they were going to dispatch their own troops. Ennd didn¡¯t go that far, but they pressured Boko Haram with words, and Germany was still watching over the situation.


    The problem was that Boko Haram executed two Japanese reporters.


    They didn¡¯t shoot them dead but sliced their necks off. Why did they kill Japanese reporters instead of those of America? The reason for that although the nation was sensitive to face and profit, Japanese people felt ashamed by private matters being made public.


    In Japan, the victims apologized for causing inconvenience to others. In that kind of country, the public didn¡¯t look upon the Japanese reporters favorably. They were questioning why they willingly went somewhere dangerous and caused the nation harm. In that sense, Korea wasn¡¯t much different.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know why they went into a country that¡¯s in war! #CuriousRoaches #Journalists #RiskyBehavior


    That¡¯s so true! I agree!


    It¡¯s hard to trust the Korean media! I only watch CNN!


    You psycho! CNN is also criticized in America!


    Isn¡¯t BBC the fairest of them all?


    Nah, that¡¯s Brazil!


    Why?


    The bodies of the Brazilian weatherwomen are more than fair!


    Hahaha!


    Do you know what happens in a war without any war correspondents? #War #Rape #Amnesty


    What happens?


    Just like during the Japanese colonial era, there would befort women and all!


    The biggest crimes of War is murder and rape!


    Once the monitoring is gone, they¡¯d all happen again!


    Rape happens in normal countries, too, so imagine what¡¯d happen on the battlefield! Phew! I can¡¯t even imagine! It¡¯s too horrible!


    Rape and human trafficking is our problem, too! Even the first world countries suffer from people selling other people! Korea, too!


    Human trafficking in Korea? No way!


    Yes, way! Thest group Bridal Mask wiped out were human traffickers! Why did you guys forget that? Are you all stupid?


    But why was Ahn Soo Ho called? #NSC #Gunmaster


    He¡¯s a military expert, remember?


    Yeah! He was even the security advisor for the US president!


    What¡¯s needed for this hostage incident is international connections!


    But the reformation of the rich shouldn¡¯t be forgotten! Is this a conspiracy by those who don¡¯t want the reform?


    Hey! That¡¯s ridiculous! No matter how much the rich hate reformations, why would they give up their own children as a sacrifice?


    Who knows? Maybe the Bridal Masks at the hotel are actually employed by the rich! Since it¡¯s hard to bring back the Korean reporters, maybe they¡¯re sacrificing the hostages to control the sympathies of the public! It¡¯s better to try something instead of going down without a fight, right?


    Wow! What an imagination! But what¡¯s funny is that it kind of makes sense! They wouldn¡¯t have made it so high if they weren¡¯t cold-hearted enough to give up their own children in the first ce! Maybe, maybe! This is just my imagination... But do you think they¡¯ll create a scenario where they manage to save just a few of the rich heirs?


    Wow! Stephen King in the house! I thought the same way! What¡¯s with this sudden hostage situation? This isn¡¯t like the Bridal Mask that we know!


    Alexa and Kosino were busy leaking some more information in order to control the direction of the inte media. Just like Bridal Mask¡¯s vibrant appearance, he had to disappear in the same manner. After all, Ahn Soo Ho told them to stop the ¡®justice games¡¯.


    The preparations wereplete.


    ¡®It¡¯s now Soo Ho¡¯s time to act.¡¯


    Since the gun and bullet were ready, they just needed a finger to pull the trigger.


    ******


    Thud-


    Ahn Soo Ho mmed the desk with his fists.


    ¡°Are you seriously saying that as the head of diplomatic affairs?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Watch your mouth, Chairman Ahn!¡±


    ¡°You should be the one to watch your mouth, you bastard! Do we have to evacuate because of danger? Three of our citizens are on the verge of death! But what? The White House and the US military will take care of it? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Korea¡¯s head of diplomatic affairs said a lot of nonsense that made Ahn Soo Ho lose his mind. He didn¡¯t see thising. If they just waited, a message was going to be sent to Boko Haram within 12 hours and Choi Ye Won was going to be a free woman within half a day.


    Bridal Mask was fake.


    And the ones he was trying to fake was the citizens who supported him. Rather than making an incident his objective, his attempt caused a bigger shock. The final destination of the explosive hostage situation was to pull out Bridal Mask¡¯s true intention into the light and shake up the hearts of the public once more. And in order to do that, Bridal Mask¡¯s request had to be fulfilled. However, the head of diplomatic affairs didn¡¯t understand that.


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±


    ¡°Look here, Mr. Ahn!¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho started to curse, Minister Kim Hyung Il raised his voice. It might have been good that President Lee Joong Hyun was not there since he was speaking with the US president on the phone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a man with so little awareness ofmoners is at the head of diplomatics... This is absolutely ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°If you keep insulting me, I¡¯m going to call security!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He yelled so loudly that his ears rang. It even made people passing by stop in their tracks.


    ¡°What do you think a nation is, you dumb son of a bitch?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho grabbed him by the throat, he made noises that sounded like a cicada on a tree.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how shitty the government workers of this country are! And politicians are just the same! But you should at least keep this one rule!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think much about how Koreans called the country Hell Joseon. That was because no one liked their own country 100%. Ever since Korea was established, they had gone through all sorts of humiliating history. Considering that, Korea had done quite well.


    There were many sesses.


    However, there were many failures as well.


    While repeating hope and despair, this country took steps forward. There were horrible government workers, but there were hard-working ones as well that kept the government going, and thanks to the devoted prosecution and police, the citizens lived in a safe environment.


    The military was always insulted for their corruption and due to the closeness of the politics and the military, the Ministry of National Defense suffered, but they had always protected the country. Without a military, there was no country. No matter what, it couldn¡¯t be denied that it was them who was ready to die first.


    ¡°The nation must protect its citizens at all costs!¡±


    ¡®The nation must protect its citizens!¡¯ As long as that rule was kept, the country was worth existing. Even if the worst of mankind was at risk in a foreign country, they had to be rescued. And after they were rescued, they would be punished for their crimes. A nation must never judge its citizens¡¯ worth.


    ¡°Yeah, bastards like you are what this nation calls their elite.¡±


    Was it just Kim Hyung Il? Not at all. Korea¡¯s education system only fostered psychopaths that didn¡¯t know how to sympathize. It was obvious to step on others to get ahead and for the elites,moners didn¡¯t mean anything. Commoners were simply existing in their world.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed loudly. It felt like no matter how hard he tried, psychos like him always existed. Everyone went quiet in response to hisughter and rage. As soon as he put Kim Hyung Il down, he plopped down on the floor.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t...¡±


    He was truly disappointed.


    ¡°Even be disappointed in you scumbags anymore.¡±


    He had never been so ashamed as a Korean.


    ¡°Tell the president that I¡¯m calling everything off.¡±


    He was quitting the reformationmittee as well as everything else. No one was able to stop Ahn Soo Ho. He only stopped in his tracks when he approached General Choi Han Rim.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my promise with you, Chairman Choi. Your daughter will return safely.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone as soon as he left the Blue House.


    ¡°Hotline. Bairan. Tell him that if he doesn¡¯t let go of the Koreans in 1 hour...¡±


    He didn¡¯t care if the NSA was listening.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go there myself.¡±


    He was going to erase them from this world.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 185 ¨C Shotgun [4] > The end.

 Chapter 187: < Protect – Episode 186 – Shotgun [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 187: < Protect ¨C Episode 186 ¨C Shotgun [4] ></h4>


    How did international terrorist groups obtain their funds despite being under watch by intelligence agencies? If the world revolved the way we liked, it would have been easy to catch those criminal organizations, but why couldn¡¯t justice be served in real life?


    The reason was simpler and more disappointing than expected.


    ¡®Because it¡¯s not profitable.¡¯


    That was why the word ¡®general¡¯ couldn¡¯t be used carelessly. If someone profited, someone else had to lose. A win-win scenario was rare in the internationalmunity. For that reason,rge banks didn¡¯t have time to worry about whether their clients were criminals or not.


    The reason why banks stressed personal information was to look the other way of a big clientmitted an illegal act. Risk management which tried to expand profits and reduce loss was also the instinct of banks. If one had to pick five biggest organizations thatmitted the most illegal acts, banks were one of them.


    Banks hated the regtions set forward by the nation.


    ¡®Banks don¡¯t misuse personal information?¡¯


    That was nonsense.


    Banks were known to use personal information to their advantage and use the protection of personal information to turn the other cheek, which meant they were what ultimately controlled the world. Among the sses that Ahn Soo Ho got close to while traveling the world, there were many bankers and smugglers that were very skilled at sneaking past the taxman. On the other side of themunicationwork led by capitalists and banks was a ck market thatundered money.


    The truth was, money was not at fault.


    Money was just money. However, the reason why dirty money was talked badly about was because it represented modern society¡¯s greed. In this capitalist society, there was nothing one couldn¡¯t do as long as they had money. Ahn Soo Ho got an emergency call from President Lee Joong Hyun, but he turned him down.


    He felt no need to make more work for himself. As soon as he became obsessed with one thing, everything else looked like a waste of time. Psychos were bound to appear again, and he couldn¡¯t step up every single time. It was possible that he was hoping his homnd, which disappointed him once already after establishing Hosoo Entertainment and dating Jang Seol Hyun, had gotten better than before.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not just me that¡¯s dreaming...¡¯


    Korea was bound to change one day, but not today.


    ¡°Call Pitch Stone and tell them to freeze all of Boko Haram¡¯s ounts.¡±


    ¡°Smith won¡¯t like that.¡±


    Daniel Navarros let out a deep sigh.


    Allen Smith


    He used the same name as the former President Allen Davis, but he had apletely different appearance and personality. Barbara¡¯s way of fooling around with money was all legal while he wasn¡¯t. The emperor of dirty money, Scruge¡¯s spirit, Shylock¡¯s reincarnation were just a few examples of his nicknames that he obtained while he raked in a lot of profit after investing in India, China, and Russia,st year, and behind him was an international bank.


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d just get angry.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of irritating Stone Average?¡±


    ¡°If we mess with Red Sea Commerce¡¯s funds, Heritage won¡¯t sit back either.¡±


    Most ended up at a loss to the point that the world was being unstable, but the few raked in veryrge profits. Stone Average Company used extreme cases to obtain profits sorge that they were suspected of internal dealings.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Logan handed him the phone.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are we canceling the n?¡±


    ¡°No, continue as nned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The call ended quickly. Logan took the phone back and asked cautiously.


    ¡°Are you sure we can trust Leeper? Korean police might be bad with dealing with hostage situations, but if they be determined, it¡¯ll be hard to escape, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Do I trust Leeper? Not at all. And the Korean police bing determined...? That wouldn¡¯t be bad either. This country needs to be shocked.¡±


    ¡°Are you... angry?¡±


    Logan noticed that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s way of speaking was bing rougher and tilted his head in response.


    ¡°Yeah. I am.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s our next move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to change the n as necessary.¡±


    Since Ahn Soo Ho changed his mind, the n had to be changed or canceled. The Centurion Pce hostage situation was just as talked about in Korea as the one in Nigeria. Bridal Mask demanded that if the country wants to save their famous celebrities, rich people, pro athletes, and more, they needed to save the Koreans in Nigeria first, and that caused a huge controversy.


    Isn¡¯t he asking for something that¡¯s a given?


    No, I think it¡¯s the Korean government that¡¯s incapable of not being able to do something so obvious.


    Is he really going to kill his hostages if they don¡¯t bring the Koreans from Nigeria safely?


    Bridal Mask has never failed before!


    A private party held in a hotel suite room! They live in a whole different world!


    They¡¯re the 0.01 silver spoons of Korea!


    So unfair! This damned Hell Joseon!


    They mustn¡¯t listen to a terrorist¡¯s request! That means they have to surrender to him!


    Are you stupid? Bridal Mask shouldn¡¯t be the one to ask the country to save the Koreans in Nigeria in the first ce!


    President Lee Joong Hyun might be good at sucking up to the public with reformation announcements and whatnot, but is he able to control such a crisis? I don¡¯t think he can!


    Our country doesn¡¯t have enough power over Africa! In the end, they have to work with America, but since even America is being screwed over in Africa right now, that probably won¡¯t happen!


    They seeded the Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden though.


    You psycho! That was on the water, so the sess rate was high, while this is in North Africa! They don¡¯t even know where the hostages are being held!


    On top of that, they only have 48 hours left! Not even God could save them at that time!


    However, the controversies surrounding Bridal Mask was buried under the angry scoldings toward Ahn Soo Ho.


    Chairman Ahn Soo Ho of the reformationmittee resigns!


    He questions the foreign minister, ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±


    A threat that took ce in broad daylight at the blue house! Is the president already ame duck?


    Chairman Ahn¡¯s close associate states, ¡°Korea¡¯s democracy is third rate!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was young.


    That came with plus points as well as minus points. When it came to political rtions, age was one of the ways people were categorized. Cliques were more important than ability, and in order to be in a clique, they had to side with the right people. Depending on who they kept as their colleagues, their future was determined.


    What was for certain was that the fact that Ahn Soo Ho came into view in those with vested rights was more of a minus than a plus, and Kim Soo Jung knew that better than anyone. Considering that happened back in the day with Lee Kyung Joon, Ahn Soo Ho was an unusualpetition that was dragged around by one person.


    ¡®Back then he proved to be a skilled person...¡¯


    But today, he was a giant that controlled the nation¡¯s future, and true giants did as he thought was necessary no matter what others said. Even if blood was going to be shed. When Bridal Mask appeared, the 8-member group immediately thought of him. Ahn Soo Ho was the only man in Korea capable of nning and executing such a n.


    Kim Soo Jung had seen more darkness than her fianc¨¦, Yoon Chul, who used to be a police officer. To those with vested rights, they didn¡¯t care what happened to others as long as they got their profits. Actually, most citizens didn¡¯t care too much about other people¡¯s misery. They had no interest in what kind of difficulty and hardships Ahn Soo Ho went through. All the public wanted was the vibrant life of the present.


    The Ahn Soo Ho she knew wasn¡¯t a generous man.


    Of course, it depended on the situation, but there was one major rule. There were no second chances. In that sense, the unexpected situation caused by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement gave Korea another chance to take off. That was what Kim Soo Jung believed, but when she heard from a friend at KBS who was there to cover the hostage incident that Ahn Soo Ho got mad and took off, she felt like she got stabbed in the back.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    She immediately went to his house in Cheongdamdong, but he wasn¡¯t there. After that, she heard that the chairman of the reformationmittee resigned.


    ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯


    That was proof that his heart had already left. Kim Soo Jung was able to meet with Ahn Soo Ho on his way to Star Tower the next morning. She didn¡¯t make ns to meet him but decided to run into him instead. Heughed bitterly as soon as he saw her.


    ¡°You still have the habits of a reporter.¡±


    ¡°If you talk about qualifications and whatnot, I¡¯ll hit you.¡±


    ¡°You need to have a broader perspective, Soo Jung.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I¡¯m studying.¡±


    Managers needed a different mindset from regr employees.


    When Ahn Soo Ho left Kim Soo Jung in charge of the reporting headquarters, he didn¡¯t have high expectations. There were both small and big mistakes, and a mistake that a reporter could make was at a different scale from what the head of the headquarters could make. At one point, HBS even requested the dismissal of one of their directors due to a loss they suffered. However, Ahn Soo Ho still guaranteed the reporting headquarters their right to independence. The legal team got very busy as a result, but what else could he do? Since a major shareholder insisted on doing it, no one could protest.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at his high-spirited friend.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to abandon us, are you?¡±


    She was still high-spirited, but she looked pitiful. She tried her best to put on a pathetic face, and it was so good that she looked like she got caught cheating on her lover.


    ¡°People might think we¡¯re dating.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. You¡¯re not going to abandon us, right?¡±


    By us, Kim Soo Jung didn¡¯t mean the 8-member group but their country and people. Ahn Soo Ho smirked at her desperation.


    ¡°You still have hope, huh?¡±


    ¡°I hate this country, but my family, friends, and neighbors will live here for many years toe. So I have to care, okay? So are you abandoning us or what?¡±


    This happened before. She cursed at the Korean politicians, government workers, and capitalists for not doing their job while still hanging onto hope. She wouldn¡¯t have liked to hear this, but she was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She believed that the future was going to be better, and she worked hard to make sure the media did their job.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Good! That¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung was about to turn around and walk off in relief when she paused.


    ¡°Oh yeah! But what happened at the Blue House?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can get it out? You might lose to the ones with power.¡±


    ¡°If I was afraid of that, I wouldn¡¯t have put Bridal Mask on TV, to begin with.¡±


    Since HBS allowed a criminal that was Bridal Mask to appear on TV, they received punishment from KCC. As the one in charge of the headquarters, Kim Soo Jung was called to the KCC and was scolded severely.


    ¡°What do you think a nation is, Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Huh? A nation?¡±


    Kim Soo Jung tilted her head at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s random question and then pped her hands.


    ¡°A nation should protect its citizens. No matter what, a nation must never judge or estimate its citizens¡¯ worth. Right?¡±


    ¡°You remember.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We almost got killed by our ethics teacher in the Naval Academy... Oh!¡±


    She was shocked by the sight of the former foreign minister getting grabbed by the throat back at the Blue House, but she just realized the reason.


    ¡°Kim Hyung Il must have given a stupid answer.¡±


    ¡°The thought of Korea¡¯s elites all being simr to him makes me sad.¡±


    He wondered if the country had to be doomed before it could change for the better.


    ¡°This is definitely a scoop.¡±


    Kim Soo Jung disappeared like the wind. Ahn Soo Ho got on the security elevator. The special lift headed to the information department opened to the face of Kosino.


    ¡°Wee to the Hive.¡±


    The information department taking up the top two floors of the building really wasid out like a beehive. Ahn Soo Ho only gave the order to build it and hadn¡¯t visited it until today.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Alexa?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the secret information room.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°What about the guide?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear itter.¡±


    There were many agents wanting to introduce the various functions of the information department, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t very interested. All he wanted was the results. The secret information room reminded him of a dock in a space ship. As soon as the metal doors opened, Alexa greeted him.


    ¡°Wee to hell.¡±


    She pouted the words out and disappeared as if she was unhappy about something. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Kosino.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    ¡°Bairan straight up ignored her words.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho warned them to release the Koreans within 1 hour, but Boko Haram didn¡¯t answer. He had already been briefed on it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    ¡°I thought he must have been crazy to be like this, but it turns out, he has a reason. Their new leader is Edura.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was speechless.


    ¡°What happened to Mitch?¡±


    ¡°He was killed by the US military a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Has it been confirmed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Aragon found his body.¡±


    They weren¡¯t toofortable with each other, but Aragon was still a trustworthy PMC.


    Knock, knock-


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his arms in response to Alexa¡¯s knocking on the ss. She was signaling that the preparations wereplete. Kosino gestured for the subordinate to work the equipment and dozens of screens came on on the wall.


    ¡°We¡¯re connecting to APT. Online.¡±


    On the screen were people of all skin colors, hair colors, and eyes. There was Deputy Director Jeremy O¡¯hare of the CIA, Special Agent Lee Yong Hee of North Korea, themissioner of the Japanese intelligence investigation agency, as well as Commissioner Soonming of China¡¯s state security. On top of that Ambassador Vitali Andropov of Russia was there as well.


    There were multiple men in power from America, Ennd, France, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, India, and more, and dozens of them were all connected through the screen. They weren¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s subordinates. It was just that he happened to be in the center of them all.


    They skipped the introductions and got straight to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to attack Boko Haram in 24 hours.¡±


    Many were shocked by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s announcement. Their eyes moved quickly, and they were busy thinking about how this could benefit them.


    ¡°If you have something to settle with them, do it before then.¡±


    Complicated rtionships couldn¡¯t be categorized as good or evil. After some time, Vitali spoke up first.


    ¡°Did you have a change of heart, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He felt bad toward Soo Jung, but two disappointments were enough.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be disappointed for the third time.¡±


    They didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, but some of them opened their eyes wider while some of themcently smiled. They had once asked him why he kept his Korean nationality. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t particrly want Korean citizenship. It was just that when he got himself in trouble, being Korean made it easier to weasel himself out.


    ¡°So I don¡¯t want to leave any lingering attachment for my homnd.¡±


    That was a more shocking announcement than the one about Boko Haram.


    ¡°I no longer have a nationality.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 186 ¨C Shotgun [5] > The end.

 Chapter 188: < Protect – Episode 187 – Shotgun [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 188: < Protect ¨C Episode 187 ¨C Shotgun [6] ></h4>


    Africa was always in chaos.


    And despite being a little better, South Africa was also ovee with war. Was it different now though? Not at all. The ce was full of fights over the gap between the rich and the poor as well as religion and race. Not all Africans were against the US military invading Nigeria, and when it came to Cameron, they weed them with open arms.


    Compared to the chaos in all of Africa, Cameron was more stable in terms of politics and society. However, since Cameron was also dominated by Ims, there were terrorist attacks and kidnappings there as well. What had to be made certain was that the stance of the Imic rebels and Boko Haram as well as the IS West African Branch and the fundamentalists were different.


    ¡°A few years ago, when the Middle East was in chaos, Boko Haram was faced with a big revolution as well.¡±


    Boko Haram¡¯s fundamentalists and those following the IS were separated. That was how the IS West African Branch was born.


    ¡°Howplicated.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯splicated in Africa.¡±


    ¡°What about Edouard?¡±


    ¡°I looked into it... and it¡¯s a bit iffy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°As a result of the US military¡¯s invasion of Nigeria, hundreds of native powers are fighting back toward the unions. Oh, is that the right term?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re learning quick.¡±


    Logan and one of his underlings, Greg smiled in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯spliment.


    ¡°Korean is a very practicalnguage. It¡¯s one of the most usefulnguages we¡¯ve ever learned.¡±


    ¡°It is based on Chinese characters.¡±


    ¡°Then should we try learning Japanese as well?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not. So what¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Greg continued to smile as he turned on the screen. On the screen was the face of a couple of ck men.


    ¡°The socialists of North Africa are participating with their own ideologies which are making theplicated African situation even more chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Communists?¡±


    ¡°It might not suitmunism or Imism... but the militaries and rebels of Africa use a lot of AK rifles. They¡¯re cheap, and they were even handed out for free at one point.¡±


    Greg changed the screen.


    ¡°Hanran Metalworking Company. Soo Ho probably hasn¡¯t heard of them before, but they¡¯re a very well-known gun manufacturingpany in South East Asia. Thispany¡¯s stock structure is quiteplicated, but the owners are actually A&E. You¡¯ve heard of them before, right?¡±


    ¡°Anne & Everick.¡±


    Anne & Everick Investment was the Ennd-Hong Kong investment firm led by Hwang Chi Rin.


    ¡°Is there an international arms seller behind Edouard?¡±


    Greg switched the screen once more in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. He dressed as well as a model and seeing from his hairstyle, he was either a fund manager from Wall Street or the City of London.


    Ahn Soo Houghed.


    ¡°D. Punch.¡±


    His real name was different.


    ¡°Sylvestre.¡±


    All he knew was that he was a secret agent from France.


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that Ennd and France know something about this, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Europe imperialism was still existent in the 21st century, and Ennd in France was in the middle of a fierce war in a ce that no one could see for rights of Africa.


    ¡°What are the chances that France will retaliate?¡±


    ¡°Not zero, but isn¡¯t that too obvious of a scenario?¡±


    The aftereffects of the Davis Scandal shook even Ennd and France. Since London became known as a terrorist nation because Ransel was from there, France felt bad for both the States and Ennd.


    ¡°If France is secretly supporting Edouard, that won¡¯t be no joke. How much have you confirmed?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve postponed the money trace for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look into everything else. Good work, Greg.¡±


    Once Greg excused himself, Logan spoke up.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of D. Punch in a long time.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s more like D. Punch Junior.¡±


    While Ennd had Sherlock and America had Colombo, France had Jean Jacques ¡®D. Punch¡¯ Sylvestre. He got his name from Sylvestre of the purple murder incident in France. The man on the screen looked no older than 40.


    ¡°Do you know him, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met him with a predecessor back in the day. We were both rookies back then.¡±


    ¡°A predecessor?¡±


    ¡°Hector Garcia.¡±


    Logan flinched.


    Hector Garcia


    The king of darkness that ruled before Ahn Soo Ho.


    In contrast to his splendid resume, he was living a pathetic life as an old man who was drinking away in the woods just waiting for the day he died. Ahn Soo Ho got a feeling. Did Logan feel it, too? He picked up the list of kidnapped reporters in Nigeria.


    ¡°Garcia, Garcia... There¡¯s no Garcia here.¡±


    ¡°Just put all of them up.¡±


    Logan turned on the screen to show the faces of the kidnapped reporters. In the middle of looking through it, Ahn Soo Ho pointed out one person.


    ¡°Her.¡±


    ¡°Immanuel Hernandez?¡±


    ¡°She has a middle name, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. C.¡±


    As soon as Immanuel C. Hernandez¡¯ profile came up on the screen, Ahn Soo Ho nodded. He recognized her face. Hector Garcia called his one and only daughter ¡®Chappie¡¯. Seeing how he called his only daughter a rascal, he must have wanted a son. However, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t love his daughter any less.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Eaton. Send men to the address I¡¯ll be giving you. And they might be armed, so be careful. Don¡¯t hurt them, got it? Florida, Tahassee.¡±


    He gave him the exact address and then hung up the phone. His phone rang only 15 minutester.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one at the empty trailer park. Who are you looking for, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hector.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hector Garcia.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    That name was bound to surprise anyone in the intelligence world. While the Apanist, Kumiko kept a dark secret from 100 years ago, Hector Garcia was at the center of the 40 historical years following the assassination of Kennedy.


    ¡°Did you know that he was there for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Jeremy Eaton O¡¯hare of the CIA sighed deeply. Florida, Tahassee in America. That meant they had a big shot sitting right in front of them without knowing. Did he resent Ahn Soo Ho for not telling him? That was something only rookies would do.


    ¡®I can hear him thinking from all the way over here.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t talk, but he could hear him breathe. That meant Jeremy¡¯s head was full of thoughts at the moment. He then spoke a minuteter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re nning to attack Boko Haram in 24 hours but also looking for Hector Garcia... does that mean he¡¯s rted to this incident?¡±


    ¡°You might not be at the scene, but you haven¡¯t lost your touch, Eaton.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How would Hector Garcia be rted to the kidnapping incident?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to teach you?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t see Eaton, but he knew he flinched.


    ¡°But not for free, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having a hard time, too, these days.¡±


    ¡°Forget money... Just secure a ne going to Nigeria. As fast as possible.¡±


    The only flights allowed tond in Nigeria were that of America, and it was impossible to leave Korea and arrive there within 24 hours.


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    It was easy for the CIA deputy director to secure a flight. That was why power was a great thing.


    ¡°Immanuel Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°One of the American hostages.¡±


    When he sounded confused, Ahn Soo Ho just smirked.


    ¡°Think about it, Eaton. Why do you think Hector hid?¡±


    ¡°To protect his family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Because those who really want to know his secrets wille looking for him even if he¡¯s retired.¡±


    Hector lived as a homeless person in order to protect his family. On top of that, he had to change all of his family members¡¯ identities, and he did it well enough to not be traced by the CIA.


    ¡°Is Immanuel Hernandez...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Hector¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t find that in her records.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think Hector Garcia would have done such shabby work?¡±


    ¡°I guess... you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Where did she grew up?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Miami? Sigh.¡±


    Miami and Tahassee were on the opposite side of Florida.


    ¡°So, you think there was another intention behind the kidnapping incident.¡±


    ¡°Someone wants to drag the old and tired man out of his cave.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea?¡±


    The Dresden file was capable of seeking responsibility and tainting reputation, but it didn¡¯t have much legal power. Why? Because there was a statute of limitations for war crimes as well, but if the secrets inside Hector Garcia¡¯s head got handed over to the prosecution, arrests would be made.


    ¡°I warned them to release the Koreans in an hour, but they didn¡¯t answer.¡±


    He first suspected that they just had a lot of guts. They definitely knew that if he acted himself, Boko Haram would go down in an instant, but they still didn¡¯t give any response.


    ¡°So I thought about it. Maybe... they¡¯re in a situation where they can¡¯t let them go.¡±


    Jw and Issac


    Ang


    Europe Terrorist attacks


    Gaius Pharmaceuticals


    Ultra Program


    Davis Scandal


    General Ashford


    United Industry


    Nigeria Invasion


    Boko Haram


    The kidnapping of international reporters


    Edouard


    Anne & Everick


    D. Punch Sylvestre


    Hector Garcia


    Immanuel C. Hernandez


    Ahn Soo Ho always felt bothered by his predecessor. Why did Hector decide to retire when his career was at its prime?


    ¡®Because I became a threateningpetition?¡¯


    That wasn¡¯t it. They had a sense ofradeship with one another. He had no intention of bringing harm upon Hector. That meant he didn¡¯t hide to avoid him.


    ¡®There¡¯s another reason.¡¯


    Within theplicated situation that would have made anyone dizzy, Ahn Soo Ho managed to find the exact framework.


    ¡°Eaton. If you want to know how this all started you¡¯ll have to investigate the White House.¡±


    ¡°What? Investigate the White House?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not kidding... are you? I could lose my neck.¡±


    ¡°The road of all heroes is full of hardship.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Any other warnings for me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s predictions were correct, the key persons of the American administration were probably already seized. That was when he understood the FBI¡¯s Adam Laroche¡¯s foolish behavior.


    ¡°Wait! Soo Ho!¡±


    Before Ahn Soo Ho could hang up, he heard a ringing voice in his years.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I almost forgot. The agents that looked through the trailer found a message that he left a few days back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a photo of the scene.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The photo got sent as soon as they hung up. Ahn Soo Ho saw the photo on his phone andughed loudly.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m here, boy! Suck me?¡¯


    It sounded weird when literally tranted, but it needed to be localized a little bit. When Hector first saw Ahn Soo Ho back in the day, he used the word ¡°suck¡± a lot. Did he think of him as a son that he would inherit his wealth to? He definitely got to where he was using his own capabilities, he the old man helped him a lot as well.


    ¡®That crazy old bastard!¡¯


    If he hadn¡¯t shown interest in the kidnapping case and looked through his trailer, he never would have found that message. Never in his life. That was why this was a miracle.


    ¡®If you save me, I¡¯ll suck you off!¡¯


    That was a mercenary¡¯s way of saying, save me. Ahn Soo Ho grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard getting a request from him. Logan, what do you think?¡±


    Logan saw the message and frowned.


    ¡°Does that old man¡¯s wrinkly penis even stand?¡±


    ¡°There are lots of good medicine these days. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll stand as long as he survives.¡±


    Logan smiled.


    ¡°Then go and suck him, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°But I won¡¯t if it smells.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho picked up his phone.


    ¡°Hey, Henry. It¡¯s me. Make me a temporary bulletin board. I¡¯ll pay you back with a wish from Ahn Soo Ho. Yeah, you heard that right.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a genie in a bottle, but he was capable of doing anything as long as it didn¡¯t involve bringing the dead back to life.


    ¡°The call order is...¡±


    Private Ryan yed by Matt Damon safely returned home. Then what about Hector Garcia? Would he be able to go back home with his daughter as well? No one could guarantee it, but he had to try anyway.


    ¡°Saving Old Man Hector.¡±


    He now had another reason to go to Nigeria besides finding Choi Ye Won.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 187 ¨C Shotgun [6] > The end.

 Chapter 189: < Protect – Episode 188 – Shotgun [7] >

    <h4>Chapter 189: < Protect ¨C Episode 188 ¨C Shotgun [7] ></h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡±


    Nigeria¡¯s capital was Abuja located at the center of the country, but the biggest city was actually Lagos located at a South West harbor. The original capital was Lagos, but it waster changed to Abuja. Lagos was currently the focus of a lot of manpower and materials due to the war that was going on. The media was criticizing the US military for digging their own graves, but it wasn¡¯t actually that bad at the actual scene.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stared strangely out the car window, the native guide exined using fluent English.


    ¡°The South West region is currently getting ready for war. As a result, many from surrounding countries are alling over to gather.¡±


    ¡°Any terrorist threats?¡±


    ¡°Our government military isn¡¯t allowing any Muslims to pass through.¡±


    ¡°If the media finds out, they¡¯ll call that discrimination.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be able to speak carelessly if they knew Africa¡¯s current status. We respect doctors and political activists, but not reporters.¡±


    Just because Africa had a high illiteracy rate didn¡¯t mean they were all stupid.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t asked your name yet.¡±


    ¡°Campbell. My name is Campbell.¡±


    The ck man with white hair had a very affectionate smile. The car that Ahn Soo Ho was in stopped at the richest neighborhood in Lagos and the houses he saw were one of the biggest in that area.


    ¡°Wee! Mr. Guardian!¡±


    A fat ck man wearing a Hawaiian shirt opened his arms for a hug, but Ahn Soo Ho only looked at him after giving Logan and his underlings their orders.


    ¡°Felix.¡±


    ¡°Wee to Nigeria, Soo Ho.¡±


    He looked like an African ck man on the outside, but he was actually a European who was born in the Nethends. He was also a super major in charge of Africa as well as a member of a Nigerian oil corporation.


    ¡°What about Exxon and BP?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve entrusted everything with me.¡±


    ¡°Your rtionship must be good these days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right. It¡¯s just that... they¡¯re afraid to face you.¡±


    Exxon Mobil and BP once shed with Ahn Soo Ho and got hurt big time.


    ¡°Are Chevron, Total, and ENI also on the same boat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better for me if I just have to negotiate with you only.¡±


    ¡°Go easy on me, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    As soon as he entered the house with Felix¡¯s guidance, he saw many employees moving quickly. When he saw the women dressed in maid outfits, he finally realized he was in Africa. Regardless of the development status of a country, feudal societies still took advantage of people below them. They might have just considered it one of many job positions, but in a feudal system of top and bottom rtionships, themoners had no choice but long for the vibrant lives of the upper ss as well. The problem was that longing led to following and following led to fanaticism.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Guardian.¡±


    The banquet hall was full of guests. Since he wasn¡¯t a celebrity, there was no way the public could have known his name, but a few of them were skilled men who controlled Africa¡¯s economy. The one in charge of a world-famous grain major called Cargill named Woodyined as soon as Ahn Soo Ho sat down.


    ¡°Soo Ho, ever since you retired, Africa has been bing awless world. Just the other day, someone in charge of Congo got kidnapped, and now an inspection team in Tanzania got kidnapped. Can you do something about this?¡±


    Africa was like a bread basket with lots of development potential, and as long as they settled down right, they were able to reel inrge profits. Cargill made a lot of investments in Africa for quite some time, but it wasn¡¯t easy building and operating a major farm onnd where fists worked better thanw.


    The public would have been surprised to know that the ones with the most power in Africa were grain majors including Cargill. Their men consisted of low-level soldiers, but their scale had been huge for a long time. But despite that fact,panies didn¡¯t want Africa¡¯s democracy, economy, and culture standards to improve.


    ¡®Because if that happens, they won¡¯t be able to start chaos there.¡¯


    A country¡¯s stability meant the government was gaining power, and if the government had power, that meant they could regte thepanies. There wasn¡¯t a single country in Africa that was free of collusion with police and corruption of every kind. The kind of corruption that most people thought of was just bribery and non-serious corruption, but in Africa, there were cases where even lives were at stake.


    ¡°What about Monsanto?¡±


    ¡°For them, they went into seed and biotechnology rather than production and cirction, so they shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see Amia.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho scanned the room and tilted his head when he didn¡¯t see a familiar face he was expecting.


    ¡°Amia... was reced.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Amia made a testimony at a recent ICC that was unfavorable to a general¡¯s crime, so she ended up being reced for viting good faith of a client.¡±


    Gaius wasn¡¯t the only major in pharmaceuticals. When only considering sales, Synizer Meditech was way ahead of Gaius. They were a multinationalpany, but they didn¡¯t have an office in Congo. Amia Daruan was an internationalwyer sent by the UN in order to calm down Africa¡¯s public sentiment.


    She became the face of Meditech and visited many regions to deliver rescue materials. The problem was that she didn¡¯t realize the difficulty the businesses in Africa went through, and she didn¡¯t want to understand it either.


    ¡°General Juma isn¡¯t a tyrant who enjoys murder. He was actually a friendly man with a brilliant mind.¡±


    General Juma¡¯s soldiers that controlled Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania, wasn¡¯t particrly friendly with any of the countries. For that reason, they were a threat to the countries while also being helpful, and in the eyes of foreign investors, they were no different from corrupt warlords. The conflict arose when NGO¡¯s food relief program and medical support n ended up in failure.


    Bribery was rampant in Africa, but the international relief groups were usually not messed with. That was because their activities were suppressing the dissatisfaction the citizens had about the military. In Africa, there was no mindset that a country could look out for their citizens¡¯ welfare.


    ¡°They reced her because of one testimony? That¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the testimony isn¡¯t all she did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho showed the palm of his hands and cut off Felix. He didn¡¯t know what kind of situation it was, but it wasn¡¯t important at this very instant. He scanned the banquet hall once more. Most of them were connections Ahn Soo Ho made during his years in Africa. Unless they were a family-run business like Cargill with unlisted stocks, evenrge corporations were unable to survive their time limitations.


    Despite Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement, their solidarity strengthened rather than it weakening. Why? Because they felt arge impact from his vacancy. This went along with the saying,


    ¡®Better the devil you know than the devil you don¡¯t know.¡¯


    People were always too busy glorifying the good days than to focus on oveing the current chaos.


    Those who got a taste of the problem solver named Ahn Soo Ho got too addicted to be able to escape. He was retired now, but that didn¡¯t mean he was going topletely ignore friends in trouble. Just by managing his connections well, he was able to stay seated and manage the world.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wipe out Boko Haram.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    He had already known through his informants, but hearing it from Ahn Soo Ho himself made him flinch.


    ¡°If you have any connections to Boko Haram, take care of that as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to pull them out by the roots?¡±


    ¡°No way. It¡¯s impossible to annihte those cockroaches.¡±


    If that was possible, America wouldn¡¯t have had to be tied down by the Middle East for almost 20 years. No matter how many Taliban they killed, they kept appearing, and a mutated cockroach like IS appeared from time to time to harass the US military. That was why people called the Middle East a ck hole. If another ck hole was to form in North Africa, even the current American president was going to have a hard time.


    ¡®A back-to-back impeachment?¡¯


    If another impeachment was to happen so soon, even the most optimistic Americans were going to have problems. What was funnier was that signs were starting to emerge, but not even the Republican party wanted another presidential impeachment. No matter how much they hated the democratic party, they had to maintain America¡¯s democracy with the symbol of the utmost freedom.


    ¡®America will not lose!¡¯


    The pride of Yankees was still as high as when America defeated Pnd and France back during World War II. To the true Yankees, the only Muslims they would tolerate were those who were dead.


    ¡°Were you the one who ordered Pitch Stone to cut off funding to Boko Haram?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Figures. Even K-Bank froze Boko Haram¡¯s ounts.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t order that one.¡±


    ¡°Then they must have decided to do that on their own.¡±


    K-Bank, also known as Casa nca Neuro Bank was a ce where the assassination unit, Angundered their money.


    ¡°There are rumors that J-Law ran away to Africa and that Issac chased him down.¡±


    On the other side of the terrorist war in Europe, two tycoons were fighting over rights to the assassination world. Compared to J-Law who stressed the importance of an assassin¡¯s duty and tradition, Issac¡¯s promise to bring them plentiful fruits resonated a lot better. After a certain point, there became a greater difference in power. In the end, J-Law was cornered and forced to give up on Europe.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ang¡¯s veterans were simply in honorary positions, but they were hoping Ahn Soo Ho would mediate the war. However, he didn¡¯t care if assassins killed each other or not. There were many items on the table, but Ahn Soo Ho wanted to get rid of Boko Haram, so they managed to reel in some profits by providing useful information.


    ¡°Let¡¯s postpone the party until next time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    Felix saw Ahn Soo Ho off with a sad look on his face. Lagos¡¯ downtown was full of US military soldiers, and just like all war areas, there were lots of pocket thieves, prostitutes, and homeless children.


    ¡°I apologize. There¡¯s a lot of traffic.¡±


    His guide, Campbell apologized. As expected, the car didn¡¯t have a navigation system. Ahn Soo Ho looked out the window. There normally would have been children knocking on the car window for money, but thanks to the police and military, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have to be bothered.


    The traffic continued until the US military¡¯s checkpoint. The traffic got better after that. It appeared that Lagos was transformed into a supply base. Despite being Nigeria¡¯s top city, Lagos was not very safe. There were even stories about how Lagos had never been safer since the war broke out.


    As soon as he arrived at his amodation, he was faced with a person he was expecting.


    ¡°James.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    James ck wearing big sunsses greeted Logan with his eyes and then approached Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Why are you back at a war zone?¡±


    ¡°The situation in DC isn¡¯t so good these days, and don¡¯t you need someone to be a bridge between you and the US military?¡±


    ¡°Good excuse.¡±


    The situation in Washington D.C. was at its worst.


    ¡°What are you nning to do to Boko Haram, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going topletely destroy them, aren¡¯t you? Hmm. Can I give you our opinion?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the media and the public aren¡¯t so happy about this.¡±


    American media was known to be the harshest. While that of Ennd was known to be ssy and cautious, America was more direct. In particr, they didn¡¯t hesitate to joke about the president, and no matter how much they favored the Democratic party, they found it difficult to defend them after the Davis scandal and the Nigerian war.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho turned him down before he could even begin, James showed a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    In response, Ahn Soo Ho stroked the hair on his chin.


    ¡°What about the diplomatic trouble with Korea?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just a small Asian country... Oh, sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not Korean anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Then don¡¯t worry about Korea. I¡¯ll make sure no one can say anything.¡±


    Once James realized Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care, he continued to call Korea a small country.


    ¡°Good thinking, Soo Ho. You¡¯re too influential to be a man of such a small country. America is always willing to...¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    James stopped as soon as Ahn Soo Ho waved his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to thatter. It¡¯s too early right now.¡±


    ¡°Ok... okay.¡±


    Hearing him say he would hear itter was a great development. James felt a sense of excitement. If he could make Ahn Soo Ho into an American citizen, his country was going to be the greatest of all.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho noticed amotion toward the entrance. The civilian-militarypany signed a contract with the US military and set up facilities and amodations for foreigners who normally would have been stationed in Abuja.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. They sometimes beg... Huh? Soo Ho!¡±


    James said it was no big deal, but Ahn Soo Ho pushed him aside and walked forward. What he noticed was that the man standing there wasn¡¯t ck but of Yellow Race. If that was all, Ahn Soo Ho wouldn¡¯t have minded him. However, his overly developed hearing heard him speaking Korean.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He was about to turn away when he heard a question from behind the guards that made him flinch. Behind the calm Asian face, there was a white man giving him scary looks, and from his 10 years as a mercenary, he made the judgment that he needed to give a sincere response.


    ¡°Oh, they were begging toe in without any identification or guarantors...¡±


    ¡°Did you try talking to them at all?¡±


    ¡°No, there were too many Chinese who entered illegally...¡±


    ¡°I can hear a Korean speaking as well though.¡±


    The guard grew quiet after talking back to Ahn Soo Ho. He actually didn¡¯t know what country Korea was.


    ¡°Bring them inside.¡±


    ¡°But the rules... Yes, Sir!¡±


    The guard noticed James¡¯ death stare from behind Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to let them in. As soon as the guard took down the barricade, the people cheered with joy. Among the homeless people that came in, Ahn Soo Ho grabbed the middle-aged man who looked a little more civilized.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The man was startled when he heard someone speaking Korean, and then he looked at Ahn Soo Ho and blinked a few times. After about 10 seconds, he eximed in surprise.


    ¡°CEO Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°You recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Ho... how...¡±


    ¡°First, drink some water.¡±


    James brought over some water, a hat, and a nket. The Yankees suddenly looked friendly, and they had a hard time adjusting to that.


    ¡°Look! That¡¯s CEO Ahn! CEO Ahn!¡±


    ¡°What are you... Huh? CEO Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Chairman Ahn!¡±


    The ones calling Ahn Soo Ho CEO Ahn or Chairman Ahn were middle-aged, and those calling him by his first name were in their 20s and 30s.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the one in charge?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    The first middle-aged man he grabbed turned out to be their representative.


    ¡°What happened? I thought the overseas Koreans were sent back before the war.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    They left maintenance employees just in case the buildings that were constructed in Nigeria would be demolished during the war. What kind of nonsense was that? Did they think they could convince soldiers holding guns? It was a relief that there were no female employees.


    ¡°Are you serious? What about the Lagos annex?¡±


    ¡°I left word. But... I didn¡¯t know they would change the location of the annex as well.¡±


    The Korean embassy in Nigeria relocated from Abuja to Lagos right before the war. He thought that there would have been some kind of diplomatic space for the Koreans that had to be left behind, but the Korean ambassador to Nigeria had left for Liberia a long time ago, and no one knew where the annex was anymore.


    James butt in.


    ¡°Korea¡¯s space is on the inside.¡±


    ¡°So it exists?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They relocated due to the kidnapping incident.¡±


    ¡°I need to see it for myself.¡±


    The Korean diplomat ran over as soon as he heard. Ahn Soo Ho tried to give him a punch to the face, but he didn¡¯t go through with it. That was because the diplomat that ran over was a familiar face.


    ¡°Han Kyung Il?¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    Why was he in Nigeria and not America? Someone else stepped in front of him.


    ¡°Did the other employees arrive?¡±


    ¡°Other employees?¡±


    ¡°Yes! They should have arrived a day before us.¡±


    Han Kyung Il shook his head and Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows.


    ¡®If another group had already arrived, they wouldn¡¯t have been refused admittance.¡¯


    That meant they hadn¡¯t arrived. Han Kyung Il arrived at the same conclusion and met eyes with Ahn Soo Ho with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°This always happens when I meet up with you, Kyung Il.¡±


    ¡°This is only the second time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s already a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... Well, we should find them.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Han Kyung Il put his arm on his friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±


    ¡°You little bastard.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked and stepped up. Since they knew of the problem, all that was left to do was resolve it. He signaled Logan to mobilize his underlings. James followed them out with an anxious look on his face. They were headed to the Nigerian government¡¯s military building. In order to make a civilint, he had to go through a long process, but Ahn Soo Ho was on the American president¡¯s security council making it easy for him to approach the duty officer.


    Ahn Soo Ho asked them to find the Korean employee that disappeared.


    The ck menughed in response.


    He then exined his rtionship with America and asked again.


    They then demanded a bribe.


    Ahn Soo Houghed.


    That was when James ck¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Watch carefully, my friend. This is how diplomatics is done in Africa. This ce is different from Italy and America.¡±


    He talked to Han Kyung Il while reaching his hand out to Logan.


    Bang-


    He pulled the arming handle as soon as he touched the gun. Logan and his underlings then kicked the ck men to the cold ground.


    The ck men then screamed.


    ¡°Mmph!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put the shotgun in themander¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y, ck man.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 188 ¨C Shotgun [7] > The end.

 Chapter 190: < Protect – Episode 189 – Shotgun [8] >

    <h4>Chapter 190: < Protect ¨C Episode 189 ¨C Shotgun [8] ></h4>


    Nigeria was a rtively wealthy country in Africa.


    They had a poption of 180 million.


    And GDP of 430 billion US dors.


    In modern society, being an oil-producingpany was a strong indicator of a nation¡¯s power, and if it was used correctly, they were able to be just as internationally influential as Saudi Arabia. However, in a country where coup d¡¯etats and civil wars weremon, for true democracy to take ce seemed very far-off.


    Themoner to thug ratio of most developed nations was 9:1 while Africa was the total opposite. It was to the point where it was surprising that the nation was functioning. The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, there were two things that hindered Africa¡¯s development and those were high illiteracy rates and religion.


    ¡®Ignorant beings don¡¯t believe in God but themselves.¡¯


    Religious faith was a mental activity that took thought and reason into consideration, but simply having a read through the bible didn¡¯t mean they were a believer. True faith couldn¡¯t be proven by praying at a church or a mosque. As a result of cults and pseudo religions, there was no longer any trust in pure faith.


    Getting a quality education also didn¡¯t mean everyone could be good citizens. It couldn¡¯t be denied that it could produce smarter and more vicious criminals. The elites of Africa stood on the border between legal and illegal ways, and among the many corrupted officials, one of them became the dictator. In that sense, armymanders were prospective dictators.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Chief Cinnamon tried to get his head out as soon as the gun entered his mouth, but he was unable to. The subordinates who were supposed to help were being held down by the white men. He looked at James ck for help, but he simply shook his head.


    ¡®What the hell is going on here?¡¯


    He simply tried to teach the yellow race a lesson, but that led to a gun in his mouth. Not even the American president could treat him this way. The chief first resisted out of rage, but he then surrendered and trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad we don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho issued themand.


    ¡°Find him.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him the photo and the chief proceeded to obey like a robot.


    ¡°Let them go.¡±


    The ck men held down by Logan and his underlings were released as well. Han Kyung Il looked at him with a confused look on his face.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°But will it be okay? Maybe it¡¯s better to give them a bribe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll only make their habits worse. Hey! James.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho called James ck over with his hand.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at you switching to using formalities. If you keep acting like this, you won¡¯t get anything from me.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. I knew.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Korea, you know. One in three foreigners working in Nigeria can¡¯t be contacted anymore. Especially Chinese people.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Greed.¡±


    No matter what insurance, there was not much to get out of a war-ridden country. As mentioned before, Nigeria was one of the few richest countries in Africa. Still, only the ones at the top made a lot of money, and whether the Nigerian citizens lived well or not, that wasn¡¯t for the foreigners to care about. Manypanies rted to oil came about, and the facilities built for the influence of Nigeria raked in a lot of money as well.


    ¡°What do you think underdeveloped countries need the most?¡±


    ¡°Infra?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And the fast and cheap Chinese constructionpanies are taking over Africa these days.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they do a shabby job?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? The elites of Africa only care about making profits from national projects. They have no interest in safety or public benefits. That¡¯s how ck people are.¡±


    That was a bad prejudice. Not all African politicians and government officials tried to take advantage of their people, but among the Africans Ahn Soo Ho met, there weren¡¯t many that didn¡¯t put their own gain first. Once he arrived in Lagos, the reporter kidnapping case changed once more.


    7 reporters from Australia, Canada, and Spain have been decapitated!


    Boko Haram is sending out a warning that if anyone irritates him, he¡¯ll execute them all!


    The king of Saudi Arabia, ¡®All the reporters must be released! Let¡¯s speak up!


    The biggest issue broke outst.


    IS representative, ¡® America and Europe must be kicked out of Africa!¡¯ For the true Muslims who support IS West Africa Branch, a church for Ah must be built!


    While the world sent their condolences, Koreans also had discussions of their own.


    Is this how the reformationmitteees to an end?


    What¡¯s the truth behind Chairman Ahn¡¯s national pig remark?


    Ship reformation has lost its captain! Reformation of the rich is in for a struggle!


    What happened at the Blue House that day? Who pissed him off?


    As a result of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s actions, the reformation of the rich ran into trouble. Daesan Group was always cooperative, but the other conglomerates were also minding Ahn Soo Ho. However, as soon as he disappeared, their attitudes changed.


    Only one person was threatening the rich?


    This would have been hard to believe before, but as soon as Hosoo Investments¡¯ scale was revealed, it became understandable. They had invested 60 billion US dors in the financial world, and the total amount they invested in the Korean stock market was 100 billion US dors. Many would tilt their heads at the total market capitalization of the top 30panies, but think about it! Korea¡¯s market capitalization was around 1.5 trillion US dors.


    ¡®The scariest branch of Hosoo Entertainment Group is Hosoo Investments!¡¯


    Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s funds were so astronomical that Ahn Soo Ho could even control Daesan Group if he wanted. The only reason why the Korean stock market was able to persist despite the downfall of Shi and Youngjin at the hands of Bridal Mask was thanks to foreign investments, but as soon as Ahn Soo Ho withdrew from the reformationmittee, the rising foreign investments halted.


    The analysts and economic experts fell into another panic. Why? They didn¡¯t know why Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s withdrawal led to so many foreign investors backing out, and the Korean media found a hit in an article published by Washington Post.


    Gerald Huxey, Reserve General.


    The soldier who used to be the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff until 6 years ago brought up Ahn Soo Ho in an interview with Washington Post. Every time Gerald Huxey mentioned Ahn Soo Ho, he used the word ¡°incredible¡± multiple times, and he even stated, ¡°He will win soon!¡±


    How was one supposed to process the fact that a Yankee wrote an article praising a Korean? It was actually the Koreans who were taken aback by the article that was obviously sucking-up on Ahn Soo Ho. They had already heard that he was famous abroad, but very few knew the reason why. However, they had no idea a proud former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff would suck up to him as well.


    When each country started its operations to recruit Ahn Soo Ho to be their citizen, he was already in a slum of Lagos. As soon as he noticed helicopters, military, and police monitoring the streets, he decided to hide.


    Ahn Soo Ho was in a helicopter looking down onto the streets while being briefed by Logan. In the 72 hours requested by Bridal Mask, only 9 hours remained.


    ¡®Was that too tight of a time limit?¡¯


    Maybe he should have given them a week. But if he had, they wouldn¡¯t have felt so pressured.


    ording to the intelligence agency, people who look like Koreans have been spotted near the Angkali Market!


    Angkali Market was known to be the base for a group called Kanaka. What was interesting was that the leader of Kanaka was an influential general of the Nigerian military. It wasn¡¯t just Muslims that were terrorists in Africa. There were tons of terrorists of other religions as well.


    Violence was a way of disying one¡¯s power. If Nigeria wasn¡¯t an oil-producing country, it would have turned out like Somalia following countless civil wars. The allied forces of the US and Nigerian military were stationed at their respective regions, and besides the site controlled by the US military, the rest were under the Nigerian military¡¯s jurisdiction.


    What would happen if a corrupted official, soldier, and a criminal organization met? That was what people called a human rights blind spot.


    All who hold guns after the operation is initiated will bebeled as enemies! Don¡¯t hesitate to pull the trigger!


    Chief Cinnamon under the control of Ahn Soo Ho returned with decent information. Ahn Soo Ho then armed his troops and pressured James ck toe up with means to mobilize.


    Don¡¯t hesitate!


    What about women and children?


    As soon as Logan turned to Ahn Soo Ho, he responded in his stead.


    Shoot.


    Yes, Sir!


    That was all he needed to say.


    Reaching our destination! Laying a barrier line!


    The ck men are slow! Kick their asses!


    The Nigerian military and police drew a big barrier line. The American troop that James ck led was already on stand by and all that was left to do was to charge at their enemy camp.


    Unfolding! We¡¯re heading east!


    We¡¯re heading West!


    What about North?


    Boss is on stand by there!


    Yes, Sir!


    No matter how carefully they nned the mission, the news was quick to spread. As soon as the military and police arrived, Kanaka was ready to fight.


    Open fire! Open fire!


    Careful of civilians! Careful of allies! Careful of the rear!


    Under control!


    As soon as gunshots rang through Lagos, everyone locked their doors and hid. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s helicopternded onto the ground.


    Boss hasnded!


    Keep a lookout!


    One more person followed Ahn Soo Ho, and that was none other than Han Kyung Il. Ahn Soo Ho gave the pilot a thumbs up to get back in the air. That was when dust surrounded them due to the propellers.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho dragged his coughing friend to the wall.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    He once used to be a military cadet, but that was over 10 years ago. His body had already adjusted to office life.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just take amand helicopter?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d cause any harm... But this isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was greedy enough to look at it from a business perspective, and he also had the cocky attitude of wondering how great this mission was going to be. Korean men also had great military pride. The guard team surrounded from all four sides. Some may have wondered if Ahn Soo Ho needed protecting, but Logan¡¯s stance was not so simple.


    ¡°Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yeah.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s calm way of speaking as if they were taking a stroll through a park made Han Kyung Il rx a little.


    Bang- Bang-


    Gunshots could be heard.


    In movies, people would have been seen in a fierce gun battle, but in a reality, it was hard to see even a shadow. It was pretty rare to have a face-to-face battle with an enemy troop. That was why they had to be careful of bulletsing from afar.


    Bang-


    He heard gunshots but no people, but they were controlling the situation in a quick manner. As soon as they entered an inner alley, they saw a body. The smell of blood was unbearable to those who weren¡¯t used to the scent. The reason why average people gagged at dead bodies was because it was a pungent smell rather than the sight. The first impression of a body was shocking enough to make one faint.


    Right before exiting the alley, Ahn Soo Ho grabbed Han Kyung Il¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ugh?¡±


    Han Kyung Il, who was already on the ground, was forced to lean against the wall.


    ng-


    A bullet hit the ground.


    ¡°Sniper!¡±


    ¡°Sniper! Sniper!¡±


    The guard team caused a fuss. Ahn Soo Ho ignored them and took care of his wobbling friend.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I should really get my act together.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho asked a fellow troop to help his wobbling friend. The underlings that have worked with him for a long time immediately understood. Ahn Soo Ho put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a smoker. Many mercenaries relied on alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs to help with their fear and anxiety, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t so weak to his emotions. He handed the cigarette over to Han Kyung Il. He refused so he pushed it into his friend¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why? Did you quit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s my New Year¡¯s resolution.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯vested a while this time.¡±


    Since it had been a third of the year after New Year¡¯s, he had been rtively sessful.


    ¡°My father told me not to hang out with someone who quit smoking because that means they¡¯re really stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Phew. You¡¯ve never talked about your father before now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When the 8-member group got together, they rarely talked about personal matters. This was different from the Do Brothers, Yoon Chul, or Naval Academy ssmates like Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°My father is a yboy. ording to modern standards, he¡¯s not eligible or ustomed for society. Anyway, he¡¯s not meant to have a family.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too harsh against your father?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But it¡¯s true.¡±


    Once Ahn Soo Ho retired, he talked to Ahn Da Man a lot more in a year than he did his whole life. When he was young, he hated his father for being irresponsible. He strongly believed that his behavior was what made his mother leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to live life ording to ns.¡±


    Even those with the most resources couldn¡¯t always live ording to n. Historically speaking, many wins and losses were determined based on luck.


    I found him! Bell tower! Bell tower!


    Roger that! Gun! Gun! Gun!


    Bullets from helicopters a kilometer away from the bell tower started to fly.


    Clear!


    Clear! Clear!


    Ahn Soo Ho took thest puff of their cigarette and flicked it onto the ground.


    ¡°Shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thank you.¡±


    He led his stabilized friend out of the alley. The military, police, and underlings were all surrounding the area. No matter how powerful Kanaka was in Lagos, they still didn¡¯t stand a chance. Once they passed two more alleys, they arrived at Kanaka¡¯s base. This ce truly showed the reality of Nigeria.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Han Kyung Il gagged at the entrance way.


    The ce was full of dry blood along with powdered bone and foreign matter. All the storage closets were filled with weapons and bullets, and inside the pens were women. Was this what they called the safest area of defense?


    As soon as he passed the US military taking care of the women and children, he reached a beautiful garden. In contrast to the women who were locked up, there were women rxing by the pool in bikinis. Ahn Soo Ho approached a group of ck men who was crouched over in the garden.


    His finger must have been itching to pull the trigger in the midst of the atmosphere. James ck, who was leading the ground forces in Logan¡¯s stead, stiffened his face as soon as he saw Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°This is worse than I expected, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°This is the reality of Nigeria that the US military turned their backs on. The government military, rebels, terrorists, and police are all and the same.¡±


    While the US military fought with African Muslims like Boko Haram, the upied territories of the allied forces like Lagos or Abuja were having their own wars. It was as if Yankees still hadn¡¯t learned their lesson from Iraq and Afghanistan.


    ¡°Do you want to end this war? Then you¡¯ll have to kill all the ck men you see.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    A troop ran over with a pile of papers just in time.


    ¡°I think we caught a big fish.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked over the papers and then stuck out his tongue. To the viins, religion meant nothing.


    ¡°What is it, Soo Ho?¡¯


    He handed the papers to James who seemed curious.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    He was speechless. That was because a Christian tribe kidnapped foreigners in a big city and then sold them to a Muslim tribe. They disguised themselves as Boko Haram and asked for money in exchange for the foreigners they held hostage. Whether it ended well or not, they covered for Boko Haram¡¯s crime.


    African cks were not stupid.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Another troop approached.


    ¡°We found our target!¡±


    ¡°Are they all right?¡±


    ¡°Four are still alive, but one man is...¡±


    As soon as Han Kyung Il¡¯s face turned pale, Ahn Soo Ho pushed his friend¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn to step up.¡±


    Han Kyung Il showed Ahn Soo Ho his fist.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho saw off his friend and then approached the head of Kanaka with a gun. The information he received from his sources on African economy were urate, but they were not quick.


    ¡°Okay! We have a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Men who did bad things for a living shared a connection. If he wanted the quickest and most urate information on the bad things happening in Africa, it was fastest to interrogate the criminals themselves. This method worked in both developed and undeveloped countries.


    ¡°When you kidnap a foreigner, where do they get sent to?¡±


    ¡°#^*#&$*@(*(@*!¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ears, which could understand anynguage in the world, couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying, that meant it was nonsense.


    ¡°&#@&@*(@&@&@... Ugh!¡±


    The ck man screamed and then plopped onto the ground. That was because Ahn Soo Ho pulled the trigger on him. Wasn¡¯t English the mainnguage in Nigeria? He made eye contact with the ck men that were still alive and said this,


    ¡°Please! English.¡±


    ¡®Why are you acting like amateurs?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 189 ¨C Shotgun [8] > The end.

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

    <h4>Chapter 191: < Protect ¨C Episode 190 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [1] ></h4>


    The Korean embassy 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 amodation 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 embassy, he was able to make a call to his family. At first, he resented the Korean ambassador 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 inte and opened a chatroom full of former ssmates and friends who wanted to know about Nigeria¡¯s situation. His initial fear of dying in the war disappeared and was reced 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 andughter.


    Did you eat something bad in Africa!


    I think he might have Eb! 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 Kos?


    If youe 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 im 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 hisputer 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 bastard 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 bastard 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 using eyes which made Kim Kyung Soo cuss his friends out in his head.


    ¡®Those bastards! 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 embassies 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 toe here!¡±


    ¡°Do you have a permanent residency? Or citizenship?¡±


    ¡°Can anyone speak the Burundinguage 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...¡±


    ¡°Toote, 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 ambassador to Nigeria followed orders by withdrawing the Korean diplomats in Abuja and nned 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 inparison, 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 bastard revealed that he was here. Countless calls areing in at thatment. 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 ne. 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.


    ¡®Thest 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 reformationmittee 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 Assembly, 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 demandedpensation 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 ck Hawk or C Hawk? Any militarists here? #NigerianRescue #KimKyungSoo #HellJoseon


    That¡¯s not what¡¯s important here! Listen to the conversation! The man in the sunsses is Ahn Soo Ho for sure!


    I think you¡¯re right! I¡¯ll upload aparison 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 squadmander can give orders even if amander with four stars showed up! The Americans follow those traditions like crazy! They¡¯re not like our country where people can havemand just because they¡¯re old!


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


    Han Kyung Il! That bastard! Look at him trembling!


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


    Huh? Shit! I think we¡¯ve got a pro-Jap 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! Shit! Don¡¯t they have a conscience?


    Ew! Fuck! What¡¯s all that? That¡¯s blood all over the floor! #MosaicPlease #HumanFlesh


    Mosaic that shit! That¡¯s ridiculous!


    Wow! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Those Nigerian ck bastards! 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 hell 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 ast gift.¡±


    Logan just shook his head in response.


    Ahn Soo Ho had made up his mind to renounce his citizenship, 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 homnd 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.


    :03:15


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


    ¡°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 ¨C Episode 190 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [1] > The end.

 Chapter 192: < Protect – Episode 191 – 25000 vs 1 [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 192: < Protect ¨C Episode 191 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [2] ></h4>


    It wasn¡¯t just the Blue House that was using Ahn Soo Ho to turn the unfair nation around. The White House was supporting him through James ck while also attempting to negotiate with the opposition. Both Ahn Soo Ho and the situations surrounding him were progressing in a busy manner.


    Boko Haram, IS West African Branch, and even the Imic old men were trying to determine the pros and cons of the US military¡¯s invasion of Nigeria. It wasn¡¯t easy to fight against the strongest military in the world. As a result, many would end up losing their lives, but the organization that came out as a winner would be even stronger than ever. The US Military wasn¡¯t invincible either.


    ¡®If we keep enduring, we will win!¡¯


    For this reason, America¡¯s war in the Middle East didn¡¯t show an end. In Afghanistan, the Talibans wouldn¡¯t yield, and in Iraq, it was even worse than that. The reason why the US military couldn¡¯t actively push forward when Im forces narrowed in Nigeria was because they knew they couldn¡¯t expect any help from the civilians.


    Ahn Soo Ho used a parachute tond in an area from any city or vige. The opposition wasn¡¯t stupid either. In the past, in order to avoid the attack of the US airforce, they used a safe house, but as a result of America¡¯stest spy technology, they ended up having to hide in holes underground. But there was one thing they failed to notice.


    When it came to America¡¯s intelligence ability, unless they were hidden away in the deep Amazon forest, there was no way of escaping their watch. America¡¯s intelligence collecting ability was above anyone¡¯s imagination. It was almost like in the movies.


    Mission control, O.C! McCallum! Sheriff! Ranger!


    Activity in the cave!


    Gerald support!


    A-11-T is approaching!


    In the northeastern region of Nigeria, military satellites of five different countries and spy satellites of over 20 countries were put to action. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that over 15 drones were mobilized as well.


    Update! Roast target!


    No, wait! Wait! Find him!


    When Kadesh Morken was annihted over 10 years ago, no one cared. All they did wasugh at the foolish attempt of arrogant rookies. But the next day, the intelligence world was faced with shock.


    5000 vs 1


    A win of that sort was not just any old win.


    ¡®Is Ahn Soo Ho really a wizard?¡¯


    Codename Wizard¡ªthe name that made people¡¯s hands and feet curl up¡ªcaused manyplications. At first, America tried to kidnap him. But the reason why the mission was canceled was because Kadesh¡¯s head was sent over to the director of the CIA via DHL shipping. That wasn¡¯t all. The great expansion of Ultra only began once Ahn Soo Ho came into the scene.


    DGSE was pushed aside by the CIA in the intelligence world, but in North Africa, they were still at the very top. Among the Imic fundamentalists of Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, there was Boko Haram, IS West African Branch, as well as Muslims that hated Yankees, and on top of that, there were many French businessmen.


    It would have been impossible for so many French tycoons to gather if the terrorist attack in Paris didn¡¯t take ce. The elites and those of the upper ss in the intelligence world all gathered at the airtight chamber.


    ¡°Did you get consent from America?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They didn¡¯t like it, but they still agreed anyway.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much into it. Since we have to do this again with Soo Ho anyway, consider it a run-through.¡±


    After Ahn Soo Ho announced that he would renounce his nationality, it wasn¡¯t just America that acted quickly. France also created a team and went into analysis, but they all came up with the same answer.


    ¡®Don¡¯t disobey!¡¯


    After dealing with Ahn Soo Ho, they learned that he was a rational and reasonable man. There were times when he did some strange things, but in the end, he chose what would benefit everyone involved. In contrast to his violent actions, the results were altruistic.


    ¡°What about the president?¡±


    ¡°Not yet...¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! Is he still hesitating?¡±


    While Washington D.C went through hardship because of the Davis Scandal, Paris, France also went through a lot as a result of the European terrorist attacks. Of course, the London terrorist attacks were a big deal as well, but the French president¡¯s strong will for national security didn¡¯t receive any support from the people and rather drew insults instead.


    ¡®They got even crazier when all immigrants are treated like terrorists.¡¯


    A famous saying came out of the European terrorist attacks.


    ¡®Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim.¡¯


    As a result of the violence of Muslim immigrants that left French mentality deeply scarred, new immigration policies were being drafted, and although it seemed favorable at first, the many immigrant citizens of French showed extreme bacsh. The citizens of France hadpletely different stances from the government, and they were very much obsessed with human rights.


    ¡°If Ahn Soo Ho is judged from a politician¡¯s point of view, that might became a big mistake.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a worry of just France. Their neighboring country, Ennd called upon Barbara and asked for her opinion. Following the London terrorist attack, she seemed to be almost attacking the British government, and the British Circle members couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed after the human ATM¡¯s defiance.


    ¡°What are the chances of Mr. Guardian bing a British citizen?¡±


    ¡°Dream on. That will never happen.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    He responded with an ufortable groan in response to Barbara¡¯s direct answer. But she didn¡¯t care and looked at the old man with a leisurely facial expression.


    ¡®You were right, Soo Ho. Revenge can be taken at any time.¡¯


    If she was ready to die, she could get revenge regardless of any bans. The reason why Barbara had been dragged along all this time wasn¡¯t because of the ban but because of herck of will.


    ¡°Do you all still think you can kill him with nuclear weapons?¡±


    ¡°Not even the ones with supernatural powers can survive nuclear weapons, Barbara.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    Barbara nodded to which he eased his facial expression. However, what she said next made him knit his brows again.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a stupid n if you¡¯re assuming he¡¯d just sit there and get hit by a nuclear weapon.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you¡¯re na?ve.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    She was treating him like a child. Barbara¡¯s criticism made him ufortable again. But the reason why he couldn¡¯t fight back was because she was the oldest one there. She was old enough to treat them like little children.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian is more dangerous than you think. A nuclear weapon could kill him. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to aim at him. But maybe if you shoot all the ones owned by America and Russia, at least one might hit him. But if you do that, it won¡¯t be just him that dies.¡±


    If all the nuclear missiles of America and Russia were fired, that would really bring upon an end.


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Barbara.¡±


    ¡°I am? Well, we¡¯ll just see about that.¡±


    The survival rate of wars was 0.001%.


    The 5000 vs 1 incident with Kadesh Morken and the resistance in Sicilia ended with tragic aftereffects. But in the present, the ones in power from each country got ready to enjoy yet another legendary fight of Ahn Soo Ho. They couldn¡¯t help but be excited. They could finally see the legendary man in person.


    The most excited was the White House, Pentagon, and the CIA.


    The guardian monitoring team led by Director Lydia Virgil of the CIA changed the team to the Ahn Soo Ho recruitment team. The American expert of Ahn Soo Ho was definitely Deputy Director Jeremy O¡¯hare of the CIA, and after that was James ck and Nancy Brown followed by Lydia Virgil. She wasn¡¯t the best, but she was an expert regarding Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡®Men really depend on their women.¡¯


    The fact that Ahn Soo Ho suddenly had a wife he loved, and a child on the way was a huge issue. It was an unexpected turnaround. If that was the case, did the renouncement of his nationality have something to do with Jang Seol Hyun? Lydia thought it did. Whether the child was going to be a girl or a boy, it wasn¡¯t going to live a normal life. Not long ago, she tried to bribe Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s gynecologist and nurse, but they caught on.


    ¡®People are afraid of him, but that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t try.¡¯


    Just one sess was all they needed. Being alive was important, too, but there were times when desperation won over survival instinct.


    ¡°James ck tends to be a little unyielding, but ck Fortune is undoubtedly a patriot. In order to convince Ahn Soo Ho, the marines, the Navy Seal, and Delta will all be mobilized as needed.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he hate ttery?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. Soo Ho likes to be treated well.¡±


    Who didn¡¯t like to be treated well? But Ahn Soo Ho avoided ttery that seemed too obvious. The most powerful and influential people gathered at the White House bunker. US President, Henry G. Olsen spoke with an unpleasant look on his face.


    ¡°Do you really think Ahn Soo Ho is the solution?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡±


    The chief secretary answered with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°If you can make him into an American citizen, you will be passed down in history as a legendary figure.¡±


    ¡°Is that right...?¡±


    President Olsen nodded. If it was just the chief secretary that said it, he would have been doubtful, but all members of the west wing backed him up. The problem was that his rtionship with Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t friendly. That was why he recruited James ck and helped out with the Nigeria incident.


    But he still had one suspicion left.


    ¡®Will he be able to resolve the reporter kidnapping incident?¡¯


    Not even the CIA could handle Africa easily, so how could he do it alone? But on the other hand, he was hopeful. If Ahn Soo Ho did put an end to Boko Haram, the IS West African Branch and the Im fundamentalists, he was going to be able to calm down the American citizens who were demanding the war to be over.


    ¡°Mr. President!¡±


    The chief secretary interrupted President Olsen¡¯s thoughts. An urgent message rang through the bunker.


    Drone down! Drone down!


    Electronic warfare? What is this? What happened?


    Give us your current location!


    Negative! We... don¡¯t... know... what...


    Alon? Alon? Shit! Confirm the team¡¯s safety!


    What about the other drones? Are they far from the destination?


    The situation changed in the blink of President Olsen¡¯s eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The chairman of the chief joint of staff who had his headset on gave the president a thumbs up which meant to wait a moment. Unlike Korea, even the American president respected military soldiers. In particr, when there was a military operation being nned, it was manners for the civilians to just stay quiet.


    Readjust the spy satellite!


    The drone is securing footage! Oh my god!


    The signal officer screamed.


    ¡°We got the footage!¡±


    A video came up on the big screen against the wall.


    There was smoke.


    There was a lot of smoke.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°It looks like Germany from half a century ago.¡±


    Before the allied forces won the Second World War, Germany was overcast with mes. The carpet-bombing swept the entire country to their ruin. What was a relief was that the location they saw on the screen was Greend.


    ¡°Seeing from their route... that¡¯s Division 6 of Kalhapa!¡±


    ¡°Did they meet with any allies?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s happening?¡±


    The chairman of the chief joint of staff focused on his headset and then opened his lips.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the footage sent over from the observation team at the scene!¡±


    The screen changed again, and this time, everyone inside the bunker looked confused.


    In the midst of ruin, there was one man standing.


    Ahn Soo Ho was all alone as if nothing had happened. It had only been 5 minutes since the battle began. What kind of magic could he possibly have used? The footage changed again to an encounter with General Mohammad of Boko Haram.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The end.

 Chapter 193: < Protect – Episode 192 – 25000 vs 1 [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 193: < Protect ¨C Episode 192 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [3] ></h4>


    James ck, A.K.A. ck fortune, was a living legend of the US military¡¯s special operation. Butpared to Ahn Soo Ho, he was just an ordinary operations agent. Ahn Soo Ho was active as an on-site agent for only 2 years, or around 600 days to be exact. But what he did during that short period of time allowed him to sit on the throne.


    Following the battle in Sicilia, he transformed into a negotiation mediator, and after that, all average missions were given to Logan and his underlings. To be honest, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t very active for 10 years before his retirement. Since people trusted his reputation and hired him without any hesitation, there wasn¡¯t much room for problems.


    He even became an example for the enemies.


    Ahn Soo Ho still abided by his rule of giving everyone a chance to save themselves. The broadcast was made in English, French, and the Africannguage.


    ¡°Back off! Then we won¡¯t look for you!¡±


    % probably wouldn¡¯t understand, but the 1% who understood it was enough. The reason why Boko Haram expanded so quickly was because Ahn Soo Ho wiped out theirpeting organization. At the time, the African human trafficking organizations were targeted, and Boko Haram was too new back then to be noticed.


    Ahn Soo Ho sat on a wooden chair and hung up a white g on top of a flimsy tree while waiting for someone in the wind. Since there wasn¡¯t much time left that Bridal Mask gave them, they had to hurry up, but they took their sweet time.


    ¡®They can just die then.¡¯


    If anyone could look into his thoughts, they would have been shocked. The rich who had never earned a dor in their life and the arrogant educated people deserved to die.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked up at the night sky of Africa.


    The way the moon and stars sparkled so clearly showed off another charm different from that of Seoul. In the hignds with only the beautiful sky to admire, he heard the sound of a car engine along with the lights of headlights. The driver parked on a safe distance away from Ahn Soo Ho and then approached with a shlight. What was funny was that that person was holding a white g, too.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho offered a seat to the man. The flimsy wooden chairs were stronger than they looked. Under the bright moonlight, the man¡¯s face revealed to be covered with hair. That meant it was definitely a man, and in North Africa and the Middle East where Ims weremon, men weren¡¯t treated as adults if they didn¡¯t have facial hair.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Hamid.¡±


    The greeting methods of Imic fundamentalists were veryplicated. But the man was very familiar with the Western method. He was called a fundamentalist, but his religion was just an excuse for him to not have other people telling him what to do.


    ¡°How are the wife and children? The eldest is in London, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The first is in London and the second is going to enter Harvard next year.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t something that was expected toe out of Boko Haram¡¯s executive¡¯s mouth since he was against Western education methods. What was funnier was that Hamid was from MIT himself. This situation was simr to a silver spoon who got all the best education and jobs, but he suddenly decided to be a politician representing themoners.


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°Eduard has lost his mind.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He lost his family to the US military¡¯s attack.¡±


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how all wars are, I suppose. So the living should just go on living. As you know, our organization doesn¡¯t have a long history.¡±


    Boko Haram, the IS West African Branch, and other Imic fundamentalist activities only began after the Afghanistan war which the US military started. And everyone knew that they had a clear objective and intention.


    ¡°The executives and their families all receive elite education of Western culture.¡±


    ¡°But you have an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we do. That we¡¯re tricking the Pagan and spying on them. But the ones who receive such high educatione to realize how stupid the fundamentalist movement is. If they¡¯re pure fundamentalists, they can¡¯t learn foreignnguages like English or French, and they can¡¯t even upload decapitation videos on YouTube. What about cars or fridges or electricity? They can¡¯t use anything that Pagans made.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why they mostly drive Japanese cars more than American ones?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Maybe. Anyway, the frame we created is what is keeping us trapped. In the end, we have no choice but to drag in outsiders. The problem is that they can¡¯t be controlled.¡±


    ¡°Outsiders? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho. It¡¯s an organization you know.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho thought of a name.


    ¡°Ayas Frovesa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Alleyas Frovesa was the craziest of the crazies. They were an assassination squad that had the most broken men in the world. How did soldiers make a living aftering back from the war with missing arms and legs? The only thing that mercenaries and soldiers were good at doing was killing.


    Originally, Alleyas Frovesa started off as a union for the injured soldiers and mercenaries, and it seemed pleasant to see the disabled helping each other out. But they started to degenerate about 10 years ago, and then they started to be known for the hiring advertisements for assassins. At one point, women, children, and elders were favored while in the 21st century, the disabled were the most preferred.


    No one suspected the disabled to be killers. What was scarier was that Alleyas took the disabled who didn¡¯t want to live anymore and pushed them to their deaths. There were many who wanted to die so that they could leaverge marypensation for their families. Most of all, in Africa, even the most average people had the crazy idea of wanting to be disabled.


    ¡°Why? Why did they drag me into this? I didn¡¯t have any kind of point of contact with them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there needs to be a reason for crazy people... Soo Ho, it seems like you expect everyone to think in logical ways.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The way I see it... you seem to still have hope for mankind.¡±


    How could Ahn Soo Ho, also known as the killing machine, be a humanist? Hamid said it, but he couldn¡¯t believe it either. The two looked at the night sky without saying anything. And the first one to speak up again was Hamid.


    ¡°The hostages are near Lake Chad.¡±


    ¡°They crossed the border.¡±


    ¡°That region... doesn¡¯t even have borders.¡±


    ¡°What about Chad¡¯s military?¡±


    ¡°Well, France hated that the US dered war first.¡±


    ¡°Is this their unofficial way of expressing their opinion?¡±


    ¡°The French government would probably deny it.¡±


    ¡°Anyway... you brought a tail with you, my friend.¡±


    Hamid was startled by what Ahn Soo Ho said.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know anything about this, Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°I know. They probably secretly followed you.¡±


    Hamid was relieved when Ahn Soo Ho nodded. Once Hamid calmed down, he thought about it and then pped his hands.


    ¡°If it¡¯s near here, it¡¯s Mohammed¡¯s 6th group.¡±


    ¡°Are they Eduard¡¯s right arm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got up, Hamid also followed and yelled at his underling who was nearby.


    ¡°Are you going to fight?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re nning to attack my tribe.¡±


    It was possible that Eduard wasn¡¯t pleased with Hamid who always retaliated against his stances. Seeing how there was so much military power despite it not being America¡¯s terrority, there was definitely a strong force behind him.


    Ahn Soo Ho patted Hamid on the shoulder.


    ¡°Go back to your family, my friend. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    Hamid flinched and then nodded with a touched look on his face.


    ¡°Thanks, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    They didn¡¯t like exchanging expressions of gratitude. Ahn Soo Ho saw off Hamid in the distance and then walked toward a noise he heard. The US military used strong force to attack Nigeria, but just like during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, their enemies fought back with gueris.


    Tanks and armored cars were unimaginable.


    ¡®The French are being cute now.¡¯


    No matter how much they wanted to screw over the US, it wasn¡¯t sane to provide weapons to terrorists. This could have been Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s misunderstanding, but it seemed as though he was right. The Sahel area which was in the process of desertification didn¡¯t have many hiding spots.


    He saw a war machine that was causing a gust of sand to blow everywhere.


    Armed cars were centered around a disguised vehicle that looked like a pickup truck, and besides a Japanese car was a T-Series tank from Russia. They were all old-style vehicles and the only thing that held them together was a ck g with white letters on it.


    ¡®I¡¯m not their target.¡¯


    There was no way Boko Haram could know Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s whereabouts when not even America did. The recon equipment in the sky were all busy trying to keep focused on Ahn Soo Ho. There were even some countries who dispatched ground forces to keep an eye on him.


    They all suspected that Ahn Soo Ho had supernatural powers, but none of them knew the details. Magic wasn¡¯t supernatural powers. But he had no interest in trying to prove that.


    ¡®If they think of it as supernatural powers, I¡¯ll go with it.¡¯


    Since this wasn¡¯t a scientific theory, he had no obligation to correct them. But if they asked him in person, he probably would have answered.


    ¡®What¡¯s magic?¡¯


    It could be argued as supernatural powers. That was because it causes things that couldn¡¯t be verified with science. When he first experienced magic, he was very disappointed. Why? Because there were no fireballs that men dreamt of. There was no Gandalf throwing fire. And the magicians Ahn Soo Ho met didn¡¯t have long beards or wore pointy hats and held canes. They also didn¡¯t wear any kind of robe or pretended to be smart, and they definitely didn¡¯t go around telling people their identities.


    Magicians always moved in the dark.


    What would happen if Ahn Soo Ho waspared to Anna-Anne from his memories? Who would be stronger?


    The answer was Ahn Soo Ho.


    And by a long-shot, at that.


    Anna-Anne was powerful enough to battle against the world. But if Anna-Anne came into the 21st century, she would have be the target of a cruise missile. Even if the great, great magician showed up or the great, great, great, great magician showed up, there was no stopping magic dy. No matter how powerful their magic was they couldn¡¯t dodge a bullet darting their way.


    However, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t afraid of any nuclear weapon or bullet. Why? Because he didn¡¯t need a seal or a safe house.


    ¡®There¡¯s no Anna-Anne, but I¡¯m here.¡¯


    Although Anna-Anne wasn¡¯t in this world anymore, Ahn Soo Ho hadputers. And a very fast one at that. On top of that, he had many of them. No mathematical genius stood a chance against a supeputer. Magic was a battle against time, and whoever could end it quicker would win the war.


    Was it hard to make them lose their minds and have illusions? Or was it harder to control one¡¯s own mind? Illusion magic used the abilities of a supeputer to inject information in real-time like a head-up disy.


    But this posed two problems.


    And those were radio and capacity.


    Considering the size and weight of the generator running the supeputer, mobility was thrown out the window. But for Ahn Soo Ho, the size of theputer didn¡¯t matter. That was because he was a space magician.


    As Ahn Soo Ho became more skilled, his secret pocket increased in size, and every time he added a supeputer, he became more skilled which meant space was no longer an issue.


    And once the problem with the size was resolved, the radio issue would naturally be resolved.


    As his space became expanded, he was able to set out an antenna anywhere in the sky. If that was the case, where did the generators, supeputers, and all of the equipment came from? He bought them with money. The reason why the world couldn¡¯t look down on Ahn Soo Ho was because his ability to buy surpassed those of an average nation orpany.


    He possessed the best guns, bullets, and explosives in the world. He was what controlled the military world as the biggest armory. And that wasn¡¯t all. He was also the fridge that controlled the food industry. For over thest decade, Ahn Soo Ho bought everything he possibly could.


    He was what they called a shopaholic.


    ¡°This is the perfect stage for a showcase.¡±


    It was a good debut stage for a man with supernatural powers.


    As soon as multiple sleeping supeputers went into full effect, the world in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes changed. Infrared rays functioned as retinas that reacted to light, and supeputers were used to deliver analyzed information into Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s head through illusion magic.


    Without the need to use vision magic, he was able to see in the dark.


    He knew his enemy¡¯s exact locations without knowing the distance.


    His head-up disy differentiated enemies without a thought.


    Pulling the trigger was all too easy for him.


    It was raining.


    People often expressed the fierce battlefield by saying it was raining bullets, but it was raining something different this time.


    Boom, boom- Boom- Boom, boom, boom-


    It was raining grenades and explosives.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    The US recons who were monitoring their target with magnifying sses gasped at what they saw. The way the sky copsed and thend flipped upside down was a sight that was rarely seen even by veterans. One of the Catholic members drew a cross with his fingers.


    ¡°God!¡±


    Hell followed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s every footstep.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 192 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [3] > The end.

 Chapter 194: < Protect – Episode 193 – 25000 vs 1 [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 194: < Protect ¨C Episode 193 ¨C 25000 vs 1 [4] ></h4>


    It rained grenades and explosives.


    Boom- Boom, boom- Boom, boom, boom-


    The North Koreans often used the expression ¡°ocean of fire¡±. But that ocean of fire didn¡¯t take ce on the Korean penins but rather in Africa. Ahn Soo Ho wiped out the 6th group without even seeing the face of Mohammed and proceeded to Lake Chad.


    That was the re signal.


    Multiple countries paying attention to Nigeria in addition to the US military were absolutely horrified.


    Oh my god!


    What did I just see?


    Pow! Pow! Pow!


    This can¡¯t be! There¡¯s no way!


    Those with high-level confidential permission were the most powerful from each country. People who have tasted power were unable to escape from it. The ability to control others was more addictive than drugs and more enticing than sex.


    Then where did power came from? Was it up to the citizens¡¯ will like Lincoln said? Or did ite from guns as Mao Zedong said? If it was neither of those two, was it a political technique involving propaganda? No one could say for certain. In order for the unseen power to gain life, it had to oveeplicated interests. And the rtionship between the superiors and subordinates developed into all sorts of forms over generations.


    The media of the 21st century focused on human rights, freedom, and equality, and the more that intensified, the world wished for a democratic society even more. But there was no certainty whether our reality was fit to function under democracy. The more the gap between the rich and the poor became fixed, important secrets and technology became monopolized, and the public started to be brainwashed that they actually had freedom.


    But the world wasn¡¯t that fair.


    The 0.001% dominated the world.


    They created issues that would get the public¡¯s attention. And they used controversy to steer the public toward their goal. If a controversy deepened, it led to a conflict, and conflict ultimately led to a fight. And what if a fight deepened? Then it was war. They used the chaos that they created in order to obtain the resources they needed.


    The beginning and end had always been decided.


    The ones who were at a loss because of it were the 99.999%¡ªthe public. Of course, some of the public gained profit out of it, and the focus was put on them to make it look like it was fair. Was a bright future that was open to everyone true? If so, who was the most influential man in this world? The American president? Or the Chinese premier? The secretary-general of the UN had no power at all. Messi? Ronaldo? Beyonce? Bieber? The difference between VIPs and celebrities was the ability to control authority.


    If the same question was asked of Ahn Soo Ho, he would have said this, ¡°The one who makes the public think they have power and the one who creates the ones in power is the man who is truly in charge.¡± And they always avoided the eye of the public and moved in the dark. Just like the magicians who hid their identities, and they reigned over the world¡¯s governments,panies, medical associations, civic groups, and more.


    A powerful man who created a powerful man.


    Since they believed the world revolved around them, Ahn Soo Ho was a horrifying shock to them. That was because the authority they always had didn¡¯t work to him. Immortality was something that couldn¡¯t be understood with logic. Ahn Soo Ho, who neither died or lost, was a man with no answer no matter how deeply he was analyzed.


    They did know that he possessed strong supernatural powers.


    And they knew that he probably wouldn¡¯t lose even if he fought against an army. However, the hellish spectacle in front of their eyes was worse than they ever imagined. This wasn¡¯t a battle. It was a one-sided annihtion. It was like a boxer beating up an average person, or an adult twisting the wrist of a little child.


    Was it because of Boko Haram¡¯s shabby military power? Not at all. This had nothing to do with a weapon¡¯s technology. The modern strategies and tactics used in the 21st century became useless in front of Ahn Soo Ho. Some of the powerful minds became very active in thought. Was it right to keep such a scary monster out in the wild? Was it better to work together and get rid of him now? They wanted to press the button for a nuclear weapon, but on the other hand, they didn¡¯t have the confidence to deal with the aftermath.


    ¡®What if he can¡¯t be killed by a nuclear warhead?¡¯


    A nuclear attack was the Maginot line of all those in power. The reason why they were afraid of Ahn Soo Ho but didn¡¯t suck up to him was because they wanted to believe that in the far future, they would win. They would definitely face a lot of harm, but they wanted to believe that they would stille out as winners.


    The time it took for the 90 disguised cars, 10 armed cars, and six trams to go down was just under 5 minutes. Ahn Soo Ho walked through the bodies and ruin while talking on the phone. It was clear that he was having a hard time.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It was wise to start off with an apology.


    ¡°Sigh. So when are youing back?¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible. Tell your parents that I¡¯m sorry, too.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho froze at Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s calling of his name.


    ¡°Talk to me first before you do anything important.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I love you.¡±


    He was speaking on the phone through a walkie-talkie. As soon as he hung up, the ones who were listening in all jumped in.


    I love you! Ugh!


    Shit! My ears! My ears!


    Please spare our ears! Our precious ears!


    If they were in a cartoon, veins would have popped out of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    You made it sound like you were going to keep your integrity your whole life, but tsk, tsk! Yeah right!


    You shut up, Boss! What are you doing talking to your fianc¨¦e during a mission? Damn it!


    They always make it obvious as soon as they¡¯re not single anymore! Ptooey!


    This was something that never would have happened before. Ahn Soo Ho was slightly embarrassed so he couldn¡¯t say anything. The one who resolved the situation was the Casanova and forever single, Logan.


    Stop it and focus!


    ¡°Thank you, Logan.¡±


    If you¡¯re thankful, stop dating by yourself and think about us, too. Will you, Boss?


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Logan and his underlings were subordinates that he could trust. Their courage that wasn¡¯t afraid of death and their will that never died out allowed them to give off 120% of their abilities on the battlefield. They made a lot of money and killed a lot of people with Ahn Soo Ho, but since most of the ones they killed were evil, they weren¡¯t that bad in spirit. They were actually quite pure.


    The problem was that they were horrible at dating.


    They only went to strip bars and had zero proper conversations with a woman, and although they had an attractive physique, when they had any free time, they spent all of it at the gym working out. They were idiots who were trying their luck at dating by getting more jacked.


    But I¡¯ve got to acknowledge that our boss is popr! He¡¯s so strong and cool!


    Yeah! That¡¯s true! But he¡¯s no Frank!


    What about Frank?


    Didn¡¯t you know? He¡¯s dating a female colleague!


    Gasp! No way! Frank is dating? Hey! Frank!


    Shouldn¡¯t Frank make friends before he starts dating?


    But who¡¯s Frank?


    Don¡¯t you know Frank? Deb! Deb!


    Oh! But isn¡¯t Deb a girl¡¯s name?


    Deb? Deb! That reminds me of a stripper on Cherry Bay! She had a nice rack and ass!


    Amanda? Juliette? Hunky Bunky? Why do you collect business cards of strippers?


    Well, you go to prostitutes all the time! Strippers are cleaner than prostitutes!


    You bastards! They¡¯re all the same! If you keep doing that, you¡¯ll have a bunch of children surprising you by calling you, Daddy!


    The condoms they have there are very robust!


    Some chicks put holes in them on purpose! Be careful! Just get a call girl instead!


    I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t like condoms! And I have a duty to spread my DNA into this world!


    You have no experience in dating, but you? I guess you do have experience in sex.


    If even Frank is dating a female colleague, anything can happen!


    All of their radio conversations were like this.


    He couldn¡¯t hear any importantbat information even if he tried. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t nervous about this, but that they were unable to feel nervous at all. The other troops surrounding Ahn Soo Ho were obligated to sweep up the remnants. Some might wonder if it was even possible to survive grenades and explosives, but that was their first duty anyway. Logan and his underlings were so skilled that no one could fool around under their watch.


    Mercenaries had freedom. But that didn¡¯t mean there were no rules. The rule that Ahn Soo Ho controlled his troops with was simple.


    Don¡¯t shoot carelessly!


    Don¡¯t shoot carelessly!


    Don¡¯t shoot carelessly!


    Mercenaries didn¡¯t just go around killing civilians. And only crazy mercenaries went wild as if they were going to die tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t umon for some women toe and im they had their child, but DNA analysis these days had an uracy rate of 100%. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t force them to give up alcohol or sex. It was all up to them. But they were not allowed to do drugs.


    ¡®Alcohol can be cleansed using magic.¡¯


    But it was harder with drugs.


    2 kilometers to the front! Oh, so many!


    Standby! Checking... They¡¯re wearing Chad military uniforms! Are we near the border already?


    Hmm, nope! We¡¯re still 200 kilometers away!


    Then who are they?


    They¡¯re... camouged warlords.


    For those traveling in Africa without a travel package, there was one unwritten rule to follow. Never trust the police or military. In safer countries, uniforms elicited trust, but in Africa, it was bait that was used to reel victims in.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°They say the unlucky ones break their noses even if they fall backward.¡±


    Oh! Shit! Hold off! Hold off!


    They were wearing Chad military uniforms, but they weren¡¯t in the Chad military. And they met the wrong person at the wrong ce and time. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t in a good mood. If the 6th group was wiped out in an instant, they were going to be ripped to shreds like crazy.


    The troops created a diagonal line, and they shot at them from a frontal direction. It looked as though an MLRS wasunched.


    Bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    A storm blew in.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 193 -25000 vs 1 [4] > The end.

 Chapter 195: < Protect – Episode 194 – So what? [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 195: < Protect ¨C Episode 194 ¨C So what? [1] ></h4>


    To Ahn Soo Ho, a battle was easier than games.


    There were countless terrorists, armies, and even thugs that they wiped out on their way across the border of Nigeria and Chad. He stopped counting after 5000. And they were in the midst of wiping out thest thugs that got in their way to Chad. Those with military and gun experience knew that gunshots falling like fireworks in daylight was just a myth. Hollywood war movies exaggerated. But in the night sky, a little bit of smoke from the guns could be seen.


    Bang, bang- Bang- Bang, bang-


    A group disguised as soldiers that just plundered a vige died in the midst of the sparkling fireworks and smoke.


    ¡°Where¡¯s thating from?¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Something that flew over blew up. It spread and started a fire. They pounced like a wave knocking down a row of sandcastles along a beach.


    ¡°Split up! Split up!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    They couldn¡¯t see anything so they couldn¡¯t fight, and it was as if they were going against some kind of terrifying devil.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    They ran like crazy.


    ¡®I¡¯m not stupid!¡¯


    The only military that had that kind of technology that would allow them to target urately in the dark was that of the US.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t they see our military uniforms?¡¯


    They only obtained the Chad military uniforms because of the US military, so it annoyed them that it didn¡¯t work. Did the US military change its rules? There was only one reason why the strongest military in the world made such slow progress in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Nigeria. It was because of their ethical sense of duty.


    ¡®How could they look for ethics in war? Those Yankees are hard to understand.¡¯


    For Africa, which was at war 365 days a year without a break, there was no such thing as ethics or morals. From their viewpoint, the white men who didn¡¯t make kids, women, and the weak into soldiers was something that didn¡¯t make sense. DIdn¡¯t women and children have arms and legs, too? As long as they could pull a trigger, they could do the job. That was what they thought at least.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The man who was running away from the sound of guns and explosions got hit on the side and rolled onto the ground. He was then pulled by his neck without any time toe to his senses. As soon as he lifted his head, he was pped with blinding light. As soon as he could see anything, the first thing that came into view was someone¡¯s shoes.


    Someone was looking down on him.


    ¡°Mister?¡±


    Logan gestured his underlings to lift him up from both arms and search him. Logan looked through his wallet and then spoke.


    ¡°His name is Angtuwan Bowa, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Mister Bowa.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho brushed off Angtuwan¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Are you the man in charge?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes.¡±


    When he heard French, Angtuwan just nodded.


    ¡°He must be out of his mind, Logan.¡±


    Logan took out a cigarette, put it in Angtuwan¡¯s mouth and then lit it for him. When he tasted the nicotine, his pounding heart started to slow down. Angtuwan then had the ability to look around with ease. Due to the light shining on his face, he only saw the man¡¯s silhouette, but he did realize that he was in a dangerous situation.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir.¡±


    He nodded, but less instinctively than before.


    ¡°Which tribe?¡±


    ¡°Sma.¡±


    ¡°Sma, Sma? Do you know?¡±


    As soon as he looked back at Logan, he answered,


    ¡°Sma is under the group managed by Jaubert.¡±


    ¡°Jaubert?¡±


    ¡°The tribe of the Doba oil fields.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there.¡±


    In contrast to how poor Chad was, they had arge number of oil fields. And on top of that, Uranium ores were recently discovered as well. But since civil wars were serious in that region, it was difficult to undergo mine development. Countries with the most oil had the steepest increase in victims dying of hunger.


    ¡°You could have lived an easy life with just the oil fields alone... How greedy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. Okay. Did you plunder women and children tonight as well?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m talking about human trafficking. There¡¯s no way you would have passed that up.¡±


    ¡°No, Sir! Never!¡±


    Angtuwan sprung up. He was also surprised by the mysterious man, but ¡°human trafficking¡± was a word that was taboo there. They did continue to foster child soldiers, but they didn¡¯t reel them in in order to sell them off. But that wasn¡¯t something to be proud of either. And when it came to human trafficking that went in and out of Africa, they couldn¡¯t avoid Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s watch.


    The reason why ICC¡¯s Roberto Aqun kept an eye on him while not doing anything was because of the Aj Foundation. During Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s time in Africa, he saved 115,821 people from human trafficking. The reason why he remembered the exact number was because he was still supporting them to this day.


    He left the money he earned in Africa with Africa.


    The influence of the foundation with such sturdy funding was astronomical. In reality, if Ahn Soo Ho decided to build an empire in Africa, there were going to be many peopleing under him.


    ¡°Good. You better not.¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    As soon as he got a glimpse of the man in front of the light, Angtuwan lost sensation in his legs. Luckily, he was being held up from both sides, so he didn¡¯t copse.


    ¡°Angel of death!¡±


    He called him an angel of death in the Chadnguage. Angtuwan went pale and stepped back. If he hadn¡¯t been held down, he would have crawled away. Ahn Soo Ho shrugged with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    ¡°I guess my photos are still going around.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bing more and more glorified by the day. The African kids are even saying you can breathe fire, Soo Ho.¡±


    The true fans of Soo Ho within Africa hung up portraits of him in their homes. But as much as people liked him, there were those that despised him as well. If they wanted to live long, they had to avoid him. The reason why the amount of human trafficking reduced within African criminal organizations was because they didn¡¯t want to face Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Mister Bowa.¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes, Sir!¡±


    Angtuwan stood up straight with all his might.


    ¡°Run.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    As soon as he questioned him with a confused face, Logan took out his gun.


    ck-


    Angtuwan started running without looking back. Logan then put his gun away and showed a peculiar look on his face


    ¡°He was a scumbag like the rest of them. Why did you let him live, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°At times, fresh experiences make the rumor spread even faster.¡±


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s subordinate passed him the satellite phone.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re connected to a secret number.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Number eight.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. I checked twice.¡±


    ¡°Connect him.¡±


    The clients with a secret number in the single digits were VVVIPs. Ahn Soo Ho answered with the brightest voice possible.


    ¡°Old man. Where are you?¡±


    No.008 was a private line for Hector Garcia.


    ******


    Cand was a ce that couldn¡¯t be spotted on a map.


    That was because the cartographic society didn¡¯t acknowledge it as a region. If people knew how maps were created and how regions were named, they would haveughed. It was possible that the job of deciding on borders is the highest power one could have in the world. Because the horrors that the militaries of each European country caused in third world countries and colonies were unfathomable.


    The businesses that took ce tested the limits of humanity. Just byparing the borders of Europe and the borders of Africa, that difference could clearly be seen. The only continent with straight borders was Africa. But then again, America, Canada, Papua New Guinea, and Central and South America also had some straight borders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡¯ know who decided on the borders, but they did a shitty job. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°They probably thought drawing lines on a map was all it took.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d like to know where on earth they got that idea.¡±


    The homeless Hector Garcia no longer existed. The man in front of Ahn Soo Ho was the same Hector Garcia from the time when he used to control the intelligence world.


    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Should I be?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little. But... I guess times have changed.¡±


    From the outside, Cand looked like a small vige.


    ¡®Ultra.¡¯


    If it was anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t have caught on, but Ahn Soo Ho found traces of the Ultra program in the members of the vige.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°Alleyas Frovesa.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I heard they¡¯re after me.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve ever met before.¡±


    ¡°Assasins are paid to kill people whether they know them or not. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that weird¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s weird, old man.¡±


    As soon as the old man tilted his head in confusion, Ahn Soo Ho whispered with a yful look on his face.


    ¡°The Alleyas guys don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯m their biggest shareholder.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Hectorughed his head off. Heughed so loud that it rang through the vige, but no one dared to look their way. The old man then put on a straight face.


    ¡°Boio Coras.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known that you were the legendary casino king of Las Vegas named Jack Toms, Soo Ho. Of course, it was probably someone else before you... Are Andrew McKutchen, Jabi Ultawa, Lucy Chen, and Nakajima Shaw also you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve dug around. I won¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very surprised.¡±


    Hector pped his hands.


    ¡°How is that possible? How did you aplish such wless identityundering?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself either, old man.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty shabby at camouging. That¡¯s why I almost got caught.¡±


    ¡°General Ashford.¡±


    ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°They might just look like crime nners on the outside... but on the inside, they¡¯re a bunch of monsters. Supernatural powers? If anything looks weird in their eyes, they perceive them as monsters.¡±


    ¡°Monsters... Yeah, you have to be a monster to gain power. I once sat on the throne. The higher you go and learn more and more of the world¡¯s secrets, the more unsolvable questions be uncovered.¡±


    The more Hector Garcia climbed up, the more frustrated he became. Once he had power in the palm of his hands, he waspletely consumed by endless challenges.


    ¡°Is this true power? Is this the power of the throne? I started to doubt it.¡±


    It was true that he could do a lot.


    He could have as much money as he wanted. He could have women lining up for him, and he was treated like a king wherever he went. However, the more power he obtained the emptier he felt. Hector undoubtedly possessed a lot of power. He might not be able to kill the US president, but he could kill the men under him, and he was able to pull out the information of the national defense departments of every country. But he still couldn¡¯t say he conquered the world.


    ¡°I clearly took the throne, and I was the king of the underworld... but it wasn¡¯t fun at all. And then I realized it 30 yearster. That the organizations and powers that I didn¡¯t know of actually controlled the world.¡±


    ¡°A secret organization that rules the world? Hm, that sounds very exaggerated.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is right. There¡¯s no evil organization like that. They¡¯re all just in it for their own profit.¡±


    The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, there was no secret organization that conspired to rule the world. That was because if they existed, he would have gotten rid of them first. General Ashford knew very well of that limit.


    ¡°Were you hiding from General Ashford?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The only reason why I was friendly with you was to drive their attention away like bait. I had no other reason. But you became a bigger tycoon than I expected, boy... I mean, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Like bait... I liked you, but I¡¯m disappointed now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re suspicious creatures that can only trust ourselves, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, neither of us trust anyone. Not even family.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stared at Hector. He saw a faint soul within him.


    ¡®That means...¡¯


    That meant Hector possessed a stone as well.


    ¡°Tell me about Ashford, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°You must have failed at tracking them down.¡±


    ¡°I saw a lot of their puppets. But I¡¯ve yet to find their head. I wasted my energy every time.¡±


    ¡°I think you should hear it from the man himself.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The floor rose up as soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished his sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to trick your eyes.¡±


    ¡°J-Law?¡±


    Hector was surprised.


    Justice-Law was a former assassin for Ang with outstanding marksmanship. But it wasn¡¯t just J-Law who appeared. Hector was even more surprised by the man who appeared with a designer suit that didn¡¯t suit an African.


    ¡°Issac?¡±


    ¡°Hector Garcia. Long-time no see.¡±


    ¡°Ang... is General Ashford?¡±


    Issac, also known as Thomas Chenyabin responded with a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been called many things for quite some time. Sumer, Babylonia, Mesus, Mason, Illuminati, Commie, Ang... General Ashford is our most recent name.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why did we chase you down? Because you have something we need. But... it looks like you used it.¡±


    When Issac red at him, Hector took out a ck rock from his pocket.


    ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk! It¡¯s a pearl of a pig¡¯s neck.¡±


    Issac clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    p, p-


    Ahn Soo Ho pped two times.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but I¡¯ve never met the following guest either. Can you introduce yourself?¡±


    The man who snuck in wore a suit like Issac, but it was a white one, not ck.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Soo Ho. My name is Michael... I mean, Michel.¡±


    ¡°Michel Tobal? Genesis Quantum?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard from Angelica.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Same here...¡±


    Michel was unable to finish because he flew back due to a heavy impact. Arge noise followed.


    Boom-


    A gust of dirt swept over right afterward. An average person would have been killed by this, but Michel wasn¡¯t a normal person either.


    ¡°Hmm, that was quite the greeting, Soo Ho.¡±


    His nice suit turned into tatters, but his hair remained intact. That was what was weird. Michel looked down at his dirty clothes and showed a sad look on his face.


    ¡°Aw, I liked this outfit...¡±


    ¡°Stop sounding gay ande here, Michel.¡±


    Michel joined Issac. And then onest person joined in.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯m here to establish a bnce.¡±


    This person was dressed in a refreshing way that revealed her long arms and legs. Ahn Da Sol, or more like Angelica stood next to J-Law. Were all the immortal monsters gathered to have a meeting of some sort? The first one to act was Issac. In response to his hand gesture, a group of people with different eye colors entered.


    ¡°I released the hostages, Hector.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±


    As soon as Issac finished, a bullet went through Hector¡¯s body.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    When the old man¡¯s body became shattered, the hostages either screamed or hugged each other. What was more shocking was that despite the fatal injuries, Hector was still breathing.


    ¡°Ugh, you son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Stay on the ground, dirty man.¡±


    Seeing how he was swearing, he wasn¡¯t going to die anytime soon. Ahn Soo Ho just watched by with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°What is this? Some kind of monster gathering? A homing? Someone exin this to me.¡±


    ¡°Before that, we need to resolve some things, Soo Ho.¡±


    The person who stepped up was Issac, who was brave enough to attack the old man.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Someone must have seen the monsters¡¯ feast and pressed the nuclear missile button. Ahn Soo Ho controlled a supeputer to hack a satellite and used his HUD to track the nuclear missile.


    Coordinate clear!


    Ready to send!


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Even if they fired not 100 but 1 million nuclear missiles, none of them could approach him. His space magic was specialized for shielding. The decisive difference between Ahn Soo Ho and Anna-Anne was that Ahn Soo ho had war weapons of the 21st century while she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Okay! Now talk.¡±


    He was ready to blow everybody into space with nuclear warheads if there wasn¡¯t a proper exnation. In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gaze, Michel stopped trying to fix his clothes and stepped up. But the report was made not to Ahn Soo Ho but the hostages that were shaking in the corner.


    ¡°Hello, journalists. Today, you¡¯ll get the best scoop of your lives.¡±


    Not a single passage of human history was about humans. The ability to look into the future was also considered a supernatural power. All that was recorded in history were those with supernatural powers.


    ¡°My name is Michel.¡±


    A very famous name.


    ¡°I¡¯m a real archangel.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 194 ¨C So What? [1] > The end.

 Chapter 196: < Protect – Episode 195 – So What [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 196: < Protect ¨C Episode 195 ¨C So What [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡®What? Who does he think he is to hold his own press conference here?¡¯ Ahn Soo Ho waved his hand and made the bright eyes of the hostages turn and then they all copsed. Michel turned his head and then flinched.


    ¡°I told you to exin. Who said you could hold a press conference? You don¡¯t get it, do you? You might all die here today.¡±


    Angelica avoided his gaze as if she was asking him not to kill her.


    ¡°Okay, Soo Ho. Let me exin.¡±


    It all started 5000 years ago. Right when civilization was taking its baby steps.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho interrupted the narration that was about to begin.


    ¡°I have no interest in studying history. Just tell me everything that has to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Michel let out an ufortable sigh since he held strong pride in their history, but Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t care less. ¡®What does that have to do with me?¡¯ There were a million other ways he could brag about their history.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you...¡±


    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Michel once more. He knew exactly what he was going to say next, and that made him cringe.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me something cult-like like how you¡¯ve realized my truth, and that you¡¯re going to lead the chosen ones into the new world, are you?¡±


    ¡°The context is a little different... but you got the idea.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Hahaha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed like crazy. It was so funny to him that he even coughed.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    ¡°Are you all right, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. That was hrious.¡±


    He didn¡¯t remember thest time heughed so hard.


    ¡°So I¡¯m your Savior, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Our fates rely on your decisions and actions.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the heir of God.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept that! I¡¯m the son of God?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho only said that to make themugh, but he realized no one wasughing and stopped his act.


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯m not the heir or son of God.¡±


    ¡°But your powers...¡±


    ¡°What? Are you talking about this?¡±


    As soon as he held out his hand, a gun was grasped, and when he held it out again, a bigger gun was grasped, and when he did it for the third time, a trolley appeared. When he waved his hands a few more times, the whole ce turned into a weaponry exhibit.


    ¡°Creation is God¡¯s domain!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! This isn¡¯t creation. It¡¯s a trick of the eye.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you have the power to win against the world!¡±


    In response to Issac¡¯s remarks, Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°Why do I have to fight against the world?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Oh, because of the sins youmitted?¡±


    He knew ever since they mentioned 5000 years. The sudden gathering had started at least 500 years earlier. Average people did many things in their 100 years of life, but if they had 500 years, it was hard to imagine what sorts of things they could have done during that time.


    One psycho who thought of himself as a real archangel was obsessed over dark justice while another lived thinking he was the mastermind behind everything in the world. Among them, the grandma that wanted to be an idol seemed the most normal. He expected cool and refined viins, but they just turned out to be Team Rocket.


    ¡°I like how I¡¯m living right now. I like the freedom of being able to do what I want when I want.¡±


    ¡°But the will of God...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He lost his temper to the religious maniac.


    ¡°The will of God? The God that you believe in...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was about to fully rage when he suddenly tilted his head. Something seemed off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys... know when it first began?¡±


    No one answered Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Wait! What¡¯s going on here? This is weird!¡±


    He grabbed his forehead and thought.


    The stone was a fragment of Anna-Anne¡¯s soul.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but the stone was scattered all over the world.


    Alpha organisms imed important positions in human history.


    The method of being reborn was different for everyone.


    There were ranks within alpha organisms as well. And their abilities were affected by the stone.


    Lastly, the top alpha organisms were immortal. Thisst fact was the most important. Alpha organisms and those with supernatural powers always lived a long time. But the top organisms transcended all and lived on forever.


    Ahn Soo Ho was speechless.


    ¡°Ha! These bastards! I thought there was really some kind of God¡¯s revtion or something...¡±


    Michel approached slowly in his shredded clothes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much memory of the other world... I mean, the afterlife, do you?¡±


    All four of them flinched.


    ¡®Was my stone special?¡¯


    They didn¡¯t look that different on the outside.


    ¡°Ha, this is driving me crazy. Seriously.¡±


    They all turned out to have dementia.


    He thought all with supernatural powers had memories of the afterlife, but that wasn¡¯t the case. They had the powers, but they didn¡¯t have full memories of death. They were different from Ahn Soo Ho, who remembered everything from beginning to end. Their memories were iplete and uncertain.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Archangel. What¡¯s the name of the God you serve?¡±


    Michel couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer.


    ¡°Are you a goldfish? Why are your lips twitching like that?¡±


    ¡°An... na-Anne?¡±


    Angelica answered in an uncertain way. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°You heard it from somewhere else, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She probably heard it while being close to him. It wasn¡¯t even a big secret since his gaming ID was EunichMagicianAnna-Anne.


    ¡°Listen well. God¡¯s full name...¡±


    They all leaned in.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you that easily.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! What the heck, Soo Ho?¡±


    When Angelica lost her temper, Ahn Soo Ho gave her the middle finger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your mommy or daddy that does everything for you. What are you trying to do here? Stop the nonsense and let¡¯s get to business.¡±


    It was easy dealing with them since they were dementia patients with a bad memory.


    ¡°I like the world I¡¯m living in. So I want to keep it this way for a long time.¡±


    ¡°But God¡¯s will... Ugh!¡±


    ¡°If you keep talking about that God, I¡¯ll make you an invalid.¡±


    Michel felt that he could really die in his hands. Ahn Soo Ho let go of him.


    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho then looked at everyone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to be honest here. You did a lot of bad things when you were young, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re the devils that the myths of each country are based on.¡±


    Those with power naturally wanted to use it. During the barbaric times, human sacrifices were basic, and they even killed each other for superstition purposes. They were the ones who began the concept of viins.


    In other words, they were sons of bitches.


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°3300.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°3900.¡±


    ¡°Shit! You¡¯ve lived a long time. Since you lived that long, you must have mastered all sorts of weird things.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t deny it. Whether it was good or bad, they had mastered it since a long time ago.


    ¡°But me? I¡¯m 38 years old. I¡¯ve only lived on thisnd for 38 years. You did all sorts of things for hundreds of years, and now you want me to be your Savior? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    After living for so long, they probably searched long and hard for the meaning of their existence.


    ¡®Where did Ie from?¡¯


    ¡®What am I here to do?¡¯


    Since it was boring to ck off for 10 years, it must have been painful doing nothing for 100 or 1000 years. Loneliness was fear and fear developed into a loss of identity. What was contradictory was that the longer they lived, the more they craved instinct than rationality. So they had to go through another 1000 years to finally rid themselves of the barbarism.


    They needed a goal.


    A reason to live? A goal? It didn¡¯t matter what they called it.


    And the goal that they decided on was leading mankind. They started to believe that since they were the chosen ones, then they were different from average people who lived less than 100 years; they had a duty to lead the public. For that reason, they used the form of prophets, angels, and devils to influence human history. But after leading for 2000 years, it was only until after the modern times that the opinions started to divide.


    While Michel and Issac wanted to guide humanity in a more direct manner, J-Law and Angelica wanted mankind to choose their own destiny. The two stances seemed to contradict each other, but at the base of it was themon belief that mankind were lesser beings who were like tribes.


    ¡°If you needed me, you should have juste and told me. Why didn¡¯t you? What¡¯s the point in drinking Kimchi soup when the guy¡¯s not going to give you the rice cakes?¡±


    There was no need to crush their illusion of God. That was because the God that they believed in was nothing but a sterile magician. If he had told them that, they would have gone crazy.


    ¡°Gods are good and all, but this isn¡¯t fair! Let¡¯s decide this after about... 100 years. Okay?¡±


    No one was able to refute. Ahn Soo Ho turned around to walk off and then stopped. He pointed at the sky.


    ¡°You resolve that on your own.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know which crazy bastard fired the nuclear missile, but there was going to be a lot of backfires. Ahn Soo Ho spoke with a kind heart.


    ¡°God¡¯s full name is Anna-Anne Karusis.¡±


    ¡°Anna-Anne Karusis!¡±


    ¡°Karusis!¡±


    Their eyes sparkled. This was just one truth that they lived without for thousands of years.


    ¡®God and his ves... What a piece of work.¡¯


    In thenguage of the world that Anna-Anne lived in, Karusis meant criminal or ve. If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t revealed that, no one would have known. Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of Hector and held out his hand. He then lifted the powerless old man to his feet.


    ¡°Old man, do you still want the throne?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s shocking that a monster like that is roaming the earth.¡±


    ¡°Old man, you¡¯re a monster, too.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    In the eyes of normal people, Hector was a monster as well.


    ¡°Sorry I doubted you.¡±


    Until now, he believed that Ahn Soo Ho was a hitman of apeting organization.


    ¡°What are you going to do about Ultra?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s be a headache.¡±


    Hectorughed bitterly.


    The one who spread Ultra Program to the world was Aragon which was connected to General Ashford, but the one who incited it was Hector. He thought that if he put the prior world in the burning furnace of war, the secret organization attempting to conquer the world would show their faces. And he was half right. Aragon Pharmaceuticals salivated at the sight of Ultra.


    ¡°I¡¯m having some unluckytter years.¡±


    ¡°You asked for it.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t doubted Ahn Soo Ho, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted over 10 years for anything. He passed Hector and found the face he was looking for from the photo. She pped her to wake her up from the magic. He could have just used his magic again to wake her up, but he pped her instead.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Choi Ye Won was shocked by the silhouette she woke up to. But when she heard Korean, she felt relieved.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Choi.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Those with supernatural powers weren¡¯t limited, but it was a dark night. It was so dark that normal people couldn¡¯t make out faces. But her focus became clear, and her vision recovered enough to see who it was. And it made her almost scream.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Choi Ye Won was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even realize she had dropped her formalities with him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important, Ms. Choi.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho reached out his hand to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ******


    The media released the breaking news.


    The kidnapped reporters have been saved! They¡¯re being moved to Lagos!


    The US military made Boko Haram surrender!


    IS will retaliate! The European and North American authorities are on the edge of their seats!


    Fire and fury that burnt down the night of Nigeria!


    While the foreign media reported on the sessful rescue operation of the US military, the Korean media sucked up to Ahn Soo Ho.


    Interview with the hero diplomat, Han Kyung Il, ¡°An expert with sufficient experience needed to be dispatched.¡±


    Three Korean reporters have been safely rescued! They¡¯re being moved to Lagos! The medical team is on standby!


    Operation fire and fury! The one in charge of the scene wasn¡¯t the US military but Ahn Soo Ho!


    U.S. armed forces general, ¡°Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t be stopped! Not even the US military could!¡±


    The three hostages, including Choi Ye Won, were not severely harmed, so they participated in a press conference. Normally, such press conferences only took ce after each government secured their stances, but Han Kyung Il didn¡¯t feel like obeying. Since he was going to quit anyway, he was going to do everything he wanted.


    But Choi Ye Won¡¯s press conference didn¡¯t be an issue in Korea. That was because an even bigger issue took ce.


    Following the rescue in Nigeria, the hostages of Centurion Pce were released!


    Bridal Mask. ¡°I always keep my promises!¡±


    The police let a terrorist go because they were too busy with the hostages!


    Correction! The police have arrested one Bridal Mask!


    That one Bridal Mask held the explosion switch and wanted his colleagues to escape before turning himself in.


    The arrested Bridal Mask is a former special agent and mercenary!


    Bridal Mask and the dark connection to Ahn Soo Ho!


    Why did those who were supposed to protect the nation and its people be terrorists?


    The 80s Society! A gathering of soldiers who got kicked out in the 80s!


    Half of the reporters that pounced on Ahn Soo Ho when he appeared in Lagos were Korean. As soon as rumorsing to an end started going around, the Korean media dispatched their special teams. Ahn Soo Ho sighed and agreed to answer just a few questions.


    ¡°CEO Ahn! CEO Ahn! Please say a few words to the citizens!¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Your thoughts... or...¡±


    ¡°Where are you from? Daehan Ilbo? Why did they send a newbie to the battlefields?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ridicule made the reporter¡¯s face turn red. The reason why he couldn¡¯t refute was because he was a celebrity journalist with no experience in wars. Ahn Soo Ho pointed at another reporter.


    ¡°When you do n on returning home? Are you going to return with the kidnapped reporters?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I want to go back... but probably not this week.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea?¡±


    He looked at the reporters¡¯ faces and realized that most of them really didn¡¯t know. Ahn Soo Ho put on an exaggerated face.


    ¡°Do you really think mobilizing the US militaryes at no price, everyone?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The reporters finally understood. One reporter then asked a question.


    ¡°What price? Money?¡±


    ¡°Money? Haha! It¡¯s not like the US military¡¯s a small shop that¡¯s low on money! Do you really think that way? Stop using your brain for delusions and think properly. Come on.¡±


    The reporter wanted to hide in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rebuke.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just America that asked me to pay. There are many countries and organizations that helped me with this rescue operation. And some of them will probably ask for money. And it doesn¡¯t matter how much. The problem is... that some requests are easy while others are hard.¡±


    He set up the ying field. He made it clear that this wasn¡¯t based on his will alone.


    ¡°I wish for my country of Korea to be confident. We need to show a strong national defense and diplomatic stance so that no one can kidnap our people and threaten us ever again.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put on a sad face.


    ¡°My job here is done.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean this was thest thing I could do as a Korean citizen.¡±


    The reporters were tense after sensing the serious atmosphere. He put on a natural smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Korean anymore.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 195 ¨C So What? [2] > The End.

 Chapter 197: < Protect – Episode 196 – So What? [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 197: < Protect ¨C Episode 196 ¨C So What? [3] ></h4>


    ¡°It¡¯s getting tiring to apologize all the time.¡±


    ¡°I understand your fiancee¡¯s point of view as well.¡±


    ¡°Same here... But the problem is that this is just the kind of person I am.¡±


    Who was the one having the hardest time as a result of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s endless antics? There were none before a year ago, and within thest year, it was Park Ok Nam, and now it was Jang Seol Hyun. When Ahn Soo Ho announced his renouncement of citizenship, the Korean media started to harass Jang Seol Hyun since she was actually in Korea. They normally wouldn¡¯t have messed with Jang Seol Hyun because of Hosoo Entertainment Group and Daesan Group, but now that they had the power of public sentiment, they had nothing to fear.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she ask to break up?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Asian women are so patient... If you were in America, you would have split up already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones wanting us to break up.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many good women like your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°Bastards.¡±


    There were countless men waiting for Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun to break up. If they were in a mafia, going after the boss¡¯s woman was the same thing as a betrayal.


    Logan changed the subject.


    ¡°Smith & Heard contacted us about wanting a stand-in contract.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably not the only ones.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. All the bigw firms around the world are trying their luck at it.¡±


    In the global business, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s public confidence was above that of the international credit organization. In contrast to how Arabians and Chinese didn¡¯t ept the American president¡¯s promises, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s word was thew and the truth. And it also worked the other way around. The reason why America didn¡¯t negotiate with terrorists was for many different reasons, but the biggest reason was because they couldn¡¯t trust them.


    The reason why people still trusted him as a mediator despite being retired was because of his outstanding power. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s showcase in Nigeria caused a huge sensation. That was because he proved what was only a rumor by fighting against an army. It was possible that the group disguised as Ims was not very strong. But the battle that was broadcasted live was all too one-sided.


    Could the US military do that? They could.


    But it wasn¡¯t fair topare a big organization like the US military to the performance of one man. The Pentagon calcted that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fighting ability was to that of 25000 special agents with all the new weapons. And even that was an underestimated assumption. Just the fact that one man could fight against 25000 special agents said a lot about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s strategic value, and it was enough to make all military experts want to go crazy.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Your nationality.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to pick one country?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Logan assumed Ahn Soo Ho would choose America.


    The reality was that America put James ck forward because they wanted him more than any other country in the world. President Olsen of America, who had an awkward rtionship with Ahn Soo Ho, opened up a press conference and talked about encouraging immigration of talented people and refinding the glory of the American dream. This was a rare announcementing from an anti-democrat who was against immigration policies.


    ¡°It¡¯s tiring to belong to anything.¡±


    The obligation that followed power wasn¡¯t an easy one. So it might have been easy to just exist alone.


    ¡°Everyone will be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like I have to say it.¡±


    ¡°If you leave it alone, thepetition will be fierce.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I caused any of it.¡±


    Logan clicked his tongue in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cold remark. But he felt sad because he didn¡¯t think it was a bad idea. His country, America, was a good country. They treated soldiers well, and they didn¡¯t look down on mercenaries. But they also fiercely monitored violence. They longed for superheroes while also going after every single illegal act as a means of justice.


    They believed that just like how all people had to die at some point, both heroes and regr criminals had to stand in court if they did anything illegal. But they did look over some small crimes that could be passed with themon notion of society. Just like Roberto Aqun, there were those who looked at Ahn Soo Ho as an evil emperor who had to be shut out.


    ¡°There are good things about being American, but there will be that much monitoring, too.¡±


    The one thing he liked about being Korean was that the Korean government didn¡¯t show much interest in what he was doing. However, America wasn¡¯t like Korea. It was likely that they would butt into every one of his matters. Since America functioned around systems more than people, every time the one in charge of society changed, the guidelines were bound to change as well.


    ¡°You can control the politicians with lobbying groups.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But rather than putting in that effort, it might be better to just livefortably in a third world country.¡±


    America wasn¡¯t able to force him to do anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that desperate for the benefits that living in a developed country can give me.¡±


    He was able to make a lot of money just bypleting a few missions. And with his identity, there wasn¡¯t a single country who wouldn¡¯t ept him.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do with Hosoo Entertainment Group?¡±


    ¡°I was never going to manage that anyway, so this is a good thing.¡±


    It was Ahn Soo Ho who provided financial backing, but it was thanks to the hard work of his executives that it became what it was today.


    ¡°Are you going to hand out shares to your executives?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho fiercely shook his head in response to Logan¡¯s question. Many who handed out shares to encourage an owner mindset ended up making theirpany go down.


    ¡°An owner mindset? That¡¯s all bullshit.¡±


    If they received shares, they were 100% going to sell them.


    Liking apany and trading thatpany¡¯s shares were two different things. The reason why Hosoo Entertainment was the subject of envy was because of the welfare, but it was thanks to the amazing sries they provided. The employees of Hosoo Entertainment had noints about their sries. They oftenined about crazy colleagues, too much work, and other things, but never about their sries. And what made that possible was not just Hosoo Entertainment but the workshop that the group operated.


    Unlike otherpanies that went to workshops in the countryside somewhere, Hosoo Entertainment took a private jet and traveled around the world. Most Koreanpanies looked for global talents, but how well could new employees in their 20s know about the world? The most ridiculous thing that Ahn Soo Ho heard in Korea was fostering global talents.


    ¡®Fostering global talents... What kind of nonsense is that?¡¯


    Not even America could aplish that.


    What was funny was that they oftenbeled Koreans who studied in America and Europe as global talents. In America, countless graduates of Harvard and Yale ended up working as waiters and taxi drivers, but in Korea, just being a graduate of a reputable school meant they would be treated as talents.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t expect his employees to know the truth of the world, but he at least wanted them to face reality. Traveling in famous tourist destinations didn¡¯t help anyone gain insight. All the ces his employees visited were horrible. There were many crime-ridden ces and slums that not even the police liked to visit. Maybe it was a relief that they at least didn¡¯t visit battlefields.


    This normally would have caused an issue, but since their CEO got into all sorts of trouble, no proper attention was paid to it. There were just a few activists who expressed their concern about safety. Since the diplomats didn¡¯t say anything about it, that meant the nation had worse things to worry about.


    The truth was, it wasn¡¯t dangerous at all.


    That was because not even criminal organizations could refuse Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s request to cooperate. If they happened to ignore Ahn Soo Ho and attack, it was likely to result in a revolt. It was better for them to keep their organization on their feet than to have the entire city go down in mes.


    ¡°So did you find anyone with potential?¡±


    ¡°I did find a few who seemed all right.¡±


    The Hosoo Guard Team was always changing.


    After supporting Kim Yeon Ji, who expressed her desire to be a war mercenary at the fan meeting, the Korean physical training industry came under the spotlight. But that had nothing to do with Hosoo Entertainment Group. Logan learned that there were actually many talents in Korea¡¯s physical training field. Considering how most American sports industries recruited and trained athletes starting at a young age, the market in Korea was like a rich mine.


    Most soldiers weren¡¯t outstanding in terms of physical ability. They just made ordinary people into killing machines. Would training more physically talented people produce even better killing machines? It was possible that the special forces were where true talents could be seen within the military organization.


    Not even America had that many special agents. Was it because they were scarce? Not at all. The killing wasn¡¯t something that could be done for a long period of time with physical ability alone. That was actually the case for all military soldiers. The reason why America respected soldiers was because they knew how much of a sacrifice one had to make in order to volunteer for their country.


    Most with outstanding physical ability trained to be pro athletes, not military soldiers. And it wasn¡¯t surprising that worldwide intelligence organizations focused highly on college students with sports specialties. The military preferred machines that died if that was themand, but in intelligence agencies, they made countermeasures.


    ¡°Korea always connects sports with national prestige.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Korea that does that.¡±


    China and Japan were the same if not worse.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    His conversation with Logan was cut off by a huge telephone that a subordinate handed over.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The 80s Society would like to meet.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Jeon Taek Joong.¡±


    ¡°That old man must still be alive and well.¡±


    Heughed at his own remark. The 80s Society was a gathering of soldiers who got kicked out after resisting in the 80s. But just like everything else, the 80s Society couldn¡¯t ovee the passing of time either. The new army group behaved cruelly toward them. They even used various methods to make their daily lives difficult.


    For that reason, many of them turned their backs on their country.


    Whether they had the capabilities or not, they went abroad to start a new life. Many of the 80s Society were superiors of Ahn Soo Ho as military soldiers as well as mercenaries. Currently, the 80s Society was pretty much a group of Korean mercenaries. Among the agents of Deep Breath, which he annihted in Brazilst year, there was a man named Seo Jung Wook. Ahn Soo Ho called him 608. That was because Seo Jung Wook was the 608th member of the 80s Society.


    On an added note, Ahn Soo Ho was the 588th member.


    ¡®588...¡¯


    He was ridiculed as a result.


    ¡°Where does he want to meet?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in Nigeria.¡±


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s renouncement of his citizenship, as well as Bridal Mask¡¯s arrest, drew all of Korea¡¯s attention. In particr, a statement Bridal Mask made while turning himself in took over the news.


    ¡®Get me, mywyer!¡¯


    He then passed the police officer a business card. Until a year ago, former special agent, Bae Sang Chul worked in the front line of a civilian-militarypany, and the business card contained the number to thew firm that represented his front line. Ahn Soo Ho calledte Seo Jung Wook, 608, while he called Bae Sang, Chul 69.


    Bae Sang Chul was the 609th member.


    The 0 in between was missing, but it was easier to call him 69.


    The Korean government perceived Bridal Mask as a terrorist, but in a democratic society, even terrorists had a right to awyer. No matter how dirty they were, they couldn¡¯t refuse them an attorney.


    ¡°Sang Chul was better suited to be a politician than a soldier.¡±


    ¡°He had a lot of ambition.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you dragged him in?¡±


    The man with the white hair had wrinkles all over his face. The old man over 80 years old had thest name ¡°Jeon¡±, but he hated someone bald who had the samest name.


    ¡°Bridal Mask¡¯s message mustn¡¯t be limited to just murder or terror.¡±


    ¡°He can kill anyone even those in power?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡±


    No matter how horribly they did politics or how crazily they managed the government or how carelessly they operated their business, they didn¡¯t take responsibility and lived better than before. Why? Because those who had to be punished were from the same bunch. Bridal Mask¡¯s terrorist attack fed fear into the ones in power and those whomitted corrupt acts.


    ¡®If you keep doing that, you¡¯ll all die!¡¯


    Assault was the most simple and definite warning.


    ¡°6... I mean, Sang Chul will get a trial. And he¡¯ll be a star for another reason.¡±


    ¡°The judge will demand that he gets the death penalty. He might be a jerk, but I can¡¯t give up on my baby.¡±


    The connections of a former Korean general who was forced to leave Korea over 30 years ago couldn¡¯t be looked down upon. Jeon Taek Joong was the man who was responsible for creating the world-famous PMC front line. He was no longer a part of management, but he was still influential as always.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Jeon Taek Joong took out a cigar and smoked it. Since he even sent his beloved wife off to Heaven, he had nothing else to live for. If he had one wish, that was to get revenge for the biggest humiliation in his life.


    ¡°Back then, I had to abandon my babies and leave. I don¡¯t want to experience that for the second time.¡±


    He sensed mes within the eyes of the wrinkly old man. Life came back into the face of the old soldier.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°They put you on the battlefield without talking to you about it.¡±


    ¡°Sang Chul was definitely disgusted. But you¡¯re not that type. The other members can¡¯t say anything bad about you. Or it¡¯s more like they can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Are you acknowledging me?¡±


    Jeon Taek Joong didn¡¯t answer. He waved his hand and turned around, but he then stopped his steps.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I¡¯m going to make you pay all of the legal fees.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped him from leaving onest time.


    ¡°Do you love Korea, old man?¡±


    Jeon Taek Joong threw his cigar on the ground. He stepped on it and then changed the subject.


    ¡°I know I¡¯mte, but thank you for what you did for Jung Wook. He¡¯s probably thankful in Hell, too.¡±


    The matters surrounding 608, also known as Seo Jung Wook caused a controversy within the 80s Society. Most importantly, a double contract was the worst thing one could do in the mercenary world. If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t put reward money on it, Jeon Taek Joong would have used all of his fortunes to chase after the ones responsible.


    ¡°Are you no longer Korean, Soo Ho?¡±


    Jeon Taek Joong smirked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been Korean for a very long time.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 196 ¨C So What? [3] > The End.

 Chapter 198: < Protect – Episode 197 – So What? [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 198: < Protect ¨C Episode 197 ¨C So What? [4] ></h4>


    There were 7 million Koreans living abroad, but that wasn¡¯t even the right term to describe them. There was no reason to still address people who took on other citizenships as Korean. The priority of the embassies abroad was to protect those with Korean citizenship. But their main force went into Korean immigrantmunities andmunication with overseas Koreans.


    But why was that? Why did they prefer Korean immigrants with other citizenships over those with Korean citizenship? They were technically no longer Korean. But did they still step up to do things that helped Korea? Perhaps. But objectively, those who chose to immigrate to another country usually did it for their own personal gain than to help their country.


    The patriotism of missing one¡¯s home country and the patriotism of caring for one¡¯s country were two different things. For that reason, rather than 7 million Koreans abroad, it should be 1 million Korean nationals abroad. Citizens of other countries belonged to those countries.


    Bae Sang Chul


    His grandfather worked as a Korean war veteran who went over to America right before the ceasefire. Bae Sang Chul lived with his grandfather since he was little and heard all sorts of stories. He imagined the tragic reality of Korea, which fell apart due to a horrible war.


    During the 70s, he endured getting discriminated against as a Yellow and being terribly poor, but would living as a Korean have been any better? Bae Sang Chul¡¯s childhood wasn¡¯t a happy one. That might have been why he always dreamt of going to Korea one day.


    In the 90s, South Korea¡¯s military regime backed off and a civilian government came in. Despite that fact, the reason why Bae Sang Chul decided to enter the Naval Academy was to benefit off of his grandfather¡¯s connections. Although Korea put on a great performance of switching to a civilian government, Korea was still full of corruption. Just because the president changed didn¡¯t mean a country could change overnight.


    Although he dedicated 11 years to the Korean military, he was still treated like an alien. That was because Bae Sang Chul, who abandoned his great American citizenship and came to Korea, was a great topic of the news and advertisements. He was simply put up for disy. After that, he abandoned all hope.


    Bae Sang Chul, who entered the mercenary world at a simr time as Ahn Soo Ho and Seo Jung Wook, wasn¡¯t good at fighting. But he did know how it worked between an employer and a mercenary. Bae Sang Chul then realized what it was that he really wanted to do.


    ¡°Andy.¡±


    ¡°Jim.¡±


    As soon as the white man with white hair saw Bae Sang Chul in a prison uniform, he sighed.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°No, Jim. I¡¯mpletely fine.¡±


    Thew firm representing the front line was a globalw firm that had countless PMC clients all over the world. Since mercenariesmitted violent acts for a living, manywsuits naturally followed. To the eyes of the civilian groups that were against war, they just looked like money-chasing and evilwyers. However, everything always had two sides.


    Bae Sang Chul, or more like Anderson, felt his forehead throb. If it wasn¡¯t for Jeon Taek Joong¡¯s special request, they wouldn¡¯t have agreed to represent someone who wasbeled as a terrorist by an entire nation. No matter how much they liked money, thesewyers were not terrorists. They would have rather represented child molesters.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee to this small Asian country if it wasn¡¯t for the chairman¡¯s request.¡±


    ¡°Wow! You haven¡¯t changed one bit!¡±


    ¡°You smelly monkeys!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t use such vulgarnguage in the courtroom, Jim. The judge could decide to give me the death penalty right then and there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Korean. A Koreanwyer will be there, anyway.¡±


    ¡°The judges and prosecutors can speak English these days.¡±


    Bae Sang Chulughed bitterly. Jimmy was a skilledwyer, but as a human being, he was questionable. He was a scumbagwyer who was racist, sexist, and violent toward children.


    ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t believe you were amie... I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Who says that these days? Call me a revolutionist.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I should have framed Cuba for carpet bombing. I knew I should have killed Castro.¡±


    ¡°What a fascist!¡±


    ¡°Look here. Both fascism and Nazism are based on socialism, Andy. Did you call me amie? If you keep doing this, I could just drop everything and go home.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Bae Sang Chul backed down. He might have been an old white man with harsh words, but he had skills that were trustworthy.


    ¡°How much did you get paid, Jim?¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s a secret... but it was 100.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! I don¡¯t have that kind of money.¡±


    ¡°You cheap ass! Who said I was going to charge you? The chairman will pay for it.¡±


    ¡°The chairman?¡±


    Jimmy covered his mouth and whispered,


    ¡°There are rumors that there¡¯s someone even bigger behind you, Andy. Who are you working for?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Jim. There are many ears listening.¡±


    Bae Sang Chul put on a straight face.


    ¡°What about the confidentiality use betweenwyers and their clients?¡±


    ¡°Someone could be listening as we speak.¡±


    ¡°So this is how timid Asian people can be.¡±


    ¡°If you look down on us, you¡¯ll get the hut.¡±


    Jimmyughed and stuck up his middle finger.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Asian women were the easiest to bang. There might be nothing to grab, but they¡¯re nice and tight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still getting used of sexual harassment, aren¡¯t you, Jim?¡±


    ¡°Those damn bitches! Why do they talk so much? Back in my day...¡±


    ¡°Okay, Magic Hands. I¡¯ve already heard that story a thousand times.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to leave.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Bae Sang Chul apologized again. Jimmy put his legs on the table. He wasn¡¯t in a normal reception room posture.


    ¡°Okay, now tell me. Are you looking for an acquittal?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I just want you to drag it on as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°You want to be a star, huh?¡±


    Bridal Mask had the attention of all the media in the nation. As of right now, the rescue operation in Nigeria got more attention, since it was revealed that the cruel terrorist was a former mercenary and special agent of the Korean military, people couldn¡¯t look away from that either.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Jimmy put down his legs from the table and got up.


    ¡°Do you have any advice for me as mywyer?¡±


    Jimmy gave him a short answer.


    ¡°Just keep your mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a normal advice to give.


    ¡°What about some professional advice?¡±


    Jimmy was leaving through the door when he said onest thing.


    ¡°Just keep your mouth shut.¡±


    ******


    Just because Ahn Soo Ho announced that he would renounce his citizenship didn¡¯t mean he was suddenly not Korean anymore. And for those who possessed a lot, renouncing their citizenship was aplicated process.


    ¡°This is why I pay you so much for yourwyer fee.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such a thing with a straight face, Soo Ho.¡±


    After leaving the headache to James and Han Kyung Il, Ahn Soo Ho was in a helicopter flying through a desert headed north. He received an invitation. And he wasn¡¯t going alone. Beside him was Angelica who no longer looked like Ahn Da Sol and Hector who came back to life after almost dying.


    ¡°What about your daughter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any paternal love?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lived fine without me until now, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°What a cold father.¡±


    He didn¡¯t talk like it, but he was a father who even mobilized an assassination group to protect his daughter.


    ¡°What happened to Eduard?¡±


    ¡°Dakoma and Eduard were best friends, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let out an awkward groan. The New York terrorist was an American, but the one who put it in action was Jacob Smith, A.K.A. Dakoma.


    ¡°They were thinking of killing all the hostages.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they got in conflict with the top management.¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s now an opportunity to mobilize Ayas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just disabled people they ept as members.¡±


    The intelligence tasks of today analyzed, categorized, and regted people, but humans were an organism that couldn¡¯t be categorized. People always said they knew others well, but that was never true.


    ¡°Is it out of wanting revenge?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a simple but intense motive. It¡¯s a pure emotion that cold people like us can¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I cherish my men, old man.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about how you yed house in America?¡±


    ¡°ying house...? Logan, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°If the kids hear that, they¡¯ll get mad.¡±


    Logan smirked from the side.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    Hector snickered.


    The helicopternded in the middle of the Sahara desert. At the few oasis points of the Sahara were the strongest tribes. Of course, the ranking of tribes could always flip. Back in the day, tribes with the biggest numbers were the strongest, while these days, the ones with good sponsors were at the top. It wasn¡¯t just celebrities that needed sponsors.


    The wind storm stopped with the propellers.


    The people greeted Ahn Soo Ho and his team with a smile.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Issac and J-Law faced him together as if they had never fought. The crazy religious lunatic, Michel stood in the distance. His party was apanied to huge barracks.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s end it quickly, my friends. If not, we¡¯ll end up having to divorce before we even get married.¡±


    Once they learned their God¡¯s real name, they no longer had an interest in mankind. To those who lived 3000 to 4000 years, human history was nothing more than a game of house.


    ¡°Starting today, all of our external activities are prohibited, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Our?¡±


    ¡°All the angels below me.¡±


    ¡°Do you call people with supernatural powers, angels? Come to think of it, your name is Angelica.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Ahn Da Sol. She was looking at her fingernails as if she had no interest and then shrugged in response to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I was against it.¡±


    ¡°Who was it? Was it Michel¡¯s doing?¡±


    Even the lunatic that called himself an archangel shrugged.


    ¡°The dumb humans were always our feed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t been able to use much power after the modern era.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    When Michel trailed off, J-Law coughed.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Someone stupid made a big mistake.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in your situation. What do you mean all external activities are prohibited?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how it sounds. The immortal reputation that we¡¯ve acquired...¡±


    ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to retire.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut him off.


    ¡°Why do you keep dragging it on? Let¡¯s just make it quick and easy. So what would happen if you disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Chaos would ensue.¡±


    ¡°In more detail.¡±


    ¡°Hm, first of all, half of this world¡¯s relief groups and funds would close down. Then...¡±


    ¡°A war would break out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It wasn¡¯tmon for conspirers to tantly wring people dry. The relief fund that the assassination group, Ang participated in, was equivalent to that of the UN, and there were many more funds that came from United Industries.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The angels that were controlled by London will find freedom. And if that happens...¡±


    ¡°A war would break out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°United Industries would split up. If the anti-trust that we¡¯ve been maintaining copse, thepanies will...¡±


    ¡°Go into war.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So war will break out no matter what.¡±


    ¡°We wanted mankind to exist for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? Then that makes me sound like the bad one.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark, Issac, J-Law, and Michel all shrugged their shoulders. They had no interest in mankind, their life, or their history.


    ¡®It should have always been this way.¡¯


    It was time to release the human instinct that had been suppressed under a strong power. It was irresponsible, but that was none of his business. But that didn¡¯t mean there was going to be a nuclear war the next day. If small efforts to protect humanism disappeared, chaos was certainly going to ensue.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 197 ¨C So What? [4] > The End.

 Chapter 199: < Protect – Episode 198 – Stateless Person [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 199: < Protect ¨C Episode 198 ¨C Stateless Person [1] ></h4>


    In Arabian, Sahara meant desert. So saying the Sahara Desert could sound like saying the same word twice. However, naming the desert in North Africa Sahara was close to being correct. After all, no Arabian referred to Gobi Desert as Gobi Sahara.


    ¡°What are you trying to show me?¡±


    ¡°Our roots.¡±


    ¡°Roots?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no clear name for it. We just call it whatever we want.¡±


    Issac led them to a desert tribe¡¯s traditional house made of wooden pirs and surrounded by an oasis. The lifestyles of the north and south of the Sahara werepletely different. The north was a little more leisurely. But that didn¡¯t mean they were financially better off. In contrast to African cks that went after each other, the desert tribes treated their guests well. But they weren¡¯t friendly to just anyone.


    The head of the desert tribe lowered his body and paid his respects as soon as he saw Issac. If he had left him alone, he would have bowed all the way down to the ground. Issac minded Ahn Soo Ho and excused him. The one person remaining in the quiet indoors looked at them. Issac touched the uneven walls when the floor split and a staircase appeared.


    ¡°Wow! Surprise?¡±


    An underground passageway in a traditional house? He sensed secrets and conspiracies. What he saw at the bottom of the stairs didn¡¯t suit a desert. It was strange that such a concrete jungle existed in the middle of a desert. Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue inside his head.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯m not the only one that built a dungeon.¡¯


    Everyone needed their own secret space.


    Just like how Ahn Soo Ho had his men, Issac had his men as well. Considering how much longer Issac had lived, his numbers surpassed that of Ahn Soo Ho. Issac, Michel, and J-Law were the ones that led human civilization. They strut through the world as God¡¯s lion at one point and hell¡¯s devil the next.


    ¡®The reason why such strong men turned secretive was...¡¯


    After the modern period, human civilization developed exponentially and most of thepetitive enemies were all gone. The lift went very deep underground. It was so deep that it took the lift 5 minutes while it only took a minute to get up the Empire State Building.


    Issac got off first and opened his arms like a musical actor.


    ¡°Wee to the underworld!¡±


    It was huge. That was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s first impression of it. 200 meters? 300 meters? The ceiling was very high, and if Indiana Jones saw the legendary architecture, he would have fainted. The styles of ces all over the world happened to be gathered right here.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Issac knitted his brows at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s unenthusiastic answer.


    ¡°All of the essences of human civilization is gathered here.¡±


    ¡°Let me repeat, Issac.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°I hate studying history.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care about his own country¡¯s history, let alone the world¡¯s.


    ¡®Damn Korean history!¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know about how they taught it these days, but when he was in national history ss, he fell asleep. In America, they visited all sorts of historical monuments, but in Korea, it was straight memorization. Unless they changed their education system, it was going to be difficult producing creative individuals.


    The ce that they headed toward was a special stage that looked like an outdoor theatre. There was already an audience sitting there, and Ahn Soo Ho recognized it at first nce. Unlike the supernatural beings that came about from stones, it was a mutant that was forcefully created by an alpha organism. He probably mistook himself as an outstanding chosen one, but both his abilities and lifespan was downgraded. The strange sensation he felt from them was simr to that of the Sao Paolo rescue operation, the New York and London terrorist attacks, Youngjin Group, and Cand.


    ¡®Ultra.¡¯


    Issac caught onto Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s thoughts and carefully whispered.


    ¡°It was developed a long time ago. It was initially known as spring water of youth or something like that. It has the ability to temporarily make someone strong, but the side effects are so strong that only those with supernatural abilities can withstand it.¡±


    ¡°What about Aragon of Gaius?¡±


    ¡°It was like an experiment. They wanted to check how much a physically fit human being could handle the drugs. The results showed that only half could seed.¡±


    The super soldier project that started during the Cold War was actually a human experiment by alpha organisms.


    ¡°How many have been fostered?¡±


    ¡°Hm, a million?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    That was a small number considering how long they had lived.


    ¡°What do you mean? It takes a lot of time and effort to make just one brainwashed soldier. We almost got our roots pulled out, too.¡±


    ¡°That must be why you fought with J-Law.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    The reason why J-Law and Issac fought wasn¡¯t because they were passionate about mankind. He was just displeased by Issac¡¯s management course in Ang. They weren¡¯t doing it for the good of humans. Justice in the underworld was just an excuse.


    ¡°Crazy bastards.¡±


    The Ultra agents that Issac fostered were probably all over the world. They were in all sorts of militaries, medical associations, and corporations, just waiting for their cue. In addition, there were many subordinates of subordinates of subordinates that received theirmand, which meant the numbers were astronomical.


    ¡°If this was back in the day, they probably wouldn¡¯t have needed to foster followers in secret.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t refute. Back in the day, they would have announced to everyone that they were an archangel, or God¡¯s lion, or some kind of devil, but today¡¯s civilization was way too developed. They did create United Industries to try to monopolize the technology, but that still came with limits. The circle was no longer able topletely control human civilization.


    ¡°We¡¯re not viins that want to dominate the world, Soo Ho. We only gathered because we all want mankind tost a long time.¡±


    ¡°You sound like some kind of cult.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sat in the top seat. The rest of the people then stood right up. In response, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s heart sank. He was hoping they wouldn¡¯t all raise their right hands and chant ¡°Hail!¡± Thankfully, that didn¡¯t happen. But instead, the crazy religious lunatic who was quiet for a few days after getting beat suddenly acted up again.


    ¡°Glory in the skies! Peace onnd! Praise Anna-Anne Karusis!¡±


    Ugh! Fuck!


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho only returned to Korea 2 weeks after the rescue operation in Nigeria. He could have snuck in without the US military knowing, but he confidently used Incheon International Airport, and his arrival was broadcasted live on television.


    The king returns! #GeneralAhn #SuperpowerAhn #SpecialAhn


    Oh, my god!


    He needs his own soundtrack!


    What about the Imperial March?


    Stop sucking up! Do you all work for Hosoo Group?


    That¡¯s because he deserves it! It¡¯s amazing how someone like Ahn Soo Ho exists in our country!


    Didn¡¯t he renounce his citizenship?


    Yeah, right! If it wasn¡¯t for him, all the kidnapped reporters would have gotten their necks sliced off!


    Even the foreigners are sucking up to him! Especially the ones at the White House!


    The cameras captured Ahn Soo Ho entering with Logan and his underlings. The way they were captured made them look handsome.


    Kya! Look at him! #CivilianArmy #HosooGuardGroup #SpecialGuardTeam


    I thought Hosoo Guard Group was just a securitypany, but after seeing the member profiles, I trembled! Delta, Seal, SAS, and more! They¡¯re all elites that are from the best of the best!


    Is a former sergeant of the Korean militarymanding the special forces? Kya!


    Isn¡¯t he more like amanding officer than a sergeant?


    I¡¯m from the same troop!


    Same here! Sergeant Ahn has seeded!


    Don¡¯t pretend to know him! We lived in the same neighborhood!


    The same neighborhood? You¡¯re Domino, aren¡¯t you?


    Huh? Are you... Kyung Ho?


    Oh Joo Kyung ran over to Ahn Soo Ho with a straight look on his face.


    ¡°The preparations areplete.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even say hello.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She ignored him and said what she wanted. Logan then approached and whispered.


    ¡°She must be pissed.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    No matter how little dating experience he had, he knew this much. Today¡¯s press conference wasn¡¯t taking ce at Daesan Hotel, but at the airport instead. People normally would have said this was special treatment, but considering who Ahn Soo Ho was, they didn¡¯t say much.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done a press conference. Haha.¡±


    The atmosphere lightened thanks to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the questions.¡±


    The reporter that Ahn Soo Ho pointed to received the mic and got up. They normally introduced what media outlet they were from, but since he wasn¡¯t a politician, the formalities were excluded.


    ¡°Please tell us the full story.¡±


    ¡°The full story...? What are you curious about exactly?¡±


    ¡°Please tell us about the cussing incident with Minister Kim Hyung Il first.¡±


    ¡°The cussing incident? Ha, is that what they said? That¡¯s funny.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and then spoke seriously,


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a crazy man is the head of Korea¡¯s diplomatics... I¡¯m very disappointed.¡±


    ¡°What kind of conversation did you have?¡±


    ¡°Since he¡¯s staying quiet, I can¡¯t say much... Anyway, I don¡¯t know what the ministers of this country do these days. Do they just stick close to elections, put their name up to do some minister stuff and then go back to the national assembly?¡±


    The reporters typed his remarks quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in Minister Kim Hyung Il, and I¡¯m disappointed in the president as well.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t change your mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason why I renounced my citizenship.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the other reason?¡±


    ¡°As I said in Nigeria, nothinges for free in this world.¡±


    ¡°Did America make you renounce your citizenship in exchange for supporting your rescue operation?¡±


    ¡°Many including America wanted that.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    That was the most fundamental question. Why? Why were the strong nations so sensitive about Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nationality? That part was hard to understand using logic.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin this. Hmm. Have there been any diplomatic issuestely?¡±


    The reporter just blinked in response. And the person that responded was the veteran reporter next to him.


    ¡°Besides Nigeria... there¡¯s the drug smuggling case of Jung Hye Sun in Panama.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. I think I saw that on the inte. That person is insisting innocence, right? Have you heard anything else about it?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve found out, a corrupt customs officer worked with the airport police to frame a traveler for the crime.¡±


    That didn¡¯t only happen in Panama.


    When traveling in the Middle East, Africa, or South Europe, one had to be careful of pickpocketters as well as the police. It was not advisable to obey anyone in a uniform. There were real police officers, but they were fake police officers on the roads and alleys as well.


    ¡°Do you think that woman is innocent?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not enough to let her free.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The Foreign Office only sent a formal cooperation request and didn¡¯t take any action in order to avoid interference of domestic affairs.¡±


    He wanted to call the Foreign Office of Korea incapable, but if the other country pulled out the interference of domestic affairs card, not even America could do much. The sovereign power of a politically unstable country was always a sensitive issue. Ahn Soo Ho made a hand gesture to which Logan handed him a phone.


    While he talked to someone on the phone, no one interrupted him. The phone call onlysted 2 minutes. Ahn Soo Ho hung up with a smile and then picked up the mic again.


    ¡°Jung Hye Sun will be sent back to Korea tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The mumbling got louder.


    ¡°You can check for yourselves.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s announcement, the reporters picked up their phones. They confirmed it in no time. He was right. Jung Hye Sun, who was held in Panama for smuggling drugs, was in the process of being released, and she was nning to return to Korea tomorrow. The reporters stared at Ahn Soo Ho with fascinated eyes.


    Was this a performance that he had prepared beforehand? Not at all. The reporter that said Jung Hye Sun¡¯s name first was the most surprised. He knew better than anyone that Panama was a difficult country to deal with. In order to make any request from them, they had to give them something in return.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°I am. How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°This is the kind of work I¡¯ve been doing outside of Korea for over 10. Years. You still don¡¯t get it, do you? Let me give you an example. If you found cockroaches in your house, you¡¯d naturally call CESCO, right? Or wait. Would you bother yourndlord first?¡±


    Some peopleughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sst question.


    ¡°When there¡¯s a problem who do you call first? Depending on the situation, you¡¯d probably call the police, the fire department, a doctor, or your mom, right?¡±


    Some continued tough at his jokes.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s increase the scale a bit. How do presidents and prime ministers resolve problems when a problem arises? They all probably have puppets working for them below them. And the small problems are probably resolved by them. But there are serious problems that not even they can resolve.¡±


    The mostmon request Ahn Soo Ho received had to do with kidnappings. What the rich and powerful worried about the most was security, so they did their best to always keep guards around. The reason why rich people always had bodyguards was because they were afraid of being kidnapped, but unpredicted circumstances always arose.


    In kidnapping and missing persons cases, the chances of survival decreased the more time passed by. And the rich and powerful probably had various ways of resolving these problems themselves. However, for the most part, kidnapping and missing persons cases usually ended horribly.


    ¡°Bad things happen to everyone in life. The rich, the poor, themoners, and even the president could face unlucky situations. Don¡¯t ever think that won¡¯t happen to you. In life, uphill moments are followed by downhill moments. And when they are faced with a hopeless situation, they usually cry and pray. But God won¡¯t answer those prayers.¡±


    The room grew silent in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why is America and other strong nations sensitive about my nationality?¡±


    The room was very silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m thest savior who can answer their prayers.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 198 ¨C Stateless Person [1] > The end.

 Chapter 200: < Protect – Episode 199 – Stateless Person [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 200: < Protect ¨C Episode 199 ¨C Stateless Person [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°How can youugh right now, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me. Agh!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun screamed when Ahn Soo Ho suddenly pulled her close. In order to conceal her big belly, she wore a loose shirt. Since she was on edge, to begin with, the chaos caused by Ahn Soo Ho renouncing his citizenship made her even more sensitive.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize...¡±


    ¡°But I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Then do something about it.¡±


    ¡°I know telling you not to worry won¡¯t help, but things will be okay soon. You trust me, right?¡±


    After calming down Jang Seol Hyun, he sat across from Daniel Navarros in his study. He had grown a beard that made him look like a refined middle-aged man, but it didn¡¯t seem like he grew it on purpose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have time to shave, Danny?¡±


    ¡°Whose fault do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your fianc¨¦e, so you¡¯ll need to do more than apologize, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll consider it when we negotiate your sry.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    That was the end of their jokes. Daniel put down a thick pile of documents on the table.


    ¡°Is this the business proposal?¡±


    ¡°The loss resulting from renouncing your citizenship and next year¡¯s financial statement.¡±


    ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°The credibility status of a stateless refugee is bound to change drastically. But... I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll affect you very much.¡±


    There probably wasn¡¯t a single financial institution that would treat Ahn Soo Ho like a refugee just because he was stateless. He was the definition of credibility, and the heads of the ck market all considered Ahn Soo Ho and insurance.


    ¡°Are you just going to leave Hosoo Group alone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the same thing as Logan, Danny. Why?¡±


    ¡°The nationality of the head of a corporation is a sensitive matter.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about bacsh from the Korean government?¡±


    ¡°The scariest sin in Korea is disgrace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    In Korea, political retaliation wasmon, and every time the administration changed, that kind of process was expected. Was that why they were so obsessed over presidential elections?


    ¡°How much time is left in the president¡¯s term?¡±


    ¡°Less than 2 years.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s political experiment failed. However, the chaos that he caused after getting elected through the support of the upper ss actually unified the people. It was good luck. If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t returned to get involved in Daesan Group¡¯s problems and brought down Korea National Association and Comradery Association, Lee Joong Hyung would have been recorded as one of the most incapable and pathetic presidents in history.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s brave, or if he has too much guts for his own good.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s judgment of Lee Joong Hyun changed from time to time.


    At one point, he seemed like a revolutionist and not long after; he seemed like an opportunist. Was he a hero that was waiting for the right time? Or was he just an idiot being controlled by the trends? That question would probably be answered when looking back at it in the future.


    ¡°There will be intra-party battles soon.¡±


    ¡°The battle of wits will be very fierce.¡±


    In Korea, the president¡¯s influence was the most powerful at the beginning of his or her 5-year term. And Lee Joong Hyun benefited greatly from Ahn Soo Ho. In the midst of half of the national assembly being switched out due to multiple scandals, the assembly was unable to stop the Blue House. For Lee Joong Hyun who was running full speed ahead for a reform, that was a blessing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can expect the name president to be as flexible as Mr. Lee.¡±


    ¡°That was unexpected.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I thought you hated Lee Joong Hyun after the taxing ordeal .¡±


    When Daniel had to calctest year¡¯s astronomical taxes, he went through a lot of stress. Theplicated process included detailed calctions of many numbers.


    He didn¡¯t hire dozens of ountants for nothing.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it won¡¯t be a joke this year either.¡±


    There was some hope that it would be easier this year, but Ahn Soo Ho braced himself. In the midst of the owner renouncing his citizenship, they also had to worry about taxes. Some of the real estate and funds under Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name had to be switched over to Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye. It was a type of gift.


    ¡°Am I able to get married without citizenship?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the legality of it, but it¡¯ll probably be possible if you confirm your identity with the UN. And it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to be stateless tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    A ck woman dressed in a suit with her hair tied back knocked and then came in.


    ¡°Amia.¡±


    Unlike Ahn Soo Ho, who called her name and greeted her with a smile, Daniel looked repulsed. Amia then threw herwyer bag in a corner and jumped onto the couch.


    ¡°Ugh! So annoying.¡±


    ¡°What is it this time?¡±


    ¡°McCallister keeps asking why I¡¯m acting sex-deprived these days. So I asked how many times he gets hard in a year.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Human rightswyer, Amia Mau, was a capablewyer from Rwanda. She was also famous for using her fists before her words because of her hot temper. For that reason, Amia was well-known as the iron fistwyer.


    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s not good at her job...¡¯


    If she wasn¡¯t talented, Meditech wouldn¡¯t have hired her to pay her such a high wage. She was fired for her temper, but that was thepany¡¯s problem. Amia threw her jacket aside and unbuttoned her shirt.


    She put her legs on the table and showed off her figure, but Daniel just looked on with disgust. That was because she was a transgender.


    Amia Mau wasn¡¯t her real name.


    Her new name was given to her by Hector Garcia. If a man had the heart of a woman, was that a man or a woman? The matter of whether the body or the mind was more important was up to that person.


    ¡°What about work?¡±


    ¡°Jimmy is on it.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy? The fighter Jimmy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Our chairman must really be up for a fight.¡±


    The attorney that Bae Sang Chul, also known as Bridal Mask, hired for murder and conspiracy caused quite the stir. It was iparable to Smith & Heard which had over 2000wyers all over the world, but Dread co. was also a hugew firm.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the Korean representative?¡±


    ¡°Kim & Jang?¡±


    ¡°A hugew firm like that is taking on a terrorist case?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It seems like there was some kind of big confirmation.¡±


    Bae Sang Chul put on the bridal mask and turned himself in. However, that didn¡¯t mean there was now proof that he was involved in all of the murder cases of Bridal Mask. The prosecution and police were capable of their jobs, but it still wasn¡¯t easy for them to prove all of the charges made against Bae Sang Chul.


    ¡°Since he was wearing a mask, it¡¯s not easy confirming the crimes no matter how many witnesses there were. Of course, depending on how Jim got the attorney position, how the prosecution treats him changes drastically.¡±


    ¡°What do you think will happen now?¡±


    ¡°You should know better than me, Soo Ho.¡±


    Amia stared at Ahn Soo Ho. She was a human rightswyer. She had done a lot of work for the people of Africa who went through a lot of pain. She did get on Meditech¡¯s bad side and faced a lot of restrictions, but if she was scared of such a thing, she wouldn¡¯t have testified to use General Juma. However, Amia had one weakness.


    She was a man once.


    No matter how confident she was as a woman, that didn¡¯t erase her identity as a transgender. And Ahn Soo Ho was the only shield protecting Amia¡¯s secret. If he didn¡¯t exist, she would have gotten tried at people¡¯s court.


    using and expressing hatred toward other people was as easy as breathing. Regardless of the freedom and equality that was stressed, homosexuals and transgenders always faced hatred. There were many other politicians, businessmen, journalists, celebrities, andwyers with the same kind of secret as Amia.


    It was possible for a scandal like that to sabotage one¡¯s career faster than any kind of corruption. For those striving for the top, being abnormal was dangerous.


    ¡°They¡¯ll attack the surroundings first.¡±


    ¡°Probably. Since he¡¯s still a suspect, they¡¯ll probably start with the media and then move on to the family, rtives, friends, and colleagues.¡±


    Since Bae Sang Chul wasbeled as a terrorist by the Korean government, anyone who knew him wouldn¡¯t be free from a trial. What was a relief was that he returned to Korea all by himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s a relief is that they can¡¯t summon an American.¡±


    Most of Bae Sang Chul¡¯s family and friends were in the States. He probably had some friends in Korea as well, but most of his rtives were in America.


    The next day, Ahn Soo Ho went to work for the first time in a while.


    It was hard work getting through all the reporters and crowds in the lobby of Star Tower.


    p, p-


    Ahn Soo Ho was confused by the pping sounds, but he just waved with a smile. He was used to being a celebrity by now.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°I respect you!¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    It seemed as though they were forcefully weing him. He epted the flowers that Oh Joo Kyung handed him.


    ¡°Congrattions on your safe return, CEO Ahn.¡±


    She was smiling, but she wasn¡¯t actually smiling. Logan normally would have taken the lift with him, but he disappeared somewhere this time.


    ¡®Traitor!¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t the person renouncing their citizenship who was the traitor. The person that abandoned their colleague to save themselves was the real traitor. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t look back until he got to his office. That was because he felt like he would have seen something scary if he had.


    ¡°Krik!¡±


    He got shivers from the sound of teeth grinding.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about overlooking it withughter, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so serious? It¡¯s not like anything happened.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed deeply. She respected Ahn Soo Ho. And that wasn¡¯t because she was modest. He did get into a lot of trouble, but he always managed to yield the best results.


    ¡°Are you really thinking of renouncing your citizenship?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never gone back on my word.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung looked even more worried, and Ahn Soo Ho just smirked.


    ¡°Why do you cling onto this small country so much?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knew just how skilled she was as a businesswoman. But she also had her weaknesses and limits.


    ¡°Most multinational corporations don¡¯t care about nationality. They swallow what¡¯s sweet and spit out what¡¯s bitter.¡±


    The corporations were called Korean or American, but the big ones no longer cared about national restrictions. They already had influence that transcended their own nations.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you? I don¡¯t like to waste, but there¡¯s no need to be stingy either. Oh, that¡¯s what you are.¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn!¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung surprised herself after screaming at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°So don¡¯t get so hung up on being Korean.¡±


    Nations and ethnic groups were all an illusion.


    ¡°If the government, national assembly, or anyone else acted like assholes, just move the headquarters to a different country.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 199 ¨C Stateless Person [2] > The end.

 Chapter 201: < Protect – Episode 200 – Stateless Person [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 201: < Protect ¨C Episode 200 ¨C Stateless Person [3] ></h4>


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    ¡°Stopughing!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed andughed while Ahn Da Sol put on her sunsses. She had one ck eye. She looked like a panda.


    ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol closed her mouth as if she didn¡¯t want to tell him, but Ahn Soo Ho got the idea. She might have been an alpha organism, but she was unable to replicate herself. When she abandoned Fantastic 4 and followed him to Nigeria, she left a huge hole in the group.


    Disco Bang Bang!


    Funk Funk Revolution!


    ¡°I doubt it was the manager who hit you. Was it Emily? Or Rachel?¡±


    ¡°Emily.¡±


    ¡°That punk... She must have a hard p.¡±


    Emily, who got to be famous in Korea thanks to her uncle, David Cox, also known as Lee Chul, was very skilled at Taekwondo.


    ¡°You must have liked her.¡±


    It appeared that the one with supernatural powers let her off easy.


    ¡°They still have good manners.¡±


    ¡°Both of them?¡±


    ¡°Both of them.¡±


    Ahn Da Solined a lot, but she cherished Emily and Rachel. Ahn Soo Ho looked at her with a deep gaze. Why was it that he cared for Ahn Da Sol a little more than the other alpha organisms?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time that you tell me the secret now?¡±


    ¡°What secret?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no secret, Soo Ho. Oh, if you want to know about my first time, I can tell you that part. The sex methods of the Roman times...¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Not that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. Seeing how Ahn Da Sol still yed innocent, he needed more time. He didn¡¯t pressure her further.


    ¡°I guess you have to be a panda for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh well.¡±


    It was good to avoid behavior that could be misunderstood. Since all the attention was on Ahn Soo Ho, just being near him called upon the notice of intelligence agencies, reporters, and investigators.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°On the way to Africa?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no match for Issac or Michel, but I have people of my own, too.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of ying the game of secrets with everyone?¡±


    ¡°We had to make that choice in order to survive.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it... I think I heard something about J-Law making a big mistake.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I consider it more of a need of the times.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Karl Marx.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Karl Marx is J-Law.¡±


    ¡°Haha! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed loudly out of absurdity.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°At the time, he was hung up about his sense of duty.¡±


    Just as the name Justice-Law suggests, he had a fantasy about legal justice. And the passion of the pained citizens swayed him.


    ¡°Thoughtless passion is dangerous. And the circumstances of the generation was so poor that even J-Law fell for it despite knowing that better than anyone. The empire was thriving while the people were not. That¡¯s how the utopia of socialism came about.¡±


    ¡°Just because of that?¡±


    ¡°No, there was someone who went against J-Law. Guess who that was.¡±


    ¡°Hitler?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Issac.¡±


    ¡°Haha. What a sight. What about you? Were you Japan? And Michel was America, right? Haha. Hahahaha.¡±


    History was normally a boring subject, but when the truth finally surfaced, it was more entertaining than anything. Ahn Da Sol was the enemy of Koreans. And she was a real son of a bitch at that.


    Ahn Da Sol, also known as Kumiko, worked for the Japanese empire. Back then, her name wasn¡¯t even Kumiko.


    ¡°So? Why did the circle that ruled the world suddenly hide in the darkness?¡±


    ¡°Because mankind wasn¡¯t afraid of us anymore after getting a taste of freedom. And the new god called science brought us down.¡±


    ¡°I have be Death, the destroyer of worlds.¡±


    ¡°Oppenheimer.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol smiled at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mumbling. Nuclear weapons were the only weapon that threatened alpha organisms. The heat energy emitted from it couldn¡¯t be blocked even with supernatural powers. If Ahn Soo Ho got hit by one, he couldn¡¯t survive either.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a force that alpha organisms can endure.¡¯


    But there were probably even stronger forces in the universe.


    ¡°Back in the day, just a few words controlled people, while today, science is the only thing that¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°Then you can use science or scientists to your advantage. Don¡¯t you take pride in being smart?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. You¡¯re right. We pretended to believe in the new god, science.¡±


    Those with supernatural powers weren¡¯t only superior in terms of physical strength.


    The wave caused by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s return wasn¡¯t small. In particr, the footage from the press conference at Incheon International Airport went viral all over the world. It became the material that was used to create parodies that screamed, ¡°I¡¯m this world¡¯s CESCO!¡± On top of that, Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s premarital pregnancy became revealed which put Hosoo Entertainment Group in endless trouble.


    If it was just insults, he could have hung up, but it was hard to hang up on congrattory calls. Knowing Korea, they should have received lots of hate calls, but there were actually more messages cheering Jang Seol Hyun on.


    ¡°They¡¯re sympathy votes.¡±


    ¡°Sympathy votes?¡±


    ¡°Sympathy that her marriage to Soo Ho won¡¯t be an easy one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for them to worry about.¡±


    ¡°People are always more interested in other people¡¯s family affairs.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke with Kim Dae San in private.


    It was awkward to meet with him when he was the chairman of the Reformationmittee, but that was past them now. The reformationmittee that he left was going downhill, and the reformation of the rich wasn¡¯t progressing either. They did their best to move forward with the help of the fair trademittee, but following Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s resignation, some of the rich got together and started their own scheme. And along with that downfall, national sympathy was declining as well.


    Kim Dae San looked at Ahn Soo Ho in the eye.


    ¡°You quit on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°The chairman position. You never intended on staying for long, did you?¡±


    It was hard for him to y dumb with the old man. Ahn Soo Ho agreed with a peculiar face.


    ¡°Old man. You¡¯re still not dead yet.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the Comradery Association?¡±


    ¡°Unlike Korea National Association, they have some force.¡±


    ¡°So you think they¡¯re more threatening than Ultra or whatever they¡¯re called.¡±


    ¡°Hey! It looks like you did some digging on your own.¡±


    ¡°I probably know more about this country than you do.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how the information department of Daesan Group operated, but it was possible that they knew more about Korea than the NIS. Daesan Group¡¯s information team was so knowledgeable that they even knew what Pig Kim wore and ate today.


    ¡°You¡¯re gathering your colleagues and did a favor for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... Are you nning to bring them down?¡±


    ¡°Not yet...¡±


    ¡°Then when?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That depends on Korea.¡±


    ¡°You gave up your citizenship so you can negotiate with North Korea, right? Because you can¡¯t do that with a Korean nationality.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    Kim Dae San wasn¡¯t an old man to be messed with.


    ¡°Around when?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t press me. I was going to do that right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch.


    Daniel and the legal team advised him to wait a little longer, but he thought differently. He was going to renounce it anyway, so why wait? If they wanted money, he was willing to pay.


    It was 6 o¡¯clock in the evening, which was when the public office closed. What was a relief was that Koreans didn¡¯t need to pay an initial fee that Americans needed to pay.


    ¡°From this point forward, I¡¯m no longer a Korean.¡±


    That evening, Hosoo Entertainment released an official statement confirming Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s citizenship. As always, they announced something that people assumed would take at least another year. But that evening, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nationality announcement was unable to take the highlight spot.


    That was because North Korea made a shocking revtion of their own.


    ¡°We will cooperate with CEO Ahn for the peace of the Korean penins!¡±


    ¡°We are happy to announce that we will work for the peaceful development of the Korean penins!¡±


    Joint construction of Han River and the Imjin River will take ce for the development of peace! The negotiator was CEO Ahn Soo Ho!


    Han River and the Imjin River will be exclusive industrial zones! Thend will be leased to CEO Ahn Soo Ho for 200 years!


    A storm swept over Korea, China, and Japan.


    ******


    ¡°You managed to avoid getting deported thanks to the UN.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t do that anyway just because I renounced my citizenship. There¡¯s usually a time period.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the sin of disgrace was the scariest crime in South Korea?¡±


    ¡°Are you American or Korean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m American, of course.¡±


    While a storm blew over East Asia, Ahn Soo Ho arrived in Hawaii. That was because he couldn¡¯t just leave Jang Seol Hyun in Korea. So they arrived in Hawaii early to prepare for the wedding. People were less interested in them abroad.


    Asians and Westerners couldn¡¯t tell each other apart. Ahn Soo Ho became very famous over thest year, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a Hollywood star. So the reason why they drew any attention was because of L who just finished her North American tour.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t why we came to Hawaii.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about, Soo Ho?¡±


    After signing autographs and taking photos with fans, she looked at Ahn Soo Ho with wide eyes.


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    There was no point in saying anything to such an attention whore. He just kept it in.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°In the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is she sick?¡±


    .


    L was shocked that a pregnant woman went straight to the hospital after arriving. However, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head with a calm face.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just for precaution.¡±


    ¡°Phew. You scared me.¡±


    ¡°People will think you¡¯re the pregnant one.¡±


    ¡°I want a child, too.¡±


    ¡°Scott would swoon if he heard that. Why didn¡¯t you do that earlier?¡±


    Unlike Korea, single mothers weremon in America, and among the pregnant in France, half of them were unmarried. Since it wasmon to just live together, they didn¡¯t need to particrly get married. And since society made it possible for women to raise kids on their own, it was not a stretch.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Speaking of which, Scott Warren came over with both hands waving.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a gentleman, are you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what?¡±


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    It was a brilliant idea to rent out the entire pub overlooking Waikiki Beach.


    ¡°I heard the news, Soo Ho. Are you going to be an American now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be stateless forever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been pretty nice the first few days though.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re funny... Wait, you¡¯re serious. Are you going to establish a country on thend North Korea¡¯s giving you?¡±


    Scott flinched at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s calm tone. He didn¡¯t seem to be joking.


    ¡°How could I build a country on such smallnd? Maybe just a city.¡±


    ¡°President Olsen will cry if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The White House made half of the Americans believe that you¡¯re going to be American soon.¡±


    After helping Ahn Soo Ho with the rescue operation in Nigeria, they didn¡¯t deny the news of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s renouncement of his citizenship. No matter how scheming this could have made them look, Ahn Soo Ho was worth it.


    It was only embarrassing for a moment.


    ¡°So pathetic.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the president¡¯s matter, to begin with. He was too greedy. Since the democratic party messed up big time this time, it¡¯ll probably be a Republican president next time.¡±


    ¡°But Hollywood usually likes leftist presidents.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but not Olsen.¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop it with the heavy talks!¡±


    L got fed up and stuffed toast in Scott¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Do we have to talk about politics in Hawaii? I¡¯m sick of you old men!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sick of it, just get married.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    L stuck out her tongue at Ahn Soo Ho. She took off her shirt and ran toward the waves. From afar, they heard the sounds of cameras of the paparazzi.


    ¡°Is thepany doing well?¡±


    Scott was pouring whiskey in his mango juice when he gave Ahn Soo Ho a thumbs up.


    ¡°Thanks to the owner.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to engage in illegal solicitation, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m Scott Warren.¡±


    ¡°You divorced four times and now you¡¯re poor.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Scott copied L and stuck out his tongue, but he ended up getting kicked.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The chair tipped over, but thankfully, they were on the sand.


    ¡°Ptooey! Shit!¡±


    ¡°Try that again and I¡¯ll cut off that tongue of yours.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re funny... Wait, you¡¯re serious?¡±


    Scott looked serious and then startedughing. He let it go after seeing his smile.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to build a city, make it a travel destination, Soo Ho. I want to live there after I retire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different from LA and Hawaii. There are seasons there.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t it be safe at least?¡±


    Safety right in between North and South Korea? Those who knew Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s secrets firmly believed that that was going to be the safest ce in the world.


    ¡°If you neednd... Hmm, I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    America was unable to lease anynd for 200 years. That was only possible for a dictatorship country like North Korea.


    ¡°Come to think of it... being stateless might be better for you, Soo Ho.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single person or country that would look down on Ahn Soo Ho for having no nationality.


    ¡°Did you decide on a name?¡±


    ¡°A name?¡±


    ¡°The original name is too hard to pronounce.¡±


    ¡°Only for Yankees.¡±


    But on the other hand, there would be problems with using the original name.


    ¡°I can think of the perfect name.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Scott flinched at his cold smile.


    ¡°Emerald City.¡±


    A city ruled by the great magician.


    ¡°The Wizard of Oz?¡±

 Chapter 202: < Protect – Episode 201 – Sim City [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 202: < Protect ¨C Episode 201 ¨C Sim City [1] ></h4>


    Whether East Asia was in chaos or not, Ahn Soo Ho had a rxing time in Hawaii. Since he was no longer a Korean citizen, he had no reason to listen to the Korean government. Hosoo Entertainment Group was seized as a hostage, but no government worker had enough guts to mess with a major corporation connected to Daesan Group.


    Jang Seol Hyun was busy taking care of her parents and parents-inw and getting ready for the wedding. There was usually some disharmony in the process of preparing a marriage, but Ahn Dae Man was a specialist in personal rtions.


    He took care of his daughter-inw¡¯s family. Better than his own. Since all he did was to benefit from his capable son until now, it was his turn to return the favor. Men needed money to have a little leisure.


    Since the fathers and mothers were getting along fine, Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t have to worry about much. In contrast to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s worries, Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s family didn¡¯t attack him about renouncing his citizenship. He actually received a lot of support.


    ¡®It¡¯s probably not easy doing big things as a big man. I know you¡¯ll get through this.¡¯


    In response to the rumors that Jang Seol Hyun could be a single mother ording to Koreanw, her parents just nodded their heads. It felt as though something was up, but since it wasn¡¯t important, he looked over it.


    While Ahn Soo Ho enjoyed his leisure, Korea was busy trying to put the me on their chaos on somebody.


    North Korea¡¯s provocation was like a yearly custom, and a short downfall was understandable, but the economists worried that the 1-month long downfall would be unrecoverable.


    Was this also the Ahn Soo Ho effect?


    There were a few days of difference, but as soon as the renouncement of his citizenship came into light, he predicted Korea was going to begin its downfall. That was when Korea realized his true identity.


    He didn¡¯t just make capable white friends out of luck. And Chairman Kim Dae San knew that before anyone else. But the resentment was targeted toward Daesan Group. That was because while every otherpany plummeted, Daesan Group¡¯s stocks rose. There was no special reason for it. It was just because he was a close friend of Ahn Soo Ho.


    The specialists didn¡¯t want to admit to such an absurd situation. If it was true that just one organism could control the economy, there was no longer a need for specialists. However, reality was cruel.


    As soon as North Korea announced their coboration with Ahn Soo Ho, the EU and America took a step back while China and Russia weed it with open arms.


    A few dayster, China, Philippines, Vietnam, and Mysia announced that The Spratly Inds appointed Ahn Soo Ho as the development arbitrator. That meant the southern China issue was resolved in one go.


    Everyone was puzzled.


    But the surprising news didn¡¯t end there. Niger, Chad, and Libya also offered Ahn Soo Hond for 200 years. They were praised for making such a sacrifice for the peace of North Africa.


    But that was nonsense. That was because Niger, Chad, and Libya weren¡¯t countries that could function normally due to the civil wars and terrorist groups. It was nonsense to try to change up national policies when everything else was a mess. However, those who should have been revolting didn¡¯t make any kind of refute.


    In that aspect, Sri Lanka was simr, and it wasn¡¯t just the Muslims and Hindus but the Buddhists as well who apuded for cooperation with Ahn Soo Ho.


    Were all Buddhists peaceful? Not at all.


    The Buddhists of India and China weren¡¯t that different from Imic terrorists. What made them so violent using such a peaceful religion was the belief that they had to do whatever it took to protect their family and homnd. Crazy people were scary, but crazy people with a belief were even scarier.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Sri Lanka, Soo Ho.¡±


    Daniel Navarros looked at the n-A photo and then stroked his chin.


    ¡°Africa is too far. I guess we could take a ne, but it¡¯s better to make it closer with good rest stops on the way.¡±


    ¡°Hm, you¡¯re right.¡±


    What was needed for Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Emerald City n was money.


    Daniel devoted himself to the work as quickly as possible.


    Emerald City ¨C Gaesung was Emerald G


    Emerald City ¨C Rizal was Emerald R


    Emerald City ¨C Kirinda was Emerald K


    Emerald City ¨C Quaran was Emerald Q


    They decided on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s leased ground that would connect the Korean penins to South East Asia to India, to North Africa. Daniel and the others had a big dream, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have some spectacr n.


    He just wanted a rest stop to get a good break. On top of that, he wanted the convenience of civilization. It was a difficultmand, but with money and will, nothing was impossible.


    ¡°Make it modern. As if it¡¯s the city of the future.¡±


    Emerald G, which was right between North and South Korea, was appointed as the city of the futureposed of high rises and underground bunkers.


    ¡°Rizal... is for water sports?¡±


    China decided to transfer an ind to Ahn Soo Ho. And the natural resources being developed with the Spratly Inds was to be divided equally to China, Philippines, Vietnam, and Mysia through Ahn Soo Ho as the arbitrator.


    Daniel was a little skeptical.


    ¡°Do you think the profits can be divided equally?¡±


    ¡°China will definitely try to get more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be a headache.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s a headache. But it¡¯s true that China will invest the most. So it¡¯s fair.¡±


    It was a given that the one who put in the most gets the most.


    ¡°What¡¯s important... is far off from now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The military and development were still far off. Daniel moved on.


    ¡°In terms of investment, wouldn¡¯t India be better than Sri Lanka?¡±


    ¡°On the outside, yes. But in some ways, India has stronger pride than China.¡±


    After getting looked down upon by Europe and America, it became a military nationparable to China. India was called a republic, but it was more socialist than China. And when people called India India, the Indians got mad.


    After Ennd colonized India, not a single coup d¡¯¨¦tat took ce. In some aspects, it seemed like a democratic nation with good civilian control, but the education level of the citizens was at the bottom level. Was it because of their high poption rate? That was just an excuse.


    It was a relief if a politician was voted by ignorant people because when the monitoring of the people became shabby; they resorted to the temptation of crimes. It was good if they were able to look past that, but 90 percent of the people couldn¡¯t resist the temptation.


    ¡°Considering the caste system deeply rooted in their society, they¡¯re very far from democracy. But that¡¯s nothingpared to racial tension.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t America that had the most serious case of racism.


    ¡°Along with religious conflict, there¡¯s serious racial conflict as well.¡±


    India was a host to Hinduism, Imism, Christianity, Buddhism, and more. And this ce was also a second stop for the Ang circle as a Maharashtra.


    ¡®Keeping human civilization in check through a third world.¡¯


    The Ang circle led by Issac used assassinations to make the developed countries strive and the underdeveloped countries suffer. They did this in order to slow down their development.


    It was an imperialistic structure.


    Rather than an opposition between workers and capitalists, Issac saw the importance in the confrontation between workers. The ultimate goal of the United Industries was to create ack of trust between workers.


    While somepanies seeded, others failed. In a world where countlesspanies opened and closed in a day, every worker faced different working environments.


    The reason why America¡¯s capitalism caused more and more profit was in order to incitepetition within every ss. The logic wasn¡¯t important. After all, the ones with less were bound to attack with those with more. If there was rationality to survival instincts, there would have been no fights, to begin with.


    ¡°India is a huge experimental field.¡±


    ¡°Experimental field?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged at Daniel¡¯s question. He wouldn¡¯t understand even if he exined. A normal person wasn¡¯t able to understand the ideology of someone who lived for over 5000 years. It was true that there were many Christians and Muslims, but out of the entire poption, they were just a small number, and there were believers who were willing to keep their faith in the most extreme situations.


    ¡®Human factory.¡¯


    Behind the terror that urred in developed countries in North America and Europe was some kind of rage. They acted behind God¡¯s name, but it was all for their profit.


    There were also suicide terrorist attacks using ignorant people.


    But people knew the truth.


    That heaven didn¡¯t exist. They just couldn¡¯t ept it. If they had, all the blood that had been shed would have been for vain. In a world like this, the existence of a supernatural being was very impactful.


    ¡®It all depends on who epts it first.¡¯


    But no one wanted to hold a gun.


    Daniel moved on to thest point.


    ¡°As for Emerald City Quaran, there¡¯s no profit whatsoever, Soo Ho.¡±


    The desert between Niger, Chad, and Libia was just wastnd and nothing else. Thend didn¡¯t even produce oil and the road conditions were too shabby for any kind of intermediate trade. Even thend that already existed was about to disappear due to the sandstorms.


    ¡°Maybe. But we¡¯re not doing this for the money, Danny.¡±


    ¡°But we should still maintain the status quo. We can¡¯t do business with dirt.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how expensive dirt is these days, do you?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t kidding. The cost of construction materials was on the rise. It was difficult finding clean sand these days.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Soo Ho. If you don¡¯t get the amount that you put into Korea when you go ahead with the n... you could go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°What did Barbara say?¡±


    ¡°She said a shrinkage is unavoidable due to Ennd¡¯s withdrawal from the EU. She said it¡¯s better to focus on Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe next year.¡±


    ¡°Is she minding the British government?¡±


    ¡°Her? No way.¡±


    Barbara Huxley was the ultimate veteran of the European Witch Gathering. Since her ban was lifted, the only one who could control her was Ahn Soo Ho. Witches weren¡¯t very strong on their own, but since they were able to metastasize each other¡¯s skills, no alpha organism could mess with them easily.


    It was Ang¡¯s circle that made the British government oppress the witches. Not all with supernatural powers weed each other. If Barbara knew that Ang was behind the British government, she would probably want to fight.


    ¡°We¡¯re low on funds... This hasn¡¯t happened in thest few years, but we did spend excessively. So how much are we low by?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s urgent right now is around 30 billion dors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°G and R don¡¯t matter, but K and Q need to be built from scratch. With development, roads, power,munications, and water... there¡¯s a lot to be spent on.¡±


    The reason why India didn¡¯t say much to Sri Lanka and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s cooperation was because a part of the deal was that they would also build 20 freshwater nts worth 6 billion US dors in India as well.


    India was still very deficient in water.


    ¡°We could get 30 billion dors through a loan.¡±


    ¡°Shall we get a loan then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    He could have easily borrowed money if he wanted, but he didn¡¯t like debt.


    ¡°I have no other choice.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho epted a request, he preferred to be paid with rights than money. He liked start-up stocks, redevelopment real estate, and unregistered bonds, but he liked mining rights the most. That was because problems came with having many representatives all over the world, and no politician liked having their rights taken away by foreigners.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s representatives were capable men who were making good money of their own. They might have taken it on with a sense of duty to protect their country¡¯s rights and whatnot, but they were clearly cheating.


    ¡°For 30 billion dors.... I¡¯ll have to sell quite a few. Which ones should I sell?¡±


    In response, Daniel pointed at a map of the world.


    ¡°Right here, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°A gold mine? I don¡¯t want to lose that one.¡±


    ¡°The only things you can sell right away are gold, diamonds, or rare-earth elements. You wouldn¡¯t sell uranium, right?¡±


    Human greed for gold was still present in the 21st century. And it was more fierce than ever before. They called oil the ck gold, but when it came to oil, it was likely going to be tangled up with many investments and political-rtedplications.


    ¡®But not with gold and diamonds.¡¯


    Oil needed highly advanced technology and with one mistake, one could lose everything. But not with mining. Of course, having good equipment was a plus, but anyone could dig up something with a pickax if they wanted.


    ¡°Good. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait.¡±


    He stopped Daniel.


    ¡°What is it, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take care of the representatives, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    He had to take good care of his representatives so that there wouldn¡¯t be any problemster. Ahn Soo Ho looked at his calendar. There were only 12 days left before his wedding.


    The locals were fascinated that Ahn Soo Ho leased out all the hotels, condos, and private vis. Since Hawaii was a tourist¡¯s destination 365 days a year, renting out a part of it was only possible for the very rich. If anything, the government wouldn¡¯t have allowed it.


    At this very moment, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s own airline was busy transporting all of the guests for the wedding. The friends with their own private jets would probably take their own, but for those who would have used a normal airline, he rented out chartered nes for a morefortable trip.


    Most of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s guests were Korean, but Ahn Soo Ho had friends from all over the world. It was likely that their wedding was going to look like a UN meeting.


    The Kremlin party arrived yesterday while the White House party arrived the day before. Today, the Chinese premiere¡¯s party arrived, and tomorrow was going to be the guard teams of Japan, Ennd, France, and Germany.


    He told them to bring as fewer guards as possible, but they wanted to show off their power. He normally would have told them to piss off, but a wedding was a joyful ceremony. So he let it go. On the other hand, he gave them a clear warning. That if they disturbed the wedding in any way, that they would get on his bad side.


    Hawaii was in America.


    America put a lot of care into Hawaii this time around, with almost every major institution joining in on Hawaii¡¯s task force.


    And they had one job.


    ¡®Pull out the roots of crimes!¡¯


    Their n to eliminate crimes was fully underway. American¡¯s shouldn¡¯t know this, but President Olsen was actively making an effort to make Ahn Soo Ho into an American.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s daily routine in Hawaii was simple.


    He woke up and had a morning mojito at the pub by the beach. He talked about the Emerald ns with Daniel. He also listened to the venting of Oh Joo Kyung and the executives over the phone.


    At around lunchtime, he took Jang Seol Hyun and their parents out for a meal. Once they left to prepare for the wedding, he had an afternoon mojito before listening to James ck and the other vent.


    And at dinner time, Lee So Hye, Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel returned from having fun and told him about what they did in Hawaii that day. He then talked with the celebrities of Hosoo Entertainment.


    He wrapped up his day by talking with Jang Seol Hyun.


    They just talked about small trivial things.


    He normally would have told her to shut up, but he was now used to her ranting. Jang Seol Hyun was special to Ahn Soo Ho. Was it because she had his child? Perhaps. But if he could only save one of them, he would have picked Jang Seol Hyun. But she wouldn¡¯t have liked to hear that.


    ¡°What did you do today, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Same old.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Today...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho told her who he ate and talked with. If this was before, he wouldn¡¯t have done this.


    That was how the days passed.


    And then the day came.


    The private beach beside a big house was full of people of all skin colors. Pretty much all the famous people around the world seemed to be there. Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t seen Jang Seol Hyun since the night before.


    After the Saudi prince came with a bunch of underwear models and got kicked out for it, no one else caused that much trouble.


    Ahn Soo Ho sat in the groom¡¯s chair. The guests avoided him for some reason. Did they think he was in a bad mood? No way. He was in the best mood of his 38 years of life.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Ahn Dae Man looked handsome dressed up. Was it because he used to party all the time? For a father who liked to drink and mingle, his son¡¯s wedding was the best stage.


    ¡°My daughter-inw looks beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Did you see her when I haven¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too good for you. You¡¯d better know that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows in response.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I the one who bought you that Armani?¡±


    ¡°What a good-looking couple! You¡¯re a match made in Heaven!¡±


    His father changed the subject. Ahn Dae Man¡¯s past life was very clear. His father put both hands in his pocket and changed his expression.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my snot-nosed son is getting married... Time sure flies.¡±


    ¡°38 is ate age to get married.¡±


    ¡°For men, you¡¯re young enough as long as you get boners in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not thinking of getting remarried with a young woman, are you?¡±


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m not in for that kind of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll reduce your allowance by half...¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue at his father and then smirked.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this day hase.¡¯


    He thought he would live his entire life without seeing his father. He got up from his seat. Ahn Dae Man was on the tall side for an older man, but he looked small beside Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®He¡¯s old.¡¯


    His shoulders were narrow from the years he lived, and the number of wrinkles on his face couldn¡¯t be fixed with any kind of skin treatment.


    He saw Logan making hand gestures.


    It was time for the ceremony to begin. Ahn Soo Ho passed his father and then looked back at him.


    ¡°Thank you for giving birth to me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Thank your mother instead. All I did was provide the sperm, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The way Ahn Dae Man waved his hands looked cute to him. And that made him utter words that he had never imagined.


    ¡°I love you, Father.¡±


    But what he got in response was his middle finger.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°You cringy bastard! Go to hell!¡±


    Was he implying that marriage was like death? But he didn¡¯t care. He was having a very happy day.


    ¡°The groom is entering!¡±


    As soon as Do Kyung Ho¡¯s voice rang through the speakers, Ahn Soo Ho opened the doors and walked through it with confidence.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 201 ¨C Sim City [1] > The end.

 Chapter 203: < Protect – Episode 202 – Sim City [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 203: < Protect ¨C Episode 202 ¨C Sim City [2] ></h4>


    The wedding hosted by Do Kyung Ho was bustling. Ahn Soo Ho wanted to make it quiet, but Jang Seol Hyun opposed it because she looked forward to seeing his husband¡¯s foreign friends there.


    If they hadn¡¯t prepared an interpreting service of the guests from all over the world, there would have been manyints. The wedding transformed into a UN meeting. What was funny was that the people speaking with the cardinal were wearing traditional Im outfits. It was refreshing to see Saudi Arabians and Iranians chatting andughing with one another.


    And the high-ranking officials of America and Russia who were on tense terms a few years back over Ukraine were acting like friends. The climax of the event was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s friends hitting the bottom of his feet.


    Since the old wedding customs were unfamiliar to Koreans as well, it was even more shocking to the foreigners. They were allowed to hit Ahn Soo Ho all they wanted. What better custom was there than that? Since he was tied up, the foreign guests joined in as well. They figured he would go along with it since the groom and the bride¡¯s parents were staring their way.


    ¡®I¡¯ll deal with youter, you assholes!¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t smiling on the inside. The bustling carried on to the banquet. The only unmarried Do brother¡ªDo Min Ho¡ªput on aedy show that was funny to both Koreans and foreigners, and he even spoke of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s childhood days.


    In particr, many enjoyed the stories of how immature he was back then. Many parts of hisplicated family life had already been revealed through the press, but there hasn¡¯t been a single news about his dating life before Jang Seol Hyun. Some columnists suspected that he was a virgin before her.


    Some of the gossip magazines imed that there were confessions from ex-girlfriends, but there was no proof to back it up. Ahn Soo Ho wanted to punch Do Min Ho¡¯s teeth out, but he couldn¡¯t do anything because his wife and mother were by his side.


    ¡°He was at the top back then, too. Kya! But his face was a bit... At least his body was nice! As you know, when boys turn 15, they be... Ahem. You know what they be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°When we were little, Seoul was a whole different world. Kids these days go to Hongdae, Apgujeong, or Cheongdam-dong, but when we were little, we went to Chunggyecheon. Some of you probably know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    If one wanted to see new things, it was good to go to Itaewon or Myeongdong, and the hub of PC andmunications was Yongsan. But before all of that, the ce to be was the general store.


    ¡°People download baseball games these days. Back then, we only had videotapes. However...¡±


    There was a time when a 900 won video sold for 30,000 won. Considering people¡¯s wages back then, that was a crazy price.


    ¡°And you probably remember that it was a game of chance.¡±


    It wasmon for someone to buy one thinking it was a baseball game, but it turned out to be some kind of EBS educational video.


    ¡°Luckily, we came out with ¡®Handsome Siblings¡¯.¡±


    ¡®Handsome Siblings¡¯ was a 90s action movie made in Hong Kong.


    ¡°What did you guys get again?¡±


    ¡°Star Wars.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! Star Wars.¡±


    That was the movie that always yed on TV during the holidays.


    ¡°After getting tricked by the middle-aged man at the store, we ended up epting the dark side. The real star of Star Wars isn¡¯t Luke. It¡¯s Darth Vader!¡±


    ¡°Darth Vader!¡±


    ¡°Empire!¡±


    After Do Kyung Ho¡¯s story, other people got up to share their stories of Ahn Soo Ho. They changed it up a bit to make it more entertaining, but they were all normal stories. This kind of culture was familiar to most Koreans.


    They didn¡¯t invite any journalists.


    But the ones that were friends with the couple attended as guests. The stories that were shared at the wedding were probably going to be shared in unofficial ways. The media outlets that desperately wanted to know would probably get hung up over it. It was already hard enough for other famous people to approach the media, but it was definitely not advised for the famous ones of the entertainment world to get involved with reporters.


    The foreigners enjoyed watching Korean customs. Weddings had be generalized all over the world, but everyone still had their own customs. If a famous person did something, other people slowly copied to make it a trend.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t a celebrity.


    However, he was a hot sell that influential people wanted to be friends with. As a result, many wanted to copy what he did. Because it made them look cool. And they also felt like that was how they could be acknowledged by others.


    But that was a big misunderstanding. And they knew it, too. But in order to get with society and public, they had to follow the trends.


    Ahn Soo Ho began to set the trends.


    His style became a brand of his own, and the way he spoke became a parody foredy programs. There were many men who were handsome, rich, and jacked, but very few were as influential.


    Did the world want a leader like Ahn Soo Ho? There was no telling that. But his confident actions gave enjoyment to those who were tired of reality. Ahn Soo Ho was the most popr man in Asia. And with his face alone, he had a style that worked very well in the East. But he wasn¡¯t considered handsome.


    They had to face guests for another week.


    He didn¡¯t check the exact numbers, but more than 10,000 guests were there. As soon as the noisy storm blew over, Ahn Soo Ho called over Logan, his underlings, and the guards of the Hosoo Guard Team. While everyone elseughed and chatted, the guard team had to work hard to keep everyone safe.


    ¡°Lower the danger level.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°What about a bonus?¡±


    ¡°Director Navarros has already given it to us.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then this is from me.¡±


    Logan epted an envelope from Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Divide it amongst yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it... I don¡¯t see Alexa or Kosino around.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve already gone on vacation.¡±


    ¡°That was fast. Okay. Disperse.¡±


    It was rude to keep tired people for too long. It was only Logan that remained afterward.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going back home?¡±


    ¡°My big sister wants to see me.¡±


    ¡°Rosaline? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find out when you get there. Have a safe trip.¡±


    Logan greeted him. He then turned around and then said one more thing,


    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho saw off Logan and then saw Daniel enter through another door.


    ¡°Is he leaving, too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What about your guards?¡±


    ¡°Danny, I don¡¯t actually need guards.¡±


    ¡°I know that. But I¡¯m worried about the safety of the people whoe to see you.¡±


    Daniel wasn¡¯t worried about Ahn Soo Ho. Why would he worry about someone who could survive pretty much anything?


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave Hawaii anytime soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°You came early... Did it sell?¡±


    ¡°The highest bidder would like to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Ginter.¡±


    ¡°Franzbeau?¡±


    The top German energypany, Franzbeau was an antimunist corporation. They got rid of nuclear nts and reced them with new renewable energy sources and policies, but during the summer months, they had to import energy from France. Germany and France were always butting heads, but when it came to infrastructural development, they were quite cooperative.


    Chairman Ginter was invited to the wedding, so he was currently in Hawaii. People of this world didn¡¯t know this, but he was one of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s few European representatives.


    ¡°Is he already here and waiting?¡±


    ¡°He is, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Tell him toe in.¡±


    Daniel gestured for the secretary to escort the old white man in.


    ¡°Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right to talk about business during a wedding. I didn¡¯t want to be cussed at by your wife forever.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled bitterly. As long as she was married to him, Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s status was very high in society. From now on, she was going to be treated as if she was the First Lady.


    ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let the old man with bad knees keep standing.


    ¡°What is it, Wolf?¡±


    ¡°First, I want to apologize.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Kracek.¡±


    ¡°Alexander Kracek?¡±


    He was a spy from East Germany who worked with Hector Garcia during the Middle Ages. He was already called a legend since before the unification of Germany.


    ¡°I heard his son died.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Dortmund scandal.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Some of the Dresden File was revealed. It was handed over to a national mercenary group that was keeping Ang in check, but without Kumiko, a sound interpretation was difficult. Despite that fact, they managed to use the context to infer the information.


    Alexander Kracek, who was from eastern Ukraine, was an agent that was dispatched during the Soviet Union¡¯s influential period in the 60s and 70s. And there were times when his mission was very sensitive.


    The records of the Dresden File didn¡¯t end at World War II. The Dordmund Scandal was buried deep following the unification of Germany, but the actions of the East German spies were still revealed on the inte and media. The records included cruel interrogation, destroyed honor, kidnapping, sexual violence, and more.


    The kind of inhumane acts they enforced was no better than that of the Nazis. Following the unification of Germany, the government contemted the issue, but in the end, they ended up turning the other cheek. The records that were revealed contained brutality crueler than that of the Nazis.


    ¡°Is this revenge?¡±


    ¡°The spy acts of the time were pardoned. In order to punish them legally, the truth of the Dresden File that¡¯s been circting on the inte need to be confirmed.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter if the German court decides to deny it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So it must go to the International Court of Justice.¡±


    ¡°Formally, yes... But most of the courts are against it. There¡¯s no evidence to enforce punishment.¡±


    In modern Europe, the Communists were very active. In contrast to those in North America, Europeanmies maintained a strong influence over its countries.


    Ahn Soo Ho thought of something and flicked his finger.


    ¡°Terror.¡±


    ¡°You caught on. Some of the terrorist attacks in Europe had nothing to do with Ims.¡±


    On one side of the European terrorist wars was an ideological conflict. The reality of Europe was like a sewer. It was horrible.


    ¡°Who killed Kracek¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°Leon was in the wrong ce at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the police said?¡±


    ¡°It was a murder caused by a motorcycle gang that follows Neo-Nazis. But Leon wasn¡¯t their target from the very beginning. He was just unlucky...¡±


    ¡°And Kracek hasn¡¯t epted that yet.¡±


    ¡°Nope. He mes himself.¡±


    He believed that his son died because of his own past. And for that reason, he chased after them one by one and killed them.


    ¡°He¡¯s begun to go after the reporter that revealed the Dresden File.¡±


    ¡°How many have died?¡±


    ¡°12 so far.¡±


    ¡°But the media of Europe and Germany are quiet.¡±


    ¡°Since the media is the terror target, they have no choice but to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    He felt bad about Kracek and his son¡¯s circumstances. However, that was all. Ahn Soo Ho tapped the armrests of his chair with his fingers.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°I know. Just do the introductions.¡±


    ¡°Alexander Kracek is cold... but he¡¯s a legend. The contractors won¡¯t hunt, but will get hunted down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I came to you, Soo Ho.¡±


    The German government employed their own agents to catch Krazek, but they probably failed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. We¡¯ll need at least 5 Triple-A agents for this... This man might be good.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a rmendation?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Old wolves would be hunted down by a tiger.


    ¡°Hector.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Hector Garcia.¡±


    Ginter¡¯s voice rang as if it was a hallucination.


    ¡®Are you fucking kidding me?¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Emerald City? What an absurd n, my friend.¡±


    Hector Garcia looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a shocked face. Unlike in Nigeria, Ahn Soo Ho showed Hector his utmost respect.


    ¡°What¡¯s so absurd?¡±


    ¡°You can step over the throne and be a God. But you¡¯re putting that aside to y these games?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than ying games in a secret society.¡±


    ¡°The measures that the circle took weren¡¯t bad. Does mankind needed to be controlled? I agree with that. Humans tend to favor corruption despite knowing it¡¯s bad. And they won¡¯t stop despite knowing the results. Why? Because they¡¯re just selfish animals that were born that way.¡±


    Humanism was one of the biggest bullshit he had heard. After talking with other alpha organisms, including Issac and J-Law, he agreed that human civilization needed to be controlled.


    Enthusiastic Issac


    Passive J-Law


    The two had different stances, but before humans¡¯ selfishness killed them first, they had to take some kind of action. Following Anna-Anne Karusis¡¯ appearance, the circle decided to put a seal on their influence. However, Hector¡¯s thoughts were different.


    ¡°Mankind will go extinct at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you a believer of war at one point?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, my friend? Controlled war is the best instigator.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like a cult, too, old man.¡±


    The rouser of the stone all thought of themselves as special.


    ¡®Or maybe only such lunatics can wake the soul stone.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.


    ¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you already? I like this world.¡±


    Only the average dreamt of a utopia, not those who would live for a very long time. For those who can just reset life as it was a game, it didn¡¯t make sense to make a sacrifice for a better tomorrow.


    ¡°You like this crazy world where Christians and Muslims use guns to kill each other?¡±


    ¡°Well, the religious ones are always doing crazy things, but besides that, the world we¡¯re living in is not that bad.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho beat up Michael a lot that day. Crazy ones needed to be hit.


    ¡°Hector.¡±


    Hector flinched in response. This was what the old man told him during their first meeting. That he should forget about bing a hero, and that they were nothing butponents of this earth.


    ¡°The world will function well enough without us.¡±


    And so, he nned to escape the basement and build dungeons onnd as well.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 202 ¨C Sim City [2] > The end.

 Chapter 204: < Protect – Episode 203 – Sim City [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 204: < Protect ¨C Episode 203 ¨C Sim City [3] ></h4>


    The couple had no reason toe up with a Honeymoon destination after the wedding. That was because Hawaii was the dream destination for most newlyweds.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m getting fat.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re eating and sleeping for two now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    In response to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s venting while enjoying a brunch made Ahn Soo Ho smirk. The private beach was no longer bustling with people. The privatend that he bought for cheap originally belonged to a famous businessman from Hawaii, but after remarrying with a 20-year-old, he suddenly died leaving her with thend.


    Even if age was just a number, wasn¡¯t a 60-year difference too much? Was it real love? It was 99.9% not likely. The American mindset was pretty open, but everyone had the same kind ofmon sense.


    The employee that Jang Seol Hyun found awkward at first became more epted. Most hired hands in Korea were housemaids, but that was actually a real upation. But there were differences from ce to ce.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m getting even fatter because I¡¯m not moving around.¡±


    ¡°Shall we walk?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho now understood the context.


    Women rarely said it how it was. Rather than asking for something, they gave hints so that the other person would find out on their own. It was tiring, but what could one do? He just had to catch on quickly.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s memory was highly developed. No one could call him a dating rookie anymore. He now had the confidence to walk along Waikiki Beach and win over somedies.


    ¡®It¡¯s toote for that now though.¡¯


    He might have renounced his citizenship, but he couldn¡¯t get rid of his Korean mindset. In terms ofnguage and beliefs, he was still Korean. Ahn Soo Ho held Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s hand and walked down the beach. If they had a dog with them, that would have looked like a real American drama.


    ¡°Soo Ho, are you not going back to Korea?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun spoke carefully.


    Ahn Soo ho realized that she was also in a tough situation. Before he got married, the hyenas were after Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye, but now, it was Jang Seol Hyun.


    And by hyenas, he was referring to the government workers and politicians of Korea. They would probably think that it would be easier harassing Jang Seol Hyun or her family from now on. But that would be underestimating him. He already set up a surveince system. Kosino was a bitch, but she was good at her job.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I go back? I can go back whenever I want to.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the baby?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll be honest. Yeah, it is.¡±


    They didn¡¯t know the gender of Soo Ho Junior. He could have used his magic to find out, but he wanted it to be a surprise. As much as the media showed interest in Jang Seol Hyun, they focused on Soo Ho Junior as well.


    178 trillion won in wealth! Woot! A third-generation heir!


    A silver spoon? A diamond spoon? Ha! It¡¯s God spoon generation now!


    That¡¯s not the focus! The biggest asset is the father¡¯s connections!


    Korea¡¯s future will depend on Hosoo Group¡¯s descendants!


    They had a lot to say about a baby that wasn¡¯t born yet. In that sense, Ahn Soo Ho felt sorry for the baby. There was no way to give the baby a normal life. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for the baby to ever make true friends either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my nationality before the baby is born.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it. So wait a little longer.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho used his ¡°don¡¯t you trust me¡± card again. After returning from their walk along the beach, a group of Korea¡¯s most beautiful actresses including Jung Ah Young was waiting. They chatted as soon as they arrived so Ahn Soo Ho escaped to his study.


    The study wasn¡¯t just for reading. He noticed a hammock hanging in between two pirs. Heid down.


    ¡®I hope the old man behaves.¡¯


    Hector Garcia showed stronger will than ever. He might have thought that he had the power to flip the world upside down. And he was half right. He was capable of doing that. But it wasn¡¯t going tost very long.


    ¡®Mankind isn¡¯t stupid.¡¯


    Mankind was stupid, but it wasn¡¯t that stupid. It was contradictory, but looking back on history, mankind managed to get through all sorts of hardships. If they were truly foolish, they would have already gone extinct.


    Vrrr-


    Ahn Soo Ho reached for his vibrating phone. The phone flew into his hand like magic.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem, Soo Ho.¡±


    There was always a problem.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Aqun caught Mr. Garcia at Frankfurt Airport.¡±


    ¡°Was he trying to use civilian aviation?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. It was a private jet provided by Chairman Ginter.¡±


    ¡°What about the German police?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be aware. I think Aqun was acting alone.¡±


    ¡°What aboutwyers?¡±


    ¡°Some came out from thew firm that signed with Mr. Garcia.¡±


    ¡°Then keep an eye on them for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Roberto Aqun¡¯s way of never giving up was praiseworthy. Since Hector Garcia wasn¡¯t a rookie, he probably had many ways to escape. The old man had many people of his own.


    After hanging up, Ahn Soo Ho closed his eyes again, but his moment of silence didn¡¯tst long. A bunch of troublemakers came running down and opened the door.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    He groaned at Lee So Hye¡¯s tackle. How was he supposed to send off such a 20-year-old man off to get married? The fact that he thought this way meant he was bing a middle-aged man.


    ¡®Age doesn¡¯t lie.¡¯


    38 wasn¡¯t that old, but Ahn Soo Ho remembered much more than those 38 years through the afterlife. He was known as an old man since 30 years ago.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want to perform!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want to perform in Hawaii!¡±


    What kind of nonsense was this? He brought her here to rest, but she wanted to work instead.


    ¡°Are you tired of having fun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°I want to give a benefit performance.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho lifted his head. He then met eyes with Ahn Da Sol on the couch.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Hawaii isn¡¯t a rich region.¡±


    ¡°I know that. And?¡±


    ¡°It was sad seeing the kids working hard on the coffee farms.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    All countries and cities had gaps. If a ce had rich people, there were also poor people as well. If a ce had kind people, there were also bad people there as well. In capitalist societies, the gap between the rich and the poor was like two sides of the coin. The two came hand in hand.


    There were slums in Hawaii as well.


    It was possible that this ce had the clearest light and darkness. Washington D.C. had a tendency to respect American Indians while looking down on the natives of Hawaii.


    Despite that fact, Hawaii possessed superior military power, and that was because the States¡¯ Pacific Command was located in Hawaii. And surprisingly, the governor held substantial influence over the Pacific Command.


    Of course, the natives of Hawaii hated foreigners more than mainders. Some of the groups even protested to no longer be a part of America. Hawaii was the only region that had no connection to the American sentiments portrayed in American shows and movies.


    ¡°You went to the native protection region, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t protecting anybody there.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re treated very differently from the American Indians.¡±


    ¡°Is it because they protest a lot?¡±


    ¡°That, too... It¡¯s also because there¡¯s very few of them.¡±


    The reason why American politicians ignored Hawaii was because there was nothing to talk about. They all would have visited if it was California holding the protests, but not Hawaii.


    But Hawaii was still an important region for America¡¯s big strategy.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Emily looked confused at theirplicated conversation. Ahn Da Sol just realized it. They were at an age where they just wanted to have fun.


    Ahn Soo Ho changed the subject.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go back home?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to.¡±


    Emily stretched on the couch and revealed the sports bra underneath that looked like it was going to explode. She was doing it on purpose. Rachel was in charge of having sexy charisma, but all three except for Lee So Hye were sexy.


    ¡®Sorry, So Hye.¡¯


    She was his little sister, but he couldn¡¯t shield her.


    As soon as Emily posed in a sex way, Rachel showed off her charms, and if Ahn Da Sol covered up her ck-eye she didn¡¯t look so bad either. They weren¡¯t trying to seduce anyone. They were just trying topete to see who was the most attractive.


    They assumed that if he found them attractive, the rest of the world would, too. They had bodies of adults, but they were still children. There was even a study proving that the reason why young women fell for affairs so much was because they felt great satisfaction from being acknowledged by sessful middle-aged men.


    They didn¡¯t participate in affairs out of love. They did it because they enjoyed the thrill of it. In other words, they were narcissists. It was hard to have an affair with someone who loved themselves too much, but their self-destructive was a part of their narcissism.


    Did the young woman who married the old man that died seduce him because she loved herself too much?


    ¡®She was able to live an easy life if she got the old man¡¯s fortune.¡¯


    It would result in getting cussed at by others, but who cares? Narcissists didn¡¯t care what other people said, anyway. Egoists and narcissists might have meant the same thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the one in charge, so do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Lee So Hye kissed Ahn Soo Ho on the cheek and then ran off with the other girls. Young kids were hectic. Once the study grew silent again, an unweed guest paid him a visit.


    Since he didn¡¯t use the door to enter, he was unwee. Michel must have wanted to look cool, but Ahn Soo Ho just thought of him as a religious lunatic.


    ¡°The Heavens are...¡±


    ¡°If you say one more word, I¡¯ll send you to the moon.¡±


    He shut Michel¡¯s mouth in an instant. Send him off to the moon? That wasn¡¯t hard at all. All he had to do was use his magic to throw him 500 kilometers into the air.


    ¡°Why did you sneak in like a cat?¡±


    ¡°I began to produce scriptures.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed.


    Seeing how he was still out of his mind after getting beat up, he was a lunatic with no answers. It was easy to kill him. However, if the crazy members following the crazy head were freed, the world was going to suffer under a bunch of crazy people. He didn¡¯t care if the world suffered or not, but he didn¡¯t want any of it to negatively affect him.


    Issac¡¯s subordinates were gloomy and logical, while Michel¡¯s subordinates were crazy religious. They were strong believers that were willing to kill anyone for their faith. No one wanted them as enemies.


    ¡°Godship isn¡¯t something that arises from someone¡¯s support. Stop acting like a cult.¡±


    There was no hope for Christianity and Muslim. They held on to religion even after failing so many times. It was hard for him to understand Michel.


    ¡°I never forced it upon anyone.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s voluntary?¡±


    ¡°We had been waiting for God¡¯s word... for a very long time. We¡¯ve been looking for a clue to the truth.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but what made human civilization flourish was religion. The lunatics¡¯ attempt resulted in big sacrifices, but it also urged them to make big discoveries for the generation.


    Michel suddenly went down on his knees.


    As if he was a believer being baptized.


    He was able to kick him out right then and there, but he just went along with it.


    ¡°Do you want the truth, Michel?¡±


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    Michel answered with his eyes.


    ¡®Maybe this will be useful...¡¯


    Besides Sinir and Heritage that nourished the ck market all over the world, which bank was the biggest? Bank of China? Bank of America? City Group? JP Morgan Chase? China Bank? Standard Chartered? HSBC Holdings?


    No.


    With scale put aside, the bank with the most funding liquidity in the world was Vatican Bank. ording to financial experts, they reported little profits every year, but the funds that they actually worked with every year were 100 times that.


    Since Vatican Bank¡¯s business records were unrevealed, they were unable to find any evidence or go into an investigation.


    And messing with the Catholic church was like suicide for government workers and politicians in Italy. The only ones that ever reported the Vatican after World War II were the leftists of France.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware that everything you did was for God...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho copied what the wizards of Anna-Anne¡¯s world often chanted.


    ¡°You are blessed by the name of Anna-Anne Karusis.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Michel was touched. That was because he used his magic to alter the space a little.


    And then light scattered.


    Power was bound to be eaten up by a bigger power. He held onto the shoulder of the crying Michel and helped him up. He then whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Okay, time to build some houses.¡±


    ¡®Go on and collect some cash.¡¯


    ¡®Korea¡¯s protestants were geniuses.¡¯


    ¡®Gather! Give me money! Let¡¯s build houses!¡¯


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho made Michel¡¯s believers work on the Emerald development n of North Africa, and they sessfullypleted it. He had a feeling the wastnd was going to turn into beautiful mother nature in no time.


    ¡®That¡¯s the power of lunatics!¡¯


    All he had to do to control the believers was speak as God.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m leading a cult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s looking good, Soo Ho.¡±


    Daniel smiled.


    ¡°How¡¯s Korea?¡±


    ¡°Chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Are there a lot of meanments?¡±


    ¡°There are some.¡±


    ¡°Report them.¡±


    ¡°Even with UN¡¯s identity confirmation, you¡¯re still a refugee byw. That means you can¡¯t sue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it under my wife¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let Hosoo Group¡¯s entire legal team take a vacation. And he hired anotherw firm to take care of some urgent matters.


    ¡®I feel bad enjoying my honeymoon all by myself.¡¯


    The legal team hadn¡¯t gone home at a normal hour for a single day since they began. He paid them well, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think that meant he could treat them like ves. People needed to have fun once in a while.


    Due to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s wedding, Hosoo Entertainment Group was cking off. It was fascinating that thepany hadn¡¯t gone down, but there was no special secret to it. He just needed to keep capable executives in charge like Oh Joo Kyung. Ahn Soo Ho normally harassed the executives more than the regr employees. Goodpanies had those in charge took responsibility.


    While Jang Seol Hyun went to the hospital, Ahn Soo Ho went to downtown Honolulu. Other pregnant women wanted their husbands to follow them everywhere, but she didn¡¯t want Ahn Soo Ho to do that.


    ¡°Here hees. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    The bulky man that passed Daniel who was leaving was wearing a vibrant Hawaiian shirt. He wasn¡¯t ck, yellow, or white. He almost looked like he was mixed between ck and yellow.


    ¡°George.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    They greeted each other as if they were long-lost families.


    ¡°How¡¯s your vacation going?¡±


    ¡°Hawaii... is Hawaii.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had been to Hawaii over 200 times already. With all the timesbined, he probably spent over a year there.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°The hospital.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go with her?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want that. She said she wanted girls¡¯ time or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Really? How unique. My wife threatened to divorce me if I didn¡¯t go with her.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, how¡¯s Lisa?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho remembered the little kid that was all over him every time he came to Hawaii.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the maind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a college student now, right? UCLA?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good thing she didn¡¯t go to an Ivey league.¡±


    Just like how western America and Hawaii weren¡¯t close, eastern America wasn¡¯t close to western America either. If his daughter had gone to a school in the east, it would have been hard for him to see his daughter even once a year.


    As soon as George sat down, he ordered fruit juice with alcohol in it. As soon as the drink came out, he chugged it.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in quitting smoking if you¡¯re drinking more now?¡±


    ¡°Haha. What can you do?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stared at him.


    ¡°Why did you ask to meet?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Carles Borne?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What about Koko Head-Butcher?¡±


    ¡°Butcher? Oh, Carles Borne. I remember now.¡±


    KoKo Head-Butcher.


    Names like that were often given to violent murderers. KoKo Head-Butcher stood for the murderer thatmitted serial murders on women in the Koko Head District of Hawaii.


    ¡°What about him?¡±


    George answered by giving him a pile of documents. What Ahn Soo Ho saw first was photos of dead women.


    ¡°Five cases over the course of three months.¡±


    ¡°What about the FBI?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re having a hard time with it.¡±


    ¡°What about FIVE-O?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders in response.


    FIVE-O


    That was what many called old police officers, but not in Hawaii. The police officers of Hawaii were known for their exclusive organizational culture. In Hawaii, there were as many private detectives and security guardpanies as the military and police. Hawaii was where the most missing cases took ce in America.


    ¡°Apparently, he has the skills of an expert.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Carles Borne.¡±


    ¡°But the coroner...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    George backed down in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stern answer.


    ¡°You have proof, don¡¯t you, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°I killed him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho repeated himself.


    ¡°I said I killed him.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    As a judge that led Hawaii¡¯s prosecution, he was taken aback by his confession to murder.


    ¡°You told me to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah... But...¡±


    Unless Carles Borne came back as a ghost, the culprit was someone else. Just like how Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s reputation was 100% positive in the mercenary world, his reputation in the underworld was wless.


    There were probably some people who were better at killing than Ahn Soo Ho. But there was no perfect murderer that hid the evidence perfectly. The reason why Roberto Aqun couldn¡¯t charge Ahn Soo Ho after all his effort was ack of evidence.


    ¡°Was it a copycat murder?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s too detailed for that.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows at the photos. If they didn¡¯t know Carles Borne was dead, they would have thought it was him.


    ¡°What a funny guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to die here.¡±


    For George, he probably wanted to die after being faced with another murder case.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on it.¡±


    ¡°How much are you going to charge?¡±


    ¡°Just intensify the patrol around my house.¡±


    He had more than enough guards, but it didn¡¯t hurt to get closer to the governmental authority of Hawaii.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Then what else? Can you afford to pay me on your sry?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Then stop the nonsense and give me more patrol.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It wasfortable to go around with the police. Ahn Soo Ho looked at his watch. It was 2 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    ¡®I want to end this before sundown.¡¯


    It took him 3 hours to catch KoKo-Head. After parting with George, Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. What do you want to have for dinner?¡±


    He thought about buying dinner on his way home.


    ¡°Something spicy? Okay. What about chilly shrimp? Okay.¡±


    It was time to make a stop at a Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 203 ¨C Sim City [3] > The end.

 Chapter 205: < Protect – Episode 204 – Sim City [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 205: < Protect ¨C Episode 204 ¨C Sim City [4] ></h4>


    What Ahn Soo Ho put stress on while nning Emerald City¡¯s developments weren¡¯t the city¡¯s beauty or convenience. It was safety. The chances of the city bing like New York or Seoul were next to zero. After all, Ahn Soo Ho hated crowded ces.


    In the dark world, Mr. Guardian¡¯s reputation was at the top. But there were still criminals who didn¡¯t sumb to his evil reputation. And for those who lived day by day and murdered without blinking, they weren¡¯t afraid of anything.


    ¡®It¡¯s easier to deal with drug cartels.¡¯


    The bosses, who had a lot to lose, were sensitive to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s behavior, but the murderers that lived solely for their own satisfaction didn¡¯t even care about the police.


    A.K.A. Carles Borne


    Her real name was Lily Okamoto.


    KoKo-Head was a woman. And the Hawaiian police didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡®A third-generation Japanese in Hawaii.¡¯


    Just like Brazil, Hawaii had many Japanese immigrants. And as a result, there were many Joseon people who were held captive at the time as well, and aside from them, there were Chinese who arrived at Hawaii around the same time.


    Only 5% of Hawaii¡¯s residents were natives. Most of them were mixed blood. There were almost no pure Japanese, Koreans, or Chinese. The Lily Okamoto that Ahn Soo Ho found was an ugly woman. The reason why she harshly mutted women¡¯s faces was clear.


    Jealousy.


    She had to kill all women who were prettier than her.


    ¡®No one thought that the culprit could be a woman.¡¯


    There were other female serial killers in the past, but she was the first in Hawaii. Seeing how the victims were sexually assaulted before getting murdered, many thought of a man as the culprit. While the Hawaiian investigative authorities used the clues to look for a lead, Ahn Soo Ho used the items left at the scene to look into the memories that took him to the culprit.


    He would have been quite sessful as a police or a prosecutor.


    When Ahn Soo Ho first found the culprit, he was going to tell the investigative authorities. However, he changed his mind, and that was because Lily Okamoto wasn¡¯t a pure native there.


    She was half native.


    A half-blood.


    She wasn¡¯t able to receive 100% treatment as a native, but the native groups that protested against the government were bound to try to protect her. Once that urred, it was possible that the attention of the media would make the case disappear due to even the smallest mistake in the arrest process.


    The court ofw wasn¡¯t a ce where the truth was hidden.


    ¡°If I transferred Carles Borne to the Hawaiian authorities, that crazy bitch probably would have tried to manipte the media.¡±


    ¡°Bitch? The culprit is a woman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why she hasn¡¯t been caught.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    George threw his fist into the air and thenughed bitterly.


    ¡°A native and a woman... What a headache.¡±


    ¡°She probably still would have been in court.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡±


    It had been 6 years already, but if it was handed over to the court, the Hawaiian prosecution would have grown tired appeal after appeal. George imagined the dreaded battle against the media and put on a disgusted face.


    ¡°You saved me from a heart attack, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. What about the patrol car?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on its way. I asked for two.¡±


    ¡°Two? What for?¡±


    George didn¡¯t respond to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. That was because the two patrol cars arrived right at that very moment. He thenughed at the person that stood in between two police officers.


    ¡°Special Agent Karen?¡±


    ¡°I was fired thanks to you.¡±


    FBI special agent, Emily Karen was no longer an agent but an external advisor. She didn¡¯t look so happy. But she wasn¡¯t angry either. And why was he reminded of Lee So Hye¡¯s angry face?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    As soon as the vibe turned weird, George ran off.


    ¡°Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve gone easy.¡±


    ¡°The one who told me to dig up dirt on Huxley Group turned out to be close with Barbara Huxley. Was it a trap?¡±


    ¡°No... It probably wasn¡¯t anyone around Barbara who attacked you. I bet it was someone underneath her.¡±


    Barbara had more important things to do than worry about an FBI agent. And Emily Karen knew that as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho sat next to Barbara in the front seat, the second car followed from behind them.


    ¡°Tell me about the situation.¡±


    ¡°I have a question first.¡¯


    ¡°The rumors about how I took care of KoKo-Head Butcher?¡±


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re my partner, I¡¯ll tell you. Yeah. I did.¡±


    ¡°By taking care of him...¡±


    ¡°I killed him.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Former FBI agent, Emily Karen was shocked by his confident confession to murder. She didn¡¯t know what to do with it.


    ¡°Then was this a copycat crime?¡±


    ¡°But it was too detailed to be just a copycat.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she had the police report.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that in front of the police.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Do I look stupid, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°As long as you know.¡±


    All organizations got closer as a result of an external attack. Since the Hawaiian police had tons of high-ranking officials and famous people annoying them, they didn¡¯t want an outsider like Karen to make things moreplicated.


    KoKo-Head Park was located in the east of Honolulu. But it was no central park. It was just a small baseball field and a stage beside a residential area.


    However, just like New Yorkers, people became less interested in other people¡¯s affairs the further they got from the city of Honolulu. Even if someone beside them got robbed, they weren¡¯t interested in trying to help out.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho got to the scene, he looked through the memories of the site. There was some interference to his magic due to mother nature, but that was why he had supeputers in his secret pocket.


    ¡®This is what I wanted to see.¡¯


    Without the algorithm, he would have had to look through memories all day long.


    ¡®I found it.¡¯


    He saw someone leaving a head¡¯s body. And Ahn Soo Ho made that into a video. Since they could ask for its origin, he made it look like a CCTV footage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Emily Karen, who just started to open her case report, tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°I saw everything I needed to see.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve only been here for a minute.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the difference between a pro and an amateur.¡±


    Karen knitted her brows in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that in front of the police.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Do I look stupid, Emily?¡±


    She gave him the middle finger for saying exactly what she said a few minutes back. When they first came to KoKo-Head Park, the second car led the way, but this time, Ahn Soo Ho drove and led the way.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Waikiki.¡±


    He went back to where he came from.


    The end result of the requests he epted before retirement could be categorized into two. It either ended in a negotiation, or he had to show off his skills. Following the annihtion of Kadesh, 99% of the cases ended as negotiations.


    And the remaining 1% were taken care of by Logan and his underlings, so he didn¡¯t have to do much. Therefore, taking on a case where he had to kill was very rare.


    ¡°Do you know about FIVE-O, Emily?¡±


    ¡°Hawaii¡¯s FIVE-O? Is that from a drama?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°You could call them... Hawaii¡¯s group of old marines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the group of former military soldiers and police officers?¡±


    Former Hawaiian police officers ultimately stayed in Hawaii, and those who were dispatched elsewhere returned after their duties as well. FIVE-O was a collection of former police officers and soldiers of Hawaii. Soldiers and police officers was an ironicbination, but in Hawaii, where public safety was bad, they put that above anything else.


    Hawaii had the most security guardpanies and private detectives in America. The second best item of Hawaii after its beautiful scenery was the number of frencing security officers.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Jeffery.¡±


    Karen almost pulled out her gun at the voice that she heard behind him. What she was more shocked about was the fact that someone was able to get so close to her without her realizing it. If the other person wanted to kill her, they could have done so already.


    ¡°This is Emily Karen. She¡¯s a former FBI agent, but just an outsider now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ms. Karen.¡±


    Jeffery was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals that made him look like a tourist in Hawaii.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your wife, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Why is everyone so interested in my wife?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just curious about the future of Soo Ho Junior.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid that he¡¯ll turn out to be a monster like me?¡±


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m retired now, so I don¡¯t care. But the ones currently working are probably curious.¡±


    Jeffrey ordered a drink and then noticed a man wearing a police uniform.


    ¡°Why is there police here?¡±


    ¡°I epted a request from George.¡±


    ¡°Is it KoKo-Head Butcher?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged.


    ¡°Do you know anything?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors that he¡¯s a professional.¡±


    ¡°What level?¡±


    ¡°A at least.¡±


    If the police knew that much, there was no reason why they couldn¡¯t find a suspect. Those who thought that guns were easier to use than guns had never shot a gun before.


    ¡°Is there a reward?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Personal revenge was restricted, but when a rich person with money was the victim, a reward was often put on the culprit. And since many famous people owned houses in Hawaii, there were many service centers that catered to their needs.


    ¡°The victim¡¯s family isn¡¯t well off.¡±


    ¡°What about the police?¡±


    ¡°Since they were humiliated 6 years ago, they can¡¯t put a reward on him now.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad now.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho screwed over the police by secretly killing the suspect. As soon as their ordered beverage came out, Jeffery stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Did you find him again this time?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone and showed him. On the screen was a clear face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger in response to Jeffery¡¯s question.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    There was a masseuse rubbing the back of a person lying on a sunbed by the beach. And that person had the same face as the one holding the body in the photo.


    ¡°How did you get this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t tell him that he used his magic and then used his supeputer to edit the photo.


    ¡°Seeing how you¡¯re not looking for George right away... this photo must have no power as evidence.¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t reveal the origin.¡±


    If they went to court, he had to reveal the entire investigation process.


    ¡°Then we¡¯d better bury the evidence. Or...¡±


    ¡°Catch him red-handed.¡±


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°The death penalty.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll need the best evidence possible. That¡¯s expensive.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave him a memo that had his bitcoin wallet ID and password.


    ¡°Thanks for using our service center, Soo Ho.¡±


    Jeffery disappeared and Emily Karen looked at Ahn Soo Ho in shock.


    ¡°What... was that?¡±


    ¡°Justice.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to nt evidence on that person?¡±


    She pointed at the man giving the massage. She didn¡¯t know why that person was the culprit, but after hearing Ahn Soo Ho and Jeffery¡¯s conversation, this wasn¡¯t their first time doing this.


    ¡°If I had it my way, I should have just killed her. But I don¡¯t want to make it harder for George and the Hawaii police department.¡±


    ¡°But why is that man the culprit?¡±


    On top of only observing the scene of the crime for a few minutes, he was trying to fabricate evidence. Karen was so shocked by what she saw in thest hour that she was at a loss for words.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    ¡°All casese with a story.¡±


    The victim¡¯s story, the witness¡¯s story, the suspect¡¯s story, the investigator¡¯s story, and the true culprit¡¯s story were all mixed together toplete the case. However, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t care about the little details.


    He had no interest in why Lily Okamoto became a murderer. To him, this was just a hunt. And what was important was that he resolved the problem.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the cause or process. All I care about is the oue. That¡¯s my only story.¡±


    The cause and process of the case were for others to find out. For him, he just needed to take out the trash.


    ¡°But how are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°I just am.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was speaking the truth, but to her, it didn¡¯t sound like it at all.


    ¡°I just knew.¡±


    Emily Karen¡¯s face became red. She looked like she was about to blow up.


    ¡°Look over there, Emily.¡±


    She turned her head toward where he was pointing. She saw teenage boys riding their skateboards. They weren¡¯t doing anything horribly dangerous, but the way they passed through the busy sidewalks seemed risky.


    ¡°One of them will get into an ident.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished his sentence, one of them ran into a pedestrian.


    ¡°And now that they drew attention, another guy will steal the wallet.¡±


    An old woman¡¯s wallet was taken so fast that it could have been missed from far away. Once they achieved their goal, the boys ran off quickly.


    ¡°But due to a careless driver, they¡¯ll get into a car ident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    Karen, who was calling him out for nonsense, saw a dashing skateboard run into a truck that didn¡¯t see him.


    There were screaming and sounds of the siren.


    She stared at the scene and Ahn Soo Ho with a confused look on her face. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Karen got shivers up her spine. Ahn Soo Ho left her behind and finished his drink.


    ¡°I just know, Emily. I just know.¡±


    It was still hard to believe. So he opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°You have a small mole underneath your chest.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°And you have a heart tattoo under your belly button.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°And below that... Whoa!¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Emily sprung up and covered her chest and lower area with her arms. Ahn Soo Ho then got up and threw her hisst line.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you were being so cranky today.¡±


    That magical day.


    ¡°Hey! You son of a bitch!¡±


    She blew up.


    Four dayster, the arrest of the KoKo-Head murderer was broadcasted on the news. Emily Karen visited Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s house that evening.


    ¡°I thought you were never going to see me again.¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t just cut to the chase like that.¡±


    ¡°How did you know he was the culprit?¡±


    She doubted Ahn Soo Ho but still monitored the target, and when the suspect was ambushed four dayster, the police ended up killing him. And whether the evidence was real or not, they were found at the suspect¡¯s house and workce.


    Hawaii¡¯s police and prosecution was busy wrapping up the case. What did Ahn Soo Ho get out of this? George intensified the patrol around Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s house and even dispatched a police unit.


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re that curious, give me 500 won.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho liked her.


    If something was wrong, she went against the FBI director, and while going against those in power, she always found a way to save herself. She had an average sense of duty to serve themon good. And that average trait looked special to him.


    Same with today.


    Did she reallye here because she wanted to know how he knew? That wasn¡¯t the case. The reason why people came to him was because they wanted something, and usually that led to a request. However, Emily Karen wasn¡¯t a rich person or a person of influence.


    ¡°I have a proposal for you, Emily.¡±


    This position was originally supposed to go to Yoon Chul of the 8-member group.


    ¡°How would you like to be the policemissioner of Emerald City?¡±


    ******


    ¡°Is Emily Karen a useful woman?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if America is overflowing with talented people, but there¡¯s one person I want for myself.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of men waiting to work for you, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    Even when Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare of the CIA came to see Ahn Soo Ho, Hawaii was still bustling due to the KoKo-Head murderer.


    ¡°Did you call because of the old man?¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not supporting him, Soo Ho.¡±


    The rtionship between Hector Garcia and the CIA was over a long time ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Thank god.¡±


    ¡°Frankfurt is your doing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Aqun is a good tool at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°The old man won¡¯t be a joke either.¡±


    ¡°Half of the European task force is having a hard time just because of one old man. One mistake is already too much.¡±


    Eaton showed his confidence, but Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the same old man from before, Eaton.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He has supernatural powers now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Eaton immediately pulled out his phone. He left the room and didn¡¯te back. Since he wasn¡¯t the type to leave without saying goodbye, something big must have happened.


    ¡®That was a greateback stage, old man.¡¯


    If another war happened against the CIA, the intelligence world was going to focus on Hector Garcia. Following Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s retirement, the intelligence agencies of each country grew rapidly and fought against each other.


    ¡®Whatever.¡¯


    He clearly warned the old man.


    Ahn Soo Ho opened the newspaper.


    Director Oh Joo Kyung reveals that the Emerald City n has nothing to do with Hosoo Entertainment Group!


    Daesan Construction, Hosoo Entertainment Town, and now Emerald City¨CThey¡¯re looking for the next construction jackpot! Chairman Kim Dae San shows confidence!


    The duration will be 30 years, and the expenses will be 100 trillion won! The constructionpanies going after Emerald City are at Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s doors!


    The Korean ambassador promises everything he can to make Chairman Ahn Soo Ho want his citizenship back! The Blue House agrees! Each party will be making efforts to make Chairman Ahn Soo Ho the next president!


    They were saying a bunch of nonsense.


    ¡®What a sight.¡¯


    Koreans definitely had a lot of spirit. They were cussing him out before it was revealed that he was nning to build Emerald City.


    The climax was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s wedding.


    Seeing how even the politicians that were kicked out for not getting invited were still talking about making him president, they had no shame.


    ¡®I wonder if the new party is ready. I should make a call to check.¡¯


    The 8-member group¡¯s Jung Sol Ji, who entered the political world early, decided to make an attempt at it again.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to worry about Chul or Soo Jung.¡¯


    Yoon Chul would continue to be in charge of the Hosoo Guard Team, and Kim So Jung was going to be the president of HBS.


    ¡®And Jung Yeon will do a good job.¡¯


    Since the investment for Choi Jung Yeon¡¯s medical foundation came from Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s pockets, no one was going to say anything about how it should be operated.


    ¡®The problem is...¡¯


    Han Kyung Il, who was punished for disobedience, Kang Joon, who was stuck between the rich, and Kim Min Shik, who was in court for whistle-blowing. Han Kyung Il and Kang Joon were strong enough to handle themselves, but Kim Min Shik was too soft.


    ¡®He should have held back for a little longer.¡¯


    Just like in the Naval Academy, Kim Min Shik was too proper. Whistle-blowing was a just thing to do, but Korea didn¡¯t have a system that could protect such courageous people.


    ¡®I¡¯d better get Bridal Mask involved.¡¯


    He felt bad for his friend, but if he focused on the Korean government¡¯s attention on Bridal Mask, he could avoid a harsh punishment. He just had to figure out his friend¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡®This will do.¡¯


    As someone who didn¡¯t do much meticulous work, Ahn Soo Ho put a lot of effort into his n. He soon felt very tired. He wasn¡¯t actually tired, but he felt like he worked too hard for someone on vacation.


    ¡®I should rest.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 204 ¨C Sim City [4] > The end.

 Chapter 206: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 206: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [1] ></h4>


    Logan, who was known as Mr. Guardian¡¯s aide, was actually a superior of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s in the mercenary world. But in a world where ability was everything, talking about superiors was a waste of time.


    Logan¡¯s real name was Logan Chase Young, and he was 44 years old this year. He was from Hartford, and he loved his hometown very much, but he was actually born in St. Angelo of Texas.


    Then why did he grow up in a small town called Hartford instead? It was because his parents got divorced. And in most cases, the mother took custody of the children over the father.


    Right after his boss¡¯ marriage in Hawaii.


    After being forced to take a vacation from Ahn Soo Ho, he went back home. He normally would have gone to Hartford to visit his mother, but he couldn¡¯t ignore his sister¡¯s news that his father passed away.


    She lived in El Dorado south of Saint Angelo.


    El Dorado?


    Did the settlers who moved West 150 years earlier for the Gold Rush just remain there? Or was it the republic of Texans that fought with Mexicans back in the day? Many people thought of cowboys and white old men when it came to Texas, but the father that Logan remembered was a mannerly man.


    Seeing how his mother fell for him instantly, his father had some skills. Then why was Logan still single? He wondered if he should get a DNA test.


    Logan arrived at Saint Angelo Airport. He rented a car and then headed over to El Dorado. As soon as he left the city, he was faced with a wastnd. He learned while being in Korea that many young Koreans dreamt of going on road trips around North America.


    But Logan wanted to warn them to stop having such crazy dreams. He didn¡¯t thinking here was worth risking their lives. What even Americans had a hard time with was coast-to-coast trips in North America. It was usually safer indoors in America as well. That might have been why people used cars instead of airnes there.


    As soon as you left a city or vige in America, the public safety dropped drastically. The kind of dangers one could face in the middle of the road was crazy. Texas Chainsaw Massacre wasn¡¯t just a fictional movie.


    ¡®You can never be too suspicious.¡¯


    He drove for around 2 hours. He started to see familiar sceneries. People thought there were a lot of real estate offices in Korea, but that was nothingpared to the States. To be frank, the activity regions never perfectly aligned between the two. They not only sold houses and buildings, but they also took on redevelopment projects to increase scale.


    Real estate development in America probably wasn¡¯t going to die down in 100 or 1000 years. Logan had also heard of Emerald Development n¡¯s approximate outline. He wasn¡¯t an expert, but he was confident it was going to seed.


    ¡®The ultimate DMZ.¡¯


    Emerald City was going to establish a forced confrontation between North and South Korea. On top of that, it was likely going to be used to mediate between America, China, Japan, and Russia. Same went for the rest of Emerald City.


    ¡®He put one in every region.¡¯


    He developed a DMZ in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa, where America couldn¡¯t enforce too much control. To be frank, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s intentions were quite explicit.


    Logan¡¯s rental car entered the center of El Dorado. That was because he thought of buying a present. He never would have done this before, but after enjoying some retirement time, Logan softened up. After spending time with innocent boys and girls looking up to the stars, he realized the world wasn¡¯t as dark as he thought.


    ¡®Cute kids...¡¯


    He didn¡¯t think marriage was an entirely bad idea. But that wasn¡¯t because he was jealous of his boss¡¯ wedding. Even in America, the mid-40s wasn¡¯t a young age to get married. He didn¡¯t have any interest in getting married before, but now, he wanted to meet someone serious.


    ¡®I¡¯d love to meet someone like the boss¡¯ wife.¡¯


    He knew that finding someone like that was almost impossible. Logan parked in the parking lot of a shopping mall. It wasn¡¯t Christmas, but since he hadn¡¯t seen them in 8 years, he couldn¡¯t go empty-handed.


    Heughed bitterly.


    Did Korea¡¯s culture get the best of me?


    ¡®It¡¯s not that bad living as a Korean.¡¯


    Logan and his underlings obtained their Korean citizenship after working for Ahn Soo Ho, but once his boss renounced his, he returned to being American. It wasn¡¯t up to them to determine if that was legally possible. That was up to thewyers that Ahn Soo Ho paid so decently.


    All countries, including America, weed him to be their citizen. They wanted a direct line that would connect them to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Logan was in the electronics department when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.


    ¡°Rosaline?¡±


    His big sister of 5 years hadn¡¯t changed since he saw herst 8 years ago. But she was wearing something strange on her side. The thing that Logan met eyes with blinked at him and then held onto her pants.


    She didn¡¯t want to let go.


    ¡°What? When did you get pregnant? Is she your daughter?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Logan?¡±


    Rosaline stood with a cart full of toys and stared at her little brother dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®Look here, big sis! What are you talking about? I¡¯ve always been single! What are you trying to do here?¡¯


    ******


    ¡°Christine McQueen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what it said.¡±


    ¡°So a little kid came here by herself in a taxi?¡±


    ¡°No, she used a service center.¡±


    ¡°Ha! No way.¡±


    What kind of crazy person could send a little kid by delivery?


    ¡®I¡¯m about to lose my mind here.¡¯


    After returning home with Rosaline, Logan heard a weing name from her big sister¡¯s lips. Christina McQueen. The queen of Saint Angelo High School was still fresh in his memory over 20 yearster.


    Unfortunately, Logan¡¯s school years weren¡¯t very enjoyable. He lived under a single parent after his parents¡¯ divorce, and the vacant spot his father left was quite big. There were precious things that a mother couldn¡¯t teach her son.


    After graduation, he saw her again for the first time 8 yearster at his father¡¯s funeral. It was an unexpected meeting, and both Logan and Christine had changed a lot.


    ¡°I remember that, Logan. She was the only beautiful girl that came as your friend to our father¡¯s funeral. I was happy to see that spring came for my forever single brother.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? My partner back then was Miss Arizona!¡±


    ¡°That girl who debuted through porn? How many times have I told you that bitches like that are just after your money?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t enjoying ourselves all that matters?¡±


    ¡°Did you get shot in the head or something? If you just want to have sex, buy your women.¡±


    ¡°If I got shot in the head, I would have died! And that¡¯s not something awyer should say.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Logan. A bullet would just bounce off of that brick head of yours. And as a woman, let me tell you that there are tons of bitches in this world.¡±


    She kept saying the word ¡°bitch¡±. At 49 years old, Rosaline had a feisty personality that won over that of Logan. She talked as if she was from Harlem, but she actually graduated from Stanford University and worked at arge firm in California.


    But once their father passed away, she gave up her honor and moved back to Texas. The only people who could threaten Logan in this world were Ahn Soo Ho and Rosaline.


    ¡°Exin this to me.¡±


    Logan pointed at the little girl with his chin.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the one to exin, little brother?¡±


    ¡°How could this girl be my daughter? I¡¯ve never even seen her before.¡±


    Rosaline shrugged and then handed him a piece of paper. On the paper was a photo of Logan from when he was younger and an address. He knitted his brows. He didn¡¯t understand what was happening. If she was Christine¡¯s daughter, it was more normal to look for his mother in Hartford instead. And more importantly, he didn¡¯t have much history with Christine.


    ¡®Did a stork bring this kid or something?¡¯


    But that was just a storybook story. Rosaline handed a can of beer to his little brother.


    ¡°Give her mother a call.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her number?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°You looked pretty close at Father¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°Come on! I already told you I came with someone else that day!¡±


    ¡°Forget that prostitute.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Logan got mad at her for worrying about his dating life when she wasn¡¯t married either. He was about to chuck his can, too.


    ¡°I need to look into this.¡±


    Logan tried to push the little girl aside, but she wouldn¡¯t let go of his leg. Rosaline watched with a suspicious look on her face.


    ¡°Is she really not yours?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not!¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    Logan lost his temper but quickly quieted down. Logan was only able to escape the little girl 4 hourster in the middle of the night. After putting her to sleep, he said goodbye to Rosaline and raced back to Saint Angelo.


    His destination was the air force base in Saint Angelo.


    Once he got inside after a security process, he was faced with a friendly face. Jake Young was his big brother and group captain. In contrast to his big sister, his big brother had changed a lot with a lot more white hair.


    ¡°What brings you here out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°Are you still mad?¡±


    Jake hated that his little brother quit the military and became a mercenary. This had happened more than 10 years ago, but he still had a grudge.


    ¡°I need to use your phone.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Verizon... Sigh, fine. Do what you want.¡±


    Jake was going to say something, but he backed down. Logan pressed the buttons on the phone that was brought to him. After punching in a password, he put in the phone number to ARS one more time.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Hans.¡±


    It was Hans who was on duty today.


    ¡°I need information on Christina McQueen. American, graduated from Saint Angelo High School, and I don¡¯t know her social security number. Also, she¡¯s my ssmate.¡±


    ¡°ssmate? Oh, was she your first?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, so don¡¯t start any rumors.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get all worked up.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°One moment, please!¡±


    He hung up as soon as Logan¡¯s voice grew serious. He then sat across from Jake.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll get a star this year?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Jake had been awaiting his promotion for a few years. It was very difficult to obtain stars in the American military. Performance and ability were important, too, but political ability was also an important standard. In Washington D.C., politicians, soldiers, police officers, and even street cleaners needed to be good at politics.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°You know...¡±


    After following Ahn Soo Ho around, getting a star or two didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    ¡°What about the kids?¡±


    ¡°About time you asked. They¡¯re good.¡±


    In contrast to his big sister, his big brother got married earlier, and his kids were already entering college next year. He sent them Christmas presents every year, but he hadn¡¯t seen their faces in 8 years.


    Beep-


    Logan, who instinctively reached for the phone at the sound of the beep, flinched. It wasn¡¯t the phone but the interphone. Jake picked up a different phone.


    ¡°What is it? Yeah. What? Okay. I¡¯ming.¡±


    Logan felt a sense of anxiety at the frowning face of his big brother.


    ¡°A gunfight was reported in El Dorado.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Rosaline is hurt.¡±


    ******


    The crime rate in Texas was very high. But more than crimesmitted against the residents, the motorcycle crimes that urred on the highways as well as illegal immigrants were moremon.


    The Texanmunity was very tightknit and was very exclusive to foreigners, even more so than Georgia or Louisiana. They thought foreigners tainted Texans in some way.


    For thest 150 years, the Young family had established a great influence over the Texan military, police, and legal authorities. Jake stepped down from a position that made it highly likely for him to be a star, but Rosaline was a legal representative that was very well known in Western America. Same went for the youngest, Logan, and the second eldest brother was a famous Texas Ranger.


    Pow-


    As soon as Logan got out of the car, he was hit by a punch from his brother, Ethan. Logan saw iting, but he didn¡¯t block it and rolled on the ground.


    ¡°Ethan!¡±


    Jake talked Ethan out of it.


    ¡°Let go, you bastard! How dare you get into trouble as soon as you get here?¡±


    Logan ignored him and went toward the ambnce. He saw Rosalineying on a stretcher. From what he heard, she was hit, but she wasn¡¯t shot by a gun. He took off the respirator from her face.


    ¡°There were seven of them. I got two of them though...¡±


    In the midst of the gunfight, Rosaline managed to take down two of the unweed guests. She was an impressive warrior. When it came to using shotguns, Rosaline was more skilled than Logan.


    ¡°Rosaline, you should have gone into fighting, notw.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and find her.¡±


    He knew exactly what he had to find. After all, she didn¡¯t see the little girl around anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Can you promise me, Logan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡±


    ¡°You have to bring her back, okay?¡±


    Rosaline continued to shout while being reeled into the ambnce. The three brothers watched as the ambnce took off. Logan looked at the bodies that his big sister caught. The bodies were a mess from gunshot wounds, but he immediately recognized the tattoos on their bodies. Jake noticed the look on his little brother¡¯s face and asked.


    ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    Logan¡¯s phone vibrated just in time. He excused himself and answered it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Logan, did you get into trouble during your break?¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Christina McQueen... I mean, Christina Hond. Does Hond remind you of anything?¡±


    ¡°Hond?¡±


    ¡°Amsterdam, Benefit, Kensington Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Niedermeier?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t eptplicated requests. Byplicated requests, this referred to using violence to resolve certain issues in countries of unstable politics. This usually involved thug behavior, and if anything got in the way of business, countless tribes ended up bing annihted.


    ¡°Your ssmate is unofficially Patrick¡¯s wife. A girlfriend, a lover, a second wife.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Jake flinched at his brother¡¯s cussing, and Logan gestured to his big brother that it was okay.


    ¡®So this is a battle of session or power.¡¯


    This was a fight between international thugs fighting over rights. Right after Ahn Soo Ho came off the throne, things were quiet for a little while, but after the European terrorist attack, New York and London terrorist attacks, and the Nigerian war, everyone in the mercenary and intelligence worlds started righting in order to win over the leadership.


    ¡°Look into Cimel Tech.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because two guys died right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°So it finally happened.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°Then who was it?¡±


    ¡°My sister.¡±


    ¡°Oops! Yes, Sir.¡±


    Logan¡¯s underlings knew very well of Rosaline¡¯s reputation. As soon as he hung up, Jake approached right away.


    ¡°Cimel Tech.¡±


    ¡°Cimel Tech? Isn¡¯t that one of our national defense contractors?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the hunting dogs raised by them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Logan smirked at Jake¡¯s innocent question. He suddenly thought of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s words. Most military soldiers were too na?ve. The US military wasn¡¯t a clean organization, and those who led it were an abode of demons.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know.¡±


    ¡°What if I insist?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll lose your promotion.¡±


    Knowing the secret before his promotion and after his promotion made all the difference. If Jake found out a fatal secret of the US military, he had to kiss his promotion goodbye. Jake thought about it and then answered with a stern look on his face.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, Jake. There¡¯s no good in knowing.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Logan, tell me.¡±


    He had never heard his proper brother¡ªJake¡ªsay a curse word in his life.


    ******


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The man who kept cussing over and over was stopped by his boss. But his face was filled with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°I thought that woman lives alone! But two of them died! Is she a GI Jane or something? What did the ones at the top say?¡±


    ¡°That there was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Those fucking bastards!¡±


    A mistake. They talked easily of it because it wasn¡¯t them who were victims.


    ¡®This was supposed to be a little fun to be had during a break.¡¯


    This was a simple training session that they had as soon as they returned from vacation in Cancun. But two of the team members died. By the hands of a woman in her 50s. And she used her gun as if she was a professional.


    ¡®Anyway, we secured what we were after.¡¯


    Since they secured the goods, they just had to run. As a result of the gunfight, the police were all over the police. He was taken aback because not only was the police there, but the military was there as well.


    Why?


    Why was the military there when it wasn¡¯t a terrorist attack? He realized motels weren¡¯t safe either and moved ces every day. Just the fact that he wasn¡¯t a native made him the subject of suspicion and report.


    ¡®I¡¯d better change my escape n.¡¯


    He normally would have used an airfield, but that was not avable. And if he decided to use the roads, the military would catch him. It might have just been easier to cross the Mexican border at this rate.


    ¡®Okay. Maybe I should go back a littleter.¡¯


    It was safer to use a smuggler to cross the Mexican border and then go through Cuba to illegally enter through Florida. He moved quickly. He went to a pub to hire a smuggler. As soon as he gave the bartender enough money, he got a good response.


    ¡°Are you trying to cross, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Five adults, one child.¡±


    ¡°A child is a bit...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s an Amber alert, Sir. That¡¯s not you... is it?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. So are you going to do it or not?¡±


    ¡°20,000 dors for two people, no discount.¡±


    He put a bag on the counter.


    ¡°10,000 dors and I¡¯ll give you twice the amount if we arrive safely.¡±


    ¡°Wow, feisty. See you behind the pub in one hour.¡±


    As soon as the man left, his smile disappeared.


    ¡°Call him and tell him we found him.¡±


    ¡°But if we do this... our credibility...¡±


    As soon as the bartender looked troubled, the smuggler smirked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing in this field. And this one is really dangerous. How could he mess with the Young family of Texas?¡±


    ¡°Are they a powerful family?¡±


    ¡°They have a famous Texas Ranger and a militarywyer. Not even the Red Stars want to mess with the Young¡¯s. You can¡¯t look down on them for being from the countryside.¡±


    Not even the bike gang, Red Star, wanted to mess with the Young family.


    ¡°They¡¯ll get caught even if it¡¯s not us.¡±


    All of Texas was after them.


    ¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯


    The man felt like something was fishy after leaving the pub. People normally got suspicious when he called a high number, but they epted it without hesitation.


    ¡®No one¡¯s following me either.¡¯


    Smugglers were so careful that they put a man to monitor a big client. Something was wrong here. The G.I. Jane¡¯s skilled gun shooting skills and the Texas police and the military¡¯s movements were strange as well.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, the item we secured is no ordinary item.¡¯


    The headquarters were tricking him about something.


    As soon as he got back to the motel and turned the door handle, he felt a chilling sensation up his spine. And that was thest thing he felt in his lifetime.


    Bang-


    One side of the motel blew up in smoke.


    And there were people watching that sight with binocrs.


    Item secured! Tail removed!


    Don¡¯t leave any trace! Disperse!


    30 minutester, Logan stood in front of the motel fire. Jake spoke cautiously,


    ¡°They cut the tail off... right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°An illegal organization like that exists in our country?¡±


    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t leave any evidence, they can do anything. Don¡¯t forget. We lost our president through assassination.¡±


    ¡°But still... How did you know?¡±


    Logan answered with a bitterugh. Working with Mr. Guardian made him face harsher realities than this. Money and power, the public was so focused on the power of secrets that they were unable to face the truth head-on.


    ¡°I just... know.¡±


    This was the truth. During his time with Ahn Soo Ho, he witnessed countless secrets. It was possible that he knew more secrets than Hector Garcia himself.


    Ring-


    Logan took out his phone.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I think Cimel Tech was a camouge. The ce where the funds came from is somewhere unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°NTA, near Sanchez.¡±


    ¡°Sanchez? Columbia?¡±


    ******


    ¡°There¡¯s been a problem.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They tried to kidnap the punk in order to threaten the witness...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Say something.¡±


    He looked like he was about to pull the trigger in response to his subordinate¡¯s frustrating behavior.


    ¡°They messed with a Texas Ranger. They dispatched the cleaning team, but it¡¯s highly likely that they noticed the cutting of the tail.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    It was best that they controlled the distributionwork in Texas for the time being. However, if that was it, he wouldn¡¯t have sounded so cautious.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The prosecution and military are on the move as well.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The woman that had the child is famous in the legal field. On top of that, one of her brothers is a Texas Ranger, and another brother is a group captain in the military.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you investigate beforehand?¡±


    ¡°It was our mistake to leave it to Cimel Tech. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Well, Yankees probably know Yankee towns best... Anyway, that¡¯s too bad.¡±


    They had to shut down their distributionwork. But that didn¡¯t exin why the subordinate was so anxious. They took pride in the fact that they trained their members to not fear anyone, including the US Military¡¯s special forces.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    If he was trembling just because of that, he needed to be re-educated. However, what he said next made his face stiffen as well.


    ¡°The youngest brother of the injured woman... is Logan.¡±


    ¡°Logan? Not that Logan.¡±


    ¡°That Logan. On top of that, he¡¯s in Texas right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡±


    At first, he was sad that they were unable to kill the woman that could be another witness, but now he felt relieved.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of a Texas Ranger.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of the US Military¡¯s special forces.


    And he wasn¡¯t afraid of the US police or prosecution either.


    However, that didn¡¯t apply to Logan. To be more exact, he was afraid of the man who employed Logan. Sanchez of the biggest drug cartel in Columbia felt worried.


    ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯


    They dispatched a bunch of goondas in response to requests from the triad and yakuza, but if they were up against Mr. Guardian, it was a whole different story.


    ¡°Take our hands off of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll result in a great loss, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Loss? No, that¡¯ll result in profit.¡±


    After all, the dumb Chinese and Japanese didn¡¯t know who was after them.


    ¡°The dumb monkeys have no idea what kind of monster¡¯s tail they stepped on.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [1] > The end.

 Chapter 207: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 207: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Keh Burn Murder Case.¡±


    As most people knew, the entrance ceremony of gangs was murder. However, 100% of the gangs in America fully carried out this ritual. They all changed it in various ways. That was because it drew the attention of police and the FBI. Their reputation was important, too, but if they didn¡¯t make profits, it was all useless. As much as their evil reputation grew, so did the governmental authority that threatened them.


    ¡°As soon as Mr. Guardian came down from his throne, there were four people who were next in line besides me.¡±


    ¡°Is Patrick Hond one of them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    As soon as Logan arrived at the hospital that Rosaline was at, the FBI, ATF, and the DEA were waiting for him. However, the ones who achieved their goals was the CIA. On top of that, the acting director came to Texas himself.


    Eaton looked at Logan¡¯s face.


    ¡°To be honest, we knew about this situation. Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Unless it involved Ahn Soo Ho, the CIA had no reason to give way. But then again, the CIA acting director exining the situation himself wasn¡¯t normal either.


    ¡°What is it that you want, Eaton?¡±


    After following Ahn Soo Ho around, Logan learned that big men like him didn¡¯t move for small matters.


    ¡°Just so you know, I got permission from Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    Eaton showed him a badge and an ID. Logan epted it, and Eaton turned around. But before he left through the doors, he said one more thing.


    But it was almost to himself.


    ¡°Wee home, Ranger.¡±


    ******


    ¡°There are no big problems.¡±


    ¡°Did you examine her correctly?¡±


    ¡°Ethan!¡±


    Jake talked Ethan out of attacking the doctor. Unlike Logan, who lived apart from him after their parents¡¯ divorce and Jake who moved about here and there, he spent the most time with Rosaline.


    After getting Ethan off the doctor¡¯s back, he greeted Logan with his eyes. Ethan still looked stiff, but he looked more rxed than before.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Keh Burn.¡±


    ¡°Keh Burn Murder Case?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with... The little kid, huh?¡±


    Ethan stood up straight. He might have had a bad temper, but he was still a ranger who had a great reputation.


    ¡°Did you know about this, too?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was strange, so I did a little bit of digging.¡±


    The Young family had a habit of always suspecting others first.


    ¡°Patrick Hond is quite the character. Why did your ssmate get involved with a bad man like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s foolish to judge the rtionship between a man and a woman based on logic.¡±


    ¡°If you knew, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because Rosaline was against it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ethan shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°But you still should have told me, you punk.¡±


    Jake came back from either apologizing to the doctor or checking up on Rosaline¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Come on. Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an illness, you know. You should learn to take it easy. I know you¡¯re up to being the next director soon, but if you act like that, you¡¯ll be done for.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Just focus on your own future! Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s been waiting for a promotion for years?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, stop fighting. What if you wake up Rosaline?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already awake, you idiot.¡±


    Rosaline opened her eyes.


    ¡°Rosaline!¡±


    ¡°Rosaline!¡±


    Jake and Ethan ran over to her while Logan got her some water. After taking care of many injured men, he learned that what they needed as soon as they woke up was water.


    Rosaline smiled at the water.


    ¡°My youngest brother is the best. You know women. All you need now is a woman of your own.¡±


    Ethan was shocked that her sister only focused on her little brother, even though he was the one who took care of her and called the ambnce. It wasmon for adult siblings in America to keep their distance from one another. No matter how close they were, they respected each other¡¯s personal lives.


    However, with a father who was out of the picture and a mother who was just sort of there, the siblings cherished each other deeply. The love and hatred toward her parents worsened as soon as she sent off her youngest brother abroad. To her, her parents were never a part of their lives.


    They were just narcissists of self-love.


    While her father imitated Texas Rangers, her mother looked up to Audrey Hepburn. The way her parents lived cool lives of their own wasn¡¯t cool to the kids.


    ¡°You have to find her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying.¡±


    The brothers immediately understood what she was saying. But Ethan didn¡¯t entirely understand.


    ¡°Why are you so worried about the kid? She has nothing to do with Logan.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I raised her. And she believes that she is Logan¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°So are you going to tell that little girl that it¡¯s a lie?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ethan was raising a daughter of his own. Instead of answering, Ethan started arguing with Logan.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re really not her father, right? We can do a test to prove it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her after Father¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°8 years ago? Then it can¡¯t be you.¡±


    If thest time he saw her was 8 years ago, she couldn¡¯t have been Logan¡¯s child.


    Knock, knock-


    Everyone looked at the entrance as soon as they heard the knocking. A ranger in a cowboy hat excused himself and Ethan followed him out. That was when Logan¡¯s phone vibrated.


    ¡°One moment.¡±


    Logan left through the emergency exit.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Columbia took their hands off of it.¡±


    ¡°They recognized me.¡±


    ¡°It appears so.¡±


    ¡°What about the kid?¡±


    ¡°They handed him over to a smuggler. They¡¯re probably heading out to sea right now.¡±


    ¡°Keep me updated.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When he got back to the hospital room, Jake and Ethan were gone. Rosaline was talking to the nurse and told him to leave when she saw Logan.


    ¡°Did they make another bet?¡±


    ¡°Those idiots. Hurry up and go, Logan. You¡¯rest.¡±


    The Young family¡¯s specialty was making serious situations into jokes. Rosaline looked fine to Logan. He wanted to step up and took care of it himself, but even the smallest wounds needed caring.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    Rosaline stopped Logan from leaving.


    ¡°That child believes in you. She thinks you¡¯re her father.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t important why Christina lied. What was important was that there was someone who was believing that lie. The reason why Rosaline didn¡¯t get married was so that she wouldn¡¯t lose people¡¯s trust.


    It wasn¡¯t easy raising a child.


    Just like how many irresponsible people adopted animals and then abandoned them, there were parents who scarred children by abandoning them after birth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Christine lied about that. But when the kid came to our house, I felt like it was fate.¡±


    She realized a truth that she had been rejecting for a long time.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that Mom and Dad didn¡¯t love us, Logan.¡±


    Rosaline had realized that a long time ago when raising her little brothers.


    ¡°They just didn¡¯t know how to love.¡±


    Loving oneself and loving others were simr yet different. After all, honesty wasn¡¯t always right.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    Rosaline called him onest time.


    ¡°Do you know her name?¡±


    She shook her head as if she saw thating. When Logan was little, he was quiet and didn¡¯t show his emotions, but when he blew up, no one could stop him. If they hadn¡¯t sent him off to the military, he might have ended up in jail.


    ¡°Hannah.¡±


    ¡°Hannah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡±


    It was really a pretty name.


    ******


    Three sides of America was surrounded by the sea.


    No one was able to tell just how many ships went in and out of the country. Most of the ships were legal, but there were some who escaped the eyes of ocean security and passed illegally.


    Those were the professional smugglers.


    The southern border of San Antonio, Texas became the hotspot for illegal immigrants. Since they were right on the border of Mexico, this couldn¡¯t be helped, and when they arrested 10 illegal immigrants, the number grew to 1000, so it was too much for them to handle.


    Theplicated coastline was perfect for smuggling operations. The special task force attacked a vige before the sun came up. If Logan had moved by himself, he would have entered quietly and left quickly, but the badge and ID given by the White House came with great power.


    Since the security team, the monitoring team, FBI, national guard, and even the SWAT team were dispatched, the entirety of the vige drowned in the sound of sirens. It almost looked like a military operation.


    This was what happened when the national and government force was focused without the cost of being considerate. The countermeasures taken by judicial authorities leading to criminal investigations all came down to budget. The criminal rates of the regions that the judicial authorities spent the most funding on went down.


    Everything led back to politics.


    The result of the 5000 police and agents was right in front of Logan¡¯s eyes. The middle boss of the smuggling organization, Martinez, couldn¡¯t understand the situation. How could they dispatch so many men just to catch one smuggler in a small vige? This was a waste of funding.


    The middle boss, who was more shocked than scared, was sat in a chair by Logan. He even ordered for his handcuffs to be removed. Ethan insisted that he had the right to interrogate him first since a Texas Ranger caught him. However, this man was a middle boss of a smuggling organization. He knew very well how the USw worked.


    ¡®His human rights is the problem.¡¯


    Logan kept looking at his watch. Every minute was precious in kidnappings. As soon as Logan returned to the interrogation room, Ethan backed off. Texas Rangers were the descendants of Texan cowboys, but the 21st-centuryw was all too different from what he knew.


    ¡°Look here! What are you... Agh!¡±


    His smiling face turned to pain. That was because Logan took out his knife and stabbed his hand into the table.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! Hey, asshole!¡±


    As soon as Jake and Ethan approached in surprise, Logan put a finger to his lips. He grabbed the neck of the pained bastard.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Listen well. I¡¯m not a police or a soldier. I¡¯m not even going to be American soon.¡±


    Logan was going to renounce his citizenship as soon as the Emerald Development n began. A US citizenship came with many restrictions.


    ¡°The Geneva Treaty or the internationalw don¡¯t work on me. So be careful with what you say, my friend.¡±


    Even with a knife through his hand, he looked around in observation. No police, soldier, or government worker controlled Logan. That meant he had great power or someone was supporting him from behind.


    As soon as his smile disappeared, Logan smirked.


    ¡°A smoke?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... Ye... yes, Sir.¡±


    He bit his lip to endure the pain. Logan put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it for him.


    ¡°Huu.¡±


    Logan waited for him to take a few puffs.


    ¡°Wh... what is it that you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I like your attitude.¡±


    It seemed like no more pressure was needed. Logan got straight to the point.


    ¡°Did you get the kid by cargo?¡±


    ¡°Fuck! I knew I was overpaid... Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Where in Mexico is the target?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Mexico.¡±


    ¡°Then where is it?¡±


    He took a break because of the pain.


    ¡°Cu... Cuba.¡±


    ******


    The Columbia cleaners cut off their tail. They transferred the item to another transport service and left Texas. They took their hands offpletely. No one knew just how much money was spent on it, but was it so important that they were willing to lose an elite unit that took care of all of their dirty deeds?


    The one in charge of the transport service named Dahmer was displeased but felt relieved by what he saw on the news. All of Texas was chasing after them. If anything had been dyed for just a little bit, they would have gotten caught in America.


    ¡®Just because one kid went missing?¡¯


    A kid going missing wasmon in America. But today, all of Texas was running amok because of one kid.


    ¡®I heard they¡¯re a VVIP... Are they from a famous family?¡¯


    The Cuban coast security had been taken care of since a long time ago, so they would have crossed safely. But today was another story. That was because they were met with gazes multiple times that they wouldn¡¯t have even encountered once before. They were faced in unexpected circumstances, but they still managed to get to Cuba safely.


    The problem urred at the safe house they had reserved beforehand. The broker that was supposed to provide them with cars tried to pull outst minute.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know.¡±


    The Cuban brokerughed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your goods yourself? Actually, let me ask for you. Hey, kid!¡±


    Hannah looked back while holding a stuffed bear and looking calm for a kidnapped child.


    ¡°What is it, bad men?¡±


    Theyughed at the kid¡¯s confident response. Most kids at her age would have trembled in fear, but she was different.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s Hannah McQueen.¡±


    The transfer serviceman jumped in with the answer, but Hannah argued his response.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. My name is Hannah Chris Young! Logan Chase Young is my father!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Most of the transfer servicemen didn¡¯t understand. But the one in charge was sensitive to the rumors despite never having been on a battlefield.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°Sheesh! Listen well, bad men! My name is Hannah Chris Young, and my father is Logan Chase Young! My father will be here soon! You, bad men, are in big trouble now!¡±


    Her mother told her that her father was the most powerful man in the world. More than Superman or Captain America.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°Do you get it now?¡±


    ¡°Then why does it say McQueen on the papers?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    The Cuban broker shrugged and handed him a statement.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done our part of the business, my friend.¡±


    ¡°You already got so much money. Don¡¯t be like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it if we survive this. Although... I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible. Haha!¡±


    He just stared at the Cuban broker who was dropping off the goods and disappeared. He wanted to shoot him right then and there, but causing trouble wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Logan Chase Young, boss?¡±


    The question of a curious subordinate filled his head withplicated thoughts. They had lived rough lives full of violence, murder, and crimes, but they were no match for veteran mercenaries. And they were up against an elite at that. He was a top agent that no seal or delta wanted to mess with.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    Those unfamiliar with the mercenary world found that name unfamiliar. But he had another code name.


    ¡°His name might sound unfamiliar, but you¡¯ve probably heard his nickname before.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was exceptionally famous, but Logan was also a triple-A mercenary with a reputation of his own. He was as legendary as James ck, also known as ck Fortune.


    ¡°Shadow Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±


    Their gazes changed.


    While the kidnappers did their thing, Logan stepped on Cuban soil in a method that was neither legal nor illegal. Since Jake and Ethan were tied down by nationality, they couldn¡¯t follow him. Logan left behind his angry brothers and left America. Since he didn¡¯t go through customs, it was illegal, but once he got to Cuba, he was met with a patrol boat.


    ¡°Mr. Logan.¡±


    ¡°Congressman Rodriguez.¡±


    Congressman Rodriguez of Cuba¡¯s revolutionarymittee shook hands with Logan with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Logan.¡±


    ¡°Did you prepare everything?¡±


    He got straight to the point.


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it... We¡¯ll always answer to your requests.¡±


    Loganughed bitterly in his head. He was just trying to appeal to Ahn Soo Ho. However, it was him who was in an urgent situation, so he couldn¡¯t reject any kind of request. Rodriguez noticed Logan¡¯s guard was up and then cautiously started talking,


    ¡°But... who is it that you¡¯re looking for, Mr. Logan?¡±


    Logan made a face that looked like he was either frowning or smiling.


    ¡°My daughter.¡±


    ¡®Or so she calls herself.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [2] > The end.

 Chapter 208: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 208: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [3] ></h4>


    After the death of Cuba¡¯s dictator, Castro, the cold rtionship between America and Cuba loosened up, and the diplomatic mission was re-qualified.


    America and Cuba were in a love-hate rtionship.


    The upper ss of Cuba also knew that cutting ties with Americapletely was a dangerous thing to do. It might have seemed like America and Cuba were cut off for more than 40 years, but capitalist andmunist societies needed each other. Having a strong enemy topete against was useful for training and controlling the public.


    ¡°The reason for America¡¯s downfall is simple. The absence of a strong opponent.¡±


    The beginning of the 20th century was the Nazis and the Soviet Union. However, starting in thete 20th century, the American g was hung all over the globe. Superpowers were a good thing. But going solo always led to internal conflicts.


    Even with a divided region like the Korean penins, Asia was stillcking in power. Considering North Korea¡¯s provocation and China, Russia, and Japan¡¯s bnce, East Asia was a powder keg like the Middle East. However, East Asia didn¡¯t give headers on emptynd like the Middle East. China was thetest to join, but in any case, the world was headed toward civilization.


    Once the Cold War came to an end, the issue was the imperialized corporations. Imagine that Ennd and France before the imperialism era spread out to hundreds of regions. Was there really a difference between the trading firms from back then and the global corporations of now? They were both the same.


    ¡°Those with ambition all made their own countries grow.¡±


    Only themoners put great meaning in the word ¡°nation¡±. Those with power all hung gs of their own.


    ¡°Patrick Hond... I remember him now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a small fry.¡±


    ¡°For a small fry, he climbed up quick. Profile.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s request, Kosino put his profile up on the screen.


    ¡°His real name is Patrius. He¡¯s from Greece and got a new name after immigrating to the States.¡±


    ¡°Was he born in Greece?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No. He appeared out of the blue one day.¡±


    ¡°What about the deep web?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s clean.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    The deep web consisted of all rumors that hadn¡¯t been checked yet. It was easy to obtain information from it, but one couldn¡¯t be 100% certain of them. In the end, one had to reveal the origin of the information, but the more harmful and dark it was to someone in power, the more money one had to pay for them.


    The reason why retired agents were scary was because this kind of inte came about. If one could differentiate information that could be trusted from others, they could make good money in no time. It was a human instinct to want to have information that could be someone else¡¯s weakness. In particr, if they could harm theirpetitor with it, they were more than willing to make deals with the devil.


    ¡°Was he a consultant?¡±


    ¡°He was in risk management.¡±


    ¡°With whom?¡±


    ¡°He works regrly for a politician who¡¯s known for doing dirty deeds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You have to take a risk to obtain a reputation.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°But... you didn¡¯t need to.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t suck up to those with power and influence. That kind of secret was bound to be revealed sooner orter.


    ¡°Do you know Hond Corporation¡¯s nickname?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Trash Journalists.¡±


    ¡°Trash Journalists?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. They¡¯re good at manipting the press.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a must if you¡¯re working with politicians. So? What does Keh Burn¡¯s murder case have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember Star Fox?¡±


    ¡°Star Fox... Caroline... That¡¯s right. Her surname was ¡°Burn¡±, too. Caroline Burn. Then is Keh Burn...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s her son.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho let out an exmation. It was more out of pity than surprise.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird, Kosi?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, Kracek¡¯s son died.¡±


    ¡°And for that reason, they sent the old man to Germany. Although... they ended up paying for that.¡±


    Hector Garcia was being held by Roberto Aqun for a few days now.


    ¡°This time, Caroline¡¯s son died.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking it wasn¡¯t a coincidence?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response.


    ¡°Who knows? Anyway, where¡¯s Logan?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably...¡±


    ******


    Once Logan got into Cuba, he moved alone.


    He had been to Cuba many times with Ahn Soo Ho. So he didn¡¯t need anyone to show him the way. Even if they were brokers, they were allpetitors. Unless he was Ahn Soo Ho, it was hard to guarantee that no information would be leaked. If that was the case, it was most effective to move alone.


    ¡®Cuba also has nuclear weapons.¡¯


    America and other powerful nations kept quiet about it, but many countries possessed nuclear weapons. But that didn¡¯t mean they were fully armed. They just possessed some. After the Cold War, the new leader of the Soviet Union had rights to nuclear weapons. In the same way, Russia also had the power to fire nuclear weapons.


    Today¡¯s power food chain depended on rights to nuclear weapons. And they all had an interest in nuclear weapons. So the reason why they continued to only criticize North Korea was because they used nuclear weapons to negotiate on the table.


    They couldn¡¯ty a finger on them during the Cold War because of the Soviet Union, but the reason why America continued to leave Cuba alone in the 21st century was because they neededmies. It wasn¡¯t hard work for them to upy Cuba and put an American g on their soil.


    So why didn¡¯t they? Because they were a nation of nuclear weapons. No one believed that America wasn¡¯t able to kill Castro. No one really knew what kind of deal was made, but what was for certain was that Cuba did a good job mediating between the Soviet Union and America.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    A few men wearing hoodies greeted Logan at the entrance of the slum.


    ¡°They called a bunch of thugs.¡±


    ¡°Thugs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re a bunch of trash that¡¯ll do anything for money. They don¡¯t have much skill, but they have the numbers.¡±


    Heughed internally at the broker. But since he couldn¡¯t tantlyugh at him, he just continued with a straight face.


    ¡°It¡¯s that building over there. From the 1st floor to 4th floor are wanderers while from the 5th floor to the 7th floor are gangsters.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our target?¡±


    ¡°The 8th floor. There are 9 of them and they received the supplies 6 hours ago. They¡¯re armed with police weapons such as automatic guns.¡±


    ¡®Are automatic guns considered police weapons?¡¯


    ¡®Maybe they are in Cuba.¡¯


    Logan handed over a thick wad of cash. The thickness of it hinted at being over 50,000 US dors. The hooded men took the money and disappeared.


    Logan got off the pick-up truck and unloaded the remaining goods. The goods that he unloaded from the overheadpartment using a machine was a robot that was being researched by the US military. The fighting robot resembling a crab was capable of moving while carrying 500 kilograms in weight.


    Logan wore a suit that was fully bulletproofed. He wore a futuristic suit that looked like it was from a video game. The natives who couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of the pick-up truck were startled and ran away after seeing Logan¡¯s gun.


    Logan had no intention of hiding.


    ¡®Do you want a war?¡¯


    ¡®Then let¡¯s do it.¡¯


    Whirrr-


    The mini-gun started firing bullets out like crazy. The wanderers holding very old guns from World War II weren¡¯t able to avoid the attack.


    He made a beehive out of the lobby and walls.


    Even the concrete and metal were destroyed. If that was the case, what would have happened to the bodies? The way human bodies blew in real-time was almost beautiful.


    Logan didn¡¯t feel guilty.


    ¡®Am I bing like my boss?¡¯


    ¡®If something¡¯s off, shoot first.¡¯


    But Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the type to teach anything in a friendly manner.


    Whirrr-


    The noise stopped. The 2000 bullets had all been shot. He carried the bag that was on the robot. He grabbed the light machine gun and pulled the charging handle.


    ck-


    That sound always excited him. The reason why Logan and his underlings were single might have been because they loved guns more than their girlfriends.


    He didn¡¯t shoot the ones that screamed and ran away. It was hard work getting to the 8th floor via stairs. When a man charged toward him, he pulled the trigger.


    Bang, bang, bang- bang-


    By the time Logan got to the 6th floor, he had already used 700 of his bullets. He then took off his bag and gun. The pick-up truck was probably already stolen, and it only took 10 minutes for the robot and mini-gun to dismantle.


    Then what about the light machine gun and bullets?


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to disappear. Logan took off his expensive bulletproof suit. It was so well-made that it wasn¡¯t hard to put on or take off.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s troops were skilled, but they were also supported with lots of money. Were old weapons better or were new weapons better? The answer was neither. Expensive weapons were the best.


    Of course, training wasn¡¯t all about shooting. Since all guns were different, they needed skill. For example, not all makeup was the same either.


    There were guns that suited certain people more than others. Just like his sister, Rosaline, Logan liked shotguns. It wasn¡¯t best for battlefields, but there was something charming about shotguns.


    Bang-


    Just like right now.


    Along with the gun¡¯s noise, a person flew off. A 12 gauge was capable of making one person fly off. But that didn¡¯t mean they unrealistically flew countless meters either.


    Bang, bang-


    The internal wooden walls all tumbled down. Were they really thugs? In contrast to the wanderers downstairs, they did attempt some resistance, but seeing how they popped their heads out too easily, they must have been stupid.


    ck-


    He used up all of his bullets. Logan disposed of his shotgun and took out his automatic gun and got to the 8th floor. But the building suddenly went silent. That was because they surrendered.


    As soon as Logan got to the 8th floor, everything looked different. The nine that were the targets didn¡¯t hide. And they greeted him with friendly gestures.


    ¡°Mr. Logan.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°We want to negotiate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll let the hostages go if you guarantee our safety.¡±


    ¡°If you want to negotiate, why did you hire thugs?¡±


    Logan clicked his tongue and then flinched. They were being friendly, but that didn¡¯t mean they disarmed. Some of them looked like they were ready to shoot.


    ¡°What about the contract?¡±


    ¡°Life is more important than any contract.¡±


    ¡°You bastards better not enter the battlefield.¡±


    Contracts were sacred for mercenaries. It was against the rules to go against a contract just to survive.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the kid?¡±


    In response, another guy brought Hannah. The girl holding a stuffed bear didn¡¯t seem to be hurt.


    ¡°Then I guess the deal has been...¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and fell over backward. That was because he was shot in the head.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang-


    9 bullets.


    If there was a contest for how fast one could shoot, he would win. Logan opened his arms and Hannah ran into them with her stuffed her bear. As he hugged her, he looked down at his 9th target, who was still alive.


    He sometimes missed his targets, unlike Ahn Soo Ho.


    Since he was human, he made mistakes.


    It was his boss that was weird.


    ¡°Ugh, ugh...¡±


    He grabbed his shot throat and looked up at Logan. His eyes asked a question.


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you agree to negotiate with us?¡¯


    Logan took out his gun and turned so that Hannah wouldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just America that¡¯s like that, my friend. We don¡¯t negotiate with those that mess with us either.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He tried to say something, but Logan pulled the trigger before that.


    Bang-


    He then turned around and mumbled.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unfair about this.¡±


    This was the start of the hell colleague reunion.


    ¡®Hell homing!¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [3] > The end.

 Chapter 209: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 209: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [4] ></h4>


    ¡°Hannah!¡±


    As soon as Rosaline saw Hannah, she hugged both her and her stuffed bear. Hannah didn¡¯t want to stray too far from Logan, but she still hugged Rosaline with both arms. They looked like mother and daughter. The second eldest brother, who was just watching with his arms crossed, slowly approached Logan.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I found her.¡±


    ¡°No, what I mean is... Okay, fine. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    That was all that really did matter.


    Logan learned from Ahn Soo Ho that bringing results made people ask fewer questions. Sess was a spell that covered everything. No matter how much effort Cuba was making to be democratic, it couldn¡¯t change its habits overnight. The residents who were afraid of the police all kept their mouths shut, and the journalists of Cuba were too amateur to threaten the government.


    For now, at least.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I have to find her mother. Any updates?¡±


    ¡°The New York prosecution is nning to cooperate with the federal prosecution.¡±


    ¡°The federal prosecution is getting involved? Then...¡±


    ¡°The FBI will get in on it, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, it should have been handled by the FBI, anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... But if the FBI gets involved, unnecessary politics will happen.¡±


    The American federation investigative authorities were at the center of the war. Every case they handled had arge influence over political matters. It was New York that was in charge of Keh Burn¡¯s murder case, but if the FBI got involved, it would be a huge case that would be broadcasted live on television.


    Majors came with both pros and cons.


    Logan checked the continuous information he received from Korea on the Keh Burn murder case. It wasn¡¯t any ordinary case.


    ¡®Caroline Burn.¡¯


    The dark world called her Star Fox.


    While Hond was a good broker that knew how to use the media, Caroline managed a women¡¯s-only intelligence agency using the badger game. Ahn Soo Ho hated pimps the most, but her way of recruiting had no force.


    Were there more men or women in this world that were dissatisfied? The two genders were pretty simr. What was important was that more men took that rage and put it into action than women. It was funny to differentiate crimes by gender, but most of the terrorist attacks weremitted by men.


    ¡®Same with Kracek, and this time, it¡¯s Caroline...¡¯


    Someone was calling upon all of the retired tycoons back into the world. At first, he thought it was under the intention of the Ang circle, but since they wanted to control human civilization, that didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡®But... that¡¯s not for me to worry about.¡¯


    Was he turning into Ahn Soo Ho in that sense as well? He always said he didn¡¯t have to worry about world peace. He also said to leave the difficult problems of the world to the smart people who wanted to change the world.


    ¡®There are many smart people besides me who¡¯ll worry about that.¡¯


    Logan¡¯s problem was how he was going to get to Hannah¡¯s mother as well as his friend, Christina McQueen.


    ¡°When there¡¯s an amber alert, does it only go off in the state, Ethan?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the danger level. In this case, it was just in Texas. The problem is... the child welfare branch ising in.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Hannah¡¯s legal guardian is her mother.¡±


    No one here was able to exin why a little kid was hundreds of kilometers away from her hometown. No matter what excuse they gave, child welfare was able to make it illegal. And they would definitely try to take Hannah away. Texas Rangers had great power in Texas, but when it came to children matters, they were unable to fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°This is why power is good.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re jealous, you should frence, too.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    Ethan shook his hand. If he really wanted more money, he would have gotten a job at a civilianpany.


    ¡°Are you going to go to New York?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. After I meet with Mom.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ethan groaned in an ufortable manner. The second eldest brother was the closest to Rosaline while being very distant from his mother. Ethan¡¯s jerk-like personality and his mother¡¯s vanity didn¡¯t go well together.


    ¡°Do you still hate her?¡±


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know this, but I had no choice back then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only two years apart, you know. People might think you¡¯re 10 years older than me.¡±


    Both Jake and Ethan tried to act like the older brothers. And he thought that was cute. But the fact that he thought of men in their 50s as cute might have suggested that he inhaled too many fumes over the years.


    Logan left quietly.


    It was best that Rosaline took care of Hannah again. Since Jake and Ethan was there, she probably wasn¡¯t going to be taken again. He felt bothered about child welfare, but he could resolve most things by using his boss¡¯ name. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s power was capable of even taking on child welfare.


    ¡®I¡¯d better resolve New York quietly.¡¯


    It was hard for him to make such a fuss like he did in Cuba. But on his way out of picking up his unopened bag from inside, he shook his head at the Young¡¯s looking at him with vacant faces.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about going alone this time, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We couldn¡¯t help with Cuba, but we can go with you this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve gone to New York. Where do you want to go, Hanna?¡±


    ¡°Central Park!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you went to New York for your Honeymoon, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°What about you? You went to California for yours.¡±


    ¡°I had no choice. My wife is obsessed with Disney.¡±


    They started talking amongst themselves. Logan sighed deeply.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going there to have fun.¡±


    ¡°I know, Logan. It¡¯s just that...¡±


    Hannah escaped from Rosaline¡¯s grasp and hugged Logan¡¯s pants.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    ******


    It had been multiple months since the New York terrorist attack.


    New York had almost recovered. Since Americans liked tomemorate things, they put up events for the sacrifices in Central Park and other areas around New York. The scandal and disputes following the US President¡¯s resignation were still going on. The way the powers of the nation fell to their doom was refreshing but also sad.


    America¡¯s democratic crisis was a thing before, but Americans had never been in so much pain. There weren¡¯t many politicians who could say that the system was functioning properly. Bureaucrats were in the process of tumbling down.


    ¡°Wee, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    As soon as Logan got off the ne, he was greeted by one of his underlings who should have been on vacation. Logan looked around and thenughed bitterly. The punks came to America for vacation and were training with the direct troops.


    ¡°Did Kosi tell you?¡±


    ¡°Kosi? No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Ron?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably with his daughter again.¡±


    Ron, who had to work while everyone else went on vacation, liked to hang out with his daughter in his free time. In America, it was possible to be charged with collecting pornography, but Korea was pretty easy-going inparison.


    Some of the members who were obsessed with fast inte downloaded pornography, and the reason why Star Tower¡¯s data center went on overdrive was because of the pornography along with the malicious codes. That was also why Kosino and the underlings kept a safe distance between each other.


    ¡°Hello. Let me escort you.¡±


    Greg appeared out of nowhere. He spoke with Logan¡¯s apanying party, and some of them even helped them with their bags. Since the cars were already ready to go in the parking lot, it was hard to refuse. Richard, who was in charge of transport, got into a different car. Logan sat in the passenger seat and asked Greg.


    ¡°Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯splicated.¡±


    ¡°Summarize it.¡±


    ¡°Hond Corporation went bankrupt and Patrick is screwed. The loan sharks are after him and Christina McQueen is getting dragged down with him.¡±


    ¡°How dangerous is it?¡±


    ¡°She sent her daughter to you and then disappeared.¡±


    ¡°How did she send that little girl all the way to Texas?¡±


    ¡°One of her friends is a private investigator.¡±


    Not all investigators were Konan. Most of the people in the investigation field didn¡¯t care about helping the people. They were just thugs that did things for people with money.


    ¡°The order is weird.¡±


    ¡°The fact that she didn¡¯t go to the police?¡±


    ¡°I remember the New York police to be quite decent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    The American police weren¡¯t all connected like it was in Korea.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t for the police to handle, and the first one to sniff it up was the CIA.¡±


    ¡°And how is Keh Burn a part of this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Burn, who also lived as a thief, was getting ready to enter this side of the world.¡±


    ¡°And Caroline was okay with that?¡±


    ¡°No, she was against it. I heard she was very strongly against it.¡±


    That was a normal response from a parent. For an average monster, it was impossible to survive in the brutal world and then retire safely. Caroline had alsomitted many horrible things in the past.


    ¡°Was Keh one of Patrick¡¯s loan clients?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Since Carol declined, he needed someone else¡¯s support.¡±


    ¡°And he chose an asshole for that support. Was Patrick the culprit?¡±


    ¡°It was probably one of the thugs under hismand.¡±


    Hond Corporation went bankrupt, but Patrick had funds that he had pocketed. Logan tilted his head. It was insulting topare him to Ahn Soo Ho, but he was also a rising star who had what it took to make an attempt at the throne.


    ¡°Why did they go bankrupt?¡±


    ¡°They put everything they had on New York real estate insurance. But after the New York terrorist attack...¡±


    Greg slit his throat with his finger.


    ¡°Huh? Then shouldn¡¯t they have earned money?¡±


    ¡°That would have been more normal... but the world is pretty abnormal.¡±


    New York suffered great damage as a result of the terror. Of course, most of the damage was due to the riots that broke out, but it was right for insurancepanies to take responsibility for the loss endured.


    That was what the court judged.


    The insurancepanies¡¯ union could appeal, but if they did, they would have had to face off against raging New Yorkers. They decided that putting an end to it and suffering some loss was better. However, the insurance fraud suspicion of the Huxley Group that an FBI agent proposed raised even bigger issues after the head of the investigation resigned.


    As soon as it seemed like the scandals could reignite, the federal government created a team and made it an open investigation. That was how it all began. The stinginess of whistle-blowing was the same in Korea and America, but America at least protected its informants.


    ¡®Some people knew about the New York terrorist attack beforehand, and in order to make money, they invested in insurance!¡¯


    That caused a big sensation. The people¡¯s court didn¡¯t only exist in North Korea.


    ¡°This is the American people¡¯s court.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like you¡¯re not American yourself, Logan.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be soon enough. What about you?¡±


    Greg shrugged in response.


    ¡°Since all of New York citizens got up, and the media focused on it like crazy, not even the media lobbyists could do anything. As a result, Hond and other investment groups died. And what¡¯s funny is that...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The FBI agent that first raised the suspicion is someone we know.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Emily Karen.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Loganughed. He had seen her in Hawaii before he left. He heard that she was once with the FBI but did it start because of this incident? What a small world.


    ¡°Bossughed at the news, too.¡±


    ¡°So how far along is Caroline?¡±


    ¡°As soon as the transport troop was annihted, she started acting herself.¡±


    If she started acting herself, that meant she was serious.


    ¡°What¡¯s her number?¡±


    ¡°3.¡±


    Logan picked up the phone in the car and pressed 3. The line rang.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. You remember my voice.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the child?¡±


    She got straight to the point.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I need that child, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line, Carol. Let¡¯s meet in person.¡±


    ¡°In one hour at Central Park.¡±


    Caroline hung up without waiting for an answer. After sending his party to the hotel, Logan headed to Central Park by himself. Once he got to Bethesda Fountain, he saw a middle-aged woman waiting there. She was past 50, but she was taking good care of herself.


    Logan quietly approached and sat next to her.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your son.¡±


    She immediately changed the subject.


    ¡°How¡¯s Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°He just got married.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯ve been so busy these days. Come to think of it, that must have been the invitation I didn¡¯t open. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Please send him my congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call him yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear any scoldings.¡±


    She was a strong and elegant woman. There weren¡¯t many women Logan acknowledged, but she was one of them.


    Logan also got to the point.


    ¡°Please leave Christina McQueen alone.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find Patrick Hond for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived as a lunatic for a long time now, Logan. I lived in a world where you can¡¯t survive unless you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    Caroline shook her head and changed the subject.


    ¡°It was a blessing that such a crazy bitch could be a mother. Kenny... was the biggest happiness in my life, Logan. That child saved me from blood and death.¡±


    She conceived him at 40 years old. Marriage was bing more and more postponed over time, but childbirth was something that couldn¡¯t be put off. There were many men, but she didn¡¯t get married. Her upation made it hard for her to maintain a marriage, and she had too many enemies to let her guard down.


    ¡°When I couldn¡¯t get rid of Kenny, I thought something like this could happen.¡±


    The best way to perfectly protect a child was to stay with the mother. Caroline took him to every mission, and as a result, he grew up to be a skilled man who managed a killing corporation.


    ¡°I should have raised him like a normal child... but I was suspicious of everything.¡±


    She felt like everyone endangered her child.


    ¡°I... I ruined my own child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Carol.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I killed my son.¡±


    She took out an old photo from her pocket and stared at the mother and son within it. She stared for a while. But then her eyes went from watery to sharp.


    ¡°Was it Hannah? I¡¯ll give up on her, Logan. But not the child¡¯s mother. The first one to find her wins.¡±


    ¡°Are you challenging me to a battle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s make it fair and square.¡±


    Logan sighed deeply.


    ¡°Do you mean it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I could be this crazy either.¡±


    Going against Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s aide was like going against Ahn Soo Ho himself. And the punishment that Ahn Soo Ho could give put everyone in this world in fear.


    Caroline got up.


    ¡°Patrick Hond and those who know him.¡±


    She had nothing more to lose, but she feared Ahn Soo Ho as well. But she gathered up her courage.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rip them to shreds. I¡¯m going to kill them all.¡±


    Logan was unable to stop her from leaving. She seemed determined. Caroline was simply breathing on the rage and hatred that transcended death.


    ¡®Is she...¡¯


    Was she hoping to die in his hands?


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [4] > The end.

 Chapter 210: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 210: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [5] ></h4>


    ¡°Seeing from your expression, you must have failed.¡±


    ¡°She probably won¡¯t attack first... but be ready.¡±


    ¡°Did Star Fox turn into an enemy?¡±


    Logan didn¡¯t answer, but Richard understood. He knew that he couldn¡¯t convince Caroline. Logan changed the subject.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to look for Christina McQueen.¡±


    ¡°Before her, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that, Kosi?¡±


    Richard talked to themunication port that was still open. On the screen was Kosino¡¯s face.


    I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re shooting guns on your vacation... Why don¡¯t you just date and marry guns, you idiots?


    Kosino was showering them with insults, but she was already moving forward with the cyber support team.


    Two hours.


    ¡°One hour.¡±


    Are you trying to copy our boss? 90 minutes. That¡¯s final. We still need time for verification.


    ¡°90 minutes. Deal.¡±


    You idiots! Hacking isn¡¯t an easy task, you...


    Kosino¡¯s angry face disappeared from the screen thanks to Greg who pulled the cord. He would probably be scolded againter, but he was just happy to have some peace and quiet now. Logan gave Greg a thumbs up.


    Since they rented out the whole floor of the hotel, they only ran into familiar faces in the halls. Logan headed to the suite room where his family was. Thanks to Ahn Soo Ho, him and Logan always stayed at the best ces wherever they went.


    ¡®This is why we can¡¯t leave Soo Ho.¡¯


    The reason why people couldn¡¯t betray Ahn Soo Ho was because they were afraid of him and respected him, but it was also because of financial reasons.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rosaline and Hannah?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Not surprised.¡±


    They were probably tired.


    Rosaline was still recovering, and Hannah was a kid. She might seem okay now, but she was probably going to be forever scarred by the blood, death, screaming, and gunshots that she experienced in Cuba.


    ¡®She¡¯ll either ovee it or surrender to it.¡¯


    Logan checked on Rosaline and Hannah sleeping together and then backed off. As soon as he left the halls and entered the living room, he saw Jake on the sofa. Logan gestured to his big brother to share a drink and headed up to the bar together.


    ¡°Whiskey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a vodka.¡±


    When did his preference for beer change? Both Jake and Ethan must have aged.


    ¡°Who did you meet up with?¡±


    ¡°Caroline Burn.¡±


    ¡°Caroline? Burn? Keh Burn¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°His mom.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. You met up with that wanted criminal in the middle of the New York streets?¡±


    ¡°I had to.¡±


    ¡°So what did she say?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯s not backing off. She said whoever finds Christine first wins.¡±


    ¡°That woman is past her 50s, but she must still be well. Caroline, huh? I heard not even the FBI can do anything about her. Will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Hannah.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t mess with Hannah anymore.¡±


    ¡°You trust her?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to be hit by God¡¯s rage.


    Logan stopped there.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Can you take care of the New York police?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably still noisy from the terror... but okay.¡±


    Ethan wasn¡¯t so keen on it, but he didn¡¯t refuse. More than how much the police were ufortable with military soldiers and firefighters, the police officers kept their guards up between each other as well. He felt like this country had the worst judicial assistance in the world.


    That was because as a result of the disharmony between the judicial authorities, proper assistance wasn¡¯t taking ce. In America, everything was way too political.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I... need to meet someone.¡±


    Logan went to a rooftop restaurant that had a beautiful view of New York city. The business club was based on memberships alone, so it was stricter than getting into the CIA. Once the manager checked Logan¡¯s card, he escorted him inside.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    An old gentleman with white and blonde hair was waiting for him.


    ¡°Malik Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Kyung...? I haven¡¯t heard that in a while.¡±


    Logan had two mentors. One was Ahn Soo Ho, and the other was Edward Malik, who brought him into the mercenary world.


    Count of Mercenaries


    That was what people called Malik.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we seeing each other too often these days?¡±


    ¡°We are.¡±


    Since they had met at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s wedding in Hawaii, it hadn¡¯t even been a month. Considering the gap in between, they had seen each other often these days.


    ¡°I already know why you¡¯re here... Did you get the guideline from Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°No, Sir. Boss won¡¯t get involved in this one.¡±


    ¡°Carol¡¯s no averagepetition. And any mother who lost her only child is scary. Do you have to fight her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go against her either.¡±


    ¡°Then you should avoid her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you as much as you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t ept money from my pupil. But instead...¡±


    Malik¡¯sst words made Loganugh bitterly inside his head. Malik was a broker who pretended to care but only thought about his own profits. But there was no reason to curse him for it. At the very least, he wasn¡¯t the type to stab someone in the back.


    Logan knew of many British assholes, but he knew many loyal ones as well. However, regarding contracts, they sometimes were more meticulous than Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I want to get involved in the Emerald Development n.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a guarantee. I just... want to see my name on the list.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The restaurant¡¯s course meal came out, but neither Malik nor Logan cared about the food.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Christina McQueen.¡±


    ¡°Not Patrick Hond?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get in the way of Carol¡¯s revenge, Malik. I just want to get my friend out of the gutter.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to her?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But she refused?¡±


    ¡°She wants topete.¡±


    ¡°Then Carol will probably use Heritage.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s get up, Logan. Is your secured number still the same?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The big brother of the ck market wasn¡¯t going to be convinced by Logan alone without Ahn Soo Ho stepping up himself. Once Logan finished up, he was leaving through the lobby when he got a text message.


    [Brooklyn, NY 11238. 121. 223]


    ******


    Logan didn¡¯t contact his party at the hotel.


    ¡®I¡¯ll end this quick.¡¯


    The fastest method was to move on his own. And escaping the eyes of the FBI and judicial authorities that were on alert ever since Logannded in New York was no difficult task for him.


    Whether or not Brooklyn could be called New York or not, most foreigners who dreamt of living in New York resided in Brooklyn. But Brooklyn was also very expensive to live in. And that included rent.


    Harlem was known to be the most dangerous area of New York, but there wasn¡¯t actually a safe area in New York either. The high-end vis were probably safer, but idents always urred in areas surrounding Manhattan.


    ¡®Here it is.¡¯


    He arrived at the address that Malik sent him.


    The shabby house in front of him was what Koreans called a multiplex building. During his 1 year living in Korea, Logan was very shocked by the steel doors.


    ¡®Most Korean houses have steel doors.¡¯


    If America wanted to reduce their crime rates, they should have followed Korea¡¯s example. If the multiplex houses had steel doors instead of wooden ones, they would have had less theft and murder.


    ¡®They would be less susceptible to zombie attacks, too.¡¯


    In a lot of American shows and movies, zombies often broke through wooden doors, but that would have been impossible in Korea. Most Korean houses had steel doors as well as imprable ss for windows.


    He entered the building with no security.


    He smelled something strange. Not even Harlem was this dirty. The ck mayor that was elected through the chaos of New York¡¯s terror picked Harlem as the focus of his development model.


    ¡®I was wondering where they were hiding.¡¯


    During the New York terrorist attack, Ahn Soo Ho swept northern Manhattan clean, and the aftereffects still remained. The big guys were minding others while the small fries poked their heads out. Brooklyn, which hosted both new and old gangs, took peculiar countermeasures, and that might have been why Christina decided to hide out here.


    Mexican standoff.


    Since many with power held guns, it was hard to pull the trigger. They started minding each other so much that they didn¡¯t act. Logan continued to climb the stairs and hopped over the bannister one floor beneath the roof.


    ¡®Christine.¡¯


    She looked haggard but still beautiful.


    She was still just as beautiful as she was in high school. That was probably why not even Patrick Hond could hold back. She was an addictive woman. And Christina wasn¡¯t alone.


    Did she hire a guard? It wasn¡¯t that.


    He looked old for a guard. He looked like that private investigator who was also her friend. If Malik found this information, it wasn¡¯t going to be long before Heritage found out, too. He didn¡¯t know how much time he had, but he knew he didn¡¯t have long.


    ¡®I¡¯ll wait.¡¯


    It was best to use Christina as bait to block the first attack and keep moving.


    ¡®Five? Seven? Nine?¡¯


    Just like the troop in Cuba, most American mercenarypanies had units of 7 or 9 soldiers. He waited to see if Caroline was the onemanding them, but he couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case...¡¯


    He didn¡¯t hesitate any longer.


    It only took him 5 seconds to bring down three guys who tried to attack. It was all thanks to his silenced gun, but its power depended on how skilled its user was.


    Logan got down using a rappel, and that was when he was faced with an enemy who crashed through the wooden door. Logan shot a bullet through his shocked eyes.


    One guy!


    Two guys!


    Three guys!


    A unit of 9 usually moved in groups of 3. After getting rid of two groups, he just had one group left. And it took them a minute for them to catch on.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Logan twisted the arm of someone who tried to put a gun on him. And the next one to lift their gun was Christina. Logan lifted his head and looked at her in the eyes.


    ¡°Christine.¡±


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    He had no time to exin the situation to Christina. That was because thest group caught on.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang- Bang-


    In contrast to the first two groups, thest group had automatic rifles. But no neighbor stuck their head out to the loud gun noise. They actually locked their doors and hid out.


    Logan let the private detective free and pushed him aside along with Christina.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    The bullet went right through the wooden walls.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter.¡±


    Logan looked back at the private investigator.


    ¡°Do you know how to use a Rappel?¡±


    ¡°Semper Fi!¡±


    He must have been from the marines.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    As soon as Loganmanded with a gun in his hand, the private investigator led Christina toward the window. They had 10 times the firepower, but he was more urate.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Logan got one guy in the shoulder and another guy in the thigh. If he did well, he could have wiped out thest group, too, but he stuck to his original n. He heard a supporting trooping up the stairs.


    He turned on the gas valve.


    ¡®I hope you have insurance,ndlord.¡¯


    There was a Korean saying thatndlords were above Jesus. Why did he suddenly get this thought? He felt the temptation to makeme jokes in the middle of a life-threatening situation.


    Bang, bang, bang- Bang-


    He couldn¡¯t drag on any more time. Logan flung his guns around and ran through the window, and right before going down, he shot the gas valve.


    Ting-


    Did it catch fire and blew up? No.


    ¡®I guess this isn¡¯t a movie.¡¯


    As soon as he thought he failed, the fire started. It was perfect. And luckily, the rope was long enough to get him down to the first floor.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He pushed her and got out of there.


    ******


    ¡°We found her.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Brooklyn.¡±


    Caroline clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Such an obvious ce... Send your men.¡±


    ¡°I already did.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Two teams...¡±


    ¡°Send more.¡±


    ¡°To catch one woman?¡±


    ¡°Logan will be on the move, too.¡±


    ¡°Logan...? That Logan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    His face stiffened. Caroline saw that and smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Soo Ho won¡¯t get involved.¡±


    ¡°But the direct troops...¡±


    ¡°This is just between me and Logan.¡±


    ¡°The guys won¡¯t think that way, Carol.¡±


    ¡°Tell them I¡¯ll multiply the pay by 5 times.¡±


    ¡°5 times...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Caroline was about to pick up her phone when he started toe back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been attacked.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Six has died and two are injured.¡±


    ¡°For what motive?¡±


    ¡°During an escape.¡±


    He continued with a stiff voice.


    ¡°We confirmed his identity.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer with a stiff face, and Caroline looked as if she saw thating.


    ¡°Logan.¡±


    The dark hunter.


    ¡°This will be a vicious night.¡±


    The night in New York was just beginning.


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [5] > The end.

 Chapter 211: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 211: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [6] ></h4>


    ¡°My name is Sam. You¡¯re that Logan, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a big-bellied man, but a middle-aged man with an average physique. He smiled and offered him a handshake. Logan epted and shook his hand a few times. Seeing how his eyes weren¡¯t shaking in the middle of gunshots, he must have had an experience out on the battlefield.


    He trusted him more than a police officer.


    ¡°Have you served?¡±


    ¡°In Iraq.¡±


    ¡°Old Bush?¡±


    ¡°Both the damned Bush father and son.¡±


    The Bush father and son were probably the only ones who were both American presidents and dered war. Logan led the way. He couldn¡¯t trust the police.


    ¡®If it was Carol, she probably already talked to the police.¡¯


    She probably nted some informants within the police. The police were supposed to be upright, but in the end, they were nothing but employees who needed to get paid.


    Logan led them to a car that he had parked four blocks away. Luckily, the tentacles of the mercenaries hadn¡¯t extended that far. But it was just a matter of time.


    He started the car.


    ¡°Huh? Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The Hamptons.¡±


    ¡°Hamptons?¡±


    Christina spoke up to Logan¡¯s sudden announcement of heading over to a tourist destination.


    ¡°What about Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in a safe ce. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Logan.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize. Just exin what happened.¡±


    Listening to the story from her was the most reliable.


    ¡°It¡¯s been 10 years already...¡±


    How many people in the world would have lived lives they were proud of? Logan¡¯s life wasn¡¯t one that he could brag about. If it wasn¡¯t for Ahn Soo Ho, he would have lost his life out on the battlefield.


    Christina McQueen¡¯s life wasn¡¯t so smooth either.


    She was the queen of their high school, but there were thousands of high schools in America. That meant there were that many queens as well. The first thing that Christina realized after stepping into reality was that it wasn¡¯t hard to find others who were just as pretty as her.


    ¡°All the girls who think they¡¯re decent looking dream of bing a Hollywood actress, but the world doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    As soon as Christina realized that, she also learned that she needed a weapon to beat the rest. Men certainly liked sexy women. However, there were as many as there were stars in the sky. So Christina added another charm to her sexiness.


    Logan was shocked by the tattoo that she showed him. He had no idea how the queen of his high school met a criminal like Patrick Hond, but now he knew.


    ¡°You?¡±


    Logan stared at her with dumbfounded eyes. There was only one organization in the world that used such a tattoo.


    Absent Morgan


    Just like how Green Peace was known for protecting the environment, they were known as the anti-men organization of the mercenary world. Absent Morgan was a feminist organization that went against the international policies that only conserved women and children as war victims.


    They were different from the typical feminists that just talked the talk because while the feminists fought with their mouths, these women took their automatic rifles and shot down their enemies. It was contradictory to needing power in order to resist power, but in order to make a change, power was needed.


    ¡°So Caroline and Keh both knew, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, she did bring her son to every mission.¡±


    ¡°Then what I don¡¯t understand is... she¡¯s Keh¡¯s daughter, isn¡¯t she? Hannah is Keh¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Logan was so shocked that he almost let go of the wheel.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I was dispatched... in order to get rid of Patrick Hond.¡±


    He almost went crazy.


    What Logan was especially mad about was just how much CIA knew. If even Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare knew and didn¡¯t tell, he intended on flipping the CIA upside down. But before that, it was more important to reveal Caroline¡¯s true intentions.


    ¡°How involved is Caroline?¡±


    ¡°Carol doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°That Hannah is her granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her?¡±


    ¡°Because I promised not to get close.¡±


    Logan imagined all sorts of things in response. The friends of boys who couldn¡¯t date their friends were probably the drill instructors. The sex ratio of Absent Morgan probably leaned toward the females.


    In most cases, the men were older than women, but in this case, the women were older than the men. In almost all societies, there were conflict between mother-inws and daughter-inws. A daughter-inw older than the groom? That was possible, but as Caroline, who knew this world very well, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed it. Both the son and daughter-inw would have been cut off for good.


    ¡°Is that why Keh made Patrick Hond his mentor?¡±


    ¡°That was because of me.¡±


    ¡°Then Keh must have died because the truth came out.¡±


    ¡°That, too...¡±


    Christina took out a USB from her pocket.


    ¡°The truth is, it was because of this.¡±


    ¡°Does it contain ledgers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The truth is, Patrick intentionally made hispany go bankrupt.¡±


    What Keh left behind before dying was a list of corruption and briberymitted by Hond Corporation. Loganughed inside his head.


    ¡®It¡¯s hard for political consultants to live past 10 years.¡¯


    That was what Ahn Soo Ho said. The ones who cleaned after politicians were able to make good money, but they didn¡¯t die in a pleasant manner.


    ¡®Because the cold-hearted qualities of power doesn¡¯t allow otherwise.¡¯


    It was best that only fewer people knew the secret as much as possible. But the more one climbed up, the morerades one needed to share his or her secrets with.


    ¡®But they kill the dog after the hunt is over.¡¯


    The hunting dog was destined to die after the hunt. As long as Patrick Hond wasn¡¯t stupid, he probably had insurance for his future, and slush funds were the simplest and most effective method.


    Christina continued to talk all the way to the Hamptons. Ahn Soo Ho made safe houses all over the world, and the number in America exceeded three digits. In most well-known ces, Ahn Soo Ho had a ce that his people could use. The Hamptons near New York was a famous tourist destination.


    A person in charge came out to greet them.


    ¡°The room is clean.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Please go on in.¡±


    Most of the people managing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s safe houses in America were civilians. And in ces like Africa and the Middle East, he employed tribal members that didn¡¯t believe in Catholicism or Im. The native tribes were born to survive, so when they were given a knife or gun, they became warriors.


    On the outside, the safe house looked like any old house in the Hamptons, but once one went downstairs, there was a control room as well as amunications center. He always wondered why he kept that safe house there when he didn¡¯t really use it, but he now realized that Ahn Soo Ho knew it would be of use one day.


    ¡®There¡¯s a reason to everything Soo Ho does.¡¯


    There was never enough preparation for what could possibly happen. Despite being powerful, his boss still prepared for the worst-case scenario. Once Logan checked that the 20 centimeter-thick wall closed, he told Christina and Sam to get some rest.


    After seeing them disperse, Logan started to work the equipment in the control room.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Unidentified punks are all over New York.¡±


    ¡°Unidentified?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. If they had a mercenary contract, they would have needed notarization... but there are no records.¡±


    Logan ordered Richard and the troop to stay inside the hotel. If they went anywhere, there were going to be followers.


    ¡°How many are there at the hotel?¡±


    ¡°Nine people.¡±


    Nine was enough to form an entire unit. However, Logan felt anxious. The end of the Keh Burn murder cases wasn¡¯t simply the lunacy of a mother who lost her son.


    ¡®If the politicians did something to get rid of Patrick...¡¯


    And if Patrick made a counterattack to survive, this problem could head toward apletely unexpected direction. When one had nothing else left to lose, one was bound to pick the most extreme alternative.


    ¡°Can we increase our personnel?¡±


    ¡°Should we look?¡±


    ¡°Only pick those we can trust.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Also... your brother would like to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Connect him.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You bastard! Where are you?¡±


    He went off as soon as he was connected.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°What about Rosaline?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping, too.¡±


    ¡°Listen well, Ethan.¡±


    Logan secured the right mood.


    ¡°There might be a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°What? Then I¡¯ll call the police...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished. You can¡¯t trust the police.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°This is no ordinary case.¡±


    Logan¡¯s n was to save Christina and then get out, but that wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Either Patrick Hond needed to be caught or the ones who were after him had to back down.


    ¡®The problem is that Carol is out to end both of them.¡¯


    As the mother who lost her son, she wanted to kill both sides. But seeing how she didn¡¯t start shooting right away, she must have caught onto Hond Corporation going bankrupt.


    ¡®She needs the evidence that Christine has.¡¯


    Death wasn¡¯t the only form of revenge.


    ¡°Huh? Damn it! Who are you? You bastards!¡±


    He heard Ethan swear and then the line got cut off. Right before the line was cut off, Logan heard someone yell, ¡°Stop right there!¡± The only people who could say that to them were the police.


    Logan changed the channel.


    ¡°Logan?¡±


    ¡°Malik Kyung!¡±


    He connected to Malik.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so direct... Um, an arrest warrant was issued in front of your amodation. The charge is for child confinement and kidnapping.¡±


    He had just heard the news as well.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you at the hotel as well, Logan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at a safe house.¡±


    ¡°With Christina McQueen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Then the answer is obvious. Someone is using their governmental authority. Someone who caught on that you have her in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Carol?¡±


    ¡°Not Carol.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people who were capable of mobilizing the prosecution and judges as well as the police to issue an arrest warrant. If they were in Texas, it would have been hard to arrest the Young¡¯s, but they were currently in New York. It was one of the most political cities in the world next to Washington D.C.


    ¡°Evelyn Parmer.¡±


    ¡°The vice president?¡±


    ******


    ¡°The vice president is on the move.¡±


    Caroline put down her tea ss in response.


    ¡°They made a surprise attack on the hotel using governmental authority.¡±


    ¡°For what charge?¡±


    ¡°Child confinement and kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°They must have been in a rush.¡±


    ¡°Since someone they didn¡¯t expect popped out, they must have been...¡±


    She was about to take another sip when she paused.


    ¡°Someone they didn¡¯t expect...? Logan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. He left New York. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    She didn¡¯t actually think he could catch Logan. Ahn Soo Ho was powerful as well, but Shadow Hunter was no joke either.


    ¡°The night is young.¡±


    The night had just begun.


    ¡°And I think we¡¯re going to get a call from that unexpected person.¡±


    Caroline had a keen sense for such things.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡±


    Loganugned bitterly in response to Carol¡¯s remark.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions. You won. I surrender.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you dispatch too many men to surrender?¡±


    ¡°I tried to scrape up what I could. Anyway... you won, Logan. I¡¯ll give up on Christine.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    ¡°A deal? Don¡¯t you have everything you want? Oh yeah! Hannah is at the hotel, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Caroline smiled. Logan obtained one thing but lost another.


    ¡°Please protect Hannah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it if you give me Christine.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything else, Logan. I just need her.¡±


    ¡°Carol. You have to ept any request I give you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Hannah is your granddaughter.¡±


    Caroline dropped her tea. As soon as the maid came running over, she stopped her.


    ¡°Say that again.¡±


    ¡°Hannah is your granddaughter.¡±


    Her eyes went nk and then sparkled.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Do a DNA test if you want to.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way! How?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think Keh chose Patrick Hond as his mentor?¡±


    ¡°Christine.¡±


    Caroline murmured Christine¡¯s name.


    ¡°That bitch! How dare she possess my son? After I raised her even though the only talent she had was her body, she goes and does that? She loved Keh? That old bitch?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t something that normally would havee out of the mouth of an Absent Morgan¡¯s head. But she was simply a mother who loved her son. The topic of a woman in her 30s seducing a boy in his teens was bound to get out soon enough.


    But instead of kicking her out, she decided to retire from the feminist movement herself. She thought that that would put an end to her son¡¯s rtionship with her.


    ¡°Is she there?¡±


    Logan looked behind him in response. She was standing behind him wrapped in a towel after a shower.


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°Let me talk to her.¡±


    The only mode on the phone was speaker. Christina stood in front of the phone and pressed the talk button.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°Bitch.¡±


    Her response wasn¡¯t pleasant. But she smiled at the fact that her voice sounded softer than the old days.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carol.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Don¡¯t even apologize. You just keep living like that forever.¡±


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll be sorry for as long as I live.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything else. Why? Because she really did feel sorry. It was her fault that Keh died. Christina sincerely believed that.


    ¡°Let me talk to Logan again.¡±


    As soon as Christina took a step back, Logan stepped forward.


    ¡°Are you going to make a deal, Carol?¡±


    ¡°The USB.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    Logan turned around with a sorry face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t ask you first.¡±


    ¡°No, you did good. I didn¡¯t have the guts to say it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°But will Hannah be okay?¡±


    Logan smirked in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know Caroline Burn?¡±


    ¡°I do. But...¡±


    ¡°Just wait.¡±


    If he had to choose three women he respected during his 40 years of existence, it was his sister, Rosaline, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s wife, Jang Seol Hyun, and the powerful woman, Caroline Burn.


    Star Fox


    The fox that eats up stars.


    ******


    ¡°Get the car ready.¡±


    ¡°Do you trust him?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho¡¯s men don¡¯t lie.¡±


    Caroline shook her head to her subordinate¡¯s question and got up.


    ¡°He could lie if he was desperate enough.¡±


    ¡°Let me correct myself. He does lie. But he doesn¡¯t deceive people. No matter what.¡±


    She put on her coat.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you trust him?¡±


    ¡°No, I do.¡±


    Caroline tilted her head to his lukewarm response.


    ¡°Why are you trusting him so easily?¡±


    ¡°There were rumors going around.¡±


    ¡°Rumors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. There were rumors about Christine, Keh, and Hannah.¡±


    ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t tell me? I didn¡¯t know about something rted to my son? Fisher?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t confirm the truth. I didn¡¯t want to make you worry over unconfirmed information, Carol.¡±


    Caroline red at him, and Fisher shrugged and epted the photo she handed him.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a photo.¡±


    Fisher took out a photo of Hannah from the pile of documents and handed it over. Hannah looked adorable while hugging a stuffed bear.


    ¡°This is my granddaughter, Fisher. I have a granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°I figured as soon as I saw the photo.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°She has your eyes.¡±


    ¡°She does?¡±


    Caroline¡¯s eyes turned soft as she looked at Hannah¡¯s photo. Fisher liked the sight of that. This didn¡¯t suit Carol, who had been chasing after revenge this whole time.


    A subordinate in the front seat looked back.


    ¡°Boss, it won¡¯t be easy getting into the police station. The vice president¡¯s men are all over the ce. And they must have smelt something else because they¡¯re running over like hyenas as we speak.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s eyes turned sharp again.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s thew firm, the mayor, the governor, or a member of the national assembly, deliver this message.¡±


    Hannah was ast gift that her son left behind. She was a baby angel that returned to give Caroline the gift of happiness again. And if the vice president or even the American president got in the way of her steps toward Heaven, she was ready to step all over them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pay you the big bucks to just sit around.¡±


    She was ready to break into the White House if she had to.


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [6] > The end.

 Chapter 212: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [7] >

    <h4>Chapter 212: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [7] ></h4>


    ¡°I think they put off the arrest warrant until nighttime on purpose.¡±


    In response to thew firm¡¯swyer, Richard looked at her as if he was asking if there was any other way. Kate of Smith & Heard of New York shook her head and then sighed.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    There probably wasn¡¯t a judge who could dismiss the warrant, but if aw firm disappointed a big client, the bacsh was bound to be huge. He and Ahn Soo Ho brought it a lot of profits for aw firm. Ahn Soo Ho was a big part of how Smith & Heard became what it was today.


    Logan¡¯s party at the hotel got arrested by the New York police. The charge was child confinement and kidnapping. It was ridiculous, but no matter how much Hannah protested, the word of child welfare was above that of a child. If even Christina was charged with child abuse, it was highly likely that the child was going to be taken away.


    ¡®Is that how it¡¯s going to be?¡¯


    It was not difficult for the direct troop to flip a police station upside down. But going against governmental authority yielded serious side effects. On top of that, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡®If Boss was here, this wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce.¡¯


    Issuing a warrant in front of Ahn Soo Ho? Not even Prosecutor Roberto Aqun had the guts to do that. It wasn¡¯t a matter of having evidence.


    ¡®No one truly wanted to die.¡¯


    Blood isn¡¯t the only evidence for murder. Ahn Soo Ho was capable of making all deaths into what he wanted. Some could die while sleeping, while having sex, or while taking a shit in the washroom.


    Kate returned with her phone.


    ¡°Three of them have been freed.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Rosaline Young, Jake Young, and Ethan Young.¡±


    Only the Young family were freed.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°All three of them are powerful in Texas. The legal circles are smaller than you think.¡±


    Rosaline was awyer who represented the west, Jake was amissioned officer, and Ethan was a Texas Ranger. They were far from Texas, but the legal circles were quite small.


    ¡°What about the charges?¡±


    ¡°Child confinement and kidnapping were withdrawn... but in order to be freed, you need themand of a judge. One moment... Ms. Young ising.¡±


    Rosaline showed her face.


    ¡°Richard.¡±


    ¡°Rosaline.¡±


    She looked very tired.


    ¡°We submitted a petition to the welfare state, but we won¡¯t know until court tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know where she is?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still at the police station. There are just many documents that need to be signed.¡±


    ¡°What a relief.¡±


    They had to fight against the child welfare center in order to get Hannah back.


    ¡°Anyway... you guys are in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the weapons?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s illegal in New York to have unregistered firearms.¡±


    The firearmws were different in each state, and New York, in particr, was strict especially after the numerous terrorist attacks it faced. Regardless of how Ahn Soo Ho looked down on the police, governmental authority was powerful.


    ¡°But what¡¯s funny is that it doesn¡¯t look like the prosecution wants to indict anyone. It¡¯s as if...¡±


    ¡°As if?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re dragging on time.¡±


    Richard froze in response to Rosaline¡¯s remark. The direct troop had been disarmed. What if someone decided to make a surprise attack? They were split up and weren¡¯t armed on top of that.


    Richard stuck out his hand.


    ¡°Can I borrow your phone?¡±


    Rosaline gave him her phone without hesitation. Since it was a regr phone, it wasn¡¯t secure, but he was in a rush. Richard pressed the emergency call buttons of every direct troop member.


    ¡°We are under attack.¡±


    ******


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Carol.¡±


    ¡°Update.¡±


    ¡°The Young siblings have been freed.¡±


    ¡°What about the underlings?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in a detention center for possessing illegal weapons.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been disarmed, huh? I don¡¯t know who it was, but it was a good idea.¡±


    If the judicial authorities decided to attack, no one was going to get out easily.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the vice president who did it?¡±


    ¡°Parmer isn¡¯t capable of doing that much. It was Jackson.¡±


    ¡°The chief secretary?¡±


    ¡°A lot of thugs from Arkansas advanced. But just because they dress well and drink nice alcohol doesn¡¯t mean their thug ways will disappear.¡±


    Those who benefited from doing bad things were always caught up on the temptation. And in stressful situations, they tried to find the easiest way out. That was human instinct.


    ¡°What about Hannah?¡±


    ¡°A child welfare employee came to the police station to draft the documents.¡±


    ¡°What about our guys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on standby.¡±


    ¡°Avoid any armed shes.¡±


    ¡°That all depends on thosewyers¡¯ mouths.¡±


    How would child welfare react if she suddenly insisted she was the girl¡¯s grandmother? They would probably see her as crazy and kick her out. But if the crazy grandmother brought a legal army with her, the story was different. Not everyone had the power to call upon the judge once more.


    The way Caroline dressed made it obvious that she was wealthy. Themand of the mayor and the judge¡¯s issue of a warrant was impactful, but what topped it off was a call from the governor. The agents that surrounded the police station knew her but couldn¡¯t stop her. That was because the people at the top were too scared to mess with Caroline. She had the same kind of bomb that Hector Garcia had.


    Caroline looked through the window at Hannah, who was drawing something at the table. She looked different from the photo. She looked lovable in the photo, but it was noparison to real life.


    An angel.


    She was a true baby angel.


    The pain of never being able to see her son again alleviated a little bit. She had simr traits to Keh. Why didn¡¯t she see it through the photo? She was unable to recognize what her subordinate could. As soon as Caroline¡¯s gaze grew calm, Fisher clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Are you ming yourself, Carol?¡±


    ¡°If I knew earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have gone through all of that... It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not certain until the DNA test.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right, Fisher. Hannah resembles Keh.¡±


    She didn¡¯t care if she was biased. She wanted to hug that child in her arms. She wanted to protect her.


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    A man in a clean suit approached.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take some time, but by tomorrow morning...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have that kind of time.¡±


    Caroline cut off thewyer.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kan that he left a rookie here with me?¡±


    ¡°Kan is in D.C.¡±


    ¡°Why? Oh.¡±


    She was about to protest when she realized it. Caroline was currently a wanted criminal in some States, and with judicial assistance, she could be arrested even in New York. Since only the defense of a lobbyist could protect her wealth, allowing her to seek her revenge, it was obvious why some of the reputablewyers were dispatched to Washington D.C.


    Caroline looked at Fisher.


    ¡°How much time do we have?¡±


    Fisher focused on his earpiece and then knitted his brows. He took out his gun and undid his safety equipment. It was a waste of time to discuss why he brought in weapons to the police.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Caroline Burn! Isn¡¯t she wanted? Can¡¯t we just arrest her?¡±


    ¡°After going through that legal army? They¡¯ll probably make every step difficult. It¡¯s not hard for them to get government workers like us fired.¡±


    The agents of the FBI weren¡¯t almighty. America¡¯s judicial authorities were rtively refined and progressive, but that wasn¡¯t bad for thosemitting crimes either. That was because depending on thewyer¡¯spetence or the mistakes of legal authorities, a murderer could get away with it.


    The fairness of the legal procedure and who it was actually carried out were two different things. This was the best safety equipment that exempted investigative authorities from being held responsible. And from the standpoint of the victims¡¯ families, it was understandable that they hated the judicial authorities for not punishing the culprit.


    ¡°Thew should be punishing the culprit, but they actually protect them.¡±


    That was, unfortunately, the true nature of the judicial system. And it was uncivilized to just kill someone formitting a crime. Intelligent people had to practice patience and self-control. But for those with power, violence was more than permitted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow morning...¡±


    The lips that kept on babbling away inside the car parked near the police station was forced to shut. That was because a bullet flew through the car window and hit him in the head.


    Bang, bang-


    The agent who was sitting beside him also groaned and copsed.


    Clear!


    All clear!


    Snipers have been dispatched!


    Defense has been dispatched!


    A mask covered half of the men¡¯s face.


    The men were dressed in all ck along with bombs and bullets dangling on them. It was hard for an ordinary person to spot their dark shadows moving about.


    Trained soldiers.


    If the seasoned assassins happened to show themselves, it was most likely going to turn into a bloodbath. The head looked at the police station and then held his walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Secure the goods.¡±


    How many would have been capable of attacking a police station in the middle of New York? Those who wiped out the agents surrounding the polices station were ruthless.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    They pulled the trigger at anyone that got in their way. This was pretty much another terrorist attack. The police only fought back once they took over the lobby, 1st floor, and 2nd floor.


    Once they secured the way to the detention center, they installed the explosives. Their objective wasn¡¯t to fight against Richard or the direct troops.


    Two allies are down!


    Who?


    Star Fox!


    Bitch!


    The head looked at his watch. The police stations nearby only started toe 3 minutester.


    ¡°Caroline Burn!¡±


    He screamed toward the 3rd floor stairs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal! If you hand over the child, I¡¯ll share my information regarding Hond!¡±


    He thought she would respond immediately since she wanted revenge, but there was no answer.


    ¡°Fine! Hond is all up to you! But give us Christina McQueen!¡±


    There was still no answer.


    ¡°Caroli... Shit!¡±


    As soon as the head saw a grenade bounding down the stairs, he threw his body to the side.


    Bang-


    The debris flew everywhere.


    ¡°Shit! Attack!¡±


    He realized there wasn¡¯t going to be a deal.


    Fisher collected weapons from the assants and didn¡¯t mind thewyers who were hiding on the ground. The welfare employee tried not to hand over Hannah, but as soon as she saw Caroline, she opened her arms. Did she recognize her grandmother? She just realized instinctively that she wasn¡¯t going to harm her.


    ¡°Stop them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Once Caroline had Hannah in her arms, she issued themand, and he summoned the subordinates that were standing by. At the police station, there were just assants and no police officers.


    Bang, bang, bang- Bang-


    They used their heavy weapons.


    ¡°Crazy bitch!¡±


    The head grinded his teeth.


    Heavy fire!


    Unknown enemy! Unknown enemy!


    We¡¯re being attacked! We can¡¯t keep up the defense!


    The defense line that was set up was in the process of getting attacked.


    ¡°Defend! Defend!¡±


    Most of the organizations that had the Ultra Program in their hands elerated the fostering of the brainwashed soldiers. They normally lived ordinary lives, but when keywords were inputted, they transformed into killing machines.


    Fisher and his team members who pushed out the assants to the entrance heard the sound of sirens approaching. There was no good in running into the police, but they were better than the assants.


    Bang-


    Fisher, who was about to yell something at the police officer getting out of his car, heard bullet sounds from behind him.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    Every time a sound went off, a police officer went down. Fisher tried to pull the trigger, but he couldn¡¯t. He saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Richard?¡±


    ¡°Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Why are you shooting the police?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re old, too, Fisher. Look around.¡±


    Fisher kicked over a dead police officer and then flinched. The police officer had a strange tattoo on him.


    ¡°Einskrauz.¡±


    One of the top 3 evil monsters of the mercenary world, Super K.


    They were a third-rate mercenary organization that could even kill women and sell children if it made money. The myths about German mercenaries being loyal were no longer true. Even the Swiss mercenaries were treated like lowly butchers.


    In contrast to America, which introduced civilian-military organizations as cool, the PMCs active in Europe were nothing more than thugs. One mustn¡¯t fantasize about Europe. That ce was hell where they used the face of history and tradition to let barbarism take ce.


    After all, not all Germans apologized for World War II and hated Hitler. It wasn¡¯t just Ennd that dreamt of the revival of the empire by putting forth a special talent like Barbara Huxley. France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and even Ukraine were in on it as well.


    They all wanted power.


    ¡°Hannah!¡±


    Rosaline, who was right behind Richard, saw Hannah being embraced by ady. Hannah heard Rosaline¡¯s voice as well and turned her head, but Caroline whispered something in her ears.


    Caroline then let Hannah go.


    ¡°Rosaline!¡±


    ¡°Hannah!¡±


    People would have thought Rosaline was Hannah¡¯s real mother. Richard greeted the boss woman with a stiff face.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°The little boy I remember grew up well, Richard.¡±


    ¡°I received Logan¡¯s call. Let¡¯s join forces.¡±


    ¡°Sure. When is heing?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°Soon...? Is this it?¡±


    She looked around at the underlings around her.


    ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±


    ¡°A weak troop, a Texas Ranger, and a uselessmissioned officer... Fisher!¡±


    ¡°They can be trusted. I think it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Richard butt into Caroline and Fisher¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°What do you mean? New York is already in their hands.¡±


    ¡°Their hands?¡±


    Simultaneously with Richard¡¯s question, the lights went off one by one. It was simr to the ckout of the New York terrorist attack.


    ¡°The punks that got mixed up with Patrick Hond in a bad way.¡±


    ¡°What happened so far are just the previews, Richard. The main film hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡±


    This time, Fisher butted into Caroline and Richard¡¯s conversation. In order to block Patrick Hond¡¯s lips and find the ledger that he secretly drafted which Christina stole, they needed Hannah as bait. What was important was that there were multiple people who would put that into action.


    ¡°They¡¯re not looking back. If this scandal gets out, everything will be lost.¡±


    It was hard to tell who was an ally or a foe. The governmental branches, especially. The police and the FBI were both in chaos. They weren¡¯t sure who they could trust either.


    Richard lifted both of his hands in agreement to cooperate.


    ¡°What kind of scandal could it be? From what I¡¯ve heard, even the vice president is involved.¡±


    America¡¯s national status was at rock bottom as a result of the Davis scandal. Could it get any worse? Caroline looked at Hannah in Rosaline¡¯s arms and smirked.


    ¡°Do you really think Scott Davis acted on his own? America isn¡¯t that easy.¡±


    Scott Davis, who was revealed to have been behind the New York terror, died, and a dead person couldn¡¯t stand in court. But the upper and lower house of America still dug up dirt on the Davis scandal. Since blowing up a political scandal regarding the US president was going to politically benefit them, they were more than willing.


    Posthumous execution


    The people¡¯s court


    The vignce of America had died down a bit, but more guns were sold in thest few months than all of the previous 20 yearsbined. Americans had always loved guns, but even those who were against it bought some.


    ¡°Nothing justes out of the blue. The public opinion today is a delusion that public opinion caused.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying only those in power can control popr opinion?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious seeing how they attacked the police¡¯s station in the middle of New York?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying a woman with a child avoided someone like that for this long?¡±


    While Logan found Christina in a few days, other people with power couldn¡¯t find her. Why? Wasn¡¯t that strange? Caroline looked at Richard with a surprised face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°Christine is no regr girl. Why do you think I hated her so much? Because she was older than my son? It wasn¡¯t just that. That wasn¡¯t enough reason.¡±


    She was family that she spent time with in Absent Morgan. They were in the same ce. It wasn¡¯t just her beauty that won over cold-hearted Patrick Hond. Those who lived in the upper ss, love was a luxury.


    ¡°She¡¯s a cold-hearted witch that eats up, men.¡±


    ******


    ¡°Richard and his underlings are free... and Caroline Burn joined. And Ipasha failed. What a headache.¡±


    If the early response team failed, they had to go after all of New York to shake up the police.


    ¡°What about the negotiation?¡±


    ¡°She refused.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! What about everyone else?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re waiting. But do you really think she¡¯ll appear?¡±


    ¡°She dared to drag Logan into this just so she could protect her daughter. Where¡¯s Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in Hawaii.¡±


    ¡°I hope he stays still until the deed is done. I don¡¯t want to be humiliated like the Davis¡¯.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s known to love his subordinates. Do you really think he¡¯ll just sit back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to end this tonight. It takes time to fly from Hawaii to New York. Whether you negotiate or beg on your knees, we have to destroy that ledger.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t let even a part of the mission that took ce with the New York terrorist attack get out. If it got out that they built influence in order to make money by using the tears of others, their reputation and honor were going to be ruined.


    ¡°All of New York is cked out.¡±


    He picked up the phone in response.


    ¡°Let me repeat. Avoid Logan¡¯s guys as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. We¡¯ll do our best. Are we proceeding with it?¡±


    If they killed even one of Logan or his underlings on the way to their objective, Ahn Soo Ho was going to retaliate. But unfortunately, they still had to continue.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Nothing was going to stop them now.


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [7] > The end. 123

 Chapter 213: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [8] >

    <h4>Chapter 213: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [8] ></h4>


    This happened after the New York terrorist attack.


    After deciding to follow Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s clue, FBI Special Agent, Emily Karen not only looked into Barbara Huxley, but she also found out that many connections were involved in the New York redevelopment project. But since there was no solid evidence, she couldn¡¯t tell anyone about it. But as soon as the ones in power realized someone was on their tail, they kicked her out of the FBI.


    They had the power to do so.


    However, they could only use it without the public finding out. If it got out that politicians and government workers abused their power, their dark power games were going toe to an end.


    Today¡¯s New York was filled with the atrocity of desperate men. Since they were at risk of dying, they didn¡¯t care about America¡¯s freedom or democracy. Unless they were patriots with great loyalty and beliefs, even, Korean patriotism depended on the situation.


    Since America was like a sandcastle that was built with immigrants, they strongly stressed patriotism. The one business that would continue to exist with America was the American g business. During America¡¯s current crisis, the two things that sold the most were guns and American gs.


    Patrick Hond knew this was hisst chance to strike it big. It wasn¡¯t just one skilled man who caught on to the Dakoma troop¡¯s New York terrorist n, and Huxley Group¡¯s secretive behavior was their golden opportunity.


    ¡®They¡¯ll probably understand even if we slightly aggravate the fear vibe.¡¯


    Manipting the media and popr opinion was Hond Corporation¡¯s specialty. There were many politicians who went along with Patrick¡¯s n. They dreamt of a Casino Roulette, but what they actually faced after being tricked was a Russian Roulette.


    Patrick Hond took a shit.


    And it was a big and smelly one that sshed irresponsibly. At first, it was just Emily Karen who sniffed it out and pounced, but the longer the toilet stayed uncleaned, the more flies that swarmed around it. They had to kill the businessman who sold the defective toilet and rid of the toilet reinvestigation documents.


    ¡°The shield has been secured.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not moving.¡±


    If Logan¡¯s party had left the police station, they would have been beat up as soon as they got outside.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the police?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in a bit of amotion.¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have until the governor gets involved?¡±


    ¡°Both the mayor and governor will hesitate.¡±


    Dispatching the national guards in New York was a big risk. The New York terrorist attack involving Scott Davis was hard to control, but if the mayor and governor failed to control this crisis, they would have no choice but to resign. The reason why America tried so hard not to lose jurisdiction was because everything was political.


    This country began with politics and would end with politics.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate to see New York go down again, but we have to survive.¡±


    ******


    Bang, bang, bang-


    Gunshots surrounded the police station. New York was cked out with smokeing out of it. There wasn¡¯t a big riot likest time, but there were always opportunists looking to fill their greed whenever they could.


    When there was less being monitored in the dark, people became more truthful to their greed. The New York citizens and tourists hide in their houses or amodations to avoid thieves and thugs. As a result of the media¡¯s fast action, there were predators all over downtown. And in the slums where the police weren¡¯t dispatched to, a riot started to break out.


    What was it that they learned in thest tragedy? It was possible that the prayers given for the New York citizens were useless in front of instinct and greed. What was for certain was that they weren¡¯t going to be victims again this time. That was because there were more than 1 million guns registered in New York now. As a result, there were more gunshots than before along with the ck smoke. The police weren¡¯t shooting toward suspects. The shop owners were shooting at predators, and homeowners were shooting at thieves in order to protect their lives and wealth.


    In the midst of the gun battles in the city, the strongest gunfight started with the assants surrounding Logan and his party.


    Bang, bang, bang- Bang-


    One was trying to steal while another was trying to protect.


    The strong firepower and the blockage ofmunication and capital expressed Caroline¡¯s desperation. There was nothing favorable about the location of the police station surrounded by high-rise buildings. The assants who already secured good locations starteding in one step at a time.


    ¡°How annoying.¡±


    Fisher¡¯s hands were busy loading his gun, and Richard lowered his body and approached.


    ¡°What about the additional staff?¡±


    ¡°No good. Someone¡¯s jamming themunication.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a military weapon?¡±


    ¡°They came here to die. Good thing they don¡¯t have a tank.¡±


    Just as he said that, Richard and Fisher flinched at the sound of an engine. It wasn¡¯t a train. It sounded more like an armored vehicle. Both of them looked outside and swore at the same time.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    How was it possible for an armored car to go around the streets of New York? They knew that the police station didn¡¯t have any rocketunchers or anti-tanks.


    ¡°Iing!¡±


    As soon as the outside situation looked bad, Caroline made a decision. If there was no way of running or shielding, she had no choice but to resort to another method.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Set it off.¡±


    ¡°The building could copse.¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s subordinate expressed his worry. Whenever Americans nned the development of a city, they always considered beauty. For that reason, many water pipes and wires that didn¡¯t look pleasant were all buried underground.


    But that didn¡¯t mean they dug holes everywhere like Korea. Instead, they made them into tunnels that people could pass through. New York¡¯s underground was a maze. Since a lot of the high-rise buildings built parking lots underneath, they couldn¡¯t connect those, but under the police station that was over 100 years old, a path could be found.


    Bang-


    The building shook. In response, the head who was leading the attack against the police station picked up his walkie-talkie in shock.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±


    They did have a n to blow up the police station as ast-minute resort. But they didn¡¯t think they would have to end their lives along with the police station. This was truly ast resort.


    Negative!


    I heard it from inside!


    An armed caring in! The head ising in!


    The armed car finally entered the entrance of the police station. They sessfully brought in the armed car to use as a shield.


    Where did they all go?


    Check all floors!


    The rain of bullets suddenly stopped. The inside of the police station was an absolute tragedy. Most of the bodies belonged to police officers, but there were some dead assants as well.


    st floor clear!


    nd floor clear!


    rd floor clear!


    They searched through floors 1 to 5, but they didn¡¯t see even a shadow of Caroline or Richard.


    ¡°What about the basement?¡±


    The head urgently grabbed the walkie-talkie.


    Shit! They went this way!


    There was a hole.


    An underground passageway that reeked.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ******


    ¡°Did you have a n, Carol?¡±


    Richard walked next to Caroline who was leading the way.


    ¡°You... still have a lot to learn from Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°They say the smart rabbit digs up three caves. People like me and Soo Ho don¡¯t move on just one n.¡±


    They made sure to have a n C, D, and E, just in case n B didn¡¯t work out. The end of the dizzy underground passage was a New York subway station. As a result of the ckout, all of the subways halted their operations. Even if there wasn¡¯t a ckout, it was past their hours of operation. There were probably many people trapped within cars as a result of the sudden ckout.


    The police and firefighters of New York were both busy, and all of the public employees were busy as well. The thieves that moved in response to the darkness didn¡¯t make for much of an issue. The citizens tried to keep their mentality, but if the time came, they followed their instincts.


    Fisher, who was crossing the subway tform, raised his hand and stopped his party. In response, they all turned off their shlights. They heard footsteps. It was getting closer. There were those in military uniforms, in suits, as well as casual outfits. There were men, women, as well as children.


    Fisher knitted his brows.


    He just wanted them to pass by.


    But in order to get out, they had to go through the subway tform. The passengers, who were stuck, finally made their way out. They were all walking to find a way out. It was true that bad things all happened at once.


    As soon as the people saw a light, they screamed thinking they were being rescued.


    ¡°Here! Over here!¡±


    ¡°Phew! We¡¯re finally being saved!¡±


    ¡°We waited for hours!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! We have to vote for a new mayor!¡±


    ¡°Those damned government workers!¡±


    A man in a suit was grumblingints when he stopped. He expected a firefighter or a paramedic, but the person holding the light was wearing a ck uniform. On top of that, they were equipped with bombs and military knives.


    Were they from the special forces?


    They looked too fierce to be from the police.


    ¡°Are you the police... Ugh!¡±


    The man in the suit was about to ask a question when his head twisted and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The people behind him either fell back or stepped back. They were scared by the sudden violence. The head didn¡¯t care and ordered his subordinate to bring a floor n.


    ¡°Any other paths?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still checking... This way might be our best bet.¡±


    ¡°That Caroline Burn... I knew we shouldn¡¯t have underestimated that sly bitch.¡±


    ¡°Since we covered the whole ground in the subway tform, they won¡¯t be able to get away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    The head stared at the scared people. They weren¡¯t just ordinary viins. They usually just fought on the battlefield, but they had killed civilians as well. But they were just idents. They weren¡¯t psychopaths that went around killing everyone for no reason.


    ¡®If the ledger gets out, it¡¯s not just the politicians that are in trouble but us, too.¡¯


    The only reason why such viins of the mercenary world that only chased after money was still alive today was because of contracts. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t touch a single part of the contract. However, it was likely that in business involving big money, the methods were illegal.


    Contracts notarized through dual contacts included other uses, and that led to big profits. But if the ledger and double contracts were revealed, they would have had to face off against Ahn Soo Ho before the investigative authorities. After all, the contracts of special mercenaries were directly tied to trust. Even if it wasn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho, other mercenaries were bound to go after them.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the right ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Shall we search?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have time or manpower for that. The head grabbed the man in a suit with his hand.


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes?¡±


    Seeing from his fancy getup, he must be working on Wall Street. But then again, there was no way he would have used the subway in that case. But he shook his head again.


    ¡®But then again, it¡¯s faster to take the subway during rush hour.¡¯


    As soon as he put a gun to his head, he heard a shriek.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ro... Ron.¡±


    ¡°Ron, what¡¯s about to happen to you is because of someone who¡¯s hiding here. So beg me to keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°Ok... okay! Pl... please let me live!¡±


    ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°Let me live! Please!¡±


    Richard almost shot his gun in response to the screaming. If Fisher hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have done it. Fisher covered his lips with his finger and shook his head.


    ¡°Carol! If you give me the child, I¡¯ll let you, your underlings, and these people go! We want to rip Patrick Hond to shreds just like you! Let¡¯s negotiate!¡±


    Since they didn¡¯t know Hannah was Carol¡¯s granddaughter, they didn¡¯t understand Star Fox¡¯s strong retaliation.


    An aide approached and whispered in the head¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯lle out willingly?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not Carol... But Soo Ho¡¯s underlings are different.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re psychos that are obsessed with ying justice.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s direct troops were very skilled. But from the outside, they didn¡¯t look so favorable. People thought that they were just running on Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s authority and weapons without much else to offer.


    The head also agreed with that.


    Mercenaries were dirty by nature.


    Without Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s protection, the direct troops were nothing but war mercenaries that knew how to shoot. On top of that, they were amateurs who never had a taste of true cruelty.


    ¡®Mercenaries don¡¯t have a conscience. Those amateurs.¡¯


    The head pulled the trigger.


    Bang-


    A big hole went through the suited man¡¯s head.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Screaming and crying filled the underground. As soon as he shook his gun around, he chose a new target. It was a teenage girl.


    ¡°Pl... please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    The girl screamed with all her might after feeling the gun on her forehead. Fisher noticed Richard wriggling and held him back with his arm. If they sumbed to the viins¡¯ games, they were going to fail their original duties.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    The head clicked his tongue.


    ¡®Is one person not enough?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s underlings would have run out and tried to act like heroes. He didn¡¯t want to kill a girl in her teens, but he had no choice.


    ¡®Don¡¯t resent me for this.¡¯


    Just resent the person that was at the wrong ce at the wrong time. The head was about to pull the trigger when he started trembling.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He panted and looked down at his chest. There was a knife going through his chest.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    As soon as the knife was pulled, blood poured out like a fountain.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The girl was covered in blood. She screamed while the men around her had bullets go through their heads. Richard then stepped up and Fisher didn¡¯t stop him this time.


    Bang, bang- Bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    Once the gunfight ended, the assants were all on the ground. Richard took care of the trembling girl on the ground and yelled,


    ¡°Logan!?¡±


    A full camouge suit appeared from the darkness like a ghost.


    If he hadn¡¯t shown himself, they wouldn¡¯t have seen him even with a shlight. As soon as he uncovered his face, it was clear it was Logan. Logan urged the others without any time to lose.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving!¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    As soon as Richard pointed at the group of passengers, Logan shook his head.


    ¡°Disappearing is the best for their safety.¡±


    Logan led the others and exchanged nces with his brothers and sisters, Caroline, and Fisher.


    ¡°We have to get out of here, Carol. They¡¯re all over the ce upstairs, too.¡±


    ¡°How did you find us?¡±


    ¡°Just in case.¡±


    Logan epted Hannah¡¯s hug and then pointed at the tracker inside her stuffed bear.


    ¡°You¡¯re better than the rest of them, Logan.¡±


    Caroline smiled. Richard¡¯s face turned red, but no one looked at him orforted him. They exited through the underground parking lot of a high-rise building.


    As soon as Caroline saw the temporarily employed mercenaries and Christina, she was about to hit her over the head and then lowered her hand. She didn¡¯t want to hit Hannah¡¯s mother right in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll... see youter.¡±


    Caroline coldly got into the car. Logan gave Hannah to Christina and then got in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Head car departing!


    Number 2! Number 3 is also departing!


    Number 5! Number 6 is on standby!


    The ckout made the New York streets into parking lots, but they somehow managed to get through it. Their destination was the UN headquarters. They believed that not even the craziest would attack the UN headquarters.


    On top of that, the police were surrounding the UN headquarters, so they couldn¡¯t shoot at them easily. As soon as they were just 2 kilometers away from the UN headquarters, they were unexpectedly attacked. The opposition was psychos that exceeded Logan¡¯s imagination.


    Bang-


    Something flew over and knocked out the head car.


    ¡®RPG?¡¯


    The number 6 car also got hit and flew off.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Richard yelled into his walkie-talkie, and the other cars all managed to avoid the explosion. Logan stepped hard on the breaks. The SUV¡¯s engines made arge sound as it stopped.


    Crash-


    The car crashed into the car in front of it but still sped toward its destination. Richard from the passenger¡¯s seat yelled into his walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Disperse and head toward the destination!¡±


    The men in cars 1 and 6 were injured, but they weren¡¯t going to die. That was because as long as missiles weren¡¯t used, the SUV was capable of protecting them from RPGs.


    Logan got a weird feeling and immediately turned the wheel. The car almost flipped over, but thankfully, it was okay. Christina had Hannah in her arms as she got swept to the side, but another explosion got in the way of their chance to scream.


    Bang-


    It was a real missile this time.


    ¡°Those crazy bastards!¡±


    They fired it, intending to kill.


    ¡°Step on it, Logan!¡±


    Logan sped up in response. However, it couldn¡¯t exceed the speed of the missiles.


    Bang-


    The impact caused the SUV to roll over. The car then ran into the show window of a shop. The strong ss as well as the crime prevention shutter both went out.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Logan was the first toe to his senses inside the car. He first took out a knife and cut himself out of his seatbelt. He heard Christina groaning. Thankfully, Hannah wasn¡¯t hurt. But Richard definitely was.


    The missile was unable to break through the car¡¯s body, but a ss that flew at him cut through his shoulder into the seat.


    ¡°Ugh! Go without me, Logan.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    They couldn¡¯t do anything with their bare hands. Logan got Christina and Hannah out of the car and then looked back at Richard, who handed him a gun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die! I¡¯ll be back!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like the type to die easily? Go on!¡±


    Logan helped Christina up when she stumbled with Hannah in her arms and then started walking.


    ¡®What happened to my rxing vacation?¡¯


    A vacation was supposed to be fun, but once he got back to America, nothing was that fun at all. Logan got the feeling that the opposition was no ordinary person. He held up Christina with one hand and held Hannah¡¯s hand with the other as he got ready to avoid any kind of fight.


    ¡®Where do we run to?¡¯


    The problem was that there was nowhere to hide.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t fight like this.


    They were close to running into them.


    Logan had to make a choice, and he boldly tried to let go of Christina¡¯s hand. But there was no need. An SUV ran into the assants. It kept going without stopping.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Loganughed once he saw Rosaline get out of the driver¡¯s seat. What was funnier was that Caroline stepped on the eyes of one of them on the ground with her heels.


    Kill heel.


    She killed him.


    An eyeball and some nerves came out along with her heel. Caroline brushed off her shoes with an annoyed look on her face. How strong was she that she killed a man with her heel? She wasn¡¯t annoyed that she killed, but she was annoyed that she got her heels dirty. Logan stared at her.


    Did she notice?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Caroline shrugged her shoulders and Loganughed once more.


    Christian Louboutin limited edition.


    Luxury goods were expensive for a reason.


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [8] > The end.

 Chapter 214: < Protect – Side Story – Logan’s Adventure [9] >

    <h4>Chapter 214: < Protect ¨C Side Story ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [9] ></h4>


    Christina¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t serious. She just broke her pinky. Most normal people would have screamed in pain, but she wasn¡¯t an ordinary woman either. Logan kept his promise. He returned for Richard and saved him. He wasn¡¯t a medical professional, but as a mercenary, he knew the basics.


    As they got closer to the UN headquarters, the assants no longer tailed them. Did they give up? They didn¡¯t know that much. It was easy to enter the UN headquarters because they sold out Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name. Thanks to his reputation, Logan and his underlings were also registered with the UN.


    Logan sighed as he saw Richard being looked after by a medical professional. Just in case, the remaining underlings stuck with Richard. By sending them, Logan was implying that they get treated as well.


    Unlike him, Caroline, Fisher, and the other mercenaries put all their effort into entering. Caroline wasn¡¯t a former criminal or a wanted criminal, but since she was suspected for a lot of things, her past was famous within the UN. Letting a risky individual like her roam free within the UN headquarters was too much for the security to handle.


    If Logan hadn¡¯t sold out Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name again, the situation would have be moreplicated. After seeing Richard off, he smiled at the cold vibe. What led the strange vibe was the battle over Hannah between Caroline and Christina.


    ¡®It¡¯s like a mother-inw and daughter-inw drama that you see on TV.¡¯


    Most conflicts just ended with sshing water on someone¡¯s face, but the mother-inw and daughter-inw in front of him were women who knew how to use guns. Their scale was different.


    Logan hit Rosaline on her side.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting over who¡¯ll raise Hannah.¡±


    Christina had no interest in giving up custody on Hannah, and Caroline had no interest in giving way when she was the only granddaughter she had through her dead son.


    Strong vs. Strong


    Rosaline pped her hands and stepped up.


    ¡°You two fighting won¡¯t help the child.¡±


    She attempted to mediate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you fight or go to court, but don¡¯t hurt Hannah. So maybe I should look after her for the time being.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    The problem was that neither Christina nor Caroline approved of the mediator. So the fight between two turned into a fight between three.


    Logan pressed his forehead with his finger.


    ¡®It¡¯s like pouring oil over a house on fire.¡¯


    Rosaline didn¡¯t want to lose Hannah either. The men who were sighing from the corner gathered as well.


    Logan offered Fisher a handshake.


    ¡°Thank you, Fisher.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Any harm?¡±


    Fisher lost quite a few subordinates while stopping the assants at the police station and participating in the gunfight on their way to the UN headquarters.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we get for being mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back somehow.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Fisher refused.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your job, Logan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better be. But did you talk with Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Why would I tell him about this...?¡±


    But he did give him a call. And even if he hadn¡¯t, his boss would have known.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to make it clear. The UN won¡¯t always be friendly. This ce could actually be more dangerous than the outside.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because Patrick Hond¡¯s business isn¡¯t restricted to just America.¡±


    America was at the center of international politics, but it wasn¡¯t just American politicians who had influence over the internationalmunity.


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s not just Americans who are after him.¡±


    Logan nodded in response.


    He was right. The names he saw on the ledger were all famous. If their corrupted acts were to be released through the media, it would cause a wave bigger than that of the Davis Scandal.


    The UN headquarters was a great bait to those who just wanted to cause terror, but to those chasing after the ledger, it was like a safe cottage. If the UN headquarters was to be attacked, that was like proposing to fight against the world. Since they needed to live to make aeback, they couldn¡¯t just jump into the fire. But those with power couldn¡¯t give up until the end.


    If they were unable to make a big attack, they could hire professional contractors. This wasn¡¯t known to the world, but the Ang circle¡¯s break gave life to the assassins who had been holding back all this time.


    From a certain point, there were countless free agents avable.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    As soon as Fisher reached out his hand, Logan handed him the USB. A promise was a promise.


    ¡°Are you going to lure Hond with that?¡±


    Fisher smirked in response.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s already in here.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    As soon as Logan took a step forward, Fisher stepped backward. Logan couldn¡¯t take any more steps because manyser pointers were covering his chest.


    ¡°Rx.¡±


    Fisher took another step back.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°This is for the happy ending that everyone wants.¡±


    The suited men that came into the meeting room had silenced guns in their hands. They were security guards. After that, a white middle-aged man came in, and after that was a middle eastern man, an African, and an Asian.


    All sorts of races could be seen as if they were at a UN meeting. However, no one held up guns at a UN meeting. Logan stepped in front of Rosaline, Hannah, Caroline, and Christina.


    Fisher handed the USB to the white man at the front.


    ¡°This is the item I promised you. I trust that you won¡¯t chase us down anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    American ambassador, Donald Townsend,


    Before he became a UN American ambassador, he was an analyst with the CIA. He was a man that was pulled into the Davis administration in order to gather information.


    ¡°Were you the mastermind?¡±


    ¡°No, no. We¡¯re not hoodlums that always put violence first. Civilized men should put rationality and negotiation first.¡±


    ¡°Then who are the ones that attacked us?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡±


    ¡°Is the vice president really behind it?¡±


    ¡°The vice president and his party. There are tons of thugs in our country that still think the world is in the middle ages. America also has a high illiteracy rate, too. It¡¯s barbaric.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re creating a future. We¡¯re a true leader group that¡¯s leading the world. It¡¯s insulting topare us to foolish politicians that are hung up about public opinion...¡±


    Main leads of the international stage.


    Not all of the UN was there, but international order was impossible without going through them first. Not even the leader of each country could mess with the ambassadors of the UN.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to reunite this way either, Logan.¡±


    Townsend and Logan had met before. Of course, they met through Ahn Soo Ho, but they knew each other.


    ¡°Does Eaton know as well?¡±


    ¡°Jeremy doesn¡¯t know anything yet.¡±


    Since Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare was in an iffy position between the director and standing director, he couldn¡¯tpletely control the CIA. He didn¡¯t see Townsend¡¯s name in the secret ledger. And if that was the case, he wasn¡¯t chasing the ledger out of fear of being exposed, but because he wanted to use it as a weapon to stand at the top of the international stage.


    ¡®Is this the change that Issac was talking about?¡¯


    The greedy food chain that the Ang circle had controlled for half a century. It was possible that the change caused by Issac, Michel, and J-Law¡¯s absence had started.


    ¡°What about Hond?¡±


    ¡°Haha. No matter how hard he tries, he¡¯ll always be in the palm of our hands.¡±


    Was that how it was? Once the hunt ended, the hunting dog was killed. Patrick Hond tried not to be that hunting dog, but above a strong man was another strong man.


    ¡°So you tricked the world into thinking you didn¡¯t catch him.¡±


    ¡°We needed a bullet bait for the media and the public.¡±


    It sounded as though they needed a scapegoat for the second tragedy that happened on the night of New York.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ept this?¡±


    Townsendughed in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, my friend. The only reason why we kept you alive is because of Soo Ho. If not, you would have died already. So stop fooling around. Without your guardian, you¡¯re nothing but another consumable.¡±


    It was true.


    There was no such thing as trust in the mercenary world until Ahn Soo Ho appeared. Employers were always out to squeeze their employees dry, and the mercenaries did whatever they could to look for a chance to betray their clients.


    It was a dog eat dog world.


    All they did was vite contracts. It was a rtionship where allies stabbing each other in the back were normal. Ahn Soo Ho was the first to find a client that breached a contract and imed them.


    The reason why people listened to only him in the mercenary world filled with psychos was because he was the onlymunication channel one couldin to. He was an objective judge and a guardian angel whoforted those who were wronged.


    Whenever people couldn¡¯t do things on their own, they looked for Ahn Soo Ho. He could be trusted more than the White House, and he was more powerful than the US military. No one doubted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s promises.


    ¡°Logan, Logan. If it wasn¡¯t for Ahn Soo Ho, you¡¯d be buried in the ground already. Know your ce.¡±


    Logan was unable to protest in response to Townsend¡¯s ridicule. Logan and his underlings were not powerful enough to go against a giant who was controlling the international society.


    ¡°Shut your mouth, you crazy bastard.¡±


    It was Caroline who got back at Townsend in Logan¡¯s stead.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like you¡¯re actually something, Donald. Aren¡¯t you just an old hyena from the CIA, too? Who are you trying to teach? What an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Carol... I see your ugly words haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    Caroline ignored Townsend and called over Fisher.


    p-


    A loud p sound rang through the meeting room.


    p, p-


    Fisher didn¡¯t make a single sound while being pped. Blood started dripping from his mouth.


    ¡°Who asked you to worry about me, damn it?¡±


    Fisher and Caroline had been together for 30 years. The reason she was mad wasn¡¯t because he brought them to the UN or because he handed them the USB. It was the fact that he tricked her in order to protect her. That was what made Caroline mad.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    Fisher didn¡¯t respond and Townsend jumped in.


    ¡°Ever since the transport troop failed in Cuba, Carol.¡±


    At that time, Fisher didn¡¯t know Hannah was Caroline¡¯s granddaughter.


    ¡°Because of Logan, right?¡±


    ¡°Fisher worried about fighting against Logan. All because of Soo Ho.¡±


    Caroline stared at Fisher with both pity and sympathy. They had been together for 30 years. He was like a little brother to her. When she had a son, he was there to be happy with her, and when he passed away, he was there to mourn with her. They were one family. She understood his worry, but she felt disgusted.


    ¡°You¡¯re fired...¡±


    Fisher didn¡¯t say anything to do that either. After catching her breath, she stared at Townsend.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that bastard, Hond?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand him over if you agree to the deal.¡±


    As soon as Caroline nodded, Townsend gestured to his subordinate with his chin. As soon as the door opened, a gagged Patrick Hond with his limb tied rolled out in a wheelchair. The UN headquarters kidnapped someone and confined them, but no one here thought that was weird.


    Caroline ungagged him.


    ¡°Lo... long time no see, Carol.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hi, Patrick.¡±


    She was so ragged that she actually felt at peace. Her facial expression didn¡¯t change much. Caroline, who was just staring at Patrick Hond, looked back at Townsend.


    ¡°Are you going to make him responsible for the terrorism?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll call him an anarchist who suffered in the Nigerian war. We gathered things from the anti-government groups and the political terrors that Hond Corporationmitted toe up with a scenario that makes sense.¡±


    Donald Townsend was a former CIA agent who was skilled in conspiracy. Caroline stared at him and thenughed.


    ¡°Is it the Republicans?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°They must be considering you as the next candidate, Donald.¡±


    Townsend shrugged his shoulders.


    All businesses were connected by politics. The people of all skin colors looked at each other. They were the international leaders that Townsend had slowly gathered. If he happened to enter the White House, they were bound to benefit as well.


    ¡®He¡¯s copying Soo Ho.¡¯


    Getting closer to power wasn¡¯t the only mission for Ahn Soo Ho¡¯swork scattered all over the world. His strategy was more about getting closer to voters who were the force that created power. Rather than revolutionists with uncertain beliefs, it was more useful to go toward the people who were smarter than the average and more honest to their greed.


    It was actually the hands-on-workers of the UN that truly controlled the UN. The departments under the UN had elites that were fostering future leader groups.


    Caroline shook her head.


    She had no interest in the new international order. Just like Ahn Soo Ho thought, she didn¡¯t care what happened to the world. Even without her, the world functioned just fine.


    ¡°Why did you kill my son, Patrick?¡±


    It was a question she was curious about but was hard to ask.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, Carol! It wasn¡¯t me!¡±


    ¡°There are countless witnesses.¡±


    The Keh Burn case wasn¡¯t some mystery case that was a part of a detective story. The murder took ce in the middle of the streets in New York, Broadway.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t kill your son, Carol.¡±


    All bodies of the room stood up in response to the sudden voice. Their eyes allnded in one ce. Since when was it? He had his legs on the table and his chair leaned back. He had his fingers intertwined in a veryfortable position. As soon as everyone looked at him, he nced back.


    The one they were avoiding.


    They one they were happy to see.


    They one they were afraid of.


    Everyone responded differently. Caroline didn¡¯t hide, greet, or express happiness to see him. She just stared at him intensely.


    ¡°Then who was it, Soo Ho?¡± Who killed my son?¡±


    Soo Ho.


    It was him. The man who quietly entered the meeting room was Ahn Soo Ho, who should have been in Hawaii. Those who were supposed to be monitoring him were taken aback.


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I probably don¡¯t need to introduce myself... Look at all this, Logan. Did you have a fun time without me?¡±


    Logan had no choice but tough along at his boss¡¯id back attitude. Ahn Soo Ho looked at Logan and made a strange face.


    ¡°You aged a lot while I haven¡¯t seen you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I came to a realization.¡±


    ¡°A realization? I¡¯d like to hear it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pressed him to tell him more, and Logan swiped his face with his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard after leaving home.¡±


    He truly realized something important. Ahn Soo Ho pped his hands with joy and then looked at Townsend and his underlings. Caroline Burn and Patrick Hond were just bonuses.


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s resolve all the annoying problems between us!¡±


    Donald? He had a lot to talk about with the New York duck.


    < Protect ¨C Logan¡¯s Adventure [9] > The end.

 Chapter 215: < Protect – Episode 205 – Trip To Europe [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 215: < Protect ¨C Episode 205 ¨C Trip To Europe [1] ></h4>


    ¡°Donald... Duck?¡±


    Logan was the only one tough at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s joke. Caroline was ready to jump in with a serious look on her face, and Rosaline went to the corner with Hannah in her arms.


    ¡°Seeing how you don¡¯t discriminate based on race, the future of UN sure seems bright.¡±


    All different skin colors.


    The allied forces that Donald Townsend gathered in order to intimidate people wasn¡¯t very threatening to Ahn Soo Ho. It seemed as though this New York duck really wanted to make it known that he was treated as an important person.


    ¡°Okay, who wants to get out of this shitty situation? Only the first five get to go.¡±


    Once the first person stepped up, the others swarmed in after him. Despite being ambassadors representing their countries, their bodily actions seemed veryedic.


    ¡°One, two, three, four, five. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Thest one to be chosen was a ck man.


    ¡°You can go.¡±


    Those who couldn¡¯t leave looked at the ones who were leaving without any hesitation with eyes of envy. Just a few minutes ago, the thugs dressed up as security guards were threatening Logan.


    One of the underlings who followed Richard and a medical professional came back and stood next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°The surgery ended well.¡±


    ¡°What about his arm? Can he use it again?¡±


    Richard¡¯s injury was quite deep. The ss that prated his shoulder destroyed his corbone.


    ¡°They¡¯re putting something in his bone... but we won¡¯t know until rehab.¡±


    ¡°I guess he¡¯ll never be able to pass a security point again.¡±


    Since they¡¯d put some kind of metal inside, the machines would beep every time he passes through.


    ¡°Look into a better orthopedic surgeon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Find a good one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as the underling left, Ahn Soo Ho smiled. But his smile wasn¡¯t out of happiness.


    ¡°There goes another man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Logan apologized.


    ¡°No need for you to apologize. Since they volunteered, it¡¯s no one else¡¯s fault... Ipasha. Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. But I took care of Enrique.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be just Ipasha who was involved. Didn¡¯t you say you saw Ainscreutz, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t get their sh*t together after I let them free.¡±


    If they attacked knowing they were Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s direct troop, they were challenging him directly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of thatter... What should I do with you?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked at the men that remained.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t attack Logan, Soo Ho. The one who attacked them was the vice president¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not responsible, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Well... what do you want us to do about it?¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho reached out his hand, a revolver appeared in the air. It was just like magic.


    Bang-


    Along with the bullet sound, Patrick Hond copsed in his chair. Since the bullet went right through his brain, there was no way he coulde back as a zombie.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Caroline screamed his name. She was angry that he took her feed away.


    ¡°Take care of it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho ordered Donald and then looked back at Caroline who was huffing and puffing. She was about to pounce if she didn¡¯t like his excuse.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.


    ¡°I already told you, Carol.¡±


    He was able to fry up the New York duck with no problems, but Star Fox was even more dangerous than Hector Garcia. And a mother who lost her baby was especially scary.


    ¡°Patrick Hond didn¡¯t kill your son.¡±


    ¡°Then who killed Kenny?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in the affairs of other people. However, in order to resolve an issue, he had to know the truth. As soon as he saw someone monitor him right after Logan left for vacation, he knew something was up.


    And it took less than a day for that prediction to be confirmed.


    ¡®A daughter?¡¯


    Logan¡¯s daughter dropped from the sky out of nowhere.


    If it was true, this was a blessing, but something smelled fishy. And after receiving a report, he realized someone dragged Logan into a situation. But why Logan?


    And the person Ahn Soo Ho focused on wasn¡¯t Keh Burn, Caroline Burn, or Patrick Hond.


    The American vice president, Evelyn Parmer?


    American ambassador, Donald Townsend?


    They were all insignificant.


    The person Ahn Soo Ho put focus on was Christina McQueen.


    ¡®Logan¡¯s old ssmate and Hannah McQueen¡¯s birth mother...¡¯


    The beginning of this case wasn¡¯t simply Patrick Hond¡¯s betrayal or Keh Burn¡¯s death. It all started when Christina sent her daughter¡ªHannah¡ªto Logan¡¯s sister, Rosaline.


    ¡®How interesting.¡¯


    He was curious to see how they would react if they found out that everything started with her.


    ¡°Like I said, it wasn¡¯t Hond who killed Keh.¡±


    Christina was the director, Hannah was the main lead, and Logan and his Young family, as well as Caroline, were supporting actors while Patrick Hond was an extra. Then what about the American vice president? He was the viin. And Donald Townsend? He was simply a ck curtain that decorated the finale. If they had to give the best actress award to someone, it would have been Hannah, but she had no idea what she did.


    And what she was doing wasn¡¯t acting.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop the acting, Christine. Isn¡¯t having Hond dead enough?¡±


    People flinched once they saw who Ahn Soo Ho was looking at. She was taken aback, but despite having a broken picky, she pped for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Soo Ho. You¡¯re just as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Christina stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Mywork is even more vast than you can imagine. And my people aren¡¯t restricted to power alone. That would be too easy. Those fools think they can have power as long as they win over the elites, but that¡¯s not how it works in this world.¡±


    Donald Townsend raged after being called a fool. He was just ridiculing Logan, and despite being turned the victim, he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡®I¡¯m lying...¡¯


    It was a lie. Hiswork was vast, but not that vast. But he couldn¡¯t tell her of his powers, so he packaged it in a different way. She must have been curious because she had a lot of questions for him.


    ¡°Soo Ho, you were in Hawaii just a few minutes ago. So how are you in New York already?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your prediction?¡±


    ¡°I think you have the power to teleport. If not, this can¡¯t be exined.¡±


    ¡°So have you thought of a way to stop me?¡±


    ¡°No. If you can teleport... there¡¯s no way of stopping you. What a big world...¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Are there others like you?¡±


    ¡°There are lots if you just look.¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense is this?¡±


    Caroline jumped into the conversation with a confused look on her face.


    ¡°So who killed my son, Soo Ho?¡±


    That was the only thing she wanted to know.


    ¡°That¡¯s not for me to answer.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked over at Christina, and Caroline followed his gaze. It was possible that on one hand, she was epting her as her son¡¯s other half.


    ¡°Keh Burn was a monster.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Caroline¡¯s face changed in response to Christina¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Your son was a monster, Carol.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Who killed him? That¡¯s right. It was me.¡±


    Christina didn¡¯t look guilty. Ahn Soo Ho held on to Caroline from moving. If he hadn¡¯t, there would have been a catfight.


    ¡°Monster.¡±


    But Christina¡¯s lips didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t human. He was a monster.¡±


    ******


    Christina McQueen loved Keh Burn.


    Age difference didn¡¯t matter when a man and a woman were in love. Of course, it was illegal and immoral to love an underaged person, but she followed her heart. It was just painful to be distant with Caroline, whom she looked up to. But she didn¡¯t regret it. But when she realized that he only felt half the way she did, her heart ached like crazy.


    He was simply satisfying his sexual desires.


    The feeling that he felt was simply a rite of passage for a kid bing a man.


    But she didn¡¯t hold on.


    She couldn¡¯t stand to lose thest bit of pride she had left. She thought that was how their love was going to end. However, a few months after Keh left with Caroline, she learned that she was pregnant.


    At first, she tried to get an abortion.


    ¡°A kid has no faults.¡±


    Christina looked at Hannah, who was in Rosaline¡¯s arms.


    ¡°How did you get involved with Patrick?¡±


    ¡°That scumbag... provided women, gambling, and drugs to anyone who could be of help to politicians and his business. He was then caught by Morgan¡¯s radar.¡±


    After giving birth, Christina contemted leaving Absent Morgan, but there were few ces as safe as that one. She approached Patrick in order to expose Hond Corporation¡¯s corruption, but sheter learned that the case was moreplicated than she thought.


    ¡°The New York terrorist attack actually had nothing to do with Scott Davis.¡±


    All Americans thought Scott Davis was behind the New York terrorist attack, but that n had been in the works years beforehand. Davis was simply used during the final stages.


    New York was the most famous city in the world.


    Everyone in the whole world knew the city. Since New York, Newyorkers, New York fashion, education, and business were all famous, everything that happened in the city became big money. There was even the saying that if all of New York¡¯s real estate was sold, one could buy half of Asia.


    The politicians, businessmen, and powerful men involved with Hond Corporation usedplete destruction as coteral for their New York redevelopment n.


    ¡°Huxley Group was just the tip of the iceberg. And there¡¯s an even crueler secret hidden within.¡±


    ¡°I remember hearing about it from Barbara.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had heard about the New York redevelopment n conspiracy from Barbara before.


    ¡°Club Ernest.¡±


    A social club centered around New York and including Northeast America and Western Europe. Considering the value of freedom and equality in the States, it was hard to imagine a club only with the top 0.01% taking ce. But since the country valued privacy, even more, the social club stood at the forefront of the country¡¯s future. In particr, the social clubs of famous universities had everything they could have ever wanted.


    The silver spoons of America entered the social world early.


    Rather than moving in secret like in Korea, they showed off their vibrant connections to everyone. They lived the lives that everyone wanted, so they unted it and made issues out of it.


    People talked down on the rich, but when the opportunity came to them, they snatched it right up. They were willing to be rich first and then deal with the legalities afterward. There was no more democracy in that. The beliefs that brought up America back in the 1960s and 70s no longer existed.


    All that was left was mammonism.


    Christina and Keh had met again 3 years earlier.


    ¡°When I met Keh again... the innocent boy was no longer within him.¡±


    Keh Burn went through all sorts of fights as he followed Caroline around since he was little. At that rate, he was the top student of a crime elite ss. His mother didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it, but her son was the top killing machine.


    The kind son that his mother wanted no longer existed.


    ¡°All he was was a monster who harassed and hurt people.¡±


    It was fascinating how such a psycho could be produced naturally without the use of a program like Ultra. Caroline didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Keh was a psychopath. One that desperately wanted power.


    ¡°Is that why you killed him?¡±


    ¡°If that was it, I wouldn¡¯t have hurt him.¡±


    To be frank, Patrick Hond was more of a scumbag than Keh.


    ¡°So there was something you couldn¡¯t stand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°You probably already know.¡±


    ¡°Just exin it for Carol. The one keeping you alive is her, not me.¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho let go of her, she would have ripped her to shreds. Christina looked at Caroline with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Keh was dying.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He had leukemia that¡¯s gic.¡±


    ¡°How? He didn¡¯t tell me! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Caroline wasn¡¯t asking Christina. She was asking her son who was now dead.


    ¡°Moms can¡¯t cure diseases, Carol.¡±


    Keh had gone mad. He didn¡¯t get why he had to die at such a young age. At first, he resented his unknown father, and then he resented his mother, Caroline.


    ¡°The reason why he roamed around Hond and me...¡±


    As soon as Christina trailed off, Caroline mumbled,


    ¡°Cord blood.¡±


    Cord blood was what could increase the likelihood of making the disease curable. However, one could only use it once with one person. Caroline gasped in response.


    ¡°You gave it to him.¡±


    ¡°He was still my child¡¯s father. I wanted him to live.¡±


    That was what happened.


    She had no intention of killing him at the start. She no longer loved him, but he was still Hannah¡¯s father. He had the right to see his daughter grow up. However, the stem cells obtained from the cord blood was unable to treat him.


    ¡°However, it failed.¡±


    And then he really went nuts.


    ¡°He...¡±


    Christina stopped talking either because her throat was dry or because she was in mental pain.


    ¡°He nned something that he shouldn¡¯t have. He lost what was left of his conscience. He wanted his daughter...¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Caroline shook her head for her to stop talking. She wobbled and Fisher held her up. Caroline felt the most intense fear she felt in her life after thinking about what she was about to say next. She didn¡¯t want the beautiful memories in her head to shatter.


    Christina shut her mouth.


    Caroline pushed Fisher away and walked toward Christina. Logan flinched, but Ahn Soo Ho raised his hand to let her go ahead. Whether someone died or not, it was for them to settle.


    Rather than hitting Christina, Caroline hugged her tight. She then whispered something in her ears. After a long hug, Ahn Soo Ho cleared the air with his pping.


    p, p, p-


    ¡°Stop filming a drama, you two. Let¡¯s resolve this.¡±


    Their tragedy was heartbreaking, but Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t have much care for this Keh Burn character. He just wanted to resolve thismotion.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Carol?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll step back.¡±


    ¡°No more revenge?¡±


    ¡°Hannah needs a mother.¡±


    ¡°Wow... You sound like a true grandmother. What happened to the irondy?¡±


    ¡°Are you calling me old?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. You¡¯re a grandmother, you know. That¡¯s the reality.¡±


    Caroline gave him the middle finger. Ahn Soo Ho ignored her and looked back at Donald Townsend.


    ¡°New York Duck.¡±


    He must have gotten used to this name because he didn¡¯t seem insulted anymore. He just kept looking at the clock. It seemed as though he wanted all of this to end.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you shame the White House, if you bring down the vice president, or if you ruin the Democratic party.¡±


    He had no interest in getting involved with a conspirer. The cleanest method was to turn the New York duck into Foie gras, but it was best to let Donald Duck live if he didn¡¯t want more bothersome problems.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, and you don¡¯t want to see me. So let¡¯s resolve this quickly.¡±


    Ahn Soo ho hatedplicated things.


    ¡°Fix it. Now.¡±


    In the middle of watching the different colored heads leave, he lifted his finger as if he remembered something.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about something, Christine.¡±


    There was a mystery that not even his magic could solve.


    ¡°Why did you kill Keh in the middle of the streets by Broadway? You could have done it more quietly.¡±


    There was no reason to tell everyone that she had to kill Crazy Keh. Caroline looked at Ahn Soo Ho as if she felt bothered about him mentioning her dead son again, but she didn¡¯t interfere.


    He couldn¡¯t stand being curious.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Christina looked at Caroline and then cautiously answered.


    ¡°A gang did it.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t do it yourself.¡±


    She said she killed him, but she wasn¡¯t the one that pulled the trigger.


    ¡®Absent Morgan.¡¯


    While Kadesh Morken was mostly men, Absent Mogan was mostly women. In contrast to Kadesh Morken, which was specialized in terror and force, Absent Morgan was strong in camouge and information.


    Just like how the fact that Alleyas Frovesa used handicapped men came with both pros and cons, Absent Morgan faced pros and cons because they were mostly women. In most cultures, women and children were perceived to be weak, needing protection. That was a different issue from equality. But Absent Morgan taught them to scorn men who tried to control women.


    Im was their enemy.


    So was Christianity and Buddhism.


    Actually, they perceived all religion to wrong women. Women full of rage. The world looked down on them, but today¡¯s Absent Morgan took up a key role in the world.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Eaton.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chaotic because of New York... Huh? Are you...¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯m at the UN headquarters.¡±


    Just like the New York duck said, Jeremy Eaton O¡¯Hare had yet to hold control over the CIA.


    ¡°What about the request I madest time?¡±


    ¡°To dig into the White House?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Does the vice president have to do with this?¡±


    Evelyn Parmer was someone that Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t know well. As President Olsen took over after the downfall due to the Davis Scandal, this vice president naturally took the post with the support of both parties.


    ¡°You must have found something.¡±


    ¡°D. Punch.¡±


    This was his second time hearing the name following the Nigerian kidnapping case.


    ¡°France, huh...?¡±


    ¡°France keeps getting in the way nowadays. Soo Ho, something¡¯s definitely up.¡±


    Same went for Ransel Straussmow. The French of Europe kept getting in the way.


    ¡°I¡¯d better meet with the vice presidentter.¡±


    ¡°Not now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s somewhere I have to go first. I¡¯ll visit the White House after that.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Look here, Eaton. Like I said before, I¡¯m not some kind of psychopath that just goes around killing everyone.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a no.


    ¡°I feel hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    If someone who he had killed heard that, they would have sprung up from their grave.


    ¡°Is New York all right?¡±


    ¡°Why? Did the president say something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. At times like this, I¡¯m d I¡¯m just the stand-in director. The NSA and Homnd Security are in mourning. Do you have any information?¡±


    ¡°Patrick Hond.¡±


    ¡°Hond Corporation? The one that went bankrupt and fled?¡±


    ¡°Ipasha and Ainscreutz.¡±


    ¡°European mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can give you, Eaton.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho finished the call and then looked back at his party.


    ¡°Carol, Christine, Logan, Fisher, and the rest of you.¡±


    The Young siblings got mad at being called the rest of them and Hannah just dozed off.


    ¡°You need toe with me.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed his finger in response to Caroline¡¯s question.


    ¡°Paris.¡±


    There was a lot to leach off of in Paris.


    ¡®I heard they have a lot of gold and cultural assets.¡¯


    Since they disturbed his vacation, he was going to take everything he could get.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 205 ¨C Trip To Europe [1] > The end.

 Chapter 216: < Protect – Episode 206 – Trip To Europe [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 216: < Protect ¨C Episode 206 ¨C Trip To Europe [2] ></h4>


    If one asked people who knew Ahn Soo Ho and why they were scared of him, they would have pointed out his outstanding force. However, what was truly scary was his magical ability to make people tell the truth without realizing why.


    The inevitable magic of his.


    Bothmon people and trained spies felt powerless in front of Ahn Soo Ho. It was amazing how even former KGB agents and CIA agents surrendered to him. Caroline, who once led Absent Morgan, was a very scary woman. Then what about Christina McQueen? The agents of Absent Morgan were all malicious. And when Ahn Soo Ho made two such women create a soap opera scene, it was Logan who was beyond fascinated.


    ¡®Are all supernatural beings like this?¡¯


    That wasn¡¯t the case.


    The supernatural beings that he had seen while following Ahn Soo Ho around mostly died when they were shot. There were surely those who were as strong as the Hulk, but their strength was only momentary, not permanent.


    There were very few supernatural beings that were stronger than a gun.


    But the abilities that his boss showed off were beyond logical reasoning. Just like what Christina asked, it was highly likely that Ahn Soo Ho was just in Hawaii. If he really had the ability to teleport, that would make him the God of modern times.


    ¡®Do I really feel this way?¡¯


    He thought that way at times.


    Was his loyalty and respect for his boss sincere? Or was he simply being controlled by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s powers? The fact that he suspected this also suggested that his reasoning abilities were still alive.


    Not even Donald Townsend could mess with Ahn Soo Ho. And that wasn¡¯t all. Even the vice president and their party stopped harassing Logan and his party as soon as Ahn Soo Ho appeared. The mercenaries that were caught with double contracts fled and hid, and the FBI, CIA, and NSA were caught up trying to look after the mess.


    America was no longer superior.


    But those who were leading the country knew that they had to make it seem superior in order to keep their positions. The truth was, the Americans knew, as well. The fact that their country was no longer superior. However, they pretended like it was for the sake of their sessive generations and their hope.


    But they were miserable on the inside.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho felt Logan staring at him intensely on their flight toward Paris.


    ¡°How did you get your supernatural powers?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say powers like that are useless?¡±


    ¡°I was wrong.¡±


    It was better to have powers than to not have them.


    ¡°I heard people die if they change too suddenly.¡±


    ¡°People need to change in order to not die.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t good to change all at once.


    ¡°How¡¯s Richard?¡±


    ¡°He must be itching already.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to just lie down and rest.¡±


    Richard was transferred to the top orthopedic surgeon in America.


    ¡°Why are they...ing with us?¡±


    Logan looked at Hannah and Christina sleeping in each other¡¯s arms and Caroline who just stared on.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If we left them back in America, they would have fought.¡±


    There was no way the New York duck or the vice president would have left them alone. Fisher then spoke up.


    ¡°Townsend promised not to follow us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    There was no good mercenary in this world. That was just how it was. Mercenaries who killed people for a living were scumbags. After all, they didn¡¯t even introduce themselves as mercenaries. But politicians were even worse scumbags. They lied on a regr basis and most politicians rarely kept their promises.


    There were many politicians who controlled the world, but it was rare to find politicians who were referred to as being great. Whether it was good or bad, politicians climbed thedder through the media¡¯s spotlight and the public¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Hond? That¡¯s too weak.¡±


    It was easy to make Patrick Hond into a terrorist, but it was difficult making the media and public understand that. If this didn¡¯t work, the only card that Townsend could y was the American vice president. However, as soon as the Democratic Party¡¯s mistake got out, their influence was going to be reduced by half. Negotiation as a result of threatening only worked while the secret was maintained.


    ¡°Carol will be a type of insurance.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying he¡¯ll break his promise?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust him 100% either. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t give him the USB.¡±


    Fisher didn¡¯t respond to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark, and Logan tilted his head.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This is what he did.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out a coin and showed some finger tricks. A 100 won coin and a 50 cent coin switched in and out between his fingers. Loganughed bitterly.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably going crazy right about now.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably flipping desks. Anyway... now that you¡¯re free, how about youe work for me?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I can¡¯t do that, Soo Ho.¡±


    In contrast to his hesitation before, he gave him an immediate answer.


    ¡°I guess those two aren¡¯t the only ones filming a drama.¡±


    Fisherughed awkwardly in response. While Keh Burn¡¯s love was short-lived, Fisher only looked at and loved one woman for most of his life.


    For 30 whole years.


    ¡°What are you conspiring to do?¡±


    As soon as Caroline returned, both Logan and Fisher left. Ahn Soo Ho looked at the alcohol bottle in her hands and shook his head.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be drinking in broad daylight, Carol.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to be sober right now.¡±


    She forgave her daughter-inw for killing her son.


    ¡®But easier said than done.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt to lose a child. It was wrong of him to try to tell her that he understood. It didn¡¯t matter how much of a devil his son was.


    Caroline had another sip of her vodka and made a strange expression as she looked at Fisher walking away.


    ¡°I¡¯m stupid, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer so fast.¡±


    ¡°But you are, Grandma.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Caroline had a 30-year age difference, but they connected in a lot of ways. As someone who spent a long time in the afterlife, it was easier for him to talk to old ones like Hector Garcia or her.


    ¡°Tell Fisher that I need some time.¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that? I¡¯m not Cupid.¡±


    ¡°Stop whining.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people in the world who could say that to him. Caroline, who had lost her beloved son, felt extra close to Ahn Soo Ho on this day.


    Ahn Soo Ho was right.


    She was old now.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She was mumbling, but he nodded his head. Caroline then came back to her senses and realized why Ahn Soo Ho was bringing the party so far away from America.


    ¡°Did Morgan change?¡±


    ¡°All organizations change when the heads change.¡±


    ¡°But this was too fast.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said sexual molesters should have their dicks cut off?¡±


    ¡°I was young back then.¡±


    ¡°You were young when you were in your 50s? What are you talking about?¡±


    Caroline changed the subject in response.


    ¡°So I heard Garcia¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°He is... but he¡¯s not in a good ce.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Aqun caught him in Germany.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Aqun called himself a man of justice, but he had quite an evil reputation. Hector was in the middle of a tug-of-war with Aqun in Germany, and the German government couldn¡¯t tolerate that. After all, Hector entered the country with the invitation from Chairman Ginter.


    ¡°For what charge?¡±


    ¡°For now... it¡¯s for visa issues.¡±


    ¡°Does the criminal court deal with immigration control now?¡±


    ¡°Since all thews in Europe are universal... nothing¡¯s impossible without a motive.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to hold him until he confirms a crime?¡±


    ¡°It could just be a warning.¡±


    It could have been Aqun¡¯s warning to Hector not to do anything stupid since he had his eyes on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to provoke the old man too much. Is he crazy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s like that with me, too.¡±


    ¡°What a psycho.¡±


    If he did that to Ahn Soo Ho, he really was a psycho. Caroline put down her vodka with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°I need a safe house.¡±


    ¡°A safe house? You should be able to get one on your own.¡±


    ¡°Even I can¡¯t guarantee 100% safety.¡±


    ¡°Because of Hannah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want to make sure my granddaughter ispletely safe.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and smirked.


    ¡°I do know of a good ce...¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    As he trailed off, Caroline leaned in closer.


    ¡°But the registration conditions are strict.¡±


    ¡°Secret number?¡±


    ¡°No, no! I¡¯m going to stop that service soon.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was no longer going to ept any more personal requests from VVIPs. He was thinking of continuing it for another 10 years, but Daniel nagged him so much about his finances that he had to look for various modes to get money.


    ¡°But...¡±


    He spoke with a polite voice.


    ¡°I have a new service called the Emerald Membership.¡±


    Not even the most shameless insurance salesmen offered memberships right off the bat, but Ahn Soo Ho was different. He was capable of even selling desert sand to religious people.


    ¡°Are you interested?¡±


    ******


    New York was hurt once more.


    The ckout in the middle of the night followed by a gun battle made the judicial authorities shake with fear. The mayor, governor, and even the president made their ry speeches, but rather than calming down the situation, the citizens questioned why an entire police officer got attacked.


    ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯


    The caution following the New York terrorist attack calmed down following both parties¡¯ begging everyone to have faith in America¡¯s liberal democracy. But once the second terrorist attack took ce, the sales of guns skyrocketed once again.


    Incapable government


    Incapable assembly


    Incapable government workers


    Incapable politicians


    The voices started to call out the incapable system once again. Who to criticize and resent? Rather than expressing rage and hatred toward no target, they preferred to participate in caution protests in order to protect themselves.


    1 gun per man.


    Videos of fathers giving their teenage children guns for their birthdays went viral on the Inte. The gun industry even made guns that were specially made for children, and in the meantime, the Americans¡¯ interest in guns increased more and more.


    The world was living in a world where terror was normal.


    But there were still psychos who dreamt of the European romance.


    Some of Europe was listed as high-risk tourist destinations as a result of the terrorist attacks, but Paris was still full of tourists. Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue. Didn¡¯t they realize that in addition to inted costs, risks of being robbed, and more, they could be scapegoats of a gun or explosion attack? If they thought that that couldn¡¯t happen to them, they were mistaken.


    Ahn Soo Ho sent his party to the hotel. He left Logan behind and headed out on his own. He then sat on the terrace of the 2nd floor of a coffee shop and watched people go by.


    France was known for theirttes.


    Some said thatttes originated in Mongolia, but to be frank, hamburgers didn¡¯t originate from America either. In France, they only understoodttes as caf¨¦ttes. The French had so much pride in their culture that they believed that French was the most beautifulnguage in the world.


    As a result, those who couldn¡¯t speak French were perceived as ignorant.


    ¡°I can¡¯t agree with that. French is the ugliestnguage in the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t agree with that. The ugliestnguage is actually German.¡±


    The person who refuted Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s opinion was an old middle-aged man. These days in Europe, even men wore makeup as a part of the recent trend. On one side, people died of wars, and on the other side, peoplepeted for better clothes and makeup.


    This was the state the world was in.


    ¡°They say we¡¯re all going to die, but it doesn¡¯t seem that way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always like that. It¡¯s all a show caused by the media.¡±


    The media was known to cause a lot of fuss all over the world. Once Lemaire finished his coffee, he looked at his watch and then got to the point.


    ¡°The strategic assets of Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm were all reassigned.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea?¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed and picked up his cup in response.


    ¡®Pilgrim Heyward.¡¯


    K-Bank, Casa nca Neuro Bank, and North Africa¡¯s economic union. Heyward was the one responsible for the economic union full of secrets. They were also an unofficial African partner of United Industries.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but Ang is splitting up.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly inside his head in response.


    ¡®I know why.¡¯


    As soon as leading members of Ang disappeared, the subordinates became agitated and some split and attempted to be independent. In the process, there was a fight over who could take more slices out of the pie. And Heyward chose Silk Road, which was the future growth force of K-Bank, which split from the Ang Circle.


    They put everything they had into the railroad and gas pipe construction of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The problem was that the vested rights connecting Europe and Asia had been controlled by Russia. There was no way Moscow would just let this happen, and as a result of Russia¡¯s influence, K-Bank withdrew their strategic funding.


    But this caused an even bigger problem.


    ¡°Muslim istion.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The strategic funding put into Northern Europe by the African economic union could be divided into two categories. The first was the financial development product included in the Eurozone, and the second was the human resources based on Muslim immigrants. Financial products consisting of 0s and 1s could be withdrawn, but not people.


    But the cold-hearted capitalist¡ªHeyward¡ªwithdrew without any hesitation, and the Muslim immigrant association previously supported by K-Bank split up as well. Muslims were already perceived negatively in Europe as a result of the terrorist attacks, so once K-Bank withdrew their support, there was an increase of Muslims on the streets.


    Extreme confrontation for survival made even the most normal people into terrorists. What many Europeans misunderstood was that people from the Middle East were not meant to be subjects of pity. There was no way that they were gentle aftering out of a literal battlefield.


    ¡°Sweden and Norway are both in chaos, and Find is about to burst, too.¡±


    Issac was right. The European terrorist attacks were just going to keep getting worse.


    ¡°And now that Hector is back... a lot of people feel pressured from all themotion.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you have Aqun? An Excalibur?¡±


    ¡°We need a crazy hunting dog at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°And screw over Germany while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Lemaire shrugged. The French were sons of bitches. They were known to say one thing while screwing people over behind their backs. Since they were the types who thought affairs weren¡¯t affairs, they were the most two-faced people on the face of the earth.


    Ahn Soo Ho put down his cup.


    ¡°D. Punch.¡±


    ¡°Sylvestre?¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t talked in a long time either.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    ¡®ying dumb, are we?¡¯


    ¡°Why are you letting crazy bastards like Ransel run loose?¡±


    ¡°France is a free country. We can¡¯t go against the people¡¯s choices.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to leave the crazy bastards running wild?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho suddenly got up, Lemaire got up with him in surprise. ¡®Huh? This isn¡¯t what I expected.¡¯ Negotiations usually involved exchanging deals anding to apromise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again at this time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m very busy...¡±


    ¡°Trust me. You¡¯ll have toe see me.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just said what he needed to and then disappeared. Lemaire just saw him disappear with a nk look on his face. A man wearing a suit then approached Lemaire.


    ¡°Director.¡±


    ¡°Did you put a man on him?¡±


    ¡°Is there a point?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. We need to leave it in the records that we took countermeasures so that there¡¯s no bacshter.¡±


    He had no hope of actually being able to monitor Ahn Soo Ho. He simply needed to do something to exempt him from responsibility. After parting with Lemaire, Ahn Soo Ho went to Champs Elysees and bought presents for his friends, family, wife, and subordinates. Even though he didn¡¯t have an entourage, he was treated in a very friendly manner. That was because he spoke in his fluent French.


    Nothing¡¯s happening.


    Don¡¯t let your guard down. This is Mr. Guardian we¡¯re talking about.


    I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t seem that... Gasp!


    What?


    Oh, my god! He just saw me.


    I knew it. I told you to be careful.


    No, I mean... He was looking at me with a telescope!


    What?


    They were cute.


    Ahn Soo Ho noticed the monitoring team around him. He also used themunicationwork with his antenna to confirm that they were DGSE. Seeing how they put men on him knowing they would get caught, they were just trying to protect themselves. Once he finished his shopping, he shipped all of the gifts to his hotel.


    But this was just the start of his shopping.


    ¡®Okay, follow me, my friends.¡¯


    In order toplete his Paris collection, he needed some more leg work.


    ¡®First...¡¯


    He headed to the Louvre.


    ¡®How much is the Mona Lisa?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 206 ¨C Trip To Europe [2] > The end.

 Chapter 217: < Protect – Episode 207 – Trip to Europe [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 217: < Protect ¨C Episode 207 ¨C Trip to Europe [3] ></h4>


    It wasn¡¯t just France that was monitoring Ahn Soo Ho in Paris. France wasn¡¯t happy about this, but America, Ennd, Russia, and even Iran nted spies to monitor Ahn Soo Ho. And as a result, the spies ended up running into each other.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Even while knowing they were a spy from another country, they couldn¡¯t do anything. That was because using guns or fighting near Ahn Soo Ho was taboo.


    The radio channel of each country got very noisy.


    What is he doing? Is he touring?


    Is he actually looking through museums?


    Soo Ho¡¯s not a tourist. He¡¯s probably been to Paris a million times.


    You can¡¯t know anything from that. There are lots of French people who haven¡¯t been to Paris either. Just like how a lot of Americans haven¡¯t been to New York.


    So are you saying he¡¯s actually touring?


    Well... no. Didn¡¯t you meet the DGSE director earlier? Are we monitoring him?


    Monitor Mr. Guardian? Are you crazy?


    We got permission to wiretap, didn¡¯t we?


    That¡¯s because signal security is possible with that. But no man has ever survived eavesdropping while monitoring.


    Anyway, this is impressive. Spy agencies of every country are here. What if we all end up fighting?


    We can¡¯t fight with Soo Ho around. That¡¯s a rule.


    That¡¯s true... but we can¡¯t help an ident happening.


    Haha! An ident? Both the attackers and victims will get sent back to their countries! And then we¡¯ll have to stand in court for treason.


    While the American channel got noisy, so did that of Russia.


    We need detailed information regarding the Emerald Development n. Is there a connection between his visit to Paris and the 2nd New York terrorist attack?


    I¡¯m not sure. What we did confirm is that he left New York on a private jet. Oh, he was also spotted at the UN headquarters.


    Do you know why Caroline Burn joined?


    Hm. Apparently, there¡¯s been some trouble between Star Fox and the vice president.


    Evelyn Parmer?


    Yes, Sir. It has to do with the secretpany, Club Ernest. Moscow is considering convincing Caroline Burn.


    That¡¯s impossible.


    Why¡¯s that?


    Just like Hector Garcia, tycoons like him have forces in every country. He has no reason to stick to one country.


    Are there ones in our country as well?


    Haha. Our country? We probably have the most.


    Unlike other calmer countries, the Iran intelligence agency was serious, and that was because of Emerald City-Kirinda.


    Emerald K


    Emerald K, which was a Sri Lankan ind revived by the Sri Lankan government, was half the size of Jejudo. Ahn Soo Ho sent over a representative to hire 5000 mercenaries, and while securing the safety, they were in the midst of negotiating with the natives already living there.


    The Sri Lankan government rmended deporting them, but Ahn Soo Ho refused. If he proceeded in such a way after they were hurt by civil wars, there was bound to be a bacsh. As soon as it was announced thatpensation would be given to those who wanted to leave and a job and house would be provided to those who wanted to stay, they all swarmed in. However, entry was denied to refugees without authorization.


    That was why Daniel was dissatisfied.


    In other Emerald cities,plete control was possible, but not with Emerald K. The initial funding was already around 10 billion, and they were still in the process of spending money on those who demanded it.


    Emerald G in North Korea


    Emerald Q in the Sahara Desert


    Emerald R in South China


    They were locations that seemedplicated, but they were locations where clear conclusions could be drawn. But despite Emerald K being permitted by the Sri Lankan government, India, Pakistan, Bandesh, Myanmar, and Somalia all disapproved. They didn¡¯tpletely oppose, but they weren¡¯t pleased either.


    As Ahn Soo Ho left the Louvre and walked toward the Orsay Museum, someone got in his way.


    Huh? Who¡¯s that?


    Who¡¯s that? Which country is he from?


    Haman? It¡¯s Iran! What is he doing?


    Are they breaking the agreement?


    He looked like he was from the Middle East. But there was a need to differentiate Arabians from Persians. Following the development of nuclear weapons, Iran was getting red at by America and Israel while not being treated well in the world¡¯s spy games. As a result, they were everyone¡¯s enemies. America wasn¡¯t as superior as it used to be, but neither China nor Russia would be able to surpass them in 100 years. Or more like even in 1000 years.


    ¡°Haman?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho. Can we talk?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho observed all the res that Haman was receiving from his surroundings. It was homegrown that France was the first to approach Ahn Soo Ho. But not Iran. Since they broke the rules, there was going to be retaliation.


    ¡°You might get deported.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed at a caf¨¦ with his chin. They sat at an outside table and ordered.


    ¡°You seem to be in a rush... Say it.¡±


    If he was willing to break the intelligence world¡¯s rules, he was either in a serious or a desperate situation.


    ¡°Does the Emerald Development n have something to do with the new Silk Road?¡±


    ¡°The new Silk Road? Oh, are you talking about K-Bank¡¯s Arasia railroad ns?¡±


    Arasia stood for the Africa-Asia Express.


    K-Bank was secretly working on the new Silk Road ns excluding Europe and Russia. Though Heyward managed to trick the powerful nations, they weren¡¯t powerful nations for no reason.


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°Why do you disapprove, Haman? If the new Silk Road seeds, Iran will benefit the most.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But...¡±


    ¡°But you think that will affect the religious sector.¡±


    As soon as Haman trailed off, Ahn Soo Ho finished his sentence.


    ¡°Are you guys still in the 8th century? How pathetic.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice. Because that will bring down our country.¡±


    Before the revolution in 79, Iran was the most progressive capitalist society in the Middle East. But currently, they were the most religious country known tond.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    In the 70s, Iran was so open that the women walked around in miniskirts. Due to their fundamental beliefs, public disys of affection were still non-existent, but women were allowed to drive unlike in Saudi Arabia. But after even Saudi Arabia passed thew to allow women to drive, the Imic society was bound to change.


    ¡°Are you scared of another revolution?¡±


    ¡°The council won¡¯t support women¡¯s rights.¡±


    If the railroads, roads, and borders were to open again, culture was going to flourish. No matter how oppressive the Imicws were, the young were designed to deviate.


    ¡°If the council is being stubborn... you can just refuse to let them in on the railroads.¡±


    Haman looked at Ahn Soo Ho as if he was asking if he really had no idea.


    ¡°If we do that, we¡¯ll be isted. On top of that, the inside is dreaming of globalization.¡±


    Iran had been isted for a long time, and the cause of that was believed to be theirck of influence on the international stage. If that was the case, what could they do to increase their influence?


    Oil? There were limits to that.


    Nuclear weapons? That only caused hostility.


    All that was left was geographical advantage.


    Luckily, Iran had the advantage of being in a location that could connect the north with the south and the east with the west. It was believed that if they stood against China one-on-one and produced synergy, there was going to be an overwhelming response. But they couldn¡¯t help but also be concerned about cultural sh and chaos.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°We need a neutral zone.¡±


    ¡°By that, you mean...¡±


    ¡°We want to participate in the Emerald n. But it has to be somewhere where both Pakistan and Afghanistan ovep.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too shameless?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no intention of just giving what the Iran government wanted. But since they were offering for free, he didn¡¯t feel like turning it down either.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give way in whatever you need, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho went deep into thought and then opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Then how about this? Transfer 3 northeast provinces to the Kurds.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling us to acknowledge the Kurdistans?¡±


    Haman gasped in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a headache, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Still... what about Turkey or Iraq? Even if we acknowledge them, if they resist, we could go into another civil war.¡±


    ¡°As you probably know, K-Bank¡¯s n is a little different from China¡¯s one-on-one.¡±


    ¡°I know. They excluded Turkey.¡±


    In the 21st century, most Silk Roads went through central Asia and Turkey and entered Europe, or it made people think of express trains that passed through Russia and Siberia. But the new Silk Road that Heyward created focused on North Africa, the Antic, and the coastline.


    Theypletely excluded Europe.


    ¡®Once they finish the North African railroad, they¡¯ll expand it along the coastline toward the south.¡¯


    A huge railroad system that would take over the African continent.


    It hadn¡¯t seeded just yet, but Heyward¡¯s dreams were big. He was an amusing fellow.


    But such a n that required astronomical funding didn¡¯t have a beautiful start or an ending. Actually, it was likely that Pilgrim Heyward would die before getting to see the start of the n.


    ¡°If you were me, would you be okay with your country being excluded?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Right? No one would be.¡±


    It was the intelligence agency¡¯s instinct to think of anything that brought down national profits as an act of antagonism. Patriotism always shed with rationality.


    ¡°Who would like it if the Middle East got noisy again because of railroad reasons?¡±


    Haman thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Israel?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They would like it the most. On top of that, in order to make a railroad through North Africa, they can¡¯t do it without going through Israel. They probably won¡¯t cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Heyward would have thought of that already? He¡¯ll probably make an announcement soon.¡±


    Israel would likely oppose, but it would soon be announced thatrge-scale construction connecting the rivers of the Gulf of Aqaba would take ce. The current technology was enough to connect rivers together if it was also capable of making artificial inds.


    The problem was always money.


    ¡°If you acknowledge the Kurdistans... I¡¯ll guarantee Iran.¡±


    Haman looked at him with a confused look on his face.


    ¡°For the Kurds that have nothing to do with you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    What many people didn¡¯t realize was that the Krudistans¡¯nd was not only thriving with oil, but with water resources as well. That was also why Turkey couldn¡¯t allow them to be independent, and other surrounding countries were after their natural resources as well.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked.


    Who cares if they were Im or Christian? In any case, they were his future clients. On the contrary, a smaller group like the Kurds were even easier to manipte. If someone had known that he thought that way, they would have been shocked.


    ¡°They¡¯re all my future clients.¡±


    ¡®Gather around! Let¡¯s pray! Let¡¯s build a house!¡¯


    ¡°I respect believers of the faith.¡±


    Belief was one of the biggest unearned ie.


    ******


    Once Ahn Soo Ho returned to his hotel after his museum tour, Director Lemaire sighed of relief after receiving DGSE¡¯s briefing. But on the other hand, he had his doubts.


    ¡®It felt like he was going to set something off...¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho never said what he didn¡¯t mean.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯


    Did it have anything to do with the Iranian government? Once Haman finished his meeting with Ahn Soo Ho, he was deported out of France. He willingly epted DGSE¡¯s request, and the Iranian government also quietly pulled him out.


    ¡°Check Soo Ho¡¯s movements again.¡±


    ¡°Director. It¡¯s already been three times...¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The secretary took out his phone in response to his superior¡¯s hysteric response.


    ¡®Why did Sylvestre have to get involved...¡¯


    This was all because of Sylvestre¡¯s lips. After gathering all the funding from a French businessman, he put it into New York real estate. At the time, he didn¡¯t think much of it. And they even supported him since he was a troubleshooter who did dirty things for the government.


    The problem was that after the New York terrorist attack, the situation started to be strange. They truthfully used the terrorist attack in America. In the end, the fundamental reason why Europe was in chaos was because America flipped the Middle East upside down and didn¡¯t resolve it properly. They didn¡¯t show it, but they were happy. That was until the half African half French, Ransell Straussmow terrorized London.


    ¡®No matter how unfairly he was treated, how could he screw over his home country...?¡¯


    This was Lemaire¡¯s first time being insulted by a Yankee and a Limey. The fact that a former French high official became a terrorist was a sin that could not be washed off. Of course, they were noparison to the White House and the Davis Scandal, but the Elysee Pce went through hardships as well.


    France¡¯s vanguard, DGSE went ahead to try to resolve the matter. That was when they realized that this wasn¡¯t a simple matter involving one high official. Countless rich people, royalty, and nobles of prestigious social gatherings were wrapped up in it as well.


    If the truth behind the case was to be revealed, a tsunami was going to sweep up the globe. As a result, the American president was going to fall from his high horse, and France could go through another revolution.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    The French government and DGSE started a gun battle in order to bury this case, but Ahn Soo Ho somehow managed to sniff it out. If it was anyone else, they would have been ordered to be assassinated already.


    ¡®If we act dumb, we might be able to buy some...¡¯


    Lemaire was thinking of countermeasures when his subordinate called.


    ¡°Director!¡±


    The secretary that just walked away came running back with a face as if he was a divorced man forced to pay a lot of alimony.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s gone?¡±


    He got a bad feeling while asking the question.


    ¡°The works!¡±


    The secretary¡¯s face turned into something that made him look like he lost his country to the Nazis.


    ¡°Louvre, Orsay, Pompidou! They¡¯ve all been robbed! All of their works have disappeared!¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you...¡±


    Lemaire stopped and said hisst word.


    ¡®Ahn Soo Ho!¡¯


    He was the only one capable of escaping all of the security measures of such famous museums. Only Ahn Soo Ho was able to break through Washington D.C. and the White House¡¯s security system as well. There was a reason why he went on a museum tour for all to see.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Lemaire cursed while picking up his phone. He was right. He had no other choice but to go back to him. He pressed speed dial while calling his secretary.


    ¡°Enforce information control!¡±


    If this truth got out, it was going to be more humiliating than the London terrorist attack. It was a relief though that it happened after the museums¡¯ opening hours.


    ¡°Catch anyone that finds out the truth even if they¡¯re security guards or curators!¡±


    National disgrace.


    That was what this was.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 207 ¨C Trip To Europe [3] > The end.

 Chapter 218: < Protect – Episode 208 – Trip To Europe [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 218: < Protect ¨C Episode 208 ¨C Trip To Europe [4] ></h4>


    ¡°Where have you been all day, Soo Ho?¡±


    Once Ahn Soo Ho got back to his hotel, he was met with Rosaline who was looking after Hannah instead of her birth mother and grandmother. Just like his underlings, he had known Rosaline for a long time. That was because he had been to thew firm that she had worked at before. It was possible that he knew Rosaline before Logan did.


    Hannah ran and gave Ahn Soo Ho a hug. For a six or seven-year-old girl, she was either overly friendly or had no fear. To put it nicely, she had nerves, and to put it frankly, she had already been grazed. The adults didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it, but she had already caught on that Logan wasn¡¯t her birth father.


    ¡®She¡¯s the child version of Alexa.¡¯


    She reminded him of Alexa when she was a teenager. He had bought her a new stuffed bear to rece her old worn-out one. She smiled as if she was happy, but she contemted since she shared many ups and downs with the old bear.


    Was it for about 5 seconds? She contemted for a long time for a kid. Hannah switched over to a new boyfriend and didn¡¯t care for her old one. The old bear was thrown into the trash can. While Hannah bonded with her new stuffed toy, Rosaline vented to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°What are you going to do about my little brothers?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The second eldest probably won¡¯t get promoted, and the third eldest might end up losing the director position.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re worried after all.¡±


    The Young family was more tightknit than most American families. Even the closest siblings didn¡¯t worry about each other¡¯s jobs, but since these siblings didn¡¯t have parents, they took care of each other extra well. After all, even the most easygoing, Logan used Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name to pose influence in Washington D.C.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.


    ¡°You guys are so hot and cold.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll resolve it.¡±


    ¡°Great. Then that¡¯s that. But what about Christine?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shouldn¡¯t they just resolve it themselves?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. Unlike Caroline, Christine¡¯s background isn¡¯t so strong.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Support her, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed once more.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s not that easy.¡±


    ¡°Why? Does your wife get ufortable if you get involved with other women?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho trailed off. Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t talked to Jang Seol Hyun in over 24 hours. He took out his phone. Rosaline looked mad at him for making a call in the middle of their conversation, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Jang Seol Hyun picked up.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hey. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Do you... want toe here soon?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was about to say he was going back soon but then changed his mind.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Paris.¡±


    ¡°Why Paris? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the maind?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all settled now.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know about Europe... I¡¯ll just stay here.¡±


    She acted like she was turning him down, but knowing her tendencies, Ahn Soo Ho begged her further.


    ¡°Come on. Come. I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Then I guess I have no choice. Okay. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll tell the guys, soe safely.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun hung up with a smile on her face. Rosaline didn¡¯t understand Korean, but she caught on from his gestures and way of speaking.


    ¡°Why are you making weird sounds, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Single people wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Marriage changed you.¡±


    The Ahn Soo Ho Rosaline remembered looked at women as if they were rocks rolling down the street. She first thought he was gay, but that was definitely not the case. Many women were desperate to win him over while he just looked at them as if they were weird.


    Rosaline observed Ahn Soo Ho carefully.


    Was he handsome? Not at all.


    What about his wealth? It wasn¡¯t bad.


    Then his physique? That was the only part she liked.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t act like a bad guy just to get women. He was actually a bad guy. If he didn¡¯t like a man or a woman, he just kicked them to the curb. He didn¡¯t care about age, race, or nationality. She had even seen him reject Victoria Rain, who was a beautiful actress from Hollywood.


    That was the first time she realized he could reject a woman that all females wanted to be and all men chased after. She had no idea any man with a penis could be like that.


    Some crazy Saudi prince even offered ARAMCO stocks to Victoria Rain in return for sleeping with her. Most people knew just how crazy this offer was.


    ARAMCO


    ARAMCO was a former Arabia-American oilpany and a current Saudi Arabia oilpany that produces oil and natural gases. And to offer those stocks? That was noparison to the money she could have earned from a Blockbuster film.


    As a result, Victoria Rain ended up in endless scandals after that. While L was the singing fairy, Victoria was the sex symbol of the 21st century. And the one who raised her was none other than Scott Warren.


    ¡°Which part of that woman did you like?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I liked everything.¡±


    ¡°Not just because she was young and fresh?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite you to my wedding because I thought you¡¯d say bullshit like that, Rosaline.¡±


    Rosaline¡¯s mouth was naughty for a refinedwyer. Was it because she was from Texas? That might have been one of the reasons. But what trulypleted her personality was the environment she lived in. Ahn Soo Ho nned to make an effort toward infant care by using the Young household.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Just think of it as saving a pitiful woman.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at how she talked to him like a big sisterforting her little brother. As someone with experience with infant care, Rosaline was the master offort.


    His phone suddenly started ringing.


    French sucker No. 2


    Ahn Soo Ho checked the caller and rejected the call. He then got another call through the hotel desk, but he asked them to reject all calls from the outside. But he underestimated them. As soon as he blocked them from the desk, they came to the lobby and pressed the private room number. But Ahn Soo Ho still had no interest in answering.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±


    ¡°To torture him a bit.¡±


    ¡°Torture.¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons.¡±


    As soon as Rosaline tilted her head, Ahn Soo Ho smirked and called Henry who was in China.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. Make a post on the bulletin board. Yeah. In the ck market.¡±


    If Heritage knew, they would pounce like crazy.


    ¡°I¡¯m selling the Mona Lisa. Yeah. That Mona Lisa.¡±


    ******


    ¡°He won¡¯t answer through the lobby either.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Lemaire panted with a flushed look on his face.


    ¡°What about information control?¡±


    ¡°All we can do is control it until it opens in the morning.¡±


    The leading museums of Paris were on the verge of closing down overnight. If they didn¡¯t resolve this before opening, it was going to be more historical than when Paris was taken over by the Nazis.


    ¡®Break in? Nah.¡¯


    If they did, they would all die.


    If governmental authority worked, the Yankees would have tried already. Lemaire thought that he knew Ahn Soo Ho quite well, but he was someone who could even flip Washington D.C. upside down.


    ¡®No one can catch or stop him.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho was as powerful as an army.


    The best way to put all the governments to their knees was to start with the presidents and prime ministers and then start bringing down the ministers and high officials. There was no need to kill everyone. Just by killing around 300 people, a country could be paralyzed.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have acted up like that in broad daylight...¡¯


    Lemaire was in deep regret.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sylvestre?¡±


    ¡°He has definitely left the country.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? If he gets found in Franceter, we¡¯ll both be done for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. He¡¯s not in our country.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Lemaire groaned to express his worry.


    ¡°Since when couldn¡¯t it be checked?¡±


    ¡°He hid his whereabouts since before the second New York terrorist attack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a few days... You had no idea?¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    In order to take countermeasures, DGSE secured Sylvestre¡¯s recruit. As soon as they learned that he was involved in the Nigerian kidnapping case, they took action. But they didn¡¯t confine him with respect, and that was where the problem started.


    ¡°What about his ounts?¡±


    ¡°Most of them had been frozen... but it¡¯s hard to check.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think he¡¯s hiding?¡±


    ¡°Switzend, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where he normally would have gone.¡±


    Switzend, a permanently neutral nation.


    Since Switzend wasn¡¯t a part of the EU, many French criminals went there to hide. And it wasn¡¯t just the French. Most Europeans who got into trouble chose Switzend as their hideout. In some ways, this was something to be criticized about, but there was nothing Switzend could do about that. They had the honor of being a neutral nation, but no country could be 100% neutral.


    Switzend also had its share of corruption.


    ¡°Director!¡±


    Lemaire saw his subordinate running over and got a bad feeling. And he was right.


    ¡°The Mona Lisa is on the ck market!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±


    While the intelligence world and ck market were in chaos, Korean tourists¡¯ photos of Ahn Soo Ho at the Louvre and the Orsay Museum took over social media.


    That¡¯s Ahn Soo Ho, right? #FirstTripToEurope #LouvreAhnSooHo #ParisSooHoo


    When did he get there? He just goes everywhere, doesn¡¯t he?


    Apparently, someone saw him in New York.


    New York? I heard they¡¯re doomed again. It¡¯s not like prayers can fix everything!


    They¡¯re not a punching bag! Stop putting down New York, you bastards!


    There¡¯s no news about how the Muslims are responsible!


    Isn¡¯t it obvious? Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim! That¡¯s the truth!


    Are you Apple or something? Stop munching on apples! Did Muslims and apples do something wrong?


    Jobs¡¯ foresight was right!


    Jobs for the win!


    Seeing how he¡¯s alone, he must¡¯ve left Jang Seol Hyun behind.


    It¡¯s not good for pregnant women to fly!


    Hey! That only applies to normal nes! Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s private jets are like hotels! If you take a nap, you¡¯ll wake up in a different country!


    Ahn Soo Ho? Why have an interest in the traitor? #Traitor #TraitorCelebrity #ProtestHosooEntertainment


    What kind of nonsense is this?


    What an attention seeker!


    Since he changed his nationality, isn¡¯t he a stranger now?


    Whether he was Korean or not, CEO Ahn was always a stranger to us.


    No, we weren¡¯t.


    Koreans are so nosy! It¡¯s not like CEO Ahnmitted a crime! Why are you all against him?


    It¡¯s illegal to go to North Korea! And he even eptednd from Pig Kim!


    Ha! Idiots! Didn¡¯t you see Joseon Jungang TV¡¯s announcement? It¡¯ll be done in the span of 200 years. That¡¯s North Korea¡¯s hidden message that they¡¯re nning to work toward unification!


    It was wrong to renounce his citizenship! Come back!


    He can¡¯t do anything as a Korean! You dumbasses! Do you really think they could give a South Koreannd?


    Whatever the excuse, shouldn¡¯t our country be the main agent in unification?


    Stop your nonsense! If we do be unified! We¡¯ll end up like Germany in the 90s! Even they had a hard time with unification expenses. So what would happen to us? We¡¯re looking at a second IMF! I guarantee it!


    CEO Ahn renounced his citizenship for peace and unification! #KoreanAhnSooHo #NationalNetwork #Mercenary


    That¡¯s right!


    Ahn Soo Ho is Korea¡¯s hope!


    Old military men are swarming in! Ptooey!


    The national military is rotten! Let¡¯s bring down the shit stars first!


    This government is already out of energy! I don¡¯t know about anything else, but Lee Joong Hyun¡¯s administration is all wrong! They couldn¡¯t even reform the rich! I¡¯m disappointed!


    I also heard rumors that they sent Han Kyung Il and other diplomats who helped CEO Ahn in Nigeria to the disciplinarymittee! A punishment instead of a reward? This country is all wrong!


    Why?


    Because the high diplomatic officials had no interest in saving the Koreans! But some diplomats, including Han Kyung Il, stepped up to save the day! They¡¯re heroes!


    Are the diplomats out of their minds? Why wasn¡¯t it on the news?


    The government¡¯s keeping it quiet! So sneaky!


    Seriously! But our diplomats have always been like that!


    Let¡¯s not diss the diplomats too much! They¡¯re not all bad! There are nice ones, too!


    Among the Emerald Development ns, the one getting the most attention in Asia was Emerald City-Gaesung and Emerald City-Rizal.


    Emerald G and Emerald R


    The Philippine government showed great interest in the connection between the inds Ahn Soo Ho bought in the past and the Emerald ns. Countless investment requests flooded Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Philippine representative.


    The more attention he got, the more Koreans felt deprived. They lost an influential man who was powerful at the international stage. Since it was done and over with, there was nothing they could do, but they still had mixed feelings. So the more Ahn Soo Ho achieved, the more the Korean media beat him down.


    ¡®Internal solidarity sees outsiders as enemies!¡¯


    Thest fight that most organizations put up in times of desperation was just like that.


    Having an enemy to hate and despise was a blessing to all opportunists. To those who believed Ahn Soo Ho had rights in Korea avoided him like the gue, and depending on the situation, he was also the subject of hate.


    ¡®Huh? He renounced his citizenship?¡¯


    The subject of nationality was a sensitive issue in Korea. Ahn Soo Ho received support from Koreans because he was Korean. But he was no longer Korean. The ones in power who hated him but were cautious used him as a great excuse.


    Is it good for the rich to renounce their citizenship?


    Our country should also charge those who renounce their citizenship!


    Not even a foreigner owner but a stateless owner? Is that okay?


    Is CEO Ahn an international terrorist who held hands with North Korea?


    The government¡¯s reformation of the rich quieted down, but Daesan Group went ahead with system istion and got rid of thepanies that were no longerpetitive. As a result, Daesan Group¡¯s influence grew weaker.


    Since it was human nature to swallow what was sweet and spit out what was bitter, some of the media that used to mind Daesan Group started dissing Ahn Soo Ho. No matter how powerful they were in the stock market, if popr opinion started to divide, they couldn¡¯t retaliate. Of course, they were just brutes that lived paycheck to paycheck, but the mob psychology was a scary one.


    Ahn Soo Ho Gate? It must be investigated!


    Daesan Group is shaky after system separation!


    The financial world is shifting! Who will be number 1?


    Are the ¡®Korean¡¯ celebrities okay with being loyal to foreign owners?


    There were so many rumorsing out in the news that the public didn¡¯t know what was true and what was false. It didn¡¯t take long for a Korean hero to be a criminal who should be killed.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing tough about, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung¡¯s worried face filled the screen. It wasn¡¯t just her but all of Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s executives that expressed their worry.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already told you? We¡¯re on top... If you hate it, just relocate to another country. There are lots of countries that offer great benefits.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wanted Oh Joo Kyung to have high hopes for international business, but it must have been too early.


    ¡®Is there a need to struggle on such smallnd?¡¯


    There were countless aspiring celebrities all over the world. And in terms of management capabilities, Scott Warren¡¯s Hosoo Entertainment America was superior to Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s main branch.


    ¡°What about the employees?¡±


    ¡°The employees? Are any employees hesitant about transferring abroad?¡±


    ¡°Well, there arenguage and cultural differences.¡±


    ¡°We helped them a lot with English, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    They didn¡¯t care about TOEIC scores, but since management had to travel abroad all the time, they at least had to be able to speak basic English. Hosoo Entertainment Group was the only ce that sent their employees abroad in order to study English.


    Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and then remarked.


    ¡°Take a survey with all the employees.¡±


    To be honest, he only hired Koreans because it was convenient. Those from foreign universities and global corporations were much better in terms of talent. But since Ahn Soo Ho was more familiar with Korean culture, he was morefortable speaking in Korean.


    ¡°Ask them if they would follow thepany abroad.¡±


    ¡°Including the celebrities?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re employees, too. Ask everyone. Even the part-timers. Ask everyone that works at mypany.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to separate the good from the bad. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want any employees that were just sitting around doing nothing. But he didn¡¯t intend on kicking them out either.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need for them to switchpanies either.¡¯


    He just had to leave thepany.


    Ahn Soo Ho called Oh Joo Kyung again as if he thought of something. She could have hated him for always giving her all the dirty work, but she didn¡¯tin. It was all thanks to Oh Joo Kyung that thepany was still running.


    ¡°What about the thing I asked you to prepare?¡±


    She understood the vague question right away. However, there was a difference between understanding and epting.


    ¡°Is it really possible?¡±


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung groaned.


    ¡®He¡¯s still just as mysterious.¡¯


    She had seen Ahn Soo Ho for 2 years straight, but he still felt unfamiliar. Since he caused idents of all different types, it was quite the headache. But what was surprising was that the results weren¡¯t half bad.


    He never said what he didn¡¯t mean.


    As far as Oh Joo Kyung knew, not even once.


    ¡°I did report it to the foreign office.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Will it be possible?¡±


    Instead of replying, Ahn Soo Ho asked her another question.


    ¡°What do you think? If this seeds, will Korea¡¯s popr opinion change?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t just change, CEO Ahn.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung shook her head. But she didn¡¯t mean it in a negative way.


    ¡°They¡¯ll adore you more than ever before.¡±


    ******


    It was the bright morning following the dark night of Paris that Ahn Soo Ho finally epted Lemaire¡¯s call. The head of DGSE plopped down in front of Ahn Soo Ho with an exhausted look on his face.


    ¡°I surrender Soo Ho. The president said to go along with anything you ask.¡±


    ¡°Sylvestre.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not in France. We think he might be in France.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t learned your lesson yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°Okay, easy.¡±


    Lemaire had both hands and feet in the air in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s direct response.


    ¡°To be honest... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Good. I like it when you¡¯re honest, Lemaire. Trust isn¡¯t something that¡¯s gained overnight. You have to build it up little by little. Since you were honest with me, I¡¯ll give you a gift.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡±


    ¡°Check Pompidou.¡±


    Lemaire made a call to his secretary as soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished. After just a minute, his facial expression brightened up.


    The works at Pompidou Center had magically returned.


    ¡°Thank you so much! When will you return the rest?¡±


    ¡°If people heard you, they¡¯d think I¡¯m a thief.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Lemaire quickly apologized. But he then went into thought.


    ¡°Sorry, but we don¡¯t know where Sylvestre is either. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°We know where his family is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much, Lemaire. We don¡¯t mess with family.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s not what mercenaries do. But if you keep listening, you might change your mind.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho waited for him to exin further.


    ¡°Barbara Huxley.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°One of Barbara Huxley¡¯s witch sisters is involved.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Storm Six?¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect to hear that name.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    The answer was simple than expected. The Witch Society, which was suppressed by the British government for a long time, faced a change thanks to Barbara. The British government didn¡¯t know this, but with the head witch leading the way, the European witch group was expanding rapidly.


    Ahn Soo Ho suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Ennd isn¡¯t the only one with a secret weapon, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Is D. Punch a supernatural being?¡±


    That was strange. He didn¡¯t get that feeling when they met in the past.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a regr supernatural being.¡±


    ¡°Then what is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s...¡±


    Lemaire hesitated before continuing.


    ¡°He eats up supernatural powers.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly how it sounds. He doesn¡¯t have any force-rted powers.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°All he can do is eat it up.¡±


    That was it? He didn¡¯t have the power to be stronger due to the supernatural powers that he ate up either.


    ¡°Then he¡¯s just trash.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh. We call him an eraser. Because he can eat up one more thing in addition to powers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Memory.¡±


    ¡°Memory? Human memory?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Human memory. As you know, the name D. Punch had been passed on for a long time, and the secret behind that...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been sharing his memory from his ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    He was like a human ck box or a sh memory. Heughed. And he could do one more thing on top of that.


    ¡°Can he manipte them, too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shameful... but yeah. He¡¯s the best interrogator there is.¡±


    ¡°There was a reason why he¡¯s a troubleshooter.¡±


    If he really could eat up memory and fabricate them, he was the optimal interrogator. He wasn¡¯t as powerful as magicians, but culprits without immunity to supernatural powers couldn¡¯t defend. While America and Ennd focused on getting rid of obstacles, France preferred a simpler method.


    To turn enemies into allies.


    ¡°If America knew, they wouldn¡¯t have just sat back.¡±


    ¡°He was at risk quite a few times. So he changed his identity every time.¡±


    ¡°I guess his abilities can metastasize.¡±


    ¡°But the original host dies.¡±


    ¡°Is he even human?¡±


    He began to wonder if his age was simr to J-Law or Issac.


    ¡°The formal records date back to the Napoleon era.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. DGSE didn¡¯t lose Sylvestre. They never had the ability to catch him in the first ce. Actually, even Ahn Soo Ho underestimated him. He believed that alpha-organisms couldn¡¯t escape his senses, but he was wrong.


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.


    ¡°Orsay.¡±


    Lemaire immediately called his secretary. It took him a minute to confirm that the works of the Orsay Museum had returned. Lemaire looked at his watch. The sun was already up and with the opening hoursing up, there were still many works to be returned to the museums.


    ¡°What else do you want, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°How much would the Mona Lisa sell for?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious, Lemaire? How much would it go for in this cold market? I really want to know.¡±


    ¡°Ahn Soo Ho!¡±


    Lemaire continued to call Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name with a pale look on his face. If the Mona Lisa really went up for sale on the ck market, the Louvre¡¯s reputation was going to hit rock bottom. And if it was revealed that the Louvre was robbed of their plundered cultural assets, French people and their pride were going to suffer deep hurt.


    The Mona Lisa wasn¡¯t a plundered cultural asset.


    That was why they held onto it even tighter.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the French way to steal what belongs to others while cherishing what you stole from them?¡±


    They were selfish phnthropists. Lemaire shut his mouth in response. Whenever he was asked by Limeys about who was worse between Yankees and the French, he said all three deserved to be killed.


    Americans, French, and the British were all thieves.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn to see how it feels to be robbed.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    If it was anyone else, he would have shot them in the head, but he was way too strong for that. Lemaire then realized what Ahn Soo Ho wanted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll return all of Korea¡¯s cultural assets, Soo Ho.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t going to be an easy process, but Lemaire didn¡¯t care. All he cared about was getting the Mona Lisa back from this monster.


    ¡°To whose name?¡±


    ¡°To yours.¡±


    He was quick-witted.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t such good news be announced to the world?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll get it ready.¡±


    That morning, there was an official press conference held by the French president stating their return of all Korean royal books.


    That wasn¡¯t all. They also promised to return all Korean cultural assets that were stolen in the 19th and 20th centuries.


    Both France and Korea was shocked by this announcement. Korea was especially passionate about the revtion, and the way the French president bowed in the Korean way to the Korean ambassador to France made Ahn Soo Ho smile brightly. As soon as the French president finished his speech, Ahn Soo Ho went up to the podium. When a reporter asked why he did this when he was no longer Korean, he answered with a sad smile on his face.


    ¡°I had no choice but to renounce my citizenship, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t cherish all the good memories I made in that country.¡±


    His voice and facial expression were thoroughly rehearsed beforehand.


    ¡®I might not be the main lead, but I could be a supporting role.¡¯


    He considered bing an actor just like his wife.


    ¡°My body is abroad, but my soul will always be at home.¡±


    After marrying an actress, he gained confidence in his own acting. Ahn Soo Ho was proud of the speech he made, and Korea cheered him on. The interview caused the entire Korean penins to bustle.


    The Korean foreigner somehow managed to regain his reputation as the superior leader of his homnd.


    Ahn Soo Ho! The Korean hero!


    I¡¯m so proud! God Soo Ho! Worship him!


    The forever protector of the Korean penins!


    Such cheesy phrases were on all sorts of signs. The media that was just dissing Ahn Soo Ho quickly turned around, and the politicians who criticized Hosoo Entertainment Group went quiet.


    Korea was crazy about Soo Ho once again.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 208 ¨C Trip To Europe [4] > The end.

 Chapter 219: < Protect – Episode 209 – Trip To Europe [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 219: < Protect ¨C Episode 209 ¨C Trip To Europe [5] ></h4>


    ¡°This is huge.¡±


    Bae Sang Chul, who was meeting with hiswyer in a private room,ughed at the photo of Ahn Soo Ho on the cover of a newspaper. He started a kind of syndrome in the Korean society and then shocked everyone when he renounced his citizenship.


    But as soon as it was revealed that he used his connections to return Korea¡¯s cultural assets, he only received praise. Seeing how he easily manipted popr opinion, he was no ordinary man.


    The world knew Bae Sang Chul as Bridal Mask, but he was just Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s puppet. But he dly epted the role.


    ¡®This is the only way to give the Korean society a proper warning.¡¯


    He lifted his gun and knife because he loved his homnd.


    It almost seemed like a wrong belief that caused coup d¡¯etats in the past, but Bae Sang Chul didn¡¯t want power or money. He just loved his grandfather, and he wanted his beloved country to return to what it used to be.


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    Bae Sang Chul put down his newspaper and looked at hiswyer.


    ¡°What do you think? They¡¯ll announce the hearing date soon. By the way, you¡¯re watching your mouth, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Just keep doing that.¡±


    This was Jimmy¡¯s first experience with the Korean court, but allrge cases with heavy media coverage were the same. They couldn¡¯t do anything about the fact that he was caught at the scene of the crime. But there was no evidence that Bae Sang Chul engaged in any murders. As a result, it was hard to prove the murder and murder instigation charge that the prosecution set forward.


    ¡®The problem is that you don¡¯t know where it¡¯ll go with politics involved.¡¯


    When it came to Korea¡¯s legal world, looking into the jury¡¯s tendencies and preparing a defense was not enough. And lobbying or corruption wasn¡¯t going to work in Korean society either. He didn¡¯t know about the inside, but he wanted the outside to look righteous.


    ¡®If we can¡¯t use a lobbyist... we¡¯ll just have to go at it face on.¡¯


    He tried his best to respect his client, Bae Sang Chul, and his supporter, Jeon Taek Joong¡¯s wishes, but his career was important as well.


    ¡®We just have to make sure he watches his mouth.¡¯


    Korean judges had strong authority. Actually, thew enforcement was overly strong. It seemed as though their constitution was all wrong from the start.


    ¡®The assembly, administration, and the judicial branch are all fighting to get a bigger piece of the pie.¡¯


    Rather than personal judgement, they were bound to put the group tendencies first. As a result, judges with an opinion couldn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Have you met with the chairman?¡±


    ¡°That old man... I asked him for more food, but he ignored me.¡±


    ¡°Go easy. Why are you getting on the old man¡¯s nerves?¡±


    After not being able to get Bae Sang Chul¡¯s confession, they went after the 80 society. Some of the media portrayed their death as a deed of viciousness, but that bothered the nose hairs of a sleeping lion.


    There were many mercenary organizations involving Koreans.


    But since people looked down upon using guns, they just decided to stay quiet. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t the only one that seeded as a mercenary soldier. Sure, he wasn¡¯t as sessful, but he had more money and connections than the average man. Internationally, at that.


    While Bae Sang Chul waited for his trial, Kim Min Shik was released on probation. Once he exited wearing a suit and a long beard, he was greeted by Yoon Chul.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my tofu?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no time to eat raw tofu these days. Let¡¯s go eat Mapa tofu.¡±


    Kim Min Shik got into Yoon Chul¡¯s car without a word.


    ¡°How¡¯s Soo Jung?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a date?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung continued to put off their wedding.


    Following Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s idents, the 8-member group had to be careful since attention was put on them as well. Many were jealous of Kim Soo Jung for already being the director of a broadcasting station in her 30s, and there was just as much attention on Yoon Chul, who was leading Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s Hoosoo Guard Team.


    Since they couldn¡¯t mess with Ahn Soo Ho, more people focused on his friends. And with HBS bing more recognized and influential, other broadcasting stations kept them in check. Since external pressure didn¡¯t work on this broadcasting station, they felt ufortable and displeased about their existence.


    The two arrived at a Chinese restaurant.


    Kang Joon and Choi Jung Yeon were already there and greeted them.


    ¡°Min Shik, you lost half your face. Didn¡¯t you eat anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I did.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so skinny?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon treated Kim Min Shik like a little kid. Kim Min Shik sat down with a smile and looked back at Yoon Chul.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Kyung Il is back in Korea?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on probation.¡±


    ¡°So the rumors are true.¡±


    ¡°You know how the high-up nobles are like.¡±


    The higher up police officers and government officials got, the more they focused on keeping their position and nothing else. After all, if they retired without any problems, they could live off of their pensions. People liked heroes but around that hero were dangers. For government officials, heroic acts needed to be avoided.


    Kim Min Shik looked sad.


    ¡°Nothing has changed...¡±


    Many government workers got punished for his whistle-blowing, but the ones at the top didn¡¯t get hurt. And unfortunately, the impact was too weak for it to receive any national interest or support.


    The citizens saw so much corruption that they were bing immune to it. The same went for the bridal mask incident that led to so many deaths. The country was causing a fuss when the arrest was being made, but during the legal proceedings, it all died down.


    ¡°Give him a callter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Han Kyung Il and Kim Min Shik were especially close because they survived the government society together.


    ¡°Soo Jung must be really busy.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the news? Soo Ho got into another ident.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he should be praised for this one.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. But it looks like I¡¯ll end up living alone because of him.¡±


    ¡°Is women all men think about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when a man and woman fall in love.¡±


    ¡°You probably just want any woman.¡±


    ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is...¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Chul. You win.¡±


    As soon as Kang Joon brought down Yoon Chul from fighting Choi Jung Yeon¡¯s criticisms, he surrendered. Choi Jung Yeon was just as tough as Kim Soo Jung. She wasn¡¯t a feminist, but she was against women conscription.


    ¡®Going to the military changes a person.¡¯


    Women changed for the worse. With that considered, perhaps it was better for the men to suffer a little more in their stead.


    ¡°Is Sol Ji busy, too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably the busiest out of us all.¡±


    Jung Sol Ji was getting ready to run for the assembly elections. There were many eyeing her, but there was nothing saying there couldn¡¯t be a female president in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one with the least to do.¡±


    In response to Kim Min Shik¡¯sint, Kang Joon looked at Yoon Chul.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance.¡±


    Kim Min Shik tilted his head and Choi Jung Yeon smirked while pouring him a ss of alcohol.


    ¡°Congrattions, Min Shik.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the premier.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho picked Kim Min Shik as the premier of Emerald City-Gaesung. No one knew why the position was called a premier instead of mayor.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You went up by quite a few ranks.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He epted his drink but didn¡¯t know what was going on. While Kim Min Shik was confused, Daniel Navarros was outside of Star Tower holding a press conference.


    ¡°As mentioned before, the development of Emerald City-Gaesung will contribute to the peace of the Korean penins. We¡¯re now working toward strengthening the politics, economics, and cultural cooperation of Korea, China, and Japan in order to establish world peace.¡±


    After that, Daniel received questions.


    ¡°Did you get official permission from the Korean government? If so, which diplomatic channel did you use?¡±


    ¡°I can only answer that after confirming with CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you have a feeling?¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m not his wife, I can¡¯t read his thoughts. Why don¡¯t you ask his wife instead?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s joke made everyone burst intoughter. He pointed at another reporter.


    ¡°Is CEO Ahn Soo Ho in Europe in order to get back all of our cultural assets?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. But the other countries might not be as cooperative as France.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But I thought France was the most strict when ites to returning cultural assets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Both Ennd and France are strict in that sense. As CEO Ahn has said before, nothinges for free in this world.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying he paid France somehow?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t reveal the details of the contract, but he paid a hefty price. But since this was his homnd, he¡¯s returning it for free.¡±


    ¡°Are you able to reveal any details of the scale or price?¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. But... let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a very high number.¡±


    Daniel took a few breaths and then continued with a serious face.


    ¡°As CEO Ahn¡¯s friend and the financial head of Hosoo Group, I was against this decision. I¡¯m sure the Korean citizens wouldn¡¯t like this, but I think CEO Ahn made the wrong decision.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Daniel looked around the room in response to the cautious question.


    ¡°You probably know that better than I do.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Some of the reporters avoided his gaze.


    ¡°Just like you said in your articles, CEO Ahn is no longer Korean. So he has no obligation to do anything for this country. However, he went through all the obstacles to do it, anyway. Why, you ask?¡±


    Daniel looked straight into the camera and continued, ¡°He did it for this country and its people.¡±


    Danielughed in his head at how great his acting was. He was now a con artist as well.


    ¡°You must realize what CEO Ahn has sacrificed.¡±


    ******


    There was an unusual banner that was hung up in Gangnam where Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s house was located. The Gangnam elites also abandoned their pride and praised Ahn Soo Ho as well. Some of the people imed that Emerald City- Gaesung should be made the federal capital and that Ahn Soo Ho should be the federal president. The problem was that there were more Koreans for that than against it.


    The Inte news was overtaken by Ahn Soo Ho.


    And thements were favorable.


    Kya! That¡¯s our patriot!


    Those French bastards! Those things belonged to us in the first ce!


    That¡¯s what national power and influence can do! His ss is at a whole different level!


    The kind of ss that gets him in with the Chinese premier, the American president, and the French president? Where¡¯s the next target? Ennd?


    Apparently, Hosoo Group announced just how CEO Ahn got the cultural assets returned. Even during his wedding, he met with the UN guests to convince them into it!


    He¡¯s a tycoon that¡¯s unmatched in both North and South Korea! It¡¯s ridiculous to criticize a man like that! If North and South Korea can really be unified, CEO Ahn¡¯s the only one who can do it!


    However, it wasn¡¯t just the Koreans thatmented. Foreigners joined in on the debate as well.


    He¡¯s a tycoon of all of Asia! Let¡¯s bring him to Japan so he can revive the Japanese empire!


    Huh? What is this? Get out of here, monkeys!


    You don¡¯t deserve such a big tycoon like him!


    What are you talking about? Stop your bullshit! Soo Ho is a master of Chinese martial arts! Protector of the continent. Isn¡¯t that a beautiful name?


    Are you stupid? That¡¯s not what his name means.


    I can¡¯t believe he made Napoleon¡¯s empire surrender! He¡¯s Asia¡¯s pride!


    They didn¡¯t surrender! I bet it was a deal! All Joseon knows how to do is bribe!


    Hm! You¡¯re not wrong. Maybe he bribed the French president!


    You guys are crazy, you lonely bastards! If Ahn Soo Ho really seeds in reunifying North and South, he might build an empire in Asia! This isn¡¯t a delusion! Some are already treating him like a God!


    He¡¯s definitely dangerous! What if he unifies the country and then attacks Japan and China?


    I heard Chinese blood flows through Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s blood! If he¡¯s a descendent, he could take over the continent!


    Isn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho better than all the old men at the top? Seeing how he made Hosoo Group seed, he¡¯s quite the businessman!


    A nation and apany are at two different scales! You can¡¯tpare them!


    Japan is rotten! They can¡¯t be revived! All he can do is sweep them up and purify the contamination!


    Ahn Soo Ho is definitely noble! He¡¯s an aristocrat for sure!


    The country that ims him will rule the world!


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s next destination was not Ennd but Germany. But one thing had changed. This time, Jang Seol Hyun joined him from Hawaii. Her belly was now much bigger, so her movements were restricted. Her mother and Mrs. Park Ok Nam tried toe with them, but Ahn Soo Ho talked them out of it.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want them to see everything.¡¯


    Not yet, at least.


    His wife had immunity since she was in Hollywood once, but not their mothers. Just by showing them one failure, he could ruin his entire image with them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    They decided to take a big limousine bus to Germany from France. The inside of the bus wasrge while also being cozy. He got 6 of such buses and with all of the security cars in between, they took up 300 meters in total.


    People might have thought he was a president.


    Jang Seol Hyun said she wasn¡¯t tired, but she leaned into Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s arms and closed her eyes. He didn¡¯t say anything and became her bed and pillow. He felt pained seeing her having a hard time with her pregnancy, and he didn¡¯t use any magic just in case it would affect the baby.


    With Jang Seol Hyun in his arms, he opened the cyberspace containing a supeputer. The number of supeputers was growing to this day. Some groups used AIs, other groups used interfaces, while he took parts of them and added to hisputer group and backed everything up every time.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s ¡°world intelligence¡± was probablyrger than anyone else¡¯s, and it was still growing to this day. Google would be shocked to find out that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s data server was muchrger than theirs.


    ¡®Show me Sylvestre¡¯s whereabouts.¡¯


    Theputers received Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s order and began working. Other people didn¡¯t know that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes could sweep through the entire world.


    A world dominated by CCTVs.


    Unless it was a fallen region, surveinceworks were wless. The only problem was the fight over jurisdiction. But no matter where one was hiding, he was confident he could find them.


    The reason why DGSE lost Sylvestre was because they believed he really ran away. If he was actually like Issac or J-Law, there was no way he ran or hid. If anything, he was probably going to find Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Just like them.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho froze the world.


    He didn¡¯t use magic to manipte time, but since he distorted the space, his wife had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Is that you, Sylvestre?¡±


    It was simple magic to talk without opening his lips.


    ¡°Nothing gets past you. Or was that just a guess?¡±


    He showed himself at a limousine parking lot. And it wasn¡¯t a man but a woman.


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re a transgender or a gay... you tricked France.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be stupid to reveal all of my cards.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at his confidence.


    ¡°You must have left your true identity elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I have to keep my guard up in front of Mr. Guardian.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho tensed up, he immediately backed down.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! I¡¯m not trying to fight. Let¡¯s talk!¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho finished his calctions in his head.


    The host didn¡¯t die but was killed. If not, the fact that she could pilot would have been found out by the French government. Sharing memories was a clear lie.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that broke up the Ang Circle, right Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho just shrugged his shoulders, and he understood right away.


    ¡°Are you trying to take over the world?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me? Haha. No way. Why would I go through the trouble?¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to do with the third world war approaching?¡±


    ¡°Someone else will resolve that.¡±


    Sylvestre shook his head.


    ¡°It took 100,000 years for mankind to exceed a billion people. However, it only took 100 years for it to double. If that¡¯s the case, how long would it have taken to double again?¡±


    ¡°Just answer my question.¡±


    Just like Issac and Jw, most supernatural beings had shitty philosophies. Did people naturally be philosophers if they lived long? Of did they just go crazy over time?


    Ahn Soo Ho had rejected taking on a belief that he would dedicate his life to. People changed their minds depending on the situation, and that was how business worked.


    ¡®Is this also a type of belief?¡¯


    Refusing to have a belief could be a belief of its own.


    ¡°The human poption will exceed 10 million in 30 years.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why there are wars, race wipeouts, human trafficking, plunder and hatred. We¡¯lle to an end.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the bullshit and get to the point!¡±


    He became quite talkative in the time he hadn¡¯t seen him.


    ¡°We have to reduce the poption.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The answer to that is war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going on right now.¡±


    In contrast to Korea¡¯s declining birth rate, there were more being born than dying.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about a bigger war. For example... one between China and India.¡±


    To be frank, both China and India were far from bing a developed country. Theirbined poption was around 2.5 billion. That was 1.3 of the entire world¡¯s poption.


    ¡°Or maybe one between Europe and Russia.¡±


    That would have been a sight to see.


    ¡°America has enemies on all four sides.¡±


    If the anti-American alliance really took action, that would make quite the impact.


    ¡°But a bigger fight than that would be...¡±


    When considering poption proportions, the biggest war wasn¡¯t a world war. Ahn Soo Ho knew exactly what he was thinking.


    ¡°Religion?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A religious war.¡±


    The Ims and Christians had been against each other for hundreds of years. Since Hindus and Ims already fought in India, religious wars wasn¡¯t that much of a big deal. But he tilted his head and then gasped. The war that Sylvestre wanted wasn¡¯t between the Ims and Christians.


    Christians vs. Christians.


    Ims vs. Ims.


    Hindus vs. Hindus.


    He wanted wars within religions. That was the only way there wouldn¡¯t be a ceasefire. In a war within wars, they either had to go extinct or coexist.


    Capitalists vs. Capitalists.


    Laborers vs. Laborers.


    Intellectuals vs. Intellectuals.


    The capitalist battle that Issac led was nothing inparison. The Ang Circle tried to repress human civilization, but they never tried to destroy them. But the psycho in front of him was thinking of annihting them all.


    Ahn Soo Ho asked the most fundamental question.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    It¡¯s true things would get ufortable if the poption grew further. There were even scientists who worried that the pollution would harm future babies, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t worried about that.


    ¡®The earth can¡¯t be judged by mere humans.¡¯


    Forejudging nature was the foolish thing they could do. He expected Sylvestre toe off as a stubborn environmental terrorist, but he said something much more shitty.


    ¡°Our new mankind will protect the peace of the...¡±


    He threw the psycho into space. For real.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When Jang Seol Hyun started mumbling awake, Ahn Soo Ho hugged her tighter.


    ¡°Keep sleeping.¡±


    He patted Jang Seol Hyun back to sleep.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t so enraged that he was going to find him and end him. There were other psychos on earth just like Sylvestre. Even the crazy religious Michel was talking about building a church in the middle of the Sahara Desert.


    The world was full of psychos.


    If they were just crazy, all you had to do was ignore them. But if they had money and power as well, they were very dangerous. It was best not to get involved in the first ce, but he got a bad feeling about this.


    He didn¡¯t agree with Spider Man that with great poweres great responsibility, but it was true that great power led to big incidents. Just like how hyenas always roamed about waiting to pounce, there were many who were trying to get closer to Ahn Soo Ho.


    And where people gathered, problems followed.


    ¡°Long time no see, Soo Ho.¡±


    The person that greeted Ahn Soo Ho as soon as he crossed the border into Germany was none other than Roberto Aqun. Ahn Soo Ho sent his party away and walked along a trail in a forest.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Roberto.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Garcia?¡±


    ¡°If you keep pressuring the old man... he¡¯ll do something big.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, that wasn¡¯t my intention. Someone with power must be after that old man. I¡¯m just a figurehead.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    An upright prosecutor like Roberto Aqun was someone¡¯s figurehead? Had he changed? Or was someone just that powerful? Aqun made a face that was either crying or smiling.


    ¡°The world is changing too fast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the endless terror.¡±


    ¡°That too... but the EU is in for a big change, too.¡±


    Did they sense others trying to leave the EU following Ennd? The world was going through countless splits. If the EU happened to split up, internationalw would be weak, and the authority of the international court would disappear into ashes.


    If that really happened, every man would be for themselves.


    ¡°If the fundamental rights that protect human rights be harmed, we¡¯ll be back to the barbaric times. Even now, those who are being repressed have no power to change things around. And it¡¯s hard to say that you¡¯re not the party responsible for that, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°You were the one that said that Superman¡¯s justice isn¡¯t really justice.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Aqun looked pained as he nodded.


    ¡°But let me tell you, I was wrong. Right now... we need a pivot. We need a Superman who can¡¯t be swayed. Because as soon as something goes wrong, mankind will go extinct.¡±


    His mindset changed drastically.


    Was he really the Robert Aqun that was after Ahn Soo Ho? If he wasn¡¯t right in front of him, he would have thought he was someone else.


    ¡°I¡¯m retired, and that¡¯s not going to change.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too active for someone who¡¯s retired?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just live in the countryside just because I¡¯m retired.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was Ahn Soo Ho, regardless of his retirement. Aqun looked at the my-way-or-the-high-way Ahn Soo Ho and felt mixed feelings.


    ¡°Soo Ho, I promise you this much.¡±


    The more dangerous the world got, the higher Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s worth got.


    ¡°People won¡¯t leave you alone.¡±


    The world would revolve around him whether he liked it or not.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 209 ¨C Trip To Europe [5] > The end.

 Chapter 220: < Protect – Episode 210 – Neo Nazi [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 220: < Protect ¨C Episode 210 ¨C Neo Nazi [1] ></h4>


    After parting with Aqun, Ahn Soo Ho arrived in Frankfurt. He didn¡¯t go with any ns, but someone was waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wolf.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Soo Ho. We were just unlucky.¡±


    Ginter waved his hand to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s apology. The two who parted in Hawaii and met again in Frankfurt had a headache because of the Garcia problem, but just like Aqun had said, Hector was being targeted by a powerful person who wasn¡¯t keen of him.


    ¡°Did you look into why this happened?¡¯


    Ginter responded by handing Ahn Soo Ho a file. And on it was a name that he did not expect.


    ¡®Andre Sluski?¡¯


    Monsters raised by the Cold War.


    If America was any less democratic, the downfall of the Soviet Union would have happened 20 or 30 years earlier. And the Soviet Union¡¯smunist party was aware of this. While theypeted against America with national programs like the space program, they ended up focusing on research for individual development in the 70s and 80s due to economic issues.


    Just like Jeremy said, the CIA had a lot of interest in Hector Garcia and even the KGB brokers were interested in him. He then thought of Maxim Ivanovich Djorkaeff, who diedst year in Brazil.


    ¡®It¡¯s possible that an even worse spy program than Ultra could exist.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho was flipping through the pages of the file when he stopped.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ginter noticed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s frown and looked over at the file.


    ¡°Yusef? Why? He¡¯s already dead. Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get this information?¡±


    ¡°Our intelligence agency.¡±


    ¡°In Germany?¡±


    He tilted his head and then nodded. It had only been 30 years since the Berlin Wall went down. 1/5 of the Germans used to be a part of the Communist Party. But after the countless secret documents were destroyed, their whereabouts became uncertain.


    Ahn Soo Ho thought for a minute and then lifted his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Kracek.¡±


    ¡°Killing him isn¡¯t the only way, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you understand him?¡±


    ¡°No, but the pain of losing a child... is impossible to understand unless you¡¯ve been through it yourself. Everyone hits rock bottom at some point, Soo Ho. Isn¡¯t this against your rules?¡±


    One chance to save their own lives. Wolfgang Ginter reminded Ahn Soo Ho of his rule. Ahn Soo Ho nodded. The old man in front of him had also lost his child to an ident. He looked too sad to turn down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I hope for good news, Soo Ho.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho saw off the old man and then looked back at the file.


    ¡®Yusef.¡¯


    It was amon but familiar name. Ahn Soo Ho clearly remembered him. That was because he killed him out of rage and annoyance.


    He took out his phone.


    ¡°Kosi, where¡¯s Alexa?¡±


    ¡°Alexa? She¡¯s probably in Odessa with the other guys.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in Monaco.¡±


    ¡°The ck market?¡±


    ¡°I found an item I¡¯m interested in.¡±


    She was interested in shopping.


    ¡°Give me the address in Odessa.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to call her yourself?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably run away since she¡¯s on vacation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Okay.¡±


    With Alexa¡¯s personality, she was bound to get mad if he bothered her on vacation. Ahn Soo Ho hung up the phone. He returned to his hotel but ran into an unweed guest at the doors.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Sylvestre?¡±


    Unlike the pretty woman he met at the bus parking lot, this time, he transformed into an elderly gentleman. Since Ahn Soo Ho recognized him right off the bat, he couldn¡¯t trick him anymore.


    ¡°Should I send you back?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Space travel is nice.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    They sat down on a bench across from the hotel.


    ¡°I meant it when I said the poption needs to be reduced.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to attack China and India first.¡±


    ¡°By first... you mean there are others?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. America¡¯s status is still too high.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard to establish a bnce with America in the picture.¡±


    He was thankful that he didn¡¯t say any bullshit just yet.


    ¡°So you want to control this world from behind the curtains.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay with it.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°I can control all my otherpetitors.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho waved his finger, Sylvestre nodded.


    ¡°Are you talking about the monitors?¡±


    ¡°Intelligence agencies from all over the world are probably trying to figure out who you are. And I¡¯m not loyal enough to keep your secrets.¡±


    If anyone had to pay the price, Ahn Soo Ho was going to talk. Sylvestre smiled.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d better beat you to the punch.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for Kracek.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He was listening now.


    ******


    Thanks to the French president who promised to return all Korean cultural assets, Ahn Soo Ho became a national hero once again. The powers that tried to use the media to put pressure on Daesan and Hosoo Group disappeared.


    Hosoo Entertainment Group is holding a survey among all employees!


    An urgent survey! Is the group moving abroad?


    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for all my employees!¡± The Emerald n surfaces!


    The financial loss is around 50 trillion won every year!


    The protesters that were protesting against thepany were now protesting against them transferring locations. Even Oh Joo Kyung stepped up to announce that there was going to be no transfer for the time being, but all they could hear was ¡°for the time being¡±.


    Hosoo Entertainment Group is not moving for the time being, but maybe in the future!


    Vice-Chairman Oh Joo Kyung insists that there will be no transfer!


    The controversy continues! What are the chances Hosoo Entertainment Group will move abroad?


    China, Japan, and all of Asia are in chaos!


    People wanted to interview the owner, but Ahn Soo Ho became a bigger tycoon than Kim Dae San of Daesan Group. As a result, he became impossible to approach, and the first to get caught was his little sister.


    Fantastic 4!


    A girl groupposed of Lee So Hye, Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel. It wasmon for another name to be their group name, but there was no other girl group that attracted as much as attention since before their debut. Not just in Korea, but in all of Asia.


    It was all thanks to Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s push.


    Why did aspiring celebrities pick big agencies? Because they had a stronger force to push their celebrities. Today¡¯s stars weren¡¯t born that way, but were created by countless professionals. But there were those who shined on their own as well.


    Ahn Da Sol, Emily, and Rachel seemed like pros, while Lee So Hye was a newbie. She wascking but pure, and to put it frankly, she got in through her big brother, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s connections. She was bound to hear bad things. But those who actually knew her couldn¡¯t hate her.


    Why?


    Because they were afraid of Ahn Soo Ho? That wasn¡¯t the reason.


    Lee So Hye¡¯s hardworking and passionate attitude was impossible to hate. She acted like she knew the world, but she was still innocent. The business was a cold world, and the young idols were very mature on the inside. The teenagers these days were so mature that one couldn¡¯t look down on them for being young.


    Most aspiring idols started off in society early. If a person looked down on them for being teenagers, that person was just asking for bacsh.


    A good example was Ahn Da Sol.


    Most were perfectionists with strong personalities who constantly harassed the agency. But since they were expected to be that way, no one scolded them for it.


    As a result of the Ang Circle breaking up, Ahn Da Sol no longer needed Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s protection, but she liked the life of a celebrity. She had been living in hiding all this time, but she was starting to wonder if that was really necessary.


    Ahn Soo Ho was right.


    The world revolved just fine without them.


    ¡®I lived such a boring life for nothing.¡¯


    Presiding over human civilization.


    Issac felt the need to guide mankind while J-Law also believed they needed to lead mankind. And since Michel saw helping mankind as his calling, he was no different.


    However, when looking at it from afar, the world was not that special. Even at this very moment, someone was being born while someone was dying, while someone was seeding and someone was failing. And tomorrow was going to be just the same.


    Ahn Da Sol understood Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s feeling.


    ¡®Emptiness.¡¯


    Being overly strong made one feel empty. She had once felt that way before, but that was back during the barbaric times. In the modern times of missiles and nuclear weapons, supernatural powers weren¡¯t as powerful anymore. However, Ahn Soo Ho somehow managed to even defeat the US military.


    Could that be credited to supernatural powers alone?


    During the second World War, Ahn Da Sol worked with the Japanese military as Kumiko and even participated in human experiments. At the time, Issac, J-Law, and Michel all felt that there was a crisis of the development of human civilization.


    ¡®How embarrassing.¡¯


    She was even embarrassed about it now.


    ¡°Sol?¡±


    Rachel called Ahn Da Sol and woke her up from her thoughts.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ahn Da Sol whispered to Rachel and gave her her focus. They were currently at HBS as soon as they returned from Hawaii.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡±


    The host noticed Rachel and Ahn Da Sol whispering to each other. Rachel, who was fluent in Korean, switched back to foreigner mode.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you pretend to be a foreigner when you don¡¯t want to answer?¡±


    The host turned his attention to Ahn Da Sol.


    ¡°You¡¯re American, too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was born there.¡±


    ¡°I have to ask... how did you meet CEO Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°As many already know, CEO Ahn is my cousin. Every time he visited America, he slept over at our house.¡±


    ¡°Was he a great man back then as well?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    Ahn Da Sol shook her head, and the host showed a surprised response.


    ¡°Well... he only slept when he came over. Like an old man.¡±


    ¡°Haha. He must miss the military life.¡±


    Rachel realized where this was going and immediately showed off a sexy dance. She then blew a kiss at the camera.


    ¡°I love you, Korean army!¡±


    When a foreigner spoke fluent Korean, Koreans usually found it fascinating. And the girls realized that early. Using their awkward ents to make it seem like they were always working hard at thenguage worked on not just Koreans but everyone in Asia.


    It was different from America and Europe, where they stressed the importance of professionals only. But that didn¡¯t mean their talent wascking. Even the least skilled¡ªLee So Hye¡ªwas improving by the day and beating out all the other Korean idols.


    ¡°Our meeting with Soo Ho was dramatic.¡±


    Emily proceeded to tell her story about Ahn Soo Ho. The story about how they first met on the roads of Jejudo and all the jokes he told. When the host and guestsughed, Rachel tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t find the jokes funny, and the camera captured it all.


    Lee So Hye was thest one to go.


    Despite being the group¡¯s leader, she seemed discouraged a lot, so fans called her pathetic. But what was funny was that she always ended up being in charge. Seeing how other members got into trouble while she didn¡¯t, Lee So Hye was the leader after all.


    One day, the paparazzi even captured her scolding the other members, and people thought that was cute more than anything negative. That was because most people criticized the other members for not treating her like the leader. And some fans were very passionate about it.


    Leader¡¯s dignity.jpg


    One photo caused quite the sensation.


    Blood is thicker than water!


    She¡¯s a tiger! It¡¯s like looking at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s shadow!


    I can¡¯t believe she scolded Emily and Rachel! That¡¯s our leader!


    But in the meantime, Ahn Da Sol and Emily are fighting! They look good though!


    Isn¡¯t Emily¡¯s rap crazy? She can speak both Korean and English, so it sounds so natural!


    She¡¯s better than most rappers!


    Even Jamie Coleplimented Emily¡¯s rap!


    That was rap service!


    No one can beat Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s little sister! She¡¯s full of charisma!


    It¡¯s too bad! Siblings can¡¯t love each other!


    What are you saying? Ahn Soo Ho already has Jang Seol Hyun!


    Emily and Rachel are much better in terms of proportions!


    Ha? Are you looking down on Jang Seol Hyun? She¡¯s actually a dynamite underneath!


    Are you... Soo Ho?


    When it came to inte media, the discussion was capable of going in any direction. The fan that started the thread was trying to praise Lee So Hye as a leader, but the discussion went a whole different direction.


    The reporters jumped to their own conclusions.


    Who has a better body? Emily or Rachel?


    Yesterday¡¯s Kang Mina isparable as well!


    Idol? Ha! The ones with the best bodies are models and actresses!


    Korea is in the middle of a body war! A wave of diets and fitness!


    However, there was a topic that was even more popr.


    Soo Ho.


    As soon as someone said something negative about Ahn Soo Ho or Hosoo Group, a crazy number ofments followed. Jang Seol Hyun, who returned to her room after enjoying the hotel¡¯s spa with Caroline, tilted her head at a big man who was sitting in front of aputer.


    He waspletely hunched over in a funny position.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. You must be tired. Go get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Are you... looking at something weird?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun pushed Ahn Soo Ho and paused at the screen. She immediately saw what he was writing.


    Ahn Soo Ho is exactly what this generation...


    Anyone that disses Hosoo Entertainment Group is evil!


    The national assembly is useless! CEO Ahn should be in the Blue House!


    Ha? Are you looking down on Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s body? She¡¯s actually...


    Following Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sments were countless other ones.


    Is this... Soo Ho?


    < Protect ¨C Episode 210 ¨C Neo Nazi [1] > The end.

 Chapter 221: < Protect – Episode 211 – Neo Nazi [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 221: < Protect ¨C Episode 211 ¨C Neo Nazi [2] ></h4>


    The Ahn Soo Ho that Jang Seol Hyun saw before marrying him was a Superman. An adult man who was admirable and capable. So strong that nothing could shake him. So determined that he never backed down from anyone. He was also honest, unlike men that just talked the talk.


    That was how she felt.


    However, once they got married, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t all that perfect. He was toozy to show interest in things he didn¡¯t care for; he was cold-hearted when something wasn¡¯t going to benefit him, and he sometimes stayed stuck in his own world with a nk look on his face.


    Did that mean she hated him now? Not at all. Ahn Soo Ho only showed that side of himself when he was with her. That was why she liked him even more. She enjoyed being able to take care of someone. Jang Seol Hyun never knew that worrying about someone else could bring so much happiness.


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know whether tough or get mad at Ahn Soo Ho who was pointing at theputer screen. She then sat across from Ahn Soo Ho with a scary look on her face.


    ¡°Why were you doing that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just... didn¡¯t like how people were cursing at you... It made me mad that they were saying things that weren¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should refute all of them. You even swore at them.¡±


    Half of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sments were curse words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    He smirked as if he couldn¡¯t believe it either. After writing a fewments, the rage that was hidden within him suddenly popped out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that ever again.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s pretty fun, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun knitted her brows and looked serious. He backed down in response. However, he thought differently.


    ¡®I guess I could use my supeputer... No, that¡¯s no fun.¡¯


    He could have just used his supeputer, but it was more fun to type on a real keyboard. Ahn Soo Ho rolled his eyes and Jang Seol Hyun sighed, but she didn¡¯t scold him further. It wasn¡¯t like he got into big trouble, so it wasn¡¯t worth scolding.


    She was actually happy.


    It just proved how much interest he had in her.


    As soon as Jang Seol Hyun opened her arms, Ahn Soo Ho lifted her up and took her to the bedroom. The bedroom was gorgeous. Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s mother and Mrs. Park Ok Nam were worried about the pregnant girl, but she wasn¡¯t that weak.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way she¡¯s weak.¡¯


    He had already given her multiple strengthening treatments before she got pregnant. She probably didn¡¯t know this, but Jang Seol Hyun was strong enough to go up the Octagon besides her big belly. She probably just thought she was in shape after being in an action movie, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡®Just because she made a lot of money.¡¯


    Anna-Anne¡¯s recent technology was useless, but there were pupils of the great, great magician that were better with minor techniques more than standard magic. The drugs used in the Ultra Program weren¡¯t totally useless. It was just unable to produce the results that they wanted. But if the new UKS-1501 was used properly, it was harmless to the human body.


    That was just like Coca C not getting a patent. Even for Ultra, depending on the drug and brainwashing methods, the people¡¯s oues were totally different. Hepletely got rid of the brainwashing methods and simply kept the body strengthening technology. If the scientists that developed the program knew about this, they would have screamed that it was unbelievable.


    If he started a pharmaceuticalpany and sold body strengthening treatments, he would make a lot of money, but there would be more and more evil people as well. That was because when power was obtained, they wanted to show it off. If a boxer could be stronger just from a treatment, it was obvious where the world would be headed.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho finished entertaining Jang Seol Hyun, it was already the middle of the night. When he got to the parking lot, he met Caroline who was wearing a grey trench coat.


    ¡°What about Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with her mother.¡±


    ¡°You must be bored, Granny.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked and gestured for his shadow¡ªLogan¡ªto go back inside. Logan hesitated and then headed back.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to send him away... Anyway, thanks for the consideration.¡±


    Caroline expressed her gratitude to Ahn Soo Ho. Despite not being her father, Hannah called her one, and whatever the reason why, Caroline had no choice but to feel ufortable. On their way out of the parking lot in the car, Ahn Soo Ho asked her a question.


    ¡°Have you thought about it?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Caroline let out a heavy groan. She looked into the Emerald Development n herself, but she had no idea why he was going forth with such a crazy n. So she just decided to ask him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Gaesung, but what do you think about the others?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s soplicated.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even have to exin theplications surrounding the South China Sea, and even Sri Lanka was always on the verge of a civil war. On top of that, the Sahara Desert was a ce where normal life could barely exist.


    Besides Gaesung, they were all horrible ces.


    ¡°Then why would those greedy bastards give upnd that¡¯s actually decent?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But isn¡¯t this too serious?¡±


    ¡°When ites to real estate development, anything is possible as long as you give up on profits.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t trying to build cities to make money. He just wanted to expand his dungeons. Of course, he still wanted to make some kind of profit, but there was no need to worry about that at such an early stage.


    ¡°The world is getting more and more dangerous, and people will put their safety first.¡±


    And there was a limit to the Emerald memberships.


    ¡°Having a membership doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a citizen, but you get treated like one.¡±


    ¡°For example?¡±


    ¡°You get kidnapping insurance and security protection. If needed, I¡¯m ready to act as well.¡±


    ¡°I like that.¡±


    ¡°But ites at a hefty price.¡±


    10 million dors a year wasn¡¯t cheap. But after the rumors spread, almost 200 people signed up, and he had already decided not to take more than 300 members. If he took in too many, they were going to be hard to manageter.


    Since getting so many members made them 3 billion dors, Daniel cheered with his hands in the air. That was when Caroline nodded. Emerald City was scattered all over the world like US bases. What was different was that except for Gaesung, they started at ground zero.


    But Gaesung wasn¡¯t a good ce to live either.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of hanging onto shaky mercenaries.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t respond to Caroline¡¯s mumbling. As soon as Ang tried to pop out of the dark, the free mercenaries refuted and asked Ahn Soo Ho for the Dresden File. In the end, Ang was unable toe out into the light, but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t a hit.


    Many in power felt displeased that mercenaries possessed sensitive secrets that could grow into national scandals. All they had to do was flick a finger to split up a mercenary group. But their rtionship was like rtives that ripped each other apart.


    As soon as he began the Emerald Development n, he hired 28,500 mercenaries, and he was nning to increase that number to 80,000. How much would it cost to pay 80,000 mercenaries? It depended on their rank, but they cost around 250,000 dors per soldier.


    He didn¡¯t hire just any mercenary. Ahn Soo Ho drafted a contract that unified the mercenaries that were in a free-for-all. The times when just shooting a gun made someone a mercenary was long over.


    ¡°But America¡¯s not included. I guess leaving North America out was your way of respecting America... but why South America?¡±


    ¡°Because I trust them less than Africa.¡±


    Most people thought Africa was worse than South America, but that wasn¡¯t true.


    ¡°South America is much worse.¡±


    They chatted until they got to a bar in the middle of the night. It was a strange ce where they sold food in the morning and afternoon, sold alcohol at night, and sold women in the middle of the night. What many didn¡¯t know was that Germans weren¡¯t that nice. And not all Germans were ashamed of the Nazis either.


    Did the German government enforcews against Nazi worshipers because of public sentiment? Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think so. It was because without thews, there were too many Hitler lovers that would try to revive the Nazis.


    ¡®We¡¯re not the descendants of a criminal!¡¯


    Happiness, sadness, and even awareness of crime had been buried over time. They didn¡¯t care if they had to kneel on their knees and apologize to suffer. Because if they hadn¡¯t, the other European countries would have continued to feel enraged.


    One military professional once said this, if Japan wasn¡¯t an ind, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to go around shamelessly with their heads up high. That might have been true. In order to actually feel the threat of the other Asian countries, they had to cross the ocean.


    An Asian man and a white woman.


    A young man with an old woman.


    The strange vibe of a couple that didn¡¯t seem to go together drew all the attention in the bar. Besides a few, they looked at them with violence more than curiosity.


    It was obvious they were looking for something to attack.


    ¡°This ce is full of crazy people.¡±


    Caroline dissed them outright. In French at that. A few bald heads approached her with angry faces but stopped because of a big man that got in the way.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this? Soo Ho! Long-time no see!¡±


    The man looked like Hulk Hogan.


    ¡°Joachim.¡±


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    As soon as he entered the pub, there was a blind spot where one could look at the outside while not being seen.


    ¡°You came at the wrong time, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question, Caroline pushed out her phone.


    20 minutes ago, there was a terrorist attack in Berlin...


    Come to think of it, his phone had been vibrating since earlier. He didn¡¯t check the caller, but they were people with great interest in Europe.


    ¡°You¡¯re suffering a lot of harm, too.¡±


    ¡°Kracek? Yeah, we were.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making it sound like you¡¯re not anymore.¡±


    ¡°All the gangs and assassins in Germany are after him. Even the police are offering a reward for him.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°60 million euros.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho whistled. 60 million euros was about 80 billion won in Korean currency. No country would ever offer that much for a violent criminal.


    ¡°Who offered it?¡±


    ¡°Krupp.¡±


    ¡°Is it...¡±


    It was true. It was hard for a non-German to pressure the German police and prosecution.


    ¡°What about Sluski?¡±


    ¡°His employer is a scary ce.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Rothschild.¡±


    ¡°The red shield?¡±


    The way he pronounced it might have sounded unfamiliar, but the English called it Rothschild.


    Rothschild.


    A family known for their conspiracies.


    There were many rumors, but Ahn Soo Ho confirmed that 99% of them were false. They weren¡¯t going after dominating the world, and they weren¡¯t capable of doing so either. Today¡¯s world was tooplicated to dominate with some money alone.


    The fact was that Krupp and Rothschild both used money.


    ¡®It¡¯s true they¡¯re rich with a lot of influence.¡¯


    But that was it.


    They weren¡¯t the kind of viins in movies that used their power tomit lots of murder every day. They actually had better morals than the average person.


    As a result of the loss in World War II, many German industries suffered great losses. No one knew the exact number of Germans that left the country following the downfall.


    The industries barely managed to survive. If Ennd and France were any crueler, Germany would still have been in a crisis to this day. If Willy Brandt didn¡¯t kneel down and apologized, things might have gone that way. To be more exact, the opportunity of the Cold War drove Germany to what it became today. Just like how America¡¯s fear ofmunism traveling across the seas caused them to bring Japan back to life.


    ¡°So they were the ones that tied up Garcia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s half-half.¡±


    ¡°Are you getting support, too?¡±


    ¡°Noment.¡±


    Joachim shook his head.


    ¡°Tell them to take it back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about 60 million euros, Soo Ho. Who would give up a reward like that?¡±


    ¡°Keep going if you want to die.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much guts people have these days.¡±


    In the criminal world where killing was normal, countless new recruits came in all the time. And there were more that didn¡¯t know Ahn Soo Ho than those who did.


    Crash- Crash-


    When he heard something break and crash, he got up. If he left it alone, there might have been no one standing afterward.


    ¡°Carol.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    Caroline shrugged her shoulders in the middle of beating up a man when Ahn Soo Ho called. Around three of four fell while groaning, and it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. He sighed and then put a wad of cash on the table. The owner quickly snatched it up.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The pile of 100 euro bills counted out to about 30,000 euros. That was enough to remodel the whole bar.


    ¡°You always bring around women that give us headaches, Soo Ho.¡±


    Joachim saw Ahn Soo Ho and Caroline out of the bar.


    ¡°I really did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°So they ended up like that after trying to hit on a granny? Even if they were drunk...¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m an unmarried woman.¡±


    Caroline was legally unmarried.


    Even after having babies, she never got married. But it was weird to call a woman over fifty an unmarried woman. No matter how much makeup she put on, it was hard to cover one¡¯s real age.


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    They were the ones that started the fight, but Caroline was the one that ended it. She felt like she relieved some of her frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked with Krupp before, right, Carol.¡±


    ¡°Krupp? Oh, the steel king? Yeah. Why?¡±


    Carnegie was the steel king of America while Krupp was that of Germany. Germany had been defeated, and America won. No matter how much history was written from the eyes of the winner, lies could not be created.


    Krupp was a pioneer just like Carnegie.


    ¡°I want to meet them...¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why don¡¯t you call in person?¡±


    ¡°Because this is a sensitive issue.¡±


    ¡°A sensitive issue?¡±


    As soon as Caroline tilted her head, Ahn Soo Ho waved his index finger around.


    ¡°A battle of honor.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Ims thatmitted honor killings. There was a time when the royal families in Europe also battled it out to protect their families¡¯ honor.


    And it wasn¡¯t different today.


    ¡®Or maybe it¡¯s a little different.¡¯


    The main difference between Europe and America was how they approached honor. While America¡¯s approach was more utilitarian, Europe was more pedantic. Europeans were obsessed over showing off their families. It was possible that Europeans were more hung up about surnames than Asians.


    Of course, this only applied to capitalists and the rich rather than theborers andmoners. In particr, the families with more history were greedier for honor, and if anyone tainted it, they were at risk for murder. What was scary was that they didn¡¯t do it out on the streets like Ims, but did it quietly without anyone knowing.


    Caroline finished her call and returned.


    ¡°There¡¯s a party tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Hamburg.¡±


    ******


    It was shocking how much Europeans liked parties. The Europeans didn¡¯t think much of the rich and powerful of Korea partying the day after a terrorist attack.


    The most important thing was to live on.


    They showed the will to leave their ns unchanged and not surrender to terror. It was good to sympathize with those who were harmed, but they thought it was more important to make it known that it didn¡¯t affect their lives.


    Returning to everyday life was the most important.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Guardian.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was dressed in a tuxedo while his partner¡ªCaroline¡ªwas in a beautiful dress. Why wasn¡¯t it Jang Seol Hyun on his arm? That was because it wasn¡¯t a good ce for a pregnant woman to be. They probably attended parties 6 times a month and 70 times a year.


    People who enjoyed parties probably would have loved the European culture, but Ahn Soo Ho just wanted to get out of there. Curious eyes were chasing him down from all over the ce. The guest of honors was shocked by the unexpected guest¡¯s appearance as well. And it as Wolfgang Ginger who was the most shocked.


    ¡°Soo Ho? You should have told me you wereing to the party. Then I would have sent someone for you.¡±


    ¡°I decidedst minute.¡±


    ¡°Last minute?¡±


    He looked confused and then put on a serious face.


    ¡°Is it because of Kracek?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably what you¡¯re thinking, Wolf. The German intelligence agencies, military, and the high officials probably already know. You... were used.¡±


    The music in the banquet hall stopped.


    Calling upon the most famous musicians became a custom just like how they often donated cultural art. The more famous the musician a person invited, the higher that person¡¯s reputation got.


    The top balcony overlooking the banquet hall.


    An old man watching from above.


    As soon as the others apuded him, so did Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Otto Krupp.¡¯


    Germany was famous for making cars, but Germany¡¯s main industry was still steel, followed by chemistry and red biotechnology. America had United Industries while Europe and more specifically Germany had Karl-Hasen-Kloud.


    The cutting-edge technology of France, Germany, and Ennd were integrated into a technology agreement, but as soon as Ennd left EU, the financial and pharmaceutical industries had no choice but to retreat.


    ¡°Is Krupp really involved in the Kracek case?¡±


    Ginter couldn¡¯t believe it. Ahn Soo Ho chugged his champagne. If anyone else did that, they would have been criticized forcking ss, but not a single person gave him a re.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t sure even up until he attended the party. But now, he was certain that Otto Krupp held the key to this case.


    The reason being...


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    The person he had been waiting for was here.


    ¡°Alexander Kracek.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho could see everything.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 211 ¨C Neo Nazi [2] > The end.

 Chapter 222: < Protect – Episode 212 – Neo Nazi [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 222: < Protect ¨C Episode 212 ¨C Neo Nazi [3] ></h4>


    In Korea, people thought that coincidences and happenings were the same things. However, idental urrences and coincidences were different. And the important point here was signs.


    The feeling that something might happen.


    Human¡¯s sixth sense was not to be looked down upon. An incident urring without any warning and an incident urring after multiple signals were twopletely different things. Ultimately, thetter was often considered man-made disasters, but manuals were simple manuals.


    ¡°Have you never worked with Krupp before, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well... because he had Hessen mercenaries below him.¡±


    Most people thought of famous Swiss mercenaries when one mentioned European mercenaries, but in the industry, people considered Hessen mercenaries as stronger.


    British brokers.


    French mercenaries.


    And German mercenaries.


    Most of them were contradictory people who were a hybrid between mercenaries and military soldiers, but even during the Cold War, the demand for mercenary soldiers remained high. That was because regardless ofcking flexibility, the Hessen mercenaries were famous for being trustworthy. For a mercenary, that was.


    These days, most just grouped all of the Europeans together, but the people of Europe were actually divided into many regions. They had differentnguages, and although they had a simr skin color, their cultures were totally different. The idea of unified nations was still an unfamiliar matter.


    The same went for Italy, Germany, Spain, and Ennd. These countries hadn¡¯t been properly established until 200 years ago. If they hadn¡¯t unified with their own gs, they still would have been different cities. To be frank, the two World Wars were side effects of the unification process.


    The next-door neighbors were strangers that interacted with each other while the people in the next neighborhood wereplete strangers that they would never see ever. Before the 17th century, there was no concept of ethnic groups.


    ¡°He was inflexible, but he wasn¡¯t the rash type...¡±


    ¡°People change, Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess.¡±


    Even Wolfgang Ginger turned from a cold businessman to a phnthropist who was interested in charity work.


    ¡°It must be over.¡±


    The party came to a close. Ginter was a valued guest, but he had no interest in being the focus of attention. Ahn Soo Ho felt that his gaze met with that of Otto Krupp. He was taken aback, but there was no fear. But then again, he was also a strong fighter that came out of a chaotic battlefield.


    One of the old men that appeared to be a butler approached and bowed.


    ¡°Let me escort you, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Go, Soo Ho. This old man is getting tired.¡±


    Ginter intentionally withdrew himself.


    If it was true that Krupp had something to do with Alexander Kracek¡¯s case, only his stance would bepromised. He wanted to report it, but without being ready to die, it was going to be a difficult fight. It was best to turn the other cheek.


    Before leaving the banquet, Ahn Soo Ho looked at Caroline as if he didn¡¯t want her following him. She was popr since she had a refined style for a woman over 50. Her body, which was trained in real life, wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary, but it was as strong as that of a 30-year-old.


    Ahn Soo Ho got out of the banquet and took the lift down. He was then faced with modern facilities that were different from before. The secured facilities were guarded by armed guards and steel. As soon as he noticed the futuristic interior, he whistled.


    ¡°This must have cost a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    Otto Krupp stood next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Chairman Ginter ca0me with you?¡±


    ¡°You sleep less as you get older, but you also be more afraid.¡±


    Otto Krupp was much older than Wolfgang Ginter.


    ¡°I thought I was hiding well... but I guess I never should have underestimated Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t particrly after you though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not like we have strong feelings for each other.¡±


    They never had ill enough feelings to want to screw each other over.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°That Kracek is here.¡±


    ¡°So you know everything.¡±


    Heughed bitterly to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s response.


    ¡°Why did you put a reward on him if you had him already?¡±


    ¡°I needed a scapegoat.¡±


    He gave an obvious answer. But all he did was shake his head in response.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to keep going?¡±


    ¡°Is something bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really care...¡±


    As soon as Otto Krupp questioned him back, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. He didn¡¯t care if Germany went to shit. It was just that his European representative, Wolfgang Ginter hated it. His rtionship with his representative around the world wasn¡¯t that of a master and servant. For that reason, they had to respect each other and show loyalty.


    He understood and nodded.


    ¡°Will putting Chairman Ginter at ease do it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Otto Krupp easily agreed.


    It wasn¡¯t good manners to keep asking what he was going to do. He just had to keep an eye on it and take appropriate measures. The baton was back in Wolfgang Ginter¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I still have to see Kracek before I go.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it.¡±


    He shook hands with Otto Krupp, who forced a smile. Ahn Soo Ho watched him walk off as he clicked his tongue in his head. Not long after, the old man that escorted him earlier returned.


    He took the lift down again only to arrive in a musty ce. It was a scary ce that no one knew of where they confined and interrogated people.


    Alexander Kracek was wearing some worn-out clothes and looked beat down in every way. He had facial hair growing in all sorts of ways, and he was so dirty that he was nearly unrecognizable.


    ¡°Untie him.¡±


    The guards flinched and looked at the butler.


    The old man that escorted Ahn Soo Ho nodded, and the guards proceeded to untie the chains around Kracek. It was right then when the guards on both sides of Kracek flew off.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Kracek was about to stab one of the guards in the eyes when Ahn Soo Ho spoke up.


    ¡°Let him go.¡±


    As soon as Kracek got up, the guards got up as well and crawled toward the walls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t seem startled as he smiled and left the room. Ahn Soo Ho sat in a chair.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    He picked up a chair and sat.


    ¡°This is too awkward of a situation to ask if you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Kracek¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe either, but Wolf asked me to.¡±


    ¡°Ginter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He wants me to talk you out of it.¡±


    ¡°That friend... is a tenacious one.¡±


    They both had themon trait of being German, and Wolfgang Ginter was from East Germany. The key conflict shaking up Germany was more in the North and South, but that didn¡¯t mean the conflicts in the other regions were settledpletely.


    Otto Krupp was from West Germany. It was possible that that was partly why Chairman Ginter cared for Kracek. It hadn¡¯t been long since they were made fun of for struggling financially following the unification of the east and the west.


    As a result, it was hard to understand how it became one of the economically strongest countries in the world so quickly. There was definitely a reason for it.


    ¡®The EU kept Germany alive.¡¯


    There were theories that the EU grabbed the ankles of the leading countries of Europe such as Germany, France, Italy, and Ennd, but after knowing the truth, it was hard to take that stance. On the contrary, the leading countries benefited more than anything.


    The EU allotted charges were all talk.


    However, the reason why Ennd decided to leave the EU was because it seemed clear that France and Germany were starting to lead Europe.


    Ennd was never very active in the EU to begin with.


    ¡°I can get you out right away.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the exact situation?¡±


    ¡°Scapegoat? Yeah, I know. Otto Krupp isn¡¯t that friendly of a man. All he cares about is the revival of Germany. He¡¯ll probably legitews to change how we monitor in order to add oil to the chaos, and...¡±


    ¡°Revival of the empire?¡±


    No one knew if it would take 10 years or 20 years, but Hitler was still breathing within Germany. In contrast to bike riding skinheads, the true neo-Nazis were as secretive as the Zeonists.


    ¡°The cruel past doesn¡¯t teach people anything. History just repeats itself. The world is going backward.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed at Kracek¡¯s remark. Who was he to worry about the world when he was on the verge of death? No apex predator was ever normal.


    ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯


    After looking into Kracek¡¯s eyes, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. His eyes were half dead while the other half wanted the world to be a heap of ashes. Ahn Soo Ho had seen eyes like these before.


    ¡®He¡¯s someone who has nothing left to lose...¡¯


    Krupp wanted more chaos to ensue in Germany while Kracek wanted Germany to take responsibility for his son¡¯s death. The reason why he confined him was because he became harder to control. Ahn Soo Ho smelled Ultra on Kracek.


    ¡®He¡¯ll go crazy very soon.¡¯


    And that day would be the day a terrorist attack made a record in Germany¡¯s history. Ahn Soo Ho got up. He was finished talking. As soon as he got outside, the butler was waiting, and he was escorted back to the banquet hall. The party was still going on and Ginter approached.


    ¡°Did you meet him?¡±


    ¡°Keep your hands off of it. If possible... resolve everything and retire as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, and while you¡¯re resolving everything, let me go, too. I beg of you.¡±


    Ginter let out a serious groan and then went out to the halls with his phone. Ahn Soo Ho looked for Caroline. She was still surrounded by other women.


    ¡®Caroline Burn¡¯s still got it...¡¯


    She was a woman who lived the rough life of a mercenary. It wasn¡¯t easy for a woman to be at the center of a violent organization. Although she wasn¡¯t in the media, Caroline Burn was still famous among women.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    She turned her head toward him and smirked. Beside her were Miss France, Michelle Marten, and Miss Brazil, Alice Lima.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t invite me to your wedding!¡±


    Alice protested while Michelle looked on in fascination.


    ¡®What a prude.¡¯


    She was looking around the banquet hall with a straight face not long ago, but she was now talking to Ahn Soo Ho in a rxed manner. Just like in Hong Kong, she showed a particr interest in men. And despite him being married now, she didn¡¯t think to back down.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t think it was love... but was I wrong?¡¯


    He already knew Alice had a great interest in him. But since she was pretty easygoing, he didn¡¯t think he had to worry about her. He thought it was just pure interest as a human being, but Michelle was wrong. Alice was definitely interested in Ahn Soo Ho as a woman.


    Even with France¡¯s open-minded view on adultery, it was difficult to get in the way of the fierce love between newlyweds. He didn¡¯t know how it was in Brazil, but that was bad manners no matter what country one was in.


    They had only met three times in Sao Paolo, Hong Kong, and Hamburg, but Alice and Michelle acted like they were close friends of his. They had originallye to the party with their partners, but seeing how they didn¡¯t care that they were abandoned, they must have been hired with money.


    ¡°We talked on the phone though.¡±


    ¡°Ourst call was a month ago.¡±


    ¡°No news is good news.¡±


    Since Ahn Soo Ho was with them, no one else thought to bother them. Michelle liked that part.


    ¡°Why did youe with that granny? Where¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Michelle. You might get the kill heel.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wearing the legendary Louboutins today, but Jimmy Chus was also sturdy. Speaking of which, Caroline approached right at that very moment.


    ¡°Oh my! Who are they? Are you cheating on me, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Save your jokes for Hell, Granny.¡±


    ¡°Granny? Call me Big Sis.¡±


    Did she learn from Jang Seol Hyun? Caroline sounded just like her.


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. Did you look into it?¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    As soon as Caroline nced at Michelle and Alice, Ahn Soo Ho gestured for her to continue.


    ¡°You were right. Stone Average made a new fund.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°200 billion.¡±


    ¡°Dors? Or Euros?¡±


    ¡°Euros.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was astonished. That was 280 trillion Korean won. It wasn¡¯t much considering Europe¡¯s economy, but for one investment firm to manage, it was arge sum of money.


    ¡°What about the allotment?¡±


    ¡°They must have filled most of it already. I think Red Sea Trade Company also started their transfer... They must be nning to run Europe dry.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯ll probably start soon.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Wait! What are you talking about? Make it easier to understand.¡±


    As soon as Michelle jumped into the conversation, he asked Alice a question.


    ¡°Do you know Stone Average?¡±


    ¡°Stone Average?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯remonly known as Pitch Stone.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Alice nodded. Ahn Soo Ho continued to question her.


    ¡°What¡¯s a bank?¡±


    ¡°Hm. An investment organization that uses funds of ount holders to make profits?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°A public financial institution that gives out loans?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°National loans?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°A credit guarantee organization?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The lubricating oil of the economy?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    She shook her head as if she ran out of answers. Ahn Soo Ho smiled.


    ¡°Those are answers that a professor inside the box would give. But my answer is this.¡±


    He shook his index finger.


    ¡°Con artist.¡±


    ¡°Con artist?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Banks are legal con artists.¡±


    While the stock market sold what they didn¡¯t have, banks had the ability to get rid of what they did have. People oftenpared the market economy and their principles to living organizations, but he wanted to kick their mouths before they could say more.


    ¡°The economy that we¡¯re seeing is not alive. Fund managers always warn investors of investment risks, but that¡¯s all bullshit.¡±


    Was there no way of seeding in investments 100%? There was.


    ¡°If you look at the factual grounds, it bes more clear.¡±


    Today¡¯s major financial institutions were worse than Shylock.


    ¡°Banks are never at a loss. News articles say they do, but I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    It was always the small ants that died out. Bankruptcy? It was possible for banks to go bankrupt, but they just changed their signs and came back. And what was the force making this fraud possible? It was debt.


    Debt


    Whether it was a nation, corporation, a shop, or a person, economists always warned of risks. It was a very negative word and concept. However, it was debt that made the world¡¯s economy go round. If debt didn¡¯t exist, banks had no reason to exist. As a result, banks didn¡¯t check the credit of nations, corporations, shops, or people if they didn¡¯t have debt. That was because if the nation, corporation, shop, or person didn¡¯t have debt, they couldn¡¯t impose their influence upon them.


    The banks¡¯ power came from the scale of debts.


    ¡®I think that old man, Hector is hiding something.¡¯


    It was true that Rothschild mobilized Andre Sluski, and it was also true that Hector Garcia was confined through Roberto Aqun. The fact that such a financial tycoon that usually got things done quietly was being sensitive all of a sudden suggested that there was a big secret involved.


    If a cold-hearted spy and hunter like Andre Sluski was dispatched, this was no ordinary matter. Ahn Soo Ho gave the women with sparkling eyes one more advise.


    ¡°If you have stocks, sell them all.¡±


    Especially in Europe.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 212 ¨C Neo Nazi [3] > The end. 123

 Chapter 223: < Protect – Episode 213 – Neo Nazi [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 223: < Protect ¨C Episode 213 ¨C Neo Nazi [4] ></h4>


    In most of the bills that we believe was money, most of it exists as 0s and 1s in aputer. And they werergely controlled by a big hand that was called something in the lines of the stock market economy.


    There was no such thing as freepetition.


    Once Michelle and Alice got a taste of real life, they turned back with shocked faces. The party finally came to an end. One of the guards that came from their agency greeted Ahn Soo Ho with their eyes.


    They must have known Caroline as well because they nodded at her, too.


    ¡°That¡¯s Allen¡¯s North Mist.¡±


    They were the PMC that stood out the most after Aragon Company¡¯s downfall.


    ¡°Anyway... even Germany, which seems pretty normal, is full of crazy people. I didn¡¯t think there would be psychos chanting for the revival of Germans.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you catch on when you worked with Krupp?¡±


    ¡°Since we were just growing at the time, we didn¡¯t have the flexibility to screen our employers. And the military was threatening to kill us back then, so we had to team up with themies or Nazis.¡±


    ¡°And what you wished for came true.¡±


    Most of Absent Morgan believed that they had to team up with the worst if they wanted to liberate women. They were determined to use the men to bring down the men. Caroline stared at Michelle and Alice walking away.


    ¡°Are they... okay? If we tell the wrong people about this, we could get ourselves killed.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re smarter than you think.¡±


    Not all beauty pageant winners were dumb. Not only did they have stunning looks, but they were quite intelligent as well. Even the most beautiful women looked cheap if they didn¡¯t have brains.


    ¡°Really? But then again, that Brazilian one looks pretty appetizing.¡±


    ¡°Carol? Aren¡¯t you... a feminist?¡±


    He was shocked that shepared a woman to something that could be eaten.


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°You put your life on the line to liberate women. But you¡¯re acting like an old man.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Carolineughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question. Sheughed so hard that people passing by stared. She even had tears in her eyes. She shook her head and responded, ¡°Feminism? That¡¯s good and all. But do you know what I realized over the years?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged his shoulders in response.


    ¡°The enemy of women are other women.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I bet both men and women are enemies of women.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. But there are as much scum men as there are women. If they can¡¯t help, they shouldn¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a matter of sexuality more than gender.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. But there are way too many opportunist women out there.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at her nuance.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t like beauty pageants.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the reason, they¡¯re still selling their bodies.¡±


    She was being extreme, but she wasn¡¯t wrong either.


    ¡°But I liked the two of them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they have brains.¡±


    The biggest problem Caroline had with Feminism was that women acted weakly and relied on men. It was wrong for men to brainwash women into thinking they were weak, but those who turned away from the truth and made excuses were just as responsible.


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    He didn¡¯t know the difference between Neo-Nazis and Absent Morgan, which used violence to express their new feminism. But then again, everyone had their circumstances and reason. If he worried about every one of them, the whole world was going to burn down in mes.


    ¡®A society where you hate everything but yourself.¡¯


    Or maybe not. Since even looking down on one¡¯s self became something to brag about, looking down on others was nothing.


    ¡®The cruelest world is the one where the weakest rip each other to shreds.¡¯


    The Korean media, which was keeping their eye on Ahn Soo Ho, put him on the cover as soon as he appeared at the party in Germany. Although it was a private party, there were lots of paparazzi and reporters at the entrance, and Ahn Soo Ho holding Caroline¡¯s hand was captured and put on all the inte and paper articles.


    A lot of people questioned where his wife was, but they understood his situation. That was because they believed the party to be an event for lobbyists. Thanks to the Korean media¡¯s change in stance, Ahn Soo Ho became a type of ambassador for Korea despite not being Korean.


    Koreans showed strong interest in Ahn Soo Ho. Those who didn¡¯t know him could have mistaken him for the president.


    What¡¯s in Germany? They don¡¯t have much to do with our country.


    Yeah. If he¡¯s trying to get back cultural assets, he should go to China or Japan instead. Themie North Koreans sold so many of ours to China!


    Same with Russia!


    Not Russia, but the Soviet Union! I heard the ones that the Soviet Union had went over to Germany! Am I wrong?


    What do you mean Germany and our country have nothing to do with each other? Lots of miners and nurses are there. I think most overseas Koreans live in Ennd or Germany.


    That¡¯s the painful history of Korea. Selling off soldiers to the Vietnam war and selling miners and nurses to Germany is the same as human trafficking. This is all very inhuman behavior.


    At the time, they just said they were taking volunteers, but they didn¡¯t tell anyone the horrible situation of the country! I want this painful history toe back into light! Pushing citizens into deadly situations is no different from murder!


    So when are we getting back our cultural assets?


    Are you stupid? It¡¯s not easy getting back what was already stolen!


    We should abandon the fast culture we have here!


    Korea¡¯s foreign office disapproved at first, but they were ready to do a lot just to promote their own organization. As a result, they tried their best to take the incident that Oh Joo Kyung and the owner started and use it to their advantage.


    In order to wrap up the cultural asset agreement with the French government, they picked Han Kyung Il. The Korean government wasn¡¯t so dumb that they didn¡¯t get the explicit message.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho returned to Frankfurt, he video called Daniel.


    ¡°People will talk about thister. They¡¯ll call this foreign pressure. Maybe the vice-chairman is getting way over her head.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? It¡¯s refreshing. Tell him he did a good job.¡±


    ¡°Tell him yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll get cussed at.¡±


    ¡°So you know.¡±


    The Korean citizens liked Ahn Soo Ho, but the vice chairman and the promotional department of Hosoo Group were seriously considering quitting due to the overtime work.


    ¡°What about Gaesung?¡±


    ¡°China, Japan, and Russia seem positive. And the White House is being cooperative as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Since the Nigeria card isn¡¯t working, they¡¯re keeping their eye on North Korea.¡±


    Following the Middle East, the White House nted another ck hole in Nigeria, but when it didn¡¯t work, they started hunting for their next prey. That was when North Korea came into view. The problem was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s thoughts, but as soon as he renounced his citizenship, they started to actively pursue it.


    ¡°What do you expect will happen?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll reopen the six-party talks.¡±


    ¡°Will they give up on nuclear weapons?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Daniel strongly denied it, and Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. North Korea wouldn¡¯t give up nuclear weapons.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t. If they did, their country would go down in rank overnight. Ironically, just for having nuclear weapons, they were more recognized in the international society than South Korea.


    ¡°Are you going to participate?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    This time, Ahn Soo Ho strongly denied.


    ¡°This kind of talk is their specialty. If they want to y politics about North Korea¡¯s nuclear missiles, who am I to interfere?¡±


    Security issues were the most important for politicians. And the new Cold War approaching North-East Asia was good bait for America. Same went for China, Russia, and Japan. By using the threat of war, they could defeat any other dissatisfactions easily.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll proceed as nned.¡±


    ¡°Good. Oh yeah!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped Daniel from hanging up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pressure the Ministry of Unification too much.¡±


    ¡°Why can the vice-chairman do it but not me?¡±


    ¡°Because they might let a pretty woman off easily, but they¡¯ll fight if a dark man like you challenge them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sexism, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t go too hard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Daniel didn¡¯t want to talk to an annoyed bureaucrat just to establish unification for Emerald City ¨C Gaesung. Each government department seemed to operate separately, but they were actually all tangled up in a mess. The national division often became a diplomatic issue while the strategy and finance division often became a unification issue.


    ¡°I almost forgot the most important part.¡±


    He almost forgot the most important part.


    ¡°Get rid of the stocks and increase the weight of cash.¡±


    ¡°Cash? What for?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Daniel.


    ¡°A tsunami is about to hit, Danny. A big one at that.¡±


    A huge tsunami was on its way to swallow up the world, including Europe and Korea.


    ******


    Hector seemed quite cheerful when he saw him for the first time having parting in Hawaii. The old man gained some weight and greeted Ahn Soo Ho with a smile. He was smiling so brightly that he almost forgot that there was a piece of ss with holes in between them.


    ¡°You look happy, old man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m eating well, having fun, and sleeping plenty. I call that Heaven.¡±


    ¡°I finished the job.¡±


    ¡°Your expression tells me you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    Hector nced at the monitoring cameras on the wall and then continued, ¡°I never disappeared in the first ce.¡±


    The trace by the German government was nothing but a show.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying the color of the g changed and depending on the situation, it might change again.¡±


    He was vague, but Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°More importantly, Sluski is after you.¡±


    ¡°Sluski? I haven¡¯t heard that name in a while.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of the Red Sea Trading Company.¡±


    Hector opened his mouth freely. But he had yet to resolve the suspicion. Ahn Soo Ho waited for him to finish.


    ¡°Do you know about Red Sea Trading Company¡¯s origin, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°People think it was the Soviet Union¡¯s attempt to save themselves, but that¡¯s not true. The establishment of it has nothing to do with the happiness of the Soviet Union people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°The nuclear fears at the time were probably worse than you can imagine.¡±


    People these days talked about MAD all the time, but back then, the concept made everyone including academics, civilians, and the government tremble in fear.


    ¡°The spies of America and the Soviet Union realized the risks before anyone else. They knew that if someone made one mistake, the whole world would go extinct.¡±


    Red Sea Trading Company was a group of spies that tried to stop the world from going extinct. What was surprising was that America and the Soviet Union, who fought in an intelligence war during the Cold War, were the main initiators?


    Just like how the old Soviet Union, called Russia took 30 percent of Red Sea Trading Company¡¯s stocks, so did America. The rest were split up among Ennd, France, Italy, China, and more.


    The purpose of the Red Sea Trading Company was simple.


    ¡®Never let a nuclear war break loose!¡¯


    What was the point of spies if the world went extinct? Regarding nuclear threats, all the intelligence agencies came to an agreement. Even North Korea minded thispany. After all, if there was any sign of a nuclear war, North Korea would be destroyed first.


    The money that was spent to control everything rted to nuclear weapons was the Red Sea Trading Company¡¯s funds. They spent as much as they needed to buy scientists who knew about nuclear weapons. The problem began when the intelligence agencies started using that money for themselves.


    After the Cold War, the nuclear war became a thing of the past. And this fund became a profitable business for secret missions. And the slush funds with no record of it remained as a top-secret.


    Power always followed money.


    The ones who could control the Red Sea Trading Company funds were the ones who were really at the top. And that had nothing to do with the president¡¯s appointment. If they could move the funds themselves, they didn¡¯t have to worry about the president or the national assembly.


    ¡°How do you think I took the throne back then, Soo Ho? It¡¯s not like I have some great genes or anything. And I didn¡¯t have much money either... And I¡¯m not white.¡±


    The old man looked like a Hispanic. Come to think of it, Hector Garcia didn¡¯t have a special background or support.


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m not interested where your poweres from Hector. What I want to know is why Sluski ising after you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cold.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care for what most would beg him to share. That was why Hector could trust Ahn Soo Ho. He had no interest in money or valuables.


    ¡°Vitali¡¯s power isn¡¯t stable.¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s on the board of directors now.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a lie?¡±


    ¡°Half of it, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the half of it?¡±


    ¡°It might be faster if you heard it from Rothschild. He¡¯ll look for you as soon as you get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and got up. Hector was right. Once he left the detention center, he saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Allen.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Allen Smith.


    He had the same name as the impeached American president, but he had a different look and personality. While Barbara¡¯s way of handling money was mostly legal, this man almost never followed thews.


    The emperor of ck money


    The reincarnation of Shylock


    The spirit of Scrooge


    He was like the Voldemort of the financial world.


    ¡°Shall we walk?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded for him to lead the way. The two then walked through a park filled with modern sculptures.


    ¡°I want to invest in the Emerald membership.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked in response.


    ¡°Out of the blue? I don¡¯t know how I should react to this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯m just delivering what the board of directors decided.¡±


    ¡°I just left you alone because I didn¡¯t care, but maybe I should have shot you all.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa.¡±


    Allen shook his hands in response. It was an exaggerated response. He minded Ahn Soo Ho and then carefully continued,


    ¡°Did you know Ang disappeared? The heads disappeared without a trace. That left a void almost as big as the one you left behind.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°You have what Ang...¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut off Allen.


    ¡°Stop wasting time and get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Pitch Stone and Heritage are keeping a close eye on this situation.¡±


    ¡°They are? That sounds like they want to take what they couldn¡¯t from New York.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disagree with that.¡±


    ording to General Ashford¡¯s ns, New York had to undergo further destruction and the President of the United States was to be executed in front of many. As a result, the rage of Americans and the American army was supposed to burn Africa to the ground. But once Ahn Soo Ho got involved, the n didn¡¯t proceed as nned.


    The unnned London terrorist attack and the reveal that it was by a French bureaucrat ruined the original ns, and the African war was reduced to a Nigerian war instead. For those who invested with it beforehand, there was a great loss, but they were determined to make up for it this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prevent losses for South Korea as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you interested in South Korea¡¯s situation?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Allen tilted his head.


    The capable men who wanted to get closer to Ahn Soo Ho were so desperate that they even nned to buy the Korean cultural pieces from the ck market and return it to Korea.


    ¡°What I¡¯m interested in right now is Sluski.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Allen groaned.


    ¡°If you know me well, you should know what I hate the most, too.¡±


    ¡°Human trafficking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I absolutely hate pimps. Especially scumbags like Sluski that catch small children and do horrible things to them. The reason why I didn¡¯t kill him before was because UNICEF was more important. But this bastard dared to poke his head out again. And you guys just epted him with open arms. What kind of bullshit is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s directly connected to UNICEF... Ugh!¡±


    Allen Smith went up into the air with a groan. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t holding him up. He was just floating in the air. As soon as Allen put his hand on his waist, both Allen¡¯s guards and Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s guards stepped forward.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Allen. If youy your hands on prostitution again, I won¡¯t end it with just a warning.¡±


    In Europe, prostitution was a legal business. And among those with power, there were many perverts with a unique taste. Many liked unmarried women, and there were even those who liked children. But the world of perverts was very vast.


    Some perverts liked those with disabilities while others went after pregnant women. But there was a pervert that beat them all out of the water. Some liked to kidnap a loved one, family or friend and made them have sex with each other.


    At that point, they were just mental patients.


    In a world of 7 billion people, a few missing people went unnoticed. If it made money, some were willing to not only sell people but dead bodies as well. But then again, organ trafficking was also a big business thatpeted with human trafficking.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t interested in normal prostitutes.


    But when it came to business prostitution, people were often kidnapped in order to meet the clients¡¯ unique tastes. The ultimate hobby of those with money and power was crime.


    Prostitution at a corporate level was very dangerous.


    General Ashford.


    This crime nning group was put in action by Ang, but the ones that funded them were men with power. Making bets on crimes and the results of crimes was thrilling for them.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Allen Smith fell to the ground and coughed while grabbing his throat. His guards ran over to take care of him, but he pushed them aside and got up.


    ¡°We can¡¯t control all of our members, Soo Ho. Cough!¡±


    ¡°I know. I understand.¡±


    ¡°I promise... Cough! That I¡¯ll never lead any kind of prostitution.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better not, Allen. I won¡¯t give you another chance.¡±


    Allen stopped coughing and stood up straight.


    ¡°Andre Sluski is...¡±


    Rothschild was a group of faith, but they were going against a man of self-will. If they tried to protect Sluski, they were going to die first.


    ¡°He¡¯s in Prague.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Oh, yeah!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stopped and smiled back at him.


    ¡°I have a lot of stocks to sell. You¡¯ll give me a good offer, right?¡±


    He looked like he was about to cry.


    The emperor of ck money


    The reincarnation of Shylock


    The spirit of Scooge


    He was a tycoon who controlled the financial world, but in Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes, he was just an ATM like Barbara.


    ¡®A human ATM!¡¯


    You have a lot of money.


    Allen looked displeased.


    ¡®This is theft!¡¯


    A legal bank robbery was taking ce right in front of his eyes.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 213 ¨C Neo Nazi [4] > The end.

 Chapter 224: < Protect – Episode 214 – Russian Roulette [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 224: < Protect ¨C Episode 214 ¨C Russian Roulette [1] ></h4>


    Why did Ahn Soo Ho hate human trafficking so much? It wasn¡¯t like he was kidnapped or assaulted as a kid. But then again, that was impossible for him. However, when he watched the great, great magician, Anna-Anne¡¯s life, he experienced just how horrible life as a ve really was.


    There were things much worse than murder in this world.


    It was better to just kill someone than to torture them by making them a ve which was somewhere between life and death. That was why Ahn Soo Ho killed his enemies in the quickest way possible. Did that sound weird? He did have one rule of giving everyone a chance to save themselves.


    But there were certainly exceptions.


    If they messed with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s family, friends, or colleagues, they got no chance. He had already let Andre Sluski live once before. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t know. All that mattered was that Ahn Soo Ho believed it.


    ¡°Prague.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s closer than I expected.¡±


    Kosino tilted her head to Ahn Soo Ho. As soon as the boss visited Europe, Sluski stopped luring around Hector Garcia and hid his whereabouts. He knew that if he ran into Ahn Soo Ho, he would get into big trouble.


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Well, he is a legend himself... Give me two days.¡±


    ¡°One day.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Okay.¡±


    Kosino agreed.


    Hector Garcia refused his help and remained at the detention center. He didn¡¯t know what history he had with Rothschild, but he didn¡¯t want to meddle that much. Since the old man didn¡¯t have dementia, he was capable of taking care of himself.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho returned to his hotel, he was met with an unexpected situation. Michelle, Alice, and Jang Seol Hyun wereughing and chatting away.


    ¡°Soo Ho. You¡¯re home early.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun struggled to get up and took his coat. He normally would have scolded her for getting up, but he couldn¡¯t do that in front of guests.


    ¡®Prude.¡¯


    However, she liked that he knew when to just ept his role as the king.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? Are we not allowed to be here?¡±


    ¡°You should have gotten my permission first.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to see you. Carol invited us.¡±


    ¡®That granny?¡¯ Caroline wasn¡¯t there, but Ahn Soo Ho imagined her smiling in a wicked manner. She was the granny version of Hector Garcia. If Caroline heard this, she would have gotten mad, but she was actually well-suited for Hector. They both had a way of having dramatic emotional ups and downs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Carol?¡±


    ¡°She went to get some wine.¡±


    ¡®Drinking already?¡¯ That was something Caroline Burn would do. Ahn Soo Ho sat down on the sofa while Jang Seol Hyun poured him a drink. He was impressed by the service, but he didn¡¯t make it show.


    ¡°What were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°About Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it... I heard you¡¯re filming a movie, Michelle.¡±


    Not long ago, Scott Warren had talked about Michelle and Alice. He said he wanted to recruit both of them into Hosoo Entertainment America or Europe.


    Michelle clicked her tongue.


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating that thepany is still running with such a disinterested owner.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a movie, but a drama. A coboration between America and China.¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    He heard rumors that Hollywood was getting a lot of funding from China. People talked about this as if it was a joke, but the old men of the American film industry hated funding from people of color and oil money.


    Sony was lucky.


    Hollywood was still just as racist, and no matter how popr an African American actor was, there was a limit to their sess. The reason why Michael Jackson¡¯s life came to a tragic end was ultimately because of racism.


    This time, Alice sighed.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Soo Ho doesn¡¯t know much about the film industry. He¡¯s not interested either.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how does it make sense that he doesn¡¯t know anything about the entertainment business with his reputation?¡±


    ¡°He just has other people doing the work. If it¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s not reported to him. Besides, Soo Ho¡¯szy.¡±


    ¡°It must be great being him.¡±


    Michelle and Jang Seol Hyun had met before. They had met on a private yacht in Monaco. They must have gotten close because they started dissing Ahn Soo Ho together. They were serving him not long ago, but their stance had changed.


    ¡°Do you remember Alexander Johnny Chung?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hong Kong.¡±


    Alexander Johnny Chung was a big producer in the Hong Kong film industry.


    ¡°So you remember Hong Kong. Well, do you remember the joint investment project you started there?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    He remembered.


    Although he only visited Hong Kong because of North Korea¡¯s missile provocation, he ended up establishing a grand strategy for all of Asia. They originally nned on holding back on foreign strategies, but following the New York terrorist attack, they needed to make stronger investments.


    Even now, Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe were expanding exponentially. Both Scott Warren and Barbara Huxley were the types to keep their promises. It was hard to say that Hosoo Entertainment Europe and America were within the group. Since their capital was from their country, all that they had inmon was the name.


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.


    ¡°But how do you know about this?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The three women were shocked.


    ¡°We¡¯re signed under Hosoo Entertainment.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked confused. ¡®Huh? Do I need to report this? Or should I just let them go?¡¯ He felt bothered that he found out something he didn¡¯t have to know.


    Michelle was speechless and nk.


    ¡°You really have no interest in us. Do you even consider us your friends?¡±


    ¡°Where Ie from, they say no news is good news.¡±


    ¡°Stop it with your y on words.¡±


    If they were under his agency, that also meant their guards, North Mist was hired by hispany. The leader of Ang was in United Industries¡¯ executivemittee, and they had a strong group called Aragon Company. The circle¡¯s influence over the world¡¯s politics, economy, and the military were powerful beyond imagination.


    ¡®It must be very serious.¡¯


    Just like Allen Smith said, the circle¡¯s destruction left a huge void. The greedy forces around them started to take action. Same went for the Berlin terrorist attack a few days back. When it was revealed that it wasn¡¯t Muslim terrorists, but the Christians that hated Muslims that started the attack, Germany went into shock.


    The Christians were after the Muslims.


    ¡®That was also expected.¡¯


    The Neo-Nazis that followed Otto Krupp carefully overcame obstacles to reach their ultimate objective. If the pain and provocation continued for a long period of time, basic human rights were bound to vanish.


    It was a lie when people said that French women were easygoing. Brazilian women were just as shameless. But the scariest was his pregnant wife.


    ¡°What is it that you want, youngdies?¡±


    ¡°Motor show.¡±


    ¡®Motor show?¡¯


    ¡°I want to go to the Frankfurt Motor Show.¡±


    It was wrong to assume that only men liked cars. There were many women who also liked speed, cornering and intense drifts. And Miss Brazil¡ªAlice¡¯s idol¡ªwas the genius driver, Ayrton Senna.


    It was true.


    Alice Lima, who was more calm and thoughtful than Michelle, was a speed lover. And the advertisement she epted after winning Miss Universe was for NASCAR. Women who were knowledgeable about racing were more favorable than those who shotguns in the eyes of most men.


    The reason why Alice was able to beat Miss. Venezu and became Miss Universe was because she was thoughtful and cautious while also being direct and rough when needed.


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke in a negative manner.


    ¡°Why would they hold such a big event when there was a terrorist attack a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°They said they¡¯re going to do it.¡±


    Alice refuted immediately.


    ¡°You could just ask the agency. Why are youing to me?¡±


    ¡°Because they don¡¯t give out VVIP tickets to just anyone.¡±


    ¡°Not even Miss Universe?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho looked back, Logan nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s done. What about you?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho looked at Michelle, she got up without answering. That was because Caroline wasing in with the wine. The wine must have been expensive because the three women ran toward her and left Ahn Soo Ho behind.


    ¡°Wow! The legendary white wine, 1976 vintage!¡±


    ¡°Germany is known for white wine!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? France is better!¡±


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s Italy!¡±


    ¡°Espana is good, too!¡±


    ¡°What about Portugal?¡±


    While the women fought over wine, Ahn Soo Ho took a bottle from the cart.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    After going all around the world and meeting famous people, he tasted all sorts of famous alcohol. There was one wine that was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s absolute favorite.


    ¡°Chateau Montelena.¡±


    Wine was now American-made.


    That night, Caroline, Michelle, and Alice got drunk off of wine while Ahn Soo Ho kept his eye on Jang Seol Hyun. After all, just a ss turned into another and another.


    Kosino managed to find the objective in just 5 hours instead of a day. Ahn Soo Ho left the drunk women behind and left the hotel. This time, he didn¡¯t use a car or a ne. He teleported to Prague and was met with an unfriendly face.


    ¡°Alexa.¡±


    Her face was bright red.


    ¡°How could you leave me out, Soo Ho? You couldn¡¯t help it with UNICEF, but Sluski should be mine!¡±


    ¡°Did Kosi call you?¡±


    ¡°Is that important?¡±


    She was getting revenge for disturbing her on vacation.


    ¡°What about the kids?¡±


    ¡°I asked Lena to take over.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    Alexa had a dark past. The reason why she hated men and insisted on being a lesbian was because of a traumatic event from when she was young. There was no way of getting her to get some therapy either. And being forceful wasn¡¯t going to work on her either.


    When he met Alexa 10 years earlier, she had the eyes of someone with no hope. Half of her body was already dead, and her body was ready to stop breathing.


    Europe¡¯srgest human trafficking organization, Mercedes.


    No one knew why they were named after a car. Some said that the head¡ªYusef¡ªwas obsessed with Mercedes cars, but no one knew for certain. There were even stories about how it meant ¡®gift¡¯ in Latin. After all, for Yusef, who was kicked out of Russia after the Cold War, selling and buying people was like a gift.


    ¡°You stay out of this.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t want Alexa to be reminded of the past. If her scars were not fully healed yet, she would be faced with horrible pain.


    ¡°Think about the kids, Alexa. I mean, Sonya.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho picked her up and made her into a warrior. He was sometimes sad that she didn¡¯t live a normal life, but for her, it was hard to imagine what normal was. It was courageous enough that she continued to live on after what she had been through.


    Alexa had been using her ie to help kidnapped victims. At first, she operated a safe house for the women and children that were freed from Mercedes, and after a decadeter, she even helped those who suffered domestic violence, rape, and much more.


    That was also why Caroline liked Alexa.


    ¡°Things operate just fine without me now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You spent so much money on it... You must be poor now. Are you homeless?¡±


    ¡°No! Come on!¡±


    She puffed up her cheeks in response. She wasn¡¯t young since she was 30 years old, but in front of him, she acted like a little girl. If any other team member saw Alexa being cute, they would have been shocked.


    ¡®That ice queen?¡¯


    She rarely even smiled at other people.


    ¡°Pushover.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°So true.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Alexa calmed herself down and put on a coy face.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t treat me like this.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I already got the coordinates from Kosi.¡±


    He could have just hacked into the CCTVs in Prague through his superputer, but he didn¡¯t want to tease her so much that she would get angry. So he went along with what Alexa wanted. Czech was one of the countries that made her heart ache the most.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    She threw her fists in the air out of sess. Ahn Soo Ho immediately made arrangements for a car and went for a sturdy SUV. Alexa got into the car and input the address into the navigator.


    ¡°Zizkov. Is that where we¡¯re headed?¡±


    Czech was a region somewhere between East and West Europe. But there were good things about being in an iffy location. During the second World War, the Nazis and allied forces went past Prague, and the entire city was currently registered with UNESCO.


    During World War II, the Nazis killed countless gypsies. It wasn¡¯t just the Nazis that hated gypsies. Everyone in Europe did. Even the Jews hated them. And for gypsies that were also Jews, they were treated as the lowest of the low.


    Germany was so two-faced that while they apologized to the country and citizens for what they did, they never apologized to the gypsies. Perhaps they didn¡¯t see the need to bow down to those that they could look down on.


    Czech worked its connections well in the 20th century. They had their foot in East Europe, but they weren¡¯t overlymunized, and following the Cold War, their tourism industry boomed. For some reason, Asians had a fantasy about Czech. The Asians on the other side of the world knew their history better than they did.


    ¡°It¡¯s a licensed prostitution house.¡±


    Alexa got out of the car with a mixed facial expression.


    One of Czech¡¯s main industries was prostitution for tourists. The sex industry was not to be underestimated. Prostitution was mainly based on cash transactions. It had existed for thest 2000 years, and it was going to exist for 2000 more.


    In contrast to Korea, Europe was careful aboutying roadblocks or pavement. They were all about archaism and whatnot. It looked good in photos, but when it rained, the odor was foul.


    Not all old things were good.


    ¡°It¡¯s rotting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little better inside.¡±


    People were capable of getting used to the worst smells. Just like how Koreans enjoyed soybean paste soup without realizing its odor, the Japanese didn¡¯t know nattos stank. So perhaps what Ahn Soo Ho thought was foul was not so bad to the natives of Czech.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    A man stepped in his way. He had a gun on his belt. But it was not surprising. Czech exported just as many weapons as the great Russia.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Micf?¡±


    The man flinched at Alexa¡¯s fluent Czechnguage.


    ¡°Where did you...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Don¡¯t you want business?¡±


    The way Ahn Soo Ho and Alexa were dressed didn¡¯t suit the shabby alleyway. He rolled his eyes and then stepped aside.


    ¡°It¡¯s the third room.¡±


    ¡°Do better, okay?¡±


    Alexa patted the man¡¯s back and passed him. Ahn Soo Ho whispered to her,


    ¡°Where did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? My mom was from Slovakia¡±


    Both Czech and Slovakia spoke a simrnguage. Actually, most countries in Europe were capable of understanding each other.


    ¡°Snicker! Huh?¡±


    A man wasughing at the TV, but once he saw Ahn Soo Ho, he sprung up.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    He fell over backward and crawled over to the wall. He was in fear. Ahn Soo Ho just stared on while Alexa took a chair and sat in front of him.


    ¡°Micf.¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°Pa... pardon? Oh, huh?¡±


    Michf was avoiding Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gaze when he gasped at Alexa¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yo... you¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°Do you recognize me now?¡±


    ¡°Sonya?¡±


    ¡°I use a different name now. Alexa... Call me Alexa.¡±


    ¡°Ok... okay. Agh!¡±


    As soon as Micf finished, he grabbed his leg and screamed. A silenced gun was emitting smoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby. That won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Unless a person got shot in the head or heart, that person was not likely to die right away. Micf blocked his own mouth instead of screaming.


    ¡®If we fight, we¡¯re all dead!¡¯


    If his underlings came and started a gunfight, they were all going to be annihted.


    ¡°Where are the Russians?¡±


    ¡°De... Dejvice.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    That was a hot ce for diplomats.


    ¡°Should I have just gone to the Russian embassy right off the bat?¡±


    ¡°No, searching this ce is standard procedure. Good job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not satisfied.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Alexa looked down at Micf in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question and pulled the trigger multiple times.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re dead; you son of a bitch.¡±


    This time, the bullets went through his brain and heart. He died before he got a chance to scream.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho talked Alexa out of it. She had already shot 12 bullets. 12 bullets on one man? He felt the rage of Alexa as she was reminded of her past.


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d be okay... but this is pissing me off!¡±


    She believed she walked out of it on her own, but the wounds would never heal. Ahn Soo Ho took the gun out of her hand. Alexa easily let go of the gun.


    Her eyes shook.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time she killed, but thinking about the past made her uneasy. The preparation she made while nning her revenge didn¡¯t help her one bit.


    Alexa couldn¡¯t breathe.


    She suddenly started shaking, and Ahn Soo Ho embraced her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m right here. No one can hurt you. I won¡¯t let them.¡±


    When he first met Alexa, she was half dead. She needed 6 months to get out of her small room, and it took over another 6 months for her to open her mouth. And after a year, she was able to engage in normal conversation.


    It took 3 years for Alexa toe out into the real world. And for those 3 years, she followed Ahn Soo Ho around like a little chick. She couldn¡¯t eat, sleep, or even bathe without Ahn Soo Ho.


    He patted her and said to her what used to calm her down in the past.


    ¡°Everything will be okay, Sonya. We¡¯ll kill them. We¡¯ll kill all of them. So don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Those words calmed her down. And at that moment, one of Micf¡¯s underlings opened the door.


    Bang-


    The bullet went through his head.


    ¡°What was that? You didn¡¯t use the silencer! We¡¯ve been caught!¡±


    Alexa pushed Ahn Soo Ho off and got up. She felt thankful, sorry, and embarrassed. She was cute when she was a teenager, but now she was just gross. But she still had some of that little girl in her.


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked and handed Alexa a magical gun from his secret pocket. The outside became noisy in response to the gunshot.


    Ahn Soo Ho held two guns in both hands and looked back at her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get it.¡±


    ¡®Shall we have some fun?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 214 ¨C Russian Roulette [1] > The end.

 Chapter 225: < Protect – Episode 215 – Russian Roulette [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 225: < Protect ¨C Episode 215 ¨C Russian Roulette [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Prague.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    A total of 4 European representatives existed in the CIA Europe headquarters. The four people were responsible for Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. But why was Ennd left out? That was because America¡¯s biggest ally was Ennd, and London was managed by Langley.


    Czech was taken care of by the one in charge of Germany. Actually, most of the East European countries were taken care of by the CIA¡¯s Berlin branch. And they, who were in the front lines of the European terrorist attacks, didn¡¯t see Ahn Soo Hoing. And he, who was mocking those who were keeping a close eye on him, was countless kilometers away from making an appearance in Prague.


    Even among the CIA European representatives, there were ranks, and Germany was at the top while the rest were at a simr level.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the hotel monitoring team?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see theming out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    If they had, it would have been reported to him.


    ¡°What a headache. What about Langley?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The director has no interest in getting involved.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to either.¡±


    ¡°But!¡±


    He blocked the mouth of the French representative with his hand.


    ¡°I think the Krupp issue is a big problem, too. But there are too many obstacles to ovee before we can deal with it.¡±


    ¡°The Krupp Organization already formed a secret group with all of Western Europe including France. At this rate, Europe will suffer from far-right nationalism.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then you should also know!¡±


    ¡°No assassinations.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    Otto Krupp¡¯s new Nazi organization was a scary group indeed. They were on a whole different level from the Skin Heads that drank beer at a pub and bluffed.


    ¡°If Europe splits up, Russia will start to act.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then that would really mean a world war.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then we should stop it.¡±


    The German representative knitted his brows in frustration.


    ¡°To be honest... I think the ones at the top think differently.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They want Europe to split up.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? That¡¯s such a stupid question.¡±


    It was because Europe¡¯s chaos was beneficial to America. It would have been different before the Davis Scandal, but right now, the world had to be in chaos in order to put the dissatisfaction andins of the American citizens to rest.


    ¡®See this? We¡¯re not the only ones!¡¯


    Europe¡¯s division was an excuse that American politicians desperately needed. Europe was bullshit, the Middle East was always crazy, and Asia surrounding North Korea and their chaos was wee as well. The African continent had always been disastrous, and South America was in the process of tumbling down.


    The entire world was screaming for help.


    ¡°Branch Manager!¡±


    They also screamed at their subordinate who gave them a briefing.


    ¡°There¡¯s a gunfight in Prague!¡±


    ******


    Was there a woman that did prostitution because they enjoyed it? Actually, there were. There were more of them than people imagined. Whether it was for religious or personal reasons, most found prostitution as something to be ashamed of.


    That applied to both the east and the west.


    ¡°Saying that society made them go into prostitution is all bullshit. They just wanted a fast way to make cash.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you oversimplifying it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a sin to like having sex. They¡¯re just highlighting their specialty. That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? To make money by doing something you like.¡±


    Everyoneughed at Alexa¡¯s way of speaking. She also had one firm belief. She never turned back on a woman that wanted help, but if they didn¡¯t have self-reliance and strong will, she didn¡¯t help them a second time. Those who didn¡¯t make an effort to get stronger on their own always roamed around in one spot. Change had to start from within.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to criticize prostitutes, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cussing out the idiots that only think about stuff like that.¡±


    ¡®Since prostitution is legal, I¡¯ll do it to make money?¡¯ That wasn¡¯t something other people should interfere with. But being pointed at was something they had to ept. After all, being a prostitute followed them for life.


    There were very few who actually got into the field because their livelihood was at risk. Most liked the feeling of having a lot of cash, and some of them saw it as an opportunity to dream. However, there were also those who were dragged into it against their will.


    Misf, who died in Alexa¡¯s hands, was a son of a bitch.


    He once worked under Yusef and was a thug that used bribery and threats to get what he wanted. After all, instigating murder was harder to get caught for than murder itself. Even if they got arrested, as long as they didn¡¯t have any traitors, it was impossible for the Czech prosecution to verify Mif¡¯s charge.


    They knew he was a bad guy, but they couldn¡¯t punish him. That kind of injustice existed all over the world. Systematic justice was also important, but the nature of justice didn¡¯t exist in the system. Today¡¯s court was greatly crippled.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s justice was simple.


    ¡®If I want to kill him, I just do it.¡¯


    That didn¡¯t mean he was some psychopath that killed everyone, but in the eyes of human rights activists, he was a monster that deserved to die.


    Bang-


    One bullet per man.


    Every enemy that ran out with a weapon died. Licensed prostitution meant they got permission from the country, but there were always cheaters. Mif bribed pretty much all the capable men of Prague including the police, government workers, and politicians.


    Despite the strictws, they managed to demonstrate strong lobbying that allowed them to dominate the nights of Prague. He thought of himself as a capable businessman, but Ahn Soo Ho just saw him as a typical scumbag.


    Bang, bang, bang-


    Alexa shot countless bullets when they stopped responding, she looked back at him with a sad look on her face.


    ¡°I think that was thest guy.¡±


    ¡°The police will be here soon. Make it short.¡±


    Even if they bribed the police and government workers, they weren¡¯t just going to ignore a gunfight.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Mif¡¯s right hand and ountant trembled as if he was going to piss his pants. A man and a woman swept up the hideout with something that they had never seen before, and this left them with a trauma that they would never forget.


    Alexa stared down at Bonan with an uninterested gaze.


    ¡°Tell me. Who¡¯s the Russian that your boss met recently?¡±


    ¡°Milosevic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡±


    She looked back at Ahn Soo Ho. Most thought of a famous dictator when they heard that name, but thatst name was actually verymon. However, he could only think of one Milosevic that was involved with Russia at the moment.


    ¡°Gazprom?¡±


    ¡°My boss said that a big one wasing in and ordered us to prepare some beautiful women!¡±


    As soon as she asked that one question, Bonan spilled everything he knew. It was obvious he was desperate to get out alive.


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    ¡°A big incident will take ce in Russia soon...¡±


    ¡°A big incident?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°The distributionworks in Pnd and Austria need to be rebuilt...¡±


    He said something of which the context was hard to understand.


    ¡°Do you understand this, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°No, but if Milosevic is involved, this is no small matter.¡±


    Armidan Milosevic was a name that only some knew. As of right now, Vitali was on top of the world, but the one that pushed him to the top was his wife¡¯s big sister, who was also his sister-inw.


    They failed at a dictatorship, but if there was something they did for human civilization, it was the expansion of gender equality. In both capitalism andmunism, the ss ceiling was the same, but in the Soviet Union, women¡¯s rights were more advanced.


    ¡®It¡¯s impossible for Vitali to manage Russia alone.¡¯


    If he wanted to control Moscow on his own as a Russian ambassador to Korea, he needed an army that would never betray him. And on top of that, they had to be the most capable men.


    ¡®They probably called upon all the powerful cousins they know.¡¯


    There was no one more trustworthy than family, but at the same time, family was the hardest to control.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like they can kill their family if something goes wrong...¡¯


    If Vitali had to abandon his family to survive, he was willing to do so. He was uncertain about his own children, but he was willing to abandon his wife.


    ¡°Piss off.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho waved his gun around, Bonan ran off. Alexa smacked her lips and then looked at him.


    ¡°Are we going to the embassy now?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s somewhere else we need to go first.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. The police will get here soon.¡±


    As soon as he stopped talking, the police arrived with loud sirens ringing. There was no need for them to run into the Czech police. They were a close neighbor of Germany, but Czech had a different vibe from the rest of Western Europe.


    The Czech of the days of the secret police wasn¡¯tpletely gone. The people that roamed around the streets at night were either the police or thieves. If one got drunk and passed out on the streets in Europe, they would probably never wake up again.


    The red-light district was bustling. It was hard to guarantee safety at night, but young people were always rash. The young people didn¡¯t have good judgment as they lived as if there was no tomorrow, and in Europe, drugs were easier to obtain than alcohol.


    Also, guns were even easier to obtain than drugs.


    ¡®They dream of democracy while also being hung up on the past.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like that from the very beginning.


    But toward the end of the 20th century, the division and openness made the people get drunk off of freedom, which prevented them from being aware that they crossed the line. It was good to be greedy, but those who were greedy beyond control were dangerous to other people.


    It wasn¡¯t just fanaticism that created terrorists.


    ¡°Prague has changed a lot, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Alexa didn¡¯t have any expression on her face.


    ¡°Are you going to visit your mother¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in that? If I do, I might end up killing all of them.¡±


    Those that pushed her into a living hell were devils dressed up as angels.


    ¡°Maybe there was a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°A misunderstanding? That can¡¯t be, Soo Ho. I still remember the facial expression of my uncle, who sold me off.¡±


    ¡°Do you think your other family feels the same way as him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they talked him out of it... Anyway, I don¡¯t want to kill my mother. I just... want to live on and forget about it all.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if you live on all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°You live alone and die alone, right?¡±


    The whitemunity had a strong individualist culture.


    For humanists that had individualist tendencies put themselves before any nation or religion. America was weird for stressing patriotism on television.


    Despite the fact that there was a gun battle not long ago, the club vibes were as lively as ever. In contrast to the quiet night in the city, the businesses of Prague were bustling even at night.


    The two of them left the alley and entered the crowds, but not a single person minded them. Actually, the pocket thieves were probably the only ones to mind them. Since it was a famous tourist destination, there were many thieves.


    Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of a club and Alexa tilted her head.


    ¡°Here?¡±


    The lines were long as if it was a popr club.


    ¡°Cross?¡±


    The city of art and music was home to clubs that were out of the ordinary. The city was full of history, and as a result, the people were surprised by the worldly music it hosted. The major clubs of Europe were at a whole different scale from that of Korea.


    The upper ss enjoyed banquets while the rest enjoyed noisy parties. The two decided to enter through a back door, and there were big men who were covered in tattoos. As soon as Alexa approached with a gun and a smile on her face, they all ran off.


    ¡°Those damned con artists.¡±


    ¡°All gatekeepers are like that.¡±


    As soon as they got in, they heard exciting music. They were ying popr EDM music. All of Europe was currently obsessed with electronic music.


    The way the stairs led to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor reminded them of an opera house. Actually, it was probably a failed theatre that was remodeled into a club. The men and women were having a good time under the vibrant lights and electronic music, and some proceeded to the bar or left quietly in order to enjoy a more private time.


    Ahn Soo Ho and Alexa proceeded to make a sneak attack on the VVIP room. They repressed the thugs at the front and then kicked the door open.


    They all stared nkly.


    They were half-naked men and women.


    Why did this always happen?


    ¡°Ugh, keep going.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled and told them to keep going, but the mood died down immediately. He then noticed a familiar face in the crowd.


    ¡°Hi, friend.¡±


    The person that received Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s greeting felt like it was d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t plop down on the floor likest time. He was already sitting down this time, and since he repaid Ahn Soo Ho by helping with Han Chae Kyung¡¯s cause in Italy, he had no reason to fear him.


    Eric Rupee


    The shameless French businessman pushed the woman in his arms off him and weed Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Soo Ho! Soo Ho! My hero!¡±


    The alcohol also suppressed his fear.


    ¡°This is my first time seeing you since Italyst year. Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before? How could I forget such a beautiful woman?¡±


    ¡°This is Alexa.¡±


    As soon as he heard Alexa¡¯s name, his face went pale.


    ¡°Al... Alexa Ivanof?¡±


    He was a businessman that managed a European modeling agency. He didn¡¯t conduct human trafficking, but he did use some violence from time to time.


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    He was afraid of Ahn Soo Ho, too, but the woman in front of Eric was like a cousin to him.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    He covered his groin with his hands. That was because he was reminded of Alexa¡¯s nickname.


    Pea-Collector and Hunter.


    People called her the pea collector as well as...


    ¡°Penis Hunter.¡±


    He trembled in fear.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 215 ¨C Russian Roulette [2] > The end.

 Chapter 226: < Protect – Episode 216 – Russian Roulette [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 226: < Protect ¨C Episode 216 ¨C Russian Roulette [3] ></h4>


    The world was still being dominated by men.


    There were 100 times more sessful men than women. It was possible another 100 years was needed for the gender ratio to equal out. For that reason, there was no need to despise women that relied on their man. That was just another means of survival.


    ¡°If you just provide vodka and women, Russians arepletely satisfied. It¡¯s like second nature to them. As long as they like alcohol and a woman to sleep with, they don¡¯t care if the world goes to shit.¡±


    Eric Rupee minded Alexa while saying what he needed to. Ahn Soo Ho asked what the current issues were in Europe and Eric chugged some water in order to sober up.


    ¡°Issues? I doubt you¡¯re interested in terror... How about Russia¡¯s trends?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your issue, Eric.¡±


    ¡°I can never trick you.¡±


    The reason why the French businessman, Eric Rupee, was in Czech was because he was informed that there would be a big deal in Prague.


    ¡°Russia is getting ready for something.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°The rumors are uncertain... but as far as I know, Moscow ispletely interested in America.¡±


    ¡°America?¡±


    ¡°Because Washington¡¯s problem is the world¡¯s problem.¡±


    The former strong nations would probably deny it, but Washington D.C.¡¯s decisions were the standard for global business. Not even France, Russia, and China could deny that.


    ¡°After all, Russia¡¯s choices depend on who the White House belongs to.¡±


    ¡°Political maneuvering?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard from the national level. CIA isn¡¯t so stupid that they would just watch that happen. But it¡¯s different for civilians. In any case, lobbying is legal in the States.¡±


    Other countries couldn¡¯t copy America¡¯s politics even if they wanted. That was because it came with too much risk. It was like political FTA. If lobbying was legal, global conglomerates would have obtained all the authority in the world. America¡¯s political and diplomatic confidence came from their outstanding economic ability.


    Many thought that even if they used lobbying, Americanpanies would be at the top, anyway. And that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. After lobbying became legal in America, the politics no longer took the stance of America only. Whether they liked it or not, otherpanies in the world had to pour lobbying funds into Washington D.C.


    However, political support funds from anyone other than Americans were banned. This was a skill of God. In order for a foreigner to have as much influence on American politics, they needed additional safety equipment, and that assisted in job creation for Americans.


    In order to pose influence, they had to employ an American attorney in order to make political contributions. In the end, they had to use Americans.


    ¡°Pitch Stone.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Stone Average was a bank, investment firm, and a research organization. The lobbyists of the civilian level mostly belonged to the Whites, and the walls built to protect their home country¡¯s industries also had an underlying political objective.


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°So what do they have to do with Russia and Sluski?¡±


    Eric sobered up and came back to his senses.


    ¡°Who do you think benefited from Mercedes¡¯ downfall?¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did, too. But there are many who got even bigger slices of the pie.¡±


    As soon as the European human trafficking group split up, the first to mobilize was the pimps.


    ¡°When the big ones disappear, the small ones take over.¡±


    Eric took another sip of his water and gestured at Ahn Soo Ho. He told him to follow him. Eric¡¯s guards were shocked to see Ahn Soo Ho, but he recognized someone.


    ¡°Bain.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    He greeted him with a nervous look on his face.


    ¡°North Mist must be hot these days.¡±


    ¡°I heard the ones who left Aragon joined North Mist. So we quickly extended our contracts.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded. This was why he knew Eric was a smart man. He never used all his force. It was human nature to have all the power that a person had at his or her disposal, and that was why organizations with power wanted to fight each other.


    As soon as power became saturated among powerful nations, all that was left was for war to happen. It was luckily rare for big countries to fight each other, but it was different in the ck market.


    Ahn Soo Ho and Eric continued to speak in a luxury sedan.


    ¡°Where did I leave off, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Mercedes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I must be getting old.¡±


    Ericughed.


    ¡°You probably already know why EU tried to get rid of Yusef. Right, Soo Ho?¡±


    Yuself, who made the fantasies of powerful European mene true, knew too many secrets for his own good. That was what led Yusef to hell.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know how to restrain himself.¡±


    ¡°Like you?¡±


    ¡°Haha. I¡¯ll take that as apliment. In any case, Yusef didn¡¯t know when to stop.¡±


    He used the sex scandals of powerful men and threatened them to get what he wanted. People thought Europeans didn¡¯t care about sex-rted issues, but there were many conservative people as well. And they were the ones that possessed the true power.


    ¡°But there wasn¡¯t a big problem. Since sex scandals is a private issue, they were left to resolve it on their own.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t enough for EU to try to get rid of Yusef themselves. However, he didn¡¯t stop there. And he crossed a line that he shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Yusef didn¡¯t know how to control himself, but he was quite the man himself.¡±


    He was cussed at for being dumb, but Yusef knew how to lead. He hade too far tough at him as if he was just a criminal.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re married, you probably understand, Soo Ho. Wives are... scary.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Eric¡¯s remark.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trick them.¡±


    ¡°And to wives, there¡¯s no such thing as national secrets.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho figured out what he was trying to say. Just like how men were able to provide women, it worked the other way around as well. Beautiful women were sent to powerful men while handsome men were sent to powerful women.


    That was how it worked.


    And Yusef provided the same kind of service to powerful women.


    ¡°Then what about Sluski?¡±


    ¡°Andre Sluski...¡±


    Eric trailed off before continuing.


    ¡°He¡¯s another kind of penis hunter.¡±


    ******


    The gun battle in Czech soon became known to the world. The Prague gun battle following the one in Berlin made half of the Europeans give up. Europe couldn¡¯t spend a single day in silence. What was funnier was that after just a week, the streets bustled again as if nothing happened.


    The West is in chaos! Get rid of your fantasies about Europe! #BerlinExplosion #PragueAttack #Europe


    I don¡¯t know why people love Europe so much!


    I hate people who dream of going backpacking in Europe!


    They¡¯ll wake up once they get kidnapped on the streets!


    All travel bloggers are just working with travel agencies and airlines! But the reality is the opposite! I almost got hit by a car while hitchhiking in America!


    It¡¯s best to travel with packages! If you go by yourself, you¡¯ll get robbed! Especially you wenches! All you care about is taking selfies for Instagram! But if you do that, you¡¯ll get into big trouble!


    I¡¯m pretty sure lots of Koreans have gone missing before.


    Come to think of it, what happened to Han Kyung Il? I heard he¡¯s being punished or something.


    Seriously? But the France government asked to have Han Kyung Il back! They said if they don¡¯t, they won¡¯t return our cultural assets!


    I think Ahn Soo Ho is trying to screw over the foreign office.


    He¡¯s saying they¡¯ll die if they mess with his friend! So loyal!


    What¡¯s with the private party that Ahn Soo Ho attended in Hamburg? #MissBrazil #MissUniverse #AliceBody


    Apparently, it¡¯s a party for only VVIPS! The only person in our country who could go is Kim Dae San!


    I didn¡¯t know such upper-ss parties were held in Germany! I thought they were allborers that work hard!


    Just because Germany is apologizing for the Nazis doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re weak!


    Germany is a leading country in Europe!


    Really? What about Japan?


    Japan sucked up to Germany a lot during the 2nd World War. If you go to Japan, there are lots of crazies on the streets! If Europeans saw it, they would be dumbstruck!


    Isn¡¯t Japan the most recognized in Europepared to us and China?


    Japan is definitely more famous! And China is famous for bad reasons!


    If Europeans hear Korea, they¡¯ll probably think of North Korea.


    What about K-Pop? I heard they¡¯re taking over Europe! Is it a lie?


    Only losers like K-Pop!


    Wake up, people! To be honest, what does our country have to offer? So the government and national assembly should really get it together!


    I want to move to Emerald City. Is there a way?


    I saw an ad for that. For an Emerald Membership? Apparently, the Hosoo Group employees can only get charged memberships!


    Charged? They¡¯re selling citizenships?


    I heard it¡¯s not like that. It has nothing to do with nationality!


    But it doesn¡¯t look good that he made his friend the premier.


    Who? Are you talking about Kim Min Shik? I think he was the best choice! I¡¯m sure he at least has a conscience!


    What¡¯s the point in whistleblowing? The ones that should¡¯ve been punished are living their lives like normal! The reason why Ahn Soo Ho renounced his citizenship is because he knew nothing was going to change! I would have done the same!


    Since he has money and a beautiful wife, he doesn¡¯t need a nationality.


    Bastards with no conscience! How can anyone abandon their country? Our ancestors are probably raging right now!


    While Europe was in chaos, the Korean penins was surprisingly peaceful. The Bridal Mask trial was still in the preparation stages and the stock market paused due to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s absence, but things were bound to rebound, eventually. However, Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s Daniel Navarros made an announcement that shocked the market.


    Hosoo Investments to sell government bonds to raise cash!


    Hosoo Investments to begin stock sales!


    Hosoo Investments sells 1.8 trillion won in one day!


    Director Navarros made investments for the good of the Emerald n! He refuses to buy them back!


    Shock and fear!


    Considering the Korean stock market, digesting Hosoo Investments¡¯ stocks was too much to handle. As soon as the topic of Hosoo Group moving abroad came back to the surface, Oh Joo Kyung stepped up to refute it in an interview. But the reality was that the problem was not going to be resolved overnight.


    Both the government and civilians lost it.


    Both the government and financial institutions asked Hosoo Investments to rify, but the answer was always the same.


    ¡®Securing funds for the Emerald City Developments!¡¯


    They promised to sell so that it wouldn¡¯t affect the Korean stock market too much, but that was easier said than done. Once an investor turned their back, it was hard to change their mind. In any case, as soon as the stocks came out on the market, the top 30 heirs were busy buying.


    It was good at first.


    But as the amount Hosoo Investments poured out exceeded 30 trillion after a week, they knew something was up. Daniel Navarros then made another shocking announcement.


    Hosoo Investments to close down!


    Hosoo Investments¡¯ employees to move to wealth management!


    Hosoo Investments to withdraw from the Korean stock market!


    Director Navarros states that the owner ordered him to expand the security department to prepare for the shaky circumstances in the rest of the world! They have decided to withdraw from the Korean stock market!


    They weren¡¯t transferring yet, but they made a more shocking announcement. Most importantly, Ahn Soo Ho announced it through Daniel Navarros¡¯ lips.


    ¡®We will expand our mercenary numbers to 100,000 for the city¡¯s police and military force!¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t 10,000, but 100,000. He called them mercenaries, but they were no different from soldiers. Both Korea and the world raged.


    This is crazy!


    100,000 mercenaries!


    If you want peace, prepare for war!


    Is this for real? I can¡¯t believe this world!


    Is there a need to hire that many? What if a rebellion takes ce?


    Like a coup d¡¯etat? That¡¯s crazy! Both mercenaries and politicians have no power in front of Ahn Soo Ho!


    Wow! I can¡¯t believe this! They might get founded as a nation at this rate!


    Will the other countries just let this happen?


    China, Japan, and Russia are weing it! America is also supporting him for the good of world peace!


    Wow! That was fast! As soon as Director Navarros made his announcement! This was definitely discussed ahead of time!


    But the issue didn¡¯t go on for long.


    That was because a cold wave came from the winter countries.


    ¡®Following the terrorist attacks in Europe, Europe¡¯s five will be inspected for terror prevention!¡¯


    In other words, they were going to block the natural gas pipeline that went through Europe. It was different from simr events in the past because rather than just locking ess, they were going to implement a filtering system.


    In that case, it couldn¡¯t just be unlocked at any time. In order to remove the safety equipment and get it running again, it would take at least 2 months.


    The EU immediately made an announcement.


    ¡®This is uneptable! If gas supply is cut off, we will take it as a deration of war!¡¯


    Europe vs. Asia


    Against Russia vs. For Russia


    As the clouds of war came out, Ahn Soo Ho Spoke with a woman that seemed older than Caroline.


    ¡°Has it been 7 years since I¡¯vest seen you, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Armidan Milosevic.


    If Ahn Soo Ho had to pick the most powerful woman in Russia, he would have picked her. Aside from Vitali, she also got the closest to the depths of Moscow.


    ¡°I felt sad that you didn¡¯t invite me to your wedding.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Milosevic wasn¡¯t a name that women usually had. In the Soviet Union, most took their father¡¯s surname, so she had a female surname as well. But since she wanted to seem powerful like a man, she didn¡¯t worry about surnames.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re here... because of Andre.¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Armidan sighed deeply.


    ¡°How much do I have to pay you to get you to forgive him?¡±


    ¡°I have enough money.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Then what aboutnd?¡±


    ¡°I hate the cold.¡±


    She looked troubled in response.


    ¡°Can you please just forgive him?¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that?¡±


    Armidan sighed once more to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s resistance.


    ¡°Moscow needs him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to use him to mess with America, right?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡±


    Sluski learned all about how to conduct human trafficking and prostitution while working with Yusef.


    ¡°No nuclear wars.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, Soo Ho. We¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Have you negotiated with America?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    There were tons of Yankees that wanted to rob Europe of everything. Ahn Soo Ho stared at her and then nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you won¡¯t kill him, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So bring him here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have to ask him something.¡±


    She gestured for the secretary to get him, and within 5 minutes, the man in question appeared.


    Andre Sluski


    The legendary spy and hunter.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not close enough to address each other by the first name.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Let¡¯s be friendly.¡±


    He had been told that Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t going to kill him. They were on ufortable terms, but he had never seen him go back on his promises.


    ¡°Andre!¡±


    In response to Armidan¡¯s frown, Andre lowered his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Soo Ho. If he says any more nonsense, just kill him.¡±


    What she said made him flinch, and Ahn Soo Ho just smirked. Armidan gestured for him to ask him whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Why are you going after old Hector?¡±


    ¡°Hector? Oh, Garcia. Because Red Shield paid me millions of money.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They want something he has. But I had no idea the old man wouldn¡¯te out of the detention center after we confined a recruit.¡±


    ¡°What do they want?¡±


    ¡°Uh, a ck box, I think. But no one knows what that is.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lips twitched. There was only one ck box he could think of.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°There is one more request.¡±


    ¡°A request?¡±


    Andre looked at Armidan and she nodded.


    ¡°He has some of Yusef¡¯s secret ledger.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with Red Shield?¡±


    He smiled in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question.


    ¡°Who do you think Yusef supported?¡±


    ¡°Rothschild?¡±


    ¡°Banks never do business that would result in a loss.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    When he took on the EU¡¯s request and brought Mercedes down, there was one question remaining in his head. He didn¡¯t know about France and Germany, but it was weird that Ennd cooperated.


    ¡°Pilgrim Heyward.¡±


    Andre almost pped to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mumbling but stopped when he noticed Armidan¡¯s frown.


    ¡°So... this is between banks.¡±


    ¡°Whether they go over to a new system or they remain with the old system.¡±


    Armidan then spoke up.


    ¡°Which side is Russia on?¡±


    ¡°Whoever wins.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of brats.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how much chaos is ensuing in the world, Soo Ho. I can¡¯t say you¡¯re not responsible.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    He got all that he wanted.


    Ahn Soo Ho got up from his seat. He turned away from Armidan¡¯s smiling face and apologized to Armidan in advance.


    ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    Bang-


    A bullet went right through the wall and pierced Andre¡¯s skull. Armidan was covered in blood after that, but she didn¡¯t make a single sound.


    She stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But it¡¯s not like I went back on my promise.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    He handed her a business card in response to her growling.


    ¡°Call this number.¡±


    She could be useful for Eric Rupee.


    ¡°He¡¯ll provide you with the services you want. I promise.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned away without waiting for her response and whispered into his walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Good kill.¡±


    Yeah!


    Alexa probably thought she made a good shot, but the bullet almost missed the head. If he hadn¡¯t interfered, it would have missed entirely. It was more difficult to change the direction of a bullet than to block itpletely.


    ¡®That was close.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 216 ¨C Russian Roulette [3] > The end.

 Chapter 227: < Protect – Episode 217 – Russian Roulette [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 227: < Protect ¨C Episode 217 ¨C Russian Roulette [4] ></h4>


    Frankfurt Motor Show.


    It was unnecessary to call it a top motor show in the world. Europeans loved motorsports just as much as they loved ser. No matter where they were from white people were obsessed with speed.


    Quite a few believed that cars had souls. This might have been the case in only Europe, but the more special an object was, the more they called it by a name. They believed that both people and objects¡¯ future depended on their names.


    For rational white people, this was quite superstitious. But that didn¡¯t mean humanism made them abandon all beliefs. Many scientists believed that religion and science were tolerating each other. And in cases where science couldn¡¯t exin it, people¡¯s beliefs became deeper than before.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Sebastian.¡±


    Car engineering was more than just machinery. The car industry was the hero of modern technology. Some believed that it was on a downfall, but in ces without proper public transportation, cars were a necessity, not a choice.


    In developed countries, people debated over the environment as well as other factors, but not in less developed countries. Especially Africa or the Middle East weren¡¯t in a position to be picky about cars. Downgraded cars disguised as used cars were the most sold in such ces.


    Of course, they didn¡¯t follow the legal procedures to do so.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°We saw each other in Hawaii.¡±


    ¡°Hawaii. No need to be technical. It¡¯s good to see you again. Anyway, I see you came with a beauty. Did you decide to convert to Muslim, Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked at Sebastian¡¯s joke and shook his head.


    ¡°You white folks think all Ims practice polygamy.¡±


    It was wrong to assume that all Muslims had multiple wives. Most Muslims just had one partner, and those with wealth had more than two. And it was also wrong to assume that everyone was rich in the Middle East due to oil.


    Most of the people at motor shows looked like businessmen, but there were also many engineers battling with each other with their gazes. And it wasn¡¯t just the engineers that fought.


    ¡°I see Oleg came, too. Everyone¡¯s having a hard time because of Te.¡±


    ¡°Now that America is disobeying, it¡¯s harder to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they broke the agreement like that. Yankees are so rude.¡±


    One day, an agreement regarding cars were lifted. The one that led that movement was an American carmaker, and Te stepped forward to work toward innovation.


    Innovation, this was a magical word that Steve Jobs and many others have used. They started to use that word for basically everything, and Americans that called electric cars new were being shameless.


    The basic car makers weren¡¯t making electric cars out of choice. Why? Because it didn¡¯t make profits. There was no reason to work so hard on something that didn¡¯t make money. Some did pretend to make it just to please the public, but no one was trying to rece their survival mode with electric cars.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s pretty likely that America will go back to the old days soon.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to give up on electric cars?¡±


    ¡°They probably never expected much from it to begin with. They just tried to shake up theirpetition a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Theirpetition?¡±


    ¡°Gas and oil.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Sebastian nodded in response. In the 21st century, each country started to implement pro-environment policies. Carbon dioxide and climate change prevention, as well as end-of-the-world movies, started to nt fear in people.


    So what would happen if America suddenly changed their minds about pro-friendly movements? They would probably cuss them out but not much else.


    Due to various political scandals, America fell in terms of their reputation, but they were still the strongest in the world. Whether it was about politics or economy, the internationalmunity couldn¡¯t leave them out.


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the ultimate goal of the Yankees?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is from the White House. I¡¯m guessing...¡±


    ¡°It was the Energy Department.¡±


    The American President was the leader of America, but Americans didn¡¯t reply to the White House¡¯s leadership alone.


    ¡°Bubble.¡±


    ¡°Bubble?¡±


    ¡°Pro-environment bubble.¡±


    ¡°Is this like the IT bubble in the past?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simr, but with different impact.¡±


    Since the industrial standardization was changed to pro-environment, a burst in the bubble was going to cause major damage. As the standard of civilization increased, the demands of the public also grew, so it was to be expected that power demand would increase as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s the dilemma of politicians.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. International agreements aren¡¯t just some deals that you make with friends at a bar.¡±


    ¡°Do you think America can handle all the criticism?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on Yankees, Sebastian. They¡¯re like a gang when they need to be.¡±


    It was true that America was somewhat gentlemanly. He wanted to almost praise them for their sense of duty to protect human rights. But when their national profits became threatened, they always put that first.


    No exceptions.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that Russia¡¯s actions are connected to America.¡±


    ¡°Locking the pipeline? But America announced that if Russia doesn¡¯t deal with that, they would mobilize NATO.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Do you actually believe that?¡±


    People often assumed that NATO was Europe¡¯s forces, but they actually relied on the American army the most. That meant America was responsible for Europe¡¯s national defense. Even France, which always shit on the US Navy, didn¡¯t want them to give up on NATO.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of this boring conversation.¡±


    As soon as the women in revealing clothing returned, Sebastian excused himself. Even he felt ufortable around Caroline and Alexa. As soon as the five women returned, even Ahn Soo Ho couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°What are you doing alone?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho hugged Jang Seol Hyun in response. Jang Seol Hyun looked full of life at the first event she had attended in a while. He felt bad about that.


    ¡®They say pregnant women are shackled down...¡¯


    Did he do something horrible to a female actress in her mid-20s? Jang Seol Hyun recognized that look and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy, Soo Ho. So don¡¯t be sorry.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Enough!¡±


    Alexa took Jang Seol Hyun off of him, and even Michelle and Alice helped out. The four women looked good together. Caroline Burn saw the rest of them as they walked off and stood next to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Your wife is stronger than she looks.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was a strong woman.


    ¡°How did you kidnap a woman like her?¡±


    ¡°I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely the foe of women, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m handsome?¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡±


    Caroline looked dumbfounded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look that disgusted, Carol.¡±


    ¡°I just want you toe back to reality.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    Caroline pretended to be calm, but she was surprised on the inside.


    ¡®Did Soo Ho always have this personality?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho


    Mr. Guardian


    Code Name Wizard


    Killing Machine


    Some called him a guardian angel while others called him a false god. Would he go easy on women and children? If they were enemies, he didn¡¯t care if they were women, children, or the elderly. There were many times when his logic was hard to understand. People were better off not knowing Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s nature.


    ¡®Then they can rip him apart all they want.¡¯


    As the owner of Hosoo Entertainment and the husband of an actress, Jang Seol Hyun, most were afraid of him. After a moment of silence, Ahn Soo Ho opened his mouth first.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with her mother.¡±


    ¡°Did you forgive her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I know Hannah needs a mother right now.¡±


    She still had love for Christina. But he could no longer see the rage he saw in her before. She hated her in a reasonable amount. She understood that she had to endure the pain for the good of her granddaughter¡¯s future.


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded and then shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no cure for anger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get over it. I turned this rage toward my business.¡±


    ¡°Like Garcia?¡±


    ¡°That old man had too much greed. Was it called the Emerald n? If it¡¯s rted to that, that¡¯s sufficient. I don¡¯t want to be too far from Hannah.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t pay the money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m from oil money. How can I pay tens of millions of dors for the membership? Soo Ho, that would add up to 100 million dors in 10 years.¡±


    The recruitment for the Emerald Membership finished its first round.


    A total of 305 people.


    The fixed number was overestimated, but 5 of them were up to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s discretion. Among them, the only minor was Hannah. Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. Employ Caroline in return for protecting her granddaughter? Loss wasn¡¯t a business.


    No matter how much he wanted the most elite unit, his nature as a mercenary wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere.


    ¡®But Logan also made a request...¡¯


    Since he became a father despite never having to even hold hands with Christina before, he should have been dumbfounded, but he didn¡¯t seem that sad about it.


    ¡®Is he happy about it?¡¯


    Anyone would have wanted a cute daughter like Hannah.


    ¡°Fine. Since Fisher is a part of the package, it¡¯s not a total loss.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Caroline knitted her brows. She wasn¡¯t insulted, but embarrassed.


    ¡°Are you embarrassed at your age? It¡¯s not bad to have somete romance.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Look here, Carol.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked Caroline in the eyes.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yourself that my wife is a good woman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, Fisher is a good man.¡±


    It was a miracle that a man stayed loyal to a woman for 30 years. As a fellow man, he felt bad and respected him at the same time.


    ¡°If you ignore a good man like that, you¡¯d really be a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Feelings couldn¡¯t be controlled by mind control, but if she didn¡¯t have feelings for him at all, she wouldn¡¯t have contemted. The way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, Caroline was just in denial. She groaned again, but it was in a positive way.


    ¡®It must be hard to ept.¡¯


    For her, a man was simply a sperm donor. Caroline worried that the absence of a father was what ruined her son. So she truly wanted to make a family for Hannah.


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled and offered a handshake.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to a partnership.¡±


    ******


    Russia blocked the Europe pipeline.


    The nations of Europeined against the Russian ambassadors, while many expressed the opinion of having to terminate all agreements the EU made with Russia.


    ¡°It has begun.¡±


    An Smith put down a copy of USA Today on the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s next, An?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to instigate the pro-Russians and anti-Russians in Europe. Ultimately, the East and the West will stand in conflict.¡±


    East Europe received a lot of oppression during the Soviet alliance. For that reason, many hated Russia. However, some actually missed the days of the Soviet Union. After being swept up from the World War I and the Nazis caused a World War II, they were upied by the Soviet Union, but if one asked if all of East Europe joined themunism, the answer would be no.


    The nation might have sumbed, but the public started a resistance movement. They criticized the government for fighting to show off power rather than fighting for human freedom and equality.


    ¡°I heard you met with the wizard, An.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Will that be an obstacle?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know him, Chairman? Soo Ho doesn¡¯t interfere unless the matter actually involves him.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s too bad about Sluski.¡±


    ¡°We can always get another hunting dog. Speaking of which, we got a call from Russia. They rmend a guy named Rupee.¡±


    The blonde man wriggled.


    ¡°That Eric Rupee? The pimp?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°I guess the wizard rmended him?¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s an empty space.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    The blonde man frowned his lips. Rothschild wasn¡¯t just a family with lots of money. And it was certainly not a family that only stood up for men of the same surname.


    Even with An Smith, his name didn¡¯t make it clear that he was working for Rothschild. And the ones under the family simply didn¡¯t get there just by being born as a Rothschild. Only those that proved their worth could be involved.


    ¡°What if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Russia, but our rtionship with Soo Ho will be ufortable.¡±


    The chairman looked frustrated.


    ¡°I see nothing has changed after his retirement.¡±


    ¡°Once a savage, always a savage.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave that to you, An.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. As for the next step...¡±


    The blonde man simply smiled in response to An¡¯s question.


    ¡°You have my permission.¡±


    An picked up the phone.


    ¡°You may begin.¡±


    Operation-Russian roulette.


    Not even those who nned the mission knew who was going to be shot. They just had a feeling of what kind of effect it would have.


    One economic research center estimated that half of the world¡¯s wealth belonged to the top 1%, but 1% of 7 billion was 70 million. This seemed to make some sense, but there were those who also spotted a w.


    ¡®Who makes the authorizations among certificate authorities?¡¯


    The question was, who authorized the wealth of those 70 million people.


    The banks? The credit bureaus? The American president? There was a need for the delusions that people had about a credit to be broken. The credit among nations was very simr to an illusion.


    When it came to normally operating nations, they always had the tendencies to do things that would benefit the profits of their nation. That meant they threw away ethics as long as their nation could make profits.


    And were corporations any different? Not at all.


    Especiallypanies rted to currency showed great interest in distribution. People thought therge financial institutions were determining the world¡¯s economy, but that was wrong.


    What made the 21st century go round wasn¡¯t production but distribution. If distribution stopped, the world¡¯s economy would go into chaos. That was because there were very few countries that were self-sufficient.


    It might have been possible at a vige level but not at the national level. When a huge marine transportpany went bankrupt, the world wasn¡¯t very interested. They just wanted to see the new iPhone reviews and thought about where to shop next. They simply thought that anotherpany just went down. But what went down after that was a top airline as well as a top railroadpany.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Only some found this strange.


    In the current financial world, there wasn¡¯t a big enough issue to call a crisis. Despite the Nigerian war and the terrorist attacks in Europe, the Frankfurt Motor Show proceeded as if everything was okay.


    There was some push and pull between productionpanies and oil refiningpanies over oil prices, but this had been going on for ages. The world was rtively peaceful. Of course, the media wasn¡¯t interested in whether people died or starved in Somalia. What they cared about was what sentence the American president was going to get, and who would get an Academy Award next year.


    However, as soon as the top marine transportpany went down, the harm it did was evident to many.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The cost of living started to skyrocket.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 217 ¨C Russian Roulette [4] > The end.

 Chapter 228: < Protect – Episode 218 – Grand Circle [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 228: < Protect ¨C Episode 218 ¨C Grand Circle [1] ></h4>


    The heads of the Ang Circle was a gathering among beasts. They were supernatural beings that lived for 100 or even 5000 years. They lived long enough to take over the world, so why did they hide in the dark in secret?


    The answer was simple.


    Their dominance couldn¡¯t keep up with the rising human poption. Just as Issac revealed, nuclear weapons were dangerous even to those with supernatural powers. That was because they had to get rid of thousands of bombs all at once. However, was that really the conclusion they came to after giving it their all?


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t think so.


    Using supernatural powers to dominate mankind didn¡¯t seem hard. Since even the Christians, Im, Hindus, and Buddhists conducted brainwash, it was no difficult task for them. The problem was that not all supernatural beings joined the Ang Circle.


    Supernatural beings working for the government.


    In countries like Ennd and France, there were even organizations rted to supernatural powers. It was called a hotboratory. And the gathering of theseboratories formed Europe¡¯s nuclear research center.


    CERN


    Just like rumors iming America was torturing aliens, Europe actually worked with supernatural beings. The reason why Europe made so many scientific discoveries was because of the supernatural beings and their abilities. Of course, it was likely that they actually didn¡¯t know they were supernatural beings. The mental capacities of supernatural beings were much higher than that of an average person. As soon as they realized that, the heads of criminal organizations made efforts to create gifted individuals while using educational development as an excuse.


    Following the production of gifted beings, the number of rted gatherings became rampant, and Mensa was the most famous gathering of them all. Their advanced abilities were actually supernatural abilities.


    It was true that the human ability was limitless, but when it came to the very advanced powers, it was hard for any kind of science to verify it. But the vibrant splendor of magic wasn¡¯t all there was to supernatural powers.


    ¡®The world alreadybined magic with science.¡¯


    Much of what people believed to be science were assisted by supernatural powers, and some of them were just like magic. If scientists heard this, they would have strongly denied it, but many scientific discoveries were just coincidences.


    ¡°What a sight.¡±


    A city in the middle of a desert.


    Emerald City-Quaran was led by Issac and Michel. Those who criticized it for being a crazy idea were shocked by the mercenary army that swarmed in. The reason why Quaran was known as the death triangle was because the desert was met with hignds to make it a ce that not even the desert tribes wanted to be.


    The scary part was that the construction group just made a road themselves to ess Quaran. Before any kind of city development, roads had to be built first. The ones that obtained an order with the n was Daesan¡¯s heavy industry. That was not all. Many other constructionpanies also joined the Emerald Development n.


    Since the business exceeded 40 trillion won, it was as big as a national project. For that reason, it was somewhat understandable that they withdrew from the Korean stock market.


    The truth was, Ahn Soo ho didn¡¯t spend a single won on Emerald Q. All the money spent on Emerald City-Quaran came from the circle, and they were just happy they could crawl out of the suffocating basement.


    Following the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ahn Soo Ho went to the Sahara Desert. Jang Seol Hyun had been to Africa for UNICEF before, but she had never been to a desert before. The same went for everyone else except for Logan and Caroline.


    The desert was a miserable ce.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to live in just because of the hot sun and windstorms. It was so dry that most people became sick after a day in the desert. The human body was truthful.


    Since Ahn Soo Ho was looking after Jang Seol Hyun, it was okay for her to stay a few days, but the rest relocated after a day. Their next destination was Emerald City-Kiranda in Sri Lanka. People thought there was no rtion between Korea and Sri Lanka, but many Koreans had been on theirnd before.


    ¡°The Maldives is below here.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! Colombo is in Sri Lanka, right?¡±


    There was no direct flight to the Maldives. They always had ayover somewhere, and whening from Korea, it was usually Colombo. This didn¡¯t matter to the rich with private jets, but for normal passengers, it was a painful journey.


    ¡°The scenery is nice... but it¡¯s still a mess.¡±


    Emerald K was more approachable than the desert, so there were many thugs and gangsters trying to get a piece of the pie. For that reason, they had to hire 100,000 mercenaries instead of 80,000. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s party kept moving after just one hour. They went to the Maldives.


    The Maldives, also known as Heaven on earth.


    But the people actually lived there didn¡¯t think that way. What many didn¡¯t know was that the Maldives were mostly Muslim. And despite the secrization, the Im ways were still alive.


    ¡°That makes me see the beautiful tourist destination differently, Soo Ho.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun made a sad face.


    ¡°Sorry. But that¡¯s all I can tell you.¡±


    Most tour guides would have told her about the history, photo zones, and fun clubs to go to, but her travel guide was very cold and detailed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about the mafias here either.¡±


    There were thugs in Heaven on earth as well. Actually, it wasical to call such a disastrous ce a Heaven on earth. Ahn Soo Ho told her about the not so beautiful truth because that was the reality she had to live.


    Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t happy, but she listened carefully.


    She wanted to know what kind of life Ahn Soo Ho had lived.


    After spending a week in the Maldives, they went to the Philippines. The ind that he bought for survival training was almost done with construction.


    ¡°What about Rizal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take some time until that ce bes livable.¡±


    The ind that Ahn Soo Ho received was deste. It was boring to look at the ocean with nothing else to do.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    He was faced with an unexpected person in the Philippines.


    ¡°Danny?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho quickly caught on to why Daniel Navarros wasn¡¯t in Korea but here instead.


    ¡°Something happened, did it?¡±


    ¡°The Korean government would like to see you in person.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want you to sell any more stocks. And it sounds like they¡¯re going to do a tax investigation as well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they know that that won¡¯t change anything?¡±


    ¡°If they acknowledged you so easily, you wouldn¡¯t be here right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Are those scumbags trying to make me fight?¡±


    If Ahn Soo Ho hadn¡¯t left Korea, Mr. Guardian wouldn¡¯t have existed.


    ¡°Why are you being like that when you already know? Your personality sucks, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m hearing this from someone who used tounder money for drug addicts... Jeez.¡±


    ¡°Well... this one is pretty entertaining.¡±


    No one remembered this anymore, but what Empire Konzern did best was baseless spection. They attacked the stock market when they felt like it and brought downpanies under their radar.


    Despite Hosoo Investments withdrawing from the Korean stock market, the Korean economy was still standing. There was a lot of foreign currency that was collected, and Daniel Navarros just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible. The market was unstable at first, but it soon refound its stability.


    ¡°The problem started when the top airlines, railroadpanies, and marine transportpanies slowed down.¡±


    Even with normal operations, the transport duration exceeded a few days to a week, which made thepanies worry. The current world was having a hard time with transport.


    In order to return to normal, thesepanies had to find a new owner or make an extreme decision like nationalization. What was for certain was that neither was easy.


    ¡°Did you already know about this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Someone is suppressing product transport. They¡¯re shaking up a major marine transportpany at that. That¡¯s not something anyone can do. Only someone like Huxley Group can do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Barbara.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    ¡°What would happen if there¡¯s a problem with product transport, Danny?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered with a question.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Navarros gave it some thought.


    ¡°The cost of living won¡¯t go up right away since there¡¯s insurance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t. However, what if it doesn¡¯t get resolved in a month or two?¡±


    ¡°They would have to make countermeasures with a strong nation. Someone with great power.¡±


    Strong nations stressed the sacrifice of others to get what they wanted. They could put off or cancel shipments from weaker countries or even take over contracts of marine transport or railroadpanies.


    ¡°Is it... a bank?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded.


    ¡°And it¡¯s a bank you know well.¡±


    ¡°K-Bank?¡±


    ¡°That and one more.¡±


    ¡°Rothschild?¡±


    It was definitely a conspiracy. Rothschild probably found it unfair, but every time there was an ident rted to money, they were suspected first.


    ¡°Why are they doing this?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have no idea, Danny?¡±


    ¡°Is it... because of money?¡±


    ¡°They always want to make profits. That¡¯s how banks are. They like to monopolize on power.¡±


    ¡°If people find out the truth, they won¡¯t just sit back.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head in response.


    ¡°Profits isn¡¯t the true nature of just banks.¡±


    People talked about how the society needed to be just, but the reality was different. Why? Why did everyone dream of justice while the world was just a disaster?


    ¡°They talk about how smallpanies should be grown, but once they look for a job, they only look to major corporations and even though they insult self-employed people, they want to found their ownpanies.¡±


    But why? Even three-year-olds knew that small countries didn¡¯t treat employees well. In the current society, major corporations were better than smallpanies. And it was easy to insult others while justifying one¡¯s own contradictory behavior.


    That was why the mob psychology was scary.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to lead a revolution.¡±


    .9% of the people were opportunists that changed their stance depending on the circumstance. No one could honestly admit that they kept the same belief in their whole lives.


    Not everyone could be a great man.


    ¡°The standard of justice is too cold-hearted, Soo Ho. We¡¯re just average people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you. If you don¡¯t want to give up, just shut your mouth and keep working.¡±


    In order to change the world, one had to give up on their own happiness.


    ¡°It¡¯s greedy to want to have both.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Well... I haven¡¯t chosen an enemy.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you changing it right now?¡±


    ¡°If it seems that way, I won¡¯t argue it... but I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t want to change the world.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have a utopia. Just like how some people see Heaven on earth as hell, there were those who couldn¡¯t give up on their lowly lives.


    Navarros sighed deeply.


    ¡°Sigh. So it¡¯s already been decided.¡±


    ¡°I told you. Nothing will change.¡±


    He was just going to go his own way.


    ******


    The Korean economy faced an emergency the next morning.


    As a country that lived off of exports, the most important thing was the supply of materials. However, many Koreans didn¡¯t know that not all raw materials came domestically. In order to reduce costs, many productionpanies in foreign countries became involved.


    Why did China be the world¡¯s factory?


    Because personnel expenses were cheap?


    Following over 20 years since the reform, China¡¯s personnel expenses weren¡¯t cheap either. But the worldpanies still relied on China¡¯s production because of their smooth production and supply. China was full of natural resources.


    Those who didn¡¯t experience the oil shock of the 70s couldn¡¯t understand how important natural resource security was. Simrly, those who didn¡¯t experience the currency crisis of the 20th century didn¡¯t understand how cold-hearted the market economy was.


    However, this time, there was a very good example.


    The new iPhone will sell for 1.6 million won!


    Imports have halted? The deliveries have been dyed for more than 2 months!


    Despite the stable currency, the cost of living is skyrocketing!


    Flights have risen in price! They¡¯re at the biggest loss!


    Is Daehan Merchants going to liquidize? They¡¯re ourst hope!


    After the downfall of many marine transportpanies, the ones that survived normalized their prices again, but they couldn¡¯t handle the number of goods that were going to be transported.


    Even after buying ships frompanies that had gone bankrupt, they still had to go through half a year of safety inspection and re-education. And even if they increased their number of ships, they still had too much to handle. No matter how much insurance money they got, they were going to be at a great loss.


    An Smith allowed an overload on the world¡¯s distributionwork, only so much that he wouldn¡¯t be harmed. Bribing a harbor manager was easy, but it left traces. So instead, he chose to report the illegal acts beingmitted in the harbor in order to extend the duties to bepleted.


    Hiring bad mercenaries and destroying the engines and electronics of the ship wasn¡¯t terror, but it caused quite a lot of damage. And movements to expose the Ims for doing that to punish the capitalist pigs began.


    After enjoying a vacation in the Philippines, Ahn Soo Ho returned to the Korean penins. North and South Korea had been in conflict over Emerald G, Gaesung. That was because the investments small Koreanpanies made on the development became unclear.


    Thepanies that moved into Gaesung imed that giving Gaesung to Ahn Soo Ho as an individual was a breach in contract. And in response, North Korea said only he had the rights to thend, so no one else could say anything about it.


    Ahn Soo Ho called both staff and made it clear.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ept anothernd besides Gaesung.¡±


    ¡®Huh? This isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Both sides looked as if they chewed on a piece of shit in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s idea.


    Ahn Soo Ho just smirked. ¡®Who do you think you¡¯re messing with?¡¯


    ¡°Not Gaesung, but Ongjin. Deal?¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 218 ¨C Grand Circle [1] > The end.

 Chapter 229: < Protect – Episode 219 – Grand Circle [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 229: < Protect ¨C Episode 219 ¨C Grand Circle [2] ></h4>


    ¡°CEO Ahn, please calm down.¡±


    As soon as the situation took a weird turn, the most shocked was the official of the Ministry of Unification. Ahn Soo Ho ignored the rted person from the South and talked with the rted person from the north.


    ¡°Can you give it to me or not?¡±


    ¡°I received orders to give you whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn!¡±


    When the Minister of Unification tried to get involved, the army from behind the North representative red.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down.¡±


    In response to the northern representative¡¯s cold voice, the Minister of Unification sat down. Since the South Korean government andpanies stepped on Gaesung¡¯snd in response to North Korea¡¯s permission, no good came from causing a fuss.


    Ahn Soo Ho crossed his legs.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense to make a negotiation when not a single proposal has been made. Don¡¯t you agree, Mr. Kim... Jung Ki?¡±


    He read the nametag on the table.


    ¡°What is the Korean government¡¯s intent, Mr. Kim?¡±


    ¡°We would like to make a peace agreement with the North through the Emerald Development n and push forward...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut him off midway.


    ¡°I can¡¯t listen to any more of this, Logan.¡±


    Logan stepped up in response.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    There was a certain impact on being called out in English. As soon as men 2 meters tall with a strong build swarmed over, the Korean government and thepany representatives couldn¡¯t say anything and avoided them.


    ¡°They think they¡¯re still the bosses.¡±


    ¡°Old habits die hard.¡±


    The northern representative spoke in a Seoul ent. Just because he was North Korean didn¡¯t mean he had to speak with a thick ent. There was a unique rhythm to the North Korean ent but so did the South Korean ent. But the fact that he spoke in a South Koren ent meant he received a top-notch education.


    Just like how there were North Korean specialists in South Korea, it worked the same way the other way around.


    ¡°My name is Chae Chul Joon, CEO Ahn. I apologize for thete introduction.¡±


    ¡°Chae Chul Joon? What¡¯s your rtionship with Chae Myung Sun?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my father.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He was the son of the department head. It was likely he was going to join the leaders of the Communist Party. Chae Chul Joon continued,


    ¡°My big sister asked me to send her regards.¡±


    ¡°Is she doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Alexa, Chae Soo Hyang, and Ahn Soo Ho all grew up in unfortunate circumstances.


    ¡®North Korea can change, too!¡¯


    ¡®Capitalism isn¡¯t the only way!¡¯


    ¡®If only the chairman¡¯srades went back to normal!¡¯


    She, whom he met in a college in Switzend, had eyes of passion. She had the innocent hope that North Korea could also be a good country to live in just like all others.


    She had always insisted on a reform.


    ¡®Nothing will change.¡¯


    Could one person¡¯s will change the world? Perhaps. If Ahn Soo Ho really wanted to, he could probably take over the world. But it would take some time. However, Chae Soo Hyang wasn¡¯t a supernatural being or a magician.


    On top of that, her gender didn¡¯t work in her favor.


    To be frank, North Korea wasn¡¯t socialist ormunist. It was just a kingdom ruled by the Kim family. So there was no question about theck of gender equality. With human rights being rejected, they couldn¡¯t pass through the ss ceiling, let alone look at the sky.


    As soon as the Korean government andpany representatives left, it was just Premier Kim Min Shik and the representatives of the north and the Emerald G working group. Chae Chul Joon sat next to Ahn Soo Ho and babbled on about North Korea¡¯s circumstances.


    They talked for over an hour, and Chae Chul Joon and the northern representatives left with regret. Ahn Soo Ho scratched his ear with his pinkie.


    ¡°Does he have motors on his tongue or something? What do you think, Min Shik? Do you think we can use him?¡±


    ¡°Chae Chul Joon? If he¡¯s able to lead at such a young age... he must be from a great family.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the son of the department head.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Being a department head in North Korea meant a big deal. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at Navarros.


    ¡°Did you look into him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. The south is trying to include the restart of the Gaesung Complex in the Emerald n. It appears that the Korean government has prepared a great deal for this.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you gave up on Gaesung. It¡¯s wise to cut it at the roots.¡±


    Ahn Soo Hopletely gave up on Gaesung, which was in the middle of controversy.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have a conscience, these bastards. I did so much for my home country. What more do they want?¡±


    Hosoo Entertainment Group had already donated over 2 trillion won in Korean charities this year. They made donations to every reputable organization, and in terms of about, they donated the second most amount following Daesan Group.


    At first, he wasn¡¯t going to donate anything.


    He wasn¡¯t so sure about Korean charities, and he also heard bad things about them. However, Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Jang Seol Hyun thought differently. Since they knew more about Korea, he trusted them with this, and he also realized there were some good organizations out there.


    There was something else he didn¡¯t know.


    There were actually many charities rted to business. They didn¡¯t seem to suit the cold nature of business, but establishments, whether they posed small orrge influences on the society, were a part of an infrastructure. There were programs for those who were afraid of starting a business and going bankrupt. Thepany of the Gaesung Complex was one of those involved in the program, and some of the donations Hosoo Entertainment Group made went toward them.


    ¡°Sell them.¡±


    ¡°Really? If you ignore the guideline, there could be a lot of bacsh.¡±


    The Korean government had been putting a lot of pressure on Hosoo Investments due to themotion around the world. Ahn Soo Ho wanted to teach them a lesson.


    ¡°Sell them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    As soon as Navarros left, Kim Min Shik spoke up.


    ¡°You should just let them have their way.¡±


    ¡°Are you taking your fellow government official¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Kim Min Shik let out augh. Ahn Soo Ho took a good look at his old friend¡¯s face.


    ¡®Not bad.¡¯


    He had lost some weight, but he looked healthy.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to invite both representatives in three months. If North Korea continues to be persistent, Korea can¡¯t just sit back either. They¡¯ll try to hold the spoon.¡±


    ¡°Will this pose an influence?¡±


    ¡°Since Gaesung wasn¡¯t in a good position, it doesn¡¯t really matter. What¡¯s important is right now. But stop spitting out whatever you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to step up instead of the premier.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened today?¡±


    ¡°They were being jerks today. Those bastards.¡±


    ¡°Anyway... isn¡¯t it better for that premier to be a mayor instead?¡±


    Kim Min Shik looked embarrassed.


    ¡°There¡¯s another mayor, you fool. Since only the city is yours, it¡¯s weird for us to have just a mayor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... But are you thinking of founding a country?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too bothersome.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Kim Min Shikughed at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s bothered face. He feltforted that his friend hadn¡¯t changed one bit. He talked about how he felt bothered while looking around him meticulously.


    ¡®He¡¯s a thoughtful little punk.¡¯


    That was why Kim Min Shik made his decision quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to renounce my citizenship, too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    If he didn¡¯t know his friend¡¯s sincerity, he would have been sad.


    ¡°If you leave Korea as well, the group will only have 6 members.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Chul and Soo Jung are thinking about it, too.¡±


    ¡°Why? What about their wedding?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was surprised by what he heard. He only had to convince his parents since he didn¡¯t have many cousins, but the Yoon family was a veryrge one. The same went for Kim Soo Jung.


    ¡°Soo Jung says she¡¯s too annoyed now.¡±


    After moving up at the HBS news headquarters, she posed a roadmap for a business reform, but the board of directors turned her down. Media rights was an impregnable force. Even in the broadcast industry, there were an owner and pet rtionships as well as silver spoons and the poor.


    ¡°But most of the HBS stocks are under my influence.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much pride reporters have, Soo Ho. If you step up, there will be a lot of talk about foreign pressure.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with getting rid of the scumbags that want to be served and get paid more than they deserve?¡±


    ¡°They probably want to do that amongst themselves.¡±


    ¡°If they could do that, I wouldn¡¯t have had to buy the broadcasting station.¡±


    Kim Min Shik shrugged.


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I realized after whistle-blowing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone looks up to heroes.¡±


    People dreamed of doing things they weren¡¯t capable of, but when the opportunity came, they wanted what they were familiar with. Anyone could technically start a business, but not everyone could seed. People always said that habits needed to be broken, but that was easier said than done.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty pathetic realization. You¡¯re 40 soon. Shouldn¡¯t you be mature by now?¡±


    ¡°Stop lecturing me. I realized it now. Okay?¡±


    Even if it¡¯s not to change the world, if one wanted to do anything, they needed enough power. Whether that was money or position, in order to make other people listen, one needed power.


    ¡°You said bing an adult is being used to ugliness, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    That expression made him cringe.


    Ahn Soo Houghed as soon as it came to mind. As a result of his parents¡¯ divorce, Chul matured early. However, in the process of bing a magician, the memories of the afterlife put Ahn Soo Ho into puberty.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in living a life that¡¯s not beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop.¡±


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    He had be shameless now.


    ¡°Anyway, pick a good premier for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The two shook hands with a smile.


    ******


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s return to the Korean penins got on the news.


    Since they returned on a helicopter, Daniel Navarros arranged for a press conference to take ce right away. It was customary to speak with the government first, but the boss thought otherwise.


    Just do it my way!


    Ahn Soo Ho told him not to worry even if Korea was going to be screwed over. If he was a Korean employee, there would have been retaliation, but Navarros didn¡¯t care.


    Shall we consider this training?


    There had always been a belief that all of Hosoo Entertainment Group¡¯s businesses in Korea had to benefit Korea. But now that the owner wanted to screw them over, things were going to change drastically.


    Daniel Navarros stood in front of countless cameras. He had a bit of an ent, but he spoke fluent Korean.


    ¡°All facilities of the group besides the entertainment sector will be moved to Emerald G... I mean, Emerald Origin. The center of Emerald Origin will be Ongjin, not Gaesung.¡±


    ¡°Not Gaesung?¡±


    ¡°No. We changed it to Ongjin.¡±


    ¡°For what reason? Did it have to do with the private negotiations today? The government has yet to speak on it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for North Korea and South Korea to handle... But I¡¯ll let you in on it. The Korean government tried to put the restart of the Gaesung Complex in with the Emerald n, and that was very rude behavior on their part. Our chairman is very angry.¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn is angry?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never seen him this angry before.¡±


    ¡°Is that something to get mad about? He can help out Gaesung Complex while he¡¯s at it.¡±


    Navarros looked insulted and then switched to English.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Hosoo Group represents this country. Shouldn¡¯t they help out this country¡¯s development?¡±


    ¡°But why should we do that?¡±


    ¡°Because Hosoo Group is Korean... and the owner loves Korea...¡±


    The reporter trailed off.


    ¡°Director Oh Joo Kyung already stressed that there will be no transfer. And a few dayster, we conducted a survey within thepany. Do you remember, everyone?¡±


    The result of the survey said they would follow Ahn Soo Ho. Including the 10,000 employees and their families, there was a total of 30,000 Koreans ready to renounce their citizenship.


    ¡°If the Korean government and the upper ss continue to provoke the chairman, he might do something extreme.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying you could transfer thepany?¡±


    ¡°No. There won¡¯t be a transfer.¡±


    ¡°Then what would he do?¡±


    Navarros smirked.


    ¡°We could go into liquidation.¡±


    That meant they would close down.


    Both the media and the public exploded.


    Who said they could shut down?


    That¡¯s a threat! Are those Yankees crazy?


    He¡¯s trying to fight the government now, huh?


    Those idiots! Ahn Soo Ho can close down whenever he wants! Besides the broadcastingpany, everything¡¯s his private business!


    All their employees might be homeless at this rate. Should we do a candlelight vigil?


    Yeah right. They did a survey! All they have to do is follow him!


    The answer rate of the survey was 99.8%! That means 100% of them will follow!


    100%? Seriously? Are theymies?


    In this country, all the upper ss only look out for themselves! No one knows how to help the country! Take me with you! I¡¯ll be loyal!


    Ahn Soo Ho did meddle too much! Not a singlepany likes him except for Daesan!


    No, he didn¡¯t! He¡¯s just being a businessman! If he was only looking out for himself, he never would¡¯ve taken it this far! Do you know how much Hosoo Group paid in taxes? You don¡¯t even know! So shut up!


    What¡¯s going to happen to the Hope Medical Foundation and the Schrship Foundation? I¡¯m getting help from them... I need them...


    I don¡¯t think they¡¯re rted to the group.


    Wow, seriously! He¡¯s the only worthwhile one in Hell Joseon! Why do you have to go after him?


    While Korea was in chaos in response to Daniel Navarros¡¯ announcement, Ahn Soo Ho was in the Philippines with a client.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Crazy Dog.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. People can hear you.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I call you? Warrior of the people?¡±


    ¡°Just... call me crazy dog.¡±


    Oh Chang Ik, who was from the North Korean forces and was the only one to survive the purgemanded by Kim Il Sung, seemed happy to be on North Koreannd again in broad daylight.


    ¡°How does it feel to see North Korea during the day?¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    South East ck Death, which took up a portion of the underworld, was a group formed of North Koreans that escaped. Ahn Soo Ho, who flipped Hong Kong upside down with a missile provocation, put Crazy Dog forward to make a deal with the triad or Joseon thugs, which conducted business with the North Korean defectors at the border.


    In return for Ahn Soo Ho paying for the costs, if the escapees wanted to go to Korea, they were sent to Korea, and if they wanted to go to the Philippines, they were sent there. It was a contract simr to human trafficking, but they didn¡¯t collect the fees after they arrived in Korea. People saw it as a loss for Ahn Soo Ho, but he felt great satisfaction from it.


    ¡®Sufficient treatment elicits sufficient loyalty.¡¯


    Was Kim Il Sung proud after raising human warriors? Ahn Soo Ho weed the Hosoo Guard Group with a smile.


    ¡°Wee. This new city will be your new workce.¡±


    There was no answer.


    Were they touched? Not at all. They were either angry or scared. They felt like they escaped North Korea just to go to another one. They regained their pride and confidence through their mental training in the Philippines, but that didn¡¯t mean they forgot everything that happened to them in the past.


    ¡°No need to be afraid. You will always be under my care. I have a duty to protect you now.¡±


    He sounded like a cult leader.


    He always cussed out Michel for being a religious freak, but it was convenient to have firm believers. The defectors soon became loyal to Ahn Soo Ho after spending some time of freedom in the Philippines.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing you must do. And it¡¯s not hard.¡±


    There was only one way to improve someone¡¯s confidence and pride.


    ¡°Whether they¡¯re North Korean, South Korean, or White, if anyone does something stupid, you must arrest and punish them.¡±


    Wearing an armband gave people more confidence.


    ¡®Those who have been tortured are good at torturing others.¡¯


    In the same way, those who had been monitored are the best at monitoring others.


    ¡°If a foreigner refuses to be checked, you know what to do, right?¡±


    He looked them in the eye and smiled, and their eyes sparkled in response.


    ¡°Please follow the rules. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Cruelty came with varying degrees, but those that suffered through it never forgot.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 219 ¨C Grand Circle [2] > The end.

 Chapter 230: < Protect – Episode 220 – Grand Circle [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 230: < Protect ¨C Episode 220 ¨C Grand Circle [3] ></h4>


    ¡°Crazy bastard.¡±


    ¡°Why are you cursing as soon as we meet?¡±


    ¡°When did you gather defectors, anyway?¡±


    Yoon Chul looked at Ahn Soo Ho with a nk look on his face.


    ¡°When I went to Hong Kong.¡±


    ¡°So almost a year ago. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Because it was still uncertain. I never intended on using them this way.¡±


    ¡°So it was a coincidence?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shrugged. It was hard to believe, but it was true. He had no idea Pig Kim would give himnd, and the Emerald n wasn¡¯t some grand vision but just an impromptu idea.


    ¡®Michel thought differently though...¡¯


    The religious freak made everything an act of God.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not make thisplicated. Just stay loyal to what¡¯s in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, why are you renouncing your citizenship?¡±


    ¡°So Min Shik told you.¡±


    ¡°What about your wedding?¡±


    ¡°What about it? I want to get married in Hawaii, too.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I... Tsk. Fine. Do what you want.¡±


    Since both Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung were grown adults, there was no point in telling them what to do. But since family matters still had to be peaceful, he ordered Kosino to monitor the Yoon and Kim family in secret.


    ¡®Maybe this is a good idea to keep an eye on them.¡¯


    Corruption always began with small problems. If they had even just one family member that would betray them, it was just a matter of time before destructive rumors got out.


    ¡°What about the contract?¡±


    ¡°It ended well.¡±


    ¡°Will you be able to control it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t intend to put Koreans first when hiring police. But when it came to Emerald City ¨C Origin, Koreans were definitely at an advantage. They were better with geography, and knowing Yoon Chul¡¯s personality, he was going to prefer Koreans.


    His first employment contract was with a Korean guardpany.


    Hosoo Guard Team definitely grew in size, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cover all four corners of a city. And with just Yoon Chul¡¯s abilities alone, there were limits. For that reason, he signed Caroline. Emerald Q, K and R were exemptions since those ces were going to have mercenaries as police for the time being.


    After parting with Yoon Chul, Ahn Soo Ho took a helicopter to Seoul. Hosoo Airlines was probably the only airline that could go between the North and the South so easily.


    Currently, Ahn Soo Ho was even above the president. After the Nigeria kidnapping case, those who didn¡¯t like him turn around, and a discussion began regarding a military reform. It was a vition for the military to get involved with politics, but as soon as the spy scandal, as well as the corruption that followed, took ce, the topic of a military reform rose once again.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was waiting for his guest in a Daesan Hotel suite room when he mumbled as he put down his newspaper. The person who heard that was Jang Seol Hyun in a yoga position.


    ¡°What¡¯s not bad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m talking about an old ssmate from the Naval Academy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that 80 Society or whatever it¡¯s called?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s another gathering with a different personality.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho told her many secrets. But of course, he never spoke of being a magician or a supernatural being.


    ¡®It¡¯s still too early...¡¯


    No matter how strong Jang Seol Hyun was, there was a limit to how much she could handle. It was best to go one step at a time.


    ¡°If the reform of the rich failed, why would a military reform go through?¡±


    She had a strong interest in the current affairs.


    ¡°You can¡¯t really say it failed... We just have to keep going at it. But I¡¯m sure the politicians will handle it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that politician friend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sol Ji.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy to maintain a new party in Korean politics. Corporations couldn¡¯t make donations like in the States, and an individual person couldn¡¯t do it either.


    Korea¡¯s political fundingws were very old-fashioned.


    There was the excuse of trying to stop cozy rtions between politics and business, but it was impossible for anyone to stop any kind of influence between the two. Did the appearance of a female politician change things around? The answer to that was iffy.


    In order to have an influence in the Naitonal Assembly, one had to have rank, but that took at least 20 years. Not long ago, she gathered a total of 20 members of the National Assembly. Some could see that as great results, but the fact that that was all she could gather even with Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s help meant politics was still very conservative.


    ¡®A young girl trying to do politics?¡¯


    The prejudice against age and gender still ran rampant in Korean society.


    ¡°Over here.¡±


    ¡°You sure are busy for a retired man.¡±


    The guest Ahn Soo Ho was waiting for was the director of the Hope Medical Foundation, Choi Jung Yeon. She cut her hair short to look like a beautiful career woman. No one could think of her as a married woman with children.


    ¡°Long time no see, Seol Hyun. You look healthy.¡±


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    Choi Jung Yeon and Jang Seol Hyun had known each other for a long time. The beautiful doctor from a famous medical college was a hot topic amongst broadcast producers, so she participated in various variety shows.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cold.¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s short and direct question, Choi Jung Yeon looked at Jang Seol Hyun in pity, but she just smiled. She secretly praised her man for only being good to her woman.


    But Choi Jung Yeon just smiled bitterly.


    ¡°I guess all that matters is if you¡¯re happy.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense and tell me why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t scolding his friend. He was just curious why such a busy friend came to see him first.


    ¡°What are you going to do about the hospitals in the Emerald n?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to build a city, you¡¯ll need hospitals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Danny will take care of that.¡±


    ¡°Danny? Director Navarros, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m trying to get in on it, too.¡±


    Ahn Soo Houghed bitterly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s rotten beyond damage control.¡±


    The medical and pharmaceutical foundations had leagues of their own. Unless they reced everything and started over, there was no way to break old habits.


    ¡°If you leave, too, it¡¯ll just be Sol Ji, Kyung Il, and Joon.¡±


    ¡°Joon is going to leave, too.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Everyone was getting ready to leave. But he did predict that things were going to be unpredictable. Changing a country couldn¡¯t be done with passion alone. Even Kang Joon couldn¡¯t stand it, which meant the Korean society was very stiff.


    ¡°Is it because of the renouncement of my citizenship?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that didn¡¯t have any influence.¡±


    Korean citizens didn¡¯t know if they were cheering for Korean Ahn Soo ho or Foreign Ahn Soo HO.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting to lose effect.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s poprity rose again thanks to France returning Korea¡¯s cultural assets, but after two months, it slowed down again. He listened carefully and then looked back at Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°Seol Hyun. The time hase.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ******


    The release of the film that Jang Seol Hyunst filmed before her wedding was finally decided.


    The film, ¡°Nuremberg¡¯s Poem¡± has finally been revealed!


    A Korean blockbuster set to break records!


    Dates have already been confirmed in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia!


    Single Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s final work! Nuremberg¡¯s Poem!


    There were many provocative articles as well but most were favorable. Ahn Soo Ho thought he was no longer popr enough, but the subject of France returning Korea¡¯s cultural assets was still a hot topic, so no one dared to mess with him.


    He decided to open arge-scale screening that would be open to both professional reviewers and regr viewers. As a result of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s push, many famous people attended as well. Not only were there Korean celebrities, but there were famous people from all over the world as well.


    ¡°L! L!¡±


    ¡°Over here!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s close friend¡ªL¡ªappeared, which was to be expected. Considering Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe, it was understandable that even Miss France and Miss Brazil attended as well.


    ¡°Michelle!¡±


    ¡°Alice!¡±


    Considering the status of Korean films, this was overly high ss.


    ¡°Alex!¡±


    Even Hong Kong¡¯s Alexander Johnny Chung was there.


    ¡°Kimura!¡±


    Even Japanese celebrities, who rarely visited Korea, attended the screening. The climax of the event was Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Jang Seol Hyun!¡±


    ¡°First Lady!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had never been the president before, but people gave her the nickname, anyway. She was escorted by the actor that yed her father in the film, and the shes started going off.


    The entertainment news reporters pushed their mics her way.


    ¡°Did CEO Ahne with you?¡±


    ¡°When will you go intobor?¡±


    ¡°What about your next work?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun did her best to answer the questions and avoided the ones that made her ufortable before walking up the stairs. Theizens that were watching it in real time were showing exploring responses.


    Wow! Has Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s physique always been this good?


    She¡¯ll probably go intobor soon! Is this okay?


    I heard pregnant women get super swollen! But she¡¯s skinny everywhere except her belly!


    Did she get even prettier?


    Maybe Ahn Soo Ho gives her shots of milk every night!


    That¡¯s so dirty!


    Huh? Milk shots?


    You know what that means. Hahaha!


    Most of theizens were talking about her physique more than her film.


    Did she get stic surgery?


    No way! I don¡¯t know about faces, but her body couldn¡¯t have been changed with surgery!


    She doesn¡¯t have time for that either. She¡¯s always being photographed, so we would have seen it if she did.¡±


    Then what¡¯s going on?


    Compare her to old photos! It¡¯s true her body got better after dating!


    You¡¯re right! Did love make her look better? Because of female hormones?


    But she changed so much. She looks like a totally different person!


    It¡¯s because she has a lot of sex!


    The Inte was crazy.


    Regardless of the disputes, the screening proceeded as nned. All events rted to Hosoo Entertainment used Do Min Ho. Due to the many foreigners that didn¡¯t speak Korean, he had to go through quite a bit of trouble. His not-so-fluent English and his weird jokes must have been funny because they all smirked every time Do Min Ho did anything.


    The vibe wasn¡¯t so bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee the star of the night!¡±


    The directors and actors were introduced before the film. When Jang Seol Hyun appeared, the cheers got louder.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the soon-to-be mother, Jang Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Most actors talked about their role, but she started with the sensitive topic first. As soon as everyone introduced themselves, a Q&A session began.


    ¡°What kind of film is ¡®Nuremberg¡¯s Poem?¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an entertaining film.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too explicit, Director?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be a shame if we thought it wasn¡¯t entertaining.¡±


    ¡°But then again, you need to say that to please the investors. I understand, Director.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually entertaining.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The jokes lightened up the mood. Every time her colleagues answered Do Min Ho¡¯s question, Jang Seol Hyun reacted in a dramatic way.


    ¡°Okay! The star that you¡¯ve all been waiting for! Let¡¯s proceed with the questions. Hello, Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this, but when are you due?¡±


    Do Min Ho already knew, but he had to ask.


    ¡°No need to be sorry. In about 10 days.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is it okay for you to be here then?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun lifted her arms with energy.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ll be showing off intense action without the use of much stand-ins. I heard you underwent some serious training.¡±


    ¡°I did a lot of preparing. I learned a lot at action school, and I also learned from someone I know personally.¡±


    ¡°By that... do you mean...¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So he did help you out.¡±


    ¡°I got cursed at a lot. He still doesn¡¯t go easy on me.¡±


    ¡°That must have been an important decision as an investor of the work.¡±


    ¡°Whose side are you on?¡±


    Do Min Ho cowered in response to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Okay! Then let¡¯s hear from him in person. Mr. Ahn Soo Ho?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to go up on stage due to Scott Warren¡¯s push from his side. The stage was set upst minute, but thanks to Do Min Ho¡¯s help, it all came together.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the soon-to-be father, Ahn Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you were hard on Seol Hyun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration. I just wanted to make the work moreplete.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s what you intended on doing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that, Seol Hyun?¡±


    Do Min Ho¡¯s yful face made everyone burst intoughter. Once Ahn Soo ho appeared, the attention shifted away from the actors and directors. However, no oneined.


    He was the top of the top.


    He was someone that everyone wanted to make into a star. The topic of the conversation had changed from films to something else. It was along the lines of something like this.


    Q: Will the Hosoo Town ns around Star Tower be halted?


    A: No. The culture street will still proceed as nned.


    Q: Will anyone be able to visit Origin?


    A: We haven¡¯t made the decision yet.


    Q: What do you think about the Koryo Confederal System?


    A: I¡¯ve never thought about it. It¡¯s probably a joke.


    Q. Have you decided on the baby¡¯s name?


    A: We don¡¯t even know the gender yet.


    Q: There¡¯s talk about how the Korean stock market will take a hit due to Hosoo Investments withdrawing. Can you say a word about that?


    Ahn Soo Ho stared on in response to Do Min Ho¡¯s final question.


    ¡°What did you invest in?¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue in response to Do Min Ho¡¯s awkwardugh.


    ¡°You lost a lot of money, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I heard cryptocurrency was the best!¡±


    ¡°What a fool.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho spoke to the audience with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°The economy of Korea and Asia will be frozen soon. The transport restraint of products is fatal to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.¡±


    He was certain about his beliefs.


    ¡®When it goes down, you¡¯ve just got to embrace it.¡¯


    If the ones at the top want it that way, that was what would happen.


    ¡°So be ready, everyone.¡±


    The next day, the film critics didn¡¯t write about the film because the stock experts, fund managers, and analysts swarmed over.


    What? What? Does that mean we have to scrap it all?


    Scrap what? Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s probably kidding.


    Ahn Soo Ho probably knows something that we don¡¯t!


    The marine transportpanies are going crazy right now. But that¡¯ll probably be solved with time. I don¡¯t think there will be an issue besides the terror.


    The cost of living has increased a lottely!


    That¡¯s only for now! Time will resolve it. Thepanies went down because of their shabby operation!


    This is at a whole another scale! Such big marine transportpanies can¡¯t be taken down with a mission. This is on an astronomical scale! Not even Soros can do that!


    What if the ones at the top did it?


    That¡¯s nonsense! There¡¯s no reason for the market economy to want that kind of damage! It¡¯s not like they got anything out if! Besides, the marine alliance is still going strong!


    Then does Ahn Soo Ho have it wrong?


    We don¡¯t know when a crisis will hit, but we¡¯re fine for now!


    Yeah, what would a mercenary know about the economy, anyway?


    The talk about how he controls the world¡¯s economy is bullshit!


    The media didn¡¯t hold back either.


    CEO Ahn makes a warning regarding Asia¡¯s economic crisis!


    Having a lot of money and knowing about the economy are two different things!


    Korea Bank has been on the rise by +1.5% this year!


    Ahn Soo Ho tries to promote the film using unreasonable methods!


    They took the bait that Ahn Soo Ho threw in. The opportunists were busy biting on it, but the situation changedpletely a weekter. That was because of an article put out by Forbes Magazine.


    US Department of Commerce, ¡°The unfair FTAs of America shall be dealt with!¡±


    Most reacted as if this was understandable. With WTO being famous, the FTA strategies of each country diversified, and in order to be at an advantage, they even hired industry spies.


    But a bombnded in Korea the next day.


    US Department of Commerce, ¡°The first FTA revision will be conducted with China and Korea!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 220 ¨C Grand Circle [3] > The end.

 Chapter 231: < Protect – Episode 221 – Grand Circle [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 231: < Protect ¨C Episode 221 ¨C Grand Circle [4] ></h4>


    What was the definition of ants in the stock market? Were they the ones that invested small amounts like 1 million or 10 million won? Not at all. No matter what they invested, if they got investment information from someone else, that made them an ant.


    ¡®Because it¡¯s always toote.¡¯


    With stocks, profits and losses were determined by a single moment.


    ¡°Trade pressure always exists, but it¡¯s serious this time.¡±


    Kang Joon visited Ahn Soo Ho a few days following the US Ministry of Commerce¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to wrap up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take some time to think about it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tantly questioned him.


    ¡°How about you go to Sri Lanka?¡±


    ¡°Sri Lanka? The country where Emerald K is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do there?¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯s been a mess due to the civil war, but the nature is well preserved.¡±


    ¡°Are you making it into a tourist destination?¡±


    ¡°That and make a studio, too.¡±


    ¡°A studio? Like Hollywood?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°You must love your wife very much.¡±


    Kang Joon caught onto Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s intentions right away.


    Hollywood wasn¡¯t famous just because it was in America. The reason was because they had strong funding power that allowed it to operate. In a world where money trumped all, America sucked up talents from all over the world like a ck hole. There were countless people that dreamt of America.


    ¡°Why Sri Lanka of all ces?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re targeting Bollywood.¡±


    ¡°India?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. India will be flipped upside down soon, too.¡±


    If Sylvestre¡¯s ns were underway, the chaos would soon ensue.


    ¡°Is this another prediction of yours?¡±


    ¡°Just trust me and invest, my friend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what all scam artists say.¡±


    Kang Joon smirked.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Once Kang Joon left, Ahn Soo Ho went deep into thought.


    ¡®Kyung Il is safe as long as the return of cultural assets proceeds forward... so the problem is Sol Ji.¡¯


    There was no particr way to help Jung Sol Ji. When it came to money and politics, he was capable of helping as much as she needed, but that was a type of help neither the giver nor the receiver wanted.


    ¡®There¡¯s also the problem of the 80s Society...¡¯


    There were many obstacles.


    The first trial of Bridal Mask ended with Bae Sang Chul¡¯s win. By winning, it didn¡¯t mean he was ruled not guilty. Due to insufficient evidence, the justice department decided that he would only be charged with violence and terror.


    12 years with no probation.


    The prosecution appealed, and the defendant imed his innocence. Bae Sang Chul¡¯s belief was clear; that he was innocent. As soon as Bae Sang Chul¡¯s nature of not tolerating any kind of corruption, the public opinion changed about him.


    ¡®Only the good people get punished in Hell Joseon!¡¯


    How enraged they must have been to fight against those with power. As soon as rumors of Bridal Mask being punished undeservingly got out, the public showed great interest in the topic.


    Failure of the military reform


    Corruption ofmanders


    Deration by young ministers


    The Korean citizens realized that the Bridal Mask¡¯s trial wasn¡¯t just a simple case of corruption by power. The military wasn¡¯t the only organization with power privatization. The worst ce of all was probably the legal world.


    They all started to chant for the reform of the prosecution, police, and the court. And when they even spoke up for the reform of the rich, the rich were very shocked. They thought kicking Ahn Soo Ho out would let things settle down, but Bridal Mask lit the fuse once more.


    When a small spark that was secretly nted started lighting Korea on fire, his attention was focused on something else. It was the day of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯sbor. Most movies and dramas made it seem like all women screamed like crazy, but Jang Seol Hyun tanked it out as if she was taking a shit.


    ¡°Am I the weird one?¡±


    In response to Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s question, Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that it didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    With the help of Choi Jeong Yeon, the OB-GYN, doctors, and nurses, as well as the needed equipment were all brought to their homes. They even had an emergency helicopter standing by just in case. Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s mother were stuck by her side staring at the baby, and the father-inw was busy praising Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°That was all Seol Hyun. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, the hard work¡¯s just starting.¡±


    The father-inw tapped Ahn Soo Ho on the shoulder and went back to the baby. As soon as he left the room, Lee Jung Hoon and Lee So Hye were waiting. Lee So Hye could have gone inside, but she stayed outside to maintain order.


    ¡°Is it a son or a daughter?¡±


    ¡°A daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    One side was disappointed while the other side cheered. Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows.


    ¡°These bastards.¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha.¡±


    They all froze up.


    It was clear they made bets on the baby¡¯s gender. But since it was a good day, he decided to get over it and then stepped out of the house. The yard was crowded as well. Scott Warren and others stayed in Korea even after the screening.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He epted the ss of alcohol Scott offered.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t n on getting divorced.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to curse me?¡±


    Scott went through four divorces and spent too much money on the expenses.


    ¡°What about the work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going smoothly.¡±


    With the help of Huxley Group, Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe were really taking off. In terms of scale, it already exceeded that of Holly Corporation.


    ¡°What about Erickson?¡±


    ¡°I put him in charge of Europe.¡±


    The former vice-president of Holly Corporation, Hannah Erickson, was just as ambitious as Oh Joo Kyung.


    ¡°Come to think of it, her name is Hannah, too. ¡±


    ¡°Is there another one?¡±


    ¡°Logan¡¯s daughter is Hannah, too.¡±


    ¡°Daughter? When did he get married?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not married... but he¡¯s a father now.¡±


    ¡°He must have fooled around too much.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the case, but he didn¡¯t deny it.


    He sensed a strange vibe between Christina and Logan. Their love wasn¡¯t so passionate that it was on fire, but they were interested in each other. But they refused to outwardly express it because of Caroline.


    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±


    The fact that he didn¡¯t return to work despite how busy he was meant he had something to say.


    ¡°Did you decide on the next work?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Seol Hyun? No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    He said no and then made it sound ambiguous. He hadn¡¯t heard anything. But the fact that she didn¡¯t say anything to him meant there was nothing in the works. But he didn¡¯t want to make a definite statement.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I have a script for her.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s because of me... that¡¯s an insult to her.¡±


    Casting Jang Seol Hyun through Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence was an insult to her as an actress. And they didn¡¯t want that kind of shortcut, anyway. She didn¡¯t seem like it with him, but she had the pride of a top actress.


    ¡°NO! That¡¯s not what it is! I was deeply inspired by her movie! She¡¯s really good at action. She even has movements that can¡¯t be portrayed withputer graphics. Anyway, she¡¯s an example that not all Asians are weak and frail!¡±


    Scott exined himself.


    No one could ignore her status as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s wife, but the action that she showed off in her recent film broke down all stereotypes about Asian actresses. In contrast to the Korean media¡¯sck of focus on ¡°Nuremberg¡¯s Poem¡±, the foreign critics described it as a revolutionary film.


    ¡®It¡¯s not that great.¡¯


    They were definitely sucking up. The best type of marketing in Korea was one that used patriotism. Some of the reporters bragged about how foreign viewers loved the film.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her yourself?¡±


    ¡°I already did.¡±


    ¡°But she turned you down?¡±


    ¡°She said she wants to focus on her baby for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Scott must have sensed a new potential in Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡®Of course.¡¯


    She waspletely different from when she first attempted Hollywood. And in all seriousness, Jang Seol Hyun was physically strong enough to make it up the Octagon.


    After the noisy celebration, he went to Jang Seol Hyun to congratte her himself. She was surprisingly active for a new mother, and if Mrs. Park and her mother didn¡¯t talk her out of it, she would have served the guests herself.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She is.¡±


    The newborn was unable to open her eyes.


    She was all wrinkly, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s delightful mood. A nurse approached and held the baby to transfer her to the baby room.


    Only the married couple remained.


    ¡°Good work. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It actually wasn¡¯t hard at all.¡±


    ¡°Still, don¡¯t move so much. And listen to your mothers.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho stared at Jang Seol Hyun. She must have sensed something because she stared back. Normally, he would have hugged her, but he just stood there and kept a distance.


    ¡°I told you I have a lot of secrets.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to tell you today.¡±


    He told his wife about what he did after leaving Korea following their wedding. The cold side of the world. He was scared to find out if his wife would understand him even after knowing the cold truth. But he worried for nothing.


    ¡°I...¡±


    She thought for a while and then came to a decision.


    ¡°I...¡±


    But the words didn¡¯te out easily.


    ¡°Soo Ho.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun got up from her bed and hugged Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°Do you know when my happiest moment was?¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, I¡¯m not saying our gift isn¡¯t precious.¡±


    He listened carefully to his wife.


    ¡°I feel bad for our parents, but I was the happiest when we took our wedding vows.¡±


    She often got annoyed while preparing for the wedding. But she cherished every day of it. And when she stood in front of Ahn Soo Ho in a wedding dress, she felt like her heart was going to burst.


    ¡°I looked all over the inte looking for vows. And then I came across an old radio station.¡±


    Trends changed quickly these days.


    In Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s generation, there was no memory or recollection of the radio. The stories of sending messages over the radio were all in the past.


    ¡°Being able to raise a baby with you is a happy thing, and as time goes on, we¡¯ll get old and grow sick and tired.¡±


    A marriage that was happy 365 days a year was impossible. Even for him and Jang Seol Hyun, there woulde a day when they¡¯d fight.


    ¡°I looked for all sorts of famous lines. But there weren¡¯t many that I liked. And then I heard something that was said on the radio.¡±


    Messages that were often sent between the bride and groom.


    She found them cringey at first.


    ¡®I love you.¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s be happy.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    They were all pretty simr.


    However, after listening to it for a while, Jang Seol Hyun realized something. That these stories weren¡¯t special at all. In every story was some consideration for the other person. But there were things that couldn¡¯t ever be said in a marriage. And without saying it, the other person would never know. No matter how much a person loved someone, it had to be voiced out for the other person to know.


    ¡°I love you. I love you, Soo Ho. I¡¯ll tell you I love you every day from now on.¡±


    For that reason, Jang Seol Hyun wrote the most typical things in her vows.


    ¡°In happiness and in sadness...¡±


    In sickness and in health.


    ¡°I promise to be with you forever.¡±


    Those words rang through Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s heart. He had thought that she could abandon her if needed, but he could no longer do that.


    Ahn Soo Ho hugged Jang Seol Hyun tight.


    ******


    No matter how strong she was, Jang Seol Hyun needed her rest. Ahn Soo Ho stared at her as she slept and then walked out of the room.


    As soon as he walked out of his house, Logan had his car ready. Even though he told him it was bothersome, Logan didn¡¯t stop being his guard. So Ahn Soo Ho got into the back seat and Logan got into the passenger seat.


    ¡°What about the preparations?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯splete. They¡¯re all on standby.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho waited in response to Logan¡¯s calling.


    ¡°I want to speak to Christine.¡±


    ¡°I knew this would happen. Okay. I¡¯ll talk to Carol.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No need. How¡¯s Hannah?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in Jejudo with her mother.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho nodded. He made a safe zone in Jejudo just in case. The car arrived at the parking lot of Star Tower. It was veryte at night, so no one was there except for the guards.


    They took the lift to the top floor equipped with security equipment. As soon as the doors opened, he was faced with Kosino and Alexa.


    ¡°Congrattions once again, Boss.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho waved his hand and continued walking. Alexa was near the panel, chewing a gum and waving at him. As soon as Star Tower was purchased, the top floor was renovated, and currently, it was the control tower that ruled over the security systems of Hosoo Entertainment Group.


    Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of the camera. And behind the camera were countless screens. On it, he could see his representatives all around the world as well as D. Punch Sylvestre, An Smith, and Armidan Milosevic.


    ¡°Hello, everyone.¡±


    The congrattions for his new daughter poured in. Ahn Soo Ho took a moment to enjoy the moment. He then raised his hand for them to quiet down.


    ¡°Today is a very happy day for me. And I think this proposal was influenced by that.¡±


    Sylvestre and Armidan listened carefully while President Olsen and Ambassador Vitali showed great interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain my retirement changed a lot of things for you. I apologize for not consulting you earlier.¡±


    They all looked surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all busy, so I¡¯ll get straight to the point. From this point onward, I am canceling the rules of engagement.¡±


    He kept his eyes wide open as if he wasn¡¯t finished.


    Rules of engagement,


    The rules set by the former ruler, Ahn Soo Ho, no longer applied.


    ¡°But no nuclear weapons are allowed.¡±


    ¡°What about tactical nuclear weapons?¡±


    The falsified voice made everyone on thework flinch. They didn¡¯t know each other. The only one who knew who everyone was was Ahn Soo Ho. He smirked in response to Sylvestre¡¯s question.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a nuclear war.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re allowed.¡±


    Multiple exmations could be heard.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked straight into the camera.


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    The conversation ended.


    And at that very moment, some people appeared from the darkness. Issac, Michel, J-Law, and Ahn Da Sol. He wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, he was the one who invited them. After making eye contact with every one of them, he spoke with a low voice.


    ¡°I ept.¡±


    Michel kneeled and prayed while Issac pped. J-Law put his hand over his heart while Ahn Da Sol didn¡¯t seem so pleased.


    Issac asked a question.


    ¡°What will be the name?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head and then smiled.


    ¡°Grand Circle.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 221 ¨C Grand Circle [4] > The end.

 Chapter 232: < Protect – Episode 222 – Green Peace [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 232: < Protect ¨C Episode 222 ¨C Green Peace [1] ></h4>


    Alexa spoke seriously.


    ¡°What about So Hee?¡±


    ¡°Toomon.¡±


    L came in with a tackle.


    ¡°Then what about Ji Hee?¡±


    ¡°Wait, why does it have to end with a ¡®Hee¡¯? I think Ji Hye, Jung Hye, or Eun Hye sound good.¡±


    At that moment, Lee So Hye jumped in.


    ¡°Wait, why does it have to end with a ¡®Hye¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ye Sol. Isn¡¯t Ye Sol a pretty name?¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun put a stop to the non-stop dispute. Everyone she knew was fighting over the name for the daughter that she gave birth to. They didn¡¯t even know if she was a boy or a girl, so they never named her ahead of time, but others didn¡¯t hesitate to express their opinions.


    It wasn¡¯t the opinions of the parents.


    It wasn¡¯t the opinions of the grandparents either. The ones who were obsessed with naming her were Lee So Hye, Alexa, Ahn Da Sol, and L, who were all unmarried with no children.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you all have things to do?¡±


    ¡°We pushed it back.¡±


    The superstars hadn¡¯t left the house in days. People might have mistaken them for new mothers.


    ¡°Hey! Get out of here!¡±


    In the end, Jang Seol Hyun blew up. She couldn¡¯t get any sleep because of everyone ying with the baby. Ahn Soo Ho left the crowded room and went to the outhouse.


    As soon as he got in, Oh Joo Kyung and the other executives of Hosoo Entertainment Group were waiting. There weren¡¯t many ranks within thepany, so there weren¡¯t many executives above the president level.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    If this was a fixed meeting, he would have held it at thepany building, but today¡¯s matter wasn¡¯t formal.


    ¡°You got prettier.¡±


    ¡°I look like a mess.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung brushed her hair back.


    Both Ahn Soo Ho and Oh Joo Kyung were right. Oh Joo Kyung looked like a mess, but she got prettier, too. Lately, she had a lot of free time for herself. She gave off an effortless version of sexy just like Kim Na Hee and Barbara.


    ¡°Long time no see, Chae Kyung.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Chairman Ahn.¡±


    At this point, everyone just called him what they wanted. Han Chae Kyung had taken over a position in response to Kim Na Hee¡¯s request, but the owner¡¯s renouncement of his citizenship made things iffy. What was a relief was that they were busy preparing for the beauty pageant with Rosette Group.


    The world-ss operationsmittee became the biggest eventmissioner in Asia, and as the chairwoman, Kim Na Hee became one of the world¡¯s most renowned female CEOs. She had always been famous through fashion and broadcast, but she was now known by all Koreans.


    They also held aical ugliest manpetition just forughs, and 3 Do brothers made it into the top 10.


    Do Kyung Ho


    Do Dae Ho


    Do Min Ho


    Especially Do Min Ho, who became known as the ugliestedian in Korea. And a footage of Do Min Ho denying that he was ugly went viral online.


    Do Kyung Ho and Do Dae Ho was on the top of the ugly list, but since they didn¡¯t make a living off of their faces, they didn¡¯t care. And Mrs. Han, who gave birth to these brothers, turned all the me on her husband. On one media outlet, she strongly stressed that they got all of their genes from their father.


    But the way Ahn Soo Ho saw it, Mrs. Han wasn¡¯t that beautiful either. Just like men, many women were narcissists as well. When they stood in front of the mirror, they saw Won Bin and Lee Na Young.


    Kim Woo Jung, Shim Il Kwon, Kim Yoo Sun, and Lee Sun Mi were all gathered. They were called the Hosoo Entertainment group, but not many of the group¡¯s stocks were from entertainment. Most of the stocks came from Hosoo Investments.


    ¡°As you already know, Hosoo Investments have pulled out of the Korean stock market. And that will have an impact. I would like to hear your honest thoughts. What do you think?¡±


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s stare, Kim Woo Jung coughed and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t know Hosoo Investments had suchrge funding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t. It was kept a secret.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho kept his formalities since there were many people.


    Aside from Jang Seol Hyun, he didn¡¯t have a direct connection with them. The reason why he chose the entertainment world was because it was the easiest way to improve his recognition. Entertainment worked as long as one had people and money. And the matter of which one was more important depended on how the businessman felt.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a big hit. Thanks to the Emerald n, there will be more interest. Can I ask you a question, Chairman Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about separated families?¡±


    ¡°Separated families?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I need more background information, Director Lee.¡±


    That was very random. In response, Kim Woo Jung nodded.


    ¡°Our country¡¯s popr opinion has drastically changed since your visit to Europe. However, not all Koreans are for the Emerald n.¡±


    He was tempted to say he didn¡¯t care, but he swallowed it back down. Seeing how things were operating, he knew that he couldn¡¯tpletely ignore Korean sentiment.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The government withdrew the Gaesung Complex card and proposed the separated family card instead. They said that they¡¯ll do their best to help if we cooperate with them.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯sugh made everyone flinch.


    Hisugh contained cold air that gave them the chills. There was something he always said to businessmen. He always told them not to be controlled by the rude requests of their surroundings.


    ¡®If they don¡¯t know how to make their own judgments... they have no right to be businessmen.¡¯


    Doing well at what one was told to do came with limits. If a person was in a position to make decisions for apany¡¯s future, worrying about what other people thought meant that that person had no guts.


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s excessive orders and unexpected way of dealing with issues, Oh Joo Kyung adjusted quickly. Rather than praising her, he scolded her way too much. But regardless, she managed to do a good job at all of the duties she was given.


    ¡®My limits ended at the manager.¡¯


    Star Manager, Kim Woo Jung.


    He was perceived as quite the tycoon who made many famous stars in Korea, but his limits ended there. There was only one difference between Scott Warren and Kim Woo Jung.


    ¡®Network.¡¯


    Four marriages and four divorces usually never worked as awork. That didn¡¯t mean Kim Woo Jung wasn¡¯t adventurous. However, he was on the verge of getting kicked out of his ownpany, sopared to Scott Warren who got married and divorced 4 times, his mindset to challenge wascking.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s eyes grew cold, Kim Woo Jung shivered.


    ¡°Director Kim.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go off on your own?¡±


    ¡°Start your ownpany.¡±


    Everyone looked confused at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s remark. Was that his way of firing him? Once Ahn Soo Ho noticed the look on everyone¡¯s faces, he realized he forgot to add some extra words.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve misunderstood. I don¡¯t mean you¡¯re fired. I¡¯m talking about a start-up within thepany.¡±


    ¡°A startup?¡±


    The middle-aged men were taken aback since that word was only used in the fast-changing industries like IT.


    ¡°You¡¯re all from the same management, but your specialties are different. Synergy is important, too, but it cane with side effects. So it might be best that you all focus on your own businesses.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There were many managers that went off and started their own agency. That was how Shim Il Kwon and Kim Yoo Seon started off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll separate corporate bodies, but use the same brand of Hosoo Entertainment. I¡¯ll make the investments.¡±


    ¡°No, Chairman Ahn. There¡¯s no...¡±


    ¡°1 trillion won.¡±


    Kim Woo Jung flinched at the number that came out of Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s mouth. Both Shim Il Kwon and Kim Yoo Sun hesitated. 1 trillion won. Not evenrge corporations could donate that much, so they couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    Kim Woo Jung couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°1 trillion won? Then the stocks...¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯ll be a headache if I have most of it... I¡¯ll put half of it under Seol Hyun¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    It was a tempting offer. It was impossible for anyone to invest 1 trillion won and only expect 50% back. Ahn Soo Ho smirked and pulled the table forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest with each other. It¡¯s been boring for you, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Being a boss became tiring after doing it for a year. After listening to Ahn Soo Ho, Shim Il Kwon and Kim Yoo Sunughed bitterly. They no longer cared about the government¡¯s offer.


    ¡°To be honest... it was too easy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    Starting a business with the support of the Daesan family was all too easy in Korea. And after just a year, Hosoo Entertainment Group surpassed Daesan Group. It didn¡¯t make any sense, but they soon understood that Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s influence was great enough to control the UN.


    Most were happy if they had a strong ally, but if they were too strong, that happiness turned into fear. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t at the level of just ying in the entertainment ying field. He destroyed all bnces of nature.


    ¡°Do we have to decide now, Chairman Ahn?¡±


    ¡°You can think about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The meeting ended there. Once everyone left, it was just Oh Joo Kyung and Han Chae Kyung that remained.


    ¡°You said there would be no transfer. You lied.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°The investment firm is in the process of withdrawal, and once the entertainment is pulled out, all that¡¯s left is the airline and security. If you don¡¯t call that a transfer...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Those two will be the powers of ourpany. So I need to pull out the weeds before then.¡±


    He felt ufortable with them. Shim Il Kwon was greedy while Kim Yoo Sun was more political than anything. Kim Woo Jung was the best out of them all. But being Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s manager didn¡¯t mean anything to the rest of the world.


    ¡°Are you going to at least dy it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Following America¡¯s pressure, the cold vibe of North Korea and China¡¯s ban against South Korea¡¯s culture was resurfacing while Japan was also gaining more power. In the middle was Korea, and their future didn¡¯t seem so bright.


    ¡°Things will get very busy from now on.¡±


    While the ambitious ones worked toward more power, the world was going to jolt like crazy.


    ¡°Oh, marine transport might be added, too, so study that.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung was furious at how casually Ahn Soo Ho said that. Her head almost exploded studying broadcasting after the takeover of HBS, and this time, it was marine transport. She didn¡¯t know if she was a manager or a student.


    Ahn Soo Ho epted Issac and J-Law¡¯s opinion and founded the Grand Circle. What was surprising was that they were aiming for the world¡¯s truth. It sounded like a cult, but they didn¡¯t enforce money offerings from believers.


    ¡®I¡¯m not the one building the desert city.¡¯


    The religious freak still wanted to build a church grander than the pyramid. But they weren¡¯t about deluding the world and deceiving the people. This circle had always been an outstanding group. To be frank, if they needed money, they could easily rob a bank because it wasn¡¯t so hard to manipte 0s and 1s on theputer.


    ¡°Come up with a guideline as soon as you get to work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oh Joo Kyung sighed but didn¡¯t resist. Ahn Soo Ho then looked back at Han Chae Kyung and sighed.


    ¡°You always give me difficult homework.¡±


    There was nothing easy about the Han Chae Kyung case and Kim Na Hee¡¯s request. He considered declining, but it was hard since he received so much help with his wife. He could have rejected it, but there was no reason to cause unwanted tension.


    ¡°Tell her I said okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°No need for apologies. When¡¯s the departure?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho clicked his tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get scolded for this.¡±


    He should have been a ve, let alone leave a wife and newborn baby alone at home while going all over the ce.


    ¡®Of course, Seol Hyun would understand...¡¯


    Just as she wanted, they named the baby with the first letter of each of their names, which made her name, ¡°Soo Hyun¡±.


    ¡®Ahn Soo Hyun.¡¯


    It was a verymon name, but what could they do? Once Ahn Soo Ho left the outhouse and returned to the house, he went back to the room that was now quiet and empty. As soon as he reached out his hand, Jang Seol Hyun smiled and handed him the baby nket.


    The baby opened its eyes at times.


    She started to look beautiful.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Hyun. Your name is now Ahn Soo Hyun, my daughter.¡±


    He hoped she would grow up to be as beautiful as her mother.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 222 ¨C Green Peace [1] >The end.

 Chapter 233: < Protect – Episode 223 – Green Peace [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 233: < Protect ¨C Episode 223 ¨C Green Peace [2] ></h4>


    ¡°Come here, Soo Ho.¡±


    Kim Na Hee had lost a lot of weight since they saw each other in Hawaii. Her makeup was unable to hide her tired eyes and her distinct cheekbones, and it felt unfamiliar to see her in t shoes rather than heels. As soon as Kim Na Hee opened her arms, Ahn Soo Ho hugged her slightly.


    ¡®She¡¯s sick.¡¯


    Her changed face and body didn¡¯t look normal. Once Ahn Soo Ho sat down, he asked with a serious voice.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°My liver.¡±


    ¡°Cancer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    They talked so calmly that it sounded like a normal conversation. However, the contents were very far from normal.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve gone easy on the alcohol and cigarettes.¡±


    ¡°I thought I just had to worry about my breasts and ovaries. I can¡¯t believe my liver is what got me... Damn it!¡±


    Despite being sick, she was still as lively as ever.


    ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°My doctor said I have half a year left.¡±


    Her voice didn¡¯t quiver as she spoke of her death. Kim Na Hee stared at Ahn Soo Ho for a while and then smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re different from the rest. Most people overreact when I talk about cancer but look at you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me that¡¯s sick. It¡¯s all lies when they say they understand your illness. How does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I like that you¡¯re honest.¡±


    Kim Na Hee liked how straightforward Ahn Soo Ho was. After being born into money, her life had always beenplicated. Her rtionships were tiring, and there were always hyenas looking for something to rip off of her.


    Cousins that were proud to know a rich family.


    She suffocated under the pride of her old rtives. If she didn¡¯t have a father-like brother like Kim Dae San, she would have died of suffocation a long time ago. Rather than rich Kim Na Hee, she just wanted to be remembered as a cool woman.


    That was the end of their small talk.


    ¡°I already delivered the condensed message through Chae Kyung.¡±


    ¡°I heard. I know you have to go somewhere, but why?¡±


    She put a pile of documents on the table. The first page Ahn Soo Ho saw was a page of multiple photos.


    ¡°Kim Jung Min?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound like a man¡¯s name? But it¡¯s a woman.¡±


    Kim Dae San¡¯s little brother and Kim Na Hee¡¯s big brother. The Kim family¡¯s second eldest had the same yboy tendencies as Ahn Dae Man. The one difference was that Kim Dae Gil was a rich yboy while Ahn Dae Man was just a yboy.


    yboys without money were just addicted to alcohol, but those with money had the most extravagant hobbies. Kim Dae Gil wasn¡¯t an evil man. But he was full of bluff and yed along the lines between legal and illegal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of his younger years, but from what I¡¯ve heard, he was quite vigorous.¡±


    ¡°More like lewd.¡±


    ¡°All men who bluff are like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Are you defending your family?¡±


    ¡°I like my eldest brother most... but my second eldest brother is pretty fun.¡±


    The serious Kim Dae San was trusty but not that fun. Ahn Soo Ho tried to think through Dae San Group¡¯s family tree, but he couldn¡¯t remember the name Kim Jung Min.


    ¡°Was she born out of wedlock?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And she¡¯s not Korean either. Flip the page.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flipped to the next page.


    ¡°Hirukawa Mai?¡±


    ¡°Her mother is Japanese. She gave her the Korean name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯splicated.¡±


    Back in the 80s, a woman with money went over to Japan to have some fun. Her Korean name was Kim Jung Min, and her Japanese name was Hirukawa Mai. She was 28 years old. She graduated from Tokyo University and was currently working for movements regarding saving children and protecting the environment.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know his biological father. Her mother died in a car ident before she could tell her the truth. So the truth behind her birth was kept a secret.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho. We might not be as capable as Daesan Group or yourpany, but my guys are pretty talented, too.¡±


    ¡°What about the gic test?¡±


    ¡°No error.¡±


    Industry spies were the most active in fashion and advertising. Rosette Brand New Group¡¯s security department had quite a few capable talents. However, looking into Japan, not Korea, came with other difficulties. It wasn¡¯t easy to monitor and dig up dirt on a person. If one wanted to know everything about a person, they needed 10 times the men and 10 times the time.


    People looked down on detective agencies, but every one of them was information professionals. However, it was also a skill that was limited to a fixed area. In order to raise one spy, a lot of support was needed.


    Ahn Soo Ho slowly looked through the file.


    The photos showed her growth process. Hirukawa Mai was interested in social work ever since she was little. Since she was raised by just her mother, she was probably discriminated against. Japan was even more conservative than Korea, so a kid without a father was treated like trash.


    As soon as she graduated from Tokyo University, she went to the UN.


    Was it harder to get into the UN or a major corporation? People thought getting into the UN meant a great deal, but they were just like anypany. But there were still qualifications to be met.


    Ahn Soo Ho thought a certain way about the UN.


    ¡®Crazies.¡¯


    They used banks of various countries to suck up funds and spread it around 3rd world countries in the form of UN donations. They were obsessed with making it seem like they were all about work and peace. In reality, they were middlemen that took bribes from international gangsters.


    They always stood on the side of the powerful.


    The young revolutionist worked for the UN after being tricked by their slogan, but once she found out the reality, she changed into a plunderer. That was Hirukawa Mai. As soon as she realized she didn¡¯t belong there, she left the UN. After that, she worked with NGOs such as Green Peace and Amnesty International.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Saiga Im.¡±


    ¡°SI?¡±


    Most Imic groups in the Middle East had thug tendencies, butpared to the IS, they were nothing. But a few years back, SI expanded and became even more dangerous than the IS.


    ¡°She¡¯s nning to go from Kenya to Somalia.¡±


    Kenya sounded like a 3rd world country, but in terms of politics and economy, they were quite stable. Most Koreans that went to Africa to volunteer went to Kenya. That was becausepared to the rest of Africa, Kenya was rtively safe.


    ¡°Do you want her toe back to Korea?¡¯


    ¡°I feel like that could be myst gift to my brother.¡±


    Was her foreseen death making her extra emotional?


    ¡°You can just tell him he has a daughter.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work on him.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    It was true that Kim Dae Gil was quite spirited, but those who went through trouble to lift their families up had a strong pride.


    ¡®An extramarital affair...¡¯


    If Kim Dae San knew, he would beat up Kim Dae Gil. After all, Kim Dae San wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to taint his family¡¯s reputation. Kim Dae San¡¯s honor was as high as that of Rothschild.


    ¡°I also want to go before I die. As you know, our family cherishes daughters. If I die, you¡¯ll be miserable, too.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving up already?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather just die than endure more chemotherapy, Soo Ho. I want to choose how I go.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got up as if he had heard enough. If they talked further, he was going to say he would save her. He had no knowledge of medicine, but his magic was capable of miracles.


    As soon as he went outside, Han Chae Kyung was waiting.


    ¡°Should I go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got into the car and headed to Incheon International Airport. He could have used Hosoo Airlines, but if Vice Chairman Kim Dae Gil¡¯s illegitimate daughter happened to be exposed, both the media and public would rip Daesan group to shreds. So it was best that he used the means that Kim Na Hee prepared.


    As soon as he arrived at Incheon International Airport, reporters were lined up and waiting.


    ¡°CEO Ahn!¡±


    ¡°CEO Ahn! Over here!¡±


    Many celebrities dressed up to go to the airport, but he didn¡¯t care. Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s lifelong stylist was Jang Seol Hyun. Once they started dating, he only wore what she picked out for him. And when they were apart, she dressed him up over video.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time for Rosette Group¡¯s volunteer group. Due to the sensitive image that fashion advertisementpanies have, they went to volunteer every quarter. Since even celebrities talked about UNICEF all the time, this wasn¡¯t strange at all.


    Han Chae Kyung was still under Hosoo Group, but she also had allies in Rosette Group. It was possible that Kim Na Hee was nning to make her famous through Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®At the end of the day, she¡¯s another heir.¡¯


    An owner¡¯s will was more important than anything else. Han Chae Kyung wasn¡¯t Kim Na Hee¡¯s biological daughter or rtive, but she was the owner¡¯s direct heir. The executivemittee was an underground operation for the purpose of coronation. It was likely that Kim Na Hee sold Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s name to the people in the beauty industry in order to make Han Chae Kyung¡¯s identity known.


    That was what she was doing today as well.


    Han Chae Kyung, who entered the airport with Ahn Soo Ho, naturally received the spotlight. If she was wise, she probably prepared some things to say to the reporters. Both Ahn Soo Ho and Han Chae Kyung were the talk of the news soon after.


    As soon as they got into their ne, they saw unfamiliar as well as familiar faces.


    ¡°Jung Ah Young?¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    She was wearing one of the volunteer t-shirts and was taking a selfie.


    ¡°Are you going, too? Oh, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so noisy out there.¡±


    She was wondering why it was so noisy when everyone was on board. She normally would have felt insulted, but when she saw Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s face, she was no longer angry.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Seol Hyun?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a new mother now. I came alone.¡±


    ¡°You did? Then I¡¯ll sit next to you.¡±


    ¡°No, Ms. Ah Young.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung cut off Jung Ah Young.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    They had already met at a meeting before.


    One was a top celebrity who went from a B-level to an A-level in just 1 year, and the other was a Cindere-to-be who went from a student abroad to a sessive heir. Jung Ah Young had a prettier face and sexier body, but Han Chae Kyung gave off a more refined image.


    Jung Ah Young greeted Ahn Soo Ho with her eyes and backed off. An heir-to-be must have been more powerful than a top celebrity. The two of them sat at the front in first-ss seats.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°You keep apologizing to me.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung continued to apologize since a few days back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard. Have you known?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But she told me not to tell anyone... Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Not again!¡±


    Since Kim Na Hee was running out of time, the process of session was bound to run into some trouble. Unlike the Daesan group, the cross-shareholding ratio of Rosette Group was low, but in order to lead great powers, they needed more than regr tenacity.


    ¡°Brace yourself. If you don¡¯t think you can do it, you should just give up now.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Han Chae Kyung bit her lower lip. Ahn Soo Ho looked at her determined face and closed his eyes. There were noyovers on chartered nes, but they were going to be on it for at least 12 hours.


    Ahn Soo Ho kept his eyes closed and went into his supeputer.


    ¡®Analyze data regarding Kim Na Hee. Put everyone around her on the monitoring list.¡¯


    He asked for additional records in addition to the list of collected information on Kim Na Hee. She thought Rosette Group¡¯s intelligence team was great, but Ahn Soo Ho saw it as stillcking.


    The ne arrived in Nairobi in the middle of the night. There weren¡¯t as many fans as other Asian countries, but some people still gathered after hearing celebrities from Korea wereing.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Non-Africans, who had never seen Nairobi before, were startled because of the forests as well as the vast scenery. Also, there weren¡¯t many discrepancies between the number of white and ck people.


    With the guidance of a nativepany, they relocated to a hotel in Nairobi. There wereworks among the international rescue groups and volunteer organizations. The rescue group that Hirukawa Mai was a part of had 500 members.


    However, they weren¡¯t just called a rescue group for no reason because they went to war-ridden regions and provided food and medicine to the refugees. They were a branch of the environmental protection group, Green Peace, but they valued helping the weak just as much as they valued nature.


    The police officers surrounding the hotel for foreigners were easily perceived as suspicious. The Kenyan government liked the international rescue groups being there in secret, and in order to move necessities from ce to ce, they charged a substantial fee.


    The broadcasting teams that came to capture the mother nature of Africa also reeled in profits. Most importantly, due to the war-ridden state Africa was in, it was used as a rest stop for many transportpanies.


    In the same way, many NGOs stationed in Kenya. Ahn Soo Ho sent the tiring volunteer group away and found his objective.


    ¡®Hirukawa Mai.¡¯


    The girl had long ck hair, and she was fighting with a ck person.


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not ready? You said it¡¯d be ready by tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do about that? I have no control!¡±


    ¡°You said you did when we signed the contract! Why don¡¯t you have control now?¡±


    ¡°Jeez! I¡¯m not doing this on purpose! We have no goods, okay? Stop trying to pick a fight and forget about making deals in Nairobi from now on!¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me when you¡¯re the one who vited the contract?¡±


    Mai looked like she was about to punch the person in the face. But a white man stopped her before she could.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Calm down. Maruko, stop it.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    The ck man clicked his tongue and disappeared. Once the man left, she no longer looked mad as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°I hope that can make them hurry it up.¡±


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re allcking inventory right now. We¡¯re no exception. We¡¯ll just have to stay in the hotel for the time being.¡±


    ¡°No way! I promised I¡¯d go as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Rohiman? If he¡¯s near a war zone... they were probably already caught... Ugh!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Mai kicked her colleague in the butt. Aside from her breasts, she was a man. Once he secured their location, Ahn Soo Ho tracked them down and sat next to her in a bar. He naturally approached Hirokawa Mai.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She noticed that Ahn Soo Ho had the same kind of eyes as her and showed interest.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho answered Mai¡¯s greeting. However, that was it. Mai focused back on her colleague.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually doomed. Then are our goods stuck in Cape Town?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ve been confiscated.¡±


    ¡°Wow, can they do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, the transportpany went bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The world¡¯s marine transport industry was converting over to a marine alliance system. Developed countries were able to fend for themselves, but Africa and the Middle East relied on imports for their necessities.


    ¡°How about we ask the UN for help?¡±


    ¡°If we use this as an excuse, they won¡¯t be able to turn us down.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Have some patience. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be resolved soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I liked about the UN...¡±


    ¡°Are you regretting it?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    She kissed the white man. They must have been more than just colleagues. But he didn¡¯t see in the files that she had a boyfriend.


    ¡®What an interesting character.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho captured the white man and ran his image through his supeputer. He went through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and even national databases.


    What was funny was that he was using a fake name. He didn¡¯t have just one identity but two. If he was hiding his identity, there was only one answer.


    ¡®He¡¯s a wanted criminal.¡¯


    Many activists were criticized more than anything, but this environmental terrorist thought resisting national powers was the greatest honor.


    ¡®James Bungee.¡¯


    There was an ident where 7 people died due to a gas pipe terrorist attack in America and Canada. That wasn¡¯t all. James Bungee was wanted in over 12 countries.


    And among them was Korea.


    This so-called environmental activist worked as a middle contractor for Green Peace in order tomit environmental terrorist attacks. What was funnier was that the money he got went straight to a Chinese bank ount.


    ¡®Look at this bastard.¡¯


    The Chinese government put on countless protests against environmental protection protests in America and Europe. This was the Chinese government¡¯s revenge against other powerful nations that continued to attack China for environmental matters. On top of that, they even led Green Peace¡¯s announcement that Korea was responsible for their pollution, not China.


    This was the Chinese government¡¯s doing.


    Ahn Soo Ho used his supeputer to send Roberto Aqun a message.


    Hey! There¡¯s a wanted criminal here. Catch him.


    Who?


    #Photo


    Who¡¯s that?


    James Bungee.


    Wait... Huh? That bastard?


    Yup. Hurry.


    Where are you?


    Nairobi.


    Africa? F***!


    Don¡¯t curse ande over here.


    Fierce hunting dogs calmed down if one threw them some feed once in a while.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 223 ¨C Green Peace [2] > The end.

 Chapter 234: < Protect – Episode 224 – Green Peace [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 234: < Protect ¨C Episode 224 ¨C Green Peace [3] ></h4>


    Humans came to learn that production and demand were what determined the cost of the products. And in most cases, this was the case. As soon as a quick return policy was introduced, mass production became a necessity more than a choice.


    The more and faster they produced the products, the morepetitive their prices would be. However, was that all there was to it? The reason why explorers set out to sea wasn¡¯t just because of cravings for innovation alone. Honor brought wealth, and wealth gave the explorers more power to travel even further.


    When it came to distribution in the 21st century, global conquest was pretty muchpleted. And as for the deep sea, it was going to be conquered one day. There wasn¡¯t a single ce that Fed-Ex couldn¡¯t reach as long as humans lived there. Distribution across the world was just like a heart. If transportation and distribution stopped, it would cause all sorts of side effects.


    Reykjavik¡¯s shipbuildingpany goes bankrupt!


    Antoine Consulting concludes trial!


    Antares Airlines reduces routes!


    Cross Alliance shuts down!


    In contrast to professional opinions that said things were going to get better, the world¡¯s distribution system was on the verge of freezing. When it came to stronger nations, they were turning distribution toward themselves, so they weren¡¯t hit as severely. However, the ces that solely relied on imports were suffering beyond anyone could imagine.


    The region that required the most AIDS treatments was Africa. After all, there was no reason for AIDS to run rampant in 1st world countries. In the same way, the ces where water, c, and soft drinks sold the most were underdeveloped countries. The country that drank the most c was Mexico. Mexico pretty much reced water with c.


    Whenparing developed countries and underdeveloped countries, it was obvious that developed countries made more profits on exportation and importation. And within the shadows of the FTA and hiding behind environmental activism were environmental terrorists.


    What were effective methods of pressuringpeting countries or societies? Spies? Duty charges? FTA was a double-edged sword. Just like how developed countries could attack, there could be a counterattack as well.


    Environmental treaties were like clever tricks.


    It was their way of disregarding environmental pollution that was needed for industrial development. If a bnce wasn¡¯t maintained between development and environmental protection, there would be great fines. And since most of the developed countries had surpassed this point, they were kicked over thedder in order to keep otherpetitors in check.


    What was added to this was environmental activism.


    Was there such a thing as environmental activists in underdeveloped countries? Of course not. They only existed in developed countries. People called it an indication of a greater civic consciousness, but Ahn Soo Ho just heard that as bullsh*t.


    ¡®What about the nature that our grandfathers destroyed?¡¯


    The way he saw it, there weren¡¯t activists with simple beliefs such as environmental or youth protection. There were tons of scumbag activists in the world like James Bungee. Those who put harm on others to make profits and manipted the media to control the public were all terrorists.


    Did that mean Ahn Soo Ho was a terrorist?


    ¡®Yeah. I¡¯m a terrorist, too.¡¯


    He had never thought of himself as a good person. Ahn Soo Ho had killed way too many people to be of goodwill. However, he still had his own code of ethics.


    ¡°James Bungee... It¡¯s definitely him.¡±


    Roberto Aqun, who flew over from Germany to Nairobi, looked at the monitor with a tired look on his face. The CCTV footage of James Bungee brought energy back into his face.


    He looked back at Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask how you found him... What brings you to Kenya, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Volunteer work.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°The na?ve public might believe you, but not anyone that really knows you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smacked his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯d make donations, but when ites to volunteer work... Hm, what can I do? Now that I¡¯m a parent, I should do some volunteering.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, congrattions. I heard it¡¯s a daughter.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more blessed.¡±


    ¡°She needs to take after her mother.¡±


    ¡°I... agree with that.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t refute it. She had to take after Jang Seol Hyun in order to have a good life. Roberto Aqun sent a letter of cooperation to the Kenyan government, and he notified the police as well.


    No matter what his reputation was as a prosecutor, he had to respect thew and regtions of other countries. Ahn Soo Ho left Roberto Aqun with the phone and went up to his room. In order to get permission, they needed at least a few days.


    Once Ahn Soo Ho entered the room, he saw Han Chae Kyung sleeping on the sofa while holding some documents and flinched. Was he in the wrong room? Not at all. If that was the case, his key wouldn¡¯t have worked. But he didn¡¯t want to wake her up either. So he put her on the bed and left the room.


    The hotel¡¯s caf¨¦ terrace was open 24 hours, so it was still bustling with people. Since it wasmonly used by foreigners, there were more white people than ck people.


    He sat down in an empty seat and ordered a coffee. The one thing that Africa had that Korea didn¡¯t was good coffee. Some of the African countries gathered and created a coffee cartel, and Kenyan coffee became known as high-quality coffee.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    The foreigners that came in and out greeted Ahn Soo Ho. They weren¡¯t greeting him with an objective. They were just casually being friendly.


    It was weird to greet strangers in Korea, but for white people, it was pretty normal. He looked around and saw a National Geographics¡¯ filming team. Since Kenya arose from the Common Wealth, it was a ce where people spoke English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and even Korean.


    ¡®Huh? Korean?¡¯


    There was a group of people sitting a few tables down.


    He remembered seeing them on the ne. He was unable to talk to anyone else because of Han Chae Kyung, but there was even an actor who worked on a project with his wife.


    As soon as he met eyes with one of them, they flinched. Ahn Soo Ho smiled and nodded. They then approached his table.


    ¡°Hello, CEO Ahn.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Go Ah Jin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    It was strange that a celebrity was asking if he knew him. Ahn Soo Ho offered Go Ah Jin a seat.


    ¡°This is Kim Chae Yeon, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir.¡±


    They almost looked like military cadets. Were celebrities also getting military discipline?


    ¡®I don¡¯t think so from what I¡¯ve heard from So Hye.¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho mistakenly thought of Fantastic 4 as rookies. But the truth was, those girls were at a whole another level from other rookies. Ahn Da Sol kept her identity hidden, but she gave off the vibe of an apex predator, and Emily and Rachel were hard to approach by Koreans, who were afraid of foreignnguages.


    Did that make Lee So Hye any easier? Not at all.


    She was actually the most difficult to face. Just the fact that she was Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s sister gave her a free pass to the Blue House and even the White House.


    ¡°You seem to feel ufortable with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha.¡±


    Go Ah Jin simplyughed.


    ¡°Did you decide on a name for your daughter?¡±


    Unlike Kim Chae Yeon, Go Ah Jin overcame the awkwardness and asked what they were wondering.


    ¡°Ahn Soo Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Soo Hyun? What a pretty name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amon name. You don¡¯t have to be so nice.¡±


    The conversation that followed was mostly the women asking Ahn Soo Ho questions. They must have had a lot of questions because Go Ah Jin didn¡¯t stop. If she wasn¡¯t in a project with his wife, he would have mistaken her for a reporter.


    As soon as Go Ah Jin broke the ice, the others slowly joined and filled the empty seats. Just like how regr people thought of them as different, they thought of Ahn Soo Ho as different from them.


    Go Ah Jin was simr to Jang Seol Hyun.


    Both of them started acting since they were children, but the difference was that she failed at her following projects. After failing for around 7 years, she came back as an adult actress and took off.


    Ahn Soo Ho asked her why she was participating in the volunteer work.


    ¡°Hm. When I was having a hard time, my parents helped, but there were many others who didn¡¯t have that support system.¡±


    Go Ah Jin¡¯s family was very wealthy.


    So she could have attempted acting for as long as she needed to seed. If it wasn¡¯t for that, she would have had to work part-time or find sponsors like her friends. These days, even celebrities needed good backgrounds to bepetitive.


    ¡®But I¡¯m sure the talented will still make it.¡¯


    Those who were talented made it one way or another. It was cruel to those who just worked hard, but effort didn¡¯t always lead to sess.


    That applied to all industries.


    While the women were curious about Jang Seol Hyun, the men were curious about the world of mercenaries. What many called the mercenary kingdom was the Hosoo Guard Team, which was rumored to recruit anyone with military discharge papers. For that reason, countless men in their 20s swarmed over to Star Tower.


    It was the first time so many young men were gathered in once ce since thest idol concert. That was how serious the unemployment crisis was. Many old people asked why they weren¡¯t considering smallerpanies, but there were many unreasonable customs in smallpanies.


    Labor rtions were always a difficult matter.


    And Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s image and reputation were different from all other heads. Since he was known as a sessful young businessman, a societal businessman, and a global leader, he definitely wasn¡¯t recognized as a tyrant old man.


    The way they found Ahn Soo Ho difficult to approach while wanting to get closer to him was kind of like a trap. He used minor magic that made people feel captivated by him.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. If there¡¯s more, let¡¯s continue in the morning.¡±


    Because of the time difference, the volunteer group was sent back to their hotels. Ahn Soo Ho was also just one of them, but they obeyed him well.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got back to the hotel security room, Roberto Aqun looked at him with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡±


    ¡°This punk... is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s wanted in multiple countries.¡±


    ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is...¡±


    ¡°Nuclear fuel.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve known.¡±


    Aqun knitted his brows in response. Environmental activism and nuclear fuel didn¡¯t go together. From the very beginning, Green Peace was against nuclear experiments. The nuclear weapons that debuted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused a great deal of fear around the world.


    After the mid-20th century, major wars came to a halt.


    Why?


    Because if developed countries fought with nuclear weapons, it would lead to extinction. The status of countries with nuclear weapons and without nuclear weapons was as different as they could be. And it had nothing to do with military or economic power. After all, it would juste down to who could kill the most people. For that reason, all countries secretly wanted nuclear weapons themselves.


    If that was the case, what was needed to make nuclear weapons? Technology and money? When it came to national projects, technology and money weren¡¯t an issue. What was really important was where they could obtain raw materials.


    The countries that weren¡¯t acknowledged by the UN weren¡¯t able to obtain nuclear fuel even from the ck market. Nuclear energy wasn¡¯t something that was controlled by the nation. Nuclear energy was controlled by international nuclear energy agency.


    There were no exceptions.


    If anyone went against this, they were going to be outcasted by the international society. The reason why North Korea could do it was because they had a uranium mine right on theirnd. North Korea bragged about how they had 60% of the world¡¯s materials, but Ahn Soo Ho confirmed that they only had 3%.


    Even with 3%, they had tens of tons, and that equated to 100s of trillions of won. The reason why North Korea was so obsessed with nuclear development wasn¡¯t because of nuclear weapons alone. No matter howmunist they were, they weren¡¯t stupid.


    Pig Kim was always getting insulted left and right, but the elite who controlled North Korea were all intelligent. It was not wise to look down upon the North Koreans.


    ¡®Chae Myung Sun.¡¯


    The current head of department, Chae Myung Sun, wasn¡¯t to be messed with.


    James Bungee was a terrorist disguised as an activist. He received money for providing his services. And the services he provided were to manipte the media in order to impair the industrial development ofpeting countries. In that sense, James Bungee was the pioneer of the environmental terrorist business.


    And it wasn¡¯t long ago since he started being noticed.


    ¡°There are rumors about how a substantial amount of nuclear fuel has ended up in the ck market. But ording to the IAEA, there are no records of it.¡±


    IAEA¡¯s control over nuclear fuel was astronomical. That meant they had enough power to threaten the sovereign power of the rted countries.


    ¡°And then a scientist seeded in backtracking the nuclear fear. The problem started after that.¡±


    The origin of the nuclear fuel was Russia. To be more precise, it was disposed of during the days of the Soviet Union. But if it was just Russia, the problem would have just ended there.


    ¡°The nuclear fuel that had been recorded as disposed of in India, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and even Ennd, France, and Spain, were detected.¡±


    The international nuclear fuel agency was in for trouble.


    And they found out after re-inspecting the radioactive waste disposal sites all over the world. They had never entered the facilities. There were records, but no waste. If that was the case, where did the nuclear waste disappear to?


    ¡°The Indian ocean.¡±


    ¡°To be more exact, it¡¯s the ocean near Somalia.¡±


    ¡°Just Somalia? They probably spread it all over the ocean where it wasn¡¯t being monitored.¡±


    It was true.


    Many countries had disposed of nuclear wastes in the oceans of other countries. And it wasn¡¯t just nuclear waste. If people knew just how much waste was going in the ocean, they would be shocked.


    ¡°James Bungee is fishing out the nuclear waste that was disposed of a long time ago. As an environmental activist. But...¡±


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t add up.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s not someone who could lead such a big business. It¡¯s not like environmental organizations are stupid, so they definitely would have found out. But there¡¯s nomotion. There must be a big tycoon behind it. It¡¯s not you, is it, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    There was a huge gap between leading environmental protests and fishing out nuclear waste and selling it in the ck market. In order to collect radioactive materials, he needed experts, and that kind of support didn¡¯te cheap.


    There were ranks even among criminals.


    ¡°Has the arrest been deferred?¡±


    ¡°It could be a headache if there¡¯s someone else behind it.¡±


    ¡°Well... do your best.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho shrugged, Aqun widened his eyes.


    ¡°Hirukawa Mai.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, Soo Ho. I already checked.¡±


    He reyed the CCTV footages from various angles.


    ¡°Why are you monitoring her?¡±


    ¡°It was someone¡¯s request.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave up on acting innocent. He had no reason to hide it either.


    ¡°You seem to be quite close.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about arresting her.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s innocent?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just using the innocent girl as a shield.¡±


    It wasmon for honest people to be at a loss. People thought smart people wouldn¡¯t get conned, but once a person let his or her guard down, it was possible for anyone to get caught. There wasn¡¯t a single criminal that walked around with a sign on their forehead.


    As soon as the morning sun started shining through the window, Ahn Soo Ho got up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 4 days, Roberto. If you don¡¯t resolve it by then, then I¡¯ll use my own methods.¡±


    He chose a method with the least amount of side effects, but it came with many obstacles. If that was the case, he had to go back to his old ways.


    ¡®If you get caught monkeying around, you¡¯ll get your wrist sliced off.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 224 ¨C Green Peace [3] > The end.

 Chapter 235: < Protect – Episode 225 – Green Peace [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 235: < Protect ¨C Episode 225 ¨C Green Peace [4] ></h4>


    Kim Na Hee trusted the Kirukawa Mai matter with Ahn Soo Ho. That meant she respected what he would do whether he convinced her or kidnapped her. What was unfortunate was that despite his magical powers, it was quite difficult to suppress reason.


    Dating techniques and intelligence weren¡¯t directly proportional.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t really know what women were interested in. The only reason why he didn¡¯t run away was because of his magic. Jang Seol Hyun wasn¡¯t the only woman in the world who would listen to his old man jokes.


    The Rosette Hope Volunteer Group was busy with their schedules. It was a big team that included celebrities, famous people, the filming team, as well as guards to ensure their safety.


    And the bigger the group, the harder it was to control everyone. Han Chae Kyung was cut out to be a boss. She didn¡¯t have strong charisma like Kim Na Hee, but she had the type of leadership of a young woman.


    ¡°Please check your group every once in a while, and if anything happens, please report it to me.¡±


    The first destination of the volunteer group was a native vige in the East of Nairobi. Kenya yed a leading role as a native nation in Africa. There was a reason why many international rescue groups came to Nairobi.


    There were almost no civil wars within Kenya since its establishment.


    There were some conflicts and protests here and there, but there weren¡¯t little boys shooting guns like in the other African countries. After America¡¯s Nigerian War, Central Africa was in the middle of a dispute with Ethiopia, but Southern Africa didn¡¯t seem like they were going to back down easily either.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny is that most of the countries fighting over dominance of Africa are a part of the Common Wealth.¡±


    South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria were all a part of the Common Wealth.


    ¡°Why is that? Because Ennd is great?¡±


    In the same way, France, who colonized Africa were on the decline, but British colonists weren¡¯tpletely gone. Why? Because they were less cruel than France? Not at all. Both Ennd and France had a great number of colonies.


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho paused, Go Ah Jin raised her hand.


    ¡°Is it because of America?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they speak English, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Am I right?¡±


    Go Ah Jin was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Ennd is America¡¯s biggest asset and strongest weapon.¡±


    Culture came fromnguage. In order to understand an English-speaker, one had to know English, and in order to learn about the basis of English, one had to know English literature. People had to learn about the identities and customs of other people in order to predict how they would think and act.


    ¡°Then why are they joining Ennd instead of America?¡±


    No one could answer that question.


    ¡°That¡¯s because America stresses democracy. They have a sense of duty to protect human rights and democracy. However, that¡¯s another type of imperialism. Luckily for Ennd, they¡¯ve shared many aspects with America, and America needed a bait in order to hide their intention.¡±


    Following the Second World War, France managed to be a leading country, but they were unable to rid themselves of their image associated with Germany. And that caused them to speed up their break away from the colony. International order functioned based on the reasoning of power. If a country grew weak, its uncivilized side would begin looking elsewhere.


    The reason why Ennd¡¯s colonial empire didn¡¯t copse like that of France was because people saw America and Ennd as one. And that was a misunderstanding. But the fact that they shared the samenguage worked in their favor.


    America didn¡¯t have anything to lose either. In order to have more power in the following generations, the influence of the Englishnguage had to grow bigger. Unlike how French used to be themonnguage in Europe, it was now English, and America didn¡¯t hesitate to invest in Ennd for that reason.


    ¡°America and Ennd filled in what wascking in each other.¡±


    The American and British empire¡¯s strategy was a sess. After all, not everyone in the world had the kind of intelligence that was needed to graduate from Harvard. While America sold freedom, Ennd sold the royal family. They sold the past and future at the same time.


    ¡°America used Ennd as a shield while Ennd used America¡¯s superiority in order to regain their reputation.¡±


    The topic that Ahn Soo Ho raised on the bus was random. However, there wasn¡¯t a single person that didn¡¯t listen. The fact that they came out to volunteer meant that they had an interest in the public interest. Just because they were young didn¡¯t mean they had no interest in politics or diplomatics.


    ¡°So are you sayingnguage is also a national power?¡±


    ¡°Being able tomunicate is more influential than you can imagine.¡±


    The worth of anguage depended on the number of people that used it. Korean was a superbnguage, and it was impressive to know it. However, that was all.


    ¡°People have different mindsets depending on whatnguage they speak.¡±


    People who mainly used Korean died as Korean. That was why Ahn Soo Ho had no choice but to be Korean. He was able to use his magic to speak all thenguages in the world, but since Korean was his firstnguage, that was his default basis for his beliefs and way of thinking. Even if he spoke English, French, and Spanish, he interpreted them in a Korean way.


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t only talk about difficult topics. He even added some humor and some stories of corruption here and there. As soon as he revealed a president that had an affair with an actress and how much slush funds a famous dictator had, loud exmations could be heard.


    The best story was the one of the kidnapped reporters in Nigeria. As soon as their rescue stories came out, their eyes sparkled. They couldn¡¯t hear these stories anywhere else, so it was more stimting than any affair story.


    ¡°To be honest, affection fell upon Korea. Not Onami.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Go Ah Jin looked impressed. No one expected him to pull out an old man joke at a time like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho immediately apologized. Do Min Ho¡¯s joking skills were definitely trash. There was nothing to learn from him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    After racing through the empty roads for 5 hours, they arrived at a vige. As soon as they got out of the bus, Ahn Soo Ho realized what was going on.


    ¡®They¡¯re actors.¡¯


    Just like how foreigners looked at traditional viges in Korea and marveled at how Korean it seemed, the volunteers looked at the shabby-looking houses and marveled at how African it looked.


    One of the main industries in Kenya was volunteer experience. When considering the safety of the volunteers, they couldn¡¯t bring them to remote areas. What if they got hurt, kidnapped, or even killed? That would be the Kenyan government¡¯s responsibility. So they secretly made a native vige for volunteers to gain their experience.


    Every single adult, elder, and children were educated actors. And the volunteers that knew nothing believed that they were actually volunteering. If onepared them to a real African that require help, they could be distinguished quite easily. But foreigners were unable to tell them apart.


    He had no intention of ruining the fun for the volunteers who were handing water to the natives. Ignorance was bliss. Ahn Soo Ho approached the native guides gathered at the entrance.


    ¡°Where are we going today?¡±


    Their eyes flinched when they heard Ahn Soo Ho speak theirnguage so fluently. His pronunciation made him sound like he was a native.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    One of the bewildered guides got a hold of himself and stepped up.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go to two more ces after this.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, let¡¯s see. Then today¡¯s amodation must be in... Garissa?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho took out a cigarette and handed one to him. He turned happy. Just because they were a guide in Kenya didn¡¯t mean they made good money. Africans also had a tendency to be friends if someone gave them something.


    ¡°How are the borders these days? Is it still hectic?¡±


    ¡°Somalia? It¡¯s always crazy there.¡±


    He obtained all sorts of information by smoking with the guide. During the days of the European empire, all sorts of borders were drawn, but they were rarely followed. Borders didn¡¯t mean much in Africa. Even the concept of a nation was vague, and the tribal mindset was so strong that not many thought of themselves as citizens.


    ¡°The UN is also nning to reduce the size of the refugee vige. So the vibe has been strange these days.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously have no idea? It¡¯s because of the Al Shabab. They¡¯ve already prated deep into Nairobi.¡±


    Al Shabab.


    Just the fact that their name started with ¡°Al¡± suggested that they were an Imic group. They were one of the worst terrorist organizations in Eastern Africa.


    Ahn Soo Ho thought that SI was actually worse than Al Shabab. Al Shabab at least didn¡¯t kill any Muslims but not the SI. They were close to heathens, and they punished Muslims.


    After Boko Haram went to shit from the Nigerian war (they were actually shit on by Ahn Soo Ho), the African Imic organizations naturally took over Eastern Africa. Due to the baseless rumors iming that the US military¡¯s next target was Sudan, there was an energy of an oing war, but the Imic terrorist groups exploded rather than reducing in size.


    People with intelligence felt doubtful.


    ¡®Where did all that moneye from?¡¯


    Where did they get the money to create a military of thousands of people? Some imed that they must have made an agreement with the Somalian pirates. There were rumors that their funds came from those pirates.


    Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. There were limits to how much money pirates could secure. And since there was no guarantee that they would seed, it wasmon for the ount of the pirates to take the money and leave.


    And on top of that, the US marines were going in and out of Djibouti, so it was hard to be pirates nowadays. In order to protect the paths to the Suez Canal, India, Japan, China, Korea, and even Australia, they sent their Marines to help.


    ¡®That¡¯s why they needed thebel of being environmental activists.¡¯


    The inside of Somalia was always chaos, but toward the ocean were marines of multiple countries. The NR Peace Keepers worked toward saving the Somalian refugees, and as a result, James Bungee¡¯s ck heart decided to go a different direction.


    The IAEA was huge with more resources than anyone could imagine. And when it came to modern civilization¡¯s nuclear fuel tracing technology, they were at a level of hitting below the pictogram range.


    In other words, there was no hole to crawl out of.


    Despite never having been near North Korea¡¯s nuclear facilities, the IAEA was able to predict what kind of experiments they were conducting. However, the IAEA weren¡¯t perfect either. If they targeted a region, they would find it 100%, but when looking through the entire world, it was impossible for them to detect nuclear materials.


    And if they were hidden well, it was possible they would never find it.


    After serving the native actors, the volunteer group proceeded to their next destination. That ce was probably going to be simr to this one. Thanks to the photographer¡¯s passion, the famous people holding a ck child and looking sad would probably be reborn as art.


    Humanism


    It could be described with that one word.


    It had been a long time since rescue became a business. Average people believed that their small donations went to children in need, but the truth was, it all went toward a reserve. The money that actually went to the sites came fromrge sums, not small ones. Most of the small funds were spent on the preparations of the rescue operations.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The bus was blocked by cars on their way to their next vige.


    They were Japanese cars in disguise.


    While they loved Toyota cars, they killed way too many Japanese people. Just like Boko Haram, their g was always a ck background with white letters on top.


    ¡°#^%#$!¡±


    The bus driver immediately turned the handle, but as soon as he could, gunshots were fired.


    Bang, bang-


    As soon as the bullets went through the bus, it was pandemonium. The cars suddenly popped out of nowhere and shot at the bus from all sides.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The guards that were supposed to protect everyone ran away, and some of them got killed in the process. Rosette Group¡¯s guards didn¡¯t have real-life experience.


    Ahn Soo Ho felt weird.


    He had very little memory of being attacked in such a way in the mercenary world. Just as Do Min Ho put it, this was a very fresh and new experience. He whispered something to Go Ah Jin, who was frozen beside him, and got up.


    ¡°Get down and lower your heads.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Ok... okay!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho got out of his seat, he met eyes with Han Chae Kyung. Ahn Soo Ho mouthed the words to her, and she reflexively nodded.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang-


    An automatic gunnded in each of his hands, and as soon as he pulled the trigger, the heads of the assants blew up like watermelons. A huge smokescreen followed.


    Bang, bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    The terrorists were taken aback by the sudden impairment of their vision. The shabby mercenaries ran away while the rest were taken care of quite easily, but the resistance grew stronger.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The screaming of his allies could be heard from within the smoke.


    ¡°W... what¡¯s going on?¡±


    On their way from kidnapping the National Geographic filming team, they found another delicious prey and pounced. The more hostages they had, the better their negotiation would be.


    ¡®A... a trap?¡¯


    Was this a trap of the Kenyan government? He hadn¡¯t heard of anything like that though. While themand panicked, Ahn Soo Ho sniped the bastards one by one. As the gunfires slowed down, the smoke cleared up, and among the dead assants was Ahn Soo Ho.


    And with him at the center, red flowers bloomed.


    And then there was a sunset.


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    It made no sense.


    ¡®This is crazy.¡¯


    Wasn¡¯t war a cruel thing? However, among the dead assants¡¯ blood and death was Ahn Soo Ho looking more beautiful than ever. A famous Korean photographer, Yoon Ki Hyun captured this beauty on camera.


    He med it on the instincts of an artist.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 225 ¨C Green Peace [4] > The end.

 Chapter 236: < Protect – Episode 226 – Wild Africa [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 236: < Protect ¨C Episode 226 ¨C Wild Africa [1] ></h4>


    A silent smoke screen filled the area...


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    Until the people started getting off the bus while coughing smoke, that was.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Over here! Somebody help!¡±


    People asked for help here and there.


    ¡®It was definitely Al Shabab.¡¯


    Seeing from the gs on the disguised cars, they were Al Shabab, which took over the south of Somalia. Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t close with Imic groups. However, just like how everyone knew a star or two, everyone knew an Im terrorist or two. And of course, they were all bosses. Just like how the celebrities he knew were top stars.


    The Al Shabab that was active in southern Somalia and northern Kenya wasn¡¯t at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s level. They were a bunch of scumbags that crossed the Kenyan border. They kidnapped tourists and killed natives. They were no different from thugs.


    Somalia did have a government, but in reality, they were in a state of anarchy. Even if the northern region imed theirnd as an independent nation, no one could do anything about it.


    The aftermath of a war zone.


    Ahn Soo Ho checked if any of the enemies were alive, but they weren¡¯t. His bullets cut through all of their lungs. He slowly looked around him. The people were stillying on the ground. Among the medical professionals and people staring at him nkly, it was Han Chae Kyung who approached him first.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then gather everyone who got injured. And as for the dead... just leave them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    She called the guard in charge and gave him themand.


    But the one in charge was too busy ncing over at Ahn Soo Ho to listen carefully. He had heard about the legendary man who was originally from the military.


    The one man military.


    The SSS-level mercenary


    Ghost protocol


    There was even talk about how sending Ahn Soo Ho was more effective than sending the military. When rumors about how the pentagonbeled him as a dangerous individual, the Korean militaryughed. In any case, he was a straggler who dropped out of the Naval Academy.


    ¡®It was no exaggeration.¡¯


    Actually, the rumors didn¡¯t live up to the truth. Ahn Soo Ho called the head of the mercenaries over.


    ¡°How many soldiers remain?¡±


    ¡°7... I mean, 8.¡±


    ¡°Report the ones that ran away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The missing mercenaries were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Transport the injured! And you! Get in the cars!¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho pointed his finger, the two mercenaries ran over and got into the bus.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to get moving?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even more dangerous.¡±


    The head of the mercenaries wanted to escape, but Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. If there was another group, it was best to annihte them.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s strange. What were they thinking, attacking in such a deep ce?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was weird, too.¡±


    ¡°What about the headquarters?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t contact them.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be the signal. Is themunicationwork cut off?¡±


    Themunication infra was fairly good in Africa.


    Not even the rebels or terrorist organizations messed with the infra. Because if they did, that was like dering war. This country wasn¡¯t so doomed that an Imic terrorist group would dere war so openly. But they got attacked? That was the reality. A mercenary ran over from one of the cars.


    ¡°I got a radio channel! There¡¯s been a bombing in Nairobi!¡±


    The sad news didn¡¯t end there.


    ¡°Mombasa, Malindi, Purah, Garissa, and Dadab are in chaos as well!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±


    The head of the mercenaries was shocked.


    This was a region where the UN operated. Did all of Al Shabab get shot in the head? If they started making provocations before the US military left Africa, it was possible for a Somalian war to break out.


    ¡°Again?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho put pressure on the hesitant mercenary.


    ¡°The rescue teams, foreign tourists, and the filming team were all attacked!¡±


    ¡°It was nned.¡±


    It was a well-nned out attack.


    ¡°Mister!¡±


    He called Ahn Soo Ho mister because he didn¡¯t know what else to call him. But those who were used to handling guns easily recognized each other. The head of the mercenaries confirmed with his own eyes that Ahn Soo How was no ordinary man. Not anyone could just bring down a troop in a matter of minutes.


    Ahn Soo Ho caught on to what he wanted to say. Despite his pride as a head of guards of Rosette Group, he was willing to yield to Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡°We¡¯re camping out.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough resources.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any blood, surgical tools, or any doctors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it so prepare the camp.¡±


    The doctors that came with Rosette Group weren¡¯t specialized doctors but just a regr one and a nurse. They probably only volunteered to get some easy time off. It was possible that some of the mercenaries were more experienced.


    He didn¡¯t refute Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s direct answer, but he didn¡¯t surrender either. How was he supposed to resolve this issue? He left him behind. He pretended to take out his phone and then connected to his supeputer. There was nomunication problem anywhere in the world.


    ¡°Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Henry. Send some things over.¡±


    That was Henry¡¯s specialty.


    ¡°Okay. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Trace my signal.¡±


    ¡°Wait... Kenya? What are you doing there?¡±


    ¡°I need some medical supplies and an experienced nurse if that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to go to war... Oh yeah. Kenya is in chaos right now.¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Even if I send a helicopter from Nairobi, I need at least two hours.¡±


    ¡°One hour.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Okay.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho looked back at the head of the mercenaries.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be here in an hour. Secure arge vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    He was still suspicious, but he did as he was told. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached Han Chae Kyung, she answered a question that wasn¡¯t even asked.


    ¡°2 dead, 9 injured, and one person on both the guard team and filming team.¡±


    ¡°Han Chae Kyung!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s calling brought life back into her eyes. She seemed fine not long ago, but she must have been a child after all. Ahn Soo Ho held down Han Chae Kyung¡¯s arms and waited for her to calm down. Color came back into her pale face.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many are dead?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    They were hit by ident while being on the bus.


    ¡°What about the injured?¡±


    ¡°They were just cut with bullets. The rest were scratched by ss.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho walked toward the doctors.


    They flinched and avoided him, but their bodies followed him instinctively. There wasn¡¯t a single person who was actually shot. They were lucky indeed.


    If the bullet had been just a few centimeters to the side, it would have cut through their brain. There were only 2 humans that died, but it was different for mercenaries. Half of them ran away, and among the ones that remained, 8 died.


    ¡°Which PMC are they signed with?¡±


    ¡°One moment.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung looked through her tablet PC.


    ¡°North Mist.¡±


    ¡°North Mist?¡±


    There was no way. Thatpany wasn¡¯t any small hole in the wall that would hire such rookies. Following the downfall of Aragon Company, North Mist continued to climb to be a frontlinepany.


    Considering that there were more than 1000 PMCs around the world, that meant they were a major conglomerate. In order to sign a contract with the governments andpanies with each country, one had to have mercenary insurance, and in order to do that, they needed at least a certain number of mercenaries.


    ¡®Allen, this bastard.¡¯


    Was he manipting the mercenary ranks?


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho turned his head. He saw a man wearing outdoor gear that many Koreans were known for wearing. Ahn Soo Ho asked what he wanted with his eyes.


    ¡°Hello, CEO Ahn. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself earlier. I¡¯m the Korean ambassador to Kenya, Kim Jong Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they came from the Kenyan Embassy to help us, Uncle.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung butt in. Since the scale wasrge, even the Kenyan embassy had to join in. They said they wanted to help, but they only wanted toe and boost their performance evaluations.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just...¡±


    The man trailed off and stepped back. He didn¡¯t see the actual killings, but the sight of the aftermath was shocking. He thought he was used to it after seeing the Nairobi bombing as well as multiple riots, but what he saw today was more fearful than anything he had seen in 10 years.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    After parting with the ambassador, Ahn Soo Ho called over the guards and the head of mercenaries. Once they made a line with buses and cars, they made a safe zone that was just theirs.


    The sun had already set.


    The volunteer group enjoyed their first vige so much that they spent more time there than originally scheduled. Would things have been all right if they kept to the schedule? Likely not. Since Garissa was chaotic as well, they might have been attacked even more severely there.


    ¡°Is there anyone else who¡¯s injured?¡±


    ¡°No one that needs immediate attention. And the rest...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    The mercenaries that didn¡¯t run either got injured or killed. That was why guns were scary. Ahn Soo Ho looked back at the head of the guards.


    ¡°Any weapons?¡±


    ¡°We collected them and handed them out.¡±


    They collected the weapons of the enemies and handed them out to the guards. They were different from K-series, but guns were all the same. All they had to do was pull the trigger to make them work.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out for a few days and then go back to Nairobi or Mombasa.¡±


    ¡°What if...¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho interrupted the mercenary from talking about supplies again. He looked at his watch. It wasn¡¯t long before the promised time, and his supernatural hearing heard the sound of motors.


    Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle-


    He saw a helicopter in the darkness. The mercenaries followed theirmander¡¯s orders and went toward thending pad. The first person to get out of the helicopter was someone Ahn Soo Ho recognized.


    ¡°Lee Sang Moon?¡±


    ¡°I heard you needed help.¡±


    Lee Sang Moon gave him a yful salute. Ahn Soo Ho and Lee Sang Moon were both a part of the 80s Society.


    ¡°You were in Kenya?¡±


    ¡°They always need an extra hand here.¡±


    Foreigners who wanted to see lions, elephants and the mother nature of Africa always came here 365 days a year. Even if there was no war, there was always a need for mercenaries. While the other mercenaries unloaded the helicopter with supplies, Ahn Soo Ho asked about the current state of Kenya.


    Lee Sang Moon shook his head.


    ¡°Kenya is in chaos. Since even the UN refugee first aid station is at risk, it¡¯s obviously very dangerous out there. Al Shabab attacked with an borate n. It hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, but over 500 foreigners have been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°What about you guys?¡±


    ¡°Luckily, we didn¡¯t lose any clients, but nine of our guys lost their lives. We¡¯re going to work with otherpanies and retaliate.¡±


    ¡°What about the Kenyan government?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They still haven¡¯t gotten it together.¡±


    Al Shabab was always a headache, but they had never done something this big before. They were close to fighting in a full-on war.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯


    Not even Imic terrorist groups were crazy enough to provoke the US military right in front of their noses. Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone. It took a while for them to answer.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Robert Aqun¡¯s voice hinted that something horrible had happened.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The terrorists have attacked the hotel! We¡¯ve been seized!¡±


    ¡°Not a bombing but a siege?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho thought of a possible scenario.


    ¡°Wa... was he caught as a hostage, too?¡±


    ¡°Who? Bungee?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°His room was attacked first.¡±


    ¡°They want nuclear fuel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°James Bungee is their target.¡±


    However, he couldn¡¯t understand it. It was unrealistic to risk a military operation just for one man.


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    What if they were two different groups? What if the ones who attacked the hotel weren¡¯t the same ones that were causing terrorist attacks in Kenya?


    ¡°Luckily, Hirukawa Mai is safe, Soo Ho. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho cut him off. Ahn Soo Ho ran toward the helicopter while screaming.


    ¡°Find her, Aqun! Right now!¡±


    He had thought Hirukawa Mai was being tricked my James Bungee. But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? She was bold enough to quit her job at the UN because it didn¡¯t align with her beliefs.


    Environmental terror always started with the good intention of helping mankind.


    ¡®All changes begin with an event.¡¯


    She needed something impactful to gain sympathy. And death was something that could get the public¡¯s attention. He heard Aqun on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho got on the helicopter and gestured for the pilot to take off.


    ¡°Hirukawa Mai is a terrorist!¡±


    It was possible that even James Bungee was being fooled.


    ¡°She¡¯s the culprit!¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 226 ¨C Wild Africa [1] > The end.

 Chapter 237: < Protect – Episode 227 – Wild Africa [2] >

    <h4>Chapter 237: < Protect ¨C Episode 227 ¨C Wild Africa [2] ></h4>


    Everyone wanted to be respected.


    No one liked their opinions being disregarded. When distribution was put before growth and preservation was put before development, the world called them liberals or lefties.


    It was a human instinct to always want more. So when someone said no, bad feelings was to be expected. There were many cases where personal sacrifice was stressed for universal good. Ethics was always stressed in this world, but humans had the instinct to rationalize themselves.


    ¡®Hirukawa is a good person.¡¯


    That was what people thought.


    She had never been connected to a crime before. When she did pose a protest against the government andpanies, she wasn¡¯t brought down like James Bungee. But she still had her suspicions.


    ¡®Am I right?¡¯


    Perhaps she had to act like the environmental terrorists in order to make any changes. Righteous acts made changes as well, but it took way too long. The results of their actions would only show in the next generation at the earliest.


    While Kenya was in chaos, Hirukawa Mai was in a safe house nearby. She pretended to seek refuge and then escape the city. The armed ck man saw her but didn¡¯t hold her back in any way.


    There were other men inside.


    ¡°Are you satsifed?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for that James character.¡±


    Himudin of the SI smirked.


    He didn¡¯t like the idea of negotiating with a wench, but Hirukawa Mai was different from all the other Japanese women he had met.


    ¡®Poisonous bitch.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t care about gender or age.


    ¡°What¡¯s your next move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to blow up Nairobi next.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to put the me on Al Shabab?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a saying where I¡¯m from. They won¡¯t be able to deny it so easily.¡±


    After all the foreigners they kidnapped, iming that they didn¡¯t do it would only elicit cold responses from society. They were better off admitting to their evil reputation. Terrorist groups made a living off of fear.


    ¡°What about James?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time that he epts his fate.¡±


    James Bungee had been prepared for this very day. She didn¡¯t n on making only Al Shabab the focus of international society. Compared to nuclear bombs, dirty bombs were simpler, but obtaining nuclear materials was difficult to begin with.


    Was it possible for Al Shabab to make dirty bombs? In order to prevent any kind of bacsh, they needed the secret of a real terrorist like James Bungee.


    ¡°A disguise as a victim... I can¡¯t believe a woman is screwing everyone over.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    In contrast to Himudin who was dumbfounded by the appearance of an unfamiliar person, Mai quickly took out her gun but couldn¡¯t pull the trigger. The hot gun ended up dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    His hand burned while the gun was melting on the ground.


    ¡°Security!¡±


    Himudin finally came back to his senses and called his subordinate, but it was toote. Ahn Soo Ho held a silenced gun andughed.


    ¡°No one¡¯sing, ckie.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? What¡¯s the point in making introductions?¡±


    As soon as Himudin headed toward the gun on the table, Ahn Soo Ho simply nodded. He was challenging him to try.


    ¡°CIA?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Not many people could identify Ahn Soo Ho with his looks alone. If he had known Ahn Soo Ho, he would have already kneeled on the ground. Hirukawa stared at Ahn Soo Ho.


    She didn¡¯t stare at Ahn Soo Ho out of surprise. She stared at him out of rage.


    She recognized him from the bar.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°You approached me on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s a littleplicated... First, you should stop all the crazy stuff you¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    She bit down her lower lip.


    All the crazy people were like that, but it was weird if a crazy person responded to words. Even normal people didn¡¯t listen to what other people said, so if a narcissist listened, that person wasn¡¯t really a narcissist.


    Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.


    ¡°You think those organizations are dumb, don¡¯t you?¡±


    To put it all on James Bungee and Al Shabab? It wouldn¡¯t have been hard if evidence was manipted properly. However, how far would those secretsst? Hirukawa might have been able to pretend to be a good person forever, but the intelligence agencies were going to find out sooner orter.


    ¡°Is that what you believed, Hirukawa? That in order to change this unfair world, a huge shock was needed?¡±


    He underestimated the woman named Hirukawa Mai. Actually, he epted Kim Na Hee¡¯s request without much thought. He admitted it. The family he found again made him blunt. It was true that once one had a family one¡¯s viewpoint changes. He became a softer person and learned to ept things better. But that also made him see the truth.


    There wasn¡¯t much to mind reading.


    It was all about being suspicious.


    ¡®This guy is bad. Since he can hurt me at any moment, I should keep an eye on him.¡¯


    Once one started to constantly monitor and suspect the other person, that was when the mind reading magic could beplete.


    ¡°Even if you protest nuclear weapons, people don¡¯t really know how dangerous nuclear weapons are. So one has to go off before they can really understand.¡±


    Japan and the Japanese people¡¯s fear of war and nuclear weapons was something that other countries couldn¡¯ understand. Japan was the only country that was attacked by a nuclear weapon. But nuclear idents now urred everywhere in the world. However, a dirty bomb going off in a ce that was surrounded by safety equipment was an event of a whole different scale. 100% of people exposed to nuclear materials died.


    During the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union exposed the dangers of nuclear weapons to the public. That was because that was how they could make their people loathe the opposite country. But as soon as the Cold War ended, their opinions changed 180.


    ¡®Nuclear fuel is clean energy!¡¯


    And that wasn¡¯t false. Compared to other energy sources, nuclear fuel could be seen immediately, and it didn¡¯t cause environmental pollution that could be felt. As long as its safety equipment didn¡¯t blow up, no particr pollution would be created.


    The problem was that the more nuclear technology developed, the safer the nuclear nts got, but their destructive power grew as well. And that was unrted to technology. As a result, denuclearization was the main topic of environmental activists. After all, nuclear weapons were capable of getting rid of both nature and mankind all at once. The nature of environmental activists wasn¡¯t to put nature first. It was to protect nature for the good of mankind.


    Hirukawa Mai had a kind of utopia about humanity. She had an evil intention to destroy the world while hiding behind the mask of someone who cared about mankind. People like this always had the delusion that no one else could do this job except for them.


    In order to go against nuclear weapons, she put nuclear weapons on the ck market, and the nuclear weapons that wouldnd in the hands of terrorists would blow up cities. And she didn¡¯t realize that assuming anti-nuclear protests would expand was very contradictory.


    It was like a majority vote.


    She secured a small sacrifice for the good of the majority.


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡±


    Activism gone bad was just like religion.


    It was impossible to convince anyone tomittedly believe. The powerful groups behind huge environmental activism were even stricter than criminal organizations when it came to maintaining their men. Betrayal? The ones who betrayed probably disappeared before a rumor could even begin.


    Was it possible to convince Hirukawa Mai? He would have felt positive yesterday, but not so much today. He believed that religious people and terrorists were of the same category. Strong believers were ready to sacrifice themselves if needed.


    ¡°Let me ask onest time. Will you stop this madness?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to step up until mankind gets closer to extinction.¡±


    As soon as she leaned her head back, her head dangled like that of a broken doll. That was because a silenced gun shot right through her brain.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to shoot. He didn¡¯t care that she could be Kim Na Hee¡¯s niece. If he kept her alive any longer, no good was going toe to Kim Na Hee either.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Himudin was on his way to grabbing the gun on the table when he plopped down forward. He also got a bullet to the brain. Ahn Soo Ho looked around with a nk look on his face and left the safe house.


    Was it around 200 meters away?


    Bang, bang, bang-


    The area around the safe house blew up and let out ck smoke. The explosive left his secret pocket and dropped upon the target from 500 meters above. A gust of hot wind passed him.


    Ahn Soo Ho took out his phone.


    ¡°Aqun.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho? How did it go?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a dirty bomb in Nairobi.¡±


    ¡°Gasp! Really?¡±


    When Ahn Soo Ho gave the warning, Aqun only half believed it. He didn¡¯t know about the Middle East but a random nuclear weapon in Africa?


    ¡°You need to find it quick. I don¡¯t know the exact location either.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Oh yeah! Someone from IAEA is here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not who I¡¯m thinking, is it?¡±


    ¡°It probably is.¡±


    Heughed bitterly to Aqun¡¯s response.


    ¡®Those Japanese bastards.¡¯


    Just like how Yankees, Limeys and the French didn¡¯t like each other, China, Japan, and Korea kept their guards up as well. It was a rtion that was needed but not desired. Although there was more hatred than love, it was hard to cut offpletely.


    China and Japan minded America while also pouring astronomical funds toward international organizations such as the UN to raise their influence. They even funded organizations such as NGOs which made China and Japan more recognized than Korea.


    ¡°Akino wants to put the me of the nuclear situation on North Korea.¡±


    ¡°What about Anbori?¡±


    ¡°They just want to keep an eye on it for now...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re giving Japan the power.¡±


    ¡°In any case, the secretary-general of the IAEA is Japanese.¡±


    The public didn¡¯t know that the head of IAEA was Japanese. Japan¡¯s share of UN expenses decreased after the 21st century, while that of China skyrocketed. China might beat out Japan one day, but not yet.


    ¡°Do you think China is involved, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that James Bungee¡¯s ount is in China. They might feel wronged, but it¡¯s hard for them to avoid criticism.¡±


    ¡°What are the chances that this is Japan¡¯s scheme?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sacrificing their nuclear technology to screw China over? If the dirty bomb really goes off, there will be even moreck of confidence in the Japanese secretary-general. Even France is on ufortable terms with Japan in terms of nuclear weapons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Japan, but China and Korea that¡¯s also ufortable with France.¡±


    In terms of numbers, Japan¡¯s nuclear facilities way surpassed that of China. And the ones that surpassed Japan were America and France. However, the concept of nuclear organizations started with America. Were all international organizations fair and just? Not at all.


    Not even UNICEF was.


    Out of 5 American children, 1 starved out and 1 had no home, but no UNICEFmercial talked about ¡°American children¡±. They were 99.9% African or Middle Eastern children. They made it seem like all the kids there were either starving or getting beaten.


    But there were just as many crimes against children in developed countries as well. At times, they were even worse. Everyone was the same in the face of desperation.


    ¡°Do you really have no idea where the dirty bomb is, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°No. But I can find out.¡±


    He remembered Hirukawa Mai saying that James Bungee had to ept his fate.


    ¡°Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Hotel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a hotel with a sit-in.¡±


    That was all the advice he offered. Before Ahn Soo Ho put his phone away, he saw another calling in.


    ¡°Kosi?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no person with the name Hirukawa Mai, Boss.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows in response.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fabricated identity.¡±


    ¡°Then who¡¯s the Hirukawa Mai that was in front of me?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a pitiful woman who lived her whole life thinking she was Hirukawa Mai. There are many people like that in Japan.¡±


    As soon as Ahn Soo Ho heard this, he thought of an old man.


    ¡°Kagemusha?¡±


    ¡°To be more exact, Goninja n. It¡¯s a pretty crazy n.¡±


    Japan was a wicked country.


    Actually, Korea, China, and Japan all had a wicked side to them. Korea insulted Japan for reviving through the Korean War while China took the strengths of both Korea and Japan, and this rtionship was funny, sad, and ridiculous all at the same time.


    ¡°This n was simple yet effective. It¡¯s a n to make Korea¡¯s economy submissive to Japan. They want to get a hold of their weakness and shake them dry.¡±


    Great Asia¡¯s public management switched to Great Asia¡¯s private management. They nned to step on Korea and go after China. Even after their defeat, Japan had never given up on its n to invade other countries.


    ¡°At the time, the Korean economy meant the same thing as arge conglomerate group.¡±


    How did they target the rich? The mission that they decided on after much consideration was a fairly new n. It was the kind of illegal n full of secrets just like soap operas with crazy storylines.


    Many Koreans in the 70s and 80s called the Japanese culture that of the upper ss. In particr, there were businessmen who went to Japan often and had two households, and it was true that Korea¡¯s adult culture was 99.9% copied off of that of Japan. Back then, Koreans knew Japanese colleges better than Ivey Leagues.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Hirukawa Mai. Pretty much all rich people in Korea have caused an ident in Japan before.¡±


    Did that mean all rich people had one or two lovechilds? That was ridiculous. The problem was that the children weren¡¯t born out of love, but they were caused by the lead of a bigger group.


    ¡°How did Hirukawa¡¯s DNA test go through?¡±


    ¡°I thought that was strange, too. I don¡¯t know about back in the day, but DNA testse out on the same day now... If it wasn¡¯t Rosette Group¡¯s mistake, there must be a traitor...¡±


    The line got cut off. There was only one reason the personal line of Ahn Soo Ho could be cut off. Electronic jamming signals.


    Ahn Soo Ho looked up at the sky.


    He saw some clouds above.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a dirty bomb?¡¯


    Dirty bombs were no different from a more destructive explosive. But it didn¡¯t cause nuclear fission. However, the cloud that could be seen above Nairobi was definitely from a nuclear bomb.


    As soon as he released the rules of engagement, they started a terrorist attack. As far as Ahn Soo Ho remembered, there weren¡¯t many people who could act so boldly.


    Sylvestre? No.


    ¡®He¡¯s focusing on India right now.¡¯


    Besides D. Punch, there was only one more person.


    ¡°Pilgrim Heyward.¡±


    ******


    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed K¡¯s location.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Near Nairobi. Luckily, it¡¯s outside the bombing area. And I¡¯ve just confirmed the deaths of N6 and N9.¡±


    ¡°Is it really K?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 99.9% certain.¡±


    Pilgrim Heyward squeezed both sides of his temples. He always did this when he had a headache.


    ¡°Should I bring you some Asprin?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He leaned back into afortable position. But he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°SI is off to Yemen, and Al Shabab is dispersing the kidnapees and are on the move.¡±


    ¡°What about their weapons?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re cutting them off.¡±


    ¡°Cut off their tail in the Kenyan government as well.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? But... Yes, Sir.¡±


    The secretary stopped himself from talking back.


    ¡°The US Military will probably start moving now, right?¡±


    ¡°From what I found out through a lobbyist, yes. They¡¯ll probably start moving soon.¡±


    With how America was changing into an export nation of oil, their energy policies were bound to change as well. The reason why America still couldn¡¯t give up on the Middle East was because of their strategy to keep up their supply and demand.


    American politicians were too much of realists to simply assume that the White House and the Washington State tried to cover up the Davis Scandal with the Nigerian War.


    If there was going to be no profits, American politicians didn¡¯t give a shit. The only thing that mattered was votes. There were tons of politicians that survived even after being hated by the party. Under the two-party system were countless negotiation parties.


    ¡°Is Nancy Brown leading the Republicans?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time America gets a female president. Since Americans are sick and tired of the politicians they¡¯re used to, they¡¯ll probably vote for her.¡±


    The results of the next election was pretty much decided.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the president but the vice-president that screwed up, too. Of course, the citizens are cursing non-stop.¡±


    Vice-President Evelyn Parmer got arrested as the one behind the second New York terrorist attack. Both the president and vice-president getting arrested had never happened before in the Democratic party¡¯s history.


    ¡°Was K involved?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the rumors are saying.¡±


    ¡°Rumors are pretty much all true in this field. By the way, if N6 died... Milosevic might start moving.¡±


    ¡°Should we tip off K?¡¯


    Heyward shook his head.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like to approach with an objective. And I don¡¯t want to get scolded for giving him information that he¡¯ll haveter anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s call it off...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He cut off his subordinate.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to work with someone other than K. What about... Nai? Nai Kim?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chairwoman Kim Na Hee. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s make sure Chairwoman Kim Na Hee hears about it.¡±


    Just like how Rothschild was a famouspany in the financial world, Neuro Bank, also known as K-Bank, was a tycoon in its own right.


    The ns to connect Africa and Asia by rail wasn¡¯t ungrounded. It wasn¡¯t an issue of money, but an issue of will. And in order to seed, they had to get rid of all obstacles.


    ¡®Vitali won¡¯t always have his power.¡¯


    The political world in Moscow was where greed and barbarism peaked. But the politics of Africa wasn¡¯t that much better either.


    ¡°Tell her Japan and Russia ruined her niece.¡±


    ¡°Shall we begin?¡±


    ¡°100%.¡±


    Pilgrim Heyward smiled wickedly.


    ¡°Those on the brink of death have no fear.¡±


    Those who had nothing more to lose were foolishly brave.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 227 ¨C Wild Africa [2] > The end.

 Chapter 238: < Protect – Episode 228 – Wild Africa [3] >

    <h4>Chapter 238: < Protect ¨C Episode 228 ¨C Wild Africa [3] ></h4>


    After the leader¡¯s disappearance, the Ang Circle sunk under as well. Except for Casa nca Neuro Bank, that was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Pilgrim Heyward is from. I just know he¡¯s skilled at political maneuvering.¡±


    But in Issac¡¯s opinion, it was different.


    ¡°Heyward? He¡¯s a piece of trash.¡±


    J-Law scoffed and said what he thought,


    ¡°Pil knows what loyalty is.¡±


    On the other hand, Michel overestimated his abilities.


    ¡°That pig only cares about money and women!¡±


    Ahn Da Sol raised her middle finger. Ahn Soo Ho found the various opinions refreshing. It was hard for one man to get so many different evaluations.


    Why did the views of beings that lived so long conflict? Pilgrim Heyward was a capable being indeed. Since he knew that he couldn¡¯t be loved by all, he focused on making the right connections.


    Until he got to the top of the Ang Circle, Pilgrim Heyward removed all of hispetition. Those with supernatural powers didn¡¯t think of themselves as a god, but depending on the situation, supernatural powers were treated like miracles.


    Behind the power that pushed the independence of each North African country was this man. Pilgrim Heyward was the king of North Africa.


    ¡®He¡¯s in a war against An Smith.¡¯


    There was not a single peaceful day in the financial world. It was a battlefield full of blood. What made the economy go round was production and distribution, but those who made the real bucks were too busy ying with money. As soon as the bombing in Nairobi got on the news, the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean went into full alert.


    Nairobi has been terrorized! Diplomatic emergency!


    Chaos in Kenya! The Korean foreign office is looking into Korean casualties!


    Does Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s visit to Africa have something to do with the terror attack?


    Is Ahn Soo Ho there wherever terror is? So many suspicions!


    As soon as suspicions began, everything seemed suspicious after that. In just a matter of minutes, Ahn Soo Ho became someone who went to Africa to stop the terrorist attack. In reality, the volunteer group got attacked by Al Shabab, and since Ahn Soo Ho was the one who defeated them, the situation naturally escted.


    Han Chae Kyung had good leadership for her age, but it was impossible for her topletely control the group. The celebrities and rted persons knew that this was their chance.


    As soon as the volunteer group escaped to their camp, their fingers immediately got busy. Thanks to the satellite Ahn Soo Ho installed just in case, they were always able to ess the inte. It was sad for those who died, but those who lived had to live on.


    The celebrity group chats were on fire.


    Are you guys okay?


    Our volunteer group got attacked, too. But we¡¯re okay!


    I heard it¡¯s crazy abroad! But you¡¯re okay?


    You should avoid the dangerous areas! But are you okay?


    Of course! How else would I be chatting with you?


    We¡¯re fine! We have lots of guards and mercenaries, and we have CEO Ahn, too! Kya! I can understand why everyone calls him the Guardian Angel!


    Huh? Tell us more!


    Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?


    Of course!


    It was like shooting an action film! The terrorists came from all sides, but he fought them all off! I didn¡¯t know the Bourne series could happen in real life!


    Is Kenya that dangerous? I went there once, and there were lots of foreigners!


    Yeah, lots of white people! There were so many at our hotel in Nairobi!


    Hey! We¡¯re in trouble!


    Huh?


    Nairobi got bombed!


    Stop joking!


    No, I¡¯m serious!


    Unlike the volunteer group, which was taking a break, Nairobi was a living hell.


    The great escape.


    The city was engulfed in madness.


    People abandoned their cars and just ran as fast as they could. If they hadmon sense, it was natural for them to get out of there. But there were quite a few thieves using the opportunity to rob the empty stores and houses. While Nairobi faced death, the Kenyan government attempted to control it.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    A little girl screamed, but not a single person helped.


    ¡°Fred!¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Fred saw stars in front of his eyes. There was a sound of many footsteps. He could take one or two but if a whole group came, he couldn¡¯t take them all down.


    The start of their safari trip with their children was great, but as a result of the Imic group¡¯s kidnapping and terror, they quickly withdrew. After getting out of Nairobi with their guide, they were set to fly to Dubai, but they were suddenly terrorized.


    It was madness.


    The streets were crazy; the ambassador was in the middle of a call, and the guide had run away a long time ago. And seeing how things seemed at the moment, there was a riot going on. Fred followed the other white tourists in the hotel and followed them out with his family. He thought they would be safer as a group, but they underestimated the chaos. The group slowly dispersed. Luckily, he didn¡¯t lose his family. But his luck ended there.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    There were natives that chose to plunder.


    As if robbing the empty shops and houses wasn¡¯t enough, they even robbed the white tourists on the streets. They probably would have denied it, but they were unable to forget the scornful eyes.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Fred grabbed one of the assants by the ankle while he said something in anguage he didn¡¯t know. If he passed out right here, it would have been easier, but he couldn¡¯t let his family get in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡®No! I can¡¯t pass out right now!¡¯


    He was the only one who could protect his family. The assant soon got annoyed by Fred and pulled out a knife.


    ¡°Fred!¡±


    Fred¡¯s heart ached at the scream that came out of his wife¡¯s lips.


    ¡®I have to protect her!¡¯


    He reached out his arm.


    Bang, bang-


    The ck man who was about to stab Fred¡¯s back screamed and grabbed his wrist. He was bleeding. Soon after, the assants were all rolling on the ground grabbing their legs. The assants were unable to dodge the bullets.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    They were busy running away. Ahn Soo Ho helped the white man up.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes!¡±


    Despite his face being beaten, he still looked for his family first. After greeting the white man¡¯s wife, Ahn Soo Ho led them to a major road.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Su... sure!¡±


    Fred just nodded. Despite carrying the big man, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t walk any slower.


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid to take the alleys. You have to go where all the people are at.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you American?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you should go to the US Embassy.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho scoped out the streets.


    No one else could look at the 3D holographic map of Nairobi. All he had to do was follow the direction of the navigator. The bomb that swept the surrounding areas of the Nairobi hotels was just a small one.


    It was just under 1 kilotons. But it was still a nuclear bomb.


    ¡®A nuclear bomb... They¡¯re out of their minds.¡¯


    It was highly likely that Hirukawa Mai didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡®She tricked Bungee, but she was also tricked by someone else.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t James Bungee or Hirukawa Mai that survived a fight of ripping each other to shreds. And the terrorist group, Al Shabab and the SI, were nothing but sidekicks.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The rotary three blocks ahead of the US embassy was a battlefield. There was a cash car that was often seen in America as well as arge bus lined up behind it.


    The cars were unable to enter.


    ¡®It¡¯s a protocol.¡¯


    There was no need for developed countries to have a lot of cash, but in Africa, they preferred cash over credit. Since even national businesses often paid with cash, cash was known to be credit. And without giving bribes, businesses never progressed fast enough.


    Nairobi Chamber of Commerce only existed to support the Americans in East Africa. But since there were many con artists disguised as businessmen and many CIA and DIA agents dressed up as tourists, it was all useless.


    Businessmen who couldn¡¯t mess with the military were nothing but prey. That was also why there was so much need for mercenaries in Africa. Once the nuclear bombs went off, the US embassy probably tried to protect their assets and put a protocol in action. First, they had to withdraw American citizens and also preserve documents rted to banks and businesses. If a riot broke out, foreign banks became the first targets.


    Just as expected, The cars of the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce was attacked. Since they were moving 10 trillion dors in cash, the gangs of Nairobi saw it as a great opportunity.


    Behind them was an explosion, beside them were refugees, and in front of them were thieves surrounding the bunch of cars. And inside the big bus were people who were unable to escape to the embassy. There were so many cars of foreigners trying to get in that it formed a line.


    ¡®So stupid.¡¯


    The cars stood out way too much within the chaos. But for Ahn Soo Ho, this was a great opportunity.


    ¡°Stay behind me.¡±


    ¡°Yo... you¡¯re going to go through that?¡¯


    Ahn Soo Ho smiled at the white woman who was holding a child. He didn¡¯t know how much he could reassure her, but forcing it wasn¡¯t going to work.


    ¡°Staying here is just as dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°Then should I go alone?¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The white woman panicked at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s suggestion. They witnessed all sorts of cruelty inflicted by ck people. Fred was half gone as he followed Ahn Soo Ho. Since they couldn¡¯t rely on Fred any more, Ahn Soo Ho was theirst chance.


    ¡°Stay behind me.¡±


    The two followed him quietly.


    There weren¡¯t bullets flying everywhere, but it was still possible to get shot. However, Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t worried at all. After all, there would be no bullets near where he was.


    ng, ng-


    Ahn Soo Ho went through the rotary while hearing the bullets bouncing off the barricades. The mercenaries looked over at him. They were asking if he was crazy with their eyes.


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s group got into the line of defense safely.


    ¡°Oh my god! How did you dodge those?¡±


    He pushed the mercenary aside and asked for the medic. Fred wasn¡¯t on the verge of death, but he needed to be treated right away. The white woman was worried about her husband while Ahn Soo Ho kneeled in front of the child.


    ¡°Hello, Miss.¡±


    ¡°He... hello.¡±


    Was it because he had a daughter as well? He only saved the family because of the child. Ahn Soo Ho took out 50 cents from his pocket.


    ¡°Look carefully.¡±


    The coin disappeared, and a flower appeared.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    It didn¡¯t stop there. He flipped his hand to make a whole bouquet appear. The girl pped her hands. And then he pulled out hisst trick. The bouquet of flowers turned into a teddy bear.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    She was happy at first, but then she nced over at her mother. The mother smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The girl epted the teddy bear.


    ¡°Thank you. Mister...¡±


    ¡°Guardian.¡±


    The person who responded wasn¡¯t Ahn Soo Ho but a dusty mercenary. The mother greeted him with her eyes while Ahn Soo Ho did the same. The ck mercenary stood in front of him.


    ¡°Long time no see, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Peter. Are you also... North Mist?¡±


    ¡°They treat us well. All of our men transferred over.¡±


    ¡°Aragon must be doomed. Tell An this for me. Tell him I want to see him soon.¡±


    ¡°Did something bad happen?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer, and Peter changed the topic.


    ¡°Anyway, do you know them? You seem close.¡±


    Fred nced over while Ahn Soo Ho shook his head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°We just ran into each other.¡±


    He was shocked. Peter didn¡¯t know Ahn Soo Ho to be so kind. Unless it was a paid request, he didn¡¯t go out of his way to save people.


    ¡°I guess having children really does change a man. I¡¯m shocked.¡±


    ¡°Me too. No man wants to be a shameful father.¡±


    ¡°No. There are many fathers like that.¡±


    Family troubles weremon in America. This time, Ahn Soo Ho nced over at the big bus.


    ¡°Who are these ck people?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re having a headache about it, too. They¡¯re stuck because of their stupid employer.¡±


    ¡°I guess America isn¡¯t the only one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Chamber of Commerce epted everyone. There are Koreans, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. Anyway, help us, Soo Ho.¡±


    One side were thugs, while the other side were unpredictable refugees. Neither side was easy.


    ¡°Take out some cash.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use that method?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way to clear one side of the road.¡±


    ¡°Phew. Okay.¡±


    The back door of the cash truck opened, and big ck bags could be seen.


    ¡°How much is one bag?¡±


    ¡°Around 2 million dors?¡±


    ¡°Take out five bags.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pointed at five mercenaries with his finger.


    ¡°You, you, and you! Follow me.¡±


    The mercenaries followed his lead. Ahn Soo Ho got past the defense line with no difficulties. The mercenaries were shocked once more. Then smoke appeared. As soon as a thug ran out, Ahn Soo Ho looked back at the mercenaries.


    ¡°If I tell you to stop, stop. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    A soon as Ahn Soo Ho took a step, bullets came flying in. They normally would have ripped their bodies to shreds, but they were fine.


    Bang, bang-


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gun was much smaller, but as soon as he shot it, an explosion urred. The car blew up as if it was shot with a rocket.


    A gun with magic was the same as a cannon.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Once they arrived at their destination, they were on the roof of a building overlooking the rotary. Ahn Soo Ho took out his walkie-talkie that he got from Peter.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are we really doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s your money. If you get shit for itter, turn it on me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. But how do we get through the exit?¡±


    ¡°Like this.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger and made it rain grenades. And it was on top of the exit, too.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    Grenades fell from the clear sky. The space exploded, but the soldiers were okay. They just had to escape the madness. He could have looked after every man, but he wasn¡¯t that close to Peter either.


    Ahn Soo Ho gestured to the mercenary holding the money bags.


    Following the bullets and grenades, money fell from the sky. It was raining money. The thugs dropped their guns and reached to catch the money. As soon as they all gathered, a road cleared, and the cars were able to pass through. While a mercenary stared at the spectacle in awe, he mumbled.


    ¡°Was it like this in Panama?¡±


    ¡°It was worse.¡±


    When money fell from the sky in Panama, people threw knives at each other.


    ¡°We¡¯re out, Boss.¡±


    When did he be their boss? Ahn Soo Ho simply nodded. They followed the cars headed to the US embassy. And the one who came out to greet them wasn¡¯t the US ambassador, but Roberto Aqun.


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that to someone who almost died.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re alive.¡±


    Beside Roberto Aqun was someone he wasn¡¯t so happy to see.


    ¡°Yoshida.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Ahn.¡±


    The Secretary-General of IAEA, Yoshida greeted Ahn Soo Ho with a friendly smile.


    ¡°The harm was rtively minor ording to my sources.¡±


    ¡°Well, your sources are wrong, Yoshida. It wasn¡¯t a dirty bomb, was it?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t... But it was only 1 kiloton.¡±


    ¡°So how many were injured?¡±


    ¡°Around 20,000.¡±


    ¡°Mostly in Kenya, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes... Ugh.¡±


    Yoshida suddenly rolled on the floor. Aqun looked troubled, but he didn¡¯t do anything. If he did, he would have ended up on the floor as well.


    ¡°Soo Ho!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho grabbed him by the throat.


    ¡°You¡¯re always like this. You always decide on who will die and then go forward. Then you shouldn¡¯t even begin, you son of a bitch.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t save everyone.


    That was true. Unless he was God, he couldn¡¯t save everyone. However, he wouldn¡¯t have been mad if they tried their best to save everyone and failed. But since they decided on who would die and didn¡¯t try their best, they were no better than terrorists.


    Ahn Soo Ho let go of Yoshida¡¯s throat.


    If he thought something could change by killing him, he would have done so already. No matter how much people talked about equality, people were not equal. There were people who were more important and less important. That was probably how mankind was divided these days.


    He looked back at Aqun.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the ambassador?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out somewhere because of an event, and the stand-in already ran.¡±


    ¡°To where?¡±


    ¡°Mombasa. That¡¯s where the US marines are supposed to arrive.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho smirked, but it was more of a scoff.


    ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡±


    Aqun sensed a bad feeling in hisugh.


    ¡°Who said it would stop after one time?¡±


    ¡°You did...¡±


    ¡°Well, I was wrong.¡±


    The only thing Ahn Soo Ho was right about was the location of Nairobi. And he thought it would be a very small explosive. In the end, Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s prediction was wrong. Not only did Aqun look shocked but so did Yoshida.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Al Shabab¡¯s terror is nothing but bait.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, you elite bastards. If terrors kept happening in your country, what would the country do? It¡¯s not like they can dispatch the military right away.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s gazended on the cars of the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce. If it was a developed country, they would have gathered all the citizens and watched the situation. But Nairobi, where the bomb went off, wasn¡¯t the right ce to gather.


    Yoshida screamed and ran inside the embassy.


    ¡°Mombasa!¡±


    Kenya¡¯s second-biggest city.


    The port near the ocean was a hub for transporting goods. Mombasa was also a supply base. And most importantly, there were more Muslims in Mombasa than Nairobi.


    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect ce to attack.¡±


    < Protect ¨C Episode 228 ¨C Wild Africa [3] > The end.

 Chapter 239: < Protect – Episode 229 – Wild Africa [4] >

    <h4>Chapter 239: < Protect ¨C Episode 229 ¨C Wild Africa [4] ></h4>


    Hi friends. This is Sylvia.


    I have an extraordinary story for you today, so look forward to it. You know I¡¯m in Kenya, right? My mom forced me toe and volunteer in Africa. It really sucks. I really want to be an adult soon.


    It looked nice on TV, but in reality, Africa is a smelly ce that I never want toe back too. There are lots of bugs, and all the ck people are ugly. I heard French men are good in bed. I wish she sent me to Paris instead. ?


    Anyway, since I¡¯m already here, I have to do my best to put my stories into essays. Ugh, just wait until I get to college. I¡¯m not going to talk to my mom ever again! I keep getting off track. Sorry. I¡¯ll get straight to the point. As you know, when ites to the national volunteer programs, they don¡¯t just ept anyone.


    Oh, does that sound pompous?


    Try to understand. I¡¯m not in a good mood these days. I made a new friend in Kenya from the famous Eisenberg family. She was talking about Hollywood and whatnot, but she was so cocky about it. But... I also reflected.


    I figured I muste off that way to you. So forgive me. ra is such a bitch. I¡¯m getting off track again. Sorry. I¡¯ll try to stay focused.


    Listen.


    So this is what happened.


    ...


    ...


    ¡°Sylvia.¡±


    Sylvia opened her eyes from her light nap in response to someone¡¯s calling. She was still on the bus. She was sleeping and eating on the bus for days, so it was no wonder why she was so cranky.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Her voice was cracking because of the dry weather. She was surprised by how her own voice sounded. Her friend beside her pointed outside the window, and that was when Sylvia opened her eyes and looked at her friend¡¯s face.


    Her face looked nervous.


    She then realized that the bus stopped. She saw the back of the diplomat¡¯s head, who urged them that they had to go back to Nairobi as soon as possible. She didn¡¯t know his name, but she didn¡¯t like the way his face was stiff while he talked to the other men.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Since terror and kidnapping weremon in Kenya, they were ordered to pull out and go back to their own countries. In contrast to the frowning diplomat, Sylvia cheered inside.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    She could finally leave dirty Africa and go back to New York. The one thing she learned here was that it was hard living away from home. No matter how beautiful mother nature was, the awe didn¡¯tst for long.


    ¡®I want to go home already! I miss Kanu!¡¯


    She wanted to lie in herfy bed, see her cat, and eat ice cream. There was ice cream in Africa as well, but she couldn¡¯t trust the sanitation there.


    ¡°Okay! Attention, please.¡±


    The person who came back onto the bus wasn¡¯t the diplomat but the guide.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to head toward Mombasa, not Nairobi.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    An impatient college student asked back. Thanks to the terror and kidnapping, their precious experience went to waste. And on top of that, they were going somewhere else other than Nairobi.


    The guide sighed.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to find out anyway, I¡¯ll tell you. There was a bombing in Nairobi.¡±


    ¡°What? No way!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Half of them screamed while the other half stared on with big eyes. They waited for the guide to say it was a joke, but that didn¡¯t happen.


    Instead, another volunteer on the bus yelled.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±


    Africa¡¯smunicationwork wasn¡¯t half bad. Of course, it costed a lot of money. For Africans who couldn¡¯t make a good living, cell phones and evenndlines were a luxury.


    Themunicationwork in Africa was mainly used by foreigners. What was funny was that their objective was to look good for the foreignpanies rather than to improve the standard of living for citizens. But it made sense. They needed investments to do anything for their citizens. Africa was only and of opportunity as long as foreigners with capital were interested.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    The Nairobi bombing took over the media all around the world. And that was when the phones exploded. People wanted to know if they were okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I¡¯ll go back soon. Yeah. How¡¯s Kanu? Yeah. I¡¯m really okay. Yeah, I¡¯ll call you back soon. Okay.¡±


    The volunteers were all talking to their family, friends, and lovers, but as soon as the diplomat got onto the bus, they stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is myst stop. You heard about the situation, right?¡±


    There was no answer.


    ¡°The Marines will pick you up in an alley on your way to Mombasa. So you don¡¯t have to worry. Maybe today¡¯s experience will remain as a precious memoryter on.¡±


    He tried to smile and make them feel reassured, but bomb fears were something that couldn¡¯t be alleviated with a few words. The people wanted more information.


    ¡°Is it serious in Nairobi?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. Yes, it¡¯s serious. But luckily, the embassy is far from where the bomb went off.¡±


    ¡°How many people died?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that yet.¡±


    The diplomat tried his best to calm down the people.


    ¡°What I can say for certain is that the bomb that went off in Nairobi was quite small. There¡¯s no way anything wille this way, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°How can we not worry when Al Shabab is roaming around Kenya?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Marines areing to get you. The PMCs are skilled men who were hired to protect you.¡±


    As soon as the diplomat got off the bus, they all went back on their phones again. As soon as Sylvia got off the bus for some air, the guard told her not to go far.


    As soon as she got up a small hill, there was another guard watching. What reassured her was that it was a female guard that she had already met.


    Kate smirked at Sylvia.


    ¡°Are you here to pee? Or for a smoke?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    Sylvia pulled down her pants and squatted. The grass covered her, but it still would have been shameless if they were close.


    ¡°Did you call your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yup. What about you?¡±


    ¡°My parents pretty much disowned me, so they don¡¯t even know where I am.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of cool.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Be good to your family, you punk. Huu.¡±


    If she was a strict permanent soldier, smoking on top of a hill would have been unheard of. Kate passed Sylvia a cigarette.


    ¡°Your words and actions are conflicting.¡±


    She didn¡¯t refuse the cigarette though.


    ¡°Huu. Much better.¡±


    ¡°Why did youe to Africa to volunteer anyway?¡±


    ¡°I told you. I wasn¡¯t the one who applied.¡±


    This African volunteering program was made for college and high school students. It was okay for guardians toe along for underage volunteers, but most of them refused because they wanted to be adults. A leader was going to look after them anyway.


    The parents would have been worried if it was run by a civilian, but since it was run by the government, they weren¡¯t so worried. Sylviained about it being smelly, but she was happy to get away from her parents. So she wanted to grow up even more.


    Kateughed.


    ¡°Once you grow up, you¡¯ll miss the days when you went to school.¡±


    Female guards were rare, but they weren¡¯t nonexistent. But female mercenaries were very rare. It was only recently that a female soldier in the united states became a general.


    War andbat were still dominated by men.


    ¡°You¡¯re together again. If Tillerson sees this, he¡¯ll get mad.¡±


    A man with a long beard saw Kate and Sylvia and smirked. Most people mistook him for a Muslim, but Kate knew that this monkey was a Muslim killer. There were even rumors that he killed hundreds of Arabians in Iraq.


    ¡°Hulk.¡±


    The man, who went by that nickname, gave the two women some water. Kate epted it but scolded him.


    ¡°If you show any interest in the young girl, I¡¯ll arrest you!¡±


    ¡°Not that again.¡±


    ¡°Young girls catch on quick these days.¡±


    Hulk smiled awkwardly at Sylvia while Kate looked at them suspiciously.


    ¡°Anyway, what did they say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chaos. They can¡¯te up with a decision.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to Mombasa?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. What about supplies?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. What about thework?¡±


    The mercenaries had their ownmunicationwork.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get in touch with a lot of them because of the bombing. Some of them even got their repeaters taken away.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that there is a full-out war?¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡±


    If the Kenyan government started to fight back, it would be difficult for Al Shabab to get out of Kenyannd. That might have been why they preferred to kidnap foreigners. If they had hostages, it was harder for them to attack.


    ¡®What a trickster.¡¯


    Not all African ck people were stupid.


    ¡°Huh? Wait.¡±


    As soon as the squadmander¡¯s channel opened, Hulk excused himself.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A filming crew for National Geographic is getting together. I think...¡±


    ¡°That punk sucked up again, huh?¡±


    The one in charge of the US department was new in Africa, but he must have been a pretty skilled diplomat in the States. If Kate was American, she would have praised him for taking care of Americans, but she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡±


    Sylvia grew curious.


    ¡°If there are more people, we¡¯ll stand out. And since Al Shabab are all about the foreigners, they¡¯ll pounce if they see us.¡±


    It was difficult to obtain information regarding where Al Shabab was at the moment.


    ¡°Here theye.¡±


    They saw two cars that were racing in with dust all around them. There were probably only a few people there, a hunger, a guide, and a few people carrying the luggage.


    That was how African tours were usually done.


    It was the volunteer group that was especially sensitive to bring around mercenaries everywhere they went. In the end, it was the small groups that were better off.


    It was sad, but what could one do? Results were everything in this world. And the small groups reeled in people who needed help.


    It was blunt courage.


    ¡°Talk them out of it, Kate.¡±


    ¡°Me? Even Tillerson surrendered.¡±


    ¡°He seems interested in you.¡±


    Kate gave Hulk the middle finger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She was going down the hill with Sylvia¡¯s arm in her hand when they stopped at the sight of a speeding car.


    Bang-


    The car rammed into a bus. And then a gunfight began. Kate, Sylvia, and Hulk got down to the ground and looked around.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    The car was quickly controlled, but a cloud of dust surrounded the area. And then guns went off. They heard Tillerson¡¯s voice from the walkie-talkie.


    Be on alert!


    ¡°Two Technical! No! Four, five, seven, technical!¡±


    An armed car appeared from nearby.


    ¡°Thirty! No! Oh my god! Fourty! Fourty shooter!¡±


    There were over 40 snipers. And from within the group of the allied cars, an SUV raced out at a high speed.


    ¡°What¡¯s that car doing, Tillerson?¡±


    You bastard! Come back! Hey, you motherfucker!


    Tillerson was swearing through his walkie-talkie, and as soon as they zoomed in with binocrs, a familiar face could be seen. The one in charge, as well as a bunch of bureaucrats, were running away.


    ¡°Those crazy bastards!¡±


    As soon as things got bad, they ran off to save themselves. And that wasn¡¯t all. The bus raced off as well.


    ¡°What are they doing? Damn it!¡±


    The SUV was fast enough to escape, but the bus was 100% going to get caught. As soon as a sniper shot at the bus, the bus rolled on the ground.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Sylvia screamed.


    If she hadn¡¯t left the bus, she would have been rolling on the ground with them. She sank to the ground, but Kate and Hulk were too busy to care. A full-on gunfight began, and a car could be seen approaching the bus.


    Hulk! Do you see the bus?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    How does it look?


    ¡°I see some movements... but our enemies are approaching.¡±


    People could be seen crawling out of the bus. The problem was that they were too far to shoot at their enemies.


    Those damned bureaucrats! Just you wait! I¡¯m going to kill you myself!


    As soon as a dangerous situation urred, they took off immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Can you do it? We can¡¯t help you!


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Kate! Help him!


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Hulk ran over. Kate took out her scope from her backpack. It wasn¡¯t a telescope, but she was able to shoot from 400 to 500 meters away.


    ¡°Two technical... Nine, ten shooters.¡±


    Got it.


    Kate informed him of his surroundings. The armed car unloaded snipers 100 meters away from the bus. They stayed low and approached, but they were unable to see Hulk.


    He was lucky.


    ¡°Another one¡¯sing. There are too many of them. Get out of there, Hulk.¡±


    Another car joined for a total of 3 cars. He was 200 meters away from the fight. It was possible that he could get ambushed.


    The driver is dead... and many are injured. They can¡¯t move.


    ¡°To your left!¡±


    As soon as she saw a head poke out, she pulled the trigger. It went through that person¡¯s head. A


    gunfight began. Machine guns aimed at the bus.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    If the surroundings pounced, there would be no answer. There was no way he could move faster than bullets. She soon realized that there were snipers and pulled out his gun.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang-


    She didn¡¯t know exactly where they were, but she shot at them anyway. Was it possible to shoot urately in a real battle? If she was a veteran, that would have been possible, but most just looked at where their targets were headed. It was a hit-or-miss.


    The marksmen had an upper hand over everyone else. Even if they were a child soldier, as long as they had a gun, they could kill.


    As soon as the bus was seized, Hulk gave up. If he was alone, he would have fought back, but on the ground were civilians and underaged kids. Hulk dropped his weapon and surrendered while Kate contemted on whether to pull the trigger or not.


    ¡°Tillerson! Turn off the squadmander¡¯s channel.¡±


    Are you caught?


    ¡°Yes, Sir. I surrendered because of the civilians.¡±


    Tsk! Okay, pull out.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    If you were detected, we can¡¯t help you.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Fine. If you can¡¯t do it, signal us first.


    Kate bit her lip at thest sentence.


    It was possible that it was better for her to kill Hulk than to let him get killed by a Muslim whom he loathes. She didn¡¯t like either option. Luckily, she didn¡¯t kill Hulk.


    They put him and the civilians in the car and headed to the main force. They stopped 100 meters away. An assant came out with a loudspeaker.


    ¡°Surrender! If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll execute the hostages!¡±


    It was shabby English, but it was possible toprehend. The first one to be dragged out was a ck luggage carrier from Nairobi. He was trembling but was hit over the head and rolled on the ground.


    ¡°One! Two!¡±


    As soon as he started counting, the ck man got up and ran. It was a sudden action, and he got shot before he could go further.


    Fuck!


    Tillerson expressed his rage on the walkie-talkie.


    The next to be dragged out was a teacher who was looking after the underaged volunteers. She was 50 and divorced. Her face was so pale that she already looked faint. Sylvia often chatted with the teacher, and although Kate didn¡¯t like her much, she still felt sad.


    The teacher didn¡¯t struggle like the ck man. She put her hands together and prayed.


    Bang-


    She fell to the ground.


    Soldier!


    Tillerson couldn¡¯t make a decision. Surrender? There was no winning. As soon as Hulk got dragged out, she knitted her brows. Was there any way? As soon as she tightened her finger on the trigger, she felt a hand on her mouth.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    She held her breath in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m on your side. So don¡¯t be nervous. Oh, and you can just wait quietly right there. Or use the inte. There¡¯s probably public WIFI. You see, I¡¯m a human WIFI.¡±


    Sylvia was frozen still.


    ¡°Wait for my cue.¡±


    ¡®Wait for what cue?¡¯ As soon as the hand came off her mouth, Kate quickly turned around, but no one was there. It must have been a ghost. If Sylvia wasn¡¯t there, it really would have seemed that way.


    ¡®Wait for what cue?¡¯


    She then remembered Hulk. She put her eyes on the scope and realized what cue he was talking about. It was a signal that anyone with a brain could recognize.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang- Bang, bang, bang-


    The cars and assants blew up. The whole area was sucked up by the countless explosions. Kate sniped an assant going after Hulk.


    She held her breath and kept shooting. As long as she stayed calm, she could shoot down all of them near the car. Once she confirmed her colleague¡¯s safety, she turned to the bus. She was so surprised by what she saw that she started breathing again.


    ¡°What?¡±


    A rifle vs. a pistol


    A machine gun vs. a pistol


    This was something that could only be seen in a war movie. Not just a war movie, but that with B-rate actors.


    But what was this?


    How could a pistol take down a car? Kate was certain that he wasn¡¯t a terrorist. That was because after killing thest assant, he gave Kate a thumbs up.


    ¡°Oh! I know who that is!¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    Kate flinched at Sylvia¡¯s sudden calling.


    ¡°How do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Sylvia showed her an Instagram photo on her phone. An Asian man linking arms with L. Kate was a mercenary, but she still knew the princess of pop.


    ¡°Soo Ho! That was his name.¡±


    She was unfamiliar with Asian names. But she remembered.


    ¡°Soo Ho? Oh my god!¡±


    She suddenly remembered the myths she heard about him. She just thought it was all a bluff, but after seeing it in person, it was more than the truth.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho was on his way back when he spotted Al Shabab.


    ¡®Those bastards.¡¯


    They ran toward their death.


    They didn¡¯t realize it themselves, but he smelled Ultra on some of the Al Shabab terrorists. The worry that Ahn Soo Ho had in Sao Paolo began to surface. A war very different from what everyone imagined was drawing near.


    Allmon sense was falling apart.


    ¡®A crazy world ising.¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 229 ¨C Wild Africa [4] > The end.

 Chapter 240: < Protect – 230 – Wild Africa [5] >

    <h4>Chapter 240: < Protect ¨C 230 ¨C Wild Africa [5] ></h4>


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Once Ahn Soo Ho returned to camp two dayster, he wasn¡¯t alone. After looking at the people around him, he whispered to Han Chae Kyung.


    ¡°Try to frame this in a nice way. If it looks good, you and thepany will both benefit.¡±


    Once he wiped out Al Shabab¡¯s bases one by one, he came out with a troop. While Han Chae Kyung took care of the people, Ahn Soo Ho looked around the camp.


    They built a decent war hut. They made walls out of the buses, stacked sandbags, and blocked the entrance with a barricade. It wasn¡¯t half bad.


    He looked around and then took out his phone. He wanted to avoid whoever woulde and introduce themselves. But he really did make a call.


    ¡°How¡¯s Soo Hyun?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. But she doesn¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t babies usually cry?¡±


    Both Jang Seol Hyun and Ahn Soo Ho were newbie parents. They studied how to take care of a baby, but they had no experience.


    ¡°What did your mother say?¡±


    ¡°She likes that she doesn¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°hm.¡±


    It was normal for parents to worry whether their baby cried or not.


    ¡°Are you all right, Soo Ho?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chaos here. You know that?¡±


    He expected that. Before he left or Kenya, he held a press conference. And as soon as a bomb went off in Nairobi, everyone suspected Ahn Soo Ho.


    ¡®Did he really go there to volunteer?¡¯


    There were countless reporters in front of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s house in Cheongdamdong. It was a hindrance to their neighbors. He thought about passing out rice cakes once he got back.


    ¡°I heard about Na Hee...¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun found out that Kim Na Hee had a terminal illness. She was close to him before Ahn Soo Ho. She regretted not taking care of her after getting married.


    ¡°You should have told me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. You can never change her personality.¡±


    The fact that Kim Na Hee still smiled despite being sick was a testament to how strong she was.


    ¡°When are youing back?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡±


    Most people usually went away if a person was on the phone, but this person wouldn¡¯t go away. Ahn Soo Ho put his phone away and looked behind him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can I take a picture?¡±


    Sylvia asked with confidence. She was acting arrogant for someone who was just saved, but he didn¡¯t feel like fighting. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho nodded, she ran over and posed for a selfie.


    ¡°Cheese!¡±


    She reeked of cigarettes.


    Just like in Korea, smoking and drinking were a serious problem among teenagers. Butpared to America or Europe, Korea was rtively free of drugs. But they still existed.


    The teenagers these days didn¡¯t hesitate to express their feelings. The difference between the teenagers of Korea and America was that they weren¡¯t afraid of age. Sylvia didn¡¯t know anything about Ahn Soo Ho. Just the fact that he was in one of L¡¯s Instagram posts.


    ¡°Are you good at fighting, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a lot of money, Mister?¡±


    ¡°Mister...¡±


    Sylvia bombarded him with countless questions. Most of them were childish questions. But they were out of pure intent.


    She showed some hints of a problematic child.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Do you get good grades in school?¡±


    ¡°Are you...¡±


    This time, Ahn Soo Ho bombarded her with questions. Sylvia looked shocked but then smiled.


    ¡°Old man.¡±


    ¡°Little bitch.¡±


    Since they both had the tendencies to harass others, there was no way they wouldpromise. He had seen many women like her. The 0.01% upper ss were considerate to others while those slightly below them dished out more bullshit.


    ¡°I heard Asian men are good-mannered. But you¡¯re not one of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t have manners. So go away. Shoo, shoo.¡±


    Sylvia pouted in response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s rejection. Most would have left after getting their pride hurt, but she tried even harder. Did he mess with her self confidence too much? In any case, Ahn Soo Ho just went his way.


    Once he arrived at the camp¡¯smand barracks, decisions had already been made. The one in charge was naturally Ahn Soo Ho. No one resisted the rank. In Kenya, where terror and kidnapping, as well as bombings, urred, there was no such thing asws.


    They had to stick to a strong person to survive. They needed to follow orders until they got out of there. Ahn Soo Ho called upon the leaders.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the most superior?¡±


    One person raised his hand.


    ¡°Introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jamie Tillerson of NK Global.¡±


    ¡°NK Global?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Stania?¡±


    The more exact name was Stania Defense Control, and there was a contract cartel of the US Marines. The US Navymitted just as much corruption, but what set them apart from Korea was that instead of following regtions, they put their profits first. They used theck ofws in less developed countries to their advantage.


    There were many countries in which mercenaries kept public order. Even if they weren¡¯t mercenaries, there were many regions all around the world where civilians reced police officers. Even in countries with police officers, they asked PMCs for help.


    Tillerson smiled.


    ¡°We¡¯re reflecting upon our actions.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s all it takes for sins to go away, why would there bews?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Tillerson didn¡¯t have anything to say.


    Stania was prosecuted for the crazy things they did in the Ivory Coast. But it wasn¡¯t all mercenaries of Stania that participated in the civilian assassinations. NK Global was a PMC formed from some of the mercenaries in Stania.


    ¡°Who¡¯s against putting Tillerson in charge?¡±


    No one stepped up. The next on the list was camp operation nning. Han Chae Kyung raised her hand.


    ¡°Even the Kenyan refugees are swarming over. We need to take measures.¡±


    ¡°What are the countries¡¯ ns for withdrawal?¡±


    ¡°I tried contacting them... but they¡¯re putting off answering.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Instead of answering, she turned on the screen. The clear screen showed a live footage of a city in chaos.


    ¡°The destroyers from the US and Italy that wereing into Mombasa were ambushed. It wasn¡¯t so serious that they almost sank, but they can no longer anchor without careful thinking. And there was also a bombing and a gunfight at the Mombasa Airport.¡±


    As a result of the bombing in Nairobi, the withdrawal ns of each country all relocated to Mombasa. However, Al Shabab seeded another sneak attack. As soon as their focus went from Nairobi to Mombasa, they showed their true colors.


    ¡°What about the Kenyan military?¡±


    ¡°I heard most of their troops are along the Somalian border.¡±


    ¡°They must be crazy.¡±


    It was certain now. Al Shabab had no intention of going back. He figured they would be like that when he smelled Ultra on them. That meant their hostages were in great danger. If they happened tomit suicide bombings with hostages in their arms, the world would go into more chaos.


    ¡®In order to move out the US carrier strike group to East Africa, we need time.¡¯


    Pentagon was shocked that Al Shabab¡¯s kidnapping and terror weren¡¯t a small matter. It was possible that they would attack the carrier strike group going through the Suez Canal. There were always those trying to stop the wheels of crazies that couldn¡¯t be won since they were jumping in prepared to die.


    The US Navy¡¯s countless drones were in the skies of Kenya, but the hostages couldn¡¯t be saved with hellfire missiles. They had to make a negotiation or send out special troops. Considering that the US didn¡¯t negotiate with terrorists, the hostages were as good as dead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the foreigners at the camp out of here through Tanzania.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    The camp was set up closer to Somalia than Tanzania. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t answer Han Chae Kyung¡¯s question and took out his phone.


    ¡°Henry, scrape up all the helicopters and nes you can find. The cost? I¡¯ll give you 10 times as much. Yeah. Okay.¡±


    He hung up and looked back at the people.


    ¡°Have the people pack up and on stand by.¡±


    The propeller airnes couldnd anywhere as long as there was an airstrip.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    One of the mercenaries lifted his badge and came into the tent.


    ¡°I¡¯m from the US Marines.¡±


    As soon as he got out, he saw a helicopter that hadnded at camp. The Marine soldiers came out one by one. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho approached, amissioned officer walked up to him and saluted.


    ¡°Mr. Guardian.¡±


    ¡°How many can you lift?¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho shook hands with the white man and got straight to the point.


    ¡°Besides the students, we can carry around 20 more people.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    In response to his hand gesture, a mercenary led more refugees outside.


    ¡°How long until the resupply?¡±


    ¡°We have to go to Nairobi, too... so we can onlye two times a day.¡±


    ¡°Are you withdrawing from Mombasa?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s chaos there.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice. Boat is the safest at the moment..¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho saw Sylvia get onst and waved his hand. He thought her frowning face looked funny. He shook hands with the lieutenants.


    ¡°See you again.¡±


    The helicopters disappeared into the sky. Han Chae Kyung approached and stood beside him.


    ¡°America is thorough about this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are underaged kids involved. Think about kids dying in a war. Then Olsen will really get impeached.¡±


    Two impeachments in a row? It wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. If that happened, that would certainly remain in the world¡¯s political history. There were injured children from the bus that was ambushed, but no one died. It was sad that the teacher died, but the White House was relieved. And surprisingly there weren¡¯t many deaths of Americans from the Nairobi terrorist attack either.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Han Chae Kyung looked back at themanding tent in response.


    ¡°All of your clients left. What are you going to do?¡±


    Since the US Marines were moving, the withdrawal of American citizens was fully underway. And since Tillerson was signed with the American Department of State, he could leave as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting ready to make ims from the scumbag Yankee bureaucrats... I¡¯d like to sign with you, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯d like that.¡±


    It was certain that if Kenyan refugees came, they wouldn¡¯t have enough hands. Ahn Soo Ho signed a contract with NK Global right there.


    ¡°But why did you call me?¡±


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    Tillerson pushed aptop. Common sites of terrorist attacks. A terrorist with a bandana over his face was saying something in Arabian to the camera. He then made a beat-up white person kneel in front of him. He had seen this many times before.


    ¡®They always repeat the same thing.¡¯


    Why do they like beheading people so much?


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Han Chae Kyung turned her head.


    ¡°Were they caught in Kenya? What¡¯s their nationality?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re French people that went missing.¡±


    ¡°This will cause a stir.¡±


    The French military was also a hostile group. Among the legendary behaviors, there were quite a few crazy missions, and they didn¡¯t hesitate to unleash their army. It was an honor for soldiers to fight for their country.


    8 Chinese construction workers working in Kenya were beheaded!


    3 teachers, who volunteered at a refugee game, were beheaded!


    9 Kenyan government soldiers were beheaded, 11 were burned to death!


    All of National Geographic¡¯s filming team were beheaded!


    The US Marines were already spreading out to East Africa, and they were alling in from the Indian Ocean. But one of the fleets entering through the Indian Ocean ran into trouble.


    There were no enemies at sea, but as soon as they lost their mobility, they were just a target. Since the terrorists had no intention ofing out alive, they were able to make a sessful attack no matter how slowly they moved.


    They showed up out of nowhere and attacked the carrier strike group with explosives. The air defense system was activated so that most of it was oxidized, but some of them seded.


    Bang, bang, bang- Bang, bang-


    A military of aliens. That was the moment when the pride of the US Military got scratched.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 230 ¨C Wild Africa [5] > The end.

 Chapter 241: < Protect – Episode 231 – Wild Africa [6] >

    <h4>Chapter 241: < Protect ¨C Episode 231 ¨C Wild Africa [6] ></h4>


    ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? The US president¡¯s going to give you a citizenship.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung stared at Ahn Soo Ho with a confused look on her face. In the midst of nning their escape from Kenya, he received a call from the White House. It was clear that America was taken aback by the Im terrorists¡¯ sudden attack.


    The US president¡¯s proposal was simple.


    ¡®I¡¯ll help you obtain a US citizenship.¡¯


    And of course, Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t turn him down right away. Since he had things to give and take from Africa, he had to y smart. Since one of their Navy Fleets got robbed, they were probably furious.


    ¡°It was a boring conversation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only person who would say that.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung found Ahn Soo Ho fascinating. Kim Na Hee warned her to back out when she can, but she couldn¡¯t help but care. And on top of that, he saved her from a catastrophe.


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°She said there¡¯s nothing you can do about fate. And she said to tell you that she¡¯s sorry.¡±


    He notified her of Hirukawa Mai¡¯s death through Han Chae Kyung. But he didn¡¯t reveal the whole story. Since Kim Na Hee wasn¡¯t in a good state, he didn¡¯t want to make things worse. However, Ahn Soo Ho knitted his brows after receiving Kosino¡¯s call.


    ¡®Someone is lurking around Chairwoman Kim Na Hee.¡¯


    The first ones he suspected were the upper ss of Korea. But he shook his head. If they messed with Daesan Group right now, the Korean economy would tumble down.


    ¡®Who is it?¡¯


    There were quite a few people who could benefit from messing with Kim Na Hee. First of all, she was hated bypetitors in the beauty industry as well as her ex-husband¡¯s side of the family.


    It didn¡¯t matter who it was.


    Ahn Soo Ho wasn¡¯t going to let anyone harass a dying woman. Beyond gender, age, and reputation, Kim Na Hee deserved to be respected. Since he put Alexa on the job, he would find out who it was soon enough.


    ¡°What about the volunteer group?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve calmed down.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Keep an eye on them when we get back to Korea. They¡¯ll need a lot of care. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...fine.¡±


    A total of 2 people from the volunteer group of Rosette Group died. When considering the workers who carried luggage, there were more deaths, but the Korean foreign office only cared about Koreans.


    It might sound cruel, but Kenya only worried about their own people at the moment. It was up to the Kenyan government and the UN to resolve the issue of dying Kenyans.


    As soon as a Navy Carrier entering through the Suez Canal was harmed, the Pentagon put everything in East Africa to a halt. Not even the strongest army could withstand such an attack.


    The US military focused on what they were good at.


    They were going to use the drone in Kenya and Somalia to shoot missiles at the enemies. In response, Al Shabab showed an immediate reaction of decapitating an American.


    ¡®An endless retaliation has begun.¡¯


    At this point, it was a battle of ride. Boko Haram, which was screwed over by the US military in the Nigerian war, and the Imic forces in Africa banded together. Of course, the US military was the strongest of the strong, but they still had their weaknesses.


    ¡°Is the White House looking for you because of the hostages?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Most likely.¡±


    The biggest problem for Americans and Americanpanies was the kidnapping. Not only did Africans do it, but South America and Central America targeted Americans to kidnap.


    And the numbers rose astronomically.


    It blew up.


    ¡°No matter how much kidnapping increases, America won¡¯t stop their direct approach.¡±


    ¡°Do you think America will use this to find a way out?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve done this before.¡±


    America rose to the throne through the great war.


    ¡°This will be a trade war.¡±


    The final objective of America¡¯s FTA was probably China. Most experts thought that there was no way China could beat America, but America kept China in check.


    The ones with more money didn¡¯t allow for any pursuit among Yankees. Just like many international organizations, China put a lot of care into TWO. China put in countless efforts to climb in rank, but Europe always got in the way.


    Bungee might have been tricked by Hirukawa, but China¡¯s intentions were clear. Whether it was environmental terror or hacking, it didn¡¯t matter as long as they didn¡¯t get caught. They were going to do anything they could, both things that could be seen and those that couldn¡¯t. Everyone knew that half of the hacking harm caused in the world was because of China. But it wasn¡¯t easy making the Chinese government own up to it.


    ¡°There are both pros and cons to the world order created by America. But no pros can be found in the world order of China.¡±


    As soon as China took over the world, the world would have to fight for freedom again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you close to the premier?¡±


    ¡°But this has nothing to do with personal friendships.¡±


    It was true that he was close to the Chinese premier. Ahn Soo Ho had many Chinese friends. He had many Japanese friends as well. Even the propeller ne outside was sent by his Chinese friend.


    In Africa, where bribes were expected, China had substantial power. While Japan and America controlled them with the car market, China attacked Africa with formal bribery.


    The person who got off the ne was the deputy head of the Chinese Safety Bureau, whom he met in Korea. China was the country that gave them the most help in getting the foreigners and refugees out of there.


    Ahn Soo Ho shook hands with him.


    ¡°Long time no see, Soo Ho.¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to get a promotion.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Xunmingughed.


    ¡°I want to bring you somewhere nice... but it¡¯s not possible in this situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    He looked around and then met eyes with Han Chae Kyung.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this...?¡±


    ¡°No need to y pretend.¡±


    The Chinese Safety Bureau definitely knew of Han Chae Kyung. Xunming showed a troubled look on his face. It was normal to proceed into introductions, but it was like him to just get straight to the point.


    ¡°Two of our Navy Vessels will arrive in Somalia within 48 hours.¡±


    ¡°America will hate it.¡±


    ¡°We can justify it.¡±


    Some of the Chinese construction workers in China were decapitated, and arge number of hostages were still with Al Shabab. And many knew that China didn¡¯t usually cooperate with hostage negotiations.


    But the fact that they were still kidnapping meant that China wasn¡¯t wee on thisnd any more than America. In their economy, it was hard to jump in if they weren¡¯t Chinese. China and Chinesepanies looked down on Africa, and as a result, they hated China just as much as they hated America.


    ¡°Were there any exchanges with Japan?


    In response to Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s question, Xuming knitted his brow.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then the topic of Hirukawa Mai must havee out.¡±


    ¡°The chief cab secretary said it himself.¡±


    Shiba Yaos was probably the first andst Japanese chief cab secretary who went on a Korean talk show. After getting a lot of attention as a young man in the Japanese political world, he already looked promising as the next prime minister.


    Since all the politicians sucked up to Shiba Yaos, nothing more was needed to be said. No one knew how much they were going to change, but Japanese people wanted change. Among China, Korea, and Japan, Japan was still the worst at taking nobles and certain surnames into consideration.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll pay you for burying the scandals regarding Bungee and Hirukawa.¡±


    ¡°People know already.¡±


    It was very likely that the incident of China secretly hiring an environmental terrorist and its own citizens getting involved in the terror to be a scandal. In particr, for countries wanting to get back at China and Japan, this was a great opportunity. Korea and India, to be more exact.


    ¡°What about America?¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to halt our discussion regarding WTO until the US election.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s so generous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best to avoid the injured hawk.¡±


    Considering the harm the US navy vessels suffered, it was very minor. However, their pride was hurt by the fact that they were attacked.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho epted Xunming¡¯s proposal. He didn¡¯t want the truth about Hirukawa to get out either. As soon as they finished talking, the ne was ready. Today was the day when thest team of Rosette Group was to leave camp.


    After going to Tanzania, they got on a jet to the Korean embassy. Some of the reporters that were with them wanted to stay, but they needed a license to do so.


    ¡°Go, Chae Kyung.¡±


    Han Chae Kyung was thest to get on.


    ¡°What¡¯s the scandal about, Uncle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Just think about what to get from each country.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Think about what Rosette Group wants from China and Japan.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho gave his reward to Kim Na Hee. That was the only way he would feel better.


    ¡°Go. They¡¯re waiting.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho pushed her along to get going. She kept turning back, and he waved his hand goodbye.


    Whoosh-


    The ne shipped dust around as it flew into the sky. Tillerson approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho returned to themanding camp. There were more than 10 faces on the screen. Most of them were wearing military uniforms, and they were from the US military, Ennd, France, and Germany. There were also Korean and Chinese soldiers in the mix.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Somalia tomorrow.¡±


    He nned to destroy both Al Shabab and the SI.


    ¡°To be more direct, I need men to protect the camp.¡±


    As soon as the refugees swarmed in, the camp became very tight. Ahn Soo Ho didn¡¯t intend on staying at the camp. Everyone on the screen looked troubled. But they were all shocked by what he said next.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear whichever uniform of the soldier who¡¯ll look after this camp and fight for you.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho confidently asked for a sponsorship.


    ******


    The photo that was posted online drew a lot of attention. Among all of the military uniforms, the US Military uniform was the most famous. After seeing Ahn Soo Ho in a military uniform and sunsses, everyone was ecstatic.


    The battle footage of the Rosette Group¡¯s volunteer team made all military manias go wild. Perhaps his skills in Monaco when L was kidnapped made people anticipate it even more. However, the footage destroyed their expectations. In a good way, not bad.


    No way! Pow! Pow!


    A pistol against a machine gun? What? Is this a Hong Kong film?


    It¡¯s a real gun battle!


    Pow! Pow!


    Bruce Lee is back!


    Not all Asians are Chinese! And they¡¯re not all martial artists either!


    The mystery of Asians! That¡¯s what you call oriental magic!


    How did the smoke cover everything so well? And how did he control people in all that smoke?


    The terrorists are no better than reserve forces!


    You crazy bastard! They¡¯re terrorists! The ones with real-life experience are not to be messed with! They move differently!


    Yeah! That¡¯s a real battle! It¡¯s not easy pulling the trigger on people! Murder is a habit!


    The footage that was shown next was a body cam of a mercenary. Just in case of a failure, NK Global put on body cams. After all, it could be used as evidenceter. But it only made the controversies grow even more.


    No way! How did a pistol blow up a car?


    A pistol put a helicopter to the ground!


    That¡¯s a movie, you idiot!


    What is this? This is scary!


    Is this a shooting game? It¡¯s hitting every target!


    Isn¡¯t it more normal to avoid a gun in your face? What¡¯s wrong with them?


    Maybe they were confident!


    There are no revival items in real life!


    The bullet is almost moving sideways! It hit them in the head every time!


    This is a scam!


    Definitely an alien!


    Foreigners were in awe by Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s fighting skills while Koreans raved about his uniform.


    Why is he wearing a US military uniform?


    He probably borrowed it! The patches are all just supplies.


    Right?


    Probably! How could he find a Korean uniform in Kenya?


    Isn¡¯t our navy vessel in Somalia, too?


    Hey! That¡¯s nonsense! He couldn¡¯t ask for them to ship a uniform just so he could get on a ne!


    Yeah! Usemon sense! The US military was the closest, so he borrowed it from them!


    It¡¯s not like he¡¯s Korean anyway.


    Still! People will think Ahn Soo Ho is American now!


    But why does that matter? What we have to worry about is our own economy! Who cares about foreigners?


    I don¡¯t get why the news keeps talking about a sessful foreigner as if he¡¯s Korean! He¡¯s just a foreigner with back hair! They¡¯re all the same!


    The Korean sentiment split into two branches regarding the Kenyan incident.


    Some praised the newlywed man for taking care of Rosette Group¡¯s volunteer team. But some psychopaths also questioned why Ahn Soo Ho never prevented them from going in the first ce.


    ¡°Most are calling him a hero... but some are trying to twist it.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun was feeding her baby and then looked back at Alexa.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You know.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Lee Yeon Jin.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lee Yeon Jin was the second daughter of Shi Group. Shi Group dominated the entertainment world before the Hosoo Entertainment Group showed up.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why else? There¡¯s only one reason. Both Shi and Youngjin are trying to reim their honor.¡±


    Businesses had to bring down their opponents to survive.


    ¡°What about Vice-Chairman Oh?¡¯


    ¡°She¡¯s ying by the book. She¡¯s an honest woman. I don¡¯t hate that... but I don¡¯t like her this time.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyunughed bitterly. She was starting to hear things she didn¡¯t want to hear after being in the entertainment world for too long. Scandals rted to sponsorships happened in all entertainment worlds. Even Hollywood had sponsorships. It was just that the public didn¡¯t know about it. And Shi Group was no different.


    ¡°Is it because Soo Ho is gone?¡±


    ¡°Maybe... But you have to know this, Seol Hyun.¡±


    Alexa looked at Jang Seol Hyun with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Soo Ho doesn¡¯t care about small things. He really doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    Even though they got married and had a child, some things didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°This is something you have to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t Joo Kyung be mad?¡±


    Alexa shook her head.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t know your status, do you?¡±


    Alexa took out her phone.


    ¡°Hello? Chief Secretary. This is Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s house. Yes. That Jang Seol Hyun. We want to meet with the president. Is that possible today? Sure, we¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun dropped her jaw as Alexa hung up.


    ¡°Di... did you just call the Blue House?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To tell them where you are. The president will call soon.¡±


    And just like that, Alexa¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. President. This is Soo Hee. Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯d be great. Sure. See you soon.¡±


    Alexa put her phone away and looked at Jang Seol Hyun intensely.


    ¡°The president is nothing but a temporary man in power, Seol Hyun.¡±


    As someone who was married to Ahn Soo Ho, she needed to get stronger. That was what Alexa decided. It was the male lion that ruled, but the one keeping that lion alive was the female lion.


    Alexa smirked at Jang Seol Hyun.


    ¡°Watch carefully. This is how you use a woman¡¯s power.¡±


    The way women used their power was different from how men used theirs.


    < Protect ¨C Episode 231 ¨C Wild Africa [6] > The end.

 Chapter 242: < Protect – Episode 232 – Queen of Steel [1] >

    <h4>Chapter 242: < Protect ¨C Episode 232 ¨C Queen of Steel [1] ></h4>


    In contrast to the chaotic world, Alexa¡¯s mind was at peace. When she ended the life of her enemy in Czech, she felt a sense offort. Was that what enlightenment felt like? Or was that how Jesus felt when he came back to life?


    Those who imed that revenge was a waste of time didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. There was nothing sweeter than revenge. Even her way of being feisty with men changed a lot. She was starting to change.


    ¡®Will I be able to date a man?¡¯


    She shook her head.


    She barely talked to men besides Ahn Soo Ho. Even with Logan, she was not very talkative. But that didn¡¯t mean she was afraid of them either.


    She just felt ufortable.


    But not long ago, she started not to push them away. She actually started smiling at Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s men. As soon as the ice queen started to smile, everyone started to respond favorably.


    At Hosoo Entertainment Group, she was known as the information team leader. They were called the witches of Hosoo Entertainment, and both celebrities and fans were crazy over them.


    Oh Joo Kyung


    Han Chae Kyung


    Seo Joo Kyung


    Lee Sun Mi


    Jung Joo Mi


    The Mi sisters were the most famous.


    But the most famous among them all was Alexa, who had blonde hair but spoke fluent Korean. She had the figure of a model as well. A photo taken of her and Jang Seol Hyun went viral online.


    When people saw beautiful women, they were in awe, but they didn¡¯t pounce like horny animals. On top of that, Alexa had an aura that made men freeze up.


    Whenever producers and broadcasters saw her, they avoided her as well. They felt like they could get beat up. Or get cussed at. In any case, whenever Alexa appeared, they all ran away with their tails down.


    ¡°Hey! She¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? Gasp!¡±


    The people rted to Hallyu Culture Concert were busy taking photos but then stepped back.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all gone.¡±


    After seeing the middle-aged men run away like crazy, the newbie group sighed out of relief and looked at peace.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s here.¡±


    The one who answered Serestine¡¯s leader, Soo Hyun was the leader of Fairy Child, which debuted half a year earlier.


    ¡°Oh, hello. Come here, guys.¡±


    Soo Hyun and the rest of the group gave an idol greeting. Yoo Jung looked confused. It felt weird being treated like superiors when they only debuted 6 months earlier.


    On top of that, their debut time was simr while also being two years younger. She was young since she was 19, but most of the other groups were in middle school and elementary school.


    The age of debuting was getting younger and younger.


    ¡°But who are you talking about, Sunbae?¡±


    Yoo Jung smirked in response to Soo Hyun¡¯s question.


    ¡°Just call me Yoo Jung.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Yoo Jung clicked her tongue while looking at Soo Hyun¡¯s smile. It was good to be pretty, but it was more important to have a pretty smile. Idols had to smile if they were sad, in pain, or annoyed.


    ¡®She was born to do this.¡¯


    Since Yoo Jung wasn¡¯t very good at smiling, her agency trained her hard in singing and dancing. There were some who just didn¡¯t smile much, and that was Yoo Jung. She was good at singing and dancing, but she didn¡¯t smile.


    ¡°You know Seol Hyun, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    All Koreans knew Jang Seol Hyun. People knew her more than the Korean president.


    ¡°Whenever she shows up, they all run away.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of who she¡¯s with.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Alexa?¡±


    Soo Hyun¡¯s eyes sparkled. Jang Seol Hyun was a celebrity, but the women with her were also beautiful. L was a superstar, and Miss France and Miss Brazil were just as popr.


    Since Alexa¡¯s Korean name was Ahn Soo Hee, she felt that much closer to her since they had simr names. On top of that, when she found out Jang Seol Hyun named her daughter Soo Hyun, she became an even bigger fan.


    ¡°What are you doing calling me Miss?¡±


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    As soon as Soo Hyun saw Alexa in person, her heart stopped. Both her manager and coordinator froze as well.


    ¡°Huh? Are you new?¡±


    ¡°Ye... yes! We debutedst month! We¡¯re Serestine!¡±


    They stood like soldiers.


    ¡°People will think I¡¯m training you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Her voice got even louder. Alexa shook her head and met eyes with Yoo Jung.


    ¡°You¡¯re Yoo Jung, right?¡±


    Alexa had met Yoo Jung before.


    ¡°You remember. Thank you, Ms. Alexa.¡±


    ¡°Not you, too. Just call me Alexa.¡±


    Alexa went easy on Yoo Jung. The reason why they all respected Alexa was because she protected them.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    As soon as Alexa sat down on the sofa, they crept over.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like abandoned kitties? Come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    They ran over immediately. The managers looked at them pitifully because they were looking up to Hosoo Entertainment as soon as they debuted. But they couldn¡¯t say anything either. Many managers were humiliated after messing with Alexa.


    ¡°Did youe alone?¡±


    ¡°No, Seol Hyun is here, too. Don¡¯t look for her. She¡¯s with the higher-ups. And I got out of there.¡±


    A bunch of executives showed up to the Hallyu Culture Concert. But Alexa stuck out because it got boring. The Hallyu Culture Concert went on for 6 years now, and it was now handled by a civilian concert nner. Not only did they disy K-Pop, but they also showed movies and dramas as well.


    ¡°Alexa!¡±


    Girl group members from both Hosoo Entertainment and other agencies came running over. Some of the teams were sweating from performing.


    ¡°Phew! You smell! Wash yourselves!¡±


    They allughed in response. Even just a year ago, they were scared to face her. But after some time, they became close.


    Ahn Soo Hee was just as impactful as Ahn Soo Ho, and for those going after her girls, she didn¡¯t leave them alone. She even made a human rightsmittee for female idols and trainees who were often taken advantage of.


    The media called them demeaning names. But she didn¡¯t care. Alexa did whatever she could to protect the girls from being harmed. She even sued some agencies and even came out with wins.


    ¡°Soo Hyun?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you have the same name as our Soo Hyun. You¡¯ll hit it big.¡±


    Alexa made it sound like Ahn Soo Hyun was her daughter. Of course, due to the name, she showed interest in Soo Hyun and Serestine.


    There were over 200 girl groups active in Korea. But only 20 of them were known to the public. The remaining 90% put out an album or two and went to a few events, but disappeared shortly afterward.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sign up for Hosoo Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t exist back then.¡±


    Just two years ago, Hosoo Entertainment didn¡¯t even exist.


    ¡°If your agencies push you around, call me. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    One of the managers on the side left out of difort.


    ¡°Serestine! Fairy Child! Get ready!¡±


    An employee with a headset on came in and led the teams outside. Before they left the waiting room, they didn¡¯t forget to say goodbye to Alexa.


    As soon as they all left, someone remained. It was the leader of Hosoo Entertainment¡¯s Baby Angel, Ye Seul.


    ¡°Alexa, you¡¯re going toe with us to dinner, right?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Without you, the old men will bother us too much.¡±


    ¡°Your managers aren¡¯t doing their jobs, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, they are, but...¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Government workers are persistent.¡±


    ¡°Those bastards.¡±


    Government workers were a problem in Alexa¡¯s home country as well. Societies still neglected idols. Actors and singers were acknowledged as artists, but idols were still below the rest.


    ¡°Okay. See youter.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The girls cheered while Alexa left the room. She saw one of Jang Seol Hyun¡¯s entourage loitering in the halls. He was probably looking for her.


    Until they got to the VIP seats, they were strongly monitored by the Blue House guards.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I said hi to the girls. Why? Is that old man bothering you?¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun started dissing President Lee Joong Hyun. She called him an old man. The entourage knitted their brows, but the president himselfughed.


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re right, Soo Hee.¡±


    Since President Lee Joong Hyun wasn¡¯t originally supposed toe to the Hallyu Culture Concert, there weren¡¯t enough guards. Most of the president¡¯s schedule was made a year or half a year beforehand, so the smallestst-minute changes caused a lot of trouble.


    Alexa led the conversation.


    ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t the energy amazing?¡±


    ¡°It is. Our Hallyu is really growing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the government has done anything for it.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re right.¡±


    The Korean government hadn¡¯t done much for Hallyu. That was because it was too small a market for them to lead.


    ¡°I admit it. The market is too small for the government to do anything.¡±


    One economist estimated that the Korean entertainment market was worth 50 billion dors, but in terms of scale, it wasn¡¯t very big. But in America, the entertainment industry was huge.


    It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that seeding in America meant seeding in the world. Even for European ser, it was nothingpared to America. No matter how famous one was in Korea or Asia, if one didn¡¯t seed in America, one couldn¡¯t be at the top of the world.


    ¡°As you know, we have branches all over the world. And we pretty much dominated North America and Europe.¡±


    Through Hosoo Entertainment Group America and Europe, they took over the two continents. But the media didn¡¯t say one word of it. Since an American led it, there wasn¡¯t much to talk about. However, it was true that they were under the Hosoo Entertainment Group.


    The Korean media was busy trying to make Ahn Soo Ho into a hero. So why were they staying quiet about this? They were trying not to irritate America. Not even the media against North America was going to help them out.


    The same went for HBS.


    ¡°The truth is, if the Korean market was harmed, we don¡¯t get anything out of that. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Soo Hee.¡±


    ¡°Soo Ho went easy on this country because it¡¯s his home country.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun became more serious as Alexa went on. Hosoo Group¡¯s status was already above Daesan Group. And it was obvious, seeing how Ahn Soo Ho¡¯s behavior changed the Korean stock market. Investors cared more about Ahn Soo Ho than the national branding itself.


    Alexa smiled.


    ¡°Do you want to end as a failed president?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The person who refuted wasn¡¯t President Lee Joong Hyun but the chief of civil affairs. He was huffing with rage.


    ¡°How dare you?¡±


    ¡°Chief Kim!¡±


    As soon as Lee Joong Hyun red at him, the chief of civil affairs froze.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Mr. President?¡±


    ¡°Get out, all of you!¡±


    They all left the VIP room. Lee Joong Hyun signaled for the guards to leave as well. They flinched and resisted, but they eventually left.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Soo Hee.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Mr. Presi.¡±


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    ¡°Shall I?¡±


    Alexa took a breath and winked at Jang Seol Hyun without Lee Joong Hyun noticing.


    ¡°You know who Shi and Youngjin are, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    He had no choice but to know. They were the result of apromise made by the Korea National Association and Comradery Association.


    ¡°I heard you already talked with Soo Ho, Mr. President.¡±


    Ahn Soo Ho and Lee Joong Hyun agreed to cooperate. That was how Hosoo Town began to be built in the middle of Gangnam. The reason why the Korean economy didn¡¯t copse following Hosoo Investment¡¯s withdrawal was because of real estate invincibility.


    ¡®It¡¯s all a bubble, but still.¡¯


    Daniel Navarros was a scary man.


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad about not being a part of the Emerald n, are you?¡±


    ¡°I am. I became aughing stock because of it.¡±


    Lee Joong Hyun gave an honest answer.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say Gaesung was the result of the Ministry of Unification being stupid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true... but I can¡¯t control all of my bureaucrats.¡±


    The president was so angry that he flipped the Ministry of Unification upside down. He told them to be careful, but they were unable to abandon their bureaucratic mindsets.


    ¡°Shi and Youngjin... might be easy for Chairman Ahn, but they¡¯re scary people, Soo Hee.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then make a choice. Then the one remaining will be on guard for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Youngjin.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They decided to bring Youngjin down.


    ¡°I won¡¯t see you out, Mr. President.¡±


    Alexa pushed Jang Seol Hyun down from trying to get up. The president greeted her with his eyes. Once it was just the two of them, Jang Seol Hyun sighed deeply.


    ¡°What did you just do?¡±


    ¡°We got rid of Youngjin. The only one left is Shi.¡±


    ¡°Why would President Lee Joong Hyun do that?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Alexa thought about it, but only for a moment.


    ¡°How much do you know about entertainment sponsorships?¡±


    ¡°A little...¡±


    ¡°A little? Yeah, you¡¯re a lone wolf.¡±


    For a top star, Jang Seol Hyun didn¡¯t know many people.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Seol Hyun. The world is a scary ce.¡±


    Alexa exined the human trafficking world to Jang Seol Hyun. As she kept talking, Jang Seol Hyun became more and more shocked.


    ¡°Do you remember Soo Ho¡¯s trip to Hong Kongst year?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°He brought down a few people from a Chinese human trafficking organization from North Korea. And they brought the survivors to the Philippines. So Soo Ho doesn¡¯t have money to develop North Korea. For tourist destinations, South East Asia or India is much cheaper. So why do you think it¡¯s near Gaesung?¡±


    ¡°Are the people in Emerald Origin...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re defectors. What¡¯s scarier is that there are simr human trafficking rings in Korea, too.¡±


    The problem was that it was 100 times bigger than the one in Hong Kong.


    ¡°Where do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°Shi and Youngjin?¡±


    Alexa gave her a thumbs up. Jang Seol Hyun grabbed her head as if she had a migraine.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make sense? You¡¯re probably wondering why such a major conglomerate is involved with human trafficking. But what you have to remember is that if it wasn¡¯t for Soo Ho, you would have ended up the same way as a defector in Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jang Seol Hyun eximed. It was true. She almost got kidnapped in America.


    ¡°People easily be a product.¡±


    Those with money and power could do anything. If the stories that Ahn Soo Ho told Jang Seol Hyun sank in, Alexa was just repeating what she already knew.


    ¡°There¡¯s a human factory in India for human trafficking. And in China, there¡¯s even a ce where they have babies for the purpose of adoption. Japan¡¯s numbers for serial murders are higher than that of America. And Europe is the ce with the highest rape numbers. Then what about Korea?¡±


    Alexa looked at the smiling idols on stage and continued with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°The number of missing persons in Korea is abnormal.¡±


    ¡®Where could they possibly hide on this smallnd?¡¯


    < Protect ¨C Episode 232 ¨C Queen of Steel [1] > The end.


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