Chapter 115
***
FBI Deputy Director Doyle Jeance toyed with his coffee cup, his expression serious.
The ordinary little café, the kind found anywhere in Washington, had no customers.
They had rented out the entire place for today's meeting.
The café door, which no one without authorization could enter, opened.
A middle-aged man with grayish-white hair entered.
His bleak appearance and the scars on his face proved that he was no ordinary man.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Doyle Jeance."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kalinin Dorbsiyev."
The other man answered in fluent English.
He wasn't American.
Rather, he was an intelligence agent from a country that, along with China, could be called America's greatest rival.
Even so, he was courteous, and Doyle welcomed him with a smile.
"I've come with full authority over this matter."
"I see."
The FBI already knew that Kalinin was Ivan's right-hand man—the second-in-command of Russian intelligence and its next director.
He was an important figure.
If this were any other situation, he might have been someone they needed to take into custody immediately.
Even so, Doyle flashed him a genial smile with his characteristically harmless expression.
"I know why the deputy director couldn't come, so you don't need to worry about it too much."
"Thank you."
His current superior, Ivan, was using information discovered with Kang Noah's help to purge the trash within Russia.
Not only that, he was also recovering Russian treasures that had disappeared to various places overseas.
"He wanted to come himself because this concerns that man, but he couldn't step away from the work he's doing now, so he sent me instead."
"I understand."
"It seems the others haven't arrived yet."
"It's not time yet, so don't worry about it. Ah. Would you like some coffee?"
"In that case, I'll have an espresso."
A little while later, the clerk—
No, an FBI agent disguised as a clerk—came out carrying an espresso.
A smile formed at the corner of Kalinin's mouth as he took a sip.
"It's delicious."
"Thank you."
The grinning agent gave a slight bow and withdrew.
The two of them were silently sipping their coffee when—
-Ding.
The café door opened once again.
A white woman entered.
She was an ordinary-looking woman who appeared to be in her mid-to-late forties.
She looked like the sort of woman one could see anywhere, but that was precisely why they couldn't help taking her all the more seriously.
"I'm sorry for keeping such distinguished people waiting."
The woman approached with a gentle smile and sat down.
Kalinin gave her a slight bow, and Doyle Jeance did the same.
She was someone worthy of that respect.
She was, after all, the current number two at the CIA.
"It's not every day one gets to meet someone so difficult to see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Seira. I'm Doyle Jeance."
"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Deputy Director Doyle. And you too, Mr. Kalinin. We met once before, didn't we?"
"We did. I regret what happened then, Seira Alteisen."
Seira Alteisen smiled serenely.
Even with an important figure from an opposing organization—one with whom she had clashed during a past operation—sitting before her, her expression remained infinitely gentle.
"Could I have an Americano, please?"
"Yes."
At that moment, the café door opened.
This time, two people entered.
One was Asian, while the other was an Arab man.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Baek-gon, Second Deputy Director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service."
Lee Baek-gon, a middle-aged man, sat down.
Then the Arab calmly spoke.
"I'm Rovent, secretary to Prince Abdulla Salman de Al Saud."
"Nice to meet you."
Though he was called a secretary, he was not someone one could meet easily.
He was the secretary to one of the two sons most favored by the crown prince, as well as the deputy director of Saudi Arabia's intelligence service.
"Then let's begin. Ah. Before that."
Lee Baek-gon opened his laptop.
He operated it briefly.
A moment later, the screen displayed a Korean young man who was much younger than anyone present.
But he was more important than anyone else in the room.
It was Kang Noah.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kang."
-Yes. Nice to meet you all. Hahaha. I see some familiar faces and some I don't know.
It was Korean.
But there was no one present who didn't understand Korean.
"So that's how it came to be. Hehe. Let me introduce myself. I am..."
-Ah, one moment.
The young man on the other side of the screen turned over a card.
Then he grinned.
-So you're Ms. Seira Alteisen of the CIA. It's a pleasure to meet you.
"Yes, it's a pleasure. Thank you sincerely for your help last time."
-Don't mention it. The work you're doing now will go well.
"Is that so?"
-Yes. So don't worry, just keep working hard. And Mr. Kalinin.
He turned over another card.
Then he smiled serenely.
-You're handling Mr. Ivan's affairs, but it seems information is leaking, right? There's a traitor. I'll tell you about it later.
"Thank you."
A faint smile appeared on his impassive face.
Everyone present knew that the cruelty contained in that smile would bring a bloody storm to Russia.
-And...
He turned over the card again.
His eyes turned toward Rovent.
-Abdulla is doing well, right? Ah, and tell Abdulla this: the company he's trying to buy is run by con artists, so tell him not to do business with them.
"Understood, Prophet."
-Hmm... Nothing particularly special is happening on the FBI's end. But Mr. Doyle, your son's grades this time...
"...That brat. He said he was going to get a B this time..."
-Hahahaha...
When he got home today, there would be some wailing.
Kang Noah spoke casually from beyond the screen.
"Then let's get to the main point."
Doyle made his proposal firmly.
"We would like to form an agreement with you, Mr. Kang."
-A proposal for mutual assistance?
"That's right. We have no intention of suppressing or controlling you, Mr. Kang."
Kang Noah was already cooperative with everyone present.
Whenever they asked for his help and paid him what he wanted in return, Kang Noah willingly helped them.
None of them were unaware of how valuable Kang Noah's advice was.
The price they paid?
They could see the future, avoid danger, and gain benefits.
Giving him something he might want was a small price to pay.
"We also intend to respect whatever decision you make regarding your future."
If Kang Noah said he wanted to immigrate to another country, they would not stop him.
Everyone here was confident.
They were confident he would come to any of their countries if he wished.
Of course, they didn't know what Kang Noah himself thought.
"And we intend to work together to prevent other forces from restraining or controlling you."
Kang Noah was already cooperating with them and was favorably disposed toward them.
If people appeared who wanted to harm him, kidnap him, and use him as they pleased...
That was something they could never tolerate.
"That is why we'd like to make you a proposal. We want to work together and place people around you."
-I see.
Kang Noah nodded casually on the other side of the monitor.
"Please don't think that our actions mean we are trying to control you. We only wish to protect you..."
-I know your intentions are pure. And I also know that forces intending to target me will begin appearing soon.
Starting with Allah's Moon and various criminal cartels.
Those who had desires but had not yet revealed themselves.
Even idiots who didn't know their place.
There was no denying that they might target not only him but also the people around him.
-Then I'll gratefully accept your goodwill.
Doyle let out a sigh of relief.
His greatest concern had been that Kang Noah would misunderstand their goodwill and reject it.
Now that the matter had been settled, he felt tremendously relieved.
'In this regard, it's fortunate that he can read the past and future.'
If they treated him with pure and genuine intentions, he wouldn't misunderstand them, at least.
"What should we call this gathering?"
Seira's casual question silenced everyone.
They were people from different countries, organizations, and ethnicities.
Then what should they call themselves...?
-Us.
"Pardon?"
-Let's call it 'Us.'
Kang Noah was smiling serenely on the other side of the screen.
***
Mikhail Vladimir calmly inspected his equipment.
Body armor, a pistol, and an expandable baton.
It might be meager, but in this country, it would be enough.
"...That's all for the orders. Any questions?"
The agents did not answer his question.
Once orders had been given, they only had to follow them.
"The South Korean NIS is participating in this operation as well. Coordinating with them is important, so don't engage in any pointless disputes."
Everyone here was Mikhail's subordinate, and none of them had any intention of disobeying his orders.
Besides, there was an additional reward for this operation.
Namely, if they successfully carried out the operation, they would get to meet Kang Noah.
Mikhail had wanted to be assigned to this operation for that very reason, and he had been able to participate as the team leader.
'I get to meet hyung in person...'
A fan of Korean internet broadcasts, he had happened to watch Kang Noah's show.
And, luckier still, he had won a chance to have his fortune told.
Thanks to that, he had discovered his father's illness.
His proud father, a factory worker who had raised him and his younger sister so well.
Unlike the adults around him, for whom violence and drunkenness were commonplace, his father had been kind and gentle—and had stage-one liver cancer.
If not for Kang Noah, he might have lost his proud, respected father for no reason.
So it was only natural for him to become a fan.
That man.
Those Mexican drug-dealing idiot scumbags were targeting him.
It was only natural for insects to swarm around a scent, but he could never allow it.
"It's time for the operation."
The Russian intelligence agents, including Mikhail, began to move.
While the South Korean NIS agents cleared the surrounding area, they would deal with the primary targets.
And the Mexican drug cartel that had failed to recognize its place and shown greed toward the great jewel...
'I suppose we'll have to trust the Yanks with that.'
Would they be able to handle it?
Mikhail suppressed the anger and hatred swirling inside his head.
Now was the time to deal with these pieces of trash.
"Let's go."
They moved according to the information Kang Noah had given them.
And the moment they arrived at the cartel's base.
Mikhail and his men moved in, and it did not take long for the outcome to emerge.
Everyone incapacitated and arrested.
That was the fate of those who dared target someone they should never have targeted.