Chapter 362: Focusing on Korea

At the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

“What’s your impression of meeting Kim Mu-hyeok in person?”

CIA Director George Tenet asked, placing down the report written by Chandler.

Chandler, standing stiffly, hesitated before answering.

“He maintained his composure even before the name of the United States.”

“That makes sense. After all, he’s a major supporter of President Bush and a friend of Putin.”

Chandler recalled Kim Mu-hyeok’s dignified demeano, even in front of a CIA agent, and asked.

“What does the White House have to say?”

“They insist there can’t be any friction with Kim Mu-hyeok.”

“If Kim Mu-hyeok empowers Ahmad, it ill diminish America’s interests. It doesn’t make sense for one person to gain the rights to develop half of the buried resources in Afghanistan.”

Tenet frowned at Chandler’s words.

“It’s a shame. But if the White House says not to, what can we do? Oil isn’t going to start flowing from Afghanistan.”

“Still…”

“Forget it. Washington has already solidified its stance with Ahmad. While Hamid may be more manageable, Afghanistan has vacated the minds of the decision-makers in the White House. All the focus is on Iraq now, unfortunately.”

As he said, America’s focus had long since shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq.

“Should we stop supporting Hamid then?”

“Hmm… not quite. We might need him, so keep monitoring the situation. No one knows how things might change.”

Tenet leaned back in his chair with a contemplative expression.

Chandler, feeling unsure, decided to ask him.

“Should we eliminate Ahmad?”

Tenet shook his head with a skeptical response.

“There’s no way Washington would approve that, and even if we carried out secret operations, we’d undoubtedly raise suspicions. For now, let’s avoid any reckless actions.”

“Understood.”

Tenet straightened his posture, resting his chin on his hand as he murmured.

“By the way, the reputation of Black Bear isn’t just a rumor. The Taliban ambushed them, and they only lost five men…”

“In reality, they were mercenaries from the Soviet special forces.”

Tenet snorted softly. The sight of those who had floundered after the dissolution of the Soviet military running rampant under a new master was irritating.

“So they are basically Kim Mu-hyeok’s personal guard?”

“Yes. A man named Igor is in charge. He was a commander in the Soviet special forces.”

“Where’s Gulbuddin?”

“We haven’t identified his location yet.”

“Find him as quickly as possible and relay the information to Kim Mu-hyeok. It wouldn’t be badto have such a debt to him at this juncture.”

After giving the order, Tenet tapped Kim Mu-hyeok’s photo with his figer and murmured softly.

“The more I learn, the less I understand about this man.”

* * *

Once I arrived in the UK, I went through the simple immigration process.

Then, I boarded a prepared bus and arrived at a collective housing area on the outskirts of Leeds, Yorkshire.

Due to the large number of people entering at once, we couldn’t secure enough houses.

Including Ahmad, there were about ten children, and with their families, the number was staggering.

We dispersed everyone across the temporary housing we had secured.

I left to meet Han Gyeong-yeong and Eric at a hotel in Leeds.

As I stepped into the top-floor suite, Han Gyeong-yeong and Eric greeted me warmly.

“It’s been a while, Mu-hyeok.”

“Welcome, Boss.”

Han Gyeong-yeong waved cheerfully, while Eric nodded stiffly in greeting.

I patted Eric’s shoulder and sat on the sofa.

The two joined me on the couch, and our serious discussion began.

“I’m sorry.”

As soon as I sat down, Eric apologized. I comforted him with another pat on the shoulder.

“No one expected this to happen. Don’t blame yourself; let’s discuss what actions to take next. Dwelling on the past won’t help us move forward.”

“Yes, Boss. Thank you.”

“Igor will handle Afghanistan. We’re separating from Black Bear to establish a legal entity in Russia, moving Eastern European mercenaries there.”

I intended to completely separate the Black Bear in the U.S. from the Eastern European branch in Russia.

“You’re planning to fully separate the Eastern European branch?”

Nodding slightly, I continued.

“We aim to conduct independent military operations in Afghanistan. Black Bear will inevitably have to account for the U.S. government’s scrutiny.”

“Understood. We’ll proceed accordingly.”

Eliminating Gulbuddin was just the beginning; if I used Black Bear’s name for mercenaries guarding the mine, the U.S. would certainly take note.

Eric seemed to understand this as he readily agreed.

“Black Bear can continue to maintain its close ties with the U.S. government, taking on American contracts just as before.”

“Yes.”

Eric bit his lip in response.

For some reason, he seemed to be shrinking back, which troubled me, but there was little I could do.

This was a whole branch completely disbanding, so feeling apprehensive was only natural.

“What about the pursuit of Gulbuddin?”

“For now, we’ve narrowed down the probable areas.”

“Even if we owe debts to U.S. intelligence, make sure you find him. He might be near the Pakistani border.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure of it.”

Eric answered with a determined tone that was stronger than usual.

“As soon as we locate him, Igor will lead his mercenaries for an attack. Keep that in mind and relay the information to Igor as soon as you find out.”

“Understood, Boss.”

“And don’t be too hard on yourself. It doesn’t suit you. I prefer the confident Eric.”

Finally, Eric managed a shy smile.

I returned his smile and turned my gaze to Han Gyeong-yeong.

“You look busy with your love life?”

“What? Ever since the invasion of Iraq began, I’ve been glued to the futures market because oil prices have been fluctuating. Being busy with love is the last thing on my mind!”

Han Gyeong-yeong exclaimed, collapsing onto the bed in frustration.

Knowing he was over-exaggerating his behavior to break the awkward silence, I let out a small laugh.

“So, how’s the futures market looking?”

“It’s tough to gauge the trends. I keep buying as you suggested… but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”

“What’s the price of West Texas oil right now?”

“It’s risen to thirty dollars a barrel.”

“Now that the Iraq war has started, it will rise even higher. Stop focusing on the futures market. Instead, go back to America to track the movements of American oil companies… and…”

I didn’t forget the importance of shale.

“Mitchell Energy Development Company is probably up for sale. We need to acquire it and secure the technology.”

“Mitchell Energy Development Company?”

“Yeah. They lead in shale gas extraction techniques. We should be able to acquire it for around three billion to five billion dollars.”

Han Gyeong-yeong seemed unfamiliar with Mitchell Energy Development Company.

After all, even before I turned back time, people didn’t know much about George Mitchell, who developed the shale gas extraction technology that changed the energy industry’s landscape.

“But shale isn’t economical. Is it really worth investing billions?”

With current technology, extraction costs would be over seventy dollars a barrel, making it completely unprofitable.

However, it wouldn’t be long before Mitchell succeeded in developing the hydraulic fracturing method.

Mitchell’s hydraulic fracturing method has already shown promising results.

If I could hold both oil and shale, we could gain an upper hand in the energy industry.

“First, I need to secure the technology. Also, find out land rich in shale. There are reservoirs Mitchell Energy Development Company owns, but it would be great if we can secure whatever we can get.”

“You’ve become quite the fortune teller, haven’t you? It amazes me how you manage to know all this, every time I see you.”

Han Gyeong-yeong raised his hands, looking taken aback.

I chuckled at his playfulness and continued speaking.

“Shale extraction technology can completely reshape the global energy sector. We must seize it immediately.”

“Alright. I’ll contact New York first to gather information on Mitchell Energy Development Company, then I’ll head to the U.S.”

With Han Gyeong-yeong taking care of things, there wouldn’t be any issues concerning shale gas development.

“So, let’s sum this up. You focus on Wall Street and the oil industry in the U.S., while monitoring the general flow of money.”

Han Gyeong-yeong nodded.

“Eric, your task is to keep an eye on the direction of the Iraq war and movements in Washington. Also, spare no effort in supporting those who have just arrived from Afghanistan to settle in.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“We can forgo short-term profits for now. This is a time to prepare for the future. I trust that both of you will provide results that reflect my faith in you.”

After wrapping things up, we spent half a day discussing the finer details.

As soon as the meeting adjourned, Eric left to organize the support for those coming from Afghanistan.

“Yesterday, Eric came in, and we had a drink together. He’s been dwelling on the ambush that happened in Afghanistan recently.”

Once we were alone, Han Gyeong-yeong poured me a drink.

He also mentioned the conversation he had with Eric. It seemed Eric’s expression hadn’t been great.

The stark change from our phone call made me uneasy.

“It was unavoidable. I didn’t see it coming at all. Five of Igor’s men died in my place.”

“What if one of those five had been you? In that moment, everything we’ve built would have crumbled like a sandcastle.”

Han Gyeong-yeong advised with an unexpectedly serious face.

“As I mentioned earlier, everything you’ve constructed would end if you were gone. Keep that in mind as you move forward.”

Though his words were stern, concern flickered in his eyes.

The moments during that ambush in Afghanistan flooded back to me.

There were countless chilling moments.

I began to understand the worry my people felt for me.

“I got it. I’ll be careful.”

When I nodded, Han Gyeong-yeong relaxed and extended his glass to me.

I clinked glasses with him. As I downed the strong whiskey in one go, I continued speaking.

“So, what about Enron? Does it seem worth acquiring?”

Han Gyeong-yeong shook his head. After meeting Powell, I had already informed him about the Enron issue.

“The real issue isn’t the accounting fraud. They tried to trade derivatives by creating a trading team while being an energy company, and they really messed up during the recent attack. There’s no value in acquiring them. Even post-bankruptcy, they are attempting to improve, but bankruptcy seems unavoidable.”

“So, your judgment is that acquisition isn’t necessary?”

Han Gyeong-yeong replied as he tossed ice into his glass.

“They’re hollow. Aside from their name, I don’t see any value in acquiring them, regardless of U.S. government demands.”

“Then we should not consider the acquisition of Enron any further.”

While it could have been an opportunity to owe a debt to the U.S., there was no need to acquire a useless company.

After taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I spoke up.

“From now on, I plan to focus on Korea.”

“Korea? Oh, the presidential election is coming up soon, right?”

I nodded. It was good to let Han Gyeong-yeong in on it too.

“I’m unsure about what former President Choi Seon-man is plotting. I can’t grasp the power he holds.”

“He has power? I thought he lost his leverage by now.”

“I thought so too. However, there’s something he’s still holding onto without me realizing what it is. If our intelligence team hasn’t gathered useful information, it means someone is causing disruption from behind. Considering the only agency with such power in South Korea is the National Intelligence Service, which has many of our side, they shouldn’t miss any unusual developments…”

While speaking, an unsettling feeling lingered; I felt as if I was overlooking something.

“If not the National Intelligence Service, could it be the Defense Security Command? That guy was a former Security Commander, right?”

Han Gyeong-yeong’s casual remark sent shivers down my spine.

“The Defense Security Command…”

If it were the Armed Forces Defense Command under South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, they could certainly distort information.

Suddenly enlightened, I muttered softly.

“That’s right. If it’s the Defense Security Command, disrupting information would be a piece of cake for them.”

During former President Choi Seon-man’s time, people who had been under him might still exist in the Defense Security Command, and his loyalists might remain in the military.

In fact, rationally concluding that they must remain was a given.

If the forces left in the military were attempting a coup or were blackmailing politicians and chaebols with corruption evidence collected during the military regime, it all began to make sense now.

This could explain everything happening now.

Han Gyeong-yeong chuckled at my musings.

“They might not be able to mobilize troops like before, but they can still disrupt information or spy. Ultimately, information is the most powerful weapon.”

“Who knows? They might just act insane and try it again. Just because they’ve succeeded before doesn’t mean they can’t do it again.”