Chapter 783: The Coup Begins

But there was no response from the other side.

Bang!

Choi Ryong-hae quickly ducked at the loud explosion.

“Are these crazy dogs really firing cannons?”

The First Deputy Director who had ducked alongside him crawled closer and said,

“Director of the General Political Bureau, it’s dangerous here. Let’s move the command to the underground bunker.”

Choi Ryong-hae gritted his teeth and nodded, rising to his feet.

“Everyone, to the underground bunker! Hurry!”

There was a bunker in the basement of the General Political Bureau headquarters, prepared for war.

Food supplies were stocked there to last at least a year.

As Choi Ryong-hae left the command center, many officers followed quickly behind him.

However, as Choi Ryong-hae hurriedly descended the stairs, he had to stop halfway down.

“Director of the General Political Bureau! We’re in trouble!!”

An officer was calling him breathlessly from behind, almost flying down the stairs.

“What is it? Why the commotion!”

“I-It’s a big problem. Fighters have taken off from the Oncheon Airfield!!”

“What? Fighters?”

At Choi Ryong-hae’s flustered question, the officer nodded even more emphatically.

“Yes! The State Affairs Commission Chairman gave the direct order! The target is here!”

“Has that crazy bastard lost his mind? Sending planes to Pyongyang? He must be completely insane. Let’s get down to the bunker quickly!”

Choi Ryong-hae quickened his pace and hurried down the stairs.

Arriving at the lobby on the first floor, Choi Ryong-hae opened a hidden iron door and went deeper down.

After a long descent, Choi Ryong-hae finally entered the bunker and called the officer who had given the report earlier.

“Is the information about the Air Force deploying certain?”

“Yes. It’s information we obtained by intercepting communications.”

“That crazy bastard! He really wants to take this to the end!”

Choi Ryong-hae slammed his fist on the table roughly.

The other officers were also exchanging glances, engaged in silent conversation.

Sensing the atmosphere, the First Deputy Director asked Choi Ryong-hae,

“What are you going to do? Should we surrender now…”

“Are you out of your mind?! Surrender? Do you think Jang Seong-taek will spare us if we surrender? Don’t talk nonsense!!”

“…Even if the Army was still a factor, there is no chance of victory if the Air Force has been deployed.”

“Wait and see!”

Choi Ryong-hae picked up the phone in front of him and urgently called the Air Force Commander.

Unlike the other places where he couldn’t connect, he managed to reach the Air Force Commander right away.

“This is the Director of the General Political Bureau.”

—You traitorous bastard! How dare you call here!

“Commander, don’t make the mistake of bombing Pyongyang! Aren’t you ashamed before the General?”

Unlike Choi Ryong-hae, who spoke calmly while hiding his anxiety, the Air Force Commander was furious.

—How dare you mention the General here! You rotten bastard! You just wait. I’ll drop a firestorm on your head!

“Commander, since the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War, Pyongyang has never been bombed. I will make sure to deal with Jang Seong-taek, the leader of the rebels. This is all for the General’s…”

—The General ordered each branch of the military to suppress the rebels immediately! Stop telling lies! You bastard! I knew from the beginning what a black heart you had! You just wait! The Grim Reaper is coming for you!

The furious Air Force Commander hung up the phone.

“Hey! Commander! Commander!!”

Choi Ryong-hae kept calling him, but there was no response from the other end of the line.

“That bastard!”

Choi Ryong-hae swore and slammed the phone down roughly.

“What did the Air Force Commander say?”

“…”

The First Deputy Director asked, but Choi Ryong-hae did not answer.

“Director of the General Political Bureau! At this rate, we’re all dead! Shouldn’t we at least save the lives of the soldiers?”

The First Deputy Director kept trying to persuade him to surrender, but no answer came.

As Choi Ryong-hae closed his mouth, the officers did not know what to do and just wandered about.

“T-The bombing has started! Director of the General Political Bureau!”

As time passed, the ceiling shook with a loud noise.

* * *

Won Seong-hee, having received the report that the Air Force had been deployed, slowly withdrew his troops.

Even though it was a precision strike, they could still be harmed by the shock and debris.

“Move back quickly!”

Won Seong-hee kept giving orders without rest.

As his voice grew louder, the speed at which the troops retreated increased.

The soldiers of the General Political Bureau were bewildered to see the Guard Headquarters troops suddenly retreating.

“What is this? Why are they retreating?”

“H-Perhaps the Director of the General Political Bureau persuaded the rebels?”

The soldiers on the General Political Bureau side, who were late on the information, had not heard the news of the Air Force’s deployment.

As the other side retreated, the soldiers’ darkened faces slowly began to brighten.

“Long live the Director of the General Political Bureau! Long live the General!”

The cheers of the General Political Bureau soldiers who didn’t know anything soon died down as they saw the fighter jets appear in the sky.

“What is that!”

Missiles were fired from the fighter jets that came into view.

A squadron released all their missiles toward the scattering General Political Bureau.

“Aaaah!!!”

“Agh!!”

Before the screams could end, the missiles devastated the General Political Bureau headquarters.

“Wow, this is no joke, is it?”

Won Seong-hee, who was watching from a distance, whistled without realizing it.

The fighter jets that had swept past the General Political Bureau once returned and bombed it once more, then leisurely turned back.

Only after confirming that the squadron of fighters were returning did Won Seong-hee order his officers,

To advance into the General Political Bureau headquarters, which was still filled with dust clouds, and arrest everyone alive.

* * *

As soon as I got in the car, a wave of relief washed over me and I immediately fell asleep.

“Boss, we’ve crossed the border.”

I barely opened one eye at Igor’s voice calling me.

I rubbed my eyes, which wouldn’t open easily, and looked out the window.

The moon had already set and the sun was rising. It seemed like they’d been driving all night.

“Were there any problems crossing the border?”

“No. We crossed using the same route we originally entered. There weren’t any major problems, since we’d already talked with the Russian and North Korean border checkpoints.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Were you comfortable sleeping?”

Igor looked at me with concern, as I had been sleeping curled up in the back seat.

Since it was a military vehicle rather than the sedan I always rode in, there was no comparing the comfort.

“It was uncomfortable, but it’s important that we survived, so it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why should Igor be sorry? It’s enough that you came to rescue me like this.”

If Igor hadn’t come to rescue me, it would’ve been difficult to cross the border so easily.

At those words, Igor’s expression relaxed slightly.

“Medvedev, the Chief of Staff, is waiting for you in Vladivostok.”

“Is that so?”

For that man to fly here himself.

Even if he flew from Moscow to Vladivostok, it was still a half-day journey.

“Yes. He said he’d come to Vladivostok and wait when we set off.”

“That’s appreciated. I guess he was worried about me.”

I’ll need to give him a pretty big gift to make it worth his while.

Without Russia’s help, Igor wouldn’t have been able to cross the border and rescue me in such a short amount of time.

“Is there any news coming from North Korea?”

“There is nothing I’ve been informed about yet.”

I nodded and looked back out the window.

The cold wind brushed past the window.

* * *

The Black Bear training camp on the outskirts of Vladivostok.

Medvedev was waiting for me there.

“Boss Kim! I’m so glad.”

As soon as I got out of the car, he came over and hugged me.

“Haha. Thanks to you, I’m safe.”

I barely survived, but now I’m being suffocated to death.

I laughed as I pushed him away while he was crushing me with a tight embrace.

“What do you mean? I’m glad I could help. From now on, please always be careful when entering North Korea.”

“I didn’t think these lunatics would try to catch me. It’s not like they’re going to end well…”

“If you hadn’t been safe, boss, North Korea would have been wiped off the map. We will get our revenge.”

Even though I knew it was a hollow promise, I didn’t feel bad. I just smiled lightly as Medvedev said in a whisper,

“Boss Kim. The President would like you to come to Moscow.”

“Moscow?”

“Yes. He wants to meet you before you return to Korea.”

I can’t refuse when the owner of the Kremlin calls me. Especially after receiving help this time.

I nodded and asked,

“Okay. Do you have any news from Pyongyang?”

“We can’t grasp it accurately yet. They say Pyongyang is completely sealed off.”

“Are you saying that the coup might have succeeded?”

Medvedev shrugged at my question and replied,

“We did receive information that fighter jets bombed Pyongyang.”

“Fighter jets? You say fighter jets bombed Pyongyang?”

This was too large in scale to be a simple coup.

If a civil war were to break out, everything I planned would happen.

If the Air Force got involved, it’s possible that that person would’ve moved.

“Don’t worry too much, Boss Kim. The rebels probably haven’t gained control of the Air Force.”

“That’s something no one knows. If it’s Kim Jong-il, he could move the Air Force. He is still practically a god in North Korea.”

The brainwashing that had ruled North Korea for decades was terrifying.

Even if they outwardly pledged their loyalty to Jang Seong-taek, there would probably be quite a few people who would turn on a direct order from Kim Jong-il.

“Can’t you get in contact with the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang?”

I asked because the Russian Embassy was very close to Jang Seong-taek’s office.

The Russian Embassy might have confirmed Jang Seong-taek’s location.

“We barely managed to get in touch with them via satellite phone, but…”

“What did they say about Jang Seong-taek’s office?”

“The last contact was at dawn. They reported that there was no movement at that time.”

“So we just have to wait.”

“Won’t the information come soon? Whether the coup succeeded or failed.”

He was saying that time would tell.

I nodded, helpless, and asked,

“Are we going to Moscow right away?”

“Don’t you need to rest?”

“I can rest on the plane.”

“Then let’s leave right away. You can use the plane I came on.”

“Is it okay if the bodyguards and Igor ride with us?”

Medvedev looked at the grimy bodyguards and the relatively unharmed Igor’s team, nodding and adding,

“It’s fine. However, they’ll have to disarm themselves.”

“Well, that can’t be helped.”

“Then let’s move together. We’ll head to the Air Force base right away. It seems like you and I will ride in the same car, Boss Kim.”

Before getting into Medvedev’s official car, I ordered Manager Kim,

“Contact Korea and have them send a private jet to Moscow. And also let them know that I arrived safely in Russia. Manager Ma must be worried.”

“Yes, Boss.”

I got into the car with Medvedev.

The car carrying us headed to the nearby Air Force base.

After flying for ten hours, we arrived in Moscow.

After agreeing to contact each other again tomorrow, I parted with Medvedev and arrived at my home on the outskirts of Moscow.

“Everyone, please get some rest. Igor, follow me.”

After ordering Manager Kim and the bodyguards to rest, I took Igor into the study.

I asked the servant for coffee and sat on the comfortable sofa.

“Please deliver compensation to the injured mercenaries. Make it more than usual.”

“Yes. I will.”

While Igor and I were discussing the countermeasures, the servant brought two cups of coffee.

After drinking a cup of sweet instant coffee, I could finally realize that I was still alive.

To be sure of life with just a cup of cheap coffee. I smiled faintly, without realizing it, while touching the warm cup.

“I’ve had all kinds of fancy teas, but there’s nothing as good as instant coffee.”

After emptying my cup, I made phone calls in every direction.

About an hour passed, as I called to let everyone know that I had arrived in Moscow safely.

While I was on a call, Igor’s cell phone rang.

I paused my call for a moment and looked at Igor.

Igor, reading my look, answered the phone.

After speaking in Russian for a while, Igor covered the phone with his hand and said to me,

“Boss, it’s Chief of Staff Medvedev. He said your phone was busy, so he called here. It’s an urgent call.”

I quickly ended my call and took the phone from Igor.

“Medvedev, what’s going on?”

—We just received a call from Pyongyang.

“Is that so? Is it Jang Seong-taek?”

—No. The Ambassador called. He says it seems like the situation is somewhat over. We couldn’t talk for long since communication lines haven’t been fully restored. But…

Medvedev told me the news that the Russian Ambassador had conveyed.

“So the coup failed.”

That was good news for me.