Free Web NovelChandler couldn’t answer my question right away.
Even if the Bush administration had invaded Afghanistan for profit, their official stance was the “War on Terror.”
So of course, it wasn’t something he could easily admit aloud.
“If this isn’t an official request, then I have no intention of withdrawing. And I’ve already given Ahmad my word. For a businessman, trust is everything. I’m sure even the people in high places in Washington understand that.”
Manager Ma came out with a paper cup of instant coffee and set it down in front of me and Chandler.
“Please try it. It’s Korean-style coffee.”
I smiled as I lifted my cup. Chandler just stared at his, his expression still stiff.
“I don’t know whose orders you’re acting under, but approaching me like this won’t do you any good...”
When I trailed off and took a sip of my coffee, Chandler’s face darkened.
He must have guessed what I meant, since he surely already knew who I was.
Even in my past life, American corporations had shown no desire to invest in Afghanistan.
The economy that had collapsed under the IT bubble burst and terrorism was finally entering a new boom cycle. Naturally, no one wanted to risk investing in a war-torn country.
There’s that saying — when your cousin buys land, your stomach hurts. Right now, America was just trying to intimidate me.
Sending someone to probe me like this wasn’t exactly endearing. Maybe I should have a little fun with it.
“And you said something about ‘the price of blood.’ But the Northern Alliance spilled far more blood than America ever did. And yet you think America deserves the price for it... quite an interesting notion.”
“...I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? Didn’t you yourself say it? That the ‘price of blood’ America shed couldn’t just be handed to someone else.”
Chandler, biting his lip, finally picked up his cup and took a sip.
“Oh! What kind of coffee is this?”
I smiled at the way he blatantly tried to change the subject.
His attitude was quite different from when ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) he’d first barged in, barking like a mad dog.
Whoever sent him here, he must have decided it was best to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“It’s instant mix coffee. The kind we drink in Korea.”
“It’s good.”
He drank in silence for a while, though I could see his mind still spinning furiously.
‘What’s his goal? Did they send him just to rattle me? And who exactly sent him?’
When the brief silence ended, Chandler spoke first.
“I heard there was an ambush — a firefight.”
The moment he said “firefight,” I could almost hear the gunshots and explosions ringing in my ears again.
Crushing the empty cup in my hand, I nodded.
“I was told it was the Taliban.” freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
“More precisely, it was the group led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. They cooperate with the Taliban.”
He’d claimed earlier that he didn’t know anything. Now he suddenly did. My face hardened.
“Gulbuddin? Didn’t you just say you hadn’t found out anything?”
“Haha...”
He gave a strained laugh, and I frowned. If I’d cornered him, he’d probably start talking now.
“Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, huh. Who is he?”
“He’s on the complete opposite side from Ahmad. His armed group has joined hands with the Taliban to fight against the United States. Many see him as part of the Taliban, but according to our assessment, they’re merely cooperating — separate warlords.”
Chandler spent some time explaining about Gulbuddin. When he finished, I asked the question that mattered most.
“Why did he attack me?”
“We assume he didn’t know who you were. He’d only heard that a businessman was meeting Ahmad, so he likely decided to eliminate you.”
“...”
“After losing his base once, Gulbuddin has been trying to rebuild his support by joining forces with the Taliban and thrusting himself into the spotlight. During that pursuit, we came across your incident.”
“So you knew — and said nothing? Is that how I should take it?”
I looked at him sharply. Chandler quickly shook his head.
“We only found out after the attack. We had obtained some intelligence beforehand, but we didn’t realize it concerned an attempt on your life.”
It didn’t sound entirely like a lie, but I still didn’t trust him.
“The United States considers you a friend, Mr. Kim. If we’d known before, we would have passed the information to you no matter what.”
Yeah, right. I cursed silently, keeping my expression neutral.
“If I’d died, that information would’ve been buried with me underground. Anyway, what’s your reason for telling me all this?”
“If you continue your relationship with Ahmad, there’s a strong possibility the attacks against you will continue. We’re only concerned for your safety...”
I raised a hand to cut him off.
“So the point is — you want me to sever ties with Ahmad, right?”
After a pause, Chandler nodded. I didn’t stop there.
“You want to make your man the leader of Afghanistan. That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You really think that’s possible?”
I already knew the CIA was backing Hamid.
But Hamid was no match for Ahmad.
In my previous life, Hamid had only become president because Ahmad was dead.
This time, Ahmad was alive — there was no way Hamid could take power.
And yet the CIA still couldn’t give up.
“Ahmad doesn’t listen to us. To be exact, he doesn’t trust America. If someone like that becomes Afghanistan’s leader, the country will fall into chaos again. Your investment would vanish into thin air.”
“Well, that’s funny, because I actually benefit more if Ahmad takes power than if Hamid does.”
“Please, at least meet Hamid once. I’m sure you’ll find common ground.”
I already knew Hamid. He was incompetent and greedy for power.
His brother was a drug lord who grew opium, and under his presidency, Afghanistan sank into corruption.
The Taliban’s return to power had been largely his fault.
America’s blunders had contributed, sure — but if Hamid had been a proper leader, the Taliban never would have regained control.
“I won’t meet him. Even if I did, my decision wouldn’t change.”
“So you’re choosing to make an enemy of us?”
“Not meeting Hamid makes me America’s enemy? I’m just an investor. And I believe Ahmad is better suited to stabilize Afghanistan. It’s only natural for me to support whoever can secure the country — my money depends on it. I can’t just side with whoever and risk losing everything.”
Chandler hesitated, at a loss for a counterargument.
“...Hamid is recognized by the international community.”
“And at the same time, he’s not recognized by his own people. Ahmad isn’t some unqualified nobody, either — he’s the leader of the Northern Alliance, a former minister. If an election were held today, he’d get seventy percent of the vote. Why would I abandon someone like that to go talk to Hamid?”
I drew a firm line.
It wouldn’t be bad to have a link to Hamid, but with a card like Ahmad in my hand, there was no reason to dance to anyone else’s tune.
“Mr. Kim, can’t we just do what’s best for both sides? Please, just meet him.”
“Is that an official order from Langley?”
Chandler fell silent, staring at me. Persistent, aren’t you.
If it really came from CIA headquarters, there wasn’t much choice. If I refused outright, it would only make me look defiant.
“I’ll think about it. But you should know this — even if Hamid becomes president through your schemes, this country will fall into chaos.”
“And why do you think that?”
“While Hamid was pleading with the international community abroad, Ahmad and the Northern Alliance were here, bleeding and fighting. Didn’t you just say yourself that the ‘price of blood’ shouldn’t be claimed by someone else?”
“So you mean if Hamid takes power, the Northern Alliance won’t tolerate it?”
“Who knows? The future’s uncertain. But one thing’s sure — if Hamid becomes leader, he’ll have to make huge concessions to the Northern Alliance.”
Chandler nodded grimly.
“Well, Langley can’t be unaware of that. Anyway, I’ll think it over. But not this time. It wouldn’t be polite to Ahmad.”
“I’ll convey that.”
“It was nice meeting you.”
I stood and extended my hand — a clear signal that the meeting was over.
Realizing it, Chandler rose and shook it.
“Oh, and one more thing. There are complaints within the Northern Alliance — that Black Bear mercenaries are guarding Ahmad instead of their own men.”
“Is that so? Thanks for the information.”
“I hope we meet again under better circumstances.”
Chandler turned and left the room.
A moment later, Manager Ma and Igor entered.
I gestured for them to sit, and once they were seated, I spoke.
“Igor.”
“Yes, boss.”
“I heard there’s dissatisfaction within the Northern Alliance — because our mercenaries are handling Ahmad’s security.”
“There’s been a little trouble.”
When I fell silent, Igor added quietly,
“I understand how they feel. They think we don’t trust them.”
“Why do you think Ahmad entrusted his security to us?”
“Maybe because he doesn’t trust anyone else. When the bombing happened, even his own men and the CIA agents guarding him had no idea.”
“At this rate, it could cause problems later.”
Black Bear had only been able to save him thanks to the intel I provided. Naturally, Ahmad would trust them.
But if the leader of the Northern Alliance kept relying on Black Bear for his personal security, distrust within his own ranks could deepen.
Something to fix later.
I drank a glass of cold water and changed the subject.
“Igor, how bad were our losses?”
The mercenaries had taken a heavy hit in yesterday’s firefight.
“Five dead, twelve wounded.”
“Five... that’s a lot.”
A shadow crossed Igor’s face as he nodded.
“You’ve recovered the bodies?”
“Yes. We’ll send them back to Russia tomorrow.”
I glanced at Manager Ma. He pulled out a bankbook and placed it before Igor.
“There’s a million dollars in that account. You can withdraw it directly from a Russian bank. Give two hundred thousand to each family. I know money can’t replace their loss, but they died protecting me. This is the least I can do.”
“Boss, the company already provides compensation. You don’t have to—”
“I know. But I want to. Please accept it.”
Only then did Igor take the bankbook and tuck it inside his jacket.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure it reaches them.”
I patted his shoulder. The reason Igor and his team were so loyal to me was simple.
They knew I cared about them — that I took responsibility. That kind of trust deserves to be repaid.
“The CIA says our attackers were a group led by Gulbuddin, allied with the Taliban.”
I relayed what Chandler had told me. Igor already seemed familiar with the name.
“Ah, him. I know that one.”
“Do you?”
“He’s on our primary elimination list. A bat-like bastard. He fled to America when the Taliban pushed him out, then ran back when the U.S. invaded to rebuild his forces. But realistically, he’s just a Taliban branch manager.”
I nodded as I listened. There might be things hidden beyond the official reports.
“Starting today, Black Bear will mobilize all intel networks to track him.”
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“The price for spilling blood is death. He struck first — now I’ll crush Gulbuddin myself.”
I didn’t know how he’d gotten my information, but he’d pay for it.
“If we locate him, may I take the lead personally?”
Igor’s eyes burned. He’d lost five men — of course he wanted revenge.
“Of course. I was planning to give you the mission from the start.”
“Thank you.”
Igor stood and bowed deeply.
Then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Expecting anyone?”
“No, no one.”
Igor opened it — and standing there, framed in the doorway, was Ahmad.
