Sooho

“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 flat 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 been complicated. Her relationships 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 relatives. 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 playboy tendencies as Ahn Dae Man. The one difference was that Kim Dae Gil was a rich playboy while Ahn Dae Man was just a playboy.

Playboys 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 played 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’s complicated.”

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 accident 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 your company, but my guys are pretty talented, too.”

“What about the genetic 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 any company. 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 Islam.”

“SI?”

Most Islamic groups in the Middle East had thug tendencies, but compared to the IS, they were nothing. But a few years back, SI expanded and became even more dangerous than the IS.

“She’s planning 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 because compared to the rest of Africa, Kenya was relatively safe.

“Do you want her to come back to Korea?’

“I feel like that could be my last 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.” f𝐫𝑒𝗲𝙬𝒆𝚋𝐧૦𝘃𝗲l.c𝚘𝘮

“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 advertisement companies 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 planning 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 relative, but she was the owner’s direct heir. The executive committee 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 plane, 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 Cinderella-to-be who went from a student abroad to a successive 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-class 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 succession 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 regular 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 no layovers on chartered planes, but they were going to be on it for at least 12 hours.

Ahn Soo Ho kept his eyes closed and went into his supercomputer.

‘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 still lacking.

The plane 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 were coming.

“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 black people.

With the guidance of a native company, they relocated to a hotel in Nairobi. There were networks 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 place to place, 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 transport companies.

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 black hair, and she was fighting with a black 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 violated 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 black 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 all lacking 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 transport company 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 supercomputer. 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 accident 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 to commit environmental terrorist attacks. What was funnier was that the money he got went straight to a Chinese bank account.

‘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 supercomputer to send Roberto Aquilan 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 and come over here.

Fierce hunting dogs calmed down if one threw them some feed once in a while.

< Protect – Episode 223 – Green Peace [2] > The end.