South Korea doesn't have many local specialties, and Jack couldn't possibly bring back kimchi. Making it himself would at least allow him to precisely control the nitrite content.
So, Korean ginseng and cosmetics were the only gifts he could buy. He also had a few boxes of Yamazaki whiskey and Yanghe liquor. Bringing things through diplomatic channels was quite convenient. While the tax wasn't a problem, the constant scrutiny was quite annoying.
He mainly used Yanghe liquor to soak various fruits, especially bayberry. With plenty of rock sugar, a few drinks could knock out a little Hannah.
Although Jack only stayed in South Korea for a little over a week, when he returned, his fellow Most Wanted members had already gone on another mission, so it was Danny Reagan who came to pick him up.
Jubal's target this time was an art thief. Now that his teammates had mastered their skills, and with Clay around, Jack didn't rush to catch up, choosing instead to stay in New York and focus on his own business.
He was quite busy, mainly because he had more friends now and needed to keep in touch regularly.
For example, Jack sent a few bottles of whiskey to John and Tim, a cosmetics package to Lucy, and both to Angela's family, since her husband, Wesley, was also a longtime friend. He
skipped the alcohol for the elderly, instead giving each family a box of Korean ginseng, as if it were free, with instructions for its use. Besides the Hunters, he also categorized the stern-faced Superintendent Gray as someone who needed to maintain their health.
Of course, his New York friends couldn't be forgotten either. Besides the renowned writer and his detective girlfriend, Stella Bonasiella, who succeeded Uncle Baozi Taylor as head of the CSI New York lab, also received a cosmetics gift.
He also had a large vegetable garden to tend. The garden behind the Most Wanted unit's building had been transformed into a beautiful garden. It wasn't large, but it boasted a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Jack even hired an elderly Mexican man nearby to water and weed while he was away, so now that he was back, he naturally had to get busy.
After the team finished their work and successfully returned, Jack surprised Jiejie and Hannah with two invitations to the New York Fashion Week shows.
He had previously attended the Reagan family dinner and heard Erin Reagan and Danny's wife, Linda, mention attending one of the shows.
It seemed that Linda's niece—the daughter of her fashion-savvy sister, as Danny had said—would be modeling.
Jack had no interest in non-lingerie shows other than Victoria's Secret and thought his involvement in the fashion world would end after sending out the two invitations. But then he received an unexpected phone call.
Red's girlfriend, Lila, was coming to New York for several events, including several shows and a concert called "Fashion Rocks."
Lila was now far more famous than before, and Chris followed Jack's advice. The skits, from the equipment used to the filming techniques, to the camera language and behind-the-scenes editing, adhered strictly to the standards of top-tier American television series.
While this approach placed high demands on the actors and significantly increased filming costs, the effect was remarkably effective, establishing from the outset that skits were not shoddy productions.
Therefore, despite the skit's still earthy plot, making viewers want to dig their toes into the ground, the sheer volume of viewers, coupled with Leila's sweet and charming appearance, quickly garnered her immense popularity, and she is now a major star with a loyal following.
However, as with too much, too little can be detrimental. With more fans comes more trouble, especially since Leila made it clear from the outset that she was already taken. Threatening letters and the like became commonplace.
So, when Leila came to New York, Red, who hadn't had any cases recently, also came along.
Furthermore, knowing someone else was also busy lately, he called Jack specifically, hoping he could spare a few days as a temporary bodyguard.
It was a job Jack couldn't refuse. Not only was his friendship with the BAU team in question, but Leila's current status as the "leading actress" made it his duty to contribute.
Some things are truly unintelligible until experienced. After accompanying Leila on several shows as a part-time bodyguard, Jack discovered how challenging this job truly is.
Besides, protecting his employer safely amidst hundreds of adoring fans, without the use of a gun, is not only physically demanding but also requires specialized skills.
"It seems we need to establish a dedicated security company under the 'Shangri-La' name. How about you, Brian, take charge?"
"Me?" Brian Mills, Leila's bodyguard for over a year, pointed to himself in surprise. He was the bodyguard who looked exactly like Liam Neeson, a veteran CIA agent who had a rare chance to retire safely.
Jack wasn't sure exactly what he'd done before, but he suspected it was related to special operations, protecting high-ranking officials. And it wasn't security work in ordinary settings, but rather in war zones.
Brian Mills's attack style was very similar to Clay's, a ruthless, single-handed strike that defeated the enemy, though his tactics leaned towards Army Special Forces. It was unclear if he'd received Delta Force training.
He was very experienced in security, and even Jack had been completely under his command these past few days, perhaps learning from his duties while assisting.
"I'm just one," Brian Mills hesitated. Over the past year or so with Leila, he'd visited the Wolfe brothers' ranch numerous times and even met Joe Mason, a fellow CIA veteran.
He knew who Leila and he both worked for, and he knew Jack was one of the few people who truly made the calls.
The two of them had been getting along quite well. Jack, a young FBI agent with a somewhat mysterious identity, had impressed him, but they weren't close friends yet, and he wasn't sure why he'd been chosen.
"Do you have any other plans?" Jack asked with a smile. After spending the past few days together, he had already guessed his origins. It was 80% likely the "Taken" series.
Years of overseas missions, separated from his family, led to his divorce from his wife. He had a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old daughter, who was about to become an adult.
After retirement, he chose to settle in Los Angeles. Since his ex-wife had remarried, and she was a very wealthy man, he had given up on trying to save the marriage. He only wanted to spend more time with his daughter before she went off to college, to make up for the fatherly love she had lost while growing up.
(End of this chapter)