"One billion dollars?" Jiang Zhentai's eyes nearly popped out, but he noticed Jack and Ma Xidao, who sat across from him, remained unresponsive. "You all know?"
"Tell me about your plans." Jack noticed Lin Zheling hadn't finished.
"I asked colleagues back home to conduct some private investigations, and they've uncovered some clues. That individual secretly sent his family to the University of Tokyo a week ago. His wife and two sons are likely already on a plane bound for a country in Northern Europe."
Although his words were somewhat cryptic, everyone except the somewhat bewildered Park Min-young could tell he was referring to a high-ranking official who was about to visit South Korea.
"But there's no evidence right now. I'm just a lieutenant colonel. Suspecting anyone at random would only result in me being recalled to China for investigation.
And there's no time left. The delegation will arrive the day after tomorrow morning, so I need..."
"I need Zhang Mingjun alive. You want a confrontation?" Jack was puzzled. This guy hadn't seemed so naive before.
"The hotel where the delegation is staying will undoubtedly be thoroughly searched and cleared of any possible eavesdropping devices. But I'm one of us, and I'm the hero who captured Zhang Mingjun, so I won't be suspected."
Lin Zheling outlined his plan, his usually proud eyes now tinged with a rare pleading look.
"What good would that do to us? If you claim he's not a traitor and then take Zhang Mingjun back north, we'll be completely helpless."
Jack spread his hands, practically stating the current lack of trust between the two sides.
"The ten billion dollars is yours, and as for Zhang Mingjun's subordinates, including Kim Cheol-su, I must prioritize eliminating the possibility of traitors for the United States."
Frankly, Jack had no interest in such a deal. Ten billion dollars might seem like a lot, but that's only for individuals or impoverished countries.
From a national perspective, whether it's the US or South Korea, it's truly a pittance. After all, a single Air Force mug costs $1,280. Ten billion dollars wouldn't even be enough to buy a squadron of F-35 fighter jets.
Well, actually, South Korea should still care. After all, the military expenditure paid to the US military stationed in South Korea is only this much.
But Jack had no interest in the money that would not reach his hands. He waved his hand generously, "The money is not important. How about this? As long as you guarantee that Zhang Mingjun will not survive for more than a year under any circumstances, I will agree to cooperate with you.
Of course, the premise is that you also cooperate with our operations. I will install a bug on you and monitor it myself. If it is confirmed, you will deal with your traitors and I will deal with Zhang Mingjun myself.
I will not let go of the VX poison and those who can produce it."
"Deal!" Lin Zheling's eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he decisively extended his hand to Jack. "Even if Zhang Mingjun is not sentenced to death, I will find a way to send him to meet the innocent souls he killed."
"Hey." Jiang Zhentai had just finished calculating how many zeros there were in Korean won to make up one billion US dollars. Seeing the two men shaking hands, he couldn't help but look confused.
"We don't even have a clue where Jang Myeong-jun is right now. Isn't it a little early for you to speak now?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Xidao, who had been listening to the two men's "business" discussion with great interest, put down his glass with a thud, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a business card, which he handed to Kang Jin-tae.
"We've already investigated. The money is in the hands of a second-generation chaebol named Michael Joe. Jang
Myeong-jun will meet him at the nightclub he owns tomorrow night." Kang Jin-tae frantically took the card and saw it was for a nightclub called "Chroma. "
Park Min-young, who was sitting next to him, also leaned over and, seeing the name, gave a meaningful "oh!" "It's 'Chroma'."
"I'll go get a search warrant right away," Kang Jin-tae said, reaching for his phone, but froze in his pocket under the stares of the crowd.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, you mean to keep this a secret from the higher-ups, right? Then we'll just have to find a way to sneak in, haha, haha."
Park Min-young patted his shoulder, her pretty face filled with disdain. "Hey, brother-in-law, you've never been to a nightclub, have you? VIPs hang out in the private rooms. It's no use sneaking in; you won't even see anyone."
"Huh? Is that so?" Jiang Zhentai looked at everyone.
Stanley, who had remained silent the entire time, relying entirely on Jack's whispered simultaneous interpretation, nodded in unison.
—The
next night, everyone gathered in the parking lot not far from the "Chroma" nightclub in Cheongdam-dong.
Dressed like a waiter in a white shirt, black vest, and a small bow tie, Jiang Zhentai looked left and right, his soul questioning him.
"Hey, why are you all disguised as guests and going through the front door, while I have to sneak in through the back door dressed like this?"
Park Min-young, dressed in a long beige coat, affectionately embraced Lin Zheling, also in a high-end suit, and winked at her brother-in-law.
"Come on, even if you were dressed formally, security would still stop you. What middle-aged man would go to a nightclub with young people like you?"
Jiang Zhentai's eyes swept over the people in front of him. Although his sister-in-law was a bit of a spendthrift, her looks and figure were definitely impressive. Standing
next to Lin Zheling, they were the epitome of handsome man and beautiful woman. Next to Jack was the mysterious Anna. Her aura transformed the red carpet at the entrance of the nightclub into more than just a welcoming red carpet; it was a catwalk specially prepared for her.
Seeing his gaze finally land on him, Ma Xidao snorted in dissatisfaction, puffed out his chest, and stood behind Jack and Anna
. His chubby face trembled a little, and he muttered in response to his question, "Isn't it okay for me to be a bodyguard?"
Jiang Zhentai was choked and speechless.
"Zhang Mingjun and his men are wanted, so they may not come through the main gate, so your mission is also very important." Jack patted his shoulder and said soothingly.
Stanley was a little worried. After holding it in for a long time, he finally couldn't hold it in and asked Jack in English.
"I have a question. Are we truly safe with just these few people? While the FBI is short-staffed locally, we can ask the military to send in some help.
Once we find that Zhang, we can simply surround the area."
"What happens after that? The military's direct deployment to seal off the explosive factory already alerted the South Koreans, and we can't guarantee that Zhang Mingjun won't show up with a small amount of VX.
What if he finds no escape route and uses the agent to create chaos in a room with nearly a thousand people gathered? What should we do?" Jack asked with a smile.
Stanley looked at the long line outside the nightclub, imagined the devastating scene, and swallowed subconsciously.
"Come on, Doc. If anything goes wrong, we're counting on you," Jack said, patting the Suburban.
As they had previously agreed, Stanley would remain behind, and the Suburban was loaded with a large barrel of prepared neutralizer and a spray system.
Although the chemical weapons expert estimated that it would take at least three days to complete the final synthesis of VX, who could guarantee that Zhang Mingjun didn't have any pre-prepared samples?
(End of this chapter)