The atmosphere was charged with mutual wariness.
Their expressions were displeased. Their plan to conduct negotiations amid the chaos of a surprise raid had been completely thrown off course.
They had no choice but to suspect each other of leaking information.
That was why the battle of nerves grew even more intense, sparks flying.
There was no way Taesu would just stand by and watch such a sight.
Step.
Taesu leisurely took one step forward.
At that exact moment—
Clack-clack-clack!
The muzzles from both camps turned toward Taesu in unison.
President Gu Seungheon and Squad Leader Sam’s eyes narrowed at the same time.
Taesu, on the other hand, calmly looked from side to side and said,
“You’re aiming guns at me.”
“……”
“……”
Neither side said anything.
That was the end of speaking nicely.
Taesu’s expression turned cold in an instant as he growled in a low voice.
“Are you pointing guns at an NGO doctor under an NGO flag?”
Step.
Taesu took another step toward the center.
It was no different from sticking out his stomach and telling them to shoot if they dared.
The officers on both sides glared sharply at each other.
After a brief contest of stares, they slowly raised their fists at the same time.
“@$@#.”
“##$$.”
They spoke in different languages.
The soldiers on both sides simultaneously slung their rifles over their shoulders.
But Taesu was not satisfied with just that.
“The hero of Ijambak, the one you both said you would not oppose, is none other than me, Doctor Choi Taesu.”
“……”
“Do you still not understand why I’m saying this?”
Taesu pressed both sides with a clear, ringing voice.
It was the first time he had ever made such active use of his own nickname.
He might have seemed like an arrogant doctor, swollen with pride.
That was exactly what Taesu wanted.
He had no humility to show them.
At this moment, he had to be a bold doctor full of nerve and confidence.
The officers on both sides exchanged another glance.
It was not that they had been overwhelmed by Taesu’s momentum.
But they had heard plenty of rumors.
Complete disarmament.
After the Ijambak incident, it had become an unwritten rule under the NGO flag.
And the very person involved in that incident was standing before them.
At the same time, their enemy was in the same place.
With even the bare minimum of trust broken, they seemed hesitant to lay down their arms.
Taesu had no intention of taking their circumstances into consideration.
He immediately made the first move.
“I understand what both sides want. From this moment on, the NGO flag will not be lowered.”
Whisk.
Taesu turned around without saying it twice.
And he did not stop there.
Glance.
He immediately gave President Gu Seungheon and Squad Leader Sam a look.
The two of them turned around as well.
If they entered the tea-leaf storage warehouse like this, the negotiations themselves would be as good as canceled.
The officers on both sides were conflicted.
If the negotiations broke down, a gunfight could break out right here.
With them so close to each other, no one could guarantee their life.
But if they followed along as demanded, their pride stood in the way.
Taesu had already arrived in front of the tea-leaf storage warehouse.
Click.
He twisted the doorknob.
‘These bastards.’
Their insistence on clinging to their pride to the bitter end was unpleasant.
Taesu, too, was ready to go all in.
Just as he was about to open the heavy front door—
Perhaps the Indian officer had less patience, because he spoke first.
“Doctor Choi, wait.”
“……”
Taesu merely stopped where he was.
Taking that as acceptance, the Indian officer continued.
“We have heard plenty of rumors about Doctor Choi, and we came here because we believed you were someone we could trust. But we cannot trust them.”
“It seems India has a strange habit of cutting off other people’s words.”
The Pakistani officer’s sneer rang out.
At that, the Indian officer bristled.
“Shut that mouth, you shameless Pakistani lackey.”
“It seems even uncivilized fools still have mouths that work.”
“What did you say? How dare a lowly wretch like you!”
“An uncivilized Indian calling someone of the same class lowly.”
The insults between the officers on both sides grew increasingly crude.
It was then.
Thud!
Taesu struck the door, making a loud sound.
Then he turned around, his expression frighteningly cold.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“……”
“……”
Neither officer said a word.
Taesu immediately spoke to Squad Leader Sam.
“Doctor Sam, please open the door wide.”
“Understood, Doctor Choi.”
Creak.
The sliding doors on both sides opened wide inward.
Taesu looked back and forth between the officers and said,
“If you intend to negotiate, disarm and come inside.”
“……”
“Otherwise, you may leave. Then.”
Smoothly.
Taesu turned away again.
Then he respectfully guided President Gu Seungheon.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s.”
“Doctor Sam.”
“Yes, Doctor Choi.”
Step, step.
The three of them left the door open and went inside.
Then they took seats at the negotiation table.
Now the decision had passed into their hands.
Moreover, by announcing it and sitting here, they had gained justification.
‘Taesu wanted negotiations, but the forces on both sides refused.’
That justification could also remove the restrictions tying the PKO’s hands.
Taesu spoke quietly, so that only the two of them could hear.
“It’s fine even if it ends like this.”
“I’d honestly prefer that.”
Squad Leader Sam was openly showing his desperation.
President Gu Seungheon, on the other hand, was cautious.
“……”
He seemed at a loss as to where these negotiations, which had not even begun, would end up.
And so, the three of them began to wait.
A short while later.
Through the wide-open warehouse door, the Indian officer entered first.
Step, step.
Surprisingly, he was alone.
Squad Leader Sam sharply checked the rear and whispered,
“The soldiers outside have not lowered their guns.”
“That must be because the Pakistani forces are right in front of them.”
“Didn’t you tell all of them to disarm?”
“Tell them to shoot if they want to.”
Taesu lifted one corner of his mouth slightly.
At that moment, Squad Leader Sam’s eyes sank coldly.
Because Taesu’s words had sounded chilling.
Right now, even the sound of a single gunshot could become justification for the PKO to intervene.
After their whispered conversation ended—
Step.
The Indian officer approached the negotiation table.
Taesu was currently seated in the center, facing the entrance. Empty seats had been prepared on his left and right.
The officer looked over the empty seats in turn and asked,
“Where should I sit?”
“Wherever you feel comfortable.”
“Very well.”
The Indian officer took the seat on the right.
Only after that—
The Pakistani officer entered the warehouse as if he had been waiting.
It seemed he had deliberately come in after a slight delay.
He soon took the seat on the left.
With that, everyone needed for the negotiations had taken their places.
A heavy atmosphere naturally hung over them.
There was no significant change in the expressions of Taesu, President Gu Seungheon, or Squad Leader Sam.
At least the waiting time had not been long, which was fortunate.
Still, Taesu made sure to point out one thing.
“Neither side disarmed until the very end.”
“Ahem.”
“Hm.”
Both sides roughly glossed over their answers with fake coughs.
One rebuke was enough.
Taesu had no intention of dragging things out by nitpicking.
“I will assume that you are important people with the authority to make decisions regarding everything discussed here.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
The moment the Indian officer answered—
Taesu pressed him once more.
“I would like a clear answer. Do you have decision-making authority?”
“I am Major Mohandas, chief of staff, here after being entrusted with full authority by the battalion commander.”
He formally introduced himself.
The fact that he revealed even his position and rank meant this was an official occasion.
After speaking, he lightly stroked the upturned ends of his mustache.
It seemed like a habitual gesture.
And it appeared the Pakistani officer had the same stance regarding this being an official occasion.
“I am Major Rashmika, operations staff officer.”
His face, like his manner of speech, was clean-shaven and neat.
To be honest, Taesu did not really register their names.
No matter what they said, it was easier for his mind to simply think of them as the Indian officer and the Pakistani officer.
Separate from that, it was now time for them to introduce themselves as well.
Taesu started first.
“We will introduce ourselves formally as well. I am Doctor Choi Taesu, affiliated with the NGO.”
“I am Doctor Sam.”
“I am Gu Seungheon, representative of the village.”
As they introduced themselves in turn, the officers responded with light nods.
Of course, this was not a meeting arranged for introductions and tea.
It was time for a serious conversation to begin, under the same heavy atmosphere.
Taesu first made his own position clear.
“Yesterday, due to an unfortunate incident, casualties occurred, and the NGO was dispatched.”
“Ahem. That was clearly because they—”
The Indian officer reflexively began to answer, but the Pakistani officer cut him off.
“Have you come all the way here just to slander and fabricate?”
“Are you saying our soldiers lied to me?”
“If the leadership makes a habit of lying, the soldiers can only watch and learn.”
“How dare you spout nonsense with that mouth of yours?”
The battle of nerves that had begun outside continued with even greater intensity.
Taesu narrowed his brow and lightly struck the table.
Tap.
“If you’re going to be like this, why did you come all the way here?”
“……”
“Set your emotions aside for a moment.”
Taesu advised them in a low voice.
The Indian and Pakistani officers nodded slightly.
“Understood.”
“I agree with Doctor Choi’s opinion.”
Both sides chose to exercise a suitable degree of patience.
That was a hopeful sign.
It showed that they were not treating this meeting lightly.
Once calm returned, Taesu continued.
“In that engagement, one resident died and two were seriously injured. There were also many lightly injured.”
The moment Taesu finished speaking—
Tremble.
Beside him, President Gu Seungheon’s shoulders shook faintly.
Negotiations or not, he must have wanted to overturn the table right then and there.
The expressions of the officers on both sides, however, changed slightly awkwardly.
“Is that so?”
“Mm. We have not yet properly assessed the extent of the damage.”
They subtly averted their gazes as they answered.
That meant it was a lie.
Even if not precisely, they must have had some grasp of the casualties.
It was an obvious lie, but Taesu did not waver in the slightest.
The purpose of this meeting mattered more.
“There was no guarantee that the same thing would not happen again.”
“……”
“That is why I and the NGO doctors have decided to remain until we are certain the villagers are safe.”
Taesu thus announced the NGO’s position.
It was authority entrusted to him by Brad Kim, the head of the helicopter medical team.