I was angry.
The entire time I was with I Seonghun, I was so angry it was hard to hold it in.
I wanted to chew up the I Seonghun in front of me.
I wanted to tear him to shreds.
I wanted to hear his screams, filled with agony.
Even so, I did not.
I held back.
Instead, I gave I Seonghun a path by which he could live properly.
It wasn’t because I liked I Seonghun.
It was because I was worried about Ramil, who would be left behind.
Ramil felt just like me.
Though he had someone called a father, that person was someone he could neither see nor touch.
The existence called a father was the same in that, rather than being any help, he had always been a burden.
Ramil didn’t even know his father existed,
and even if I Seonghun died here, it would not matter to Ramil at all,
but not being able to see someone who exists and not having that person at all are entirely different things.
I wanted to help Ramil.
I wanted to squeeze as much as possible out of I Seonghun.
I wanted to give I Seonghun a life like hell, and Ramil hope.
So I thought.
What if his father sent child support?
What if he continued to send a fixed amount every month?
Wouldn’t Ramil’s life change a little then?
Wouldn’t the expression on his face, as if he were carrying every worry in the world, ease a little?
With that thought, instead of bloody revenge, I gave I Seonghun the punishment of lifelong labor.
Bloody revenge can be had anytime.
At the very least, I Seonghun would not be able to leave Mindanao without my permission.
Ramil would start earning money before long as well,
but what a Filipino teenage mixed-race kid who hadn’t even been able to properly attend school could earn
and what a Korean man in his forties with surveying skills could earn were on entirely different scales.
I hoped Ramil could rest in his father’s shade,
but if that was impossible, I hoped he would grow even by feeding on his father’s blood and flesh.
Rather than I Seonghun’s screams mixed with pain, I chose Ramil’s laughter.
I don’t know whether this is right or wrong.
All that’s left is for each of them to live the newly opened life in their own way.
.
.
.
“Is everyone here?”
For once, all the executives and employees of Candy Group? had gathered.
Sandro, Patrick, Scott, Simon, Dennis, Anna, and even Chen Zhihao.
Edward was excluded because he was busy producing Ascend and because he had no direct connection to this matter.
The Koreans, such as Gang Jaeho, Im Yuna, and O Eutteum, were also excluded.
But unusually, Seo Daehun attended.
First, I apologized to them.
“I’m sorry. I’m not someone who represents the Republic of Korea, but at least as a Korean, I want to apologize to the Philippines. Because of I Seonghun, I learned this time just how many Kopinos there are in the Philippines.”
Kopino.
Kopino is a compound of Korean and Filipino, and it mainly refers to second-generation children born between a Korean father and a Filipino mother.
To put it a little more simply, it was a phenomenon caused by Korean men who came to the Philippines dating Filipino women and then failing to take responsibility even after the woman became pregnant.
They came to the Philippines for travel, business trips, language study, and the like, met local women, and ended up sleeping with them.
Up to that point, it was fine.
There was no problem.
But as a result, children were born.
And it wasn’t even possible to determine how many children had been born that way.
According to recent statistics, there were over forty thousand, but even that was not accurate.
The problem was that no one took responsibility for these children.
It had already become a social issue in the Philippines.
I apologized for that.
I was ashamed enough that I felt I should at least apologize.
I felt I should at least convey that I was sorry.
“I can’t solve the Kopino problem, but I still want to do what I can.”
“What are you going to do?”
Unexpectedly, Sandro asked back cynically.
“First, I want to create a foundation and help people who are struggling in life. Give people who need education the chance to receive it.”
“With what? Money?”
“Mm... Wouldn’t it have to be with money? Or maybe something like vouchers.”
“Have you never considered that that money might go toward their mothers’ drugs?”
“Then instead of paying it directly, we could entrust it somewhere, or pay their tuition fees on their behalf...”
“You’re going to personally manage every single Kopino when we don’t even know how many there are? We’ll end up with even more staff.”
I did not like Sandro’s cynical reaction.
I had thought that if I said I wanted to help Kopinos, Sandro would welcome it and help me.
I had not expected that kind of reaction.
That was why I was even more flustered.
I was at a loss for words.
We had gathered to discuss exactly that.
Perhaps noticing my reaction, Sandro spoke in a slightly softened voice.
“First, I’ll accept your apology. I’m not someone who represents the Philippines either, but... I think I was being a little sensitive. Sorry. But you can’t approach this with such a soft plan. You need to make a better plan. Very meticulously, with two or three layers of safeguards. Only then can the benefits reach them. Otherwise, the moment something goes wrong, the organization, the government, the parents, or if not them, some local thug will snatch the money away. Do you understand what I mean?”
I did.
I knew very well.
It had been that way in Congo.
If you gave a child a chocolate bar because they were cute, they would be beaten and have it taken away because of that.
They would get beaten without even getting a single bite of the chocolate bar.
So later, I made them eat it all in front of me.
It seemed this place was similar.
He was warning me that half-baked benefits and aid could become targets for crime.
“My mother died that way. Shot by a thief who heard the rumor that support money had come into our house. That’s right. I was a Britpino. A child born between a British man and a Filipino woman.”
At Sandro’s words, none of us could open our mouths.
There was no sound in the conference room.
It was filled only with silence.
After hearing Sandro’s words, I could fully understand his reaction.
Sandro had truly wanted to approach this carefully.
He had truly wanted to find a way that would actually help.
I felt a little ashamed of myself for having felt hurt by Sandro, even if only for a moment.
“Sorry, Sandro. I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine. I never told you, so there’s no way you could have known. No need to apologize. And Alex, I want to actively help you with this project. I just don’t want it ending up in the pockets of the wrong bastards.”
“Yeah. I understand. Let’s make a proper plan.”
.
.
.
From then on, we began the meeting in earnest.
Perhaps because of Sandro’s confession, everyone participated in the meeting seriously and actively.
First, everyone agreed to create a foundation.
If money was going to come in and go out, it was necessary to create a single channel.
There were many opinions about what projects the foundation should carry out, and Sandro offered one.
“How about we just make a town?”
“A town? You mean build a village?”
“Yeah. There’s already one in Darapanan, isn’t there? The rebels’ settlement. I think it would be good to make a town like that.”
I was a little taken aback by the scale, which was too large.
“I’m not saying we should build an entire city. First, if we provide jobs, there will be people who come. If we build a school there and teach them, and build a hospital so they can at least receive some treatment, quite a lot of people will probably come. Let’s just create a certain level of infrastructure. Cultivating the place will be up to them.”
As if to prevent misunderstanding, Sandro added to his opinion.
Come to think of it, I had heard that Mindanao’s population had already increased a lot.
Simply because there were jobs that offered insurance and paid salaries.
Creating jobs would not be difficult.
Gang Jaeho and Daeyeon Development were already struggling because they were short on people.
“If we gather them in one place, it could be a comfort in its own way, and we could provide support all at once. I think it might be good. What do you think?”
Now that I thought about it, it seemed like a very good idea.
“Good. Let’s proceed. Then should we build the town in Mindanao?”
“It can’t be too far away, so I’ll look for a site near Zamboanga. And we have to push it forward as a policy of Zamboanga City if we want to receive subsidies and get administrative help. That’s especially true when it comes to attracting a school or a hospital.”
Patrick answered.
“Does anyone else have any opinions?”
“I heard there are quite a few children whose births haven’t been registered. How about checking that and helping them register their births?”
“Could they perhaps acquire Korean nationality? In the Philippines, just having Korean nationality would have tremendous value.”
“Then while educating the children, let’s teach them Korean as well. It would be strange to have Korean nationality but not be able to speak Korean.”
“Let’s provide scholarships to children who study well and send them abroad. To Korea.”
“Since most of their guardians are mothers, I think we need to create many jobs that women can do.”
“I think it would be good to introduce a communal childcare system.”
Various opinions came out.
Every single one of them was a good idea worth keeping.
We decided to proceed with all of them.
Then, out of nowhere, Daehun spoke up.
“But there hasn’t been any talk at all about what we’re going to do with the root cause that made things like this.”
“Huh?”
“I mean the bastards who knocked up women and ran off to Korea. The ones who don’t send child support and pretend they don’t know anything. Shouldn’t we get some child support from those guys too?”
Daehun spoke with a sinister smile.
.
.
.
After a long meeting, things were organized to some degree.
First, we would build the town, and Patrick would handle the administrative procedures.
The town’s construction would be carried out by Gang Jaeho and Daeyeon Development.
Patrick and Simon would look into creating jobs and building factories.
The funds needed for the foundation would be invested by legitimate businesses, such as the casino and resort, TrustBit, Candy Tour, and the construction company.
Originally, I had intended to put in my own money, but Anna opposed it, saying that if once-laundered money came in here, things would become more complicated.
She said that money had to come from normal companies so the funds could be explained, tax benefits could be received, and the value of the brands could be raised.
She said the benefits gained would be far greater.
As for recruiting and verifying the people who would come into the town, Sandro would handle that.
Chen Zhihao agreed to help create a database during that process.
Daehun said he would use the database Chen Zhihao made as a basis to go around finding the babies’ fathers in Korea.
He said he would collect every bit of child support they had failed to pay until now.
******
“Base. This is Echo One. Target spotted. I repeat. Target spotted. Target spotted.”
“Roger. Target confirmed.”
The MSS agents lying in wait at Emerald Resort grew busy.
It was because the target they had been waiting for had appeared.
All the agents were watching the target in case they might lose sight of him.
Team Leader Li Chengwu, who was checking the scene through the cameras, informed all agents over the radio.
“All agents, listen. As of this moment, prepare to execute the operation. Report as soon as you are ready.”
Wuhen Zhuanyun (无痕转运).
The operation, whose name meant transport without leaving a trace, had begun.
At Li Chengwu’s words, the agents became busy.
Not only the agents lying in wait inside Emerald Resort,
but also the agents waiting outside grew busy.
“Alpha Team. Target package preparation complete.”
“Delta Team. Vehicle transport preparation complete.”
“Zero Team. Transport aircraft preparation complete.”
“Ops Team. Ready to execute operation.”
“The operation begins now.”
At Team Leader Li Chengwu’s order, the agents began moving covertly.
******
After the meeting ended, I did not go up to my suite, which was my lodging, but headed for the garden.
And to a place with few signs of people, at that.
Before I came to Bohol, Sandro had said this.
“I’ve been seeing some strange guys lately. From the look of them, they seem like agents. I think they’re probably Chinese agents. So don’t come this way. We’ll go over to you.”
Of course, Sandro and the executives could have come over, but I was curious.
I wondered just what these bastards were trying to do, making such a fuss.
So I said I would come to Bohol.
As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I could tell right away.
The gazes watching me from here and there.
‘Wow~ There sure are a lot of them.’
Still, the meeting came first.
As soon as we finished the meeting about establishing the town in the conference room, I went to the garden.
I had readied my inventory so I could pull out guns, knives, and grenades at any moment.
I was curious how these guys would react.
I also wanted to hear what they had to say.
The moment I turned the corner while walking through the garden,
the moment I was out of sight, people appeared instantly.
I had thought they might appear, but far more people than expected showed up before I knew it.
Without a word, they gagged me and pulled a blindfold over my head.
They tied my hands behind my back and bound my feet with cable ties.
Unable to resist, not even able to get a single excuse out, I was bound.
These bastards must have practiced a lot.
Did they do nothing but practice catching me every day?
With this many people working on one target, things could have easily gotten tangled, yet they bound me with practiced efficiency, not a single motion wasted.
I had expected it, but it was rougher than I thought, so I felt a bit unpleasant.
I thought someone would appear, we'd exchange a few words, and if that didn't work, they'd subdue me.
Then I was planning to pretend I couldn't win and go along with them.
But to bind me without a word first?
I was slightly offended.
Once I couldn't move, they checked my belongings.
They thoroughly searched my entire body for any weapons.
They collected my phone, wallet, cards, and the like, and checked whether a GPS was hidden on my body.
MSS agents, having confirmed there was nothing unusual, loaded me into a clothing collection cart and straight into a van.
The van, already running, began to move at high speed.
The blindfold covering my eyes and my hands tied behind my back were uncomfortable.
And above all, the gag made my saliva keep dripping.
It was my own saliva, but it was filthy.
I had received training for this in the past, but being in this situation after so long was aggravating.
I couldn't even scratch when it itched.
Judging by the direction and speed, the car seemed to be heading to the airport.
It wouldn't be easy to put me on a plane while bound up like this.
I don't even have a passport.
Surely they didn't prepare a plane too?
They prepared a plane just to take me?
If they had that kind of money, they could have just told me to come. I would have been willing to go if they'd bought me a first-class ticket.
The car slowed down, rattled, and eventually stopped.
Were they finally going to take me out?
I was wondering how they were going to move me.
The car started moving again.
But this speed wasn't that of a car.
Much faster.
And this floating sensation.
That thrilling feeling in the back of my knees.
That exact feeling I got when I rode a plane and threw up.
Wow, these bastards really prepared a plane.
It seemed they had loaded the van carrying me straight into a transport plane and taken off just like that.
At this point, I didn't even know anymore.
It would take quite a while to get to China from here. I might as well get some sleep.
.
.
Thud.
A thud rang out—perhaps the fuselage touching the runway.
Soon, the plane let out a screech as it decelerated.
Looks like we had arrived.
I had tried to sleep, but the position was too uncomfortable to rest properly.
Those cheap bastards didn't even give me an in-flight meal.
The moment the plane fully stopped, the van's engine started.
I had no choice but to be moved somewhere again.
Far away. So far.
.
.
"Untie me."
The van arrived, I was dragged somewhere again and seated in a chair, and then a voice was heard from somewhere.
Only then was the blindfold removed.
Bright light flooded in all at once, and I furrowed my brows unconsciously.
Even so, in order to check where this was, I looked inside, squinting if I had to.
Should I call it the reception room of a luxurious house?
Or should I call it an office?
Long sofas faced each other, with bookshelves behind them.
And a large desk was positioned in front of the window.
From the scenery of trees visible outside the window, I could infer that this was the first floor.
Judging by its appearance and size, it was probably one of the safe houses.
The bastards roughly removed the gag in my mouth.
What a bunch of inconsiderate bastards.
I just spat the saliva pooled in my mouth onto the floor.
It couldn't be helped because of the gag.
What did they expect me to do about saliva forming?
The stiff-looking man sitting in front of me frowned at the sight, but didn't say anything.
I sat in the chair, my hands tied behind my back and my feet bound.
Around me, three agents stood about one step away to guard me.
Perhaps thinking the situation had stabilized, the man in front of me spoke.
"You have worked hard to get here. I have something urgent to discuss, which is why I have called you like this."
But I wasn't listening.
In the meantime, I cut the bindings with wire cutters, raised a gun, and fired at the agents guarding me.
*Pew. Pew. Pew.*
Three shots were fired, and the three agents guarding me collapsed.
The man who saw that was startled.
I looked at that man and asked back,
"So what were you saying? What did you say?"