Chapter 655: Can I Solve This?

Whatever is meant to happen will eventually happen in another way.

While my deep involvement changed the future, it also guaranteed that the incident erupted in a different manner.

I did my utmost to ensure the safety of Koreans in Iraq.

This was particularly important as I remembered there had been a kidnapping incident involving Koreans.

Since it could impact my business, I decided to take action preemptively.

I withdrew the employee who had been kidnapped from their company in Iraq and replaced them with another.

I thought that would be the end of it.

But the butterfly effect took its course, ultimately stirring up a tempest that would pull me into the incident.

I had been busy after inspecting the reconstruction site at Eunmi Apartments.

While reviewing documents related to the reconstruction in my study, I received a call from Grandma.

"Oh, Grandma, what's wrong?"

I was a bit puzzled. Grandma rarely called during my working hours.

I usually called her every evening to chat about daily life.

— M-Mu-hyeok.

On the other end of the line, Grandma's voice was urgent.

"What is it, Grandma? Why do you sound like that?"

Unintentionally, my voice rose. I couldn't help but absorb Grandma's anxiety.

— Do you know Mu-gil? Kim Mu-gil.

"Kim Mu-gil? Who's that?"

— That's the guy! The bicycle shop owner who gave you a bicycle at the market. His child is Mu-gil. Don't you remember?

Grandma's description triggered a faint memory I had almost forgotten.

I still couldn't recall who Kim Mu-gil was, but the bicycle shop owner etched in my mind.

He was the kind old man at the market who had lent me a second-hand bicycle when I envied the kids riding around.

I could vividly picture the man with a warm smile teaching me how to ride.

"You mean Byung-geun's uncle?"

— Yeah, that's the one. Does it jog your memory?

"Of course I remember! He came to Grandma's seventieth birthday party last time. But why are you bringing him up all of a sudden?"

— Mu-gil has been kidnapped in Iraq. What are we going to do?

"What? Iraq? Why would Byung-geun's uncle's son be in Iraq? What do you mean kidnapped?"

Considering how much I cared for the safety of Koreans in Iraq, it was shocking to hear of a kidnapping.

No, why was Byung-geun's son even in Iraq in the first place?

It felt like nonsensical words were swirling in my head, leaving me dizzy.

— I wouldn't know. There are terrible rumors going around, and the market is in chaos. The old man came to my house asking my father Myeong-su to help, crying and making a scene.

"It must be hard for Byung-geun's uncle. Alright, I'll look into it and get back to you."

I exhaled quietly at the mention of rumors, trying to calm Grandma.

Fortunately, it wasn't a situation directly involving Grandma. Still, I could clearly picture her anxiousness for someone she knew facing trouble.

After hanging up with Grandma, I immediately called Myeong-su.

— Oh, Mu-hyeok. You got a call too, right?

As soon as I answered, Myeong-su seemed to guess the purpose of my call.

"Grandma called me. What about you?"

— I'm just hearing my dad rant about how it's the nation's duty to protect its citizens. How can they get kidnapped, especially in peacetime? The country's falling apart… I almost bled from my ears from how much he complained.

"What in the world is going on? It's not even in the news."

I start my day by reading all the newspapers and news updates every morning.

But I hadn't seen a single line about it in any media.

— It's under embargo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating behind the scenes, but they say the kidnappers are making unreasonable demands.

"How does Byung-geun's uncle know if it hasn't been reported?"

Myeong-su took a deep breath, sounding frustrated.

— Ha… Don't even get me started. Apparently, the kidnappers even let them contact their house. You've got to be kidding me.

"How long has it been since the kidnapping? Why were they even in Iraq?"

— He worked for an American military contractor in Changwon. It seems he entered Iraq for work. He was kidnapped on his way back from visiting a U.S. military camp and KBR. As far as we've gathered, he's been missing for three days now.

"Three days? What is our government doing about it?"

After a long silence, Myeong-su finally answered hoarsely.

— For now, four Americans were also abducted, and they're negotiating with the U.S. But the U.S. is sticking to its refusal to negotiate with terrorists.

The term 'butterfly effect' wouldn't leave my mind.

I'd worked so hard to prevent this, yet something resembling what happened in a past life was occurring.

The only difference was that the subject involved was now a person I knew.

"The U.S. states they absolutely will not negotiate with terrorists. What about our government?"

— This is a problem that stemmed from the deployment of our troops. If it isn't handled properly, it could severely impact our administration. On a side note, I have my concerns, Mu-hyeok. The victim is Byung-geun's Uncle's son. He's about ten years older than us.

"Oh really? To be honest, I only know Byung-geun's uncle, not his son."

— Same here. Anyway, my dad is making a huge fuss about solving this one way or another.

Myeong-su let out another heavy sigh.

Suddenly, I remembered that the kidnappers had demanded ransom from the company they worked for after the abduction.

"Do they not request for a ransom?"

— No, they've demanded something else entirely. They want companies and troops to retreat. That's a condition we simply cannot accept.

The demand had changed.

Originally, they had wanted a ransom, and when that wasn't met, they sold the hostages to a terror organization.

— What do we do now? I can't remember the last time my dad got this worked up. If this continues, I'll never be able to visit Busan again.

As a member of the National Assembly, it wasn't uncommon for Myeong-su's face to be known in Busan.

If this situation wasn't resolved, it was painfully obvious how he would be treated in such a close-knit community.

"For now, I understand. If there are any updates, share them with me, and I'll reach out to the U.S."

— Sure, look into it. Honestly, when it comes to these situations, I find you more reliable than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After ending the call with Myeong-su, I briefly pondered my next steps.

Gathering my chaotic thoughts, I called in Manager Ma, who was waiting outside.

"Manager Ma, who's the highest authority of Black Bear in Iraq?"

"For Black Bear in Iraq… There's a man named Yuri who was under Igor, responsible there.

"How are things going with them?"

"Most things have settled down, and only sporadic battles have been reported."

The Black Bear team hired from Korea was conducting operations in the combat zones.

In contrast, the troops deployed by Korea were stationed in the relatively safe southern regions.

It was a good method for the South Korean government to safeguard both the safety of the deployed troops and their interests.

"So battles are still happening, I see."

"They say it's mostly guerrilla warfare, rather than full-scale battles."

With Hussein captured, there was no option left but guerrilla warfare.

The Hussein regime had long collapsed, fallen under a military administration imposed by the U.S. and the UN.

However, possibly due to the unique circumstances in the Middle East, the situation was not unfolding like in other nations.

In the Middle East, religion is intertwined with politics, with Shiites and Sunnis fiercely clashing.

Afghanistan had stabilized quickly due to its strong leadership, but Iraq was far from it.

Now that the strong dictator Hussein was gone, various factions were sprouting up in Iraq like mushrooms after rain.

"What about casualties on our side?"

"Luckily, there haven't been any reported deaths yet, but I've heard there are quite a few injuries. I'll report back with the details."

It wasn't an entirely positive report. I nodded and tapped my fingers on the table.

'Can I solve this?'

I wasn't even sure myself.

After all, they were crazy enough to fly planes into a superpower like the U.S.

"Boss, is something wrong?"

As I hesitated to speak, Manager Ma cautiously asked.

"Oh. I heard about the Koreans being kidnapped in Iraq. Apparently, the victim is from our neighborhood. Grandma called me directly and asked me to check, which is quite troublesome."

"Although Grandma asked, is there really a reason for the boss to get involved? This is a matter for the South Korean government to negotiate."

"I know, I know…"

The South Korean government was absolutely helpless to protect the kidnapped man.

Withdrawing troops stationed in Iraq was a condition the government could never accept.

Lives of citizens are, of course, important, but if the South Korean government yielded to the demands of the kidnappers, there would be an increase in cases of Korean citizens being abducted.

This was also why the U.S. refused to negotiate with terrorists.

That said, it was still a burden for South Korea to negotiate independently.

If this fact became known later, it would invite criticism from the U.S. and other nations.

That's why, in my past life, the government had always refused the demands of terrorist groups.

…Is it right to let someone who could be saved die?

Even contemplating this felt hypocritical.

If Grandma hadn't called, I would have likely ignored it too.

"Do you think negotiations will fail?"

"Right now, they're demanding all companies and South Korean troops to withdraw. That's their condition."

"That's a request we can't possibly concede to. The government cannot set a precedent for negotiating with terrorists."

Manager Ma replied firmly. I knew his words were the standard response.

"That's true. So, I'm pondering whether I should step in if the government can't act. I'm just an individual, so I carry less weight."

However, the lingering question was whether my involvement would truly benefit me.

"For now, I should think it over more. Manager, look into contacting Iraq to gauge the situation."

"Yes, boss. I'll reach out right away."

After Manager Ma left, I picked up the phone. Before it rang a few times, the other party picked up.

— Charlie.

I heard Jessica's voice bright and cheerful.

I greeted her back and quickly got to the point.

"Jessica. You're aware that four Americans and one Korean have been kidnapped in Iraq, right?"

— Of course. We're all on high alert because of that situation.

"The U.S. is, by any chance, taking a hardline stance on negotiations, right?"

— Absolutely. We never negotiate with terrorists, even if it's the President who gets kidnapped.

Her uncompromising reply had me shaking my head in disbelief.

I mean, the U.S. had always been this way.

"Have you identified the kidnappers?"

— …Initially, the group was just an ordinary one. They demanded a ransom from KBR and Korean businesses, but when that wasn't met, they sold the hostages to other terrorist organizations.

"They demanded a ransom? The South Korean government hasn't even picked up on that."

They had requested money?

Myeong-su and Jessica's statements contradicted. But I could hardly imagine Myeong-su lying to me.

This meant the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hadn't properly grasped the situation yet.

— Of course. We received a report and have been researching measures for the last week. Our government's stance is that we cannot pay a dime to the terrorists.

A week? That felt odd too.

Surely, our government's intelligence agency couldn't be that inept.

Unless someone was tampering with the information, this should not have happened.

…Has the South Korean government still not shared their information?

To my question, Jessica responded in surprise.

— What? You mean the South Korean government is oblivious?

"I heard during our last conversation that they hadn't requested any ransom."

— Hmm… KBR contacted our government right away. If the South Korean government is unaware, it means the Korean companies haven't relayed the information.

Ugh, this is genuinely frustrating. I had a headache just thinking about missing the opportunity.

How could they complicate a situation that could be resolved with money?

"And what about the identities of the kidnappers holding the hostages?"

— It's 'The Monotheistic Group and Holy War.'

"The Monotheistic Group and Holy War? That's the group I provided information on, and they arrested all the leaders, right?"

The organization Jessica mentioned was one I was already familiar with.

They were the predecessors of IS, a group that threatened the world with terrorism.

In the past, I had given Jessica the location of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the future leader who posed a threat.

I thought they had been eliminated after hearing they had all been captured.

— Correct. They were arrested as suspects in the bombing of the UN's Iraq office. But it seems there are still members remaining. While the leaders were caught, not all of the remaining forces were apprehended.

I tried to cut them off early, yet nothing had changed.

Even with the leader captured, they survived like cockroaches, continuing with their wrongdoings.

Having gained a rough understanding of the situation, I disclosed my purpose in calling Jessica.

"Jessica. Can I step in to negotiate? I'd like to know the U.S. perspective."