Chapter 4: If a Chaebol has regressed, is there anything he can't do?

The reckless retaliation of the Chaebol's family has been converted to a paid release.

In the analysis room of the North Vietnamese Army's intelligence unit.

The North Vietnamese Army's intelligence analysis officers are staring intently at the video that Lee Sung-woo testified to, and their expressions are not good. However, the surprising thing is that a U.S. prisoner of war, Private Johnson, is sitting with his head bowed deeply.

"Stupid politicians!"

The intelligence unit officer shouted and abruptly stood up from his seat.

"Lee Sung-woo is using his eyelids to transmit Morse code with different content."

This is the moment when Lee Sung-woo's actions were discovered.

Naturally, Lee Sung-woo is in a dangerous situation.

"The coordinates of the secret prisoner-of-war camp seem to have been exposed."

A junior officer said to the commander of the intelligence unit.

"I knew this would happen from the moment they started making unreasonable demands to South Korea."

The commander's eyes were filled with a murderous intent.

"Yes, sir."

"What are you doing?"

"Sir?"

"Contact the prisoner-of-war camp immediately, move the U.S. prisoners, and execute the rest along with Lee Sung-woo."

"Yes, sir."

A junior officer hurriedly stood up and ran to the military phone, picking up the receiver. This is the moment when another crisis is about to hit Lee Sung-woo.

The reason Lee Sung-woo's actions were discovered by the North Vietnamese intelligence unit is that Private Johnson, who was sitting with his head bowed deeply, had reported him.

In the semi-transparent information visible in Lee Sung-woo's eyes, the unusual aspect of Private Johnson's profile indicates false glory.

Betrayal!

But why is it false glory?

"Commander."

At that moment, a communication soldier who received a wired call called the commander of the intelligence unit with a frightened expression.

"Why?"

"A report from the front-line unit."

"What is it?"

"The South Korean army has started a major offensive northward for some reason."

"Major offensive to the north?"

"Yes, sir. What's strange is that the South Korean army started the major offensive alone."

"Alone? What's going on?"

The commander of the intelligence unit frowned.

* * *

In the courtyard of the North Vietnamese secret prisoner-of-war camp.

I am still beating Lieutenant Smith in this courtyard when three armed North Vietnamese soldiers are running towards me from the camp building.

"Lee Sung-woo, where is that reactionary bastard?"

"Find him!"

"Find Lee Sung-woo!"

The North Vietnamese soldiers are shouting and running towards me.

'Something has gone wrong.'

Was I discovered?

And the person who came to mind was Johnson.

'Johnson is indeed a deep purple.'

At that moment, Johnson was watching us from a distance, and I had thought it was a fatal mistake to underestimate that he could hear me whispering to Lieutenant Smith.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to run towards me like this more than a week later.

"Kill him, kill Lee Sung-woo!"

One of the North Vietnamese soldiers running towards me shouted.

Instantly, Lieutenant Smith and I froze on the spot.

"Sung-woo!"

"Damn, it looks like we've been discovered."

"What are we going to do now?"

"At least you will survive."

It seems I'm done for.

Then?

The sun shining on me cast a shadow from something.

I looked up at the sky and saw military helicopters numbering over ten.

Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!

The armed military helicopters fired M-60 machine guns at the North Vietnamese soldiers.

At the same time, ropes were lowered from the military helicopters, and soldiers rappelled down. The semi-transparent plane in my vision transformed into a three-dimensional form, and blue dots rained down from the sky like a blessing.

Rat-tat-tat! Bang-bang-bang!

At the moment of life and death, the Republic of Korea Airborne Unit came to rescue me, or rather, Lieutenant Smith.

"Sung-woo-!"

At that moment, Lieutenant Smith called out to me loudly.

"Why?"

"Take off that black uniform!"

Bang!

A gunshot rang out.

With the gunshot, I felt a strong pain in my shoulder and fell.

'Damn!'

I was shot by the special forces because I was wearing a black top and pants like the Viet Cong. Fortunately, the bullet only grazed my shoulder.

"Ugh!"

Why am I so unlucky even at the last moment?

"Help, help!"

At that moment, Lieutenant Smith held me in his arms and shouted for help. About 200 special forces soldiers who had parachuted down quickly secured the secret prisoner-of-war camp, and some of them ran towards Lieutenant Smith.

"Smith."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm not dead, I can't die."

"Sung-woo, you're as tenacious as the rose of Sharon you spoke of."

"Say that you are Lieutenant Smith."

"Alright."

After Lieutenant Smith spoke to me, he shouted to the Republic of Korea Airborne Unit special forces running towards him.

"I am Lieutenant Smith!"

The special forces soldier who ran towards him looked at Lieutenant Smith holding me in his arms with a relieved expression.

"Lieutenant Smith?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where Lee Sung-woo is?"

Surprisingly, my name came out of the special forces soldier's mouth.

"Here, in my arms."

After Lieutenant Smith spoke to the special forces soldier, he carefully lifted me up.

"Sung-woo, your country remembers you."

Why is my heart beating so fast at Lieutenant Smith's words?

"Smith, can you come to Korea with me?"

"Why?"

"Smith, Korea is still poor, and your father is a U.S. senator."

"So?"

"I want you to meet your father in Korea."

That way, the reunion of father and son will be more touching.

And it will give Korea a better image.

"Do you want to make your father a U.S. politician friendly to Korea?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sung-woo, you said your brother's country is still poor, right?"

In response to Lieutenant Smith's words, I nodded instead of answering.

"Your first request, which is no different from a brother, I will grant. Sung-woo."

"Why?"

"I'm thinking of going into politics. So Korea might be quite helpful to me."

"Politics?"

"I told you, when I return to the U.S., I will listen to my father and live well."

Thus, Lieutenant Smith and I came to Korea without the U.S. Army knowing, and the remaining U.S. and Australian prisoners of war were handed over to their respective garrison commands.

'Heroic return!'

This is the moment when my teeth are clenched without me realizing it.

* * *

In a special room at the Republic of Korea Army Hospital in Seoul.

A surprising event is unfolding before my eyes.

'Wow, it's the president.'

The person standing in front of me is the absolute ruler and dictator of the Republic of Korea.

I can feel an intense, untouchable presence in his eyes as he looks at me, and he is smiling at me.

From his smile, I can guess how much I have pleased him.

'Will he be my stepping stone?'

If there is no achievement for the Republic of Korea or the president from the rescue operation of Lieutenant Smith, I will be quickly forgotten.

Just like the Korean War veterans.

Somehow, I must now impress the president with my greatness.

"Salute!"

"Bravo! Truly bravo! You are a true hero of Korea!"

My current status is that of a low-ranking soldier who participated in the Vietnam War and has now returned as a hero.

Next to the president is the First Lady, and behind the president, my father is looking at me, the hero Lee Sung-woo, with a proud expression.

"No, sir. I just did what I had to do."

At a time like this, only this kind of response is appropriate.

"How could you think of such a thing in such a dire moment?"

The president asked me with a curious look.

"I did what I had to do as a soldier. Sir!"

I have returned to Korea as a hero from a place that was like hell, Vietnam.

'But.'

My comrades are likely buried somewhere in that village in Vietnam.

"Do you have anything you want to say to me?"

"Sir, all the squad members who carried out the operation with me were killed in a sudden attack by the North Vietnamese regular army."

Until now, the South Korean military command has treated soldiers who do not return from operations as missing.

'Missing and killed in action.'

There is no pension for the families of the missing.

"All squad members were killed in action?"

"They are the real heroes."

Everyone will soon forget them.

'But I must never forget.'

I have the responsibility to remember even the corporal who inadvertently called in the North Vietnamese regular army and to take care of the families of my comrades.

"Yes, they are the real heroes. Minister of National Defense."

"Yes, sir."

"Confirm the list of those killed in action and give them the appropriate honors."

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir."

"Lee Sung-woo's accurate judgment will be of great help to Korea."

The president said to me with a gentle face, and I was surprised.

Lee Sung-woo, sergeant?

Why me?

"Sir?"

When I asked the president impolitely, my father slightly frowned, but the president laughed.

"Haha, it's a special promotion. After you recover, you will serve the rest of your military service at the Blue House."

From a private to a sergeant?

How many ranks is that?

And after recovery, I will serve at the Blue House.

'This is an opportunity for me.'

But even catching a spy gets you a medal, a reward, and six months of special leave from the division commander and the regimental commander, and a helicopter ride home, and I'm going to serve at the Blue House as soon as I recover?

'This isn't right, is it?'

What I want is the reward money that will be the seed money for my business.

'Even catching a spy gets you the value of a Seoul apartment.'

Why am I not getting it?