Chương 361: Chapter 361: I Plan to Kill Gulbudeen
I sprang to my feet upon Ahmed's sudden visit and walked toward the entrance.
"What brings you all the way here, General?"
"Let's discuss that inside first."
"Please, come in."
Ahmed signaled to the mercenaries who accompanied him to stand guard.
"You all wait here."
As Ahmed stepped inside, the mercenaries closed the door behind him.
Once inside, Ahmed surveyed the room before speaking.
"They say this is the best hotel in Kabul, but it doesn't look too impressive."
"Haha, I'm satisfied with it just like this."
"It's fortunate that Kim Mu-hyeok is such a down-to-erth person. But I'd prefer to talk with just the two of us…"
Ahmed glanced at Igor and Manager Ma as he spoke.
From the way he suggested to dismiss the guards, it seemed like a serious matter.
"Um… Is this a confidential conversation?"
"Yes."
"I treasure both of these people here. Even if we talk privately, I'll gladly share everything with them."
A flicker of intrigue passed across Ahmed's eyes before fading away. After a moment of thought, he nodded.
"Alright then."
"Please wait just a moment."
I turned and spoke.
Manager Ma and Igor remained stoic, waiting for orders without any change in expression.
"Manager, please make two cups of coffee, and Igor, turn on the anti-eavesdropping device."
"An anti-eavesdropping device? Is that even a thing?"
Ahmed asked, looking surprised, and I replied with a small smile and a nod.
Igor pulled out a box made of aluminum from under the bed.
Inside were various anti-eavesdropping devices. Igor skillfully pressed a button.
"If you switch this on, it will block any external listening devices."
"Oh! I can't believe such a machine exists… I'm envious."
Ahmed stole a glance at the bag containing the anti-eavesdropping devices, his eyes filled with envy.
Come to think of it, hadn't I heard that the U.S. was monitoring Ahmed?
"Feel free to take it with you when you leave. I'd say you'll make better use of it than I will."
"Is that really alright?"
"I can always get another one."
Ahmed looked satisfied as he shifted his gaze from the anti-eavesdropping bag.
"Shall we sit down for now?"
I took a seat across from Ahmed.
"So, what brings you here? If you needed me, I would have come to you."
"I had something to discuss secretly. It seems that…"
He trailed off, but it was clear he was aware of the surveillance around him.
"The conversation we have here won't leak out. So, don't worry and just speak your mind."
"The conversation we had yesterday must have already reached both the U.S. and the UK."
"I just came from the CIA, and they were already aware of our discussion."
"I expected as much."
Ahmed's mood didn't seem very pleasant as he said this.
"Kim Mu-hyeok, I've made my decison. So, even if the U.S. and the UK conspire against me, I will keep my promise to you. Do you have the confidence to uphold yours?"
"Yes, I'm a businessman. Trust is the most important thing to a businessman. No matter the pressure, I will stick to my promise with you, General."
"I appreciate your words."
Finally, a small smile appeared on Ahmed's face.
"I came to discuss our son's overseas study that we talked about yesterday."
"Have you made a decision?"
Ahmed nodded solemnly.
"My eldest son Ahmed, and even my daughter Fatima, I plan to send both abroad for their studies."
"Your daughter too?"
I asked, surprised.
"I think girls should be educated as well. It's not that men and women should be treated the same, but at the very least, there shouldn't be any barriers to learning."
In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, women couldn't even receive proper education, let alone hold jobs.
The Taliban, claiming to uphold Islamic fundamentalism, enforced more discriminatory policies than other Islamic countries.
It seemed that the newly established regime under Ahmed wouldn't impose discrimination in education at least.
"I understand. I'll make the necessary arrangements."
"And… I'd like the sons of several leaders from the Northern Alliance to be sent for studies as well."
I instantly grasped the underlying meaning in his words.
He meant to use those men's sons as hostages.
"I'll make the preparations."
Accepting without hesitation, I saw Ahmed's lips curve upward slightly.
"Talking with you means I don't have to use many words."
"The stronger the foundation of your position, the more money I can make."
If I know Ahmed, he's likely to end the civil war in Afghanistan.
Moreover, if he holds the families of those who might contest his position hostage, he could implement more progressive policies.
Ahmed's stable grasp on power would also benefit me.
"Then please wait a bit. In three days, I'll have everything prepared to take them away."
"Three days?"
"It's better to send them off as soon as you think about it. Kabul is going to turn into a battleground soon."
A chill hovered in Ahmed's eyes. The storm of purging would soon descend upon Kabul.
"General, even for me, it's going to be tough to complete all the preparations in just three days."
"Just relocate them to a safe place and take your time preparing."
"You really trust me then? What if I decide to take your children hostage instead?"
Ahmed burst into laughter at my question.
"If that were the case, I would have just let you kill me after learning of the terror plot. You don't want me to stabilize Afghanistan, do you?"
"That's true. The best partner for my gains is you, General."
"I'm aware that Hamid is under pressure from the U.S. But that man is a politician with a snake's tongue. He'll never be of any help to Afghanistan's future."
"But he has the support of Western countries. Afghanistan at this time has no choice but to pay heed to them, right?"
If the U.S. and UK troops withdrew, Afghanistan would once again plunge into bloody civil war.
Even if the Taliban retreated, as soon as American forces stepped away, the Taliban factions in Pakistan would swarm into Afghanistan.
"That's something I'll handle. Don't worry about it."
With confidence in Ahmed's voice, I could only nod in agreement.
"Understood."
"Then I'll contact you as soon as everything is prepared."
Just as I was about to let go of Ahmed, who was about to leave, I stopped him.
"General, I found out who attacked me."
Ahmed sat back down, intrigued.
"How did you find out? No, that's not the important part. Who is it?"
"It's a militant group led by Gulbudeen Hekmatyar, known as Hezb-i Islami."
"Ha… That madman."
A curse escaped Ahmed's lips, and I was taken aback by his harsh reaction.
"You know him well, General?"
"He's someone I met at the Youth Islamic Association. He's attempted to assassinate me several times. He's one of the most radical figures, notorious for carrying out massacres. If he's targeting you, it's going to be dangerous."
"I see."
As I replied flatly, Ahmed spoke again.
"His power has diminished greatly, but he's still making alliances with the Taliban to regain strength. He's not someone to be taken lightly."
"I understand. General, Black Bear will no longer handle security duties."
"…"
"I plan to call in more mercenaries. Together with those initially brought in for security, we will kill Gulbudeen."
"You mean you're bringing in more mercenaries?"
I nodded, and Ahmed let out a small sigh.
I could read his worries etched on his expression.
"I understand your concerns. But I have to repay what was done to me. The mercenaries entering Afghanistan with Black Bear are on your side, General. You needn't worry about that."
Considering that mercenaries rarely came out of civil wars unscathed, Ahmed hesitated to grant permission.
"It's a foregone conclusion that many mercenaries will flood into Afghanistan for mining development. We'll need them to secure the mines once they are developed, especially since regular troops can't be used to guard them."
I pointed to Igor beside me.
"Igor will become the commander of the mercenaries coming into Afghanistan. You've seen him around, so I believe you know what kind of person he is. He recently lost five subordinates in the ambush. He's the right man for this job."
After staring at Igor for a while, Ahmed nodded.
His gaze seemed to express approval of Igor's resolve.
"Alright. But civilians must not be harmed."
"Understood."
"How many are you planning to bring in?"
"I'm planning to bring in about a hundred more to the current team. Since they're all former Soviet special forces, that should be sufficient."
"Let's go with that."
With Ahmed's approval, I could now comfortably bring in equipment and mercenaries to Afghanistan.
"Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"Once I return to Korea, I will send food and medical supplies. I'm preparing about two million dollars' worth of supplies."
"It's tough to pay right away."
"This is not a transaction but a gift, General."
"…Thank you."
Ahmed couldn't refuse such an offer.
At this moment, the most urgent need was food and medical supplies.
"Once Kabul Airport opens to civilians, I'll select a contractor to build schools and hospitals, as well as specialists to conduct mineral explorations. However, you will have to guarantee their safety, since the workers will likely be locals once construction begins."
"I won't forget this debt. But you're really withdrawing security from me?"
"Yes. I heard that your soldiers and mercenaries have been having troubles. If we want to establish a proper government now, it's only right that soldiers take on security roles."
It appeared that Ahmed was already aware of the situation and nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll leave one person who can contact Igor directly to stay by your side."
"Sounds good. My subordinates have been clamoring to take over my security anyway."
"That's timely. I'll take note of this and proceed with the transfer of responsibility."
After discussing a bit more, Ahmed headed out of the hotel.
"Phew… I suppose I'll have to postpone the schedule. It looks like a delay of about three days is in order."
"That's fine. But where will you go next?"
I pondered briefly. Where would be a good place to go?
Then I recalled that Han Gyeong-yeong was currently in the UK.
"Let's head to the UK where Han has business. Please contact the British government to secure permission."
"Sure thing."
"If the British government knows Ahmed's son and the sons of the Northern Alliance commanders are coming, they won't have a reason to refuse. Their security can be handled directly by Black Bear's headquarters."
For the UK, it was like a pumpkin rolling in their lap.
Having the families of potential future leaders of Afghanistan, who has a high chance of becoming the president, visiting the UK, would be of immense benefit for them.
I instructed Manager Ma and then told Igor.
"Igor, bring in the mercenaries from Russia. Leave only those who will be providing security while I was in Russia."
"Understood."
"You're more accustomed to Soviet weapons, right?"
"Yes."
"I'll talk with the Russian government about purchasing weapons. Don't worry about the price; just prepare the list of what we need and send it over."
Most of Igor's men were former soldiers of the Soviet Army.
They would be more familiar with Soviet weapons, so it would be better to secure those.
"Most of them are veterans who have fought in the Afghan War."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Even though the Soviet Army disbanded and withdrew, they're people experienced in guerilla warfare against the Afghan resistance, so they'll most likely be very helpful."
I smiled softly.
It's ironic that the very soldiers who invaded Afghanistan are now mercenaries fighting wars again in Afghanistan.
Indeed, you can never guess how things will turn out in life.
Time flew swiftly, and the promised three days had passed.
I contacted Han Gyeong-yeong and instructed him to secure a house for the incoming men, while Manager Ma reached out to the British government to gain approval for their entry.
I also informed the U.S. about their departure. Thankfully, the U.S. didn't oppose their flight to the UK.
Finally, the private jet carrying Ahmed's son and the other offspring took off from Kabul Airport.
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