Chapter 516: Side Story 4. The Wheat Grain of Syria (2)

Side Story 4. The Wheat Grain of Syria (2)

A young man with a chubby build sat in a dimly lit room.

He spoke in a terrified voice.

"My name is Oh Yun-il. I came to Syria for missionary work as a missionary of the New World Church. Because Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon said this is the region most alienated from the gospel. I served in the military with CEO Kang Jin-hoo of OTK Company in the past."

Oh Yun-il wept as he rambled on about training with Kang Jin-hoo and living in the barracks together.

He burst into tears and said.

"CEO Kang Jin-hoo! No, Jin-hoo. Please save us. I beg you like this. You are my comrade who served in the military with me, and my best friend. Only you can save us all. We want to go to Korea! Please help us so we can return alive! Sob!"

***

[Syria Abductee Oh Yun-il Confirmed to be Kang Jin-hoo's Military Senior]

[Known to Have Served with Kang Jin-hoo for Over a Year]

[Al-Syria Demands 50 Million Dollars Ransom for Hostages!]

[Will World's Richest Man Kang Jin-hoo Step Up to Save His Friend?]

As Al-Syria released the video via the internet, media outlets poured out articles, and comments ran down below them.

- What? Why is Kang Jin-hoo's senior there?

- Is he really Kang Jin-hoo's best friend?

- Of course. He said he's his direct senior. Then how close must they have been?

- LOL this guy hasn't served in the military.

- Everyone claims to be close to Kang Jin-hoo~

- Ahem! Relationships met in the military end in the military! How dare you pretend to be close?

- Trash reporter. If you have a brain, think about it. It's a well-known fact that the New World Church is anti-government, anti-progressive, anti-Kang Jin-hoo, and anti-OTK, so would Kang Jin-hoo's friend join there?

- Hehe, they prayed all night for Kang Jin-hoo to go bankrupt during the last global economic crisis.

- Hello. I am a junior who served with Kang Jin-hoo for 5 months. Oh Yun-il is 2 months senior to Kang Jin-hoo. Those who have served in the military know, but there is a law of conservation of advisors in the military. There is always an advisor in every unit, making people around them suffer. Oh Yun-il was the representative advisor of our company. It's amazing that Kang Jin-hoo didn't beat him to death. He even went to the brig for 5 days for harassing juniors, but I'll reveal now that I reported him through the wish repair. Jin-hoo hyung! I did well, right?

- F*** what is the law of conservation of advisors? Acting like an advisor even in society LOL

- This company commander is disappointed in Oh Yun-il!

- So, is Kang Jin-hoo really going to pay the ransom? Isn't 50 million dollars pocket change for Kang Jin-hoo?

- Absolutely not. This isn't a matter of whether Kang Jin-hoo has a lot of money or not. If he starts giving money once, they'll kidnap Korean residents and tourists all over the world and ask Kang Jin-hoo for money.

- Not negotiating with terrorists is international common sense. And leaving that aside, you don't save your military senior. Those who served, agree?

- Yeah, agreed.

***

The lives of hostages are at stake.

Reporting on such matters must be done with extreme caution. However, Korean media outlets continued with sensational reporting.

They set out to interview survivors of the Pond Church who were held hostage and the families of the deceased, asking how the Pond Church Afghanistan hostage crisis was handled, who negotiated, how much was spent, and so on.

Conservative media outlets used this as an opportunity to attack the government.

[Heo Chang-min Government's Diplomatic Failure, Repeating Again?]

[Must Not Repeat the Failure of the Pond Church Incident]

[Vivid Interview with Survivor Kidnapped by Taliban]

[Voices High That President and Kang Jin-hoo Should Be Responsible If Hostages Die]

Reporters flocked to the New World Church.

"Why on earth did you send a mission team to Syria?"

"Didn't you know it would be dangerous?"

"Does the church have any countermeasures?"

"Didn't you know it was illegal?"

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon waved his hand and said.

"This is the fault of the government for not preventing the departure. If it's a dangerous area due to war and civil unrest, shouldn't they have restricted passport usage to prevent entry before asking 'why did you go there'? Since this happened because the government didn't properly publicize that Syria is a travel-banned country, the government should take responsibility."

"Then are you saying you went without knowing it was a travel-banned country?"

"How would we know that?"

Then a reporter held out a smartphone.

"This is a photo posted by one of the mission team members on social media. If you look, the mission team took a picture together in front of the travel ban notice at Incheon International Airport. Doesn't that mean they went knowing Syria was a travel-banned country?"

It was irrefutable evidence.

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon said, flustered.

"N-no, I mean, this is all because of Kang Jin-hoo."

"Excuse me? Why...?"

To the flustered reporter asking, he shouted even louder.

"Because Kang Jin-hoo made a lot of money, rumors spread even to the Middle East that Koreans have a lot of money! Isn't that why our church members were kidnapped? Kang Jin-hoo must take full responsibility for this incident. For our brothers and sisters who are in danger after going to preach the gospel to pagans, we will hold an all-night prayer meeting in front of the OTK Company headquarters starting today. What salvation is there without prayer? We will pray until Kang Jin-hoo pays the ransom!"

***

People from the New World Church flocked in front of the OTK Company headquarters.

They even hung up a banner saying 'Prayer Meeting for the Rescue of Syria Kidnapped Mission Team'.

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon shouted holding a microphone.

"I am currently preventing the church members from being killed with the power of the Holy Spirit. Dying is martyrdom, but if I say 'don't kill', even the terrorists can't kill recklessly. If they kill, I will erase them from the Book of Life! To avoid being erased from the Book of Life, they must listen to me unconditionally. I live grabbing Muhammad by the collar. Muhammad, freeze! Muhammad, if you mess around, I'll kill you!"

Even amidst this, they collected offerings under the pretext of saving the mission team.

"Hallelujah! This is an offering to save our brothers and sisters. Please give generously!"

The families of the abductees appealed while bursting into tears.

"Oh my! CEO Kang Jin-hoo! Please save our daughter!"

"CEO Kang Jin-hoo has a lot of money!"

"Isn't human life more important than money?"

"Sob! Please let our only son return safely!"

"Please save our Yun-il, CEO!"

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon shouted at the top of his lungs.

"We can save our brothers and sisters if we just pay the money! 50 million dollars is only the cost of a meal for Kang Jin-hoo! Yet he is consistently ignoring it. I will write a blood letter to Kang Jin-hoo!"

In front of the media cameras, Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon put his finger in his mouth and bit it.

"Ugh!"

He frowned as if in pain. Then, a deacon waiting next to him quickly bandaged it and handed him a paper cup containing liquid.

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon dipped his finger in it and began writing on the cloth.

A passerby watching the scene said.

"The color is a bit strange."

"Why is the blood so yellow?"

Flustered, Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon said to the deacon.

"Not enough. A little more mercurochrome."

***

Taek-gyu looked down at the scene and blinked his eyes.

"That kind of performance should be done in front of Muhammad Sheikh Al-Khalid in Syria, why do it here?"

"I don't know."

"Why are they waving the Korean flag and the American flag?"

"I don't know."

"But why is the color of the blood letter like that? Someone might think he just pretended to bite and wrote with Povidone-iodine."

"Yeah."

I sighed looking at the abductee families praying and crying. With their family held by a terrorist group, how must they feel?

They would just hope for a safe return regardless of who pays the money.

Still, I don't like the attitude as if it's natural for me to pay. Some media outlets, including Chosun Ilbo, were already writing articles with such a tone.

"If they really want the hostages' safe return by paying the ransom, shouldn't the church, the families, and they themselves empty their assets first to gather money, and then ask for the remaining amount?"

"Because everyone's money is precious to themselves."

What if I pay the money and save the hostages? Will they praise me for doing well?

Not at all. At that time, they will claim it was thanks to their hard prayers. If they die, it's my fault; if they return safely, it's their merit?

PR Team Leader Jung Gi-hong came in and said.

"People from the New World Church are trying to push in at the entrance, insisting on meeting the CEO. Domestic and foreign reporters are also gathered in front."

This kidnapping incident was already a global issue. Because a whopping 21 people were taken hostage, and a terrorist group is threatening me to pay money.

"It's a situation where I have to state my position somehow."

I nodded.

"Tell the reporters and Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon to come in. I'll talk in the lobby."

***

I went down to the lobby.

Reporters had already taken their places, and Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon had come in. Snow-white hair and a benevolent expression.

Judging by appearance alone, he looks like a kind-hearted pastor. I've seen him a few times on video, but this is my first time meeting him in person.

The current scene is probably being broadcast live worldwide.

I extended my hand first.

"Welcome, Pastor."

"Ahem, nice to meet you."

He grasped my hand. I saw a bandage wrapped around his index finger.

I held onto that hand and said.

"I saw you writing a blood letter earlier. The wound might get infected, so it would be better to treat it immediately. Fortunately, there is a doctor residing in our company. Let's unwrap the bandage and disinfect it first."

"W-wait."

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon tried to pull his hand away, but I unwrapped the bandage around his finger before he could. The revealed index finger was surprising.

"There's no wound. And no blood."

Reporters diligently took pictures of the scene.

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon said, flustered.

"N-no, I heal quickly!"

"You didn't just pretend to bite?"

Perhaps having nothing to say, Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon shouted as if arguing.

"That's not what's important right now! Our brothers and sisters who went to spread God's gospel in the Islamic region are in danger of losing their lives. Among them is CEO Kang Jin-hoo's friend. CEO Kang Jin-hoo bears a very large responsibility for their arrest."

"I didn't send them to Syria to do missionary work, so what do you want me to do?"

At my words, he raised his voice.

"Is money important, or is human life important? For those who choose money over life, only hell awaits!"

So the question is why are you asking me to pay that money.

"I heard your good words well. You're saying human life is more important than money, right?"

"Of course! There is nothing more important in this world than the life God gave!"

"I see."

I nodded and said to Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon.

"Then Pastor, you pay just 2 billion won."

At my words, he was surprised.

"2 billion? What does that mean?"

I said as if it was obvious.

"As you said, Pastor, isn't life more precious than money? If you put up just 2 billion won to save the lives of the church members, I will pay the remaining amount of over 50 billion won."

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon shouted angrily.

"Where would I have 2 billion won!?"

"I saw you live in Eunsung Apartment in Apgujeong, wouldn't just selling the house bring 2 billion won? You can sell that and pay."

"What? If I sell the house, are you telling me and my family to sit on the street?"

"Wouldn't the lives of 21 church members be more important than a house? Are you saying you don't care whether the church members die or not for the comfortable life of yourself and your family?"

"Why are you telling me to pay that money!?"

"Then why are you telling me to pay?"

"Th-that is... an apartment worth over 2 billion won doesn't sell that easily! Do you know how hard it is to sell real estate these days?"

I nodded as if sympathizing.

"I will buy it. Knowing that, I prepared a real estate sales contract. Just sign it, and I will deposit 2 billion won immediately."

"W-what?"

"There is no time. Will you take responsibility if all the mission team members die because you didn't pay just 2 billion won?"

Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon shouted even louder.

"No, why should I take responsibility for that!?"

"Then why are you telling me to take responsibility?"

"W-what?"

I put on a look of regret and said.

"Since Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon here said he couldn't pay 2 billion won because his Apgujeong apartment is more important than the lives of the church members, we are unable to pay the ransom to Al-Syria. It's truly regrettable. It's easy for anyone to push others to do missionary work in a country at civil war while staying in a safe place themselves. Similarly, anyone can force others to pay money while having no intention of paying a penny themselves. Please write it clearly in the article. If the hostages die, it's not because I didn't pay, but because Pastor Bang Jeong-hoon didn't pay."

***

TL/n Notes:

"Advisor" (Gomungwan) is Korean military slang for a soldier who is clumsy, slow-witted, or generally incompetent, often causing trouble for others.