Sooho

Chapter 218: < Protect – Episode 208 – Trip To Europe [4] >

“Where have you been all day, Soo Ho?”

Once Ahn Soo Ho got back to his hotel, he was met with Rosaline who was looking after Hannah instead of her birth mother and grandmother. Just like his underlings, he had known Rosaline for a long time. That was because he had been to the law firm that she had worked at before. It was possible that he knew Rosaline before Logan did.

Hannah ran and gave Ahn Soo Ho a hug. For a six or seven-year-old girl, she was either overly friendly or had no fear. To put it nicely, she had nerves, and to put it frankly, she had already been grazed. The adults didn’t want to acknowledge it, but she had already caught on that Logan wasn’t her birth father.

‘She’s the child version of Alexa.’

She reminded him of Alexa when she was a teenager. He had bought her a new stuffed bear to replace her old worn-out one. She smiled as if she was happy, but she contemplated since she shared many ups and downs with the old bear.

Was it for about 5 seconds? She contemplated for a long time for a kid. Hannah switched over to a new boyfriend and didn’t care for her old one. The old bear was thrown into the trash can. While Hannah bonded with her new stuffed toy, Rosaline vented to Ahn Soo Ho.

“What are you going to do about my little brothers?”

“What do you mean?”

“The second eldest probably won’t get promoted, and the third eldest might end up losing the director position.”

“So you’re worried after all.”

The Young family was more tightknit than most American families. Even the closest siblings didn’t worry about each other’s jobs, but since these siblings didn’t have parents, they took care of each other extra well. After all, even the most easygoing, Logan used Ahn Soo Ho’s name to pose influence in Washington D.C.

Ahn Soo Ho sighed deeply.

“You guys are so hot and cold.”

“What does that mean?”

“Never mind. I’ll resolve it.”

“Great. Then that’s that. But what about Christine?”

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t they just resolve it themselves?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Unlike Caroline, Christine’s background isn’t so strong.”

“So?”

“Support her, Soo Ho.”

Ahn Soo Ho sighed once more.

“See? It’s not that easy.”

“Why? Does your wife get uncomfortable if you get involved with other women?”

“That’s...”

Ahn Soo Ho trailed off. Come to think of it, he hadn’t talked to Jang Seol Hyun in over 24 hours. He took out his phone. Rosaline looked mad at him for making a call in the middle of their conversation, but she didn’t say anything.

Jang Seol Hyun picked up.

“Soo Ho?”

“Hey. How have you been?”

“Not bad. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Do you... want to come here soon?”

Ahn Soo Ho was about to say he was going back soon but then changed his mind.

“Where are you?”

“Paris.”

“Why Paris? Didn’t you say you were going to the mainland?”

“That’s all settled now.”

“Hm. I don’t know about Europe... I’ll just stay here.”

She acted like she was turning him down, but knowing her tendencies, Ahn Soo Ho begged her further.

“Come on. Come. I miss you.”

“Oh yeah? Then I guess I have no choice. Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

“Great. I’ll tell the guys, so come safely.”

“Okay.”

Jang Seol Hyun hung up with a smile on her face. Rosaline didn’t understand Korean, but she caught on from his gestures and way of speaking.

“Why are you making weird sounds, Soo Ho?”

“Single people wouldn’t understand.”

“Marriage changed you.”

The Ahn Soo Ho Rosaline remembered looked at women as if they were rocks rolling down the street. She first thought he was gay, but that was definitely not the case. Many women were desperate to win him over while he just looked at them as if they were weird.

Rosaline observed Ahn Soo Ho carefully.

Was he handsome? Not at all.

What about his wealth? It wasn’t bad.

Then his physique? That was the only part she liked.

Ahn Soo Ho didn’t act like a bad guy just to get women. He was actually a bad guy. If he didn’t like a man or a woman, he just kicked them to the curb. He didn’t care about age, race, or nationality. She had even seen him reject Victoria Rain, who was a beautiful actress from Hollywood.

That was the first time she realized he could reject a woman that all females wanted to be and all men chased after. She had no idea any man with a penis could be like that.

Some crazy Saudi prince even offered ARAMCO stocks to Victoria Rain in return for sleeping with her. Most people knew just how crazy this offer was.

ARAMCO

ARAMCO was a former Arabia-American oil company and a current Saudi Arabia oil company that produces oil and natural gases. And to offer those stocks? That was no comparison to the money she could have earned from a Blockbuster film.

As a result, Victoria Rain ended up in endless scandals after that. While Lila was the singing fairy, Victoria was the sex symbol of the 21st century. And the one who raised her was none other than Scott Warren.

“Which part of that woman did you like?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yeah. I liked everything.”

“Not just because she was young and fresh?”

“I didn’t invite you to my wedding because I thought you’d say bullshit like that, Rosaline.”

Rosaline’s mouth was naughty for a refined lawyer. Was it because she was from Texas? That might have been one of the reasons. But what truly completed her personality was the environment she lived in. Ahn Soo Ho planned to make an effort toward infant care by using the Young household.

“Okay, fine. I’ll consider it.”

“Just think of it as saving a pitiful woman.”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“Okay.”

Ahn Soo Ho laughed at how she talked to him like a big sister comforting her little brother. As someone with experience with infant care, Rosaline was the master of comfort.

His phone suddenly started ringing.

French sucker No. 2

Ahn Soo Ho checked the caller and rejected the call. He then got another call through the hotel desk, but he asked them to reject all calls from the outside. But he underestimated them. As soon as he blocked them from the desk, they came to the lobby and pressed the private room number. But Ahn Soo Ho still had no interest in answering.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“To torture him a bit.”

“Torture.”

“I have my reasons.”

As soon as Rosaline tilted her head, Ahn Soo Ho smirked and called Henry who was in China.

“Hey, it’s me. Make a post on the bulletin board. Yeah. In the black market.”

If Heritage knew, they would pounce like crazy.

“I’m selling the Mona Lisa. Yeah. That Mona Lisa.”

******

“He won’t answer through the lobby either.”

“Shit!”

Lemaire panted with a flushed look on his face.

“What about information control?”

“All we can do is control it until it opens in the morning.”

The leading museums of Paris were on the verge of closing down overnight. If they didn’t resolve this before opening, it was going to be more historical than when Paris was taken over by the Nazis.

‘Break in? Nah.’

If they did, they would all die.

If governmental authority worked, the Yankees would have tried already. Lemaire thought that he knew Ahn Soo Ho quite well, but he was someone who could even flip Washington D.C. upside down.

‘No one can catch or stop him.’

Ahn Soo Ho was as powerful as an army.

The best way to put all the governments to their knees was to start with the presidents and prime ministers and then start bringing down the ministers and high officials. There was no need to kill everyone. Just by killing around 300 people, a country could be paralyzed.

‘I shouldn’t have acted up like that in broad daylight...’

Lemaire was in deep regret.

“Where’s Sylvestre?”

“He has definitely left the country.”

“Are you sure? If he gets found in France later, we’ll both be done for.”

“I’m sure. He’s not in our country.”

“Ugh.”

Lemaire groaned to express his worry.

“Since when couldn’t it be checked?”

“He hid his whereabouts since before the second New York terrorist attack.”

“That’s just a few days... You had no idea?”

“I apologize.”

In order to take countermeasures, DGSE secured Sylvestre’s recruit. As soon as they learned that he was involved in the Nigerian kidnapping case, they took action. But they didn’t confine him with respect, and that was where the problem started.

“What about his accounts?”

“Most of them had been frozen... but it’s hard to check.”

“Where do you think he’s hiding?”

“Switzerland, don’t you think?”

“That’s where he normally would have gone.”

Switzerland, a permanently neutral nation.

Since Switzerland wasn’t a part of the EU, many French criminals went there to hide. And it wasn’t just the French. Most Europeans who got into trouble chose Switzerland as their hideout. In some ways, this was something to be criticized about, but there was nothing Switzerland could do about that. They had the honor of being a neutral nation, but no country could be 100% neutral.

Switzerland also had its share of corruption.

“Director!”

Lemaire saw his subordinate running over and got a bad feeling. And he was right.

“The Mona Lisa is on the black market!”

“Oh, my god!”

While the intelligence world and black market were in chaos, Korean tourists’ photos of Ahn Soo Ho at the Louvre and the Orsay Museum took over social media.

That’s Ahn Soo Ho, right? #FirstTripToEurope #LouvreAhnSooHo #ParisSooHoo

When did he get there? He just goes everywhere, doesn’t he?

Apparently, someone saw him in New York.

New York? I heard they’re doomed again. It’s not like prayers can fix everything!

They’re not a punching bag! Stop putting down New York, you bastards!

There’s no news about how the Muslims are responsible!

Isn’t it obvious? Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim! That’s the truth!

Are you Apple or something? Stop munching on apples! Did Muslims and apples do something wrong?

Jobs’ foresight was right!

Jobs for the win!

Seeing how he’s alone, he must’ve left Jang Seol Hyun behind.

It’s not good for pregnant women to fly!

Hey! That only applies to normal planes! Ahn Soo Ho’s private jets are like hotels! If you take a nap, you’ll wake up in a different country!

Ahn Soo Ho? Why have an interest in the traitor? #Traitor #TraitorCelebrity #ProtestHosooEntertainment

What kind of nonsense is this?

What an attention seeker!

Since he changed his nationality, isn’t he a stranger now?

Whether he was Korean or not, CEO Ahn was always a stranger to us.

No, we weren’t.

Koreans are so nosy! It’s not like CEO Ahn committed a crime! Why are you all against him?

It’s illegal to go to North Korea! And he even accepted land from Pig Kim!

Ha! Idiots! Didn’t you see Joseon Jungang TV’s announcement? It’ll be done in the span of 200 years. That’s North Korea’s hidden message that they’re planning to work toward unification!

It was wrong to renounce his citizenship! Come back!

He can’t do anything as a Korean! You dumbasses! Do you really think they could give a South Korean land?

Whatever the excuse, shouldn’t our country be the main agent in unification?

Stop your nonsense! If we do become unified! We’ll end up like Germany in the 90s! Even they had a hard time with unification expenses. So what would happen to us? We’re looking at a second IMF! I guarantee it!

CEO Ahn renounced his citizenship for peace and unification! #KoreanAhnSooHo #NationalNetwork #Mercenary

That’s right!

Ahn Soo Ho is Korea’s hope!

Old military men are swarming in! Ptooey!

The national military is rotten! Let’s bring down the shit stars first!

This government is already out of energy! I don’t know about anything else, but Lee Joong Hyun’s administration is all wrong! They couldn’t even reform the rich! I’m disappointed!

I also heard rumors that they sent Han Kyung Il and other diplomats who helped CEO Ahn in Nigeria to the disciplinary committee! A punishment instead of a reward? This country is all wrong!

Why?

Because the high diplomatic officials had no interest in saving the Koreans! But some diplomats, including Han Kyung Il, stepped up to save the day! They’re heroes!

Are the diplomats out of their minds? Why wasn’t it on the news?

The government’s keeping it quiet! So sneaky!

Seriously! But our diplomats have always been like that!

Let’s not diss the diplomats too much! They’re not all bad! There are nice ones, too!

Among the Emerald Development Plans, the one getting the most attention in Asia was Emerald City-Gaesung and Emerald City-Rizal.

Emerald G and Emerald R

The Philippine government showed great interest in the connection between the islands Ahn Soo Ho bought in the past and the Emerald Plans. Countless investment requests flooded Ahn Soo Ho’s Philippine representative.

The more attention he got, the more Koreans felt deprived. They lost an influential man who was powerful at the international stage. Since it was done and over with, there was nothing they could do, but they still had mixed feelings. So the more Ahn Soo Ho achieved, the more the Korean media beat him down.

‘Internal solidarity sees outsiders as enemies!’

The last fight that most organizations put up in times of desperation was just like that.

Having an enemy to hate and despise was a blessing to all opportunists. To those who believed Ahn Soo Ho had rights in Korea avoided him like the plague, and depending on the situation, he was also the subject of hate.

‘Huh? He renounced his citizenship?’

The subject of nationality was a sensitive issue in Korea. Ahn Soo Ho received support from Koreans because he was Korean. But he was no longer Korean. The ones in power who hated him but were cautious used him as a great excuse.

Is it good for the rich to renounce their citizenship?

Our country should also charge those who renounce their citizenship!

Not even a foreigner owner but a stateless owner? Is that okay?

Is CEO Ahn an international terrorist who held hands with North Korea?

The government’s reformation of the rich quieted down, but Daesan Group went ahead with system isolation and got rid of the companies that were no longer competitive. As a result, Daesan Group’s influence grew weaker.

Since it was human nature to swallow what was sweet and spit out what was bitter, some of the media that used to mind Daesan Group started dissing Ahn Soo Ho. No matter how powerful they were in the stock market, if popular opinion started to divide, they couldn’t retaliate. Of course, they were just brutes that lived paycheck to paycheck, but the mob psychology was a scary one.

Ahn Soo Ho Gate? It must be investigated!

Daesan Group is shaky after system separation!

The financial world is shifting! Who will be number 1?

Are the ‘Korean’ celebrities okay with being loyal to foreign owners?

There were so many rumors coming out in the news that the public didn’t know what was true and what was false. It didn’t take long for a Korean hero to become a criminal who should be killed.

“Haha.”

“This is nothing to laugh about, CEO Ahn.”

Oh Joo Kyung’s worried face filled the screen. It wasn’t just her but all of Hosoo Entertainment Group’s executives that expressed their worry.

“Didn’t I already told you? We’re on top... If you hate it, just relocate to another country. There are lots of countries that offer great benefits.”

Ahn Soo Ho wanted Oh Joo Kyung to have high hopes for international business, but it must have been too early.

‘Is there a need to struggle on such small land?’

There were countless aspiring celebrities all over the world. And in terms of management capabilities, Scott Warren’s Hosoo Entertainment America was superior to Hosoo Entertainment’s main branch.

“What about the employees?”

“The employees? Are any employees hesitant about transferring abroad?”

“Well, there are language and cultural differences.”

“We helped them a lot with English, didn’t we?”

They didn’t care about TOEIC scores, but since management had to travel abroad all the time, they at least had to be able to speak basic English. Hosoo Entertainment Group was the only place that sent their employees abroad in order to study English.

Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin and then remarked.

“Take a survey with all the employees.”

To be honest, he only hired Koreans because it was convenient. Those from foreign universities and global corporations were much better in terms of talent. But since Ahn Soo Ho was more familiar with Korean culture, he was more comfortable speaking in Korean.

“Ask them if they would follow the company abroad.”

“Including the celebrities?”

“They’re employees, too. Ask everyone. Even the part-timers. Ask everyone that works at my company.”

It wasn’t a bad idea to separate the good from the bad. Ahn Soo Ho didn’t want any employees that were just sitting around doing nothing. But he didn’t intend on kicking them out either.

‘There’s no need for them to switch companies either.’

He just had to leave the company.

Ahn Soo Ho called Oh Joo Kyung again as if he thought of something. She could have hated him for always giving her all the dirty work, but she didn’t complain. It was all thanks to Oh Joo Kyung that the company was still running.

“What about the thing I asked you to prepare?”

She understood the vague question right away. However, there was a difference between understanding and accepting.

“Is it really possible?”

“What are your thoughts?”

“Hm.”

Oh Joo Kyung groaned.

‘He’s still just as mysterious.’

She had seen Ahn Soo Ho for 2 years straight, but he still felt unfamiliar. Since he caused accidents of all different types, it was quite the headache. But what was surprising was that the results weren’t half bad.

He never said what he didn’t mean.

As far as Oh Joo Kyung knew, not even once.

“I did report it to the foreign office.”

“Good.”

“Will it be possible?”

Instead of replying, Ahn Soo Ho asked her another question.

“What do you think? If this succeeds, will Korea’s popular opinion change?”

“It won’t just change, CEO Ahn.”

Oh Joo Kyung shook her head. But she didn’t mean it in a negative way.

“They’ll adore you more than ever before.”

******

It was the bright morning following the dark night of Paris that Ahn Soo Ho finally accepted Lemaire’s call. The head of DGSE plopped down in front of Ahn Soo Ho with an exhausted look on his face.

“I surrender Soo Ho. The president said to go along with anything you ask.”

“Sylvestre.”

“He’s not in France. We think he might be in France.”

“You haven’t learned your lesson yet, have you?”

“Okay, easy.”

Lemaire had both hands and feet in the air in response to Ahn Soo Ho’s direct response.

“To be honest... I don’t know.”

“Good. I like it when you’re honest, Lemaire. Trust isn’t something that’s gained overnight. You have to build it up little by little. Since you were honest with me, I’ll give you a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Check Pompidou.”

Lemaire made a call to his secretary as soon as Ahn Soo Ho finished. After just a minute, his facial expression brightened up.

The works at Pompidou Center had magically returned.

“Thank you so much! When will you return the rest?”

“If people heard you, they’d think I’m a thief.”

“Sorry.”

Lemaire quickly apologized. But he then went into thought.

“Sorry, but we don’t know where Sylvestre is either. But...”

“But?”

“We know where his family is.”

“That’s too much, Lemaire. We don’t mess with family.”

“I know that’s not what mercenaries do. But if you keep listening, you might change your mind.”

Ahn Soo Ho waited for him to explain further.

“Barbara Huxley.”

“Hm?”

“One of Barbara Huxley’s witch sisters is involved.”

“Who?”

“Chloe.”

“Storm Six?”

He didn’t expect to hear that name.

‘Why?’

The answer was simple than expected. The Witch Society, which was suppressed by the British government for a long time, faced a change thanks to Barbara. The British government didn’t know this, but with the head witch leading the way, the European witch group was expanding rapidly.

Ahn Soo Ho suddenly thought of something.

“You?”

“England isn’t the only one with a secret weapon, Soo Ho.”

“Is D. Punch a supernatural being?”

That was strange. He didn’t get that feeling when they met in the past.

“He’s not a regular supernatural being.”

“Then what is he?”

“He’s...”

Lemaire hesitated before continuing.

“He eats up supernatural powers.”

“What does that mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds. He doesn’t have any force-related powers.”

“So?”

“All he can do is eat it up.”

That was it? He didn’t have the power to become stronger due to the supernatural powers that he ate up either.

“Then he’s just trash.”

“That’s a bit harsh. We call him an eraser. Because he can eat up one more thing in addition to powers.”

“What?”

“Memory.”

“Memory? Human memory?”

“Yeah. Human memory. As you know, the name D. Punch had been passed on for a long time, and the secret behind that...”

“He’s been sharing his memory from his ancestors.”

“Yeah.”

“Ha!”

He was like a human black box or a flash memory. He laughed. And he could do one more thing on top of that.

“Can he manipulate them, too?”

“It’s shameful... but yeah. He’s the best interrogator there is.”

“There was a reason why he’s a troubleshooter.”

If he really could eat up memory and fabricate them, he was the optimal interrogator. He wasn’t as powerful as magicians, but culprits without immunity to supernatural powers couldn’t defend. While America and England focused on getting rid of obstacles, France preferred a simpler method.

To turn enemies into allies.

“If America knew, they wouldn’t have just sat back.”

“He was at risk quite a few times. So he changed his identity every time.”

“I guess his abilities can metastasize.”

“But the original host dies.”

“Is he even human?”

He began to wonder if his age was similar to J-Law or Issac.

“The formal records date back to the Napoleon era.”

Ahn Soo Ho shook his head. DGSE didn’t lose Sylvestre. They never had the ability to catch him in the first place. Actually, even Ahn Soo Ho underestimated him. He believed that alpha-organisms couldn’t escape his senses, but he was wrong.

Ahn Soo Ho flicked his finger.

“Orsay.”

Lemaire immediately called his secretary. It took him a minute to confirm that the works of the Orsay Museum had returned. Lemaire looked at his watch. The sun was already up and with the opening hours coming up, there were still many works to be returned to the museums.

“What else do you want, Soo Ho?”

“How much would the Mona Lisa sell for?”

“Soo Ho!”

“Aren’t you curious, Lemaire? How much would it go for in this cold market? I really want to know.”

“Ahn Soo Ho!”

Lemaire continued to call Ahn Soo Ho’s name with a pale look on his face. If the Mona Lisa really went up for sale on the black market, the Louvre’s reputation was going to hit rock bottom. And if it was revealed that the Louvre was robbed of their plundered cultural assets, French people and their pride were going to suffer deep hurt.

The Mona Lisa wasn’t a plundered cultural asset.

That was why they held onto it even tighter.

“Isn’t it the French way to steal what belongs to others while cherishing what you stole from them?”

They were selfish philanthropists. Lemaire shut his mouth in response. Whenever he was asked by Limeys about who was worse between Yankees and the French, he said all three deserved to be killed.

Americans, French, and the British were all thieves.

“It’s your turn to see how it feels to be robbed.”

“Hmph!”

If it was anyone else, he would have shot them in the head, but he was way too strong for that. Lemaire then realized what Ahn Soo Ho wanted.

“We’ll return all of Korea’s cultural assets, Soo Ho.”

It wasn’t going to be an easy process, but Lemaire didn’t care. All he cared about was getting the Mona Lisa back from this monster.

“To whose name?”

“To yours.”

He was quick-witted.

“Shouldn’t such good news be announced to the world?”

“Hmph! I’ll get it ready.”

That morning, there was an official press conference held by the French president stating their return of all Korean royal books.

That wasn’t all. They also promised to return all Korean cultural assets that were stolen in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Both France and Korea was shocked by this announcement. Korea was especially passionate about the revelation, and the way the French president bowed in the Korean way to the Korean ambassador to France made Ahn Soo Ho smile brightly. As soon as the French president finished his speech, Ahn Soo Ho went up to the podium. When a reporter asked why he did this when he was no longer Korean, he answered with a sad smile on his face.

“I had no choice but to renounce my citizenship, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cherish all the good memories I made in that country.”

His voice and facial expression were thoroughly rehearsed beforehand.

‘I might not be the main lead, but I could be a supporting role.’

He considered becoming an actor just like his wife.

“My body is abroad, but my soul will always be at home.”

After marrying an actress, he gained confidence in his own acting. Ahn Soo Ho was proud of the speech he made, and Korea cheered him on. The interview caused the entire Korean peninsula to bustle.

The Korean foreigner somehow managed to regain his reputation as the superior leader of his homeland.

Ahn Soo Ho! The Korean hero!

I’m so proud! God Soo Ho! Worship him!

The forever protector of the Korean peninsula!

Such cheesy phrases were on all sorts of signs. The media that was just dissing Ahn Soo Ho quickly turned around, and the politicians who criticized Hosoo Entertainment Group went quiet.

Korea was crazy about Soo Ho once again.

< Protect – Episode 208 – Trip To Europe [4] > The end.