Kwon Taekjoo, downed his glass of water, hoping to calm his emotions, but the weight in his chest refused to lift.
Zhenya continued to justify his actions to an increasingly furious Kwon Taekjoo.
"You use whatever mean necessary to ensure your country's safety too. Think about your last mission: identify fraud, trespassing, violence, murder. You've committed countless crimes."
The truth was, that one country considered justice could be seen as injustice in another. That was why Kwon Taekjoo could never fully claim that his work was entirely just or right.
After making his point, Zhenya added.
"I'm the same,Taekjoo. All I did was use everything at my disposal to guarantee your safety. And I'll keep doing it."
"Ah.."
Kwon Taekjoo was at a loss of words. Was he supposed to be grateful that Zhenya cared about him so much?
It wasn't that Kwon Taekjoo had suddenly been struck by a sense of righteousness. It simply left a bitter taste in his mouth to know that Zhenya had decided to drag countless others into injustice on his behalf. Of course, Zhenya had never been the type to think about where and how each of his weapons would be used.
But Kwon Taekjoo couldn't shake the heavy feeling in his chest, wondering if this deal could have been avoided had he never gotten involved.
"The items I offer are just chunks of metal. Whether they're used to protect or harm others… it all depends on who uses them."
"Sure, as if they'll ever be used for the common good."
"Even if they aren't, it's not our concern. Would you condemn every private military company as evil? What about your own country's military? Are their ideas of Justice any more valid?"
Zhenya's words weren't wrong. Any nation would want to invest in its military and acquire new weapons to strengthen national defense. While that would bring prosperity to its citizens, it would also pose a threat to neighboring countries.
Was it even possible to distinguish between right and wrong when it came to such actions? Just like dynamite wasn't invented to kill, there was no good reason to insist that the production and distribution of weapons were inherently guilty. There wasn't even an absolute sense of Justice to begin with.
On any given day, a person's sense of justice could shift depending on their personal circumstances and beliefs.
Even so, Kwon Taekjoo hoped that one day Zhenya's life would move from darkness towards the light, that he might gravitate toward Kwon Taekjoo's position. Was it too ambitious of him to wish for such a thing?
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Look, I don't know why you two are suddenly arguing, but can we focus on enjoying our food during meals, please?"
With a clap, Matías tried to diffuse the cold tension in the air. Then, he took the last empty chair and began to study Kwon Taekjoo closely. When Kwon Taekjoo ignored his blatant stare to keep looking at Zhenya, Matías tapped his plate to get Kwon Taekjoo's attention.
"Look here, friend. You haven't even told me your name yet."
"Trust me, it's better if you don't know."
"And why's that?"
"I'm obligated to kill anyone why knows my identity."
"Huh?"
Zhenya burst out laughing at the look of shock on Matías's face. Spreading butter on his bread with an overly casual, carefree motion, he seemed quite pleased.
Matías finally nodded, as if saying he understood. Despite Kwon Taekjoo's coldness, Matías didn't waver and continued with his cheerful remarks.
"So, what should I call you?"
"No need to call me anything. I'll be leaving soon anyway."
"Ha! I think I've got your personality figured out, friend. But what are we supposed to do? It's going to be a challenge to leave this place right away."
"If you get in our way. I'll have no choice but to handle things my way."
Kwon Taekjoo's grip tightened around his knife. It wasn't a bluff… he could easily take down an opponent with just a fork or chopsticks. And depending on how the situation played out, he was fully prepared to do so. His dark eyes flashed with a dangerous, sharp glint.
Matías Pérez raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, as if to say Kwon Taekjoo had misunderstood him.
"That's not what I meant, friend.Turns out the Cuban government requested hel from the Mexican government. Apparently, they want them to hand over the 'terrorism suspect' our Pèrez cartel took in. Those government rats have been waiting for a chance to strike at us, and this gives them a good excuse to do it. Why make a move and expose ourselves now? Better to lie low and enjoy our days without worry until the right opportunity comes."
"And here I thought we had grabbed hold of a rotten rope, but it turns out it was a detonator instead."
Kwon Taekjoo muttered to himself. He nudged Zhenya's foot with his own.
"Hey, are you sure we can trust this guy?"
"No, he's not trustworthy."
"What?"
"Taekjoo, I'm the only one you should trust. Just because our buyer isn't trustworthy doesn't mean you should doubt the value of my weapons."
"I'm just questioning his sincerity. It's always guys like him who end up stabbing us in the back."
Kwon Taekjoo glanced at Matías Pérez from head to toe with a wary look. Matías didn't seem to understand their conversation in Russian, as he merely responded with a bright smile.
"See, just look at him, his pretentious behavior reminds me of those thugs you run into in some alley."
"Well, you're not entirely wrong."
Zhenya agreed with a mocking smile.
Kwon Taekjoo sighed at their pointless conversation. He had managed to break into a cyber gang's base and barely escaped, only to end up in the territory of a drug lord. The absurdity of it all made him burst into laughter.
"Well, I don't know why you two are being chased by those Cubans, but I'll make sure you have a safe passage back home. In the meantime, enjoy your stay at my villa. There's no need to worry. This is the safest place in the world."
Matías said confidently, guaranteeing their security.
Kwon Taekjoo found himself between a man wielding the world's most powerful weapon and another claiming to have the strongest shield. Was this island now supposed to be some sort of impenetrable fortress? Kwon Taekjoo was completely baffled.
"To hell with security. Just make sure we can get home as soon as possible."
"Don't you think you're being a bit reckless? You might want to heal from your wounds first, right?"
Matías nodded towards Kwon Taekjoo, motioning to his body. Kwon Taekjoo followed his gaze to his bare chest and his bandage shoulder peeking out from his loose robe. Although Matías didn't seem to have bad intentions, Kwon Taekjoo still felt uneasy with him peeking under his clothes.
He certainly belonged to the type of people Kwon Taekjoo disliked. Gripping the edges of his robe, Kwon Taekjoo frimly shut him down.
"That's none of your business."
"Oh, no need to be so cautious. I'm only interested in woman, you know."
Matías seemed always ready to counter Kwon Taekjoo's sharp glares with a broad smile. With a snap of his fingers, he added,
"Speaking of which, should I arrange for some girls to join us? That way, it won't be so boring,"
"No need."
Kwon Taekjoo glanced at Zhenya, silently asking if he felt the same. Zhenya's lips curved into a smile.
"Are you serious? Wait, why not? Wouldn't it be dull spending all day with just each other? I can't exactly stick around to entertain you two the whole time, you know?"
"That's actually a relief to hear."
"No need to keep up appearances, friend it's natural for a man to seek woman. Isn't that right, bogdanov?"
Matías turned to Zhenya for confirmation. But Zhenya's gaze was fixed solely on Kwon Taekjoo.
Matías's eyes widened in surprise as Zhenya burst out laughing.
"You heard him. He already said he doesn't need it."
.
.
.
End of chapter