"Can't go in... there are several guards outside," said Imran shaking his head. "No Colonel! If you want Imran M.Sc., Ph.D. to do something, you need to inform him about all the circumstances. I am not here to act as your bodyguard."
"Daddy, just tell him! He is right!" said Sophia.
"Do you consider this man trustworthy?"
"How old is she anyway?" Imran pointed towards Sophia and said, "Even 60-year-old women trust me."
Sophia stared at Imran, bewildered. She didn't understand a thing.
Anwar and Arif started laughing.
"Shut your mouths!" the Colonel scolded them... and they both fell silent with displeased expressions.
"Tell me about these men," Imran said.
The Colonel remained silent for a while... then muttered, "I don't know what to tell you."
"Have you seen any of them during this period?"
"No."
"Then perhaps I have gone mad!" said Imran.
The Colonel stared at him. He was silent for a moment and then spoke.
"I am familiar with their symbol!... Finding that symbol in my house indicates that I am in danger."
"Oh!" Imran puckered his lips as if to whistle, then slowly asked, "When did you find that symbol?"
"Four days ago."
"Great! Can I see it?"
"Well, it seems beyond your capability," the Colonel said irritably. "You should go back tomorrow morning!"
"Maybe I could become capable. Show it to me."
The Colonel sat silently. Then he made a displeased face and got up to open a drawer of a table. Imran was watching him with attention and interest. The Colonel took something out of the drawer and returned to his sofa. Imran extended his hand towards him. Anwar and Arif exchanged meaningful glances as if they were expecting some foolish remark from Imran.
The Colonel placed the item on a small round table. It was a three-inch wooden monkey. Imran picked it up from the table and examined it from all sides. After looking at it for a while, he placed it back on the table and stared at the Colonel.
"Can I ask something?" Imran said.
"Ask... don't bore me."
"Wait!" Imran raised his hand. Then, looking at Sophia and the others, he said, "Maybe you wouldn't like to answer my questions in front of these people."
"Don't bore me!" the Colonel said irritably.
"Well... I was just being cautious," Imran said nonchalantly. Then, staring at the Colonel, he said, "Have you ever been involved in the illegal drug trade?"
The Colonel jumped up spontaneously, then stared at Imran as if he had stung him. He quickly turned to the boys and said, "Go, you all get some rest."
His nephews' faces lit up, but Sophia's demeanor suggested she did not want to leave.
"You go too," the Colonel said impatiently, waving his hand.
"Is it necessary?" Sophia asked.
"Go!" the Colonel shouted. The three of them left the room.
"Yes, what did you say?" the Colonel asked Imran.
Imran repeated his question.
"So, do you know anything about this?" the Colonel pointed to the wooden monkey.
"A lot!" Imran said carelessly.
"How do you know?"
"That's very hard to explain," Imran said with a smile. "But you haven't answered my question."
"No, I have never been involved in drug trafficking."
"Then!" Imran said, thinking. "You must know something about these people, or else why would this symbol appear in your house?"
"My God," the Colonel said anxiously, wringing his hands. "You seem to be a very useful person."
"But I am leaving tomorrow morning," Imran said.
"Absolutely not... absolutely not."
"If I don't go back tomorrow, who will take care of the hen I left sitting on the eggs?"
"Good boy, no jokes! I'm very worried."
"You are afraid of Lee Yu-Ke," Imran said, shaking his head.
This time, the Colonel jumped again as if Imran had stung him.
"Who are you?" the Colonel said in a frightened voice.
"Ali Imran, M.Sc., Ph.D."
"Did Captain Fayyaz really send you?"
"And I will leave tomorrow morning."
"Impossible... impossible... I can't let you go at any cost. But how do you know about Lee Yu-Ka?"
"I can't tell you that!" Imran said. "But I can tell you a lot about Lee Yu-Ke. It's a code name used for illegal drug trade, but no one has ever seen him!"
"Exactly... boy, you seem dangerous."
"I am the most foolish man in the world."
"Nonsense... but how do you know?" the Colonel muttered. "But... aren't you one of his men?" The Colonel's voice got stuck in his throat.
"It's better... tomorrow morning, I will..."
"No, no!" the Colonel shouted, raising his hand.
"Alright, tell me why this symbol came to you," Imran asked.
"I don't know," the Colonel said.
"Maybe you want to test the most foolish man," Imran said seriously.
"Alright, listen. Lee Yu-Ke... it's a name from two hundred years ago."
"Boy, where did you get all this information from?" The Colonel looked at him with appreciative eyes. "No one knows this except Lee Yu-Ke's group."
"So, I should assume that you have been associated with his group," Imran said.
"Absolutely not... you misunderstood."
"Then how did this symbol come to you?... What are those people demanding from you?"
"Oh, you know this too!" The Colonel almost shouted and then started pacing the room.
There was a mischievous smile on Imran's lips.
"Boy," the Colonel suddenly stopped pacing. "You will have to prove that you are the person sent by Captain Fayyaz."
"You are very worried...!" Imran laughed. "I have Fayyaz's letter, but why are you so worried already? This is just the first warning. After the monkey, a snake will come! If you still don't meet their demand, they will send a rooster, and the next day, you will be finished. What is their demand?"
The Colonel didn't say anything. His mouth was open in surprise, and his eyes were fixed on Imran's face.
But finally, he licked his lips and said, "Knowing so much, how are you still alive?"
"Only because of Coca-Cola."
"Seriousness... seriousness..." The Colonel raised his hand impatiently. "Show me Fayyaz's letter."
Imran took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to the Colonel...
The Colonel stared at it for quite a while, then returned it to Imran and said, "I can't understand what kind of man you are."
"I am a man of all kinds. For now, don't think about me," Imran said.
"The sooner you tell me about yourself, the better," the Colonel said.