Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 201

As Jo Gyu-min went outside with his phone, Kang Jin-ho sighed, looking out the window.

“That kid has suffered since he was young, so it’s natural he doesn’t trust people. But you can’t live in this world alone. Those who can’t trust others can’t trust themselves, and those who can’t trust themselves can never reach the pinnacle. If you want to live in this world, you must first learn to trust others.”

It was a saying from a long time ago.

A saying that was etched into his memory like a brand.

‘Not trusting people, huh…’

Kang Jin-ho had always taken the initiative to solve everything himself. He had sometimes borrowed the strength of Jo Gyu-min or Hwang Jung-hoo, but the final resolution was always his responsibility.

Until now, he had thought it was natural to do his own work himself, but after Joo Young-gi said that, he had no choice but to think about it from a different perspective.

His teacher, the head nun, and even Joo Young-gi… they were all saying similar things to him.

‘Relationships.’

The core of that word was relationships.

He thought he was living in harmony with the world, but those who knew him a little better were all telling him to reach out more.

Was Kang Jin-ho wrong?

Everyone has their own way of living. So, Kang Jin-ho didn’t need to force himself to fit into their ways.

However, if his way was making things difficult for the people around him, as Joo Young-gi had said, then it was worth considering.

“Why are you so sulky?”

Joo Young-gi said, chuckling as he looked at Kang Jin-ho’s expression.

“Let’s go out for a bit. Let’s have a smoke.”

After going outside and lighting a cigarette, Joo Young-gi spoke with a slightly stern face.

“Hey, Jin-ho.”

“Yeah.”

“You… you didn’t help me out, did you?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking if you didn’t help me out.”

Kang Jin-ho just stared at Joo Young-gi, not understanding what he was trying to say. He couldn’t understand what Joo Young-gi was talking about at all.

“I’m Joo Young-gi. You might think I look like a pushover, but I pride myself on being a man.”

“Who said you weren’t?”

“Look at what you’re doing right now, you punk.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn’t understand Joo Young-gi’s attitude at all.

“People, you know, if they have a grudge, they should pay it back, and if they receive a favor, they should be grateful. There might be some who aren’t like that, but the people around you all know that. Me too. I’m here to repay what I received from you, not because I have nowhere else to go to make a living, you think?”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

With Joo Young-gi’s easygoing nature, he could find work anywhere. He had never once thought that Joo Young-gi was trying to rely on him.

“But look at what you’re doing, man. ‘I’ll do it. I can do it. Step aside. Leave it to me, I’ll take care of it.'”

“If you do things like that, what are we supposed to do? Man, I know. You’re great. I know you’re so great that you’re not satisfied with what other people do. But, you punk, dealing with people isn’t like that.”

Joo Young-gi spat on the ground and continued.

“In my opinion, you’re someone who will have to deal with more and more people as the years go by. So, learn it now. Later, I might not have any advice for you, but right now, I think I know more than you, so I’m telling you this.”

Joo Young-gi said with a frown.

“If you’re not satisfied with the work that the people around you are doing, make them do it again. Until you’re satisfied. If you don’t want to waste that little bit of time and effort and just do it yourself, you’ll never be able to do anything beyond what you can reach with your own hands. But if you endure a little now, teach them, and change them to your liking, you’ll be able to do ten or a hundred times more work in the future. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Hmm…”

“Guys like me just need to do our own jobs well. But you’re not like that. It’s important for you to be good at what you do, but you also need to make other people as good as you. I’m not good at putting things into words, so I don’t know if you understood me properly.”

“I understood.”

“They say you understand perfectly even if I speak like crap.”

Joo Young-gi nodded.

“I pride myself on having an eye for people, and you, whether you want to or not, will end up living while dealing with countless people.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed as he listened to Joo Young-gi.

He wanted to say no, but he couldn’t deny that the situation was already heading in that direction.

Not only the people around him, but also considering the forces of the old Demonic Cult that Jang Min was gathering in China, he would have to deal with many people soon, whether he liked it or not.

“But you basically don’t trust other people. You can give them work, but you think it’s better to do it yourself. So, there’s nothing to discuss or consult. Man, people can’t live like that. We’re not machines. We talk and discuss things together, and we build… what’s that? That… that…”

“Trust.”

“Yeah. That’s how trust is built. I knew that even when I was a low-level member of an organization. How can a smart guy like you not know that?”

‘So that’s what it was.’

Kang Jin-ho felt like a question had been answered.

The reason why the moment his second life ended was so difficult wasn’t because he had lost.

It was because he had been betrayed.

But until the very end, Kang Jin-ho couldn’t understand why Cheongma had betrayed him. He had been so good to Cheongma. He had fought off those who were after him and had given him a position that was more than he deserved. He had cherished Cheongma like his own limbs, even giving him his treasured sword.

Why had Cheongma betrayed him?

‘I only gave, and I didn’t build.’

It felt like one of the questions that had been bothering him during his long life had been answered.

And the fact that it was Joo Young-gi, not someone else, who had answered his question surprised Kang Jin-ho.

‘Everyone lives with their own different thoughts.’

The fact that Joo Young-gi, whom he never thought would be helpful in this area, had solved one of his long-standing concerns was very telling.

Perhaps it wasn’t always the best solution for him to step in and solve everything himself.

Because everyone has their own strengths.

Just as Kang Jin-ho was about to nod, Jo Gyu-min approached him with a stiff face.

“Kang Jin-ho, about this matter…”

Before Jo Gyu-min could finish his sentence, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“I’ll entrust it to you.”

Jo Gyu-min’s eyes widened slightly. He had thought that he would need a lot of persuasion, but unexpectedly, Kang Jin-ho had entrusted the work to him first.

“But please handle it thoroughly.”

“Please leave it to me. I am truly sorry for always showing you this side of myself. I will make sure to handle this matter thoroughly.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded.

‘It has to be that way.’

If he suppressed his anger and thought rationally, Jo Gyu-min’s way was bound to cause problems.

When a problem arose, Kang Jin-ho would completely cut out the affected area. When there was a problem with Kang Eun-young in the past, he had made Starwiz unable to recover from the start, and he had crushed the chairman to the point where he could never play his role in society again.

The same was true for the incident that occurred in the military.

But Jo Gyu-min’s way was different.

He acknowledged their lives and tried to reduce the influence they had on this side.

Kang Jin-ho’s method would be more effective, but if you were to ask which method was right, even Kang Jin-ho would have to side with Jo Gyu-min.

Kang Jin-ho’s method was bound to have major side effects someday, and even though Jo Gyu-min’s method was frustrating in the short term, it was a safer way. He had to acknowledge the difference in their methods.

“And, Secretary Jo.”

“Yes, Kang Jin-ho.”

“That franchise you were talking about.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Really?”

Jo Gyu-min’s face was wide open, as if he had just received a windfall. In the short time he had been on the phone, it was as if an angel had descended upon Kang Jin-ho, and he was agreeing to everything he wanted. It felt like Christmas presents were pouring down, even though it wasn’t even winter yet.

Jo Gyu-min glanced at the person he suspected was the Santa who had created this whole situation, and Joo Young-gi gave him a thumbs up and a grin.

‘I’ll buy you a meal.’

‘A fancy one!’

After exchanging a conversation with their eyes, they looked back at Kang Jin-ho.

“It seems like it could be a good experience.”

“You’ve made a good decision. You’ve really made a good decision. It might seem like nothing, but it will definitely be a great help in Kang Jin-ho’s life. I, Jo Gyu-min, guarantee it. Please trust me.”

“…Secretary Jo, you sound like a total con artist, you know that?”

“Young-gi, shush.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly as Joo Young-gi and Jo Gyu-min smiled brightly. He also felt like he had been too greedy, thinking that everyone would be happy if he just yielded a little like this.

“But a franchise?”

“Ah!”

Jo Gyu-min said with a smile.

“There was an instruction to have Kang Jin-ho open and run a small store as a simple experience.”

“…What the hell are you talking about?”

“Huh?”

Joo Young-gi looked at Jo Gyu-min with a dumbfounded expression.

“You’re going to make Jin-ho do that? Whose idea was that?”

“Well… why?”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Joo Young-gi shook his head as if he could see the tragedy that was about to unfold, then turned and went into the cafe.

“I’m going to go see our celebrity. You guys take care of the rest. Geez, too much courage is just recklessness. Tsk, tsk.”

“X”X.”

Jo Gyu-min felt an unknown sense of unease at Joo Young-gi’s gaze as he looked at him with pity and went into the cafe.

“Why, why is he acting like that?”

“I don’t know.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged as if he didn’t know either.

‘Joo Young-gi served in the military with Jin-ho, right?’

Then he probably saw everything about how Kang Jin-ho, as a senior, used people.

The fact that Joo Young-gi was reacting like that meant….

At that moment, Jo Gyu-min’s phone rang. Jo Gyu-min checked the screen and answered the phone with a sullen face.

“Yes, Chairman. It’s done now. Yes, yes! Of course. Yes! He agreed to do it.”

After holding the phone for a while, Jo Gyu-min slowly hung up.

Kang Jin-ho had already gone into the cafe.

Jo Gyu-min strangely took out a cigarette with trembling hands and put it in his mouth.

‘I think I made a mistake…’

But since the report had already been made to the chairman, there was no other way. He had no choice but to proceed.

And Jo Gyu-min would later regret this decision endlessly. But he could not know that fact now.