Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 866

Rustle.

The page turned neatly. And as soon as one page turned, the next page followed.

‘Gulp.’

Lee Hyun-soo stared at the scene, somewhat dumbfounded.

Kang Jin-ho was flipping through the book rapidly.

If someone else saw it, they would think he was just skimming through a novel. But the book Kang Jin-ho was looking at was not a novel.

‘That’s not a book you can just flip through like that.’

Kang Jin-ho was currently reading a textbook.

After hearing about the incorporation of the Assembly, Kang Jin-ho had found what he needed to do. It was partly because Lee Hyun-soo had suggested it.

A person cannot be good at everything, nor do they need to know everything. Just because the company was being incorporated didn’t mean Kang Jin-ho had to take charge of every process and task.

However, he absolutely needed to know the general concepts.

How could a company function if the person sitting as chairman didn’t understand the basics of management?

That’s a pipe dream.

There’s a reason why all companies concentrate authority in the chairman. Even if a subordinate is smart and talented in management, the chairman is the one who manages.

The reason is very simple.

The responsibility lies with the chairman.

It doesn’t matter when things are going well. But when things go wrong, the person with the authority to make management decisions must take responsibility. But who would take responsibility for a company that isn’t their own?

The person who takes responsibility is bound to shrink back. In the end, the only person who can gamble the company’s fate and push forward with a gamble that others would shake their heads at is the person in charge of management.

So, Kang Jin-ho had to learn about management.

Even if he didn’t reach a professional level, he needed to understand the general concepts. That way, he could understand the advice given by Lee Hyun-soo or Lee Hyun-joo.

But…

‘Why does this guy have no sense of moderation when he starts something?’

Lee Hyun-soo’s gaze turned to the textbooks piled up next to Kang Jin-ho’s desk.

It was as if he had deliberately built a tower out of books. He felt like he had seen cafes decorated like that before. But what was different from those cafes was that those textbooks were actually being used by Kang Jin-ho right now.

Kang Jin-ho was studying in a ridiculously thorough way.

Lee Hyun-soo had offered to bring in a professor for private tutoring, but Kang Jin-ho had shaken his head.

He said it was inefficient.

At first, Lee Hyun-soo didn’t understand what he meant, but now that he saw what Kang Jin-ho was doing, he understood.

Kang Jin-ho had gathered all the textbooks for the various courses he would have to take in a university program.

Gathering all the textbooks didn’t mean he had gathered the textbooks used for each course. For example, if he needed a textbook on the principles of management, he would buy ten copies of the most popular textbooks on the principles of management on the market.

And then he would read them all.

‘Does he really have to go this far?’

In fact, textbooks are all like that.

They seem different, but they’re all similar. They’re just different ways of explaining the core principles. Reading ten different books is not that different from reading the same book ten times.

But Kang Jin-ho was reading all those books as if it were the most natural thing to do.

And he was covering that outrageous inefficiency with an unbelievable speed.

Thud!

Another book was flipped to the side.

How long did it take him to read that?

A book with over 1,000 pages was finished in less than 30 minutes. Lee Hyun-soo doubted if he was even reading it.

“Did you finish reading it?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m asking if you read all of that.”

“Of course?”

“…No. Well, I guess you did.”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had been hesitating, finally opened his mouth.

“But do you understand all of it?”

“There are some difficult concepts.” Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“I understand what the words mean, but there are quite a few concepts that I’m not sure how to apply in practice. But I think it will be helpful, so I’m checking them out.”

“Ah…”

He’s reading it.

And he understands it.

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

He had known for a long time that this man’s abilities transcended human limits. Lee Hyun-soo wouldn’t be surprised if Kang Jin-ho went somewhere and beat up a dinosaur.

If Kang Jin-ho were to fight a dinosaur, the dinosaur would be the one to be pitied. Even a Tyrannosaurus Rex would be nothing more than a newt sucking dew in the grass in front of his house in front of Kang Jin-ho.

But this was a slightly different concept, wasn’t it?

Of course, those who master martial arts have a better understanding than ordinary people.

This was largely due to the influence of internal energy, or more precisely, the mind method [a cultivation technique that enhances mental and physical abilities].

It removes waste products from the body and always keeps the body in top condition. And it draws out a person’s potential to the extreme. So how could their minds not improve?

‘Still, this is a bit much.’

He couldn’t tell if this was unique to Kang Jin-ho, or if anyone who reached that level could do it.

‘I would have had to see a master like that studying textbooks to confirm it.’

In the end, Lee Hyun-soo gave up on understanding.

Kang Jin-ho was not someone he could understand. He was someone he just had to accept as he was. Trying to understand Kang Jin-ho would only give him a headache.

‘He’ll probably finish reading all of that by tomorrow?’

He had gathered textbooks not only for the general courses but also for the MBA program. The tower of textbooks, which had been as majestic as a grand fortress, was gradually being conquered.

It didn’t seem like it would take even two days for that fortress to fall.

“Even if you can look at it like that now…”

“Hmm?”

“You’ll need guidance from the graduate level onwards.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

“In fact, knowing the basic concepts isn’t that helpful in actual management. It’s similar to how people who study math don’t have many opportunities to use math in real life.”

“To properly use what you’ve learned, you need to go through a master’s program. There are related programs at various prestigious universities. If you want, I can look into that as well.”

“You should.”

Thud.

Kang Jin-ho closed the book and leaned back in his chair.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

Kang Jin-ho grinned.

“You may not have any physical problems, but mental fatigue is not something that even a master can solve, is it?”

Of course, it was true that those who had mastered the mind method could handle the same stress better. But even considering that, the amount of work that was being poured onto Kang Jin-ho right now was excessive.

He was handling a workload that would have made Lee Hyun-soo of the past look ridiculous, without any complaints.

“I don’t particularly feel tired.”

“That’s a relief…”

“It’s kind of fun too.”

At the word ‘fun,’ Lee Hyun-soo stared blankly at Kang Jin-ho.

“You find reading textbooks fun?”

It was a statement that would make even a professor who wrote and taught textbooks cringe. Or they would clap and cheer, thinking that a natural scholar had been born. Either way, an extreme reaction would come back.

“Books aren’t fun.”

“That’s a relief.”

It seemed like he could still be categorized as a human being.

“But this process itself is kind of fun.”

“What do you mean by ‘process’?”

“I’m talking about how the Assembly is changing right now.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head and looked out the window. His gaze fell upon the wide mountain in front of the Assembly. The training grounds, which had been carved out in various places, were packed with people.

It was full of life.

‘It’s definitely a fun process.’

People enjoy seeing things change and evolve efficiently.

Why else would things like management simulations or building amusement parks be released as games? Just as creations cannot catch up to reality, the process of developing an organization, if you can do it yourself, gives you a pleasure that cannot be compared to a clumsy game.

‘The problem is that you can’t save or reset.’

“But didn’t you already experience the same thing before, Assembly Leader?”

“It was different then.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

Kang Jin-ho had already had the experience of making the Demonic Cult [a martial arts sect] the best sect in the world. But that wasn’t something Kang Jin-ho had achieved.

Kang Jin-ho had simply become stronger.

As he became stronger, those around him also became stronger, and eventually, the Demonic Cult became stronger. It was Cheongma who created the Demonic Cult based on the result of that strengthening.

That’s why Kang Jin-ho didn’t feel proud of the Demonic Cult’s development. He didn’t even feel a sense of belonging. He had just longed for the modern world he couldn’t return to and repeated his training without purpose.

But now it was different.

He could see it.

The results of his instructions and teachings were immediately visible. Unlike in the past, he had colleagues who shared their opinions and quickly carried out his instructions.

It was a joy he had never felt before.

“It’s more than welcome for me that you have affection for the Assembly, but I’m worried that you might overdo it.”

“Overdo it?”

“I’m worried that you might try to do too much yourself.”

“I’m being careful. I got nagged once before.”

“That’s a relief then.”

Lee Hyun-soo also smiled gently.

He had also been feeling quite rewarded recently. It was no exaggeration to say that the current state of the Assembly was almost entirely created by Kang Jin-ho and Lee Hyun-soo.

They had improved the terrible inefficiency and established a system. Thanks to that, the Assembly was now perfectly organized and even aiming for incorporation.

How could he not feel rewarded when the results of his own efforts were so visible?

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes, Assembly Leader.”

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly looked outside before opening his mouth.

“Has it gotten better?”

“…Yes?”

“You know, that thing.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head slightly.

“It’s definitely a great development that our power has increased and our efficiency has improved.”

“That’s right.”

“But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for those guys.”

Lee Hyun-soo turned his head and looked outside. The sight of the Assembly members training came into his view.

He seemed to understand what Kang Jin-ho was worried about. The development of an organization doesn’t necessarily make its members happy. An organization that moves forward demands more from its members, and those who cannot meet those demands would rather long for the past.

He was asking if they were leaving those people behind by moving too fast.

“It has gotten better. No, it has gotten better.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo said with conviction.

“The direction you’re going isn’t just for your own benefit. I don’t really understand why you’re so focused on welfare and things like that, but as a result, all of that is coming together to make the Assembly a better place.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes. You’ve reached out your hand to them. Even if they’re not all completely satisfied, they’ll all agree that they’re better off than they were in the past.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

‘Reaching out a hand…’

It was funny to hear those words here. Lee Hyun-soo didn’t even know the head nun.

Hearing those words made him feel relieved. Perhaps Kang Jin-ho was keeping the promise that the head nun had made.

“Prepare for the meeting. Tell everyone to come.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare right away.”

As Lee Hyun-soo began to move busily, Kang Jin-ho smiled and picked up a book.

They move and strive.

All of those things will come together to create a slightly better tomorrow.

Rustle.

In the conference room where Lee Hyun-soo had left, only the sound of Kang Jin-ho turning the pages of a book could be heard quietly.