Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1259

Investigating (4)

[As you can see, the new drugs are being smuggled into the country perfectly sealed. The hallucinogenic effects are stronger than before, and the price is cheaper than the drugs that were previously circulating. Moreover, since it’s a completely different type of drug than what’s been circulating, even drug-sniffing dogs are having trouble detecting it.]

The man on the screen held up a small ampule bottle.

Kang Yu-hwan frowned at the sight.

“Drugs, huh?”

[In the past year, we seized 14 tons of drugs in the country. However, last year, the amount of drugs seized more than doubled, reaching 30 tons. The reason for this rapid increase in the amount of drugs being smuggled into the country is not only due to the difficulty of cracking down on them, but also because South Korea is being treated as a major distribution point for drugs heading to China and other countries.]

The screen showed the seized drugs.

The number 30 tons doesn’t give a clear sense of the exact amount. But seeing the drugs piled up like mountains, even the people watching the news became serious.

“If that’s what they’ve seized, then there’s probably a lot more circulating than that, right?”

Kang Eun-young nodded at Kang Yu-hwan’s words.

“Probably a lot more.”

“It’s scary. That many drugs circulating. South Korea used to be a drug-free country, but now we can’t even say that.”

“I heard a lot of drugs are going to China? They come into Korea in containers and then go straight to China. And vice versa, a lot of drugs are manufactured in China and go to other countries through Korea. The amount circulating domestically might not be that much.”

[However, experts say that the increase in the amount of drugs being seized is not only because South Korea is being used as a drug trafficking hub. Compared to the past when only a few specific types of drugs were circulating, there are now various types of drugs circulating, and the methods are becoming more sophisticated, making it difficult to crack down on them. This is one of the reasons why the amount of drug trafficking has increased.]

“I see.”

The screen showed an interview with the director of a university hospital.

[In the past, if you took drugs, you couldn’t avoid getting caught. But with the emergence of so-called ‘drug designers,’ who were created by athletes to avoid drug testing, they are finding ways to avoid drug detection. So now, it’s not easy to tell whether something is a drug just by looking at it.]

“What’s the world coming to…”

Kang Yu-hwan shook his head.

“Eun-young.”

“Yes, Dad?”

“I heard drugs are often used in the entertainment industry. You’re not involved in anything like that, are you?”

“Dad!”

Kang Eun-young raised her voice.

“Do you think I could maintain this face if I did drugs? Does this pretty face look like someone who does drugs?”

“…I admit it. My daughter’s face is pretty no matter who looks at it.”

The direction of the conversation suddenly went off track.

“And the talk about celebrities doing a lot of drugs is old news. You can’t do that anymore. Think about it, Dad. If you want to do drugs, you have to get them, but where would celebrities go to get drugs?”

“…I guess so.”

Ordinary people can find a way to contact drug dealers and do it, but celebrities can’t move around directly due to their nature. So they have to find an accomplice, which is not easy.

“But celebrities get caught doing drugs and it’s on the news. They get caught smoking weed all the time.”

“I think the ones who go overseas make connections there and get it somehow. But even then, it’s just weed, or maybe some kind of tranquilizer. There haven’t been many cases of real hard drug problems on the news.”

Thinking about it, that seemed to be the case.

Indeed.

If you compare the rate of ordinary people getting caught smoking weed with the rate of celebrities getting caught, the rate might be higher for ordinary people. But ordinary people smoking weed isn’t news. So, celebrity drug cases are more likely to be reported.

“Still, you have to be careful.”

Kang Yu-hwan said in a firm voice.

“The scary thing about drugs isn’t just that they ruin a person’s life. The problem is that they ruin the lives of the people around them too. Think about it. What would happen if a drug addict came out of our family?”

Kang Eun-young glanced at Kang Jin-ho.

“…Why?”

“No. I just can’t think of anyone who would do that.”

“So, me?”

“No. Well, it’s not that I think you would, but… anyway, I just thought it would be a big problem if you got addicted to drugs. It wouldn’t be hard to ruin the family.”

Kang Yu-hwan nodded.

“Even drug addicts are ordinary heads of households, sons, and daughters. If such a person suddenly changes their personality due to drugs and can’t live a normal social life, how much pain would their families have to endure?”

“Hmm, I guess so.”

Kang Eun-young nodded quietly.

She used to think it was just the addict’s problem, but looking at it from that perspective, she realized it was a more serious issue than she thought.

This family is harmonious and happy now, but if even one person becomes addicted to drugs and causes problems, they might never be able to regain this harmony.

It’s not just the person who does drugs who suffers.

“Of course, it’s the fault of the person who does drugs. There’s no denying that. But if they couldn’t get drugs in the first place, they wouldn’t have become addicted. It’s not a good thing that drugs keep coming into Korea.”

Kang Yu-hwan shook his head and reached for the remote control. But then he stopped his hand and stared at Kang Jin-ho.

“Jin-ho.”

“Yes.”

“Why do you look like that? Is something wrong?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Kang Yu-hwan tilted his head.

There wasn’t a big change in his expression, but Kang Yu-hwan was Kang Jin-ho’s father. He could guess his son’s mood to some extent just by that subtle change.

In Kang Yu-hwan’s eyes, his son was in a very bad mood right now.

He didn’t know why, though.

“If you have any worries, you know you can tell me, right?”

“Yes. It’s really nothing.”

“Okay.”

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho’s cell phone started ringing. Kang Jin-ho, who had glanced at it, grabbed his phone in one hand and got up.

“I’ll just take this call.”

“Okay.”

Kang Eun-young, who saw the direction Kang Jin-ho was going, yelled.

“Why are you going outside to take a call instead of going to your room!”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Then at least put on a coat! It’s cold outside!”

“It’s okay.”

Kang Jin-ho opened the front door and went outside.

“He’s really acting weird, isn’t he?”

Kang Eun-young tilted her head.

“It’s not like it’s the first time.”

Baek Hyun-jung said calmly, peeling an apple.

“Just leave him alone. Your brother is a very busy man. I’ve given up now.”

“I can feel the chill in your words, Mom?”

“I only have two children…”

“Why me?”

Kang Eun-young stepped back as Baek Hyun-jung raised her head.

“Mom, you have a knife in your hand. Calm down.”

“Tsk.”

The knife in Baek Hyun-jung’s hand began to peel the apple again. Her gaze turned towards the door where Kang Jin-ho had gone out.

Kang Jin-ho, who had gone outside, took out a cigarette with one hand while answering the phone. The cold night air brushed past his body, but the cold meant nothing to him.

[This is Lee Hyun-soo.]

“Speak.”

Click.

Kang Jin-ho, who had lit his cigarette, waited quietly for Lee Hyun-soo’s report.

[We’ve caught all the guys involved in the incident.]

“All of them?”

[Yes. There may be some areas where the investigation is lacking, but if we investigate the guys we’ve caught now, we’ll be able to find other people involved.]

“I see.”

Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes slightly.

It was subtle.

He didn’t know how to define the emotions that were sweeping over him. Even though he had lived a long life, feeling these emotions was unfamiliar.

“How many?”

[…Quite a few.]

“Okay.”

Both Kang Jin-ho, who was asking, and Lee Hyun-soo, who was answering, had low voices.

It was a report they didn’t want to make. And it was a report they didn’t want to hear.

“I understand. I’ll go now.”

[Chairman.]

“Hmm?”

[I’ll give you a report after the investigation is complete. We still need more time. I don’t think you need to come yet.]

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

What Lee Hyun-soo was saying now was close to overstepping his authority. Kang Jin-ho could be involved in everything that happened in the Assembly, and that was up to Kang Jin-ho to decide.

However, the reason why he didn’t want to point out Lee Hyun-soo’s overstepping was because he was trying to stop him for Kang Jin-ho’s sake.

It meant that he wanted to do this kind of thing himself instead of leaving it to Kang Jin-ho.

Just like he did in Yeongnam Assembly before.

“There’s no need to do that.”

[…]

Lee Hyun-soo was silent for a moment at the unexpected answer. But the silence didn’t last long.

[It’s not just because of you, Chairman. This is something I have to do.]

“Why?”

[That’s…]

Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t answer easily.

So Kang Jin-ho answered for him.

“I’m the one who decides who does what in the Assembly, right? I’m the Chairman of the Assembly, even if I’m lacking.”

[Yes.]

“I never told you to take on the dirty work of the Assembly. I never asked you to play the villain for the Assembly. I’ve done enough of that before.”

[Chairman.]

“Turning a blind eye will only make things easier for a moment. It doesn’t solve anything. In the end, it’s something I have to deal with.”

In the past, Kang Jin-ho had entrusted the major and minor affairs of the Demonic Cult [a fictional organization] to Cheongma. It meant that he had given Cheongma a lot of authority, but it was also true that Kang Jin-ho had passed on the dirty work he had to do to Cheongma.

What was the result?

Until the very last moment, Kang Jin-ho didn’t know the Demonic Cult properly. He didn’t understand it, and he didn’t control it. If he had been perfect, Cheongma wouldn’t have dared to rebel against him.

He had no intention of repeating the same mistake.

And… it wasn’t just because of that.

Lee Hyun-soo had already done enough of those things. Just because he had been doing it until now didn’t mean he had to keep doing it in the future.

[…I understand.]

“I’m going now.”

[You can come to the Assembly. I’ll be waiting.]

Kang Jin-ho hung up the phone.

Then he took a deep drag of his cigarette.

The cold night air rushed deep into his lungs along with the cigarette smoke.

It was an unpleasant task.

He could understand why Lee Hyun-soo was trying to stop him. Lee Hyun-soo was probably feeling something similar right now.

But there were things in the world that had to be done.

It wasn’t something that would disappear if Kang Jin-ho ignored it. If Kang Jin-ho ignored it, someone else would have to do it instead. It was better for Kang Jin-ho to do it himself.

Kang Jin-ho’s face turned cold.

The cigarette smoke that flowed from his mouth was carried by the wind and scattered uselessly into the world.

Kang Jin-ho, who was watching the scene, closed his eyes quietly.

Kang Jin-ho stood there without moving for a long time.

When he opened his eyes again, several minutes had already passed.

Kang Jin-ho, who had glanced at the cigarette that had burned out and gone out on its own, turned and headed back into the house.

The sound of his low footsteps echoed quietly in the dark night.