Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1317

Explosion ⑴

“A forced move, huh…”

Kim Myung-chan swung his golf club powerfully. The ball, struck by the club, soared through the air.

“What do you think?”

“Your follow-through doesn’t seem natural.”

“…Not that.”

“Ah!”

Lee Jong-wook looked sheepish.

“Didn’t you predict that he wouldn’t look at the surrounding situation in the first place?”

“That’s true.”

Kim Myung-chan stuck his golf club into his golf bag, his brow slightly furrowed.

‘A slice, I guess.’

His swing wasn’t good.

But that was to be expected. Kim Myung-chan’s mind was elsewhere. There was no way he’d come to the field to play golf during this tense time.

He was staging a show of no particular movement. For the intelligence agents of other countries who were monitoring his actions.

“You look a little more relaxed?”

“Do I?”

Kim Myung-chan gave a wry smile.

The reason high-ranking government officials frequent golf courses isn’t because golf is fun. Some may actually enjoy golf, but Kim Myung-chan, at least, was someone who liked the golf course, not golf itself.

For high-ranking officials who always have to be conscious of people’s eyes and risk being bugged, a wide-open golf course where others can’t approach and voices can’t be overheard was the perfect escape.

“How many telephoto lenses do you think are on us right now?”

“Well, maybe a couple?”

“Fewer than I thought.”

“There’s nothing they can find out just by taking pictures from afar anyway. The ones who are still attached will be making a fuss about taking those pictures.”

Lee Jong-wook gave a wry smile.

Just as they send intelligence agents to China, intelligence agents from neighboring countries are also in Korea. Some of them have already been identified by the NIS [National Intelligence Service], but there are likely more spies roaming around Korea freely.

When relations between countries become strained and a crisis arises, the busiest people are those intelligence agents.

“It’s a good thing that long-range bugging devices haven’t been developed yet.”

“That’s probably not far off.”

“Don’t say such terrible things. Then we wouldn’t be able to speak our minds freely.”

Kim Myung-chan shook his head.

Thanks to bugging devices and satellite cameras, high-ranking officials live in a world where privacy has disappeared. If long-range bugging devices are developed on top of that, it would feel like being broadcast live to the entire world.

“So…”

Kim Myung-chan opened his mouth as he walked slowly.

“If we go ahead with it, what are the chances?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Lee Jong-wook sighed.

“We haven’t been able to quantify their power yet.”

“And the enemy’s power is also unknown. Ever since we learned about the existence of the Assembly and the Unmanned Realm, I’ve been questioning what we’ve been doing all this time.”

“I guess so.”

Kim Myung-chan also wore a bitter expression.

South Korea has developed rapidly. But now, the limits of that development are slowly becoming apparent.

South Korea, which achieved rapid development based on momentum, luck, and diligence, is now clearly seeing its pace of development slow down. As a result, the limits of its basic strength, which had not been visible before, have now come into view.

Basically, countries that are called powerful have been investigating and analyzing information from other countries since the past. The intelligence agencies of each country are famous in other countries as well.

But Korea is only now in the process of establishing an external intelligence organization. Until now, it was all they could do to grasp the situation in the country and North Korea.

While other countries were fully aware of the existence of the Unmanned Realm and preparing for it, they were only aware of the existence of the Unmanned Realm by a few powerful people. They failed to grasp and prepare for them on a national level.

It was the result of information being wielded by powerful people, not the state, and by a few powerful people, not the system.

“But there must be a conclusion that can be drawn based on the information we have. It’s not like you can’t make a judgment just because there’s a lack of information.”

“You’re right. I think the operation itself will succeed.”

“Really?”

Kim Myung-chan looked at Lee Jong-wook with a subtle gaze.

“Why?”

“Because I believe that Kang Jin-ho, whom I’ve met, is not someone who would ever bluff.”

“That’s an extremely personal and impressionistic assessment. It’s not very fitting for your position.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. Since it’s a human endeavor, we can’t only make mechanical judgments.”

That’s not necessarily the right thing to do either.

“But the fact that you say the operation itself will succeed doesn’t sound very positive?”

“Actually, I have a question about that matter.”

Kim Myung-chan frowned slightly.

“What is it?”

“According to our analysis, the assassination itself is likely to succeed, but it may be difficult to get out safely afterward.”

Kim Myung-chan walked forward, looking ahead without answering.

After walking in silence for a while, Kim Myung-chan opened his mouth.

“I don’t quite understand. Are you saying that getting out of China is more difficult than the assassination?”

“Once the location is exposed, they will start tracking. As you know, China’s surveillance system is far superior to Korea’s. Korea is basically specialized in monitoring distances to identify routes in case something happens, while China monitors the country in real-time.”

“Hmm.”

“The probability of getting out safely while avoiding that strict surveillance system is not very high.”

“As far as I know, Kang Jin-ho has escaped from China before.”

“That was possible because the opponent wasn’t the state, and the incident occurred on the coast. Kang Jin-ho is currently in Beijing. It’s where the Chinese government’s surveillance system is most strictly enforced.”

Kim Myung-chan pondered.

He didn’t agree with everything Lee Jong-wook said, but he couldn’t deny the possibility that it could happen.

“So, what is it that you want to ask?”

Lee Jong-wook, who licked his lips slightly, opened his mouth with an extremely serious voice.

“It’s about what would happen if the situation I just mentioned actually occurred.”

“Hmm?”

“Officially, we have no connection to Kang Jin-ho. All of this is something that Kang Jin-ho and the Assembly are doing personally.”

“That’s right.”

“So, if the Chinese government actually asks us to block our involvement, what are you going to do?”

Kim Myung-chan walked without saying anything.

Kim Myung-chan, who had walked to where the ball had landed, frowned.

The ball had fallen into the rough and was even partially submerged in the pond. The only way to hit that ball was to put his feet in the pond.

“Hey, Manager Lee. Do you like golf?”

“I don’t really enjoy it.”

“They say that people who play golf for the first time try to save the ball no matter what. They think that saving even a ball like that is real golf.”

“That might be true. But there’s one more thing to consider. That’s the risk.”

“What if you go into the pond to hit it, but you don’t hit it properly and the ball goes deeper into the pond? Your clothes get wet, your feet get wet, and your score gets worse. Isn’t that the worst?”

“That’s right, Prime Minister.”

“In that case…”

Kim Myung-chan took a ball out of his pocket and dropped it on the ground.

“It’s not bad to accept a reasonable penalty and choose stability. That’s the way of an adult.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Now, have you found your ball?”

“Yes. It’s over there.”

“Since we’ve come this far, I’ll hit first. A round should be enjoyable.”

Lee Jong-wook nodded silently.

He hadn’t received an answer, but it was as good as having heard one. Kang Jin-ho was like a golf ball stuck in the pond. If they tried to save him carelessly, there was a high chance of ruining relations with China.

If the golf ball rolls onto the fairway on its own, there’s no reason to push it away again, but there’s no need to take the loss to bring it back. There are plenty of replacement golf balls in his pocket.

Lee Jong-wook frowned slightly as he watched Kim Myung-chan take his stance.

‘But is that the right thing to do?’

Kim Myung-chan’s method of prioritizing efficiency and avoiding risk wasn’t wrong. Talking about challenges and boldness is the logic of those who have nothing to lose.

Those in a position where they have to risk the fate of not only themselves but also countless others with a single choice have no choice but to prioritize a stable path.

However…

‘What if what we’re losing isn’t a golf ball?’

The reason why it’s easy to give up a golf ball is because it can always be replaced with another golf ball.

But can Kang Jin-ho be compared to a common golf ball?

Lee Jong-wook narrowed his brow slightly.

It seemed like a plausible analogy, but it didn’t fit at all. Anyone could see that Kang Jin-ho was someone who couldn’t be replaced by another Unmanned. Anyone who had ever met Kang Jin-ho would agree with this thought.

The problem is…

‘There’s no way the Prime Minister doesn’t know this fact.’

Even if it were someone else, there was no way that Kim Myung-chan, whom Lee Jong-wook knew, wouldn’t have noticed such a minor error.

That’s why he was hesitating.

He should point it out, but he couldn’t.

How could he point out something that he knew was wrong?

The important thing was why Kim Myung-chan was making such an obvious error.

‘Could it be…’

“You seem to be thinking a lot.”

Lee Jong-wook flinched and lowered his head slightly.

“No, it’s just that I was wondering how to handle the aftermath…”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

“The most common mistake that people who work for the country make is overstepping their authority. It’s the arrogance of thinking that things will go wrong if I don’t step in and solve them myself. The important thing is to do your job well in your position. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right.”

Lee Jong-wook closed his eyes slightly.

Clearly, going beyond this was overstepping his authority. His job was just to carry out the orders he was given.

However…

Lee Jong-wook’s gaze darkened as he watched Kim Myung-chan swing.

Those who lead the country have to make ruthless decisions from time to time. Ordinary people only have to protect their own morality, but those who lead cannot help but consider the interests of the group.

Being morally perfect does not satisfy the perfection of a leader. Sometimes, leaders have to abandon morality to realize the interests of the group.

In that sense, Kang Jin-ho was too dangerous of an existence.

He was not someone that the South Korean government could control or suppress. Even within the Assembly and the Korean Unmanned Realm, he felt like he was out of the norm. It would not be easy for any country, not just Korea, to control him.

Uncontrollable power always threatens the system of the state.

‘But even so, Prime Minister…’

Lee Jong-wook bit his lower lip until it bled.

‘Perhaps your decision will ignite the fuse of a bomb.’

The ball that Kim Myung-chan hit sliced far to the side.

“Oh, I hit it wrong again.”

Kim Myung-chan shook his head and slowly walked forward.

Lee Jong-wook quietly watched Kim Myung-chan, then began to follow him with a determined look on his face.