Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1463

‘I’ve received countless reports since taking this position, but…’

Reynolds lowered his head slightly, looking at the person sitting across from him.

‘This is a bit shocking.’

‘It was expected.’

‘Expected, you say… Did you really expect this?’

Reynolds couldn’t answer. The response came from the person sitting across from him.

‘No, he didn’t. If he had, he would have been more assertive. He wouldn’t have been satisfied with this budget, and he wouldn’t have trained those SOBs like that. Isn’t that right?’

‘…I apologize.’

‘I’m not blaming you. I’m just surprised. It means that the analysis based on the nation’s intelligence was completely off.’

Reynolds slightly narrowed his brow.

‘I’m embarrassed to say this, but I don’t think that’s the case. Basically, the assessment of the Assembly’s power was almost accurate. The only thing we failed to predict was Kang Jin-ho, the head of the Assembly.’

‘Just that one…’

‘He’s an outlier. He can’t be interpreted on the same plane as others. The difference between him and other martial artists is like that between a mouse and a lion. It feels like they’re different species from the start.’

‘Hmm.’

A low sigh escaped.

‘The Sovereign King, the Sovereign King…’

‘Isn’t that anachronistic?’

‘A king in this day and age.’

‘And not just a symbolic one like in Britain or Japan, but a king with both power and authority. To have to acknowledge their influence in the 21st century.’

‘There’s no choice but to acknowledge it.’

The man sighed.

‘Reynolds.’

‘Yes.’

‘Proceed as they wish.’

‘Are you sure? Their demands are unreasonable. There’s room for negotiation.’

‘How much difference would it make? They’ve already taken the lead. They can manipulate us as they please. The moment our analysis of their power was wrong, this was already foreseen.’

‘The one who is in a weaker position has no choice but to complain. I’ll provide support, so make the deal happen.’

‘The opposition…’

‘I wonder if they even have the nerve to speak up. If anyone opposes, throw them into the hospital where the 15th Division’s wounded are being treated. They’ll come out a mess.’

‘I will proceed without any issues.’

‘However…’

The man narrowed his brow.

A cold light emanated from his eyes.

‘Accepting this deal is an investment. As much as we’re investing heavily, we must get more than that in return. Do you understand?’

‘Of course, I understand.’

Reynolds nodded firmly.

They could invest as much as they wanted in Kang Jin-ho. But the return on that investment could only be one thing. Someday, the United States would also have a martial artist comparable to the Sovereign King… no, even greater.

What Reynolds had to do was to bring that time forward as much as possible.

‘I delegate the authority. If necessary, you have the autonomy to approve even more than that.’

‘Thank you. I will definitely accomplish it.’

Reynolds bowed deeply and went outside. Watching him, the man pulled a cigar case from the corner of his desk.

The man took out a cigar, smelled it, cut off the tip, and slowly lit it with a match. After leisurely lighting it evenly, the man savored the aroma of the cigar.

‘The Sovereign King…’

‘Their existence is a threat.’

‘We have to cooperate for now, but…’

‘Someday, things will change.’

The man, who was trying to guess when that time would come, chuckled.

What was the point of worrying? By then, his term would already be over.

What he had to do was to broaden the choices for the person who would sit in this position in the future.

‘I’m counting on you, someone in the future.’

Reynolds, entering the hotel, swallowed hard. This was an extremely important negotiation.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t there no reason to be this nervous?’

Thanks to that Lee Hyun-soo, all the terms of the negotiation were already finalized. Now, all that was left was to decide whether to accept or not.

Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, it was true that things had become easier thanks to him.

‘There’s no way it’s a good thing.’

That robber-like guy.

He had heard countless times that Easterners were meticulous, but this was not just meticulous, it was closer to obsessive. He scrutinized every single word and negotiated the terms, so the contract exceeded 300 pages.

If he hadn’t sent the contract in advance by email, it would have taken a whole day just to review it.

‘Hoo…’

Reynolds sighed deeply and headed for the elevator. The bodyguards, who had been waiting in advance, surrounded him as if they were escorting him. Reynolds frowned at the sight.

‘What are you doing?’

‘We’re escorting…’

‘I told you not to do anything that could provoke the other party, didn’t I?’

‘I apologize.’

‘Your job is to guard, not to escort. Explain your actions to your superior and write a report.’

‘…Understood.’

Reynolds pressed the elevator button with an annoyed expression. Normally, he could have laughed off something like this, but he didn’t have that much mental leeway right now.

Thinking that he had to handle something that could determine the future of the nation entirely on his own, he felt so burdened that his stomach ached and the back of his head throbbed.

So, he couldn’t help but be sharp.

The elevator doors opened, and Reynolds got into the elevator without a word. After pressing the floor button and the doors closed, he leaned against the elevator wall and sighed.

‘I’m tired.’

Looking back, he hadn’t been able to rest properly for a single day since Kang Jin-ho entered the United States. His sleep time had been drastically reduced, and even that short sleep was not restful.

‘Once this is over…’

Of course, considering the aftermath, there would be more pain left, but once he got over this one hurdle, he felt like he could relax.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, and Reynolds took a deep breath and went outside. He walked down the hallway and stopped in front of the hotel room where Kang Jin-ho was staying, taking a deep breath.

Knock, knock.

As soon as he knocked, a voice came from inside.

‘Come in.’

Reynolds quietly opened the door. Inside, Kang Jin-ho, Lee Hyun-soo, and Wiggins were sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. As soon as he stepped inside, Reynolds bowed his head first.

‘It’s good to see you again, Head of the Assembly.’

‘Sit down.’

‘Yes.’

Reynolds sat down across from Kang Jin-ho, suppressing his trembling heart.

‘Cigarette?’

‘Ah, no thank you. I’m a non-smoker.’

‘That’s a good thing.’

Kang Jin-ho put a cigarette in his mouth. Lee Hyun-soo took out a lighter and lit the cigarette for Kang Jin-ho.

Wiggins frowned slightly at the sight.

‘Hey, quit smoking.’

‘…It’s not like there’s a problem with my health.’

‘It smells. You shouldn’t cause harm to others.’

Lee Hyun-soo looked slightly surprised.

‘Wow, I can’t believe the director thinks of us as strangers.’

‘No, that’s not what I meant…’

Wiggins sighed.

He had to do something about that habit of pulling out a cigarette as soon as he sat down, whether it was a negotiation or anything else.

If others smoked in such a place, it would be one way to show relative superiority and pressure the other party, but Kang Jin-ho was not like that.

He was just smoking because he liked it.

‘Someone who isn’t even affected by nicotine.’

This was why they said habits were scary.

‘Isn’t it also disrespectful to the other party?’

‘No. I’m fine with it.’

Wiggins looked back at Reynolds as if he was speechless. Then, Reynolds shrugged his shoulders instead.

‘I don’t understand Director Wiggins’ words either. Isn’t that a very Eastern way of thinking?’

Wiggins closed his mouth.

‘You’ve been in Korea for a long time, so you seem to have become very accustomed to that way of thinking.’

Reynolds was just saying it as a compliment, but it sounded completely different to Wiggins.

So, what he was saying was…

‘He’s saying you’re an old fogey?’

‘Do you have to say it out loud to confirm it! Your mouth is the problem!’

‘No, he said it, why are you getting angry at me! Isn’t that also an old fogey thing to do?’

‘An old fogey thing? Did you just say it’s an old fogey thing? Do you want me to show you what an old fogey thing is?’

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

‘…You were just talking about manners.’

Wiggins pursed his lips.

‘Such a disgrace.’

Lee Hyun-soo had a strange way of getting under people’s skin. Even if he said the same thing, it would make people ten times angrier when it came from Lee Hyun-soo’s mouth.

‘Ahem, I apologize.’

‘Ah, no, it’s okay.’

Reynolds wiped the sweat from his forehead.

‘Aren’t they nervous at all?’

In a way, this deal could be much more important to the Assembly than to the United States. The conditions they had set were not something that a single group could come up with. At least a national level was needed to even talk about such conditions.

But to have such a relaxed expression at the place where those conditions were being finalized.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly.

‘It must be the composure of the strong.’

It was a strange feeling.

He had represented the United States in many negotiations. But he had never seen the other party be relaxed. Composure was always a privilege given to him.

As long as he represented the United States, he was always in the position of the strong, and the other party would only be watching his every move.

But now, for the first time, that position was reversed.

Reynolds deeply realized how the people he had dealt with so far must have felt. He understood why they said you wouldn’t know unless you experienced it.

‘Then, can we proceed with the contract?’

‘Ah, please wait a moment.’

‘Yes?’

‘We are currently reviewing the contract again.’

At Lee Hyun-soo’s words, Reynolds tilted his head. The contract was lying completely on the table. But who was reviewing the contract?

Lee Hyun-soo smiled at Reynolds’ questioning expression.

‘Our legal advisors in Korea are meticulously scrutinizing the contract. Even though I know most of it, there could be legal issues.’

‘It will be over soon.’

‘Le, legal advisors?’

‘Yes. We also have lawyers since we run a corporation.’

Uh….

Uh?

‘No, this is a top-secret contract!’

‘Yes. It’s a top-secret contract. But what if there’s a legal problem? If they refuse to pay, wouldn’t we be getting cheated?’

‘We’ve put together a trustworthy team. The Assembly members are guarding the perimeter, and all the data will be destroyed. And if they value their lives, they won’t tell anyone for the rest of their lives, so you don’t have to worry.’

That ruthless bastard.

It was a natural procedure.

But that natural procedure was usually ignored in such deals.

He couldn’t tell if this was meticulous or ruthless.

‘So…’

Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth, observing the situation.

‘Has it been approved by the higher-ups?’

Reynolds nodded.

‘Yes. They have agreed to all the conditions.’

‘Good.’

‘And…’

Reynolds glanced at Kang Jin-ho and opened his mouth.