The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 78

077

Emerging from the forest, dozens of armed individuals slowly surrounded us, weapons trained.

The atmosphere was tense, ripe for attack at the slightest provocation.

“Ugh… Are we there yet?”

A languid voice, completely out of sync with the atmosphere, cut through the tension.

I realized someone had been missing.

Han Yubin, finally awake, stretched as she stepped out of the car.

“……What is it?”

All eyes turned to her.

Belatedly grasping the situation, Han Yubin looked around, a bewildered expression on her face.

“What, what’s going on? Was there an accident or something?”

“Yes. It seems these friends have some business with us.”

“What business?”

“Can’t you tell? Robbery or kidnapping, something like that.”

“……?”

And then, suddenly, she burst into laughter.

“Are you kidding me because I just woke up? What lunatic would kidnap us?”

“…….”

“…….”

Han Yubin, who was about to laugh it off as nonsense, lowered the corners of her mouth upon seeing our expressionless faces.

“……I guess it’s real.”

She seemed to realize it wasn’t a joke, but that only made her more bewildered.

Though, not as much as I was.

“Was Vietnam always such a bold country…….”

“Well, if you don’t know much, you might think so.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

Kim Minju asked.

Han Yubin replied without a second thought.

“If we break one of their arms each, wouldn’t they just let us go?”

“……Why are you so violent?”

“Then what, should we just let them capture us quietly?”

“I’m saying we could try to resolve this through conversation.”

“If that were possible, we would have resolved it before I even woke up! Look at them, armed to the teeth. Is that how people who want to talk act?”

“…….”

She just had to get a word in.

“Still, isn’t violence a bit much when we’ve come all the way to another country?”

“……Whatever.”

While Han Yubin grumbled, Kim Minju cautiously raised her hand.

“Um… I briefly saw them in the car earlier, and they didn’t seem like bad people. Maybe we should hear them out?”

“You mean hear them out and then deal with them?”

“No. I mean actually have a conversation.”

“Ugh, that damn conversation! If we’re going to do that, we might as well all go to a café together!”

“We don’t have a choice. I left my weapon behind, after all.”

Han Yubin huffed, clearly frustrated, and Kim Minju was busy trying to persuade her.

‘There’s not a shred of tension to be found.’

Is this how people who have been kidnapped are supposed to act?

‘Well… considering there are three former tactical team leaders here, it would be weirder if they were tense.’

I shook my head.

Anyway, while we were contemplating what to do, Huin, the person who orchestrated this situation, opened his mouth.

“We don’t intend to harm you. We just have something to say.”

“……That’s a very convincing thing to say,” I said dryly.

I wish he would at least try to hide his hostility.

Judging by their appearance, they were definitely not civilians.

Judging by the specialized weapons they were carrying, they were all Hunters [individuals with supernatural abilities].

Could they be tactical team members from the Association? Or a private guild? Or perhaps an ability cartel?

‘Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like good news.’

A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

“So, what do you want? Surely you’re not trying to get revenge because we refused your support request a year ago.”

“Of course not.”

Huin shook his head.

“Money. We need money.”

“……That’s so honest it’s almost embarrassing.”

Were they just thugs?

I opened my mouth with a look of dismay.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. We don’t have much. If you don’t believe me, you can check our wallets.”

“You may not, but the Korean Association does.”

“……Ah, so.”

At that moment, my gaze sharpened without me realizing it.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to hold us hostage and demand a ransom from the Korean Association?”

“Yes.”

“Huin, that’s an international crime.”

“I know. But we have no choice.”

“No choice?”

Ha, a burst of laughter escaped me.

Sure, whatever.

Even bad guys have their own plausible reasons.

Of course, they’re all just excuses…….

“We have to keep subjugating. To do that, we need a lot of money.”

“……Subjugating?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Subjugating what? Then you really are part of a tactical team…….”

Several people nodded with grim faces.

“So… you have to keep subjugating, but you don’t have the money to do it, so you kidnapped us……?”

“That’s right.”

“Ha, this is insane.”

No matter how difficult the situation, for a national association to fund its operations like this…

It was something I could never have imagined.

“You saw it on your way here. Right now, we’re severely lacking in equipment, personnel, infrastructure, and information.”

“No, even so…….”

It was an unacceptable reason.

No matter how difficult the circumstances, could they really resort to such extremes?

This wasn’t some country in the middle of a civil war.

“We know the Vietnamese Association is struggling. That’s why we came, isn’t it? If we officially take over and properly support you with personnel and equipment, the problem will be solved. It’s going to be difficult if you act like this.”

“No. You can’t take over our Association.”

“……Excuse me?”

Huin gave a faint smile.

A very bitter and bleak smile.

“Our Association was already dissolved a long time ago.”

I froze at the shocking words.

“Wh-what nonsense are you spouting? There was no such information in the recent data.”

“Of course, that’s what it says on paper. Let’s just say it’s for government subsidies. Anyway, it’s practically dissolved now.”

“Wait. So, even though it’s dissolved, you’re still getting subsidies? Where is that money going if you don’t have the funds for operations?”

“Where else would it go?”

Huin said, pointing a finger towards the sky.

My mouth dropped open without me realizing it.

Huin, the person involved, spoke in a calm tone.

“A year ago, after the accident at the Red-grade dungeon, the already struggling Association completely fell into despair. Inevitably, the Association President pushed for a sale to the International Association. Fortunately, the agreement was smooth. We were right before the merger.”

“……But it ultimately fell through?”

“Yes. The Party blocked it.”

“……?”

My eyes widened.

“The government blocked it? If we merged with the International Association, the Association would be much bigger than it is now. Why?”

“If we were acquired by the International Association, we wouldn’t get government subsidies.”

“…….”

That’s a reason beyond imagination.

“After that, we continued to suffer from financial difficulties, and many employees resigned, eventually leading to this state. As I said before, the Association only exists as a means for those above to receive subsidies.”

“What the hell…….”

I rubbed my forehead.

“Well, even in this situation, the Party keeps issuing subjugation orders, but we don’t have the funds to carry out the operations……. What can we do?”

“So, you’re funding your operations in this way?”

Huin nodded.

The government wants the subjugation to continue but doesn’t want the Association to grow.
The tactical team has to carry out the subjugation but can’t get support.

In a situation that is a contradiction in itself, there wouldn’t have been many options they could choose.

Yes, now I understand.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can condone all of their actions.

‘Well, that’s beside the point for now.’

I let out a long sigh.

I didn’t expect the acquisition to be easy, but I never imagined it would be a ghost association that only existed on paper.

“What a complete waste. I had a feeling it wouldn’t work out.”

“…….”

Han Yubin sneered, and Kim Minju shook her head in dismay.

Looking at the situation alone, it was naturally a headache-inducing situation, but…….

“No. It’s better this way.”

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

The two looked at me with surprised eyes, as if they had misheard me.

“Instead of going through the trouble of negotiating and haggling over various conditions, it’s better to start from scratch. Above all, if there’s no association to acquire, that means we don’t need to pay for the acquisition, right?”

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Thinking positively, it could be a good thing in that we can save money.

Of course, the part we have to solve instead of money is much more troublesome.

“Let’s try to resolve this as smoothly as possible. It’s not good for us to have a falling out with the local Hunters.”

“I guess so…….”

Kim Minju seemed convinced, but Han Yubin was still reluctant.

What a temper.

I took a step towards Huin.

“I understand your situation, but you can’t commit crimes like this.”

“…….”

“But well, it doesn’t seem like you’re doing this with bad intentions, so we’ll help you.”

“Help us? How?”

Huin narrowed his eyes.

“We’ll rebuild the Vietnamese Association.”

Of course, not for free.

“On the condition that it’s organized as a branch of the Korean Association. What do you think? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“…….”

“…….”

I thought I had presented good conditions, but everyone had a bewildered expression. They hesitated to answer and looked at each other.

Soon, Huin tried to speak calmly.

“It’s not something I can decide. In the first place, it’s not something that can be done just because you want to. Without the Party’s permission, it will be impossible to rebuild the Association no matter how much money you pour in.”

“Well, we can persuade them.”

“……You’re saying that so easily.”

Was my answer that funny?

The local Hunters lowered their weapons and laughed.

They were chattering amongst themselves, but I couldn’t understand them. Did they think I was joking? I was serious.

“Yes. Persuade them, you say…….”

Huin looked at me with strange eyes.

“Anyone can say that.”

“……?”

“Capture them and take them to the base.”

“Hey, you ba……!”

Before I could finish speaking, dozens of Hunters rushed towards us all at once.

***

Korean Association Yeouido Headquarters, Association President’s Office.

“Are you sure about this?”

Director Lee Doosik, who had been wearing a sullen expression since he came to the office, asked.

Association President Park Inbeom wore an incomprehensible expression.

“What now?”

“The overseas branch promotion. I didn’t show it at the meeting, but… I’m also worried.”

“Tsk, do you think I’m not? If there’s even a slight setback, it’ll all fall apart. I don’t want to become unemployed a month after coming back.”

“Then there was no need to proceed.”

“What Kim Junwoo said wasn’t wrong. If the International Association is really targeting us, this is the best way.”

“That’s true, but… we can’t ignore the risks. Above all, it’s a bit unsettling that the first target is the Vietnamese Association. We had some issues with them, didn’t we? I don’t understand why you chose them over other friendly associations…….”

“That’s enough. It’s all in the past.”

The Association President waved his hand.

Director Lee Doosik couldn’t understand.

If he was also worried, there was no need to approve it at the meeting.

He could have bought time by saying he would think about it.

He wondered why he had hastily accepted Kim Junwoo’s proposal.

Of course, the question didn’t last long.

The Association President’s smile caught his eye.

“……You don’t even think he’ll fail.”

“Yeah. That guy does what he says he’ll do.”

“Aren’t you being too blindly trusting?”

“Maybe. But well… it’s not like I’m the only one, right?”

Director Lee Doosik chuckled.

Anyway, he also cast his vote in favor without a second’s hesitation at the meeting, didn’t he?

He couldn’t deny that the thought of ‘because it’s Kim Junwoo’ was underlying it.

In the end, he was no different from the Association President.

“You’re not nervous at all.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Just as the small laughter didn’t stop, the office phone rang.

The Association President erased his smile and picked up the receiver.

“Yes, this is Park Inbeom, President of the Otherworld Dimension Management Association.”

“…Yes?”

“Ah, is that so…….”

“No, I’m not interested.”

“Yes, yes~ I understand, so I’ll hang up now.”

He slammed the receiver down irritably after only a few seconds.

“What are these bastards…….”

“Who is it?”

“They kidnapped our kids and want money if we want them alive?”

“Yes? Who did they kidnap? Ah, no, before that, is it okay to just hang up on such a call?!”

“They said they kidnapped Kim Junwoo and his group?”

“……?”

Director Lee Doosik’s reaction immediately turned cold.

“It’s a voice phishing scam.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Haam, the Association President yawned widely, opening his mouth wide.