The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 216

215

“……”

“……”

Vacation’s first day, early morning.

The moment I faced Director Lee Ah-young at the meeting spot, I couldn’t help but be astonished.

I skipped the greetings and just stared at her.

She awkwardly avoided my gaze, wearing a rather embarrassed expression.

It was that shocking.

And that’s because…

‘Why is she dressed like that…?’

She, who always wore suits or neat shirts, was wearing a dress.

I even felt dizzy seeing her in a way I had never seen her before, even before the regression.

Even full makeup?

What on earth is she plotting?

“I, I said I could just go. Yoobin forced me……”

“……”

She trails off, seemingly awkward about her own appearance.

I subtly glanced at the luggage she brought.

It was as if she was evacuating; she had a ton of luggage.

What on earth did she pack so much of?

“Say something. It’s embarrassing when you just stare at me blankly.”

“Uh……”

After hesitating for a moment, I opened my mouth.

“How are you planning to investigate wearing that dress?”

“……Huh?”

“……?”

She wore a blank expression for a moment, then cautiously asked.

“In, investigate…? Aren’t we going to have fun…?”

“What are you talking about!”

I answered firmly to the absurd question.

“We’re going to investigate the assemblyman who’s backing Director Park Jang-mok.”

“……”

That was the moment.

Director Lee Ah-young’s face turned colder than I had ever seen before.

***

Headquarters, Planning Director’s Office.

“They must have met by now, right?”

Kim Min-joo, who visited Han Yoobin during the quiet time, opened her mouth in a subdued voice.

Then, Han Yoobin chuckled and asked back.

“Why? Are you jealous?”

“No, it’s not that……”

Kim Min-joo trailed off, not knowing how to express this complicated feeling.

That’s because Kim Jun-woo was a very special person to her.

It would be a lie to say that she had never thought of Kim Jun-woo as a romantic interest… but she had been controlling her feelings.

Kim Jun-woo was just an object of respect, and she thought that a relationship beyond that was presumptuous.

So, even if she went on vacation alone with Director Lee Ah-young… no, even if they became lovers, it had nothing to do with her.

Even so, the subtle feeling was probably just childish pettiness. The fear of losing an object of respect to someone else…….

Of course, that doesn’t fully explain this complicated feeling.

Kim Min-joo rested her chin on her hand and let out a faint sigh.

“It’s just a bit… complicated.”

“Pfft…!”

“……?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Han Yoobin said that, but she couldn’t stop the laughter that kept escaping.

“What’s so funny…?”

Kim Min-joo asked, not understanding the reaction.

“Just… your reaction is cute.”

“Yes…?”

“You don’t really believe that the man asked you to go on vacation with him, do you?”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it true that he asked us to go together?”

“Pfft, Hahaha!”

Han Yoobin finally burst into laughter.

Then, wiping away the tears that had welled up, she struggled to continue speaking.

“I thought you knew him best. I guess not.”

“……What are you talking about?”

“He’s a workaholic. I bet he just needs a hand this time too, right?”

“No, surely……”

“Surely what? Do you think he really said that because he wanted to go on a trip alone with you?”

“……”

Kim Min-joo hesitated to answer.

That’s because she couldn’t imagine Kim Jun-woo doing that at all.

That’s why it was even more shocking.

“Well, it’s obvious he’s either investigating someone or trying to finish this job.”

Han Yoobin said, raising the corners of her mouth as if she knew it all too well.

“Th, then why did Yoobin ask Ah-young to go shopping…?”

“That’s because……”

Han Yoobin shrugged and continued.

“It seemed like it would be fun?”

“……”

“By now, they’re both probably embarrassed and stunned? Well, your reaction was fun too.”

Han Yoobin kept chuckling, as if it was fun just thinking about it.

Kim Min-joo shook her head sincerely, looking at her.

***

“…Are you mad?”

I said to Lee Ah-young, who had been gripping the steering wheel with a rather grim expression since earlier, in a car filled with an unusual atmosphere.

“What? I’m not mad.”

“……Your expression doesn’t look like it.”

“I said I’m not mad?!”

……If she’s not, she’s not, why is she yelling?

Okay, let’s ignore it.

It’s frustrating to talk to her if she says she’s not.

That’s what I was thinking when.

“Ugh! The more I think about it, the more angry I get?!”

“…You are mad.”

“No, if someone asks you to go on vacation alone, isn’t it natural to misunderstand?! I dressed up, and then what? Investigate?! Is this a joke?! I’m so embarrassed, really!”

“I told you to come comfortably.”

“How was I supposed to know that’s what you meant! I’m the only idiot! I’m so embarrassed, really!”

“Why are you blaming me for your misunderstanding? And frankly, we’re not in a relationship where we’d go on a trip alone.”

“That makes me even angrier!!”

Director Lee Ah-young couldn’t control her anger and couldn’t keep her body still.

“Okay, I’ll apologize, so stop now……”

“Ugh, why is that bastard interfering! Hey, get lost!”

“……”

I pressed my lips together and shifted my gaze forward.

Okay, let’s not touch her.

I might get hit.

I was about to save my words.

“So, what kind of investigation are you going on that you even took a vacation for?”

She asked in a voice that hadn’t calmed down.

“Well, it’s a bit uncomfortable to do it openly……”

I glanced at her and slowly continued.

“When I was digging into Director Park Jang-mok last time, there were guys he brought with him. He said an assemblyman [a member of the national legislature] who was backing him introduced them, and they were former hunters who were active in the underworld.”

“Former hunters?”

“Yes.”

Director Lee Ah-young tilted her head at my answer.

“Are there still guys like that left? Didn’t we take care of them all before?”

“I thought so too.”

“No, it’s not just a matter of not knowing; hunters who have been stripped of their qualifications are monitored by the government for five years. But how can they not get caught if they’re active in a violent organization, of all things?”

“I told you, the assemblyman introduced them.”

“……No way.”

“Yes.”

I leaned my arm against the window and answered.

“Our wonderful assemblyman seems to be secretly raising fighting dogs [people used for violence or intimidation] personally.”

There are several reasons why a hunter might be stripped of their qualifications.

Embezzlement, bribery, assault, retaliation, intimidation…….

And even murder.

It is the worst possible case when those with abilities that transcend ordinary strength commit crimes.

In particular, hunters who have been stripped of their qualifications and are outside the control of the Association are even more easily exposed to crime.

Therefore, former hunters… especially those who have been stripped of their qualifications for violent crimes, are classified as the most dangerous people by the state.

Because who knows what those with the power of otherworldliness will do in places other than dungeons.

That those guys are forming violent organizations and operating is not just an illegal level, but a matter directly related to national security.

Isn’t it that supernatural beings who can even destroy the military if they want to are unofficially gathered?

Even worse, they’re not normal guys, they’ve already caused trouble once, so the danger is indescribable.

The government has declared a second war on crime. And they have launched a massive effort to eradicate illegal hunter organizations.

Of course, I also participated in that project before the regression.

That was already five years ago, and since then, hunters who have been stripped of their qualifications have been thoroughly managed, so I thought they had completely disappeared…….

Are there still guys like that operating openly?

Even under a member of the National Assembly?

This is obvious to anyone.

The assemblyman who backed Director Park Jang-mok is directly raising the organization.

Whether it’s for political use or for other businesses.

“So, if you dig into that organization, you can find out who’s at the top?”

Director Lee Ah-young asked, as if she understood.

“That’s right.”

“But do you know where that organization is?”

“Recently, the construction of a 20,000-pyeong [approximately 16.5 acres] resort has been confirmed in Pohang.”

Director Lee Ah-young looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if it was quite an unexpected answer.

“Pohang?”

“Yes. It seems like a golf course, ski resort, and water park will be built. GT Construction won the bid. But there seems to have been some friction with other companies.”

“Did they have a bidding competition?”

“Not that… a factory of a small and medium-sized enterprise [SME] was scheduled to be built on the site. The contract was all done, and they were just setting the construction start date, but suddenly the project was canceled.”

“What? How can that be? How can you forcibly take land that’s already under contract…!”

“I don’t know the details. It hasn’t been reported in the media. However, the assemblyman for that district is a member of the Future Democratic Party.”

“……!”

At that moment, her eyebrows twitched.

“Above all, there have been many rumors about the relationship between GT Group and the Future Democratic Party for a long time. The assemblyman and GT Construction probably colluded.”

“Still… wasn’t there any backlash?”

“Of course there was. The CEO of the SME directly protested. All the employees rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward. As a result, local media began to pay attention. Thanks to that, public opinion gradually leaned towards the SME.”

“But they still proceeded with the resort project? If they pushed it through in that situation, things would get bigger…….”

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

“Yes?”

Instead of answering, I handed over a newspaper.

An article that was not a headline, but a small article in the corner of the middle page.

I pointed to it with my finger and continued.

“The CEO of that company died.”

“……!”

Her eyes widened.

“Well, to be exact, he’s missing. But the meaning doesn’t change.”

“Wh, what on earth…….”

“Anyway, after the CEO disappeared, all the media outlets erased this incident as if it were a lie. The internet is also quiet. The only thing left is a line of articles in the corner of the newspaper.”

Director Lee Ah-young asked with a rather shocked expression.

“Then, could it be that the assemblyman in that district…….”

“That’s unlikely. This is his first term. It would be impossible for a rookie member of the National Assembly with no influence to control the media to that extent.”

“Then who on earth did that?”

“Well, the assemblyman in the district is not the person we’re looking for, but it’s certain that it’s the person we’re looking for who did it.”

I answered in a firm voice.

“The resort construction must have been beneficial to him as well. So he helped. But the CEO of the SME was more persistent than he thought…….”

“Did he use the hunter organization to take care of it?”

“Of course, this is just my guess. The only way to be sure is to go there in person.”

That’s why we’re going to Pohang now.

To be exact, we’re heading to the missing CEO’s company.

Since it’s a buried case, there’s a limit to confirming it with articles.

There’s nothing more certain than going there and finding out directly.

“Haa…….”

Then, Director Lee Ah-young sighed deeply.

“You should have told me in advance if it was something like this. It doesn’t seem like a place to go in a dress.”

“What does it matter? It’s not an official event.”

“……It’s easy for you to say.”

Director Lee Ah-young continued to drive towards Pohang, even while complaining.