The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 241

Italy, Sicily.

Part Leader Kang Jae-seok and I left the Guardiano headquarters and stepped back onto the street.

“Who on earth is supplying the cartel with raw materials?”

Part Leader Kang Jae-seok cautiously opened his mouth.

“Aside from Central Africa, doesn’t the entire world produce less than 5 tons a year?”

“You know it well.”

“Haha… I’ve handled Fractal [a rare and highly sought-after mineral] a few times during my smuggling days…”

He scratched his head with an awkward expression.

What a boast…

“Well, as you said, 80% of the Fractal mined worldwide comes from Central Africa, and the remaining 20% comes sporadically from various parts of the world. That 20% is also handled by other associations and private companies, so I can’t pinpoint exactly who is providing it, but…”

I stroked my chin for a moment and continued.

“Considering that we established an integrated branch in Central Africa only half a year ago… I have a rough idea.”

“Yes?”

“Who managed Central Africa before us?”

“……!”

Only then did Kang Jae-seok seem to realize something.

Well, even without this approach, those guys are the only ones who could supply the raw materials.

‘I’m so sick of being entangled…’

I let out an annoyed sigh.

I barely managed to prevent staff departures, and now it’s drug distribution?

In terms of severity, this is even more dangerous.

If we don’t stop this early… unimaginable things will happen.

Unranked hunters trying to get drugs to become hunters.

The cartel and mafia rapidly expanding their power to meet the demand.

Hunters turning to drugs, conscious of the rising Unranked.

If the worst combination is repeated, society will become a living hell.

An ability user high on drugs wandering in the middle of the street?

This is no different from releasing a tiger on the street.

And they will shift all the responsibility… onto us again.

‘How far are they trying to drag us down…’

I clicked my tongue and muttered when.

“Representative!”

“Are you alright?”

“Didn’t those guys do anything stupid!”
The information team staff, who had been waiting, rushed out as if they had been waiting.

And in the meantime.

“…How did it go?”
Han Yu-bin also approached me and asked.

She also looked quite worried, but she soon smiled, probably because my condition was better than she thought.

“The bait was taken well. They said they would contact me separately before meeting the cartel tomorrow.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Well, the problem is after the meeting.”

“Do you have any plans?”

“Plans?”

All I have to do is beat them up and find out their base.

“If we find out the cartel’s base… the Void [a fictional drug] manufacturing plant, we will hand over the information to Interpol.”

“Interpol? Not us going directly?”

“Mafias around the world have their eyes on this market. If we do anything that stands out, it will become troublesome.”

“Hmm…”

Han Yu-bin seemed somewhat reluctant.

Well, I understand. Even so, it’s definitely better to handle it ourselves.

But there’s no other way.

It’s not good for us to get too deeply involved in this world.

“Then what are you going to do with the Guardiano guys? They won’t stay still if they find out they’ve been deceived.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll destroy themselves.”

I shrugged and continued.

“From what I can see, their relationship with the parent organization seems to be worse than I thought. It seems like they’re trying to push them out somehow… and since the best weapon is coming in, they’ll start a war in earnest.”

Of course, Guardiano will never actually get their hands on the weapon.

They will blindly start a war believing in an imaginary weapon that they will never hold, and they will devour each other and destroy themselves.

For now, the foundation has been laid.

The rest depends on what we do tomorrow.

“Then… let’s go back to the accommodation for now. We have a lot to prepare.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”
The information team staff answered in a loud voice.

***

A hotel located on the island of Sicily.

I was lying on the bed, organizing my thoughts about the future, when.

Knock knock knock knock―.

A loud knocking sound woke me from my reverie.

I sighed and got up.

I thought it was Han Yu-bin, so I cautiously went to the front door and opened it.

“Are you busy?”

It was Information Team Leader Hong Doo-sik.

“I’ve been knockin’ for a while, but there’s no answer.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was thinking about something… What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing special… I just have something to talk about.”

Soon, Team Leader Hong naturally entered my room and sat down on a chair.

“About you…”

Then he stared at me intently for a moment.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

“……Yes?”

I was asked a question I couldn’t understand.

“Ah, of course, I’ve heard the story roughly. You’re going to devour the International Association and become the second International Association, right?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“Then, of course, you’ll be the Secretary-General.”

“If there are no other suitable candidates.”

“Hahaha! Don’t say such nonsense. Who else would stick their butt in such a troublesome position besides you?”

He laughed heartily, tilting his head back.

But that was only for a moment.

“So, what’s the reason?”

He looked at me with a serious expression and asked again.

“Reason?”

“If there’s a purpose, there must be a reason, right? If the goal is to become rich, there’s a reason to want to make a lot of money and live comfortably.”

“…….”

My eyebrows twitched at the question with an unknown intention.

The reason is obvious, isn’t it?

To become the Secretary-General and return to the original position.

But I can’t say this as it is.

If I say I’m going back after making such a big deal, who would let me go?

Maybe even those who have been on my side will try to stop me.

The reason why I didn’t tell Han Yu-bin until the end was because of that.

Even if it’s someone else, that guy will mention responsibility and try to stop me somehow.

‘Well, even if I can’t say everything…’

It’s a bit much to lie because the reaction is too serious.

Should I just give a slight hint?

“I’m sorry, but it’s not as righteous a reason as Team Leader Hong expects. It’s not a reason for the sake of the cause either. If I had to say, it’s closer to a personal reason.”

“Other guys seem to think that you’re trying to drive out the International Association that puts citizens in danger and establish a global subjugation order? If you only listen to the words, you’re a hero, a hero.”

“……Well.”

I smiled slightly.

“I want to let them think that way for the time being.”

“……Okay.”

He nodded.

“Anyway, it’s not because of a righteous reason as people say, right? It’s just a personal purpose and people misunderstood?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“……?”

He raised the corners of his mouth and continued.

“I don’t care what other guys are saying about you. I only believe what I see with my own eyes. But when I see it, you seem to be pretending to be a bad guy.”

“…….”

“Pretending not to be interested in other people. Pretending to be merciless, pretending to move for personal reasons rather than for the cause… pretending that you are the most important. That kind of thing.”

Team Leader Hong Doo-sik pointed at me with his finger as he said that.

“But when I see it, you can pretend to be bad, but you can’t be a bad guy.”

“……Hahahaha.”

I finally burst into laughter.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Pretending to be bad?”

“It’s okay. If you want to pretend you don’t know, just think I’m talking nonsense.”

A tone as if he knows everything.

My expression gradually hardened at the unexpected story.

“I don’t know what happened to you, or what you’re really thinking. But… from what I’ve seen so far… you’re too soft.”

“Soft…?”

“Yeah. Very soft.”

He took out a cigarette and continued.

“The International Association doesn’t care about the means and methods. But you always try to move as little as possible.”

“Well, there’s no need to make things bigger…”

“Isn’t it because you don’t want to lose the people around you?”

“……!”

What is this human being.

Damn it, how the hell….

“It’s a contradiction to be a leader without the sacrifice of subordinates. You’re being greedy right now.”

“…….”

“Of course, I understand. But… if you keep doing that, you won’t be able to become the Secretary-General, let alone the village chief.”

I glared at him with my mouth shut.

Then he calmly crossed his arms and continued.

“Now you have to choose. Either give up on the Secretary-General cleanly and take care of the people around you, or be determined and go all the way. Well… the choice is up to you, but if you’re going to go all the way…”

He paused for a moment.

“Now, pretending to be bad is not enough.”

He looked straight at me and said those words.

“Whether it’s for personal reasons or whatever, if you have to achieve that goal no matter what… from now on, you have to be a real bad guy.”

“…….”

“Oh, I’m done talking, so I have to go now. You should get some rest too.”

Team Leader Hong finally got up from his seat, as if he was done talking.

And I fixed my gaze on the floor without even thinking of answering.

Team Leader Hong also left the room without saying anything more.

‘…….’

I remained in the same position for a long time, lost in thought.

***

At the same time, Han Yu-bin’s accommodation.

She was lying on the bed, also lost in thought.

The thought that had been lingering in her head since she went to the International Association headquarters.

She had been thinking about the same thing for several days, but… she couldn’t come to a conclusion on her own.

In the end, after a long 고민 [agonizing thought], she took out her cell phone.

「…Why are you calling at this hour?」

The voice of Branch Manager Lee Ah-young, who seemed to have answered in her sleep, was heard.

“Ah, it’s not that, I just have something to ask…”

「What is it…?」

“That, about the Time Stone…”

「…? Why suddenly the Time Stone.」

“Can people come to the past using it?”

「……?」

At that moment, Han Yu-bin belatedly realized her mistake.

No, that was too direct a question.

“Ah, I, I’m sorry. What I just said was just…”

「What did you two talk about?」

“…Pardon?”

Han Yu-bin’s eyebrows twitched at the sudden question.

「Didn’t you talk to Jun-woo about something? Why are you suddenly asking that?」

“……I don’t understand. Why is that person’s story coming out here?”

「No, that’s…….」

The moment Branch Manager Lee Ah-young uttered those words.

「Jun-woo asked the same question before.」

“…….”

Han Yu-bin’s expression hardened.

「Anyway, theoretically…….」

“That’s enough.”

「……Yes?」

“I’m going to hang up.”

「No, what is this, waking up a sleeping person…!」

Branch Manager Lee Ah-young poured out her complaints, but Han Yu-bin neatly ignored them and hung up the phone first.

And the small doubt that had been lingering in her head gradually turned into conviction.

Yes.

It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

‘How can he know about drugs that haven’t even been reported in advance…’

This is not the only time.

If you think about it, all of his actions so far are at a level that cannot be rationally understood.

‘What the hell is this…….’

Han Yu-bin shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it even as she was thinking about it.

But if Kim Jun-woo is really a person who came to the past through the Time Stone… and if he really achieves his goal and goes back to the way he was…….

Then what happens here?

‘No, more than that…….’

If other people find out about this… will they let Kim Jun-woo go back?

The moment that thought flashed through her head, Han Yu-bin 벌떡 [suddenly] got up from the bed.

No.

Everyone will try to stop him from going back to the way he was.

Including herself.

Kim Jun-woo has now become an indispensable 존재 [existence]. Everyone is relying on him, and everyone trusts him.

Karma Corporation without him… no, the subjugation world is unimaginable.

Of course, we can’t let him go back.

But I can’t stop him either.

How dare I do that.

He was the one who pulled me out of the trauma of the US branch, and he was the one who allowed me to continue working even after being 퇴출 [expelled] from the hunter… how can I stop him?

Still, I don’t want Kim Jun-woo to go back to where he was.

But I have no justification or qualification to stop him.

Then, if he really has his goal right in front of him, what choice should I make?