The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 254

253

Seoul, Seocho-gu.

In front of a dungeon where cleaning had just finished.

Han Sanghyuk, having just completed the work and exited the dungeon, immediately ripped off his gas mask and gasped for breath.

He turned to Moon Soyeon, who was doing the same beside him, and said apologetically, “Ah, I’m really grateful. You must be busy with your own work, but you even helped out on-site…”

“It’s nothing. Considering the situation, how could I just sit at my desk when I know we’re short on staff?” Moon Soyeon replied with her usual good-natured smile.

It was only natural that Han Sanghyuk would express his sincere gratitude.

Even though they were colleagues, Moon Soyeon was the cleaning manager, while he was just the cleaning team leader.

The cleaning manager is in charge of overall schedule management for the cleaning team and coordinating schedules with the operations team.

Naturally, someone in her position wouldn’t normally be doing fieldwork.

Nevertheless, Han Sanghyuk had asked her to help with the work, though he was quite hesitant to ask.

But the situation was what it was.

Recently, the number of suddenly appearing dungeons had doubled, hadn’t it?

He heard that most of the operations team was dispatched overseas, so there was a shortage of subjugation [suppression] personnel… but it seemed that Kim Minju, Han Yoobin, and civilian guilds were somehow managing to cope.

However, subjugation was secondary; the fact that the number of dungeons had doubled meant that the number of dungeons to be cleaned had also doubled.

In the meantime, the cleaning team had hardly received any reinforcements, so it was inevitable that the existing staff would be quite overwhelmed.

“Yoobin said she’d somehow find a way to supplement the staff, so let’s just hang in there until then.”

“Sigh, I don’t know…”

“What, why don’t you trust your own sister a little?”

“No, it’s not about trusting or not… I’m sure she’s busy too; how can she worry about us?” Han Sanghyuk said reluctantly.

The cleaning team belonged to the planning division, which his sister, Han Yoobin, was in charge of.

In reality, she was probably too busy with subjugation efforts to pay attention to them.

Of course, that woman might be terrible in some ways, but at least she doesn’t make empty promises. She’ll definitely find a way to supplement the staff.

It’s just that he didn’t know when that would be.

“Ugh, damn it. How did this even happen…” Han Sanghyuk cursed, seemingly frustrated by the situation.

Then, Moon Soyeon forced a bright smile and changed the subject. “Oh, right. Did you hear that our company name changed?”

“Of course. WD…”

“WDSO. World Dungeon Subjugation Organization.”

“Tsk, I liked the original name better.”

“Actually, what does the name matter? What’s important is that we’ve become an international organization.”

Han Sanghyuk nodded.

Soon after Park Inbeom took office as Secretary-General.

Even though an official statement hadn’t been released yet, news of the internal reorganization quickly spread among all employees.

Even if they didn’t know the details, one thing was clear: they had finally risen to this position from a cleaning service dispatch company.

“I really never imagined it would turn out like this.”

“Now we’re officially affiliated with an international organization.”

“I know, right! Kim Junwoo, that bastard is really amazing.”

Although he said that, it wasn’t something they could simply be happy about.

They couldn’t possibly be unaware of the current situation around the world and how things were unfolding.

“I don’t know what will happen in the future. I heard the International Association staged a coup…” Han Sanghyuk muttered, and Moon Soyeon shrugged.

“Well, Junwoo is here, isn’t he? By now, he’s probably already made a plan to crush the International Association.”

“…Well, if that guy’s around, I doubt anything big will happen. He’ll probably be at the forefront, smashing everything again, just like before.”

“Excuse me…”

And then, at that moment.

Suddenly, another voice cut into their conversation.

“That might be difficult.”

Han Sanghyuk and Moon Soyeon immediately turned their heads at the voice they hadn’t heard in a while.

Kim Junwoo was standing there.

“J-Junwoo?!”

“Why are you here?! Aren’t you working?!” However, they seemed more bewildered than happy.

That’s because they knew that Kim Junwoo had no reason or time to be on-site.

“Working? This is my job.”

But an unbelievable answer came back.

“I’ve been demoted to the cleaning team.”

“……?”

“……?”

Unable to comprehend the news, the two were speechless.

But only for a moment.

“What the hell did you do…?” Han Sanghyuk asked with a dumbfounded expression, breaking the silence.

“Well, there were some circumstances… Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m on bad terms with anyone.”

“……”

“……”

*Don’t worry?!*
The very person who founded Karma Corporation and brought them this far has been demoted; how could they not worry?

Especially in a situation like this!

“So… you’re really going to be cleaning again?”

“That’s right… but it’s a little different from before.”

“Huh?” Moon Soyeon tilted her head at the ambiguous answer.

“I’m planning to form a new cleaning team to work with me. I’m receiving support from various teams… and I’d like to offer you two a proposal.”

As he spoke, Moon Soyeon cautiously asked after they exchanged glances, “What… kind of team is it?”

“Well, if I had to explain it… you could say it’s an international dungeon… management team.”

Question marks appeared above the two’s heads at those words.

“As I said, it’s basically a cleaning team. However, you can think of it as taking on all tasks related to dungeons, in addition to cleaning. Of course, we’ll be operating abroad, not domestically.”

With a brief explanation, he smiled and asked, “So, are you willing to join me?”

“……”

“……”

The two exchanged glances for a moment.

“Okay.”

“I’m in.” They accepted the offer simultaneously, as if they had planned it.

In truth, they didn’t fully understand what kind of team it was or what they would be doing.

The bigger reason was simply that the old Cleaning Team 3 could be reunited.

“I’ll send you the details in writing later. I’ll contact you as soon as the departure is ready, so please continue working for now…” Kim Junwoo was speaking when his phone rang in his pocket.

“Ah, yes.”

The moment he answered the phone.

“…What?!” His face instantly froze.

“What exactly are you saying? Are you sure?!” He gritted his teeth at whatever answer he heard.

“…I understand. I’ll be right there.” His expression after hanging up the phone looked extremely serious.

Moon Soyeon cautiously asked, “W-What’s wrong…?”

“The Vietnam branch… has been taken over by the International Association.” Kim Junwoo’s eyes were filled with rage as he answered.

***

“How could they betray us!” Overseas Business Director Ha Sungil raised his voice at a meeting where all the heads of each division were gathered under Secretary-General Park Inbeom.

“Who was it that turned the association, which had fallen to the bottom beyond recovery, into a top 10 association in the world! How could they turn their backs on us now…!”

“Calm down.” As Director Ha Sungil’s voice grew increasingly agitated, Support Division Director Lee Ayoung stopped him with an unusually serious voice.

“The Vietnam branch wouldn’t have joined the International Association without a reason, would they?”

“That’s right. They must have found some pretext and blackmailed them.” Han Yoobin also agreed with Director Lee Ayoung’s words.

However, Kim Minju lent her support to Director Ha Sungil’s words.

“Whatever the reason, the fact that they turned their backs on us remains unchanged. And it’s not just any branch, it’s the Vietnam branch. Now that the hub has been completely taken over, it’s a huge loss for us…”

“……”

“……”

No one could refute that opinion.

It was true that the Vietnam branch’s hub was their only source of funds, as they couldn’t expect profitability like before.

The fact that the hub, along with the branch, had been taken over by the International Association was truly a tremendous blow.

“What are you going to do?” Director Lee Ayoung asked, turning her head.

“How about trying to persuade them? If we take action now, shouldn’t we be able to do something?”

At those words, I, who had been silent all along, slowly opened my mouth.

“What can we do about something that’s already turned its back on us?”

“So, you’re saying we should just give up like this…?”

I refrained from answering her words.

Then, Director Ha Sungil raised his voice again. “Even if we give up, we have to set an example. If we move on without taking any action, other branches may turn their backs on us at any time.”

“…That’s true. Are the other branches okay? I mean, did they also turn their backs on us after hearing about the Vietnam branch…?”

“There’s no such movement yet.”

That was fortunate.

If the other branches that heard the news also turned their backs on them, it would truly be the worst-case scenario.

“Well… whether we set an example or try to persuade them again, either way, it can’t be resolved here.”

After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I got up from my seat.

“I’ll go to the branch myself.”

“…Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Kim Minju asked worriedly.

“It’s a place that’s now been taken over by the International Association. They’ll be watching closely anyway, and who knows what might happen if you go there yourself, Teacher.”

“That’s why I lowered my position, right? I’m no longer the representative, just a mere cleaner, so what big deal could there be?” I shrugged and replied.

As I was doing that, Secretary-General Park Inbeom, who had been quietly listening to our conversation from the head seat, finally opened his mouth.

“It will be the first task for the new Cleaning Team 3.”

“Yes.”

As I answered, he took a deep breath and asked, “Still, how about taking some combat personnel with you? Who knows what might happen, as the kids said.”

I shook my head.

“That’s practically asking for a fight. It’ll be safer if we just go by ourselves.”

“Tsk, I’m just anxious, damn it.”

“If you’re that worried…” I looked back and forth at the division heads. “I’ll take Director Lee Ayoung with me.”

“…M-Me?” Director Lee Ayoung pointed at herself and made a flustered expression.

“I-I’m also a non-combatant, you know? It would be better to take Minju or Yoobin…”

“Who will handle the subjugation if we take those people? We’re already barely managing with the shortage of personnel. Above all, Han Yoobin…” I trailed off for a moment.

In fact, the reason I rejected her wasn’t anything else, but because she was the one who declared she would help me.

In other words, given her personality, there was a risk that she would recklessly rush in without regard for her life again.

If she, who had almost died several times, caused another commotion this time, I would end up losing one of my diligent workers.

But I couldn’t say that reason as it was in this place.

“She’s too violent, so it won’t work.”

“……”

I hurriedly made up another reason.

Of course, the person in question was dumbfounded because she had been unexpectedly hit with a blow.

“Or what, do you not want to go with me?”

“No, it’s not that…” She trailed off for a moment.

“Sigh, fine. I’ll go with you.” She chuckled and replied.

As the decision was made, Secretary-General Park Inbeom nodded.

“Okay… it’ll be better if Ayoung is there at least. Anyway, contact me immediately if anything happens when you get there. If it’s a dangerous situation where you can’t even do that…”

He didn’t even know what to do at that time.

“I don’t know, damn it. Just handle it yourself then.”

“…I will.”

“Ah, and don’t take too long there. You know what your real job is, right?”

“Of course.” I answered that way and said to Director Lee Ayoung, “Then immediately put the team members on standby… and prepare for departure.”

“Okay.” Having received the instructions, she immediately began her role.