The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 348

347. After Story 4

Heukseok-dong, a certain alley.

Thwack, thwack—!

Thwack, thwack, thwack—!!

In a deserted place, a man was being beaten by masked thugs.

The identities of the thugs were none other than the underlings of the Black Light Gang, led by Choi Jang-seok.

And the one being beaten was a young cleaner from Cleaning Team 5.

“S-Stop it!”

“Stop! I said stop!!”

“Damn it, why are you doing this to us!!”

Other team members desperately rushed in to stop the thugs, but they paid no heed and continued their violence.

Only after several more kicks did people start gathering in the alley due to the commotion.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The thugs finally stopped the beating and turned away.

But just as they were about to pass by the cleaning team members and leave the alley.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Someone blocked their path.

“What?”

“Move. Unless you want to get your ass kicked too.”

The thugs tried to intimidate him, but he didn’t budge.

“You beat someone to a pulp and now you’re just going to leave?”

He simply took a step forward and spoke those words quietly.

Only then did the thugs notice his appearance.

They all froze on the spot.

A heavy voice that weighed down the space.

Eyes that radiated murderous intent.

An overwhelming aura, like that of a wild beast.

There was no doubt.

The one blocking their path now was…

“He’s finally out.”

The man that the Big Boss had been searching for so desperately.

The head of WDSO [presumably, a powerful organization or department].

Kim Jun-woo.

‘God damn it…….’

The fists of Lee Hyuk-tae, the leader of the action squad, trembled slightly.

Seeing him in person, the pressure was no joke.

But wasn’t this what they had planned for in the first place?

They had a plan for when they confronted him, so there was no need to be afraid.

“Go first.”

“Huh…?”

“You need to contact Jang-seok hyung-nim [term for older brother or respected male figure], right? I’ll hold this bastard here somehow, so hurry up and go.”

That’s right.

He just needed to hold him until the Big Boss arrived.

The last contact was near here, so if he could just hold out for 10 minutes… no, 5 minutes would be enough.

He had heard that Kim Jun-woo was also an ability user.

Of course, he didn’t think that he, a normal person, could beat him.

But… Kim Jun-woo wouldn’t use force against ordinary people either.

Surely, a Secretary-General wouldn’t kill them.

No, even hurting an ordinary person would be dangerous for him, given his position.

The difference in power was overwhelming, but if he couldn’t subdue them, he could at least hold him back.

Lee Hyuk-tae gestured to his subordinates.

He would create an opening, so they should take the chance to escape.

His subordinates nodded slightly, understanding his meaning.

“Haaap!!”

Lee Hyuk-tae moved first, throwing a punch straight at Kim Jun-woo.

Of course, he would easily dodge this.

And then he would probably grab his arm to subdue him. Then he would cling to him and hold on for as long as possible…….

Crack—.

“Huh…?”

Something was wrong.

Kim Jun-woo was supposed to subdue him without hurting him.

If it became known that the Secretary-General had used force against an ordinary person, he would be in trouble too.

But…….

“Ugh, ugh……!”

Why was his arm bent backward?

“Kkeuaaaaaack!!!”

A piercing scream echoed through the alley.

The subordinates who were trying to escape the alley also froze in their tracks at the horrifying scream.

Lee Hyuk-tae was unable to think due to the pain and bewilderment.

He had a look on his face that said he couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Why? Did you think I couldn’t do anything to ordinary people? Because I’m the Secretary-General?”

Kim Jun-woo opened his mouth as if answering his expression.

Then, he looked down at Lee Hyuk-tae, who was sitting on the ground, and continued.

“If I worried about things like that, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“Ugh…….”

A cold tone and gaze.

Soon, Kim Jun-woo turned his eyes to the subordinates next to him.

“I guess you’ve lost your edge after being quiet for a year… If you wanted to keep all your limbs intact, you shouldn’t have touched this place.”

He spoke those words with a face devoid of emotion.

The Black Light Gang members couldn’t make a sound as they met his gaze.

“Don’t even think about walking out of here today.”

They had to watch the monster trying to devour them with their eyes wide open.

***

WDSO Seoul Support Headquarters, Emergency Center.

“You’re here?”

As soon as I entered, Lee Ah-young, who had arrived earlier, greeted me.

For some reason, she wasn’t going into the hospital room and was waiting outside with a very troubled expression.

“How’s the new recruit? What did the doctor say?”

“He was severely beaten… but other than a broken wrist, he’s fine. He’s conscious too.”

I took a shallow breath.

“What about the other teams?”

“I’ve already issued a security order for the operation team and sent them all home. The remnants attached to Team 5 have been captured.”

“You haven’t handed them over to the police yet, right?”

I nodded.

“Go talk to Ga-ram and come back.”

“…Why aren’t you going in?”

When I asked, she lowered her head.

And then.

“…About this incident.”

She opened her mouth with a choked voice.

“I already knew about it… but I put off dealing with it because it was just child’s play. I thought there were more important things to do.”

“That’s how it’s always been. It’s natural for it to be a low priority…….”

“No, actually…….”

She raised her head and looked straight at me as she continued.

“I was just too lazy.”

“…….”

“When I was on the support team, the thing I hated and loathed the most was the higher-ups who wouldn’t listen no matter how much I told them. But… now I’m no different from those bastards.”

Lee Ah-young smiled.

A cynical smile stained with remorse and self-doubt.

“What face can I show those people? I’m a branch manager who doesn’t even deserve to be one.”

“…….”

A heavy silence flowed.

I could understand how she felt.

But I couldn’t comfort her right now.

“…I’ll go in.”

Because there was something else I needed to take care of.

I left Lee Ah-young behind and entered the hospital room.

“Oh, Jun-woo.”

“…Did you come?”

Department Head Park Geun-tae and Moon So-yeon spoke to me after spotting me.

I nodded lightly and approached the bed, and Oh Ga-ram tried to get up.

“Please lie down.”

“…Ah, yes.”

As I laid him back down, his face, swollen beyond recognition, was the first thing that caught my eye.

“…What happened?”

After Oh Ha-ram hesitated for a moment, he began to tell me what had happened.

“It was about five minutes after I got off work. I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop when men wearing masks approached me and asked if I was from the cleaning team.”

“And then?”

“When I asked what they wanted, suddenly…….”

He trailed off with a complicated expression.

“…I understand.”

But that was enough, so I nodded.

Then, I looked back at the team members.

“Did you report it to the police?”

“Can we… catch the culprit?”

As if they had been waiting for it, Han Sang-hyuk and Moon So-yeon asked.

I shook my head firmly.

“I won’t report it.”

“Wh-What…?”

“Then the culprit…….”

The moment they said that, their faces hardened as their eyes met mine.

“I’m going to catch them myself.”

“…….”

“…….”

The team members didn’t say anything more.

I turned around, and at that moment.

“Why… why are they doing this to the cleaning team?”

Department Head Park Geun-tae, who had been looking at Oh Ga-ram with a serious face, opened his mouth.

“I have no idea why they’re doing this to us.”

“…….”

I hesitated to answer while still turned around.

“I’m going to find out from now on.”

I left those words behind and left the hospital room.

Then, I immediately said to Lee Ah-young, who was waiting outside.

“Please keep this incident from going to the board of directors.”

“…Okay.”

“And…….”

Soon, my eyes sharpened.

“Summon the heads of the headquarters.”

With my fist clenched tightly, I left the hospital.

***

Swish—!

“Hah, hah…!”

“Ugh, hic…!”

The temporary control room that was used during the Incheon Port Underwater Dungeon operation five years ago.

In that place, now abandoned as an empty container, I faced the terrorists once again.

As soon as I splashed water on them, they looked at me with terrified faces.

There were a total of four people.

The guy who punched me seemed to be the leader of the action squad. The rest were just small fries.

“Let’s keep this as short as possible.”

I opened my mouth with a sigh.

“Just tell me your affiliation and purpose.”

“…….”

“…….”

As expected, there was no answer.

They were really going to make me go back.

“You don’t look like the type to work hard and earn money. Which family are you from? Dongseok Faction? Baekui Faction? Ah… I got rid of them.”

“…….”

I looked straight into the eyes of the action squad leader, but he still didn’t open his mouth.

I took a deep breath and glanced at the subordinates next to him as I continued.

“Well, if you can’t talk because of your pride in front of your brothers, I can get rid of those guys over there.”

“……!”

The man finally reacted.

He seemed to understand what I meant right away.

“T-This bastard…! Are you threatening us right now?!”

“Hyung-nim [term for older brother or respected male figure]! We’re okay!”

“Don’t say anything! Do you think the Secretary-General would kill ordinary people?!”

The subordinates shouted in an agitated voice.

Of course, I lightly ignored such reactions and waited for the action squad leader to make a choice.

Then.

“There’s no need to go that far.”

He finally opened his mouth.

“Black Light Gang. We’re members of the Black Light Gang.”

“H-Hyung-nim!”

“You shouldn’t say that…!”

“Shut up. It’s all Big Boss’s orders.”

He shouted at his subordinates.

I watched the scene and asked.

“Big Boss, you mean your boss ordered all the terrorist acts against the cleaning team so far?”

“…Yes.”

“Why?”

“To meet you.”

My eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“He said that you’re the type to rush in without hesitation if it’s about the cleaning team, so if we mess with the cleaning team, you’ll definitely show up. Well… as a result, hyung-nim was right.”

“…….”

I took a breath as I looked at him, who was suddenly opening up so easily.

“He said that if you get caught by you, there’s no need to keep secrets. That way, you can meet him.”

“What’s the reason?”

“…What?”

I asked again because he had given more information than expected, but I hadn’t heard the most important answer.

“The reason you want to meet me. Well, if it was an official matter, you could have requested an interview… but seeing as you’re going this far, it doesn’t seem like a very normal reason.”

“That’s…….”

The man trailed off for a moment.

“You’ll find out when you meet hyung-nim.”

“……Ha.”

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at that absurd answer.

Then, the man continued with a rather determined face.

“You can curse us all you want. Because once you meet hyung-nim, your mind will change. Hyung-nim also has circumstances that force him to do this…….”

“Hey, you son of a bitch.”

Those words touched my reason, which I had barely managed to maintain.

“Is it your circumstances that you’re beating up people who have nothing to do with it just to meet me?”

“…….”

“Don’t pretend to carry all the stories of the world on your shoulders. You’re just gangsters anyway……. I don’t give a damn about your circumstances, so go tell your hyung-nim.”

I lowered my stance and approached the man as I spoke.

“From now on, you’ll have to hide so that not even a strand of hair is visible. Because from now on… I’m going to get the price for messing with my employees.”

“…….”

After leaving those words behind, I immediately turned around.

And then.

“Ah, come to think of it.”

Something I had forgotten for a moment came to mind.

“I told you not to even think about walking out of here, right?”

“……!”

The man’s eyes widened at those words.

“W-Wait a minute! You’re the Secretary-General! You know what will happen if you touch ordinary people…!”

“Damn it, hearing that is ridiculous.”

I turned around and looked at him because those words kept scratching at my nerves.

“You know what will happen if the Secretary-General touches ordinary people, but you didn’t know what would happen if you touched me?”

“……?!”

“And don’t worry about me.”

I turned back around and opened the door of the container.

Soon after I left the container, a silhouette entered at the same time.

“Because I’m not going to do it myself.”

The team leader of CleanUP, an unofficial follow-up organization under WDSO.

At the same time, the head of WDSO’s Planning Headquarters.

“Don’t kill them.”

“Yes.”

It was Han Yu-bin.

Thud—!

Soon after, the door of the container was tightly closed, and I immediately took out my phone and called Min Yu-jin.

“Hey, it’s me.”

I called Min Yu-jin.

“I caught the guys who messed with us.”

“What…?”

“They seem to be called the Black Light Gang. Have you heard of them?”

“No… I’ve never heard of them.”

“Investigate them. Don’t tell the higher-ups.”

“Okay.”

I was about to hang up after telling her only the main point when.

“So.”

She opened her mouth again.

“What are you going to do now?”

“…What am I going to do.”

I raised my head straight ahead.

“I have to clean up.”

I said that and looked at a woman in front of me.

The head of the WDSO headquarters’ operation command.

Currently ranked 1st in the country and 2nd in the world.

The world’s first SS-rank prosecutor.

“Are you ready?”

“Just give the order.”

It was Kim Min-joo.