Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1138

“Whether you intended it or not, Chairman, you’ve stopped the bloodshed on this land. That’s a bigger deal than you might think. If you weren’t here, about half of the Korean members of the Assembly would be dead by now.”

“It was that big of a war, that big of a conflict.”

If Lee Jung-gul and Kim Seok-il had fought to the bitter end, half of the Korean martial artists would have been crushed.

It’s true that the Yeongnam Association had an advantage over the Assembly, but not enough to force an overwhelming surrender. Especially considering Lee Jung-gul’s uncompromising nature, the bloodshed would have been endless.

Kang Jin-ho didn’t intend it, but as a result, his intervention in the conflict between the Yeongnam Association and the Assembly prevented a lot of bloodshed.

“Instead, we’re facing an even bigger war.”

“That’s a war that was going to happen sooner or later anyway. And now, we’re in a position to fight it.”

Indeed.

They might be in trouble if they faced the Hongwang Clan head-on, but Japan wasn’t as intimidating anymore. Even if they were to engage in an all-out war, they had grown strong enough to make it a fight.

And they were getting stronger by the moment.

“And this incident is a big deal for the members of the Assembly.”

“Huh?”

“Martial artists are, by nature, people who can’t quite fit into society.”

Lee Hyun-soo gave a wry smile.

Martial artists isolate themselves from society.

They build their own world and live within it.

Depending on how you look at it, it could be seen as having a firm world of their own, but from another perspective, it’s the same as saying they can’t adapt to the outside world.

“Martial artists make a lot of money. They can live comfortably. But it’s a bit different from making money in the outside world. Just because those who run illegal entertainment facilities make a lot of money doesn’t mean they are respected or can be proud in society.”

“…That’s true.”

“The things the Assembly has been doing so far haven’t been very honorable. Many felt a sense of shame, wondering if they had learned martial arts just to do such dirty work. Those who had families with ordinary people couldn’t even tell their families what they did. That’s quite difficult.”

He knew.

Kang Jin-ho had experienced it too.

Of course, Kang Jin-ho hadn’t done anything he couldn’t be proud of in front of his family. So, the sense of shame he felt was relatively small.

However, those who had to do dirty work under the Assembly’s direction would have experienced a sense of shame that couldn’t be compared to Kang Jin-ho’s.

“But with the creation of MK, everyone has gained hope. They’re now excited about the prospect of being able to proudly present their business cards as employees of a major corporation.”

Kang Jin-ho looked awkward.

“That’s not my doing. It was Director Lee and Deputy Director Lee who led it.”

“It’s something that wouldn’t have been possible without you, Chairman.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to dream of it without the two of them either.”

“No. Director Lee and I are replaceable. But you, Chairman, are irreplaceable. Even if I wasn’t here, MK would have been established someday. But if you weren’t here, it would never have happened.”

Kang Jin-ho wasn’t used to praise or compliments.

That’s why he kept feeling uncomfortable.

“I thought I had to say it at least once. You tend to think too lightly of what you’ve done, Chairman. It’s only been a year. In that time, you’ve changed so much. I thank you on behalf of everyone.”

Lee Hyun-soo bowed his head once again.

And Kang Jin-ho, receiving that greeting, let out a deep sigh.

Many things had changed.

So many things had really changed.

Kang Jin-ho hadn’t imagined that the meeting with Lee Hyun-joo, who had suddenly come to see him, would lead to this.

The meeting with the Assembly had greatly twisted Kang Jin-ho’s fate. That was an undeniable fact.

“It’s just the beginning.”

“Yes. It’s just the beginning. There’s no end to the things we have to overcome in the future.”

Now, they had to deal with Japan and settle the postponed relationship with the Hongwang Clan.

Especially the Hongwang Clan, they were a threat that could destroy everything the Assembly had built up so far in an instant. They were extremely dangerous.

“I don’t want to be optimistic that everything will be fine. It might be several times harder than it has been so far. But…”

Lee Hyun-soo grinned.

“We still have to believe that it will be okay.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

His words didn’t make sense.

It seemed like he had made the right decision to set up this meeting.

In fact, Lee Hyun-soo was the one who had suffered the most since the integration of the Yeongnam Association and the Assembly. That was something no one could dare deny.

While other directors contributed to the Assembly by doing what they wanted, Lee Hyun-soo had taken on the tasks that no one wanted and developed the Assembly.

If you excluded Kang Jin-ho, Lee Hyun-soo’s contribution was the highest. This was a fact that everyone acknowledged.

Yet, he had never had a serious conversation with Lee Hyun-soo. They had talked during meetings or briefly, but they had rarely faced each other as seriously as they were now.

‘I should have paid a little more attention…’

Dealing with people was difficult. It might be easy for others, but it was always difficult for Kang Jin-ho.

“Is Director Lee okay?”

“Yes?”

“I mean, Director Lee, not the Assembly. Any complaints or anything.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

Lee Hyun-soo shook his head.

“It’s true that there’s a lot of work, but that’s more of my personality than the Assembly’s problem. I’m actually that type. I can’t trust what others have done and I have to check everything with my own eyes.”

He was the designated leader for group projects.

It was a very sad personality.

“It’s been a long time since I lived alone, so I’ve been feeling a bit lonely lately, but so far…”

“What about marriage?”

“…I don’t think it’s the right time to discuss that yet.”

“In what way?”

“In both ways. In terms of relationships, it’s not the right time to discuss marriage yet, and it’s the same in terms of work. We’re both putting our lives on the line for this, so…”

“Is that all?”

Lee Hyun-soo quietly looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“…I can’t say that I’m completely unconcerned. After all, it’s an undeniable fact that I contributed to Lee Jung-gul’s death. We haven’t mentioned that aspect to each other, but it’s still a bit of a burden.”

“Well, I don’t know if you need to worry about that so much.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-soo with a slightly serious face.

“Even if Lee Jung-gul were alive, he wouldn’t have opposed it in this situation. He was also someone who deserved to be called a great man.”

“…That might be true. But the dead can’t speak. And even if the person involved can move on coolly, the perspective of those around them is a bit different, isn’t it?”

It was a difficult problem.

‘This is probably as far as it goes.’

It would be rude to mention it any further. Lee Hyun-soo and Lee Hyun-joo were both smart people. Even if there was a problem, they would be able to solve it among themselves.

“I was just saying it out of concern, so don’t worry about it.”

“Yes, I know. You are actually an old man, Chairman.”

It felt like something had lodged in his chest.

“More importantly, shouldn’t you be saying something now, Chairman?”

“Um, what?”

“Your age, I mean your age. Shouldn’t you tell Choi Yeon-ha… no, Director Lee about it now? If you tell her after the relationship gets deeper, she might feel betrayed.”

Kang Jin-ho was momentarily speechless.

He had never thought about it that way.

“Should I?”

“You should. It’s different from a casual relationship like before. Now that you’re even doing business together, having secrets isn’t good. Personally, I don’t want any trouble to arise from such issues while the business is going well.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

He was right. He didn’t think there would be any problems, but if there were, it would be better to deal with them before the business progressed further.

“…I’ll tell her.”

“Please do.”

The two people, who had each poked at each other’s sore spots, looked at each other with faces that had grown a little closer.

“Drink.”

“Yes.”

Other than that, it was just small talk.

Setting up a formal meeting was meaningful, but since they spent so much time together, there wasn’t much new to say. They just spent time chatting.

After a long time of back-and-forth, Lee Hyun-soo subtly raised his head.

“By the way, Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Um, go ahead.”

“I’m curious when you’re going to push forward with one of the things that has been on hold.”

“…What thing?”

“The foundation. The welfare foundation.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

The foundation was almost ready to launch. They were just waiting for the right time. He thought it would be too much to push it forward with MK. But he didn’t expect those words to come from Lee Hyun-soo’s mouth.

“You seem to want it pushed forward quickly?”

“Can I be honest?”

Lee Hyun-soo tapped his soju glass with a bitter look.

“I’d rather you didn’t do it.”

“I understand that the intention is good. But honestly, it’s also a burden. First of all, putting everything else aside, the biggest problem is that you’ll be taking time away from other things, Chairman. Knowing your style, you wouldn’t just leave it to someone else. So, I haven’t said anything about it until now. If you do it, I hope you’ll start at least two years later. That’s my opinion as the director.”

“As the director?”

That last word stood out.

As Kang Jin-ho stared at him, Lee Hyun-soo let out a deep sigh.

“As the director of the Assembly, that’s what I should say. But as a human being, Lee Hyun-soo, my opinion is a bit different. As your acquaintance, and as a person, I hope you push it forward quickly.”

“Why?”

“Well…”

Lee Hyun-soo lowered his head with a slightly awkward face.

“There’s no great reason. It’s just that, if I’ve bet my fate on your strength and leadership, Chairman, it’s because I’ve gained stability because of that side of you. In fact, those who were above me before only thought about profit and power struggles.”

“And then, I saw you going in and out of the orphanage and I thought, ‘Ah, this person is a bit different!’ It’s a bit embarrassing to say it out loud.”

“It’s not like that.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“I just have acquaintances and kids I know, that’s all. What kind of great sense of service would I have, someone who kills people all the time?”

“In the end, we’re the kind of people who can only live like this. Rather… that’s why I think it’s important not to lose that kind of heart.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed softly and opened his mouth.

“We’ll become a little more ruthless, a little more sensitive to profit. Even so, I hope you don’t lose that side of you, Chairman. It’s something I shouldn’t say as the director, but…”

“It’s okay.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly.

“This is a private setting, after all.”

“That’s right. I brought up something official in a private setting. I apologize.”

“Let’s have a drink.”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo poured alcohol into Kang Jin-ho’s empty glass.

And Kang Jin-ho also poured alcohol into Lee Hyun-soo’s glass.

The two men, smiling at each other, clinked their glasses in the air.

It was a good night.