Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1307

“Our agents will contact you locally.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jong-wook with a subtle expression.

Of course, it wasn’t because he was dissatisfied with Lee Jong-wook.

First of all, compared to when he saw him before, Lee Jong-wook’s face was very gaunt.

‘How much has he been through?’

The main tasks differ for each department, but the sub-tasks are all the same. It’s about fighting for the budget. To others, it may seem like wasted money, but there’s a use for it in its own way. That’s why everyone raises their voices and fights when it’s time to allocate the budget.

In the midst of all that, he had to secure an additional budget, so he must not have heard good things.

No, judging by his expression, it seems like he didn’t just hear bad things, but rather came back from hell.

‘Well, yeah.’

Even if Kang Jin-ho were in the position of Lee Jong-wook’s superior, it would have been difficult to understand. Anyone who knows Kang Jin-ho knows that he is one of the wealthiest people in South Korea.

Moreover, an organization like the National Intelligence Service would have already finished assessing Kang Jin-ho’s assets. So, what would have happened when they submitted a request to pay for his stay?

“…The matter of the accommodation expenses has been passed on to Director Lee Hyun-soo. It will be handled without any problems.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jong-wook with a pitiful expression.

‘Geez, so many people are suffering.’

Lee Hyun-soo is an invaluable asset to Kang Jin-ho, but to others who are not Kang Jin-ho or the board of directors, he is nothing short of a devil incarnate.

Lee Hyun-soo’s best trait is that he is quick-witted and highly capable, so he handles things neatly and quickly. Lee Hyun-soo’s biggest problem is that he has a natural talent for tormenting people.

Whether it’s a deal or a negotiation, he has a knack for pinpointing and exploiting the most difficult aspects for the other party. Lee Jong-wook has simply joined the ranks of his many victims.

“We will try our best to keep you updated in real-time. So, the situation…”

“Um…”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jong-wook with a slightly awkward expression and said,

“Is it okay to talk about this here?”

“Ah!”

Lee Jong-wook glanced around slightly.

There were a lot of people milling about.

It was inevitable. This was the airport lobby, after all.

“It’s okay.”

“Hardly anyone pays attention to what others are talking about anyway. And it’s hard to guess what’s going on just from this conversation.”

That was true, but still.

“It’s not like we always talk in secret rooms. Actually, it’s more secure to talk in places like this. These days, it’s possible to eavesdrop just by the vibrations of a window.”

“Eavesdropping through a window?”

“It’s American technology, or so they say.”

It was a strange world.

People living in modern times might say that martial arts are like magic, but from Kang Jin-ho’s perspective, real magic isn’t martial arts, but science. Without any special training or consumption, they effortlessly accomplish incredible things.

“I wish you the best of luck.”

“Yes.”

Lee Jong-wook glanced towards the entrance.

“The check-in process here is complete. You’ll pass through the security checkpoint. But we can’t do anything about the Chinese security checkpoint, so weapons and such…”

“That’s fine.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly.

“I’ve done it a few times already.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“Ah… wait a minute. Mine is fine, but what about the others…”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head at the voice coming from behind. Meanwhile, Lee Jong-wook’s face was contorted in despair.

“The weapons we’ll be using have already been sent to China. We should be able to handle that much on our own. How can people working for the country be concerned about such things?”

Lee Jong-wook’s lips twitched as he watched Lee Hyun-soo speak confidently.

He must have had so much to say. But wasn’t the first step to becoming an adult to distinguish between what to say and what not to say?

“You must succeed.”

“Ah, of course, that’s…”

“You must!”

Lee Jong-wook’s eyes were burning with the determination to not let Lee Hyun-soo live if this mission failed.

Of course, whether that was possible was another matter.

“This is a matter of national importance, so we will handle it without any mistakes. Isn’t that right, Chairman?”

It was strangely annoying.

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply.

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

“There’s a high probability that my face is known over there. Problems will arise the moment I enter the airport.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched the back of his head.

Who would China pay more attention to, Lee Jong-wook or Kang Jin-ho?

It was obvious that it was Kang Jin-ho. Even though he was using a fake ID, there was no guarantee that Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t be detected the moment he arrived in China.

Lee Jong-wook smiled faintly when he saw Kang Jin-ho’s expression.

“I know what you’re thinking, but that won’t happen. The world is more thorough than you think, but it’s also surprisingly sloppy. The airport you’re going to has 300,000 passengers a day.”

“…300,000?”

“Yes. Singling out a few people out of those 300,000 is practically impossible.”

“Is that so?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes narrowed. It didn’t match what he had said earlier.

“Yes. To be honest, I have things to do in the country…”

“I understand.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled. In fact, it was more uncomfortable for Kang Jin-ho if Lee Jong-wook was by his side. No matter how different the two were, he couldn’t ignore the government official.

“Chairman.”

“Yes.”

“This is a really important matter. It might be more important than you think. The bigger problem is that if this method doesn’t work, the government doesn’t have a Plan B.”

If they failed to assassinate him in China, there would be no way to deal with Ri Gwang-gi, who had returned to North Korea. The last resort would be to send an assassination squad to North Korea…

‘That’s not going to work.’

It was almost impossible to achieve, and even if it were possible, it would be a problem. There was a big difference between Ri Gwang-gi dying in China and dying in North Korea.

No one would want to think about a Plan B that was almost impossible to achieve and extremely risky even if it succeeded.

“For the sake of the nation and the people…”

“Ah, ah.”

Lee Hyun-soo cut off Lee Jong-wook’s words.

Then, he opened his mouth in a slightly cynical tone.

“Let’s put aside talk about the nation and the people. This is just a transaction.”

“Patriotism is a good thing. But don’t come into work with patriotism. You work as much as you’re paid, and you get paid as much as you work. Isn’t that the perfect relationship?”

Lee Jong-wook nodded.

“I understand.”

“If you’ve said everything you need to say, we’ll be on our way. I guess we won’t be able to make calls once we enter China?”

“There is a way. I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Please be careful on your trip.”

“Yes, then.”

Lee Hyun-soo bowed his head slightly, and Kang Jin-ho followed suit.

Lee Jong-wook bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. Kang Jin-ho turned his body before Lee Jong-wook raised his head.

‘It’s burdensome.’

If you had to categorize him, he was similar to Jang Min.

Kang Jin-ho’s people are all individualistic to the point of being thorough. They all prioritize their own lives and goals. The reason they are loyal to Kang Jin-ho is because their lives and goals align with Kang Jin-ho’s direction.

But Jang Min is different.

Jang Min prioritizes the safety of the Demonic Cult [a fictional organization] over his own life. That’s why he often moves in a different direction than the other directors.

Kang Jin-ho felt that same feeling from Lee Jong-wook.

A person who prioritizes the country over himself. The fact that his earnestness was not a pretense made Kang Jin-ho feel even more burdened.

This type of person was hard to find.

To Kang Jin-ho, who couldn’t put the country or an organization above himself or his people, Lee Jong-wook was an incomprehensible person. Of course, Lee Jong-wook would feel the same way.

“He’s definitely a bit of a burden.”

As they got a little further away, Lee Hyun-soo, sensing Kang Jin-ho’s mood, spoke first.

“Right.”

“I understand. It’s such a serious matter.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

The atmosphere at the general meeting was like that, and because of Kang Jin-ho’s personality, it was discussed as if it were nothing, but this was a really serious matter.

They were going to enter China and assassinate a North Korean figure. If something went wrong during the assassination, there was a very high probability that it would escalate into an international issue.

And if the assassination failed, no one could predict how the relationship between North and South Korea would change.

Even if it succeeded, they would have to endure numerous side effects.

What if it failed?

‘I don’t even want to imagine it.’

The reason why Lee Hyun-soo could maintain his composure was because of his faith in Kang Jin-ho. How likely was it that this mission would fail when Kang Jin-ho himself was involved?

“Now that I think about leaving, my stomach feels a bit upset. I tried not to feel burdened, but my body seems to be honest.”

“Then rest here.”

“Hey, a stomachache is something that can be cured with some medicine.”

“…Don’t do that and rest a bit.”

“I’m fine.”

“Just rest.”

“I said I’m fine.”

The chairman tells him to rest, and the subordinate refuses to rest. At first glance, it seems like a very ideal relationship, but if you look closely, it’s not uncommon to find a relationship this rotten.

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply and headed towards the gate.

He had used the VIP gate before, but this time, he decided to use the regular gate to avoid any possible problems.

“I’ll check your ticket and passport.”

Kang Jin-ho took out the newly issued passport and handed it over. The employee, comparing the photo on the passport with Kang Jin-ho’s face, smiled and handed the passport and ticket back.

“Yes, thank you. Have a good trip, Mr. Kim Cheol-soo.”

Twitch.

Kang Jin-ho opened the passport he had received.

‘Kim Cheol-soo…’

Of course, the name wasn’t strange.

But it felt like they had ended up here because they were looking for the most ordinary name to avoid suspicion…

Kang Jin-ho slowly turned his head.

Lee Hyun-soo was covering his mouth with one hand. But he couldn’t hide the crescent-shaped curve of his eyes.

“Don’t block the way and go in, Mr. Kim Cheol-soo.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed lowly and walked inside. But his sensitive hearing did not miss the voice coming from behind.

“It’s been confirmed. Have a good trip, Ms. Lee Young…hee.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head.