Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1403

“Chairman, you must have suffered so much!”

“Suffered, my foot! This wouldn’t have happened if people knew how to behave!”

“You seem to have taken a toll on your health. Should I get you some herbal medicine?”

“Herbal medicine, my ass! A young man… no, a young body like yours doesn’t need herbal medicine! Back in my day, we didn’t need medicine if we ate our rice well!”

“There were many problems at the company while you were away, Chairman. But now that you’re back, things will quickly return to normal.”

“If a company falls apart just because the chairman is absent, it deserves to fail! How incompetent must those money-grubbing employees be that the company collapses without a chairman?”

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply.

“I understand everything, but…”

It was good that he came to MK. He hadn’t been able to properly care for the company while he was in jail.

It was also fine that Hwang Min-soo came to see him as soon as he arrived. It was natural for Kang Jin-ho, the chairman, to receive a report from Hwang Min-soo, the president.

The problem was that Hwang Min-soo had brought a strange tagalong.

Kang Jin-ho looked back and forth between the two people sitting in front of him before speaking.

“Why are you here…”

“What?”

Hwang Jung-hoo glared.

“…Never mind.”

This was killing him.

“You got out of prison, and instead of coming to see me, you made this old man come to you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

No, I mean, why did you come?

As Kang Jin-ho’s distress became apparent, Hwang Min-soo cautiously opened his mouth.

“Chairman, we’re in the middle of a meeting.”

“Meeting? Meeting? You brat, this company wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for me! And now you’re trying to pull rank! Are you telling me to get lost because you’re having a company meeting?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

“Aish! This is why you shouldn’t take in black-haired beasts [a Korean idiom referring to ungrateful people].”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Hwang Jung-hoo with a very bewildered expression.

Who took in whom?

Isn’t it the other way around?

Is this that Northeast Project thing?

“…Chairman, when are you leaving?”

“This brat is trying to kick his father out now!”

“Please, just go.”

What made Kang Jin-ho even more dumbfounded was that, in the midst of all this, the two of them seemed strangely close.

Before Kang Jin-ho went to jail, the two of them were worse than strangers. He even had to get Hwang Jung-hoo’s permission to bring Hwang Min-soo along.

“You two seem to have gotten closer.”

“Does this look like we’re close?”

“Are your eyes like pinholes?”

Hwang Jung-hoo clicked his tongue and then opened his mouth.

“They say no businessman who does big business doesn’t go to jail, but what was your crime? National Security Law? In all my years, I’ve never heard of a company owner going to jail for the National Security Law.”

Hwang Min-soo’s face contorted.

“No! How can you say that to someone who was wrongly imprisoned? You should be comforting him, not saying that!”

“Comfort, my foot! If you had behaved yourself, you wouldn’t have gone to jail! I’ve been running this company for fifty years and I’ve never even been to a police station.”

“What do you mean you haven’t? You once got drunk and slept on the street, and the police station called us!”

“You brat, why are you bringing that up again!”

Kang Jin-ho smiled contentedly.

‘Do it at home, do it at home.’

Why are they having a family feud at someone else’s company? And in the chairman’s office, no less.

“Anyway!”

Hwang Jung-hoo cleared his throat, embarrassed, and changed the subject.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Not at all.”

“Is everything resolved?”

“Well, that’s…”

Kang Jin-ho scratched the back of his head.

You could say it was resolved, or you could say nothing was resolved.

Hwang Jung-hoo nodded, seeing Kang Jin-ho hesitate.

“You’ll know what to do, but it’s best not to get involved with those guys if you can help it.”

“Yes.”

“Politicians are like leeches. They’ll stick to any place where money comes out and try to suck it dry. Do you know why businessmen hate politicians but can’t do anything about them?”

“Because they have power?”

“No.”

Hwang Jung-hoo shook his head.

“Because they’re persistent. They never forget a grudge. They remember even the smallest grudge and try to get revenge whenever they have the chance. That’s what politicians are like.”

Hwang Jung-hoo gave a bitter smile.

“Don’t get involved. Don’t try to trample on them because you have a grudge, and don’t try to repay them because you’ve received a favor.”

“Why aren’t you answering, you brat?”

“You should have told me that earlier…”

“What am I supposed to talk about with a guy locked up in jail!”

Hwang Jung-hoo stared at Kang Jin-ho’s face with a displeased look before getting up from his seat.

“Alright, alright! I’m leaving, you brat!”

“Ah, I didn’t mean for you to leave…”

“That’s enough! Ugh, what kind of blessing am I trying to get by coming all the way here! I have a meeting too!”

“Yes. Please be careful on your way. I’ll come visit you soon.”

“No need!”

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

It felt like a storm had just passed through. Kang Jin-ho grabbed his head as if he had a headache and leaned back on the sofa, and Hwang Min-soo gave a bitter smile.

“Please understand. He came all the way here this morning to see you come out okay.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled and said,

“You two seem to have gotten a little closer?”

“We had to discuss your situation a few times, and that’s how it happened. Since it wasn’t my problem or the company’s problem, I didn’t have to shrink back…”

Kang Jin-ho smiled as if he understood.

The seriousness of the matter might be greater on this side, but the fact that Hwang Min-soo hadn’t done anything wrong probably played a big role. Basically, when Hwang Min-soo was working in finance, these conversations were always about Hwang Min-soo’s mistakes.

“It seems like something to celebrate.”

“…When it’s just the two of us, it’s still the same. But still.”

Hwang Min-soo gave an awkward smile.

“It’s better than before.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

You can’t be full on the first bite. Someday, there will be a day when the two of them can laugh and talk even when they’re alone.

“He says that, but he was trying to get in good with the political world. He cursed a lot too.”

“I’m sure he did.”

That’s what Hwang Jung-hoo would do.

He’s always complaining, but deep down, he’s very affectionate. He must have worried a lot because of Kang Jin-ho.

‘I’ve caused a lot of worry here and there.’ Kang Jin-ho sighed softly.

“How’s the company?”

“As I said, it’s almost back to normal now. Actually, the biggest problem wasn’t that the accounts were frozen, but that the new business registration wasn’t being approved. Now that this is resolved, we can proceed without any major issues. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise.”

“A blessing in disguise?”

“It wasn’t something that needed to be done so urgently, but I was in a hurry to proceed. It’s not something to be thankful for, but we were able to buy some time to prepare a little more.”

“That’s a relief.”

No, should I not say that it’s a relief?

“It’s all thanks to everyone believing in you and waiting for you, Chairman. I really couldn’t imagine that not a single franchisee would leave. Usually, when something like this happens, they terminate the contract and even claim damages or compensation.”

Hwang Min-soo gave an awkward smile.

“I had some self-reflection. I’ve always prioritized rationality in business, but if I had done it my way, not a single franchisee would have remained.”

“It’s because they know you.”

“People you know are scarier. Isn’t it because you’ve built up a lot of goodwill, Chairman?”

It seems like they’re just scared…

To be precise, it’s not Kang Jin-ho they’re scared of, but Lee Hyun-joo or Lee Hyun-soo that they couldn’t mention contract termination.

‘I wouldn’t be able to say it either.’

Even Kang Jin-ho is sometimes relieved that he’s Lee Hyun-soo’s superior, so how much more would the subordinates be?

That being said, it’s not that he’s not grateful that they waited for Kang Jin-ho until the end.

What should I say…

It feels like the work Kang Jin-ho has done for the General Assembly and its members is being recognized.

It’s a little strange, though.

“Anyway, now that you’re back, Chairman, we’ll proceed quickly. Once the permit is approved, it’ll be smooth sailing.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all. You’re the one who worked hard, Chairman.”

Hwang Min-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a fresh perspective.

‘It’s not something to be happy about, but his control is probably greater than his father’s.’

Hwang Jung-hoo wields enormous influence over the Jae-kyung Group. While modern conglomerates have reduced the influence of their chairmen to cope with the rapidly changing world and diverse businesses, Jae-kyung still has Hwang Jung-hoo exercising imperial power.

In a good way, it’s a company where the last superhuman of modern times is working, and in a bad way, it’s an old-fashioned company.

However, the influence Kang Jin-ho has at MK far surpasses Hwang Jung-hoo’s at Jae-kyung.

Regardless of good or bad, Hwang Min-soo was curious how this young man could exert more influence than someone who had spent his entire life at Jae-kyung and created a legend.

“Director Lee Hyun-joo also worked hard.”

“Really?”

“She formed a defense team and ran around trying to prove your innocence, Chairman. You must mention her contribution later. People won’t work hard if their efforts aren’t rewarded.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hwang Min-soo, thinking he had finished saying what he needed to say, brought up what he really wanted to ask.

“How did you do it?”

“Excuse me?”

“From the time of your release, Chairman, the guys at the Ministry of Economy and Finance have become incredibly cooperative. They’re practically willing to give you their livers. The Vice Minister came in person to apologize for the mistake. He said that if there were any problems, we could talk about them anytime.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“I see.”

“They were so polite that I couldn’t even get angry.”

It seemed that the government definitely wanted to abandon Kim Myung-chan and reconcile with Kang Jin-ho.

Every time he turned on the TV, there were endless stories about Kim Myung-chan, and they were sending positive signals to Kang Jin-ho in many ways. Not only MK, but the General Assembly was also receiving constant calls.

Kang Jin-ho leaned back on the sofa leisurely.

Then Hwang Min-soo asked,

“So, is everything resolved now?”

“No.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly shook his head.

“There’s one thing left.”

“What is it?”

“Can I have a smoke?”

“Of course.”

Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then he lit the lighter and lit it. Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke and curled up the corners of his mouth.

“I have to go keep a promise.”

“Excuse me?”

Hwang Min-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a puzzled expression. But Kang Jin-ho just put the cigarette in his mouth and looked at the ceiling.

‘What kind of mood is Kim Myung-chan in right now?’ I’m curious.

What you imagine and what you hear directly from his mouth are different. But this curiosity won’t last long.

Because Kang Jin-ho is going to hear it himself now.

Imagining what Kim Myung-chan would say when he saw Kang Jin-ho was the best entertainment that Kang Jin-ho couldn’t trade for anything.

Hwang Min-soo held his breath as he saw Kang Jin-ho’s mouth twist.