Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1530

The car sped down the road. Kang Jin-ho, who hadn’t driven in a while, relaxed in the back seat, taking a call.

The voice on the other end of the line was clearly displeased.

[Aren’t you too busy?]

It wasn’t an angry voice, but Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but feel a little tense.

“I have so much to take care of…”

[Yeah, yeah, I’m sure. You’re a busy man.]

[It’s a good thing I didn’t try to make you an actor, thinking you were unemployed.]

A smile touched Kang Jin-ho’s lips.

When they first met, Choi Yeon-ha had indeed tried to cast him as an actor. If Kang Jin-ho hadn’t refused her offer, things might have been very different now.

[Are you taking care of yourself?]

“Yes. You don’t have to worry.”

[That’s not a good thing.]

“Huh?”

[You need to leave some for me to do. You’re working, taking care of your health, and your family. If you do everything, what am I supposed to do?]

Kang Jin-ho chuckled wryly.

It wasn’t much of a complaint, but Choi Yeon-ha’s sincerity was evident in her tone.

[Anyway, there was no point in going to the US. I didn’t even get to have fun, and now my boyfriend is missing.]

“Once I finish this, I’ll have some time.”

[Is that a real promise?]

“…It’s real.”

[Okay. I’ll believe you again this time. What else can I do?]

Fortunately, Choi Yeon-ha didn’t sound too upset.

“I’m serious.”

[Yeah, yeah. But I’m going to be busy starting this weekend.]

“Huh? Why?”

[I’m going to the US for filming, remember?]

“Ah, that’s already…”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head. He had agreed to film in the US.

“I didn’t realize time had passed so quickly.”

[Yeah, yeah. It’s not something you need to worry about, Kang Jin-ho.]

A slight sense of guilt washed over him.

He had been busy, but he hadn’t completely neglected Choi Yeon-ha. It was almost like he had been indifferent, yet she wasn’t blaming him. He was grateful for that.

“I’ll try to go with you when you go to the US for filming.”

[No, thanks. If I bring my boyfriend to work, my reputation will suffer.]

“Is that a thing in the US too?”

[Who do you think the American media will send to cover me? It’ll be the Korean reporters. I don’t want to hear, ‘Choi Yeon-ha is so arrogant now that she’s bringing her boyfriend to the US.’ So, please refrain from doing that.]

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek.

[Anyway, I understand. I’m leaving this weekend, so if you have time, call me… no, even if you don’t have time, call me! How can you not text me first, you heartless man!]

“Y-yes, I’ll call you.”

[Okay, hang up. Make sure you eat.]

As soon as the call ended, Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply. Lee Hyun-soo, who was driving, chuckled and looked at him in the rearview mirror.

‘He’s so weak.’

Watching Kang Jin-ho struggle was a bit of fun.

He used to not understand why someone like Kang Jin-ho would be so flustered by a woman, but now he did.

‘It’s not that he’s weak to women.’

He was just weak to anyone he was close to and liked. For example, if Park Yu-min had nagged him like Choi Yeon-ha, Kang Jin-ho would have reacted the same way…

‘No, maybe not that much.’

He was a little weaker to Choi Yeon-ha. Haha…

“Aren’t we late?”

At Kang Jin-ho’s words, Lee Hyun-soo pressed the accelerator a little more.

“We still have plenty of time. Would you like me to open the window?”

“It’s fine.”

Lee Hyun-soo glanced at Kang Jin-ho’s expression.

Driving Kang Jin-ho’s car was a bit of a burden for Lee Hyun-soo.

Of course, he didn’t have to deal with crazy demands like driving smoothly while going fast, like some other company chairmen. Still, it was a burden because…

‘Why does he look so uncomfortable whenever he’s in a car?’

He didn’t act like that when he was driving, but whenever he was in a car driven by Lee Hyun-soo, it was like he had ‘I want to escape this cramped space right now’ written all over his face.

Even a cat wouldn’t be that restless in a car.

“We’ll be there soon. Please bear with it a little longer.”

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t exactly an official meeting, but it was a meeting with government officials. It wouldn’t look good if the chairman of the General Assembly drove himself.

Kang Jin-ho didn’t seem to understand that, but it was a matter of pride for Lee Hyun-soo.

‘I won’t give those guys any reason to look down on the General Assembly.’

That’s why Lee Hyun-soo was driving Kang Jin-ho’s car for the first time in a while.

Of course, Kang Jin-ho was suffering because of it.

Lee Hyun-soo turned the steering wheel towards the building in front of them. His car rotated smoothly, like a skater on ice.

“Is this a hotel?”

“Yes.”

“I thought we were going to a US military base.”

“Well…”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled.

“There are some differences in affiliations, and it’s also a preliminary visit. More than anything, someone thought it wouldn’t look good for us to go into a US military base.”

“Who? The US?”

“Do you think it would be the US?”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled wryly.

“They’re worried about everything.”

“What we think is important and what they think is important can’t be the same. Basically, if we drive into a US military base, it’s not much different from officially acknowledging the cooperation between the General Assembly and the US.”

“What’s the difference if it’s not official?”

“There won’t be any difference. But wouldn’t it be less embarrassing?”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head slightly.

He couldn’t understand what was going on in the heads of politicians.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“The people who stand out among ordinary people, the smart and exceptional ones, they become politicians, right?”

“That’s right.”

“But why do politicians always do such ridiculous things? Things that are obviously pathetic to anyone.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled.

“Don’t underestimate politicians. If you or the chairman became president and ran the country, you’d probably be impeached or the country would collapse within three weeks.”

“…That’s probably true.”

“In other words, politics is that difficult. Nothing is easier than watching from the sidelines. It’s also easy to evaluate after the fact. But it’s not easy to navigate an uncertain future with limited information and split-second decisions.”

Lee Hyun-soo glanced at the rearview mirror.

‘There was someone who did it easily, though.’

Kang Jin-ho was the one who brought the General Assembly this far, so he might not understand Lee Hyun-soo’s words.

But Kang Jin-ho was able to do that because he had overwhelming power and experience. If Kang Jin-ho had been weaker than Lee Joong-geol or Kim Seok-il, would that have been possible?

That’s why politics is so difficult.

You can’t reset if you make a mistake, and you can’t use cheats. If you make a wrong decision, you have to walk forward, feeling your way through the dark, with the possibility of falling into the abyss.

‘If the chairman hadn’t been there, we would have been the same.’

Looking back now, no matter how the war between the General Assembly and the Yeongnam Association had ended, the Japanese invasion would have been inevitable. And the General Assembly or the Yeongnam Association without Kang Jin-ho would never have been able to stop Japan.

Even if Lee Joong-geol or Kim Seok-il had become Zhuge Liang [a famous strategist in Chinese history] and made the best decisions, could they have overcome the difference in power?

‘Absolutely not.’

Even the real Zhuge Liang couldn’t overcome the difference in military strength and production capacity.

So how could those who weren’t even real Zhuge Liangs overcome that difference?

It’s the same with politicians.

There might be people who could achieve results if they were given enough time, resources, and manpower. But in reality, politics is about improvising and moving forward while dealing with shortages.

‘I wouldn’t even dare.’

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled wryly.

“I know you don’t have a good impression of the government or politicians, Chairman. But don’t hate them too much. From their perspective, aren’t we the mafia? The evil of society?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled.

“It seems like that to anyone, not just them.”

“I guess so.”

Lee Hyun-soo stopped the car at the front gate and opened the door. As Kang Jin-ho reflexively tried to open the door, Lee Hyun-soo quickly spoke up.

“Don’t open the door and get out.”

“Huh?”

At that moment, the hotelier who had been waiting opened the car door and bowed to Kang Jin-ho.

“I know you’re about to say something like, ‘I have hands too.’ Don’t say anything and just get out.”

Lee Hyun-soo whispered in a low voice that only Kang Jin-ho could hear.

Kang Jin-ho thought he was like a ghost and straightened his shoulders as he got out of the car.

Then, some familiar faces were waiting for him.

“It’s been a while, but not quite. It’s good to see you again, Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled as he saw Reynolds approaching him.

“I didn’t expect such an important person to come in person. The position of Deputy Secretary of Defense isn’t that light.”

“It’s an important matter, so I had to come in person.”

Reynolds Spencer, with a smile, reached out his hand to Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho shook his hand lightly.

“I’m getting old, so I’d like to avoid long-distance flights, but the higher-ups insisted that I see and confirm everything with my own eyes.”

“I’ll lend you a gate on your way back.”

“Hmm, I’ll have to think about what to give you as a usage fee.”

Reynolds, joking, pointed to the people waiting.

“You’ll recognize these faces.”

“Hmm?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened as he looked at the people behind him.

“It was more of a request than a demand, wasn’t it?”

“They volunteered themselves. It seems they’re very interested in you, Chairman.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the people behind him with a new perspective.

Frank Wilson and Reggie Mercer.

The corps commander and division commander of the 15th Armored Division of the 3rd Army that he had faced before. Kang Jin-ho had liked the attitude of those who faced him. So he had said something to Reynolds, and coincidentally, they were going to be the heads of the SOB [Special Operations Brigade] being dispatched to Korea.

“Is it ‘yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally’?”

“Haha, isn’t it a bit much to call them enemies?”

“It’s fine.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced at Lee Hyun-soo.

“It’s not like there’s no precedent.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

‘How long is that guy going to keep bringing that up?’

Reynolds smiled and gestured inside.

“Shall we go? How about a cup of coffee first?”

“Sure.”

Kang Jin-ho followed him into the hotel.