Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1638

Click.

Lee Hyun-soo lowered the car window and lit a cigarette.

“Shameless bastards.”

He looked out the window, twisting his lips in disgust.

In the end, a deal is about give and take.

If one side gives something, the other side must also give up something. But they only want a free ride on the General Assembly, without considering the price they have to pay.

Well, I guess.

What they call a ‘deal’ is just something that happens between equals.

Party and party, politician and politician.

In other words, they still don’t see the General Assembly as an equal trading partner. They might try to understand it with their heads, but they can’t accept it with their hearts.

‘But they’ll soon find out.’

The initiative is already in our hands, and they will have no choice but to be shaken by Lee Hyun-soo’s whims.

“Hoo…”

Lee Hyun-soo exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke. The wind outside the car window sucked in the smoke. Watching this, Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his eyes.

“Chief.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think the government will help us?” Lee Hyun-soo glanced forward and chuckled.

“They’ll have no choice but to help.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter much if they don’t help. No, it might be better if they don’t.”

Then we can really do whatever we want without worrying about the government.

It’s a cold statement, but if we had to choose only one partner to deal with China, we would naturally choose the United States. Realistically, they can do several times more than Korea can.

If we exclude the geographical advantage, there is nothing that Korea does better than the United States.

Affection or sense of duty towards their own people?

‘I wonder.’

There will certainly be a sense of duty and affection towards their own people.

‘The question is whether they see us as their people.’

Probably not.

If the people are those whom the state must protect, then the General Assembly is definitely outside the scope of those people.

“It must be uncomfortable.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled bitterly and leaned back in his car seat.

He could guess how uncomfortable they would feel about the General Assembly without even thinking about it. But unfortunately, Lee Hyun-soo didn’t have the time to consider their position and smooth things over.

Every day is precious, every hour is precious.

“Turn the car around.”

“Yes?”

“We’re going to MK.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at the cars speeding past in the opposite lane.

It’s an ordinary day in Seoul.

But…

‘Maybe there aren’t many days left to see this scene.’

The ordinary scene of the day was painfully etched into Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes.

“The situation in Japan is almost settled.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded as he received a briefing from Lee Hyun-joo.

“Of course, there is still a lot to do. We need to steadily increase our market share and continue the work we have started, so we will need to keep hiring people. Establishing our own business entity was effective.”

“Are there any problems?”

Lee Hyun-joo shook her head.

“There were a few minor troubles… no, a few troubles that were a bit bigger than minor, but they were all resolved within two days.”

“By the police?”

“By those on the other side.”

At Lee Hyun-joo’s words, Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly.

‘It seems to be going well.’

When they first planned to enter Japan, this was their main source of confidence.

Japan is still a country where the influence of organized crime, or the Yakuza, is high. Unlike Korea, where organized crime has little power, they can exert influence in both political and business circles. Isn’t it an open secret that you need to have ties with them to become Prime Minister in Japan?

With their active protection, the business was like swimming with the tide. Those who have stepped into the darkness can never escape the hands of the martial world [referring to those with martial arts skills].

What they are doing now, if we look at it coldly, is not an invasion of the Japanese industry. It was like taking over the businesses that the Westerners who used to rule Japan had been running.

They don’t have enough manpower and time to take everything yet, but over time, they will be able to take not only the businesses that the former Japanese gangs had eaten up, but even more.

“And, Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

“Chairman Jung Hong-geun is making moves.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head.

“What do you mean?”

“I hear he’s meeting with politicians on matters unrelated to business rights.”

“Unrelated to business….” Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“Leave him be.”

“Can we really trust him?”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“Everyone has their own way. He seems to be thinking about other things, but leaving him alone won’t do any harm.”

Lee Hyun-joo nodded.

“However, Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

“He is different from the people around you.”

“From him…”

Lee Hyun-joo closed her mouth.

He felt like her grandfather, Lee Joong-gul.

It was too awkward for her, his granddaughter, to say this. Even if everyone in the world cursed him, she was the one who had to defend her grandfather.

Saying this would be like saying that her grandfather was someone who shouldn’t be trusted.

Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly, as if he had noticed Lee Hyun-joo’s thoughts.

“Don’t worry.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Kang Jin-ho leaned back on the sofa and said,

“It would be great if we could fill our lives with good people and good relationships.”

“But the world isn’t that easy.”

To achieve something, you can’t just live doing what you want. Sometimes, it was important to move towards your goal, even if it meant swallowing poison or stabbing yourself with a knife.

In that sense, Jung Hong-geun was like poison to Kang Jin-ho.

If handled incorrectly, he could harm himself, but if handled well, he was an efficient and useful being. That was Jung Hong-geun.

“Why do you think Jung Hong-geun chose me?”

“Isn’t it because it’s profitable?”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“It’s good that it’s profitable. Jung Hong-geun is the kind of person who is obsessed with that. But that’s not what Jung Hong-geun wants.

It’s almost impossible to take control of the Japanese business world, and even if it were possible, it would be embarrassing to boast that you have Japan under your feet just by doing that.”

“Then…”

Lee Hyun-joo looked at Kang Jin-ho as if she had realized something.

“That’s why he’s moving.”

What Jung Hong-geun ultimately aims for? It is to put the existence he has been supporting under his feet.

“That’s interesting. So, what he was loyal to wasn’t Japan itself, but the Japanese political world?”

“If you think about it, that’s right. It might be a shameless mental victory.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled wryly.

“So, Chairman Jung Hong-geun started moving actively because he knew that you had taken control of the Japanese underworld.”

“On the other hand, he’s probably forming alliances with the Yakuza. If wealth and violence are combined, creating power is not a big deal.”

“It’s difficult for us, but for Jung Hong-geun, who has always been attached to that power, it means he sees that path.”

“That’s right.”

Lee Hyun-joo looked at Kang Jin-ho with admiration.

“So, did you accept Chairman Jung Hong-geun after thinking all of this through?”

Kang Jin-ho widened his eyes as if he was saying something ridiculous.

“No.”

“I just accepted him because he came and bowed his head. It just so happens that he’s useful, so I’m using him. It doesn’t matter to me who takes over the Japanese political world.”

“…That’s true.”

Indeed.

Kang Jin-ho is not the kind of person who would care about that. If Kang Jin-ho was interested in such power, he would have tried to do something about Korea first, not Japan.

“Let him do what he wants. I don’t want to make an issue of it as long as he does his job well. However…”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-joo and continued.

“Make sure he doesn’t overdo it.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled slightly.

It was strange, but among Jung Heung-geun and Lee Hyun-joo, who were cooperating for the Japanese business, Lee Hyun-joo was the one who had the initiative.

Considering that Jung Hong-geun was the chairman of Taekwang and the one who invested most of the resources, it would be normal for Jung Hong-geun to have several times more influence, but Jung Hong-geun did not dare to think of going against Lee Hyun-joo’s words.

He knew that Lee Hyun-joo was representing Kang Jin-ho’s opinion.

‘He’s surprisingly obedient.’

A seasoned politician who has reached that position would have a sense of rejection in listening to a young woman’s words because of his pride, but Jung Hong-geun did not show any such signs.

‘Is Jung Hong-geun amazing, or is the Chairman who made Jung Hong-geun like that amazing?’

It must be both.

“Lee Hyun-joo, Chief.”

“Yes. Chairman… no, Chairman.”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Hyun-joo for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You know the situation well, right?”

“Of course.”

“Roughly organize the relationship between the General Assembly and MK.”

“…Chairman?”

Kang Jin-ho said in a slightly emotionless voice.

“In the event of an emergency, MK will operate as a company regardless of the General Assembly. You will be the chairman.”

Lee Hyun-joo bit her lip.

“That kind of thing…”

“Those who survive have their own lives.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“I don’t pity those who are dying. It’s their choice. And death is not particularly worse than life. However…”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“Not their families.”

“Those who are left behind also have lives, and the lives of those who have lost their breadwinners are bound to be difficult. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-joo nodded.

Because that’s what she was like.

“So, you’re the right person. It won’t be easy, but… I’m asking you.”

Lee Hyun-joo looked at Kang Jin-ho for a moment and said,

“I will not follow that order.”

“…Huh?”

“You will not die, Chairman. So, the chairman’s position will always be yours.”

“Don’t think about dying. The Director will go and kill you twice.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly.

That was enough. Anyway, his intention was conveyed.

“Don’t worry. I’m not doing this because I’m sentimental.”

“…Chairman.”

“I just wanted to state my intention once.”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

Seeing that expression, Lee Hyun-joo flinched and took a step back without realizing it.

Killing intent.

No, with a ghostly face, Kang Jin-ho touched his finger to his mouth. As if he didn’t want to show his face to others.

“I always prepare for death before a war.”

“And yet, strangely…”

Kang Jin-ho closed his mouth and shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled slightly and took out a cigarette.

Looking at Kang Jin-ho, only one thought filled Lee Hyun-joo’s mind.

‘It’s the first time I’ve felt sorry for the Chinese.’

To face that man on the battlefield…

Lee Hyun-joo thought that it might be better to die.