Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1679

“We’re entering!” Reynolds watched the fighter jets in the sky with a strange expression. ‘I’ve seen it all now.’ Come to think of it, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Whether it was the USFK [United States Forces Korea] or USFJ [United States Forces Japan], the US military was the US military. The bases were different, but their nationality was the same. For training or various other reasons, USFJ fighter jets had landed on USFK runways many times. So, it wasn’t exactly an unusual occurrence. Except for the fact that there were people clinging to the top of those fighter jets. Kuuuuuuuuuooooooo! The fighter jets began to land on the runway. By then, Reynolds could clearly see the figures riding on top of the fighter jets. “I’d like to take a picture.” “I’ve been instructed to turn off all cameras.” “I’m just kidding.” Reynolds shook his head and approached the fighter jets that had stopped on the runway. The people who had jumped off the fighter jets spotted Reynolds and walked towards him. “Quite an experience… Are you alright?” Reynolds, who was trying to make a casual joke, shouted in surprise. The state of the people approaching him was beyond words. ‘Even those who have returned from the battlefield… No, they have returned from the battlefield.’ “I’ll call an ambulance right away!” “No need to make a fuss.” Kang Jin-ho waved his hand lightly. Then, he took out a cigarette from his pocket and frowned. Kang Jin-ho crumpled the empty cigarette pack and threw it away, then looked at Reynolds and opened his mouth. “Do you happen to have a cigarette?” Pouring coffee into a cup, Reynolds couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing the right thing. ‘Not that I’m one to talk, but…’ He could see Kang Jin-ho with his wet hair in front of him. There was no need to think about it coldly; any person with common sense would go to the hospital first. Right now, it was easier to find a part of Kang Jin-ho’s body that wasn’t injured than one that was. But this man, ignoring all that, had borrowed the base’s shower room to take a shower and was now sitting in front of him with a nonchalant expression. “…I don’t know if the coffee will suit your taste.” It was a subtle way of saying, ‘Can you even drink coffee in that condition?’ “The aroma isn’t great.” No, he wasn’t really asking for a coffee review. Whether he knew Reynolds’ feelings or not, Kang Jin-ho nonchalantly sipped his coffee, then frowned and put the cup down. “…Doesn’t it suit your taste?” If he’s judging the taste, it means he’s more relaxed than I thought. Reynolds gave up on trying to judge this man by common sense. And… ‘If we’re talking about crazy, this guy takes the cake.’ His eyes turned to Lee Hyun-soo, who was sipping coffee next to Kang Jin-ho. As far as he knew, Lee Hyun-soo was not a superhuman like Kang Jin-ho. If he were asked if he was an ordinary person, he would have to say no, but in any case, Lee Hyun-soo was only a half-baked martial artist. Yet, this man had gone through a brutal battlefield and returned clinging to the top of a supersonic fighter jet, and was now drinking coffee with such a nonchalant expression. ‘He’s definitely not right in the head.’ As if sensing his gaze, Lee Hyun-soo gestured to Reynolds. “Hmm?” “What about the cigarettes?” Reynolds pulled out a cigarette with a sour face and threw it to Lee Hyun-soo. Then, Lee Hyun-soo opened the pack and offered one to Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho, who received the cigarette, put it in his mouth with a carefree expression and lit it. “Hoo…” The cigarette smoke spread throughout the barracks. “First of all…” Reynolds lowered his voice slightly. “Congratulations on your safe return.” Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled the smoke. “It was an unexpected support.” “Don’t even mention it. Thanks to someone who was screaming and shouting.” Kang Jin-ho glanced at Lee Hyun-soo. But Lee Hyun-soo held his chin up with an utterly confident expression. “This level of support is only natural. Did we risk our lives and go into China just for our own benefit? What’s the point of having an alliance and negotiating if you’re just going to cheer from behind?” Kang Jin-ho chuckled wryly. What he said was all correct. Except for the fact that he was saying it without any filter in front of the person involved. “Ugh.” Reynolds shook his head. It was easy to say, but sending a fighter jet to the border between China and Mongolia to pick up people was not something a sane person would think of. They had entered China with a Russian fighter jet before, but it was a completely different matter for a US fighter jet, which was in conflict with China, to approach the Chinese border than for a Russian aircraft to enter China, which was not far from its own airspace. To make this one hitchhiking successful, Reynolds had to negotiate directly with the Russian and Mongolian governments through the military. ‘It’s a good thing the result was good.’ If anything had gone wrong, it would have been a localized war, if not a full-scale war. If that had happened, many people would have lost their heads. “It’s good that the result was good, but this was really reckless.” “It was reckless.” Kang Jin-ho chuckled and put the cigarette in his mouth. “We could have really died.” “Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.” Lee Hyun-soo shuddered. It was no joke; it was really dangerous this time. If the fighter jet had arrived just a little later and Chang Wang had arrived first, Kang Jin-ho and Lee Hyun-soo would be sitting in front of the King of Hell, discussing whose fault it was. “Ahem, well, I think that’s enough of that story…” Lee Hyun-soo brought up the main topic. “The reason we stayed here to meet with the Deputy Minister is to discuss future matters. Has there been any official protest from the US side?” “That’s impossible.” Reynolds shrugged his shoulders. “Fortunately, we managed to escape without any problems. Strictly speaking, that’s Mongolian airspace. There’s no reason for China to protest the passage of a US military aircraft through Mongolian airspace. To protest that situation, China would have to explain why they were sending troops into Mongolian territory in the first place.” “And there’s no way that would be an explanation?” “Yes. So, it’ll be buried.” Reynolds smiled. It was a story that most people wouldn’t know, but these things happened more often than one might think. Military operations simply didn’t happen unless there was clear evidence that couldn’t be denied. “What’s the probability of China having a tantrum through other channels?” “There will be some. But it’s not something we need to worry about. It’ll just be a tantrum.” Lee Hyun-soo nodded. In fact, how China protested to the US was not a factor for him to consider. The reason he asked was because he was worried that Korea might be harmed in the process. ‘The government is one thing, but it could even bother the General Assembly.’ Judging by the way Reynolds was talking, it seemed that the US side could prevent such problems. So, he would put that aside for now. “So, was that big guy the Hong Wang?” “Yes.” “In the end…” Reynolds stroked his chin. That Hong Wang had entered Korea. This was something that could cause a bigger ripple than he thought. “What are you going to do?” “Well.” Lee Hyun-soo shrugged his shoulders. “This wasn’t something we planned from the start. First, it was important to rescue Hong Wang, and we’re satisfied that we’ve achieved that goal. We’ll have to think about what to do from now on.” “It sounds like a reckless statement, but it’s not wrong.” At that moment, Kang Jin-ho stood up from his seat and bowed slightly to Reynolds. “Why, why are you doing this, Chairman?” “Thanks to you, I was able to save my life.” Reynolds looked genuinely flustered. He had never imagined that he would receive such a thank you from Kang Jin-ho. But Kang Jin-ho had a very natural expression. “It’s just what we should do as allies.” “We don’t have an alliance with the US military. The alliance we have is with those who are dispatched to Korea.” “It wouldn’t have been something you would help with, even using USFJ fighter jets. I’m sure there were many things that happened, and a lot of effort was put in. Personally, and as a representative of the General Assembly, I thank you.” Reynolds smiled. “I’ll accept your thanks. But this wasn’t something that came from personal goodwill. Chairman, you are a crucial asset for us as well.” “I’ll try to make sure that value doesn’t disappear.” Kang Jin-ho placed the coffee cup he was holding on the table. “But you need to learn how to make coffee better.” “…I’ll try my best.” As Kang Jin-ho sat back down, Lee Hyun-soo quickly continued. “It doesn’t seem like we have much time to talk, so I’ll just tell you what we need. Right now, Chang Wang’s forces are all gathered in northern China. Please monitor how they move and what actions they take.” “…You know that’s not an easy task, right?” “If it were easy, we would have done it ourselves. But it’s not impossible for the US military, even if it’s difficult, right?” “That’s true.” Reynolds nodded. “We’ll share all the information we get from our side. So, don’t hide any information you get from your side. Chang Wang… Chang Wang is more dangerous than you think.” As Lee Hyun-soo spoke with a stern face, Reynolds also nodded. Just from what he had heard, he couldn’t help but know how dangerous he was. Even the US military’s strategists had not expected the situation to unfold like this. “The General Assembly and Chang Wang’s faction, and the US military and Chang Wang’s faction, are already in an irreversible relationship. Now that the Hong Wang faction is in disarray and has built up resentment with the General Assembly, Chang Wang will never be quiet again like he was in the past. He will try to exercise the influence he has gained more actively.” “To deal with that monster, we need even more information. In other words, we need even closer cooperation than we have had so far.” “I understand.” Reynolds nodded his head greatly. “We’re going to be busy. Much busier than we have been.” “We have to endure it.” Kang Jin-ho stood up from his seat again and extended his hand to Reynolds. Then, Reynolds smiled and shook Kang Jin-ho’s hand. “Most of all, I’m glad that we seem to have gained your trust, Chairman.” “But there’s one thing I want to ask…” “Yes. Anything.” “What exactly did you tell those fighter jet pilots?” “Ah, you mean that?” Reynolds shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it’s not that difficult. From now on, those pilots will be transferred to our unit.” “And unfortunately, they won’t have any vacation for about two years.” “Ah…” Whether they’re Americans or Koreans. It seems like there are no sane people in the military. Unfortunately.