Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1688

“There are no major problems.”

A confident voice tends to inspire trust, regardless of its content. In that regard, Lee Hyun-joo was someone who knew how to make people believe what she said.

“In fact, ‘smooth’ would be a more fitting word. Of course, variables always exist, so we can’t be too optimistic.”

Kang Jin-ho wore a subtle smile as he watched Lee Hyun-joo adjust her glasses.

‘She fits in well.’

It was a world of difference compared to when they first met.

Lee Hyun-joo certainly had this side to her back then, but she felt more free-spirited and radical at the time.

People eventually find their place, or so they say.

Lee Hyun-joo, who had become a bit more rigid than before, actually looked more comfortable.

“What about Chairman Jung?”

“Chairman Jung Heung-geun is also working enthusiastically. Considering his age, I’m starting to think we might need to restrain him a bit.”

“There’s no need for that.”

That didn’t mean it was okay for him to die.

Kang Jin-ho knew Jung Hong-geun’s type well. Others might see Jung Hong-geun as overdoing it, but he was not someone who would ever do anything that would harm himself.

He would be adjusting himself well so as not to cross his own limits.

“What about the political movements?”

“It’s not like there’s no interference, but…”

Lee Hyun-joo shrugged.

“Things have become a bit easier in an unexpected area.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you move the US military in Japan recently, sir?”

“…That’s right.”

To be precise, it wasn’t Kang Jin-ho who moved them, but the result was the same.

“That seems to have been the final blow. There were already rumors in Japan that you had connections with the US, so they couldn’t act aggressively. This incident seems to have confirmed their suspicions. As a result, the pressure they had been applying covertly has almost completely dissipated.”

Ah….

“Does it work like that?”

“It’s only natural.”

Lee Hyun-joo shrugged.

“There isn’t a country that can afford to ignore the most powerful nation in the world. Even in Korea, there’s criticism that the Korean government is overly conscious of the US.”

“…I don’t know much about politics.”

“…I know.”

“Oh.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled wryly.

“But the Korean government’s attitude towards the US is nothing compared to the Japanese government. Japan is a country that is, without exaggeration, extremely pro-American.”

“Hmm.”

“Therefore, it won’t be easy to pressure you, who works with the US government, and MK, your company. Even if they are sure that the US won’t move as a result of that pressure, you never know what might happen.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded blankly.

He didn’t know what she was talking about, but it seemed like things were going well.

“So, we don’t need to worry about Japan anymore?”

“It’s not ‘now,’ it’s been like that for a while.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled slightly and said,

“Or do you not trust me that much?”

Kang Jin-ho coughed softly.

She was smiling, but her voice sounded a bit scary.

“There’s no way.”

“Yes. That’s a relief.”

Lee Hyun-joo continued her briefing.

“Sales are exceeding expectations. It’s been a while since we surpassed sales in Korea.”

“Already?”

“…Chairman, we barely have any sales in Korea.”

“But we have franchises and…”

“That’s not a very profitable business. To be precise, it’s a business with poor profits compared to sales. It wasn’t a business we started to make a big profit from the beginning.”

“…That’s right.”

The franchise cafes, for example, were a business started to help those who left the Assembly become self-sufficient. If the company had intended to make a lot of money, they would have started a different business in the first place.

“Our market share itself isn’t that high yet, but…”

Lee Hyun-joo wore a subtle smile.

“It’s impossible to take over the Japanese distribution market all at once. We need to take our time and do it slowly. The money we’re making now is already on a level that can’t be compared to the Assembly’s previous income.”

“Even if we’re not just talking about MK, but the Assembly?”

“Yes. If we take into account the profits from the illegal businesses we used to do, it’s still not enough, but if we think about the future, we’ll be able to make more than that.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Honestly, he didn’t know much about this area. Lee Hyun-joo was explaining it in an easy way, but even if he understood the words, the sensory aspect was still vague.

When it came to martial arts, he could understand the subtle sensations as if looking through a microscope just by looking at them, but when it came to business, no matter how much he looked at the numbers, he could only memorize them; it didn’t resonate with him.

Maybe that was his innate nature.

But it didn’t matter.

‘I don’t need to force myself to do what I can’t do.’

He had people who could do those things for him. And one of them was right in front of him.

“To be honest…”

Kang Jin-ho smiled awkwardly.

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”

Lee Hyun-joo smiled as if she expected that.

“Thanks to Chairman Jung’s hard work, the business will develop smoothly, and we’ll likely be able to make more profit than we initially expected.”

“That’s good news.”

It was that good.

“However, sir.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched subtly.

The fact that she used the title ‘sir’ instead of ‘chairman’ meant that his specialty was about to come up.

“All of this is possible because we control the Japanese underworld.”

«Ugh…»

“We need a firm grip on it. Depending on how long we control it, the things we can do in the future will change, and how long we can continue our business in Japan will change.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

Then, he looked at Lee Hyun-joo with a completely different, resolute gaze.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Lee Hyun-joo nodded.

It was as if a different person was sitting there than before. It was because of this side of Kang Jin-ho that Lee Hyun-joo could trust him without any doubt.

‘He’s an amazing person, after all.’

When she thought about it, all of these businesses were started under the conviction that Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t fall. If there was even a slight doubt that Kang Jin-ho could waver, none of this would have been possible.

“And…”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Lee Hyun-joo shook her head.

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s a bit more certain.”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced at Lee Hyun-joo and nodded.

“Then do that.”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-joo’s eyes curved into a small arc.

‘There’s no need to say it now.’

Her boyfriend, who was also the chief of the Assembly, Lee Hyun-soo, seemed to be thinking of introducing the model they were implementing in Japan to China as well.

Using the trial and error they experienced in Japan as a stepping stone, in a more radical and aggressive way.

“You don’t seem to have any intention of doing so, but I have no intention of just leaving those Chinese bastards alone.”

Lee Hyun-joo agreed with that point.

If they were to conquer China with Hong Wang, they couldn’t just hand over the land to Hong Wang. Even if it was impossible to gain control, they had to secure the benefits.

If there was something to give, there was also something to take; that was the way of the world.

‘But that’s a matter for later.’

There was no need to stir up trouble by saying it in advance.

“Is there anything else?”

“Yes. There’s nothing major. However, there’s a minor problem…”

“A minor problem?”

“Yes. You need to take a look at the entertainment side. The director is dying from traveling back and forth between China and the US.”

“…She seemed fine?”

Lee Hyun-joo frowned.

“Don’t think that everyone’s stamina is like yours, sir. The director is someone who has a habit of pretending to be fine in front of others.”

“No, she really seemed fine…”

“Well…”

“…Okay. I’ll take a look.”

“Yes. Please do.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply.

‘She really seemed fine.’

Otherwise, her hand wouldn’t have been so firm when she slapped his back.

It was strange.

Of course, Choi Yeon-ha wasn’t someone who would back down in terms of personality… no, that expression was far too inadequate. Her personality was terrible, but she was still someone who maintained appearances in front of others.

“…Do people become more aggressive as they get older?”

“Pardon?”

“No, I just feel like Choi Yeon-ha has become a bit more aggressive lately…”

Lee Hyun-joo chuckled and said,

“Shouldn’t you consider whether the director has really become more aggressive, or if you’ve started doing things you didn’t used to do?”

“Ah…”

Kang Jin-ho nodded as if he understood.

“But don’t think about becoming taciturn like you used to be. That’s something that frustrates the people around you.”

Since he didn’t answer, she was telling him to just take the blame.

Kang Jin-ho shook his head and got up from his seat.

“Are you leaving?”

“I have to.”

“Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Hyun-joo narrowed her eyes slightly and said,

“It’s been a while since you’ve met the director, sir, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re comfortable with her.”

“…I didn’t really have any discomfort in the first place?”

Lee Hyun-joo nodded as if she understood.

“That’s when you should treat her well. People get comfortable when they’re used to something, and when they’re comfortable, they tend to pay less attention. That’s usually when problems start to arise.”

“I don’t think you’re like that, but… there’s this one bastard who only talks about work whenever he sees me these days.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded repeatedly as he looked at Lee Hyun-joo, who was emitting killing intent from her eyes.

‘What kind of guts does Lee Hyun-soo have?’

If they were to fight, wouldn’t he get beaten to death?

In a typical relationship between a man and a woman, it’s unlikely that the man would be overpowered by force, but their relationship was far from typical.

Lee Hyun-soo, who was only a half-baked martial artist, was nothing more than a meal for Lee Hyun-joo, a martial artist who received elite training from Lee Jung-geol.

“I’m trying to hold back as much as possible because of the times, but this guy…”

Lee Hyun-joo gritted her teeth. Kang Jin-ho flinched at her fierce killing intent.

‘Why are all the women around me like this?’

It wasn’t like Kang Jin-ho had a magnet that attracted only aggressive women, but somehow, there wasn’t a single one who was easy to deal with.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken her to China…”

“No!”

“…Huh?”

Lee Hyun-joo glared.

“Of course, I will succeed, sir. I have no intention of being satisfied with my current position. Someday, I’ll push you to the back and take over the position of CEO of MK.”

“…Oh, okay.”

“But that doesn’t mean I can stand to see that guy slacking off. Make him work even harder. So that even if he becomes the head of the Assembly in the future, no one can object!”

“…Okay.”

One was the CEO of MK, and the other was the head of the Assembly… What a terrifying couple was about to be born.

The thought that it might not be such a distant dream made Kang Jin-ho smile.

Someday….

The day when Kang Jin-ho was no longer needed would come.

That was the day that Kang Jin-ho desired more than anything else.