Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 196

The filming set suddenly became abuzz with chatter.

“Dubbing?”

“Dubbing, you say!”

It’s been over twenty years since simultaneous recording started, and now they’re talking about dubbing!

‘Crazy!’

It was a truly crazy good idea.

Jo Gyu-min shrugged and said,

“There’s no point in clinging to something that’s not working. We need to find alternatives quickly. The visuals are great, so we just need to find cuts where the lip movements are similar to the actual dialogue speed and dub over them. Nowadays, the technology is so good that we can mix it with the background music without any awkwardness, right?”

At Jo Gyu-min’s words, Jang Hak-seon looked at the audio director with a bewildered expression.

The audio director nodded repeatedly.

“It’s possible! It’s absolutely possible! No, if it’s not possible, I’ll make it possible!”

With a clean solution coming from such an unexpected place, Jang Hak-seon should have been overjoyed… he should have been.

He should have been happy, but…

‘Why do I feel like I’m about to cry?’

What were all those times he spent struggling with Kang Jin-ho? What were they going through all this trouble for?

‘If only we had thought of it sooner.’

The atmosphere on set became strange. Everyone wanted to blame someone for not thinking of it sooner, but they all knew they hadn’t thought of it either, so they could only sigh.

‘So, is it over?’

Kang Jin-ho, who had no intention of reading the room, asked, and Jang Hak-seon nodded with a sullen face.

Jo Gyu-min, who had somehow procured a blanket, unfolded it and draped it over Kang Jin-ho’s shoulders.

“Our precious actor, how could you overwork him like this? Please be more careful next time.”

Next time?

Neeext time?

‘If I ever call that guy again, I’ll change my last name!’

What next time? Even if there were plans for him to appear, he’d overturn them. What next time for a one-time appearance!

He wanted to say it outright, but Jang Hak-seon knew how ungrateful that would sound. Thanks to that, Jang Hak-seon had no choice but to force a smile, pulling up the corners of his mouth that refused to rise.

“There won’t be a next time.”

No, there won’t be! There’s no way there will be since they won’t be working together!

Jo Gyu-min smiled and bowed his head.

“It seems like filming is over, and it’s getting late, so we’ll be heading back now. Please be careful with the wrap-up.”

“……Ah, yes.”

As Kang Jin-ho and Jo Gyu-min headed towards where Kang Eun-young was, Jang Hak-seon muttered in a daze.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Jo Gyu-min smiled as he watched Kang Jin-ho get into the car.

Kang Eun-young still had filming left, so she decided to go up to Seoul tomorrow, leaving only Kang Jin-ho and Jo Gyu-min to go up.

“You must be tired, I’ll drive.”

“What about the car you drove here?”

“I can call a driver for my car. Or I can have someone from the branch office come and drive it.”

“There’s no need for that. We can each drive our own cars.”

“Kang Jin-ho!”

Jo Gyu-min said with a glint in his eyes.

“When else would I get to drive something like this if not now!”

“…Let’s go together.”

Jo Gyu-min chuckled and took out a cigarette, placing it in Kang Jin-ho’s mouth.

Click!

As the cigarette lit, Kang Jin-ho took a deep drag and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“The PD’s face was quite a sight.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Jo Gyu-min and chuckled.

He was endlessly serious when he needed to be, but he also had a playful side. And seeing how he resolved this issue, he was definitely capable.

Perhaps meeting Jo Gyu-min and Hwang Jung-hoo after returning to this era was a great stroke of luck for Kang Jin-ho. There were many places to get money besides Hwang Jung-hoo, but it wouldn’t be easy to find someone as trustworthy as Hwang Jung-hoo or Jo Gyu-min.

“Did you force him to do something he didn’t want to do?”

“You could say that.”

“Hehehe.”

Jo Gyu-min laughed to himself and said,

“You really got him good.”

“Got him?”

“You did it on purpose…”

Jo Gyu-min trailed off, seeing Kang Jin-ho’s expression as if asking what he was talking about.

‘It’s real.’

This guy is really bad at acting.

“Let’s, let’s get in.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head and got into the passenger seat.

Woo-oong!

Jo Gyu-min revved the engine excitedly, then put the car in gear and moved it.

Bwoo-oong!

“This isn’t the way, is it?”

“We have to say goodbye.”

Jo Gyu-min drove the car towards the filming set, then lowered the window and stretched his hand out.

“We’ll be going now.”

The sudden appearance of a red Lamborghini drew everyone’s attention to Jo Gyu-min. Jo Gyu-min gave them a smirk and sped out of the filming set like the wind.

“Yeah, that’s the stuff!”

Kang Jin-ho let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t understand this person at all.

The next morning.

Kang Jin-ho was getting ready to go out early in the morning.

“You should eat before you go?”

“I’ll eat out.”

“Where are you going to eat breakfast? I’ve already prepared it, so eat before you go.”

“……Okay.”

Looking at his mother’s dining table, which had now become his morning ordeal, Kang Jin-ho seriously pondered.

‘Is it because I always finish everything that she prepares this much every time?’

“Mother, to be honest… it’s a bit much to eat this much for breakfast.”

To be more honest… this isn’t a portion for breakfast, it’s a portion that no one can eat at any time of the day, Mother.

But Baek Hyun-jung clicked her tongue at Kang Jin-ho’s words.

“What are you talking about? You don’t gain any weight even when I feed you like this. If you eat less here, you’ll become a skeleton.”

For the first time, Kang Jin-ho cursed his body for maintaining its optimal condition on its own.

“Eat!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kang Jin-ho picked up his spoon with a determined look.

“……So, that’s why.”

Jo Gyu-min shook his head, looking at Kang Jin-ho’s swollen belly.

‘He does look a bit thin, but…’

He knew that the muscles inside were so packed that they were screaming ‘I’m going to be crushed,’ but he couldn’t deny that he looked a bit thin on the outside.

But even though he was at a good-looking level, Baek Hyun-jung seemed to see him as being in a state of starvation.

“So, what brings you here?”

Kang Jin-ho had heard yesterday on his way home that Hwang Jung-hoo wanted to see him. He didn’t have much to do these days, so he made an appointment right away in the morning.

“I don’t think it’s my place to say. Let’s go inside first.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho headed towards the chairman’s office.

The executive secretary guarding the front of the chairman’s office saw Jo Gyu-min and Kang Jin-ho and relayed the message inside. Then, he pointed to the door.

“Please go in.”

“Thank you.”

Jo Gyu-min bowed his head.

Jo Gyu-min, who was the chief of staff in terms of position, tried not to lose his manners to those who were older than him.

As they went inside, Hwang Jung-hoo greeted Kang Jin-ho with a smile.

“It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“It has been.”

“Is everything alright?”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Hwang Jung-hoo with a slightly sullen expression.

“Aren’t you getting all the reports?”

“This guy! Why are you being so rigid with a casual greeting? Come, sit down.”

“Yes.”

As they sat on the sofa, the door opened and coffee was brought in. Kang Jin-ho took a sip of coffee at Hwang Jung-hoo’s urging.

“I’ve been hearing about various things.”

“Yes.”

“We’re also investigating those people who came from China, but we haven’t found anything specific. They seem to be quite secretive.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded his head.

Jae-kyung wasn’t powerless, but if the Murim [martial arts world] had as much power as Jinbao had said, it was not something Jae-kyung could handle.

“Don’t investigate them.”

At the sudden words, Hwang Jung-hoo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a subtle gaze.

“If you touch them carelessly, Jae-kyung could be destroyed. Don’t touch them.”

In that moment, Hwang Jung-hoo’s eyes twitched slightly.

Jo Gyu-min swallowed hard as he watched the scene.

‘Who would dare say such a thing in front of Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo?’

For Hwang Jung-hoo, Jae-kyung was his life itself. And for Jae-kyung, Hwang Jung-hoo was everything.

Hwang Jung-hoo was Jae-kyung, and Jae-kyung was Hwang Jung-hoo.

No one would dare say to Hwang Jung-hoo that Jae-kyung could be destroyed.

Because no one in the world would want to incur Hwang Jung-hoo’s wrath.

But this young man was confidently saying those words in front of Hwang Jung-hoo.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Very.”

Hwang Jung-hoo frowned and was silent for a moment, then nodded his head.

“Alright, I’ll back off. If you say so, then it must be so.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded lightly, but Jo Gyu-min couldn’t help but be surprised.

Hwang Jung-hoo’s trust in Kang Jin-ho was more solid than he had thought.

‘Now he’s truly the second-in-command in name and reality.’

Everyone who knew implicitly acknowledged it, but seeing Hwang Jung-hoo act like this, it was as good as being officially recognized.

Even Director Baek Young-gi, who could be said to be the official second-in-command of Jae-kyung, would not dare to say such a thing in front of Hwang Jung-hoo. This man, who was not in a high position and was only listed as an intern on paper, had become the second-in-command of Jae-kyung.

It wasn’t anything new, but it was definitely a meaningful conversation.

“So, is that why you called me?”

“Of course, that’s part of it. It’s not an ordinary matter, after all.”

“That’s true.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded his head.

“The points of contact are increasing.”

It was something he had half expected, but he realized through this incident that the more contact he had with the Murim, the more dangerous his family could be.

This was not what Kang Jin-ho wanted.

“You might be fine, but other people aren’t. You can’t be with them 24 hours a day to protect them. Right?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll provide primary protection for now. We’ll place people around them without them knowing. It seems like we need to talk to you and proceed with this.”

Kang Jin-ho’s brow furrowed.

Protection was like restricting freedom in exchange for safety. Moreover, having someone watching you without your knowledge was not a romantic thing like in fairy tales. It meant that every single one of your actions was being exposed to someone else.

“I’ll think about it for now.”

“I hope you make a decision soon.”

Hwang Jung-hoo didn’t want Kang Jin-ho’s family to get hurt. It wasn’t because he had affection for Kang Jin-ho’s family, but because he didn’t know how Kang Jin-ho would change if his family was harmed.

Hwang Jung-hoo was ready to do anything to calm the storm that was Kang Jin-ho.

“So, is that it?”

“No, now for the main point.”

As Kang Jin-ho looked at him with a questioning gaze, Hwang Jung-hoo smiled and opened his mouth.

“Do you have any thoughts about starting a business?”