Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2103

Following the man ahead, Lee Hyun-soo walked down the long corridor, glancing around with a fresh perspective.

A desolate corridor.

It was like a corridor in an old company run by a CEO who had no intention of spending money on interior design. It was as if…

‘It’s like the General Assembly [a governing body or council].’

There might be quite a few similarities.

An old and dilapidated building, a layout that prioritized practicality over aesthetics, a starkness that seemed to shout, ‘Why would anyone need flowers or decorations when people are working?’

All of it put a strange pressure on those who walked through it.

Of course, Lee Hyun-soo wasn’t someone who was easily influenced by such appearances. But even he couldn’t help but feel a little tense at this moment.

The reason was quite simple.

This was the central government complex.

‘Did I make it big?’

He never imagined he would walk into this place on his own two feet. Not even a year ago, or even a few months ago.

“This way.”

At a fork in the corridor, the secretary pointed to one side and opened the door straight ahead.

Inside, several secretaries were busy at work.

“Where is the Prime Minister?”

“He’s waiting.”

“Good.”

The secretary knocked on the door without delay. After a short pause, he opened the door and bowed to Lee Hyun-soo.

“You may go in.”

“Thank you.”

A short sigh escaped Lee Hyun-soo’s lips as he entered the door.

‘I really did make it big.’

A large room that seemed more like a conference hall than an office. Inside, Koh Han-bong walked out with a smile and extended his hand to Lee Hyun-soo.

“Welcome, Director Lee.”

“Prime Minister, have you been well?” Koh Han-bong extended his hand, but Lee Hyun-soo did not take it, bowing respectfully instead.

“Haha, you’re being too polite between us.”

“It’s a courtesy I must observe.”

Koh Han-bong smiled wryly.

To put it nicely, it was a show of respect, but to put it badly, it was an act of distancing. If anyone else had done this, one might have said they were nervous given the place, but…

‘He’s not that kind of person.’

In some ways, Lee Hyun-soo was more difficult to deal with than Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho was extremely cruel to those who deviated from his way, but otherwise, he wasn’t one to nitpick.

But Lee Hyun-soo was different. If Kang Jin-ho was a commander, Lee Hyun-soo was a practitioner. As a negotiation partner, a practitioner was several times more troublesome.

“Please, have a seat over here.”

“Yes.”

As befitting the Prime Minister’s office, there were three tables prepared for meetings. Koh Han-bong guided Lee Hyun-soo to the most luxurious round table.

Lee Hyun-soo stood in front of the sofa surrounding the round table, and only after confirming that Koh Han-bong had taken his seat did he quietly sit down.

Koh Han-bong took out his glasses and put them on, smiling wryly.

“You don’t have to be so stiff.”

“I cannot do that, Prime Minister,” Lee Hyun-soo said quietly but firmly.

“This is an official meeting.”

The General Assembly and the government had maintained a close relationship until now. But all of that had been done unofficially. Therefore, a meeting with the Prime Minister of a country had always been held in a deep, secluded place, out of sight of others.

The moment their secret relationship was revealed, it was clear that the world would fall into chaos.

But at this moment, Lee Hyun-soo was sitting here, having received an official invitation from Koh Han-bong, the Prime Minister of South Korea. Therefore, he couldn’t afford to be careless.

“Being official is always a burden.”

Koh Han-bong nodded as if he understood.

“But what does it matter? There’s no one here to record our conversation. And…”

Koh Han-bong continued with a smile, but with a sharp gaze hidden beneath.

“If you’re the second-in-command of the General Assembly, you don’t need to be so polite in front of me. Especially in a situation like this.”

It was a sharp remark, but Lee Hyun-soo calmly accepted Koh Han-bong’s words.

“If the Assembly Head or other directors were here, they might easily accept your words, Prime Minister. But I am not. I am not the second-in-command of the General Assembly, but merely a director. How could I dare to relax in front of the Prime Minister?”

Koh Han-bong smiled at Lee Hyun-soo’s self-deprecating words.

“Director Lee.”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever thought about going into politics?”

“…Excuse me?”

Lee Hyun-soo’s expression faltered for the first time at the unexpected question.

“Why all of a sudden…”

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just that people tend to think of everything based on their own experiences.”

Koh Han-bong laughed heartily.

“I was just thinking it’s a shame. You’re a young man with a smart image.

And… if the General Assembly wanted to, it could easily mobilize tens of thousands of people. It has immense influence in both the political and business worlds…”

“Since you’ll have to come out into the open anyway, wouldn’t it be okay for someone representing the martial artists to enter the National Assembly [South Korea’s legislative body]? Even if you ran directly instead of through proportional representation, it doesn’t seem that difficult to get elected.”

“Ahem.”

Lee Hyun-soo coughed, his face slightly flushed.

“I’m sorry. Politics is not a field I’m good at.”

“Politics isn’t done by those who are good at it, but by those who are in need, Director Lee.”

“That’s how it will be in the future. No matter how good a relationship we build, if the government changes and the people here are replaced, the relationship will change drastically.”

“That’s true.”

“The way to eliminate that risk is very simple. Either completely withdraw from politics and give up what you have to, or…”

Koh Han-bong slightly adjusted his glasses.

“Rise to a position where you can make your own decisions.”

“I think the General Assembly will soon need someone to represent its position. Not necessarily through me, but someone who can act on their own. When that time comes…”

Koh Han-bong leaned forward slightly and whispered, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Come to our side, not the other party. Those people are so rigid, it’s impossible to reason with them.”

Koh Han-bong straightened up and smiled.

“They say even a brush of sleeves is fate, and we’re not just any ordinary connection, are we?”

Lee Hyun-soo coughed lightly before opening his mouth.

“It’s unlikely, but… if that were to happen, I would actively recommend it to the Assembly Head.”

“That alone is enough, haha. Then, can we consider ourselves half family now?”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

‘Is this what a politician is like?’

He had deliberately created a stiff atmosphere, but he was caught off guard by an unexpected blow, and the atmosphere had completely relaxed. It meant that in just five minutes of starting the conversation, the initiative had completely shifted to the other side.

If the National Assembly was full of such slippery characters, he wondered if even the great Lee Hyun-soo could withstand it.

“So…”

Koh Han-bong said with a smile.

“I think we should talk about business now. How is the situation?”

Lee Hyun-soo handed the documents he had prepared to Koh Han-bong.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a report on the current situation.”

Koh Han-bong nodded and began to read the documents.

And even in the midst of that, Lee Hyun-soo continued his briefing.

“The plan is simple. First, we will divide East Asia, including China, South Korea, Japan, and parts of Russia, and Europe, including Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, into two centers.”

“Hmm…”

“We will directly establish branches of the General Assembly within these areas and directly control the martial artists living there.”

“Is that possible? There will be considerable resistance.”

“It’s not that difficult. When politicians hear the word ‘martial artist,’ they probably think of something like an Islamic terrorist group.”

Koh Han-bong smiled wryly.

“It’s not actually like that, is it?”

“No. It’s similar.”

“Excuse me?”

Koh Han-bong looked at Lee Hyun-soo, dumbfounded.

“Especially in that they don’t follow national control, but they are willing to die for internal orders, they are almost identical.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled.

“Therefore, you don’t have to worry too much about internal resistance.

Especially…”

Lee Hyun-soo paused slightly before speaking.

“Dealing with defectors is twice as certain on our side than with Islamic militant groups or cartels. We just don’t solve it as cruelly and conspicuously as they do, but we don’t miss a single rat.”

Koh Han-bong felt a chill run down his spine.

“Don’t forget, Prime Minister. We have lived without revealing our existence for all these years. That’s partly because of our internal policy, but also because we have thoroughly suppressed those who resist.”

Even the General Assembly did not spare those who violated the rules and committed crimes in the outside world using martial arts. Even Kang Jin-ho, who was more than lenient in dealing with members, did not abolish the martial arts of members when they left the General Assembly.

“It’s not that it’s possible. It’s just that we’re already doing it, and now we’re just going to guarantee it more firmly. Through an exposed organization.”

“That’s a difficult problem.”

Koh Han-bong sighed deeply.

“Being exposed means we have to apply the law. The state does not allow two sets of laws within its territory.”

“That’s not a problem. What we’re trying to do is prevention and catching criminals. We can entrust the punishment to the state. We’ll abolish their martial arts and hand them over as ordinary citizens.”

“Of course, you’ll have to take into account the unfortunate incidents that occur while catching those who resist.”

“Hmm.”

Koh Han-bong looked at the report again with a stern face before opening his mouth.

“But… it’s only Europe and East Asia.”

“Southeast Asia will be added soon.”

“Is it difficult for the Middle East or Africa?”

“It’s not difficult, but I wonder if it’s really necessary.”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Koh Han-bong with a meaningful expression.

“They won’t be included in this agreement anyway, will they?”

“Isn’t what you want from us a way to prevent the current system from being shaken? The Middle East and Africa are already chaotic enough. Adding the element of martial artists won’t exactly overthrow any countries…”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“Whether the countries there are overthrown or not, it has nothing to do with you, does it?”

Koh Han-bong did not deny the statement.

It was the developed and middle-income countries that were currently on high alert about martial artists. Countries struggling to make ends meet didn’t really care about this issue.

“The UAE and Saudi Arabia have shown interest.”

“Rich countries. What about Israel?”

“They haven’t said anything yet. It seems they believe they can control it.”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded lightly.

“We will consider establishing a branch in the Arabian Peninsula as well. It won’t be easy right away, but we’ll consider it as a top priority.”

“Thank you.”

Koh Han-bong sighed deeply and looked at Lee Hyun-soo.

“However… I am not the one who authorizes all of this. You must understand that I am just a messenger.”

“Of course. But there’s one thing I need to correct.”

“…What part?”

“This is not a matter of seeking permission.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Koh Han-bong with cold eyes.