Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2111

Kang Jin-ho, entering the briefing room, slightly frowned.

The scene before him was a bit different from what he had expected. He didn’t know when they had heard the rumors, or if Koh Han-bong had called them, but reporters were lined up in front of the podium where he was supposed to give his presentation.

Kang Jin-ho glanced back, and Koh Han-bong smiled gently.

“If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right, don’t you think?”

“The wording delivered on broadcast is clearly different from seeing it in person. Politicians are incredibly smart when you actually meet and talk to them, but they look like complete idiots when they speak on TV. To deliver the message properly, we’ll need a short Q&A session after your speech.”

“…That doesn’t sound short at all?”

“Just be comfortable.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

How could he be comfortable in a situation like this? Even if politicians’ job was to say nonsensical things, wasn’t this a bit too much?

“Don’t worry about it, CEO.”

Kang Jin-ho, noticing the change in Koh Han-bong’s tone, turned his head slightly to look at him again.

“You’re not speaking to the camera, CEO. You’re speaking to the people behind the camera.”

“A speech that’s delivered to a camera, not a person, can’t properly convey one’s intentions. Even if you’re a bit nervous and uncomfortable, you need to deliver your message directly to the people in front of you to convey your will.”

Koh Han-bong smiled gently.

“A clumsy sincerity is much better than a well-refined instant message. So, imagine that there are billions of people gathered in front of you. Compared to that, there’s no reason to care about a handful of reporters.”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but laugh.

Indeed, in this aspect, Koh Han-bong was a truly formidable person.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kang Jin-ho slightly bowed his head towards Koh Han-bong and headed to the podium.

He reminded himself that he wasn’t speaking to the camera, but to the people behind it.

Kang Jin-ho straightened his clothes.

He tightened his unfamiliar suit and tie, which felt like it was choking him. He had never bowed his head to anyone before. He had never had to ask anyone for anything.

But now, he had to reach out first. Not a hand of mercy from the strong to the weak, but a hand seeking more understanding. So, showing respect to the other party was only natural.

“Ahem.”

Kang Jin-ho cleared his throat one last time and stood at the podium. As soon as he took his position, camera flashes went off one after another.

“We’ll take some photos before we start.”

It was unfamiliar to Kang Jin-ho, but it was so natural for them that the whole process flowed smoothly.

“Please refrain from using flash during the speech. We’ll start the broadcast soon.”

The PD [Production Director] in the back kept signaling to Kang Jin-ho. It meant the broadcast would start soon. Kang Jin-ho took a small breath and nodded.

What should he do?

What words should he use to convey his message?

A slightly more formal tone than usual? Or a more comfortable tone?

Should he be a bit more intimidating so that they wouldn’t look down on him and the Murim [Martial Arts World]? Or should he be more relaxed so that they could understand that they were all the same?

Well, it didn’t seem like it would make much of a difference.

‘Even if it’s clumsy, be yourself.’

There was no reason to pretend. This wasn’t a problem that would end here. Now, he had to start a long, long fight. Perhaps a fight that was longer and more difficult than all the fights he had fought in his life combined.

If it was impossible to package himself throughout that period, it would be better to approach them as he was.

“We’re starting!”

The red lights on the cameras pointed at him all turned on at once.

It meant that the cameras had started rolling, and more importantly, that his image was now being broadcast to the world.

Looking at the lights, Kang Jin-ho closed his mouth.

He remained silent until the PD, who had been waiting for a while, panicked and gestured, and until the PD’s face turned pale as he sensed a broadcasting accident.

Just as the PD, whose insides were burning black, was about to step forward, the reporters who were supposed to remain silent began to murmur.

Thud.

Koh Han-bong’s hand was placed on the PD’s shoulder as he tried to do something.

“Wait.”

“P-Prime Minister.”

In an instant, all sorts of thoughts went through the PD’s head. Even though this man was the Prime Minister of Korea, the broadcast was entirely his responsibility. If there was a broadcasting accident, Koh Han-bong could just laugh it off and leave, but he might have to resign.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t immediately shake off the hand because of the man’s position.

“Just a moment.”

The PD stared blankly at Koh Han-bong, then turned his head to look at Kang Jin-ho.

And just then.

“Hello.”

Kang Jin-ho began to speak.

“I’m Kang Jin-ho.”

“…Mom.”

“Yes?”

Kang Eun-young, who was sitting on the sofa eating snacks, turned her head slightly and called out to Baek Hyun-jung, who was sitting at the dining table.

“Mom, your son is on TV again.”

“Are you still watching that? Those guys are really persistent. Even though my son is handsome, I’m getting tired of it now, you know.”

“…No, Mom. It’s live.”

“Huh?”

“Mom, your son is on live TV right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

Baek Hyun-jung jumped up from her chair and walked to the sofa. Her eyes widened as she saw Kang Jin-ho’s upper body filling the TV screen.

“…Why is he there?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s he going to say this time?”

“Who could possibly guess what that man is thinking, Mother?”

Baek Hyun-jung looked at Kang Jin-ho with a dumbfounded expression and sighed deeply.

“…Why is he always so eager to cause trouble?”

From her perspective, it was frustrating.

She knew that there was always a reason for what Kang Jin-ho did, but even so, Baek Hyun-jung found it difficult to accept this situation. She knew that the more Kang Jin-ho stepped forward, the more he would get hurt.

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

[Hello, I’m Kang Jin-ho.]

Baek Hyun-jung quietly sat down next to Kang Eun-young. She felt like she had to listen to what Kang Jin-ho was going to say.

[I am here today to represent the position of those you call Murim.]

Baek Hyun-jung’s lips trembled slightly at Kang Jin-ho’s calm voice.

‘Jin-ho.’

She unconsciously clasped her hands together.

“That crazy bastard… he’s at it again.”

Joo Young-gi stared at the TV in disbelief. The face of a guy he was too familiar with was on the TV. He was dressed neatly, unlike his usual self.

“Hey, hey. Look at your friend. He’s all cleaned up.”

“…He’s your friend too.”

“Since when was that psycho my friend?”

Joo Young-gi cursed.

“That bastard, he’s like a caveman who doesn’t know anything about the internet or anything. It’s one thing to pour oil on a fire, but this is too much.”

Joo Young-gi knew.

How much animosity the existence of the Murim had caused in the world. It was a bit better in the real world where people met face to face, but in the online world where people met anonymously, it was literally hell.

That terrible time had passed, and it seemed like things were finally calming down, but he couldn’t stand it and was rushing in with a gas can to the dying embers.

“He said he was going to be hot, but he’s gone too far. Does he not know that he’ll burn to death?”

“…Jin-ho must have a plan.”

“Since when did your friend have a plan?”

Joo Young-gi shouted in anger.

“And you, you bastard, if you care about that bastard, you should call him right now and get yelled at. It’s because you always baby him that he’s acting like this without thinking.”

“W-What am I supposed to say to Jin-ho?”

Park Yu-min turned around with a dumbfounded expression, and Joo Young-gi shouted again.

“What do you mean, what? You’re his friend, you bastard! That bastard at least pretends to listen to you!”

“No…”

Park Yu-min turned his head to look at Kang Jin-ho on the screen.

[As a Murim individual in private, and as the person in charge of managing the Murim who will officially appear in the world in the future, I will no longer hide myself and will step forward into the world.]

“Jin-ho…”

His heart ached.

Park Yu-min could understand what those words meant. Because Park Yu-min knew best what kind of life Kang Jin-ho wanted to live.

Now, Kang Jin-ho was declaring that he would give up everything he had been pursuing.

‘Why are you trying to do so much?’

He felt like he understood, but he couldn’t understand at the same time.

“…Jin-ho.”

Park Yu-min’s mutterings spread aimlessly.

“First…”

Kang Jin-ho took a small breath. He had thought a lot about this moment, but now that he had started speaking, he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to say.

“I, no, we will try our best to ensure your safety.”

The moment those words ended, flashes started going off everywhere. The staff tried their best to stop them, but there was no way to stop the flashes once they started.

Kang Jin-ho continued to speak, facing the blinding flashes.

“I fully understand the concerns you have because of our existence.

Therefore, we will promise you first. I cannot guarantee that the things you are worried about will never happen. However, we will do everything we can to prevent any negative situations that may arise from the Murim.”

Kang Jin-ho looked straight at the camera.

That wasn’t a camera. It was the eyes of the people who were watching him.

“To this end, we will establish organizations in every country where Murim exist to respond immediately to Murim issues. We will also establish a separate line for related reports and tips with the security agencies of each country.”

Kang Jin-ho paused for a moment and continued.

“However, I would like you to understand one thing. The emergence of the Murim does not mean that new crimes will be created. We are not something that fell from the sky, but people no different from you. Sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes we commit crimes. In other words, the crime statistics you already know include crimes committed by the Murim.”

Another barrage of flashes went off, but Kang Jin-ho continued to speak without batting an eye.

“If an organization is created to crack down on Murim crimes and control them, I believe we can expect a decrease in the overall crime rate in each country. I believe that bringing the underground into the light will directly help your lives.”

At this moment.

Kang Jin-ho’s image and Kang Jin-ho’s voice are spreading all over the world.

People who were each holding their own anxieties in a changing world began to listen to the voice coming from the screen.